F1Weekly Podcast # 1163
ON TODAY’S PROGRAM…
ZACK COULD BEAT TOTO, AT HIS OWN GAME…
IS NORRIS THE “A” TEAM AND, OSCAR THE “B” TEAM…
CARLOS SAINZ…AS HE SIGNS ANOTHER CONTRACT WITH WILLIAMS HE KNOWS HIS CHAMPIONSHIP HOPES ARE GONE…AND
FERNANDO SAYS…HONDA MAKING PROGRESS! I’M NOT GONA MISS IT!
THIS WEEK’S NASIR HAMEED CORNER ANOTHER MOMENT IN F1 HISTORY…THE 2014 SEASON AND, THE CHAOS BETWEEN TWO DRIVERS! …INTERVIEW WITH JOS AND MAX VERSTAPPEN DURING HIS SHORT FORMULA 3 SEASON! ANOTHER NASIR CLASSIC!
TECH TALK WITH TIM…THE FRICS SYSTEM!
New heights at Rallye Mont-Blanc Morzine!
After an extended summer break following the cancellation of Rallye Rouergue Rodez Aveyron Occitanie, the Clio Trophy France Asphalte resumes next week at Rallye Mont-Blanc Morzine. At this iconic French Rally Championship event, the return to action will be intense, with 39 crews ready to give it their all to reach the midseason mark in the lead and enter the home stretch in a strong position.
Now in its seventh season with the fifth-generation Renault Clio, the Clio Trophy France Asphalte continues to prove its appeal, with a record 39 Clio Rally5 cars set to line up at Morzine this year.
The Alpine mountains offer a magnificent backdrop for the competitors, who are eager to return to competition for the first time since mid-June. Leader in the general classification following his first victory in the Vosges, Paul Dachicourt (Fun Meca Sport) will look to consolidate his advantage in Morzine. Also leading the Junior category, where an official drive is up for grabs, the Pas-de-Calais native will target another victory at a rally that went his way last year, when he posted one of his best results despite a puncture on the opening special stage.
His main rivals, however, are determined to prevent him from pulling away. Winner of the opening round at Le Touquet, Maxence Potard (Gilbert Compétition) will rely on his experience in the Alps to bounce back after his crash in the Vosges. The member of the FFSA’s Collectif France Rallye isn’t the only one with this objective, as Romain Brun will attempt to return to the sharp end of the order after a difficult weekend in the Vosges.
Several competitors will try to capitalise on their knowledge of the roads to close the gap to the leaders. Having secured four podium finishes with Clio Rally5 at Morzine since 2020, Romain Fostier (David Auto Compétition) is a serious contender for victory in this demanding event. He will also seek to increase his lead over his rivals in the Gentlemen class: Pascal Bérard, Jacques Bourrat, Franck Giraud (Lycée Roger Claustre) and Michaël Durigon, who returns to the Clio Trophy France Asphalte for his 22nd start in the event.
Jérôme Janny (David Auto Compétition) will equally rely on his experience to build on his strong start to the season, as will Yohan Roumieux (JLA Rally), who finished in the top ten last year, and Maxime Chagot (LCS Location), a two-time class winner at Morzine. Fabien Combe, who has finished 10th twice this year, and Christophe Truchet, 2025 Clio Full Challenge winner, will be outsiders to watch in their Rallye Mont-Blanc Morzine debut.
Behind the trio of Paul Dachicourt, Maxence Potard and Romain Brun, other Junior drivers have high hopes. Following his first podium finish in the Vosges, Clément Didier (JLA Rally) will look to build on that form in the Alps, where Alex Florenson (PH Sport), who finished fifth a year ago, will target a trip to the podium next Saturday. Also worth keeping an eye on are Thomas Santiago (LCS Location), Louis Gass (PH Sport), Néo Rivallant (Fun Meca Sport), Oliver Sørensen, Thomas Van Outryve (LCS Location) and Maxence Girard (CHL Sport Auto), all in search of valuable points.
