The Late Braking F1 Podcast - Our 2024 F1 Season Review

Episode Date: December 16, 2024

Relive the highs and lows of the 2024 Formula 1 season with the LB boys as they recap the year race by race, from the thrilling victories to the unexpected upsets and the pivotal moments that shaped the championships... Get your friends or family the gift that they truly deserve... gift an LB Patreon membership HERE

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, here today for our 24 championship review. And boy, Sam, there'd be a lot of races to look at. Boy! I mean, 24 Grand Prix, the longest season of all the time.

Yeah, we've got a lot of content to get through. As we discussed off air, I haven't done this, but you guys have off being researching furiously. So many things that you forget exist have cropped back up. I'm sure we're going to learn all of us. I'm going to learn many a thing that was small or nuanced or eventful that has been overshadowed. So much to talk about so many winners, so many races,

so many things going wrong, and so many upgrades that failed. There's a lot to get through. Yeah, it's unusual that it's me. there's not done the nose and not Sam to be honest. But it's Christmas. Time for a time for change. New Year's day.

Lazy me. Good. Yeah, we're going to go through absolutely all of the races, all 24 of them. Some of them will skip over fairly quickly if we don't think there's much to talk about. There were a few done races in there. But some of them will spend a bit more time on. And then by the end of it, you will have gone through all of them in some capacity. So not that we're usually all that buttoned up,

but this will be a fairly loose, unstructured chat as we go through. We'll start, of course, with Bahrain, where Red Bull be very good. You'll remember quick testing review. GP Lambiasi was happy. Yeah. That was pretty much testing. But, Harry, if you look at the race itself, he had reason to be happy at that point,

because not only did Vostappen, you know, cruise to a dominant victory, something that didn't necessarily happen at the end of 2023, Perez was there alongside him in second place. It started off okay for Sergei Perez, and then that was it. He did Bahrain. Yeah, Rebel were ridiculously.

They were worryingly quicker this first race. I didn't write this down, annoyingly in my vast notes, but it was something like lap 10 or something, and Vastappens like 12 seconds in front, like he's gone. Yeah. See you later.

no one was touching Red Bull that race and I think we all were thinking what are we going to talk about for the next 23 races but thankfully there were things to talk about I think for Perez what now we look back on it with hindsight you can see that despite him

being second place he was still nearly 23 seconds behind his teammate there was a full pit stop between the both of them and there were no issues through those cars it's not like something that happened to Perez's car or anything they were smooth sailing. So the fact that, yes, they got a one too,

but the gap between teammates was so vast is really quite worrying. And obviously, we go on to see how Perez has now had his points doubled by Vassapen across the season. It's not really a hidden sign there that things actually weren't going to plan for him after we saw the rest of the results. I think that's fair.

It was certainly a question at that time, given how confident Red Bull were, were we essentially going to get a repeat? of 2020. And at this early stage, it looked like, maybe we will. Obviously, that was proven to be very wrong. But, yeah, Vestappen starts the year about as well as he could do.

I think he wins by a pit stock. Sergio Perez is a comfortable second place. Here's, we discussed this beforehand, like things that we've forgotten actually happened during the year. And that's particularly true of these early races, given how long ago they were. Do you remember Sonoda and Ricardo are? doing. Yeah.

And then Sonoda dive bombs him after the race is finished. Yeah. We completely forgot about that. Yeah, me too. Also, and I know we knew here they had a better start to the year, but Alonzo was so high up in these early races. Unreal. Yep.

Speaking of high up and not so, Ferrari seemed to be by far the second fastest team in this. And you had this Mercedes McLaren kind of 1-1-1-1 formation. It's now crazy to think that McLaren of terms. it around so much that, as we now know, they want to win the constructors. Norris 6th and 8th, well, Norris 6th, Piazsche 8th. Really, he's done both.

Incredible work from Norris. Impressive. Yeah, it's amazing to see that they, Norris finished going to be 50 seconds off for Stappen, that Grand Prix, and come the end of the season, they win the title. It's really mad. Yeah, at this point, you've basically got McLaren, Mercedes, and Aston Martin,

who are all incredibly close to one another. And, like, if you were to put together, like, some sort of charmed, of their race from that point on of their season from that point on it's basically McLaren that I'm doing an upward motion as to mind the opposite and Mercedes kind of somewhere in the middle but they definitely didn't finish the year anywhere near one another is the whole point um also here botas is 52 second pit stop which was oh you know what I completely forgot just how bad salber were at pit stops yeah

that's what I'd written down Salber can't do pit stops which I'd some had forgotten at the start this year awful poor poor Valtry I think it's fair to say quite a few of these early races weren't necessarily bangers we go to Saudi Arabia next and I think the biggest highlight of this race was Magnuson's defensive tactics

yeah I loved it that's something you can't forget the ridiculous just driving straight across the corner it's like you're in some kind of F1-20204 online lobby without any corner cutting rules

and I'm just not going to let in your past you get past and then coming back past again illegally and I still respect it now there's also for the other highlight from Saudi is, can you bring it back, Lance? No, I'm in the effing law. So whyingy.

I know, but also, engineered, look at the TV, my guy. Yeah, yeah. Equally, Olly Behrman, of course, makes his kind of introduction to Ferrari and there's an absolutely sensational job finishing in front of Norris and Hamilton at that point. The key thing I thought here was that Peres seemed to kick on at this point. Whilst he still was over 10 seconds away from Verstappen, the gap was dropped by a good 10 seconds from the previous Grand Prix, and he had increased the gap to the Ferrari behind him.

So it looked like he was becoming more settled. And again, without the value of hindsight, you'd almost think that he was warming up to this season and things were going to improve for him. So another one too, another brilliant result for Red Ball. We thought, uh-oh, seasons looking very dull. We move next to Australia for round three. And here, Vestappen is going for 10 wins in a row,

but his quest to do so ends very early on. And Carlos Sines, who obviously missed the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, goes on to claim victory, you know, proving that appendix is overrated. I don't need him. Obviously, the shot of him still walking into the paddock afterwards, like just waddling, got moving his entire torso, has not left my mind. I still think a number of months on from this race. And I know it's crazy because of how comfortably Vastappan won the two races before this and the two races after this. I still think Science might have had a chance to win anyway. I'm not convinced the Red Bull was actually that quick that weekend.

Well, Paris finished fifth, right? And I mean, Paris had been second for the last two Grand Prix. So at this point, I think it's fair to say that the Red Bull probably wasn't on its A game. I mean, Strull was bloody sixth in this race. So I think there was a changing of performance in the cars here. It might be an outlier of the season. But it's crazy to me to see that, you know, Science Declure won to the previous Grand Prix, Leclero is the closest car to the Red Bulls.

The previous Grand Prix, science is the closest car to the Red Bulls. And if they didn't muck it up in Canada, surely at this point you think they're the team that are going to be challenging Red Bull all the way to the end. I also got re-angered by the last lap of this race again with Russell and Alonzo. Because I completely forgot that.

That's my Ben Chokey's a few years. I can't even think of that. Sick. Stupid, stupid FIA. A bit further down the order, Williams were in the news this weekend because they only had one car in the race, that of Alex Albin,

but that was after Alex Albon crashed his car and Logan Sargent was forced to sit out as a result of that. It felt like, see, he was only a couple of races into his second season, Logan Sargent, but to me it felt like the biggest vote of no confidence that you could possibly have at that stage. I feel like the writing was on the wall from that point almost. Still something I disagree with, though.

