The Late Braking F1 Podcast - Late Braking F1 Podcast: 03/10/19

Episode Date: October 3, 2019

Power? Dixon? Rossi? Ben and Harry discuss which Indycar drivers they would like to see in F1, as well as who should join George Russell at Williams in 2020 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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harry ye joining me today we've got some really juicy topics that we're going to get involved in i'm sure you'll find a way to um go all the way around a topic without concluding anything but that is my specialty so Of course, I'm joking. We're going to be talking about who we think should be taking the second William's seat alongside George Russell in 2020. And also about the bonus point. Now we've had a bit of time, bit of exposure to it. There's been a survey recently that has apparently said that people love it.

We'll be talking about how effective it has been. But first of all, IndyCar. Now this is related to Formula One. So don't think that this is going to go off into a full IndyCar podcast. But... America. The IndyCar series has come to an end in 2019, Joseph Newgarden, winning his second championship. And it got us thinking, which of the current IndyCar drivers we would like to see in Formula One?

Now, of course, this used to happen much more back in, say, the 60s, but due to a number of factors, including the length of the Formula One season now, doesn't see it very often at all. So, Harry, who would you most like to see within the IndyCar world to come over to Formula One? I would like to see. There are a number of drivers I'd like to see. Willpower won, because he's a decent driver and got a great name. Imagine that. He does have an exceptional name. Willpower has the willpower to win.

Yeah, willpower. Scolody, he'd be on my list to come over as well. I think both of them. I think didn't Scottie D test an iPhone car at some point a while ago? A long time ago, maybe. Yeah. Was it Williams or? Yeah.

I'm sure it's BMW powered. Yeah. I had a BMW in it. Let's say, just leave that. Yeah, so Scott Dixon, Willpower, Joseph Newgard and I think if you're a double champ, then you're definitely worthy of coming over to F1. Who else for I like?

Alexander Ross, if you've technically seen an F1, but that kid's got a lot of talent. Can I say to Coomisato? If you would like to see Coomisato and F1 again, you can say him. I mean, he's still winning races. The guy's like 82 years old now. And still winning races.

Let's just get that. Yes, they'd be top of my list. Who else would I pick out from there? Not Santino Ferruci. That's something. I mean, Felix Rosenquist, and he counts from the formulary and IndyCar world, but he's definitely got the talent to be in their funker.

A lot of talented guys in there. Marcus Erickson. Good old Markey Eck. You can make it big an F1 one day that guy. All right, let me make it tough for you. You can only take one driver. All right, okay, fine. Oof.

Out of everyone there. Yep. I think I'd go Scott Dixon. That's tough though, because I think either Hill or World Power I'll be my top two. But I think Scotty D. Yeah. I'll take Scott D.

And I think there's a good case for both Dixon and power because they have been, they actually have the, the record tied for the most wins at circuits in IndyCar history. Of course, you know, some of the circuits are oval, some are circuits, but Willpower and Scottie Dixon are both very good on circuits. So theoretically, they would transition quite well into the Formula One world. My choice, though, is not going to be either of them. As much as I would like to see both of those guys involved, I am going to go for someone who has, albeit limited, experience in Formula One,

which seems weird that we've got this massive control with this situation, and I'm going to go for someone we've already seen in Formula One. But Alexander Rossi, I really think he would be, it would be great to see more of him in Formula One. And he raced, what, five times back with Manor. Oh, God, Manor. It's just memories are flooded back, you know, replacing Roberto Merri for a few races. But he showed really good potential in what was a terrible car.

I think he outperformed Will Stevens, another legendary name, in nearly all of the races that they did alongside each other. I think it was only one that Will Stevens beat him at. So Alexander Rossi, without a good car, without a lot of time, very quickly adapted to the world of Formula One and did a really good job. And his F1's loss is IndyCar's game because he has been a real revelation within the sport. And he's been very unlucky not to win a championship in the limited time he's had over in the state. He was second last season, third this season. He's already won an Indy 500, so he's already putting together something of a career. And I'm sure that I'll only continue because he does have years on the likes of Power and Dixon,

who are both late 30s now. Rossi, of course, quite a bit younger. So I think he's going to be a star of Indy Car for years to come. And he's a personality as well. He's a good mixture of good-humoured and just a really fiery, competitor who isn't afraid to say what they think and just wants to go out there and win at whatever the cost. So I'm going to go with Rossi. Good choice. I'd like to see. Have you seen that J.B. is off to do a DTM race as a guest,

