1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,280 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Pit Talk, brought to you by Shannon's. 2 00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:07,440 Speaker 1: On today's episode, Max Verstappen wins the cut Out Grand 3 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:11,000 Speaker 1: Prix to head into this weekend's Abu Dhabi Finale just 4 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: twelve points off the championship lead. But how did McLaren 5 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: cough up what should have been an easy victory for 6 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:21,319 Speaker 1: Osco Piastre. That's left the Australian on the title outer. 7 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:24,120 Speaker 1: My name is Michael Lamonado. It's great to have your 8 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: company and the company of my co host. He knows 9 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:30,639 Speaker 1: finales in Abu Dhabia never controversial. It's Matt Payson. 10 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 2: When you started saying Abu Dhabi finale, then Michael, I 11 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 2: just sadden got a bit of a chill. So I 12 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,560 Speaker 2: was sitting in this exact seat in twenty twenty one 13 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 2: with my head in my hands, thinking this isn't happening, 14 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:42,720 Speaker 2: is it? But I would like to posit at this 15 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 2: point that I think this podcast is inherently unfair and 16 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 2: not really going with Papaya rules, because why is it 17 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:50,680 Speaker 2: you always get to go first and I have to 18 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 2: go second. That's not fair. I think I need to 19 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 2: be the first voice heard on the next twelve months 20 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 2: of podcasts to address this terrible imbalance. But thank you 21 00:00:59,160 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 2: very much. 22 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 1: Indeed, yeah, oh very good. Great to have your company. 23 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 1: He's a question that m kaids you have to face. 24 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: If one of the drivers wins the title, it seems 25 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: pretty unfair on the other one, doesn't it. Look that's 26 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 1: a question for well a few days time. I suppose 27 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:15,839 Speaker 1: we've got to start with the cut out Grand Prix 28 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:18,039 Speaker 1: because it has very much set us up for a 29 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:21,479 Speaker 1: fascinating final round. The title is going to the wire. 30 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 1: Orlando Norris did not quinch it in Katar and what 31 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,200 Speaker 1: was a relatively muted performance I think we might get 32 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 1: to that in a second from him, not a dire one, 33 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:31,720 Speaker 1: but certainly not the oh obviously not the kind of 34 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 1: performance that clinched the championship. But of course the big 35 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: takeaway from this round was, wow, what did McLaren do 36 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 1: to put itself in this position? Because in the Grand Prix, 37 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 1: and without even mentioning that, Oscar Piastri had the most 38 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: convincing weekend he's had in months, led every session, accept 39 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: the Grand Prix at the end, but seemed likely he 40 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: was going to be losing points to one of his 41 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: title rivals, maybe it would only be twelve points back 42 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 1: to Oscar Piastre, and yet it's twelve points back to Max. Forstaffan, 43 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 1: I think the worst amandable outcome for him because McLaren 44 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 1: did not pit behind the safety card. It's the story 45 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: undoubtedly you've read about all over the place by now 46 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:10,639 Speaker 1: and heard plenty about this. The team didn't really offer 47 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:14,080 Speaker 1: a very compelling explanation about why it didn't happen. Didn't 48 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 1: think everyone else would pit despite everyone else pitting. What 49 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 1: was your immediate reaction to seeing what became one of 50 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 1: the great strategic hours of the year. 51 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 2: It's funny like we could just be rehashing last week's 52 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:30,360 Speaker 2: podcast again. We're talking about a race as in Las Vegas, 53 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 2: where not very much happened except for mclaren' stuffing something up. 54 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 2: Because in Las Vegas, obviously it was the plank were 55 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 2: issue where both McLaren's were disqualified and the points they 56 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:41,800 Speaker 2: lost and so on and so forth. But to my mind, 57 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 2: I was actually not surprised that McLaren didn't pit behind 58 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 2: the safety car in Katar, because it seemed like a 59 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 2: very McLaren thing to do because of where their cars 60 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 2: were on the track. You knew it was the wrong 61 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:56,799 Speaker 2: decision the moment that it happened, and I did wonder, oh, 62 00:02:56,840 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 2: are they going to at least then try and come 63 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 2: in at the end of the next lap and try 64 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 2: and do something about it. Because of the way this 65 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 2: race had to play out with the mandat tree twenty 66 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:09,959 Speaker 2: five lap maximum stint lengths, you could see instantly when 67 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 2: they didn't pit, how they'd snooked themselves and if they 68 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:13,960 Speaker 2: were going to be able to engineer their way out 69 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 2: of it. And if there's one thing that we know 70 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 2: about Formula one and twenty twenty five is if you 71 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 2: prize the door open one millimeter for Max Verstappen, he's 72 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 2: coming through it and then he's blocking the door so 73 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 2: you can't get back through because he is not going 74 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:30,280 Speaker 2: to make a mistake from a position of advantage, particularly 75 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:33,000 Speaker 2: when you've handed it to him. And we're in this 76 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 2: scarcely believable situation now where I'm still stunned this is 77 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 2: still a live championship fight, given that the Constructor's title 78 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 2: was one six rounds ago in Singapore, and here we 79 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 2: are going into an Abu Dhabi finale where it's very, 80 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 2: very possible that Max Forstappen could be a five time 81 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:55,240 Speaker 2: world champion on Sunday night in Abu Dhabi, and that 82 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 2: is not something that we could even half seriously say 83 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 2: what six weeks ago, let alone when he was one 84 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 2: hundred and four points off the series lead back after 85 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:06,960 Speaker 2: I think the Dutch GP. It's just it's remarkable yet 86 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 2: completely predictable at the same time. 87 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 1: Well, the Seventh started the week by saying McLaren mistakes 88 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 1: for anything keeping him in the title, so very much 89 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: proved correct at the end of this because it may 90 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:17,480 Speaker 1: be the thing that in fact puts him in that 91 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 1: title winning position. Considering what we've seen this weekend, there 92 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 1: are a couple of I guess elements to this one. 93 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 1: The first one that I think we've got to unpack 94 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 1: is this idea, Well, the reasoning behind McLaren missing what 95 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:33,480 Speaker 1: literally everybody else saw, which was that pitting. Considering the 96 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 1: stint maximums that you mentioned there, twenty five laps seemed 97 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 1: like the obvious choice at a track where I think 98 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 1: we can say, after what's it been three races now 99 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 1: excluding the twenty twenty one edition, to the race where 100 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 1: we can see that overtaking is pretty much impossible at 101 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:52,160 Speaker 1: this circuit as your ascopiasity on Andre Kimmy Antonelli, I 102 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:54,360 Speaker 1: guess get to answer a little bit later. I suppose 103 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:57,000 Speaker 1: the track vision is extremely important. Getting a free pit 104 00:04:57,040 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 1: stop out of this is very important. The team brought 105 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:04,360 Speaker 1: up on its own volition, said it wasn't the deciding factor. 106 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:07,680 Speaker 1: What was influential that there would be one driver that 107 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:10,480 Speaker 1: would lose out from this position, and that was obviously Bilando. 108 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:12,800 Speaker 1: Norris was running third at the time behind Maxistaff and 109 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:15,120 Speaker 1: qualified second, lost to place to Max off the line. 110 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:18,520 Speaker 1: Double stacking might have cost him a place, but more 111 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 1: likely that would be because of McLaren's position the pit lane. 112 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 1: At the start of the pit lane would lose positions 113 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:26,440 Speaker 1: to cars that would be filtering through in the fast lane, 114 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:28,800 Speaker 1: and you're obliged to obviously not cause a crash in 115 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:32,200 Speaker 1: a vast lane, never filter behind other cars. And that's 116 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:34,719 Speaker 1: probably true. He probably would have lost places, just like 117 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:38,279 Speaker 1: he then lost places afterwards through pitting when everyone else had. Anyway, 118 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:42,400 Speaker 1: though for me this is almost obviously this has been 119 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:44,120 Speaker 1: the talking point after the race, but I think it's 120 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 1: almost a little bit understated how much of an escalation 121 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:50,480 Speaker 1: this is on the way McLaren has been approaching this 122 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 1: concept of fairness, the Papaya rules. We've talked about them, 123 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:58,920 Speaker 1: because this is for me beyond correcting a problem, Isn't 124 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:01,359 Speaker 1: that The biggest interval we've seen before this was the 125 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:05,040 Speaker 1: team orders in Italy, which, for all the debate about them, 126 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 1: you can argue, well, McLaren did make an error and 127 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: in its mind was attempting to correct it, and you 128 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:13,600 Speaker 1: can understand the inherent logic in that, even if you 129 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 1: want to disagree with it. Here nothing had happened, There 130 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:18,680 Speaker 1: was nothing that had happened except for the fact that 131 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 1: Norris was running, was not running in the lead and 132 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:27,040 Speaker 1: would potentially lose positions. For that to influence the team's thinking, 133 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:30,159 Speaker 1: I think is yeah, as I say, quite a significant 134 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:33,599 Speaker 1: step forward in how interventionist McLaren is willing to run 135 00:06:33,640 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 1: its races to try to preserve in inverted commas fairness. 