The Late Braking F1 Podcast - Do we need harsher penalties for blocking in Qualifying?

Episode Date: June 25, 2023

3 place grid penalties are becoming increasingly common in F1 with 25% of the grid receiving one in the last 3 races. Sam, Harry and Ben take a closer look and discuss what should be done to tackle this. Also on today's episode, have Verstappen, Hamilton and Alonso distanced themselves as the top 3 drivers in F1? And it's Sam vs Harry once more as they go up against each other at Order Please! SUPPORT our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/latebraking JOIN our Discord: https://discord.gg/dQJdu2SbAm JOIN our F1 Fantasy League: https://fantasy.formula1.com/en/leagues/join/C3CCEW8P704 TWEET us @LBraking BUY our merch: https://late-braking-f1-podcast.creator-spring.com/ 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. Welcome to the Late Breaking F1 podcast presented by Harry Eid, Sam Sage, and me, Ben Hocking. It's good to see you, Sam. How are you, mate? Oh, I've got to see you for a minute, you know. It's been a while. We definitely haven't just recorded what you thought was Wednesday's episode.

Harry's here as well I've not seen you either thanks for the tea mate oh yeah Sam's on the T's again it's only one T Sam 1 T Sam it's very boring limiting him to one T

someone saying that they loved 3 T Sam so yeah I sorry that was horrible I could hear myself swallow them oh that is one of the worst noises in human history Mastication I believe it's called

Is it really That's the thing I hate the sound of people chewing You don't like mastication well, anyway. There's no way that discussion's carrying on. What are we talking about today? What are we talking about today?

Good question, Sam. We'll be playing F1 order, please, later on. We're also going to be discussing Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonzo and Max Verstapp, and have they distanced themselves as the three best drivers in Formula One? We'll be discussing Bridgestone and whether they're set to replace Pirelli in a couple of years' time. But we're going to start to. day's episode with qualifying and more specifically qualifying penalties because the last few races we've seen a lot of penalties for impeding come about. So LeCler in Monaco, he got a three place

grid drop. Gasly decided to block everyone in Spain, got a six place grid drop. And we had three separate incidents at Canada, stroll, Sonoda and Carlos signs all picking up penalties in qualifying that carried through to the race for impeding. So I'm interested in what you've thought are on these, Sam? Do you think that they are being given out too frequently, or do you think they're all fair enough and that the penalties need to be harsher to avoid this happening so often? What are your thoughts? It's something that is existing almost what feels like throughout time in Formula One, impeding on a qualifying lap when you're on your out lap. It's a difficult situation. It's one of those

things that you kind of, you know, it's almost a necessary evil that drivers have to go around on their outlaps while those are wrong hot laps because we don't want to go back to a, you know, a one lap, hot lap session where you know you just get one shot to get one shot qualifying as it's also known. JLS qualifying as it's not. Following with the British references to start to go. You've only got one shot.

Martin Humes on pole. My point being here, folks, that we enjoy the way that qualifying works at the moment. You know, all 20 cars out of track for that first qualifying session. That does mean that sometimes you get a bit of traffic buildup. Now, I know in recent times they've tried to remedy this by putting in a minimum lap that you have to take for your outlap.

you know minimum speeds that have to be required but we are still regularly seeing drivers impeding others and you know what? Make it more arsh. Have fun with it. Very very harsh. Very very ash.

Very very ash. That is two British references in the space of three minutes. The next factor references. That's two in two weeks. Big up to Lisa. Oh God. Yeah, I mean make it harsh.

If you're getting in the way of drivers when they are trying to, you know, Paul Gassley in Canada when he was hopping across that, last you came because Carla Sainz was again in the way of someone. You know, Gassley has missed out big time, but Carlos Sikes is still managing to get into the next session, and then the session after that.

And he's clearly better off still. He's still worked out that, you know, he's able to start fully further up the grid than Gisley. So I do think that it needs to be more severe. I do think that you need to be slightly terrified to get in people's way through fear of, you know, penalising and ruining your own session. And actually, it could make quite a fun grid. you know, a couple of drivers get, I don't know,

eight-place grid penalties in scale of just three. And suddenly we get some drivers that have been booting up the grid a few places because three or four drivers are picked up penalties. It could be interesting. I am all for experimenting with qualifying penalties to see what the result could be. Yes, an interesting one with the Sines-Gasley one. Because as you say, you don't want to penalise too much based on results,

but Sines getting a three-place grid penalty, Gassley will either rightly or wrongly think that he was cost 10 positions. Like if you think of where Esteban Ockon qualified, he would have had the self-confidence that he could have been where Ockon was. It completely transforms his weekend. And we know that particularly in the midfield, those points are even more valuable

when the chances come about to get them. So it's an interesting one. What's your thoughts, Harry? I would like to see this is, you know, we say this all the time, quicker action from the stewards. Yeah. Oh, it annoys me, man.

Because if Fernando Alonzo can see an impeding incident happening in front of him, the corner in front of him in Spain, and say what the penalty is in the car right there and then, but we have to wait until after the session, that's ridiculous, because the stewards should be just be able to do that. Indy car do it fine? I mean, on that, I had to turn off qualifying quite quickly to go and do something after it ended. I had no idea that the penalties are being applied

until I started watching the race, basically, the next day because they took them so long. Where's Olkhamberg gone? Hang on a minute. He's not on the front. So, yeah, and whether that should be the grid drop straight away, and I can't remember this is what IndyCar do, but take that driver's best time away.

Because I feel like that punishes, that's easy. You just take it away, strip it away. It might punish them straight away in that they get knocked out qualifying. but they might also then have a chance to regain it. But just a quicker solution to the impeding. We don't have anything like that in F-I either. It's penalties to go. It's always grid-related or something like that, isn't it, really?

Similar to they can do it for track limits. Yep. So it's a doable thing to do. So I'd be up for seeing that. I do think there is something in, like, Lance Joel getting the three-place grid penalty for the impeding heat. did a knock on versus what

science did to Gassley seems very, very asked. How did Sykes not end up at the back? I'm so confused how he got so few penalties? I don't know. Well, I think we're saying because they only penalised him once, but it just seems like it's a blanket three penalty regardless of how good or, well, not how good

it is, but how bad versus very bad. It's done a great job of making that person's life misery. Yeah. Well done. Yeah. Exactly. And that's my point. I think that needs a bit of review, because I know you don't look at the necessary we say don't look at the result of it

but I think in these cases especially when yes it's impeding and it's cost you know the stroll versus Ockon it didn't cost Ocon really because he got into Q3 the Ghazly one he didn't get in he could didn't get out of Q1 but also like the severity

like the dangerousness of that impeding the potential of that should be a harsh penalty to remind them don't be stupid yeah get out of the way when there's a car coming at 300 kilometers an hour. We've always been very vocal about not penalising based on results, and that typically meant crashes.

But I think you are right that with qualifying it is entirely based on how far up a grid can I get with a one-shot opportunity. Essentially, this is my hot lap. It does make sense. How much have you affected this person's chances? Well, severely, I know, five place grid penalty or lap deleted. You know, not severely, two-place grid penalty will be applied at the end of the session. Fine.

And stop asking them, the drivers, both drivers, stop waiting. asking for the drivers to come to the steward's room afterwards because you inevitably come to the same decision you would have done if you did it straight away. And also it means more drama because a drive it might go. Oh, I'm suddenly in 11th place. I want to get to the top 10 but now I need to finish, you know, seventh.

