Formula 1 – Suzuka

Oscar Piastri delivered his strongest performance of the 2026 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season at the Japanese Grand Prix, finishing second and securing his first podium of the year.

Starting from third on the grid, the #81 McLaren driver made an excellent launch and briefly took the lead into the opening laps.

Piastri maintained strong pace through the early portion of the race and pitted on lap 18 to defend track position, before a safety car, triggered shortly after following a crash involving Haas’ Ollie Bearman, reshuffled the order.

This ultimately allowed Kimi Antonelli to take the lead after the restart, but Piastri stayed firmly in contention.

Despite pressure from the chasing pack, Piastri held on comfortably to second place, finishing just over 13 seconds behind Antonelli and a couple seconds in front of the Italian’s teammate in George Russell.

The result marked his first completed race of the 2026 campaign after a series of misfortunes in the opening rounds. Overall, it was an encouraging outing for both Piastri and McLaren.

Piastri moves into sixth in the Drivers’ Championship tandings with 21 points, four points behind teammate Lando Norris as drivers next head to Miami for a sprint weekend on 1-3 May.

IndyCar – Barber

Will Power produced a determined performance at the 2026 Grand Prix of Alabama, turning a challenging start into a valuable points-scoring finish at Barber Motorsports Park.

After a qualifying setback left him starting 23rd on the grid, the Australian was able to maximise opportunities and work his way up the order.

His reliance on experience proved beneficial through the first pit cycle, allowed him to continue climbing the order. By the race’s midpoint, he had moved firmly into the midfield, showcasing pace comparable to those in the top ten.

Power eventually crossed the line in 12th place, marked by a solid recovery. He kept a clean race and extracted the maximum yield from a difficult qualifying position.

Power next heads to California for the Grand Prix of Long Beach on 18-20 April.

Indy NXT – Barber

The trio of Jack Beeton, Nicolas Stati and Lochie Hughes experienced a mixed Indy NXT double-header weekend at Barber Motorsports Park for the 2026 Grand Prix of Alabama.

In Race 1, it was Hughes who navigated early incidents to finish just outside the top ten, emerging as the lowest-placed of the three Aussie drivers after a non-linear session which resulted in a reshuffling of the order.

Beeton delivered a solid run to ninth, while Stati followed closely behind in 10th, collecting useful championship points.

In Race 2, Hughes slipped to 16th place despite remaining competitive throughout the race.

Beeton again collected a top 10 finish, ending the second race in ninth, while Stati also recorded a midfield result.

Overall, the Alabama weekend delivered steady points for all three Australians.

Beeton and Stati demonstrated consistency in the midfield, while Hughes will aim to bounce back in the next round. All three remain competitive early in their respective 2026 Indy NXT seasons.

Next up for Indy NXT competitors will be the Indianapolis Grand Prix on 8-9 May.

GT World Challenge America – Sonoma

GMG Racing driver Tom Sargent enjoyed a strong start to the 2026 GT World Challenge America season at Sonoma, combining outright pace with a class-winning Pro-Am performance alongside co-driver Kyle Washington.

“It’s always a box you want to tick,” Sargent said.

“The team did an amazing job. The car was lethally quick, the engineers gave us a great setup, and everyone on the crew put it together perfectly.

“It’s one of the best cars I’ve ever driven, and it’s a privilege to drive it here and come away with the win.”

Sargent showed speed from the outset, topping the opening practice session in the GMG Racing Porsche and remaining near the front row throughout the weekend.

Sargent also impressed in qualifying, firing in the fastest lap across both sessions with a 1:32.673 to underline the pace of the No. 32 entry and start 13th on the grid based on average time.

In the race itself, Sargent and Washington delivered a composed drive to secure Pro-Am class honours and finish third overall.

The duo benefitted from a strong closing stint from Sargent, who significantly reduced the gap to the leaders and set the race’s fastest lap.

Sargent’s late-race pace in particular highlighted his ability in endurance-style racing, as he pushed hard in the closing stages while maintaining tyre performance.

The final hour belonged to Sargent, earning the Superfuel Hard Charger award of the race.

When the checkered flag flew, Sargent had climbed 10 total positions to secure the Pro-Am victory and an outstanding third-place overall finish.

Round 2 of GT World Challenge America is scheduled for 24-26 April at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.