as a guest of the Super GT championship in Japan? They should do that in F1 and vice versa. Let's have a guest race. I know F1's got all sorts of problems, but have a guest driver coming from IndyCar and then I guess driver go over to IndyCar from F1 that'd be good fun to see just for a one off race like I don't know last race of the season or Monaco or not Monaco but you know I mean it'd be good to see yeah absolutely it does open up a wider debate of how there is still a good deal of integration between a lot of motorsport series you know Formula E and and Weck they have a fairly good you know there are a number

there have been drivers who have done both of those and Robin Friens has done Formula E and DTM, but Formula One is kind of cut adrift and that there isn't really a lot of opportunity for the F1 guys to go out there and do other races because the calendar is so congested and because it is almost a 12-month deal, do you think that perhaps we have spoken about limiting the number of races on the calendar before? Do you think that that is a bit of a detriment in that respect? do you think that there should be more opportunities for these guys to go out there and do other other forms of motorsport? Yeah, definitely. And I think also part of it is you've got team bosses and F1 who don't want their drivers going off and doing the dangerous Indy 500.

They don't want to go on Oval. So you've got Max Chilton who he only does road, so street and road courses in Indycars. So we should have something like that. have to do all the events or something or yeah it is a limiting factor for f1 drivers to go out having so many races to attend and we see you know if you want to do the indy 500 the past couple of years it's been on the well the past three or so years it's been on the monaco gpoo weekend so you know if it's lewis hamilton or sebastian bet or whoever fighting for a championship potentially you can't just go missing the monaco grand prix because you want to do the indy 500 so

yeah there needs to be some more coordination on calendar days and perhaps, yeah, F1's very long 22 race calendar now is not helping that. Yeah, because of course, IndyCar is done for the season and it's a full two months until Formula One will be done. So, and there aren't that few, many fewer races in IndyCar compared to Formula One. But, yeah, I really feel as if there's a missed opportunity here because it is great to see all of the Formula One guys go out there when on the very rare occasion they go and do stuff. You know, when Nico Holcomberg went and did 24 hour of LeMont and Fernando Alonzo, when he goes over to

and does the Indy 500, interest in the Indy 500 in this side of the pond, it skyrockets. You remember when he did the race a couple of years ago and interest went through the roof. And I'm not saying that without that kind of interest, it's not a good race or without that interest, you know, it's to its fault. But being able to captivate a greater audience and a wider audience is surely what they should be doing. And there just needs to be, there needs to be a better corporation because liking Formula One doesn't necessarily mean you have to bail on all other forms of motorsport. It's not an us versus them kind of thing. It's there are a number of weeks within a year.

If, you know, even if Formula One is taking up 22 of them, We've still got so many others that you can work calendars around. So guys can do more than just one series. I can understand it, obviously, from a team's boss's perspective, why they don't want that to happen. Alonzo's case was a little bit different because there wasn't, you know, a lot to fight for. And they had a very suitable replacement, of course, for the Monaco Grand Prix. But yeah, it's, it feels like a little bit of a missed opportunity. And sort of transitioning on, we spoke about indie car drivers with a lot of seen.

F1. Are there any Formula E drivers you would like to see an F1? Again, maybe, on some cases. Eduardo and Marjara, of course, from my list. Who would I like to see? The thing is from Formula E, a lot of drivers, and it's been described as an F1 dumping round, which it kind of is in some way, but not because these drivers lack any talent, for the most part, it's just because F1 is the, you know, the piranha, the piranha fish game, whatever they call it, the piranha club. Yeah, so Fumleries had a lot of XF1 drivers in it. I mean, Jeff, he absolutely springs to mind. He shouldn't have been kicked out of F1 when he was,

and he's gone to Fulmary and proven his worthiness as a driver. So he's definitely near the top of my list. Who else will I put in from Fulmonary? I'm trying to think of Sam Bird. Get all the Sam Bird. I don't think I've put Sam Bird in. Good driver, but not quite. though it does love a late-breaking maneuver,

which I got a lot of time for. I mean, Bwayne, again, arguably another driver that shouldn't have been done. These are all just ex-red-ball drivers I'm listing off here. Yeah, true. I'll go for Vern. He'll be my choice for now. I think that makes the most sense.

