I know that i went M.I.A for a while but that was because I was busy volunteering in Morocco. Now that I am back, expect more blog posts than usual.
It was clear from all the practices that Kimi Antonelli was in the lead this weekend, achieving fastest in 2 of 3 practices. He managed to gain pole in qualifying, showing significant speed against his teammate George Russell and other teams like Mclaren, RedBull and Ferrari. In the opening laps of the race, Verstappen was able to overtake Antonelli, but that was quickly taken back by the race leader.
While this was happening up front, Charles Leclerc managed to gain places after Russell and Hamilton collided, taking Antonelli’s pole, only for him to be overtaken a few laps later.
The midfield was also significantly more interesting. Isack Hadjar, who had a 30-place grid penalty, was swiftly gaining positions, which just shows the raw speed on the RedBull with the new updates. The safety car was to his advantage aswell, as he pitted for mediums and then, after 1 lap, switched back to hards. He showed immense skill throughout his run in Spa, ending his race in P6, which is an amazing feat. Another driver who impressed me was Franco Colapinto. His double overtake was some of the best racing we have seen so far and hopefully he keeps this up. Gabrield Bortoleto aswell, although he ran a pretty lonely race, he still managed to gain some valuable points for his team.
On to the more disappointing elements. George Russell’s race was ended early due to a racing incident between him and Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton and Piastri both ran pretty unimpressive races in Spa, especially when both their teammates seemed to be faster this weekend.
Anyway, that is all from me today and hopefully you also have some opinions you wish to share about it.
For the first time ever, we have had an interesting Monaco GP so lets talk about it!
Qualifying
When it comes to Monaco, the place you qualify in seems more important than usual. Because of the nature of the track (a narrow street circuit), drivers are encouraged to go all out during qualifying as there will be next to no overtaking being done during the race.
The expected first and second row before qualifying seemed to be Mercedes, Mclaren and Ferrari, but this was not completely accurate, as both the Mclarens were unable to drive their car into the front and second row, starting 7th and 8th. Kimi Antonelli took pole, with Max Verstappen behind him in second and Lewis Hamilton in third, beating his teammate Charles Leclerc after he struggled and bumped the wall slightly during his final lap.
On to the impressive and shocking qualifying results, George Russell qualified p6, which isn’t a good luck, considering his teammate gained pole. Gasly and Lawson making it into the top 10 was an amazing feat, allowing them to gain more points for their team in the midfield.
Race Day
Now is the exciting part. The race begins with Antonelli racing off the line, maintaining 1st, while chaos occurs behind him. Max Verstappen wasn’t able to get off the line due to power unit issues, which makes this his 8th DNF in his career. Lando Norris was stuck behind Gasly in 6th and 7th and teh same seemed to be occuring up the field with Isack Hadjar and Geroge Russell. However, Norris retired his car after reporting issues.
Throughout the race, most drivers seemed to be picking up pit lane speeding penalties which could’ve been from a faulty sensor or of their own fault, but this seemed to change the trajectory of the race entirely. Hamilton, Gasly, Russell, Leclerc all had penalties at one point, with Russell being far more unfortunate as his penalty was not executed right. This cost him a podium and he ended up outside the points entirely.
Something peculiar happened as well, just 16 laps before the race ended. Lance Stroll crashed, and in the same place Charles Leclerc also crashed, ending the race for the home hero entirely. This opened the doors for Isack Hadjar to acquire his first podium as a RedBull driver. But this podium was also in question as he was under investigation for breaking red flag protocol. A miracle occurred though and he was not given a penalty for it, retaining his podium finish in a car that ‘felt like it was going to explode’.
By the end, we had seen 7 DNFs, one surprising overtake from Arvid Lindblad (who achieved his best finish in f1 at 6th) who is also showing much promise during his rookie year, being just 18 Years Old. Additionally, Kimi Antonelli gained his 5th win of the season and Lewis Hamilton is now 2nd in the drivers championship!!
With how exciting Monaco was, I don’t expect less from Barcelona this week.
One response to “Monaco Grand Prix”
oknaima
did you notice that everyone who was on the poster for monaco dnf’ed 😭, max, charles and lando LMAO
huge race for kimi though and great effort from lewis and oscar
This weekend was also a sprint weekend, meaning more points were available for grabs.
