Andretti Reaction & Qatar Grand Prix Preview with @NaturalParadigm | Grid Walk October 5, 2023

This could potentially be the MOST jam packed episode of Grid Walk yet! Briana & Nicole had such a great chat with Bryson Sullivan (NaturalParadigm) that there is bonus content! Briana, Nicole, & Bryson discuss the F1 fandom, reminisce about the USGP of 2022, & cover the Qatar Grand Prix. But that is only some of F1 fun that you can expect on episode 37 of Grid Walk!

Time for an F1 Ring update! A few weeks ago Grid Walk chatted about the rumors of the FIA approving the F1 application of Andretti. This week the FIA did announce that they have approved the Andretti bid to be added as the 11th F1 team on the grid. But the FIA’s announcement was only HALF of an announcement?! Andretti still needs to be approved by Formula One Media (FOM) and Liberty Media! Is this the FIA’s way of putting pressure on FOM and Liberty Media who haven’t necessarily agreed with the public’s positive view about Andretti?

Grid Walk heads into the wild because the zebras are at it again! The FIA is still not doing the best job at hiding their Red Bull favoritism…oops! At the Singapore GP Max Verstappen managed to get away with multiple penalties. So only Max Verstappen is able to chill out in the pit lane like that? AlphaTauri just didn’t show up to their stewarding hearing for Max Verstappen impeding Yuki Tsunoda? Shoutout to the F1 team for calling this out and filing a complaint on the FIA’s inconsistency!

Okay, just for fun, let’s imagine the current F1 season WITHOUT Red Bull Racing. There would be no Max Verstappen or Checo Perez on the podium or finishing in the points. F1 fans had a slight preview of F1 without Red Bull Racing at the top at the Singapore Grand Prix (but reality came back quickly at the Japanese Grand Prix). Nicole brings you through what the point standings of what the current F1 Constructors Championship would be if there was no Red Bull!

A majority of the F1 fandom was freaking out about certain Formula 1 social media metrics that were released last week. Somehow the F1 fandom concluded that these social media numbers showed that the dominance of Red Bull is RUINING the sport. Well Grid Walk is here to debunk that conclusion! What does the original data really show about F1 social media numbers? What observations can we make from F1 Google Search trends? When was the Tifosi NOT Googling about Ferrari?

Bryson Sullivan shares a podium for the Qatar GP - Which F1 team will (*most likely*) be 2nd to Red Bull ? Why can’t Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team fix their drag issue?

The F1 race predictions continue and the ice bath gets closer for one of the Grid Walk hosts! Briana & Nicole share their predictions for the Qatar GP. There are extra points up for grabs since there is an F1 Sprint Race this weekend!

00:00 TikTok Fun Fact

01:36 Formation Lap

04:00 Andretti Update (F1 Ring)

11:54 Comment Shoutout

12:43 FIA Inconsistencies (Into the Wild)

20:08 Thoughts on F1 Fandom

21:08 F1 Constructors without Red Bull

29:17 Memories of 2022 USGP

30:55 BuzzRadar F1 Social Data Chaos

39:08 Data Collection Methodology

43:47 Google Trend Data

46:49 Qatar Grand Prix Preview with @NaturalParadigm

52:17 Mercedes Drag Issues

55:40 Who Will Be 2nd to Red Bull at the Qatar GP?

59:54 Other Race Weekend Things to Know

01:02:47 Race Weekend Predictions

01:10:37 Yellow Sector Notes

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**Formation Lap**

* No quizzes this week, instead, a TikTok fun fact is shared about holding down the edges of TikTok videos to play them at 2x speed.

**Gridlock**

* FIA approves Andretti's bid for an 11th team in F1, but Formula One management and teams have not yet agreed to anything regarding media rights or the Concorde Agreement.
* Discussion on the potential pressure the FIA is putting on Formula One to push the new team through.
* Speculation about whether other teams are starting to take notice and complain about the perceived favoritism towards Red Bull.

