MOTOGP - Marc Marquez struck back at Motegi last weekend, sweeping the Motul Grand Prix of Japan Sprint and GP. His performance narrowed the gap to title leader Jorge Martin to just two points going into this weekend's Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia.

The Spaniard on the Aprilia maintained his lead in the Championship, claiming 20 points on Sunday, finishing 1.363 seconds behind reigning World Champion Marc Marquez. Martin's Aprilia Racing teammate Marco Bezzecchi finished P3, which put him back to 49 points behind Martin.

Jorge Martin grabbed the holeshot from pole, with Marc Marquez slotting into P2, ahead of Bez and brother Alex, who had to serve a double long lap penalty on the Gresini Ducati. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Pedro Acosta started on the outside of Row 1, but slid back to P5 at the start.

By Lap 8 the Austrian GP winner was P8, with Red Bull KTM Tech3's Enea Bastianini, SuperFile Trackhouse's Raul Fernandez and teammate Ai Ogura all getting by Acosta.

By midway, Martin and Marquez had stretched a gap to Bezzecchi and the following horde. In Turn 9 on Lap 11 Marc Marquez made his move up the inside of Martin for the lead. Martin had no response with both Bezzecchi and Bastianini lapping quicker than Jorge Martin.

Martin briefly inched closer toe Marc Marquez, putting in consecutive laps quicker than Marc. But the Ducati Lenovo rider responded by pulling the pin and increasing the gap to P2. Meanwhile the Beast closed on Bez, clocking four straight fastest laps of the Japanese GP, pressuring the Aprilia for a podium. But Bezzecchi was not going to surrender any more points to his teammate and beat Bastianini to the line by .078s.

It was the 79th MotoGP win for Marc Marquez, putting him within 10 of all-time premier class winner Valentino Rossi. Raul Fernandez completed the top five in Japan, edging his teammate Ai Ogura in his home GP.

After winning KTM's home GP, Acosta finished in seventh in Japan. Pecco Bagnaia was P8 on the other Factory Ducati, with Gresini's Fermin Aldeguer and Honda HRC Castrol's Luca Marini rounding out the top 10 at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan.

Marc Marquez: “I'm really happy with the 37 points we were able to score this weekend, because that was the goal. It was a difficult race, especially in the opening laps behind Jorge (Martin). Then, once in the lead, I simply managed my pace and pushed a little harder when he got closer. It's never easy, but the feeling from the Sprint onwards was very good, and today I was able to be consistent and precise. Now let's see how things will be in Indonesia but, generally speaking, since Aragon – Austria aside – I am feeling really well with the bike. I'm happy with Gigi's 100 wins and to have given my little contribution. I'm taking great advantage of everything he's built with Ducati over the years.”

Heading into this weekend's Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia Jorge Martin leads the MotoGP World Championship by 2 points ahead of Marc Marquez (333 to 331), which is the smallest gap between the top two in the MotoGP World Championship after 16 GPs in a season. The previous smallest gap was the eight points between Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden in 2006.

Marc Marquez has had end of year injuries limit his participation in Mandalika. He has never scored points there on Sunday, in four visits. He has one Sprint podium, P3 in 2024. Ducati and Aprilia are now equal on points in the Constructors’ championship, with Ducati officially leading thanks

to one more win.

After KTM won the first in 2022, Ducati have won the last three MotoGP GP races at Mandalika, with three different riders: Francesco Bagnaia in 2023, Jorge Martin in 2024 and Fermin Aldeguer in 2025. Marco Bezzecchi won the Sprint for Aprilia in 2025. 

From the, "if it ain't broke, fix it department": MotoGP announced on Wednesday, October 7th that beginning next season they will set different grids for the Sprint Race and Grand Prix. The new Friday format begins with a 45-minute Free Practice 1, followed by a shortened FP2 of 30 minutes.

This new, shorter FP2 is not timed for entry into any other session. Friday’s action then concludes with the new 15-minute Sprint qualifying for all riders that decides the starting positions for the Tissot Sprint on Saturday afternoon.

