The Late Braking F1 Podcast - Predicting the 2026 driver lineup!

Episode Date: August 10, 2025

Only 8 seats remain open on the 2026 grid - so who's getting them? The LB boys make their predictions: Will Tsunoda stay at Red Bull? Is Colapinto on the way out? And who will lead Cadillac’s F1 debut? Plus, they discuss Vasseur’s contract extension at Ferrari, and play a game involving future champions... >>> Don't miss out - limited tickets left for our 2025 LIVE SHOW in Austin TX! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CLICK HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to grab yours or for more info!

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. On a non-race Sunday, so we decided we're not going to get too down about this. We're going to be together in studio. We'll be together. We're going to be together.

in studio. Live. It's not live, actually, this is pre-recording. That is lovely. Thank you. I just got back from watching Marvin Humes. This morning.

Now actually, early Marvin Hume's slot. 9 a.m. with Marvin Hume's. I never thought Marvin would get so much out. Didn't he die in the Royal Rumble? No, he's DJing the Royal Rumble. Oh, right.

Americans, I'm so sorry. You have no idea what's going on. He's a national treasure at Marvin Humes in the UK. National, he's not even the best person with his surname. Well, pick up for a shell. Shell's too, I'm going on about the carpet. He rocks the bald head. Any bald men out there, that's how you do it.

Great, well, that's the perfect intro. Off you go, Ben. Welcome to New fans. What are we talking about? What are we talking about? Well, because it's the summer break, we thought it's a good opportunity to have a look at next year, 2026 and how the driver market is shaping up.

So as it stands right now of the 22 seats that there are going to be next year, it feels good to say that. 14 of them are already confirmed, including six teams who have confirmed both drivers. So that is Norris and Piastri at McLaren, Lecleran Hamilton at Ferrari, Stroll and Alonzo at Aston, Aston Martin, Behrman and Ockon at Hass, Albin and Sines at Williams, and Holkenberg and Bortletto at Salba. There are then two teams who have confirmed one driver,

that's Gazli at Alpine, Vestappen at Red Bull, which leaves three teams that have confirmed neither driver. That's Mercedes, racing balls and the new team Cadillac. First question might be a quick one, but might as well run for it just to see. 14 drivers have been confirmed, but we have seen in the past that doesn't always 100% guarantee it's going to happen. Any surprises amongst those 14? I can't really see it happening. Aston Marston is not going anywhere of these developments.

And stroll is, of course, stroll. He will, is like an unmovable force. He's like the Pyramids of Geese. He will be here for a millennia. So, yeah, he's not going anywhere. Hamilton, unless we get some surprise shock retirement after what's been said over the last few weeks, it's not going to happen.

No contenders you can think of that might replace. Well, he would be, Berman. Yeah, he's the young Ferrari driver that might be called up there from cars, and that might open a vacuum there. But other than that, I can't see too much moving around.

That's really going to shock us. Sticking with the 14 that have been confirmed? I think so, yeah. Hamilton was the only one that really sprung to mind. And I don't think that's likely. I don't think he's going to give it up this easily. So, yeah, I think the rest of them are locked in. Obviously, this happened as I'll confirm for next year.

So he's not going anywhere, although. So part of me it still doesn't quite believe that. But anyway. Say it to get him off his back. Yeah, just leave me. It doesn't want another press conference all around him. What a photo. Yeah.

But yeah, like you said, you know, Master Martin are locked in. I think Ferrari pretty locked in. McLaren aren't going to change anything anytime soon. So, yeah, I don't think there's going to have been any shots. But like I said, I think Hamilton's the only one I was starting to think about. But I think deep down, deep down he knows that he went to Ferrari for 2026 as tough as this year has been for him.

So I think it'll stick it out. Okay. Well, we'll move swiftly on to the eight drivers that we don't know yet. Of course, we are now doing this in the summer break. We know that within the next week, all eight of these are going to be confirmed, rendering this episode completely irrelevant. So can't wait for that to happen. But we'll go ahead anyway. Let's start with the Red Bull family.

We've got three seats to look out there, and then we'll take a break. And then after that, we'll look at the five other seats. So Red Bull, let's just start with the prediction of who it's going to be. And then we'll get into some discussion as to why we think that. Who's partnering this happened next year? Haja. Harry? Hadjar.

And I'll go Sonoda. Why had you? With the way that Snowy's been moving and the changing leadership the rebel have seen with Mecky's coming in, of course, I do think that whilst Meckis isn't the same type of leagher as Horner, I don't think you'll get this almost kind of dictatorian state that Horner brought in. I do think Meckis is more collaborative. I do think he will want to do something to put his stamp, his authority, his mark on the team. And the start of this new regulatory period, there's very much a time for him to go, can make a key change to try and make it my team. Sonoda, whilst we know the car has not been great, that Red Bull is definitely floundering, it's definitely worse quality than it has been.

He's also not been living up to the standards that Senada has brought in the last four years being in the sport with the junior team. And I do think to please shareholders to make sure that confidence is renewed in him, Hagell will be given the opportunity by Mekis, as is kind of key cheerily. And they have that strong relationship, of course, from the first half of this season when they work together at Racing Bulls. So I think now Hajar is probably more confident in the challenge. changing leadership in the changing direction of how the car will be developed and the new regulations.

I think a conversation will open that means that he will partner Max for Stappan. And he'll have the excuse of going. It's new regulations, guys. I need to kind of get my boundary and my bearings. I need to work at how I'm feeling in the car. It's allowing him a little bit more time to develop. And I think with Mechis at the helm, they have a good relationship that will inspire some confidence. I think Sonoga unfortunately just hasn't been up to par, even with the car and not being strong enough.

Harry, you've gone the same way. Why do you think Lauren Meckes is going to make that cool? Kind of similar to what Sam said. I think it's, Sonoda's almost the Sonoda move for changing Lawson for him. Was that the last thing that Horner did, or the last big thing that Horner did at Red Bull. And I feel like I don't see any massive turnaround for Sonoda this year. And again, this isn't necessarily blaming him. We know how cursed that second seat.

is a red bull but i feel like yeah meckies will just want a fresh start he's obviously i mean he's worked with both of them obviously but he was working with uh had jara racing bulls he knows a talent he's had he know he has sorry and he knows what a year he's had so far um yeah i just get the sense he will he'll he'll opt for for that as a sort of clean start um i think the only thing that would change that if is if Sonoda has a absolutely superb end of the year, or second half the year. But I doubt it at the moment. So yeah, that's what we're going for. But I mean, it's Red Bull.

It's hard to know. Interestingly, I was listening to our live show from last year yesterday. And we were talking about the second Red Bull seat. And you posed a question, who's going to get the second seat? What is Perra going to stay? Me and Sambo said, no. I think we thought Lawson was going to get it. and you said Sonoda.

Technically, but all right. All right. Yeah, I'll let you have that one. Well, yeah, sure. All right. All right. What was like us? Yes.

Yeah, weirdly, I was listening to the same thing and picked out the same highlight of that episode. I'm going to go with Sonoda here. If this was the old regime, I'd have said Hadjar, no doubt about it. And honestly, there's still a very good chance it is Hadjar. But I'm going to put my trust a little bit in Meckis to not promote. this is almost more about Hadjar than Sonoda, not to promote him too early

and see what has happened to, so many others happened to him as well. I don't necessarily think Sonoda has done enough this season yet. There's still a little bit of time, but I think it's more about, for me, the situation that Red Bull find themselves in, which is Lawson's had a go, Hadjar's only had one season.

And if you look at those three drivers, Sonoda and Lawson were teammates for a quarter or third of a season. they were very evenly matched. They were teammates again for a similar amount of time. They were evenly matched. Hadjar and Sonoda, I appreciate only had two races as teammates beginning of this year, evenly matched. And even now we're looking at Lawson and Hadja.

They're separated by two points in the championship. I think they've been pretty evenly matched if you consider Lawson's most recent run of form. So there's nothing to me yet from Isaac Hadjar, who is younger and I think has more potential. There's nothing yet that strikes me as he's going to go in versus Vastappen and do two terms better than Sonodan. The thing that changes my mind is the lack of Honda. Yeah, I mean, that certainly helped him to this point. I don't think it will hinder him in the future, in that, you know, there's not a particular brand reason to go for Hajar.

