Full Transcript for Brazil GP - Interlagos Shows No Mercy

00:02:22.400 --> 00:02:25.759 He's that's that's that's my Brazilian Grand Prix trophy. 00:02:26.080 --> 00:02:29.280 He's used to sort of plant the petunias in around the pool. 00:02:29.520 --> 00:02:33.199 It's kind of kind of kind of the sort of uh the the guy he was. 00:02:33.360 --> 00:02:36.719 He he he he took it all in in his stride and and moved on. 00:02:36.800 --> 00:02:44.159 And you know, he comes from an era, Ricardo, where you know he he was the same age as the team bosses and engineers. 00:02:44.240 --> 00:02:50.159 It wasn't like an employee-boss relationship that Kimmy Antonelli has with Toto, for instance. 00:02:50.319 --> 00:02:58.960 It was him and Patrick Head and Frank Williams were all about the same age, and it was just a boys' club, they were having a great time, and it was a fantastic time. 00:02:59.039 --> 00:02:59.919 So very sad. 00:03:00.080 --> 00:03:03.120 He contracted uh cancer, didn't tell anyone. 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:04.800 It was very short and very quick. 00:03:04.879 --> 00:03:06.319 It was only a couple of weeks. 00:03:06.400 --> 00:03:09.520 Um, three days after his 80th birthday, sadly. 00:03:09.599 --> 00:03:13.680 So um we were still sort of celebrating his 80th birthday when that when the sad news came out. 00:03:13.919 --> 00:03:14.560 Wow, okay. 00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:15.680 Alan Jones. 00:03:15.759 --> 00:03:17.280 Uh lovely tribute, Damo. 00:03:17.520 --> 00:03:18.080 Thanks for that. 00:03:18.240 --> 00:03:22.240 Let's continue to talk about Australian drivers before we get into the Brazilian Grand Prix. 00:03:22.400 --> 00:03:32.560 Oscar Piastri, who's looked pretty miserable for the entire 26th season, uh, parted company with his manager, uh long-term manager, Mark Weber, uh, after the Brazilian Grand Prix. 00:03:32.879 --> 00:03:34.080 Do we know what's going on with that? 00:03:34.319 --> 00:03:36.639 Yeah, look, this has been bubbling for quite some time. 00:03:36.879 --> 00:03:38.960 In fact, probably about 12 months now. 00:03:39.199 --> 00:03:48.719 If you remember towards the end of last year, uh Mark Weber was actually told to leave the McLaren garages, and he wasn't welcome in the McLaren garages. 00:03:48.879 --> 00:03:58.159 It was the instruction that came from Zach Brown when you know there was a whole lot of team radio mind games going on between uh you know between McLaren and and Oscar and Lando. 00:03:58.560 --> 00:04:18.000 And uh and Mark Weber, if you remember multi-21 with Red Bull and the Sebastian Vettel, where he kind of got done over in that situation with with Helmut Marco, he could see the similar thing happening and he he voiced his concerns to McLaren uh about the way that the structure was going, the papaya rules in inverted commas. 00:04:18.319 --> 00:04:29.120 And so he was politely to ask to leave the garage, which which which really put Oscar off off his uh you know, off his game for the for the last few races of last year. 00:04:29.360 --> 00:04:39.920 And

then during preseason testing in Bahrain this year, Oscar gave an interview where he said, look, he's not going to be at all the races, you know, where we're sort of growing in in slightly different directions. 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:45.279 He's still going to be there on the end of the phone, but he's now right he's now been in F1 for five, six years. 00:04:45.439 --> 00:04:56.399 So um what he needed as a as a young rookie, 20-year-old in Formula One back then, which is basically a a guy who's been in F1 who can show him the ropes, he kind of matured from that and didn't need it. 00:04:56.480 --> 00:04:58.560 So there was a bit of that involved as well. 00:04:58.720 --> 00:05:05.120 But um I think that answers a couple of questions as to perhaps why Oscar just hasn't been on the boil this year. 00:05:05.199 --> 00:05:09.199 And I was just even watching on the Sunday going, man, please overtake someone. 00:05:09.279 --> 00:05:11.040 Don't sit stuck behind the Williams, you know? 00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:11.360 Yeah. 00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:12.720 And I think this is part of it. 00:05:12.959 --> 00:05:14.240 So what will the future hold then? 00:05:14.399 --> 00:05:15.519 New management, obviously. 00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:20.240 And I I guess him as a driver's just hoping for a psychological boost going into next season. 00:05:20.480 --> 00:05:25.759 Yeah, I mean, no word as to who his new manager might be or which path he might go in that direction. 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:34.160 He he's a pretty cool head on shoulders, on his shoulders, and he's contracted with them for for another, I think it's another season in and after this one. 00:05:34.240 --> 00:05:35.839 So he'll he'll sit it out. 00:05:35.920 --> 00:05:39.279 Um and uh really we'll see what happens after that. 00:05:39.360 --> 00:05:46.560 He's not he's not the kind of guy where he needs to have his mum and his dad with him in the back of the garage at every race like some of the other drivers. 