1 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,039 Speaker 1: So today I feel like I need, like I don't know, 2 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:11,160 Speaker 1: I need, I need inspirational music playing because today we're 3 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:18,279 Speaker 1: getting to a very anticipated team, and that is Williams. Williams. 4 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: We got there. And why is it just because I've 5 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:23,920 Speaker 1: just always it's always piqued my interest. It's you know, 6 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: Williams is interesting. They're the perfect example of being okay, 7 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: you would make probably a good like NFL or MLB 8 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 1: or some sort of Big four sports reference here. They 9 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:36,960 Speaker 1: are one of the worst teams on the grid currently 10 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:39,839 Speaker 1: but have one of the most like die hard biggest 11 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 1: fan bases. Are the Mets a good equivalent. I don't know, yeah, probably, sorry, 12 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 1: I'm sorry my dad who's a Mets fans, But Williams 13 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 1: used to be very yes, and the Mets too, So yeah, 14 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 1: that's fair. Yes, okay, I'm glad I nailed that. I 15 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:56,840 Speaker 1: know nothing about the Mets. Apologies to any Mets fans 16 00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:00,200 Speaker 1: who are extremely mad at me now, but so so yes. 17 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 1: So Williams currently one of the worst teams on the grid, 18 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:06,160 Speaker 1: however also one of the most historic, also the one 19 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: of the winning ist throughout their their time in Formula one. 20 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 1: What's really fascinating about Williams. That will get into is 21 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:17,480 Speaker 1: that they are a pure hardcore Formula one only team. 22 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:19,800 Speaker 1: We've got that sort of chip on their shoulder going on. 23 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:24,039 Speaker 1: We've got a team founder who was so singularly focused 24 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 1: on this team that he sort of neglected every other 25 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 1: part of his life. And yeah, and we've got a 26 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:31,759 Speaker 1: lot of history. So today on Choosing Sides of One, 27 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: we are diving into Williams. Finally. I know this is 28 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:45,120 Speaker 1: a big, a big, big moment for you from I 29 00:01:45,240 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 1: Heart Radio and Sports Illustrated Studios. This is Choosing Sides one. Wow, Michael. 30 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 1: We've talked about how you know teams like Mercedes are 31 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 1: on the grid partially because they are a large scale 32 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 1: car manufacturer. Aston Martin obviously has a car brand attached, 33 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: you know, Red Bull, not a car manufacturer. But you 34 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: get what they are trying to sell you, and that 35 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:20,520 Speaker 1: is touring filled energy drinks. I will never live down 36 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 1: the fact that we know what is what what equatoring 37 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 1: is at this point Alpha Tawy. They sell you clothing. 38 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: Williams is not is not here for anything else. They 39 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 1: are they are just here for the F one fund. 40 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 1: So Williams at the center of Williams is its namesake, 41 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:41,520 Speaker 1: Sir Frank Williams, he is knighted, he is British, and 42 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:46,240 Speaker 1: Sir Frank Williams started off having a very very brief 43 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 1: racing career as a as a driver and pretty quickly 44 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:53,200 Speaker 1: realized he was just not cut out for the driving lifestyle. 45 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:56,640 Speaker 1: Though he loved cars, he loved racing, but he he 46 00:02:56,680 --> 00:02:59,959 Speaker 1: found that his strengths would be better suited to build 47 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:02,800 Speaker 1: and manage a team rather than be the one in 48 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:07,520 Speaker 1: the car. So he found what's called Frank Williams Racing Cars. 49 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:10,960 Speaker 1: He started. He actually bought a Formula one car from 50 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:13,120 Speaker 1: another team and I told them, now, I'm just going 51 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 1: to use this in retrofit it for a different racing 52 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: series and then you like put a driver in it 53 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:19,639 Speaker 1: to drive an F one, which no doubt piste off 54 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 1: the the other teams leadership for very obvious reasons. And 55 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 1: at that the time you know, he had it was small, 56 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: it was obviously a very scrappy outfit and had a 57 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 1: bunch of different struggles. On top of that, a major 58 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 1: tragedy at the time was that one of Frank williams 59 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 1: good friends, Piers Courage, very fun name not as good 60 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 1: as Scott speed but solid, but unfortunately Pierce Courage he 61 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 1: was kind of the driver for version one Williams team. 62 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 1: He dies in one of the cars in nineteen seventy, 63 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 1: so that is is obviously sad Frank Williams. After this 64 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 1: point we kind of talked about this a little bit 65 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 1: with Enzo Ferrari. He does start to distance himself a 66 00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: little bit, trying to draw that compare us. And also, 67 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 1: I love any story like this, not where someone's dead, obviously, 68 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 1: but it never just happens right away. This success everyone 69 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 1: who's listening that millions of people. It's effort, it's years, 70 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 1: it's time. Yeah, so obviously, yeah, like tragedy occurs, all 71 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:19,640 Speaker 1: these other things happen, and the team is always kind 72 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 1: of struggling, like it's it's it's not really taking off. 73 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: And so by around nine or you know, six seven 74 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:30,119 Speaker 1: years later, uh, they need money. Well, Frank Williams always 75 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:32,080 Speaker 1: a need of money is like the ongoing theme here, 76 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 1: and so he partners with a Canadian billionaire named Walter Wolf, 77 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:38,800 Speaker 1: who ends up owning a sixty stake in Frank Williams 78 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 1: adventure And what does he do with that? Replace Frank 79 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:43,520 Speaker 1: Williams as the head of the team by the end 80 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:47,680 Speaker 1: of the season, a wolf in sheep's clothing. Yes, cut 81 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 1: that up. Yeah, okay, thanks for that. So that sucks. 82 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 1: So Sir Frank Williams starts Williams ten years or so, 83 00:04:56,480 --> 00:05:00,559 Speaker 1: Grinds does his best, has needs money, so gives Walter 84 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:03,279 Speaker 1: Wolf a majority steak and Walter Wolf cuts his ass. 85 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:06,479 Speaker 1: Yes dirty, also real like l O l j K moment. 86 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:09,720 Speaker 1: So Frank and a young engineer from his original team, 87 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 1: this guy Patrick Head. They're like, if it, we're going 88 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:15,560 Speaker 1: to create another another team, like it's gonna be us 89 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:18,480 Speaker 1: great And so that actually starts yet the Williams that 90 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:21,920 Speaker 1: we know today. So yeah, this is the late seventies. 91 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 1: They immediately get the reputation for being very scrappy, very 92 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 1: low blow budget and because they don't have the money, 93 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:31,440 Speaker 1: very innovative because they have to find wacky, weird ways 94 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:34,720 Speaker 1: to stretch their budget to make things work. It was 95 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 1: this sort of shoes string inventive innovative operation. This is 96 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 1: Williams super fan bird Pinkerton. They would be doing these 97 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:52,040 Speaker 1: wild cookie hijinks essentially to their car, like trying new 98 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 1: aerodynamic things, like in some ways the cars that we 99 00:05:55,520 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 1: have today. Oh a lot to the like experimentation and 100 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:05,279 Speaker 1: just surprising ideas of sort of Williams of old. They 101 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:07,919 Speaker 1: have nothing else going for them. They have nothing to lose, 102 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 1: you know, they're not sitting upon billions and billions of dollars. 