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What we learned from the Saints-Lions tilt

Saints-Lions reflection

By: Jake Rajala

The New Orleans Saints travelled from the Big Easy all the way to Detroit. Yes, I”m talking about a team in Detroit, that has never won a Super Bowl. I”m also talking about a Saints squad that once had a fan-base that put bags over their heads and called themselves, “Aints”.

So, the question is: What should we reflect on? Well, I have to get it out of the way. Chase Young had a strip sack for a touchdown, but it was called off, due to Jared Goff’s throwing motion. It was the strangest thing I have ever heard. We know the refs love to help out Patrick Mahomes or once Tom Brady, but this was on another level. As a Western Michigan Bronco fan, I am suffering. We know the Broncos gave up a hail mary touchdown, after the refs put one second back on the clock.

The biggest play-maker in the game had to be Chris Olave, even if he was on the losing side. The Lions made him look like Calvin Johnson. Olave recorded 182 yards and 10 catches. The Lions pass defense bled on 4th and long on numerous occasions. Aidan Hutchinson wasn’t able to bail them out enough. He wasn’t able to get a pick-six like an edge defender in Pittsburgh, known as T.J. Watt.

Tyler Shough may have thrown the most passing yards in Week 1. This doesn’t excuse him for silly throws. He had a few “Mark Sanchez” moments. He threw a pass to his offensive lineman. He also threw two interceptions where he threw it straight to the defenders.

The Saints and Lions could very well meet in the playoffs. If they do, it would be time to grab some popcorn. The Saints will be out for revenge if this scenario unfolds.

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Will Alvin Kamara be a Cowboy?

Will Kamara be a Cowboy soon?

By: Jake Rajala

There has been a lot of speculation that Alvin Kamara could be traded this off-season. Anthony Palacios of Last Word on Sports suggests that Kamara could be a Cowboy.

So, does Kamara seem like a logical fit for the Boys? Well, they seem to have a taste for washed up running backs that have been “accused” of punching someone. Isn’t that right Zeke Elliot?

The Boys aren’t in a dire need to pay a lot of money for another RB. They have Javonte Williams, who came over from Denver. He had 1,201 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns last season. He is the same age as me and five years younger than Kamara! If they want an old RB like Kamara, some may ask: why not sign Frank Gore?

Kamara does have a lot of swag. He could bring back memories of Terrell Owens and Dez Bryant, who also had a lot of swagger. The difference between the two and Kamara is that those two WRs made first team All-Pro as a Cowboy and Kamara has never made first team AP.

In all honesty, I’d prefer to see the Boys had more talent on their OL, prior to reeling in an expensive RB. PFF dubs their OL as the 17th best OL in the league. That’s not acceptable. The former Cowboys Hall of Fame guard Larry Allen is rolling over in his grave.

I’m not saying that Kamara will run for six touchdowns in a single game with a stout OL. Nonetheless, he should excel behind a Top-10 OL. He can also be effective if he’s the 1B at RB.

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2025 Belgian Grand Prix recap and outlook

2025 Belgian Grand Prix

By: Jake Rajala

The 2026 Grand Prix in Belgium was completed in 2025. The track is called, “Spa-Francorchamps”. If you love nature, then this track may be appealing.

The winner of that Grand Prix 2025 was none other than Oscar Piastri. The second place driver Lando Norris, the third place was Charles Leclerc, fourth place was Max Verstappen, and fifth place was George Russell.

The country of Belgium takes its racing serious. F1 has hosted F1 Grand Prix for the past 76 years. The future is bright for the Belgian GP. They have a contract that puts it through 2031 under a “rotational” schedule system.

There aren’t any F1 drivers currently from Belgium. However, there has been 24 F1 drivers from Belgium all time.

Jacky Ickx and Thierry Boutsen are widely seen to be the best F1 drivers from Belgium. After all, they are the only drivers from Belgium to win Grand Prix races.

The track is quite safe, despite being around for a very long time. Nobody has ever died on the ancient track. A Formula 2 driver did die in a multi-car accident on the track.

Looking ahead to the 2026 Belgian GP, we’v already have two practice sessions and we are bound to have another one tomorrow. The results are promising for a few drivers.

Max Verstappen won F1, but that didn’t quite stick. He took third in the F2 session today. Kimi Antonelli and Lando Norris took the first two spots. Verstappen really needs to win this race, as he sits at seventh in the standings. Meanwhile, AK is in first place.

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Will Max Verstappen stay with Red Bull?

Will Verstappen stay with Red Bull?

By: Jake Rajala

All good things must come to an end. Max Verstappen has been on the top with Red Bull racing. Well, he has been rumored to link up with McLaren. Right now, he is laser-focused on winning the Belgian Grand Prix. After all, he is seventh place on the season.

