Round 8 of the 2025 FIA Formula 2 season at Silverstone is done and what a few days of racing it was, with Jak Crawford coming out on top in a very wet Feature Race.
This came a day after Invicta Racing’s Leonardo Fornaroli sealed his first F2 victory in the Sprint, while many other teams and drivers impressed at the British venue.
Hatton: Sunday turnaround at Silverstone a huge boost for Hitech TGR
So, as we continue to debrief all the action, let us look at what we learned over the weekend.
CRAWFORD AND DAMS RIGHT IN THE FIGHT
After a difficult opening two rounds in Melbourne and Sakhir – where they scored no points – Crawford and his DAMS Lucas Oil team have been brilliant at the last six race weekends.
The American driver has scored 116 points in that span, achieving three victories, and with the first two being Sprint wins, his Silverstone Sunday triumph would have been exactly what he was looking for heading into the second half of the year.
Crawford and DAMS finished first on the road at the same race last year before a five-second penalty dropped him to third.
Crawford achieved his third win of the season at Silverstone
But this gave them a lot of confidence of winning at the British venue this time around, and Crawford did in phenomenal style too. He showed strong pace throughout the three days, before a mega start from third in the Feature put him first before they got to Turn 1.
From then on, Crawford managed things expertly, defended well from Alexander Dunne and made great decisions under pressure, especially when it came to knowing the right time to pit, and it means he now heads to Spa-Francorchamps second in the Standings.
HITECH ARE BACK
After a fast start to the season that included six podium finishes in the opening five rounds, Hitech TGR’s results had taken a slight dip recently.
FEATURE RACE: Crawford in stunning form to seal victory through Silverstone rain
This was due to a variety of reasons, with a couple of DNFs, as well as tough Qualifying outings in Spielberg especially, that left both drivers with a mountain to climb in the races.
But through it all, both Luke Browning and Dino Beganovic were confident that the pace had been there, and we got a very good showing of that at Silverstone.
The former started in P12, while the latter had a slow start from eighth that dropped him to 10th, but both were flying in the wet conditions, picking off their rivals together.
Browning and Beganovic were in great form for Hitech during the Feature Race
In the end, Browning finished third, with Beganovic just behind him in fourth, and after a difficult couple of rounds, this result was much needed for both drivers and the team.
Confidence will now be high heading into the remaining rounds, as both look to make a run at the Formula 2 title.
FORNAROLI’S BIG DAY
Arguably no driver had been as consistent over the last two years in F2 and F3 as Fornaroli. But despite that, the Invicta rookie had not won a race.
READ MORE: Round 8 Post Feature Race Press Conference
Since the start of the 2024 F3 season, the Italian had achieved 10 podium results going into Round 8, but none of them were on the top step, although he did seal the title in the third-tier last year.
This was not to say Fornaroli had not had his chances, having started from pole a fair few times, but for several reasons, the win had just escaped him.
Fornaroli achieved his first win since 2021 at Silverstone this weekend
But not on Saturday, as he fought back after losing the lead from pole and made a daring move at Luffield on Kush Maini to retake P1.
READ MORE: Invicta Team Principal Robinson ‘unbelievably’ happy after Fornaroli’s maiden win
From then on, Fornaroli managed things expertly out in front, keeping his tyres in good condition to resist any late attacks from Sebastián Montoya.
It gave Fornaroli a first win since his 2021 Italian F4 campaign, and he will hope that this opens up the door to more victories moving forward, as it will also help his title aspirations – given his fourth in the Standings on 104 points, 18 points adrift of top spot.
