2014 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix (13712612095) — Habeed Hameed, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
RACE RESULT
Leclerc Claims First 2026 Victory as Antonelli Failure and Verstappen Crash Decide British GP
Charles Leclerc claimed his first Formula 1 victory of the 2026 season at a chaotic British Grand Prix at Silverstone, as championship leader Kimi Antonelli suffered a left-front wheel shield failure with 11 laps remaining. Antonelli had been closing rapidly on Leclerc with fresher tyres when the mechanical issue cost him all his pace, forcing two additional pit stops and ultimately dropping him to 16th after a track limits penalty. Max Verstappen then triggered a late safety car on lap 48 of 52, spinning into the gravel at Stowe. Despite brief indications of a final-lap restart, the race ended behind the safety car. George Russell finished second, Lewis Hamilton third.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Antonelli Retains Championship Lead but Russell Closes Gap to 25 Points After Silverstone Setback
Kimi Antonelli retains the 2026 Formula 1 drivers’ championship lead after the British Grand Prix, but his margin over second-placed George Russell has tightened sharply to 25 points following a difficult Silverstone weekend. Antonelli’s wheel shield failure and subsequent track limits penalty left him stranded in 16th outside the points, while Russell took second place in the race. Antonelli leads with 179 points to Russell’s 154, with Lewis Hamilton third on 147. Charles Leclerc moved to fourth on 108 after his race victory. In the constructors’ standings, Mercedes lead with 333 points, Ferrari second on 255, and McLaren third with 179.
REGULATION
FIA Blames Software Error for False Restart Signal That Ended British Grand Prix Under Safety Car
The FIA blamed a software error for the confusing signals that denied spectators a final-lap restart at the British Grand Prix. After Max Verstappen’s crash on lap 48 triggered a safety car, race control briefly displayed a 'Safety Car In This Lap' message suggesting an imminent restart — but the safety car remained in place to lead the field to the finish. The FIA clarified that Article B5.13.5 requires one complete lap after the unlapping procedure, making a restart impossible under the regulations. The erroneous signal was attributed to a technical fault in race control software. Commentator Martin Brundle said fans had been denied a 'proper end' to the race.
SAFETY
Mercedes Accept Blame for Antonelli Wheel Shield Failure That Derailed British Grand Prix Title Bid
Mercedes accepted responsibility for the left-front wheel shield failure that derailed Kimi Antonelli's British Grand Prix. The mechanical fault struck with 11 laps remaining while Antonelli was closing rapidly on race leader Charles Leclerc with fresher tyres, forcing two additional pit stops. Replays indicated Antonelli damaged the wheel shield when he ran over the exit kerb at the high-speed Copse corner. The resulting mechanical issue prevented Antonelli from keeping within the track limits, earning him a five-second time penalty for multiple infringements that dropped him from ninth to 16th. The stewards accepted the car was experiencing a mechanical problem but ruled this did not justify the track limit violations.
REGULATION
Carlos Sainz Handed Unprecedented One-Lap Penalty After Safety Car Overtake at British GP
Carlos Sainz became the first Formula 1 driver to be penalised with the addition of a lap to his race classification after the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. The Williams driver had already been lapped when Max Verstappen's crash deployed the safety car late in the race. Lapped cars were ordered to overtake the safety car and rejoin ahead — but Sainz was not included in that instruction. Williams failed to recognise the error and Sainz overtook the safety car, an infringement under Article B5.13.4(c). Because he had already finished 12th on the road outside the points, the unique sanction had no impact on the championship standings.
GRID NEWS
Former Red Bull Boss Horner Returns to F1 Paddock at Silverstone, Opens Up on Racing Future
Former Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner made his first Formula 1 paddock appearance in a year at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on Sunday, returning at the invitation of Formula 1 and the FIA. Horner departed Red Bull at the 2025 British Grand Prix following a difficult run of results, arriving at Silverstone three hours before Sunday's race to promote his forthcoming memoir Drive. The book is expected to detail his time at Red Bull and account for his departure from the team. Horner told media he remains open to a return to motorsport but acknowledged he could also pursue a media career.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Hamilton Keeps British Grand Prix Podium After Stewards Issue Reprimand for Yellow Flag Breach
Lewis Hamilton retained his British Grand Prix third-place finish after Formula 1 stewards investigated a yellow flag infringement on lap 38 but opted against a time penalty. Hamilton failed to reduce speed at Copse-Maggotts-Becketts following Nico Hulkenberg's Audi stopping trackside. Stewards accepted that Hamilton had entered the yellow sector before the flag was displayed and received only a dashboard warning at the end of the zone, leaving limited time to react. He was handed a reprimand rather than a time penalty. Hamilton had faced the prospect of losing his podium entirely — he told media he expected to be penalised — before the stewards delivered their verdict.
REGULATION
Montoya Calls for F1 Track Limits Rule Change After Antonelli Penalised for Mechanical Failure
Former Formula 1 champion Juan Pablo Montoya has called for a rethink of F1's track limits penalty system following Kimi Antonelli's five-second time penalty at the British Grand Prix. Antonelli accrued multiple infringements at Silverstone after his left-front wheel shield failed with 11 laps remaining, compromising the Mercedes' ability to stay within the white lines. Montoya argued penalties should only apply where a driver gains a competitive advantage by leaving the track, and that infringements caused by mechanical problems should be exempt. Mercedes did not contest the stewards' ruling, accepting that the standard four-strike infringement guidelines applied regardless of cause.
