Karishma Persad, Author at Motorsport | Pit Debrief

Louis Sharp wins Race 1 of the 2026 CTFROT at Hampton Downs, fending off Ugochukwu while Kanato Le completes the podium.

CTFROT | 2026 | Round 1 | Hampton Downs | Race 1 | Sharp holds off Ugochukwu to claim lights-to-flag victory

Karishma Persad1 day ago1 day ago04 mins mins

Louis Sharp claimed victory in the opening race of the 2026 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy (CTFROT) at Hampton Downs, converting a strong start into a controlled lights-to-flag win. Despite sustained pressure from polesitter Ugo Ugochukwu throughout the race, Sharp defended effectively to secure the first win of the season, with Kanato Le completing…

Jake Dennis tops FP1 at the Mexico City E-Prix as late improvements shuffle the order in a closely fought opening practice session.

Formula E | Mexico City E-Prix | FP1 | Dennis leads tight opening session in Mexico City

Karishma Persad1 day ago1 day ago04 mins mins

Round two of Season 12 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship began at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez with the first Free Practice (FP1) session of the Mexico City E-Prix. As the first of two practice outings, FP1 provided the drivers with an early opportunity to assess conditions and establish a competitive baseline. Early…

Taito Kato to contest the first three rounds of the 2026 FRME Trophy with ART Grand Prix.

ART Grand Prix confirms Taito Kato for three rounds of FRME 2026 campaign

Karishma Persad2 days ago2 days ago03 mins mins

ART Grand Prix has confirmed that Taito Kato will begin his 2026 season by contesting the opening three rounds of the Formula Regional Middle East Trophy (FRME). The programme forms part of the Japanese driver’s preparation for his step up to the FIA Formula 3 Championship later in the year. However, due to a scheduling…

Ugo Ugochukwu secures pole in a tightly fought opening 2026 CTFROT qualifying session at Hampton Downs, with Sharp and Slater close behind.

CTFROT | 2026 | Round 1 | Hampton Downs | Qualifying 1 | Ugochukwu leads tight Qualifying battle

Karishma Persad2 days ago14 hours ago03 mins mins

The 2026 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy (CTFROT) season officially came to life at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park as nineteen drivers contested the first Qualifying session, all chasing pole position for Race 1. As the session unfolded, fine margins defined the order, immediately underlining the competitive depth of the field. Practice pace sets the…

Dion Gowda stays with Van Amersfoort Racing for 2026, contesting FRME Trophy and FREC after rookie success.

Dion Gowda remains with Van Amersfoort Racing for 2026 FRME and FREC campaigns

Karishma Persad2 days ago2 days ago04 mins mins

Van Amersfoort Racing has confirmed that Dion Gowda will remain with the Dutch outfit for its full Formula Regional programme, thereby reinforcing a partnership that delivered an impressive rookie season in 2025. As a result, the Gowda will contest both the Formula Regional Middle East (FRME) Trophy and the newly rebranded Formula Regional European Championship…

Ryan Wood leads combined practice at Hampton Downs as CTFROT 2026 begins with tight field and standout rookie performances.

CTFROT | 2026 | Round 1 | Hampton Downs | Practice | Wood fastest on opening day

Karishma Persad2 days ago2 days ago03 mins mins

Ryan Wood emerged as the standout performer across the combined practice sessions at Hampton Downs as the 2026 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy (CTFROT) season got underway. The Supercars driver topped Practice 2 and Practice 3 and set the outright fastest lap of the day with a 1:29.764, the only time to dip under…

ART Grand Prix signs Monaco's Matteo Giaccardi for dual 2026 FREC and FRME campaigns after his strong F4 progress.

ART Grand Prix confirms Matteo Giaccardi for dual FRME Trophy and FREC campaigns in 2026

Karishma Persad2 days ago2 days ago03 mins mins

ART Grand Prix has announced that Matteo Giaccardi will step up to Formula Regional competition in 2026, joining the team for both the Formula Regional European Championship (FREC) and the Formula Regional Middle East Trophy (FRME). The move marks a significant milestone in the career of the 18-year-old Monegasque driver as he continues his progression…

Bianca Bustamante has confirmed the next major move in her single-seater career, stepping up to Eurocup-3 for the 2026 season with Palou Motorsport. The

Bianca Bustamate steps up to Eurocup-3 in 2026 with Palou Motorsport

Karishma Persad2 days ago2 days ago04 mins mins

Bianca Bustamante will step up to Eurocup-3 for the 2026 season with Palou Motorsport. The announcement underlines another decisive stage in the Filipino driver’s long-term pathway towards FIA Formula 3 and, ultimately, Formula 1. She will contest both the Eurocup-3 Winter Series and the main Eurocup-3 Championship Series, becoming part of a category that has…

Round 1 CTFROT series Hampton Downs 8-11 January 2026 Photo by Bruce Jenkins

CTFROT | 2026 | Round 1 | Hampton Downs | Testing | 19-man field completes first on-track running

Karishma Persad3 days ago3 days ago03 mins mins

The 2026 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy (CTFROT) began in impressive fashion as a tightly packed grid completed its first on-track running at Hampton Downs International Motorsport Park. Drivers took part in three acclimatisation runs, marking the opening chapter of what already looks set to be a fiercely contested season. Teams focused primarily on…

Jason Pribyl will race in GB3 for 2026 with Nitrous Competitions ADM Racing as both driver and team step up together.

Jason Pribyl steps up to GB3 with Nitrous Competitions ADM Racing for 2026

Karishma Persad3 days ago3 days ago04 mins mins

American racer Jason Pribyl will step up into the GB3 Championship for the 2026 season, as he joins Nitrous Competitions ADM Racing. Crucially, the move marks a shared progression, because both driver and team graduate to GB3 together for the first time. As a result, the announcement underlines a clear commitment to long-term development on…