- Horner’s multi-million-pound return as Red Bull battles ongoing departures.
- McLaren’s move for Lambiase stalls while IndyCar locks in its final grid.
- Hocevar triumphs at Talladega as Aprilia reveals new upgrades for the season.
As you’d expect from the world of motorsport, things move along at a breakneck speed. It waits for no man or woman. pace this Wednesday.
From the F1 paddock in Miami to the testing in Indianapolis, here is the latest:
The £80 million return of Horner
New information has emerged regarding Christian Horner’s gardening leave following his high-profile departure from Red Bull. Reports confirm that Horner’s final settlement – estimated to be around £80m – included a 10-month ‘non-compete’ clause.
This effectively grants him the green light to return to an F1 leadership role as early as May 2026, which interestingly coincides with the Canadian Grand Prix.
While speculation continues to link him with being part of the takeover of Alpine, his presence at the Spanish MotoGP suggests he may also be weighing up a wider executive-type role within Liberty Media’s expanding sport portfolio.
Red Bull’s two-year stall on Lambiase
Despite McLaren’s announcement that they have secured the services of Max Verstappen’s long-time race engineer, Gianpiero ‘GP’ Lambiase, as their new chief racing officer, he remains at Red Bull.
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies clarified today that Lambiase remains contractually bound to Milton Keynes through to the end of 2027. So, unless a significant buyout is negotiated, GP is expected to remain in the Red Bull garage for the next two seasons, which adds a layer of complication to McLaren’s team restructuring timeline.
Watch this space for developments.
IndyCar: The field of 33 is locked
The grid for the 110th Indianapolis 500 is now officially complete.
Katherine Legge was confirmed as the 33rd and final entrant, driving for HMD Motorsports in collaboration with AJ Foyt Racing.
On the track, the Month of May has already, in theory, kicked off. Conor Daly topped the opening day of the Indy 500 Open Test yesterday with a lap of 225.394 mph, narrowly edging out the legendary Helio Castroneves.
MotoGP: Aprilia struck back in Jerez
Following a dominant showing by Ducati at the Spanish Grand Prix, Aprilia has used the post-race Jerez test to signal a reset.
Jorge Martin and Raul Fernandez both reported significant performance gains after the test, with the factory team trialling a new high-downforce aero package.
Meanwhile, away from the track, the motorsport gaming world today celebrates the official launch of MotoGP 26, which features a revamped ‘dynamic rider rating’ system, which is supposed to reflect real-world performance shifts.
NASCAR: Hocevar’s Talladega statement
The NASCAR Cup Series still buzzes from Carson Hocevar’s thrilling maiden victory at Talladega. The 23-year-old secured a dramatic 0.114-second victory over Chris Buescher, which officially confirmed his Spire Motorsports Chevrolet team’s place in the 2026 Playoffs.
His big win signalled a significant shift in the balance of power in the series, moving Hocevar into the top ten of the standings.
Jos Verstappen’s narrow escape
There’s still relief all round in the Verstappen camp (and in the wider motorsport world) as they continue to come to terms with Jos’s big crash in Belgium’s Rallye de Wallonie on Sunday.
While running in third place, his Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 left the road and struck a tree at high speed. Luckily, despite the car ending up on its roof, both he and co-driver Jasper Vermeulen escaped without injury.
Other motorsport snippets
- Miami weather alert: F1 officials are monitoring a storm front heading toward Miami. Lightning is forecast for Sunday, raising concerns that the race could be suspended if the mandatory medical helicopter is grounded.
- World Rally Championship: Sebastien Ogier has taken the championship lead after a chaotic Rally Islas Canarias, which saw leader Oliver Solberg retire following a high-speed roll.
- Formula E: Nick Cassidy and the Citroen Racing team have arrived in Berlin for this weekend’s double-header. Cassidy is gearing up for a record-breaking fourth consecutive victory at the Tempelhof Airport circuit.
- World Endurance Championship: Alpine have confirmed that their A424 Hypercar will receive its final major upgrade ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, following a successful private test at Spa.