Drivers' Championship
- 1. Kimi Antonelli — 179 pts
- 2. George Russell — 154 pts
- 3. Lewis Hamilton — 147 pts
- 4. Charles Leclerc — 108 pts
- 5. Lando Norris — 97 pts
- 6. Oscar Piastri — 82 pts
Constructors' Championship
- 1. Mercedes — 333 pts
- 2. Ferrari — 255 pts
- 3. McLaren — 179 pts
- 4. Red Bull Racing — 128 pts
- 5. Alpine — 60 pts
- 6. Racing Bulls — 59 pts
1970 Chrysler Valiant Safari (VF) (10623015713) — Riley from Christchurch, New Zealand, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
AISOFTWARE
The browser wars aren’t about search anymore — here are the best alternatives to Chrome and Safari
The browser wars have entered a new phase — no longer just about search, but about which company’s AI gets to act on your behalf. TechCrunch’s review of leading Chrome and Safari alternatives finds OpenAI’s Atlas lets users query ChatGPT about search results and browse websites within the chatbot; Perplexity’s Comet is available to $200/month Max plan subscribers; Opera’s Neon runs $19.90/month; and The Browser Company’s Dia remains in invite-only beta. Meanwhile, Ladybird, an open-source browser built from scratch, is targeting an alpha release in 2026. Each contender is betting that deeply integrated AI assistance is the next browser battleground.
AIINDUSTRYREGULATION
Midjourney wants Hollywood studios to reveal the details of their AI usage
Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros. have sued Midjourney over alleged AI-generated copyright infringement, claiming the startup’s image models can reproduce studio-owned characters such as Bart Simpson and Darth Vader. In its latest court filing, Midjourney is fighting back — seeking to overturn a ruling that limited what AI-usage documentation the studios must disclose. Midjourney argues the restriction lets studios “cherry-pick only those documents they believe support their market harm claims” while withholding evidence that “would reveal whether, behind closed doors, they are doing exactly what they are suing Midjourney for doing.” The studios’ lead attorney says they “simply want Midjourney to stop copying their movies and TV shows.”
AISOFTWARESECURITYINDUSTRY
Alibaba reportedly bans employees from using Claude Code
China’s Alibaba will ban employees from using Anthropic’s Claude Code starting July 10, classifying it as “high-risk software” and directing staff to use the company’s own Qoder tool instead. The decision follows reports that a version of Claude Code could secretly identify Chinese users. Anthropic’s Thariq Shihipar acknowledged this was “an experiment we launched in March that was meant to prevent account abuse from unauthorized resellers and protect against distillation,” adding the team had “landed stronger mitigations since then.” The experiment has since been removed. Anthropic already prohibits Chinese companies from using its models and has been actively working to close access loopholes.
AIINDUSTRY
What is Mistral AI? Everything to know about the OpenAI competitor
France’s Mistral AI is having a moment. With annual recurring revenue reportedly above $400 million as of February and rumored to be raising $3.5 billion at a $23.15 billion valuation, the decacorn is pursuing what TechCrunch describes as “the Palantir playbook” — forward-deployed engineers helping governments and enterprises deploy and customize AI on their own infrastructure. CEO Arthur Mensch says a new open-weight model is arriving this summer, with early access opening in July. Mistral has acquired infrastructure startup Koyeb and physics-AI firm Emmi to accelerate its cloud ambitions, and plans to invest €4 billion in data centers in France and Sweden.
AIRESEARCH
How America’s 250th birthday became a test of AI-powered collective intelligence
On America’s 250th birthday, 277 randomly selected Americans — drawn from every region and a diverse mix of political demographics — participated in a twenty-minute online deliberation inside Thinkscape, a hyper-communication platform built by Unanimous AI. Their task: identify the top three innovations the U.S. has contributed to the world. The group converged on the Internet (born through academic and government research, scaled globally), advances in medicine (American vaccines eradicating diseases, prolonging hundreds of millions of lives), and democracy (the U.S. Constitution as a blueprint for representative government worldwide). Author Louis Rosenberg notes the AI’s role was “to connect people, not replace them.”
ROBOTICSINDUSTRY
Quarterhill discusses transport modernization as U.S. marks 70 years of federal highways
As the U.S. marks the 70th anniversary of its federal highway system, The Robot Report spoke with Quarterhill’s head of ITS product about the challenges of autonomous freight. Companies including Kodiak and Aurora are already running commercial freight corridors, while the American Trucking Association projects a driver shortfall of 82,000 in 2026. Quarterhill’s expert argues effective autonomy will “complement the existing freight ecosystem rather than replace it,” but warns that public agencies will shoulder increased roadway wear and complexity as autonomous trucks scale — requiring virtual weigh-station screening, traffic monitoring, and compliance infrastructure to manage mixed fleets of autonomous and conventional commercial vehicles.
