The Late Braking F1 Podcast - 2025 Singapore GP Qualifying Review

Episode Date: October 4, 2025

Ben and Harry break down an eventful Saturday under the lights of Marina Bay, where qualifying has served up a SPICY front row for tomorrow's race. They cover all the drama from the frustration of the McLaren title rivals to a strong day out for 2025's rookies... Note: This episode was recorded prior to the confirmation of a double Williams DSQ from qualifying due to failing post-qualifying checks on their rear wings. >>> Don't miss out - final few tickets left for our 2025 LIVE SHOW in Austin TX! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CLICK HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to grab yours or for more info!

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. Welcome to the late breaking F1 podcast presented by Harry Ead and me, Ben Hocking, here for a qualifying review. A qualifying review of Singapore where, hey, Harry, you must be the lucky charm for George Russell. You're here on a qualifying review and he's put it on poll. and fairly comfortably in the end to Max Verstappen in second place,

the McLaren is struggling a little bit more than we're used to seeing down in third and fifth, Piastri and Norris, respectively. So I guess George Russell can send you something in the post as a thank you. Yep, thank you. I would like a share of your new contract salary, George. Thank you for that because it's also just boosted that negotiation. Total off, mate. Sign him up.

whatever he wants, just do it because what are you playing at? Also, him at the end of qualifying just not looking at that police about it. He didn't sound it, either. No. Bit of a bit of, you know, happiness is needed there from Toto.

But yeah, I will take it. I'm George Russell's lucky charm. I thought he was going to put it in the wall. It was one of those laps where it's either in the wall or it's going on pole and luckily it was on pole. Yeah, Mercedes in the heat of Singapore. having a great day. As we all expected.

Well, let's start there. George Russell taking that pole position, a 129-158 sealing that pole position, a few temps clear of Max Verstappen, and then even further ahead of the McLaren's and his teammate Kimmy Antonelli. Going throughout qualifying, it felt to me like this was legit from Mercedes.

As soon as like really qualifying two opened up and he improved by a few temps from what he did in Q1. It looked pretty competitive. I will say when he was on that first run in Q3 and he was through the first two sectors and they were, I think, both purple at the time. And I saw the split time through two sectors

was like 103-7 or something, which was everyone was in the 104s to that point. I was like, that's pole. That's pole right there. I was kind of wrong because he went even faster by like 7,000s of a second. But this, felt pretty special from Russell.

Yeah, it was, it was a superb lap. It was, I was going to say, millimeter perfect. I guess you maybe can't quite say that because that first run, he was, he was slightly in the wall at the penultimate corner. But, yeah, it was, I really thought as we got into that, after that first run, I was like,

I felt like for Stappen was going to line something up there. I know we will never really know whether he had that last lap in him, but he was one and a half tense down in the middle sector anyway, Vastappen. So I thought maybe we were going to get Vastappen special, but Russell delivered on both laps. I don't think he had the perfect lap, though, because I think there was time left on the table in the first run, and then I think there was time left on table on the second run for Russell,

because he didn't have a great first sector on what was his ultimately, his fastest lap, but had a great middle and end. So, yeah, superb work. As you say, it makes no sense. Why is Mercedes good here? But we'll take it because it's kept it interesting. And I suspect has left McLaren scratching their head somewhat. But, yeah, I think it's just, I was not joking,

but making front of the start of Russell not yet having a contract. it just adds to what has been a great year for George Russell and if you give him the car George Russell will deliver in it I think that we it's very fair to say this now

I think yes I have been times when he hasn't but I think that's when George Russell's been having to push a car that isn't capable of doing what he wants it to do give him a car that's hooked up goodness me

he will challenge the best the best being Max for Stappens so yeah mightily impressed with both of the laps from George Russell because no one really out there did two laps that were that were that good. So yeah, very impressed by Russell. I think Brondell said it where you've got like two laps that are within seven thousands of each other odds are. You're at one with the car and you deserve the pole position. I always like to

see when it comes to qualifying like that gradual improvement as you go through and George Russell nailed that because he was 129-9-9 in Q1, 129-5 in Q2, 129-1 in Q3. So he's improving by four temps every single time he's getting out there on track. And we have a very exciting front row as a result of that. I think this is one of George Russell's best pole positions to this point. It really felt like after a bit of a tough start to the weekend, obviously he crashed the car yesterday. he's really turned that around.

