2021 USA GP Race Discussion

We are back for the USA GP to COTA after a gap last year and what a race did we witness! This is literally history in the making, it’s the Clash of the Titans! With about 400,000 people in attendance during this weekend, Max and Lewis put up a show that is worthy of a tense championship battle that we are currently in. While there was an intense battle for the lead, all the other midfield teams were also battling it out to try and gain some extra points.

In this Episode we discuss:

1. Battle of the Titians 👊

2. Bottas opens an engine parts store

3. Sergio plays the Bottas’s role

4. Naughty Alonso 😈

5. Reds vs Orange

6. TV Directors finally do their job well

7. Alan van der Merwe joins Toto in the Hall of Shame 🤥

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Music:

Intro: Howling (Sting) - Gunnar Olsen

Outro: Your Intro by Audionautix

**Summary of the F1 Fan Fiction Podcast Episode: Clash of the Titans at COTA**

* **The Race:**

> * Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton engaged in an intense battle for the lead, showcasing their exceptional driving skills and strategic decision-making.
>* Both drivers pushed their cars to the limit, with Verstappen eventually emerging victorious.
>* Sergio Pérez played a crucial role in supporting Verstappen's strategy by holding off Hamilton, mirroring Bottas's role in previous races.
>* Fernando Alonso exhibited aggressive driving tactics, including a controversial defense against Kimi Räikkönen and a questionable move on Antonio Giovinazzi.
>* The midfield battle was equally exciting, with several teams and drivers vying for positions.

* **Other Notable Moments:**

> * Valtteri Bottas experienced a series of engine problems, leading to a poor race performance.
>* The TV direction was praised for focusing on the racing action and avoiding unnecessary celebrity cameos.
>* Alan van der Merwe, Toto Wolff's strategist, joined Toto in the Hall of Shame for a strategic blunder.

* **Overall Impression:**

> * The race was a thrilling spectacle, showcasing the fierce rivalry between Verstappen and Hamilton.
>* The entire Formula One community, including drivers, teams, and fans, can appreciate the high level of competition and sportsmanship displayed.
>* The midfield battle added an extra layer of excitement, keeping fans engaged throughout the race.
>* The absence of unnecessary distractions, such as celebrity cameos, allowed viewers to focus on the racing action. # F1 Fan Fiction: Episode Transcript Summary

## Introduction

- The podcast discusses the thrilling United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) after a year's absence.
- The race witnessed an intense battle for the lead between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, captivating the massive crowd of 400,000 attendees.
- While the top drivers dueled for the lead, midfield teams also engaged in fierce battles for additional points.

## Key Topics Discussed

### 1. Battle of the Titans:
- Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton engaged in a tense championship battle, showcasing their skills and determination.
- The intense rivalry and close racing added excitement to the event, keeping fans on the edge of their seats.

### 2. Bottas Opens an Engine Parts Store:
- Valtteri Bottas' engine failure during the race led to a humorous comparison to him opening an engine parts store.
- The incident highlighted the unpredictable nature of Formula One racing and the challenges drivers face.

### 3. Sergio Plays the Bottas's Role:
- Sergio Perez stepped up to play the role of Bottas for Red Bull, providing strong support to Verstappen in his championship battle.
- Perez's performance demonstrated his value to the team and his ability to contribute to Red Bull's success.

### 4. Naughty Alonso:
- Fernando Alonso received a penalty for an incident with Charles Leclerc, earning him the nickname "Naughty Alonso."
- The incident highlighted the competitive nature of the midfield and the risks drivers take to gain positions.

### 5. Reds vs Orange:
- The battle between Red Bull and McLaren for third place in the constructors' championship intensified.
- The rivalry added another layer of excitement to the race, with both teams pushing their limits to secure valuable points.

### 6. TV Directors Finally Do Their Job Well:
- The podcast praised the television directors for capturing the crucial moments of the race and providing insightful camera angles.
- The improved coverage enhanced the viewing experience for fans, allowing them to witness the action from various perspectives.

### 7. Alan van der Merwe Joins Toto in the Hall of Shame:
- Alan van der Merwe, the medical car driver, faced criticism for being the only unvaccinated person in the paddock.
- His anti-vaccination stance raised questions about FIA's commitment to health and safety protocols.

## Conclusion

- The United States Grand Prix delivered an unforgettable race with intense battles, unexpected incidents, and captivating storylines.
- The podcast highlighted the key moments and controversies of the event, providing an engaging and informative discussion for Formula One fans.

