The Late Braking F1 Podcast - Silverstone SECURED until 2034!

Episode Date: February 11, 2024

The LB trio discuss the announcement that Silverstone will keep the British GP through 2034 after signing a huge 10-year extension deal with F1, as well as the impact of contracts this length for the sport. They also cover Ocon's declaration of his links to Mercedes, the outlooks of Alpine and Haas for the start of the 2024 season, and Sargeant's winter break transformation. They finish with a game of F1: Order Please... FOLLOW us on socials! You can find us on YouTube, Instagram, X (Twitter) and TikTok SUPPORT our Patreon for bonus episodes, historic race reviews & more! JOIN our Discord community JOIN our F1 Fantasy League: Link to SIGN UP & create your team Link to JOIN our league (join code: C3PHEQHPU04) BUY our Merch EMAIL us at [e-mail]   & SUBSCRIBE to our podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This podcast is part of the Sports Social Podcast Network. Thank you for listening to the Late Breaking F1 podcast. Make sure to check out new episodes every Wednesday and every Sunday. Welcome to the Late Breaking F1 podcast presented by Harry Ead, Sam Sage and me, Ben Hocking. Got a good run of episodes coming up, haven't we, Sam? It's a juicy little section for the late breaking podcast. Oh, God. Milk it for all its worth this preseason because we...

Obviously, we need it. We really need it. Oh, we've had to do nothing. F1's provided the goods so far. Thank you, F1. Not in January, but February. You brought up the ingredients and we cooked. Yeah, we'd be cooking.

We'd be cooking on high. No burning, though. Sure. Serving up a gourmet meal for you. Podcast styley. I mean, we've got Pempt My F1 in a few episodes time, which will be fun. And, I mean, the midweek episode after this one, teammate wars.

We're back to teammate wars already. Oh, I remember so. fondly of when I won. So looking forward to this again. I don't remember that. How's you not? I've won the most. I meant I don't remember me.

Me and Bena champs of the world and you're turning up. Yep. Can you turn that light on? It's quite dark on that side of the room. Another episode, another doc. Yeah, sure. Please hold everyone.

We're just turning a light on. Oh, that is. No worries. Thousands of people just weigh in. That's right. Ow! Is that good? I'm blind.

It went straight in my eyes. You don't know. It's a good start to an F1 podcast. It is. It really is. And before we get to Team A Wars midweek, of course, we got a great episode for you today. A little bit on Hasse and their low expectations heading into the 2024 season. A bit on Alpine and their low expectations heading into the 2024 season.

Some comments from Esteban Ockon as well relating to Mercedes. But we'll start with the news that was announced on Thursday. Silverstone. Bad Silverstone. but good news in that Silverstone will be sticking around for 10 years. So 2024 is the last year on their current deal, but their new deal will take them up until 2034, which is fundamentally good news until I started to work out

how old will all be when that contract comes to an end, which just a bit of advice. Don't do that. Really scary. But in terms of the news itself, just don't. Just don't. That's quite...

Don't do it. I know. I might nearly be 40. Yeah, don't do it. But, I mean, less about our age and more about the deal itself, Sam. Do you think it's, uh, anything is positive news for the sport? F-1, I've kept this up their sleeves, haven't they? They've gone, oh, it's not going well for us in this, in this preseason.

How do we, how we spice up the fans in a good way? Let's give them Suzuki as a teaser. Quick, let's whip out the Suzuki-Silverson contracts, guys. Yeah, the SS combo. Boom, there's one. No. Historic, historic fangs, don't look that up. Two, there is again with Silverstone with the decade coming in there.

This is great. I mean, what I was always concerned about with Silverstone is, I'm going to get crucified here, I think. But I think if I'm right, Silverstone is one of the privately owned tracks, right, that still is funded separately to sort of government funded or anything like that. Like we see with a lot of the tracks these days, because it's run by the BRDAC. So very close.

Okay, we're getting there. Which one is it? I love the random A. The BRD, why is it in the BRDC? Yeah, that's the British Racing Drivers Association Club. Why would it be that? Or you could be associated to racing drivers. Association club.

The BRDC are the ones that fund it, own it, look after it, are the caretakers of SegTRAC. And so providing the funding to essentially pay for their slot on the F1 Canada for another decade is not cheap. And so I was a little bit shocked when it came out. There was a 10-year extension and not just a couple of years or for, five years, but I do think with the historic relevance, the iconography of Silverstone, and the fact that it holds such a level of importance, not just to the fans of, you know, Great Britain who love racing, but to the drivers themselves and the history that we see in Formula One.

This is a real essence moment of Formula One. I do think that a lot of people are very nervous that F1 is losing its identity. F1 is going to lose what it has been for the last 50-odd years based on the fact that we are revolutionising what the sport is with adding all these new rules, these street tracks, the fact that cars don't have colour on there, yes, I go get in. And the fact that, you know, all these classic tracks that we have come to knowing and love, for example, Spa was up for debate to be removed from the Canada recently, of course,

and it's only had a one-year extension, to see Silverstone, which is on par with the likes of Spar, Monsa, Suzuki, of course, a couple of weeks ago, be renewed for a decade. I do think this is very promising. I do think it shows that I think Liberty, do understand the importance of having the classics still available for all to see. So, yeah, I'm really bored by it.

I'm really excited that we get to see Silverstone for 10 more years. I hope to attend one of those 10 races that we're going to see for another decade. And it holds a lot of memories for the three of us, let alone the wider community. So, yeah, really, really pleased to have it on the calendar for another decade. And Suzuki and Silverstone that have been mentioned here were the only two tracks with a contract up at the end of 2024. actually a number of tracks up for debate at the end of 2025, eight in total. So we're actually going to cover that in a future Patreon episode what we think should happen for each of those eight circuits. So if you're not already subscribed to Patreon, there's a reason to go get

subscribed. Harry, what is your thoughts on the Silverstone News? I'm going to copy and paste to rinse and repeat my Suzuki answer. This is very encouraging. Love that from you. For F1 iPhone fans. And because it's a long-term contract. I said the Suzuki one was encouraging. This is 10 years. 10. Again, don't think about how old will be.

But yeah, because we've sort of bemoaned these street tracks like Vegas, Madrid, etc. that have been getting these 10-year contracts because they're very, well, they've been getting the 10-year contracts before they've even raced there. So you don't know what it's going to be like.

whereas Silverston deserves a 10-year contract. It's done a year or two, isn't it? It's done a few. Yeah, he's done a couple of them. So I'm very pleased to see this. You're right about, I feel like F1 had just been sat on this for a little while. I think so.

Just can see how the Andretti stuff goes down. Test the water. And the Andretti news. Look, they can't have planned this Formula One management, but that has got utterly lost. They have buried it under a mound of other news. More news. Yes.

It is in the ground, isn't it? And dresses trying to climb through the soil of other news. Please! I am relevant! Yeah, so I don't think F1 could have planned that quite as well, but I think that was maybe their intention with the Suzuki and Silverson stuff. Obviously, Hamilton dropping that bombshells helped them massively. Yeah, the whole meme of the massive bicep, shaking the other massive bicep,

you know, F1 News, Hamilton, forgetting Andretti. They've nailed that one. Yes, they've done well. So, but yeah, I'm, I'm, very encouraged because Silverson again has been one that's been not less necessarily in recent years, but in the past, has had shaky, and it's probably more in the Bernie era, but had shaky relationships with F1, mainly because the facilities weren't up to date, but it's, it is now, and it's, and it's a classic track that deserves to stay on the calendar, and it's always a great event, and I know we

sound like proper Britsy, saying all this. Well, you know what, I'm going to flip the script on that, actually, speaking as proper Brits. You know what, Silverson does really well, it has an eternity of garages. And you know what F1 needs more of tracks with more than 10 garages so we have more than 10 teams, which Andretti deserve to be one of? Think of the race promoters, Sam. Think of them.

