MOTOGP - Ducati Lenovo's Marc Marquez came into the weekend trailing Aprilia Racing's Jorge Martin by just two points ahead of the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia. He took the points lead for the first time since winning the 2025 MotoGP World Championship after winning the Saturday Sprint.

But on Sunday, the Ducati rider left Mandalika still trailing Martin by that same two point margin. It was Aprilia Racing teammate Marco Bezzecchi who took home the Indonesian winner's trophy on Sunday, winning his first GP since the Italian Grand Prix. Just when you thought it would be down to Marc and Jorge, Marco jumps back into the conversation. The 300th MotoGP win for an Italian rider saw Marco Bezzecchi climb back into the title chase, trailing his teammate by 46 points and Marquez, in P2 by 44 points.

The top four finishers were all on Aprilia machines, with Martin taking P3 behind SuperFile Trackhouse Racings Raul Fernandez. The second Trackhouse bike of Ai Ogura was P4 in front of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing RC16 of Pedro Acosta. Marc Marquez took P6 on Sunday in Mandalika.

Amazingly, Jorge Martin leads the MotoGP title fight with just one GP win in 2026. Marc Marquez owns six Sunday wins and Bezzecchi has five GP wins this season.

SuperFile Trackhouse's Raul Fernandez was the fastest rider all weekend, taking pole and the charge into Turn 1 in the Sprint, which saw a dramatic turn of events. Fernandez was fighting with Bezzecchi, VR46's Fabio Di Giannantonio and Marc Marquez. When Fabio Di Giannantonio checked up it created an accordion effect, with Marquez sitting up too, leaving Bezzecchi and Fernandez nowhere to go but down. Fernandez broke two fingers in the Saturday crash and toughed it out to take a valiant P2 on Sunday. The carnage allowed Martin to take the Sprint lead, followed by Marc Marquez, who would eventually win, with Martin finishing P4 in the Sprint.

On Sunday, Bezzecchi battled with Fernandez, with the Trackhouse Aprilia rider ignoring the pain on his braking fingers to hold the Factory bike at bay. Behind it was Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez in direct confrontation, with the Aprilia rider getting the better of Marquez on the inside of Turn 10. Pedro Acosta then pushed the Ducati back another position into P5 on the same same Turn 10 a few laps later.

Riders were having to let competitors from behind through due to low tire pressure warnings. It happened between Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta. The live championship was jumping back and forth like a two-stroke tach needle.

On Lap 19 of 27, the lead changed for the first time since Turn 1, Lap 1. Bezzecchi made his way past Fernandez to snatch the lead. Jorge Martin finished on the podium to preserve his top position in the title fight. Giving Aprilia their very first MotoGP 1-2-3-4 finish was Ai Ogura taking fourth and fending off Acosta at the end of the Grand Prix.

Marco Bezzicchi: I’m happy with my race. I really wanted to leave Mandalika with a good result, and I’d been chasing this win since my injury at the Sachsenring. It felt really good. Clearly, with only five races left, the title is more lost than won. But that doesn’t change how I think or work, especially with my team. I’m not a rider who gives up. That’s who I am, and I’m happy to have met so many like-minded people along the way who I’m fortunate enough to work with."

Pedro Acosta finished just a tenth away from Ai Ogura to take P5 in front of Marc Marquez. It kept the Ducati rider two points behind in the championship; the exact same position that he entered the eventful Indonesian weekend in.

Alex Marquez finished seventh on the BK8 Gresini Ducati and Di Giannantonio crossed the line in P8, with the Italian only just holding off ninth-place Fabio Quartararo on the Monster Energy Yamaha. Rounding out the Mandalike top ten was Enea Bastianini on the Red Bull KTM Tech3 RC16. 

The drama moves to Phillip Island for the last MotoGP race on the circuit on the outskirts of Melbourne. Adelaide will be the site of the Australian GP and the first-ever MotoGP street race beginning in 2027.

WORLDSBK - Nicolo Bulega will race in MotoGP with Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing in 2027. But not before he's done shattering records in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. His last opportunity to add to his Superbike legacy takes place this weekend at the Circuito de Jerez - Ángel Nieto at the season-ending Pirelli Spanish Round.

After sweeping the Tissot Estoril Round last weekend, Bulega arrives at the season finale as WorldSBK Champion with 664 points, having set a new record for the most points scored in a single season. Despite securing the title at Cremona and setting several records, Nicolo Bulega still has more milestones within reach at Jerez.

He is one podium finish away from matching Jonathan Rea’s record of 34 podiums in a single season, set in 2019. Bulega could also surpass Rea’s record of 48 consecutive races in the points, provided he scores in all three races at Jerez.

Ducati leads the victory count among manufacturers currently competing in WorldSBK, with 17 wins at Jerez, ahead of Kawasaki with four, Yamaha with three and BMW with one.

FORMULA 1 - Max Verstappen won his second race of 2026 season at the Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix. It was his debut victory in the Singapore night race in his 250th Formula 1 career start.

