PressBox, Author at NXTbets Inc

October 2, 2026

Williams boss says cost cap widened gap to F1’s top four

Formula 1’s cost cap has created financial stability but has not delivered closer racing, Williams boss James Vowles said at Sepang, arguing that it has widened the gap between the top four teams and the rest. Vowles called it a “two-tier championship” and said the leading four teams have taken 83% of the points in the cost-cap era, up from the 70s before the rule came in. He also said non-top-four podium finishes have fallen to 5% from 10% before the cap, while smaller teams are forced to spend tens of millions on basic infrastructure instead of car performance.

Vowles said Williams and other midfield teams are trapped by the cap because rebuilding from a low base requires heavy spending on core systems, leaving less room for car development. He said Williams had made winter mistakes and gone backward this year, and also carried an overweight car during the season. He did not call for the cap to be scrapped, but said the system should be changed so all teams can compete with the same tools, with a simpler mechanism tied to championship position or points to help slower teams catch up over time.

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur defended the cost cap as protection against bankruptcies and a way to keep teams in the sport, saying the pre-cap era left several teams near collapse. He also pointed out that Formula 1 already uses a sliding-scale system for aerodynamic testing. Alpine’s Flavio Briatore backed a budget cap too, but said the current system is too complex and wanted all costs, including drivers, included in one budget.
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October 2, 2026

FIA investigates Hamilton over Bortoleto impeding in Bahrain FP2

The FIA opened an investigation into Lewis Hamilton after he was accused of impeding Gabriel Bortoleto during Friday’s second practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix, with reports placing the session at Sepang in Malaysia. The incident came midway through FP2 at Turn 9, when Hamilton was on a cooldown lap and Bortoleto’s Audi approached quickly from behind. Hamilton’s Ferrari appeared to move right on the racing line, forcing Bortoleto to take avoiding action before the Audi driver passed on the inside.
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October 2, 2026

Marquez Sees Open Title Race After Strong Motegi Friday

Marc Marquez said he will go on the attack from Saturday onward at Motegi as the MotoGP title fight tightened, with seven Grands Prix left and a 12-point gap to Jorge Martin. Marquez said the championship battle was now more open, that every point matters, and that his immediate goal for the Japanese weekend was to reach Q2. He added that he expected a difficult qualifying session at the resurfaced Japanese circuit and that he planned to push harder on Saturdays and Sundays, even if it raised the risk.

Marquez opened the weekend by topping the damp first practice session with a late lap of 1 minute 44.073 seconds, 0.099 seconds ahead of Martin. He then finished third in Friday practice behind brother Alex Marquez, who led the session in 1:42.811, and Pedro Acosta, whom Marquez said looked the fastest in both race pace and time attack. Marquez secured direct entry into Qualifying 2, along with the other main championship contenders, after saying the field was extremely close and the soft tire appeared to be the strongest option for Saturday.

The Motegi weekend also produced several incidents. Takaaki Nakagami crashed heavily in opening practice, fractured his left collarbone and was ruled out for the rest of the weekend after failing to complete a lap in front of his home crowd. Friday practice also included crashes for Alex Rins, Luca Marini, Diogo Moreira and Johann Zarco, while an early Aprilia failure spilled oil on the circuit and briefly brought out a red flag.
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October 2, 2026

Ducati’s Bagnaia Ends Motegi Friday 16th, Faces Q1

Francesco Bagnaia said he was still dealing with the same grip and braking issues that have affected much of his season after ending Friday practice at Motegi 16th. The Ducati rider said he had “completely zero grip,” especially at the rear of the bike, and that braking was difficult. He added that the new asphalt had not changed anything and that setup changes had not worked, leaving the team to look for another approach ahead of qualifying.

Bagnaia was 0.775 seconds off pace-setter Alex Marquez and will have to go through Q1 for the sixth race in a row. He called it a “standard Friday for this season” and said “everything” felt different on his Ducati at Motegi compared with his dominant win there 12 months earlier. He remained the only Ducati GP26 rider not directly through to Q2, while Marc Marquez was third fastest in the session.

Ducati team chief Davide Tardozzi said the factory believes it has identified and fixed the braking problem affecting Bagnaia’s GP26, and said the same issue also appeared for Marc Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio at the Austrian Grand Prix. Tardozzi added that the new surface and strong grip had helped Bagnaia feel better on the bike, and said the Japanese circuit suits both the rider’s style and Ducati’s package, meaning Bagnaia should be competitive this weekend.
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October 2, 2026

Miller Gives Rins a Playful MotoGP Taxi Ride at Motegi

Jack Miller gave Alex Rins an impromptu MotoGP “taxi ride” back to the pits at Motegi on Friday after Rins was left stranded when his factory Yamaha ran out of fuel at the end of practice. Miller picked him up on the Pramac bike, carried him back to pit lane with both riders aboard, leaned the bike over in a knee-down move, and later braked hard enough to lift the rear wheel into a two-up stoppie. The pair waved to the crowd before finishing the ride back, turning a difficult session for both Yamaha riders into a moment that drew laughs from the fans.