And what would they do with an 11th name? Not to turn this into an Andretti rant again. But do you remember Silverton last year when we actually had an extra team? I forgot about like this as a point. They actually had a garage. A couple of days ago. Yeah. We actually did have it, didn't it?

Yeah, Brad Pitt. yes, the fake team that are still going... Did you see that he was room for them? Did you see that he was also a pit marshal or something in Indy recently? Yeah, they've been doing some filming elsewhere. It was an IMSA, sorry. Yeah. I think that's part of it, right?

I think that's very cool, the fact that they're getting fully involved. I'm really looking forward to seeing the project. But the point still standing. So if you can have a fake team take up space in an actual pit lane... Sorry, I didn't mean to tell this. We've completely gone off track here. But equally, on Andretti, we are getting onto the fact that has have already come out and said how miserable they're fitting about the season.

So quite frustrating and we'll get on to that bang in more detail. Ben's schedules in bits. Sorry. It's all over the place. Should we just play F1 order please now? Yeah, let's go. Order. We've lost all control.

Speaking in terms of you mentioned British bias and we often, no, maybe not often, we sometimes get accused of British bias on this podcast. And I'm going to stand up and say when it relates to drivers and teams, I don't think it's warranted. But when it comes to Silverstone, it absolutely is, because I love Silverstone. It is for me the best circuit on the calendar, and I'm delighted that it's sticking around for another 10 years. The thing I've always said about Silverstone versus other tracks is, you know, there are plenty of tracks on the calendar that offer up a lot of overtaking opportunities, which is great. But I think at least some of the tracks, you get overtakes that are a little bit samey.

like they kind of look and feel the same every time they happen regardless of which two drivers are involved. When it comes to Silverstone, I love the variety of overtakes that happen at the circuit. So as a few examples, you've got turn three, which is village, you kind of have an opportunity. If you wanted to make an overtake, do you try and sweep around the outside of that corner to then have the inside for the next couple of corners? Or do you try and make the quote unquote easier move up the inside, but then maybe be it a disadvantage? to a fight back. That sort of risk versus reward scenario is absolutely what I love about Silverstone and which was, I wish was the case at other tracks as well. Like Brooklyn's is another great example and Stowe too. Like you've got opportunities there, let's say Brooklyn's. Hamilton and Vastappen

was a good example of that a couple of years ago. I appreciate it ended horribly at turn nine and that's the thing that gets the most attention. But let's not forget that they were side by side from Brooklyn's, which was three corners before that, all the way to Copps Corner. So you do have the opportunity for side-by-side racing. What's that sorry? Could you use Hamilton-McClure and stopped us all from feeling scarred. The same battle happened and they were fine. Don't care.

Fair enough. Matt, does not care. Yeah. I'm just, you know, wanting the, wanting the world to implode. But yes, Hamilton, McClure is another good example of that. And you've got Stowe, which I think is a massively on the rate of course. again where you've got the opportunity to either fly around the outside, keeping the momentum, or going up the inside of the corner, trying to make a desperate dive, and maybe it works,

and maybe it doesn't. Point being, I think Silverstone is brilliant, and it's very well attended. It's very well, it's sought after in terms of tickets. 2023 attendance was 480,000, which when you consider that only three other tracks got above 400,000 as well, and none of them beat the British Grand Prix at $480,000. You can see that attendance-wise, it stands alone at the top. So, yeah, overall, good news, really like it. I think maybe we should just build all tracks on old airfields.

Great idea. That tends to work. I also really like that it's not a lot, but Silverstone does also have some undulation, right? You mentioned Stoben that going up to the crest of that hill is completely blind when you sweep round back over the hill to come down into the, the final sector towards the club corner complex. I think undulation is a massively underrated part of a lot of tracks. And because of these street circuits we're getting,

we don't see it a lot anymore. You don't see uphill moments. Like, the reason why SPAR is so famous is the amount of hills you go through and the amount of changes in steepness and the way you've got to adjust your braking and the overtakes can be made. It's a really important part of a track's personality. The same with Austria at the Red Bull Ring. Hills make a big part of it.

And they really change how dry, approach certain challenges around the track, Silverstone does have a bit of that. So maybe street circuits would be more fun if they built them in San Francisco, where they're all on massive hills. That would be interesting. Having been to San Francisco,

they are really hard to walk up and down. So have fun with the cars. There's your tool guide for the day. Sam Say says San Francisco, hard to walk up and down. Lots of hills. Lots of hills. I enjoyed it.

A out of 10. It may be easier in a car. Too many hills. Good. we've already referenced the length of this deal. And as you say, Harry, it's one of those where we have evidence of what Silverstone provides as a track versus some of the other 10-year deals that have been just given to those where we haven't had a lot of time or in some cases no time.

What do you make of the overall trend that these deals are becoming longer and longer? I mean, Bahrain is another example. I think we're there until like 2035 or 36. So what do you make of this trend that seems to be coming up in the last? last year or two. I'm not a massive fan of it, but I am in Silverston's case, I guess, but I don't know,

it, it's, you're locking yourself into having to be at that track for a long time. And what if, what if, I don't know, it just seems like they're committing quite a lot to certain tracks,

certain venues. I mean, Bahrain again, it's probably one I'm okay with because I quite like Barron. It's a good circuit. Does some good, some good,

good racing. that's a good sentence some good racing driving driving racing but yeah I don't know it just it just feels like they are they're over committing somewhat

to these venues and I don't I don't necessarily think it's a good thing because what if you have an issue like they can't pay the money anymore or the racing starts to be terrible that should always be a consideration right I know it probably isn't for F1

but if it starts to be bad. I mean, we were lucky with Vegas. If we get to Madrid next year and it's terrible and then the other year after, and it's also terrible. And then year three, it's more terrible.

We've still got seven years left of terrible. Yeah. So I'm not, yeah, I'm not a huge fan. Again, there probably varies a bit and that's just personal bias about circuits. But I'm happy for these classic circuits

that are getting longer deals because we've seen for so long that they've had to sort of fight for a one-year extension, which shouldn't be the case. So I'm glad in that sense, but for the newer ones that are unproven, stop it. Yeah, because I guess the potential situation

that you outline with Madrid, and it is unknown at this point, but we kind of have that unfolding with Miami in that that's there for a while, based on a couple of mediocre races at best. So, yeah, it's an interesting moment. What do you reckon about this sort of trend, Sam, that longer is becoming more prominent.

I think you need to look at it from two sides of the same coin. From the track's point of view and from kind of Formula One slash the spectator's point of view, I think from the tracks point of view, it adds security. It adds, you know, there's a lot of investment that goes into building a track, bringing it up to the spec,

the grade that is required for Formula One races. Also, if you're going to put a track into a newer market or somewhere where Formula One is growing, you can't have something that might be liable to leave after a year or two years. do you need to allow for a market to grow. And I'm okay with that. In terms of business sense,

that makes a lot of sense to me. For example, if we were going to only ever give everything one year deals, if they're new, we might lose a lot of really interesting tracks. I think Baku is a prime example of that. First race, not the chaos that we expected to see.