I know we can sit there and go that Sergeant didn't turn into the driver Williams wanted him to be and we all agreed as a show that he probably shouldn't have been given that second year extension but they believed him. They put him in that seat.

I do think it was wrong at that point with how the car was developing and where they were sat in the pecking order to rip that away from him despite no fault of his own and give it back to Album. You're right that is a real letdown in terms of why is he even here?

What's the point are you driving? One thing I forgot. Albert and Magnuson have a right ding-dong in this race. Oh, big old, KMA has a few ding-dongs this season. He does. It was the return of the box office, wasn't it? Yeah.

I loved it. It's a shame it wasn't very, very fast, but... You'll have plenty of times to be fast at Red Bull next year. This is very true. Very slow and very silly. Japan was up next, race four. I've got to admit, of all of the races, this was probably the one I found most difficult to write anything about.

Did anything happen in this race? That time where they all came in the pitch at the same time. and Bottas could have got a point and they still fluffed it. Yeah, six cars all pitting on, and Yuki Sanoda is furious, and that's about it. Well, he wasn't Yuki Sanoda delighted? Oh, I thought he was furious. Now, he was the last point scorer, so I imagine he's quite...

He's the one, I think he's the one that was... Don't he have to overtake them? I thought he... Oh, this is a good... Got out ahead of all a load of cars and was like, yes, team, thanks so much. Oh, I thought he's been sarcastic. All right, never mind. Maybe.

I mean, that's not... You doesn't understand the value. of sarcasm. Anyway, that's the only notable thing. And the Ricardo Albon crash at the start, that's about it, really. And, oh, and Vastappan won again. It kind of looks like we've returned to form, though,

in the way that the races were running before Australia, where we've got the Red Bulls back to one and two. The Ferraris are following them again, and it's kind of Gauris with the Aston Martins and the Mercedes kind of trailing in that area. And you, again, we'd look at these first four or five Grand Prix now and go Red Bull, the top of the pecking or the Ferrari are following them up.

So really interesting to see that it's still at this and even kind of four, five Grand Prix in, that order that we now know at the end of the season hasn't emerged. It shows you that development cycle which really flipped on its head come halfway through the season. In fairness to Ferrari in this one, they do try. Like they give it a good go in that they go with alternate strategies. Like they left LeClaire out there for a very long time,

whereas science had more of a conventional strategy. Neither worked, but they did at least try two different things. Yeah, still 20 seconds off the lead. They just, they did their due diligence to show that they really were slow. And I appreciate that. Just proving to you guys, it's not us. It's not the strategy. The car is not good.

Race five, we move on to China, which was the first sprint of the season, I believe. Not that we're going to review sprits because they're not real races. Although there was one point about the sprint I think what I bring up. Obviously, Hamilton got second and fine, all well and good. but when you get onto, I think it was Russell that picked up their first silverware in Spain, I think, if not, maybe in Austria.

LH online had an absolute meltdown because Berseris refused to credit Hamilton picking up the, in quotation marks, first silverware of the season and they felt like they just abandoned him. And that blew up.

That went crazy on Mercedes Instagram and Twitter. Do you know what they need to do? What's that like to grow up? I've been a Merck fan ever since that. don't hear of it. Because it's not a podium. It doesn't acknowledge sprint races. Not a podium.

It's a grow up and get over it. In the actual race, Fernando Alonzo is running P2. I forgot he started P3. Why? How did this happen? It's that toky weather, wasn't it? It was such a cold weekend there. Yeah, he nails the start as well.

He does. We have a bit later on in the race. We've got Lanch stroll crashing under the safety car with Daniel Ricardo. Just ram him. Ah, good time. and then deciding to have one of the most epic battles of the season with Kevin Magnuson over what was like 17. Another ding-dong battle.

It involves Kevin Magnuson. No, it's a great battle. And unusual for some of the stuff we've seen in this year. So, yeah, I appreciate it and re-watching that one. That was good. I think you also referenced this one, maybe Harry, on our last episode. But Fernando Alonzo, after his great start, is forced to make a bit of a comeback on an alternate strategy.

he does a good job of it. He very nearly bins it in the same place that Carlos Sines bended it the day before in qualifying that final corner. That, yeah, I watched this back. How has he done that? How does he say that? Yeah, he is,

look, the Aston Martin was better at the start of the season than it was in the middle. Certainly than it was in the middle and slightly better than it was at the end of the season. But I don't think he was, good as Alonzo was making it look in those early races because he is hustling

with a capital huh flashbacks of 2012 popping interview a little bit but he can't do 20 years ago and he's older now so he can't keep up for a whole season yeah

I noted down here is great save and then him passing Hamilton and Piastri on this alternate strategy towards the end of the race but just that in himself if you think where they are at the end of the year,

that in itself seems very strange. Yeah. They also got fastest lap that Grand Prix. That tells you everything you need to go. Yeah. Miami is up next. And I feel like we can just put a bit of a line down the season at this point of Red Buller dominant

to Red Buller not dominant. Because we turn up to Miami. And whilst Vestappan does get pole and is competitive early on, he doesn't take the race win here. Instead, it's Lando Norris who takes his first career win, helped out by a safety car.

But I remember a point that you made on the review for this episode, I think it was Harry, who thought, he might have been able to win this race anyway, Lando Norris. I stand by that, I think. Because he stays out, that's how he gains advantage on the safety car. But he's pulling away from this happen, who's on fresh tires, and Norris is on old hards or whatever it was. I think it's the first rate. I think there was a lot of debate afterwards as to whether, oh, he was just,

lucky with it, but no one was willing to trust the fact that McLaren actually had a good car at this point. And we were just going with the, oh, he was lucky. And he was fortunate with the safety car, but McLaren had cracked the car by this point, I think. And this was the start of it. That was that car was about to become the best car of the season. I'll tell you what, everyone was cracking the car for Oscar Piastri in the other McLaren, though. He got driven into about three times in this Grand Prix. Also, Sergio Perez is just really trying his best to take out of Stauffin at term one. I still don't know how he missed. How is he not done that? Oh, Saggio.

Yeah, I mean, there's every chance that Norris catches on real pace, and it does seem like this is the start of what we now see is the title charge. I do wonder if it came down to it. We've seen Gestapo and go toe-for-to-to-defending, and we know how good he could be in placing that car in the right place. I don't know. It'd be interesting to have watched them go wheel-to-wheel properly for that race wing. Yeah, the pace that Lando Norris had post-safety car was really impressive,

and I can't remember the exact wind margin, but it was just under 10 seconds. I got it here for you, Ben. It's 7.6 seconds. Pretty good going after a safety car period to open up that kind of gap. So it would have been interesting to see of on pure pace.

He did have enough. And earlier on in the race as well, Piastri really did show good pace as well. So yeah, this feels like, again, the point where you can almost say, okay, everything pre this race, pre-M., PM, is Red Bull Dominance. everything after this point is up for discussion.

The other thing, not a race-related thing, but another thing that almost cements the theory of it being two parts of the season, Adrian Newey announces he's leaving this weekend. Of course. I forget. Again, you look at everything after Adrian Newey decides to leave. It's still kind of stumbling around from taking the hit of Lewis Hamilton announcing he's leaving. Adrian Newey comes in with the big left fist straight to the gym.

there's us all on the on the ring absolutely cloud yeah boom and we're out of here that was a crazy year it's been a crazy year for news we've had a lot of announcements big announcements all year long 24 big announcements big a well we've got plenty more to talk about after this first break we're going to head into the european season welcome back everyone the european season started with the imola Grand Prix or whatever they called it this year. San Marino Grand Prix. Hold on. I've got it written down here. It's the Formula One MSC cruises Grand Prix

Delmade in Italy. DeL. Amelia Romagna, 24. Race. Yeah, like I said, San Marino. We're going to take our second break right after this. Very good. Goodness me. It wasn't that good.

