P1 with Matt and Tommy - Our 2024 F1 Season Predictions

Episode Date: January 29, 2024

The moment has arrived. It's time to showcase how much wheel we truly know.The 2024 F1 season is just around the corner, so it's time for some predictions! World Champion, biggest good surprise, new race winners, biggest flops - they're all in here...You can sign up to our Patreon here! You'll get access to exclusive episodes you won't hear anywhere else, every P1 episode ad-free, full driver interview videos, early access to tickets and more!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.

everybody, we are here. Welcome back to the P. One cast. With Matt and Tommy, we are finally at that stage where it's predictions time. Oh, my word. And it feels like we're here, Tommy. It feels like Formula One is around the corner

when we're dropping some seriously bad predictions into the atmosphere. It does. It definitely gets us hyped this one. This one, more than anything, we've obviously had some news recently. We've been, you know, random liveries and mourning the death of Circuit de Barcelona, Catalonia.

But this is now like proper... This feels like the season is about to happen. But of course, we've not had any F1 testing yet, but it's much more exciting when we do it based on 99% vibes, let's be honest. Exactly, we're not going to do predictions when we've seen testing. Like, oh, I think.

Well, loads of people did that. No. Yeah, people did that. And then it was like, biggest good surprise, Aston Martin. It's like, well, we all know that was the case. So for anyone that thinks we should wait, we're obviously going to do our usual like one to 20 after testing.

But it doesn't make sense to do this one after testing because then you have such a idea of how the season going to go. And let's be honest, you all tune in to see how rubbish we've done. So where's the hell if we get it right? Oh, next to freeze. Well, you know, excuse me. Who won last year, Tommy? Who won last year? One point. One point. It could be one, it could be ten. All you see is a W next to my name. And that, that one amazing P1 fan that came to one of our shows that gave me the golden P1 little logo thing that he had made and gave you a silver one because you finished second in the predictions.

In all of the predictions, didn't you really? Yeah, you are the losing. Anyway, maybe, maybe this year it will be different because it literally is a roll of the dice with our predictions. So shall we get into it? Oh, let's do it. Oh, wow, that was a strange thing. Yeah, yeah, fairs. Right, let's do it then. Let's start. Biggest good surprise. Okay, is everyone buckled in? Because I have been chefing. I have been in the kitchen with lots of different ingredients, and I don't know.

Your predictions, heads up. No, no idea of mine. Yeah, and we don't know that into any of the weeks of the races or anything like that, because we'd like to keep it a surprise. My biggest good surprise is Yuki Sanoda. So, yes, I'm not saying that just to try and get Tommy, you know, warmed up for the podcast or anything. But I've gone for Yuki Sonoda.

Why are you laughing at? I've gone for Yuki Sanoda as well. No way. Oh, well, you know, we've locked in. We can't change it, mate. No, go for it. I've gone for your card. Imagine if we've gone for the same predictions.

Oh, no. Okay. My thinking around Yuki Sanoda is one, I bet you thought as well that it was quite a rogue little, oh yeah, I'll throw UKSaner, because I did, and then you've gone for the same thing. My reasoning is, one, I think it's make or break for Yuki Sanoda. I think he's going to have to perform really well this year.

He's going to have to be wanting to do his exercise, if we remember Drive to Survive. You know, he was a little bit lacklust on that. But I feel like he has picked that up of what his team has said more recently. But I feel as though he will pick it up. He has got natural talent. We've seen it. The start of last year, really impressive.

didn't get the points results that perhaps he deserved. But more importantly, I think for him is that I believe that there will be a car able to perform and to deliver significant points this year if what we have heard from Visa Cash App at ATM cash bank, check, whatever, RB, is that they might all have a second Red Bull, in which case, Yuki Sonoda might have a very lovely season ahead of him. So that's why I've gone for biggest good surprise, YT. Indeed.

So, yeah, my biggest good surprise is also Yuki Sanoda. I'm now dreading that they're all the same because people like that we disagree and as if we've gone for the same one already. Yeah, I just think that the improvements that Al-Fatari made at the end of the season, similar to you, that they could have a much better car this season. of course they're now going to be called which at time of recording it was announced today the visa cash upb which has caused a lot of uproar an insane name but if they're quick they won't care about their ridiculous name and we're just call them though like

yeah probably just r b i feel like r b is probably that's so dead it really is isn't it because this is the thing like they're not even like saying what R.B. means, are they? They're just letting it sort of... Exactly, and I think that's the thing that triggers people, because we've had this before where, like, Hasse are called Money Graham Hasse, but no one calls them MoneyGram House. They just call it Hasse, but with this, their name is literally the sponsors. So, like, what do you call them? And RB just sounds terrible. But yeah, Yuki's been improving year on year, and I feel like he could have a great season. So, fingers crossed, I don't know how this is going to work.

out because normally you get them right and I get them wrong. So what's going to happen to Duky Snowda? Let's find out. Yeah, the universe is already starting to shake at the two powers colliding when one of us is usually decent with this. Speaking of powers, we are now going to move to biggest flop. Now, this is, of course, if you aren't aware, a very powerful piece of equipment that I have in my locker due to the amount of biggest flops or just generally bad things happening to drivers over the course of last year.

