Motorsports

F1 could ditch a core part of its 2026 engine plan

Formula 1 chiefs will discuss with teams next week the idea of a significant change to the 2026 engine rules aimed at heading off fears about cars repeatedly running out of energy, The Race can reveal. The idea would mean F1 moves away in races from the 50/50 power split between the internal combustion engine […]

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3 months ago

April 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

F1 could ditch a core part of its 2026 engine plan

The idea would mean F1 moves away in races from the 50/50 power split between the internal combustion engine and battery that has been a core principle of the new regulations.

As work continues behind the scenes on the design of the all-new turbo hybrid power units, worries have been repeatedly aired about the possibility of them having a bad impact on the racing.

The biggest concern is that there will not be enough harvesting to allow for as much battery deployment as teams would like.

For some power-sensitive tracks such as Monza, there have been worries that cars could run out of energy halfway down the straight – providing not just a poor spectacle but huge frustrations for drivers too.

Efforts have been made by the FIA to tweak the rules and minimise the prospect of cars running out of energy too early, which includes what is known as a ‘turn down ramp rate’ that prevents teams burning all their energy too quickly coming out of a corner.

Instead, power can only be reduced gradually, which effectively forces teams to stretch their use of energy deployment further along a straight.

While some manufacturers believe the current regulations are enough to prevent problems at most tracks, not everyone is convinced – and the FIA has been conducting further analysis of the situation.

The Race has learned that, as part of a push to minimise the risk of problems in races, a proposal has been put forward for discussion at next week’s F1 Commission meeting to introduce a major change to the regulations.

While the 50/50 power split between the ICE and battery will remain in place for qualifying, an idea has been tabled for a major shift for the races.

The proposal is that battery power deployment be reduced from the current 350kW down to 200kW for races. This will shift the ICE/battery power ratio from 50/50 to 64/36. The split is 85/15 in the current F1 regulations.

The idea behind the move is that, with less power being deployed, what energy the battery has stored up can be unleashed over a much greater distance of the lap, and especially for a longer time down the straights.

While the reduction in power, equivalent to 200bhp, will have an impact in holding back acceleration immediately out of a corner, sources have indicated that the performance profile around a lap will be more consistent as cars are running less of the lap without any battery power at all.

One of the other added benefits of the change is that, with the override overtake element remaining at 350kW, more overtaking opportunities should be opened up as there will be a bigger offset between cars that have it and those that do not.

The idea of pulling the battery power down from 350kW to 200kW for races has been supported by Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, who said he thinks it will help avoid the worst of drivers being on economy runs.

“What we desperately want to avoid is a situation where drivers are lifting and coasting from halfway down the straight,” he told The Race. “That will frustrate the drivers. It will be bad for the spectacle of out and out racing.

“The FIA have all the info, and waiting until the start of next year to do something is arguably too late. We’ve still got eight months to sort things out.

“I think the FIA have obviously started to see something that concerns them, and it’s only right that they address it with plenty of time, which there still is, in time for next year’s rules introduction.”

But not everyone is in agreement with the change – and the rule tweak will need support from a super majority of manufacturers if it is to go through.

Mercedes F1 CEO Toto Wolff has made it clear that he is against any move to change the regulations in such a way before the cars are seen in action for the first time.

“I think we should stick to the outcome of the last engine meeting and see how everything pans out next year, rather than try to predict what it’s all going to be like,” he told The Race.

“The power unit manufacturers have said clearly in the meeting last Friday in Bahrain, ‘Let’s get going, push the pause button for the moment, and then in 12 months’ time, decide whether there’s something to do’.”

Asked if it would not be better to get ahead of any problems before the season starts, Wolff replied: “I think we can react pretty quickly if there was such a problem.

“But I think it’s again gamesmanship, based on guessing and opinion. There is no data supporting any of that [concern]. So it’s just another opinion. Yet again.”

Related Topics:bad cars design f1 formula 1 late motorsports new season sports team try

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Team Penske names new leadership

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Team Penske named its new leadership structure for the organization’s NTT INDYCAR Series and sports car programs. The organization promoted Jonathan Diuguid to president of Penske Racing, Inc., and named Travis Law as the competition director. They will officially transition to their new roles this weekend. Jonathan Diuguid, courtesy of Team Penske Travis […]

Published

11 minutes ago

July 4, 2025

Your Sports Nation

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Team Penske named its new leadership structure for the organization’s NTT INDYCAR Series and sports car programs.

