The Late Braking F1 Podcast - Abu Dhabi GP Review

Episode Date: December 1, 2019

It's the last race of the season! *wipes away tears*. For the final review of the season, Ben, Sam and Harry talk through a Hamilton-dominated Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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with myself, Gaz Rana and former England cricketer Mark Butcher. Search Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast and listen wherever you get your podcasts. Sports Social Podcast Network. Thank you for listening to the late-breaking F-1 podcast. Make sure to look out for new episodes every Thursday and Grand Prix Sundays. Hello and a very warm welcome. This is the late-breaking Formula One podcast, reviewing the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final Grand Prix of 2019.

My name's Ben Hocking here with Harried and Samuel Sage. Guys, how did you think the last race of the season went? Should we just pretend Brazil was the last race? Yes, Maria. Yeah. Yes. Ab-Gabby is proper NAF, isn't it? It's rubbish.

It is probably one of the worst. It's pretty up there, like the top, the bottom five Grand Prix's of the year, and it's the last one we have to sit through. And how four months of sadness? Yes, pure sadness, sadness and boredom. By the way, great verdict on the Grand Prix, Harry, bit NAF. We might as well end the podcast. I said, proper NAF, not just the proper nap.

It's proper naugrating, yeah. So, of course, Lewis Hamilton, very comfortable victory ahead of Max Verstappen. Currently, Charles Leclair is in third place, although we don't know at this point in time whether he'll be disqualified. Bottas would go onto the podium if that was the case. But starting with the Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton, never really seemed in doubt. They always go strong at Abu Dhabi.

2019 was no different. Sam, what did you make of Hamilton's performance? The man, well, stood at Tesco, and he absolutely checked out. He scanned his Mercedes car long before anyone else even got up to do the shop, didn't he? He was long gone. It was an incredibly dominant performance. We haven't seen something like that. I think this year since maybe Spain.

And then last year, the last time we saw such an incredibly dominant performance. I wonder if Botas had started in the second place. If we had a bit more of a fight on my hand or if Hamilton was just so comfortable around there, as it has been year after year. I think his fifth time, winning out in the Yass Marina circuit. It was incredible. generally show, turning up and people going, it could be equal, we're going to fight on our hands,

here we go, I don't know who's going to wing, 2020 season's going to be incredible, Mercedes walk away with a 20-second lead. It's just baffling, absolutely baffling. Fair play to Lewis Hamilton, an incredible drive. Yeah, Harry, what did you make of Hamilton's performance? Yeah, I've echo what Sam says, really. It was like a 2014 Hamilton Mercedes performance.

the car was just leagues above anyone else and we I don't know we heard him in the race like talking about permutations of um permutation like strategy permutations like he had his mind on other things he was just so relaxed and also just so bloody quick and I mean Vastappan can keep up with him at all um yeah thoroughly dominant kind of were just a worthy way to finish off this year a year which he's just been faultless to be honest so well done LH hashtag bless us yeah thank you sam yeah the necessary hashtag to end it um i mean unconfirmed reports but i think hamilton did actually go make a cup of tea on lap 45 who's that far ahead um he just crushed it um that mercedes was unstoppable you say sam maybe since spain it was the most dominant they've been

definitely in the second half of the season it's the best race that mercedes have had um and it doesn't both too well going into next season. Maybe it's a track-specific thing. But, yeah, even if Bottas had started second here, it'd have definitely come home second as well. So, yeah, a really impressive performance by Hamilton. And I think the most incredible thing about it is that whenever we see a car that is dominant or even a driver that is dominant, it's usually across the whole circuit.

Here, Mercedes were only dominant in one circuit, sorry, in one sector. and that sector they were so good that it didn't matter that they were losing out on the straits to to Ferrari. There was a side by side between Leclair and Hamilton after qualifying yesterday. And coming into turn 17, bear in mind there's 21 corners on the circuit. Leclair and Hamilton were dead on level. There was nothing to choose between them. And they are that dominant in turns 18, 19, 20 and 21 that they had, I think Hamilton was something like four tenths clear of Leclair. and we heard over the radio that Lecler was losing about six temps, he reckoned.