Sprint Quali + Race
George Russell managed to secure P1 during qualifying with Kimi Antonelli not too far off from Russell’s time, being 0.068s behind, starting P2 on Saturday.
What was shocking was P5 and P6 from both Ferraris, even though they have been competing for front row since the season begun. The Sprint showed that the Ferrari is still the best car with the starting procedure, although the other teams are catching up, shown through Russell’s clean getaway. However, Antonelli made his attack against Russell, which led him to being pushed off the track, reporting the issue but nothing was done. The replay does show Russell pushing Antonelli off, but it seems it was discussed within. This opened the doors for Lando Norris, who was previously third, to move up to second.
Coming back to the Ferrari, Hamilton dropped a few places from 4th due to his tyres degrading, which led him to finishing 6th, behind teammate, Charles Leclerc, in 5th.
With RedBull, they seem to be struggling this weekend, with Isack Hadjar had a failed engine during the starting laps of the sprint, and Verstappen has been complaining over the radio about his car, describing it as ‘driving on ice’. Verstappen finished 7th and Hadjar 21st.
During the sprint race and after, Kimi Antonelli was heard over the radio in an annoyed tone. Expressing his frustration did not get through however, with ToTo Wolff himself silencing Antonelli on the radio. This might be the beginning of a rivalry between Russell and Antonelli that does not seem wholly PR trained.
Grand Prix
The race started with a DNS for Arvid Lindblad, which was unfortunate, knowing he qualified in the top 10. Because Lindblad’s car was stuck on the starting grid, they had 2 extra formation laps, which meant their were only 68 laps of actual racing. While the formation laps were happening, it was clear that Mclaren made the wrong tire decisions, being on interns while the rest of the grid where on dry tires. This cost them places as Piastri was immediately overtaken by Lewis Hamilton and needed to change his tire, crashing into Albon while he was making his way through traffi. That crash costed Albon his race and Piastri was given a 10 second penalty, effectively ending his race too. This was all happening while Antonelli and Russell continiously battled for first.
On lap 30, Russell started experiencing power unit failure, which meant he could not finish his race and pole position was given to Kimi Antonelli, who kept the lead without much competition from 2nd and 3rd place.
Further down the track, Hadjar and Leclerc were in their own battle for 4th, with Hadjar moving under breaking a few times which gifted him two 10 second penalties, which somehow only led him to dropping to 5th, having an 11 second gap between himself and Colapinto by the end of the race. Speaking of Colapinto, he achieved an amazing 6th place, his best place finish since becoming a Formula One driver.
By the end of the race, Lando Norris, George Russell, Alex Albon, Sergio Perez, Fernando Alonso and Arvid Lindblad did not finish the race, which meant there were only 16 drivers on the grid.
The highlight of this race was the return of the Lewis Hamilton, achieving his best result with Ferrari, 2nd. Max Verstappen also achieved his first podium of the year with third and Kimi Antonelli became the first driver to have 4 consecutive wins after his first win in Formula One. Antonelli has so much promise and I am extremely excited to see how this season will play out, especially when it has been declared that the Mercedes engine has been banned, meaning they have to have a new engine for Monaco.
Hi! I know that this is really over-due but I have been busy with my assignments. Now that I am free for the summer, here is a recap of what happened last week in Miami.
Sprint
After the long break, It was obvious that the Mclaren had improved greatly on their car, being able to lower the gap between them and Mercedes. Lando Norris managed to get pole position for the Quali and Oscar Piastri secured P3 with Kimi Antonelli in between the two.
The most shocking position was George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, who before Miami, were qualifying on the front row continuously. Everyone expected Russell to be competing with Antonelli, which made this result even more shocking, especially when the public have been worried about how Antonelli will handle the pressure of leading the championship. But clearly he is handling it well and Russell seems to be the one faltering.
When it comes to the most impressive team during the sprint qualifying and sprint race, Alpine takes that place. Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly qualified in the top 10, with Gasly finishing just in the points with 8th. The break seems to have benefitted Alpine well as they have improved on their car, unlike Aston Martin, who seem to still be struggling with getting their car in competing state.
Lando Norris ends up winning the sprint race, which is an amazing feat when you compare it to the start of the season, where there was a double DNS for Mclaren. Oscar Piastri gained his second podium after not starting the first two races and Charles Leclerc took the last place on the podium. Overall, it was a very good sprint for the Mclaren, while for Mercedes it was disappointing as they lost their car advantage.
