TUSKANTIMES
VOLUME 13 ISSUE 6
I
CREATIVE
POEM: CROPPED OUT
POEM: MET FACE TO FACE ATOP THE STAIRWELL
POEM: PUDDLE
LOCAL
1st VALEDICTORIAN SPEECH
2nd VALEDICTORIAN SPEECH
SALUTATORIAN SPEECH
MAKING STORIES FROM HISTORY
A MESSAGE FROM MS. BROWN COLUMN: SECRETS OF THE VIALE
SPORTS
OPINION INTER’S
ARTICLEHIGHLIGHTS
ALL THE WEIGHTS IN THE WEIGHT ROOM
A CONSCIOUS CAPITAL: IS RESPONSIBLE
WEALTH ATTAINABLE?
HOW WILL FORMULA 1 EVOLVE IN THE 2026 REGULATIONS AND IS THIS A POSITIVE CHANGE?
Dear Readers,
As we close out another school year, I find myself reflecting on all the stories we’ve shared It’s been a year of growth, change, and, most importantly, voice And our newspaper has been a space where those voices, your voices, have come alive
For our final issue, we’ve chosen to spotlight a few pieces that embody the spirit of this year. Our beloved ISF poet Brian Deng and a critique of wealth by Ginevra Cirio, both of which capture a unique aspect of our ISF community Ending on a high note of celebration for our writers, editors and layout members alike
To our graduating members, thank you for leaving your mark and dedicating a little bit of your limited time to our newspaper. To our readers, thank you for turning the page with us issue after issue And to our future editors, writers and members the pen and the future is yours
Sincerely,
Coco Ferrari-Ross Editor-in-Chief
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
COCO FERRARI-ROSS
ASSISTANT
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF
TÉA MIJATOVIC
ALLEGRA DIFLORIO
HEADOFLAYOUT
ELIOT RICHARDS
SUPERVISOR
TESS HITCHCOCK
EDITORS
COCO FERRARI-ROSS
ALLEGRA DIFLORIO
DAVID LU
ESME ALONGI
LAYOUT
ELIOT RICHARDS
CALVIN YE
NICCOLÒ GIORGI
LILY KHALSA
M E E T T H E T E A M
CR E A T I V E
POEM:CROPPEDOUT
By Valentina Marin ‘27
Another model.
Another post.
Another influencer.
Another body.
Cropped.
Filtered Edited
Why has it become the norm to change absolutely everything? Absolutely everything about one's appearance
Feeling insecure without a filter; Comparing yourself to a filter.
Scroll.
Scroll. Scroll.
All over your for you page.
Another edited version.
Another video about the ideal body image
Society does not define your beauty; You define beauty.
Your mind plays tricks on you.
Why don’t I look like her? Why do I look like that?
Imperfections are what make you, you. Your own version of yourself. You are unique. You are you.
Not everybody is the same: Learn to treasure that. Celebrate that.
With every little difference.
But I want to fit in…
But how do you fit in a world where the beauty standards are impossible to follow? Impossible to live up to
It will never be enough. More. More. More. It really was that damn screen…
POEM:METFACETOFACEATOPTHE STAIRWELL
By Brian Deng ‘26
The wind sends a warning, My last chance to run.
I step out the door frame,
My last repose gone alas.
Two steps taken, A stride yet begun,
When the snapping of the handle, Tempts my neck for a twist.
I lock eyes with a man,
As soon comes our exchange
Caught with fear I attend, The ringing of the bell,
To converse with a man atop a stairwell.
To the sharp resonance of the summer breeze,
My right hand
Raised up high
Over my shoulder goes.
Like a cypress it moves, Prodded by norms of old.
What childlike innocence, My thought that mine aswell would be his move. I stepped onto the stairs,
Yet a pitfall soon I bear
Two sharp jabs much entailed, Seen my ears suffer jolts, Pair of sounds take my breath
As a high and a low,
Mark his offensive blow.
Recoiled felt my neck
Like a chicken lost among stars, Must I gawk back, Or shall I dart till my will.
Out run from he
Could I perform this task?
How naive of I,
To think he’s had his fill.
Options seize my mind soon after, Though that field he shrinks.
A curse leaves his mighty mouth. A straight follows his joint jabs, His knock a test to glimpse my state of being,
Yet despair holds back his teeth. My swift counter’s launched propelled, Face to face I show him clear, Unscratched, unscathed my only response
Yet I spy a smirk,
As the end seems far. In some unsightly manner, I felt compelled, To carry on this vile composition.
Caught in his web,
Slave to the strings of old Geppetto. My lead foot steps in, A slimmer marks our gap, I ask back,
Of our duel the control’s all his.
He states he’s well, And I brace for impact. Yet as I look down, Expecting a cliffside
Gravity's hold takes me not, There's nothing but ground. As he stares back quietly.
Alas I give my last remark, A farewell for evermore. He does the same and away I go
Down the stairwell’s bend I depart, Though my masochist laughs inside, Every step as we both head out, His face beside I behold .
PUDDLE
By Georgia Dick ‘29
Today I am a puddle, And puddles are meant for life
I used to reflect beautiful trees, birds and skies
Nowadays nobody looks into my eyes.
I was a pond,
I was left there to dry alone and dusty, Sooner or later there will be nothing like me.
I once was something so big and vast
Now nothing will see me because I am a thought of the past.
I was made by depressions sunken in on the earth
Filled with something you use everyday, liquid life
My content is glorified until your boot gets muddied.
Then I must go and be covered up for the rest of time.
I once was beautiful and clear
Now I am not as I appear.
People see me and think danger or disgust,
In reality I am the same liquid that waves and covers sand and dust .
Muddied with the litter of life
My aspects will never be thought of as ‘nice’.
So don't blame me for your dirt caked shoe, You are the one who created this stew
Even though sooner or later I will be a necessity
The humans still think of me as another inconvenience that was never meant to be.
Sooner or later I will be gone,
You’ll regret that you never looked at me for too long.
You never saw my beautiful skies, You never saw what laid under my disguise.
Forever and ever you’ll regret your mistakes.
For I am a puddle and I was meant to stay
ISFCLASSOF25'GRADUATION: 1STVALEDICTORIANSPEECH
By Liam Barbieri ‘25
Good morning!
Firstly, I’m honored to have the chance to thank every member of the ISF Staff, who helped mold the graduating class of 2025 into the sensible, inquiring, and united cohort that sits before you.
I’d like to thank the parents and family members of every graduating student, who embraced and supported our academic interests to the fullest. Personally, I thank my mother for not just showing me the value of learning from a young age, but to love learning and be proud of doing so I’d like to thank my father for reminding me that our only real limits are the ones we choose to accept, and my sister who kept me sane the entire time.
Seniors, or should I say soon-to-be graduates, we’ve smashed it out of the park We’ve finished a month of gruelling exams, the IB programme, and now, high school. We put in the time, the effort, and the sacrifice to make the most out of the opportunities presented to us at ISF, and we should be very proud of that
However, I believe that what we should be proudest of, above our academic success, is our class as a collective.
