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June 18, 2026

Carlos Sainz weighs Williams future amid 2026 slump

Carlos Sainz is weighing his future at Williams after the team’s difficult start to the 2026 F1 season, with delayed winter development and an overweight car leaving it short of pace. Team principal James Vowles believes Williams can become competitive with F1’s top teams by 2028, and Sainz says that target is realistic, but he is still deciding whether he wants to wait that long to win again.

Speaking in Monaco, Sainz said he remains committed to helping Williams recover, though podium contention this year looks unlikely. He said he will have to make a decision about his future later this season. Former F1 winner David Coulthard said Sainz is likely assessing his options as Williams goes through its slump, with market speculation also continuing around both of the team’s drivers.
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June 18, 2026

Briggs Danner Rebounds to Win Eastern Storm at Bridgeport

Briggs Danner rebounded from a late-race disappointment at Grandview Speedway to win the second round of the USAC Yokohama Tire Eastern Storm Presented by Levan Machine on Wednesday night at Bridgeport Motorsports Park in Swedesboro, New Jersey. The victory was Danner’s third USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship win of the season, his second career Eastern Storm feature victory and the 10th win of his career. Danner had been denied victory Tuesday at Grandview when he made contact with Kyle Cummins coming to the white flag and spun out.

At Bridgeport, Danner started sixth, set the fastest qualifying lap at 15.244 seconds and passed Robert Ballou for the lead on lap nine of the 30-lap feature. He led the rest of the race and the final 22 laps. Mitchel Moles finished second, Brady Bacon was third, Chase Stockon came home fourth and Justin Grant took fifth.

Stockon earned hard-charger honors after moving from 12th to fourth. Danner’s win gave him 10 career victories and moved him into a tie for 54th on the series all-time win list. The Eastern Storm was scheduled to continue June 18 at Big Diamond Speedway in Pottsville, Pennsylvania.
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June 18, 2026

Márquez Passes Medical Check, Set for Brno FP1 Tryout

Alex Márquez is set to make a comeback at the Czech Grand Prix in Brno this weekend after a heavy crash at the Catalan Grand Prix left him with a broken collarbone and a fractured C7 vertebra. He missed the last two MotoGP rounds in Italy and Hungary, and returns after about a month out and just 33 days since the injury, even though a C7 fracture would usually require around six weeks of complete rest.

MotoGP confirmed Márquez passed his medical check for Brno, so he is cleared to try Friday’s FP1 session, but he will need another assessment before he can continue through the rest of the weekend. Márquez said he is still not at 100% and will judge his condition session by session. He also said the early stages of rehab were difficult and that being back in the paddock mattered to him mentally.

The crash came when he hit the rear tire of Pedro Acosta’s KTM after Acosta’s bike suffered a mechanical failure. Márquez said he accepts that as part of racing, but added that the Catalunya runoff should be improved so a bike does not jump the same way again. He said the collarbone was the most serious injury, that he had already recovered from the head impact, and that watching the replay from hospital helped him understand and accept what happened.
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June 18, 2026

Kawase to lead Honda MotoGP as Puig shifts to adviser role

Honda has named Mikihiko Kawase as the next team manager of its factory MotoGP program, promoting the longtime Honda engineer from within and moving Alberto Puig into an advisory role starting in 2027. Honda said Kawase will take over at the end of the 2026 season, with the transition beginning at the start of 2027 as the company prepares for a major regulatory reset in MotoGP. Puig, who has led Honda’s MotoGP effort for nine years, will remain with the organization and continue to oversee its MotoGP and WorldSBK projects in a reduced, consultative capacity.

Honda passed over Trackhouse team principal Davide Brivio after considering both an interim arrangement and an external option. Brivio’s future responsibilities are expected to focus on marketing and business development. The appointment keeps Honda’s leadership in house and puts Kawase in charge as the company looks ahead to a season it sees as a turning point for the championship.