103 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 1: So they kind of used that to play around with it, 104 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:16,640 Speaker 1: and it actually starts working out for them. I'm punching through. 105 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 1: It's Clay Riggat Serny taking the lead. That's incredible. It's 106 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 1: the too saudio Williams Cars first corner. Williams Car wins 107 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:28,480 Speaker 1: its first ever Grand Prix in nineteen seventy nine. Another 108 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:32,119 Speaker 1: great thing happened in nineteen seventy nine, Michael Costa was born. 109 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 1: I think this was meant to be you and Williams, 110 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: your birth through the birth of my mother's canal. Okay, 111 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:47,719 Speaker 1: uh so, so Williams is now one its first nineteen 112 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 1: seventy nine, roughly ten years since they started in a 113 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 1: lot of different adversity and a death and firing and 114 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:57,240 Speaker 1: a new company. Okay, well, so they just start killing 115 00:06:57,240 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: it in the eighties. They win the nineteen eighty World Championship. 116 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:02,840 Speaker 1: This sets off. I think it's seventeen or eighteen years 117 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 1: of on and off Williams is picking up everything right there, 118 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 1: constantly in the hunt for race wins, for you know, 119 00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 1: for the championship, for on both the constructor and the 120 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 1: driver's side. So this is all going on up. This 121 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 1: is Sir Frank Williams's professional life. It's it's very well 122 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 1: known and it's been documented that he was very singularly 123 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 1: focused on his F one team. We have a certain way, 124 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 1: a modus operan by a way of operating, and that 125 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 1: is a fairly informal manner, but it does achieve under 126 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:39,440 Speaker 1: these very difficult conditions, very long hours, does achieve the 127 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:42,640 Speaker 1: right results, and that's how I operate. His wife, Virginia Williams, 128 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:48,360 Speaker 1: talks about like she gave him eight pounds to go 129 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:52,000 Speaker 1: buy groceries and he came back with spark plugs instead. 130 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:54,560 Speaker 1: Or I think on his wedding day as well, he 131 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:58,679 Speaker 1: was like, I'm going to the racetrack directly after getting married. 132 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:02,520 Speaker 1: He never went on any family holidays because he was 133 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:05,920 Speaker 1: so obsessed with the team. What's interesting to me already 134 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:09,320 Speaker 1: about this is that I would have assumed Sir Frank 135 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 1: Williams and Williams with its racing. I would have a 136 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:14,880 Speaker 1: lot of money, you know, I just always said everybody 137 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:16,680 Speaker 1: has a lot of money. But it sounds like they 138 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 1: kind of had a reputation as being scrappy. And you know, 139 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 1: this is Formula one, so even low budget is high 140 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 1: budget for me and you. But it doesn't sound like 141 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 1: it was one of this unlimitedly funded teams. Yeah, and 142 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:30,960 Speaker 1: and they obviously went through phases of better funding than 143 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:32,800 Speaker 1: other times, and especially as we know, you know, the 144 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 1: better you card does, the easier it is to get 145 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 1: sponsors or to get you know, to get more money 146 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:38,840 Speaker 1: from f one. The other thing, Williams had a lot 147 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:40,440 Speaker 1: of took a lot of pride, and the fact that 148 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 1: his stuff was was mostly you know, as much as 149 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:44,600 Speaker 1: they could build all their own stuff, they did, which 150 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 1: considering the fact that again they are not like a 151 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:49,080 Speaker 1: major car manufacturer, they don't have some other kind of 152 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:54,200 Speaker 1: business elsewhere, you know, is pretty remarkable. It was this 153 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 1: project of one man and his and his colleagues and 154 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:02,800 Speaker 1: they're just like law of and devotion for this specific 155 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:06,120 Speaker 1: sport and everything that it could be and everything that 156 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 1: it could mean. And so I think, yes, like they're 157 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 1: at the back of the pack now, they're not where 158 00:09:11,679 --> 00:09:16,439 Speaker 1: they used to be, but it's there because it loves 159 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 1: racing and I love it dearly for that. What is 160 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:25,200 Speaker 1: Frank Williams? What I mean, what's the money? What is 161 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:27,720 Speaker 1: their okay? So I'll give some just some quick stats here. 162 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 1: So between nine and seven, Williams won nine constructors titles 163 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 1: and seven drivers titles, and so Williams was in the 164 00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:38,600 Speaker 1: hunt for for a lot of the titles and the 165 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 1: glory and all of that. So obviously the royal family 166 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:44,880 Speaker 1: finally says, hey, he's done enough for us to say 167 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:46,960 Speaker 1: that he's very impressive. And they were still when he 168 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 1: got knighted, you know, at this at this real pinnacle 169 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 1: of motorsport. So he was knighted because of Formula one. Yes, 170 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:56,719 Speaker 1: he was knighted. My impression was like this this night, 171 00:09:57,360 --> 00:09:59,480 Speaker 1: you know, came in and it was like I want 172 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:00,760 Speaker 1: to start a form in the one team. No, it 173 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:03,199 Speaker 1: was it was the Formula one that created the nighting. Yes, 174 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:06,160 Speaker 1: and he was knighted in So this was again really 175 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:08,680 Speaker 1: when the team was still very much at the pinnacle. 176 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 1: So it makes sense that they were like, oh, their kid, 177 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 1: they've been killing it for two decades. Let's let's hand 178 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:16,080 Speaker 1: this guy something. So what was it like on it? 179 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 1: I mean, this is if he's obsessed with formula one 180 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:23,000 Speaker 1: these poor kids, yes, and no, I mean I don't. 181 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:25,880 Speaker 1: I don't want to psychoanalyze the individual kids. However, one 182 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:28,520 Speaker 1: of his kids, one of his kids, Claire, actually does 183 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 1: start getting involved in the organization. She ends up working 184 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:33,760 Speaker 1: up the leadership track, doing a lot with marketing and 185 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:36,640 Speaker 1: communications for the team. And we'll talk about in a bit, 186 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:39,000 Speaker 1: but she does summit to kind of this leadership role 187 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:41,160 Speaker 1: on the team by by the end of her tenure. 