Attending the Phillip Island Grand Prix in Australia was an incredible experience, and one I won’t be forgetting anytime soon. From scorching temperatures to behind-the-scenes paddock access, it was a weekend full of highlights — even if Mother Nature had other plans for Sunday!
Thursday and Friday were absolutely boiling. The sort of heat that makes you question every life choice that led you to standing out in the sun watching motorcycles go around a track. Naturally, I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else!
Saturday was where things really got exciting. I was lucky enough to win a pit box tour with Ducati, which was an amazing opportunity to get a closer look behind the scenes. Getting to see Marc Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia heading out for FP2 was a definite highlight.
Qualifying 2 was spent in the LCR Honda box, which was a pretty special place to watch the action unfold. Even better, Johann Zarco secured a front-row start! After qualifying, we headed to parc fermé to celebrate before enjoying a pit walk and spending the rest of the day exploring the paddock. Being able to get so close to the action and soak up the atmosphere behind the scenes made an already brilliant day even better.
The camping experience deserves a mention, too. We stayed in the trackside campground in a pre-pitched tent, and the facilities were great. The tent was shared between two people and had plenty of room for us, making it a comfortable base for the weekend. Being able to camp right by the circuit was a brilliant way to experience the full Grand Prix atmosphere. There’s something special about being able to rock up on your motorcycle with a sleeping bag and have everything you need. That’s without a doubt the biggest thing I will miss about Phillip Island. There’s no camping at a city circuit.
Then came Saturday night. A huge storm rolled in, bringing thunder, lightning and a very different kind of excitement to the weekend. Unfortunately, the weather had the final say, with Sunday’s Grand Prix sessions cancelled because visibility was too poor for the medical helicopter to operate safely.
The cancellation itself was disappointing, but the communication on Sunday was arguably just as frustrating. Information was terrible, leaving fans trying to work out what was happening and what the plans were as the weather situation unfolded. When you’ve travelled, paid for tickets and organised accommodation to attend a Grand Prix, clear and timely updates are the least you expect. Safety absolutely has to come first, but keeping fans informed should be part of the package, too.
It was a frustrating end to what had otherwise been an incredible weekend, especially after such a brilliant Saturday. Nobody can control the weather, and cancelling the racing when conditions aren’t safe is the right call. But better communication would have made a difficult situation much easier for everyone attending.
Despite the weather putting a dampener on the final day, Phillip Island was an unforgettable experience. The Ducati pit box tour, watching Marc Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia head out on track, celebrating Zarco’s front-row qualifying result, the pit walk and exploring the paddock made the trip worthwhile. But there was an extra layer of emotion to the weekend, knowing this was the final Grand Prix at Phillip Island.
To experience such an incredible circuit, soak up the atmosphere and then have to say goodbye made the weekend all the more bittersweet. Phillip Island has given MotoGP fans so many unforgettable moments, and it feels heartbreaking to be saying farewell like this. The weather may have cut the weekend short, but it could never take away the memories. What a privilege to have been there for one last time. 🏁💔
In his final WorldSBK round and with the championship long sewn up, Nicolo Bulega signed off with another treble of race wins to leave his mark on the series he has made his own since the departure of Toprak Razgatlioglu. An emotional weekend saw Bulega and two other successful riders bow out of the Superbike World Championship and the Pirelli era come to an end at the Spanish Round in Jerez.
Race 1
Bulega’s biggest challenger at the start of Race 1 was Sam Lowes who had impressively outqualified Iker Lecuona and the rest of the field to start second. After a bold attempt at the first corner, after half a lap Bulega was able to race clear as Sam settled a couple of seconds back en route to his best WorldSBK finish to date.
Lecuona had a frustrating race that required some stern defence against Yari Montella in the opening stages, after which the damage was done as the Spaniard had to settle for third, and was arguably only the fourth fastest Ducati. The man setting the timing sheets alive and reminding everyone what he was capable of was Alvaro Bautista who muscled his way up to fourth in what could be his final outing in the World Championship.
The top Yamaha was a miserable 13th after Xavi Vierge’s bike went up in flames but it was even worse for BMW as their top finisher Petrucci (like Bautista racing in possibly his final WorldSBK round) was 17th after Oliveria retired. Alex Lowes suffered a painful descent down the order, slowly falling to eighth behind a wave of Ducati’s although he once again finished as the best of the rest.
Tommy Bridewell could not quite make it eight Ducati’s in the top eight and was stuck battling Alex Lowes’ teammate Axel Bassani behind. Behind those two, Jake Dixon had another solid race on the Honda in 11th while teammate Chantra missed out on a point by half a second.
Race 1 Results
Image Credit: WorldSBK
Tissot Superpole Race
Lecuona avenged his poor start from yesterday and barged his past Sam Lowes towards the end of the first lap for second. The latter was caught out by the aggressive move and the riders behind had to bunch up in avoiding action.
Unsurprisingly Bulega was already clear enough by this point to settle into a comfortable lead although Lecuona – like Sam Lowes the previous day – was at least able to keep him in sight a couple of seconds up the road. The gap did start to come down towards the end of the 10-lap affair but it was too late for Lecuona to do anything about his dominant Ducati teammate.
Montella did not have the pace to challenge Sam Lowes for the podium but stayed a second clear of Alex Lowes. This was just as well as Bautista repeated his charge up the field, only reaching sixth and less than a second behind the Bimota in fifth.
