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Every season seems to introduce a new wave of wonderkids, and 2026 is shaping up to be no different. The depth of young talent across different feeder and support series continues to grow, with drivers stepping into high-pressure environments at earlier ages than ever before. The young drivers listed are not seat fillers, they’re entering make-or-break seasons that could define their careers. And are set to have seasons to put them on the map. The five young drivers we are listing have very different backgrounds and race across multiple disciplines and development ladders. 2026 will be very fun to watch. Fionn McLaughlin (18) – Formula 3, Red Bull Junior Team We first highlighted Fionn McLaughlin last summer in our look at future F1 prospects, and 2026 feels like a pivotal year for him. With much of the spotlight focused on Audi Academy driver Freddie Slater, McLaughlin enters the season with something to prove and plenty of pressure on his shoulders as part of the Red Bull Junior Team. And after winning the British F4 championship he can handle it. Red Bull is notoriously demanding with its young drivers, but McLaughlin has shown great speed and racecraft to handle that environment. If he can manage expectations and deliver consistently, a genuine Formula 3 title push is not out of the question. It will be interesting to hear Red Bull's expectations for him this year. But for us a top 5 finish would be amazing. Isabella Robusto (21) – NASCAR ARCA Menards Series, Toyota Development Driver Another familiar name for our audience, Isabella Robusto heads into 2026 coming off her strongest ARCA season to date. This year feels critical as she looks to convince Toyota that she’s ready for an opportunity in the NASCAR Truck Series. So far she is still searching for her first ARCA win but she showed great consistency and growth in 2025. Robusto has continued to diversify her racing schedule to stay sharp, a move that reflects her commitment to improvement. The biggest obstacle remains ARCA itself, where surviving avoiding back marker chaos can derail even the strongest runs. If she clears that hurdle, she’s one of the most compelling drivers to watch this season. Josh Pierson (19) – Indy NXT Josh Pierson was once viewed as a prodigy, competing in LMP2 and at Le Mans at just 16 years old and fast-tracked as a future IndyCar star. While his path hasn’t been as linear as originally expected, 2026 presents a major opportunity for a reset. And will be a great time to show the IndyCar world he's a top prospect and there's no need to sign old F1 drivers. Driving for Andretti in Indy NXT, Pierson enters the season with expectations of race wins and a serious championship push. A breakout year could put him right back into the IndyCar conversation for 2027, where his early promise could finally translate into a top-level seat. Brian Uriarte (17) – Moto3, KTM Brian Uriarte is coming off a massive 2025, capturing both the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and the FIM JuniorGP World Championship. That success has carried him into a full-time Moto3 ride, following four promising appearances last season by the Spaniard. At just 17, expectations are understandably measured, but the talent is obvious. A top-10 championship finish would already mark an excellent rookie campaign, and KTM appears content to let this season serve as a learning year. Still, don’t be surprised if Uriarte exceeds those expectations sooner rather than later. Taito Kato (18) – Formula 3, Honda Formula Dream Project Taito Kato has quietly climbed to the European single-seater ladder, and his progression suggests there’s more to come. In 2024, his first year in cars, Kato won the French F4 Championship and immediately established himself as a serious prospect. Now entering Formula 3 full-time in 2026, Kato faces a deeper and more competitive field than usual. A top-six championship finish would be a strong result and could quickly elevate him into longer-term F1 discussions as a Honda-backed driver to monitor over the next five years.

Sebastien Bourdais in the #8 Tower Motorsports LMP2 during the 2026 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona International Speedway (Photo by: Brandon Badraoui / Lumen Digital Agency) The 46-year-old frenchman steps away from IMSA as Tower Motorsports confirmed Bourdais has made the decision to part ways with the team following the conclusion of the 2026 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. Sebastien Bourdais will be shifting his focus and committment to the World Endurance Championship in the Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA Hypercar program. Tower Motorsports has made the following statement regarding Bourdais decision. "We respect and support Sebastien's committment to his responsibilities with Cadillac and appreiciate the professionalism, expierence, and speed he brought to our organization. We thank Sebastien for his contributions and wish him continued success for the remainder of the WEC season and beyond." Bourdais joined Tower motorsports for the 2025 season following his time at Chip Ganassi Racing-run Cadillac Racing GTP towards the end of the 2024 season. Bourdais first race with Tower Motorsports resulted in a win, however that was short lived as the team was penalized post race for a technical infraction and lost the victory, but then followed that up with a podium finish in the 12 Hours of Sebring. At the conclusion of the 2025 season, the #8 Tower Motorsports entry finished 10th in the LMP2 Teams standings. In this years Rolex 24, the team finished eigth in the LMP2 class. It is still to be announced who Tower Motorsports will replace Sebastien Bourdais alongside John Farano, Sebastian Alvarez, and Indycar driver Kyffin Simpson in their #8 LMP2 ORECA 07-Gibson.

