
Harley-Davidson to launch racing series with MotoGP in 2026
LONDON: Motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson and MotoGP announced a new global racing series today which will launch in 2026, with teams riding bagger motorcycles at Grands Prix in Europe and North America.
Riders will be given race-prepared Harley-Davidson Road Glide bagger motorcycles, which are touring-style bikes designed for long-distance riding.
The 12-race series will run at six Grands Prix on the MotoGP calendar and the grid is expected to have six to eight teams with two riders each.
"This is a bold new step for Harley-Davidson's global racing ambitions," Harley-Davidson CEO Jochen Zeitz said in a statement.
"With this new series, we're excited to bring a new form of racing to the world stage."
The teams will be supported by Harley-Davidson Factory Racing. - REUTERS
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Sun
4 days ago
- The Sun
Hamilton ‘devastated' after hitting groundhog in Canada race
LEWIS Hamilton said he felt devastated after learning that he had hit and killed a groundhog, damaging his Ferrari car, on his way to finishing sixth in the Canadian Grand Prix. Hamilton, who owns a French bulldog called Roscoe that is often seen with him at Grands Prix, said he did not see the groundhog and felt that the incident reduced the performance of his car after a bright start Sunday. 'It was feeling pretty decent up until then,' said the seven-time world champion. 'I got a good start, I held position and I was holding onto the leading group. 'I was managing the tyres well, so I was feeling optimistic. 'I didn't see it happen, but I heard I hit a groundhog. That's devastating because I love animals and I'm so sad about it. It's horrible. 'That's never happened to me before here, but the floor -- basically the right-side -- there was a hole in it. 'Given that, and we had a brake issue halfway through as well, and then we probably stayed out too long in the first stop and came out behind traffic... it went from one thing to another.' After going 10 races without a podium this season for the first time in his Formula One career, having joined Ferrari, Hamilton was expressing mounting frustration at the team's disappointing start to the year. 'I'm grateful that I finished, particularly with the brake issue I had. We are really in need of an upgrade, but there are a lot of things that need to change in order for us to compete at the front.' Team-mate Charles Leclerc finished fifth despite missing much of Friday practice after crashing in the opening session, but said he was frustrated by how his race had unfolded.


The Sun
12-06-2025
- The Sun
Verstappen Eyes 4th Canada Win, Avoids Ban Threat
MAX VERSTAPPEN will be seeking a record fourth consecutive Canadian Grand Prix triumph this weekend and a trouble-free race that helps him banish the threat of a suspension following his 'rash' moment in Spain. The four-time world champion goes into Sunday's race knowing that, if he collects one more penalty point on his racing license, he will automatically miss the Austrian Grand Prix later this month. That, according to his great mentor, Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko, 'would be a catastrophe'. 'He mustn't do anything wrong over the next two weekends and, of course, he will be told not to do anything rash,' the Austrian told The 27-year-old, who lies third in the drivers' championship with 137 points, behind leader Oscar Piastri on 186 and his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris on 176, was penalised at the Spanish Grand Prix for ramming into George Russell's Mercedes. 'He admitted it was a deliberate action that 'should not have happened' following the race, won with supreme self-control by Piastri, but now must survive two Grands Prix without incident before the points total on his license is reduced. 'Barcelona was disappointing for us,' admitted Verstappen. 'Although we gave it everything, it was not the way we would have liked the race to turn out... 'We are looking forward to Canada -- the track is unique, has some old school kerbs and plenty of opportunities for overtaking.' For Verstappen, the return to a high-speed circuit where brakes are tested to the limit may be welcome as he and Red Bull seek to slow runaway leaders McLaren in the title race. Winless Mercedes Mercedes and Ferrari will also hope for encouragement at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve where a big crowd is likely to give home hope Lance Stroll support as he returns after a medical procedure to reduce wrist and hand pain. Mercedes technical boss James Allison said: 'It's a track where we've tended to go well in the past and I'm looking forward to it. We have a few new bits to take and we'll see how we get on.' The Silver Arrows are winless since the Las Vegas Grand Prix last year while McLaren, remarkably given their current supremacy, have not won in Canada since 2012 when seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton claimed one of his seven wins at the venue, a record that he shares with Michael Schumacher. Ferrari, always well-supported by the knowledgeable and passionate crowd, last won in Montreal in 2018, but will need a swing in fortune to secure another success, although the circuit has always been a favourite for Hamilton, who claimed his maiden win there in 2007. However, Hamilton arrives in Canada without a single podium finish this year and in need of a boost as he struggles with his car amid much paddock debate about the wisdom of his decision to leave Mercedes, where he won six of his seven world titles. For the 40-year-old Briton, it is not yet a crisis -- he retains total support from Ferrari and team boss Fred Vasseur -- but after nine of the 24 races this year, a long way from being a success. The American Haas team will mark their 200th race by switching to a grey livery that recalls their original colours in 2016.


The Sun
12-06-2025
- The Sun
Verstappen seeks record fourth Canada win and trouble-free weekend
MAX VERSTAPPEN will be seeking a record fourth consecutive Canadian Grand Prix triumph this weekend and a trouble-free race that helps him banish the threat of a suspension following his 'rash' moment in Spain. The four-time world champion goes into Sunday's race knowing that, if he collects one more penalty point on his racing license, he will automatically miss the Austrian Grand Prix later this month. That, according to his great mentor, Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko, 'would be a catastrophe'. 'He mustn't do anything wrong over the next two weekends and, of course, he will be told not to do anything rash,' the Austrian told The 27-year-old, who lies third in the drivers' championship with 137 points, behind leader Oscar Piastri on 186 and his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris on 176, was penalised at the Spanish Grand Prix for ramming into George Russell's Mercedes. 'He admitted it was a deliberate action that 'should not have happened' following the race, won with supreme self-control by Piastri, but now must survive two Grands Prix without incident before the points total on his license is reduced. 'Barcelona was disappointing for us,' admitted Verstappen. 'Although we gave it everything, it was not the way we would have liked the race to turn out... 'We are looking forward to Canada -- the track is unique, has some old school kerbs and plenty of opportunities for overtaking.' For Verstappen, the return to a high-speed circuit where brakes are tested to the limit may be welcome as he and Red Bull seek to slow runaway leaders McLaren in the title race. Winless Mercedes Mercedes and Ferrari will also hope for encouragement at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve where a big crowd is likely to give home hope Lance Stroll support as he returns after a medical procedure to reduce wrist and hand pain. Mercedes technical boss James Allison said: 'It's a track where we've tended to go well in the past and I'm looking forward to it. We have a few new bits to take and we'll see how we get on.' The Silver Arrows are winless since the Las Vegas Grand Prix last year while McLaren, remarkably given their current supremacy, have not won in Canada since 2012 when seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton claimed one of his seven wins at the venue, a record that he shares with Michael Schumacher. Ferrari, always well-supported by the knowledgeable and passionate crowd, last won in Montreal in 2018, but will need a swing in fortune to secure another success, although the circuit has always been a favourite for Hamilton, who claimed his maiden win there in 2007. However, Hamilton arrives in Canada without a single podium finish this year and in need of a boost as he struggles with his car amid much paddock debate about the wisdom of his decision to leave Mercedes, where he won six of his seven world titles. For the 40-year-old Briton, it is not yet a crisis -- he retains total support from Ferrari and team boss Fred Vasseur -- but after nine of the 24 races this year, a long way from being a success. The American Haas team will mark their 200th race by switching to a grey livery that recalls their original colours in 2016.