And I think that will almost level the playing field Sonoda versus everyone else, because I think Honda has helped him in that regard to this point. It'd be interesting to see it. I mean, Aster Martin obviously doesn't have a seat for next. year but does have an up-and-coming Honda relationship. So be interested to see if that takes precedent. But in terms of Snowd, obviously, you've gone for Hadjar. Is there a path for him to keep the seat? No, I don't think so, unfortunately. He would have to really destroy the second half of this season. You know, it comes in, scores points every round, that kind of thing. I really do think that he needs to

regularly be qualifying in Q3 and regularly finishing, even if it is ninth and tenth every race, scoring regular points for the next 10 races. He has not shown the Sonoda that we really came to give a lot of praise to at the end of his racing balls journey. We were talking about how established he'd become in the midfield, how good he was becoming, how he no longer drove in that reckless behavior, he was no longer put in the car in the wall, he was no longer good at only the start on the end of the season.

He'd become a very consistent and strong driver. Now, I understand that this Red Bull is such a different car to drive, there's so many different characteristics, even Max Verstappen is starting to struggle with it. But he has not elevating himself in the way that even Perez was able to do. Now, we gave Perez some difficult criticism in that car. I think rightly so. But Perez was able to find results even at his most difficult periods in that car.

There were still regular points finishes. Even when he was only qualifying outside of Q3, it was regularly in Q2. And he would get the car back into the points. We're not seeing this from Sonoda. Now, one could argue that the field is much closer and it is much harder to get past this. and the Red Boys are going to be near as good as it was when Paris had it. Sure, mitigating circumstances. But I'm just not seeing enough from Senegal right now

that makes me feel confident that he can turn it around. Unless Mecky's goes the complete opposite way that I've thought about it, and goes, actually, I think Senghis has been mistreated, and I now want to give him time to prove what I know Sanoa can do when I was working with him. It's not me, of course. Just to confirm that, because there was a lot of confusion as to who you might have. I know that all of our millions of listeners went,

hey, there's not a meckis on the show. Sounds very English right now. Yeah, so that's the only way that I feel Sanoa stays is if one, he's able to essentially turn the head of Mekkins and go, you know what I can do. I just need a real environment to get that out. And he goes, okay, I'll give it to you. Or I think it's going over.

I do wonder how much those mitigating circumstances will help Sonoda, whether it will help him a little or a lot. I think I'm maybe banking on it helping him a lot, because if you go back to 2023, Perez finished runner-up in the driver's championship that year, and I appreciate I'm just focusing on qualifying here, but he was on average five-and-a-half temp slower than Max Verstappen, and that was still enough to finish P2 in the championship overall.

If Sonoda at any point this season, and he has been a few times, if he is five and a half tempest, temp, right now with that car, that's last place. Like, that's not good enough to get to Q3 because Vestappen is getting polled by a couple of attempts. that car is a lot worse than what it was two years ago and I just wonder if that might save him. It's also the only time Perez got to Peter in the championship

for that incredible government year. Yeah, yeah. Last question on Red Bull before we move on to racing bulls, Harry. Any chance that Meckys goes Sonoda, I don't think that's the right option. Hadjar, I don't think he's ready. Is there an external name that could come in similar to what Perez did in 2021?

I don't think he would be against that and look, Red Bull have not been a, they obviously did it in the past with Perez, as you say. I'm not entirely sure who that external name would be, George Russell, maybe, but I just doubt it. I just don't think he wants to go. So I don't know who they were, there's no massively obvious one for me that they would bring in.

It's not a part of the junior program. And the other thing for me is, I know you mentioned Christian Horn is not there anymore, so you think Meckys would be slightly different in how they treat the drivers. Helmut Marco is still there. But he's a saint. He was always the one fighting to keep their corner. He's the same. No, treat them nicely.

Helmut Marco was the classic, let's take a step back, guys, chap, you know. Let's get everyone in a camp together. No. That might be one of the worst aging comments. full time that COVID camp. That in 10 years time will be like a weird quiz that we do. We're like, who came up with the idea to put all drivers in a COVID camp? To make them immune.

Get them racing. Was that real? Yes. Yes. It's Helmut Mark or Bernie Eckleston. There's no one else who would have said that. It's 50-50 and I would still get it wrong. Yeah.

So I still think there'll be an element of them wanting to make this junior driver program work for them in terms of getting, promoting into that seat. And I just don't think there's a massive obvious candidate right now that would be the one to drive in that other Red Bull. I got one name that springs in mind. Gasly. Yeah, I was thinking about that. Going back into the fire.

But if he has no faith in Alpine, if he really believes that. Which is perfectly justified. Very fair. Honestly, maybe a good call there, Pierre. That team is floundering. We don't know how well they're going to integrate the Mercedes power unit. they're struggling for cash. Flavio is not really a team principal but is

and has been banged from the sport once and come back. Don't know who their investors are. Renew are keen on it. There's a lot going on. So moving back to Red Bull, which is kind of out of the frying pan, literally into the fire. A fire he's used to,

but far more established now. Which fire would you like to be? I'm used to this fire. Would you like this third degree burn? Would you like this third degree burn? I don't feel it anymore. I just walks around like a conflict, like a hazard suit everywhere goes.

Help me. You know, this is Pierre with a hair transplant now. He's new and improved. Yes. As a man losing his hair, I can say that. Okay? That comes from a good place. Pierre, please help me.

I think that actually, if he got giving assurances at least a couple of years, there's a chance he goes. Well, never confirmed, but the rumor was that Christian Horner hated him. So he's not there anymore. I know, yeah, you're right. Why? Not sure. You're right, that was the rumor, yeah.

I guess we go back to the Helmut Marco thing there of Mecky's hasn't first-hand seen Gazette Red Bull. Helmut Marco has. Would that put him off? Who knows? But I came up with the same name as maybe. It's in the Gasly camp or not. We don't know how they stand.

They might have a good relationship. To the junior team of racing balls. So based on both of you thinking how Jal is going to get the promotion, of course, there is going to be changing the lineup from both of your predictions. of course, Hagear with Liam Lawson in the seats at the moment. The two names are?

Yeah, so I think Lawson stays. I'll just be checking the results. Sorry, there's a couple of races to go here, and Limblad currently sits seventh in F2. I think if he carries on having a positive end to the season, I know he's not going to wing, I think it's way too far off really since you get the wing. I think he gets promoted.

All right. Yeah. The two L's. The Lels. Or three Lels because of Liam Wilson. Liam Larson. and laughing Lingblad.

Yeah, we're going to have to change your name Limblad, sorry, Mike. Good. Prediction.

Oh, very good. The same. I'm going for Larson because I fear he will have Pierre Gassley syndrome now,

even if he starts doing well on that racing balls. Obviously never move him up again. Well, I'm not even say he ruined it for himself

because good Lord, he had two races. But I just don't think they'll ever want to like admit that. that they may have got it wrong. So I think he'll just stay in racing balls now and then probably make a move to Alpine in a few years time.

Natural journey. The natural progression. And yeah, I think it'll be a limb lad in that second seat. If they obviously do move Hajjar up to racing, to Red Bull, sorry. If they don't, then they'll obviously keep Hajak. He's been the star for them. So yeah, that's obviously based on the, based on Hajar getting promoted.

And then, yeah, poor Yuki, I don't think we'll have a scene. There's a real risk, though, that they're getting followed that pattern of moving things on too soon. And I do think if they bring Lingblad in, Lindblad, is that always how we're saying it? I believe so. Okay, sorry, Lynn Blard.

Producees-of-Dolid. Producees-Dolid with a Scandinavian roots is telling me of. Limblad. Sorry, I sound like an ass. Limblad. Limblad? Arvard is Lynnblad? Arving Lindblad.

I'm not going to be. I mean, you want really morn in the guy. I couldn't need to. It's back. It sound more like Bain. You were mainly in the dark. I was born. Sorry, this has gone so off track.

When Bain comes into the racing balls, I do worry that they will again try to move things on too long, but I hope Mekhis is seeing that's a problem. He's understood that. He's an angelized. He's going, actually, Hajong, he's at least a season. We've got to keep lourcing around because he's a known entity.