[00:00.000 -> 00:07.440] It felt like a high school radio message between Jio and Alpha Garage where Alpha Garage is like,
[00:07.440 -> 00:14.560] give the position back and Jio goes, but he pushed me out. No discussions, give the position back.
[00:28.400 -> 00:32.840] Hello and welcome to the Americas. We are out West this time circuit of the Americas.
[00:33.320 -> 00:40.400] Uh, you are listening to F1 fan fiction, a podcast about F1 brought to you by F1
[00:40.400 -> 00:43.920] fans for the F1 fans, we are your hosts.
[00:43.960 -> 00:44.840] I am Akash.
[00:49.040 -> 00:54.960] And I'm Saran and well I want to dive into the episode but before that just a few messages for whoever subscribed to us thank you
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[01:28.820 -> 01:29.720] just get us a coffee.
[01:30.200 -> 01:32.240] So head over to F1 Fan Fiction.
[01:32.480 -> 01:37.000] Also, also one of our goals, I don't know if you've ever spoken about this, but
[01:37.000 -> 01:41.280] like one of our goals with the whole podcast is to create an F1 community.
[01:41.760 -> 01:47.040] So be part of the community and as part of the community an important
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[01:53.840 -> 02:10.720] what do you want us to do at contact us at The Raid F1 Fan Fiction. And with that, Let's get into the episode. My God, yesterday was a thriller, a pure thriller from the first turn to the
[02:10.720 -> 02:13.120] 20th turn, just a banger.
[02:15.040 -> 02:15.440] Yeah.
[02:15.440 -> 02:16.960] I mean, uh, wow.
[02:16.960 -> 02:20.320] It took me some time to really digest the whole race.
[02:20.320 -> 02:24.080] Like I had to sit down after the race to really understand what's going on.
[02:24.640 -> 02:30.480] Because think about it, right? Like, uh, we didn't actually see wheel to wheel
[02:30.480 -> 02:35.440] battle between Max and Lewis, but nonetheless, I think we had probably one
[02:35.440 -> 02:37.480] of the best races, uh, till now.
[02:38.180 -> 02:41.600] And wow, it was, it was a battle of strategies.
[02:41.600 -> 02:50.400] You know, it's, it was basically, it's not just, it wasn't just Lewis versus Max, it was, you know, all the people who have contributed to either
[02:50.400 -> 02:53.260] of those teams fighting against each other, because this was like the
[02:53.760 -> 02:59.240] culmination of everyone's efforts, because not just that Max and Lewis drove
[02:59.240 -> 03:01.640] brilliantly, the strategies were on point.
[03:01.760 -> 03:04.920] Uh, everything was, yeah, just amazing, I guess.
[03:04.960 -> 03:05.040] Yeah, no, I guess.
[03:05.040 -> 03:10.080] Yeah, no, absolutely true. And you hit it on the nail there. It was more like,
[03:11.440 -> 03:17.840] they were out of the 56 labs, they were like just a few labs where both of them were in the frame
[03:17.840 -> 03:27.080] on the same screen. Otherwise, they were like, you know, quite apart and yet it felt like they were going at it just
[03:27.080 -> 03:32.960] milliseconds away, right? So, and absolutely like, except Botaz, I think everyone else
[03:32.960 -> 03:39.560] was so involved, like the whole Mercedes garage, the whole Red Bull garage, both the drivers
[03:39.560 -> 03:46.560] on Red Bull and obviously only Lewis on one side. But just too brilliant.
[03:46.560 -> 03:49.360] Yep. You know what?
[03:49.360 -> 03:52.480] I really think that in the future,
[03:52.480 -> 03:55.200] we'll think about these races and think about,
[03:55.200 -> 03:56.560] oh, those good old days.
[03:56.560 -> 03:58.880] I mean, this is literally history in the making.
[03:58.880 -> 03:59.520] Yes.
[03:59.520 -> 04:06.440] That, you know, we have like the world's two best drivers in the two best teams
[04:06.440 -> 04:13.800] and yeah it's just brilliant all around and the awesome thing about it is like
[04:13.800 -> 04:19.240] none of like either of them made no mistakes at all like I can't point to a
[04:19.240 -> 04:29.960] single moment for both of them where you messed up. It was just heads down. And yeah, it was, yeah, I
[04:29.960 -> 04:33.200] don't know. They were in a different zone altogether, I guess.
[04:33.200 -> 04:42.480] Yeah, right. Like Lewis hasn't felt that serious to me for races now. Not even one script about
[04:42.480 -> 04:47.200] his tires. In fact, on the contrary, he came on to the radio and said, these tyres feel fine.
[04:47.200 -> 04:53.520] His second pit stop, they went whatever their original plan was. I am guessing that was lap 30 or 31.
