Motorsport news

iRacing is hosting a 10-hour endurance race at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta this weekend, mirroring the real-world IMSA Petit Le Mans. The special event runs across five time slots from Friday 22:00 GMT through Sunday 00:00 GMT, with the top split broadcast taking place on Saturday at 12:00 GMT via RACESPOT on iRacing.com/live. The race features IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship machinery across three classes: GTP (including the Porsche 963 GTP, Ferrari 499P, and BMW M Hybrid V8), LMP2 (Dallara P217), and GTD (ten car models from manufacturers including Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Mercedes-AMG). All vehicles have undergone balance-of-performance adjustments in fuel, weight, or power, with figures available on the iRacing Forum and subject to potential updates on Wednesday before the event. Teams must register with a minimum of two drivers and a maximum of 16, with all declared drivers required to meet a lap-share threshold by race end. The event is open to members holding a Sports Car license at Class C or higher, or Class D with a 4.0 Safety Rating. Qualifying consists of an eight-minute, two-lap session following a 30-minute warmup. Splits accommodate up to 60 teams, with a 150-incident-point disqualification limit and stop-and-go penalties beginning at 50 incidents. Dynamic weather is enabled, and the race uses open setup rules. Registration opens 60 minutes before each time slot.

Le Mans Ultimate has received a substantial update with version 1.4.2, introducing over 90 new liveries alongside significant online stability improvements. The patch addresses netcode issues affecting multiplayer performance, while expanding the sim's track roster with two new DLC circuits: Road Atlanta and Long Beach. The livery additions provide players with expanded customisation options for their race cars across the game's existing vehicle roster.

A comprehensive guide to optimising wheel settings for NASCAR 26 has been published, covering force feedback and steering calibration across multiple popular sim racing peripherals. The guide addresses setup recommendations for the Logitech G29, G920, G923, Thrustmaster T248, T300, Fanatec, and MOZA wheels, helping drivers extract better performance and feel from the simulation through proper configuration of FFB parameters and steering response.

Alberto Ergazzori from Monteforte d'Alpone delivered a commanding performance at the 42nd Pedavena–Croce d'Aune hillclimb in northern Italy, clinching overall victory in the IRS Cup 2026 with one round remaining. The event, which counted towards both the CIVM Nord regional championship and the IRS Cup series, saw Ergazzori secure the title mathematically early, confirming his consistency across the season. His drive at the Veneto venue was characterised by a solid, committed effort that proved decisive in the penultimate round of the championship.

The 2026 Porsche Esports Supercup World Championship Series kicked off at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on Saturday with 32 of the world's top sim racers competing after earning their places through regional qualifying events. Florian Lebigre dominated the opening sprint race, while Charlie Collins claimed victory in the main event in a dramatic final-lap battle, with both drivers now tied atop the championship standings. Lebigre set the pace from the start, securing pole position by just 0.008 seconds ahead of two-time series champion Sebastian Job of Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing. The Verstappen Sim Racing driver then controlled the sprint race, leading all seven laps. However, the main race saw the field inverted after the sprint, placing Gustavo Ariel on pole following his eighth-place sprint finish. Ariel led for much of the 30-minute main event, but Collins mounted a sustained challenge alongside his Coanda Esports teammate Mitchell deJong, who ran second. With the white flag flying, Collins made his decisive move on the Kemmel Straight. Contact between the two drivers unsettled Ariel's Porsche, allowing Collins to secure the preferred racing line through Les Combes. Ariel ran too wide and incurred a slow-down penalty, which he served into Bruxelles, allowing both Collins and deJong to pass. Collins held on for the victory, with deJong taking second and Ariel third. Lebigre, despite winning the sprint, started the main race eighth and finished sixth after a strong recovery drive. The top ten in the final standings consisted entirely of drivers with prior Porsche Esports Supercup experience. The series continues on 26 September at Silverstone, with four rounds remaining in the championship.

Damiano Schena has secured the International Race Salita (IRS) Cup championship in the 1150cc E2SC-SS class after taking victory at the Pedavena–Croce d'Aune hillclimb in the Belluno region. The result marks the driver's fifth consecutive win of the season and caps an exceptional campaign for the San Zeno di Montagna-based competitor. Schena, piloting a Nova Proto NP03 prepared by Team Faggioli, finished fifth overall and first in class across both runs of the event. He had already secured the IRS Cup title mathematically before the weekend but was keen to compete at Pedavena, where he set a new class record—breaking a benchmark that had stood since 2023 when set by Simone Faggioli. The margin of victory in the second run was less than eight tenths of a second, with Schena holding an 18-centimetre advantage after the opening pass. The championship success forms part of a broader campaign in the Italian Mountain Speed Championship (CIVM) northern zone, where Schena's maximum points haul at Pedavena strengthens his position ahead of the series finale. Schena drives for New Star 3 and is supported by Team Faggioli.