Graduates, when I asked many of you in the past week for your favourite moments at ISF, many answered with important events, such as MUN conferences, that one time Red Team won field day during COVID, which no one remembers, or the Spanish class’ trip to Spain Just as many of you, if not more, chose a much less grandiose moment, and instead replied with sunbathing together at the pergola, blasting music whilst playing foosball (and quickly turning that music down when Mr. Calmer walked up to us), walking back up from the lowerfield caked in mud, or even just playing schiaccia at the Villanuova and watching Stamatios or Manfredi absolutely launch the volleyball across the school.
Even those late-night study sessions at Oblate, getting coffee at Ditta, fighting for seats when entering the physics lab, or any of the many other random and special moments that we’ve shared, are the rhythm of shared experience that brought us closer together. Unity isn’t built through a simple grand event, but continuous interwoven memories, and those moments, which used to be part of our everyday lives, are now part of our shared identity. A memory unique to us, and only us, marking a bond of solidarity that holds us together.
Even though Mr Mathews would probably call me out for an obvious bias, I have not seen a grade at ISF as connected and united as ours. We do everything together, as a cohort, as a team. Unity has been, and will continue to be, our most important strength
4 years ago, the boys' football team travelled to Rome and got crushed 5-0 by St. George’s. I vividly remember our burning frustration and the silent ride back to Florence Yet what did we do? We collectively chose to hold ourselves accountable and trained every week as a team since then, without a coach or proper equipment. We united around our sense of defeat and chose to enact a change We wanted to win, and we made it happen Now, if you go into the P E department’s office, check out our back-to-back Treviso tournament trophies.
That sense of forging a bond of camaraderie was present in almost all our activities You guys are probably fed up with hearing me mention FloMUN, but we demonstrated to both ISF and our community what our grade was capable of in that single event. Our entire grade came together, whether as part of the secretariat, admin staff, chairs, or even delegates, and brought our shared dream to life And there are so many more moments in which our grade supported each other’s initiatives.
Think of Investing Club, TedX, Stem Club, Dungeons and Dragons’ club, Nutritious Minds! In each of those instances, our grade banded together to support the initiative of a couple students, acting as a platform for each of us to step up and share our talents and thoughts with not just the rest of us, but the ISF community, leaving our mark on ISF’s student body and the school as a whole We’ve pushed each other to aim higher, to raise our limits, and to succeed in our endeavours. We’ve shown solidarity, overcoming our struggles together, and, to top it all off, we’ve relished in each other’s greatest wins.
Now, as we leave the comfort of the bubble which is ISF, and enter the real world, I urge each and every one of you to use your education, your international background, and the very same open dialogue fostered amongst our cohort to unite those of differing interests or beliefs, to enable communication when tensions rise, and to strive for compromise. In times pervaded by radicality and extremism, we should search for the unity that we’ve held so preciously over the last four years. Think back to our shared memories, think of both the minuscule and grandiose moments which you hold dear from your time at ISF, think of how we approached our struggles and successes as a cohort, and share your thoughts, affection, and intellect with the world Because in the end, it’s not the walls of this school that shaped us, it’s the people we became together inside them
“Andnow,witheverything we ’velearned,it’sourturn toshapetheworld.”
ISFCLASSOF25'GRADUATION: 2NDVALEDICTORIANSPEECH
By Olivia Dick ‘25
Good morning everyone
First of all, I want to thank the community: Ms. Baddeley, Ms. Killen, Mr. Blackstone, and all of the teachers for this honor today, as well as all of the family members who have traveled to be here Congrats also to Liam and Dima – great job. And to my class, I can’t wait to graduate with you all. Our futures are bright.
For my senior yearbook quote, I used a line from Semisonic’s 1998 song Closing Time In it, they say that “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” I felt that this idea that one ending only ever leads to a new beginning appropriately summed up my feelings with finishing high school That said, thinking that no band with only one popular song could write such wise words, I researched its origin so that I could properly credit its maker. It was the least I could do after so many lessons with Ms Kelly about proper citations Sure enough, the quote originated with the first century Roman philosopher Seneca, who felt that progress ultimately required letting go. As someone who found a new beginning right here at ISF almost 10 years ago, this idea resonated with me
In 2016, when my family moved from New York, to Florence I was quickly thrust into my own new beginning. And honestly, it took a while for it to feel like somewhere I could truly belong I’m pretty sure each of you has a different but similar connection to this feeling of an entirely new beginning – we all had to have come from somewhere. My lack of Italian heritage, my inability to speak the language, and my misunderstanding of why we had even moved here, created doubt in my personal purpose However, as I encountered the different students, teachers, and families of this community, I began to learn about each and every one of your previous beginnings.
Some of you came here from Italian schools, some call multiple different countries home, and others have been at ISF since Early Years. It was clear we had all already let go of something to start this new beginning here
I’ll always remember my beginning at ISF – that first day of fourth grade. As I was welcomed into the cortile of the junior school, I was not only in awe of the fact that I would be going to school in a mansion, but also very overwhelmed by how much excitement there was, a feeling I was not necessarily in agreement with. It was hot and loud… and I was confused….and wearing a ruffled skirt… that I hated. And then, one person introduced herself and I became a part of that excitement (Thanks Tatjana)
Here I was in a new school, with new people from all over the world. This was a place I could belong. And while I haven’t been at ISF for as long as some of my classmates, (shoutout to the lifers) I have seen my fair share of people come and go Saying goodbye was something we learned how to do at a young age. We learned about new beginnings through new friendships as they arose from the ends of others As our time at the junior school ended, our middle school years began, and the same for the transition to highschool and the IB. Launching plastic bottle rockets in fifth grade became watching metals explode in water and setting things on fire with my three-person chemistry class - who specifically asked to be mentioned in this speech Popcorn reading on the class carpet became uncontrollable laughter in my history class for a graphic Irish surname. Actually, Popcorn reading persisted into my English class as well for emotional renditions of As You Like It Sorry guys, be prepared to explain these references to your parents. These changes show us that sometimes letting go is not a bad thing. In fact, without it, there are certain experiences we would have missed
Through all of these changes, we learned what it means to have responsibility, to gain independence, to be students, and to be selfaware members of the community The endings of each subsequent beginning have shown us how to adapt and react and always stay true to our identities, while also being able to appreciate each other’s differences.
We are all a collection of our previous beginnings And as this beginning comes to end, it will require us to let go. While this may seem daunting, have courage that the path to a new beginning is not something to fear, but rather something to embrace, as our past experiences here at ISF have shown us how amazing change can be.
My thanks to all the parents and teachers who have helped us get here, and to my classmates, with whom I have shared this wonderful beginning
So, as Semisonic said, this time in their own words, and not quoting Seneca,
“it’stimeforyoutogoout totheplacesyouwillbe from.”
Now, with the ending of this beginning at ISF, I’m confident that the places we’re all going will always link back to Florence and this place we are from.
