P1 with Matt and Tommy - Qatar GP Sprint Race review

Episode Date: November 30, 2024

We saw battles at the front and back in the final sprint race of the season - include an unscripted lead change at the final corner! Join us for our End of Season tour across the UK this December! There are still some tickets available for London, Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol right here!Sign up to our Patreon here! You'll get access to bonus episodes, our classic race podcast series, every P1 episode ad-free, early access to live tickets and merch, and access to our Discord server where you can chat with other F1 fans!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 and welcome back to the B1 podcast with Matt and Tommy. Yes, that's correct. That was an energetic intro as well actually. Maybe a bit too energetic because the sprint wasn't that great. But we're here to talk about all the sprint. Tommy's raised his eyebrows for audio listeners. And we need to talk about what happened. But first and foremost, Tommy, what do we have to shout out? We have to shout out merch because we've been working very hard on merchandise and you lovely people have sent a lot of compliments about it and also been buying some things and saying how happy you are with it. So good times.

Matt P1Tommi.com. Love to see it. Okay, let's get straight into the sprint. No messing around. Here we go. First question. DGR Defender. How do we feel about that last lap pass?

I feel good. I don't know. Anyone that's even remotely saying that this was something that shouldn't have happened or Max would never have done that for Checo, I don't care. I like the fact that Lando put Oscar first in the situation. repaid him for Brazil. Yes, it was a little bit touch and go,

but we're thinking of alternate realities where he messes that up and Russell goes past. He didn't. It was an absolute perfect switch. Lando, I think, should be respected for that. It was a good thing to do, I think, for their teammate relationship,

which at points has been a little bit contentious for certain reasons. But it's something that Lando wanted to do. He said he wanted to do it from Brazil, basically. He wanted to pay him back. And he did. So it was unexpected. Don't get me wrong.

I think both me and Tommy were like during the stream. Could not believe it. Oh, wow. What's going on? Lando's pulling over. He's got a problem on the final corner. But no, it was something that should be respected in my opinion and well done Lando for executing it beautifully.

Indeed. Yes. Other drivers may not have done it in the past, but Lando is not one of those drivers and he's played the team game. He's played an absolute, I think that was the perfect kind of team. driving, when you're going for a Constructors Championship, it's a Constructors Championship that McLaren have not won in years and years and years,

it played the perfect team game. It's not even just the last lap pass, which of course will get all the talking points, it's the fact that Lando made sure Oscar was going to finish second anyway, because I think Russell would have easily got him if it hadn't had been for that.

So the fact that he'd drag up. him along with DRS, even said at one point, didn't he? What was it? Do I need to save him because my tyres are going? Which is quite interesting. But very surprised he did that at the end when it was all so close, but executed it beautifully. And it's a very nice thing to do.

And his team seemed to enjoy it a lot as well. So to pay back what obviously happened in Brazil. So fair play to him. Yeah, a wholesome thing. It also shows that not many drivers care about finishing second in the championship either. because of course there is still a fight, technically, between Lando and Shal for second in the championship. Shal perhaps cares a little bit more about that as we saw in Vegas

than perhaps maybe Lando does, but Lando also wanted to pay him back. Maybe Lando doesn't have a bonus. Who knows? I'm sure he's rich enough as it is. Okay, next question. Rachel Cornish 06. Do you think Lando letting Oscar through to win shows how much he knows he needs Oscar next season?

I don't think I think Lando just wanted to do it because he felt like he owed Oscar. I don't think there's much more from that. I don't think it's a case of Lando being like, oh, I'm going to need to use Oscar as much as possible next season.