00:05:46.720 --> 00:05:48.000 He's pretty independent. 00:05:48.079 --> 00:05:59.360 So I I do have a bit of confidence that he'll he'll get through this bit of turmoil, shake it off, um, and head down and and you know start 2027 as a brand new year kind of thing. 00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:12.160 Okie doke, and before we reflect on Brazil, um let's just mention that Imela have been told to uh to drop down from standby for the final two Grand Prix of the season because all of the teams have voted to go to Qatar and Abu Dhabi. 00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:15.040 Yeah, news fresh, uh fresh off the press. 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:16.800 Um that's just come in right now. 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:26.000 And uh yeah, Liberty Media have um said, like, I know that they've said they've said before a few weeks ago that Abu Dhabi is definitely happening and Qatar's definitely happening, and we've all said that. 00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:33.199 However, Imola has always been on standby, and so tonight they said uh that that's not happening now. 00:06:33.279 --> 00:06:36.639 They've told Imola thanks for no thanks, we appreciate it. 00:06:36.720 --> 00:06:44.480 Um, and the right of the season will definitely 100% finish in Qatar and Abu Dhabi with the backing of 11 teams behind them. 00:06:44.720 --> 00:06:55.439 Of course, barring any major last-second, you know, instability, shall we say, in which case they'll wrap the season up in Las Vegas, which will be disappointing for everyone. 00:06:55.759 --> 00:06:58.079 But there's no intention of them planning to do that. 00:06:58.160 --> 00:07:01.120 That would only be a you know force majeure kind of situation. 00:07:01.279 --> 00:07:07.839 So, yeah, Qatar is happening and uh and the season will wrap up in Abu Dhabi on December 6th. 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:13.680 Imola was provisionally held to be on December 6th, but they've told them to uh say thanks, but no thanks. 00:07:13.920 --> 00:07:16.959 Okay, though, let's reflect on the Brazilian Grand Prix then. 00:07:17.120 --> 00:07:21.519 Um it was a very wet qualifying after some dry practice sessions. 00:07:21.600 --> 00:07:23.519 Uh, there's loads to unbox here. 00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:25.920 Um we're gonna talk about Ferrari in a minute. 00:07:26.079 --> 00:07:31.439 Uh the qualifying session took two and a half hours because it was red flagged due to the monsoon conditions. 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:36.399 Um and then once it resumed, we had a bit of controversy with George Russell in qualifying. 00:07:36.480 --> 00:07:43.839 Um he thought he could have put it on pole, but his race engineer basically told him to uh to back off and he was kind of impeded by Alban a little bit. 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:45.360 Uh so he wasn't happy with that. 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:52.000 Apparently uh walked out of the press conference after qualifying because he was being asked about uh his inability to put it on pole. 00:07:52.319 --> 00:07:57.279 Lando Norris finally put it on pole, and there were so many uh grid penalties. 00:07:57.439 --> 00:07:58.879 We were in for an exciting race. 00:07:58.959 --> 00:08:05.600 We knew that Hamilton uh was going to take a penalty, but then that penalty increased because he changed his engine after FP3. 00:08:05.759 --> 00:08:17.040 They put a new engine in and it just suddenly started smoking, so they had to change the whole thing again, meaning he started from the back of the grid, as did Max Verstappen, two of the biggest rain masters in Formula One. 00:08:17.120 --> 00:08:20.720 Uh it was exciting stuff when we went into the race. 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:25.040 And of course, the race started in wet weather conditions on the intermediate tyres. 00:08:25.120 --> 00:08:31.360 It's always good when you get a race that starts in the wet, then dries out, and then possibly rains again later, which is exactly what we got. 00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:34.000 Yeah, I thought all the ingredients were there. 00:08:34.159 --> 00:08:34.960 All the ingredients were

