Simply, Weekly Racing - Week 4 of June

On the road to Spielberg

This Week's Key Points

Liberty Media has gotten their hands on MotoGP too. The EU has given final approval for the $4.2 billion acquisition. Now it's truly become an empire. With F1 and MotoGP under one roof, the entire motorsport ecosystem is about to change completely.

Ferrari is throwing the dice. They're bringing the core upgrade package originally planned for Silverstone to Austria. This package, centered around floor updates, could finally solve the SF-25's chronic instability issues. Honestly, if not now, this season's going to be tough for them.

Verstappen is on the edge. One more penalty point and he's looking at a race ban. And this happens to be his home Grand Prix. Ironically, he'll need to drive most carefully at the Red Bull Ring of all places.

Williams chose stability, Alpine chose chaos. While Williams showed their rebuilding commitment by signing James Vowles to a long-term deal, Alpine created another leadership vacuum by letting CEO Luca de Meo go. The team sale rumors are surfacing again.

Echoes from Canada

Mercedes' complete resurrection. George Russell took the win, and Kimi Antonelli grabbed a podium in third. A rookie on the podium in just his 10th race of his debut season? Has the W16 finally found its true performance? Toto Wolff's expression says it all.

Cracks are starting to show at McLaren. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris collided. While Norris admitted his mistake, you can feel the team atmosphere subtly shifting. The championship gap between them has widened to 22 points. How will McLaren manage this situation?

Paddock Whispers

Bottas might be coming back. There are rumors about him joining the Cadillac team in 2026. His social media post saying "not yet" along with Cadillac car footage is creating buzz. The timing is really intriguing.

Red Bull's future is curious. 17-year-old Arvid Lindblad completed his first official F1 test at Imola. The fact that Helmut Marko personally watched is no ordinary signal. Are they preparing for life after Verstappen?

Could South Africa really return? Kyalami Circuit has received FIA Grade 1 upgrade design approval. F1 might actually return to the African continent. Of course, the money issue remains.

Stories from Other Stages

Kubica did it. He won the top class at Le Mans 24 Hours. The entire F1 paddock sent congratulations for his victory after overcoming that horrific accident. What an incredible person.

Alex Palou is dominating IndyCar. Another win at Road America. That's his 6th victory out of 9 races this season. His fuel management was pure artistry. He's extended his championship lead to 93 points.

Brad Pitt's F1 movie finally dropped on June 25th. Lewis Hamilton was involved in production, and the realism from filming at actual Grand Prix events is generating buzz. Can it bring in new fans?

Looking Toward the Red Bull Ring

The heart of the Styrian mountains awaits. A short 4.318km track with just 10 corners. Three DRS zones will see fierce overtaking battles. It's the track with the shortest lap times in F1.

Pirelli has prepared soft compounds. C3, C4, and C5 are the stars. The key here isn't wear but thermal degradation management. Frequent braking and acceleration can easily overheat the rear tires. Most teams will likely go for a 2-stop strategy.

Verstappen needs to be careful this weekend. It's his home Grand Prix, but he's constrained by penalty points. Still, enjoying pressure like this is what makes a true champion, right?

Time to check Ferrari's real capabilities. Can the new early upgrade package save the SF-25? Dino Beganovic will handle testing in FP1. This is a really crucial weekend.

How will McLaren resolve their internal conflict? This is their first race since the Canada collision. Curious to see how the Piastri-Norris relationship affects the race.

The stage to confirm if Mercedes has truly returned. Can they continue the momentum from Canada? The W16's true performance is being put to the test.

Weekend Schedule (Local Time)

What the Numbers Tell Us

11 - Verstappen's current penalty points. One more and he'll be watching the next race from home.

22 - The championship points gap between Norris and Piastri after the Canada collision.

In the End

This Austria weekend feels like it'll be the real turning point of the season. Can Ferrari bounce back with their upgrades? Can McLaren overcome internal conflict? Has Mercedes really returned? All the answers will come at the Red Bull Ring.

Verstappen is in such an ironic situation. Having to be careful at home because of penalty points. But it'll be interesting to see how he handles this kind of pressure.

Who will emerge as the victor in Styria?