My biggest flop is Fernando Alonzo. How dare you? I'm glad it's not the same. But also, how dare you? Look, I went for one of your drivers for biggest good surprise, Yuki Snow, and it's like, yay, look, there you go.

Tommy, you can be happy. And I'm going to draw that all back by saying that I believe Fernando Alonzo is going to have a very mid-year. Not because he is lacking any talent. I just, I don't know, that Aston Martin, it had its time. Then they had no idea what to do with the car.

Then they went back to the default and it was all right at the end of the year again. But that doesn't fill me with much hope for that team moving forward. Yeah, that it feels like it's a bit of a lottery. as to whether they get it right or not, especially if they're copying other teams or trying to figure out,

you know, Red Bull, for example, and the philosophy that they had and they were trying to implement it onto their car, and then they didn't really know what to do after that. And it was clear to see that from that in 2023. So, I don't know, I just feel as though Alonzo's obviously set a massively high benchmark now to what we expect from him to deliver in a season at Aston Martin,

and I just don't think it will come to fruition in 2024. sorry to everybody. Yeah, it's a shame if that is the case. I agree to the point where I don't think Alonzo will hit the heights that he did last season. I hope Aston Martin prove us wrong because, you know, a lot of people think the same thing that they had this car and then they didn't really know what to do with it, but it was so good. And you do wonder how they're going to manage that again. and of course Alonzo somehow finishing fourth in the championship last year, it would be a minor miracle if he does that again.

But God, I hope you're wrong. I guess to just clarify, biggest flop does not mean worst driver of the year. Biggest flop is how we measure our expectations for a driver to where it actually delivers. So, if you said biggest flop, Max, if you said Biggest flop, 50s. Yeah, of course, you know, maybe 10th or something. But, you know, if you locked in Max for Stappen,

Max would need to finish second of the championship. So maybe that's where we should have gone. But yeah, that's just to clarify for those that are wondering. Okay. For my biggest flop. No, you're smiling. You're smirking. No, I'm not.

I need to barricade my doors, actually, before I say this one. because I can already just see the outrage. But I have gone for Mercedes as a team. And I can already hear everyone going, oh, might just have happened, cape in the background, blah, blah, blah. I don't think this is going to be on, the opposite to what you say with Alonzo, I don't think it's going to be the drivers.

The drivers, I think even last year, that car wasn't amazing. but the consistency of Lewis Hamilton helped them quite comfortably, well, not comfortably, but like get second in that constructor's title. I worry that Mercedes just can't seem to get the hang of these new rules, like these aerow, very much like a more of an aero formula. Obviously they were great when it was more focused around the hybrid engine and stuff, but they're still not getting it right.

and I worry that even with two fantastic drivers, I know George didn't have the greatest season last year, but I think he will bounce back and be better. I just don't think that car will deliver despite, you know, there's talk of like Toto Wolf being like, oh, we found like two seconds and, oh, the simulator says, this is a car this season and stuff. And I'm sure they hyped up last year.

Yeah, exactly. It's the first time it's felt like a car. It's like, well, what did it feel like beforehand? What do you mean? So, yeah, I've gone for Mercedes. Fair. That is a brave, biggest flop to count against Mercedes, especially as we say, how consistent Mercedes usually are

in just utilising as many points as possible. So good luck with that one. Because whenever you go for teams, mate, you always kick yourself in the heels. I don't know what the phrase is, but kick yourself in the foot. Shoot yourself, yeah, that was it. I don't know why I said to kick. Because usually one does really well, one does really bad.

Yeah, so Lewis Hamilton, World Champion and George Russell 20th or something, or the opposite way around. So yeah. Yeah. Good. Okay, let's go to Loses race seat. Do we believe that someone will lose their race seat? If so, who and maybe to whom? Of course, you know, it needs no introduction, but I'm going to do it anyway.

Ding, ding, ding. I was like, it was so funny. When you said lose his race yet, I'm like, oh, we did say it. And I was like, okay. I have to. It's my greatest ever moment in F1 content creation is, of course, when I, you know, predicted Nick DeVries will lose his seat to Daniel Riccardo. And this year you've gone for, Daniel Riccardo will lose his seat to Nick DeVries.