Here are the biggest calls on Wall Street on Tuesday: TD Cowen reiterates Amazon as buy TD Cowen raised its price target on the stock to $250 per share from $240 ahead of earnings “We Expect AMZN to Beat 2Q25 Consensus Estimates and Provide a Solid 3Q25 Guide.” Raymond James upgrades PNC to outperform from market perform Raymond James says the regional bank is well positioned. “We are upgrading PNC shares from Market Perform to Outperform, increasing our EPS estimates following recent commentary at an investor conference, and establishing a $220 price target.” Wells Fargo reiterates Alphabet as equal weight Wells raised its price target on Alphabet to $177 per share from $175. “Expect 2Q reported search revs and paid clicks to reaccelerate, providing temporary relief to competition and disruption narrative.” Wells Fargo reiterates Meta as overweight Wells raised its price target on Meta to $783 per share from $664. “Solid fundamentals, raising estimates on temporary tariff reprieves and healthy ad checks. Meta leadership taking decisive action to fortify its AI bets.” Deutsche Bank upgrades General Dynamics to buy from hold Deutsche says the defense company has a robust balance sheet. ” GD – Upgrade to Buy: Better EBIT growth than peers, more upside to estimates relative to peers, better FCF growth than peers, better balance sheet than peers, lower program risk than peers, cheaper valuation than peers.” TD Cowen reiterates Netflix as buy TD Cowen raised its price target on the stock to $1,440 per share from $1,325. “We view NFLX as well positioned ahead of a monster 2H25 slate; PT to $1,440, maintain Buy.” Bernstein initiates Bilibili as outperform Bernstein said it sees robust earnings power for the China online video sharing company. ” Bilibili is entering a new multi-year growth phase driving continued platform growth and improved monetization – market underestimating the future earnings power of its core video / advertising business…” KeyBanc upgrades Sunrun to sector weight from underweight Key said in its upgrade of the solar company that it sees several “stable” tailwinds. “With that said, RUN’ s vulnerability to regulatory risks has been laid bare and, we believe, should restrict multiple expansion in the medium run. However, given the dissipation of the immediate regulatory risk and ongoing market consolidation following the bankruptcy of another national competitor, we believe RUN should be able to have a stable tailwind in the near term; consequently, we are upgrading shares of RUN back to SW.” Stifel downgrades CoreWeave to hold from buy Stifel said in it sees too much uncertainty surrounding the company’s deal to buy Core Scientific. “CoreWeave and Core Scientific announced the signing of a definitive agreement under which CRWV plans to acquire CORZ for $20.40 per diluted share, funded via all stock through a 0.1235 fixed exchange ratio.” Read more . Loop downgrades Shake Shack to hold from buy Loop downgraded the burger chain stock mainly on valuation. “We are downgrading SHAK to HOLD this morning and are maintaining our PT of $127, based on ~25x our 2025 EV/EBITDA estimate.” HSBC downgrades Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan to reduce from hold and Bank of America to hold from buy HSBC says it’s taking a more “cautious stance” following the rally. “Downgrade Bank of America to Hold from Buy; downgrade JPMorgan to Reduce from Hold; downgrade Goldman Sachs to Reduce from Hold.” Read more . Bernstein reiterates Nvidia as outperform Bernstein says Nvidia remains extremely well positioned. “The datacenter opportunity is enormous, and still early, with material upside still possible.” Barclays upgrades National Vison Holdings to overweight from equal weight Barclays says the vision company is well positioned for growth. “We have a positive view on EYE’s transformation efforts, and we upgrade to OW from EW based on: 1) broader customer focus driving growth in TAM [total addressable mrket] and ticket; 2) wider optometrist reach via remote exams and improved hiring.” Morgan Stanley reiterates Tesla as overweight The firm says it’s sticking with the stock as a top pick. “While the situation remains fluid, we believe investors should be prepared for further devotion of resources (financial, time/attention) in the direction of Mr. Musk’s political priorities which may add further near-term pressure to TSLA shares.” TD Cowen upgrades Capital One to buy from hold TD Cowen says it sees “significant capital return.” “COF has been one of the most successful card issuers since its inception, having outgrown the industry and gained share consistently over the years.” Mizuho initiates Vital Farms as outperform Mizuho says the egg producer is well positioned. “Initiate coverage of Vital Farms with an Outperform rating and $45 PT.” Raymond James upgrades Parsons to strong buy from market perform Raymond James double upgraded the defense and national security company and says it’s a nuclear beneficiary. “We see estimates de-risked, opportunities with the FAA, Golden Dome (Missile Def and Left of Launch), nuclear opportunities, and are hopeful that easing war-tempo will create rebuilding opportunities and for PSN to keep its core/non-confidential contract growing in the LDD [low double digit] to mid teen rates.” Bernstein reiterates Oracle as outperform Bernstein raised its price target on the stock to $269 per share from $225. ” Oracle has always been a safe harbor stock amid economic uncertainty, but its growth story is shining through.” UBS upgrades KeyCorp to buy from neutral UBS says the regional bank company is “building momentum.” “With a superior capital arsenal, strong loan growth momentum, exposure to a potential 2H capital markets recovery — plus the potential for net interest income upside surprises — we think KEY is poised for EPS upgrades and multiple expansion, particularly on TBV [tangible book value].” KeyBanc reiterates Apple as sector weight Key says it’s sticking with its sector weight rating on the stock. “We remain SW Apple and raise our F3Q estimates above consensus, while lowering our F4Q estimates below consensus.”