We can use him if we need to. and Limbludes actually needs to have some time to integrate himself into Formula One, especially with the new regulations, everyone's going to go, while the car moves are going on, what's going on? We actually have moving parts, and I pull a steering wheel, which is very confusing. Das. That's good. That's good.

I'm saying you always get their way. In my situation, obviously, Sonoda's still in the Red Bull, so there's a bit more of a decision. I am going with Hadjar and Limbludd. So lorcing out completely. Yeah. I could see them going either way. with it. Again, in my situation, Sonoda is still at Red Bull. But I think with Limbaugh,

because they could, it wouldn't surprise me, give him another year in F2. He's still, he's only just turned 18 or Super Formula. That's something they've done with the likes of Lawson and Gassley before. And maybe they're slightly put off by what's happened with Antonelli. I don't know. I appreciate Mercedes and Racing Balls, not the same caliber of seat. But with how young Antonelli was coming into the Merck seat, maybe they're thinking another year on the sidelines another year elsewhere might not have been the worst thing in the world for Antonelli. So maybe that puts them off, but I'm still going with them making the call here. It would be harsh, I think, on Lawson, just based on what he's done very recently. He's scored 20 points in the last seven

races. So much improved. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I think the reason I've gone for Limbaud, though, and why I think they might go in that direction is with Lawson. He is two and a half years older than Hajjar. So whilst his, and he's more experienced than Hadjar, so whilst his performances might now have got up to a level point, maybe with him, there's more expectation, I think, for him based on how long he's been in the sport. And I know that's not a very long time, but it's more than Hajar.

Question for you then, Ben. What happens to Lawson? Are you wearing Formula One? That might impact my late predictions. We'll see. No spoilers, but it's taken off to the break. Maybe, maybe. I think that's going to do it for Red Bull and Racing Bulls then.

But we've still got five more seats to predict. That's happening on the other side of this break. Welcome back, everyone, to the second part of today's predicting the 2026 grid. We've given our thoughts on the other side on Red Bull and Racing Bulls. We've got a few more to predict here. Mercedes, maybe this one doesn't take very long, but we'll see. Are they sticking with Antonelli and Russell? Yeah, I think so.

Yeah. Yeah. I'm also saying yes. So I guess maybe the bigger question that was posed on what the streets are called in the best episode of all time, bonus episode two in July. Record-breaking episode I heard. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Most ever listened to episode in history of podcasts. Yeah, yeah. Even though it's behind a paywall. We are millionaires. Thanks for bonus episode two. Ten million downloads of that episode alone.

Broughting up to one of that huge. print at all facts. Still haven't listened to it. We asked the question about Russell and Antonelli, if they were to get a new deal at Mercedes, whether it would be a one-year deal, whether it would be a multi-year deal. So we'll start with Antonelli. Would you give him just another year, or would you extend it further? I would, it's two schools of thought.

It makes a lot of sense to, if you've given him the faith, you've given him that kind of chance to come into Formula One and gone, well, we trust the potential you have. We think your glass ceiling is so high that we've. are willing to take that risk early to bed you in. And remember he's a rookie. His opening season is not being bad at all. He's not by any stretch to the imagination, he's been bad. He's had a poor run.

But he's picked up a podium. He's like a sprint pole. He scored points. It's a number of occasions where he has been there with Russell. But Russell has shown his prowess, his experience, and his outright talent. And he has gone above and beyond what I would expect of a rookie to do, which is great for both parties, really. It would be really bad for Russell if Antiganiani was there with him at all times.

So I understand if they were to give him. say a two-year deal. Then we go right end of 2027, we reevaluate everything. And we see how you're doing the new formula. I think they'll do a one plus one with maybe some kind of goal set that he has to achieve to basically activate it or it may need to be renegotiated. And that might be, you know, be within X amount of Russell come the start of the summer window of 2026, for example. But I do think they should stick with this young talent. They've given him that opportunity. It would be really odd as a decision to commit to bringing in someone so junior, leave someone like Balkyri Bottas on the sidelines who is so well experienced, and then only give him that year and

then cancel the contract. Or go, we're only going to give you maybe one year rolling and see how we go. You've got to commit to building this talent in. And I do think there are still those flashes of raw talent in the pan that are really electric, really exciting. So, yeah, I think it'll be a one plus one with quite an easy activation to be a two. Yeah, I agree that it will be, I think a one-year deal. Maybe they had the plus one on the end of it as well, but I don't think they'll commit more than that at this stage. But I don't think there's any risk of Antonelli not being their next season just based on how much they've committed to this already. I just don't think it says a lot that when the Vestappan rumors were swirling, that it was Russell's seat

that was more in question than Antonelli's because as we discussed a lot of the time, Russell is a quality driver, yet he was the one a little bit more under threat than Antonelli. They've invested a lot in his junior career. And being a Mercedes driver, it's difficult. It's a privilege. Only five drivers before Antonelli have done it in this modern era of F1, going back to Schumacher, Rosberg, then Hamilton Bottas, and then obviously Russell. It's not like they've had many drivers in that seat.

It's a prestigious role. Three of world champions. Yeah, exactly, which is why it was such a surprise when Antonelli came along as a rookie in that sort of leading seat. And I don't think you do that unless you are committed all the way. I don't think a bad half a dozen races or whatever it's been. I don't think that changes the way in which Mercedes view him. So I'm going to go one year as well.

Harry? Yeah, one year, Frantanley. And we said this on the greatest episode of all the podcasting. But we said I don't think he would have or should have any complaints with just a one year, given how a young year is into his career. So I think it keeps Mercedes options open if, say, for example, 26 is, there's no development and 26 doesn't work out for Antenelli. They can pivot towards someone else, Mathis and Stapham.

But if not, then then obviously they can go for a bigger, bigger, bigger multi-year deal. So, yeah, I don't, I don't think they'll do more than a more than a one year for Antonelli. do you think Toto has a hat for his contract negotiation He has a hat for everything Contract hat I think contract hats goes to get set out the vault

I think it looks a lot like the classic Sherlock Holmes hat Oh yeah The Twin Peak Yeah the Twin Peak Yeah nice I like that Yeah yeah Under each peak is a different contract

And you have to pick What one you get With a pipe as well From proper Sherlock Holmes Sit in my office He said with a really bad Cockney accent Can I talk to you about

contracts, please, so hang on. Yes, now you can. Hello, Kimmy. She's in my office. Yeah, I'm going to Red Bull. Cheers, though. Actually, second thought, don't make me take off the hand.

No, please don't let me. Keep past me with my gloves, please. Gets the forklift out. Not a single person who's new to the show. He's got any idea what's going on. No. Which is where I'm going to move it on to George Russell. I think they'll go two-year deal with George Russell, and I'm going to present the case why.

I think worst-case scenario at the end of next season, if they do a two-year deal, Antonelli has improved a heck of a lot. Vestappen's still there and wants to go to Mercedes for the, for 2027. And George Russell's kind of there as well. And you decide, with Antonelli's potential, Vestappan, how good he is, we don't want Russell there, but we're committed to a two-year deal. and you pay off the second year of the contract, if you have to do that,

you are in such an incredible position with your other two drivers that I think you can not love it, but you justify it. You accept it, because the only way you're paying it is if Vestappen wants to join you. So that's why I think they might go two-year deal.

I think mistakes don't realize how precarious their position is. There is no clear junior driver that can come in and support if everything goes wrong. Vastepen is a risk. There is no actual guarantee. the Max Verstappen will ever go to Mercedes,

want to go to Mercedes, can be afforded to go to Mercedes. It really isn't as clear cut. You know, before Hamilton signed for Ferrari, no of Toto might put their hat on Ferrari taking Lewis Hamilton. It really felt like a mystery that was never going to actually come to be solved.

And that's the same case here. For Staffington, Mercedes is almost as monumental incides as Hamilton to Ferrari. So there's no guarantees. And if Russell gets fed up, he doesn't get the deal he wants, the car doesn't develop, because, I mean, you spoke about it before we started going on air, is Russell a top three driver now? If they lose him and the staffing is like, actually, Ripple's really good right now, this Ford-Dagging is amazing. Love it.

