Shane van Gisbergen had an eventful race at EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta) on Sunday. The site of his best oval showing in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series (third) is now the site of his best oval finish in Cup, finishing an impressive sixth.

SVG did that despite two mid-race trips through the infield grass on the way to improving on his previous best oval finish of tenth at Kansas last fall. 

Van Gisbergen started the race outside the top 20, but quickly moved forward. By the end of Stage 2, he was in position to score a lot of stage points. He surged ahead in the final corner, and was attempting to pass Kyle Larson for third (eight points) when Larson came all the way down the track and across SVG's nose.

Larson admits fault in SVG incident

A wild end to Stage 2. 👀 pic.twitter.com/0yrp6TJnMA

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 22, 2026

Van Gisbergen spun wildly into the infield while Larson crashed into the outside wall, ending his day. The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion took full responsibility for the incident.

"Yeah, I just screwed up," said Larson in a media scrum that included Motorsport.com outside the infield care center. "I knew the No. 45 [Tyler Reddick] was inside of me at a point in the corner. I got clear of him, but didn't quite realize that the No. 97 [SVG] had gotten inside of him, so once I was clear, I just wanted to cut distance and short-cut my way to the finish of the stage. I hung a quick left and ran right into him [SVG]. Nothign anybody else did wrong besides me. All on me, and hate it."

SVG quickly rebounded, but while knocking on the door of the top-ten, he spun on his own exiting Turn 4 and took another off-road excursion through the infield grass. Despite all that, the No. 97 Chevrolet was still pretty much intact. He did not appear near the front again until the very end of the race, as he was among those who pitted for fresh tires during one of the late cautions.

The battle to the finish

With better grip, he cut a path forward, and restarted seventh for the final overtime restart. In the middle of a three-wide situation, he found teammate Ross Chastain and pushed him forward. At the white flag, SVG was actually running fourth, right behind Chastain.

He pushed up in the final corner, allowing Carson Hocevar and Daniel Suarez to sneak by, but sixth was still enough for Sunday's race to become his new best showing on an oval at the Cup level.

The points haul was significant as well. After a 30th-place finish in the Daytona 500 put him 28th in the championship standings, this weekend's result vaults him up to 16th in the points. At the end of Race #26, the top 16 drivers in the standings will advance into 'The Chase' after NASCAR reconfigured its championship format for 2026.

Photos from Atlanta - Race

Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing

Jonathan Bachman - Getty Images

Michael Jordan, Co-owner of 23XI Racing

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Austin Cindric, Team Penske

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing

Jonathan Bachman - Getty Images

Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing

Jonathan Bachman - Getty Images

Joey Logano, Team Penske, Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Joey Logano, Team Penske, Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing

Jonathan Bachman - Getty Images

Joey Logano, Team Penske, Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports, Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing

Jonathan Bachman - Getty Images

Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing, Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing, Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing

Jonathan Bachman - Getty Images

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., HYAK Motorsports

Jonathan Bachman - Getty Images

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., HYAK Motorsports

Jonathan Bachman - Getty Images

Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports, Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports, Joey Logano, Team Penske

Jonathan Bachman - Getty Images

Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing

Jonathan Bachman - Getty Images

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing, Joey Logano, Team Penske

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports, Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports

Jonathan Bachman - Getty Images

Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing

Jonathan Bachman - Getty Images

Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing

Jonathan Bachman - Getty Images

Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, Noah Gragson, Front Row Motorsports

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing

Jonathan Bachman - Getty Images

AMR safety team

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing

Jonathan Bachman - Getty Images

General view

Jonathan Bachman - Getty Images

Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports

Jonathan Bachman - Getty Images

Joey Logano, Team Penske

Jonathan Bachman - Getty Images

Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing

Jonathan Bachman - Getty Images

Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing

Jonathan Bachman - Getty Images

Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing

Tyler Reddick goes back-to-back, wins mad Atlanta Cup race with no fender

Official race results from 2026 Atlanta NASCAR Cup race

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"Why not both?" Tyler Reddick may have wondered as he prepared for the Autotrader 400.

After claiming victory at the 2026 Daytona 500, Reddick won the second race of the season at EchoPark Speedway this afternoon.

The NASCAR Cup Series will continue at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, for next week's DuraMax Grand Prix. But before that, let's revisit our Autotrader 400 predictions and free betting picks for this showdown from Sunday, February 22.

Odds to win 2026 Autotrader 400

Driver
Joey Logano	+800
Ryan Blaney	+800
Chase Elliott	+800
Carson Hocevar	+1000
Kyle Larson	+1200
William Byron	+1400
Christopher Bell	+1400
Brad Keselowski	+1400
Denny Hamlin	+1600
Kyle Busch	+1700
Austin Cindric	+2000
Tyler Reddick	+2200
Chase Briscoe	+2500
Ross Chastain	+2500
Chris Buescher	+2500
Bubba Wallace	+2800
Ricky Stenhouse	+3500
Alex Bowman	+3500
Ty Gibbs	+3500
Josh Berry	+3500

Odds as of 2-22.

Who won the Autotrader 400?

A week after opening the 2026 NASCAR season with a victory at the Daytona 500, Tyler Reddick captured another checkered flag with an overtime win at the Autotrader 400.

Chase Briscoe finished just behind Reddick for second, while Ross Chastain rounded out the podium in third.

Joey Logano, who entered the race as the presumptive favorite, finished 18th.

Autotrader 400 expert picks and predictions

Odds listed below courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook as of 2-21.

Autotrader 400 pre-qualifying favorites

Joey Logano (+1000)
Implied odds: 9.1%

Joey Logano is one of three multiple winners here in eight races since this speedway flipped from a "cookie-cutter" 1.5-miler to a mock Daytona, with William Byron and Chase Elliott being the other two.

Logano is tops in the field in average rating (105.4) over the last six races here as well as laps led (321).

Ryan Blaney (+1000)
Implied odds: 9.1%

Ryan Blaney is just behind Logano, his Penske teammate, in average rating (101.6) here dating back to February 2023 while leading a respectable 90 laps. 

Although Blaney has yet to win at EchoPark Speedway since the revamp, he's been in the Top 10 nearly every time, and his reputation as a top drafting track racer precedes him.

Chase Elliott (+1000)
Implied odds: 9.1%

Elliott got off to a quick start following the track reconstruction with a win and a sixth while leading 125 combined laps in 2022, but went ice-cold in 2023 and 2024 with no laps led. After a 20th-place finish in this exact race last year, Elliott finally got back to his winning ways in his backyard with a victory after leading 41 laps. 

Autotrader 400 sleeper

Josh Berry (+3500)
Implied odds: 2.8%

The No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford has a technical alliance with Team Penske, so Blaney and Logano will play nice in the sandbox with Josh Berry. Berry finished ninth in the Daytona 500, his third straight Top 10 dating back to last season following some rotten luck that cost him a shot at advancing in the playoffs. 

Berry led 56 laps here last February before finishing 25th due to an accident.

Autotrader 400 fade

Austin Cindric (+1200)
Implied odds: 7.7%

Austin Cindric constantly gets overbet at drafting tracks despite an average finish that ranks 31st among full-time drivers in all such races dating back to February 2023.

He's the third-best Penske driver and typically races toward the front in drafting races along with Blaney and Logano, but with a couple of exceptions, he shrinks when the going gets tough at the end. Cindric crashed in both Atlanta races last season.

EchoPark Speedway track analysis

EchoPark Speedway (née Atlanta Motor Speedway) is a banked 1.5-mile oval. It was radically redesigned ahead of the 2022 season, and it now produces draft-style racing akin to the much larger Daytona and Talladega.

