F1Weekly Podcast # 1151
Play Podcast: 06-08-26f1weekly1151.mp3
ON TODAYS PROGRAM…
KIMI WINS 5 IN A ROW WITH A CHERIE ON TOP!
PIERRE GASLY ROBBED OF PODIUM
HADJAR KEEPS HIS PODIUM…
CADILLAC LOOSES FIRST POINTS TO PENALTY.
SINCE LECLERC GOT MARRIED HIS PERFORMANCE HAS DECLINED…SORRY CHARLIE!
SINCE GEORGE SIGNED HIS NEW CONTRACT AND GOT HIS FIRST PAYCHECK HIS PERFORMANCE HAS DECLINED!
THIS WEEK’S NASIR HAMEED CORNER WE HAVE: A MOMENT IN MOTORSPORTS HISTORY…AN INTERVIEW WITH BOBBY UNSER… SOME TRIVIA ON THE GRAND PRIX OF TURKEY AND TECH TALK WITH TIM!
LCH GETS INTRODUCED TO A LOS ANGELES LOW RIDER!!
Kimi Antonelli.
It’s an incredible feeling to win in Monaco. It’s such a special weekend and one I’ll remember for a long time. Today was one of those days where everything just clicked; I had a lot of confidence in the car, felt strong throughout, and to bring the win home in a place like this makes it even more meaningful.
From a race perspective, there were definitely some key moments to manage. The starts are still an area we’re working on, but I’ve made good progress. My first one was solid, and although the second was a bit more challenging with the tyres, it’s positive to see improvement.
The red flag added a bit of stress, especially knowing the restart could change everything, but we handled it well. In the final laps, I really enjoyed myself out there, even though I still had to carefully manage the tyres. This track demands a lot of focus, you have to find the right balance between pushing and not making mistakes, and once you settle into that rhythm, everything starts to come together.
At the same time, I know there’s still a lot to learn and improve. I just want to keep pushing, keep building on this momentum, and most importantly, keep enjoying the journey. That’s what makes moments like this so rewarding.
ISACK HADJAR
“It’s been an outstanding result and weekend considering how it started in FP1! The race was difficult and I had to dig very deep. We got off to a clean start and were managing our race, and then within the first 10 to 15 laps I started having big drivability issues. If there’s one track you don’t want that, it’s here, so that was incredibly challenging having to cover 60 laps. There was then uncertainty about what was going to happen with the red flag and you need to get your head back again in focus. Even towards the end, I was still lacking power on the restart. It really was the longest race of my life but now it’s finished we got the podium. Whatever happens with the stewards, it’s now completely out of my control. I celebrated and had my podium and I will always have that. My moment with the lads. Huge thank you to the Team, I trust these guys. Whatever happens, the emotions on the podium have already happened and I am proud of the Team.”
MAX VERSTAPPEN – DNF
“We don’t know what happened today but we think the issue was due to an engine problem. During the formation lap I could feel that something was off and the pre-start was terrible. There was no consistency and then, at the start, the engine just dropped out. I dropped the clutch and it went dead and had no power. When I got a bit more power back, unfortunately it was messed up so I had to bring it back slowly. It was such a shame for us as everything was going really well up to that point. We felt great in the car all weekend and to come out with no points and to finish the race like this when you do everything so well as a Team is of course disappointing.”
George Russell
Firstly, congratulations to Kimi. He did an amazing job today and over the weekend and is a well-deserving winner. On my side, the race was very difficult. I had managed to get to P4 but the penalty for speeding in the pitlane is difficult to understand. I was under the limit but then that was compounded by us not serving the penalty at my second stop; that ultimately cost me a lot and left me with zero points again.
It’s tough to take but I’m not going to give up. Across the last two races, I’ve effectively lost around 40 points. It’s incredibly frustrating but the rest of the season can still look very different. We saw that last year and, in many seasons previous. It’s unfortunate how things have played out so far but I’m aiming to bounce back in Barcelona. I believe in myself and I know what I’m capable of.
