The Late Braking F1 Podcast - Have AlphaTauri chosen the RIGHT 2024 lineup?

Episode Date: September 27, 2023

Sam, Ben AND Harry (yes you heard correctly) consider whether AlphaTauri's confirmed 2024 lineup of Tsunoda and Ricciardo was the right decision, and what is next for Lawson. They also discuss Gasly's anger over the Alpine team order decision, the stewards' admission that they should have penalised Verstappen in Singapore, and latest update from the FIA regarding Andretti joining as a new team. They finish with a game of Real or No Real... FOLLOW us on socials! You can find us on YouTube, Instagram, X (Twitter) and TikTok SUPPORT our Patreon for bonus episodes JOIN our Discord community JOIN our F1 Fantasy League BUY our Merch EMAIL us at [e-mail]   & SUBSCRIBE to our podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This podcast is part of the Sports Social Podcast Network. Thank you for listening to the Late Breaking F1 podcast. Make sure to check out new episodes every Wednesday and every Sunday. Welcome to the late breaking F1 podcast presented by Harry Ead, Sam Sage, and me, Ben Hocking. No race coming up this weekend. But we've got plenty to talk about. And of course, we've got a banker to talk to today, Sam. Sorry, well, you just trying to insult me.

He said banker. Banker the B. Good. Okay. I had to clarify. He wasn't talking about me. Oh, well. Way. I'm just glad you're in, mate.

Yeah, it's nice you could turn up. Yeah, also, was not, was it, peeing parsnips in Wales? That's what you said I was doing. Picking parsnips in Wales. You didn't remember that then, did you? I was like, sorry? Parsnips in Wales.

And to prove I did listen to the episodes. There you were picking parsnips on us because you're a cool guy. Sure. Yeah, we're going to be talking to the banker. I've got a whole set of real and no real that I definitely didn't forget to do until Ben text me earlier today. I almost didn't text you. And I would have forgotten.

I'm so glad. Because I even said to myself this morning, while I sat on my computer, Sam, remember you need to do a couple of reel on no reels. And then he went, have you done it? And I was like, crap.

Damn, there's another thing I meant to say before we start recording that we need to do on this episode. What's that? Do you want to do it on air? Do it, mate? We may have already done it at the birthday show at us.

It's a great call. We do it at the end of episode. I forgot about that as well. Every damn time. Every damn time. They'll be in an episode, folks, If it's your birthday, you're a patron subscriber,

you'll be shouting out at the end of the episode for the month of September. And we remembered you. It's fair. I always remember before the episode and I get excited. Sure. It's quite... Excitement. That's the problem with everything on this podcast.

That's the foundation of all the issues. Fun. But real or no real is coming up later on in the episode. The FIA, reportedly rejecting three applicants for a new team. Our thoughts on that. Pierre Gassley, Fiuminin, at Alpine over the team radio. decisions at the Japanese Grand Prix. But we're going to start with news that broke over the weekend,

which is that Alfa Tauri have confirmed their lineup for 2024. They are sticking with Yuki Sonoda, a fourth year at the team for him. And Daniel Ricardo, after only doing two races this year due to an injury, he will be back in the car for 2024. So looking at that line up, Sam, Sonoda and Ricardo, very simple question, perhaps not a very straightforward answer. Did they get it right? It is a really tricky conversation to have.

And I feel like this will be a much simpler answer. Had he just never broken his hand? You know, it's quite selfish. Daniel, mate. Why have you made this so much more difficult? I don't think they did get it right. I think that Lawson has proven himself enough that he deserves a seat going into 2024.

He has been mighty impressive. I have been believing the hype around Liam Lawson. And I think that he is showing more than enough that he is capable of beating, Yuki Sondoda, both when cars are runging around track that Yuki knows better, you know, it's the proof is in the pudding. And Liam Lorson is a very tasty treat to have. If Liam Lorson was a pudding, what sort of pudding would he be? No. What are they have in New Zealand? What's famous there? I don't know. Kiwi pie.

My word. Oh, Kiwi cheesecake. Sure, it's delightful. It'd be one of those. Two very different types of kiwi. I'll take a slice. Anyway, so I think that this is going to sound really brutal. We're kicking it off harsh, it early, boot out Sergio Perez. If you're that happy with Daniel Ricardo to coming after two races, sticking back up in Red Bull, give loss in the Alpheterre seat.

Simple as that. That was a Bears. Do a Ricardo at McLaren and get him out of his contract a year early. Probably, because Sergio Perez has not exactly been good, and Ricardo, might not be any better, but who cares? Who cares? Max will stop and all get it all on his own? Would Danny Ricardo get two wins? Yes.

I generally even a car that's good by the end of the year. he'd get a couple of wings. Why do you think that's worth the risk? Well, Sergio Perez for me, he's let himself down so massively this year. It's been a big, steady decline from the start of the season where you got to remember, after Ray's fought four or five, we're going, he's a contender. He's taking it to Vastappen. No.

Maybe not. But the rest of us sold like a bloody... Don't believe. V.I. Sold like a cow at a cattle market. We were. You know, we were straight out on the market floor and we were gonging a giffy. But my point here is that Sergio Perez,

there was a conversation that we discussed on this podcast of could he challenge. He was at one result away from overtaking Vestappen at the league of the title at one point. Miami. Yeah, right? It just didn't happen. And that was the turning point. He, I think,

mentally, was destroyed after that Grand Prix. Forgotten how close he was. Yeah. So I think, I think since then it is, it's caused his mentality, his confidence,

his drive, not literally in the car, but also literally in the car, to crumble away. And I just think, you need a refresh because we've had this conversation before. If the championship is close again next year, do I believe that Sergio Perez is the man to keep them,

the Constructors' Championship? No. The proof has already appeared for us historically. He couldn't do it once. And I think he's now driving worse at this point in his Red Bull career than he was a season ago, a season and a half ago. I really do think the last five races have been abysmal for Sergio Perez. And I think, you know, he's going to let himself down even more so.

I'm Red Bull, you do what Red Bull, the best at, the roofless, cutthroat, horrible, which I think is what Formula I should be. I think you should be, you know, get ads, not good enough. Get Ricardo in there. If he mucks it up, oh, well, you move on to the next driver. If he keeps it together, you've got another driver for two years. And Daniel Ricardo's a very smiling man. He's probably put on every single Formula One social media post in history,

because they love him on that. I love how, like, 99% of people are viewing this, like, dilemma that Alpha Tauri have or had until they made the announcement, which was, how do you fit three drivers into two seats, those three drivers being lost in Sonoda and Ricardo? And Sam, you're the 1% who goes, well, have all three. You found your way around it. We will have all three. I just think, look, and we're going to get onto this, then I believe, in the Patreon topic

about Alpha Tauri as a concept. So if you want to hear that our proper, full of opinions on this, I've just, sorry, just hit the mic, are full of opinions on this thing, maybe you should subscribe to Patreon. you get two episodes extra every month there, all ad-free. I just believe that Alpha Tauri as a concept, as a, you know, the point of it, has completely lost its way recently. And the fact that we're now debating Ricardo or Nick DeVries previously, where is the raising up and development of actual proper young talent to give them time to be nurturing and grown?

The longer you leave Losing out of the programme, the less time he has to actually develop, then thrust him into Red Bull if he's good enough too late into the programme. And he fails again like Gazley or Alba. and it takes time. Look how good both Gassley and Albaugh are now, because they've had time and a chance to be nurtured and developed properly in a team that cares about them. Prioritizing Ricardo Alvatore is just a silly move for the long term and the longevity of Red Bulls or family. It just doesn't make actual sense to me. So I think Perez and Ricardo, over the course of the season, would do pretty much the same job. I reckon you may as well take the risk on Ricardo,

because he does have previous at being that much better than Perez ever has been. For me, it's worth the risk. Harry, what option would you look at? Do you think they went the right way with this? What are they rushing for? Formula one team. Yeah, but the film rush. Good question.

What is the rush? They are probably the only team. They're not the only team, but one of the rare teams on the grid where they're in a very privileged position where all the balls are in their court. So many. They have all the balls.

I'd like like a ball boy at the start of Imbolden. precisely. All three of those drivers weren't going anywhere. Exactly. And arguably, as if to bring up Sam's point about finding away around only having two seats, there are probably three seats up for grab if you want to include the potential of a Perez not being in that Red Bull. So in terms of Alphiardian Red Bull, everything was on their side. Why rush this? Why not wait until Ricardo comes back and does at least a few more finishes off the season? because none of those drivers, Ricardo Lawson, Sonoda, they're not going anywhere.

