Toyota has announced that Kalle Rovanpera's plans to compete in this year’s Super Formula Championship have been paused following advice and medical evaluations. 

Last year, Rovanpera announced bold plans to leave the World Rally Championship to pursue a career in single seaters, with the ultimate goal to compete at the highest level.

In a programme backed by Toyota, Rovanpera’s single seater journey was set to begin with a season in Japan’s Super Formula, driving for the KCMG team. After completing last month’s pre-season Super Formula test at Suzuka, and following advice and medical evaluations, a mutual decision between Toyota and Rovanpera has been made to halt the programme for now.  

Rovanpera endured a challenging start to his switch to single-seater racing having had to pull out of December’s post-season Super Formula test after suffering from Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, which affects balance and vision through [the] inner ear.

However, in January, the 25-year-old stepped up his preparations for the new Super Formula season by competing in New Zealand’s Formula Regional Oceania Trophy with Hitech. The Finn scored five top 10 results, including an impressive first podium at Teretonga Park in race nine, on his way to 16th in the championship, before illness forced the two-time WRC champion to sit out the final meeting at Highlands Motorsport Park.

Kalle Rovanpera, Kids com Team KCMG

Rovanpera was back behind the wheel in Super Formula’s pre-season test at Suzuka last month, finishing 24th fastest. The Finn did improve his time by over a second through the test.   

Toyota has confirmed that Rovanpera maintains a desire to come back stronger and continue competing in circuit racing, challenging himself at the highest level, but only when he is ready to do so. Toyota will offer its full support in helping Rovanpera return to the track in the future. 

“I would like to share some difficult news: Kalle Rovanperä will be stepping back from the upcoming races,” read a statement from Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda (Morizo).

“He has poured his heart into challenging himself in formula cars, driven by a deep and unwavering desire to grow. Every time he got on track in private tests, his speed was clear to see. I watched him push harder, find something new within himself, and trim his lap times again and again.

“Yet despite that passion and progress, his body was struggling to keep up. After receiving a medical evaluation, we reached the painful conclusion that continuing to compete would not be the right choice for him.

“As Morizo, this decision weighed heavily on me. I asked myself what it truly means to let him chase speed, and what it means to protect someone you believe in. In the end, balancing those responsibilities led me to pause his participation in this year’s Super Formula season.

“To everyone involved, and to all the fans who have supported him with such warmth, I am truly sorry that we could not meet your hopes.

“But please believe this: his circuit racing challenge is far from over. His love for cars and his drive to become faster will not fade.

“As Morizo, I will continue to stay by his side — not only as a fellow driver, but as a team-mate who believes in him with all my heart. Thank you for your continued and heartfelt support."

KCMG’s reserve driver Seita Nonaka will take over the seat vacated by Rovanpera for the opening two races at Motegi from 4-5 April. 

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

NASCAR, like every organization in the world of sports, adapts to the changing environment around them and with the term “artificial intelligence” being of particular importance in this day and age, comes the need for teams in the sport to embrace it, or eventually die out. Tyler Reddick, who drives for 23XI Racing, a modern ambitious outfit, knows all about that.

The team may not be bonafide championship favorites, but is in the hunt with resources to match its ambition. Even so, when it comes to artificial intelligence, it is feeling its way.

In a time when AI has its fingerprints on almost every corner of the world, the question has been knocking on the garage door. Are teams using it to stay ahead of the curve? Reddick, who opened the season with three wins on the bounce, shut down the inquiries about the usage of AI from the driver’s seat, saying that the road has not been fully constructed yet.

He said in a CNBC interview, “For me, in the car, I don’t have access really to any of that. I think it is something that the teams are exploring, just trying to find ways that we can make use of the data that we have. I think right now, it’s not something we really rely on a lot…

“But I think we’re just trying to learn and find ways how can we utilize this is, can we, can we go down this path and find a use for it?”

Reddick added that the search is still on, with teams booting the tires and looking under the hood to see where it might fit. “I definitely think it’s something that they’re playing around with to see if we can find use. And I certainly think once we find what that thing is, it’ll be used on a more consistent basis.”