Our stinker. Absolutely stinker of a race. It only got good right at the end. Yeah, the highlight was watching Norris cut the gap down. lap after lap. You kind of think, we're at Imala. There's pretty much one chance from

to make this move and it never really came. Main highlight is actually, yeah, as he's doing that, there's a shot or there's a one lap where he, within like three corners, he has like two massive saves

and it's just like, Norris is on boards last few laps. Boy, calm down. Yeah, it's pretty spicy. But yeah, that was, it wasn't a great race that one. No.

The one note I did make about the whole Vestappan versus Norris battle that kind of delivered, but Vastappen was able to hold Norris off was Vostappen picked up a black and white flag on lap 25 of this race which meant he had a long way to go without having to do any more track limits

and I mean sure he got himself in trouble in the first place but the way in which he had no margin for error in that fight and still came out on top I thought was quite impressive I mean you look at many of the other race results that he went on to win throughout previously that season the gap was far big enough that if he picked up a three second penalty he could run with it all day long.

A five second penalty, even a 10 second penalty and something. He'd still go on and win that Grand Prix. So, yeah, the marketing forero there was zero. The next two,

well, I know everyone's next two, but, you know, the next three, at least because he's in the fight in Austria, is all Max Verstappen and not that car.

It's the beginning of him fighting with one hand, tied behind his back. This being the first one with Norris closing him down. Yeah. After Monaco, which I know we're going to get on to,

It is the period where he wings that title at that point. I think that's the difference maker between kind of spain through to Zhangvor-ish just before that. That's the difference maker. So Imola was a bit of a stinker. Monaco next. Would you say it's a cut above the rest? I would say it was whatever the opposite of that is. You've let your hair grow.

If you remember, folks, there was an aborted. Well, there was an attempt to start the race. The first lap, we get a red flag due to, well, Perez, Magnuson and Holcomberg having contact in sector one. We then also have Carlos Signs going off a little bit later on in the lap. We then also have Esteban Ockon and Pierre Gazley fighting where Ghazley tries to kill O'Con for no reason. Yes, folks, I did get that the right way around. So there's contact there. ramifications of that we'll talk about very shortly.

And then on the second attempt, where everyone can just change their tyres because that's how red flag rules work, Charles Leclair is able to claim his first home victory. So it was a good moment, Sam, for LeCla, but not necessarily a great race. Yeah, I tell you what, anyone that's won a Grand Prix at that track before

wings that race that isn't the Clare is forgotten. It is immediately forgotten as a Grand Prix. It's only going to be remembered because it is the Clare's first home wing, and that'll be it. I mean, you have Piastri behind seven seconds back. I'll tell you who's a lucky man. Carlos Sainz, of course, he kind of finished before that red flag with a massive puncture. And it basically saved his race and he goes on to pick up a podium. So it was a dull Grand Prix, unfortunately.

Despite all of the drama that took place, it didn't exactly make it a thriller? Yeah, I know you love Monaco, Harry, but Red Flag really hurt that one, didn't it? Yeah, that's, well, that's the red flags fault, not Monaco. So, there is a valid point. No, there is. We've talked about it before, but I don't, I don't like the changing your tie rule under a red flag. So I know they're never going to win necessarily on this one, but in this case, it certainly hurt it because strategy is the only thing, really, we have in a race in Monaco or the weather. And they took that way from us.

So then we just watch Charlotte Clare gap. gap the rest of the field likely terrified that he might put it into a wall at any moment or the car might break down yeah my highlight from this race is actually from that first lap original first lap when

Nika Holcomberg is just trying to avoid the apocalypse that's happening around him what did he say that was unnecessary or something like that over team radio having like the biggest crash in the world next one he's just like please please please please I know I've been here no mind I still can't believe

I know Kevin Magnerson didn't get a penalty for all this, because if he did, he would have got his ban at this point rather than later on in the season. I still think that's on Magnuson. Just back out of it, mate. Where are you going to go? Quick, serious point on the Ockon-Gasley crash.

Because it definitely was Ockon's fault. Yep. But goodness me, talk about an overreaction. It's not the most stupid thing that happened all season. Come on. I mean, Max Verstappen might argue that the move was on. He was technically alongside at the apex. It wasn't like completely off the cards.

It was ambitious and the timing of it was questionable. Oh, your teammate was a bad call. Yes, it was for sure. It's just like, in the lad. Just overtakes. I feel like at this point they were looking for an excuse. But why? That's what I want to know.

I wonder why they were. Was he just unbearable to work with a shawling up? It's too tall. That's it. Cut off his legs up to the knee. He was fairly tall, in it? Cut off his legs up to the knees. Last comment on Monaco,

because there was one other thing, which was Fernando Alonso selflessly making a gap for Landstrol to come out. Oh, yes. And it's the wall. I forgot this. There's such a good job holding everyone up. Stroll comes out of the pits and he pints it.

You must be furious. What are you doing, man? Oh, no. I can hear it now. World champion. I can hear him say it again. Future world champion. Oh, dear.

Moving on, from one of the most dull races of the season to one of the most exciting Canada, one where we were together, actually, if you'll remember back. We were. Went to Froxton earlier in the day, didn't we? Yeah. Oh, that was that weekend.

Yeah, yeah. And Kirsty had a pizza. What a photo. Not that we're blackmailing her, but we've got it. We've got that photo, Kirstie and a pizza. We've got photos.

Picks for anything that can happen. We got them. Anyway, the Canadian Grand Prix that we'll actually talk about. You remember qualifying the top two at the same lap time? Yeah.

Oh, that's never happened there before. I don't think has? Not there, hasn't. Heret it has. I thought at Canada, three of them did it. That's her. I thought two of them did it

That's in Spain Different continent Jack Villeneuve is Canadian And he was one of the three drivers That's a good point My brain does make teagiest link Yeah I'd say Sam's doing Tini Slink Oh that does have a lot with my head

So it's definitely It's because they all hit the wall That's what I'm thinking of Hence the game What's the name? What's the name? We have an exciting start to this Grand Prix because conditions are not great,

meaning nearly all of the drivers are starting on intermediate tyres, with the exception of two brave Hascar's on the wet tires. Yes, Hattas. Kevin Magnuson in particular for a while, that really works. Mugging off everyone. How did their race end up, Ben?

Well, to be fair, they botched it themselves by giving Magnuson like a stupidly long pit stop. Otherwise, I think it might have actually been a good strategy. It was close, wasn't it? I think they finished literally about, a second away from O'Con who picked up the last point finish. So it was close enough.

Out front, though, we have a pretty exciting battle. We have Vestappan, Norris, and Russell all lead this race at one point. I don't know about you. I know Vestappan had had a couple of close calls and Monaco didn't go his way. To me, this race weekend was the one where I was like, he might be in trouble, even though he won. Yeah, because he's... really he had to work for it in the end

it was kind of fortunate I guess was he fortunate with a safety car I can't quite remember but anyway either way not that he was lucky he'd certainly earned it but it was a tough one for him to win it was for staffing again elevating the car rather than you know

he was tricky weather and he pulled away I think he ended up with about three seconds in the end so great drive from Max again and also don't worry about getting all of your tire strategies wrong Ferrari. It won't come back to hurt you and you won't lose the constructors' championship because of this race alone.