So I've got to go out again and put in another lap and drive me as fast as possible. It adds more jeopardy to the situation. With the stroll one, was he on a fast lap when he got that penalty? I see, I can bet. It happened at the hairpin, right? I'm vaguely... But didn't Hamilton impede stroll whilst he was also on a fast?

That was another question. Yeah, nothing happened to that one. But, like, he's slightly out of the way, so... Or did he make enough of an effort to move? Like, it's all not very... Again, with the FIA, not being very clear.

Yeah, I don't know on that one. Because I was certain that Hamilton was getting a penalty. Yeah. Yeah, I thought he was going to as well. That was twice. I mean, you know, not to... It's not really Hamilton's fault

that it wasn't giving penalties, but again with the release as well, I mean, at least they follow through with that one, and the Norris, um, close release in the pit, pit laying also was not giving a penalty. But I feel like we've had unsafe releases of that distance before that had been penalised. I mean, did you see Alonzo though? I mean, whoa! F1 Oaks back at it again. F1 Oaks. Fon Ux. Oh man, my least favorite a hashtag of LF1 history. Doesn't work at all.

No. Yeah, I largely agree with what both of you have said, to be honest here, that blocking's really dangerous. And there are levels to this in the Oconstrol one. And I think generally when they happen in sectors one and two, they are going to happen sometimes. When you put 20 drivers on a track and 10 of them are on fast laps and 10 of them are on, and there are some circuits where it is genuinely difficult to find spots to slow down. It is going to happen from time to time in the first and second second second. sectors, that is inevitable. Regardless of whether you put in the harshest penalty in the world or

the softest penalty in the world, there's not really any intention from the drivers who are doing it in the middle of the laps. It's just a breakdown in communication. So it's not really a conscious decision. The ones I have a real problem with are the ones in sector three when you have a car waiting to go on their hot lap and they're just dawdling around because they want to get the absolute perfect amount of track and the perfect tired temperature. I think that's really dangerous. Ghazley, as ironic as it is, given he got two penalties for impeding in Spain,

was absolutely right to be really annoyed, even if it made... Fuming. He was fuming. The sausages were burnt. Burned sausages all round. And he had a right to burn those sausages because he was...

It was incredibly dangerous. You have I appreciate this is incredibly basic level. You have a car going at 200 miles an hour, and you have a car who is basically doing two miles an hour. If you put them close together on a track, it can lead to something very dangerous. What if, I don't know, what if Yuki Sonoda, genuinely,

what if Yuki Sanoda hadn't gone? Would Gansley have just continued on, not seeing that signs was going so slow? I don't know. So I think there needs to be something done. I'm not against harsher penalties, particularly when they come to the final sector of qualifying laps or outlaps ready to go on the qualifying lap.

Because I don't think three places is enough of a penalty for what Carla Sines did. And he's not the only one. There have been others in the past as well. So I'm four harsher penalties. I'm also four, I know they've got a minimum lap time. I don't know whether they've got a minimum sector three time. I think they could probably do with that more specific.

They do need to stop stopping at the final corner. I see, I thought they'd introduce some sort of minimum sector three. Well, I think if they can bust their way through sectors one and two, they can take a bit of time at sector three, can't they? If they're like seven or eight seconds, the head of the delta. Yeah, so just do it for sector three. Yeah, sector three, you have to hear X amount of time it will make sense. Have you ever had a situation where you're driving, I don't know,

down the motorway at 70 miles an hour? And then, you know, maybe it's a bit fog. or there's traffic over a hill that's come to a standstill. You've suddenly had to react from like 70 down to 10 or 20 miles an hour. That alone is terrifying. So I can't imagine what a 200 mile on hour Formula One car is like in the rain when you've got to fit for a very narrow corner. Very dangerous.

I'm hoping they're able to sort this out overall. Is there anything else in terms of the qualifying format that we have at the moment, Sam, that you feel needs tweaking to make things either better or safer? I think we should have less time in Q2, personally. I think with the reduction in cars, I think it will just... Not a lot of reduction,

a couple of minutes, maximum. I guess it adds a bit more jeopardy, a bit more fun to it. You get cars out there on the track faster, and it just means that, you know, we get things going. But in terms of, you know, loads of safety or changing qualifying,

I don't want to mess too much with a good thing. Honestly, past three qualifiers. So good. Get in the bin, sprint races. You know what I'm going to say. Please don't come back. Yeah.

Qualifying is good. Sprint races. So I guess what you're saying, Sam, in terms of Q2, is do what they do for sprint qualifying, where they cut, I know they cut all sessions, right? Yeah. But they cut the middle.

Yeah, I know that obviously for broadcasting, qualifying, fitting into a one-hour session is very nice and simple and easy. but I would be quite happy for qualifying to be like a 50 minute thing where you just take off two minutes of this one, two minutes of this one,

two minutes of this one and you obviously keep your out breaks or whatever it might be. But I just think it adds a bit more jeopardy to it. And that qualifying has got enough of everything. So just a little bit more of you're going to get out there and get the lap done.

It's fun. I also think it might lead to more mistakes and a bit more of a Johnwood upgrade occasionally. The only thing I would consider doing, I personally am all right with Q1 and Q2. I would maybe reduce Q3 to the point where it is one lap like it's you've only got five minutes.

I like that. I wouldn't be against trialing it. Hey, F1 will trial anything these days. So. F1, F1 trialed. No, F1. X1. F1. True. Friled.

Okay, this is awful. Move on. Anyway, yeah, let's move on. We'll take our first break here. What are we discussing after the break? Tires. We're discussing tires after the break. I am tired. Sorry, we're going to stop you there. We are back from the break now.

We are mid-story here. Carry on. Hello, yes. I was the league in the school play. And there was some, oh, my lord, that was a lot of parakeets. Sickers flew past the window at high speed. Sorry, they're very easily distracted. What's the multiple of parakeets, is it?

Parakitis. Parakeetis. Good. And these girls were all bullying this one poor lad. And plot twist. No, no. Turns out plot twist at the end. I was the main bully's older brother,

and I didn't know the whole time, but I befriended the kid that they were bullying. And then there was a dance off to resolve it. Can I ask, at what point in that story, quite a dramatic storyline, did the tie-out job need to come up? I found the youngster that was being bullied. He'd run away, and he was very upset,

so I tried to lighten the mood. Because I was a bit of a bad boy. I was not a bully. A bad boy. I've got a lot more questions than we have time to get into right now. But thank you very much for sharing. That felt like a beer with breaking topic. I also playing a salting in Scheherazard.

Right, move on. 10. Move on. Pirelli, they've been the sole tire providers for F1 for quite a long time now. I think 13 years, 2011. 13 years? 12 years. Got a Harry Potter reference.

Yeah, we've got quite a few of those recently. Yeah, they've been the tyre provider since 2011. Of course, Bridgestone were involved before that, and now a report has come out from the BBC that suggests that they have, Bridgestone, have already put together an official tender dock to take the tyre provider back to themselves. So that would be from 2025, I believe.

And according to the BBC again, this has got strong support from a number of the drive. and we know that Pirelli, not necessarily universally popular amongst the drivers as it is right now. Harry, what's your thoughts? Worries me that a lot of the drivers want this because I think that's a bad thing

for the old entertainment show. When drivers like stuff, the sport gets boring. Yeah. So, I mean, you can say your opinion on the actual Bridgestone Pirelli thing, but your point is here that the drivers supporting it is potentially worrying. Yeah, a bit of a bad sign.

