P1 with Matt and Tommy - Reaction to Abu Dhabi GP qualifying

Episode Date: December 8, 2024

Today's qualifying threw up a few baffling surprises at the top and bottom of the grid, as a few penalties added a bit of extra spice to the Constructors' Championship standings!Our End of Season live tour starts next week! There are still some tickets available for London, Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol, so get them 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.

Hello everybody and welcome back to the P1 podcast with Matt and Tommy. And I feel as though we're just going to start this podcast off by saying, I'm not going to be as loud as usual because we're in a hotel. It's 10 to 1 in the morning and we finally got back after a very busy day, then being stuck massively in traffic. So I just want to say a huge apology because we are usually on it. We are there. We're reactive and that's what P1 is. So apologies.

We are having a great time, but just wanted to also put that out there. It's definitely not that Charlotte Clair's going to be 19th. Good, great. Didn't realize that was going to come straight away. Thank you though. Lots of exciting things on our Instagram. At me, Matt P1, Tommy, if you haven't already had a look, because, yeah, some very cool things with Shell, which I'm sure you'd love to take a look at. Now, let's get into qualifying. Let's just get straight into it, because we've got a club sandwich arriving at some point, because we haven't had dinner, and I'm looking forward to it. So it might arrive halfway through the pod. Let's see. Q1. The five drivers out. We're out on.

Joe, Hamilton, Colopinto and Dewan. Well, Lewis Hamilton out in Q1 in his final qualifying session for Mercedes. Heart-wrenching, I would say, because it was something that I think universally we all would have loved to have seen Hamilton have a nice final weekend with Mercedes. It's not been easy since 2022. Well, I mean, to be fair, since the end of 2021 for Hamilton at Mercedes. He's had a few moments of brilliant Silverstone, obviously, being one that sticks in my mind. But it was absolutely avoidable. The fact that Mercedes essentially sent both Russell and Hamilton out right at the end of Q1.

We were sat there opposite the pits. We were in an amazing little grandstand sweet thing, which, again, unreal. And we saw both the Mercedes tramdling down the pit lane with like two and a half minutes to go in Q1. We're like, why? I know this track evolution, but why are we leaving it so late? That late, and always, and we'll get into this later, it's always, when you go against the grain and do that, there's always problems of backing up other people and blocking people and then having not only do you end up getting in a mess when you're about to start your lap, which we saw of other cars coming through, but then you're doing your hot laps

as everyone's slowing down and trying to get out the way. So not good for Hamilton, but of course the ballard just sums up his misfortune at the moment. He just couldn't write it. I've never seen that before where it was literally like watching a Mario car weapon. Obviously, it was completely accidental from KMAG. He was trying to get off the road. But ironically, he'd have been better off just blocking Hamilton the corner because he probably lost more time by having a ballard under his car for the next three corners.

Yeah, look, it was unlucky. And that's the fact of being so out of sync with other drivers. You're going to have KMAG fallen off the road wherever he possibly could to get out of the way of Hamilton. and he's smashed a bollard that he may have not even noticed because it's so far on the inside curb that none of the drivers, I don't even know why there is a bollard there, to be honest with you,

but maybe it's because the drivers would then go over the curb like that. But either way, very unlucky for Hamilton. It was weird to hear Russell, I think probably for the first time ever, be like, well, Hamilton was going to destroy me, basically. He was kind of just speaking. And maybe there's the whole, like, it's Hamilton's last weekend. But Hamilton was going to beat me and this sort of stuff. but he did look good, and Hamilton was looking strong and definitely stronger than 18th.

Now, speaking of his teammate, let's go into a question at Iban V23. What's your view on Russell impeding Lawson, who was on a fast lap? In my opinion, that was a flat-out three-place penalty considering last week. Now, we did just mention it was chaos out on track, especially for the likes of Russell, who was, I think, just about to go on to a fast lap, wasn't he? and he said himself that he didn't want to go off the track because that would have then counted as a track limits around the final corner and you're not allowed to do that.

But when you actually watch it, and we kind of analysed it, didn't we, Tommy, on the way back, that he's very much in the way of where Lawson is going to be going. And Lawson, of course, did get through, but that shouldn't matter. It's not what happens. It's the action. And Russell was in the way.

And, you know, Russell's excuse of, well, I don't want to go off the track because that would have given me track limits. That in itself just, that's Mercedes putting you in that situation of leaving it to the last minute to do a lap. So the fact that he didn't get a penalty, especially after last week, like this comment says, those were two outlaps. This was him blocking on a fast lap. This is the problem, right? that because of everything that happened last week, it gives the ammunition to the people that call these like British buy. And it's not going to stop the allegations.