The modern Cup car produces a flood of data, enough to bury a team if left unchecked. Drivers can see more, engineers can measure more, and yet making sense of it all can feel like chasing shadows. The aim with AI is not to reinvent the wheel, but to cut through the noise, flag what matters, and leave the rest in the dust.

The #45 driver pointed to that overload, noting how the sheer volume can slow teams down rather than push them forward.

“But there’s a lot in the NASCAR world now that we race and live in with all the data that we’re able to see off of these race cars, the drivers are able to see of each other. There’s just so much data to go through that it is a bit overwhelming. So, trying to nail something down in that direction to make it just make it more efficient,” Reddick continued.

For now, AI remains a tool on the bench; more of a testing concept. Once teams find a clear lane, they can move from trial to track in short order.

Reddick, meanwhile, sees it in simple terms, likening it to everyday tech where answers appear with a tap, for example, using SIRI on his iPhone.

The post Tyler Reddick Confirms NASCAR Teams Are Playing Around With AI to Improve Overall Performance appeared first on The SportsRush.

Kaden Honeycutt’s Darlington outing began with huge promise, as he edged Carson Hocevar out by 0.02 seconds to bag his first pole in the Craftsman truck series. But in ended in bitter disappointment, leaving him wondering just what went wrong in the race, in which he finished fourth.

Honeycutt had set the pace at the drop of the green and backed it up by taking Stage 2 which his fourth stage win. But then the race slipped through his fingers. Corey Heim emerged as the ultimate winner of the outing.

The turning point came on a restart with 20 laps to go, as Hocevar drove low into Turn 1 to muscle past Honeycutt and take the lead. Then, with four laps left, Hocevar‘s run unraveled with a tire going down, throwing the order into chaos, something Ross Chastain took advantage of without a lot of thinking. It turned the race into a free for all and safe to say, Honeycutt was not happy.

The Tricon Garage driver pointed to moves from Hocevar and also Chastain, that, in his view, crossed the line as they fought for track position, knocking the wind out of his run when it mattered most.

“It was definitely the best truck long run for sure. The last restart, just the top lane wasn’t preferred. Everyone at Tricon, that was good. And just hate it wasn’t us, man. I mean, we definitely were the best. Just when you line up against Cup guys, they really don’t care about restarts or nothing. So they just plug you in the fence or do what they have to do to win it,” he said in an interview with Bob Pockrass.

Honeycutt said his truck had the pace on a long run and that the outside lane on the final restart left him boxed in. Racing against drivers who also log laps in the Cup garage, he added, came with its own set of rules, where elbows came out, and space was at a premium. He felt the contact in Turns 1 and 2, and again, off Turn 2 took him out of the hunt.

“And that’s what happened to me when Hocevar went to the bottom, and he shoved me in 1 and 2, and then Ross did it again off two and just flattened the right side out too good. So it’s what it is.”

“It’s, you know, what the hell do they care about, right? I mean, I understand racing for a win, but they knew I was the best truck, so they did what they had to do to take me out of it. It just sucks,” Honeycutt added.

Honeycutthas been knocking on the door of a win for a while, but the final step has stayed out of reach. He has shown he can run up front when the green flies, yet the closing laps have seldom been kind to him.

Across 63 starts in the series, Honeycutt has put together a stack of runs near the front, including a runner-up finish, four top-three results, and seven top-four finishes, with Darlington adding another to the list.

The post Kaden Honeycutt Tears Into Cup Drivers Carson Hocevar and Ross Chastain After Darlington Showing appeared first on The SportsRush.

Carson Hocevar has spent only four years in the NASCAR Cup Series, logging 82 starts and learning the ropes the hard way. But in that time, he’s seen enough limitations to urge the authorities to allow drivers to take part in as many different racing ventures as possible.

Hocevar has experienced the impact of trimmed practice windows, where track time has been cut back, and drivers are left to make do with less time to dial in a car, feel a new tire, or find a cadence with a new track package. NASCAR continues to hold off on these limits and Hocevaris pushing for a return to more seat time.