Why are this breeze? It's lovely. Sorry, folks, I've opened the window. So Sam's calling off. Windowless breaking. Correct. So, anyway, back to tyres. Yeah, I think it's a bad thing

that the drivers won it. Having said that, doesn't mean they're just basing that off what they had in 2010 or 2009 or when the last time Bridgestone were the suppliers. So it doesn't necessarily mean that their drivers will get,

well they think they're going to get on that one. I've... I don't know. I'm torn on this one, shockingly. Because I think we don't necessarily need to get rid of Pirelli. I just think we need to have some

better rules in place for the Porelli tyres to be more exciting during the race and having them turn up with hard tires and we've said this before, hard tires that could do a race distance probably double race distance for some of the, like the hardest tire in the range.

I don't know. That's, yeah, exactly. That's boring. That's hella boring. So I don't think it's a Porelli issue. I think they're just sort of, Parelli have been working to what they've been told to do almost based on bad feedback from the drivers.

Again, making it boring. So I don't think they're the problem. So introducing Bridgestone, I'm not against it, but I don't really know, I don't see what the benefit is, if I'm being honest. That's what Pirelli's argument

has always been in the face of criticism is that we are running to the spec that F1 are telling us to go to. We're doing what we're told. And Bridgestone will do the same. So why is it better? And that's kind of always been the case since Pirelli came aboard.

I mean, they told Pirelli, 2011, 2012, we want tyres that have high degradation. That's what they provided. And we got some, good entertainment as a result of it. In more recent times, they've been told that that's not necessarily what they need to provide, so they haven't brought it. So whether Pirelli are right or not, I'm not saying they're not, you know, they can face criticism. They absolutely can. But

they are working to a spec to an extent. What do you think, Sam? I don't care. I don't care. I don't care. I don't care who the tire supplier is, whether it be Pirelli. As long as they're round. Yeah, as long as they're round, the main of rubber, you know, bridge stone, Pirelli, Firestone, hand cook, whatever you're on a bloody good cheer, whatever you want, put them on the car, I don't care. The problem is not with the tire supplies as you both just brought up there. It is what Formula One are requiring of the tire supplier

that is the problem. We need tyres, and I think you're all relatively with me here, that you can push out right on the whole time, but they only last for a definite period. Right, you hit the wall, you've hit the wall. Those tires, it will be so much slower to stay on them, you need to go and get yourself another set. And we regularly want two stops,

that can maybe turn into three stops that are almost as fast on a competitive, or maybe a competitive one stop where you're testing, you're really trying things out. That's what we want. And I felt like Pirelli at one point or another, they got there for like a season, and then all of a sudden it was moved on again.

And I felt like they had it, the formula correct, for like literally a tiny window. So whether it be Bridgestone, whether it be Pirelli, I'm not bothered. I just want multiple strategies to be viable, and I want there to be a real cost,

a real choice to going new time. are so good. Fresh rubber is so good that it makes sense rather than sticking on these tyres. If we drag them around for another 20 laps, I want them to fall off an absolute cliff. I want them to be paying the price for being boring, you know? So again, I'll make the tyres if I can make them to that spec. I just literally, it's up to Formula One to make it interesting, not Pirelli, not Bridgestone. I don't care who it is. almost some irides. The Pirelli tie that was brought in 2011

was off the back of, I'm pretty sure, might be making this up, but I'm pretty sure, was the Canadian GP in 2010 when, normally in 2010, British Stone Ties, you could run them for years. They'd still be going now. Still be going. But they got to Canada,

something about the surface in Canada. Don't know what happened. But the tyres just were, like, falling off the cliff. I'd go back at which Canadian GP in 2010, I think it's a bit of a banger. And that was because of those ties. And then F-1 were like, oh, this is good. This is good.

That's all right. And then told Pirelli to do that. So the irony is that Bridget Center coming back, but they think they're probably going to make the same turn they did last time. Which we don't want. I think at the moment, the issue that Pirelli had, well, again, it's not really Pirelli, but the issue that the Pirelli tires have is that on most occasions,

the soft tire is not quite durable enough. Because of, I know, started on the soft tire, but outside of that, no one really bothered with the soft tire at Canada. No idea why. So I think the soft tire needs to be a bit more durable. The hard tire needs to be way less durable. It should be, I think the hard tire should probably be able to do half a race, just over

half a race, whereas at the moment it can do seven, all races. The medium tire, maybe they've got it right with the medium tire already. it's probably not far out in terms of what you need. Again, maybe a little less durable, but it might be the closest to the three that I think at the moment at least. Yeah, I do agree. Do you think, Sam, that the drivers,

apparently is just a report at this point, putting their weight behind Bridgestone. Do you think it's a pro-bridgestone thing or an anti-Parelli thing? I don't think it's either, if I'm totally honest. I think they want more control over what the rubber on their car is in terms of the compounds and how it works. And I think a couple of the drivers have have come out and say something very similar to what I just said, which was we want tyres that we

can push on all of the time, which, yeah, I'm all four. I want to see drivers go flat out for 70 laps of Canada. I want a lap where you can't rest. You know, I want you to be breathless when you get out of the car because you've pushed the car every single lap because you have to. But I also want the flip side where, you know, the tyres fall off after 15, 20 laps. But the drivers don't want that bit. And the problem is now, we're in like a no man's land of you can't push for 70 laps because the ties would go. But if you drive carefully, but also kind of fast, they last forever.

Yeah, because every race we have now is people are just managing, like the whole time. It's not, it's not like, we're like split down the middle. We're not at the 2011 era where tires would fall off. Like you drive fast, but then they just fall off. But we're also not the other end where you can drive flat out. We're just this crap middle bit. For me, I want, you know, soft tires can do 10 laps and then they fall off. Mediums can do 20 laps and they fall off.

And hard ties can do 30 laps and they fall off. But I want the soft tire to be two seconds a lap faster. I want the medium to be one second a lap fast than the hard. I want the hard to be, you know, three seconds a lap slower than the softs. But, you know, you can make up the differences. It really doesn't feel like rocket science to make this a viable thing. I don't know why it's been such a long-term debate that has gone on in Formula One. It baffles me.

Yeah, it is. I think the drivers are probably, I don't think it's even a deg issue when it comes to Pirelli. I think at the moment, a lot of the drivers have issue with the temps. I think that's probably it's more of a formal issue rather than a deg issue. But the grass isn't always greener on the other side. They might have issues with the Porelli compounds right now. And, you know, I'm not even necessarily saying Pirelli are doing a great job. Maybe they're not. But you can't just. say, and I think some of the drivers probably do think that, well, we go to Bridgestone, all the problems are resolved. No. If the specification from the FIA and F1 doesn't change, not a lot will likely change from going to Bridgestone. So I do think change, I do think overall change is required at some point. I think they've done it for 13 years now to the point, to the point where it's probably about time that someone else does take over the mantle, but again, nothing's going to change unless the spec changes. Make your own ties, F-1.

Firestone. Firestone. The Firestone Ritz. Make a sound cool, don't they? Yeah. I want someone completely different that's covered down it before. Yeah. Like, I don't know.

Have Hank Cook ever done it? Get some of them, Steve Andrews. That's not even a British reference. It's a Cornish reference. Not even that. It's a St Auster's a St Auster reference. France. That's good that. I went in there once with a...

