🤯They Weren't Kidding

April Fools Day in motorsports took a hard left turn into reality in the past. And we're still trying to process it.

NEWS FLASH

Sergio Perez is eyeing a potential comeback to Formula 1 in 2026 and has been in talks with a few teams, but he's playing it cool, insisting it's gotta be the right fit. After parting ways with Red Bull, Perez has been chilling in Mexico, enjoying some downtime with his family. He's feeling refreshed and ready for a new challenge. Word on the street is that Cadillac is one of the teams keen to bring him on board.

Button's shaking things up in FIA World Endurance! He traded his Porsche for a Cadillac V-Series.R, and it's apparently a total game-changer. Button says the Cadillac just gets him, handling-wise. Now, he's teaming up with Earl Bamber and Sebastien Bourdais to master this beast, and the best part? He finally has the freedom to tweak the car's setup to his heart's content. It's a whole new world for Button, and we're here for it.

This is no ordinary sim rig; it's a retired 1999 Ford Mondeo British Touring Car, reborn for your digital racing fantasies. Once a test car for Ford and Prodrive, it was later transformed into a simulator, ready to rock the PlayStation 1's TOCA racing games. Auctioneers say this piece of racing history is expected to fetch between $13,000 and $15,500. Sure, it's a bit amusing to picture this beast hooked up to such a basic game, but the nostalgia factor is off the charts. Whoever buys this is getting a serious display piece, and a potential time machine to the golden age of touring cars.

SIM RACING SNIPPETS

• iRacing announces Little Tikes Cozy Coupe: Except of course it was an April Fools day joke. But did you know the Formula Vee was a joke too at first? I highly doubt the Tike’s would make an appearance, but I would however love to see karting come out in a rookie unranked series. Now that would be “unreal”. One of our SRN members Guards Red Gaming posted a video of these zipping around Lime Rock.

• €32,000 for a Ferrari You Can't Drive: This 1:1-scale replica of Michael Schumacher's 2004 Ferrari F2004 Formula 1 car recently sold for €32,000. The model boasts a fiberglass body with a red #1 livery, Bridgestone racing slicks, a leather seat, and a Thrustmaster steering wheel. While it looks like the real deal, this F2004 is a display model and doesn't have a working engine.

• BeamNG.drive just dropped its v0.35 update: Rally fans, it's time to get excited! Think audible co-drivers, new rally stages, and a remastered Hirochi Sunburst that sounds as good as it looks. Plus, they've tweaked the career mode and thrown in a drift track for good measure.

MOTORSPORTS REPORT

• Schumacher's legendary 2001 Ferrari F2001, .his Monaco Grand Prix winner and fourth F1 World Championship car, is back on the auction block. Previously sold for $7.5 million, this "crown jewel" has been overhauled by Ferrari. Proceeds support Schumacher's Keep Fighting Foundation. It's a chance to own a serious piece of racing history.

• Are Turbo Hybrids Already Obsolete? Formula 1's 2026 turbo hybrid cars haven't even hit the track yet, but there's already talk of a major U-turn. F1 bigwigs and manufacturers are reportedly discussing ditching the new engine rules in those classic behind-closed-doors meetings. Could we be seeing a return to V10 engines?

• Is Andretti Formula E's Red Bull? Seems like it. Star driver Jake Dennis dominates, leaving teammates in the dust, with stats backing his consistent outperformance. But is it all Dennis's talent, or is Andretti's second seat cursed? Team principal Griffiths is puzzled, to say the least.

THE SPOTLIGHT

When April Fool's Day Goes From LOL to IRL in Motorsports

Okay, so April Fool's Day and the high-octane world of motorsports might seem like an oddball combo. You'd think it's all about serious competition, right? But here's the kicker: these two worlds have a history of unexpectedly colliding, turning "just kidding" moments into "wait, that actually happened?" situations.  

We're diving into those times when a seemingly harmless prank or joke in NASCAR or Formula 1 took a hard left turn into reality.

NASCAR, with its passionate fanbase, has had its fair share of these head-scratching moments.  

Take Michael Jordan, for instance. Back in '97, someone floated the idea of the basketball legend ditching the court for the racetrack and starting his own NASCAR team. Seems like a wild fantasy, right? Fast forward to 2020, and boom! 23XI Racing bursts onto the scene, co-owned by Jordan himself. And here's where it gets extra crazy: McDonald's, which was part of the original "fake news," actually ended up sponsoring the team. Talk about a plot twist!  

Then there's Dale Earnhardt's first NASCAR Cup Series victory. It happened on April 1st, 1979. The timing couldn't have been more perfect for some initial "is this real?" vibes. Imagine the reactions: "Earnhardt wins on April Fool's? Hilarious...or is it?"  

And let's not forget Carl Edwards' honorary return to Darlington Raceway. When the announcement dropped, plenty of fans were giving it the side-eye, convinced it was an April Fool's prank. But guess what? It was legit.  

Formula 1, known for its high-speed drama and sophisticated humor, has its own version of this phenomenon, though it's a bit more nuanced.

There's the head-scratcher involving commentator James Allen and some old Minardi/Aguri cars. Forum users were all over the place trying to figure out if Allen was pulling their leg or dropping some truth bombs. The lines got blurry.

In other instances, Stake F1 even threw in a "steak livery" concept – a clear joke that was never meant for the track. The F1 forums have been buzzing with "what if" scenarios, like Rosberg's comeback or Silverstone flipping the race direction, but so far, those have stayed in the realm of "just kidding."

The takeaway here? April Fool's Day pranks in the racing world aren't always just for laughs. Sometimes, they foreshadow real developments in the sport. It's a reminder that even in the most serious of arenas, life can throw you a curveball.  

What's the craziest prediction you've ever seen come true?

AROUND THE WEB

During this month: In 1931, Louis Chiron, tearing it up in a Bugatti Type 51, made history as the first Monégasque to seize victory at the Monaco Grand Prix.

That’s neat: Send to a friend: The Ultimate Sim Racing Beginners’ Guide!

Wow: SRN member Alex Ellis and his teammate Danny Dyszelski go from 31st to 5th place during their race at Sonoma in Wet to Dry conditions. Wow is right. Here’s the onboard from Alex’s stint and here’s the whole race from the broadcasted event.

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