“It’s like they say, everything happens for a reason,” David Malukas told Motorsport.com. “If I look back, I am probably 10 times the driver that I feel like before with everything that happened this year.

Malukas reckoned with some steep odds through his 2024 IndyCar Series season and has come out the other side better because of it. It was a year that began with Arrow McLaren, which quickly fell awry after he suffered a mountain biking crash less than a month before the season and forced him on the sidelines with an injured left wrist that required surgery. He was released less than three months later, with the team citing his unavailability and no return date confirmed. 

The outgoing Chicago-born product then checked out of social media briefly and took a mental reset, of sorts, before landing an opportunity to return to the cockpit in early June with Meyer Shank Racing for the remaining nine races of the season. Despite not having fully recovered, he pushed through his injury with impressive pace, starting in the top six five times, including a best of second (twice – St. Louis, Milwaukee 1). He was also left wondering what could have been with potential wins fading after crashing after contact from Team Penske’s Will Power in St. Louis and being on the wrong end of a strategy call in Nashville. 

The results table will only show two top 10s with a best result of sixth at the bumpy and tough concrete playground that makes up the streets of Toronto, but doesn’t do justice to the real pace Malukas was generating in his comeback. 

David Malukas, Meyer Shank Racing Honda

Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images

“I’m still very young (23) and I’m still learning every single time,” Malukas said. “I made a lot of mistakes this year and had a wild ride of ups and downs, but in the end, I think everything worked out the way it should have been.” 

Malukas also benefited from reviewing data from several talented drivers across his time at Arrow McLaren, along with MSR and its technical alliance with Andretti Global.

“I learned a lot,” he said. “I was able to get driver information from Pato (O’Ward), from (Alexander) Rossi, and (Marcus) Ericsson, (Colton) Herta, Kyle (Kirkwood) and (Felix) Rosenqvist. I mean, these are all top drivers and all special in their own ways. To get all that information to fill it up on me, I mean it was a big chunk. 

“I’ve also matured a lot. With having that incident and coming back from it, I’m definitely going to be taking care of myself this whole offseason. But overall, I’m very happy. I don’t have a full left hand back, but I think that’s a good price to pay to reach my max potential. If this year didn’t happen and things turned out differently, I don’t think I would be at the potential I am right now.”

When asked more about the injury, Malukas held both hands up and demonstrated the difference in available movement by bending back his right hand but unable to do the same with his left, with it barely moving from its vertical stance. 

“Maybe it can get a little bit better,” he said. I think that was part of the risk, too, is getting back into a car I kind of had to put my hand recovery a little bit on hold.

“There’s still an opportunity to get some of it back. It’ll never be 100%, but if we can get some of it back then I think we’ll be out of the window of it being a bit of a pain in the car. But right now, it’s definitely still been an issue this year, getting to need it wrapped and giving it extra stability. Just with all that movement, it doesn’t have… I kind of need that little bit extra, like 10 more degrees. 

“So, I hope that we can get it and if so, then going into next season it should be something that I don’t even remember.”

And Malukas will want to be at his maximum as he prepares for next year with AJ Foyt Racing as part of a two-car lineup that also features Santino Ferrucci. 

While that venture looms in 2025, Malukas also can’t help but look back fondly on his brief but stout time with the team co-owned by Mike Shank and Jim Meyer. 

“Yeah, definitely it’s bittersweet,” Malukas said. 

“The way things turned out with all the talking and all that stuff, things were a bit slower than we wanted it and we ended up going somewhere else. From my side, the team’s been incredible. I’m going to say it over and over again: I think this team, they saved me. They saved my career. 

“When it comes to IndyCar, you can be known and unknown very quickly. You could be forgotten. And they took a chance on me. Without them, I probably would not have had an opportunity to get into a car this year and it wouldn’t be until next year. To get a seat, there’s so many good drivers available right now and it would have been a much harder situation if it wasn’t for them, so a big thank you to Mike, Jim and all the crew guys. They treated me like family. As soon as I came in there, it was smiles and having a good time. 

“And no matter what the results were, I’m frustrated, pissed off, happy or whatever, they’re always just smiling and they’re like, ‘Dude, this has been awesome’ and having a good time. And the pit stops were insane. … They were rockets. Such a good group of guys. It’s definitely a little bittersweet to leave them, but at least we made some good memories along the way.”