ROBOTICSAIRESEARCH
X Square Robot builds a full-stack approach to embodied AI and general-purpose robotics
Shenzhen-based embodied AI startup X Square Robot has completed four consecutive financing rounds culminating in a Series C, now valued at over RMB20 billion. The company’s WALL family of embodied AI foundation models — including the recently open-sourced WALL-OSS and WALL-WM — powers hardware including the QUANTA X1 Pro and X2 robots and the Artixon dexterous hand. Its QUANXTA Zero Series data collection platform achieves “nearly 100 demonstrations per hour — more than double the efficiency of conventional teleoperation methods.” X Square has deployed robots in eldercare, automotive (Jinbei Auto), and logistics. CEO Wang Qian: “progress will depend on close integration between models, data and robotics.”
<div class="fn"> Arduino Due</div> — Simon Waldherr, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Microdistillery For Microchemistry
Chemists have long followed the rule of using minimal reagents for safety and economy. [Marb’s lab] applied this principle to distillation, building a custom miniature still for microscale chemistry experiments. The heating component uses custom aluminum parts fitted with 3D-printer heater cartridges, wrapped in insulation, and accommodates a 25 mL round-bottom flask. A DIN-rail-mounted temperature controller fed by a 24 V supply governs the heating mantle, with a separate probe measuring distillate temperature. A polycarbonate condenser sits above. A test run with water showed the unit evaporating efficiently at small scale — proof that effective lab equipment doesn’t require bulk materials.
Building A Wireless Fingerprint Authorization Device
Repeated sudo and login prompts interrupt the flow of terminal work, so [superdog] built immurok — a wireless fingerprint authorization key for Linux and Mac users. The device centers on a WCH CH592F microcontroller with built-in Bluetooth, advertising as a standard BLE HID keyboard. An R559S capacitive sensor handles fingerprint matching entirely on-device, meaning biometric data never leaves the hardware. On Linux, a PAM module integrates with system login and sudo; on macOS, a menu bar app covers admin prompts and the lock screen. The project is hosted on Hackaday.io, though the firmware repository link is currently returning a 404.
The Coolest Hat At The Hacker Camp
A Europe-wide June heatwave gave [Making Stuff With Mike] the motivation to hack a hard hat into a personal cooling device ahead of Denmark’s BornHack hacker camp. The modification mounts a Noctua fan inside a 3D-printed chimney atop the helmet, drawing warm air up and out. The chimney-to-hat interface was designed in CAD by 3D scanning the helmet first, achieving a precise fit secured with four bolts. Large airflow holes were cut in the crown for intake. Testing proved the concept works; Mike is already planning refinements. BornHack is an outdoor maker/hacker camp that Hackaday has attended several times.
US Navy Testing 3D Printed Fighter Jet Parts
The U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division is flight-testing 3D-printed composite repair parts for operational F/A-18 Super Hornets, using forward-deployed printers to fabricate components on-site rather than shipping them through a global logistics chain. The program aims to cut repair times by approximately 50%, reducing aircraft downtime during deployments far from home ports. NAWCAD Commander Rear Adm. Todd Evans stated the goal is to put capability directly into the hands of the Fleet. The parts are produced at forward operating bases and will undergo actual flight testing on active Super Hornets, marking a significant step toward battlefield-ready additive manufacturing for military aviation.
This KVM Runs A P4 Instead Of A Pi
[JonathanRowny] built a functional IP-KVM using Espressif’s ESP32-P4, challenging the assumption that such projects require a Linux SBC like a Raspberry Pi. The build gets 1080p capture by routing HDMI through a commercial adapter board that converts the signal to a camera (CSI) input, exploiting a convenient shared ribbon-cable pinout with the RPi. Writing a custom driver was the hardest part. The code is published on GitHub under the Apache license as a proof-of-concept. Current limitations: no audio, wired-only networking, and no security. The project raises broader questions about how many traditionally Pi-bound builds could run on ESP32-P4 microcontrollers instead.
Five Solar Air Heating Methods Tested
Solar PV panels capture 20–30% of incident sunlight, but solar thermal collectors can do far better — and much more cheaply. [Greenhill Forge] built five approximately 2 m² air-heating panels to compare approaches: one unglazed control and four with polycarbonate glazing, varying how air flows across black corrugated steel absorbers. Thermocouple data collected during simultaneous outdoor testing revealed the best performer: a panel using black fiberglass screen mesh (transpired-collector style) rather than corrugated steel. At roughly $100 per panel, the winning design offers fuel-free supplemental heating with no grid electricity. The builder notes that panel configuration is highly sensitive and results may vary.
Bondtech INDX Development Kit Orders Open Friday
Bondtech’s INDX system — an inductive nozzle-swapping mechanism that eliminates manual hotend changes — isn’t exclusively for Prusa machines. The company has announced a Development Kit for DIY printer builders who want to integrate INDX into custom or third-party hardware. Orders opened Friday, July 3, at 9 AM CEST (3 AM Eastern / 12 AM Pacific), with limited stock available. Pricing has not been disclosed, but Bondtech says it will be higher than the limited Founder’s Edition. Interested builders are advised to log in to the Bondtech website ahead of launch and be ready at the listed time, as stock is expected to move quickly.
