P1 with Matt and Tommy - Our 2023 Belgian GP predictions

Episode Date: July 26, 2023

It's the final race before the summer break - and it's a big'un. We're here with predictions for this weekend's trip to Spa!You can grab our new merch here!Follow us on socials! You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and TikTok. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello everybody and welcome back to the P. One podcast with Matt and Tomé. It's Belgian Grand Prix Race Week. We're back. It's more racing. And then we've not got racing for a little while. So we have to savour the glory that is every minute of every session this weekend. Because as much as we've been all going, oh, F1's so boring.

One week into the summer break, we'll be like, God, I need F1 back. Absolutely. And the good thing this weekend is a sprint. So we'll have two qualifying sessions. So that's at least two bangers. What have you done, Tommy? Don't ruin the one good part of an F1 in 2020. Now, before we dive into our predictions,

we of course have a fine-star review. If you want to leave yours, please do. And we will select one at random to be read out next time. Throwaway underscore 2008 from the USA comes in with. As someone who has been watching F1 for a while, I'm so glad I've followed Matt and Tom's journey and content. Not only is their content part of my commute and my race weekend routine, but I've been able to bring my friends into the world of Formula One

with the help of their entertaining and insightful podcasts. Plus, what other content creators have been called Babe by Shal? What other human beings have been called Babe by Shal? I don't think a lot of people. So, look, I haven't brought it up since. That was brought up by a review. it's improved my day-to-day life significantly. I'm surprised that hasn't been your new I've driven an F-1 car thing

that you kind of mention in every sentence. No, I never did that. I just got taken the Mickey out of. And any time that I might go, oh yeah, I did this amazing thing. I was like, oh, you're driving F1 car, did you? Oh. Anyway, let's get into our predictions now, then shall we? Beginning with biggest good surprise.

On, Tommy. My biggest good surprise, I have gone for Logan Sargent. Logie Bear, biggest good surprise. Look, you know what I'm doing here. Williams, it should be good for Williams, but maybe first points on the board for Logie Bear. I feel like it would be a good track for Williams and hope he delivers. Oh, that's really interesting because my biggest good surprise is,

Alex Albon. And I think he's going to have one of those, one of those races that we've come accustomed to when he has a banger in a Williams, which of course isn't winning or getting a podium, but it's some solid points. It's the Alex Albon train. Spar is absolutely sort of the track for an Alex Albon train, if I've ever seen it. That Williams very quick in a straight line. And yeah, I think that it's going to be a good weekend for Williams.

So I'm not surprised with yours. I'm not surprised with mine. Even if it's called Biggest Good Surprise. We've both gone Williams. That was surprise everyone. Williams being on a track with long track. Yes. Well, yeah.

I mean, look, they didn't score points last time out, so it doesn't work every week. So, yeah. If we're both going for the loopholes, we allow it. Exactly. You come through, I'll go through. Yeah, no problem. Come through the loophole.

No worries. Okay, we now move to biggest flop. I have gone for HASS. I think they are going to, right, so obviously, in the recent run of the last few races, actually, Nika Holkenberg, Q3, feeling good, potential hope. I don't think they're getting a sniff in qualifying all the race this weekend. I just, I just don't see it. They've got a Ferrari power unit in the back of that car.

It's not known to be greater that high speed tracks. I had a look at some other results as well. I did the bit of research at some other. the power tracks this year, Hatsbury washed. So that's my thinking is that Niko doesn't get a sniff of Q3 at the absolute least, the minimum right there. But yeah, hopefully a little, another loophole that I'm sort of flying myself through because Hasse have been washed in the race. But in QWally, Nico's been very good. So you're basically going to bank on a flop if Hulke and Boe doesn't make Q3? Because Magnuson's been terrible anyway. Absolutely. I mean, I'd argue that

biggest flop for Hass is pretty much them like liquidating or something because they're already so bad. I do apologise, but the biggest flop I've gone for. Oh, here we go. Louis Hamilton. Just don't think he's going to have a good weekend. You know where you just feel the vibes. Yeah. Got to win now, isn't he? Maybe. Well, Lando had an absolute banger last time when I produced in biggest flop. So maybe actually, Team L8 should be thanking me when he wins the race by 40 laps. So there we go. I don't know. There's just something about it.