136 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 2: Well, you mentioned the monster thing. That's interesting because I 137 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:42,520 Speaker 2: think that happened with about seven laps to go in 138 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 2: that race, when the race was basically done. The positions 139 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:47,039 Speaker 2: were pretty much frozen at that point. That Stephen was 140 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 2: out front, he wasn't being caught. That's in the last 141 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:51,159 Speaker 2: seven laps of the race. We're talking here in the 142 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:53,839 Speaker 2: first seven laps of a race that hasn't really developed yet, 143 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 2: and you're talking about the concept of fairness. They've given 144 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:01,039 Speaker 2: away a win here. I find it very, very hard 145 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:03,360 Speaker 2: to believe that Piastre was going to lose on Sunday 146 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:05,000 Speaker 2: and can given the form he'd beat him for the 147 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 2: entire weekend and the way he'd completely mastered the start 148 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 2: of that race. But you've given away a win. You've 149 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:13,400 Speaker 2: had Piastre qualify ahead of Norris, You've had Norris lose 150 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:15,840 Speaker 2: a position into the first quarter, which was possibly the 151 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:19,200 Speaker 2: most predictable thing that happened on Sunday. So Piastre has 152 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 2: got himself in a position of advantage you're prepared to 153 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 2: potentially and then obviously it did happen, throw a victory 154 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 2: away because of fairness. When one driver has been outperformed 155 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 2: by the other driver over the course of race weekend. 156 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:35,000 Speaker 2: Now the driver doing the outperforming this weekend was Oscar Piastre. 157 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 2: That hasn't been something that's happened for quite some time. 158 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 2: This was Piastre's weekend from start to finish, led practice, 159 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 2: qualified on pile for the sprint, led every lap of 160 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:46,360 Speaker 2: the sprint and won the sprint and took pole position 161 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:50,679 Speaker 2: for the Grand Prix. They've thrown away a victory because 162 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:53,239 Speaker 2: of this concept of fairness. And the crazy part about 163 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:55,240 Speaker 2: this is when you look at the way these points 164 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:58,960 Speaker 2: have shaken out, Piastre's actually copped it twice here because 165 00:07:58,960 --> 00:08:01,200 Speaker 2: not only has he lost a win, he's actually lost 166 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:03,760 Speaker 2: a point to Norris based on where they were probably 167 00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:06,840 Speaker 2: going to be finishing the race. If they had finished 168 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 2: one to where they started, that would have been a 169 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 2: seven point advantage for Piastri. He's actually only got a 170 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 2: six point advantage over Norris in Qatar because of the 171 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 2: way this race shook out. So, you know, concept of fairness, 172 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:19,200 Speaker 2: he's actually been penalized twice, He's lost a race and 173 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:22,240 Speaker 2: he's lost a point because we're pursuing something based on 174 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:26,800 Speaker 2: this inverted commas fairness and the whole thing. I mean, 175 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 2: we've talked about this for probably far too any podcast 176 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:31,320 Speaker 2: at this point because it's been going on all season. 177 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:35,559 Speaker 2: The whole thing has been so over engineered to pursue 178 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 2: this concept of fairness, and you can't have fairness in 179 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:44,520 Speaker 2: a sport where there are nine other teams and eighteen 180 00:08:44,559 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 2: other drivers tried to beat your two drivers and just 181 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:48,920 Speaker 2: ask everyone else to sit out so they can just 182 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:51,439 Speaker 2: race amongst themselves and then you can control the narrative. 183 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:54,680 Speaker 2: This is so difficult to control the narrative with so 184 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:59,560 Speaker 2: many moving parts. The concept is admirable when you're sitting 185 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:02,400 Speaker 2: around table talking about how you're going to manage your drivers. 186 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 2: In practice, it's more or less completely impractical. And the 187 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 2: wider ramifications of this now is that we are in 188 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:12,839 Speaker 2: a championship situation for Abu Dhabi where the thing that 189 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:15,520 Speaker 2: McLaren has been desperate to avoid all year I eat 190 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:19,840 Speaker 2: team orders, prioritizing one driver over another. They may have 191 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 2: to now do this to win a World Championship that 192 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 2: frankly should have been won two months ago. And as 193 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:29,160 Speaker 2: much as Zach Brown has said numerous times this year 194 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:32,440 Speaker 2: that they prefer to you know, they'll will happily give 195 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:34,840 Speaker 2: up the World Championship to Max Verstappan if it means 196 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:38,520 Speaker 2: that they pursue this concept of fairness between their two drivers. 197 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:41,760 Speaker 2: We talked about this last week. I still think it's 198 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:44,720 Speaker 2: completely insane to throw away a driver's championship you haven't 199 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:49,160 Speaker 2: won one for seventeen years, and you're going to willingly 200 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:51,000 Speaker 2: just stand back and go, oh, well, at least we 201 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 2: were fair. Then History records the winners. History doesn't necessarily 202 00:09:56,040 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 2: record how you won twenty twenty one. But to say 203 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:03,000 Speaker 2: that you're willing to go ahead and give up a 204 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 2: world championship to pursue this concept of fairness, it was 205 00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 2: insane when it was said, and it's even crazier now 206 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 2: given what we've got ahead of us in Aberdhabi. 207 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 1: Well, don't forget. Zach Brown also said he'd be comfortable 208 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:16,439 Speaker 1: losing the title so long as McLaren throw it away. 209 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 1: So I'm not sure he's totally comfortable with what's going 210 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:22,200 Speaker 1: on now because it feels a lot like this throwing 211 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:22,559 Speaker 1: it away. 212 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 2: Well, if you want to be more citical about this, 213 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:27,319 Speaker 2: they don't want to favor one driver or the other. 214 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 2: They are favoring one driver at the moment. It's just 215 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:32,959 Speaker 2: that driver's Max for Stappin. Yeah, favoring a driver from 216 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:35,400 Speaker 2: another team by giving him an unfair advantage against their 217 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:38,720 Speaker 2: own two drivers by continually doing absolutely ridiculous things. 218 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:41,959 Speaker 1: Yes, both drivers copying absurd penalties, so you can't say 219 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:45,280 Speaker 1: that's not fair. But The problem is that in disadvantaging 220 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:50,120 Speaker 1: both drivers and trying, I guess to maintain the status 221 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:52,880 Speaker 1: quo I suppose is what this was targeted at, and 222 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:55,000 Speaker 1: by gambling the victory. And if the team maybe didn't 223 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:58,120 Speaker 1: think it was gambling as drastically as it was, because 224 00:10:58,160 --> 00:10:59,960 Speaker 1: maybe it thought it had the car pace to over 225 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:03,360 Speaker 1: come the track characteristics that been overtaking was so difficulty here. 226 00:11:03,880 --> 00:11:06,440 Speaker 1: But it is Oscar, as you say, it's Piastro who 227 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:09,960 Speaker 1: bears the brunt of that decision. I think even Norris, 228 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:11,840 Speaker 1: whether or not he was admitting it in this way 229 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 1: or not, but said once he'd fallen behind, the sappen 230 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 1: at the start, once a safety cart came out, no 231 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:19,400 Speaker 1: matter what happened, he was in trouble as the next 232 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:21,319 Speaker 1: driver on the track because either they pitted him and 233 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:22,800 Speaker 1: he was going to lose position in to the pit lane, 234 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,280 Speaker 1: or as again did happen at the second stop, he 235 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:28,000 Speaker 1: was going to lose positions because that's just the nature 236 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:29,640 Speaker 1: of the way the strategy is going to work out. 237 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:32,640 Speaker 1: But the problem, of course, if you're an Oscar Pastri fan, 238 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:34,280 Speaker 1: is that the adoption they chose was the one that 239 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 1: also heard Oscar, not just Norris for being the second 240 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:40,760 Speaker 1: best McLaren driver this weekend, and I think that that's 241 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 1: that for me, is something and obviously they're going to 242 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:45,040 Speaker 1: review this, and they admitted afterwards that wrong. They didn't 243 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:47,360 Speaker 1: try to defend this decision, obviously, and it was pretty 244 00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:48,880 Speaker 1: clear that would have been talking about it for the 245 00:11:48,880 --> 00:11:51,240 Speaker 1: rest of the race on the pit wall presumably, but 246 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:54,480 Speaker 1: I think for the first time, and you could tell 247 00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:57,680 Speaker 1: Oscar was pretty devastated afterwards. I think you've got to 248 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:01,319 Speaker 1: feel like you have been pretty hard done by by 249 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:03,520 Speaker 1: the team in a way that I think is unjustifiable 250 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:06,040 Speaker 1: because if there's an element of this of trying to 251 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:08,200 Speaker 1: minimize the damage to Norris, even if that is not 252 00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:10,599 Speaker 1: an expression of bias, because I think that's maybe a 253 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:13,640 Speaker 1: little bit too easy to buy into. That's I mean, 254 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:17,120 Speaker 1: that is almost almost certainly we're gonna get to Abu 255 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:19,400 Speaker 1: Dhabi a little bit later on. I mean, it certainly 256 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 1: put him on the title back foot, but it's all 257 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:24,360 Speaker 1: it almost certainly means now that he's not going to 258 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:28,040 Speaker 1: win the time. It's an extraordinary twist of fortune in 259 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:30,440 Speaker 1: Abu Dhabi for him to end up with the championship 260 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:32,200 Speaker 1: and a lot of that is going