Motoring News

Lewis Hamilton’s new-year letter reads like a rallying cry after a tough Ferrari year

Motorsport - Wed, 2026-01-07 14:29
Lewis Hamilton has sent an open letter to fans through his non-alcoholic agave spirits brand Almave, as the Ferrari driver enters the new year with optimism. 
The past 12 months have been difficult for the seven-time Formula 1 world champion with his first season in the Italian outfit not shaping up to his expectations. But 2026 brings a new wave of regulations - regulations that Ferrari seeks ...Keep reading

Lewis Hamilton 'almost signed for Sauber' before F1 debut, says Peter Sauber

Motorsport - Wed, 2026-01-07 14:07
Former Sauber Formula 1 team owner Peter Sauber has claimed that Lewis Hamilton was close to signing with the Swiss-based team around two decades ago.
The Briton made his F1 debut with McLaren in 2007 and secured his first championship victory a year later in 2008, but according to Sauber, he was close to starting his career in the series with his team before the deal fell through due to ...Keep reading

Audi fires up its first F1 engine ever

Motorsport - Wed, 2026-01-07 14:00
Audi has fired up its first Formula 1 powertrain ever, ahead of the brand’s debut in the 2026 world championship.
Audi has taken over the Sauber outfit it fully acquired in 2024 and is competing in F1 for the first time in history this season.
While the Sauber cars had been powered by Ferrari since 1997 – except for the team’s BMW era from 2006 to 2009 – Audi is joining the series ...Keep reading

Toto Wolff warns Mercedes leadership an "ejection seat" if standards slip

Motorsport - Wed, 2026-01-07 13:59
Mercedes Formula 1 CEO and team principal Toto Wolff has opened up about leadership, describing his position as an "ejection seat" if he goes from "great to good".
Wolff has been at the helm of the Brackley outfit since 2013 and successfully guided the team to eight constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles, with Lewis Hamilton claiming six and Nico Rosberg securing one.
"I feel ...Keep reading

Sergio Perez reveals £6,000-an-hour psychologist fee as Red Bull driver

Motorsport - Wed, 2026-01-07 13:03
Sergio Perez has revealed Red Bull funded a pricey therapy session to support him back when he raced for the team in Formula 1.
Perez joined Red Bull in 2021 after both Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon struggled in the outfit’s second car, but he took just one victory that year as team-mate Max Verstappen won 10 grands prix on his way to a maiden world title.
“As soon as I arrived at Red ...Keep reading

Audi complete first fire-up of 2026 F1 car

Formula 1 - Wed, 2026-01-07 12:50
Audi have confirmed that they have successfully fired up their 2026 F1 car for the first time, marking a milestone moment as the manufacturer prepares for their debut following their takeover of the former Kick Sauber outfit.

Who are the 2026 F1 teams?

Formula 1 - Wed, 2026-01-07 12:50
Here are the 11 teams that will be lining up on the F1 grid in 2026.

Rally Hungary cancelled, European Rally Championship seeking replacement

Motorsport - Wed, 2026-01-07 12:28
European Rally Championship organisers are seeking a replacement round following confirmation that its planned 2026 season opener in Hungary has been cancelled.
The eight-round ERC season was set to host its curtain raiser in Hungary from March 22-24. However, financial issues related to the rally organiser resulted in the event being cancelled.
The rough gravel rally made its ERC debut in ...Keep reading

Why the 2026 MotoGP season is shaping up to be a transitional year

Motorsport - Wed, 2026-01-07 12:13
The status quo established and dominated by Ducati, together with the introduction of the new technical regulations from 2027 onwards, means that most manufacturers competing in the MotoGP world championship are approaching 2026 as a year of transition.
The four consecutive titles amassed by the Italian brand since 2022 are the clearest evidence of its superiority under the current regulatory ...Keep reading

Dakar 2026, Stage 4: Toyota’s Henk Lategan crushes rivals to take overall lead

Motorsport - Wed, 2026-01-07 11:49
Factory Toyota driver Henk Lategan annihilated the competition in the Dakar Rally on Wednesday, scoring a mammoth seven-minute victory in the first part of the marathon stage.
In a 2026 event that has seen Toyota’s form fluctuate wildly day to day, Lategan mounted an impressive comeback from Tuesday’s disappointment to log the quickest time in the 417km marathon stage around Al-Ula. The ...Keep reading