Verstappen started from pole and defended aggressively from Charles Leclerc to maintain his lead. The Red Bull driver kept P1 during the first stop when he changed from Soft to Medium tires. In a fairly straight forward race, Verstappen held his gap to Leclerc and managed the race, despite losing

radio communications with his team. The win was the 73rd of his Formula 1 career.

Leclerc held onto P2, crossing the line 7.3 seconds behind, while Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli completed the podium in third. The result extended the Italian’s championship lead further in Singapore. There are six scheduled rounds remaining in 2026. The emphasis is on scheduled because the last two rounds of the season are in the Middle East. The current conflict in the region is showing no signs of abating, putting the scheduled races in harm's way.

Imola is surely a Formula 1 safety race if they should need to reschedule. It would be a fitting way to end a World Championship campaign. Alberto Ascari was the last Italian to win the Formula 1 drivers' championship, in 1953. If Antonelli wins he will be the youngest driver to ever win the Formula 1 World Championship. And Italy will explode.

The McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were fourth and fifth in Singapore, ahead of the other Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton. Liam Lawson claimed P7 to add to Racing Bulls’ tally, with Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg just behind in eighth.

Mercedes’ George Russell and Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar both started from the rear of the grid and put in good recovery drives from the back of the field and the pit lane. The two claimed the final points in Singapore and rounded out the top 10.

Max Verstappen Takes Two Straight GPs

Max Verstappen: "It's an amazing feeling to finally win here in Singapore. We've raced here many times and there have been a few missed opportunities, so to finally stand on the top step is really special. The car has been working well all weekend and I've felt really comfortable. We had strong pace throughout the race and although I had to push at times to maintain the gap, once I was in clean air I could really get into a rhythm. We had a few issues to manage, including the radio not working, but GP did a great job and seemed to know what I wanted to ask him most of the time! It's been an incredible weekend and really nice to share another win with him and the Team. Now, we're just taking it race by race and trying to maximize every opportunity. The most important thing is that we keep having fun, and hopefully we can carry this momentum as a Team into the next few races. Austin is a very different circuit, and a very bumpy one, so we'll see how we get on when we arrive there."

Next up on the schedule is a trip to Texas so Formula 1 drivers can wear Pirelli-branded cowboy hats. The Circuit of The Americas is known for its 820-foot long, uphill charge into Turn 1. F1 first raced at the Circuit of The Americas in 2012, in the first United States Grand Prix since 2007.

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.

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.

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 - The development of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ next-generation IR-28 car moved this week to the bumps and bruises of Sebring International Raceway from earlier testing on the silky-smooth surface of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Alexander Rossi, who drives full time for Chevrolet-powered ECR, took over testing duties Tuesday at the historic Florida circuit. The 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner continued the evaluation of the car that will debut at the start of the 2028 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.

The Sebring test marks the first opportunity to evaluate the IR-28 away from Indianapolis, following initial sessions on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course and 2.5-mile oval in August and September. Five-time and reigning series champion Alex Palou completed 43 laps Monday on Sebring’s outer loop, putting the new car through its paces on a circuit renowned for its punishing surface and demanding mix of asphalt and concrete. Rossi completed 134 laps Tuesday.

Palou, a Honda-powered driver for Chip Ganassi Racing, and Rossi also were chosen to handle testing duties at both IMS configurations.

The two-day Sebring test session represents another important step in the series’ extensive development program, with the IR-28 facing the kind of conditions designed to expose weaknesses long before the car reaches competition.

Sebring is a regular testing destination for INDYCAR SERIES teams, in large part because of its unforgiving character. Its bumps, uneven surfaces and relentless demands on vehicle components make it an ideal proving ground for a car expected to compete on road courses, ovals and temporary street circuits. With street circuits accounting for one-third of this year's schedule, durability and driver confidence over challenging surfaces remain important considerations in the IR-28’s development.

Rossi’s test plan Tuesday focused on evaluating the car’s fundamental systems and performance, building on work completed during earlier sessions at Indianapolis. He worked alongside Dallara and INDYCAR officials.

The testing emphasis has evolved as development has progressed. Initial tests focused on confirming that the car’s systems functioned as expected. At Sebring, the priority was understanding how the package performs over an extended test and identifying issues that might emerge through more extensive running, especially on rough, bumpy surfaces.

Although the car’s competition debut remains more than a year away, the development schedule allows time to address concerns and validate improvements across different types of circuits before the 2028 season begins. Every lap adds another piece to that process, helping ensure the IR-28 can withstand the demands of a race weekend while delivering the performance drivers and fans expect.

Alexander Rossi: “It’s a new car for me at Sebring. Coming back here and being part of the next generation of INDYCAR’s future is a huge honor. It’s an exciting time in this sport. This car, in so many ways, is a pretty big upgrade from what we have.

"What’s good about this place is it’s the poorest-quality surface that you can have in a permanent road course. It mimics a street course kind of. Because it’s a permanent road course, it gets used a lot, so it’s a higher grip level than a street course. In terms of bumps, pavement changes, difficult changes in the asphalt, that’s why everyone comes and tests here. It’s somewhat of a preview that you’re going to get in street courses.

