The Late Braking F1 Podcast - Ricciardo REPLACES Nyck de Vries from Hungarian GP onwards! | EMERGENCY PODCAST

Episode Date: July 11, 2023

In true LB fashion, we recorded our mid-week episode early - so we missed the breaking news that Daniel Ricciardo is replacing Nyck de Vries for the remainder of the season! So (unfortunately) Harry has had to do this EMERGENCY PODCAST all by himself - good luck everyone... SUPPORT our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/latebraking JOIN our Discord: https://discord.gg/dQJdu2SbAm JOIN our F1 Fantasy League: https://fantasy.formula1.com/en/leagues/join/C3CCEW8P704 TWEET us @LateBrakingF1 BUY our merch: https://late-braking-f1-podcast.creator-spring.com/ EMAIL us at [e-mail] SUBSCRIBE to our podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This podcast is part of the Sports Social Podcast Network. Thank you for listening to the Late Breaking F1 podcast. Make sure to check out new episodes every Wednesday and every Sunday. Hello, everyone. It's Harry here. Well, this, I didn't see this coming. Basically, what happened is we thought we were being clever this week. And we recorded our Wednesday's episode on a Monday.

I mean, basically my fault because I couldn't do Wednesday or Tuesday. and then Nick DeFries or I'm sorry not his fault Alpha Tauri decided they're going to they're going to sack Nick DeFries on Tuesday so we've just had breaking news Daniel Ricardo is going to be replacing Nick DeFries for the remainder of the season

from Hungary and we thought maybe after the summer break but no no it's straight away so from Hungary Ricardo is in is in the Alpha Tauri And as I record this on a Tuesday afternoon, Ricardo is still driving around Silverston in a Red Bull in a Pirelli test. So does he know?

Who knows? I guess he does. But yeah, crazy, crazy times. Apologies that it is just me, but this is an emergency podcast because we did record our normal podcast at the wrong time. Vintage, vintage F1 news breaking at the wrong time for the late breaking gang. So anyway, apologies that it's just me. I'm going to do a very quick few minutes on initial reaction.

Firstly, Red Bull added again. This is a savage way to get rid of your driver. I know we have been harsh under freeze all season and deservedly so, none more so than Sam Sage. But honestly, I thought they'd give him at least until the summer break, which is what they've done before. they did it with Gassley and Alborn back in 2019. I appreciate Kaffia.

They got rid of quite early doors in 2016. But anyway, I thought they would have done that. But yeah, Daniel Ricardo, he's not even done half a year out of F1 and he's already back. So I think this is probably, there's a wider play here. I don't think this isn't, I think Nick DeFries is a bit of a scapego. Yes, he's not performed well. I would say he's been getting slightly closer to Sonoda.

Silverston, I know he was last, I think, by the end of the race, but I think he was getting closer in pace. But I think the wider play here is they're putting Ricardo in the seat to either A, make Sergio Perez sweat a bit or B, actually they're using this rest of the season to consider Ricardo if Ricardo's a replacement for Perez. And when you listen to the actual Wednesday's episode, we talk about Perez and his chances of keeping his seat next year. I suggested that they should do this and put Ricardo in as a tester to see whether he replaces Perez in 2024.

And, well, it looks like they're listening to me. So, yeah, this is a very interesting, very interesting time. I'm just trying, if this is so breaking, I'm just trying, if this is so breaking, I've still. reading the article as it happens. Obviously, it was broken by some Dutch media this morning, or not this morning, probably about two hours ago as I record. We weren't sure whether it was true or not, but it has now been confirmed as true.

Yeah, it's just a very odd way for it all to happen. I've done a poll in our Discord very quickly just to have something to talk about, and whether they think it's the right decision or not. whether Ricardo is the right person to replace the freeze. At the moment, he's winning 17 to 12. But that, I mean, that could change. I guess I should talk about what it means for Danny Ricardo. I guess he probably didn't expect to be in this position quite so soon.

And whether he wants to be in this position so soon, obviously he was, want to take a year out, which I think honestly was probably looking at the state he was in at the end of 2022, probably a good thing for him, doing a bit of sim work. Obviously, today was his first time back in an F1 car. But now it's his first time back in an F1 car

to prep for the race he's got to do next week and a car that he has never driven before. So there's risk associated to this for Daniel Ricardo. Because if he gets in that car and Yuki Sonoda smokes him for the remainder of the year, then it's, that's game over. and because who's going to have him then. Again, I don't know whether this means that he'll be there next year as well.

If the Perez option doesn't happen, then will they keep him for 2024? Because there is also the matter of Liam Lawson, who's doing very well. Super Formula at the moment. I think he's P2 understandings. And maybe they should have brought him in. But it's an interesting call. it always seems to be Daniel. I'll tell you what,

Alex Albon's appendix has got a lot to answer for because since that burst, it's all gone absolutely haywire. So Nick DeFries obviously replaced him for that race in the Williams in Monza. That gave him his chance here.

And now Daniel Ricardo is back in the seat and all because of Alex Albon's appendix. I hope he knows the chaos that he's caused with that. But yeah. So I don't have a huge amount extra to say. This will be the shortest podcast I think we've ever made. And apologies again that it is just me, but the other two are busy. It's also my birthday today whilst I record this.

So what a birthday present this is? Cheers, she's Alfred Tauri and Red Bull for doing this. You've maybe do a little mini emergency podcast on my birthday. But yeah, we'll be keen to hear what you guys think. The boys are going to be back. Well, all three of us are back on Wednesday. won't be talking about this because we've already recorded it, as I've already mentioned. But then the two boys, Sam and Ben, will be also back on Sunday.

Well, they'll cover this much more in-depth. And I guess with better opinions than I'm giving here, because as I say, this is just breaking. But yeah, in the meantime, I'll go. Keep breaking late.