Baldassari followed Bautista home while Bridewell lost out to Alberto Surra on the last lap. The two banged bikes repeatedly through the first three corners of the final lap which allowed an opportunistic Vierge to scythe through for ninth and book his place on the third row of the grid for Race Two as Bridewell fell outside the crucial top nine.
Tissot Superpole Race Results
Image Credit: WorldSBK
Race 2
Lecuona secured the holeshot to turn one as Bautista made the most of his improved starting position to leap up to third. After just six corners, Bulega was back in front and took his 32nd victory from 36 races in the 2026 season – yet another record tumbling at the close of his WorldSBK career.
Sam Lowes snuck through on his fast-starting brother at the end of lap one and then Alex fell backwards just like the race the previous day. Baldassari and Montella kept each other occupied in a close battle for fifth throughout the race while Lowes settled ahead of teammate Bassani.
The two Bimota riders were clear of an entertaining battle for ninth between Surra, Vierge, Bridewell and Oliveira, the latter contending for the top 10 for the first time this weekend. And then just five laps from the end, rain started to fall but thankfully the whole 22-bike grid made it home in the final race of the year.
The rain would prove terminal for two-time champion Bautista’s hopes of a fairytale podium in what looks like his final WorldSBK race. Sam Lowes moved past in the closing laps for his third podium of the weekend and it was a fantastic way for his and MarcVDS Ducati’s season to end but it was deeply disappointing for Bautista to lose out in front of his home crowd, while Petrucci came home a woeful 20th in what is at the very least his last race BMW.
Bulega wrapped up the most wins, podiums, pole positions, points, fastest laps, consecutive wins, consecutive podiums and consecutive poles ever in the history of the Superbike World Championship and his redemption arc was finally complete. Much later than planned Bulega is now off to MotoGP and back into the arms of Valentino Rossi, leaving behind an unforgettable legacy after an unforgettable three years in WorldSBK.
In what could be the biggest (and only) driver market change in F1 2027, Formula 2 Championship Leader and Ferrari Junior Rafael Camara has been announced as the replacement of Esteban Ocon at the American Outfit.
Who is Rafael Camara?
Born on 5th May 2005, the Brazilian driver made his single seater debut in 2022 with collecting podium championships in UEE, Italian and ADAC F4 championships of second, third and third respectfully. He collected third in the Formula Regional Middle East championship and fifth in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine on his first go, before getting third in FRMEC and winning the FRECA title on his second attempt. In 2025, he added the F3 championship to his impressive trophy collection with Trident before stepping up to F2 in 2026 with Invicta Racing where he leads the championship with 2 rounds to go.
Is he the right for for Haas?
For Haas, not being a sole manufacturer in F1 has always been a disadvantage for them, with the American outfit taking as many parts as they can from Scudaria Ferrari, including the power unit. As well as this, Haas have taken on Ferrari junior drivers in the past which surely allows them to get a discount on the financial burden they face in F1. They have carried Mick Schumacher and Ollie Bearman who were/are Ferrari Driver Academy members, such as the case with Rafa Camara.
I’ve managed to watch Camara’s F2 and F3 seasons to see how he races and there is no doubt of his raw speed; as reports suggest it impressed Haas on the TPC day in Portimao and some members of the team think even Bearman would struggle to beat Camara on the day.
However, raw speed was never Camara’s issue. He managed to get 5 poles in F3 and 4 fastest laps in his sole season, taking victory 4 times; all from pole position. His Formula 2 season is the same; 5 pole positions (so far) with 5 fastest laps with 2 victories in F2, both from pole position as well.
My main issue is his race craft. Rafael Camara has never stood on the podium in an F2 OR F3 race in his 2 seasons in the junior series’ before F1. Don’t get me wrong, he has finished in the points in the majority of races that he has finished, however, I am unsure if this should be enough to get him to F1 on raw speed alone.
CAMARA Rafael (bra), Invicta Racing, Dallara F2 2024, portrait podium celebration during the 2026 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, 15th round of the 2026 Formula One World Championship from September 24 to 26, 2026 on the Baku City Circuit, in Baku, Azerbaijan – Photo Xavier Bonilla / DPPI
How will Camara cope alongside Bearman
The Camara vs Bearman scrap will be arguable the most interesting battle in F1 2027. With Lewis Hamilton’s seat up for grabs in 2028, I think its clear to say whoever finishes on top will secure the Italian outfit’s seat beside the Monegasque of Charles Leclerc.
Qualifying wise, I think Camara will beat (or at least be VERY close to) Bearman in a direct head to head qualifying. In terms of the race head to head, I do think Bearman will beat the new rookie due to the experience and racecraft of Ollie.
Who do you think will reign supreme in the Haas battle?
Just over 1 month to go until a new era of Formula E begins with pre season testing at Madrid and with Gen4, I want to start a challenge to bring more light to the Formula E name and image. The plan is to do this with my articles, merchendice and more!
Article and Media:
Near the end of Gen3, my consistency of articles was something which fell, whether that be due to outside sources or a repeat of what was previously said. With that being said, here is my plan for each race week:
Monday: Preview of the Weekend Ahead with Predictions, things to watch
Wednesday: Video Uploads of the preview and predictions for you people who like short form content
Friday/Saturday/Sunday: Live tweets of each session (where possible) so anyone who can’t watch the race can stay up to date with it! Sunday Evening UK Time: Recap of the entire week including news I missed, what happened in the races and overall weekend in both an article and media format.