[04:53.520 -> 05:07.440] But like, plus 6 on their original plan. So, yeah, yesterday was a different Lewis on the track. I think I have a feeling like he's seeing his championship slip away.
[05:08.000 -> 05:15.520] And I think he's now getting into that zone where the realization has hit and he knows he needs to
[05:15.520 -> 05:26.080] keep his head down. Botaz, he may or may not have to rely on him, butodas is busy anyways creating his own garage with engine so
[05:28.000 -> 05:33.200] yeah I think I think instead of a trophy room he's probably creating an engine room in his
[05:33.200 -> 05:42.800] house an alternate career option probably too. In fact you know what I saw a tweet that uh sorry
[05:42.800 -> 05:45.880] on Instagram I think he put a post on Instagram
[05:45.920 -> 05:52.120] that he basically photoshopped his face on some guy in a shop and like he's
[05:52.120 -> 05:53.320] selling engine parts.
[05:59.040 -> 06:04.240] But, but yeah, coming, coming back to these, I think Sarang, what do you
[06:04.240 -> 06:06.240] call battle of Titans yesterday, right?
[06:06.240 -> 06:15.520] Yeah, man. No mistakes made whatsoever. The beauty of it was, I feel like pit stops, right?
[06:15.520 -> 06:26.240] The whole game, right? Those three drivers. And I keep saying three drivers because I think like Checo was equally involved in
[06:26.240 -> 06:32.960] that battle between Max and Max and Lewis there. So all those three into two six pit stops have
[06:32.960 -> 06:40.320] been so accurately done. Obviously some serendipity here and there for maybe Lewis,
[06:41.040 -> 06:47.440] but eventually Max getting the better hand out of it. But yeah, those pit stops.
[06:47.440 -> 06:50.400] Some comments there, Saran. Those pit stops.
[06:50.400 -> 06:54.680] Yeah, I mean, both, right?
[06:54.680 -> 06:59.320] Like Red Bull, I mean, Merck has made a lot of mistakes in the past with pit stops.
[06:59.320 -> 07:02.840] But I think yesterday they were on point.
[07:02.840 -> 07:06.560] Red Bull, obviously, everyone knows that. That's pretty much one of their strengths.
[07:06.560 -> 07:15.440] So, we kind of expect that from Red Bull by now. I think pretty much these days if they don't do a 2-second pit stop, everyone's like, you know, what happened?
[07:15.440 -> 07:27.120] It did happen yesterday. So, I think, I forget if it was Brundle or Crofty at that point. But Max did a 2.8 and they were like, Oh, that's a slower
[07:27.120 -> 07:27.800] pit stop.
[07:28.280 -> 07:33.120] Well, if you consider Red Bull who've had like five sub two second pit stops,
[07:33.120 -> 07:35.360] then yes, that was a slower one.
[07:35.360 -> 07:37.460] So yes, I think Brunel was right.
[07:37.460 -> 07:41.960] Like a 2.8 felt slow for Red Bull, but it's still insanely fast.
[07:43.240 -> 07:43.560] Mm.
[07:43.880 -> 07:44.120] Yep.
[07:44.840 -> 07:50.640] Yep. Yep. Yep. And one awesome thing that I liked about yesterday's
[07:50.640 -> 07:56.240] race was that I think both teams were open to trying some radically different things in terms
[07:56.240 -> 08:04.160] of strategy, because I think at some point, it was kind of an equal match between them in the
[08:04.160 -> 08:07.000] sense that both had some strengths and some weaknesses.
[08:07.000 -> 08:11.000] And they were exactly complementing each other in that sense.
[08:11.000 -> 08:16.000] So it was, I'm pretty sure, very difficult to judge what the correct strategy is.
[08:16.000 -> 08:21.000] Because Red Bull was taking a huge risk there, right? Like putting that early on.
[08:21.000 -> 08:25.560] But yeah, beautifully pulled off because I think they realized
[08:25.560 -> 08:31.760] that he was doing good when the tires were like in the initial stage and he
[08:31.760 -> 08:36.400] completely took advantage of it. Like every time it was so weird. Like one was
[08:36.400 -> 08:40.480] petting, he was falling back then, you know, catching up. And the other one,
[08:40.560 -> 08:47.320] yeah, yeah. And so it was, I don't know, throughout the race, I, there was not a single
[08:47.320 -> 08:51.800] moment when I thought that, yeah, this is the person who's going to win because, yeah,
[08:51.800 -> 08:53.320] you never know what's going to happen next.
[08:53.320 -> 08:59.720] Yeah, no, I think I, I texted you yesterday that I think I can see who's going to win.
[08:59.720 -> 09:08.340] Like I can see one of these divers winning for themselves. And as soon as I text her, I think things changed around and it's like, oh man, this
[09:08.340 -> 09:10.980] is going to be like the last lap thing.
[09:10.980 -> 09:13.300] But let's start from the top, right?
[09:13.300 -> 09:17.460] Like Red Bull having that advantage.