Good luck class of 2025 Thank you
ISFCLASSOF25'GRADUATION: SALUTATORIANSPEECH
By Dimitri Bonneville ‘25
Good morning parents, teachers, staff, and last but not least, the Class of 2025,
I am honored and forever grateful to speak before you today, as it is a morning that I hope we will all cherish for decades to come It has been a pleasure to share the last few years with you and to have been part of such a close-knit community.
Having been at this school for six years, I have learned many lessons since the first time I walked onto the Upper School Imagine a 12 year-old boy walking up the stairs on his first day of 7th Grade. Nervous yet excited, he is greeted by a few welcoming faces, the same faces that will become all too familiar in the following years Faces that will share the same range of emotions, from excitement at FloMUN 2024 to absolute panic at 3 in the morning with a strict deadline around the corner. However, the 12 year-old boy does not know what’s ahead, how from the very first heartfelt welcome at this school meaningful relationships will be built with some of the closest people to me. In a way, the mystery of life ahead of the 12 year-old boy is the same mystery that stands before us, waiting to be explored. Many of us will be moving to a new country or city, where I want each and every one of the students behind me to use their talent to enact change. My hope is that this mystery will spark a curiosity, unveiling new passions or opportunities that could only have been dreamed about before, or possibilities that were too far-fetched even for dreams
For most of my life, I upheld academic achievements as a much higher priority than any other personal achievement. Not to say that it isn’t important, I wouldn’t be speaking before you without my strive for academic prowess; however, I recently had a shift in perspective.
For those who don’t know me, many would say that my skill set revolves around finding patterns or being sufficiently dedicated to solve challenging problems, in other words, a typical mathematical student However, over the past few weeks as I was preparing to wrap up the chapter of my life in Florence, I was looking at old pictures of my debates in Model United Nations or playing the cello in an orchestra, reminding me that I am not bound to any academic discipline, but that I can expand who I am outside of my comfort zone So, I urge you to reflect. What are you capable of achieving? Because I know for a fact that everyone has a talent, from humor to public speaking to horse riding, maybe yet to be discovered, that will impact their own lives and those around them in unimaginable ways. Each person in this room –parent, teacher, staff member, and most certainly, our cohort – has a purpose with a unique set of skills that form their identity
Recall the mysteries in the 12-year-old’s life. The friends he will make, the struggles he will face, the new school environment It is since that moment that I was guided to today because of you, teachers, and parents, and the class of 2025 You are my absolute favorite people in the world. From the welcoming greetings to the emotional farewells, we need to remind ourselves about who gave us a hand on the most challenging of climbs You are the ones who have transformed every mystery into a curiosity, allowing us to seek outside of our comfort zone. A skill evermore important in the chapter of life we are about to embark on
With that said, I would like to thank every student, teacher, and staff member, my best friends, my girlfriend, and my family for being the best support team I could have hoped for
Thank you ISF and goodbye!
CREATINGSTORIESFROMHISTORY
By Isabella Mazzetti & Hannah Dearden ‘31
Imagine it is a cold winter in the year of 1878 A woman with tears of despair brings a small wrapped bundle You see that it is a baby swaddled in cloth, the mother walks toward a mural on the far wall of the building where a small window is, the perfect size for the small baby to pass through. The mother covered in tears smiles down at her child as she takes a small thin and fragile coin from her pockets then after cutting it in half, she gently tucks it in the child's swaddles and swiftly retreats into the shadows of the massive building.
This building is the Ospedale Dei Innocenti, which was converted into an orphanage in 1445, after babies started getting abandoned at the hospital This all started 580 years ago with a girl named Agata, who was the first child to be officially taken in by the orphanage.
When children were abandoned by being left on a rotating window hole, they were named after a saint (unless instructions were given otherwise by the parents), and given the last name Innocenti. (or Degli Innocenti, or Nocenti). This window was used starting in 1660 to create privacy for the parents. There were many reasons for parents to leave their children here, such as not being able to support them or that they don't have enough money to care for them and others did not want a child. Many parents saw the orphanage as a last chance to give their children a chance at life But what if they recover from whatever caused them to leave their child? What if they want to reclaim their children? What then? That's why when parents wanted to get their children back someday they usually left a token of some sort for them to match up again in the future For example a cracked piece of jewelry, coin or some kind of cut possession that their child keeps, and they have the other half so that one day they may reunite. About 1,477 children were left with tokens in 1878. Not all tokens were the same: for example there was a girl named Flora who was left with a heartfelt poem made for her by her mother, fortunately two years after being left at the orphanage Flora was reunited with her mother. In this happy occasion the parent would take the child back home (if the orphanage allowed), the other children would have to wait for adoption
When they became older the children would wear long black robes, top hats and stockings. In fact the swaddled children is the symbol of the innocenti and is represented on the front of this long and tall building, on elegant columns made of granite, interestingly the building seems to be made in the architecture style that similar to the one of a church, you will realise this because of the way the columns and windows are made but not only there are also many murals that represent Jesus and Madonna, but since this is an orphanage the silk guild (who funded it) did not want to spend so much money on it therefore they used granite insead of marble
In addition to our school trip we also interviewed Mrs. Innocenti (she is the field trip and ECAs manager at ISF)because of her connection to the innocenti museum She said: “My family was always proud of our name Innocenti even though we did not know where the connection came from because the family roots are lost around the times of the 1700s, but they are for sure in florence.” Since her parents were proud of the name they always funded the orphanage (when she was little it was not yet a museum but still an orphanage) When she was 7 years old, her mom took these two boys from the orphanage on weekends to spend time with her and her sister. This went on for about two years Then suddenly one day they got adopted! Of course Mrs Innocenti and her family were happy to see them have a new life with their own family, but they still missed them… new parents came to visit saying that the boys would always talk about this family and that they would say, “ we already have parents and two sisters” thus implying Mrs Innocentis’ family is their family, sadly they lost contact over the years but Mrs. Innocenti always remembers them and still gets emotional sometimes when thinking of them. This also inspired her later on when she became a mother herself, and her children's school was doing an exchange with kids from the Sahrawi Desert, these kids needed medications therefore they were brought to italy to get their medical needs and Mrs. Innocenti gladly took in a young girl who needed to stay for a few more months
She lived with her family for a few months, and although she was apprehensive at first she grew to love them This is not the only good she did, she also influenced the people around her The story started with her friend who inherited a lot of money (she does not remember how or why) Her friend wanted to do something good for other people so she asked Ms. Innocenti and she told her friend to donate it to the Innocenti museum because they fund it to people that need it, for example mothers in need of money or other orphanages. To this she said:
“YOUDON'TNEEDTHE NAMEINNOCENTI TOBEGOOD.YOUCAN ALWAYSGIVESOMEHELP.”
Even though the innocenti orphanage is closed nowadays, there are offices next to the innocenti to raise money for orphans and mothers in need of help sustaining children. The innocenti helped raise so many children who were in need of a home, and now, through their museum, their history will not be forgotten.
