The Late Braking F1 Podcast - Teammate Wars 2020

Episode Date: February 13, 2020

It's that time of year again. Ben, Sam and Harry do battle as they select which teammates they think will finish the year ahead in terms of points! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Make sure to look out for new episodes every Thursday and Grand Prix Sundays. Hello and a very warm welcome. this is the late breaking Formula One podcast. My name is Ben Hocking. I'm joined today by Samuel Sage and Harry Ead. What a surprise, it's the three of us. We have got a very special episode today. It's one of my favourite videos of the year.

We do this every single year. I think this is the fourth consecutive year. We've done this in some sort of form, whether it's video, podcast or article. It's teammate wars. Harry, Sam. I mean, this is it. This is the showdown of late breaking.

This is where the house robots come together. Craig Charles Noreates over the top of us. I wish we had the budget for those things. But essentially, we fight it out. At the end of the season, we look at who got the most predictions correct. Yes, we're predicting literally nothing at the moment because we know nothing, but it's still fun. So have some fun with it.

And I will continue my record of getting literally everything wrong. I was going to say, is this your year, Harry? No. Right. Well, that's that settlement. So, yeah, just to clarify what the rules are, we will go through each of the 10 teams. It's rather simple, really. We'll go through each of the 10 teams. We'll look at the teammates and decide which we'll finish with more points at the end of the year. And then at the end of the year, we'll calculate who got the most right. And Sam is our defending champion. He got 9 out of 10 last year. The only blemish on his record being McLaren, where Lando Norris didn't beat Carlos. signs, but apart from that, nine out of ten, so he is the defending champion. So it only seems right to start with you, Sam, and we will start as we always do with the champions. So Mercedes, will Lewis Hamilton win this one again, or Cabaldry Bottas sprung a surprise? All Sam Sage fans, please stand for me. If you'd like to make a Twitter account, a Sam Sage

Stang account, let me know, I will retweet what you're wrong about. Yeah, we'll start with the champs, because I am the champs, and we're going to talk about the champs. There's a lot of champs going on chumps. Lewis Hamilton is going to trunks Bottas once again. It's a walk in the park. He's got the purple rain on his head, as we've seen the new helmet revealed. And I think that rain will advance to seven world titles. I think Lewis Hamilton is going to be the champ and he's going to be Bottas comfortably. I think Hamilton is going to be back. They're going to ever, it's going to be a cakewalk. Botas 3.0 with his absolute tree beard is not going to be enough

for the mighty Lewis Hamilton. That was fairly definitive there. Harry, are you on board with this Hamilton decision, or do you think that Bottas might go ahead and surprise us all? No, I think Hamilton's got it, but I don't think it's going to be a trouncing, like Sam says. I think Bottas will be closer again. He's probably grown his beard a bit longer, as we've seen, over the winter.

Yeah, Bottas 3.0, I reckon, is on his way, and they'll be more consistent. So it'll give Hamilton run for his money, but Hamilton will still ultimately win, not saying whether he wins a championship or not, because that's not what this video is about, you know? That's correct. That is not what this video is about,

but we will get on to Driver's Championship predictions in a further episode, so maybe in a couple of weeks you can expect to see that one. Yeah, I think this has been a Hamilton trio of picks. Every single year we've done this, It's no different this year either. I'm going with Hamilton to win. Whether it's a trouncing or not, I'm unsure about that.

I think I'm more in line with what Harry thinks, but I do see Hamilton winning this one. He's going to be motivated heading into the year. He's got records to be broken. He's got the seven championships to be matched. He's going to be fully motivated. I will say with Hamilton, now he is 35. He is now the age where Schumacher won his final championship.

So I think there will be a drop-off at some point. whether it starts to happen this year or maybe it's a few years' time, I'm not too sure. Even so, I think when that does happen, it will be a gradual process. I don't think it will be an instantaneous. Hamilton goes from being elite to being only okay. I don't see that happening. So even if the dip starts to happen this year, I think it will still be enough to beat Bottas. I've always said with Hamilton, he is immensely quick, but I don't think that's been any different to 2007, 2008,

when he joined Formula One. I think he is as quick now as he was then. It's the consistency and it's the bits around that that has made him so good over the last few years. It's that consistency where Bottas going up against him can only realistically make maybe one or two big mistakes per year. And if he makes those, he's out of it. And it just makes the margin of error so small for Bottas.

It's not a slight on Bottas that he can't beat Hamilton. I think 99% of drivers can't. But yeah, I'm going to go. Hamilton here for a 3-0. That is why we have Ben as part of this recording, because me and Harry just give you the silly answers or short and concise answers, where Ben actually provides evidence for his point.