[09:17.460 -> 09:26.400] P1 start for Max Lewis having the inner line, which is usually actually, this is, this is,
[09:26.400 -> 09:31.040] this is a track where people like drivers don't want to go for a P1 because they get
[09:31.040 -> 09:32.000] that inner line.
[09:32.200 -> 09:35.760] That first left turn is favorable for inners.
[09:36.120 -> 09:41.560] And I don't know if Lewis was going for a P2, but yeah, he was comfortable there.
[09:42.080 -> 09:47.360] Although, although yesterday wasn't one of those stunner
[09:47.640 -> 09:50.360] restarts from Max, right.
[09:50.360 -> 09:51.720] That was, that was an interesting one.
[09:51.720 -> 09:55.320] Cause what ended up happening was like now Brundle and Crofty and
[09:55.320 -> 09:57.680] folks talk to Pit Garage as well.
[09:57.680 -> 09:57.880] Right.
[09:57.880 -> 10:02.280] And Christian Honor was, was on the commentary box yesterday and they asked
[10:02.280 -> 10:09.480] him and he was like, yeah, kudos to Lewis for a brilliant restart. We had on the other hand an average one and I think
[10:09.480 -> 10:14.920] that's why Lewis led into the race. Okay not gonna lie for a person who doesn't
[10:14.920 -> 10:21.660] want Lewis to win that I was a bit heartbroken but but yeah kudos to Lewis
[10:21.660 -> 10:26.000] for for getting that brilliant restart. Yup, yup, yup. No, definitely.
[10:26.000 -> 10:34.000] In fact, when he actually took off, right, after turn 1, he did build up some gap with Max.
[10:34.000 -> 10:40.000] At that point, it felt to me like maybe he's just going to take it away.
[10:40.000 -> 10:45.640] But yeah, Max, because in terms of straight line speed, Mercedes had an advantage.
[10:45.640 -> 10:50.280] I think Red Bull on this track was like the third, third fastest car.
[10:50.280 -> 10:53.880] So you know, obviously they had some deficit in that terms.
[10:53.880 -> 11:01.240] But the good thing was that in the initial two laps, Max somehow was able to just hold
[11:01.240 -> 11:04.440] on to, you know, to stay in the DRS range.
[11:04.440 -> 11:08.600] And when in lap three, he got the DRS, he was able to, you know, then, then on
[11:08.600 -> 11:10.120] just like be there constantly.
[11:10.120 -> 11:10.440] Yeah.
[11:10.600 -> 11:11.040] Yeah.
[11:11.200 -> 11:15.560] But I feel like he was, he was pushing himself to the limit.
[11:16.040 -> 11:19.960] Cause I remember him coming onto the radio and saying the car's drifting.
[11:19.960 -> 11:22.240] He's, he's feeling his rear wobble.
[11:22.640 -> 11:27.960] So obviously he was in the dirty air section from Lewis ahead.
[11:28.480 -> 11:32.600] Um, in which case we've seen Lewis just back off because he takes a step
[11:32.600 -> 11:34.360] behind and then tries to bounce back.
[11:34.920 -> 11:42.040] Um, but in this situation, um, yeah, it felt like Max was pushing his car to the limit.
[11:43.440 -> 11:43.940] Yep.
[11:44.200 -> 11:44.700] Yep. Yep.
[11:44.700 -> 11:46.240] Yep. Yep. Yep. Yep. So, uh,
[11:46.240 -> 11:49.040] the awesome thing about the whole race in general was like,
[11:49.360 -> 11:53.840] not only was Max, uh, driving brilliantly, I think he was also
[11:54.200 -> 11:58.120] calling out some strategies as well while driving. I don't
[11:58.120 -> 12:01.040] remember. Was it the, yeah, I didn't remember if it was the
[12:01.040 -> 12:05.680] first pit stop or the second, but I think right after that, he was like, you know,
[12:06.160 -> 12:09.920] first one.
[12:13.640 -> 12:16.720] Yeah, he was like, you know, I think we need to use checker to cover Hamilton. And instantly right after that, they pitted him.
[12:16.920 -> 12:20.200] Let's, let's, let's deviate a bit here.
[12:21.280 -> 12:30.720] For folks who follow us for our passion, but for some reason haven't seen the race and don't know the context here.
[12:30.720 -> 12:45.920] Just filling you in on what's happened. Lap 10, Max Pitts. And he's going for a classic undercut on Lewis, hoping Lewis pits in the next lap or two.
[12:46.160 -> 12:50.360] So he has that advantage to then bounce on Lewis's tires.
[12:50.640 -> 12:53.000] But Lewis doesn't.
[12:53.480 -> 13:01.920] At that point, I just am so awed by Max's calmness in this race that he comes
[13:01.920 -> 13:08.000] onto the radio and calls out a strategy to use Checo against Lewis
[13:08.000 -> 13:15.500] so that they pit Checo, Checo gets new tires, who will be at that point closer to Lewis
[13:15.500 -> 13:20.500] and can make Lewis push more in turn wearing Lewis's tires out.
[13:20.500 -> 13:28.880] So, just too brilliant, just too brilliant from Max at this point.