This is the one thing that tripped them up, isn't it? The upgrade went wrong, the car was poo, and then they got everything wrong every single time. Yeah, I've just written Ferrari, lull. Yeah, that's correct. One final thing I wanted to bring up for this Grand Prix was Alex Albonne's disgustingly filthy move that he pulled going into that final chicane. I tell you what, next episode is the LB Awards. You might not have heard the last about that move this season.

Oh, baby. Oh, baby. Yeah, it's a great move. Yes, yeah, absolutely right with that. We now go back to Europe because, again, Europe to North America to Europe is the sensible and most carbon-efficient way to do the calendar. We go back to Spain. Lando Norris takes pole position here, but it's Max Vestappen,

who takes a narrow win. after what was not a great start from Lando Norris, but a fantastic start from George Russell. He goes from fourth to first, you know, going prime Fernando Alonzo here. That was not bad. That was pretty sweet from George Russell. But this is the start of Norris' can he do race starts conversation.

This is where it really kicked off because that cost him big time. To be fair to Norris, and it's not, it wasn't a great start. He fended off for Stappen. It was just George Russell had the toe of. all toes behind Norris, Vastappen and Leclair and was just like, I'm going to zoom past a lot of you. He really threw one final Leroy Jenkins into the mix.

Yeah. Right, committee. Goodness me. I agree. I think of all of his poor starts this season. It's the best one. Yeah, genuinely, I think this is like the least egregious one for those reasons that you stated.

One's like, remember like Zambort where he lost to lead in term one. I think that was far worse than say this one where you're right. Russell picks up. an almighty toe and he keeps that lead for three laps. Three laps was it? At which point we essentially have Vastappen versus Norris again, which was a pretty

entertaining one. Yeah, proper ding-done. Again, a lot of these Vastappen winning, but with Norris chasing him hard behind in these sort of middle, one of the middle, kind of middle part of the season. But yeah, again, that's what I'm saying earlier, is Vestappen just, clinging on and getting wins where he shouldn't do Canada here and

Imala, I guess as well. Yeah. Imola, Canada, Spain. Three and four races. That was for me the stretch that he really proved himself. We have a great run of races at this point, by the way, just generally. Canada's brilliant. Spain's fairly good.

We now go to Austria. To be fair, to this race, it wasn't brilliant. And then it was. And then it really was. Yeah. And Bastapen and Norris for the first time have contact. And it gives George Russell maybe the most fortunate win of his career. I have put a question here of should Oscar Piastri have won this race?

I think we said this at the time. But he realistically, if he qualified better and hung up, mucks up in the final sector, if the car was comfortably good enough at this point, he finishes a couple of seconds behind Russell. He should be the car in third to have taken that, gathering up the pieces, so to speak, and won that Grand Prix. was driving absolute dream boat. He shouldn't have been there.

He was miles away from that top two. There was enough space for Piastri at this point to fill in. But Piastri hadn't hit his peak yet. He only just started coming back into form. So it kind of happened at a negative time for Piastri. The incident aside, having revisited this, I'm just almost left frustrated by Norris because I'm just like, he should have got this done so much earlier than it.

Well, he doesn't get it done obviously, but before the accident, and should have got it done so much earlier. And he's just sort of outfoxed quite a lot by Vestappen on this. Quite esteemed throughout the season, isn't it? That we see Max offending, Norris unable to four, five, six times in a row getting the move done. You can look at Cota as another key example of that. We had the controversy with the penalty.

Max's defensive placement is just so good at frustrating Norris and not meaning that the overtake can actually be carried out properly. Norris got desperate on a couple of occasions in this race as well. like he overshoots into turn three like twice was it like the first time he can't keep the track keep the car on track at all the second one I think he nearly does but in both instances it's not really under control

in any way I think you're right about he should have got this move done earlier than when the incident occurred also Toto Wolf getting way too excited about the first win since 2020. I can't believe we didn't talk about a long-so with these stupid hand movements in Canada. That was in 2020, mate.

Everything lives in my brain in one year. We did that on last year's review. Something I do we're talking about for Austria is Haas. It looked like they finally started to turn it around, right? Double point spinach. Sixth and eighth. Looks like they finally...

Kamatsu turned on the gas is what he's done here. He's gone, I'm not cooking with this wood gnaff stuff outside. I'm going to put the pan on the stove and I'm turning the gas on and he started cooking. Yeah, because Holkenberg does a really good job on the last lap of seeing off Sergio Perez because he, he's very, I can't remember exactly what he did, but he's very clever with the DRS and he plays it perfectly to the point where he gets the DRS and he's able to

hold off Perez. Yeah, that's absolutely a good point to say that Hass's good season almost starts at this point. Two other notes I've got here. More Alpine banter. Because, yeah, they have a little argy-bargy. And also Alonso just murdered showbonged show by and then. For no reason.

I forgot about that. Just grove straight into him. He's a proper murder. Yeah. Did he break? Don't go. No, he didn't he used Joe. His show was the break.

Silverstone, I don't even know where to start with this one. Silverstone's up next. It's up there for race of the season. Well, the people will have to find out, yes. Lewis Hamilton seals his first victory in, what, two and a half years at this point? Obviously, a home win for him as well. You've got him in the fight. You've got both Mercedes in the fight early on.

Both McLaren's pretty good when the conditions change. Harry, where do you want to start with this one? I mean, firstly, the four-way fight when the rain starts to fall is epic. That's excellent. That's excellent F-1 at its peak. week. The fact that the Mercedes are really quick early on, then the range starts to come, then the McLean's are really quick, and the Mercedes is somewhat terrible in the,

in the, in the, in the, in the damp conditions. Yeah, it just, it just all, it all kicks off, but the, the, the four-way battle was excellent. A Russell, because Russell got pole, remember we had a, a Brit top three as well on the grid. Russell got a pole, but then. Good one. Yeah, probably Brexit, corner. probably it was.

Brundle. Yay. I got your Maxwell's mustache. Martin Brundle was. Yeah, excellent. Snetterton in the mountains. Norfolk of the weekend. Yeah.

Yeah, my top off. But yeah, Russell was unlucky because he has a mechanical failure in the end, which is unfortunate for him. He's going to be like Jensen Button, isn't he?

He's never going to have a good result of Silverston. Don't say that. He's just never going to happen. One year he was on his roof. This year, got Paul, and then it didn't happen.

Yeah, and it, you know, it was a chaotic race. And at the end, it was Mercedes and Howlton to make the right call with the, to go back onto the dry tires, I think, isn't it? Because that's what gets in the lead in the end versus McLaren's. This is a race. This is the start of being fast, but being silly for McLaren. Yeah, they were really silly. They should have been one too.

They should have been wronged themselves with this. Silly boys. Silly boys. On both sides of the garage as well. Yeah. wasn't just a Norris thing or a piastry thing. It was just bad call after bad call. It was like a tug of war throughout the Grand Prix,

the way this kind of, like you said, Harry, the form but change for Mercedes being really, really quick built out of lead. The rain kind of sprinkled. We haven't seen something like this for a while where two teams, with both drivers simultaneously kind of caught, overtake, and then get caught again and pass again, and then pit stops come into it. And in all of that,

there's a little plucky man called Max Verstappen, just nibbling away at this battle that's going on. And the fact he's ending up less than two seconds away from first place. Again, it's like another champion's drive from him. Didn't win it, but it's just the consistency to be on the podium and not drop points to the couple of people around him, beat his Norris again. It was such a good draw.