Since the track was repaved only recently, tire wear is not expected to be much of an issue. 

EchoPark Speedway trend to know

Christopher Bell was the first Toyota to win a Cup Series race at EchoPark Speedway since 2013 (13 races). 

How to watch the Autotrader 400

Autotrader 400 weather

Fans in the stands might want to bring a parka along with a high of 47 degrees and 18 mph winds, but the rain is expected to stay away with just a 15% chance of precipitation at EchoPark Speedway for race day. 

Previous Autotrader 400 winners

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Who won the NASCAR race today? Autotrader 400 in Atlanta has 2-overtime finish originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The front of the field was just starting to separate themselves at the Autotrader 400 on Sunday in Atlanta when William Byron got loose, caused a big collision in the pack and sent the race to a caution -- and to overtime.

That set up a thrilling finish for all the fans who had gathered or turned on their televisions to watch 260 laps of racing. They got a couple extra -- and a couple extra more, because Carson Hocevar caused another wreck, setting up another caution and another overtime restart.

Bubba Wallace was in the lead when the race resumed, with just the green-white-checkered finish, and they had to try it twice.

It was the second race of the season, and it had the potential to set up quite the early-season momentum for one driver.

Here's how it finished.

MORE: Carson Hocevar shares blunt thoughts on ruining Joey Logano's race

Who won the NASCAR race today?

Tyler Reddick won the Autotrader 400 on Sunday.

It's two wins in a row for Reddick, who won the Daytona 500 to open the season a week ago.

He's the sixth driver in NASCAR history to win the first two races of the season, and the first since Matt Kenseth in 2009.

Wallace tried to make a move up top early in the first lap of the second overtime, and it didn't work. He got bumped way back into the field. Hocevar, too, fell back.

Sunday's race featured 10 cautions, an action-packed experience that knocked out a number of drivers and created plenty of drama down the stretch.

In the end, fans certainly got their money's worth.

The NASCAR Cup Series will be back in action in a week's time. The drivers head to Circuit of the Americas for some road-course racing.

Carson Hocevar shares blunt thoughts on ruining Joey Logano’s race in Atlanta originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Joey Logano was running a great race at the former Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday in the Autotrader 400.

Carson Hocevar ruined it.

With only 23 laps to go, Hocevar spun out Logano.

Logano's car wasn't ruined, but he didn't have a chance to win any longer after the caution.

Hocevar moved right near the front, and so it ended up being advantageous for him.

The 77 car nicked the 22 car from behind, starting the spin out.

MORE: Jack Hughes, not a miracle, just magic

Hocevar didn't wait long to share what he thought happened. He came right on his radio and wanted to apologize:

"I didn't mean to do that. ... Apologies. ... Tiniest contact, just my fault. I think he got tight. Completely on me."

Carson Hocevar: "I didn't mean to do that. ... Apologies. ... Tiniest contact, just my fault. I think he got tight. Completely on me." https://t.co/kTvhEyYrbD

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) February 22, 2026

Many won't believe Hocevar after he caused a wreck immediately in overtime, too.

Logano runs well on this track, and he won't be thrilled with this ending, regardless of whether Hocevar takes the blame or not.

Especially as Hocevar moved near the front, it quickly became clear that he'd be the main beneficiary no matter his intent.

We'll see if anything else gets said about this, but it wasn't ideal for Logano.

MORE: Team USA honors Johnny Gaudreau in special way after gold medal

How NASCAR overtime works for Autotrader 400 in Atlanta originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Autotrader 400 is going to finish in thrilling fashion.

It's overtime at the former Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The OT format creates great drama, but it comes after a delay. The race is in a red flag after a William Byron-prompted crash late in the race.

There were about less than 10 laps to go when the crash happened. The laps ran out by then, and the track had to be cleared, so the cars all stopped and waited.

How does NASCAR overtime work?

NASCAR overtime is two laps.

It starts with the green flag. That prompts one lap.

Then there's the white flag, signaling the final lap.

The checkered flag signals the winner.

As long as it gets to the white flag without another caution, it finishes on the checkered, no matter how many crashes happen on that final lap.

If a crash happens on the first lap of overtime, it goes to another caution, and they'll try the green-white-checkered again.

It should be fun.

Bubba Wallace is leading when it resumes.

MORE: Carson Hocevar shares blunt thoughts on ruining Joey Logano's race

KTM’s Pedro Acosta conceded that Ducati and Aprilia hold a clear advantage over the rest of the competition, describing their long-run pace in the Buriram MotoGP test as “scary”.

Pre-season testing for 2026 concluded in Thailand on Sunday, with Aprilia and Ducati riders locking out the top five spots in the classification. Acosta was the top competitor on a non-Italian bike, finishing 0.353s off the outright pace in sixth.

However, the gap to the front became most apparent over race simulations in the afternoon, with Acosta failing to dip below the 1m30s barrier over his 13-lap run. 

While the Spaniard was still satisfied with his performance on the factory RC16, he admitted that he was surprised by the scale of the deficit.

“Not bad, not bad,” he said, summing up his day. “I’m quite happy with the time attacks that I did this morning. I’m quite happy with the position because we were inside the top five [in the morning session], and normally it's our target, and I'm not far from the first. 

“Today in the afternoon, I was working, I made my race simulation, and I was quite okay. Sure, Aprilia and Ducati ones [long runs] look scary, but I was quite happy to be honest. We arrived at lap 24-25 with the tyres still alive. It was much different compared to last year. For this, I’m quite happy.”

With Ducati remaining the benchmark in MotoGP and Aprilia making tangible progress over the winter, KTM has been left as the distant third manufacturer in the pecking order.

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

However, Acosta draws encouragement from the fact that the RC16 is no longer chewing its tyres like last season, improving his prospects for the full-distance races.

“It looks like Ducati and Aprilia have one step more than us, but also that we have to be realistic that this is not our best track in the championship,” he said. 

Regarding tyre wear, he added: “It looks like we are able to survive a bit more. It's true that Aprilia and Ducati look like they are quite faster. But l would be happy if we can be inside this top five for the first race of the year for this. It looks promising.”

Acosta completed his pre-season testing programme without suffering any crashes, marking a major improvement over previous years.

While the 21-year-old admitted he was taking it easy to keep his bike in a single piece for the race sim, he was still satisfied with his no-crash record.

“I’m super happy to be honest,” he added. “Maybe this was the limitation that I was having in the time attack. Knowing that I have the race simulation in the afternoon, I was not wanting to really push this extra and then lose time to prepare the simulation for this. 

“I'm quite happy, the bike feels more natural, no movements.”

MotoGP Buriram test: Marco Bezzecchi breaks track record on final day

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Aprilia’s star rider Marco Bezzecchi beat the all-time track record at Buriram to top the final day of 2026 MotoGP pre-season testing.

With just 20 minutes remaining in the afternoon session, Bezzecchi set a blistering time of 1m28.668s on the factory RS-GP, dethroning world champion Marc Marquez from the top spot on the timesheets.

The Italian’s last-gasp effort was a fraction of a second quicker than the official record (1m28.700s), set by factory Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia en route to pole position at the 2024 Thailand Grand Prix.

Aprilia locked out the top two spots in the closing stages as Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez leapt to second with a 1m28.765s, demoting Marquez to third in the final classification.

Factory Ducati rider Marquez had controlled much of the day after setting a benchmark of 1m28.836s in the second hour. However, the 33-year-old suffered a late tumble at Turn 3 – his third crash of the weekend – and briefly visited the medical centre . It’s unclear if his visit to the medical centre was a direct consequence of the crash or a stomach problem that has been affecting him all weekend, but he was able to return to the track in the final hour.

Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

Marquez was closely followed by his team-mate Bagnaia, who capped off his strong run in pre-season testing in fourth place.

Sepang pacesetter Alex Marquez finished fifth on his Gresini-entered bike, the Spaniard also hitting the deck late in the session in what was an otherwise productive day at Buriram.

Pedro Acosta led the KTM contingent in sixth place, with VR46 duo Franco Morbidelli and Fabio di Giannantonio ending up seventh and ninth respectively, separated by the Aprilia of 2024 champion Jorge Martin.

The top 10 was rounded out by Joan Mir on the factory Honda.

Yamaha endured another frustrating day in Thailand, with Jack Miller on the best of the V4-powered M1s finishing 16th – over a second off the outright pace.

The field was propped up by Ducati test rider Michele Pirro, who substituted for an injured Fermin Aldeguer at Gresini.

Sunday’s running began 30 minutes earlier than scheduled to ensure sufficient natural light at the circuit later in the evening.

The opening round of the 2026 MotoGP season will take place at Buriram on 1 March.

Results to follow

Photos from Buriram test - Day 2

Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

Steve Wobser / Getty Images

Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Alex Rins, Yamaha Factory Racing

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Steve Wobser / Getty Images

Michele Pirro, Gresini Racing

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Steve Wobser / Getty Images

Diogo Moreira, Team LCR Honda

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Joan Mir, Honda HRC

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Toprak Razgatlioglu, Pramac Racing

Steve Wobser / Getty Images

Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing Team

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Michele Pirro, Gresini Racing

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Johann Zarco, Team LCR Honda

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Toprak Razgatlioglu, Pramac Racing

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Diogo Moreira, Team LCR Honda

Steve Wobser / Getty Images

Johann Zarco, Team LCR Honda

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Alex Rins, Yamaha Factory Racing

Steve Wobser / Getty Images

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Steve Wobser / Getty Images

Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Steve Wobser / Getty Images

Raul Fernandez, Trackhouse Racing

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Raul Fernandez, Trackhouse Racing

Steve Wobser / Getty Images

Franco Morbidelli, VR46 Racing Team

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Steve Wobser / Getty Images

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Steve Wobser / Getty Images

Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing Team

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Ai Ogura, Trackhouse Racing

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Steve Wobser / Getty Images

Johann Zarco, Team LCR Honda

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Marco Bezzecch, Aprilia Racing

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Joan Mir, Honda HRC

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Michele Pirro, Gresini Racing

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Steve Wobser / Getty Images

Johann Zarco, Team LCR Honda

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Ai Ogura, Trackhouse Racing

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Joan Mir, Honda HRC

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Jack Miller, Pramac Racing

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Michele Pirro, Gresini Racing

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing Team

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Joan Mir, Honda HRC

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Maverick Vinales, Red Bull KTM Tech 3

Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Marc Marquez explains how injury has affected his Ducati renewal

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Mercedes star George Russell is adamant that Red Bull holds the best energy deployment on the Formula 1 grid, with pre-season testing for the 2026 campaign now finished.

This year will introduce widespread regulation changes, and one of the alterations concerns the power unit, which holds more electrical energy, meaning battery harvesting will play a key role in grands prix.

It may include drivers downshifting on straights, which has obviously divided opinion: Max Verstappen claimed it’s like “Formula E on steroids”, whereas Lando Norris reckons it’s “a lot of fun”.

Verstappen’s comments came despite rivals praising Red Bull’s engine – the first it has built in-house – with Toto Wolff previously stating that it’s “the benchmark” which Mercedes “could not match”.

Although those comments may have been politically motivated amid the compression ratio drama, Russell echoed his bosses’ thoughts, saying: “Their deployment definitely still looks the best on the grid, which is kudos to them and I think was a bit of a surprise to everybody.

“So I think let's see come Melbourne [season opener in March] how things shake up. I think the Mercedes-powered teams have made a lot of improvements since day one of Bahrain last week, so that gap has closed drastically.

“But we're obviously day six of Bahrain testing now, whereas in Melbourne you've got three hours of practice – and that's the main point of the concern.”

George Russell, Mercedes

The obvious caveat is that this was pre-season testing, meaning not a lot can be read into it. That’s also because Bahrain, with its many straights, holds different track characteristics to the likes of Jeddah and Albert Park, meaning the ability to harvest energy will change round to round.

“At certain tracks we're going to be much more harvest-limited than we are here,” said McLaren driver Oscar Piastri on Friday in Bahrain. “Here, depending on where you set your optimality, you don't have to do much lift-and-coast, whereas in Melbourne I think if you didn't want to do any, you'd be running out of energy very, very quickly.

“It just depends on the layout of the circuit. Jeddah is another one, places where you have a few straights linked together by fast corners where it's very difficult to harvest, that's where the most kind of abnormality is going to come.

“So yeah, there's going to be some big differences. But in saying that, again, you can change things around a lot. We've seen people here in Turn 12, you can definitely make a corner if you want to and it's a lot harder than it was last year. But, at the moment, it's kind of all set before you get in the car. You can change it on the fly.

“But, it's a bit different because you're not just managing on the throttle, let's say. So Melbourne is going to look quite different, I think, and will be a challenge for us all, I'm sure.”

Early pecking order and Verstappen’s concerns: 7 key takeaways from F1 testing

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As the midpoint of the championship – following the opening rounds at La Conca and Sarno – the third round of the WSK Super Master Series in Viterbo (18–22 February) once again features a full field across all categories, with the participation of every major manufacturer and the most prominent international teams.

Entries reached level 320 with participants from 59 nations. The Hall of Fame of the Championship is among the most prestigious of international karting from 2010.

The Prefinals and Finals for the MINI U10, MINI Gr.3, OK-NJ, OKJ, OK, and KZ2 categories will be broadcast via Live TV Streaming on the WSK.it website, Motorsport.com, and YouTube:

320 entries from 59 nations

Approximately 320 drivers registered from all around the globe for the round in Viterbo, with 59 nations represented across all five continents: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Cyprus, Colombia, South Korea, Denmark, Estonia, Ecuador, Philippines, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Japan, Great Britain, Greece, Grenada, Guam, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Morocco, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Norway, Netherlands, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, United States, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, and Hungary.

The championship leaders after two rounds

After the first to heats, the classification leaders are:
MINI U10: 1st Burgess Zayne (USA) (Parolin Motorsport – Parolin/TM Kart/Vega) 187 points
MINI Gr.3: 1st Godschalk Wynn (USA) (Kidix Driver – KR/Iame/Vega) 146 points
OK-NJ: 1st Perico Niccolo’ (ITA) (KR Motorsport - KR/Iame/Vega) 191 points
OKJ: 1st Babicek Zdenek (CZE) (Tepz Racing Team – Tony Kart/Iame/Vega) 100 points
OK: 1st Pesl Jindrich (CZE) (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart/Vortex/LeCont) 135 points
KZ2: 1st Orlov Max (//) (CPB Sport – Sodikart/TM Kart) 145 points

One of the most prestigious Halls of Fame, since 2010

Uninterrupted since 2010, the WSK Super Master Series has represented the most important season opener on the international karting scene and remains one of the most well-attended championships in the world. The WSK Super Master Series Hall of Fame features names that have left a significant mark on motorsport. Among the most prominent drivers now found at the pinnacle of motor racing, the list includes Antonio Giovinazzi in 2010, Antonio Fuoco in 2011, Max Verstappen in 2012 and 2013, Dennis Hauger in 2015, Gabriele Minì in 2017 and 2018, Andrea Kimi Antonelli in 2018, and Arvid Lindblad in 2020. They are joined by many other international karting champions who have contributed to the ever-growing prestige of the WSK Super Master Series.