This motorsports weekend recap goes over major storylines across multiple disciplines, with weather, strategy, and resilience shaping the headlines. NASCAR’s preseason plans were disrupted by historic snowfall, IndyCar took a major step towards a street race in Washington, D.C., Supercross saw Cooper Webb rebound in Houston, and Formula E produced an amazing tactical battle in Miami. NASCAR Historic winter weather in North Carolina has forced NASCAR to postpone its preseason exhibition event once again. The Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium was originally scheduled to run across Saturday and Sunday, but a powerful bomb cyclone dumped nearly a foot of snow across the region, bringing much of the state to a standstill. With overnight temperatures continuing to dip below freezing, clearing roads and surrounding infrastructure remains a challenge. As a result, NASCAR officially rescheduled the Cook Out Clash to Wednesday, February 4th, delaying the event by an additional two days. Track officials emphasized that safety for fans, teams, and the local community remains the top priority. “Due to the impacts of historic winter weather across the North Carolina region, the #CookOutClash has been rescheduled to Wednesday, Feb. 4,” the track said in a statement, noting continued coordination with the City of Winston-Salem and the North Carolina Department of Transportation. According to weather sites, daytime temperatures are expected to climb into the low-to-mid 40s by Wednesday, though overnight freezing conditions and a chance of rain remain concerns. IndyCar IndyCar may be headed to the streets of Washington, D.C., in August following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump. The order directs the Departments of Interior and Transportation, in coordination with the D.C. mayor’s office, to design a street circuit near the National Mall as part of the United States’ 250th birthday celebrations. The proposed event, named the “America250 Grand Prix,” is targeted for the weekend of August 21–23, with IndyCar confirming its willingness to organize and run the race alongside federal and local officials, in what would be one of the most ambitious street races in series history. IndyCar owner Roger Penske called the opportunity a major honor for the sport, while D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser highlighted the potential economic boost from increased tourism, hotel occupancy, and national exposure. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks also showed support for the event. Despite the enthusiasm, significant hurdles remain. Establishing a temporary street circuit in the nation’s capital on only 8 months notice presents major challenges, and questions persist regarding advertising restrictions on Capitol grounds. A White House official stated the administration believes congressional approval will not be required and that solutions are being explored through the Department of Transportation. In the Fall Mark Miles previously cast doubt on the feasibility of a D.C. race on such a compressed timeline, stating that a 2026 debut wasn't realistic given the complexity involved. Whether the America250 Grand Prix becomes reality in 2026 remains to be seen. Supercross – Houston The Houston round delivered one of the most unpredictable nights of the young Supercross season, as the first Triple Crown of the stadium campaign produced three different race winners in the 450SMX Class. Reigning champion Cooper Webb claimed his first overall victory of the season with finishes of 4-2-3, earning nine total points and securing the 31st win of his career. The result came as a major morale boost after a difficult start to his title defense with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing. Race 1 belonged to Ken Roczen, who grabbed the holeshot and led every lap en route to a wire-to-wire victory over Chase Sexton and Eli Tomac. Webb finished fourth, while Hunter Lawrence saw a potential podium slip away after a late mistake. Race 2 saw Jorge Prado take the holeshot before Lawrence made a decisive late pass to earn the win. Webb charged forward to finish second, while Tomac crashed while running sixth and salvaged a 13th-place result. The final race delivered the night’s most dramatic moments. Tomac rebounded with the holeshot and eventually took the win, but Webb’s relentless charge from outside the top five proved decisive. After late-race mistakes from both Roczen and Sexton, Webb moved into third, which secured him the overall victory. Webb finished one point ahead of Lawrence, with Roczen completing the podium. Tomac’s win limited the damage to his championship lead, which now sits at just four points over Lawrence. Roczen moved within 12 points, while Webb’s victory vaulted him into fifth in the standings. Formula E Photo by Simon Galloway/LAT Images The Formula E weekend saw Mitch Evans deliver a masterclass while earning his first points of the season after entering the weekend scoreless. Pole-sitter Nico Müller and Felipe Drugovich led the early stages following a rolling start due to earlier rain, before a standing start reshuffled the order. Drugovich briefly controlled the race using early Attack Mode, while Müller, Stoffel Vandoorne, and Pascal Wehrlein positioned themselves for the long game. As the race unfolded, aggressive energy usage at the front opened the door for others. Antonio Felix da Costa made a late charge into the lead, but Evans timed his Attack Mode perfectly, carving through the field before overtaking Müller with a decisive move. Late contact between Drugovich and da Costa eliminated the Brazilian from contention, while Evans steadily built a gap at the front. By the closing laps, Evans had complete control, holding off the Porsche duo as the field cycled through final Attack Modes. Photo by Simon Galloway/LAT Images Evans took the checkered flag ahead of Müller and Wehrlein in a double podium for Porsche. Joel Eriksson narrowly missed out on the podium in an impressive showing, while Nyck de Vries led the Mahindra effort with a strong fifth-place finish.

The No. 7 Porsche Penske drivers celebrate overall win in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona International Speedway (Photo by: USA Today) This years Rolex 24 at Daytona was a record attendance race weekend filled with Chaos from start to finish. As the green flag flew at the start of the race, as the GTP class got underway, just behind them in the LMP2 class, chaos ensued. Multiple vehicles involved in the first corner of the first lap. Multiple LMP2 cars crash at the first corner of the first lap (Screenshot by: BryanBateman3 via YouTube) Due to the amount of Debris, the yellow flag flew on the opening lap but shortly got underway only a couple of minutes later. Not long later another crash occured, this time with the GTD #28 RS1 Porsche of Eric Zitza hitting the tire barrier of the pit wall in turn 1. In addition, a couple of hours later, the #83 LMP2 of Dylan Murry has a massive incident in the infield spinning in the grass and collecting the #120 GTD Porsche of Adam Adelson in the process bringing out another caution. Fast Forward to the overnight stint, the full course caution comes out for fog which put a bizzare twist on this years Rolex 24. This caution ending up becoming the longest in the events history at a record 6 hours and 33 minutes, 250 laps under yellow flag conditions. Heading back into the day stint, the intensity picks up. With 2 and a half hours left, the #64 Mustang GTD Pro of Mike Rockenfeller came to a stop in the oval turn 3 with leaking fluids and not much later the #10 GTP Cadillac of Ricky Taylor goes into the pits with an engine failure, ending his race. As time winds down, the battle for the overall win heats up in GTP with Felipe Nasr in the #7 Porsche Penske, and Jack Aitken in the #31 Cadillac. Going down the front stretch, Aitken goes for a risky move into turn 1 but Nasr blocks him off and holds the lead. While that was going on, in the GTD class, the #57 Mercedes of Philip Ellis and the #44 Aston Martin of Nicki Thiim make contact racing for the win but keep it straight. GTD Pro Rolex 24 winner Dan Harper in the #1 BMW (Photo by Jake Galstad/IMSA) LMP2 Rolex 24 winner Alex Quinn in the #04 Crowdstrike (Photo by: Brandon Badraoui/IMSA) GTD Rolex 24 Winner Philip Ellis in the #57 Mercedes Winward Racing (Photo by: IMSA) GTP Rolex 24 Winner Felipe Nasr in the #7 Porsche Penske (Photo by: IMSA) Coming to the checkered flag, it was Felipe Nasr and the #7 Porsche Penske on top at Daytona winning 3 Rolex 24's in a row. In GTD Pro, it was the #1 BMW of Dan Harper taking victory. In the GTD class, after recieving a qualifying penalty, it was not enough to deny victory from the #57 Mercedes of Philip Ellis. Lastly, in the LMP2 class it was Alex Quinn in the #04 Crowdstrike who took victory as he was the last class leader to take the checkered flag.

