Motorsport news

iRacing has announced a significant expansion to its single-player AI Racing mode for the 2026 Season 4 update, introducing eight newly AI-enabled vehicles and 19 additional track configuration unlocks across eight circuits. The new car roster includes four recently released vehicles receiving immediate AI support: the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH, Caterham Academy, Caterham 420R, and Gen 4 Grand National. The Valkyrie and both Caterham models will also feature rain-enabled AI capabilities, allowing drivers to practice wet-weather racing against the artificial intelligence. Four additional legacy road racing cars round out the update: the Chevrolet Corvette C7 and Riley MkXX Daytona Prototypes, the BMW Z4 GT3, and the Formula Renault 2.0. On the track side, iRacing's newly scanned versions of Road America, The Milwaukee Mile, and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course will launch with full AI support across all available layouts. Existing circuits receiving new AI-unlocked configurations include Auto Club Speedway (Competition, Interior, and Moto layouts) and Kansas Speedway (Road Course and Infield Road Course). Dirt oval racing expands with AI availability at USA International Speedway, Oswego Speedway, and Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 for the first time.

Round 6 of the 2026 Time Attack Championship returned to Brands Hatch Indy circuit for the Go Japan event, the penultimate round of the season. The day produced several standout performances, with Luke Sedzikowski reasserting his dominance in Pro after missing the previous round, while Ryan Barker secured his second consecutive victory in Club and claimed the Club 2WD lap record. Sedzikowski controlled the Pro category from warm-up through to the final Super Attack session in the Tegiwa Racing Honda NSX. His quickest lap came in Attack 2 with a time of 46.232, before recording 46.318 in Super Attack to take the win ahead of Andrew Gallacher (47.350) and Josh Barrett (47.464). In Club Pro, Aleksandr Volkov delivered a decisive performance in the final session, posting 48.694 to edge Dean Taylor (48.842) by 0.148 seconds and establish a new Club Pro lap record. Barker's Club victory came after a tightly contested day. Vincent Fan led through the early sessions in the Toyota GR Supra, setting a Club 2WD lap record of 50.779 in Attack 2. However, Barker produced his fastest lap when it mattered most, recording 50.655 in his K24-powered Renault Megane in Super Attack to take the win and reset the Club 2WD benchmark. Luke Capehorn finished second with 50.867, while Fan took third on 50.919, with just 0.264 seconds separating the top three. Dean Riley extended his perfect record in Classic & Retro to six wins from six rounds, driving the Mickeytoenes Racing Vauxhall VX220. Riley set three lap records across the day, culminating in a 50.813 in Super Attack. Gary Papworth matched Riley's achievement, securing his sixth consecutive Pocket Rocket Forced Induction victory with a 52.893 in the Norfolk Mini Racing Cooper S. In Pocket Rocket Naturally Aspirated, Luke Krassismenou claimed his second consecutive class win with 53.706 in the Honda Civic EP3, just 0.015 seconds ahead of Cameron Allflatt, after championship leader Michael Hume was sidelined by engine trouble. The 2026 Time Attack Championship concludes at Cadwell Park on 20 September for Round 7, where the season titles will be decided.

