logo
Lewis Hamilton and lost time. Plus: Meet your new F1 points leader

Lewis Hamilton and lost time. Plus: Meet your new F1 points leader

New York Times22-04-2025

Prime Tire Newsletter | This is The Athletic's twice-weekly F1 newsletter. Sign up here to receive Prime Tire directly in your inbox on Tuesday and Friday.
Welcome back to Prime Tire, where we're afraid to put on those shiny Mercedes jackets lest we get attacked by a flock of magpies.
We're through five races of the 2025 Formula One season. I'm Patrick, and Madeline Coleman will be along shortly. Let's dive in.
There's a new name atop the drivers' standings after a win at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix last weekend: Oscar Piastri.
You may be thinking: 'Yeah? So?' Yeah, so:
I'm not saying we're seeing the initial ascension of an all-time F1 driver, but I'm also not not saying that.
My first draft of this section was a whole trying-to-be-fun thing about the implausible situations necessary for Lewis Hamilton to rally from 68 points behind Piastri to win the championship this year.
Scrapped it. Hamilton won't win the title (and it doesn't feel fun!). Even the most die-hard Lewis fans must have accepted it by now — too many points to make up over too many races.
Advertisement
And it turns out I'm less interested in that fact than I am with the mindset of a 40-year-old athlete who must know his final years in the sport are upon him. After coming up just short of his eighth world championship in 2021, he's centered the end of his career on finally reaching that goal. He's jumped to what he thought was a team on the upswing for the final three or four years of his career and now knows after just five races that one of those remaining race years has already been squandered.
I'm curious about the frame of mind of someone at the top of their game — an icon — looking across the garage of their new team and seeing a younger, more established driver adapting to the car faster.
Early in the season, it was easy to dismiss it as, 'Hey, look, they're both struggling; something's wrong with the car.' But what if this trend continues? What if Leclerc's first podium of the year, after finishing 2024 with seven podiums in the last 10 races, is just the beginning of a strong run for him while Hamilton continues to struggle adapting to the Ferrari? It's a fascinating psychological scenario for Hamilton, who has been the benchmark in F1 for so long.
At what point does an athlete at this stage of their career, having put so much pressure on this chapter, start questioning if they still have it?
I'm not ready to say Hamilton is there yet, it's too early. It's impossible for those who aren't peak athletes to fully understand an athlete's headspace, especially someone as private as Lewis. I've never covered an athlete who more fiercely guards their inner life.
And I'm certain Hamilton would scoff at this and tell me I'm overthinking it. He's probably right — after all, he dominated the sprint in China and showed flashes of brilliance defending Norris on Sunday. This newsletter could look silly a month from now.
Advertisement
But I do wonder. Reading the comments from Lewis over the last few weeks … he warned last weekend of a 'painful' season ahead and said in Bahrain he's 'not doing a good enough job.' So, where's the tipping point? When does an athlete's confidence waver to the point of no return? How long does it take for frustration to become doubt? And as they get older, as time presses in, does it get harder to push that aside?
So I'm wondering, and I'm watching, and I'm curious. There's a lot of time left in the season. Not for Hamilton to win the championship, but to see whether he finds himself again. And how that sets him up for 2026.
Now let's throw it to Madeline Coleman for a surefire conversation starter. (She wrote about Ferrari's untapped potential today, by the way.)
We received the following reader question for our post-Saudi Arabian GP mailbag: Who is the best British driver today: Norris, Russell or Hamilton? And it's a great question, Matt S, though it depends on how you define 'today.'
When looking at the previous race, Russell arguably was the best British driver. Teammate comparison is a powerful tool here. He was ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli by seven seconds, while Hamilton was half a second off Leclerc and Norris was recovering from his qualifying crash and unable to crack the podium. The tire delta came into play for Russell's race, where he tried to cover off the undercut from Leclerc and couldn't hold back the Ferrari driver or Norris.
When you look at the season thus far and take the car out of the equation, an argument can also be made for Russell considering how many mistakes Norris has made. His drive in Bahrain was stellar after the car endured a series of failures and he's secured three podium finishes in five races — and brought home fifth in the other two grands prix.
Advertisement
Both Norris and Russell are performing at a better level, while Hamilton has struggled with this new Ferrari chapter. The seven-time world champion is still among the greats in the sport, but he's not the best British driver today. Here's more from senior editor Alex Kalinauckas on Hamilton's struggles.
Pat note: Look for our full mailbag tomorrow. Also, for nostalgia, check out our 2023 story on the sport's emerging battle of the Brits.
Thanks, Madeline. Now it's time for …
Verstappen got a five-second penalty during the race because he went off track at the first corner while racing with Piastri, kept the lead, and didn't give it back. The race officials decided Piastri had earned the right to that corner since he was alongside Verstappen.
Were they right or was Verstappen unfairly punished? Here's the video. I paused it when Piastri could reasonably claim rights to the corner.
The apex is the inner point of a corner where drivers aim to hit the perfect racing line. According to the rules, because Piastri had his front wheels at least alongside Verstappen's mirror at this crucial point in the corner, he had earned the right to the racing space.
Red Bull and Verstappen disagreed. I do think team principal Christian Horner had a point when he said, 'I don't know where Max was supposed to go at that first corner.' Fighting for the lead into a first turn tighter than most on the calendar, collision or a penalty felt inevitable.
The whole thing led to Verstappen not just being cross after the race, but claiming he was afraid to speak his mind for fear of further penalties.
We wrote on Saturday that Norris' crash in qualifying would test his championship resolve. Well, he charged from P10 to P4 by the end. Test passed.
And, finally, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff confirmed to The Athletic that there have been no conversations with Verstappen about a potential move from Red Bull for 2026.
📫 Love Prime Tire? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Shohei Ohtani notches 6 strikeouts in 3 simulated innings against live batters as he ramps up return to mound
Shohei Ohtani notches 6 strikeouts in 3 simulated innings against live batters as he ramps up return to mound