Qualifying + Grand Prix
While the sprint was great for Mclaren, qualifying was not. Norris qualified 4th while Piastri sat at 7th, which was a far cry from the Mclaren 1-2 we seen a few hours before. However, they were able to turn this around for the race, as Verstappen spun in the opening lap, allowing both Mclarens to gain positions, putting Norris 2nd and Piastri 4th, right behind Antonelli. They both finished on the podium, with Norris chasing Antonelli until the absolute final lap. In my opinion, this was the most exciting race that we have had in a while, with so many overtakes in a track that is known for it’s narrow corners.
What was the most disappointing for many Ferrari fans was the result. Leclerc managed to lead the race for a while, but that all went wrong when the strategy did. He was not able to keep up with his tires and ended up spinning on the last lap. Additionally, there was contact with Russell which granted him a penalty after the race. Lewis Hamilton’s position was also disappointing, as he was 7th by the end of the race. It was an overall bad race for Ferrari but I have hope they can pick it back up.
Now for the midfield action. Gasly and Lawson had a collision on the first lap, which led to Gasly spinning and crashing his car. Simultaneously, Isack Hadjar scraped the wall and ended his own race. This caused a yellow flag and led to Verstappen being in the mix with the midfield, having to make his way back through the traffic. While all of this was happening, Colapinto was able to secure p8, his best position since 2024 Miami Grand Prix (that’s my goat).
Kimi Antonelli ended up winning the race, further expanding his point lead against his teammate, George Russell and being 1 of now 3 drivers to win 3 consecutive races, alongside Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna. The two Mclarens were also on the podium and what makes it more impressive is that this is Piastri 2nd race start and he managed to get a podium both times.
Overall, it was a great race to watch as there was much to focus on with possible rain and action even towards the last lap. Congratulation to Antonelli, who has gained an achievement by being one of 3 drivers to have consecutive wins after his first win!
This statement alone is contradictory as I am an English Literature student, but with the ‘TikTokification’ of reading and overall books have been leading me into a downward spiral of not reading. I don’t remember the last time I picked up a book and felt satisfaction after finishing it, and to me, that is a reflection of the state of books and writing right now. We live in a world where the mass production of tropes and ghost writing have taken over the methodical work that goes into creating a book, and I know that there are amazing writers out there that this does not apply to, but in the age sphere I live in, I hear nothing BUT ‘enemies to lovers’ or ‘golden retriever boyfriend and black cat girlfriend’.
The thing is, I am not a romance hater. When written well, romance is one of my favourite genres to indulge in because it takes me out of a realistic world and helps create this notion of love that not everyone has felt before. My favourite examples of love is through the poetry of the Romantic era, where they don’t particularly speak about a lover but their love for nature and its beauty. The best example I have for this is:
What then I was. The sounding cataract Haunted me like a passion: the tall rock, The mountain, and the deep and gloomy wood, Their colours and their forms, were then to me An appetite; a feeling and a love, That had no need of a remoter charm, By thought supplied, not any interest Unborrowed from the eye.-That time is past, And all its aching joys are now no more, And all its dizzy raptures. Not for this Faint I, nor mourn nor murmur; other gifts Have followed; for such loss, I would believe Abundant recompense. For I have learned To look on nature, not as in the hour Of thoughtless youth; but hearing oftentimes The still sad music of humanity, Nor harsh nor grating, though the ample power To chasten and subdue.- and I have felt
When reading this small section of Tintern Abbey by William Wordsworth, I feel this great sense of love and awe for nature. He is able to wish his aches away by looking onto nature for hope it provides wisdom and comfort to him that he is not the only one going through something.
This way of expressing emotions that are unable to be expressed in real life makes books like these feel like the author has sat down and actually thought about it. They are able to convey their thoughts with such beautiful words, I sometimes lose myself when reading it because it doesn’t just become words on a page, it brings it to life.
The opposite can be said when you read modern books that cater towards an audience with a significantly decreased attention span and literacy, all because of the art of ‘doomscrolling’ and spending hours indulging on shortform content. Daily reading rates have dropped by 20% since 2005 and this could be blamed by apps like Instagram and Tiktok that have gained popularity for their addictive scrolling methods. Books no longer cater towards thinkers, but people who wish to gain quick pleasure rather than spend an entire week reading and analysing a book. An argument against this is that people are busier with jobs and thus do not have time for long forms of media but simultaneously have 7-20 hours on fast paced apps. So, in my opinion, being busy is not an excuse to not read or learn something new.
