Author: Shaun P Kernahan

2024 F1 Jeddah Preview

2024 F1 Jeddah Preview

FP1 in Bahrain raised a ton of hope among F1 fans that this year might be more competitive than last. FP2 and FP3 continued to raise hope, but then the inevitable happened. Red Bull was only a top three fastest in one of the three practice sessions, but Verstappen got pole in qualifying and put in an even bigger margin of victory than he did last year as Red Bull finished 1-2 and left with maximum points.

There were plenty of big stories out of the race weekend including the struggles of Alpine, qualifying 19 and 20. They finished 17 and 18, with the only two drivers behind them being Valtteri Bottas who was in a lap one collision that saw him drive the rest of the way with a damaged front wing, and Logan Sargeant who had mechanical issues and had to pull off the track for nearly a minute before switching out his steering wheel.

RB went downhill all weekend after Daniel Ricciardo was fastest in FP1 and Yuki Tsunoda was third fastest in that session. They qualified 14th and 11th respectively but the focus was late in the race when Tsunoda was instructed to give up position to Ricciardo but the move was argued and delayed quite some time, creating clear frustration from both parties.

Only five teams scored points, with Red Bull going 1-2 followed by the Ferrari’s finishing 3 and 4. Mercedes and McClaren are in an early battle as George Russell finished just ahead of Lando Norris, who was just ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who was just ahead of Oscar Piastri. The final two points spots went to the Aston Martins.

Jeddah is a high speed tight track that is sure to provide plenty of action, although it seems clear already Max Vestappen is a class all his own yet again, and the rest of the pack will battle behind him.

F2 and F1 Academy will serve as support races this weekend, just as F2 and F3 did a week ago.

F3 saw 16-year-old Arvid Lindblad win the sprint race and Luke Browning take home the featured race. Meanwhile, the F2 weekend was dominated by Zane Maloney, as he won both the sprint and featured races. He should see plenty of competition this weekend though, especially from Gabriel Bortoletto, who won pole position but made contact Isack Hadjar and was given a a 10 second penalty as Hadjar and Enzo Fittipaldi, who had the fastest lap in the sprint, both retired on lap one.

F1 Academy is in it’s second season, and this year we will see F1 liveries on the track. Amna Al Qubaisi, Hamda Al Qubaisi, Abbi Pulling, and Bianca Bustamante headline the field as they all return for another season. One name that may standout for facing fans is Lia Block. Block is the daughter of legendary late American rally driver, Ken Block. Lia will be driving for ART in the Williams livery car.

2024 F1 Season Preview

2024 F1 Season Preview

The 2023 F1 season was dominated by Red Bull, winning all but one race that season, most by Max Verstappen. Despite there being absolutely zero drama for either championship, the constructors standings were a lot of fun to follow below that. Mercedes edged out Ferrari by three points for second, while McLaren finished 22 points ahead of Aston Martin for fourth and fifth. Alpine had plenty of space on both sides as they finished sixth, while Alex Albon scored all but one of the Williams points to help them finish ahead of Alpha Tauri in seventh. Haas was unable to score any points after Singapore, and only one point after Miami to finish last on the season.

This year looks like it may be much more of the same from Red Bull after they dominated the times in preseason testing, while Haas was by far the slowest. While Williams had a quality season in 2023, they made plenty of concept changes this season, and it didn’t show all that great come testing, having the second slowest race simulation pace and qualifying simulation pace. Sauber (formerly Alpha Romeo) and Alpine had almost identical times in both sims, meaning we could be in for quite a battle there, although battling for seventh and eighth is definitely not where Alpine wants to be. The team that really opened some eyes in testing was the newly branded RB Cash Back Visa team, both with an impressive livery and impressive times. They put in times that suggest they could compete with the likes of Aston Martin rather than a team that points on a weekend feels like a success.

The big news on the driver front was the fact no seats are changing from the end of season to the start of this season, but then we learned Lewis Hamilton will be driving for Ferrari in 2025, meaning “silly season” will be all season. It should be interesting to see how this plays out as Mercedes and Ferrari anticipate battling it out for second all season, but Hamilton, George Russell, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, and Sergio Perez are all likely eyeing second place in the driver’s championship this year, assuming Verstappen runs away with it again this year.

Here are my predictions for the finishing order this season, starting with the constructor’s championship:

  1. Red Bull
  2. Mercedes
  3. Ferrari
  4. Mclaren
  5. Aston Martin
  6. RB
  7. Alpine
  8. Williams
  9. Sauber
  10. Haas

And for the driver’s championship:

  1. Max Verstappen
  2. Charles Leclerc
  3. George Russell
  4. Lewis Hamilton
  5. Sergio Perez
  6. Lando Norris
  7. Carlos Sainz
  8. Fernando Alonso
  9. Oscar Piastri
  10. Daniel Ricciardo
  11. Piere Gasly
  12. Alex Albon
  13. Lance Stroll
  14. Vallteri Bottas
  15. Yuki Tsunoda
  16. Esteban Ocon
  17. Logan Sargeant
  18. Niko Hulkenberg
  19. Zhou Guanyu
  20. Kevin Magnussen

F1 is not the only championship starting, we will also see F2 and F3 in action, with plenty of storylines to follow there.