So, you know, Vern, in a championship which is so hotly contested, and there are a number of drivers who are taking victories, Vern has still under those circumstances been able to rise above the pack win a couple of championships. So I think I would agree with you. And also because of the manner of his exit, he was picked.

He wasn't picked, obviously, with Kviyat involved as well, even though Vern did have more points than Kavirat at the time. Of course, Kaviat was a few years younger, which is perhaps why they went that way. But then did very little wrong. I'm always a big advocate for Vern going back to Formula one and getting another chance because you look at his record against Daniel Ricardo, someone who is looked upon very favourably in F1, a guy who went and beat Sebastian Vettel. A couple of years

before he beat Sebastian Vettel, he was pretty much neck and neck with Jean-Eryk Verne. I think across their time together, they had almost identical points. I think Ricardo beat him by a point or something ridiculous like that. So yeah, Verne is immensely talented and I don't think he deserved to get kicked out of F1, but at the same time, from Jeff's perspective, he could go back to Formula One maybe and forge some sort of career, but is that worse off than him winning championship in Formula Yeah, that's a fair point.

A lot of these drivers, I reckon, who wouldn't want to go back. And Jeff took, you know, quite, it's quite a mental hit as a driver. He was chosen, he wasn't chosen above Danny Rake for the Red Bullse seat. And then within a year, this young upstart called Max Verstacken comes along

and nix his F1c entirely. And that's going to take a bit of a blow to yourself, confidence as a driver. So he's gone away, gone off to Formula E, and rediscovered his mojo. Would he want to go back? I bet there's lots of F1 drivers, ex-F1 drivers in the Formula E field in particular,

who would say, no, thank you. I like this sport more. And arguably it's more equal in FormulaE than it is in Formula One. So why would they want to go to a sport that's quite so polarised? in performance. Yeah, and to really add on to the point we made earlier, being involved in Formula E does give you the flexibility to go off and do other things, as we've seen with the likes of Bwaymi

going and winning championships in two disciplines. So, yeah, I agree. I think there are plenty that would turn it down. To close the book on that one, of course, Johnette Reit-Vern was your answer and it was my answer too. But if you had to pick someone who has never appeared in Formula One, who would it be from formulary? I was going to say lottery then, but I'm like, damn it, I forgot.

Yeah, not quite. But even a race, he did a few laps at SPAR. Who else would I pick? Antonio Felix de Costa. He's another one I think I've put in. He's got a lot of talent and probably should have made it to F1 in the first place, to be honest. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Fine, yeah, another good one, true. I think both of them. would forge a fairly successful career. I think both of them are solid drivers. I think Sambor was maybe a little unlucky not to get the other. He was caught up because he was in the like Braun and then Mercedes young driver junior program, but was kind of always overlooked, wasn't he?

Well, I think he came up at the wrong time, really. I think we've seen very recently. And this is, this is to F1's credit in a way, how it's transformed. Because if you look at the rookies who came in this season, they finished first, second, and third in the F2 Championship. So they're getting there on merit, and merit alone. Whereas the time when Sam Bird sort of emerged in GP2 was 2012 or so,

when a lot of teams who weren't doing too well in terms of funding were often going for pay drivers ahead of guys who finished at the top of the GP2 championship. I think Sam Bird, I think he finished second in GP2. And the top three that season, I don't think ever got a look in in Formula One. And you think if that has,

happen a few years later, maybe they do get a chance. But yeah, I don't know how successful Sandberg would be in Formula One, but I think he can at least have a case to say he deserved a chance at the time. Yeah, agreed. So moving on to Williams. Of course, George Russell is confirmed for 2020. And of course, Robert Kubitsa is confirmed not to be there. So that leaves one seat for them to play with.

And the question is, who are they going to go for? Most of the questions on the grid have already been answered. one that is still outstanding. Harry, if you were in control of Williams, George Russell win one seat, who's in the other? It's a tough one, because I would have said Latifie, but I don't know whether he's a done deal or not, to be honest, because he hasn't won the F2 Championship,

and he's been going out of it a little while, although arguably so is Nick to Freeze. Yeah, he didn't win it this year, but then again who else is their options they could put holkenberg in the car but that's the case if i don't think holcombugberg would want to be in the car next year um if if if if i had a choice of free drivers right now in f1 i would go for nico holkenberg but i'd expect to be rejected by by his management team um he's here i'd put in the car whether though they would go for that i don't know maybe they already have and it seems like hulkenberg's already turned down um has so yeah i don't

on that one. But yeah, he's the one I pick. Don't think he'd go for it, though. Yeah, and I think it's fairly clear at this point with announcements that have happened in the past that it doesn't matter who we say, because it will be announced just before this video goes live. With the Okun-Holkenberg one, it got announced on the dock. We were back on. Impressive stuff, wasn't it?

