P1 with Matt and Tommy - GPS issues cause CHAOS in Australian GP practice

Episode Date: March 31, 2023

Friday in Melbourne saw a surprising amount of action during both session as we had spins, traffic paradise, changeable weather and even some GPS issues that caused FP1 to be red flagged.Join us for our first London live show at Leicester Square Theatre NEXT WEEK! There are just a handful of tickets left, so get your tickets before the sell out: https://tourlink.to/P1LondonTicketsFollow us on socials! You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and TikTok.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello everybody and welcome back to the P-1 podcast with Matt and Tommy. Hello, everyone. Welcome. We are here for Formula One time before we dive into a month of nothingness before we wait for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. A long time. Feels like the summer break is hitting after only three rounds. But hey, let's focus on Australia. We had an entertaining free practice.

I have a cold. Tommy, what do you have to share about life? I have to share that we all definitely got up for this one, bright and early. And, you know, oh, so tired. Oh, goodness me. It sounds like, well, to be fair, the F1 took it personally from Diminicali's rant about no one likes practice. It's rubbish.

And all the drivers started spinning off. There was a little sprinkling of rain, bit of chaos. Dare I say that this could be more entertaining than the year. actual race. I feel like maybe even Stefano, you know, yeah, I think maybe all the teams and drivers were like, we really need these practice sessions. Just go and bin it a few times. Although they said they didn't care. The drivers said they didn't care, which is weird. Very coincidental. Anyway, before we dive into all of that, I need to share with you a wonderful five-star review because we do it every single time. And if you want yours to be read out,

leave us a five-star review. Tell us why. Be creative and you may well be featured next time. This one comes in from SAC 99 from Canada. Hi, I'm Lucas from Toronto, Canada. Thank you. Oh, a lovely intro. You guys are amazing. I have never listened to a podcast any better than yours. You've definitely only listened to one podcast then.

I just want you to know that I will always be your biggest fan and supporter. Thank you again for making the best podcast ever, and I know you guys will keep doing great in the future. Oh, thank you. So nice. Lots of love. Hope all is well over in Toronto. So, right, let's dive into the craziness of what happened in Free Practice 1 in particular. So there was a bizarre incident that happened in Free Practice 1 for the Australian Grand Prix

where there was a GPS failure, which meant that engineers on the pit wall couldn't see where other cars were on track to tell their drivers. And I think if there was ever a piece of evidence we needed to show, that GPS and the communication between engineers and the drivers is one of the most crucial things, especially in free practice and qualifying, this is it right here, because it was carnage. There was loads of sketchy moments. You had Hamilton nearly crashing into Sonoda. Joe got caught up between, I think it was Perez and Stroll in the last couple of corners.

It was just traffic paradise, as Yuki would say. He did. Yeah, it was a crazy incident to happen. My first thought saying it was, thank goodness that wasn't Saudi because we'd had these conversations about how you have very slow cars. It's something I really don't like, said it so many times. Just the nature of Formula One now, cars like to drive very slowly when they're not doing their push laps.

And when you have a GPS failure, no one could tell what was going on. And thankfully, Australia, the Albert Park circuit is a bit more open So people could see ahead still sketchy though when you're flying into a corner at 150 miles an hour and people are dawdling around. And there was an incident with Stroll actually where he came up and there was about six cars all together or trying to overtake each other and stuff. And you're right. This just shows how much they rely on the technology and so much information. It made me think how on earth did they do it back in the day without this? because, yeah, they have constant communication in their ears.

They've seen, we've had clips online, haven't we, before, where if you've actually ever listened to one of these clips, when a car is on the slow lap, is actually quite fascinating because the engineers just there constantly going, 4.2 behind, 3 behind. And then it's like telling you all the time. But yeah, engineers didn't have a clue, so it was carnage. I suppose in the olden days, there was an expectation that nobody knew,

where anyone was. So the drivers always had that in their mind, that any time they'll be coming up to a driver or whatever, they just have to be aware at all times. Whereas in modern day Formula One, all the drivers expect the other drivers to know what they're up to. And that whole communication process of Hamilton's on a fast lap, watch out, etc, etc.

