F1 Monaco Grand Prix: Flying Cars & Helicopter Cameras | Spanish GP Preview | Grid Walk June 1, 2023

This week is a rapid turnaround from the Monaco Grand Prix to the Spanish Grand Prix in the F1 world and there is a ton to discuss. Therefore, naturally, Nicole and Briana start with the most crucial event of the last week: The New Barbie Movie trailer that rocked our worlds. What does this have to do with Formula 1? Not much, but we wanted to share our joy with all of you.

The F1 discussions start with our pure joy that the massive Mercedes’ (basically B-Spec) upgrades (that were brought to Monaco of all places) seemed to go well. Lewis Hamilton ended the race P4, but more importantly, he and the rest of the leadership at the Mercedes F1 team seemed positive leaving the weekend. Can we use last weekend’s performance as an indicator of what is to come for the Mercedes car?

Nicole and Briana also spend time celebrating Estie Bestie’s (Esteban Ocon) fantastic drive to a podium place for Alpine. Nicole also breaks down Grid Walk’s first podium of the Monaco GP Race Weekend: Estie Bestie’s Best Moments of the Weekend.

Who knew all the F1 Monaco GP needed was a helicopter? We did! Grid Walk circles back to our discussion from last week’s episode of Formula 1 finally taking over the TV production of the Monaco GP from the local station. WOW - It was even better than we both expected! The wide shots provided a great view of the action and allowed the broadcast team to really tell a story. Briana also reveals an embarrassing secret.

There was more flying this Formula 1 race weekend than just a helicopter. Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton’s newly upgraded Mercedes were both lifted into the air to reveal their floors to the rest of the grid in Free Practice after crashes. But the bigger news was Sergio Perez’s Red Bull F1 car floating in the sky for all other nine teams of the F1 grid to finally see what is responsible for Red Bull Racing’s extreme pace advantage. Briana breaks down what this means for the other nine Formula 1 teams.

Ferrari is now a verb and I don’t think it has a good definition. Did the Aston Martin F1 team Ferrari this race? Did Aston Martin Ferrari more than Ferrari? Did Ferrari Ferrari this race? Did Alonso leave the Ferrari F1 team after many years of Ferrari-ing just to get Ferrari-ed by Aston Martin? We can’t have the F1 Monaco Grand Prix without a post-race weekend Gossip Grid. Nicole goes through many of the moments of the weekend where Formula 1 intersected with pop culture. This included a lot of celebrities attending with Red Bull Racing and making it very clear you are rooting for Lewis Hamilton.

Lastly, Grid Walk turned its attention to the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona this weekend. Briana outlines the details of three key things to know going into the weekend: new Pirelli tyres to test, a new track layout this year, and the slew of upgrades all the teams will be bringing to this race. Nicole looks to catch up to Briana as they make their weekly predictions heading into a race weekend.

Grid Walk is a weekly Formula 1 show that releases every Thursday. For daily F1 content follow @gridwalkshow on all social media platforms.

00:00 We Start With the Biggest Story

06:41 We Survived Mercedes Bring Upgrades to Monaco

12:33 Estie Bestie on the Podium

19:33 All F1 Needed to Make Monaco Exciting was a Helicopter

28:16 When Cars Fly: Will Seeing Red Bull's Floor Help F1 Teams?

35:02 Could Alonso Have Won the Monaco Grand Prix?

37:38 Did Ferrari Mess Up?

41:11 Radio Messages Podium

43:40 Gossip Grid: F1 in Pop Culture

52:46 Is ESPN Asking for More F1 Parity?

01:00:35 Changes to the Barcelona Circuit & Pirelli Tyre Testing

01:04:24 Spanish Grand Prix Predictions

01:11:23 Yellow Sector Notes

**Grid Walk: Monaco Grand Prix Recap and Spain Preview**

- Briana and Nicole begin the podcast by expressing their relief and joy at surviving the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, despite the challenges faced by Mercedes with their upgraded car.

- They discuss the significance of the new TV production for the Monaco GP, highlighting how it greatly improved the viewing experience and made the race more enjoyable.

- Briana shares her excitement for the upcoming Barbie movie, praising the trailer and expressing her anticipation for the film's release.

- Nicole reveals that she is feeling under the weather and apologizes for her voice sounding different during the podcast.

- They recap the Monaco GP, acknowledging that while Mercedes' result was not ideal, there were positive takeaways, such as the team's overall optimism and the fact that the car did not regress.

- Briana emphasizes the importance of remaining hopeful for Mercedes' progress, especially heading into the Spain Grand Prix.

- They discuss Esteban Ocon's impressive performance and podium finish, highlighting his celebratory radio message and wholesome post-race interview.

- Nicole shares her favorite moments from Esteban Ocon's weekend, including his celebratory radio message, his road trip to Spain with the trophy buckled in his car, and his meeting with Spider-Man.