Michele Mancin faced a difficult weekend at the Pedavena–Croce d'Aune hillclimb, hampered by technical problems with his Citroën Saxo Group A that left him unable to compete for top honours. The driver from Rivà qualified third in the A-S Group and A-S1600 class during Saturday's opening practice session, but slipped to fourth in the second run, finishing just outside the provisional podium positions. Mancin identified a faulty differential as the primary obstacle to competitive pace. "We started reasonably well," he explained, "but we immediately realised we were short on power with this gearbox setup. I'd arrive at the chicane needing an extra gear that simply wasn't there, and the same problem affected the final straight. In the second run we improved by over four seconds, but at least three points on the track I had to wait for the next corner, losing time." Despite exploring every possible adjustment ahead of Sunday's runs, the issue persisted. Mancin finished fifth in his class in race one and fourth in the final climb of the weekend, ending the two-day Belluno event fifth overall in the A-S category and A-S1600 class. "My race-one time matched Saturday's best," Mancin added, "and while we tried to trim here and there, there wasn't much more we could do under these conditions. I'm encouraged by my second run but disappointed with the rest of the weekend. On the positive side, the atmosphere in our class is excellent—we're all friends once the helmets come off." The result fell short of expectations in both the Italian National Hillclimb Championship (northern zone) and the International Race Salita series, though Mancin remains focused on the remainder of the season. "We know where to make changes to get back to the front," he concluded. "Once the differential is sorted, we're confident we can compete for podiums and wins again. The season isn't over yet and we still have time to aim high."

Mister Phoenix secured the 2026 O'Play European Championship prototype crown with a dominant fifth season victory at the 45th Buzetski Dani hillclimb in Croatia on 21 September. Piloting a Nova Proto NP03 for CR Corse in the P3 class, the driver sealed the title in emphatic fashion, capping a campaign that saw him win five rounds and finish on the podium in nine of ten continental events. Phoenix accumulated 197 points across the season, with his worst result a third-place finish at Saint Ursanne in Switzerland. His record comprised five victories (Austria, Germany, Italy, Poland, Croatia) and four second-place finishes (Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic, Slovenia). The majority of the season was contested in the P3 class against stronger competition, though the driver spent much of the campaign racing in P2 before finally competing in the correct P3 category for the final round. The Buzetski Dani victory also provided CR Corse an opportunity to test various setup configurations on the motorcycle-derived engine prototype. Phoenix expressed satisfaction with the campaign: "I'm delighted—everything went perfectly. My energy is spent now and I just want to savour being at the top. I'm grateful to everyone who helped me reach this milestone. It's an immense satisfaction that I feel is shared by the whole team. Looking back, I'm proud of what we've achieved, but I'm already looking ahead to the next challenge. My journey is far from over."

Diego Degasperi claimed victory and a new outright course record at the 42nd Pedavena–Croce d'Aune hillclimb in Italy's Veneto region, posting 1'50.80 in the second run and an overall time of 3'41.66. The result improved the previous best by six hundredths of a second and marked a standout performance at the 4,000-metre event. The event saw multiple records fall across its two days of competition. Franco Caruso, who had been leading, was forced to retire in both runs, opening the door for Degasperi's breakthrough. The first run had already seen the outright course record of 1'58.74—held since 2023 by Simone Faggioli—broken. In the motorcycle-engine category, Damiano Schena's previous benchmark of 1'58.48 in his NovaProto NP03 with Aprilia power was also surpassed. Romy Dall'Antonia achieved a personal milestone by breaking the 2'06" barrier in her class. Local competition provided memorable moments, particularly a close battle between two Škoda entries piloted by Belluno-based drivers Veronese and Sartor. Fabrizio Vettorol emerged as the fastest driver from the region, finishing 19th overall in his Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo with a time of 4'29.21. The 42nd edition drew over 2,000 spectators, with 1,600 transported via shuttle service—a new feature praised by attendees. The event attracted more than 200 competitors and generated 13,000 YouTube views, while regional broadcaster Telebelluno's coverage reached viewers as far as Sicily. Race director Fabrizio Bernetti and safety coordinator Alberto Nardari were credited with smooth organisation, with the course cleared and racing resumed within 20 minutes following any incidents.

