1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,640 Speaker 1: All right, Uh Michael. Yes, when I say, when I 2 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:11,040 Speaker 1: say the word Mercedes, what comes to mind? Well, probably 3 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: the first thing comes to mind is when I was 4 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 1: a kid in an arbor, Michigan, we used to go 5 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: to the University of Michigan basketball games and we would 6 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: go out to the parking lot and try to steal 7 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: hood ornaments off the cars. Right. Terrible, like absolutely, you know, 8 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,640 Speaker 1: terrible thing to do. But what the ones you always 9 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:33,479 Speaker 1: wanted were the Mercedes. Right. So I don't know what 10 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 1: that says about me, my family and my upbringing, but 11 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,360 Speaker 1: maybe it says something about the brand, just for listeners 12 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 1: to know. I have a Mercedes hat on today. I 13 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 1: spent way too much money on it because all F 14 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: one merch costs in our mental leg I mean, can 15 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 1: somebody a F one throw Lily a couple of hats? 16 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:51,479 Speaker 1: Why is she buying her own hat? Absolutely? And I 17 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:52,879 Speaker 1: think what we're getting out of this is that if 18 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 1: someone from Mercedes, just like the corporation in general, is listening, 19 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 1: we would like hood ornaments, vintage food ornaments in our possession. 20 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 1: It's a conic logo that's been around for years and 21 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:09,120 Speaker 1: people recognize and and believe it means driving, elegance performance. 22 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:11,199 Speaker 1: Probably all the words of their marketing team has spent 23 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:14,679 Speaker 1: billions of dollars beating into my head for fifty years. 24 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:16,759 Speaker 1: I'm sure they're really happy to hear that. But then's 25 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:19,760 Speaker 1: all it's all not been been for, not that a 26 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 1: singular person can can recall on a podcast. So today 27 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 1: on the podcast, this is part one of our two 28 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 1: episodes look into the Mercedes Formula One team. They have 29 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 1: been one of the most dominant teams in a recent 30 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:35,679 Speaker 1: memory and maybe ever, and there's plenty to say about 31 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: what's going on with them. Now let's hit it. From 32 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio and Sports Illustrated Studios, this is Choosing 33 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 1: sides one. Wow, So Mercedes has been in F one 34 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 1: in the modern era since however, they have obviously been 35 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 1: doing car things for like a lot longer than that. 36 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:08,359 Speaker 1: So we're gonna go all the way back to the 37 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 1: nineteen thirties, Ben Mercedes was racing cars out there like 38 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: everyone else. There was actually something in the thirties in 39 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: Europe called the European Championships, which is one of the 40 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 1: kind of precursors to F one, and the team actually 41 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:32,960 Speaker 1: won three titles during that time. Obviously, the European Championships 42 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: took a back seat to a little thing called World 43 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 1: War two, and uh, and then when F one finally 44 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:41,760 Speaker 1: got up and running in the fifties, Uh, Mercedes actually 45 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: won two World Drivers titles in a row in nineteen 46 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: fifty four and nineteen fifty five. So everything's looking peach swell. 47 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 1: They're doing great until uh, the year's nineteen fifty five 48 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 1: and there is an endurance race that's really iconic called 49 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: the twenty four Hours of Laman Mercedes is in US race, 50 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:04,840 Speaker 1: and something to keep in mind is that UM safety 51 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:08,239 Speaker 1: and spectator protocols are not what they are like today. 52 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 1: So you have people in this race, these spectators who 53 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: are literally almost up against the literal race track, cheering 54 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:17,720 Speaker 1: for their teams. They're separated by some like makeshift wooden 55 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 1: fences or like some hay bales. But it's really very 56 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 1: pretty like I know where this is going. Yeah, there's 57 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 1: basically a multi car pile up and crash has asked 58 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 1: US trikes at a hundred and twenty five Mercedes collides 59 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 1: and blows up one of the drivers involved with a 60 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 1: Mercedes driver. This crash sends massive pieces of debris from 61 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: these cars into the spectator areas. In a few ghostly seconds, 62 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 1: death wipes out whole families, leave, is killed before his lips, eyes, 63 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:49,520 Speaker 1: and some seventies spectators with him among the bodies. Frantic 64 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 1: survivors seek their friends, skulls cracking blood. The Mecedes was 65 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 1: made partly of magnesium man i, which blazes micaphurnace. Yeah, 66 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: it's violent. Eight three spectators and dying. Another hundred eight 67 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: people are injured, and this is still one of the 68 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 1: most catastrophic disasters in motorsports history. Goes on. Keep in 69 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 1: mind it was very normal for like two drivers a 70 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:14,920 Speaker 1: year to die in f one like in the sixties 71 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 1: for instance, Like like these this is just part for 72 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 1: the course. But yeah, the size and scope of this, 73 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 1: and obviously combined with like some of the photographs that 74 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:25,520 Speaker 1: have survived, it's a pretty gnarly looking kind of blur 75 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:28,600 Speaker 1: of black and white photos. Is the nineteen fifty five. 76 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 1: It's the first thing that shows up when you put 77 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 1: in nineteen all right, so images there's everyone running