P1 with Matt and Tommy - Reaction to Hungarian GP practice

Episode Date: August 1, 2025

We’ve reached the final race before the summer break! Practice threw up a few rookie appearances, as the McLarens got as close as they will all weekend and Max Verstappen quite literally threw in the towel. Plus, there’s a bit of news to get stuck into, with both Verstappen and Fred Vasseur set to stay at their respective teams next year. You can listen to an extended version of every Race Review this season over on our Patreon! You'll also access to every P1 episode ad-free, early access to tickets & merch, and access to our Discord server where you can chat with us and other F1 fans! Click here to sign up now: http://patreon.com/mattp1tommyFollow 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. It is race week once again before we go on a long old adventure into our souls to find other hobbies for the next three weeks. Tommy, I think it's this track, now that we're back here, now that we've had practice, I feel like it's an underrated one. I feel like this is a track that on paper you go they'll never overtake ever. But I don't think we've had the worst of races round here when you compare it to some others. that have similar levels of hype. It's basically like people said this before Formula One cars couldn't overtake that it's essentially a go-cart track for Formula One cars

because it does feel even back in kind of the 90s, it felt almost too small for Grand Prix cars and very short straits. But it has delivered quite a few great races, obviously big upsets as well. And it can actually deliver quite a good race. It's very much one of those things where you can either be really frustrated because it is incredibly hard to pass, but then it can also deliver some really cool moments because it's difficult to pass,

like Esteban Knock-on winning, basically. Yeah, and I guess what you just said there as well about the problem this circuit has always had is that the cars are too big for the circuit. So Hungary isn't technically going through the problem that 2025 Formula One other circuits are. Yeah, we can just be like, this is normal. They're used to it.

Like, the circuit's like, yeah, whatever, I'm ready for it, guys. Anyway, let's get into practice. But before we do, we had some news, of course. First of which relates to me personally, obviously, that Fred Vassur is staying as Ferrari team principal on a multi-year contract. It's suspected maybe three years. Not that contracts have a huge amount of weight these days.

But it's good to see that Ferrari have committed to it. We've discussed this many times, haven't we, Tommy, about it's not the team principle. Sometimes it is, but it's not in the case of Ferrari in a lot of ways. Like Bonotto, for example, I always feel like he was slightly hard done by from where he took Ferrari to where he got to. But the moment that Ferrari then saw the potential of them winning the World Championship, and he didn't deliver it. Right, get out next. Whereas committing with Fred, he gets on very well with the team.

Shal loves him, Lewis loves him. And I think that's a really important thing for the drivers and for Ferrari as we move forward, especially into the new regs. Yeah, definitely. There was talk, wasn't there, of, oh, does Fred need to go? And you're always under a huge amount of pressure more than any other team principal on the grid when you are Ferrari team principal. Because not only does everyone expect it, but also, and this is just a historical thing, you know, Italy desperately want Ferrari to win. And the media can be very harsh when they do badly. And there's a huge amount of pressure. And a lot of, of that pressure does fall on the team principal but look one charles leclair podium at sparr and it's like right fred you've done enough sign the dotted line he's had like four this year isn't he you cheeky don't you i'll be right back at you but i completely agree with you that like it is absolutely the right choice the problems that ferrari have had have not been team principal uh related and i think he's a great fit to keep it lighthearted you know get the but also like lighthearted but then serious when he

to be serious and then has that great relationship with the drivers. So yeah, good choice. And furthermore, a bit of news which was unexpected, but then I guess leading into this weekend expected, like the way in which it's all sort of twisted and turned about Max Verstappen and is he going to Mercedes? Is he going to Red Bull? He's essentially confirmed that he will be with Red Bull next year. And, you know, that kind of squashes. any sabbatical rumours which I mean neither myself nor you Tommy bought for a second genuinely I think Max Verstappen would get a job at McDonald's before he would then take a sabbatical if we're being completely honest. I can't believe people think that I really cannot.

