Good morning! We have an incredible weekend of racing on tap as F1 heads back to the Red Bull Ring for the Austrian Grand Prix. Meanwhile, NASCAR will be taking their first laps through the streets of downtown Chicago!

P.S. Don’t forget! We will be adjusting our newsletter schedule starting next week. Be on the lookout for the Money Lap to hit your inbox on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays!

Motorsports Moneyline

Austrian GP Driver Odds (provided by BetMGM)

+600 Max Verstappen

+700 Fernando Alonso

+800 Lewis Hamilton

+800 Sergio Perez

+800 George Russell

Chicago Street Course Driver Odds (provided by BetMGM)

+500 Chase Elliott

+650 Tyler Reddick

+700 Martin Truex Jr.

+800 AJ Allmendinger

+800 Kyle Larson

eRacr’s AI Fantasy Lineup

Based on current trends and previous race statistics here is the ideal lineup for your NASCAR Fantasy team heading into Chicago:

1. Kyle Larson

2. William Byron

3. Chase Elliott

4. Christopher Bell

5. Tyler Reddick

Garage: Martin Truex Jr.

F1

A Race for Space: F1’s 11th Spot up for Grabs?

Liberty Media, the owners of Formula 1, are considering an expansion to the current grid 🏎️. With submissions under review from potential newcomers like Andretti Cadillac and Hitech Grand Prix, F1's ideal 10-team configuration could be in for a shake-up. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali prefers the current 10-team structure, but Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei thinks an 11th team could be accommodated, especially with the new Las Vegas circuit in the pipeline.

"The real problem is the way the structure works today...Maybe that’s solvable with money and time, but it’s not something that you snap your fingers and solve," Maffei shared on the Walker Webcast.

One major hurdle? The current 10 teams splitting the profits🤑, with Maffei admitting the teams are not keen to "divide 11 ways". Despite these hurdles, if the right contender emerges, particularly an American OEM with strong market position, the 11th team could be more than just a pipe dream.

"You could imagine coming to some kind of an agreement. But it’s not without controversy, certainly among the ten teams," Maffei noted.

More F1

💰 Andretti’s climb to F1 just got steeper due to recent investments in the sport 

🔧 Several drivers are on the verge of grid penalties for exceeding their power unit allocation 

🚗 Yuki Tsunoda is set to drive Honda’s race-winning GT3 machinery at the famous Nordschleife circuit

NASCAR

Johnson Withdraws Amid Tragedy

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Jimmie Johnson, has withdrawn from his next race 🛑 in light of a shocking family tragedy. Johnson was slated to make his fourth start of the year on the Chicago Street Course with the No. 84 Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 🚗.

Following a devastating incident involving the family of his wife, Chandra, Johnson made the understandable decision to step back. The team he co-owns shared: "Legacy Motor Club has elected to withdraw...no further statements will be made". NASCAR also expressed sympathy, stating "We are saddened by the tragic deaths...The entire NASCAR family extends its deepest support...".

Our thoughts are with the Johnsons during this difficult time 🙏.

More NASCAR

🌆 A turn-by-turn analysis of NASCAR’s Chicago street course

🚩 Sheldon Creed penalized for intentional wrecking

🤝 GM Motorsports’ ties with many racing series

IndyCar

The Race to Retain

Silly season hits early as Chip Ganassi Racing's top drivers, Alex Palou 🇪🇸 and Marcus Ericsson 🇸🇪, may be eyeing different paths in 2024. Palou, tied with his 2021 championship win tally, is reportedly drawn towards Formula 1 with a possible McLaren deal. "It's been working so far – I love it," says Palou, speaking on his F1 testing.

Meanwhile, Ericsson, a former Indy 500 victor, yearns for a pay boost. "I want to be treated as a top driver, because that's what I am in this series," he demands. But Ganassi seems torn, talking about the need to "finalize some sponsorship".

With both drivers possibly exiting, Ganassi may have to groom new talent or fall back on the dependable Scott Dixon. Will Ganassi lose its high-speed heroes?

GLOBAL MOTORSPORT

Take a trip to far away motorsport lands

🏎️ Aston GT squad TF Sport to make Corvette switch for 2024 WEC: TF Sport, the reigning GTE Am champions in the World Endurance Championship, will switch from Aston Martin to Corvette machinery for the 2024 season.

🏟️ New stadium superspecial for WRC Rally Japan: The World Rally Championship will return to Japan with a new superspecial stage at the Toyota Stadium in Nagoya, which will host the opening and closing tests of the rally.

🚗 34 cars entered for IMSA Grand Prix of Mosport: The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will have a 34-car grid for its next round at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, featuring 11 DPi, 7 LMP2, 6 LMP3, 5 GTLM and 5 GTD entries.

🐎 Ford unveils 2024 Mustang GT4: Ford has revealed its new Mustang GT4 race car, which will compete in various series around the world, including IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and GT4 European Series.

📺 Formula E unveils expanded CBS deal, launches U.S. streaming partnership with Roku: Formula E has announced a new multi-year broadcast deal with CBS Sports Network, which will cover all races and qualifying sessions of the electric championship. The series has also launched a free streaming service on Roku devices in the U.S.

The Money Lap Podcast

Episode 9 is out NOW! In this episode, Parker and Landon take another spin around the topic of manual EVs, this time armed with listener feedback and a fresh perspective. They also reflect on their initially successful but eventually thwarted sponsorship in Miatas - the car was primed for success, but the driver, unfortunately, ended up wrecked. Adding some drama, Parker recounts a nerve-wracking episode when he gambled on making it to the finish line with a near-empty gas tank, despite his crew chief's reservations.

Watch and Listen Now

Watch on Youtube | Spotify | Apple Podcast

Money Lap Fantasy by eRacr

Join the eRacr Fantasy leagues to compete against other Money Lap subscribers and compete for exclusive prizes all season long! It's not too late to enter! Join below:

Join NASCAR here!

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Standings

Memes

ONBOARD OF THE DAY

Jenson Button 2002 Silverstone Onboard

Hear the roar of the V10 as Jenson Button takes you for a lap around Silverstone in his Renault R202.