Kawase joined Honda Racing Corporation in 2012 and became Honda’s MotoGP technical manager in 2024. He previously led Honda’s Moto3 project and helped HRC win the 2019 Moto3 world title with Lorenzo Dalla Porta. Kawase, a former racer who competed in Japan’s lightweight classes from ages 18 to 27, said 2027 will be a landmark year because of the rule changes and said Honda needs to be prepared to fight at the front. Honda has not officially announced its 2027 factory riders, although Fabio Quartararo and David Alonso have been reported as targets, with Joan Mir and Luca Marini said to be in line to be replaced.
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June 18, 2026

Trackhouse names Francesco Guidotti MotoGP team manager

Trackhouse has appointed Francesco Guidotti as its MotoGP team manager, giving the veteran Italian an immediate start and a first race in the role at this weekend’s Czech Grand Prix at Brno. The move is part of a wider restructuring under owner Justin Marks as Davide Brivio prepares to leave at the end of the season and remain in charge of day-to-day operations during the transition. Reports on Brivio’s next step vary, with one saying he is expected to join Honda in 2027 in a marketing and business development role and another saying he is set for a senior role at HRC next season.

Guidotti arrives with experience leading Pramac Ducati and Red Bull KTM, and he has also worked with Aprilia in Grand Prix racing and WorldSBK. Trackhouse said it considered multiple candidates before choosing him, citing his background with both factory and private teams in MotoGP. Marks said Guidotti’s experience and fit with the team’s culture made him the right choice as Trackhouse enters its next phase.

Guidotti said he was excited to return to the paddock and work with Aprilia machinery again, while also helping the team and its riders grow. Trackhouse said the appointment is intended to support continued progress in its third MotoGP season after stronger 2026 results tied to the Aprilia RS-GP26 and the performances of Raul Fernandez and Ai Ogura. One of Guidotti’s early tasks will be helping shape Trackhouse’s medium- and long-term plans, including its 2027 rider lineup.
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June 18, 2026

Verstappen Tells Red Bull to Wait on Extension

Ralf Schumacher said Max Verstappen rejected a Red Bull offer that would have kept him with the team through the end of the 2032 F1 season. Schumacher said Verstappen told Red Bull he is already under contract through 2028 and wanted to “wait and see” before agreeing to a longer extension. He said the meeting took place in Austria and suggested Verstappen’s hesitation reflected uncertainty about Red Bull’s ability to keep producing a championship-winning car. Schumacher also said Oscar Piastri could become relevant to Red Bull’s plans.

Verstappen’s future is also tied to a release clause in his current deal, which his agent Raymond Vermeulen confirmed exists. Reports differ on the trigger: one says it could activate if Verstappen is outside the top two at the summer break, while another says it would run from August to October with the same top-two condition. One report said Verstappen is seventh in the standings and 60 points behind second place with four races left before the deadline, and he has one podium in the first seven rounds of 2026, a third place in Canada. Mercedes also made an approach, but Verstappen rejected it immediately because the offer was not considered strong enough.

Vermeulen said Verstappen and Red Bull remain loyal to each other for now and that a decision could come before the summer break. He said the aim is to reach clarity soon, while reports also say Verstappen has declined to publicly commit to Red Bull for 2027. Red Bull is reported to be weighing ways to keep him, including a low double-digit-million payment to remove the exit clause and, in another rumor, a possible controlling stake in Racing Bulls. That ownership idea has been linked to FIA scrutiny of dual-ownership rules, though Joe Saward described it as unlikely. Saward said he expects Verstappen to stay with Red Bull at least through 2027, with engineer Gianpiero Lambiase expected to move to McLaren around that time.
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June 17, 2026

Trout faces Bonner for vacant BKFC lightweight title in Philly

BKFC’s first Liberty Brawl in Philadelphia will feature Austin Trout challenging Ben Bonner for the vacant lightweight title. The promotion says the card is set for Friday, July 3 at Xfinity Mobile Arena as part of an Independence Day showcase tied to America’s 250th birthday and Philadelphia’s 250th anniversary. Trout called the matchup an honor and a chance to represent the United States.

