How a groundhog exposed F1’s fragile floors, Can Ohta be Japan’s next IndyCar star?, and other big updates

How a groundhog exposed F1’s fragile floors

The ground effect era of Formula 1 has exposed a major flaw: how easily floor damage can ruin a driver’s race, as seen when Lewis Hamilton hit a groundhog in Canada and lost significant downforce, costing him a top-four finish. These floors, which are essential for generating grip, are highly sensitive; unlike front wings or bargeboards from the past, they can’t be repaired mid-race and suffer damage from even minor contact with curbs or debris. Many drivers and fans hope the 2026 rules, which will bring new moving wings, can help stop races from being ruined by small damage like this.

Click here to read the full article by Daniel Harris (motorsportweek.com)

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Can Ohta be Japan’s next IndyCar star?

Kakunoshin Ohta is a young Japanese driver who moved from Super Formula to the IMSA SportsCar Championship with help from Honda. His first races in the U.S. haven’t gone well because of car problems, but Honda still believes in him because of his strong racing skills, good English, and desire to race outside Japan. Ohta wants to join IndyCar in the future, but Honda says he needs to get good results in IMSA first before they can talk about that. Money could also be a problem, but Ohta has the best chance in years to follow Takuma Sato and keep Japan represented in IndyCar.

Click here to read the full article by Jamie Klein (motorsport.com)

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Stenhouse Jr. fires spotter over explosive Mexico comments

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s spotter, Tab Boyd, was fired after he publicly complained about being robbed outside his hotel during NASCAR’s race weekend in Mexico City. Boyd shared his frustrations online, calling the area unsafe, but the post was deleted. The team replaced him with a new spotter, Clayton Hughes, just as Stenhouse prepares for crucial upcoming races. Another driver, Carson Hocevar, was also fined by his team for similar negative comments about Mexico City.

Click here to read the full article by Shane Walters (racingnews.co)

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Weug battles car trouble as Nobels misses out in Canada

Maya Weug had a good start to the season but ran into technical problems during the Canadian weekend. Her car had engine issues from the start of practice, and the team worked hard to fix them, but the problems kept coming back in the first two races. She finally had a clean race in Race 3 and went from 15th to 6th, scoring a few points and ending the weekend with 8 points overall. Aurelia Nobels also had a tough time; she damaged her front wing in Race 1 while fighting for a podium, then had to start the next two races from 13th, and was later caught in a crash in Race 3, missing more points even though her pace was strong.

Click here to read the full article at ferrari.com

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Missed ‘The Movie’ launch?

The F1 movie is set to be released on June 25 (June 27 in North America). Most F1 team principals and drivers, including co-producer Lewis Hamilton, attended the premiere in formal attire alongside the rest of the movie crew. The highly anticipated Brad Pitt film debuted at Radio City Music Hall, just a few blocks from the red carpet event in the heart of New York City. Click here to watch the video.