The Late Braking F1 Podcast - 2023 Las Vegas GP Qualifying Review

Episode Date: November 18, 2023

The LB boys dive into the Las Vegas GP Qualifying session where Ferrari came out on top! They review all of the action including Leclerc's pole position, potential Red Bull penalties, Williams P6&7, Sainz' 10 place grid drop, and the double McLaren Q1 elimination... FOLLOW us on socials! You can find us on YouTube, Instagram, X (Twitter) and TikTok SUPPORT our Patreon for bonus episodes JOIN our Discord community JOIN our F1 Fantasy League BUY our Merch EMAIL us at [e-mail]   & SUBSCRIBE to our podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This podcast is part of the Sports Social Podcast Network. Thank you for listening to the Late Breaking F1 podcast. Make sure to check out new episodes every Wednesday and every Sunday. Very warm welcome to the Late Breaking F1 podcast presented by Harry Ead, Sam Sage, and me, Ben Hocking. You can tell it's a morning episode. Harry's got his juice. Sam's got his eyes shut and I'm trying to best to keep things together. So this is going to be a good.

40 minutes or so. You're right, Sam? I'm very tired. They can't see me, but my top's covering in toothpaste growing an absolute nightmare brushing my teeth, honestly. It's for a real palaver. But, hey, Las Vegas, baby.

It's all part of the party. We all look like we're having a great sign. Let's just pretend. We're in Vegas and we've just had a mad night out. That's what's happened. We're definitely not all sat in our spare bedrooms trying to recover from getting up at 7 o'clock in the morning, which really isn't that bad.

Yeah. I know we get we get stick for moaning about the occasional race you have to get up for. But this timing for Vegas all round is just stupid. It's stupid for the people in Vegas. It's stupid for the people not in Vegas. Stupid. Australia loves it. Apart from Australia. All the Aussies are happy. I mean, at least for once this year, I guess. So congratulations Australia. You win. What a sad little life, Australia. That's a reference.

We're not just mean to Australia. What happened in qualifying them? Well, Shao LeCler managed to get pole position ahead of his teammate Carlos Sines, although as we know, and we will discuss, Carlos Sines is taking a 10-place grid penalty for the race tomorrow. Max Verstapp and third, George Russell, fourth, good showing from the two Williams drivers. They both found their way into Q3, quite a lot of different representation in Q3 today. And Alfa Romeo, a Hass, and Aston Martin, a lot going on.

start at the front. Charlerclair, happy to be disagree with, but seemed odds on for the pole position all throughout this session. He seemed to have a little bit of pace on everyone else, and that happened to be the case. A few times clear of his teammate, Carlos Sines. Of course, we know actually alongside him on the front road tomorrow will be Max Verstappen. So Sam, the question to you is, as it has been many times this year, can he hold on to it? Charlotte Claire on pole I am happy to get her again, I'm ready, because

he's definitely not going to win this race overall. Yeah, I mean, LeCler seems like he has got an extra half a second on absolutely everyone over one lap pace. When that Ferrari is hooked up, when it's ready to go and it matches the track, the man is phenomenal over one lap pace.

Sorry, folks, you can't see this, but Kerski's cat's bum is in the camera and it's very, very sweet. I hope she's having a better morning than we are. And I go, Charlotte Claire is, you know, lightning McQueen when it comes to this Las Vegas crack apparently because cacao, that boy goes fast. Yeah, he was phenomenal. He was phenomenal at one point.

I think he was seven-tenths faster than absolutely everyone else and then obviously science being the closest guides to him, which is a real shame. We'll talk about the penalty in a moment, but it's a real shame that you won't be there on row one with him. And Max Verstappen, who will line up alongside him, as much as he's going to be second, this feels like the biggest gap we've had

between a Charlotte-Cleur pole and everyone else at the moment. Ferrari, if the condition stays exactly the same, this could be their best chance of a wing out of all the poles that the Clare has had this season. I was, you know, I'm a little bit intrigued as to what goes on tomorrow. I don't think it's all, well, it's today, I guess, but it's all plain sailing. It's not, is it, it's Ferrari's careful. It might be yesterday. The race is yesterday. It could be inside the sphere in 30 years' time. I don't know. But, yeah, Lecler pole, the step alongside him, we know what happens usually. I think it might be. a different story.