And we'll see what the race pace is like, but this qualifying lap felt, felt pretty damn good. And I'm going to say it. It's going to be controversial. And there's a little bit of doubt in me when I say this, but I'm going to try and say it with my chest. The best two drivers in F1 are on the front road tomorrow. Oh, goodness, me, Ben.

Shola Clark gives me doubt about saying that. but I think I think it might be true. I don't know. I mean, we said this before if we thought right, you know, we'd call whether Russell was in the McLaren

whether he'd be in a title fight. I think based off performances like today and other ones throughout the year, yeah, he'd easily be, which is even more annoying than Mercedes can't work out while their car's good ever. I don't think it's an unreasonable,

unreasonable shout. It's also funny that they seem to hate each other every time they get near each other on a track. So who knows well, they'll be after term one tomorrow. But yeah, certainly the maybe the two. Yeah, maybe the two best. Maybe not necessarily the quickest because you're right,

you've got Charles LeClair in there, but the two best consistent overall drivers in F1. Yeah, on the front row. Maybe, maybe. That front row is going to be spicy, like you say, Max Verstappen starting from second place. I'm not going to say this would be funny, but there's a bit of an ongoing question at the moment.

is Vostappen in the driver's championship fight? Or what would it take for him to get into that fight properly? And of course, the biggest part of that answer is beating the McLarence, which he's done today. George Russell, I don't think nothing would give him a better frill than being the person that denied Max Vostappan getting in that fight. Because Vastappan's done his job beating the McLarence, but he's not on pole. Still a very good effort from Vastappen, even if he didn't get the most out of it in Q3, potentially blocked on his second run.

Is he still going to be quite happy with where he's at versus the two drivers he is in theory battling here? Yes, I think he should be. And you're right, Russell's like thrown a spanner in the works of the title fight for, I guess, just this weekend. And maybe Vegas, I don't know, who knows where. No, that makes sense.

It will be Abu Dhabi. Yeah, it's Lagos. But let's not. forget, we've been saying this in the, you know, the two weeks since Baku, if Vestappan and Red Bull come to Singapore and they're good, we've got a championship fight on our hands, I think, and they are. There's no, no question.

The Stapen in that Red Bull was quicker than the two McLaren's today. I know there's a long race tomorrow, but you wouldn't put a lot of money on the McLaren's beating Bastappan from where they are. I know Pius's right behind him, but Norris a bit further back. Yeah, I think this, even though he'll be frustrated to not have pole and yeah Russell sort of is the anomaly I guess in that sense

but I think he should be overall or they should be overall happy because they've come to what is a completely different track to Monza and Tobacco I know they were their street circuits but they are very different tracks and the Red Bull's really competitive so it's not just the high speed thing this is all about downforce in Singapore and that car is good in the Sapan's hands it's a good car so he should be happy.

And it's going to be set up related, of course, but Vestappen was losing times of Russell on the straits. In the corners, he was absolutely on it compared to Russell. So that should give them optimism not only for the Grand Prix tomorrow, but for some of these other downforce heavy circuits that we're still to go to for the rest of this season. Maybe Vastappen can keep being competitive. Maybe Red Bull have turned a corner a little bit.

very impressive again from Vostappan. Yes, it's not enough for poll, but it was enough for a fairly comfortable second place. It puts him in a great position tomorrow as well. If he can get a great start and overtake George Russell, then he can put a bit of difference, put a little bit of time difference between himself and Oscar Piastri. Of course, Landon Norris even further back as it currently stands. So Vestappen, if the start goes well tomorrow, has a real chance to make a dent in this fight. Of course, Piastri will have the advantage from third of being on the, in theory, better side of the grid.