That was the literal lowest possibility of anything happening in my mind. He could have genuinely been at Alpine first before he would then have a sabbatical. I just could never see him stopping racing and it's I'm glad to see that he's confirmed He's at least staying with Red Bull. Actually, he's staying in the sport for those that believed he might have had a year off. And now that we look back on it, how close was he actually to sign it with Mercedes? We'll never know. Well, yeah, there's a lot of talk, isn't there, that maybe the contracts were difficult.

And Toto said that he's had to explore it. It's kind of interesting that we've still not heard anything about George Russell. And I know he got kind of picked up on that that's kind of saying, people going, oh, you must have a, you must be relieved now that Max is saying you're staying at Red Bull, but then also Toto still hasn't gone. Here's your new contract. I guess they didn't want to do that, though, from a PR perspective. True.

Do you really as Mercedes want to literally the day after Max saying, I'm staying at Red Bull to go, OK, George. Because then it looks like it's all about Max. Yeah, yeah. That's very true. Leave it across the summer break. They come into the next race. George is signed for an unconfirmed amount of years in case Max for Staff and Fancy's coming to

Mercedes. Yeah, but it's going to be a very important. very interesting year next year. I don't think it's going to be a very good one as the Maxis for Stauffin fan. You know, the fight for the midfield, yeah, is going to be interesting. And we'll see how he does, but the kind of the move at the moment, yeah, not happening. And it's very much, it looks like he's going to be, well, he will be staying for next year. And then it just depends what happens next. What does happen next? We'll have to wait and see. Let's get into free practice one then.

And the top three were Norris, Piastri and Lecler. Big news, I guess coming into free practice one, was that Alonzo was replaced by Drogovich for the first session of the weekend due to a bad back, a muscular injury, according to reports. And Alonzo was managing and trying to decide whether or not to go into practice one or not. Surprised to have seen him go into FP2, like, is a few hours, or is it maybe the fact that he doesn't want to do too much intense running, doesn't want to do too much running ahead of Saturday and Sunday

where the competitive sessions are. But either way, they decided that, which was great. You know, I saw the fact that that popped up. And I was like, oh, glad I put him as good surprise then. Because at the time where it said FP1, Alonzo sitting out, I was like, is he going to take part in this weekend? Have I jinxed him fully? But good to see that he was back in the car for the second session.

Yeah, definitely. annoyed that Strull's got so many points this year because there's definitely a great joke in that Alonso had a bad back from carrying the team but can't even say it because No, it would be lans if anything, man.

Yeah, exactly. Poor Odrugovic though, how many times is the bloke getting like these run-ins and thinking maybe this is my weekend this could be it? Because you must as a driver hear about the injuries and things from,

you know, he's had it before with Stroll's injury or Alonzo sitting at this and your mind must wonder to like, this is the day. This is the weekend. Surely I am going to like have my moment but it is a shame, isn't it, for him?

As much as obviously, you know, I want Alonzo to race because we all want to see that. But yeah, it's a shame for Drogovic that still maybe looking like not quite getting his moment. A question from Googs. should Droucovich get a seat over people who already had chances like Bottas, Perez, Mick Schumacher, Cadillac? It's an interesting thought, isn't it?

It depends on what Cadillac want to do with their driver lineup. It really does depend on how they want to set the baseline within that team. Do they go, as it's been discussed and heavily rumoured of two experienced drivers? Do they go for a Perez-Bottas mixture? or do they go for a Mick Schumacher who's, you know, obviously a young talent still, I don't, I would pick Druggovich. You know, I'm a Michael Schumacher fanboy, but Mick Schumacher in my eyes didn't show the potential that perhaps was, you know, spoken about him being in the Michael Schumacher bloodline.

We didn't see what I had hoped to have seen from Mick Schumacher. So, you know, Formula One is a very, very harsh sport. If you don't deliver, you don't get a seat. Drogovich hasn't had that opportunity and he has the CV to go with it as well. So should Cadillac decide to pair, you know, and experienced with a new talent, then why not Drogovic having a chance? I'd love to see Drogovic get a chance. I think he's the way that Formula Two drivers have come in and done so well.

