Parc Ferme: Bravo Bortoleto and Sauber

The former requires no further comment other than Max’s relaxed response to the impetuousness of youth at Turn 3.

His previously intense racing persona seems to have been filed away for the duration—a clear indication that he is done with this year’s Formula 1 Championship and maybe even with Red Bull?

Undoubtedly, he will continue to compete for wins, but when the RB21 is uncompetitive, an early bath and time with his new baby girl are more attractive.

Driver of the Day went to Gabriel Bortoleto, and justifiably so. Never out of the top ten throughout practice, he then managed to qualify eighth, notably ahead of Mercedes wunderkind – Kimi Antonelli. All this in a Kick Sauber to boot.

More importantly, he hung on to the position, almost snatching seventh from his manager and friend, Fernando Alonso. His Spanish mentor also seemed suitably impressed, rushing over to enthusiastically congratulate the young Brazilian post-race.

It's no secret that Parc Ferme rates Bortoleto highly (as does Max Verstappen). However, as a rookie, he has received scant attention compared to those in more competitive rides.

The Sauber seat, though, is probably the right place for him at the moment. Bortoleto is a slow burn, and if you look back at his results through F3, F2 and his debut year in F1, you’ll see a pattern reflecting his approach – slowly, slowly catch the monkey.

In the last four grands prix he’s finished in the upper end of the second half of the grid. He has also made it into Q2 on three occasions this year, and outqualified his experienced teammate, Nico Hulkenberg, four times.

Some might say that besting Hulkenberg is not much of an achievement. Parc Ferme would disagree. The German currently lies tenth in the 2025 F1 drivers' championship ahead of some illustrious names, again, in a Sauber.

While he has never proved to be a race winner in F1, he has always been a solid points-scoring number two. A trait Red Bull would be very grateful for at the moment.

The team also seems to be on the rise, and it’s no coincidence that the forward momentum really kicked off after the arrival of Red Bull Racing’s former sporting director, Jonathan Wheatley.

Many have speculated that his departure was a greater loss than Adrian Newey's. Parc Ferme would agree. Vastly experienced, he represented an excellent choice for the Sauber/Audi project, and it appears the appointment is already paying dividends.

Formula 1 is well-known for teams and drivers delivering strong performances that suddenly melt away into the background.

Franco Colapinto is possibly the most obvious recent manifestation. Understandably, the points hoard would have been less if Verstappen and Antonelli had not fallen off.

However, Stake Sauber and their drivers no longer have the look of wooden spoon holders for 2025. Alpine, however, now looks like the prime candidate for that dubious honour!