188 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:45,040 Speaker 1: So unfortunately, Williams does start running into a mix of 189 00:10:45,040 --> 00:10:48,200 Speaker 1: some money trouble, some leadership executive team trouble, and some 190 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:52,040 Speaker 1: inconsistencies with its cars as we enter at the two thousand's. 191 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:53,839 Speaker 1: You know, so if you look, if you just look 192 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:55,840 Speaker 1: at their racing stats here here, it's like some years 193 00:10:55,840 --> 00:10:58,120 Speaker 1: are great, some years are bad, and it's kind of 194 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:01,040 Speaker 1: you know, again, there's nuanced reasons for all these individual 195 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:04,120 Speaker 1: examples why, but it's sort of isn't quite what it 196 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:07,720 Speaker 1: was in this kind of dominating fashion in the eighties 197 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:11,440 Speaker 1: and nineties, and uh, something that starts to happen because 198 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:15,040 Speaker 1: money is king in cash is king and anything, but 199 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:17,920 Speaker 1: especially in Formula one. Um to relate this to our 200 00:11:17,960 --> 00:11:21,080 Speaker 1: discussion of Land Stroll and Daddy Stroll. When we're discussing 201 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:24,720 Speaker 1: Aston Martin, the team Williams has to start forming an 202 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:29,280 Speaker 1: increasing reliance on pay drivers and these sort of sketchier, 203 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:32,920 Speaker 1: weird sponsorship deals or other deals to to keep the 204 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:36,880 Speaker 1: operation afloat. So Williams does start to again, very slowly 205 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:39,040 Speaker 1: over many years, get a little bit of a reputation 206 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:42,960 Speaker 1: for having one, if not more drivers who you're kind 207 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:46,360 Speaker 1: of like, Okay, are they really like a merit pick? Yeah? 208 00:11:46,520 --> 00:11:49,120 Speaker 1: That sucks. That sucks, and I'm sure that's not their 209 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:51,679 Speaker 1: first choice, but it is what it is. But as 210 00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:53,679 Speaker 1: I said, yeah, they continue to have a mix of 211 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:56,920 Speaker 1: some solid years, some bad years over the next twenty years. 212 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:01,440 Speaker 1: Frank basically maintains the role of team principle, even though 213 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:04,240 Speaker 1: he's less active in it. Claire is the one who 214 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:06,319 Speaker 1: kind of she's a deputy team principle, but it's kind 215 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:09,560 Speaker 1: of running the show here, and she's obviously one of 216 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:12,360 Speaker 1: the only women that high. Yeah, she's a very visible 217 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:15,240 Speaker 1: woman in the paddock, and and you know it is 218 00:12:15,679 --> 00:12:18,880 Speaker 1: probably the highest ranking amongst the teams at that point. 219 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:22,280 Speaker 1: So that's where where Claire comes in. Let me show 220 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:25,560 Speaker 1: you actually sir Frank and Claire. Um. So you'll notice 221 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:28,880 Speaker 1: so Frank Williams got into a car accident not while 222 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:34,160 Speaker 1: racing in six and so he actually became a tetraplegic. 223 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:37,120 Speaker 1: So you'll see him in a wheelchair six. He got 224 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:40,040 Speaker 1: in the car accident, and the teams still continued to 225 00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:44,640 Speaker 1: to thrive. Y god, that is a lot of adversity. 226 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:46,920 Speaker 1: That would be a good time to say, let me 227 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:51,000 Speaker 1: rethink about my I mean that that's unbelievable. There's a 228 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:54,520 Speaker 1: lot of stories in Formula one of like of there's 229 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:56,360 Speaker 1: a lot of adversity that happens. There's a lot of 230 00:12:56,400 --> 00:13:00,520 Speaker 1: dark ships and it's like, yeah, it's it's kind of depressing. 231 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:02,120 Speaker 1: But also I wouldn't say funny, but it is a 232 00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:05,000 Speaker 1: depressing that everyone's like, yes, they really got got going 233 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:07,599 Speaker 1: after their like five friends died in car accident, Like, 234 00:13:07,640 --> 00:13:11,040 Speaker 1: oh my god. Yeah, they live, they live high speed, 235 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:14,600 Speaker 1: they do high speed, and when you crash at high speed, 236 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:16,960 Speaker 1: there's a lot of there's a lot of problems. Yea. 237 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:19,160 Speaker 1: So here's him and then there's a photo. He's in 238 00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:21,480 Speaker 1: a he's in a wheelchair and a lot of a 239 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:24,400 Speaker 1: lot of later photos. Yeah, that is sir Frank Williams. 240 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:28,560 Speaker 1: Even his wheelchair looks fast, you know. And that's his 241 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:34,240 Speaker 1: daughter Claire and they're both smiling. They're looking at some results. Cool. 242 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:37,280 Speaker 1: I love it. You know, it's a win win. She 243 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:39,040 Speaker 1: gets to spend some time with dad. He's at the 244 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:43,520 Speaker 1: garage anyways, and sounds like she's climbing up the ranks. 245 00:13:43,559 --> 00:13:46,120 Speaker 1: And let's go Formula one. Let's get everybody involved in 246 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:48,640 Speaker 1: this sport. Yeah, there we go. So, you know, it 247 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:50,439 Speaker 1: is a weird team in the sense that it is 248 00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:54,040 Speaker 1: it is still very much centered on a singular man, right, 249 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 1: like Frank Williams at the center of everything. There's something 250 00:13:56,880 --> 00:14:00,240 Speaker 1: really appealing about this young, scrappy team. That's just they 251 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:02,720 Speaker 1: just really love racing and they love Formula one racing, 252 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:05,120 Speaker 1: and that that also builds them a really die hard 253 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 1: fan base. Early on money, but gets money, they get momentum. 254 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:14,440 Speaker 1: Even after Frank's accident and subsequent disability, they continue to 255 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:16,600 Speaker 1: win more and more for over a decade after that. 256 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:21,360 Speaker 1: So it's amazing and there's something very attractive about a small, 257 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:24,520 Speaker 1: scrappy group that's like, we're here to race. Yeah, that's it. 258 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:27,200 Speaker 1: We're not promoting our energy drink, We're not trying to 259 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:30,080 Speaker 1: get you to buy our street cars. We're here to race. Yeah, 260 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:33,120 Speaker 1: they're pretty hardcore. There's like a there's a there's almost 261 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:35,720 Speaker 1: like a purity to it. Well, what's that I'm now 262 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:38,920 Speaker 1: paralyzed through a car accident. We're still here to race 263 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,640 Speaker 1: and we're still gonna kick your ass exactly. And that's 264 00:14:41,680 --> 00:14:45,040 Speaker 1: what they do. And they're also a very British team 265 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:47,600 Speaker 1: through it all sensing that, Yeah, they give you her 266 00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:51,800 Speaker 1: I mean, he's a night right, So yeah, they're British there, 267 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:55,600 Speaker 1: you know, leaderships British, the founders British, everything's based in 268 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 1: in Britain. So how does the car even look British? 269 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:01,320 Speaker 1: You know, mean because they all look the same, but 270 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:03,640 Speaker 1: it just the colors, the cut, I don't know, it's 271 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:06,520 Speaker 1: just it screams British to me. It's very dignified and 272 00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:09,200 Speaker 1: refined in a way that the Brits like to be. Yeah, 273 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:11,760 Speaker 1: but also you know, we talked about Aston Martin. It 274 00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:15,400 Speaker 1: didn't scream British to me, even though that's a British brand. 275 00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:19,040 Speaker 1: Something about Williams. So we're gonna skip ahead to the 276 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:23,040 Speaker 1: end of the tens again. There's some really inconsistency in 277 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:25,400 Speaker 1: the twenty Tents. There's some years where you've got drivers 278 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:27,640 Speaker 1: finishing P four, P five in the championship standings, and 279 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:29,840 Speaker 1: you've got years where they are completely like a rock 280 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:33,160 Speaker 1: sinking to the bottom of a pond, like just completely 281 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:37,320 Speaker 1: every everything's aft, and they reach a real low point 282 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:42,840 Speaker 1: though they finished in last place in the standings, in 283 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:47,280 Speaker 1: the entire season goes by and they only earn a 284 00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:51,040 Speaker 1: single point to yeah, so really not good, and then 285 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:57,960 Speaker 1: they finished with zero points. So there, Oh, Claire, it's 286 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:01,000 Speaker 1: been a tough few months. But actually, in reality, it's 287 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:04,040 Speaker 1: probably been a tough fee is if we're honest. So 288 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:07,480 Speaker 1: things are looking mighty fft at this point, and you know, 289 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:09,720 Speaker 1: Williams again has a lot of pride in