to 78 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:37,599 Speaker 1: their cars for the start, little did they know. And 79 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 1: here's a picture that looks like it could be a 80 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 1: World War scene. Yeah, it's fire people screaming. Yeah, and 81 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:48,960 Speaker 1: there's a whole bunch of bodies laying on the ground. Wow. Yeah, 82 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:51,359 Speaker 1: So it does lead to some some big questions and 83 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:55,280 Speaker 1: answers around yeah, spectator safety, just general sports safety. For 84 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:58,120 Speaker 1: Mercedes obviously, on top of the fact that their driver 85 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:02,360 Speaker 1: died in this very tragic, very violent and very public way. 86 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 1: It's understandably, you know, marketing and pr nightmare right to 87 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 1: say we are the height of luxury and class and 88 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 1: this and that, and now we're responsible for this terrible, 89 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: awful thing that happened. So Mercedes decides to nope, on 90 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:17,680 Speaker 1: out of there. They're saying, we are piecing out of 91 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 1: motorsports entirely, not not just kind of Formula one with 92 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:24,400 Speaker 1: like everything, we are outie for the time being. And uh. 93 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:27,159 Speaker 1: They end up leaving for over thirty years and do 94 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:31,720 Speaker 1: not enter any form of motor sports racing until Okay, 95 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 1: it's that dramatic change for them exactly. Yeah, skip to 96 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 1: they decide they are going to also start getting back 97 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:44,559 Speaker 1: into Formula One, so they do not enter a team, 98 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:46,799 Speaker 1: though they do not try and build a team. Instead, 99 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:50,479 Speaker 1: they start supplying engines to certain teams that want them. 100 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 1: Because Mercedes engines are highly coveted. They're they're really, you know, 101 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 1: world renowned, and I think they also just like the 102 00:05:57,040 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: idea of getting back into that aspect of R and D. 103 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:02,040 Speaker 1: I will also mention an F one they often call 104 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:05,160 Speaker 1: engines quote unquote power units. To hear that word, we 105 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:07,280 Speaker 1: call it a power unit, by the way, not an engine, 106 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:09,640 Speaker 1: because the power unit is so much more than an engine. 107 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:12,640 Speaker 1: So that's Formula one journalist Tony Cowen Brown. That's one 108 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:15,159 Speaker 1: of the reasons why so few O e M s 109 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 1: go into Formula one. What O E M s so 110 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:22,800 Speaker 1: original equipment manufacturers and against the engine is so complex 111 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:25,200 Speaker 1: today and I won't even pretend that I can understand 112 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 1: all the parts involved there. But there are two types 113 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:32,120 Speaker 1: of teams in Formula one. Every Formula one team out 114 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:34,880 Speaker 1: of the ten teams is a constructor team, but not 115 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:38,279 Speaker 1: all teams works team. And what I mean by that 116 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 1: is a constructor team, or what they call a customer team, 117 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:44,279 Speaker 1: is a team that essentially builds their car, but they 118 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:47,800 Speaker 1: will purchase their engine and some other parts from another 119 00:06:47,839 --> 00:06:50,640 Speaker 1: team because at a minimum, as the f I states, 120 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 1: which is the governing body, at a minimum, these teams 121 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:56,799 Speaker 1: must build their own car it's what we call the chassis. 122 00:06:56,839 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 1: It's interesting to look at the grid right now, where 123 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:02,400 Speaker 1: you have Mercedes, who is time constructor champion, who is 124 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 1: a works team that builds their car and their engine 125 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:09,560 Speaker 1: and sells their units. One of their customer teams is Williams, 126 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 1: who is all the way at the back of the grid. 127 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 1: So it's a nice explanation of there is more to 128 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:19,040 Speaker 1: it than just car or driver because essentially Williams and 129 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 1: Mercedes are driving with the same power unit with the 130 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:25,680 Speaker 1: same engine. Okay, interesting, yeah, Okay. To get to Mercedes, 131 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:28,200 Speaker 1: we have to talk about two other teams that are 132 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:30,600 Speaker 1: no longer on the grid. But this is also one 133 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 1: of the great Cinderella stories of Formula one. So this 134 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 1: is the story, the tale, if you will, of bron GP. 135 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 1: So bron GP, Yes, strap in get ready. The year 136 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:46,760 Speaker 1: now is two thousand and eight. We are balls deep 137 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:50,480 Speaker 1: in a global recession. Everything's going to ship. Michael's coaching 138 00:07:50,520 --> 00:07:53,440 Speaker 1: tennis at the University of Michigan. Just bought his house 139 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 1: for two dollars, which he will sell in ten years 140 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:01,560 Speaker 1: for less money than he bought it for. Lily is 141 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 1: much younger um and is listening to Paramore song Misery 142 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:07,880 Speaker 1: Business two years after it has come out. I'll repeat 143 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:11,480 Speaker 1: because she is an emo child teen I'm a teen 144 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:14,680 Speaker 1: like myself that I'm a teen at this point. But 145 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:16,840 Speaker 1: the long and short of it is the recession. No 146 00:08:16,840 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 1: one's happy, no one's money if one is still racing. 