As much as I hate to say this, I think the Dutch GP (in which Oscar dominated from start to finish to extend his championship lead to what appeared to be an unassailable 34 points over Lando Norris, who retired from the race with less than ten laps remaining) was the major turning point in the season.
Since then, Norris has completed a remarkable 64-point turnaround while Piastri has not only crashed out on the first lap of one race (in Azerbaijan), but has also not stood on the podium at any subsequent race since.
I actually thought it was Monza where the downward spiral started. Being forced to give back a spot given the team fucked up Norris’ pit stop was absurd. Pit stops are part of racing and because they fucked up and not Norris on track was the justification they gave.
This is huge now in the context of the last two races. Serves McLaren right.. they did this to themselves by playing these nonsense games to favor Norris.
Can they quit with the NBA Cup and the play-in tournament? Ever since they brought that in, every other sport has doen something similar. We don’t need it, no one asked for it.
The F1 exhibition comes to Australia for the first time. It opens at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre this Saturday and runs until April 19 next year. Tickets are now sale at Ticketek.
The NA board has not approved expansion, but it has “formally endorsed the strategic intent to explore and evaluate opportunities for growth” and is expected to sign off.
The governing body announced they were inviting expressions of interest (EOI) from qualified organisations and consortia seeking to secure a new team owner licence.
Wests Group in Newcastle has started they are very much interested in obtaining a license. The team would possibly use the Knights name, logo and colours.
First thing they need to sort out is getting a new indoor stadium. The Entertainment Centre is long in the tooth and not up to modern standards. If Wests don’t build the new HQ themselves, and/or relies on government funding, which nearly all stadiums seem to do, they’d likely have to wait on the new basketball stadium to be built (they can’t find a site to build it), and hope they’re willing to share.
Also, I’d advise Wests against getting a Super Netball license. The last time one operation ran teams in two sports in Newcastle didn’t work so well…remember Mr Tinkler? Screwed over two franchises, and required the intervention of their respective leagues to keep them going. I don’t trust the current Wests management to do it properly, and quite frankly, I don’t trust them to run the NRLW team properly, let alone a netball franchise, if rumours are to be believed.
Chris Medland of F1TV sits down with Max Verstappen, who is looking to get his 5th world drivers’ championship and an intense battle with both McLaren drivers this 2025 season.
Race 33 results in. Four drivers still in contention for tomorrow’s wet (but thunderstorm-free) Grand Final.
Coverage begins 9.45am on Fox 506 and 1pm on 7.
Of course, it is just one part of a grandstand Sunday for motorsport fans, as F1’s Qatar will be in full swing from 1am (sprint)/5am (quali) tonight, and 3am (race) on Monday.
OFFICIAL:
