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Notes
Matt Baker, Ted Kravitz and Bernie Collins join for our latest pod.
They discuss the massive news that Daniel Ricciardo will be replacing Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri with immediate effect ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
They review the British Grand Prix and analyse the reasons behind McLaren's pace in the last two races as well as looking at Ferrari's struggles after another poor showing.
They finish by talking about Brad Pitt's new Formula One movie as filming took place on the Silverstone track over the weekend.
Summary
- Matt Baker hosts the Sky Sports F1 podcast with Ted Kravitz and Bernie Collins to discuss the British Grand Prix and the news of Daniel Ricciardo joining AlphaTauri.
## Daniel Ricciardo's Move to AlphaTauri
- Ricciardo will replace Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri for the remainder of the 2023 season, starting with the Hungarian Grand Prix. - The move is a surprise, as de Vries had shown promise in his limited opportunities with the team. - Ricciardo's return to Red Bull's sister team raises questions about his future and the stability of the AlphaTauri lineup.
## Analysis of the British Grand Prix
- McLaren's impressive pace at Silverstone, with Lando Norris qualifying P2 and Oscar Piastri P3. - Norris led the race for five laps after overtaking Max Verstappen, showcasing McLaren's newfound competitiveness. - Ferrari's struggles continued with another poor showing, highlighting their ongoing issues.
## McLaren's Resurgence
- Bernie Collins attributes McLaren's improved performance to a fundamental change in the car, particularly in terms of tire management. - Norris's ability to hold off Lewis Hamilton on harder tires demonstrates the team's progress. - The upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix will provide a different test for McLaren, with its low-speed corners and higher track temperatures.
## Max Verstappen's Dominance
- Verstappen's controlled start and ability to overtake Norris once his tires were up to temperature showcase his confidence in the Red Bull car. - Verstappen's consistent race pace and ability to recover from setbacks highlight his status as the championship favorite.
## Ferrari's Ongoing Struggles
- Ferrari's poor performance at Silverstone adds to their disappointing season so far. - The team's lack of pace and reliability issues have hindered their title challenge. - Ferrari needs to address its problems quickly to remain competitive in the championship fight.
## Brad Pitt's Formula One Movie
- Filming for Brad Pitt's upcoming Formula One movie took place at Silverstone over the weekend. - The movie, directed by Joseph Kosinski, stars Pitt as a former driver who mentors a young driver. - The movie is expected to provide a unique perspective on the world of Formula One.
1. Daniel Ricciardo's Move to AlphaTauri: - Ricciardo will replace Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri for the remainder of the 2023 season, starting with the Hungarian Grand Prix. - The move was a surprise to many, as Ricciardo had been struggling at McLaren, while de Vries had performed well in his limited opportunities.
2. British Grand Prix Review: - McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finished P3 and P5 respectively, marking a strong showing for the team. - Ferrari faced difficulties, with Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc finishing P4 and P6, respectively. - Lewis Hamilton finished P2, but was unable to overtake Norris due to tire degradation issues.
3. Brad Pitt's Formula One Movie: - Filming for Brad Pitt's Formula One movie took place at the Silverstone track during the British Grand Prix weekend. - The movie is said to be a high-octane action thriller set in the world of Formula One racing.
4. McLaren's Pace: - McLaren's strong performance at the British Grand Prix has raised questions about the team's potential for the rest of the season. - Experts discuss whether McLaren can continue to challenge the top teams, such as Red Bull and Ferrari.
5. Tire Degradation: - Tire degradation played a significant role in the British Grand Prix, with several drivers struggling to maintain their pace on the medium and hard tires. - The choice of tire strategy became crucial, with some teams opting for a one-stop strategy and others for a two-stop strategy.
6. George Russell's Strategy: - George Russell's performance at the British Grand Prix highlighted his understanding of race strategy. - Russell was actively involved in discussions with his team regarding tire strategy and was able to make informed decisions that contributed to his success.
7. Red Bull's Dominance: - Red Bull continued their winning streak, with Max Verstappen securing his eighth hat-trick weekend of his career. - Sergio Perez, however, has struggled in recent races, failing to make it into Q3 and starting from the back of the grid.
8. Checo Perez's Struggles: - Perez's poor qualifying performances have been a concern for Red Bull. - Experts discuss the reasons behind Perez's struggles and whether he can turn his season around.
9. Silly Season Speculation: - With the summer break approaching, rumors and speculation about driver moves for the 2024 season have begun to circulate. - The possibility of Alex Albon returning to Red Bull has been discussed, but experts believe it is unlikely.
10. Williams' Progress: - Williams has made significant progress this season, moving up from last place in the Constructors' Championship to seventh. - Alex Albon has been a key factor in Williams' success, scoring all of the team's points so far.
## Review of the British Grand Prix
- The McLaren team's recent pace is analyzed, with an emphasis on their strong performance in the last two races. - Ferrari's struggles are examined, highlighting their lack of pace and their failure to secure a victory since the 2022 British Grand Prix.
## Discussion on Brad Pitt's New Formula One Movie
- The filming of Brad Pitt's Formula One movie, which took place at the Silverstone track over the weekend, is discussed. - The professionalism of the film crew and the seamless integration of the cast and crew into the Formula One environment are praised. - Excitement is expressed for the upcoming release of the movie, with anticipation for its realistic portrayal of the sport.
## Additional Points of Discussion
- Logan Sargent's improved performance, with a P11 finish at the British Grand Prix, is mentioned as a positive development for Williams. - Alex Albon's consistent performance and his strong partnership with teammate Nicholas Latifi are highlighted. - The impact of the safety car on the race strategies of various teams, particularly Ferrari, is analyzed. - Fernando Alonso's consistent performance and his potential for a podium finish in the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix are discussed. - The challenges faced by Aston Martin in balancing the car's performance on different types of circuits are examined.
## Conclusion
- The podcast concludes with a brief recap of the main points discussed and an expression of gratitude to the guests for their insights. - Listeners are encouraged to tune in to the next episode of the podcast for more Formula One news and analysis.
Raw Transcript with Timestamps
[00:00.000 -> 00:09.320] Hello and welcome to the Sky Sports F1 podcast with me, Matt Baker. This week I'm joined [00:09.320 -> 00:14.000] by Ted Kravitz and soon to be joined by Bernie Collins to look back on a brilliant weekend [00:14.000 -> 00:19.400] at the British Grand Prix. But before we do that, full disclosure, we're recording this [00:19.400 -> 00:24.320] after we recorded the initial podcast because just as I was having my lunch, the fork was [00:24.320 -> 00:29.460] just going into the food, I get a few notifications on my phone suggesting that Nick de Vries [00:29.460 -> 00:33.900] is about to be replaced at Alfa Tauri by Daniel Ricciardo. We've since learned that that [00:33.900 -> 00:38.580] is true. So Ted, I'm going to get your reaction in a sec. Let me just read the statement or [00:38.580 -> 00:40.540] part of the statement from the team. [00:40.540 -> 00:44.620] Scuderia Alfa Tauri announces that Daniel Ricciardo will be joining the team on loan [00:44.620 -> 00:48.840] from Red Bull Racing for the remainder of the Formula One season, starting from the [00:48.840 -> 00:51.720] upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix. [00:51.720 -> 00:54.640] Ted, eyebrows are raised. [00:54.640 -> 00:57.120] What's your initial reaction to that? [00:57.120 -> 00:58.400] Yeah, immediately. [00:58.400 -> 00:59.400] Immediately. [00:59.400 -> 01:01.640] So, Nick de Vries out, Daniel Ricciardo in. [01:01.640 -> 01:07.720] Well, the timing is interesting because today was the first day that Daniel Ricciardo was [01:07.720 -> 01:13.200] back in a Red Bull Racing Formula One car proper, not just doing demonstration runs, [01:13.200 -> 01:16.280] since he left McLaren at the end of 2022. [01:16.280 -> 01:21.240] So this was the first opportunity that Red Bull and, you know, by extension AlphaTauri, [01:21.240 -> 01:31.260] because they're the same organisation as when it comes to drivers, as it has been demonstrated, were able to gauge whether Daniel Ricciardo was [01:31.260 -> 01:37.140] still on it, and whether he still had it, and whether he had been just burnt out at [01:37.140 -> 01:41.780] McLaren, and whether he was actually the same driver that left Red Bull all those years [01:41.780 -> 01:44.260] ago and not the same driver who left McLaren. [01:44.260 -> 01:49.400] And clearly, according to Red Bull, the latter is true in that Daniel Ricciardo was exactly [01:49.400 -> 01:56.160] the same driver who left Red Bull way back when and is not the same driver who suffered [01:56.160 -> 02:00.680] so badly with the McLaren car and was extremely competitive. [02:00.680 -> 02:10.600] And that gave them, you know, a lunchtime's running. Half a day's running was enough to persuade Christian Horner, Helmut Marko, Peter Bayer [02:10.600 -> 02:14.720] and Franz Tost, who were the ones who would have made the decision with the blessing of [02:14.720 -> 02:20.760] Oliver Mintzlaff, the man in charge at Red Bull, to terminate Nick de Vries' contract [02:20.760 -> 02:29.360] or pay him off for the rest of the season, we don't know what's happened, and put Daniel Ricciardo in immediately. Not even Liam Lawson, who we thought was [02:29.360 -> 02:33.400] next in line on the Red Bull staircase of talent. It seems like Red Bull want [02:33.400 -> 02:37.580] Liam Lawson to complete his Super Formula season in Japan and they're [02:37.580 -> 02:44.000] happy to put Daniel Ricciardo in at this moment and not give Nick de Vries the [02:44.000 -> 02:46.320] next two races, which is what we understood [02:46.320 -> 02:50.520] he had up until the beginning of the summer break, to prove that he was worthy of the [02:50.520 -> 02:51.520] seat. [02:51.520 -> 02:56.640] Yeah, I think Horner, I mean, Horner's been quoted here as saying, his times during the [02:56.640 -> 03:01.040] tyre test were extremely competitive. It was a very impressive drive and we're excited [03:01.040 -> 03:09.960] to see what the rest of the season brings for Daniel on loan at Scuderia Alpha Tauri. Clearly, you know, I'm obviously not a Formula One racing driver, [03:09.960 -> 03:14.160] but clearly they've seen something in such a short period of time that they've been so [03:14.160 -> 03:19.080] impressed by. And we have to remember where he's come from at McLaren, you know, he was [03:19.080 -> 03:26.720] a disappointing season, 11th in the driver's standings in 2022. He left his deal, of course, a year early. [03:26.720 -> 03:28.480] So they must have seen something. [03:28.480 -> 03:33.000] But do you think that's quite unusual to see something so quickly in a driver? [03:33.000 -> 03:36.640] Well, it is the best car by a country mile in Formula One. [03:36.640 -> 03:41.040] And so maybe Daniel just couldn't deal with the McLaren and its idiosyncrasies that we [03:41.040 -> 03:42.360] know it still really has. [03:42.360 -> 03:45.760] And we're kind of surprised to see the McLaren doing well at the British Grand Prix in the [03:45.760 -> 03:50.080] hands of Lando Norris and Ausco Piastri for the first time in probably, what, two or three [03:50.080 -> 03:55.480] years the McLaren has been, you know, doing, been a P2 car. [03:55.480 -> 04:00.440] So when they saw that what Daniel could do in the best car on the grid, they were sufficiently [04:00.440 -> 04:01.600] impressed to actually put him in. [04:01.600 -> 04:07.160] But it must have been something quick because the last time we heard from Christian Horner [04:07.160 -> 04:08.920] was at the Austrian Grand Prix, [04:08.920 -> 04:11.320] when he told us live on Sky F1 [04:11.320 -> 04:16.320] that there are no plans to replace Nick de Vries at present. [04:16.320 -> 04:20.180] Now he did, so as not to be, to completely mislead us, [04:20.180 -> 04:23.700] Christian did put those words at present. [04:23.700 -> 04:26.200] I think I remember he sort of muttered them under his breath, but you know there are no plans to replace Nick de V words at present. I think I remember he sort of muttered them under his breath [04:26.200 -> 04:28.960] But you know, there are no plans to replace Nick DeVries at present [04:29.360 -> 04:34.600] So, you know Christian can reliably go back to that quote and say no I wasn't misleading you everybody [04:34.600 -> 04:36.440] there were no plans to [04:36.440 -> 04:39.800] To replace Nick DeVries at present [04:39.800 -> 04:41.800] but at present clearly only lasted a [04:42.040 -> 04:47.680] couple of weeks and then they saw the time that Daniel Ricciardo, or the performance