To get to NASCAR there’s a simple ladder you go through Trucks to the newly renamed O’Reilly Auto Parts Series then boom you’re a Cup Series driver, in Formula 1 you go through F3 and F2. But for Formula E there is no ladder which creates some really cool stories as each driver has a different path. You can be a once promising F1 talent but forced to consider other options if theirs no space, or you can be an Endurance racing icon looking to do something new in the twilight of your career. It makes Formula E so diverse and interesting. And here are 3 drivers we want to spotlight and tell their story on their road to Formula E. (Photo by Alastair Staley/LAT Images) Felipe Drugovich: For three years Felipe Drugovich stood at the very edge of Formula 1. He joined the Aston Martin family during his championship winning Formula 2 campaign in 2021 and brought with him the hype and support of the entire continent of South America. (Photo by Alastair Staley/LAT Images) A drive in the world championship was always just a few steps ahead of him, sick drivers were well enough in time for the race and he was stuck turning laps in FP1 as the nominated rookie for the team… and for a while it felt like the Brazilian would stay in reserve driver purgatory, never able to make the leap to a full time seat but not quite able to let to of Formula 1 as a whole. Drugovich had his first taste of Formula E in 2023 when he joined Maserati MSG Racing for the Berlin and Rome rookie tests and - unsurprisingly - topped both events. The following year he took part in the European Le Mans Series for the first time, finishing 15th in the LMP2 class after missing one of the six rounds, and also made his 24h of Le Mans debut with Cadillac Whelen - with whom he returned the following year and for the 24h of Daytona. He returned to Maserati for another go at the Berlin rookie test in 2024, this time taking 4th in a field of 22 drivers - but it wasn’t until 2025 that Drugovich would get his first competitive taste of Formula E. (Photo by Alastair Staley/LAT Images) The 2025 Berlin E-Prix clashed with the 6 hours of São Paulo and a certain Nyck de Vries was heading to Brazil to race for Toyota, leaving his Mahindra Racing seat vacant for Berlin. Mahindra could’ve picked their usual rookie tester Kush Maini to fill the seat, but with the rookie test taking place on the Monday after the race they would need to find another driver to fill their seat for that so instead they picked Drugovich. His first Formula E race went terribly, but it was far from the worst debut in the all-electric championship. After battling through multiple penalties in his first race he went on to finish 7th in his second start for Mahindra - a result that caught the eye of Andretti who snapped him up for their season 12 lineup alongside championship winner Jake Dennis. The first two races of season 12 haven’t ended well for Drugovich and he is one of only a handful of drivers yet to score points, but with the Miami E-Prix just around the corner at a new circuit to Formula E he should have a good chance at breaking back into the top 10. Quick Facts: Age: 25 Formula E Team: Andretti Car no. : 28 Sébastien Buemi: Sébastien Buemi has taken part in all but five Formula E races - and there’s been 150 - so it’s safe to say he’s a very experienced driver in the all electric championship. Aside from being a four times Le Mans winner and World Endurance Champion, Buemi is also known as the poor Toro Rosso driver who had both front tyres ping off his car during the 2010 Chinese Grand Prix. (Photo by Simon Galloway/LAT Images) After spending three seasons in Formula 1, Buemi switched to sportscar racing while stepping into a test driver role with Red Bull Racing - which later turned into a reserve driver role and eventually the development role he is still doing to this day - and this is where it’s clear to see just how loyal of a driver Buemi is. The Swiss racer has been with Red Bull since 2007, with Toyota in WEC since 2012 and stayed with the e.dams team in Formula E from 2014 until the end of 2022, when he switched to Envision Racing. Now if that’s not consistency… (Photo by Hector Vivas/LAT Images) In terms of Formula E, Buemi is considered to be one of the most successful drivers of all time. He topped the first ever Formula E test at Donington Park in 2014 and jointly holds the records for most Formula E wins (with Mitch Evans), most pole positions (with Jean-Éric Vergne), and has the 3rd most podiums. Now in his late 30s, Buemi still races in both Formula E and the World Endurance Championship and is still considered one of the most talented drivers on the grid. Quick facts: Age: 37 Formula E team: Envision Racing Car no. : 16 Dan Ticktum: British driver Dan Ticktum is perhaps one of the most divisive drivers in Formula racing and has had a very rocky journey to Formula E. (Photo by Hector Vivas/LAT Images) After being banned from motorsport in 2015 after a purposeful crash, Ticktum returned to racing in 2016 and began his journey up the motorsports ladder. He took the first of his two Macau Grand Prix wins in 2017 before winning it again in 2018 and also taking runner-up honours in the European Formula 3 championship. He soon found himself racing in Formula 2 as part of the Red Bull Junior Team and for a while was considered to take over from Brendon Hartley at Toro Rosso before he parted ways with the team midway through 2019. He followed this up with a short stint at the Williams Driver Academy which ended abruptly in 2021 - just around the time Ticktum criticised Williams Racing driver Nicholas Latifi on a livestream. With no options in Formula 1, Ticktum followed in the footsteps of many before him and made the switch to Formula E. He joined Nio 333 Racing, a dying team that was struggling to finish races, let alone score points! (Photo by Hector Vivas/LAT Images) Ticktum stayed with the team through the withdrawal of Nio’s support and into their brief rebranding as ERT and is credited with introducing ERT to The Forest Road Company, an investment firm that now owns the team and has helped usher them into a new era. He took his first podium, win and pole position in season 11 and was hoping to build on that this season - but two strokes of bad luck have forced him to retire from both races so far and he now sits at the very bottom of the standings. Following round two of the championship in Mexico City, Ticktum spoke out about the standards of driving in the series and even called out the stewards for not punishing drivers for bad driving. His comments caused a flurry on social media and put him - once again - at the centre of controversy. Love him or hate him, you cannot deny that Ticktum brings eyes to Formula E, and with his pace and willingness to take risks on track he’s certainly one to keep an eye on in 2026! Quick facts: Age: 26 Formula E team: Cupra Kiro Car no. : 33