Sorry, this is a car garage where we're from. Where we were all where we grew up. I went in there with a flat tire once. And Steve Angeran himself was in there. And he was on the phone to a customer. Now, Steve Andrews, folks, it's incredibly cornish. And he went, we got them tires for the old Pojo. That he's how he said, perjo.

Pojo. Pojo? Oh, good old Steve Andrews. Yeah. Honestly, they were great. Very friendly bunch. Well, I'm glad that they've managed to get the contact. Great advertising there for them. If they're all response to the podcast. Yeah. Before we leave this topic behind, have to do the customary ask. Harry? Ty War?

Nah. Anything else we want from that? If you've got anything else you want to say, mate? It wasn't good the last time. I know we've got these teams that I'd say, we'd like this and we're like that. Well, if you give them choice, then maybe they can go with the one that they more aligns with them. I think the tire war, that only gave us ties. Because all you went from a tire,

from, if you've, right, when we're in the tire war with Bridgestone and Michelin, the last time that was in 20, 2006, yeah? They just designed ties that were super fast and super durable. Yeah. Because if you didn't do that, you were slow. Your car would be bad and you wouldn't get the contract again. The only way, I'm thinking,

strongly to think about now, The only way I think it used to differ and was sort of exciting were like how tyres would, how you switch the tyres on at the start of the race. Sometimes in the wet, I think like the Mitchons had better full wets, but the Bridgestones had better intermediates. But that is very niche circumstances. That makes it exciting.

The tyre becomes an integral part of the race car rather than being a shared playing field. You make the best tire for your team at that point. which means the tire will never die. Obviously, you want the fastest, hardest tire of all time. It doesn't become an entertaining race. It becomes a, how if we give them a product that never fails them? Well, they were so good at it, and this isn't why,

but that they were so good at it, that in 2005 we had races where you weren't allowed to change ties. Yeah. Because they could go that far. Stupid. I don't want that again. No, so no. Pass on that.

There's a reason why wars are bad. Correct. That one was the exception. Fair point. Fair enough. Yeah, I'm with you on the Tire Wars. No, thank you. It's just another variable, I think, that we don't really need. And it is, it is to an extent, a marketing exercise for Perelian for any tire company. Like, they want to be seen to look good. So if you do have two tire companies going up against each other, it's not only to secure the business going forward, but it's just if we get smoked by Michelin, Bristone don't look very good. Ask 2005. that's what happened. So... I'll tell you where a tyre work.

WEC. That makes all the sense in the world. I think they... They do. Some have good years. Some have Mitchell Lins. And get to plume. I think they do.

Dago? I don't know. What tire is WECTI? That is still, I reckon, my all-time favourite meme. Yeah, it's still incredibly niche as well. Yeah, no, I, thinking that. Speaking, I can't believe we didn't do

on Father's Day on Father's Day. Oh, Father's Day. Oh, my God. That's poor of us. That is so bad. I'm going to wait another year to do that now. Ah, well, we'll be back. We will be back.

After this short break, we'll be discussing Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonzo and Max Verstappan. What other then? Okay, so we're seeing Max Verstappen is having a pretty good season. I think we could all agree on that. Quite good. Fernando Alonzo is having a pretty good season. Yeah, not bad.

Yeah, it's right. And Lewis Hamilton is having a pretty good season. Yeah. Pretty good. Yeah. Yeah. All three of them have won driver's championships in the past multiple times. Well observed.

Thank you for that fact. They've all won races. Oh. They've all had podiums. Yes. And they've all driven an F1. Ah, the full house. But the question is, Sam, are these three drivers now clear of the rest of the field

when it comes to overall ability. We heard them being very nice to each other on the Canadian podium, didn't we? Oh, World Championship Friends. It felt very much like that, didn't it? We could all be mean to each other, but no one else can be mean to us because we're on a level playing field.

You're on a level playing field. In our club. Yeah, you've got to win one of these. They used to come and be mean to us. Yeah. I'm still appreciating the Fernando Alonzo Lewis Hamilton and love, hate each other. Yeah.

Love the lovings. They're playing us all. I think it is genuinely a 100% sporting-only rivalry. I think they like each other in real life. I think if they were to retire, like actually retire and walk away, they will be mates. Yeah.

I genuinely think. I also do think that Alonkso has been permanently ticked off by the fact that Hamilton did get him in the debut year. I do think that is the only reason. I think if Alonkso won that year, not Hamilton, I think there would be no rivalry. Dono technically won't. Yeah, technically won't.

Yeah, but no one ever counts. They were equal on points. My point being here, yeah, but of course they've separated themselves. I mean, Lecler is arguably having his worst season since he's starting in Formula One. Norris the same. Russell is in a downward spiral. A spiral? Hold on.

The spiral isn't long. He's at the very top of it. But he's a spiral. He's teetering on the top of it. And those were realistically the next three in line to be up there with, you know, the big boys, the top dogs. And maybe they are the next generation to step up alongside the Stappen. And when, you know, the likes of Hamilton and the longs are do finally throwing the towel, you

know, in the next 30 years or so. But yeah, I think we saw it again at Canada that they just know how to make it work. They just know how to separate themselves from the rest of the grid. And especially, I'm going to remove the staffing from this because as much as he is groundbreakingly phenomenal, the car is also groundbreakingly phenomenal. He is his own separate conversation. But the Mercedes and the Aska Martin and the Ferrari are arguably all on an incredibly similar playing field. They all have their own strengths and their own weaknesses.

And on different tracks, I would expect one to beat the other very frequently. But it is always a long-so in Hamilton at the moment that do seem to be taking the next step. They are the ones at the front. There are ones fighting for second and third. You know, it has to be a bit of an exceptional circumstance this season to see science getting involved. To see, you know, someone like George Russell properly beating both Alonso and Hamilton. He's either there and thereabouts or this season, he's further behind. You know, LeCler at the moment is just not with it at the moment.

And as much as the points tally is more skewed towards science than it is Leclerc. There is also a reason behind some of those points being that way. So, you know, it will come for them, but I do not think they're there at the moment. I think we've just once again seen just how good the greatest of all time can actually be in comparison to just very good race car drivers. What do you think, Harry? I've got to say, the watching. Alonso and Hamilton. Best pogging of all time, mate.

Not seen it before. Not seen it before. Bram new. Lewis, mate. It happened four races ago. Anyway. Remembering that mine. No, it is a joy to watch those two

be battling together at the front. I know Hampton's been at the front for a long time, but to have Alonso up there, the battle they had on Sunday, I know it doesn't seem like it was much because Alonso had his first opportunity to pass. He did. But it was race long, wasn't it?

it really because they were and the move was close fair yeah exciting and but we've had it with like sorry we've had other rivalries like hamilton vettel i know eventually it ended up happening 17 and 18 but we had so many years of those two great drivers just never really having any battles on the circuit yeah and and yes it's a shame that we've had to wait this long but yeah so that's a bit of a side point but yeah as for this year i think it's it's those three and it's It's so interesting that it's the two old men, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, and then they've let him this young whippersnapper into their club.

Taking them to school again. He was schooling them. Well, yeah, kind of. Back to class, old boys. And that's Max Verstappen. And I, someone correct me if I'm wrong of this. The last time Louis Hamilton and Fernando Alonzo were on the podium in Canada together, was 2013.

