F1 Paddock Pass: Italian Grand Prix (VIDEO) - MotorSportsTalk

Two weeks on from the Belgian Grand Prix, Formula 1 returns this weekend for the final European race of the season at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy.

The Italian Grand Prix has been a mainstay on the F1 calendar ever since the formation of the world championship in 1950, with Monza hosting all but one grand prix since.

The high-speed nature of the circuit makes it a unique challenge for the drivers and the teams, whilst the loyal following of the Tifosi – Ferrari’s fan club – creates an atmosphere few other venues in motorsport can rival.

Ahead of the race weekend in Italy, Will Buxton brings you all of the news, interviews and analysis in the latest edition of NBC Sports Group original digital series “Paddock Pass”.

In part one, we hear from Daniel Ricciardo about the challenge of Monza and from Felipe Massa about the possibility of closed cockpits being introduced to single seaters. We also speak to Federico Gastaldi following a rather turbulent week for Lotus amid financial uncertainty.

Will brings you more insight from Lotus in part two as we hear from Alan Permane about the details of setting up a car for Monza’s unique challenge and high-speed straights. Nico Rosberg also discusses his tire blowout at Spa and the subsequent focus on Pirelli.

In the final part of this week’s Paddock Pass, Will is joined by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel to discuss the idea of closed cockpits, with the debate being reignited following the death of Justin Wilson last week.

The Italian Grand Prix is live on NBCSN and Live Extra this weekend. For full details, click here.

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An IndyCar executive said there is “absolutely” disappointment that its long-awaited video game recently was delayed beyond its target date, but the series remains optimistic about the new title.

“Well, I don’t know how quick it will be, but the whole situation is important to us,” Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles said during a news conference Monday morning to announce IndyCar’s NTT title sponsorship. “Motorsport Games has spent a lot of money, a lot of effort to create an IndyCar title. What we’ve seen of that effort, which is not completely obvious, is very reassuring.

“I think it’s going to be outstanding. That’s our shared objective, that when it is released, it’s just widely accepted. A great credit both to IndyCar racing, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, something that our fans love.”

In June 2021, IndyCar announced a new partnership with Motorsport Games to create and distribute an IndyCar video game for the PC and Xbox and PlayStation consoles in 2023.

But during an earnings call last week, Motorsport Games said the IndyCar game had been delayed to 2024 to ensure high quality.

Somewhat compounding the delay is that IndyCar’s license for iRacing expired after the end of the 2022 season because of its exclusive agreement with Motorsport Games.

That’s resulted in significant changes for IndyCar on iRacing, which had provided a high-profile way for the series to stay visible during its 2020 shutdown from the pandemic. (Players still can race an unbranded car but don’t race on current IndyCar tracks, nor can they stream).

That’s helped ratchet up the attention on having a video game outlet for IndyCar.

“I wish we had an IndyCar title 10 years ago,” said Miles, who has been working with the organization since 2013. “We’ve been close, but we’ve had these I think speed bumps.”

IndyCar is hopeful the Motorsports Game edition will be ready at the start of 2024. Miles hinted that beta versions could be unveiled to reporters ahead of the time “to begin to show the progress in a narrow way to make sure we’ve got it right, to test the progress so that we’re ready when they’re ready.”

It’s been nearly 18 years since the release of the most recent IndyCar video game for console or PC.

“(We) better get it right,” Miles said. “It’s something we’re very close to and continue to think about what it is to make sure we get it over the line in due course.”