One of Max’s reflections was, “People come and go – I think that’s sometimes also part of the process. Sometimes you want people to stay, potentially, yes, but I think that’s just how life is, how sport is as well. You just have to carry on, try to find new talents. That’s what you look at all the time and that’s what we do.”

Max is under contract until the end 2028, but that doesn’t mean he can’t leave his deal in 2027.

An interesting situation recently unfolded. A surprise agreement came with McLaren, creating a support with a 15 year driver from Belgian, by the name of Dries Van Langendonck.

So, if Max leaves Red Bull, the obvious question is: who could replace Max at Red Bull?

Carlo Sainz Jr. would be a bold pick. He left Ferrari and joined High Hopes. Of course, Carlo Sainz Jr is the son of Carlo Sainz.

Another big time option to replace Max is none other than Oliver Bearman. He is 21 years old and he comes from Britain.

A somewhat under the radar move could be Oscar Piastri going from McLaren. He is only 25 years old.

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Is Luke Browning the future?

Is Luke Browning the chosen one?

By: Jake Rajala

Luke Browning is a couple years younger than me, as he’s 24 years old. He has the whole future ahead of him. He doesn’t have to be 19 right now. He is a reserve driver for Williams in Formula 1.

“Motorsport” captured his taste for F1. He said, “I realised at a very young age that I craved adrenaline and competition. That’s what motivated me, and what really is what I wanted to devote my life to. I think I could have been a professional at any sport that really I put my mind to.”

Brown secured a spot with Atlassian Williams. His reaction was, “I’m incredibly excited to be stepping up as a reserve driver with Atlassian Williams this season. The academy has been instrumental in my growth, supporting me through both F3 and F2 while giving me the chance to get up to speed with modern F1 machinery through testing and FP1 sessions. I look forward to working alongside Alex and Carlos to drive the team forward in this new era for Formula 1.

What else is to know of this Browning? He comes from Kingsley, United Kingdom. Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris, and George Russell also come from the UK. He is 5’10, which is a common height for racers. to

Luke finished the F2 Championship in fourth place. In the season, he won Dallara Overtake of the Year. In 2022, he won the GB3 Championship.

We know he’s successful. So, what could his net worth be? It’s estimated that his net worth is between $1 million and $2.5 million dollars.

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Nikola Tsolov is climbing the ladder

Watch out for Nikola Tsolov

By: Jake Rajala

One of the most popular names in the world is Nikola. There is “Nikola” Tesla, who brought electricity to the world. Of course there is also a popular name is racing: Nikola Tsolov. We will be discussing the second one.

Nikola is a 19 year old from Bulgaria. He is on the Red Bull Junior team. He competes in the Formula 2 Championship. As noted by Planet F1, he had the Silverstone clean sweep, winning the sprint and feature race, and having three consecutive wins, a F2 first!

It’s not easy to make a transition from Max Verstappen, regardless of the new talent. Max was a legend.

It’s been noted that “It’s a good problem to have’ with more than one talented driver. The legend David Coulthard said, “Listen to that name, Nikola Tsolov, he drives very well, is a great personality out of the girl, so looking forward to him in F1.

His ability is undeniable. Campbos racing boss said the following about Max, “We ae giving him a good car, but he’s the one making the difference. He does everything so easily, and that is surprising everyone.”

So, if Nikola goes to Red Bull, what is to come out of Max? Well, it appears he could go to McLaren in the short term. Meanwhile, Dutchman should stay with Red Bull.

What else is intriguing about this mysterious driver? He raced in the Alpine academy until the late 2024.

Nikola stands at 5’11. Height isn’t overly important in F1. After all, Lewis Hamilton is 5’8!

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Winners and Losers from the British GP

British GP reflection

By: Jake Rajala

The British Grand Prix came and went in a flash. So, I’m going to lay out some winners and losers from the July 4th event.

Winner: British Drivers

It was a day to remember for British drivers. George Russel, Lewis Hamilton, and Lando Norris took second, third, and fourth place. Russell is now second in the standings, Hamilton is third, and Norris is fifth place. Russell and Hamilton both have five podiums.

Loser: Max Verstappen

What in the bloody heck? Verstappen went from second in the Austrian Grand Prix to not placing in the British Grand Prix. He spun out in the dirt. It was reported as a “right wing” failure. He lost his podium spot and he wasn’t too happy about it, as he kept swearing.

Winner: Charles Leclerc

This is a no-brainer. Charles Leclerc won the GP and earned his spot in the history of the British Grand Prix. Charles is now fourth place in the overall standings. That was his first win. ‘You have to start somewhere”.