147 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:22,360 Speaker 1: I mean, yeah, you would just think at a time 148 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:26,000 Speaker 1: like that, when the housing markets are crashing, that Formula 149 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:30,280 Speaker 1: one seems even more gratuitous. Yes, exactly, exactly. So. Our 150 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:33,679 Speaker 1: first main character in the story is Honda. But at 151 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 1: this point they've had a team for for a couple 152 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:37,559 Speaker 1: of seasons in the mid to late auts and things 153 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 1: are not going well. They are you know, like, you know, eighth, 154 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:42,959 Speaker 1: ninth place, what's called P eight, P nine in the 155 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:45,720 Speaker 1: championship out of you know, ten eleven whatever teams. They're 156 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:49,320 Speaker 1: really not not doing so hot. And um, Honda says, 157 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:51,280 Speaker 1: l O l j K. We are pulling out of 158 00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:54,520 Speaker 1: two thousand nine. We're sorry to say that seven people 159 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:57,160 Speaker 1: are about to lose their jobs amid the holiday season, 160 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:01,240 Speaker 1: and um, OOPSI daisy, you know, it's just a real 161 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:05,040 Speaker 1: real clusterfuck. Um. And so at the last second, we're 162 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:07,600 Speaker 1: like the pretty much almost literal eleventh hour, this guy 163 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:10,199 Speaker 1: named Ross Braun, he is the team principal of the 164 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:13,880 Speaker 1: Haunted Team. He and the CEO, they say, hey, would 165 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:15,840 Speaker 1: you be willing to let us buy you out keep 166 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:18,000 Speaker 1: the team? You know, keep, let everyone keep their jobs 167 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:20,559 Speaker 1: and you know, we'll kind of handle financing for next 168 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:22,120 Speaker 1: season for the most part, but we just want to 169 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:23,840 Speaker 1: make sure we save the team. Don't let this all 170 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:26,400 Speaker 1: kind of go to waste over this little thing again 171 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:30,560 Speaker 1: called a global economic crisis. So Honda ends up saying yes, 172 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:34,320 Speaker 1: and Ross Broun, technically on the documents buys a Formula 173 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:38,120 Speaker 1: one team for one pound. Yeah. Great, They kind of 174 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:41,520 Speaker 1: just they have to do some type of business transaction 175 00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:44,720 Speaker 1: and they do that. They pund a one pound buy 176 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 1: out of this of this team. And as if things 177 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:52,360 Speaker 1: were not already weird enough. Uh, we talked on our 178 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:54,600 Speaker 1: intro episode about how F one comes out with new 179 00:09:54,640 --> 00:09:57,640 Speaker 1: regulations every couple of years to increase competitiveness and and 180 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:00,560 Speaker 1: help with safety and all that. New regular lations were 181 00:10:00,559 --> 00:10:03,440 Speaker 1: starting with the beginning of the two thousand nine season. 182 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:07,720 Speaker 1: So this team now has a new kind of ownership. Uh, 183 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 1: they have new regulations, they have less money to start 184 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:13,960 Speaker 1: out with, and they did or under normal circumstances. Most 185 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:16,360 Speaker 1: even the quote unquote poorer teams on the grid have 186 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:20,560 Speaker 1: you know, mit five million for the most part. Uh, 187 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:23,559 Speaker 1: if you're a driver on this team, you're like this sucks. Yeah, 188 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 1: You're like, what the And by the way, I'm pretty 189 00:10:27,679 --> 00:10:32,880 Speaker 1: certain growing up we had a Honda lawnmower. Just think 190 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:36,600 Speaker 1: about that. I don't think we had a Mercedes Lawmore. 191 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:38,719 Speaker 1: I don't know if Mercedes would make a lawnmore, it 192 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:42,080 Speaker 1: would be incredibly expensive, but it probably very sleek and 193 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:44,840 Speaker 1: very trendy. Yeah, you know it is. It is interesting 194 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 1: to think of Honda in this premier racing league when 195 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:52,400 Speaker 1: really they probably made the nuts and bolts of their business. 196 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:56,840 Speaker 1: Is like the Honda Civic, maybe the Accord, maybe my lawnmower. 197 00:10:56,880 --> 00:11:05,720 Speaker 1: I don't know. Yeah, I'll explain the why this happened 198 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:08,280 Speaker 1: a second. But to get to the season, the first 199 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:11,280 Speaker 1: race comes around. The two drivers we have are these guys. 200 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:13,520 Speaker 1: There's Jensen Button, who's sort of this I don't want 201 00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:15,920 Speaker 1: to say, almost playboy but kind of party boy British 202 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:21,679 Speaker 1: guy Button and Uh and his teammate Rubens Barrichello, who 203 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:25,640 Speaker 1: is most known for being the longtime teammate of Michael Schumacher, 204 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:28,120 Speaker 1: legendary if one driver at Ferrari, and they are one 205 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:31,320 Speaker 1: of the longest and most successful partnerships in F one history. 206 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:34,960 Speaker 1: So so you've got Rubens, You've got Jensen. They are 207 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:36,560 Speaker 1: kind of they were already signed to the team when 208 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:38,760 Speaker 1: they were with Honda's. They're just kind of yoloing this 209 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:41,880 Speaker 1: whole thing, like like they're in it for like the 210 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 1: ride to they have no idea what's gonna happen when 211 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 1: no one knows who's gonna happen. There's not high hopes 212 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 1: for bron g P when they start, you know, the 213 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:56,040 Speaker 1: qualifying session and um buns on that first to finish. 214 00:11:56,360 --> 00:11:58,840 Speaker 1: They end up going one two in the first race 215 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:07,640 Speaker 1: of the season. What that's amazing, sensational, sensation fantastic, And 216 00:12:09,679 --> 00:12:13,520 Speaker 1: then Jensen Button ends up winning six of the first 217 00:12:13,640 --> 00:12:22,880 Speaker 1: seven races. Oh you have thank you, thank you, So 218 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:29,600 Speaker 1: Jensen Button in bron GYP wins the Ribber's Championship, braun 219 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:38,080 Speaker 1: g P walks await the Constructor's title. Fantastic. They are 220 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:42,120 Speaker 1: on top of the world, and so of course thing 221 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:44,440 Speaker 1: you're probably wondering what the hell happened, Like how did 222 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 1: they pull that off? Were they cheating? No, but they 223 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:52,880 Speaker 1: were doing the classic F one thing of barely not cheating, 224 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:57,480 Speaker 1: um and cheating. That should be the name of someone's memoir. 