So, yeah, I mean, this was all about that third sector. Mazzades just found something that the other two teams couldn't, and they won as a result. Interestingly as well, the two guys obviously at the moment on the podium, Max Verstappen and Leclair, both beat their teammates very comfortably. Sam, do you think that's a sign for next season that maybe Vastappen and Leclair will be a bit more of a comfortable victory over there to, two teammates. I think the two stories between each

teams are a little bit different. I think that the LeCle Wethel story is, it's got a little bit more going on behind it. We need to look at what's been happening. Vettles just had a third key. He turns up to the race late. It's been a knacker in, you know, week four, and bless him. He said that there was maybe some issues with his power unit. Obviously, when LeCle took a new power unit very recently. Yeah, Vettel wasn't really on the top of his game,

but I can't really fault him for not being on the top of his game either. It was an all right performance. It wasn't great. He didn't match his teammate. But I'm not shocked by it, although people are calling that he will now retire after this race, which I'm not so sure if I believe. On the other hand,

the Stappan album, I praised Albon a lot this season. I really think he is a talent to behold. I think he can come to something really being in Formula 1, but he's not been good enough to last couple of races. The Staphan has once again stepped up in comparison to his teammates. He won Brazil. He was clear second here in Aberdeen being a track

that didn't really suit them, especially in that middle sector, and Albin was just digging the water in comparison to his teammate. Fought well with the second half of the teams, you know, like we said, the Vettles, the Bottas, when he eventually turned up, but the fact that Bottas started on the last place on the grid. And without DRS, for most of the race,

well, half the race, was able to then catch up and pass them. That says a lot. I think Alba really needs to kind of accelerate himself, both literally in the car and in his growth as a driver for next season to be competitive against Verstappen. Otherwise, that's an obvious second driver. And maybe we have another incident of what happened this year. maybe another changing driver line-up happens going into 2021.

Harry, would you be concerned if you were Albin and or Vettel the distance between their teammates? Or do you think this was just their last race, end-of-term kind of thing? I definitely think it was for Vettel. I think he was just, he just wants this year to be done. He wants to go away and hide for the winter, I think. And fair enough, it's not been a great year. Not been awful, but it's still not been great by his standards. Yeah, I think he just wants to get to the end of the race.

He needs to go away and have that type of botas winter reset, so he needs to get a bushy a beard. He used to eat lots of porridge and come back in 2020 and prove that he can match Leclair. For Albon, I'd still, he's, I know he's being beaten quite convincingly by Vastappen, but I think we just need to give him with just a bit more time because he is only a year in. But I agree, it can't last, this can't last forever.

But at the same time, yeah, he's, the man's still learning. He's literally, he hasn't been an F-on car from more than a year. So, yeah, I think we just need to give him a little bit more, a little bit more time to get to grips of things before we start telling him to go away. I think that's fair. Obviously, the way that the race shaped out, it was always going to be a problematic one for both Fetler,

and Albin. Vastatin wiped the floor clean of Albin. And I think that is something that he needs to address. This is kind of a, if you replace Album with Pierre Gasly, that's the results we were expecting of Gasly. And obviously, that wasn't good enough for Red Bull. So he can't carry on in that vein. Vettel, I think everything's being blown out,

blown a little bit out of proportion. It hasn't been a very good year for Vettel, but at the same time, it's not been a terrible year. Leclair has beaten him, but it hasn't exactly been convincing. And yeah, I think Vettel does have to respond in 2020. This race was, I think, a bit of a right-off. I don't think Vettel will be too concerned about it, but he does at least, like you say,

needs a full reset over the winter. And I trust Vettel enough that he's been in the sport long enough, that he knows what he has to do. He knows how he has to respond. It would be really intriguing to see how that battle fairs going into 2020. A word for Carlos Sines, because apparently he's not as we've seen on TV. I don't understand how on earth that guy manages to avoid cameras.

But his point right at the death means that he did get P6 and the championship ahead of both Gassley and Albin. Now, of course, Gassley and Albin haven't been in a top car all season, but they have at least for some part of the season, which isn't the case for Carlos Sines. In this race, but also in the season as a whole, Sam, how impressed have you. you've been with him. Carlos Sikes has almost come out of the blue. A couple of seasons ago, we were thinking, strong driver, probably at one point could have gone to achieve something big, had that issue against Holgerberg where he was

kind of beaten quite comfortably in the Renault. He's turned up, new team, whole new driver line up. He's not only beating Norris, and I think even with a bit of bag, like, deserved to beat Norris. He is, I think, the better driver of the two currently. The fact that he hasn't been in a race-winging car at all, and both the other drivers have been at some point in a race swinging car, them to beat them both,

is an astoundingly good performance. His racecraft has improved. His general longevity on tyres. He's getting better. He's getting better wheel to wheel racing. And he just seems to appalled it from a whole new level. I'm so impressed with Carlos Sites. I hope we can kick on and see bigger, better things for himself,

McLaren and Norris next season. I think he can lead that team to something really exciting, especially going into 2021, where I think they'd be fools to change that lineup. So, so impressed. You're another great race today, bit unlucky in terms of the strategy slash DRS, but I still think that he pulled out what he needed to do. Good charge at the end of the race. I'm impressed with him. Harry, do you agree with that?