And he was so, you know, he won that season so dominantly when he won it. he's impressed as well, I think, when he's come in and done these moments. He's not looked far off. Occasionally, you know, he's been best of the rookies, sometimes even beating the other the other Aston Martin driver occasionally. I know it's practice and there's all sorts of things. But I think he could do a great job. And I definitely would much rather see a new driver give it a go than bring back

a botas, Perez, McSumacher. The problem is for Cadillac is no offence to Drogovich. And as we say so many times in Formula One, unfortunately it's not all about just how well you drive. And for Cadillac, you know, Abottas, Perez, whatever you think of them and maybe if they've had their moment, you're going into the new, or even the name Schumacher, going into, you know, we've got this new team and we've got a race winner

or two race winners or a race winner and a race winner. a Schumacher, unfortunately, that is going to do some big heavy lifting, and that might be something that Cadillac want to do. But maybe Drogovic has a chance if they want to balance experience and give him a chance. I'd love to see it. We shall see another driver that got an opportunity was Paul Aron, or not really, actually. He only managed eight laps in the end, which Jonathan Wheatley, the team principal, apologized on the broadcast to Paul Aron, who was so excited. to be jumping in the car, but they both had issues. Both Saabas had an issue that as of FP1, they were investigating as to what went on there. They obviously managed to get out again for free

practice too. But yeah, it was a strange one for Aaron who literally stopped with one corner to go. And that was it. That was the end of his session. Critical issue as well. To the pits, which is wild. Yeah, it is. And to have the phrase critical issue probably scares you a bit. thing, oh no, what has, you know, gone on in his car. I'd have pushed it back, though, you know what I'm saying? If that's my only free practice, what I like with that. Come on, here we go. Definitely.

But, yeah, only did eight laps, but of course he's had the opportunities this year. Seems like Alpine have been kind of renting a few of their young drivers out to, they seem to like to do that. Paul Aaron giving it a go in the salber. But sadly, yeah, time cut short, but at least he's been in kind of these sessions before. Indeed, as we head to free practice two, where the top three were Norris, Piastri and Lecler. Question from P1, Patreon member, Brienne. Are the McLarence taking practice a little too, literally, by practicing their on-track battle before Sunday? I'd love to say yes, but I'm not putting anything into the atmosphere that could affect potential side-by-side battles.

I'm going to say it right now. That's the closest they'll get the entire weekend. But that's just Formula One for you in 2025. Let's see. Fingers crossed, I'm incorrect on that one. I'll gladly be incorrect. correct on that one. But that was a close little call, wasn't it? I think Lando coming out the pits, giving it some wellie, and then testing the brakes into term one, as drivers do, right? They're

practicing everything. They don't just practice the normal straight into term one. They also need to practice the speed they'll be taking out the pits into term one. They want to gain every single tenth they possibly can. But Lando nearly gained a little bit too much as he locked up and very narrowly missed Oscar Piastri, which would have made this practice podcast a very different discussion. It really would. Yeah, we were 10 centimetres from the McLaren drama that we've been kind of saying

that we need to add a bit of spice to the championship. Obviously, you know, you don't wish for it on them, but my word, if it had happened, it would have been,

yeah, it would have been a huge story. It was so, so close. You do wonder why, you know, know, Lando is always going to be pushing out the pit lane.

That's, that's normal. Surprised, and obviously we don't know, we don't have every single radio message. Now they have all this telemetry and stuff saying that, you know, your teammates there be a little bit more careful or to like let him go out the pit lane as that time. Normally the teams control this a little bit more. And you think, you know, seeing that own car coming down the pit, pit straight on the graphic, they might have gone, just be aware your teammate is probably going to be very close

to you as you're kind of doing this practice of attacking the pit exit. But yeah, locked up, so very close. And hopefully, I hope you're wrong and this is a case of what's to come because, boy, are they rather quick

this weekend. Yes, they certainly are. Free practice one was a scary, Gary thought, Charlotte Clair obviously getting close because why not? Charlotte. Charlotte is now just the P3 merchant.