And the person in the middle of Sebastian Vettel. There's another Red Bull driver. And it's like, they've just swapped it out. 10 years on. I've adopted them. It was those three in 2013. Betel's gone down. The youngest of those three.

Now another little young Red Bull whippersnappers come up. What's mad is at this rate, come on, is that Max Verstappen is going to now have more world titles than Fernando Alonso coming in the year, which feels a bit weird that Fernando is going to now be the least successful. On that podium, yeah. Race wins has already happened.

I know, but it's just, it's kind of weird, isn't it? Yeah, so, yeah, anyway, so my point there was, despite their age and it being 10 years later, I think that proves the talents of Alonza and Hamilton. Generational talents. The dominant driver of the time is obviously still the one dominating, but they're the two, like, supporting pillars of that. And it's, yeah, weird ones.

So, yeah, I think they're clear. The other, the rest of those lot, Russell. It's a great bit of historical analysis. I'm really, really impressed with that. Thank you. You're welcome. I think so. I think I saw someone tweet it because they're annoyed that...

Don't get him in the credit. I appreciate you saying it. There you're welcome. But they were annoyed that Hamilton had said there was the best podium of all time and they tweeted it saying, no, this one wasn't. It was better in the middle.

And he had won four at that point. Hamilton had won seven. Hamilton 1-1. So I'd argue it's not the best. Anyway. So, to answer your question, yeah. Yeah.

I do like that symmetry back to 2013. I'm looking forward to the 2013. Canadian Grand Prix when Yuma Owasa wins. With Fernando Lozano. Lewis Hampton next one. Yes. It looks as like a wheelchair

because he's so old. It's still be there though, yeah. A stair lift off to the podium. Still beating Lewis. My friend. I tend to think at the moment that Max Verstappen is,

I do think Max for Stappen is clear. Like even of the other two. I know he's got a dominant car so it's difficult to judge, but hey, so did Hamilton, so did Alonzo. Yeah, fair. I do think the staff and is clear at the top of the moment. In terms of who follows on behind that,

I don't think Alonzo and Hamilton are clear of the other. I still think the likes of LaClair and Russell I would put in that same group in that Russell beat Hamilton last year, Ocon beat Alonzo last year. You can see Russell and the lie detector say that he is now, Like he's like now definitely fast for the Lewis Hamilton. I didn't watch him. I saw some,

I saw a picture of that. Did it go off? He believed he is. I mean, you're a racing driver, you're going to. But like the fact that he was like outright, like,

yes, I'm now fast for the Lewis Hamilton. Which is a good sign. And he's got the face for himself. Yeah. And to be honest, it might be true. Like, it's probably about 50s.

It's okay to not be as fast as you are now when you're at your peak. Like time happens. Yeah. Um, so I think overall if, yeah, I think, I'm going to answer the question weirdly.

I think Alonzo Vastappan and Hamilton are the most complete drivers on the grid. Like they are as close to 100% of the finished product as you get on the 2023 grid. I think Russell and LeCler have a little more ways to go to become the final version of themselves, if that makes sense. But actually in terms of ability,

they're not far off. I think they're in that group. but I'm just so happy to, similar to you, I'm just so happy to see, I know it could have been in more of a battle, but see Hamilton and Alonzo and Hamilton and Vastappan and Alonzo and Vestappan, I would to an extent, savour this.

I know it sounds weird because Red Bull are dominating, but a part of me just wants to savor these three great drivers from three different generations being at the front battling with one another. That's the mad thing. Fernando Alonso was on the grid when I was six. Verstappen was barely born when... That is the mad.

I think Flandor also had a career as long as Vastappans had one now, when Hamilton turned up. Alonzo's going to start racing an F1 against Vastappen and end it against the Vastappen. It's just not going to be the same one. Like, that's crazy. All right, is a bit of a question. I think I'm wasting our answer is going to be.

Vastafing at his peak, Hamilton at its peak, Alonzo at his peak. Who would you take? No, Alonzo. Yeah, I don't even, I don't think I could take Alonso as much as I'd love to. I, that's a, it's difficult. I mean, all in the same car, if you could, like, transport them through time to it in the same car, it would be a phenomenal fight.

I would, to get Alonzo back in for selfish reasons, if it was just based on a race, then I think he stands a better shout. Sure. In terms of raw pace, I think I'd go Hamilton. Oh, it hurts him. It hurts him. But it's not a hurt. I just genuinely don't.

Like, Vastat, as you said earlier on the other podcast, I don't know. The other one we did stuff on today. Vestappen is probably at his... He's entered his peak, I think. He might not even be at the top of it, but... I'm worrying if he has another gear. But the lap at Monaco this year, it's that similar vibe to Singapore, 2018 for Hamilton.

Yeah. That's what I'm struggling with. I don't know which one right now I'd... 2018 Hamilton. or 2023 Vestappen. I would just about go for Hamilton, I think. I think for me, yeah, just creeping down. The one thing I want to see from Max Vastappen

that we haven't seen from him yet is, and it's fair play to him because he's too good to the point that we can't see it. I just want to see a repeat of 2021 where his racecraft is a little bit better. There were some incidents down the stretch that I put firmly on his doorstep. Yeah.

I just want to see another instance of that, but where he can tactically, I don't know, do a little bit better. He only missed that apex in Brazil by like a whisker. That was disgusting. It was the only all year

where something similar happened. So, you know. Yeah. Okay. I don't know. We've heard, like, I think George Russell said this quite recently, who has made it a habit

of talking about everyone else's racecraft other than its own. I wrong. I think he said that Vestappen's not racing people as hard this year because he just doesn't have to. Which is, he's probably right. But I'd like to see if he is under more pressure.

Again, it's on the other teams and the other drivers to get there. I do want to see what his approach is like. Is it the same as it was? Funny enough on that quote, I think Lewis Hamilton has never recovered in that sense from being in the dominant car. Because if you look at his early career from like 08 through to like 13, I think he was so voraciously good at wheel to wheel race. where he will always be the one that would take the lungs,

he would break last, he would, you know, get the elbows out. Very much like for Stappen, whereas he was in that Donald and Mercedes for so long that he almost got to the point where he was like, I don't need to risk anything. I don't need to push the car any further. And I think now the car stopped being the best car, he's still in the mode of, I shan't take a risk.

I won't punish my own outcome because I, you know, because his mindset is still, the consistency back then was so good, I now don't want to take a risk even though the car is the move. Because we have, I think it's fair to say, we don't see Lewis defending as hard as he used to. We don't see him putting the car in risky positions like he used to. Some for good, maybe some for worse.

But I think maybe that's part of that reason. Yeah. I tend to think that actually, I thought this when they were racing each other, and I'm still thinking now with the Vestappan versus Hamilton, I think Vestappen throughout 2021 was too aggressive. And I think Hamilton's not aggressive enough. I think there is a middle ground between the two of them

that neither of them quite was able to get. there have been incidents like, I'll take a random example, the Japanese Grand Prix, where Hamilton was stuck behind Ocon for literally the entire race. It felt like an earlier version of Hamilton would have found a way. You could sense it. Absolutely sent it. That's a very, very fair point. And not we should move on for this. So we are talking properly now.

Obviously many issues around this race, but Abu Dhabi 21, like, Vastap. He raced him all year. Fistappen was always going to send it into that happened. But equally, when Sergio Perez was backing him up, he should have just sent it, planting it. Yeah, nailed him. Anyway. And I think, you know, three, four years ago, he would have done.

