Hamlin Wins in Cup, Kirkwood and Antonelli Tops in IndyCar, Formula 1

The 2026 Formula 1 season continued in Shanghai with the year’s first Sprint race on Saturday and the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday.

Saturday’s Sprint race was won by George Russell, who delivered a strong drive for Mercedes to take the short-format victory ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, with McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri fourth and sixth. The Sprint result reinforced Russell’s early-season pace and gave Mercedes valuable points in the championship battle.

Sunday’s main event belonged to Russell’s young teammate, Kimi Antonelli. The 19-year-old Italian converted pole position into a commanding performance to secure his first Formula 1 Grand Prix victory, finishing ahead of Russell to complete a Mercedes one-two finish. Lewis Hamilton secured his first podium for Ferrari, Ollie Bearman finished a surprising fifth in his Haas, and both McLaren drivers were unable to start due to electrical gremlins -- a significant blow to the team's championship aspirations.

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen retired from Sunday's race with ERS (energy recovery system) cooling problems to score no points after finishing ninth in the sprint race.S

Of note was the continued progress of the new Cadillac Formula 1 team. Competing in its first season, both Cadillacs successfully finished the race in China, an encouraging sign for the American manufacturer as it gains experience in the world's largest and most popular motor racing series.

Antonelli’s win made him the second-youngest race winner in Formula 1 history and the first Italian driver to win a Grand Prix since 2006.

The race weekend again highlighted ongoing debate over Formula 1’s new power-unit regulations, which split propulsion between traditional internal combustion engines and electrical battery power. Drivers have complained that managing battery deployment sometimes forces them to lift off the throttle or conserve energy instead of racing flat-out. 

A rule change may be in the offing, but not until May at the earliest. The next two races—scheduled for Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in April—have been cancelled due to safety concerns over the conflict in the Middle East. 

That means there will be a four-week break between the end-of-March Japanese Grand Prix and the early May race in Miami.  Assuming Mercedes maintains its advantage at Suzuka, that break will be critical for the other teams trying to catch up.

NASCAR Cup Series drivers faced long green-flag runs and a demanding pace Sunday at the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where Denny Hamlin raced his Toyota to victory in a contest defined by strategy, tire management, and manufacturer performance.

Hamlin emerged on top after a competitive afternoon that saw 21 lead changes among nine drivers, despite only three caution periods totaling 20 laps. The lengthy green-flag runs gradually separated the field, leaving just 20 of the 36 starters on the lead lap by the time the checkered flag flew.

The race also highlighted the continued strength of Toyota and Chevrolet entries compared with their Ford rivals. The four Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota teams controlled much of the race pace, while several Chevrolets remained in contention throughout the afternoon.  RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher (sixth), Brad Keselowski (10th) and Ryan Preece (11th) did their best to uphold the Big Blue oval brand, as the two usual contenders from Team Penske (Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney) came home 15th and 16th.

Among the strongest Chevy drivers were Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott, both of whom stayed competitive during the extended runs that defined the event. Larson maintained strong track position for much of the race to finish seventh while Elliott steadily worked his way through traffic to secure a solid second-place result.

With few cautions to bunch the field, pit strategy and consistent lap times proved critical. Teams that could maintain speed over long runs had the advantage, while others struggled to keep pace as the laps wound down.

The NASCAR Cup Series now shifts its focus east for one of the sport’s most historic venues, Darlington Raceway, where the next race will take place March 22. Drivers will face an entirely different challenge at the famously tough South Carolina oval.

A large and enthusiastic crowd packed the streets around AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field on Sunday as the IndyCar Series debuted its new temporary street circuit for the inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington. The race, winding through the entertainment district that surrounds the homes of the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers, proved an immediate success with fans and teams alike.

The event was surprisingly caution-free for nearly the entire distance, producing a fast-paced contest with numerous position changes and several different leaders throughout the afternoon. Strategy, tire wear, and precise driving around the tight street circuit kept the order constantly shifting.

In the closing laps, however, the race’s complexion changed dramatically. With Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood holding a comfortable 8.5-second lead over Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing, the caution flag flew when Christian Rasmussen stalled on track. The restart set up a one-lap dash to the finish.

Kirkwood executed a flawless restart and maintained his advantage. Moments later, another caution sealed the outcome when Nolan Siegel and Romain Grosjean collided behind the leaders. Under yellow, Kirkwood cruised to victory while Honda-powered entries locked out the top four finishing positions.

Palou finished second, continuing his consistent run of results, while Andretti’s Will Power delivered his best performance since joining the team from Team Penske. Marcus Ericsson, who started from his first career IndyCar pole position, recovered from mid-race challenges to finish fourth.

One of the more impressive drives came from Scott McLaughlin, who started last after a qualifying crash but charged through the field to finish 11th.

With strong attendance and competitive racing, the inaugural Arlington street race appears poised to become a fixture on the IndyCar calendar. The series now heads to Barber Motorsports Park at the end of March, where Palou has won four of the last five races.