FIA’s New Technical Directive & F1 Italian Grand Prix Preview | Grid Walk August 31, 2023

WELCOME BACK FROM F1 SUMMER BREAK! It is time for the Italian Grand Prix to end the long summer shutdown because there is no such thing as the Dutch Grand Prix, right? The Dutch Grand Prix didn’t happen?? That's at least what Briana and Nicole are telling themselves on the new episode of Grid Walk to cope with the far from ideal race weekend.

Formula 1 news never waits! Briana and Nicole come together for some last minute recording to discuss the latest breaking F1 news! The FIA has released a technical directive regarding the flexibility of wings on F1 cars. The FIA has developed this technical directive after observing the performance of certain F1 teams. What does this mean for the development of the F1 teams for the rest of the season?

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been personally victimized by Formula 1! Briana and Nicole hold a small venting session for their latest woes as an F1 fan. Was the Dutch Grand Prix a personal attack? Will Scuderia AlphaTauri driver Daniel Ricciardo make a recovery before the end of the 2023 F1 season? Will Scuderia Ferrari figure out how to do a pitstop?

Inspired by F1’s hysterical video series “Grill the Grid,” Briana and Nicole play “Grill the Grid Walk Host!” Nicole has to try and put all of the F1 drivers in age order and it is a lot harder than it sounds! Briana is put to the test with F1 trivia that even the F1 drivers struggled to answer! Can Briana name 2 F1 drivers for each prompt Nicole throws at her: “Won A Race for Mclaren F1 Team,” “Won The Championship In A Ferrari,” “Raced For Two Different F1 Teams In The Same Season,’ and more!

Formula 1 is headed to Monza this race week for the Italian Grand Prix! Briana and Nicole’s Italian Grand Prix preview gives you all the must have information. What tire compounds is Pirelli recommending for the Italian Grand Prix? How does the circuit at Monza compare to Zandvoort? The Grid Walk competition to avoid an ice bath continues with Briana and Nicole’s Italian Grand Prix Predictions! Will Alex Albon score points again for Williams Racing after his impressive P8 finish at the Dutch Grand Prix? Will Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez be able to maintain a pace to be on the podium with teammate Max Verstappen?

00:00 We Get Distracted by Football

01:58 Formation Lap

04:31 F1 Breaking News: Discussing the New TD

15:22 Dutch Grand Prix Review

19:29 Grill the Grid Walk Host: 2 Driver Challenge

32:48 Italian Grand Prix Preview

39:44 Grill the Grid Walk Host: Youngest to Oldest Challenge

58:48 Formula 1 Italian GP Predictions

01:09:36 Yellow Sector Notes

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

- The podcast hosts, Briana L. Klein and Nicole Katz, begin the episode by discussing the Kelsey Brothers and their impact on football.


- They then transition to Formula One (F1) and express their excitement for the upcoming Italian Grand Prix, which marks the return of F1 after the summer break.


- They acknowledge that there have been significant developments in the F1 world during the break, including Daniel Ricciardo's hand injury and Lewis Hamilton's impressive pace.


- The hosts discuss a technical directive issued by the FIA, which aims to address a loophole that some teams have been exploiting with their front wings. They highlight the complexity of the issue and its potential impact on the upcoming race.


- They engage in a segment called "Raise Your Hand if You Were Personally Victimized," where they list various incidents and controversies from the recent Dutch Grand Prix and invite listeners to relate their own experiences.


- The hosts then play a game called "Grill the Gridwalk Host," where they challenge each other to name two drivers that fit specific criteria within a 90-second time limit. They encounter some challenging prompts and have a few humorous moments during the game.


* They also mention drivers who have won a championship but not the most races in that season, such as Kimi Raikkonen, Sebastian Vettel, Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton, Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Nelson Piquet, Graham Hill, Phil Hill, Emerson Fittipaldi, and Fangio.
* Lastly, they discuss drivers who were teammates with Michael Schumacher, including Max Verstappen, Nico Rosberg, and Rubens Barrichello.