It feels like a one-off situation. Now, I'm worried because I kind of think the same thing, which probably means we're both wrong. Oh, we're so wrong. Yeah, I agree. It did seem like it felt a little bit different. There have been some LeClerpult positions this year that have been claimed by half a tenth or a tenth of a second,

and Vastappen has led a couple of the practice sessions, and suddenly you think race pace, they've got this in the bag. Here, I don't know. They've seemed to have good pace all weekend long. Granted, we haven't had as much time on the track as was expected, but whether that will actually play into their favour or not. I'm not too sure.

We know Vestappen will be competitive on race day, but there was no point today, weirdly, where at least I felt that Vestappen was going to take that away from Lecler. Race day is completely different from qualifying. Charles LeClair more than anyone on this earth knows that. But I was impressed by his performance first and foremost today. And I'm a little bit optimistic that he can make a fight of it. Whether it actually ends up in a Charlotte Clare win, I ain't going that far.

But I think he can make a fight out of it. What do you think, Harry? I mean, circling back to the most important point, if Charle-Clau is Lightning McQueen, does that mean that signs is Maiter? So what we're saying? I mean, that's pretty insulting. That feels harsh on Mesa. Best friends, no?

No. That's harsh on Mata. Max was definitely, definitely ching. Good chigger. You're chigger. Sorry, Sam. Go on, continue the important point. What are you going to say?

I'm just going to say, I can't wait to see Charlotte Claire stick his tongue out over the line. Tomorrow at the race. Even though the car's well ahead of him. poking out the helmet. Yeah. Oh, God. Anyway.

You can't still a few meters ahead, mate. Doesn't matter. Your legs are down there. I'm really trying to get a line first. Leave you alone. Yeah, as you say, Ben, for the first time this year, LeClau hasn't just nabbed a pole. All his, all those pole positions this year have been,

he's nabbed him. We're out of death. Whereas this one, yeah, you're right. It feels much more under contract. I mean, even Lecler seemed like he was more under control. A lot of the time watching Lecler's pole laps is like, you know, behind your hands because they're quite scary to watch because he's like on the edge of almost having an accident. So yeah, as you say, it'll probably all come undone tomorrow because Charles Lecler is,

it's not capable. Not really through his own fault, but not capable of converting pole positions into any meaningful results anymore. But it does look encouraging and be interesting to see where signs ends up starting from 12th to see whether he can get back of there. Because that Ferrari is, I think clearly the fastest car out there, which is, you know, we did our preview podcast and we were like, why are they optimistic? Well, their optimism was correct.

Frankly Vass is like, we're going to be good round here. Boom. We're good around there. Yeah, narrator. They were good. Also, Charlotte Clarke out of the car going, that wasn't very good for me. Mate, you won qualifying.

You know you can't really win qualified, but you're going, I didn't like that. Wasn't very good. I can't, you know. I get where he's coming from, though. I think we have more in there. I do.

I think the gap to science was surprisingly small in comparison to how big it had been throughout the other sessions. And I am starting to think that Charlotte Claire, I mean, I feel it's always been a fair debate, but I feel like it's closing down. LeCleur might be the fastest man on the grid over a one-lap shootout at the moment. That man can pull off a...

It's like maybe the Yarno Trulli of one name. I was about to say he's Yarno Trilly. Can't call him Yano Trilly. He's not Yarno Trilly. He's not the trolley man. He is Charlele-Mann. Trolley Man. Yano Trullo.

Shango La Trollo. Oh, God. Oh, my word. let's stick with Ferrari because Carlos Sines did qualify in second place, but he will start outside the top 10, thanks to a 10 place grid penalty for something that might not be considered his fault. I'm sure we'll get into a lot of the weekend itself in the review episode for the race tomorrow and in probably the midweek episode next week.

But at least if we're looking at Carlos Sine specifically, Sam, firstly, what did you make of his performance out there today? And what do you make of the fact that he is taking this? penalty. Performance was good. We always talk about, you know, when one driver is leaving away, all you need to be doing is following them up. You need to be as close as you can to be to them.

And for Ferrari, he was doing exactly that. I think from a personal point of view, I think he's going to be quite disappointed with his performance. To see your teammate, at one point half a second up the road from you over a one lap period is quite disappointing, quite worrying from a personal, you know, athlete's point of view. But from Ferrari's point of view, exactly what they need. One, two.