there. 00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:39.600 Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton on the back row at Brazil in the rain. 00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:42.080 Uh, a lot of unknown variables in there. 00:08:42.159 --> 00:08:43.279 And I thought it was great. 00:08:43.360 --> 00:08:54.559 And to be full credit to Formula One, um, to be fair, that they didn't start the race under a safety car or they didn't, they didn't, in fact, there was no safety car or even a VSC for the entire duration of the race. 00:08:54.720 --> 00:08:54.879 Yeah. 00:08:55.200 --> 00:08:58.720 So I thought that was actually uh a hat tip to to F1. 00:08:58.879 --> 00:09:03.360 We've given them the a bagging before how they tend to sneeze and bring out the safety car. 00:09:03.440 --> 00:09:04.559 Well, they held back on that one. 00:09:04.639 --> 00:09:10.080 And the great thing about Interlagos is that it is a track you can overtake on and you can pass on. 00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:18.960 So, you know, Max has done it now three years in a row where he started either from the back or from Pit Lane, and he's been on the podium each time. 00:09:19.200 --> 00:09:25.919 So to see him do it again and just carve through the field and Lewis carving through the field before his rear tires went off was great to see. 00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:30.240 But yeah, going back to your point on George Russell, I mean, he just wants he just wants to go home. 00:09:30.320 --> 00:09:31.279 I think he's had enough. 00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:34.799 It's just been a disastrous time for him. 00:09:34.879 --> 00:09:42.399 And and you know, you think that it once your team, if the the world championship has been won, then you think, well, the pressure's off now because what can we do? 00:09:42.559 --> 00:09:43.440 It's the opposite. 00:09:43.600 --> 00:09:57.919 The pressure is ramped up massively on George's shoulders because if he doesn't bring that car home in second in the championship, which is not looking likely, big questions will be asked about his his situation against his his young teammate who won the drivers' championship. 00:09:58.159 --> 00:09:59.120 Yeah, without a doubt. 00:09:59.200 --> 00:10:01.120 Uh so we started on the intermediate tires. 00:10:01.200 --> 00:10:13.759 I was absolutely made up that uh Liam Lawson was starting on the uh on the second row, and then I was almost uh almost as made up when he overtook Lando Norris to put his car in second place in the opening laps. 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:15.279 I thought that was just brilliant. 00:10:15.360 --> 00:10:22.639 And you know, at one stage I thought, wow, could this be the the race where Liam Lawson could could get on the podium or maybe even get a win? 00:10:22.799 --> 00:10:29.200 Sadly it wasn't to be as the race panned out, but he did a really good job in qualifying and he did a really good job at the start of that race. 00:10:29.360 --> 00:10:30.000 Yeah, absolutely. 00:10:30.159 --> 00:10:39.840 And I'm I'm hearing that he has actually um uh as we

go, as we record this, it hasn't been officially announced, but I believe that he is staying with with with with racing bulls for next season. 00:10:39.919 --> 00:10:40.960 So so that's great. 00:10:41.039 --> 00:10:48.080 I mean, you know, and I I understand that from what I've been told that the decision was actually made in Mexico, but they haven't announced it yet. 00:10:48.159 --> 00:10:53.360 But you know, it just shows a wet weather brings out the good drivers, and we all know that, right? 00:10:53.519 --> 00:10:59.440 So that's why we had Nico Holkenberg doing so well, Liam Lawson doing so well, Fernando Alonso into Q3. 00:10:59.840 --> 00:11:02.480 Um, and Lawson just did an amazing job. 00:11:02.639 --> 00:11:05.679 He started third, he finished seventh, which is still great. 00:11:05.919 --> 00:11:09.440 He got a slap on the wrist for running into Max during free practice, too. 00:11:09.600 --> 00:11:14.000 But, you know, he's got a very solid friend in Alan Pomain who's who's who's looking after him. 00:11:14.080 --> 00:11:22.080 And and the way he just carved through and did what he did with that car, you know, you look at him at the moment, he's ninth in the championship. 00:11:22.159 --> 00:11:25.919 His teammate Lindblad is 11th, 38 points. 00:11:26.080 --> 00:11:27.679 He's on 89 points. 00:11:27.919 --> 00:11:32.879 He's the he literally is, if you look at the championship, he is the best of the rest behind the Tier 1 drivers. 00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:34.960 And he deserves that seat. 00:11:35.039 --> 00:11:48.480 So, and he and he absolutely, I mean, yeah, I thought for a second, I don't know, I thought for a second that he might have he might have been on for a win there for a while, but yeah the the tyres just gave up and he dropped back, but still he got points for the team, which is still good. 00:11:48.720 --> 00:12:01.039 Okay, I want to talk about Ferrari now because um both Charlotte Clerk and Lewis Hamilton said that they privately had a discussion after what happened in Mexico and sorted out any issues they may have. 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:22.960 Uh what I noted from that was it didn't sound as though Fred Vassur and the team had been involved, but they just had a quiet chat and sort of sort of sorted it out and put it to bed, uh, which uh makes me think that Fred Vassur is just not strong enough in in that team principle role because the team still aren't laying down firm foundations for how the the drivers behave. 