the fact 290 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:13,240 Speaker 1: that they are this family team, their family oriented, they 291 00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:15,800 Speaker 1: build everything themselves, and over the years they started to 292 00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:18,800 Speaker 1: kind of let up on that that whole ethos. But 293 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:20,440 Speaker 1: you know, by the end of the twenty Tents, they 294 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:22,680 Speaker 1: have to admit that things are looking really bad. If 295 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:25,200 Speaker 1: they want the team to survive in any form, they're 296 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:27,280 Speaker 1: going to have to sell at least some stake of it, 297 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:30,840 Speaker 1: or maybe the whole thing. So the Williams family sells 298 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:34,600 Speaker 1: the team to a private equity firm called Dorleton Capital, 299 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:38,800 Speaker 1: office is very close to here in New York. You 300 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:44,080 Speaker 1: wanted to peruse. Yeah, they sound like Darth Vader. Yeah, 301 00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 1: I know. Anytime like private equick gets involved, it's like, yeah, 302 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:50,880 Speaker 1: how it starts playing. So Frank and Claire end up 303 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:54,760 Speaker 1: leaving the team. This is a hard, hard business. I've 304 00:16:54,760 --> 00:16:58,320 Speaker 1: given it my owl, and I've done that because I've 305 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:01,600 Speaker 1: wanted to protect my Emilie's legacy in this sport. I've 306 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:04,800 Speaker 1: done it because I'm my dad's daughter and I felt 307 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:07,960 Speaker 1: almost it was my duty to do it. However, they 308 00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:11,360 Speaker 1: do make a deal with the new owners, like can 309 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:13,080 Speaker 1: you keep the name because you know the legacy of 310 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:15,240 Speaker 1: the name. So they agree to so it's still Williams Racing, 311 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:18,320 Speaker 1: despite the fact that the Williams family is not legally 312 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:23,640 Speaker 1: on paper involved anymore. That's a big loss, Yeah, enormous, 313 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:26,000 Speaker 1: enormous loss. People are obviously really upset. There's a lot 314 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:30,320 Speaker 1: of retrospectives and then the following years. In November one, 315 00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:34,160 Speaker 1: Frank Williams passes away at the age. Of course he does, 316 00:17:35,080 --> 00:17:38,280 Speaker 1: because this was his life. It was his life, and 317 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:40,600 Speaker 1: he was older and and probably had some health stuff 318 00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:45,440 Speaker 1: going on, but he but it doesn't it doesn't help, 319 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:48,880 Speaker 1: doesn't help. So yeah, so Frank passes away, the team 320 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 1: obviously dedicates a race to him. There's a there's a 321 00:17:51,119 --> 00:17:53,760 Speaker 1: one minute moment of silence on the grid for this hero, 322 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:57,280 Speaker 1: Sir Frank Williams in the sport so definitely left his mark. 323 00:17:57,720 --> 00:18:01,919 Speaker 1: Um okay, so Doralton, cap it all takes over. Williams 324 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:08,200 Speaker 1: keeps the name. What happens a good question? So rolls around. 325 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:12,840 Speaker 1: You know, Mercedes out here fighting for their eighth constructors 326 00:18:12,840 --> 00:18:15,040 Speaker 1: in World title in as many years, you know, Red 327 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 1: Bulls trying to beat them, and then you have Williams 328 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:19,919 Speaker 1: like we just want to score a point, where like 329 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:21,879 Speaker 1: we just want our drivers to get out of Q 330 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:26,240 Speaker 1: one and qualifying, like completely different set of standards here. 331 00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:29,280 Speaker 1: And yes, so George Russell still on the team at 332 00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:32,720 Speaker 1: this point and they get some lucky breaks. So we 333 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:35,160 Speaker 1: talked about with espon Ocon. He won his his first 334 00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:38,200 Speaker 1: Grand Prix in this very bizarre Hungarian Grand Prix where 335 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:40,520 Speaker 1: it was like, yeah, like bowling pins being knocked down 336 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:43,200 Speaker 1: at the start in the rain. So in that same race, 337 00:18:43,560 --> 00:18:47,399 Speaker 1: the two Williams drivers, George Russell and Nicholas Latifi, somehow 338 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:49,440 Speaker 1: dodge all of this madness because they're at the back 339 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:53,480 Speaker 1: of the grid. Yes guys, yes, yes, yes, and end 340 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:56,120 Speaker 1: up being able to come in and both score points 341 00:18:56,200 --> 00:18:58,000 Speaker 1: in this race. So it's the team's first points in 342 00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:02,880 Speaker 1: literal years. It's absolutely fantastic both causing the points. We 343 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:05,840 Speaker 1: could not have expected that. Thank you so much, great job. 344 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:09,879 Speaker 1: The entire team lost their goddamn minds like it was 345 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:14,479 Speaker 1: life changing. They were so excited and like George Russell 346 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 1: was crying, there was because he knew what it meant. 347 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:29,360 Speaker 1: Four years of this team striving and working and trying 348 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:34,600 Speaker 1: for something, everything just means so much more to them. 349 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:39,560 Speaker 1: And what's not to love about watching a team claw 350 00:19:39,680 --> 00:19:45,800 Speaker 1: their way back from a pit. It's a joy, quick 351 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:50,320 Speaker 1: break and we'll be back. So this year it's been 352 00:19:50,320 --> 00:19:52,720 Speaker 1: a little bit tougher for Williams, but I mean new regulations. 353 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:55,320 Speaker 1: They were barely barely keeping afloat with the old ones, 354 00:19:55,800 --> 00:19:57,959 Speaker 1: so it's definitely gonna be an adjustment period. They may 355 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:02,040 Speaker 1: have to find some new some new motivation or some 356 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:04,159 Speaker 1: new leadership that's going to work for them. Yeah. I mean, 357 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:08,280 Speaker 1: I don't want to call any multi bazillion dollar motorsports 358 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:10,119 Speaker 1: operation a mom and pop shot, but it is a 359 00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:12,760 Speaker 1: mom pop shot being overtaken by drivate equity, which is, 360 00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:15,080 Speaker 1: you know, Americans will understand a little bit about that. 361 00:20:15,320 --> 00:20:18,439 Speaker 1: All right. Well, I probably am leaning towards liking the 362 00:20:18,560 --> 00:20:24,480 Speaker 1: old Williams as opposed to Dorleton Capital. But but it's 363 00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:26,880 Speaker 1: good to have all this information there you go. Yeah, 364 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:30,240 Speaker 1: let's talk about drivers. I love George Russell, but he 365 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:34,359 Speaker 1: doesn't race for Williams anymore. He does not, I will say, 366 00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:37,200 Speaker 1: he was replaced with a driver who who I think 367 00:20:37,240 --> 00:20:41,600 Speaker 1: embodies a lot of the ethos at Williams. So this driver, 368 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:46,040 Speaker 1: YOHI suggested a tagline of the driver with nine Lives, 369 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:49,399 Speaker 1: which I think does does really have some merit to it. 370 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:54,280 Speaker 1: So first driver we're talking about is Alex Alban Hi Alex. 371 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:57,200 Speaker 1: Hello to Alex, his family, I will say, off the bat, 372 00:20:57,200 --> 00:20:59,959 Speaker 1: they have a bijillion pets. I follow their pets Instagram. 