I reckon this might go underrated for Max Verstappen, just how important and how good a race like this was for him. As I was sat in the stands there, I am so glad that he did not catch up to Lewis Hamilton at the end because I'd have had to run for my life. If they'd, because Hamilton's not going to live. let that one go easily. No.

Yeah, anyway, for that, thank God he didn't, and Hamilton won. And it was, it was a, what great scenes it was. What an excellent time had by all. No riots here, no one to their tops off, it was fine. A merry day for merry merry women together. And that will be the end of this podcast. Thank you ever so much. Good night.

Also, Ferrari still don't know how tyres work at this point, because the players on the wrong tire, of course he is. Perez and a couple of others. Anything else. You've already basically said this Sam. Gustapen's second place finish here. For a man who has won so many races, this second place finish is one of his best of the season,

I think. That car did not have a right to be second. When he passed Norris again, because they were fast but silly, you just think, how has he done it? He wasn't involved in this fight the entire time. And suddenly, he's turned up again. And the fact that he's finished there,

and Perez is 17th, tells you everything you need to know. Yeah, and I do think this was a massive wasted opportunity for McLaren. Piastri's left out one lap too late for his pit stop. Lando Norris, if you remember, he overshoots his entry into the pit box, which costs him a few seconds in terms of his pit stop time. But equally, he's probably a lap too late anyway. So it felt like Mercedes and Red Bull were very on it where McLaren weren't.

should we take our second break at this point we're going at Hungary after this welcome back everyone we continue the last few races of the European leg of this season we're in Hungary next where boy Maclara be quick what else are they beg

they're a bit silly oh that's so silly so silly but I mean at least they got the result here yeah one two first time that they've had a one to a bloody long time and incredibly deserved.

They were the most dominant car. They were the most dominant we've seen them for a long time. It fit their car perfectly well. But that radio communication between those two drivers and the way they mucked up the pit stops because they brought in, was it, Piastri first, even though he was second at that point. They brought him Norris first.

But he wasn't leading, so he shouldn't have had a priority, but they were covering off. That was it. And then they kept saying, please, please give it back. It's our fault. I know you'll do the right thing. I know you'll do the right thing.

Come on. Oh, the absolute guilt tripping over the radio, ridiculous. So, but it's still a bloody good result for McLaren. And this is the start of McLaren being that properly dominant car, I think. This is the first race that you sit there and say, now McLaren are probably, looking to my eyes,

we are the first place now. Beautifully balanced, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, good stuff for McLaren. What a bunch of Muppets they were this race. And luckily, they were only overshadowed that evening by Joe Biden announcing he wasn't going to run for president again. That's the same day. Sorry, how have you worked that out?

Because I remember it. I remember it, yeah, because that was a big McLaren PR storm. And then Joe Biden is like, don't know why, Zach, I've got your mate. He's a papaya, secretly. Papaya rules. I don't know. If you cast you mice, bad to my own. I don't know if he is.

Well, speaking of papaya. Anyway, yeah, it was terribly managed from McLaren. The fact they still came away with the one, two. They're very fortunate. Also very fortunate the Max Verstappen was the world's angriest man this day. Lewis Hamilton is lucky to be driving a tank. That car should have got or carried on ragging to get a podium. He was so mad.

Do you know what if Estappan should have done? What's that, mate? Good night's sleep. He should have done. You come nice and early. Yeah. No sim racing through the night. I also love that Lewis Hamilton afterwards

was just like, ah, well, that's what I just shrugged it off, like just been griving into a horse store. Yeah, but they used to it from winning at Silverstone. Yeah. Max's still hug over. He's like, all right, they. Also, just crashing it to me.

GP, we know how good GP is as Max Stauffin's engineer, but his, by the end of that race, when that happens, and Vestappen's fully raging at this point, and GP's just like, I'm just not, I'm just not going to get into this now. I've had enough of your rubbish. Shut up.

We're not getting this. We're not arguing over the radio. You know what he did, mate? You know he did? Move on. He put his foot down. You're like, sit on the gaudy step. Yeah.

I'm not listening. I'm not listening, Matt. It's whatever. I don't care what you're going to say. Bye now. One minute for every worldwide title you've got. Which is three at this point. Three at this point.

Yeah. So a pretty dominant victory for McLaren on this day. I feel like this also starts by the way one of the greatest stretches of, the form of the season of Shao de Kler, because he's very good here, but Ferrari aren't very good. And that's basically the story for the next like three races. So, yeah.

You have to think that if that upgrade went well for Ferrari and LeCler also hit this purple patch, there's every chance he could be winning Grand Prix at this point. Quite possibly. Let's go to, he's got a spa next, where George Russell's one stop gives him the win. Momentarily, before he gets a post-race penalty, which gives the win to his teammate, Lewis Hamilton.

I mean, obviously, we know that the race result was changed after the fact, but pretty good call on strategy from George Russell, wasn't it? This is what I love about George Russell. He's so, like, just out there with his thinking that he's not afraid he could say, you know what, guys, let's just do it, let's just try this out. I reckon this could work. And that is the thing that might wing him a title one day by going, I'm not going to be reserved.

I'm not going to be nervous about it. I'm just going to say, let's go for it. Some days, it will result in him being eighth place because his ties are gone and he's nowhere. But some days, he will win a Grand Prix. And, okay, it was taking off him because of the weight issue, which you can't really blame him for. But he won that race.

That was him. He called it. He drove it. He won it. And Albert Hamilton was sat there being like, I have done everything I need to do to win this Grand Prix, this pesky little man from Posh and England. Tall man.

Yeah, well, exactly. Tall Woody has turned up and taking it off me by half a bloody second. I'm sure Lewis was secretly smiling in the back of the car when he got told that he won that one afterwards. But Russell, pull the blinder. I know it doesn't count, but George Russell's best win. I know Vegas is very good, but that's his best, that's his best win in my book.

He manages that so well. Yeah, and the cool, you're right. George Russell can read a race. There are not a lot of drivers read races as well as him. Alonzo's pretty good at it. But he can read a race and just is not afraid to make a, cool but the actual then you can make cool you can make calls and then be terrible but he was very very good with it and that his saving enough tire towards the end to fend off hamilton when he's right

behind him i think was um yeah it was very good it's a it's a real shame that a real shame that actually got taken away from him but you know he knows he did it i guess i would say it's probably hamilton's biggest weakness actually is the ability to look past his strategy um hamilton makes up for it by just raw pace you know like we saw in many occasions but yeah that that Russell, who may be on his, on their both their perfect days, Hamilton will be the faster driver, but Russell might be able outthink him in terms of the whole long game, which is very interesting.

Prime example of that with Hamilton is, was it Qatar this year when he came out, or somewhere at the end of the season, but he came out in lapsed traffic, and he was like, why am I last? Was that Brazil? Oh, that was in Brazil. I was Las Vegas.

Yes. Oh, yeah. Why am I last? Enged up second place. Yeah, you're not. You're not, you're not. You've seen a sound, but I think they're all like lap down. Anyway.

I might throw Carlos signs in there as well. As I thinker. Good race strategist within the car. But yeah, it's an excellent performance from Russell. Piastri's also got pretty good pace here. See, he catches right up to the Mercedes where Lando Norris doesn't have a good weekend. And Max Verstappen has a penalty, which really hurts him,

even though he does come back quite well. I think Oscar Piastri did a good job, almost with those. to a bit more absent from that fight for the win. Also, LeCleur was on pole. And I know he was technically second, but how? That car should not have been on pole. The race proved it. His race performance, though,

it proved that he shouldn't have been on pole. But the way he held off for Stauffin and Norris for so many laps, I would argue in a car in cars that were at that point superior was sensational from LeCler. Again, like you said a minute ago, this is part of that run of incredible Grand Prix LeCler put together, which is, if you listen to power rankings for us, one of the reasons why for some of us,

he was right up there as one of the drivers of the season, and this is the kind of race that proves that. Zanvall up next. Norris was pretty good here. I don't think there was actually much to say about this one. I've written Norris Bottles to start, Norris wins. Yeah. Nothing else happens.