00:12:23.120 --> 00:12:33.759 I was uh listening to a podcast uh with Rob Smedley and he said that when uh previous Ferrari teams uh you know had a clear mandate at each track. 00:12:33.919 --> 00:12:47.279 Um so for instance in Mexico they were told the drivers were told in the in the pre-race briefing that if they were together into turn one, whoever was ahead slightly uh would remain ahead until at least turn twelve. 00:12:47.440 --> 00:12:49.200 Um and that seems quite sensible. 00:12:49.360 --> 00:13:01.039 And he said for other tracks we'd have other advice for the drivers, but it was always laid out very plainly at the start of the row, or before the race start, so that the drivers could have no comeback if they messed it up. 00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:06.559 And I don't understand why Fred Vazur is not doing the similar thing with the Ferrari team. 00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:16.320 Um and once again we're seeing different instructions to Charlotte Clerk from it on team radio and different instructions to Lewis Hamilton. 00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:17.600 It just seems bizarre to me. 00:13:17.840 --> 00:13:26.399 Yeah, I think Ferrari have sort of strayed from their copybook that they've had for the last 50 years, where you've got a definite number one and a definite number two. 00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:39.200 And if you look back, you know, you think back to the to the glory years, you know, of Michael Schumacher, Eddie Irvine was a definite number two, uh, Kimi Rikinen, Sebastian Vettel, Nigel Mansell, you know, they're all definite number ones. 00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:42.399 There was no question about the the person in the other in the other seat. 00:13:42.480 --> 00:13:44.960 A little bit like the way Red Bull plays it today. 00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:52.960 But, you know, Charles Leclerc came in, um, and as we said last time, the Leclerc family is is is very tight with with Ferrari. 00:13:53.039 --> 00:14:00.559 His brother Arthur is on the junior team, Charles is on the junior team, that's how he got the drive, and signed up to a very long contract. 00:14:00.639 --> 00:14:05.360 Uh, and then suddenly, out of all of this, uh Lewis Hamilton appears and he's available. 00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:08.559 And they go, Wow, this is too good, we've got to take this opportunity. 00:14:08.799 --> 00:14:12.639 Fred Visur is a personal friend with both of them, which is which is a bit awkward. 00:14:12.879 --> 00:14:16.159 And so they brought Lewis on, and so it's kind of given them two number ones. 00:14:16.240 --> 00:14:17.360 And and I think you're right. 00:14:17.440 --> 00:14:20.399 I just think Fred Visur is a is a lovely guy. 00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:24.240 He's uh he likes to have a bit of a joke, he's he's everyone's pal. 00:14:24.639 --> 00:14:35.039 He's very, very successful in Formula Two and Formula Three in the junior categories and GP2, as it's called back then, and even in Sauber and Alframeo, where he came from. 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:43.679 But yeah, someone needs to someone needs to go around with a with a with it with a stick and and sort of say, right, you're doing this, you're doing that. 00:14:43.840 --> 00:14:45.200 They need Toto Wolf. 00:14:45.279 --> 00:14:49.679 They need Toto Wolf in the Ferrari team to make that situation work. 00:14:49.919 --> 00:15:00.240 I mean, the thing for me was during the race, as as the tracks started drying and they were on the intermediates, you've got Lewis Hamilton on the radio to the Ferrari team

saying, Listen, I think it's good for slicks. 00:15:00.799 --> 00:15:09.360 And I I think for three laps in a row, they came back to him and said, uh, no, we think turn 12's still a bit slippy, uh, so stay out on the inters. 00:15:09.440 --> 00:15:13.279 And Lewis Hamilton again, the following lap, I think we're good for slicks here, guys. 00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:14.960 And they ignored him that time. 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:19.840 And the third time he asked, they still said that their data showed it wasn't safe for slick tyres. 00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:27.440 And I'm thinking, whilst I'm watching the coverage, I'm thinking, this is a seven times world champion who's probably one of the most experienced drivers in the wet. 00:15:27.759 --> 00:15:32.000 And he's telling you for three laps in a row that he thinks it's good for inters. 00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:34.559 Surely he makes the call rather than the race engineer. 00:15:34.720 --> 00:15:35.200 Yeah, absolutely. 