Every new season brings fresh optimism, but in the junior and feeder series ranks, championships are often decided by the ability to survive chaos. These 2026 junior and feeder series championship predictions focus on drivers who are either perfectly aligned with new formats, jumping up a level in performance, or simply are positioned better than their rivals at the moment. Motorsports are unpredictable so who know's how 2026 will go NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series: Justin Allgaier Originally, Sam Mayer looked like my pick after what was arguably the strongest season of his career in 2025. However, the revised playoff format shifts the advantage toward drivers who can deliver steady results week after week, and that plays directly into Justin Allgaier’s hands. Allgaier’s experience, consistency, and great race pace makes him one of the most reliable drivers in the NOAPS (I miss Xfinity) garage. JR Motorsports and Chevrolet remain a proven pairing, and year after year Allgaier shows he can contend for wins and rack up points efficiently. The one-race championship finale has historically been his stumbling block, but with the chase coming back this year, the odds tilt back in his favor. The key question for 2026 is whether Allgaier can maintain elite-level consistency for yet another season and continue to outrun the inevitable conversation around age. NASCAR Truck Series: Layne Riggs With Corey Heim’s reign of terror over, the Truck Series appears ready for a new champion. Layne Riggs enters 2026 as the most logical successor after establishing himself as the second-best driver in the series last season. Riggs has already shown race-winning capability, and more importantly, he has demonstrated the ability to stay out of trouble in a series that has become increasingly unpredictable. The Chase structure should further reward his consistency. Building on two wins and nine top-three finishes in 2025, a championship would not only validate Riggs’ will accelerate his path toward a Cup Series opportunity in the next year or two. NASCAR ARCA Menards Series: Leland Honeyman Jr The ARCA Menards Series looks wide open on the surface, but in reality, only a handful of full-time drivers enter 2026 as legitimate title threats. Among them, Leland Honeyman stands out due to his experience across NOAPS and Truck competition. That background should give Honeyman a big edge in ARCA where championships are often won and lost due to chaos. Isabella Robusto remains a close challenger, but over the course of a full season, I think experience will push him to the trophy. If Honeyman avoids chaos and crashes, he should enter most weekends as the driver to beat. Formula 2: Nikola Tsolov Formula 2 has become increasingly volatile, with many questioning how accurately it reflects Formula 1 readiness. Even so, consistency and momentum still matter, and Nikola Tsolov enters 2026 trending in the right direction. This prediction comes with an acknowledgment that the title fight could easily turn into a season-long duel between Tsolov and Camara. While Tsolov’s late-season F2 appearances last year showed some flashes, who knows how 2026 will go. I reall do believe in the Bulgarian but he must not be a Mecachrome victim. Formula 3: Freddie Slater Formula 3 appears to be Freddie Slater’s championship to lose. While I view Red Bull junior Fionn McLaughlin as his primary challenger, Slater’s overall package currently sets him apart from the field. Despite F3’s reputation as a crash heavy and chaos filled series, there is little evidence suggesting a multi-driver dogfight similar to past seasons. Instead, the championship may hinge on reliability, avoiding mistakes, and capitalizing when others falter. At this stage, Slater’s composure and pace advantage make him the most complete option over a full season. The future Audi driver will be one to watch this year. Indy NXT: Lochie Hughes Andretti Global continues to define the standard in Indy NXT, and within that environment, Lochie Hughes emerges as the strongest championship contender entering 2026 from their stable. At 23 years old, Hughes combines maturity with raw speed, a combination that tends to thrive in Andretti’s system. While teammates that are rising prospects such as Max Taylor and Josh Pierson who are expected to show flashes, Hughes appears best positioned to convert speed into consistent podium finishes. Myles Rowe is often cited as Hughes’ biggest threat, but the championship battle may ultimately hinge on the performance gap between Andretti and Abel Motorsports across the season. Super2 Series: Nash Morris Although the 2026 Super2 grid is still taking shape, Nash Morris enters the season as the clear early favorite after finishing third in the championship last year. Morris’ strength lies in his consistency and race-to-race execution rather than dominance in any single area. That approach paid dividends throughout 2025 and positions him well as the series stabilizes its lineup. A Super2 championship would significantly strengthen Morris’ résumé and open doors for a future step up to PremiAir Racing.

Rolex 24 at Daytona practice (Photo by: Rolex Photo) The IMSA racing series kicks off the season opener with the Rolex 24 hours at the Daytona International Speedway with a full field of 61 cars. Heading into this race, Aston Martin is making their debut with the #23 Aston Martin Valkyrie Hypercar in the GTP class with the drivers being Ross Gunn, Roman De Angelis, Alex Riberas, and Marco Sorenson. In recent news, it was announced back in December, Penske driver Josef Newgarden, who is part of Team Penske in the NTT Indycar Series, will not compete in this years Rolex 24, despite testing for Porsche Penske during winter. However, his Indycar teammate Scott McLaughlin will be racing, but not with Porsche Penske. Instead, he will be in the #36 Corvette Z06 GT3. R. for DXDT Racing Alongside Mason Filippi, Charlie Eastwood, and Salih Yoluc in the GTD class. The reason for both Newgarden and Mclaughlin not being apart of the Porsche Penske program for this years Rolex 24 is for Team Penske to run a leaner, more efficient program heading into the 2026 season. Many speculate this years Rolex 24 could be Cadillac's race to lose, but with the likes of Porsche Penske, and BMW to potentially challenge as well, many questions are still to be answered. The Rolex 24 hours at Daytona kicks off this Saturday at 1:30 P.M. Est.

The 2026 NASCAR season is approaching ever close. We’re less than a month away from the 68th running of the Daytona 500. Some teams had a remarkable 2025. Others…not so much. Regardless of the result, each team has an achilles's heel that they need to get over. Rick Ware Racing : This one’s pretty easy. Cody Ware has been around Cup for 9 years now, amassing over 140 starts. He has 2 top 10s. Ever. Some chalked it up to the car being slow, but after Justin Haley showed what a RWR car has the potential to do, with a few top 10s in 2024, it became clear that the primary issue with the 51 was Cody. On top of this, Ware had his worst average finish of his 3 full time seasons this past year, and his worst average finish period since 2018. Haas Factory Team : Haas is switching to Chevrolet in 2026, and that car looks fast. They’re also garnering a Hendrick Motorsports alliance, which is certainly going to help out a young Cole Custer. Cole is an Xfinity champion, the car is going to be better and faster this next year, thanks in both to the new Chevy body and the Hendrick alliance, this team is on the up and up. Hard to pinpoint a weakness that hasn’t been resolves…you could say the spotter, since he forgot which car he was spotting in last year’s 500. All jokes aside, I think the biggest issue right now is the lack of a second car. Cole has no one to look towards for leadership in the building; however, he does have a Hendrick shop not too far away. Hyak Motorsports : Heading into Nashville last year, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. had himself a year going. Just 13 races in, he had 4 top 15s and was sitting an impressive 13th in points. Since then, he’s only managed 2 top 15s, and ended the season 30th in points. Whatever mojo they had at the beginning of last year is gone, and this team is floundering. In the back half of the season, Stenhouse had only 1 top 15 and 14 finishes outside the top 20. It’s hard to say what the weakest point of this team is, because so much seems to be going wrong, but I’ll say it’s time for a change in scenery. Mike Kelly has been atop the box for Stenhouse since 2023, a year he had 2 top 5s, 9 top 10s, a Daytona 500 crown and a playoff berth. In 2024, he had one more top 5, but 3 less top 10s, and he missed the playoffs. They did still muster a win at Talladega late, though. In 2025, however, their top 5s were down to a lone 5th at Atlanta in the spring, and the only 2 other top 10s to show were a pair of 6ths at Texas and Atlanta in the summer. Front Row Motorsports : After a strong 2024, 2025 was somewhat disappointing for Front Row. I’m not sure if Todd Gilliland’s sudden falloff or Noah Gragson’s disappearance was more shocking. The weakest issue with this