Meanwhile, Tom Le Jossec (Rageau Sport Location) and Alexis Poso (Salvi Compétition) will aim to stay in contention on their Mont-Blanc debut with Clio Rally5. Back in action after his retirement at Le Touquet, Loan Guibal (Salvi Compétition) wants to turn his obvious speed into stage wins and a strong result in a rally he is discovering for the first time, just like Léo Véricel, Louis Bottin (PH Sport) and Alfred Sablonnière. Clémentine Benoit (Sarrazin Motorsport) will defend her lead in the women’s category and face Lilou Boulangé (Gazou Compétition), a rookie this season behind the wheel after co-driving for her father Arnaud in 2025.
Nicolas Paviet-Roche and Mathieu Duclos will make their first appearance of the year in familiar surroundings. Killian Marry will also return to the service park to tackle Alpine special stages for the first time – stages that several newcomers know well, notably William Gagnière, Paul Missillier and Vincent Chagot, Maxime’s brother. Lastly, Grégory Scotto La Chianca will make his Clio Trophy France Asphalte debut, as will Robin Duarte, Arthur Guillaume and Tanguy Rubin-Delanchy, who have all cut their teeth with Clio Rally5 in the French Rally Cup.
The 78th Rallye Mont-Blanc Morzine will feature 12 timed sectors covering a total of 196.04 kilometres over a 493.87 km route. On Friday, the action gets underway on the Montriond-le-Lac – Avoriaz stage, followed by two loops comprising Bonneville – Glières Val de Borne and Les Clefs – La Clusaz, then a single run on the Morzine – Montriond-le-Lac stage. On Saturday, the crews will tackle Morillon – Samoëns, Samoëns – Morzine and La Côte d’Arbroz – Taninges three times. The final ten special stages will each award up to five “Jean Ragnotti Performer” points to the five fastest drivers, in addition to the standard finishing points. Ten Clio Rally3s, six Clio Rally4s and nine Clio Rally5s outside the trophy will also be at the start of the event.
USPKS & ROK Cup USA Announce
Multi-Year Partnership Beginning in 2027
“Collaboration will feature back-to-back national event weekends throughout 2027
and 2028, including consecutive races at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas”
The United States Pro Kart Series (USPKS) and ROK Cup USA are excited to announce a new partnership beginning with the 2027 season, bringing the two organizations together for a series of back-to-back national event weekends throughout 2027 and 2028.
The collaboration will give karters and teams the opportunity to compete in two national-level events over consecutive weekends, creating the option to race twice within a single trip. Details surrounding additional paired events on the 2027 and 2028 schedules will be announced in the coming weeks.
A major highlight of the partnership will come in October 2027, when both series head to the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas for consecutive race weekends.
USPKS will race at the Rio October 20–24, 2027, followed by ROK Vegas, October 27–31, 2027. The two organizations will return to the Rio for consecutive weekends again in 2028, with USPKS scheduled for October 18–22, 2028, followed by ROK Vegas October 25–29, 2028.
“We’re very excited for this opportunity to partner with another top-level organization in USPKS. Having a back-to-back partner at the Rio has been a goal since I started at ROK; it makes sense for the teams and racers,” stated Mike Burrell, ROK Cup USA Director.
“And our research shows karters & their families want to be at the Rio! They are pouring millions into remodeling & updating the facilities (and yes, a parking lot repave is being discussed). It is truly the home of karting in Las Vegas, and we can’t wait to welcome USPKS there with us in 2027!”
While Las Vegas will serve as one of the marquee stops of the partnership, the collaboration between USPKS and ROK Cup USA will extend beyond the Rio. The two organizations are working together to identify additional national-level events that can be held on back-to-back weekends throughout the 2027 and 2028 seasons.
The approach is intended to create more opportunities for competitors while making national travel more efficient for racers, families and teams. By coordinating select events, competitors will have the option to take part in two race weekends during one trip while continuing to compete within each series.
“Thanks to the logistical support, relationships, and partnership of ROK Cup USA, we feel this is the right time to bring an IAME event back to the Rio. Our ability to rely on the promotional experience of ROK Cup USA at this venue gives us the confidence that this will be the caliber of event USPKS competitors have grown accustomed to.” said Mark Coats, USPKS Series Owner.