Thus, publishing companies have begun selling stories that are aimed towards smaller attention spans, by using shorter sentences that use less difficult language so that it is understandable quickly. To me, this defeats the whole purpose of reading, as my whole life studying Literature was spent on analysing difficult phrasings and metaphors and by the end of the book/play, I used to feel a great sense of pride for understanding what the author meant, but now, without having to do the thinking myself, I feel lazy and incapable of creating a thought. By telling and not showing, this has created a steady decline in media literacy, as many people who do indulge heavily in shortform content wouldn’t be able to deconstruct a metaphor and understand the meaning behind it. This is not me ridiculing anyone, but just simply pointing out the dramatic effects shortform content has had on media in general, especially when I see it on a day-to-day bases when studying Literature.
An example of this would be:
Madison pulls his suitcase out the back of his Mercedes Benz G-Wagon, my newest purchase, before shrugging on his suit jacket.
-Liz Tomforde, Mile High
The sentence itself probably does not seem like an issue to some, but to me it describes the acts that are occurring instead of letting people infer. Did we need to know that it was their “newest purchase”? NO, we did not need to know that, but instead it’s the author telling us that Zanders had wealth and does not let the reader infer it.
Another example is from a book I have read recently:
This is a marriage of convenience.
-Tessa Dare, The Duchess Deal (Girl Meets Duke #1)
This sentence alone was repeated 7 times and I think it was repeated that way to reiterate the trope that is on display. But did it really need to be repeated that many times, especially past the first chapter where the reader is already coming to an understanding that the marriage is contractual? I think it was not needed after the first 5 chapters but that is my opinion.
The whole reason for this rant/blog is to express my exasperation when it comes to the state of books and writers because I have been unable to read a singular good book that is written in the last 20 years. But maybe it is because I have limited myself into not reading modern books that it has warped my perception of them and has made me think they are all TikTok trash when some could actually be good and hold substance. But when I do read a good book that has been created recently, maybe my perception will change with time and I won’t be so naïve. As for right now though, I personally believe we as a society should step away from the AI generated slop, decentralise greed and money, move from the conventional tropes and genres and create something that feels truly authentic and real, even when it is a nonsensical fantasy book that is set not in this time or any other for that matter. It does not even need to be a completely new idea, I just want a piece of art that gives that characters so much depth and nuance that I feel like I have been transported into their world and genuinely step into their shoes. I want a book that personally changes me, makes me think about myself in a new light and admire the incredible writing of the author without having modern day slang thrown around and used within the book.
Anyway, I know that I am not the only one that thinks this and it’s sad to see that people have become so disinterested in reading but we can help each other by dropping recommendations that do not live in this bubble of mass-produced books.
My current to-read list that I have heard great things about consists of:
Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
East Of Eden by John Steinbeck
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
Hopefully we can all read them and have an intellectual discussion about them too! My StoryGraph is @whosumaya
As two F1 races have been cancelled due to the ongoing conflict in the middle East, I have been delving into other forms of media and stumbled upon this BBC show, which featured one of my favourite Orpheus of all time, Donal Finn. This, and the clips I seen on Tiktok encouraged me to watch it and little did I know, this show would occupy my mind for nearly a week. My head is continiously filled with Mr Hayward’s love confessions, Mary’s emotional break down as she confides in her sister and the overall happy ending. So, this post does deviate from the norm, but it is being made because I simply need to get this out of my head and share my thoughts with the general public.
This is a warning for spoilers: Do not read this if you intend to watch The Other Bennet Sister!
Mary + her Family
I have seen many takes on the villianisation of Mrs Bennet. Some have said that it is unnecessary or odd that she is being portrayed this way. But what we need to remember is that this show is told from Mary’s perspective, and that every other portrayal of Mrs Bennet was from Elizabeth’s POV, who is one of the more ‘liked’ children. Mary has always been pushed aside, seen as disposable purely because she is deemed to be less attractive compared to her siblings.
