Italian driver Kimi Antonelli moved to the brink of his first Formula 1 drivers' championship after winning the United States Grand Prix. The 20-year-old Mercedes driver leads with 365 points, 123 ahead of teammate George Russell and 124 ahead of Lewis Hamilton. With five races remaining, Antonelli needs to finish ninth or higher in Mexico to secure the title. Antonelli said he was very excited and aimed to clinch the title in style.
Kimi Antonelli won the United States Grand Prix from pole position, all but sealing his maiden F1 drivers' championship. The 20-year-old Mercedes driver finished more than 13 seconds clear of his rivals. Antonelli leads George Russell by 123 points and Lewis Hamilton by 124, with 125 points still available from the final five rounds. Antonelli can clinch the title at the Mexico City Grand Prix next week with a ninth-place finish or better, unless Russell or Hamilton wins the race. Charles Leclerc finished second and Max Verstappen third.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, aged 20, can clinch his maiden Formula 1 drivers' championship with a win at this weekend's United States Grand Prix. If he succeeds, he would become the youngest F1 world champion. Antonelli leads teammate George Russell by 102 points and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton by 111 points. He needs a lead of at least 125 points to seal the title, which requires Russell to finish ninth or lower and Hamilton fifth or lower. The race starts at 7am AEDT on Monday, October 26 in eastern states.
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The car collection of the late WA mining entrepreneur and racing identity Peter Briggs is going to auction, with bidding opened at Perth's Lord Street Garage. All vehicles were previously displayed at the York Motor Museum, which Briggs co-founded in 1979. Among the lots is a circa 1920 Australian Six Tourer, expected to sell for up to $140,000. The auction also includes more than 350 lots from his automotive and naval book library, along with memorabilia and paintings.
Rwanda will host the first Formula 1 grand prix in Africa since 1993, under a 10-year agreement. The race will be called the African Grand Prix and held at a circuit yet to be built at Bugesera, about 40 kilometres south of the capital Kigali. The first race could take place as early as 2030. Formula 1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali called the deal a landmark moment, saying the sport would race on every inhabited continent. The track is expected to be completed early in the next decade and will have a capacity of 100,000.
Brodie Kostecki won the Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama after the leading Camaro of Anton De Pasquale ran out of fuel a few kilometres from the finish. Kostecki, who had dropped to fifth after a slow pit stop, passed the stalled car and took the win. Team boss Dick Johnson was moved to tears. The race ended a chaotic final stretch that began when Chaz Mostert crashed into the wall with five laps remaining. Columnist John Mikkelsen, a former editor, describes the finish as one of the most dramatic he has seen.
Canberra driver Zach Bates finished third at the Bathurst 1000, Australia's biggest race, in his rookie season. He became the first rookie since 2001 to start from pole position. Bates shared the car with Aaron Seton, and the pair stayed in the top 10 all race. Race leader Anton De Pasquale's car ran out of fuel on the final lap, handing Bates his first podium. Bates will next race at the Gold Coast 500.
Max Verstappen won the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday night, leading from start to finish after taking pole position. George Russell crashed out of Saturday's sprint after misjudging a corner on a wet track. Lewis Hamilton overrode team instructions and stayed out on worn tyres, falling from third to sixth. Verstappen's win came after a strong run of results, and Kimi Antonelli remains the championship leader heading to Austin, Texas.
Brodie Kostecki won his second Bathurst 1000 after race leader Anton De Pasquale ran out of fuel on the final lap. Chaz Mostert had crashed into the wall five laps earlier, opening the way for Kostecki. Team boss Adrian Burgess said the fuel calculations contained an error. Will Brown and Scott Pye finished second, while Zach Bates and Aaron Seton took third. Kostecki and co-driver Todd Hazelwood crossed the line in tears.
Brodie Kostecki and Todd Hazelwood of Dick Johnson Racing won the 2026 Bathurst 1000 after a dramatic final stint. Their lead vanished when a slow pit stop on lap 125 dropped Kostecki to fifth. Team 18's Anton De Pasquale then led with Zach Bates closing fast, until a safety car was called after Chaz Mostert crashed. De Pasquale ran out of fuel one lap from the flag, leaving Team 18 devastated. Kostecki, who had passed Bates, took the lead with 22 corners remaining and crossed the line first.
Max Verstappen won the Singapore Grand Prix on his 250th grand prix start, with Red Bull flying through the weekend. Oscar Piastri finished fifth for McLaren after a slow puncture forced a second pit stop. On the final lap he overtook seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton to take the position. Piastri said fifth was the maximum the team could have achieved, while Verstappen said the result was very good. Charles Leclerc finished second and Kimi Antonelli third, extending his championship lead over George Russell.
Brodie Kostecki and Todd Hazelwood have won the Bathurst 1000 after Anton De Pasquale ran out of fuel while leading on the final lap. De Pasquale, who was less than a lap from victory, said he knew his team was cooked once he saw how short they were on fuel. Team 18 had urged him to save fuel with the chequered flag nearing. Kostecki, who passed Zach Bates on the final corner, took the win for Dick Johnson Racing. Will Brown and Scott Pye finished second for Triple Eight.
Zac Bates will start from pole position for the Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama in Bathurst, New South Wales. The 161-lap race is scheduled to begin at 11:30 am local time, with the winner expected around 5:30 pm, depending on safety cars, yellow flags and weather. Fans can watch the race on the Seven Network free-to-air, on Fox Sports on subscription television, or stream it through Kayo and 7plus. Last year's race was won by Matt Payne and Garth Tander for Penrite Racing.
Supercars rookie Zach Bates will start the Bathurst 1000 from pole position after beating Brodie Kostecki in the top-10 shootout. Bates set a time of 2:04.2062 to beat Kostecki by 0.285 seconds, becoming the third rookie to claim pole for the race. The 22-year-old Canberra driver is the son of former Supercars driver Rick Bates. Anton De Pasquale and Cooper Murray will start in the second row, while defending champion Chaz Mostert will start from 16th.
Zach Bates set a new fastest lap record at Bathurst, dedicating the achievement to his late mother. The 22-year-old Canberra driver topped Friday's qualifying session with a 2:03.938 in his Chevrolet, becoming the first to break the 2:04 barrier in the Gen3 era. Two cars missed qualifying after practice crashes left them unrepaired in time. Bates will enter Saturday's shootout as the favourite, with Brodie Kostecki aiming for a fourth consecutive pole position.
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Zac Bates will start from pole position for the Bathurst 1000 on Sunday, October 11, after topping the Top 10 Shootout on Saturday. The race covers 161 laps around Mount Panorama. Seven Network will show live action from Friday on free-to-air television. Fox Sports will carry every session in 4K Ultra HD, while Kayo and 7plus offer streaming, with Kayo covering practice from Thursday through to the post-race presentations.
