Honda Philippines’ 16-year-old talent Alfonsi Daquigan swept Round 5 of the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup at Mandalika, taking Race 1 and Race 2 to become the first Filipino rider to win an ATC race and then back it up on the same weekend. The October 4 to 5 event at Indonesia’s Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit capped a statement performance from the young Filipino.

Daquigan overcame a double long-lap penalty in Race 1 and still crossed the line first. The Sunday rematch was cleaner and just as decisive as he sealed the double, moving up to third in the overall standings after Round 5.

Honda Philippines said the result reflected Daquigan’s discipline, consistency, and drive as he battled the best youth riders across Asia while carrying the flag on the international stage.

George Russell wins in Singapore as McLaren locks in constructors’ crown six races early

George Russell stormed to victory at the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday night, delivering Mercedes its first win of the season as McLaren sealed the Formula One constructors’ championship with six rounds to spare.

Russell started from pole and held firm against Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, pulling away in the later laps to win by 10 seconds. It was a sweet redemption for the British driver, who famously crashed out of the race two years ago while chasing victory.

“It feels amazing, especially after what happened a couple of years ago,” said Russell. “We don’t really know where this performance came from, but I’m really happy. A one-hour, 45-minute race here in Singapore is never easy with the heat and humidity, but we brought it home.”

McLaren’s double podium finish, with Norris in third and Oscar Piastri in fourth, was enough to secure back-to-back constructors’ titles for the Woking-based team—its 10th overall. The combined 27 points from Norris and Piastri matched Red Bull’s 2023 record for the earliest team championship win.

“They’ve driven brilliantly all season,” said McLaren CEO Zak Brown. “You can’t win the constructors’ without two awesome drivers. We let them race hard, clean, and to win.”

It wasn’t all smooth sailing for McLaren. At the start, Norris aggressively dived past teammate Piastri at turn one, brushing wheels in a fiery opening exchange. Piastri, who leads the drivers’ standings, fumed over team radio: “So are we cool with Lando just barging me out of the way? That’s not fair.”

The team refused to issue team orders, leaving Piastri visibly frustrated, though Norris insisted afterward, “It was good racing.”

Verstappen finished second for Red Bull, wrestling with gearbox downshift issues that made the race “more difficult than I hoped.” Despite the struggles, the Dutchman remains third in the title fight, 63 points behind Piastri.

Further down the order, Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli finished fifth, ahead of the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton dropped to eighth after a late-race brake issue and a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits, allowing Fernando Alonso to slip into seventh. Oliver Bearman and Carlos Sainz rounded out the top ten.

The tropical night race also marked Formula One’s first official “Heat Hazard” designation, requiring teams to provide liquid-cooled vests due to Singapore’s punishing climate. Air temperatures held at 28°C—lower than expected—so some drivers, including Verstappen, opted not to wear them.

Sebastien Ogier kept his World Rally Championship dream alive in Chile on Sunday, clinching his 66th career victory and tightening his grip on a possible record-equalling ninth world title.

The 41-year-old Frenchman, driving for Toyota, crossed the finish line 11 seconds ahead of teammate Elfyn Evans. The Welshman had been leading after Friday’s stages, but Ogier mastered the rain-soaked gravel on Saturday to seize control.

It was Ogier’s fifth win of the season, enough to lift him two points clear of Evans at the top of the drivers’ standings with only three rallies left on the calendar. Should he hold on, he will match the legendary Sebastien Loeb’s tally of nine titles.

The result also marked Toyota’s 10th win of the season, extending its cushion over Hyundai in the manufacturers’ standings and bringing the Japanese marque closer to a fifth straight team championship. Frenchman Adrien Fourmaux gave Hyundai some consolation by finishing third.

Ogier had initially planned to drive part-time this season, skipping three rallies. But once the title fight opened up in his favor, he decided to contest the remaining events. His back-to-back wins now mean he will take on the role of road opener at the next round, the Central European Rally on October 16 — an advantage on the tarmac.

Reflecting on the win, Ogier admitted it wasn’t all smooth sailing: “We had to fight a bit more, we had a little issue in the mornings as I was not awake but we can be pleased with the way we ended up. I’m happy with that and I’m looking forward to switching to tarmac.”