Saturday for MotoGP begins with FP3, a 20-minute free practice session, before qualifying for the Grand Prix race. All riders will take part in Grand Prix Qualifying 1, and the top 12 will go through to GP Q2. GP Qualifying is followed by the Sprint. On Sunday, track time previously used for MotoGP Warm Up will move to ahead of the MotoGP Grand Prix as pitlane opens for ten minutes for multiple sighting laps, giving riders the opportunity for a shakedown ahead of lights out. The race then gets underway with the grid set from GP Q1 and GP Q2.

The Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia is Sunday, October 11th. The GP is on FS2 at 2:30 AM ET. The Saturday Sprint airs on FS2 Saturday, October 3rd at 2:55 AM ET.

WORLDSBK - The 2027 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship races their next to the last round this weekend at the Tissot Estoril Round. Notice it isn't the overused, British-derived Motorsports term - "penultimate round." Do you ever say "I am on my penultimate beer?" No. You do not. That's our terminology logic lesson for the day.

At the last round in Italy, Nicolo Bulega clinced the 2026 Riders' Championship. The Italian is the tenth different rider to claim the Riders' Championship with Ducati. Bulega has produced a remarkable campaign aboard the Ducati Panigale V4 R, claiming 26 victories in 30 races. With 602 points, Bulega holds an advantage of 133 points over second place; Aruba Ducati teammate Iker Lecuona. This year's championship has seen either Bulega or Lecuona (who swept the Italian Round) as the only series' winners on the updated 2026 Ducati Panigale V4 R.

Bulega is the first Italian WorldSBK Champion since Max Biaggi, who claimed the 2012 title, ending a 14-year wait for an Italian rider to return to the top of the championship. Bulega has 26 wins so far this season. He is one short of Alvaro Bautista’s record of 27 victories in a single WorldSBK season, set in 2023.

Speaking of Italian riders, current Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team MotoGP rider Franco Morbidelli was announced on Monday, October 5th as Bulega's 2027 replacement on the Aruba Ducati WorldSBK squad. The two Italians are literally swapping seats, with Bulegas joining Valentino Rossi's MotoGP team in 2027.

Born in Rome on December 4, 1994, Franco Morbidelli developed as a rider within the VR46 Riders Academy. In 2013, he won the European Superstock 600 title in the Superbike paddock itself, and in 2017 he became Moto2 World Champion, the first Italian rider to win the title in the category.

In 2018, he made his MotoGP debut on a Honda, earning the Rookie of the Year title; from 2019 he moved to Yamaha, with whom he claimed three wins and finished runner-up in the 2020 World Championship. In 2024, he joined Ducati with the Prima Pramac Racing team and, since 2025, has raced with the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team staying on the Desmosedici GP machine.

Franco Morbidelli: “I am very happy and excited about this new chapter in my career. I thank Ducati and Aruba for this opportunity. As always, I will do my best to live up to a team that has fought at the top for years and has just won the Superbike World Championship. I will do the best job possible to achieve great results together.”

After a home round for bimota and Axel Bassani last time out at the Italian circuit in Cremona, Estoril provides a more established layout, which was first used for racing in 1972. Some more modern sections have been introduced over the following decades, including a remodeled Turn 1.

FORMULA 1 - When conditions get wild, like they did in Malaysia at the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, who wins? Why, the wildest drivers do. Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen fits that description perfectly and may be one of the best at adapting and prevailing.

It was both Verstappen and Red Bull’s first win of the 2026 season in a race that was delayed by more than 90 minutes. It just wasn't rain that messed with the race. After a delayed start and then a suspended start procedure, as several drivers struggled to maintain speed on the initial formation lap, the FIA was forced to take action. Once cars ventured out on intermediate tires, an unprecedented power-unit software bug caused multiple cars (including Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton) to crawl or stall at low speeds.

Race control suspended the start procedure and brought the cars into the pit lane while the FIA rushed out a software patch to remove energy-limit constraints in the affected circuit sectors, losing an extra 20–25 minutes. The full sequence of weather and technical suspensions meant the race ultimately got underway more than 90 minutes after its original planned start time.

In the event of more weather this weekend in Singapore, the FIA will use the same software package that was used in Sepang. The FIA will introduce further changes to wet-weather engine software from the United States Grand Prix after completing a review into the "software bug" that further delayed the start last weekend.