At least with the Perez incident, like, he had the rest of the race that he had to look out for. With that last lap, though, he had nothing to lose, did he? Like, I always thought that the worst one was, well, him not defending the inside into what, turn whatever number that is was something. but him not being able to at least try something on the second straight into the brand new.

That was always the one I was like, you could have done more there. Well, back to therapy I go, because that's brought up a load of horrid thoughts. Go back to Abu Dhabi. Good. It is one of the most iconic races in Formula Long History. Before we move on, I just did want to say one thing on the sort of generation gap between Alonzo and Vastappen. Because it's not even really a generation gap. it's probably a two generation gap between them.

Yeah. There's 16 years between Alonzo and Vestappan, which just got me thinking that imagine some of the rivalries we could have had if that same age gap had been applied. It's actually the same number of years between Schumacher and Hamilton. Now, I know they raced at the same time for a couple of years, but it was never, you know, we never got that as a rivalry, really.

It's just fascinating to think that Alonzo and, Vestappen sharing the same piece of racetrack right now age-wise is as feasible as Hamilton and Schumacher could have been which is why I think we should savour it to an extent. The idea of peak Hamilton versus peak Schumack, it gives me goosebumps.

Oh, yeah. That fuels a very strange excitement in me. A little bit excited. It does and it will never happen. It's quite sad. Okay, let's move on before we mention Abidabee 21 again. Please stop.

We're going to be talking now about There's a new F1 scripted TV show. I don't know a lot about this. Can we just say before we start recording me and Sam were making a tea slash coffee in the kitchen, going through the schedule? Schedule. Schedule. And this came up and I was like, this is past me by. And Sam went, oh, no, this is past me by as well.

I don't know what this is. So to be honest, there's not too much to it. Essentially, there's a new TV show that's being made. it's being spearheaded by Felicity Jones who is going to be a producer and star in it it's going to be I think the loose She was in Rogue One mate Yes

Still got the Googler Go on come on Felicity Jones It's very embarrassing Oh You shouldn't have said that You should say she was Stephen Hawking's wife in that film See I would have said that but I thought you might have called Rogue One quicker

No She's lovely Really, really like Lister Jones. Anyway, yeah, so she will be producing it and starring in it. I think the loose premise is that it's going to be a comedy based around a family running a... Running a what? Oh, God. I hate it already.

I hate it so much. Away from the actual premise of whether it's going to be any good. I loathe it entirely. Like a sitcom. Oh, God. Hagtag laugh. through the background. Is it a good thing that this sort of a project is happening

and F1 is becoming mainstream? Is it a good thing or not? Sorry, Ben, I'm not going to answer the question. Harry, can you get the laughter track ready, played on the soundboard? Please hold. Please hold. Call us, banker.

Right, Brett. Are you ready? What you call me? Ready? Yeah. Okay, hold on. Mom, I took out the Pulse singer again. That's what it's going to be like.

And then at the end of the show, they'll have, um, what's the punchline at the end of the show? And that's racing. Roll credits. And they're all freezing frame. Oh gosh, this sounds too real. No, that works. Really works.

Starry for Mr. Jones. Special guest star, Lewis Hamilton. There you go, folks. That was a bit of music you didn't know he had stored on the soundboard. Yeah. It's found its way on there. I didn't know we had that either. Uh, my point being.

Yeah, I know. More projects around Formula One. is a great thing. It can't just be drive to survive Aikizong on Netflix for ever and ever. It has to have a wider universe. Think of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But, you know...

The F-1 Cinematic Universe. FCU, come on. Lewis Hamilton's there with his seven rings. You know? I have an inevitable. Found your long-so in the Iron Man outfit. But anyway... He would be such a Tony Stark.

It would as well, would I? My point being... here is it's good because it generates more interest, it generates wider interest. And if a young little boy or girl happens to stumble across a comedy program or a documentary or a drama series that's centering around Formula One and it fuels their love for Formula One in any way, whether they just be a spectator, they go into the sport in some way, that is what it needs. There's a reason why things like football in Europe is so big because there's so much culture and content around it that isn't simply just the match on a weekend. You know, you have this whole lifestyle, this whole entertainment

sphere around it, and it's a full way of living. It's not just something you pick up for an hour each weekend. Formula One needs way more of this. So it might be terrible. I hope it isn't, because it can progress Formula One in a different direction. But if it does all right and there's money in it and there's big names getting involved, other people will want to be involved in other things as well. So I do think more of this is a very good thing. Would you agree with that, Harry? Yeah, in principle, yes. Stop it thinking about the script. I know. Well, it's hard. Hard not to be that premise. Yeah, but I agree. In principle, yes, this is a good thing. And we've seen the effect drive to survivors had on Formula One. It's been massive and having that

mainstream piece of television has elevated the sport beyond, well, higher than it's ever been before. Having said that, I don't want to slag something off before I've even seen it. Drive to Survive is quite good at what it does. If this is terrible,

I don't think that helps anyone. That is an issue, isn't it? If it backfires. And I don't know. There's a thing about fictional I'm not even fictional sports movies, TV shows. I think it's just fictional motor racing things. Maybe it's because I'm... Well, hang on, look at Ted Lassau.

True. It can work. It can work. I just don't know whether it works in F1. But it's maybe because it's never done, been done well before. And I'm thinking, have you ever seen, there's another one that's come out,

but murder mystery. It's a movie on Netflix. Quite a bad comedy. I've got, it's got Jennifer Anson. in it and I forgot it's the name

anyway can look it up but the first one they end up is this the one about the glass onion when it's called no that's good though

that's nice out there's no there's no effort in that one shame but no in this murder mystery they end up in

Monaco for the Monaco GP in 2018 I don't know how this got through I think it must been early days of liberty

they were tested the waters do everything yeah it's awful so bad and

Are you the drivers in it? Well, no. So Fernando Alonzo's car and helmet are in it, but not Fernando Alonzo. Like someone else is wearing his helmet and is a character in it. Probably me. I'm going YouTube it or if you've seen it, then let us know. But that, and it's like a comedy type thing. And it was just crap.

And I don't want that, I don't want that to be it. But you're right, if they can do a Ted Lasso. And if it's all about F-1 as well, that sounds like it's a bit kind of, it got chucked in there. It is. A bit shoehorn. in. But if this is the century, and you know, if people like Lewis Hamilton

who are taking part in the Apple thing are willing to consult and be a part of it and actually give good feedback on actually, that's just, come on, you're just making it all look stupid.

Then it might be guiding into the right path. And I do think that the likes of liberty wouldn't commission something unless it was going to respect, respect the sport and reflect on the sport

in a positive manner. I've got real visions. It's just going to be the story of Jordan. That's fine with me. I will play Eddie Jordan. the show. I do a great Irish accent. Nope. I would absolutely

watch a comedy show with Eddie Jordan in it or about Eddie Jordan or I just add. The credits are just him running down the Monaco straight at five in the morning after his being out gambling all night. I know Harry you mentioned this on an episode a few weeks back

but the episode with Eddie Jordan and Bertrand Gaff show He's listened to it. He is a sensational man that never stops delivering. Oh, gosh. I don't have to do this, but if you haven't, go and listen to the Davey Kaltar and the Jordan podcast. It's called FFS, which is a genius name.