Her relationship with her mother and Elizabeth were the ones that were elaborated on the most. Through her relationship with Lizzie, you can see how Mrs Bennet treated them differently. Mary had experienced the worst of her mother, being used as a maid instead of a daughter because she has been classed as unmarriable. Lizzie never got that treatment. She was never told to stop pursuing someone while her sister was also pursuing Bingley. But Mary had to, because she was told it would hinder her other sister’s prospects. Lizzie, told directly by Mary, believed that they had the same upbringing, but it is nuances like always being put last or being ridiculed about her appearance that sets her experience apart from hers.
Her relationship with her mother purely relies on what society thought beauty was. Her mother’s entire relationship was founded on her beauty, so her ideals naturally align with her experience. Her mother shows her no affection at all, and only seems to care about herself. The direct quote, ‘shame in your behaviour towards me’ perfectly shows that she only thinks of herself in a situation that was emotionally taxing on Mary. She dismisses her and only compliments her when the idea of a suitor is around, further establishing the idea that Mrs Bennet’s entire personality revolves around what society deems as acceptable.
Mary + the Gardiners
They are the parents that she deserved all along. Mrs Gardiner went out of her way to help a crying Mary after her performance. She has consistently been there for her, with her mother, Caroline Bingley and in her decision to not marry. They have both realised the detriment Mrs Bennet has caused to Mary’s perception of herself. They, along with the freedom of being away from her mother, had allowed Mary to flourish within herself, helping her to figure out what she wanted, to be a governess. They let her break free from the bounds of her mother and realised that “happiness is in our own hands”.
Mary + Mr Ryder
First, we need to explain why her and Mr Ryder wouldn’t have worked. His ideas of freedom could only have been performed by men, as their relationships outside of marriage didn’t have the same severity as if women were accused of it. Mr Ryder assumed that Mary held those same views, only because she was well read. However, he never directly asked her this. More so, he was more in love with her difference than with her, and she only seen him as a friend.
The scene where he ‘proposes’ came to a shock to many and even Mary as he described her as a ‘freedom thinker’ which she isn’t. Although Mary doesn’t follow all of societal norms, she still feels obliged to follow some for the sake of her family and mother. She is selfless because she wanted to accept but realised her position in society. Mr Ryder dismissed this restriction, which makes them incompatible in my eyes, as he created a version of Mary in his head that doesn’t exist.
Mary + Tom Hayward
Tom and Mary have a shared understanding when it comes to not fitting in. Hayward worked his way up, in a society that valued generational wealth over a working man. Mary didn’t fit into the beauty standards her sisters fit into, leading to her to be labelled as the ‘Ugly Sister’ early on, especially after she started wearing glasses. They are both nerds about their specific stuff, Mary with geology and Tom with poetry. This makes the dynamic more wholesome, as they both are deeply interested in their respective things and often share their interests with each other. Mary appreciated this about Hayward, and his kindness towards her, especially when he noticed that she was feeling particularly sad after receiving the letter from her mother.
Hayward took some time figuring out his feelings, which was amazing to witness as his longing stares and lingering touches became the highlight of the show. He yearned and yearned, even when he didn’t notice his feelings towards her yet. Ryder’s involvement made him realise his love for her, confessing in his subtle ways of poetry and touches that he is infatuated with her. He sees Mary for Mary and doesn’t create this superficial version of her in his head, instead, admiring her bluntness and quick-wittedness instead of her ideals and views on society.
Now, although I believe that they are best suited for each other, I do have one issue, and that is miscommunication. Tom’s inability to communicate his insecurities regarding his financial situation seems to hinder his ongoing pursuit of Mary. Assuming that he isn’t meant for her is silly, especially when he should know that she doesn’t care about superficial matters like financial security. His concerns are valid, but could have been voiced earlier on, since she rejected Ryder although he had money for Italy and chose him instead.
I love nothing more than a heartfelt confession and every time they spoke, it felt like endless words of love. The tension between them was naturally high, and didn’t need any intimate scene to depict their obvious longing for each other. His cry during her confession was so impactful and I’m glad they got their happy ending.
The quote ‘in my best interest’ was the only time I agreed with violence and I’m glad she beat him up because he is being so silly.