[13:28.880 -> 13:38.640] No, that's really spot on, right? It felt like Max was fighting for his seventh World Championship yesterday.
[13:38.640 -> 13:46.560] Because honestly, the level of maturity that he had of calling those strategy calls is unexpected, right?
[13:46.560 -> 13:50.920] For someone who was trying to compete for his first championship, it really didn't feel
[13:50.920 -> 13:52.280] that way.
[13:52.280 -> 14:10.080] And like Max is infamous for his haughtiness and his jumping to rash conclusions, I would say. But yesterday, it seemed like he was just calm as a cucumber.
[14:10.080 -> 14:36.480] Right. And I mean, if someone was to compare this Max with the Max from two years back who pushed Ocon off of Interlagos. Yeah, they are just two different macks. I mean, this entire season, the composure he has shown is just like a 7-time world champion as you mentioned.
[14:36.480 -> 14:48.400] Yeah, and that's perfect, right? And the same goes for Lewis as well, I would say. it felt like he was different yesterday. He was not his own self
[14:48.400 -> 14:53.440] in the sense that you know usually we have joked about this a lot on this podcast before as well
[14:53.440 -> 14:58.800] that he always complains about his tires but yesterday I think was something different. I
[14:58.800 -> 15:06.920] didn't hear him even once complain about anything actually forget forget his tires. And he was just all in,
[15:07.040 -> 15:11.280] he was completely into what he was doing. And I think,
[15:12.160 -> 15:16.120] and that kept him busy pretty much because at the end of the race, uh,
[15:16.440 -> 15:19.000] after, you know, when they come out and, uh,
[15:19.020 -> 15:21.720] they do the weighing and everything, right. Uh,
[15:21.760 -> 15:25.480] there was this one shot where Max was like you know being
[15:25.480 -> 15:30.360] congratulated by others and Lewis was sitting like inside and he really seemed
[15:30.360 -> 15:36.200] exhausted after the race which which you know makes me think that he really
[15:36.200 -> 15:41.720] really had to fight for it to try and be there at the front because we essentially
[15:41.720 -> 15:46.000] are in like the home stretch of the season, right? It's how many, five races left?
[15:46.000 -> 15:47.360] Five or six races left.
[15:47.360 -> 15:53.760] Exactly. And I think like Lewis realizes that there isn't going to be a lot of opportunity
[15:53.760 -> 15:59.840] for him now to like recover from this, because if you consider the next two races, which is
[16:00.480 -> 16:06.560] Mexico and Brazil, both of which are high altitude races and it is known that Red Bull has an advantage there.
[16:06.560 -> 16:13.440] So, and again, the last races which are remaining, I think, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, right? I guess.
[16:13.440 -> 16:17.760] And even those are unknowns. So, who knows what's going to happen.
[16:17.760 -> 16:29.440] Yeah, I mean, yesterday, I think, the only, if you want to call it a complaint sort of thing, the only thing I remember Lewis saying on the radio was, he is quicker than me.
[16:29.440 -> 16:36.400] And this is when Max was chasing Lewis, so even before the first pit stop.
[16:36.400 -> 16:46.000] But otherwise, it was all like a good motivational and sort of like keeping everyone in check communication with the garage, right?
[16:46.000 -> 16:51.680] Like every time they came on, I remember there was this time where Toto came on himself and he was like,
[16:51.680 -> 17:01.040] Lewis, we are racing for the win here. And at that point, it did feel like he was comfortable lap, I think it was like lap 33 or 34.
[17:01.040 -> 17:06.640] Lewis still hadn't pitted, so there was this Barcelona moment probably going to happen where
[17:06.640 -> 17:10.560] he would have had fresher tyres and would have had the time to chase Max down.
[17:11.600 -> 17:17.200] But at the same time, Christian Honner on the commentary side was pretty sure it was going to
[17:17.200 -> 17:22.240] come down to the last few laps. I think at some point, one of them also said it's going to come
[17:22.240 -> 17:25.520] down to the last two laps, which it eventually did.
[17:25.520 -> 17:35.320] So, I think everyone was just too serious yesterday. And it showed on the track is what an entertaining race they've given us.
[17:35.320 -> 17:46.000] Yeah. I mean, I have no words. Like, yesterday was something phenomenal that I saw. I love it that the season has turned out the way it has.
[17:46.560 -> 17:48.040] Uh, I love it that.
[17:49.020 -> 17:52.300] Luckily the rules change were postponed by a year.
