Please note that the summary is generated based on the transcript and
may not capture all the nuances or details discussed in the podcast
episode.
Notes
Sergio Perez's driving went from bad in Singapore to worse...in Suzuka.
Red Bull Racing were cheeky with Perez's double retirement and time penalty...in Suzuka.
McLaren scored their best result of the season, a double podium,...in Suzuka.
Fernando Alonso finally lost his cool with Aston Martin on the radio...in Suzuka.
The tension brewed over between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell...in Suzuka.
Max Verstappen resumed to his dominant winning ways...in Suzuka.
Alpine had a team-mate fall-out on the last lap of the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix...in Suzuka.
And of course, Sebastian Vettel started a 'bee hotel'...in Suzuka.
In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah review the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix. Yes, we're a day late than usual but Soumil was busy with MotoGP's Grand Prix of India. Psst! He was the 'voice of MotoGP' in India.
Lots of fun stories from the paddock, championship narratives and facts-stats packed into this episode of our podcast.
If you missed our race screenings for the last couple of races, we'll be back our events in Mumbai from the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix.
**Inside Line F1 Podcast Transcript - Japanese Grand Prix 2023**
**Hosts:** Soumil Arora, Kunal Shah, Sundaram
**Summary:**
* The episode begins with a discussion about Sebastian Vettel's "B-Hotel" project at the Suzuka circuit, which involved creating a hotel for bees. The hosts express their amusement and confusion about the initiative, particularly given Vettel's focus on sustainability and his previous efforts to reduce his carbon footprint.
* The conversation shifts to Sergio Perez's performance in the Japanese Grand Prix, where he made a controversial move on Kevin Magnussen, resulting in a penalty. The hosts criticize Perez's actions, calling them "outrageous" and "dropping a giant shit in the middle of the road."
* The hosts then discuss the exciting racing at the Japanese Grand Prix, praising the quality of the competition and the emergence of new storylines. They highlight the resurgence of McLaren, who scored their best result of the season with a double podium finish.
* The episode also covers the growing tensions between Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin, with Alonso expressing his frustration with the team's performance and strategy calls during the race. The hosts speculate on the future of the Alonso-Aston Martin relationship and wonder when the "honeymoon period" will end.
* The hosts also discuss the ongoing rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell at Mercedes, noting the increasing tension between the two drivers. They mention an incident where Russell complained about Hamilton's driving on the radio, but later clarified that it was fair racing.
* The episode concludes with a discussion about the Constructors' Championship celebration, where Red Bull Racing was notably missing Helmut Marko. The hosts speculate on the reasons behind Marko's absence and discuss the significance of Red Bull's achievement in securing the championship.
**Key Insights and Perspectives:**
* The hosts express their amusement and confusion about Sebastian Vettel's "B-Hotel" project, questioning its relevance to his sustainability efforts and the overall context of the Japanese Grand Prix.
* The hosts criticize Sergio Perez's aggressive move on Kevin Magnussen, highlighting the potential consequences of such actions and the impact on his reputation and team's performance.
* The hosts praise the exciting racing at the Japanese Grand Prix, emphasizing the importance of competitive and unpredictable races in Formula One. They also acknowledge the emergence of McLaren as a strong contender.
* The hosts discuss the growing tensions between Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin, speculating on the future of their relationship and the impact of Alonso's frustration on the team's performance.
* The hosts highlight the ongoing rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell at Mercedes, noting the increasing tension between the two drivers and the potential implications for the team's championship hopes.
* The hosts conclude the episode by discussing the Constructors' Championship celebration and the significance of Red Bull Racing's achievement, while also speculating on the reasons behind Helmut Marko's absence from the event. **2023 Japanese Grand Prix Review: Inside Line F1 Podcast Episode 51**
* **Hosts:** Soumil Arora (@iamsoumilaroraa), Kunal Shah (@kshtwitter), and F1 Stats Guru (@f1statsguru)
* **Overview:** The hosts of the Inside Line F1 Podcast provide an in-depth review and analysis of the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix, discussing various key moments, controversies, and driver performances.
**Key Points:**
* **Sergio Perez's Poor Performance:** Perez had a disappointing race, retiring twice due to technical issues and receiving a time penalty. The hosts criticize Red Bull Racing's handling of the situation, which they deem to be unfair and inconsistent.
* **McLaren's Strong Result:** McLaren achieved their best result of the season with a double podium finish, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri securing second and third place respectively. The hosts praise McLaren's strategic decisions and the impressive performances of both drivers.
* **Fernando Alonso's Frustration:** Alonso expressed his frustration with Aston Martin's poor performance over the team radio, highlighting the team's struggles and his own dissatisfaction. The hosts discuss the challenges faced by Alonso and the team's need for improvement.
* **Hamilton-Russell Tension:** The hosts analyze the growing tension between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, particularly Russell's decision not to fight Hamilton for position during the race. They speculate on the potential impact of this incident on the team dynamics and future races.
* **Max Verstappen's Dominance:** Verstappen continued his dominant run, securing another victory and extending his lead in the Drivers' Championship. The hosts discuss Verstappen's impressive performance and his ability to maintain consistency throughout the season.
* **Alpine's Team-Mate Fallout:** The hosts highlight the incident on the last lap of the race, where Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso collided, resulting in a loss of positions for both drivers. They discuss the consequences of this incident and the potential impact on team morale.
* **Sebastian Vettel's Bee Hotel:** Vettel made headlines by starting a 'bee hotel' at the Suzuka circuit, demonstrating his commitment to environmental sustainability. The hosts commend Vettel's initiative and emphasize the importance of raising awareness about environmental issues in Formula One.
* **Moment of the Race:** The hosts share their personal choices for the most memorable moment of the race, ranging from the exciting start involving McLaren and Red Bull to the thrilling overtake by Lewis Hamilton on Fernando Alonso at 130R.
* **Red Bull's Dominance:** The hosts acknowledge Red Bull Racing's remarkable achievement of winning three consecutive Constructors' World Championships, highlighting their impressive performance and consistency. They compare Red Bull to Ferrari, emphasizing the team's growing stature in Formula One.
**Conclusion:**
The hosts wrap up the podcast by thanking their listeners and encouraging them to share the episode with friends and family. They announce their return for the Qatar Grand Prix and promise more special episodes in the future.