Mary
The growth and self-reflection depicted was insanely well written and acted, especially when you watch how her wardrobe gradually becomes lighter and more vibrant as she continues to find herself away from home. She learnt to create her own happiness, firstly in finding a family that truly loved her for who she is, and afterwards, finding the love of her life as well, all in her pacing. Mary is an inspiration to all young women who feel degraded in their lives, compared to others although they are different creatures.
The message of the story isn’t plainly about love, it is about finding your true self, whether it was found through the people around you, or through a simple move away from the place that kept you caged in.
The end❤︎
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4 responses to “The Other Bennet Sister: The Regency tale that re-ignited my love for historical romance”
oknaima
will there be more non-f1 related works considering you made a whole category for it???
From what we have witnessed in Japan, the Mclaren seems to have improved on their car drastically, as Oscar Piastri looked pretty competitive the entire weekend, with Lando Norris not too far behind him. Piastri was able to keep up with the much faster Mercedes and even led the race for a while, before he was hindered by the safety car. Oscar Piastri finished the race 2nd while Norris finished 5th, which is not bad considering they had a double DNS in China.
The least impressive team this race has to be Red Bull, as both drivers have been struggling greatly with the car and its energy deployment. Max Verstappen has continuously expressed his dislike for the new regulations and seems to be struggling with adapting to the new power engine and system. Isack Hadjar seems to be struggling less than Verstappen in terms of qualifying as this is the second time since the season started where Hadjar has outqualified his more experienced team mate. Just like Oscar Piastri however, Hadjar pitted right before the safety car, which blocked him from being able to get into the points with Verstappen, who pitted during the safety car.
When it comes to Ferrari, it seems to the public that they aren’t able to keep up like they used to, being overtaken by the Mclaren and Mercedes during the race. However, I do have hope that they will be able to take it back to the factory and fix the problems they were experiencing during the race. They have great qualities like their race starts but they lack general speed, so lets hope they fix this issue before Miami.
Although Mercedes have been accused of having an illegal engine, they continue to show their developed car, with Kimi Antonelli winning the race and becoming the youngest championship leader ever. George Russell was hindered by the safety car this race and was held back by traffic after coming out, which costed him a podium. With the trajectory they are going at, there is no doubt that they will be at the top of the leader board this year, but that does not mean they don’t have competition.
When looking at the midfield cars, it seems to be two teams that dominate it, Alpine and the Racing Bulls. This was more expected from the racing bulls because they had an amazing car last year, but not the Alpine. So this improvement came to a shock to many people, especially when Pierre Gasly has outqualified Max Verstappen for every race so far. However, the Williams, Cadillac, Audi, Aston Martin and Haas don’t seem to be doing well, with them continuously being kicked out in Q1. The Aston Martin especially seems to be having the most issues with vibrations and overall weight, which is having physical affects on the driver, with Fernando Alonso having to retire the car in China due to said vibrations.
But one thing is for sure: The racing has been amazing! They are able to overtake much easily and this was very evident when Kimi Antonelli overtook 6 cars in a track that is known for being hard to overtake at. So no matter the complaints, the wheel to wheel racing has been the best i have seen in a while.
As expected from pre-season testing, qualifying ended with a Mercedes front row lock out, with George Russell on pole position and Andrea Kimi Antonelli behind him. But what surprised most people was Isack Hadjar taking 3rd position, especially when it was expected for Ferrari to be the team to closely follow Mercedes this year.
There is a new rookie on the grid and it is no other than Arvid Lindblad, who drove a stellar weekend, qualifying 9th and finishing the race in 9th. This is an amazing debut from Arvid, showing fans that he is capable of holding his weight in this sport at just 18 Years-Old.
The Ferrari race start was highly anticipated and did not disappoint as in the race start, Charles Leclerc was able to take the race lead while Lewis climbed from 7th to to 4th. Although the position was later taken back by Russell and Antonelli, the Ferrari is still able to have on track battles with the Mercedes, which makes it an amazing race watch.
George won the race and was closely followed by Kimi, Leclerc taking third place.
Now onto what people believed to be the worst of the Australia weekend.
It wasn’t the best weekend for both Mclaren and Red Bull as Max Verstappen crashed in Q1 and was out of qualifying and Isack Hadjar had power unit issues during the start of the race. The Mclaren seem to be off the pace this year, after winning 2 constructors and Lando winning the Drivers championship. The Mclaren drivers qualified 5th and 6th respectfully, with Oscar Piastri crashing on the outlap of the race and Norris finishing p5.