So it's far from a done deal. Yeah, Vestappen's got to be happy with where he's at. Because it could, we could have just come to this weekend and Red Bull were back to where they were, I don't know, at Hungary or even not that bad. But they could have come into this weekend, McLaren first and second, for stopping back in fifth, and you think, all right, that was a fun couple of races, it's over, we're back to McLaren dominance.

This is going to be, even if we don't get a championship battle, because we might not, I think the end of this season might be low-key, fascinating. Like, there's not a lot to separate these teams at the moment. No, and look, I know we're not going to start saying. it's, you know, championship on for the staff and etc. I don't think, like I say,

it's quite a long shot still, but it's going to, it's going to be close. It's going to be fascinating. And not that it's really affected them too much, but McLaren and they're farting around with all of the team orders in that stuff, hadn't really affected results in terms of the team.

But they can't be doing that anymore because everyone is literally around them. They're not even like close in catch. suddenly we've had two races now where McClaren's on the front of the grid or at the front of the bridge they've got to they've got to be I'm not saying constructors

that's over that's happening but drivers wise they're going to be all out for themselves they can't be playing team orders or silly games like that anymore because they've got the staff and they've got Russell even Antonelli or this race surrounding them.

So it's, yeah, real shame that this didn't happen at the start of the year, but we'll take it for, we'll take it for the remainder of the season. I do have to address one thing from McLaren that happened today, which I think was at the beginning of qualifying

where Lando Norris set a pretty good time in Q1. And Will Joseph over team radio says something on the lines of, welcome back Lando. And I just want to die from cringe. Stop it. Stop it. Why are you doing that?

It's Q1. I just, it's so cringy. It's awful. Why bother saying that then? If he'd done it at the end of Q3 on pole position, I'd be okay with that. That's fine. Oh, God.

Yeah, that just wound me up. Speaking of the McLaren duo, so Piastri has got a little bit of an advantage on Norris, third and fifth. We said coming into this weekend that Landon Norris might fancy his chances here, given what he was able to do in 2024. Piastri, I don't think, was completely at one of the car going in to qualify, but he's the one that's ended up ahead.

Does Piastri take this as a result? It's not Paul. He's lost to Vestappen, but he's too ahead of Norris. Yeah, I think he does. And especially how the session started for him, I know he's a bit unlucky with the yellow flags out for the Williams that were getting out of the way, which is low-key, really funny. Yeah, I don't know.

But, yeah, you're right. I don't think it was clear the McLaren's didn't really have the ultimate pace. And, you know, aside from, you know, what was clearly the best Q-1 lap, Will Joseph has ever seen in his life. But I don't think it was clear from the off, or from pretty early on, the McLaren didn't have the ultimate pace versus Vastapra and the Mercedes.

So I think Piastri can take some comfort in where he's ended up after what was quite a disastrous Baku. He's now a couple of positions ahead of Norris on the grid, which is, I think, for him, it's a good place to be. I know they've got Vastappan sort of in the distance chomping away at their heels. But if Piastri can, even if he's losing points to Vastepen, but say it ends up like that tomorrow or even if Vestappen, or even a Verstappen win and Piastri remains in third.

That is more than enough for Piastri, I think. So a weekend where they, I don't think they have the ultimate pace. I think he'll be pleased with that. Norris will be disappointed to be a couple of positions back because the person in Easter, the person he needs to catch in the championship is two places ahead. And the person who's got sort of hunting him down is four places ahead. So it's not been the ideal qualifying for Norris.

not over by a long shot. I'm sure he can improve in the race. But I think Piastro will be out of the two. Clearly, Piastri would be the one that will be the happiest. Yeah, I think this is a solid turnaround from Piastri because at the end of FP3, it didn't look great. And things have kind of not completely gone his way in qualifying, but some key things have.