Maybe a Williams, what's the point of that? They've still only been on loan. Exactly, so that's probably the big takeaway. I'm just not entirely sure why they've announced that. I am back to him back for one race since his hand has recovered. I mean, I'm sure I'm confident Ricardo will be absolutely fine when he does come back. I wouldn't have made the point that I'd just maybe if I wasn't,

but logically, you still see him in a race, to see how he does. My point was more, you'd have him back for a few more races and see how he fares against Sonoda in the same way Lawson's fared against Sonoda. I know Sanoda versus Lawson's been a bit hard to read given that Sonoda didn't do many laps over the past month.

But, yeah, I just don't quite understand why they've gone into this quite so soon. And yeah, for Ricardo in that Alphiari. I know we thought that was probably going to happen anyway, way, but he's got to be hoping that Ricardo's in that Alphatarie next year and then he's gone no matter what, because unless they get rid of Sonoda, because otherwise... They've guaranteed him a seat, isn't they, Lawson? Exactly.

I've said he's getting a seat. So, Ricardo, and again, I think, Ben, is this a Patreon topic? It will probably come up in that Alphotari discussion, I imagine. It will come up, folks, you'll miss it on Patreon. It's a great service that we provide. But his episode is also good. Yeah, this is great, but also pay for a premium content. Yeah, like, Ricardo is literally in a bit of a ticking.

time bomb situation. He used to grab it now. Or I think he's hoping that actually, even though he's been officially signing for Alfa Tauri, that Perez will still get booting out and he'll still get promoting at the end of this year. Yeah, but they'll boot it mid-season. Mid-season switch.

Madness. Never happened. It never happened. At least based on like current evidence, because I don't disagree with you at all in terms of the timing of this, Harry. But in terms of current evidence, do you think they might have gone down the right path here?

Yes, I guess so. It's so difficult to tell. I think Lawson's been good. Again, difficult to read, given the Sunno's not really been there for a lot of it. And maybe slightly overblown by the old Monza rookie curse. Which we're not buying it. That's right. It's from Suzuki.

No, I know, but I'm not saying he said a bat. I'm just saying, did he beat it? Seno do you in Suzuki? Yes. But he's got, well, do we, what we think Ricardo might be back for Qatar, maybe not, this might be Lawson's last race. Guitar's sounding more doubtful, I think.

Yeah, I think it's Ricardo, kind of 60% now. So, Ricardo's a known quantity. And I know Lawson's done a few races and will have done a few races by then, but Ricardo's still a more known quantity. I think based, if they had to make the decision now, which they didn't, fine, it's probably the right decision. But again, it goes back to if they didn't need to make the decision now. Just wait for a bit and see how the rest of the year goes. But yeah, dodgy.

Dodge. Proper dodge. I'll start with the Daniel Ricardo side of the decision. And I'll say I think this was the correct decision to bring him back. for 2024. I think in terms of the red bull side of it that you discuss, Sam, I can't off of two races risk it. I know that Perez has been lacking in some areas this year.

That's for sure, particularly qualifying. But I think there's too much at stake to not exactly know what you're getting with Daniel Ricardo at this point. But I absolutely would bring him back for Alfa Tauri in 2024. I appreciate he is 34 years old. so he is over a decade older than both Lawson and Sonoda at this point. And in most instances, I would say that Alfa Tauri serves to promote younger talent. But it's almost like Alpha Tauri is there to answer the question of can they be good enough to race for Red Bull.

And Ricardo's got in a bit of a weird situation where that is still a question for him. His potential is still somewhat unknown, which is odd for a 34 year old. but we know that he flourished at Red Bull before. We know he really struggled at McLaren in between. I know you say he's a known quantity, Harry, and he is to an extent, but also, I don't know. I don't know if he gets in that Red Bull whether he does exactly what Sam said and matches Perez or beats him.

I think that's entirely possible. I also think it's possible that he gets in that Red Bull and he's not as good as Perez. I just don't know at this point, which is why I think they've given him this full season after not having had many races because of this injury. Yeah, he was good enough for Red Bull once, but is he still? You know, McLaren, it's widely acknowledged that he had to really adjust his driving style to get used to that McLaren,

and let's face it, that was still unsuccessful. I think the question now is, can he reverse some of those habits? Can he get back to the way he was driving before he went to McLaren? Is that still possible? And if the answer is yes, then I think he's got a good shot to go in the Red Bull. And if the answer is no, then maybe not. I 100% agree with you that I think at the end of 2024, he will not be back in Alpha Tauri for 2025.

Like he will either be in Red Bull in 2025 or he'll be doing something else. And I don't think he'll be back again for another year. I think, you know, with Liam Lawson in particular, but any F2 rookie in the Red Bull program, the question that is being asked is, do they have what it takes? In the instance of Daniel Ricardo, the question is, does he still have what it takes? But actually, the way in which you get to both of those answers is the same thing. So with Daniel Ricardo, I agree with the decision.

Yuki Sonoda, I would not have signed. I would have gone Liam Lawson in the other seat. And I wouldn't have gone with Yuki Sonoda. I feel like after three years in the same car, you know roughly where a driver's at. You know roughly what their ceiling is, what their floor is. You kind of know where they are. And Yuki Sonoda has definitely, despite scoring fewer points this year, he has improved year two to year three.

He has improved. But I just don't think it's by enough. I don't think there's ever going to be a future where Yuki Sanoda gets in that Red Bull. I just don't see it happening. And as far as I'm aware, and I stand to be corrected on this, I don't believe there is a driver in Toro Rosso and Alfa Tauri's history that has done four consecutive seasons with the team. There's been a few instances of three, but I don't believe anyone's ever had four.

It's possible that the likes of Kavia or someone else in two stints has done it, but no one's had four straight years. And it actually triggered something for me. So Jean-Arick-Vern. This is going to sound like a really weird detour, but stick with me on this. Jean-aric-Vern, he got three years in the Toro-Rosso seat. And I think when he was, he didn't get renewed for a fourth year,

he beat Danny Kavirn in his third year. Danny Kaviat's answer, Danny Kaviat's reward was a Red Bull seat. Jean-Aric-Vern's reward was the boot. And I think at the time, we all felt it was fairly harsh for Jev to lose his seat. But actually, it was a tough choice, but if you look at it in retrospect, it was probably the right call because if he doesn't get, if he, let's say he stays for an extra year at Toro or so. They let Max Verstappen wait out an extra year.

He's still young at that point. He starts in 2016 rather than 2015. Genuine question, does he win the world championship in 2021? If he has one year less of experience in 2021, is that the difference? between him winning that championship and him losing it by a few points. I think it's entirely possible. So I know it's a long-term sort of playing things out,

but actually I think when you've got three years under your belt, you know where they are. If I was Williams, I'd keep Sonoda. If I was Alfa Romeo or Hasse, again, I'd probably keep him. But with Alfa Tauri and why that team exists, I think we know where he is and it's not going to be a Red Bull driver. I love in my mind, you know the meme where the guy pushes the tiny little domino and it's got that massive thing?

I love the idea that like, Jev beats Kivya is the first domino and the last domino is Max three-time world champion. So, conclusions to that, Lewis Hamilton fans, do not be mad at Michael Massey, be mad at Jev. Yeah. It's Jeremy Fern's fault. I should have lost to Kivya? Yeah, Jeb. You were too good, but not good enough. I actually think you make a very good point, bang.

And to be fair, I do agree that it's. much as we love little Yuki, Hall of Famer. He has not gone above good to average, has he in his whole time of being at Alpha Tauri, really. And I do think, realistically,

maybe he should walk into the second seat at Ashton Martin if it was ever going to be available and partner with Fernando Alonso because of the Honda partnership and maybe he'd have a couple more years to develop in a team that, you know, we might see him flourish a little bit more.

I don't know, but Sandoda moving out of the way for Lawson, Red Bull has lost that cutthroatsness because they, I don't know, don't want to seem mean. Yeah. They did get rid of Nade the 3's half or through the year. Everyone would have done that. I know, but they're not. They haven't lost it.

I don't think. Ian the cat would have gone, get out. To summarize, it's like with Liam Lawson, it's a bit weird with Alphateri in that you'd rather have, you'd rather have a four out of 10 driver that has the potential to be an 8 than a 5 out of 10 driver

that has the potential to be a 6. But that's kind of how Alphatari works. You're not looking for the finished product at that point. And I think Liam Lawson, It has potential. Maybe it works. Maybe it doesn't. But it's a question mark.