Formula E Gen4. Image Credit: Formula E Media Bank
Showcasing Formula E outside the internet:
Back when I first got into Formula 1 in 2020, no one was wearing merch like Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari, etc. Now I see people wearing it on a near daily occurrence and that is what I want to replicate for Formula E.
As a journalist, I want to be unbias/have my reasoning for wearing merch. I purchased a Jaguar TCS Racing rain jacket so when I’m out and about, people can see the reigning teams champions, I have a regular Formula E cap and Formula E hoodies which has sparked conversations in the past which is what I want. A Citroen cap is also within my possession as they are a new-ish team and a well known brand. I will purchase more to help get the names of Formula E teams and the sport in general across!
With the major re-brand happening with Formula E, I will have to purchase new merch so its up to date but I think this can work to grab more names into the Formula E landscape.
Goals for Gen4 Era:
Gen3 era had a lot of personal achievements for me; meeting David Coulthard, watching Jake Dennis, Oliver Rowland and Pascal Wehrlein take their maiden world championships (twice for Wehrlein)
For Gen4, I want to educate more people on the Formula E side with news and information but also improve my creative side with graphics, but also my tweets during races to make sure we optimise everything where we can for information. Interviews are also I’m hoping to do more so the drivers (and personnel) behind the scenes can be shown more.
After being firmly second best to Iker Lecuona in all three races last time out at Cremona, World Champion Nicolo Bulega did what he had done at every othef round this season and asserted himself as the dominant rider at the Tissot Estoril Round and secured another couple of series records to boot…
Race 1
From a comfortable pole position, Bulega blew the start and slid behind Iker Lecuona and Alex Lowes to third.By turn one of the second lap the World Champion was back behind his teammate, and it was just a case of reeling him in.
With 19 laps still to run, Bulega moved confidently past Lecuona at the first turn and went on to an unchallenged victory.After being firmly second quickest for the first time all season to Lecuona last time at Cremona, Bulega proved he was not taking it slow even after his coronation as 2026 champion.
Alex Lowes lacked the pace to run as high as he did on the first lap, slipping behind Alberto Surra and home hero Miguel Oliveria.Surra just held on for his first full-distance race WorldSBK podium ahead of a determined Oliveria who unlocked easily the most pace seen from BMW since the last time he raced on home turf in March…
Lorenzo Baldassari survived being sideswiped my Yari Montella to lead a group of four bikes home in sixth five seconds Alex Lowes who settled in fifth.Despite having lost a wing and falling as low as 12th, Montella bullied his way past teammate Alvaro Bautista for ninth – with the latter’s record of 27 race wins in a season from 2023 being matched by Bulega in this round.
Race 1 Results
Image Credit: WorldSBK
Tissot Superpole Race
As with the race yesterday Lecuona snatched the lead into turn one at the start.By the beginning of lap three however, Bulega was back in front and back to his best with a new record number if wins in a WorldSBK season secured as Lecuona had to settle once again for second.
When Lecuona went a little wide to let Bulega by, he almost succumbed to Oliveria.The Portuguese rider settled in third and despite his best efforts lost the podium to Surra on the last lap as Bautista came home behind for a decent result in fifth.
Andrea Locatelli crashed out further back and Axel Bassani, Xavi Vierge, Jake Dixon and Baldassari rounded out the points-scoring top nine.Meanwhile Montella and Alex Lowes both found trouble and provided good entertainment as they tried to recover from the back past slower bikes.
Tissot Superpole Race Results
Image Credit: WorldSBK
Race 2
The two factory Ducati riders put on a great show for the first half a lap and even briefly touched at turn one.Exiting the parabolica, Bulega edged in front and from there it was job done and the Italian has now eclipsed Jonathan Rea’s record points score from a WorldSBK season.
Oliveria and Alex Lowes both had awful first laps, with the former briefly under investigation for a jump start as Bautista rose from fifth on the grid to third.Surra and Bassani were soon on the back of Bautista with the former quickly getting past, as Montella circled in sixth.
Behind the top two and the group of four came a larger group contesting seventh.After one third distance, Oliveria recovered to P7 with some marvellous double overtakes into turn one.
Surra ran wide at the first two corners with nine laps to go to let Bautista back into third but slid out himself under pressure from what would have been only his second podium of an incredibly frustrating season.At least for his Barni team, their other rider Montella was able to dispose of Bassani and clinch the Independent Riders’ Championship with a round to spare while Sam Lowes languished in 15th.
Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) is officially the 2026 Moto3 World Champion, and he’s done it in style! A dominant victory at the Indonesian Grand Prix saw the 18-year-old wrap up the title with five rounds still remaining, putting the rest of the grid on notice and capping off a sensational season.
Photo Credit: MotoGP
Quiles arrived at Mandalika with a 127-point advantage over his closest rival, David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP), with Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) also mathematically in the title fight. With a 125-point advantage enough to seal the championship, the target was clear: keep the points gap where it was, and the crown was his.
The weekend hadn’t exactly started with Quiles on the front foot. Saturday’s qualifying saw the title challengers lock out the front row, with Uriarte taking pole ahead of Almansa and Carpe. Quiles, meanwhile, had work to do from sixth on the grid, lining up behind Leopard Racing duo Adrian Fernandez and Guido Pini. But if anyone thought the championship leader would sit back and play it safe, they clearly hadn’t been paying attention.