Yeah. Formula 4 success. It is so funny. They're brilliant. It's just DJ. It's just DJ being here. Yeah, exactly. I don't really have too much to add on top of what both of you said.

The premise itself, who knows, like it, it might be good, might be bad, might be brilliant, might be terrible. No idea at this point. It's just too loose of a structure to say. but overall, the wider point of F1 getting out there into a bit more of the mainstream media, I think that's a good thing overall. It means that F1 can become more desirable,

more lucrative for sponsors. It should benefit all unless, as you say, Harry, it completely bombs and it's terrible. But fingers crossed, that's not the case. I've seen a few people complain about this and it getting a bit of backlash. but just, I don't know, F1 will still be F1, just don't watch it. Yeah.

It doesn't impact the champion. Yeah. They're not going to do a Brad Pitt and racing F2 car around the back of the grid. I forgot that was happening. That's coming up soon. Oh. You excited? No.

Well, they could just do breaking point in real life in the F1 game. True. You know what? Aidan Jackson? It's a bit annoying, isn't he? Oh, he's got an attitude, didn't he? At least Devin Butler owns it. Yeah, aimed a bit whiny.

Oh, I should be better than I am. Whoa, man. I'm Devin Butter. I'm actually really cool. You want to use my setups any time, man? Nice. Oh, God. That's enough of that.

We'll be back after this break. We'll be playing F1 order, please, after this. Order! Oh, there! Okay, the last segment of today's episode, F1 order please Whether it's a can of Coca-Cola or a lump of cheese Or we're ordering drivers by the size of their knees

This game is full of facts, just you wait and see This is Formula One, order, order please F1 order please So the game here, Sam versus Harry, They'll take it in turn, six questions overall And they'll have to order four things It can be drivers, tracks, pretty much anything in a way that I say.

So it could be oldest to youngest, could be most to Lees, could be anything like that. They'll give it a go. I'll let them know whether they've got it right or not, or more specifically, John Berko will let them know

if they got it right or not. And if so, they get a point. If they don't get it right, the other player has the opportunity to steal, but of course there is a risk attached to trying to do so, because if they steal it and get it right, they get a point.

But if they steal it and also get it, it wrong, they lose a point, which means there's the possibility for minus points in this game. And not only is there a possibility for them, there's a probability. Can I ask a quick question before we dive in? Yes. How are you going to press the button when are you going to be asked? Well, nod at me, Ben. Okay.

That's got me a smooth process. Good. You're like watching him. Is it an odd thing I did or has you just got a Twitch? Tell what, I'll just tell you whether you've got it right or not. and then Harry can, and then John Berker can really force it. Okay, that works.

Cool. So, Harry, you get to choose first. Number one through to number six. What would you like? Six, please. Number six. Even for me, I had a bad handwriting day.

This could be interesting. What does this hieroglyph mean? What, Hannah? Yeah, it could end up like that today. Sorry, that means, who is Heinz Harold Frankson? The famous US driver. Four drivers,

all of which have won the Belgian Grand Prix but I want you to tell me from most to least how many times they've won it. So you've got Damon Hill, Bill, Michael Schumacher, Kimmy Reichenen, and Nico Rosberg from most to least wins at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Gosh. Where to start? Where to start? I didn't think Nico Rosberg had the half. had won the Belgian Grand Prix. That's when you end, then. Yeah. Anyway, so for most to the least,

Michael Schumacher, then Kimmy Reichenen. Oh, man. Is it Dill or Rosberg? Use the force, Harry. Use the force. Gosh. Then it is

Dill, then Rosberg. Schumacher, Reikinen, Hill, Rosberg. Yes. it's a great start oh dear I'm glad you said that

because I thought you were going to put deal below Rosberg I was like he's definitely got at least two what 98 I can remember what's the other one he must have won three times what oh 93 I can't remember the exact year

obviously yeah 98 is one of them I can't remember the but yeah you won it three times I'm a deal Rosberg won it just once. Reikinen has won it four times. Michael Schumacher, six times. Just a few. Just a few. Just a few. Just a few. So, good start from Harry Ead. One-Nill. Sam, over to you. Number five.

Number five. Okay, I'm going to give you four drivers again. I want you to say from most to least, how many years they had between winning titles? Oh, crumbs. Okay. Nikki Lauder. Nicky Lauder. Lewis Hamilton. Yeah. One Manuel Fanjo. Yep.

And Michael Schumacher back again. Mickey S. So gaps between winging titles. Yes. Okay. I'm going to say, oh, I'm going to get this so badly wrong.

That's tough. I'm going to say Schumacher the biggest gap. Then Hamilton. Then who are the other six drivers? Nik Lauda. And who? Uh, It was Fangio.

Fangio. Then Nikolada, then Fangio. It's got right, by the way. You're right, Sam, that it's not right. Yeah, he absolutely sold me from that. I almost pressed the time then. Would you like to try and steal that, Harry? No.

Yeah, this was a tough one. The number one on that was Nicky Lauder. So he had seven years between his championship win in 1977. 1984. I mean, maths explains that one. Lewis Ambleson was six years between 08 and 14. Then it was Schumacher. He had five years between 95 and 2000. My brain should be went 93. I don't know why I did that. And that's why I thought it was the most.

And then Fanjo, you did correctly say, was last. He only had three years between his title wins in 51 and 54. It's because I've done his script, said on Fangio, if you haven't heard it, folks, on Patreon. Nice. The ironic thing about this list, right, is that Nikki Lauder, not only was he number one here, that is the biggest gap, I believe, between two championships is seven years. If Fernando Alonzo were to win a championship, he would over double that record. Fernando.

Fernando. Okay, probably a good decision from Harry not to try and steal that very tricky one. So it stays one-nil. Harry, back to you. What did you say last five? One, please. Number one. From best to worst, I want you to list these drivers as to where they finished the Australian Grand Prix this year.

That's horrible. I know you'll get it right because you always seem to get these ones. So you've got Oscar Piastri. Don't know. Yuki Sanoda. Don't know. Joe Guan Yu. And Nika Holkenberg.

Okay. You can do it. Top, top was piastri. Then it was Sonoda. Then Holkenberg, Joe. It's not correct. I won't be sealing.

Was it the other way around for Hulk and Joe? No, you were miles off, mate. I thought when you started with Piastria, where that's got right. He got points in Australia, didn't he? Who? Piestri? Yeah, he got points. Didn't get as many as Halkenberg.

Because I like, Halkenberg was definitely the highest one. Even arguing I get that one. Oh, yeah, Holcomburg did really well in Australia. I just keep thinking Hask can only do qualifying. I forgot they did it right there. You're kind of right. It's just there was one race where they could also do... They're quite good at Australia.

I don't know why. Throwing me for a bag of chips, that is. Yeah, Nick Holkenberg finished seventh, so he was first on the list. Then it was Piaastri, who finished eighth. Then it was Joe Gwainu, who finished ninth. And then Yuki Sunoda picked up one point. Snowden never not finish his 10th or 11th. Apart from this weekend.

Stays 1-0. Number 2, 3 or 4, Sam? The gaps closing. Along number 2. Number 2. I'm going to give you four seasons. Four. For our US.

I'm going to go spring or winter. Autumn, summer. Oh, that. We've got four seasons here. I want you to name them from most... Exciting. Sorry, I don't know how to say this one. Most different.

