Motorsports
Triple Threat Takes the Crown
A new trio of virtual racers will fly the Philippine flag at the Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) Asia Finals this November. After a weekend of wheel-to-wheel duels at Ayala Malls Manila Bay, rookie driver Victor Ancheta emerged as the overall champion of the TGR Philippines eSports GT Championship 2025, ahead of Enzo Ison and Matthew Ang. The three now make up Team Philippines for the Asia Finals in Thailand on November 23.
The October 12 national finals capped a season that drew more than 20,000 spectators across the weekend. Fans gathered to watch the country’s top sim racers battle through multiple elimination rounds, with pride and a spot on the national team on the line.
Ancheta’s rise was the story everyone talked about. Competing in his first TGR eSports season, he fought his way through a 250-driver field and advanced from quarterfinals to finals with steady pace. “I feel happy that I won the championship, and I feel honored to represent the Philippines,” he said. “I’m looking forward to racing Asia’s fastest drivers.”
Ison, last year’s runner-up, once again showed consistency. He topped the qualifying sessions and kept pressure on the leaders in every race to secure second overall. “It feels great to be back on the podium and to have another chance to represent the country,” he shared.
Ang rounded out the top three after another strong campaign. Despite missing the title, he took the result in stride. “I felt disappointed since I genuinely thought I could win this year,” he said, “but I’m grateful for another opportunity at the Asia Finals.”
The road to the finals tested every racer’s skill. The top 40 qualifiers faced three quarterfinal heats using the GR Yaris High Performance ’20 at Dragon Trail Gardens, followed by a tougher semifinal round at Mount Panorama, Red Bull Ring, and Daytona. A Wild Card Round even brought back past champions Luis Moreno and Russel Reyes, giving hopefuls one last shot at a final slot.
The National Finals then raised the bar with three races using different cars and tracks. Drivers opened with the Toyota Supra Racing Concept ’18 at Kyoto, went off-road in the GR Yaris at Colorado Springs, and finished in the GR010 Hybrid at Spa under changing weather. Ancheta sealed the crown with 72 points, followed by Ison with 67.5 and Ang with 61.5.
Special awards closed the night: Ancheta won Crowd Favorite, Ison received Smooth Operator, Ang earned Pole Position, and Miole took Best Overtake. The championship was sanctioned by the Automobile Association Philippines and supported by partners and sponsors.
For Ancheta, Ison, and Ang, the journey now shifts to the Asia Finals in Thailand, where they’ll face the region’s top drivers in pursuit of international glory.
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.
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