Carlos Sainz is on the move!

Before the 2024 Formula 1 season got underway it was learned that 7-time World Champion, Lewis Hamilton, would be moving to Ferrari beginning in 2025. That’s big news. But an even bigger story for the remainder of this season will be where Carlos Sainz finds himself for next year. He is certainly making his presence felt, from his third-place finish in Bahrain, to his dramatic win in Australia. Dramatic in the sense that he was still recovering from an emergency appendectomy just prior to the second race of the year in Saudi Arabia. I realize for Ferrari it was a huge move to get Hamilton for 2025, but I think Lewis may be replacing the wrong driver. It’s just my opinion, but from what I’ve seen of the two Ferrari drivers, I just like Carlos’ style and his race craft better. I feel it’s his controlled aggression and tenacity that allows him to get the best out of his car. Ferrari has upped their game in overall performance this year, and Carlos is aiming to use that to ‘show his stuff’, earning earn a top spot with a new team in 2025. Could it be at Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen? Or maybe at Mercedes, replacing Hamilton as the lead driver. Could McLaren be interested? We shall see. It’s going to be fun to watch.

IMSA and a Classic 12 Hours of Sebring

The overall win of the 72^nd running of the Mobil 12 Hours of Sebring boiled down to a titanic battle between two teams and their drivers in the final minutes. Veteran driver Sebastien Bourdais, piloting the #01 Cadillac V-Series.R for Cadillac Racing held a slim lead over rising star, Louis Deletraz, in the #40 Acura ARX-06 for Wayne Taylor Racing/Andretti Global. As the clock ticked away and the laps drew down to the checkered flag, both drivers came upon lapped traffic. The ensuing final laps were a thrilling display of racing in its purest form. Bourdais did his best to fend off numerous overtaking maneuvers by Deletraz, but radioed his crew that he was losing grip. Finally, Delatraz made a daring move, but not without a fender banging defensive challenge by Bourdais. Once Deletraz secured the top spot he was able to hold on for the dramatic win by just .0891 over Bourdais. This was the first win for the new team partnership between Wayne Taylor and Michael Andretti. This just may be the spark that sets the team on the winning trajectory for the remainder of the year. I certainly hope so.

Has IndyCar begun their season yet?

IndyCar needs to reconsider their schedule in the years to come. The rest of the racing world seems to be leaving them in the dust, and even more hurtful, out of the headlines. By the end of March, Formula 1 has had three races, each with great storylines. IMSA has had their two marquee endurance events of the year, Daytona and Sebring. Each race featuring huge fields and an abundance of manufacturer participation. NASCAR has had seven races, each one an exciting contest, with literally a new winner every week. But so far, IndyCar has produced a snoozer in St. Pete and an equally unimpressive non-championship event at Thermal race club in California. Their next race isn’t until April 21^st. It’s hard to compete with other racing series when there’s no momentum to the season. Their viability as a relevant series depends on it.

TJ