to be down 261 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:35,480 Speaker 1: to a decision McLaren made in Abu Dhabi that because 262 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 1: they didn't want to hurt Norris too much. 263 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:39,000 Speaker 2: Yeah. Completely, And this is the problem now because you've 264 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:41,560 Speaker 2: got this ticking clock where the races towards the end 265 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:44,400 Speaker 2: of the season are counting down. Yes, it would have 266 00:12:44,400 --> 00:12:46,440 Speaker 2: still been a mistake if you'd done this one round two, 267 00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 2: round three, rounds ago, but you've still got time and 268 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:52,840 Speaker 2: races and points to try and make this up. It's 269 00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:56,040 Speaker 2: now gone from being something that was improbable but not 270 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:59,640 Speaker 2: impossible for Piastre to something that history shows you is 271 00:12:59,679 --> 00:13:02,400 Speaker 2: almost most impossible. Given the scale of the deficit. Sixteen 272 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:05,160 Speaker 2: points behind, we're twenty five still to play for. And 273 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:08,480 Speaker 2: that's why it was such an overreach, because you know, okay, 274 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:12,040 Speaker 2: you're trying not to penalize Norris, but then you are 275 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:15,800 Speaker 2: doubly penalizing your driver who has been the class of 276 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:17,840 Speaker 2: the field, not just within your own team over the 277 00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:21,520 Speaker 2: course of a weekend. But it also has statistical ramifications 278 00:13:21,559 --> 00:13:24,079 Speaker 2: where you're almost ruling them out of the championship fight 279 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:27,040 Speaker 2: by doing so. And as you said, like if there 280 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:28,920 Speaker 2: were other teams that had gone down the path of 281 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:33,280 Speaker 2: not pitting. It was a strategy so obvious that every 282 00:13:33,559 --> 00:13:36,640 Speaker 2: single other team did it. Even look at the way 283 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:38,679 Speaker 2: the race played out. It's fifty seven laps you've got 284 00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:41,480 Speaker 2: to do two twenty five lapsed ins on tires. Even 285 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:44,880 Speaker 2: the mats was in the most obvious decision of all time, 286 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:47,520 Speaker 2: and with the race kind of frozen in status here 287 00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:49,320 Speaker 2: because of the way this track is, as you said, 288 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:51,720 Speaker 2: like the cars look fantastic around here, it's a rubbish 289 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:54,040 Speaker 2: for whel the one track because you can't overtake at all, 290 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:56,960 Speaker 2: And so everyone was going to be locked into the strategy. 291 00:13:56,960 --> 00:13:59,080 Speaker 2: But there was no other variable that was going to 292 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:02,240 Speaker 2: unless you got subsequent safety cars. There was no other 293 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:04,280 Speaker 2: variable that was going to change the outcome of this race. 294 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:07,079 Speaker 2: It was an absolute slammed up to do what nine 295 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:10,240 Speaker 2: of the other ten teams did, and McLaren again has 296 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:11,920 Speaker 2: just been guilty of completely overthinking this. 297 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, remark well, and even you say other safety cars 298 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:16,080 Speaker 1: could have saved them, but they would have to have 299 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:18,440 Speaker 1: turned up in a specific lap window when they were 300 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 1: still leaving the race during the overlap. The odds were 301 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:25,080 Speaker 1: still off that that saving them, so really remarkable turn 302 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:27,560 Speaker 1: of events. Unfortunately for McLaren. The spotlight is very much 303 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:30,320 Speaker 1: on them, and it means that well Norris's title lead 304 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:32,160 Speaker 1: is under the same threat, but it's under threat now 305 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:34,960 Speaker 1: by a driver from another team, So now the odds 306 00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:37,760 Speaker 1: of McLaren not walking away with the driver's title are heightened. 307 00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:40,400 Speaker 1: A good recovery in the end from Max from what 308 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:42,840 Speaker 1: started as a little bit of a difficult weekend looking 309 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:46,800 Speaker 1: sour Paolo esque, admittedly without the dire qualifying result so 310 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:50,680 Speaker 1: thereabouts to capitalize. But what I really enjoyed this weekend, 311 00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:52,440 Speaker 1: and this is going to continue through the rest of 312 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:55,600 Speaker 1: the week, is Red Bull feels like they are in 313 00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:58,840 Speaker 1: their elements now. And I don't mean that simply in 314 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:01,040 Speaker 1: terms of performance, because I think there's still probably half 315 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:03,760 Speaker 1: a step behind McLaren. We didn't strikeing distance, maybe, but 316 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:09,080 Speaker 1: only thereabouts. But they must be feeling like this is 317 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:11,560 Speaker 1: very familiar to them. They're heading into a title decider. 318 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:14,760 Speaker 1: Max Vestaffan's got the momentum, He's clearly very pleased to 319 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:17,480 Speaker 1: be there. The only difference I suppose is the first 320 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:19,360 Speaker 1: time they've got to the end of the season in 321 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:22,640 Speaker 1: contention of the championship. But having written off those odds 322 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:25,600 Speaker 1: twice in the past four or five months. 323 00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:27,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, and you can't blame them for writing it off 324 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:30,440 Speaker 2: because in any other situation they were just being honest. 325 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:32,440 Speaker 2: We don't really have a chancey, you could finish an 326 00:15:32,440 --> 00:15:35,400 Speaker 2: honorable second. But you mentioned they're in their element. To 327 00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:38,360 Speaker 2: my mind, Red Bull are the best disruptors in Formula 328 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:41,400 Speaker 2: one and they are absolutely in their element here and 329 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:44,920 Speaker 2: we don't even have the Christian Horner element of taking 330 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:47,200 Speaker 2: a very large wooden spoon out and stirring the pot 331 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:50,960 Speaker 2: even more. But they've got this attitude and quite rightly 332 00:15:51,040 --> 00:15:53,520 Speaker 2: championship swagger about them because they've won the last four 333 00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:58,080 Speaker 2: World Championships. They love disrupting and just picking at the 334 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:02,720 Speaker 2: low hanging fruit being provided here by McLaren. Because even 335 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:05,680 Speaker 2: Verstappen's little snide comment on the weekend where it's like, well, 336 00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:07,240 Speaker 2: if I was driving a McLaren, I have won this 337 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:10,360 Speaker 2: thing months ago, and you can laugh and sort of say, 338 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:12,720 Speaker 2: well that's a bit often a bit of arrogance and 339 00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:14,120 Speaker 2: what have you. But most of the time I just 340 00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:15,640 Speaker 2: looked at it and went, yeah, this would have been over 341 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:19,400 Speaker 2: races ago, it would have been done already. And Verstapen 342 00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:22,280 Speaker 2: has this very I mean, you've dealt with him from 343 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:23,680 Speaker 2: a media point of view, you know what he's like 344 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:26,440 Speaker 2: in that spades are called spades. There's no dancing around 345 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:28,520 Speaker 2: the edges here, you know, whether it's a nationalistic thing 346 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:30,880 Speaker 2: or just the way he's wide. He'll say something and 347 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:33,760 Speaker 2: just put it out there and on face value or 348 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:35,760 Speaker 2: you know, words on a page. It's like that's a 349 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:38,680 Speaker 2: little bit harsh or a little bit confrontational. But I 350 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:41,960 Speaker 2: find that he only speaks the truth, and sometimes the 351 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:46,200 Speaker 2: truth is uncomfortable to hear, and he knows the psychological 352 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:48,960 Speaker 2: little barbs that you can throw in these sorts of situations. 353 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:51,320 Speaker 2: And quite frankly, if Max Vastapen does not win the 354 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:54,360 Speaker 2: World Championship, no one's opinion of him or what Red 355 00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:56,000 Speaker 2: Bull has done over the back part of this year 356 00:16:56,040 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 2: is going to change at all. This is the freest 357 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:02,160 Speaker 2: of free swings for the Stappen and for red Bull. 358 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:05,160 Speaker 2: Who knew that the Stappen was the sport's best underdog. 359 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:07,320 Speaker 2: We just thought he was the sports best champion and 360 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 2: that's something that we've actually got to learn this year 361 00:17:09,600 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 2: of how good he is when he is the underdog. 362 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:14,240 Speaker 2: But like I said before, this thing should have been 363 00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 2: done months ago, and it's quite remarkable that it's not 364 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:17,880 Speaker 2: at this point. 365 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:20,760 Speaker 1: As I said, sets us up really tremendously, cuta set 366 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:24,240 Speaker 1: us up really tremendously for a season for Nale. This weekend, 367 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:26,280 Speaker 1: we're gonna look ahead to Abadami in just a second, 368 00:17:26,280 --> 00:17:28,600 Speaker 1: but before we do, we must look to move of 369 00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:32,160 Speaker 1: the week, brought to you by Shannon's terrible track for it, 370 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:34,679 Speaker 1: But there were some moves. We've got a sprint at 371 00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:36,000 Speaker 1: least in there as well as there's a little bit 372 00:17:36,080 --> 00:17:38,359 Speaker 1: extra action. I suppose. Where are you going to go 373 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:38,920 Speaker 1: with this one? 374 00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:42,080 Speaker 2: Speaking of races where nothing happened that spread my goodness, 375 00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:44,359 Speaker 2: But isn't it funny like we're coming to the second 376 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:46,640 Speaker 2: that there's been so much fallout from a Grand Prix 377 00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:48,960 Speaker 2: as there was in Las Vegas, and very little of 378 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:51,160 Speaker 2: it's got to do with what actually happened on the track. 379 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:53,400 Speaker 1: Yes, I know it, Katar feels like I think we've 380 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:56,000 Speaker 1: said it before, aning but it's a race always forgettable 381 00:17:56,040 --> 00:17:57,240 Speaker 1: at this point of the year, but it's a race 382 00:17:57,280 --> 00:17:58,960 Speaker 1: you have to do to get to the end of 383 00:17:59,000 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 1: the season. 