He has been able to outqualify his teammate. He outqualified Kimmy Antonelli, who there was a reasonable chance Antonelli was going to out-qualify Piastri and even Vestappen. I think Antonelli might be a touch disappointed even with how that session ended because throughout Q1 and Q2, he was on it. Like, versus Russell, he was on it. And I know you said this about Russell earlier. I was saying it about Antonelli in Q1. It's like, Antonelli's either on the front road today or he's crashing out. And ultimately, neither happened. But it was a good session from him, but Piastri's got ahead of Antonelli. Ferrari will get onto them in a little bit of.

of course, but they didn't bring it like they possibly could have done. So it's all kind of gone Piastri's way to get a third place and only lose out by one spot to Verstappen and, and crucially for him, too, ahead of Norris at a circuit where he was dominated by Norris 12 months ago. So yeah, maybe not his best session, but this is kind of what he's done all year. Even when he hasn't got those pole positions, he's wrapped up third places, fourth places, second places. And that puts him in a good spot tomorrow. Lando Norris will be disappointed, I think, with fifth place. Like you said, it's not a disaster.

The problem with Singapore, even with the way in which the track was updated a couple of years ago, the field spread can be quite large here. And it doesn't look like McLaren have that advantage that they have enjoyed for a lot of this season. So if he does get stuck behind Antonelli or stuck behind the other Mercedes of Russell or Vastappen. It could be a case. What if he drops the spot to Hamilton at the start?

And that Ferrari doesn't have great race pace. It might be difficult strategically to make that backup. So it could be a crucial start for Norris tomorrow. Okay, let's take a quick break. On the other side, we'll be chatting Ferrari and the rest of the grid as well. But most of the Ferrari. Welcome back, everyone, to this qualifying review, Singapore GP, and it's now time to discuss Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton out qualifying Charles LeClaire, but it's just sick for six, seven for Ferrari. I get the reference, I really do. I'm not faking it. Yep, sixth and seven for Ferrari. It feels so eerily similar to just all of this season. Have they qualified sixth and seven for every race? They are that whatever six seven meme is.

I'm almost just going to welcome back the 2014 Ferrari, but it wasn't quite that bad. But goodness me, it was a handful. Every time I went off ball with a Ferrari, I was like, oh, I don't want to watch it. It's terrified, especially with Lecler. Yes. It's trying to kill him at every air payable opportunity.

I don't know whether that was overdriving on Lecler side, but, yeah, Hamilton, too. It looked a handful to drive that car. So at least this time there wasn't really like a, you know, one-two in FB-1 to get the hopes up. They just looked like that. They've looked like that all weekend so far. So, yeah, they, look, LeClaura and Hamilton are both pretty good around here.

I get the sense of especially the way the car was handling in both of their hands. That was all it had to give. I don't think they could do any more with this. car around around Singapore. So, yeah, they'll,

especially with the fact the Mercedes, Mercedes, well, on pole, and so far up, I think they'll be, they'll be disappointed with that,

with that, because they are, you know, they've had, they've been having battles with Mercedes and now, they're far away from at this race. So, kind of a missed opportunity in that sense for,

for Ferrari. But, yeah, I don't, I don't think they could, I don't think they could do too much more. it's just the story of their season, especially when it comes to qualifying. You think throughout practice that they're there or thereabouts, and even through Q1,

you still think they might be there. And then the rest of the session unfolds and you realize they're not like miles off the pace, but they're just enough off the pace to not give LeClaire and Hamilton a sniff, whereas maybe Russell and Vastappen, there is enough of an opportunity for them to get in the fight. It never seems to be the case for Ferrari because this is he saying, I mean, Hamilton and Lecler, that's a lethal combination anywhere, let alone Singapore, where both have shown they can be really quick here in the past. And yeah, that car just did not look. It didn't look slow, but it did look severely unbalanced, which is not what you want when you're going around these very narrow

streets of Singapore. I think the tell-tale sign for me was, you know, Hamilton was fastest. I mean, remember this? Hamilton was fastest in Q1. Like, he did a 129-7. But whereas George Russell from Q3 to Q1, what, Q1 to Q1 to Q3, he improved by eight tenths. Forstappen improved by seven tenths.