Raw Transcript with Timestamps
[00:00.000 -> 00:23.320] Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to welcome you to Sebastian Vettel's B-Hotel. [00:23.320 -> 00:26.200] I hope you've checked in because in this hotel, [00:26.200 -> 00:29.120] well, we're going to be talking about lots and lots of weird [00:29.120 -> 00:31.080] and wacky things that happened in Japan, [00:31.080 -> 00:33.900] including firstly, a B-Hotel. [00:33.900 -> 00:35.880] I have seen the entire race weekend. [00:35.880 -> 00:39.020] I'm personally amazed by the quality of racing we've got. [00:39.020 -> 00:41.600] I'm amazed that Daft Punk can actually go in a Formula One [00:41.600 -> 00:44.480] car and push his team mid-wire and not get a penalty. [00:44.480 -> 00:48.880] I'm amazed that we can get Red Bull Racing winning a Constructors' Championship with just one driver. [00:48.880 -> 00:55.040] But what I'm mostly more amazed of is that we now have a hotel for bees, but we barely have any [00:55.040 -> 00:58.720] hotel for all the fans right here. Go to the Belgian GP as well because they tend to get stuck [00:58.720 -> 01:05.520] up and live in towns that are 300 kilometers away from the circuit. Guys and girls, did you understand what a B-Hotel is? [01:07.680 -> 01:12.000] The silence proves a lot. The silence clearly proves a lot. This wasn't planned ladies and [01:12.000 -> 01:17.040] gentlemen. See that's the quirky part about the Japanese GP, right? We often tend to come to the [01:17.040 -> 01:21.760] circuit thinking of how weird the fans are. We often tend to think of how weird the circuit is [01:21.760 -> 01:29.600] with the figure of eight. We tend to talk about how weird the racing is, but there are so many things about this weekend that just don't add up. The B hotel [01:29.600 -> 01:34.320] doesn't add up. Sorry, I've gone way too much about it, but for most people as well, Kunal, [01:34.320 -> 01:40.960] Sergio Perez going out of the garage after apparently being retired and then serving a [01:40.960 -> 01:48.280] penalty and coming back and then retiring the car again that too doesn't add up but you you think it's totally alright and you're [01:48.280 -> 01:51.920] also with the FIA on that thing so why why is it okay? [01:51.920 -> 01:56.520] Yes it is okay and before I go there now I'm gonna try and do a bit of brain [01:56.520 -> 02:03.080] tracking. A B hotel is it a hotel where you go to stay and in the room you'll [02:03.080 -> 02:08.280] have a beehive and then you have to cover yourself, be in bed, be in a blanket and just save yourself from [02:08.280 -> 02:12.720] being stung. I wonder if that's a bee hotel but no in all seriousness I [02:12.720 -> 02:21.200] think the word is the word is apiculture because an uncle of mine living in the [02:21.200 -> 02:25.640] hinterlands of Norway actually has had a bee hotel and I'm not making it [02:25.640 -> 02:32.080] up. He is actually a bee farmer. We used to get the [02:32.080 -> 02:39.520] purest farm-to-table produce of honey ever since I can remember. So you know [02:39.520 -> 02:42.880] the important question, no way I'm gonna turn it around. Sebastian [02:42.880 -> 02:48.000] Vettel for all his sustainability talk and I want to save the planet which is by the way fantastic. [02:48.000 -> 02:53.440] He chose to do a B hotel project in a race where you need to travel the [02:53.440 -> 02:58.360] farthest from Europe to do so, right? And this is a man, ladies and gentlemen, [02:58.360 -> 03:02.440] Sundaram and Somil, this is a man, this is a driver, a former world champion who [03:02.440 -> 03:09.920] actually drove to all the European circuits last year to reduce his carbon footprint. I don't know, is it [03:09.920 -> 03:13.920] just me that it doesn't add up to? It's like the whole Pera is retiring, coming [03:13.920 -> 03:19.160] back and whatever, I don't know, lots of fun things to discuss on this episode. [03:19.160 -> 03:22.920] But I love how suddenly Sundaram, Sebastian Vettel has so much time in the [03:22.920 -> 03:28.800] world that apart from now talking positively about Lance Stroll and apart from trying to find a solution for how to make [03:28.800 -> 03:34.720] Aston Martin work, he's now focusing on things like making a B. It seems like such a silly [03:34.720 -> 03:38.960] problem to have. Like there are bigger problems in the world. Like how do we make Sergio Perez [03:38.960 -> 03:44.160] go faster? There are bigger problems. Like how do we make sure that both the Mercedes driver don't [03:44.160 -> 03:48.880] end up killing each other in a couple of races time because that seems to be on their agenda [03:48.880 -> 03:50.480] for Russell and Hamilton. [03:50.480 -> 03:54.960] But we are hell bent, hell bent on having all the drivers together to support the bees. [03:54.960 -> 03:55.960] I like it. [03:55.960 -> 04:00.440] You know, it's all in a good initiative, seeing Sebastian Vettel doing all of this, but I [04:00.440 -> 04:06.000] was most disappointed not seeing him in an F1 car around Suzuka. [04:06.000 -> 04:06.500] Yeah. [04:06.500 -> 04:08.500] And I mean, those were the rumors. [04:08.500 -> 04:11.500] Those were the rumors everywhere that Vasant Vettel is already there. [04:11.500 -> 04:14.500] Perhaps Lance Stroll is injured for the race weekend. [04:14.500 -> 04:18.500] And I was really hoping to see him back in that car just for one weekend, [04:18.500 -> 04:20.000] just around this one track. [04:20.000 -> 04:22.000] And unfortunately, it didn't happen. [04:22.000 -> 04:23.500] Yeah, what a shame. [04:23.500 -> 04:26.000] But there are bigger stories to talk of, right? [04:26.000 -> 04:27.000] It's firstly great to see Vettel. [04:27.000 -> 04:29.000] No, no, no. I'll tell you the biggest story. [04:29.000 -> 04:31.000] No, they're not. [04:31.000 -> 04:35.000] The biggest story, it's the funniest thing from the B-Hotel. [04:35.000 -> 04:40.000] Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, who actually had a fallout on the radio with the team [04:40.000 -> 04:43.000] on the last lap of the Japanese Grand Prix, [04:43.000 -> 04:53.380] during the B-H B hotel painting project, Pierre Gasly and Ocon actually drew a heart with an [04:53.380 -> 04:57.560] arrow and on one side they wrote ST and the other side they wrote Pierre and I [04:57.560 -> 05:02.600] remember even Charles Leclerc when he saw it he was like really for two guys [05:02.600 -> 05:05.920] who have been best friends and then worst rivals, [05:05.920 -> 05:09.360] you know, the friends turn four kind of things. Is that what you get? [05:09.360 -> 05:13.040] So is PRS the bestie? Have we decoded it at last? [05:16.480 -> 05:22.400] But let's stick to Checo Perez because I know that was one of the questions you asked me. [05:22.400 -> 05:25.840] I didn't answer it because I found the B hotel thing far more interesting. [05:25.840 -> 05:27.320] No, no. Before we go to Sergio Perez, [05:27.320 -> 05:32.160] before we all get sucked into this black hole of confusion and the regulations [05:32.160 -> 05:34.920] have, let's just do the due diligence that we have to do. [05:35.000 -> 05:37.680] This is the Inside Line F1 podcast, ladies and gentlemen. [05:38.240 -> 05:39.600] My name is Somal Arora. [05:39.840 -> 05:44.160] I can now very gladly say I'm the voice of the Indian Grand Prix at the MotoGP. [05:44.520 -> 05:49.200] Joined of course, by Kunal Shah, the former marketing head of the Force India F1 team, [05:49.200 -> 05:55.520] who now works at the Viaplay Network as an F1 consultant and also as an FIA accredited F1 journalist. [05:55.520 -> 05:58.400] I think I've said it twice, I'm just dead tired after a long weekend. [05:58.400 -> 06:01.520] I'm still trying to contemplate all that's just happened at the BIC. [06:01.520 -> 06:06.640] But also, we've got F1 stats guru back in fit and healthy and that makes [06:06.640 -> 06:14.800] me feel so good. But Sundaram, watching this weekend right, I've heard that good racing is therapeutic [06:15.600 -> 06:19.920] and that surely must have made you feel so much better. I'm