It also was not a good race for Aston Martin, Cadillac and Audi as they all had either one or both drivers DNF.
China Grand Prix
I’m going to start this off by saying, this was probably the most interesting race I’ve watched in a while.
The sprint started and ended with Russell on the front, but what was really interesting was Antonelli having a terrible race start, going from P2 to to P12, and this costed him the race as he finished 5th.
The element that I enjoyed the most was the battle for first with Russell and Hamilton, as they showed nice, clean racing under the new regulations. However, Leclerc and Hamilton also had a battle for 2nd, which didn’t leave the Monegasque too happy as he believed it caused him to lose the battle for First. The Sprint ended with Russell on top, Leclerc second and Hamilton third.
For the Grand Prix, Hamilton takes the lead in the opening lap, and this ensues a battle for second between Hamilton and Russell after Antonelli reclaimed it. Also, for the Franco Colapinto fans (me), he scored his first points this weekend which was very due and welcomed by everyone.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli has become the youngest race winner and the first Italian driver winner in 20 years. Lewis Hamilton achieves his first podium with Ferrari and hopefully not the last.
With the downsides of this weekend, a double Mclaren DNS. This is Piastri’s second weekend not being able to drive his car. Verstappen had to retire the car on lap 45 of 56. Alongside the Mclarens and Verstappen, 4 other drivers did not finish or start the race, which might show the unreliabilities of the car early into the season.
The End.✦ ݁˖
With how eventful the season has already been, I don’t doubt that this will be one of the most action packed and interesting seasons that we have had in a while. The people are excited to see a change alongside the new regulations, and if that means having a Mercedes championship, then this will be the season to watch.
P.S, Both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix won’t be taking place in April, so see you soon!
During the Barcelona testing, I had seen a lot of discussion about the speed of the Ferrari and the endurance during long runs. There is no doubt in my mind that Ferrari is the most anticipated group this year, especially with the change in the regulations this year.
One of the main reason as to why I’m excited to see the Ferrari at play this year is because of Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton has mentioned that he was ‘massively excited’ about the improvement if the Ferrari from December to now, setting the fastest lap time during the Barcelona testing. Charles Leclerc seems to agree with this sentiment, sharing his opinions on the new regulations: “We kind of have to relearn most of the programmes, we’ve got to understand the system a lot better in order to make the most out of it, so there are many, many implication also on the driver’s side.” This adds to my overall excitement as it increases my expectations of a great Ferrari and hopefully, a great year for both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Mclaren
It was an overall very strong testing for Mclaren but there seems to be something missing. The Mercedes has proved that they might be the benchmark team for this season. As Andrea Stella said ‘I think McLaren and Red Bull are probably very similar. Ferrari and Mercedes are a step ahead’ which is evident after the Barcelona and Bahrain testings. However, this does not mean they won’t have a chance at being championship contenders this year as they could be hiding some secret potential.
Mercedes
The buzz around Mercedes this year seems greater than ever, as they performed well in the Barcelona testing. One thing I’m anticipating to see is the performance of Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who was a rookie last year and finished 7th on the leader board. Antonelli has showed the fans that he is capable of holding his own against his more experienced teammate, George Russell. They will both have something to prove this year as they are both on 1-Year contracts, having to work extra hard to gain a new contract with Mercedes, especially when ToTo Wolff is rumoured to have his eyes on a certain dutchman. However, recently, there has been an apparent lawsuit against Mercedes and their engine. Although I do not know much, I will definitely look into it and write a blog about it!
Red Bull
The Red Bull engine seems to be one of the most reliable ones on the grid as of the second Bahrain testing. Isack Hadjar seems happy with how the car has been responding and working so far. However, Max Verstappen has shared his discomfort with the new regulations, describing the car to be like ‘Formula E on steroids.’ He criticised the energy management of the car and has complained that the car is not fun to drive.
Williams
While Williams were unable to participate in the Barcelona testing, they have been able to catch up with a decent car for now. However, compared to Haas, Alpine and the Racing Bulls, they seem to be doing worse with the new regulations, unable to keep up with the other midfield cars. Additionally, there are many concerns over the weight of the car, being severely over the weight limit. The only way we, as the audience, will really know what is happening with the car is when the season actually begins.