Yeah, yeah, imagine. that would be quite something. You go with yours first time. I have gone for no one. Boring again. I don't think anyone will lose their seat. I think the reason being is I don't think certain drivers will deliver,

but I don't think teams will get rid of them, particularly as contracts are about to end anyway at the end of the season. and I think that will have quite a big decision on it that they can have a bit of time. So, you know, the drivers for me that would be in this discussion would be like Kevin Magnuson, Logan Sargent, who didn't deliver last year.

But I'm sure they'll probably see out the year and try and see what they can do. And then if not, their contract's ending anyway and they can just get rid. Okay. interesting thoughts Tommy I have gone for hear me out

Sergio Perez and he will do a switcheroo with Daniel Ricardo at some point during the season I don't know whether this is going to happen or not but I said that previously with Nick DeFries and Danny Rick and yeah I just want to be a bit more fun with it

you know you said no last year and I was like boring and you said no again this year but I mean, goodness gracious me, Tommy. What are we going to do with the thumbnail? So, yeah, so I've gone for, yeah, Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricardo will switch. I don't think it's out of the realms of possibility if Perez doesn't do particularly well.

And Danny Rick, that we've already mentioned, feels like he's in line to get back to Red Bull eventually. And Red Bull, we've seen it before. It's not the first time. It's probably not going to be the last time. And if they are under pressure more this year as well, it might well bring them to make some radical decisions.

Yeah, I don't think it's out the possibility if Sergio Perez has the same year that he did last year. And I've seen a lot of people say like, oh, we finished second. Yeah, but he was so far off his teammate and had such poor races when, you know, he improved towards the end. But there was that middle stint where it was just like going more and more downhill. And I think if that happens again and Daniel Ricardo's got a full. full season under his belt. And if this Visa Cash App R.B. is quick and he can show performances

like he did in Mexico and towards the end of the season and impress, then it will put a lot of pressure on Sergio Perez. Whether they'll switch in my head, I just can't see Sergio Perez going back to, well, he never went there anyway, but like him taking that step down to stay in Formula One. whereas it's worked with maybe other juniors where they kind of, it's like, go back down and learn your lesson and build back up. Whereas Sergio Perez, it just feels like if they made that decision of,

we can't do this anymore, Danny Rick's in. I feel like you'd either go to a different team or retire. But it might well be in his contract. We don't know the terms and conditions that he has to race for the year. It probably has somewhere the stipulations of, we can move you wherever the hell we want to.

There's probably all sorts in that Red Bull team, the fact that they're so together, like, you know, the fact that they are their drivers, like Visa Cash App RB drivers are owned by Red Bull Racing and whatever, like that they loan them to that team. And it's a weird setup in that way. So, yeah, there are probably all sorts of contract things in there that we don't know about. So yeah, maybe. Let's now go to new race. winner. I've gone for yes. Yes, there will be a new race winner. And he goes by the name of Logue, no, of Lando Norris.

Lando is going to get the W this year. He's going to be cooking in that McLaren. I believe, I watched that video that McLaren put out, and I am on the hype train. And McLaren fans are probably devastated to hear that I am now on the hype train of McLaren. because that usually means one thing. But I believe. I fully believe I'm invested. Let's go. McLaren 2024. Wow.

I am also on the McLaren hype train for a new race winner. I have gone yes and that both McLaren drivers will win a race. You're not getting extra points. You've just put yourself in jeopardy there. You have to have both of them to get a point now.

Gigi's. Why? You don't get extra points. Okay, okay, for the... You can't list out like, oh, I think five people will be new race winners and you get five points for it. This is a point, you know what I mean?

What? But then if you don't get it right, you get none. Yeah, if one McLaren drive wins, I get none. Can I go for the double? I don't think you gave me extra points for the losers' race seat and then the fact that I added in that Danny Rick gets into Formula One, I'm it? But maybe we'll Michael Massey it later.

We'll find out how close we are. We'll figure it out. We'll figure out again. And it's because I couldn't decide between the two of them. I do think both of them will get a win this year. And I couldn't pick who first. Because I know it's bold to be like, oh, Piaastri will get a win before Norris,

which is this whole like meme of like, if that happened, it would be like really gutting. But I think even if that did happen, that Lando, surely. has to get a win with how well he's been driving if that McLaren is a lot better. So, yeah, I went for both McLaren drivers. Okay, dokey.