not watching Sergio Perez because [06:19.920 -> 06:27.360] that move on Kevin Magnussen was I think nothing short of dropping a, sorry, kids skip 15 seconds, [06:27.360 -> 06:32.240] that's like dropping a giant shit in the middle of the road. How do you do that? That is a horrible [06:32.240 -> 06:38.240] move to make. But apart from that, the racing that we saw this weekend is frankly, it makes you feel [06:38.240 -> 06:43.120] better all the way through, no? Oh, it really did. And I think even I watched the previous race in [06:43.120 -> 06:45.120] Singapore. So I was treated to some very good racing in these last two. And I think even I watched the previous race in Singapore. So I was treated to [06:45.120 -> 06:50.240] some very good racing in these last two weeks. I think the previous race, I think Singapore was a [06:50.240 -> 06:56.080] much better racing spectacle overall. We did have quite a few battles around in Japan as well. But [06:56.080 -> 07:01.760] for some reason, I really don't know what's happening in Checo Perez's mind. If you thought [07:01.760 -> 07:05.120] that was an outrageous move towards the end of the Singapore Grand Prix, [07:05.120 -> 07:10.560] what he pulled out against Kevin Magnussen makes you wonder what is he even doing in that car. [07:11.920 -> 07:19.040] He had a terrible restart and it just kept going downhill after that and what he pulled around the [07:19.040 -> 07:29.480] hairpin was just outrageous stuff. And especially at a track where you're winning the Constructors Championship, especially at a track which is the home track of your [07:29.480 -> 07:32.900] engine supplier, you really don't want to be doing these sort of pulling these [07:32.900 -> 07:39.300] sort of antiques. Unfortunately it's back to the drawing board, it's unfortunately [07:39.300 -> 07:43.760] back to the drawing board for Chekhov Perez once again. How worse can it get [07:43.760 -> 07:49.120] for him is the big question. Sorry he just call it you mean antique that's I love that word man [07:49.120 -> 07:54.760] it's it's unbelievable but Kunal imagine Sergio Perez at the celebration of the [07:54.760 -> 07:58.160] constructors championship imagine all the engineers getting drunk having a [07:58.160 -> 08:02.080] beer celebrating what do you even want to do with cheers over there I'm just [08:02.080 -> 08:05.160] thinking I mean you know Sundaram [08:05.160 -> 08:09.020] said back to the drawing board, I wonder if his car is going back to Adrian [08:09.020 -> 08:13.300] Newey's drawing board, we need to fix this because for a driver who's [08:13.300 -> 08:17.820] driving the fastest, most dominant car in literally the history of Formula One, [08:17.820 -> 08:27.400] he's just 33 points behind a car that Mercedes say they want to bin after Abu Dhabi. The W14 will go in the [08:27.400 -> 08:33.360] bin is what Toto Wolff said. And what I was bummed about is, and I'm pretty sure Red Bull [08:33.360 -> 08:36.760] will be really even more bummed about. So they want to go, they want to make sure they [08:36.760 -> 08:41.520] get all the records in the season. They got the record for the most consecutive wins, [08:41.520 -> 08:48.920] fine. They'll get drivers championship, fine. They're doing all they can to get Checo Perez to number two in the drivers championship. They've never [08:48.920 -> 08:53.440] had a one-two, which is fine. But they were also on a record, which was a hundred percent [08:53.440 -> 08:57.840] finish record. They were the only team on the grid to have finished all the races with [08:57.840 -> 09:01.880] both the cars, even if it meant that a car was outside of the points, which has happened [09:01.880 -> 09:10.080] with Perez a couple of times, right? But guess what? Even that record cannot be made this season, right? But we've actually beat a lot [09:10.080 -> 09:15.440] about a lot around the bush on this whole Perez thing. And oh, yeah, wait, okay, I'm going to [09:15.440 -> 09:20.640] still beat around the bush. You spoke of the Constructors' Championship celebration and the [09:20.640 -> 09:25.920] picture. There was one person very suspiciously missing from that [09:25.920 -> 09:30.480] picture and that was Helmut Marko. I don't know why Helmut Marko was not in [09:30.480 -> 09:35.920] that picture because he is also one of the architects of the Red Bull story but [09:35.920 -> 09:39.600] now stopping the whole beating around the bush, [09:39.600 -> 09:48.800] Checo Perez going out doing an lap, serving his penalty is absolutely the most smart thing that Red Bull could do. [09:48.800 -> 09:50.160] Is that a call from Helmut Marko? [09:51.600 -> 09:52.480] Is he giving you an update? [09:53.840 -> 09:57.280] That's somebody just wanted to enter the studio, be like, hey, are you talking of Marko? [09:57.600 -> 09:58.880] Are you talking of Red Bull winning? [09:58.880 -> 10:00.720] We need to all come and talk of Red Bull winning. [10:00.720 -> 10:05.800] But what Perez actually did or rather Red Bull actually did was very [10:05.800 -> 10:06.800] smart. [10:06.800 -> 10:11.080] They realized he's got a time penalty, which he's not served, could risk into a grid penalty [10:11.080 -> 10:12.600] the next race. [10:12.600 -> 10:16.160] And they went through the regulations, which I'm pretty sure the sporting director just [10:16.160 -> 10:17.160] needed to clarify. [10:17.160 -> 10:21.540] They probably also spoke to race control and said, that's it, our driver will go out for [10:21.540 -> 10:28.260] one lap, serve the penalty, park the car. And let's remember the whole car has retired [10:28.260 -> 10:30.440] is something we see on TV, [10:30.440 -> 10:33.200] but literally till the race is on, [10:33.200 -> 10:36.200] you can come back, park your car, go have a tea, [10:36.200 -> 10:38.040] come back out again, go out again, [10:38.040 -> 10:39.680] and do that five times over. [10:39.680 -> 10:41.980] And you will still be considered [10:41.980 -> 10:43.660] as a participant in the race. [10:43.660 -> 10:46.240] You will be classified as a winner even if you're [10:46.240 -> 10:53.280] 50 laps down to the leader. So Checo Perez rejoining was actually absolutely within the [10:53.280 -> 10:58.400] rules and the rule that needs to be reconsidered is what do you do in such cases where a time [10:58.400 -> 11:06.760] penalty is applied and a driver retires or is out of the race, right? But it's also very tricky because you're not really retired. [11:06.760 -> 11:09.880] There isn't a definition to being retired. [11:10.200 -> 11:12.320] And a fun question for you both. [11:12.600 -> 11:16.240] Now imagine what would have happened if Perez rejoined the race and there was a [11:16.240 -> 11:18.440] red flag and there was a stoppage. [11:18.640 -> 11:23.480] What lap would Checo Perez be rejoining the race from then? [11:23.640 -> 11:26.480] Oh my. Oh. It's a Oh my oh it's a mathematical question. [11:26.480 -> 11:31.760] It's a mathematical question. Not really. No but now that we're on this tangent of talking about things [11:31.760 -> 11:36.480] that are absolutely rubbish and make no sense which is what we're talking about with Bhotel. [11:37.200 -> 11:42.480] Let's just dive into this stupid hypothetical situation because why not. Ideally correct me [11:42.480 -> 11:48.240] if I'm wrong Sanjeev but he would rejoin the same lap, like where he would join at the back of the field, back [11:48.240 -> 11:53.080] of the field, but he would be classified as 20 laps down. That's right, right? So, [11:53.080 -> 11:56.000] he'll have to lap Max Verstappen 20 times, which means Max Verstappen would have to [11:56.000 -> 11:59.920] get out of his car, maybe have a tea, have a smoke, chillax with some friends, [11:59.920 -> 12:03.960] fist-bump them and then maybe he will end up on the same lap as Max Verstappen [12:03.960 -> 12:05.840] because that's what it takes these days, no? [12:05.840 -> 12:12.280] No, no, in all seriousness, he would have, if I remember the regulations correctly, he [12:12.280 -> 12:15.520] would not be on the same lap as Max