he was able to do, was [04:47.680 -> 04:49.280] slotting into that team. [04:49.280 -> 04:53.840] And they were able to change the at present to, now there are some plans to replace Nick [04:53.840 -> 04:56.960] DeVries and we're going to replace him within the space of a few hours. [04:56.960 -> 05:02.880] Now this is all well and good, basing it Matt, on the Red Bull RB19, which is the class of [05:02.880 -> 05:03.880] the field. [05:03.880 -> 05:06.500] He's not driving that car. [05:06.500 -> 05:11.800] He's driving probably one of the slowest cars on the grid, if not the slowest, which is [05:11.800 -> 05:13.000] the Alpha Tauri. [05:13.000 -> 05:18.680] The Alpha Tauri, as we'll talk about later in the podcast, had some upgrades to Silverstone [05:18.680 -> 05:23.520] and they finished further down than they normally do with a non-upgraded car. [05:23.520 -> 05:28.200] So this is not a great Alpha Tauri, it's fair to say. [05:28.200 -> 05:33.880] And my only question is, not that they should have replaced Nick de Vries, clearly it wasn't [05:33.880 -> 05:37.320] working, I would have thought it was fair for Nick de Vries to have a couple more races [05:37.320 -> 05:41.720] in Hungary and Belgium, just circuits he knows well, to show what he could do up to the summer [05:41.720 -> 05:42.720] break. [05:42.720 -> 05:47.620] The surprise is why Daniel Ricciardo would want to go into that car. [05:47.620 -> 05:52.100] And a car that's worse than the McLaren he left probably last year. [05:52.100 -> 05:55.700] And that quote I thought from Daniel Ricciardo, I'll just get it up here, was odd. [05:55.700 -> 05:57.380] It's just one line, wasn't it, Matt? [05:57.380 -> 05:58.700] You didn't read it out. [05:58.700 -> 06:02.540] Daniel Ricciardo said, I'm stoked to be back on track with the Red Bull family. [06:02.540 -> 06:05.760] He can't even bring himself to say Alfa Tauri. [06:05.760 -> 06:09.320] He's just saying, he's just saying, because he can't see, he doesn't want to say I'm delighted [06:09.320 -> 06:13.120] to drive the Alfa Tauri, maybe, because it's not a quick car. [06:13.120 -> 06:15.520] But he's back on track with the Red Bull family. [06:15.520 -> 06:20.320] So yeah, there may be there's some longer term gain in it for Daniel Ricciardo, because [06:20.320 -> 06:25.440] there might well be some short term pain if he can't do any better than Nick de Vries. [06:29.280 -> 06:34.480] That was going to be my next question. Do you think this ultimately is leading to him trying to compete for that second seat at Red Bull? What do you think this does to Sergio Perez? [06:35.840 -> 06:42.800] Yes, it does. And I think it makes Sergio Perez check the terms of his contract to see if it's as [06:43.760 -> 06:45.760] leaky as Nick de Vries' contract with Red [06:45.760 -> 06:51.560] Bull obviously was. And worry about whether Daniel Ricciardo is coming back. I take it [06:51.560 -> 06:55.680] back, I take this back to the Australian Grand Prix. Do you remember, I know my notebooks [06:55.680 -> 06:59.800] are mostly forgettable, Matt, but do you remember my Saturday notebook? Do you remember my Saturday [06:59.800 -> 07:04.240] notebook when it happened upon Daniel Ricciardo and I told him that I thought it was, he cut [07:04.240 -> 07:06.260] a sad figure on the pit wall [07:06.260 -> 07:11.560] a great racing driver like him being on the pit wall kind of out of the action away from where his [07:11.760 -> 07:18.060] Natural place is on the grid and I said look, you know, don't don't do that, you know, and he said don't worry. It's okay [07:18.620 -> 07:20.620] You know I can do this for a year [07:21.540 -> 07:26.600] And I'm wearing and I'm wearing the clothes. There was something he said, which was like, [07:26.600 -> 07:28.600] I'll be back and I'll probably, [07:28.600 -> 07:30.120] and I want to be back in these clothes, [07:30.120 -> 07:31.880] in this Red Bull gear. [07:31.880 -> 07:33.320] The plan is to come back. [07:33.320 -> 07:34.840] And he's been saying it ever since Miami [07:34.840 -> 07:36.040] when he's been interviewed as well. [07:36.040 -> 07:41.040] So it's a really tricky one because this whole plan [07:42.360 -> 07:45.920] of coming back could be scuppered by being no quicker than Yuki [07:45.920 -> 07:49.120] Sonoda in a not good AlphaTauri. [07:49.120 -> 07:55.960] But certainly if he is and he can score points on debut at AlphaTauri and is kind of the [07:55.960 -> 08:02.400] driver he knows who can transform a car, then this will be a good deciding value of how [08:02.400 -> 08:04.600] much is car and how much is driver, won't it? [08:04.600 -> 08:08.360] This will give us an idea of that age old question. [08:08.360 -> 08:13.720] If he is amazing, then Checo will be pretty worried actually, even though Checo brings [08:13.720 -> 08:17.940] a lot of sponsorship and there are a lot of merchandise opportunities, selling Red Bull [08:17.940 -> 08:21.320] stuff in Mexico to Mexican fans. [08:21.320 -> 08:25.560] And Checo does bring attract sponsorship, there are a few sponsors I can point to on [08:25.560 -> 08:32.320] the car that have come courtesy of Red Bull's desire to expand and exploit the South American [08:32.320 -> 08:38.840] and Mexican market, that he may well be worried if Red Bull decide to go the Ricciardo way [08:38.840 -> 08:42.280] if he turns out to be the man who turns Alfa Tauri around. [08:42.280 -> 08:45.760] And a word, just a word on Nick De Vries, [08:45.760 -> 08:51.600] you know, we mustn't forget this is a Formula E world champion, he won F2 in 2019 and cast your [08:51.600 -> 08:59.440] mind back only to September of 2022 when he raced in Italy, he replaced Alex Albon who had appendicitis [08:59.440 -> 09:04.400] and he scored points, he beat Nicholas Latifi in the Williams, finished ninth. So this is a guy [09:04.400 -> 09:05.080] who's not [09:05.080 -> 09:09.780] short of experience, he's also 28 years old so he's a little bit older than say the younger [09:09.780 -> 09:15.120] rookies on the grid. So where will his head be at do you think after this disappointment? [09:15.120 -> 09:19.320] I mean I'm sure his supporters and he will think that he's been unfairly treated, I don't [09:19.320 -> 09:24.380] think he got a fair crack of the whip. I think he was, talking to him, reading between the [09:24.380 -> 09:27.160] lines, didn't get the support obviously of Helmut Marko, ac mae hynny'n gallu [09:27.160 -> 09:32.120] ddangos eich hyder. Pan oedd Helmut Marko yn y podcast yn dweud nad oedd Christian Horner [09:32.120 -> 09:36.080] yn ddiddorol i fod yn y sefydliad hefyd, ond rydw i wedi ymddangos, ac mae'n dod o hyd [09:36.080 -> 09:42.400] roeddwn i'n gwrwng, yn ystod y sefydliad, nid yw'n unig yn hyderus, ond dyna'r hyn [09:42.400 -> 09:48.960] rydych chi'n cael pan rydych chi'n rhestr am Christian Horner and Helmut Marko I suppose but in the end he wasn't quick enough I guess all [09:48.960 -> 09:53.160] the hard nut cases in Formula One will say that he just wasn't quick [09:53.160 -> 09:56.200] enough and if you're not quick enough and you don't score points like Yuki [09:56.200 -> 10:00.680] Tsunoda scores some points then you don't deserve to stay but yeah I don't [10:00.680 -> 10:07.680] know I like Nick I respect him I think he's a good driver I don't think it was the I think it's probably the only opportunity he had to join I don't know, I like Nick, I respect him, I think he's a good driver. I don't think it was the, I think it was probably the only opportunity he had [10:07.680 -> 10:11.200] to join, I don't think there was an offer from Williams at the end of last year [10:11.200 -> 10:15.760] to be racing alongside Alex Albon. He took the only offer he had, it didn't work [10:15.760 -> 10:19.680] out, I wish him all the best because he deserves [10:19.680 -> 10:24.320] you know everything that his talent suggests. Maybe he was [10:24.320 -> 10:27.000] spoiled by being in a, I, spoiled is the wrong word, Mae'r talent hwn yn cydnabod pethau. Efallai oedd yn cael ei ddifrifo o fod yn... [10:27.000 -> 10:29.000] Dwi'n ddifrifo'r iaith gwaith yn iaith gwaith. [10:29.000 -> 10:32.000] Efallai oedd yn cymryd â'r tîmau mwyaf fel Mercedes. [10:32.000 -> 10:34.000] Roedd yn dyrfa Mercedes yn iaith gwaith yn ddiweddar, [10:34.000 -> 10:36.000] yn oedd yn dod yn ôl i AlphaTauri, [10:36.000 -> 10:38.000] ac ddim yn cael y math o gefnogaeth [10:38.000 -> 10:41.000] sydd gennyn nhw ar y tîmau fwyaf fel AlphaTauri. [10:41.000 -> 10:44.000] Ond, ie, fel y dydyn nhw'n dweud, [10:44.000 -> 10:46.800] dyna'r brosesau. Alfa Tauri but yeah as they would say you know those are the brakes and I think [10:46.800 -> 10:52.340] it's with he joins the long long list of drivers unfortunately having their [10:52.340 -> 10:57.040] careers interrupted let's only hope at the hands of Helmut Marko and Red Bull. [10:57.040 -> 11:03.160] Yeah absolutely and you know ten races as well that is not a lot is it ten [11:03.160 -> 11:06.000] races and he's been lost to leave. [11:06.000 -> 11:10.000] We had the story, I think we did it on SkyF1 at the Austrian Grand Prix, which said that [11:10.000 -> 11:16.480] Helmut Marko had given him four races that he knew, Austria, Silverstone, Hungary and Belgium, [11:16.480 -> 11:22.640] and if he hadn't scored points by then he would be replaced. So they only did half of those and [11:22.640 -> 11:30.480] then he was replaced. So maybe that's not entirely fair that they didn't give him the four races. [11:30.480 -> 11:37.360] But also, you know, it's not Liam Lawson, it is Daniel Ricciardo. [11:37.360 -> 11:38.600] I think we all knew. [11:38.600 -> 11:41.200] And I asked Franz Tost, I said, is this the case? [11:41.200 -> 11:45.720] And he said, look, this will only be the case if Nick decides it to be the case that he's replaced. [11:45.720 -> 11:46.880] Nick will decide. [11:46.880 -> 11:50.160] If Nick performs and scores points, he stays. [11:50.160 -> 11:52.040] If he doesn't, he won't. [11:52.040 -> 11:55.400] And that was the last that Alf Taribos-Franstos [11:55.400 -> 11:56.440] had to say about it. [11:56.440 -> 11:57.400] That was in Austria. [11:57.400 -> 11:59.000] Nick didn't perform, he didn't score points, [11:59.000 -> 12:00.920] but he wasn't given the last two races [12:00.920 -> 12:02.480] before the sunbreak to try. [12:03.920 -> 12:05.760] Just quickly, before we go back to the main pod, [12:05.760 -> 12:10.960] what are your predictions? What do you anticipate for the rest of the season with Daniel Ricciardo? [12:10.960 -> 12:15.520] Big question. I think I only just heard the news a few minutes ago. What do you think? [12:15.520 -> 12:21.600] I would hope knowing the quality of Daniel Ricciardo that he would outpace Yuki Tsunoda [12:21.600 -> 12:28.280] quite quickly just on experience and ability in terms of longevity in Formula [12:28.280 -> 12:29.720] One. [12:29.720 -> 12:34.720] And I would expect him to score the odd point here and there, but it probably won't be that [12:34.720 -> 12:44.760] many and he'll be lucky to end up consistently quicker than Tsunoda and showing himself to [12:44.760 -> 12:50.080] have saved AlphaTauri season and to score more points if it's our fatari finished last in the constructors [12:50.280 -> 12:55.320] That's a calamity that is disastrous for Red Bull and if Ricardo can save them from doing that [12:55.480 -> 12:59.240] He's done the job that they want him to do and he'll be in good shape [13:00.160 -> 13:05.520] Potentially to challenge for checkers seat checker checker Perez's seat in 2024. [13:06.480 -> 13:11.280] Okay, well thank you very much Ted. We're now going to seamlessly, through the magic of editing, [13:11.280 -> 13:16.400] throw back to the original podcast to look back on Silverstone. So I started by asking Bernie [13:16.400 -> 13:21.440] how her weekend was. Yeah it was lovely to be back at Silverstone. It always feels very special [13:21.440 -> 13:26.600] atmosphere, you know, going to the track and all the fans there. Yeah, it was a really busy weekend. [13:26.600 -> 13:29.360] I think very typical Silverstone in some ways. [13:29.360 -> 13:32.760] Now we got the best the weather could throw at us. [13:32.760 -> 13:35.000] Friday got a little bit burnt. [13:35.000 -> 13:36.400] Saturday got quite wet. [13:36.400 -> 13:38.840] So, it's been a little bit of everything. [13:38.840 -> 13:44.920] But it was nice to see a brilliant Grand Prix and a brilliant podium that we ended up with [13:44.920 -> 13:45.300] as well [13:45.300 -> 13:49.860] I think the Brit the Brits on there. So yeah, it was definitely an interesting weekend [13:50.460 -> 13:54.540] Yeah, we're both quite fair-skinned. So I think we have to be careful in these [13:55.060 -> 13:58.080] These conditions like Silverstone Ted. How was your weekend? [13:58.820 -> 14:01.720] Well, I'm not fair-skinned, but I do put a lot of sun cream on [14:02.420 -> 14:05.000] Hello, Matt. Hello Bernie. Hello everybody, hello Bernie, hello everybody by the way. [14:05.000 -> 14:07.000] Matt, shall we let them into a secret, the listeners and the viewers? [14:07.000 -> 14:08.000] Go on. [14:08.000 -> 14:14.000] That in our production office, the only person who is absolutely religious about putting sun cream on constantly, [14:14.000 -> 14:19.000] and the viewers and listeners will know this when they see me on TV with my white stripe there, is me. [14:19.000 -> 14:25.520] So I burn more than anybody, and I have the array of zinc and titanium oxide based sun [14:25.520 -> 14:29.840] blocks on my little part of our production table stolen by every other [14:29.840 -> 14:32.720] member of the SkyF1 team so little secret for them that's true. [14:32.720 -> 14:37.560] Every sun cream has a different use. Yes. Am I right in thinking for [14:37.560 -> 14:41.160] different conditions for different parts of the body yes different sun cream. It [14:41.160 -> 14:44.200] does every part of the body has a different sun cream and I have it all on [14:44.200 -> 14:51.400] my desk in front of in front of my little work space. This is Trace. So I didn't realize they were yours, I've just been stealing those. [14:51.960 -> 14:53.960] They're not mine because [14:54.480 -> 14:59.080] I expense the cost of them basically, Bernie, to be absolutely honest about it. [14:59.080 -> 15:04.280] So they belong to the company and to the production. Too much information? Maybe not. [15:04.280 -> 15:07.840] No, they belong to the production. You've not been stealing them. [15:07.840 -> 15:11.080] They are everybody's and you're welcome to them. But yes, it was a good weekend. [15:11.080 -> 15:14.920] A great weekend actually. A lot of people there. Great to see everybody in the [15:14.920 -> 15:19.320] crowd and in the grandstands and on the viewing banks. [15:19.320 -> 15:24.840] What was it? 480,000? 