WEC 2025 BoP analysis: Ferrari

Motorsport - Wed, 2026-01-07 10:59
In 2025, Ferrari and AF Corse have pushed the Hypercar class to a new level, extracting even more performance  from the 499P than in previous seasons, when the Italian LMH was already one of the fastest cars in the field.
The 2025 season was defined by the Prancing Horse. Above all, the winning streak in the first half of the season will be remembered forever. However, in a Balance of ...Keep reading

Toyota reveals new-look WEC Hypercar for 2026 amid wider revamp

Motorsport - Wed, 2026-01-07 10:11
Toyota has taken the covers off the updated version of the Le Mans Hypercar that will contest the 2026 World Endurance Championship.
Christened the Toyota TR010 Hybrid, the V6 twin-turbo-powered car marks the next iteration of the GR010 Hybrid that has been in service since the inception of the Hypercar class in 2021.
This is only the third time Toyota has introduced a major update to its ...Keep reading

How F1 could solve its controversial 'Driving Standards Guidelines' problem

Motorsport - Wed, 2026-01-07 09:54
Nostalgia ain’t what it used to be. But has it ever been what it used to be?
Complaints about the interpretation and implementation of F1’s ‘Driving Standards Guidelines’ have intensified even as the document enshrining them has thickened in response with caveats and clarifications. In tandem with this phenomenon there has developed a widespread longing for a halcyon era in which race ...Keep reading

NASCAR Driver Advisory Council reorganized for 2026 season

Motorsport - Wed, 2026-01-07 00:05
Longtime NASCAR executive, and formerly Daytona International Speedway president, Chip Wile is taking over as Drivers’ Advisory Council executive director.
Wile assumes the position previously held by Cup Series veteran Jeff Burton, who is remaining with the group as an advisor.  From the press release announcing the organizational structure for 2026, ‘the move is part of a broader effort ...Keep reading

Xfinity Series champion enters Chili Bowl with Cup crew chief

Motorsport - Tue, 2026-01-06 23:18
Fresh off an O'Reilly Auto Parts Series championship, Jesse Love is returning to the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals following a one-year hiatus driving a car with another NASCAR connection, in that it will be fielded by Cup Series crew chief Blake Harris.
2nd Opinion Auto Center Racing, owned by Dan and Patricia Harris, have fielded Midgets in the Tulsa Expo for over a decade and the car owned by ...Keep reading

New Michael Schumacher Ferrari LEGO Icons set revealed ahead of release

Motorsport - Tue, 2026-01-06 21:33
Formula 1 fans should be ready to add another LEGO Icons set to their shelves as details of a Michael Schumacher Ferrari F2004 set have leaked ahead of its release.
The LEGO Icons F1 sets include an F1 car, which is roughly 30 centimetres in length, along with the corresponding driver. Others in the collection include Nigel Mansell and the Williams Racing FW14B, and Ayrton Senna and the ...Keep reading

Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas battle the heat and spill the truth in "Hot Ones" challenge

Motorsport - Tue, 2026-01-06 19:14
Cadillac Formula 1 drivers Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez have taken on the Hot Ones Versus challenge ahead of the 2026 season. 
On the popular First We Feast YouTube channel, the two drivers were given the challenge of telling the truth to "deeply personal questions" or "suffer the wrath of the Last Dab" hot wings.
First up in the spotlight was Mexican driver Perez, who was asked by his ...Keep reading

GP of Arlington President Miller bullish over event’s long-term future

Motorsport - Tue, 2026-01-06 18:32
Grand Prix of Arlington President Bill Miller is bullish over the long-term future of the event in the IndyCar Series.
While it isn’t a surprise for a promoter to tout their own horn, it sends a different kind of statement when the inaugural event is a little over two months away.
This might feel like history repeating itself for IndyCar fans - and maybe even some in the paddock - as ...Keep reading

Hadjar details what excites him most about racing for Red Bull

Formula 1 - Tue, 2026-01-06 17:48
Isack Hadjar has shared an insight into what excites him most about his new chapter as a Red Bull driver, with the Frenchman citing racing alongside Max Verstappen as one of his highlights.

Pages

Subscribe to North East Kit and Classic Car Club aggregator