Christmas will be here in a few days! I hope all of your presents have been purchased and wrapped and you are not caught in the last second scramble to satisfy everyone's dreams. This should be a relaxing next few days before the holiday is here and we are all gathered around Christmas trees.
Before spending that time with your family and digging into the stockings of your own, it is our annual tradition of giving out gifts to the people, places and events around the motorsports world. Even the most successful and riches drivers in the world need something this Christmas. This is our chance to give them what they need.
With that said, I hope you have your favorite drink and a few cookies next to you as your eyes wander across this list...
To IndyCar: An even geographical spread of races across the United States.
To Formula One: A championship battle that will be appreciated and not result in juvenile bickering online.
To NASCAR: The ability to share.
To the FIA World Endurance Championship: Two more rounds and better competition in Hypercar.
To IMSA: The GTP class competing at every round and two more races.
To MotoGP: Competitive Japanese manufacturers, and fewer cancelled rounds midseason.
To the European Le Mans Series: No broadcast partner in the United States so those races can be streamed on YouTube. Or at least a proper broadcast partner that more than six people have.
To Formula E: A better broadcast partner in the United States.
To Amazon: Minimal complaints over how it does broadcasting NASCAR races.
To James Hinchcliffe: Greater sway as a voice in motorsports.
To Patricio O'Ward: A marketing department that makes the most of his charisma.
To Christian Lundgaard and Nolan Siegel: Results that force McLaren not to make any rash decisions.
To Colton Herta: Enough SuperLicense points to shut everyone up.
To Marcus Ericsson: Smooth oval races.
To Kyle Kirkwood: More fishing rods.
To Álex Palou: The other $500,000 that IndyCar owes him.
To Scott Dixon: Better qualifying form.
To Marcus Armstrong: A few podium finishes.
To Felix Rosenqvist: More races where he finishes better than his starting position than he finishes worse.
To Linus Lundvist: A loving home.
To Conor Daly: A legitimate sponsor that is not financially questionable.
To Josef Newgarden: Results to win back the fan base.
To Scott McLaughlin: Plenty of diapers and infant clothing.
To Will Power: An Indianapolis 500 pole position.
To Max Verstappen: Enjoyment in what he does.
To Lewis Hamilton: Rejuvenation in red.
To Charles Leclerc: Sound pit strategy and leads to a championship push.
To Yuki Tsunoda: General respect around the paddock.
To Lando Norris: More opening laps led.
To Oscar Piastri: No races where he is the fastest McLaren driver but the team gives him the less favorable pit strategy and forces positions to be re-addressed.
To George Russell: Cars at the proper weight every post-race.
To Andrea Kimi Antonelli: Confidence. He is going to need it.
To Valtteri Bottas: Permission to run the Indianapolis 500. Mercedes will be fine at Monaco.
To Sergio Pérez: Peace in whatever comes next.
To Fernando Alonso: The ability to hold his tongue.
To Kyle Larson: One sunny day and he gets to select when it happens.
To Alexander Rossi: A time machine back to January 1, 2018.
To Santino Ferrucci: Some aspirin.
To David Malukas: Dialing it back by about 30%.
To Callum Ilott: Carrying Prema to sensational results.
To Robert Shwartzman: Nobody asking him how to pronounce his last name.
To Prema: No races outside of the Indianapolis 500 where more than 27 cars enter.
To Graham Rahal: A cushion from the last row shootout in Indianapolis 500 qualifying.
To Louis Foster: A guarantee of a second and third year in IndyCar.
To Christian Rasmussen: Less run ins during practice, qualifying and races.
To Romain Grojsean: A return to Dale Coyne Racing.
To Toby Sowery: A full-time ride with Dale Coyne Racing.
To Dale Coyne: An investor who will gladly take that team off his hands.
To Dreyer & Reinbold Racing: The resources to return to full-time IndyCar competition.
To Tom Blomqvist: A second chance at the Indianapolis 500 so he can get to say he completed a lap.
To Colin Braun: A better IndyCar opportunity than one race with limited testing with Dale Coyne Racing.
To Hélio Castroneves: Entry in the Daytona 500.
To Dane Cameron: An LMP2 championship to go with the three IMSA top class championships and the GTD title he already has. Oh, and an LMP2 class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Big Christmas for Dane Cameron.
To 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports: A good day in court.
To Kyle Busch: A year that gets him a better ride in 2026.
To Alex Bowman: Three race victories indenting up as the best Hendrick Motorsports driver in the championship.
To Chase Elliott: A shred of personality.
To Denny Hamlin: It being his year.
To Christopher Bell: Not being on the wrong side of race manipulation.
To A.J. Allmendinger: Some early success.
To Wayne Taylor Racing: Results matching its first stint as a Cadillac team.
To all three Cadillac teams in IMSA: 24 Hours of Le Mans entries.
To Felipe Nasr: A few IndyCar races with Team Penske.
To the Porsche Penske Motorsport drivers: No fear in losing their jobs if they win a championship.
To Robert Wickens: Still being quick in a GTD car.