Even Norris, who you could say didn't nail Q3, he improved by about four tenths. Hamilton's Q3 lap time was basically the same as this Q1 lap time. They showed everything that they had in Q1 and couldn't go any faster. Sadly, for both of them, it just feels like a bit of a repeated story. Maybe race pace wise, they'll be a little bit better. But honestly, it could just be the same as Baku, where even if they are quicker, they might not have an opportunity to show it, just based on how poorly they've qualified. it's, yeah, it's tough to say anything new

because it just feels like everything that's happened already. Just like every time we get to Ferrari now, just like we'll stop talking and then we'll get Patrice of Garcia's just lift out another bit we've said about Ferrari before and drop it in because it'll be the same. Exactly, yeah. You just, I don't know, put us through AI voice generator

and just, yeah, drop it in there. Maybe that's what we've done, folks, and you can't even tell. Yeah, we're not even here. Yeah. What about the rest of the top 10? So the top seven were filled out by sort of the four teams you would expect. Then we get to Hadjar and 8th, Behrman in 9th, Alonzo in 10th.

Let's start with Hadjar and racing balls because Hadjar's outqualified Lawson by six positions here. Lawson was about three temps down on Hadjar in Q2. Lawson's had a couple of crashes this weekend. Tough one for him so far versus his teammate. It was done very, very well. Yeah, it's been a off the back of what was a really good weekend for Lawson. And what has seemed like a good few races where he's built some momentum, culminating in that good backing performance,

he decided to just throw it at the wall in almost every practice session we had. Which around here, look, there's obviously the missed track time, but it's the confidence in getting in the groove, which I think is so important, especially around here, but for most street circuits. So it didn't help Lawson Hadjar, yeah, was very impressive. I think he might be in slightly disappointed

where he ended up, but he certainly looked in front of the Ferrari's, was he close. Exactly. Yeah, so it continues to impress does Hajar overall. It's like you, I think you said this in the preview, Ben. Racing balls are just sort of there consistently all the time in the same place, whereas we have, we said Williams, obviously, they'd peek and trough

and this was more of a more of a trough for them, more of a dip in performance. But, yeah, Hadjar just delivering on the potential of that car, basically. But I don't think you can ask for much more than that. And delivering on the potential, but also probably outdriving its potential too. So a good stay of the office for Hadjar. Lawson, I know it's obviously worse,

but I think he did the damage by crash it, literally by doing the damage in FP2 and FP3. Yeah, so yeah, I think the lost trap times hurt him on this one. Yeah, I was going to make one point. And then I've sort of just looked at the top 10 and I'll quickly make another one, which is Hadjar as a rookie's done very well here. Rookies at large have done pretty well here. Hadjar, Behrman, Antonelli, all driving here for the first time, all in the top 10.

You could argue, you know, Bearman and that Hass haven't got through to Q3 very often. Antonelli, one of his best weekend so far, I think, versus Russell's pace. And then we've got Hadjar who's done brilliantly well too against an opponent in Lawson, who has raced here and done all right here in the past. But yeah, this is almost the two racing balls displayed how to do this weekend and how not to do this weekend, at least to this point. Because Hadjar has been quick all throughout yesterday, all throughout today, he's been brilliant. Lawson, on the other hand, two costly crashes. And I think you can point to the pace

difference between Hadjar and Lawson here and say a lot of that is probably down to the limited track time that Lawson's had and indeed the rhythm that Lawson maybe hasn't got, whereas Hadjar does. I think it's a learning point for Liam Lawson, particularly, I don't know if you saw the crash this morning, the one from FP3, but it's just one you've got to get out of. Yeah. Yeah. It's, there's nothing to game. Just shut it down.

