PressBox, Author at NXTbets Inc

October 6, 2026

Antonelli stretches F1 lead as Russell retires in latest blow

Kimi Antonelli extended his Formula 1 championship lead to 84 points after another second-place finish and George Russell’s retirement with a power unit failure, putting the rookie in command of the title fight. One report said Antonelli could clinch the championship at the Brazilian Grand Prix with three races remaining, while another said seven races were left after the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The run has drawn comparisons with Michael Schumacher’s 2001 Malaysian Grand Prix victory. David Coulthard said Antonelli’s good fortune in Malaysia, or Sepang, reminded him of Schumacher’s luck at the same track, when the seven-time world champion ran off track early in a downpour before going on to win. Coulthard said the result showed how “the greats are serial winners.”

Russell said his title hopes were “extremely unlikely” and blamed reliability problems for wrecking his challenge, calling the latest setback another frustrating blow. Former technical director Gary Anderson said the 2026 regulations were chaotic and the new power units unpredictable, warning that the rules could raise questions about the credibility of the championship and lead to talk of an “asterisk” next to Antonelli’s title. Anderson said he did not doubt Antonelli’s talent, and if the Italian wins the crown he would become the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history, breaking Sebastian Vettel’s 2010 record.
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October 6, 2026

Marc Márquez Carries Motegi Momentum Into Mandalika

Marc Márquez took fresh momentum into the Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika after winning both the Japanese Grand Prix and the Motegi Sprint, but his 2026 title fight with Jorge Martín stayed tight. Martín led Márquez by two points, 333-331, with Marco Bezzecchi third, and the championship was described as a three-way battle with 222 points still available. Márquez has won six of the last nine Grands Prix and now heads to a circuit where the title could shift again.

Mandalika has been a problem venue for Márquez. He has never finished a Sunday race there since the track joined the calendar in 2022, and he suffered a dislocated shoulder and nerve damage in Indonesia last year. Dani Pedrosa said the circuit’s high-speed direction changes favor Aprilia and are the kind of conditions that trouble Márquez most, while Mat Oxley said Márquez may need to study Fermín Aldeguer’s 2025 data to adapt to the heat-resistant Michelin rear tire and carry more speed through corners.

The paddock expected the run-in to swing from circuit to circuit. Pecco Bagnaia said Indonesia should suit Ducati poorly, even though Ducati has won the last three races at Mandalika, and he said Australia should favor Márquez, Malaysia should suit Martín and Valencia should again favor Márquez. Carlo Pernat said Márquez controlled Motegi on pace and psychology and is the title favorite, but he also said Martín remains a major threat and Aprilia has shown it can match Ducati.
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October 6, 2026

Mir ruled out, Aleix Espargaro steps in for Honda

Honda Racing Corporation confirmed that Aleix Espargaro will replace Joan Mir for this weekend’s Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika, with Mir missing the race on medical advice as he continues his recovery from unconfirmed health issues. Honda said Mir has been recuperating at home and undergoing tests after symptoms that have affected him for months.

Espargaro’s start in Lombok will be his first race weekend of the 2026 MotoGP season for Honda and his first Grand Prix appearance since the 2025 Valencia finale. The 36-year-old Honda development and test rider is returning after a preseason crash at Sepang left him with four broken vertebrae and required multiple surgeries. He said he was grateful for Honda’s trust, wanted to help the team, and was keeping expectations realistic after doing only a small number of laps, with the Mandalika circuit adding to the challenge.

Espargaro, a three-time MotoGP winner with 12 career podiums, spent 14 seasons as a full-time premier-class rider before this limited return. He has raced in Lombok before and said his main aim was to get reacquainted with the RC213V before returning to development work. Honda also said Luca Marini remains its top rider in the standings, and Somkiat Chantra had filled in for Mir at the previous Japanese Grand Prix, finishing 13th. Source reports differed on one point, with one noting Espargaro as a replacement for Taka Nakagami, who was sidelined after a Motegi crash and broken collarbone, but Honda’s confirmation centered on Mir’s absence.
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October 5, 2026

Oliver Bearman says Haas cost him points with slick tyre call

Oliver Bearman said Haas ruined his Malaysian Grand Prix by putting him on slick tyres in wet conditions when he wanted to start on intermediates, a call he said left him too far behind the midfield and cost him a chance at points. Bearman said the decision “totally screwed” his race, and that once he was on the right tyres, the VF-26 had enough pace to fight for a points finish.

Haas split its strategy between its two cars, with Esteban Ocon starting on intermediates. Bearman said he was the lead car and should have been given the more normal strategy, while Haas should have taken the risk on the second car instead. He also said the decision was made at the last minute and that the team did not tell him it was splitting strategies.

Bearman finished 14th at Sepang International Circuit, one place ahead of Ocon in 15th. He said the gamble left him about 40 seconds behind the midfield after a safety car, and that he felt hard done by as the lead car.
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October 5, 2026

Ericeira Pro Opens With Tour Qualification on the Line

The World Surf League Challenger Series moves to Stop No. 4 this week at the EDP Ericeira Pro Presented by Xacobeo, with competition scheduled for Oct. 6-12 at Ribeira d’Ilhas in Ericeira, Portugal. The field includes 80 men and 48 women, and the event carries major qualification stakes because only the top 10 men and top 6 women will advance to Championship Tour qualification.