LAURENT MEKIES – RED BULL CEO & Team Principal
“Mixed emotions today, as Isack and the Team did a great job to get him to the podium, overcoming some technical issues on the car, but on the other side of the garage, we lost Max’s car straightaway with an engine issue. It was hard to take as he had incredible pace all weekend. It’s frustrating when you miss out on a big points score, but that’s part of the game, and we can only apology to him. For Isack it was a very intense battle in the car considering the number of issues he had to deal with. It was also an intense battle for the team in the garage as they worked to keep his car alive to the finish. In that context, making it to the podium is a very strong result. The most important lesson we take away from Monaco is that the underlying performance of the car keeps improving.”
Badoer earns maiden F3 victory in Monte Carlo.
Brando Badoer launched off the line and into the lead and didn’t look back, taking his first FIA Formula 3 victory for Rodin Motorsport.
The Italian beat pole-sitter Théophile Nael off the line and on the run to Turn 1, with the Frenchman having to settle for second place at the chequered flag. Freddie Slater completed the podium for TRIDENT.
AS IT HAPPENED
Nael was immediately passed by Badoer while Slater took to the escape road at the opening corner and filtered in behind the top two up the hill, with the remainder of the top five staying as they were on the grid.
Van Amersfoort Racing’s Bruno del Pino was able to make up a place, getting ahead of MP Motorsport’s Alessandro Giusti for P6 at Turn 1, but for the Frenchman’s teammate, his race was over soon after. Tuukka Taponen found the barriers at the penultimate corner after an attempted pass by Maciej Gladysz left the Finn nowhere to go. That incident brought out the Safety Car on Lap 2.
With the MP cleared, racing resumed going onto Lap 5, with Badoer able to gap Nael comfortably, with the Frenchman under attack from Slater on the run to Turn 3. By Lap 10, Badoer had escaped out of DRS range to the Campos driver behind, while Slater, Ugo Ugochukwu and Ernesto Rivera remained within a second of the car ahead.
Drivers inside the top 10 began to back off on some laps in order to generate enough space to attempt a fastest lap for the additional point. Slater was very happy with the balance of his TRIDENT, praising the car over team radio. Lap 18 and Badoer looked unflappable out front, now two seconds clear of the field.
Further back in the pack, Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi was coming under serious pressure from Enzo Deligny in the fight for P15. The Thai driver had to defend into Turn 1 on Lap 21, and later missed the Turn 10-11 chicane, skipping across the run-off as the Frenchman behind turned the screw.
Nael spent the final five laps closing the gap to the leader back down to under a second, but the Rodin driver would not be denied, earning his first win in the Championship around the Principality. Slater completed the podium behind Nael while Ugochukwu and Rivera ensured all three Campos’ were in the top five.
Bruno del Pino finished sixth for Van Amersfoort, followed by Giusti in P7, Pedro Clerot in eighth, Sprint Race winner Gerrard Xie in P9 and Noah Stromsted completing the points in 10th.
KEY QUOTE – Brando Badoer, Rodin Motorsport
“I was studying the start all evening with the guys yesterday and I executed it perfectly. I jumped to P1 at Turn 1 and then led the 27 laps. It was a very long race, I was hoping it ended a bit earlier and it felt long in the car, but winning in Monaco is one of my dreams come true! Really happy with the team and my performance. Thanks to everyone.”
THE CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Ugo Ugochukwu retains the lead of the Drivers’ Championship going onto 43 points. Bruno del Pino is P2 on 35, just a single point ahead of Freddie Slater in third. Brando Badoer’s win moves him up to P4 on 28 points, while Théophile Nael rounds out the top five drivers with 22 points.
Campos Racing extend their advantage at the top of the Teams’ Standings, moving onto 75 points. Van Amersfoort Racing are P2 with 47, while Rodin Motorsport jumps TRIDENT into third place, 44 points to 43. ART Grand Prix complete the top five with 31 points.
León dominates in lights-to-flag victory in Monte Carlo F2
Noel León led every lap of the Monte Carlo Sprint Race on his way to claiming a dominant second victory of the season. Starting from pole, the Campos Racing driver managed the race expertly before going on to win by over three seconds. DAMS Lucas Oil driver Roman Bilinski achieved his maiden F2 podium in P2 ahead of MP Motorsport’s Gabriele Minì in third.
AS IT HAPPENED
It was a good start from León, who kept the lead ahead of Bilinski, while Minì kept P3 ahead of Joshua Duerksen. In the battle for P11 Ritomo Miyata and Oliver Goethe went wheel-to-wheel through the hairpin and Mirabeau. However, they made slight contact which caused the MP Motorsport driver to pit, dropping him to the back of the field.
