Motorsport news

The 44th edition of the Coppa Sila hillclimb will take place from 28–30 August on the technical SP 256 route in Calabria, organised by the Automobile Club Cosenza. The event counts towards the 12th round of the Italian Mountain Speed Championship South and the Italian Twin-Cylinder Championship, and will be held over a 9.5 km course featuring 561 metres of elevation gain and an average gradient of 5.84%. The competition carries the Trofeo Domenico Scola, named after the legendary Calabrian hillclimb driver, reinforcing the event's deep roots in the region's motorsport heritage. Among the notable entries is actor and racing driver Ettore Bassi, who will pilot a Nova Proto NP03 Aprilia in the Supersalita class as he continues to develop his hillclimb skills. Samuele Cassibba, winner of the last two editions, returns to the Sila course driving a Nova Proto NP01 for Scuderia Ateneo Motorsport. Other prominent competitors include Francesco Leogrande in an Osella PA 4C, Antonio Lavieri with a Dallara F302, and Francesco Ferragina in an Elia Avrio ST09 EVO. In the GT category, Gabry Driver will contest in a Ferrari 458 GT Cup, while Gabriele Mauro enters a Porsche 911 GT3. The entry list spans multiple categories including Racing Start classes, Group N, historic vehicles, and the Italian Twin-Cylinder Championship, which will feature eleven cars competing in classes such as the Fiat 500 and Fiat 126. The weekend will open officially on Sunday morning with the Italian national anthem performed by soprano Viria Vitarocca Cavallino.

The 44th Coppa Sila hillclimb will take place from 28–30 August, organised by the Automobile Club Cosenza. The event returns to the challenging mountain roads of the Sila plateau in Calabria, running along the technical SP 256 route between Cone Aria and Montescuro. The Coppa Sila ranks among the historic hillclimb events that have shaped the legacy of speed competition in southern Italy's motorsport culture.

Thrustmaster has unveiled the SimTask Truck-40, a 40 cm diameter steering wheel designed specifically for truck simulation. The peripheral features 22 integrated controls and adjustable mounting options, allowing users to customise their setup according to their rig configuration. The wheel is scheduled to launch in October 2026.

Sim racing hardware manufacturer MOZA has unveiled a lineup of new licensed products at Gamescom 2026, including branded equipment for Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Ford and MotoGP. Alongside the licensed hardware announcements, MOZA revealed developments in haptic feedback technology (PHF), an AI Coach feature and motion platform technology. Further details on specifications and availability were not disclosed in the announcement.

Sim racing hardware manufacturer Moza has unveiled a new MotoGP-branded motorcycle handlebar controller, unveiled at Gamescom. The device features authentic brake and clutch levers alongside a twist-grip throttle mechanism, designed to replicate the control inputs of a real motorcycle.

The tenth edition of the Historic Minardi Day will take place on 19–20 September at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, drawing over 600 vehicles and thousands of enthusiasts for a weekend dedicated to motorsport history and passion. Organised by the Minardi family in collaboration with Formula Imola, the event will combine on-track activities, legendary machinery, driver encounters, cultural programming and entertainment. The centrepiece remains the exhibition of historic Formula 1 cars spanning multiple eras, from a 1971 Ferrari 312 B2 through to a 2011 Williams FW33 previously driven by Rubens Barrichello. The grid will include a Shadow DN1 ex-Graham Hill (1973), Lotus 72 E5 (1974), Tyrrell P34/1 and P34/2 (1976–77), March Beta F1 761 (1976), Arrows A1B ex-Riccardo Patrese (1978), Merzario F1A3 (1979), Wolf Ford WR7 (1979), Ferrari 312 T5 (1980), Shadow DN12 (1980), Osella FA1 E Alfa Romeo (1983), Ferrari 126 C4 (1984), Osella-Alfa Romeo FA1G (1986), Arrows A10 (1987), Minardi M189 (1989), Monteverdi F1 (1990), Arrows A11B (1990), Ferrari 642 and 643 (1991), Andrea Moda Formula S921 (1992), Ferrari F92A (1992), Fondmetal GR01 (1992), Ferrari 412 T1 (1994) and Minardi PS04B (2005). Additional attractions include a 1970 Lotus 70 F5000 and a full-scale McLaren MP4/15 replica built by its owner with McLaren's approval and signed by Mika Häkkinen. Formula 2 and Formula 3 machinery will also feature prominently, alongside prototypes including Alpine A450B, Ligier LMP3 JSP320, Lola T70 MK3B and Ginetta LMP2. Historic GT cars will be represented by entries including a 1958 Jaguar Knobbly, Jaguar E-Type Lightweight variants and numerous Lancia Delta models. Scuderia del Portello Alfa Romeo will bring nine cars from its Museo Dinamico, including Alfa Romeo TZ Le Mans Classic (1964), GTAM (1970), 2000 GT Veloce (1972) and Formula Boxer variants (1987–88). Hypercars from Pagani, Lamborghini, Dallara and Praga will also be present, alongside Mazda MX-5 entries and machinery from Lotus Italia and Abarth clubs. The Checco Costa Museum will host a dedicated exhibition space featuring five Formula 1 cars, an exclusive photographic retrospective of the event's ten-year history, and a programme of author talks, book presentations and awards throughout the weekend. Confirmed speakers include Diego Alverà, Umberto Zapelloni, Bruno Giacomelli, Veronica Vesco and Sergio Remondino. Gian Carlo Minardi will meet press and enthusiasts on Sunday 20 September from 12:00–12:45. A separate Ayrton Senna Italia tribute will occupy the Sala Ayrton Senna da Silva with free admission, featuring encounters with motorsport figures and a display on Minardi Team history. Tickets are available via TicketOne for single days or weekend passes. Two new offerings debut this year: an Experience package offering privileged Lounge access, podium photo opportunity and pit-lane entry (16+ only); and a Parade ticket allowing participants to drive their own car on track on Sunday 20 September around 18:00 behind the Safety Car, with family members permitted subject to vehicle homologation limits. The Paddock area will feature professional simulators, model displays, LEGO exhibition, merchandise and children's entertainment.