Startup Unveils 3D-Printed Nuclear Reactor Module
Nuclear startup Ampera has unveiled a full-scale 3D-printed reactor module it describes as the world’s first subcritical, solid-state, factory-built thorium nuclear reactor. Thorium’s natural abundance makes it cheaper to source than uranium, and its non-fissile nature adds an inherent safety layer. The complete system targets 30 MWe output via a closed-loop supercritical CO2 Brayton-cycle turbine — an attractive proposition for AI data centers straining existing power infrastructure. The reactor has not yet been turned on. Competitor Valar Atomics has already demonstrated live electricity generation. Ampera’s announcement reflects growing nuclear investment from tech giants including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Nvidia.
Film-production-map-2015 — Jamie Tubers, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
BOX OFFICE
Angel Studios’ “Young Washington” Posts $20.8M Opening; Sequel “1776” Announced
Angel Studios scored its best live-action opening with“Young Washington,”director Jon Erwin’s historical period pic hauling in a$20.8M debutagainst a $15M forecast. The film played strongest in Mountain, Midwest, and South regions — driving67% of the weekend take— and earned a CinemaScore A with an 81% PostTrak definite recommend. Guardians of the Galaxy starChris Pratt rallied fans on social media,calling the film “like The Revenant, like Pride and Prejudice, like Braveheart.” Director Erwin immediately announcedsequel “1776” is already in development,extending the Revolutionary War saga into America’s 250th anniversary moment.
INDUSTRY
Sky Acquires ITV in £1.6B Deal, Reshaping British Broadcasting
Sky has acquired ITV’s television network operations in a £1.6 billion ($2.1B) deal,folding a crown jewel of British broadcasting into the NBCUniversal empire. Love Island, Coronation Street, and I’m a Celebrity will remain free-to-air. ITV Studios — the production arm behind those series — wascarved out and will remain separately listed.Sky separately agreed to sellLove Productions (The Great British Bake Off) to ITV Studios for £200M.Sky also signed a£2.1B output deal with ITV Studios through 2032.The combined Sky-ITV platform holds 18.3% of UK viewing share, nearly matching YouTube’s 18.6%.
AWARDS
Venice Film Festival to Honor George Clooney With Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement
The Venice Film Festival will honorGeorge Clooney with its Golden Lion for lifetime achievement.Festival directorAlberto Barberapraised Clooney as “a complete and charismatic artist” who has “crossed the genres with rare versatility,” citing films from Three Kings and Syriana to Ocean’s Eleven and The Descendants. Clooney, whoowns a home in Italy’s Lake Como region and was married in Venice,quipped the honor “probably means I’m old, but I’ll take it.” He has an upcomingcameo in Netflix’s “Call My Agent! The Movie”and was recently an exec producer on thriller series “The Agency.”
STREAMING
Netflix Challenges French Investment Rules, Calls for Spending Cap
Netflix has filed an appeal before France’s Council of Statechallenging new “diversity” sub-quotas that would double its mandatory investment in animation, documentaries, and live performance. In an op-ed first published in French daily Le Monde, Netflix VP of Content Pauline Dauvin argued the rules —which apply only to streamers, not traditional broadcasters— “cross a line” and threaten genuine creative freedom. Netflix currently invests€250 million annually in French productionsand warns the obligations are growing unsustainable.Prime Video and Disney+ have also appealed the same regulations.Netflix separately lost a Belgian appeal over spending obligations in March 2026.
INDUSTRY
Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Draws 11.2M Viewers, Up 59% Year-Over-Year
Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks drew 11.2 million viewersacross NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo — the franchise’s largest audience since 2018 and a59% jump in total viewers from 2025.The double milestone of America’s 250th anniversary and the telecast’s own50th editionsupercharged interest. Peacock hours watched wereup 140% vs. 2025,while the primary 8–10 PM NBC airing alone drew 5.1 million — the best single-broadcast since 2019. A new 11:30 PM repeat added additional reach. Performers included Noah Kahan, Post Malone, Salt-N-Pepa, and Blake Shelton, produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment for NBC.
CAMPAIGN
Tom Holland on Filming Nolan’s All-IMAX “The Odyssey,” Opening July 17
Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” opens July 17as the first film shot entirely on IMAX cameras — a technical first across Nolan’s eight-film IMAX career.Tom Holland,who plays Telemachus alongside Matt Damon’s Odysseus, told Fandango he initially feared Nolan disliked his performance when the director kept cutting — not realizingIMAX magazines hold only three minutes of film.Nolan said his goal was to inspire other filmmakers to shoot in full IMAX: “I just want to go see somebody else’s film when they do it this way.” The massive ensemble also starsAnne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, and Charlize Theron,among many others.
BOX OFFICE
“Obsession” Surpasses $400M Globally, Proving Gen Z’s Theatrical Appetite
“Obsession,” directed by YouTuber Curry Barker, has surpassed $400 million globally— including$245M domestically and $157M overseas— after eight weekends in theaters. The Focus Features release wasproduced for $750,000 and acquired for $14 million at TIFF 2025.Ticket sales defied convention by rising for four consecutive weekends after opening, powered by Gen Z and TikTok audiences. Producer Jason Blum (Blumhouse-Atomic Monster) told Variety: “There’s a new generation of moviegoers declaring a very specific taste for horror movies that is quite left-of-center.”A24’s “Backrooms,”also YouTuber-directed, has hit $347M worldwide on a similar trajectory.