Quiles was straight into action when the lights went out, charging from sixth to third off the line before dispatching Uriarte on the opening lap. Next up was Almansa, his closest championship rival. Quiles made his move at Turn 1, taking the lead and immediately putting himself in control of the race.
From there, the #28 was in a league of his own. Quiles built a two-second advantage during the opening six laps before stretching his lead further, leaving the chasing pack with little answer to his pace. There was no last-lap drama, no desperate final-corner lunge and no need to do the championship maths on the run to the flag. This was a statement victory from a rider who had been the benchmark all season.
Quiles crossed the line 2.9 seconds clear to claim his tenth Grand Prix victory of 2026 and, more importantly, the Moto3 World Championship. His advantage stretched to an unassailable 132 points, making him the first rider in Moto3 history to secure the title with five rounds still to run. Not a bad way to get the job done!
Almansa had to settle for second, bringing home another strong result for Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP, while Matteo Bertelle (LEVEL UP – MTA) completed the podium in third. Uriarte narrowly missed out on the rostrum in fourth after starting from pole, while his Red Bull KTM Ajo teammate Carpe saw his race come to an abrupt end after crashing out with ten laps remaining.
What makes Quiles’ title-winning season even more impressive is that he has converted 58.8% of his races into victories, a remarkable strike rate that underlines just how dominant the Spaniard has been in 2026. His campaign wasn’t without its setbacks, either. Quiles broke his right collarbone at Silverstone and underwent surgery at Ruber Internacional Hospital in Madrid to repair the fracture. To come back from such an injury and continue winning at this level makes his championship triumph all the more impressive.
Maximo Quiles is your 2026 Moto3 World Champion. And he’s only 18.
We came then to the final day of action for this rally and the whole season. Four stages would decide the rally winner and also the crew to become World Rally Champions. Martins and Renars would return to the action and open the road through the 61 kilometres.
First up then would be SS14 Osilo – Tergu 1 and it was a good start for rally leaders Oliver and Elliott who set the pace from Sami and Marko whilst Adrien was third. Elfyn and Scott would set the fourth best time from Seb and Vincent. There was a couple of stops for Josh and Eoin in the stage as they had smoke in the Puma. They did complete the stage; they were just making sure they did not get in the way of the three championship challengers. It turned out that they didn’t actually have a problem with their car and the smoke was being caused by oil on the exhaust.
Next came the dress rehearsal for the power stage, SS15 Sassari – Argentiera 1 and it was really interesting that Thierry and Takamoto set the best times from Elfyn giving them the top three in the stage, whilst Oliver was only fifth fastest even slower than Adrien and it looked as if the road, particularly near the end of the stage was getting into such bad condition meant that they were actually unable to beat the times set by the earlier crews.
Onto SS16 Osilo – Tergu 2 and it was a stage win for Sami from Seb and Oliver, but there was drama for Elfyn and Scott who had just gone through the first split point and over a section of road heavily covered in large rocks and stones. This caused the front right-hand wheel to puncture, and they stopped to change the wheel. They kept the time loss to the minimum, but of course although they kept sixth overall this did mean that they would not feature in the super Sunday points standings. This meant they would need to beat Oliver and Elliott in the power stage to win the championship given that the Swede with his British co-driver were on course to win the rally. They still had a lead of almost a minute over Seb and Vincent, last year’s champions.
We came then to the final stage, SS17 Sassari – Argentiera 2 – Powerstage and this was it, time to decide this championship. Well, what we saw was Thierry set the pace before Elfyn came through and set the second fastest time at that point, but he was not confident that it was enough to win the championship.
Adrien was next to finish and could not beat Elfyn’s time. Did this mean the road was getting slower and what would that mean for Oliver and Elliott? Well, Sami and Marko came through and beat the time set by Elfyn and Scott, before Seb and Vincent finished the stage with the sixth best time but they were clearly not pushing very hard.
Finally, Oliver and Elliott started the stage and on the splits were quicker than the best time set by Elfyn and as they came down the road onto the final stretch of stage they were set to beat the time set by their teammates and championship rivals. They were barely a few hundred metres from the flying finish and stage end, when suddenly under acceleration the Yaris started to spin and in an attempt to bring the car under control it spun. It was too late though as the car went off the road onto the bushes lining the road and the car even looked like at one moment it was about to roll. Somehow they got back to the road and finished the stage, but only with the eighth best time. This meant that Elfyn and Scott had secured the 2026 World Rally Championship.
Oliver and Elliott has still taken victory, their third of the year with Seb and Vincent second and Sami and Marko in third, a Toyota one, two, three!
Let’s hear then from the drivers and take a look at the final finishing positions.