So thanks, Ben, for making us not look like a complete bunch of years. Well, it doesn't read too much on me. It doesn't do too well for me, though, because, I mean, if I lose to you, then it means nothing. So, yeah, I'm looking for my crown back anyway. We move on to Ferrari now. Sam, you were the only one to predict this one right last year. You said that Leclair would beat Vettel, which he did.

He came on strong in the second half of the year. Are you sticking by that prediction for 2020? Look, Sebastian Vettel is one of the most lovely people in motorsport. You can't say as a trio that we don't love him because we do. We really do. But the chocolate Eclare was baked last season. It was created. The chocolate was put on the top and the cream filling position nicely inside and placed in the fridge.

and it rose to perfection. Now this year it's coming out of the fridge and it is going to beat Sebastian Betel again. Betel was going to be beaten by a baked good two years in a row. Chocolate Claire is going to win it. I think that he's got that raw pace despite the car being focused more around Sebastian Betel

in the coming year. I do think that that was the same case last year. And Charlotte Claire, right from the get-go, was as fast as Vettel. He was only behind him in Australia, he was team orders. He was beating him in Bahrain and was the only one that really looked like

he was going to get a wing. other than made with the performance in Canada, which was cruelly snatched away from Sebastian Battle. I genuinely do think that, realistically, this is Charlotte Clare's year. And I think if he takes that big step, if he really stepped up his performance, it won't be as close as what we saw in the 2019 season,

but will be a bit more of a one-sided affair come the 2020 season. So I think that Charlotte Clare will be the League Ferrari come the end of the season. Well, it started out with a very, very strange analogy, but it came around some interesting analysis. So well done, Sam. Anyway, Leclair is the choice for Sam at Ferrari.

Harry, are you sticking by Vessel, or are you also going for Charlotte? Well, firstly, I'd like to congratulate Sam for being wrong for the first time this evening. It's not going to be LeClair. It's going to be Sebi Vett. He's had a winter to contemplate a difficult 2019. Ferrari have had a winter to make a car that's better for him.

He's going to be motivated. He's going to have some weird-ass haircut that he normally turns up with on the first race of the year. Yeah, I'm not saying it's going to be a challenging on either by Vettel, but it's going to be close, but I think he's going to nick it this year. Because even last year, when he wasn't having a great year, it was still pretty close. And I believe that LeClaire will come on even stronger, but I think Vessel's going to step up in 2020 because, and we spent about this, he has to. So for me, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's,

than, it's going to, it's going to be, yeah, this year. Maybe a bit of an indication that shall la Claire is their future, with that long-term deal and that Sebastian Vettel is the guy they trust in the present. However, I'm going for Charlotte-Claire. I saw in 2019, I probably made this point during last year's video that I thought Vettel would win in 2019, but the progression of LeClaire would see him come on strong in 2020 and going forward after that. And it turns out that he made that progress much earlier than I thought he would. He was competitive with Sebastian Vettel almost straight away, as he rightfully

said, Sam. And really, in terms of qualifying, it wasn't that close. It was only in the race that Vettel was able to pull it back. And it was close last year. But Leclair at the second half of the year was really impressive. And I mean, how old is Leclair? I mean, he has got so many years ahead of him. He's only going to get better. Think of all the great drivers. How many of them were at their peak in their early 20s? I mean, none of them. If you compare Leclair at his age, to say Hamilton at his age or Schumacher at his age. Neither of those two were at the peak of their powers at that point, and they still had room to grow.

And I think that's what Lecler will do, not only this year, but in the ensuing years too. So I think Leclair is going to have just too much for Sebastian Vettel. I don't think LeClaire is going to care that Vettel, it's all about the present for Vettel, and LeClair can potentially wait out a year or two when Vettel's gone. I don't think LeClaire is that type of person. and I think if he gets any sniff of an opportunity,

he's going to take it. I've got LeClair winning this one. You love to see it, folks. Ben, strategy for winning this year is just to side with me on every vote. This is true. It'll be interesting to see where we do differ. So that is at least the first differing point

with Harry going with Vettel and myself and Simon going for Charles LeClau. We move on to one that perhaps won't be much of a difference between our selections. We go to Red Bull, where Max Verstappen, take on Alex Album this year. We saw a little preview of that at the end of last season.

Sam, I'm going to assume we're going to go for Vestappen here, but you might surprise us. We'll see. Max, Max, Max, super, Max, Max. Quite frankly, you're a fool for thinking that Albon across a whole season with Max's current form has a chance of beating him. I think Albon is going to be a very strong driver across Formula One, across his career. I think he'll be here for a long time. We even saw some really standout performances from him.

