Random thoughts on beginning of motorsports season

By ZECH YODER

As we are now two months into the 2025 motorsports seasons, I would like to share some of my observations and thoughts those far.

Formula 1

The start to the Formula 1 season has been quite good.

Given the dominance of the Red Bull over the last four seasons, it is refreshing to see the continued emergence of McLaren as the new dominant team. I think Oscar Piastri is going to have a monster year and will win the World Championship. Although McLaren is clearly the best car, the rest of the front of the grid remains unclear. Mercedes look to be going in the right direction, and Ferrari, despite being disqualified at the China GP, picked up a Sprint win at China.

The Red Bull remains the most intriguing team in the paddock. The loss of mastermind car designer Adrian Newy is obvious. Red Bull’s performance has declined since Newy left for Aston Martin last year. Verstappen, however, sits second in the points and can never be counted out. His form over the last three seasons has been impeccable, especially recently with the loss in car performance.

The Red Bull swap this week caused quite a stir with Liam Lawson being demoted and Yuki Tsunoda taking his ride. While the look of firing a young driver after just two races is not good, I like Tsunoda in the second Red Bull. I was confused that Red Bull chose to promote Lawson over Tsunoda at the beginning of 2025 and am excited to see what Tsunoda does with the opportunity. Personally, I think he will pose the biggest threat to Verstappen since the Riccardo days.

INDYCAR

Have you heard that massive renovations to the museum at Indianapolis Motor Speedway are now complete and open to the public? All indications are that the experience is exceptional with interactive displays and a whole new lineup of cars (both INDYCAR and NASCAR). I can’t wait to go!

The first two INDYCAR races have been good, not great. Always an exciting event to start the season, I was a bit disappointed at how the St. Petersburg Grand Prix played out. There appeared to be fewer passing opportunities than in years past and I think some of that was due to the weight of the hybrid engine.

On a positive note, there has been increased discussion about a new INDYCAR for the 2027 season. For those who may be new to INDYCAR, INDYCAR is a spec series, meaning the chassis of each car is identical. The current spec chassis was introduced 13 years ago. Since 2012, INDYCAR introduced the aero screen and the hybrid system. A new chassis will allow designer to build the car around the aero screen and hybrid. Hopefully, that will translate into better racing.

NASCAR

Finally, NASCAR.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the debacle that was the Martinsville Xfinity race. I could see the Sammy Smith move coming from a mile away. I knew Smith was not close to the leader, Taylor Gray, and I knew Smith was going to clean him out going into turn 3. And that is the problem, is it not? There is a problem with series when fans anticipate that drivers will act like idiots on the racetrack. It wasn’t just Sammy; eventual winner Austin Hill did the same thing earlier in the race. NASCAR needs to find a way to clean up the Xfinity racing, especially on the short track.

This weekend is the Darlington throw-back race. As you watch enjoying see the paint schemes of yesteryear and tell me your favorite. It’s going to be hard to beat the Kyle Larson throwback scheme.

Zech Yoder is a local resident, an attorney at Adler Attorneys in Noblesville, and a lifelong race fan.