In his view, there is no substitute for the real thing. No simulator, no replay, no data set can match the effort of running laps, hitting pit road under pressure, and reacting on the fly as the field closes in. The Cup Series drivers are permitted to compete in a maximum of 10 races in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (formerly the Xfinity Series) and 8 races in the Craftsman Truck Series. The aim is to give others a shot, to spread the wealth and keep the ladder moving. Hocevar, however, is calling for a rethink.

“We say all the time how beneficial the sim is. Well, I much rather real life experience by all means,” he saidin an interview with Eric Estepp.

“Wanting them to reopen everything and let let us race all three series because I think we’d have a we would just race all three series,” he added, making the case for opening the gates and letting drivers run across all three tiers.

The idea harks back to a time when drivers did not pick and choose. Names like Kyle Busch would show up wherever there was a race, stacking laps across Cup, O’Reilly Auto Parts, and Trucks, keeping their edge sharp by staying in the thick of it week in and week out. It was a run-what-you-bring mindset, where more laps meant more lessons.

The Spire Motorsports driver wants that playbook back. In his eyes, the more a driver races, the more they learn, and the better they become. Sitting idle between race weekends does not move the needle. Behind the scenes, he has been beating that drum, pushing for a system that gives drivers more freedom to compete.

The post Carson Hocevar Wants NASCAR to Lift All Restrictions Over Drivers Running Different Series appeared first on The SportsRush.

Guenther Steiner has shot down claims that Kimi Antonelli could fight for the Formula 1 drivers' championship in 2026.

After two rounds of the 2026 season, the Italian driver sits second in the standings behind his Mercedes team-mate George Russell. Antonelli secured his maiden F1 victory at the Chinese Grand Prix, leading many to argue that the 19-year-old could fight for the championship this year.

While Steiner agreed that the milestone moment would have given Antonelli "a lot of confidence", he argued that under normal circumstances, he would struggle to beat Russell. During qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix, the Briton ran into issues. 

"Definitely damage limitation," Russell said after securing P2 on the starting grid. "In Q2 the front wing broke – we were wrapping our heads around that – and then obviously went out in Q3 on track, the car wasn’t restarting, couldn’t change gear."

Steiner said of Antonelli's victory on The Red Flags Podcast: "I think it gives him a lot of confidence because there was an opportunity for him, because under normal circumstances, at the moment, to beat George it's very difficult.

"And I think he's aware of it, not because he's a better driver - George has got a lot more experience. He's doing this a lot younger and is very quick as well, but as soon as George couldn't [maximise] qualifying, he took the opportunity and kept it.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

"He didn't make a mistake. He sees that and says, 'Actually, I can do this', and that will help him going forward. He didn't do anything wrong. It would be easy to do something wrong when you are in that position. He kept his cool."

When asked if Antonelli could fight Russell for the championship, the former Haas team principal added, "No. If something special happens, like it happened in China in qualifying. And the good thing is he took it there, but under normal circumstances... I think it is also understandable why not.

"The kid is 19 years old, second year in Formula 1, and George is a good race car driver. So I don't think he can do it this year, but there are other opportunities for Kimi. If he doesn't win it this year, he can win it another time because he's so young. For me, he doesn't have to put too much pressure on himself to win it this year. He has got a good future in front of him."

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

Gresini rider Fermin Aldeguer is set to join VR46 for the start of MotoGP's 850cc era in 2027.

It emerged in the Goiania paddock that Aldeguer has negotiated a significantly improved contract with Ducati for next year, as part of a deal that will see him join Valentino Rossi’s team.
 
 It follows KTM and Alex Marquez reaching an agreement for the two-time world champion to replace Pedro Acosta in the Austrian marque's factory line-up next year.
 
Marquez and Aldeguer's anticipated departures will leave the Gresini squad, owned by Nadia Padovani, without riders for 2027 and, for the moment, without bikes, since the team founded by the late Fausto Gresini has not yet managed to close an agreement to remain a satellite Ducati team.