At the end of last season, Japan is qualified, and he matched Max Verstappen. Brazil, he drove a really great race until Hamilton decided to punt him into the shadow realm. I mean, there were some real strong points for Alba, but I just don't think that he's at Stappen's level. And don't get him wrong, the Stapen took time, right, to get to the level he's at. He wasn't the leader of his team for a couple of years. He didn't really come into his own in terms of avoiding mistakes. He had that season where, for the first time, 10 to 12 races, he was pretty much causing an accident

in every single race. But I think Bostappan has really ironed out along of those issues. And if he's got the car behind him, I think he's pretty much the only person across the whole season that Channigan is Hamilton Mark for Mark at the moment. Albon is a great guy.

He's a great driver. I just can't see him beating Max Verstaffling across the full, or is it, 21 races we've got now with China being removed. So I think Bostaffin's got this one. A lot of massive surprise there. Harry, are you also siding with Supermax? Yeah.

Yeah, this is the first one on the list that I think isn't going to be close. I think even if Album steps it up, which I believe he will do this year, I still don't think he's going to be challenging Max on a regular basis. There'll be some, like Sam says, you know, we match him in Kuali in Suzuki, and I think there will be times when, you know, maybe he'll beat him in a race, but it's not going to be consistently. So, yeah, Max from me, easy one, I think. Yeah, I think I'm not surprised at all Vastappen for me to.

very simply put, this is going to sound quite harsh. Vestappen is world-class, Albin isn't. It's really as simple as that. Albon, I think the question for him this year is not necessarily, can he beat Vastappan? I think that's unrealistic.

I think the question for Albin is, can he solidify himself as the number two driver? Because Gassely couldn't do that. Can Albin do that? Because if he can, then he's got a good career ahead of him. If he can't, he might go down that same path. We saw on a few occasions last year when not having a decent enough number two driver cost Red Bull.

I think Hungary is the one that really sticks out. At that point, if you think Ghazli, if he was far enough ahead in that race, Hamilton can't execute the strategy he needs to in order to win. So it's not only for Albin's sake, but also for the team's sake and for Vestappen's state that he needs to be closer and he needs to be competitive. But I think that's all he needs to be. This is Vestappen's team for a reason. and I think he's going to win this one fairly comfortably,

not quite as comfortably as against Gassley, but not far off that. Poor old Gassley. We'll see if Gassley gets any votes later on. Of course, we'll be doing Tora Rousseau soon enough. But first, we're going to go to McLaren, Sam, as mentioned before, this is the only one that you did get wrong last year.

It's the same pairing of Carlos Sines and Lando Norris. Are you going for Lando Norris to get revenge or Carlos Sines to win, years in a row. I'm just going to do what all of the fans are we doing. As you've just said, Toro Rosso is, of course, Alfa Tori. Actually, no, I'm going to intercept here and make a point. They are Torooso. I'm not having it that they're Alphatori. I don't care. It's not a mistake. It's Torooso. Don't care that they've changed their names. There are 10 teams on the grid. You do not need two that have the same word. Ran over. Well, there you go, folks. Ben hates

Alphatori. Anyway, back to McLaren. I am going to give a little switcheroo. I'm going to go for this mood. That guy drove so brilliantly well last season. I mean, I was having a lot of faith in Carlos Sines. I was a really solid driver. He dipped

a little bit in terms of form when he was at Renault for the one season. He never really got comfortable. I kind of thought it was going to take him a little more time to adapt to his McLaren surroundings. I don't know if it's almost the Landau effect, a teammate that he gets with, along with so well, has a little bit less experience so he can guide and mentor and maybe,

I don't know, push himself a little further. But Sites had such an incredible season. For me, he was pretty much the driver of the season behind Hamilton. He was on par with the staff in terms of that level of performance. So, yeah, I mean, I rate Norris. I love Landon Norris. He's such a great guy. He is the Meltman of Formula One, the meme lord,

with the bucket hat. But do I think he's got the talent? to take it a whole season, toe to toe to with a man like science at the moment. I know, I think it's going to take him and bring off his feet once again. So I think the signs, it's going to be close,

is just going to have this. All right, so a flip of predictions from last year going from the loser Norris to the winner. Sines, Harry, are you following him on the Sines bandwagon? This is a really tough one. And I said signs last year. I think it was closer in the end of the night.

expected. I'm going to say signs again, not because I do not rate Norris at all. I just think signs is just that being more experienced. The way Norris performed last year, stepped signs is performance is up, I think.