**Into the Wild**

* Recent stewarding decisions in Singapore and Japan are examined, highlighting inconsistencies and perceived favoritism towards Red Bull.
* Discussion on the lack of action taken against Red Bull for impeding incidents, and the subsequent formal complaint issued by other teams.
* FIA's response to the complaints and their promise to not use the incident as a precedent.
* Debate on the impact of such stewarding decisions on the overall perception of the sport and its integrity.

**Twilight Zone**

* Hypothetical scenario of Red Bull not existing in Formula One and its potential impact on the current standings.
* Detailed analysis of the revised Constructors' Championship standings, with Aston Martin moving up to P3, Mercedes leading with 443 points, and Ferrari in P2 with 384 points.
* Speculation on the number of race wins Fernando Alonso would have had in this alternate reality, with the possibility of six P1 finishes.
* Discussion on the implications for Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes in terms of the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships.

**Yellow Sector Notes**


1. **Data Scrutiny and Accuracy:**

* The hosts emphasize the importance of scrutinizing the data presented in the article, as they believe it may not accurately reflect the overall health and success of Formula One.
* They point out that the data is limited to a specific time frame (January to May) and does not consider other crucial factors such as at-track attendance and revenue generated from Grand Prix events.

2. **Vanity Metrics:**

* The hosts discuss the concept of "vanity metrics," which are metrics that may provide a superficial view of success but lack deeper insights into the sport's overall performance.
* They argue that metrics like new followers and social media reach, while important, should not be the sole indicators of Formula One's success.

3. **Contextualizing Social Media Data:**

* The hosts highlight the need to consider the context surrounding social media data.
* They point out that F1's social media presence has seen a significant increase in recent years, and the current dip in certain metrics should be viewed in relation to the exceptional growth experienced during the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

4. **Non-English Speaking Mentions:**

* The hosts emphasize the significance of non-English speaking mentions in Formula One's social media presence.
* They argue that the article's analysis potentially overlooks a substantial portion of the sport's global fan base, which may skew the conclusions drawn from the data.

5. **Google Trend Data:**

* The hosts present Google trend data to provide a broader perspective on Formula One's online interest.
* They show that global search trends for F1 have remained relatively consistent in 2023 compared to the previous year, indicating sustained interest in the sport despite the perceived decline in social media metrics.

6. **Track Characteristics and Performance:**

* The hosts shift the discussion to track characteristics and their impact on team performance.
* They analyze the upcoming Qatar Grand Prix and predict the potential podium finishers based on the circuit's layout and the teams' recent performances.

7. **McLaren's Resurgence:**

* The hosts highlight McLaren's remarkable progress during the season, moving from midfield positions to regularly competing for podium finishes.
* They attribute this success to McLaren's effective development and upgrades, emphasizing that it's not solely due to copying Red Bull's car design.

**Sector 1: Predictions**

- For the sprint race, Briana predicts Carlos Sainz for P3 and Nicole predicts Oscar Piastri.
- For P8 in the sprint, Briana predicts Fernando Alonso and Nicole predicts George Russell.
- For the team not named Red Bull with the most points in the spread, both Briana and Nicole predict McLaren.

**Sector 2: Grand Prix Predictions**

- Briana and Nicole both predict McLaren as the top team, not Red Bull, scoring the most points in the Grand Prix.
- For P2, both Briana and Nicole predict Lando Norris.
- For P3, Briana predicts Sir Lewis Hamilton and Nicole predicts Carlos Sainz.
- For P10 and last in the points, Briana predicts Lance Stroll and Nicole predicts Valtteri Bottas.
- For the last to finish crossing the checkered flag, Briana predicts Kevin Magnussen and Nicole predicts Bottas.

**Sector 3: Yellow Sector Notes**

- Updates and insights from the Formula One paddock, including driver activities, team news, and upcoming events.

**Sector 4: Outro**

- Encouragement for listeners to subscribe, rate, and share the podcast, followed by a humorous exchange between the hosts.