480,000, yeah. Over the weekend. There were some issues [15:24.840 -> 15:29.440] here and there with parking and access and some facilities on [15:29.440 -> 15:31.600] site and the likes of that. [15:31.600 -> 15:34.840] But you know, they get better every day, every weekend. [15:34.840 -> 15:38.360] But Silverstone was resplendent in the summer sunshine. [15:38.360 -> 15:41.720] And well done to Max Verstappen, got to say that first of all. [15:41.720 -> 15:46.680] Amazing, continues to break records, the McLaren record broken and winning once again. [15:46.680 -> 15:52.000] But behind him, the non-Max Verstappen World Championship just got better and better with [15:52.000 -> 15:58.520] the addition of a fourth team in it now, not just Mercedes, Aston Martin and Ferrari, but [15:58.520 -> 16:00.300] now they've been joined by McLaren. [16:00.300 -> 16:04.840] So there are four teams in the non-Max Verstappen Championship actually going for it. [16:04.840 -> 16:05.160] It's brilliant. [16:05.440 -> 16:09.160] Yeah, well, we're gonna get into all of that. This is what's coming up. [16:09.160 -> 16:14.680] We're gonna talk about how McLaren have got so fast all of a sudden. Really, really interesting story. [16:14.680 -> 16:17.720] I also want to talk about having three Brits in the top five. [16:17.720 -> 16:22.840] We're gonna talk about Alex Albon and Williams, a little bit on Ferrari too. Not a good weekend for them. [16:22.840 -> 16:25.520] Plus, I want to talk about when Hollywood came [16:25.520 -> 16:29.040] to Northamptonshire and the filming of the upcoming F1 film, [16:29.040 -> 16:31.040] which we'll get into later on. [16:31.040 -> 16:33.000] Before we get into that, just time to tell you [16:33.000 -> 16:35.720] about the Sky Sports Shop. [16:35.720 -> 16:36.540] This is brand new. [16:36.540 -> 16:37.640] In partnership with Fanatics, [16:37.640 -> 16:39.400] we've recently launched the Sky Sports Shop, [16:39.400 -> 16:42.120] which retails F1 official merchandise. [16:42.120 -> 16:47.040] You can visit skysports.com forward slash shop to buy your official F1 [16:47.040 -> 16:53.940] merchandise and new customers get a 10% discount when they sign up. So Ted if you want a McLaren [16:53.940 -> 16:58.360] mug after their great weekend you can go to the Sky Sports shop and buy it. [16:58.360 -> 17:02.360] Sorry I'm confused here is it team stuff we're selling or is it Sky Sports stuff? [17:02.360 -> 17:03.360] Yeah, no. [17:03.360 -> 17:06.240] Are we selling Sky Sports F1 Ted's notebooks? [17:06.240 -> 17:07.080] And if not, why not? [17:07.080 -> 17:10.240] We are not yet selling F1 Ted's notebooks. [17:10.240 -> 17:12.480] I imagine they would sell out instantly. [17:12.480 -> 17:14.600] Well then why aren't we selling them? [17:14.600 -> 17:15.440] Let's do it. [17:15.440 -> 17:17.520] Yeah, we'll put some podcast merchandise on there. [17:17.520 -> 17:19.300] But yeah, for the time being, [17:19.300 -> 17:21.640] you might just be limited to your team kits. [17:21.640 -> 17:23.240] Let's get one of these. [17:23.240 -> 17:26.840] I'll get a nice leather bound. I'll imprint, [17:26.840 -> 17:32.760] this one says book journal on the front of it, it's my wife's. I'll imprint Ted's notebook [17:32.760 -> 17:38.280] with a Sky Sports logo and F1 logo and we'll sell this. You've got to sign them Ted. All [17:38.280 -> 17:43.760] of them? We'll only sell 12 so I can sign them all. Good, alright. I think we'll sell [17:43.760 -> 17:49.120] more than that. There you go. So yeah, that's the Sky Sports shop, brand new. Don't forget, you get 10% [17:49.120 -> 17:54.440] discount if you sign up. Right, McLaren. Let's talk about them because such an impressive [17:54.440 -> 18:01.340] weekend for them. Qualified Norris P2, Piastri P3, and genuinely on Saturday were the second [18:01.340 -> 18:05.720] fastest car. Then in the race, Norris overtook Verstappen to lead [18:05.720 -> 18:10.720] the British Grand Prix. Huge roars. He did that for about five laps before being overtaken [18:10.720 -> 18:15.640] by Verstappen. Piastri got unlucky with the timing of the safety car. Otherwise, I think [18:15.640 -> 18:22.200] it probably would have been a 2-3 for the team. So let's get into how McLaren, Bernie, [18:22.200 -> 18:26.240] have managed to find all that pace. Can you put it down to one or two things? [18:26.240 -> 18:28.240] Where do you see that pace coming from? [18:29.080 -> 18:32.680] Yeah, I think they've found something fundamentally [18:32.680 -> 18:34.280] that they've changed very quickly. [18:34.280 -> 18:36.280] You know, it was a big step in Austria. [18:36.280 -> 18:38.960] We knew that it was only Norris that had the upgrade there. [18:38.960 -> 18:42.120] Then we were told that they were both going to have the upgrade for Silverstone [18:42.120 -> 18:47.240] and a little bit more, you know, McLaren were quite open in saying the step between Austria and Silverstone wasn't [18:47.240 -> 18:50.560] going to be as big to the step into Austria. [18:50.560 -> 18:53.400] But it's quite a big change isn't it in terms of pace. [18:53.400 -> 18:55.920] Now the circuit I think suits them. [18:55.920 -> 18:59.240] So Austria I think suited Norris, he's always gone well there. [18:59.240 -> 19:03.720] The circuit characteristics of both Austria and Silverstone does anyway suit the McLaren [19:03.720 -> 19:06.880] car so they were expected to be more in the running, [19:06.880 -> 19:09.600] but the step they've taken seems really dramatic. [19:09.600 -> 19:13.920] I actually think looking forward to Budapest is going to be a big test for them. [19:13.920 -> 19:16.480] It's a very different circuit, a lot more low-speed corners. [19:16.480 -> 19:19.440] So it will be interesting to see how the order and those, [19:19.440 -> 19:22.880] you know, like Ted mentioned, the Aston, Mercedes, McLaren, [19:22.880 -> 19:25.760] where is the order going to sit post-Budapest? [19:25.760 -> 19:31.280] They've been back and forth all year and now McLaren in the fray, it's going to be really [19:31.280 -> 19:37.200] interesting. So it's hard to put it down to one element of that car because we obviously only see [19:37.200 -> 19:41.040] a small fraction of the upgrades that come, we only see what's on the outside, that's the only [19:41.040 -> 19:49.440] thing they need to declare to us, we don't see what's happening under the bodywork. But it seems the outcome from that team much, much more [19:49.440 -> 19:53.640] positive. The drivers speaking much more positively about the car, the balance of the car a lot [19:53.640 -> 20:00.920] more in days. And what impressed me this weekend was how quickly they get the tyres working [20:00.920 -> 20:06.400] up to temperature. Norris notably, you know, on top of a stop at the start of the race, [20:06.400 -> 20:10.560] fit to hold off Hamilton after the safety car restart when Hamilton on the soft. [20:10.560 -> 20:14.600] Everyone thought that hard tyre was going to be really difficult to hold on to and you see it. [20:14.600 -> 20:22.360] Further back down the field, you know, anyone on a harder tyre really struggling to hold on to people on softer tyres. [20:22.360 -> 20:25.800] So something in that McLaren, be it the brake heat and [20:25.800 -> 20:30.480] how they get the tyre up, really, really helps in these colder track conditions, get the [20:30.480 -> 20:34.440] tyre working straight away. And maybe that helped them in qualifying as well in those [20:34.440 -> 20:41.480] tricky sort of crossover conditions, slightly damp. They were definitely on top of the tyres [20:41.480 -> 20:45.360] and the heat much more than other teams. And again, Budapest is probably [20:45.360 -> 20:49.900] going to be a test and the other tracks are really hot track temperatures with the different [20:49.900 -> 20:54.280] track. Is it going to fundamentally change where they sit in the pack and order? [20:54.280 -> 20:59.520] Yeah, so I was surprised, Matt, on Sunday morning when Andreas Stella was actually down [20:59.520 -> 21:04.320] playing his expectations for McLaren in the race, saying, look, we haven't got on top [21:04.320 -> 21:07.960] of our tyre degradation issues. They're just, you know, we've got it in the race, saying, look, we haven't got on top of our tyre degradation issues. [21:07.960 -> 21:09.240] We've got it in the pipeline. [21:09.240 -> 21:14.140] We can only concentrate on so much with the cost cap at one time, and we're not sure. [21:14.140 -> 21:16.840] We think we're going to go backwards because of our tyre degradation. [21:16.840 -> 21:21.280] Now what that means was that if it's thermal degradation or just any kind of degradation, [21:21.280 -> 21:25.480] combination of the new tire construction, which worked [21:25.480 -> 21:30.040] for McLaren, and the low track temperatures, as Bernie says, and the upgrades, meant that [21:30.040 -> 21:34.160] they were great on their tires. [21:34.160 -> 21:35.240] There was not a worry. [21:35.240 -> 21:39.320] Lando didn't have to worry about fitting the hard tires, which seemed like quite a conservative [21:39.320 -> 21:43.760] choice off the safety car restart, because all he had to do was to keep Lewis Hamilton [21:43.760 -> 21:49.400] behind him until he got a burst of heat into his tyres around the fast stuff and that was it. [21:49.400 -> 21:52.800] Those hard tyres were going to work for him and he could keep that position. [21:52.800 -> 21:57.160] So yeah, I mean it would have been, you're right Matt, it would have been a 2-3 with [21:57.160 -> 22:01.440] Oscar Piastri had he not lost out, got unlucky under the safety car. [22:01.440 -> 22:05.860] But as it was, we had four, I want to say we have four Brits in the top [22:05.860 -> 22:12.720] five. But Oscar Piastri is not British. He is Australian. But he did, he did, you know [22:12.720 -> 22:19.600] when you get the race classification with a little, with a little flags after and there [22:19.600 -> 22:25.280] was this Dutch flag at the top, then there was the Union flag for Lewis and for Lando, the little Union [22:25.280 -> 22:33.080] flag in the top right of the Australian flag for Oscar, and then the Union flag for George, [22:33.080 -> 22:39.440] who was fifth. So there was something about Silverstone and the home advantage really [22:39.440 -> 22:46.240] playing to the people who have the Union flag somewhere in their nationalities. [22:46.240 -> 22:49.600] I know Australia, you know, it's not the UK. [22:49.600 -> 22:52.880] But I would like to also remember [22:52.880 -> 22:56.760] how miserable Lando was at the beginning of the season. [22:56.760 -> 23:01.280] And how sorry we felt for him in Bahrain testing [23:01.280 -> 23:03.680] when the car was clearly awful. [23:03.680 -> 23:06.900] And early on we were like oh Lando, your heart [23:06.900 -> 23:10.920] went out to him, it was like another year on the sidelines. [23:10.920 -> 23:16.700] And it was so great that on the same weekend where we have Max Verstappen no less saying [23:16.700 -> 23:23.060] that if Lando was in a car that could win races and championships, Lando can win races [23:23.060 -> 23:27.240] and championships, that he showed that he was able to hold on to that P2 and [23:27.760 -> 23:31.980] deliver it and hold off, you know, the likes of Lewis Hamilton and beat [23:32.520 -> 23:35.500] Max off the start. And Bernie, I have a question for you. [23:36.260 -> 23:43.040] Do you think Max raced Lando differently at the start for two reasons? [23:43.480 -> 23:46.000] First of all, knowing that he'd get him [23:46.000 -> 23:50.200] eventually once they got their tyres going and with the super-duper DRS and [23:50.200 -> 23:55.840] secondly that he wasn't Lewis Hamilton. Well it's an interesting question. So this [23:55.840 -> 24:00.960] year I've sort of been observing with Max he hasn't been very aggressive at [24:00.960 -> 24:05.660] any of the starts I don't think. He's very rarely actually lost the [24:05.660 -> 24:11.900] position off the line but he's been much more conservative than he was in the past and I [24:11.900 -> 24:17.600] put that down to the car having more than enough pace that at some point in the race [24:17.600 -> 24:27.960] he will get, he doesn't need it off the line, even at the tracks that are difficult to overtake. He doesn't feel forced into that very aggressive lap one. [24:28.160 -> 24:33.520] And I think it is more confidence in car pace than it is the Lewis effect. [24:33.720 -> 24:40.680] I think it is that he has matured in terms of doesn't need that raw aggression [24:40.880 -> 24:43.200] off the line to make sure he has the position. [24:43.400 -> 24:46.480] And he does have this buffer where he [24:46.480 -> 24:54.080] doesn't need to be turn one lap one in P1 in order to win the race. So I have sort of noticed at [24:54.080 -> 