Out in front, León was struggling to pull away from Bilinski with the DAMS driver consistently within DRS range of the Mexican during the opening laps. The top four drivers of León, Bilinski, Minì and Duerksen were pulling away from the rest of the field, and by Lap 5 just two seconds separated the quartet.
Down the field, Laurens van Hoepen, who started in P21 was up to 15th by Lap 8. However, the TRIDENT driver’s charge was halted when he was given a 10-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage at the start. On to Lap 11 of 30, the drivers entered management mode, but the top four were still close, and were covered by 2.7s.
As the race reached the halfway point, Dino Beganovic had closed the gap to Duerksen and was now within DRS range of the Invicta Racing driver. Miyata, who had been running with a broken front wing since his contact with Goethe on the opening lap, was looking to make a move past Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak at Tabac, but found the door closed on Lap 17.
By the next lap the top two of León and Bilinski had pulled a three-second gap to Minì, as they continued to battle for the lead. The Italian driver was now running on his own having built a 2.3s gap to Duerksen in P4, with Beganovic right on the back of the Invicta driver on Lap 20.
Miyata’s pressure on Inthraphuvasak finally paid off on Lap 22 as he dived to the inside of the ART Grand Prix driver on the run to Tabac. On the next lap, the Hitech driver was putting pressure on Nikola Tsolov for P10, while behind them, Mari Boya went around the outside of van Hoepen at the hairpin for P15.
With five laps to go, Inthraphuvasak retired to the pitlane with an issue. At the front of the field, León was now 2.4s ahead of Bilinski with Minì having closed the gap on the Polish rookie, just over a second away on Lap 27. The Campos driver continued to pull away and by the start of the final lap he was over three seconds clear of the rest of the field and would go on to win for the second time this season.
Bilinski held off Minì’s charge to take his maiden podium, with Duerksen in P4 ahead of Beganovic. Stenshorne finished sixth ahead of Kush Maini, as Rafael Câmara rounded out the points in eighth.
KEY QUOTE – Noel León, Campos Racing
“Feels great to win in Monaco, my second win in a row on a weekend and in a Sprint. I feel very happy to be honest. Yesterday we missed a bit, we missed pole, but luckily it put me in a position to start on the front row today, to get the 10 points, and for the championship it is great. I have a great opportunity tomorrow to score again good points, that’s the goal for this weekend and I am very happy that every weekend we are stronger and stronger and qualifying is going to get there at some points, so very happy.”
THE CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Gabriele Minì continues to lead the Drivers’ Championship with 63 points, while Noel León has jumped up second, 20 points adrift of his rival. Martinius Stenshorne is third on 38 points, with Rafael Câmara a further point in fourth, as Nikola Tsolov rounds out the top five with 36.
In the Teams’ Standings, Campos Racing have taken over at the top with 79 points, while MP Motorsport slip to second with 75. Rodin Motorsport are third with 68 points, with Invicta Racing a further 10 points behind in fourth, as DAMS Lucas Oil sit fifth on 38.
UP NEXT
The drivers have one more chance to hit the jackpot in Monte Carlo with Sunday’s Feature Race set to start at 09:25 local time.
