iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 18/09/2026

My supervisor is not happy with me today.

A ridiculous black cat poking his head around my monitor looking at me, as if to say "work harder! And no slacking".

Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 04/09/2026

😭 Luckily my new job doesn't require me to be in London/an office every week or even any time unless I'm specifically asked to come in for something, on an ad hoc basis. So I can save quite a bit of money each month. But still. Getting old. 32 tomorrow. Scary.

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 03/09/2026

Inky doesn't understand why I can't pay him attention during work meetings. So just rolls around at my feet and is generally distracting.

A ridiculous, daft black cat lying on his back at my feet during a work meeting, attempting unsuccessfully to get attention.

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 19/07/2026

Bought a new book to solidify and upskill (dislike that term but oh well) myself for my new job. Exciting times.

"Content Design" by Sarah Winters and Rachel Edwards

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 19/07/2026

Doing tech stuff at church today, for the YouTube live stream. Fun!

A desk with a small sound desk unit, and three monitors showing various sound feeds, faders, and camera views.

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 18/06/2026

Literally happened on Reddit last week at Le Mans. I posted a shot of the 2027 WEC calendar to r/WEC, direct from the ACO press conference. Someone asked me if it's real lol

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 14/06/2026

Goodbye Le Mans, for another year. I've been at the circuit almost 36 continuous hours. Time to go.

The Le Mans paddock area, emptying after the 24 Hours have finished over 4 hours ago.

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 14/06/2026

Waiting for the Toyota to come the wrong way down the pitlane. In the meantime...

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 14/06/2026

Good morning from a sunny Le Mans. Can JOTA win this race even with the DT for Deletraz? Or will it be a Toyota win? Or a second consecutive BMW WEC victory, at the biggest race of them all?

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 14/06/2026

Getting on for half way at Le Mans. The media centre is significantly quieter now as you can probably imagine. I'll probably be here all night. I may go back to my Airbnb for a shower at 6am ish. But just power naps for me, same as every year. I'm probably mad.

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 13/06/2026

Talking to Stoffel Vandoorne in the Peugeot hospitality. Quite downcast. "Points are the aim, but we need some luck," he told me. Thinks Peugeot would be better in the rain but that's unlikely to happen, unfortunately.

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 13/06/2026

Pot noodle time in the media centre.

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 13/06/2026

Not sure I've ever seen horses on a motorsport grid before.

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 13/06/2026

𝑁𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑢𝑝. Wise words from the late Hugh Chamberlain, sportscar team owner for many years.

A shot of the Le Mans pitlane, with cars queuing up to exit for warm up before the Le Mans 24 Hours. Shot from inside the media centre.

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 12/06/2026

"Life without motorsport is a very boring life" Luc Donckerwolke, Genesis Chief Creative Officer Couldn't have said it better myself.

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 12/06/2026

After the ACO press conference at the stadium, I've made it across to the other side of the circuit near Porsche Curves for Genesis's announcement.

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 12/06/2026

2030 Hypercar/GTP rules details

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 12/06/2026

👀 Sounds like 2030 will lose 4WD but will be a single platform.

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 12/06/2026

Asian Le Mans details for 2026/2027 Interesting lack of LMP2... Also Asian Le Mans Cup announced.

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 12/06/2026

2027 WEC calendar Silverstone!

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 12/06/2026

ACO are rebuilding the pit lane building and garages. No more details announced at this stage.

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 11/06/2026

Finally leaving the circuit. Been here 14 hours. And tomorrow is super busy as well. I love Le Mans so much.

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 11/06/2026

Currently waiting to speak to Dries Vanthoor after a drama-filled qualifying session.

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 11/06/2026

Finally got out of the media centre for a walk around the track.

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 11/06/2026

I also usually bring a British plug extension cable to races because generally media centres have one plug per desk, which isn't ideal. The Surface Pro in particular needs to stay on because the Timing71 app logs everything so you can keep track of strategies etc.

British extension cable with 3 sockets plugged in.

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 11/06/2026

My media centre setup at Le Mans this year. Surface Pro for timing, laptop for work, portable monitor for the world feed. Also note the kettle. The ACO only serves coffee, no tea or hot water to make tea. Anyone who knows me knows I am fueled by tea. A crucial piece of equipment.

My Media centre desk at Le Mans. Surface Pro, portable monitor, MacBook Pro laptop on a stand with keyboard and mouse. Also a portable kettle because I'm British and need tea to survive.

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 10/06/2026

Ben Keating is always great value. Recounted the story when he raced the Porsche 963 at Daytona in 2023. "I braked at the same place I did in the LMP2 and went straight to the wall. Every time I got in that Porsche 963, it was trying to kill me."

Ben Keating in TF Sport Corvette garage, arms folded, AirPods in ears, smiling at the camera

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 10/06/2026

Ferrari are going to use "3 or 4" jokers for a major Evo update to the 499P next year, Ferrari's head of endurance race cars Ferdinando Cannizzo told media. More soon.