Yahoo

time26 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Shohei Ohtani notches 6 strikeouts in 3 simulated innings against live batters as he ramps up return to mound

Shohei Ohtani was back on the mound on Tuesday as he ramps up his return to pitching in an actual MLB game. By most accounts he looked pretty good. Ohtani pitched three simulated innings against live minor league batters at Petco Park Tuesday afternoon prior to the NL West tilt between his Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres. Advertisement Per and The Athletic, Ohtani threw 44 pitches. Per The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya, Ohtani allowed one hit and one walk and threw a wild pitch. He recorded six of his nine outs via strikeout. Here's video of a swinging strike to record the final out of his session: Again, the effort was against minor league batters during batting practice. But it's another encouraging sign for the Dodgers and their fans eager to see the two-way superstar pitch in Dodger blue for the first time. Tuesday's simulated innings were Ohtani's first on the mound since a May 31 session that went two innings. It was his third time overall throwing a live batting practice session and the first time he's exceeded two innings. Advertisement Ohtani's pitching work was previously limited to bullpen sessions that didn't involve batters. So when will Ohtani actually pitch? There were no immediate updates from the Dodgers after Ohtani's session on Tuesday. Roberts previously said after Ohtani's May 31 session that he'll need to reach "five or six" simulated innings before the Dodgers consider putting him into an actual baseball game. Shohei Ohtani continues to progress on the mound, but a return timeline to pitching in an actual game remains unclear. (AP Photo/Joe Puetz) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) '[He] used his entire mix, take some hitters up, down and came out of it well, which is most important,' Roberts said on May 31. 'I think he wishes his command would have been a little bit better. But a really positive day for Shohei. Advertisement 'You still got to get to five or six innings, so we still got a ways to go. … I didn't ask what the velocity was, I would think a safe guess is somewhere in the mid 90s.' Ohtani hasn't pitched in a game since August 23, 2023, when he was a member of the Los Angeles Angels. He underwent surgery a month later for the second time to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. He previously underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018. Ohtani signed with the Dodgers the following offseason and earned his third MVP after a historic 50-50 season at the plate. The Dodgers went on to a World Series championship, Ohtani's first. Ohtani's off to another sensational start at the plate that includes an NL-best 23 home runs through Monday. But his return to the mound is still unclear as his absence approaches the two-year mark. Advertisement A 40-27 Dodgers team leading a tight race in the NL West could certainly use the pitching services of Ohtani, who's at an All-Star level at his best. But don't expect them to throw caution to the wind. They won't put Ohtani on the mound until they and their medical staff are fully convinced that he's ready. In the meantime, the Dodgers and their fans can take solace in Ohtani's quest for a fourth MVP at the plate.