I just feel like maybe Mercedes will be a bit washed and Hamilton have a bit of a mare. Okay. Interesting stuff. We now go to poll position. Okay. Here we go. Strap ourselves in.

Let's get our seat belts. Click them in. Lando Norris, pole position. I think McLaren are going to be lit around spa this weekend. Max was always. already hyping them up in that post-race press conference after Hungary saying about, you know, you need to watch them through Poo-on and stuff like that. It's going to be flat through here, flat through there. Spar is all about those medium to high-speed corners, really. And that's

what McLaren are very good at. Yeah, we've got a few slow in there, but of course it's a track, is there's going to be a few slow. But Spar is a pretty quick track. So I actually think McLaren, over one lap, in the hands of Lando Norris, is going to get pole positions. This isn't meme worthy either. I genuinely believe, and we've seen qualifying very close this year anyway, I genuinely believe McLaren will have the upper hand at SPAR. Interesting, because pole position, I have also gone for Lando Norris. I just think that...

What are we cooking? Yeah, what are we cooking? We're cooking Alando out in Q1 at this rate. But no, I was going to go for Max again, but we saw what happened in hunger. they set up for the race, you could argue that they could set up even more for a race like spa because you've got that big old long DRS straight. So I don't feel like Red Bull will set up for it. And Lando's obviously been really good in qualifying and it's going to suit them well, I think. Hmm. Wow. Look at Asco, hey. We then go to Sprint Shootout. Of course,

there are two qualifying sessions and I have gone for Lando Norris. I think. think that it's going to be a double poll for Mr. Lando. I know I'm channeling some very dangerous energy right now because last time I predicted Max Verstappen poll for an easy point, he didn't get poles. So really, for the universe's sake, I should be going for Max Verstappen. However, I need points. I need to back the fact that potentially I'm not on a jinxing spree right now and I can actually secure some double points because I feel like you're ahead now, Tommy, after all of your BS that you've been doing over the last few rounds, which is disgusting, by the way. I am.

I'm one point. I will never forgive you. One point. Is that it? You've been locking in points for days with Max Verstappen. So, yes, come on Lando. Don't you dare go for Lando Sprint Shootout as well? Because otherwise I'm not going to gain any points on you because we're going to do the

same bloody prediction. That would be like a really gamesmanship thing to do, wouldn't it? If I take the lead and then just pickle the same as you so you can never get ahead. Well, I mean, we do have the same opinion anyway. Fernando Alonso. predictions. Matt, you go first. Yeah.

No, for sprint shootouts, I have gone for Max for Stappen. Yeah, just feel like maybe there's a difference between the two sessions. I'm trying to think, what was the last sprint, Austria? Did we have the same in both sessions? Was it Max in both that Paul? I can't remember because I know Shal did both in Baku, and I'm pretty sure Max did both. So maybe it's time that we get a difference between the two quality sessions because you'd ever know, a two minute shorter Q3 will make all the difference.

Well, they actually might have a spot, actually. No, I think about it because they don't get, it's quite a long lap, isn't it? Maybe. Maybe. But then again, they always have limited amount of tyres. It's not like they do a massive amount of running. I need the hard, medium, soft qualifying now. Like, can that be forever?

Like, when's the next one? Yeah, I don't know. It needs to be implemented immediately. I need to show a Guan Yu poll. It's not going to hit the same now that we, oh, oh, they're on softs. Oh, woo. Yeah. Maybe that's, yeah, I didn't think about that.

We're going to go back to it and it's going to be like, oh, bring back. Bring back to make that. Bring back to Guan Yu fastest in Q1. Absolutely. We're now going to Sprint Winner. I've gone for Max for Stappen, because Max has to do something. in one of these segments. He can't not win something.

So, yes, sprint winner, Max Verstappen. I love the way that even needs to be a, because when he's won every race pretty much this year. Sprint winner, I've also gone for Max for Stappen. Yeah, wouldn't bet against him. I do think McLaren are going to be good, but I think it'd be mighty, mighty down that straight, I think with Red Bulls DRS,

so even if we do maybe see a cheeky Lando pole or Lando fastest in sprint shootout, it's going to be a struggle, I think, with Red Bull and their mighty DRS down that huge straight. I've just had a look whilst you were chatting at the weather forecast. Don't tell me rain Saturday again. Good chance of rain for Friday and Saturday, but likely to be dry on Sunday.

