Williams driver Alex Albon believes Franco Colapinto's difficult final Formula 1 race with the team mustn’t overshadow the Argentine's excellent results.
Impressive early racing for Colapinto since replacing Logan Sargeant Monza turned heads within the paddock and in addition secured five small print for Williams over three race weekends, which seemed crucial when the team was finally left behind by its mid-field rivals.
However, as quickly because the Argentine appeared on Red Bull's radar, a series of costly crashes in Brazil and Las Vegas quickly discouraged Christian Horner and Helmut Marko, with each turning to their very own group of drivers as an alternative.
According to Albon, it’s difficult to evaluate Colapinto solely on the harder second half of his nine-race Williams stint, as his FW46 also became harder to drive and the team needed to fight harder and harder to maintain pace with the competition.
Asked if Colapinto's accidents overshadowed his season, Albon replied: “I hope not. I don't think he deserves it.
“I believe it goes hand in hand with the performance of the automotive and towards the tip of the season it became difficult. For me it was difficult. I didn't have a unbelievable end to the season and I don't at all times do this. I just blame myself, so I believe the band knows how good they’re.
Franco Colapinto, Williams Racing, Alex Albon, Williams Racing within the drivers' parade
Photo: Dom Romney / Motorsport Images
Albon believes the timing of Colapinto's arrival helped him settle in as Williams was at his best around September.
After lightening the chassis, Williams also introduced its only major update package on the Dutch Grand Prix before beginning to fall back again towards the tip of the 12 months.
“In terms of timing, I think his arrival was perfect when the car was at its most competitive and probably easier to drive than it is now, on tracks that were also quite nice to drive,” Albon said.
“To be honest, he did a excellent job in Baku and Singapore, and so they weren't easy tracks to drive. And then it's just F1; I believe we've gone backwards. You can still get into Q2 with a mean lap, whereas then you definitely needed to do an amazing lap to get into Q2 and stuff like that, and it just distorted the flow of the track a little bit bit.
“It's easy to push when it's so tight and there's no margin to decelerate or make a mistake. We each went through a troublesome group of races, so I wouldn't blame him an excessive amount of. Especially Brazil, for the primary time within the season in wet conditions it is just not easy on a difficult track. Plus, Vegas was just hard.
“He's a unbelievable driver. I feel he has proven his value in Formula 1. I definitely underestimated how briskly he could be when he joined and I imagine we are going to see him in Formula 1 in some unspecified time in the future in the long run.”
In this text
Filip Cleeren
Formula 1
Alex Albon
Franco Colapinto
Williams
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23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports have been granted a preliminary injunction to retain their charters for the 2025 season pending the end result of an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and the France family. The ruling applies only to next 12 months and states that the disputed portions of the 2025 Charter Agreement, which gave rise to this lawsuit, should not enforceable while the legal battle continues. Wednesday's court ruling cited an exemption clause in the brand new charter agreement that stops teams from bringing antitrust claims against the game after signing it.
The court's order read as follows: “The Court hereby grants a limited preliminary injunction solely for the duration of the 2025 NASCAR Cup season as follows: Defendants (NASCAR) and their agents, servants, employees, attorneys, and all persons actively cooperating with or participating with Defendants, must allow Plaintiffs (23XI/FRM) to enter two race cars each in all NASCAR Cup races in accordance with the terms of the 2025 Charter Agreement applicable to all charter teams, with provided that the wording “exemption” contained in Art. 10.3 of the 2025 Charter Agreement is not going to be enforceable to the extent that it will discharge or exclude the Claimants' claims in these proceedings.
“In addition, NASCAR is tentatively enjoined from refusing to approve Plaintiffs' purchase of two Stewart-Haas Racing, LLC charters, from which Plaintiffs will be entitled to race in all 2025 NASCAR Cup races on the same terms as other charter teams, again with the exception of the application of the waiver language to claims of the Plaintiffs in these proceedings and 3. The timetable for conducting the case will be established by the Court, which, in the absence of a voluntary resolution of this dispute between the Parties, will provide for the termination of the process regarding the claims Reasons before the start of the 2026 NASCAR racing season.”
Attorney Jeffrey Kessler, who represents 23XI and FRM, responded to the news with the next statement: “We welcome Judge Bell's decision today granting a preliminary injunction in our favor. The court ruling allows 23XI and Front Row Motorsports to race existing cars as charter teams in next 12 months's Cup Series. The decision also requires NASCAR to approve each teams' purchase of a 3rd charter from Stewart-Haas Racing and permit those cars to also race as chartered teams within the 2025 season. We are confident within the strength of our case and can proceed to fight to maintain racing moving forward and becoming more a competitive and fair sport in a way that advantages the teams, drivers, sponsors and, most significantly, our fans.
23XI co-owner and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin expressed his feelings more directly after the decision:
To obtain a preliminary injunction, the plaintiff (on this case, racing teams) must show that: it’s prone to succeed on the merits, it’s prone to suffer irreparable harm without the injunction being lifted, the equity balance tilts in its favor, and an injunction could be in the general public interest.
The teams originally lost their motion for a preliminary injunction filed on November 8 when the judge noted that failure to prove irreparable harm would end in the lack of the charter. 23XI/FRM then filed an appeal, but as a consequence of changing circumstances, decided to withdraw the appeal and re-file the motion for a preliminary injunction under a brand new approach. Instead of asking the court to grant them statutes, they asked to be allowed to compete under the 2025 Charter Agreement, aside from the exemption clause.
