PressBox, Author at NXTbets Inc

October 28, 2026

Australian Grand Prix canceled after Marc Márquez wins Phillip Island sprint

Marc Márquez’s title push swung into his favor at Phillip Island, where he won the sprint and took a 10-point championship lead over Jorge Martín after Martín crashed while fighting for the lead. Martín’s participation in the Malaysian Grand Prix remained unconfirmed, and he went into the next round 10 points behind Márquez. Márquez was also in position to equal Giacomo Agostini with an eighth premier-class crown.

Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix was canceled because poor visibility prevented the medical helicopter from flying, leaving the sprint result as the weekend’s decisive event. The title fight remained open, Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi said.

Márquez said his goal at Sepang was to keep playing a leading role after the championship battle tilted his way at Phillip Island. He said Malaysia was a very different track and that the weather made the weekend more difficult, noting that he had only two career wins there. Tardozzi said Márquez had been managing races so far and that his best performances were still to come, while Aprilia’s title threat could come from Martín or Marco Bezzecchi, who was 50 points behind. He also said three of the next four rounds could favor Aprilia.
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October 28, 2026

Bearman gets 10-second penalty for US Grand Prix collision with Gasly

Oliver Bearman and Pierre Gasly reflected on the collision that unfolded at Turn 13 shortly after a Virtual Safety Car restart in the 2026 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Bearman attempted an overtake on Gasly, made contact in the move and said he had no regrets about going for it, describing the clash as a racing incident. He said Haas has to take risks because the team is not fast enough to score points on merit, and said he was trying to avoid contact when he climbed onto the inside kerb.

The contact damaged Bearman’s Haas so badly that the car became progressively worse and too unpredictable to continue. Bearman let teammate Esteban Ocon pass before retiring on lap 24 of 56. Stewards gave Bearman a 10-second penalty for the incident, which he called excessive and described as “crazy.”

Gasly finished 10th for Alpine and scored one point despite floor damage from the clash. He said the damage cost him about 5 to 10 seconds, or about 10 downforce points, and removed his chance to fight Liam Lawson for ninth place. Gasly said the move was “a little optimistic” and was not completely clean.
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October 28, 2026

Red Bull not in talks to supply Aston Martin, Laurent Mekies says

Red Bull Powertrains is not ready to supply Aston Martin or any other Formula 1 team, even as interest grows around its engine performance. Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies said the power unit was not for sale and that the company was not in serious talks about supplying another team, adding that Red Bull and Ford remain focused on improving the engine and its integration with the car. He said the program is still in its first season, so nothing would change in the next year or so, and that more work remains on reliability, drivability and integration.

The comments come amid speculation about Aston Martin’s future engine plans, which has been fueled by its poor results. Aston Martin has scored seven points this season and sits 10th in the Constructors’ Championship, while its current engine issues are with Honda power units. Adrian Newey acknowledged Honda’s current deficit, but said he sees a lot of promise in Honda’s new projects.

Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack said the team remains committed to Honda as a long-term partner. He said he expects Aston Martin and Honda to stay together when the team wins its first race. Red Bull Powertrains entered Formula 1 in 2026 and was judged the strongest internal combustion engine of the season under the FIA’s ADUO system.
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October 27, 2026

NASCAR gives teams Talladega minimum-speed warning, no black flags

NASCAR warned most of the Cup Series field about minimum speed during the first stage at Talladega Superspeedway as drivers tried to save fuel. Mike Forde said 75% of the field was below minimum speed at one point, and NASCAR sent the warning to all teams through its Microsoft Teams chat system.

The fuel-saving strategy slowed the cars to around 160 mph in Stage 1. Talladega’s minimum speed was set at 12.5% under the pole-winning lap of 186 mph, which worked out to 162 mph.

Forde said NASCAR gave teams a chance to speed up before taking action, and the field soon complied after the warning. No black flags were issued, and Forde said NASCAR generally preferred to give teams the benefit of the doubt. He said the timing of a black flag is left to NASCAR’s discretion.
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October 27, 2026

Bernie Taupin built close ties with Professional Bull Riders riders and staff

Bernie Taupin’s deep involvement with Professional Bull Riders began after he first saw the sport at the 1995 World Finals in Las Vegas, and a chance introduction to PBR chief Randy Bernard helped spark a long-running passion for it. Taupin said the sport’s Western culture and the people around it matched his lifelong fascination with Americana.

Through that connection, Taupin became close to PBR riders and staff, and his daughter, Charley, was also part of the bond. He invested in and co-owned the champion bull Little Yellow Jacket, and he often hosted riders at his Roundup Valley Ranch in California.