Yeah, I've just found on Twitter, Sines's dive bomb from the century to do Hulkenberg on the last lab, so just type in Sines-Holkberg on Twitter because it's amazing. Yeah, Sons has had a great year. I can't remember the question. What was the question? Have you been impressed by signs throughout the year and also in this race? Absolutely, yeah. In this race as well, as I just said that, that movie's ace. Besides, he had a nice interview on Sky just for the race, actually,

and he sent the environment and McLaren has allowed a next level, Carlos Sons, to come out of him, which I think was a nice thing to, interesting thing to say, he's flourishing in the non-red-ball environment. So, yeah, I think just... bigger and better things await signs for 2020 and that driver pairing of him and Norris he'll be he'll be sad not to be in Norris on qualifying this year but I mean it was pretty evening match but yeah big year for signs I just wait for Ben and Sam to watch this replay I can't see it I haven't found it I've I have found it yeah it's um yeah it is an immense

move, isn't it? Gutsy, to say the least. Obviously, speaking about the guy that he overtook Niko Holcomberg, his final race in F1, at least for now, same case for Robert Kubits. So Niko Holkenberg was given driver of the day, I guess a pinch of salt needed on that. We have spoken about Nika Holkenberg not having a seat next year already, so we'll keep it brief, but do you think he has been unlucky not to get a seat for 2020, Harry? I do, actually.

I mean, I don't know. I feel like like, Hulkenbuck's had, he's had a fair crack at the whip in F1, but at the same time, he's definitely a worthy driver. He doesn't not deserve to be in F1. I just think there's a case of

there's just not enough seats for all the good drivers out there. And because I think Ocon is equally worthy of that seat in the Renault. So it's a, it's a tough one because yeah Holgham has had a fair go at it now he's been there since 2010

I know he didn't race in 2011 but yeah he's a driver that just was destined for so much more and it never quite worked out that way Sam's just watched the replay immense so good yeah I'm sad to see Holcomb would go because I think he should have a seat

on the F-1 grid. It doesn't necessarily have to be a renna but he should be in a seat yeah so sorry to see him go but also looking forward Ockon being in that seat next year it's going to be interesting Sam do you also think that he deserves to be in a seat next year I think we should phrase it this way if you eradicate the money the contractual obligations the links that people have to teams and you had almost like a draft moat for F1 where teams just got to pick

drivers you know as they're doing other sports like the NFL and whatnot I think Holkenberg gets picked and I think he gets picked relatively early on I think he is in still the top 10 to 12 best drivers on that grid. I think he's comfortably good enough to be a Formula One driver. He's a champion of other sports. He's a junior Formula One champion. He did a great race today. That strategy must pay off so well for him.

I think he finished a heck of Dangu Riccardo, which still shows that he's got the ability to race alongside people that we rate so highly in the sport. It's a real shame that he's not going to be there. I always love seeing the Hulk. He's always entertaining. He's always interesting. And he always gets the job done,

especially for those midfield teams, a bit like Perez. You know, he's able to get to. bring out consistent good results. You're always happy when he's on your team. You always always always always go to try his best and usually comes out with something. So, yeah, I'm a bit gutter that he's not going to be in a seat. I think he deserves a seat. But because there's people like stroll on the grid who have everybody earned a seat and their parents own the team, they're never leaving. But people like Holkenberg, who I think have real talent and probably do because of at least

another year, aren't going to get it. But that's a debate for another day. Hulkabberg, I think should be in a seat. Yeah, I think you're pretty much now. that. It's if you were to sort of put all of the drivers in order from best to worse, Nika Holkenberg would be in the top 20, in which case he would say he deserves a seat in Formula One. I understand why Renault haven't kept him for next year. Ocon at worst is going to be probably around the same level as Holknenberg, I would say. But at least with Ockon, you have the potential that he kicks on. He's got, he's only had a couple of years in Formula One. He's still a young driver. There's room for him to grow.