Notably, the case was reassigned to Judge Frank D. Whitney, who denied the initial request for an injunction in November, and is now within the hands of Judge Kenneth D. Bell.
Wednesday's ruling will allow 23XI and FRM to retain their statutes until the continued antitrust lawsuit against the game is resolved. It also means they’ll finalize the acquisition of a 3rd charter for every of the now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing, which NASCAR must now approve. 23XI has already announced a 3rd automotive with Riley Herbst, while FRM can be expected to expand, with Zane Smith reportedly the favourite for the team's third spot.
Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing, Jordan Brand Toyota Camry, Todd Gilliland, Front Row Motorsports, CITGARD Ford Mustang
Photo: Gavin Baker / NKP / Motorsport Images
Another interesting a part of the ruling is the court's finding that “NASCAR has a monopoly/monopsony position in the relevant market, which is the market for the premier stock car racing teams in the United States.” It goes on to state that Formula 1 and IndyCar should not substitutes and that “NASCAR fully controls which race teams can compete at the highest level in stock car racing – in fact, it has 100% of the market share.” This confirms the team's important argument within the antitrust lawsuit, which accuses NASCAR of being an illegal monopoly.
The ruling also asked the next query in reference to the anti-competitive nature of the challenged exemption clause: “Can a monopolist require a party to agree to release the monopolist from any allegations of its violation of antitrust laws as a condition of conducting business activity?” the reply isn’t any.
The court also found that, unlike the primary, unsuccessful injunction application, the teams had proven that the likelihood of immediate harm had modified from “remote and speculative to present and immediate.” They cited the indisputable fact that Tyler Reddick's contract with 23XI can be voided if he competes on open teams and he’s allowed to depart for a rival organization. Several other drivers operating under 23XI/FRM have expressed similar concerns about uncertainty around their contracts. The lack of charters also impacted the teams' relationships with key partners Monster Energy and Love's Travel Stops.
NASCAR will appeal the ruling and has asked for enforcement of the order to be delayed until the appeal hearing.
In this text
Nick DeGroot
NASCAR Cup
Motorsports within the front row
23X1 Races
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The Indianapolis 500 just isn’t short on tradition, but Will Behrends' central role within the race's legacy – creating the race winner's likeness on the famous Borg-Warner trophy – had to leave his usual tradition after the devastation attributable to Hurricane Helene.
Helene formed within the Caribbean Sea in September of this 12 months and in only 4 days it became a Category 4 hurricane because it passed through the Gulf of Mexico and made landfall within the Big Bend region of Florida. Crushing winds reaching speeds of 140 mph left wreckage in its path in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee. More than 230 people died within the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, and the continental hurricane became the deadliest hurricane since Katrina in 2005.
The town of Tryon, Behrends, positioned in Polk County on the foot of the Blue Ridge Escarpment in western North Carolina, has a population of about 1,600 and was amongst those hit by Helene. In particular, the state of North Carolina suffered floods, mudslides, countless fallen trees, flooded bridges and impassable roads, while leaving greater than 700,000 residents without power.
Behrends is among the many happier ones.
“There is a lot of destruction around us,” Behrends told Motorsport.com. “For the 2 weeks that we weren't down there, my wife and I were down there volunteering, carrying and handing out supplies to other people.
“We were without electricity, but we have now a generator and Starlink web, so we were lucky. We are on a hill, so it didn't flood us. Many people around us lost their homes and had nothing.
Borg-Warner Trophy
Photo: BorgWarner
What's special is that Helene went through the identical week that Josef Newgarden, winner of the last two Indy 500s, was originally scheduled to are available in – the moment Behrends adds the ultimate details to a life-size facial sculpture after which transfers it’s a small version solid in silver and installed on a historical trophy. Behrends had almost finished with Newgarden's life-size head ready for the ultimate move when the storm hit.
Behrends used a generator to power the home, however the time spent within the studio working on the ultimate stages of the clay model was made possible only by the natural light streaming in through the many windows.
“This year has already been a challenge because the final part of my process is casting these images in silver – and for the last 34 years, it has been done by one person I have trusted. And he retired,” Behrends said. “So on top of all the opposite challenges, this got here up.
“Nothing was done for 2 weeks because we had no electricity for 12 days. And that was when Josef was purported to come here. His absence here mainly took away what had develop into a really priceless tool for men – the flexibility to take a seat head to head with this person and check with him. For a portrait sculpture, which may be very priceless, because you possibly can only read a lot from the photos. You do your job higher and more pleasantly when you possibly can establish direct contact with them. We didn't have that, in order that was one other challenge.
The meetings initially began in 2015, after Juan Pablo Montoya scored his second Indy 500 victory, and that's when life-size models became a part of the method. Previously, Behrends worked with the winner for a brief 15-20 minutes the day after the race and the portraits collected from it.
Helene's influence set his practice back a decade, but added latest, specific challenges. About 60 percent of Newgarden's face was left unfinished when the “freak storm,” as Behrends calls it, hit. He wasn't sure if he would even meet the deadline.
“It came down to the wire,” he said. “Fortunately, all the things ended well. We got a extremely good product and delivered it on time, but there was loads occurring on the time.