2026 FIA Formula 2 – Monte Carlo – Provisional Classification, Sprint Race
| | | | | DRIVER | | | LICENCE | | | TEAM | | | |
| | | 1 | | | Noel Leon | | | MEX | | | Campos Racing | | |
| | | 2 | | | Roman Bilinski | | | POL | | | DAMS Lucas Oil | | |
| | | 3 | | | Gabriele Mini | | | ITA | | | MP Motorsport | | |
| | | 4 | | | Joshua Durksen | | | PAR | | | Invicta Racing | | |
| | | 5 | | | Dino Beganovic | | | SWE | | | DAMS Lucas Oil | | |
| | | 6 | | | Martinius Stenshorne | | | NOR | | | Rodin Motorsport | | |
| | | 7 | | | Kush Maini | | | IND | | | ART Grand Prix | | |
| | | 8 | | | Rafael Camara | | | BRA | | | Invicta Racing | | |
| | | 9 | | | Alexander Dunne | | | IRL | | | Rodin Motorsport | | |
| | | 10 | | | Nikola Tsolov | | | BUL | | | Campos Racing | | |
| | | 11 | | | Ritomo Miyata | | | JPN | | | Hitech | | |
| | | 12 | | | Nico Varrone | | | ARG | | | Van Amersfoort Racing | | |
| | | 13 | | | Sebastian Montoya | | | COL | | | PREMA Racing | | |
| | | 14 | | | Mari Boya | | | ESP | | | PREMA Racing | | |
| | | 15 | | | Colton Herta | | | USA | | | Hitech | | |
| | | 16 | | | Rafael Villagomez | | | MEX | | | Van Amersfoort Racing | | |
| | | 17 | | | Emerson Fittipaldi | | | BRA | | | AIX Racing | | |
| | | 18 | | | Cian Shields | | | GBR | | | AIX Racing | | |
| | | 19 | | | Laurens van Hoepen | | | NED | | | TRIDENT | | |
| | | 20 | | | John Bennett | | | GBR | | | TRIDENT | | |
| NOT CLASSIFIED | ||||||||
| | | DNF | | | Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak | | | THA | | | ART Grand Prix | | |
| | | DNF | | | Oliver Goethe | | | GER | | | MP Motorsport | | |
| OVERALL FASTEST LAP | ||||||||
| | | | | Nikola Tsolov | | | BUL | | | Campos Racing | | | |
| 1:22.100 (Lap 23) | ||||||||
| OVERALL FASTEST LAP FOR POINTS | ||||||||
| | | | | Nikola Tsolov | | | BUL | | | Campos Racing | | | |
| 1:22.100 (Lap 23) | ||||||||
FIA Speed trap in pit lane at Monaco.
Rowe Makes History With Drive From 24th To Win at WWTR
MADISON, Ill. (Sunday, June 7, 2026) – In a historic drive for the ages, Myles Rowe climbed from 24th and last in the starting field Sunday to win the INDY NXT by Firestone race at World Wide Technology Raceway.
It was the longest climb to victory in the 40-year history of the INDYCAR development series. The previous lowest starting spot for a race winner was 18th, set by Esteban Guerrieri in the 2012 Freedom 100 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval.
“It’s a chess game out there,” Rowe said. “Confidence is key in motorsports. The Abel Motorsports Force Indy guys, they really gave me a car today to have that kind of confidence to have a plan and to be able to execute it.
“I’m so thrilled I could give this to them, especially after the disappointment yesterday and having to start from the back. This is no doubt awesome.”
Rowe drove his No. 99 Abel Motorsports with Force Indy machine to his first victory of the season and third career INDY NXT victory – all on ovals – by 2.2081 seconds over rookie Alessandro de Tullio in the No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing car.
Josh Pierson finished a season-best third in the No. 29 Starchive Andretti entry, prevailing in a fierce joust for the final podium spot with fellow series veteran Niels Koolen, who ended up a career-best fourth in the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing car, and fifth-place Max Taylor in the No. 28 Susan G. Komen machine of Andretti Global.
Rowe was forced to start last in the 24-car field after he lost his qualifying run Saturday for failure to follow the direction of INDYCAR. Rowe continued on a third flying lap after taking the checkered for his two-lap run, which would have earned him the pole, due to what he said were radio communication problems.
But Rowe wasted little time charging toward the front on the asymmetrical, 1.25-mile oval just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis and its famous Gateway Arch.
He climbed to 10th by Lap 19 of the 75-lap race, using the high line around the track to zoom past rivals on corner exit. Rowe passed Taylor for third with a rare inside move in Turn 1 on Lap 32 and set his sights on pole sitter Lochie Hughes running second in the No. 26 Andretti Global machine and leader Pierson.
On Lap 41, Rowe passed Hughes for second while running in the middle in a breathtaking, three-wide move entering Turn 3. Rowe then zeroed in on leader Pierson, who was one second ahead but starting to navigate lap traffic.
It didn’t take long for Rowe to catch and pass Pierson. On Lap 47, Rowe dove under Pierson exiting Turn 4 for a lead he would not surrender. That was the most noteworthy of 229 on-track passes and 183 passes for position in this thrilling race, series records for this track.
“It’s a balance, an equilibrium,” Rowe said of his strategy. “There are times where I needed to be aggressive and times I really needed to be calculated. I was definitely trying to make sure I managed the right rear (Firestone Firehawk tire) because I knew at the end that was going to be important, just making sure I kept it underneath me so I had something for the end.”