- They acknowledge that the improved TV production played a significant role in enhancing their enjoyment of the Monaco GP, particularly with the new camera angles and shots.

- Briana presents her top three favorite new TV shots from the race, including the improved coming out of the tunnel shot, the new pit lane aerial shot, and the turns 13 through 16 shot of the swimming pool complex.

- They discuss the importance of good storytelling in Formula One races, emphasizing how the new production allowed them to be more invested in the on-track action.

- The conversation shifts to the topic of the Red Bull car's floor being revealed during the race, acknowledging the significance of this moment and the potential impact it may have on other teams.

- Briana and Nicole wrap up the podcast by previewing the upcoming Spain Grand Prix, expressing their optimism and excitement for the race. **Introduction:**

* **Impact of the Leaked Photos:**
* The leaked photos have created a buzz among F1 experts and fans, as they offer a glimpse into the intricate details of Red Bull's floor design.
* Engineers from other teams are eagerly analyzing the images to understand how Red Bull has achieved such a significant advantage.
* The hope is that this knowledge will enable other teams to close the performance gap and make the championship more competitive.

* **Complexity of Aerodynamic Design:**
* The hosts highlight the complexity of aerodynamic design in Formula One, particularly regarding side pods and floor interactions.
* They emphasize that side pods, while visually prominent, are not the sole determinant of a car's performance.
* The real magic, according to experts, lies in the interplay between the floor and the suspension system.

* **Cost Cap Implications:**
* The hosts discuss the implications of the cost cap, which was introduced to level the playing field among teams.
* While the cost cap has brought the field closer together, it has not necessarily made the championship more competitive.
* Teams with limited resources may take longer to implement changes inspired by Red Bull's design, potentially extending Red Bull's dominance.

* **Hypothetical Scenario:**
* The hosts imagine a scenario without the cost cap, where teams could freely make sweeping changes to their cars.
* In such a scenario, teams like Mercedes would have responded swiftly to Red Bull's innovation, potentially leading to a more competitive championship.

* **Fernando Alonso's Missed Opportunity:**
* The hosts analyze Fernando Alonso's race strategy at the Monaco Grand Prix, where he could have potentially won if Aston Martin had made different pit stop decisions.
* They criticize Aston Martin's strategy, which involved bringing Alonso in for an unnecessary pit stop and putting him on slick tires, ultimately costing him the race.

* **Ferrari's In-Race Strategy:**
* The hosts discuss Ferrari's in-race strategy, acknowledging that the team did the best they could given the circumstances.
* They point out Ferrari's failure to split their drivers' strategies, which could have given them a better chance of capitalizing on changing track conditions.

* **Podium Moments:**
* The hosts present a segment called "Podium of the Moments," where they highlight instances during the race that could have significantly altered the outcome.
* They discuss Max Verstappen's impressive recovery drive after a spin, George Russell's missed turn, and Alonso's potential race-winning opportunity.

* **Radio Moments:**
* The hosts share a few humorous radio messages from drivers during the race, including Checo Perez's frustration with traffic, Nico Hulkenberg's immediate pit stop request after suffering a puncture, and Carlos Sainz Jr.'s ill-timed instruction to Esteban Ocon to push his tires, resulting in a collision.

* **Gossip Grid:**
* Nicole Katz presents the "Gossip Grid" segment, providing updates on celebrities and pop culture news related to the Monaco Grand Prix.
* She mentions Tom Holland's appearance as a guest of Red Bull, Bad Bunny's playful interaction with Checo Perez, and the presence of various celebrities at the race.

* **ESPN's Perspective on Parity:**
* The hosts discuss a quote from ESPN's director of programming, who acknowledges that while parity and competitiveness are desirable, the focus should be on storytelling and creating drama from the results.
* They argue that F1's reliance on parity at the front is lazy and that the sport should embrace and highlight storylines from across the grid.

- Pirelli plans to bring new tires to the British Grand Prix, and teams will test them during free practices in Spain.

- The Spanish GP track layout has undergone changes, with the removal of the chicane in Sector 3. This will result in significantly faster lap times.

- Almost every team is expected to bring upgrades to Spain, with Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari, and Aston Martin among those bringing significant updates.

- The combination of new tires, track layout changes, and team upgrades adds an element of uncertainty to the Spanish GP.

- The hosts make their predictions for the race, with Max Verstappen favored to win and Lewis Hamilton predicted to finish in the top four.

- McLaren is picked as the team that will score the highest points in the Constructors' standings among the teams ranked 6th to 10th.

## Additional Information:

- The Spanish GP will be held on May 21-23, 2023, at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

- The race will be the sixth round of the 2023 Formula One World Championship.

- Red Bull Racing is the defending Constructors' Champion, while Max Verstappen is the reigning Drivers' Champion.

- Ferrari and Mercedes are expected to be Red Bull's main challengers in 2023.