AMESSAGEFROMMS.BROWN
By Amanda Brown
As I gingerly close the chapter on my eighth year of teaching at ISF, I am filled with myriad emotions and a memory palace as grand as any conceivable. Next year I will be away from this beloved community for a year-long sabbatical due to family health reasons The impending departure is daunting, and I find myself feeling nostalgic and whimsical for all of the exceptional times I have had at this beloved school.
Throughout my time at ISF, I have taught middle school chemistry, middle school wellbeing, middle school social studies, high school environmental science, IBDP ESS, and IBDP TOK, and, spoiler alert, I have loved every minute of it. In addition, I have served on numerous committees, provided staff professional development, participated in the Leading Edge Research Group on two occasions, and served as the ECA Coordinator, FloMUN Coordinator, Wellbeing Coordinator, and Extended Essay Coordinator I have worked tirelessly to get as involved in the school community as possible, because it was so important to me to do so, and I have no regrets.
But,it’snottherolesI’ll missthemost:it’sthe people.Thestudentswho mademelaughdaily,the colleagueswhobecame goodfriends,andthe ethereallybeautiful
The best part of my day is being in the classroom with my students, looking for those lightbulb moments, engaging learners in dynamic debates, and even being implored upon for a “brain break” when the grey matter gets too squishy From all the Kahoots, Blookets, Jeopardy! games to circle debates and tossing a felt chicken - I am grateful for all the educational fun I had with my “nerdlings ” My students lift my spirits and make me laugh all the time, even if they never laugh at my jokes, but hey, you can’t win ‘em all!
When people ask me why I teach, it’s hard for me to put into words my response. I teach because I love the students, they are our future, and their optimism and energy is contagious I teach because I myself am a lifelong learner and educating young minds teaches me in return. I teach because my students keep me young at heart, and I never want to lose that perspective I teach because I value education and I believe in every single one of my pupils. I am rooting for them - always.
So, as I prepare to venture off on a sabbatical year, I know the hardest part will be leaving behind this community I’ve built, these lives I’ve helped nurture and instruct, these friendships that helped me grow and bloom into the woman I am today. I didn’t come to Italy just for a job - I came for a life, for transformation, for self-actualization Blessedly, I found it Thank you ❤
-Amanda Korsell Brown
Started out as colleagues - became besties:
Top-left: Ms. Brown, Ms. Millenaar, Ms. Zulkey
Top-right: Ms Brown and Ms McCue
Bottom-left: Ms Woolcock and Ms Brown
Bottom-right: Ms. Brown and Ms. Hood
Ms Brown and the girls from the 9th and 10th Grade MUN trip to Dublin, 2025
FloMUN 2025 - Student Secretariat Team and Ms Brown
Grade 11 IBDP ESS Class IA day field work
Ms Brown with the MUN trip to Poland, 2023
THESECRETSOFTHEVIALEISFANDFERRUCCI
By Tèa Mijatović ‘27
Learning, Legacy, and Lost Signal on the Viale
ISF staff, parents, students, everyone must take the Viale to get to school every morning, and all experience poor cellular connection Yet, the road holds stories deeper than a dropped call, like the unknown history behind the ISF Upper School that sits atop the hill and Piazza Ferrucci below it.
One of Italy's oldest International Schools, the ISF Upper School did not always sit inside Villa Torri di Gattaia. The school was co-founded by Horace Gibson and Paul Burke- Mahony in Rome and was called The Rome Tutoring Service in 1952. The following year, it was renamed the Parioli International Day School 10 years later, the school moved to Florence on a beautiful farm villa in Via del Guarlone, and was known as St. Michael’s Country Day School. In 1968, Villa Torre di Bellosguardo became the home of the American International School of Florence and the school adopted the International Baccalaureate Programme. Finally, in 2003, the Upper School moved to its current campus, a rural residence with a 15th century tower, and was renamed The International School of Florence For a school so rich with international connections, it's ironic that the road to get there is so disconnected.
A name, a legacy: Francesco Ferrucci was a Florentine military commander, commended for his bravery during the Siege of Florence in 1530 Piazza Ferrucci, , the one we all use to get to school or where we drink a coffee at Ditta, was named after Ferrucci to establish his symbol of resilience and independence.
The square is positioned where the roads from Chianti and the Arno valley meet, making it the key entry point to Florence from the countryside, as well as a starting point of the Viale, connecting all parts of Florence together
Whether you're walking from Ferrucci to ISF or commuting on the Viale, you're traveling through history. In a place so rich with historical and international “connections,” we still struggle with modern cellular connectivity If we can preserve buildings and legacies, why not also improve the basic tools that connect us today?
I continue to reach out to the mayor‘s office, with no response in regards to cellular connection problems I will continue to bring this issue to their attention and will keep you updated.
INTER’SHISTORICALCHAMPIONS LEAGUE5-0COLLAPSE
By Brian Deng ‘26
Saturday May 31st saw Italian giants Internazionale Milano play their first ever official match against Paris Saint Germain, who have won the french league for the past 4 years in the champions league final, the most prestigious trophy in football The match ended in a drastic 5 - 0 win for the Parisians, breaking the champions league record for most dominant win since 1994 when AC Milan beat Barcelona 4 - 0. Prior to the commencement of the match, Inter was hoping to win their 4th trophy, having not won since their treble in 2010, while PSG was aiming to win their first. The last French team to win a champions league was Marseille back in 1993, before many of PSG’s star players were even born. For those players, this was the first time they saw a French team win Both teams share traumatic experiences with the champions league final, with neither winning one in their past attempts. Inter lost a UCL final 2 years ago 1 - 0 to Manchester City due to a goal by Balon D'Or winner Rodri in the 68th minute On the other hand, PSG lost a UCL final 5 years ago 1 - 0 To Bayern due to their ex-player Kingsley Coman scoring a goal in the 59’.
The 2 teams had never faced off before, although the players themselves were not strangers Achraf Hakimi, who previously had been the beating heart of Inter’s 2020-21 season, left the club after 1 sole season and joined the French giants in the 2021 transfer window
In the final of the most prestigious club tournament in football, he is set to be reunited with Inter for the first time since he left. For the first time in 4 years, he shared the pitch with past teammates Stefan De Vrij and Alessandro Bastoni once more, having stood side by side as they held the Inter backline together. However, rather than reunite with their backs against the Inter goalpost, they will meet face to face On the other side of the pitch, Denzel Dumfries will be hoping to prove himself as a worthy replacement, having been signed for PSV for a bargain fee of 12.5 million following Hakimi’s departure for 60 million. The young Dutch player will hope to prove his worth, not as a replacement, but as an upgrade Coming into this final clash, Dumfries has lit up the champions league, assisting twice in Inter’s 7 - 6 aggregate win against Spanish champions Barcelona. Most fans still hold Hakimi to be the superior right back, although it is clear that Dumfries will ready himself to overtake the mountain ahead him.
pp g g g
horror that awaited them.