We absolutely love to see it, although I'd love to see it being a P1 merchant. Speaking of drivers that perhaps haven't been doing so well, Red Bull, Max Verstapp, and we spoke about the contract stuff

and him securing himself at Red Bull. Well, after the Friday practice of today, perhaps he's wishing he'd even gone to Salber because he finished 14th in free practice two, 1.1 seconds off the pace, and behind Yuki Sonoda. So is Yuki now the number one driver at Red Bull? That is a question that we will dive into. But a moment, I think that it was far stranger than him finishing 14th was his message

to you, Tommy, where we quite literally saw him throw in the towel. And I know that, you know, you think that Max hasn't given up. He literally threw a towel out of his cockpit and onto the track. So obviously with Formula One drivers just with like the tear-offs, they try and throw it as far away from the car as possible, but sadly, wind resistance says no, and then it just flies immediately back. And we haven't, as a recording right now,

seen what the repercussions are of Maxford Stappen, literally throwing a towel out of his car. But it was a very strange thing to watch, wasn't it? It was. I feel like it's a newspaper writer's dream, a scenario like that. You could watch Dutch media, picture of, Max, Max throws in the towel.

McLaren are, you know, 1.1 seconds quicker than Max in practice. Is this the end for Max's championship? Perfect, you know, perfect story for newspaper writers. But we have, the one that springs to mind is, I think

it was Robert Kubitsa that someone left a phone in the car in like 2010 and he was like, there's a phone in the car. And he didn't throw the phone out. No. That was the weird part from Max where it's a literal towel, surely just keep it next to it. It's a bit more than a tear off. Yeah, you do think it would be a team, like a fine, maybe a reprimand, I don't know.

But this is where like, I know they were discussing this on the broadcast, weren't they? It's an unsafe release type thing, so perhaps. An unsafe release of a towel. Yeah, but the problem for me is where it's a step further, in my opinion, not, I don't think it's grid penalty or anything like that. But where the stewards have to talk about it is that Max actively threw it onto the track. He had the choice. I guess he had the choice to like keep in the cockpit and go back.

I guess his argument would be if I kept it in the cockpit, it could slide under my brake pedal or accelerator or something like that and then it affects me that way. Perhaps that was his way of thinking. But I love how it just sat on the track for the entire session as well. It was just offline, just a towel, just chilling. Yeah. And maybe that's the argument of like, you know, maybe that's, something else Red Bull argue that if they didn't even pick it up it's obviously not that

unsafe that like a flannel's on the track. A flannel. Oh, we love to see it. Next question, P1 patron member Alan Enderpey. Should we be concerned about Red Bull's lack of pace? When they tend to struggle, I don't think they tend to struggle this much, or at least in the hands of Max Verstappen, they have had Fridays like this.

This is a rather large gap to fill. I think this is a Max Verstappen that's going to be happy with the top five when we get to tomorrow. I don't see, and I'm more than happy to have proven wrong, a turnaround where Max is challenging for poll tomorrow. He's had lots of polls this year. Four, four polls, is it this year? Yeah, yeah. Four. No, yeah, it's four, yeah.

Yeah. I don't see it being five tomorrow. as much as I put him in P3 in my predictions, I rapidly want to go back on that and put Charlotte Claire, my boy. But sadly, I'm an idiot. But yeah, I can't see Red Bull turning this around and it could well be a difficult weekend for them.

They will get better. I don't think he's going to finish 14th, but I think it's far too tall of a hill to climb. Yeah, definitely. There'll be a lot of people going, oh, remember Silverstone where Max was saying the car's terrible and then the day later, I see that video shared around social media all the time from Free Practice 1.

Exactly. This is not that scenario in my opinion. As I, you know, I don't think, I didn't think Red Bull would work here. It's not, and it's certainly not a very Max Verstappany kind of track. You look at Monaco. I love that phrase. It's true, though. Max for Stapenny is just, it just rolls off the tongue.

Exactly. But Red Bull do love this. And Max in particular loves those high-speed circuits. Hungary is not that it was always going to be a case of like McLaren being clear and then probably Ferrari like we saw in Monaco. And that's based on kind of what we've seen from practice. It does look like that. So for me, Max, I'm sure, would just be would be more than happy with a fifth place because 14th. You know, we're not in 2026 yet because that's very much what I'm expecting in 2026.

