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Why GM’s CEO is still betting on electric vehicles (and racing)

Mary Barra talks about GM’s EV future in light of Trump’s whiplash policies, and how diversity and inclusion still have a role to play in GM’s workforce.

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Ford’s new modified Mustang Mach-E is ready to fly up Pikes Peak

The EV demonstrator can handle 6,900 lbs of downforce at 150 mph — which, you know, is insane.

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Andrew Liszewski
Watch highlights of the very first Formula 1 race, now in color.

It’s been 75 years since the first Formula 1 world championship race was held at the British Silverstone Circuit in 1950. To mark the anniversary, F1 has shared a rare highlight reel of the race (originally called the European Grand Prix) that has been colorized using a mix of AI and manual processes. There’s also an HD version available on YouTube.

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Wes Davis
Apple gave Monaco a custom F1-themed Maps treatment.

The update puts a focus on Formula 1 racing in promotion of both upcoming Apple movie F1 and the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix race happening later this month. The update is full of special Monaco Grand Prix-related things, including little renders of Formula 1 cars at the pits and road closure advisories.

Not that any of us will ever use it — this is basically an update for Apple exec and known sports fan Eddy Cue, right?

Apple Maps showing Monaco.
Three screenshots of Apple Maps on an iPhone.
More of the special Grand Prix race locations shown in the app.
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The update lets you see where the route is, so you can join in the fun (just kidding, don’t try to do that!).
Image: Apple
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Richard Lawler
F1 TV has 4K / HDR streams and a new multiview feature for 2025.

The new F1 season is about to get started in Australia this weekend (you’ve caught up on Drive to Survive right?), and its subscription video package has some changes. For $129.99 per year, the new F1 TV Premium tier adds the above features and a customizable multi-feed view -- Pro subscribers should check out the fan-built MultiViewer app.

Other than the extra cost, the bad news is that availability of the new features is limited. They’re not on Android, or browsers other than Chrome, and 4K / HDR viewing will require Apple TV or Roku for now.

The Corvette ZR1’s 233-mph run had to start in a virtual world

It turns out it takes a little Fortran to make a faster Corvette.

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Richard Lawler
Formula E had its first ‘Pit Boost’ recharging stops.

One race of a double-header Formula E weekend saw the first use of Pit Boost stops as the nearly decade-old series required drivers to stop for a quick 600kW battery charge that increases energy by about 10 percent.

Feelings about it were mixed, reports Motorsport.com. Winner Maximilian Guenther called it “pretty cool,” however, Dan Ticktum, whose car required a reset to charge, acknowledged its importance but said, “I’m not f*****g interested if it’s going to screw my races over.”

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Richard Lawler
A production Chevy Blazer EV SS will be the 2025 Daytona 500 pace car.

Originally scheduled to go on sale in spring 2024, the SS version of Chevy’s Blazer EV is finally close to shipping amid rumors the gas-powered Blazer is going away. Orders are now open for the vehicle that promises 615hp in Wide Open Watts mode and a 3.4 second 0 - 60 time.

Chevy will put it in front of the stock car field and the public on February 16th and debut a “Blazer EV.R NASCAR Prototype.”

Front 3/4 view of the Chevrolet Blazer EV SS pace car in full livery.
Image: GM
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Wes Davis
An inauspicious debut.

The Lotus Evija X, a prototype version of Lotus’ $2.3 million electric hypercar, almost immediately slammed into the haybales on the side of the track during its first official public appearance at Goodwood Festival of Speed on Thursday, Autoblog reports.

The crash owed to “asymmetric grip caused by overcorrection during the rapid acceleration at the start line,” Lotus told Road & Track, adding damage was “minimal.” Here’s a clip from Sky Sports.

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Charles Pulliam-Moore
Apple’s Formula 1 movie races into theaters next June.