Trout enters unbeaten at 5-0 in BKFC. The former WBA boxing champion and former BKFC world welterweight champion is trying to join the small group of fighters who have won BKFC titles in more than one weight class. He said Bonner will bring his best effort and described him as the toughest opponent of his BKFC run to date.

BKFC also announced public and media workouts for Tuesday, June 23 at Stateside Live! in Philadelphia, with Eddie Alvarez scheduled to appear alongside founder David Feldman and newcomers Johnny Garbarino, Cody Russell and Lex Ludlow. The card also features Britain Hart defending her strawweight title against undefeated challenger Sarah Shell in the co-main event. BKFC said Liberty Brawl will be its third event at Xfinity Mobile Arena, following the previous two record-setting sellouts.
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June 17, 2026

High Point National sets deep 450 field for June 20

The provisional 450 entry list for the June 20 UFO Plast High Point National at High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania, remains subject to change before race day. The field is expected to be one of the deepest of the season, with Cooper Webb, Eli Tomac, Chase Sexton, Aaron Plessinger, Jett Lawrence, Jorge Prado, Hunter Lawrence, Justin Barcia, Malcolm Stewart, Christian Craig and Haiden Deegan among the riders entered. The lineup also includes machinery from Yamaha, KTM, Honda, Kawasaki, Ducati, Triumph, Husqvarna, GasGas, Suzuki and Beta, along with a substantial number of privateers and regional riders.

High Point National is round four of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship and round 21 of the SMX regular season. The event is scheduled for Saturday, June 20, in Pennsylvania, with points-paying motos set to begin just after 1 p.m. Eastern, or 10 a.m. Pacific. The 250 Class is expected to open the race program, the SuperMotocross paddock will be on site, and race-day coverage will stream on Peacock. It is the 49th running of the Father’s Day classic, officially titled the UFO Plast High Point National, with UFO Plast serving as the SMX World Championship’s official and exclusive plastics partner.

The championship picture tightens in both the 450SMX and 250SMX classes as the series arrives at High Point. Jett Lawrence leads the 450SMX standings after consecutive 1-1 sweeps and a win at Thunder Valley, and he holds an eight-point lead over his brother Hunter Lawrence. Jett also carries a three-year unbeaten streak at High Point Raceway. In 250SMX, Seth Hammaker and Levi Kitchen are tied for the lead, Jo Shimoda is six points back, and three different riders have won the last three races. The Women’s Motocross Championship also returns to High Point for the first time since 2024, with reigning champion Lachlan Turner perfect in the standings and Charli Cannon having led every moto in the title battle.
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June 17, 2026

Florida Swing Grows to Four Weeks for World of Outlaws Late Models

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series will expand its 2027 season-opening Florida swing into a four-week run with added venues and higher purses. The stretch opens at Volusia Speedway Park with the World of Outlaws Sunshine Nationals from Jan. 28-30 and ends there again at the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals on Feb. 18-20.

The Sunshine Nationals will pay $12,000 to win on Thursday and Friday, with a $20,000-to-win finale on Saturday. Crate Racin’ USA DIRTcar Pro and 602 Late Models are also scheduled to race at the event. The series then moves to Hendry County Motorsports Park for the Swamp Cabbage 100 on Feb. 5-6.

Hunt the Front’s Southern Raceway in Milton is a new addition to the schedule and will host the inaugural Gulf Coast Winter Nationals on Feb. 12-13, with the finale paying $20,000 to win. The Florida swing will close at Volusia during the DIRTcar Nationals, where World of Outlaws Super Late Models will race for $12,000 on Thursday and Friday and $20,000 on Saturday, and the series will again crown its Big Gator champion.
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