Dallara IndyCar Factory in 2017 — NaBUru38, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
RACE RESULTROAD COURSE
Pato O’Ward Claims First Victory of 2026 as Arrow McLaren Sweeps Mid-Ohio 1-2
Pato O'Ward scored his first IndyCar victory of 2026 at the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio on July 5, leading an Arrow McLaren one-two finish ahead of teammate Christian Lundgaard. O'Ward started second and made the decisive pass on polesitter Lundgaard at Turn 2 on Lap 42, then held on to win by 0.9877 seconds after 90 caution-free laps. The result marks the first time Arrow McLaren has finished 1-2 in IndyCar. Kyle Kirkwood completed the podium for Andretti Global, ahead of Rinus VeeKay in fourth and championship leader Alex Palou fifth for Chip Ganassi Racing. It was O'Ward's 10th career IndyCar victory.
DRIVER NEWS
Scott Dixon Confirms Exit from Chip Ganassi Racing After 25 Seasons
Six-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon will leave Chip Ganassi Racing at the end of the 2026 season after 25 years with the team. Chip Ganassi Racing confirmed on July 2 that Dixon had turned down a multiyear extension offered by the team. Dixon drove 24 full-time seasons with CGR, winning six championships and 58 of his 59 career victories with the organisation. The 45-year-old New Zealander is widely expected to join Arrow McLaren for 2027, where he would drive alongside Pato O'Ward. The search for Dixon's replacement in the No. 9 Ganassi Honda has already begun.
DRIVER NEWS
Felix Rosenqvist to Leave Meyer Shank Racing Despite 2026 Indy 500 Victory
Felix Rosenqvist will not return to Meyer Shank Racing for the 2027 IndyCar season, the team confirmed, despite the Swedish driver winning the 2026 Indianapolis 500. Meyer Shank Racing stated: “It's unfortunate that Felix has decided to move on from MSR at the end of the season, particularly given everything we've accomplished together, including this year's Indy 500 victory.” Rosenqvist, who sits seventh in the 2026 championship with 265 points, is expected to join Arrow McLaren for 2027 in a deal that would reunite him with the team he raced for between 2021 and 2023.
DRIVER NEWS
Arrow McLaren Releases Lundgaard and Siegel to Clear Path for 2027 Overhaul
Arrow McLaren has informed Christian Lundgaard that he is free to negotiate with other IndyCar teams, and has also told Nolan Siegel he will not return for 2027, according to reports published on July 5. The moves clear the way for Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist to join Pato O'Ward at Arrow McLaren next season. Lundgaard has emerged as a candidate for Chip Ganassi Racing's vacant No. 9 entry following Dixon's departure. Siegel could maintain an affiliation with McLaren through a potential technical partnership with Juncos Hollinger Racing. Both drivers were granted permission to explore options with other IndyCar teams.
DRIVER NEWS
Marcus Armstrong Signs Multi-Year Deal to Stay at Meyer Shank Racing
Meyer Shank Racing announced on July 3 that Marcus Armstrong has signed a multi-year contract extension that will keep him with the team beyond 2026. As part of the agreement, Armstrong will transition to the team's No. 60 Honda for the 2027 season, moving from the No. 66 entry he currently races. Armstrong has collected five top-10 finishes in 2026, including a fifth-place finish at the Indianapolis 500 where he was running at the front during the final restart. The extension comes after a mechanical failure while leading at Road America with fewer than four laps remaining denied Armstrong his first career win.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Palou Leads IndyCar Title Fight but 66 Points Cover Top Four With Seven Races Left
Alex Palou leads the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series championship with 404 points after 11 of 18 races, but the title fight has tightened at the halfway point. Kyle Kirkwood sits second for Andretti Global, 56 points behind, while Christian Lundgaard and David Malukas are separated by just one point in third and fourth, 65 and 66 points adrift of Palou respectively. Palou's fifth-place result at Mid-Ohio on July 5 narrowed his advantage over Kirkwood, who finished third. Seven races remain, beginning with the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway on July 19.
Drivers' Championship
- 1. Alex Palou — 404 pts
- 2. Kyle Kirkwood — 348 pts
- 3. Christian Lundgaard — 339 pts
- 4. David Malukas — 338 pts
- 5. Pato O’Ward — 310 pts
- 6. Josef Newgarden — 270 pts
Teams' Championship
- 1. Team Penske — 870 pts
- 2. Chip Ganassi Racing — 822 pts
- 3. Arrow McLaren — 794 pts
- 4. Andretti Global — 779 pts
- 5. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing — 485 pts
- 6. Meyer Shank Racing — 484 pts
BMW M8 GTE – Endurance Race Car – Le Mans 2019 14 55 46 030000 — Pittigrilli~commonswiki, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
GT3RESULTS
GetSpeed JR286 Overcomes Penalty and Rain to Win Inaugural 12H Nürburgring
GetSpeed Team JR286’s No. 286 Mercedes-AMG GT3 claimed victory in the inaugural 12 Hours of Nürburgring on Sunday, overcoming a 40-second time penalty and a treacherous rain-soaked finale. Steve Jans delivered a mammoth 2.5-hour stint in wet conditions that proved decisive, with co-drivers Ryan Harvey, John Hirshberg and Aidan Liddy all contributing across the full distance. Up2Race finished second, with Fabio Grosse holding off Viper Niza Racing’s Lamborghini by just 0.469 seconds at the line — marking the all-Malaysian crew’s first 24H European Series podium. Proton Competition took fourth after leading for much of the opening segment. The win moves GetSpeed to the top of the 24H European Series championship.