The 57th Eichenbühl hillclimb in Franconia will mark a decisive stage of the German hillclimb championship, with only the final round at Mickhausen remaining on the calendar after this event. The organisers expect a high-calibre entry across multiple classes, competing on the demanding 3km-plus circuit that promises competitive racing and spectacle. Prototypes and open-wheel contenders German-Slovenian driver Patrik Zajelsnik enters as the favourite for overall victory, piloting his Nova NP 01-2 Honda Turbo in the 3-litre E2-SC category. Among his chief rivals in the same class will be veteran Alexander Hin in an Osella PA30 Zytek LRM. In the 3-litre E2-SS formula class, young German Benjamin Noll returns in a legendary Osella FA30 Zytek LRM, while Luxembourg's Tommy Rollinger will also contest the top times in his Osella FA30 Zytek. German regular Gerd Kauff completes the line-up in this category with his Dallara T12 Nissan. The 2-litre E2-SC class is strongly populated. Michael Bodenmüller (Norma M20FC Honda LRM) and Georg Lang (PRC FPR VW Turbo) are expected to lead the fight, with German-Italian Francesco D'Acri (Elia Avrio ST09 Evo Suzuki) also among the contenders. Dino Gebhard will make his national championship debut at his home event in a Norma M20F Honda. Austrian Peter Amann (Osella PA30/2000 Evo Honda), Andreas Voss (Osella PA2000 Evo Honda), Otmar Fassold (Norma M20A Honda), Stephan Collisi (Behnke Condor BMW), and veteran Gerhard Siebert (Osella PA18 BMW) round out a competitive field. Jan Martinez-Schramm will contest the event for the first time in a PRC C/3 MS2 VW. In the 2-litre E2-SS formula class, Bastian Voss leads the championship standings and will be among the favourites. Marco Lorig (Tatuus Formel Master S2000 Honda) has enjoyed a strong season, as has Patrick Rahn in his new Wolf GB08F1 Mistral PSA Turbo. Jürgen Frommknecht (Dallara F302 Evo Spiess) will also compete. In the E2-SH category, Marco Farrenkopf (Silver Car S2 Evo Suzuki) is expected to feature prominently. Road car and touring car battles The touring car overall victory is likely to be contested between Austrian Thomas Strasser (VW Minichberger Corrado R Turbo), seeking to repeat last year's success, and German veteran Holger Hovemann (Lamborghini Huracan ST Evo 1). Finnish driver Mikko Kataja will make his second outing in a uniquely configured Toyota Starlet V8 Hayabusa, while Luxembourg's Charel Valentiny (Subaru Impreza WRX STI) and fellow Luxembourger Michel Fernandes (Porsche 992 GT3 Cup) are also expected to challenge for top positions. In the Pf Class 2 category, Michael Weber (Audi 80 Quattro), Christian Leutheuser (BMW M240i-Cup/GTR), and Sebastian Kühn (BMW 1M GTR) will compete, with Swiss driver Corsin Rietiker making his debut in a BMW E36 GTR V10. The Pf Class 3a field includes Florian Heß (Porsche 997.2 GT3 Cup) and Rainer Noller (Porsche 991.1 GT3 Cup) among the leading contenders.

The 38th Rallye Elba Storico – Trofeo Locman Italy will take place from 24 to 26 September, with entry deadline extended to Friday 18 September. Organised by ACI Livorno Sport, the event holds dual championship status: it counts as the seventh and penultimate round of the Italian Historic Rally Championship, and is valid for both series of the new European Historic Rally Championship format. The rally will also serve as the penultimate round of the Italian Historic Regularity Rally Championship, plus the Tuscan Rally Trophy, Abarth 112 Trophy, Michelin Historic Trophy, Memory Fornaca, and ACI Livorno Social Championship. The new European format divides competitors into two categories by vehicle era: cars built between 1993 and 2000 in one series, and pre-1992 vehicles in another. Elba has been selected for both European series, reflecting the event's international prestige. The competitive distance will reach 140.08 kilometres across ten special stages. Two separate service parks have been established—one at Porto Azzurro for European Championship competitors and one at Capoliveri for Italian Championship participants—following FIA guidelines for operational efficiency. The three-day format begins Thursday 24 September with a night-time stage in Capoliveri town centre. Friday 25 September moves action to the western part of the island with a regroup at Marciana Marina, while Saturday 26 September concludes with stages in the eastern section and a final finish in Capoliveri's historic centre. The route follows Elba's traditional character with ten selective special stages. The European Pre-2000 championship sees Frenchman François Delecour leading with 110 points, ahead of Englishman Ernie Graham (69 points) and Irishman Alan Ring (65 points). In the Pre-1992 European series, Italian Antonio Parisi dominates Category 1 with 199 points against rival Palmieri's 146. Category 2 remains competitive with Englishman Perez leading Pole Lubiak by 21 points after the latter's Rally Ceredigion victory. The Italian Historic Rally Championship features tight battles across multiple groupings, notably in Group 4 where Matteo Luise leads Andrea Smiderle by just 10 points. A special tribute to the Fiat 131 Abarth will run alongside the main event, celebrating the car's 50th anniversary since its debut at Elba in 1976 with Maurizio Verini and Markku Alén. Up to 30 Group 4 and road-going 131 Abarth examples will participate in a dedicated 98.63-kilometre route, with cars displayed in Capoliveri on Thursday before running the final two stages on Friday.

A guide to how iRacing's Week 13 season structure affects driver progression metrics has been published, clarifying the relationship between ranked and unranked race sessions and their impact on Safety Rating and iRating. The article addresses common questions among iRacing competitors about which sessions contribute to rating calculations during Week 13, and how the distinction between ranked and unranked events influences driver statistics and progression through the platform's competitive tiers.

iRacing has unveiled a rebuilt version of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, featuring updated laser-scan data from 2026 and enhanced visual assets. The circuit now includes full AI support for single-player and practice sessions. Existing owners of the track will receive the upgrade at no additional cost.