The second half of the year, particularly I think signs is really, really strong. Yeah, but I think this is one of the toughest choices on the grid, but I'm going to give it to Carlos. Or as Sam says, the smooth operator. I'm not going to sing it. Yeah, but that's going to be a fascinating battle this year,

especially if McLean maintained the form they had in 2019. Yeah, I think I said last year that this was actually the closest one for me. And I went for Carlos Sines in the end, but it was a bit of a coin flip, and it's a similar situation again. But I tell you what, guys, there's something you need. You need some milk. Calando Norris is taking this one.

So, I mean, we have now confirmed that none of the same predictions. So this is really good news. Yeah, I think Landon Norris is going to just about win it. Having that one year of experience in F1, I think he's going to count massively in his favour. I think he'll improve on what he was doing last year. He's already there in terms of qualifying. I think he won 11, 10 in the end. And in the races, he was solid as well.

Of course, Sines did a little bit better. Landon Norris did have the share of the bad luck. So presuming he does improve as I think he will, and also some of that bad luck disappears. I think Landon Norris might just, just have enough to beat him. I don't know. I think Signs is a very good driver, but I think Lando Norris has the potential to be just that little bit better.

I don't know whether he'll get there, but I think he's got at least the potential for it. So Lando Norris is my selection here. It's hard to support the milkman when you're not. lactose intolerant. So Norris fans, please remember that when you come for me. I can't actually ingest milk without being unwell. And I mean, incorrectly predicting it last year, that caused undesirable. Yeah, massive backfire, literally. Oh, bloody hell. Moving on. Yeah, moving swiftly on. We move on to the fifth place team last year,

which was Renault. Daniel Ricardo was returning again. And just before I say anything else, Niko Holklenberg, I can't go against you this year because, well, you're not in Formula One anymore. But rest assured, if you were on the grid, I would be going against you. It's nothing personal, apart from that it's you. I actually have nothing here, Nico Holmberg. I'm sorry. So, yeah, Reno, we've got Daniel Ricardo, but he's got Esteban Okon as a teammate this year, making his return to Formula One after a year out. Sam, do you like Ricardo to win this one, or are you signing with Ockon? Have you got a stamp?

Yeah, can you pass it? Sorry, I'm just licking my envelope here because my Daniel Ricardo predictions in the posting, I've just sent it. He's obviously going to win this one. O'Conn's a while out now. He wasn't actually as brilliant as I once remember him against Perez when he was in the Force India, then raising point. that racing point became for racing point pacer which is becoming anyway that's a

same thing at the time ocon was is good he's a good driver i don't think he's he's dany rick good and danny rick has got that integration into reno now i think that's his team he's the team league are there they really respect he's become a lot more at one with that team and it always takes a little bit of time to adjust to a new team i think he's at that point now so with danny rick's prowess his ability to move through a field his ability to pass other cars, especially in that midfield classic, because I don't think that Rang are really going to be past that midfield cluster at the moment,

because soon they haven't got a car, yeah, for me, Danny Rick, beats Ockon. And Harry, do you think that Ricardo beats Ocon? I do. I think he's going to have a tough time with Ocon, even if Ocon does have to set him to the team. But, yeah, I don't think

a year out has affected him too much. but I do still think Ricardo is going to edge it and I Ricardo for me he's already becoming slightly underrated just already after a year in the Renault lying down at like bottom end of the top 10

yeah because he's a top we all know he's a top quality driver so yeah it's going to be a tricky one for Ricardo but I still think he'll take it I think if the Renault is better this year And like Samson says, he's now set it onto the team. Yeah, I think he'll just about beat Ockham. I'm going to say Ricardo as well.

So all three of us going for Danny Rick on this occasion. I consider the two situations that Ricardo is in. You've firstly got his situation last year, where he has to go ahead and defeat Nico Holcomberg, who has been at the team for three years by that point. Ricardo coming in as a Renault rookie, and he was up to the challenge, and he was able to get it done. Now, the following year, with that extra year of experience at Renault, he goes up against a guy who is new to the team and has had a year out of Formula One and who I think in terms of overall

ability is on the same level as Nico Holcomberg. I just think the challenge for him is actually less this year, so I can't see any reason why Ricardo loses it. I don't think it'll be a drubbing. I also don't think it'll be close. I think it will be something in the middle. I think Ricardo will get out to an early lead whilst Ocon is adjusting, and I think he'll just continue to build that throughout the year.

My prediction is that Ocon won't actually be ahead in this rivalry at any point during the season. I think it will be Ricardo gets an early lead, and he kind of consolidates it from there. So that completes a Ricardo clean sweep and completes the first half of teammate wars. We now go to Toro Rosso. I'm not buying this fake news Alfa Tori. It's Toro and it always will be. I don't know why I'm so defensive over this.