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What channel is NASCAR on today? TV schedule, start time, live stream for 2026 Atlanta race originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Only a week has gone by since NASCAR kicked off the 2026 Cup Series in Daytona, but it's time get back on the track with the Autotrader 400 Sunday. 

The Cup Series will stay in the South this week as drivers make their way to EchoPark Speedway for another thrilling competition this weekend. As seen by Tyler Reddick's dramatic last-second win at the Daytona 500, anything can happen, and the same applies in Atlanta. 

Fans should expect the unexpected during this race, as EchoPark Speedway presents a unique form of superspeedway-style intensity on an intermediate-sized track. The former Atlanta Motor Speedway is historically exciting, and in six of its last seven races, the winning pass has taken place in the final two laps before the checkered flag.

You won't want to miss out on this race.

Here's everything you need to know about the Autrotrader 400, including TV channel and streaming options for the NASCAR race in Atlanta.

 What channel is NASCAR on today?

• TV channel: Fox
• Live stream:Fubo

The 2026 Autotrader 400 will be broadcast nationally on Fox. Cord-cutters and fans without cable can also stream the action live on Fubo, which offers a free trial.

Fubo offers a free trial for new subscribers, so you can try the service before you buy. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox and 100+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)

What time does the NASCAR race start today?

• Date: Sunday, Feb. 22
• Time: 3 p.m. ET

The Autotrader 400 will get started at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 22. The race will take place at EchoPark Speedway in Hampton, Georgia.

Autotrader 400 radio station

• Radio station:SiriusXM channel 90

This weekend's NASCAR race will be broadcast over the airwaves on SiriusXM. Fans can listen to the action on channel 90. 

New subscribers can listen to SiriusXM for free for four months. Listen to live NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL games, plus NASCAR, college sports and more. Stay updated with all the news and get all the analysis on multiple sport-specific channels.

Related Links

• Latest NASCAR news and updates
• 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule
• Printable 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule
• 2026 O'Reilly Auto Parts Series schedule
• 2026 Craftsman Truck Series schedule

Broc Feeney claimed his and Triple Eight’s second win of the 2026 Supercars season after a dramatic race at Sydney Motorsport Park.

After a three-round bumping match with Grove Racing’s Kai Allen at the start, Feeney took the lead and quickly established an advantage of two seconds – which he stretched to five at the first pit cycle. But debris had to be removed from his radiator intake at his stop, halving his margin.

But before the second pit cycle the rain arrived, not heavily enough to prompt any of the leaders to change to wets, and the race resumed on a slippery track.

That left Feeney in the lead, and he watched Allen zoom around the outside at the ultra-fast Turn 1, before running wide and handing Feeney back the lead, which he held to the flag.

But he did not beat Allen. On lap 46 of 52, the Grove driver pitted with broken suspension, leaving that position to team-mate Matt Payne. It was heartbreaking for the 20-year-old but Allen again underlined his standing as a star in the making.

After the race, Feeney revealed that his cool suit failed at the start of the race and he literally fell out of the car in the pit lane.

“[It was] pretty hard,” said Feeney, who started from pole position, one of the best of the 28 in his career, after qualifying 10th in the qualifying session and leaping to P1 in the Top 10 Shoot Out.

“I was getting heated, I could feel the [cooling] tubes heating up my body. Then I got the plastic bag in the front and the car was heating up as well. I worked hard for that one, I had nothing left at the end.”

Payne was pleased after finishing nearly three seconds from the winner.

“I knew it was going to rain but I never knew when it was going to come,” he said.

“The heavens opened up at Turn 4 and the whole field came in. Kai should have been where I was, we should have had a double podium.”

Third was a brilliant result for Cam Waters, who found his Tickford Mustang a real handful in qualifying but far better in the race. From 20th he made eight positions in the opening three laps, settled, and then made a big leap in the damp conditions, staying out of trouble and benefited when others struck trouble.

Dick Johnson Racing’s Brodie Kostecki took fourth on the road but after a clash with the Blanchard Racing Ford of Aaron Cameron on the final lap, the 2023 champion was delivered a 15-second penalty, dropping him to 12th place.

Like Waters, Chaz Mostert struggled in qualifying but he made huge strides in the Walkinshaw TWG Toyota Supra, battling with Kostecki before securing fourth.

It was a very good day for Toyota, with Mostert’s team-mate Ryan Wood close behind him and Brad Jones Racing’s Cameron Hill taking seventh – in spite of facing the wrong way after contact on the opening lap of the race.

That position came at the expense of BJR team-mate Andre Heimgartner, who was seventh on the road but who got a five-second penalty of excessive breaches of track limits. The New Zealander was still ninth in the results, ahead of team-mate Macauley Jones, who started from the back row of the grid.

Splitting the Toyotas was the best of the Chevrolet Camaros. Jack Le Brocq rewarded Matt Stone Racing to take class honours, though that distinction might have fallen to Anton De Pasquale. The Saturday race winner spun to the rear of the field in the Team 18 Camaro in an incident with Kostecki and Will Brown, which saw the latter hit with a penalty, dropping him from 16th on the road to 18th.

Feeney and Payne are championship co-leaders on 258 points, though Feeney takes the series ‘lead’ as the tie breaker is the number of race wins. Third in the points is Waters on 238 ahead of De Pasquale on 197.

The next round of the Supercars Championship will be at Albert Park, at the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, on 5-8 March.

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

What time does the NASCAR race start today? TV schedule, channel for 2026 Atlanta race originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

NASCAR enthusiasts don't have much time to rest after the Daytona 500, as the 2026 Cup Series is back in action this weekend with the Autotrader 400 in Atlanta. 

Tyler Reddick's come-from-behind victory in the Great American Race bumping him to the top of the standings after his first win in 38 races. With EchoPark Speedway also being a drafting track, fans will be in for another 400 laps of dramatic racing Sunday.

The former Atlanta Motor Speedway remains an adjustment for drivers, thanks to a 2022 redesign which created steeper banking and a superspeedway-style rules configuration. Though it's still early in the Cup Series, this race will be prime entertainment.

Don't miss out on the action.

Here's everything you need to know about the 2026 Autotrader 400, including TV channel and streaming options for the NASCAR race in Atlanta.

What time does the NASCAR race start today?

• Date: Sunday, Feb. 22
• Time: 3 p.m. ET

The Autotrader 400 will get started at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 22. The race will take place at EchoPark Speedway in Hampton, Georgia.

What channel is NASCAR on today?

• TV channel: Fox
• Live stream:Fubo

The 2026 Autotrader 400 will be broadcast nationally on Fox. Cord-cutters and fans without cable can also stream the action live on Fubo, which offers a free trial.

Fubo offers a free trial for new subscribers, so you can try the service before you buy. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox and 100+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)

Autotrader 400 radio coverage

• Radio station:SiriusXM channel 90

This weekend's NASCAR race will be broadcast over the airwaves on SiriusXM. Fans can listen to the action on channel 90. 

New subscribers can listen to SiriusXM for free for four months. Listen to live NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL games, plus NASCAR, college sports and more. Stay updated with all the news and get all the analysis on multiple sport-specific channels.

Related Links

• Latest NASCAR news and updates
• 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule
• Printable 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule
• 2026 O'Reilly Auto Parts Series schedule
• 2026 Craftsman Truck Series schedule

Sam Mayer started Saturday's NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race from pole position, but fell back after a flat tire forced him onto pit road.

He rallied back to finish seventh with a fairly clean car, but it didn't stay that way. Mayer's Haas teammate Sheldon Creed was victorious for the very first time in his 138th career start, and so he decided to go and congratulate him. 