373 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:02,280 Speaker 1: It is a delightful corner of the internet. You know. 374 00:21:02,359 --> 00:21:05,359 Speaker 1: Sometimes I see these accounts of like a pet of 375 00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:08,679 Speaker 1: a famous person. And I think, who in God's name 376 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:11,800 Speaker 1: follows these accounts? Me? I follow all of them? Do 377 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:15,920 Speaker 1: I also follow Louis's dog Roscoe's account? Yes? I do so. 378 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:19,119 Speaker 1: Alex's dad was a British racing driver, albeit in a 379 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:22,840 Speaker 1: completely different series. And then his mother is actually Tie 380 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:26,159 Speaker 1: and so Alex is British. Sound you know? He has 381 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:28,399 Speaker 1: a British accent. He's lived in Britain for most of 382 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:31,480 Speaker 1: his life. He chooses to race under the Taie flag 383 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:34,720 Speaker 1: in motorsports. No ship, Yeah cool, he's respecting of his 384 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:38,520 Speaker 1: mom's nationality. Yes, much love, exactly exactly. So tragedy does 385 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:42,280 Speaker 1: strike for Alex. In two thousand eight, his mom gets 386 00:21:42,359 --> 00:21:48,879 Speaker 1: arrested and yeah, gets arrested and incarcerated for fraud. She 387 00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:52,600 Speaker 1: ran a ten million a nearly ten million dollar car scam. 388 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:56,840 Speaker 1: What is up with these with these stories? A car scam? Yes, 389 00:21:57,080 --> 00:21:58,840 Speaker 1: kind of a Ponzi scheme of buying and selling and 390 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:02,879 Speaker 1: promising certain things to investors. YadA, YadA, YadA. She she 391 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:06,200 Speaker 1: gets caught and and incarcerated for this, and she is 392 00:22:06,320 --> 00:22:09,879 Speaker 1: sentenced to six years and is released about three years later. Uh. 393 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:12,160 Speaker 1: And if you look at and Alex has talked about 394 00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:13,720 Speaker 1: this only a tiny bit. He really doesn't like for 395 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:16,040 Speaker 1: obvious reasons to discuss it. But if you look at 396 00:22:16,119 --> 00:22:19,400 Speaker 1: his racing history, he struggles during this time period where 397 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:22,960 Speaker 1: understandably he has a parent who's incarcerated, which would affect 398 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:26,359 Speaker 1: any very young person. Yeah for sure, Yeah, for sure. 399 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:29,400 Speaker 1: So Alex has a hard time, and he's got several siblings, 400 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:30,880 Speaker 1: they've got all these pets. Like, there's just a lot 401 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:32,440 Speaker 1: going on in his personal life is a long and 402 00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:35,360 Speaker 1: short of it, and his parents are divorced. So anyway, 403 00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:36,880 Speaker 1: a lot a lot going on for a young guy 404 00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:39,280 Speaker 1: who's then also trying to compete in this high speed, 405 00:22:39,480 --> 00:22:42,320 Speaker 1: high stakes sports. His parents are divorced, divorced, and he 406 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:46,320 Speaker 1: chooses his mom's flag. Yes, there's a little something. Yeah. 407 00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:50,160 Speaker 1: So he begins karting at the age of eight, makes 408 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:52,639 Speaker 1: his way through the junior formulas. He wins things. I mean, 409 00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:54,639 Speaker 1: all these guys for the most part win things. You know, 410 00:22:54,720 --> 00:22:57,680 Speaker 1: does well. Uh. The other big thing that I think 411 00:22:57,680 --> 00:22:59,680 Speaker 1: definds a lot of his racing, given that he's racing 412 00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:02,560 Speaker 1: off in Britain at this point, is he's constantly competing 413 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:05,720 Speaker 1: against Lando Orris, George Russell, those names kind of constantly 414 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:09,000 Speaker 1: come up in his career. I mean, they're they're dominating 415 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:11,480 Speaker 1: over there. So they are good friends, they've known each 416 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:14,840 Speaker 1: other for forever, and he does those struggle to distinguish 417 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:17,440 Speaker 1: himself given that there is such a stacked group. Some 418 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:20,159 Speaker 1: years the class is stronger and you just don't know, yeah, exactly, 419 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:21,560 Speaker 1: and as we know, it's there's a lot of luck 420 00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:23,879 Speaker 1: that goes into it. Yeah, for sure. For sure. What 421 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:25,960 Speaker 1: I find most interesting about Alex speaking of like nine 422 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:28,960 Speaker 1: lives and just like things weirdly working out or not 423 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:31,720 Speaker 1: working out. Alex wasn't originally supposed to end up in 424 00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:34,840 Speaker 1: Formula one. You know, when you get to Formula too, 425 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:36,600 Speaker 1: you're kind of you know, yes, you want to get 426 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:37,919 Speaker 1: to F one, but you have to look at your 427 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:39,600 Speaker 1: other options. A lot of these guys are talking a 428 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:43,040 Speaker 1: different motorsports series obviously, have talked to US sponsors, teams, 429 00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:45,520 Speaker 1: team principles, There's all this stuff going on. It's that 430 00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:48,480 Speaker 1: that's just the pace of Formula two. So he actually 431 00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:50,760 Speaker 1: ends up signing a contract to race in a series 432 00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:55,520 Speaker 1: called Formula E, which is electric race car driving. So 433 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:57,639 Speaker 1: you know, Alex has kind of resigned himself that he's 434 00:23:57,640 --> 00:23:59,439 Speaker 1: going to formulaly he won't get to live out his 435 00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:02,159 Speaker 1: f one dream. Also, keep in mind he's in the 436 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:05,640 Speaker 1: Red Bull junior program at this point. And then, as 437 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:10,240 Speaker 1: we know in Daniel Ricardo surprise announces that he is 438 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:12,560 Speaker 1: piecing out of Red Bull, and as you know for 439 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:14,520 Speaker 1: many of our other episodes, this is one of those 440 00:24:14,960 --> 00:24:16,879 Speaker 1: moments where in retrospect we know it was kind of 441 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:20,359 Speaker 1: cataclysmic in terms of domino effect on the rest of 442 00:24:20,359 --> 00:24:23,240 Speaker 1: the grid. They, as we discussed with Alfatari, move up 443 00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:26,280 Speaker 1: Pierre Ghastly to the old Dana Ricardo spot. But that means, hey, 444 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:28,600 Speaker 1: there's a spot open at Toro Rosso all of a sudden. 445 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:30,560 Speaker 1: They didn't really have a good contingency plan for if 446 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:34,360 Speaker 1: Daniel left this abruptly. So Alex goes in that into 447 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:37,920 Speaker 1: that seat, Alex goes into these ross second second Sea 448 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:40,880 Speaker 1: and putting in quotation marks of Rosso. Yes, yes, so 449 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:43,600 Speaker 1: here's Alex's twenty nineteen. He is just trying to get 450 00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:47,080 Speaker 1: his bearings as a rookie on the the this point, 451 00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:50,000 Speaker 1: the you know, junior team for Red Bull, and as 452 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:55,280 Speaker 1: we know, twelve races in, Pierre Ghastly is unceremoniously booted 453 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:58,920 Speaker 1: from the Red Bull seat. So basically, mid season, Alex 454 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:01,399 Speaker 1: a rookie on the grid, it gets named to the 455 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:06,040 Speaker 1: second Red Bull seat, and immediately he is struggling to 456 00:25:06,119 --> 00:25:08,119 Speaker 1: keep up with Max. We already know that these cars 457 00:25:08,119 --> 00:25:11,080 Speaker 1: are are geared towards Max's strength to begin with. It's 458 00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 1: just awkwards. They don't luckily don't boot him at the 459 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:17,000 Speaker 1: end of that season, but by the end of he 460 00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:19,760 Speaker 1: still hasn't really improved. His race results are really in consistent. 461 00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:22,440 Speaker 1: He's nowhere near Max. So at the end of his 462 00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:26,000 Speaker 1: sophomore season they end up demoting him to a reserve 463 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:27,600 Speaker 1: and test driver at Red Bull and he's not on 464 00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:32,480 Speaker 1: the grid. Yeah. So it's it's obviously similar to Pierre, 465 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:35,479 Speaker 1: you know, very humiliating, it's very public. It's just very 466 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:38,520 Speaker 1: very depressing. You gotta have thick skin in this sport. Yeah, 467 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:41,840 Speaker 1: so Alex. Alex also interestingly has a very small but 468 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:45,080 Speaker 1: loyal and die hard fan base around him, and they 469 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:48,200 Speaker 1: were pretty vocal during that they wanted to see him 470 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:50,399 Speaker 1: back on the grid. Now, it's pretty obviously Red Bull 471 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:51,720 Speaker 1: is not going to put him back in that seat. 472 00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:54,080 Speaker 1: Off of tow he has already got their stuff going 473 00:25:54,119 --> 00:25:56,520 Speaker 1: on with you know, Pierre's their golden boy, and Yuki 474 00:25:56,640 --> 00:25:59,160 Speaker 1: just got there. So they're giving Yuki a fair shake. 