Anyway, Gazley and Kavir, after the summer switch last time out, we got a preview of this one. Gasly did quite well on his return to Torooso. Both of these guys unbelievably getting a podium last year at Toro Rossso. Sam, who have you got winning this? Saus, everyone. I just hang out from the phone call.

Just halfway through the recording. Yeah, I was about saying. Was that question insulting? Well, I'm getting a bit annoyed that you can't say Al-Fa-Torri. It's going to be way sexier than Toro. Toro was always that kind of scabby kid at the back of the class that you never really wanted to talk to. Like, yeah.

I mean, they brought some good ideas to school and everything, and they helped some of the stupider kids, you know, do their homework in the long run, but no one really liked them. So I'm all for Al-Fa-Torri looking at that sexy chrome black with the hexidens on the car. Can't. Anyway, Gisley, Kiviat, this is actually really, really, really difficult to choose between the two of them. I think it's a complete toss-up on who decides they want to take up and have a good good year.

I'm going to go for Pierre Gazzli and I'm sorry, Torpigo. I'm a big fan of Kivi, I think you're a lovely bloke. And if you want to Torpigo me, no, we won't go down that route. Honestly, Gassi's just got that vibe in the team that he's currently in that Toro-Rosso, Al-Fatori lineup. He seems to gel so much better with the staff, with the makeup of the car, the development of it. I don't know what it is. He seems to sit in that car. He comes alive.

You get that kind of almost F2 performance that he used to have that never really materialized when he took the big step up from the old Torosso to Red Bull. And then obviously was demoting again. Yeah, I think this one is actually going to be a lot closer, we think. But I do think Gazzley just has that egg at the moment. Are you going for P. Gazell? This is another tricky one, actually. I think if you'd ask me halfway through last year when he'd been demoted, I'd have a pick Fiat.

But I think half the year back in the tour or also, car or team, whatever the reason is, Gazley found his form again, and then obviously that brilliant podium in Brazil. So, again, I think, like McLaren's, is going to be a close one, but I'm going to give it to Gatsley. But the pair of them have been performing,

well, towards the end of year, will perform very well. So it's a strong little lineup, I think. there now, as long as the torpedo doesn't torpedo too many people. Yeah, but on this occasion, I'm going to give it to Gatsley, because I think everyone, he's the better driver. He just lost his mojay. Yeah, I am going to, again, complete a clean sweep here, actually.

I'm going to go with Pierre Gassley too. If I look at when they were teammates at Toro Rosso, and I think that's the most important thing to assess here, Gassley was significantly better than Danny Kaviat, which was not only impressive in that Danny Kaviat is no slouch, but it was impressive in that Gansley had just been demoted from Red Bull. He had been given a race-winning car and he wasn't able to perform. He's then demoted in the same way that Kaviat was,

but he doesn't go down that same route. He's able to bounce back almost immediately and prove himself again. So I was impressed by his character at the end of the 2019 season, and I've got him winning this one. I mean, both scored podiums last year at Toro or so, both rather unlikely. But if you're looking at both, of the both of the podiums,

Gassley's was much more impressive in my eyes than Kaviat's, just because Kaviat, the only reason he was even towards the front was because he was down in what last or second last and had that pit stop strategy at the end of the race to get him in that position. Gassely was best of the rest for the entire Brazilian Grand Prix, and even if it didn't descend into chaos,

he still would have had a really good result on a great weekend. So I'm going to go with Gazley here. I think he is a marginally better driver. I wouldn't be completely shocked if Kaviat wins it, but I've just got that little bit more confidence in Gassley. So we now go to perhaps another clean sweep, to be honest. This is Racing Point. The last year, they will be known as Racing Point,

unless anything changes. It is Sergio Perez against Lance Stroll. Again, Sergio Perez winning this one in 2019. San, who have you got winning in 2020? You say it's a clean sweep? I can't believe what I'm saying this. I have a strange amount of faith for some reason in the goat stroll. I don't know what it is.

I don't know if I haven't even made my mind up. I'm making my, I'm starting a sentence and I don't know where it's going to go currently, folks. I'm going to stick just with Sergio Perez, but hear me out, folks. I think this is the season that stroll comes alive a little bit. I think his qualifying performances won't be as poor. I think he'll have settled further into the sport. I think he'll have those more consistent performances where he fights in the big field.