But not now, please. Oh, there's pessimism. Tommy. The glass isn't even half full at the moment for Tommy in 2026. Can't wait for your predictions for that season. Next question, Jonah, THFC.

Has Adrian Newey finally caved in and helped with the 2025 car? I mean, Aston Martin looked rapid this weekend. And just saying, right, covering this off immediately, if Fernando Alonso finishes fifth

and Lance Stroll finishes fourth, I'm still taking the good surprise for Fernando Alonzo for scoring points. Don't you dare? Lance can also be a good surprise factor here. They can both be good surprises, but I'm just going to cover that off right now. Aston, yeah, it kind of goes back to what I say, just because it didn't work in spa, which was such a

treacherous weekend anyway with the conditions and whatnot. Hungary is a completely different track, and they've been able to dial in this car from free practice one into free practice two, because it's not like they were crazy quick in FP1. Lange was 10th and obviously had Felipe in the car and he was 16th. But yeah, they've been able to clearly do a lot of for this weekend and fourth and fifth in free practice too is that's pretty pretty mad i'm going to be really hypocritical now and uh after i basically said max is 14th uh it's so over um i wouldn't take too much third wind is coming no no i was actually going to say we've seen this many times before with midfield cars uh in free practice sessions r b is a great example um you know

popping in a great practice result and when that midfield is so incredibly tight and everyone's running different fuel plans and things I do think Aston Martin look good and in a weird way the fact that they were so bad in spa maybe suggests that they should be good around here because like you say it's a completely different track

but I wouldn't start kind of leaping for joy that Aston Martin are so back and Adrian knew he's cooked because we just don't know Has cooked or is cooked? Two very different phrases. Has cooked. Has cooked. Okay.

But I just think that maybe Aston are more suited here, but I'd be amazed if they were fourth and fifth in qualifying. That's what I'm saying. I would be amazed as well, but I think they're very much Q3 candidates this weekend. And I know that we have different. On last time, of course. And close midfield. But like, you know, Lance Stroll, less than half a second of Lando Norris. Fernando's six tenths back.

We go down to 10th and it's Kimmy Antonelli, who's three tents further back from Alonzo and Stroll. So they've shown some good pace today. And I don't think they were far actually, Lando's fastest time, from what we had as poll last year, which is absolutely ridiculous, the levels that the 2025 Formula One cars have managed to get. I hope practice too is completely wrong because I've just realised that Grace's predictions

were 18th, 19th and 14th. I thought it was 18, 19th and 20th. I was like, I know, the Master's Staffen was, of course, 14th. Yeah, we thought she might have been sheffing, but not from Friday practice at least. And we messaged each other, didn't we? When Albon went purple in sector one, it was like, oh wow, Williams.

I thought we were going to be talking about Williams doing what Aston Martin did. How did Albon finish 11th in Free Practice 1? That guy looked like he was in the top three the entire session, and then he just fell like a stone at the end. It's ridiculous. And then 18th. And then 18th in Free Practice too.

Williams, you've got to say, one of the more disappointing, we're kind of used to it for Alpine now, but yeah, disappointing from Williams, the... They're sandbagging. They don't want to get grace to get too excited until tomorrow. And then finally, yeah,

Sines, speaking of Williams, had a weird issue with his telemetry where he was just kind of blocking drivers. Was it Hajar, I think it was behind him at one point. And they were like, come into the pits.

If you can hear us. Wait, no, we've got our telemetry back now. No, carry on, carry on. Just, yeah, I mean, just shows how, like, in the dark teams can be

when they lose such important information from a car like that that it can cause chaos on the track with signs holding up drivers he doesn't know on a fast lap, slow lap, etc. It was. It was like an instant thing, wasn't it? That the telemetry got lost and then you cut to a replay. I think it was lost and going, what is this idiot doing?