I think Lando knows he's going to have a very tough fight against Oscar in 2025. And McLaren are quite clear in the sense that they aren't assigning a number one driver role to either of them, especially Lando, having been there longer. So I don't think it's a case of, well, I paid you back in, it's more of like, we're even now,

let's move on. And I think that's more of what Lando is thinking there. I don't believe he's really prepping for 2025 as much as people might talk about it like that. It was just a nice thing to do. And it's as simple as that. Great. I think it is just simple way of just saying, you can have that back, especially because it happened so recently as well.

it's fresh in the memory. You tried what you could to help me win the driver's championship. So here, have it back. Because at the end of the day, I don't think there's, I don't think there's anything in it that Lando is doing it to think, oh, yeah, Oscar's going to help me next season. Because as soon as we get to that first race of the season, Oscar, you know, until he's told absolutely not to,

or if we get into another situation, Oscar is going to race Lando just as hard He's going to know that he can And going to want to challenge for the championship himself Particularly if the McLaren is that good So we're going to go into next year with complete number ones It's yeah, maybe keeping him on side a little bit But nothing more than that

It's not going to change anything is it going into the first race to the season It's not like, well you gave me that sprint last year Carry on mate yeah you go through Yeah, if Oscar's in another situation like Monza, where he can go around the outside of Lando at term one in the first race of the season, he's absolutely going to do it because he's allowed to do it. They've got a number one, two number ones, as they've very much mentioned through a lot of the time. And it won't, we won't change anything until only one of them can win the driver's title, which is what happened this year. Indeed. Next question, Angel 4 underscore 717. Lando was told to finish in this order, but he gave Oscar the win against team orders.

What do you think the McLaren Pitwall will think of that? I think you'll get like a little, that was a bit close, wasn't it, Lando? But no more than that. Because as I go back to my initial point, he didn't mess it up. There's not going to be another situation, maybe for a while,

where Lando will think of doing that again because he was literally just paying him back for Brazil. Lando took it upon himself to deliver it. McLaren can't really say much. They can just be happy with a one, two. They have to focus on the rest of the weekend. They can't get hung up on something that I just said, you know, it's not going to happen again.

And they got maximum points. There's literally nothing negative to talk about with this. And I disagree with anyone that has anything to say that is bad about it. It's a ridiculous thing to sort of bring up to think that the McLaren need to sort of punish Lander in any way or even frame it as a will against team orders. He knew what he was doing. He played the perfect team game all race and then he could just switch at the end to do something. something that, you know, we've seen in the past, um, drivers do. So, uh, McLaren were, you know, you saw Zach Brown smirking on the pit wall at the end,

probably found it quite amusing that, that it had happened. And I think McLaren, if anything, in a way of like, oh, God, that was a bit close, but we're all good. Yeah. But I do, I do think that McLaren are probably, all McLaren are thinking probably right now is, well, this Constrictor's Championship is looking. very much on and from how and the pace that we've got. And we've got two very happy drivers that are working very well together to help us

secure that Constructors' Championship. So I don't think there's a single negative thing they need to go into. Yeah. Well, actually, what do you want to bite in? Because there is one negative that I want to highlight. And it's the fact that Lando screwed over my prediction for the weekend where I said he would win the sprint. And then he literally let Oscar through on the final corner.

So that is my one negative is that it's cost me. And it's you've gained another point. It's not like I've just lost one. I've lost two to you essentially because you've also gained one, which is absolutely disgraceful. And yes, actually, I'm really angry about it all that shouldn't have happened. Okay, let's move on from this situation now. And it was not a situation.

It was a lovely situation. Two, a question from P1 patron member, Green Bene. Is Max still hungover? I think it's a combination of Max just chilling out a little bit. I know Max doesn't chill out much. That's for sure. But also you don't hear about. Max's celebrations of world titles and stuff like that.

And it's not the first world title that he's won. So I would like to think that he's not been silly with it. I think it's more leaned to the fact that Red Ball isn't very good, the fact that we've only had one practice session. And we've seen this season that the Red Ball has looked atrocious sometimes in Free Practice 1, but they've had another two to really dial it back in. We saw in the first couple of corners of lap 1. Max was oversteering everywhere, losing positions, was out of the points that

one point. So I think it's more the case that the Red Bull isn't great because Max is so programmed to win everything that he comes across, even if it's a game of FIFA, that I don't think it is much to do, maybe a tiny bit with just, ah, I've won the championship, we're all good. Yeah, I disagree with that even a tiny bit. I just don't think Max's programmed that way at all. You look at every other championship he's won, like the two that he wrapped up early. He still wanted to go on and completely dominate the rest of the season and even though he hasn't got the card to do that he'd still want to get the maximum points and and keep doing it and it's quite clear that that red bull is just absolutely awful i mean i know i know sergey a perres has been doing badly but he literally finished