When asked about how he thinks the match would proceed, he said “Inter will grab the trophy, finishing PSG off in a clean 90 minute match. I think it’ll be a balanced match, Inter with one of the best defenses versus PSG’s impressive offense. I think the final score will be 2-1 for Inter” Furthermore, Eliot shared some thoughts on the relationship between Dumfries and Hakimi. In his words: “I loved Hakimi at Inter and he was great. But it was clear that he was destined for greater things and a generational talent However, Dumfries proved himself at the 2020 Euros and I was hyped for his arrival The small fee we had to pay also increased his worth. As the years went on, my expectations dampened as he was an on and off player. He either played great or was subpar. For now, he proved himself as a damn worthy replacement, although I am not sure if he will be able to surpass Hakimi. However, that performance in the first leg against Barcelona was special.”
The match officially started at 9 pm, with PSG kicking off The ball was glued to the Parisians’ feets for the first few minutes, with Inter’s rare touches proving meaningless as the ball remained entirely within their quarter of the court. Despite the scales being tipped in PSG’s favour, Inter manages to hang on At least for 12 minutes that is Then, the tiger once kept caged up by Inter, returns after achieving his freedom, biting his past owner in the back. Taking advantage of a loose ball, Hakimi taps a goal into Inter’s net to kick the game off in PSG’s favour The score is now 1 - 0, with the Moroccan scoring into the net he himself used to protect. Though he scores, there's no animosity, as the right back respects the club, refusing to celebrate as offside shouts are disregarded due to left back Dimarco keeping the right back well within play
This performance spurs Dumfries, seeing the distance between the 2 grow even larger, right when he thought he had caught up Runs are made, though PSG left back Nuno Mendes proves to be impenetrable. Not just between the two right backs, it is clear that the Parisians are a step above the Inter team With shots few and chances missed, Dumfries’ crosses prove to be fruitless Just 8 minutes after the first goal, French winger Desiré Doué scored again, with Dimarco’s failed block deflecting the shot into the goal. At the young age of 19, Doué played a pivotal role in PSG’s campaign so far Despair looms over Inter as their defence, regarded as one of the best in Europe, concedes twice in 8 minutes. Dimarco’s back to back mistakes raise doubts, both within himself and within the spectators. Once hailed as the best left back in the world, the spotlight has long left him The half comes to an end with no Inter comeback in sight, although their play on the right and left lead to crosses from Dumfries and Dimarco into the box, Inter strikers fail to capitalise, with very few shots on target being made Although the trophy seems to be distant, Inter fans have just lived through a cinematic comeback against Barcelona in the semi final and thus hold hope.
As the second half commences, the hope soon vanishes and the trophy seems far Although Inter has improved their game, the Parisians show too much quality for them. The steering wheel remains in the hands of PSG and its manager Luis Enrique, as shots are fired towards the Inter goalposts For the first 18 minutes, Sommer and the backline managed to prevent further goals, although the nerazzurri frontline failed to create chances of their own.
Finally, in the 63rd minute, the thread Inter was hanging from broke, as the french winger Doué doubled his tally for this match, sealing Inter’s fate
The trophy vanishes in the shadows and the Inter players lose hope Hakimi and his Parisian team proved to be too good for Inter, though the match is yet to end, Inter’s hopes are over. To rub salt in the wound, the scoreline grows further, with Kvaratskehlia, ex - Napoli player, whose former team stole the title from Inter by a single point this season, scoring in the 73rd minute after the Inter defense were caught off guard. Without Hakimi, the backline seems to lose its footing, being caught inattentive yet again as the final game is scored by Mayulu off the bench in the 86th minute
The young french winger is a PSG graduate and is the second youngest player to ever score in a champions league final.
The game ends 5 - 0, with the Parisians celebrating their first champions league title, breaking their curse and completing their quadruple, alongside their wins in the Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and the Trophée de Champions
This final match ends Inter’s disappointing season, having failed to win the Serie A title again after last year’s victory, finishing just 1 point short. Their season has been filled with near wins, as they barely lost the league title and the Coppa Italia, having been knocked out by city rivals AC Milan in the semi finals This loss records Inter’s second champions league final loss in 3 years.
O L I T I
HABEMUSPAPAM
By Luisa Eldridge ‘26
"OgnimortedelPapa— “everydeathofthePope”— isawellknownItalian idiomforareason."
The death of a pope is an event that happens only a few times in the average lifetime, making the rare occurrence one which holds significant political and social weight When it does occur, it attracts global attention as the world catches a glimpse of one of the most secret and solemn rituals of the Catholic Church: the election of a new pope. During the conclave, 180 Cardinals from around the world gather in the Vatican The actual election process takes place in the Sistine Chapel, before which the Cardinals take a vow of absolute secrecy. Over the course of many days the electorate work to find a two-thirds consensus on who will become not only the next leader of the Catholic Church, but also the spiritual guide for more than a billion people around the world
The late Pope Francis, who died at 89 this April, had ushered in a new era of leadership of the Catholic Church upon his election in 2013 As the first pope from the western hemisphere, having been born and lived most of his life in Argentina, Pope Francis hoped to bring the Church which he believed had lost its common touch back to the people whom it served. His papacy focused heavily on social justice, with a particular emphasis on defending the poor and marginalized In line with that mission, his final public blessing on Easter Sunday just a day before his death was a powerful call for peace in Gaza and Ukraine. He also condemned antisemitism and urged support for “the vulnerable, the marginalized, and migrants.”
Despite the reform that he was able to enact during his papacy, and the change he was able to bring, the new pope still inherits a wealth of uncertainty as to what happens next for the Catholic Church The standing scandals associated with the Church, such as the sexual abuse of minors and the historical mismanagement of the Church’s financial resources, both of which are still felt heavily today, were not seen as properly addressed by Pope Francis, and will need to be further tackled by Pope Francis’s successor. In addition, there is uncertainty about whether the Church will maintain the progressive view that Pope Francis had on same-sex marriage which he maintained throughout his papacy, having stated “If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?” in his first papal news conference in 2013.
The recent conclave has brought Cardinal Robert Prevost to the papacy, making him the first American pope and only the second from the Western Hemisphere. Though born and raised in the United States, Prevost spent much of his life serving the Catholic Church in Peru and was granted Peruvian citizenship in 2015 making him, in a sense, the first Peruvian pope as well He has chosen the name Pope Leo XIV, a symbolic nod to Pope Leo XIII, who during the Gilded Age became known for championing workers’ rights and urging the Church to promote justice and fairness A new pope’s choice of name often hints at the direction of their papacy, and Pope Leo XIV’s choice may suggest a continuation of the social justice focus that defined Pope Francis’s tenure.
Within the context of the Catholic political scene, Pope Leo is seen as a moderate: one who is able to have political alignments with both progressives and conservatives within the Church. In the first few public addresses that he has done, Pope Leo has reiterated his prioritization of the poor and marginalized as the main focus of the Church.