Aston Villa players returned to Bodymoor Heath for pre-season training this week, as a relaxing off-season drew to a close. A number of Unai Emery’s first team stars were back in business having enjoyed their holidays, looking forward to the start of 2025/26. Several players still remain away ahead of their return to training from next week, while the opening of the transfer window has already seen players both arrive at the club and depart B6. Here is a look across social media for some updates you may have missed over the past week… Reporting for duty The first set of Villans returned from their off-season this week, reporting for pre-season training at Bodymoor Heath as preparations for 2025/26 got underway… Jacob Ramsey and Ross Barkley shared their excitement at being back in training… Ins and outs The summer transfer window has already seen business both ways for the Villans. Zépiqueno Redmond arrived after leaving Feyenoord, while Kaine Kesler Hayden departed for Coventry City. The pair were joined on social media by Thierry Katsukunya and TJ Carroll, who also recently put pen to paper on new contracts with the club… Last of the summer As the off-season winds to its conclusion, a number of Villans took the opportunity to reflect on their respective summers, and the holidays they have been on. Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers and Pau Torres were among those to share vacation snaps on Instagram…
SAVE $70: As of July 8, you can snag the Meta Quest 3S (256GB) for just $329 on Amazon — its lowest price yet and bundled with Batman: Arkham Shadow and a 3-month Meta Horizon+ trial.
Meta’s newest headset, the 256GB Meta Quest 3S, just got a major discount for Prime Day — and it’s a bundle worth getting out of the wallet for. Normally $399.99, the 256GB version is now available for $329, a limited-time deal that’s dropped on the almost-week-long sale’s first day.
That’s an 18% savings on one of the most accessible entries into next-gen mixed reality — and, best of all, it comes with Batman: Arkham Shadow and a 3-month trial of Meta Horizon+.
SEE ALSO:
100+ deals are live on Prime Day — get record-low prices on Apple, Ninja, and Samsung
That’s a serious value for anyone ready to level up their VR game. With 2x the graphical power of the Quest 2, the Quest 3S lets you dive into ultra-immersive worlds — whether you’re blending virtual objects into your living room or going full deep-dive in VR mode. Think true mixed reality gaming, crisp visuals, and multitasking on floating screens while still seeing your surroundings.
This version is a 256GB headset, giving you plenty of space for games, apps, and media. And the included Batman: Arkham Shadow — It’s a dark, gritty ride through Gotham that takes full advantage of the headset’s performance boosts, and has been widely regarded as one of the best VR games ever.
Add in a free 3-month trial of Meta Horizon+, Meta’s VR game subscription service, and you’ve got access to a full catalogue of 30+ games to jump into right on top.
If you’re cool with less storage, though, the 128GB Meta Quest 3S is also on sale for just $249 (down from $299.99) as part of an Amazon-exclusive Gorilla Tag Cardboard Hero Bundle — packed with a $45-value kit for added VR fun.