25:01.040] quite a few events this year almost a very reserved start performance which I think is [25:01.040 -> 25:05.800] is the car performance he knows that by by lap 52, he will have it, [25:05.800 -> 25:08.400] whether he has it on lap one or not. [25:08.400 -> 25:10.440] Yeah, that's what happens if you have [25:10.440 -> 25:11.560] the Red Bull underneath you, [25:11.560 -> 25:13.600] is you have that confidence, don't you? [25:13.600 -> 25:16.640] Going into weekend after weekend, that you can, [25:16.640 -> 25:18.080] yeah, basically, whatever happens, [25:18.080 -> 25:19.040] you can still win the race. [25:19.040 -> 25:21.840] We've seen him win from sort of, what was he, 14th? [25:21.840 -> 25:24.120] Thought he started pretty far down the grid this season, [25:24.120 -> 25:28.560] and he still managed to come through the field very quickly. I've got a tweet here from Tom who wants to [25:28.560 -> 25:33.280] know Ted, are McLaren now quick enough to stay near the top all season or was it just [25:33.280 -> 25:37.320] Silverstone that suited their car with the upgrades? [25:37.320 -> 25:48.280] Silverstone definitely suited their car with the upgrades, Orlando took a bit of wing off as well. So the answer is I don't know. [25:48.280 -> 25:53.680] Bernie already kind of answered it when she said that Hungary will tell, but they will [25:53.680 -> 26:00.720] be in and amongst the non-Max Verstappen championship for the rest of the season. [26:00.720 -> 26:08.700] And it will depend on track conditions, tires, track temperature, tire behavior, and anything [26:08.700 -> 26:15.240] else, driver performance, whether they can sustain that and move up the constructors [26:15.240 -> 26:16.240] order. [26:16.240 -> 26:19.400] Because you look at it, and because they've been quite lowly, let me have a look, they [26:19.400 -> 26:26.640] are still far off the constructors points of everybody else. So McLaren have only now [26:26.640 -> 26:34.520] got 59 whereas Aston Martin have got 181. You know that's really, they're so far [26:34.520 -> 26:38.480] off. I know you can score a lot of points of a weekend and only this weekend [26:38.480 -> 26:47.500] McLaren scored 30 to Aston Martin's 6. I think I've got that right. Yeah, that's right. [26:47.500 -> 26:50.500] So, you know, it can turn around quite quickly. [26:50.500 -> 26:55.000] But, yeah, McLaren have got a bit of a way to go to get back up there in the Constructors. [26:55.000 -> 26:59.500] Yeah, I've read something which I think your numbers that you've just read out confirm [26:59.500 -> 27:04.000] that they scored more points, McLaren scored more points this weekend than they had all season. [27:04.000 -> 27:06.480] Yes, up to that point. that they scored more points, but Haren scored more points this weekend than they had all season. And we're at race 11. [27:06.480 -> 27:11.480] So it is a struggle to overhaul that points difference [27:12.320 -> 27:14.160] going through the rest of the year. [27:14.160 -> 27:16.080] We've got a 23 race season, [27:16.080 -> 27:19.120] so we're almost halfway through the season now. [27:19.120 -> 27:22.120] And to have lags so far for the first half of the season, [27:22.120 -> 27:25.280] it is gonna be big to overturn those positions [27:25.280 -> 27:30.740] to where they sit in the championship but like you mentioned it's not undoable. The [27:30.740 -> 27:35.240] interesting thing that you mentioned Ted is the tyre dag and their concern in that. They're [27:35.240 -> 27:39.380] one of the few teams, McLaren, that stuck to the medium hard one stop strategy they [27:39.380 -> 27:44.280] had pre-release. A lot of the other teams, Red Bull for example, went to the soft final [27:44.280 -> 27:45.520] stint which was definitely [27:45.520 -> 27:50.480] a quicker strategy, Mercedes as well, which is why Hamilton was still on track at the [27:50.480 -> 27:58.760] point to benefit from the VSC. So if they can't overcome that tyre deg problem in other [27:58.760 -> 28:04.160] circuits where tyre deg is higher fundamentally, it will be harder for them as well. Silverstone [28:04.160 -> 28:05.600] is a low deg track, [28:05.600 -> 28:09.960] you can stick to the harder compounds that are working there and McLaren are getting [28:09.960 -> 28:14.120] them to work but if we get to a very high deg track with the high track temperatures, [28:14.120 -> 28:18.920] if they've not overcome that fundamental overheating issue it looks like that's causing their tyre [28:18.920 -> 28:23.320] deg, that's going to be more difficult for them to score those big points all. [28:23.320 -> 28:25.320] Sorry to do tyre tired chat Matt. [28:25.320 -> 28:26.320] I'm dying inside. [28:26.320 -> 28:27.320] What was the alarm you did? [28:27.320 -> 28:28.320] Start the season. [28:28.320 -> 28:29.320] Woo woo woo. [28:29.320 -> 28:31.880] Tired chat, tired chat is going on. [28:31.880 -> 28:36.720] But Bernie, do you not think that some people regretted that soft-tired switch towards the [28:36.720 -> 28:37.720] end? [28:37.720 -> 28:40.120] Because on the radio Hamilton said my rears are done. [28:40.120 -> 28:42.080] He was done. [28:42.080 -> 28:43.560] Two laps towards the end. [28:43.560 -> 28:44.560] Couldn't get Lando. [28:44.560 -> 28:47.160] Lando was safe from the attack from Lewis Hamilton [28:47.160 -> 28:49.120] towards the end, because Lewis's softs were gone. [28:49.120 -> 28:51.400] And it was only because George treated them, you know, [28:51.400 -> 28:54.560] like butter in the first stint, because he needed to, [28:54.560 -> 28:57.060] and everybody was, we were in that sort of dull phase [28:57.060 -> 28:58.800] of time management in the first stint, [28:58.800 -> 29:01.280] while everybody figured out what was going on. [29:02.200 -> 29:03.720] That when they went at it hammer and tongs [29:03.720 -> 29:05.360] towards the end, the soft, [29:05.360 -> 29:07.560] do you think it was the faster at the end [29:07.560 -> 29:09.040] to put the soft on? [29:09.040 -> 29:12.640] I think it's very difficult because we look a lot [29:12.640 -> 29:16.240] at field average degradation and actually we get [29:16.240 -> 29:18.360] quite a range of degradation within that. [29:18.360 -> 29:21.200] So I think on field average, the soft medium [29:21.200 -> 29:23.000] was the correct strategy. [29:23.000 -> 29:26.720] Now that did involve George Russell, as as you mentioned in the first stint managing [29:26.720 -> 29:30.080] and listening to some of their radio comms midway through that first stint. [29:30.080 -> 29:33.120] They're then telling him actually the tyre's a lot better. [29:33.120 -> 29:36.160] You can decrease the management, you can push a little bit harder. [29:36.160 -> 29:39.760] At one point he's told target lap plus 8. [29:39.760 -> 29:44.880] Now 8 laps over the 52 laps of Silverstone is a 15% switch in where they thought they would stop. [29:44.880 -> 29:45.080] So the tyre was performing a lot better than they thought orstone is a 15% switch in where they thought they would stop. [29:45.080 -> 29:47.240] So the tyre was performing a lot better than they thought, [29:47.240 -> 29:49.280] or they could manage it a lot better than they thought. [29:50.120 -> 29:53.200] So I think on the whole, it was the right thing to do. [29:53.200 -> 29:57.520] I think people were looking at McLaren, Norris in particular, [29:57.520 -> 30:00.440] worried that the hard tyre was going to be overcome by the soft. [30:00.800 -> 30:03.440] And potentially Lewis didn't manage to stick the best, [30:03.440 -> 30:05.600] pushing quite hard to try and get Norris initially [30:06.720 -> 30:11.360] overheating his tyres then having a very difficult soft stint. It's all a cycle you know and it's [30:11.360 -> 30:16.640] when you're in the dirty air it's harder etc etc. So I think on free air the soft media was probably [30:16.640 -> 30:21.040] correct which is unusual for Silverstone because normally in Silverstone you need the two harder [30:21.040 -> 30:30.000] combines to make the one-stop race work. So that's maybe a sign that the Pirelli construction is working well or better than expected, combined with the lower [30:30.000 -> 30:36.880] track temperatures. If you look further down the grid, someone like Perez managed to gain positions [30:36.880 -> 30:42.960] over the Ferraris. He stuck to the hard tyres, so you can't just look at the Norris Hamilton example. [30:42.960 -> 30:48.400] I think there was examples further down where the softer tyre definitely benefited compared [30:48.400 -> 30:50.000] to the harder one. [30:50.000 -> 30:57.480] Carlos Lóz Stuy I think on the harder compound versus other drivers that, you know, Perez, [30:57.480 -> 31:01.400] even Leclerc on the medium or soft tyres were fed to take advantage of him in that part [31:01.400 -> 31:02.960] of the race. [31:02.960 -> 31:10.320] Last thing on tyre chat, Matt, everybody was saying before the race, with this new construction, [31:10.320 -> 31:14.160] nobody has done a 52 lap race on these new tyres. [31:14.160 -> 31:15.160] Nobody. [31:15.160 -> 31:16.400] So it was a real trip into the unknown. [31:16.400 -> 31:21.780] There was some tyre jeopardy and a trip into the unknown. [31:21.780 -> 31:25.120] People didn't know how the construction was going to go. [31:25.120 -> 31:33.120] Because it was sort of under the radar, quite a big change, but it worked out well. [31:33.120 -> 31:38.000] I just want to keep going with McLaren and I want to refer back to something that Toto [31:38.000 -> 31:39.200] Wolf said, Ted. [31:39.200 -> 31:41.000] I think this might have even been to you. [31:41.000 -> 31:43.680] He said, there's no silver bullet in Formula One. [31:43.680 -> 31:47.600] We can't just, this was back in May when Mercedes were struggling, he said, you know, we can't just bring an [31:47.600 -> 31:50.560] upgrade, we're not just going to get half a second. [31:50.560 -> 31:56.000] And do you feel like McLaren, Ted, have sort of dispelled Toto Wolff's myth or sort of [31:56.000 -> 31:57.000] thoughts there? [31:57.000 -> 31:58.000] You don't? [31:58.000 -> 32:01.400] No, because this was the McLaren. [32:01.400 -> 32:05.520] Do you remember at the start of the season, McLaren came to the launch and effectively, [32:05.520 -> 32:08.800] immediately after in testing, said, we've messed up here. [32:08.800 -> 32:11.280] This car is not the one we wanted. [32:11.280 -> 32:13.980] We found out probably in about December, January, [32:13.980 -> 32:15.980] that there was something much better in the wind tunnel. [32:15.980 -> 32:17.600] And we're busy making that. [32:17.600 -> 32:21.000] And while we make that, we've got to put up with this [32:21.000 -> 32:22.560] that we know isn't great. [32:22.560 -> 32:28.680] That Mercedes, Mercedes decided that in March and April. [32:28.680 -> 32:30.720] And Mercedes are trying to figure their way out [32:30.720 -> 32:32.600] of getting out of that. [32:32.600 -> 32:34.840] McLaren realized it much earlier that they [32:34.840 -> 32:36.300] were going to have to do a new car. [32:36.300 -> 32:39.480] And this is the, by the summer break and after it, [32:39.480 -> 32:42.520] we will have the entire McLaren new car. [32:42.520 -> 32:44.880] And if that is, for the rest of the balance of the season, [32:44.880 -> 32:49.000] better than the Mercedes, I don't want to come on bodge job I don't want [32:49.000 -> 32:51.920] to be sensationalist and call it a bodge job but it's a it's a compromise let's [32:51.920 -> 32:56.840] call it compromise yeah I take I take bodge job back that it's if it's better [32:56.840 -> 33:01.960] then that proves what what Toto is saying which is true in the regard of [33:01.960 -> 33:06.520] there's no silver bullet to make the Mercedes suddenly great from a compromised concept. [33:06.520 -> 33:11.040] McLaren, who stopped and then started again with a good concept, and that car makes sense [33:11.040 -> 33:15.440] when you look at it, that might end up for the rest of the season being faster. [33:15.440 -> 33:18.160] It's possible being faster than the Mercedes. [33:18.160 -> 33:23.860] And if Aston get some upgrades on there and get back to where they were consistently scoring [33:23.860 -> 33:25.040] podiums for fun, [33:25.040 -> 33:27.840] then they might end up being faster than Mercedes. [33:27.840 -> 33:31.760] But yeah, those three Mercedes-powered teams are going to be really close towards the end of the year. [33:32.800 -> 33:36.000] Yeah. I want to have a word on the drivers then for McLaren as well, [33:36.000 -> 33:40.080] and particularly talk about Piastri, because I think that was a race where he really [33:40.080 -> 33:44.240] proved his worth, Bernie, didn't he? I mean, this is a Formula 3, a Formula 2 champion, [33:44.240 -> 33:45.500] obviously had a year out [33:45.500 -> 33:49.400] But throughout the season he has he's impressed in that [33:49.400 -> 33:51.920] He's been close to Lando and then the fact that this weekend [33:51.980 -> 33:58.120] He was able to stay so close to Lando throughout the race obviously as we said got got slightly stuffed by the safety car [33:58.120 -> 34:01.840] But but he really looks the the real deal doesn't he Oscar Piastri? [34:01.840 -> 34:07.480] Oh, yeah, like I think in those tricky qualifying positions, if we go back to Saturday to qualify [34:07.480 -> 34:12.500] so well, when there's big pressure on, there's a lot of fast-paced decisions being happened [34:12.500 -> 34:18.240] and fundamentally you have to get the lap done at the right time. It's very strong showing [34:18.240 -> 34:26.000] to be so close. And then to line up P3 on the grid at Silverstone or any event is big pressure. [34:26.000 -> 34:29.040] Big pressure in terms of how the car is going to go. [34:29.040 -> 34:33.120] We haven't done, as Ted said, we