Will Behrends works on Josef Newgarden's 2024 Indy 500 Borg-Warner Trophy face sculpt
Photo: BorgWarner
Through his illustrious profession, Behrends has spent the last 50 years creating sports-related sculptural masterpieces. In addition to the trophy, Borg-Warner created statues of Major League Baseball legends similar to Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Jackie Robinson, most of whom survive their teams' ballparks. Looking back on this latest challenge, one can feel a way of pride in having created Newgarden's likeness, especially against the chances that Mother Nature provided.
“I'm happy with that,” Behrends said. “It's funny, it's the one thing I've done in my 50-year profession that I do 12 months after 12 months. Everything else is considered one of a sort. By doing it 12 months after 12 months, how do you retain it fresh yearly? The challenge for me is that I try to not do what I did last 12 months; to contribute just a little more to it annually. Which after 35 years becomes a bit difficult.
Newgarden, who became the primary “Greatest Show in Racing” winner since Helio Castroneves in 2001-2002, finally got to see his likeness unveiled on the Borg-Warner Trophy earlier this month during a ceremony on the Freeway in Indianapolis. Behrends was unable to be present, but at that moment the Team Penske driver smiled broadly while praising the sculptor for pushing through and completing the project.
“I think it just shows Will's character,” Newgarden told Motorsport.com. “He's such a lovely person. He has a beautiful family and has met them all, including his granddaughters. They had a lot of obstacles this year, including everyone in this region, and he still jumped ahead and did an amazing piece. He is a true professional.”
The Borg-Warner trophy featuring the face of Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden
Photo: BorgWarner
According to Governor Roy Cooper, the ruins left by Helene in North Carolina alone likely caused $53 billion in damage and repair needs, and Helene's force damaged 126,000 homes. The previous damage record was set at $17 billion by Hurricane Florence in 2018, which hit the eastern a part of the state.
“It's a really sad situation,” Behrends said. “There were a lot of trees around us, but we survived them better than most around us. Just below us in the valley is a restaurant that everyone loved because it is right on the river and has a covered bridge leading across the parking lot to the restaurant. The bridge, the restaurant, all this is gone. It's just washed away. People lost their businesses and their homes.”
One oddity, nonetheless, was the undeniable fact that considered one of the BorgWarner plants in Asheville was also within the hurricane's path, but fortunately, it and its employees were spared.
Michelle Collins, global director of promoting and public relations at BorgWarner, shared her sympathy for individuals who have experienced this aftermath. She was also grateful that Newgarden had that have last 12 months with Behrends, after winning his first Indy 500.
“It would be great to do it again this year, but I was happy he had that experience already,” Collins told Motorsport.com. “Of course it is kind of possible that he can still win. And that's what we're counting on from him. But Will, as all the time, has done a incredible job and is profiting from what he has. “
There are already thoughts that Newgarden will make history as the primary driver to win three consecutive Indy 500 races in 2025 and get a probability to return to Tryon.
“It's just unfortunate that we didn't get there this year,” Newgarden said, “but I told him I would love to have the opportunity to win three years in a row and come visit and hopefully we can get that opportunity.”
In this text
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Gregoire Munster will join forces with M-Sport-Ford next 12 months for a second full-time appearance within the World Rally Championship.
Munster has signed a brand new contract with the British team to pilot one in all two Ford Puma Rally1 cars after completing his first full season in the highest WRC class on this 12 months's operation.
The Luxembourger, who will turn 26 on Christmas Eve, was attempting to keep his place at M-Sport. Munster will once more work with Belgian pilot Louis Louka.
This 12 months, each players have shown incredible speed of their first full season in the highest flight, highlighted by fifth-place finishes in Sardinia, Central Europe and Japan.
“I'm really looking forward to next year and the opportunity to lead Puma again, especially with the good team structure and atmosphere at M-Sport,” Munster said.
“I’m delighted to proceed working with Louis with the aim of continuous our progress in the highest category and improving on where we left off in 2024.
“Of course, that means aiming to break the top five with a fourth place overall and hopefully eventually a podium finish. I'm excited to see what we can do.”
Grégoire Munster, Louis Louka, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1
Photo: McKlein / Motorsport Images
M-Sport team principal Richard Millener is looking forward to Munster and Louka taking the subsequent step of their WRC careers with the team.
“I really enjoyed working with Gregoire and Louis this year, so seeing them again in 2025 is a big positive for me,” Millener said.
“They have made tremendous progress throughout their debut 12 months, and while we must remain realistic about our goals and expectations for them in 2025, that is a terrific opportunity for them. I'm very blissful to work with them again for one more full season and I consider they fully deserve this chance.
While Munster ensures M-Sport's continuity until 2025, its second seat will likely be filled by a brand new face following Adrien Fourmaux's decision to affix Hyundai Motorsport.
The team said the identity of the second driver can be revealed tomorrow.
“As we enter 2025, Munster and Louka will lead the M-Sport squad alongside another promising junior crew, which will be announced tomorrow,” a team statement read.
