MOTOGP - Liberty Media is using the Formula 1 USGP in Austin, Texas this weekend to showcase their prime two-wheeled property to a new audience. Four premier-class MotoGP machines will take to the track for demonstration laps at COTA on Saturday.

MotoGP will be showcased for the first time during a Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend when MotoGP Hall of Fame inductee Dani Pedrosa is joined by incoming MotoGP rider Nicolo Bulega and test riders Andrea Dovizioso and Lorenzo Savadori. 

The 20-minute showcase will take place on Saturday, just before FP3 from 11:40 AM - 12:00 PM Texas time. In addition to the on-track action, MotoGP will host a dedicated fan activation in the circuit Fan Zone throughout the weekend, featuring the four motorcycles on display with opportunities for fans to get closer to the sport.

Nicolo Bulega, who is the current WorldSBK World Champion with Ducati and will make the switch to compete in MotoGP next season as part of Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team talked about the opportunity for the MotoGP World Championship.

Nicol Bulega: “This is a fantastic opportunity to put MotoGP in front of one of the biggest crowds in world Motorsport. The atmosphere at COTA is always incredible, and to ride a MotoGP bike in front of so many fans will be a special experience.

"MotoGP bikes are unlike anything else, and hopefully the laps will show just how spectacular our sport is. We're looking forward to putting on a great show and giving fans a glimpse of what they can expect when I return with MotoGP to Austin in 2027."

Meanwhile, Down Under, MotoGP is staging their swan song at Phillip Island. Since they have black swans in Australia, black swan song is apropos. For the bike fans in the Melbourne area it is indeed a black day. The first modern GP race was held at Phillip Island in 1989. For a period of six years the Australian GP moved to Eastern Creek near Sydney, but returned to the island in 1997 and has been a fixture on the GP calendar since.

Beginning in 2027 the Adelaide street circuit will make history as the site of the very first MotoGP race held on a street circuit. The course has to be modified to meet current FIM safety standards. Corners will be tighter than the current GP circuit and the need to increase run off area will require the removal of 377 trees from the Adelaide Parklands, which has created a local controversy.

Red Bull was announced as the title sponsor of the Australian Round late last week. To recognize MotoGP's final race at Phillip Island and Red Bull's first Australian Grand Prix as title sponsor, a range of Red Bull fan experiences and displays will feature across the event, highlighted by a special aerobatic display from Red Bull Air Race World Champion, Matt Hall. Red Bull is the presenting sponsor of next year's Adelaide street race.

This year's championship is one of the closest on record. Two points is the difference between two rivals who battled hard at Phillip Island two years ago, and the stakes couldn’t be higher as the title race gets set for five GPs in six weeks where by the end of it all, one champion will be crowned.

Current MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez is stalking 2024 World Champion Jorge Martin. That two point advantage was wiped out multiple times at the last round in Indonesia, but when the smoke cleared it was still a two-point advantage for the Aprilia rider. This equals the smallest gap between the top two after 17 GPs, set in 2022, when Fabio Quartararo led Francesco Bagnaia by 2 points before Bagnaia took the lead at Phillip Island.

To make things even more interesting, the title race tightened further with Martin's Aprilia Racing teammate inserting himself into the title talk by winning the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia. Marco Bezzecchi is just 42 points off the top. If anything funny happens between the two rivals at the top, Bez will be there to sweep up the spoils.

Jorge Martin: "After Indonesia, it’s clearer than ever that this championship will be fought out between the top three. We arrive in Australia with the gaps in the riders’ standings even tighter, so we have to keep working and keep faith in what everyone at Aprilia and the team is doing. It will be my first time on the RS-GP at a circuit as special as Phillip Island. I’m confident that my team and I will do an excellent job and give this circuit the send-off it deserves."

Marc Marquez: "Phillip Island is an extraordinary circuit, racing here for the last time will be emotional. It is a track with a unique, breathtaking layout. Here I won one of my first races with Ducati and we are motivated to do well, ready to fight right away for the positions that matter."

Aprilia lead Ducati by 12 points in the Constructors’ Championship (503 to 491), having moved back ahead with a top-four lockout in Indonesia.

