Welcome to Thursday\u2019s edition of the RaceFans round-up.<\/p>\n
Has the standard of racing in Formula 1 improved since the start of the year \u2013 and has that been down to the changes to the rules, the nature of the recent tracks, or a combination of factors?<\/p>\n I was one of the many people criticising it at the start of the season, and there\u2019s definitely still plenty I would change if I was able to, however I\u2019ve enjoyed all the races this year so far. The racing doesn\u2019t feel anywhere near as silly as it looked in the first couple of races, the championship is starting to open up a bit and the races themselves have been pretty eventful on the whole. There are still moments I wince slightly as a car comes towards the end of a straight and the revs start dropping, but if the cars can follow well, battle well and don\u2019t look like absolute boats, that\u2019s a trade-off I\u2019m becoming happy with.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not for everyone, it\u2019s far from perfect (but when has F1 ever been perfect, let\u2019s be honest), but I\u2019m still finding it very enjoyable so far. Social media and links<\/p>\n 2026 Austrian Grand Prix Preview (FIA)<\/a><\/p>\n ‘The pit wall at the beginning of the start\/finish straight has been extended and the pit exit lights and speed limit sign have been moved 50 meters (anticipated). Four new pit garages have been constructed towards the pit entry end of the pit lane. As a consequence, the pit entry speed control line is 140 metres earlier.’<\/p>\n Pirelli plans to get more aggressive with F1 tyre options (Racer)<\/a><\/p>\n ‘At the most recent race in Spain, a mixture of two-stop and three-stop strategies played out thanks to the levels of degradation seen amid high temperatures. With strategic variation targeted on all tracks, Pirelli\u2019s head of motorsport business Dario Marrafuschi says the tyre supplier\u2019s initial plan from the start of the season has already been revised to bring softer compounds as often as possible.’<\/p>\n Fifa urged to drop Saudi oil giant Aramco as activists target World Cup (The Guardian)<\/a><\/p>\n ‘The protesters\u2019 key target is (Formula 1 sponsorship partner) Saudi Aramco, the exclusive energy sponsor for this year\u2019s tournament, which is also the world\u2019s largest corporate carbon emitter. Players have for years called on Fifa to drop the company as a sponsor, and in May, a group of health, climate science and sports experts signed an open letter highlighting the organisation\u2019s Aramco sponsorship, arguing that the ‘active promotion’ of fossil fuels creates ‘a conflict of interest with the protection of player welfare’.’<\/p>\n (Manufacturers): 2030 regs framework ‘exactly what we need’ (Sportscar 365)<\/a><\/p>\n ‘When polled on which pathway they would take should its programs continue into 2030, BMW, Ford and McLaren all would likely remain with constructor-supplied chassis and the off-the-shelf hybrids, where LMH manufacturers Aston Martin and Peugeot would have to build cars from scratch.’<\/p>\n Welcome to my crib with Zak Brown (YouTube)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n After many years at Sky I am moving on to exciting new ventures and looking forward to what comes next. I have left the Sky F1 team but F1 still has my heart & so I\u2019ll still be involved in it. I\u2019ll keep you posted, in the meantime see you at Silverstone!<\/p>\n \u2014 Rachel Brookes (@RachelBrookesTV) June 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n RaceFans always endeavours to credit original sources. Want to share a relevant motorsport link with us? Send it in via the contact form<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nComment of the day<\/p>\n
@F1alex<\/p>\n