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April 8, 2026

McLaren predicts Fornaroli will debut in F1 late 2026

McLaren said it accelerated the testing and development of 21-year-old Italian Leonardo Fornaroli after he did not secure a 2026 race seat, signing him over the winter as a reserve driver for 2026. Fornaroli, the reigning FIA Formula 2 champion who won consecutive FIA F3 and F2 titles without prior backing from an F1 junior program, will share reserve duties with IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward. Regulations require teams to give rookies two FP1 sessions, and McLaren expects Fornaroli to make his official F1 debut later in 2026.

Fornaroli completed his first on-track F1 tests in McLaren’s 2023 MCL60 recently at Barcelona and Silverstone, covering more than 900 kilometers in total, with 112 laps (512 km) at Barcelona and 68 laps (393 km) at Silverstone. McLaren described the Silverstone outing as a full-day session and an evolution of the earlier program. The tests focused on long stints with lower fuel and evaluations on hard and soft tire compounds to simulate race conditions; Fornaroli said the sessions helped him try different setups and build comfort with F1 machinery, and he reported noticeable improvements after the longer runs and setup work. McLaren noted the Silverstone run included 16 more laps than F1 drivers managed at last year’s British Grand Prix.

The team called the outings part of a structured Driver Development Program that pairs on-track work with simulator sessions at McLaren’s Woking base and trackside exposure, including attendance at the Japanese Grand Prix. Sporting director Alessandro Alunni Bravi said Fornaroli “made fantastic progress throughout” and showed consistency and a quick ability to learn. McLaren said he will have additional track outings across a variety of circuits and will support the team both trackside and in the simulator, providing significant seat time and data on how he adapts to the MCL60 under varied fuel and tire conditions.
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April 8, 2026

Brundle Warns 2026 F1 Power Units May Break Article 27.1

Martin Brundle warned that autonomous, self-learning energy deployment in the new 2026 Formula 1 cars may be breaching Article 27.1 of the sporting regulations by undermining driver control and making race decisions for drivers.

Speaking on The F1 Show and Sky Sports F1, Brundle said the power units appear capable of overriding driver inputs and argued regulators must examine whether that behavior contravenes the rule that the driver must drive “alone and unaided.”

He called the current power delivery architecture “fundamentally flawed” and said “drivers should not be surprised by a car’s behavior.”
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April 7, 2026

Mercedes, McLaren to Test Pirelli Tires at Nurburgring

Mercedes and McLaren will run a two-day Pirelli tire test at the Nurburgring on April 14-15. The outing will bring current-era F1 cars back to the circuit for the first time since the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix.

Pirelli describes the sessions as a technical tire program and the test has been promoted informally as a “Spring Break” Mercedes test. One report named Mercedes drivers as George Russell and Kimi Antonelli and McLaren drivers as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, split across the two days; another source said drivers had not been confirmed, though both teams are expected to divide duties across the test days.

The sessions will run on the Nurburgring’s GP layout and are scheduled as non-competitive tire work to provide data for Pirelli’s development program. Several sources said the work will focus on dry compounds after recent Pirelli running at Suzuka, but Pirelli has not formally confirmed whether sessions will target wet or dry tires and can artificially wet the surface if required. The GP layout’s 17 corners, large run-off areas and advanced monitoring make the track well suited to precise data gathering as teams evaluate tire behavior, car setup and long-run performance to inform future compounds and construction.

The Nurburgring outing replaces a planned pre-season wet trial in Bahrain and fills on-track time lost after the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix and the Bahrain test were canceled. Reports linked those cancellations to missile strikes tied to the US and Israel offensive on Iran. Organizers and supporters hope the return of top-level cars will strengthen calls to reinstate the Nurburgring on the official F1 calendar, and the work will give drivers preparation ahead of the championship resuming at the Miami Grand Prix on May 3.
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April 7, 2026

Nashville Supercross: Race Day Live 9am ET; Gate Drop 3pm

This weekend’s Monster Energy AMA Supercross stop is at Nissan Stadium in Nashville and serves as Round 13 of the championship. In the U.S., qualifying and the Race Day Live session will stream on Peacock at 9 a.m. ET (6 a.m. PT).