Entries remain open until 12:00 on Wednesday 9 September for the 71st Coppa Nissena – Trofeo Michele Tornatore – 1° Memorial Livio Alessi – Memorial Luigi Campione, taking place from 11–13 September in Caltanissetta, Sicily. The hillclimb will serve as the final round of the Italian National Hillclimb Championship, with the entry deadline extended at the request of organisers and approved by the ACI Sport federation. The event will be officially presented to Caltanissetta municipality on Thursday 10 September at 11:00 in the Sala Gialla, with the local Automobile Club president and the city mayor in attendance. Media and communications professionals are invited to the presentation. Several championship titles will be decided on the mountain, headlined by the overall Italian championship battle between Simone Faggioli of Florence and Stefano Di Fulvio of Abruzzo. Multiple category champions will also be crowned, with leading competitors across the season confirmed to participate.

iRacing has unveiled a rebuilt version of The Milwaukee Mile featuring updated laser-scan data from 2026, refreshed artwork, and a newly added road course configuration. The update is available at no additional cost to existing owners of the oval circuit. The rebuild represents iRacing's ongoing effort to maintain accuracy across its track roster through modern surveying techniques and visual improvements.

Kunos Simulazioni and Supernova have detailed the upcoming 0.6 update for Assetto Corsa Rally, introducing private multiplayer lobbies, a photo mode, three new vehicles spanning different rally eras, and significant physics refinements. The headline feature is private lobby creation, allowing players to organise sessions with friends and establish custom leagues without relying on public matchmaking. A new photography mode will be accessible from special stages, replays, the service park, and the main menu. The update also enables custom liveries with full documentation and templates provided to the community, which developers describe as a first step toward broader mod support. Three historically significant rally cars join the roster: the Audi Quattro Gr. 4 (1980), Peugeot 206 WRC (1999), and Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 (2018). Each receives AI times across all available stages. The physics model gains tyre temperature simulation with adjusted car setups, while gravel surfaces in Greece and Wales have been reworked to better utilise the revised off-road tyre model. Optimal tyre pressures are now set at 28 psi for asphalt and 32 psi for gravel and ice. Online rankings will reset due to these changes, though single-player progress and medals remain intact. Single-player content expands with three new event groups totalling 18 competitions featuring the new vehicles. Event objectives have been refined, particularly for rain and snow conditions, while time trial and challenge modes will lock weather, time of day, and temperature for consistent comparison across players. Multiplayer sessions now start once 70 per cent of players are ready before the countdown expires, eliminating waits for disconnected drivers. Replay framerate limits have been removed, and audio middleware has been updated to FMOD 2.03.14 with new vehicle sound handling and damage-dependent cabin vibration in development. Technical improvements include updated racing lines on stages in Wales, Alsace, Monte Carlo, and Livigno with improved accuracy and turn-width representation. Signage corrections have been applied to the Bollène stage in Monte Carlo, and a static sign issue in Loutraki, Greece has been resolved.

Kunos Simulazioni has announced that the next major update to Assetto Corsa Rally will bring three significant features to the simulation. Version 0.6 will introduce an in-game photo mode, private lobby functionality for multiplayer sessions, and support for custom livery designs. The update represents continued development of the rally-focused title, which has been in early access. Photo mode will allow players to capture and share moments from their driving sessions, while private lobbies will enable closed-group racing without public server restrictions. Custom liveries expand the cosmetic personalisation options available to the community.

The ADAC GT4 Germany championship continues its battle for the title at Sachsenring, with the next round of the season set to take place at the Saxon circuit. The GT4 category remains one of Europe's most accessible and competitive club racing platforms, attracting drivers across a wide range of experience levels and budgets. Sachsenring, located in the eastern German state of Saxony, has hosted numerous national and international motorsport events and offers a technical 3.6 km layout that will test both car setup and driver skill.

Three major names in sim racing hardware and esports have confirmed their attendance at SimRacing Expo Frankfurt, scheduled for 16–18 October. Nürburgring eSports, Thermaltake and SensitHaptics will all have a presence at the event. Thermaltake, known for PC cooling and peripherals, and SensitHaptics, a specialist in haptic feedback technology for racing simulators, join the Nürburgring's esports division in what is shaping up to be a significant gathering for the European sim racing community.