To Tommy Milner: Carrying over the results from GT World Challenge America back to IMSA's GTD Pro class.
To the Aston Martin Valkyrie: Competitiveness on speed and not because of Balance of Performance.
To Lamborghini: Good results with the SC63 in IMSA and maybe changing its mind on pulling out of WEC.
To Andy Lally: Not getting the itch to get back in a race car once he starts his new role.
To Kevin Magnussen: A few outstanding drives in the BMW M Hybrid V8.
To the Ferrari AF Corse program: A victory for both entry.
To Francesco Bagnaia: More points from sprint races.
To Marc Márquez: Staying on the bike in intense moments.
To KTM: A business lifeline.
To Jorge Martín: Aprilia having respectable pace.
To Pedro Acosta: Strides in his sophomore year.
To Enea Bastianini: Keeping up with Pedro Acosta.
To Franco Morbidelli: A little magic on a year-old Ducati.
To David Alonso: Perspective for when it gets tough.
To Joe Roberts: Avoiding getting injured for the entire season.
To Indy Lights: At least two more teams to spread those entries around.
To the Indianapolis 500: The Miami Grand Prix remaining in early May and the Canadian Grand Prix not running on Memorial Day weekend in perpetuity.
To Indianapolis 500 qualifying: No format changes because there is a new television partner.
To Race of Champions: Returning to a yearly competition and occurring at a time where the most possible competitors are available.
To Rockingham Speedway: A great crowd for its NASCAR weekend.
To Iowa Speedway: Finishing the repave.
To Laguna Seca: Drawing crowds like it once did.
To Mid-Ohio: Facility upgrades that are now well over a decade overdue. Beyond the work that has already been done and actually looks good.
To Bowman Gray Stadium: Good behavior.
To Mexico City: A respectable first NASCAR Cup race.
To the NASCAR in-season tournament: Five thrilling weekends that keep people engaged.
To the Chicago street race: Let's try this again... sunny weather.
To Bristol Motor Speedway: Understanding why the tires wore how they did in the spring 2024 Cup race.
To Richmond: A combination weekend with IndyCar and the NASCAR modified series.
To Eli Tomac: A strong season to go out on.
To Jett Lawrence: No thumb injuries.
To Hunter Lawrence: Making all the Supercross main events.
To Jorge Prado: Comfort racing in a new championship.
To Chase Sexton: The best of his 2024 Motocross season being the norm going forward.
To Nico Hülkenberg: A improbable podium with Sauber
To Isack Hadjar: Space from Helmut Marko.
To Liam Lawson: Also, space from Helmut Marko.
To Carlos Sainz, Jr.: The best championship finish for a Williams driver in nearly a decade.
To Alexander Albon: Significant contribution to Williams finishing in the top six of the constructors' championship.
To Esteban Ocon: General appreciation.
To Jack Doohan: Respectable results that does not lead him to be dumped after a season.
To Pierre Gasly: Pace carrying over from the end of 2024 to 2025.
To Franco Colapinto: A year succeeding in a bunch of fun one-off appearances around the world of motorsports.
To Daniel Ricciardo: A year where he doesn't visits any racetracks and figures out what he loves in his life.
To Shane van Gisbergen: An average finish around 18th on ovals.
To Joey Logano: Results that warrant a championship.
To William Byron: Jet ski.
To Chris Buescher: An extra 0.01 seconds in his favor that can be used when needed.
To Brad Keselowski: Roombas.
To RFK Racing: A two-car program for NASCAR's second division.
To Carl Edwards: People stop asking him if he will ever return to NASCAR.
To Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: People stop asking him if he will ever expanding JR Motorsports into the Cup Series.
To Martin Truex, Jr.: A Daytona 500 victory and that being a walk-off end to his career.
To Ryan Truex: A full-time seat with Joe Gibbs Racing in NASCAR's second division. How many times does he have to win at Dover to get a full-time shot?
To Tyler Reddick: More consistent results in autumn.
To Bubba Wallace: A complete day in a race on a 1.5-mile track.
To Chase Briscoe: The #18. Let the #19 go with Truex, Jr. and have Joe Gibbs Racing return to its original identity.
To Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric: Sharing a Ford Mustang GT3 in the 24 Hours of Daytona.
To Roger Penske: A clear plan for what his future looks like.
To Chip Ganassi: Enough sponsors to properly hire three drivers to his IndyCar team.
To Mario Andretti: A few new hobbies that get him out of the house.
To Juan Pablo Montoya: Another Brickyard 400 start.
To the Daytona 500: A finish that does not involve review or a 24-car pile-up.
To Homestead-Miami Speedway: A NASCAR playoff race because a race in March is attractive to no one.
To World Superbike: Again, more than one round outside of Europe.
To Toprak Razgatlioglu: A round in Istanbul.
To Nicolò Bulega: The ability to capitalize on an opportunity.
To Jonathan Rea: A few races where he is competing for victory.
To Super Formula: At least five international drivers to add flavor to the championship. This would actually be a fun place for Franco Colapinto. Frederik Vesti needs more than just a few endurance races as well.