Listings show live main-program coverage — including the Gate Drop main race broadcast — beginning at 3 p.m. ET (12 p.m. PT) on Peacock and NBC; SiriusXM will carry the Gate Drop broadcast as well. Note on timing: some schedules list heat races as starting shortly after 3 p.m. ET while broadcast guides show live coverage beginning at 3 p.m. ET — check local listings for exact start times.

International viewers can watch Race Day Live at 1 p.m. GMT, with the main race available at 7 p.m. GMT on SuperMotocross VideoPass. Organizers also noted that next weekend’s Cleveland SX will be run as a day race with the same 3 p.m. ET main-program start.
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April 7, 2026

Liberty proposes F1-style permanent reserves for MotoGP

Liberty Media has proposed introducing F1-style permanent reserve riders in MotoGP as part of a new commercial framework, arguing that factories should name one or two reserves who travel to every round and can step in for factory or satellite teams. The proposal is framed as a response to an expanded calendar and a heavier weekend format (Friday practice, a Saturday sprint and a Sunday grand prix) that organizers say has increased injuries and produced prolonged absences — cited examples include Marc Márquez, Jorge Martín and the pre-season injury to Fermin Aldeguer — and is intended to reduce reliance on ad-hoc stand-ins and improve competitiveness and readiness. The idea remains under discussion rather than a confirmed rule change.

Proponents have proposed mandating manufacturer reserves, possibly two riders per brand with one slot reserved for a young rider, and argue such a system could give Moto2 stars meaningful race-weekend exposure and become a pivotal development route if cost and logistical hurdles are addressed. Supporters say a formal reserve pool would cover frequent injuries, avoid situations where full-time riders cannot be replaced and mirror Formula 1’s permanent reserve approach, while Liberty positions the plan alongside other F1-style changes it has introduced since taking control in 2025.

Officials, teams and riders raised multiple practical and commercial objections. Manufacturers currently rely on test riders — such as Dani Pedrosa, Andrea Dovizioso, the Espargaró brothers, Ducati’s Michele Pirro and Aprilia’s Lorenzo Savadori — who focus on bike development rather than being maintained race-ready; Pirro’s best substitute result in the last decade was fourth at the 2018 Valencia Grand Prix and he was over a minute off the lead when deputizing in Thailand, while Savadori scored points twice in 2025 with a best finish of ninth at the wet French Grand Prix. Critics point to the lack of MotoGP simulators, the need for extensive seat time, likely changes to weekend formats, riders’ reluctance to travel without a guaranteed chance to race (Alex Rins said “I wouldn’t be willing to do so”), and scheduling clashes with World Superbike — exemplified by the Nicolò Bulega case — as major obstacles. Ducati sporting director Davide Tardozzi publicly rejected the proposal as “not viable,” and teams warned they would be unwilling to risk their lead SBK or MotoGP riders serving as reserves. The proposal’s fate will hinge on whether manufacturers, teams and series officials can reconcile the operational, financial and talent-development trade-offs involved.
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April 7, 2026

Dean Wilson returns to Quad Lock Honda for final five 450SX

Dean Wilson will return to the Monster Energy AMA Supercross 450SX class for the final five rounds of the 2026 championship, joining Quad Lock Honda. The comeback begins at round 13 in Nashville, Tennessee, giving Quad Lock Honda an experienced rider for the closing stretch.

Wilson filled in for Honda HRC Progressive late in the 2025 Supercross series when Jett and Hunter Lawrence were sidelined. He made five 450SX starts in 2025 aboard the factory Honda CRF450R Works Edition, posting results of 17-9-10-10-7 and finishing seventh in the Salt Lake City finale; he has 74 career top-ten 450SX finishes and finished 17th in the 2025 Monster Energy SuperMotocross World Championship.

In fall 2025 Wilson won the AUSX SX1 title with Quad Lock Honda, and earlier in the year he won the UK Arenacross Tour to claim a second consecutive title. On social media he said he wasn’t sure where he stood in the 450 class but had “put in a good effort” and has been working on his preparation in recent weeks; he invited fans to visit the Quad Lock Honda rig and confirmed he will see fans and competitors in Nashville as he resumes competition for the closing rounds.
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April 6, 2026

Shimoda injured in St. Louis crash, drops to fourth

Jo Shimoda will undergo an MRI this week after sustaining a lower-left leg injury in a multi-rider pileup at the sixth round of the St. Louis Supercross. The Honda HRC Progressive rider was removed from the track by the Alpinestars Mobile Medical Unit, was ruled out for the remainder of the night, did not start the LCQ, and scored zero points in St. Louis.

