Get ready for the US Grand Prix

Plus: WRC brings back its docuseries and Palou v. McLaren heats up

Oct 13, 2025

It’s United States Grand Prix week, which means there will be a lot of cowboy hats, big belt buckles, and over-the-top cheesy content attempting to level with the American audience.

With plenty of excitement on the track for the Driver’s Championship and a consistently great atmosphere in Austin at COTA, this will be an enjoyable weekend. Off the track, there are some happenings you’ll want to know about.

Autosport Business Exchange (ABX) is coming to the Classic Car Club in New York City on October 15th, gathering motorsport and tech leaders for a high-profile forum. Speakers include Apple’s Eddy Cue and Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff, as well as others from Apple, Mercedes, Cadillac F1, MotoGP, and NASCAR.

ABX NYC highlights the surging popularity, fan growth, and investment in American motorsports. As the industry sees expanded U.S. races, booming audiences, and major media deals, this event aims to showcase innovation and chart the sport’s future on American soil.

The last time I was at the Classic Car Club, Guenther Steiner was doing a private event for the Miami GP

After a successful first season following M-Sport-Ford’s 2024 WRC campaign, a second season of WRC’s “More than Machine” series has been commissioned that will follow M-Sport as well as rivals Toyota and Hyundai.

Premiering November 23 on the WRC’s YouTube channel, the series offers exclusive access to teams like M-Sport, Toyota, and Hyundai, spotlighting moments such as Adrien Fourmaux’s Hyundai debut and Takamoto Katsuta’s emotional Safari Rally Kenya. Episodes will be released weekly, giving fans and newcomers an inside look at the people, passion, and drama that power the WRC.

More Than Machine Highly Commended at The Race Media Awards

F1’s 2026 regulation shakeup isn’t just about power units and aerodynamics. This new regulation set is set to revolutionize braking systems, too.

Teams face new engineering challenges as rules open up caliper designs and boost MGU-K regeneration, forcing manufacturers to rethink brake sizing, cooling, and weight strategies. With increased reliance on software-driven energy recovery, next year’s cars will demand fresh performance strategies.

Ferrari SF-25, technical details — Photo: Roberto Chinchero

Alex Palou’s dispute with McLaren has landed in the UK High Court, where Palou claims McLaren boss Zak Brown misled him about the possibility of a Formula 1 seat. McLaren is now suing the IndyCar star for over $20 million, insisting he breached his contract when he chose to stay with Chip Ganassi Racing for 2024.

Both Palou and Brown presented contradicting testimonies. Palou says he was given hope for an F1 future, while Brown denies any assurances were made. The case has exposed behind-the-scenes tensions and has stirred major sponsor headaches for McLaren, as well as fresh doubts about driver management within the team.

McLaren boss Zak Brown admits to offering IndyCar champion Alex Palou to Williams — Photo: Sportskeeda

Share Business of Speed

What I’m Reading (and you should too!)

Daniel Valente’s ‘F1 Stat Pack’ is the most comprehensive look at each Grand Prix. He gives you the stats you should know, like Charles Leclerc’s lap record 1:36:169 at the 2019 United States GP with Ferrari, and more obscure facts like, at the inaugural race in Austin 2012, it was the 1st time ever we saw Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel & Fernando Alonso share a podium. This is a must-subscribe letter.