[17:52.320 -> 17:56.640] So teams haven't actually invested a lot in this year's cars as much.
[17:56.640 -> 18:00.300] So that kind of has gotten all the teams closer and we could see
[18:00.300 -> 18:01.700] that throughout the days.
[18:01.720 -> 18:03.640] Like, uh, yeah, Max and Lewis.
[18:03.640 -> 18:03.920] Yes.
[18:03.920 -> 18:06.400] But apart from them as well, like it was just good performances all around pretty much in the race. Max and Lewis, yes, but apart from them as well, it was just
[18:07.200 -> 18:13.680] good performances all around pretty much in the race. So, yeah, I'm just happy to be here and
[18:14.480 -> 18:20.160] watch these races as they go by. True. I feel sad for some of the fans who,
[18:20.960 -> 18:27.200] and I know some personally too, who stopped watching the sport because it was a loose dominant era.
[18:27.200 -> 18:33.000] I just like to tell them that this year has been nothing but otherwise.
[18:33.000 -> 18:36.000] And it's been one phenomenal race after the other.
[18:36.000 -> 18:40.800] You're rightly to point out, there were amazing various battles as well.
[18:40.800 -> 18:52.000] It did feel like there was some traffic yesterday. And last point before we move on to other battles, which is like this traffic seemed to be sort of like an unlucky factor for Max yesterday.
[18:52.000 -> 18:55.000] Because he kept getting stuck in those.
[18:55.000 -> 19:10.640] Louis had an advantage to sort of shorten his gap with Max in front of him. And there was this brilliant moment where I think Max recovered all his luck of the unlucky traffic towards the end with the Haas.
[19:10.640 -> 19:25.400] Yep. Oh yeah, that call, right? Helped Massey to, I mean, it wasn't anger.
[19:25.400 -> 19:29.600] It was just like adrenaline rush twice.
[19:30.120 -> 19:34.320] But it was, it was a brilliant adrenaline aggression.
[19:34.360 -> 19:36.160] Get that horse out of my way.
[19:37.840 -> 19:39.960] And justifiably, right?
[19:39.960 -> 19:43.080] Because like, you never know what that horse might do.
[19:44.040 -> 19:58.000] Cause you know what, like, I think a few think a few laps back, he was trying to overtake the horse of Nikita and the alpha of Kimi.
[19:58.000 -> 20:01.000] And they just wouldn't let him pass.
[20:01.000 -> 20:07.040] And I think Kimi got a black and white flag for not following the blue flag.
[20:07.760 -> 20:13.520] I mean, all of a sudden, at the end of the day, I think the gap between Max and Lewis
[20:13.520 -> 20:21.280] came down from 8 seconds to 5 seconds or something. So, yeah, he was right to call that out.
[20:21.280 -> 20:26.720] But hey, on the other side, he got the DRS and then Louis unfortunately did.
[20:26.720 -> 20:32.160] So, the race was again very nail-biting. So, that works out for us fans.
[20:32.160 -> 20:46.400] Yup. Definitely. Well, wow. I mean, I'm still buzzing from the whole action. It's been a day now, but I'm still buzzing from it now. And yeah, it's, it's awesome, right?
[20:46.400 -> 20:48.840] Because it's not just them at the front.
[20:48.840 -> 20:52.880] Battles were going on, as we mentioned earlier, throughout the field.
[20:52.880 -> 20:55.600] Just to list a few, right?
[20:55.600 -> 20:57.200] Like Kimmy versus Alonso.
[20:57.200 -> 20:58.600] That was something.
[20:58.600 -> 21:01.000] Alonso in general.
[21:01.000 -> 21:03.200] What was Alonso doing yesterday?
[21:03.200 -> 21:06.160] I have no idea. I have no idea.
[21:06.280 -> 21:07.400] I have no idea.
[21:07.920 -> 21:13.720] That guy, I mean, generally speaking, he is a very clean racer as such.
[21:13.880 -> 21:14.380] Right.
[21:14.760 -> 21:19.920] And I've generally not seen him racing dirty, but yesterday it seemed like, I
[21:19.920 -> 21:21.840] don't know, elbows out pushing.
[21:21.960 -> 21:22.460] Yeah.
[21:23.040 -> 21:23.540] Yeah.
[21:23.540 -> 21:24.040] Yeah.
[21:24.200 -> 21:25.080] Elbows out, you know, generally elbows out or. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And elbows out, you know,
[21:25.160 -> 21:29.320] generally elbows out of something, which is still fair racing. Right.
[21:29.320 -> 21:33.920] But yesterday it seemed like he, he was desperate and, uh,
[21:34.080 -> 21:38.280] just, you know, being a little too aggressive, like that, that,
[21:38.600 -> 21:41.840] uh, overtake not overtake, but like that defense with Kimi,
[21:41.840 -> 21:44.120] where he basically pushed him off the track. Right.
[21:43.800 -> 21:44.120] not overtake, but like that defense with Kimi where he basically pushed him off the track. Right.
[21:44.120 -> 21:44.320] Yeah.