“I don’t know that anyone is looking for anything (particular). The messaging we get is run the car as if it’s your race car. From there, we’ll see what issues, problems, surprises come out of that. I think all the test list items were really accomplished in the first two tests. Just making sure things worked as you would expect.

“This test is more of a practical application of: ‘Does it perform over a two-day test as the current car does? Does it do what it is expected to and kind of what little things could come out of that we need to address before the series produces a bunch of these?’

“First of all, visually, it’s an incredible race car to look at. It generates more grip in high-speed corners. It’s a very nice car to drive. It’s well-built and incredibly well-engineered. Cooling-wise, we made a pretty big step in this test, in particular. It’s night-and-day different in terms of comfort and drivability in the cockpit. There are more things that are scheduled to come as time comes that will allow this car to race and perform even better, that will only put on a better show for the fans, which is the No. 1 priority for all of us."

Driver feedback remains central to that process, particularly when it comes to comfort and cockpit cooling. The IR-28 incorporates a more integrated cooling approach, with strategically positioned ducts designed into the initial bodywork rather than added to the existing carbon-fiber structure. Palou reported a significant improvement in cooling during Monday’s running, highlighting progress since the initial Indianapolis tests.

FORMULA E - On Monday, October 12th, CUPRA KIRO revealed their GEN4 challenger at the Paris Motor Show. CUPRA KIRO's new livery is an evolution of the visual identity that has become synonymous with the team since Kiro Race Co’s Co-Title Partnership with CUPRA started in 2024.

The squad's fluorescent yellow continues to remain at the heart of the livery, complemented by the signature copper tones of high-performance automotive brand, CUPRA.

Behind-the-wheel of CUPRA KIRO's newest championship challenger will be Pepe Martí and Jake Hughes. Together, the pair combine experience, youth and performance.

FIA WEC - Spain is the focal point for two and four-wheeled action this weekend. WorldSBK is in Jerez at the Circuito de Jerez - Ángel Nieto at the season-ending Pirelli Spanish Round and the World Endurance Championship races at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Montmeló.

On Wednesday, October 14th, Round 7 of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship was officially renamed the ‘6 Hours of Barcelona presented by Visit Qatar’, in acknowledgement of the event it has replaced on this year’s calendar. The 2026 FIA WEC season concludes at the 6 Hours of Monza on Sunday, November 8th.

Despite staging the 2019-20 pre-season ‘Prologue’ group test, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has never previously hosted an actual FIA WEC race – until now.

That means the headlining Hypercars will be competing there for the first time, adding another element of unpredictability to an already fiercely-disputed category in which five different manufacturers have started from pole position over the most recent five rounds.

Toyota extended its margin at the top of the standings following its home win at Fuji last month, and mathematically, the Japanese manufacturer, which is the most successful marque in FIA WEC history, could secure both world championship crowns in Catalunya.

BMW will be determined to ensure such a scenario does not reoccur, though the Bavarian brand has ground to make up after slipping 23 points adrift of Toyota in the Manufacturers’ battle. The crews of the No. 15 and No. 20 BMW M Hybrid V8s are still in contention for the Drivers' Championship too.

Toyota Can Clinch Titles in Barcelona

Reigning World Champion Ferrari is another front-runner, but like BMW, needs a big result in Barcelona to take the fight for glory into the season finale in front of its adoring tifosi at Monza next month. The title-defending 499P will be making its 30th FIA WEC appearance this weekend, while Nicklas Nielsen will reach 50 starts.

Alex Lynn will return to the track for Cadillac after missing the entirety of the campaign to-date due to neck surgery. The Briton rejoins countryman Will Stevens and Norman Nato in the No. 12 V-Series.R, as the race-winning American prototype – which has recorded five top five finishes in a single season for the first time – prepares to make its 30th FIA WEC start.

Alex Lynn: “I’m so excited to be back racing with the team in Barcelona. It’s a circuit I know well, in fact I’ve never finished off the podium in my career when racing there. I intend on hitting the ground running and continuing with that streak! I’m looking forward to being back with the team and being back in the car with Will and Norman again.”

A title could similarly be wrapped up in the LMGT3 division, with TF Sport setting its sights on the Teams’ trophy – and a whole cluster of rivals redoubling their efforts to rein in the pace-setting Corvette.

Aston Martin’s No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Vantage is the best-placed to challenge Corvette. They are the only car to reach the podium in both of the latest two rounds in the production-based category, winning in Austin and finishing runner-up at Fuji – while Manthey’s pair of Porsches and the Team WRT-fielded BMWs are also out to gain ground.

VISTA AF Corse’s No. 21 Ferrari 296 Evo is also still in the hunt, but the legendary Italian marque has now gone 11 races without an LMGT3 victory – its longest barren streak in any GT class in the championship. A champagne celebration in Barcelona could just ignite the fight heading into the season finale at Monza.

Check out the provisional entry list for the 6 HOURS OF BARCELONA.

The 6 Hours of Barcelona is on Sunday, October 18th. For viewing options and session times, see the Jay Geils Memorial TV Links above. The 2026 FIA WEC season concludes at the 6 Hours of Monza on Sunday, November 8th.

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