384 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:01,680 Speaker 2: Correct. Yeah, it's a bit like that. It's the one 385 00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:04,720 Speaker 2: we had to have. Indeed, there's some really obvious moves 386 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:06,640 Speaker 2: of the week here, like McLaren's move not to put 387 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 2: its drivers or Red Bulls move to send its chief 388 00:18:10,080 --> 00:18:12,320 Speaker 2: STRATEGI just how to Schmitz up onto the podium, not 389 00:18:12,359 --> 00:18:14,639 Speaker 2: because she came up with some genius strategy that and 390 00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:16,159 Speaker 2: able them to have the win. But that was just 391 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:18,840 Speaker 2: another little hand grenade throat in the direction of McLaren, 392 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:20,800 Speaker 2: which I kind of liked. But I'm going to go 393 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:22,880 Speaker 2: with something you definitely haven't gone with here because I'm 394 00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:24,399 Speaker 2: going to give you some stuff to pick at. But 395 00:18:25,359 --> 00:18:29,480 Speaker 2: Carlos Science finishing third in this race, that assures Williams 396 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:33,240 Speaker 2: of finishing fifth in the Constructors Championship. Speaking of moves, 397 00:18:33,920 --> 00:18:38,280 Speaker 2: that's Williams's best Constructors Championship finish in eight years. So 398 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:40,000 Speaker 2: they've got one hundred and thirty seven points now. They 399 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:42,119 Speaker 2: had one hundred and thirty eight in twenty sixteen, so 400 00:18:42,119 --> 00:18:43,560 Speaker 2: you would back that they would beat that by the 401 00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:46,440 Speaker 2: end of the season. And to my mind, the way 402 00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:49,760 Speaker 2: Carlos Science managed this race from the cockpit, this is 403 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:52,600 Speaker 2: why you employ someone like Carlos Science for what is 404 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:55,080 Speaker 2: a mid grid team now, because he is masterful in 405 00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:59,919 Speaker 2: situations like this. And look, speaking of moves, Williams scored 406 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:04,400 Speaker 2: seventeen points last year in twenty twenty four, and Carl 407 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:07,040 Speaker 2: Sigen's almost beat that by himself on the Sunday night 408 00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:10,159 Speaker 2: in Qatar. So hat tip to Williams. No, they're not 409 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:12,679 Speaker 2: the Williams that we knew and loved and grew up 410 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:14,400 Speaker 2: with in all of that, but they are a very 411 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:17,440 Speaker 2: very respectable Formula One team. Now for them to secure 412 00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:20,480 Speaker 2: their best result in nearly a decade, I thought moving 413 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:22,560 Speaker 2: up the Constructor's standings. I think that, to my mind 414 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:24,520 Speaker 2: is move of the weekend, a race where very very 415 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:28,160 Speaker 2: little happened. But I'm assuming Williams isn't on your short 416 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:30,160 Speaker 2: list of things to talk about. But I'm sure you'll 417 00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:30,919 Speaker 2: have something good for me. 418 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:33,720 Speaker 1: No good talk topic, though, I think, is Brighton saying 419 00:19:33,760 --> 00:19:35,680 Speaker 1: with my spread check on, they've scored the same number 420 00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 1: of points as Ferrari in the last three rounds. Is 421 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:38,160 Speaker 1: that right? 422 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:41,200 Speaker 2: Well, caveat that, but I saying that's not hard. 423 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:44,879 Speaker 1: But yes, no, yeah, that's green. Ferrari also locked into fourth, 424 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:48,680 Speaker 1: just as it happened on the Constructor's champage of terrible weekend. No, 425 00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:50,600 Speaker 1: my move of the week, it's a multi move of 426 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:53,920 Speaker 1: the week, and it goes like this. Andrea Kimi Antonelli 427 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 1: makes a mistake of turn. Ten Lando Norris passes him 428 00:19:56,840 --> 00:19:58,800 Speaker 1: very important in the championship, by the way, that could 429 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:02,760 Speaker 1: really make a Differencelmot Marco calls it deliberate. Toto Wolf 430 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:06,720 Speaker 1: calls Helmut Marco brainless. Red Bull does not quite apologize 431 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:10,959 Speaker 1: for it, but does issue a somewhat scathing press release afterwards. 432 00:20:11,359 --> 00:20:14,880 Speaker 1: I feel like this series of events has happened multiple 433 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:19,119 Speaker 1: times before, usually with Helmet Marco saying something deeply questionable, 434 00:20:19,160 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 1: borderline offensive. And then what I really like is just 435 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:24,800 Speaker 1: the move at the end by Red Bull that has 436 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:27,840 Speaker 1: to someone in the media time says we can't let 437 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:30,679 Speaker 1: this just go. We have to respond. But because of 438 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:34,119 Speaker 1: Helmet Marco's position as a director of the team and 439 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:39,000 Speaker 1: a direct employee of the Austrian business, can't criticize him either, 440 00:20:39,119 --> 00:20:42,359 Speaker 1: and obviously Helmet mark ok Is issued an apology of 441 00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:46,640 Speaker 1: sorts via a German language website, but won't publicly say 442 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:49,040 Speaker 1: anything about it. This is the best they can do. 443 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:52,879 Speaker 2: You get the sense someone in Redbulls comms department probably 444 00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:55,400 Speaker 2: has a document that's a template that's called non apology 445 00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:59,959 Speaker 2: and apology dot doc or something, and they just basically 446 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:02,480 Speaker 2: drag it out and change the date and time and 447 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:05,480 Speaker 2: everything else. Help with Marco at this point is kind 448 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:07,919 Speaker 2: of like the uncle that gets invited over for Christmas 449 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:11,159 Speaker 2: dinner no one really has seen since last Christmas, and 450 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:13,000 Speaker 2: you'll probably have one or two sherries too early in 451 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:15,400 Speaker 2: the afternoon to be asleep in the armchair and maybe 452 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:17,439 Speaker 2: say something a bit questionable or you know, bring up 453 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:19,720 Speaker 2: something to happen fourteen years ago that nobody wants to hear. 454 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:22,720 Speaker 2: It's the most obvious thing of all time. You could 455 00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:26,400 Speaker 2: see the on board with Antonelli that he clearly was struggling, 456 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:28,800 Speaker 2: it had gone off the track. But to come up 457 00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:31,640 Speaker 2: with that, and then, I mean, I think the worst 458 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:33,760 Speaker 2: part about all this, if just you've obviously read about 459 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:36,280 Speaker 2: this as well, just the absolute torrent of abuse that 460 00:21:36,359 --> 00:21:40,160 Speaker 2: Antonelli has taken on social media because an eighty year 461 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:42,479 Speaker 2: old who probably doesn't own a mobile vone has decided 462 00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:44,680 Speaker 2: to just go off tap about something like this. It 463 00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:47,120 Speaker 2: was unfortunate that, you know, in twenty twenty five, these 464 00:21:47,119 --> 00:21:50,280 Speaker 2: are the ramifications of saying things before you think it 465 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:54,000 Speaker 2: was clearly ridiculous. Nobody else actually thought that was the case, 466 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:57,720 Speaker 2: and very on brand and very on brand by Red 467 00:21:57,760 --> 00:22:00,359 Speaker 2: Bull with the non apology apology. But I did enjoy 468 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:04,280 Speaker 2: the Toto Wolf dismissile of the whole thing was possibly 469 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:05,479 Speaker 2: the highlight of the entire thing. 470 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:12,199 Speaker 1: I just enjoy reading the word brainless. Describing as brainless, 471 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:14,000 Speaker 1: I just thought was very good. 472 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:17,240 Speaker 2: But also, like me, you probably read every single Toto 473 00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:20,040 Speaker 2: Wolf quote in his accent, and that's the best part 474 00:22:20,080 --> 00:22:22,760 Speaker 2: about it. Toto Wolve's got this big physical presence about him, 475 00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:25,080 Speaker 2: very tall guy, a very very distinctive voice, and the 476 00:22:26,359 --> 00:22:28,800 Speaker 2: audio of that you could just imagine him saying it, 477 00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:30,840 Speaker 2: and how disceive me would have been. That just only 478 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:32,719 Speaker 2: added to the humor with the whole thing. 479 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:34,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, So I think when Tota Wilf really wants to, 480 00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:37,920 Speaker 1: he can deliver a high quality insult in a very 481 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:40,720 Speaker 1: forceful way. Sure can, And I think that that was 482 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:43,680 Speaker 1: a good example of it. So an interesting, I mean 483 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:45,480 Speaker 1: that was well, look, it was a move Norris did 484 00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:48,240 Speaker 1: pass Antonelli. Those two points could be very important to 485 00:22:48,359 --> 00:22:51,240 Speaker 1: his championship hopes because let's look to Abu Dhabi now, 486 00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:55,119 Speaker 1: where the title will be decided this weekend, not for 487 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:57,399 Speaker 1: the first time in Abu Dhabi, probably not for the 488 00:22:57,480 --> 00:23:00,240 Speaker 1: last time, hopefully not as controversial as the previous home 489 00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:03,320 Speaker 1: but look will and see how it's going to go down. 490 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:07,160 Speaker 1: Let me tell you the points how this can go down. 491 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:10,600 Speaker 1: Orlando Norris will win the championship if he finishes on 492 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:13,320 Speaker 1: the podium. That much is clear. And that's why those 493 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:17,280 Speaker 1: two points could have been important, because otherwise that would 494 00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:19,239 Speaker 1: not have been enough. But for Max Vistappan to win 495 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:21,520 Speaker 1: the title, he needs to win the race with Norris 496 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:24,080 Speaker 1: no higher than fourth. Or he can finish second, with 497 00:23:24,160 --> 00:23:26,639 Speaker 1: Norris no higher than eighth and Piastre no better than third. 