Verstappen. [12:15.520 -> 12:17.640] He would still be 20 laps down. [12:17.640 -> 12:22.720] But yeah, just at the back of the grid, they are not going to equalize the laps if red [12:22.720 -> 12:24.360] flag turns up. [12:24.360 -> 12:25.680] Thankfully. Now now just let's [12:25.680 -> 12:30.640] still build on this and it's getting funny now. What if there was a safety car? [12:30.640 -> 12:40.640] Would he be told to unlap the safety car in the whole field 20 laps at a time so he gets onto the same lap as the rest of the team? [12:40.640 -> 12:45.680] But anyway this is just saying this is how crazy Formula One and the rules can be. [12:45.680 -> 12:48.680] I'm just very glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, [12:48.680 -> 12:49.680] glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, [12:49.680 -> 12:50.680] glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, [12:50.680 -> 12:51.680] glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, [12:51.680 -> 12:52.680] glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, [12:52.680 -> 12:53.680] glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, [12:53.680 -> 12:54.680] glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, [12:54.680 -> 12:55.680] glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, [12:55.680 -> 13:08.600] glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, But, but, you know, Red Bull, you know, quick thinking on their feet, [13:08.600 -> 13:13.200] took them 20 laps, but you know, they sent the driver back out, which I think was pretty [13:13.200 -> 13:19.840] good. They had two DNFs. I love that meme. They had two DNFs, and neither was Max Verstappen. [13:19.840 -> 13:26.560] Exactly. But what if I tell you guys that Red Bull have five contracted drivers for 2024. [13:27.280 -> 13:32.160] And the one that is sitting out at the moment is the one who's proved the most in the last five [13:32.160 -> 13:37.120] races. And the one who's in the top seat is the one who's proved least in the last five races. [13:39.200 -> 13:41.600] That something doesn't add up about Liam Lawson not being… [13:41.600 -> 13:44.080] You mean after Max Verstappen? [13:42.040 -> 13:44.040] doesn't add up about Liam Lawson not being… You mean after Max Verstappen? [13:44.040 -> 13:49.600] See, he is not in Formula, he is not in Formula 1.5, he is in Formula 1. [13:49.600 -> 13:56.880] Red Bull has, sorry, Red Bull has four contracted F1.5 drivers at the moment in time, one F1 [13:56.880 -> 13:57.880] driver. [13:57.880 -> 14:00.440] No, but we'll get to that situation as well for a second. [14:00.440 -> 14:02.960] But all the other quirky stuff, right? [14:02.960 -> 14:08.940] I want to talk for a second, now that we're done smashing Sergio Perez into a rabbit hole now I want to talk [14:08.940 -> 14:13.200] for a second about racing Sundaram because we have seen more and more of it [14:13.200 -> 14:17.280] this time and I think George Russell I'm finally building up respect for him [14:17.280 -> 14:21.920] because after that wacky wild battle with Daft Punk where he got pushed [14:21.920 -> 14:31.360] outside he Russell complained on the radio because he's a prima donna obviously he will be but he was a good guy he came on and said no it was actually fair racing [14:31.360 -> 14:38.160] so at last racing drivers are learning a little bit of mindfulness a little bit of self-awareness [14:38.160 -> 14:44.640] is that even a thing can that actually happen? It's absolutely funny that he said that but I [14:47.880 -> 14:52.720] It's absolutely funny that he said that, but I finally saw a few cracks happening between him and Lewis Hamilton. And I think the cracks are also a little bit more widespread across other [14:52.720 -> 14:58.480] teams. You can see some cracks between both the Alpine drivers, also between Aston Martin and [14:58.480 -> 15:08.960] Fernando Alonso. Finally, some cracks in that relationship as well. But yeah, but coming back to George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, I was in a way glad to see [15:08.960 -> 15:11.720] both of them fighting it out. [15:11.720 -> 15:16.000] We saw that even in Monza between both the Ferrari drivers. [15:16.000 -> 15:18.680] So I was glad that we had that battle, [15:18.680 -> 15:21.680] probably, surely not for the front of the grid, [15:21.680 -> 15:26.280] but it was good to see some nice hardcore action between both Mercedes [15:26.280 -> 15:33.280] drivers. It got a little overboard at times, but it was good to see both of them fighting [15:33.280 -> 15:40.040] it out together. And even then Kunal, it's not just only them as teammates, we almost, [15:40.040 -> 15:45.560] almost saw Lando Norris having to make an effort to pass Oscar Piastri. Isn't it strange? [15:45.560 -> 15:50.440] I know Norris is the faster one, but somehow every time Lando Norris approaches Oscar Piastri, [15:50.440 -> 15:55.760] it's just a team ask him to move out of the way and he just gets what the job is eventually. [15:55.760 -> 15:58.680] But on a more serious note, right? [15:58.680 -> 16:02.120] This entire podium, the average age just 23. [16:02.120 -> 16:05.200] Could you have ever imagined like I know I'm gonna make you feel old [16:05.200 -> 16:08.360] suddenly because you've been watching Formula One for far longer than we have [16:08.360 -> 16:13.880] but in in when you started out right back in the early mid 90s of sorts, could [16:13.880 -> 16:18.400] you ever imagine a podiumer driver just age 23 and probably not even mature [16:18.400 -> 16:24.480] enough to I don't know what what is a 23 year old not mature enough to do? [16:24.640 -> 16:25.200] Luckily after 21 you can do whatever you want by all the rules that world. Oh no What does a 23-year-old not Pacharan have to do? [16:29.280 -> 16:32.240] Luckily, after 21, you can do whatever you want by all the rules that world... Oh, no, you can't be served alcohol in India. [16:32.240 -> 16:34.160] You need to be at the age of 25. [16:34.160 -> 16:34.480] So... [16:35.320 -> 16:36.400] Really? I didn't know that. [16:36.400 -> 16:38.160] Oh, no, some clubs actually don't let you do that. [16:38.160 -> 16:39.520] So they're like, hey, 25 or not. [16:39.720 -> 16:40.600] So what's happened in... [16:40.600 -> 16:43.360] Samal's got a long way to go. [16:43.600 -> 16:43.960] Okay. [16:41.000 -> 16:44.000] This happened in Norris. Samal's got a long way to go. [16:44.000 -> 16:45.480] But, okay. [16:45.480 -> 16:51.760] Yeah, but, you know, frankly, lots of team orders in place yesterday, at least four teams [16:51.760 -> 16:55.000] that we saw team order, teamwork. [16:55.000 -> 16:58.440] McLaren, you know, Landon Norris, you explained it very well. [16:58.440 -> 17:04.480] He just came behind Oscar and he's like, I don't need to use my tires, I can use my radio. [17:04.480 -> 17:05.760] And at least the radio doesn't [17:05.760 -> 17:11.040] degrade, but the tires do, which they did more than 15-20% than expected pre-event in Japan. [17:11.840 -> 17:18.240] Mercedes, of course, was extremely, you know, the drivers were fighting it out on track and [17:18.240 -> 17:22.240] they realized we'll just split strategies and, you know, keep some distance between them. [17:22.800 -> 17:27.400] Alpine on the last lap, Pierre Gasly was furious. [17:27.400 -> 17:30.360] I'm surprised that it's not made the headlines really [17:30.360 -> 17:33.360] because he actually had to give a position to Ocon, [17:33.360 -> 17:37.760] which is when the team actually had agreed pre-race [17:37.760 -> 17:41.640] that the strategy they were using, Ocon will, [17:41.640 -> 17:43.760] no, Gasly would undercut Ocon. [17:43.760 -> 17:45.520] So he's like, if I anyway just undercut him [17:45.520 -> 17:49.960] why can't we just finish ninth and tenth the you know way we do but anyway and [17:49.960 -> 17:57.960] then the way we do is such an underhand slight punch. Yeah but there was also [17:57.960 -> 18:03.000] Ferrari right because Ferrari gave Leclerc a strategy and signs was just [18:03.000 -> 18:05.360] under