However, has also scaled back the liberalization process of the Church which had been begun by Pope Francis Pope Leo has come out in opposition to key political rub points, like abortion, euthanasia, same-sex marriage, and the introduction of women into the priesthood. While this is technically solely a restatement of the Church’s established opinion on these topics, it can be seen as a setback in terms of the modernization of the Church, especially with regards to its stance on homosexuality. Since his election, he has also announced his views on international issues that he had previously been neutral on He has called for a ceasefire in Gaza, condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine as imperial in nature, and been critical of US immigration policies under President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. The actions that Pope Leo has taken since his election signal that he will maintain Pope Francis’s goal of protecting the poor and marginalized, as well as upholding the geopolitical agenda that Pope Francis had hoped for during his papacy. However, Pope Leo’s support for the Church’s set doctrine with regard to key political issues will potentially halt efforts to modernize the Church, and impact the ability of the Church to attract and keep hold of younger Catholics.
O P I N I O N
BOOKREVIEW:LOLITA
By Allegra DiFlorio ‘27
With final exams coming up and the end of the school year approaching, I found it incredibly difficult to find the time to read, and I am sure many of you can relate . However, for my English final, I was tasked with choosing two books to write a comparative essay on, and luckily, I really enjoyed one of the books. So I’ve decided to review it. The book I chose to review for the Tuskan Times’s last edition of 2025 is… Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov!
Firstly, let's discuss the author. Vladimir Nabokov was a Russian-American author known for his brilliant writing style He was born in 1899 in Russia and was raised trilingual, speaking Russian, French and English Living between Berlin and Paris, he made his money writing under the pseudonym, Sirin, translating works, teaching English and tennis, and even making the first ever Russian crossword He eventually moved to the United States, where he wrote some of his most famous novels in English. While in the US, Nabokov worked not only as a writer but also as a professor at Harvard, Cornell, and Wellesley. Lolita, published in 1955, is his most famous novel, mostly because of the controversial subject matter, but also because of how incredibly it’s written Lolita did not win any awards, although I think that is due to how problematic it was (not because of any lack of merit). (Pearson)
Lolita is narrated by a man named Humbert Humbert, who becomes obsessed with a twelveyear-old girl named Dolores Haze, whom he calls “Lolita”, while renting a room in her house for the summer After marrying her mother to remain in close contact with her, Humbert ends up becoming Lolita’s guardian and taking her on a cross-country trip (to avoid suspicion of their relationship). The story is told entirely from Humbert’s point of view, and it quickly becomes apparent how he manipulates the events to make his abuse seem like genuine love Humbert is an unreliable narrator and an expert at self deception, constantly trying to justify his awful actions. This makes the book difficult to read at times (on more than one occasion I had to set it down and take a deep breath), as not only is the subject matter so disturbing, but it is also very hard to determine what is true and what is romanticized.
In my opinion, what makes Lolita such an amazing novel is Nabokov’s expert use of language I am in complete awe of how the book is written while at the same time, I am disgusted by what is happening. Even though Humbert is a disturbing character, he is originally described as being incredibly well educated and articulate, effectively adding to the deception of the situation and confusing the reader. I think that Lolita is written on purpose to make the reader uncomfortable, and through the character of Humbert, force the reader to confront aspects of human nature that they wouldn’t want to even think about otherwise
I recommend Lolita to mature readers who are ready to deal with uncomfortable topics and complex writing. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but it was definitely difficult to get through at times As for the level, it is not an easy book, and it’s definitely not meant to be read as a love story, even though the narrator, Humbert, tries to make it seem that way. Instead, it’s a book that forces readers to think about power imbalances, manipulation, and how powerful language can be at disguising horrific truths.
A R T I C L
E H I G H L I G H T S
ALLTHEWEIGHTSINTHEWEIGHTROOM
By Brian Deng ‘26
All the weights in the weight room
Past stores selling shiny shoes, Past files of fancy fitted suits, Lies a gym gilded and guarded.
In this gym of great proportions, The most splendid lives live, All the weights in the weight room.
Though of sizes big and small, Each one of a different scale
No weight is left untouched, For all a purpose They have found.
The smallest weights fear not being tossed, As they meet those beginning initiation.
The biggest weights worry not about collecting dust, Though even un-lifted they serve as motivation.
All the weights in the weight room, Know their purpose well and clear
No weights unneeded, No weights discarded.
For in this gym of great proportions, The most splendid lives live, All the weights in the weight room.
ACONSCIOUSCAPITAL:IS RESPONSIBLEWEALTHATTAINABLE?
By Ginevra Cirio ‘27
A realm where ethics and economics collide is a TOK class you don’t want to take. Yet, because ethical money management is a moral imperative, it should be taught to everyone. This is not about your dopamine-rush-online-shopping crisis Well, maybe partially, but not for the reason you might think. No, this is about something bigger: recognizing privileges and dismantling urban myths that wealth should be hoarded.
Being rich is not just a privilege, it’s the privilege Wealth not only buys you extra things, which one might argue are not as essential as primary resources, but it also buys you better options. Let’s take Italy for example: public healthcare spending accounts for 6 2% of GDP, a percentage lower than both the OECD average of 6 9% and the European average of 6.8%. (Testuzza) Private healthcare is known to have faster and more efficient services than public healthcare. It follows that wealth doesn’t just improve your lifestyle, but allows you to overcome inefficacies in public institutions
Awareness is recognizing that most people do not have this opportunity, which makes wealth an unfair advantage. There is no way around it: a world where a few hoard a large capital is a world where people don’t have access to certain services and rights. Unfortunately, this includes services, such as housing, education, and healthcare, which are not luxuries that should be rationed by income, but rather human rights
Now, a parenthesis about the myth of deserving wealth: money is not always a direct result of hard work or brilliance. Muttering about meritocracy and entitlement won’t change the fact that nowadays success is mostly based on luck, privilege and opportunity The wealthier you are, the easier it is to grow richer (Malacrino 2020). This isn’t justice; it’s privilege.
Critics might argue that many successful entrepreneurs come from humble beginnings, thus demonstrating the role of hard work, strategic thinking and individual effort in building powerful companies These examples, however, are exceptions rather than the norm. (Science, London School of Economics and Political) Systemic factors, such as access to education, initial capital and social network, are far more influential in skewing the odds in favor of the privileged Even if you’re in the minority as a rich person, your opinions and actions carry more weight. That power comes with responsibility.
“Recognizingtheroleof privilegedoesn'tdiminishthe importanceofhardwork; ratherithighlightsthe importanceofawareness”
Recognizing the role of privilege doesn't diminish the importance of hard work; rather it highlights the importance of awareness.
It follows a hard truth: you don’t deserve your wealth more than somebody else deserves their poverty. This privilege - whether it’s being white, male or rich, is not a rightful superiority, but mere fortune The ethical response to this privilege isn’t a sense of guilt; it’s education and awareness It’s not about following and memorizing a set of checklists to be “the good rich person”, but rather learning how not to exploit your privilege. Ignorance is not an option, as there are too many things at stake: climate change, social inequalities, conflict, and more Knowledge allows you to make choices that are conscious, ethical and responsible.