225 00:12:57,600 --> 00:12:59,360 Speaker 1: It's definitely like the subtitle of F one. It's like 226 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:03,280 Speaker 1: Formula one colin barely not cheating. So essentially, the very 227 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:06,560 Speaker 1: smart people at the Honda Brawn GP whatever you want 228 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:09,880 Speaker 1: to call it factory are reading through these new regulations 229 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:14,400 Speaker 1: and basically within the engine there's something called a diffuser, 230 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:16,400 Speaker 1: and that we can go into forever about what it does. 231 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:18,600 Speaker 1: It would just take forever. But essentially what they do 232 00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:21,440 Speaker 1: is they're supposed to make the diffuser smaller, and what 233 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:23,839 Speaker 1: they end up doing is almost splitting it into and 234 00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:27,680 Speaker 1: creating what's called now a double diffuser. So they find 235 00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:31,080 Speaker 1: this loophole, this very specific loophole, and exploit it to 236 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:34,440 Speaker 1: do something funky to this diffuser. So when they innovate 237 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:39,360 Speaker 1: their car, obviously there's great effort put into keeping that 238 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:42,360 Speaker 1: a secret from the other teams. Yes, it's such an 239 00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:46,800 Speaker 1: interesting dance between we want you to innovate, but don't 240 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:49,680 Speaker 1: be so good that we'll then have to write exactly 241 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:55,439 Speaker 1: interesting history. Where are they now? A good question. We'll 242 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:57,720 Speaker 1: get into more of the team history after this break. 243 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:01,120 Speaker 1: So we find get to the part of the story 244 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:03,480 Speaker 1: where Mercedes comes back into the picture. Here, like two 245 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:06,400 Speaker 1: thousand's it's around the same time Mercedes is looking at 246 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:10,400 Speaker 1: potentially entering Formula one. For any any kind of organization 247 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:13,360 Speaker 1: that wants to enter something like Formula one, you have 248 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:16,880 Speaker 1: a couple of options. So one, you could spend untold 249 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:20,440 Speaker 1: amounts of money and resources building a team from scratch, right, 250 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:23,520 Speaker 1: developing a car from scratch, building a factory and all 251 00:14:23,560 --> 00:14:26,480 Speaker 1: of that infrastructure from scratch, which is just Yeah, I 252 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:29,040 Speaker 1: think even the most egotistical of billionaires are not that 253 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:32,120 Speaker 1: egotistical to where they're too much work too like even 254 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:35,640 Speaker 1: just like you know, get the central hub where training 255 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:37,840 Speaker 1: is too much work exactly like buy a ship team 256 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:41,640 Speaker 1: and try to exactly So Mercedes goes the route that 257 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 1: a lot of you know, up upstarted teams. Do they 258 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:47,680 Speaker 1: buy an existing team? Which team do they buy? Bron 259 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:51,520 Speaker 1: GP coming out of this very exciting season. Yeah, Well, 260 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 1: first of all, I have to say this is a 261 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 1: great day for us obviously to start a new season 262 00:14:56,520 --> 00:15:00,120 Speaker 1: with Mersey to Spence Grand Prix team with an own 263 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:03,480 Speaker 1: Formula one team? Is something really special for us? This 264 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:08,360 Speaker 1: must have been enormous when Mercedes got back in to motorsport. 265 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:12,120 Speaker 1: Is this their debut into Formula one since the crash? Yes, 266 00:15:12,280 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 1: this was huge news. Here's why it's even bigger. Okay, 267 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 1: Formula one fans around the world, Michael are very excited. 268 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 1: There you are. You can see the Mercedes Ben's logo 269 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 1: behind you. You're returning to Formula one. Tell us what 270 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:26,600 Speaker 1: your emotions are like Mercedes Lands. Seven time world champion. 271 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 1: Michael Schumacher actually joined the team. Fantastic excitement after I 272 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:34,640 Speaker 1: got the call from from Ross in November providing a 273 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:37,040 Speaker 1: silver arrow and I'm going to be able to sit 274 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:39,720 Speaker 1: inside and and throw it around. I mean, that's really 275 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:43,200 Speaker 1: great stuff. So Michael Schumacher had famously retired from F one, 276 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:46,479 Speaker 1: made a big deal out of the retirement, and basically 277 00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:50,440 Speaker 1: in the ensuing years, Michael Schumacher is basically still at races, 278 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:52,880 Speaker 1: like in the paddock and everyone's like, Michael, you've got 279 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:55,400 Speaker 1: to do something like he just misses it. He feels 280 00:15:55,440 --> 00:15:57,240 Speaker 1: it really wasn't his time or that he was kind 281 00:15:57,240 --> 00:15:59,160 Speaker 1: of not forced out, but people were like, you should 282 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:01,200 Speaker 1: be ready to leave you've won seven of these things. 283 00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:04,920 Speaker 1: The singular focus that it takes to be at that level, 284 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:08,080 Speaker 1: which I don't know about, like none of us know about. 285 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:12,560 Speaker 1: But then when you just leave, you don't know how 286 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:14,680 Speaker 1: to do anything else exactly. Don't even know how to 287 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:17,200 Speaker 1: sit and have breakfast with your wife. Man, all you 288 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:19,840 Speaker 1: know how to do is just think about the race, 289 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:22,200 Speaker 1: think about the engine, think about the team. Whatever it is. 290 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:25,200 Speaker 1: They can't handle it. Yeah. So, so we're at the 291 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:29,120 Speaker 1: new era Michael Schumacher. You know, his teammate is a 292 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:33,560 Speaker 1: young guy named Nico Rossberg, whose dad Kick Rossberg one 293 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:37,560 Speaker 1: with in Formula one decades prior. SOO got this fun, 294 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:42,600 Speaker 1: little very blond lineup going on at the new Mercedes, 295 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 1: and yeah, sure enough, the first couple of years a 296 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 1: little rocky, they do, you know, like like Michael Schumacher 297 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:49,960 Speaker 1: has his worst I think three seasons ever and f 298 00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:52,680 Speaker 1: one right he ends up, you know, uh P eight, 299 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:55,600 Speaker 1: P nine, I think P. Thirteen and Michael Jordan playing 300 00:16:55,600 --> 00:16:59,840 Speaker 1: for the Wizards similarly, yeah a little bit. Yeah, and 301 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:04,120 Speaker 1: have Nico Rosberg driving for them, Michael Schumacher driving for them. Okay, 302 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:08,480 Speaker 1: big names in motorsport, but actually they weren't particularly successful. 