Motorsport news

The FIA European Rally Championship will visit Wales for the penultimate round of the 2026 season with the Ceredigion Rally, scheduled for 4–6 September on asphalt roads. The event will feature two Polish crews: Miko Marczyk and Jakub Matulka. Organisers have planned 16 special stages totalling 191.34 km. The rally begins with a ceremonial start on Thursday evening in Aberystwyth, with competitive action running from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon. Schedule Thursday, 3 September 16:00 – Ceremonial start, Aberystwyth Friday, 4 September 09:00 – Shakedown (Pendam, 6.41 km) 18:55 – Rally start 19:05 – SS1 Aberystwyth 1 (1.23 km) 19:35 – SS2 Aberystwyth 2 (1.23 km) 20:50 – SS3 Elerch (6.28 km) 21:30 – SS4 Blaenmelindwr (9.28 km) Friday's leg covers 127.54 km. Saturday, 5 September 08:55 – SS5 Aberffrwd 1 (12.02 km) 09:50 – SS6 Soar Y Mynydd 1 (20.80 km) 11:45 – SS7 Cwm Elan 1 (20.71 km) 14:20 – SS8 Aberffrwd 2 (12.02 km) 15:15 – SS9 Soar Y Mynydd 2 (20.80 km) 17:10 – SS10 Cwm Elan 2 (20.71 km) 18:25 – SS11 Aberystwyth 3 (1.23 km) 18:40 – SS12 Aberystwyth 4 (1.23 km) Crew will retire to a closed park in Aberystwyth after Saturday's action. Sunday, 6 September 08:15 – SS13 Gorsgoch 1 (20.64 km) 09:05 – SS14 Ty Glyn 1 (11.26 km) 12:00 – SS15 Gorsgoch 2 (20.64 km) 14:05 – SS16 Ty Glyn 2 (11.26 km) – Power Stage 15:05 – Finish ceremony, Aberystwyth 16:05 – Rally finish Sunday's leg totals 63.80 km. The longest stage is Soar Y Mynydd at 20.80 km.

SCS Software has announced that the South Dakota expansion for American Truck Simulator will release on 24 September. The developer has released a trailer alongside the release date confirmation.

Pimax will present its Dream Air VR headset running Assetto Corsa EVO at IFA 2026 in Berlin, scheduled for September 4–8. The demonstration will showcase the compatibility between the consumer VR hardware and Kunos Simulazioni's latest racing simulator.

The McLaren W1 hypercar will be added to Forza Horizon 6 on September 10, 2026. The vehicle joins the game as part of the British Automotive Series and is included in the game's Car Pass.

The McLaren W1 hypercar will be added to Forza Horizon 6 on 10 September as part of the game's Car Pass DLC programme. While the British Automotive Series car roster for the title has not yet been formally announced, McLaren has confirmed its participation through the seasonal DLC content.

Motorsport UK has awarded inclusion grant funding to Disability Racing in Virtual Esports (DRiVE), a sim racing programme focused on accessibility for disabled participants. The organisation will use the support to organise an Accessible Motorsport Conference. The initiative represents an effort to expand participation in sim racing among underrepresented groups within the motorsport community.

Steven Wilson secured his place in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Championship Series Championship 4 Finale with a dominant performance at Michigan International Speedway on Tuesday night. The defending two-time champion led 53 of the final 54 laps to claim his third victory of the 2026 season, extending his career win tally to 20 and tying him for third all-time with Nick Ottinger. Wilson's Spire Motorsports entry proved competitive throughout the night, though he dropped as low as eighth early in the race before methodically working his way forward. After taking the lead on Lap 20, Wilson managed tire degradation expertly while competitors struggled with pit strategy decisions. A final caution with two laps remaining set up eNASCAR Overtime, where Wilson held off Connor Yeroschak of Letarte eSports on the restart. Wilson's teammate Femi Olatunbosun completed a Spire 1-2 finish, securing the team's Championship lead. With two races remaining in the three-race Postseason format, three drivers currently occupy the points positions above the cut line: Yeroschak, Wyatt Tinsley (Kansas City Pioneers), and Bobby Zalenski (ERA eSports Team). However, any of the nine remaining drivers outside Wilson can still win their way into the Championship 4 Finale at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte next month. The next opportunity comes in two weeks at Texas Motor Speedway, followed by a final race at Kansas before the title decider.

