Mick Schumacher has been named the Rookie of the Year for the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500, which comes with a $50,000 monetary bonus as part of a record Indy 500 purse.

Schumacher, whose past experience includes 43 Formula 1 starts 16 World Endurance Championship races, is embarking on his rookie IndyCar season. One of the biggest learning curves for him has been the ovals, and the Indianapolis 500 was his most daunting challenge yet.

Despite that, he avoided any incidents during the Month of May, qualifying 27th. During the race, he continued to stay out of trouble for the most part, keeping the car clean

Schumacher went on to finish 18th and on the lead lap, ahead of the other three rookies in the field. Dennis Hauger was 19th, Jack Abel 24th, and Caio Collet -- who did lead some laps -- finished 26th after a late crash.

Mick Schumacher, No. 47 RLL Racing Honda

Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Lumen via Getty Images

Additionally, Schumacher was second of the four RLL Racing entries, beating teammates Graham Rahal and Louis Foster, while Takuma Sato led the team with a tenth-place finish.

Taking the stage during the Indy 500 Victory Celebration banquet on Monday, Schumacher reflected on his first experience racing at the Brickyard while officially receiving his ROTY award.

Schumacher did make the highlight reel when made a daring pass on the race leader later race winner Felix Rosenqvist to forcefully get his lap back. During his speech, the 27-year-old noted that it was his favorite moment of the race.

"I loved that one, even if it was to un-lap myself, but hey, you gotta take what you can get."

He was also in awe by the incredible buildup to the race with 300,000+ fans in attendance, and talked about the moment when the Black Hawk helicopters paced right along with the field of 33.

"They were low, I could tell you -- I felt that in the car. It was shaking around, so it was pretty impressive to see that."

Hear more from Mick after his first Indy 500 experience:

When Spire Motorsports first signed Daniel Suarez to join Spire Motorsports, co-owner Jeff Dickerson called it a ‘redemption story’ in the waiting but no one could have expected it to go this well so early.

With his rain-shortened victory in the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday night, Suarez is 10th in the championship standings, which is incredible when considering this is already his best season despite previous stints at Joe Gibbs Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing and Trackhouse.

There were times over the past three years with Suarez looking like he was racing for his life and career when both were only saved by a drafting track victory at Atlanta in 2024. He finished 29th in the standings last year so it didn't make a lot of sense, on paper, for Spire to believe Suarez was their best bet.

How wrong that sentiment turned out to be ...

Daniel Suarez and Spire wins Coca-Cola 600 for Kyle Busch Motorsports

Complete NASCAR Cup points standings after the 2026 Coca Cola 600

Now Suarez joins Carson Hocevar as Cup Series winning drivers this season inside of the top-10 with both drivers serving as building blocks for an organization that has as many wins this year as Hendrick Motorsports.

“I'm not going to say that to the boss,” Dickerson said on Sunday night in reference to Rick Hendrick, whom supplies Spire technical resources as part of an alliance.

“I mean, he was super happy for us too.”

Back to Suarez, it’s no secret that Suarez felt chippy towards Trackhouse when he was notified that he would not be back with them this season. Trackhouse, based on actions, felt like the combination of Connor Zilisch and Shane Van Gisbergen were better long-term fits.

Suarez felt like Trackhouse let him down in terms of resources and commitment. He has taken several shots at them as he’s competed inside the top-10 this season, and Dickerson recognizes this win as a degree of validation.

“I mean, this is a big moment,” Dickerson said. “This is a crown jewel race. … It feels good. It feels good to win. I'm happy for Daniel. He's had a chip on his shoulder but man, he's really fit in with us. He's been so good just being like the glue. He's right in the middle.

“Got Carson way over here and (Michael) McDowell way over here, and he does a really good job just uplifting everybody, just asking the right questions. He also has a really big curiosity on everything.

“How about the redemption story will be complete when we make the playoffs with that team?”

The biggest win of his career left Suarez feeling sentimental too.

“Listen, every driver, every crew chief, every single one of you guys have had a different journey, right,” Suarez said. “Different paths. And every single one of us were unique.

“For me, my journey into NASCAR hasn't been easy, and I'm not saying that for some other drivers it's been easy, but for me, hasn't been easy -- from learning the language, from not knowing anyone. … I had to struggle. I struggled a lot just to understand what I needed to do, how I needed to do it. I never felt that I had exactly the things that sometimes you need as a young driver to continue to grow and continue to learn.”

Suarez thought his career might be over

Daniel Suarez wins, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: Jonathan Bachman - Getty Images

Suarez thought his career was over when he wasn’t winning with teams where his teammates were.

“So it's no secret I was bouncing a lot in between teams, and at one point I thought my career was going to be over,” he said. “But I never stopped believing in myself. I never stopped believing in the person and the driver that I can be. I will be forever thankful to Mr. Hendrick, to Jeff Dickerson, Chevrolet, Freeway Insurance, Coca-Cola -- all these sponsors that have been with me for many years.

“It's been amazing. I wouldn't change it for anything because right now I believe that I'm the most complete driver that we all have seen.

“But as we all know in the Cup Series, you can be the best driver in the world, and if you don't have the rest of the pieces of the puzzle, it's not going to work. You have to have pit crew, the engineers, manufacturer, everything. I believe that right now I'm in a good spot with Spire Motorsports, and I feel very blessed for that.”

His crew chief, Ryan Sparks has a chip on his shoulder too.

“We've had a steady progression,” Sparks said. “As you've seen the results, we've been building this thing for five years. Nobody believed us, and Hocevar put us on the map there at Talladega and now Daniel at Charlotte. Eventually they're going to take us seriously.”

It looks like, at least right now, that Spire and Suarez were the right fits at the right time. Spire has undergone heavy capital investment over the past several years. It’s now part of Group 1001 and Guggeinheim Partners as part of TWG Motorsports.

Spire is making a push to join the upper echelon of the discipline and what most expected to be a stop gap hiring looks like a foundational piece all of a sudden.

Is Spire a top team now?

"I don't know," Dickerson said in a response to a question from Motorsport.com. "I think I said this to you at Talladega. I just don't think we've hit our ceiling. I don't think we're hitting on all cylinders. I think we've still got a long ways to go to -- I mean, you saw it. I thought, whether it was 1 through 5 or 1 through 6, I felt like most of the race was every Toyota in the field. So I don't think we're there yet.

"Daniel drove his ass off on those restarts. Ryan gave a great call. We knew that 7 was fast. But we're not -- I think we're somewhere in the middle. I mean, we got 175 people that wake up every day and try to win these races.

Obviously the help from Dan and Cassidy Towriss and Mark Walter doesn't hurt. They also set a really high bar. Everything from them is just what do you guys need to win? ...

"Man, it just feels like we've got a long ways to go still. It feels like we can still stretch out. I'm glad we're getting trophies. Our goal was to put two in the playoffs and get three wins this year. Those guys 9th and 10th in points. Still a long ways to go. I don't want to fumble it. But, man, it would be good to meet those goals."

Watch: Dickerson traces Spire's racing DNA to Kyle Busch

Photos from Charlotte Race

The 67th running of the Coca-Cola 600 wasn't the best oval finish of Shane van Gisbergen's NASCAR career, but it was his most impressive to those paying attention to the No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet.

SVG's best Cup finish on an oval came at Atlanta earlier this year, placing sixth. He has one other top ten -- P10 at Kansas last fall. Charlotte was oh so close to becoming his third oval top ten on Sunday, but instead, it was his fourth 11th place finish since moving up to the Cup Series (all on different oval tracks).

But that doesn't even begin to tell the whole story. After starting third due to qualifying being rained out, Van Gisbergen did not fade at all. He remained inside the top five for some time, and never really fell outside the top ten for the majority of the race.

Scoring stage points and leading late

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing

Photo by: David Jensen / Getty Images

At the end of Stage 1 he was 10th, at the end of Stage 2 he was 9th, and at the end of Stage 3 he was 7th -- five extra points for his efforts.

