The kids came for F1 and NASCAR, plus FIFA says nevermind

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Good morning! Objects today may be closer than they appear. Inside:

🏁 Racing’s young studs

↩️ FIFA’S U-turn

📖 Fantasy football how-to

Kids: The fountain of youth in F1 and NASCAR

In Formula 1, a driver who turns 20 this month will come out of the summer break as the clear favorite to win the world championship. In NASCAR, a broad injection of young talent is asserting itself in the title picture.

I find this fascinating. These guys have been driving civilian cars on the world’s roads for only a few years. Now here they are, throwing their weight around at the top of motorsport. How?

Eight of the 22 drivers on the F1 grid are between the ages of 18 and 25. The move to get younger is a few years old now. The leader is Kimi Antonelli, who’s favored to become the youngest world champion ever, by a margin of three years.

NASCAR’s youth movement is more diffuse. Already this season, a trio of drivers between 23 and 24 have won Cup Series races: Ty Gibbs, Carson Hocevar and Corey Heim, who’s now won two before even becoming a full-time Cup Series driver. Those three are forming a not-so-friendly rivalry that could be central to the sport for 10 or 20 years. There’s also 20-year-old Connor Zilisch, who’s had a challenging rookie season but is still one of the most prized young drivers to ever join the Cup Series. And more not too far behind, with the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series teeming with promising drivers in their early 20s.

I won’t overstate it, because grizzled vets are still doing well in both series. Denny Hamlin (45) leads the Cup Series, and Lewis Hamilton (41) is second in F1’s championship race.

But it’s hard not to notice all the youngsters frequently winning races, so what gives? I asked two of the smartest people in motorsport writing, The Athletic F1 writer Luke Smith and NASCAR writer Jordan Bianchi, to elaborate.

Luke, when was the last time F1 had this much young talent?

💬 I can’t recall a time where the F1 grid has ever been quite so young and for the talents to be this good. Max Verstappen’s emergence as a 17-year-old in 2015 was striking, yet he wasn’t joined by many others the same age. Antonelli at 19 may now be the headline name — and probably F1’s brightest young star since Verstappen — but we’ve also got Ollie Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto and Isack Hadjar all at 21. There’s even an 18-year-old Arvid Lindblad. It’s exciting for F1’s future to have such a gaggle of wildly talented youngsters.

Jordan, you’ve expressed a similar sentiment in NASCAR. Why’s it happening?

💬 One of the biggest barriers to young drivers getting top-level opportunities was a lack of experience, often resulting in them not getting chances until their mid-to-late 20s. But the advent of technology, particularly simulators, has helped young drivers bridge the experience gap. Also, like in F1, drivers now are also getting involved in motorsports at a very young age. And this is happening to such a degree, it’s not only commonplace to see teenagers regularly competing in NASCAR national series events, but their youth doesn’t equate to a lack of experience because of how extensively they raced prior to advancing to this level.

Thanks to both Luke and Jordan. It’s a young person’s game now.

News to Know

FIFA backs down

Private investors will not be offered a stake in future World Cups, after all. FIFA president Gianni Infantino scrapped the short-lived proposal late Friday after fierce opposition — most notably European nations’ threat to boycott FIFA events — and condemnation from his own staff. The juicy question now: Will the U-turn save him in next spring’s election? Sebastian Stafford-Bloor writes that the debacle is part of “a growing pattern of unilateral behavior” by FIFA’s boss.

💬 One of the frequent refrains from the past few days is that Infantino has been trying to sell something that does not belong to him. Increasingly, he acts as if it does, with this latest affair further evidence that, rather than an administrator, he sees himself more as football’s broker, the owner of its power and the arbiter for what it should be used for.

It’s a good read.

More News

Tony Romo was placed on leave by CBS Sports after his arrest on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. J.J. Watt will take his place on the lead CBS crew, and Romo may have his work cut out to get that spot back.

Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama will get a signature shoe with Nike.

The Giants are suspending payment to center fielder Harrison Bader after he injured himself crashing his scooter. (Wild that he was suspended for doing that in college, too.)

A judge granted an injunction giving athletes who started college in 2022 a fifth year of eligibility — which the NCAA is expected to appeal. The ruling could benefit teams that left roster spots open just in case. Full story here.

The Big Ten and SEC finally gave their blessing to a Senate bill designed to stabilize college athlete compensation.

Is Aaron Donald going to unretire and join the Rams? Coach Sean McVay: “If there’s an arrow, it’s pointing up.”

After a week helping Patriots coaches, former NFL wideout DeAndre Hopkins is expected to join the staff at Georgia Tech.

Solid pick for U.S. fans looking for a club team to follow: Middlesbrough, who will have three USMNT players with the addition of Columbus Crew wingback Max Arfsten.

Lawyers for NBA veteran Terry Rozier say a single text message should end the federal sports gambling case against him.

📰 Find more news here 24/7.

Watch Guide

First up: Our sports streaming guide for the whole month of August. For today …

📺 Golf: AIG Women’s Open

7 a.m. ET on USA, then 12 p.m. on NBC/Peacock

Haeran Ryu leads at -7 as she tries to become the first woman to win three straight majors since Inbee Park in 2013. Nelly Korda, also chasing her third major this year, is six back.

📺 MLB: Yankees at Cubs

7:15 p.m. ET on Fox

Two lefties, Max Fried and the recently acquired David Peterson, will start. The Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong is now a real competitor to Shohei Ohtani in the NL MVP race.

📺 MLS: Inter Miami at Columbus

7:30 p.m. ET on Apple TV

Or pick another match. There’s a whole, big slate of soccer today.

Get tickets to games like this here.

Pulse Picks

It’s about that time when fantasy football opportunities start bubbling up and existing leagues get into gear. New to it all, or just need a refresher? Presenting our ultimate fantasy football beginner’s guide.

The MLB trade deadline is ever closer (6 p.m. ET Monday) and we’ve got comprehensive live coverage of every move — as well as predictions and other musings — right here.

I’m rewatching “Fleabag” (for the fourth time!). Season 2 gets the most shine and deservedly so: It’s unmatched for me in TV. But Season 1 deserves its flowers, too: endlessly dark, funny, complicated and, yes, healing. — Hannah Vanbiber

Women’s professional baseball is back, starting today. Here’s what to expect.

🎥 Our Jon Greenberg tried the White Sox’s new sushi push-pop, “The Muneshot,” created in honor of Munetaka Murakami. It’s good, apparently!

These are always fun: Jayson Stark on the 10 weirdest and wildest MLB games of July.

I’m going back to a favorite Uruguayan steakhouse of mine tonight and I can’t stop thinking about another chance to eat provoleta. — Lauren Merola

My fellow Wirecutter kitchen experts and I recently tasted our way through IKEA’s vast assortment of packaged foods (yes, they offer far more than their iconic Swedish meatballs). We crowned 18 surprisingly delicious standouts — including instant mashed potatoes that pass for homemade and really great gummies. — Lesley Stockton

Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Oneil Cruz’s home run off the top of the foul pole (back in April).

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