Rally Italia Sardegna Final Classification
1
O. Solberg
E. Edmondson
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
3:24:57.0
2
S. Ogier
V. Landais
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
+57.6
3
S. Pajari
M. Salminen
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
+1:37.4
4
A. Fourmaux
A. Coria
Hyundai i20 N Rally1
+2:38.6
5
E. Evans
S. Martin
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
+4:48.1
6
T. Katsuta
A. Johnston
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
+6:02.4
7
J. Armstrong
S. Byrne
Ford Puma Rally1
+7:32.2
8
R. Korhonen
A. Viinikka
Toyota GR Yaris Rally2
+12:10.4
9
R. Virves
J. Viilo
Skoda Fabia RS
+12:11.1
10
G. Greensmith
J. Andersson
Toyota GR Yaris Rally2
+13:02.2
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Oliver Solberg
“First of all, I want to say congratulations to Elfyn and Scott. They deserve this for sure, they have been very consistent all season. That I even had a shot with my rollercoaster of a season feels incredible. I started to believe more and more through the weekend, and to get so close, it’s tough. In the Power Stage I knew I had to push hard to beat Elfyn, but I wasn’t sure I was doing enough, so I tried pushing even more. Then I made a small mistake at the end, couldn’t save the car and we went off. For my first season with this team, I’m still proud of what we could achieve. I’ve given my heart and tried everything until the very end, and hopefully I have a few more chances to try again.”
Sébastien Ogier
“You could not have scripted a more dramatic finish than what we saw today. In rallying we all know that it’s never over until it’s over. Congratulations to Elfyn and Scott: they have worked so hard over so many years and nobody deserves it more than them. I know that it’s hard for Oliver and Elliott right now after getting so close, but they have impressed all of us with their speed this season and I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before they are also world champions. Thank you to everyone in the team for this season and the last five years with this car. It’s amazing to work with you and to always be able to count on a fast and reliable car.”
Sami Pajari
“This was a really dramatic end to the season, and even if I didn’t have my best rally here, I’m super happy for Elfyn and Scott: they really deserve this. For my second year at this level, I think I can be very happy with our season, and with our nine podiums and three wins. After an extremely difficult start in Monte Carlo, we took stage wins in almost every rally, got closer and closer in the title fight and in the end we were only six points away. We’re still young, so hopefully we have the chance to chase titles again in the future. I gave everything on the last stage with this car: a big thank you to the whole team and everyone supporting us.”
Elfyn Evans
“It’s still not really sinking in yet that we’ve managed to get the championship across the line after such a wild final day. We came into it knowing it would be tight and tried what we could today, but there was massive cleaning on the first stage. We managed to pull back some time on the second, but then at the start of the third there were rocks everywhere and we tried to pull our way through, but immediately we punctured. Then we had to lay it all on the line for the Power Stage. It was a messy run, so I was pretty sure I hadn’t done enough, and Oliver was coming quicker until he had that moment near the end. I feel sorry for him and Elliott because they drove an incredible weekend. But we didn’t only win it there, it was a whole year’s worth of work and I think it’s a championship to be proud of. It’s a bit of a relief after coming close so many times, and I’ve got a lot of people to thank for backing me through the years, especially Scott and the team.”
Takamoto Katsuta
“A big thank you to the whole team that we managed to finish this tough rally. It was such a difficult start with punctures on Friday, but at the end we could finish P6 and have some fun in the last rally with this car, which has been so successful with so much effort behind it from the whole team. Our season started well with two wins and even if we couldn’t keep up the fight in the championship, it was great to see such a fight between my team-mates right until the last corners. Big congratulations to Elfyn and Scott, and also to Oliver and Elliott and Sami and Marko; they have all done a fantastic job and I hope to keep fighting with them in future.”
Hyundai Motorsport
Adrien Fourmaux
“Congratulations to Elfyn on his championship win, and commiserations to Oliver – his time will come. For me, I didn’t quite get the first win I wanted, but I will always remember Saudi Arabia last year. This has been a tough season, but I scored some nice podiums. It’s been a fantastic two years driving the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 and fighting at the top; we had the pace, particularly on gravel, and we ended the year not far off the Toyotas despite the issues we’ve had this season. I’d like to say a huge thank you for the team; I’m very proud of our performance.”
2026 FIA World Rally Championship 13 Round, Rally Italia Sardegna 01- 04 October 2026 Photographer: Dufour Fabien Wordwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
Thierry Neuville
“I’m super disappointed for the weekend, but happy to end the season with a final Power Stage victory. It’s been a challenging year, so I’d like to say a huge thank you to the team – they did amazing. We’ve been together for 13 seasons, been through a lot of highs and lows, and these past two years have been tough, yet the team has remained committed and motivated. I’m pleased we were able to bring home one victory for them this year – and it was very nearly two. Finally, congratulations to Elfyn, he has been close so many times deserves the title. Oliver also did so well this weekend, and it nearly paid off, so well done to him as well.”
M-Sport Ford WRT
Jon Armstrong
“So, Rally Sardegna is finished. It was my first time here, so I didn’t know what to expect, but on recce it was very challenging to understand how fast to drive, and then the roads were really rough when we got there.
“We just had a strategy to stay out of trouble and get to the finish of the rally, so that’s the goal achieved.
“It’s been really cool to be part of the last event with the Rally1 car. Overall, the season has had some highs, but a lot of lows. I think we can be happy with our potential, and hopefully we’ll be able to put the experience we’ve gained this year into improving again next year.
Overall, not too bad, and thanks to the team and all the sponsors for their dedication and efforts to help us achieve what we have this year.”
Mārtiņš Sesks
“Two and a half years done. It’s been an incredible experience to be part of this, to be part of the elite of world rallying. We’ve had some really high highs and also some low points, but looking back at it, I think it’s been great for the future.
“We’ve already tested many things in the sport, so let’s see what next year brings and what the future brings. I just want to say thank you to everyone who’s been with us, and let’s see what happens.”