Second year, but in a crazy race, right? Yes. Unreal. And most people look forward to Baku each year now. We've had the odd Duff one now, but that is going to happen. and at every track, even Brazil, for example, last year,

as much as we all give it its applause for being spectacular, it shows at the odd time you can have a bad race. Now, from the flip side of that, 10 years for spectators can equally be both amazing or horrible. And you referenced Miami already, Ben, I think that is the prime example, that it flopped, it got a 10-year deal instantly, and we are going to have to put up with that

unless a contract gets broken somewhere for a while. And it is math, it's been a bad track, It's not one that anyone looks forward to on the calendar. I might go there to see the race and happen to have a holiday at the same time, but I'm not going because it's thrilling Grand Prix racing. Whereas you've got tracks like Spa that's something been mentioned, where you think one year rolling, another one year rolling, another one year extension, that people absolutely adore.

It doesn't, you know, maybe eight times out of ten create a really, really good Grand Prix. And it's a shame that these tracks that have delivered so much history and brilliant racing along the way are still being pushed to the wayside and only being shunted along one year at a time. So I think some work needs to be done. I do think the quality of racing needs to be taking into account, which I don't think F1 is doing a lot of the time at the moment. And I do think it's too much about the money,

which I get it. It's a business. You've got to make your dollar. But at the same time, you ain't going to make any more dollar if everything is really, really boring and no one's having a good time. So, yeah, I think 10 years in the writing since fine.

Things like Silverstone, fine. Stop giving them out when they haven't even had their first day on the job. You would have to sign me up. a new job and go, 10-year contract, you don't get fired. I might be horrible at it. We didn't sign you up to you.

That's why you're still here. A friend for 10 years, but you're still here. I've got a 50-year deal. Oh, God. 50. Yeah. That's going to take us until we're 64.

Then we're only a fifth of the way through. That's frightening. I only gets worse from here. I knew we were wrong to sign that contract. On the surface, I'm surprised by this trend, just based on my, my little brain is thinking,

Well, F1's in a great spot and it's only getting better. So why don't they just, I don't know, negotiate a three-year deal. And then after that three-year deal, F-1 can negotiate an even better deal. I'm thinking from F-1's perspective very specifically and not the circuits. But like, surely they can just drive up the price, say, each and every time because, I don't know, F-1 is growing. And there's never been bigger competition for space on the calendar than there is, right now. I dare say if you were to reset the calendar to nothing

and you were to go to every single circuit around the globe, do you want to race? I think you could probably get 30, maybe even 35 circuits that would be up for it. So I don't quite understand it just based on that.

It gives off the impression that maybe Domenicali and the rest of the team are trying to lock deals in now knowing that F1 is in a great spot and maybe they are towards the peak of their like bargaining power, right? Then maybe they're worried that in a couple of years time, the growth in the US might slow or something along those lines.

And actually, if they lock them into a great deal now, that's secure for a while. So maybe it's uncertainty. I mean, in terms of Silverstone and then any other circuit, in theory, it's a great, great move because you've got more confidence, I guess, with that long-term deal that I appreciate Silverstone has already made quite a few infrastructure upgrades over the last few years. years. But it gives you more confidence if you want to do further things, right, knowing that F1's going to be here for a decade. I don't know, there might be some other things that they might want to do that they haven't done yet. And if F1 only it continues to improve and gets bigger and

better, in theory, let's say the second half of that deal that Silverstone has, they're probably going to have it on great terms because we'll be in like 2031 and Silverstone will still be on a deal that it organized in 2024, probably, you know, if F1 is, say, double the size then that it is now, maybe other circuits around them are going to be paying more for F1 than Silverstone will be. So, yeah, maybe it's better for F1 in terms of sponsors and shareholders and the like, but at least on the surface, I'm, I can't quite understand it. One final point I want to make on this is with the changes of regulations, so 10 years is a very long time in Formula One.

You will regularly see at least one regulation change in that time period. sometimes two or three. And tracks will often benefit or struggle when those regulations change. For example, Catalonia being a key one, for years, I think, as a friendship, we berated Catalonia a little bit. It was a bit dull. It regularly got seen as a very dominant Grand Prix. The overtaking was only happening down the start, finish straight.

And then they had that chican at the end, which then they finally removed. But my point here is we're about to possibly lose Catalonia from the calendar. when I would argue it's at the peak of its powers for the last two or three seasons that we've ever seen it at. The chicanet at the end is gone. The new cars work brilliantly around there. We've had two very excited Grand Prix in a row. And it's a shame that in theory we're about to lose it from the calendar when arguably it's not provided better racing in any time before this, what we're seeing now. So I do think that maybe contracts should be more geared towards when regulation changes happen.

So at least we're getting the best real estate for the price. product that we're trying to put into that real estate. Maybe that makes more sense. All right. We'll leave a circuit chat here. We'll take a short break. On the other side, we're going to be chatting Esteban Ockon and Alpine. Harry, I have a question. Oh, here we go. Please go, Ben. I'm in a position where I'm listening to a podcast and, you know, I really quite like it. What should I do about that? That is maybe the best question you've ever asked, actually. in my opinion. In my opinion.

I'll tell you what, Ben, five-star reviews. Oh, yes. That's the best answer I've heard. Yeah, I bet you didn't see that answer coming either. Never even heard this conversation before. Folks, we only do this now because every time we give it a push, it works.

I'll be real. We have a little chart that does, have you seen a little line graph? It spikes every time we do this. I very much care about the little chat. So yes, please, if you enjoy, And I've seen some of the comments and it's like, I'm only leaving this

because Harry's told me to, but, you know, fine. It's only thing people listen to you for. I don't, yeah, well, that's fair. And if that's the only, you know, contribution I actually add, then that's okay. That's fine by me. But yes, please leave us some five-star reviews. We don't care what you're right.

We just want the five stars. Arguably, it can be nice. You can, you don't have to be mean because I've seen some mean ones that were five stars. I mean, I prefer those to one stars and mean. But five stars are mean, a fine. Five thousand nice.

I really like. Yeah. It does really help us. And as I say, I wouldn't keep doing this, but it literally works. So we're going to have to keep pushing these. Added incentive as well.

Added incentive. We've had 988 reviews of this podcast. We will read out the 1000 for a lot. Oh, make sure you write a very important message. See, everyone's going to try and time it now. It's going to be such a nothing one.

It's going to go, it's okay. Yeah. They ask me. too. So yeah, if you'd like, I'm worried everyone's going to try and time it to be the thousands, then no one's going to write one. Someone take 13 of you, or however many of your left, take it for the team. Just get it on there now.

But yes, please leave five-star reviews. We don't care what you're right. And the message for this time around is, I don't know. How have you not thought this through? I didn't know Ben was going to throw that to me. The message is, we love Silverston. Brilliant. Up the Brits.

No. No. Oh. God. No. No. That is a message. 10 year deal for this podcast. Up the Brits.

No. Hashtag. Out the Brits. Ignore all of that bit. Can we do the show now? Or could it be by merch? Stop talking. By merch.

By merch, Mama. Oh, we've got a new slogan. We've got a new slogan. Buy our merch, Mama. So it can be either of those. Yeah. Just with five stars. If you're a mama, buy our merch.

Because we love the mummers. If you're not to Mama, you can buy it as well. We're not stopping you. not a month. It's a new marketing campaign. We're appealing to family groups. Yeah. Specifically moms.

Specifically the mummers. Oh, merch mama. Enough of cooking mother. Right. That is a niches, sorry, everyone. Yeah, we are moving on. We're moving back to F1.

