Verstappen Dominates, Qatar Invests in F1 and a Victoria’s Secret Model Joins NASCAR

Welcome to Draft Line Digest, your weekly racing newsletter for the latest motorsport news! From the track to the garage and beyond, we’ve got you covered, whether you're a die-hard Formula 1 fan or a rookie regarding anything with four wheels and an engine.

In this issue: Max Verstappen wins the Qatar Grand Prix, a wealth fund invests in Audi F1 Team and a NASCAR legend goes back on track. Rev it up and let’s go!

Starting grid

• 🏎️Formula 1 : Max Verstappen Triumphs in Qatar

• 💵Qatar invests in Audi F1 Team

• 🔥The #8 is back

• ⚙️Tech Talk 101 : Understeer and oversteer

• 🏁Checkered flag thoughts

• 🎙️Speedy wisdom

🏎️Formula 1 : Max Verstappen Triumphs in Qatar

Last week, Max Verstappen clinched his fourth Formula 1 World Championship title. This weekend, the newly crowned champion demonstrated his dominance once again by winning the Qatar Grand Prix at the Losail International Circuit. The Dutchman crossed the finish line ahead of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari and Oscar Piastri’s McLaren.

Sprint Race Success for McLaren

On Saturday, McLaren shone in the Sprint Race with a 1-2 finish, led by Oscar Piastri and followed by teammate Lando Norris. George Russell, driving for Mercedes, took third place. In a noteworthy moment, Piastri claimed victory after Norris eased off in the final straight, essentially handing his teammate the win. Meanwhile, Sergio Pérez delivered a "stellar" (FYI: we love sarcasm) performance, “starting” from the pits without moving his Red Bull forward.

Verstappen's Pole Position and Sunday Drama

A few hours later, Verstappen secured pole position for Sunday’s race, ahead of George Russell and Lando Norris. However, the Dutch driver was penalized with a one-place grid penalty for impeding Russell during qualifying. This handed Russell the pole for the main race on Sunday.

Despite starting second, Verstappen stormed into the lead at the first corner, followed by Norris in second and Russell in third.

Unusual Incident in Lap 34

On lap 34, chaos struck as Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz suffered punctures. The culprit? A mirror on the pit straight caused the unexpected blowouts.

Penalty for Norris, 63rd career win for Verstappen

Lando Norris, running in second place, was handed a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for failing to slow under yellow flags. This left Verstappen unchallenged as he raced to his 63rd career win.

Constructors’ Championship Battle Intensifies

McLaren still leads the Constructors’ Championship with 640 points, narrowly ahead of Ferrari at 619. The championship battle for the Constructor’s Championship will come to a dramatic conclusion in Abu Dhabi next week during the season's final race.

Final Race Standings: Check here.

💵Qatar invests in Audi F1 Team

Staying in Qatar, the nation’s sovereign wealth fund, Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), has acquired a “significant minority stake” in Sauber Holding AG, which will become the Audi Formula 1 Team in 2026. In addition to owning PSG and QSI, the investment fund has now joined the F1 paddock. “With this strategic investment, QIA will enter the Audi Formula 1 project as a long-term investor and partner,” Audi stated in a press release. Reports suggest QIA will hold 25% to 30% of shares in exchange for approximately $350 million. This isn’t QIA’s first investment in the automotive sector, as it already owns 17% of the Volkswagen Group, which also owns… Audi.

🔥The #8 is back

Did we just time-travel back to 2004? A week ago in Florence, South Carolina, the iconic #8 car of Dale Earnhardt Jr. took to the track at the Florence Motor Speedway for the 2024 South Carolina 400 in the late model series and it stole the show! The grandstands were packed with fans sporting the legendary red-and-white Budweiser gear, all eager to see Dale Jr. perform.

However, his qualifying session didn’t meet his fans’ expectations, as he started the race in 37th position. Despite the early setback, he fought his way to the front and held onto 2nd place until Lap 219, when a fuel pump issue forced him to pit and ultimately retire from the race. He classified in 28th position. Treyten Lapcevich took home the win, but it was clear to everyone that one of the most famous names in NASCAR held a special place in fans’ hearts throughout the weekend.

⚙️Tech Talk 101 : Understeer and oversteer

Often, in motorsport, we hear about understeer and oversteer. But what do these terms mean?

In motorsport, whether you’re racing in Formula 1, NASCAR, or even bus racing, taking corners effectively is crucial. When navigating a turn, a car can exhibit two main behaviors: understeer or oversteer.

Understeer happens when your car doesn’t turn as much as you’re steering. The front tires lose grip, causing the car to drift wide toward the outside of the turn. In NASCAR, this is often referred to as being “Tight.”

Oversteer, on the other hand, occurs when, as you turn, you feel the rear of the car sliding out. The rear tires lose traction, which can result in a spin. In stock car racing, this is called being “Loose.”

Several adjustments can be made to address these issues, including modifying tire pressures, adjusting suspension stiffness, or rebalancing the brake bias.

🏁Checkered flag thoughts

At the beginning of last week, I learned that 25-year-old Toni Breidinger will compete full-time in 2025 with Tricon Garage in the NASCAR Truck Series. A part of the Toyota Racing Development roster, the San Francisco native competed in four events with Tricon Garage in 2023 and 2024 and finished 4th in the ARCA Menards Series this year. She will be the second woman to drive for David Gilliland’s team, following Hailie Deegan, who raced in 2021 and 2022.

Breidinger will also be the first NASCAR driver featured in Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue in 2025. Not sure that’s what we want to read about when a driver announcement is made… but anyway. While her modeling career is promising (she’s a model for Victoria’s Secret, yes, you read that right), I hope we’ll talk about her next year for her results on the racetrack, not for what she’s wearing off it. Plus, I think it’s problematic when you announce a driver signing for your team but she’s not wearing any racing gear on the main picture.

Given the reactions to her hiring, many dubbing her “Danica Patrick 2.0”, I hope she proves the doubters wrong when the season starts in Daytona on February 14th, 2025.

🎙️Speedy wisdom