By all reports, Apple and Warner Bros.’ F1 wasn’t cheap to produce, but you can definitely see director Joseph Kosinski putting that budget to work in the film’s new teaser trailer. The movie’s out internationally on June 25th, 2025, June 27th in the US, and will hit Apple TV Plus some time afterwards.

NASCAR shows off an EV prototypeNASCAR shows off an EV prototype
Electric Cars
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Richard Lawler
F1 2026 tech changes explained.

The FIA’s “nimble” cars will be shorter and lighter, and a new hybrid setup increases battery power from 120kw to 350kw with “manual override” for boosted overtaking. There’s active aero now in the front and back, but DRS is gone.

That’s all great, but I’m still looking through articles and podcasts to find one saying how this adds up to a Lewis Hamilton championship with Ferrari.

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Richard Lawler
Netflix turns the clock back on F1 drama with Senna.

30 years after the tragic death of Brazilion F1 great Ayrton Senna, Netflix released a first look at its upcoming series based on his life.

Post-Drive to Survive and ahead of this weekend’s Miami GP, it’s clear how much F1’s popularity has grown since the Senna documentary in 2010, bringing in new fans who can learn about his story.

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Elizabeth Lopatto
What’s attending a Formula 1 race like?

This is a spectacular read even if you don’t care about car racing. Think “The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved,” but with cars and much, much more money:

If a tornado came through and wiped the whole thing out, the stock market would plummet and the net worth of a country the size of Slovenia would vanish from the ledgers in a day.

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Andrew J. Hawkins
King of the Hammers is a little bit Mad Max, a little bit Blade Runner.

Emme Hall’s story this week captured the sweaty, gravel-strewn insanity of the annual off-road event, but it really needs to be seen to be believed. Here are some of the amazing images from this year’s King of the Hammers that were provided by a variety of photographers who clearly don’t mind a little bit of dirt on their lenses.

King of the Hammers off-road racing
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‘Burning Man for rednecks’: inside the King of the Hammers off-road race

While the event is known as one of the biggest motorsport events in the world, it’s also a place to showcase technology, land stewardship, and just a tiny bit of nightlife.

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How an off-road rally for women keeps EVs rolling using clean energy

Sustainably charging electric vehicles and providing power to over 250 people for eight days in the middle of the desert is no easy task. Renewable Innovations has the answer.

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Wes Davis
Formula E racer Stoffel Vandoorne says his team wasn’t trying to steal data.

Over the weekend, Formula E team DS Penske was caught having installed an RFID scanner in the pit lane that could grab “live data from all other cars” and the team was penalized.

Vandoorne accepted responsibility, says Autosport, but said his team wasn’t doing anything others weren’t already:

We were just trying to check what set of tyres others were using, which you can do with a normal camera. The other teams are doing that, they are using photographers in the pitlane. We found a clever way, or an easy way, and we paid a big price for that.

Vandoorne finished the Portland race in 12th place, while his teammate, Jean-Eric Vergne, placed 11th.

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Wes Davis
A sneaky Formula E team got caught secretly collecting tire data from the other cars with an RFID scanner.

Racers Stoffel Vandoorne and Jean-Éric Vergne’s team, DS Penske, was hit with a €25,000 fine and a pit lane start for today’s Portland race after it surreptitiously used RFID scanners to collect live data from other cars’ tires during the qualifying round.

RFID chips, says Rubber Journal Asia, collect data about tire temperature, pressure, and more.

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Emma Roth
The German magazine that published a fake AI interview with Michael Schumacher just fired its editor.

In a statement provided to CNN, Die Aktuelle says it has fired its editor-in-chief after running the tabloid for over a decade. Last week, Schumacher’s family threatened to sue the magazine after it claimed it spoke with the F1 legend for the first time since he suffered a brain injury in 2013.

We were all fans of Ken Block

Ken Block, who died tragically in a snowmobile accident this week, was an entrepreneur, a racer, and a social media god. But at his core, he was always an enthusiast. We were all fans.

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