Holkenberg, you would probably say, has reached his max potential, and he's not going to go any better on than what he is now. So it's an understandable decision from Renault, but yes, I agree. Holkernberg, even though he has been at it a long time, he is a solid Formula One driver. And even this season, he really hasn't been outclassed by Daniel Ricardo. You give the edge to Ricardo, but it hasn't been by a great deal. So, yeah, Holcomberg can consider himself unlucky not to be there next season. driver of the day Harry who you go for

Nico Hockerback my driver's day is going to be I mean Lewis Hampton because how can it not be it was unstoppable there are a lot I think a few worthy candidates

but Hampton just as Sam said he was in the queue very early at Tesco and he just checked out and didn't look bad to do so yeah Hamilton for me I'm not I'm not sure why the supermarket is

always Tesco, but... Sorry, other supermarkets are available. He could have been at Liddle. Thank you, Ben. No, no, no. We're sponsored by Tesco. Keeps and... All right. Full disclosure, that is not true. Sam?

Hamilton really did beat the Black Friday market sales, thing. He was on there Thursday afternoon. Anyway, Lewis Hamilton, 100% deserves to be driving the day. I think I'm going to agree with you. I'm not going to go into too much detail. We've already explained it in this figure. There are many other honorable mentions

that I want to get a shout out to because I often slag off a lot of these people. Valtry Bottas is one. Great turnaround. Good consistent speed. Aggressive where he needed to be. Did well without the DRS. Well done Bottas. That was good. I think also, after the unfortunate news in his personal life, which I should not

delve into, I think he's kind of got a bit between his teeth and he's just throwing everything. Absolutely everything in it. You know, best in the worst situation, I enjoyed it. Sergei Perez, awesome scratch. good job by him again. Look like it was not going to go anyway. His teammate was nowhere.

Did a fantastic job. Landon Norris, again, made the best of a bad situation. Started really well, strashing your payoff. He got back up there again. Just picked by Perez at the end. I think those guys are probably the best on the grid at the moment. But, yeah, Lewis Hamilton. Incredible, incredible drive shows why he's the sixth time world champion.

Yeah, Hamilton. You feel as if he could have won that race if he wanted to by 30 seconds. He built out that gap of, I think, about 10 to 12 seconds in the first 10 to 12 laps. And then it kind of stayed like that for most of the rest of the race until the last few laps when he thought, I know, on these hard tires that are really old, I'm going to go and get a fastest lap. So he obviously picked up the pace again and extended that gap a little bit further.

But you feel as if he was pushed by Vastappen that little bit more, he'd have just responded to the challenge. A really dominant victory from Hamilton. We've seen him win a number of different ways this year. A lot of the time he hasn't been there in qualifying. Ferrari have had the edge at times on Saturdays, but this weekend he was just unstoppable from first to last, really. Worst driver of the day.

Sam, who are you going for? This is a tad tricky, worst driver of the day, because I think there's generally a lot of really strong performances. Everyone, it's not Bottas. Generally, that man has done a fantastically solid guy. Wow, I know. I don't hate botas Oh, I don't hate botas

I really like botas Anyway I think Album's a bit of a contender He needs to do more I think I mean Strohl was pretty terrible from start to finish

So yeah I think I think Lance stroll For me worse for over the day He was just bad It was just bad cause a collision Unfair to Gasly Didn't get a fighting chance Marksoding his team mate

Picked up damage early on It was just gaff It was just Thanks. And when you've got a team like Perez, who is over his peak, is past his peak, you need to be doing more to equal him. And he hasn't done all season. So when Hamilton goes on to win 11 times in one season, eight times not on pole,

and equals his best season of all time, and your stroll crashing into people, when you've got plenty of room, you need to do better. So Lance stroll for me is the worst round of day. And that's two on the NAF count, if you are at home keeping track of that. Thanks. Harry, who have you got worst driver of the day? Yeah, I could agree with Sam. I was going to go for Lance Drol

because it was just all very clumsy in the first corner when it didn't need to be. Nath, optimum word. Natham. I don't appreciate the hatred towards goat stroll today. This is not good. He was no good today. What about it was good today?

He was Canadian. I mean, can't hold that against him. True. Very true. Yeah. Enough. I'm not going to go for Goatstrol. I believe in you, man.

