F1Pitwall

P1 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – Great job getting in front of George at the start. Like the commentators were saying, Kimi vs George is definitely giving me flashbacks to Max vs Daniel. I’m certainly seeing a lot of parallels between Kimi’s and Max’s mentalities on track. But he and George were reportedly (from Toto himself) told to ask themselves, “what would Max do?” lol! Both mercs seemed to be affected by either the wind or the tyre temps because why were they having so many lock-ups? Kimi must have been able to breathe easily in the second half of the race. But like he said on the radio, not how we like to see a race being won. We don’t want cars to retire because of mechanical issues. Making history once again, taking 4 wins in a row after his first win.

P2 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – Every race I’m going to say that Ferrari does so good at the start this season! A rocket ship! Great fighting with Max, may have been having 2021 flash backs. He was doing such a good job following Max and waiting for a moment to pounce on lap 62! I love to see that both Lewis and Max were happy to be brawling and smiled as they recalled the fight.

P3 Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – Both Red Bulls are still having troubles launching at the start but not nearly as bad as the beginning of the season! That move on Lewis on lap 9 was unexpected but beautiful to see that late breaking is still a tool the drivers can use effectively with these regulations. Max always puts up a great defense and he showed that once again with Lewis even on his cold tyres. I’m glad to see him smiling as he talked about his fight with Lewis.

P4 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – Had a good launch of the line at the start, then just tried to do his own race. Then came back to attack Isack in the middle, using all of his experience to fight and overtake Isack. He had a little Alonso moment with his race engineer on the radio telling him to stop talking to him haha.

P5 Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) – It looked like he had a better start than Max, he did a great job to keep clear of trouble and keep up with the top 5 at the beginning of the race. Very strong defense against Charles in the middle of the race, very bold, very illegal, but I applaud the enthusiasm. His best placement so far in his career!

P6 Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – I think Franco is going to be getting the “fastest of the midfielders” experience this season. He’s essentially in the middle of the race but in mostly open air, no fighting in with anyone in front of him and the drivers behind him aren’t able to fight with him. He’s doing an excellent job in qualifying and that really shows in the race itself. Also, his wing was “waving” to the spectators as he drove around! I think this is his best placement so far!

P7 Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – How did he get those soft tyres to last that long?! While also defending, Amazing!

P8 Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – Simply lacking pace but never giving up, peak Pierre. Love to see the resiliency. Nice little fight with Liam near the end.

P9 Carlos Sainz (Williams) – In the middle of the field but we didn’t really see Carlos on screen. But I’m really glad to see him in the points.

P10 Ollie Bearman (Haas) – I know stuff happened with Ollie, but I didn’t see him at all! But I am so happy to see him in the points.

P11 Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – I love that Oscar is trying to speak up for himself. We know he is a good racer; he has enough years under his belt now that the team should trust his judgement. He really didn’t give up throughout this race, he went from dead last to P11.

P12 Nico Hülkenberg (Audi) – Other than Nico’s speeding in the pitlane investigation, I didn’t see much of him. I did notice that he and Gabi may have been competing between themselves to see who could keep their medium tyres longer.

P13 Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) – Great overtake on Esteban on lap 29, like that was beautiful to see in the small screen, so smooth!

P14 Esteban Ocon (Haas) – Esteban put up such a good fight against Gabi and Checo.

P15 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – Listen, the fact that Lance finished his home race is a win of itself.

P16 Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) – Once again Valtteri and Checo are Cadillac’s data-gathering Guinea Pigs! But I’m glad they’re so chill about it.

DNF Sergio Pérez (Cadillac) – Once again Checo and Valtteri are Cadillac’s data-gathering Guinea Pigs! But I’m glad they’re so chill about it. Such a weird retirement!

DNF Lando Norris (McLaren) – Excellent launch off the line! Bad team strategy. And bad luck due to reliability once again.

DNF George Russell (Mercedes) – Very brave move by George on Kimi on lap 7. Pretty sure both garages were clenching on that move. He’s given a lot of trust to his young teammate this race. One thing I have to ask is why BOTH mercs were having so many lock-ups? Would this be a tyre temp issue, the wind, or simply the pressure of racing their teammate? Such bad luck that he had to retire with battery failure. Ironic that Toto then went on to praise the current 50/50 split on the battery unit regulations. Ironic in that their drivers had 50% ‘all’ and 50% ‘nothing’ outcomes for this race BECAUSE of the battery failure.

DNF Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – No luck this season. Another DNF, this time because of the seat?

DNF Alex Albon (Williams) – That groundhog was haunting Alex via Oscar Piastri.

