Oct 25, 2025 | Formula 1
Test at Imola with Sergio Pérez
Cadillac will test a 2023 Ferrari SF-23 at Imola in November. Sergio Pérez will drive the car during the two-day test. It is part of the preparation for their F1 debut in 2026.
Why this test is important
Ferrari was allowed to provide two-year-old cars. Cadillac will borrow the car and run the test itself. The aim is not to achieve maximum lap times. It is mainly about the practical side of racing. Think garage procedures, IT and logistics.
Focus on teamwork and communication
The test should help shape internal working practices. The team practices radio commands and movements in the pit lane. Unambiguous terms and routines are being worked on. This will create a recognisable Cadillac way of working.
Operational tasks they practice
Cadillac wants to gain experience in all kinds of basic tasks that are important on a race weekend. These are examples of what they will practice:
- Filling the car with fuel and related procedures
- The use of tyre warmers and tyre changes
- Car maintenance such as hydraulic bleeding and quick repairs
- Structure and IT in the garage, including data traffic and systems
Pérez back in an F1 car
For Pérez, this is his first F1 test since his last race for Red Bull in Abu Dhabi last year. For him, it is a chance to drive a modern F1 car again. For Cadillac, it is valuable driving experience with a top driver.
Simulations and further preparation
Until now, Cadillac did a lot of preparation in the simulator. They have simulated entire race weekends and partial remote sessions. In November, they will run a full sprint weekend simulation for the first time ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Where the team works
Cadillac builds its organisation in several places. The main operation is at Silverstone. There is windfall testing at Toyota in Cologne. TWG is building a new facility in Fishers, Indiana. Cadillac is also using centres of GM and Cadillac itself for technology and development. There will also be a new GM Performance Power Units headquarters in North Carolina for engine development.
Next steps
The Imola test represents a practical step towards 2026. Virtual testing remains important, but nothing replaces working in a real garage. With this test, Cadillac aims to establish routines, let teams work together and experience what happens on a real circuit.
Oct 24, 2025 | Formula 1
McLaren opts for the future
McLaren stopped major upgrades to the 2025 car. The team is now focusing all resources on 2026. According to team boss Andrea Stella, going ahead would have greatly disadvantaged the 2026 project. McLaren wants to become a future champion. For that, a competitive 2026 car is needed.
Red Bull chose a different path
Instead, Red Bull continued to develop in full this year. In late September, at Monza, many changes came. A new front wing and a modified floor design visibly changed performance. Since that upgrade, Max Verstappen won three out of four races. The modifications brought more downforce and better tyre usage. Verstappen was also able to tune the car more to his liking.
Mexico update: smart reuse
For the Mexico Grand Prix, Red Bull once again brought a modified floor and a change to the engine cover. The team calls this a “make-from” update. That means they reused an existing design rather than making something entirely new. Paul Monaghan, chief engineer, praised the work from Milton Keynes. He said the team members were able to do this even though they are working on 2026 at the same time.
Why McLaren acted differently
McLaren did not bring any major upgrades since July. The last major change was a completely new floor at the British Grand Prix. The team felt that further development of the 2025 car was of little benefit. Aerodynamically, that car was already almost in its maximum development. Any small gains cost a lot of time and resources.
- McLaren wants to win championships in the future.
- The 2026 car delivers much bigger benefits every week.
- As champions, McLaren has less wind tunnel and CFD time under the rules.
- The yield from additional 2025 development was limited.
Limitations by testing rules
F1 rules give fewer wind tunnel and CFD hours to the winning team. McLaren won last season. As a result, it had less testing time than some competitors in 2025. Stella said it takes weeks to add one percentage point of aerodynamic efficiency. For 2026, the team is adding much more downforce every week. Therefore, they decided to shift their resources to next year.
Red Bull's motivation and risk
Red Bull says it was struggling with its development methods for a year. The through-developments in 2025 would simultaneously serve as validation of their tools and methods. Successful upgrades will help this season and also give confidence for 2026. McLaren believes this would make Red Bull willing to sacrifice some of the 2026 project. McLaren simply saw less benefit in piercing the 2025 project.
Conclusion
The choice is a strategic consideration. Red Bull gambled on quick wins this year and cleverly reused existing solutions. McLaren opted for longer term. It sacrificed short-term upgrades to come back stronger in 2026. Both strategies have logical reasons and clear risks.
Oct 24, 2025 | DTM
Porsche confirms: Manthey will stay
Porsche has now officially denied rumours of a possible sale of Manthey. A spokesperson says the reports have no basis and a sale is not planned. With this, Porsche's 51 per cent shareholding in Manthey Racing GmbH seems secure.
Why did the denial come later?
Last week, Porsche did not comment directly, asking for understanding that it did not want to comment on speculation. The reticence is partly due to the fact that Porsche is a listed company. With stock market-sensitive information, a company must communicate very carefully so as not to cause market manipulation or mislead investors.
At the same time, Porsche is undergoing an ongoing review of its portfolio of holdings. Due to a sharp drop in profits this year and the announced departure of some of its staff, Porsche was reviewing all participations for their role and usefulness. This explains why an immediate denial took some time.
What does Manthey mean for Porsche?
Manthey is much more than an external racing team for Porsche. The Nürburgring-based company provides, among other things:
- Porsche Track Experience and branded cups,
- maintenance, construction and final assembly of Porsche race cars,
- race division delivery and logistics support.
The partnership is deep-rooted. Manthey was founded in 1996 by Olaf Manthey. In 2013, Manthey merged with Raeder Automotive and since then Martin and Nicolas Raeder have been co-owners and directors. Porsche has been a shareholder since that merger. Olaf Manthey remains active as an advisor and shareholder.