Ferrari 499P during a pitstop at Le Mans

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 09/06/2026

"Where are you going? Can we come too?" Unfortunately not, furry purries 🥺

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 09/06/2026

Annual pilgrimage to Le Mans starts now. ✨ #LM24 #LeMans

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 06/06/2026

Genesis clearly wins the 'best livery award' at Le Mans this year, at least within the Hypercar class. Phwoar.

The two Genesis GMR-001s in a photoshoot at Le Mans, with an unfocused blue and yellow kerb in the foreground, with the cars, in their orange 'Magma' livery focused in the background.

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 04/06/2026

Could a cost cap be used instead of Balance of Performance in the future in endurance racing? Maybe, maybe not. Toyota's David Floury sees issues with the approach. Read more in the latest @ontheapex.com article on the 2030 Hypercar/GTP regulations 👉 www.ontheapex.com/2030-hyperca...

Text reads:

Toyota's Floury, meanwhile, believes a cost cap would be incredibly hard to regulate fairly.
'I think it could be definitely a consideration,' said the Frenchman.
'How do you consider the costs accordingly? It's going to be very difficult. So far the cost caps have been applied in championships where manufacturers have the same number of cars in the championship and they race only in a single championship.
'But when you have manufacturers operating with external teams, such as BMW with WRT, Alpine with Signatech, Cadillac with JOTA, I guess it makes it even more difficult to compare this kind of organisation with an organisation such as us where everything is integrated.
'I see quite some challenges to apply this to endurance racing.'

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 02/06/2026

Experimenting with lap chart data visualisations ahead of Le Mans. This is all SVG so I can make very high res ones if needed. Ideally could make and publish these through the race (for every hour, let's say), but Alkamel don't publish analysis CSVs officially until after. Hmm...

A visual lap chart from the 2026 WEC 6 Hours of Spa, with different colours for different teams and different visual markers for cars on the same team.

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 02/06/2026

Or if you want a different flavour of racecar...

The new 2027 McLaren MCL-HY in retro test livery, with the classic M8D behind it.

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 01/06/2026

Cats are the best. Our two - Inky (black) and Pippin (tabby).

A black cat and a tabby cat on a cat walk shelf.

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 01/06/2026

🎨 I think Genesis's new livery must be the first volcano-inspired livery in motorsport history. 👉 www.ontheapex.com/genesis-magm...

The #17 and #19 Genesis GMR-001s in Le Mans livery, orange-red front-back gradient with 'Magma' in Korean alphabet livery.

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 01/06/2026

How did the #31 Action Express Cadillac take the victory at Detroit? Pretty easily as it turns out. Jack Aitken & Earl Bamber controlled the race. They pitted earlier than some rivals; the #25 BMW and #6 Porsche proved the overcut was the best strategy. But the #31 still prevailed on the streets.

A data visualisation of the 2026 IMSA Detroit race, showing how the #31 Cadillac won through a gap evolution visualisation.

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How #31 Cadillac came out on top in Detroit chaos
The #31 Action Express Cadillac of Jack Aitken and Earl Bamber started on pole and controlled the race on the Detroit street circuit to take victory.

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 31/05/2026

Been a while since I've seen a 10 car plus accident in non-NASCAR motorsport. Expensive (broken) car park.

Chaos at Monza T1 with at least 4 cars in the grass heavily damaged at GTWC Europe

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 30/05/2026

Mark Reuss, President, General Motors: “What a special day for General Motors and the Cadillac Racing and Corvette Racing teams in Detroit. Winning both classes of the Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic on the streets of the Motor City is... 🧵 1/2 📸 Kevin Dejewski @kevindmotors.bsky.social

Winning #3 Corvette on the streets of Detroit, in the shadow of the GM Renaissance Centre

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 30/05/2026

"We had a good strategy and a good pit stop. It really doesn't get a lot better than that. So, we're going to soak in in baby.” 📸 Kevin Dejewski @kevindmotors.bsky.social

#31 Action Express Cadillac on the street of Detroit, on course to take victory

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 30/05/2026

Jack Aitken on taking the win in General Motors' hometown: “To do it here at the home of GM and Cadillac, with so many friends and family with us. My team absolutely nailed it. All of Whelen Cadillac, they put in an awesome lap (yesterday)." 📸 Kevin Dejewski @kevindmotors.bsky.social

Jack Aitken celebrating his race win in Detroit, standing on his car in the middle of the crowd, with the GM Renaissance Centre in the background

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 29/05/2026

On avoiding the inevitable chaos in the race: "Run away and hide at the front! There’s so much that can happen. We have a great team in the pit lane, they never lose a spot in pit lane touch wood. It’s great for Cadillac, GM and the Corvettes on the front row as well.” 📸 @kevindmotors.bsky.social

#31 Action Express Cadillac at Detroit street circuit in qualifying

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Phil Oakley @phil.ontheapex.com · 29/05/2026

Bamber on his pole position in Detroit: "The car has been amazing. We had a great car last year too. Did some good sim work. This 31 Cadillac Whelen team has done some amazing stuff. When they give you a great Cadillac, it makes your job easier. Can’t wait for it.” 📸 Kevin Dejewski

Earl Bamber after taking IMSA pole at Detroit, holding the IMSA Motul Pole Award banner, next to his red #31 Action Express Cadillac V-Series.R/

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