Loser: New Zealand drivers

Look away New Zealand drivers. The first Zealand driver was Liam Lawson, who came in sixth place. Oscar Piastri came in 11th. It wasn’t an inspiring night for New Zealand racers.

Loser: A.K. Antonelli

A.K. didn’t win in the Austrian GP and then he didn’t place in the British GP! He had a front left shield failure, which forced him into many pit stops. Thankfully, he is noticeably ahead of every other F1 driver in the standings. He still can’t afford to let Russell get a few more wins. He has the best chance of catching up to him.

There are more winners and losers that can be recorded from this pivotal race. I just wanted to highlight the biggest winners and losers. I hope there will be intense and a bit dramatic racing in Belgian Grand Prix.

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Reflecting on the Austrian GP in 2025

Austrian GP in 2025

By: Jake Rajala

The 2026 Austrian Grand Prix is right around the corner (as it begins Sunday at 9 am). With that said, I believe it’s worth reflecting on the GP from last season.

Lando Norris took home first place, Oscar Piastri was in second place, Charles Leclerc was third, Lewis Hamilton was fourth, and George Russell was fifth!

Carlo Sainz had a day to remember for the 2025 GP. His race ended before it started! His vehicle suffered a terminal brake failure. Hence, his car went up in flames.

Max Verstappen may have been an alpha last season, but he failed in the Austrian GP in lap 1! He had a collision with rookie driver Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli. I’d really have to say it was a rookie mistake by Kimi.

Albon also had a day to forget for the British team.

Norris and Piastri were like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. They both were side by side until the very end.

Piastri wasn’t quite able to come out of the pits as fast as Norris. This left Norris in first by a somewhat comfortable gap toward the end.

If Verstappen didn’t get hit on the corner, I’d be very fascinated to see if he would make a push for the Top-5. Verstappen was second in practice 1, third in practice 2, and third in practice three.

The Austrian GP proves to be a unique, somewhat challenging course for drivers, especially young drivers and “rusty” drivers.

There should be a lot of confidence from the McLaren team, whether it’s from Lando or Oscar. I expect a lot of energy and potentially some tricks up the sleeve from the team.

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Haas Laura Muller is an inspiration to many

Laura Mueller has defied obstacles

By: Jake Rajala

Today is international “Women in Engineering Day”. I believe it’s worth reflecting on a special female in F1 by the name of Laura Mueller. She is the first full-time race engineer in the history of Formula 1! The 35 year old has been there for 18 months. Of course, she is the engineer for Esteban Ocon at Haas.

The Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu said on the F1 website, “She’s a pretty determined character. He elaborated and said, “And then she’s very hard working.”

She has recognized that other females have shined in men sports, even in racing. She said Leena Gade was someone that she looked up to. She was the first female race engineer to win at the 24 hours of Le Mans with Audi in 2011. She said, “I’ve only met her in passing once – I don’t actually know much about her, but at the same time I was like, “That’s really cool, that’s a woman in a very important role.”

I’m not saying that Laura is “Amelia Earnhardt”, but she is an inspiration for many people. She is inspiring from an engineer perspective and an athletic perspective.

Her fame has been captured in unique ways. Laura and Hannah Schmitz became the first women to have the corner named after them at the Australian Grand Prix. Hannah is the head of race strategy for the Formula 1 Red Bull team. She is 41 years old and she came the University of Cambridge.

So, what else should we note about Laura? Well, she went to Technical University of Munich. Rudolf Diesel, who invented the diesel engine, went there.

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Madrid’s La Monumental corner is around the corner

Madrid’s La Monumental is on the horizon

By: Jake Rajala

The Spanish Grand Prix has a rich, deadly corner. It’s called, “La Monumental”, which is turn 12. It’s even more deadly than the corner in the Pixar film, “Cars”. It has in fact been 45 years since the last GP hosted by the capital of Spain. They will want to make some twists and attract a bigger audience, whether it’s in person or behind the screens.

The design goes up 10 meters high and it takes six seconds to turn. It’s safe for the audience. The drivers on the other hand? Not as much.

We never want to see someone die. Hence, the need for halos. However, we love the thrill someone cheating death. We always want to see craziest tracks that can make this happen. If the Madrid can set the standard with this corner, then we should see other tracks one-up this track.

Carlo Sainz is obviously a Spanish driver. He said the following about the corner, “I need a simulator to give you exact details of how it will feel, but I can already tell, it looks impressive, because we’re going to be entering that corner at a very high speed.”

So, what about the rest of the track? Well, there is a 140,000 spectator capacity and it’s minutes away from the international Barajas airport and 20 minutes from the city center.

This epic GP will start on September 11-13. The last winner of the Spanish GP was Lewis Hamilton in 2016. In other words, it’s bloody time for a GP to be shown in La Roja, also known as Spain.

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