team is Gilliland, but not in the way you’d think. Michael McDowell left at the end of 2024, and the apparent team leader became Gilliland. Both Zane Smith and Gragson were in their first season with the team, and Gilliland, at only 24, the youngest of the 3 teammates, was forced into the elder statesmen role. The lack of an experienced leader seemed to be the biggest issue. Hopefully another year under each of the driver’s belts mitigates that issue, but I don’t see it being fully fixed for a few more seasons. Kaulig Racing : Kaulig Racing’s future looks bright, as they appear to be the leading candidate for a Dodge alliance here soon. The problem with that? They still have to drive Chevrolets in Cup for at least one more year, likely 2. Expect zero factory support from Chevy for the rest of time for Kaulig. All eyes are on their truck team right now, and the Cup team merely seems like an afterthought, both to Chevy and Kaulig. Until Dodge gets a Cup car approved and the badge on the nose of a Kaulig car, don’t expect anything out of this team. Legacy Motor Club : Legacy’s an interesting case. Both John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones both had solid years, with Jones improving 4 positions in the standings and John Hunter improving an impressive 9. Both also improved on top 5s, top 10s, and laps led. Where this team is struggling is the short track game, however. Of the 8 short track races (Phoenix x2, Martinsville x2, Bristol x2, Iowa, Richmond), John Hunter could only muster a best of 14th at Phoenix in the spring, and only 3 top 15s. For Jones, he managed 0 top 15s, and had to settle for a best of 16th twice, at both Iowa and the fall Phoenix race. Spire Motorsports : Spire had some flashes of brilliance last year, both from Carson Hocevar and Michael McDowell. The 7 car looks to be cursed right now, however. Corey Lajoie went from zero DNFs in 2023 to two flipped racecars in 2024, and Justin Haley went from a bad RWR ride to a halfway decent Spire, yet looked far worse than he did at RWR. Hopefully Daniel Suarez steers the ship in the right direction, but this is a lateral-at-best move for Suarez, and his hopes don’t look too high. 2025 saw Suarez beat out by both McDowell and Hocevar by both 7 and 6 spots respectively in points. I’ll give the 7 car some grace, however, as that’s only limited to 1 car. An issue widespread across this team is reliability. Hocevar alone had several top 10 runs go belly up at the end due to engine or tire failures, the biggest no doubt being his grenaded engine while running top 3 at the Coca Cola 600. Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing : I don’t think many expected a winless season out of RFK, yet here we are. Chris Buescher’s triumph over Shane van Gisbergen at Watkins Glen in 2024 still remains the organization’s last win, and that’s exactly their problem. Roush may have some of the most consistent drivers on the grid, but when the chips are down and it’s time to go out and perform, they can’t seem to put it together. 14 top 5s (15 if you count Ryan Preece’s Talladega disqualification, a P38 on the scoreboard after crossing the line 2nd) and not one win to show for it. Counting Preece’s DQ, 5 runner up finishes cursed this team. Brad Keselowski had 3 of them, 2 of which were the result of last lap passes. Buescher had the other one. What looked to be the best car at Michigan was only good enough for 2nd, as a mistake late under Zane Smith looked to cost Buescher around 2 seconds on track. He ended up losing to Denny Hamlin by only a second. RFK seems to have shaken out the woes of running a 3 car team, as 2 of Keselowski’s 3 second place finishes came in the playoffs. Preece also finished strong, going 5 for 5 on top 15s at the very end of the year, 4 of which were 9th or better. Wood Brothers Racing : The Wood Brothers seem to have found their driver in Josh Berry. He had 2 top 5s in his first 5 races for the team, with start #5 in particular being his first career win. The only problem is, after this, it took Berry another 25 races to get his 3rd top 5, collecting his final top 5 thus far at Loudon in race #30. Only 3 top 5s and 8 top 10s are a worrying sight. Berry’s biggest issue, however? Right turns. In his 11 Cup Series road course starts, Berry has an average finish of 24.9. Berry is more likely to finish worse than 30th than he is to finish inside the top 25, with 5 finishes of 32nd or worse and only 4 top 25s. Thankfully for him, we’re taking one less trip to a road course this year in favor of a mile and a half with an old, worn out surface, very similar to a certain Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Richard Childress Racing : RCR is struggling, to say the least. Kyle Busch has been a shell of his former self the last two and a half years, and Austin Dillon is lost when not in the state of Virginia. I’d say the biggest thing holding this team back is the fact that wins no longer guarantee a driver into the standings, and they’re going to have to run top 16 all year long. In all seriousness, there’s a big leadership issue at RCR. Richard Childress many times last year expressed his frustration after races, claiming that what they’re bringing to the track is “not good enough”, and it’s hard to disagree. RCR may have solved this issue, however. Personnel changes over the offseason have occurred.. Only time will tell if these are fixes, or if there’s an even bigger issue further up the ladder. Trackhouse Racing : Trackhouse is such an amazing conglomeration of a team. They have the most polarizing driver, most diverse driver, and most sought out rookie, all bundled under one roof. Ross Chastain is good for one to two wins a year, Shane van Gisbergen is unstoppable at road courses, and Connor Zilisch looks like a future hall of famer with only a quarter dozen Cup starts under his belt. This team’s biggest issue? There’s only 5 road courses on the entire schedule. As mentioned, Shane can’t stop winning when right turns are involved, and the only guy who looked to challenge him at all last year was his rookie teammate, in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Shane beat Connor at Chicago, but Zilisch bested him at both Sonoma and Watkins Glen (with some help from the chrome horn). Lost in all this, it can’t be forgotten that Chastian’s first career triumph was on the hills of COTA. 23XI : 23XI had two drivers make the playoffs this past year and combine for 4 wins the last 2 seasons. It’s hard to point out a weak link…and then you remember they have a 3rd driver. Riley Herbst had a best finish of 14th, 8 top 20s (Wallace and Reddick both had 14 top 10s, for reference), and a 35th place points finish in 2025. Lagging behind is not a strong enough word to describe how off Herbst is most weeks, he is substantially behind his teammates every single week. I mentioned he had a best finish of 14th. In Corey Heim’s 4 starts with 23XI in 2025, he bested that…twice. With a 13th at Kansas and a 6th at Bristol, Heim looks to be exactly the solution 23XI needs. I don’t see a world where it’s not Heim Time in the 35 next year. Team Penske : 2025 was the first time in the Next Gen car that a Penske driver has not won the championship. Ryan Blaney was one William Byron Martinsville bump and run away from a Pensek 4-peat (pending Phoenix having the same result). Team Penske, no doubt, has to be the most disappointed by the implementation of the Chase. Nobody has been better at Phoenix than them with this racecar. 