Editor’s note: In advance of Bronny James’ Los Angeles Lakers debut on Tuesday night, which will make him and LeBron James the first father-son duo to play in an NBA game together in league history, we’re bringing back this list of notable father-son duos in sports history — including one pair that plans to be in attendance for LeBron and Bronny’s moment.

Like father, like son. 

Many remarkable athletes have had sons follow in their footsteps in their respective sport, including new Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James and his superstar father — and now teammate — LeBron James. 

With that in mind, we’ve rounded up some of the most iconic father-son duos in sports history.

LeBron James and Bronny James

LeBron James has made an incredible mark in the NBA, becoming the league’s all-time leading scorer this year. A 20-time All-Star, four-time NBA MVP and four-time NBA Finals MVP, LeBron James has played 21 seasons and six with the Lakers. 

His oldest son, Bronny, was selected by the Lakers with the 55th overall pick in this year’s draft, making the pair the first father-son duo to play simultaneously and on the same team in the NBA.

Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr.

Ken Griffey Sr. played 19 seasons in the major leagues, most notably with the Cincinnati Reds. He won 10 Gold Glove Awards, seven Silver Slugger Awards and two World Series to go along with 13 MLB All-Star Game selections. In 2004, he was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame, finishing his career with a .296 batting average, 152 home runs and 859 RBIs. 

Griffey Jr., played 13 seasons with the Seattle Mariners and nine with the Reds. Griffey Jr. and Griffey Sr. played two seasons together with the Mariners, becoming the and still only father-son duo to play on the same MLB team and, in 1990, hit back-to-back home runs against the then-California Angels. Griffey Jr. was the American League MVP in 1997 and led the AL in home runs four times during his career. He’s seventh all-time with 630 career home runs. A 10-time Gold Glove Award winner and 13-time All-Star, Griffey Jr. was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016. 

(Update: Until the James duo, Griffey Jr. and Sr. were the only father-son pair in North American professional team sports to play on the same team, and both Griffeys reportedly plan to be in attendance Tuesday to celebrate the James’ moment.)

Archie Manning and Peyton Manning, Eli Manning

Archie Manning is at the forefront of the Manning legacy, playing quarterback in the NFL for 13 seasons, mostly with the New Orleans Saints. A two-time Pro Bowler, Archie Manning was inducted into the Saints’ Ring of Honor and Hall of Fame.

Archie’s eldest son, Peyton, played quarterback at Tennessee, where he was the SEC Player of the Year in 1997 and runner-up for the Heisman Trophy Award that same year. He went on to be the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. A 14-time Pro Bowler, Peyton Manning was named NFL MVP five times and a first-team All-Pro seven times. He’s the only starting QB to win a Super Bowl for two franchises and holds the NFL records for career passing yards (71,940) and passing touchdowns (539). 

Eli Manning played quarterback at Ole Miss, like his father, and won SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2003. He went on to be the first pick in 2004 by the New York Giants, winning two Super Bowls and earning Super Bowl MVP honors both times. A four-time Pro Bowler, Eli Manning ranks sixth in passing yards in league history and his 210 consecutive starts from 2004 to 2017 is the second-longest streak by a quarterback in NFL history.

Bobby Bonds and Barry Bonds

Bobby Bonds, a three-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner, became just the second player to hit 300 career home runs and steal 300 bases. 

Barry Bonds played 22 seasons, mostly with the San Francisco Giants, and was a seven-time National League MVP. Bonds holds the records for most career home runs (762) and most home runs in a season (73). A 14-time All-Star, 12-time Silver Slugger Award winner and eight-time Gold Glove Award winner, Barry Bonds tied his father for the most seasons with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases (five). 

Dell Curry and Stephen Curry

Dell Curry, the 15th overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft, played 16 seasons, averaging 11.7 points and shooting 40.2% from deep in 1,083 career games. He most notably played for the Charlotte Hornets, finishing second on the team’s all-time points leader list. 

Dell’s eldest son, Stephen, was selected seventh overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. He went on to become a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP and nine-time All Star and is widely considered the greatest shooter in NBA history, shooting over 43% from deep and 90% from the line in his career. 

Mychal Thompson and Klay Thompson

Selected with the first overall pick in 1978, Mychal Thompson averaged 16.7 points and 8.9 rebounds in seven seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers (1980-86) before playing half a season with the San Antonio Spurs (1986-87) and finishing his career with the Lakers. He won two championships with Magic Johnson and the Lakers. 