That's all you can ever need for both your drivers, one sticking it on pole, the next guy running it up to cover up behind. I think perfect. This is probably the most comfortable we've seen Ferrari all season, which is, you know, mad, but it shows you that maybe the Red Bull dominance

while they focus on next year's car is starting to slip. With what has happened, of course, he won't be starting on P2, with this penalty that's had to take due to a new battery being put into his car, which is outside of his usual allocation. This was caused by a track malfunction,

essentially, not a track malfunction. that we haven't seen before in other Grand Prix. I think Baku, 2019 was the last time we saw this happen, where a manhole cover essentially broke loose from the service of the track as the cars go over it. They produce that much downforce that they do the big suck, folks, and it pulls off the manhole covers, and it shoots into the bottom of the car,

which is, hey, you take that however you want to take it, but it absolutely wrecked Carlos Sites his car. And he had to have a new battery put in place. Do we think this is Sonses' fault? Do we think Ferrari should have to take the penalty for this? I think it's an absolute load of horse poo, the fact that Ferrari are having to be punished for this. I think they should be given a free battery,

and I think the Las Vegas mayor should have to pay for the difference. Going to give you a key to the city. Obviously, dungo. But yeah, it's only a bit of preparation needed. We've done street circuits before. We've had this incident before. I think if this was the very first time it ever happened, you might go, oh, it's a one-off.

Sorry, but this is a repeat effect of street circuits. it's attacking Formula One cars. We know it can happen. Do the bloody work before we get on the track. Get checks in place. It took five hours to sort them all out, which is a joke and we get onto it properly in another review episode.

But poor carlo's science has now got to start back at what P12, or whatever it is, because he drove over a part of the track that he thought was completely safe. It would have happened to any driver. It just happened to be him. Or luck in the draw, I guess. Spin of the wheel.

Very Vegas. I think it's rubbish. You should be happy with P2, and I think it's pretty. gnaf that he's got to start p12. I don't mean this as a slight on Carlos Sines whatsoever and more as a compliment on someone else. How on earth did Fernando Alonzo avoid that?

No idea. Does he have like the force? Is he a Jedi? Obviously. I don't know if he doesn't say it. I've watched the clip. I don't know. I was back like where does he spot it?

This is what I mean. He like consent something in the future is going to happen. And he's like, oh, better avoid that. He is morphist. He is literally dodging bullets in slow motion. He's Fernando Alonso. I did understand. Anyway, Carlos signs, Harry, what do you make of his result

and the penalty? Is it an unfair one? Yeah, I don't think you can ask too much more of signs. I know he was pretty close at the end there. As we say, LeClaire probably left a little bit on the table. But, you know, when your cars are that quick, you want, yeah, in a way that Sergeant Perez hasn't managed to achieve

a lot this year, you want your other driver, I don't say second driver, but other driver to be, to be right up there when you've got a competitive car and signs was. So I don't think you can really critique him too much. He was there the whole session too, like it wasn't right at the death or anything. He was,

he was up there with LeClau the whole time. As for the penalty, Sam was right, absolutely load of horse poo. I, it baffles me that the FAA are like, you know, that's fine. Obviously, Carlos signs his fault. You've had to have a new battery.

It's literally not his fault. He is not Fernando Alonso sadly. He's not a Jedi. So someone was going to run over at some point. And unfortunately, he was the person that fate decided was going to be, was going to have a manhole cover just ripped through his car. Also, side note, I know they will go into this probably,

but they filled them all. what obviously that's a solution for now what do they do once f1 has left they've got a load of manhole covers that are filled with concrete i don't think they fall that far ahead yeah just just just stick some concrete in it it will be fine uh anyway um yeah i find that we and we have had it before you know obviously i think it was williams uh george rosser wasn't it in baccoe 2019. I'm thinking Malaysia, maybe the last year were there with Grosjean in the Hass. And I seem to remember there was a thing then Hasse were seeking for damages. Obviously it wasn't the same, they didn't get a great penalty for that crash. But it was

the same thing again. It was not their fault that this part of the track had wrecked their car. So I'd struggle to understand that. I know there was rumours saying that a team, basically Mercedes, but it wasn't true. A team had had, you know, voted against that, not being a penalty, but that shouldn't, I just, you know, comments, I know it's the FIA, but common sense should prevail, which is probably why it hasn't prevailed, because it's the FIA. Yeah, I think firstly, Carlos Sines, I think he did a very good job. I know LeClaire had a few temps on him, but he had some temps on everyone else, which is pretty good going. In terms of the penalty itself, the problem here is the regulations in that the FIA