After that, he realized a moment too late that he had missed the entrance to pit road. Mayer quickly cut down, only to start mowing the lawn in the infield grass. Due to showers earlier in the day, the grass was even less friendly than it normally would be to a 3,000+ pound race car. The splitter got torn off, and Mayer's No. 41 car launched upward in a wheelie. It obliterated the front of the race car, as you can see below:

Sam Mayer went to congratulate his teammate Sheldon Creed on his big NASCAR win…

But then, oops. That’s unfortunate. pic.twitter.com/z2DpwYDHhD

— Motorsport (@Motorsport) February 22, 2026

It's not unheard of to see something like that, as cars have spun out crisscrossing the track to congratulate winning teammates before. Carl Edwards even ripped the entire frontend off of his car while trying to do burnouts in the infield grass after winning the 2011 All-Star Race.

Sheldon Creed earns first NASCAR O'Reilly win as Chastain and Hill clash

Atlanta NASCAR Cup qualifying cancelled, Tyler Reddick on pole

Two NASCAR Cup car chiefs ejected after Atlanta inspection failures

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Racing Bulls Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson has shared how Max Verstappen was "really good" to him after he was demoted from Red Bull in 2025.

Heading into the 2025 season, the New Zealander signed with Red Bull for the seat alongside the four-time champion, taking Sergio Perez's place. But after just two race weekends, Lawson was replaced by Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda. While Tsunoda remained in the seat until the end of 2025, he has now moved to a reserve driver role with Isack Hadjar assuming the position for 2026.

"He's also so, so nice as a person. He's such a nice guy. Through everything that happened last year with Red Bull, he was so good to me, man," Lawson explained during an appearance on the Gypsy Tales Podcast.

"Before I came into the team, when I first came on the team, he was super nice and any questions, he was just helpful, really helpful, was happy to help. And then afterwards as well, he was really, really good to me."

He added: "He was honestly really, really good. And then quite often he flies home, and I just moved to Monaco last year, and he's like 'Just come with me if you ever need a ride.' So he's a real, real nice guy."

After his move from Red Bull to Racing Bulls, Lawson retained his seat for 2026 and will enter the new season alongside rookie driver Arvid Lindblad. 

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls

Pre-season testing came to an end on Friday 20 February, and the countdown is now on to the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on 6-8 March. Lawson was positive about the team's pre-season testing, explaining that there weren't any standout issues.

"It's just probably a little bit inconsistent is the only thing. But I think, honestly, yesterday we were, in terms of specifically braking and entries, actually were not too bad for us. But yeah, obviously, we're trying a lot of different things at the moment and some stuff has not worked," he told the media in Bahrain.
 
"And then other stuff we found has been quite positive. So yeah, I don't think there's really a standout issue or limitation that we have at the moment. It's just sort of putting things together and obviously preparing as well as we can because Melbourne, as we're saying, is going to be very, very different compared to here."

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Colin Braun is coming back to NASCAR to drive the No. 25 'free agent' Ram 1500 for Kaulig Racing at St. Petersburg. Tony Stewart piloted the truck in Daytona, while Ty Dillon is behind the wheel this weekend at Atlanta.

Braun is one the most experienced drivers in IMSA today. The 37-year-old has over 150 starts, three championships (2014, 2015, 2022), and over 20 victories as a driver in the top level of American sports car racing.

His many triumphs include an LMP2 class win in the 2023 Le Mans 24, and three victories in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona with one overall in 2023. He's also been victorious in other classics like the Six Hours at The Glen, Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, and the Sebring 12 Hours.

But in a past life, Braun was a NASCAR driver. Braun has 53 starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, competing full-time there in 2008 and 2009. That '09 season featured his lone victory in the national level of NASCAR, winning with Roush at Michigan and going on to end the year fifth in points. He also has two poles and runner-up finish in 31 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series starts.

When he takes the green flag at St. Pete next weekend, it will be Braun's first race back in NASCAR since Atlanta in September, 2011. 

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

New look, new sound

Formula 1 has gone through a dramatic transformation ahead of the 2026 season. Gone are the ground-effect cars and the old turbo-hybrid motors, replaced by revolutionary new chassis and power unit rules that aim to mix up the racing.

Let’s start on the outside with the new chassis and aerodynamic rules, which have changed the way the new generation of cars look and race. The 2026 chassis are smaller and lighter than the cars they replace – with the wheelbase dropping by 200mm, the width decreasing by 100mm and the minimum weight dropping by 30kg. According to drivers Esteban Ocon, Oliver Bearman and Oscar Piastri, the new machinery is “more nimble” – so aim one complete.

DRS is also gone for 2026, but a moveable wing at the rear of the cars remains and is now joined by a mobile unit at the front as well. These two components can sit in two states – one for use on straights and the other for use in the corners. The aim was to greatly reduce drag on the straights as there were fears about the top speed that could be reached with the new power units.

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Which brings us on to the changes made in the engine bay, as all-new hybrid power units will roll out this year featuring a near-50:50 split in internal combustion and electrical power.

The new engines still rely on a 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 internal combustion engine, but the compression ratio has dropped for 2026, and an advanced hybrid element removes the MGU-H found in the old power units and increases the reliance on the MGU-K. Now, around 50% of the car’s power will come from the regeneration unit, which will be able to generate electrical power while the car is braking, coasting and on the throttle. As a result, the electrical energy has jumped from 120kW to 350kW this year.

Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing

Cadillac and Audi join the fold

These all-new cars will be raced by two new brands, as automakers Audi and Cadillac will join the F1 grid for the first time in 2026.

Audi has taken over the historic Sauber team and it will now run as a full works outfit for the German brand. The manufacturer has invested heavily in the ageing team, both at its Hinwil base and at a new engine plant in Neuburg in Germany. That’s right, Audi will also join F1 as a power unit manufacturer – one of five on the line-up this year.

The team admits that joining the grid as a new power unit manufacturer is a big ask, but is doing so with a lot of F1 experience behind it. Ex-Ferrari boss Mattea Binotto leads the project and former Red Bull ace Jonathan Wheatley is team principal. They are joined by veteran racer Niko Hulkenberg, who partners rising star Gabriel Bortoleto – now in his second season in F1.

Cadillac, meanwhile, is an all-new entry on the grid and brings the total number of teams in F1 up to 11 for the first time since 2016.

The American team will start its F1 journey as a Ferrari customer, using the Italian brand's engines before its own power unit project comes online from 2029. For its debut season, the team will run a striking two-sided livery in 2026, with the experienced hands of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez at the wheel.

Both new outfits face a monumental mountain to climb in becoming competitive in the F1 grid, but a regulations refresh opens up the pecking order to any team with a bright idea and a dream.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Red Bull: The works

Audi isn’t the only new power unit manufacturer in F1 this year, as all eyes are now on Red Bull Racing and the engine that it has developed in partnership with Ford. In 2026, Red Bull-Ford Powertrains will build engines for Red Bull and Racing Bulls.

Unlike Audi, which has almost no expectations on its first F1 engines, Red Bull has the pressure of six constructors’ crowns and eight drivers’ titles hanging over it – meaning all eyes will be on the Austrian energy maker and its latest endeavour.

The signs are positive so far, however, as it managed some strong mileage across its two teams in pre-season testing, and the performance ramped up in Bahrain where some Mercedes-powered teams concluded that Red Bull was the team to beat. However, times in testing are not representative of times in a grand prix, and Red Bull will have a lot to prove – both to its naysayers and to star driver Max Verstappen who is always rumoured to be nearing the exit when the results stop coming his way.