And when Stroll does perform, he really does have some quality behind him. He's not terrible. I may think this is Perez's last strong year as well. So if that decay comes a little early, I think Stroll is in with a shout of going past Perez. But by a whisker, it's closing I thought in my own brain, actually. by a whisker, Sergio Perez is the man that is going to wing the racing point into team battle. Well, going for Perez, but only just, Harry, Perez?

Yes. It's going to be Perez. I don't have enough faith in Old Lance's qualifying abilities. He makes up for it at the starts, and he's had some strong performances in the races. Of Germany, he springs to mind. but he just can't string a lap together to save his life. I don't know why. I don't know what it is.

It's the pressure or who knows. But, yeah, no, I'm going to go with, I'm going to go to Perez because I don't think he's going to start decaying either, Sam. That's a very strong word. Sounds like he's getting old. That's what happens when you get old. You start getting weird bits about you that you can't reach and they just kind of,

I mean, they go to 30. I definitely think he's 30. Okay, fine. No, but I'm going to give it to Perez. I don't think it's going to be as close as Sam does. Yeah, I'm going Perez here. This really wasn't a hard decision for me to make. Perez is just much, much better than Stroll.

Stroll has got those incredible first laps, which does mean that whatever position he qualifies in, you might as well minus three positions from it, but even that's not enough to keep up with Perez. I've always rated Perez. I think he's a quality driver. He's stacked up well against Dockhorn. He's stacked up well against the Eagle Holkenberg.

And quite frankly, I think Landstrol is as good as those two guys. So I've got Perez winning again. Even last year, Perez won this comfortably. Even with Lance Stroll getting fourth place in Germany, thanks to a bit of a freak result. So maybe Stroll, this is the year that he finally delivers some qualified performances, finally delivers some consistency in races. But I don't see it happening.

All right. So we now go on to Alpha, and it's the same line up as last year. So Kimmy Rykenen, who is still going in Formula One at the age of 73, is going to be taking on Antonio Giovanni. I will stop giving him an Italian. I'll stop doing that. Don't worry. But Sam, who have you got winning this one? Reikinen or Giovanni? Well, I was in the retirement home with Kimi, actually. We were playing some checkers. and Kevin was talking to me. He said, did you see that the Pope was being blessed by Jesus, aka Giovanni?

It's a great scene. What are you talking about? Giavanazzi looks like Jesus in his hand of the Pope a racing helmet. One of these days, you're just going to give a normal answer, but I don't know when that game is going to be. I'm sorry. Okay, normal answer time. Kimmy Rykingen is going to be

Antonio Giovanni I think it's going to be close I think Givenatsi I'm more hoping that Jivnazzi comes into his own a little bit I've always been a little bit of a fan of Gio

he's screwing up his early Salber days on those first couple of occasions and then got that second chance that he needed and he did all right last season he didn't do brilliantly

but he did all right and in the second half of the season he grew into the role a little bit he was challenging Kimi qualifying got better and I think again old people decay

and Kimmy is actually old. So if his arm falls off due to boneware or his coughing is struggling to maintain him, this is getting dark. Regardless, Kimmy for me, just, just Pipskiavatsy. I love how you're talking about these 30 and 40-year-olds as if they are literally on their last legs and perhaps are going to collapse at any moment.

But anyway, Kimmy Rykenin has been given the nod by his son. are you joining him harry yeah i'm just i'm in shock i just can't keep up with saman's train of thought sometimes it's really difficult sometimes i mean i can't either um yeah i'm gonna give it to kimmy and again i don't think it's as close as sound as making out it it's gonna be

and kimmy yes he's in his his twilight years as a formula one driver but he is still a formula one world champion let's not forget this people he's still quick. He's a widely on Fox now because you can be winning year 78. But, yeah, even if Giovannazzi improves, I still don't think he's going to take it to Kimmy over a whole season and just think, I think he had a really impressive year last year,

more impressive than 18, even though he won a race. It's easily Kimmy for me. Antonio wins this one. I'm going for Germanazzi. Yeah. What? Yeah. You're in glue, apparently.