Taupin is also promoting a new album, The Sea Has No Mercy, which he described as a personal reflection on his life, roots and legacy.
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October 27, 2026

Phoenix Racing Honda signs Avery Long for 2027 season

Avery Long will join Phoenix Racing Honda for the 2027 season after spending the previous two seasons with AEO Powersports KTM Racing. Phoenix Racing said Long will race a Honda CRF250R in the 250 class and is scheduled to compete in AMA Supercross, Pro Motocross and SuperMotocross for the team.

Long is set to make his Phoenix debut at the 250SX East Region opener in Tampa. He said he welcomed the chance to return to Honda and build on the speed he showed in 2026, when illness complicated his season but he still showed flashes of top-ten and top-five pace.

Phoenix Racing owner David Eller said Long’s amateur background, professionalism and potential made him a strong fit for the program.
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October 27, 2026

Melandri says Aprilia have been more consistent than Ducati this season

Aprilia’s bid to wrest control of the 2026 MotoGP season from Ducati has widened into a two-front fight, with Aprilia leading Ducati by six points in the constructors’ standings and both teams tied on eight victories. Former rider Marco Melandri said Aprilia have been more consistent across the season, with multiple riders regularly near the front, and argued they deserve the constructors’ title. He said Aprilia’s wins have come from Marco Bezzecchi, Jorge Martin, Ai Ogura and Raul Fernandez, while Ducati’s victories have largely been driven by Marc Marquez, with Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio adding one win each.

Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi still said he believes Aprilia are the favorites for the 2026 title and said Marquez is not the favorite. He said Aprilia will be stronger than Ducati at several of the remaining circuits. Tardozzi also said the title fight remains open and praised Bezzecchi, saying he has the potential to win every race from now until the end.

The immediate championship picture shifted at Phillip Island, where Marquez won the Australian Grand Prix sprint and opened a 10-point lead over Martin after Sunday’s race was canceled because of poor weather and limited helicopter visibility. Tardozzi said Aprilia were unlucky in Australia because the changing weather hid the RS-GP’s strength in dry conditions, and he said Bezzecchi and Martin both showed strong pace before the sprint ended. Martin fought Marquez for the lead before crashing on lap 8, fracturing his arm, and CT scans showed the radius fracture was non-displaced.

Tardozzi said he sympathized with Martin and expected him to try to race in Malaysia this week if possible, although his fitness for Sepang remains uncertain. With Martin 10 points behind Marquez and Bezzecchi 50 points back in third, the Ducati boss said the championship is still open as Aprilia and Ducati continue to battle for both the riders’ title and the constructors’ crown.
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October 27, 2026

Colt Nichols returns to Yamaha with ROKiT Partzilla PRMX in 2027

ROKiT Partzilla PRMX Yamaha announced that Colt Nichols will join the team for the 2027 Supercross season, giving him a return to Yamaha. Nichols, who won the 2021 AMA Supercross 250SX East championship and four 250SX main events on Yamaha, will carry his signature No. 45 and is set to join Mitchell Harrison in the 450 class.

PRMX will switch from Kawasaki to Yamaha machinery in 2027 after more than a decade with Kawasaki, and the team’s Yamaha debut is scheduled for Anaheim 1 on Jan. 9, 2027. Nichols has already begun testing the Yamaha YZ450F at the team’s Florida facility ahead of the season, and said the new YZ450 already feels like home. He also said he had been working with the team before the announcement and that the move gives him a chance to return to Yamaha, where he had past success.

Team owner Julien Perrier said the team is excited to add a rider of Nichols’ caliber and that his experience fits the program.
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October 27, 2026

Gabriele Minì set for first official F1 session with Alpine in Mexico City FP1

Gabriele Minì will make his first official Formula 1 weekend session when Alpine puts him in Franco Colapinto’s car for Free Practice 1 at the Mexico City Grand Prix. The 18-year-old Italian is part of the Alpine Academy and has continued to build his résumé in the junior ranks, where he is fourth in the Formula 2 standings with two rounds left. He has won two Formula 2 races and added seven podiums this season.

Minì also finished runner-up in Formula 3 in 2024, and he made his Formula 2 debut with a podium in Baku as Ollie Bearman’s substitute. He called the FP1 appearance a “special moment” and said he had prepared at Enstone in the simulator and with the engineers to help the team gather useful data.

Minì’s outing is part of a broader rookie program that Formula 1 teams are using to meet the sport’s annual requirement for four rookie practice sessions. Williams reserve Luke Browning will make his eighth and ninth career Formula 1 practice appearances in Mexico and Brazil, replacing Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, Mercedes will give Frederik Vesti his third outing of the season in George Russell’s car, and Freddie Slater will also complete rookie practice duties in Mexico and Brazil.
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