The Red Bull Grand Prix of Australia will be televised on FS2 in the States. Because of the time difference Down Under, the Sprint and GP races will be held late night. The Sprint TV coverage begins at 11:55 PM Friday night, with coverage of the Grand Prix commencing at 10:30 PM ET Saturday night.

WORLDSBK - The 2026 WorldSBK season came to a close at Jerez at the Pirelli Spanish Round, and while Aruba Ducati's Nicolo Bulega dominated the weekend, the final laps of the campaign delivered some of its most dramatic moments. Bulega’s victories in Sunday’s races brought a record-breaking season to a close, with the Italian winning 32 races and finishing on the podium in every race.

In Sunday's Race 2, Bulega's teammate Iker Lecuona led the opening six corners before Bulega attacked under braking to take the lead. From that point onwards the Ducati teammates pulled clear of the field, crossing the line more than 13 seconds ahead of the rest of the pack. 

A strong start from Barni Spark Racing's Alvaro Bautista saw the two-time Superbike World Champion move into third at the start. Sam Lowes, on the ELF Marc VDS Racing Ducati, shadowed him throughout the 20-lap race and gradually opening a gap of almost two seconds in the final stages. But as spots of rain began to fall, Lowes grew in confidence and made his move with just half a lap remaining to claim the final podium position. 

With no ride confirmed for 2027, Bautista ended his season on a positive note. After holding third for much of the race, he eventually finished fourth, leading teammate Yari Montella home in fifth.

Ducati took the top six positions in the final Superbike race of 2026 in Jerez. Nicolo Bulega completed his record-breaking campaign with 726 points, finishing 163 points clear of teammate Lecuona in the Riders’ Championship.

FORMULA 1 - F1 comes to the States twice in the final stages of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship. This weekend it's Texas for the MSC Cruises United States Grand Prix. On November 21st the World Championship returns to the U.S. from Mexico and Brazil for Round 21, the Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen arrives in Austin on a run of two straight victories, looking to extend it at the Circuit of the Americas in Round 18 of the 2026 season.

This weekend, the Cadillac Formula 1 Team will show off its finest western wear. The United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, marks the debut of a one-off livery that celebrates America’s New Formula 1 team with a tribute to the style and traditions of the American West.

It all began with a genuine Texan: Vincent Traina, design manager at the General Motors Performance, Motorsports and Accessories studio. Traina grew up in Dallas and hasn’t missed a single Formula 1 race since childhood, when his dad would wake him up in the early morning hours to watch races broadcast from Europe.

This is the third one-off livery the Cadillac Formula 1 Team has debuted this season, with custom designs having appeared at the Miami Grand Prix in May and the British Grand Prix in July. 

So when the Cadillac Formula 1 Team decided to do a custom one-off livery celebrating its American roots at the United States Grand Prix, it was a career-defining moment for Traina.

The project began over the summer with a visit to GM Design in Detroit for the Cadillac Formula 1 Team creatives led by Cassidy Towriss. It proved to be a remarkably short turnaround time to develop a complete race car livery. Very quickly, the design team decided on a motif inspired by western wear, with nods to the chain stitching of blue jeans and vintage cowboy shirts, the scrollwork of fine saddlery, and hidden motifs that nod to the city of Austin and the iconography of the American West.

Cadillac COTA Livery

Vincent Traina: “Injecting that creativity from the GM Design side, bringing in the culture of Texas as a Texan, and being such a fan of Formula 1, it all hit home for me. It looks like the whole livery is embroidered right onto the car, which is really cool. To be able to contribute like this to a Formula 1 effort, it’s just been a dream.”

So far, the American F1 has had very little to brag about in their debut season. However, the other team to make its debut in F1 hit the ground running and is thoroughly ensconced among the Formula 1 mid-pack.

Following a points-scoring weekend in Singapore, the Audi Revolut F1 Team is intent on carrying that performance into the upcoming races.