I think you're right in what you say about Nico Holkenberg in terms of, he is definitely the most talented option Williams have. it's more a case of, you know, would Nika Holkenberg want to go to Williams? I'd say Williams is Nika Halkenberg's last chance saloon if he wants to stay in Formula One, but I don't think necessarily Hulkenberg wants to stay an F1 at all costs. I think Hulkenberg knows that there are options outside of F1 that are perhaps better than the Williams Drive because we can't forget how bad they have been the last two years. And there's no real reason to think they will be dramatically,

improving next year. Sorry, did you see why they retired Kibitsa's car from the Grand Prix, by the way? Oh, parts for next race. Yeah. Oh, my dear life and days. Yeah, we're such a shambles, isn't it? Someone, I saw someone comparing it to the final days of Tyrell the other day. Oh, yeah, I can't.

There are definite similarities between the two. Hopefully it doesn't go in exactly the same direction as that. but yeah do you know do does holkenberg want to take it and also if even if holkenberg does want to stay in f1 and he would do even at williams uh of course it'd be a return to the team for him is he worth it because holcomburg's going to come at a hefty price you know he's not going to he's not going to go there for a deal similar to russell where russell is not getting paid much because of his age at the moment um and if that williams is going to be bad regardless of who's driving it then it's just going to be wasting money on their part. So, you know, maybe Williams wouldn't want

Holkenberg and would see that the money that they would spend on him could be better, better utilized on the car itself to make it, to make it a bit better for Russell to use. You say about Latifie, I agree with the sort of concerns about him. He's been out of it for a while in F2, he's only just gotten towards the top. Of course, he's in and around first place, but he's not obviously won the championship. DeVries has won that honor. I'm going to throw another name into the hat. This might actually be my selection. How about a return for Sergei Sarkin?

I don't think Sirotkin did all that bad last year. I think he probably did enough to earn another year at it. Okay, he wasn't great, but he also wasn't... If you look at the performance of Kibitza, you'd say, well, maybe they should have kept Saurotkin in. Yeah, I think Sauron did enough to deserve another one. Of course, he's involved in Renault at the moment, but Renaud has enough. He was forehand, don't think that would make much of a difference.

So, yeah, I think there's a serious case to say Sir Rokin should go back in that scene. Yeah, and I think another thought, if you have a Latifie Russell lineup, I know Russell will have done a year, but that's not a lot. That's a young, inexperienced line that may not be young, but I don't know how old Latifie is now, but yeah, that's an inexperienced. experienced F1 driver lineup, which is not what they need. They need, get Massa out of retirement again. No, yeah, I don't know, they need that.

I suppose the experience of Kubitsa would have them this year, but his speed hasn't, that's for sure. And do you know what the situation is with Latifi's dad and McLaren? Is that still a thing? I haven't really heard anything about it for a while. Oh, I don't know. Is Latipi... No.

What does Latifi's dad do? I believe he's a rich man. I's just a rich man, fine. I thought there was some sort of involvement with him and McLaren. I'm sure someone will... I mean, that's not going nowhere anywhere. It's not going anywhere fast, is it, that involvement with the bromance that is Norris and signs in those two seats. Yeah, exactly.

It's about whether he'd have to cut ties, if indeed there are ties there. But it does raise the point. Latifie does come with a bit of dollar, so... and Williams desperately need a bit of dollar to invest. So maybe that will sway their decision. Moving on to this, bonus point this year, obviously introduced one point for the fastest lap if you're inside the top 10. It was met, I would say, with mixed reaction at the beginning of the year.

And there has apparently been a survey recently that has concluded that people love the bonus point. Harry, do you agree with that? Right. What people have they been asking this? Because as a sample survey of two people, and it's the surveyor's mum. Case carry of response. Yeah, exactly.