Two caution periods bunched the field in the last 22 laps, with the yellow flying for debris on Lap 54 – which Rowe ran over at speed while leading without any damage to his car – and for a two-car accident on Lap 61 involving veterans Salvador de Alba in the No. 17 HMD Motorsports entry and Yuven Sundaramoorthy in the No. 15 Cusick Morgan Motorsports car. Neither driver was hurt.
Pierson made his last gasp for the lead on Lap 68 after the final restart, looking under Rowe in Turn 1. But he couldn’t complete the pass, and Rowe rocketed away over the closing laps to win comfortably.
The series points lead changed hands again as rookie Nikita Johnson returned to the top after finishing seventh in the No. 21 Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR car. He is two points ahead of previous championship leader and fellow rookie Enzo Fittipaldi, who finished 13th in the No. 67 HMD Motorsports machine. Rookie Tymek Kucharczyk is just five points behind Johnson in third after placing ninth in the No. 71 HMD Motorsports entry.
While not as dramatic as Rowe’s charge, Fittipaldi climbed from 23rd after starting from pit lane due to a mechanical problem. He already forfeited his guaranteed qualifying attempt Saturday due to a mechanical issue while rolling out for qualifying that prevented the No. 67 HMD Motorsports entry from going through pre-qualifying technical inspection.
The next INDY NXT by Firestone race is a doubleheader at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, with a race Saturday, June 20 and another Sunday, June 21.
FW25 returns to the grid, as Williams Heritage makes its competitive racing debut at Boss GP.
- Atlassian Williams F1 Team’s Heritage department will compete in a prestigious historic racing championship for the very first time, bringing the newly-restored 2003 FW25 to BOSS GP from 12th-14th June
- Driver and owner, Phil Stratford will contest four rounds: Nürburgring, Magny-Cours, Red Bull Ring and Mugello
- Jonathan Kennard, Heritage Director, Williams Heritage: “Here at Williams Heritage, our history continues to shape our purpose, guiding our mission in supporting the wider Williams’ team in our ambition to return to the front of the grid.”
The race-winning FW25 will return to the grid after more than 20 years, as Atlassian Williams F1 Team announces plans to bring the car to a historic race series for the very first time.
Driver and owner Phil Stratford will take the wheel across four rounds of the prestigious 2026 BOSS GP series, kicking off with the Nürburgring on the 12th June, before heading to Magny-Cours, Red Bull Ring and Mugello.
Originally driven by Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya, the Williams FW25 – powered by a BMW 3.0-litre V10 – served as the team’s legendary challenger for the 2003 Formula 1 season. The car brings real competitive pedigree, contributing to the team’s second place result in the 2003 World Constructors’ Championship and as part of Williams’ last 1-2 Grand Prix finish. That landmark result was achieved at Magny-Cours, where Schumacher took victory from pole with Montoya in second – and where the car will run again in July.
Now, the FW25 returns to competitive action following an extensive restoration by Williams Heritage. Led by a team of experts who worked on and raced the car during the period, the project drew on Williams’ complete technical archive to design and remanufacture the components required to return the chassis to period-correct specification. This restoration forms part of Williams Heritage’s wider programme supporting private owners in preserving and actively running these legendary cars – whether that’s at exclusive test events or, as in this case, returning them to the very European grids where they competed in period.
Jonathan Kennard, Heritage Director, Williams Heritage: “Here at Williams Heritage, our history continues to shape our purpose, guiding our mission in supporting the wider Williams’ team in our ambition to return to the front of the grid. Entering our first historic racing championship is a meaningful way of bringing that legacy to life for a new audience as we approach our 50th anniversary next year. We are incredibly proud to have supported our customer, Phil, in bringing this remarkable car back to its very best, and we look forward to hearing that unforgettable 19,000 RPM, V10 soundtrack go around Nürburgring once more.”
Phil Stratford, Driver: “Owning and racing the FW25 has been a lifelong ambition. To be able to do it with the full support of Williams Heritage, the engineers and technicians who know this car better than anyone, and to bring it back to competition at circuits like Magny-Cours, where Ralf and Juan Pablo made history, is extraordinary. I cannot wait to get to the Nürburgring.”
Newgarden Continues Short Oval Reign
With WWTR Win.