Racing Director Allan McNish: “It was encouraging to see our efforts translate into a strong performance in Singapore, and it gives us confidence heading into the next few races. At the same time, we know how close the competition is, and the work that there is still to do. Austin marks the start of another demanding run of races, and we want to approach it with the same determination we showed in Singapore. We have made some good steps recently, and the aim now is to keep pushing, find that little bit extra and give ourselves more opportunities to have both cars in the mix for points.”

The Circuit of The Americas is known for its 820-foot long, uphill charge into Turn 1. Formula 1 first raced at the Circuit of The Americas in 2012, in the first United States Grand Prix since 2007. Everything is bigger in Texas and Texas is bigger than (almost) everything. At 268,596 square miles, Texas is more than twice the size of Italy.

The Austin track hold special memories for Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton. COTA was the site where he was twice crowned World Champion in both 2015 and 2019. Max Verstappen won the 2025 United States Grand Prix.

For the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Scuderia Ferrari HP will race with a special livery on the two SF-26s of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. The livery incorporates sketches, technical drawings and blueprint-inspired graphics that are normally hidden beneath the finished bodywork. Design elements usually confined to notebooks, CAD models and engineering documents become part of the car’s appearance, providing a glimpse into the journey from concept to competition. 

Aston Martin is also rolling out a special livery for the USGP in Austin. It will celebrate five years of sponsorship with Cognizant. The way they're heading they may want to give Cognizant some of their money back!

The MSC Cruises United States Grand Prix is Sunday, October 25th. The pre-race broadcast in the States begins at 2:50 PM Eastern on Apple TV with lights out for the GP at 4:00 PM Eastern. For Apple TV's Free Practice and Qualifying times, see the Jay Geils Memorial TV Links above.

2026 FORMULA 1 CALENDAR.

Alboreto: Gasoline in the Veins - The story about the man who grew up to realize his childhood dream of driving a Formula 1 car for Enzo Ferrari is now available once more in the United States. Alboreto: Gasoline in the Veins is written by Michele Alboreto's brother Ermanno and details his early years and rise through the racing ranks. It also tells about his character outside the car and that is the contribution that we are most proud to be associated with. It began with an interview during Michele's Indy car career and a request to use it in his life story. We also contributed interviews with his teammates and racing legends like Giacomo Agostini. Listen to that interview HERE. For ordering info, reply to this update for details. There are a limited number of copies here in America, you will save international shipping prices by getting your copy directly. Visit the Facebook page HERE.

INDYCAR - Get ya tickets hee-yeah!

Earlier today, (Thursday, October 22nd), the NTT INDYCAR SERIES announced that three-day tickets for the 2027 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg go on sale to the public tomorrow, (Friday, October 23rd at 10 AM Eastern. Now is the time to secure your place at the 23rd running of the downtown tradition set for March 5th - 7th, 2027.

Three-day reserved Grandstand seats starting at $150 and three-day General Admission tickets starting at $95. Junior pricing is available for fans ages 12 and under. Fans can also elevate their race weekend with Pit Passes, Firestone IndyCar Paddock Passes and Rookie Racers memberships for young Motorsports enthusiasts ages 5-12. Single-day tickets will go on sale in the new year.

The 2027 event will mark the 17th time the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg has opened the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, placing this destination city at the center of the sport’s opening-weekend spotlight. The complete weekend racing and festival schedule will be announced at a later date.

For tickets, event updates and additional information, follow the link to THE FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG.

FORMULA E - Formula E's GEN4 era is set to begin the 2026/2027 season December 18th, when the series races a doubleheader weekend at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia. If the words Saudi Arabia raise an eyebrow, remember that Formula 1 earlier in the year cancelled the Saudi Arabian and Bahrain events, due to political unrest (a war) in the Middle East.

The last two races on the Formula 1 calendar, slated for Qatar and Abu Dhabi at the end of November and beginning of December are still on as of today. Things have not changed, the Strait of Hormuz is still closed and the resulting rippling effect on safety and the global economy are currently ongoing. Just in case, F1 has Imola standing by to host the final round of 2026. It would meet the contractual obligation the commercial rights holder has with teams to present a minimum of 22 rounds in 2026.