Is that every Tuesday weather forecast? Yeah, it feels that way. But obviously, one thing I will say, SPAR has its own mini climate. So, I mean, it's likely to rain anyway. I mean, even if it says it's bone dry, there could easily be something that comes in. But interesting. We might have to change everything to do with the sprint and qualify. Hey, ho, we've locked in now.

Let's now go to our top three. In third place, Oscar Piastri. It's podium time for Oscar. Come on. Interesting. Because P3, I have also gone for Oscar Piastri. Stop copying me. You copied me.

It's a different sheet. I didn't know your prediction. I didn't know your prediction. Yeah, I know. We keep them actually secret. This is annoyed, like, yeah. God, stop agreeing. I know.

right. We're just so agreeable. How dare we have the same opinion on Formula One? Yeah, I think Piastri is coming. If McLaren are as good as I'm hyping them up to be, fingers crossed, sorry McLaren fans in advance, then Piastri is not that far off. And as well, I suppose, with it being spar,

it's cooler conditions, it's probably not as tire heavy as a track as, say, Hungary. which is what obviously played against him in Budapest. I think that SPAR is a lot more like Silverstone in some ways, with it being high speed and just look how good he was there. So yeah, I don't think it'll be as tire limited and it could be quite a good weekend for Oscar. Nice. Yeah, I agree.

Lovely. Second place, Lando Norris. I wonder where this is going. Yeah, Lando P2. He locks out pole in both. We're like, what can he do from P1? And it turns out nothing. He can finish P2 because he's racing against a particular...

No, I'm not spoiling it. He's racing against a particular person that will be a lot quicker in a car that's quite a bit better. Come on, Logi. Right. P2, I have gone for... Sergio Perez. Red Bull, still going to be obviously very quick and I'm locking in Perez to

yeah, he's slowly making his way up the order he's had P3 last time, P2, this time. What an achievement that would be. Driver of the day when he qualifies eighth and finishes second day. I know, amazing. Alex Albin got fired when he was 40 seconds behind Max. Perez got driver of the day.

I mean, it is a valid point. I won't lie to you. Okay, interesting. because I still think that Perez is going to have a washed qualifying. I feel like he's lost confidence in that qualifying segment. And, well, you know, you've got two qualifying. So maybe you can, well, no, but the main one comes first. I think he might be good in the sprint like he was in Austria.

But then he was pretty washed in the Friday qualifying, wasn't he? So interesting stuff. P1. Max Verstappen. Please justify your reason why you think, the guy that's won the last seven race. Max Verstappen will win the race because he's a really good driver in a really good car and the combination is too good for anyone else to take on. And let's not forget Max won from where on the grid last year?

Is it 14th or something? 14th, yeah, yeah. Yeah, he started 14th and he was in the lead by lap 20 or something. Yeah, he got into like third, didn't he, by about lap 9 or something? and then won quite really easily in the end. Yeah. So that's ominous to say the least. But yeah, what a man.

What a man. So for P1, I have gone for Lando Norris. It's time. It's time for someone different. Red Bull had broken the record now. And Max just doesn't turn up. Yeah, Max has a problem or something. And Lando Norris gets his first win.

And then we've been, like you said, saying that it's the most boring season ever. And then we finally get someone else different winning. And then we go into a summer break and we're like, no. Why? No, we need more races. And then Max Verstappen comes back and wins the next eight. Yeah, exactly. But, no, I think McCline are going to be.

What are you sensing right now? Is it a DNF? Is this what's happening here? Yeah, maybe a DNF or some contact or has a bit of a problem. And yeah, McLaren. What's that with who? Harris? Maybe.

Maybe him and Leggy Saug, going down to turn one. God's sake. Is he world champion yet in your TikTok? No, I'm on day 44 now. God's sake, man. I know, it's terrible. Someone actually did it. They didn't even know me whether they're just doing the filter

and then the algorithm picked it up and then I just saw that every comment was at Tom Bellingham, at Tom Bellingham, at Tom Bellingham. I was like, brilliant. I nearly did it, didn't I? You did. You were trying to get shot on a club champion and he got three Red Bulls in a row.