And Alonzo, of course, loves to twist the knife. And Max has said it as well, saying, you know, I've got the wrong passport and stuff. But no wonder they say it when stuff like this happens because he's blocked another car. And of course, Max got a penalty for doing it on his literal outlap, whereas this was Lawson on a fast lap. Of course he got through, but he's still blocking another car.

And the argument of, oh, well, I didn't go off track because I would have ruined my lap. You're in the wrong place at the wrong time, so you have to get off the track. If that's the only way you can get out of the way of another car, you have to get off the track where you're getting a penalty. So I cannot believe it got away with that one again, crazy. Very, very strange. Let's get a Q2 then, where the five drivers out were Sonoda, Lawson, Stroll, looking at. Are I reading that right? LeCler?

I put it in bold for you. Thanks mate. Really appreciate that. And Magnuson. So, Leclair out in Q2 after putting in the fastest lap. And you should have seen the emotion change of me there in the grandstands, seeing a Ferrari 1-2 in Q2. Everyone cheering. Including me.

Massive cheers. And I was like, here we go. Ferrari, they're going to mount something here. They can do something special. and then LeCleur just disappeared off the front of the leaderboard and I was like oh my god Leclair's how does that one deleted surprised you didn't whip your phone out at that point usually do to record said reactions but yeah it really disappointing

to see LeCleur down in 14th because look he would have started at minimum 11th looked likely to be sort of 13th 14th if signs his pace is anything to go by now he's going to probably start from the pit lane with a brand new car going to be 12 seconds a lot quicker than everyone else sign me up. It's big brain thinking. Look, Ferrari, they're doing something that no one else realizes, apart from me obviously. Yeah, the track limits

moment, that's going to be, I think that's actually going to be a very interesting thing to watch in the race if you can say track track limits is interesting, but in terms of intriguing because so many drivers were very close, we saw

Peres and Piastri go off and the sensor didn't pick it up, but of course the tire from images you can see that the curvature of the tire was I mean why then why this is still a thing in 2024 is crazy that that they have this is the solution that they need to be doing like photo pictures and getting a ruler out like VR is quite quite mad to me but either way Leclair didn't have that same luxury it was just off the tiniest amount and of course you do that three times in the

race you're getting a penalty and it and a lot of drivers are struggling with that first turn, with how the trackers are trying to push a lot, of course, they're always going to push more in qualifying, but could be something that comes up in the race. But yeah, getting for LeClaire, because, of course, the championship fight for the constructors is looking very difficult now.

Yeah, I mean, it was looking bad anyway with the 10 place grid penalty. It's almost soften the blow now coming into qualifying. If this had happened without the grid penalty, then, you know, the dreams would have absolutely. been shattered straight here and now on the Saturday. A question from Brock Max, do we think a recovery drive from

Hamilton and Leclair are possible? Anything's possible in Grand Prix racing. And as Leclair said, he won't give up until the very final corner. Neither will I, with my delirium. But it's a McLaren one, two. They have got every single outcome

possible apart from maybe one or two. You know, millions of outcomes. Only one or two is where Ferrari wins the championship. But yeah, there's definitely possibilities. I think that you're going to see Leclair, as I say, probably start from the pit lane. I'd imagine seeing him on the hard tires, probably same with Hamilton,

where they're going to have to go something alternate, in my opinion. Abu Dhabi is still difficult to overtake despite the changes. So it is possible, but luck is going to have to be on their side. We're going to have to see a well-time safety car after the medium runners have come in. Yeah, but it's unlikely. They're hoping for a safety car.

I mean, they will still, I think both them will get through the field with the pace of the car that they've got. They're both. But I mean, when you look at qualifying, though. True. I mean, it's incredibly close in qualifying. But I do think there's still that performance gap that they'll have in the race. If not, it's not quite the same as maybe, and this is a great thing, not the same as maybe

three or four years ago where the top three teams could just basically get a free ticket to sixth place because it was like the easiest thing in the world to get there because the gap between the midfield and the top teams was absolutely enormous so it will be more difficult but i could just see d rs trains in my head i can just see it i just feel like it's going to be really difficult i think there's going to be someone that's like seventh which is why i'll go for the hard tire and just hope that they're not too far behind by the time um go as long as possible and they need of course a safety car late in the race not early because then if they pit screws the strategy.

So we'll see, but they're, of course, going to do something completely different to everyone else who won't follow the strategy, I'm sure. Absolutely. Next question from Mega versus Primus.

