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Donald Trump signs order for major street race in Washington D.C

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to begin the process of bringing an IndyCar race to the streets of Washington, D.C. On Friday, in the Oval Office in the presence of Transport Secretary Sean Duffy and IndyCar owner Roger Penske, Trump signed an executive order confirming plans for the 'Freedom 250' to take place on the streets of the US capital. The race, which is planned for the weekend of August 21st-23rd will be the first-ever motorsport event in the US capital, to celebrate the 250th birthday of America, after the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The logistics of shutting down Washington for the race are yet to be defined, with the race slotting in between a trip to Markham in Ontario in Canada and a double-header at the Milwaukee Mile the next weekend. Speaking after the signing ceremony, the full executive order was released, with Trump signing the document, which read: "IndyCar racing is a source of pride and entertainment for our Nation, which is why I am pleased to announce the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C.. "This race, the first motor race ever to be held in our Nation’s capital near the National Mall, will showcase the majesty of our great city as drivers navigate a track around our iconic national monuments in celebration of America’s 250th birthday. "For over one hundred years, American IndyCar racing has set the pace for motorsports. With speeds topping over 200 miles per hour, the cars and drivers inspire awe and respect in all who watch this quintessentially American sport." The full executive order is available to read by clicking this link.

racingnews365.com·Jan 23

Lewis Hamilton identifies 'fascinating challenge' with new 2026 F1 Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton has explained how working with Ferrari from the start on the design of the 2026 SF-26 machine has been "a particularly fascinating challenge." Hamilton moved from Mercedes to Ferrari for 2025 to allow himself a year to embed within Ferrari ahead of the rule changes coming into force, which he has described as the "biggest" of his entire career. Hamilton will now have driven six generations of cars in grand prix racing from his 2007 debut, with rule changes in 2009, 2014, 2017, 2022, and now 2026 as he seeks to put a horror '25 season behind him, in which he failed to score a grand prix podium for the first time in his career. Detailing the design genesis of the new car, Hamilton explained that working to give a "clear direction" to the Maranello engineers had been a "fascinating challenge." Hamilton said: "The 2026 season represents a huge challenge for everyone, probably the biggest regulation change I have experienced in my career. "When a new era begins, everything revolves around development, growth as a team, and moving forward in the same direction. "As a driver, being involved from the very start in the development of such a different car has been a particularly fascinating challenge, working closely with the engineers to help define a clear direction. "It will be an extremely important year from a technical perspective, with the driver playing a central role in energy management, understanding the new systems and contributing to the car’s development. "It is a challenge we face together as a team, supported by the extraordinary passion of Ferrari’s tifosi, which means so much to all of us." Photos of the new striking SF-26 livery are available to view by clicking this link, and make sure to let us know in the poll what your thoughts are!

racingnews365.com·Jan 22

What is your verdict on Mercedes 2026 F1 livery?

The latest F1 car livery of 2026 is here as the Mercedes W17 has broken cover. Digital renders of the new machine were released on Thursday morning, with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli hoping the car can propel them to title glory. The car will be out on-track at Silverstone for a shakedown later today, but in the meantime, we want to know what you think of the new colours? Scroll through a photo gallery of the W17 by clicking this link and make sure to vote in the poll!

racingnews365.com·Jan 22

Mercedes logs onto new F1 era with new trillion-dollar company partnership

Mercedes has announced a brand-new F1 partnership with technical behemoth Microsoft ahead of the 2026 season. As the team prepares to launch its W17 machine later on Thursday, it was announced that the company founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen would be joining forces with the eight-time constructors' champions ahead of the new era. Explaining the deal, Mercedes said that it was "partnering with Microsoft to harness the power of its trusted cloud and enterprise AI technologies across the business from the factory to the racetrack." According to a report from Sky News, the deal could be worth up to as much as $60 million per year, making it one of the largest F1 sponsor deals on the grid. "Our sport is driven by those who lead through innovation," explained Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. "We are delighted to partner with Microsoft, one of the world's foremost technology leaders, whose name is synonymous with groundbreaking innovation. "This partnership also reflects our commitment to staying at the forefront of performance and progress. By putting Microsoft's technology at the centre of how we operate as a team, we will create faster insights, smarter collaboration and new ways of working as we look ahead to the next generation in F1." Microsoft's CEO of commercial business , Judson Althoff, explained that the "cloud and enterprise AI technologies" would be "at the heart of racing performance where milliseconds matter and data determines outcomes." In July 2025, Microsoft passed a market cap of $4 billion USD for the first time. The striking new livery for the 2026 W17 was unveiled, with a full photo gallery available by clicking on the link.

racingnews365.com·Jan 22

Mercedes to conduct vital test ahead of key F1 season

Mercedes has confirmed it is to complete a shakedown of its brand-new W17 2026 F1 car at Silverstone on Thursday. Digital renders of the new W17 machine were unveiled on Thursday morning, the car the team hopes will end a title drought stretching back to the 2021 constructors' after its struggles in the ground effects era. Across the four seasons of the old regulations, Mercedes claimed just seven grand prix wins, including none in 2023, as the Brackley engineers could not work with the regulations to the success of Red Bull, and latterly, the customer engine team, McLaren. However, given the success of Mercedes High Performance Powertrains (HPP) in designing the initial turbo hybrids in 2014, the works Mercedes team is regarded as one of the major title favourites for the biggest package of rule changes in F1 history. The new machine will hit the track for the first time at the British Grand Prix venue later on Thursday, but it will not be the first Mercedes-powered car to be on-track. New customer Alpine completed a shakedown, also at Silverstone, on Wednesday, the first for a 2026 Mercedes-powered car. The W17's first outing will be the fifth 2026 car to hit the track, following Audi in Barcelona, Racing Bulls at Imola, and both Cadillac and Alpine at Silverstone. Once again, the drivers will be team leader, Briton George Russell and Italian Kimi Antonelli, who is starting his second full season of grand prix racing, although chief designer John Owen is stepping down before a period of gardening leave ahead of a move elsewhere. Despite its struggles in the ground effects era, Mercedes did finish runner-up in the constructors' championship twice, in 2023 and 2025. Check out a full photo gallery of the new Mercedes W17 livery by clicking this link, and make sure to let us know what you think of it by voting in the poll below!