Ryan Kainalo leads the men’s rankings heading into the contest, while Sierra Kerr tops the women’s standings. Francisca Veselko sits second in the women’s rankings after finishing runner-up in Maresias, and Teresa Bonvalot is third.

The event is expected to begin with a 7:30 a.m. first call and a possible 8:00 a.m. WEST start. Conditions are forecast to be tricky at the opening, with larger swell expected later in the week.
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October 5, 2026

Austin stays unbeaten in Fort Worth, finishes 3-0 weekend

Austin stayed unbeaten through three Team Series games in Fort Worth, finishing the weekend 3-0, improving to 16-10 and holding No. 2 in the league. The Gamblers declined to give José Vitor Leme another bull after a reride was awarded on Saturday, and Austin substituted Callum Miller, who was bucked off Tankums in 2.95 seconds.

Leme had opened the weekend Friday with a 91.10-point ride on Elmo, giving him 93 career Premier Series 90-point rides. That left him one shy of Chris Shivers’ record of 94.

Leme returned Sunday and rode Husky for 89.60 points in Austin’s 176.15-0 shutout of Oklahoma.
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October 5, 2026

Rico Abreu Can Clinch High Limit Title at Lakeside

Rico Abreu and the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing No. 24 team head into this weekend’s Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing stop at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City with a 116-point lead in the 2026 championship standings and a chance to close out the title before the season finale. The Heartland of America Showdown on Oct. 9-10 is the penultimate event before the season-ending championship weekend at Texas Motor Speedway on Oct. 16-17, and Abreu can clinch the championship by leaving Lakeside with at least a 105-point advantage.

Lakeside also shapes up as a strong track for Abreu, who has five top-10 finishes in six career starts there and won at the speedway in the spring of 2025. The field includes other past Lakeside winners in Giovanni Scelzi, Brady Bacon and Brian Brown.

Scelzi and Tanner Holmes enter the weekend as the series’ hottest drivers. In the High Roller Club card standings, Spire Motorsports leads Ridge & Sons Racing by 1 point, and CJB Motorsports is ahead of Chase Randall Racing by 3 points.
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October 5, 2026

Hamlin Says He’s Two Wins From Erasing Larson’s Edge

Denny Hamlin still believes he is within striking distance of the NASCAR Cup Series title despite a volatile first five playoff races that left him 40 points behind Kyle Larson at the halfway point of the 10-race Chase. Hamlin entered the postseason as the top seed, but his finishes of 18th, ninth, eighth, third and 16th have left him averaging 35.6 points per race, well short of the 40-point pace he said he needed before the stretch. Larson, meanwhile, has averaged 54.6 points per race over the same span and leads the field with five races remaining.

The gap widened at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where Chase Briscoe won the South Point 400 and Larson recovered from an early pit-road setback to finish second. Briscoe’s victory and stage sweep gained 43 points on Larson, while Hamlin lost 14 points after spinning and suffering underbody damage, dropping to 16th after losing all stage points. Larson’s No. 5 team went a lap down during a long adjustment stop, then got back on the lead lap after Chris Gayle pitted Hamlin under a Lap 44 caution.

Hamlin said he still believes he is only a couple of wins from erasing the deficit, and he said he was trying to avoid burnout during the stretch run. He pointed to the final five tracks, including Charlotte, Phoenix and Martinsville, as places where he still has a chance to close the gap on Larson. The article said Charlotte’s oval could be especially important for Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick and Daniel Suárez because they have had better recent results there than some rivals, while William Byron, Chase Elliott, Bell and Joey Logano were still viewed as too far back to be realistic title threats.
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October 5, 2026

Team Penske’s Kansas gains carry over to Las Vegas

Team Penske’s recent run on 1.5-mile intermediate tracks has offered a clearer sign of progress, with strong showings at Kansas Speedway carrying over to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. After Austin Cindric and Ryan Blaney both finished in the top five at Kansas, all three Penske cars finished in the top 10 at Las Vegas, a result that helped keep the team’s championship hopes alive and raised new questions about whether its intermediate-track speed is real improvement.

Blaney said he was not letting Las Vegas’ recent history shape his expectations, even though the No. 12 car has struggled there in recent years and has only one top-five finish in the Next Gen era at the track. He pointed to Kansas as evidence that Penske has made gains, noting his own fifth-place run after starting 25th, Cindric’s second-place finish and Joey Logano’s speed before a flat tire dropped him to 20th. Logano said Cindric’s Kansas result showed that “the potential’s there” for the organization.

Penske entered the South Point 400 encouraged by Cindric’s recent form, with Cindric qualifying seventh, Blaney 20th and Logano 23rd. Blaney said the team had learned from Kansas, but time for major changes before Charlotte was limited. He added that his title hopes still require a strong run over the final six races and likely at least two wins to remain realistic. In Las Vegas, Blaney moved to third in the opening stage, while Logano finished 12th in the stage and missed stage points.
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