Same with Daniel Ricardo. It's a bit of a question mark. With Sonoda, I think you know. Also, he said before the race, he had lots of caffeine, which effing lit him up. And for me,

that's the only reason to give me a sea. We had a great time with that. No one else will understand it. No, but it really made us chuckle. Let me up. I was having a good chuckle of that. We loved that. That's a very exciting joke.

No one's going to get that at all. ITBF1. What year? Or Moby fans. 06-06 to 08 or something. The intro of the ITVF1-0608 If you change the Lift me up to lit me up with his voice

That's what we did Check it out on Twitter No one really liked it but we enjoyed it Did you put it on Twitter? Yeah I don't even see it Good David Cuthage is rushing into his tuxedo

Any second now It's a fair point Why did Davidson have a snake I don't know what I loved it Yeah I don't think There is a snake in it But yes in the intro Everyone's wearing race suits

Apart from David Coulthard He's wearing a tuxet Is it's fair? He pulled it off. It's prime naughty. I bet he hasn't got any trousers on. He's very short.

He's wearing... I would be a DC move. Yeah, Scottish Y-fronts. Anyway, moving on. Moving on. We'll take our first break. On the other side,

we'll be discussing Ghazley, O'Con, and Alpine team orders. Fuming. Fuming. The plan, fuming. The fuming.

Smoking, isn't it in French? The fumier. As already established, Pierre Gazley, Absolutely. What's the word, Sam? Fee. Or in English, not best pleased. Slightly cheesed off.

Slightly cheesed off. That is definitely English. Slightly flamaged off. I'm quite brie off with you. Boy, Beattie wasn't very happy. Esteban Okon let Pierre Gasly buy on lap 46 of the Japanese Grand Prix, for reference that's seven laps to go, with the intention that Pierre Gasley was going to try and chase down Fernando Alonzo for

eighth place. Long and short of it is, he couldn't get that done. So they asked Pierre Gazley to switch positions back by the end of the race, which he did, but he was not very happy about whatsoever. If you've seen a few of the pictures from, he gave a one-fingered salute. So probably not overly happy. Do you think it was the right call though, Sam? What to swap them back around? Yeah. Honestly, I don't understand the fury of this man. Why are you so angry about, mate? Is there more to this than we've seen from that? No, their beef still exists.

I mean, Pierre Gadsden his point is that he would have overtaken Ocon if they hadn't let him by. So he felt he should have kept the position because he would have made the overtake anyway. And Ockle, and they let him know, though, that he was going to have to swap back if he didn't to get it done. Yes. I know if they did. Oh, Alpine, Ben, that's your fault, mate, team principal over here. We've got our junior drivers as our strategists at the moment, all right? We don't have many bodies around.

It's a good dog on the pit wall with a hell wheel. Woof, woof. Yeah, well, I'm like, what? I'll let him pass the game. Okay. That's why I'm on the pit wall. Honestly, he's, no, he's too angry for me to even care about this little message being part of the mix-up. they asked Ocon to move out the way

before he got that move done. So whether he could overtake him on not is purely hypothetical because he didn't get the move done. And if he's so, you know, oh, I can do it anyway, you should have gotten and done it. You know, that isn't how,

that's not how the world has worked. You've been told first to move out the way. Now, the example that springs to mind, I think I'm going to get the year wrong, but I think it's hungry 2018 where Valtrey Bottas moves out of the way of Lewis Hamilton and to hunt down,

I think it's very, Vettel who is leading the race, but I can't remember, in fact, like, yes. Yeah? They all drove at that point. I think it's the other way around, but yes. As in Hamilton got let through. Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

So Bottas moved out the way, Hamilton overtook to Botas, hunt down Vettel. Yes. And then this was for a world championship lead. This was for the fight of the world title. And Hamilton, without a single breath of complaint on the last corner of the race, I think pulled out for about four seconds to let Bottas come back through, because they were teammates and he did the right thing and he couldn't get the move done

and it isn't that big a bloody deal. You're going to rile up all the George Russell haters right now. I'm not talking about George Russell. I know, but they're all going to be, we miss you, Val Trey. I do miss Valcrie. We can't deal with that. Every day in my life.

My point here is they're fighting for 8th, 9th and 10th. They ain't going to make up any positions in the constructors with these points either. They gain one point over one another. Why are you so mad, son? Chill out, mate. Like, Pierre Gassie's flipping the bird. He's shouting and screaming over his headset.

It's literally like someone has traded his future wife and children for one world championship point. And he has an aga saying it. That's how intensely angry he got over this. It's such an over reaction. Get over yourself, mate. I do not agree with it. I do not agree with it. I just think, be a bigger part of the team.

Shut up. Get on your job. Grow. Literally in French. which none of us intelligent enough to be able to say what that is. Harry, do you agree with the call? Yes, I agree with the call.

They're idiots if they didn't tell him beforehand that they were going to, as they said to say, invert at the end of the race, invert the positions. I've inverted. I know they said it to Ocon in the Eskman Ocon as soon as he was told that that's what they would like to do.

O'Con said, so we're going to be able to switch. at the end, right? To which I think his strategy said, we'll see what we can do rather than confirming. That's just horrendous comms. It's bad comms.

It's so bad. I think there was a what, like a seven second gap between them as well before Gasly pulled out the way? The gap wasn't like within a second of each other. No, no, no. He probably had to slow down, didn't it? At the end.

Yeah, he's down the road. So I, from that point of view, that's on Alpine. That's completely stupid comms. And I can understand. some frustration from from ghastly. The reaction is not proportionate to what he had to do. Right.

In my view. It's, yeah, he's, and you, I sense maybe, Gassley has a little temper on him because the team rate, he always has, right? Yeah, he's a fiscue boy. The team rate, he's like engineer, as he's saying, he's literally going across the line. He's like, thank you for that, Pierre.

We'll talk about, don't talk about it now. We'll talk about at the end because he, like, he could sense Pierre ever was about to go. I'm going to four. going to kill someone. Yep. So, but, you know,

he's sort of like Roman Grosjean in that. I'm not just because he's French, but sort of like Grosjean in that sense. No, I know, but Gassley and Grosjon in that quite passionate on the radio,

should we say. Gasly's answer to everything is to scream. Yeah. Good, bad. Just scream. I can relate. So, yes,

so I can appreciate it's some frustration there, but it's an overreaction. As you say, Sam, they're fighting for, they were trying to get eighth off Alonzo, but between them, they were fighting for ninth and tenth, and I know it's a point difference, but like, guys, hey,

two, two points difference. Don't sell them sure, sorry, oh, well, that makes all the difference now. But yeah, like, bigger picture here. Team Harmony, you've got, Alpin have got so many issues. They do not need this to. It's like someone, eight, your last,

chicken nugget and you've burned down the whole kitchen in retaliation. That is the difference in reaction. Chicken nugget. I would have lost the plot personally. Screaming, Sam would have been. I freaking love chicken nuggets. But it's too much. Yeah, it's every reaction

for me. Like, as I said, there's so many bigger issues at Alpine. The team need to sort out the comms, drivers grow up. Correct. I'm not doing a shout again. No. Does anyone know Al P were so smug about at the beginning of this year.

How bad they gagged be. They don't know how rubbish would Gagobie. Oh man, I really want to go back and listen to the episode where Ben was like, they know something. That we don't. They were smug all of preseason. And here we are two thirds of the way through the year. And the team has imploded after not getting two more points at a Grand Prix.

They were fighting for five points. Five. Like what? Anyway, I think they played it near. perfectly Alpine. The advantage of, like, letting a driver go as soon as possible. So Pierre Gasley did not have the opportunity to legitimately overtake Esteban-Ockon because as soon as Gasly was within two seconds of O'Con,

that's when the team radio message happened. So it wasn't even like he was stuck behind O'Con for a few laps and then they made the call. It was just as soon as he got within his vicinity. It was like, right, go. and the advantage of that is Alonzo in eighth place was a bit of a long shot, so you can't afford to lose time by squabbling amongst yourself. So they made the call, I think, very decisively and straight away, which I applaud and respect.