MADISON, Ill. (Sunday, June 7, 2026) – The king of World Wide Technology Raceway has returned to his throne.
Josef Newgarden won for the sixth time in 11 starts at the 1.25-mile oval just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, enduring two rain delays during the race Sunday night to win a feverish, fascinating Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline. The victory was Newgarden’s second this season, as he also won in March at the 1-mile Phoenix Raceway oval.
SEE: Race Results
The two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion has captured 15 of his 34 career victories on ovals shorter than 1.5 miles. This win came as he was still recovering from a lower leg injury suffered two weeks ago in the 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
“Great job to the group,” Newgarden said. “Just a methodical night. We had a good car to start. It wasn’t perfect, but it really came to us just when we needed it. It was a track position day.”
Newgarden, who started eighth, drove his No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet to victory by .6613 of a second over the No. 28 Delaware Life Honda of fellow Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson, who still managed a season-best finish. Christian Rasmussen finished a season-best third in the No. 21 Splenda Chevrolet of ECR.
Rinus VeeKay continued the trend of season-best finishes by ending up fourth in the No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet, with Scott McLaughlin rounding out the top five in the No. 3 DEX Team Penske Chevrolet that featured a throwback livery honoring the 2009 Indianapolis 500-winning car driven by Helio Castroneves.
Newgarden took the lead for good on Lap 221 after a spirited duel with Rasmussen that began almost immediately after a restart on Lap 212. Rasmussen dove under Newgarden in Turn 1 for the lead on Lap 215, but Newgarden drove past Rasmussen in Turn 3 for the top spot on Lap 219.
One lap later, Rasmussen again drove under Newgarden for the lead in Turn 1, one of his race-high 38 on-track passes. But Newgarden countered again in Turn 3 one lap later for a lead he would not surrender. It was the most decisive of an event-record 268 passes for position in this frantic race.
Ericsson sped under Rasmussen for second in Turn 3 on Lap 225 and set his sights on Newgarden. But one lap later, a plume of smoke trailed from the No. 4 Combitrans Amazonia Chevrolet fielded by A.J. Foyt Enterprises for Caio Collet, who was enjoying the best race of his rookie season by leading seven laps and running consistently in the top five in the second half of the race.
That triggered the last of four caution periods, with another wrinkle to concern Newgarden and the lead pack. A host of trailing cars entered the pits for fresh Firestone Firehawk tires, while the top eight cars stayed out.
McLaughlin made a spirited charge toward the front on the restart on Lap 234, climbing from ninth to fifth in just four laps. But the Kiwi and the other cars that pitted for tires didn’t have enough traction from the fresher rubber or speed to challenge the top four down the stretch.
Meanwhile, Newgarden maintained a gap of around one-half of a second over Ericsson over the closing 10 laps and never was threatened.
“You’ve got to give a lot of credit to Marcus,” Newgarden said. “I thought he was incredibly strong. I don’t really think there was much between us, so it was a matter of who was going to get position on each other, and that was going to seal the deal. He drove a great race.”
Said Ericsson, seeking his first win since March 2023 at St. Petersburg: “I’m very proud of our performance, but at the same time it’s tough to lead that many laps … I thought we had it at some points, but Josef is the best in the business on these short ovals.”
Two red-flag periods totaling 50 minutes kept strategists’ heads spinning on the pit wall as various permutations and fuel options were considered.
Chip Ganassi Racing rolled the dice earlier in the race by calling NTT P1 Award winner Alex Palou and his teammate Scott Dixon to the pits to top off fuel as soon as the pits opened after the first red flag period, which lasted 38 minutes. The hope was to get enough caution to need one fewer fuel stop than rivals or be out front when a race-ending rain shower arrived.
But neither happened, and Palou paid the price dearly.
The four-time series champion entered the pits on Lap 203, two laps after Dixon had to enter a closed pit for emergency service as his No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda was running out of fuel. Palou’s No. 10 HRC Chip Ganassi Racing Honda sputtered when it entered the pit lane and ran out of fuel, and he was forced to coast to his pit box for a stop made even longer when his engine wouldn’t refire.
Palou’s car restarted, and he returned to the track to finish 17th. The two short oval races this season have been Palou’s Achilles’ heel. He finished 24th after contact in March at Phoenix, and that result and tonight’s disappointing showing are his only finishes outside of the top seven all season.