A season ago Theo Pourchaire won the race in Bahrain by 19.666 seconds and went on to win the F2 driver’s championship as well. This year he will serve as the reserve driver for Sauber, so we will see a new winner this season. In fact, the top four finishers from a season ago have moved on to new championships, meaning the highest scoring driver from a season ago returning is Victor Martins, although the favorite just might be PREMA Racing driver Oliver Bearman.

In F3, the opening weekend truly serves as a season preview, as the driver’s championship winner has one at least one race in opening weekend in every F3 season. Winning at the F3 level will largely be uncharted territory for the pack, as only Gabriele Mini and Oliver Goethe will lineup over the weekend with a F3 race win on their resume. There will be 17 rookies on the grid, with both MP and Jenzer rolling out all-rookie driver lineups.

I am sure I speak for all racing fans when I say we can’t wait to hear “light’s out and away we go!”

2024 F1 Season Livery Rankings

Now that all the base liveries for the 2024 season have been unveiled there is only one thing left to do…rank them! Liveries like Ferrari get bonuses for being so widely recognizable similar to the New York Yankees or FC Barcelona, while there are two completely newly branded teams that entered the fray this season. So, lets get to the rankings that I am sure won’t make anyone mad.

10) Haas

The livery doesn’t have a great overhaul from last season, and it is still uninspiring. The extra black down the front of the car actually takes away from the look rather than adding to it. Add to that a change at team principal and two drivers that don’t move the needle, the Haas car is one that will be easily forgotten throughout the season.

9) Alpine

I am not quite sure how they pull it off, but they have hot pink in their color scheme and still end up with a dull livery. Had they gone with a scheme closer to what the Alpine racing team rolled out at Le Mans, it could have been great, but instead it is just blah.

8) Stake

Or are they still Kick Sauber, I can’t keep track, anyway, it looks…unfinished. Nothing on the front wing, Stake along the side pod taking up minimal space and doesn’t flow, it just needs work. That said, going with the brightest color scheme it at least catches your eye and won’t be forgettable like the previous look. It just leaves me wanting more.

7) McClaren

I still love the Google Chrome wheels, without questions the best use of their wheel space for a sponsor, but I wanted more papaya. There is just too much black in this livery for me, or maybe it’s the lines that just don’t flatter the car. That said, the chromed out numbers are pretty sweet and could really shine on race day.

6) Aston Martin

British Racing Green is about as recognizable a color when it comes to a car as the red of Ferrari, so that automatically moves them up a few spots. And they need it because the rest of the livery is just ok. I get Aramco is a sponsor, but their color scheme takes away from the classic green of the car, and moving it from the back side of the rear wing to the front enhances the clash.

5) Visa Cash App RB

I wanted to hate it, I really did, but it doesn’t suck. Yes, it is a busier design than a NASCAR at Daytona, but it is clean at the same time. Visa fits the sidepod well and the multiple bull locations are pretty good. The shine, the lines, they did well for the busiest name/livery in the field.

4) Red Bull

It doesn’t look like there are any major changes to the livery this year, apart from the bull being moved slightly. That said, this is a car that won all but one race a season ago, which gives the livery a history. Add to that Red Bull will certainly roll out a special livery or two this season, it is solid. Didn’t expect much change, and there wasn’t, but it is a solid design.

3) Mercedes

It coulda been so good, and they tipped their toes in the water for it too. A season ago they were basically all black with the teal stripe, this year they added silver to the nose with a wave of teal and I want so much more. If the car had more silver and less black, it could have been so much better. They also added some extra red in a few spots, which doesn’t really fit their color scheme, but at least it adds some color to the livery overall.

2) Williams

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I think they nailed it with this one! The two toned blue, the white lines contrasting against the darker colors. It is really well done. Add to that they bring back the Duracell battery on top which still may be my favorite sponsor incorporation on any F1 car, just a great all-around design.

1) Ferrari

There may not be a more love ’em or hate ’em team than Ferrari (although Red Bull is getting there), but it is hard to not love the Ferrari livery. The most recognizable livery in motorsports got an upgrade this year. The white and yellow stripes on the side pod above the Shell logo is a massive improvement, and adding red to the wheels helps the whole car really pop. Number one really wasn’t a contest this year!

Weekend in Climbing: IFSC World Cup in Wujiang and NACS in Virginia

It was a busy weekend in the climbing world as the final IFSC World Cup and the final North American Cup Series events of 2023 both took place. Now, this doesn’t mean we have to wait until next year for some elite climbing, as there are many regional tournaments coming up with a bunch of Olympic spots up for grabs.