But of course, the disadvantage of that and where Gasly's anger comes from is, I feel like if Gasly had been stuck behind Ocon for three laps, and then he'd been let go, and then he'd been told at the end, switch positions back, He'd be slightly more accepting of doing it because he'll be like, ah, I did give it a go for a few laps and I couldn't get it done. Fair enough. Here, he can't point to that. He thinks he was legitimately fast enough to overtake him anyway.

And he wasn't able to prove it, rightly or wrongly, he wasn't able to prove it. So I think that's where all the anger comes from. I will say, would he have got the move done? And I know you can't just look at another team and say this is exactly how it would have been for Alpine as well. but we've already referenced Suzuki with Liam Lawson and Yuki Sonoda Liam Lawson beat Yuki Sanoda by I think seven tenths of a second at the flag

now Liam Lawson came into the pits for the last time on lap 25 and Sunoda then came into the pits for the last time on lap 30 so there was a five lap difference Sonoda made up all the gap but couldn't get the move done Esteban Ocon came into the pits on lap 28

and Pierre Gazley came into the pits on lap 30 So there, there was a six-lap tire offset, so pretty much identical. So if we're saying that Yuki-Sinoda couldn't get the move done on Liam Lawson, could Pierre Gasly have got the move done on Esteban-Ockon with one-lap fresher tires than that comparison? I don't know. It's tough to say. You're right. It is, I don't even know, I don't know whether to respect it or not how much Pierre

Gasly cares about one championship point. Like it is uber competitive, but at the same time, I think I agree with you, and it's probably more detrimental to the team than is worth it at that point. They're not fighting for a championship. The team knows internally, if Gassley comes home, takes one point, which actually happened, they know that he had the pace to beat Ocon probably. So what? That's the only people that matter in that regard.

It doesn't matter that other people might look back at this in three years' time and say, oh, look, O'Con beat Gasson. that weekend. I can't remember why. Alpine know for their decision making what happened. So I don't know. I'm not overly concerned about it. I don't think it will be an ongoing issue. Again, as long as the communication was okay after the Grand Prix to Pierre Gasly, because I think they can justifiably say why they did this. Now, there's every chance that Alpine mess that up as well because that's what they like to do. But if they were communicative and say, look, let's be honest, Alpine doesn't care how they get their three points,

whether it's three nothing in the favour of Ocon or two, one in the favour of Gaz. It doesn't matter at all to them. Just be honest about that. Gassley might not agree with it, but he's not stupid. He can acknowledge that, yes, the team is trying to score the maximum number of points. I'm trying to score my maximum number of points. Occasionally, those two aren't going to exactly line up. it happens.

Just be honest and upfront about it. Hopefully they were. I doubt they were. But I hopefully they were. Probably just dig it. He's pretty angry because, you know, teammate wars is on the line.

That's what I was about to say. He's pretty thinking, Sam is riding on me. No. I, maybe he thought he actually legitimately ever took him. These guys, he shot him.

You know what? That would be so alpine if that actually happened. Yeah. Oh, man, I'm so good. What a move! From two seconds back. It's like he wasn't moving. I think.

I got, man, you're going to pick up the base. These ties are great. Oh, we are so not funny. I tell you what, though, I was, you know that meme of, like, the guy, like, rubbing his hands together. That was me when P9, O'Con got P9 ahead of Gassley. Just one extra point for T-Mate. I was so annoyed because I was watching them the whole way through on the time boards.

And I saw Gazzley ahead on the final laugh. I thought, yes, another point in the bag. The gap's still a little, isn't it? I'm winging. The gap's a lot still. Gasly's winning, but it's single digits. Eight points, I think. Alpine, that is a lifetime of points.

Yeah, I don't know if I'm getting any more this year. Oh, good job Alpine, keeping the fight alive. I'm going to be the biggest Esteban Okon Stan when we get to Austin, I swear. I want more than you've been this year. Yeah, yeah. I'm going to be, I'm getting a Laplan chance started in our section. I'm in our section. I'm not sure how that goes, yeah.

Ben. Yeah, going to go. It's going to be no one will go with me on that. Just Ben standing. I just be like, shut up, Ben. Shut up. Shut up.

Before we go to our second break, F1 Fantasy. Yeah, boy! We've all done all right. I'm very happy. Yeah, well, give an update and see how we're doing. So we've got a new leader in the league. Red Bull gives you wins.

Is now first place overall. I hate the name for the season. Yeah. Congratulations to you. the top scorer for the Japanese Grand Prix itself was the reverse Monaco so congratulations to whoever you are and then us three

so I had a bad race I'm down to 73rd now crumbling away is I really have just been crumbling away all season I had a really good start soft as great like a feta yeah that's great

I'm really glad I did well in the first three weeks otherwise I'd be down with you I'm just yeah I'm asked them master I was literally about to say that. Riding high from the start of the season. It felt like a lion, then. To be honest,

Astamite is probably the reason I'm not doing very well because I'm still sticking with Alonzo and the team. Yeah. Yeah, they're still the car in my group as well. I need to change that. Yeah. Sam, you're knocking on the door of the top two, top 200, yeah.

I feel like two races ago. I was like top three, Ongdon, I'm happy. I'm five away from top 200. Flying along. I am literally McLaren at this point, picking up all my late points. Don't about you, mate. Speaking of people not in the top 200,

Harry is currently 304th, so you're nearly there. 100 behind me now? We're almost there. Proud of you? 200 is on its way. Like Williams. Straight line merchants. Yeah. Beef's coming.

Beef's on her way. Beef's groveing. Stop. 364. Almost there, beef. Just the 60-gued. Let beef cook. To be fair, she did well in football fantasy.

I join you beef. She's up to second in our football fantasy league. He's a bread How many have you got in that? I don't know. I just want to... I don't want to compliment her if there's any four of you.

It will take me two seconds to check. It will take me two seconds to check. What we're saying she is like medium, medium rare beef now? There's 20 of us in there. Oh, well-down beef. Is she second? Oh, good on, yeah.

Should I go who's first? Who? Me? Good. Ha-ha. Don't get it's football, mate. Not a real sport. Football schmibble.

Thank you, sportsman. Is David Beffman in your team? Yeah. Wayne Rooney? Yep. Okay, more. Darry Lenica. Yes.

Pelle. Oh, no, boys. Right. Boy more. Okay. That'll do it. That'll do it for, I was going to say for the Alpine chat.

That wasn't much Alpine chat at the end of that. Anyway, we'll be discussing the stewards and their inconsistencies, believe it or not, after this. Cast as a podcast, inconsistently bad. No, we're consistently bad. That's true. I meant we're sometimes awful. Inconsistently good.

Yeah, we're ever good. Consistently inconsistent with analogies. That I dedicate my life to. Okay, going back to some news from a few weeks ago. So if you remember Singapore Grand Prix qualifying, Max Verstappen didn't have a good day. But it could have been even worse if we've been given a penalty for impeding. Now, he got two reprimands off the back of three investigations in that session,

one of which against Yuki-Sanoda seemed to be, personal opinion, a bit of a slam dunk. One of the stewards has since admitted the decision not to give him a penalty was a mistake. And a few drivers have also weighed in on this. We've got a few of them here. George Russell, he said, it was definitely a bit strange to see Max get away with those reprimands last week. We obviously always look for consistency. And Carlos Seins said, it's just a shame that the guy that is dominating and winning in pretty much every race, he's the only one that gets away with it while all the others we've had a penalty this year

and when I say everyone it's everyone has had pretty much a penalty so it's a bit strange hopefully they learn from it Sam what's your thoughts on this do you think that the lack of penalty was surprise and what are your thoughts on the admission of this when I saw this come out I made one noise and I went hmm I think stop eight I hate that phrase cost Cappen. I'm so sorry. Choss Cappen's the one that gets me. It's really good to be fair.

Well, I came up with that, Bravo. A lot of rubbish, but it's funny. You don't want to go down the train of, you know, bias and favouritism, but it is weird that the one guy who's winning everything,

who has got, you know, a very strong following on one side of things has gotten away without a penalty, which I think every single other driver would have been awarding some kind of penalty. It was a sound down penalty, Ben, you're right in your analysis. It was, you know,

were given. And it was the communication that came out afterwards when they were all being told to come to the stewards room. You know, the Alpha Tower representative got a WhatsApp message about wanting to turn up, turned up late, so couldn't do anything. I don't think he turned up at all. I thought he turned up like 10 minutes after.

Okay. And literally, I also didn't think he turned up at all. So they have a lot of time session. They're allowed to turn up in. And he was like, I was doing something. So I was late.