WRC 2025 driver lineups
Team
Driver
Second driver
Toyotas
Kalle Rovanpera
Jonne Halttunen
Toyotas
Elfyn Evans
Scott Martin
Toyotas
Takamoto Katsuta
Aaron Johnston
Toyotas
Sami Pajari
Marko Salminen
Toyotas
Sebastien Ogier (part-time)
Vincent Landais (part-time)
Hyundai
Thierry Neuville
Martina Wydaeghe
Hyundai
There, Tanak
Martin Jarveoja
Hyundai
Adriana Fourmaux
Alexander Coria
M-Sport-Ford
Gregoire Munster
Ludwik Luka
M-Sport-Ford
To be confirmed
In this text
Tom Howard
WRC
Gregoire Munster
M-Sport
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Mattias Ekstrom said he’s able to compete within the Dakar Rally for the following 15 years if that's what it takes to win probably the most prestigious rally on the earth.
Although Ekstrom is best known for his success in DTM, where he won two titles with Abt Audi, in recent times Ekstrom has increasingly focused on avenues beyond track racing.
After success within the World Rallycross Championship and winning the world title in 2016 along with his own EKS squad, the Swede made his Dakar debut aboard Yamaha's lightweight prototype in 2021, before moving as much as the highest class a 12 months in a while Audi's recent hybrid challenger.
Beating rally legends Stephane Peterhansel and Carlos Sainz Sr., Ekstrom claimed 4 stage wins and a best finish of ninth, despite technical problems that dogged him throughout the three years of the Audi RS Q e-tron program.
Turning now to Ford's recent rally project with the Raptor T1, the 46-year-old said he would accept nothing lower than winning the Dakar, even when it takes one other 15 tries.
“I'm trying to do the perfect Dakar, it's my dream,” Ekstrom told Motorsport.com Netherlands. “I will fight until I win. It doesn't matter if it takes one, two, 10 or 15 years. I will keep doing this until I win.”
Stephane Peterhansel, Team Audi Sport, Mattias Ekstrom, Team Audi Sport and Carlos Sainz Sr, Team Audi Sport
Photo: Audi Communications Motorsport
Ekstrom cited the instance of teammate Sainz senior, who became the oldest driver to win the Dakar after winning for the fourth time this 12 months on the age of 61.
“So technically I still have 15 years left,” he joked. “Carlos is slightly older than me. I would like to see if I'm still that good [then]but we still have 15 possibilities!
“[If I win] Perhaps I’ll come back, but I guarantee that I won’t reach Stephane Peterhansel's record [of 14 wins, including eight in cars]. They're a bit too distant, but one win could be great for me.
Ekstrom's third appearance within the Dakar's top class on the wheel of an Audi ended after a day of rest in the midst of the rally, as quite a few technical problems with the RS Q e-tron ruled him out of any likelihood of winning the general classification.
Halfway through the rally he was second, 20 minutes behind teammate and eventual winner Sainz Sr.
However, Ekstrom insists that the troubles he has faced this 12 months won’t change his approach for 2025, as he plans to show up the wick again within the second half of the competition.
“Everyone is firing on all cylinders,” he said. “The pace may be very fierce and it's about who drops the ball first.
“The leading group shall be getting smaller and I feel that if we’re among the many leaders on the remaining day, I hope we are going to see something very nice.
“We have to survive the first part and then repair the car on the rest day. I'm especially looking forward to the second part.”
In September, Ekstrom announced he was ending his 23-year partnership with Audi, allegedly since the Ingolstadt-based brand now not has a Dakar program to cover it in 2025.
Then got here the news that he could be teaming up with Ford for its high-profile Dakar entry and would have the chance to check its recent competitor within the Rally of Morocco.
Although he didn't like the top result, the Swede was impressed with the speed of the brand new Raptor developed jointly by Ford Performance and M-Sport.
Ford Raptor T1+
Photo: Red Bull Content Pool
“When it comes to service, that's what I've always said [it depends upon] how much fun you have behind the wheel,” he said. “When this ratio is high, it often stays the identical [case] because I'm doing well with regards to results.
“The service is amazing. As for the chassis, I feel like I can drive it nonetheless I need. It's very direct within the corners.”
On his Dakar prospects, he added: “That's probably why I'm so pleased. In my world we shall be competitive.
“I had the identical feeling in Morocco. We didn't have a flawless rally – we had some minor problems – but the sensation contained in the automobile was superb.
“When you have a good feeling and you feel like you can ride the way you want, that's the best feeling you can have.”
Ford has assembled a robust lineup of drivers for its factory Dakar start in January, with Ekstrom joined by Sainz Sr, two-time champion Nani Roma and Mitch Guthrie Jr.
In addition to the Dakar and the broader World Rally-Raid Championship, Ekstrom also gained off-road experience in Extreme E, ending second within the 2023 championship with the Sainz XE team.
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Timo Glock will return to the DTM for the primary time in three years after signing a contract with Dorr Motorsport for the 2025 season.
The five-time race winner will pilot the McLaren 720S GT3 EVO for Dorr Group, replacing Clemens Schmid within the two-car lineup.
For the German, it might be the primary start within the DTM since he appeared as a wild card in 2022 in the colours of Ceccato behind the wheel of a BMW M4 GT3.
Glock was previously a member of BMW's works DTM squad, joining the German manufacturer for a second season in 2013 and remaining with them throughout the Premier Class era.
During this era, Glock became some of the popular DTM drivers, scoring 15 podiums and 6 pole positions along with five race wins.
However, a difficult 2021 season with an aging BMW M6 after the series switched to GT3 regulations left him and not using a series start.
It continued with BMW in 2022, racing within the Italian GT Championship, but was supplanted by the Bavarian brand at the tip of that yr. Since then, he has not entered into any contract with one other manufacturer.