haven't done 52 laps on these new tyres in this construction [34:33.120 -> 34:34.560] week at work. [34:34.560 -> 34:37.960] So it is big pressure to start in that position and hold on to that position. [34:37.960 -> 34:43.720] And he ran a really good race and was unfortunate to miss out with the safety car, not through [34:43.720 -> 34:46.500] any poor decision or poor driving on his behalf, [34:46.500 -> 34:49.000] just unfortunate timing of the VSC. [34:49.000 -> 34:52.000] I don't think McLaren could have predicted that in any way. [34:52.000 -> 34:55.500] So, really strong showing from him and I think he's starting, [34:55.500 -> 34:59.000] you know, I think there was some comments post-race from Norris saying, [34:59.000 -> 35:01.000] you know, he is pushing him quite hard, [35:01.000 -> 35:05.200] which is, you know, a very, very positive review of Piastri's performance. [35:05.560 -> 35:09.920] And I think we will start to see, as his confidence grows and he goes through [35:09.920 -> 35:14.680] these experiences time and time again, even stronger showings from him. [35:14.680 -> 35:19.120] So McLaren do look to have a very, very strong driver parent. [35:19.120 -> 35:23.400] And if that car can perform in these other events that we've discussed, [35:24.200 -> 35:27.800] then, you know, it's very positive for his first fall season, isn't it? [35:28.720 -> 35:29.880] Yeah. [35:29.880 -> 35:31.680] And Ted, a word on Lando. [35:31.680 -> 35:33.640] There was a sort of quote that came out [35:33.640 -> 35:35.680] in the press conference where he was talking about [35:35.680 -> 35:39.760] watching Lewis and Fernando in 2007 in McLaren's [35:39.760 -> 35:41.440] fight it out at Silverstone. [35:41.440 -> 35:43.360] And you fast forward to this year, [35:43.360 -> 35:44.680] he's battling Lewis Hamilton [35:44.680 -> 35:49.320] in the final few laps at Silverstone. That's a really cool story, isn't it? And what do [35:49.320 -> 35:55.200] you make of Lando's weekend? He seemed genuinely quite sort of thrilled, overwhelmed. What [35:55.200 -> 35:59.840] was your perception on the ground of how he was in and amongst the fans at Silverstone? [35:59.840 -> 36:06.420] Well, two things. First of all, with Lewis and Fernando, two drivers who have very differing [36:06.420 -> 36:17.080] experiences of their McLaren history. They came at it from a different way. Lewis was [36:17.080 -> 36:26.200] genuinely happy to see McLaren back and doing well. Fernando was at the same time genuinely happy to see them back, but saw [36:26.200 -> 36:31.020] more trouble in McLaren. He knows now that McLaren are going to be trouble for Aston [36:31.020 -> 36:37.900] Martin and maybe Lewis felt against what I said earlier about Mercedes might be dropped [36:37.900 -> 36:42.940] by these two. I think Lewis felt, okay, McLaren, you might be good in this high speed, but [36:42.940 -> 36:52.320] we'll get you back over the balance of the season, such as Mercedes' confidence in their race pace, I guess. [36:52.320 -> 36:54.680] But that's for that one. [36:54.680 -> 37:00.480] And when I was leaving the circuit, after I'd done my notebook, I finished up at Aston [37:00.480 -> 37:05.600] Martin and then Fernando came through and gave the McLaren boys a [37:05.600 -> 37:11.680] sort of bravo and a hand clap which I thought was nice. I think [37:11.680 -> 37:18.960] Fernando does still have a sort of soft spot, thinking back to the McLaren, the [37:18.960 -> 37:26.340] way it ended, I think he does have a sort of McLaren soft spot deep in his heart even though it didn't really end up [37:27.480 -> 37:29.480] particularly well [37:29.680 -> 37:32.800] Anyway, that's just one thing and two things the second thing [37:33.600 -> 37:37.840] Lewis definitely has a soft spot for McLaren, and it's you know it's a well [37:38.520 -> 37:46.600] Well felt that he's glad for everybody there Lando of the weekend was just happy to be back in it. [37:46.600 -> 37:49.720] He was glad to see his bucket hats [37:49.720 -> 37:54.720] and his green hoodies in the grandstands, his merch. [37:57.120 -> 38:00.600] And he was feeling the love of everybody in the paddock. [38:00.600 -> 38:02.600] When he was asked for selfies, [38:02.600 -> 38:10.320] would do some sort of funny faces. Some one fan said to me, oh you're not doing a Lando funny selfie face. [38:10.320 -> 38:12.960] I said what was the kind of Lando funny selfie face? [38:12.960 -> 38:16.960] He said, oh he does a kind of blue steel when you ask him for a selfie. [38:16.960 -> 38:19.520] Which I thought was odd. [38:19.520 -> 38:24.320] I don't know whether he was just mixing it up with the selfies. [38:24.320 -> 38:26.800] Yeah, probably had quite a lot to be fair. [38:26.800 -> 38:27.800] Yeah, he does. [38:27.800 -> 38:28.800] Yeah. [38:28.800 -> 38:31.600] And so you can amuse yourself while doing it. [38:31.600 -> 38:36.460] But no, he was just glad to be back in and amongst it and was feeling the love. [38:36.460 -> 38:38.220] Had his family there. [38:38.220 -> 38:42.180] Had his sisters there, I think, as well. [38:42.180 -> 38:43.480] I didn't see Olly, his brother. [38:43.480 -> 38:47.240] He might have been there. But yeah, it was [38:47.240 -> 38:53.160] just a sort of fun weekend, a positive weekend all round. And he was just happy to be at [38:53.160 -> 38:58.600] Silverstone with a car with which he could do something. And getting the podium was just [38:58.600 -> 39:02.720] great. It was just a giggle. You know, I land on the radio afterwards, when he's told P2, [39:02.720 -> 39:05.920] he's just kind of, ah, woo, [39:05.920 -> 39:08.520] it was just that, that summed it up. [39:08.520 -> 39:12.560] Yeah, yeah. He'd be well worth, I mean obviously on Sky now where you can listen to all team [39:12.560 -> 39:17.880] radios across the entire race, he would be well worth listening to for an entire race. [39:17.880 -> 39:22.880] And I think he was, I read he was shouting, Gap, Gap, on the radio to his engineer at [39:22.880 -> 39:28.320] the end when Lewis was on his tail. So yeah, congratulations [39:28.320 -> 39:32.400] to McLaren, congratulations to Lando and Oscar as well, because I think, yeah, a brilliant [39:32.400 -> 39:38.340] race for them. And we will see, won't we, in Hungary, if that success continues. Let's [39:38.340 -> 39:43.980] continue talking about the three slash four Brits in the top five. And George Russell, [39:43.980 -> 39:45.280] because there's a question here from John. [39:45.280 -> 39:47.360] Oscar Piastri is a proud Australian. [39:48.320 -> 39:50.880] Yeah, if you just joined the podcast. Yeah, yeah. [39:53.920 -> 39:58.720] He's got the British, he's got the union flag in his flag. He is a proud Australian. [39:58.720 -> 39:59.680] All right. Okay. Sorry. [39:59.680 -> 40:06.080] Purely from a flag perspective. Yeah. Okay. John on Twitter, and this is for you, Bernie. Would George make [40:06.080 -> 40:11.120] a good strategist because his tyre strategy always seems on point? And we do hear him, [40:11.120 -> 40:15.760] to be fair, on the radio. He's quite involved, I feel, isn't he, during the race? He really wants [40:15.760 -> 40:19.360] to know what's going on. I appreciate he's very hard for you to say whether he'd make a good [40:19.360 -> 40:24.880] strategist, but what's your perception of George and the way he carries himself in that respect? [40:24.880 -> 40:30.400] Yeah, I think it's weird when you listen to a lot of the radio now, a lot of the drivers [40:30.400 -> 40:35.360] are very on top of what's going on strategically, very on top of their own and other strategies. [40:36.000 -> 40:40.240] Whereas maybe, you know, previously a lot of drivers weren't necessarily always paying [40:40.240 -> 40:45.520] attention to the strategy meeting. But now they realise that that midfield, it's not midfield [40:45.520 -> 40:53.760] it's the second to the fifth field, is so tight that these small small differences in stop lap [40:53.760 -> 40:58.160] make quite a big difference and I thought it was really interesting for Mercedes and now as [40:58.160 -> 41:03.120] outsiders we don't know where it came from but they were one of the few teams to split the cars [41:03.120 -> 41:05.440] between the soft and the medium start tyre. [41:05.440 -> 41:11.200] George was a bit of an outlier starting on the soft and they had more work to do in that first [41:11.200 -> 41:16.800] stint in order to make that work. Now it was a very smart move from Mercedes or George, [41:16.800 -> 41:21.920] again we don't know which, but a very smart move in that they had feedback on both tyres, [41:21.920 -> 41:30.640] one of the few teams that had direct feedback on how both of those tyres were going to influence both strategies going forward. So it allowed Lewis to extend to [41:30.640 -> 41:36.640] fit the soft tyre at the end and it allowed George to fit the medium tyre second. So they had all of [41:36.640 -> 41:41.680] the information available even though they were in traffic. So as a strategist when you're watching [41:41.680 -> 41:45.000] the race and both Mercedes were very close behind both Ferraris, [41:45.000 -> 41:49.000] it's very hard to get a read on their degradation or their pace [41:49.000 -> 41:56.000] because they're in traffic the whole time, so you're actually reading Ferrari's degradation and Ferrari's pace, you're not reading theirs. [41:56.000 -> 42:00.000] So they had some information that were not available to the remainder of the field [42:00.000 -> 42:03.000] until they got in free air when the Ferrari pitted. [42:03.000 -> 42:05.840] So, and you know, George's feedback at that point [42:05.840 -> 42:08.520] was very much, these tyres are still good, [42:08.520 -> 42:10.960] I think we can extend, let's, you know, [42:10.960 -> 42:13.200] even to the point of saying, well, [42:13.200 -> 42:14.120] why are we stopping? [42:14.120 -> 42:16.040] And he was told, I think, that they're stopping [42:16.040 -> 42:19.200] because of optimum stop laps, not because of traffic. [42:19.200 -> 42:23.260] And at one point, he said, and I think this is a good mark [42:23.260 -> 42:26.240] of George, he's been given the positions [42:26.240 -> 42:30.800] to Ferrari or the pit window gap to Ferrari and he actually says I'm not [42:30.800 -> 42:34.480] interested in looking backwards, I'm interested in looking forwards. What are [42:34.480 -> 42:40.360] my gaps to McLaren? Where are McLaren? How are we beating McLaren? And that [42:40.360 -> 42:44.480] fundamentally changes a bit the thought process or at least his thought process [42:44.480 -> 42:47.000] is very clear to the pit wall that he's interested. [42:47.000 -> 42:52.800] He's not worried about undercutting Ferrari. He's worried about getting his best strategy in order. [42:52.800 -> 43:01.800] And that's good understanding from George and I think that is someone who has spent a lot of time looking at the data he's been presented by the strategy team on a Friday or a Saturday night. [43:01.800 -> 43:09.120] They had some good log runs on Friday as well. They were one of the few teams that ran the hard tyre as well in P1 which isn't [43:09.120 -> 43:12.680] that useful from a strategy point of view but it is good for driver feeling. [43:12.680 -> 43:18.000] So I think yeah there's a lot of intellect going on in the background [43:18.000 -> 43:22.640] there in order to draw, he knows the information that the pit wall want from [43:22.640 -> 43:26.760] him and he's given that information in a very clear, concise way. [43:26.760 -> 43:29.560] So a good strategist, I can't comment. [43:29.560 -> 43:32.400] But a good member of the strategy team [43:32.400 -> 43:35.200] through his driving and his feedback, yes, Dash Valley. [43:35.200 -> 43:36.240] Mm. [43:36.240 -> 43:38.920] Do you see any of that, Ted, when he went up in the typhoon? [43:38.920 -> 43:43.160] Could you see him calculating or working through, [43:43.160 -> 43:45.520] perhaps a slightly different way to how others [43:45.520 -> 43:49.520] might approach it. Yeah, well, we were just trying to keep our lunch down. Yeah, no, no, no, I did [43:49.520 -> 43:56.800] actually, because what we both realized in that RAF Typhoon piece was that that aircraft is such [43:56.800 -> 44:04.080] a capable machine, that it's very, very easy for the aircraft to be kind of, you know, thinking [44:06.120 -> 44:10.900] very easy for the aircraft to be kind of, you know, thinking, an aircraft at this level and thinking, come on pilot, you know, you're not even at my level. [44:10.900 -> 44:14.600] And there's so much capacity the pilot needs to have and to think about it. [44:14.600 -> 44:19.080] And for the pilot to actually be able to do that, fly it, have the physical resistance, [44:19.080 -> 44:24.320] the physical G sensations and all of that, to be at the same level as the aircraft, that [44:24.320 -> 44:26.120] is when, that's where you need to be. [44:26.120 -> 44:28.560] And, you know, George and I were kind of here [44:28.560 -> 44:30.280] when we were flying the plane, [44:30.280 -> 44:31.600] which we were flying the aircraft. [44:31.600 -> 44:33.700] We were kind of able to do that, look around, [44:33.700 -> 44:35.680] see what's going on, get the picture. [44:35.680 -> 44:38.120] But group captain Billy Cooper and flight lieutenant [44:38.120 -> 44:39.800] Matt Brighty, who were the pilots, [44:39.800 -> 44:42.020] they were at the same level as their aircraft. [44:42.020 -> 44:44.560] They were completely at ease with their aircraft [44:44.560 -> 44:47.680] and able to think about everybody else. Looking at the radar, [44:47.680 -> 44:52.320] looking where they were in the, you know, over the land or the sea, thinking [44:52.320 -> 44:56.600] about all of these pictures, what happens if we have a engine problem or a [44:56.600 -> 45:00.280] hydraulic problem, if we need to eject now, where's the latest [45:00.280 -> 45:04.320] search-and-rescue helicopter, and it's exactly the same. And we were being, George [45:04.320 -> 45:08.100] and I were overloaded, but those pilots were not and George is never [45:08.100 -> 45:13.360] overloaded he gets the picture of what actually what's going on but yeah nice [45:13.360 -> 45:18.440] nice segue back into the typhoon piece did you like it yeah really interesting [45:18.440 -> 45:22.720] insight really interesting insight from from George and let's move on talk about [45:22.720 -> 45:25.760] Red Bull we mentioned at at the top their records. [45:25.760 -> 45:29.840] Honestly, every week we come on the podcast and there's just a new record that they're [45:29.840 -> 45:38.000] broken or equaled. But Red Bull now tie McLaren's all-time record of 11 consecutive wins. That's [45:38.000 -> 45:48.280] from 1988. It's probably going to be surpassed, let's say that, in Hungary. Verstappen's also achieved the eighth hat-trick weekend of his career, so a hat-trick is the [45:48.280 -> 45:54.120] win, the pole, and the fastest lap. That ties him with Alain Prost and Seb Vettel for fifth [45:54.120 -> 45:56.280] in the all-time list. [45:56.280 -> 46:03.760] But, what's the real story this weekend? Perez. And his, I mean, from my perspective, [46:03.760 -> 46:07.620] the last five races he's not made it into Q3. [46:07.620 -> 46:09.860] And Bernie, do you think he leaves himself [46:09.860 -> 46:12.280] too much to do in the race at the moment? [46:12.280 -> 46:15.600] And that's why we're not seeing him perform at his best. [46:16.700 -> 46:18.800] 100% there's too much to do in the race [46:18.800 -> 46:23.180] starting from not getting out of Q1, that's guaranteed. [46:23.180 -> 46:25.680] I think some of it, you know, this week [46:25.680 -> 46:31.640] needs to be more, it's easy for us from the outside to say, the check was not [46:31.640 -> 46:35.760] made out of Q1 for five weeks in a row or whatever it is now. It's easy to look [46:35.760 -> 46:39.720] at that and say why is that happening, you know, is he not performing as a [46:39.720 -> 46:47.120] driver. This week, from what I could see, there's a discrepancy between the strategy [46:47.120 -> 46:53.260] team and the driver. So, on those conditions, improving conditions, to be the first person [46:53.260 -> 46:57.640] to finish a lap, I think when he first crossed the line he showed up in P1 or P2 was that [46:57.640 -> 47:01.800] lap that he did, and then it just tumbles from there. The lap times are tumbling really, [47:01.800 -> 47:10.400] really quite dramatically, which is what always happens in those types of conditions. So, if you have a driver that has struggled to get out of Q1, [47:11.200 -> 47:15.040] disregarding the fact that the car is by far the fastest car on track, so it should be [47:15.600 -> 47:20.640] easy to get out of Q1, you've got to give them the best possible chance of doing that, [47:20.640 -> 47:25.120] and that fundamentally is being the last car on track in those conditions. [47:25.120 -> 47:28.560] I think he queued at the end of the pit lane for a long time as well. So there's a few [47:28.560 -> 47:35.160] things there that go together that say he should have through, you know, partially through [47:35.160 -> 47:39.040] his driving because the car is the fastest car that's out there, but partially through [47:39.040 -> 47:46.600] the position on track it should be much easier in this example to progress through Q1. [47:46.600 -> 47:50.160] So yes he is leaving himself a lot of work to do. I think historically Tachko has not [47:50.160 -> 47:55.880] been the best qualifier. He has been more suited to race, making the tyres work, managing [47:55.880 -> 47:59.960] whatever strategy he's done. So there's a combination of things that need to come now. [47:59.960 -> 48:04.280] There have been races, you know Monaco was clearly the shunt not getting through, but [48:04.280 -> 48:08.940] there have been races since that that haven't been so clear-cut and all of [48:08.940 -> 48:12.420] that needs to come together and we don't know where the communication has broken [48:12.420 -> 48:18.360] down there, we don't know what's going on in Silverstone Q1 but you need to be [48:18.360 -> 48:29.240] with the fastest car as a team, you need to be progressing through Q1 every week. So, and there's often this, [48:29.240 -> 48:34.420] teams sometimes get wrapped up in the C events sets for Q3 or whatever, your first priority [48:34.420 -> 48:40.060] is to go through Q1. And that's the bit they need to, you know, next week. In Hungary it's [48:40.060 -> 48:49.120] much, much more difficult for overtaking. You need to go through Q1. And that needs to be the priority in qualifying [48:49.120 -> 48:52.400] and worry about the Q3 position at another point. [48:54.280 -> 48:56.920] Because it's shocking statistic [48:58.040 -> 49:00.340] to have not gone through Q1 so much [49:00.340 -> 49:02.760] in what is clearly the fastest car on track. [49:02.760 -> 49:04.320] Yeah, I must say at the time, Matt, [49:04.320 -> 49:06.320] I wondered whether it was a team mistake. [49:06.320 -> 49:11.440] I looked at it and I wondered whether, you know, they were so sort of [49:11.440 -> 49:17.600] predelicted on, okay, Checo, let's not mess this up. [49:17.600 -> 49:21.680] Again, let's go out early, let's get our laps done, [49:21.680 -> 49:28.780] let's be the first one out of the pit lane, sitting in the pit lane for six or seven minutes, you know, let's do that okay and then we'll be good. [49:28.780 -> 49:34.880] And then there was like this other sort of, yeah but you know, drying track needs [49:34.880 -> 49:39.420] to be, and they'd like shut up drying track, you know, we need to be early on, [49:39.420 -> 49:43.660] we've got a plan here, we've got a plan here, don't you tell me about drying [49:43.660 -> 49:46.320] track, you need to be out of the last person." [49:46.320 -> 49:51.600] And when he wasn't out, and what I don't know is whether having done that lap that Bernie [49:51.600 -> 49:58.560] said that put him P1 or P2, whether he had the opportunity, the tyre and the battery [49:58.560 -> 50:04.520] to go back and do another one at the end and the time, or whether he'd run out of time, [50:04.520 -> 50:10.240] didn't have the battery or the tyres to do another one at the end and the time or whether he'd run out of time, didn't have the battery or the tyres to do another one at the end. And if he didn't, then that is [50:10.240 -> 50:15.360] a team mistake and Checo was very nice in covering for his team, if that's the case, [50:15.360 -> 50:20.800] because I didn't hear any word from Checo afterwards saying, we messed up, rather than, [50:20.800 -> 50:30.840] you know, it was just, well, I didn't get it, you know, the best run on it. So it is to Checo's credit as a team player to sort of cover for a team mistake if it [50:30.840 -> 50:36.040] was that, but if he didn't manage to get the last lap together because, you know, he made [50:36.040 -> 50:40.000] a mistake or went off or whatever, then it's sort of 50-50. [50:40.000 -> 50:44.960] But yeah, he just needs, it's like David Coulthard once told me about this, about, you know, [50:44.960 -> 50:49.400] when you're having a run of bad performance in qualifying, you go into qualifying, don't [50:49.400 -> 50:51.080] mess it up, don't mess it up, don't mess it up. [50:51.080 -> 50:52.080] Oh, I messed it up. [50:52.080 -> 50:55.200] You know, and then the pressure just builds weekend by weekend. [50:55.200 -> 51:00.600] But I really hope for his sake, he gets himself out of what I called, I think on the weekend, [51:00.600 -> 51:01.600] a pickle. [51:01.600 -> 51:08.620] I think just to add to that, Ted, it's always really difficult, you know, on the pit wall [51:08.620 -> 51:10.520] to defend it a little bit. [51:10.520 -> 51:14.540] You've got the dry and track and you will guarantee you have something in your head [51:14.540 -> 51:17.880] saying what if there's another red flag? [51:17.880 -> 51:21.280] We just need the lap on the board because at that stage I think they weren't through [51:21.280 -> 51:28.000] before he put that final lap on. So you're trying to, you've got this risk reward of [51:28.000 -> 51:32.000] we need a lap in case someone else causes another red flag [51:32.000 -> 51:36.000] versus we need the lap at the end because we know that's going to be the best track condition [51:36.000 -> 51:40.000] and they may have just underestimated how much the track would improve [51:40.000 -> 51:44.000] through those three minutes. [51:44.000 -> 51:45.600] It's a really difficult to do it [51:45.600 -> 51:48.320] when you're out effectively. [51:49.880 -> 51:51.280] Do you think, Ted, that, I mean, [51:51.280 -> 51:52.560] we've got two races now, haven't we, [51:52.560 -> 51:53.640] before the summer break? [51:53.640 -> 51:55.240] We've got Hungary and then Belgium, [51:55.240 -> 51:56.640] then we've got the summer break. [51:56.640 -> 51:59.320] So do you think it's two races [51:59.320 -> 52:01.320] to put in two good performances [52:01.320 -> 52:03.840] and prove that he should have that second seat? [52:03.840 -> 52:06.920] Or, you know, I mean, that second seat. We'll talk about Alex [52:06.920 -> 52:11.680] Albon in a bit, but Helmut Marko, he's been wandering around the paddock and saying things [52:11.680 -> 52:19.200] like, I've got it here. Unfortunately, Alex is tied to Williams until the end of 2025. [52:19.200 -> 52:22.520] We're entering that season, aren't we? Silly season, where things are just starting to [52:22.520 -> 52:28.880] be talked about and moved around? Oh I don't buy it, I don't buy this, you know, it's only four races [52:28.880 -> 52:31.360] ago we were talking about Checo challenging for the championship, just [52:31.360 -> 52:33.500] because he's going through a rough patch I don't think he's going to get, he's not [52:33.500 -> 52:37.800] going anywhere for next year, Liam Lawson's not ready, Daniel Ricciardo is [52:37.800 -> 52:43.100] not coming back, Alex Albon I think would be well advised to stay where he is and [52:43.100 -> 52:49.080] Helmut Marko doesn't really want him back it seems from that that quote you say so I don't think anyone's talking [52:49.080 -> 52:52.560] about Checo being replaced next year it doesn't make sense it's it's good it [52:52.560 -> 52:57.800] caused Red Bull a problem when Checo was up there taking points off Max and Max [52:57.800 -> 53:02.480] was you know furious about or angry about it or disappointed about it you [53:02.480 -> 53:05.760] know it was that was a problem now they don't have that problem. They just have to get, [53:05.760 -> 53:07.520] and they're going to win the Constructors' Championship [53:07.520 -> 53:10.920] anyway, with all Max's points. [53:10.920 -> 53:13.000] And Max is going to win the World Championship, [53:13.000 -> 53:13.840] Drivers' Championship. [53:13.840 -> 53:15.520] So where's the problem? [53:17.000 -> 53:17.840] Dream scenario. [53:17.840 -> 53:19.200] Dream scenario for Red Bull. [53:20.840 -> 53:22.120] Seeing as we mentioned Alex Albon, [53:22.120 -> 53:23.520] I think we should chat about him. [53:23.520 -> 53:29.400] And he's secured now all of William's 11 points in the Constructors' Championships. It's been a really good season [53:29.400 -> 53:34.720] for him. I guess, Teb, when you consider where they were last year, they finished on 8 points [53:34.720 -> 53:39.680] in the Championship in 2022. They're now on 11. There's clear signs of progress, aren't [53:39.680 -> 53:53.000] there, at Williams, and Alex is leading the charge. Yes, so only the 36th to go before they beat Alpine for 6th but that is possible I guess [53:53.000 -> 53:56.180] if Alpine really have a terrible rest of the season. [53:56.180 -> 54:03.840] But yes, to be up from last to 7th in the Constructors is good going at the moment and [54:03.840 -> 54:06.160] we'll probably see the season off very well [54:06.160 -> 54:08.160] for Williams. [54:08.160 -> 54:12.240] And Alex Albon is, as James Vowles said, the perfect driver for them. [54:12.240 -> 54:17.840] Yes, Logan Sargent does need to start scoring some points there, but he has had this weekend, [54:17.840 -> 54:21.960] the first time I've really heard James Vowles come out and say, Logan is doing what we want [54:21.960 -> 54:22.960] him to do. [54:22.960 -> 54:28.720] You know, he is developing as a nice little racing driver here and we think we have got a good one and [54:28.720 -> 54:30.720] he is going to start scoring some points. [54:30.720 -> 54:35.520] At least Williams are giving him that motivation and security which is more than you can say [54:35.520 -> 54:41.760] for helmet Mr Motivator Marco and what he wants Nick de Vries to do, the other guy who [54:41.760 -> 54:43.520] hasn't scored any points. [54:43.520 -> 54:46.200] James Vows is going about it the right way. [54:46.200 -> 54:52.120] Logan Sargent had his best weekend in Formula 1 so far with a P11 and I guess it's more [54:52.120 -> 54:56.280] of a, you know, only a matter of time before Logan scores points. [54:56.280 -> 54:59.680] You'd have to say he's more likely to score points before Nick De Vries does, the way [54:59.680 -> 55:04.400] things are going at AlphaTauri, with an upgrade which showed absolutely no signs of having [55:04.400 -> 55:05.920] any pace, [55:05.920 -> 55:08.480] adding any pace to the car whatsoever. [55:08.480 -> 55:12.480] But yeah, to answer your question, as for Alex Albon, I think he'll stay where he is [55:12.480 -> 55:16.000] and he had a great weekend, another great weekend and he's happy doing it. [55:16.000 -> 55:21.480] I don't know, Bernie, what's your view on the sort of Albon-Sargent