303 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:10,920 Speaker 1: So that was Jenny Gal She's a prominent of one 304 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:13,840 Speaker 1: reporter for the BBC and other media outlets, and she 305 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:17,480 Speaker 1: was featured as a commentator in Drive to Survive. So 306 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:21,080 Speaker 1: year on year they were still looking for that winning 307 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:24,320 Speaker 1: formula and they were starting to accrue some of the 308 00:17:24,359 --> 00:17:27,800 Speaker 1: top personnel. They already had a lot on their books, 309 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:30,760 Speaker 1: but then they started to poach others. So for example, 310 00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:35,399 Speaker 1: James Allison, one of the most successful technical directors in 311 00:17:35,480 --> 00:17:39,080 Speaker 1: Formula one, was poached from Ferrari and came across to Mercedes. 312 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:43,720 Speaker 1: They just started to put in place the best team 313 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:47,600 Speaker 1: possible with Nicki Louder, their former F one driver and champion, 314 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:50,280 Speaker 1: but passed away a couple of years ago. Toto Wolf 315 00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:53,160 Speaker 1: came on board. Who you know that between the two 316 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:57,800 Speaker 1: of them ran Mercedes. So we're coming into which is 317 00:17:57,840 --> 00:18:04,720 Speaker 1: when all the rules changed and the engines became hybrid engine. Yes, 318 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:08,520 Speaker 1: they're all driving prius Is at this point, I would 319 00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:13,280 Speaker 1: love to see Lewis Hamilton's drive around in a Prius. 320 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:18,480 Speaker 1: It's a little different. No, they're not. Basically, without getting 321 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:21,560 Speaker 1: to two technical A big part of the regulations in 322 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:25,280 Speaker 1: this turbo hybrid era come from the fact that Formula 323 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:27,800 Speaker 1: one had started receiving a ton of criticism for not 324 00:18:27,880 --> 00:18:31,920 Speaker 1: being particularly environmentally sustainable. So huge part of this and 325 00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:36,560 Speaker 1: creating engines that run on both fuel as well electricity 326 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:40,959 Speaker 1: is signaling to everyone that F one takes this seriously interestingly. 327 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:44,520 Speaker 1: Over the course of the last decade. You know, these 328 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:46,800 Speaker 1: cars are some of the most efficient when it comes 329 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:51,440 Speaker 1: to energy and power and fuel usage, and a lot 330 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:54,040 Speaker 1: of that technology then is now what we see in 331 00:18:54,119 --> 00:18:56,760 Speaker 1: cars on the road as well. So just to give 332 00:18:56,800 --> 00:18:59,399 Speaker 1: you a little bit of comparison here, first, here's what 333 00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:11,720 Speaker 1: a twin thirteen Formula one engine sounded like. Okay, so 334 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:14,960 Speaker 1: let's listen. Then when this turbo hybrid era started, here's 335 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:22,400 Speaker 1: what a twenty fourteen engine sounds like. Wow, that's very different. 336 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:25,920 Speaker 1: And I would assume, if anything, the cars as equally, 337 00:19:25,920 --> 00:19:29,160 Speaker 1: if not faster, exactly. Yeah, So it's the whole idea is, yeah, 338 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:31,760 Speaker 1: you're not losing performance, you're just making it more efficient 339 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:35,159 Speaker 1: and environmentally friendly. It is odd that every time they 340 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 1: change regulation it ultimately changes everything. I mean, even changing 341 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:43,200 Speaker 1: the point after a touchdown back to the thirty yard line. 342 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:45,920 Speaker 1: Whenever that took like thirty years of football for them 343 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:48,760 Speaker 1: to go. Maybe it's just it's so much change is 344 00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:51,320 Speaker 1: so difficult to make, and it seems like Formula one 345 00:19:51,359 --> 00:19:54,080 Speaker 1: does it often. Maybe what would happen if football did 346 00:19:54,160 --> 00:19:56,199 Speaker 1: change the rules every year? Right? And I think that 347 00:19:56,200 --> 00:19:58,600 Speaker 1: would be interesting. Yeah, I would personally just love to 348 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:01,520 Speaker 1: see the other chaos. Take the helmets off. You want 349 00:20:01,560 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 1: to solve concussions. No more helmets because they're not going 350 00:20:04,119 --> 00:20:07,800 Speaker 1: to use their helmets as weapons anyways, normal pads just like, 351 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:11,720 Speaker 1: go back to the old school leather helmets and uh yeah, 352 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:14,280 Speaker 1: no forward passing. You know, why not make it a 353 00:20:14,359 --> 00:20:18,200 Speaker 1: two hundred yard field. See what happens? Multiple footballs exactly 354 00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:22,120 Speaker 1: completely deflated, no no no air in them to speak up, 355 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:25,120 Speaker 1: just like this weird pigskin thing, which just kind of yeah, 356 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:30,680 Speaker 1: there you go. Something else to note. A big announcement 357 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:35,879 Speaker 1: is made and Mercedes is bringing in a new driver 358 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:41,879 Speaker 1: and it is a young man named Lewis Hamilton's. Everyone 359 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:44,199 Speaker 1: thought he was crazy to go across the Mercedes at 360 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:47,440 Speaker 1: the time because they weren't a championship contender of a team. 361 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:50,680 Speaker 1: People thought he was nuts for leaving McLaren, a historic 362 00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:53,000 Speaker 1: team that had been around for decades to go to 363 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:56,880 Speaker 1: this weird new shop at Mercedes that had been sprung 364 00:20:56,920 --> 00:21:00,560 Speaker 1: out of this weird brawn GP sitch. So see us. 365 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:04,800 Speaker 1: Everyone was sort of confused, surprised, already saying you, yeah, 366 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:07,320 Speaker 1: he just left up his career. I won't go too 367 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:10,159 Speaker 1: much into Lewis's background because he is the star, or 368 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:12,639 Speaker 1: one of the two stars of our next episode all 369 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:16,960 