The organization promoted Jonathan Diuguid to president of Penske Racing, Inc., and named Travis Law as the competition director. They will officially transition to their new roles this weekend.

Jonathan Diuguid, courtesy of Team Penske

“Diuguid and Law bring a combined 38 years of experience at Team Penske that will serve them well as they look to build on the organization’s legacy of motorsports success. In their new roles, Diuguid and Law will oversee the Team Penske teams competing in the NTT IndyCar Series, as well as Porsche Penske Motorsport, which races in both the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship (IMSA) and the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).”

According to Team Penske, both Diuguid and Law served in leadership positions for Porsche Penske Motorsport. As the managing director, Diuguid led the global sports car program to wins in the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2024 and 2025. They also won the 2025 12 Hours of Sebring. They earned two championships in 2024 – in IMSA’s GTP class and the WEC Hypercar driver’s crown.

“The opportunity to lead the Team Penske efforts across the NTT IndyCar Series, IMSA and WEC is a tremendous responsibility and the feeling of being trusted to lead these teams is a great honor,” Diuguid said. “After two decades working for Roger Penske, I truly know and understand what the Penske name means in the world of motorsports. The best way I know to show my appreciation to him for his trust is to ensure our success continues well into the future.”

After joining Team Penske in 2007 as a sports car tire specialist, Law rose through the ranks to become a championship-winning chief mechanic in IndyCar. He then had the same success in sports car competition. Law most recently served as competition director for Porsche Penske Motorsport.

“Success is what is expected at Team Penske,” Law stated. “Roger Penske is someone that leads by example. When we get to the racetrack, we know we have the support of someone who has achieved at the highest levels. I am ready to get to work.”

These changes come after a scandal embroiled Team Penske during the Month of May. The scandal led to Tim Cindric and Ron Ruzewski losing their jobs as team president and managing director, respectively.

MORE: Team Penske announces major departures ahead of Indy 500

The NASCAR leadership structure for Team Penske will remain the same. Michael Nelson will continue as president. Travis Geisler will continue as vice president of competition.

Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.

A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.

Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick’s final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen’s stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers’ stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.

Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com

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Motorsports

5 NASCAR drivers could miss the Cup race in Chicago

It is rare, but it still happens. For a NASCAR Cup Series race other than the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, there are officially more cars on the entry list than there are spots in the 40-car field, something that hasn’t happened since November 2018 at Texas Motor Speedway. A total of 41 […]

Published

12 minutes ago

July 4, 2025

Your Sports Nation

A total of 41 cars are on the entry list for Sunday afternoon’s 75-lap Grant Park 165 around the 12-turn, 2.2-mile (3.541-kilometer) temporary street course, officially called the Chicago Street Course, in Chicago, Illinois.

The 36 chartered cars are all locked in, and yes, the six full-time cars fielded by 23XI Racing (three cars) and Front Row Motorsports (three cars) are still considered chartered cars, even amid the ongoing antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and the fact that recent rulings have not gone their way.

This means that there are four spots left open, and there are five drivers set to battle for those four spots in Saturday’s qualifying session.

The slowest of these five qualifiers is set to miss the race entirely.

The non-chartered (open) entries include the No. 13 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, which is set to be driven by Will Brown; the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, which is set to be driven by Austin Hill; the No. 66 Garage 66 Ford, which is set to be driven by Josh Bilicki; the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota, which is set to be driven by Corey Heim; and the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet, which is set to be driven by Katherine Legge.

Kaulig Racing generally show well on road and street courses, and Heim literally beat all three of 23XI Racing’s full-time drivers in his first start of the year at Kansas Speedway back in May. Richard Childress Racing are also a step above Garage 66 and Live Fast Motorsports, regardless of who is driving (and where).

On paper, it appears that the battle to get into the race will come down to Bilicki and Legge. Garage 66 and Live Fast Motorsports are always among the slowest teams whenever they compete, and on a challenging street course, they are both facing an uphill battle. The good news is that at least one of them won’t miss out.