Motorsport.com understands that talks between Gresini and Ducati are still open, but the Bologna-based manufacturer's terms are far from the budget currently available to the Faenza-based team.

The unique aspect of 2027 is the implementation of new technical regulations featuring 850cc engines and new motorcycles, meaning that all riders racing Ducatis next year will be using the same machinery, which drives up the price.

In parallel, the championship promoter MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group (formerly Dorna) remains in open discussions with the MSMA (the manufacturers’ association) to renew the five-year contract between both parties that expires at the end of the year. That agreement will determine what amount each team will receive for participating in the world championship, and it will be then when Gresini will know exactly what money it has to negotiate with Ducati and sign riders.

Fermin Aldeguer, Gresini Racing

While that is happening, VR46 has moved ahead by securing a rider it has been pursuing since 2023, when it emerged that Luca Marini was going to leave his brother’s team to join Honda.

At that time, Ducati maneuvered to secure then-Moto2 rider Aldeguer, who signed for four years (two+two). The deal had an exit clause at the end of the second season, but he is not going to execute it, although he could have done so, having had offers to join factory teams.

According to what Motorsport.com has learned from the rider’s camp, the Spaniard has reached a full agreement with Ducati to complete the two remaining years of his contract until 2028, with a significant increase in  salary and bonuses.

“We have not yet signed the new contract, but we have shaken hands. Fermin will continue two more years with Ducati and the contract is with the factory, with material and treatment of a factory rider, receiving updates almost at the same time as the factory team riders, although we will race with VR46,” the sources confirmed.

VR46's Pablo Nieto commented that “the interest in having Fermin is great and has been known for some time, we believe he is a very interesting rider. Now it only remains t see who will be the second rider at VR46, a seat “that right now is very open” and for which the two current riders, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli, are candidates, but also “other young riders with potential.”

Alex Marquez targeting factory MotoGP seat at Yamaha and KTM

VR46 looking for mix of experience and youth in 2027 MotoGP line-up

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

Mercedes has appointed Bradley Lord as its deputy team principal to support Toto Wolff in the management of the Formula 1 team.

Lord joined the Mercedes F1 team in 2013 as communications manager and most recently worked as team representative and chief communications officer for the Brackley squad.

During his 13-year stint with the team, Lord's responsibilities have increased, according to a statement shared by Mercedes. As such, he has now been named deputy team principal to ‘formalise responsibilities that have grown organically over recent years,’ the team explained.

The move will not impact the responsibilities Wolff holds at the head of the team, and will instead see Lord take on more of a supporting position at the championship-winning side. 

"With the growth of our team and F1, the scope of our operations and associated responsibilities at a senior level has grown significantly,” explained Wolff in the statement. “We have therefore taken this opportunity to put in place a change that has effectively been operating in practice for some time.

“While my role and overall responsibilities will not change one millimetre, Bradley’s work as deputy team principal will further enhance the capability of our leadership group and provide continued support for me as our team principal and CEO.

“Bradley is a dedicated and long-serving member of our organisation who has played an important part in the team becoming the most successful of the modern era. Aligning our structure in this way ensures our leadership group can focus fully on the areas where they can add the greatest value and is optimised to meet the demands of a rapidly growing sport.”

Question of the week: Can anything or anyone stop Mercedes from winning both F1 titles in 2026?

Lord will step into the role of deputy team principal with immediate effect.

Mercedes was not the first F1 team that Lord worked with, having gotten his start in the series as a press office intern with Benetton back in 2001. He then held various positions in media and communications, including with the Renault F1 Team and Mercedes parent company Daimler AG.

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

Opel will take over the DS entry into Formula E’s Gen4 era, as Stellantis reshuffles its brands’ involvement again.

The group was involved in Formula E with DS Automobiles, which entered the series in 2015-16, and Maserati, which took over the Venturi outfit ahead of the Gen3 era.

Maserati’s time in the world championship was short-lived, as the team was renamed Citroen ahead of the ongoing campaign.

