Ladies and gentlemen! Start your engines! Buckle up for some exciting motorsport action this weekend

Calling all you petrol heads out there! If you like nothing more than a slice of high-octane motorsport action, with cars whizzing around the track at speeds that even a cheetah would baulk at, then get ready to get on some truly epic events this weekend!

Monaco Grand Prix

Formula 1 fans across the world will be waiting with bated breath as the teams make their way to Monte Carlo for the next race in this season’s calendar. Red Bull and Max Verstappen will be brimming with confidence ahead of this weekend’s grand prix after the reigning champion cruised to yet another chequered flag in Spain last Sunday. The Dutchman has now topped the podium in each of his last 3 races, establishing a 6-point lead at the top of the drivers’ championship and putting concerns about his car’s reliability from earlier in the season well and truly to bed in the process.

That being said, for large parts of last Sunday’s race, it was looking like it would be Charles LeClerc and not Verstappen who would emerge victorious, as the Frenchman picked up from where he had left off in qualifying to dominate the early stages of proceedings. However, his dreams of interrupting his title rival’s winning streak turned to dust at around the halfway point as his power unit failed, meaning that Ferrari had to make do with Carlos Sainz Jr’s 4th place finish in their quest to claim the constructor’s championship.

However, both the Prancing Horse and their main rivals could find that they have another competitor to deal with as the season progresses in the shape of Mercedes. Whilst the Silver Arrow’s car hasn’t exactly reached the dizzy heights of seasons gone by yet this year, it was looking much more competitive in Spain.

Seemingly gone are the issues with balance that had beset Mercedes since the start of the season as they enhanced their car with upgrades ahead of last Sunday’s race and it showed. Not only did George Russell bag a place on the podium in 3rd, but Lewis Hamilton produced a blistering drive to finish 5th after dropping down to 19th earlier in the race. This, of course, begs the question of whether Hamilton could have challenged for a podium finish if he hadn’t dropped down to 19th?

Could this be the shot in the arm which their season needs, or will Ferrari and Red Bull dominate once again?

Indy 500

If, however, you prefer to get your fix of motorsport action from the other side of the Atlantic, then this weekend has also got you covered as the 106th Indy 500 takes place this Sunday.

It all comes down to this, the countless simulations, the endless work in the wind tunnels and meticulous honing of cars’ bodywork to make sure they are as aerodynamic as possible, all of which is preparation for one of motorsport’s fiercest showdowns in which 33 speed demons will battle it out in order to bring home the bacon.

Speaking of speed, well, we’ve already seen one record well and truly smashed in that regard as six-time IndyCar Champion and 2008 Indy 500 winner, Scott Dixon set the fastest ever qualifying run in Indy 500 history. Dixon laid down a marker very early on in the top 12 qualifying session with a frankly mind-boggling four-lap average speed of 233.510 mph, but his record-breaking feat came in the “Fast Six” qualifying stage where he fought off stiff competition to secure pole at this race with a four-lap average of 234.046 mph.

This means it’s the second year in a row and fifth time overall that Dixon has started the Indy 500 on pole and he’ll no doubt be raring to end his 14-year wait to take the chequered flag at the end of this race.

That being said, if qualifying’s anything to go by, securing victory will be no mean feat for Dixon. Chip Ganassi Racing teammate and defending IndyCar champion, Alex Palou also set a blistering pace in qualifying and will be in no mood to do his teammate any favours in this race as he seeks to retain his drivers’ title.

As if that’s not enough, he’ll also have Rinus VeeKay to contend with. The Dutchman impressed the crowds with a jaw-dropping run on Saturday and produced a four-lap average of 233.385 mph in the “Fast Six” stage of qualifying to bag his second consecutive front-row start at Indy 500.

Whatever happens, one thing’s for sure, we’re in for an absolute cracker of a race, and with plenty of other dab hands further down the grid, it’s going to be one hell of a fierce fight to fight off the competition here.