After the Bahrain test, opinions appear mixed on how Red Bull has fared with its first in-house power unit. Mercedes and customers teams including Williams have gone to great length to highlight the strengths of the DM01, Red Bull’s first engine, even going so far as to brand it the most powerful.

However, the team itself is less optimistic, and technical director Pierre Wache conceded that Red Bull wouldn't be a front-running outfit in 2026, claiming that Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren are the leaders. Which side should be believed will remain a mystery until the Australian season opener.

Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls

Arvid Lindblad: Rookie of the year

New chassis rules, new engine rules, new teams on the grid – you'd be forgiven for thinking everything was brand-new in F1 this year. Well, there’s one thing that’s decidedly old and that’s the driver line-up in 2026, as there will be just one rookie racer this year.

Arvid Lindblad is the sole rookie driver on the grid in 2026, and he joins Racing Bulls alongside Liam Lawson. The British racer has been part of the Red Bull junior programme since 2021, and raced his way through Italian F4, where he finished third; Formula 3, where he won on debut in the Bahrain sprint race; and finally Formula 2, where he took three wins on his way to sixth in the championship.

Now, he faces a tough transition to Formula 1 in a year of change for the series, and in a team that is notoriously tough on its juniors.

Before making his on-track debut with the team, the 18-year-old admitted that Racing Bulls had warned him that his move into F1 would be “difficult”, and he told Formula1.com in Abu Dhabi that he was “aware of the fact that it will be a big challenge.”

The scale of the challenge became clear when he went off track during his first taste of the VCARB 03 during a shakedown in Italy. Preparations for the new season have only ramped up since then with Lindblad running in Barcelona and Bahrain, where he was asked if being a rookie in 2026 may actually prove to be an advantage given the widespread overhaul of the series. Unsurprisingly, he was diplomatic in his response.

“Maybe, I don't know,” he said. “It's not really something I think about, it's the way it is. So, I'm just focused on working hard and trying to prepare for the season. Because that's the thing that's going to help me to perform better.”

Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Alexander Albon, Williams

Another tight title fight

When you break them down, the aim of the 2026 F1 regulations was to make the championship more exciting – which means more overtakes, closer racing and, maybe, a wider championship fight.

After F1 testing, and depending on who you ask, opinion is split on whether the shakeup has managed this – as rule changes are notorious for creating a dominant team while the rest of the grid plays catch up. Some think Mercedes is going to be dominant once again, and suspect there was a hint of sandbagging in the test to hide its true potential. Others point to Red Bull and its energy deployment as a real strength, and then there’s Ferrari, which was quietly consistent and could have some tricks up its sleeve.

As such, the driver with the “favourite” tag has ebbed and flowed in recent weeks – initially George Russell was seen as the one to beat, then Verstappen. Of course, one of these drivers could prove to be formidable come the Australian Grand Prix. But, at the same time, Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari could all turn out to be in the mix, alongside Mercedes customer team McLaren, which will be out for a third consecutive constructors’ crown.

If these four teams really are at the same level, and only time will tell if this is the case, we could be on for a truly dramatic fight for the drivers crown as Russell fights with Piastri and Charles Leclerc for their first crowns, and Verstappen, Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton all look to add to their tallies.

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

Francesco Bagnaia says he has made up his mind about where he will race in MotoGP next year amid mounting speculation linking him with both Aprilia and Yamaha.

Bagnaia’s future in MotoGP had been a subject of intense scrutiny ever since Motorsport.com reported that Ducati will sign Pedro Acosta alongside Marc Marquez in 2027 - a move that would leave the two-time champion without a seat in its factory line-up.

Pedro Acosta to race for Ducati in 2027 alongside Marc Marquez

In this month’s Sepang test, he made it clear that he was not interested in joining a satellite team like VR46, effectively suggesting that his long and successful tenure with the Borgo Panigale marque was going to end after 2026.

Despite a wretched 2025 season, Bagnaia reportedly received offers from both Aprilia and Yamaha as they aimed to strengthen their respective line-ups for MotoGP’s new era.

In the immediate aftermath of Sepang, the Italian was understood to have practically agreed terms with Yamaha, with Fabio Quartararo set to leave for Honda.

But with the Japanese manufacturer struggling with its new V4 project in pre-season, Bagnaia now appears headed to Aprilia, which has financial flexibility following Jorge Martin’s own reported switch to Yamaha.

Asked to comment on the rumours regarding his future during the Buriram test on Saturday, Bagnaia said: “I'm fully focused on the test and on the first race. In a few days, the announcement of all the teams will come. We'll see how it turns out. Wait for mine.”

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Pressed further as to whether he has finalised his plans for 2026, he added: “Yeah, I just decided.”

Bagnaia’s potential signing by Aprilia would create an all-Italian line-up alongside fellow VR46 Academy graduate Marco Bezzecchi.

Bezzecchi joined Aprilia last season after a demoralising final year at VR46 in 2024, but the switch to Noale allowed him to regain his race-winning form, and he ended the campaign third in the championship.

Bezzecchi was relaxed when asked about the prospect of Bagnaia joining him in the factory Aprilia garage at the start of MotoGP’s 850cc engine era in 2027: “You can put me [with] who you want. I don’t really care a lot.

“I think [Aprilia Racing CEO] Massimo [Rivola] would not come to me to ask for advice. I'm not the guy that has to speak about these kinds of things. 

“So I just hope that they find the best way to make the best decision in terms of Massimo and the team.

“But I'm focusing on myself and on my riding.”

MotoGP Buriram test: Alex Marquez fastest on Day 1 as Marc Marquez crashes twice

Fabio Quartararo's gesture shows his growing frustration with Yamaha

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The Atlanta Motor Speedway has morphed into a mini superspeedway, even though it still falls into the intermediate bracket by length. After the 2022 overhaul, banking was increased from 24 to 28 degrees, with the track now leaning heavily into drafting. The shift has changed how races unfold there compared to the past. Austin Dillon, who holds an average finish of 21.0 at the track across 18 starts, recently weighed in on how racing has evolved at EchoPark Speedway.

After the changes, the track now stands as the steepest on the NASCAR intermediate circuit. The width shrank to 40 feet in the turns, 42 on the backstretch, and 52 on the front stretch to bunch the field and stir pack racing. The surface saw its first repave since 1997, with an Open Drainage Layer laid in to move water off the racing groove.

Beyond that, the transition apron climbed to 18 degrees, and the front stretch wall saw a redesign to smooth the exit from Turn 4 and boost safety. Dillonsaid as per Speedway Media, “I think EchoPark Speedway is gaining character JO from the winters, and just the passing time.

“That place is so banked, and you’re starting to find little bumps and stuff that were in it from the beginning that are getting bigger.”

“It’s a cool style of racing. It’s a lot different than what we all envisioned a repave of EchoPark Speedway would be. It’s speedway racing, but with an important handling component. Handling is going to become more and more important as the track wears. I had a lot of fun in previous races there, even though we’ve been caught up in some messes,” he continued.

The Richard Childress Racing driver also pointed out how easy it is to get swept into someone else’s trouble at EchoPark Speedway. Two years ago, he felt he had his best shot there, only for a wreck to pull the rug out from under his run. When cars are running within a car length, dodging chaos becomes a roll of the dice at that place.

In fact, the same thing happened to him at Daytona as well. Dillon went into that weekend with wind in his sails, topping the second practice at 195.627 mph. He qualified 12th and lined up seventh after a third-place Duel finish. Then came Lap 85, when a nine-car chain reaction on the front stretch turned the day upside down.