Reigning series champion Palou’s lead in the standings was trimmed to 49 points over Kyle Kirkwood, who finished sixth in the No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda of Andretti Global.
The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES race is the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America on Sunday, June 21 at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
SHARE OF THE SPOIL AT OULTON PARK
Seven different winners from first 12 races of 2026 season
Dan Cammish became the seventh different race winner so far in the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship following his triumph at Oulton Park yesterday (7 June), before standings leader Ash Sutton added to his tally and Charles Rainford claimed his second victory of the campaign.
It was the second successive BTCC weekend that boasted three different race winners from the trio of races, with more than half of the field having now reached the rostrum in the opening 12 races.
The UK’s most exciting and competitive championship showed its hand yet again in front of a huge crowd at the picturesque Cheshire venue with the title race starting to take shape ahead of the annual mid-season break.
Cammish’s win was a pivotal one for the Yorkshireman as he fired up his championship challenge with the biggest points haul over the course of the weekend.
Four-time champion Sutton dominated the second encounter, winning his fifth race of the season by more than 19 seconds from the chasing pack.
Rainford then became only the second repeat winner of 2026 after he made a stellar move for victory in the reverse grid finale.
With the season pausing slightly earlier than usual – after four of ten events – it’s Sutton leading the Drivers’ standings from Tom Ingram, who himself scored a hugely impressive podium hat-trick around the 2.26-mile circuit.
Alliance Racing/Ford and NAPA Racing UK top both the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ and Teams’ tables.
Mikey Doble and his LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing outfit lead the chase for Independents’ honours, whilst a clean sweep of Jack Sears Trophy wins for Dexter Patterson pushed the Audi man to the summit of those standings.
The next event on the BTCC calendar takes place at Thruxton on 25/26 July.
Cammish claims maiden Oulton Park victory
NAPA Racing UK’s Cammish took victory in the opener at Oulton Park, taking his first tin top triumph at the much-loved track.
Ford driver Cammish continued his impressive weekend – following victory in Saturday’s Qualifying Race – with a lights-to-flag success in race one.
Much like the ‘Race to Pole’, Cammish was pressured home by Josh Cook’s Speedworks Corolla Racing Toyota with the pair duelling it out for much of the contest.
Cammish’s 17th BTCC win had been a while coming after a mixed start to his 2026 campaign, but the former championship runner-up kickstarted his title chase in Cheshire.
Cook’s second place wasn’t straightforward as he firstly had contact with four-time champion Sutton in the #116 NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus Titanium, and in the latter stages of the race he was hounded home by the Hyundai of reigning champion Ingram.
Team VERTU’s Ingram completed the podium ahead of the Toyota of Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport’s Árón Taylor-Smith, with the latter also securing the Independent Drivers’ win.
Sutton strikes to take fifth victory of 2026
NAPA Racing UK’s Sutton stood victorious in Round 11, extending his championship lead with his fifth triumph of the season.
Running on the soft Goodyear tyre and with an increased allocation of TOCA Turbo Boost, Ford man Sutton was able to weave his way up the order from seventh on the grid, eventually slipping by old adversary Ingram (Team VERTU – Hyundai) and teammate Cammish (NAPA Racing UK – Ford).
In truth, Cammish let Sutton by, knowing that his superior pace was likely to tell as the race progressed and the latter romped on to win by more than 19 seconds.
Cammish and Ingram performed admirably on the Goodyear hard tyre, not only holding onto to second and third, but by pulling away from the chasing pack.
Ingram eventually got by the race one winner to score valuable championship points, with Cammish completing the podium positions.
The Toyota of Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport’s Taylor-Smith was the cork in the bottle behind, the Irishman not being able to show the race-winning pace that he had previously.
WSR BMW’s Daryl De Leon spent most of the race trying to get past, and he eventually made his move stick in the closing laps to take fourth overall and the Independents’ win.
Rainford races clear to reach top step of the rostrum
WSR BMW’s Rainford took victory in the finale at Oulton Park, becoming the second repeat winner of the season so far.
Restart Racing’s Chris Smiley started the race on pole, but it was always going to be a tall order to hang on at the front with a gaggle of Goodyear soft tyre runners behind him.
Rainford’s BMW 330i M Sport fired off the line and was quickly into second on the approach to Old Hall Corner for the first time.
