2026 Motorsports Season

One more test to go, lots of BS flowing, whos quickest and politics whos doing what.
Times don't mean much yet, Suspect next week we get better idea.

Also lots of complaining about car, slower in turns, early lifting and downshifting
to Harvest energy for more HP

Some saying less a race car than strategy, guess we all see in Melbourne
what the racing is like.
 
Cole Butcher, From Porters lake NS,
Started the truck series last night in Daytona, finsihed 14 th, cool start for him.
1771086104580.png


Little History, race from a kid locally, won a couple of Pro stock championships in the Maritimes,
Been racing in Northeast US last couple years, doing really well,
Now full time ride in truck series.
 
Ohtobbad said:
One more test to go, lots of BS flowing, whos quickest and politics whos doing what.
Times don't mean much yet, Suspect next week we get better idea.

Also lots of complaining about car, slower in turns, early lifting and downshifting
to Harvest energy for more HP

Some saying less a race car than strategy, guess we all see in Melbourne
what the racing is like.
Click to expand...

I just read this Road & Track headline.

“Hamilton, Alonso, and Verstappen are not big fans of the new, more regen-focused cars.”
 
Ohtobbad said:
Cole Butcher, From Porters lake NS,
Started the truck series last night in Daytona, finsihed 14 th, cool start for him.
View attachment 92428

Little History, race from a kid locally, won a couple of Pro stock championships in the Maritimes,
Been racing in Northeast US last couple years, doing really well,
Now full time ride in truck series.
Click to expand...
I bet that is a dream come true for him. Hope he does well.
 
AC Bill said:
I just hope there isn't a huge discrepancy on how the various teams cars perform this season. The best racing to watch is when cars are evenly matched, and the drivers have talent.
Click to expand...
Typically regulation changes creates gaps
Most teams close it fast, some take 2-3 years

Interesting I read today F1 management are not happy with drivers comments.
Popularity is at all time high and growing
They want this to continue so
Could we or will we see fast changes
If so so racing?
 
Last day of testing today in Bahrain, before season starts
in Melbourne Australia.

Ferrari sets fastest time, but many believe Mercedes is sandbagging.
Merc is figured to best going into Melbourne,
Ferrari seems to have some tricks, 180 degree rear wing, trick defuser
we will see if any of this plays out to be a bonus.
Merc, Ferrari, Maclaren and Redbull look to still be top 4, at least to start.

Audi looks solid, Caddy doing ok, but nothing earth shattering,
the Big Surprise is Aston Martin, ( newys car) does not look good,
barely done any laps, Honda on back foot, how bad is it?

I expect fast changes even before Melbourne, some quick upgrades for all teams
as they all come to grips with massive rule changes.

Looks like power management will be the biggest skill to learn and deploy,
Faster on Striaghts and slower in turns and for now, not looking like any
improvment in overtaking, Most drivers thinks its not pure F-1.
I guess we all see in a few weeks.
 
I wonder if this statement from Max, may be one that F1 brass didn't like? I agree with him 100%.

Max Verstappen has made his views on the future of Formula 1 crystal clear, calling for the sport to stay true to its roots and not be influenced by the rise of electric racing. In a bold statement, Verstappen fired back against the push to increase battery use in F1, stating, “Don’t increase the battery, get rid of it! Formula E should be Formula E, and Formula 1 should stay as Formula 1.” His comments have reignited the ongoing debate about the direction F1 is heading as it continues to evolve in terms of sustainability and technology.
Verstappen’s purist view of F1 emphasizes the importance of maintaining the raw, thrilling experience that defines the sport. For the Dutch driver, F1 is about powerful engines, the roar of the cars, and the skill of the drivers—elements he feels would be diluted by a heavy focus on hybrid or fully electric technology. Verstappen’s comments come at a time when the sport is facing increased pressure to become more environmentally friendly, with hybrid power units and stricter emissions regulations already in place.
The rise of Formula E, with its all-electric cars, has raised questions about how F1 can balance the demands for sustainability with maintaining the essence of the sport. While F1 has embraced hybrid technology, Verstappen’s stance is that the sport should not move further into the electric realm. He has always been a strong advocate for the purity of racing, and his statement highlights the tension between technological innovation and the traditional nature of F1 racing.
For many fans, Verstappen’s comments reflect a larger concern about the future of motorsport. Will the soul of F1 be lost if it continues to adopt more eco-friendly technologies? Or will innovations like hybrid engines and sustainable fuels be able to coexist with the high-performance, thrilling racing that fans love? Verstappen’s vision for F1 as a sport driven by skill, engine power, and high-octane racing resonates with purists who fear that the sport might lose its edge in pursuit of greener alternatives.
As F1 continues to navigate its future, Verstappen’s stance is likely to be a defining point in the conversation. His purist view challenges the sport’s governing bodies and fans alike to find a balance between sustainability and preserving the thrilling, engine-powered racing that defines Formula 1. With Verstappen leading the charge, the debate about the future of the sport has never been more intense.
1771706055265.png
 
The new season of Netflix's series on F1 racing, called Drive To Survive is on next week.

I've really enjoyed the series the past several years. You can gain a lot of insight on the behind the scenes of this sport, the personality's of drivers and the key people in the teams.
 
Last edited:
AC Bill said:
I wonder if this statement from Max, may be one that F1 brass didn't like? I agree with him 100%.

