2014 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix (13712612095) — Habeed Hameed, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
CHAMPIONSHIPTECHNICAL
Mercedes Identifies Same Battery Component Behind Russell and Antonelli DNFs
Mercedes has confirmed that the battery failures which retired George Russell from the Canadian Grand Prix and Kimi Antonelli from the Barcelona Grand Prix originate in the same component within the power unit. The Silver Arrows are phasing in new battery modules to address the problem, though Russell’s damaged unit is still being shipped back to the UK by sea freight and will take several months to arrive for detailed investigation. Team principal Toto Wolff issued a stark warning after Barcelona, saying Mercedes “can’t compete for a championship if every second race a car loses fat points.”
Sources: RaceFans, Motorsport.com, Sky Sports
TECHNICALCHAMPIONSHIP
Ferrari to Debut First ADUO Engine Upgrade at Austrian Grand Prix
Ferrari is poised to introduce the first of its two ADUO-permitted power unit upgrades at the Austrian Grand Prix on June 28. The team will run an updated version of its 067/6 engine featuring modifications developed in collaboration with Shell’s laboratory in Hamburg. A key change involves raising the intake air temperature limit from 100°C to over 115°C, allowing more efficient fuel combustion and increased power output. The upgrade arrives as Lewis Hamilton sits just 41 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli following his maiden Ferrari victory at the Barcelona Grand Prix.
REGULATIONTECHNICAL
ADUO: Red Bull Rated as FIA Benchmark Engine Despite Rivals Dominating Races
The FIA’s ADUO power unit rankings have placed Red Bull Powertrains as the benchmark engine in Formula 1, meaning Red Bull receives no additional development tokens this season. Mercedes, which won six of the opening seven grands prix, gets one engine upgrade; Ferrari, Honda and Audi receive two each. Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies confirmed the team was “surprised,” noting that ADUO rankings measure only internal combustion engine performance, excluding the electrical element that accounts for nearly half of total 2026 power output. The FIA is now reviewing the methodology following Red Bull’s formal challenge to the ranking.
Sources: Sky Sports, Motorsport.com
REGULATION
McLaren and Red Bull Formally Appeal Gasly’s Monaco Reinstatement to FIA Court
McLaren and Red Bull have formally lodged appeals with the FIA International Court of Appeal against the decision to reinstate Pierre Gasly to third in the Monaco Grand Prix. Gasly had originally been penalised for pit lane speeding before Alpine’s right-of-review succeeded when FOM admitted a measurement error caused pit lane speeds to be over-reported. McLaren stated the case raises “important questions concerning sporting fairness, regulatory consistency and the integrity of competition.” Mercedes, which had also considered an appeal, subsequently withdrew its challenge. McLaren and Red Bull pursuing the ICA route is highly unusual, with very few precedents in the sport’s modern history.
Sources: Motorsport.com, The Race, Speedcafe
TECHNICAL
Red Bull Brings Second Major Upgrade Package to Austrian Grand Prix
Red Bull will bring its second major aerodynamic upgrade of the 2026 season to the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring. Team principal Laurent Mekies, while confirming the team has been working hard on the package, cautioned that it alone will not close the gap to the front runners. “There is no doubt that the Austrian package alone will not be enough,” Mekies said. Max Verstappen sits seventh in the Drivers’ Championship with 55 points, 101 adrift of leader Kimi Antonelli. Red Bull has indicated further development steps will be needed beyond Austria to return to genuine race victory contention.
Sources: Motorsport.com, Crash.net
TECHNICAL
Honda States Aston Martin’s 2026 Results Have “Failed Expectations”
Honda has issued a statement acknowledging that Aston Martin’s 2026 Formula 1 results have “failed expectations,” with the partnership having scored only one point from the opening seven rounds. Honda Racing president Koji Watanabe visited Aston Martin’s UK base as the two parties assessed a season hampered by power unit reliability and vibration problems. Neither Fernando Alonso nor Lance Stroll reached the finish at the Barcelona Grand Prix. The Honda power unit’s vibration characteristics proved more damaging once integrated into Adrian Newey’s Aston Martin chassis than had been anticipated during development.
Sources: GPFans
GRID NEWS
Jak Crawford to Replace Lance Stroll in Austrian GP FP1
Aston Martin has confirmed that reserve driver Jak Crawford will take the wheel of Lance Stroll’s car for the first free practice session at the Austrian Grand Prix, with Stroll returning from FP2 onwards. The substitution counts towards Aston Martin’s regulatory requirement to field a young driver in at least four free practice sessions during the 2026 season. Crawford is part of Aston Martin’s junior driver programme. The Red Bull Ring FP1 session is scheduled for Friday June 27. Stroll has not scored a championship point in 2026, while the team has accumulated just one point across seven races.