have essentially said there's nothing in the regulations that would allow us to not give him a penalty, which is fine for this instance, in which case, okay, give him the penalty, change your regulations so you can actually give this option. Because as we've mentioned, it's not the first time this sort of thing's happened. When we do go to these street circuits, there is a small possibility that something like this can happen and maybe even an actual circuit. So at least write something into the regulations where the FIA can, where necessary, apply, common sense, overall, what would be the standard regulation, because of something so obvious like this. So, you know, I think the problem is with the rulebook rather than necessarily

the application today, or yesterday, or tomorrow. When is it? Wheng? Who knows? Red Bull. Max Verstappen is going to start on the front row. Sergio Perez was knocked out in Q2. At least with Max Verstappen, he should be starting P2. Sam, do you think there's any chance that he faces a penalty for what happened with Esteban Ockon, and we know Perez might be in a bit of trouble with the stewards as well as a result of impeding Lando Norris. It's a very confusing one with Max Wassap, and I think the Sergio Perez option is, thanks, is far more cut and dry. Even Landon Norris said it in his interview after he was knocked out in Q1, he kind of

turned around and saying, oh, he'll get a penalty for that. There's no doubt about it. If he doesn't, then I don't know what's going on. Perez was literally on the racing line going slowly while Lando was going around a block. corner, that is the definition of the penalty you've impeded, you blocked. With Max Verstappen and Estaban Okon, who apparently, I mean,

we always kind of knew this, but absolutely despise one another, just think they're both, each other are idiots constantly. Stupid idiots. Yeah, I mean, all idiots are stupid you clever idiot. You clever idiot. You don't hear that one a lot. Yes.

So they were both, to my knowledge, and one of you could obviously correct me, well, they both started a flying lap at the same time. They were. I've actually just seen a clip of this, like a longer clip. Ocon overtakes Vestappen in the, literally in the final corner, just before we saw that replay.

So Ocon's, they're starting, both starting laps. He's overtaken. And so Vestappen immediately dive bombs him to ruin both of their laps. I mean, in that case, I haven't got a problem with it. No, I don't think I do either. Have a little spat. Have your little tiff on the train. and, well, you both suffer.

O'Con, you're out in Q1. For Stappan, you don't get P1. I mean, they're both on flying laps, both in the same position. Neither person technically impeached the other. Ockon was a bit of a Muppet for trying to overtake and that, why did you gain, really? And Verstappan, this is classic,

for Stappan of, you've annoyed me now, so I'm just going to ruin it for both of us. The good thing about Verstappen, I guess, is he's going to be fine, regardless. The guy still smashed it, still on the front row of the grid. Ockon, the other hand, is what, P-17, P-1, while your teammates in P5. So it's not gone well for you O'Kong followers,

for you bacon boys, but for us sausage saluters, we are riding high. We're flying high today. We got some ground to make up, boys. Come on, teammate wars. Magnuson also with the points. Anyway, yeah, so I think Perez, penalty for Stappan.

I think it will just be a, what are you doing? To quote Harry Ead. Yeah, I, agree with that assessment in that the Perez one does seem fairly obvious. It was impeding and I think on commentary it was that that was agreed. So we'll see what happens there. But obviously work for Perez to do even without a penalty starting from outside the top 10. Max Verstappen called Ocon a stupid idiot. Ocon called Verstappen a stupid idiot and neither of them were wrong.

So I'll leave. Yeah. Got him. penalty, but God, that was very classic for Stappan and an Ocon, isn't it? Like, just trying to out stupid one of the other. A couple of burks. Yeah. But yeah, I thought

no decision is okay with me on that one. Also, like, from Ockon's point of view, if you're overtaking Max Verstappen at the final corner as you're both going on to flying laps, what do you think he's going to do? It's optimistic.

It's, So, at best, optimistic. I don't know what you're thinking there, mate. And then... He wasn't going to be an ass about it. He's got the much faster car. He's just going to overtake you. They're that close together.

What do you think that's happening? Self-confidence. I am Deadpool this weekend. I will win everything. I am now the number one car. Good. Right. Let's take our quick break here.

On the other side, we'll be discussing Williams. We'll be discussing McLaren. and plenty more. Okay, it was a good day for Williams. When the race starts tomorrow, you'll see six cars inside the top six. Two of them will be Williams, and no other team can say

that they'll have two cars inside the top six. So that's pretty good going. Sam, we've spoken quite a lot recently about their ongoing battle for P7 in the Constructors Championship versus Alfred Tauri, Mosey. That one has closed up in recent races, but here is this an opportunity for Williams

to put that battle to bed based on where they've qualified. Look, Ben, for I get into this, I need to have words with you, mate. I don't like the cut of your jib with this Alex outboard bold prediction and the fact that you're going to be right once again, and the guy I'm predicting his last, last place.