And Alpine and Esteban Okon. So Alpine have released their newest challenger, which we'll get to the deliveries in Pimp My F1 in a little bit although I think if you are watching this by Sam's face

you can tell which way that's going to go but at least in terms of Esteban Ocon he has reasserted his commitment to Alpine in what is his last year of his current deal

but at the same time just also reasserted he does have strong ties with Mercedes and he still consider himself a junior driver there. Sam what do you make

of these comments this is what I like to call playing the field. Oh, nice. Yeah. And Espan Okong, it's like you walk around a dinner party

you go see some mates all right. As I go, I love being mates with you. I have a really good time. It's really, really fun. I'm just going to get a drink. Da-da-da-da,

walk over to the bar. Oh, look, it's my mate, Mercedes. I love you. You're a great mate of mine. Don't ever forget how good mates

you've always been. You're my best friend. Anyway, let me go talk to my other group of friends, the fans. I love Alpine and I love Mercedes. And both of them

And my friends, also Mercedes, is still a really good friend. Have I mentioned that I'm friends with Mercedes? I love Mercedes. That's what he's done here. He's literally going, I'm fine where I am. But if a top team wants to take me on, I would do a really good job. He's put out a really subtle billboard that he's hoping that Alpine themselves won't really notice. I'm not sure it's subtle.

It's not subtle. It's like me as a person. It's not subtle. Yeah, no, I mean, I respect it. You've got a fight for yourself in Formula One. and I do think he's aware of how much Alping are not feeling positive about the future and how much turmoil are they binging and they've lost Pat Frye, they've lost a lot of their senior team,

they're having investors brought in who have no interest really in Formula One because of what a place to diversify their money. Alping itself is a brand, it's owned by Renault, yeah, it's owned by Renault, who are not also given the investment required by the sounds of things. As a driver, I can understand that you think it should work. We are an OEM. we make our own product. We are the only person that relies on that product.

Usually that drives success. And it isn't driving success. They are regularly sitting in the same position year after year after year, arguably going backwards at the moment. So if you're Ocon, despite having, you know, the French contingency at your team, I don't think it's worth it if you've got to look at your own career. And he does have those ties to Toto Wolf.

He does have those ties to Mercedes. We did think when he came onto the scene, all those years ago now, that he might be a future Mercedes driver. he's not being sensational, but he's not been bad. He's had his moments where he's crashing into things.

He did like doing that for a little while. But hey, he's only Max Verstappan and how we credit him as being one of the greatest of all time. So, you know, it happens, swings aroundabouts. Espen Okong has every right

to keep the door open for a Mercedes conversation, especially when Alping themselves are going, ugh, don't know how good this is going to be. And if he wants to LeWormo to be successful, much like Napoleon did,

then I imagine Shut up. I imagine he's going to need the best equipment to do so. Sam, sorry, for context, Sam was trying to get a Napoleonic Wars referencing before the podcast, and that was his attempt. Well, I did get it. I've made it happen.

I don't actually know that was great. Like Napoleon did. The one before the podcast was arguably better because it did reference an actual battle that happened. Good. We all like history, by the way, folks. And we'll leave that one. And you'll never hear that good one.

Sorry, no, both. Harry, what are your thoughts on his comment? Is he just, is he play in the field, as Sam has said? A polioic field. Shut up. That's not a thing. It's the Alping comments in firstly. I feel like he didn't actually visit the factory last year

and he's walked in in January and realised there's no one there. And he's like, oh, just that dog still sat there. Oh, right. Oh, there really is no one here. Slow? Hello. It's a chair. Sorry.

I'm speaking. So, yeah, that's not the most encouraging comment for preseason. Well, he hasn't even driven it yet. I mean, Lewis Hamilton did the same thing up saying. He said, nope. Yeah. Yeah, he's just sat in it and signed for Ferrari instead. Yeah, so that's a worry, I guess.

But, yeah, there is part of me in things. This is just, like you say, it's not a subtle billboard. But it's a billboard. he's saying, Taito, I'm still here. I think this is, this is what we've been arguing for, right?

This is sole drivers. Put yourself out there. Go for the big chances. But if you're going to do it, don't try and be subtle and be rubbish at it. You may as well just commit to being like, I want that thing. Yeah.

Don't be like, oh, but I still like you. That's your backup. Yeah. Alpines is backup. You're nice, but that's very nice. Yeah,

it's interesting. I know you did your top 10 people who should be in that seat or who could be contenders for that seat Sam's got a coppru and our comments on Ben's list but I still I'm not sure

I'm not sure he's a leading contender not for me and maybe that's why he's saying this because he knows maybe it's not he's not the obvious choice but yeah you're right he probably needs to wow on track this year not just say I still have ties to Mercedes I don't think that's how that works

everyone's got Toto's phone number Everyone's got Toto's phone number Doesn't mean we're all getting a drive He gives it out to anyone Flirt Yeah He yeah so it's I appreciate the effort

From Estaband Hey you miss a hundred percent At the chances you never take Yeah Michael Scott Wayne Gretzky Michael Scott Yeah so

We'll see We'll see how it goes But I think he needs to Prove himself Maybe this is a He knows that Alpin's going to be bad Already So he's saying this

Because he's like Look I may not be able to show you much this year, but I'm still here. Alex Albonne, hangar Williams, he showed me plenty last year.

Right. In the car. Sure. Good Lord. You got his number as well. Get your minds out of the gasser. Kirstie's down. Oh, Kirsty disapproves.

She's never done that before. No, that was the cross-for-lying. Oh, God, okay, fine. Just like Alex. End of point. What a roller coaster that was. I hope that's not going to be a continuing trend of thumbs down.

to whatever we say because... Might be a lot of... I don't know. You'd be very busy. Oh, dear. Yeah, I agree with you both in that this was about as clear of a... Yeah, I'm interested, as you can possibly say without actually directly saying it.

I mean, Esteban, my man, you're 27 years old and you've been an F1 for like six years. I don't know how you can claim you're still a junior driver. Respect you for giving it a go. Come up. holding Toto's hand on his knees. The last time he was reserving for the team he's referencing here, Mercedes, Max Verstappen was only an eight-time race winner and had no title.

Nicholas Latifi hadn't debuted in the sport, and Danny Kaviat was still a permanent driver in F1. Point being, it's been a while, been a while since, you know, he moved to Alpine. But I respect, I shoot your shot, son, I respect it. I still do think he does have a chance, even though I put signs and Alonzo ahead of him. I still think if it can't happen for those two, I do think he's the next best option after that, ahead of Ghazly, head of Albon, ahead of Bottas or anyone else. I can understand Ocon's approach here because from his perspective, he has seen drivers in his, let's say,

is cohort, right, who have either had opportunities that he hasn't had or had opportunities and taken them. So if you look at drivers that are of a similar age to Esteban Okon, you've got Vastappen, speaks for itself, three-time champion, Charles LeCler, who's had 30 podiums in F1 now, which is a bit mad. Pierre Gazley, he was in a Red Bull that finished third in the championship. Alex Album was in a Red Bull that finished second in the championship. George Russell and Lando Norris both have double-digit podiums. All of these drivers, Estabon Ockon will feel, rightly or wrongly, that he is on either a level playing field or better than some of those drivers.

And arguably, he's never had that opportunity. I mean, put it this way, Fernando Alonzo massively wowed people last year, rightly so. He was great. Ockon beat him the year before. He will argue that. And you could say, put Ocon in a better car and Alonzo's talent would take over. Fine. That is a very valid point.

but Ocon will very rightly look at this position and be, and we'll say, if I don't get in the Mercedes now, it's never going to happen. And his next deal, whatever it is, because he's been in this Alpine deal for so long, it's going to be massive for him. He is at a position now where wherever he's driving in 2025, it's got to either be for a contender or a team he really thinks could be a contender. And he has rights to be, he has a right to be doubtful about Alpine after what he's seen over the last like half decade or so.