There was drama behind as the Toyota of Taylor-Smith slid luridly through the first turn on cold tyres. As the Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport driver tried to correct the error he collected the #33 Mercedes of Adam Morgan – ending both of their races on the spot.
A safety car was called to retrieve the stricken #50 Toyota Corolla and Morgan’s Cataclean Plato Racing machine, with Rainford poised to make his move for the lead shortly after the restart.
Rainford got a great exit from Old Hall and completed a daring move around the outside of Smiley’s Hyundai before they reached Cascades.
The Team VERTU Hyundai duo of Ricky Collard and Ingram were next by the fading Hyundai of Smiley as they looked well positioned to attack Rainford ahead of them.
There was some respite during a second safety car period when Tom Chilton (Team VERTU – Hyundai) made contact with Lewis Selby’s NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus Titanium, with both cars ending up in the barrier at Cascades.
At the restart, Rainford had the measure of his pursuers and claimed his second win of the season in commanding fashion from Collard and Ingram.
2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 1 – Oulton Park
1. Dan Cammish, NAPA Racing UK 16 Laps
2. Josh Cook, Speedworks Corolla Racing +0.715s
3. Tom Ingram, Team VERTU +1.173s
4. Árón Taylor-Smith, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport +6.631s
5. Aiden Moffat, LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing +10.687s
6. Mikey Doble, LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing +12.012s
7. Ash Sutton, NAPA Racing UK +12.195s
8. Tom Chilton, Team VERTU +12.460s
9. Chris Smiley, Restart Racing +13.907s
10. Daryl De Leon, WSR +13.916s
2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 2 – Oulton Park
1. Ash Sutton, NAPA Racing UK 15 Laps
2. Tom Ingram, Team VERTU +19.333s
3. Dan Cammish, NAPA Racing UK +19.704s
4. Daryl De Leon, WSR +21.746s
5. Mikey Doble, LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing +23.554s
6. Gordon Shedden, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport +23.907s
7. Ricky Collard, Team VERTU +24.753s
8. Dexter Patterson, Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing +26.719s
9. Charles Rainford, WSR +27.527s
10. Sam Osborne, NAPA Racing UK +28.157s
2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 3 – Oulton Park
1. Charles Rainford, WSR 18 Laps
2. Ricky Collard, Team VERTU +1.319s
3. Tom Ingram, Team VERTU +1.658s
4. Dan Cammish, NAPA Racing UK +2.344s
5. Josh Cook, Speedworks Corolla Racing +2.890s
6. Daniel Rowbottom, Cataclean Plato Racing +11.056s
7. Chris Smiley, Restart Racing +12.038s
8. Dexter Patterson, Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing +12.451s
9. Ash Sutton, NAPA Racing UK +12.687s
10. Aiden Moffat, LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing +17.348s
Fernando Alonso
RACE RESULT P10
“I took a lot of risk on lap one and at the restart, and just tried to consolidate whatever position we were in. It was so difficult out there today, but we went aggressive with the strategy, stopping on lap three, and we were thinking to go until the end of the race with just one stop. The red flag restart helped, and we made sure to take the opportunities that were available to us. So I think we managed the race quite well and it was a nice reward for everybody in the team to score our first point of the year.”
Lance Stroll
RACE RESULT DNF
“We’ve been dealing with these drivability issues all season, and it was the same again this weekend. The acceleration and deceleration just isn’t consistent, and it changes from one corner to the next. At most circuits you’ve got some run-off to work with, so you can manage it, but around here the walls are really close and any issue can put you into the barrier. That was also a big reason why I was getting picked up for track limits. We’ll take a closer look after the race, and the team
Lewis Hamilton #44
It’s great to be back on the podium in Monaco and to finish in P2 for the second race in a row and to be able to share it with Kimi (Antonelli) for his first win here. This race is always one of the toughest of the season and today’s conditions made it even more challenging, so finishing in second is a really encouraging result and just shows the momentum we are building as a team. We are continuing to make solid progress and I’m grateful for the work everyone is putting in, both here at the track and back in Maranello. There’s still a step to make before we can consistently fight for victories, but I know we will keep pushing hard to get there.
Charles Leclerc #16
Finishing my home race like this is disappointing. I had an issue with my rear brakes in the last corner and hit the wall. The positive to take from this weekend is that we have a solution in place and will adjust the configuration of my brakes.