00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:37.679 And I I I I just couldn't get my head around that. 00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:43.679 100%, 100%, because he's going off experience for crying out loud, you know, like and we don't have to think back too far. 00:15:43.759 --> 00:15:45.440 And I was just going thinking back to it. 00:15:45.600 --> 00:15:48.639 It was back at uh Miami in the sprint race. 00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:58.879 It was similar conditions, it was raining, he was on the wet tires, he came in and boxed first to go onto the good tires, um, sacrificed a little bit there, but then he made up the ground later on. 00:15:58.960 --> 00:16:00.960 And and you could tell that that's what he wanted to do. 00:16:01.039 --> 00:16:05.919 They held him out for a bit too long, and he just listened to a seven-time world champion occasionally. 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:27.600 And you know, and again, going back to Fred, I don't recall ever hearing Fred Visur come over the radio and and sort of interrupt the way Toto does when you know when when Lewis or Kimmy or George, you know, uh has a has a compl a whinge about something and Bono says, Oh, I don't know about this, and then Toto will come in and say, you know, George, focus. 00:16:27.759 --> 00:16:28.399 And that's it. 00:16:28.559 --> 00:16:29.840 End of story, move on. 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:36.240 I've never heard uh Freddie sort of, you know, take come override them both and say, just get on with it. 00:16:36.320 --> 00:16:38.960 And it then leaves it open for discussion. 00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:42.080 But yeah, you've got to listen to a seven-time world champion occasionally. 00:16:42.320 --> 00:16:45.600 And then again, you know, it's it's like they're they're just not treating him fairly. 00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:53.919 But later in the race, when it started to rain again, Charles Clerk was getting all of the information on his team radio about the conditions at different parts of the circuit. 00:16:54.080 --> 00:16:59.440 They didn't mention a thing to Lewis Hamilton, which meant he stayed out on slicks for a lap too long. 00:16:59.679 --> 00:17:06.559 You know, they didn't mention as he was approaching the uh the pit entrance, listen, it's raining really hard down the far end of the circuit. 00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:09.680 You know, they knew that, but they didn't pass the information on. 00:17:09.759 --> 00:17:18.799 So he stayed out on the slicks for a lap too long and of course had the spin coming onto the start-finish straight, which is lucky he didn't wipe the car out, uh, just bang the rear wing. 00:17:18.960 --> 00:17:22.400 But that again, that was a mistake from the Ferrari pit wall. 00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:23.440 Absolutely, absolutely. 00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:28.319 And this this comes back to, you know, his the the relationship he has with his engineer. 00:17:28.400 --> 00:17:53.359 And I was only thinking of this today, actually, you know, you you think to the relationship that he had with Pete Bonnington where they could discuss things, or you think of of JP and Max Verstappen and their relationship, and they can they can they can read each other's minds or have a clear discussion, but I it's just feel still feels like you know, Lewis is sort of sending an email to Ferrari Incorporated and waiting for an answer in Italian over the radio, and there's there's no rapport. 00:17:53.519 --> 00:18:00.799 I don't feel that there's any rapport between him and his engineer, and his engineer can't read Lewis's intentions, you know. 00:18:00.960 --> 00:18:03.119 And uh, but how about the spin? 00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:12.480 I mean, my goodness, I was just getting flashbacks to Fernando Alonso's big crash, Mark Webber's big crash, huge you know, crashes on that corner, incredibly fast. 00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:21.200 How he got away with that brushed it with the rear wing, didn't damage it, and then trunnelled across the road, and and and Pit Entrus was right in front of him to get a new set of boots. 00:18:21.359 --> 00:18:25.440 Um, yeah, I mean that was that was that was either lucky or an incredible skill. 00:18:25.519 --> 00:18:26.400 I'm not sure yet. 00:18:27.039 --> 00:18:29.119 Okay, got to talk about uh Red Bull. 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:32.079 Max Verstappen started from the back uh by lap five. 00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:34.799 I think he was in sixth or fifth place, which is just amazing. 00:18:34.880 --> 00:18:38.000 But we know how he can carve through a field, especially in wet conditions. 00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:41.519 Um, I thought Hadjar did a great job as well all weekend long. 00:18:41.680 --> 00:18:47.519 I think he's a perfect teammate for Max Verstappen after years of trying to find one that would be a decent match. 00:18:47.680 --> 00:18:53.359 Let's face it, you know, Max could have won another world championship this year if they'd have had a better start to the season. 00:18:53.519 --> 00:18:58.880 But this car and the driver combination they've got now is formidable for 2027.