Speaking of being doubtful, the A524, as it's known this year. Sounds like a motor. It's just a road. Yeah, it might as well be, to be honest. It's heavily revised from last year. And it's a very aggressive car. That's what it's being called. With some doubts about how well it'll actually perform early in the season,

thanks to moving away from the concept they had the last few. years. Sam, some worry, in it? Why have you gone so aggressive if you're having so many doubts? Look, guys, we can revolutionise the system. It will be rubbish, though. Doesn't feel like it's a really great direction to go in, really. I mean, if the chance of it being successful are so slim,

why have you taken such a risk? Try and build on what everyone else is doing, which is clearly moving in the right direction. You've seen how McLaren have developed, you've seen how Asken Marting have developed. Even Ferrari and Mercedes have made programs. Why are you the only team out of that kind of top five collection there, if you exclude Red Bull, that are struggling to get your direction? I think part of what's causing this Alpine is the lack of consistency when it comes to personnel involved in the team.

When you haven't got one or two individuals who are driving forward a, these cars coming cycles, right? So if they're not driving forward that design cycle and it's chopping and changing, it's flipping and flopping like a fish out of water, then typically when a fish is out of water, then typically when a fish is out of water, it can't breathe and it feels like this car cannot get the air it needs to actually thrive and so if you're at Espan Okong if you're Pierre Gasly who finally gets out of the Red Bull programme you've got a look at this and you're thinking no consistency no proper direction

where is the car going we're not getting the funding the leadership are leaving this feels like crisis territory for Alping and it feels like a bit of a last gasp attempt for any success I think they are hoping and praying that something in this car design clicks and it works, but it kind of feels like they're putting together a car in the dark and they're hoping that when they turn the lights on,

it might just actually work as a vehicle, which is a terrifying concept for a Formula One car. So, yeah, if you're Ocon, shoot your shot. If you're gasoline, keep your eyes open. And if you're outping, you need all fingers and toes crossed because it doesn't feel like a very promising start to the season. Is it worth the risk, Carrie? they have to do something, I guess, because the concept they've had hasn't been, it's been a mixed bag.

But it's like I said, it's just, it's quite a worry already. But that sounds like they've driven it in the sim and it's a pile of garbage. And that's not a great start for a new direction if it's very aggressive and, you know, should be, should be changing their fortunes. Yeah, it's risky. And I guess it's risky for Alpine because you're right. they could risk losing both their drivers potentially, you know, Ocon, I don't know what, again, I don't know where they're going, but their drivers aren't necessarily the problem here.

It's not like it's the greatest lineup in F1, but it's a solid lineup. So a pair of hands. And if you can't deliver, I mean, that team cannot keep hold of a driver for very long, these days, Alonzo. Ricardo. Piastri, Ricardo. So. It's a revolt.

Indora drivers. Yeah, he gave up after zero race. I'd do this. Saw that across the hill and went, hang on all that way.

Bye. Yeah, so that's the risk they take here. And if it doesn't, God, if it doesn't pay off, I guess they're hoping

that they can develop it throughout the year and it does become a good car like, like McLaren did last year. But I don't think McLaren did anything, they didn't say

they were being radically aggressive at the start 23. It was just a slow car. Yeah, I think they've named their car. after a motorway, and at the end of the motorway is the Simpsons tire fire.

And they might end up as part of it. Okay. Good. That's a bad motorway. Hey, Al Peeing have designed it. Yeah. Yeah, I think I understand the decision here because like Sal, or whatever you want to call them, it's a right move to go away from a concept that you feel like you've maximized,

which in itself is a worry if that's, if the maximum, product is what we had last season from Alpine. Not great, but it's the right move to go away from that and onto something else. If they start this season and they are in a similar position to where they ended last season, but they have made this move because they feel like it will give them the possibility to outdevelop all the other teams around them, fine. You know, it's the right way to go. But if they're worse off than what they were last year, then that's a real worry.

Because whilst they have two years, in F1 terms, it's not the longest time in the world. until the new 2026 regulations come in. Take Astor Martin as an example. Astor Martin basically had a two-year turnaround, right, where the second year of that turnaround, it came good for them, and they picked up plenty of podiums. But that's the end of the line for these regulations.

So if they get to a position where Astin Martin were last year finishing 5th or wherever they finished and getting some podiums, I mean, it's a better position than what they're in right now, but equally it's not where they want to be. So it's worth the gamble, but yeah, it could be a tough start to the year. And that start of the year will probably be crucial in deciding what happens with their two drivers. Let's take our second break of this episode.

We're chatting Hass after this. Oh, baby. Oh, no, no. Okay, so moving on from a team in Alpine who think they might be struggling at the beginning of the 2024 season. We go to a team that think they might be last at the beginning of the 2020. four season. Has, interesting one. I'm going to read you the quote from Kamatsu,

of course, the new head of Hass. Out of the gates in Bahrain, I still think we're going to be towards the back of the grid, if not last. The reason our launch spec car is not going to be quick enough in Bahrain is not because of the quality of the people we have here, but it's because we started late. And then we stopped for two months to do the Austin upgrade.

It really diverted resources, so we lost time there, but the team is, findings, good gains in the wind tunnel. So that's positive. And in terms of characteristics, it's going in the right direction. Sounds encouraging, right, Sam? We stop for two months.

We stopped for two months. Why was it not part of the same project? They couldn't bring anyone else in. Gene Hass wouldn't like it. You're going in a direction and you think that's the end goal, success, first place. But to get to first place,

let's just stop and go over there for two months. And you actually, it didn't get better. The car didn't get better. better. One of them went back in Las Vegas to the old speck. Too much. He laughs for nine.

Understand. What you mean? It's a reflection on the people we have here. They're the people making the car. It is a reflection. Your crap. Andretti can't get a bloody car on the track and you are swarging around going,

we're going to be last. Great, brilliant, embarrassing for Formula One. I'm going to make a polio-on-it reference. This is like the battle where they all walked onto the icy river and the rest of the F1... This was the reference. And the rest of the F1 grid are hiding up in the trees on the hill in the snow

and they've gone, wait for it. Hars were like they're doing a really good job for their two-month development cycle. Wait for it. Two-month development cycle is over. It's rubbish. Put them in the lake. They're in the lake.

They are swimming in a frozen lake in winter in the 1800s in Europe. That is what Hasse are doing right now and they cannot find a life. life raft. They are shockingly bad at developing a Formula One car. What of it? That was good.

There's only about nine of them that work there because Gene Haas has no friends. And Kamatsu, bless him, is literally trying to ride a horse that has no legs to the success of a battle. It is an absolute travesty of a team at the moment. How can you come out and just go, we're going to be last? Do something radical. You're appallingly bad at everything F1 related. And it is so disheartedly. as an F1 fan to hear before a race has even begun,

before we've even had a practice session that a team thinks they're going to be even worse than they have been, and they are statistically the worst team we've had in F1 over the last four seasons, and you're going to be worse this year. Why are you here? Why? Two months!

Another day goes by and Mick Schumacher's smile gets bigger. That man is living a great life. I saw a photo of him and a time. Tommy Hill figure event with his girlfriend. And my God, not only is he's stunning. He's transformed. He is fantastic. Oh, wow.