**Three Things to Know About the Italian GP**

* The Italian GP will use the alternate tire allocation, where drivers use hards in Q1, mediums in Q2, and softs in Q3. This is to reduce the number of tires used in free practice, which can lead to less competitive uncertainty.
* Pirelli has brought a step softer tire to the race, which should hopefully lead to more tire degradation and exciting racing.
* The Italian GP is the lowest downforce race of the season, with a track that is mostly straights. This means that teams with low drag and great power unit performance should perform well.

**Predictions for the Italian GP**

* Nicole predicts that Lewis Hamilton will finish P2, Charles Leclerc will finish P3, and Sergio Perez will finish P4.
* Briana predicts that Max Verstappen will finish P1, George Russell will finish P2, and Carlos Sainz will finish P3.

**Grill the Grid: Ranking Drivers from Youngest to Oldest**

* Nicole is given the challenge of ranking the 19 F1 drivers from youngest to oldest.
* She struggles with the task and makes several mistakes, but she eventually gets it mostly correct.
* The best drivers at ranking the drivers were Lance Stroll, Lando Norris, and George Russell, who all got 12 out of 19 points.

**Predictions for the Rest of the Season**

* Briana and Nicole discuss their predictions for the rest of the season, including who they think will win the championship and which teams will perform well.
* They also talk about the possibility of an ice bath for the loser of their predictions at the end of the season.

**Predictions for the Mexican Grand Prix:**

- Briana and Nicole make their predictions for the top three finishers and the driver who will finish last (excluding DNFs) in the Mexican Grand Prix.

- Briana predicts Lewis Hamilton for P3, Sergio Perez for P2, and Charles Leclerc for P1.

- Nicole predicts Ferrari to score the most points among non-Red Bull teams, with Charles Leclerc in P2 but expresses uncertainty about both Ferrari drivers performing well in the same race.

- Briana maintains her prediction of Alex Albon finishing in P10, while Nicole predicts Logan Sargent to secure his first points by finishing in P10.

- Both hosts agree that Aston Martin and Mercedes might struggle at this track due to their Mercedes power units.

- K-Magnussen is chosen as the driver predicted to finish last, with Nicole expressing her disappointment in Liam Lawson's performance and using it as a way to cope with her emotions regarding Daniel Ricciardo's uncertain future in Formula One.

**Daniel Ricciardo's Situation:**

- The hosts discuss the possibility of Daniel Ricciardo losing his seat at McLaren and express concern about his future in the sport.

- Briana mentions that if Ricciardo were to lose his seat, it would be a repeat of the situation at the end of the previous season.

- Nicole shares her anxiety about the situation and draws parallels to the waiting period experienced during the previous season.

**Gridwalk Notes:**

- The hosts share interesting news and updates from the world of Formula One, including:

- Taylor Swift's concert at the Mexican Grand Prix venue, effectively selling out the event four times.

- Aston Martin running a rookie driver during FP1 at the upcoming race.

- A new Lewis Hamilton Funko Pop expected to be released in December.

- Max Verstappen receiving a replacement for his broken Hungarian GP trophy.

- Reddit's partnership with Alpine, featuring the Reddit logo on the team's car.

- Haas confirming that both of their drivers will continue with the team in 2024.

- McLaren introducing a new rear wing concept aimed at reducing drag.

- Ferrari discussing their brand-new car concept for 2024.

- Williams taking full responsibility for Logan Sargent's crash due to a car malfunction.

- AlphaTauri announcing Liam Lawson's continued driving until Daniel Ricciardo's return, but not as a permanent replacement.

- Alfa Romeo's graffiti-themed race suits, garage names, and overall livery.

**Conclusion:**

The podcast concludes with the hosts expressing their gratitude to their listeners, encouraging them to follow, rate, and review the podcast. They invite listeners to join their daily grid walks on various social media platforms and look forward to the next episode, where they will continue to discuss Formula One and engage with their audience.