undercut. He knew he was [18:05.360 -> 18:08.820] undercut. That's so typical Carlos Sainz. He knew he was undercut even before he [18:08.820 -> 18:12.360] put it. He's suddenly just like go on the radio. We've been undercut haven't we? [18:12.360 -> 18:16.080] You know like thinking about the pitfall. But let's spend a couple of minutes [18:16.080 -> 18:20.620] about the McLaren drivers because you know you said something Somal, Norris is [18:20.620 -> 18:25.360] a quicker driver. I actually disagree with that. Oh, come on. I think Piastri... [18:25.360 -> 18:31.280] One second, one second. How, how, how, how? Let me just get settled in. I'm probably crossing [18:31.280 -> 18:38.720] my legs now rubbing my hands. How? Piastri out qualified him in Japan. Piastri only just got [18:38.720 -> 18:44.160] the upgrades in Japan. I'm not trying to polarize the fan bases. I'm just telling you what I read. [18:44.880 -> 18:45.040] Oscar Piastri, when he was asked, how was your race on Sunday? He said it was great, podium, I'm not trying to polarize the fan bases. I'm just telling you what I read. [18:45.040 -> 18:46.640] Oscar Piastri, when he was asked, [18:46.640 -> 18:47.640] how was your race on Sunday? [18:47.640 -> 18:49.240] He said, it was great, podium, blah, blah, blah. [18:49.240 -> 18:51.240] But he's like, I'm not pleased with my outcome. [18:51.240 -> 18:53.780] And they said, what could you have done differently? [18:53.780 -> 18:55.580] And he said, tire management. [18:55.580 -> 18:56.960] He said, races like these, [18:56.960 -> 18:59.880] where there is higher tire degradation, [18:59.880 -> 19:04.480] the management is where biggest learnings of mine come. [19:04.480 -> 19:06.680] I haven't done too many of these races [19:06.680 -> 19:09.640] where I have to manage my tires, right? [19:09.640 -> 19:12.100] And the only way to learn is by doing too many [19:12.100 -> 19:14.000] of these races where I manage my tires. [19:14.000 -> 19:17.680] So I think PS3 is only gonna get stronger [19:18.540 -> 19:20.040] every time he does such races. [19:20.040 -> 19:23.140] He literally said, if I had to do the Japanese GP again, [19:23.140 -> 19:24.880] I would do a certain things differently, [19:24.880 -> 19:27.160] which would make me quicker. [19:27.160 -> 19:28.960] Because he out-qualified Norris. [19:28.960 -> 19:32.840] And if he had all the understanding of using tires, right? [19:32.840 -> 19:34.360] And he actually said, you know, [19:34.360 -> 19:36.940] the opening stint was so slow that I was puzzled. [19:36.940 -> 19:39.000] And then when everybody else picked up pace, [19:39.000 -> 19:41.560] I couldn't respond because I ate up my tires [19:41.560 -> 19:43.440] while others hadn't, right? [19:43.440 -> 19:46.360] So I'm excited to see now now that Piastri is extended [19:46.360 -> 19:50.480] his stint with McLaren, et cetera, how strong he gets. [19:50.480 -> 19:54.400] And if there is a genuine Norris beater in Piastri, [19:54.400 -> 19:55.640] that's going to be exciting. [19:55.640 -> 19:56.140] Sorry. [20:00.160 -> 20:01.800] Sorry, just thought of something else. [20:01.800 -> 20:04.920] But no, if you put it that way, it kind of makes sense. [20:04.920 -> 20:11.040] Because I remember Belgium as well, Oscar Piastri, such a great qualifying, but you could just see [20:11.040 -> 20:15.840] how his car wasn't as good as Landon Norris towards the end because he couldn't manage the tires. [20:15.840 -> 20:21.200] So isn't it fun Sundaram that we get to see the development of a driver right before our eyes. [20:21.200 -> 20:26.760] And in another case, we also get to see the frustrations of a driver, boiling [20:26.760 -> 20:30.800] all the way through in front of her eyes in the case of Fernando Alonso. Because now we [20:30.800 -> 20:35.680] were all wondering, right, when is the honeymoon period going to be over? I said by Monza, [20:35.680 -> 20:39.160] they're probably going to be cursing each other, Alonso and Stroll, like Daddy Stroll [20:39.160 -> 20:44.320] that is. But it's just taken a couple of races more for Alonso to open up the firing. So [20:44.320 -> 20:45.760] we're not too far off. [20:45.760 -> 20:49.560] I think just a week in a 23 race calendar, two races is just about okay. [20:49.560 -> 20:56.080] So I think we should just get to Aston Martin to collect our bad debts because we've gotten [20:56.080 -> 20:57.560] it right this time out finally. [20:57.560 -> 21:02.800] I'm only surprised that the honeymoon period is actually over between Aston Martin and [21:02.800 -> 21:06.880] Fernando because I expected that not to happen this year at all. [21:06.880 -> 21:10.520] I thought Fernando was always going to be extremely sweet [21:10.520 -> 21:12.760] towards the team and their engineers. [21:12.760 -> 21:17.840] But unfortunately, you guys kind of knew Fernando better than me. [21:17.840 -> 21:20.520] And it had to happen. [21:20.520 -> 21:24.520] Aren't you the biggest Fernando Alonso fan here, my friend? [21:24.520 -> 21:27.760] For some reason, I was much more optimistic. [21:27.760 -> 21:32.680] I had just this sort of a feeling that Fernando is not going to utter one bad thing against [21:32.680 -> 21:34.280] the car or the team. [21:34.280 -> 21:38.160] And unfortunately, it all comes down in Japan for some reason. [21:38.160 -> 21:39.800] It always has to be Japan. [21:39.800 -> 21:46.400] The one place where he calls the engine, the Honda engine, a GP GP2 engine that engine goes on to win the [21:46.400 -> 21:53.200] championship in that in this year I mean yesterday the one championship yesterday in probably what [21:53.200 -> 22:02.720] was an almost spotless year for Honda so yeah but I'm just surprised to see the way the Aston Martin [22:02.720 -> 22:05.520] has fallen backwards in terms of development, [22:05.520 -> 22:12.080] in terms of pace. He did very well on the race start from P10 to P6, but clearly there was no [22:12.080 -> 22:18.720] pace in that car at all to even challenge the Ferraris or the Mercs or yeah just terrible, [22:19.280 -> 22:23.440] terrible outing for Fernando and Aston Martin. Kunal, I think they need drivers that are a [22:23.440 -> 22:30.080] little bit less committed heading into the corners, no? If you don't understand the reference, folks, [22:30.080 -> 22:37.920] after Singapore, Mike Crack just said, sorry, I can't say it with a straight face. But after [22:37.920 -> 22:41.280] the Singapore qualifying crash for Lance Stroll, which is great to see that he's okay now, [22:42.000 -> 22:45.280] Mike Crack came to the media and said that the crash shows Lance [22:45.280 -> 22:52.400] Stroll's commitment into the corner. I think they would need drivers that are a little less [22:52.400 -> 22:56.160] committed because I think the engineers are going overboard with their commitment but the drivers [22:56.160 -> 23:03.040] just aren't able to keep up but in all honesty, isn't it funny how the upgrades have really [23:03.040 -> 23:08.400] changed the dynamic, how even though we've seen lots of change in chopping here and there, the underlying [23:08.400 -> 23:12.200] characteristics of the car for someone like Ferrari are also staying similar and when [23:12.200 -> 23:18.000] the high deck races, they're just not able to be as good as they could potentially be. [23:18.000 -> 23:23.200] So I find this underlying story to the Formula One season as well so much fun, when you can [23:23.200 -> 23:25.520] test and figure out car characteristics, behavior, driver temperaments and all season as well. So much fun, when you can test and figure out car characteristics, [23:25.520 -> 23:31.120] behavior, driver temperaments and all that as well. Yes, we might have a dominant winner, [23:31.120 -> 23:36.320] but the sport is like, if you just care to do an effort, Formula One is really turning out to be [23:36.320 -> 23:43.280] super entertaining this year. Yeah, and you know, the Aston Martin versus McLaren battle is so [23:43.280 -> 23:46.040] interesting. And I'll tell you one of my stories from Force India [23:46.040 -> 23:48.360] with Williams. [23:48.360 -> 23:50.840] Force India started the season really strong. [23:50.840 -> 23:55.760] We were scoring points like left, right, and center. [23:55.760 -> 23:57.480] Williams started really badly. [23:57.480 -> 24:01.080] And this is typical how most teams end up doing things. [24:01.080 -> 24:03.360] You had to start with a very strong baseline card, [24:03.360 -> 24:07.920] throw everything at it at the start of the year, then just, you know, after a point you run out of steam, right, [24:07.920 -> 24:13.680] through the, as the season goes. In the other phase, you start with a solid baseline, but you [24:13.680 -> 24:18.000] don't throw everything at it at the start of the year and then you keep adding bits and pieces as [24:18.000 -> 24:23.440] the season goes. So the first part being how Aston Martin approached this, seven podiums, [24:23.440 -> 24:25.020] whatever that they had in the first, [24:25.020 -> 24:26.940] so many of our races, et cetera. [24:26.940 -> 24:29.940] And then the second approach is what McLaren has had, [24:29.940 -> 24:32.540] which is they started so bad that everybody's like, [24:32.540 -> 24:35.700] oh, forget Aston Martin's jump from 22 to 23, [24:35.700 -> 24:40.100] we need McLaren's jump from start of 23 to middle of 23. [24:40.100 -> 24:42.700] Suddenly the development is done [24:42.700 -> 24:44.820] in a far shorter time period, [24:44.820 -> 24:46.640] or at least it seems so when it's done [24:46.640 -> 24:52.960] in season rather than between seasons. But yes, like Sundaram said, just Japan and Fernando [24:52.960 -> 24:57.520] Alonso things because he was like, oh, thank you for this car. I love it. And now suddenly he's [24:57.520 -> 25:01.280] like, you guys have thrown me to the lions by pitting me this early. And then one of the times [25:01.280 -> 25:06.440] he's like, I need more straight line speed to make an overtake. Give me more straight line speed and so on. [25:06.440 -> 25:11.440] And McLaren, I get a feeling will overtake Aston Martin. [25:11.440 -> 25:15.320] Six races to go, 49 points, they will make an overtake. [25:15.320 -> 25:22.840] Also very interestingly, Lando Norris is seventh in the Drivers' Championship with 115 points [25:22.840 -> 25:25.280] equal with George Russell,'s actually 8th. [25:25.280 -> 25:26.280] Wow. [25:26.280 -> 25:27.280] Right. [25:27.280 -> 25:30.600] So I get a feeling Lando Norris is going to end up catching maybe Leclerc who's 20 points [25:30.600 -> 25:31.600] ahead as well. [25:31.600 -> 25:36.480] So of course a lot of this will depend on lots of tracks and reliability and performance [25:36.480 -> 25:37.480] and so on. [25:37.480 -> 25:41.080] But that McLaren recovery is incredible. [25:41.080 -> 25:42.800] But it's such a fun battle. [25:42.800 -> 25:47.120] You've got Leclerc, Norris and George Russell all fighting for [25:47.120 -> 25:51.280] the same place in the championship legitimately with one bad race for any one of them changing [25:51.280 -> 25:58.720] the entire order toppling them over and about. This is frankly if I remember right I remember [25:58.720 -> 26:03.200] the year 2019 when all of these rookies came in and Charlotte Leclerc had a second year. [26:03.200 -> 26:08.640] We were all buzzing and so excited about them just wondering when these guys will be the future of the sport and when [26:08.640 -> 26:13.200] they'll fight for wins and titles and championships. And it's fun Sundaram that we get to see their [26:13.200 -> 26:18.320] evolution in front of us and it's fun that we get to see character changes like George Russell, [26:18.320 -> 26:24.400] he was a nice and polite young rookie but now he's being outspoken, he's putting his elbows out, he's [26:24.400 -> 26:29.120] actually also making errors here and there which is a different thing altogether but I [26:29.120 -> 26:34.000] like how they've developed as people developed as characters in front of us [26:34.000 -> 26:38.360] and this Japanese GP was just another example of exactly that where we saw [26:38.360 -> 26:43.760] this amazing battle between Russell and Hamilton and also dare I say what we saw [26:43.760 -> 26:45.160] with Charlotte just having [26:45.160 -> 26:47.280] his race disintegrate in front of his eyes as well. [26:47.280 -> 26:52.560] Yeah, and that's the thing we get to see with a lot of drivers, seeing sort of characters, [26:52.560 -> 26:59.060] the way they've evolved even for Charles Leclerc, seeing Landon Norris starting off struggling [26:59.060 -> 27:06.240] in the McLaren in 2019, 2020 onwards, and then just coming into his own and doing exceptionally well, [27:06.240 -> 27:13.920] receiving the praise of even Lewis Hamilton from time to time. I absolutely love the fact that we [27:13.920 -> 27:21.440] get to see these sort of drivers turn into the sort of, you know, what do you say, come out to [27:21.440 -> 27:26.120] the sort of potential that we expected them to do? George Russell or even Oscar Piastri. [27:26.120 -> 27:31.120] I'm absolutely blown away by what we are seeing with Oscar Piastri in his rookie year. [27:31.240 -> 27:31.760] Oh, yeah. [27:31.760 -> 27:34.160] Scoring a rookie podium in his rookie year. [27:34.200 -> 27:36.920] It's we haven't seen that in six years. [27:37.160 -> 27:42.600] I mean, interestingly, in Baku, 2017 was the last time we saw a rookie on the podium. [27:43.040 -> 27:45.160] And that was also a race where Sergio Perez [27:45.720 -> 27:48.720] Retired, rejoined and retired once again [27:49.520 -> 27:52.360] Quick detour this one, but but yes [27:52.360 -> 27:56.720] We were getting to see all of these drivers really come into their own and do exceptionally well [27:56.720 -> 28:01.260] And I'm just waiting to see when these drivers will go on and win races [28:01.260 -> 28:05.200] We unfortunately haven't seen that yet with Max Verstappen at the front. [28:05.760 -> 28:10.080] But I'm really waiting to see when we can have George Russell fighting it out with Charlotte [28:10.080 -> 28:14.800] Clark or Orlando Norris for a race. But who's the rookie in 2017 Baku? One second. Sorry. [28:16.000 -> 28:21.200] Lance Stroll. Lance Stroll, yeah. But he came, oh, good point, good point. You were saying Kunal? [28:22.160 -> 28:28.000] He should have finished second but Botas pipped him on the line. I thought he came in 16th for a second, but just got my math messed up. [28:28.040 -> 28:33.200] But no, no. In 16th, he drove 100,000 kilometers in testing with Papa Stroll's money. [28:33.520 -> 28:36.240] With the Williams. Anyway, that was the race, Sundaram? [28:38.000 -> 28:39.440] That was the race that had everything. [28:39.440 -> 28:46.000] That was the race that had the little incident between Sebastian Vettel, the brake testing incident between Sebastian Vettel [28:46.000 -> 28:47.320] and Lewis Hamilton. [28:47.320 -> 28:50.160] And that was also the race that had the steering wheel, [28:50.160 -> 28:52.440] give me the steering wheel incident with Kimi Raikkonen. [28:52.440 -> 28:55.640] He also retired, rejoined and retired from the race. [28:55.640 -> 28:57.560] So it was actually a duo that weekend. [28:57.560 -> 29:00.400] It was Perez as well as Raikkonen who did the same thing. [29:00.400 -> 29:02.000] And we thought it was only Red Bull [29:02.000 -> 29:03.760] who was smarter and flouting rules. [29:03.760 -> 29:19.440] But anyway, but this whole Ferrari Mercedes battle was very interesting, you know, and Lewis actually managed to beat one Ferrari, which he said he was very proud of because they are very closely, they're very close in the in the constructors championship, which we all know. [29:19.760 -> 29:22.400] It's just 20 points between them, right? [29:22.440 -> 29:23.160] Something. Yeah. [29:23.160 -> 29:25.880] 305 to Mercedes and 285. [29:25.880 -> 29:28.720] And the truth is it was all down, [29:28.720 -> 29:30.520] they were so closely matched in performance, [29:30.520 -> 29:34.320] it was all down to what strategy you use [29:34.320 -> 29:35.400] to get track position. [29:35.400 -> 29:38.080] And that's essentially what happened with Hamilton. [29:38.080 -> 29:40.120] And George Russell, for all that he did, [29:40.120 -> 29:42.600] he chose a one stopper in a race [29:42.600 -> 29:44.520] where everybody else did a two stop. [29:44.520 -> 29:50.680] He was managing his tire so heavily that his call for not wanting to fight with Lewis just didn't make sense. [29:50.680 -> 29:56.120] If anything, they should have just let Lewis clear off even further into the distance to sort of get him to be safe. [29:56.120 -> 30:05.000] But that actually makes me believe the Japanese Grand Prix was a massive race on high speed game of chess, which is also something [30:05.000 -> 30:10.960] that we know Formula One to be, because so many teams and drivers approached the weekend [30:10.960 -> 30:11.960] differently. [30:11.960 -> 30:14.460] Somebody like Max Verstappen actually started on the back foot. [30:14.460 -> 30:19.760] He had two sets of medium while just one set of hard and McLaren and Mercedes had the reverse. [30:19.760 -> 30:23.680] They had one set of medium and two sets of the hard and the hard was supposed to be a [30:23.680 -> 30:25.620] better race tire, [30:25.620 -> 30:28.020] just given how much degradation [30:28.020 -> 30:29.760] otherwise was being experienced. [30:29.760 -> 30:33.660] And then there was somebody like Nico Halkenberg, 14th. [30:33.660 -> 30:36.160] He started the race on a medium. [30:36.160 -> 30:38.280] He went eight laps on the soft, [30:38.280 -> 30:41.200] and then he did 16 laps on the hard. [30:41.200 -> 30:44.320] So he actually used all three compounds, right? [30:44.320 -> 30:45.760] And a bit puzzling, but yeah, it was great with the hard. So he actually used all three compounds right and a bit [30:45.760 -> 30:50.120] puzzling but yeah it was it was great with the strategy. You see that's more [30:50.120 -> 30:53.380] like it I'm convinced that Nico Halkenberg is the eco warrior using [30:53.380 -> 30:56.840] every single compound of tires that we've got right here not leaving [30:56.840 -> 31:01.840] anything to waste but interesting you put it that way about Formula One being [31:01.840 -> 31:05.840] a high-speed game of chess because we've all seen a pawn [31:05.840 -> 31:11.200] promotion. We all saw George Russell just running his way past in the Williams for three years, [31:11.200 -> 31:15.680] eventually getting a Mercedes, but instead of getting promoted to a queen, he ended up becoming [31:15.680 -> 31:21.120] a horse with that Mercedes that we have at the moment in time. But what would a castle be in [31:21.120 -> 31:25.720] a Formula One game? Like, would that be what Carlos Sainz did in Singapore? [31:25.720 -> 31:28.760] Getting the elephant in Landa Norris behind him and protecting himself being the king [31:28.760 -> 31:29.760] of the circuit? [31:29.760 -> 31:30.760] No? [31:30.760 -> 31:35.000] Or is that a too technical reference at the moment in time? [31:35.000 -> 31:39.680] Well, let's move on to something somewhat lighter, somewhat better, somewhat more controversial, [31:39.680 -> 31:40.680] shall we? [31:40.680 -> 31:41.680] This one didn't land. [31:41.680 -> 31:43.600] The visibility around Delhi today is not very good. [31:43.600 -> 31:50.360] The clouds are actually pretty dense. So my jokes aren't quite landing today. But the point being, [31:50.360 -> 31:56.560] I am still a little bit confused and conflicted about AlphaTauri, ladies and gentlemen, because [31:56.560 -> 32:04.400] as I mentioned earlier on, they have chosen not to sign Liam Lawson for 2025. This again, [32:04.400 -> 32:07.520] news, 2024, I'm sorry, news announced again this weekend [32:07.520 -> 32:12.640] at the Japanese GP. Of course, we expected an announcement, but I am low-key, I'm low-key [32:12.640 -> 32:17.680] disappointed Sundaram, even though I like Daniel Ricardo, I have no affinity towards him, but [32:19.120 -> 32:22.240] the only, I mean, I know they didn't want to be harsh to him because he ended up breaking his [32:22.240 -> 32:26.320] hand and all that stuff, but like, if you have a talent who's literally doing so well, [32:27.840 -> 32:31.760] why would you break his momentum and ask him to wait for a year and then come back? [32:32.080 -> 32:36.960] I know you're damned if you do, damned if you don't. If you're AlphaTauri at this moment in time. [32:36.960 -> 32:40.720] But what would you have done? And do you think they've made the right call by choosing Ricardo? [32:41.600 -> 32:45.920] If this was a different year, maybe if this is for the 2023 season, [32:45.920 -> 32:50.640] they wouldn't have gone for Riccardo is what I feel. The only fact that in 2024, they're doing [32:50.640 -> 32:55.760] a lot of rebuilding, even in terms of management and even in terms of how the car is going to [32:55.760 -> 33:01.280] function is why I believe they have gone with Daniel Riccardo who probably helped them in [33:01.280 -> 33:05.640] terms of development, developing the car. If it wasn't the case, [33:05.640 -> 33:07.380] then they would have gone for Liam Lawson. [33:07.380 -> 33:11.080] And I'm only surprised that Honda still has a say [33:11.080 -> 33:14.500] with who they have in the second car of that Alfa Tauri. [33:14.500 -> 33:17.700] Also considering that Honda is going to be teaming up [33:17.700 -> 33:19.740] with Aston Martin a few years into the future. [33:19.740 -> 33:22.740] But that's largely what I believe they're thinking is [33:22.740 -> 33:25.460] they are still backing Yuki Tsunoda in the other car [33:25.640 -> 33:29.800] They're going with experiences is why Daniel Ricciardo has been selected [33:29.800 -> 33:34.440] But really have to take a second to appreciate what Liam Lawson has been doing [33:34.800 -> 33:42.200] Coming in midway into the season a replacements replacement coming in and doing well and doing better than Yuki Tsunoda [33:42.200 -> 33:44.040] actually, he's got [33:44.040 -> 33:45.680] He got P9 last time [33:45.680 -> 33:49.880] out in Singapore which was the best result by any AlphaTauri driver and [33:49.880 -> 33:56.600] also finally he's had the opportunity to go up against Yuki in a more fair fight [33:56.600 -> 34:02.240] this time out in Japan and he's actually outraced him as well in P11. So otherwise [34:02.240 -> 34:06.600] I feel he's done an exceptional job, but sooner or later, [34:06.600 -> 34:10.640] Liam Lawson will be in a full-time F1 drive. [34:10.640 -> 34:16.480] I get a feeling Liam Lawson will be or has signed a full-time drive for 2025, which is [34:16.480 -> 34:22.560] why he's accepted a reserve role in 2024. The only part where, you know, it's a bit [34:22.560 -> 34:26.880] of a surprise is Red Bull's judgment of Liam Lawson's talent [34:26.880 -> 34:32.640] was not as strong because last year they picked Nick DeVries after he did well in one race, [34:32.640 -> 34:38.400] literally, and they put him in the car and then we saw what happened. This year, like you pointed [34:38.400 -> 34:43.760] out Sundaram, he's a replacement to a replacement and then suddenly he seems like the star driver. [34:44.720 -> 34:47.260] I also get this feeling that Red Bull appreciate [34:47.260 -> 34:48.380] what Yuki Tsunoda has done. [34:48.380 -> 34:50.500] And a lot of times it's about progression [34:50.500 -> 34:53.420] that you end up doing as a driver, right? [34:53.420 -> 34:55.980] And that progression is where they would probably [34:55.980 -> 34:59.500] have seen Yuki Tsunoda to see session by session [34:59.500 -> 35:04.460] against Nick DeVries, against Daniel Ricciardo, [35:04.460 -> 35:05.400] et cetera, et cetera. But also crucially Monza and Singapore were two races against Nick De Vries, against Daniel Ricciardo, etc. [35:05.400 -> 35:12.600] But also, crucially, Monza and Singapore were two races that Sunoda didn't end up doing a single lap on. [35:12.600 -> 35:14.000] And Monza did not start. [35:14.000 -> 35:20.600] In Singapore, he was taken out literally in the first lap itself by Mr. Checo Perez himself. [35:20.600 -> 