This Weekend in Auto Racing (10/24)

From Road & Track

Formula 1 - Portuguese Grand Prix
Sunday, October 25th - 8 a.m. ET - ESPN

The Algarve International Circuit at Portimão will make its surprising Formula 1 debut this weekend, and the race could be a date with destiny for Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton reached 91 wins in the most recent grand prix, tying Michael Schumacher's record for most all time. A win today puts Hamilton in sole possession of first all time, and, with every other task left to accomplish complete, begins his seemingly inevitable march to 100 grand prix wins. It also puts him even further in control of the championship fight, bringing him another step closer to tying Schumacher's record seven World Driver's Championship titles.

Hamilton will start from pole (his record-extending 97th) after this exceptional lap, but he beat teammate Valtteri Bottas by just 1/10th of a second. Max Verstappen slots in at his now traditional third place, while a strong drive in the struggling Ferrari lands Charles Leclerc in fourth. Leclerc's teammate, four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel, will start eleven positions behind in fifteenth.

IndyCar - Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
Sunday, October 25th - 2:30 p.m. ET - NBC

It all comes down to this for Scott Dixon. The five-time series champion is seeking his sixth title, and all he has to do Sunday is finish better than ninth or hope that rival Josef Newgarden does not win. It seems easy enough on paper, but Dixon has struggled the past few rounds , with his average finish in the past four races actually being just below ninth.