Additional details regarding the partnership, including upcoming back-to-back event weekends, will be announced in the coming weeks.
For more information on the United States Pro Kart Series, visit uspks.com. For more information on ROK Cup USA, visit rokcupusa.com.
Watch the highlights from Gooding Christie’s 22nd annual Pebble Beach Auctions, where we not only sold the most valuable American car of all time but also conducted our highest-grossing auction to date with over $159 million realized in total sales. Our sales total increased by 24% from the previous year, with a 94% sell-through rate and over 28 lots sold for over $1 million.
The top-selling lot of 2026 car week was led by the impressive 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe which achieved an all-in figure for $42,905,000. Additional top-sellers throughout the weekend were a number of highly significant postwar European sports cars with notable period race history, important provenance, and lasting legacies in the world of motorsports. These included the record-setting 1963 Ferrari 250 P, which sold for $18,705,000, the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione, sold for $8,090,000, and the 1968 Porsche 907 Langheck, sold for $3,305,000. World record prices were also commanded by the 1959 Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage, which achieved $4,240,000, and the 1952 Ferrari 225 Sport ‘Tuboscocca’ Spider, which sold for $4,295,000.
Estates and collections performed spectacularly well at the sale, with 100% of offerings from the Brian Brunkhorst Collection and the Mullin Collection finding new homes. The top seller from the Brian Brunkhorst Collection was the elegant 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Lungo Spider, which sold for $3,305,000, and the 1930 Bugatti Type 43A Roadster led the sales for the Mullin Collection offerings, achieving $1,270,000.
The health of the market was proven across the entire range of offerings from various segments during the two-day sale, including modern selections, as evidenced by the 2020 Bugatti Chiron Sport ‘Edition Noire’, which sold for $3,442,500, the 2024 Ferrari 812 Competizione, which achieved $2,535,000, and the 1989 Porsche 911 Classic Turbo Reimagined by Singer, which sold for $1,902,500.
Save the date for November 20 – 21 as we look forward to welcoming you to our Rétromobile New York Auctions.
Luke Browning to make second 2026 FP1 outing with Atlassian Williams F1 Team during the Italian Grand Prix in Monza.
- Atlassian Williams F1 Team Reserve Driver Luke Browning will drive Alex Albon’s FW48 in FP1 at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza
- His second FP1 outing in the new-regulation cars, and sixth overall for the team, fulfilling Williams’ second mandated rookie test session
- The running will help drive progress for the team behind the scenes through invaluable sim data and analysis
- Luke Browning: “It’s a great opportunity to get invaluable laps in the FW48 while building my understanding of the car and helping to bring useful data and feedback back to Grove. Each session teaches you something new, and I want to take every bit of learning I can from this to keep pushing my development and the team forward.”
Atlassian Williams F1 Team is pleased to confirm that Reserve Driver and Academy member, Luke Browning, will be back behind the wheel of Alex Albon’s FW48, taking part in free practice 1 at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza during the Italian Grand Prix.
Luke took to the wheel of the FW48 in Austria for his first full FP1 session under the new technical regulations, gaining invaluable on-track experience of the new generation cars. That knowledge gained will be vital in feeding directly into his simulator work, supporting the team’s progress behind the scenes alongside his reserve trackside role.
The session will mark Luke’s sixth FP1 appearance for the team and his second of the 2026 season, fulfilling the team’s second mandated rookie test session.
Luke’s participation in FP1 sessions is part of Williams’ proud tradition of giving young talent a pathway into F1. The Driver Academy supports drivers on every rung of the motorsport ladder, bringing emerging drivers into the programme and supporting each driver as they advance toward the highest levels of competition.
In addition to his reserve duties for the team, Luke continues to race for Team Kondo Racing in Super Formula – Japan’s premier racing series, considered to be the second-fastest racing series in the world behind Formula 1.