That's on you for Britain, didn't it, mate? Traveling a rocket ship, mate. Traveling a rocket ship. I'm sick of you making me look like a jump. Rocket ship. Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb. That rocket ship was designed by Elon Musk and it's the one that blew up after it took off, apparently. That rocket ship was designed.

by you, I think this would have been. I may as well have been, because it would have gone as far. Anyway, sick of that. Why don't you neck in? Stop being good at things. Williams, chance to be Elfittari. 100%. They have needed a good day.

And today was such good day. And the postman, he doesn't deliver on Sundays, but boy, he can deliver first class on Saturday. That was such good day. Algon. Algonne was sergeant. Woo! Logie bear, what a great job he did.

And of course, Alex Salbank is good as always, despite having the issues in practice where he knocked his wheel. off against a wall, you might be panicking. But Alex Albon is the boy, and he's delivered again. So two drivers in the top six, it will have been top seven, but of course the science penalty elevates them. And this is a real chance to get, even if they don't pick up the podium that Ben predicted, figures cross folks, then, you know, they could be getting a fourth and fifth here if

it all goes to plan. If strategy works out, if science and Perez and Hamilton and maybe the McLaren's can't work their way back up the field, this is a golden opportunity to seal off the the seventh place in the championship. And as much as Williams have come out and said, you know, we don't care whether it's seventh or eighth. We're working towards bigger things in the future. I'm sure that they take a one-off great performance

to solidify it anyway. So this could be great for Logan Sargant's confidence. It could be great for their end-of-year performance. It can really round off what has been a very solid year for Williams. They have to seize this with both hands. Ricardo, I think, 15th. Senoda, last. This is their chance now to put to bed

and walk away with P-7. And a log of money. dollar. What do you make of that, Harry? There's a very good performance by them. They're good in a straight line. They straight line merchants are very much back. Yeah, look, very, very important.

To be fair, I know there are lots of straits of Vegas, but I think today was more about, if you've got the ties in the operating window, then you were going to be quick. Pierre Gassley, for example, that Alpine isn't good in the straight line, but he was P5. So, cow, how, by the way.

Is it, are you sure? sure he's in an LP. He's just painted a red ball, a slightly lighter shade of blue. That's my leading theory. So, yeah, I don't think it's all down to the straight line. But yeah, very, very encouraging for Williams, as you say, Sam, for a big points.

Points all. I know we mentioned this on, oh, God, was it the Patreon or the preview episode, but an episode we did recently. Or Patreon episode, I think. Patreon, you have to go and pay to listen to it. Sorry, folks. But we were discussing how James Vowell says that

the long-term future is more important than P7. If it goes well tomorrow, you could have both sunshine. So you get best of both worlds out. So yeah, a very good qualified. And for Logan Sargent, I know we discussed this too. Not sure, again, was it Patreon? Really? But, you know, that's another good mark against his form for the past few races.

And it bends over him, but it's definitely going to help his cause. Good or round. They just got to bring home the bacon now. I think F1 might have produced the most savage graphic of all time which is recent qualifying for recent qualifying form, which is essentially exactly what I said when we were discussing Logan Sargent recently, where his last five races, he's qualified 20th, 20th, 20th, 20th, and then for a bit of variety 20th. But what a result from today?

That 7th place was really impressive and it wasn't out of place. because it wasn't as if Alex Albin comfortably had the legs on Logan Sargent throughout Q1 and Q2 and then he's been able to pull something together for Q3 and Albin hasn't been fast enough. That isn't what happened here. Logan Sargent, throughout Q1 and Q2, it seemed at least possible that he could out-qualify Albon and ultimately really wasn't that far behind him on a day where there were a lot of teammates that were separated by a lot of positions. If you look at a few of them, Alpha Romeo, those two drivers, separated by 10 positions,

Red Bull, nine positions, Mercedes 7, Aston Martin and Haspo, four positions, Alpha Tari five positions. So we did see quite big gaps between teammates today. And Williams wasn't one of them with them starting alongside each other on the grid tomorrow. So a great effort from Logan Sargent as to what this does for his. chances of staying for next year. That remains to be seen. And I would argue tomorrow's performance is more important.