Why would Russell then, you know, Russell's gone. Why would then Max come over? Who have they got? Bottas might be off, but we're discussing it later for the likes of Kagalak. Who do they go to at that point? I don't think they have anyone clear waiting in the wings that can take their spot and do a good job if essentially Russell of Estappen

make it known they do not wish to be with him saying it. And I think therefore they have to give Russell a really strong deal to lock him in and then pay it off if everything else opens up for them. I agree. And again, I said this on the pageant episode. I think there's a scenario where Toto gets burnt on this. and he doesn't get either Vestappen and he loses Russell. I'm not saying it's the most likely

scenario. But as I said before, Vestappen just cares about the racing. I can foresee a future where he's just like, do you know what? I've had enough. I'm really good at this, but I've had enough. Got nothing left. Got nothing left to give.

Just doesn't want to do it anymore. I've got a kid. I've got a couple of kids now. Kiviat's crying at the court But Kiviat's one of the kids Yeah Come on, dang it But he's like, yeah, I just don't want to do it I want to go race something else and fed up of F1

And then they haven't committed Enough to George Russell And then Mercedes are left with Kimmy Antonelli who is super talented as we know But he's very young into the career Can't drive both cars Cannot He'd like to try

So yeah, I'm with you Sam I think they I think he's I understand why he's been sort of You know, flirting with a stack on this but I think he risks losing Russell, who is, as you were debating about him, maybe he's top three and everyone,

but he's certainly top five right now. And that would be stupid. I mean, if he did, imagine us commenting on that afterwards, we'd all say you're an idiot for doing that. So I think they do need to lock him in, show some confidence in him because he's been delivering. It's such a bizarre conversation that they have doubt in him.

He's been phenomenal, thinks he's coming to that team. I don't think they even do have doubt. I think they're just sort of faffing around with this. And if I was Russell, I'd be... Just be factuated with the idea that Max Verstapp and Mike Drive for them. Yeah, it's more the just hedging their bets sort of thing that would start to... If I was Russell, I'd start to be getting a little bit annoyed.

I know it's summer break now and they're not going to do anything, but still. I think it's only because it's for Stap. If it's anyone else, he's locked in. The grass isn't always greener. Why's sage words from Mr. Samson? Oh, that could be a new segment. Sage words. It's not long as long as long.

It's not many words. It's just one word. Sage. I just say the colour. Demonstrate. That is today's sage word. Sage words. Bubble.

Okay. New patron. Thank you for you. Now I think we get to the two teams now where maybe there's the most uncertainty, the most number of directions we could go with this. Obviously, we know, well, we'll start with Alpine. We know Pierre Ghazli is going to be there,

and we've decided earlier on there's not going to be anything weird happening there. But who does... He partner. We've obviously got Franco Colopinto in the seat at the moment. We had Jack doing earlier in the season. Again, we'll just go for a name and then we'll discuss. It is Gazley and... Done.

Make Schumacher. Let it go, man. Let the dream die. Three different names. Who have you got, mate? Bossas. Oh! All right.

Let's start with Alex Dunn. So he's being pretty great in the F2 season so far. I'm obviously really impressed when he had his practice session that he's dig in Austria for McLaren, of course, who is the young driver of at the moment. Now, I don't think this is a permanent transfer. Transfar? Ah. Trancefar.

For lid blood. But I think New blood. Back in the cupboard, Clives. Anyway, yes, I don't think this is a permanent transfer for Dunn. I think that this will be a McLaren group desperately trying to get done onto the F-1 grid and doing a one or two-year loan that has, lets him have a seat, essentially, and then we'll bring him over if Norris or Pliasri were to vacate one of their seats, or if Dung goes, actually, you know what, neither of these two guys are going anywhere.

They're both obviously very high-profile drivers. You want to keep them both for ages. I'm going to have to go somewhere to get myself drive, whatever. That comes later. But that's how I see that happening. It's more of a loan option because Alpine, despite having 417 reserve drivers are literally out of options. And I don't think Bottas is my other option. We'll get on to why he isn't my other option later on.

We think it's a done deal. Oh, hecklines everywhere. I don't get it. Explinch me. You're done now. I think that's an interesting one, particularly about it not being a permanent transfer, because that would be a sorry stay of affairs for Alpine.

Like if their new era lineup consists of one driver that's just a lone driver from a same customer team, like within Mercedes. Yeah, yeah. They're not even getting like the willing. I'm saying his deal out of them. They've got their own games maybe cheaper. I just don't think Al-Ping have got a leg to stand on at the moment.

I don't think they've got any talent in the reserves. Collopin, so he might prove himself in the second half of the season, but I'm not assured him. And none of us picked him. So, you know, it doesn't feel like it's going well. Harry, you've gone for a return to the grid for Mick Schumacher. I have. And this isn't just wishful thinking on my part as a Schumacher fanboy.

I think Al, well, I've been dead or what they're doing it. anytime but I don't think they know what they want to do or going to do with that second seat and I feel like this will be another Flavio Briatore throw something at the water to see if it sticks scenario because I don't think colipinta's going to make the cut I don't think even if he has a better second half of the season this year I don't think I just don't think they're going to stick with him and he also keeps wrecking cars in a similar way to Jack Dewin obviously did it in a practice in a test session

hungry which is good I'm trying to so I think this is what they're going to go for obviously Mixtramacket is part of their wet program this has actually done pretty well this year obviously that's part of the team

but yeah I think they might just give it a well see what happens I'm not saying they're going to stick with it I wouldn't even be surprised if it didn't work that they did what they did this year and swapped him out for someone else again because because that's Alpine that's

that's Flavio so I think this is like their next roll of the dice because Cardo Pinto's not going to work until maybe they find a more permanent solution I would have gone for yours but spoiler out I've got him somewhere else because I think he'll be nabbed somewhere else

and I think Valtrey's got a brain and won't go to Alpica. I think it's such a waste if Bartas and Gassar in that team. What a good line up? That's so good. That would wing races if you put it into one at the top four teams and that's so poor if Alpine somehow managed to scramble that together. Which leads me to why I've picked Bottas here,

because rightly or wrongly, Flavio Briotorey, thinks, and probably wrongly, that Alpine can compete for wins in 2020. He has said this for a while, he has said this. And if you really do think that, you're going to need a line up to convert. And I think he's just sick of rookies.

I think he's absolutely sick of rookies. After what happened with Dewan earlier this year, with what's happening with Colopinto now, he'd likely have the pick of the litter when it comes to F2 because outside of Limbludder like racing balls and that situation I think pretty much anyone else we're not going to have the same number of rookie drivers come through this year than we had last year I think anyone at the top of the championship is probably getable

we've got Leo Fornaroli who's leading the championship he won F3 last year he's not affiliated with any junior program at the moment they could probably get him And it's also really weird that no one has swoops he could pick him up. So again, do that back to back like Bortoleto did, for example. That's bizarre that no one has gone, we'll have him. Yeah, I think they could get done possibly. I think they could get Crawford possibly from, from Aston Martin's junior program. I think all of these are in play.

I just think Breitori is looking at this and I just don't want a rookie in my car. And that's why I considered Schumacher as well. I even think his limited experience might hold him back versus a name like Bottas, who's won 10 races, 67 podiums, 250 race starts. I think he'll desperately want someone like that in the team. I think he just wants an experienced lineup. Then the question comes in of why would Bottas do it? Now, he is Merck affiliated as Alpine will be next year, which I think will help.

And there is the question of whether he'll go to Cadillac instead. I think because Breitore is so sick of rookies, he will overpay the hell out of Bottas. And that's why he'll go. I think he will just him or Perez I think it could be either of them but I think he will overpay for someone like that

because he doesn't want inexperienced Perez and Alpine feels weird yeah about the only place hasn't gone at this point that's what I'm saying just feels a bit odd though I guess because it is the laugh

you know what he should have done and she just not have fired Esteban Ocon that's a great idea actually mate yeah because that partnership quite experienced quite good quite solid quite good

it's very trump that or something. Yeah, you mean, there's similarities. Yeah. You later they end up with an experience lineup that they had in the first place. Shock. Shock, yeah. It could happen to them, you know.

That's a good idea. Yeah. None of us, well, we've presented three different names. Yeah. None of them is the person that's in the seat at the moment, Franco Colopinto. Harry, is there a way for him to stick in that? Will he stay under any circumstances? Can he turn it around?