Josh McErlean
“What a way to end the season. Watching that Power Stage from a fan perspective was quite incredible, seeing Elfyn and Scotty win the championship like that.
“But yeah, that’s what this sport brings. Our rally was going quite well until, unfortunately, we hit a tree on Saturday evening. The team did a terrific job to change the engine overnight, with not much time to spare.
“It’s been a rollercoaster of a year, so I’m really thankful to have been in Rally1 for two years now. Let’s see what the future holds, but there have been many great friends and memories made.”
2026 FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers’ Standings
After round 13
1
E. Evans
243
2
O. Solberg
238
3
S. Pajari
237
4
S. Ogier
189
5
A. Fourmaux
183
6
T. Katsuta
175
7
T. Neuville
134
8
H. Paddon
38
9
J. McErlean
35
10
E. Lappi
33
2026 FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers’ Standings
After round 13
1
Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team
662
2
Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team
440
3
Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team 2
251
4
M-Sport Ford World Rally Team
168
Summary
What an amazing three days of competition we were treated to then, with a battle between the top crews of this championship for victory of the rally and also for the championship crown.
Oliver and Elliott did everything they could to not just win the rally, but also this season’s championship and it really did come down to the last few hundred metres. They took the lead from Thierry and Martijn and really didn’t look back. The incident at the end of the final stage was hugely disappointing for them, but they will definitely challenge for the title in the future.
Seb and Vincent had a quiet rally to second overall. There were stage wins along the way, but it was a drive to keep his teammates in the championship fight in the spotlight. They even didn’t push very hard throughout Sunday’s stages just in order it seems to avoid taking points from Elfyn, Sami or Oliver.
Sami and Marko took yet another podium and it was a good drive from the young Finnish crew. They came into the weekend as a championship hopeful but were not quite able to fight right near the front for the title. They came into the weekend closest to Elfyn and Scott yet finished in third place in the championship. They will be back though and will challenge for the championship again.
Finally, we have to highlight the drive by Elfyn and Scott to the 2026 World Rally Championship. They opened the road again throughout Friday and finished the day in sixth overall. They then kept themselves in the window throughout Saturday and despite losing fourth to Adrien and Alex at the end of the day, they were right there on Sunday to take the fight onto the last few stages. Then when they had the stop to change the wheel in the penultimate stage, they laid it all on the line in the final stage and it gave them the chance to take the title so then when Oliver and Elliott went off the road, it was enough to take the championship by five points.
They join Colin and Derek, champions in 1995, Richard and Robert, champions in 2001 as British World Rally Champions and Elfyn is the first title winner from Wales.
Today, Formula 2 and Formula 3 have unveiled their 2027 calendars which will see the final 2 steps on the road to F1 test the future generations at new tracks, destinations and continents across both championships.
Formula 2:
The majority of the Formula 2 calendar is largely unchanged with the most noteable changes being: – A return to Canada – No returns to Belgium, Hungary or Miami – A new adventure in Istanbul, Turkey and Mexico City, Mexico.
Here are the countries F2 will visit in 2027:
Bahrain Saudi Arabia Australia Canada Monaco Great Britain Austria Italy Spain Azerbaijan Turkey Mexico Qatar Abu Dhabi
Bruno Michel, FIA Formula 2 CEO , said “I’m very excited to add three new venues in a financially sustainable way, with the return of Montreal following its surprise addition in 2026 and the first appearance of Istanbul and Mexico City. We will be covering freight costs so that the territorial expansion of the calendar does not financially impact our teams.”
Formula 3:
Similar to its bigger sibling, Formula 3 remains mainly unchanged but with these changes: – New races in Jeddah, Canada and Turkey – No Races in Belgium or Huyngary
Here are the countries F3 will visit in 2027:
Bahrain Saudi Arabia Australia Canada Monaco Great Britain Austria Italy Spain Turkey
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said that “Formula 3 is where many drivers begin to prove themselves on the international stage” before he continues to say “Providing young talent with these experiences is fundamental to building the future of our sport, and I look forward to watching this next generation rise to the challenge throughout the 2027 season.”
Writer’s Opinion
When I first saw the calendars, I was shocked at some of the announcements. I think the main one for me is Jeddah being included in F3 is quite shocking. I know Madring was very safe apart from the Feature Race 1 crash but Jeddah is a different type of circuit at a different time of the year where the risks can be made. It will be interesting to see how it goes.
As for F2, Mexico City is a surprise and will present a new challenge to all drivers at the high altitude and the mechachrome engines which will give everyone a run for their money.
David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) kept his cool when it mattered most to take his third victory of the 2026 Moto3 season at Motegi, surviving late pressure from Championship leader Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) in yet another tense head-to-head battle. The pair broke clear of the chasing pack in the closing stages, but despite the best efforts of the #28, it was Almansa who had the final word this time out. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completed the podium as the three Championship contenders continue to battle it out.
Almansa made the perfect getaway, launching from the front and immediately taking control of the race. Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was equally quick off the line and attacked at Turn 5 on the opening lap, but Almansa held firm. David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) settled into third, while Quiles found himself in fourth as he looked to make the most of his first opportunity to wrap up the title.
