Can someone tell me how the scoreboard “checkered flag” process works?

When Norris crossed the line, a small checkered flag appeared next his name… IIRC, Tsunoda got a checkered flag at the same moment. The flags didn’t seem to appear in the finish order.

As the seconds ticked on, various names were marked by a checkered flag… and the last checkered flags were given to George Russell and Liam Lawson, who finished 5th and 6th.

It doesn’t seem that all lapped cars got a flag simultaneously as the winner… what is going on?

It's in 'finish order', not necessarily running order.

Lando won the race, and Alonso & Bortoleto were immediately behind him, so the finished as well, but 1 lap down, then Oscar in 2nd.

Yuki had been lapped, twice in fact. As soon as the winner gets the flag, the race ends for each car as they cross the line behind him. A foot or a mile, no difference.
Even though Lando was close behind a few others, they didn't get the flag so they ran one more lap than Yuki.
That makes it appear Yuki was farther behind the others than he was if you base that on the results sheet (not that it matters).

Beyond that, Yuki had a bit of bad luck at the end of qualifying (yellow for another cars spin) to put him at the back of the grid, but he would have been near there anyway.
After that he showed why he's not the guy for that seat. He overdrove and made lots of mistakes to end up last.
Colapinto almost took the dunce hat away by running Piastri off the road at the end while being lapped but somehow he saved it.

Nice to see McLaren letting their cars race and not going to a team orders situation. That turned what could have been a very boring race into an exciting one right up to the last lap.

There was some action in the pack behind but the cameras didn't cover it too much due to the race at the front.

Max seemed to be exceptionally chilled after the first lap incident. The story is that his ability to get out of his Red Bull deal for next year is based on where they are in points this year so that could be helping that situation.

I did a double take when I caught a glance of Bernie on the podium. A season for rehabilitation, first Flavio, now Bernie. Seems not that long ago when he had a seat next to Putin at the Russian GP. At least he didn't rig any races, as far as we know.

quote:

Nice to see McLaren letting their cars race and not going to a team orders situation. That turned what could have been a very boring race into an exciting one right up to the last lap.

Agreed. I listen to a couple F1 podcasts plus the F1 YT channel, and was damn tired of the talk about how they should change that from this race on. You know, because 22 points was insurmountable with 14(!!!) races to go.

Now, with lead trimmed to 15 points these same dunderheads are all fired up for the championship being up for grabs again. That's only 7 points change, Mr./Mrs. Wizard.

It would be nice if we could get thorough coverage of the sport without the National Enquirer/British tabloid levels of drama.

Had Lando not tried a third time for the pass in Canada the difference would be only 5 points. Having said that, Lando seemed to have a number of lucky breaks in qualifying and the race pretty much all go his way.

Red Bull 2026 will be quite interesting to see as it gets structured, and how the new car performs.

Yes, Lando's misjudgement cost him being in a virtual tie with so much of the season to go and the same thing could have happened to Piastri in Austria. In fact the team could have easily come away from either or both races with zero points and things would be looking much different.
I'm not sure I'd say much of Lando's weekend was due to luck.
He couldn't run the first hour due to the young driver issue. After that he was immediately the fastest every time the cars went on track. If he had the yellow flag at the last part of qualifying that some other had, he's still be on the pole or at worst second.
The track had a larger portion than others where DRS gave the following car a free 3/4 of a second. That allowed Piastri to give his tires a bit of rest while following and then pull back up with no real effort.
Anyway, the team and both drivers did a close to perfect job and made it an exciting tactical race.
Had Max not been knocked out early, he probably would have been mixing it up with the Ferrari's, not the McLaren's.
Next week, a much different track.

Yes, Max was chill after the race-ending incident. Maybe because a rumor that suggests finishing below third in the points opens contract options for him him he may wish to exploit?

Piastri's lunge is as close as I've seen him crack, both Mac drivers could finish the season fighting squeaky bum syndrome, a boon to us the fans.

quote:

Originally posted by ChuckFinley:
Had Lando not tried a third time for the pass in Canada the difference would be only 5 points. Having said that, Lando seemed to have a number of lucky breaks in qualifying and the race pretty much all go his way.

I don't think it was so much luck as the changes to the front suspension really suited his driving style and gave him back "feel" for the front end...and more confidence in what the car would do in corners.