I think it's similar to the Sonoda situation for me. I think he needs to have, it would have to be an absolutely superb stellar second half of the season. And this is nothing against Colopinto because that car is garbage. But I just don't think he's necessarily got the, he's got the experience, which, you know, he's still a rookie, basically. I think last year when he came into the Williams, I know the Williams wasn't the greatest car in the world, but it felt like it was a more solid base, more stable somewhat than what the Alpine net had. And just quicker in a straight line.

So, yeah, I think he's going to struggle to do that. I think you would have to have something biblical, Biblically, for me to say, very good. Why so big, wise, I'm going to trick. Let's go for the very, a really good second half of the year for it to, to turn things around for him. But I'm, yeah, I'm with you. I don't think Flav wants another rookie in that car.

I know Mixed Yamaka is, he's not the most experienced, but he has experienced in F1 and has been driving in Wex since then. So, yeah, it would have to be superb from Colopinto. Let's say, Sam, 10 races to go, Colopinto and Gasley from now

until the end of the year, five all in qualifying, five all in races. Is that enough? No, I think he's fair up. I think Flav is fair up. exactly what you both have pitched. I think he would almost need to lead the driver battle between the two. I'm not saying outscore Gassi for the whole season and be beating him in the driver's

championship. But I mean, he would, like, if Gassi was finishing 11th, Colopinto would be finishing ninth, you know, that kind of thing. And the Alpign is good enough to do that. Gassely is out driving that car. He's showing why he's considered probably the best driver in the midfield at the moment, around the same as Holcomberg, I would say. And it's really difficult for someone like Colopinto, who is still a rookie, still developing,

still growing to actually prove themselves properly. He doesn't have the outright ability of someone like Bortoletto who can cut through that field and get something done where others can't. And so he's stuck in a team that's floundering. He's also quite a rough driver that needs help to be shaped and made to be more of a finished package. And I don't think he's going to be given that time. So unfortunately, unless he has an absolute glory filled last 10 races, I think it's done.

Or a huge sponsor from the South Americans. comes in and pays for a lot of money for them. We will see. That leads us to our last selection, which is Cadillac. We're about six months away from their debut in the 2026 season. As of right now, we do not know the identity of either driver that will be racing for them next year. Harry, the two drivers are Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas. And is that a match for you, Sam?

Valtteri Bottas and Fulgaroli. Oh, and I've gone for Sergio Perez and Alex Dunn. Oh, okay. So, Harry, I feel like there's probably about 10 names or so that have been linked here. I've missed this, by the way. I love when 10 games are linked to a team. I want everyone in. Everyone gets a chance.

Yeah, your hat in the ring. We should put it with. Toto's there. I already have. 43 hats. Pick me. I've got a test session at Brandsatch next week. Bram!

Bram! Do you, hell, son. I need to get a hat. Someone. Toto. But I think, Harry, you've maybe gone for the two most likely candidates, Peres and Bultas. Still solid. I mean, exactly.

That's a solid lineup. I think, yeah, Perez, Perez, he's got a lot of support behind him. He has quite a bit of backing. I think Perez has always come with a fair bit of money as well, as well as talent, obviously. but that will be appealing to Cadillac and he's got vast experience, multiple race winner. I think to have someone like that

who could, I wasn't to say lead, but be part of the charge for Cadillac is going to be crucial and I think they'll be wary as well of what Haast did when they came back in 2016.

Came back? Came back. Where were they? Well, because they can't be new because nothing's allowed to be new in Hasse. They come back. Technically, they saw the Hasse name was on the grid in the 80s. I'll go off for technicality.

Yeah. Right on that. But when they joined this point in 2016, they obviously had Gerojon, who was very, you know, pretty experienced by this point. And then they had Gutierrez. And I think out of that partnership, we'll see Groson was the best driver.

They then weren't for experience. And they got Magnuson later on. So I think, I'd like we'll be aware of that. So that's why I think they'll go for BOTAS as well. I think, you've already mentioned multiple race winner, a vastly experienced driver, that's a pretty potent lineup to have for your first year in F1

and will deliver, because no one's expecting them to start winning straight away, where there will be in the pack, I think they will, those two drivers are like, the only other person you would chuck in maybe is Holkenberg, obviously he's Audi, so out of those, those are the sort of three I think you'd go for. You know, like when you used to pick your starting Pokemon,

Bottas, Perez and Holgerberg are like for three variations of... Which one's which? Bottas is ice. Perez is fire and Holkerberg is Earth. Hulkamong, I choose you. That's brilliant. Of those three types, by the way, one of them doesn't exist. And one of them isn't a starter type.

So that's great. Hey, F1 come on could be a thing. Hey, let's make it happen. Okay. I have to say, Sam, I thought, given Bottas and Perez were both availed. based on how you think the market's going. I thought you might go for both of them,

but you've only gone for one of them. Yeah, I do think that in realistic terms, that is probably the right approach. Makes a long of sense. You'll probably get good financial backing. You've got bags of experience. And if your car is, let's say they're coming in their seventh in the pack. If the car is on pure form seventh in the pack,

I think Bottas and Perez could probably elevate that car to actually be more like fifth in the standings. Realistically, they've got that ability. They can pull those results out. But I do think that the way Kagalik comes into the sport, they will only want one of those experienced guys. Now, there's every chance it could Morby Perez due to that America's connection. Obviously, the Mexico relationship will be very strong. He brings a lot of money, a lot of sponsorship, which they will likely want.

But I do think that Bottas has a bit more of a global appeal. And I think he's a little bit more of a successful and outright driver, which they'll like. I think he's very good feedback with the car. I also think he left the sport on more positive terms than Perez did, even though we understand his relationship with Red Bull was not entirely his own fault, of course. I do think that plays for something. And why I've gone for that youngster that's currently leading in the F2 title is, then for those who are new, what engines will Kaganelike have when they come into the sport?

Ferrari. Ferrari. And what country has Ferrari come from? Italy. And what country has this young man in F2 come from? At the same. Oh, thanks, grse, gratsy. I know that as we've already mentioned,

there is no direct affiliation with a current Formula One team. But that doesn't mean that there might not be some underhanding sounds like there's something dodgy going on. But I do think there might be a bit of a lift up around us of those who have the similar, you know, our friend of our friend kind of thing. I think that maybe Ferrari might look at this as an outside option if Berman doesn't play out or move somewhere else or whatever. doesn't work, and I do think that this might be a bit of an Italian Ferrari connection. So whilst I think it's an outside thing, I think it also gives them an option, Kagalak, that is, to actually own a young driver who is filled with bad of talent.

It's only 20 years old. He's 1 F3, Charsarsarsars is going to win F2, and it gives them a really strong option that they could develop much like what Aldi have done with Holkeberg and Bortoletto. So for me, I think it's a risk. I do think it's more likely they go with Bottas and Perez, but this feels like quite an interesting option that allows them to have longevity in their line up. Yeah, I've kind of gone the same line of thinking with a rookie in that it is riskier. There's going to be a lot of eyeballs on that first season for Cadillac, but long term,

it could be a good call to give someone time to develop whilst that car probably isn't going to be performing at the level they wanted to just yet. With Alex Dunn, I think they can get him away from McLaren, similar to Bortoletto and how he was a McLaren Jr. driver, I think they can probably work something out there. I think in terms of outright pace, I know he's not leading the championship. I think he's got the most potential of anyone in an F2 at the moment. Sometimes he converts on that potential. Sometimes he doesn't. But if they're playing a longer term game, then they can get away with that for a season or two. So yeah, I wouldn't, Faunaoli is a good shout to think about Fauna roly as well. I don't think Drogovic is out of it.

Drogovic has a bit of the Cadillac experience, I believe, endurance racing-wise. and obviously an F2 champion. They might be a little bit concerned with, it took him three years to win F2. Are we looking at another Nick DeVries situation, which is why I didn't go for him. But I don't think he's out of the running. And if they do really want an American driver,

Jack Crawford seems like a good shout from F2 as well. But yeah, I've gone with Alex Dunn alongside Sergio Perez. I do think that whilst we give a bit of slack to hearse, you know, they claim to the American team and never actually seem to do anything properly American, I don't want Kagalak to go too much down that route. I want them to own being from the US. I really do.

