Grosjean Criticized for Reaction to 370 km/h Bird Strike and More

Comment of the day

Roger shares his first impressions of the changes to F1’s 2026 regulations:

Watching the onboards the super-clipping wasn’t as bad but it’s still an issue and still really noticeable. They were starting to decelerate a few hundred meters before braking for turn 11 and were losing around 25kph. And then down to turn 17 they were losing around 20kph. They were also running out of energy and losing a bit of speed before turn four and through turns 18/19 when on qualifying simulation laps.

And for the race runs there was still a lot of management going on. Yes it was better than what we saw so far over the first three races but I think it was always going to be a bit better around this track even with the regs as they were so will have to see what things look like on other circuits.

My biggest hope is that they can get rid of the artificial yo-yo nonsense in the actual races and return to something that looks like proper racing and I fear the races will continue to be what they were over the first rounds. But let’s see.
@Roger-Ayles

Social media and links

Grosjean ruffles feathers with ‘flippant’ response to bird strike (Reuters)

Mimi Bekhechi, senior vice-president for PETA UK and Europe, criticised Grosjean’s reaction to a bird strike during testing, saying the response appeared more focused on car and kit than on the injured bird.

@indycaronfox

Romain Grosjean hit a bird during Tuesday’s Indianapolis 500 Open Test. #INDYCAR

♬ original sound – INDYCAR on FOX

Herta encouraged by F2 progress ahead of home races in Miami (Formula Scout)

Herta reflects on the differences between IndyCar and F2: IndyCar responds to more forceful inputs, while F2 requires a gentler touch to extract lap time, creating a learning curve for drivers moving between categories.

Introducing itself to the home fans at the Miami Grand Prix: Cadillac Formula 1 (Miami Herald)

Cadillac’s entrance into F1 has attracted new supporters, with team principal Graeme Lowdon describing fans who say they are coming to races specifically because of the Cadillac team.

‘Come and speak to us’: Hamilton calls for more driver involvement in F1 rules (The Guardian)

Lance Stroll commented that while the sport remains popular, those with deep knowledge of racing feel current cars aren’t performing as well as they could and would like to see improvements.

De Vries shares true feelings on Formula E and F1 comparisons (The Mirror)

De Vries says he understands comparisons between series but believes Formula 1 and Formula E should each retain their distinct identities and coexist alongside one another.

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On this day in motorsport

• Five years ago today Lewis Hamilton capitalised on a mistake by Max Verstappen to pass his championship rival and win the Portuguese Grand Prix.
• Fifty years ago James Hunt won the Spanish Grand Prix (initially disqualified and later reinstated on appeal). The radical six-wheeled Tyrrell P34 also started its first race.