Max Verstappen has made his views on the future of Formula 1 crystal clear, calling for the sport to stay true to its roots and not be influenced by the rise of electric racing. In a bold statement, Verstappen fired back against the push to increase battery use in F1, stating, “Don’t increase the battery, get rid of it! Formula E should be Formula E, and Formula 1 should stay as Formula 1.” His comments have reignited the ongoing debate about the direction F1 is heading as it continues to evolve in terms of sustainability and technology.
Verstappen’s purist view of F1 emphasizes the importance of maintaining the raw, thrilling experience that defines the sport. For the Dutch driver, F1 is about powerful engines, the roar of the cars, and the skill of the drivers—elements he feels would be diluted by a heavy focus on hybrid or fully electric technology. Verstappen’s comments come at a time when the sport is facing increased pressure to become more environmentally friendly, with hybrid power units and stricter emissions regulations already in place.
The rise of Formula E, with its all-electric cars, has raised questions about how F1 can balance the demands for sustainability with maintaining the essence of the sport. While F1 has embraced hybrid technology, Verstappen’s stance is that the sport should not move further into the electric realm. He has always been a strong advocate for the purity of racing, and his statement highlights the tension between technological innovation and the traditional nature of F1 racing.
For many fans, Verstappen’s comments reflect a larger concern about the future of motorsport. Will the soul of F1 be lost if it continues to adopt more eco-friendly technologies? Or will innovations like hybrid engines and sustainable fuels be able to coexist with the high-performance, thrilling racing that fans love? Verstappen’s vision for F1 as a sport driven by skill, engine power, and high-octane racing resonates with purists who fear that the sport might lose its edge in pursuit of greener alternatives.
As F1 continues to navigate its future, Verstappen’s stance is likely to be a defining point in the conversation. His purist view challenges the sport’s governing bodies and fans alike to find a balance between sustainability and preserving the thrilling, engine-powered racing that defines Formula 1. With Verstappen leading the charge, the debate about the future of the sport has never been more intense.
View attachment 92564
Click to expand...
I agree, but FOM will never agree, Audi came, caddy came, Ford came and Honda come back, beacuse of these
rules, they beleive some form for electric power is part of the future and F-1 is always cutting edge.
We will see, now they have sustainable fuels, if F-1 goes back to fuel powered cars in 2028.

The orignal rules were set to 2030, but last year agreed engines till 2028 then review.
 
Last edited:
AC Bill said:
The new season of Netflix's series on F1 racing, called Drive To Survive is on next week.

I've really enjoyed the series the past several years. You can gain a lot of insight on the behind the scenes of this sport, the personality's of drivers and the key people in the teams.
Click to expand...
they pick and choose and mostly for Drama,
but your right, we get to see stuff we would never see otherwise.
 
my questions is simple, who was sandbagging and by how much,
how close will it be in Melbourne and who has the energy management
figure out the best so far?
 
The first two races of the NASCAR season have produced some exciting racing and unexpected finishes right across all three series.

Didn't realize a Canadian was driving the #13 truck, thanks for the heads up Trevor, going to follow Butcher's progress this year for sure.
 
SVT4MT said:
The first two races of the NASCAR season have produced some exciting racing and unexpected finishes right across all three series.

Didn't realize a Canadian was driving the #13 truck, thanks for the heads up Trevor, going to follow Butcher's progress this year for sure.
Click to expand...
Ironically Thor racing is a top truck team
4 trucks in series and another one from southern Ontario
Cole Butcher is from porters lake Nova Scotia
I’ll see if I can find info on Ontario guy
 
Ohtobbad said:
my questions is simple, who was sandbagging and by how much,
how close will it be in Melbourne and who has the energy management
figure out the best so far?
Click to expand...
Would there be an real advantage in sandbagging? Trying to prevent others from seeing how fast their car really is? I expect there will be some cars better than others, but any major differences will be soon realized at the first qualifying session anyway.

A concern a team may have is about being recognized as obviously far faster, is that could trigger new restrictions, and rule changes by the F1 brass, to try and keep all the players in the game as even as possible. If a team's cars are still slow now, it may take weeks, if not months to get it sorted, but if F1 officials simply ban a faster car's improvements, they're still in the game..
It seems ingenuity and automotive engineering brilliance is now recognized in a different light in F1 than it used to be. Now you get penalized if your really good at it. Aero's such as wings that flex too much, ride height, etc. etc. Realistically isn't this all part of racing if you want to win? You want a faster car than the others. If not, why not just pick 20 identical cars off of a manufacture's assembly line to race one another.
Maybe they should just break the cars down into different classes, and award points/trophy's for each class. . It becomes clearly obvious in the first few races every year, that the cars are not all equal performance wise. If they get faster, move them up a class.:)
 
the ones folks are thinking of sand bagging are Merc, because of thier engine
Current tests are done up start, IE cold Merc has said to have 16-1 compression ratio when cold
18-1 when running normal race temps worth more much more HP

They are down playing it, but if they have this, then otehrs want it changed or banned, as it is not same under rules.
Areo has less rules this year allowing engineers to experiment more with this.
Longer teams can keep things hidden, longer it takes for rest to figure it out and catch up.

Based on what I have seen, those who figure out how to harvest and deploy the electrical power
best are going to have advantage. there is also some risk in this, because of someone downshifts while otehrs are deploying
could create huge spped difference on certain areas of the track,

Either way, I would prefer normal engines without electrical motorss, but we will see.
I think they will be fast enough, as far as who has what figured out better,
your right first race weekend will show alot and who responds how and how fast will matter as well.

I think gaps will be bigger from top to bottom, but I think there will still be a real fight up front.
Or I hope there is.
 
I see Ontatrio's Stewart Friesen #52 Toyota was doing really well in the NASCAR truck race. He grabbed the #1 spot in the 2nd stage, after a challenging pass. Not sure why exactly but I suspect there was some contact, as he was leading the race 20 laps before the checkered flag dropped when he suddenly started to drop back, and finished in 20th. Bad break..
Cole Butcher in the #13 Ford, was also still doing pretty good. Unfortunately Cole was more or less forced into the wall trying to avoid an accident, and ended up with a DNF..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top