Klay Thompson was drafted 11th overall in 2011 by the Warriors and has developed into one of the game’s best shooters. A four-time NBA champion and five-time All-Star, Klay Thompson averaged 19.6 points per game on 41.3% shooting from deep in 11 seasons with Golden State. He announced his departure from the Warriors in free agency earlier this month, opting to sign a three-year, $50 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks.

Bobby Hull and Brett Hull

Bobby Hull led the NHL in goals seven times and was the second-leading goalscorer in league history (610) when he retired. Hull won back-to-back All-Star Game MVP awards in 1970 and 1971 after winning the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1961. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983.

Bobby Hull’s son, Brett, scored 741 goals in his career, the fourth-highest total in league history. The right wing won Stanley Cups in 1999 with the Dallas Stars and in 2002 with the Detroit Red Wings. A nine-time All-Star, Brett Hull was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009, joining his father to become the Hall’s first father-son duo.

Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dale Earnhardt is one of NASCAR‘s most iconic drivers. He participated in 676 Winston Cups, winning 76 of them. Earnhardt’s career came to an end after he was involved in a fatal crash on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. He was posthumously inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame inaugural class in 2010.

Earnhardt Jr. won 26 Cup Series races, including the Daytona 500 twice (2004, 2014). He had 260 top-10 finishes in Cup races in his career and was named NASCAR Rookie of the Year in 2000.

Howie Long and Chris Long

An eight-time Pro Bowl selection, Howie Long played his entire 13-year career with the Raiders‘ organization. He was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1985 after helping the franchise win the Super Bowl the year prior. Howie Long finished his career with 84.0 sacks and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000. 

Chris Long was the second overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, and he became one of the few players in NFL history to win back-to-back Super Bowls for different teams — with the New England Patriots in 2017 and the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018. The defensive end recorded 70.0 sacks in his 11-year career.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez competed in the Australian Grand Prix without an aerodynamic package on his Aprilia MotoGP bike and felt like he was “flying”.

Due to the disruptive influence of the powerful winds at the seaside track, the Phillip Island circuit is the only one on the MotoGP calendar at which riders are allowed to run without aero.

Fernandez and Aprilia’s satellite Trackhouse team took advantage of this point in the regulations to remove the aero elements from the bike and take off all the wings from the fairing for the races in Australia.

While Fernandez’s grand prix was spoilt by a poor start from an encouraging sixth place on the grid, he was thrilled by the sensation and performance of riding ‘wingless’ around the flowing Phillip Island track.

It was something the Spanish rider had never tried since his arrival in the premier class three years ago.

“We tried it yesterday [Saturday] and it went very well,” he explained after the grand prix on Sunday. “This is the only track in the world championship where you are allowed to remove the wings, because of the intense wind.”

Following the poor start on Sunday, Fernandez was swallowed up by the pack and dropped to 13th position after the first lap.

He gradually worked his way up to ninth, which he lost to Fabio Quartararo in the final part of the race before crossing the line tenth.

But despite the disappointing result, he had only good things to say about his speed during the race.

“Running without the wings was really good, I was really flying. The feeling was incredible,” he described.

“I had never ridden without wings, it was very nice. Aprilia [trusted me] and I offered myself as a guinea pig to make a good bike. I had a great time, it’s been a long time since I’ve felt a bike like this.

“I think I had the pace to finish fourth. I was catching the group ahead of me at the end, so I was happy with our pace and I think we did a good job.

“We held the gap to Fabio Di Giannantonio’s group. We had the same pace and at the end we were even faster.

“We talked about [the idea] with the team on Saturday and decided to do it. And the truth is that it has been very good for us to collect data for next year.

“The [experiment] was a bit crazy, but we got some good conclusions. The real pity, the most annoying thing, is to lose so many positions at the start.

“Basically we have to understand what we have to do to start well, because this is the key in MotoGP. We have a lot of wheelie and when that happens you cannot use the power. I have to close the throttle.”

Fernandez also suffered a poor start in the sprint race, dropping to 11th at the end of lap one. He recovered to finish seventh, which became sixth when di Giannantonio was penalised for a tyre pressure infringement on his VR46 Ducati.

Red Bull’s renewed challenge at the front of the grid in Austin suggests the team has begun to better understand the issues that it faces in finding performance from the RB20 on a week-by-week basis.

