Hi there, and welcome to the very first What Needs Knowing newsletter! Each week, I’ll be sliding into your inbox with short guides to what is worth knowing in sports, books, and the world around you. Got something you want to hear about or just want so say hello, drop me a line: mackenzie.timbel@gmail.com.
Formula 1 is Back, Bitches
After a long off-season in which we all wondered where Lewis Hamilton had gone and if he would recover from having the title snatched from him at the 11th hour, Formula 1 is back! In case you have only just re-entered the Narnia of motorsports after Drive to Survive Season 4 was dropped on Netflix last week, I’ve been keeping up with all the news and am ready with all the details on what is worth knowing ahead of the season.
Sir Lewis Hamilton - He essentially left the public eye from December 12th until February 5th minus a short emergence to be formally knighted on the Wednesday after he lost the title. It was even a question whether he would return to the sport after on-the-fly rule changes from the FIA denied him a record 8th World Championship. I could fill an entire newsletter with what I think about that final race (hint: Lewis was robbed, but not by Red Bull or Max), but like Lewis, I’m looking ahead to the season and trying to put the past behind me. He has a new teammate in ex-Williams standout George Russell that I believe will provide him with intra-team competition that he has missed in the last few seasons from Valtteri Bottas. The Mercedes car did not impress at both preseason testing weekends even when you consider the team’s historical record of sandbagging the preseason performance previews. Will this added pressure plus the pains of last season make Lewis falter? No! I believe Lewis’ off-season detox mixed with his stated goal of being more aggressive this season means there is a storm coming for Max, or any other team at the top of the grid when the lights go out.
Sidepods & Porpoising - With new car design regulations this year that include major changes to the tires and aerodynamic requirements, car designs at preseason testing were the widest variety we have seen in a long time. Sidepods (an aerodynamic feature close to the rear-view mirrors) were different sizes and shapes across the pack, even among the fastest cars. Mercedes seemed unhappy with their design during the Barcelona test, completely changing their design before the Bahrain test with mixed improvement. Ferrari’s sidepods looked completely different than any other team’s upon their debut but tested well and became a benchmark for success going into the first race weekend.
Porpoising is another aerodynamic dilemma to keep track of at the start of this season. Virtually every team is struggling with it to varying degrees and unlike most design problems in Formula 1, the armchair viewer (you and I) can easily see the issue. As the cars move down the main straight, usually a DRS (the Drag Reduction System alters the aerodynamic functions of the car to improve passing ability on the straight) zone, the aerodynamics that use ground force to reduce drag and make the cars move quicker in a straight line are creating a bouncing effect that looks like driving a car with a bad suspension on a dirt road at high speed. This is called porpoising, a effect named after the water creatures that move up and down along the surface of the water in the same fashion. It looks like it would make the strongest of us carsick and is a top priority for teams that want their cars’s design to be successful this season.
The Return of Haas - While most teams were battling for points during the last half of the 2021 season, Haas was already working on their car for this season. And it shows! Just today, both Haas cars set lap times in the top 10 during Free Practice 1 and 2. While those results are likely conflated due to fuel loads and specific team routines, it is clear that Haas’s hard work has a chance of paying off. This optimism is doubled when you consider the combination of youth and experience they have in Mick Schumacher and Kevin Magnusson (who recently replaced Nikita Mazepin after he and his father’s company, title sponsor Urakali, were ousted due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine). If anyone has a couple million dollars lying around and wants to get into Formula 1, please call me ASAP! After so much swearing and general disappointment in four seasons of Drive to Survive, I just want Guenther Steiner to be happy!
My picks for this weekend:
Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
My bold prediction for this season: Lewis will win his 8th Driver’s Championship before retiring, Max and Carlos Sainz will be hot on his heels in second and third. The only way to top last years two-way thriller in the title race is to make it a trifecta! Mercedes will win the Constructors Championship with Ferrari in second. It pays to have a teammate who regularly contributes in the points and I believe that is a weakness for Sergio Perez, a good driver who hasn’t unlocked his killer instinct in the Red Bull.
Watch the Race: ESPN Sunday at 9am MT
Evvie Drake is Relatable as Hell
Each week I will be reading a book and giving you a list of takeaways with the intention of piquing your interest but not spoiling the ending. Can’t say all the books will be good or educational; there will be something for everyone.
This week’s book was Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes. You can find a copy here.
Evvie Drake is a totally relatable character for me. Smart, unsure of her career, has a lot more issues going on than meets the eyes, and goes about working on those issues in varyingly successful ways. (Why do you think I started this newsletter, huh?)
I would love to read a novella with Dean’s perspective of this story. His case of the yips remains unresolved for me and while Evvie’s story gets closure, I don’t think Dean’s was properly addressed.
While the girl meets boy in small sleepy town is a trope that everyone seems to be doing in the romance genre, this one is better than most because of its decided focus on character development by way of arguments, meltdowns, and therapy. The romance is still a strong theme but doesn’t fall into the trap of trading real moments with the characters for cringe-worthy sex scenes. Don’t be fooled though, still a sexy read!
For just a moment (the two days it took me to read the book), I almost liked baseball.
The book takes place in Maine and has many references to lobsters, either as a profession or food. It got me craving lobster until I read this article.
What’s Worth Knowing?
Each week, I’ll finish the newsletter with a list of interesting links, events, or photos that I want to share with all of you.
Drive to Survive Season 4 on Netflix. Watch it and then tell me if you think there is a cooler character than Susie Wolff. I’ll wait.
Russell Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos. It feels great to be excited about football in Colorado again. Let’s cook, Russ.
March Madness has begun, for both men and women. For the first time in history, the NCAA is using “March Madness” branding for both the men’s and women’s tournament. Just watch Caitlin Clark play and tell me she isn’t marketable.
Dua Lipa visited Denver this week. I’ve never seen someone who exudes so much confidence on stage. She just started her own newsletter and podcast called Service95. She is an inspiration to me and I have to tell you, her interviewing skills are impressive!
What to watch this weekend? Formula 1 in Bahrain, duh! Denver Nuggets v. Boston Celtics Sunday at 6pm MT. Women’s Pro Ultimate is in action this weekend in both the PUL and WUL, just google to find your home team/streaming details.
Printmaking returns. I had some fun this week carving this small stamp!
Preview next week’s book and read along. I’ll be reading Sidecountry: Tales of Death and Life from the Back Roads of Sports by John Branch.
See you next week!
-Mackenzie “Go Danny Ric” Timbel