Motorsport news

Next Level Racing has introduced two new sim racing cockpits, the RC Essential and RC Foldable, both priced at €349 and certified by the FIA. The rigs are engineered to accommodate Direct Drive wheelbases with a maximum torque rating of 13 Nm, positioning them as accessible options for enthusiasts upgrading to high-performance steering hardware.

BeamNG has announced a new European-style truck coming to BeamNG.drive, less than two weeks following the release of the simulator's substantial V0.39 update. Further details about the vehicle's specifications, release timeline, or integration into the physics engine have not yet been disclosed by the developer.

The Italian SuperSalita championship is entering its final stretch, with five of seven rounds completed and two decisive events still to come. Michele Gregori currently holds the championship lead heading into the remaining fixtures. The penultimate round takes place at the Luigi Fagioli hillclimb in Gubbio from 21–23 August, followed by the Coppa Nissena at Caltanissetta from 11–13 September. Both events carry a scoring coefficient of 1.5, meaning they will carry extra weight in the final championship tally. Gregori will be looking to consolidate his position across these two crucial meetings as the season builds toward its conclusion.

Silvano Stipani has secured the Centritalia Hillclimb Cup (CHC) classification at the Svolte di Popoli event, following his commanding victory at Sarnano. The result keeps the title race for the inaugural CHC season wide open heading into the final round. Stipani's performance at Popoli narrows the gap in the overall standings, though Giovanni Grasso remains the series leader. The championship will be decided at the Cronoscalata della Castellana, where Stipani, competing from Pescara, will contest the outright title against Grasso.

The 81st Côte de St. Ursanne will host a round of the European Hillclimb Championship in 2026, bringing together a competitive international field to one of Europe's fastest hill-climb courses. The 5km-plus high-speed track in the Swiss Jura will challenge drivers across multiple classes, from prototypes to historic vehicles. Spanish driver Joseba Iraola Lanzagorta emerges as a leading contender for overall victory, having claimed multiple podium finishes this season at the wheel of his Nova NP 01-2 C Honda Turbo. He will face stiff competition from young Frenchman Kevin Petit, also piloting a Nova NP 01-2 C Honda Turbo, and German veteran Alexander Hin in his Nova NP 01-2 C Cosworth. Czech driver Petr Trnka (Nova NP 01-2 C Honda Turbo) and Hungarian newcomer Laszlo Szasz (Tatuus F3 T-318 Alpine) will also contest the top positions. Reigning Swiss hillclimb champion Robin Faustini will pilot his Nova NP 01-2 Honda Turbo in pursuit of another season victory. Swiss local Joel Volluz (Norma M20FC Judd Evo C) impressed at the recent Anzère round and will be among the favourites for fastest times. Young Frenchman Maxime Dojat makes his first appearance at St. Ursanne in a Nova NP 01-2 C Honda Turbo, while Belgian Bruno Cazzoli (Nova NP 01-2 Honda Turbo) and Frenchman Samuel Guth (Nova NP 01-2 Mugen) will also contend for top honours. Luxembourgish debutant Dany Demuth will drive a Norma M20FC Judd, while Swiss veteran Fabrice Jolidon returns to competition after several years away, piloting the legendary Osella PA 20/S BMW. Italian hillclimb legend Renzo Maria Napione will also race the Osella PA 20/S BMW, and fellow Italian Alessandro Bertanza makes his debut in the historic class with a Breda Brp5C BMW. In the E2-SS formula class up to 3 litres, young German Benjamin Noll will contest his first St. Ursanne event in an Osella FA30 Zytek LRM. Swiss driver Roland Bossy (Tatuus F3 T-318 Alpine), Frenchmen Nicolas Dumond and Ludovic Cholley (both Tatuus F3 T-318 Alpine) will also compete in this category. Proto Class 2 will feature Italian legend Fausto Bormolini in a Wolf GB08 Mistral Aurobay Turbo as a major favourite, challenged by fellow Italian Antonino Migliuolo (Nova NP 03 Aprilia), Spaniard Jose Antonio Alonso Liste (Tatuus F3 T-318 Alpine), and Czech David Dedek (Nova NP 03 C Ducati). In Proto Class 4, Czech drivers Karel Berger (Osella PA21 JrB Suzuki) and Lukas Studeny (Ligier JS51 Honda) will lead the field, alongside Frenchman Yohan Bardin (Norma M20FC Honda) and Belgian Antonin Saintmard (Tatuus Renault FR 2.0). Swiss driver Victor Darbellay (Nova NP 01-2 Hartley Turbo) will contest the overall standings, while the 2-litre E2-SC sportprototype class will see Michel Zemp (Norma M20FC Honda Turbo), Jean-Jacques Maitre (Nova NP 01-2 C Honda), and Jimmy Froidevaux (Norma M20F Honda) representing Swiss interests. Swiss Antonino Scolaro (Nova NP 03 Kawasaki Turbo) will compete in the 1.6-litre class.