What a life he's living. He's going to see you later, Gene. I'm going to wear these Tommy Hill figure jeans. And I'm going to look amazing. I'm going to win LeMond. Yeah, I'm going to win LeMong now. I'm going to have a great time as Mercedes Reserve Driver. I'm just going to be brilliant at everything.

And I'm going to be bloody handsome. Sick of these handsome men. Again, that's made another appearance. every episode. Oh, we're just handsome men. Honestly, it's the... I don't even know where to start with this. The line about it not being a reflection of the people

is quite funny, and I might use that going forward. So if we ever deliver an episode that only has like two downloads, it's not a reflection on us. We have nothing to do with the quality of the show. It's not nothing to do with us. It's the listeners' fault. Is that Simpson's meme? Skinner.

Am I out of touch? No, it's the children. It's the children's listeners. It's you listening now. It's your fault that we aren't successful. I mean, putting aside the actual ineffectiveness of the upgrade that happened from Austin, why did you pour so much effort into an upgrade for five races to end the year? I appreciate that they maybe had one position to be gained in the championship.

championship over Alpha Romeo and Ave, which they didn't achieve, but it wasn't, it was a possibility. So I don't want to dismiss that. But at the same time, if it's cost you however much it's going to cost you in 2024, what's the point? Just focus on this year. And the most worrying thing about this, by far for me, is there is two things we know about Hass. Number one, they're rubbish. But the number two is that they start seasons better than they finish it. So if if we're going into the beginning of a season and they think they're going to be last, unless they are going to reverse a pattern that has taken place in the last nearly 10 years, they're probably not going to finish very well either.

If you look, okay, I'm going to go year by year here on Hass. 2016, they had 29 points. 18 of them, they scored in the first two races. 2017, they had 47 points. 28 of them they got in the first half of that season. 2018, arguably their best season in F1, they finished fifth, probably should have finished fourth. They had eight top seven finishes that year. They all came in the first 13 races, none in the last eight.

2019, they were ninth in the standing, so they really had a poor year. They had one top six finish. Where did it come? First race of the year. In fairness to Haas, in 2020, in 2021, they didn't go with the trend of they were better at the end of the season than the beginning. of the season. The only reason they butt that trend is because they couldn't score points anywhere. They were just awful from start to finish in both years. 2022, they had one top five finish.

Where did they get that? Kevin Magnuson, Bahrain, first race of the year. And then last year, 2023, they had 12 points all year. 11 of them came in the first nine races. They had one point in the last 13. Every single year, without fail, they are only good for a race or two at the beginning of the year and then they are rubbish to end the year. So if you're telling me, they're going to be rubbish to start the year,

oh boy, it probably not going to be a good one. We'll see, but they will have to go against what they've done in the last like eight years in this sport. Delayed stat, man. It's a great accumulation of stats there. And also, that's going to sound like really lame middle management business talk. But where are you on the accountability ladder here, Kamatsu and team? Like, you were part of that team.

It's not like he's come in from the external world and gone, right, I'm now taking over Haas. He was there the whole time. He was part of that team, part of the senior management. They've made bad choices. He needs to come out here and go. What we've done previously was wrong. And we're going to be behind because we're changing our vision and we're changing our design front. And it's going to take a bit of time to kick in.

It's going to be exciting though. We're going to make some rapid games. That's where you want to be. Not we spent two months having a coffee break. And then we forgot that the car was meant to be progressing for next year. and not because this year and actually Williams are just so much better

than us and that's what we should be because it is a disaster show it is, cursie's gone away for 20 minutes and I started this route when she left and I'm still on this round

when she's got back. That's how bad this is. Yeah, honestly, have some responsibility, take ownership of your mistakes and beg Gene Haas for some money. What do you make of the lack of optimism, Harry?

I wouldn't want to be Kevin Magnuson or Nico Holcombberg. No? No, that's a depressing way to start your year. I want to be them. You reference Kevin Magnuson. I'm going to have to try and find a quote that he said. He is excited by the prospect of real change under the new House leadership.

Right. When did he make that quote? Is he okay? Was he drunk? Like a couple of days ago. Ah, man really is buying a dream. Oh no. Off wish.

It's so bad. Nika Hockenberg was doing a park run around Hyde Park. Did you see that? No. He's on Instagram. Just running around London. Can't afford treacle. So he's having to use nature.

For God. Oh, Harry's died. Heart have got to him. The lack of optimism is worrying, to say the least. I, are the... The stopping for two months... Look, I know this. It's difficult now because you've got budget caps

and you can't necessarily be developing your 20-24 car and your 23-23 car at the same time. but what did you gain? Well, nothing. In fact, they went backwards from that. And maybe this was like they wanted to test this new development out because it would influence 2024. And that's the risk versus reward.

But as you say, Ben, it was so late in the season. Why have you, why have you done this? And obviously you'd started developing 2024 and went, wait, we could do something better in 2023. But you should have made that decision ages go. Yep. stopping. You stopped.

You stopped working on your car for this year for two months. That is, and again, we don't know whose decision that was. Maybe it was a Gunther and not a, you know, not come out to you. But, oh, that's terrible. Yeah. That's a terrible, terrible choice. Even, and the thing is for me, even if it had been a successful upgrade in Austin, would it have been worth it?

Because as you say, they might have gained one place in the champion. Yeah, so what? Unless it was going to directly impact the 2024 car, what's the point? And that's, I guess that for me, that's the only argument for it is maybe they, like I say, maybe they thought he was going to go on that car. But, oh, that is questionable decision making. Jing Haas, you'd love to fire them all, I imagine, but he can't run the team on his own. And he won't hire anyone new because he hasn't got any friends.

doesn't like making friends that doesn't already work for him yeah this is this is just a calamity of errors I remember with with Cota because obviously we were there if we hadn't mentioned it before

I think it might have been you Harry that I don't even remember what the session was but maybe it was like sprint qualifying or actual qualifying and there was this massively anticipated upgrade

and they didn't do very well I just remember us turning to one another and going oh no no And that's just been everything since that point has been, nah, it didn't work, didn't it? It's because we both, me and Ben both predicted them to be like in the top time. That was it.

The big upgrade. That was one of the weeks where we had our worst predictions of all time. And then it was Mexico the week after it got even worse. We really bought the hype, didn't we? We did. They sold us a dream. Yeah. And we bought it.

How long can you continue to get something wrong and continue to be rewarded with employment, financial gain, you know, where else do you get away with it for this long? Ugh. We're slating Kamatsu here, but we're only doing that because the team is still the same team. Yeah.

Hey, look, they may be absolutely absolute weapons. We don't know. Why are you spouting rubbish? Well, maybe this is a, this is a ploy. What's the weapon, a water gun? This is a ploy, and they're actually going to be amazing. A spug gun.

They're just lowering. Stealth mode. Yeah, stealth mode. Right, yeah. It won't be on the grid. Yaha. It won't make it a hundred and seven percent rule. Maybe they're using Alping's camouflage that I still haven't seen.

Oh, that's infuriating as well. Well, we'll get to that. Anyway. No. Don't you worry. Right, let's move on quickly to Logan Sargent because he has, he's had an off season where he's gained five kilograms. And a few quotes he's mentioned he's feeling healthier, physically and mentally going into this new season. He's more confident going into this season.

year as well. So he's clearly addressed something that he thought was, you know, not up to scratch last year. Sam, are you encouraged that this seems to be a real commitment to make this work? Hey, God loves to try her. And I can't slate Logan Sargent for trying. He's giving it his all right. We saw him in the Qatar Grand Prix when he had to pull out from being sick and we respect to his mindset for that. And it's clear that whilst Logan's sergeant may not be the most naturally talented Formula One drive we've ever come across, he put. in the graft and he's trying and it might not result in race wings. It might not result in being a name that we all remember in 20, 30 years time. But he's trying. He's making changes. He's adapting

himself and you look at drivers like Lewis Hamilton who come out every season and go, I feel even better than I did the year before. The man is nearly 40 years old and he literally has more ripped than I will ever literally be in the existence of the world. And Logan Sargent is trying to emulate that and I respect it. Be physically fitter, be able to control the car better. It all correlates your mindset of success. So I respect Logan Sergeant for doing it.