Photo Credit: Pirelli Press Office
The lead changed hands on Lap 3 when Uriarte made his move at Turn 3. Almansa tucked in behind his fellow KTM rider with teammate Muñoz close by, while Quiles and Carpe began making their presence felt. Carpe soon moved into third, with Muñoz getting shuffled backwards as the pack started to close in. Quiles struggled this race with a few mistakes with the biggest being at the end of Lap 4, leaving the Championship leader seven tenths away from the three riders ahead. Some championship nerves could have been at play.
By Lap 5, eight riders had formed the leading group. Rico Salmela (Red Bull KTM Tech3) was up to fifth, with Ryusei Yamanaka (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI) and Matteo Bertelle (LEVEL UP – MTA) also firmly in the fight. Muñoz continued to lose ground, dropping to eighth after being passed by Yamanaka and Bertelle in quick succession.
Uriarte was handed a double Long Lap Penalty on Lap 8 after his team worked on his bike on the grid after the three-minute board had been displayed. The penalty dropped the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider out of contention for victory and handed the advantage to Almansa, who suddenly found himself with clear air ahead. The team commented that their was an issue with Uriartes break lever that was found on the sighting lap – yet another reason why a warm up session should be held for all classes. To find mechanical/technical issues and remedy them so as to not risk riders.
By Lap 12, the Quiles was firmly back in the victory fight, he made his move on Carpe at Turn 5, moving into second and immediately setting his sights on Almansa. With the leading pair now clear, it was becoming another classic Moto3 duel with Almansa and Quiles fighting for victory. With five laps remaining, Quiles handed Almansa some breathing room after making another mistake at Turn 8. The error dropped him around a second behind the race leader and back towards Carpe.
Quiles dragged himself back to within half a second of Almansa, while Carpe was left slightly further behind in a safe third. Once again, it was going to come down to the final lap between two riders who have spent much of the season fighting each other at the sharp end. Quiles was right on Almansa’s rear wheel as they entered the final sector, searching for an opening. The first opportunity came at Turn 11, but Almansa was inch-perfect on the brakes and positioned his KTM perfectly to close the door.
Photo Credit: Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool
Quiles tried again through Turns 13 and 14, but there was simply nowhere to go. Almansa had covered every possible avenue and held his line all the way to the chequered flag to secure his third victory of the year. Quiles had to settle for second, but the result keeps his Championship advantage intact and gives him another opportunity to seal the title next weekend in Indonesia. Carpe’s third place meanwhile gave the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider his seventh podium of the 2026 season.
Despite serving his double Long Lap Penalty, Uriarte produced an impressive recovery to finish fourth. Salmela equalled his career-best result with fifth, while Bertelle brought his LEVEL UP – MTA machine home in sixth. Muñoz recovered to seventh, with Yamanaka taking eighth and enjoying his best result of the season in front of his home crowd.
Joel Esteban (LEVEL UP – MTA) completed ninth, while Adrian Cruces (CIP GreenPower) rounded out the top ten.
Further down the order, Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia) led the next group home in 11th, finishing just over 21 seconds from the race winner. Hakim Danish (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI) who had a shocking weekend full of crashes, including a huge highside in the Friday practice session followed in 12th, with Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) 13th, Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) 14th and Casey O’Gorman (SIC58 Squadra Corse) completing the points-paying positions in 15th.
The second day then of this hugely important rally for the title challengers and they, plus their fellow teammates and rivals would have just under 124 kilometres over six stages to face. Dani and Patricia returned to the action following their exit yesterday and would open the road.
First up then was SS8 Lerno – Sa Conchedda – Monti di Ala’ 1 and Thierry started the day strongly setting the fastest time from Oliver and Seb, whilst Sami and Elfyn would be fourth and fifth. Unfortunately, Adrien and Alex fell from second place after getting a puncture. They continued to the end of the stage without changing the wheel and lost a minute. The chance for victory had gone for the French duo and they emerged in fifth position.
Next up then was SS9 Coiluna – Loelle 1 and this time Oliver set the pace from Seb and Adrien, whilst the rally leader, Thierry was only fourth and eleven seconds of the Swedes pace. This saw his lead shrink to just three seconds. Adrien’s pace saw him move back into fourth place and past Sami. The Hyundai driver was thinking of getting back onto the podium and was only twenty seconds behind his countryman. Before the stage started, it was confirmed that Dani and Patricia had retired for the day, and this was due to Dani still suffering with pain from the crash during shakedown.
The final morning stage, SS10 Solorche’ 1, a completely new stage for this rally this year and Oliver’s push for the lead which we’d seen throughout the morning saw him and Elliott take the lead with the fastest time and Adrien was second fastest and Thierry was third. Just 2.7 seconds separated the Belgian from the rally new leader who was where he needed to be for the championship, whilst Sami and Elfyn were fifth and sixth respectively.
After the service break came SS11 Lerno – Sa Conchedda – Monti di Ala’ 2 and Seb was back to the head of the timesheets, with fellow countryman Adrien second and Oliver third. There was drama behind though as Thierry who’d only just started the stage took off the rear left wheel and suspension, putting him out for the rest of the day. Ironically, this helped Elfyn as he gained a position, moving into fifth. This was not really what Oliver wanted, but that’s rallying. Before the stage started, Martins retired from the rally as there was a problem with his steering rack.