But in the final stage, Van Gisbergen made some big moves to challenge for a spot inside the top five. He the stayed out on older tires, but managed to hold the lead for 11 laps with rain threatening. 36 laps after losing control of the race, rain did end the event, with Daniel Suarez claiming the victory.

SVG ultimately finished 11th through some chaotic restarts and a sluggish pit stop. Still, it was enough for him to jump two positions in the standings, and he is no longer on the Chase bubble.

Van Gisbergen was thrilled with the run, but admittedly 'pissed' that he missed out on a top ten with how much time he spent near the front of the field.

"It’s hard," said Van Gisbergen. "I had an amazing day, but I’m pissed. We were a top-five or six car, but we just didn’t execute at the end. It was really cool to run up front all day. We were gifted a good starting position with qualifying getting canceled. It was a good call by Stephen (Doran, crew chief) to stay out there. It was awesome to be able to lead some laps.”

However, his main adjective for the night was 'fun,' especially when he got to rip the top and make gains as the tires began to wear on longer runs.

And despite the end result, it was clearly his strongest oval race yet. He even out-paced teammate Ross Chastain (before his mid-race crash), which is extra impressive considering the fact that Chastain won last year's Coca-Cola 600.

Photos from Charlotte Race

Scott McLaughlin thought "if I crash, I crash" before mad Indy 500 charge to P3

Full race results from the 2026 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600

Complete NASCAR Cup points standings after the 2026 Coca Cola 600

The purse for the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 is now the largest in history, increasing by over 50%, per IndyCar.

Last year, the Indy 500 purse was $20,283,000, and race winner Alex Palou took home $3.8 million. This year, the total purse rocketed up to $30,906,400 with newly crowned Indy 500 champion Felix Rosenqvist taking home $4.34 million.

“The Indianapolis 500 continues to make history, in more ways than one,” IndyCar and IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “The Month of May featured a back-to-back grandstand sellout crowd – our largest crowd since the 100th Running in 2016 – and intense on track action with the most lead changes ever in the Indy 500. Felix Rosenqvist added his name to the history books in stellar fashion, with the closest finish in Indy 500 history and now the largest purse. There’s no better end to a memorable month.”

Mick Schumacher won Rookie of the Year honors for this year's Indy 500 after finishing on the lead lap in 18th place -- higher than all other rookie challengers. He will take home $50,000 bonus for that, with a total of $218,800.

Here's a look at the purse money from recent years to see how it all compares:

2026: $30,906,400 total / $4.34 million to winner

2025: $20,283,000, / $3.8 million to the winner

2024: $18,456,000 / $4.3 million to the winner (including which $440,000 roll-over bonus for winning back-to-back)

2023: $17,021,500 /  $3.7 million to the winner

2022: $16,000,200 / $3.1 million to the winner

The biggest purse in the years preceding that was $14.4 million back in 2008.

Photos from Indianapolis Race

2026 Indy 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist dreamed of this finish — then made it real

Scott McLaughlin thought "if I crash, I crash" before mad Indy 500 charge to P3

David Malukas in tears after losing Indy 500 by record 0.0233s

The five closest Indy 500 finishes in history

Behind the dramatic photo finish for the Indianapolis 500 race win, and even the three-wide fight to the line for third, was an easy-to-miss No. 76 Chevrolet.

That was a Juncos Hollinger Racing entry with driver by Rinus VeeKay, who delivered the team its best-ever showing in the Indianapolis 500. It was also a career-best finish for VeeKay as well, placing sixth after qualifying inside the Fast 12. 

The underdog team's previous best showing in the Indy 500 was eighth, which came with Conor Daly one year ago.

Speaking with Motorsport.com, VeeKay reflected on very up-and-down day, saying: "This was a roller coaster. I'm sure not just for me.  We had a bit of an unfortunate strategy call to stay out on the first yellow, when everybody but three or four cars pitted. Didn't fall our way there. We kind of fell back to the back of the pack, cycled all the way to the back and raced our own race from there on. Saved fuel, kind of hung back, and took a spot here and there. Then at the third stop, I think both windows kind of emerged. We were on the same strategy as everybody else.  And then at the end we could pivot. I'd saved enough fuel and do one less stop than most. So, a good call and a bad call in one race.

"Our strategy, I think, that's the 500, you can come back. And, yeah, to still be so strong on the final restart was really good. So, incredible effort by Juncos Hollinger Racing, everybody on the team, not just my crew, but also Sting Ray's, to give the drivers confidence throughout the month. I've been very comfortable all month. And, yeah, we maximized this race. So, I would have been happier if I won, for sure. But I'm very satisfied with our result and our fighting spirit."

VeeKay believes the team has the pace to compete, but they need to have better strategy and a bit more luck. At Indianapolis, he was running ninth when the race-altering caution for Collet flew. He reached as high as fifth in the chaotic restarts that followed, before securing sixth at Lap 200.

"We have pace. We need strategy to go away a little bit, and we're there," remarked VeeKay on JHR's progression. "And that's kind of been our whole story this season. We have been quick, but haven't had the lock on strategy. By now, I think it was a bit of a wash on strategy.  We had a bit of bad luck at the start, good luck at the end. And, yeah, we keep fighting to the end. This young team has a lot to fight for.

"And I think this is only their start. I think they have a really bright future ahead of them."

Photos from Indianapolis Race

Scott McLaughlin thought "if I crash, I crash" before mad Indy 500 charge to P3

Ed Carpenter explains why he was so angry with Takuma Sato

2026 Indy 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist dreamed of this finish — then made it real

David Malukas in tears after losing Indy 500 by record 0.0233s

Full race results from the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500

Entering the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500, the theme for Scott McLaughlin was redemption, as he crashed on the pace lap last May, leaving the New Zealander him beyond dejected.

He avoided trouble all day and when the caution flew for Caio Collet's vicious crash with eight laps to go, McLaughlin was running tenth.

When the race restarts, he swooped down low and was running sixth by the time the next caution flew, setting up a one-lap shootout. He quickly dispatched Rinus VeeKay for P5, and spent the rest of the white flag lap building a massive run on the cars ahead.

While all eyes were fixated on the dramatic battle for the win, he had his own photo finish for the final podium spot. McLaughlin followed Pato O'Ward as the Mexican driver pulled to the outside of Marcus Armstrong, and then McLaughlin swung out to the top just before reaching the bricks.

It was a three-wide photo finish from 3rd-5th, and McLaughlin was the car just ahead at the finish line. He was even looking to the left as they drag-raced across the yard of bricks, making sure he was ahead. The margin was miniscule -- just 0.016s between all three cars.

McLaughlin was elated with his own result, even as Team Penske lost out on the win with his teammate David Malukas, by a mere 0.023s. 

"For me, I was 10th on that first one (restart) and I was like, I'm just going to ship it and if I crash, I crash -- this is it," said McLaughlin.

"This is the pinnacle, and this is what I want out of everything. I think Dave would have been the same. I think we were on the alternate strategy, but we had 10 or so laps better tire than everyone else.

"So we knew that we probably had grip on the restarts, grip up high, just a matter of just making it happen. I mean, you did, you were leading. And you're young. You're going to be fine. We're both going to get one, I reckon. Hopefully."

McLaughlin wasn't even sure who won the race right in front of him because he was so fixated on the cars he was racing, saying: "I honestly was looking left to see Pato and see if I got him on the line. It's quite a bit of money from fifth to third so I was trying to get third."

On the battle to the checkered flag, McLaughlin explained that he checked up at the exit of Turn 2 to time the run for the frontstretch, and then deployed the hybrid at the perfect moment. 

Third is now McLaughlin's best finish yet in the Indy 500, and while he lamented the fact that Penske lost out and his young teammate was heartbroken, he had a great mindset for how to view this special -- yet often frustrating race.

"It's Christmas but not everyone gets a present, and that's the worst part about it because you wake up you're like, yo, we're going to get presents, it's going to be sick, and then only one guy goes home with one. That's what my mom said. It's kind of a good way to look at it. But at the same time, yeah, everyone here that finishes not first despises today, and it is what it is."