dynamic? [55:21.480 -> 55:24.880] Yeah, I totally agree with everything you said. [55:24.880 -> 55:25.640] I think they are coming together said I think Ted they are [55:25.640 -> 55:29.760] coming together as a team and they maybe see this as a build year to something [55:29.760 -> 55:33.440] better next year and therefore developing the driver that you have in [55:33.440 -> 55:37.020] the car giving them the confidence you know Sargent's gonna have some good [55:37.020 -> 55:41.880] overlays against Alvon to learn from and if they can build as a team and work [55:41.880 -> 55:47.720] together and it seems like James is putting the right steps in place to get that to happen then it's about building the [55:47.720 -> 55:51.400] strength for next year and if they can finish this year in P7 that's massive [55:51.400 -> 55:55.160] you know way more than I think they expect to go on into the season. Let's [55:55.160 -> 55:59.360] see if they can hold on to that because there are cars that are faster behind [55:59.360 -> 56:05.320] you would think or should be faster but they've done very well. Alex has outperformed the [56:05.320 -> 56:12.420] car on the events that he scored big points. So it's going to be, it's nice to see them [56:12.420 -> 56:15.920] working so well together and it's nice to see the sort of positive attitude there from [56:15.920 -> 56:16.920] James. [56:16.920 -> 56:21.240] Yeah, we will see what happens to Williams for the rest of the season, but definitely [56:21.240 -> 56:26.160] moving in the right direction. So final team, just to check off from Silverstone, [56:26.160 -> 56:27.460] and that's Ferrari, I think, [56:27.460 -> 56:30.740] because a really disappointing weekend for them. [56:30.740 -> 56:33.280] Leclerc finishing in P9, Sainz in P10, [56:33.280 -> 56:36.720] especially when you consider they started P4 and P5, [56:36.720 -> 56:40.180] and it marks a whole year since their last victory, [56:40.180 -> 56:41.480] which was at the British Grand Prix, [56:41.480 -> 56:43.640] where Sainz, of course, won from pole. [56:44.520 -> 56:48.720] Ted, where do you think Ferrari are at? I mean, you and your notebook yesterday were kind of, [56:48.720 -> 56:54.720] you were putting over the teams, you know, one by one that they're behind. And do you still think [56:54.720 -> 57:00.880] they're behind Mercedes, behind McLaren now, and maybe behind also Aston as well? You still think? [57:00.880 -> 57:11.760] Yeah, they were at Silverstone. There's no denying that. Fred Vasseur was, I tried to sort of, you know, after qualifying I said to Fred [57:11.760 -> 57:16.400] Vasseur, well that's more like it, and he was yeah you know I think so, and then [57:16.400 -> 57:21.360] after the race he was kind of, you know, we've got to do better than this. We were [57:21.360 -> 57:25.320] too conservative on the tyre choices, we were too conservative [57:25.320 -> 57:30.320] on thinking that we needed to go and be the first to pit. I think they were thinking, [57:30.320 -> 57:33.480] oh, you know, everyone's going to react and follow us into the pits. They didn't. And [57:33.480 -> 57:37.640] we're left there looking like, you know, the last bottle of champagne at a wedding. The [57:37.640 -> 57:42.240] only people pitting and everyone's like, come on, respond, respond. It's like, no, everyone's [57:42.240 -> 57:48.960] like, nah, you're right, Ferrari. You know, don't think we'll pit early a little bit early for us. And then missed of course the safety car. Ferrari couldn't have [57:48.960 -> 57:56.760] known that there was going to be a safety car. But Alonso, Lewis, Lando, they all lucked [57:56.760 -> 58:02.360] in to a cheap, not lucked in, they waited out and played the game right and got a really [58:02.360 -> 58:05.640] cheap race time safety car pit stop which [58:05.640 -> 58:09.220] transformed their strategy. So yes Ferrari were unlucky with that but they [58:09.220 -> 58:14.300] made their own luck in needing to go too early. They went too conservative on the [58:14.300 -> 58:18.720] tyres. There doesn't seem to be huge sort of high speed pace there. [58:18.720 -> 58:23.400] Charles Leclerc was seemed to be more excited about going to Wimbledon the day [58:23.400 -> 58:25.180] after than than really anything [58:25.180 -> 58:31.560] I saw over the weekend. But, you know, I still go to every race with high hopes that Ferrari [58:31.560 -> 58:36.600] are going to have a good weekend. But if you think about them building for a championship, [58:36.600 -> 58:39.560] and you look at last year and you think, okay, they're getting all these mistakes out of [58:39.560 -> 58:48.680] their system. Well, they're still getting the mistakes out of their system, aren't they? That is not looking like a car that's transformed. [58:48.680 -> 58:53.080] We know it's not as nice a car to drive as last year's. [58:53.080 -> 58:59.160] So I don't know, another year in learning for Ferrari, can they go back to a car like [58:59.160 -> 59:01.480] last year's, which is just nice to drive? [59:01.480 -> 59:09.800] Because they've got such good drivers that you've just got to give them the equipment. Bernie, are there glimmers of hope? [59:09.800 -> 59:15.040] Where do you see the, your face maybe says it all there, but where do you see the, you [59:15.040 -> 59:20.200] know, if you were in the Ferrari team right now, how far ahead would you be looking to [59:20.200 -> 59:22.120] start seeing improved performance? [59:22.120 -> 59:25.920] Well, it's weird because qualifying showed that [59:25.920 -> 59:32.320] that car at Silverstone is good, at least in the qualifying conditions. So to come away from [59:32.320 -> 59:39.440] qualifying in P4, P5 and be beaten in the race by Alex Albon, who we've just discussed. Yes, [59:39.440 -> 59:48.400] Albon got the VSC, but for a Ferrari to be beaten by a Williams in Silverstone is borderline unacceptable [59:49.040 -> 59:55.440] from a team performance side. Now the glimmers of hope I think was Canada. The strategy in Canada [59:55.440 -> 01:00:00.160] was very very strong to stay out under the safety car, get the track position, really did well there [01:00:00.720 -> 01:00:08.960] and this weekend I sort of was trying to go through it a little bit and they stuck. They were one of the few teams along with McLaren who stuck to [01:00:08.960 -> 01:00:13.400] the medium hard strategy despite evidence showing throughout the race [01:00:13.400 -> 01:00:17.120] that probably the medium soft strategy in terms of lower degradation was better. [01:00:17.120 -> 01:00:23.000] And I tried to find reasons from my strategy head as to why, why did they [01:00:23.000 -> 01:00:26.960] stick so strongly to that strategy. [01:00:26.960 -> 01:00:31.480] And there was a few contributing factors for me. So one is, Neclair didn't do any running [01:00:31.480 -> 01:00:36.160] on Friday in FP2 session, so they had no long run data. They were down to one car getting [01:00:36.160 -> 01:00:43.380] long run data on new construction. And instantly on Friday for Carlos was very high degradation [01:00:43.380 -> 01:00:50.560] on the soft when you compare it to someone like Mercedes. So I think we've spoken many, many times in the past about [01:00:50.560 -> 01:00:54.880] this high deg that Ferrari seemed to be carrying and that was evident on Friday and that maybe [01:00:54.880 -> 01:01:00.480] scared them away from the softer compounds in the race despite evidence from others that [01:01:00.480 -> 01:01:06.600] were fit to control that deg. They were also worried about both Ferraris [01:01:06.600 -> 01:01:10.160] were running with both Mercedes directly behind. [01:01:10.160 -> 01:01:12.040] And at one point they're giving them the gap [01:01:12.040 -> 01:01:14.640] to the car behind and trying to say, [01:01:14.640 -> 01:01:16.120] you need to maintain this gap [01:01:16.120 -> 01:01:18.120] in order to be free from undercut risk. [01:01:18.120 -> 01:01:21.360] So they were very concerned about being undercut [01:01:21.360 -> 01:01:23.960] by both Mercedes, which I think is why [01:01:23.960 -> 01:01:26.800] they forced the clerk in particular to go early [01:01:26.800 -> 01:01:32.160] and that forces a hard tyre because you have a longer stint to do. So there's a few little knock [01:01:32.160 -> 01:01:36.240] on things there and then it's just in a few laps into that hard stint Leclerc actually says [01:01:36.240 -> 01:01:40.160] I think we've gone too early guys and I think it was a bit obvious at that point that they had gone [01:01:40.160 -> 01:01:48.240] too early when nobody like Ted is saying saying, is covering the situation. And then they're forced under the safety car to box again because they've already [01:01:48.440 -> 01:01:52.880] done 14 laps on these hard tyres. So that just compounded the issue for Leclerc. [01:01:53.080 -> 01:01:57.640] But Silverstone historically has a very high risk of safety car. [01:01:57.840 -> 01:02:00.240] So you need to be open to the possibility [01:02:00.240 -> 01:02:02.480] of a safety car coming at some point in the race. [01:02:02.480 -> 01:02:05.040] And you need to be ready or in your best position for that. [01:02:05.440 -> 01:02:10.240] So I can see why on the pit wall the nerves of the undercut from Mercedes came. [01:02:11.560 -> 01:02:15.120] Particularly with Russell and Sauf that you think is going to box early onto a hard tyre. [01:02:15.920 -> 01:02:23.040] But they missed what others picked up on that the deck was much lower with the lower track temperature than it had been on Friday. [01:02:23.400 -> 01:02:26.880] Now maybe for them if they'd fitted a us off the deck would have been too high. [01:02:26.880 -> 01:02:29.600] Maybe they just cannot control that soft tyre. [01:02:29.600 -> 01:02:34.320] Not clear but they did, you know, it's easy in hindsight. [01:02:34.320 -> 01:02:39.600] Definitely went too early and then weren't fit to benefit but [01:02:39.600 -> 01:02:43.040] they will be disappointed. The entire team will be disappointed to come away [01:02:43.040 -> 01:02:50.440] from a reasonably strong qualifying for them. And you know, be it P9 and P10 in the race is [01:02:50.440 -> 01:02:56.400] reasonably poor, but it doesn't feel like the car as a package is poor, it just [01:02:56.400 -> 01:03:01.160] feels like the networking of the team around it and it always sort of feels to [01:03:01.160 -> 01:03:05.480] me like the communication within it to get the decisions [01:03:05.480 -> 01:03:06.480] made quickly. [01:03:06.480 -> 01:03:12.160] We've seen time and time again on the pit wall questions being asked of drivers, uncertainty [01:03:12.160 -> 01:03:14.080] in decisions being made. [01:03:14.080 -> 01:03:17.840] And I don't think it's that fundamentally the strategy team are poor or I don't think [01:03:17.840 -> 01:03:20.760] that fundamentally any of the engineering team are poor. [01:03:20.760 -> 01:03:25.560] I think it's that as a group, they're not making decisions quickly enough. [01:03:25.560 -> 01:03:29.160] It feels like there's too much checking someone's opinion [01:03:29.160 -> 01:03:32.800] or getting authority to do something or getting approval [01:03:32.800 -> 01:03:35.640] or a discussion about what we're doing is right or wrong. [01:03:35.640 -> 01:03:39.200] It feels like almost, and I don't know, [01:03:39.200 -> 01:03:41.880] it feels like the strategy team haven't enough authority [01:03:41.880 -> 01:03:44.100] to just make a call and make it stick, [01:03:44.100 -> 01:03:48.360] that there's too much discussion as to whether the strategy team are right or [01:03:48.360 -> 01:03:54.320] not. I don't know. It's surmising from the outside the uncertainty and the calls [01:03:54.320 -> 01:03:58.440] that are sometimes made. Well it's because the drivers so often [01:03:58.440 -> 01:04:01.360] sort of second-guess it and then sometimes contradict it and do exactly [01:04:01.360 -> 01:04:05.600] the opposite so yeah they still need that sort of to mature don't they? [01:04:05.600 -> 01:04:08.160] Well at least Charles was at Wimbledon wasn't he? [01:04:08.160 -> 01:04:10.080] I could drown his story, he was on Centre Court. [01:04:10.080 -> 01:04:11.080] Him and Arthur. [01:04:11.080 -> 01:04:13.800] In front of, yes, him and Arthur. Pierre was there as well. [01:04:13.800 -> 01:04:15.320] Yeah, they all look great didn't they? [01:04:15.320 -> 01:04:17.640] And Wimbledon's a brilliant place to be. [01:04:17.640 -> 01:04:23.120] Although you can tell Pierre's struggles with the old racing driver neck. [01:04:23.120 -> 01:04:28.160] Did you see that he couldn't get the shirt done up to get the tie? Maybe it was a fashion thing. [01:04:28.160 -> 01:04:31.960] Hey, who am I to speak? Maybe it was a fashion thing. The tie wouldn't [01:04:31.960 -> 01:04:37.560] go up past the size 18 neck. Oh I didn't see that. I'll have to have a look. [01:04:37.560 -> 01:04:44.160] Charles was of course two buttons over. Yeah, looked great. Yes, looked great. [01:04:44.160 -> 01:04:47.000] Okay that sort of concludes I think Silverstone. [01:04:47.000 -> 01:04:49.000] Oh, we haven't talked about Fernando Alonso. [01:04:49.000 -> 01:04:50.000] Oh, sorry. [01:04:50.000 -> 01:04:55.000] Can I just say that Fernando Alonso, you know, in his well done McLaren, [01:04:55.000 -> 01:05:03.000] that was his equal worst result of the year, which is a lowly six points and seventh, same as Spain. [01:05:03.000 -> 01:05:07.060] But don't count him out. There was a very particular thing [01:05:07.060 -> 01:05:09.440] about the Aston Martin this weekend [01:05:09.440 -> 01:05:12.120] that I like to call neither fish nor fowl. [01:05:12.120 -> 01:05:16.600] When the circuit demands the slow stuff [01:05:16.600 -> 01:05:19.080] through the sort of Luffield, Brooklands, you know, [01:05:19.080 -> 01:05:22.380] wood