Mercedes is Back! | Should Leclerc Leave Ferrari? | Spanish GP Recap | Grid Walk June 8, 2023

Grid Walk is celebrating this week because MERCEDES IS BACK!!!!!! At least we hope so…but until proven otherwise Briana and Nicole are reeling in the success that Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team had at the Spanish F1 Grand Prix. It was absolutely amazing seeing Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finish P2 and P3! Briana brings us deep into the data from the weekend at the Spanish F1 Grand Prix to reveal how hopeful Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team fans should allow themselves to be for the rest of the Formula 1 season. What do the numbers from Saturday’s qualifying session reveal? What can we learn from the top race paces from the Spanish F1 Grand Prix? Why do Briana and Nicole hope for warm weather at the rest of the upcoming F1 races (hint: it has to do with tires)?

Welcome back to a segment that can only be described as a rollercoaster of emotions, Red Flag! Briana takes Nicole through several hypothetical events for driver Charles Leclerc to endure. Nicole must decide at what point (if any) would Charles Leclerc walk away from his seat at Scuderia Ferrari. Will we see Charles Leclerc on another podium this year? Will Scuderia Ferrari pursue other F1 drivers on the grid? In what ways could the F1 Monaco Grand Prix become even worse for Charles Leclerc?

The Spanish F1 Grand Prix was really trying to show up the Monaco F1 Grand Prix with the number of celebrities in attendance! Nicole takes you through everything you need to know about F1 and pop culture this week. What brand new designer collaboration was Shakira wearing on the grid? Which famous couple and friends of the Stroll family were back in the paddock? Why were there so many soccer players (or footballers) at this race? Why was Neymar sitting in the W-14? What superhero movie partnered with BWT Alpine F1 Team driver Pierre Gasly? What did the Paddock Fit King, Lewis Hamilton wear in Barcelona?

There were so many moments at the Spanish F1 Grand Prix that Briana and Nicole could not wait to talk about. Briana and Nicole have created several podiums of their favorite parts of the weekend in Barcelona. What were the top F1 team radios from the Spanish F1 Grand Prix? What is Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team’s driver Lance Stroll most looking forward to at his home race, the Canadian F1 Grand Prix? What did Scuderia Ferrari communicate to Carlos Sainz about his race pace in Barcelona? What were the highlights of media conferences and in the media pen? What happened during Lewis Hamilton’s post-race interview? How did Lance Stroll respond when being asked about his teammate, Fernando Alonso’s, comments on the team radio?

00:00 Celebrating a Great Mercedes Spanish Grand Prix

00:48 On Today's Episode of Grid Walk

03:06 Mercedes is Back!

19:27 Red Flag: Should Charles Leclerc Leave Ferrari?

37:17 Gossip Grid: F1 in Pop Culture

41:59 Our Podiums of the F1 Race Weekend

52:13 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.

**Grid Walk: Mercedes Is Back and Red Flag for Charles Leclerc**

* **Mercedes' Resurgence:**
* Positive signs emerged for Mercedes at the Spanish Grand Prix, indicating their return to competitiveness.
* Lewis Hamilton's P2 finish and George Russell's P3 result were encouraging.
* Data analysis showed that Mercedes had the second-fastest car on track, behind Max Verstappen's Red Bull.
* Mercedes' strength lies in tire management and kinder treatment of tires compared to other teams.
* There is cautious optimism about Mercedes' potential to close the gap to Red Bull, especially on certain tracks.

* **Red Flag for Charles Leclerc:**
* Charles Leclerc's struggles continued at the Spanish Grand Prix, raising concerns about his future at Ferrari.
* A series of unfortunate events and strategic errors have marred Leclerc's season.
* Nicole Katz plays a game of "Red Flag" to determine what would push Leclerc to leave Ferrari.
* Potential scenarios include Ferrari publicly flirting with other drivers, missing out on a win due to team orders, and Fernando Alonso's return to Ferrari.
* Katz believes Leclerc would push through most of these challenges and remain at Ferrari for the 2024 season.
* However, the possibility of Leclerc leaving Ferrari remains open, particularly if he is offered a seat at Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen.

* **Gossip Grid:**
* Various international soccer players attended the Spanish Grand Prix, adding to the star-studded atmosphere.
* Nicole Katz discusses the ongoing rumors and speculation surrounding driver transfers and team strategies.

**Podium of Radios:**

* **P3:** George Russell mistaking sweat for rain, leading to a humorous exchange with his race engineer.

* **P2:** Max Verstappen's frustration with receiving a black and white flag for a potential penalty, despite his commanding lead.

* **P1:** Carlos Sainz's entertaining back-and-forth with his race engineer over whether he should pit due to degrading pace.

**Favorite Moments from Press Conference/Media Pen:**

* **Nico Rosberg's Abrupt Departure:** Nico Rosberg's post-race interview with Lewis Hamilton was cut short when Rosberg abruptly thanked Hamilton and walked away, leaving Hamilton amused.

* **Lance Stroll's Annoyance:** Lance Stroll's annoyed response to a reporter's question about Fernando Alonso's in-race interview, stating that he didn't know and that the reporter should ask Alonso directly.

* **Lance Stroll and Esteban Ocon's Friendly Exchange:** Stroll and Ocon's friendly greeting and congratulations to each other in the media pen, despite their previous rivalry.

* **Lewis Hamilton's Contract Extension Hint:** Hamilton's use of the phrase "next year" in a post-race interview, hinting at a possible contract extension with Mercedes.

**Other Notable News:**

* **Bridgestone's Tire Application:** Bridgestone has officially applied to become the official tire provider for Formula 1, potentially replacing Pirelli.

* **Tire Testing:** Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc, George Russell, and Mick Schumacher participated in tire testing in Barcelona to help Pirelli prepare for the new tires to be introduced at the British GP.

* **Aston Martin's Surprise:** Aston Martin expressed surprise at Mercedes' pace during the Barcelona testing, suggesting that the team may be a threat in the upcoming races.

* **Gunther Steiner's Reprimand:** Haas team principal Gunther Steiner was reprimanded by the FIA for criticizing the stewards, specifically for suggesting that they should be paid for their work.

* **McLaren's Triple Crown Livery:** McLaren's special Triple Crown livery, used for the Monaco GP, was praised by fans and media alike, leading to calls for the team to retain it for the rest of the season.

* **Williams' Gulf Livery Vote:** Williams is encouraging fans to vote for their special Gulf livery for the Singapore GP, which is currently in the second round of voting.

* **Alfa Romeo in Apple Presentation:** Alfa Romeo's F1 car was featured in Apple's presentation introducing their new augmented reality headset, showcasing the use of AR in design meetings.