Whilst he was training in the gym, I was eating a lot of chocolate. And I am also five kilograms heavier. Okay, good. Going back to the two biceps meme, Sam, Logan, Sergeant, five kilograms heavy. We were not disclosed how both of us got there. What do you make of this, Harry?

Beefy Sergeant. Beef. Yeah, I think this is a good thing. You're right on, obviously, referencing Qatar last year. But I think that that's a natural progression for, you know, a young driver coming into F1 and they realize, oh, no, I need to, I need my muscle. He's still very young as well, to be fair.

Yeah, so I think that's good. And, yeah, it sounds like he's had an good off, off season, winter break, which I think he needed. And obviously he kept hold of his drive for this year. but it was a it was shaky to say the least in 20203 and a reset is needed so I hope that is what happens because he started 2023 the first two races or so were encouraging

and I hope maybe he can recapture that confidence and form and make 2024 a better year so yeah this is it's encouraging to read for Logan and yeah I hope it works I think the vowel effect has taken place I think a bit of love and care and a bit of support. And, you know, having that trust in someone has allowed him to flourish a little bit.

Hopefully he's repaid on the track. Daddy vows back on it again. Man knows how to nurture. No, no, no, no. Yeah, I credit to Logan Sargent here because, yeah, he's clearly identified something that wasn't quite right last year. And, you know, he's done what he can about it. And regardless of whether you think he deserved a spot on the grid, this year or not, you can't deny it's an opportunity for him to show Williams that he is

worthy of a long-term consideration. And actually, that opportunity you could argue is greater than it was previously with if any of the talk about Alex Albin is to be believed. Even if nothing comes to fruition in terms of Alex Albin to Mercedes or Alex Almond to Red Bull or any of those rumors, the fact that it is a rumor is enough for Logan Sargent and his importance within the team to potentially go up versus what it is right now. So he knows this is, you know, it could well be his one and only opportunity to showcase what he can do this year before Williams make a decision, you know, do they want to commit long term?

Do they want to get rid of him? I doubt they would keep bringing him back on like one year deals as he's got this year. So, yeah, I just credit to him, to be honest. Again, he's identified what he needs to do and we'll see if it's enough for him. All right, we're going to take our final break of this episode. On the other side, we're playing F1 Order, Please. Okay, welcome back, everyone. It's time for F1 Order, Please.

Whether it's a can of Coca-Cola or a lump of cheese, or we're ordering drivers by the size of their knees. This game is full of facts, just you wait and see. This is Formula One. Order, order, please. Okay, six questions in front of me, and there are four answers to each question. that will go in some sort of order, it's up to Harry and Sam to put them in the right order.

If they get it right, they get a point. All good. If they get it wrong, then the other person has the opportunity to steal the point. If they then get it right, they get a point. But there is risk in this because if they also get the order wrong in a different way, they will lose a point. So minuses are not only possible, they're probable. The race to minus three is on. here we go. Sam, you can start us off this time. What number would you like? It's only up to six, right? Oh, correct. God. I'll have number five, please. Number seven, my lord. No. Right. Number five. Events from the 1980s, just from first to last when they happened. You got this, Sam. A fall of the Burling Wall.

There's Empolionic Wars. They are related to F1. political, okay. I'll mention that. Etton Senna claims his first win. The first Australian Grand Prix takes place. Nigel Mansell wins two races for Ferrari and Alam Pross says

he will never drive for McLaren again. Oh, these are quite together. Oh no? I don't know. Let's just fire them out there. Ozzy GP first. Manxel double win Senner win

Prost This is not the correct order Who's shocked Anyone put your hands up I see your hands Sure yeah that kind of works Harry do you want to try and steal the point Yeah go on then

Oh yes we love this ambitious Harry Oh we're going to go right Who cares So Senna's first win Australian First Australian Grand Prix No, wait

No, I'll carry on Mansell's double win And then Prost The order makes a lot of sense But it's not right Oh no See you later mate Minus 1

There's a slight You're on minus 1 That is correct There's a slight A slight trick in this one In that Alan Pross said He'll never race for McLaren again But he said it

after his debut season in F1 in 1980. But of course he did race from McLaren again. Ben, he said he never would. Ben, you're a little bach. Oh, that's a bleep. Hey, Ben. Yeah, sorry about that. So obviously that one was first.

Pross said he'll never race from McLaren again after the 1980 season. Then it was Ayrton Center's first win in 1984. The first Australian Grand Prix was in 1985. And then Mance or won two races for Ferrari in 1989. Oh, I've come out on top there. And I'm Prost. At what cost?

A little liar. Prost for cost. The cost for Prost. That's what this. Been to count for Prost being a little liar. Yeah. I can't believe we, you've had a beep. Oh, well.

Over to you, Harry. What number would you like? Number two, please. Number two. I've got four constructors. I want you to order them in terms of what percentage of races they've won in their time as being a constructor. You can do this. Work it out with your brain.

You've got. Okay. Mercedes. Yep. McLaren. Braun. Ferrari. Oh.

Don't go. I know what's last. Yeah, I know what's last. Am I going from lowest to the highest? Highest to lowest. So the highest. Why? Highest presented.

Because I've got the, how all the down. I got to flip it. Ooh, do you have to baby un-reversed. Okay, so highest I'll go for... Oh, I'll go for Ferrari first. Mercedes McLarenbrohn. I'm going to make sure you've understood the question, right?

Okay. That's not fair. He's wrong. Wait, what was the question? The percentage of wins? Yeah. He's understood it. The percentage of wins in their time as a constructor.

He's clearly understood it. Don't give him a cup out. I don't know how I can understand that in a different way. You can't. Fair enough. It'd be really funny if I turn around and said this is right now. I mean, that would be hilarious, yeah. I don't know how that.

Okay. It's all right, mate. I'm going to join you. I'll steal it because I want to come back down to minus one. I feel weird not being in the minuses. I don't know the answer, but. I don't know how. Why do you think I've misunderstood that?

Is that because it's so wrong? Oh. It's not right. I have misunderstood the question. Percentage of races won of what they've taken part in. Yeah. Yeah. I've made a grave error.

Yeah. It's okay. That's what it is all right. It's right. Don't worry about it, guys. I might have, might have put the wrong team last. It's for function, because I forgot the order you put it in things in. Are you attempting to steal here, Sam?

Yes. I will attempt to steal. Just because I feel bad that one you clearly misunderstood, even though I thought you definitely didn't. Yeah, I just, yeah. Secondly, I'm not made to win this game, so it deserve to be down. Come, you can make it one minus one. I'm going to go with highest percentage of races one that they have entered.

I mean, you think it'll be the obvious one, but I feel like there's a trick here. So I'm going to say Mercedes Braun, Ferrari McLaren. It's minus one or. Surely Braun or first, right? Yeah, is it such a trick, think it's an obvious one? Yeah. Yeah, so Brawner first, they won 47% of all the races they took part in, then Mercedes, they're at 42%. Then it's down to Ferrari at 22% and McLaren at 19%.