However, there are other factors to consider, with its handle on the tyres when compared with the opposition a glaring difference at the United States Grand Prix.

Seemingly able to find and better hold onto the performance sweet spot that’s necessary for lap time and longevity over a stint was undoubtedly a factor throughout the race weekend and something which has been lacking throughout much of 2024, exacerbated by its struggles with car balance.

However, we cannot dismiss the fact that the RB20 was also furnished with a smattering of new parts, perhaps helping Red Bull unlock the balance it’s sorely been missing for several races.

This included a revised layout at the rear of the edge wing, with the rear quarter of its surface not only being reshaped but also cambered more than its predecessor. There’s also a change in the profile of the vertical tab at the rear of the edge wing, as it’s reconfigured along with the shape of the edge wing’s tail, which is now more upturned than before.

There were also changes to the sidepod and engine cover bodywork on the RB20 in Austin, with the rearward sloping surface steepened as the overall length of the sidepod has been shortened. This change coincides with the belt-line contouring also being adjusted to provide a better passage for the airflow to travel to the rear of the car.

McLaren was one of several teams to declare a raft of changes for the United States Grand Prix, as it looks to continue its ascent through the pecking order and provide a step up in performance for the MCL38 in the remaining few races of the season.

McLaren MCL38 front wing comparison

Photo by: Uncredited

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As has been the trend during this regulatory era, the front wing and front suspension fairings have been altered in tandem, such is their aerodynamic kinship. The alterations to the front wing were subtle though, as the team adjusted the size of the upper two flaps in the outboard section, with the uppermost now a more continuous height across the span of the element (green arrows and comparison with older specification inset)

This has also constituted changes to the suspension fairing’s shapes, with the geometry of the front leg of the lower wishbone altered. Also, the shape of the cricket bat-shaped outer portion of the front leg of the upper wishbone has been reconfigured, along with the shape of the inboard attachment fairing.

McLaren MCL38 beam wing comparison

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Despite having announced the introduction of a new single-element beam wing arrangement to compliment its higher downforce rear wing configuration in the car presentation document, McLaren opted for another beam wing variant seemingly already in its pool.

The twin element, bi-plane style arrangement, was still a lower downforce version than the one used in Singapore and was likely chosen by the team as it was a known quantity, rather than pursuing an untested solution with just one practice session, especially as the team had so many other components to field test in just one session ahead of sprint qualifying.

Rather than celebrating two elite drivers racing on the edge or applauding Ferrari’s impressive one-two victory, talk after the US Grand Prix once again shifted to regulations, stewarding consistency, and track limits.

Verstappen followed F1’s racing guidelines, but are they fit for purpose?

The incident unleashed differing comments from both sides, with Red Bull pointing out Norris made an illegal overtake off the track – an argument which the race stewards followed – while McLaren argued that drivers shouldn’t be allowed to just crowd a competitor off the road.

As Verstappen has apparently understood better than anyone else, the current driving standards guidelines encourage the defending car on the inside to just release the brakes and ensure it is ahead at the apex without having to give the car on the outside any room at the exit, a line of thinking which makes overtaking around the outside even more difficult that it already was.

Mercedes was apoplectic that Verstappen didn’t get punished while George Russell did for a similar-looking offence driving Valtteri Bottas off, but because the Mercedes driver was the attacker and overtook on the inside, the guidelines say Russell did have the responsibility to leave a car’s width for the Sauber at the exit.

Interestingly, the guidelines are just written from the attacking car’s point of view, including the requirement to drive in a safe and controlled manner and be able to make the corner within the track limits. That Verstappen did not do so was a mitigating factor in Norris only getting a five-second penalty as opposed to 10, and also explains why Norris wasn’t penalised for his fourth track-limits offence.

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, battles with Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

Then there is another interpretation for the first lap of a race, where stewards take a much more relaxed “let them race” approach. That means drivers are less afraid of having a go at each other at Turn 1 for fear of being penalised, but at the same time it doesn’t help fans understand where the consistency is.

It is clear that the guidelines are just that, and only indicative of how the stewards might judge a particular incident. They offer room for interpretation, which in this case Red Bull and McLaren did differently. Those guidelines are supposed to see widespread adoption across all levels of FIA sanctioned racing in 2025, down to grassroots racing, but are now likely to return to the agenda as a point of discussion, as Jonathan Noble explains in detail.

