MorrisF1

The sprint race weekend format remains stupid, but there we are. I didn’t watch the sprint live but did watch a highlights video to see what, if anything, could be learned. Sprint Race In the sprint it was plain sailing for Verstappen and Leclerc but Norris got hit on the first lap and put out. Ricciardo did well and fended off Sainz all day long (though he did get passed by Perez). After those five were Piastri, Hulkenberg, and Tsunoda. Hamilton was hit by a 20s penalty for pit lane speeding which cost him the place (and more) to Tsunoda. Passing, then, was not easy especially as Ricciardo lacked DRS much of the time yet was still able to stop Sainz from making his way into 4 th . Both were on the medium tyres.   Qualifying The first session saw mostly typical eliminations in the forms of Bottas, Sargeant, Magnussen, and Zhou Guanyu, but the odd one out was Ricciardo. After his excellent performance earlier in the day the Aussie could only manage 18 th  in qualifying. Session two was

  Major news since the last race broke a few days ago: Adrian Newey, arguably the best designer in F1 history and long term Red Bull chap, is leaving the team. With a year of gardening leave (though his lawyers may get that reduced in negotiation) this will have precisely zero practical implications for 2025. In 2026, this may be another matter, however. Where will he go? Most think Ferrari. The outside shot is Aston Martin. Both will be flinging offers his way and Newey can take his pick. He’s on the record as wishing he’d worked with Hamilton and Alonso, and also Ferrari (who have signed Hamilton, of course). Time will tell. This may be the first domino to fall, as regulations shifting in 2026 present a chance to reshuffle the order. Verstappen is highly unlikely to leave the team in 2025 but might well the following year.   Quick note : I won’t be watching the sprint race due to a prior commitment. First, and only, practice, has Verstappen fastest but Piastri just a tenth behind and