The development team behind Assetto Corsa Rally has outlined its approach to creating rally stages using laser scanning technology. Game director Irvin Zonca explained that the scanning process actually accelerates development rather than slowing it down, as the team obtains an accurate digital foundation of the real road surface and can begin work immediately, rather than manually constructing routes from scratch and iterating multiple times. For rally simulation, precision is particularly critical. Authentic road irregularities, surface profile, and texture are essential to ensure vehicles behave realistically on the virtual stages. Without this level of detail, the driving feel would suffer significantly. The workflow begins with the team selecting and studying a target road. An external specialist company then conducts the laser scanning, with a vehicle equipped with scanning hardware slowly traversing the stage. In certain sections, technicians also walk the route on foot to capture additional detail. Landmark features are further refined using photogrammetry. A single stage typically requires approximately four to six months to complete from initial selection through final implementation.

Motorsport Games has released patch 1.4.1.0 for Le Mans Ultimate, addressing critical issues that emerged following the major 1.4 update. The patch focuses on pit stop mechanics, online stability, and single-player improvements. The most significant fix targets pit stop behaviour, where players and AI drivers were becoming stuck in pit boxes following the 1.4 release, particularly at circuits with tight pit lane layouts such as Daytona. In some cases, drivers required multiple manoeuvres to exit their assigned box. The update also resolves multiple online problems including server crashes, RaceControl failures, leaderboard errors, login issues, and tyres incorrectly displaying as INVALID. These stability concerns prompted Motorsport Games to postpone the 8 Hours of Daytona Special Event to 25 August. Single-player enhancements include corrected AI behaviour after pit stops, eliminating instances where opponents would reverse into other cars or drive erratically. A new Race Weekend variant, US on Tour, has been added to allow offline racing closer to IMSA series format. Track-specific refinements have also been applied to Daytona, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, and Imola, including adjustments to track limits, AI racing lines, shadows, kerbs, and balance of performance settings.

A dispute has erupted in iRacing's competitive GT Sprint community following allegations that three drivers deliberately routed through gravel traps before a qualifying session, depositing loose gravel onto the racing surface. The drivers involved were Taylor Barnard (Formula E), Alex Dunne (Formula 2 and Alpine Academy), and professional simracer Dáire McCormack. The incident proved consequential because iRacing's simulation engine allows gravel to persist on track between sessions. With GT3 qualifying limited to just eight minutes and drivers effectively having a single flying lap to set their time, encountering unexpected gravel after the Dunlop Chicane could render an entire qualifying attempt invalid. Multiple competitors reported compromised lap times as a result. McCormack claimed he was unaware that gravel displacement carried over between sessions and denied coordinating with the other drivers. The community response was largely skeptical of this explanation. Reports also surfaced that Barnard and Dunne were competing on alternate accounts rather than their primary profiles. In response, HYMO removed McCormack from his role as setup creator, though he retains shareholder status as a co-founder of the organisation.

The FIA European Hill Climb Championship heads to Switzerland for one of the season's most prestigious and fastest events, with the 81st Course de Côte St-Ursanne – Les Rangiers set to run from 14–15 June. The build-up to the eighth round of the 2026 campaign is dominated by a notable absence: Christian Merli will not compete. Merli's withdrawal from the Saint-Ursanne fixture leaves the door open for O'Play to move closer to the European title. The Swiss hillclimb, held on the demanding Les Rangiers course, traditionally attracts Europe's top drivers and remains one of the championship's marquee rounds.

A new buyer's guide compares four entry-level direct-drive steering wheels across price, torque output, upgrade potential and overall value proposition. The Asetek Initium, Fanatec CSL DD, Logitech RS50 and MOZA R5 are assessed to help sim racers choose their first direct-drive setup in 2026. The comparison evaluates each wheel's core specifications and ecosystem, weighing affordability against performance and expandability for users stepping up from belt-driven or gear-driven systems.

Kadija Mourtaji secured a divisional podium finish and fourth in class at the Svolte di Popoli hillclimb on her debut in the Ferrari 296 Challenge, continuing a rapid progression through the Italian marque's racing lineup. The driver, competing for Scuderia RO Racing, has moved through three different Ferrari models in recent weeks—from the 458 in E2SH specification to the 488 Challenge Evo, and now the latest 296 Challenge. Mourtaji managed third in her division and fourth overall in the GT class at the fast and demanding Popoli event, posting competitive pace across both race runs. Speaking after the weekend, she reflected on the transition to the more powerful machine: "I'm pleased with the podium result. For a debut in such a demanding car, it's a good outcome, though I know I could have shaved another couple of seconds by tightening up a few areas I've already reviewed on video. The approach we've chosen is methodical—no need to overextend unnecessarily." On the 296 Challenge itself, Mourtaji highlighted the step forward in stability and traction compared to the 488. "It's a significant jump in how the car feels through corners and on corner exit," she explained. "The extra security when managing throttle application, combined with improved aerodynamics and overall grip, makes it noticeably faster. I'm learning a lot on these powerful, quick machines and want to continue at the right pace with the enthusiasm I feel." Mourtaji credited coach Giovanni Del Prete for his guidance throughout the transition and thanked sponsors BON BON by Alviero Martini and the Infante group for their support. She is managed on-track by the Catapano team and receives factory support from Sanasi.

Developers behind Assetto Corsa Rally have outlined the technical process used to create rally stages for the simulation, emphasising the role of laser-scanning technology in capturing track geometry and surface detail. The explanation covers the workflow from data acquisition through to implementation in the game, revealing how precision measurement ensures stages replicate real-world rally routes. The developers have also hinted at future content additions to the title's stage roster.