It could be those two doing the survey. I can't, no, can't fathom that. I don't know where they found the word love from. The bonus point, we were skeptical about it, I think, before the season. And we said it could work, you know, an opportunity could arise where, you know, a smaller team could get that fastest lack point. But, actually, KMAG got fastest lap last time out, but he wasn't in the top 10, correct? Correct.

Right. So then you get that situation. Yeah, two races ago, but yeah. Sorry, yeah, in Singapore is what I meant. Yeah, the majority of the time this year, it's been the person in sixth place or the leader who's just so quick, normally Hamilton, who bangs in the fastest lap. He either gives the winner 26 points or it gives sixth place an extra point on top of that. I've not cared, to be honest.

And maybe it would be different if the championships closer. And you had the two championship rivals trying to trade for fastest that. So I can see how in theory that could have made it exciting. But the championship we've had this year hasn't been like that. And therefore, it's made that rule just avoid irrelevant. I don't care about it at every race. So don't know what they're talking about with that. Don't agree with love.

Just don't care. Yeah, I'm kind of in the same position, really. At the start of the year, I was on the fence about it. I didn't really care one way or the other. And to be honest, that opinion hasn't really changed up until now. It's not as if it had its initial kind of buzz about it in the first couple of races where it was a shiny new toy. And since then, it's been there.

Has it really contributed much to each race? Not really. I guess in sort of dead-end races where there isn't much going on in the last few laps. It's something to look out for. But like you say, it's just you've only got about five drivers who can realistically get that fastest lap unless it's a really abnormal case like Singapore. And it's even going to be that first place guy or a guy who has enough of a gap to go and get that fastest lap. and yeah, I think you're right and that if the championship was closer,

maybe there would be more emphasis on getting this point or an extra point or so. But it's because it's not worth that much at all, you can't really expect people to care a huge amount for it, which I'm surprised why people say they love it. Essentially across the season, if you get every single fastest lap point without fail, you're still not getting a race win.

So, and that's, you know, know, that's with absolutely no errors whatsoever. You know, they're not going to turn down a point, obviously. That's great. But if it was worth a bit more, then people would probably care more. I'm surprised that people say they love it. I don't dislike it. I just, it's there.

It doesn't really do much. It just exists. It's, yeah, I, if Sam was here, I'm trying to have even stronger views than we do. But, yeah, I don't care if they drop it for next year, it's made no difference to my life. I reckon it's here to stay. But it does, there is something interesting because

there's this whole thing about apparently fans loving this bonus point. And then there's the whole thing about reverse reverse grid qualifying where it was perhaps received a little negatively by fans and Sky were asked not to really speak

about it. Yeah, it's over. Is it, are we heading a bit towards that kind of trying to trying to make things seem as if they're much better than what they are. Yeah, but I feel like we've always had that in some way. Come on, Bernie, saying everything is fine all the time. It is like that meme of the character with the cup of tea in the fire. People who know the meme, people will understand that.

Yeah, it's like when we still continue to go to Bahrain, or we were going to Bahrain, and there was, you know, war raging, and Bernie says it's fine. Everything is fine. Yeah, maybe we are even more so now. And maybe that's the not to annoy it or offending. But I mean, that's the American influence of just going to make it look all rosy. Yeah, I don't know. That was odd, the sky thing to not ask and not talk about it.

It's a bit controlling, a bit dictator-like. Whether there's much truth in that, I don't know. But a strange one. So maybe they've realising they've not got. these rules sorted out and as Hamilton pointed out the other day that the you know like the qualifying race is just an excuse and a way to cover

up the floors in their in their future plans which have been promised to be so good but who knows we've seen maybe qualifying races will come in and everyone will absolutely bloody love it and we'll be sat here going during that time we said qualifying races will be garbage

we were stupid and wrong which happens a lot it does happen a lot I I'm sticking to my guns, by the way, on reverse crew qualifying. I'm not for it whatsoever, but like you say, we might well be corrected. Before I get into an absolutely massive rant about that, because trust me, there is a very high likelihood that could happen. I think we better end the video here. So make sure to subscribe, like the video, and get in the comments, obviously, let us know what you think on all the topics that we've discussed.

And you can like all of our socials as well. We're on Twitter. We're on Facebook and we're on Instagram. get on all three of those. Until the next video, I've been Ben Hocking. And I've been Harry Eve. And remember, keep breaking late. This podcast is part of the Sports Social Podcast Network.