What do Ferrari need to do in order to win the Constructors title? Prey. They certainly need to do that. I think, obviously, Carlos signs being in third place is a phenomenal performance from Carlos. I feel like Ferrari have been on the back

for this whole weekend. And Carlos came good right at the end, in my opinion. And I think he's done a fantastic job there to, at least there's a slither of hope that if Oscar Piaastri and Landon Norris don't play ball, Carlos Sines can come flying through. I don't feel that there's going to be any antics between McLaur and apart from potentially the first lap where they realize that that's probably the only time to jostle positions. But yeah, it's, it was unlikely coming into the

weekend anyway. Now it is pretty much impossible. I have been saying the whole time, you know, never say never we've been in this position to say many times before and it's always changing but even now I'm like I don't think it's going to happen sorry mate I mean surely if McLaren throw it away from here that must be the biggest

disaster for a team to throw away something yeah yeah in a one two situation that they are in qualifying yeah they have every finger and almost both thumbs on the

championship trophy now, don't they, basically? Yeah, wow, what an image. That's a 1am image if I've ever heard it. Okay, let's go into Q3 then, shall we? Where the top 10 were Norris, Piastri, signs, Holkenberg, Vestappen, Gassley, Alonso, Bottas and Perez. Which has changed because of Holcombokemberg.

Yes, sorry, that was the screenshot before Holcomburg got a penalty. Let's go to the first question, P1 Patreon member Alan Enderpey. Will Oscar play the team game for tomorrow's race or go for the win? how I very much see this because I mean Zach Brown

if I was a McLaren fan through and through I would not be very convinced by Zach Brown's sort of response in the sort of post-quality interviews where he says we'll come up with a game plan

or we'll come up with the strategy whatever it was overnight I'm like how on God's Green Earth has this not been discussed before yeah tell me a more indie car than F1 with that time you're just kind of like wheel out of drivers race

let's just go for it Let's just go on guys. I mean, look, as a neutral, that is amazing. Gorgeous, beautiful. Keep it up, Zach. And as a Ferrari fan as well, keep it up. I personally see this as a, you both have to go for it on lap one because you've got Carlos and everyone else behind.

You can't just sit on your laurels and, oh, you go through, you go through. No, they have to go for it. But I think after lap one, they will say, work together. It's as simple as that. Whether Oscar Piastri, if he's five-tenths behind, just gets DRS onto lap two goes, I am going to play the team game. Who knows? Look, it's a race win at the end of the day. So when the helmet goes on and the five red lights come on, it's probably a little bit of a different story. But I also believe that Oscar will play the team game. We've seen that.

And with Lando as well. They do want to win the constructors. But they haven't had that many race wins this year that they kind of go, oh no, you have it. No, you have it. They're both in an early stage of winning. Definitely. They've, I personally can see it that it's not I don't think Piastri is going to be as extreme as he was earlier in the season I mean if he does Monza again

that would be wild that would be wild but I don't think it's a situation now where Piastri will you know we've had this discussion before and after Monza and things that

Piastri having Lando win the world title is probably the worst thing for his career I don't think he's going to be as extreme as he was earlier in the season because I think Lando's not won the driver's title now it is still going to be a very good thing for him if the team get the Constructors' Championship and it's not going to be the end of the world

if he finishes this race second we're not going to go into a new year and it's like Lando is the number one driver just because he's finished one final race ahead of Piastri that's not going to be the narrative after Abu Dhabi if that happens. So he's not going to be as extreme. However, it's Oscar Piastri,

and if he's got a chance, I'm sure he'll go for it, if he can do it cleanly and without taking too much risk. He's probably want to go for it. And yeah, it would be amazing to see it if they do because I think Zach Brown maybe is quite naive, and this is something I think Nico Rosberg joked about,

that it's quite naive if it's just kind of like, our drivers know what to do, They're racing drivers because I think Nika Rosberg himself was like, you say that. But if you don't lay it out crystal clear, word for word, you do not do this and you do this, they'll go, well, you didn't mention it in the briefing. You just said papyaroles. What does that mean? So yeah, very interesting.

And I look forward to seeing just how that unfolds. And I'm sure Carlos Hines is also enjoying watching that from third place. Next question at Malakin. Bottas should take the red ball seat. Not a question, but a fact. all right let's relax here for a second botas did a phenomenal job in qualifying I loved his team radio like that's all she's got

or whatever it was in terms of the pace it brought a smile to my face and I think it's awesome for Valtry to perform at this level and to remind everyone like he's not done and he's what's next and this is kind of the question he's been posing so it's been great to see BOTAS Q3 in a salver which you have to say has taken a step forward

show got points in Qatar like it has got some performance now in that car it's not a 20th placed car but at the same time to stick it in Q3 was just perfect he couldn't have done any more when he stuck it fastest

in Q1 at one point I was I think we both shrieked yeah I'm like why are we not live on Twitch right now Bottas is going to get pole yeah it's absolutely insane when Bottas went fastest and he thought oh my word the track evolution is crazy