For anyone that has no idea what we're on about, go on TikTok, our TikToks, and you'll understand this little filter. Yeah, our personal TikToks. Yeah, we have a filter where you choose who's going to win in a particular car and Tommy's been trying to make Logan Sergeant champion for three years,

it feels like. So let's see how long. It's more difficult that or anyone beating Maxa Stappen. Kind of the same really. It's been, well, the Stappan one's been longer. So, yeah.

It's getting that. Lando win. Okay. Wow. Here we go then. And one crazy prediction. I'm going for Alex Albonne points. Is that crazy?

Yeah. Yeah. Because it's such a huge surprise. surprise if Williams do well. My prediction is also about Alex Almond. And it's that he's actually going to get a top five in one of the qualifying sessions. Wait, hold on. Not like a Q1, Q2, but like either he's either finishing top five in the sprint shootout or qualifying. Okay, that's good. I like that a lot. Well done. And I've said points. So if Alex Albon scores one point, I don't get a point. because I've done plural.

Okay, so, because he might score one over the sprint and then one in the main, that counts as two. Oh, thank you. I appreciate your honesty there. Yeah, no, I thought I would be like, there's so many loopholes here. Let's have a bit of honesty here. And then finally, three crazy predictions from you wonderful lot,

which we're doing every single race now, so be sure to reply to the graphic which we post on our Twitter or Instagram, Matt P1, Tommy. First one comes in from same usual God. Charles and Carlos both be on the podium at least once each from the sprint and race. I'm wearing a Ferrari top, but I don't see that happening. They've not even been mentioned the whole time.

I just think that if I stop mentioning them, maybe this is how they slowly start to rebuild. If I start mentioning, but wear their whole branding. I mean, Charles's done well, hasn't he, in the sprint. the sprint weekends but like you say you want to stay silent because it's the hope that kills you

I don't have any hope left I think a lot of people saw that last TikTok of you absolutely squealing with laughter with Charles with his 9.4 second pit stop and his five second penalty I'm glad everyone liked that clip

because I was the only one that didn't at Jeff 20491,232 only the top five finish on the lead lap Christ I was quite bold for spa when it's a long lap. Yeah, that would take like, no, I don't think Rebel are that clear. Leggy side's going to have to have the best race of his life if that happens.

God's sake, Tommy. I'm channeling it. He's going to win. Finally, from at Nurelifas, Red Bull double DNF. God, if that happens. I mean, look, we don't even need a double DNF. We just need Vestappen to DNF. Perez is not going to win by 30 seconds.

He's going to give us a great race. So let's leave Sergio alone. He's had a torrid time as it is for the last however many races. Let's throw him in the mix. We've got the greatest race of all time. But interesting. I feel like people are hoping rather than genuinely believing these predictions will come true, especially Samuel, same, sorry, same usual God as a Ferrari fan there.

But yes, that is our predictions done for the Hungarian? No, the Belgian Grand Prix. Hungarian ones just finished. Tommy, what are your final thoughts, sir, as you're wearing some P1 merch I see? I am. I'm rocking the purple, uh, and it's going to bring Lando Norris for some reason, P1, even though he has nothing to do with the color purple. So there we go. I was thinking purple. Hamilton had a helmet that was purple. And you've, you've said biggest flop Lewis Hamilton. I'm jinxing it. He's going to win now by four. He's going to lap everyone.

Oh, so many predictions. I'm sure we could clip some of those up and be like, God, we predicted this. Look at us. We're amazing. But that's because we make about 150 predictions in one video. Isn't that right, Tommy? It is.

Stepen to win. Perez to win. Lecler to win. We'll just take the bit we need. Angson to win. Haldi Sarge to win. And there you go. Thank you everybody.

Thank you everybody for watching and listening. As always. We look forward to hopefully an exciting Belgian Grand Prix. We'll be live on Twitch as always. Friday, Saturday and Sunday this weekend. So, of course, we've got the sprint. Do not forget and we'll see you there. Bye.

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