Given that close relationship, a sale would have had a clear impact on Porsche's racing business. With the official word now seems clear: Manthey remains Porsche's extended arm in racing for now.
Oct 24, 2025 | Formula 1
What has been announced?
Damon Hill, 1996 world champion, and Johnny Herbert, three-time Grand Prix winner, are releasing a new podcast together. The series is being created in collaboration with The Race and The Athletic. The first episodes will appear at the end of October 2025. That coincides with the decisive phase of the F1 season.
Format and frequency
The podcast is called Stay on Track With Damon Hill & Johnny Herbert. Each month, Hill and Herbert record an episode. Both episodes appear as audio and video. This gives room for analysis, anecdotes and casual conversations.
What to expect
- Instant analysis of the latest grands prix and news.
- Personal stories from their racing careers.
- Critical, often humorous observations from their experience as drivers and pundits.
Additional podcast with Mark Hughes
In addition, Hill is starting a second monthly podcast together with British F1 journalist Mark Hughes. That series is called The Undercut with Damon Hill & Mark Hughes and begins in mid-November. The focus is on deeper analyses of both current F1 and the history of the sport.
Availability
The audio versions will be available via Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcast apps. The video versions will be on YouTube, on The Race and The Race Podcasts channels.
Background to cooperation
The Race and The Athletic have been working together since 2022. Together, they have built a portfolio of multiple motorsport podcasts. Their network reaches an audience of millions of views and listeners every month. The new episodes are part of a recently concluded multi-year partnership between the two parties.
Comments
Hill said he is happy with the two different podcast formats. He looks forward to looking back with Herbert in a light-hearted way and going deeper into key themes of the sport with Hughes. Herbert called Hill a fascinating interlocutor. He expects them to complement each other well and have a lot of fun.
Appreciation was also expressed from media partners. The Race called the partnership a logical next step to create sports content that is both expert and entertaining. The Athletic sees the addition of Hill and Herbert as a significant enhancement to their motorsport offering.
Why this is of interest to fans
For fans, this means more background information and unique stories from people who have been at the top of the sport. The combination of short, monthly episodes and both audio and video formats makes it easy to stay tuned in, no matter how you prefer to consume.
Oct 24, 2025 | Formula 1
Big change in FP1: nine rookies on track
At the Mexican Grand Prix, almost half of the normal F1 field is missing from the first free practice session. Nine team drivers leave their seats to development and test drivers. It is a remarkably large swap this year.
The rules explain
The explanation starts with the regulations. Since 2022, a so-called rookie must appear twice in FP1. A rookie is someone who has a maximum of two World Cup starts to his name. There is no age limit.
In 2025, that requirement has been tightened. Teams must now make those rookie appearances four times. As a result, there will be room to replace regular drivers with newcomers more often this season.
Why do teams often choose Mexico?
Mexico is popular for several reasons. It is late in the season. Teams usually have few new parts or major updates then. As a result, there is less technical knowledge to lose if a regular driver misses one session.
Sprint weekends also come into play. During sprint weekends, you cannot make substitutions for FP1 only. That limits opportunities elsewhere on the calendar. Mexico and Abu Dhabi therefore remain suitable venues to fill in rookie hours.
Furthermore, practice here runs during the day. The important sessions and qualifying often take place under lights. As a result, FP1's daytime practice is less representative of what counts later.
The track itself
The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez calls for maximum downforce. Yet the track provides little real downforce due to its high altitude. The circuit lies just below 2,300 metres altitude. Air density is significantly lower there.
But the main feature is how “green” the track is for FP1. The asphalt is often dusty and offers little grip in the first runs. During the weekend, the track changes dramatically. That strong evolution makes the data from FP1 difficult to interpret.
What are the drivers saying?
Several regular drivers feel you lose little by skipping FP1 at this track. The track is often four seconds slower in FP1 than in qualifying. This is due to dirt and difference in conditions. Sometimes it even helps not to ride FP1. You then avoid bad first experiences and go into FP2 blank.
Some drivers already have experience on both sides. One driver who has debuted here before in FP1 said Mexico is a logical choice to miss a session. He admitted that he made the wrong choice of another circuit once, but that Mexico is the right place to sacrifice one.
Other drivers pointed out that missing FP1 could have drawbacks. A team that introduced a major aerodynamic upgrade therefore had less routine testing in FP1 to fine-tune new settings. Such unexpected situations are difficult to assess in advance.
Rookies this weekend
Teams use Mexico to showcase young talent as well as experienced test drivers in action. These are the names that will be in action in FP1:
- Arvid Lindblad (Red Bull)
- Pato O'Ward (McLaren)
- Antonio Fuoco (Ferrari)
- Fred Vesti (Mercedes)
- Luke Browning (Williams)
- Jak Crawford (Aston Martin)
- Paul Aron (Alpine)
- Ayumu Iwasa (Racing Bulls)
- Ryo Hirakawa (Haas)
Sauber is the only formation without a rookie this time. They have already fulfilled the requirement. That was because Gabriel Bortoleto and Paul Aron previously filled in sessions for the team.
Opportunities for rookies
For the teams, the priority is clear: the replacements must drive professionally and consistently. For the rookies, it is a chance to impress. Some names are already seen as future F1 material. A teammate who has done rookie hours before explicitly pointed to Luke Browning as someone to keep an eye on. He performs strongly in F2 and does a lot of private training with his team.
All in all, Mexico remains one of the best venues to give young drivers experience without putting teams at too much risk.
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