Luke Browning: “I’m thrilled to have another chance to drive an FP1 session with Atlassian Williams F1 Team. It’s a great opportunity to get invaluable laps in the FW48 while building my understanding of the car and helping to bring useful data and feedback back to Grove. Each session teaches you something new, and I want to take every bit of learning I can from this to keep pushing my development and the team forward. For this weekend, it’s about supporting Williams to help maximise the result here in Monza.”
Strong pace, just short of the podium
Zandvoort 23 August 2026
Scuderia Ferrari HP leave the Dutch Grand Prix with a further 31 points, courtesy of nine points from yesterday’s Sprint and 22 today from a fourth place for Lewis Hamilton and a fifth for Charles Leclerc. The cars’ performance when they had clear track ahead, suggests that the cars’ potential could have delivered a better result, but the outcome was largely determined by yesterday’s qualifying, in which Lewis and Charles were unable to do better than the third row. On a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult, both SF-26s showed good race pace, always running close to the rivals ahead. Both drivers made up one place from their grid positions and challenged for the podium right until the last lap.
The race. Charles got off the line really well at the first start, gaining two places to move up to fourth while Lewis dropped to 5th. The race was then interrupted by a red flag following Max Verstappen’s accident and, at the restart, the Monegasque lost one place to Oscar Piastri. From that point onwards, the Ferraris spent much of the race in traffic. Charles managed to overtake Piastri on lap 34 with a great move through the sequence of the first three corners, with Lewis following suit one lap later. The two SF-26s then adopted different strategies: Charles switched from Soft to Medium and subsequently to Hard tyres, while Lewis went directly from Soft to Hard, extending his stint to see whether any opportunities arose and, potentially, to try to make it to the chequered flag. A Virtual Safety Car on lap 55 provided an opportunity for both drivers to change tyres while losing half the usual time, so both switched back to Softs, resuming in fourth and fifth places behind Kimi Antonelli, with Lewis ahead of Charles. In the closing stages, the Italian overtook George Russell and Hamilton gradually closed in on the Mercedes, eventually creating the conditions to make his move on lap 70. At precisely that moment, however, a new Virtual Safety Car neutralised the attempt, effectively freezing the positions.
Monza next. The team returns home this evening to begin preparing for the next round of the championship, the Italian Grand Prix, at Monza on 6 September. There, Scuderia Ferrari HP will be able to count on the support of its home fans, with the aim of giving them something to celebrate.
Lewis Hamilton #44
Overall, it was a solid race and despite the qualifying positions, we had good pace today and brought some important points home for the team. I’m really grateful to everyone back at the factory, who continue to push and find small gains through the upgrades we’re bringing to the car. The team did a great job both with the strategy and in the pit lane, and the mechanics once again were excellent. It wasn’t an easy race but we were competitive.
While it was a good race, we know we need to do more to make sure we’re maximising every opportunity to stay in the championship fight. We’ll go away over the next couple of weeks and see what else we can do to make sure we come back from Monza strong and ready.
Charles Leclerc #16
Our pace was strong, and I believed in it until the very end because we weren’t that far off George (Russell). We didn’t really have luck on our side today, as the timing of the Virtual Safety Car was not ideal for our race. On the other hand, we did a good job with tyre management and I enjoyed the overtake on Oscar (Piastri). Our main limitation was probably our starting position, so we have to review and understand where we can improve our qualifying pace.
I’m excited for Monza next. I have really great memories which I will never forget from there, and it’s just a really special place for us, where we meet so many of our tifosi year after year. I hope we can make good memories there again this year.
Fred Vasseur – Team Principal
Our race pace was decent today, but our execution was not perfect. We lost the position to Oscar Piastri with Charles at the second start and also had a slow pit stop, so there are areas in which we need to improve if we want to maximise the result in such a tight field. Today the difference between the tyre compounds was very small, which made the strategy difficult to read, and at one stage we considered going to the end with Lewis before the Virtual Safety Car came out. Overall, I think what we lacked more this weekend was qualifying pace rather than race pace. We will analyse what we could have done better and make sure we execute a cleaner weekend in Monza.
— with Nasir Hameed and Toby Dawes.