Speaking about his return to DTM, Glock, now 42, said: “Contact and my passion for DTM has never been completely severed.
“I feel the project is superb and exciting. Dorr Motorsport desires to take the following step with me – I'm pleased with that.
Ben Dörr, Rainer Dörr, Timo Glock, Dörr Motorsport
Photo: Dörr Group
“With my experience, I'm confident I may help the team. I’m expected to play a key role in constructing the team. Our goal is to consistently finish in the highest 10 in yr two. Maybe even podium places are possible.
“I definitely feel ready, I'm fully motivated and I can't wait to race again. I'm looking forward to the challenge and working with Rainer Dorr and the entire team. There is no doubt whether I still have it in me – I am deeply convinced of it.”
Dorr Group operates the most important McLaren dealer network in Europe, and its racing division has expanded into the DTM in 2024, fielding two 720S GT3s for Schmid and Ben Dorr.
Ben Dorr will remain in DTM along with his home squad in 2025, working with the upcoming Glock.
“We are very proud to welcome Timo Glock to our team,” said team owner Rainer Dorr. “I think having a driver with such knowledge and career is a great asset not only for us as a team but also for the DTM.”
Before joining the DTM with BMW over a decade ago, Glock raced in Formula 1 for five seasons from 2008-12, the highlight being his three podium finishes with Toyota.
In this text
Rachit Thukral
DTM
Timo Glock
Motorsport doors
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Assetto Corsa EVO: every part we all know up to now 21
WITH Assetto Corsa EVO with the sport set to be released to the general public soon – although only in early access form – Kunos Simulazioni has provided further details on what to anticipate from the title within the short, medium and long run.
In the newest update, co-founder KS Marco Massarutto sat all the way down to talk with German-speaking Gran Turismo World Series commentator Michel Wolk for the Overtake YouTube channel about ongoing work AS.
There was loads to cover on this 90-minute session, so we've summarized it below and combined it with every part we already knew concerning the game to create a comprehensive guide to the sport. Assetto Corsa EVO.
Contents
Assetto Corsa EVO: every part we all know up to now 22
Assetto Corsa EVO Launch date
Currently AS is scheduled to enter Early Access on Steam – PC only – in January 2025, with the total version expected to be available in Fall 2025 and can be available for 8-9 months in Early Access. Console versions aren't on the calendar yet, but we wouldn't expect the title to launch before 2026.
Pricing for early access hasn't been set, but it surely's promised to be “aggressive, in a good way.” There is not any subscription model, and players who’ve already purchased the Early Access version is not going to have to purchase expansions as they’ll develop into available in Early Access – although prices for individuals who haven’t yet purchased the Early Access version will increase as Early Access begins version is developing.
Assetto Corsa EVO Platforms
Currently, only the PC version of the title is confirmed, but there have been quite a few references to console versions of the title from Kunos Simulazioni and its parent company, Digital Bros.
We'd fully expect it to only be ninth-gen consoles at launch – PlayStation 5 and 5 Pro and Xbox Series S and
While VR support is inherent to the PC version, there isn’t any confirmation yet whether the console version will support VR devices comparable to the PlayStation VR2.
Assetto Corsa EVO: every part we all know up to now 23
Assetto Corsa EVO Cars
We don't have a confirmed automobile list yet even for the early access period ASbut up to now we’ve got seen several several types of vehicles in trailers. Our users have been constructing an inventory on the forums and it currently incorporates around 50 vehicles.
KS has stated that the initial Early Access release will include at the very least 20 cars, and while we will probably guess based on what has been clearly showcased within the trailers, only two have been completely confirmed: the Alfa Romeo Guilia GTAM and the Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce electric.
More noteworthy than what cars are in the sport is how they’re presented. A full dealership experience is promised, where players will give you the chance to pick options for his or her vehicles – colours, finishes, wheel types, model class, body styles, engines, transmissions – reasonably than an inventory of cars containing duplicate models of the identical vehicle.
How extensive this can be stays to be seen, but considering many automobile brands are actually using 3D automobile configurators on their product web sites, it could go quite deep.
Cars could have higher mechanical damage, but visual damage can be more limited as automobile manufacturers develop into more stringent in how they represent this, and KS needs to seek out a compromise to make sure a good level of visual damage across all vehicles in the sport.
Assetto Corsa EVO: every part we all know up to now 24
Assetto Corsa EVO Songs
Currently, there is barely one confirmed track, which is in fact the Nurburgring. We've seen others, but there's no official release track list at this point. Massarutto comments that the goal for the ACE “1.0” release to market is 20 circuits, but it surely could also be barely less – at the very least 15 and 20 at the very least six months after launch.
KS plans to release five songs in January, which is strictly what we've seen up to now. This suggests we are going to see Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari (Imola), Brands Hatch, Fuji Speedway and Mount Panorama, in addition to various tracks on the Nürburgring.
The tracks, all real-world locations, can be spread across all continents – and again it's likely that we could make an excellent guess based on the currently available tracks ACC — and represent day and night cycles and weather changes.
This will include dynamic global illumination, physics-based skies, volumetric fog and dynamic particle effects, in addition to “gravity-based dynamic tracking technology” that determines how and where surface water flows, accumulates and persists.