00:18:58.960 --> 00:19:01.680 It's not going to be a walk in the park for Mercedes or anyone else. 00:19:01.920 --> 00:19:03.039 Oh, in absolutely no way. 00:19:03.200 --> 00:19:08.799 I mean, I I am, you know, I shouldn't be surprised because it's Red Bull, but I am massively surprised. 00:19:08.960 --> 00:19:22.079 You think of where they started at the beginning of the year, brand new car, brand new power unit that they, you know, half-built themselves with a with Ford Motor Company coming back in with no real experience in the modern era, getting it all together, a new teammate with Isaac. 00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:25.119 And, you know, they're off the pace at the start of the year. 00:19:25.279 --> 00:19:27.519 Even five races ago, they were off the pace. 00:19:27.599 --> 00:19:32.160 Now they're they're chasing down second in the constructors' championship, which is remarkable. 00:19:32.240 --> 00:19:36.799 And and and Isaac is just the perfect teammate, wingman. 00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:46.960 You know, his radio communications should be a lesson for Ferrari and McLaren to go, this is how your team drivers respond to each other, you know. 00:19:47.119 --> 00:19:50.240 I mean, he's like saying, let Max through, he's faster than me. 00:19:50.319 --> 00:19:57.039 Then when he was quicker, he sort of politely said, Look, yeah, he had he had the he had the guts to say, Do you want to let Max move over and let me through? 00:19:57.200 --> 00:20:00.240 Which I don't know many drivers who do that, but he threw it out there. 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:02.319 And Max was reasonable and said, Yeah, okay. 00:20:02.400 --> 00:20:08.319 And they just they worked with each other to make the collective work for Red Bull in the constructors. 00:20:08.400 --> 00:20:16.799 And that's just you look at the the the buffoonery that carries on with McLaren and Ferrari, and you go, guys, just have a listen to Red Bull and learn something. 00:20:17.039 --> 00:20:17.839 Yeah, exactly that. 00:20:17.920 --> 00:20:19.519 Mercedes had a really weird one. 00:20:19.599 --> 00:20:27.759 I know that many teams uh complained of balance issues when they went onto the slick tire, and then when they went back to the intermediate tyre. 00:20:27.839 --> 00:20:34.240 Um, part of this, I think, can be explained by the fact that the cars were mostly set up because they were predicting a wet race. 00:20:34.400 --> 00:20:35.920 So the setup was slightly different. 00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:45.039 So when they went onto slicks and that they had balance issues, and it seemed to be with sort of one tire which wasn't warming up properly, three of them were, and one of them wasn't. 00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:52.960 Um but it happened to Mercedes a lot, George Russell and Antonelli complaining on the radio about balance and saying that the car was pulling to the left. 00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:57.440 Um Antonelli said at one point that the car seems to be driving itself around the corners. 00:20:57.519 --> 00:20:59.039 Um, all a little bit strange. 00:20:59.119 --> 00:21:03.119 And you know, uh Lewis Hamilton had a similar situation in his Ferrari. 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:09.039 Yeah, I mean, yeah, because I guess this is one of the first full races we've had in the wet with these cars. 00:21:09.279 --> 00:21:27.119 But very specific complaints coming from, firstly from Kimmy Antonelli saying that the car is just is just you know not turning left and he's doing everything he can, and it's just it's it it feels like he said he said it was weird, which he's used that word before and you know doesn't really tell you much, but I thought I thought a bit of a chuckle when he said, Oh, the car's just weird. 00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:32.720 Then George gets on the on the phone when he goes for his nearest new set of tires and he says, the car's weird. 00:21:32.880 --> 00:21:36.960 Um exact same thing, it's saying it's it's it's not turning left. 00:21:37.200 --> 00:21:42.000 And so, yeah, it's obviously something very specific to to the setup of the car from the wet to the dry. 00:21:42.079 --> 00:21:54.960 Now you gotta you've got to remember too, when they set the car for wet weather and they run the wet weather tires, the wet weather tires have their grooves and the and uh and and the tread pattern in them, which actually raises the ride height by about three to five millimetres. 00:21:55.119 --> 00:21:59.759 So they've got to raise the ride height a little about three millimeters on the on the chassis to fit. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:00.720 wet weather tires. 00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:09.839 So when they go to put the dry tires on, the intermediate or the sorry, the the the softs or the slicks, um the car's still running just a tiny bit higher than it would normally in a dry situation. 00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:12.799 So maybe that was something to do with it as well. 00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:20.079 The you know the the fact that the I mean there's so many variables in it that goes into the difference between a wet weather setup and a dry weather setup. 