Most different winners in a season to least. Oh, have a day off. Okay. So you've got 2012. Yeah, that's a lot. 2021. That's not a lot. 2010.

Yeah. And 1982. Oh, come on. I was barely alive then. Barely. I'm going to have a clue. I genuinely haven't got a clue. 2012, 2010,

1982, 2021. It's not correct. Oh, shock. I've routed for it because I didn't know. I'm not going to try it. Nah. I'm not going to try it. Nah.

So the most number of winners in a season in 1982, that was the year. 1984? You made me jump. Sorry. 1980. There were 11 different winners. in 1982.

That was the mad year where Kenkin Rosberg won the championship but like everyone, it was like 10 drivers within like 10 points of the championship. Yeah. I remember it well. Then it was 2012.

There were eight different winners. Then it was 2021. There were six different winners. And then 2010 had five. Oh, 2010 sucked. But they were the five fighting for the championship, right? Yeah, it was actually a really good season. Don't let that for you, folks.

So the gap hasn't changed. It's still one now. Told you it's closing. Harry, back to you. Three or four. Pick number three, my lord. Can I have number four, please. You can have number four.

Clancy. Okay, I'm going to be four drivers. I want you to go from oldest to youngest when they won their one and only championship. You can do this. Okay. You can make it two nil. Come on.

Jensen Butter. Old. Old. Mario Andretti. Don't know it. He exists. At what age at time? He's the same now as he was back in ages.

Nico Rosberg. Brickney. And Jack Vilnav. The goat. The goat. I've got no idea. I'll go for. Mario Andretti.

Jensen Button. Jack. I've forgotten. Who was the fourth one? Nico Rosberg was the other. Jacques Villeneuve. Nico Rosberg. So Andretti is the oldest,

Rosberg as the youngest when they won their title. Yeah. It's not correct. Sam, you can even try and steal this one for a draw. So you'll then have a chance to win it on your own one.

Or you can play it safe and make sure that the last one actually counts. I'll steal. You can have a steal. I've got a clue. I literally don't know. So I'm expecting.

to go down to minus one, but hey, I'll live life on the, on the edge. I love this. You've got this, son. Andretti, Button, Rosberg, the other one. I thought you were about to repeat mine.

Imagine that. That would have been really funny. It's the right. Sam has tried to steal a point. Don't, don't get your finger off of it. Harry. You can take your finger off, son.

There you know. Told you. You actually got closer, but not quite close enough. So Andretti was right. He was the oldest at 38 years old. But then it was Rosberg next. He was 31 when he won his championship. Then it was Jensen Button at 29.

Jacques Villeneuve was the youngest. He was only 26. Why does it feel like Jensen Bucson? Jensen just looks like an old man. But he's not at all. He started really young as well, didn't he? He was like 19. It did take him so long to get there.

That's him. That's the problem. Yeah. And to be honest, a bit lucky on that one. Oh, we've had this one before. You can't tarnish the man who's being Hamilton number three season.

What's left please, Ben? I think it's number three. Number three, my lord. Oh, I think I'm number three. You can't win, but you can get back to zero. Woo-hoo! There's a way that I can also score a point and get Harry to steal and get it wrong?

You could get it wrong, and I'll steal it, get it wrong, and we're back on nil-0. You know, I'm Michael He still hasn't got a point My has won you in you I've not got a single thing right to go I'm tempted to dock a point

for that awful maths to be honest But do it, do it, do it, do it Do it, do it There are it I love you, daddy She's Lance Okay, you're one remaining one Number three

Lewis Hamilton Yeah, from What have we gone for here earliest to the, yeah From earliest to latest Right His first win At each of these

circuits. Okay. So you've got Monaco. Yeah. Belgium, as well. Shanghai. Yeah. And Singapore. Cool. Dungo. So, why is it Canada on there? Well, yeah, I think that would be number one automatically. Yeah, that's why I wanted it on there. Give the boy a break. I've got to keep forgetting these answers. Right. So we've got Monaco. Yes. Shanghai. Yes.

Singapore. Yep. What's the one I forgot? Spa. Spa. Spa. I'm going to go, earliest to latest. Shanghai,

Spa, Monaco, Singapore. It's not correct. I'm really good at this game. Harry, you've got absolutely nothing to lose if you want to try and steal this. Go on then. What were they? Shanghai, Spa, Singapore, Monaco. Just doing that order.

Monaco, Shanghai, Singapore, Spa. Spa? Spa? John Burko hasn't had a lot of shouting to do this evening. Give him a big roar. But he's going to get one. Yay.

Order! You've remixed him really badly, bear. Odder! Brilliant. Well done. Doctor affecting full effect there. I thought you were going to do something cheeky there, and say that he won it in 2008.

He only mugs. No. Mugs me off, not you. Oh, my, I'm not here for F1 knowledge. That's what you two bring. I mean,

you did meet me the last game. I did. And I still managed to get a high in town, Frankson. You managed to go one all this week today, this evening. I also managed to win in the most recent Patreon episode. True.

the one that Harry wasn't on. That's how, non-important. We'll skip over that. Luigi de Fast man. Bernard de Driver. What a guy. Okay, that'll do it.

Sam, do you think. Well, what a week of Formula One it's been, even without a race. What about Hamilton, eh? Oh, God. I can't believe he signed the contract. I know. Alpine as well.

Amazing. Who I thought he made that move all the way down to Hasse? I, man. To be honest, personally, I didn't see it coming that he was going to sign for McLaren, but not McLaren, McLaren Arrow.

Wow, he did say he liked the Indy cars. He did, yeah. What about Ricardo's onto being arrested? It's a defamation. It's for stealing Juan Pablo Montawe's chocolate bar as well. Is it? I didn't know that. Wow.

Oh, his favourite. You know that he let it run out on the track once? Yeah. earnings penalty of all time. Such a week of F1 news. I thought we'd covered that in that podcast then. Too many other great things to get a Scarsia Preview. You should come back for the Oscar preview,

which is happening in only three days' time. Oh dear. Yes. Oh dear. Did you try and work out the maths? I was trying to think we did Tuesdays or I don't know anymore. Anyway. It's Monday.

If you're at, it doesn't matter. We've got to say if you're at Glasgow, come and say hello, but it's Sunday. They might be there. I'm listening in the morning before the last day. If you are, that is dedication. Should have said this on the Wednesday.

I know, I'm aware now. Fully aware of that. Anyway, thank you. You can quite clearly tell we're a bit of a mess today, but we've tried our hardest to bring you some good content. And we will be back on the Wingsday for the Austria preview. We're buzzing for another race. Of course, if you want to join me with more chit chat,

the Discord is there available. Or of our social media, it's late breaking F1. That's on TikTok. That's on Instagram. And that is on Twitter. To win. So down with the kids. We are children at this point.

And also, of course, there's Patreon there. So if you think, oh, I'm kind of lacking a bit of Formula One content where you get two extras every single month. You also get a birthday shout-out, which I've just realized we might have left it a bit too late in the month to do. Oh. No, we go one more. One more.

We're all right. We're fine. Okay. June birthday shout-ups will be coming in the Austria preview. We are so good at this. And that is a perk that you get. also discounted merchandise and beer with breaking for the top tier to go and check it out. I think that's everything quite out of breath.

In the meantime, thanks for listening. I've been Samuel Sage. I've been Ben Hocking. And I've been Harry Ead. And remember, keep breaking late. Too much time with you two. Breathy Sam. Breathy.

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