Haas
Haas seems to be one of the midfield teams that are getting to drips with the new regulations quite well. The Ferrari power unit appears fast already, so it would not be a surprise if Haas does well in Australia.
I don’t have much to say about Haas but hopefully they use their fairly successful 2025 season as a way to climb up the midfield ranks.
Alpine
Alpine seem to eb facing the same climb. After the disastrous season they had last year, it would be nice to see Alpine running in the top of the midfield grid. Alpine also set the fastest time in Bahrain on C5 soft tyres which is an amazing feat, especially when compared to last year. With this being Franco Colapinto’s second year fully being in Formula 1, hopefully he is able to show his potential with a much better car!
Racing Bulls
Compared to last year’s amazing season for the racing bulls, I personally think they will be able to keep that momentum going forward, especially with the new rookie, Arvid Lindblad. During the second Bahrain testing, they were able to show the efficiencies of the power unit as well as setting some fast pace laps. Although there are some doubt that they won’t be able to keep up with Haas or Alpine, I think, with the right upgrades, the racing bulls could becoming a top midfield car this year.
Audi and Cadillac
I feel like it is right to put them on the same standing because we don’t know much about how they will perform. As they are new and coming into a season where the regulations are also new, it might give them an advantage OR disadvantage so all we can do for now is wait and see
The end♡
I hope you enjoyed this and if you have an opinion, please comment down below.
As the season is coming to an end, I want to write about what I believe was the best and worst moments of the season. If I had missed anything that you think could fit into these categories, please comment down below!
The Best
The Chinese sprint for Lewis Hamilton fans was arguably the highlight of their season. Him winning gave hope to many people that he will have a great comeback. However, due to the certain incompetence of Ferrari, this was the last major success for Hamilton as they refused to fix their car.
Nico Hulkenburg’s podium was also a high of the season, achieving his first podium after 239 Grand Prix starts.
Carlos Sainz double podium for Williams was to many a good sign that he will achieve great things at Williams, not needing Ferrari to get podiums.
The rookies were probably the best thing that came out of this season as they brought entertainment, talent and success throughout the entire season. Kimi with 3 podiums, Isack Hadjar with 1 and Bortoleto and Bearman coming very close to achieving a podium in midfield cars. They have been a great addition to the grid in my opinion.
Oscar Piastri and Lando’s title fight has been fun before Max was involved in it too because it was interesting to see how Mclaren manage both drivers who are championship contenders. However, that’s where everything goes wrong but I will talk about this later on.
Zandvoort was also an overall great weekend, especially for me as seeing Isack Hadjar get a podium made my season. His determination has led him to this point and even if he doubted himself in the moment, i’m glad he was able to prove people wrong by achieving this podium.
The Bad
Australia seemed to be a bad race for many drivers on the grid, but especially for Isack and Oscar, one of which crashed during the formation lap and the other spun when he was running in the top 3, and ended up at P9. It was heart-breaking to see especially when you realise that it was Hadjar’s first race and Oscar’s home race, both having an emotional end to their races.
The Red Bull switch from Liam Lawson to Yuki Tsunoda was a very emotional part of this year, especially when you realise that it was neither of their faults that their cars were borderline undriveable. They were both blamed for not being able to keep up with Max Verstappen when the car was still using old parts while Verstappen’s were upgraded quite frequently.
The performance of Ferrari to many people was extremely disappointing to witness. Ferrari had promised to build on their car from last year, but instead of doing that, they managed to create a worse car, one that can’t even turn corners without massive under/oversteer. Moreover, Elkaan blaming the drivers instead of the people working on the car just shows the overall lack of respect Ferrari has for its drivers.
Personally, I thought the discussion about Max Verstappen moving to Mercedes was extremely boring and overdone, just recycling what other media sources have ‘found’. Everything was just speculation and quite frankly, silly, because Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull until 2027 so he wouldn’t have moved anyways.
In my opinion, I liked this season the best when it was only Lando and Oscar fighting for the championship. Adding Max into the mix made the season become more tense, which isn’t fun when you are trying to have a good weekend afterwards.
End.
With the season coming to an end, I wanted to write about the best and the worst moments of the season. Hopefully, you guys can also write down your opinions in the comment section!!
See you guys when the the 2026 season starts.-`♡´-
sumaya on the grid⋆.𐙚 ̊ 
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