Today's performance. Or yes, today's, but no, not again. So, yeah, we'll see what happens in the race itself. Alex Alburn does what he's done all year, which is put that car ahead of where it should be. I'd just like to think that the last five races or so have just been all of the senior management of Williams, just telling their two drives. of us. Not great today. Not great today. We'll go again in Vegas. Well, Vegas is in five races type. Don't matter. Vegas. That's all we care about. Nothing else is going to give us much.

But when we get to Vegas, we don't care if the likes of Alfataria catching us up, we'll just completely demolish them in the US. And it's going to completely put that battle to which there is a serious chance that happens because Yuki Sonoda did qualify last. I'm already dead. It's okay, Sam, because he can get back up to the podium and then you'll be right and I'll be right with my ball prediction. I reckon as well, what's going to happen is I say five cars at least with DNF. He would be the last pit, then five cars will crash, reg flag. He gets a free pit stop and then he podium's on the wrist.

He's like he goal hangs for a pit stop and then gets a free one because it's a red flag. Landon are not resting in front of him who's going to win. You said second? No. I said he was going to win. did you? Lando, yes. Oh, no.

Oh, no, no, no. I might be the worst person at predicting in the known world. Speaking of Lando Norris and McLaren, that's a nice little segue. If we'd said on the Wednesday episode, one team is going to have both of their cars out in Q1, you'd probably have thought,

ah, it's going to be Al-Mayo, or maybe it'll be Alpine, they're pretty slow in a straight line. no both cars out in Q1 McLaren Lando Norris qualified 16th Oscar Piastri qualified 19th Sam did you see this coming well I'm gonna guess no but what did you make of it

Landon they're gonna rub it on it's rub it in anymore I'll be blindsiding mate I was minding my own business walking through a green light you know and they're laughing something I'd have to be smashed by a bloody whatever they call them in America those giant lorries

with a big McLaren paint job on it yeah a semi truck That's what it's called. They're hit by a semi. Papaya semi. Hang on, yeah, that's smashed me right at the face. Good morning, Sam. Anyway, no, I think I'll see it coming.

And they were really pants around here, weren't they? Lando said, and Zach Brown, both saying in their little interviews that they don't do very well on very long straits, and they don't do very well in very low traction areas. What they do really well in is mid-corner, big-speed corners. This track doesn't really have any of them. I think turn one might be the only way.

that kind of fits into that kind of capacity. So, no, apparently, McClaren, despite being really good at every other track we've been to for the last, what, like six Grand Prix, seven Grand Prix, with all sorts of characteristics. Some warmer, some colder, some wet, some not, some with very tight corners, some with massive open corners, some in the desert, some in Europe. Apparently, Las Vegas, the one time I think, oh, this will be a good one, they're rubbish. So, yeah, they're slow as balls again. They can't do slow corners

and they are not expected to go very far tomorrow either. So it's looking really good if you're a McLaren fan. Harry, anything more optimistic than that. Yeah, I mean, welcome back to Bahrain, folks. It's good to be back. 17th of D&F. Yeah, look, this is a confusing one. Like you say, we definitely didn't see this coming,

Sam, more so than anyone else here. but I'm not sure I would have expected them to be quite as slow as they were. And Norris probably maybe could have crept through into Q2, but we're talking like Ricardo. It was between those two, wasn't it, basically, because Ricardo knocked him out and then only qualified 15th in the end anyway. But I mean, Piastri was slower than that too. So I had to clear the car just not working, not working around here.

And again, I don't know whether that was a thing to do with not getting the ties working, but they didn't look like they were really struggling particularly. They just weren't very quick, which is not good for qualifying. You need to be fast. That is a great point. So, yeah. Look, I think anyone on that grid, by the way, we see, apart from Alex's album bumping into the wall in FP3, I know we missed FP1.

No one's really done anything dramatic. I was expecting more carnage this weekend so far. Saving it for the race. Well, anyway, so let's hope that's what's happening. But yeah, I think any driver on that grid will feel optimistic about their chances tomorrow because if it's... It could be...

It could be carnage. So, you know, at least that's something that McLaren can look forward to, but pace-wise, not looking good. Yep, pretty much. I think the massive indication from my side was when Oscar Piastri was on his last lap and his delta was against, I think it was Esteban Ockon at the time who was in 15th place as the time he needed to be.

