Eberflus has been Eberflucked. The Bears make their first ever in-season head coaching change.
It’s an F1 Sprint weekend so actual racing starts earl…Perez already out?
Yep, Perez eliminated in SQ1. At this point, he has to be considered a paid driver, like Mazepin or Latifi. I have enjoyed watching Red Bull’s second driver single-handedly sink their Constructors’ Championship challenge. Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch. This is not how you run a championship contending team.
The Drivers’ championship may be over, but there’s an exciting fight for the Constructors’ title to play out over the final two weekends (this one and next). Maximum points to be had is 105 (finishing 1-2 in the Sprint and the last two GPs), with the standings like this prior to the Sprint race:
608 McLaren
584 Ferrari
555 Red Bull
425 Mercedes
So Mercedes is already cooked (and being embarrassed by McLaren who is powered by a Mercedes engine) and Red Bull may well be eliminated this weekend. McLaren and Ferrari will be gunning for each other and no one will give a fuck what Verstappen is up to.
ETA: at the end of Sprint qualifying, McLaren are 1 & 3 with the Ferraris 4 & 5. Russell spoiling the symmetry by forcing his way onto the front row in 2nd. Verstappen is 6th, 3/10ths off the pace. Not a huge amount of points to be had in the Sprint, but it’s a good indicator of pace for main qualifying and race to come.
Dear Bears,
Hold my beer.
Sincerely,
The Raiders
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Just watched the highlights. I’m putting some dubbin on my boots and sending my resume to the Raiders as a kicker.
Their shits, your giggles.
Wish I had more 
to give for this one
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Perez ended up starting the Sprint from the pit lane as they changed the setup of his car. Ditto rookie Colapinto, who was behind Perez.
What if I told you that Colapinto would be ahead of Perez before they had exited the pit lane?
I didn’t even know that was legal to overtake coming off a pit lane start like that, but no one has been more asleep at a green light since Tony LaRussa.
In the proper race, McLaren got the 1-2 with Ferrari finishing 4-5, Russell being the meat in that sandwich.
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It’s highly illegal to pass in the pit lane or the pit lane exit. But it’s F1, which is as legit as FIFA.
You’re not wrong about that, but I think they start at the line that designates the end of the pit lane. It was just such a bizarre situation that it confused me.
Colapinto had to maneuver around Perez like he was pulling out of a parking spot.
Because they missed an open net. No sympathy.
Correct. It was comical how inept we were in front of goal.
5-2 Arsenal up on West Ham…. At the half
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What’s going to happen when West Ham and Wolves play one another? It’ll either be 0-0 or 10-10.
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The speculation around Perez’ bizarre start in the Sprint is that - after qualifying so poorly - the team decided to tank the entire race and just run it as an extended testing session. Perez was pitted for a new front wing at one point during the 19 lap race.
Fast forward to qualifying for the race proper, Verstappen - who had spent the Sprint race fighting with a Hass - took pole position, fractions ahead of Russell. Verstappen may have a penalty coming, though, for cruising on the racing line and possibly impeding Russell. Perez qualified 9th, which adds credence to the testing theory.
Importantly for the Constructors’ championship, McLaren took 3rd and 4th with the Ferraris in 5th and 7th. Ferrari really needs to eat into McLaren’s lead this weekend and, so far, they have not be able to do so.
Should’ve bet the house on a 0-0 second half. It always happens after a high-scoring first half.
What it looks like when the other team’s goal is covered in shrinkwrap.
Verstappen’s one place grid penalty is hilariously stupid. Yes, he held up Russell momentarily, but Russell was on an out lap, not a flying lap.
Meanwhile, every driver on the track will hold up the entire pack as they slow down to create separation for a flying lap. How is this any different?
From moment to moment, it’s impossible to know whether the FIA is corrupt, incompetent or just trolling.
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I don’t watch F1 but I would absolutely prefer the 100% certainty that FIFA is acting corruptly to that.
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McLaren was going score enough points today to effectively, but not mathematically, end the constructors’ title race. So the FIA conjured a penalty for Norris that took him from 2nd to last. I’m not kidding.
Title race goes down to the final race. How convenient.