The Italian GT championship returns to Imola's Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari from 4–6 September for a weekend that could reshape the 2026 season. The circuit will host the third of four rounds in the Italian GT Endurance Championship and the penultimate event of the GT4 Italy Series, with both competitions entering their decisive phase. A total of 52 cars are expected in the Endurance race and 17 crews in the GT4 Italy Series. In the GT3 Endurance standings, Edoardo Liberati, Mattia Michelotto and Ignazio Zanon lead the absolute classification with 43 points aboard the VSR Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2, following their victory in the three-hour race at Monza. They hold a ten-point advantage over Balzan-Medler (Ferrari 296 GT3, Rinaldi Racing), winners at Misano, with Donno-Pollini-Segù (Lamborghini, DL Racing) third on 29 points. The margin remains significant but not decisive; Imola's points allocation system means the standings could shift substantially. In the GT4 Italy Series Pro-Am class, Giacomo Maman and Gustavo Sandrucci arrive with 105 points and four consecutive victories on the BMW M4 GT4 Evo (Casals Motorsport), holding a commanding 46-point lead. They have a concrete opportunity to secure the title at Imola, with four rounds remaining before the season finale at Monza. In GT4 Am, Wagner-Trentin (Mercedes AMG GT4, X Motors-Trivellato) lead with 85 points, just six ahead of Anastasopoulos-Ceresoli (Mercedes AMG, CZ Bassano). The GT Cup will field 15 cars across two divisions. In the first division Pro-Am, Barbolini-Al Rifai-Patrinicola command with 62 points on the Ferrari 296 Challenge (Spirit of Racing), while in the Am class Ferrara-Galli lead with 64 points, reinforced at Imola by the addition of Simone Iaquinta. The second division Pro-Am sees Bodellini-Riva-Schofield (Ferrari 488 Challenge, SR&R) ahead by just two points over Benedetti-Lanza-Santi (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, Apex Competition). Track action begins Friday 4 September with free practice. GT4 Italy Series qualifying takes place Friday at 18:00 and 18:25, with races on Saturday at 12:10 and Sunday at 10:45 (both 50 minutes plus one lap). Endurance qualifying runs Saturday from 14:00, with the three-hour race starting Sunday at 12:05. All key sessions will be broadcast on ACI Sport TV (Sky channel 228, Tivùsat channel 52) and streamed via the Italian GT Championship website and social media.

Island Motorsport, led by Eros Di Prima, will field six competitors at the 11th Salita Storica Monte Erice on 7–8 September 2026 in Sicily. The event serves as the seventh round of the Italian Historic Speed Hillclimb Championship (CIVSA) and will also count towards the Southern Italian Speed Mountain Championship in the modern category. Among the historic division entries, Giuseppe Gulotta returns to competition after a seven-year absence, piloting a Stenger BMW in the 4th Grouping. The former two-time under-23 slalom champion from Buseto Palermo will make his hillclimb debut at Erice. Pierluigi Fullone also competes in the 4th Grouping with his BMW M3 following an extended setup period. In the 3rd Grouping, Ciro Barbaccia will drive a Fiat X1/9 after recovering from an illness sustained during the Coppa Sila event in Calabria, while teammate Alfredo Altopiano switches from his usual Ascona to an Opel Kadett GTE. Beppe D'Anca, a veteran of the discipline, returns after 13 years behind the wheel of an Osella PA20/S BMW in the classic category. In the modern category, Fabrizio La Rocca makes his 2026 debut with a Peugeot 308 GTI entered under Racing Start Plus. The weekend begins with preliminary procedures on Friday 4 September, followed by two reconnaissance runs on Saturday to allow drivers to establish optimal setup and lines. Two official timed runs on Sunday will determine final classifications. Media coverage and live streaming will begin from Saturday's practice sessions.

