- Lewis Hamilton skips Ferrari simulator to find better track feel.
- Pecco Bagnaia’s leaked Aprilia deal stuns the Le Mans paddock.
- Tyler Reddick leads NASCAR standings heading into the Watkins Glen.
Welcome to your Thursday briefing where we look at Lewis Hamilton’s bold approach for Canada, yet more beef on the NASCAR grid, and some shock contract leaks in the MotoGP paddock. Here’s the latest:
Formula 1: Hamilton abandons the sim
As ever, there’s plenty of F1 rumblings doing the rounds, but one of the biggest talking points today is Lewis Hamilton doubling down on his decision to completely skip Ferrari’s simulator test ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.
After a frustrating Miami weekend where the virtual set-up led to “massive mid-corner understeer,” Hamilton has opted for a different, ‘organic’ approach. He noted that his strongest 2026 performances came during back-to-back weekends where sim-prep was almost impossible, which has caused tension within Maranello’s engineering department.
Meanwhile, Aston Martin have viewed their first double-finish of the season in Miami as a significant breakthrough. Despite reliability issues with the Honda power unit, Fernando Alonso’s P15 finish has finally moved the team ahead of Cadillac in constructors’ table.
On the gossip front, Max Verstappen’s continuing vocal criticism of the 2026 regs reached today’s Autosport magazine, where rumours intensify that he is looking for an early exit strategy should Red Bull fail to close the gap on Mercedes.
NASCAR: A cautionary tale at the Glen
The Cup Series arrives at Watkins Glen this weekend under a cloud of “celebration safety” beef – something that is not unusual in NASCAR. Following Connor Zilisch’s fall from his car in Victory Lane at the last race, drivers, including Christopher Bell and Ryan Blaney, have spent the last 24 hours publicly calling for safer post-race protocols.
On the racetrack, Chase Elliott remains the favourite for Sunday, but the entry list confirms a ‘ringer’ threat: Katherine Legge returns with Live Fast Motorsports, and teenager Zilisch will look to redeem his ‘Victory Lane blunder’ with a win on track.
IndyCar: Palou’s pursuit of history
The Month of May officially opens today at the Indianapolis road course. The big story for the Sonsio Grand Prix is Alex Palou’s quest for history. Having won three of the first five races of 2026, he could become the first driver since 1946 to win four consecutive races at the same track if he triumphs on Saturday.
Late yesterday, a major commercial shift was announced, with OnlyBulls (an AI-financial platform) being named the title sponsor for Portland, further confirming their growing influence in the paddock as they already back four entries, including Dale Coyne and Meyer Shank.
MotoGP: The Bagnaia-Aprilia shockwave
Le Mans is abuzz this morning following leaked details of Pecco Bagnaia’s 2027 move to Aprilia. Insiders suggest the deal was fast-tracked after Ducati prioritised Pedro Acosta for their factory seat. The real gossip, however, centres around Alex Rins, who has reportedly been told he will be replaced by Ai Ogura at Yamaha for 2027.
Adding to the French GP drama, Maverick Vinales has officially withdrawn due to lingering fitness issues, with Tech3 naming a last-minute stand-in. Meanwhile, veteran Andrea Iannone has made a surprise return to the paddock, not in MotoGP, but competing in the new Bagger World Cup support series.
Other motorsport snippets
- WEC: A fiery behind-closed-doors meeting is expected today regarding the BoP (Balance of Performance) secrecy. Ferrari are leading a protest against the FIA’s refusal to share telemetry data with rival teams.
- Formula E: The 2027 Osaka Street Race has moved into its final planning phase, with a draft circuit layout leaked on social media this morning.
- F1/Toto: In F1, the buzz around Kimi Antonelli continues after his Miami success. Toto Wolff has spent the last 24 hours trying to temper expectations by comparing the Italian’s pressure to that of tennis star Jannik Sinner.