DS Automobiles to pull out of Formula E after 2025-26 season

Currently lying ninth out of 10 in the teams’ standings, DS announced yesterday that it was pulling out of Formula E to focus on new ventures in golf and the SailGP competition, therefore handing its spot over to Opel for the Gen4 era – with 800hp machinery.

“We are delighted to welcome Opel as a new factory team in Formula E,” said Jeff Dodds, CEO of Formula E. “As a strong German brand with distinctive engineering expertise and a fresh, bold image, Opel brings a long and storied history in motorsport and a new dynamic to the starting grid. Opel’s commitment also shows the importance of Formula E for global car manufacturers in the transition to electric mobility.”

Opel is the fifth major German brand to get involved in the all-electric championship, after Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and Porsche – with only the latter still committed to this day.

Opel may not boast as much historical prestige in motorsport as the aforementioned constructors, but still won the 1982 World Rally Championship with Walter Rohrl as well as the 2003 Nurburgring 24 Hours.

Opel Formula E

More relevantly, the manufacturer launched the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup back in 2021, featuring up-and-coming talents with Corsa Rally Electrics – with a switch to 207kW (281hp) Opel Mokka GSE Rally cars, which are twice as powerful, for the 2026-27 season. Hence Formula E being the brand’s next step.

“Joining Formula E marks a new milestone for Opel on our journey towards an electric future,” said Opel CEO Florian Huettl. “With Formula E moving to GEN4 cars as of the coming season, we see this as the ideal time to join this exciting, all-electric racing competition. Our Opel GSE Formula E Team will show what our brand stands for: German engineering, bold design and electrified performance, attributes that also apply to Opel’s fully-electric GSE models such as the Mokka GSE and soon the new Corsa GSE.”

The Opel GSE Formula E Team will make its first FE appearance at the official Gen4 launch at Circuit Paul Ricard in April. 

Additional reporting by Jose Carlos de Celis and Markus Luettgens

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

Tyler Reddick continues to the championship standings by 61 points over 23XI Racing teammate Bubba Wallace. Denny Hamlin is the latest driver to visit Victory Lane, winning at Las Vegas.

NASCAR now heads to Darlington where Hamlin is the defending race winner. All three national divisions will be competing this weekend with Trucks on Friday, the O'Reilly Series on Saturday, and Cup on Sunday.

In this story, you can find all the information you need to watch this weekend's action in Vegas, from the weekend schedule to where to watch, weather reports and even the full entry list.

Recent Headlines

Why Sunday's NASCAR Cup race at Darlington is a real throwback

NASCAR suspends three members of Big Machine Racing for unsecured ballast

Why Ross Chastain just doesn't get along with Daniel Suarez

Daniel Dye indefinitely suspended for mocking David Malukas with homophobic voice

Alex Bowman to miss at least the next three NASCAR Cup races

Daniel Suarez says he "lost a lot of respect" for Ross Chastain after Vegas comments

3:30pm EST -- NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series practice & qualifying -- FOX SPORTS 2

7:30pm EST -- NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race (147 laps) -- FOX SPORTS 1

Saturday, March 21

12pm EST -- NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series practice & qualifying -- CW APP

2:30pm -- NASCAR Cup Series practice & qualifying -- PRIME VIDEO

5:30pm EST -- NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race (147 laps) -- THE CW

Sunday, March 12

1:30pm EST -- NASCAR RaceDay pre-race show -- FOX SPORTS 1

3:12 pm EST -- NASCAR Cup race green flag at Darlington -- FOX SPORTS 1

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

How can I watch the NASCAR Cup Series at Darlington?

Who is competing in the Goodyear 400 at Darlington?

There are 37 chartered entries and one open entry at Darlington, featuring the #66 with Timmy Hill. Justin Allgaier continues to fill in for Alex Bowman, who is suffering from vertigo and will remained sidelined for at least the next three races.

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

Explore the Indian Ocean with Hapag-Lloyd’s new 2027/28 expeditions. Discover Madagascar and the Seychelles on a luxury travel journey beyond the ordinary.