Most of us are still under the wing of their families and don’t have power over their situation. Hence, answering the question: “Is responsible wealth attainable?” might feel too hypothetical and can be considered insignificant The right question then is: “How do we do something good with our money while minimizing its damage?” Here’s a very simplistic guide to ethical money management:
Do not fuel hyper-consumption. Our society has a tendency to consumerism: when you have in your hands an incredible amount of money, you are tempted to buy and keep buying. However, hyper-consumption only supports exploitative industries and environmental destruction
Do not exploit the system. Underpaying workers, evading taxes… These tactics may work for the advantage of single individuals, but not for the collective They only end up deepening economic and social disparities
Invest it in the greater good. Money, even if we don’t want to admit it, is indeed a powerful tool. So invest it in non-profit associations or renewable energy. This way you will help build a system that’s based on equalities
Buy ethically produced products. We should be more into ethical consumption and ethical economics. To try and abandon the purchase of products with a history of animal cruelty, workers rights abuse and environmental disregard, start researching more ethical brands and companies They are usually more expensive and are not affordable to many, so by increasing the customer demand, you would give them the support they need!
In conclusion, wealth may be highly beneficial for a select few, but it is not sustainable, morally or practically, as it is in the current state. The wealthy have a larger sphere of influence, a huge power that could be potentially used to shape the world
“Thisiswhyawarenessis essential:toberich responsibly,onemust understandprivilegeand learnhowtobestusethe meansthatthey’regivento makepositivechanges”
This is why awareness is essential: to be rich responsibly, one must understand privilege and learn how to best use the means that they’re given to make positive changes.
HOWWILLFORMULA1EVOLVEINTHE2026 REGULATIONSANDISTHISAPOSITIVECHANGE?
By Adam Karasconyi ‘25
The modern era of Formula 1 has been plagued by boring, unentertaining and inactive race weekends, where more often than not the race result could be predicted after the qualifying session that took place the day before. Though many consider the dependence on power enhancing electronic systems and the drag reduction system (DRS) (the read wing flap that opens at the designated zones when a following car is close enough to another car) to be a key cause of the frequently monotonous overtaking seen during races, it has to be considered that these systems were originally designed to aid the issue of the lack of overtaking in the first place. The former gave a power boost to the power unit, while the latter gave a large decrease in drag, and a massive increase in aerodynamic efficiency whilst driving in the designated zones In response to the criticism that has been repeated by fans, drivers and team members alike, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) aimed its traditional quadrennial regulation changes to attempt to guide the teams in a direction that initiates a degeneration of the mentioned notion The regulation changes cover virtually every aspect of the motorsport, from changes to the power unit, chassis, aerodynamics and general dimensions of the car. However, do the amendments to the technical regulations really have the desired effect that it promises? A similar objective was also put into place for the 2021 (later delayed to 2022) regulations, yet up until the current 2024 season was considerably underway, equal racing was hardly seen for the last three years Hence, will the 2026 regulations benefit the motorsport compared to the promised results by F1 Liberty Media (the owners of the Formula 1 Group)?
TheIssuewithModern Formula1:
Car dimensions
One of the more pressing issues of Formula 1 in recent years has been the continuous enlargement of the vehicles in both mass and the general dimensions of the car, coming in at 5630 mm in length, 2000 mm in width, 950 mm in height and a minimum weight of 798 kg.
To put this into perspective, the championship winning car in 2004, the Ferrari F2004 had a length of 4550 mm in length, 1770 mm in width, 950 mm in height and a mass of 605 kg The most significant change is the mass of the two cars, with an increase of 31 9% between 2004 and 2024, a change often attributed to the visibly sluggish cars of the modern era. Moreover, the increase of overall size does not necessarily act in coordination with the increase of track size, most famously on street circuits like Monaco or Baku, Azerbaijan. The effect of the enlargement is that the current cars are gigantic compared to their counterparts from 20 years ago, and have a rather difficult time passing each other due to the lack of space on tracks prompting the drivers to gamble with dangerous overtaking attempts, increasing the risk of accidents. As this can result in a team losing points, such high-risk, high-reward overtakes are frowned upon by teams, and drivers are discouraged from attempting more overtakes, leading to dull races.
The Issue of One Constructor Domination
Another aspect of the motorsport often called the “traveling circus,” which is seen negatively by the viewers is the trend of single constructor domination in a post-regulation change era, such as the Ferrari dominance of 2000-2004, or the Mercedes dominance between 2014-2020 The general tendency of regulation changes is that a single constructor is able to get a design prototype implemented correctly and is considerably faster than the other constructors, who then attempt to copy and build onto what the leading team had designed
“Theregulationchanges resultinasingularteam spearheadinga developmentpathfortheir designphilosophy,while otherteamsattemptto catchuptothemusing theoutdatedideasutilized bythewinning constructor”
Consequently, the regulation changes result in a singular team spearheading a development path for their design philosophy, while other teams attempt to catch up to them using the outdated ideas utilized by the winning constructor It is once again very likely that the regulation changes will lead to a constructor, more often than not a major team (that has already had its fair share of dominance in their respective prime eras) with a comfortable budget like Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari or McLaren, taking the lead for at least the first, perhaps even multiple seasons before any real competition arrives, such as the infamous 2021 season involving the championship rivalry between Sir Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen after seven years of the “Silver Arrows’” domination between 2014-2020
Changes to the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE)
The 2026 regulations will include a complete overhaul of the power unit towards a more sustainable solution. Luckily for those worrying about the total power output of the power unit, the FIA had promised for the total power to remain the same for new engines, meaning the performance of the cars power wise should remain the same However, what has been changed is the power distribution of the power unit. The turbocharged internal combustion engine’s (ICE) capacity of 550 kW has been lowered to 400 kW, while the electrically powered components have increased from 120 kW to 350 kW, an almost 300% increase of electric power. In addition, the overall energy storage in the battery has been increased by a factor slightly larger than 2, from 4 0 MJ (1 1 kWh) to 8 5 MJ (2 36 kWh), allowing for a more versatile energy recovery system (ERS) Though this can momentarily be overruled by the push to pass function given to drivers that give an extra push of power when in the proximity of other drivers, similarly to how the current DRS works In addition to the changes above, the MGU-H, a system which converts the rotational energy of the turbocharger spool among the heat energy to convert it to electric energy, making it ready to be once again deployed
“Theobjectivesofthe engineregulationchanges leantowardsimproving thesustainabilityimageof Formula1anditscarefor theenvironment,as opposedtofan entertainment”
Finally, the fuels used in the ICE’s have been set to be carbon neutral, having been created from natural reasons and being able to be broken down easily The objectives of the engine regulation changes lean towards improving the sustainability image of Formula 1 and its care for the environment, as opposed to fan entertainment. However, the engine regulations could still increase the latter, given the possibility of initial reliability issues between teams as they are adapting to the new stresses experienced by the engine. Overall, this will not have a large impact on improving closer racing, but rather on publicitizing the motorsport's wish to help the environment, attracting companies that would have been disinterested in sponsoring due to unsustainable practices. However, due to the promised move towards sustainability, engine constructors like Audi and Toyota GRT have decided to initiate projects with current Formula 1 teams, increasing the global image of the motorsport with the inclusion of another pair of powerhouses in the automotive industry. These two new manufacturers will bring new interest and more importantly, more sponsors to give a larger spending budget for all parties involved, including the constructors developing the cars
ChassisandDimension Regulations:
Changes to the Overall Dimensions
The 2026 regulations will bring smaller cars onto the grid, lowering essentially all metrics of the vehicles from length, width, height and the mass of the cars The wheelbase of the car will be decreased by 200 mm to 3400 mm, which is a significant decrease in length, and the width was decreased by 100 mm to 1900 mm. Finally, the minimum weight of the cars have been decreased to 768 kg, roughly a 30 kg decrease from 798 kg, increasing the nimbleness of the cars In addition, the set of wheels designed by Pirelli is said to decrease, however, the tyre company promised that the mechanical grip of the tyres will remain the same.
