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Series

The major racing series, and who runs them.

Professional car racing is divided into series, each with its own rulebook, calendar and champions. These pages explain how the main ones work and give every result with its year.

A racing series is a championship: a calendar of events run to one set of rules, with points that add up to a title. At the top of the sport sits the FIA, which describes itself as the governing body of world motor sport. Its own list of world championships includes Formula One, the World Rally Championship, the World Rally-Raid Championship, the World Endurance Championship, Formula E and the FIA Karting world championships. Below the FIA, each country has its own authority. In the United States that link is ACCUS, whose six member clubs are IndyCar, IMSA, NASCAR, NHRA, SCCA and USAC; in the United Kingdom it is Motorsport UK. Our governing bodies page explains how these layers fit together.

The series pages

  • Governing bodies. The FIA, ACCUS and the US sanctioning clubs, Motorsport UK and the karting commission.
  • Formula 1. The weekend format, points, the 2026 rule change, the new teams, recent champions and the Monaco Grand Prix.
  • IndyCar and the Indianapolis 500. Points, the 2025 and 2026 seasons and the closest finish in Indianapolis history.
  • NASCAR and the Daytona 500. The Cup Series, the 2026 return of the Chase format and the season opener at Daytona.
  • Endurance and Le Mans. The World Endurance Championship, its classes and points, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
  • IMSA. North American sports car racing, including the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Sebring and Petit Le Mans.
  • Formula E. The electric single-seater world championship.
  • Rally and Dakar. The World Rally Championship, rally-raid and the Dakar Rally.
  • Touring and GT series. Supercars and Bathurst, DTM, BTCC, Super GT and GT World Challenge.
  • Drag racing series. NHRA professional and Sportsman racing.
  • Karting championships. FIA Karting world titles and the big American events.
  • Esports. Sim racing championships and online series.

Where the 2026 seasons stand

Several championships were still being decided when we wrote these pages. This table gives the position as of 20 October 2026. Where a season is still running we name the leader, not a champion.

SeriesStatus as of 20 October 2026Champion or leader
Formula 1In progress; the United States Grand Prix is next, on 25 OctoberKimi Antonelli (Mercedes) leads on 340 points after Singapore, ahead of George Russell on 238 (Formula 1's official standings)
IndyCarFinished on 6 SeptemberAlex Palou, his fifth title, on 631 points (Reuters)
NASCAR Cup SeriesIn progress; three Chase races left, ending at Homestead-Miami on 8 November (per Wikipedia)Kyle Larson leads on 2,370 points after Phoenix, ahead of Christopher Bell on 2,365 (Bleacher Report)
World Endurance ChampionshipIn progress; the finale is the 6 Hours of Monza on 8 NovemberToyota has clinched the Hypercar manufacturers' title; the drivers' title is between the two Toyota crews (FIA WEC)
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar ChampionshipFinished in early OctoberGTP: Jack Aitken (drivers), Whelen Engineering Cadillac Racing (teams), Cadillac (manufacturers), per IMSA's release
Formula E (2025-26)Finished on 16 AugustPascal Wehrlein (Porsche), his second title (Formula E)
World Rally ChampionshipFinished at Rally Italia Sardegna, 1 to 4 OctoberElfyn Evans with co-driver Scott Martin (WRC)
SupercarsIn progress; the Finals Series ends at the Adelaide Grand Final, 26 to 29 NovemberNot yet decided
NHRAIn progress; the six-race Countdown to the Championship passed its halfway point in October, with Pomona the final stopNot yet decided

The Triple Crown

One honour cuts across series. Wikipedia (secondary) describes the Triple Crown of Motorsport as an unofficial title for winning the Indianapolis 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix, and notes an older version that counts the Formula 1 World Championship in place of Monaco. The organisers of Le Mans, the ACO, use the version with the F1 title.

Either way, the ACO says only one driver has done it: Graham Hill. He won the Indianapolis 500 on his debut in 1966, the F1 title in 1962 and 1968, Monaco five times, and Le Mans in 1972 with Henri Pescarolo in a Matra. Fernando Alonso has two of the three legs. Motorsport.com reports he won Le Mans in 2018 and 2019 but has not won the Indy 500, and Wikipedia lists his Monaco wins as 2006 and 2007.

A note on dates

Every result on these pages carries its year, and standings in a running season carry the date they were taken. Seasons that were not finished as of October 2026 are described as in progress, with no champion named. The pages also say which source each figure comes from, and where two sources disagree, both versions are given.

01

Governing bodies

The FIA at the top, national authorities such as ACCUS and Motorsport UK, and the clubs that sanction the events.

02

Formula 1

Points, the 2026 rule change, Cadillac and Audi, the 2025 champion, where 2026 stands and the Monaco Grand Prix.

03

IndyCar

The cars and points, Palou's run of titles, and the Indy 500 from 1911 to the record-close 2026 finish.

04

NASCAR

The three national series, the return of the Chase in 2026, Larson's 2025 title, where 2026 stands and the Daytona 500.

05

Endurance and Le Mans

Hypercar and LMGT3, how WEC points work, the 2026 season in progress, and Le Mans from 1923 to Toyota's 2026 win.

06

IMSA

GTP, LMP2, GTD Pro and GTD, how points and the Endurance Cup work, and the 2025 and 2026 champions and big-race winners.

07

Formula E

The cars from Gen3 to Gen4, Attack Mode and the Pit Boost charging stop, how points work, and the champions season by season.

08

Rally and Dakar

The WRC and how its 2026 season finished, the Dakar Rally, the hydrogen Extreme H World Cup and the Pikes Peak hill climb.

09

Touring and GT series

Supercars and Bathurst, Germany's DTM, the BTCC, Japan's Super GT and SRO's GT World Challenge, with 2025 and 2026 results.

10

Drag racing series

The NHRA's history, its four professional classes, Sportsman and bracket racing, the Countdown playoff and recent champions.

11

Karting championships

FIA Karting's OK and KZ world championships, recent champions, the SKUSA SuperNationals in Las Vegas, and the routes into kart racing.

12

Esports

From early PC sims to iRacing's official series, the FIA's certified championships, F1 Sim Racing and the Esports World Cup.

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