475 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:02,840 Speaker 1: And and as soon as rumors starts swirling that George 476 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:06,400 Speaker 1: Russell is going to be leaving that Williams seat, sure 477 00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:10,080 Speaker 1: enough Alex comes in announces that he's taking the Williams seat. 478 00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:15,800 Speaker 1: And it's very, very exciting. Everyone is super happy. So 479 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:19,040 Speaker 1: to speed up to present day, this season, there's a 480 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:21,280 Speaker 1: couple of things going on for Alex. So one, as 481 00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:22,919 Speaker 1: of this recording in the middle of the season, he 482 00:26:23,040 --> 00:26:24,879 Speaker 1: is twenty six years old, so again a lot of 483 00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:28,240 Speaker 1: similarity to peire Ghastly, he's he's middle aged by f 484 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:30,600 Speaker 1: one stead or entering entering middle age. He's not a 485 00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:33,920 Speaker 1: young upstart who just entered the grid. He's seen some ship. 486 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:37,200 Speaker 1: There's just a lot of ongoing long term question marks 487 00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:41,359 Speaker 1: for Alex as to where where does he go? Uh. 488 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:43,400 Speaker 1: Some other things about Alex this season. Yet he has 489 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:47,000 Speaker 1: scored some valuable points thus far at Williams. At the 490 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:50,000 Speaker 1: start of the season. Something very funny so for one 491 00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:52,919 Speaker 1: of the the first race he scored, points out his 492 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:55,879 Speaker 1: hair was actually dyed. This very artificial looking red color. 493 00:26:55,920 --> 00:26:57,560 Speaker 1: I'll show you a picture in a second. It was 494 00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:00,359 Speaker 1: due to some some charity thing that he did. Surreal, 495 00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:03,520 Speaker 1: I'm getting my hair dyed in a temple with a 496 00:27:03,560 --> 00:27:07,760 Speaker 1: cat of my lad and with so he scored points. 497 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:09,720 Speaker 1: And then the next race he did not you know, 498 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:11,200 Speaker 1: he had he had washed it out as a dye 499 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:15,040 Speaker 1: faded away. We finished the eleventh Innimulus, so he started 500 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:17,760 Speaker 1: to affect the performance. So he re dyed his hair 501 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:21,280 Speaker 1: for the Miami Grand Prix and because he was so superstitious, 502 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:24,000 Speaker 1: and he got points points. So now the running jokes 503 00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:26,560 Speaker 1: like he's gonna look like Archie from Riverdale with like 504 00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:30,960 Speaker 1: the super unnatural dyed hair because now he's superstitious. He says, 505 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:32,480 Speaker 1: it also makes him look like when he you know, 506 00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:34,679 Speaker 1: he obviously sweating and all of that. He's like it 507 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:38,840 Speaker 1: looks like a murder scene whenever he takes his and 508 00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:40,680 Speaker 1: his like his you know, butck clave and everything is 509 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:43,480 Speaker 1: like white. So it's just like this red, bloody looking mess. 510 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:46,680 Speaker 1: And it's just hair dye that is very crappy, temporary, 511 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:50,199 Speaker 1: like drug store hair dye. So uh yeah, so that's here. 512 00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:52,720 Speaker 1: I'll show you a picture of Alex here. This is 513 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:56,320 Speaker 1: both alex um with his normal hair, and then Alex 514 00:27:56,320 --> 00:28:00,359 Speaker 1: said the Miami Grand Prix with his red hair. Oh yeah, 515 00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:06,080 Speaker 1: looks like you know still to me, young kid, he's 516 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:09,359 Speaker 1: got nice normal hair, smiling on the right, he looks 517 00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:12,600 Speaker 1: insane with the red hair. He looks like a little 518 00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:16,479 Speaker 1: delusional and he's doing a thumbs up. Yeah, you know, 519 00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:19,239 Speaker 1: maybe the red hair gives him some freedom, makes him 520 00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:21,680 Speaker 1: feel alive. It makes him feel alive or something. But 521 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:25,000 Speaker 1: he's very he's got a very wholesome face. I would say. 522 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:27,720 Speaker 1: Here he uh yeah, he just looks like a like 523 00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:34,600 Speaker 1: a happy guy. Yeah. We're gonna take a quick break 524 00:28:34,640 --> 00:28:41,320 Speaker 1: and we'll be right back. So the other side of 525 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:44,400 Speaker 1: the garage we have Alex on one who's our other driver. 526 00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:49,760 Speaker 1: So we have got Nicholas Latifi. YOHI has named Nicholas 527 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:54,000 Speaker 1: Latifi the straggler. Straggler, which is just the word stragglers 528 00:28:54,080 --> 00:29:00,560 Speaker 1: serie define straggler thinking thinking is it a real word? 529 00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:04,760 Speaker 1: It is a person in a group who becomes separated 530 00:29:04,800 --> 00:29:08,160 Speaker 1: from the others, typically because of and this is the 531 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:14,000 Speaker 1: death of formula one moving more slowly. Oh that is dirty. 532 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:20,320 Speaker 1: Your what a dick nickname? So Nicholas Latifi is the 533 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:24,280 Speaker 1: second of our two Canadian page Driver that these fucking 534 00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:27,800 Speaker 1: Canadians are just not winners. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm 535 00:29:27,840 --> 00:29:30,480 Speaker 1: sorry to Canada right now. It's a great country, it's 536 00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:36,160 Speaker 1: a great people. Kind the only thing they win at 537 00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:40,479 Speaker 1: is hockey, that is true, alright, Sorry, I just had 538 00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:42,600 Speaker 1: to do that for growing up in Michigan. It was 539 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:45,880 Speaker 1: just there was so much Canada, you know, and there 540 00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:49,320 Speaker 1: They are great people, their services are great. But there's 541 00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:53,640 Speaker 1: just there's something about this American capitalistic strive to be 542 00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:58,360 Speaker 1: number one, which I do appreciate, even though we treat 543 00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:00,600 Speaker 1: poor people and all people like ship. Okay, let's keep going. 544 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:04,480 Speaker 1: So yeah, so Nicholas's dad, just to differentiate, he's a 545 00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:09,240 Speaker 1: billionaire but in the food business. Yeah. So anyway, that's 546 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:13,680 Speaker 1: just that's just that. So Nicholas Latifi basically nick So 547 00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:16,640 Speaker 1: speaking of the whole idea of a straggler, Nicholas whole 548 00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:22,160 Speaker 1: Nickie's whole story comes down to this idea that because 549 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:25,000 Speaker 1: his dad has so much money, he can almost outlast 550 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:27,800 Speaker 1: anyone else and kind of improve over an even more 551 00:30:27,800 --> 00:30:29,880 Speaker 1: extended period of time than the average of one driver, 552 00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:32,160 Speaker 1: just because he has the money to do so, so 553 00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:35,200 Speaker 1: he actually, as we've talked about, a lot of people 554 00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:37,400 Speaker 1: get their starting krding at the age of you know, 555 00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:39,600 Speaker 1: negative five, they're still in the womb and already carding 556 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:41,320 Speaker 1: kind of thing, right, we got people starting at three 557 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:45,360 Speaker 1: four five competitive carding by like six seven eight. We've 558 00:30:45,400 --> 00:30:49,920 Speaker 1: heard the story nausea at this point, Nicholas starts carding 559 00:30:50,560 --> 00:30:57,600 Speaker 1: at the super late age of thirteen. What Yeah, he's 560 00:30:57,640 --> 00:31:02,560 Speaker 1: thirteen years old when he starts his journey. Journey at 561 00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:04,280 Speaker 1: that point, you and other these other guys are already 562 00:31:04,280 --> 00:31:06,280 Speaker 1: in like open wheel seaters, are about to be an 563 00:31:06,280 --> 00:31:08,920 Speaker 1: open wheel seaters, and he's just getting started in competitive carding. 564 00:31:09,320 --> 00:31:12,480 Speaker 1: But because his dad has all this money, again, he's 565 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:15,000 Speaker 1: able to race. We've talked about this, how in these 566 00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:18,320 Speaker 1: junior formula categories you spend maybe one to two years 567 00:31:18,360 --> 00:31:21,680 Speaker 1: in any given series. Nicholas spends a lot more time 568 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:24,719 Speaker 1: than other people. So, for example, he's in Formula two 569 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:28,240 Speaker 1: for four years, and obviously he gets better and better 570 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:30,320 Speaker 1: as he goes along. Because he has the time, he 571 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:33,320 Speaker 1: can outlast a lot of the competition just from a 572 00:31:33,320 --> 00:31:36,560 Speaker 1: financial exactly exactly. So we just some more chances because 573 00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:38,720 Speaker 1: a lot of these kids can't afford to spend half 574 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:41,560 Speaker 1: a million dollars on like a Formula two careers. He's 575 00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:43,880 Speaker 1: just able to last everyone on that front. Let me 576 00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:46,480 Speaker 1: interject for a second. Ask you a question. I'm a 577 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:50,880 Speaker 1: huge tennis person. I probably said that every episode previously 578 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:55,200 Speaker 1: on Choosing Sides. Well, are you a tennis fan, Lily, Yes, 579 00:31:55,280 --> 00:31:57,720 Speaker 1: for the sake of m yes, anybody else at tennis, 580 00:31:57,840 --> 00:32:01,320 Speaker 1: I love tennis. No one's ever died playing competitive tennis. 