There is that assumption, isn't there? So that in itself, with the failure happening, made it an even more dangerous situation because the drivers assumed that everyone else knew what was going on when they didn't. Yeah. and the nature of the Pirelli's being a tyre where you can kind of really, realistically only have one push lap, whereas I guess back in the day,

they just did laps and laps and laps until they kind of set a good one, whereas now it's drive around at 20 miles an hour, absolutely go for it and then drive around at 20 miles an hour again. But yeah, it was so, so dangerous that they called out the red flag for 10 minutes while they sorted it, and it did get sorted, thankfully. Yeah, I don't know. how long they took to eventually red flag it, but of course we did have a few incidents

that maybe highlighted the issues that went on. But a 10 minute, it sounds very much like a control or delete. Yeah, off and on. Yeah, off and on kind of vibe. And then although that was sorted, we still had some traffic problems in FP2, which we'll get onto shortly.

But before we dive to that, that wasn't the only chaos that went on in free practice one. Red Bull. Having a few offs, Vastappen. Championship back on. Yeah, okay. Turn 4 spin, clearly feeling the pressure of having other teams one and a half second slower in race trim per lap.

But Vastappen, yeah, made that rare mistake at turn 4 with a spin, just getting on the curbs. You can see he ran a little bit wide. His tires were pretty degraded at that point, I think, and, yeah, got on the exit curb and had a little spin. But every time Vestappen makes some kind of error, never hits the wall. man. He always keeps it in the middle of the tracks, a fair play to him. You also struggled, didn't he with gear shift and breaking issues? It did. It also feels like we're getting to this. I feel like Sebastian Vettel in his dominance was very similar where, and I guess you could argue, this is finding the limits and knowing where the limits are, but every time Vestappen spins,

it's a practice session, isn't it? A bit like a mistake. So yeah, he, there's a lot to be said about circuits that don't have miles and miles of run off and the walls are close. But hopefully this kind of continues into qualifying and race and we see some incidents and they're not all just pushing too hard and realizing now that finding the limits. But yeah, a lot of a lot of people going off. But yeah, Vestappen reporting things, but that is pretty standard even when even when the car isn't breaking down. I know he had a breakdown in the last race,

well, qualifying. Quality, yeah. But Vostappen is one of those drivers, even when he's 50 seconds up the road. He's like, oh, my engine's cutting out. Oh, this is happening. And I guess he's just keeping on top of it and it's keeping them alert,

kind of like what Hamilton used to do with the whole, my tyres are dead, just keeping them entertained. Absolutely. And of course, you know, gear shift issues, breaking issues, whatever, still went quick. quickest by half a second in free practice one.

So yeah, there you go. Not his teammate, though. No, little Fernando. No, Hamilton. No, it was Hamilton. That was, Fernando was the FP2. I definitely watched free practice. Yes, so he, there were still a few other moments that happened.

Perez had a few offs as well. And you mentioned, like, the Australian GP track, as much as, it's not the most highly rated circuit in terms of racing, overtake, the ability to overtake just purely because of how narrow it is at certain points. But I do enjoy the fact that mistakes get punished for once because modern day Formula One circuits, there's always runoff, so much runoff

that you can just go to Narnia and come back on the track, you can even cut the corner, whatever. Australia punishes mistakes at almost every single turn. And that's what I like to see because it then gives us entertaining free practice sessions. Maybe we should do free practice every single time at Australia. you know, we'll get entertainment. Get rid of practice and they go straight into the race with no practice.

And then the Stappen spins at turn four and then Perez is off six times. Yeah, you never know. It's going to be an ongoing discussion, isn't it? Getting rid of practice. Stefano has really opened up a can of worms. But yes, as I mentioned, Rustappen still topped FP1 by half a second from Lewis. Hamilton, Perez, third on the mediums.

But the biggest spin of all, was Yuki Sonoda, the goat. Massive moment into turn one, slid along the gravel, but interestingly again, kept it out of the wall. We've not had one driver in the wall yet, have we? This whole season,

no one's been in the wall. No. No, we haven't. Not in testing. Not even Saudi. Yeah, which I'm very surprised about. Yeah, they're all being very well behaved. But Sonoda, massive moment.