Grant Park 165 qualifying is set to be shown live on TruTV from the Chicago Street Course beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 5. The race itself is set to be shown live on TNT Sports beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 6.

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Motorsports

Roger Penske has new leadership on IndyCar team after cheating scandal

Associated Press | Associated Press Mooresville, N.C. – Team Penske has new leadership structure atop its IndyCar and sports car programs in the wake of its latest cheating scandal that engulfed the organization at the Indianapolis 500. Jonathan Diuguid has been promoted to president of Penske Racing, and Travis Law has been named competition director. […]

Published

30 minutes ago

July 4, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Associated Press
| Associated Press

Mooresville, N.C. – Team Penske has new leadership structure atop its IndyCar and sports car programs in the wake of its latest cheating scandal that engulfed the organization at the Indianapolis 500.

Jonathan Diuguid has been promoted to president of Penske Racing, and Travis Law has been named competition director. Diuguid and Law have a combined 38 years of experience at Team Penske. Diuguid and Law will oversee the Team Penske teams competing in IndyCar as well as Porsche Penske Motorsport, which races in both IMSA and the World Endurance Championship series.

“After two decades working for Roger Penske, I truly know and understand what the Penske name means in the world of motorsports,” Diuguid said. “The best way I know to show my appreciation to him for his trust is to ensure our success continues well into the future.”

Roger Penske fired his top three executives at Team Penske after two of the Penske cars were found to be illegal.

Team president Tim Cindric, IndyCar managing director Ron Ruzewski and IndyCar general manager Kyle Moyer were fired in May in the wake of this Indianapolis 500 cheating scandal.

Penske is owner of the three-car team, IndyCar, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500. He has won the Indy 500 a record 20 times.

Penske shook up his race team leadership after two-time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden and teammate Will Power were found to have an illegally modified spec part on their cars ahead the final round of qualifications for the 109th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

Cindric and Ruzewski already had been suspended by IndyCar for the race and both teams fined $100,000. It was the second consecutive year Cindric and Ruzewski were suspended from the Indy 500.

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Motorsports

Chicago Street Course Race Weekend

Written by Gabriel Tsui & Ashleigh McGregor Credit: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images As one of the most anticipated races of the year, the Chicago street course returns for Try No. 3 for the 2025 season. The Chicago street course, as hinted by its name, is a 2.2-mile (3.5-kilometre) temporary street circuit right in […]

Published

31 minutes ago

July 4, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Written by Gabriel Tsui & Ashleigh McGregor

As one of the most anticipated races of the year, the Chicago street course returns for Try No. 3 for the 2025 season.

The Chicago street course, as hinted by its name, is a 2.2-mile (3.5-kilometre) temporary street circuit right in the heart of Chicago, Illinois. As the only race of its type on the schedule, teams are often faced with uncertain territory every weekend. Couple this with the fact that every previous race here has seen rainfall, this is why fans, media and teams nervously await this circuit.

Below are the start times for each race plus lap count:

Xfinity: Saturday, 5 July, 15:30 local (21:30 UK) – 50 laps
Cup: Sunday, 6 July, 13:00 local (19:00 UK) – 75 laps

Below are the defending winners for each race:

Cup Series: Grant Park 165 Preview

Following a back and forth race that saw Chase Elliott finally secure his spot in the playoffs, the field heads north to Windy City for the 19th race of the season. With the 12th drivers locked into the playoffs, there are four spots remaining up for grabs. Will we see another road course miracle for one of the drivers getting too far away from the cut line, or would we find one of the playoff drivers such as Shane Van Gisbergen add extra playoff points to his tally?

The drivers will be driving 75 laps around the race track, with 20 laps in the first stage, 25 laps in the second stage, and 30 laps in the final stage, totalling a distance of 165 miles (265.5 kilometres) run around the track.

The weather report indicates there will be rain on Sunday, so a repeat of 2024 might happen. On the other hand, the temperatures will remain above 27 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit) despite the rain, so tyre degradation will also be a point of focus. The race will commence on the Sunday of July 6th, at 14:00 Eastern (11:00 Pacific, 19:00 British).

Race Predictions

The first iteration of the race was won by Shane Van Gisbergen, who dominated the final stage and found his first win in NASCAR in his first start. 2024 was a rainy affair, where we saw intermittent racing as Alex Bowman ended up triumphant as Tyler Reddick and Ty Gibbs ran out of laps to catch up to the No.48 in the storm-shortened race.