And it was just that nothing looked wrong on Piastri's lap. It looked okay enough. And it was just yellow sector, yellow sector, yellow sector. And it was like, oh, this might just be all that they have at this point. There wasn't anything that you could look at and say, well, he made a massive error there. that's probably where it costs them a lot of time or, you know, he flat spot his tires there. That's probably costing time. It was just that was kind of it. And when you've got two talented drivers like Norris and Piastri both getting knocked down in Q1, the likelihood is it's car-related

because I don't think you can keep both quality drivers down there without that being sufficient reason. So it might be, it might be a long day. We have seen some comeback. So Piastri has made made a couple of comebacks from far down the grid so far this year. I think he did it in Singapore. But just keep McLaren away from night races in deserts because they don't like those. They're Crips tonight. Yeah. Thanks week's going to be bad for them too then.

Yeah, might as well just end it now. I was going to say, might as well just turn up at the beginning of next year. That's another desert. See you in Australia next year. Head to China, all right? Don't want. Oh boy. Lewis Hamilton was out in Q2. Sam, what's that about?

Well, unlike McLaren where you made the point I was thinking of, which was it feels definitely car-related with both drivers doing that close together, which I think is promising for the morale of the team that both the drivers are the ones that are together and the car is the problem. You can fix the car with science, but it's hard to fix a driver's speed. This was all on Lewis Hamilton. Lewis Hamilton was looking like he was very much matching George Russell's pace, if not slightly faster,

George Russell, for a lot of the earlier sessions. And it gets to a crunch time in Q2. And, I mean, he's knocked out by the finest of margins. I think it was 0.024 or something like that. But out is out at the end of the day. And he was out of here. Whereas George Russell was comfortably sitting in,

I think, P3 at the time. And we'll start P3 on the grid tomorrow. This is just one of those days where Lewis Hamilton wasn't able to completely hook it up. But I think, not to sound slightly ageist, but the older that Lewis Hamilton gets, I think we're just going to see this a little bit more often where it's just not his day every single Grand Prix,

which we did see from like 2014 all the way through to 2021. So, yeah, I just think this is going to happen sometimes. The track's a bit dodgy. The car, as we know, could be a bit unpredictable. One lap he gets it in the zone, the next lap he doesn't, is out. That's it. Any thoughts, sorry?

I enjoyed that sometimes the inner Stevenage in Lewis Hamilton comes out because couldn't go any faster, mate. Normally he's a man, he's a man, but the mate came out and he was proper British about it. Or a dude. Yeah, look, it was, I think disappointing for Hamilton. He clearly thinks he couldn't go any faster. But there was obviously a bit more pace in that car as evidenced by Russell. But yeah, it was, I just, obviously didn't get the lap together.

And it was finest of margins to not make it through. that Mercedes, where did Russell actually end up in the end? I can't remember now. Fourth, which will become third. Oh, well, okay. Well, Russell, keeping the only qualifying battle left alive for another round because it's now, what, 1110? 11.10.

Like a draw at the end. He's working on that draw. So, yeah, that Mercedes, yeah, clearly had more pace in it. Hamilton will be disappointed to have not made it. Perez will be very glad because he had a bad quality but then the person who could take PTO off him is literally next to him on the grid.

This is his ninth Q2 or Q1 elimination. Sorry, Ben, I'm probably jumping the gun here but I know that he obviously didn't get the lap in, but why didn't they time it better? He just sat in the garage waiting for everyone to go past. Shocker from Red Bull. An unusual L from Red Bull on that one, I think. leco.

Yeah. It's so unusual to the point where you think something's wrong. Yeah. I haven't heard anything. Was wrong. But also it's just so uncharacteristic to the point where it just doesn't feel right. But the Stapham was still out there. And he was like two places above Checo at that point.

So why was Checo in the bit? Anyway. Odd one. Yeah, I mean, going back to Lewis Hamilton, he says that he couldn't go any faster. what I'm lying for, definitely could have gone faster, mate. I don't, I mean, it's what you said, Sam, right? George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were fairly well matched throughout every other session. If anything, Hamilton might have had a minor edge.

So I don't really buy into the theory that George Russell can go half a second faster than Lewis Hamilton. And Lewis Hamilton could not go faster than that. I think it was probably just a case where he couldn't hook the lap together. Lewis Hamilton, for the most part, has been pretty solid in qualifying this year. I think this is his third Q2 elimination. He hasn't had any Q1 eliminations this year. So, you know, it's only happened a couple of times. It's not a, it's not drastic.

But yeah, it was, it was disappointing because, you know, if Russell had squeaked into Q3 and was due to start 9th or 10th, that's one thing. But George Russell proved that a second row on the grid was doable for Mercedes here, which is probably a little bit better than we fought if you go by our midweek comments that something like that would be possible on this grid. So, yeah, disappointing from old Louis Ham. Lastly, I know we've already referenced him a little bit today.