The wreck started with Cody Ware making contact with Chase Briscoe, sending Briscoe around. Dillon had nowhere to go and T-boned the spinning car in the infield. The hit knocked the wind out of his No. 3 RCR Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. With the damage sealing the deal, Dillon had to park his car behind the wall, his race done after 137 laps in P37.

The post Austin Dillon Reveals How EchoPark Speedway Is ”Gaining Character” the Older It Gets appeared first on The SportsRush.

One day after being sued by Joe Gibbs Racing over an alleged 'brazen scheme' to steal data from the organization while negotiating his employment separation and a job opportunity with Spire Motorsports, Chris Gaebhart responded with a statement that suggests he intends to challenge his longtime employer in court.

“Yesterday afternoon, Joe Gibbs Racing filed a lawsuit claiming - falsely - that I shared JGR confidential information with Spire Motorsports and/or other unnamed third parties. I feel compelled to speak out today and forcefully and emphatically deny these frivolous and retaliatory claims.”

The claim from Joe Gibbs Racing is that Gabehart, while serving in the capacity as competition director for the organization in 2025, created a folder called ‘Spire’ and synced proprietary information with his personal Google Driver.

Joe Gibbs Racing also accused Gabehart of taking photos of proprietary information with his cell phone and also backing it up to his personal accounts. The lawsuit says that Gabehart continued to access these files even on a day where he had a meeting with Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson.

The lawsuit says JGR was made aware of a discussion for Gabehart to join Spire as Chief Motorsports Officer. JGR claims that it learned much of this information after a third-party forensic examination.

In his statement, Gabehart said that Joe Gibbs Racing was offered an opportunity to conduct a forensic examination on Spire Motorsports but declined. Gabehart said he and his legal representation intend to file a detailed response to the lawsuit in the days to come.

“I look forward to the opportunity to demonstrate to the Court that I have not shared JGR's confidential information with anyone. In fact, I have already demonstrated that to JGR. A third-party forensic expert retained by JGR recently examined my laptop, cell phone and personal Google Drive and found no evidence to support the baseless allegations in JGR's lawsuit. We even offered JGR the opportunity to do a similar review of Spire's systems. JGR refused that offer and filed this spiteful lawsuit instead.

“Stay tuned. We will have much more to say in the legal response we will be filing in the coming days.”

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As Formula 1's pre-season testing ends in Bahrain, here are all key figures from the last day of running ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

F1 Bahrain pre-season test: Ferrari tops testing overall by 0.8s

Mileage per team

Nico Hulkenberg, Audi

Mileage per engine manufacturer

Lap times

Red flags

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

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Ferrari has achieved the fastest lap in Formula 1’s 2026 pre-season testing, courtesy of Charles Leclerc.

The eight-time grand prix winner topped the timesheet throughout the day. He was quickest in the morning with a 1m33.689s; in the afternoon, he successively brought this benchmark down to 1m33.629s, 1m33.162s and 1m32.655s with C3 rubber.

Leclerc then bolted on C4 tyres and lapped in 1m32.297s, then 1m31.992s.

Nobody else beat Kimi Antonelli’s 1m32.803s reference from yesterday, with Lando Norris closest. The McLaren driver, who didn’t run in the first two hours of the afternoon, ended up nine tenths adrift of Leclerc in 1m32.871s, with the C3 compound.

Red Bull took third with Max Verstappen in 1m33.109s on Pirelli’s prototype tyres, the same used by Mercedes’ George Russell to set a 1m33.197s. It was a trickier day than usual for the Silver Arrow; it caused a red flag in the morning session with Antonelli at the wheel, due a loss of pneumatic pressure, and consequently had to undergo a power unit change.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Alpine topped the midfield courtesy of a late effort by Pierre Gasly on C5 rubber, the softest in Pirelli’s range, which yielded a 1m33.421s. That was just 0.066s faster than Haas’ Oliver Bearman, who set his own benchmark using C3s in a 170-lap day for the team.

Audi was seventh-fastest with Gabriel Bortoleto lapping in 1m33.755s on the C4 compound.

The only rookie on the grid, Arvid Lindblad, certainly made sure he was physically ready for his step up to F1, covering a remarkable 165 laps by himself (555mi, 893km) on his way to a 1m34.149s – two tenths quicker than Carlos Sainz.

Then it was the now-usual suspects at the bottom of the classification. As has become customary, Cadillac didn’t take to the track for the first 100 minutes of the day; the American squad still completed 99 laps and Valtteri Bottas set its quickest time so far, but that’s just a 1m35.290s, one second away from the midfield.

Meanwhile, Aston Martin completed just six laps with Lance Stroll, setting no lap times, as an engine parts shortage ensued from the battery-related issue Fernando Alonso suffered yesterday.

Aston Martin ends F1 Bahrain test early

Results to follow

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It was continued progress for Mick Schumacher at the Unser IndyCar Open Test at Phoenix Raceway.

The 26-year-old German had a busy two days, logging 222 laps (fifth most) over the three sessions on the 1-mile tri-oval. He ended up 18th overall on the combined speedchart with a flying lap of 171.076 mph (21.0408 seconds).

“It was good,” Schumacher said. “We got not as much running (on Wednesday) simply due to the weather conditions, but what we did was very effective and the changes were very interesting. Overall, I think we’re confident we know how we want to start our race weekend here, and take it from there.”

For Schumacher, who is embarking on his maiden campaign in the IndyCar Series behind the wheel of Rahal Letterman Lanigan’s No. 47 Honda, it was another step in his oval maturation.

Earlier this month, he received his oval initiation in a solo test day at Homestead-Miami Speedway, a 1.5-mile circuit with variable high banking. This time, in the Valley of the Sun, where he shared the track with his competitors for the first time, he noticed a considerable difference in navigating a proper line around the track.

“Here, it’s just very short,” Schumacher said. “The lap comes quick. They’re high-g (g-force) corners, which are very interesting to drive.

“I feel like what I'm most interested in is to see how the other guys do it. Looking at them actually drive on track and see how they approach some of those corners is impressive to see and hopefully, we’ll be able to get there by the race weekend.”

Send more laps 📩 pic.twitter.com/h9ljBrfih4

— Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (@RLLracing) February 18, 2026

With other cars on track, this was also the first time Schumacher worked his spotter, Jeff Troyer, who is known as one of the best in the business. Troyer has worked with a number of drivers such as Oriol Servia, Tomas Scheckter, the late Justin Wilson, along with spotting for Josef Newgarden during his first championship in 2017.

While there was limited side-by-side running during the test, the outing was still beneficial for Schumacher to learn the cadence of having a spotter provide feedback of on-track happenings.

In one instance, Troyer mentioned a close call for his rookie driver on Tuesday when he came up on a car quickly and tried to utilize the turn’s banking to brush off speed but quickly went off the racing line and skated up the track. Fortunately, Schumacher was able to keep it off the wall and continue on.

“I think what he did was he just kind of gave himself a little more room,” Troyer told Motorsport.com. “You know, he just kind of let the car go up a little further up the track to scrub off some speed rather than drag the brakes.

“And when he did that, he got offline and he got pickup (tire marbles) on his tires. The car took off. He did keep it off the fence, but he got offline, he picked up some clag on the tires and he found out what it's like to get offline.”

All in all, though, Schumacher is appreciating the “new challenge.”

“It’s fun,” Schumacher said. “A new challenge is always good. As a team, we’re working really hard to get everything done and sorted for our first oval race that we’re going to have here in a couple weeks. Yeah, I think we’re in a good place to learn and get everything done for the first oval race.”

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Oscar Piastri has addressed his personal management change ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season.

Heading into the new season, the Australian driver confirmed that he had made changes to his management team. While Mark Webber is still Piastri's manager, he will take a step back from his trackside support role and put his focus instead on commercial matters.