498 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:29,840 Speaker 1: Or he can finish third with Norris no higher than 499 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:32,800 Speaker 1: ninth and Piastre no higher than fourth. He cannot win 500 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:36,600 Speaker 1: it he finishes fourth or lower four Oscar Piastree, it's 501 00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:40,879 Speaker 1: much more constricted. Unfortunately. He can win the race with 502 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:44,560 Speaker 1: Norris no higher than sixth. He can finish second, with 503 00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:47,680 Speaker 1: Norris no higher than tenth, and for Stappen no higher 504 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:50,879 Speaker 1: than fourth. He cannot win it if he finishes third 505 00:23:51,119 --> 00:23:55,800 Speaker 1: or lower. Those are the permutations narrow path to victory 506 00:23:55,880 --> 00:24:00,160 Speaker 1: for both of them for Staffans though first. With Norris 507 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:02,840 Speaker 1: so higher than fourth, that feels very much within the 508 00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:03,400 Speaker 1: realms of. 509 00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:07,879 Speaker 2: Possibility, absolutely feels doable. And we talked before about the 510 00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:11,560 Speaker 2: looming specter of do we have to institute tea wards 511 00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:13,720 Speaker 2: after trying desperately to avoid it for the past twenty 512 00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:18,000 Speaker 2: three rounds, there is a there's a situation here that 513 00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:21,560 Speaker 2: I personally think Verstapa would is going to win the race, 514 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:24,000 Speaker 2: because that's pretty much what he does at this point 515 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:27,120 Speaker 2: of the season. Imagine a situation where you've got Pastre 516 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:29,920 Speaker 2: three Norris four towards the end of the race and 517 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:32,960 Speaker 2: you will have to swap those drivers around to stop 518 00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:35,480 Speaker 2: Max forstaf and winning the world title, wouldn't that? I 519 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:37,840 Speaker 2: mean Abu Dhabi races, as we know, are generally pretty 520 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:40,000 Speaker 2: dreadful unless we get Hollywood safety cars at the end. 521 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:44,120 Speaker 2: In twenty twenty one weekly mention of Hollywood safety cars 522 00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:49,720 Speaker 2: or other circumstances. Can you imagine the hand ringing that's 523 00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:52,119 Speaker 2: going to go on on the McLaren pitwall if that 524 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:54,359 Speaker 2: is the situation towards the end of that race, because 525 00:24:54,359 --> 00:24:57,879 Speaker 2: they will be so desperate to not ask Piastre to 526 00:24:58,040 --> 00:25:00,159 Speaker 2: move over to allow his team mate to in the 527 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:04,480 Speaker 2: World Championship. It's a really interesting situation for Piastre in 528 00:25:04,520 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 2: and off the moment that then what it means longer term, 529 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:09,159 Speaker 2: and you know we mentioned before McLaren hasn't won a 530 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:13,199 Speaker 2: driver's championship since two thousand and eight. It's really delicately 531 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:16,960 Speaker 2: poised because of the fact that you look at the 532 00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:19,280 Speaker 2: form guide of these three drivers coming in, and also 533 00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:20,879 Speaker 2: the fact that the fact that Lando Norris has got 534 00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:24,040 Speaker 2: this twelve point advantage that you mentioned before. When you're 535 00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:26,720 Speaker 2: playing with margin like that, you do approach the race 536 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:28,879 Speaker 2: very differently. You don't have to go out there and 537 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:32,560 Speaker 2: just win the thing, which realistically and or Pastri they 538 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:34,080 Speaker 2: just have to go and win. It's like it's a 539 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:37,159 Speaker 2: very simple focus, easy to say, hard to do, just 540 00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:40,280 Speaker 2: got to go win, whereas Norris is like, well, we're 541 00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:42,240 Speaker 2: in the best car all year and if I don't 542 00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:44,919 Speaker 2: ma activity mistakes, I can probably just finish on the podium. 543 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:46,920 Speaker 2: That's probably fine because we know the races tend to 544 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:49,720 Speaker 2: be a bit processional there. But when the goal isn't 545 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:52,520 Speaker 2: as singularly focused as it is for Versapen or piastre 546 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:55,320 Speaker 2: I think it changes the way you approach the weekend mentally, 547 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:58,600 Speaker 2: And we've seen this in previous championship deciders, because so 548 00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:01,920 Speaker 2: often in championship decid as you find that even if 549 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:04,040 Speaker 2: the leader coming into the last round ends up winning 550 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:07,560 Speaker 2: the World Championship, they will lose a decent slab of 551 00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:10,160 Speaker 2: the points advantage they had coming in. Because you're playing 552 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:11,879 Speaker 2: with house money to a degree, you're not going to 553 00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:14,400 Speaker 2: approach it the same way mentally. And you look back 554 00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:17,480 Speaker 2: through recent championship deciders, very often that driver who has 555 00:26:17,520 --> 00:26:20,320 Speaker 2: converted on leading coming into the last round has actually 556 00:26:20,359 --> 00:26:22,879 Speaker 2: shipped a pretty decent slab of points in that last 557 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:25,680 Speaker 2: race because you just approach it differently mentally, don't you. 558 00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:27,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, Well that's sort of the interesting thing. But also 559 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:30,480 Speaker 1: speaks to which is I think is true this weekend 560 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:33,119 Speaker 1: as well, is that often when we get these close, 561 00:26:33,320 --> 00:26:35,240 Speaker 1: well inevitably, when we get this close title a side, 562 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:39,399 Speaker 1: as someone comes in with some momentum, maybe the different No, 563 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:41,320 Speaker 1: actually I'm going to say twenty twenty one was the same. 564 00:26:41,359 --> 00:26:45,200 Speaker 1: Hamilton had the momentum that he did, almost won the race, 565 00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:48,240 Speaker 1: probably should have won the race. That's a different story. 566 00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:50,520 Speaker 1: But in some way, as the mentor mand it's not 567 00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:52,640 Speaker 1: always the leader, and I think that's the case this weekend. 568 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:54,520 Speaker 1: I think we can say that while Norris has been 569 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:58,840 Speaker 1: in good form lately and that's what's obviously propelled him 570 00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:00,520 Speaker 1: to the leader of the championship, that happened you'd only 571 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:04,280 Speaker 1: the last four races. It's for Stappan who's the form driver. 572 00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:07,320 Speaker 1: Oscar Piastri is coming off a great weekend in which 573 00:27:07,359 --> 00:27:10,200 Speaker 1: he was the best driver out there, but that's one 574 00:27:10,560 --> 00:27:12,879 Speaker 1: race after four kind of ordinary ones, at least in 575 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:15,480 Speaker 1: terms of results. It's for Stappan who has the mentum, 576 00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 1: and it's for Stappen who starts second. I think there's 577 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:19,600 Speaker 1: also something interesting to say, though. Andrea Stella brought this 578 00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:22,439 Speaker 1: one up in explaining why there will be no team orders. 579 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:26,040 Speaker 1: Although I very much like your hypothetical of pastre third 580 00:27:26,240 --> 00:27:29,439 Speaker 1: Norris force with for Staffin in the lead, what happens there? 581 00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:31,600 Speaker 1: I mean, I think, to go to your other point 582 00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:33,640 Speaker 1: that you've raised last couple of weeks, surely it would 583 00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:36,359 Speaker 1: be insane for them not to make that call and 584 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:39,800 Speaker 1: lose the driver's title when they could actively make a 585 00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:42,400 Speaker 1: call to win it. But it would be a fascinating circumstance. 586 00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:45,600 Speaker 1: The last two times we've had at least three drivers 587 00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:49,479 Speaker 1: going to the decider, it's been the third driver who 588 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:51,679 Speaker 1: wins it. It was Sebastian Battle in twenty ten, it 589 00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:54,440 Speaker 1: was Kimmi Reichen in two thousand and seven. So while 590 00:27:54,440 --> 00:27:56,919 Speaker 1: we might say that Oscar Piastre is an outsider and 591 00:27:57,040 --> 00:28:00,200 Speaker 1: by points he is, well, the last two times this 592 00:28:00,520 --> 00:28:03,399 Speaker 1: someone's found a way to make it happen. So maybe 593 00:28:03,400 --> 00:28:04,600 Speaker 1: we shouldn't be so down on that. 594 00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:06,920 Speaker 2: Well, and I guess the other factor to think about 595 00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:09,240 Speaker 2: here is, you know, we've met, We've spent most of 596 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:13,600 Speaker 2: this podcast talking about three drivers. Is there anybody else 597 00:28:13,680 --> 00:28:16,639 Speaker 2: that has the potential to be a bit of an 598 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:19,000 Speaker 2: interloper at the front of this race or at least 599 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:21,440 Speaker 2: fight for the podium positions based on what they're driving. Now, 600 00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:25,399 Speaker 2: you know, Ferrari had an absolutely brutal guitar. It's kind 601 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:28,639 Speaker 2: of hard to imagine things to really turn around, particularly 602 00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:31,560 Speaker 2: in Abudhabi. As much as I respect what Charlie Clerk 603 00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:33,399 Speaker 2: can do over one lap and baps get himself in 604 00:28:33,440 --> 00:28:37,360 Speaker 2: the mix. Mercedes interesting, it's going to be at night, Yes, 605 00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:39,120 Speaker 2: it's not going to be cool because of Abidhabi, So 606 00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:42,360 Speaker 2: that's interesting, and then you can't really make a case 607 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:45,120 Speaker 2: for anybody else. Quite frankly, there is a second Red 608 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:46,560 Speaker 2: Bull in the field, but that's not going to figure. 609 00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:49,600 Speaker 2: We know that. So you're trying. It's a bit of it. 610 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:51,680 Speaker 2: You have to squint pretty hard to try and find 611 00:28:52,080 --> 00:28:55,360 Speaker 2: other drivers who might get into the mix here. So yeah, 612 00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:57,760 Speaker 2: you could absolutely have a situation where maybe there's one 613 00:28:57,760 --> 00:28:59,360 Speaker 2: other driver in the mix for the top four or 614 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:02,000 Speaker 2: five positions. But then how does that play out? Given 615 00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:03,880 Speaker 2: McLaren have two cars in this fight and Red Bull 616 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:07,760 Speaker 2: have won, and the golf of Forstappen is so crystal clear, 617 00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:11,560 Speaker 2: go and win the race and let's see if McLaren 618 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:14,640 Speaker 2: find a way to trip themselves up from a position 619 00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:17,240 Speaker 2: of relative advantage, as they've done for the back half 620 00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:19,560 Speaker 2: of this season. We've already had the answer to that 621 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:21,840 Speaker 2: question several times over the last few rounds. So why 622 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:23,640 Speaker 2: wouldn't you just keep asking the same question if you 623 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:24,680 Speaker 2: read Bull and for Stappen. 624 00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:26,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly. I actually think it's just sort of interesting 625 00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:29,200 Speaker 1: as you're talking, thinking back to all those alternative who 626 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:31,040 Speaker 1: else could be in the mix? Ye, because that's important 627 00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:33,960 Speaker 1: when Verstappan won the title in aby Dhabi in twenty one, 628 00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:36,480 Speaker 1: regardless of the safety car thing. Well, the reason that 629 00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:38,160 Speaker 1: he was in a position to capitalize on the safety car, 630 00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:41,040 Speaker 1: in fact, so it is related, was because Sergio Perez, 631 00:29:42,080 --> 00:29:44,520 Speaker 1: when he was still doing or at Red Bull Racing, 632 00:29:45,040 --> 00:29:47,200 Speaker 1: slowed down Lewis Hamilton was in a position where it's 633 00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:49,160 Speaker 1: competitive enough to hold up Hamilton for a lap and 634 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:51,920 Speaker 1: a half whatever it was. And while Hamilton got past him, 635 00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:55,400 Speaker 1: Paris hadn't pittae yet. That meant that Hamilton wasn't far 636 00:29:55,520 --> 00:29:57,640 Speaker 1: enough when the safety cart far ahead when the safety 637 00:29:57,680 --> 00:29:59,960 Speaker 1: car came out to make the free pit stop, which 638 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:01,440 Speaker 1: and he didn't make a bit stop, which meant he 639 00:30:01,480 --> 00:30:04,000 Speaker 1: was overtaken after that safety car resumption. And you wonder 640 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:06,560 Speaker 1: what could have happened. This happened. He is lacking that 641 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:09,720 Speaker 1: teammate save here, right, He's probably he's probably not going 642 00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:12,600 Speaker 1: to have Yuki Sonoda in a position to help him, 643 00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:16,240 Speaker 1: although Soa did turn up randomly in the sprint in Kata, 644 00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:18,600 Speaker 1: but not from the Grand Prix. And he's going to 645 00:30:18,680 --> 00:30:20,960 Speaker 1: be sacked this week maybe by the time year this podcast, 646 00:30:20,960 --> 00:30:22,800 Speaker 1: he's not going to be racing he'sactly a Red Bull 647 00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:26,040 Speaker 1: Racing driver twenty six, but maybe he'll turn up this 648 00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:28,800 Speaker 1: week and who's to say. But I do think Mercedes 649 00:30:28,880 --> 00:30:30,920 Speaker 1: is the interesting incident for here, isn't it, you know, 650 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:34,680 Speaker 1: because they in Russell was very competitive in Kata the 651 00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:37,600 Speaker 1: race was its own sort of beast, but in sprint 652 00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:40,480 Speaker 1: qualifying at least was right there in contention for pole position. 