I want to have that identity. I think that's missing in Formula One. But I don't want them to do it to their own downfall when they start picking options because they're American. Well, actually, there are more sensible or productive options. All right. Let's take our next break. On the other side, we're going to be chatting through Fred Vassern,

his contract extension at Ferrari. Welcome back, everyone to the third part of today's episode. Ferrari has agreed to a multiple year contract extension with team principal Fred for Sir. The 57-year-old joined the team at the start of the 2023 season, and the Ferrari CEO said the decision reflects the team's trust in Fred's leadership, a trust rooted in shared ambition, mutual expectations and clear responsibility. Sam, is it a good decision? I think so.

I have a lot of faith in old Freddie Vass or Jungle is Vassive Ben as you, Sir, Fetchshund he called him. I do think that he hasn't actually had the time, a team as, you know, Goliath is Ferrari. There's so much cultural relevancy going on in Formula One, that it's a lot to shift, it's a lot to change. And I do think there needs to be a lot of change. I think only recently I say about Freud, that they need to basically clean out the whole shop

and kind of rehire everything. And it would be really silly and classic Ferrari, actually, if they were to let their team principal go, six months before new regulations come into play, as he is culturally trying to change everything, to bring on Hamilton, to keep the Claire, to do all these things that are changing with the way they've adapted to the car, for example,

to then get rid of Fassur right before a new set of regulations. One, it does screen Ferrari, it just doesn't make any actual sense to do this. So yeah, I think it's really positive that they've kept him on. He's a real safe pair of hangs, and I think he gets some of those drivers so well, bigger than maybe anyone else can. And I also think there isn't a great,

replacement lined up anyway. The likes of Horner, of course, becoming free, I don't think would be a good fit for Ferrari. So I'm glad they've stuck with him. Harry? Agreed. I think when we first, when they first signed Freddie Vass, I think we all said he needs to be given the time

to do the work here. Ferrari is not going to be turned around necessarily immediately. And I'm not saying it's been the most successful for a few years, or the first couple of years under his control, but also there has been some success. I think this year's not been great. But last year, there was some improvements. He's obviously been responsible for bringing Lewis Hamilton,

seven-time world champ on board into this team, which shouldn't be understated. So, yeah, I'm just glad they've given, because there were some rumors and there were no, nothing, no base to many of them, but some room is about his tenure and whether it would last just based on this year. But I'm glad that Ferrari are sticking by him and letting him have that room, have that time to actually make this work.

Because for example, if they come out swinging next year and they'd got rid of with a car that's great, but they'd got rid of Freddie Bass, you'd say, well, that's ridiculous because why did they get rid of them? 26 has got to be a big opportunity for them. I think that's, I mean, I know all teams are working towards this, I think that's probably something that Ferrari certainly aiming towards with Hamilton and with obviously LeCler. So, yeah, well done Ferrari for once. It's a good call.

Yeah, Ferrari have chopped and changed quite a lot in the past when it comes to senior leadership when results start to become a little bit wobbly. It doesn't usually work. Usually the stable leadership is the way to go. So I'm not immediately against going with the opposite here. giving him a multi-year contract extension. You're right. I mean, 2024 was a comparatively a great year for Ferrari. Yes, they didn't win the championship, which I felt was there for the taking, but it was still a very good year for them, to the point where,

bit of a question, was it their best year since winning the championship back in 2008? Maybe. Yeah, I mean, maybe 17, 18. Yeah, those are the other two of that I think in April. Kirstie hates that idea. She's left, but I think it's... We could say anything now. producer has left of the video. Lingblad. Oh, God. I think there is a case, at least to say. It was their best season in like 16 years, which I appreciate it's Ferrari, but that is progress nonetheless.

I mean, he helped Land Lewis Hamilton, who even if he has questions about his form right now and maybe some members of the team do as well, the powers that be, the people who like money will have seen an 11% share price increase. Crazy. I mean, you can still look like, if you look at like a five-year view of Ferrari stock price, you can still very clearly see the week where Lewis Hamilton joined. So that will have made them very happy. Twenty-26 expectations are going to be very high, but I think they just were looking at that year with maybe wanting as few distractions as possible. 2025 has already been a bit of a noisy year with some Italian media complaints about Fred and his team. Hamilton, of course, course, has had his own comments about his form. I think they were looking to just eliminate the noise here a little bit,

which is kind of why I think they've done this now, because it wasn't an impending decision. It's not like they needed to make this call. I think they're doing it just to, like I said, eliminate the noise. Yeah. Would you agree? The issue is Ferrari is the noisiest team in the world. Well, yeah, exactly.

If you can reduce that in any way. Yeah, I mean, I get what they're saying. They're trying to bring stability to a team that has infamously got no stability to it. they are chaotic and have been for, what, a decade and a half at this point. Since essentially losing Schumacher, it feels like that team has been up and down, firings, driver moves. What's the longest lasting driver that we've had at Ferrari since Schumacher had in a battle for five years? If you want to add together the Reichen and stints.

I'm not, I'm not going to. Massel was there for a while. Yeah. I mean, but that's my, there's no, everything, nothing going to sight. Nothing is consistently all going in one place. In the team principal issue, we've seen, I think, six team principals in the last decade or so, which for a team like Ferrari is pretty massive.

That's pretty huge of a turnover. But now I think, Freddie Berser, it's like the third or fourth longest serving team principal up and down the grid. We've only been there for two years. It's crazy now, quickly exchanged. But stability, prove success. I know Horn has now gone, but you can say that with how Hornet ran Red Bull. Toto Wolf, of course, at the stage has been quite triumphant.

And now Zach Brown with Seller has already started to prove that that is working well for them. So calm the noise, bring some consistency under it, and they just need some quiet success to go their way. As long as they're trending upwards, Ferrari so regularly, train more like a wave raking on the ocean. It's kind of like, oh no, we've crushed him. So yeah, some consistency will be good. Should 2025 concern them at all, Harry? I would not be massively concerned. I think the decision to not just develop last year's car

and go for something different when we have a completely new rule set in 2026 has been an odd one and arguably has not worked. I hope that's because they are actually testing loads of stuff that are going on the 20206 car. And I hope it's not... It's all not work. It's not the floor that keeps being... Right, we know that has a word. work.

Burn it. Lap two of Australian GP next year. Charles, lift and coast, please. He would just stop, get out. He was. I'm flying her. He's doomed.

He wouldn't do that. It's signed a five-year extension. On the way to the airport. In the car. Signatures, I hate my life. So, yeah, I think that we're concerned. Maybe it is that, as you say,

maybe they were just trying parts for next year. But it's certainly been a tough one. If I was, if I was Charles, different for Hamilton. because he wasn't there last year. Before Shal, I'd be like, why, why did you do this? Why have you done this? I won races.

I looked at the results from last year and I forgot we had a back-to-back Ferrari win towards the end of the season. They went to Mexico. They won three races in the last 10 races. They were, what, less than a race swing away from winging the constructors? It was kind of, I mean, yeah, they had plenty of wins last year. So, yeah, this will, I think they'll be like, well, this hasn't worked. Don't do that again.

Obviously, they can't. They have to make a new come on next year. But just that as a decision, I don't think, I don't want to, it won't consider them, but it would be like a bit of a warning. Like, yeah, don't do that again, please, Fred. I think it probably was a poor decision just based on,

they were as competitive as McLaren towards the end of last year. And if they just trusted the team, trusted the very good lineup they have, that if that was, if they could carry that over, then maybe we can win this last championship of the current era. I try not to be like two results orientated

to the point where we can be revisionist about it, where if Ferrari had gone with quite a bold call as they have to change the sort of makeup of the car, and let's say they had been dominating this season. We would rightly be here right now saying, you know what, it would have been the easy thing to just carry on and Fred Vassar has done something incredibly innovative and fair, that was gutsy, fair play to him,

and they're leading the championship. It hasn't worked out that way. So I think overall it would have been safer just to carry on. But if they really felt like they could do something to massively improve their performance over the winter and it's just not worked, that's a problem of the execution rather than the decision. Yeah, I mean, 2025 was always a slightly risky year to try to do something revolutionary. Well, you have 2026 literally around the corner. It feels like a waste of resource.