Where this leaves the Formula E season-opener in mid-December we will only know in time. It is an uncertain way to introduce what is planned to be a vastly updated championship. In September, Formula E unveiled a new brand identity, its biggest global calendar to date, a landmark streaming partnership with Disney+, and a new "E-PrixUnleashed" format.

FIA WEC - The Qatar "fill in" race - Round 7 of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship - was plagued by rain and circuit problems. Held at at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Montmeló, the race was officially renamed the ‘6 Hours of Barcelona presented by Visit Qatar’, in acknowledgement of the event it replaced on this year’s calendar was plagued by rain and circuit problems.

On Saturday, the F1 cast off circuit experienced asphalt problems in the final corner leading on to the main straight. The aging surface, which offered limited overtaking opportunities and struggled with multi-class endurance traffic, was criticized by teams and drivers.

Toyota however, made the best of the challenges, winning their second straight race, after their home round in Fuji and secured both world championship crowns in Catalunya.

Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa were victorious in the No. 8 TR010 HYBRID, extending their lead in the drivers’ standings. Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries completed a perfect day for the team by finishing second in the No. 7 TR010 HYBRID. With one race to go, they are 17 points behind their teammates in the fight for the drivers’ title, which is now a two-way contest between the TR010 HYBRID crews.

The No. 50 Ferrari 499P of Miguel Molina, Antonio Fuoco and Nicklas Nielsen rounded out the podium in Barcelona. The No. 51, whose drivers Antonio Giovinazzi, James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi lost out on their bid for the Drivers' Championship, finished P15.

The No. 38 Cadillac used an offset strategy with drivers Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber and Sebastien Bourdais barely taking P4 in front of the No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari of Robert Kubica, Phil Hanson and Yifei Ye. The Giallo Modena AF Corse Ferrari 499P completed the Hypercar podium.

Toyota stepped up with a new car this year and the results were just what they had hoped for. After dominating in the years when they had little competition, they were caught out by Ferrari and Porsche the last two seasons. Toyota Racing has now completed a clean sweep of both World Championships and victories in the Le Mans 24 Hours and the team’s home race, the 6 Hours of Fuji, in the debut season of the TR010 HYBRID.

Toyota Clinched Titles in Barcelona

Brendon Hartley: “It’s a fantastic day for the team with a one-two and the manufacturers’ title. I enjoyed the whole weekend. Actually, we hadn’t tested here, and we didn't expect to be so strong, but our crew worked very well, and we had a great car in the race. Today I'm not thinking about the drivers’ championship, it's all about celebrating the title with the team. Congratulations to everyone involved, it's been a massive effort to fight back and take the manufacturers’ World Championship. It's a huge deal for everyone involved and I'm proud to be part of it.”

In LMGT3, Bend Manthey claimed the win for Porsche with drivers Yasser Shahin, Riccardo Pera and Richard Lietz. Finishing just under five seconds behind the No. 92 911 GT3 R LMGT3 was the No. 10 Garage 59 McLaren of Thomas Fleming, Marvin Kirchhöfer and Antares Au. The final podium spot in LMGT3 went to the No. 69 Team WRT BMW M4 Evo of Anthony McIntosh, Parker Thompson, and Dan Harper.

For Barcelona the BMW was sporting a retro BASF livery. The car had a new look at each round in a rotating series of "Iconic World Racepaints Tribute" liveries, with a different retro design at each round. At Round 1 in Imola it was painted with a Tic Tac design, paying homage to the 1991 DTM BMW E30 M3. At Spa, the team’s home event, the car paid tribute to the 1986 24 Hours of Spa, with a reimagining of the victorious Genuine BMW Parts design.

For the 24 Hours of Le Mans the tribute livery honored the BMW-powered McLaren F1 GTR, featuring a modern reinterpretation of the iconic blue-and-orange Gulf color scheme. Instead of a retro BMW livery in Brazil, the team paid homage to the host country with the colors of the Brazilin flag. At COTA the design was inspired by the 1970s Levi’s BMW 3.0 CSL. At Fuji the BMW was painted Jägermeister orange, honoring classic 1970s/1980s BMW touring car liveries.

The 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship will conclude with the 6 Hours of Monza, November 6th - 8th. 

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