581 00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:04,280 Speaker 1: Tennis has these guys who are so good so young. 582 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:07,000 Speaker 1: I mean, as a guy who was numbered six on 583 00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:09,840 Speaker 1: his collegiate tennis team, he dumps his champagne in it 584 00:32:10,120 --> 00:32:12,600 Speaker 1: and then drinks out of it. I want some tennis 585 00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:17,720 Speaker 1: players to do that. In tennis, you have these kids 586 00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:22,120 Speaker 1: whose parents are very wealthy, okay, and they get so 587 00:32:22,160 --> 00:32:28,160 Speaker 1: many resources coaching, equipment, travel, But at the end of 588 00:32:28,160 --> 00:32:31,080 Speaker 1: the day, they still have to win the match. Money 589 00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:35,880 Speaker 1: doesn't win you the match. So are you suggesting that 590 00:32:35,960 --> 00:32:41,200 Speaker 1: in Formula one money can actually get you to place 591 00:32:41,280 --> 00:32:43,600 Speaker 1: and be okay? I mean, you still have to win. 592 00:32:43,680 --> 00:32:45,720 Speaker 1: As we've discussed, there's have to have the skill, there's 593 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:47,880 Speaker 1: that super license, right, you still need the points to 594 00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:50,920 Speaker 1: get into Formula one. But yeah, it's just um, you know, 595 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:52,680 Speaker 1: we look at someone like, let's say in Estemon Okon, 596 00:32:52,760 --> 00:32:54,440 Speaker 1: who felt a lot of pressure and he's talked about 597 00:32:54,480 --> 00:32:55,960 Speaker 1: this to be good off the bat because he knew 598 00:32:55,960 --> 00:32:58,920 Speaker 1: his parents had finite resources and just had to really 599 00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:01,320 Speaker 1: go after it and had to some natural talent and 600 00:33:01,760 --> 00:33:05,200 Speaker 1: an ability to other people believed in him, whereas Nicholas Latifi, 601 00:33:05,760 --> 00:33:07,920 Speaker 1: obviously it's impressive to kind of start out your career 602 00:33:08,040 --> 00:33:10,520 Speaker 1: in your teens for when other people started, some of 603 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:13,480 Speaker 1: them a decade prior to that. But yeah, he just 604 00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:17,640 Speaker 1: had time. It's an enormous advantage exactly. And someone like 605 00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:23,280 Speaker 1: Estevan probably sees Nikki on the garage and just goes, you, 606 00:33:23,280 --> 00:33:26,480 Speaker 1: you motherfucker. I just have worked so much have more 607 00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:29,920 Speaker 1: grit than you. Yeah yeah, alright, cool, Sorry for the interjection. Yeah, 608 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:31,920 Speaker 1: but no, it's it's true. It's a very weird thing where, yes, 609 00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:33,760 Speaker 1: these these guys who are paid drivers still have to 610 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:36,520 Speaker 1: have a certain level of drive ability, like you can't. Yeah, 611 00:33:36,560 --> 00:33:39,000 Speaker 1: I can't. If I if my parents suddenly made billions, 612 00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:41,200 Speaker 1: they cannot just suddenly put me into Formula one. But 613 00:33:41,280 --> 00:33:44,040 Speaker 1: at the same time, there's a difference between yeah, a 614 00:33:44,120 --> 00:33:46,880 Speaker 1: Max verstep and a Charlette Claire and a Nicholas Latifi. 615 00:33:47,040 --> 00:33:50,200 Speaker 1: I love Nicholas Latif. He's just like a nice guy 616 00:33:50,360 --> 00:33:52,920 Speaker 1: Bird Pinkerton. Part of what makes me feel like he's 617 00:33:52,960 --> 00:33:56,280 Speaker 1: such a good, decent guys. He didn't seem to resent 618 00:33:56,680 --> 00:33:59,920 Speaker 1: George Russell being like everyone's favorite wonder kinned and ever 619 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:01,880 Speaker 1: and being like and then there's La TV. You know, 620 00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:04,920 Speaker 1: he's worked hard to be there, He's he's trying, and 621 00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:07,440 Speaker 1: so I think he has to figure out does he 622 00:34:07,520 --> 00:34:12,560 Speaker 1: want to keep being just that solid, dependable, nice guy 623 00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:16,080 Speaker 1: who sort of fades away at some point or does 624 00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:21,000 Speaker 1: he want to become a little meaner, a little a 625 00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:24,000 Speaker 1: little something different on the track and maybe challenging alban 626 00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:26,200 Speaker 1: And I think that that's hard because for Albun he 627 00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:30,239 Speaker 1: needs to like wipe the floor with Latif kind of 628 00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:35,680 Speaker 1: and Latifi this is my imagination, but probably doesn't want 629 00:34:35,680 --> 00:34:40,240 Speaker 1: to be wiped the floor with. Is he the single 630 00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:47,440 Speaker 1: fastest driver on the grid. No, But he's a really 631 00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:51,640 Speaker 1: really he just seems like a really really decent, nice 632 00:34:51,719 --> 00:34:54,480 Speaker 1: human being. We're not talking about me and a nice person. 633 00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:58,719 Speaker 1: His signature personality trait is that he loves Nutella. Oh 634 00:34:58,760 --> 00:35:01,359 Speaker 1: and that he's tall. He's six one, so Williams always joke. 635 00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:03,359 Speaker 1: There's a running joke Williams keeps ending up being one 636 00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:06,040 Speaker 1: of the tallest, the tallest team on the grid. So 637 00:35:06,160 --> 00:35:10,160 Speaker 1: George Russell six six one, Alex Alban six one, and 638 00:35:10,160 --> 00:35:12,600 Speaker 1: another reason I'm gonna like Williams. There you go. I 639 00:35:12,600 --> 00:35:15,239 Speaker 1: can probably fit in their car exactly six ft four 640 00:35:15,239 --> 00:35:17,799 Speaker 1: and a half, though it might be a little bit 641 00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:19,680 Speaker 1: of stretch for them, but all their drivers are kind 642 00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:21,680 Speaker 1: of linky and tall. That's that's been the gist. So 643 00:35:21,719 --> 00:35:23,560 Speaker 1: he does. He does fit the kind of nice, wholesome 644 00:35:23,600 --> 00:35:26,640 Speaker 1: persona that Williams how's going for it right now. But 645 00:35:26,840 --> 00:35:31,080 Speaker 1: to be completely frank, it's sounding like his time in 646 00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:33,319 Speaker 1: Formula one is going to be coming to an end 647 00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:36,680 Speaker 1: sooner rather than later. So yeah, he's got to really 648 00:35:36,680 --> 00:35:40,040 Speaker 1: put up some resolves to make matters worse for Nicholas Dorlton. 649 00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:43,040 Speaker 1: Capital has very publicly said, you know, hey, we're now 650 00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:46,560 Speaker 1: financially solvent. We don't need these paid driver ry outside 651 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:49,160 Speaker 1: sketchy weird resources were good to go on that front, 652 00:35:49,360 --> 00:35:51,440 Speaker 1: which kind of hints to people of like if if 653 00:35:51,520 --> 00:35:53,360 Speaker 1: if nick Nicki isn't they said this last season then 654 00:35:53,400 --> 00:35:55,600 Speaker 1: resigned him. But everyone was kind of like, we can 655 00:35:55,600 --> 00:35:58,840 Speaker 1: read between those lines. If you're listening, now is the 656 00:35:58,840 --> 00:36:01,560 Speaker 1: time to put up some results. Unfortunately he has. In 657 00:36:01,600 --> 00:36:03,560 Speaker 1: the opposite he has been crashing left and right in 658 00:36:05,560 --> 00:36:08,080 Speaker 1: the other thing too. That's that's kind of interesting about 659 00:36:08,160 --> 00:36:11,200 Speaker 1: Nikki on the crashing front. Several of his crashes had 660 00:36:11,360 --> 00:36:15,680 Speaker 1: very large consequences for the grid. So for instance, when 661 00:36:15,680 --> 00:36:18,200 Speaker 1: we talked about Max for Steppin's win last year, you know, 662 00:36:18,280 --> 00:36:21,919 Speaker 1: his first World Championship title, we discussed that the whole 663 00:36:21,920 --> 00:36:24,080 Speaker 1: reason all of this went down and that Lewis lost 664 00:36:24,120 --> 00:36:26,440 Speaker 1: his lead and all that is because somebody crashed and 665 00:36:26,520 --> 00:36:30,400 Speaker 1: caused a safety car to come out. LA has crashed 666 00:36:30,440 --> 00:36:33,080 Speaker 1: And I think that is a turn ful scene. That 667 00:36:33,239 --> 00:36:36,520 Speaker 1: was none other than our guy Nicholas Latifi, who then 668 00:36:36,640 --> 00:36:38,840 Speaker 1: after the race had to hire security because he was 669 00:36:38,840 --> 00:36:45,280 Speaker 1: getting death threat. Yeah, yo, hi, I'm envisioning a movie poster, okay, 670 00:36:45,320 --> 00:36:50,040 Speaker 1: And underneath it says the straggler and he is climbing 671 00:36:50,080 --> 00:36:55,960 Speaker 1: a mountain, barely hanging on, but the mountain is a 672 00:36:56,200 --> 00:37:04,040 Speaker 1: jar of nutella. Isn't that good? No? Yo, Hi stopped talking. 673 00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:06,680 Speaker 1: So this is it. I love this story. You just 674 00:37:06,719 --> 00:37:08,719 Speaker 1: feel for him, that is, I don't feel for him, 675 00:37:08,719 --> 00:37:11,080 Speaker 1: and this is fucking awesome. I mean, he's a rich 676 00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:15,279 Speaker 1: kid Canadian who sounds like he sucks at driving, keeps 677 00:37:15,320 --> 00:37:19,799 Speaker 1: crashing fucking up the grid. But the team needs money. 