The Best Motorsport Events Every Gearhead Should Watch This Season
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Championships are still open in a variety of motorsports for the 2026 season, including F1, MotoGP, NASCAR and the FIA World Endurance Championship. Some of the biggest races of the season are ahead for the next few months: Street Circuit F1, Europe-based rounds of MotoGP, and the playoffs of NASCAR; the list goes on. These are the events that you should circle when you are developing a motorsport watchlist. A big race can also be an easy plan to share with couples, or for people beginning to date someone new: find a casual spot to view the race, and allow the excitement of the race to be a great discussion point. This is an easy method to spend time with an interested person without creating the impression that it is an arranged event.
Formula 1 Heads into the Final Nine Races
On 24 – 26 September, Azerbaijan’s capital will host the last 9 races of the 2026 season: the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will resume its duty in Baku. The calendar then heads to Singapore, Austin, Mexico City, São Paulo, Las Vegas, Qatar, and, of course, Abu Dhabi, but the Bahrain round was moved to Sepang, Malaysia, due to its cancellation. After winning in Italy and Spain, Kimi Antonelli has become the leader of the drivers’ race with 292 points. Lewis Hamilton is second on 191 points, with George Russell on 211 points. The championship is still wide open as Antonelli has 81 points ahead of him, and 233 points remain in the Grands Prix and Sprint events.
Baku should be high on any F1 fan’s list. Its street circuit combines tight corners with a long main straight, creating some of the best overtaking opportunities on the calendar. Singapore follows with another night race and a Sprint weekend, while Austin brings the Circuit of the Americas and its fast, flowing layout. Fans who follow the championship through the week can also explore motorsports betting with bitcoin alongside the upcoming race schedule.
Drivers to watch: Kimi Antonelli, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, and Max Verstappen.
MotoGP has a Three-way Championship Fight
MotoGP is heading into the Austrian Grand Prix with a championship battle separated by just 33 points. Marc Márquez and Jorge Martín are tied on 274 points, with Márquez leading on the tiebreaker because he has more Grand Prix wins. Marco Bezzecchi is third on 241 points.
Márquez has made up serious ground during the second half of the season. Seven rounds before his San Marino victory on September 13, he was 102 points behind the championship leader. The win brought him level with Martín and continued a remarkable run of results that has put the title back within reach. MotoGP says a championship victory would give Márquez the largest points comeback in the history of the series. The Austrian Grand Prix runs from September 18 to 20 at the Red Bull Ring, making it one of the first races to watch in this final stretch. Martín will be looking to regain the championship lead, while Bezzecchi will want to recover after crashing out of the lead at Misano. Pedro Acosta also deserves attention after taking third at San Marino.
Riders to watch: Marc Márquez, Jorge Martín, Marco Bezzecchi, Pedro Acosta, and Ai Ogura.
NASCAR’s Playoff Battle is Heating Up
Kyle Larson shook up the Cup Series picture in the middle of its 10-race Chase with a win at the Enjoy Illinois 300 on September 13, and it’s just getting started. The victory put an end to a 51-race losing streak for Larson and put him in second place in the playoff points, nine points behind Denny Hamlin. Christopher Bell is in third place, 18 points behind Hamlin and 33 points behind Ryan Blaney, 42 points back of Hamlin. Both Joey Logano and Ty Gibbs are 51 points back of the lead. There are still eight races to come, and the points could change significantly prior to the final race.
The next stop is Bristol on September 19 for the Bristol Night Race. The half-mile, high-banked concrete track is one of NASCAR’s most recognizable venues. Larson has three career Bristol wins, and nine top-five finishes in his last 12 starts there. Hamlin has two Bristol victories and seven top-10 finishes in his last eight races at the track. For racing fans planning a weekend with someone special, numbers like these can add another layer to the viewing experience, giving both people something to discuss before the green flag drops. A shared interest in a driver or track can make a race-day plan feel more relaxed and give a new connection plenty of room to develop naturally.
Drivers to watch: Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, and Tyler Reddick.
WEC Brings the Long Game to Fuji
The FIA World Endurance Championship will have three remaining races in 2026, starting with the 6 Hours of Fuji in Japan on 25-27 September. On October 16-18, the championship will travel to Barcelona, and then to Monza on November 6-8. Currently, Toyota’s Hypercar points are 140, followed by BMW with 131 and Ferrari with 114. The drivers are neck and neck with BMW. With a combined score of 75 points, Antoine Rast and Robert Frijns lead alongside Toyota’s Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway, and Nyck de Vries.
The #7 car, which had a hydraulic problem late in the race at Le Mans, also has another opportunity to redeem itself for Toyota at Fuji, where the Suzuki Motorcycle Team was forced to retire it at the finish with just 10 minutes to spare. The manufacturer has claimed nine out of 12 WEC victories at Fuji so far and is bringing a lot of history to an already rich round. Toyota and BMW, Ferrari, Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway, Nyck de Vries, René Rast and Robin Frijns are the teams and drivers to watch. Having a favorite team or driver can be an entertaining way to discuss race day with another motorsports enthusiast and can help them find something to cheer about all season long.
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