The crash began when Phoenix Honda rider Evan Ferry went down; Shimoda rolled a section and was clipped in the lower leg by Luke Clout in the first rhythm section, prompting a red flag, and he was seen favoring his left leg after the incident. Alpinestars’ initial on-site assessment found no broken bones but indicated possible ligament damage; Shimoda said Alpinestars medical told him there were no fractures. The MRI has been described as the decisive diagnostic step to confirm or rule out ligament issues and to inform any short-term treatment or recovery timeline, and the team has said its immediate focus is obtaining accurate imaging and a recovery plan that preserves Shimoda’s championship chances.

Team manager Lars Lindstrom said the injury initially looked serious but that he is “more hopeful that it’s only a minor setback,” noting Shimoda could put weight on the foot during initial checks and that putting weight on the foot seemed to be okay. Entering the round Shimoda trailed championship leader Cole Davies by 14 points; after scoring no points in St. Louis he now sits fourth in the 250SX East standings, 36 points behind Davies.
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April 6, 2026

Eli Tomac’s dip in form tightens 450SX title fight

Eli Tomac’s recent dip in form and health has become a central story in the 450SX title race after a string of subdued outings. At a recent press day Tomac said, “Physically I’m fine. I’m good,” while also acknowledging he’d been “a little bit under the weather” in Birmingham and was “just not great riding” in Detroit.

He finished third in Birmingham, fifth in Detroit and sixth in St. Louis; in St. Louis he was passed by Justin Cooper and Cooper Webb. Commentators described St. Louis as his third straight “off” outing following a strong earlier run and a midseason crash in Glendale, noting his riding looked subdued on the rough, rutted St. Louis layout and that he did not visibly fight back after those passes.

Despite those results, Tomac remains a four-time race winner this season and was arguably the fastest rider through the first nine rounds. Reports differ on his points status: one account said he retook the championship points lead, while KTM’s post-race release called St. Louis tougher, said the team “didn’t lose too many points” and said the team remained tied for the lead. The standings are tighter — Ken Roczen has won two in a row and closed a 31-point gap to six points — and Roczen and Hunter Lawrence have joined Tomac in a three-rider title fight with five races remaining. Tomac’s ability to regain the early-season form his team pointed to will be decisive in whether he can hold the red plate to the end of the championship.
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April 4, 2026

Ducati moves Aldeguer to VR46, increasing Gresini tensions

Ducati has decided to move 21-year-old Fermin Aldeguer from Gresini to Valentino Rossi’s VR46 squad for 2027, a manufacturer-driven reshuffle that includes factory machinery, a new livery and a contract option extended through 2028. Aldeguer, the 2025 Rookie of the Year who finished eighth overall and scored a Grand Prix victory in Indonesia, was reportedly denied a promised factory bike for 2026 and is said to have preferred to stay at Gresini. VR46 team principal Uccio Salucci confirmed interest at the United States GP, calling Aldeguer “a fantastic rider,” while Ducati’s activation of VR46’s factory-supported option for 2027 was a decisive factor in the move.

Gresini owner Nadia Padovani reacted strongly to the transfer, with sources saying the switch left her team needing two riders for 2027 after Alex Márquez’s expected departure to KTM. Padovani publicly rejected the idea that Ducati could force Nicolo Bulega onto Gresini, saying she would only sign Bulega if he were the best option; Bulega has been linked to MotoGP interest and is noted as a 26-year-old World Superbike front-runner with a dominant start to his season. Faced with a constrained pool of suitable replacements and limited manufacturer alternatives, Gresini briefly considered leaving Ducati and held talks with Honda and Aprilia, but after assessing realistic options moved toward renewing its Ducati deal.

Reports name Enea Bastianini and Moto2 prospect Daniel Holgado among riders linked to Gresini’s reorganization. The episode underscored the growing influence of manufacturers in shaping satellite-team lineups and the strategic value of factory support: Ducati reportedly mediated the rivalry between the teams as shifting alliances and contract timing reshaped bargaining power, and observers noted that a single high-profile rider movement can force rapid strategy changes in a market where top-level riders are scarce and factory backing remains a decisive advantage in MotoGP’s satellite ecosystem.
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