I didn't realize how different Lando's and Oscar's driving styles were. Oscar had the option to go with the newer suspension and opt to stay with the original setup

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:
It would be nice if we could get thorough coverage of the sport without the National Enquirer/British tabloid levels of drama.

Good luck with that. They're also still the same breed of eurotrash that can't conceive of 2 drivers from the same team racing each other or that going a lap down isn't a death sentence. There's still a lot of them that hate Zak Brown just cause he's American.

But I had to laugh at this crack from Piastri during the race:

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/...ars-later-/10737820/

quote:

Oscar Piastri: Alpine still find ways to “f*** me over all these years later”
​
The McLaren driver didn’t mince his words after he was blocked by both Alpines while chasing down Lando Norris in the final stages of the Austrian Grand Prix

Emily Selleck Jun 29, 2025 at 1:20 PM

Oscar Piastri is still haunted by Alpine, nearly three years after leaving his former team with an infamous social media message that’s etched into the Formula 1 history books. During the Austrian Grand Prix, the Australian was battling with his team-mate Lando Norris for the lead of the race, when he got caught in traffic.

Piastri was run off the track by Franco Colapinto on lap 55 while the rookie was battling with Yuki Tsunoda to avoid finishing last. The Argentine was handed a five-second penalty. Two laps later, the championship leader was blocked by Pierre Gasly into Turn 1, adding insult to injury as he attempted to catch Norris.

In a rare moment of frustration for the 24-year-old, he said over team radio: “Alpine still manages to find a way to fuck me over all these years later.”

Though the comment wasn’t aired on the broadcast, the radio message was heard on his onboard. The former Alpine reserve driver left the French outfit in favour of the papaya team in 2022, writing on social media at the time: "I understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 have put out a press release late this afternoon that I am driving for them next year. This is wrong and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023.”

It proved to be the right career move for Piastri, who is managed by fellow Aussie Mark Webber. Though he’s currently leading the championship, Norris’ win at the Red Bull Ring cut Piastri’s margin down to just 15 points.

For the most part, the pair kept it clean on track, but the Australian took responsibility for locking up at Turn 4 while making a move for the lead, and getting dangerously close to his team-mate’s gearbox.

“[It was] intense,” he said after the race. “I hope it was good watching, because it was pretty hard work from the car. I tried my absolute best, and probably could have done a better job when I just got ahead momentarily.

“It was a good battle. A bit on the edge at times and probably pushed the limits a bit far. But that's what we're here to do: try and race each other and try and fight for wins. And that's what we did today. It was close for me, but not quite enough.”

Team principal Andrea Stella praised Piastri’s immediate accountability after the incident.

“As soon as he crossed the finish line, he opened the radio and he said, ‘Sorry for the situation in corner four. My bad. I know what I have to do’,” Stella said. “We have come out stronger and even more united.”

Also, the F1 movie pulled in $144 million at the weekend box office and still have 1 more week in IMAX before it gets bumped by Superman.

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/...lion-debut/10737872/

quote:

Brad Pitt’s "F1" movie smashes box office with record-breaking $144 million debut
​
Alex Harrington Jun 29, 2025 at 6:53 PM

Apple Original Films has finally won. After countless attempts at a box office hit, the company eventually found success in F1: The Movie. The much-awaited film starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris has blown the doors off its box office expectations with an impressive $144 million worldwide debut - a record for the production company behind it.

Directed by Joseph Kosinski, the summer blockbuster claimed $55.6 million domestically and $88.4 million internationally, making it the most successful Apple Original creation to come from the brand. It also makes it Pitt's most successful movie launch of his career, with it beating World War Z which made $112 million in 2013.

For Apple, it beat Killers of the Flower Moon which had a $23.2 million opening, and Ridley Scott's Napoleon, which made just $20.6 million. After several failures, the technology company now has an example of success - something it can replicate moving forward.

"The film’s outstanding debut reflects both the excitement of Formula 1 and the deeply emotional and entertaining story crafted by the entire cast and creative team," said Zack Van Amburg, head of Apple's worldwide video alongside Jamie Erlicht. "Their dedication and innovation have fuelled an unforgettable cinematic experience.”

While Ron Howard's Rush grossed almost $100 million globally in the box office, racing movies have struggled historically. Ford V Ferrari saw only $52 million globally despite the star power of Matt Damon and Christian Bale.