It really does. You throw that much energy into something bold and new when everything is about to be bold and new. So Ferrari just played Formula One on hard mode. Before we go to final break, stars. I do love me some stars. I might have a break while you go. It goes on that long.

But I don't... He never tells me when he's going to do this. I hate it. I don't like one star. I don't know if you like two stars. Three and four stars. They're for losers. Do you know what I like?

Five stars. Where can I put them, Harry? Oh, folks, it's been a while. But yes, we love your five stars. We don't want your one, two, three or four stars. Sam's drawing on his... No, you carry on. Okay.

Is he drawing stars? He's not. Why are you not drawing stars? That's not going to work on the internet. That's all we want. Folks, we want your five stars. This is only for people watching on YouTube, Sam, but he's written a sign that says,

please help me. Please get on with this. Yeah, it really helps us. So please leave your five-star reviews on our podcast. If you have enjoyed every single second of this show, or just most of them, or most of them, especially Patreon bonus episode two. That deserves all the stars.

And yes, leave your lovely comments underneath. As we always say, you don't always have to write anything that makes sense. Just leave your five stars. And it really helps us to grow this lovely show and to do studio days like this as we are right now. So please leave it underneath. And the comment you should leave this time is Arvid Limblad. But put eight eights.

Five aes for five stars. Thank you, Harry, mate. I appreciate that. You are welcome. We'll now go to our final break. On the other side, we're playing a game. Welcome back to the final part of today's episode, where I cannot be held accountable for the title of this segment.

Why? Because I didn't come up with it. Oh. Who did? I'm not going to throw the purse. It was Kirsty. WD.C? Or WD?

No. We're going to go through some drivers and essentially ask the question of whether they're going to win a driver's championship in their career. It doesn't matter where it was. will be, when it will be, why it will be, just whether they will win a championship or not. We need to look good for this because this is one of those things that in five years' time is going to hurt us. Like, people are going to, on the internet, are going to clip something we've done in this segment where we've all said no to someone and they've won a championship. So a lot of pressure on our picks here. Where are you going? Find who I wrote down.

It's not that many names. Let's start. start with Oscar Piastri, obviously in contention for a championship this year. Will he win a championship either this year or at any point at all? C. C. C signor. Senor, or Senor without the Enya. But why yes.

What's Enya? It's like the little. No, no, it's like the little. Is that what that's called? It's an Enya. I just called it a wave. What did Enya say? Anyway, why is he winning the championship?

He's going to work at this year, mate. Yep. That's it. Done. Job done. Job done. He's really good. He is.

I think he's got that mentality. I genuinely think he's got that mentality. The way he's developed, the speed he's improved. He was my surprise at the season. When we think our previews for the start of the year, I thought he was going to really come out fighting, but I did not think he'd be this good, especially after the result that took place in Australia,

where he finished ninth thing his team mate won that race. and how he leaves the title. He has been electric. If it doesn't happen this year, Harry, do you still think, yeah, it's going to happen at some point? Yeah, I think so. I think as long as McLarenstay, competitive, I believe Piaastri,

he rarely makes mistakes even this year. Again, I feel like we said this a lot, but he's very young into his career. Like, it's very early doors for him, even versus Norris. And you'd say maybe Norris makes a few more mistakes and piastri does so uh yeah i think if it's if it's not this year and i'ma sam i probably think it will be um then it will be it will be soon yes annoyingly i think it might be this year as

well i say annoyingly not through british bias but through teammate wars uh projections i'm on an island picking lando norris and at the moment it's not going my way you of norris and bortoletto yeah i'll get gabby's got that that's fine that'll be all right gabby kimmie antonel will he win a world championship in his career? Three, two, one. Two nose and a yes. Sam, you're the only one who's gone yes. C?

Or whatever that, Engier says. I mean, you don't need it on an S. Do it or not? Yeah, I think he will. I think the return of Mercedes will be far swifter and more powerful than anyone can envisage. And I think Kimi, Anthony Kelly, with his lack of break

and lack of breaking, will be able to find that raw power, raw pace. I think he's a real talent. I stood by that before he got promoting to the sport. I think we did a similar piece to this, maybe a year ago before he was actually a racing driver.

And I think I said that he will become one of those guys that you look at and go, wow, what that was the generational talent. Yeah, he's slow to start with, but so is Maxis was happening. We gave him stick when he was in his early days Formula 1 about crashing a lot. Not sure if he's got what it takes and now look at him.

I think Anthony Annie could very easily be on the same path. You've gone with no, Harry. This is a difficult one, probably the toughest one here. But because he's obviously only a year one of his career, not even finished year one yet, I worry that he is a supreme talent. There's no doubt about it. I worry that it's just not, he's like 95% there.

And obviously there is, obviously, all the caveats that he's a rookie, etc. But what you mentioned, Vestappen, even in his early days, Vestappen was, he crashed, but Vestappen was just always quick all the time. And there's a little bit of Antonelli that sometimes it's just not worth out. I know there's been various things, and Mercedes has got worse as the years gone on this year, so it's somewhat hard to tell. But he's had some off weekends. I don't mind crashes.

I don't mind crashes. But I don't know. I'm okay with rookies crashing as long as the speed is there. And sometimes the speed hasn't been there for Anthony Lee. So I say it hesitantly because I think that could change. And he could develop into a superb driver and prove me wrong. But that's the only thing I've maybe doubt it. So I've gone for no.

Yeah, it was a hesitant no for me as well because he's so young. Like he's going to, if he has a long career, he could have like 25 years to do this. But the only, yeah, same sort of reasoning in that he's looked good. but when you compare him against some of the other world champions like Hamilton Vettel Vestappen, I don't think he's hit the ground running at the same pace as some of those. I appreciate that's a very high bar. That's kind of the world champions bar. And he hasn't quite shown it yet.

He might turn around the end of this season and at the end of this year, we might look stupid for saying no, quite honestly. Wouldn't surprise me whatsoever, but I'm going to go and no. I really upsets me that you can say in 20 years and I'll be 50. He's still going to be possibly going for a world championship. Moving swift. to Lando Norris. We've already discussed his teammates

and whether we think he will win a championship or not. But what about Lando Norris? Three, two, one. Two nos. Sorry, two yeses. Hang on, what have I held up? Sam, you've gone with no. I've gone with nine.

That's how many thing I'll win. No, I'm joking. Yeah, I got a lot of love for Lando. I think he's a really talented driver. I think he's at a really difficult point in the sport where he has the ability to win a title, but so does so many other drivers around him. But I think all might just surpass him at the wrong point in his career. Piastri being one of them.

If that McLaren, and it could have won the driver's title last year, I think that may have been his chance to have win it. But I think Piastri might be surpassing him inability right now as we speak. he's earlier in his career, he's had less experience in his career, and I think he's already better at a number of points already than Norris is. And I think that trend will continue. There'll be younger drivers who come up and are just really, really brilliant. I've already been impressed with Hajar, with Bortoletto,

with Anthony Elliott moments as well. And when people like Russell and Lecler still exist, it's just going to get more and more crowded. It's only so many championships to go around. McLaren haven't kept success up for long periods of time, especially in the last couple of decades, I'm a little bit apprehensive that he will only have a fleeting moment

to take that success, this season being one of them, and it's already slipping away from him a little bit. So again, very cautious, much like you guys, Lansing, and it's very hesitant, but I just think he'll miss me, one of those that misses out by a really small margin.

This is why it's a difficult segment because, like, depending on when you ask this question, there are a number of great drivers that won't win a title. If we ask the same question, questions at the end of the 2011 season or something like that, the only correct answer would have been Nika Rosberg because every other driver, like Vetter had already won one,

Hamilton had already won't in the sport yet. Rosberg was the only driver who would become a champion. That is mad. So we're going through like names here. There might be more nose than yeses. We just don't know how it's going to play out. I went with yes, Philando Norris. I see a point, because the thing that concerns me the most is next year, let's say Piastri wins this year, next year has Piastri got a little bit more left to go? Like, is there, he entered the sport after Norris? Is there a little bit more for him to grow into versus Norris?