It would be easy to pick one of the many road course warriors such as SVG, AJ Allmendinger, or even Ty Gibbs as our choice to win the race. However, most humans don’t live for the safe picks. Therefore, the pick for the week will be Chris Buescher.

Although Buescher’s name wouldn’t jump out in terms of road course racing, the 32-year-old has had good performances in the past when visiting road courses, including a win and multiple top-ten finishes at the Glen, while racking up three consecutive top-four finishes at Sonoma.

Riding on a four-race top-ten streak, it is time for the No.17 to be rewarded for their consistency throughout the season.

Credit: Brittney Wilbur / NASCAR Digital Media

Three things to look out for

Chase Elliott locks it in

After 17 (!!!) consecutive top-twenty finishes to start the season, Chase Elliott extends the streak in race 18 while picking up his ticket to the playoffs. He snaps a 43-race winless streak as he mounts a regular season title challenge against his fellow Hendrick Motorsport drivers, only 37 points behind Byron in the lead. Byron has been on a cold streak recently, so it might be time to dethrone the No.24, at least for now.

Suarez’s time in the Cup is on the clock

Halfway through the week, Daniel Suárez was informed he will not return to the Trackhouse organisation in 2026. This was a long time coming for the Mexican, as 29th in the standings does not do justice for the Trackhouse Chevy, especially when teammate Ross Chastain has been keeping the car within the top-ten of the championship standings.

An eleventh finish from Connor Zilisch in Atlanta was the nail in the coffin, as that was the justification Justin Marks needed to put Zilisch in the third car next season and wave goodbye to the Mexican. Now, Suárez must find a new seat, but time is running out and the more likely outcome is for Suárez to head back down to the Xfinity Series and find his groove.

Final year in Windy City?

With NASCAR reportedly heading to San Diego next season according to The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi, this might mark the end of NASCAR’s appearance at the Windy City for now. The deal between NASCAR and Chicago City runs out at the end of the season, and they might do a one-for-one swap with the calendar already at its maximum 38 races (36 points races and 2 exhibition races).

However, NASCAR could also find alternatives by dropping a double appearance race track, such as Bristol, Martinsville, or Las Vegas as they have done with Richmond to accommodate Mexico City.

Xfinity Series: The Loop 110 Preview

Written by Ashleigh McGregor

Last race out at the Atlanta Motor Speedway saw Nick Sanchez drive away with his first career win in the Xfinity series.

This week it’s the highly anticipated street race in Chicago. With only its third year running it’s already a fan and driver favorite track. This weekend promises a good show for all.

Fans will feel closer to the action than ever as they watch these cars zip through the streets of the city. Drivers will be on the absolute limit as they finesse their cars down the very restricted course.

So far this racecourse has been successful on the streets of Chicago. Compared to Formula – where they are starting to have more and more street races added into their calendar. It’s looking like this could be a similar case for NASCAR.

It’s exciting to race through the actual streets of a city. It also brings a slew of challenges- pavement issues, a secured track and tight margins. All of this adds excitement to the race week.

Race Weekend Guide

Drivers are racing 110 miles over 50 laps. This will be broken down into Stage 1 and Stage 2 with 15 laps each. The final stage will have 20 laps.

It may have a smaller number of laps than some races but it’s 50 laps that are jam packed with wheel to wheel racing down tight streets.

Drivers to watch

Sam Mayer has yet to achieve a win this season. He has succeeded in getting ahead of Austin Hill in the championship battle. He now sits in second place behind Justin Allgaier by 63 points. This weekend doesn’t look his strongest but he’ll be hungry to try.

Shane Van Gisbergen- a full time Cup driver is racing in the Xfinity series for this weekend. Previously he’s already won at this track for both the Cup and Xfinity series. He’s also racing in car No. 9- the car previously raced and won in Mexico with Daniel Suarez. Gisbergen is absolutely the driver to watch this weekend as it could be a clean sweep for him.

Connor Zilisch has broken into the Xfinity series with a dominance. He’s consistent week in and week out and has a liking for road courses. Seeing him in the top five this weekend is a high probability.