[21:44.320 -> 21:50.640] And then complain that Kimi's rear wing flew or some, some piece broke.
[21:50.640 -> 21:50.960] I don't know.
[21:50.960 -> 21:51.400] Something.
[21:51.400 -> 21:51.760] Yeah.
[21:51.760 -> 21:52.640] Some piece broke off.
[21:52.640 -> 21:53.280] I did see that.
[21:53.320 -> 21:53.520] Yup.
[21:53.520 -> 21:53.720] Yup.
[21:54.160 -> 21:58.920] And on top of that, he's complaining that Kimi overtook me outside the track.
[21:58.920 -> 22:00.480] I mean, where would he go?
[22:00.840 -> 22:01.960] Not just him.
[22:02.320 -> 22:03.000] Not just him.
[22:03.000 -> 22:11.900] Did you notice that, I forget Alpine's boss's name, but Alpine was on radio with FIA, telling Martin,
[22:11.900 -> 22:17.220] Hey, is it okay to overtake outside of the track? It was a beautiful conversation.
[22:17.220 -> 22:27.400] Because Michael Massey is like, no. And then, this guy goes, so, but Kimmy can do that. So he goes, no, but it's okay for Kimmy to do it.
[22:27.400 -> 22:30.000] It's not okay for anyone to do it.
[22:30.000 -> 22:33.600] So and then he goes off and does the same thing with Gio.
[22:33.600 -> 22:34.800] Exactly.
[22:34.800 -> 22:37.100] And in fact, in fact, that was way worse.
[22:37.100 -> 22:38.500] It was it was a bit dangerous.
[22:38.500 -> 22:43.600] You know, if you saw the way he overshot that corner, right?
[22:43.600 -> 22:48.600] I mean, if you look at Gio's dashcam right it's
[22:48.600 -> 22:55.720] very clear that Gio had to brake a lot to be able to not hit Alonso because
[22:55.720 -> 23:01.320] the way he cut through the track right in front of Gio that was like it would
[23:01.320 -> 23:06.080] have been a crash if not for Gio breaking and avoiding it.
[23:06.080 -> 23:09.200] So yeah, I don't understand what was going on.
[23:09.200 -> 23:15.720] I think it did feel like Alonzo had just forgotten to break there.
[23:15.720 -> 23:19.320] And he comes back onto the track and he's just so happy that he was able to overtake
[23:19.320 -> 23:21.960] Gio and get that position.
[23:21.960 -> 23:27.000] I think the next move from him on Gio, where he pushed Gio out.
[23:27.000 -> 23:29.300] And I am saying this, he pushed him out.
[23:29.300 -> 23:33.000] Because if you see the replays, in all honesty, it's like he pushed him out.
[23:33.000 -> 23:35.000] At the same corner.
[23:35.000 -> 23:37.300] And then Gio had to give it back.
[23:37.300 -> 23:43.000] It felt like a high school radio message between Gio and Alpha Garage.
[23:43.000 -> 23:46.960] Alpha Garage is like, give the position back. And Gio goes, Garage where Alpha Garage is like give the position back and Gio
[23:46.960 -> 23:52.080] goes but he pushed me out like no discussions give the position back
[23:54.880 -> 24:00.080] yeah it totally felt like retaliation from Gio because like he pushed him out and suddenly it
[24:00.080 -> 24:05.160] was very clear that he like drove the car and tried to push out Alonso.
[24:05.560 -> 24:10.400] And yeah, but I mean, I think it kind of is understandable at those speeds
[24:10.440 -> 24:15.640] when some drivers really driving aggressively and trying to push you out of the track.
[24:15.640 -> 24:19.160] I think it's natural for anyone to, you know, get angry.
[24:19.280 -> 24:24.800] And yeah, finally yesterday, Gio was in super limelight, actually.
[24:24.840 -> 24:25.300] Yeah.
[24:25.300 -> 24:30.880] He had this stint with Alonso. He had a stint with Vettel too, right?
[24:30.880 -> 24:36.560] I think a couple of other places as well. I think I saw Gio a lot of times yesterday.
[24:36.560 -> 24:44.480] He did come out. So, once he did come out, between Max and Louis, one of them pitted.
[24:44.480 -> 24:48.000] So, he was somewhere in between there and then one of them had to overtake Gio.
[24:48.000 -> 24:53.000] So yes, Gio was quite a lot in limelight yesterday.
[24:53.000 -> 24:58.000] Yep. I think another person who was getting a lot of limelight was Sunoda.
[24:58.000 -> 25:09.200] Right. Again, I think he is somewhat becoming an expert at holding back Mercedes. Yeah, I guess they start them young at Red Bull Academy.
[25:09.200 -> 25:14.040] Because last race, it was him versus Lewis.
[25:14.040 -> 25:17.120] And I think he held him up for like 5 laps.
[25:17.120 -> 25:19.360] And again, this time with Botas.
[25:19.360 -> 25:22.840] And not once, but twice.
[25:22.840 -> 25:24.440] But twice, yeah, exactly.
[25:24.440 -> 25:26.000] Not once, but twice. But twice, yeah, exactly.
[25:26.000 -> 25:32.000] And it's not like that he defends in some dangerous manner.