653 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:46,440 Speaker 1: Abu Dhabi's a very mild track in terms of well 654 00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:49,560 Speaker 1: everything really all of its characteristics, and Mercedes doesn't like 655 00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:52,840 Speaker 1: too many curveballs. That's part of the setup challenge. Maybe 656 00:30:52,880 --> 00:30:54,840 Speaker 1: that does help them out here. In any case, I 657 00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:59,160 Speaker 1: think Mercedes is a good contender for being consistently thereabout, 658 00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:00,960 Speaker 1: so that could be there, and they do have Now 659 00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:03,800 Speaker 1: I think we can say two drivers that are constantly 660 00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:06,200 Speaker 1: in the mix, like Antonelli's performing at a level now 661 00:31:06,200 --> 00:31:09,000 Speaker 1: where he is always being taken into account on probably 662 00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:11,000 Speaker 1: should have finished ahead of Norris, He have finished ahead 663 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:14,280 Speaker 1: of a Stapen two weeks ago, finished ahead of Piastre 664 00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:18,440 Speaker 1: in Vegas before Piastro was squalified. So there's potential there, 665 00:31:18,520 --> 00:31:19,840 Speaker 1: And you know, if you have a stapp and you're 666 00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:22,000 Speaker 1: really hoping Mercedes is having a great weekend because you 667 00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:23,720 Speaker 1: need someone to fill that Perez gap. 668 00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:26,120 Speaker 2: I suppose, yeah, correct, you need someone else in there. 669 00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:28,360 Speaker 2: Something you just mentioned there before about the fact that 670 00:31:28,480 --> 00:31:30,640 Speaker 2: Yuki Sododa may not be a Red Bull driver. By 671 00:31:30,680 --> 00:31:32,840 Speaker 2: the time people listen to this podcast, you know who 672 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:34,520 Speaker 2: is going to be a twenty twenty six rep Bull driver, 673 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:36,920 Speaker 2: and that's probably going to be as a Kadjar. And 674 00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:39,560 Speaker 2: given the way that the end of Hajar's season has 675 00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:42,600 Speaker 2: progressed for racing bulls, you would be pretty shocked if 676 00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:46,040 Speaker 2: he's not Q three. And so you could have a 677 00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:49,280 Speaker 2: situation where, let's just say Norris is the first to 678 00:31:49,280 --> 00:31:51,280 Speaker 2: stop of the front runners, and you might leave Handja 679 00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:53,480 Speaker 2: rat there just that little bit too long, just to 680 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:55,200 Speaker 2: run a little bit of interference for a lap and 681 00:31:55,240 --> 00:31:57,720 Speaker 2: a half. It takes Norris to perhaps go past a 682 00:31:57,760 --> 00:32:00,640 Speaker 2: car on worst tires that hasn't made their first stop yet. 683 00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:04,200 Speaker 2: So that's an interesting little curve ball, isn't it. Isaac Canja. 684 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:06,960 Speaker 2: Welcome to Red Bull Racing one round early dst. 685 00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:09,680 Speaker 1: Yes, quite well, if you allow me to segue here, 686 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:13,040 Speaker 1: he could be playing the Vitally Petrov role. I suppose 687 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:15,080 Speaker 1: you could descrive it if we cast our minds back 688 00:32:15,120 --> 00:32:18,280 Speaker 1: to the twenty ten race in which you were, you 689 00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:21,400 Speaker 1: were in attendance witness, of course because of Mark Webber 690 00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:24,920 Speaker 1: who was in contention there with Fernando Alonso eventual winner 691 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:29,640 Speaker 1: from third in the championship standings beforehand, Sebastian Vettel, that 692 00:32:29,840 --> 00:32:32,120 Speaker 1: was I mean, title finales are always very tense. That 693 00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:35,560 Speaker 1: one was very interesting because of the ebbing and flowing 694 00:32:35,560 --> 00:32:39,080 Speaker 1: of momentum, and of course the overarch quite similar this year. 695 00:32:39,120 --> 00:32:41,560 Speaker 1: I suppose in some respects the overarching question of will 696 00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:43,640 Speaker 1: Red Bull used team orders? They say no, why not? 697 00:32:44,440 --> 00:32:46,160 Speaker 1: In the end, I guess they were kind of proved right. 698 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:49,120 Speaker 1: But tell me a little bit about that circumstance, the 699 00:32:49,160 --> 00:32:51,800 Speaker 1: feeling of it, because I think for McLaren, well not, 700 00:32:51,840 --> 00:32:53,720 Speaker 1: I think I know for McLaren this is going to 701 00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:56,160 Speaker 1: be an entirely new experience to be going into a 702 00:32:56,160 --> 00:32:58,360 Speaker 1: title decider with the title on the line for both 703 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:00,400 Speaker 1: drivers and navigating. 704 00:32:59,800 --> 00:33:03,320 Speaker 2: That although remember from the pre race press conference, Weber 705 00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:05,560 Speaker 2: was asked about the circuit where it was just you know, 706 00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:08,600 Speaker 2: it was before the redesign of the second sector of 707 00:33:08,920 --> 00:33:10,680 Speaker 2: the track where they've change it a little bit, where 708 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:12,480 Speaker 2: it was just a lot of ninety degree left, ninety 709 00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:15,240 Speaker 2: degree right, and Mark and typical Mark sty just shrugged 710 00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:17,600 Speaker 2: and said, it's like a Tesco's car park. But he 711 00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:20,680 Speaker 2: was just very unimpressed by the entire thing, despite world's 712 00:33:20,680 --> 00:33:23,600 Speaker 2: most expensive Tesco's car park. But what was so interesting 713 00:33:23,600 --> 00:33:26,080 Speaker 2: about that race weekend is that because I've done a 714 00:33:26,120 --> 00:33:29,960 Speaker 2: million of these, because I am significantly older than we 715 00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:33,080 Speaker 2: had four drivers in mathematical contention for the title in 716 00:33:33,080 --> 00:33:36,440 Speaker 2: that last round because Lewis Hamilton. Lewis Hamilton was twenty 717 00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:39,320 Speaker 2: four points off the series lead in a McLaren so 718 00:33:39,360 --> 00:33:41,200 Speaker 2: obviously he needed the other three ahead of him to 719 00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:45,040 Speaker 2: not score. But what was so interesting, So Fernando Alonso 720 00:33:45,120 --> 00:33:47,880 Speaker 2: led the championship for Ferrari, Mark Webber was seven points 721 00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:50,760 Speaker 2: behind in second place for Red Bull, and Sebastian Vastal 722 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:53,400 Speaker 2: was fifteen points behind in third place for Red Bull. 723 00:33:53,520 --> 00:33:56,040 Speaker 2: But and this is the significant thing, he had all 724 00:33:56,080 --> 00:33:59,040 Speaker 2: of the momentum. Of the three previous races, he had 725 00:33:59,080 --> 00:34:00,880 Speaker 2: won two of them, and he would have won the 726 00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:03,040 Speaker 2: third one but for an engine blop right at the 727 00:34:03,120 --> 00:34:06,400 Speaker 2: end of the racing career, which scuppered his chances there. 728 00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:08,560 Speaker 2: But he was the guy that had all a momentum, 729 00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:12,400 Speaker 2: and you mentioned Viatali Petrov. I think the entire race weekend, 730 00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:14,040 Speaker 2: it was just a lot So Weber looking at one 731 00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:16,400 Speaker 2: another to see what each other was doing, because I 732 00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:18,600 Speaker 2: don't think Vettel was seen as a super credible threat 733 00:34:18,640 --> 00:34:22,160 Speaker 2: because he was so far behind Weber. It had a 734 00:34:22,160 --> 00:34:26,319 Speaker 2: particularly difficult qualifying. They covered each other off at very 735 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:28,239 Speaker 2: very early pit stops a lot so Weber and got 736 00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:31,520 Speaker 2: stuck behind this absolute rocket ship of a Reno down 737 00:34:31,560 --> 00:34:34,600 Speaker 2: the back straight driven by Vitali Petrov and just got 738 00:34:34,640 --> 00:34:37,480 Speaker 2: completely snookered in the race, and Alonso finished seventh, Webber 739 00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:40,359 Speaker 2: finished eighth, and Vettel got himself to the front, won 740 00:34:40,360 --> 00:34:42,319 Speaker 2: the race and then stole the championship. And it was 741 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:46,680 Speaker 2: the only race of that entire twenty ten season that 742 00:34:46,760 --> 00:34:49,040 Speaker 2: he led the world Championship standing. He won the championship 743 00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:51,480 Speaker 2: by four points and it was the only round he 744 00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:54,799 Speaker 2: actually led the championship after, which was remarkable. But in 745 00:34:54,920 --> 00:34:59,000 Speaker 2: terms of atmosphere, I remembered the level of tension for 746 00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:00,960 Speaker 2: that race because you had four of them in there. 747 00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:04,799 Speaker 2: As unrealistic as the Hamilton charge was, you had four 748 00:35:04,840 --> 00:35:06,319 Speaker 2: of them on the grid, and I mean, you've done 749 00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:09,000 Speaker 2: enough of these pre grid racewalks now where you're walking 750 00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:12,279 Speaker 2: around before the race the amount of tension and you 751 00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:15,799 Speaker 2: could actually viscerally feel how tense it was there because 752 00:35:15,800 --> 00:35:18,759 Speaker 2: there were multiple drivers in multiple teams. It's taken us 753 00:35:18,800 --> 00:35:21,279 Speaker 2: fifteen years to get back to a situation where there's 754 00:35:21,360 --> 00:35:23,520 Speaker 2: at least three drivers in contention in the last race 755 00:35:23,560 --> 00:35:27,719 Speaker 2: of the season, head to head one on one showdowns 756 00:35:27,719 --> 00:35:29,240 Speaker 2: for the title of tents. At the best of times, 757 00:35:29,239 --> 00:35:31,560 Speaker 2: you remember twenty twenty one. You remember the years when 758 00:35:31,560 --> 00:35:35,319 Speaker 2: it was Rosberg Hamilton at Mercedes and the race in 759 00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:38,359 Speaker 2: twenty sixteen, Hamilton drove in the Mercedes where he drove 760 00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:40,719 Speaker 2: at the slowest possible speed and tried to get a 761 00:35:40,719 --> 00:35:42,879 Speaker 2: whole bunch of people to trip up Niko Rosberg, even 762 00:35:42,920 --> 00:35:45,080 Speaker 2: though that was going against the wishes of his team. 763 00:35:45,719 --> 00:35:48,239 Speaker 2: One on one battles are great in this situation when 764 00:35:48,239 --> 00:35:52,440 Speaker 2: you've got multiple drivers for multiple teams, and you would 765 00:35:52,520 --> 00:35:56,360 Speaker 2: argue that probably the driver leading the championship doesn't necessarily 766 00:35:56,360 --> 00:35:59,040 Speaker 2: have the momentum coming in, and the guy who does 767 00:35:59,080 --> 00:36:01,720 Speaker 2: is a guy who's won four World championships. It really 768 00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:05,120 Speaker 2: does set this up so perfectly for Sunday for a 769 00:36:05,239 --> 00:36:08,960 Speaker 2: season finale that we probably never believe was going to happen. 