3 of the 8 wins are shared between Blaney and Joey Logano, and the duo have also captured a combined 10 top 5s in 16 combined races, 7 of which belong to Blaney alone. Missing in all this, however, is Austin Cindric. Much like Josh Berry, 2025 seemed to be his breakout year. However, after 3 top 10s in the first 10 races, including a win at Talladega, CIndric would only manage 2 more the rest of the season. Aside from Cindric’s sophomore slump in 2023, this was his worst season on record, being down in top 5s, top 10s, and overall points rank from his 2022 and 2024 seasons. Not to mention, the major elephant in the room, Tim Cindric is no longer team president, and Austin’s job security seems gone. Another bad year could do it for Cindric’s time in the 2. Joe Gibbs Racing : I’m getting Hendrick 2007 vibes from this team, except the odd man out wasn’t a generational prodigy who could just up and leave…it’s the grandson with his name plastered all over the building. When you’ve got a superstar in Denny Hamlin who can win anywhere that doesn’t have a right turn, Christopher Bell who gets hot just when you need him, and Chase Briscoe who looked like a breakout star in just his first year with the team, it’s hard to look elsewhere than the guy driving the 54. I’m not going to single anyone out, it’s the entire #54 team. Ty Gibbs is entering year 4, and, while he sniffed the front a few times, his top 5s, top 10s, laps led, average finish, and overall points position all dropped. In fact, other than his laps led, with just under 200 more, this year was very comparable to his rookie season. The kid who was once described as “a winner in whatever he touches” needs to start winning. Tyler Allen also needs to figure it out. A rookie crew chief paired with a winless driver in year 3 did not work well, and Chris Gabehart had to hop onto the box halfway through the year and hold Allen’s hand until the Playoffs began That’s not a good sign for Allen, and it also can’t happen again, even if the team wanted it to. Gabehart has packed his bags elsewhere. I don’t see Gibbs ever getting booted, so Allen better bring his A-game this year. Hendrick Motorsports : It’s hard to find a weak spot at the top of the throne: Kyle Larson’s the reigning champion, William Byron was on pace for his best points result ever before he blew a tire with only 5 laps to go in the season, Chase Elliott caught fire and looked like a title contender for the first time since 2022, and Alex Bowman, well…he’s definitely one of the better 4th Hendrick drivers historically. However, with all the winning Hendrick did, it wasn’t much compared to their previous success. They only combined for 8 wins, their lowest since 2020, which saw them reach victory lane only 7 times. 2021-24 saw Hendrick have bare-minimum double digit wins every year. This year saw Byron take a 22 race break after winning the Daytona 500 before he found victory lane again, Larson being winless since before his infamous Memorial Day Double, Elliott only averaging 1 win a year over the past 3 seasons, and Bowman not finding victory lane once. Perhaps a new car is what HMS needs, and that’s exactly what they're getting. The car looks fast, but whether it performs is yet to be seen. All 15 teams have things to improve upon before this 2026 season kicks off. The first practice and qualifying sessions are just 2 weeks away, followed up by the Cook Out Clash the very next day. Another 2 weeks later and the 68th Daytona 500 is here. All these aforementioned issues, road blocks, and red flags had better been addressed by now. It’s time for the 2026 season. No more dwelling on 2025 for these teams; the only way from here on out is forward.

The weekend delivered high-level drama across multiple forms of motorsport, with Formula E producing one of its most chaotic races of the season so far and Supercross kicking off 2026 in emphatic fashion at Anaheim 1. Formula E Nick Cassidy had a great drive to win in Mexico City (Hector Vivas) Nick Cassidy delivered a standout drive, charging from 13th on the grid to take victory in a race defined by strategy, late-race battles, and major swings in fortune. Cassidy’s energy management proved decisive, allowing him to carve through the field after saving power early while others fought at the front. While Cassidy celebrated, it was a difficult day for pole sitter Sébastien Buemi. After an incident on the opening lap dropped him to the back, Buemi mounted an impressive recovery to climb back to sixth by lap 17. However, his hopes of salvaging a strong result ended when he was forced to pit for a puncture during a Full Course Yellow, relegating him to a disappointing 17th at the finish. The podium fight went down to the final lap. Oliver Rowland snatched third place in the stadium section on the last tour of the 38-lap race, which had been extended from its scheduled 36 laps due to a safety car. Rowland had stayed glued to Jake Dennis despite his second Attack Mode expiring earlier than the Andretti driver’s, making the move when it mattered most. Morata secured second place to complete the podium. Cassidy, Morata, and Rowland were on the podium (Hector Vivas) Pascal Wehrlein finished fifth, while Pepe Martí delivered one of the quiet stories of the race. Starting from the back of the grid and serving a stop-and-go penalty for drivetrain changes, Martí fought through the chaos to score his first Formula E points with an eighth-place finish. The race’s turning point came on lap 18, when a Full Course Yellow was deployed after Nyck de Vries stopped at Turn 1. That FCY transitioned into a safety car two laps later, compressing the field and bringing Cassidy, who had conserved energy at the rear early on, firmly back into contention. Jean-Eric Vergne finished eighth, ahead of Nico Müller, who led early but lost ground after running deep at Turn 5 on lap 28. Off track, Dan Ticktum voiced his frustration with the standard of racing and stewarding in Formula E, describing it as “like rental kart hacks” following a difficult start to his campaign. His comments followed Saturday’s Mexico City race, where Antonio Félix da Costa made contact with Ticktum and also collided with Maximilian Günther while defending from Cassidy. Stewards opted not to issue penalties, citing a combination of “unfortunate elements” and minimal initial contact. Supercross The 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship opened in front of a sold-out crowd at Angel Stadium, and the night belonged to Eli Tomac. In his debut with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, the 33-year-old veteran delivered a dominant performance, leading every lap on his way to the 54th win of his storied career. The 450SMX Main Event got off to a frightening start when a first-lap multi-rider incident brought out a red flag. Malcolm Stewart was unable to triple early in the race and rolled the landing, leaving Justin Barcia with nowhere to go. Barcia was launched into the dirt in a violent collision, and initial reports from the track indicated Stewart suffered a dislocated shoulder. Eli Tomac's SuperCross debut with Red Bull KTM was electric! When the race restarted, Tomac quickly asserted control. After lining up behind teammate Jorge Prado, Tomac made his move on the opening lap and never looked back. He steadily pulled away as Ken Roczen charged through the field from outside the top 10. The German veteran made several decisive passes, eventually clearing Hunter Lawrence for third before overtaking Prado to secure second place. Roczen closed to within a couple of seconds of Tomac late in the race and kept the pressure on through the 20-minute plus one-lap main event, but never got close enough to challenge for the win. Tomac crossed the line 1.4 seconds clear, claiming his second Anaheim 1 victory. Prado leveraged the holeshot into the best Supercross result of his career, earning his first-ever podium in just his seventh start. However, his night was not without controversy. Prado’s KTM failed post-race sound inspection, resulting in a three-point championship penalty, though he retained his third-place finish. Hunter Lawrence finished fourth after a race-long battle with Jason Anderson, who completed the top five. Defending champion Cooper Webb endured an up-and-down race to finish seventh, just ahead of Chase Sexton, who had multiple crashes and off-track moments in his debut for Monster Energy Kawasaki. With the victory, Tomac leaves Anaheim 1 with a three-point championship lead over Roczen, while Prado sits third, five points behind his KTM teammate.

