Sébastien Bourdais in the Mazda MX-5 Cup at St. Petersburg

Mazda's one-make series, which usually offers superb street racing in St. Petersburg, just got even more exciting! Sébastien Bourdais will indeed make his debut in the category in early March, in the city where he has lived since arriving in the United States, where he has won four consecutive Champ Car titles.

The Le Mans native will participate in both races this weekend to raise funds for Kart4Kids, an organization that supports sick children at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital. Bourdais' Mazda can be branded with the names of individuals or brands in exchange for a donation to the charity.

"The main objective of this initiative is to raise funds for Karts4Kids, which supports Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital."Bourdais explained. “Anyone wishing to support this charity can make a donation and have their name or company name displayed on the car. Donations start at $5,000 and go directly to the children and their families. Since its inception, Karts4Kids has consistently raised the bar, and thanks to the exposure provided by one of North America’s most popular series, I hope we can generate even more support for this very worthy cause.”

As for choosing which round to use for this trial, Bourdais didn't have to think about it for very long: “I’m really looking forward to racing on the streets of St. Petersburg again. It’s truly exciting to be competing in the Mazda MX-5 Cup at such a significant venue. St. Petersburg is a home round for me, and I’ve been fortunate enough to achieve some motorsport success at this circuit. A huge thank you to Mazda and MMR for making this happen, and to Cadillac Hertz Team Jota for giving me this opportunity.”

The Mazda MX-5 Cup race will take place as a curtain-raiser to the opening round of the 2026 season.IndyCar, from February 27th to March 1st.

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