678 00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:21,920 Speaker 1: It's part of the problem with Formula one. It's so 679 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:25,560 Speaker 1: money driven. Now there's a capital group coming in saying, dude, 680 00:37:25,560 --> 00:37:27,719 Speaker 1: you got one year, get your ship together. This is 681 00:37:27,760 --> 00:37:30,399 Speaker 1: a great story. I will say too. If if you're 682 00:37:30,440 --> 00:37:33,360 Speaker 1: trying to find more reasons to like Alex Alban, a 683 00:37:33,440 --> 00:37:35,880 Speaker 1: reason then to like Nicholas is that he's making Alex 684 00:37:35,920 --> 00:37:38,319 Speaker 1: Alban look really good this season. Alex really needs this 685 00:37:38,400 --> 00:37:40,160 Speaker 1: year to be his breakout year to show you know, 686 00:37:40,200 --> 00:37:42,600 Speaker 1: I'm back on the Formula one grid. Look how great 687 00:37:42,640 --> 00:37:44,760 Speaker 1: I am. And you know, as we know, your teammate 688 00:37:44,800 --> 00:37:47,480 Speaker 1: is your biggest competition. He's trouncing his teammate right now. 689 00:37:47,680 --> 00:37:50,000 Speaker 1: By the way, we're not talking about Nicholas personally here, 690 00:37:50,120 --> 00:37:52,520 Speaker 1: we're talking about him as a racer. And this is 691 00:37:52,560 --> 00:37:56,120 Speaker 1: the reality of it, and it doesn't sounds like if 692 00:37:56,160 --> 00:37:59,080 Speaker 1: I was him, I would start start getting the suitcase 693 00:37:59,080 --> 00:38:01,759 Speaker 1: out of the upstairs called. Yeah, it's probably a Louis 694 00:38:01,800 --> 00:38:05,520 Speaker 1: Vuitton's suitcase, and he probably has someone pack for him. Possibly. 695 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:09,640 Speaker 1: I guarantee his sheets are more comfortable than my sheets, exactly, higher, 696 00:38:09,719 --> 00:38:12,200 Speaker 1: higher threat counts, definitely. And also at the end of 697 00:38:12,200 --> 00:38:14,200 Speaker 1: the day, if, if, and when he leaves a sport, 698 00:38:14,200 --> 00:38:16,560 Speaker 1: he's leaving to go probably living a mansion somewhere in Canada. 699 00:38:16,800 --> 00:38:20,239 Speaker 1: So I don't think tears will be shed too much. Well, look, 700 00:38:20,600 --> 00:38:24,640 Speaker 1: it's probably hard in a lot of ways being Nicholas Latifi, 701 00:38:24,880 --> 00:38:29,239 Speaker 1: especially when two chumps in NoHo recording studio or talking 702 00:38:29,480 --> 00:38:32,040 Speaker 1: about him. But I wish I could switch places with 703 00:38:32,120 --> 00:38:34,120 Speaker 1: him and be in that car and must be fun 704 00:38:34,120 --> 00:38:36,160 Speaker 1: as hell. And you know afterwards, yeah, I will sleep 705 00:38:36,200 --> 00:38:40,360 Speaker 1: in my cotton sheets in my mansions and you know 706 00:38:40,440 --> 00:38:44,120 Speaker 1: what this is what's so awesome about sport, Nicholas Latifi. 707 00:38:44,160 --> 00:38:47,080 Speaker 1: Here we are talking ship. Here's Doralton Capital saying, dude, 708 00:38:47,080 --> 00:38:50,080 Speaker 1: you better pick it up. It's in his power. He 709 00:38:50,120 --> 00:38:52,560 Speaker 1: can put up great results and everything will change, and 710 00:38:52,560 --> 00:38:55,319 Speaker 1: I hope that happens. Nicholas. Okay, so we were now 711 00:38:55,440 --> 00:39:01,919 Speaker 1: through of the grid. We're really getting close. Now, where 712 00:39:01,960 --> 00:39:04,120 Speaker 1: does I'm actually curious to know worse on the driver's 713 00:39:04,120 --> 00:39:06,880 Speaker 1: where does Williams factor in for you? I like Williams, 714 00:39:06,880 --> 00:39:11,240 Speaker 1: You like Williams. I like Williams. I love that Frank 715 00:39:11,320 --> 00:39:19,040 Speaker 1: Williams got in a life threatening paralyzing car accident and 716 00:39:19,080 --> 00:39:23,319 Speaker 1: then still was running a championship. I love that. I 717 00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:25,840 Speaker 1: love that his daughters involved. And I think it's cool 718 00:39:25,960 --> 00:39:29,840 Speaker 1: that when Frank and Claire left that they said, you 719 00:39:29,920 --> 00:39:32,360 Speaker 1: gotta keep this name the same, because as I'm learning 720 00:39:32,480 --> 00:39:34,879 Speaker 1: all these teams, the teams that have kept their name, 721 00:39:36,120 --> 00:39:40,400 Speaker 1: you can remember, you can, oh, yeah, that's Ferrari, that's 722 00:39:41,160 --> 00:39:45,799 Speaker 1: you know, Mclair exactly. But but like the Alpeene used 723 00:39:45,840 --> 00:39:47,040 Speaker 1: to be there, I don't even know what the hell 724 00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:50,160 Speaker 1: you're talking about. Like, it's so hard to just fixate 725 00:39:50,239 --> 00:39:52,080 Speaker 1: on a team when their name changes all the time. 726 00:39:52,520 --> 00:39:56,640 Speaker 1: But I don't love Dorlton Capital. I think no, and 727 00:39:56,680 --> 00:39:59,680 Speaker 1: it doesn't and it's in violation of probably the foundation 728 00:39:59,760 --> 00:40:02,120 Speaker 1: of the team, which was which is a family enterprise. 729 00:40:02,320 --> 00:40:07,040 Speaker 1: So final pitch for Alex alban So he's singlehandedly providing 730 00:40:07,080 --> 00:40:10,080 Speaker 1: a lot of hope for the team, especially after George 731 00:40:10,160 --> 00:40:12,760 Speaker 1: Russell left a bit of a void when he exited 732 00:40:12,800 --> 00:40:14,839 Speaker 1: to take up his you know, his rightful spot over 733 00:40:14,920 --> 00:40:19,040 Speaker 1: at Mercedes. Alex is a really positive guy, really friendly, 734 00:40:19,440 --> 00:40:22,719 Speaker 1: a really hard worker. Also, I do root for him 735 00:40:22,760 --> 00:40:25,480 Speaker 1: because he has to go against the Red Bull organization. 736 00:40:25,680 --> 00:40:27,960 Speaker 1: I like the Comeback Kids. I think there's there's an 737 00:40:28,040 --> 00:40:29,920 Speaker 1: argument who made for these kind of especially like the 738 00:40:29,960 --> 00:40:32,000 Speaker 1: Red Bull Comeback Kids. I wonder if they have like 739 00:40:32,000 --> 00:40:38,480 Speaker 1: a support group somewhere. I gotta be supportive and root 740 00:40:38,560 --> 00:40:41,359 Speaker 1: for anyone whose mom has served prison time. I know 741 00:40:41,440 --> 00:40:43,440 Speaker 1: that's not the highlight of all this, but that is 742 00:40:43,480 --> 00:40:49,200 Speaker 1: a major difficulty, and I'm sure he's harboring some deep 743 00:40:50,640 --> 00:40:54,600 Speaker 1: emotional turmoil that we don't see. Come on, it's your mom. 744 00:40:54,800 --> 00:40:57,320 Speaker 1: So I I am definitely rooting for him to be successful, 745 00:40:57,320 --> 00:40:59,480 Speaker 1: and he already is successful, but you know, more more 746 00:41:00,440 --> 00:41:03,040 Speaker 1: to stick the land, sweet story, the sweet story. Yeah, 747 00:41:03,560 --> 00:41:10,600 Speaker 1: and then and then it's his final pitch for Nicholas Latifi. 748 00:41:10,680 --> 00:41:12,640 Speaker 1: And then I wrote to be honest, which is how 749 00:41:12,640 --> 00:41:15,880 Speaker 1: you know it all goes downhill from there, and then 750 00:41:15,920 --> 00:41:17,960 Speaker 1: all the all the YOHI added in the comments was 751 00:41:18,000 --> 00:41:23,320 Speaker 1: what about the new tella? So he has good taste 752 00:41:23,320 --> 00:41:27,160 Speaker 1: in hazelnuts spreads. That's really a big plus for Nicholas Latifi. 753 00:41:27,640 --> 00:41:29,439 Speaker 1: But I have to be honest and say that there's 754 00:41:29,440 --> 00:41:32,000 Speaker 1: no one here who's really stoked on his future in 755 00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:33,840 Speaker 1: the sport or who wants to put their eggs in 756 00:41:33,840 --> 00:41:36,880 Speaker 1: that basket. And speaking of putting eggs in a basket, 757 00:41:37,200 --> 00:41:39,920 Speaker 1: I mean his dad is a supermarket conglomerate, so he 758 00:41:39,960 --> 00:41:43,600 Speaker 1: has his pick of which type of eggs in his basket. 759 00:41:47,600 --> 00:41:50,279 Speaker 1: I like Williams for some reason. They've always resonated with me. 760 00:41:50,360 --> 00:41:54,840 Speaker 1: It's clear it's a name that I name. You know, 761 00:41:54,920 --> 00:41:57,520 Speaker 1: I know, I I like him. I like him. I 762 00:41:57,560 --> 00:42:01,040 Speaker 1: think Nicholas bye bye, thank you nick lists, and I 763 00:42:01,080 --> 00:42:03,160 Speaker 1: have every reason to root for Alex. So I would 764 00:42:03,200 --> 00:42:18,280 Speaker 1: put Williams in my top three right now. So next episode, 765 00:42:18,600 --> 00:42:21,120 Speaker 1: were moving on to the ninth team on the Grid. 766 00:42:21,560 --> 00:42:26,040 Speaker 1: We've got Alpha Romeyo my whole life. My father spoke 767 00:42:26,480 --> 00:42:30,359 Speaker 1: so fondly of one of his first big purchases, which 768 00:42:30,400 --> 00:42:33,640 Speaker 1: was an Alpha Romeo. I haven't heard about this team yet. 769 00:42:34,480 --> 00:42:36,680 Speaker 1: Also a team that has been around for a bit. 770 00:42:36,760 --> 00:42:39,680 Speaker 1: We talked about them with Ferrari. They're also at an 771 00:42:39,719 --> 00:42:43,680 Speaker 1: interesting point in their history where they've had trouble making 772 00:42:43,680 --> 00:42:47,040 Speaker 1: their mark, especially kind of as their own, their own team, 773 00:42:47,080 --> 00:42:50,160 Speaker 1: their own name. And the hope though, is that this season, 774 00:42:50,400 --> 00:42:53,440 Speaker 1: with a big driver change they made and also some 775 00:42:53,520 --> 00:42:57,040 Speaker 1: good car regulation changes that have gone their way, that 776 00:42:57,120 --> 00:43:00,600 Speaker 1: they're actually going to have a real, a real breakout year. Yeah. 777 00:43:00,840 --> 00:43:03,840 Speaker 1: So yes, any other thoughts before we wrap up? No, 778 00:43:04,360 --> 00:43:12,680 Speaker 1: that's it, I'm I'm that's it. This has been Choosing 779 00:43:12,800 --> 00:43:17,719 Speaker 1: Sides F one, a production of Sports Illustrated Studios and 780 00:43:17,800 --> 00:43:21,280 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio. The show was hosted by Michael Costa 781 00:43:21,320 --> 00:43:24,720 Speaker 1: and Lily Herp. This episode was produced by Lily Herman 782 00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:28,560 Speaker 1: and our senior producer Yehai Mi Tao, who also did 783 00:43:28,640 --> 00:43:32,279 Speaker 1: the sound design at the Cutting Room studios. We are 784 00:43:32,320 --> 00:43:37,799 Speaker 1: recorded by engineer Robot Larry the second mastering by Cello Weisblum. 785 00:43:38,360 --> 00:43:42,080 Speaker 1: Max Miller is the executive producer and Brennan get Us 786 00:43:42,280 --> 00:43:46,120 Speaker 1: his head of audio at s I Studios. At I 787 00:43:46,200 --> 00:43:50,640 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, Seawan Titone is our executive producer. For more 788 00:43:50,680 --> 00:43:53,360 Speaker 1: podcasts for my heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio 789 00:43:53,400 --> 00:43:57,600 Speaker 1: app Apple Podcasts where wherever you get your podcasts, don't 790 00:43:57,600 --> 00:44:01,040 Speaker 1: forget to subscribe to us and leave a review. And 791 00:44:01,160 --> 00:44:04,480 Speaker 1: if you want more F one goodness, follow us on 792 00:44:04,560 --> 00:44:09,760 Speaker 1: Instagram at Choosing Sides, Rob, do you have any thoughts 793 00:44:09,880 --> 00:44:13,400 Speaker 1: now that we've heard about Williams. They're not doing it 794 00:44:13,440 --> 00:44:18,000 Speaker 1: for me. They're cool, but yeah, they don't stand out 795 00:44:18,080 --> 00:44:21,319 Speaker 1: until something good happens for them. I think they're just 796 00:44:21,440 --> 00:44:22,040 Speaker 1: kind of there.