And his engineer had to be like, he's got no telemetry. And that really is a showcase to maybe, you know, some casual fans or newer fans that don't quite know that some of the time you're kind of like, oh, just look in your mirrors. They are so reliant. Remember that practice session? Was it in Australia a while back where they had, they lost all the telemetry and it was really dangerous. There's so many sketchy moments. I think it was, they lost all the GPS. I think it was or something. And they didn't know where each other were on track. And yeah, they are so reliant on this now. It's you hear team, you can hear team radios where

you know they're just constantly going five seconds behind you four seconds behind you it's just constant and that they need that so it was it was thankfully for for Carlos Sites it was lucky that one he got it back and two didn't block someone and end up getting you know

smashed into the back of and losing his rear wing or something because they are so reliant on it they certainly are and one final point before we go that has to be spoken about is Martin Brundle in a helicopter.

What on earth was that? Like, I know Tommy you get slightly triggered, don't you? When we're on fast laps, especially in free practice too, and we're like, you know,

you've got purple sectors out there and they go, right, off to Martin Brundall now, who's down at turn four. And then you just don't really get the full focus of the flying laps that are coming in

and instead you have Martin going, yeah, he was really pointy on the apex there. And, oh, the speed out of there. gorgeous. I do get that they're trying to add different elements to the broadcast and stuff, but

sometimes it feels so badly timed. And I just, I could not believe that we just went to Martin Brundel in a helicopter that was like, I mean, he was great to be fair. The way that he was like not getting motion sick or anything, he was buzzing. He was like, yeah, flying. But the fact

that like sometimes he's just like, well, I mean like a helicopter, I can't really see. Yeah, that's an LPN. No, Williams maybe, I don't know, actually, that he just started talking about liveries and how like you can't really tell. The liveries stand out and I can't really tell that it was the I can't really tell and I'm not surprised mate. Yeah.

But I did like when they were sort of like hovering down at the end of term one and then they were doing the shot down the straight and there there were cool elements to it. But I did find it quite funny as well that it just it was it was a bit chaotic. It was. It was a cool. It was a cool idea. But you do wonder if it's the kind of thing that like you give it a go for what for one session. No, I think we have to add to it now. We put Crofty in the helicopter

on race day. Yeah, on race day. So lap one. He has to do the commentary from the helicopter. It's the McLaren's one, too. I have no idea which one is in the leads. Okay, wow. Well, someone leads.

Oh, it's Charlotte. Clare. There you go, that's important commentary. But yes, it was an interesting feature all the same. And that is it. Thank you, everybody, for tuning in to this Friday a wrap-up for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Enjoy every second of the cars being on track

because they'll be gone for three weeks after this. So I look forward. forward to the competitive sessions where of course we'll be live on Twitch and YouTube. Come and join us there. Tommy, what are your final thoughts? I think you hit the nail on the head there of soak it all up and enjoy it. I think it's going to be a banging qualifying session tomorrow and then equally don't complain on lap four when there's a DRS train from third to 20th because you've got to remember

that there's going to be no F1 for three weeks after. You just got to enjoy it. It doesn't matter what they do. It's free practice for. It does not matter. We have to enjoy it all the same. right thank you everybody we'll see you soon lots of love bye

bye hmm hmm what is what's the added the added extra the chore the chore of dreams

what's a chore to do on a Friday ahead of Saturday I saw actually I did see some people send in some predictions from from their wonderful children so thank you for sending that across there was one can't remember the name but they were in front of a simulator

feel like they were slightly older than grace. I say slightly older, maybe like four or five years older than grace and gave like a very solid prediction. And I was like, well, that doesn't count. I want to see Bortoletto P1. Exactly. Yeah, that sort of stuff.

We do appreciate it. But thank them all the same. It's really cool. So my chore. Is think of a chore. My chore, yeah. Yeah, I want you to come in with the chores. You get us to do a chore.

All right, I'm moving house. So maybe maybe that's something that you need to get me to do. Yeah, yeah. Get the Boxer. get in the YouTube, not YouTube, but this literally isn't going on YouTube. So in the audio comments and let us know a chore that we need to do ahead of tomorrow. And then I won't do it.

Bye. Bye. P1 is a Stack production and part of the Acast's creator network.