To the Intercontinental GT World Challenge: More than a week between the Nürburgring 24 Hours and the 24 Hours of Spa.
To Supercars: Satisfaction in whatever happens with its new championship format because it has fallen down the rabbit hole and good luck with whatever comes next.
To Mazda MX-5 Cup: A round at Road America. It is criminal it is not racing there... or Sebring... or Watkins Glen... or Laguna Seca. MX-5 Cup might need to be a 12-round championship.
To Jak Crawford: A development contract with the Cadillac Formula One program.
To Leonardo Fornaroli: At least one race victory.
To Sebastián Montoya: His best year in a car to date.
To World Rally Championship: A French manufacturer. Maybe Peugeot pulls out of Hypercar and returns to rallying.
To Pipo Derani: A fair number of opportunities mixed with his role developing the Genesis LMDh project.
To Jimmie Johnson: Understanding that it is time.
To Legacy Motor Club: Being in the conversation with the other Toyota teams in the Cup Series.
To Chandler Smith: A time machine to 2003 when someone would have hired him for his talent.
To Corey Heim: A time machine to 2003 when someone would have hired him for his talent and would not be stuck in the Truck Series.
To Ty Majeski, and really all the successful drivers in the Truck Series: A way to move up to NASCAR's second division and have a proper opportunity competing there as well.
To Nazareth Speedway: A time machine to 2003 and someone bringing the pristine facility to 2025 when NASCAR is looking for different racetracks and not living and dying with cookie-cutter intermediate tracks with capacity over 125,000 people.
To Pikes Peak International Raceway: The same thing as Nazareth Speedway.
To Layne Riggs: Having his second half of 2024 be his entire 2025.
To Connor Zilisch: A NASCAR Cup Series debut on a road course.
To Josh Berry: A positive season with the Wood Brothers.
To Justin Allgaier: No championship hangover.
To Sheldon Creed: Just one race victory and it is a race he dominates.
To Jeb and Harrison Burton: No run-ins on track that could cause tense moments in the family.
To Parker Kligerman: A full-time ride in Michelin Pilot Challenge's GS class with an Michelin Endurance Cup ride in GTD.
To Sho Tsuboi: A leading role in a third Toyota entry at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Fuji WEC round.
To Jack Hawksworth: One of the seats alongside Tsuboi in those entries.
To António Félix da Costa: Again, more than Formula E.
To Jaguar: No championship collapse.
To Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy: A home race in New Zealand in January 2026.
To Sébastien Buemi: Waffle maker.
To Mike Conway: A stationary bike and taking up swimming for exercise. More drivers should swim over cycling from how it looks.
To all the competitors in the FIA World Endurance Championship: No race being extended beyond its run time due to weather.
To Sam Bird: Indestructible hands.
To GT America: Officially becoming a series for drivers 50 years and older and add about a dozen more notable names. Scott Pruett! Come on down!
To Théo Pourchaire: A loving team that will get the most out of his talent.
To Jack Harvey: Cookie sheets.
To IndyCar fans: Understanding why there are no night races.
Also to IndyCar fans: Acceptance of commercials during practice broadcasts.
To Thermal Club: A competitive and uncontroversial IndyCar race.
To Newton, Iowa: High temperatures that do not exceed 84º F on the weekend of July 12-13
To Milwaukee Mile: Tire wear remaining at the same level for IndyCar.
To the Grand Prix of Long Beach: Stability under new ownership.
To Barber Motorsports Park: More visitors because it is the best looking racetrack in the country with a phenomenal museum on the property.
To the IndyCar Toronto race: A modern track configuration around Exhibition Place with a proper pit lane.
To Jacob Abel: One more in Indy Lights but with the results in no way negatively effecting his status as a potential IndyCar driver.
To: Yuven Sundaramoorthy: Having Chip Ganassi Racing realize it has hired the drivers that finished 13th and 20th after only running nine races in Indy Lights in 2024 with a combined zero top five finishes and Sundaramoorthy deserves to be racing after how his season ended.
To Kiko Porto: A full-time ride in Indy Lights.
To Dennis Hauger: Making it clear he was a Formula Three champion and making it hard for any IndyCar team to overlook him for the 2026 season.
To Myles Rowe: No mechanical issues or opening lap problems.
To Jamie Chadwick: Improving on tire wear over a course of a stint.
To Juncos Hollinger Racing: Better public relations and crisis management.
To Zandvoort: Something to fill the void once Formula One is gone in 2026.
To the Belgian Grand Prix: Returning to late-August once the Dutch Grand Prix is gone so the 24 Hours of Spa can return to late-July.
To the Las Vegas Grand Prix: Honestly, a better start time. Something that makes sense for the United States.
To the British Grand Prix: An all-British podium.
To the many young drivers that cannot break into Formula One: A return for A1GP, a series that would give talented drivers rides in proper race cars and could be a springboard for careers while also being a different concept that can fill the winter months.
And, of course, I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. If you are somewhere cold, I hope you stay warm. If you are somewhere warm, I hope you enjoy the weather. No matter the conditions, cherish this time with the loved ones around you. Stay safe and healthy!
Peace and love to all!