Is Norris already at his peak? Maybe. I think in terms of pace just because they are so similar that if McLaren can keep it up and he just deliver another, if it doesn't happen this year, which it could, I would back him to have another shot. but luck also plays into it right yeah yeah you might you might get the car that has all the reliability and your sister car has none of it and you know that plus good results means your wing it

happens we saw it in 2016 with rosberg right Hamilton lost it partially because of reliability it happens and you leaned yes as well harry yeah i i think alana norris still hasn't hit his peak he's not far off it but i don't think he has yet so i'm willing to say that he can be even better than he is right now. The other thing I was thinking of, if obviously McLaren had been dominant this year, it might not be the cases if we go rolling to 26,

or it might be, you don't know. But a fight with other teams might actually help him. Just other people, they're chipping away at his team, because I think it's obviously, Piastri, as we said,

we think he could be better than him one day. But, yeah, I don't know. That might help him in 26th orleans, but yeah, like I said, I don't think Norris is quite at his peak yet. George Russell is up next. What are we saying for old Georgie Russ? Harry, you're too smart.

I'm pre-written a lot of those. It's more enjoying sound looking at Google Translate for the next word. I was. But that was for Nour. I don't know. George Russell was coming up next. That was giving my answer away. All right.

Three, two, one. Yeah, boy. We've got C, C, and yeah, boy. I think that's three yeses. See, boy. See, boy. What? So we all...

Sebois. Right. Frank for you, yeah, boy. We're all going with yes here. Next year? It's the car. It's this Mercedes researchers that I just recently spoke about where I think that him and Antigelli will go,

maybe if they get it right, could go through a bit of a Mercedes period again. I wouldn't be shocked if we see Russell become a multiple-time world champion, and Antigonee picks up one of those, much like Hamilton and Rosberg between 14, 15 and 16. that's how I see a playing out.

Similar. Next year, I think if that car is as good, or at least in Mercedes power unit, is as good as people are thinking it's going to be, 2026 might be George Russell's best chance ever, because if that car is really good, Max Verstappen, he'd be coming in 2027. Oh, boy.

It's Max for Stappen. That's what the automatic was singing. That's what they were singing. Is it a monster? I didn't even get an automatic reference on this podcast, but here we are. The Automatic. Big up that song. That's such a good song.

That's a great song. From this to think about Wayne Rumi. Moving on. Yeah, I think if that car is good, the Stapin is going to be desperate to go in 27. And also there's, you know, year one of the rule set. If you've got the dominant car, then the other thing start to catch up soon afterwards. So I think 26 will be his best shot. I'm not suggesting he wouldn't win more,

but I think next year's got to be his, he's got to be fancing his chances. Why would McLaren not have equally a good chance, though, being packed? No, I don't. I think they will, but I think we've seen it previously with Mercedes and also they don't give away equal engines, but they have first dibs. Do you think Russell will have won the title

if he was in a third equally powered McLaren this year? Ooh, what a question. It's not a no. Is it? It's not a no. It's not an outright mode. Yeah, I'm going to say it. Yeah, I think you might.

I think you might have done. Yeah. Close, but yeah. That's a good question. Charlotte Claire, speaking of drivers who are waiting for an opportunity to win one? Yes or no for him. The issue is it's not the clear. That's the problem.

That's what we've got to consider. This is all involved. Oh, my goodness. Here we go. We are on a time limit here, sir. I think it's been eight hours from about five steps. All right. Three, two, one.

Oh, three nose. Oh, no. This is Icelandic. No, no, no. No, no, no. I don't know how it's said. That was painful to write no. Yeah.

And it's not on him. It's not on him, too. I just think he's obviously more successful than this person, but I think he's just going to be like a genre Lacey of F1, the modern genre Lacey. Yeah. He's obviously had more wins than Lacey did, but just believed in Ferrari for too long,

never made the right call. It's more damning about Ferrari this. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And LeCler has the potential to be, is a talent to be multiple world champion easily. Oh yeah. And it's just... I think he's the second best driver in F1,

personally, behind the Stappen. I think I'd go to LeClau next. Yeah, I think that's a very fair shout. Although we saw the lap he did in Hungary, that should be a race win, especially in other places of Hungary, yet. Yet he wasn't. So it's a painful one,

but I just, if he leaves Ferrari and goes somewhere else, then maybe. I just don't see it at Ferrari. Just don't see it happening. That's fair. One more name to run through. We've already discussed one rookie with Antonelli

and had a difference in opinion there. What about Isaac Hadjar? Three, two, one. Isaac, two nose. It's Tulu for no. Oh, okay. Three nose. I know you're a big fan of him.

I thought you might say yes, son. I am a big fan of him. And this is why I would love to be proved wrong on. I just, again, Max for Staffen exists. And I don't think he'll ever beat Max for Staffan. I don't think he'll ever beat Max for Staffan's quality. Should Max for Staffen stay in the Red Bull and hash arm? exists in the Red Bull

and is there for five, six seasons and the staff and stays, I think he beats him and I don't think Red Bull can maintain a dominant calf for long enough

that maybe he would get a proper chance. I do think he may be victim of chance. Unfortunately, in a golden generation, Hajjar is probably closer to silver than gold.

Poetic. That's a very good quote. Yeah, it was the same positive to me. This isn't an indictment on Hajjah because I think he's been superb this year.

the just the level of talent in F1 now is so big, is so high that I just don't think he has that last little, last little bit. Again, we'd love to be proved wrong because I think he's been super, but yeah, that would be my reasoning. Okay, so we've run through six different names. There are three names on the grid that have already won a championship in Verstappen, Hamilton and Alonzo, which means there are another 11 names out there that we have haven't gone through individually, but this is now our opportunity.

Write down any name on your board that you think could be a world champion who we haven't discussed. On the current grid. Correct. On the current grid. And the answer, you know, you can reuse your note if you don't think there is anyone. We have gone through maybe the most likely candidates. I'm pretty small thinking that I'll have more than one name on the listing hour. I don't know.

I'm going to be on that. Yeah, I've got one name. You've got one name. I don't think I'd do. I'll have to make it bigger. It looks fast. I go. Okay.

I'll do one by one. Harry, no one else that we haven't discussed. Sam, all aboard the hype train. Oh, two of us have said Bortoletto, herself and Sam.

I think, wow, the last five Grand Prix. I must admit, I thought, after the first five Grand Prix, I thought, here we go, slow starter, give him a season,

whatever. How do you come in, we'll start to see him properly. but he has really surprised me the last five races. And obviously, as we've already discussed, one at F3, one at F2. He's cut from the same cloth as the likes of Piastri, I think. I think given the right car, if Alini can produce a real beast of a car, he could be the next top dog in F1.

I think the trajectory is very good. And I've always been a fan of his. I think he is very talented. I think someone from that generation will win a championship. How many is another question? But I think someone from that Bortoletto, Hadjar, Antonelli, Behrman, and honestly, all of them, I wouldn't be surprised. Right place, right time.

They all have that capability. All could. But yeah, I won't with Bortoleto as well. Well, let us know who you think will win a world championship out of all those names. Was there anyone that we didn't mention, aka Esteban Okon, that could win a championship? I think it was just consumed. Oh, yeah, that's why I didn't say it, yeah.

Yeah, let us know what you think. It's going to do it for this episode, Sam. It is indeed. Thanks for listening. I hope you've enjoying it. It's always juggling it to be actually together and in person. If you want to hear more episodes or you want to listen to the famed bonus episode two from July, then Patreon and a patron city is available to you.

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that is displayed on Patreon massively. It helps us do things like this. So thank you to everyone that already does. Discord's available. The links in the description. It's a free service. It's a chat platform. You're coming there.

We're in there. Ben, you got a quiz coming soon? Yeah. A week yesterday. So whatever the next Saturday, I haven't got the date. 16th? Yeah. 16th.

16. I'm actually in between this reference. But you can get in the Discord. We talk about all things. We do quizzes. There's a little racing league in there that's really fun between all the people in there. So again, we do our fantasy updates in there as well.

So get involved. And again, if you don't like it, you can always leave. Follow us on social media late-breaking F-1. Follow us on YouTube, late-breaking F-1. And we will see you midweek for more good F-1 content. In the meantime, I've been Samuel Sage. I've been Ben Hocking. I've been Harry Ead.

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