I shall not comment further. I mean, Norris wins this race by over 20 seconds, despite that start and having to overtake this happen. I think he could have won this by about four years if he wanted to. This is the debut of F1's graphic of statement made, which I sense they just did. They did for this race, but because there was such a hoo-ha about it,

they've carried it on for the rest of the season. I'm not buying your rubbish here, F-1. You got caught out. Yeah, I agree. They went, oh, this is a fun little thing to do. And everyone went, why have you only done this for Norris now? I'll do it for everything.

Also, this is pretty a little bit of, not a sad moment for Piastri, but he probably let himself down here a little bit. He was very far away from his teammate. He wasn't even on the podium, Lecler again. It's one of those races where you can imagine Lecler getting out of the car and being like, how am I third here? How has this happened again?

So he's absolutely a good season. But yeah, exactly. That's true. But the fact that he was only 30 seconds behind his teammate, we've mentioned it with Perez at the start, the season behind Verstappen, nearly 30 seconds off his team mate is not a good look. One small moment further back in the field,

Kevin Magnuson being overtaken by everyone. Yeah. All on that start, finish straight. I think it was four cars got past him. Oh, yeah. He's just like, do you know, I don't want to do this. I think he's doing his classic, I'm holding people up for Holkenberg job.

But his tires just go and everyone just sails past him. I'll never mind get, Mike. You gave it a good go. The Italian Grand Prix, the last European race. And Charles Lecler, manages to hold off Oscar Piastri to win on a one-stop strategy, giving LeClaire two, well, at this point at least,

two wins on the season, one of them is his home race and one of them is team's home race. But this was a pretty epic one. The strategic masterclass from Ferrari, words I never thought would leave my mouth at that point. They pulled an absolute, they pulled the wool over McLaren's eyes. No one thought he was a threat.

No one thought it was viable. Boom, obviously when the race, thanks. Cheers. Cheers for coming. Cheers for playing. yes good strategy but lecler was a god that day god la cairns was a second yeah true besides is fourth i think yeah um also piastri pulls norris's pants down on that point i i mean he does that that was a filthy move yeah that's up there with move with the season forgot about it he absolutely

mugs in blind round the outside of that chican are you having a laugh is he have like a laugh I'm a laugh. That's a good at your reference. And it was still at this point as well, I guess only a few races removed from Hungary that there were these ongoing questions about what McLaren should do in terms of their team orders

and Piastri's answer was that. Yeah, was this Papaya Rules race? Oh, God. There's Papa rules now. Papa rules now. So good. So good. Also, this is the

introduction to Colapinto. It is. He has a fairly low-key race here, which is understandable, but that won't stay the same. No, yeah, it's obviously that point happened where Sergeant kind of, they kept him over the summer break and then deciding, no, actually, we don't want to keep him anymore. And then Colopinto got to go and the Rizmaster rizzed up everybody.

Yeah. It still doesn't make a lot of sense to me why they waited for this point rather than do it at the summer break. I still think there was something relating to Antonelli here that didn't come through. With the age thing that the FIA went through, right, the whole be able to drive under the age of 18, you don't go through that and then never put anything across. Speaking of him, he was announced this weekend and celebrated it by trying to do a qualifying lap in FP1. In the boonies.

He did it. Sorry. And then tried a second time. He was like, that was really good. I would do that again. Antigley gets like how to go slower. Watch this. so Jeremy Clarkson

will crash three seconds later we now go to Baku for the next race where we have a very entertaining battle for the lead between Oscar Piastri Charles Leclair Sergio Perez and even Carlos

Sines is in contention come the end of this race so but multiple drivers out front we've got Oscar Piastri again turn one what a move on Shao Leclair that obviously helps him win this race Yeah, that again, I think my Oscar Pagery might be the overtaker of the season.

Matt just rocks up and gets the job done. No, no mucking about, no funny business. It's like, see you later, I'm gone. Wings the race by over 10 seconds in the end of it. Keeps his tires going. I think that was the most impressive part. The Clare's tires fell off an absolute cliff if I, I can remember correctly. Yeah, yeah.

I think Russell locks into the luckiest podium again after there was a crash, of course, going into, what was it, turn three or something like that? Well, that's the thing. It was on the straight, wasn't it, really? They're just crashing a straight line, Perez and designs. That was it. That was it. And that was when they were both claiming going a straight line,

but there's no way both of you could be going in a straight line. Yeah. Looking back on it from both of their perspective, how unnecessary was it? Like, Perez has the opportunity to have his best performance, maybe of the season, but certainly since the first couple of races of the year. and signs obviously has a good opportunity to get some points for Ferrari

and the Constructors' Championship just they're going in a straight line it's just so ridiculous Did Norris go out in Q1 on this race? He did, didn't he? He did, boy. Well, I don't remember if it was his fault or not. It was...

Was there a red flag or something at the end of Q1? Yeah, it was either yellows or a red flag, but his last lap in Q1 was disrupting, which certainly helped him exiting. There was also a case of if he did a slightly better first lap in Q1, he wouldn't have quite been in that situation anyway. So it might be one where it's 50-50 split on the blame. But yeah, he was out in Q1.

And he does a very good recovery, to be fair. Yeah, I finish his P4 after, again, the accident, which if science and parrots hadn't come together, this again might have kept Ferrari in that constructors fight in that last Grand Prix because they were out of a team outscoring, McLaren. Also, Colopinto absolute Goliatho performance, beats Lewis Hamilton. Yeah, both

Williams in there. Collar Pinto just behind his team mate. Yeah. And Max Verstappen had a weird off weekend here as well, whereas Perez was very much in the fight all weekend. It's Vestappan never really had the same pace of his team, mate.

So one off, we'll let him happen. I did have one extra note actually, which was the first lap again. Yuki Sonoda and Landstraw. and Landstrol claiming that Sonoda turned it on him. It just wasn't that at all. That didn't happen. He really didn't happen that way.

No, Lance, that didn't happen. I respect it. Where are we going next? We're off to Singapore next, where Lando Norris attempts to crash at least three times in the Grand Prix, but manages to avoid it. And is otherwise pretty dominant

with Vostappen in second place. McLaren and Lando Norris, if you think about Singapore, Netherlands and Hungary, these sort of tight and twisty tracks, they had a real advantage at this point in the season. Yeah, Aero was their friend and they did very well.

It's almost these outlier circuits that seem to fall into their lap a little bit. This was at the beginning, really, when we were thinking there's a title charge on here. You know, Stapham versus Norris is becoming a real thing. And the Stappan did such a brilliant job, even though he was 21 seconds behind Norris by finishing his second place.

And again, minimising the damage that Norris is done, Piastrian not able to get past him, says a lot. And by not getting past him, I mean, was another 21 seconds behind Max Verstappen, nearly 40 seconds away from his teammate. But I imagine, if you're a McLaren fan, watching Norris nearly put it in the wall three times across that Grand Prix was like having a mini heart attack every time. Yeah, I've written one note for this race. and it was Norris was really good brackets apart from the times he tried to crash by himself. I love your notes. Sorry. Thank you.