coat, and the rest of it is really quick, [01:05:22.380 -> 01:05:23.920] the Aston just couldn't cope. [01:05:23.920 -> 01:05:24.760] It couldn't cope. [01:05:24.760 -> 01:05:27.280] It was like, ugh, quick stuff, slow stuff. [01:05:27.280 -> 01:05:28.800] Ugh, what do I do? [01:05:28.800 -> 01:05:31.120] And maybe they could have taken some wing off, [01:05:31.120 -> 01:05:35.000] maybe in post-race analysis, Aston will think, [01:05:35.000 -> 01:05:35.840] do you know what? [01:05:35.840 -> 01:05:38.120] We tried to cover both the slow stuff and the fast stuff, [01:05:38.120 -> 01:05:39.240] didn't really work. [01:05:39.240 -> 01:05:40.240] Tom McCulloch said, [01:05:40.240 -> 01:05:43.120] we knew it wasn't gonna be the best weekend for us. [01:05:43.120 -> 01:05:45.120] But yeah, don't count out [01:05:45.120 -> 01:05:49.260] Fernando, don't think that they're beaten because they will be back on it, back on [01:05:49.260 -> 01:05:54.300] the podium, possibly even with a chance to win in Budapest. Big prediction for [01:05:54.300 -> 01:05:58.000] you there. Sorry, go on Matthew. What do you think Bernie? [01:05:58.000 -> 01:06:01.520] Signs, right? It sounds like you really know your stuff. You've had some insider [01:06:01.520 -> 01:06:07.600] information there haven't you? I just thought it was interesting how, I mean what is that when you have a circuit, [01:06:08.240 -> 01:06:13.040] could they not have taken some wing off do you think and just gone, you know, Fernando just try [01:06:13.040 -> 01:06:17.200] and stay with it in the low speed stuff? I mean Lance had his own issues with Pierre Gasly and [01:06:17.200 -> 01:06:25.060] all of that but... I think when you're taking wing off particularly you're helping the straight line speed, but potentially you're [01:06:25.060 -> 01:06:32.380] not helping the high speed because you're sliding more in the high speed and therefore [01:06:32.380 -> 01:06:36.980] potentially leading to higher degradation. So there's always a very delicate balance [01:06:36.980 -> 01:06:42.700] to be placed and Silverstone is one of those circuits that does demand, like you say, a [01:06:42.700 -> 01:06:47.040] balance of all of the contributing factors to get it exactly right. [01:06:49.360 -> 01:06:50.960] Right, sorry, Matthew, back to where you were. [01:06:51.520 -> 01:06:53.920] No, no, it's very interesting. I mean, yeah, [01:06:56.560 -> 01:07:01.200] I'm sure they'll be banging their heads together at Aston Martin and working out that. And yeah, [01:07:01.200 -> 01:07:06.080] moving forward, we'll see if your prediction comes right, Ted. Podium in Hungary. I think that's what you said. [01:07:06.080 -> 01:07:07.960] I'm going to go with Podium in Hungary. [01:07:07.960 -> 01:07:11.680] Right, yeah, just want to finish by talking about the film that was being recorded [01:07:11.680 -> 01:07:13.880] this weekend at Silverstone. [01:07:13.880 -> 01:07:15.000] Recorded, yeah. [01:07:15.000 -> 01:07:16.880] Maybe film. The film that was being filmed. [01:07:16.880 -> 01:07:20.680] Sorry, darling, I'm recording a film this weekend. [01:07:20.680 -> 01:07:24.280] So Matt hasn't worked in the film industry. [01:07:24.280 -> 01:07:26.640] But yeah, this was really exciting, wasn't it? [01:07:26.640 -> 01:07:33.560] I mean, we saw Brad Pitt on the grid, in and amongst it, as an actor, being filmed for [01:07:33.560 -> 01:07:35.440] the film, not recorded. [01:07:35.440 -> 01:07:36.880] And yeah, there he was. [01:07:36.880 -> 01:07:38.440] Ted, what was going on? [01:07:38.440 -> 01:07:39.440] I loved it. [01:07:39.440 -> 01:07:40.920] Do you know what? [01:07:40.920 -> 01:07:46.320] My favourite piece that we put out on SkyF1 this weekend was, and bearing [01:07:46.320 -> 01:07:52.060] in mind that the other one was the piece that I was in, I shot and I edited with Georgie, [01:07:52.060 -> 01:07:57.280] which was the Typhoon piece, my favorite piece was Brad Pitt and Martin Brundle talking in [01:07:57.280 -> 01:08:03.760] the garage on the National Straight because it was an exclusive, first of all, so yay [01:08:03.760 -> 01:08:05.400] us. [01:08:05.400 -> 01:08:11.560] And second of all, it was just so charming to see Brad Pitt, you know, international [01:08:11.560 -> 01:08:16.880] movie superstar, from Seven to Ocean's, the Ocean's movies, to all the other good stuff [01:08:16.880 -> 01:08:20.280] he's done, just embrace... [01:08:20.280 -> 01:08:25.920] And alright, he might be only sort of into it for the duration that he's doing this F1 [01:08:25.920 -> 01:08:31.840] movie, but just embrace the whole F1 vibe and the way we're doing it and the sport and [01:08:31.840 -> 01:08:39.120] the history and wanting to be... and being so pleased that everybody's welcomed him in [01:08:39.120 -> 01:08:40.760] and his film crew. [01:08:40.760 -> 01:08:42.700] And for me, sort of three things. [01:08:42.700 -> 01:08:46.480] First of all, the professionalism of the film crew, [01:08:46.480 -> 01:08:48.960] watching them in action in the garage, [01:08:48.960 -> 01:08:51.480] I thought was really great. [01:08:51.480 -> 01:08:53.120] You know, we've had other movie crews, [01:08:53.120 -> 01:08:55.200] I remember, come in before, [01:08:55.200 -> 01:08:58.320] and you know, wanting to sort of take over, be disruptive. [01:08:58.320 -> 01:08:59.200] Not a bit of that. [01:08:59.200 -> 01:09:00.880] They were so professional. [01:09:00.880 -> 01:09:01.700] And I don't know, you know, [01:09:01.700 -> 01:09:04.360] it's impossible to tell who were movie extras, [01:09:04.360 -> 01:09:05.640] who was Carlin [01:09:05.640 -> 01:09:12.240] who were running the team, who were actually professional mechanics, you know, to anything [01:09:12.240 -> 01:09:13.240] else. [01:09:13.240 -> 01:09:15.600] So I thought that was really good. [01:09:15.600 -> 01:09:19.360] Brad Pitt, Dams and Idris looked fantastic on the grid. [01:09:19.360 -> 01:09:28.240] They did the National Anthem and they were in the driver's briefing and didn't stand out, [01:09:28.240 -> 01:09:33.080] didn't disrupt anything, blended in. They did a walk back, I watched them walking [01:09:33.080 -> 01:09:38.040] back from the National Anthem, back to their cars and you know [01:09:38.040 -> 01:09:41.000] they were in amongst Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen and all of that and they [01:09:41.000 -> 01:09:49.660] were looking cool and there was a me was a me character Matt on the grid. There was a me character who was wearing a [01:09:49.660 -> 01:09:56.920] flat cap and was trying to interview them with a dictaphone. Oh no you know I [01:09:56.920 -> 01:10:02.800] felt like no no no no no at least get a microphone. I'd never wear a flat cap I [01:10:02.800 -> 01:10:05.640] mean it's more of a Martin Brundle character than a me character, [01:10:05.640 -> 01:10:09.320] maybe I don't know. A sort of pesky reporter character. There was a pesky reporter character. [01:10:09.320 -> 01:10:10.320] Yes, journo. Pesky journo. [01:10:10.320 -> 01:10:13.600] And Dams and Idris kind of ignored him, like shut up I don't want to talk to you. Which [01:10:13.600 -> 01:10:18.760] is true to life. And then when they got to the back of the car, they were great. On the [01:10:18.760 -> 01:10:28.420] pit wall they were there with Kim Bodnia from Killing Eve and Kerry Condon, who's the Bernie Collins role, the strategist, [01:10:28.420 -> 01:10:30.120] and the two engineers, the race car. [01:10:30.120 -> 01:10:32.900] I did meet a weekend highlight, Matt, I must tell you, [01:10:32.900 -> 01:10:35.220] was meeting Kerry Condon and boring her [01:10:35.220 -> 01:10:37.000] with my Banshees of Innishirin, [01:10:38.380 -> 01:10:42.480] admiration for her and Martin McDonagh's film, [01:10:42.480 -> 01:10:44.120] Banshees of Innishirin. [01:10:44.120 -> 01:10:45.440] Was I never wild? [01:10:45.440 -> 01:10:48.440] I didn't wear the, what do you mean wild, Dominic? [01:10:48.440 -> 01:10:49.280] Sorry. [01:10:50.880 -> 01:10:55.200] Yes, sorry, Kerry, boring you on my Banshees of Inisheeran. [01:10:55.200 -> 01:10:58.200] And it was just a pleasure to see it happening [01:10:58.200 -> 01:10:59.680] and to hear that, you know, [01:10:59.680 -> 01:11:03.560] they're going about it the right way and doing it well. [01:11:03.560 -> 01:11:06.560] And I refer you back to my [01:11:06.560 -> 01:11:10.720] favorite line of the weekend Matt which was Brad Pitt's talking about the plot [01:11:10.720 -> 01:11:15.040] which we won't go into because they want to keep it a bit quiet. Things you know [01:11:15.040 -> 01:11:20.680] the drivers get together we're in a season Brad Pitt comes back to help [01:11:20.680 -> 01:11:25.100] Dams and Idris's character and then hijinks ensue. [01:11:25.100 -> 01:11:25.940] And I love that. [01:11:25.940 -> 01:11:28.640] And I love the idea that hijinks are gonna ensue. [01:11:28.640 -> 01:11:31.340] And I wonder whether it's a bit of a different film [01:11:31.340 -> 01:11:34.320] from Top Gun Maverick, which was the last film [01:11:34.320 -> 01:11:36.420] that Joseph Kaczynski, the director, did, [01:11:36.420 -> 01:11:38.640] which had its light moments, [01:11:40.460 -> 01:11:44.580] you know, with like Bob, the guy in one of the other planes, [01:11:45.260 -> 01:11:48.160] but was an action film and I like to think [01:11:48.820 -> 01:11:53.660] From what Brad was saying there'll be some light moments in there because there are you know some light moments [01:11:53.660 -> 01:11:55.660] It's not all sort of driving and roar [01:11:56.460 -> 01:11:58.140] but looking at [01:11:58.140 -> 01:12:00.600] Brad was talking about Javier Bardem's character [01:12:01.260 -> 01:12:03.300] as a kind of flamboyant team boss [01:12:06.720 -> 01:12:11.160] character as a kind of flamboyant team boss and F1 put some of the photos up of Javier Bardem at the back of the grid. He's gonna be a hilarious character and [01:12:11.160 -> 01:12:14.960] just I'm you know I'm stoked about the whole thing. They were they were really [01:12:14.960 -> 01:12:21.000] good, great crew, great cast, great production and I'm looking forward F1 [01:12:21.000 -> 01:12:24.400] is gonna you know welcome them back at many races to come. [01:12:24.400 -> 01:12:25.720] Yeah it's really exciting isn't it because because F1 is going to welcome them back at many races to come. [01:12:25.720 -> 01:12:29.120] It's really exciting isn't it, because F1 have been so involved and we know that Lewis [01:12:29.120 -> 01:12:33.480] Hamilton has been involved, there is going to be, you know, you feel like where a lot [01:12:33.480 -> 01:12:37.280] of these films probably do fall down is they're not very realistic, they don't represent, [01:12:37.280 -> 01:12:40.440] kind of, if you were an actual fan of the sport you'd watch it and probably go, well [01:12:40.440 -> 01:12:43.080] that's not really what happened, that would never happen. [01:12:43.080 -> 01:12:49.920] But yeah, I mean Bernie I don't know what you saw across the weekend but things are made to be real aren't they and I think it's [01:12:49.920 -> 01:12:53.680] going to be a really interesting film. Yeah so there's a lovely little moment that I witnessed [01:12:53.680 -> 01:12:58.160] over the weekend just sort of sat on the pad observing you know there's a little seating area [01:12:58.160 -> 01:13:04.160] there that you can just sit and watch and chill out and as I sat there the actor in the movie [01:13:04.160 -> 01:13:06.960] who's playing the Pirelli guy, so all of the [01:13:06.960 -> 01:13:11.200] characters have a Pirelli representative in there, and he was playing that person. [01:13:11.200 -> 01:13:15.640] And he walked through the paddock while another Pirelli guy came in the opposite direction, [01:13:15.640 -> 01:13:18.400] a genuine Pirelli representative. [01:13:18.400 -> 01:13:24.240] And they just had a little nod, a little hello at each other, because the guy looked so genuine [01:13:24.240 -> 01:13:25.360] that it was just assumed [01:13:25.360 -> 01:13:29.040] that he worked for Pirelli that weekend. He was someone that he'd not seen before, didn't [01:13:29.040 -> 01:13:34.080] know or whatever. And I seen the actor then as he walked past just giggle to himself almost [01:13:34.080 -> 01:13:38.200] going Pirelli don't know whether I'm real or not real anymore. And I'd imagine if he [01:13:38.200 -> 01:13:42.480] was walking into their hospitality, he probably got away with it. And it was just really interesting [01:13:42.480 -> 01:13:47.160] to see that they've covered it to that level of detail that actually people in the paddock [01:13:47.160 -> 01:13:50.680] are assuming it's just a different Pirelli guy for the weekend. [01:13:52.040 -> 01:13:55.200] But I just the way the actor laughed to himself as he walked by going, [01:13:55.200 -> 01:13:57.640] Yeah, I've got this right, like I'm playing the role really well. [01:13:58.080 -> 01:14:00.080] And that's going to be such [01:14:00.080 -> 01:14:03.240] that character is probably going to be such a small detail in the film [01:14:03.680 -> 01:14:05.120] in the background that it's going to be really interesting small detail in the film, in the background, [01:14:09.040 -> 01:14:11.440] that it's going to be really interesting to see how much of the other details have got right. [01:14:15.440 -> 01:14:18.720] Oh very good, very good. Yeah, I look forward to seeing it come out. I'm sure it's going to take a while to come out, Pia, when it does. I'm sure we'll receive a lot of attention. Thank you [01:14:18.720 -> 01:14:26.080] both very much for your time. Thank you Ted, thank you Bernie. Really appreciate it. We'll be back as ever next Tuesday for the next episode of the podcast. [01:14:26.080 -> 01:14:27.000] Hope you can join us then. [01:14:27.000 -> 01:14:28.120] Thanks a lot. Bye-bye.