Speaker 1: about the Mercedes drivers. So Mercedes started winning championships in 370 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:24,080 Speaker 1: Ladies and Gentlemen, two Formula One World champion and from 371 00:21:24,119 --> 00:21:28,760 Speaker 1: that point on it won every championship. Every year, Mercedes 372 00:21:28,760 --> 00:21:31,439 Speaker 1: are the champions again. Of course, with that result, the 373 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:35,200 Speaker 1: teams won the Constructors Championship for third consecutive year. Who 374 00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:37,480 Speaker 1: would have ever thought a few years ago that we 375 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:40,400 Speaker 1: would be able to hold the celebration with a fifth 376 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:48,680 Speaker 1: consecutive double championship title, getting their lewishadron seven times, seven times, 377 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:54,720 Speaker 1: eight consecutive Constructors World Championships until well, let's see what 378 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:58,720 Speaker 1: happens this year. Yeah. So that's that's Mercedes overall to 379 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:04,920 Speaker 1: present day. So they were excellent, had an enormous crash, 380 00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:08,879 Speaker 1: stayed out of the sport for thirty years, came back 381 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:16,080 Speaker 1: in through an odd acquirement of basically Honda's team at 382 00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:19,320 Speaker 1: a third of the price, made some changes, brought in 383 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:23,080 Speaker 1: Lewis Hamilton's and has dominated exactly. Yeah, it's a very 384 00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:26,840 Speaker 1: successful manufacturer. It provides some of the engines for the 385 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:30,320 Speaker 1: other teams as well. Um and it attracts some of 386 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:36,240 Speaker 1: the biggest players in Formula One when it comes to drivers, sponsorship, marketing, 387 00:22:36,359 --> 00:22:40,160 Speaker 1: all of the deals that go around because of its success. 388 00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:43,359 Speaker 1: It so current present day. So we have these new 389 00:22:43,440 --> 00:22:47,360 Speaker 1: legs two, and very early on it became pretty apparent 390 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:54,480 Speaker 1: that Mercedes car was not looking as hot going into 391 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:58,919 Speaker 1: They have an issue that is called porpoising, and the 392 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:02,919 Speaker 1: issue is basically that aerodynamically, if they're going very fast, 393 00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:06,399 Speaker 1: especially in a straight line, the cars bounce up and 394 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:10,879 Speaker 1: down very quickly because it's just not aerodynamically sound bouncing 395 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:17,440 Speaker 1: up and down. I know this, let's listening, still bouncing 396 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:21,280 Speaker 1: a lot. You hear the skipping of the floor. I 397 00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:26,960 Speaker 1: mean that that doesn't doesn't control. Did they think about 398 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:29,400 Speaker 1: putting bags of kitty litter in the trunk or something, 399 00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:31,960 Speaker 1: because that's what you do in Michigan when it's icy up. Yeah, 400 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:35,840 Speaker 1: I'm sure that cross the vines yes, that was very scientific. 401 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:38,639 Speaker 1: So yeah, so so Mercedes is at a weird point 402 00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:43,199 Speaker 1: where they're not doing horrifically badly. They're just not the 403 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:45,360 Speaker 1: dominant force. You know, there was a season where they, 404 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:47,639 Speaker 1: you know, one of their two drivers one nineteen of 405 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:49,480 Speaker 1: the races in a season kind of things. You go 406 00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:52,800 Speaker 1: from that too, You're it's like a little bouncy house 407 00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:55,840 Speaker 1: down a track, you know, it feels like a little 408 00:23:55,840 --> 00:23:57,680 Speaker 1: bit more of a fall. But this is also what's 409 00:23:57,720 --> 00:24:00,040 Speaker 1: interesting about sport. I mean, Mercedes was out for a 410 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:02,359 Speaker 1: two years. They didn't have to worry about this ship. 411 00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:07,199 Speaker 1: Once you enter, you now have to win, you know. 412 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:09,000 Speaker 1: And so they won for a while, but you can't 413 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:11,679 Speaker 1: keep winning all the times. They pay the other teams 414 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:17,040 Speaker 1: too to be competitive. So yeah, yeah, well, Johan I 415 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:20,199 Speaker 1: were trying to think of a tagline for Mercedes. The 416 00:24:20,200 --> 00:24:21,680 Speaker 1: one that he came up with, which I think is 417 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:24,040 Speaker 1: the best working one for now, is um, they're like 418 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:26,440 Speaker 1: the team you you love to hate, right because they're 419 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:29,720 Speaker 1: they're winning all the time. Is this the New York Yankees? 420 00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:32,000 Speaker 1: The Formula One? Yeah, you know in yeah and this 421 00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:35,600 Speaker 1: turbo hybrid era. That is what Mercedes is. Their team 422 00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:39,040 Speaker 1: is so disciplined, so dominant. Obviously they probably get a 423 00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:42,159 Speaker 1: little cocky because they're used to just winning everything. They 424 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:43,600 Speaker 1: have the best driver or one of the you know, 425 00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:46,960 Speaker 1: best drives of all time, that's Lewis Hamiltons Lewis Hamilton's. Yeah. 426 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:48,440 Speaker 1: So so they're kind of been a weird spot where 427 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:50,360 Speaker 1: they have. They're a little uncomfortable. They have not been 428 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:53,880 Speaker 1: around here in quite some time, and it's been pretty 429 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:57,640 Speaker 1: apparent in interviews that they're two drivers are just yeah, 430 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:01,040 Speaker 1: a little a little bit annoyed that know they're they're 431 00:25:01,080 --> 00:25:04,439 Speaker 1: they're struggling so much. Well, there is Peyton for you today. 432 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:06,439 Speaker 1: Do you feel you maximized everything you could in the 433 00:25:06,440 --> 00:25:09,359 Speaker 1: cow given all the conditions today? I mean, personally, I 434 00:25:09,359 --> 00:25:11,159 Speaker 1: feel like I'm maximized everything. I don't know if we 435 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:13,719 Speaker 1: did as a team. Who's in charge of Mercedes? I mean, 436 00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:16,399 Speaker 1: who's making these calls they do? Please tell me that 437 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:19,120 Speaker 1: the person has a name that sounds like a villain 438 00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 1: and Disney. You are in luck. Oh my god. The 439 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:25,320 Speaker 1: person is a man named Toto Wolf. Of course, his 440 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:28,680 Speaker 1: names are outrageous, otherwise known as Daddy Toto. I promised 441 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:34,000 Speaker 1: Daddy issues to too is Yeah, truly an icon of 442 00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:36,879 Speaker 1: the sport. I'm gonna google, I'm gonna show you. I 443 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:41,000 Speaker 1: brought pictures. Ready, this is Daddy Toto. Wolf's gonna describe 444 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:43,560 Speaker 1: Toto for everyone. This is a handsome man. This is 445 00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:46,360 Speaker 1: a handsome man. Full head of hair. By the way, 446 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:48,200 Speaker 1: everyone in Formula one has a full head of hair 447 00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:53,399 Speaker 1: thanks to a lot of a lot of cosmetic procedures. 