The Italian Grand Prix Was Fun & Lewis Hamilton’s Contract Extension | Grid Walk September 7, 2023

Grid Walk is in a GREAT mood this week because the Italian Grand Prix was better than the Dutch Grand Prix AND the NFL season has officially begun! (GO BIRDS.) Grid Walk has some special F1 thank yous to distribute for their good moods! You know that Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, Scuderia Ferrari, and Williams Racing all get a shoutout.

Every F1 race weekend Grid Walk has fun F1 polls on all Grid Walk social media accounts (@gridwalkshow - you should follow)! Briana shares the results of the poll results for the Italian Grand Prix! What did Grid Walk listeners think about Carlos Sainz racing against Max Verstappen? Are people no longer surprised when Alex Albon scores points for Williams Racing? Is Monza the only circuit that Scuderia Ferrari really cares about? We need to know who believes that Sergio Perez was never/is not at risk of losing his seat at Oracle Red Bull Racing?

IT’S ABOUT TIME!!! Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team FINALLY announced a contract extension until 2025!! Apparently, Lewis Hamilton had signed this contract back in MAY! First off, HOW DARE YOU TOTO WOLFF! Why did Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team hold out on the news and does it have to do with George Russell (who also had his contract extended until 2025)?

Briana and Nicole definitely enjoyed the Italian Grand Prix much more than the Dutch Grand Prix! What moments at Monza made it Grid Walk’s Italian Grand Prix Podiums? Nicole delivers two opposing podiums - Surprising Things from Italian Grand Prix and NON Surprising Things from Italian Grand Prix! SPOILER ALERT: A lot of the Italian Grand Prix surprises were thanks to Scuderia Ferrari! Tifos was given an exciting home race at Monza. During the Italian Grand Prix, Briana came up with some games to make the race extra-entertaining! Do you think Max Verstappen was ever driving at full speed during the Italian Grand Prix? When did you notice that BWT Alpine F1 Team’s driver Esteban Ocon DNFed at Monza?

It is not “New News” that the dominance of Oracle Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen is unprecedented in Formula 1. Since the 2022 F1 season there has been a new set of regulations. There is also currently an engine freeze..when Honda has developed an incredibly strong power unit. AND don’t forget about the F1 cost cap! During Free Practice of the Italian Grand Prix a lightbulb went off in Briana’s head about how all of these elements together has F1 stuck until 2026!

There has been a noticeable increase in sponsored social media content being posted by F1 drivers! Briana and Nicole both work in marketing and so “sponcon” is one of their favorite things to talk about! Alex Albon is one of the most marketable F1 drivers! What is the key to Alex Albon’s marketability? What do all the new business endeavors that Valtteri Bottas is pursuing potentially reveal about the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake driver?

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 Formation Lap

03:50 Italian Grand Prix Poll Recap

08:38 Lewis Hamilton’s Contract Extension Reaction

18:16 F1 GP Podium: Shocking Moments from the Italian Grand Prix

23:24 Formula One Engine Freeze Rant

30:52 F1 GP Podium: Games I Played While Watching the Italian Grand Prix

33:29 Formula 1 Drivers Sponsored Content

51:57 F1 GP Podium: Least Shocking Moments from the Italian Grand Prix

55:18 Yellow Sector Notes

# Gridwalk: Italian Grand Prix Review and F1 Insights

## Introduction

* Briana Klein and Nicole Katz express their excitement about the start of the NFL season and their positive mood following the Italian Grand Prix.
* They acknowledge the contributions of several individuals and teams that made the race weekend enjoyable, including Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, Mercedes, and Williams.

## Race Weekend Polls

* The hosts discuss the results of their post-race weekend polls conducted on Instagram.
* The polls covered topics such as the effectiveness of Lewis Hamilton's alternate strategy, the need to stop being surprised by Alex Albon's points finishes, the impact of the engine freeze on the sport, and Ferrari's focus on the Italian GP.