Shane van Gisbergen 'pissed' but excited after strongest oval race of NASCAR Cup career

2026 Indy 500 purse is the largest in history, eclipsing $30 million

Rinus VeeKay delivers Juncos Hollinger Racing its best Indy 500 showing ever

2026 Indy 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist dreamed of this finish — then made it real

Photos from Indianapolis 500 Race

Ed Carpenter, 45, finished 31st in his 23rd appearance at the Indianapolis 500, and and the 3x Indy 500 pole-sitter didn't make it very far into the event. That result matches his worst ever at the speedway.

So, what went wrong? On the first restart of the race, Carpenter found himself three-wide with Will Power to his inside and Takuma Sato to his outside. He likely thought he was in a safe position between two Indy 500 champions, but that's not how things unfolded.

As the field raced down into Turn 1, Sato came down and pinched Carpenter, leading to contact between the two cars. Sato escaped unscathed, but Carpenter spun sideways, and his No. 33 ECR Chevy slammed backwards into the outside wall.

His race was over after just 27 laps, and the veteran was fuming. He pointed to Sato as the field paced by under caution, sharing some unpleasant words if you can read lips.

Outside the infield care enter, Carpenter explained why he was so frustrated with the situation, telling a scrum of reporters: "Takuma tried to make it three-wide into Turn 1 on the restart, which was unwise. Not only did he do that, he squeezed me down like I was not going to be there.

"Really disappointed, so early in the race. For two veterans like that, a 2x champion, I expect way more out of him."

To make matters worse, his day didn't get any better as a team owner. Both Alexander Rossi and Christian Rasmussen fell out of the race, making it a triple DNF for ECR after what looked like a promising Month of May for the team.

During Monday's Indy 500 Victory Celebration banquet, Carpenter revealed that while still upset about the early incident, he and Sato have since had a good talk about what transpired on the track, and even 'pseudo-hugged' it out.

When Sato took the stage, he explained that he actually had no idea what happened, nor that Carpenter was angry with him until post-race media interviews. He also wasn't aware that they were three-wide entering that corner.

Felix Rosenqvist went on to win the 110th edition of the Indianapolis 500, beating David Malukas in the closest-ever photo finish at the speedway.

Photos from Indianapolis 500 Race

Full race results from the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500

The five closest Indy 500 finishes in history

Alex Palou continues to lead the championship standings after a pole and a seventh-place finish in the 2026 Indy 500, with David Malukas jumping up to second in points after a heartbreaking loss on Sunday. He is 37pts behind Palou, who was handed a small point-penalty after the race.

Kyle Kirkwood has fallen to third after finishing 16th in the Indy 500, 12pts behind Malukas.

Newly crowned Indy 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist jumped four positions in the standings, and is now seventh in points.

The standings also expanded from 25 drivers to 33 with eight drivers making their first start of the year in the Indy 500. 

Photos from Indianapolis 500 Race

Full race results from the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500

Felix Rosenqvist wins 2026 Indy 500 in closest-ever finish

2026 IndyCar points after the 110th Indy 500 (Race 7 of 18)

Daniel Suarez is now a Coca-Cola 600 winner, coming out of seemingly nowhere to win the 67th running of NASCAR's longest race, with rain ending the event 27 laps short of the scheduled distance.

It was a race dominated by Toyota, but won by Spire as the team is now equal with Hendrick Motorsports on race wins this year

But more than anything, it was a day overshadowed by the indescribable loss of Kyle Busch, and the strength of his grieving family, who were at the track for a heart-wrenching pre-race memorial.

But just as we did following the sudden loss of Dale, Adam, Neil, Alan, Davey, and all the rest -- we race on. So here's a look at the biggest winners and losers from the 2026 edition of the Coca-Cola 600:

WINNER -- The entire NASCAR community for coming together in the face of tragedy

Richard Childress, Samantha Busch, Brexton Busch, Lennix Busch, Nascar CEO Steve O'Donnell

Photo by: Jonathan Bachman - Getty Images

Where to even begin with this? Over the past few days, the NASCAR world has been reeling from unimaginable loss after the death of 41-year-old Kyle Busch. But what we saw in the immediate aftermath is a testament to how NASCAR is truly one big family, and that pre-race scene ... the strength of Samantha, Brexton, and the rest of the Busch family to be standing there like they were. It was a moment that will forever be ingrained in the minds of those who saw it, both in-person and from afar. As the field got ready to go racing, there was a 'missing man' formation in honor of the 2x champion, and on Lap 8, every single fan held up eight fingers in memory of Busch. It was a beautiful tribute as we begin the healing process. And after a full night of racing, there were tears, but there was also laughter and joy as the NASCAR on Prime team interviewed the main stories of the race. It felt normal, for the first time since the terrible news was announced. And that was only made possible by the closeness of the NASCAR community and its ability to once again come together in the face of tragedy. 

The family of Kyle Busch attending Coke 600, honored in heart-wrenching moment

NASCAR community says there was a difference between 'Rowdy' and Kyle Busch

NASCAR CEO: 'Family reunion' every weekend will never be the same without Kyle Busch

LOSER -- Race control and the impossible situation they faced due to volatile weather

Rain and fog at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Photo by: David Jensen / Getty Images

Now to focus on the race weekend itself, NASCAR Race Control was put in an unenviable position. Rain and fog plagued the O'Reilly race and ended it early, a thrice-postponed Truck race had to end early due to a time limit, and then there was the 600 itself. NASCAR had completed almost 560 of 600 miles when the skies opened and rain poured down on the speedway. Fans were already annoyed by how the lower divisions ended, and they did not want to see another premature ending. This has never happened before, by the way -- three times in a single weekend. If NASCAR stuck around to dry the track, we were looking at running the final 27 laps around 1-2am at the earliest if the weather cooperated, and so NASCAR made the call to drop the curtain on the race. The weather put them in a bad spot, and race control made some controversial decisions over the weekend, but I don't think the 600 call was one of them. Either way, it was a no-win situation.

Daniel Suarez earns shock win in rain-shortened Coca Cola 600

WINNER -- Daniel Suarez takes a bow after the biggest win of his career

Watch: Suárez wins Coca-Cola 600, salutes Kyle Busch

Last year, people were talking about Suarez as if he was on his way out the door, but he has found a renewed purpose at Spire Motorsports. He's had a solid start to the year, and even before the 600, was above all three Trackhouse cars in points -- the team that cut him loose after five years together. The two parties just didn't jell well in recent years, but Spire has been a perfect fit for the Mexican-born racer. And while he won a rain-shortened race at the 600, he did it after multiple unscheduled pit stops, and then held off a dominant fleet of Toyotas through multiple restarts while at a tire disadvantage. And now he is a winner of a NASCAR crown jewel, becoming the first driver born outside of the USA to win any of NASCAR's four crown jewel races. He jumped four positions in the standings to P10, and on top of it all, he got to honor the man who made his NASCAR career possible, taking a bow for Kyle Busch. 

Daniel Suarez and Spire wins Coca-Cola 600 for Kyle Busch Motorsports

LOSER -- Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota for giving it away 

Watch: Bell reacts to runner-up finish at Charlotte

It is shocking that JGR and Toyota failed to win Sunday's Coca-Cola 600. Near the end of Stage 3, they were running 1-2-3-4-5 and had their own private battle for the race lead. JGR drivers led a combined 170 of 373 laps -- add in Tyler Reddick, and they led 289 of 373 laps on Sunday. But instead of working together to overcome the tire-disadvantaged Suarez on back-to-back restarts, they fought among themselves before ultimately running out of time when bad weather hit. Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin were bouncing off each other's doors in the battle for second moments before the race-ending caution flew. Toyota drivers finished 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 6th, and walk away without a checkered flag, and they only themselves to blame.

WINNER -- SVG with his most complete oval showing yet

Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Krista Jasso / Getty Images

The Coke 600 wasn't Shane van Gisbergen's best oval finish, but it was his most complete oval race by a long shot. He earned stage points in every single stage, and even led 11 laps in the final stage of the race. Through the late-race restart chaos, he dropped to 11th in the final order, but he spent almost the entire race inside the top ten. The result bumps him up two positions in the standings, getting him off the Chase bubble. He was also the fastest of the Trackhouse drivers, even out-performing 2025 Coke 600 winner Ross Chastain before his mid-race wreck.