448 00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:57,000 Speaker 1: Classic German picture of him standing in front of a 449 00:25:57,040 --> 00:26:02,040 Speaker 1: snow capped mountain. And you know, I'm noticing with a 450 00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:06,440 Speaker 1: Formula one everyone looks and exudes wealth. There's a lot 451 00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:10,119 Speaker 1: of layers, there's nice watches. He's a billionaire, so I 452 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:13,520 Speaker 1: hope he's wealth yes, you know, And I hate to 453 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:17,440 Speaker 1: draw this comparison, but he looks like me. I'm just kidding, No, 454 00:26:17,640 --> 00:26:20,000 Speaker 1: I mean, this is a This is a handsome looking dude. 455 00:26:20,160 --> 00:26:22,720 Speaker 1: He exudes confidence and wealth. He's six ft five. He's 456 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:25,000 Speaker 1: very imposing in the world of Formula one. Being six 457 00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:27,320 Speaker 1: ft five, you might as well be a giant. Yeah, 458 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:30,280 Speaker 1: and he works out. You can tell he works out. Yeah, 459 00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:33,680 Speaker 1: So yeah, that that's that's who they have. I work out, 460 00:26:33,920 --> 00:26:35,440 Speaker 1: so I can tell that he works out. You know 461 00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:37,639 Speaker 1: what I mean? Yes, so that that is Total Wolf 462 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:42,000 Speaker 1: to the Austrian team principle of the Mercedes of one team. 463 00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:45,679 Speaker 1: He is very large, very imposing. Total is kind of 464 00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:50,480 Speaker 1: known for yet being this kind of hyper efficient businessman. Um. 465 00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:53,359 Speaker 1: He's also very big on if if your ego is 466 00:26:53,359 --> 00:26:55,800 Speaker 1: getting in the way of the team, he will call 467 00:26:55,880 --> 00:26:57,879 Speaker 1: you out on it and has no problem being like, 468 00:26:58,080 --> 00:26:59,879 Speaker 1: you're sucked up. You need to get over it, Like 469 00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:01,399 Speaker 1: go go in a corner and figure it out and 470 00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:03,000 Speaker 1: come back when you're ready to be a team player. 471 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:05,040 Speaker 1: Like he's not messing around. Total, we'll put you in 472 00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:07,880 Speaker 1: check exactly. Yeah, I mean, funk, it's already hard enough 473 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:09,640 Speaker 1: trying to drive these things that you got this guy 474 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:11,720 Speaker 1: in your head. Yeah, he's a pretty intense guy. But 475 00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:14,280 Speaker 1: he also yeah, likes to keep things close to the vest, 476 00:27:14,320 --> 00:27:18,120 Speaker 1: and he's very calculated as to when he kind of 477 00:27:18,320 --> 00:27:21,560 Speaker 1: lets those go rip, right, it's a it's a choice exactly. Yeah. 478 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:23,880 Speaker 1: Like you never feel like he's being impulsive. So that's 479 00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:27,159 Speaker 1: that's Uh, that's Total Wolf. Alright, Total Nice to meet you, buddy. 480 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:29,560 Speaker 1: He he looms large in uh and he's also I 481 00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:31,520 Speaker 1: think an easy person to love to hate too, because 482 00:27:31,520 --> 00:27:34,720 Speaker 1: he is imposing, not a guy where you you would 483 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:36,720 Speaker 1: kind of casually like, ah, that's someone I'm going to 484 00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:40,040 Speaker 1: small talk with you. He's also there's nothing about him 485 00:27:40,080 --> 00:27:44,440 Speaker 1: that says underdog. You know, he is the punching up. 486 00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:50,679 Speaker 1: It's Mercedes, it's wealth, it's the look, and uh, I 487 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:52,840 Speaker 1: think I think I've got a grasp on that. Excellent. 488 00:27:53,320 --> 00:27:55,400 Speaker 1: We gotta do a quick break and then we'll be back. 489 00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:59,239 Speaker 1: So I guess overall, if I had to sum up, 490 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:01,520 Speaker 1: you know, the hitch for Mercedes, you're sort of like, well, 491 00:28:01,560 --> 00:28:03,760 Speaker 1: how do you pitch a team to anyone to to 492 00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:05,760 Speaker 1: root for? You know, why why am I buying this 493 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:08,040 Speaker 1: fifty dollar hat for for a team that that is 494 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:11,600 Speaker 1: dominated for close to a decade, right? Um, I think 495 00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:13,239 Speaker 1: there's a lot of good arguments. One, you know, they 496 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:15,600 Speaker 1: aren't invincible, so we're seeing a little bit of their 497 00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:18,680 Speaker 1: their vulnerable side. So if you you're someone who maybe 498 00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:21,560 Speaker 1: wants a little bit of an underdog flavor without having 499 00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:23,720 Speaker 1: to commit to like a true underdog at the back 500 00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:26,879 Speaker 1: of the grid, you know, Mercedes has that they do 501 00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:30,600 Speaker 1: have this wacky history with Brown g p uh Yokai. 502 00:28:30,760 --> 00:28:34,360 Speaker 1: What would what would you add to why Mercedes well, 503 00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:35,960 Speaker 1: I think if you want to make a safe bet, 504 00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:38,360 Speaker 1: Mercedes is like, you know, it's a safe bet. They 505 00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:42,040 Speaker 1: have the history, they have the drivers, They're definitely financed, Yeah, 506 00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:45,520 Speaker 1: well financed. They they have the best engineers. You know, 507 00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:48,360 Speaker 1: some some people like to win. Like if you if 508 00:28:48,360 --> 00:28:51,880 Speaker 1: you like your team to win, are we going to 509 00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:54,560 Speaker 1: use you popping in like on the audio? I like 510 00:28:54,640 --> 00:28:57,640 Speaker 1: that first of all, thank you know, it gives another 511 00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:01,680 Speaker 1: It gives another layer. I always like in the producer's policy. 