And then never got saying it. But then it's just weird. Obviously, it's the time related and that their team related rather. So, you know, it's the Cisco team. It all just feels a, you know, it's hard to not say it feels a bit doggie. It feels a bit like we didn't make the effort. Yeah.

A little bit of, oh. A little bit fishy. It's a pong going around around here. Pongy. You know. Harmon. These, yeah, a bit far. My point here is you have to be consistent.

And how many times on this podcast, too many, have we gone about stewards, not implementing rules consistently? time after time we have done it. Like the backing up of the pit lane, right? He did that as well. He slowed right down on the exit of the pit lane when everyone's coming out and qualifying. And everyone was like, he's literally standstill.

And GP came over the radio and went, oh, yeah, that's fixed. You can drive on now. Didn't Ted Kravitz say that he sees everyone do that, though? Well, we never see it on the telly. And I'm not Ted Krague. And he was there in exceptionally long amount of time. And both Hamilton and Russell behind him were like,

is there a problem? And it feels weird that other drivers would bring it up if it was the same for everyone immediately going, as he got something wrong with him because he ain't moving. And he got away with that as well. And then they literally came out

after that session, we won't allow that though. So don't all try to do it in the next Grand Prix. And it's just two, twice, you know? You know how you avoid someone not doing something again? How's that, mate? penalised them the first time.

Hey, you got it. Logic, mate. We don't allow that in. The race cures don't belong in that realm of logic. Anyway, rules are made so you can consistently apply them and people understand the limits of whatever they're doing, whether it be the law of the world or the country you're living, or it be a sport or it be a TV show, right?

They are given the rules, they understand the rules. If you break them, you get penalised. And that is how the sport functions. Otherwise, all rules can be broken at any point. You go, if you didn't penalise me for this other thing, so I won't get a penalty for this one now. And it's just, we have been at such detriment with the race skewers for a few. few years now, pretty much since the chaos of 21. It's felt pretty bad. There's been some,

you know, a log of talking points. We need one or two permanent, you know, race directors slash stewards who are going to give up these penalties who fully understand the rules, when to apply them. And I would like, I think we've said this before, a in the moment message or mini radio segment from inside the stewards that have said, we are applying this penalty because of this reason. and then, you know, even if they cite examples after that, that makes it apply, fine. But I want to hear from them immediately and I don't want any, oh, we'll discuss it after the session, even though it's within the first 15 minutes of the session and they've got 45 minutes left to do it as well. They make me really angry.

What are they, in the race, they have to make decisions and sometimes they don't, but they mainly do what they sat there doing in, quality? Literally, what your job is to do the same thing as the race? What are you doing? That's just be like they sat there for an hour ago, we'll look at that after. Are they watching an episode and they've gone We can't turn away from that

Pause Yeah, all right We'll do it after A series of sex education Play We better I can't notice is doing something Wow

This is very in depth About a specific series Great reference It was I'm enjoying it Good stuff Good thing we didn't go off the rails there at all Harry,

what's your for us? I Look, I won't Go into the tinfoil territory As to why Go on, do it No, I'm not doing it

I'm not You are on the edge of me it. But the fact that, oh, Discord going off. The fact that the Al-Fatari member didn't turn up or was 10 minutes late, whatever, fine, whatever, this is a bit dodgy. But I'll be, you know, I'll probably, I'll be optimistic about it and say that's not on purpose. Probably foolish, but whatever.

That shouldn't be, to. because to me that feels like the anomaly in this compared to all the other ones and that it's been based on the fact, well, the AFTRA team member didn't turn up so, well, we can get away with it because they're not following up on their complaint. Yeah.

Well, that's just a ridiculous way. You can't rule a sport like that. It'll be like burgling someone and the shopkeeper not making it to the court in time, but you've got them on CCTV and when we are watching you burgle, but because the shopkeeper's not turned up, you're free to go.

Not pressing charges. Yeah, I... So for me, that's probably the main issue here. I know it's the inconsistency, but what it feels like, they've not made what is, again, to me, a slam-dung decision. Because the other team didn't fall up and complain about it. And I'm totally with you, Sam.

Make them in making his decision. If it is a slam-dun. We said this in Spain last year, when Fernando Alonso from his car made a penalty decision quicker than the stewards did. That's got me five seconds. It was like that's at three places. I watched it on the telly while doing 200 miles an hour.

It should be able to be done during the sessions. There isn't really an excuse. I don't care if you're watching sex education. Good show. Watch it in your own time. Correct. Not in work time. Yeah, right?

We're not allowed to watch things in work time. I am actually. Sam's allowed to watch things in work time. For me and Ben probably aren't. As Ben says, no, not usually. No, okay, good. So this is not what the stewards are. doing. They may be inconsistent. We don't know.

Might as well be. But they should be making these decisions in the time that it happens in Kali. If there's a real, you know, 50-50 incident, then I can understand, you know, viewing it after Kali. But for things like that, when it's a slam dunk pen, and we all know it's a slam dunk pen, just call it then. The only time you need to make a decision after the session is if it happens in literally the last three minutes of a session. I don't watch a lot of IndyCar qualifying, but did they often get their lap times taken away for things like that, don't they? Yes. Do that. It's a great punch. Easy. Boom. Get on with everyone. Yeah. You lose your fastest lap time. Yeah. And you bring out yellow flags, bring out red flags.

That costs you laps as well. Yeah. I mean, even in the instance of like 50-50 decisions, it works the same way in every sport where like they make them in the most. moment, 50% of people are going to be annoyed, 50% are going to be happy. That's how it works. Like, it's not going to be a case where you're on the football pitch and there's a slightly dodgyish tackle that somewhat gets the ball, somewhat gets the man. And it's like, oh, you know, we're not going to make a decision about that because it's too close to it being 50-50. We'll just have a look at it afterwards. You make the decision in the moment. Sometimes the referee gets it what you think is right. Sometimes the referee gets what you think is wrong. But he makes the

decision straight away. And I think that's, that's how it should be done. I think the good thing about all of this is, at least this Stewart has admitted they're wrong. I'm always a fan of admitting your errors. I don't think the three of us are unrealistic in saying there will be some mistakes. There will always be mistakes. We're all human. The problem is here, it hasn't come from the FIA itself that they made a mistake. And also, if it had done, you want to hear what they're going to do about it.

It's all very well saying there was an error made. should have done this, this was a mistake. I don't care too much about that bit. What I care more about is, okay, we made this mistake. Here's what we're doing to ensure we're limiting the amount of times it happens again. Here's the processes that we're reviewing to make sure it doesn't happen again. That's what I care about, but there's nothing, it's silence, utter silence on that sort of front. So that's the bit I'm most concerned about or the bit I would like to see included that isn't at the moment. On the Alfa Tauri team member

not showing up or showing up late, I can't believe I'm having to say this line because it sounds so stupidly obvious, but penalties should be given out based on the incident and not the reaction of the other team. Like, it doesn't matter that it's Al-Fa-Tauri if it was Aston Martin, Al-Pi,

it doesn't matter. It's not like, again, going back to football, it's not like, oh, we're not going to give, we're not going to give that guy a red card. Well, why not? the manager wasn't very animated. But it'd just be utter stupidity, which is. The player didn't scream out in agony, so we're not going to give red cards.

Exactly. And it would be stupid in any other sport. So why shouldn't it also be stupid in this sport? They should make the decisions at the time. It was a slam dunk penalty. Carlos signs, hopefully they learn from it. And it is hope because you can't definitively say they will.

And in all honesty, Carlos, be prepared for some disappointment. because they probably won't learn from this. This was the one and only thing this year that I can think of that they were actually somewhat applying consistently. Generally speaking, if there is an impeding in a session, they get a three-place grid penalty. Nine times out of ten, yeah. It's maybe the one area of stewarding.

This is the 10th one. Yeah, exactly. It's just the one area of stewarding that is usually okay. And even they, I can't even have that. You can't even give me that FIA. I don't say this seriously. He's... Pete Gazzley ever, yeah, I know.

Pete Gazzal, we're angry. He's got his sausage out there. Losing my point, man. I don't say this seriously and meaning it a lot, but I genuinely feel like we could do a better job. I know that sounds like I do genuinely feel like we could do a better job. There are many things that we could do a better job at their most professionals in any environment, but stewarding F1.