Last year Jesse Love finished in fifth at this track. He had some strong laps during the race then. It will be exciting to see his improvement from last year and if he can challenge the likes of Gisbergen or his childhood friend Connor Zilisch.

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Motorsports

Love Moto Stop Cancer Fundraising Campaign Continues with Patriotic Themed T-Shirt Design Inspired by RedBud Race Fans

Limited-Edition T-Shirt is Exclusive to the Pro Motocross Season andthe Only Way to Get it is by Donating to St. Jude BUCHANAN, MI – July 4, 2025 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Inspired by the passionate race fans that attend the annual RedBud National that annually coincides with the Independence Day celebration, the SMX LeagueTM is […]

Published

56 minutes ago

July 4, 2025

Your Sports Nation

News Release SMX World Chapionship [678]

Limited-Edition T-Shirt is Exclusive to the Pro Motocross Season and
the Only Way to Get it is by Donating to St. Jude

BUCHANAN, MI – July 4, 2025 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Inspired by the passionate race fans that attend the annual RedBud National that annually coincides with the Independence Day celebration, the SMX League^TM is excited to announce the continuation of the St. Jude Love Moto Stop Cancer text-to-donate fundraising campaign throughout the Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, season.

The Honda RedBud National Presented by Dixxon Flannel, Round 23 of the SMX World Championship, takes place tomorrow, July 5, from the legendary Buchanan, Michigan, venue and to help commemorate the spirit of the 4th of July, fans can also help support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital by becoming a partner in hope and receiving the limited-edition, red, white, and blue patriotic themed t-shirt by texting SUPER to 785-833.

“There is simply no race that carries the kind of celebratory and patriotic atmosphere like the RedBud National. For more than 50 years this event has welcomed the most passionate fans in American motocross, who are proud to show their love of the sport and celebrate the country’s birthday each summer,” said Davey Coombs, President, MX Sports Pro Racing. “Not only are we grateful to have the first-ever Pro Motocross specific Love Moto Stop Cancer t-shirt, which will allow us to continue fundraising for St. Jude, we’re excited to have it represent what is arguably our most high-profile event. We couldn’t think of a better way to symbolize what the Pro Motocross Championship is all about and look forward to seeing our fans show their support of this incredible cause.”

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing athlete and St. Jude supporter Aaron Plessinger

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing athlete and St. Jude supporter Aaron Plessinger repping the new red, white, and blue, patriotic themed Love Moto Stop Cancer t-shirt design.

Through fundraising partnerships like this, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing, or food – giving them the ability to fully focus on helping their child live. SMX is the only entity outside of country music to use its own community-wide slogan – Love Moto Stop Cancer. Donors who pledge $19 or more per month receive an exclusive Love Moto Stop Cancer T-shirt, routinely worn by all the sport’s top athletes.

Fans can text SUPER to 785-833 to become a St. Jude partner in hope

Fans can text SUPER to 785-833 to become a St. Jude partner in hope.

St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats, and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. The St. Jude mission is clear: Finding Cures. Saving Children. For more information, please visit the St. Jude page on either the Pro Motocross website or Supercross website.

Tickets are available for all remaining Pro Motocross rounds and the upcoming SMX Playoffs and World Championship Final at supermotocross.com. Fans located in the U.S. looking to tune into the action from the comfort of their homes can stream every race on Peacock. International viewers can watch year-round with three different language offerings on the SuperMotocross Video Pass available at supermotocross.tv, now available at a 50% discount for the remainder of the 2025 season.

For information about the SMX World Championship^TM, please visit www.SuperMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the new SMX social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:

About the SMX World Championship:

The SMX World Championship™ is the premier off-road motorcycle racing series in the world that combines the technical precision of stadium racing with the all-out speed and endurance of outdoor racing. Created in 2022, the SMX World Championship Series combines the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the AMA Pro Motocross Championship into a 28-round regular season that culminates with the season-ending SMX World Championship Playoffs. Visit SuperMotocross.com for more information.

Source: SuperMotocross League

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Motorsports

2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race kicks off this weekend

2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race kicks off this weekend – CBS Chicago Watch CBS News Saturday’s The Loop 110 race will be held in Grant Park before Sunday’s main event. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On Link 0

Published

57 minutes ago

July 4, 2025

Your Sports Nation