Exciting times for McLaren, which means they're probably not going to get a win at all if we've both predicted them. Biggest meme on the grid. Hit me, Tommy. I have gone for, has as a team, as an identity. Oh, no. That's not a meme.

That's not a meme you want either. I know for a fact that's probably not a good meme. It's not a good meme, it's a bad meme because Gunther's gone, so that meme's gone. And I just think they will just be a bit of a, even more of a team that just don't really have any direction. And I feel sorry for the people

that are there and putting in their best efforts, clearly, but I think the problem is clearly that Gene Haas doesn't invest enough and put his full kind of, you know, full efforts, into it. And then you've got, you know, the likes of Andretti and whatever, like desperate to get into Formula One. And there's Gene Hass being like, okay, we'll have this team and not really care too much about it.

And we're never like improving and we're not going to spend any money. So I just think Hass will be back to being kind of a bit of a joke. And this wasn't my one crazy prediction just because I'm not going to double down on it. but I almost go as far as saying Hasse might not even score a single point in the whole year. I think they'll be that bad. I think they'll just be awful.

Just a little side prediction. Doesn't even get you any points, but you just sort of beat them while they're down. They've lost Gunter and now you said they might have not scored at one point. I believe in Hulk. I think Hulk will somehow get that tractor in a sprint.

No, maybe not that. Okay. for me, the biggest meme on the grid is going to be Oscar Piastri. I feel as though he's coming out of his shell more and more, and he's had a few great moments last year. The one that obviously sticks in my head is the hover guy in Austria, and he's aware of the memes as well. He's so dialed in.

He knew that I was going to become a meme before it became a meme. So I feel as though, as he gets more and more comfortable in Formula One, He's a nice, funny, jokey character, and I feel as though he'll be involved in a lot of memes. So I've gone for a more lighthearted, wholesome meme. You've gone for... I've gone for laugh at you've gone for laugh with. Yeah.

Yeah, exactly. So we will deliberate that in about 10 months' time. The big one now. Strap ourselves in, get the seat belts on. Who is going to be world champion? All right. Literally, like you could have been playing the audio from the last one. Yeah, from the last time.

All right, hit me up. I have gone for... Okay, I have gone for Lando Norris. Wow. Yep. I am locking in Lando Norris as the world champion. I told you, I felt it. I feel it in my bones.

McLaren are going to be quick this year. And I am so... I'm sorry in advance. I'm sorry in advance, but I can't help the way I feel, okay? I was close last year with my world champion prediction. No, I wasn't. And I'll be close this year,

because it will be right. Lando Norris, champion of the world, 2024. Let's go. That would be wild if we're all like, will Lando win a race? And then he wins the world championship. My world champion, I have gone four. Yuki Sanoda.

I think Vizakashen. Oh, jog on. Yeah, it's obviously Max Westappen. Boring. Boring. You should get 0.1 points for that.

Actually, no, not even that because that's still probably, you know, if we're drawing. I don't think you get any points for a Maxwell Stapparper prediction for World War II. Let me just get to predict to finish the second. Okay.

Yeah. No. I, yeah. It's hard. to bet against him. It would be, I hope there's a fight. I really do.

Not just saying that, like, we need it for Formula One. And I hope it is, but he's just in such unbelievable form. It's scary. And even if the Red Bull isn't as quick as it was last year, he's going to be tough to beat.

But he can't win every year? Can he Tommy? It will change eventually at some point, maybe. So this is the year. I believe it. God, if I get that one right, that will be right at the top of my accolades past Danny Rick replacing it to freeze.

One crazy prediction for the season. This one I'm ready for. This one's coming true. 100%. Charles LeCler gets more wins than polls. Oh, okay. Come on.

And that might will be. one win and zero polls, but I will take the W. I will combust live on Twitch because we'll be doing our watch longs every single race weekend. If Charlotte College just wins again, I've forgotten what it feels like. And it's only been 2022 Australia. No, Austria, sorry, since the last time he won. Long time ago, though. Yeah, I just feel like that is a crazy prediction because he's so well known for his polls and no wins and I feel like he is going to

well it's 12 on the bounce so shut why did you have to bring that up no one asked Tommy literally nobody cares how dare you not that is that is a bold prediction because do you like it though is it turns you on it

I do like it yeah it is a good one it's a good one because the fact that yeah like even if he gets a win he could it'd be funny if he got a win near the start of the season and then like the last race of the season and it gets a pole and you're like, yes, no.

I'm like, no, slow down. Stop. Stop, you're going to, yeah, I mean, that would be wild. It's going to be fascinating to see if, like, how Ferrari do, because they have looked quick. It's just if they can get on top of those tires because I do think they were the second quickest car throughout the year.