Rins said Miller was crazy and said he nearly shat himself when Miller leaned the bike over, fearing they would crash. He said he enjoyed the ride but was worried when Miller tried to tip the bike into the corner. Miller said he had hoped for a better photo but did not realize Rins had nowhere to put his foot, and he said the front tire had cooled before the first braking move. Both riders said the stunt was meant to entertain fans at Motegi, where Miller finished 18th in Friday practice and Rins was 20th.
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October 2, 2026

Bottas says drivers frustrated by Italy tax probe

Valtteri Bottas said Formula 1 drivers were frustrated by an Italian tax investigation that has asked them for years of bank statements and contracts and to file returns on income earned in Italy, despite being told earlier they did not need to file there. He said his earlier comments about not wanting to race in Italy were about the lack of advance notice, not about avoiding taxes.

Bottas said drivers had no problem paying taxes in countries where they race, but did not want the season to end in Italy while the dispute remained unresolved, and said he would prefer Abu Dhabi. The issue centered on a possible Imola finale, and Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez and Oliver Bearman also commented.
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October 2, 2026

Mixed Motegi start leaves Acosta seeking KTM setup gains

Pedro Acosta said KTM has found a solid baseline setup after his breakthrough win in Austria, but the bike still needs refinement at Motegi. The Spaniard said the result had lifted a weight off his shoulders and gave him and KTM a chance to focus on themselves, with an unexpected step forward in electronics among the gains he has felt. He said he feels better back on the bike than he did in 2025, but added that KTM is not fast enough to mount a 2026 title challenge, leaving him focused on his own targets, including finishing third in the championship and placing in the top five each race to help the team.

At Motegi, Acosta was second in pre-qualifying behind the Márquez brothers and said Marc Márquez, Álex Márquez and the two factory Aprilias were the main threats. He said he did not think he could win yet because other riders often find more pace overnight, and he warned that he still needed to improve details in the bike setup. He also said he had no big expectations for the weekend because of unknowns with the new asphalt, tires and setup, though he hoped to stay near the podium and said Motegi suits his riding style.

His early pace was mixed. Acosta finished 10th in opening practice, more than seven-tenths of a second off Marc Márquez’s benchmark, though he remained KTM’s leading rider in the session. Brad Binder was 17th, with Tech3 riders Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini 18th and 19th. Neil Hodgson said he was surprised by Acosta’s FP1 pace, while Michael Laverty said he was not overly concerned and suggested Motegi could still suit him, although KTM may need to adjust the base package.
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October 2, 2026

Leclerc tops Bahrain GP practice as Verstappen slips to fourth

Charles Leclerc set the pace in second practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia at Sepang on Friday, lapping in 1:37.528 to beat Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar by 0.099 seconds. Lando Norris was third, Max Verstappen fourth after skipping a soft-tyre qualifying simulation, Lewis Hamilton fifth and Oscar Piastri sixth. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli ended up seventh and eighth after struggling to improve on softs, while Hadjar also carried a five-place grid penalty for using too many engine parts. Hamilton also faced a stewards’ investigation for allegedly impeding Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto, who later stopped on track and brought out a virtual safety car.

Verstappen had opened the day by topping first practice in 1:37.520, 0.383 seconds ahead of Russell, with Hadjar third, Leclerc fourth, Antonelli fifth and Hamilton sixth. The leading drivers set their best laps on soft tyres in FP1, while McLaren took 11th and 12th with Piastri and Norris as the team focused on learning the circuit. Red Bull also looked strong on race pace and long runs at the hot Sepang International Circuit, where tyre degradation was high on the abrasive surface.
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October 2, 2026

Leclerc Leads Tricky Bahrain Practice at Sepang

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc topped second practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang in Malaysia, edging Isack Hadjar by 0.099 seconds as conditions at the circuit proved tricky. The session began under threatening rain clouds with track temperatures near 60C, and several drivers struggled for grip, especially at Turn 14. Lando Norris was third for McLaren, Max Verstappen was fourth after completing a long run on medium tires without using the soft compound, and Mercedes had a difficult session despite bringing an upgraded W17, with George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli about half a second off the pace.

Earlier in first practice, Verstappen had led the way for Red Bull, with Russell second, 0.383 seconds back, and Hadjar third. Leclerc was fourth in that session, while Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton completed the top six. Pierre Gasly was seventh, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Norris were 11th and 12th, and Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez finished 21st and 22nd in the 22-car field.

Hamilton also faced a stewards’ investigation after being noted for impeding Gabriel Bortoleto, whose late off-track moment was followed by a stoppage on the circuit that brought out a virtual safety car. Hadjar was carrying a five-place grid penalty for using too many engine parts.
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