last and max um is there fighting a has which imagine saying that at the start of the season so So the Stappan doesn't have this mode in him where it's just like, I don't care now because I'm on holiday and I've finished. I think it's very much that Red Bull are just willing to get to the end of the season. And I think that the car's not there. They're obviously not developing it because there's nothing for them to play for. They're never going to win the constructors, particularly with their, with Sergio Perez at the wheel of the other car.

so it's all about next year for them and just improving there. So it's going to be a tough race for them because they just don't have the pace at all. They do not. And still speaking about the Red Bull stable, but the other driver, P1 patron member, Laurie, is that the most embarrassing part of Czechos season? There's been a few. I'm watching the clip right now, and it is utterly bizarre. it's almost, it literally looks like Perez is trying to let Colopinto to go through.

That because you can see his head. It goes green. Then he looks in his mirror. And then Colapinto obviously drives past. It's, I don't know. I don't know why you would do that. It's clear that he was in a practice. Because I'm watching it right now.

His head points the left. He sees it's green. And then he looks in his mirror. And then he looks in his mirror. Why would he be looking for in his mirror? one game challenge that's like, what do I have to do to get fired? No, no, like how bad can I be? Like what?

Because is it the most embarrassing part of Czechos season? That's saying a lot. You know, the guy's going to finish eighth in the championship when his teammates were champion. He's cost his team. The constructs had so many embarrassing moments. And that probably is the worst of the lot because a pit lane start. He's had a poor qualifying.

He's had a pit lane start. So there's no expectation. but how you managed to, I don't think if he'd have just had a normal start, we'd have even noticed him, but the fact that you then get a replay of him being passed by the medical car, the medical car got a better start than Perez.

And then even when he realizes it's green, he doesn't really accelerate and let's colipinto pass. Really bizarre. I don't know what's going on. I just think that they've filled him to the brim and he was doing a practice session. Because it's clear, he came in and changed his front wing.

So I'm not going to be like, oh, this is the most embarrassing part of Czechos season because like his race was done. Not his race, but the traffic light situation is pretty bad. I know it's bad, but my brain is going, that can't be what it seems. Like, I literally am giving Checo the benefit of the doubt here. He knows when it goes green he's supposed to go.

So why is he looking in his mirror? Like, that's for me is like a case of he's going out there and he just wants to run at the back and do a practice session. I think he's doing like, well, I've got Colapinto behind me. I'm just going to let him go and I'm just going to be on my own. So there's no cars around me. I don't have any problem about hitting a front wing off or whatever or battling any kind of car.

I'm just on my own and having a practice session. Yeah, maybe. That's the benefit of the doubt that I'm going to give Checo there. I know there's been interviews that we haven't actually seen, so perhaps they've clarified it whilst recording. but yeah, it just utterly bizarre, to be honest with you, but still, we will move on from Czechos and go to something that was very fun,

probably the best part of the sprint, which was Hamilton versus Leclair and the wheel-to-wheel battle that they had. P1PATry member Lossie Dogg asks, we've been thrilled by Carlos and Charles not coming together as teammates. How many races into 2025 do we predict Lewis and Charles potentially crashing?

I don't like the slightly the sort of pointed nature of this question of, oh, well, how long till they crash? Because it was close, wheel to wheel racing. I think Hamilton and Leclair are two of the best will-to-will races on the grid. In terms of clean fairness, Hamilton has been like that for a very long time in his career. Yeah, it was very crash-happy when he first joined F1, but who hasn't been, who's been very, very quick. But for most of it, Hamilton's always been, give space, little up and under, you know,

those kind of standard things from Hamilton. Leclair, similar. You know, very good in wheel to wheel racing has been the only one to tame Vastappen, it feels like, in a lot of ways when they've gone into battle. So I think we will have a similar thing where it'll be a Hamilton-Laclair, respectful battle.