That's great. Yeah, because one of the places he nearly crashes is the same place where George Russell crashed the year before in the fight for that win. And if you remember, that's where Norris touched the wall the year before which caused Russell to crash. Yes, very true. And Ferrari absolutely mucked up again.

Yeah, they didn't have a great one here. They had good pace at this point. it's like the car had started to come back to them and this was not good. Another very important point on this one, Daniel Ricardo's last race. Watching his sad little lies when he didn't really know what was happening to it,

it was really quite sad. I think the sad thing is he did know what was happening to it. No one bothered to tell him. Worst PR. I've never seen in my life. I thought you're going for Simpsons reference. Worst PR ever. Ever.

He does get the fastest lap, at least, to end the Grand Prix. Well, and Danny Rick. He'll remember that long forever, I'm sure. Yeah. Well, let's take our final break on this episode. We've got six more races to go to see off this championship. Welcome back, everyone. Next race, we saw in person.

The United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, where Charles LeCler takes the win. And Lando, Norris, and Max Verstappen have a duel. that's a very minimalistic way of phrasing it sure they do have a duel um yeah turn one the Claire's like all right

bye bye bye bye and then didn't look back for the rest of the race he was supreme um for i think Ferrari might have ended up being the fastest car runway here you know it would have been even better if we'd been able to find that out yeah if they just overtaken them out of pure pace and not because two cars decided that we're kick a focus only on each other.

And this was a theme that ended up happening for a few Grand Prix which we'll get onto. And then, obviously, the battle with Norris and for Stappen, which happened right in front of our very eyes into turn 12.

Multiple times. Yeah, which was not controversial at all. Ignoring that moment, we brought up a couple of times, the Stapper's car placement, the defensive believers that he was applying before that happened, it shows you why he is where he is,

because even when he is struggling for pace, it's so bloody difficult to get past the man. And he made that clear again, in instance where Norris, much like in Austria, is unable to just get the overtake done and dusted and move on with his day. Yeah, agreed. Yeah, definitely.

The other notable point on this Grand Prix was Lewis Hamilton binned it by himself, which he claimed was the first time that it had ever happened in his career, at which point we'd turn around, well, actually, 15 years ago, 2009, you binned it, Lewis. Yeah, amateur.

So actually, it's the second time in 17 years. The fact that we had to go back 15 years to actually find something where he's just lost it by himself, says a lot. But Mercedes weren't slow this weekend, but that car was just a handful, wasn't it? Even with Russell, Russell crashed it in qualifying, didn't he? He did. Yeah, same place. Yeah. Did Hamilton not bid it in China?

August. When? 2007? Yeah, but that was before the last time. That's the third one. Yeah, so we've got three now. You're washed up. You're washed up, man.

We've got stacks to choose from. Yeah, we've got all the receipts, my boy. We've dug up the dirt. Send them to the receipts, three. It's like a tiny hang full of soil. So much dirt we've got. Send him to Freddie Vass. Pretty get rid of him.

Well, fortunately, after the controversy of Austin, seven days later, we had no controversy whatsoever as Max Verstappen picked up two 10 second time penalties for Gulling with Flano Norris as Carlos signs this time for Ferrari took advantage of that with the win.

This was the point I guess that the stewards had had enough. Yeah. Yeah, I was sick of you, mate. Stop it. Yeah, Russell called it the dive bomb defence

in an interview recently. And yeah, Verstappen weren't stopping for nobody. He was like, I'm just, I will just keep driving you towards the wall until you yield. The first one, sorry, go to Larry. That's what I'm going to get to. The first one

is within, somewhat within the current rules. Similar to Cota. Similar to Cota. The second one. Again. Disgusting. Disgusting. Yeah.

Unlike Cota, I think McLaren could have gone to win this Grand Prix and Sykesing a very good job at scampering. away with the wing here because Norris was on a charge she was in at that Grand Prix. The gap came right down to I think four or five seconds. And that again is pretty showing that the Stappen will have got will go above and beyond what he should be doing to make sure that he disrupts his rival as much as possible. We again, another point of forgot, we might have to have like a save of the season category in

the Elby Awards because another one. He must have moot himself, LeCla. So much, so much. A shower. A brand and Ferrari. also Perez and Lawson just swearing at each other hating on each other

middle fingers out the car that video of the two guys in the street just middle fingers yeah I have a sense of that now that's those two the whole time for no reason but then there was also Lawson having a battle with Colopinto

later on in the race and Perez has team radio about how he's watching it what does he call him is it that that idiot again. That idiot. Yeah, they weren't best of friends here. Still not, I don't think. Do you remember best of friends?

No. Oh, is that the one where they put the sweets in their mouth? Yeah, yeah. And they got a blue tongue. They had to be a task. It's not really relevant to anything. It's like to know if you remember it. That's so beer we're breaking.

Yeah, it really is. Yeah, not a championship review topic. Next race. The Brazilian Grand Prix. There's a fair amount to talk about this one. Ah, I got, got, got. Stappan goes from 17th to first. One of the best drives I've ever seen.

That is simple as that. It's one of the best drives I've ever watched. Yeah, a lot to talk about on this one. But Vestappan was supreme on another level versus the rest of the field on that day. And yeah, like we said at the time, I think we'll be remembered in the same, you know, same breath as Schumacher,

Schumacher, Spain, 96, Senator Donington, 93, etc. He was sublime. He was sensational. It is one of Ocon's greatest performances of all time about to shadow. That's who we're talking about, right?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. I mean, it was. It was a great performance from Ocon from Vestappan, from Gassley, a double Alpine podium, which, you know,

at this point in the season, they were battling with Williams for ninth, and all of a sudden they were battling with Hasse for the sick. They were such a transformational result for them. And this is what we say so many times. We have a team right back there needs to be the team that are on top when chaos ensues. And that could have been any of them. But it was Alpine that somehow came out of nowhere,

proper Randy Orton to the league table, and ended up moving themselves into sixth place. And look how it paid off for them at the end of the season. In all seriousness about Ocon's performance, I do have to say, the way which he built the lead over everyone else when he was on intermediate tires when it was definitely not intermediate weather was very impressive.

Including Max de Stappen. Yeah, yeah. That was ridiculously impressive. Russell and Norris obviously had the advantage early on. They were starting on the front row of the grid, but they pit for inters where some of the other drivers like Vastappen and the Alpins don't, which cost them when the red flag comes out.

Norris has a weird kind of up and down day. He has good pace, certainly early on, but a couple of unforced errors. It's really mucky. Really mucky weekend from McLaren generally. Got so lucky in the spring race. They're playing around with things a lot this season. And that was another fast but silly moment.

And then Piastri has to let him back through because he's run off the track a couple of times. Piaastri ends up getting beaten by Sonoda, I think it is. It's a really topsy-turvy day for McLaren. And the best I think he gets in sixth place. This is pretty much the final nail in the coughing after the staff is incredible drive back to first. I don't think we can move on

without talking about the first formation lap thing I think I quite like remembering stroll standing next to the gravel with his hands on his hips I just realised that stroll's already taken a bit of a beating in this episode but maybe I should have saved it for this moment you know what they're putting it in the gravel is one thing the spin is one thing

that's true that's true the putting in the gravel it's unacceptable on. Trashing is one thing, but he didn't damage the car. You think, all right,

you can recover this, mate. You've got this. The wall's fine. Because, like, do you remember Vastappen at Hungary a few years ago

on the formation lap? Fashed into the wall. All good. Yeah. I was on the way to the grid. Yeah, on the way to the grid, absolutely.