Just shut the lap down at that point. But he keeps the foot in there and ends up in the wall. And I think it has probably the effects of that have cost him here. Could have cost him more. It was an uncertainty as to whether he would even get out into Q1 today. So, yeah. But from Hadjar's perspective, fully deserves that best of the rest position that he's got. He was probably the favorite for it.

as we went throughout qualifying. So it's a fair play to him. Another great qualifying session for him. They're really stacking up this year. I just wish it was like the narrative was, he's done really well so far this year, had you, particularly in qualifying. That is a great foundation to build on

when he does its second year at V-Carb next year. And then who knows from there? But no, that's not the way it's looking like it's going to be played. 9th and 10th. So sharing the fifth row of the grid will be Behrman and Alonzo, significant from both of them, Harry, because both of their teammates didn't make it out of Q1. Yeah, Beirman looked on it all session.

I know Ockcon and Q1 obviously had some problem with his belts, but they were sorted, I believe, by the time he did his final lap. But pace-wise, they were no near near each other, which is, you know, Bearman's not raced here before. So this, yeah, it was a surprising one, I think, for those two. I think Ocon underdelivered and perhaps where the house was and I think Berman over delivered I think it probably was somewhere in between the two

the true place of that car so yeah impressive once again from Bermann might say a day of a day of rookie success and then Alonzo and Stroll I really appreciated Stroll's radio message about why does it always go bad man which is really really bleak yeah when you're driving a car that's a slow as the salvo you're going to get the most Q1 appearances of all time right like yeah yeah um i

i don't think i don't know what's what happened in between fp1 fp2 and today for the astermartin but it wasn't the same car um so i know others have improved but it just it you watch alonzo's laps from the first couple of practices he's like it looks it looks perfect that's glued to the road. And then you get to today, it's just nothing. It won't turn in. Their tires are overheating.

So I think Alonso did well to get into the top 10. I think he was quite frustrated with only qualifying 10th, especially, I guess, him where he started the weekend. But I think if you look where Stroll was, he probably can take some comfort in that. But I think potentially a missed opportunity for that team, I think the car, we've seen a high downfall circuit. That car is pretty good now.

So I think 10th and 17th stroll is. Yeah, it's probably a disappointing day on that front. Yeah, from Alonzo's perspective, there will be some natural disappointment just based on again where they were yesterday. My theory is that he went out for FP1 was fastest, then went and listened to the preview episode from the late breaking F1 podcast, realized that Ben's bold prediction was that Alon's, would be on the podium and then decided, let's slow it down.

We can't make that right. So, yeah, it kind of went downhill from there. Was it first in FP1, fourth in FP2, and now we're 10th by the time we get to qualifying? I still think it's a pretty reasonable attempt. I think Hadjar Bam and Annaloenzo have all done pretty well to get to Q3 and improve on their times. So all three of them were in the 1 minute 30s in Q2.

All of them were in the one minute 29s in Q3. So it's not like Hadjar's out qualified, Behrman and Alonso because neither of those two performed in Q3. All three of them did improve. Yeah, in terms of Stroll, there was only two temps separating Alonzo and Stroll in Q1, so it wasn't one of the biggest qualified margins that we've seen so far this year.

