Motor Sport Magazine – July 2026

Summary
Ferrari's 75th anniversary since its first F1 World Championship win tops Motor Sport July 2026 — issue 1211 — as the magazine dedicates 24 pages to why we love the Prancing Horse, while the Brooklands 100th anniversary revisits the banked circuit that hosted Britain's first Grand Prix and Jean Alesi remembers his Maranello years with extra Ferrari passion.
The Ferrari commemoration (page 48-72) is the issue's centrepiece. Motor Sport writers and special guests contribute 75 reasons to love the Scuderia, spanning 1951 to 2026. Speedy Gonzalez (page 72) tells how an Argentinian started Ferrari's winning streak. Jean Alesi (page 76) recalls his Ferrari years. The Christie C7 Comeback (page 86) proves a winner can never be written off. The New Regulations Crisis (page 96) examines F1's embarrassing start to its latest ruleset. The Brooklands GP 100th (page 106) marks the centenary of the first British Grand Prix on the Weybridge banking. Monterey Car Week (page 113) previews the world's glitziest motoring event.
Columnists include Mark Hughes on the Antonelli-Russell team-mate tussle, Karun Chandhok on why F1 drivers should race in other series, Doug Nye on young winners and Mat Oxley on the Isle of Man TT's 50th anniversary since championship status.
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Content Guide
▸ Cover Story / Ferrari 75th Anniversary
p.48 · Why We Love Ferrari
Seventy-five reasons spanning heroism, romance and honour across the Scuderia's 75 years since its 1951 F1 World Championship win. Each reason runs a paragraph and covers cars, drivers, victories and moments. Entries range from the 375 F1 that won at Silverstone in 1951 to the 2023 Le Mans Hypercar win. New Ferrari fans get a complete highlights reel.
p.72 · Speedy Gonzalez
The story of Froilan Gonzalez — the Argentinian driver who scored Ferrari's first F1 World Championship win at the 1951 British Grand Prix. The piece traces his career, his relationship with Enzo Ferrari and his legacy as the man who started the winning streak.
p.76 · Jean Alesi
The Frenchman recalls his Ferrari years from 1991 to 1995. He discusses the emotional weight of driving for Maranello, his near-win at the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix and his relationship with the Tifosi. He names the modern driver whose passion most reminds him of his own.
▸ Racing History
p.86 · Christie Comeback
The original Christie was scrapped but the C7 proves never to write off a winner. The feature covers the story of the front-wheel-drive racing car's rebirth and its competitive return.
p.106 · Brooklands GP 100th
The centenary of the first British Grand Prix at Brooklands in 1926. The article argues that the banked circuit deserves recognition as the birthplace of UK Grand Prix racing and profiles the cars and drivers who competed in the first event. It includes period photographs of the racing on the concrete banking.
▸ F1 Analysis
p.96 · New-Regulations Crisis
An examination of F1's latest ruleset and its embarrassing start. The article tracks the technical issues, the team complaints and the governance failures that produced an unsatisfactory first half of 2026. It names the specific regulation that caused the most controversy. F1 followers get a summary of the regulatory changes likely for 2027.
▸ Events
p.113 · Monterey Car Week
Everything needed to know about the Pebble Beach Concours, the auctions and the surrounding events. The piece covers ticket availability, key auction lots and the must-see displays. Attendees get a three-day itinerary for maximum coverage.
▸ Columnists
p.12 · Mark Hughes F1
Hughes analyses the Antonelli-Russell team-mate tussle at Mercedes, arguing that it has already become a classic intra-team battle. He compares their qualifying and race head-to-head data.
p.15 · Karun Chandhok Opinion
Chandhok argues that F1 drivers should race in other series, citing Max Verstappen's Nurburgring 24 Hours entry as a positive example.
p.39 · Mat Oxley Motorcycles
Fifty years since the Isle of Man TT was on the world championship calendar. Oxley reflects on the island's place in motorcycle racing history.
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Editor's Take
The 75-reasons Ferrari feature is this issue's obvious centrepiece and it works better in print than the Race to Road special edition's version — the single-page-per-reason format gives each entry proper space. The Jean Alesi interview is the emotional highlight; his passion for Ferrari is undimmed and he says things about the current team that an active driver couldn't. The New Regulations Crisis is the most important piece of F1 journalism in the issue — it names specific problems that other outlets have glossed over. The Brooklands 100th deserves the space it gets. The Christie Comeback is an odd inclusion — interesting but out of step with the issue's Ferrari theme. The Monterey Car Week preview is thinly disguised advertorial. At 152 pages it is the year's thickest regular issue.
Strengths
• Ferrari 75-reasons feature works better than the special edition version
• Jean Alesi interview delivers genuine emotional content
• New Regulations Crisis names specific F1 problems
Weaknesses
• Christie Comeback breaks the Ferrari theme
• Monterey preview reads as advertorial
Verdict: Essential — The Ferrari anniversary and Brooklands centenary make this the year's most historically important Motor Sport issue.