The tenth edition of Historic Minardi Day concluded at Imola's Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, drawing over 20,000 enthusiasts and fielding 590 racing cars across two days. The event, which has run annually since 2016, transformed the circuit into a dynamic motorsport museum, with an additional 200 vehicles participating in parades and static displays. The weekend opened with a ceremonial lap by Gian Carlo Minardi, driving a 1956 Lotus Eleven powered by a Coventry Climax 1000cc engine and piloted by Roberto Farneti. The on-track programme featured an extensive grid of historic single-seaters spanning Formula Junior, Formula Abarth, Formula Italia, Formula 2, Formula 3, Formula 4, GP3, GP2, F3000, prototypes, and historic GT cars, supported by clubs including Scuderia del Portello, Scuderia Nuvolari Italia, and Club Motori Modena. The centrepiece remained the 34 historic Formula 1 cars, representing over four decades of championship evolution. The grid ranged from a 1971 Ferrari 312 B2 to a 2013 Toro Rosso STR8 ex–Jean-Éric Vergne, and included notable machines such as Graham Hill's 1973 Shadow DN1, the six-wheeled 1977 Tyrrell P34/2, Riccardo Patrese's 1978 Arrows A1B, and a 1:1 scale replica of the McLaren MP4/15. Aston Martin brought a Formula 1 showcar to Imola via Fondmetal, marking the wheel supplier's return to the championship after 26 years—a symbolic closure given that Fondmetal last competed in F1 in 2000 alongside Minardi with Fernando Alonso as test driver. The event attracted numerous motorsport figures including engineers Aldo Costa, Gabriele Tredozi, and Nigel Cowperthwaite, alongside former drivers Thierry Boutsen, Bruno Giacomelli, Pierluigi Martini, Arturo Merzario, Riccardo Patrese, and Gabriele Tarquini. The Checco Costa Museum hosted presentations, book signings, and talks, while the Museo Checco Costa displayed six Minardi single-seaters spanning the team's history, plus two Racing Bulls. On Sunday 20 September, the ACI Storico Festival organised the Raduno Terre di Romagna, with 120 crews departing the circuit for Faenza before returning for a parade lap. The fifth Memorial Ferdinando Minardi award was presented to Massimo Campodoni, a leading automobilia expert and motorsport historian.

Philippe Prette has secured his third consecutive championship in the GT2 European Series by Pirelli, this time in the Masters Cup category, after a dominant weekend at Zandvoort. The LP Racing driver, piloting a Maserati GT2, wrapped up the title mathematically with one round remaining, accumulating 170 points—56 clear of his nearest rival—following two class victories and two pole positions in the Netherlands. Prette's championship-clinching performance came in Race 2 on Sunday, where he started from pole position in class and maintained his pace through the mandatory pit stop. Despite running second after the stop, he pressured his main rival and regained the lead six minutes from the finish, securing the points needed for the title with the final round at Portimão (17–18 October) still to come. He crossed the line in second place overall, benefiting from a penalty applied to a competitor in another category. Maserati's weekend at Zandvoort yielded additional podium finishes in the Pro Am Cup. The number 8 car of Niccolò Pirri and Yu Lee Thomas claimed second place in Race 1, while the number 7 entry of Roberto Pampanini and Mauro Calamia from Dinamic Motorsport finished second in Race 2 after climbing from sixth on the grid. The Iron Dames by SP Racing entry of Laura van den Hengel and Sara Bovy was unable to start Race 1 due to unrepaired technical damage from qualifying. Vincent Biard, Head of Maserati Corse, highlighted the significance of three consecutive titles: "This success demonstrates the competitiveness of the Maserati GT2 and its ability to deliver consistent performance season after season. Achieving this in our centenary year of the Trident logo and our motorsport heritage reinforces the appeal of the GT2 for teams and drivers seeking a performant, reliable car capable of competing at the highest level."

Danny Zardo from Treviso claimed victory in the 43rd Coppa del Chianti hillclimb, piloting a Giada T118 in the fourth grouping (production cars from 1982–1990). The 8 km course along the SR 122 Chiantigiana between Molino Quercegrossa and Castellina in Chianti was completed in a best time of 3'23"94, which also stood as the fastest run of the day overall. In the fourth grouping, Salvatore Totò Riolo from Sicily finished third in his PCR A6 BMW, securing the category lead and moving closer to the national grouping title despite mechanical issues that hampered his challenge for the outright win. Piero Lottini from Pisa took second in both grouping and overall classifications, continuing his strong record at the Chianti venue. Giuliano Peroni from Florence won the third grouping in an Osella PA 8/70 BMW, effectively securing the category championship. Fosco Zambelli from Bologna extended his lead in the second grouping with an Alfa Romeo GTAm 1750, posting the ninth-fastest time overall, while Lucio Gigliotti from Calabria remained competitive in his Fiat 128 in the TC1150 class. In the first grouping, Harald Mössler from Austria prevailed with the fifth-fastest time in a Darren MK3, ahead of Tiberio Nocentini in a Chevron B19 Cosworth. The event marked the eighth round of the Italian Historic Car Championship and represented a return to the famous Chianti road course. Organisers Targa Racing Club, in collaboration with Siena Racing Driver and the Automobile Club Siena, worked with local authorities in Castellina in Chianti to stage the competition.