ELMSRESULTS
Forestier Racing by Panis Dominates 4 Hours of Imola for Second ELMS Win
Forestier Racing by Panis claimed its second European Le Mans Series victory of 2026 with a commanding display at the 4 Hours of Imola, finishing over 52 seconds clear of United Autosports. Louis Rousset, Oliver Gray and Esteban Masson shared the No. 29 Oreca 07, with Masson’s blistering final stints proving the decisive factor. United Autosports retain the LMP2 drivers’ championship lead despite the defeat. TF Sport’s Corvette Z06 took LMGT3 honours. The result carries deep poignancy: Forestier Racing is the team formerly known as Marc VDS Racing, and the victory came on the very day that its founder, Marc van der Straten, passed away at the age of 78.
INDUSTRY
Marc Van der Straten, Founder of Marc VDS Racing, Passes Away at 78
The motorsport community is mourning the loss of Marc van der Straten, the founder and driving force of Marc VDS Racing Team, who passed away on Sunday, July 5 at the age of 78. Van der Straten built Marc VDS into one of Belgium’s most admired motorsport operations over decades of endurance racing, with the team’s greatest triumph coming at the 24 Hours of Spa in 2015. In a moving coincidence, the team he founded — now racing as Forestier Racing by Panis — won the 4 Hours of Imola on the very same day, an unintended but deeply fitting tribute to a man who gave his life to the sport.
GT3RACE REPORT
Mühlner Crash Forces Red-Flag Halt as Up2Race Leads Overnight at 12H Nürburgring
The opening six-hour segment of the inaugural 12 Hours of Nürburgring ended under a red flag after a heavy crash involving the No. 921 Mühlner Motorsport Porsche, with approximately 40 minutes of running remaining. Driver Joshua Bednarski was able to exit the car unaided. The Up2Race No. 88 Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo of Fabio Grosse, Tim Heinemann and Oleksiy Kikireshko held the overnight lead, with Proton Competition second and Viper Niza Racing third. GetSpeed PCX — the pre-race championship favourite — tumbled down the order after an incident. All cars were placed in overnight parc fermé with refuelling prohibited before Sunday’s six-hour restart.
IMSABOP
Corvette and Huracán Receive Biggest Weight Breaks in CTMP Balance of Performance
IMSA has released Balance of Performance adjustments for next weekend’s Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, with the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R shedding 12 kg and the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 losing 13 kg — the two largest weight reductions — though both also carry power restrictions. The BMW M4 GT3 EVO drops 5 kg; the Lamborghini Temerario GT3 gains a 3 kg break with a substantial Stage 1 power increase. The Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo takes a 20 kg penalty but gains power at both stages. The Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo is the only car running at 100 percent declared power across both stages.
IMSALMP2
33-Car Field Set for IMSA CTMP Round, Robert Wickens Among Notable Returns
A 33-car entry list has been confirmed for the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on July 12, comprising ten LMP2, ten GTD PRO and thirteen GTD entries. Notable changes include Car Blanche/YRB Racing stepping up from GTD to GTD PRO with the No. 68 Aston Martin, Ricky Taylor replacing the injured Harry Tincknell in the No. 52 Bryan Herta Autosport/PR1 LMP2, and Ben Hanley filling in for Paul di Resta at United Autosports No. 22. Robert Wickens makes a welcome return to competition in the No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette, adding a compelling storyline to an already stacked entry for the Mosport round.
IMSAPREVIEW
LMP2 Takes Centre Stage as IMSA Heads to Mosport for High-Stakes CTMP Round
IMSA is highlighting the LMP2 class as a headline attraction at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park this season, with the prototype division running as a featured race at the storied Mosport circuit. The series notes a strong historical correlation between the CTMP winner and the eventual season champion, lending July 12 outsized importance in the title picture. With the GTP battle tight across several manufacturers and both GTD PRO and GTD classes offering compelling stories at the season’s midpoint, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park shapes up as one of the most consequential weekends of the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship.
WECHYPERCAR
Cadillac Hertz Jota Targets WEC Recovery at São Paulo With Stevens and Nato
Cadillac Hertz Team Jota approaches the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo (July 10–12) with a two-driver lineup of Will Stevens and Norman Nato after confirming that regular third driver Alex Lynn remains sidelined following surgery. The team views Brazil as a pivotal opportunity to recover ground in the FIA WEC Hypercar standings after a difficult start to 2026. With Toyota holding the championship lead and BMW in close pursuit heading into Round 4 at Interlagos, São Paulo promises to be a defining chapter in the title fight, with unpredictable Brazilian conditions and high-speed sectors likely to separate the leading Hypercar contenders.