I was right, apart from the two where I thought it was a trick. I quite literally had none of them in the right place. That's all right, mate. We've all been there. This is a good game. We suck. Minus 1.0. We are bad.

Here we go. Back to you, Sam. Oh, yeah. Number one. Lord, that took a while. All right then. Four drivers, I want you to list them by when they first had a podium in the hybrid era. Great.

Sergio Perez. Yep. Max Verstappen. Felipe Massa and Kimmy Reichen. Reichenum first. Massa Perez for Stappan. No. You know what?

I love getting things wrong. It really builds me up as a strong. younger person. Yeah, go on. I'll go to minus two. Oh, you can get it. Back up to zero. Remind me of the names.

Reichen and Perez, Vestappen. Massa. Massa. Okay. I'll go for. Perez first. Massa second. We're talking hybrid era.

Just want to check. I've heard the question. Hybrid era. Yes. So you listen today. 2014 onwards. Yeah. Perez, Massa,

Reikening and Vestappan. What year was Riking's lotus in? 13. Damn it. Oh Mr John Burko assistance please Well done

Well done Well done you correctly identified the order Sergio Perez was first He had a podium at the 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix Felipe Mass's first podium in the hybrid area was also 2014 but later in the year The Italian GP Reichenham was then also Bahrain

But the 2015 season and then Verstappen's first podium was also his first win, the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix. The massive podium surprised me because St. Williams was very good that year, and he didn't get a podium to Italy. Yeah, I believe so. He had a pole position at the Austrian Grand Prix, but he finished fourth there, whereas his teammates Bottas was third. But, yeah.

Which means, thankfully, we're back to Nord minus one. I love this game. What a game. I think it might be my least favorite game. Thank you for saying that, Sam. I'm going to make sure we play this more often. Back to you, Harry. Oh, yeah, right.

See, forget how it works, don't you? Six, please. Four drivers, I needed to list them in terms of most consecutive wins in one period of time. So, Lewis Hamilton. Yep. Dill, Damon Hill. Dill. Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel.

Just so you understand. question, it's the most wings in a row down. This is a real battle of wits, isn't it? What, between the idiot and the idiot? Okay. Most consent to us, most Sebastian Vettel, then Lewis Hamilton, then Niko Rosberg, Damon Hill. It's not the correct order.

Sam, would you like a chance to steal and make this nil-nil-nil? Yeah, go on then. What did you say again? Betel Hamilton Rosberg Dill? Yes. I could swap Rosberg a deal please. I thought Dill's a dark horse. Dark Horse deal. That's what they call it. The race to minus three

continues. You were right that you needed to switch Rosberg. You were wrong with who you needed to switch him with. Sebastian Betel is first on the list. He had nine race wins in a row. Then Rosberg had seven race wins in a row. Hamilton's third. He had five for ace wins in a row and then Hill had four.

Oh, Rosberg did end of 15 into 16. Yes. Damn. That makes sense. I didn't think of that. I'm here for the normal fan to learn. I just have a terrible memory. Okay.

Sam, three or four? Three! Okay. Now, you have an advantage on this question because there's not four answers. There's only three. Oh, that's. Okay.

Excluding the intro. What order did we speak in on our first ever episode? Your options are obviously Ben, Harry and Sam. Why is this a bloody question? I'm going to say, Sam spoke first, then Ben, then Harry. That's not correct. Do you want to try and steal, Harry?

Hang on. Who spoke first on our first ever episode? First ever episode. And you said, I said, me, Ben, Harry. I'll exclude, oh, that I've got, I've got on the intro. Me, bang, you. Excluding the intro. So as in like the little, the standard intro.

As in who said the first word. We just, yeah, just excluding the, this is like broken F1 podcast. I didn't know. I didn't like that. That's great. It does out of the corner of his mouth. I'm like a puppet, like I'm marrying it.

I'll go for Ben first, because normally Ben talks first. I mean, the first episode was a catastrophe. I know, but anyway, please I'm going to listen. Then I'll go with Sam and then me. So, standard. You're all so wrong. You were first. You back down to minus one.

The first person to speak was Sam. You're right. You were the first person to speak. But then it was Harry and then it was me. We are all wrong. We had not got the format nailed then. No. What the hell was I speaking second for?

Well, Sam was saying, did his intro on something relating to Alonzo and McLaren I listened to this back and he was interrupted by some sort of plane that went overhead and then yeah

and then he handed it over to to the two of us and you spoke before I did I'm so glad that we were in the I believe we'd have been in the same place at that point oh yeah that's true yeah is that when we did it on Skype and I was the tiny head in the corner

no there wasn't that long ago oh okay Yeah, we'd come on a bit from Ben. We've really come on a journey. We're on Google meets. We have lights now. Yeah. And proper cameras.

And Ben's always speaks fast. Thank God. Oh, dear. Okay. We are, this is the worst game ever. We are at minus two to Sam and minus one to Harry. I'll give the race to minus three of us. And it goes to you, Harry.

Here we go. Number four, please. Because then I win the minus three race. Good. Good shout. I want you to, from most to least, number of seasons in F1 before they won their first title. Okay. So you've got Nigel Mansell, Doctor, Yep.

Mika Hakenen, Max Verstappen, and Nicky Lauder. Nicky Lauder. Nicky Lauder. Why do we do I have time? It's from Rush. I don't know. Nicky Lauda. It's when he rungs down the road, isn't it?

After the car breaks down. Nick Lauder. Okay, most seasons for their title, most I'll go for, um, but, uh, wait,

who's the third one? I don't know. Mantel, Hecannan. Vestappan. Oh, Vestappan, sorry. Well,

Vassappan was. Yeah, you can work that on your fingers. It's quite a few seasons, actually. Uh, he's been here since he was three. Yeah, that's true. That's a good point. Uh, Is Vastappen the most?

I go Vestappen the most. Then I'll go for... Oh no, maybe it's Dr. Nijmantel. Oh, I don't know. Dr. Nij first, sorry. Then Vastappen. Then... Nikolaud.

Nikolaud. No. Which means... Good. Sam, you have the opportunity to make this a draw at minus one each. I want minus three, baby.

I want that minus three. The worst part is I'm going to try, and I will also get it wrong. Yes, I will steal. What would your order again? Mansell, Vestappan, Hacquen and louder. Nick Lauder.

I'll just swap the top two. Please? So Vastappan and then Mansell. Yes. Haken and louder. Yes. Minus three, yeah.

I really thought he was going to give an order then. Hey, I'm proud of it. So. Order. No order. Nigel Mansell was first in that list. He had 13 seasons before he won his first championship, and his only championship.

Then it was Mika Hakenen. This is actually, I actually just did this in the exact order I gave it to you. Mika Hakenen eight seasons. Then Vestappen's seven seasons. And louder was five seasons. What a devil. Yeah, I stand by what I said earlier about you, Ben.

Okay. So Harry has managed to win. Do worse than where he started and he's won by two points. Well done. Well done. It's a great minus one to minus three win there for me. Much than that in any other sport. Oh dear.

You'd be all right in golf. If this was golf, Sam, you're minus three would have a one. I have a great... What's it called? Par. Handicap. I have a great handicap. Sure.

I may as well. Par. Idiot. Good. Okay. It depends this episode that has been four hours maybe. I'm not quite sure where we've got to. Sam, would you mind, please, getting us out of it?

It's one thing I'd do well. Better than you two is an outro. We've, you know, we've done it for six years now, so. I've heard where you come from. It's terrible. Folks, check out the description below, please. Depending on whatever podcast service you're listening, you can leave a five-star reviewer, Harry is mentioned.

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