I'm going to go with Alex Albon for worst drive over the day. It was 53 seconds behind his teammate. It's a 55 lap race. Do the maths. That's about one second per lap. And that's not good enough. You need to be closer to your teammate than that. So, yeah, I'm going to go with Alexander Albon.

I think that's a fair shout. Hold on. I'm just doing the maths, 53, 2.05. He was 0.96 tenths a lap slower. Which, for rounding up purposes, we're going to say one second. If you say so. Keeping with Alexander Albon, there have been a few performances lately where Max Westapen has been a long way clear of him. Harry, I'll start with you.

do you think that Alex Albin needs to step up his game? Well, I mean, we've already talked about this, but yes, he does, and I'm going to end up sounding like a broken record. I just think we need to give him a tiny bit more time. Let him have the winter break, integrate the team that he's only been with for half a year a bit more. Yeah, and then he can also integrate himself into next year's car more because he's only had half a year in that car. And I think he's done a solid job, and he definitely deserves to see for next year.

which we've already talked about in a previous episode. But he does need to step up. There's no doubt about it. I just think, and I'm speaking to Red Bull here as well. Just don't get the knife out so early and chopping off because he deserves that seat for at least a year. Just let him get on with it. So, yeah, don't get the guillotine out.

Strong advice from you, Harry. would you be concerned at all, Sam, with Albon? Do you think he, like Harry thinks, needs just a bit more time? I'm sure Pierre Gaisley's going to run up Bastille and gone, have you got the Gillotine ready? Because I want that seat back. I will 100% agree with what Harry is saying. Give him more time.

His half a season in Red Bull so far, I think, has been more positive than negative. The qualifying lap in Japan stands out as one of those things. Brazil, his performance was really strong until being taken out by Hamilton. I think it would look to look to look it looked at a little different had he got that pogee in position. It's quite unlucky not to do so. He lucked into it a little bit, but you've still going to be there to take the position. Yeah, he needs some time to help develop the car, along with Max Verstappen. He needs time to integrate further with the team, become more comfortable and other pressures off his shoulders. He's fully signed for the year.

Well, you know, you'd like to think so with Red Bull. But I think he can relax into it, have some fun with it. Enjoy the fact that he's got a fantastic team around him, an incredible car around him, and he's going to have a career that's growing. He's only been in the sport for 21 races. we do need to give him a big of time to develop Gadsden we had a little bit more time before that and so I'm expecting a bit more. There's a lot more hype around Gadsden as well.

We need to remember the Alexander album wasn't even going to be an F1 at the start of this season until a couple of weeks beforehand. So the turnaround is bloody fantastic. He just needs a bit more time to grow and develop. I think he's got a lot of potential. I really like him in the car, in the team in Formula 1. So yeah, a bit more time.

I'm not too worried. If the first six races, he's finishing, let's say it's all the same as this season, six and seventh every single time then i'm nervous but for now i think he's doing just fine yeah i think you are absolutely right alban needs time to develop he needs time to to get up there in terms of pace but there's an issue in that that's what torrosso is there for you know that that's why torroso exists that's an advantage that red bull have over ferrari and mercedes they have a direct beat team that they can allow these drivers to grow but unfortunately when you mess up that system so

royally like Red Bulls seem to have done over the last couple of years, you're left with putting someone who's not ready into the Red Bull seat, and it's costing them. Ultimately, Max Verstappen has beaten both Ferraris this year. So if you get someone in that second Red Bull seat, who is of a similar ability to Verstappen, Red Bull aren't sitting here third in the championship. They're sitting here second. So that second seat, not blaming the drivers necessarily, but that second seat of Red Bull has been the reason they are not second in the Constructors Championship. Now, Gassley wasn't given sufficient time and I think he should have spent another year in Toro Rosso. I said in the summer break, I think Danny Kaviat should

be a short-term replacement for Red Bull and let Alba develop a little bit more in Toro I mean, that was a tough decision. I don't think either solution was perfect. But yeah, Albin needs more time. It's about whether Red Bull have that time to give him. I hope they do. I hope they give him at least, at least half the season. Because this is his rookie season. I personally think that they should give him the whole of 2020.

They're just not going to get the full potential. They're not going to get his full talent without giving him some time. So, yeah, Albin, this form can't continue. Hopefully for his sake it doesn't. And yeah. Now he's going to have a full winter period. preparing to go into a season with Red Bull, that should help him along. Moving on to Mr. Valdry Mottar, starting last place in the Abid-Dabby Grand Prix,

but he made some significant progress. At least to fourth place, again, we still don't know whether he's going to be finishing third at the time of recording. So, Sam, what did you make of his performance? So usually when you are the top car and you start last and your teammate is able to end the race 20 seconds clear of your closest competitor. You would assume he should be realistically getting into third or fourth place, realistically. And he did exactly that.