REGULATION
Carlos Sainz Proposes Radical New Season Format to Separate Driver and Constructor Titles
Williams driver Carlos Sainz has unveiled a proposal for a radical overhaul of the Formula 1 season format that would fully separate the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships. Sainz envisions a 20-race calendar in which each driver runs two races with every competing manufacturer’s car, requiring all drivers to use each team’s machinery during the season. The concept, which Sainz says arose from discussions about the challenges of the 2026 technical regulations, is designed to allow championships to be won on driver talent rather than car performance alone. The idea is considered highly unlikely to be implemented in any near-term regulatory discussions.
Sources: GPFans
Animal cell cycle-en — Kelvinsong, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
INJURY
Wout van Aert Undergoes Surgery After Elbow Infection, Ruled Out of Tour de France
Wout van Aert has been ruled out of the 2026 Tour de France after an infected elbow wound from a training crash required surgery. Visma-Lease a Bike confirmed the wound, sustained before the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, developed an unexpected infection requiring surgical intervention. “Intervention was necessary. Otherwise, he could have contracted sepsis,” said Mathieu Heijboer, the team’s Head of Performance. Van Aert had already abandoned the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes before Stage 6 and missed Visma’s altitude training camp. Recovery requirements made it impossible for him to reach top form in time for the July 4 Barcelona start. His next race is now targeted as the Vuelta a España in August.
Sources: Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly
STAGE RESULTGRAND TOUR
Casper van Uden Claims Tour de Suisse Stage 3 Sprint as Pogačar Holds Yellow Jersey
Casper van Uden took stage 3 of the Tour de Suisse in Bad Ragaz on Friday, winning the sprint finish ahead of Kaden Groves and Rémi Cavagna. General classification leader Tadej Pogačar retained his yellow jersey following the stage, maintaining a 2:50 lead over Richard Carapaz of EF Education-EasyPost. Pogačar won the race’s opening stage from more than 70 kilometres out and has dominated the five-day Swiss race. Stage 3 ran from Bad Ragaz to Bad Ragaz, giving sprinters their main opportunity of the week before Saturday’s individual time trial and Sunday’s final mountain stage.
Sources: ProCyclingStats, Cyclingnews
WORLD TOUR
Zoe Bäckstedt Stuns Field With Scorching Long-Range Sprint on Tour de Suisse Women Stage 3
Zoe Bäckstedt won stage 3 of the Tour de Suisse Women on Friday with a dominant sprint launched from nearly 300 metres out, opening a decisive gap on the finishing straight to claim her ninth professional victory. The Welshwoman, riding for Canyon-SRAM, finished ahead of Lily Williams of Human Powered Health in second and Shari Bossuyt of AG Insurance-Soudal in third. General classification leader Elisa Longo Borghini, who took the GC lead with a stage 2 victory and an attack on the final climb in Locarno, retained her overall advantage heading into Saturday’s individual time trial and Sunday’s final stage.
Sources: Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly
STAGE RESULTWORLD TOUR
Ronan Augé Wins Stage 2 Sprint at La Route d’Occitanie as Pyrenean Mountain Finale Looms
Ronan Augé won stage 2 of La Route d’Occitanie CIC on Friday, taking the sprint finish in Saint-Gaudens ahead of Matteo Moschetti and Axel Zingle. The French stage race now heads into the Pyrénées for Saturday’s Stage 3 mountain finish at Loudenvielle, covering 172 kilometres and 3,426 metres of elevation gain from Loures-Barousse. The summit finish at Loudenvielle is expected to be the decisive point in the general classification battle before Sunday’s concluding stage. The mountainous profile, climbing through the Pyrénées to Loudenvielle, gives climbers their first opportunity to break open the race.
Sources: ProCyclingStats
ANALYSIS
How Can Visma Replace Wout van Aert at the Tour de France for Jonas Vingegaard?
Cyclingnews has examined how Visma-Lease a Bike may adjust their Tour de France strategy after Wout van Aert was ruled out of the July 4 Barcelona start due to elbow surgery. The piece analyses which riders Visma have available to absorb Van Aert’s roles in support of Jonas Vingegaard’s attempt to win the yellow jersey back from defending champion Tadej Pogačar. Cyclingnews described Van Aert’s absence as a “huge loss” for both Vingegaard and the race itself. Visma will formally announce their Tour de France team on June 23, with the race starting in Barcelona on July 4 with a team time trial Grand Départ.
