Motorsports
Mitsubishi Gears Up for AXCR 2025 with Three Rally Beasts
Mitsubishi Ralliart to Field Three Tritons in AXCR 2025 Thailand Rally
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has confirmed its return to the Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) with three heavily modified Triton pickup trucks, aiming to reclaim the championship title in the 30th edition of the event set for August 8 to 16, 2025, in Thailand.
Team Mitsubishi Ralliart, backed technically by Mitsubishi Motors and operated by Tant Sport (Thailand), is pushing for its first overall win since 2022. The team is led by Hiroshi Masuoka, with support from Mitsubishi engineers who are enhancing the Triton’s durability, torque, and off-road performance for the tougher rally route this year, which now stretches to approximately 2,500 km over eight days.
Drivers Chayapon Yotha and Katsuhiko Taguchi will lead the title charge, while Mitsubishi test driver Kazuto Koide returns with an auto transmission-equipped Triton to validate future tech and support teammates. All three entries have undergone high-load testing in June near Khao Yai National Park, fine-tuning components such as suspension, engine cooling, and body integrity for extreme terrain.
Masuoka noted the new Triton has proven capable in all terrains, saying, “We’ve improved everything from engine torque to the chassis setup. We’re ready to win.”
The driver line-up includes:
- Chayapon Yotha (Thailand) with co-driver Peerapong Sombutwong – 2022 AXCR champion.
- Katsuhiko Taguchi (Japan) with Takahiro Yasui – Fifth place in 2024.
- Kazuto Koide (Japan) with Eiji Chiba – Mitsubishi test driver, made his AXCR debut last year.
The rally-ready Tritons feature 2.4L turbo diesel engines producing over 160kW and 500Nm, reinforced suspension by CUSCO, sequential and automatic transmissions, and carbon fiber body parts. Tires are Yokohama’s GEOLANDAR M/T G003, suited for deep mud and rocky terrain.
Key technical partners include HKS, CUSCO, ENDLESS, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
AXCR 2025 will run entirely within Thailand after organizers cancelled the Cambodia leg. The race starts and ends in Pattaya, crossing mountains, jungles, and rivers, testing both machine and man.
George Russell put Mercedes on top again in Shanghai after taking pole for the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race, with teammate Kimi Antonelli completing a front-row lockout. Russell set a 1:31.520 lap in Sprint Qualifying, while Antonelli went 0.289 seconds slower to seal second place. Lando Norris placed third for McLaren, with Lewis Hamilton fourth for Ferrari.
The result gave Mercedes another strong statement after its winning start to the 2026 season in Australia. Russell said the car felt “amazing” and added that it had been “a real joy to drive,” pointing to the team’s momentum from Melbourne into a very different track in Shanghai. Formula 1’s official results also showed Oscar Piastri fifth and Charles Leclerc sixth behind Hamilton and Norris.
Antonelli, still in only the early stage of his Formula 1 career, said the pace was there but admitted he did not fully put the lap together on soft tires. Even so, his lap was enough to help Mercedes lock out the front row for Saturday’s 19-lap sprint, putting the team in prime position to collect more points.
McLaren stayed close enough to remain a threat. Norris said he was pleased to finish ahead of both Ferraris after they had looked strong through much of Friday. Piastri backed him up in fifth, which gives McLaren two cars inside the top five for the short race.
Ferrari, meanwhile, remained in the mix but could not match Mercedes over one lap. Hamilton said the car felt good overall but pointed to straight-line speed as one area where Ferrari was still losing ground. Leclerc ended up sixth, keeping both Ferraris on the first three rows.
Red Bull had a far rougher session. Max Verstappen could manage only eighth, with Isack Hadjar down in 10th, while Oliver Bearman split the two Red Bulls in ninth for Haas. Earlier in the day, Russell had already set the pace in the weekend’s only practice session, again ahead of Antonelli, which underlined Mercedes’ control of Friday running in China.
German carmaker Audi has revealed its first Formula One car ahead of its full factory entry under the sport’s new 2026 rules, laying out a long-term target to fight for titles before the decade ends.
The car, called the Audi R26, was shown in Paris and introduces the brand’s first-ever single-seater. The livery carries a mostly grey finish, with Audi’s four rings highlighted in red on the rear wing. The team said the design aims to stand out visually while keeping a clean and restrained look.
Audi enters Formula One after taking over the Sauber operation, which will run under the Audi name from 2026. The transition keeps continuity on the driver side, with Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto staying on after racing for Sauber last season.
Project head Mattia Binotto said the incoming technical regulations offered the right entry point for the brand, allowing Audi to build its programme around a clean-sheet rule set.
Team principal Jonathan Wheatley described the car as the product of years of work across Audi’s facilities, while stressing that the unveiling marks only the beginning. He said the focus now is on building habits, systems, and a competitive mindset that improve with every race weekend.
Like the rest of the grid, Audi’s new car will not make a public debut straight away. Initial running is scheduled for closed tests next week at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where teams will begin early validation work ahead of the 2026 season.
Audi becomes the latest major manufacturer to commit fully to Formula One, joining the championship at a time when new engine rules and sustainability targets are reshaping the sport’s long-term direction.
Mercedes has confirmed that chief designer John Owen will leave the Formula One team later this year, ending a long run at the Brackley-based outfit that dates back nearly two decades.
Owen, 52, joined the team in 2007 when it was still operating as Honda. He stayed through the dramatic transition to Brawn GP, which stunned the paddock by winning both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships in 2009. When the operation became the Mercedes Formula One Team, Owen remained a central figure in its technical structure.
During Mercedes’ dominant era from 2014 to 2021, the team secured seven drivers’ titles and eight constructors’ championships. Owen’s work in car design placed him among the key architects of that success.
Mercedes said Owen has decided to step away from Formula One and will begin a period of gardening leave later this year. The team added that he will remain involved during the transition period to ensure continuity.
His role as director of car design will be taken over by Giacomo Tortora, who currently serves as engineering director. Deputy technical director Simone Resta will oversee the design group as part of the restructuring.
The announcement comes as the Formula One season approaches. Pre-season testing begins next month in Bahrain Pre-Season Testing, ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 8.
Mercedes said Owen’s departure was amicable and acknowledged his long-standing contribution to the team’s competitive history.