And it seemed like Stroll was affected on that second. running Q1, but that is the importance of getting that banker lap in. He didn't have the opportunity to improve like Alonzo did throughout Q2 and then into Q3, so that at least in part explains the seven position difference. But yeah, a long way to go for stroll tomorrow. You have already mentioned Williams, maybe not their best weekend so far. 12th and 13th, Albin ahead of Carlos Sines. it's not like they were completely off the boil,

but just lacking that pace of some of their rivals, it felt. Yeah, I think maybe if we were talking about this before the weekend, like this result for qualifying before the weekend, we'd have been like, well, yeah, it sounds about right. My problem is, science actually showed quite a bit of promise throughout all of the practice sessions and even early, early part of quality as well. So I think Albon left so, but I think signs especially, it might have been a missed opportunity

because I think he could have potentially snuck into Q3 but realistically this is about where the car is this weekend. So I don't think they can be too disappointed. I think that's where

that's probably where they're expected to be and if they can it's feasible that they could sneak a point or two potentially from there if there's trouble ahead or they're good good strategy etc. So not the end of the world, a bit of damage limitation for them. And the fact that there's only one racing bull ahead of them, it's not a disaster for Williams.

Yeah, I would agree with that. We saw recently that Albin went from, was it 14th to 5th at Zanvort? So he has shown that he can go from outside the top 10 into some good points paying positions. And even if there's not enough carnage to get a top 5 finish, you would imagine there will at least be one or two retirements, one or two things go wrong for those ahead to the point where 10th, 9th, maybe even 8th would be available for both of them. I have the same read on it as you did in the album seemed less comfortable going throughout practice. The 12th is about where I expected he would be. I kind of felt Carlos Seines would be a contender for being in the top 10. I'm not sure what

happened on his second running Q2 because we didn't get any visibility of it whatsoever, but he didn't improve. So, yeah, I think he was before the first. session, I thought he would probably just get into Q3. So a touch disappointing for him, but yeah, they'll have something to fight for tomorrow. And I know the reason why Carlos signed struggled. It's because I put him in my fantasy team. So there you go. Yeah, same, same, same. So that's good stuff. Good stuff. Yuki Sonoda 15th, seven and a half tens behind the Stapen in Q2. Felt like a better weekend in Baku,

but that's a lot of positions between them to start the race tomorrow. Yeah, a lot of positions and around here, a lot of time because it's been so close this weekend, yeah, as evidenced by the fact that Vastappan's P2 and Senators 15. So not a good day for Yuki. Yeah, I like to say, maybe hoping he would build a bit on a better weekend from it in Baku, but it's not transpired that way.

So, yeah, he disappointed especially with the fact that Hadjar is up in the top 10. And like you said, the murmurings around that 26 Red Bull seat, second Red Bull seat, start to talk about young Isaac. So,

yeah, run away. Run away, Hadjar. Do it now. Get out of here. Yeah, not a great session for Sonoda. Like, he really could have used a good one here to back up what he did in Baku. But I think the Red Bull being, not a lot, but marginally less competitive versus where they were in Baku. I know Vestappen still second, but we saw Vestappen was a fairly dominant winner last time out in Baku. That just coupled with, again, these really small margins between other teammates, that seven and a half tenths stands out in comparison.

and not for good reasons if you're Yuki Sonoda. Yeah, I don't know. This could be the weekend that seals it. We'll see. Anything else? Catch your eye outside of a great in-the-mix performance from Alpine in 18th and 20. If they're right there. Yeah, Alpi, I mean, they teed this up with the post about the rest of the years

going to be craps and please don't basically just. with us. Yeah, Gassad he's not even getting the opportunity, was he to, oh, did he, sorry, to do anything with that car, just breaking down on him. So, yeah, anything else to know. The thing I wanted to know was that Alex Albon's dad is called Nigel, which I think is really excellent.

I honestly, if you gave me 50 to one odds on Alex Albin's dad being called Nigel, I don't think I'd have taken it. Like, no. Just, I just, I know he's Brit's tie, so it makes sense. Yeah. his mother was from Thailand. So there must be the Brit element.