One athlete who has yet to secure an Olympic invite but is fully expected to qualify is the 16-year-old phenom from Japan, Sorato Anraku. Anraku dominated yet again as he reached hold 39, while second place, Shion Omata, reached jsut 30+. Anraku ended the season with 4300 points, running away with the season title with second place scoring just 2650 points. A third Japanese climber, Taisei Homma, finished third, giving Japan a podium lockout in China.

The season title was still up in the air coming into the weekend, with Janja Garnbret did not make the trip Jessica Pilz had a chance to secure the title if she were to finish on the podium. She placed fourth in the semi-finals, while Janja’s Slovenian teammate Mia Krampl surprisingly failed to get out of. Both Ai Mori and Natsuki Tanii managed to reach the top during the semi-finals, while Jain Kim matched Pilz with 34 holds.

The women’s final proved to be incredibly difficult, as the high score when Pilz stepped to the wall was just 22+ holds. She blew that number out of the water, reaching hold 31+. Kim wound up falling after hold 20+ giving Pilz the season title. Tanii made it to hold 26+ to secure third and Mori finished her season on top of the podium with 36+.

The speed races featured one shocking result, as world record holder Aleksandra Miroslaw fell in the quarterfinal and placed just fifth. Her national teammate Natalia Kalucka came up just short in the final as Lijuan Deng managed to win the final in front her home fans.

In the men’s speed final featured to Chinese climbers matched up against one another, with Peng Wu getting the win against Jingjie Huang.

Locally, the Elite National Sportrock Climbing Centers in Alexandra, Virginia hosted the final NACS event of the year. Micaela Patajo won the women’s speed competition, while Kaden Kang won the men’s competition. In lead, three men reached the top in the final, with Victor Baudrand reaching to top quickest and taking home victory. On the women’s side it was domination by Julia Duffy. While she only won the final by a single hold, she did finish first in qualification, the semi-finals, and the finals, sweeping the weekend.

F1 Preview: 2023 Japan Grand Prix

Red Bull not only had their first race of the year without a win, but their first without a podium for the team, and for Max Verstappen. Now they head to Japan where they look to get back to their winning ways, and are in good shape to do so. While Verstappen has historically struggle in Singapore, and that continued a week ago, last year he qualified pole and won the race while Sergio Perez finished second despite crossing the line third, as Charles Leclerc was served a five second penalty for leaving the track to gain an advantage.

Last year race day was rain soaked, saw multiple cars crash in lap one and a red flag come out that led to the race finishing under timing rather than lap count. This year the weather looks much more favorable and should be sunny skies for most, if not all, the on-track sessions.

Verstappen will not be able to secure the driver’s championship this year, but the constructor’s title could be officially decided this weekend. Red Bull comes in 308 points ahead of Mercedes, and they need to be 309 points ahead after the conclusion of the race to secure the title. This means they simply need to score one more point than Mercedes this weekend and the title is theirs. While Verstappen is an easy favorite to win the race, it wouldn’t at all be surprising to see both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton find the podium, I actually expect them to do just that, which would mean the title would need another week to be decided.

F1 Review: 2023 Singapore Grand Prix

The story around Marina Bay was Red Bull this weekend, as they genuinely struggled for the first time, coming away without a victory for the first time this season and Max Verstappen missing out on a podium for the first time this season.

When you look the end of a historic run, there was no shortage of drama throughout the weekend. The practice sessions were relatively quiet, but qualifying left everyone on the edge of their seats.

As time was winding down on the Q1, Lance Stroll lost control of his Aston Martin and hit the wall at high speed, demolishing his car. The good news is he was able to get out and walk himself to the medical car, although he did not participate in the race on Sunday. The one who’s qualifying was impacted the most was Oscar Piastri, who was putting in a quality lap but wound up missing Q2.

Two of the five drivers that were eliminated in Q2 were in a Red Bull, giving us our first Q3 of the season without either Sergio Perez or Verstappen. In the end it was Carlos Sainz who ended up on pole with George Russell alongside.

During the race we saw Yuki Tsunoda wound up with a DNF as he pulled off the track early with a puncture he felt would prevent him from getting back to the pit lane. Esteban Ocon and Valteri Botas also failed to see the checkered flag. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton both pit for a fresh set of medium tires during the Virtual Safety Car that came out when Ocon’s day ended, and it looked to be the perfect strategic move as they had significantly more pace than the rest of the field down the stretch.

Unfortunately, that pace got the better of George Russell in the end and he found himself in the barriers, taking him from a podium spot to a DNF. He and Hamilton found themselves pushing harder than they expected thanks to some ingenious driving by Sainz, who kept allowing Lando Norris to just get into DRS range, which allowed him to hold off both Mercedes, and prevent them from mounting a chase for the front. The strategy worked as Sainz finished on the top step of the podium, while Norris finished second, and Hamilton third.

Fernando Alonso was the last of all drivers to cross the finish line, meaning he falls out of third place in the Drivers Championship, as Hamilton now has a ten point lead there. Ferrari took home a first and fourth place in the race, slowly closing the gap on Mercedes, now only twenty four points back for second in the Constructors Championship.