Onto SS12 Coiluna – Loelle 2 and Seb kept his winning streak going with the fastest time from Oliver and Sami. Adrien had another puncture in this one and as it was quite early in the stage. They stopped to change this time and lost a minute and thirty seconds or so. The result of this was that he dropped two positions and fell to fifth place. Elfyn was now in fourth with Sami in third. There was drama for Josh sadly in this one as his Puma slid wide and hit a tree at the side of a quick part of the stage. There was a little damage to the front but after finishing the stage, there was a need to get through the time control and see what else was damaged.
To the final stage then, SS13 Solorche’ 2 and Adrien was back to stage winning pace setting the pace from Oliver and Seb. The pace he set saw him repass Elfyn and get back into fifth place by 6.4 seconds. Meanwhile, Oliver held the overall lead from Seb and Sami, whilst Josh finished the stage, but then retired on the road section before reaching the end of day service.
Let’s take a look at the top ten and hear from the drivers.
Classification after Day Two
1
O. Solberg
E. Edmondson
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
2:42:33.2
2
S. Ogier
V. Landais
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
+33.6
3
S. Pajari
M. Salminen
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
+1:39.9
4
A. Fourmaux
A. Coria
Hyundai i20 N Rally1
+2:32.0
5
E. Evans
S. Martin
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
+2:38.4
6
T. Katsuta
A. Johnston
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
+5:43.9
7
J. Armstrong
S. Byrne
Ford Puma Rally1
+6:01.2
8
R. Korhonen
A. Viinikka
Toyota GR Yaris Rally2
+8:23.0
9
G. Greensmith
J. Andersson
Toyota GR Yaris Rally2
+8:42.6
10
T. Suninen
J. Hussi
Toyota GR Yaris Rally2
+9:46.6
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Oliver Solberg
“I think this has been one of the toughest days but one of the best also. The feeling in the car has been really good and this morning was quite flat-out to try to get ourselves into the lead, which we were able to do. This afternoon I tried to be a bit more clever and look after the tyres, while a lot of things were happening around us on every stage. On one hand, those incidents for others gave us more of a lead, but they also benefitted our rivals for the championship. But we can’t control anyone else, and we just have to keep doing the best we can. Tomorrow the objective is clear, and the target will be the full 10 bonus points, as it has been on most Sundays this year.”
Sébastien Ogier
“This has been a more positive day for us than yesterday. We managed to climb some positions and I enjoyed this afternoon, especially this first stage of the loop which has the nicest profile of the weekend and was not so rough, and it was good to win two stages. It feels like anything can still happen in this rally, as tomorrow is a long day with some rough sections to drive through. Oliver has done a great job so far and I would not want to wish bad luck on anyone, but it can happen to any of us, myself included, so we just have to keep trying until the end.”
Sami Pajari
“We had high hopes that today could be stronger than yesterday, but it seemed that the road order was unfortunately still playing quite a role and it just wasn’t really possible to be faster than the guys who were starting behind us. We haven’t been giving up and we’ve still been trying to do all that we can. We were anticipating that some drama could happen this afternoon, and that allowed us to gain a couple of positions. The situation is not in our hands, but I don’t think that anybody will be cruising around tomorrow, so many things can still happen, and we just need to keep pushing to the end.”
Elfyn Evans
“We were in a tricky position today. The feeling was OK behind the wheel, and we were driving cleanly, but the road was evolving and the grip improving a lot with every car, so with fast drivers starting behind us, it was difficult to try to close the gaps to them. The second pass was quite rough and perhaps we were a bit too conservative in the first two stages, but when Adrien got a puncture and dropped a few seconds behind us, we gave it everything in the last stage to try to keep him behind. One more position would have helped us for tomorrow, but with many cars between us, we didn’t stand much chance. Oliver has been driving very well and put himself in a strong position, but tomorrow is still a long day and we just need to go all in.”
Takamoto Katsuta
“Today was quite OK for us and better than yesterday, with no problems. It wasn’t easy as we were second on the road, and then we had to open the road this afternoon, but I just tried to drive cleanly and as well as possible. We managed to gain some positions and now our road position should be better for tomorrow with a few cars in front of us. It’s going to be an exciting final day for all the fans to follow and we will just try to enjoy the last day driving this car.”
Hyundai Motorsport
Adrien Fourmaux
“Today has been quite frustrating. When we pushed, we had the pace to fight at the front, but when we chose to look after the tyres, we ended up with punctures. It is such a shame as the car is excellent and we have a great team behind us, and it feels like a lot of hard work has been lost through circumstances we cannot fully control. However, it was important for me that we fought back on that final stage, because anything can still happen tomorrow. It would be nice to end the Rally1 era with a podium for the team.”
2026 FIA World Rally Championship 13 Round, Rally Italia Sardegna 01- 04 October 2026 Photographer: Dufour Fabien Wordwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
Thierry Neuville
“We made a very unfortunate mistake. The plan was to fight with Oliver this afternoon and try to bring home a victory for the team. A few hundred metres into SS11, I saw a stone on the inside of the corner. I thought I was a little too close, so I opened the steering slightly, then closed it again, and lost the rear of the car. There was a tree, and I took the wheel off, so it was an immediate finish for us. I’m very disappointed for the team and can only apologise. We will be back tomorrow to finish the day and do whatever we can to help bring home a podium.”
Sunday
The final day then holds 61 kilometres over four stages and at the end of that we shall have a new world champion crew. Who know which of the three Toyota crews it will be? The super Sunday points will certainly have a bearing on which crew takes the title. Could Elfyn and Scott though move up a position just to help their bid?