770 00:36:09,040 --> 00:36:11,799 Speaker 2: But if it's anything like the tension of twenty ten 771 00:36:11,840 --> 00:36:15,160 Speaker 2: and the way that was, it'll be fantastic TV. And 772 00:36:15,200 --> 00:36:17,120 Speaker 2: I also wonder who's going to be the first person 773 00:36:17,160 --> 00:36:19,200 Speaker 2: to get Vatari Petron on the phone this week. I'll 774 00:36:19,280 --> 00:36:23,040 Speaker 2: just talk about talk about old times because he didn't 775 00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:25,040 Speaker 2: have a particularly long Formula One career. He didn't have 776 00:36:25,040 --> 00:36:27,520 Speaker 2: a particularly great Formula One career. He's only podium by 777 00:36:27,520 --> 00:36:29,160 Speaker 2: the way, at the Australian Grand Prix that you go 778 00:36:29,320 --> 00:36:33,280 Speaker 2: right staff for you. But yeah, the name Vatari Petrov 779 00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:34,520 Speaker 2: is not one that a lot of people in F 780 00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:36,799 Speaker 2: one would possibly even know if you're relatively new to 781 00:36:36,800 --> 00:36:39,280 Speaker 2: the sport. But don't be surprised to hear some soundbites 782 00:36:39,320 --> 00:36:41,120 Speaker 2: from Vitali Petrov this week. 783 00:36:41,280 --> 00:36:45,719 Speaker 1: Yes, an influential character in form title decided it's going 784 00:36:45,760 --> 00:36:47,160 Speaker 1: to be a big weekend. But history is going to 785 00:36:47,200 --> 00:36:48,719 Speaker 1: be written one way or another. I think that's what's 786 00:36:48,760 --> 00:36:50,680 Speaker 1: really exciting about the outcome is it doesn't feel like 787 00:36:50,680 --> 00:36:53,240 Speaker 1: there's any boring outcomes here. I mean, a title decider 788 00:36:53,239 --> 00:36:55,480 Speaker 1: never can be but We're either going to be witnessing 789 00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:57,640 Speaker 1: one of the greatest comebacks in the history of Formula 790 00:36:57,640 --> 00:36:59,080 Speaker 1: One from Max Withstaffan, or we're going to get a 791 00:36:59,120 --> 00:37:02,560 Speaker 1: first time world champion in Oscar Piastre or Lando Norris, 792 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:04,840 Speaker 1: which is also an important story for the history of 793 00:37:04,840 --> 00:37:08,240 Speaker 1: Formula One, considering their stature as the next generation, particularly 794 00:37:08,239 --> 00:37:10,800 Speaker 1: in pastre sense considering this is only his third season 795 00:37:11,320 --> 00:37:14,319 Speaker 1: in Formula One. But we are going to learn things 796 00:37:14,360 --> 00:37:17,120 Speaker 1: about all of them this weekend, and the landscape of 797 00:37:17,160 --> 00:37:19,080 Speaker 1: Formula One will be different from next year. I'm not 798 00:37:19,120 --> 00:37:22,200 Speaker 1: talking about the regulations, but I mean simply we're going 799 00:37:22,239 --> 00:37:25,239 Speaker 1: to think of things differently. After this title decider, things 800 00:37:25,239 --> 00:37:27,840 Speaker 1: will have changed as a result of the outcome this weekend. 801 00:37:27,920 --> 00:37:30,479 Speaker 1: Stick there we get something whacky happen, and I can't 802 00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:34,359 Speaker 1: help but wonder legacy wise what this weekend might mean 803 00:37:34,920 --> 00:37:37,440 Speaker 1: in that regard. I think we can start with Maxwistapan here, 804 00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:39,560 Speaker 1: because I think this is a pretty easy question. This 805 00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:43,560 Speaker 1: would be his greatest world championship. I think even I think, 806 00:37:43,560 --> 00:37:45,200 Speaker 1: no matter how he wins, if he would have win 807 00:37:45,239 --> 00:37:48,000 Speaker 1: it this weekend, no matter how it happens, I think 808 00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:51,560 Speaker 1: it would still probably become more remarkable than what happened 809 00:37:51,560 --> 00:37:54,560 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty one. Obviously, the off track controversy of 810 00:37:54,600 --> 00:37:57,480 Speaker 1: twenty one is its own thing, but I think coming 811 00:37:57,520 --> 00:38:00,960 Speaker 1: back and winning it here would in my mind probably 812 00:38:00,960 --> 00:38:01,920 Speaker 1: stepping ahead of that. 813 00:38:02,160 --> 00:38:04,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, completely. I mean you look at you can look 814 00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:06,399 Speaker 2: back at twenty twenty three where Red BULLONEI didn't win 815 00:38:06,480 --> 00:38:08,360 Speaker 2: one race. Thinking car lot of science is a second 816 00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:11,360 Speaker 2: reference to science in this particular podcast. But you know, 817 00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:13,920 Speaker 2: you look at the legacy quarter element of this, like 818 00:38:14,280 --> 00:38:16,799 Speaker 2: Maxistappen could be the second driver ever to win five 819 00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:21,680 Speaker 2: consecutive championships. That's what's on the line here, and if 820 00:38:21,680 --> 00:38:23,799 Speaker 2: you were to win that fifth in a row with 821 00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:27,520 Speaker 2: arguably the best of the five, that would be quite 822 00:38:27,520 --> 00:38:31,239 Speaker 2: an astonishing achievement. Because you know, I mentioned jokingly before 823 00:38:31,280 --> 00:38:33,239 Speaker 2: about how maybe he's the best underdog as well as 824 00:38:33,239 --> 00:38:35,520 Speaker 2: the best champion all the grid, that shouldn't be overlooked. 825 00:38:35,560 --> 00:38:38,640 Speaker 2: The fact that I can't think of another driver that 826 00:38:38,880 --> 00:38:42,080 Speaker 2: could have engineered this sort of comeback to even be 827 00:38:42,200 --> 00:38:46,120 Speaker 2: in the conversation to win this World Championship other than Maxistappen, 828 00:38:46,200 --> 00:38:48,320 Speaker 2: So that in itself might be testament to his greatness. 829 00:38:48,320 --> 00:38:51,879 Speaker 2: But you talk about legacy, there's so many people who 830 00:38:52,400 --> 00:38:55,280 Speaker 2: you know, Lando Norris could be McLaren's first world champion 831 00:38:55,320 --> 00:38:58,759 Speaker 2: for seventeen years, as could Oscar Piastre. No Australians won 832 00:38:58,800 --> 00:39:01,239 Speaker 2: a Formula WIE World Championships. It's nineteen eighty. This is 833 00:39:01,280 --> 00:39:03,879 Speaker 2: the closest other than Weber in twenty ten, that we've 834 00:39:03,960 --> 00:39:08,400 Speaker 2: got to that. But there's so many different people involved 835 00:39:08,440 --> 00:39:10,480 Speaker 2: in the sport that I just think, gosh that you know, 836 00:39:10,520 --> 00:39:13,839 Speaker 2: the legacy that the result one way or the other 837 00:39:14,360 --> 00:39:17,399 Speaker 2: could determine. Look, someone that Lauren Mecky is as someone 838 00:39:17,480 --> 00:39:19,879 Speaker 2: I keep thinking about with Red Bull. He took over 839 00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:21,680 Speaker 2: in the middle of the season where they were basically 840 00:39:21,680 --> 00:39:23,760 Speaker 2: hopeless and they got rid of the only team principle 841 00:39:23,840 --> 00:39:26,680 Speaker 2: they'd ever had in twenty one years of existence or 842 00:39:26,719 --> 00:39:29,640 Speaker 2: whatever it's been. They might win the drivers championship with 843 00:39:29,680 --> 00:39:32,120 Speaker 2: this guy who's been in charge for what ten races 844 00:39:32,200 --> 00:39:35,879 Speaker 2: or something. There's so many little interesting legacy intersections going 845 00:39:35,920 --> 00:39:38,320 Speaker 2: on in this race that once the result and the 846 00:39:38,360 --> 00:39:40,680 Speaker 2: points permutations settled down on Sunday, we'll look at it 847 00:39:40,680 --> 00:39:42,560 Speaker 2: and go, wow, you know, what does this mean In 848 00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:45,080 Speaker 2: the wider scope of a Formula One there's a lot 849 00:39:45,120 --> 00:39:46,160 Speaker 2: of crossroads here, isn't that. 850 00:39:46,440 --> 00:39:48,319 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it's interesting to think about how we 851 00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:52,600 Speaker 1: might consider McClaren management after this race. What happens. Obviously, 852 00:39:52,600 --> 00:39:55,160 Speaker 1: if they win the driver's title, it can be pretty 853 00:39:55,160 --> 00:39:57,719 Speaker 1: easy win for them as well, because we've got to 854 00:39:57,719 --> 00:39:59,360 Speaker 1: think about in the broader context as well, that this 855 00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:01,840 Speaker 1: team's come back from an extremely low base in only 856 00:40:02,160 --> 00:40:04,520 Speaker 1: three years. I mean, when oscopiastri joined, it's often to 857 00:40:04,520 --> 00:40:07,560 Speaker 1: get the car, was slucks his first base and barely 858 00:40:07,560 --> 00:40:09,879 Speaker 1: made the finish. And here they are off the back 859 00:40:09,920 --> 00:40:13,360 Speaker 1: of two constructors championships, this one extremely dominant, and but 860 00:40:14,040 --> 00:40:16,240 Speaker 1: two shots at the driver's title as close as Maxis 861 00:40:16,239 --> 00:40:18,359 Speaker 1: Staffan is, and as painful as that probably is, they've 862 00:40:18,360 --> 00:40:20,160 Speaker 1: still got two drivers in the fight here, and that's 863 00:40:20,200 --> 00:40:23,600 Speaker 1: pretty important too if they don't get it done. I 864 00:40:23,640 --> 00:40:26,719 Speaker 1: still think that broader historical context is important. And one 865 00:40:26,800 --> 00:40:30,120 Speaker 1: two constructors titles, and that's that's significant from how well 866 00:40:30,200 --> 00:40:33,480 Speaker 1: management has done. But I really wonder how they would 867 00:40:33,560 --> 00:40:36,520 Speaker 1: reflect on losing the driver's title here as much as 868 00:40:36,800 --> 00:40:39,239 Speaker 1: Zack Bround's kind of already I don't think he was 869 00:40:39,280 --> 00:40:41,160 Speaker 1: thinking this is what he was doing when he started 870 00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:43,560 Speaker 1: saying this. But as much as he's laid the groundwork 871 00:40:43,560 --> 00:40:45,719 Speaker 1: here for saying, well Max beats us, then we've done. 872 00:40:45,920 --> 00:40:49,680 Speaker 1: We've lost it in the right, in the right honorable way, 873 00:40:50,120 --> 00:40:52,640 Speaker 1: or however he's going to possibly be required to sell 874 00:40:52,719 --> 00:40:55,120 Speaker 1: it that the various steps along the way that have 875 00:40:55,200 --> 00:40:58,080 Speaker 1: contributed to this team being in a position to lose 876 00:40:58,120 --> 00:41:00,600 Speaker 1: the driver's title this weekend. I think it's going to 877 00:41:00,640 --> 00:41:02,719 Speaker 1: be very interesting and I'll be fascinated to hear what 878 00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:05,640 Speaker 1: conversations take place during the off season, even if they 879 00:41:05,680 --> 00:41:08,480 Speaker 1: win it, to be honest, and what approach they might 880 00:41:08,560 --> 00:41:11,480 Speaker 1: take to racing next year, assuming they're still in contention 881 00:41:11,640 --> 00:41:14,480 Speaker 1: for the title, which we expect them to be, and 882 00:41:14,520 --> 00:41:15,480 Speaker 1: how that changes. 883 00:41:15,640 --> 00:41:17,879 Speaker 2: It's a really good point because you can both things 884 00:41:17,920 --> 00:41:20,120 Speaker 2: can be true here in that, yes, they might win 885 00:41:20,160 --> 00:41:23,120 Speaker 2: the Drivers' Championship with either Norris or less likely Pastre 886 00:41:23,239 --> 00:41:25,560 Speaker 2: on Sunday night. I don't think you could take a 887 00:41:25,640 --> 00:41:28,080 Speaker 2: victory lap for the approach that you've taken this year, 888 00:41:28,120 --> 00:41:30,080 Speaker 2: if indeed you secure the victory and the drivers and 889 00:41:30,120 --> 00:41:34,200 Speaker 2: the constructors championships, and you do wonder that it strikes 890 00:41:34,239 --> 00:41:36,799 Speaker 2: me that the whole Papaya rules thing. It's a great 891 00:41:36,840 --> 00:41:40,160 Speaker 2: internal discussion, it's a great ethos to have within the team. 892 00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:44,800 Speaker 2: Don't make it public, even if your actions maybe intimate 893 00:41:44,840 --> 00:41:47,120 Speaker 2: that this is the way you're going racing, Like, why 894 00:41:47,160 --> 00:41:49,480 Speaker 2: does this need to be made public? Are you trying 895 00:41:49,520 --> 00:41:51,680 Speaker 2: to do it for social media attention or appeal or 896 00:41:51,719 --> 00:41:53,480 Speaker 2: oh look at this, isn't it great? They're being also 897 00:41:53,560 --> 00:41:55,920 Speaker 2: fair and all that sort of thing. It strikes me 898 00:41:55,960 --> 00:41:58,959 Speaker 2: as an internal policy that you can try and stick 899 00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:01,160 Speaker 2: to for as long as you need to, until you don't. 900 00:42:01,719 --> 00:42:04,160 Speaker 2: And that's the problem they've painted themselves in. We talked 901 00:42:04,160 --> 00:42:06,640 Speaker 2: before about could they issue a team order to make 902 00:42:06,640 --> 00:42:08,600 Speaker 2: sure that one of their two drivers wins the championship 903 00:42:08,640 --> 00:42:10,799 Speaker 2: on Sunday. Of course that would be the correct thing 904 00:42:10,800 --> 00:42:12,799 Speaker 2: to do. The reason you wouldn't do it, just like 905 00:42:12,840 --> 00:42:14,840 Speaker 2: the reason you didn't pick your cars and Qatar on 906 00:42:14,880 --> 00:42:17,759 Speaker 2: the weekend, is because of all the discussion that's gone 907 00:42:17,760 --> 00:42:21,200 Speaker 2: on beforehand, and you'd be put up for ridicule and 908 00:42:21,239 --> 00:42:22,960 Speaker 2: oh look they've gone back against their word and so 909 00:42:23,040 --> 00:42:25,200 Speaker 2: on and so forth. None of that happens. If you 910 00:42:25,280 --> 00:42:27,480 Speaker 2: keep that, you can still have the policy. Maybe just 911 00:42:27,480 --> 00:42:29,319 Speaker 2: don't tell the world about it. And I think that's 912 00:42:29,400 --> 00:42:31,320 Speaker 2: part of the problem with this. There's a perception in 913 00:42:31,360 --> 00:42:35,879 Speaker 2: an image that comes with it. But the legacy play 914 00:42:35,880 --> 00:42:37,759 Speaker 2: in this is just so so interesting, and you do 915 00:42:37,840 --> 00:42:41,520 Speaker 2: wonder that if they had their time over, would you 916 00:42:41,719 --> 00:42:45,400 Speaker 2: just kept this a little bit quieter? And something I 917 00:42:45,520 --> 00:42:48,080 Speaker 2: went I said half an hour ago in this podcast 918 00:42:48,160 --> 00:42:51,400 Speaker 2: is that history records the winners. And as much as 919 00:42:51,480 --> 00:42:54,560 Speaker 2: McClaren may end up winning this Driver's Championship, I don't 920 00:42:54,600 --> 00:42:56,600 Speaker 2: think you can say that the approach they've used to 921 00:42:56,719 --> 00:42:58,960 Speaker 2: win it, if it happens, was the correct one and 922 00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:00,600 Speaker 2: probably should have been more private. 923 00:43:00,680 --> 00:43:03,200 Speaker 1: I would have thought, yes, certainly didn't cause the least axed. 924 00:43:03,760 --> 00:43:05,800 Speaker 1: But I do wonder, as well as just a secondary 925 00:43:05,800 --> 00:43:08,400 Speaker 1: element of that before we move on, if one of 926 00:43:08,440 --> 00:43:12,000 Speaker 1: their drivers becomes the Driver's title winner and next year 927 00:43:12,040 --> 00:43:14,920 Speaker 1: is the defending champion, how does that play into those rules? 928 00:43:15,040 --> 00:43:17,480 Speaker 1: Is there a priority of preference there is the defending champion? 