Kirby Smart, Georgia Add Another Recruiting Win as Surge Continues
Kirby Smart, Georgia Add Another Recruiting Win as Surge Continues

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Kirby Smart, Georgia Add Another Recruiting Win as Surge Continues

Kirby Smart, Georgia Add Another Recruiting Win as Surge Continues originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Head coach Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs continue to bolster the class of 2026 during an important recruiting period. Advertisement The Bulldogs had yet to surpass 10 commitments in the 2026 cycle at this time last month. After a number of high-profile official visits, though, things have certainly picked up. Marking the fourth commitment over the last two weeks, Georgia received a pledge from in-state offensive lineman Zachary Lewis on Monday. Lewis (6-foot-4, 270 pounds) plays for North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia, where he ranks as the No. 32 interior offensive lineman and the No. 53 player in the state (247Sports). Georgia coach Kirby Smart leads his team onto the field before the start of the SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Georgia hosted Lewis on an official visit over the weekend after he previously took an official trip to in-state rival Georgia Tech on May 30. South Carolina and North Carolina were also in contention for Lewis before he announced his decision. Advertisement 'I've grown up a Dawgs fan and now I get to be a Dawg!" Lewis said via On3's Hayes Fawcett. The Bulldogs began the month of June by landing highly touted cornerback Justice Fitzpatrick, the brother of former Alabama Crimson Tide standout and current Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. Justice Fitzpatrick, out of St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, ranks as a top-100 recruit and the No. 8 player at his position. Additionally, Georgia landed four-star defensive lineman Carter Luckie on May 31 after receiving a pledge from four-star wide receiver Ryan Mosley three days earlier. Advertisement Now holding 13 commitments to date, Smart and Co. sit fifth nationally and have an inside track to finish with another top-five class. Georgia hasn't finished outside the top five in nine consecutive years under Smart. Related: Nation's No. 1 RB Sounds Off Against Recruiting Report After Ohio State Visit Related: Nation's No. 1 Linebacker Responds To Georgia's Major Recruiting Win This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.

Micah Parsons will attend Cowboys training camp with or without a contract extension: 'I'll be out there'
Micah Parsons will attend Cowboys training camp with or without a contract extension: 'I'll be out there'

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Micah Parsons will attend Cowboys training camp with or without a contract extension: 'I'll be out there'

Micah Parsons confirmed that he would attend the Dallas Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, California in August, even if he and the team do not reach a new contractual agreement. The statement comes as the pass rusher attempts to negotiate a new deal in Dallas. On Tuesday, Parsons was present at the Cowboys mandatory minicamp and told media members, 'I'll be out there.' Advertisement Parsons did not clarify if he would be participating in the Oxnard camps despite guaranteeing his presence. He also did not participate in drills on Tuesday despite addressing the press. According to The Athletic's Jon Machota, Parsons mentioned a lengthy meeting with team owner Jerry Jones in which his contract was not discussed. The Cowboys' minicamp runs through Thursday, meaning Parsons may get an answer about his contract over the next 48 hours. Before Tuesday, Parsons made a social media statement that had fans wondering if he was foreshadowing a training camp holdout. 'Even though the contract is not done, I have teammates and a playbook!' Parsons posted on X. 'I'm preparing as if I will be on the field the first week of camp! But it's in the owner's hands. I'm ready to win a Super Bowl." Advertisement Parsons is currently under the fifth-year option of his rookie contract that pays him $24 million in 2025. In his fourth year with America's Team, the 26-year-old tallied 30 solo and 13 assisted tackles with 12 sacks. Unfortunately, after three straight 12-5 seasons, the Cowboys had a tragic 7-10 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2021. The brutal ending led to the Cowboys firing coach Mike McCarthy after five seasons. The head coach was replaced by Brian Schottenheimer, who assured Parsons his contractual limbo would be sorted. After Parsons called his new coach for a TikTok video, Schottenheimer commended Parsons' attitude over the situation. 'I know this is weird for everybody, but look, you're handling everything the right way, bro,' Schottenheimer told Parsons. 'This thing is going to get worked out.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store