Shane van Gisbergen 'pissed' but excited after strongest oval race of NASCAR Cup career

LOSER -- Chase hopefuls lose precious ground amid carnage

Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing

Photo by: Jonathan Bachman - Getty Images

There were some big hits in Sunday's Coke 600, and some probably hurt more than others -- and I don't just mean because of the severity of the impact. DNFs for Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, Chase Briscoe, and Ryan Preece hurt them all in the battle around the Chase bubble. Chastain was the biggest loser in the points, dropping from 19th to 23rd in the standings after entering the 600 as its defending winner. Briscoe actually moved up in the stanings, but he lost over 30 points and possibly a race win after crashing out of the event, leaving him dangerously close to the bubble. Preece has fallen three spots down to 16th, and Cindric is now below the cut-line after they wrecked big as well.

Complete NASCAR Cup points standings after the 2026 Coca Cola 600

WINNER -- Zane Smith puts on a show in the FRM No. 38

Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford

Photo by: Jeffrey Vest / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

What a night for Zane Smith and the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford. He led 31 laps, which is more than 3x that of his previous record for laps led during a Cup race. He remained steady throughout the night, and scored a top ten finish, placing P10. Outside of the Penske duo, he was the next-highest Ford in the end, ten or more spots ahead of his FRM teammates.

LOSER -- Ever-consistent Chase Elliott makes a rare mistake

Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports

Photo by: David Jensen / Getty Images

Elliott entered this race third in the championship standings, but leaves fifth in points after crashing out in the opening stage of the race. Elliott simply lost it at the exit of Turn 2, slamming the inside wall and ending his night. Elliott is a very consistent driver, so it was a very rare mistake and his first DNF of the entire year. He's also crashed in three of the last five Coke 600s.

BONUS WINNER/LOSER - Katherine Legge adds her name to the ‘Double’ list, but not without frustration 

Katherine Legge, No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: Krista Jasso / Getty Images

It was a good and bad day for the 45-year-old British racer. Legge made history as the sixth driver to start the Indy 500 and Coke 600 on the same day. She was also the first woman to do so, the first non-American, and the oldest by a decade. However, the day did not go as planned, and she only completed 585 of a possible 1,100 miles between the two races. She crashed on the 18th lap of the Indy 500, trying to avoid a spinning Ryan Hunter-Reay. At the 600, she stayed out of trouble, but a wheel disconnected after a pit stop and she lost several laps in the process. As Legge herself said, while historic, the day was a "calamity of errors" between Indy and Charlotte.

Photos from Charlotte - Race

Katherine Legge calls Double attempt a "calamity of errors" after tough Coke 600

The 'Greatest Spectacle in Racing' continues to live up to its name up with some truly astonishing finishes over the years, while also having a race in 1913 where the margin of victory was over 13 minutes between first and second...

It's should come as no surprise that in this increasingly competitive modern age with fields closer than they've ever been before, three of the five closest finishes in Indy 500 history have taken place in the last 12 years. 

But this year marked the closest ever, besting a record that had stood for over three decades as Felix Rosenqvist charged from third to first on the final lap to win the Indianapolis 500.

Take a look at how he did it, and the other nail-biting finishes from IndyCar's crown jewel event:

2026 -- Felix Rosenqvist defeats David Malukas by 0.023s

Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian Honda, David Malukas, Team Penske Chevrolet

Photo by: Penske Entertainment

The 110th running of the Indy 500 turned into a one-lap dash that has already solidified itself as one of the most iconic finishes in the history of the race. Rosenqivst restarted third behind Malukas and Meyer Shank Racing teammate Marcus Armstrong, with Malukas quickly taking the lead. Rosenqvist actually touched tires with Armstrong as he pulled to his outside, and they spent the majority of the lap wheel-to-wheel. While that appeared to advantage Malukas, the fact that Rosenqvist had non-stop clean air in that higher groove allowed him to build up some momentum through Turns 3 and 4. He drafted off the back of Malukas, flicked the wheel to the right, and pulled off an impressive slingshot for the closest finish ever in the 115-year history of IndyCar's crown jewel event.

1992 -- Al Unser Jr. defeats Scott Goodyear by  0.043s

This year's finish dethrones a record that had stood for 34 years. 'Little Al' had the lead, but Goodyear was following in his tire tracks for the entire final lap. He had a huge run out of the final corner, pulling to the inside just as they reached the yard of bricks. It was the younger Unser's first of two Indy 500 wins, and for Goodyear, that was as close as he ever got to racing immortality. 

2014 -- Ryan Hunter-Reay defeats Helio Castroneves by 0.060s

Ryan Hunter-Reay, Andretti Autosport Honda celebrates

Photo by: Jay Alley

Ah yes, Captain America vs. Spiderman in the battle of the yellow cars. The race went green with just six laps to go, with Hunter-Reay nearly taking to the grass to snatch the lead from Castroneves with four laps to go. They continued to swap-draft with Hunter-Reay taking the lead on the outside at the white flag. Castroneves spent the entire final lap building up a run, but he couldn't quite get there as the checkered flag flew. Despite a tough loss in 2014, Castroneves would eventually get his record-tying fourth Indy 500 win seven years later.

2006 -- Sam Hornish Jr. defeats Marco Andretti by 0.063s

Sam Hornish Jr. takes the checkered flag ahead of Marco Andretti

The most infamous example of the 'Andretti Curse' as no member of the Andretti family has won an Indy 500 since Mario did so in 1969. In 2006, his grandson Marco was a rookie in IndyCar, and he held a good lead in the closing moment of that year's Indy 500. Hornish threw it under Andretti into Turn 3 with two laps to go, but had to lift or they both would have crashed. That appeared to be race over, but Hornish managed to draft his way back up to him, pulling underneath the rookie just a few hundred feet from the finish line, stealing the win from the third-generation racer. Marco would go on to start 20 Indy 500s before retiring, but never got to taste the milk. 

2023 -- Josef Newgarden defeats Marcus Ericsson by 0.097s

Josef Newgarden wins

Photo by: Justin Casterline / Getty Images

Another one-lap dash in 2023, with Ericsson attempting to win the Indy 500 for the second consecutive year. Behind him was one of the most aggressive oval aces in the sport. Newgarden was charging fast, and even as Ericsson swerved to the apron on the backstretch in a desperate effort to break the draft, it wasn't enough. Newgarden shot around the outside and cleared him entering Turn 3. Ericsson was coming back at him, and Newgarden wildly swerved down the track, disappearing behind the pit wall before coming back up the track on the frontstretch. He continued to serpentine all the way to the line, winning the race. He denied Ericsson back-to-back Indy 500 wins, but Newgarden himself would accomplish the feat the following year.

Photos from Indianapolis 500 Race

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Full race results from the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500

Felix Rosenqvist wins 2026 Indy 500 in closest-ever finish

1997 Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve has warned Kimi Antonelli against buying into his own hype and to keep his cool in his first championship battle. 

The Italian driver, who is in his second season of F1, currently tops the championship with a 43-point lead over his Mercedes team-mate George Russell in second. 

Speaking on the F1 post-race show following the tense Canadian Grand Prix, Villeneuve, who won the drivers' championship in only his second season in 1997, offered some advice for the 19-year-old. 

"He needs to keep his head cool, not start believing too much in his own hype," he said. "That's a very dangerous thing to do. When you think that you're untouchable, that's when mistakes happen, and you have a DNF, like [Russell] today, or you have an accident, you lose 25 points, the gap changes a lot, and suddenly you start doubting yourself.

"So that is the big risk. Right now, he's driving on the edge every lap, and to the point where you think, 'Wow, he's keeping it on the track,' things go well, things go right. It won't always be like this. So, how will he react when one thing goes wrong? That will be the key thing.

Jacques Villeneuve, former racing driver, walks in the paddock.