However, essentially the most interesting song in the sport is just not a song in any respect…
Assetto Corsa EVO: every part we all know up to now 25
Assetto Corsa EVO Eifel open world map
The roughly 600-square-mile region of Germany, centered on the Nurburgring Nordschleife, can be recreated in-game for a full open-world exploration mode.
This was mainly due to mods for the unique title: Kunos noted that free roam maps are amongst the preferred mods created and downloaded by Assetto Corsa community, so she created her own!
The map was generated based on LiDAR data provided by the German government, created for the national cartographic agency BKG (Bundesamt fur Kartographie und Geodasie, or Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy), with an accuracy of 25 cm.
KS has developed terrain generation technology to take care of this massive grid, which can procedurally generate trees and accurate buildings in appropriate locations, all of which can be streamed in order that the player only sees what they should see at that moment.
We're unsure if this implies a network connection is required to make use of the open world map, but we assume it could be the case – especially with the prospect of a console release.
Assetto Corsa EVO: every part we all know up to now 26
You can visit your complete area, even off the paved roads – so we hope that some off-road vehicles will come! — and while it can eventually reach an area of 600 square miles (given at 1,600 square kilometers), it can be added in stages. Early Access will include a much smaller area, which can expand over time with updates.
Businesses on the map in real life might be included in the sport and players can interact with them. So far, Kunos has received over 300 requests, although some may not wish to be included, and a few – for gameplay reasons – could also be on the sport map but not in the true world. In each cases, this is able to involve gas stations where the player must refuel/charge their automobile, and there may also be challenges and events on the map.
Although there can be no speed limits within the open world, in the long run there could also be emergency vehicles on public roads – police cars and ambulances – identical to regular road vehicles.
There can be some simplification of the weather systems used on the open world map's tracks in order that they don’t devour resources – snow is not going to appear at launch and might not be included in any respect – which suggests that there can be a break between driving on the Ring and driving on the Eifel, on account of so that you won't give you the chance to maneuver between them easily.
Assetto Corsa EVO: every part we all know up to now 27
Assetto Corsa EVO Career mode
This feature hasn't been explored in much detail up to now, but Kunos briefly touched on a number of details – calling the profession “RPG for gasheads.”
To this end, an in-game financial system can be introduced, although in the mean time the one details we’ve got about it are that it can be exclusive to the sport and can’t be supplemented with external purchases. AS There can be no microtransactions.
It was also noted that the sport would require a driving license. Basically, you should have the suitable driving license to be eligible to drive the sort of automobile you need to drive, in addition to have the cash to buy and tune it.
Kunos has rebuilt the AI for the brand new game (and recent engine), and touts a built-in learning system that permits the AI to enhance and adapt. Different AI drivers may behave otherwise, and chances are you’ll encounter certain AIs more incessantly and discover that they’ve modified their driving behavior based on their previous interactions with you…
Assetto Corsa EVO: every part we all know up to now 28
Assetto Corsa EVO Multiplayer mode
Multiplayer won't be included in the primary iteration of Early Access, but will arrive after a number of updates – to permit players to check parts of the sport in stages.
When it arrives, it can feature a rating system developed from the system ACCin addition to filters and an anti-cheat system, although KS didn’t go into any detail concerning the nature of any of those or the net races on offer.
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Assetto Corsa EVO Fashion
At last, Assetto Corsa EVO will proceed to support mods, allowing players so as to add their very own cars, tracks, open world maps, and – as we saw with the primary title – almost the rest they like, at the very least on the PC version.
As with Assetto Corsathis can be something that won't be available initially during Early Access, but once the title becomes full release modding tools can be made available.
GTPlanet will in fact also host mods for AS via our free GTPlanet download service.
It has been quite clear for a while that Sergio Perez is not going to be a part of Red Bull's future in Formula 1 as a result of his tumultuous 2024 campaign.
However, it wasn't as obvious how precisely the split would end as a result of complications brought on by him being under contract.
This was the results of Red Bull's decision in June to increase Perez by two years for 2025 and 2026, which the team said was intended to reassure him.
As Red Bull team principal Christian Horner admitted earlier this month concerning the call: “We decided to depart early, which obviously didn't work. Sometimes that's life.”
However, once he committed himself to it, Red Bull couldn't change his mind and easily settle on his own that he would relatively do something else.
In the world of massive money F1, drivers and their managers should not willing to easily break multi-million-dollar contracts and walk away without presenting any type of agreement.
The major weapon in Perez's arsenal was his veteran manager Julian Jakobi, who’s well-known for pushing hard bargains having worked with the likes of Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and Jacques Villeneuve during his long F1 profession.
Sergio Perez with manager Julian Jakobi in 2021
Photo: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Red Bull were well aware of the contract situation in the ultimate stages of the season, when results made it clear they desired to make a change, but in addition they understood that there have been other aspects that clouded the situation.
He knew Perez needed to acknowledge the fact of the situation he found himself in.
However, achieving the specified result is rarely easy because on the subject of reaching an agreement to finish contracts, either side play an obvious game. If you recognize that you simply are the person the opposite party desires to do away with, it’s best to repeatedly make it clear that you simply intend to see things through. You see this occur time and time again when people know there’s a likelihood they can be transferred – so that they stare at it.
One famous example was the 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix, where then Aston Martin boss Otmar Szafnauer's days were numbered as he was linked with a switch to Alpine. Speaking at a press conference this weekend and asking about his future, his stance was defiant but specific: “I've been in the band for 12 years and I have no intention of leaving.” Two months later, his departure was finally confirmed and an exit package was introduced.