We've seen it before where term one is actually quite a tricky turn that a lot of people run wide at, skip over the gravel, do a bit of lawn mowing. But yeah, Yuki actually spun the whole car around and went backwards. But unlike, was it France a couple of years ago when he spun backwards and smashed his rear wing off and broke his gearbox, managed to, I think, while I love the guy, it was more luck than judgment, kept out the wall. and yeah was able to carry on but very sketchy and probably a change of overalls after that one

for both you and you Keeke because obviously you're a big fan signs ran wide Magnuson also ran wide yeah no runoff definitely punishing the drivers and then finally right at the end there was a red flag for Logan sergeant with a car failure unfortunate for him so yeah the dream not very alive after FP1 because for stopping again clear by well just over four tenths a second to Hamilton. Alonzo, still looking reasonably fast in the Astor Martin in P4 as well. Right, listen up, everybody. We are doing a live podcast show on the 6th of April in London, Leicester Square.

Myself and Tommy are going to be waffling in your eyes and ears. Yes, so sign up in the description and we'll maybe see you there on the 6th of April. Yeah. Waffling in your eyes. Keep it in. That's brilliant. It makes sense. So now we go to FP2, and despite the GPS supposedly being sorted,

there was more sketchy traffic issues. I mean, with the fact, it's a much quicker circuit now with the revised layout that they've done. So 1 minute 18 around here. I remember it used to be like 1 minute 24, 25, 26. So a quicker lap means the drivers come round quicker. And then we have traffic issues. Erez was blocked twice on fast laps, so he was not very happy at all with that,

which again, like watching them, it just looks like the drivers weren't told that he was coming up behind them. So I wonder whether these GPS issues were actually fully fixed. It does make you wonder. There was no reports of the problems persisting, but maybe it's just the nature of the circuit

that, yeah, it's a shorter lap, very high speed, You're kind of flying through very quick turns into heavy braking zones, and people are dawdling around like they do. Like they do. Vestappen was also a doodler, as it's the only time you're ever going to see a Ferrari overtaking a Red Bull this year, as signs dive bombed up the inside of Vastappan,

and Vastappen had no idea that the Ferrari was on the lap. So again, sort of questions around whether it's actually fully been sorted or whatnot. not, maybe they didn't want to highlight again that it was broken and they just wanted to get the session. Who knows? This is all hypothetical. And then Lance Stroll, in the wet, just decided to almost bin it a thousand times by the looks of things, which was impressive car control that he didn't manage to bin it and kept it out of the wall. Yeah, I'm surprised anyone actually bothered to go out because I was, I've never been more disappointed as finding out that it was

raining in FP2 and I checked the weather for the rest of the way. Yeah, it's dry. So not, not great. So it does make you wonder why people went out, but normally they just sit in the pit lane. I was quite well behaved as well because I was going to put in one of my, I think made my crazy prediction that it would rain at some point during the weekend, but I'd already looked at the weather forecast and I knew it was going to rain on Friday. So I didn't do it because I felt like you would have seen through it and I would have been told off and been given minus five points. You went for an equal safe prediction. I think we need to clarify

that my crazy prediction around all the drivers lining up in the grid box correctly was made before the announcement of the 20 centimetre wider pit boxes for this weekend following the issues for Ocon and Alonzo

in the last two races. Although Fernando Alonzo still skeptical of whether it will improve visibility. So the championship is still on for you. I don't believe you. I think you've been ringing up. You think I've been chatting to it.

The Australian GP. The FIA or whatever. Yeah. You've been on the phone going, look, I got zero points last time. I really need the points here. Just, you know, cheeky 20 cent of me a bigger, bigger boxes around. You are really overestimating the level of my contact list on my phone. I don't know.

I've seen you quoted by Sky in a graphic. Big shot now. Yeah, still the weirdest thing I've ever seen. And finally, I guess let's end it on some good news. Fernando Alonzo fastest with an 188, although he was one of the only drivers to go and set a fully dry lap time by the looks of things. But that was within a tenth. Yeah, if you look at that time.

But then again, it is later in the day. So maybe the track was a bit quicker at that point. But let's keep the hype up. Alonso for poll, as I predicted, it could very well happen if Vastappen doesn't participate. Hmm. Yes. God, please.