O’Ward Drives to Milwaukee Victory;
Palou Zeroes In on Another Title
WEST ALLIS, Wis. (Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026) – Pato O’Ward has just two podium finishes this season, but he stood in the best spot after both – on top.
O’Ward earned his second victory of the season in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, capitalizing on a fast final pit stop and skilled driving through lapped traffic to win the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 on Sunday at the 1.015-mile oval. O’Ward’s other podium finish came with his first win of the season in July at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
SEE: Race Results
“We like Milwaukee,” O’Ward said. “Yesterday, the car was feeling really good. I can say I was struggling a little bit in the race. I definitely was.
“It took me a little bit to find a rhythm. The track was a bit hotter today. It definitely makes these things a little more on the edge. I used it up when we needed it.”
The Mexican captured his 11th career victory by .7916 of a second over the No. 3 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet of Scott McLaughlin, who used one less pit stop than his rivals to gain track position in the 250-lap race.
Christian Lundgaard gave Arrow McLaren two of the three podium positions with his best career oval finish in the team’s No. 7 Chevrolet. This was the first podium sweep this season by Chevrolet-powered drivers in a race in which rival Honda clinched its 12th INDYCAR SERIES engine manufacturers championship.
David Malukas kept the good times rolling for Chevy by finishing fourth in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. Series leader Alex Palou moved within inches of his fifth championship and record-tying fourth in a row by rounding out the top five in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
Palou leads Kyle Kirkwood by 97 points with two races remaining. Palou only needs to lead by 54 points after the completion of the Snap-on Makers and Fixers 250 at 6 p.m. ET Sunday (FS1), a race halted by rain and wet track conditions after 90 laps were completed Saturday.
The Spaniard led a race-high 115 laps but faded toward the end of this race. Kirkwood finished sixth in the No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda of Andretti Global.
“We were going for the win today and didn’t really have enough pace,” Palou said. “Good opportunity tonight to get that championship. We know it’s going to be tough, but we’re going to try and fix the car a little it and try to see if we can make it faster.”
The race featured a variety of pit strategies, as some teams decided to pit early during cycles in an attempt to “undercut” their rivals on worn Firestone Firehawk tires and gain track position. Meanwhile, McLaughlin capitalized on the decision by strategist Tim Cindric to make four stops, instead of the five trips to the pits for every other top-10 finisher.
O’Ward’s path to victory also was paved in the pits. He was running fourth, right behind McLaughlin, when both made their final stop on Lap 192.
O’Ward’s crew atoned from a slow first stop early in the race by servicing his car in 6.6 seconds, letting O’Ward beat McLaughlin out of the pits.
The top two drivers at the time, Will Power of Andretti Global and Lundgaard, pitted on the next lap – with tough results for each.
Power was caught speeding entering the pits for that stop and was ordered to serve a drive-through penalty. Lundgaard’s crew had trouble changing the right front and left rear tires, resulting in an 11.3-second stop and perhaps costing Lundgaard a chance at his first career oval victory.
Many other cars cycled through stops in the next few laps, with O’Ward taking the lead for good on Lap 196 when Santino Ferrucci pitted from the lead in the No. 14 Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet of A.J. Foyt Enterprises.
Then the gap between O’Ward and McLaughlin see-sawed as both drivers danced through lapped traffic in a race that featured 333 passes for position – the most ever for the INDYCAR SERIES during its long history at the Milwaukee Mile.
O’Ward’s margin shriveled from 3.299 seconds on Lap 224 to just five-tenths of a second five laps later as he tried to pass Power, who was at the tail end of the lead lap due to his penalty and desperately trying to stay there or advance in a fast No. 26 Phoenix Investors Honda.
Power finally surrendered that spot when O’Ward cleared him on Lap 235 and set sail for the checkered flag. O’Ward led McLaughlin by two seconds by Lap 245 and was home free.
O’Ward also took heart in Victory Lane that he would strap back into his car within a few hours as the leader of the race that was suspended Saturday, with a chance to win two NTT INDYCAR SERIES races on the same day.
“I’ve never been in this position before,” O’Ward said. “We just won a race while leading another one. That’s pretty crazy.”