Not throwing away his shot

The GIST: The 2024 Formula 1 season doesn’t officially start until the end of February, but F1 silly season has already begun. Seven-time world champion and long-time Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton is, ahem, switching gears and joining Ferrari in 2025 — a move as unexpected as when Zayn left One Direction.

The context: There are only 20 spots on the F1 grid, with 10 teams composed of two drivers each, and Ferrari is one of the most prestigious, recognizable, and respected teams. While they haven’t had luck on the track recently, the oldest and most successful F1 team has competed in every World Championship since 1950.

• Enter: Lewis Hamilton. The all-time winningest driver with 103 career victories, Sir Lewis dominated the 2010s with Mercedes. But while Hamilton brought the team six championships, Ferrari still reigns supreme with 16. The rich get richer.

• Speaking of, Hamilton has a chance to cement his GOAT status by winning his eighth world championship, overtaking Ferrari legend Michael Schumacher for most-ever world titles. History has its eyes on him.

The details: Starting in 2025, Hamilton will replace Carlos Sainz — the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race last season — and join Ferrari poster boy Charles Leclerc, who signed a multi-year contract with the team last week. Until then, Hamilton will race one last season with Mercedes, while Sainz races for Ferrari. Awkward.

• As for Sainz, whose contract expires at the end of the 2024 season, his future is still uncertain, but there are already rumors swirling about his landing spot.

The impact: Contrary to what Max Verstappen’s dominance might have you think, F1 is an ultra competitive sport. While the grid will remain completely unchanged in 2024, 13 (!!!) drivers’ contracts are expiring this season. Expect everybody to put the pedal to the metal to steer clear of Drive to Survive–worthy drama.

The GIST: While some big names are sticking with their squads, WNBA free agency is off to an otherwise wild start, with a few of the W’s finest shaking up rosters as the signing period officially opened yesterday.

Skylar Diggins-Smith: The six-time All-Star is leaving the Phoenix Mercury for the Seattle Storm, reuniting with her former Notre Dame teammate and backcourt bestie, Jewell Loyd. Cue up Mariah because these hoopers belong together.

• After sitting out the 2023 season following the birth of her second child, Diggins-Smith will be a key part of the Storm’s ongoing rebuild following Sue Bird’s retirement in 2022 and Breanna Stewart’s departure in 2023.

Natasha Cloud: Diggins-Smith’s former team, meanwhile, are gaining one of the best defenders in the league. Cloud previously spent her entire eight-year career with the Washington Mystics and is known for her tenacious defense that played a major role in the ’Stics’ 2019 championship.

Who’s still making up their mind: Elena Delle Donne, Cloud’s former Mystics teammate, who was cored by her team but is reportedly exploring other options. Elsewhere, former LA Spark Nneka Ogwumike has allegedly whittled her short list down to three squads: the Chicago Sky, the NY Liberty, and the Storm.

• And while the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces remain mostly intact, free agent Candace Parker is staying quiet about her 2024 plans. The veteran superstar’s 2023 season was cut short by foot surgery, and she hasn’t announced plans for a comeback…yet.

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⛳ PGA: Pebble Beach Pro-Am — Ongoing through Sunday — Golf Channel

• The second signature event of the season swings on with nine of the world’s top 10 players, including No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who’s making his Pebble Beach debut, and No. 2 Rory McIlroy. Tee-rrific.

🏒 NHL All-Star Weekend — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET and tomorrow at 3 p.m. ET — ESPN

• The PWHL stars already came, saw, and conquered last night, but there’s still plenty of icy action to enjoy with $1M up for grabs in tonight’s Skills Contest before the festivities wrap up with tomorrow’s All-Star tournament finale.

👟 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon trials — Tomorrow at 10 a.m. ET — Peacock/NBC

• The women’s field is the most diverse and fastest in history and the men’s is chock full of starpower, with three women’s spots and two men’s on the line as the road to Paris races through Orlando, Florida. Lace ’em up.

🎓🏀 NCAA men’s basketball: No. 7 Duke vs. No. 3 UNC — Tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. ET — ESPN

• It doesn’t get better than this: a blue blood battle between two top-10 programs that have 191 feisty games already woven into their contentious in-state rivalry.

🏈 NFL Pro Bowl Games Championship — Sunday at 3 p.m. ET — ESPN

• After last night’s playground style skills competition, the NFL’s best take the gridiron for more fun, including a flag football showdown for the ages. It’s brother vs. brother and Dogg vs. Davidson.