While we acknowledged in our review of the Meta Quest 3S that VR veterans might have some issues with its flaws, this is a perfect first VR headset for newcomers who want to see what the platform has to offer.
Mashable Deals
Both bundles are top-tier deals — and likely won’t last past Prime Day, so jump on either now if you’ve been on the VR fence for a while.
For more of the latest and greatest gadgets on sale, take a look at our top 11 Prime Day tech deals you should grab on the first day of the sale.
The best Prime Day deals, hand-picked by Mashable’s team of experts
With more than 100 people dead, many of them children attending a Christian summer camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River, Friday’s extreme flash flooding that overwhelmed a sizeable chunk of central Texas will be recorded as one of the state’s worst ever natural disasters.
The brunt of the tragedy was felt in Kerr county, where at least 27 children and counsellors were killed after a deluge of water described by one witness as a “a pitch-black wall of death” swept through the all-girl Camp Mystic on the river’s south fork. About 750 young campers were celebrating the Fourth of July holiday.
map of central Texas showing Guadalupe River and location of Camp Mystic
Elsewhere in the county, authorities reported almost 50 more deaths, a number certain to rise in the coming days as the grim task of recovering bodies continues.
Alongside the human toll, torrential rain and catastrophic flooding caused near-unprecedented levels of destruction, affecting homes, businesses and vehicles. A preliminary estimate by the private weather service AccuWeather places the damage and economic loss at $18bn-$22bn (£13.2bn-£16.2bn).
“Everyone in the community is hurting,” said Dalton Rice, the city manager of Kerrville, the county seat, at a press conference on Sunday. “We are seeing bodies recovered all over, up and down.”
Search and rescue volunteers comb the land near Camp Mystic. Photograph: Brandon Bell/Getty Images
The first inkling that a disaster was imminent came in a bulletin issued by the Austin-San Antonio office of the National Weather Service at 1.18pm local time on Thursday, warning that “pockets of heavy rain are expected and may result in flooding of low-lying areas, rivers/creeks, and low water crossings”.
The message was amplified in a post to X little more than an hour later.
Shortly after midnight on Friday, the NWS was warning of “significant impacts” from torrential rain dousing counties north of San Antonio, which never let up through the early morning hours and swelled rivers and other waterways at an astonishing pace.
By 5.16am, the City of Kerrville’s police department was warning of a “life-threatening event” and urging anyone living along the Guadalupe River to immediately move to higher ground – warnings that some residents said came too late, or were not received at all.
speeded-up footage of river rising and sweeping through area4 July, Kingsland, Texas. Timelapse of river rising.
According to meteorologists, some parts of central Texas saw several months’ worth of rain in just a few hours, while gauges in the unincorporated Kerr county community of Hunt, where Camp Mystic is located, recorded 6.5in (16.5cm) of rain in only 180 minutes.
Some areas received up to 15in (38.1cm) through the day on Friday, more than a summer’s worth of rain in a single day, and reports of rainfall up to 8in (20.3cm) were widespread.
Map of rainfall in south-central Texas
The Guadalupe River rose by 26ft (8 metres) in 45 minutes, and 33ft (10 metres) in only two hours, surpassing the level of 31.5ft (9.6 metres) from a July 1987 flood less than 20 miles (32km) east of Kerrville in which 10 teenagers from a Christian summer camp drowned after their bus stalled in floodwater.
graphic showing sudden increase in water height
Search and rescue crews from local, state and federal agencies, using drones, boats and helicopters, were deployed at first light on Friday, as news footage began to convey the scale of the disaster.
At a briefing on Saturday, authorities said about 850 people had been rescued, with more than 400 first responders from almost two dozen agencies covering an area of over 60 miles (97 miles). The number of responders grew to above 1,000 by the end of the day.
footage showing brown floodwaters across San Angelo: roads, gardens and yards are submerged with cars stranded and water surrounding houses4 July, San Angelo, Texas.