And then when Gatsley went forth, it was, oh no, Bottas has just done the most unbelievable lap ever. And it was superb from Bottas. You know, sorry to burst the bubble of people on Twitter, but I don't think the website manager of the Formula One store knows that Bottas is going to Red Bull over anyone in the paddock. That's not the first person that Red Bull ring up. Excuse me, do you run the store for F1? Update your drivers, please. It's a bit like of a Stappen thing we said yesterday in the Dutch Grand Prix and have.

and a baby and that means going to retire. You know, it's just these things happen and there's nothing more to read into it. I do think, like, as a driver, Bottas is the perfect person to go to Red Bull, like in an ideal situation, that's the kind of driver that Red Bull want, is someone that, isn't going to challenge Max, but you can rely on, but the problem is he doesn't bring

probably the other parts that Perez does, money, huge, you know, devote fan base. True, and it's quite clear that Red Bull are now, wanting to go back to that team where they're promoting junior drivers and that obviously very much at this stage appears to be Lulson despite Senada being 6-0,

being qualifying. Yep, 6-0. Wow, crazy. Okay, next question. P1Pitry member, Sam Duggy Douglas Hulk podium. This now, of course, was looking a lot, well, not even more likely. I wouldn't say that it was absolutely nailed on, but Hulk was fourth. I mean, what a ridiculous effort from him Of course, he then overtook two drivers coming out of the pits,

which was against the race director's notes that you can't pass people on the pit exit. Sadly, Nico clearly didn't read those particular notes, which was sad, although he was saying that he needed to do it in order to get a lap in. It's like, well, okay, but... But you can't make... You can't just go and do what we told you not to do. But such a shame, he's still in seventh. It makes the Alpine Hass fight even more tasty,

because Gansley's now ahead of him. So, yeah, bring it on. Indeed, I'm sure a lot of people will be seeing the penalty that Nico Ockinberg got, of course, and going, well, we see videos every week of Maxis and Stapen overtaking everyone in the pits. And that is allowed. There's strict rules of the tunnel and the weird way that Abu Dhabi pit lane is where the tunnel goes under the track.

So they kind of swap to the other side of the track to come out. And that has always been a place where you're not allowed to, just because it would be chaos if people crashed in it and it would cause absolute madness. So there are rules in there and they need to be obeyed. So that is a fair penalty. It's going for Holcomburg because this is now, my first thought on this is that when he got that P2 in Canada,

he also got a penalty and it just seems like the guy who's cursed and just can't. every time he's up there. It's like, could this be it? No, something else has happened. I know. Because, yeah, he was literally, while he was ahead of Vestappen,

which was a big surprise that the Vestappen didn't get his second lap in, who would have thought that him going sideways through the final corner on full opposite lock and almost into the wall was his best lap and almost was, if you know, if that was the final run, that would have been played forever and ever,

but it would just be forgotten about now. Not just yet. We're all very much living in that moment because it was, yeah, what a save. How he did not fly into the wall is beyond me and still set a lap time that was good enough for a provisional pole. It was ridiculous. But, yeah, Max obviously now promoted to fourth on the grid with Holcombost penalty. And to be fair, before the penalty, if you'd have told me two Ferrari powered drivers are going to be on the second row of the grid, I'd have been like, perfect, Ferrari 3-4.

But it was Holcombberg. So good times. I think we're going to end it there because both myself and Tommy want the club sandwich that has just arrived in our room and it is 112 in the morning. So sorry again that it has been delayed, but we will get this out to you as, well, when you see it, it will be live. So thank you everybody. Thanks to those that have said hello to us as well whilst we've been out in Abu Dhabi. If you see us, please do come and say hello. We don't bite.

And in fact, we will be very nice to you and say hello. And yeah, it's great to see some of you. It's great to be back at a racetrack, isn't it, Tommy? And what are your final thoughts? My final thoughts are that my brain is shutting down. It's been a very long but enjoyable day and I can't wait for the race tomorrow because like you say we've got a fantastic view and it never gets old seeing Formula One cars and just how lucky we are to be where we are and it was incredible to watch qualifying where we did. To hear the crowd and just see everything happening ahead of us is just the best. in the world and we will continue to love it forever.

Perfect. We know what I love morning. This very moment, a club sandwich. So thank you Tommy and we'll see you tomorrow. Don't know when we'll get the race for view stuff out, but hopefully sooner than we have today. So fingers crossed, lots of love. Take care.

Bye-bye. Bye. Your chore is go and eat because we need to go and eat. Bye. P1 is a stack production and part of the ACAST creator network.