Playing hardball on keeping the contract signifies that when the lawyers are available, they’ll argue that any move to terminate the contract should be compensated with as much compensation as possible.
If you let it slip that you simply're open to a deal or that you simply're occupied with going for a walk anyway, it’ll weaken your hand in negotiations.
It was a battle that looked as if it would unfold within the closing stages of the season as Perez, keenly aware that the writing was on the wall, dug deeper and deeper into his determination to race with Red Bull and explained his belief that he would remain with Red Bull. team.
Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20
Photo: Red Bull Content Pool
In Abu Dhabi he said: “Nothing has modified since then when it comes to what I said all year long. I even have a contract for next 12 months and next 12 months I’ll drive for Red Bull. “
Red Bull also knew they couldn't just drop Perez on a whim – because the F1 Contract Recognition Commission would likely become involved if there was any breach of what had been signed.
This meant that an agreement would should be reached and that’s the reason Red Bull all the time wanted Perez to simply accept that a negotiated exit needed to be negotiated. Already in Qatar, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said that Perez accepted that things weren’t going well.
“This is not a pleasant situation for Checo, who takes this position every week in the face of speculation,” he said. “He is old enough and wise enough to know what the situation is and let's see where we are after Abu Dhabi.”
When Red Bull shareholders agreed at a gathering in Dubai on Monday after the tip of the season that they might now not proceed with Perez, it became a matter of finally reaching an agreement.
As Horner revealed, when he and Perez sat down last week to debate various issues, they each agreed that their future wouldn’t be together.
Horner told Sky Sports F1: “He is [Perez] what was reflected within the postseason and last week we sat down and discussed what are the following steps? He has decided to take some time without work, essentially take a sabbatical from F1 and remain involved with the brand and team but step back from driving duties. It was sad to see him leave the band, but in fact it was time for him to also spend time along with his young family and take into consideration what he desired to do in the long run.
Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing, Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing
Photo: Red Bull Content Pool
Ultimately, it was about crossing the t's and dotting the i's.
While F1 is a series through which obsession reaches hundredths of a second, on the subject of contracts, lawyers and managers, it moves at a much slower pace.
There will inevitably be disputes over clauses and wording, clarifications about what should and mustn’t be included within the negotiations, and naturally, a very powerful issue of all – the financial compensation package. That explains the delays in attending to where we finally got today. It is known this all took place as much as the eleventh hour before news of Perez's departure was finally made public.
The superb details of what was ultimately agreed upon between Perez and Red Bull are something that may only be known to them, however it is noteworthy that ultimately the primary confirmation of the tip of their relationship got here from Perez himself.
This was largely portrayed as Perez's own decision. The announcement read: “Message from Checo” and in a short time included a reference to a “separation agreement” reached between the driving force and the team. There is a superb line between jumping on yourself and being pushed: the tip result is similar, but the place to begin makes an enormous difference when lawyers become involved.
For Perez, the deal may leave him on the fringes of F1 for 2025, but at the least he can be paid decently as he considers his next steps in racing.
In the case of Red Bull, the ultimate termination of the contract could have involved some expenses, however the team hopes that what it needed to pay, in addition to the potential lack of sponsorship money incurred by Perez, can be compensated by a team with a greater likelihood of next 12 months's Constructors' Championship.
In this text
Jonathan Noble
Formula 1
Sergio Perez
Red Bull racing
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“Fast Freddie” Lorenzen was just weeks away from his ninetieth birthday when he died on Wednesday. The Elmhurst, Illinois native was an early NASCAR star, competing from 1956-1972. He had many nicknames including “Golden Boy”, “Fearless Freddie”, “Elmhurst Express” and was adored by fans. Lorenzen was a two-time winner of the game's hottest driver award. His family announced his death on Facebook, praising him for his humility and authenticity.
“Fred Lorenzen was one of NASCAR's first true superstars,” NASCAR president and CEO Jim France said in a press release from the sanctioning body. “A fan favorite, he helped NASCAR grow from its original roots. Fred was the perfect NASCAR star to help bring the sport to the silver screen, further boosting NASCAR's popularity in its early years. For many years, NASCAR's “Golden Boy” was also his gold standard, which ultimately propelled him to the top of the sport and his rightful place in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. On behalf of the France family and all of NASCAR, I want to express my condolences to Fred Lorenzen's friends and family.”
During his racing profession, Lorenzen quickly found success behind the wheel, winning back-to-back USAC Stock Car Championships in 1958 and 1959. He went on to win 26 NASCAR Cup races, tying him for thirty third with Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the all-time wins list. These victories included crown jewel events corresponding to winning the 1965 Daytona 500 in a Holman-Moody Ford and the World 600 (now Coke 600) in 1963 and 1965. The yr he won the five hundred, Lorenzen won also all superspeedway races on target schedule.
Tiny Lund and Fred Lorenzen race side by side
Photo: Ford Motor Company
He never ran a full schedule, focusing more on big-money events than point totals, but he still finished third within the championship standings in 1963. However, the 1964 season was perhaps his most impressive season, winning half of the races he entered (8). 16), including five starts in a row without defeat.
Lorenzen's stellar profession earned him a spot amongst NASCAR's Top 50 Drivers in 1998, and he was later inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame within the 2015 class.