Align Technology logo — Align Technology, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
EHR/EMRWORKFORCE
Breaking News: Sumit Rana to Step Away from Epic
Sumit Rana, President of Epic and widely regarded as CEO Judy Faulkner’s likely successor, announced he will step away from the company on August 14, 2026. In an interview with Healthcare IT Today, Rana cited his father’s recent passing and his decision to be more present for his mother in India and his family. Rana co-developed MyChart, which now has 195 million active users worldwide, and oversaw Epic’s push into AI — including Agent Factory, a digital workforce tool, and Cosmos, an AI system trained on hundreds of millions of patient records. Epic is currently shipping 110 AI capabilities with 90 more in development.
CYBERSECURITY
AI Agent Pulls Off a Ransomware Attack Without Human Help
Researchers at Sysdig have documented what they describe as the first fully autonomous AI-driven ransomware attack, carried out by an agent called JadePuffer. The attack exploited a vulnerability in Langflow (CVE-2025-3248) and then pivoted through MySQL and Nacos infrastructure, performing credential theft, lateral movement, privilege escalation, and database encryption — all without human direction. When an account creation step initially failed, JadePuffer adapted its approach within 31 seconds. The Sysdig research underscores the accelerating threat of agentic AI in cybercrime, with direct implications for healthcare organizations whose critical data systems represent high-value ransomware targets.
AI/ANALYTICS
Anthropic Debuts Claude Science, an AI Workbench for Scientific Research
Anthropic has launched Claude Science, an AI workbench designed specifically for scientific research and built on the Claude Opus 4.8 model. The platform supports more than 60 integrations spanning genomics, single-cell analysis, proteomics, structural biology, and cheminformatics, along with tools for visualizing 3D protein and chemical structures. A built-in reviewer agent automatically inspects outputs to flag incorrect citations and untraceable numbers, addressing reproducibility — a core concern in biomedical research. Claude Science can also run on local infrastructure for sensitive data. Separately, Anthropic announced that Fable 5 and Mythos 5 export controls were lifted June 30, restoring global access.
AI/ANALYTICS
AI’s Expanding Role in Precision Oncology
First Ascent Biomedical CEO Jim Foote argues that while AI can accelerate decision-making in precision oncology, physicians must remain central to patient care. In a GovInfoSecurity interview, Foote explored how functional precision oncology is evolving through AI-powered clinical decision support tools spanning genomics and clinical trials. He stressed the importance of healthcare AI oversight to preserve appropriate physician involvement in high-stakes cancer treatment decisions. As AI increasingly supplements oncology workflows, health systems face a growing governance challenge: deploying these tools responsibly while maintaining the human judgment that remains essential to safe, effective cancer care.
INTEROPERABILITY
Fewer Health Information Exchanges Report Information Blocking
New data from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT shows meaningful progress on information blocking, though challenges persist. In 2025, 71% of health information exchanges reported encountering potential information blocking — a significant drop from more than 90% in 2019. IT developers were identified as the primary source of potential blocking incidents. Despite the encouraging trend, ONC enforcement actions remain pending across numerous cases. Achieving full interoperability will require sustained pressure on IT developers and health information networks to ensure patient data can flow freely when and where it is needed.
CYBERSECURITY
How Renown Health Is Reshaping Its Digital Identity Strategy
Steven Ramirez of Renown Health outlines how the health system is reshaping its digital identity strategy to reduce friction for clinicians while strengthening security. In a GovInfoSecurity interview, Ramirez discusses both established identity management practices and emerging challenges, including non-human identities in healthcare and the use of facial recognition as an authentication method. The strategy is designed to prepare Renown Health for the evolving identity demands of an AI-driven healthcare environment. By balancing clinical usability with stronger access controls, Renown offers a practical model for health systems addressing modern digital identity risks.
AI/ANALYTICS
First Canadian ALS Patient Receives Neuralink Brain-Computer Implant
Lee Marten, a Vancouver Police Department sergeant diagnosed with ALS, has become the first Canadian to receive Neuralink’s N1 brain-computer implant, implanted at Toronto Western Hospital within the University Health Network. Surgeons used a new experimental robot that places electrode threads through the dura — a technique not previously used with the N1 device. Marten, the 26th Neuralink patient worldwide and the first to receive the implant via this robotic method, can now control his phone and laptop using thoughts alone. His participation is part of CAN-PRIME, a four-year clinical trial approved by Health Canada.
TELEHEALTH
Sword Health Brings AI Physical Therapy to Portugal’s Public Health System
Sword Health has partnered with Portugal’s Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS), the country’s public health system, to integrate AI-powered physical therapy into its coverage. Physicians can now prescribe remote AI physiotherapy for musculoskeletal conditions including back pain, shoulder, knee, and sprain injuries. Sword’s platform uses real-time movement analysis and form correction to deliver therapy without in-person visits. The partnership is projected to cut MSK wait times by 97% and reduce care costs by 45% compared to conventional physiotherapy. Patients pay nothing after receiving a medical prescription, making access dependent on a physician’s clinical judgment rather than ability to pay.