Photo by: Kym Illman / Getty Images

"But right now, he is quicker than George. He's got him covered. What's important for the team is that George wakes up a little bit and starts believing in himself again."

When asked if Antonelli will be thinking of the championship, the Canadian added: "Of course. A season is a roller coaster. There's a period where everything goes well, and suddenly something goes wrong.

"A race or two, you go beyond. That's the danger. And people think, 'Oh, you won't win it anymore.' And then the other guy starts believing it, and it's a roller coaster. So, we'll see how it goes."

Photos from Canadian GP - Sunday

The Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli will host this coming Tuesday and Wednesday two days of private MotoGP testing, with the presence of the test teams of Aprilia, KTM, Yamaha, Honda and Ducati.

For this test, all manufacturers have Michelin and Pirelli tyres at their disposal, in order to continue developing the current 1000cc model and, if that is the case, continue advancing the 2027 prototype, with an 850cc engine and which will use tyres from the Italian manufacturer.

The weather forecast for these two days in Misano is sunshine and maximum temperatures close to 30 degrees ambient temperature, ideal conditions to work with the MotoGP bikes, especially after the last official test, held last Monday in Barcelona, was drastically cut short by the rain that fell over Montmeló.

Precisely the presence of Pirelli, which will not become the sole tyre supplier of MotoGP until the end of the year, when the current agreement with Michelin concludes, prevents the teams from being able to provide detailed information about their programmes. However, as Motorsport.com has learned, it was Ducati that rented the Misano track, inviting the rest of the manufacturers who, as usual, will pay the proportional part of the use of the circuit.

The riders who are going to be in Misano these two days are Michele Pirro (Ducati), Dani Pedrosa (KTM), Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia), Augusto Fernández and Andrea Dovizioso (Yamaha) and the Japanese Takkaki Nakagami, who will continue with the development of the two Honda bikes, the 2026 and the 2027, due to the injury of Aleix Espargaró. The one who could also be in Misano is Pol Espargaró, KTM test rider, if the recovery of his injured left arm has been completed.

Ducati will focus on the development of this year’s Desmosedici GP26, with Pirro at the handlebars. The rest of the teams, if conditions are good and the work with the 1000cc bike is completed, could dedicate part of the two test days to working on the 2027 prototype, or at least on its tyres.

Nakagami could be in Mugello

Takaaki Nakagami, Honda HRC

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

One of the options is that, after the test, the Japanese rider Takaaki Nakagami travels to Mugello, barely 220 kilometres away, to take part in the Italian MotoGP GP.

HRC’s test and development team does not plan to make a wild card appearance in Italy, so the only reason that could take Nakagami to Mugello is to replace the injured Johann Zarco in his former team, LCR-Honda.

The Monegasque squad directed by Lucio Cecchinello issued a statement this Monday taking some time before making its intentions known: “While Johann Zarco awaits surgery, the Castrol Honda LCR team continues searching for his replacement for the upcoming races. We will soon share more information, once everything is finalised and secured,” the note states.

FIM regulations oblige any team to field a substitute rider for an injured one if, between the day of the injury and the following race, 10 or more days pass, as is the case.

However, neither Gresini Racing, which has Alex Márquez injured, nor LCR, have expressed themselves in that regard, beyond the aforementioned note from Cecchinello’s team.

Valentino Rossi faces key decision: Who will replace Fabio di Giannantonio at VR46?

Alex Marquez to miss next two MotoGP rounds after Barcelona crash

In the provisional entry list, next to Alex, it says that he “will not be replaced”, while next to the Frenchman, it reads ‘TCB’, which means “to be confirmed”.

The coincidence, this coming weekend, of the Italian GP with the SBK event at Motorland Aragón prevents the MotoGP structures from being able to look for a replacement in the production bike championship.

George Russell and Kimi Antonelli delivered their first proper wheel-to-wheel battles over the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix weekend, starting with a fraught sprint race battle which left Antonelli frustrated by Russell's stout defending and prompted talks to clarify the team's rules of engagement.

Their battle resumed on Sunday in the grand prix until Russell disappeared on lap 30 with engine trouble. But before that point Mercedes had already cautioned its drivers to calm things down after they traded a glancing blow on lap 24 in the final chicane, and Antonelli escaped through the runoff area.

The intra-team racing left Mercedes and Toto Wolff in two minds. On the one hand, the team trusts its drivers and is keen to let them race, especially at this early stage of the 2026 title battle. But, on the other hand, it also wants to avoid a repeat of the bitter rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg in 2014-16 and it is keen to get ahead of any angst before things spiral out of control.

That's why Wolff conceded that there will be times when Mercedes may be forced to "turn it down a notch", as some of the battles between Russell and Antonelli were already a bit too close for comfort.

"It's always easier at the end now to say: 'Well, that was great for the team and great for the sport and didn't we all enjoy watching the battling," Wolff mused. "And that is true to a degree, but there is another side which we need to look at, that it was close a few times. Kimi tucking back in and locking the tyres could have ended in a double DNF and not because of over-aggressive driving with each other, simply by a mistake. And the same through the last chicane situation.

"It's important to analyse the race and discuss with the drivers whether they felt it was a bit close and if that is the case, how can we avoid these situations where we deem it a little bit too close. We had the margin today and then it's easy to accept that they are fighting to a certain degree, but obviously that's not always going to be the case.

George Russell, Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photo by: Mark Thompson / Getty Images

"So, as much as we look very sportsmanlike today by allowing it, there could be a situation where we would maybe turn it down a notch."

Russell also drew parallels between his fights with Antonelli and the Hamilton-Rosberg battle, but in a positive sense because he says he hasn't seen that kind of fighting between team-mates since then.

"Yeah, I mean, I loved it," Russell said. "I thought it was great. I've not had a battle like this in years. I haven't seen a battle like this probably since Lewis and Nico in Bahrain 2014. And these new cars allow you to do that."

Russell felt he and Antonelli had their battling under control after discussing the sprint race events within the team. "We know how we need to race," the Briton added. "I think we both had it under control and it was great."

Antonelli admitted the battle was "on the edge" at times but equally saw no bones in Russell's robust defence in the grand prix.

"It was a tough fight. I think a couple of times was maybe a little bit on the edge, but we were going at each other," he added, after taking a 43-point lead on Russell in the championship with his fourth consecutive grand prix win.

"We were both pushing and we both wanted to win. And it was, I think, for everyone watching, pretty entertaining. It was a lot of fun because we were both pushing on the limit and going for it."

Photos from Canadian GP - Sunday

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Why George Russell doesn’t want to see the 2026 F1 rules changed

Who slept worst last night: Toto Wolff

Winners and losers from dramatic F1 Canadian Grand Prix

Valentino Rossi and his VR46 MotoGP team are facing an important decision regarding the 2027 season.

The squad has already locked down Fermin Aldeguer, who will move over from Gresini and whose salary will be covered directly by Ducati.

On the other side of the garage, Fabio Di Giannantonio will leave VR46 at the end of the season and move to the factory KTM team.

Di Giannantonio recently won his first race for Rossi’s team in Barcelona, while it was also VR46's first victory since Marco Bezzecchi triumphed at the Indian Grand Prix in September 2023.

"We are all very, very satisfied with the work we’ve done so far with Diggia," Rossi said in an interview with Sky Italia. "When we started out together, 'Diggia' was still just getting started. Year after year, we’ve managed to grow together. Now he’s performing very strongly. That fills us with great satisfaction."

Di Giannantonio is also in the running for the world championship title. After six race weekends, the 27-year-old is the highest-ranked Ducati rider in the standings, sitting right behind Aprilia duo Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin. But for the future, Rossi will have to plan without him.

VR46 has been competing in the premier class since 2022. With Luca Marini, Marco Bezzecchi, Di Giannantonio, and Franco Morbidelli, only Italians have ridden for the team so far. With Aldeguer, a Spaniard will be joining VR46 for the first time.

Valentino Rossi

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

The candidates are in the running

That’s why it’s important to Rossi that the second rider holds an Italian passport.

“We want to have at least one Italian rider for next year, because our team has always grown with Italian riders," he said. "We’d like to continue that tradition. So there are various options and a few things still to be clarified. Nothing is official yet; we’ll see." 