But he didn't bring gravel afterwards. It's gone on. I still retained it is the cut away and the cut back and he's suddenly 20 foot into the gravel trap and he's like, who put this here?

It's just so clueless. And it doesn't leave the track despite there being a digger there and Formula One cars from the past. Also, I've seen it because producer Kirsty did a video of this on our Instagram page, which everyone should go and follow by the way

because we're almost at 10K. Woo! Before YouTube. Before YouTube. Why don't produce Kirsty. Sensational plug work, Harry. Well, though. Thank you. But we did a video on this and people, we said about why did you just reverse further and people said,

well, there's a track there. He had so much more time. run off to use. Don't give me there's a track there. There's also no more cars there because the great thing about bimbing it means everyone's gone past you. I saw a lot of people say he would get disqualified. No.

It was an interesting point to raise because the answer to that is no. Yeah. If he'd reversed onto the track, reversed onto the track and then kept going backwards and maybe a disqualification. It's not if you enjoyed reverse. It's quicker to go back. the other one.

He's like, you know, like one hand on the wheel. Like, yeah, looking every shoulder. It's fair, more impressive. If he's done that. I can even go two miles that way or one mile that way. It's not against the rules to engage reverse. Just don't go the wrong way around the track. Good.

Put that in the book. Please do. Vegas is up next. Mercedes light cold is basically the overall talking point from this one. I guess like for the event itself, Harry, this was our second attempt of going racing in Vegas. How did it compare to the first year? It was less good than the first year.

It was still an all right race. It just wasn't quite what 2020 was. The Russell, LeCler, towards the start was good, but then LeCler cooked his ties in cold temperatures. It's incredible. How? I don't know. But Ferrari actually recovered that pretty well,

but bringing him in and sorting it out. And then that's it. The other thing is Gassley blows up because he hits the rev limiter. Come on. It's very alpian. It's very alp. They don't believe him.

I've got no power whilst there's smoke coming out of the back. Everything is fine, beer. It's like, no, no, no, no. I'm not going anywhere. Yeah. I disagree. I think Vegas brings bangers two years ago. I didn't say what, I didn't say it was bad.

I said it wasn't as good as 23. You said it was the worst race you've ever seen. with the worst left of your You're the worst race I've ever seen Thank you Good one

Poo p pah Poo! Got him! I'll be question the week What's the worst he's like you ever heard?

Yeah, you're such a I'd rather be a York Terrier than a wolf yeah. Got you I'd rather you

David go away. No, it's Lecler's post radio from this race might have been the worst insult of all time when he's asked

to pick up and he's like pick up what you want Yeah, you bleep pick up. Yeah,

got it. Oh, sorry, the radio was on still. Sorry, oops, left, hang on. We should just control by my finger pressing it down. You heard that, huh? You know, punk. You can get you, Ricky. Oh, it's not Ricky anymore, is it?

Oh, Ricky's a punching bag in the back. Hang on a second. We've got, we're in past Brazil and didn't mention. Hello. It's a good point. It's going to come up again. He's coming up midweek. And I think it's going to be.

contender for about four awards. It's going to wear all this. It's going to take home a record about the album. Also, spoiler folks, we're actually recording the LPs immediately after we're recording this one. So Ben's got things to do. We must to get on. Come on. What do you mean? We're going to record it straight

after this. We'll be in completely different attire. Very good. Very good point. We'll be like Superman. Spin round. Exactly like Superman. Superman. Charles Perez's double overtake at Vegas, by the way.

Yes. Let's check out. Penultimate race of the season was at Qatar. Oh, by the way, Vostappan won the champion. Yeah. You should probably mention that. Gras de la Gatsy.

At Qatar. Vastappan wins. Norris gives him his best challenge until Norris receives a penalty for not slowing under yellows, a rather severe penalty, which sees him go through the pits. I've written

Qatar sucks Holkenbergs are battering ram The mirror Hamilton and Science puncture The mirror The FIA are rubbish The mirror Of course

I don't even forgot about the mirror The poor Williams At this point It's just disintegrating The mechanics are just like Slop on the floor I have to clean them up They're just mess

Mopping away mechanics Sweats dripping off of them I think I've got anything To add to Harry's point That was pretty much A bag on sorry Sucinct notes guitar does suck.

Last race of the season was Abu Dhabi, which I think kind of sucked as well. Lewis Hamilton comeback. That's the only, and Lecler, that's the only thing that was interesting. Now we know that the championship had kind of being sealed

because Norris was so quick out front. Kind of took away the tension. But you sealed the Constructed Championship here, of course. He did. And well done too, McLaren, first time in what 26 years. So, bravo to you.

But that move from Hamilton at the end, still what I bring it up, was a fantastic comeback. back from him. The whole, have you seen the montage of him speed laping going through the laps at full speed to catch up to Russell?

No. It's good. That's good. It's the whole 14 seconds. What? And I was like, oh, Toto's more like, You can do it.

And then he does it. It's pretty cool, man. She's see the story. You told us now. We don't need to. Honestly, cinema. Such a vivid, vivid description. I was worried at 70 minutes

into the review that we weren't going to get an appearance of Papa Toto, but I was wrong. You're going to do it. Wait to the Elbees. Did you have any notes for Abu Dhabi, Ari? Vestappen Lunge. Perez turned around.

Howlinson's last that move, McLaren, win. Yeah, again, you've nailed that. Why did I even bother watching the race? I don't know, mate. You have Miss Bottascus driving into Cam. I know. I was going to put that, but I just felt unfair. Like, he's had a bad year.

If I had a rough one. He doesn't need more kicking whilst he's down. Is he going on you doing a donut? no one sees. The least seen donut in the world. Oh, poor boy. I respect it, did it? Like, fair, like, yeah, fair enough.

Is it a genre? Oh, excellent. Excellent. Excellent. We can't use our tool now because he's no longer left one. God damn it, show. You waited until this point and give us up before. He's never done one before.

A joanut. Oh, there you go. Oops, that's 24 races in a, about an hour and 15 minutes. I think we're done all right there. Don't say we don't smash it. Don't say we don't kill the game. Boom.

And we've not missed anything from it and don't tweet us or comment. If you go back for watch all 24 races, every detail. Every single detail would have been covered and we haven't missed anything at all. Good news is Wednesday's episode. We've got some awards to give up.

Is there a special guest? I think there might be a special guest. Sam, the cupboard. Has it been unlocked? It's been rattling a lot, actually. Let me out. Let me out. Is he Welsh?

What's happened? His cousin. For those you have experts to Elbeys before, oh, you're in for a ride because that's going to be coming up next. Gareth Pigglesworth, his Welsh cousin.

Gareth, actually. Folks, thanks for listening. Thanks for being a real year. It's only going to get sillier as we do have the LBs. Of course, the LB question of the week was to vote for your Hall of Fame and we'll be going through those as well.

Stick around over the Christmas and New Year's Day period because we will be having best of games, best moments of the year and then we'll be back into the content again to kick off the new year. We don't go anywhere over this Christmas break.

We are, and the whole winter break, we're here the whole time. If we'll get all out free, if all your extras, Patreon is in the description, Discord is in the description. You can watch this on YouTube.

I implore you to watch the LBs on YouTube so you get the full experience. And that's it. That is it. We're going to see you for another fantastic episode next time. In the meantime, I've been Samuel Sage.

I've been Ben Hocking. And I've been... Is this a Sunday? Yeah, I've been Harry Eage. And I've been, is this a Sunday? I remember. Keep breaking it late. God.

Oh, no. This podcast is part of the Sports Social Podcast Network.