The Texas national guard deployed a MQ-9 Reaper uncrewed aerial vehicle over remote spots, while personnel from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) joined emergency teams from other states in the search for survivors.
Rice, the Kerrville city manager, criticised the operation of unauthorised drones operated by private citizens and the news media for interfering with the rescue effort, which he said was further hampered by difficult terrain and more heavy rain.
By Sunday morning, 48 hours after the water first started to rise, and after a full day of recovering and identifying bodies while searching for those still missing, it was clear that central Texas had experienced its worst flooding event – and one of its most costly natural disasters – in decades.
Footage of river rushing under bridge; damage can be seen to the bottom of it.5 July, Georgetown, Texas.
The state’s governor, Greg Abbott, appeared at a press conference the day before to insist that crews would continue to consider anyone unaccounted for as alive, and called a statewide day of prayer for Sunday.
“All we know is that prayer does work,” he said, signing a request for a federal emergency declaration that the president, Donald Trump, approved on Sunday, freeing up more money and resources for recovery efforts.
Camp Mystic
map showing layout of the camp beside the river, including the dormitories on higher and lower ground
The popular private Christian summer camp, which is set to celebrate its centenary in 2026, lost at least 27 campers and counsellors, it said in a post to its website. “Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We are praying for them constantly,” it said.
The camp’s longtime owner and director, Richard “Dick” Eastland, was among those lost.
Dormitories on lower ground at Camp Mystic were completely overwhelmed. Photograph: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP/Getty Images
The sprawling campsite on the bank of south fork features dormitories on lower ground that were completely overwhelmed by water. Post-flood photographs from inside one of the buildings show metal beds thrown around, as well as pink and purple sleeping bags and bedding, lunchboxes and mud-covered luggage that was abandoned as campers and staff evacuated in haste.
About 750 girls were attending the camp, which offers more than 30 activities during three month-long terms over the summer “to provide young girls with a wholesome Christian atmosphere in which they can develop outstanding personal qualities and self-esteem”.
By Monday night, 10 campers and one counsellor were still unaccounted for. Families with ties to Camp Mystic gathered in Dallas for a vigil at the George W Bush Presidential Center.
Search and rescue workers dig through debris in Hunt, Texas. Photograph: Jim Vondruska/Getty Images
Recovery so far
Drier weather forecasts for the area from Tuesday and beyond, allied to falling river levels, offered hope that clean-up and recovery efforts can gather pace.
Some residents returned to their flood-ravaged properties on Monday to salvage what they could, while others found they had no homes to go back to, some taking refuge in a Red Cross centre in Kerrville.
Kathy Perkins told the Guardian that her trailer home was damaged by water, but some of her neighbours’ homes were swept away or moved around in the flood.
The White House announced that Trump would visit, probably on Friday, to look at the damage and announce more federal aid in terms of money and resources for Kerr county and neighbouring areas.
Another Hunt resident, Lesa Baird, 65, rode out the flood in a tree, then walked to her local Baptist church for help. “There’s no home to go to. It’s done,” she said.
By Monday night, 10 campers and one counsellor at Camp Mystic were still unaccounted for. Photograph: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP/Getty ImagesSome residents returned to their flood-ravaged properties on Monday to salvage what they could. Photograph: Brandon Bell/Getty Images
NASA astronaut Nichole “Vapor” Ayers, currently serving as a flight engineer on Expedition 73 aboard the International Space Station (ISS), is one of a handful of astronauts testing various experiments at the station.
As the ISS sits in low Earth orbit, its microgravity setting allows researchers like Ayers to try a variety of studies, from growing plants to creating miso paste to monitoring bone density changes to watching weird weather from space.
What is it?
Ayers recently completed a set of experiments inside the Microgravity Science Glovebox. There she carried out the Ring Sheared Drop investigation, an experiment that looks at protein-based liquids in microgravity without the liquid being contained to a specific space. By allowing droplets to move freely, the study explores how surface tension, viscosity and other forces affect fluid dynamics in microgravity.