Pierre Gasly in a car that I don't think has an engine has managed to get P5. Sam, that's a pretty impressive result, which I don't know, it seems like this is becoming a pattern for him the second half of this year. let Pierre cook his sausages. The man's got the barbecue out and they are sizzled to perfection. Honestly, this is the Pierre that I expected to see.

I knew it was going to take a bit of time once he transitioned to a new team, you know, coming to Alpine. He's not the leadership. He's not the central focus. Ocona been there longer. But remember 2021? Remember, you know, the amount of times that, yes, that Al-Fa-Tari was really, really good. but he was fantastic, pretty much my driver of the season.

And this is the capability that Pierre Gasly has. He could be so, so quick. And I think that people seem to keep underestimated just how good Pierre Gasly could be. If you give him a car, once he's settled now at this level of his career, I really do think he can churn out performance after performance. The fact that he is 12 positions in front of Eskaban Okong, who on his Twitter has claimed it as unlucky

in that he just can't catch a break, this season. Powell, you had enough chances to get those lapsing. You had enough opportunities to get the job done.

There was no bad luck involved here as entirely you not being good enough for this session. Pierre Gas is nailing it and he's leading that team and he's going to win

team mate wars for me. So this is honestly an all-round fantastic session for us. Well done, Pierre. Harry, any closing thoughts on Gassley? Yeah, I mean,

I mean, Gasly is taking a, taking, Esteban Okon to school a bit in recent races. To the cleaners. Yeah, I think Gasly, this is, as you say Sam, this is probably going back to at least the 2020 form we saw from him. And then before that, I don't know,

his pre-red Bull days. But yeah, he is in a fine form in the moment. And as you say, Ben, a car that literally doesn't have an engine, it's like a Fred Flintstone car. he is, you know, peddling really quickly. He's a good peddler. His little legs be running. Yeah, great effort from him.

And I think it was, I guess, understandable that Gassley would get better as this season goes on. I know he has a good amount of experience in F1 now, but we even see it with experienced drivers that it takes a little while to get used to a new team. And obviously Ocon hasn't had to do that. He's been at the team for a few years now. And yeah, I think he just got better as the years gone on. I do think Ocon will be frustrated because there have been instances where Gazley's got further in qualifying.

And it's just been that Gasly's had a bit more pace. I think Ockon had the pace to be where Gasly was today, just based on some early evidence and practice. I think he had good pace in the car. But got to make it through the qualifying sessions to show it. And whereas he was getting tangled up with Max Verstappen, Gazzley was out there performing to the point where, you know, Gazzley didn't need to put in that late lap under pressure.

Ocon did. And yeah, I don't fully agree or disagree with O'Conn's comment about his bad luck. I don't think he's been particularly lucky this year. Having said that, there is to an extent where you make your own luck. And today, I think this is more on him. luck is not random luck is good preparation waiting for a time to appear and Espan Okong has not delivered on that

that is well deep mate yeah poetic thanks I'm a very deep man he says with toothpaste on his top every genius okay every genius oh lord it's a very poetic way to end Sam would you like to get us out of here

yeah I just want to make the final comment that Max is called last phase The Farmers League of Racing Tracks? He hasn't. Come on, that's not a real quote. That is absolutely sad. He said Monaco's like the Champions League. This is like...

He hasn't called it the Farmers League. Come on. So, so insulting. I don't think he likes this track. He's not happy, is he? I don't... Look, whether you agree or disagree with him. It's his opinion.

Like, I've got no problem with him. him saying whatever he thinks. Yeah, by the way, sorry, I know we literally need to end this, but they were talking about this in the commentary today, and Crofty was like, oh, well, you know, Martin, do you think that's just because he thinks his car's not going to be as dominant here? And Max is like, Martin's like, no, he just has an opinion. It's like, stop trying to make things up.

He just doesn't like it. Okay, not to like something. Max was staffed there busting out the bars with the 99% show, 1% drive. That's what he was, I imagine, going for. before, really throughout that comment. It's a brief stopping, yeah. You can know it. He's a bas-bitter.

Anyway, thanks for listening. Discord is in the description. Join us for the race where we will very be... I can't even talk. It'll be so tired. It's going to be like that again tomorrow, yesterday, or next year. Who knows? Patreon's available where you can listen to the paid content that we've referenced

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