Morbidelli’s departure is considered very likely, while candidates for VR46 include Luca Marini, who will no longer have a spot at Honda; Nicolo Bulega, who is dominating the World Superbike Championship; and Celestino Vietti from Moto2.

"We need at least one Italian rider on the team, so the names mentioned are among our priorities," Rossi said. "Then we’ll see how it goes. As I always say: What counts are the results.

"Until last week, Vietti wasn’t on the list — then he took pole [in Barcelona] and is in the mix. Whoever shows the best form in the next few races will be the favourite." In Barcelona, Vietti started from pole position and finished the race second behind Manuel Gonzalez.

Meanwhile, Marini achieved his best result of the season in Barcelona with a sixth-place finish. Rossi’s half-brother is the top Honda rider, sitting 11th in the championship after six race weekends. However, Honda is planning the future of its factory team without him.

Nicolo Bulega (11) is racing from victory to victory in the Superbike World Championship

Photo: Gold & Goose Photography/Getty Images

On the other hand, Bulega continued his dominance in the World Superbike Championship on the same weekend MotoGP visited Barcelona. The Ducati rider also won all three races in Most and has been undefeated in 19 consecutive races, setting a new record.

When the series visited the Czech Republic last weekend, Bulega was once again asked about his future.

"My manager is talking to Ducati to find the best solution for me," said the Italian. "We’ll see. It’s still too early to say anything. My goal is to secure a spot with Ducati in MotoGP. Ducati is working on it, and so is my manager. I hope to be able to tell you something very soon."

Why Ducati has no doubts about Marc Marquez’s future

Alex Marquez to miss next two MotoGP rounds after Barcelona crash

The Guardian: “Mercedes duel a textbook example of racing”

Just as in Saturday’s sprint race, Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli drew attention with an intense intra-team battle. The two came close to colliding several times and were urged to calm down, although that warning became unnecessary midway through the race when Russell retired with car trouble.

The Guardian says that after just five races it is “too early” to draw definitive conclusions, but adds: “There is no doubt George Russell will have cursed his misfortune after his championship ambitions took a serious blow in Montreal.”

Antonelli now has a 43-point lead over his British team-mate. “Russell will be wondering what he has to do to catch a break in what increasingly looks like a two-way title fight with his Italian team-mate.”

Before Russell’s retirement, however, the reporter thoroughly enjoyed the duel, describing it as a “textbook example of racing”. “Russell had to produce several brilliant, determined defensive moves, while Antonelli was, as always, an unstoppable force and a joy to watch. Back and forth they went: neither was flawless, as both drivers locked up and made small mistakes, but neither could gain a decisive advantage. It was wonderful to watch, with nothing to separate them.”

Marca: “Max Verstappen rewards himself in a difficult weekend”

Spanish outlet Marca also pays plenty of attention to the Mercedes duel, but notes that the team “has a problem”. “The problem is not only that Antonelli is pulling away, but that Leclerc is getting closer and the gap between them is now just 13 points. At the moment, Russell is closer to third place than he is to catching Antonelli. There is still a long championship ahead, but the signs are not the best for the Briton, who has not won for more than four races and has missed the podium for the second race in a row.”

The outlet also focuses on what happened behind the two protagonists. In the reporter’s view, McLaren endured a “nightmare” in Canada because of the wrong tyre gamble at the start of the race. Max Verstappen, meanwhile, “rewarded” himself in a “difficult weekend in which he looked highly frustrated” by taking third place.

George Russell, Mercedes

Photo by: James Sutton / LAT Images via Getty Images

“It is true that McLaren’s double non-score and Russell’s retirement helped him onto the podium and allowed him to take fifteen valuable points,” Marca adds as a caveat. “With this third place, the Dutchman remains seventh in the championship, but he has closed the gap to Piastri to just five points.”

La Gazzetta dello Sport: “Antonelli writes a new chapter in F1 history”

After this race, Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport is increasingly daring to believe that “their” Antonelli could well win an F1 title this year. “The Mercedes driver from Bologna won the Canadian Grand Prix and with it recorded his fourth consecutive victory, something no driver had ever achieved in the first winning streak of his career. Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher stopped at three; in Montreal, our phenomenon wrote a new chapter in Formula 1 history.

“On the podium, Lewis Hamilton stood to his right and Max Verstappen to his left, in second and third. Together, they account for 11 world titles: the two great dominant drivers in the recent history of this sport, now condemned to supporting roles on the lower steps of the podium. We must remain calm and not dream too much. But today’s image is a very powerful and very clear message about what Kimi intends to do.”

The standings are looking “increasingly favourable” for Antonelli, according to the Italian outlet. “And that while Russell’s situation is becoming anything but straightforward. The reason is clear: if Antonelli can perform so strongly even at a circuit that suits George, it is hard to imagine what might happen elsewhere. Antonelli truly has the championship in his hands, especially as Mercedes confirmed it has no rivals.”

L’Équipe: “Difficult to list all the duels and mistakes by the Mercedes drivers”

The forecast rain never arrived, but L’Équipe says there was still “spectacle” in Montreal. “Toto Wolff’s heart must have been pounding, a day after the words exchanged following the incidents between the two team-mates during the sprint race,” the French outlet writes. “But overall, everything went well between the Briton and the Italian. It is difficult to list all the duels or mistakes made by the two drivers, because there were so many.”

“Once freed from that battle, Antonelli was able to manage his race and quickly pull away,” the reporter adds. “But the race was not over, because in the closing laps there was another duel: who would finish behind the Italian? Max Verstappen held on to second place for a long time, but on lap 62 of 68 he had to concede to Lewis Hamilton.”

Finally, L’Équipe also describes the race as a “total nightmare” for McLaren, with Lando Norris eventually retiring and Oscar Piastri finishing only 11th. “McLaren paid dearly for its strategic error and endured a total nightmare in this race, with Lando Norris retiring due to a mechanical problem on lap 40 and a ten-second time penalty for Oscar Piastri, who finished eleventh after contact with Alex Albon’s Williams at the hairpin.”

Photos from Canadian GP - Sunday

Who slept worst last night: Toto Wolff

Who slept best last night: Lewis Hamilton

The relief was written all over Kelvin van der Linde's face after his victory in the second DTM race at Zandvoort: The Schubert BMW driver had controlled the race with poise for long stretches before a mistake with about 20 minutes remaining momentarily cost him the lead.

"I was a bit annoyed with myself, but I couldn't think about it too much," the South African admitted during the post-race press conference. "I just had to carry on pushing. I had five cars behind me immediately and just knew I had to do a clean in-lap and a clean out-lap to try and fight back."

But what actually happened? "I don't know if it was shown on TV, but it was very slippery out there today," van der Linde reported. "There were a lot of marbles offline from the different support categories and if you just go a little bit wide, it's very easy to lose the car."

That is exactly what happened to the BMW driver in the Kumhobocht, the penultimate corner of the circuit in the dunes. Van der Linde drifted slightly off the racing line, opening the door for Thierry Vermeulen (Emil Frey Ferrari) to take the lead.

Kelvin van der Linde benefits from fresh tires

"Obviously, it was not nice because I I knew the Ferrari was very quick," added van der Linde, who benefited from his retirement on Saturday. "My only joker was that I had fresh tyres at the pit stop waiting for me. So I knew I have maybe one more chance to attack him. But he was very fast in the middle stint of the race."

Kelvin van der Linde had to defend his position halfway through the race

Photo: ADAC Motorsport

Indeed, the Ferrari driver managed to pull away by more than two seconds at one point, making the first BMW victory of the season seem like a distant prospect. "I just knew I had to do a clean in-lap and a clean outlap to try and fight back," van der Linde explained.

The Dutchman also appeared to make a driving error, drifting off the ideal line much like van der Linde had earlier. "I don't know if they showed it on TV, but I think that ultimately also cost him some positions at the pit stop."

"It was just very difficult to stay on track. Also the safety car was dropping a lot of rubber which made it difficult for us because we had a lot of pickup on the restart. So it was difficult conditions and you couldn't relax. You always had to be very focused."