512 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:04,320 Speaker 1: I'd also say too that if if any team is 513 00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:06,720 Speaker 1: going to struggle but like figure their ship out, I'd 514 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:08,760 Speaker 1: bet on Mercedes, you know. Whereas there other teams where 515 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:10,560 Speaker 1: it's like, oh, their their car is not good this year, 516 00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:12,640 Speaker 1: like oh we're fucked for the entire year, like best 517 00:29:12,640 --> 00:29:14,960 Speaker 1: of luck to you, Whereas like Mercedes, I'm like, you know, 518 00:29:14,960 --> 00:29:17,920 Speaker 1: you had some people a couple of races in two already, 519 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:19,719 Speaker 1: you know, ruling them out, and I'm like, you know, 520 00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:22,160 Speaker 1: there's a lot of races this there's almost two dozen 521 00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:25,640 Speaker 1: races this season. I think they'll figure it out. There's 522 00:29:25,640 --> 00:29:27,640 Speaker 1: a good chance that Mercedes going to figure out whatever 523 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:30,200 Speaker 1: the issue is and at least not be embarrassing for 524 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:31,880 Speaker 1: the rest of the season. You know what I'm finding 525 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:35,800 Speaker 1: interesting about this is so much of sport, it's kind 526 00:29:35,800 --> 00:29:38,520 Speaker 1: of determined who you're supposed to cheer for based on 527 00:29:38,560 --> 00:29:41,880 Speaker 1: where you're from. Yeah, what's interesting about Formula one. It's 528 00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:47,160 Speaker 1: such a mix of nationalities. You're essentially picking either the brand, 529 00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:50,080 Speaker 1: like I love this brand so much, I want to 530 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:55,080 Speaker 1: cheer for Mercedes or Williams and not Williams. But essentially 531 00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:59,480 Speaker 1: you're picking the personality of the either the principal or 532 00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:03,480 Speaker 1: the to dry Iver's. It lends itself to some heartache 533 00:30:03,520 --> 00:30:06,160 Speaker 1: because you know the drivers are gonna leave eventually, You're 534 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:09,960 Speaker 1: gonna go everywhere. So it's it's interesting that, like, I 535 00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:13,360 Speaker 1: get to pick a team, but that's also what everybody 536 00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:15,600 Speaker 1: gets to do, because it's not like, oh, shoot, I'm 537 00:30:15,600 --> 00:30:17,720 Speaker 1: from Detroit, I have to be a Lions fan, you know, 538 00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:21,080 Speaker 1: I get to actually decide what team I want to 539 00:30:21,720 --> 00:30:23,920 Speaker 1: I think I just described the whole podcast just now 540 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:27,200 Speaker 1: hitting me in the head of what this is. Congratulations Welcome. 541 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:30,360 Speaker 1: Episode two only took two full episodes to get part of. 542 00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:34,440 Speaker 1: Unless Unless, I'll just say, unless you're Italian, okay, and 543 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:36,520 Speaker 1: I don't know that is there. There's a clear Italian 544 00:30:36,520 --> 00:30:44,760 Speaker 1: team Ferrari. So I'll say this, I understand the the 545 00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:50,720 Speaker 1: compulsion of maybe finding a Mercedes team to support and love. Ah, 546 00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:57,480 Speaker 1: I want something a little not as h for sure. 547 00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:01,680 Speaker 1: I want something a little more underdog. I don't need 548 00:31:02,320 --> 00:31:06,920 Speaker 1: my team principle to have a seven camera professional photo 549 00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:09,160 Speaker 1: shoot in front of a snow mountain. I want there 550 00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:11,520 Speaker 1: would be a little more grit. If that's so. And 551 00:31:11,560 --> 00:31:13,720 Speaker 1: I don't know anything about Louis Hamilton's or the other drivers. 552 00:31:13,800 --> 00:31:16,400 Speaker 1: You have to have grit to be successful. But uh, 553 00:31:16,560 --> 00:31:20,200 Speaker 1: my initial take on Mercedes is a hate herbal team. 554 00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:24,840 Speaker 1: I don't need that elegant brand logo in my life. Personally. 555 00:31:25,120 --> 00:31:26,320 Speaker 1: You need you need to to have a little more 556 00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:30,040 Speaker 1: dirt on his face. He's too uh. I just it 557 00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:33,920 Speaker 1: feels a little too constructed. I think I might be right, 558 00:31:33,920 --> 00:31:35,880 Speaker 1: I might be wrong. I don't know. And for for 559 00:31:35,920 --> 00:31:39,640 Speaker 1: any listener disagreeing with me, keep in mind, this is 560 00:31:39,680 --> 00:31:42,720 Speaker 1: the very first team principle I've ever met, so I 561 00:31:42,720 --> 00:31:45,200 Speaker 1: don't I can't really compare him to anyone else. You 562 00:31:45,200 --> 00:31:48,920 Speaker 1: didn't even know that was the word. So yeah, so 563 00:31:49,800 --> 00:31:52,360 Speaker 1: that's the that that's kind of a story and history 564 00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:56,240 Speaker 1: of Mercedes. Uh, that's that's where we're coming from, and 565 00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:59,160 Speaker 1: we're using that information to set the scene for the 566 00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:02,640 Speaker 1: next episode. We're going to drive to drive. We're going 567 00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:07,440 Speaker 1: to dive into the two current drivers on this team. 568 00:32:08,040 --> 00:32:13,280 Speaker 1: You've got Lewis Hamilton's seven time world champion, considered a goat, 569 00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:16,520 Speaker 1: if not v goat of Formula one, greatest of all time. 570 00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:19,760 Speaker 1: And then you have his new teammate as of this season, 571 00:32:19,800 --> 00:32:23,680 Speaker 1: George Russell, who is out here trying to prove himself 572 00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:27,120 Speaker 1: after a few funky, weird years on a not so 573 00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:30,600 Speaker 1: great team in the sport. So that will be the 574 00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:34,080 Speaker 1: next episode. I think we should be driving into each episode. 575 00:32:34,520 --> 00:32:38,360 Speaker 1: We're not diving. Really missed opportunity on my part. Wow, 576 00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:41,520 Speaker 1: I you know, we should all just pack it up 577 00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:43,280 Speaker 1: and go home. I've completely missed the boat on that one. 578 00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:49,400 Speaker 1: Damn it. It was a good mistake. This has been 579 00:32:49,480 --> 00:32:54,520 Speaker 1: Choosing Sides F one, a production of Sports Illustrated Studios 580 00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:57,880 Speaker 1: and I Heart Radio. Tune in later this week to 581 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:01,880 Speaker 1: learn all about the Mercedes d Ivers. The show was 582 00:33:01,920 --> 00:33:04,960 Speaker 1: hosted by Michael Costa and Lily Herman. This episode was 583 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:08,720 Speaker 1: produced by Lily Herman and our senior producer you Hi Mittal, 584 00:33:09,080 --> 00:33:13,320 Speaker 1: who also did the sound design at the cutting room. 585 00:33:13,360 --> 00:33:18,000 Speaker 1: Studios were recorded by engineer Robot Leary, mastering by Cello 586 00:33:18,040 --> 00:33:22,920 Speaker 1: Weisblue Max Miller is the executive producer and Brannan Getchus 587 00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:26,360 Speaker 1: his head of audio at s I Studios. At I 588 00:33:26,480 --> 00:33:30,880 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, Shaan Titone is our executive producer. For more 589 00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:34,320 Speaker 1: podcasts from My Heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, 590 00:33:34,600 --> 00:33:38,960 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, and don't 591 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:41,520 Speaker 1: forget to rate us and tell your friends. It'll mean 592 00:33:41,560 --> 00:33:42,040 Speaker 1: a lot