A new year usually means fresh starts, new beginnings, and optimism across the motorsports world. But for some drivers, 2026 brings pressure instead of comfort. These drivers enter the season firmly on the hot seat. Some are fighting for a chance to stay with teams capable of winning championships, while others are fighting to keep their careers alive. The margins in modern motorsports are razor thin. Results matter, perception matters, and patience is often in short supply. Here are four drivers who have the most to prove heading into the 2026 season. Alex Bowman (NASCAR) On paper, Alex Bowman actually put together a solid season with 16 top-10 finishes. By most standards, that would be considered a success. However, by Hendrick Motorsports standards, it fell short. Every one of his teammates found victory lane and made deep playoff runs, which only magnified Bowman’s quieter year. Bowman’s seat is not on fire yet. He remains a very capable driver, and Hendrick values consistency. That said, expectations are clear. To truly silence the noise, Bowman likely needs to reach at least the Round of 8 or win multiple races. Three or four wins would completely change the conversation. Unlike some other drivers on this list, Bowman does not need a dramatic leap forward. He simply needs to finish strong and avoid being the outlier within the organization. Even if things do not go perfectly, there may be a soft landing available, with a Toyota team rumored to have interest as early as 2027. Nolan Siegel (IndyCar) Expectations for Nolan Siegel entering IndyCar were mixed from the start. Some fans viewed him as a pay driver, while others felt he was simply rushed into the series before he was ready. His late entry with McLaren in 2024 earned him some grace as a rookie learning on the fly. That grace largely disappeared in 2025. Driving for a top-tier team, Siegel struggled to find consistency. The 21-year-old recorded just two top-10 finishes and ended the season 22nd in the championship standings. For a McLaren driver, those results raised serious questions. The pressure intensified after comments from team principal Tony Kanaan, who stated that Siegel needs to finish inside the top 10 in the championship to justify keeping his seat. That is an enormous ask in an increasingly competitive IndyCar field. Realistically, a top-15 championship finish may be enough to buy Siegel more time. Even that would require a noticeable step forward in racecraft, qualifying pace, and overall consistency. If progress stalls again, 2026 could be his final season at McLaren. Noah Gragson (NASCAR) The 2025 season was expected to be a breakout year for Noah Gragson. Instead, it became a turning point for all the wrong reasons. After a promising start, everything unraveled. Gragson failed to record a single top-10 finish over the final 23 races of the season, an alarming stat for a driver expected to lead Front Row Motorsports into its next phase. With legal distractions now behind the organization, Front Row Motorsports is openly aiming to become a more competitive, top-tier operation. That ambition puts pressure squarely on Gragson to deliver tangible results. One factor working in his favor is development time. Prospect Layne Riggs is not quite ready for a full-time Cup Series move, which buys Gragson some breathing room. Still, that window is not large. To realistically save his seat, Gragson likely needs top-10 finishes in roughly 30 percent of the races in 2026. Anything less could see him pushed out of Cup and back into the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, a major setback at this stage of his career. Ty Dillon (NASCAR) Ty Dillon has long been vocal about wanting to control his own destiny without leaning on his family name, even though those connections have undeniably helped along the way. In 2026, that independence will be tested more than ever. With Kaulig Racing preparing for a manufacturer switch to Dodge in 2027, the team is searching for a true franchise driver to build around. Dillon’s results so far have not made that case. With only one top-10 finish, he faces a steep climb to remain part of Kaulig’s long-term plans. Kaulig has options. Justin Haley will use 2026 to rebuild his confidence, and Dodge’s financial backing gives the organization flexibility. That means Dillon cannot afford another quiet season. To realistically keep his seat, Dillon likely needs to be on the playoff bubble and in the conversation late into the regular season. Falling short could result in a move back to the Truck Series or the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and possibly mark the end of his full-time Cup career. As 2026 approaches, these four drivers face defining seasons. In an era where results matter more than ever, patience is limited, and opportunity rarely knocks twice.