But he's just a normal English dude called Nigel and I just didn't expect it. If you gave me the opportunity to write down 100 names that Alex Elbin's dad could be called, I'm telling you now, Nigel wouldn't have made an appearance. I think that's fair. I think it's very fair. So that's my biggest takeaway from this qualifying session,

big up Nigel album. Yeah, fair enough. I don't really have anything else to say in terms of Alpine. I mean, the results do all the talking for them, 18th and 20th. Colopinto is at least showing himself versus Gasly in a bed of light recently, even if he can't do anything with it based on how slow that car is. I think this race or this qualifying proves that it doesn't matter if you're around the streets of Baku or the high-speed track of Monza or the slightly lower speed streets of Singapore,

Alpine are going to alpine wherever they go at this point. So I think I was just going to say I think for Colopinto it is almost helpful that the car is this

badge now because maybe and you're showing some relative similar pace to Gasley but because the car so bad it almost works in his favour of this because there's no like whereas Gasly can't even sneak a good result now

where he has been able to in the past it helps colop into Alp for his drive for next year. So yeah, not much they can do. Not much they can do. But I appreciate the gamesmanship they had versus Max Verstappen, their biggest rival in the championship this year. Or that Alpine versus Vastappan battle

is going to heat up now after Vastappan was nearly put in the wall. So, yeah. Big, big, big, big. Two final questions for you, before we go. Question number one, what did you make of, if you saw it, the post-race interview done as a trio rather than individually? I saw I got up to do something, but I still had it on the background. And I was like, it really confused me. So I was like, has this always been done like

this or have I just forgotten? I wasn't sure. I don't know. Can I like it? Like the Graham Norton show approach of driver interviews. No, if it was the Graham Norton show, it would be Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, and then for whatever reason, just Jonathan Ross are a really random, British comedian. Perfect. I watched the Grey Northern show last night.

It was chaos. It was the most random group of people, including Tela Swift. Anyway, sidebar. I don't know. I quite like it. It offers a different perspective. I wonder if they'll keep that for the race.

But I like the bit of interaction between the drivers. It might bring out a different element, but we'll see whether they keep that. Yeah, they might give it another go. I think they just saw people like the call-down room and thought, maybe we can incorporate that into these post-quality interviews as well.

The last question I have to ask you, Harry, is who was driver of the session? George Russell, I think. I know that's the easy choice, but for his Q3 laps alone, I winced a couple of times watching that lap and I feel like if you're wincing whilst watching a qualifying lap, it's a good lap.

I wholeheartedly agree. I would go with Russell number one as well. Bearman Hajjar would round out my podium for driver of the session, but I am going to give it to George Russell as well. Well, it's going to wrap up our qualifying review. Good news is we are back for the race tomorrow and I am now going to ask AI Sam

to completely outtrade. You have a good week, everyone. Go on. Oh, God, every time. Thanks, everyone for listening. You know where to follow us on the old... Oh, hang on. We can actually do this because it's us.

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I will do something a bit more properly on tomorrow's review, but a quick shout. out for those of you that like to meet us in Seattle, because we will be making an appearance in Seattle before we go to Austin. So that's in just over a week's time. That'll be the 12th of October between 2pm and 4 p.m. at Stoop Brewing, Capital Hill, is where you'll find us. Completely free. Just come along. We'll be there for a couple of hours. Just come and say hello.

All we ask, just let us know ahead of time if you are planning on coming because we want to keep an eye on numbers. For those of you that have already contacted us about this, we have got a list of you to get the details to you, but obviously if you're listening to this, then you've got the details already. And we have set up a channel in Discord as well. It is appropriately called Seattle Meetup. Good work. Well, that's probably going to do it then, isn't it? Why do we suck at this every time? We're just look at each other like, I don't know what to do now. We're like Liam Lawson at Singapore. We just don't have the rhythm.

That is what it is. Thank you, everyone. You go first because you say, I've been Ben Hocking. I've been Ben Hocking. And I've been Harry Ead. And remember, keep breaking late. This podcast is part of the Sports Social Podcast Network.