It was close. It was so close, but it was fine. And they got away with it, and we're lauding it as some of the best wheel to wheel racing we've seen this year because it was millimeter perfect. I think it is, yeah, the opposite. I had the complete opposite conclusion to that of not thinking

Lewis and Charl are going to crash a lot next year. I was thinking, oh my word, it's going to be absolutely unbelievable watching those two race against each other because completely echo your thoughts. Charles in particular, I think is one of if not the best wheel racer in terms of fairness. He has that aggression that he's almost got like the aggression of Max without going going too far and then also the kind of the Hamilton side where it's a bit more measured, but Hamilton doesn't quite have the aggression now later on in his career. And Charles has a bit of both that he can kind of do a bit of both.

And we said with Carlos and Charles, oh, these are definitely going to crash, definitely. And they haven't. And look at some of the battles that Carlos and Charles have had, Monsa last year in particular, you know, racing incredibly hard, going wheel to wheel, millimeter, perfect. And it's no coincidence that it's the same drivers that are doing this all the time that are having these millimeter perfect racing. So I think it's just a really exciting prospect and a little taster of what we're going to get in 2025 between the two of them, and I can't wait.

I agree. Next question, Alex Goody, 0401. Is the constructors done and dusted? That McLaren pace looks to be super fierce. and we didn't even see it in full. Potentially, yeah, I think, you know, going into this weekend, I said that Ferrari couldn't lose any points to McLaren

and they've lost a serious chunk already in the sprint with that one to being so perfectly executed as a team from McLaren Lando beautifully keeping Oscar in DRS and helping him the entire race. They're going to be very hard to overthrow, if anything. I think McLaren could very much seal the constructors tomorrow. they'd have to outscore them by maybe what 12, 13 points, something like that. It's not a lot.

And if you think a 1-2, maybe 1-3 is on the cards for Lando and Oscar, it's going to be hard for Ferrari to, well, stop them from winning the constructors, but even if they do take it to Abu Dhabi, it will be an unassailable lead. But that's my feeling right now. Unless Ferrari can show better race pace, it looks like Lando's got the edge over everyone at the moment. Oscar, a little bit more trouble with the tyres. but then again he was following Lando for most of the race.

So it's hard to, it's not apples and apples there, even though they are in the same car, because dirty hair is quite a difficult thing for the drivers as we saw. Yeah, I guess never say never with, we've had these conversations before over something sprints, and then this season has kept us guessing. So much of things completely change, and you don't even know why, but based on the form.

In Qualley now, Ferrari, here we go. Yeah, imagine. But based on the form so far, you wouldn't bet against McLaren at the very least taking a big big, big lead, almost unassailable into Abu Dhabi because Lando's looking mighty. Oscar's also kind of turned up here looking more like his old self, whether that would be the case when we have like a full race as well. We don't know, but that being said, Ferrari were on the back,

but I think that was the nature of just the DRS train really with the race, that it was always almost like a Monaco where the leader could just control the pace and keep everyone in the DRS train because there was nowhere really to overtake. So yeah, it's not looking good for Ferrari at the moment. We take the extra wind tunnel time. It's fine. It's all good. That is looking great, actually.

Master plan. Yeah. If anything, if Paris can start, rack up some points. Before I finish third. Lovely. We love to see it. right that is it thank you everybody for watching and listening for this nice and reactive sprint podcast i hope you enjoy qualifying a little bit later you might even be watching this after qualifying's

done uh we will see you very soon what is your final thoughts tom tom tom thomas tommy bring on qually bring on qually that's a great one what about for people that everybody watch quality uh hope you enjoy quality great thank you everybody see you soon as long take it bye bye and that's for chores honestly just get everything done before quality like you know what mean, just get on it. You're listening on audio. You're probably there before Quali. If you're here before Quali,

fair play to you. You are a legend. And if you hear after Quali, you're also legendary, but just slightly 1% off the top. No I'm saying. Okay, lots of love. Bye.

Goodbye. Go scrub. I don't know what you're scrubbing, but scrub. P1 is a stack production and part of the ACAST creator network.