Where is it?
The Microgravity Science Glovebox is located in the Destiny laboratory module on the ISS.
NASA astronaut Nichole “Vapor” Ayers removes hardware from the Microgravity Science Glovebox on the ISS. (Image credit: NASA)
Why is it amazing?
Ayers’ recent experiment could have big implications for drug manufacturing, potentially helping researchers design more stable drugs. The experiment could also reveal insights about 3D printing in space, as the process uses liquids to create custom-made objects.
Ayers is part of NASA’s Expedition 73, a seven-person mission that began on April 19, 2025 and will end in November when the crew returns to Earth. During that time, the Expedition 73 team has welcomed visitors from the private Axiom-4 mission, which is running dozens of experiments in the two weeks the four astronauts will be at the space station.
Want to learn more?
You can read more about the International Space Station and the many experiments happening there.
Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!
Welcome to the Tuesday Telescope. There is a little too much darkness in this world and not enough light—a little too much pseudoscience and not enough science. We’ll let other publications offer you a daily horoscope. At Ars Technica, we’ll take a different route, finding inspiration from very real images of a universe that is filled with stars and wonder.
Open clusters of stars—which consist of dozens up to a few thousand stars—are an interesting tool for astronomers to study the Universe.
That’s because all of the stars in such a cluster formed more or less at the same time, allowing astronomers to compare different types of stars, in terms of size and composition, which are all of a similar age. This is useful for understanding how different kinds of stars evolve over time.
Some of these open clusters are pretty famous, such as the Pleiades cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters. This is relatively close to Earth, just 444 light-years away. Others are much more distant, such as NGC 460 and NGC 456. They reside in a nearby galaxy, the Small Magellanic Cloud, and are the subject of today’s post.
NASA has shared side-by-side views of these clusters taken in visible light by the Hubble Space Telescope and in infrared light by the James Webb Space Telescope. Hubble’s image captures the glowing, ionized gas as stellar radiation produces what look like bubbles in the clouds of gas and dust, whereas Webb highlights the clumps and delicate filamentary structures of dust.
Today’s image combines the two into a single composite, based on 12 overlapping observations. It’s quite spectacular.
Source: NASA
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Having always sensed she was different, including going through tests online when she was younger that indicated she might be neurodivergent, Middleton-Patel found a sense of relief in her diagnosis.
“When I was younger, I just thought, ‘everyone is like this, I’m thinking the same as everyone else.’ But as I got older, it progressively got worse. For me to have to hide it, without knowing I’m hiding it, was stacking on top of me,” she told the Mail Online last year.
“But I can take a step back and understand why I’ve been struggling in this way, why people have been perceiving you as rude and quite blunt when actually I’m just being honest, I’m just being me. I don’t mean to come across as rude. I don’t mean to break down when you tell me something has changed in my routine.”
She opened up first to her teammates and then decided to go public with her neurodivergence, sharing the news on social media in 2023.
Since then, she has continued to share her experiences of what it’s like being an elite athlete with ASD and how it has given her “superpowers” on the pitch.
“When I’m playing, that’s when I’m hyperfocused,” Middleton-Patel told BBC Sport. “When I am on the training ground or playing a game, I don’t hear anything – it’s just the ball and myself.
“I probably hear my own heartbeat more than anything else.”
But perhaps even more importantly for Middleton-Patel, she now sees herself as an example for others like her.
With many prevailing perceptions about autism, she hopes she can disprove them and be a positive influence.
“People will say, ‘you’re not autistic, you don’t look autistic,’ but autism doesn’t have a look. Many people won’t listen and don’t want to understand. They only really listen to stereotypes, which is what I’m trying to break,” the Welsh star continued to the Mail Online.
‘The spectrum isn’t linear, everyone thinks it is, but I see it almost like a colour wheel because every autistic person is different.
“I just want to be that role model and show that everyone is different, and be that person someone can come to and ask me questions about my experiences because I didn’t have that whilst I was going through it.”