The difference is he did that in what was considered quite a difficult race when it comes to beating cars with the same engine as you. He has to pass Ferrari-powering engines such as the Alfa Romeo. The Williams are also quick in a straight line. The racing points are great in a straight line. It's not like the Renaos and the McLarris are doing too badly either these days. So without the DRS around him, he's pulling off some tough moves to get down the inside of cars.

He's got a match is breaking brilliantly, which I think he does well. Strategy has to work. He keeps his nose clean. I think Bottas has a really, really good job to get. I think he deserves that podium. If Lecler is taking out of it,

I think he is the man that deserves to run that third step. So take my hat off to you, Bossas. This is a really solid weekend for you. You know, took everything that was good, your new engine or whatnot. You got rid of everything that was bad,

and I think he really, really delivered. And I think if he was in second place alongside Hamilton, I don't think the cap would have been that big. Yeah, I think Hamilton still has the upper hand. Great strength from him, but I think Bottas is probably the closest challenger to go. And he's a really, really solid job. Harry, what did you think of him? Yeah, solid job.

Agree with Sam on that one. I think, and we'll get into this topic in a minute, but I think the lack of DRS for the first, I don't know how many 10 laps or whatever, we didn't have it hindered him because he got stuck behind Holkenberg for a while. And I think that might have made the difference come the end of the race. He might have pipped Lecler for the person.

podium spot. Yeah, he utilised. I mean, that car, I think, was arguably the fastest car this weekend. Of course, only in the last sector, but as well, it was devastatingly fast. So he had the car underneath them, but he used it. And he was, he kept it clean in the first corner when there was a bit of carnage and then just sort of slice his way through the field pretty well. So yeah, I'm sorry to race for Bottas.

Bottas, the fruit ninja. Yes, the Fruit Ninja, Bottas. Nice. Thank you, Sam. The Forage Ninja, Valtri Bottas, as he will forever be known, or at least known for those 20 seconds. Yeah, it was a sublime performance. Even in a dominant car like he had,

starting last place is not easy to come through all the way to the podium. And again, we don't know whether he has secured that third place or not, but regardless, he was right there with Chau LaClair at the end of the race. So a very good performance with Valtrey Blanche. Botas and like you say, DRS, not having the DRS, would have hindered his performance. The second DRS was active, he got past Nika Holkenberg, absolutely fine after being there a number of laps behind him. So you can only imagine how much quicker he would have got past Holkenberg.

And I mean, those slender differences between him and Leclair at the end probably would have gone in Bottas's favour. He was also a step behind a racing point for quite a long time too. With Bottas, it's a case of what you see is what you get with him. is a solid consistent driver who is not going to get involved in many incidents at all. We've seen Vastappen, Leclair, other drivers start towards the back of the grid, either in last place or the last couple of rows. And they've messed up their recovery from that position by going overzealous into a corner,

maybe trying a move, being impatient and getting involved in an incident. And you don't get that with Valtrey Bottas. With Bottas, you get solid, consistent work. And he'll only go for a move. if he knows he's going to pull it off and he's not going to get involved in an incident that he doesn't need to be involved in. Every single move out there today, you felt as if Bottas was in control, he knew what he was doing, and then there was no danger whatsoever that all of his hard work was going to be undone.

It was really impressive from Valtry Bottas, whether he gets the podium or not. I don't think it matters. The performance itself was what matters the most, and it was a good performance to end, obviously, what was a tough week for him. So, yeah, my fullest of all respects to Mr. Bottas. You say he doesn't get involved in incidents, but he does if it's free practice too and Remem and Grosjean's in front of him. Oh, yeah, I forgot about that.

Doesn't care. Yeah, that was not good from... Entirely, Bottas is fine. No clumsy, but love it. But, I mean, if you're going to do that sort of an incident, I guess, do it in practice. Yeah, true. Practice crashing makes perfect crashing. Yep, as the old saying doesn't go.

Moving on, of course, DRS not being active for the first quarter of the race, but a real interesting scenario because we're looking ahead to what we want to see in the future where DRS isn't needed. People suggesting that the FIA simply were like, just say it's not working. Interesting take on it. Harry, do you think the racing improved us? a result of not having DRS.