The Rundstrecken-Challenge Nürburgring (RCN) will host its third Nordschleife-only event of the 2026 season on 5 September, with nearly 170 teams entered for the "Rhein-Ruhr" time attack organised by AC Oberhausen under ADAC sanction. The competition begins at 12:30 on Saturday at the T13 grandstand. The 15-round challenge will cover the full 20.793 km Nordschleife circuit, totalling 311.895 km across one timed lap, one confirmation lap, ten sprint rounds, two fuel stops with a 50-minute maximum time, and one cool-down lap. RCN series manager Willi Hillebrand welcomed the strong entry after the summer break, noting that weather conditions in Germany could prove variable but expressing hope for competitive racing and decisive moments in the championship fight. Jens Schneider and Robin Reimer (BMW 325i, class R4) currently lead the championship standings, with 20 entries in their class making it the largest field. Close challengers Sven Markert and Lars Harbeck (BMW 320i, class H3) have 13 competitors in their division, while third-placed Christian Koch (BMW 325i, class H4) remains in contention with 15 cars in that class. Other competitive classes include R2A with 14 starters, RS4 with nine teams, and BMW M240i Racing with ten entries. Favourites for overall victory or top placings include Michael Luther and Markus Schmickler (BMW M4 GT4), Andreas Schwarz (Cupra Leon TCR), Alain Dutronc (Porsche Cayman GT4 CS), Rolf Weißenfels (Peugeot 308 TCR), Alexander Böhm and Jürgen Marzi (Porsche Cayman GT4 CS), and Eric Petrich (BMW M3). David Vogt (Opel Astra TCR, class RS3A), a regular front-runner who has already claimed an overall win this season, will share driving duties with experienced co-driver Marc Basseng, using the event as preparation for the season finale. Documentation and technical checks run Friday 4 September from 15:30–20:00 and 15:30–20:30 respectively, with additional checks Saturday morning from 08:15–11:30. A drivers' briefing is scheduled for 11:40, with results posted virtually at 17:00 and the awards ceremony at 17:30.

17-year-old Polish driver Fabian Dybionka will make his debut in the ADAC GT Masters this coming weekend at Austria's Salzburg circuit. Dybionka will share a Ford Mustang GT3 entered by Haupt Racing Team (HRT) with 19-year-old Norwegian Emil Gjerdrum, marking an important milestone in his racing career and his first outing in one of Europe's leading GT series. The Salzburg round will be contested in endurance format, featuring two 80-minute races with mandatory pit stops in each. During these stops, driver changes, tyre replacements and refuelling will take place. Dybionka's 2026 season has centred on the International GT Open, where he drives a BMW M4 GT3 and has already scored two podium finishes. The Mustang represents a new platform and series for the young driver. HRT, founded by former driver Hubert Haupt, currently holds the ADAC GT Masters titles in both the drivers' and teams' championships. The squad also claimed the DTM drivers' championship in 2021, just one year after its establishment, and has won classifications in GT World Challenge Europe. Originally a leading Mercedes-AMG outfit, HRT switched to Ford last year to showcase the new Mustang GT3 on European circuits. Dybionka commented on the opportunity: "I'm very pleased to make my ADAC GT Masters debut with such an experienced team as HRT. It's a significant step and a chance to compete against a strong international field. The Mustang GT3 is completely different from the cars I've raced before, so I want to make the most of every session and adapt quickly. Our goal will be consistent, clean driving and fighting for the best possible result."

The New Generation Racing team fielded a strong entry at the 44th Coppa Sila, a prestigious Italian hillclimb held in Calabria. The event, which counts towards the CIVM South championship and the Italian Two-Cylinder Hillclimb Championship, ran from the Cone d'Aria starting point to the Montescuro Pass summit in the Sila mountains. The Catanzaro-based squad delivered multiple podium finishes across several classes. In the E2SC-SS category, Nicola Paola Almirante secured third place in the 1600cc class and fifth overall aboard his Wolf GB08 Thunder, demonstrating consistent pace throughout the event. In Racing Start, Gianluca Rodino claimed third in class on his debut with a Seat Leon ST 2000 Turbo, though the driver expressed frustration with the overall performance. The RS-S Plus category saw strong showings from the team. Saverio Scerbo finished second in group and class with his Renault Clio Williams, narrowly missing victory by one second. Among the 1400cc runners, Giulio Molinaro won his class on a Peugeot 106 and achieved third in group, while Alberto De Gregorio took second place in the same category, also driving a Peugeot 106. New Generation Racing achieved particular success in the Two-Cylinder classes, where three team drivers occupied the podium. Mirko Paletta won the Group 5 category in a Fiat 500, while Luca L'Arocca triumphed in Group 2 on the same model with a narrow margin and a new record. Gianfranco Mercuri finished second in Group 2 driving a Fiat 126, narrowly missing victory. The team now looks ahead to upcoming hillclimbs at Oppido and Erice.