I don't feel like you really need to be a professional to understand applying a rule set. I don't know how that's hard. to do. I think we'd smash it. I mean, getting a consistent rule set would be all right to begin with because we've had this maximum lap time in qualifying recently. It was in place for Italy. They got rid of it in Singapore and then they brought it back in for Japan. Yeah, what are you doing? I'm sick of it. Move on for I get actually angry. What are you doing? Peter and Ben, we're going to be barbecue and our sausage is in rage. Actually, we are going from an angry point to quite a solemn point here. So we do need to get quite serious.

Okay. Peace be with you. Sorry. there is a report that the FIA has rejected three applications for a new team, but one team is still alive. Now, we believe that that team is Andretti, which fundamentally is good news. However, if this is true, that would mean Pollock Racing might not be on the grid. I'm very sad. Oh, no.

The dream's dead. Pollock racing You know like when Homer Simpson has that pet lobster And he aims up putting him in the bath And then he eats it That'll be like me with Pollock racing the fish What's so tasty What's he called?

Shrimp-pee or something like that I'll just Google that a second What was Homer Simpson Oh that's a lot of that's what I would be like With the fish that is Pollock Racing I don't want to make my point now Until I know the name of the lobster Please hold

what is the name of famous pinchy pinchy oh no puch the realisation of the realisation of the gorgeous smell of lobster cooking

in the subplot Homer buys a lobster with the intention of fattening him up to eat but he bonds with a crustacean and keeps him as a pet name pinchy I don't actually think

Pollock racing ended up as one of those applicants I don't think they even got to that stage Anyway, I think that dream's dead. But it looks like Andretti's dream lives on a little bit longer. Maybe going to be an 11th team. Sam, what's your thoughts on this news? They haven't been rejected.

Is that positive? Yeah, I mean, yes, it is. But I'm really frustrated about this whole process. We were meant to find out about this. I feel like earlier on. I feel like we're late in finding out this information. I thought we're sorry, yeah. We are late on the second revised timeline at this point.

The revised timeline, I think, was, we'd get a result two weeks ago at the latest. Great. So, it was a first timeline. We've had a failure on the first timeline, so it gives a second timeline that they're now late on the second timeline after failing the first timeline. Brilliant. And then the result of the second timeline, which was then having to be revised again due to failing of times, is not even remotely positive. I want to know what the criteria is that these teams are being failed on. and why a company as big as Andretti,

what they call, Angretti Global now, I think that's their official name now. You know, why they haven't got the credentials to just walk straight into this sport? They got the dollar bill, a lot of it. They got the engine supply ready to go. They've got the factory. They've got the street cred.

They've got the sponsorships lined up. Drivers will happily race for them. I don't understand what is even holding this decision back other than, oh, our prize money. You know, like that's the whole point of all. the stuff that you set up in the first place to be the rules for safe and secure racing. And I feel like with high tech, who was another one, and then there was a third team that we vaguely knew the team of, the name of, right?

Carlin was another. Right. And then Lucky Sungs. And that's the other one. So I feel like Carlin, high tech and Gretti, they wouldn't be applying to Formula One if they didn't know that they could meet the requirements. All of them are in some of another racing sport. Carling are doing comfortably well and Indy car now as well, really holding

their own. Andretti are everywhere. They are like America's sweetheart racing team. And high tech have been around in the junior formula for so long that I don't really know what they're, well, I say so long, I think it's not decades, but they're pretty solid, solid, you know, you know, my point is, I'll put my headphones out. That's what my point is. My point is, these teams are not walking off the street who we haven't heard of before. And we have had teams that have done that previously. You know, in the last 10, 15 years, we've had teams that we've never really even heard of that got to be on the grid for most. multiple years gone bankrupt and we've been left without spots.

But I just don't understand what this negative criteria is to stop them from walking. The fact we might only get one of these applicants is, I think, pretty atrocious. I think it is stopping the sport from growing. I think it is monopolizing Formula One to be only allowed of existing competitors. And I think that is the wrong way to do it. It should be an open to joint sport as long as you find, no. Fulfill. fulfill a fit and proper test

that Formula One have established which I thought they already had with the budget requirements and the ability to create a factory, the right size, etc, etc, etc. So I don't understand. I do got to understand the criteria. It's like arguing with someone that has nothing to do it apart from like,

it's when like your mum and dad you should tell your office kid and they went, no, and you go, why? Because I said so. Because mum and dad said so. And you're like, that's not an answer. That's not an answer, is it, mum and dad? I hate that.

10 and I've made my point and it's better than yours and they've gone, I don't care, I'm your mum and dad. They're both the same person. Oh, oh, mum and dad, you're well hard. Anyway, absolutely going to rinse that argument there one day. Yeah. I will use it myself, but this isn't Formula One. You're going to hold off for this as well. Oh, yeah, they'll get a text later. My point is, Formula One are being grumpy mum and dad who can't be able to buy you the toy despite making a brilliant argument for it. What was your brilliant argument? I can't remember. I won it. 18 years ago. Yeah, I mostly agree with you, Sam, in that the problem is there is no way of knowing whether these teams are making the grade or not.

Like, there could be an instance where all three of the teams they've rejected here, there are very legitimate reasons for doing so. But because this whole process is so masked, we've got no idea. We can't, we have to speculate. There's no definitive, this is why, which is what we'd love. but of course that would involve good communication. From Andretti's perspective, it's positive that they haven't been rejected at the same time as others.

You know, it lives on a little bit longer even if it ends up in rejection. My fear at this point is that the conditions they'll have to enter under are going to be so disadvantageous that it's going to leave them uncompetitive to the point where we might as well not have an 11th team. I feel like

F1, because the FIA want this to happen, F1 don't want this to happen. I feel like the teams are going to band together to the point where, okay, you can enter the sport, but only if you pay one billion up front, which sounds like a joke, but honestly, it wouldn't shock me if they turn around with that figure. And also, you don't get a fair amount of the prize money for the first 10 years. They're going to turn around and make it so different. the cards are going to be so stacked against Andretti early on, that it is going to be really difficult for them to be competitive in the first few years.

This is, this hasn't even got to its most explosive, I don't think. I know we had quite a lot at the beginning of this year, and it's kind of been going on in the background ever since. I still think it's going to go right up to the absolute deadline whenever that is. And it's going to, there are fireworks to come. I think, because fundamentally you've got two massive bodies that disagree with what should happen here. And I think FIA versus F1 is going to be a public explosive matchup at some point in the not too distant future. Can I ask a question for clarity reasons?

If you must. Because I'm going to love it in my life. Are the rules different if you buy out an existing team such as Audi buying Salba? Yes. Yeah. Why? F1, isn't it? Doesn't make sense.

You're a different company. Why are the rules different? Yeah, good question. Right? I don't get it. Yeah, I mean, the entry fee of $200 million is unlikely to be adhered to anyway. I don't know what that number is going to end up at, but you can just, you can tell it's going to be something ridiculous.

Mr. Andretti just offer Gene Haas, $800 million up front for the team and kick him out of the sport. Me the real American team that we deserve. Is when they do that and then they still run grey cards. If I see another grey car in Formula One, I will actually scream. Good. Thoughts on it, Harry? I am with you.

I want more teams in Formula One. And, you know, I sort of missed that, not the world, we were ready around for it, but like, you know, late 80s, early 90s, they let anyone in. Anyone? And for hilarity reasons. Any Jordan? if they let EJ in, yeah. So nothing more needs to be said.

For hilarity reasons, I love it. But for actually the good of the sport, was it good? Probably not. Perry McCarthy would say no. Perry McCarthy would say no. And try a moda. Look it up. So with the, and the FAA so far, or at least Mohammed Ben Suleim,

has very much been on the side of new teams, which makes me think that whatever these conditions are, that they need to meet. Discord. Please stop. Is that Mohammed Bengh Sili? Yeah, he's on the Discord. You don't know.

I love that idea. Cheers, man. On Discord. Cheers, man. But my point is that there must be, I would assume, something that these teams have not met the criteria on. Andretti Global, as we say,

they're huge, they're going to meet the criteria. High Tech and Carlin, they're very big teams, but they're not an Andretti and I can see why that might happen and lucky sons or whatever I mean that was never going to happen that was basically Andrea Moda happening again

so they were never going to make it in I mean most people hadn't even heard of them I don't think until that announcement came out so yeah I understand that so for that I understand because I don't I don't want a team to come in I don't want a HRT situation again because as you say like you said Ben

it'll be entirely pointless having a team hit that doesn't do anything. The family racing team were rubbish. They were terrible. They were, and they, all of those teams were destined and should have done more, but the sport wasn't in a fit state for them,

that, for them to compete. Yeah. Whereas now I think maybe they could be. So I'm hopeful that they could compete. All the points you make are very good, but I want more teams. I, I,

100% of one more, but I just don't want, I'm not letting just anyone in. I want at least 12 teams. I am with you. I miss having 24, slots on the grid. Falsh. I'm 100% agree. I just want good ones. So from that. And then in terms of, and I'm with you, Ben, I think it's all going to bloody kick off in the, probably in the off season.