Sources: Cyclingnews
GRAND TOURSTANDINGS
Tour de Suisse: Pogačar Holds 2:50 Lead as Riders Head Into Saturday’s Aarburg Time Trial
Tour de Suisse riders contest a 23.7-kilometre individual time trial in Aarburg on Saturday, with general classification leader Tadej Pogačar holding a 2:50 advantage over Richard Carapaz of EF Education-EasyPost heading into the stage. Pogačar won the opening stage from more than 70 kilometres out and has led throughout the five-day race. The women’s time trial over the same course in Aarburg begins at 10:45 CET, with overall leader Elisa Longo Borghini defending her position. Men’s start times begin at 14:57 CET. Both men’s and women’s races conclude on Sunday with a final mountain stage.
Sources: Cyclingnews, ProCyclingStats
Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey NHL alumni jerseys in the lower concourse of the Kohl Center IMG 8420 — SecretName101, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
NHL
Carolina Hurricanes Bring Stanley Cup to Downtown Raleigh in Championship Parade
The Carolina Hurricanes brought their second Stanley Cup championship to the streets of Raleigh on Saturday, hosting a 2026 Championship Celebration starting at 11 a.m. in downtown Raleigh. The parade began at the intersection of Hillsborough and St. Mary’s Street, winding through downtown before concluding at Davie Street. A rally at City Plaza followed, where players, coaches, and special guests addressed the crowd. City officials expected more than 100,000 fans, potentially making it the largest event in Raleigh’s history. It is the first Stanley Cup parade for the city since the Hurricanes captured the championship in 2006.
Sources: ABC11 Raleigh-Durham
TRANSACTIONS
Jonathan Toews Announces Retirement After 16 NHL Seasons and Three Stanley Cups
Jonathan Toews, one of the most decorated captains in NHL history, announced his retirement on Thursday after 16 professional seasons. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native made the announcement at the Jonathan Toews Sportsplex in his hometown. Toews, 38, won three Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks, captaining all three championship runs. He spent his final season with the hometown Winnipeg Jets, recording 29 points in 82 games after a two-year absence caused by Chronic Immune Response Syndrome and Long COVID. Toews finished his career with 921 points — 383 goals and 529 assists — across 1,149 NHL games with Chicago and Winnipeg.
Sources: TSN
TRADE
Maple Leafs Acquire Darren Raddysh from Tampa Bay in Eight-Year, $8.5M Sign-and-Trade
The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired defenseman Darren Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday in a sign-and-trade deal. As part of the arrangement, Raddysh signed an eight-year contract extension with Toronto at an average annual value of $8.5 million. The Lightning received Toronto’s fifth-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft. The deal is one of the first major roster moves of the NHL offseason and was announced in the days leading up to the 2026 NHL Draft, which runs June 26–27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. Raddysh’s eight-year commitment represents one of the longer defensive contracts in recent league history.
Sources: CBC Sports
TRADE
Multiple Teams Exploring Trade for Buffalo Sabres Defenseman Bo Byram, per TSN
TSN’s Darren Dreger reported Thursday that multiple teams are exploring a trade with the Buffalo Sabres involving defenseman Bo Byram, who has one year remaining on his contract before reaching unrestricted free agency. Byram, 25, posted a career-high 42 points — 11 goals and 31 assists — in 2025–26, with a plus-15 rating and averaged more than 22 minutes per game. His $6.25 million cap hit is financially manageable for potential suitors, while Buffalo’s top defensive spot is already occupied by Rasmus Dahlin. Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen had previously expressed interest in a long-term extension, but Buffalo is now listening to trade offers.
Sources: Bleacher Report
DRAFT
Gavin McKenna Consensus No. 1 Pick as 2026 NHL Draft Approaches in Buffalo
With the 2026 NHL Draft six days away, expert consensus has settled around the first overall pick: the Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to select Penn State left wing Gavin McKenna, who posted 15 goals and 36 assists for 51 points in 35 collegiate games. Reports indicate Toronto has informed McKenna he is their selection. The San Jose Sharks hold the second pick and are projected to take Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg of Frölunda, while the Vancouver Canucks at third are linked to Brantford center Caleb Malhotra. The draft is scheduled for June 26–27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.
Sources: Bleacher Report