00:22:20.240 --> 00:22:22.240 And it's really the first time they've done this. 00:22:22.640 --> 00:22:37.920 It's an a it's a it's a anti-clockwise track which is one of the very few that anti-clockwise so there's a lot of variables in there but whatever it was it impacted both cars exactly the same way and I just sort of incredibly specific requirements from both Kimmy and George complaining about their cars. 00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:47.039 And you know more bad luck for George spinning in the pit exit which I thought was well partly hilarious and partly like I was like oh come on George more bad luck this is ridiculous. 00:22:47.200 --> 00:23:05.519 I thought at one point he was going to remove his front wing trying to get out of that situation but that cost him but it just seemed as though uh the Mercedes were were really off the pace in this particular race you know as was the likes of uh Charlotte Clerk who

finished eighth but he didn't seem to make any movement during the race at all. 00:23:05.759 --> 00:23:34.319 Yeah yeah I think I think with Mercedes I I I think maybe you mean George it was it was probably a mental situation with both drivers to to be honest to thinking back to it because George as you say you know it started off in in the practice session that wasn't going his way uh qualifying I should say and then then he ended up the wrong way in pit lane when I just looked at that and saw a I saw a still photograph that a photographer took of I think it was Lando or Oscar going in one direction while he's facing the other and I thought that just sums up his whole year. 00:23:35.119 --> 00:23:58.000 And so I just think look George didn't want to be there and and that there's that mental problem that he's got he's he's got to face at the moment likewise Kimmy Antonelli's probably thinking look it's raining and my my suit is saturated the car's full of water I've got the championship can we just wrap this thing up and we can get out of here and I I honestly don't think Etherong were were thinking about podiums or trophies. 00:23:58.079 --> 00:24:02.640 They just wanted to uh you know to to to have the see the checkered flag and get this one done with. 00:24:02.799 --> 00:25:17.759 Yeah I've got to mention um the Aston Martin team what I loved about this particular race was seeing Fernando Alonso mid-pack racing for the first time this season against the cars around him making overtakes uh resisting uh being passed um for one particular section of the race about midway through it was beautiful to see Alonso doing what he does best oh absolutely you know I mean Fernando as I said it's a the wet weather brings out the real drivers this is a real driver's track it's one that he's he's been racing on for over 20 years in a Formula One car um but I couldn't help but laugh but you know knowing how Fernando loves his uh he he his his go-karts and his rental carts as we've seen down here at the the Dubai cart drum he's been out there he was taking the carting line he was going high around some of those corners and and passing around the outside when people you know with the younger like Ollie Beerman and and and some of the other guys were sort of taking the traditional line and and he's uh he he's riding it high in the Aston Martin and and and using the slight banking on the curve as well to pick up some really good positions and I just thought I think it was actually having probably a lot of fun out there despite you know the card he made that car look spectacularly better than it actually is um so yeah it was it was great to see the old Fernando come out again. 00:25:17.920 --> 00:25:21.839 And of course his teammate Lance Stroll does what he does best he retired the car. 00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:37.119 Now I don't know whether it actually broke down at the start of the pit lane um or whether in typical Lance fashion he couldn't be asked getting it back to the garage and just thought I'll park up as soon as I cross the white line of the pit entry I'll just park it up and uh go for a walk. 00:25:37.519 --> 00:25:38.000 Option B. 00:25:38.559 --> 00:25:52.000 Which is yeah you know I just and that actually impacted the McLaren pit box because instead of being able to take a direct line into their pit box they actually had to sort of swerve round the Aston Martin before they were able to make their pit stops. 00:25:52.240 --> 00:26:12.880 Yeah someone actually um a little smarter than me and noticed with um with Lance Stoles in camera uh on camera on board camera driving and there was a particular corner where he was he was coming he was flying into the corner and just dialed on massive amounts of understeer like it was a full right lock and the car was going straight ahead. 00:26:13.200 --> 00:26:37.119 And they said do you remember he did that at Silverstone as well do you remember you did that at one other race and they're saying this is not the car or the chassis set up this is a petulant spoiled kid trying to send a message back to his pits that he doesn't want to be in the car because there's no way every single person doesn't matter if you're a race driver or just driving on the road you know that when you get into a little bit of understeer situation, you lift off the gas. 00:26:37.279 --> 00:26:38.000 That's all you do. 00:26:38.079 --> 00:26:46.079 But he kept his foot on the gas full hard lock it was clearly a message to be to be sent back to the pits via the cameras that he didn't want to be there. 00:26:46.240 --> 00:26:54.160 And he and and this commentator was 100% correct because when he did that at Silverston I went he's doing this deliberately. 