When the race did finally start, the condition of the racing surface caused a lot of different tire strategies up and down pitlane. Polesitter Verstappen fell behind Mercedes pair Kimi Antonelli and Russell on the run down to Turn 1, with all three drivers running intermediate tires. Max settled into a rhythm and managed to pick off the Silver Arrows either side of a Safety Car that was deployed when Valtteri Bottas spun out.

That Safety Car period represented the ideal window for the intermediate starters to switch to slick tires, with those who lined up on slick compounds getting caught out by the wrong call to start the race. The threat of more rain before the end of the race never happened.

Once he surfaced back to P1 Verstappen controlled the race in front of Mercedes pair Kimi Antonelli and George Russell. However, during a final Safety Car, George Russell's Mercedes came to a stop with a Power Unit failure.

The Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were among those who thought they could start on Slick compound rubber and both fell like rocks down the order. But it was a long and convoluted race that saw both drivers recover nicely. Russell's retirement put Hamilton on the podium behind Antonelli, with Leclerc moving up to P4.

Isack Hadjar dropped from third to fifth in the closing laps as Hamilton and Leclerc completed their charges. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri finished P6, Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson in P7 and Fernando Alonso in P8 for Aston Martin. Lando Norris came home ninth, followed by the Racing Bull of Arvid Lindblad.

Max Verstappen Takes Bahrain GP in Sepang

Max Verstappen: "What an incredible result! The race was not made easy for us with all the decisions we had to make and then the Safety Car at the end on top of everything. But we made all the right calls with the tires, kept our cool, and it all paid off. Of course, to win a race in the first year of being a new power unit manufacturer is honestly just incredible and something everyone should be really proud of. We knew from the start that Red Bull Ford Powertrains built a strong engine and also knew the limitations too. Although it was hard at times, and we sometimes didn't believe we could get this win, we kept pushing. The Team has also been working hard to understand our issues and brought performance upgrades to the car. Step by step, we have been getting closer and today we did it, which is really special and an emotional moment. It is an incredible project and winning in our first season together is a fantastic feeling."

For the first time, the Singapore Grand Prix will host an F1 Sprint this weekend. For the first time, the Singapore Grand Prix will include an F1 Sprint. Even though the race is held at night, due to the incessant heat and humidity in the area, the Singapore night race is known as one of the most demanding of the season.

Combined with the start/stop nature of the circuit, the grueling GP can see driver's lose more than 10 pounds during therace. Last year's Singapore Grand Prix saw George Russell score his first win on the streets of Marina Bay. Mercedes' five Marina Bay wins give the German manufacturer more wins than any of their competitors.

The circuit demands total concentration and patience, similar to tracks like Monaco and Baku. Drivers are constantly moving from left to right between the walls, and even the smallest mistake can mean an end to the race.

Audi Revolut F1 Team has unveiled a special livery created for the team’s first Formula 1 night race. The Audi R26 design combines a Singapore-specific interpretation of Titanium Silver Grey with a Traditional Peranakan Pattern.

Singapore’s transition from daylight to twilight and illuminated night provided the starting point for Audi’s livery design. Audi developed a distinct shade from its Titanium Silver Grey for the occasion, with a blue shimmer inspired by the city’s lights and reflections. Under the circuit’s floodlights, the color gains depth and changes in appearance as the R26 moves through its surroundings.

The Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix is Sunday, October 11th. The pre-race broadcast in the States begins at 6:50 AM Eastern. The Saturday Sprint airs on Apple TV at 4:15 AM ET. For 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 - Chip Ganassi Racing has signed Danish driver Christian Lundgaard to a multi-year contract to drive the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda for the 2027 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.

A three-time INDYCAR winner at just 25 years old, Lundgaard has 16 podiums and 21 top-five finishes in 87 career INDYCAR starts. In 2026, he won races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course and at Road America, and he secured a career-best third-place finish in the INDYCAR championship standings. Lundgaard will join teammates Alex Palou and Kyffin Simpson as part of CGR’s 2027 driver lineup.

The Dane will replace Scott Dixon at CGR in an essential seat swap. Dixon was signed away by Zak Brown to race for Arrow McLaren in 2027. Dixon will join existing Arrow McLaren driver Pato O'Ward and team newcomer Felix Rosenqvist.