35:25.120] So, in all fairness, I'm pretty pleased with their situation because they will have a lot [35:25.120 -> 35:31.360] of pressure for Checo Perez as well as for Ricardo. Both of them cannot rest on laurels [35:31.360 -> 35:39.120] for their seat. There are youngsters who are sort of there to make themselves eligible for that seat [35:39.120 -> 35:48.160] as well. And for once, after all those jokes on Red Bull, if you remember when we did the pre-season pit stop in Mumbai in January, [35:48.160 -> 35:53.280] we laughed saying Red Bull's last four hires were all outside of their driver pool, [35:53.280 -> 35:57.840] Checo Perez and Albin and whoever else, and Nick De Vries as well, right? [35:57.840 -> 36:15.600] And now it's back to Yuki Tsunoda from the pool, Liam Lawson from the pool, both of them doing a very solid job to make sure that the veterans of Formula One, Perez and Ricciardo, will be under pressure to perform and they will not be able to rest on. [36:15.840 -> 36:18.400] Ricciardo, for example, he's there for marketing reasons. [36:18.400 -> 36:23.320] That never makes sense to me, but it won't make sense if he doesn't perform either. [36:23.480 -> 36:30.920] It won't make sense if he doesn't perform either. Yeah, because I remember speaking to a CEO of a very successful sports team in India once. [36:30.920 -> 36:34.920] And I asked him, how much do you sign players based on marketing reasons? [36:34.920 -> 36:38.120] And his simple answer was, if the team does well, we get our marketing on our own. [36:38.120 -> 36:40.840] So, there's no point of signing a star player who doesn't play well. [36:40.840 -> 36:42.840] Firstly, you need the result and then you get everything else. [36:42.840 -> 36:47.200] But I don't know, it's an unproven quantity as well, Daniel Ricardo, which makes it so much fun. [36:47.200 -> 36:51.200] But enough on all of this. One last thing to ask. [36:51.840 -> 36:57.360] One big question for all of you as well. Folks, on social media, I'd love to know your answer to this question. [36:57.360 -> 37:02.400] What was your moment of the race? But we're doing this a little late. [37:02.600 -> 37:08.560] Sundaram, we'll start with you on this. Kunal you are very eager to tell more so what's what is your moment of the race [37:08.560 -> 37:12.680] I almost thought you're gonna be like hey guys put it on social media we'll [37:12.680 -> 37:17.040] see you after I said no no no wait I need to talk and I think the start most [37:17.040 -> 37:30.160] definitely the start was one of the most exciting stuff because the McLarens had a better launch than Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen. [37:30.160 -> 37:34.120] He had Oscar Piazzoli on the right and then he had Lando Norris on the left. [37:34.120 -> 37:35.880] They almost got the jump on him. [37:35.880 -> 37:40.160] And I remember after qualifying, Norris made a reference to Senna and Prost and he was [37:40.160 -> 37:43.760] telling Oscar, take Max out and I'll go win the race. [37:43.760 -> 37:48.200] And Oscar Piazzoli after the race actually said I had, I was in the [37:48.200 -> 37:50.560] perfect position to do what Prost and Senna did. [37:50.560 -> 37:53.800] I could have just taken Max out of the race and they were all joking about it. [37:54.280 -> 37:58.400] But just goes to show those McLarens are quick starters and their two, three [37:58.400 -> 38:01.960] result was not, uh, on circumstances. [38:01.960 -> 38:02.920] It was on merit. [38:02.980 -> 38:05.800] They were the second fastest car and they [38:05.800 -> 38:10.320] didn't get a 3-4, they got a 2-3 which in itself is pretty phenomenal. [38:10.320 -> 38:14.680] What was your moment of the weekend all the way through? Was it something [38:14.680 -> 38:18.360] with the racing? Was it something with the strategy? Because I personally can't [38:18.360 -> 38:22.440] look beyond that lap one battle between you Kisanoda and Liam Lawson. Just the way [38:22.440 -> 38:27.860] they were shaping up the lines, just the way they were undercutting and overcutting each other and also what happened at the Spoon [38:27.860 -> 38:32.800] Curve constantly over time with, I think it was Sainz and McLaren as well, I think it [38:32.800 -> 38:37.200] was both the Mercedes drivers as well, that is why we love motor racing. [38:37.200 -> 38:40.200] So that for me is mind blowing. [38:40.200 -> 38:43.200] What else comes to mind as your moment of the race? [38:43.200 -> 38:46.920] My moment of the race was definitely Sergio Perez trying to get past Kevin Magnussen. [38:47.320 -> 38:48.080] No, but I'm kidding. [38:48.400 -> 38:48.900] I'm kidding. [38:49.400 -> 38:57.760] My moment of the race would probably be Lewis Hamilton overtaking Fernando Alonso around 130R. [38:58.360 -> 39:07.600] For the longest time, we've always spoken highly of how Alonso managed to get past Michael Schumacher in the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix around 130 yards. [39:07.600 -> 39:10.400] And I think we found another version of that. [39:10.400 -> 39:17.280] I think Lewis Hamilton getting past Fernando there was a very ballsy move in my opinion. [39:17.280 -> 39:21.360] And he did it on the inside, not on the outside, which is even more interesting. [39:21.360 -> 39:21.920] He did it on the inside. [39:21.920 -> 39:22.480] Yeah. [39:22.480 -> 39:23.840] He did it on the inside, yes. [39:23.840 -> 39:28.720] And that for Fernando Alonso might be just like a flashback of sorts like, oh no, 20 years have [39:28.720 -> 39:33.760] passed now. I'm no longer that young driver, no longer at a promising team. I'm stuck with [39:34.560 -> 39:39.440] quite a bit of stroll money, but also the stroll car, unfortunately, the way things have gone. [39:39.440 -> 39:48.000] But at the end of the day, before we just very, very quickly wrap up, let's also just give a word to Red Bull. [39:48.000 -> 39:51.000] We don't like to spend a lot of time talking about their domination. [39:51.000 -> 40:03.000] But guys, that makes it 3 championships in a row. 22 felt like a couple of seasons actually in one because it was that boring. [40:03.000 -> 40:08.800] But 22 and 23 won against 6 Constructors World Championships for Red Bull Racing. [40:08.800 -> 40:13.000] I know there's not much to be said but how big of an achievement is it Kunal? [40:13.000 -> 40:15.000] I think it's a mega achievement. [40:15.000 -> 40:23.000] I mean Red Bull winning a car racing championship when they are essentially an energy drinks company. [40:23.000 -> 40:26.560] That's the DNA of their, you know, that's their origin. They are an energy drinks company. That's the DNA of their, you know, that's their origin. [40:26.560 -> 40:27.960] They are an energy drinks company. [40:27.960 -> 40:30.160] They are beating some of the best manufacturers, [40:30.160 -> 40:34.760] most known car manufacturers in the world in car racing. [40:34.760 -> 40:39.240] And if you ask me, Red Bull are the modern day Ferrari. [40:39.240 -> 40:42.960] I think Formula One cannot do without Red Bull anymore. [40:42.960 -> 40:49.140] Just the way all these years we've grown up to this idea of Ferrari and Formula One are [40:49.140 -> 40:51.700] equal and Formula One cannot do without Ferrari. [40:51.700 -> 40:54.780] I think Red Bull has joined those ranks in my mind. [40:54.780 -> 40:56.620] That's a big one. [40:56.620 -> 40:58.860] That is a big, big commitment to make. [40:58.860 -> 41:03.460] But again, for all the Red Bull fans out here, if you are not celebrating, grab a couple [41:03.460 -> 41:05.680] of Red Bulls, Make it your own. [41:05.680 -> 41:10.400] But folks, thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Japanese GPA Review [41:10.400 -> 41:12.280] on the InsideLine F1 Podcast. [41:12.280 -> 41:13.680] We'll be back for Qatar. [41:13.680 -> 41:16.020] We'll be back with more special episodes as well. [41:16.020 -> 41:19.680] So stay tuned, subscribe to the podcast, share with all your friends and family members, [41:19.680 -> None] and we'll be back for more, don't you see? Bye-bye.