But what if in future cases the guidelines allowed the attacking car to stay ahead when being forced off? Would we end up seeing more wheel-to-wheel racing within the white lines rather than outside? That is a question for F1 and the FIA to answer over the coming months before the guidelines become a part of the wider FIA playbook. But many feel the current system is too confusing and open to interpretation, and doesn’t necessarily promote fair racing.

How much time should stewards take to make decisions?

McLaren also lamented that the FIA stewards made a call to penalise Norris within several minutes and before the end of the race. Team principal Andrea Stella felt that meant the stewards couldn’t take into account what both drivers and teams had to say about the matter. “When the case is so difficult, like Lando and Max, just take the time, review it after the race and hear from the drivers, try to understand the subtleties,” he said.

The quick decision making particularly affects cars finishing at the front, as it stems from a desire from the FIA and F1 to ensure the right driver is on the podium. Having a driver take to the rostrum only to be penalised and demoted hours after the race is an outcome nobody wants, so stewards are entitled to make a swift decision if they feel the case is clear enough.

Is this actually a track problem, and is gravel the solution?

Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38, runs through the gravel

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

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After numerous track-limits offences made a complete mockery of the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, the FIA made well considered changes for this year, adding narrow gravel strips at several corners. The solution wasn’t perfect, as McLaren’s Oscar Piastri still managed to fall victim of a contested track-limits call in qualifying.

But the general idea was sound. Installing strips of gravel within a car’s width of the white line ensures corners naturally punish drivers for going wide before they actually cross the track limits. If there had been a gravel strip on the outside of Turn 12, would Norris still have persisted with his around-the-outside move? And would Verstappen have been as cavalier with the way he released the brakes to make sure he would be ahead at the apex and earn the right to the corner, less interested in whether he would actually make the corner or not?

On street circuits the walls will take care of that, while on natural road courses the fact that certain circuits – like COTA – also host bike racing can be an issue. But the Red Bull Ring, which too welcomes MotoGP, shows temporary or modular solutions can be implemented at relatively limited cost.

So, while questions will be raised over rules and officiating consistency, taking the decision out of stewards’ hands to begin with by letting the track set natural boundaries is the solution that has been right under our noses all along.

Dakar Rally winners Toby Price and Sam Sunderland will switch from the motorcycle category to cars to contest the 2025 edition together in January. 

The pair will be aboard an Overdrive Racing Toyota Hilux T1+ for the gruelling Saudi Arabian rally raid from 3-17 January. 

Price, who won Dakar in 2016 and 2019, will have Sunderland as his co-driver after the Australian was left without a ride as KTM did not renew his contract for 2025. 

He said on social media: “I am excited to announce that we are going to Dakar in January. Super excited for this chance, we are going to be with Overdrive and going to jump in a T1+ car and see what we can do.

“The other good news is I’ll be teaming up with a good mate Sammy Sunderland, who will sit beside me and see what we can come up with. It’s going to be super exciting and a lot of hard work for us.”

Price and Sunderland are looking to join Hubert Auriol, Stephane Peterhansel and Nani Roma as the only individuals to have won the Dakar in both a car and bike. 

Briton Sunderland, who retired from motorcycle racing in August having won Dakar in 2017 and 2022, said: “Me and Pricey are heading to Dakar. Even to say it out loud sounds pretty wild.

#4 Red Bull GASGAS Factory: Sam Sunderland

Photo by: GasGas Factory Racing

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“I remember the days in Dakar, we’d sit in the camp after a long, rough day on the bike chatting about how nice it would be sat in a car.

“It always seemed pretty far-fetched but here we are. Super grateful for all the boys that have put some effort into getting this across the line, it’s a massive help for us and something that I’m really grateful for and hopefully we can do it justice.”

Toyota won the Dakar in 2022 and 2023 with Nasser Al-Attiyah, now part of the Prodrive-run Dacia Sandriders team.

The works Toyota Gazoo Racing roster for 2025 is likely to comprise Lucas Moraes/Armand Monleon and Seth Quintero/Dennis Zenz, who contested the recent Rallye du Maroc that concluded the 2024 World Rally-Raid Championship season.

Defending Dakar winner Carlos Sainz Sr will drive for Ford, having won the 2024 edition with Audi, as the Blue Oval enters its new Raptor T1+.