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Is Conor Daly a mercenary who has finally found a house?
“A nomad who has finally found a place to live,” was his response to Motorsport.com during an exclusive meeting about an hour before the announcement confirming his full-time return to the IndyAutomobile Series with Juncos Hollinger Racing in 2025.
The Hoosier native found himself in a last-chance situation for the small organization at the tip of the 2024 season, closing out the ultimate five races in an try and force the beginning of the No. 78 Chevrolet-powered team, originally previously piloted by Agustin Canapino. a mid-season divorce, a return to the leaderboard (top 22 in points) and a key prize of $1 million. He did it in style, earning two top-10 finishes, including the teams' first-ever podium finish (third) in the primary race on the Milwaukee Mile.
As a journeyman by the purest definition in North America's premier open-wheel championship, it's easier to count the teams Daly didn't ride for than those he did. But the chance at JHR is one where the synergy between the 2 is clear, and that's because he feels supported.
“I've been through the ups and downs of raising money and the ups and downs of different operations,” Daly said. “I think we've seen that when a team really believes in you, there's a lot of power behind it. Felix Rosenqvist is a really good example of this. You think, “Oh, what happened to Felix Rosenqvist?” Then the guy meets Meyer Shank and the guy is in pole position, competing from the front. Well, the guy didn't just remember how to drive, you know what I mean? It's about the car, the environment, all of it together. It is largely a team sport; you must have all the pieces. What we do is very difficult. This is the elite of the elite, including some of the best drivers in the world. So this whole environment has to be right.”
Daly remembers JHR's last-minute call and the way he hitched onto Alexander Rossi's plane to choose up a race seat on the Dale Coyne Racing shop so he could get back in time for testing at St. Louis. He felt right at home from the primary test, and rightly so, considering several of the team members were familiar faces at other stages of his profession. However, during his junior Formula 2010 profession, he won the Pro Mazda 2010 (now Indy Pro 2000) title with Juncos (prior to Hollinger's involvement).
“There's a lot of guesswork in this whole story about who's going to make it, but it's still going to be a lot of hard work,” Daly said. “We still have a really difficult period ahead of us, but it almost made sense to try; Let's try to use the whole season and see what we can do together, see how we can develop together as a team. It really means a lot to me. I really didn't know if I would have this chance again. I definitely wasn't sure about it, unless we won the Mega Millions or got sucked into some situation… I wasn't really sure, so getting the chance again is almost like a surprise.”
Conor Daly and Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet
Photo: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images
The 33-year-old also sees JHR punching above his weight in lots of respects, with no technical alliance in an era that has change into commonplace for a lot of in IndyAutomobile.
“What the group has accomplished on their own is truly impressive,” Daly said. “It's very difficult to do that in this era because we've had the same car and the same equipment for a very long time. So there are a few little things here and there, but you're in ultra-tuning mode now. What are they doing? I think you also have to be realistic about things like, “Hey, these are areas where we need to get better.” I think that's what they focus on, which is also very helpful. But there's no doubt about the speed they showed at last year's Indy 500 in qualifying before the plenum events that saw multiple Chevy teams hit; Canapino finished in the top twelve, which is impressive. What we managed to do on the short ovals is impressive.”
Daly hopes to assist elevate the team to a degree where, on tough days, it's not a Tenth-place finish in a spot like Nashville, but fairly a spot higher within the standings. He noted that three-time series champion Alex Palou's bad days still rank amongst his top five results.
“Alex Palou's world team finished fourth in Milwaukee, and he said, 'Oh, OK, well, maybe we didn't do it today,' but he's fourth,” Daly said. “How will we make those tough days a little bit bit higher, higher, and just overall get the speed window to a more consistently high level? However, when you succeed, you should have a likelihood to win, a likelihood to compete at the highest. Of course we wish to achieve success on a regular basis, but no one is ideal in racing, so we just attempt to eliminate those little things.
The goals for 2025 are easy: make people remember his skills on road and street circuits – a press release that makes one reflect on his Formula 2 experience – and win the Indianapolis 500, where he currently has three consecutive top-10 finishes.
“When I go out to the road and street circuit, I want to make people aware of why I came here in the first place,” he said. “What we did in Detroit and Watkins Glen in my rookie 12 months, a special generation of the automobile that Simon Pagenaud talked about not too way back on my podcast (‘Speed Street’), now means a totally different change in balance. I imagine my focus is on people saying, “Hey.” If we finish in the highest 10 on the road and street circuit and keep fighting to enhance, that will probably be vital to me personally because I feel like people think I'm weak for some reason, which is completely superb.
“I do know where we will probably be on the oval, it's not an issue for me; That's where I'm most confident. But we wish to win the Indy 500. I don't see any reason why we shouldn't go into the Indy 500 and say, “We want to win this race.” So that's the goal. I need to start out June in a really blissful and assured points area, having accomplished all of the races. However, the Indy 500 is a big opportunity for us to attain joint success, especially since we had the chance to check together in October. They know a little bit bit about what I need and I do know all the things about what I need there.
In this text
Joey Barnes
IndyAutomobile
Conor Daly
Juncos Hollinger Racing
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Kalle Rovanpera
Elfyn Evans
Takamoto Katsuta
Aaron Johnston
Sebastien Ogier (part-time)
Thierry Neuville
There, Tanak