For F1, having IMAX was a major appeal for viewers, with 23% of North American ticket sales coming from the format. This alone generated $12.8 million in revenue.

The CEO of IMAX, Rich Gelfond, is naturally keen for viewers to use the IMAX format to enjoy the movie.

"With the most realistic racing sequences ever committed to film, F1: The Movie quite simply demands to be experienced in IMAX and audiences around the world clearly got that message. Joseph Kosinski and Jerry Bruckheimer innovated and pushed our technology to new frontiers to deliver a film tailormade for IMAX, and we expect moviegoers will continue to seek out our screens for F1: The Movie through the U.S. holiday weekend ahead.”

With 4 July just around the corner, the success of the F1 movie can only grow.

It's pretty telling in relation to the sport overall that the movie brought in $40MM in sponsorship alone under contract. That is a metric ton of product placement deals in normal times.

Sponsors flock to throw money at F1 The Movie

I think Max not being too upset is because he’s more forgiving of rookies like Kimi. Think he recognizes his talent, understands that they’ll make mistakes, and probably knows it isn’t going to end well going full Mad Max on a kid who just graduated school last week. Would have been quite different if it was one of the other driver.

Also think the Max will he or won’t he leave drama is way overblown and more of just a mind game that Toto is playing with Horner. If Max really wanted to leave, he would, regardless of what the contract says. If Max said “I out”, there would be someone like Pappy Stroll who’ll happily buy out his contract to get him. That said, he’s doing pretty well in the car, all things considered. He’s still generally scoring good points. He just has to work for it.

Well, got to like the mixed conditions to make for an interesting race. Didn’t really need the stewards to intervene.

What a great day for Hulkenberg. I went back to rewatch to see how he made it from 19th, when I noticed that they list 21 drivers, including Doohan as the third Alpine (in addition to Gasly & Colapinto). Did he get a start or what happened with the TV board (eg 9:27 mark in formation lap).

Edit: Must've been an overlooked typo, as it was gone from the lap 2 board.

quote:

I noticed that they list 21 drivers

That was the season long position which I think was accidentally put in then removed.

Really great to see Hulkenberg finally get that podium. Just didn’t seem fair when they mentioned earlier in the race that Stroll had three and Nico none.
Looked like everyone in the place was happy for him.
Oscar’s situation was complex, deserved in some ways and extremely harsh in others.
Looked to me like he just happened to do the brake check to prepare for the restart before seeing the pace car lights off and didn’t factor in the lack of visibility for those behind him.

In any case, Lando seemed to have the speed when needed. At the start he had to be cautious passing Max and also nursed his tires better so he was able to easily close on Oscar before the safety car. Later when Oscar was told about the penalty and instructed to pull away as much as possible, he couldn’t and Lando actually closed on him.
At the pit stop Lando had to go an extra lap on old tires so he wouldn’t just sit behind while Oscar served his penalty and then the pit stop was slow. Between the two he lost over five seconds and reentered only a couple of seconds ahead.
Race on at that point but Lando had no problem keeping and even extending the lead.
All in all, just one of those things, both deserved to win otherwise.
Now the points are back to almost even.
I was glad to see Stroll fade at the end as he was only there due to a good and very lucky call by the team.

To your point, had McLaren successfully argued the penalty down to 5 seconds it appears that Lando wouuld have been able to maintain the gap.

Had Lando backed out, rather than trying a third and ill-fated overtake that lead to his one DNF of the season he would be in the championship lead.

quote:

To your point, had McLaren successfully argued the penalty down to 5 seconds it appears that Lando wouuld have been able to maintain the gap.

True. Once Lando cleared Max he very slowly caught up to Oscar due to the fact he went easier on his tires in the early laps.
Except for the time Lando was behind Max at the beginning, Lando was always faster when he needed to be.
I think Oscars request to swap positions was mostly an emotional outburst out of frustration because of the penalty and he's probably over that part.
Had the team actually done that, I don't think the officials would have been too pleased by the team simply thumbing their nose at the stewards decision putting them back into the original order like it never happened.
Later when the team told both that they were free to race (cleanly), Oscar couldn't get up to DRS range and even fell back when he tried too hard and made several mistakes.

quote:

Originally posted by 220-9er:
Oscar’s situation was complex, deserved in some ways and extremely harsh in others.
Looked to me like he just happened to do the brake check to prepare for the restart before seeing the pace car lights off and didn’t factor in the lack of visibility for those behind him.

