Motor Sport Magazine – September 2026

Summary

Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes' teenage prodigy, faces the question "F1's next world champion?" on the cover of Motor Sport September 2026 — issue 1213 — as the magazine's mid-season driver grades rank the 2026 grid, George Harrison and Barry Sheene's long-lost interview resurfaces 50 years on, and Gordon Murray's Brabham BT55 failure is revisited 40 years after it broke Gordon Murray's heart.

The Antonelli cover feature (page 46) by Joe Dunn tracks the Italian's rise from karting to the Mercedes F1 seat. Mark Hughes provides the F1 mid-season report (page 56) with driver grades. The Spanish Grand Prix report (page 62) covers the Madring's first F1 race. F1's best images (page 70) compiles season photography up to the Belgian GP. The Brabham BT55 retrospective (page 80) examines Murray's low-line failure. The Sheene-Harrison feature (page 92) publishes a rediscovered 1976 interview. The Le Mans Classic feature (page 102) covers cars from 1975 to 2015. The Jackie Stewart-Jenks war of words (page 108) recounts a famous disagreement. Jason Plato (page 120) recalls post-retirement depression. Heinz-Harald Frentzen (page 126) traces his career from coffin factory to F1.

Columnists include Karun Chandhok, Mat Oxley (motorcycles go heavyweight with Harleys), Doug Nye and Andrew Frankel.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Story

p.46 · Kimi Antonelli
Mercedes' talent spotter reveals the process of identifying Antonelli as a future world champion. The article traces his karting-to-F1 timeline, his 2024 F2 championship winning season and the specific simulator sessions that convinced Toto Wolff to promote him. The piece names the F1 driver whose driving style Antonelli's most resembles. Young racers get a template for the modern F1 pathway.

▸ F1 Mid-Season

p.56 · F1 Mid-Season Report
Mark Hughes grades every driver on the 2026 grid at the halfway point. Each driver receives a letter grade and a paragraph of rationale. The report names the most improved driver, the most disappointing and the driver most likely to change teams in the summer break. Fantasy F1 managers get a data-driven second-half shopping list.

p.62 · Spanish Grand Prix 2026
The Madrid Madring hosts its first F1 race. Hughes reports on the circuit's character, the overtaking opportunities and the race strategy that decided the winner. The piece includes a circuit diagram with DRS zones marked. Attendees get the best grandstand recommendations for 2027.

p.70 · F1'26 Best Images
A 10-page photography portfolio capturing the 2026 season up to the Belgian Grand Prix. Each image carries a technical caption explaining the photographic setup. Aspiring motorsport photographers get camera settings and positioning notes.

▸ Retrospective

p.80 · Brabham BT55
Gordon Murray's 1986 F1 failure is examined 40 years on. The piece explains the low-line concept, the BMW turbo engine packaging problems and the chain of reliability issues that produced zero championship points. Engineers get a case study in how a brilliant concept can fail through execution.

p.92 · Sheene and Harrison
A long-lost 1976 interview between George Harrison and Barry Sheene resurfaces. The transcript reveals conversations about fame, speed and music. The article contextualises the interview within 1970s British culture.

p.102 · Le Mans Classic
Cars from 1975 to 2015 at the Le Mans Classic event. The feature covers the GT40s, Porsche 935s, LMP1 prototypes and the atmosphere of the world's greatest historic race meeting. Attending fans get a schedule-planning guide for the next edition.

▸ Controversy & Opinion

p.108 · Jackie vs Jenks
The war of words between Jackie Stewart and Motor Sport's Denis Jenkinson is revisited. The article publishes excerpts from their public disagreement and traces how it reflected tensions between safety advocates and traditionalists.

p.120 · Jason Plato
The former BTCC champion discusses the depression he experienced after retiring in 2022. He names the specific moment he knew he had to seek help and the activities that supported his recovery. Retired athletes get a candid account of post-career mental health.

p.126 · Heinz-Harald Frentzen
From working in his family's coffin business to challenging for the F1 World Championship, Frentzen's career is traced. The article covers his Jordan years, his Williams disappointment and his reputation as F1's unluckiest talented driver.

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Editor's Take

The Antonelli cover feature is a strong piece of F1 journalism — the Mercedes talent-spotter access is genuine and the specific sim-session detail is rare. The mid-season driver grades by Hughes are the issue's most useful feature; they are data-driven, opinionated and built for argument. The BT55 retrospective is the deepest technical article in the issue and rewards repeated reading. The Sheene-Harrison interview is a charming curiosity rather than essential editorial. The Jason Plato interview is important for its mental-health candour but is uncomfortable reading in a magazine that rarely addresses the psychological cost of racing. The Le Mans Classic coverage is solid but feels like a Euro summer-filler feature. At 168 pages the issue is generous, but the regular columns (Lost Circuits, Hot Wheels) are increasingly thin.

Strengths
• Antonelli talent-spotter access is rare and specific
• Mid-season driver grades are built for debate
• BT55 retrospective rewards technical readers

Weaknesses
• Sheene-Harrison interview is a curiosity, not essential
• Several regular columns are increasingly thin

Verdict: Essential — The Antonelli feature and driver grades make it the most useful Motor Sport since the July issue.