929 00:43:17,520 --> 00:43:20,880 Speaker 1: Does defending the driver's title become an important element in that? 930 00:43:21,320 --> 00:43:24,480 Speaker 1: You know it opens up an entirely separate chapter to 931 00:43:24,680 --> 00:43:28,439 Speaker 1: this book of Papaya rules, but a question for next year. 932 00:43:28,440 --> 00:43:30,680 Speaker 2: In fact, the other question the thing really quick before 933 00:43:30,680 --> 00:43:33,480 Speaker 2: you get off this particular topic is because we have 934 00:43:33,600 --> 00:43:37,640 Speaker 2: such a massive regulation change for twenty twenty six. You 935 00:43:37,719 --> 00:43:39,960 Speaker 2: can't just I mean this year. We were not surprised 936 00:43:39,960 --> 00:43:42,400 Speaker 2: that McLaren was good in twenty twenty five because there 937 00:43:42,440 --> 00:43:45,399 Speaker 2: was continuity of rule set and regulation and momentum from 938 00:43:45,440 --> 00:43:47,319 Speaker 2: twenty twenty four. What they've done this year is not 939 00:43:47,360 --> 00:43:50,760 Speaker 2: a surprise in the slightest. You go back to several 940 00:43:50,800 --> 00:43:53,879 Speaker 2: big rule and regulation changes in Formula one history, the 941 00:43:54,120 --> 00:43:57,960 Speaker 2: entire pecking order can be completely turned on its head 942 00:43:58,160 --> 00:44:00,680 Speaker 2: because of a very very big rule change. One team 943 00:44:00,760 --> 00:44:04,320 Speaker 2: or one manufacturer just gets it completely right and someone 944 00:44:04,400 --> 00:44:07,400 Speaker 2: else gets it completely wrong, and momentum can just be 945 00:44:07,480 --> 00:44:10,000 Speaker 2: turned off like a tap. And we've seen this several 946 00:44:10,080 --> 00:44:12,520 Speaker 2: times in the past. When Lewis Hamilton went to Mercedes 947 00:44:12,640 --> 00:44:15,919 Speaker 2: in twenty thirteen, the general response was, what on earth 948 00:44:15,960 --> 00:44:18,760 Speaker 2: are you going there for? They've won nothing, they're no good. 949 00:44:18,800 --> 00:44:21,800 Speaker 2: Why are you throwing away your time at McLaren. And 950 00:44:21,840 --> 00:44:25,000 Speaker 2: they had that one season there in twenty thirteen, rules 951 00:44:25,040 --> 00:44:26,920 Speaker 2: change in twenty fourteen and he won five of the 952 00:44:26,960 --> 00:44:31,920 Speaker 2: next six world titles. So momentum can Usually momentum will 953 00:44:31,960 --> 00:44:34,319 Speaker 2: not carry over between rule sets and then so if 954 00:44:34,360 --> 00:44:36,239 Speaker 2: you've gone down a path where Norris wins the World 955 00:44:36,320 --> 00:44:39,400 Speaker 2: Championship under this allspec of fairness, and what if McLaren 956 00:44:39,400 --> 00:44:42,000 Speaker 2: aren't particularly good next year? You know, this is another 957 00:44:42,120 --> 00:44:44,000 Speaker 2: question here. There's not going to be that momentum and 958 00:44:44,040 --> 00:44:46,680 Speaker 2: carryover that we saw between last year and this. That's 959 00:44:46,760 --> 00:44:49,399 Speaker 2: not a guarantee, and that's another element to add into 960 00:44:49,440 --> 00:44:52,360 Speaker 2: all of this. If McLaren don't win it this weekend. 961 00:44:52,120 --> 00:44:54,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's going to be a fascinating story at the 962 00:44:54,520 --> 00:44:56,840 Speaker 1: beginning of next season, I think, regardless of the outcome, 963 00:44:56,880 --> 00:44:59,319 Speaker 1: because either one McLaren driver is going to feel aggrieved, well, 964 00:44:59,320 --> 00:45:02,080 Speaker 1: both of them will, which is the fairest outcome? I 965 00:45:02,080 --> 00:45:05,600 Speaker 1: think we can all Indeed, we can't wrap up though 966 00:45:05,760 --> 00:45:10,120 Speaker 1: without going to the crystal ball by complete home filtration. 967 00:45:10,520 --> 00:45:12,640 Speaker 1: I'm feeling pretty good because again I didn't delete my 968 00:45:12,640 --> 00:45:15,680 Speaker 1: predictions after ending last week's show, the title would be 969 00:45:15,719 --> 00:45:17,839 Speaker 1: one cut. I'd be less than fifteen points going into 970 00:45:17,800 --> 00:45:20,959 Speaker 1: the last round. Sow is how good's Michael doing? 971 00:45:21,120 --> 00:45:22,560 Speaker 2: Well? If you're going to talk about yourself with the 972 00:45:22,560 --> 00:45:25,239 Speaker 2: third person, you clearly go very well. But given that 973 00:45:25,320 --> 00:45:29,000 Speaker 2: you have a one hundred percent hit rate here given 974 00:45:29,000 --> 00:45:32,080 Speaker 2: that I'm clearly the anchor dragging this particular podcast down 975 00:45:32,080 --> 00:45:34,440 Speaker 2: at this point, I think it's only fair that you 976 00:45:34,480 --> 00:45:37,279 Speaker 2: go first, because clearly you know what's going to happen 977 00:45:37,320 --> 00:45:39,480 Speaker 2: this weekend much to share it with us. 978 00:45:39,520 --> 00:45:42,000 Speaker 1: I'd I'd love to I'd love to share it with you. 979 00:45:42,040 --> 00:45:44,080 Speaker 1: I was going to say, we already talked about it, 980 00:45:44,120 --> 00:45:45,880 Speaker 1: so it sort of gates it as a talking point 981 00:45:46,120 --> 00:45:48,600 Speaker 1: that I could see the Verstappin in the leads. You 982 00:45:48,719 --> 00:45:52,120 Speaker 1: pick your driver for second. Let's say I should choose 983 00:45:53,120 --> 00:45:56,640 Speaker 1: our third Piastree, Norris fourth, and the team waterer coming 984 00:45:56,640 --> 00:45:59,080 Speaker 1: in or perhaps and maybe handringing over whether or I 985 00:45:59,160 --> 00:46:02,200 Speaker 1: should come in, And I just want to put out 986 00:46:02,239 --> 00:46:05,640 Speaker 1: as my crystal ball two alternative hypotheticals here, and then 987 00:46:05,640 --> 00:46:07,080 Speaker 1: we can pick which one maybe is going to happen. 988 00:46:07,080 --> 00:46:10,279 Speaker 1: But I just I like this imagining based on the 989 00:46:11,080 --> 00:46:14,839 Speaker 1: projections what might be happening here. Scenario one is it's 990 00:46:15,239 --> 00:46:18,400 Speaker 1: for Staffen ahead of Piastre, ahead of Norris on the podium. 991 00:46:18,440 --> 00:46:22,240 Speaker 1: Completely believable. But you've got a really competitive and fast 992 00:46:22,280 --> 00:46:25,640 Speaker 1: in a straight line George Russell in fourth. Let's say 993 00:46:26,680 --> 00:46:30,680 Speaker 1: I can see Verstaffen doing the Hamilton twenty sixteen, backing 994 00:46:30,680 --> 00:46:34,200 Speaker 1: all of them up. It is at risk of Piastric 995 00:46:34,200 --> 00:46:36,239 Speaker 1: partly because Piastri will attempt to pass, because we know 996 00:46:36,280 --> 00:46:38,080 Speaker 1: he's that kind of guy. But I think Norris in 997 00:46:38,120 --> 00:46:42,160 Speaker 1: that scenario is what Hamilton thought Rosberg would be, which 998 00:46:42,239 --> 00:46:45,160 Speaker 1: is and he kind of was actually but panicked into 999 00:46:45,239 --> 00:46:48,120 Speaker 1: making a mistake. I'd be interesting to see if George 1000 00:46:48,160 --> 00:46:50,400 Speaker 1: Russell already went for it, though, whether there'd be some 1001 00:46:50,520 --> 00:46:53,200 Speaker 1: nationality at play there. Maybe we should hypothesize that it's 1002 00:46:53,239 --> 00:46:56,919 Speaker 1: Antonelli Dwarth. I'm not sure, but I think I could 1003 00:46:57,000 --> 00:46:59,520 Speaker 1: completely see that. But I want to leave you with 1004 00:46:59,600 --> 00:47:02,560 Speaker 1: this one because fairness is the name of the game. 1005 00:47:02,880 --> 00:47:06,240 Speaker 1: All Right. We've got a scenario where Norris is leading 1006 00:47:06,239 --> 00:47:07,920 Speaker 1: the race. He's going to win the title. That's the 1007 00:47:07,920 --> 00:47:11,520 Speaker 1: most likely mathematical scenario. You've got Piastre in second, and 1008 00:47:11,640 --> 00:47:13,160 Speaker 1: the stapping could be thir It doesn't really matter. 1009 00:47:13,120 --> 00:47:14,879 Speaker 2: I think I know where you're going yet, but keep going. 1010 00:47:14,920 --> 00:47:17,200 Speaker 1: Think you know where I'm going with this. Norris is 1011 00:47:17,200 --> 00:47:18,680 Speaker 1: going to win the title no matter where he finishes 1012 00:47:18,719 --> 00:47:21,120 Speaker 1: on the podium, it doesn't matter. He's going to be 1013 00:47:21,239 --> 00:47:24,560 Speaker 1: the driver's champion. But on the grounds of fairness, and 1014 00:47:24,600 --> 00:47:28,239 Speaker 1: I incur the memory of the Italian Grand prixhere with 1015 00:47:28,800 --> 00:47:32,600 Speaker 1: McLaren intervene on fairness grounds. McLaren says, you know what 1016 00:47:33,280 --> 00:47:36,840 Speaker 1: we cost Oscar Piastre victory last week. Though it doesn't 1017 00:47:36,840 --> 00:47:40,600 Speaker 1: matter to Orlando. Let Oscar win the race. It's only 1018 00:47:40,719 --> 00:47:44,640 Speaker 1: fair you will still win the title. Why shouldn't that 1019 00:47:44,680 --> 00:47:48,160 Speaker 1: be allowed under fairness? I think I'm not necessarily saything 1020 00:47:48,160 --> 00:47:50,279 Speaker 1: going to do it, but I think that question is 1021 00:47:50,320 --> 00:47:52,360 Speaker 1: going to arise this weekend if Norris is winning the 1022 00:47:52,480 --> 00:47:55,359 Speaker 1: race in that order, and I think it's just going 1023 00:47:55,400 --> 00:47:58,000 Speaker 1: to be another silly McLaren thing where someone's going to go, no, 1024 00:47:58,080 --> 00:47:59,800 Speaker 1: well yeah, we should do that. 1025 00:48:00,040 --> 00:48:02,439 Speaker 2: Seems I can completely see this happening. So I mentioned 1026 00:48:02,440 --> 00:48:04,000 Speaker 2: if you're Oscar Piastre, so I don't want to be 1027 00:48:04,040 --> 00:48:06,040 Speaker 2: gifted a Grand Prix wins, so Norris moves out of 1028 00:48:06,040 --> 00:48:07,920 Speaker 2: the way to let him through, and then Pastre's like, no, 1029 00:48:07,960 --> 00:48:09,640 Speaker 2: I don't particularly want to, and then they run into 1030 00:48:09,680 --> 00:48:11,080 Speaker 2: each other, and then for staff and wins the race 1031 00:48:11,160 --> 00:48:14,600 Speaker 2: or something, but who knows, but absolutely se happening. Your 1032 00:48:14,680 --> 00:48:18,000 Speaker 2: first scenario then, where you mentioned perhaps backing the pack 1033 00:48:18,080 --> 00:48:21,200 Speaker 2: up and George Russell's in fourth, Landa Norris is in third. 1034 00:48:21,440 --> 00:48:23,560 Speaker 2: What would Sky Sports do in this point? Like? Who, 1035 00:48:24,600 --> 00:48:26,920 Speaker 2: how do you commentate that there'll be there'll be tears 1036 00:48:26,920 --> 00:48:29,279 Speaker 2: and we need tissues. All sorts of things could be going. 1037 00:48:29,320 --> 00:48:32,359 Speaker 2: I'll be references to obscure British towns at ninety nine 1038 00:48:32,360 --> 00:48:34,279 Speaker 2: percent of the audience doesn't know or care about. But 1039 00:48:36,320 --> 00:48:39,880 Speaker 2: that could be really interesting. But you're the thought that 1040 00:48:40,120 --> 00:48:42,160 Speaker 2: McLaren might say, look, Lando, you're going to win the 1041 00:48:42,239 --> 00:48:45,560 Speaker 2: championship anyway, let Oscar have this one. And then they'll go, well, 1042 00:48:45,560 --> 00:48:47,839 Speaker 2: that's all fine. Then everything's completely squared off. 1043 00:48:47,920 --> 00:48:50,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, oh my god. Someone will think that on the 1044 00:48:50,120 --> 00:48:51,879 Speaker 1: McLaren people. I think, based on. 1045 00:48:52,000 --> 00:48:56,560 Speaker 2: History, sometimes the means doesn't justify the end, does it. 1046 00:48:56,640 --> 00:49:00,359 Speaker 2: But anyway, but I'm going to go with something far 1047 00:49:00,640 --> 00:49:03,680 Speaker 2: which is unusual for me, far less convoluted, but something 1048 00:49:03,719 --> 00:49:06,279 Speaker 2: that might have some more significant consequences to add some 1049 00:49:06,480 --> 00:49:10,280 Speaker 2: level of interest in an aberdabi racis not usually particularly interesting. 1050 00:49:10,800 --> 00:49:12,880 Speaker 2: I'm predicting that either one of the stap in Norris 1051 00:49:12,960 --> 00:49:14,520 Speaker 2: or Piastric doesn't make Q three. 1052 00:49:14,760 --> 00:49:19,200 Speaker 1: Ah, that's a great prediction. That's such a good one. 1053 00:49:20,360 --> 00:49:23,560 Speaker 2: Someone's going to be out of position, and if it's 1054 00:49:23,640 --> 00:49:26,960 Speaker 2: one of the McLaren drivers, then we talked before about oh, 1055 00:49:27,000 --> 00:49:29,080 Speaker 2: do you run an excessively long first stint so you 1056 00:49:29,120 --> 00:49:31,560 Speaker 2: can run a bit of interference Ferverstappen after his first 1057 00:49:31,600 --> 00:49:33,440 Speaker 2: pit stop or something like that, to add a little 1058 00:49:33,440 --> 00:49:36,759 Speaker 2: bit of jeopardy into the middle section of the race there, 1059 00:49:36,800 --> 00:49:38,840 Speaker 2: which can be a little bit of we're just waiting 1060 00:49:38,840 --> 00:49:41,239 Speaker 2: for the last ten laps if one of those three 1061 00:49:41,320 --> 00:49:43,600 Speaker 2: doesn't make Q three and then knock on effect for 1062 00:49:43,640 --> 00:49:46,120 Speaker 2: all of that. Frankly, I'm here for it because we 1063 00:49:46,160 --> 00:49:49,000 Speaker 2: need a little bit of jeopardy into a live title fight. 1064 00:49:49,080 --> 00:49:51,400 Speaker 2: And much as we roll our eyes at twenty twenty one, 1065 00:49:51,480 --> 00:49:52,920 Speaker 2: there was a little jeopardy at the end of that 1066 00:49:52,960 --> 00:49:55,680 Speaker 2: and it made for compelling, if not particularly satisfying TV. 1067 00:49:55,760 --> 00:49:57,960 Speaker 2: But that's my prediction. One of those top three is 1068 00:49:58,000 --> 00:50:01,360 Speaker 2: not making Q three and insert chaos. 1069 00:50:01,440 --> 00:50:03,520 Speaker 1: That is a good one. I like a good, straightforward 1070 00:50:03,560 --> 00:50:07,239 Speaker 1: prediction as well, but that would certainly spice things up 1071 00:50:07,640 --> 00:50:11,600 Speaker 1: quite significantly. Will any of us be right, Well, we'll 1072 00:50:11,600 --> 00:50:13,400 Speaker 1: find out. At least they are only three outcomes, so 1073 00:50:13,400 --> 00:50:15,719 Speaker 1: it can't be totally wrong with what's going to happen 1074 00:50:15,840 --> 00:50:18,680 Speaker 1: at the end of this race, because by Sunday night 1075 00:50:18,760 --> 00:50:20,719 Speaker 1: or Monday morning, if you're in the Australia and East Coast, 1076 00:50:20,760 --> 00:50:23,680 Speaker 1: we will have a new or a returning in fact 1077 00:50:24,000 --> 00:50:25,719 Speaker 1: world champion. But that's all the time we have for 1078 00:50:25,760 --> 00:50:28,520 Speaker 1: pit Talk today. You can subscribe to Pittalk wherever you 1079 00:50:28,600 --> 00:50:30,759 Speaker 1: get your favorite podcasts, and you can leave us a 1080 00:50:30,840 --> 00:50:34,040 Speaker 1: rating and review as well. This weekend is the Formula 1081 00:50:34,080 --> 00:50:36,399 Speaker 1: One Championship de side of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, 1082 00:50:36,400 --> 00:50:39,319 Speaker 1: with lights out at midnight Australia in eastern daylight time 1083 00:50:39,320 --> 00:50:42,000 Speaker 1: on Monday morning. Take Monday off you may as well. 1084 00:50:42,520 --> 00:50:44,920 Speaker 1: It's not one for the highlights in my opinion, and 1085 00:50:44,920 --> 00:50:46,880 Speaker 1: can get up today with the latest F one, Supercars 1086 00:50:46,880 --> 00:50:49,279 Speaker 1: and verdogp news at Foxsports dot com dot Au from 1087 00:50:49,280 --> 00:50:51,680 Speaker 1: Matt Clayton and me Michael Lobonado. Thanks very much for 1088 00:50:51,719 --> 00:50:53,239 Speaker 1: your company and we'll catch you next week.