I have audibly sighed there when you said that. He literally said it was going to be close. I mean, there's close, and then there's actually letting him win. I've said it to appease the Italians. Okay, well, I'm appeasing even further by saying he will actually win this one. I think it will be really close, and actually I think it is a bit of a coin flip. but I think Antonio might just have enough to do it this year. There's,

Kimmy Reichenen was very good at the beginning of 2019, but he didn't necessarily drop off the pace towards the end of the year, but it was much, much closer. And that, it makes sense. I mean, it follows Antonio Juvenatzi's development in F1. At the very beginning of the year, that was when the alpha car was at its best, and Kimi Reikinen took full advantage of it

and scored a number of points. unfortunately for Antonio Givenazzi, that's when he was at his weakest. So by the time he had got used to the car, got used to Formula One, I'm not counting the two races he had in 2017. By the end of 2019, the alpha car just wasn't good enough for him to score regular points, even though he was fairly consistently beating Kimmy Reichen and qualifying and at least hanging with him in the race for quite a lot of the time. So I think if he continues that development,

I think it will be very close between them this year. I think in terms of what they have left to fight for, Kimi Reichenen, he might well leave the sport at the end of this year. I don't know what his motivation is going to be halfway through the year. If he knows that he's going through the exit door at the end of the year. And so Antonio Trevinazzi, the pressure's on. He needs to perform this year. Otherwise, he's got rookies in Formula 2

who are going to be chomping at the bit and wanting that seat. So a huge amount of pressure, everything to fight for Antonio Gervanazi. Nothing to lose against Reikinen. and Reichen and I don't know about his motivation. So I'm going Antonio here. I really believe this one. I believe that you're wrong. We will find out.

This could be another Nico Holkenberg, Jolian Palmer, prediction from a few years ago. Oh, Jolian Parma. I mean, that's where the whole Niko Hulkenberg rivalry started because obviously he beat Jolian Palmer. That was not my best. pick. Anyway, so we have got another difference there. We move on to Hasse, where Kevin Magnuson and Romain Grosjon do battle again for the 29th time. Kevin Magnuson's won the last

two years. Sam, do you see him winning a third year in a row? Well, yeah, we've done all the difficult ones. I really like Grosjeon. Again, I like a lot of people. They're lovely. They're really nice guys. But he's just not that good at driving anymore, is he? Like, I'm surprised he's still got to drive for Hars. I am still shocked that's their driver line up. And I think Kevin Mangerson says, he's just got more ambition. He's just got more, excuse the pun, drive about him. Grosjean, again, good team player, nice guy. I think Magnuson, despite his crazy box office performances, I think he could somehow be a real player in Formula One in the coming years.

And I'm excited by him. I'm still excited by him. I look forward to seeing him race. So for me, KMAG takes this one. That means Ben wants me to go now. Sorry, I probably should have pressed unmute. Yeah, how that works. So as I was saying to absolutely no one,

Harry, are you also saying that Kevin Magnuson is going to be box office and win? I'm just going to put this out there. I don't really care about the hash drivers. So, yeah, why not? just give it to Magnuson. Don't care if either of them win. What is the point? So, Harry's decided to take a no vote and just go, I don't care.

No, I'm giving it to Magnuson, but I don't care. I love the attitude. Just don't really care about the two drivers. Like, come on, boring. Wow. Okay, so if it's a draw, then, I guess you kind of get the point for literally not caring in the slight it. No, I'm giving it to Magnuson. I'm just saying I don't care.

Fair enough. Yeah, I'm going to go Magnuson as well. To be honest, I'm kind of in the same position where this partnership, I really wish it had been broken up last year, well, to be honest, the year before as well. I think Magnuson is the overall better driver right now. Grojean at his absolute best

versus Magnuson at his absolute best. I think Grojean wins. The problem is Grojean only gets to his best once every 11 races or so, which just is not consumed. enough to win in Formula One. If he's delivering that sort of epic performance once or twice a year, he's not going to cut it.

Kevin Magnison is not the most consistent driver in the world, but he's consistent enough to beat that. So, yeah, I'm going to go with Magnuson again, and I think this could finally be the nail in the coffin for Grojeon, and he does leave the sport after the year. But Grojean somehow, he's a cockroach. He finds a way to survive, so I'm sure he will again. You've just called a racing driver a cockrojohn.

He can't be killed. Romang, I'm sorry, mate. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It was meant as a compliment. He can stick around in F1. Yeah, it doesn't matter what happens. The matter how he performs, he somehow returns every year.

Romang, if you want to be being with a baguette, I will allow it. I'm sorry. I am not taking advice on analogies from you, My analogies go down in history as being the best analogies. They're like the Michael Schumacher of an analogy. Which is a brilliant analogy in itself. Right. We move on to Williams.

So, unbelievable, I still can't quite get over this, even though it's been months now. Robert Kubitsa did beat George Russell in 2019 by one point to none, even though George Russell... Sam, I don't even though he did something I would slither for it. So good. It's just... Sounds ridiculous.

Anyway, Sam, you did get this right last year. You went for Robert Kubitser. He did get that point in Germany, so he won. Unbelievably, you also picked him in 2018, even though he wasn't a driver for him. So I can only assume that now he's gone. You're also going to pick him this year. Gear Garc, you'll be a done.