## Lewis Hamilton's Contract Extension

* The hosts discuss the recent announcement of Lewis Hamilton's contract extension with Mercedes until 2025.
* They speculate that the delay in the announcement may have been due to negotiations with George Russell's team to extend his contract as well, ensuring that he would not feel undervalued.

## Ferrari's Performance at Monza

* The hosts praise Ferrari for allowing their drivers, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, to race freely and aggressively during the Italian GP.
* They express surprise that Ferrari did not experience any major incidents between its drivers, considering their history of intra-team clashes.
* They also highlight the significance of Ferrari having a driver on the podium, especially considering the team's struggles this season.

## Red Bull's Dominance and the Engine Freeze

* Briana expresses her frustration with Red Bull's unprecedented dominance in Formula One and the impact of the engine freeze on the sport.
* She argues that the combination of favorable regulations, a strong power unit, and a cost cap has created an insurmountable advantage for Red Bull.
* She criticizes the regulatory bodies for allowing this situation to occur and calls for a reevaluation of engine freezes in the future.

**P3: Guessing Max Verstappen's Time Savings**

* Klein explains how she kept herself entertained by estimating how much time Max Verstappen was saving during the race.
* She found it exciting to watch the gap between Verstappen and the other drivers grow throughout the race.

**P2: Lewis Hamilton's Impressive Lead**

* Katz highlights Lewis Hamilton's remarkable performance in increasing his lead to five seconds towards the end of the race.
* She describes the tension and excitement of watching the gap grow, especially when it briefly dropped to 4.9 seconds.

**P1: Spotting Esteban Ocon's DNF**

* Klein shares her amusement at how long it took for her mother to notice that Esteban Ocon had retired from the race.
* She discovered that her mother only realized Ocon's DNF the following morning while scrolling through social media.

**The Rise of Alex Albon as a Sponsored Content King**

* The hosts discuss the recent surge in sponsored content partnerships among Formula One drivers.
* They focus on Alex Albon's exceptional ability to create engaging and entertaining sponsored content.
* They attribute Albon's success to his wholesome and relatable persona, which makes him an attractive choice for brands.

**Analyzing Valtteri Bottas's Influx of Sponsorships**

* Klein and Katz examine Valtteri Bottas's recent increase in sponsored content deals.
* They speculate that Bottas's retirement from Formula One might be a factor in his pursuit of these partnerships.

**The Future Evolution of Sponsored Content in Formula One**

* The hosts speculate on the potential directions that sponsored content might take in the future.
* They discuss the possibility of drivers becoming more mainstream celebrities and exploring non-traditional routes like YouTube channels and podcasts.

**Least Surprising Moments of the Italian Grand Prix**

* Klein presents her list of the least surprising moments from the Italian Grand Prix.
* She includes Ferrari's unappealing race suits for Carlos Sainz, Alpine's performance struggles, Max Verstappen's record-breaking consecutive race wins, and Daniel Ricciardo's continued absence due to injury.

**News and Updates from the Formula One World**

* The hosts provide a brief overview of recent news and developments in Formula One.
* They cover topics such as the cost cap compliance of all teams, Carlos Sainz's wet tire test, McLaren's upcoming upgrades, Andretti Autosport's rebranding, Esteban Ocon's SD Bestie merch, Mercedes' special Singapore GP t-shirt, Daniel Ricciardo's absence from upcoming races, Aston Martin's drop to fourth in the Constructors' Championship, Lena Buehler's experience in the Alfa Romeo garage, and Duracell's sweepstakes for tickets to the Las Vegas GP.

**Conclusion**

* The hosts wrap up the podcast by thanking their listeners and encouraging them to follow, rate, and review the show.
* They invite listeners to share their thoughts on the Italian Grand Prix and Formula One in general through social media and comments.
* Klein and Katz express their gratitude for the support of their audience and look forward to continuing their weekly grid walks in the future.