Yeah, on average. On average, but they just had, on average, but they just, kind of flip-flopped a bit and had those tyre problems. So yeah, Charles needs a, he does need another win. It's mad to be how long it's been.

And I would have put him as world champion, but I haven't seen that rogue news article saying that they've gained 2,500 brake horsepower. I have. Oh, you have? Yeah, yeah. I'm pretty sure like a couple of weeks ago. Change your prediction.

I'm sure it was. Actually, they found horsepower. Yeah, but I think it was from like F1 Paddock Gossip, Twitter account. Hey, that is a reputable source, I'll have you know. If it's anything about Charlotte-Clair and Ferrari gaining time, I'm here for it. Okay, cool. I can't change it now.

Okay. Imagine I don't go for him and he becomes a world champion. I'd never forgive myself. But I'd still be happy enough for it. But also, you'd take it, right? Yeah, because I'm anti-jinks. Yeah. We're going for the anti-jinks.

Sorry, Lando should have a 14th place finish in the World Drivers' Championship. Oh, God. Imagine. Imagine if McLaren just aren't all that, and we've gone for the, you've gone for champion. I've gone for both McLaren's get a win.

Yeah, it'd be pretty catastrophic. But they have hyped themselves up. So if it doesn't work out, they've only got themselves to blame, really, for doing this whole light. You've got to blend them, not me. You know, newspaper cuttings out being like... Honestly, it got me in the Dol drones.

And then, yeah, definitely. They've got to deliver. Right. My one crazy prediction is that Visa Cash App R.B., I hate that name so much we'll finish ahead of Alpine in the standings and I can already see you going Is that crazy?

That's exactly what was on my mind Because they scored five times as many points as them last season So that's a lot of points Yeah but if they come out with another racing point You know is that really Is that really a crazy prediction? You know what I mean? But it's well

You could say the same about anyone really like we're banking there's a lot of chatter isn't it and I feel like this happened before though and maybe I'm getting baited into it again and they're going to be terrible because I'm sure like after testing

I want to say was it 20-21 they were like oh my word Al-Fatari like the fourth quickest team and then they just didn't deliver and it always seems to happen when they're- I'm actually sick of it already as RB and RB or racing balls

R-B just sounds like a... Yeah. They're not actually called racing balls, but I... What if... V-carb. Visa Cash at... V-carb. V-carb. V-carb works.

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Down the inside, go Sonoda in the V-carb! V-cab! It sounds like... It actually sounds better. I mean, a bit of carbohydrates, you know what I'm saying? It sounds like something you get in like a...

The vegetarian carbohaboard. carbohydrate. Yeah, yeah. I like it. Let's go with that. But I do wonder if that name is just a way to like, everyone was roasting them for racing balls and they're like, fine. I bet you wish we were called racing balls now, don't you?

I actually do. That's the thing. I actually do. Because at least if they were Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, we'd just call them racing balls. Like your Oracle Rebel Racings, like your Ferrari, whatever they're called, Santander Ferrari.

whatever, like you never call them that, you just call them by their team name. But because they don't really have a team name that's going to get really annoying and I'm fascinated. How many years are you going back, gee? You know what they're doing? They sponsor them now. I can't remember what they're called. I can't remember who their title sponsor is now. I don't even know.

No idea. I just, I just want to see them win. Right. That is it. That is our predictions done and dusted, sign sealed, delivered. No changes from here. No regrets. Can't wait for the backlash, mainly from McLaren fans.

I just want to say we're in this together. I need points, you need the wins slash championship, okay? So let's just be friendly on this one. You know, we're doing this out of the kindness of our hearts and not trying to jinx anyone here. Tommy, what are your final thoughts? Final thoughts are that when this podcast goes out, yeah, it's really going to feel ready for the season

and will be so close to, yeah, really, really, really close to the car launches and stuff. And as soon as we see those first cars, that is when, yeah, you get the hype. Like, I even just switched on the F1 channel the other day and just saw a bit of racing. I was just like, God, I miss this. Even though it was just a really normal race from last season.

I can't wait. Your voice is going as well, which is interesting. He's booked for half an hour and you've finished, that's it. I've got a really bad call, so I apologise if it's been...

No, it's been glorious until that specific sentence, really, and it's gone. But anyway, thank you everybody for watching and listening. I'm doing the outro. Tommy's getting emotional. It's all kicking off.

Let us know your predictions, of course, in the comments and what that would love to see that on social one. It's going to be interesting to see who has will knowledge and who does it. isn't it Tommy?

So, love that. We'll find out. Bye. Bye. P1 is a stack production and part of the ACAST creative network.