DNS Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) – Oh man such a bummer for Arvid. He did so well in qualifying too!

P1 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – Three back-to-back poles! Something only Senna and Schumacher have achieved, and Kimi is the youngest ever to do it. You can really tell he’s getting used to that winning feeling. Even when the start doesn’t go perfectly, he knows how to fight back. First driver ever to win his first three Grand Prix from pole. And I’m pretty sure that’s the youngest grand slam as well. He’s already breaking records and it doesn’t look like he’s slowing down anytime soon. Loved seeing the other drivers congratulating him after the race.

P2 Lando Norris (McLaren) – His first podium as reigning world champion! Really strong race in terms of patience and energy deployment. That decision-making around lap 14, letting Charles and Kimi fight while he managed things, was key. A very mature drive and great to hear him praising Kimi after the race as well.

P3 Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – A silent killer, honestly. He just sits there, waits, and picks the exact right moments. As he said, “when we start, we’re pretty good at this.” Hard to argue with that.

P4 George Russell (Mercedes) – Toto said this isn’t the kind of track George usually prefers, but he still extracted a strong result. That move on Charles through the pit cycle was excellent strategy and execution. Their on-track battle was great to watch too.

P5 Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – Red Bull brought a huge upgrade package after the 5-week break, and it looks like it worked in their favor on Saturday. Pulled the car into P2, making it the first time this season he is in the top 5. He seemed happy with the car but in typical Max fashion, still dogging on the battery regulations. That start was insane from max! Avoids a collision with Charles, does a spin and still somehow avoids getting hit by anyone. His response “ah, sorry guys” lol. His reflexes are insane, absolutely insane! And kudos for the other not hitting him. Like how was it even possible to not be hit?! Thus triggering Maximum Max Aggression mode or as I will call it “MMA” Mode. He overtook four cars on a single lap. And the commentators say “When Max gets involved later on and fights for a podium…or whatever” guys… the expectations we place on this man is insane. He was literally in P16 and you expect him to be on a podium even in these regs he hates and a season where he hasn’t finished in the top 5??? Somehow comes back to be briefly a race leader. The rest of the race was tyre management. Driver of the day…Max Magic, end of story.

P6 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – Fighting hard all race despite carrying damage from the opening lap contact. I always respect when drivers keep pushing through issues like that. He just needs a clean weekend where everything comes together so he can really show where he is in the competition.

P7 Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – I’m so impressed with Franco this season. He keeps showing he belongs in these midfield fights and isn’t afraid to mix it up higher up either. Also loved seeing the support from the Argentine fans in the stands.

P8 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – Great launch again, that Ferrari is so quick off the line. But Ferrari Strategy™ hits again. The wheel-to-wheel racing with Kimi and George was excellent. It really did have shades of Vettel taking the fight to Mercedes back in the late 2010s. And yes, the battles with Max near the end absolutely delivered for the lestappen fans. The matching spin at the end of the race? Completely intentional, obviously. He wanted to match max and bookend the race with spins. Just trust me.

P9 Carlos Sainz (Williams) – Clean, fair racing with his teammate, exactly what you want to see. And Williams being this competitive compared to last year is genuinely great progress. Double points for them is a big result.

P10 Alex Albon (Williams) – More clean, fair fighting, including with Max. Staying this close to Carlos is a really strong showing, especially given the narrative around him last season. People forget how strong he was at the start of last year too.

P11 Ollie Bearman (Haas) – Clean teammate battles again, which I love to see. Haas looks like they can actually race this year, not just survive. After the last race and his crash I am really happy to see him doing well.

P12 Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) – Didn’t really see him but it seems like Audi is back to its issue of having only one car on track at a time.

P13 Esteban Ocon (Haas) – Right in the mix with his teammate, fighting hard but fair. Haas drivers really putting on good racing between themselves this season.

P14 Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) – Quiet race on broadcast, but finishing and gaining experience in these conditions is valuable, especially this early in his career.

P15 Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – Would have loved more coverage of that lower-field group, but it seemed like they were all running their own races with big gaps. More laps, more data, more understanding of the car.

P16 Sergio Pérez (Cadillac) – Similar story, looked like Cadillac was using this as a rolling test session.

P17 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – No news is kind of good news for Aston at the moment. Getting laps in and finishing races is still a step forward for them this season.

P18 Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) – Not much coverage, but three stops suggests they were experimenting quite a bit with tyres and strategy.

DNF Nico Hülkenberg (Audi) – Running in the top 10 and looking promising before the retirement. Unfortunate that we didn’t get clarity on what happened.