00:26:54.319 --> 00:27:22.400 He's just doing this to make a point that he doesn't want to be there and then he did it again here that I mean I feel sorry for for anyone who is a reserve driver at Aston Martin who deserves a drive and he's taken the seat Felipe Dragovich being the the main he was a Formula two champion picked up that drive and sat there for two years never got a chance and now he's uh he's in no man's land and and he's he's an incredibly talented driver that's missed an opportunity to race Formula I because this idiot's behind the wheel of his dad's car. 00:27:22.640 --> 00:27:37.039 Yeah it is uh it is absolutely nuts when you think about it I saw that um I think it was during uh qualifying or one of the practice sessions when he he overcrank the wheel uh several times actually and it looked like the most bizarre thing ever. 00:27:37.279 --> 00:27:43.279 I think he had he turned the wheel twice at one stage and the tires you could see the tires just weren't handling it at all. 00:27:43.440 --> 00:29:01.440 It was as if he was deliberately trying to get the car to wonder exactly that's what he's doing yeah it yeah it's just you know uh just totally bizarre uh we're almost out of time I wanted to talk about uh what else

did I want to talk about Williams didn't have a great outing the Cadillacs once again not great uh we had the new driver Camera oh got a story on the Cadillac Bellboy Valtery retired well that they couldn't get the the wheel off could they same as Monaco with the Mercedes they uh they got the wheel nut off at 8 pm yeah that yeah exactly so he didn't even start the race um camera I thought had a really decent qualifying uh for his first time out in Formula One in the Hass uh but then had a pretty disastrous race he finished 20th two laps down and again Williams not great at all I thought they may have done some decent things in wet weather racing but Alban finished 15th and Carlos Sainz finished in nineteenth yeah really sad I mean you know again in that kind of situation you expect that uh the you you can overcome deficiencies in the car with per performance deficiencies or you know driver uh uh imbalances or chassis issues but it's just the same old story for Williams and uh it's just yeah I think they'd actually dug themselves a deeper hole than when Claire Williams was running the team and that was a pretty deep hole. 00:29:01.839 --> 00:30:34.880 Yeah um we haven't mentioned Lando Norris of course he drove uh an excellent race uh lucked out in the pit stops um to come out and uh basically just bring it home uh to finish first 14 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen I really like the podium I thought all three of them thoroughly deserved uh their position uh McLaren had brought a new wing it's apparently it's a 27 spec wing that they had on the car in Brazil uh but it obviously improved things for them and hopefully we're gonna have a a decent ding-dong battle in Las Vegas in a couple of weeks' time yeah I hope so I mean the full full credit to Lando he drove a great race in in appalling conditions um I mean he didn't really have his his usual you know nemesis around him with the with the with the way the the the grid formed up in qualifying but you know he lost positions in in the pit stops he gained them back again he didn't didn't throw the car off the track very cool head um getting put through back markers and did a great job but and you know the wing did his job did its trick and and and you know on speaking of the McLaren drivers I I don't understand where Oscar Piastri's head is at you know because as we said before you know he just he's he just didn't have the ability to to get out and overtake he was stuck behind that Williams for quite a while and he he waited for Max Verstappen came behind him and Lewis Hamilton came behind him and he just hung there and I was watching it going just overtake him find somewhere he did it for six seven laps max got tired of it and just passed them both in one corner um yeah so yeah it's very very much a garage of two halves at McLaren. 00:30:35.200 --> 00:30:49.759 It certainly is well uh we'll take a week off and then we'll come back to uh review Las Vegas which is always an exciting glamorous event uh unless you're a spectator who's paying for a ticket because I think the cheapest ticket is something like$350 for general admission. 00:30:50.000 --> 00:31:25.119 And if you uh if you want to do the whole weekend in a grandstand you are talking thousands of dollars but we get to watch it on TV which is I suppose uh just as good um without emptying our pockets at the casino tables so uh look forward to that in a couple of weeks' time and then we get into the final triple hatter of the season with Qatar and Abu Dhabi Damo thanks so much thank you man looking forward to the next three races to bring this one home yep definitely thanks for listening to Two Soft Compounds the Formula One podcast tell your friends tell your family tell your colleagues you can get your F1 fix right here. 00:31:25.279 --> 00:31:50.319 We'll see you next time Two Soft Compounds was presented by myself Rick Horton alongside Damien Reid the executive producer was Ian Carlisle don't forget if you want to join in the conversation leave a comment on our Instagram page at TwoSoft Compounds and if you haven't done so already please do click that follow or subscribe button. 00:31:50.559 --> 00:31:51.759 See you next time