Lundgaard has scored victories on both road and street circuits and took his first oval podium in 2026. The 25-year-old was briefly a simulator driver for the Alpine F1 Team and Lundgaard came to INDYCAR in 2021. He scored his first podium a year later and won his first race in 2023 at Toronto – a victory that made him the first Danish driver to win an INDYCAR race. Lundgaard graduated into single seater racing after starting in karts and the formula ranks, and he spent three seasons in Formula 2, where he won multiple races and scored nine podiums.

Christian Lundgaard: “It is an honor and a privilege to join Chip Ganassi Racing beginning next season. The fact that it is in the iconic No. 9 PNC Bank Honda makes it even more special. CGR has set the standard in INDYCAR for decades, and the opportunity to be part of that legacy is something I've worked toward my entire career. I'm incredibly excited about what's ahead. I can't wait to get to work with everyone at Chip Ganassi Racing and compete for wins, championships, and the Indianapolis 500.”

FORMULA E - COMSOL, a global leader in multiphysics simulation and computer-aided engineering (CAE) software, with bases in Burlington, Massachusetts and London, England will partner with the ABB Formula E World Championship.

Formula E and COMSOL engineers will use COMSOL Multiphysics to investigate complex technology challenges involving multiple interacting physical effects.

The partnership was announced on Wednesday, October 7th at the COMSOL Conference 2026 Boston, where Formula E Chief Technology Officer Dan Cherowbrier delivered a keynote talk on the technology and engineering shaping the future of Formula E. 

Looking ahead, the next generation of Formula E will place even greater demands on performance, efficiency, energy management, and vehicle development as the Championship prepares for the GEN4 era, introducing the fastest and most technologically advanced race car to date. 

At the same time, COMSOL has announced COMSOL Multiphysics version 2027, scheduled for release later this autumn, with new capabilities particularly relevant to advanced engineering workflows, including dedicated electric motor modelling, system-level simulation, agentic modeling, and expanded access for creating simulation apps.

FIA WEC - The 6 Hours of Barcelona is next weekend, with race day Sunday, October 18th. The 2026 FIA WEC season concludes at the 6 Hours of Monza on Sunday, November 8th.

On Tuesday, October 6th, Toyota Racing paid tribute to Mike Conway, who will retire from full-time competition at the end of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship season. The British driver has played a significant role in the team’s development and success since joining in 2014, helping Toyota to seven manufacturers’ World Championships. In that time, Mike has won 20 WEC races, including the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2021 and 2026, and two drivers’ titles (2019-20 and 2021).

Alongside No. 7 TR010 HYBRID teammates Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries, Conway is currently second in this season’s drivers’ standings, just 10 points behind teammates Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa with two races remaining.

Mike Conway Hangs Up The Helmet

In a team statement, Toyota Racing expressed its genuine appreciation to Mike Conway for his unending dedication and strong team spirit over 12 seasons. His last race for the team – his 94th in total for Toyota will be the 6 Hours of Monza on November 8th.

Team Principal Kamui Kobayashi: “It has been a pleasure to race the No. 7 car with Mike for so many years. We have shared so many emotional moments together, particularly at Le Mans. Some of my most incredible memories in racing have come alongside Mike. He has been an incredible teammate, not only in terms of speed and consistency, but on a human level as well. He has become a friend to many of us, and we will miss having him in the team. But nothing lasts forever in Motorsports, and we all want to wish Mike a deserved, and very happy, retirement with his family.”

On Wednesday, October 7th, the FIA published the entry list for next weekend’s 6 Hours of Barcelona, as the FIA World Endurance Championship travels to Spain for the first time. The event will mark the return of Alex Lynn at Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA for the first time in 2026. The British driver had to miss the majority of the season due to surgery for a neck injury.

There is also a ‘TBA’ on the entry list alongside Paul di Resta and Nick Cassidy in the No. 93 Peugeot 9X8, prompted by the recent departure of Stoffel Vandoorne. Check out the provisional entry list for the 6 HOURS OF BARCELONA.

The 6 Hours of Barcelona is on Sunday, October 18th. The 2026 FIA WEC season concludes at the 6 Hours of Monza on Sunday, November 8th.

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