DNF Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – Suspect that Mclaren’s Zak Brown will have something to say about “sister teams” helping the “big” team after Max passed Liam pretty easily on lap 2. He was really trying so hard and was fighting with Max before that. It was a shame that the gearbox issue took both him and Pierre out of the race.

DNF Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – Poor Pierre was doing well all weekend. So glad he is safe after that crash. He was probably shocked to see Max beside him after the first corner. Probably thought he wasn’t going to be racing Max this weekend but it seems they are magnetized together this season haha.

DNF Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) – Once again the Red Bull sacrifice. Got disqualified from qualifying because the car was outside the regulations. Better than getting disqualified after the actual race! Up to 16th on lap 4! I feel so bad for Isack, he wasn’t comfortable with the car the whole weekend. And overall, just an unlucky weekend. I do think that Laurent needs to get him a sports psychologist ASAP, we don’t want to see drivers so distressed over their mistakes. It makes my heart ache to see drivers reactions like that.

The Core Problem

At its core, the issue is not complicated. The current system allows one car to be deploying full power while another is harvesting or has run out of energy. The result is a sudden and sometimes extreme speed difference that is not tied to driver input in the way tire wear or slipstream usually are. It is abrupt, system-driven, and difficult to anticipate in high-speed sections.

Short-Term Solution: Limiting Energy Deployment

One of the proposed short-term fixes is to limit when drivers can use full electrical deployment. The intention is to smooth out energy usage so that the most extreme closing speeds are reduced and cars behave more predictably when running close together.

From a safety standpoint, that is a logical step. It directly targets the kind of mismatch that contributed to incidents like the one involving Ollie Bearman.

From a racing standpoint, it introduces a different tradeoff. Restricting deployment windows would effectively create designated moments where overtaking is viable. Drivers would need to position themselves and wait for those moments rather than reacting freely to opportunities as they appear.

In practice, that starts to resemble Drag Reduction System. Overtakes become concentrated in specific areas, and moves outside those phases become significantly harder to execute. The racing becomes more structured, and the emphasis shifts from instinct and bravery under braking to timing and system management.

Driver vs Team and Manufacturer Divide

This tension is made more complicated by a growing divide in priorities.

Drivers are focused on what they experience directly. They are dealing with unpredictable speed differences and a style of driving that often feels counterintuitive, where managing energy takes priority over pushing the car and reacting in the moment.

Teams and manufacturers are approaching the situation from a different perspective. They have invested heavily in these regulations, and the current direction aligns with broader industry goals around electrification. From that standpoint, a fundamental change is not just a technical adjustment but a major financial and strategic shift.

These priorities do not align easily, and that misalignment tends to slow down meaningful changes in Formula 1.

The Cost Cap Constraint

The cost cap adds another layer of difficulty. Even if there is agreement that something needs to change, teams cannot simply redesign major components without considering strict financial limits.

Short-term adjustments are, unfortunately, more realistic because they can be implemented through regulation (ugh) rather than redesign. Larger changes to the power split would require significant development work, which is expensive and difficult to justify within the current cost structure.

There is also the question of competitive fairness. Some manufacturers may already be better optimized for the current regulations. A shift in direction could disadvantage those who invested most effectively early on, making consensus even harder to reach.

What This Means for Drivers

Drivers are already adapting their approach. Instead of pushing flat-out and reacting instinctively, they are managing energy, weighing the cost of each move, and sometimes avoiding overtakes that would have been attempted in previous eras.

If deployment becomes more restricted, that trend is likely to continue. Racing may become safer and more predictable, but it also risks limiting driver agency. The ability to attempt a move anywhere on track, especially under braking, becomes less viable.

The balance shifts away from raw racecraft and toward operating within a tightly controlled system and is truly boring to watch.

The Bigger Question

The fact that the FIA is already reconsidering the 50/50 split suggests a deeper issue with the overall concept. (I guess its a groundbreaking though that RACECAR regs and development shouldn't be based on COMMERCIAL CAR DEVELOPMENT FOR DAILY COMMUTERS! Astonishing thought!) This may not be something that can be fully addressed through small adjustments to deployment rules.

The underlying challenge is the heavy reliance on electrical energy and the variability in how it is deployed. If the solution is simply to control when drivers can use their power, the sport risks becoming more regulated without becoming more natural.

Final Thoughts

It is encouraging that the FIA is acknowledging the issue early, but the direction of the fix will matter.

If the response focuses on tighter control over when drivers can push, the result may be safer and more consistent racing. At the same time, it might reduce spontaneity even further and limit the moments where drivers can truly demonstrate instinct and bravery.

That raises a fundamental question. Are these changes addressing the root problem, or are they simply managing the side effects of a system that needs a deeper rethink?