The third round of the FIA European Drag Racing Championships at Hockenheimring concluded without crowning any winners across its four main categories. A prolonged delay caused by fluid cleanup on the circuit, combined with the venue's strict noise curfew, forced organisers to cancel all four finals before competition could resume. The Top Fuel, Top Methanol, Pro Modified and Pro Stock finals were scheduled for Sunday but never took place. A spill during Sportsman class runs required extensive track cleaning that consumed enough time to push the restart past 18:00—the moment when Hockenheimring's noise restrictions take effect. With no opportunity to complete the finals before the curfew deadline, all four championship-deciding races were abandoned. In Top Fuel, defending champion Susanne Callin had advanced to face India Erbacher after Callin defeated her RF Motorsport teammate Colin Millar (winner of the previous round at Tierp Arena) with a 4.23-second pass. Erbacher progressed when Øyvind Jacobsen red-lighted. The Top Methanol final would have been an all-Swedish affair between top seed Tony Bryntesson and Jonny Lagg of A-Fuel Team Sweden. Andres Arnover, leading the championship standings, had secured his Pro Modified spot by beating Michel Tooren with a 6.37-second run and would have faced Stian Rusånes. In Pro Stock, thirteen-time European champion Jimmy Ålund (6.59s) and Robin Norén (6.62s) were set to contest the final. The fourth and final round of the season takes place 10–13 September at Santa Pod Raceway in the United Kingdom.

MOZA has officially released the PHF Pedal Haptic Feedback Kit, a new accessory designed to enhance sim racing immersion through tactile feedback. The kit is priced at €45. The PHF system delivers haptic effects across a 0–100 Hz frequency range, simulating physical sensations such as ABS engagement, traction control intervention, wheel slip, and other dynamic driving conditions. The addition of haptic feedback to pedals aims to provide drivers with more granular information about vehicle behaviour during simulation, complementing existing force feedback from steering wheels.

MOZA Racing will present its Racing Lab AI Coach system at Gamescom 2026, demonstrating how the platform uses wheelbases and pedals to provide physical feedback for driver training. The AI Coach leverages force-feedback hardware to teach steering inputs, braking technique and throttle control through haptic guidance, allowing users to learn racing fundamentals through direct physical interaction with their sim racing equipment.

Thrustmaster has announced the expansion of its SimTask hardware range with the introduction of a new 40cm trucking wheel add-on kit, scheduled to become available in October. The SimTask Truck-40 is designed as a dedicated peripheral for truck simulation enthusiasts, complementing Thrustmaster's existing sim racing hardware ecosystem.

Moza Racing has announced a new OEM licensing partnership to develop a sim racing replica of the steering wheel fitted to the Ford Mustang GTD, described as the fastest production Mustang ever built. The deal marks another addition to Moza's growing portfolio of licensed real-world automotive hardware, following previous partnerships with other manufacturers to create authentic sim wheel replicas for enthusiasts and competitive drivers.

Grit Games has been announced as the developer of the next official World Rally Championship game, scheduled for release in 2027. The studio will build the title on Unreal Engine 5, marking a significant technical step forward for the franchise. Among the vehicles being prepared for the game is the Lancia Ypsilon HF Integrale Rally2, which has been laser-scanned to ensure accurate representation in the simulation.