Please. We need a bit of just a mixed up grid. I think that would be really good. In Saudi, Tommy. How much more do you want? I know, but again, if not, if the Red Bulls can be further down, because overtaking will be tricky around this track, maybe not in the Red Bull with their ultra mega DRS that everyone's talking about that they've not got any kind of trick system. It's just that they've got the really nice setup and it works really well.

But yeah, this is the kind of track where if you do get people out of order, the difficulty in overtaking would actually be quite fun because it wouldn't be as easy to breeze through the field. So fingers crossed, we get a good old quali mix up and the weather forecast is wrong and it does absolutely pee it down with rain and leggy side just P1. And they introduce my thoughts of having a one-shot quali in Q3.

The more I think about it, the more I'm in love with it. I genuinely think that would, I just want to just talk about it. quickly because I've just been sitting here thinking about it for last 30 seconds. I think it would absolutely improve the spectacle of that final shootout. Do you not think? I like what. I've always liked it.

I mean, they did it in the mid-2000s. It kind of had mixed reviews, but then you do actually... The hybrid format. Yeah, you do get to see, yeah, you're not the whole session, but you have that excitement of Q1 and Q2 where they're all out on track, but then... in that final part, you get to see everyone go out. Yeah. And you get to see it all individually because then one, I think it would,

I think it would actually make the excitement further because say in Saudi, for example, we thought, oh, there's actually a battle for poll here. And then Perez went out, did his time. And he was so much quicker than everyone else who went, oh, actually, no, there's not a fight for poll. Whereas if they go out at the end, it is literally the last minute until you know, and there'll always be that point down to the last second

where you go, well, Stappen could run wide and lose three tenths or whatever. So, yeah, I'd like to see that. And also it eradicates the advantage that teams have that are quicker that have been saving tires over Q1 and Q2, and then they can get an extra run in Q3 because they've banked a set of tires.

You have Q1 and Q2, absolute free-for-all, as many soft tires as allocated, all the teams get a fair chance to make it through the Q3, then you have one lap on the fresh softs. I'm in love with it, Tommy. I'm not going to lie to you. If you're listening, and you are also on board with this,

I might have to start a petition. Yes, let's get it going. Stefano, hit us up. You can have your cancelled practice if you implement this. Love it. Well, that is it. Thank you, everybody, for tuning in to our Friday roundup,

about the tech issue that saw the GPS fail and all that good stuff. Of course, we'll be back tomorrow. We will be watching Quali and the race. Excuse me. I've got a bit of cold, so I've got a bit of a frog in my throat. But we'll be live on Twitch at 5.30 in the morning UK time. So come and join us if you want to wake up as well. And we'll see you very soon.

And I'll say goodbye before I'm about to sneeze. Oh, wait, Tommy, what are your final thoughts? My final thoughts. Oh, no, don't tell me you're going to do the thing where you don't sneeze. That's the most annoying thing ever. I'm not sneezing. My final thoughts. I saw a TikTok last night, and Michael Massey is in the pad.

Back in the building. Yeah. He's got some minerals, isn't he? He has got some minerals. I'm glad you thought the same because it was actually a TikTok of some guy who was a Lewis Hamilton fan and he got a photo with him. And he kind of got a photo and then was like, oh, Michael, I just want to know why. and obviously he kind of ignored him and walked off.

But I don't know. There's a lot of passion and bad blood still towards that guy. And I think he's very brave to be walking around the fan zone unattended when it's still very heated situation. And yeah, brave man. Because you just never know it can take one fan that just takes it too far for it to get a bit ugly. So I was surprised to see him just to see him just to. wandering around Albert Park in the fan zone. Yeah, I was incredibly shocked as well, to be honest with you.

And as you can imagine, Twitter took it very, very lightly when the pictures of him arriving was shared around. But that is it. Thank you, everybody, for watching and listening. We'll see you tomorrow for Kwali, live on Twitch, Matt P1, Tommy, 5.30 in the morning. If not, we'll have a YouTube video going out a little bit later to round it all up.

So we'll see you very soon. Bye! Bye! and part of the AICAST created network.