I think it was a combination of (1) Oscar braking to leave space behind the Safety Car so he could make a run to the line and (2) Max accelerating to be right on Oscar's gearbox when they got to the line...it made Oscars' braking look more abrupt that it really was.

It was a lot like how Max overran George Russell at the last race while running behind the safety car. Max is anxious not to get left behind...that's what he would expect them to do when he is leading...and doesn't realize that other drivers have picked up on his "game". His frustration is likely what lead to him giving it too much throttle on the restart, on cold tires, and spinning to allow Lando by

quote:

In any case, Lando seemed to have the speed when needed. At the start he had to be cautious passing Max and also nursed his tires better so he was able to easily close on Oscar before the safety car. Later when Oscar was told about the penalty and instructed to pull away as much as possible, he couldn’t and Lando actually closed on him.
At the pit stop Lando had to go an extra lap on old tires so he wouldn’t just sit behind while Oscar served his penalty and then the pit stop was slow. Between the two he lost over five seconds and reentered only a couple of seconds ahead.

It was telling when Lando asked, over the radio, that since Oscar had a penalty coming, wouldn't that make him the lead car and have priority for the pit stops

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 9mmepiphany,

A brief interlude, Hulk's kid --



^^^^
Well, that sucks Here you go --

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XA7fvoCVcEk

Red Bull sack team principal Horner

Link to BBC article

Christian Horner has been sacked by Red Bull after 20 years as team principal.

The 51-year-old has been in charge of the Formula 1 team since its inception in 2005, leading them to eight drivers' championship and six constructors' championship titles.

The dismissal follows months of declining form for the team and internal disputes at the highest level. It also comes 17 months after Horner was accused of sexual harassment and coercive, controlling behaviour by a female employee.

Horner was twice cleared of the claims by the team's parent company, Red Bull GmBH.

"Red Bull has released Christian Horner from his operational duties with effect from today," the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Englishman will be replaced as team principal and chief executive of Red Bull Racing by Laurent Mekies, who has been promoted from second team Racing Bulls.

The 48-year-old Frenchman had been in the role since the start of the 2024 season and was previously racing director for Ferrari.

Englishman Alan Permane, 58, has been promoted to team principal of Racing Bulls from his position as racing director.

Under Horner, Sebastian Vettel won the drivers' championship from 2010-2013, with Max Verstappen winning the past four titles.

"We would like to thank Christian Horner for his exceptional work over the last 20 years," added Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull's chief executive of corporate projects and investments.

"With his tireless commitment, experience, expertise and innovative thinking, he has been instrumental in establishing Red Bull Racing as one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula 1.

"Thank you for everything, Christian, and you will forever remain an important part of our team history."

Horner's dismissal comes amid uncertainty about the future of star driver Verstappen, 27.

The four-time world champion is under contract to Red Bull until 2028 but is being courted by Mercedes to potentially join them for next season.

Red Bull have won only two races this season, with McLaren taking over their position as the team to beat.

Their decline began in the middle of last season; while Verstappen won his fourth straight world title, he won only twice in the final 14 races.
What next for Verstappen and Red Bull?
Verstappen has been unsettled by the internal battles at Red Bull - he likes to work in quiet and harmony.

And his father Jos has had a tense relationship with Horner. He warned in the wake of the sexual harassment allegations that the team would fall apart if Horner stayed in his role.

Red Bull have also lost two key senior personnel in the past 15 months.

Adrian Newey, regarded as the greatest designer in F1 history, resigned last year.

The accusations against Horner were a central part of his reasons for leaving, along with his dissatisfaction with the team, which he saw as other staff members trying to claim credit for what were his innovations.

Horner actively diminished Newey's role in briefings to the media as he tried to keep a lid on the internal politics.

Jonathan Wheatley, Red Bull's long-time sporting director, left the team at the end of last season and is now team principal at Sauber.

Head of strategy Will Courtenay has also resigned and is to join McLaren as sporting director, although Horner has been holding him to his contract.

Brundle basically says that Horner was 'not given a reason' hmm . . .

I wonder if this has anything to do with Max staying? Newey coming back? etc.

Link to Brundle at skysports.