And we'll have lots to talk about. Yeah. Cheers. Cheers, everyone. Mohammed's looking out for us. Yeah. He's on the Discord. I got your boys. Blop. But I read the other day, or something the other day, that F1 may not have much of a leg to stand on here. And by actual, I don't know, was it, EU law or something. sporting law. Yeah, can't just reject it if the FIOs said yes.

But as you say, Ben, they may try and find other ways by making them pay a trillion pounds in pennies. So that with a dump truck.

Who did that? Was that Coca-Cola or Pepsi or someone had to pay a fine and they dig it all in one cent coins? That's petty. In fact,

that'd be funny if they have to be a trillion pounds and then, or a trillion dollars and they turn up and it's a truck full of... We'd have to be more

than a truck a whole street. Yeah. Anyway, um, off topic. So I think, I think F1, as I say, may not actually have much of a choice here, but it's going to kick off. So I'm not necessarily mad at the FIA for not letting them all in, if I'm honest, the main topic of this. And if we're going to have one, Andretti be the one I'd

want, so. Yeah, Andretti is top of the list, unless we're going to get a proper, like, car manufacturer as well, that we've got, like, to, you know, Toyota comes back or something that Lamborghini want to turn up. Andretti is still with Chevy, right? And there's, yeah, That Chevy's skilling. Yeah, okay. Indeed. Right, we'll take our final break. Real or no real makes an appearance on the other side.

Rig, ring, mofos. Oh, God. Just swap seats, don't we do. Let's go. Real or no real? Do. Do, da, da, da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da. Incredible.

Such a banger. If you don't know what real and no real is, basically it's true or false, just with a lot of funny twists in the game. Ben and Harry, are you working together or against each other today? We did together, didn't we last time? Yeah.

I'll let you choose. I don't mind. Do it together again if you fancy. Just do it together. Oh, yeah. Okay. Basically, folks, I will give out six possible questions. They're either real or no real.

hence frame of the game. And I will then coordinate with my friend the banker to work out if the boys are correct. One to six, boys, which one would you like first? I'll remember I got to delete them this time as well, so I can actually know what ones we've done. Don't worry about it. Six.

That's a good number, let's go with that. That's a great start as well to the questions. Okay. The first ever can of Red Bull was sold in 1987. This was the year that Sebastian Vetter was born. Because of this, the team in the garage called him, Sebastian can, Vettel Absolutely not

No, you can put the tent to If you want to, but it's not happening It's a good effort Oh, he's in It's been a while Is it Sepastikam? Hold on, I've got to pick up the phone Can you not talk over the phone, please?

Hello, mate, yeah, you're right I know, you got Bing on a while Is that Shai Twain you've got on? That's good, isn't it? Yeah, I'll tell you. All right. Cheers, mate. Talk a bit.

Chinatway. He said, let's go, girls. He's very excited about being back on. Yeah, it's no real. It's no real. That's probably the most obvious no real I've ever heard. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I can have a second, make a mark. Sebastian can. We set a tight, like, can we set the stopwatch for how long it took both myself and Harry to go, no, no.

I don't think I figured for sentences. No. Good, okay. Did you say Sebastian and Kettle? That's an old joke. Sebastian Kettle. Okay. That's the next one.

Sebastian Vettel liked to make teas. Surround the carriage. He's a corner of Sebastian Kettle. One to five. What would you like next? Slats. You choose, Ben. Two.

Two. I think you might get this one, but it's a fun one for those who may be a new to Formula One. Schumacher, through a very drunken paddock party. You'll work out which one it is. In Suzuki, after winning one of his titles.

Ralph threw a TV out the window. And Michael and Olivier Panis and some Ferrari crew went Joy, Joy riding in a forklift. Real or no real? This is real, isn't it? I think so, yeah. I guess like using the music, folks.

It's quite fun. Ring, win. He takes forever to pick up. Well, is he doing? He's ringing you. I'm ringing for you. But why is it ringing then? So we can hear me on the phone?

Oh, my God. Hello, mate. Yeah, yeah. Oh, you called him Ralphie the Malfi to his face, and that's why he threw the TV out the window. Oh, wow. You've been around a bit, I think you, man. I wonder you're on this show.

Good stuff. All right, yeah, yeah, I'll let him know. Okay, bye, wait, yeah, wait. You put the phone down. Yeah, good. Yeah, so it's real. Oh, good. We're smashing it so far, Ben.

You're killing it. I also, I think I, you know, I run through these pretty quick. We are rapidly going through these. It's two for nil. Number four. Number four? Ben happening number four? Sure.

This is a great one. Damon Hill, aka Dill. Correct. That is got the question. Is a very good guitar player and recorded a fantastic guitar solo on a deaf leopard song. Real or no real? I think this might be real.

I don't know. I don't know this. I know he's a good good guitar player. But I don't know whether he did this. Go with you. Go with you, Ben. Yeah, we'll go say that's real. Okay. Here we go again. Oh, he picked.

He's ready. You picked it. Oh, I'd really enjoy why I didn't you up with this. It's a lot of fun. Yeah, you didn't know either. No, I know. I know. Don't really listen to Death Leopard.

Stupid name for a band, isn't it? Yeah. All right, mate. Cool. Yeah, it's real. Oh. Hello, Damon. What's the witch deaf leopard?

I can't remember anything right down. It's called Dil. I was trying to load it, and I stupidly was trying to load it on the tube on the way here to get the answer sorted. and I didn't have the single. So gave up. I just stopped.

And that is the commitment I put into this podcast. I was sped into this game. Yeah. So you have one, five, and three, me Lord. Three. Let's go one. This is a great one. Bernie Eccleston earned the nickname Bernie after he set,

after he overcooked his toast in the paddock one year in the 70s. Hang on. He's nicknamed Bernie. Bernie. He bites his toast. As in Bernie with a U. Yes. Absolutely not.

Ben's gone. If this is real. I can't, I don't have words for it if this is real. Bernie. Bernie the Bernie. Yeah, Bernie with a U. No, I refuse to acknowledge this would actually be real. Sam, when you're putting together real or no real,

Do you like select a couple of real ones and then think, how do I make a funny pun out of me? That might be my life, you know? So when a real one comes along, maybe it gets into the show. Sebastian Bettele. That's great. Bernie Eccleston. Bernie. No, not real.

What was he called before that, by the way? His full name. Bernard. Yeah. All right. Okay. The game came about because it fit nicely. Anyway, what would you like to answer?

Real I know. I have to go, no real. No real. Let's call up and ask. It might be, maybe he's making some toast. Hello. You weren't making toast. I do say if you smell toast,

you're having a stroke. You might have a stroke. So you are making good. He's making some toast. Don't burn it. Don't burn it. Or do you have on it? Nutella.

That he's great. You have a Nutella? Have I ever had Nutella? Yes. All right, mate. Cool. Back for the next couple. Sing a minute.

The answer is If you say real, I swear to God No real Oh thank God for that Actually came from Yock and Ring The Gink game What, he burnt the toast Yeah

He just called him Bernie for fun All right That's what I thought the story was So I was really confused And that's where it's stuck from Oh man Oh it's good story though Burning

Yeah Yeah fake story Anyway you're 100% record at the moment You're doing brilliantly well How are you doing at home Playing along hopefully I hope I haven't made you think the phone's ringing. Two left.

You've got five and three. Five, isn't it? Five, yeah, I'm counting of three, yeah. Correct. I will end the game early. Okay. Pelle presenting Michael Schumacher with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.

I think I know where this is going. When Kimmy Riking was asked about the presentation, he's taking it as he was doing a poo. Are you going to be technical about this? Well, it's in. He didn't actually say that word. Oh, no, I had to censor the words for this is a family show. Sorry, the tension's run out.

Because I said poo. The sound like, nah, kill the tension. This is entirely real. If you've not seen this, folks, just Google, Kimmy Rikin, Brazilian GP 2006, Martin Brundel or something like that. Martin's Gridwalk, and he asks about whether he saw Pele. And he said, no, I was having a... Beep.