Thank you. I mean, if you... I know none of you can see me, but I've got the Jeremy Clark's smug face right now. because of the Kubitsa win last season. That's the crowning moment in my victory. Unfortunately, no, no Giga, no Kubitsa this time around. I think that Latifi doesn't stand a flying plebeian of a chance.

I was going to swear, but there may be children in the vicinity. No, good. You said plebeian instead. Yes, I enjoy the world plebion. Anyway, George Russell, he had a really good year last year, despite somehow not actually beating Robert Kubitser, technicality of disqualification on the most crazy race week single season, I believe that George Russell is going to wipe the floor with Nicholas Latifi.

Maybe not with money. I think Natifi has a lot more money to give, but that does not win you a driver pairing across a single season. And I think that George Russell will come out on top. And I think this will set him up nicely for a very strong career in Formula One, hopefully, at the front, not at the back. But yeah, that's long term for me. Russell just has that pure ability.

and I think that if Latifu was good enough, he could have been in the sport a while ago. Russell has entered it after winning F2 of his first try, and he's going to go on to do bigger and better things. So for me, Russell takes it. You also go in Georgie Russ? Yeah, Georgie Ross any day of the week. The boy's got so much talent.

And we talk about Norris. He's on that the same level, if perhaps maybe Beth than Norris. So, yeah, I don't think Latifie, who's had a few years in F2, Now, in F2 age, he is also 78. Yeah. He might have a good season,

but I just don't think he's got the talent of Russell. So, yeah, easily at Georgie. Geordie Russ for me. Yeah, George Russell, I think,'s going to win this one. You never know. We might get a similar scenario to last year. It might depend on how good the Williams is this year, if they have improved.

If they do even get the slightest chance at points in a few races, I think George Russell wins. Maybe a Nicholas Latifi 1-0 win. It could happen. It happened last year with Robert Kibitsa, so maybe it does happen again, but I'm going to go with the better driver here for basically the reasons that you've said.

George Russell stepped into Formula 2, one at the first occasion. Nicholas Latifi spent four years there and couldn't win the title. So fair place to Nicholas Latifi. And I'm going to give him a bit of credit here, actually, because I don't think he'll get a lot of it throughout the year. I mean, the guy has managed to make Formula 1.

after not starting carting until he was 13 years old, which in modern day F1 is just a bit ridiculous when you see some of these drivers starting at four and five years old. So fair play to him for playing catch-up for his whole career

and making it to the biggest stage in motorsport. But I don't see him winning this one. I've got George Russell. There's a compliment for the year, Nicholas. You're welcome. Might well surprise us. Maybe he delivers epic performances and beats George Russell

and laughs at us. I mean, you can also sing his surname to the CBB's theme team that used to play. Latifie, Latifie. Do you remember that? That was good.

What's your brain work? Anyway, I want to hear whatever else thinks and how wrong we're going to be. You said anyway, you sounded completely leavened.

I told me and Kimmy are in the old retirement home together. I just sat, wankered. Oh, God. It's how we usually enter these recording sessions, so not a massive surprise, but there was a point in that,

and that is that please do, in the comments on our social and media channels, get your predictions in, all across one down to 10, Mercedes down to Williams, who's going to win out of the teammates? And we'll see if you can beat us. That might not be too much of a challenge.

But just reviewing the picks, a quick review. Harry and Sam, you've pretty much gone for exactly the same. The only difference you two have got is that Sam thinks that LeClair's going to win, and Harry thinks Vettel's going to win. So a lot riding on that Ferrari performance, and I've gone a bit mad and gone for Norris and Giovannazzi. So I'll see you guys when I finish third.

I can't wait for me and Harry to stand at the top together, holding the tiny cup that doesn't exist laughing in your face. I mean... I'm never going to be right, though. I will be surprised if you find a way. to be wrong on all of them. Weirder things have happened. That's fair.

Anyway, like me say, get your predictions in the comments. But until the next video, Sam, can you take us away? Well, thank you very much for watching as Ben said. Get your comments down there. Let's know what you're thinking. Which one of us is an absolute Muppet? The most likely answer is definitely me. Thanks for sticking around. We appreciate it. We try to go to the channel. Hit subscribe. We'd love to see you come along for the journey.

There can be many more videos coming out. We've got some gaming stuff coming on as well. We'd love for you to see it. But in the meantime, I've been saying Sage. I've been Ben Hocking. And I've been Harry Ead. And remember, keep breaking late. This podcast is part of the Sports Social Podcast Network. Biggest voices in sports on the Sports Social Podcast Network.

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