Speaking of focus: The Emil Frey crew also made a mistake during Vermeulen's pit stop, momentarily dropping the Ferrari before the front-left wheel was fully secured. This cost valuable time, yet the Dutchman still managed to return to the track just ahead of the eventual race winner.

Zandvoort winner uses 2024 experience

By that point, however, the BMW driver had already brought his tires into the ideal operating window - and he struck back shortly after. With a daring move around the outside of Turn 7, van der Linde swept past the Ferrari. "It was actually a bit of deja vu for me," the South African said.

"I don't know if you remember 2024: I was behind Thierry and Rene and I overtook them on the outside in the Audi. So I knew there was some grip out there. I tried it in the BMW as well and it worked quite nicely", the BMW factory driver recalled of the race two years ago.

"I'm glad about that move It was quite important to get through the chaos and then make a gap at the end. I think that was the race-deciding move." Subsequently, Kelvin van der Linde extended his lead to more than six seconds in the closing stages.

"I had a tyre advantage at the end, but it looked like there was a lot of chaos going on behind," the Schubert BMW driver said with a grin. "So I just used the momentum on my side to focus and do clean laps and I saw the gap increasing. So it didn't take any risk, but for sure it helps when the cars behind are fighting."

Van der Linde secures first DTM win for BMW

This marks Kelvin van der Linde's first DTM victory in BMW colors. "The first BMW victory is very special for me. I've been waiting for that one," said the South African, who had already come close to his debut win with BMW at the season opener.

"We've been very strong in qualifying in Spielberg and also here, but we couldn't convert it in Spielberg. That's why we put a lot of work into the small details to try and maximize our out-lap performances and and our pit stops. I think that paid off today."

"I'm very proud of the whole team that we were able to come back today and really show what we can do. And we are hungry for more," said van der Linde, who moves up to seventh place in the overall standings."

Lando Norris wasted no time putting a disastrous 2026 Canadian Grand Prix behind him, jetting off to meet up with former team-mate Daniel Ricciardo and IndyCar Series driver Conor Daly following the Indianapolis 500.

While the McLaren driver endured a miserable afternoon at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Ricciardo was soaking up the atmosphere of the Indy 500 alongside Daly.

For Norris, the post-race catch-up offered a distraction from a painful outing in Canada. After the Woking outfit opted to start the race on intermediate tyres, he had a fantastic start, jumping from third to first, and even extended his lead to around two seconds by the end of the opening lap. 

But when the rain never came, the tyre choice very quickly proved to be the wrong one, causing the Briton to plummet down the order before ultimately retiring due to a reliability issue.

Meanwhile, roughly 800 miles away at the Brickyard, Ricciardo was experiencing his first Indy 500 as a fan. 

Fans were quick to react to the reunion as Daly shared a photo on his Instagram Stories. "He needed a boys night out after that race," one fan commented on Reddit, while another added: "I love that Lando and Daniel ended up becoming such good mates. Despite everything Daniel went through at McLaren, you could see at the time that by the end of their two years there, together they forged a genuine bond."

"Lando for the triple crown!" another hopeful fan posted.

"If you ignore the no good, very bad race, he sure seems like he's having a lot of fun today!" someone else commented, and another responded: "Considering Daniel knows the pains of McLaren’s pitwall first-hand, not bad company to be in to get over a tough race lol."

Norris currently sits fifth in the drivers' standings with 58 points.

Photos from Canadian GP - Sunday

Williams Formula 1 team principal James Vowles believes the Grove outfit is demonstrating clear progress relative to its midfield rivals, despite a bittersweet 2026 Canadian Grand Prix.

Following an encouraging performance boost at the Miami Grand Prix earlier this month, Williams arrived at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve hoping to capitalise on its recent upgrades. While the underlying pace of the FW48 had clearly improved, Sunday's race execution fell short.

Carlos Sainz found his afternoon compromised by strategy and ultimately finished ninth, while Alex Albon's race ended after a collision with McLaren's Oscar Piastri. 

"It's great to see that across Miami and Canada, we've added performance successfully, and while we're not where we want to be by any stretch of the imagination, we are able now to score points in these events when they're available to us," Vowles explained in a post-race video shared on the official Williams accounts.

"We didn't get it all right today. There's some decisions we clearly would have made differently with Carlos. And with Alex, no fault of his own, he absolutely had a point-scoring car and was in a position to do so before he was taken out in the race.

"Most important to me, though, is that we are demonstrating this progress to the field and making our way forward. Hasn't been the start of the year that we wanted. We've still got a big point deficit relative to Alpine, and in this circumstance, VCARB as well. But we are moving forward.

"Coming on to Monaco, I think the car, again, should have a small step of performance, and it should be a track that we again have an opportunity to put our mark on it and see if we can be fighting in that top 10 position, obviously more qualifying race than these last two.

"Across the next six months, we have a really good, strong development that will bring performance to the track most weekends, or to keep developing in that way and make sure we're clawing our way back into a regular point-scoring position."

Photos from Canadian GP - Sunday

Red Bull secured its first podium finish of the year in Montreal, although Saturday did not suggest that outcome was on the cards. Max Verstappen qualified only sixth and was critical afterwards, particularly when speaking to the Dutch media in the paddock.

A day later, the picture turned out to be more positive than expected, although Verstappen stressed that the result in Canada was not a complete reflection of the competitive order.

“To be honest, I was feeling better in Miami with the car,” Verstappen said. “So I’m a little bit surprised with being on the podium here. But you also have to look at it with George retiring, and with the McLarens making a mess of the strategy.”

McLaren explains tyre gamble that wrecked its F1 Canadian GP

Nevertheless, team principal Mekies does see the result at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve as confirmation of the progress Red Bull made in Miami: “The big picture is that we have at the very least confirmed the Miami step. I think we've done a bit more than the Miami step, in the way that I think we have managed to take a bit of performance away from the top guys.”

Mekies has previously indicated that progress throughout the season will not be linear, and the same applies during race weekends. “We don’t do straightforward weekends here,” the Frenchman laughed.

On a more serious note, that relates to Verstappen’s remarks after qualifying. The four-time world champion said Red Bull had not listened to his feedback regarding the preferred set-up direction. He ultimately went along with the team’s choice, partly to demonstrate that it would not work.

“I’ve pointed it out so many times already, but sometimes you just have to let them feel for themselves that it doesn’t work,” Verstappen said.

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images

Why Red Bull will keep taking set-up risks

Asked by Motorsport.com about these comments, Mekies clarified that experimenting with set-up directions is part of Red Bull’s DNA and that the team has no intention of stopping.

“We take risks every time we don't feel that we are at the right balance or at the right gap to the competition,” Mekies said. “And when you take risks like that, you do explore set-up directions.”

Mekies stressed that this approach is especially important at the start of a new regulation cycle, as teams are still learning about their packages.

“It's only the beginning of the year, and it’s the beginning with this generation of cars. We are going to try things with our drivers to unlock something, even if it's costing us something,” he explained.

“And then you learn. You learn for the qualifying condition and you learn for the race condition. There has been a lot of learning this weekend. How far were we from the ultimate potential of the car? Nobody really knows.”

That said, there are different ways of taking risks. In the past, Red Bull generally tended to follow Verstappen’s preferred direction, so has this weekend been different in that regard?

“Absolutely not,” Mekies replied firmly. “As much as it may have felt different, the reality is that our drivers are completely integrated in the choices we make.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

“It doesn't mean that we don't have our own little games at saying ‘what do you think and what do you think’. But, at the end of the day, we agree on what to try. And then sometimes there is a bit of, ‘I told you’ [games going on].”

That was certainly the case in Montreal after qualifying, but according to Mekies, the team needs exactly that kind of dynamic to move forward: “But we still learn together. And what is clear is that both sides are very conscious that you need that dynamic, you need that ‘I told you’ feeling sometimes in order to progress.”

Mekies concluded by stressing that taking risks inevitably means that things will sometimes go wrong.