It was a weekend in Abu Dhabi that became our big decider for the 2025 World Championship. Would it be Piastri, Norris or Verstappen for the big title. With each driver having their wins and losses over the season, it was a difficult task for them to maintain their capabilities. 2025 Abu Dhabi Race Start. The race itself proved very little dramas, with Oscar Piastri completing a quick overtake on his teammate on lap 1, later forced to try and chase Max Verstappen down, who proved he was still full of speed and ability.   The overall weekend had to crown someone as the new champion, and that result would ultimately go to McLaren driver Lando Norris. He becomes the 35 th Driver Champion and the 11 th British Champion. He managed to finish in P3, which was all he needed to ensure the title was won against the other two competitors. Lando Norris officially becomes your 35th World Champion. Max Verstappen had a brilliant season and a great way to end with another win in Abu Dhabi and missing out on the continuation of his championship by only 2 points, whilst Oscar Piastri finished in P2 and only missed out by 13 points. These two drivers had performed at some of the highest levels all their season and fought right to the end. It was a well fought championship between the three drivers.   Finishing their season off well was Ferrari and Mercedes. These two teams had a mixture of strong and weak race results but still managed to end the season on a high. Charles Leclerc only just missed out on a podium opportunity, finishing in P4 and Mercedes driver George Russell finishing in P5. A Ferrari driver we did not expect to see in the top 10 was Lewis Hamilton, but after the drive of his life, he went from P16 all the way to P8. A brilliant end to a mixed result season for Hamilton, who ultimately finished P6 in the championship as well. Charles Leclerc with a good start at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Whilst Russell had a strong weekend for Mercedes, The rookie driver, Kimi Antonelli found it difficult to make his way to that top 10 spot for the final race of the year. Having started P14, it was not an easy task but given the difficulty he had it was not going to be a race to remember. In the end, he finished well outside the top 10 in P15.   Aston Martin were able to end their season on a high as well with both drivers making it into the top 10. Fernando Alonso managed to finish in P6, whilst his teammate Lance Stroll was able to round out the top 10, in P10. Between these two were individual drivers, Haas driver Esteban Ocon finished in P7, whilst Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg was able to finish in P9. Both drivers had a quiet race, but given their capabilities were able to add final points to their teams for the constructors.   Finishing just outside the top 10, was both young rookies from Sauber and Haas. Gabriel Bortoleto was extremely close to making the top 10 being only 2 seconds behind Stroll, ultimately finishing in P11. Gabriel Bortoleto VS Fernando Alonso Ollie Bearman was the other driver missing out on a top 10 finish also finishing around 2 seconds behind. These two young drivers had impressed both their teams and their fans this season. Given it was their first year, there were highs and lows, but they have the ability and should be some future drivers to look out for.   Given it was his final race in Formula One (for now), Yuki Tsunoda could not prove his capability to those watching in the final race weekend. Having started from P10 and looking hopeful to remain in that top 10 somewhere, we didn’t expect his result. A penalty for multiple change in direction in a fight against Norris would seal his result, ultimately finishing P14. Tsunoda has been a very strong competitor having been at Racing Bulls and Red bull over the past few seasons, he is proving to look more competitive and hopefully we see him back in the sport soon. Yuki Tsunoda puts up a good fight against Lando Norris. Williams had an unfortunately quiet weekend in Abu Dhabi. Both drivers being unable to make a dent in the top 10 and with Alex Albon receiving a 5 second penalty for speeding in the pitlane. Carlos Sainz would go on to finish P13, whilst Alex Albon was down in P16. Williams had a very strong season, finishing in 5 th in the constructor’s title fight and multiple podium finishes with Sainz. This proves hopeful for the team going into the new regulations in 2026.   Our final 2 teams: Racing Bulls and Alpine had a rough end to the year. For Racing Bulls, having started P9 with Isack Hadjar and P13 with Liam Lawson, we would not have expected a P17 and P18 finish result. This young pairing had a difficult season, but with some exciting results as well, they have been an impressive young duo, but after this season we will not see it anymore with Hadjar being promoted to the Red Bull seat and young F2 driver Arvid Lindblad taking the 2 nd spot at Racing Bulls. Racing Bulls 2026 rookie, Arvid Lindblad. For Alpine, tough is possibly the best way to describe the season overall. With Pierre Gasly again carrying the team to potential point scoring opportunities, there wasn’t much else going on. Gasly ultimately finishing in P19 ahead of his teammate Franco Colapinto in P20. There is hope for this team, with the retirement of the Renault engine and welcoming the new partner of Mercedes who will be providing power units to the team, could this be the saving grace?   But that is it, your 2025 season is officially complete. We say goodbye to the current regulations and welcome in new ones, with DRS being retired and replaced by ‘Overtake Mode’ and many other changes. This also includes the 11 th team making an exciting debut with Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez returning to the scene and saying goodbye to Sauber and hello to Audi. It will be a year of exciting events, and we all cannot wait. The official car regulations for 2026.

RCAP Awards 2025: The Best in Racing 2025 was an incredible year for racing, full of unforgettable moments, breakout stars, and dominating performances. To wrap up the year, we’re proud to host our 2nd annual RCAP Awards, celebrating the drivers, teams, cars, and tracks that made this year so special. From IndyCar to WEC, to DTM, here are the winners who stood out in 2025. Under 23 Racing Driver of the Year: Broc Feeney Broc Feeney had an amazing racing year. The up-and-coming Australian dominated the Supercars series with 14 wins, 15 poles, and 20 podiums, even though the controversial playoff format and final race cost him the championship. Feeney also conquered the GT World Challenge in Australia, winning the title. At just 23, he’s clearly a talent to watch in the future of racing. Over 35 Driver of the Year: Sébastien Ogier Sébastien Ogier surprised fans by turning what was supposed to be a relaxed year into another dominant WRC campaign. Driving for Toyota, the 42-year-old won three rallies and stood on five podiums in the final six events to claim yet another WRC Championship. Experience truly wins in the world of rallying. Also UNC STILL GOT IT! Best Team: AF Corse AF Corse, Ferrari’s powerhouse in endurance racing, was unstoppable in 2025. The team took Le Mans, the drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles, and the World Cup championship in the WEC Hypertcars. Even if some argue the FIA gives Ferrari an advantage, no one dominates like AF Corse, pure and simple. The team had a great year and will look to dominate 2026. Best Livery: Red Bull Racing’s Suzuka Special There were many impressive looking race cars in 2025, but Red Bull’s Suzuka special livery stole the spotlight. Best Series: WEC With thrilling battles across multiple classes, the World Endurance Championship delivered countless memorable moments in 2025. Even though there were dominant runs by AF Corse, WEC proved why it’s one of the most exciting series in global motorsports with great moments in its different classes. Best Moment: Ayhancan Güven’s Last-Lap DTM Pass 2025 had no shortage of jaw-dropping moments, but Ayhancan Güven’s last-lap pass to win the DTM title at Hockenheim was cinematic. A perfect mix of skilled racing and drama made this one of the year’s most unforgettable racing moments. Best Pundit/Commentator: Leigh Diffey Leigh Diffey can make paint drying sound exciting and many fans voted him as commentator of the year. He provided some great moments across NBC's sports broadcast especially in NASCAR. From Daytona to Phoenix he provided great entertaiment for racing fans. Best Track: Spa Francorchamps Spa Francorchamps has long been a fan favorite, and 2025 was no different. Hosting thrilling races and amazing battles, Spa was voted by fans and the RCAP Staff as Track of the Year, and it’s easy to see why this historic circuit continues to deliver. Most Improved Driver: Oscar Piastri Oscar Piastri’s 2025 was a huge step forward. With multiple wins, podiums, and helping McLaren secure the constructors’ title, the young star made big strides compared to 2024. Though he lost the drivers’ championship late in the season, this year signals he’s ready to challenge for a title in the near future. Watch out F1. Driver of the Year: Alex Palou Alex Palou dominated 2025 in IndyCar. The 28-year-old Spaniard not only won his first Indy 500 and oval race, he finished on the podium 13 of 17 IndyCar races, including eight wins, six poles, and six fastest laps. With this incredible state line he even had an average finish of 4.0 across the season. It’s clear Palou owned this year in racing. Can he maintain this form in 2026?