The author believes that this particular set of rule changes will have a significant impact on the state of racing in motorsport, as the cars will require much less space between each other to pass in corners that were not possible before due to the oversizing of the cars in the past It would be interesting to see how the 2026 cars will race at narrow circuits like Monaco compared to their 2024 counterparts.
“Theshorterwheelbasewill provideamuchmore snappycar,appealingto boththetrackperformance engineersandtheviewers fromthetelevisionthatwill beabletoseeabetter representationofthepower inthosevehicles”
Nevertheless, some might still argue that the weight reduction was not enough for it to be effective, but on the contrary, the 30 kg is a rather ambitious goal, given the continuous effort to improve safety of the sport. Overall, the changes made to the dimensions of the car, theoretically, should lead to the increase in entertainment from the fans’ perspective as a result of tighter, and potentially more intense battles with new or forgotten defensive tactics.
AerodynamicsRegulations:
Front Wing, Rear Wing, and Bodywork Adjustments
An interesting development in the regulation changes will be the aerodynamics of the cars. One of the more noticeable changes to the 2026 car is the front and rear wing The former will have a 3 element cap put in place instead of 4, and will be decreased in width from 2000 mm to 1900 mm, while the latter will re-introduce rear wing endplates. In addition to the mentioned changes, a bargeboard of sorts is created near the Venturi tunnels to direct airflow cleanly towards the rear wing or to the diffuser The listed changes are said to decrease the downforce by 30%, and aerodynamics drag by 55%, both of which are significant numbers, and will lead to greater decelerations and accelerations across a lap
“Theregulationchanges favorhardbrakingzonesfor overtaking,whichisa strongimplicationastohow racingmaylooklikein 2026”
The regulation changes favor hard braking zones for overtaking, which is a strong implication as to how racing may look like in 2026 In addition to the previously mentioned changes, the Drag Reduction System (DRS) will be removed from the car in favor of other systems. This change in combination with active aerodynamics (which will be discussed later in the article) will likely result in greater acceleration times and larger top speeds at straights. The removal of DRS may lead to the increase of more entertaining overtakes, where teams will not wait until the low risk low rewards scenarios, instead it will allow them to be more aggressive and therefore entertaining to the audience.
Active Aero and the removal of DRS
As previously stated, DRS will be removed in favor of another system called active-aerodynamics Active aerodynamics are systems that control the aerodynamic characteristics of a vehicle and are adjusted to assist the driver in gaining an advantage across the track.
The FIA revealed that there would be an X-mode and a Z-mode that the driver can switch between on the appropriate sections of the track. X-mode is the configuration of the car that alters the components to a minimal drag setup, allowing for faster top speeds, closer following and more bunched up cars, as well as better accelerations. X-mode can be activated and deactivated by the pilot, while it also works when the pilot presses on the brakes Meanwhile, Z-mode is the setup used to create a maximum downforce setup, being beneficial in cornering and in scenarios requiring high downforce loads. Similarly to X-mode, Zmode can be directly controlled by the pilot with the difference that it turns on under braking unlike its counterpart which goes through the opposite effect. The cars will alternate between the modes using the front and rear wing elements, the upper two on the both the former and the latter that will be moveable on command, rather than the gradual sinking like it was observed on the McLaren before the summer break. The modes will not be dependent on the relative track position of other cars, and pilots will be able to use it as they please around the permitted areas of the track
The large deficit in downforce that was caused by the reduction of the wing sizes and bargeboard will lead to significantly slower lap times. Hence, critics question whether Formula 1 would remain the pinnacle of motorsport if there are faster lap times set by different series To answer that question, what must be considered is the atmosphere in the motorsport, where innovation had always taken place, such as the infamous F-duct by McLaren or the double diffuser by Brawn GP that sprung teams to copy and master their own version, this hypothetical “issue” will be resolved quite quickly knowing the rapid developments in Formula 1 engineering.
Meanwhile, the implementations of the X-mode and Y-mode, alongside the aerodynamic and dimensional changes look to leave a positive impact on the “wheel-to-wheel” aspect of the sport, theoretically increasing fan entertainment However, the concern over how the regulation changes will bring forth a “one team domination” are still quite valid, and will most likely be an inevitable consequence for all preceding regulation changes, given that the FIA cannot entirely control how teams develop their machines around the rules. Nevertheless, the new regulation changes will certainly bring a lot of excitement to the sport, bringing interest from previous or new partners to collaborate with the sport, and though it cannot be entirely predicted, hopefully an increase in the enjoyment for the followers of the sport.
TUSKANTIMESWRAPPED 2025
TOTAL#OFARTICLES:58
WRITERSTHROUGH3GRADES(+1)!
26' 25'
BRIANDENG
COCOFERRARI-ROSS
LUISAELDRIDGE
SOHEILARASTEGAR-NAHVI
SILVIAZACARIAS
TATJANAHELLAWELL
ADAMKARACSONYI
STAMATIOSALEXIOSBALTOS
OLIVIADICK
DIMITRI
GINEVRACIRIO
LIAMDANILOBARBIERI
JULIUSGUTBROD
MIYULI
AMELIAWINKLER
EZRAPAVONCELLI
ELENASOFIAUZIELLI
TEACHER
TÉAMIJATOVIĆ
ALLEGRADIFLORIO
SÄVELPERANEN
ESMEALONGI
VALENTINAMARIN
AMANDABROWN
TOTAL WORDS:9622
MOST WORDS:ADAM KARACSONYI(2235)
TOTAL WORDS:9392
TOTAL WORDS:9047
MOST WORDS:ADAM KARACSONYI(1497)
MOST WORDS:ADAM KARACSONYI(1546)
TOTAL WORDS:6603
MOST WORDS:SÄVEL PERANEN&ESME ALONGI(2114)
TOTAL WORDS:6495
MOST WORDS:ILARIA WENG(3505)
TOTAL WORDS:6761
MOST WORDS:BRIAN DENG(1775)
TOTAL WORD COUNT: 47920