Joining the 24-year-old at the track will be his former Formula 2 race engineer at Prema in 2021, Pedro Matos, and Australian mental coach Emma Murray, who will increase her involvement at the track.

"There wasn't anything specific, we just made a decision for things to look a bit different," Piastri explained to the media in Bahrain when asked if there was a specific moment from 2025 which led to the decision. 

"Mark is still very much involved and I've been in contact with him a lot over the last few weeks. He just won't be trackside as much anymore. So that's really the extent of it. But yeah, there was nothing specific that triggered it."

Pre-season testing in Bahrain is almost over, and the teams will soon head to Melbourne for Piastri's home race, the Australian Grand Prix, from 6-8 March.

"I think it's definitely been a learning curve," Piastri said of the pre-season testing in Bahrain and private testing in Barcelona.

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

"There are still some things we need to do as drivers that are certainly very different to what we had to do last year. But I think the kind of optimisation around driving that way, especially as drivers, I think we're getting our heads around the new things we need to do.
 
"And as teams, making accommodations for having to drive a certain way now. So I think it has improved. It still is very different to what we had before.
 
"I think naturally, we've all probably found performance and just with performance, it's made some creature comforts a little bit nicer as well. So I think we are making progress. Let's see what Melbourne's like."

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Four-time Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel has backed George Russell for the 2026 drivers' championship title.

The 2026 F1 season brings in a new set of regulations that will effectively reset the order of the grid, meaning as pre-season testing nears its end in Bahrain, the usual testing caveats remain and the final pecking order still eludes us.

While weighing up which drivers could take the drivers' title in 2026, Vettel argued that Mercedes was "not a bad choice" and that McLaren, which uses a Mercedes power unit, has done well in recent years and shouldn't be overlooked.

"On the one hand, based on what can be seen so far, it is probably not a bad choice to tip Mercedes," Vettel explained during an appearance on Sport und Talk aus dem Hangar-7 on ServusTV.

"But quite deliberately, McLaren also runs Mercedes engines, and they have not done a bad job in recent years.

"However, I would pick George, because I consider him very intelligent, because I know how hard he works on himself, and because I think he is smart enough to understand what he personally can contribute as a driver to make the difference.

"There are several drivers in the field who can do that, but in the current situation my gut feeling would be that George, together with Mercedes, will succeed best this year."

George Russell, Mercedes

Russell, talking towards the end of pre-season testing, explained that he is focused on "leaving Bahrain in the strongest possible position" as the team works through a busy final day at the Bahrain International Circuit.

"After a solid opening day yesterday, we had more productive running in Bahrain this morning," the Briton said in a press release from Mercedes. "Once again, our programme wasn’t necessarily focused on finding pure performance but understanding our updates and more about the W17. We were able to do that whilst completing the most laps of anyone in the morning session.

"We now have one final day on track before we head to Melbourne. Whilst we have made up for the lost running in test one, we still have a very full programme to work through tomorrow.

"I’m looking forward to getting back out in the car in the afternoon and focused on helping the team leave Bahrain in the strongest possible position. We’ve seen some impressive single lap work and long runs from our competitors yet again today so adding to our mileage on Friday is very important."

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F1 CEO and president Stefano Domenicali has urged fans to "stay calm" over the series' new 2026 regulations, which have already come under fire before the season has started.

F1's wholesale regulation changes for 2026 revolve around a much more powerful electric motor and sustainable fuels, measures which have attracted involvement from Audi, GM and Ford and enticed Honda to make a U-turn on its decision to walk away.

But the ambitious, near-50/50 split of electric energy and combustion energy has caused teams and drivers plenty of headaches thus far. In Bahrain pre-season testing, cars didn't have enough energy available to go flat out over an entire lap.

Several lead drivers have also voiced their displeasure over the dramatic energy harvesting techniques the new power units require, even if the lighter and smaller cars themselves have generally received the thumbs-up. There also doubts in some corners over the safety of extreme closing speeds and over cars not having enough energy on the straights to provide overtaking opportunities.

Those issues are expected to be an even greater challenge at other circuits on the calendar like Melbourne's Albert Park, the opening venue of the 2026 season.

But while governing body the FIA and commercial rightsholder FOM leave the door open further case-by-case tweaks if necessary, whether on safety grounds or for the benefit of the on-track spectacle, F1 chief Domenicali says the F1 community shouldn't overreact to the new regulations before a competitive lap has been turned in Australia.

"I don't feel this anxiety, we need to stay calm because as always when there is something happening with new regulations there's always the doubt that everything is wrong," Domenicali told reporters, including Motorsport.com.

"I can really assure you that in the F1 Commission there has been an open discussion to put on the table possible solutions to address this kind of [lack of energy] issue. And therefore, there's going to be a meeting before the start of the season to avoid overreaction, because it's pretty clear we need to avoid overreaction. We just stepped into a new journey, so that's why we need to stay calm.

"And if there is something that is useful and can be implemented straight away, I've seen a very open approach by the FIA and also the teams showing the same kind of approach to eventually solve this kind of issues that are on the table to be solved and fixed."

Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls, Franco Colapinto, Alpine

Domenicali doesn't buy into concerns over a potential lack of overtaking, and having watched cars trackside at Bahrain pre-season testing, he is adamant the new generation of cars is just as exciting the watch as the previous one.

"I don't understand what all this panicking is that's going around, because there will be incredible racing, there will be a lot of action," he explained. "And that's why as I said prudence is always part of my style.

"And in any case, if something is not as we would [want it], I think that the credibility of the sport is we can sit down with responsible people, the technical people and the FIA, to find solutions.

"I want to reassure the fans that this is an incredible spectacle, because I was just on the track to see outside with a fan's eye. I didn't see any difference whether it was speed, sound.

"Of course, the most sophisticated fans will understand the different sounds in a certain situation, but I guarantee that the 99.9% of the fans will not feel that because it's impossible. And therefore, I want to be positive in that respect. And as I said if something has to be rectified there will be the time and the measure that we can do together as a system to react."

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At the beginning of December, it was reported that Chris Gabehart had left Joe Gibbs Racing in a surprising exit. He worked at JGR for 13 years, and won 22 Cup races as a crew chief for Denny Hamlin between 2019 and 2024. Most recently, he worked as the Director of Competition for the elite organization. 

Since his departure, there has been no word regarding why Gabehart left, or where he would end up in 2026. 

On Thursday, we learned that and much more as JGR filed a lawsuit against Gabehart, accusing him of taking part in a "brazen scheme to steal JGR’s most sensitive information and use it for the benefit of a direct competitor in NASCAR."

That direct competitor is Spire Motorsports, a Chevrolet team aligned with Hendrick Motorsports, with three full-time chartered entries. The filing notes that Gabehart met personally with Jeff Dickerson, the co-owner at Spire.

Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet; Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota; Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Due to what the team calls the "misappropriation of JGR's Confidential Information and Trade Secrets," and learning that Gabehart was set to take the role of Chief Motorsports Officer at Spire, Gibbs opted to file the aforementioned lawsuit. According to the filing, JGR was aware of the fact that he was seeking employment at Spire, but were told that it was a position "which he would not provide Spire with services similar to the services he provided JGR."

There was also a forensic review of Gabehart's computer and phone, which JGR claims provides a timeline and execution of a plan involving the transferring of data, setups, and other sensitive information. Among his actions, the team claims he access JGR's Confidential Information and Trade Secrets, and proceeded to take at least 20 photos to avoid transferring files and leaving a 'paper trail.'

A more extensive review of the filing is set to follow on Motorsport.com, so stay tuned.

JGR lawsuit against Chris Gabehart by nickdegroot89

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