I don't know. We just said that Bottas couldn't get past Holkenberg, but at the same time, we had some, the moves that were being done, there were less of them, but they seemed to be, drivers having to work a bit harder for it. They were, you know, overtaking in the breaking zone rather than just passing on the straight, which no one really cares to see to be honest, someone to see drivers outbreaking each other. So I kind of think it did. I think someone like

Abidabi still needs something Basically Abidab is crap as what we're trying to say But yeah Who was it? Oh, signs you tried to do Ricardo Into that first chicane It didn't put it off obviously But yeah, drivers were trying to find other ways to get past

And that's what you want You want to see that We don't want to see people overtaking each other on the straight Because they've got DRS open So yeah, this race today Won't have helped DRS's case in any way I don't think because it showed that you can still have some decent racing and perhaps more high quality racing without it.

So, yeah, ban the DRS. Hashtag, get it going. Sorry, just for everyone out there, that is hashtag get it going. No, hashtag ban the IRS. I meant get the hashtag going. I said it in the order. Glad to see we've got that all clarified. Sam, what did you think of the DRS list?

laps. Yeah, they were all right. We saw some good breaking manoeuvres. I think people are getting a little ahead of themselves as it being the revelation their F1 needs. Bad and the DRS. Hashtra getting it going. I think that realistically, DRS has to stick around for next season as a whole. Maybe 2021. We only have certain tracks that have DRS. But imagine if Hungary was the last race of the season, not Abu Dhabi, Hungary. And the same thing happens. We have a 50 on lap procession where no one gets past anyone for the entire race. It is a track specific thing. Thank God, Abu Dhabi's got two really long straights because you have been bored,

race long, no moves being done. And DRS does create moves. I'm not a lover of DRS, but it has got its positives and its negatives. It's not 100% bad. And honestly, I like it at the moment with the current design of F1 cars. Well, we've got this downforce issue, the dirty air issue. We need something that counteracts it. I think currently it is the better of the lesser evils.

I've said that wrong so many times again, but we'll carry on with it. Honestly, yeah, it was fun to see for 10, 15 laps. I'm glad it came back because you're right. I don't just want to see cars passing each other in the middle of a straight. That does get dull. But until the aerodynamics have changed, it is the best thing we have at the moment.

So for now, for me, it stays 2021. Hold me question. Bring it on. I'm happy to go without it if the aerodynamics work as proposed to work. I'm just trying to imagine the Hungarian Grand Prix in December. That'd be so snowy. That'd be quality. It'd be the best race should have seen all year.

Yeah, most probably. Yeah, I think some people are getting a little bit too carried away. Not looking at you, Harry. Hashtag ban the DRS. Yeah, of course. Yeah, I think even though there were a few very interesting battles between drivers where DRS would have settled it straight away, Holkenberg, Bottas being the number one selection of that.

With DRS, Bottas was able to sweep past Holkenberg, no problem whatsoever. Without DRS, it was a struggle. He couldn't get past, and it was intriguing to see him try. And I think that's ultimately what we want to see. I think the cars, in terms of downforce, in terms of following other cars, it isn't quite at the level yet where we can completely eradicate DRS. I think that should be the destination. That should be where we are heading a DRS-less society, if you will,

than the DRS. That's what we should be heading towards. But the cars need to be in a position where the Band-Aid isn't needed anymore. We need to be in a position where the cars and their ability to follow another car is enough that DRS isn't necessary. I don't think it's quite there yet, but this was a good insight into the future could be there within by 2021. I'd be interested to see 2021. If at that point, it seems as if the cars have gone ahead as sort of promoted and the sort of the following is as easy as it seems.

Yeah, then we can look to get rid of it maybe in 2020. Hashtag band the DRS. Hashtag get going. Thank you. Well, two hashtags that are sure to change the world, I think is a good way to end the show. Sam, can you get us out of here? Probably, I can drive a car. I also know the way to a train station if you need directions.

Thank you very much for listening. Take you the time out of your day. Please leave a like if you have enjoyed the videos and the podcast. And subscribe if you'd like to stick around for more. We will be doing plenty throughout the winter season, all kinds of different content. So keep your eyes peeled for that. In the meantime, I've been Samuel Sage. I've been Ben Hocking

Hashtag band DRS I've been Harry Ead And remember Keep breaking late Pleb This podcast is part of the Sports Social Podcast Network