July 24th, 2025 // Vol. XLVI // Cars Go Vroom

Cheers. There are some very important “holidays” today, so let’s get right in to it. Happy:

• National Tequila Day (Whether it’s a margarita, TSL, or just a shot, it’s hard to beat tequila. Just don’t ask yourself why your head hurts the next day. Or why you ended up on the floor. Or why you did that thing you shouldn’t have. Blame the tequila and move on; it’s the perfect scapegoat.)

• National Refreshment Day (Well this lines up nicely with Tequila Day. A margarita tends to be veryyy refreshing on a hot summer day (especially when you follow my recipe))

• National Amelia Earhart Day (The pioneer was born 128 years ago today, and disappeared 40 years later. I like to think she lived out her days on a peaceful Pacific island, and no one can prove me wrong)

• National Cousins Day (Shoutout to all of my cousins and primos. It only feels right that one of them gave me the idea for doing this “National Day” part of the newsletter. And congrats to the one who just got engaged.)

Let’s have a day:

New Release in:

F1 (2025)

I’m slightly torn on how to feel about this movie. As a cinema fan, I found it very entertaining (if a little long), with strong characters and intriguing plot lines. As an actual Formula 1 fan though… Let’s just say that, in spite of the substantial effort put in to making it realistic, they missed the mark in some very key ways.

Practically the entire premise is astronomically absurd. Taking a team that has never scored a point in the series and trying to get them a win? Just laugh out loud funny. But Formula 1 fans need to put aside their superiority complex, suspend their disbelief, and just enjoy some chaos.

Enjoy seeing cars go fast on the big screen. Enjoy the access they were granted into the paddock, recreating the off-track atmosphere in a way that allowed them to ingratiate APXGP into the drama. Enjoy superstitious, slightly cocky, and potentially washed-up Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) battling it out with the inexperienced, but talented Joshua Pierce (Damson Idris). Enjoy the team making bold and unrealistic strategy calls that you’ve surely wished your team would make at some point. Enjoy the commitment to cinematography that gave high quality depictions of being in the cockpit. Enjoy the soundtrack that blends the classics with the new.

I watched this with some friends who knew very little about F1, and one of them walked out saying “I want to be an F1 driver.” I didn’t have the heart to tell him that at 22, he’s way behind, but I loved that seeing even a dramatized version of the sport unlocked a passion and interest. The excitement of the movie is what made it, Brad Pitt and Damson Idris’ performances elevated it, and that was enough to distract from the ridiculousness of it all. I definitely took my corners a little bit tighter on the way home, too.

Ferrari should try some of those strategies/5

QOTD 46: What’s your guilty pleasure?

Trevor gave me a great way to source new questions, so y’all are in for a ride coming up. Answer on Instagram.

Yesterday’s Results

Got a couple of songs, so stay on the look out.