Pooh. I would go to the other screen. but I don't know how to get there quick enough. Don't worry about it, mate. Thanks. Going real, Ben. Yep, it's real. So he's far on the toilet.

That'd be all going to. I did tell him I'd ring back. But he's bringing you. Hello, mate. You've been listening at the hangout on the toilet. Good, good. Don't forget to flush, though. Yeah, you're Kimmy.

What little jokes, Jay. Pelle, though. Legend. All right, yeah. We've got one more left, so don't go anywhere. Okay. Good. All right.

Yeah, this is real. Oh, thank you. Still tense. It's very tense. It's got one more to go. You can lose it all. Continuing the tension. Three.

What one would you like, boys? The tension is done. Three. Number three, my lord, it is. This one, I reckon it could get you. Come on them. It's going to get you. Ron Dennis is such a control freak.

My words, not the stories. That when he was team principal of McLaren, he used to have his drive covered in the same. gravel that they used for track runoff areas so he understood it better. Oh. If anyone would. Yeah. I'm talking to say that's real.

I don't think anyone else in the paddock would do that. But Ron Dennis probably would. Yeah. Oh, yeah, let's go real. It's probably not, but I think I'd like to think that is real. So, real? I would go real, yeah. Here we go, folks.

The final. You're all gagging. for it to end, so here we go. Honestly, I hope no Leiblins does do us one day so we don't have to do this ever again. Oh, good, Mike's like it ring for a while this time. You know? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

You like a gravity drive. Doesn't it sound nice when your tyres got over it, though? ASMR on the drive home. TikTok, I'd love it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. They'll be pretty annoyed about that. All right, I'll let him know. It's absolutely like a rubbish, lad.

Of course I make it out. No, real. I could believe it. Yeah, I could believe it. This is where someone messages in who used to work there and went, he actually does do that. Ron Dennis messages in. I did do that.

Hello. I'm Ron Dennis. And I did do that. Hi, I'm Ron Dennis. Still it bang. And bang, and the championship's gone. There you go. That's real.

No real. Another round. Thank God. Do the rave. Do the rave out. Yellow one. See you later. Solid there for that.

I think that went. Play yourselves on the back. Five out of six. You didn't get the $250. Probably got off at like $12,000. $3.96 pounds. And we got 96P. Yeah.

Okay, this is pretty nothing. Yeah, there we go. Yeah. Oh, look at you fading it out. Anyway, thanks for listening. That was a wild ride. Go on then, Ben. It was a wild ride.

Christ. But rides don't get wilder than what is about to follow, because I enjoyed real or no real. it was a great segment on this podcast, but it is not one thing. And that is the greatest segment in all of Formula One podcasting. It is the...

LB Question of the week. It was an old-school one, that wouldn't it? That was an original harmoniser. I mixed it up. Because this week has been an absolute bloody belter. We've never had more answers. Over 160 answers across both Twitter and Instagram. Oh, that's been my favourite one ever.

Question being, we're relying on predictive text here. Type in late breaking is into your text bar. What does predictive text finish your sentence as? So many answers. Are there any you like? But, I mean, there's so many. Well, this one clearly isn't predictive text. And someone just thought they'd write a nice message, which I really appreciate.

Thank you, Kira, for saying the late breaking podcast episode was the best part. And it made her heart smile. And I would say that you've written that and not its predictive text. I think you've just tried to cover it up. as predictive. The one that a lot of people have liked on Instagram

is, and I liked it as well, the late breaking podcast is a good idea but it doesn't make any sense. So true. So accurate. The late breaking podcast

is a bit of a good time. Oh, you are correct. Cheers, Moggy 17. The late breaking podcast is the most popular in all the world of your life. I'm correct, I guess.

The late break. podcast is so good and sungy. It is. Can I say? I've not seen this one yet. But Laura, still banned, by the way,

Ben's partner, Ben's written, and I'm guessing this is predictive. Late breaking is a bath. Late breaking is a bath and an early night night, and sleep at night, my angel,

day off work tomorrow night. She must be exhausted. The late breaking podcast is a nice place. amazing. If you ever watch us on YouTube, folks, you may concur. The Late Breaking Podcast is the only way to get the rest of the week off.

Not true, but like it anyway, Alex McKenna. I've got a few that I will read out, but my favourite one just to get this in there now was from Joe Fish Jay on Instagram, which is, The Late Breaking podcast is a flight from London to Toronto to Toronto to Toronto to San Francisco on Friday night

and we'll be at your place in around 10 minutes. You really kept going with those. I love that the flight went from Toronto to Toronto. And then we'll be it yours in 10. That's why it only took 10 minutes. Take off a land. I loved this one from Tevas, which said the late breaking podcast is a good one.

And I have to get a ride to work on it. But I don't have a plan. This is not auto-correct, but God bless Nathan Little for carrying on this joke. Of my word, course he did. The late-breaking podcast is Gavin. Maybe he just types gammon so much at the phone's dog

Yeah, it could have to be entirely plausible The Late Breaking podcast Is a great way to think about it Before having a vaccine Oh, we are medically aware Don't do that Inferno Jim

The Late Breaking podcast Is a great way To get a sense of the difference Between the two cars And the car itself So true So true Ben have you got any others

Written on your actual favourite list? I do There were so many I'd have to stop writing at some point But Mrs. Cammex The late breaking F1 podcast is on my way to the moon to get my kids. Annette, the late breaking F1 podcast, is near impossible for the first two hours.

Oh, that is true. You have to really get through it. Yeah. Lydia, the late breaking F1 podcast is true or false. Yeah. Or real or no, real. F1 back and forth. And is there one on Twitter as well?

This is one from Phil on Twitter, and it is slight difference in it. It's the late breaking F1 podcast has rather than it is. The Late Breaking F-1 podcast has been released by the New Jersey Department for Education. John J. Ward on Instagram, the late-breaking podcast is a bit of a struggle. Which is fair. And the final, similar vein from Ali, the late-breaking podcast was great for the first few months, but it wasn't as good for the rest. Fair. Oh, that's not predicted, is it?

You know, you're not a fan anymore, I. Oh, no. I do have to bring up a slight gripe with a lot of you. I'm sorry, I can't let it go. Oh, here we go. Learn to spell the right breaking. I'm sick of it. It's in the bloody, it's on the picture that you look at to read it correctly.

Spell it right. We should have picked a better name. Yeah, what should we change it to now? Let's do it. Pollock racing. Yeah, done. Late barking. Let's get fishy with it.

Oh, my lord. I mean, yeah, that has been some of the best answers we've ever had. We obviously haven't read out even, what, like five to ten percent. No, so many. have read out the majority of these to ourselves to each other off air and we have enjoyed so, so many. So thank you for so many people getting involved. That's the most we've ever had. Thank you very much indeed. And we'll come up with a different one for next Monday. Usually we'll be posting that on Instagram and Twitter Monday evening UK time.

I think that's going to do it for this episode. We are back on Sunday, of course, though, Sam. We are back on Sunday. Not sure what we're going to be chatting about yet, but I can guarantee you, it will be Formula One related. Could be. I don't mean we can guarantee that. I would not guarantee that. That's true. We did talk about Pinky the lobster on this show.

Pinky! Pinky! Thank you for listening. Thanks for getting through Realong O'O with me. It humours me and that keeps me going for a couple of months. What a live show come out if you didn't know? What's that, Ben? Oh! What a save!

Oh. So close. It's on K-Dog, but... Well, well done K-Dog, because actually we have got two birthday shoutouts for September. So happy birthday to Sing Eva on September 24th and Brandy on September 30th. We thank you for your incredible support because that is top tier stuff on Patreon.

You're a fine girl. Brandy. Good. Good. Oof. No. Happy birthday of the week. No.

Anyway, join the Patreon if you want a shoutout. Get in the Discord, the links in the description. Linking the descripti. Late Breaking F1 on all social media or subscribe to the yubtubs for video formats of these episodes where a lot of people are hugely disappointing as to what we look like and I tell you now we are as well. So I've happened a lot lately people saying they're just quite disappointed. What do you think we look like? Yeah, anyway. Honestly, what are we doing here? That's it. Cheers. Cheers. You look at me like, what do I do?

Sorry. Sorry. Anyway, this has been painful and I've been Samuel Sage. been bad hocking and i've been beefie she was never going to be out of the else i remember keep breaking late piercathly so angry

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