PXL 20231118 150122002 — Voluntour, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
POLICY
Protect Democracy Advocates Call for Proportional Representation as Civil Society’s Structural Answer to Authoritarianism
Playing defense against authoritarianism isn’t enough, argue Protect Democracy advocates Cyrena Kokolis and Farbod Faraji in NPQ. America’s “polycrisis” — cascading failures of civil rights, climate, health, and democratic integrity — has a systemic root: a winner-take-all electoral system that structurally advantages authoritarian capture. Their proposed remedy is proportional representation, which would allocate congressional seats in proportion to votes cast through multi-winner districts, making gerrymandering functionally impossible, expanding minority representation, and reducing political violence. Calling on civil society to lead the charge, the authors urge nonprofits to educate their communities and funders to resource this structural reform.
IMPACT
Democracy at 250: The Cost of Undercutting Youth-Led Movements
Young people have always been “present-tense architects” of democratic change — from Ella Baker’s Young Negro Cooperative League to civil rights marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge and the South Africa divestment movement — yet philanthropy systematically undermines today’s youth-led organizing, writes Dr. Nia West-Bey in NPQ. She identifies three forces hobbling 21st-century movements: “movement capture” by foundations steering activists away from radical demands, fragmented strategy, and collapse of national infrastructure to translate local wins into national change. The result: today’s young people have never experienced a major national win. West-Bey calls on funders to boldly invest in coordinated, disruptive youth-led agendas.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Philanthropy’s Role in Reparations and Building a Culture of Racial Repair
As America marks its 250th anniversary, philanthropy must embrace reparations for Black Americans as a prerequisite for the racial equity it claims to champion, argues a six-author team writing in collaboration with Liberation Ventures and published in NPQ. The piece urges foundations and funders to move beyond diversity commitments and support formal repair — financial, institutional, and cultural — for the ongoing harms of slavery and structural racism. Framing reparations not as optional but as essential to a thriving multiracial democracy, the authors challenge the philanthropic sector to match its stated values with transformative investment in racial healing.
ANALYSIS
Two Hundred and Fifty Years of Gunfire
March For Our Lives Executive Director Jaclyn Corin uses America’s 250th anniversary to trace the full arc of gun violence in American history — from slave patrols and frontier massacres to Reconstruction-era terror, 20th-century political assassinations, and today’s mass shooting epidemic — in this NPQ commentary. Corin argues that gun violence has never been incidental to American life but structural to it: a recurring tool of racial and political control. Yet history is not destiny, she writes. The movement March For Our Lives represents — which has passed hundreds of gun safety laws and registered millions of young voters — shows that policy and culture can change.
ANALYSIS
Beyond What Is: Reimagining the American Project
Black Innovation Alliance CEO Kelly Burton finds an unlikely hero in Gouverneur Morris — the flawed, peg-legged Pennsylvania aristocrat who fought harder than almost anyone at the Constitutional Convention against slavery, and who is credited with drafting the Preamble’s phrase “to form a more perfect Union.” Writing for NPQ, Burton argues that Morris left behind not merely a political slogan but an orientation toward the future: an acknowledgment that the union was always unfinished. At America’s 250th, Burton contends that the task before civil society is not to restore a past democratic order, but to refound democracy on more honest and durable terms.
IMPACT
We Were Never Waiting, but This Moment Calls for All of Us
Gen Z’s civic engagement is not a future promise but a present-tense reality, argues Youth250 co-founder Dillon St. Bernard in NPQ. Young people have always organized, marched, and built power — the question is whether established institutions will meet them where they are. St. Bernard introduces Youth250, a national initiative mobilizing the civic energy of the youngest adult generation around America’s 250th anniversary, and calls on nonprofits and philanthropic organizations to shift genuine resources and decision-making authority toward youth leaders. The moment calls for all of us, he writes — not just the young people who have been doing the work all along.
SUCCESS
Resilient, Not Shaken: 25 Years Since 9/11 and the Path Forward for the U.S.-Based Sikh Community
Twenty-five years after the 9/11 attacks sparked a wave of hate crimes against Sikhs in America, Sikh Coalition Executive Director Harman Singh reflects on the community’s transformation from requesting rights to expecting them. Writing for NPQ’s “We Stood Up” column, Singh traces the formation of the Sikh Coalition and decades of civil rights victories — from hate crime prosecutions to workplace accommodation settlements to inclusive school curricula — won through the Sikh principle of sarbat da bhala (“for the good of all”), expanding each win to protect other religious minorities, LGBTQ+ communities, and marginalized groups. The next 25 years, he writes, are about building tables, not simply seeking a seat.
POLICY
Supreme Court Blocks Trump Birthright Citizenship Order, Reaffirms 14th Amendment
The Open Society Foundations celebrated a landmark Supreme Court ruling in Trump v. Barbara, which blocked the Trump administration’s executive order restricting birthright citizenship and reaffirmed the 14th Amendment guarantee that all persons born in the United States are citizens. The 6–3 decision — won through litigation led by the ACLU, Asian Law Caucus, Democracy Defenders Fund, and NAACP Legal Defense Fund — was described by OSF Managing Director Laleh Ispahani as “one of the most consequential civil rights rulings in decades.” The foundation also noted losses in the same court term, including decisions limiting transgender rights and immigrant due process, and pledged continued support for civil liberties.