“If you take risks, you will get the pain. And it's to get these sort of drivers feelings, to get our drivers pushing us to say, 'look, it may be only four or five tenths to the best cars, but it felt like it could be much better.' It's only an invitation for us to keep taking risks and keep exploring.”

Photos from Canadian GP - Sunday

How Ferrari and Audi could decide Max Verstappen's F1 future

With his third career victory at the Chicago Street Course in 2025, Shane van Gisbergen became the winningest foreign-born driver in the history of the NASCAR Cup Series.

Of course, NASCAR is a deeply American form of auto racing, so non-Americans winning isn't exactly commonplace. Until the top level of the sport raced in Mexico City in 2025, there hadn't been a points-paying Cup race outside of the United States since 1958.

Daniel Suarez, who won the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series championship in 2016, is the only foreign-born driver to ever win a national-level title in the sport. He is also the only person on this list to win a Cup Series crown jewel, claiming victory in the 67th running of the Coca-Cola 600.

But in recent years, NASCAR has slowly become more international in both events and on-track talent. For example, the 2022 Cup race at Watkins Glen featured drivers from seven different countries -- a series record. And of the 11 NASCAR Cup races won by drivers born outside of the US, five of them have occurred in the last five years.

Drivers from seven different countries have won NASCAR races at the national level, including six in the Cup Series. In total, 47 races across all three major divisions have been won by foreign-born drivers, with 13 coming from Canada. But here's a look at them all:

Shane van Gisbergen -- Auckland, New Zealand (12 wins)

Cup wins: 7  / O'Reilly wins: 5 

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Chris Graythen - Getty Images

SVG burst onto the scene in 2023 by winning on debut with Trackhouse Racing in the inaugural running of the Chicago Street Course race. Since then, he has left behind his career as a Supercars driver (where he was a three-time champion) to pursue a full-time NASCAR career. In 2025, he won five consecutive road/street courses in one of the most impressive rookie campaigns in NASCAR history, only missing out on the checkered flag at COTA. He continued to add to his win tally in 2026, winning the COTA O'Reilly race and the Watkins Glen Cup race (again). He also attempted to join Suarez as the only foreign-born driver to win a race in all three national divisions, but his best result in Trucks is a third at Watkins Glen 2026.

Daniel Suarez -- Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico (8 wins)

Cup wins: 3 / O'Reilly wins: 4 / Truck wins: 1

Daniel Suárez, Spire Motorsports

Photo by: David Jensen / Getty Images

Suarez, who became a naturalized US citizen in 2024, holds the special distinction of being the only driver born outside of the US to have won in all three national levels, but even more impressively, he is the only one to become a champion. Driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, he won the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship over veteran driver Elliott Sadler. He's also made the playoffs twice as a Cup driver, placing as high as tenth in the championship standings. Additionally, Suarez has managed to win Cup races at both a road course and on an oval, which no other driver on this list has done. His third career victory came in the 2026 Coca-Cola 600, becoming the first foreign-born driver to win any of NASCAR's crown jewel races.

Marcos Ambrose -- Launceston, Tasmania, Australia (7 wins)

Cup wins: 2 / O'Reilly wins: 5

Race winner Marcos Ambrose

Photo by: Chris Graythen - Getty Images

Ambrose is another Supercars champion, winning the title twice before making the move to NASCAR. He placed as high as 18th in the Cup standings during his career, but managed to win a lot of road course races -- especially at Watkins Glen. He won three consecutive Xfinity races at WGI, and both of his Cup wins came there as well. He was very close to snagging several other wins, including some oval races, but it never quite went his way. Ambrose also has more wins than any other foreign-born driver in Xfinity Series history, but both Suarez and SVG are close to matching him.

Ron Fellows -- Windsor, Ontario, Canada (6 wins)

O'Reilly wins: 4 / Truck wins: 2

Victory lane: race winner Ron Fellows celebrates

Photo by: Eric Gilbert

Fellows was a true road course ringer and an accomplished sports car racer, showing up whenever NASCAR arrived at a road course to teach stock car's best a lesson or two. He nearly won at the Cup level as well, finishing as high as second, but his true success came in the lower two divisions. He won three times at Watkins Glen in the Xfinity Series and twice in the Truck Series. He also earned an Xfinity win at Montreal for his final win in 2008.

Stewart Friesen -- Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (4 wins)

Truck wins: 4

Stewart Friesen, Halmar-Friesen Racing Toyota

Photo by: Chris Graythen - Getty Images

Friesen is a full-time driver in the NASCAR Truck Series with dual citizenship in both the US and Canada. Along with an impressive career in the dirt racing scene, he has started 200 Truck races, making the Championship 4 once and winning four races between 2019 and 2025. He is currently the winningest foreign-born driver in Truck Series history.

Juan Pablo Montoya -- Bogotá, Colombia (3 wins)

Cup wins: 2 / O'Reilly wins: 1

Victory lane: race winner Juan Pablo Montoya, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet celebrates

Photo by: Adriano Manocchia

It's no surprise that one of the most versatile racers on the planet has had success in stock car racing. He is a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, a proven race winner in F1, as well as an IMSA champion, but Montoya is also a very capable NASCAR driver. He first won at Sonoma in 2007, going on to collect Rookie of the Year honors. He won again at Watkins Glen in 2010, but he was also agonizingly close to winning the prestigious Brickyard 400 on more than one occasion. He placed as high as eighth in the NASCAR Cup Series championships standings, which is tied for the highest ever for a non-American driver.

Nelson Piquet Jr. -- Brazilian but born in Heidelberg, West Germany (3 wins)

O'Reilly wins: 1 / Truck wins: 2

Victory lane: race winner Nelson Piquet Jr. celebrates

Photo by: Action Sports Photography

The son of a Formula 1 World Champion and an ex-F1 driver himself, Piquet managed to win two of his three races on ovals. He placed seventh in the 2012 NASCAR Truck Series championship after two oval victories, but in that same year, he also won in the Xfinity Series at Road America. Piquet's time in NASCAR was rather brief, making his final start when he was just 30 years old.

Mario Andretti -- Montona, Istria, Kingdom of Italy (1 win)

Cup wins: 1

Race Official Mario Andretti

Photo by: Alexander Trienitz

The patriarch of the most legendary family in American racing originally came from Italy. Where he was born is now part of modern-day Croatia but he spent most of his life as an American citizen. His accomplishments are seemingly endless, winning everything from the Indianapolis 500 to the Formula 1 World Championship, but in NASCAR, he only won a single race. However, there is no bigger race he could have won in the sport, as he was victorious in the 1967 running of the Daytona 500. He led over half the crown jewel event, beating teammate Fred Lorenzen for the win. 

Earl Ross -- Fortune, Prince Edward Island, Canada (1 win)

Cup wins: 1

Earl Ross

Photo by: ISC Archives via Getty Images

The Canadian driver won at Martinsville in 1974, driving for the legendary Junior Johnson. He beat Buddy Baker by over a lap in that race. He also ended the season eighth in the championship standings, which is tied with Montoya for the best points finish by a non-American driver in Cup Series history. And to top it all off, he earned Rookie of the Year honors in '74 too.

Larry Pollard -- Victoria, British Columbia, Canada (1 win)

Xfinity wins: 1

Photo by: Tom Szczerbowski/NASCAR via Getty Images

Pollard was a crew chief for some of the sport's top drivers, but also a fairly capable driver himself. He placed inside the top ten in the championship standings twice as an Xfinity Series driver, winning his one and only race during the 1987 season at the Langley short track. He was also the first foreign-born driver to ever win an Xfinity Series race. 

Raphaël Lessard -- St-Joseph-de-Beauce, Quebec, Canada (1 win)

Truck wins: 1

Raphael Lessard, Kyle Busch Motorsports, Toyota Tundra Canac

Photo by: Andrew Coppley

Lessard was just a teenager when he earned his only victory in the NASCAR Truck Series. While competing full-time in 2020, he led just the final lap at Talladega Superspeedway. He was side-by-side for the lead with Trevor Bayne as they battled through the final set of corners, and when the race-ending caution flew, he narrowly ahead and claimed the victory.