[25:32.000 -> 25:34.000] He does it very beautifully as well.
[25:34.000 -> 25:38.000] He places his car such that you just cannot overtake.
[25:38.000 -> 25:50.600] I'm actually quite impressed by his performance in the last two races? Yeah, I guess like, because of yesterday's positioning of his car and some better cars
[25:50.600 -> 25:57.920] being behind him, it's not happened as much as it's happened since the second half of
[25:57.920 -> 25:59.800] the season began.
[25:59.800 -> 26:06.000] And I think that's why we are probably getting to see Sunoda's this side of a driver.
[26:06.000 -> 26:14.400] Because before that, it was just him racing with Alpha and Haas and maybe someone who didn't drive well, right?
[26:14.400 -> 26:15.600] Or the Williams.
[26:15.600 -> 26:22.640] But then, it also kind of boils down to the fact that he's able to perform better in qualification these days.
[26:22.640 -> 26:23.200] Yeah.
[26:23.200 -> 26:26.160] Because of which he is there in the action now,
[26:26.160 -> 26:32.800] instead of going battling with the backmasters. Yeah, maybe he's just taken like some more time
[26:32.800 -> 26:48.000] than usual to get familiar with like F1 and the car here, way longer than probably others should have. So, but I guess it's eventually giving us fans at least some
[26:48.000 -> 26:56.400] good racing from his side. In fact, I saw an interview of him, I think right after yesterday's
[26:56.400 -> 27:08.720] race, where he basically said that earlier on, he kind of misjudged F1, that's what he said, in the sense that he thought it would be a lot
[27:08.720 -> 27:17.120] easier than what he experienced. And probably kind of, he went in with some amount of overconfidence,
[27:17.120 -> 27:22.480] I would say, which kind of backfired. And I think another thing that he mentioned that
[27:27.040 -> 27:35.240] And I think another thing that he mentioned that they have like hired a driving coach for him now, who's probably like helping him to get attuned to the car better than what he currently is.
[27:35.240 -> 27:50.240] So I think that is helping him out, which we can clearly see. Interesting. Okay. This is interesting. I mean, I'd definitely be up to seeing how his career pans out.
[27:50.240 -> 27:59.040] Because, I mean, my opinion about him has changed for sure. That Alfa Ritauri is not a bad car.
[27:59.040 -> 28:05.240] Because both of those drivers positioned themselves well in the past few races.
[28:05.240 -> 28:07.200] So it's, it's been, it's been doing good.
[28:07.600 -> 28:10.640] Um, let's see how 2022 pans out for these two.
[28:11.080 -> 28:13.160] Cause Aston Martin's not getting anywhere.
[28:13.680 -> 28:17.080] Um, Alpine's yeah, they're having fun.
[28:17.640 -> 28:22.480] So I'm rooting, I'm rooting for a Red Bull junior team.
[28:23.320 -> 28:28.000] Um, but coming, coming back to race start and the whole start.
[28:28.000 -> 28:34.960] There was some amazing battle going on between four people. Reds and Reds versus Orange.
[28:37.760 -> 28:43.120] Well, I think McLaren and Ferrari are so perfectly matched in pace currently that
[28:44.160 -> 28:46.880] the last five races are going to be brilliant
[28:46.880 -> 28:53.200] with them forward because by now all of them have gotten attuned to their cars now and at the same
[28:53.200 -> 28:59.520] time the performance wise as well they are pretty comparable and wow it was just chaos in lap one
[28:59.520 -> 29:05.920] with those four at one point they were like they were driving in a group, literally. Yeah. Yeah. Those
[29:05.920 -> 29:11.280] four were right on each other. I think it was like, and I could be wrong with the order, but
[29:11.280 -> 29:18.320] it was like an orange, red, orange, red. And those four were just like in tandem, overtaking each
[29:18.320 -> 29:23.200] other, falling back, going ahead, falling back, going ahead. The leaderboard was just shuffling
[29:23.200 -> 29:25.600] around between them. Yeah.
[29:25.920 -> 29:26.160] Yeah.
[29:26.160 -> 29:27.160] Those four, exactly.
[29:27.160 -> 29:30.640] Those, those four positions were going back and forth just amongst themselves.
[29:31.320 -> 29:31.720] Yeah.
[29:32.720 -> 29:35.800] It was, it was pretty awesome and still clean racing.
[29:35.800 -> 29:37.400] Like nobody touched each other.
[29:37.480 -> 29:38.720] Uh, yeah.
[29:38.840 -> 29:43.480] I'm considering like Ricardo is a comparatively aggressive driver as such,
[29:43.480 -> 29:48.000] you know, with his lead, uh late dive bombs that he does sometimes.
[29:48.000 -> 29:55.000] Yeah, but yeah, they didn't touch and we got to see some amazing action.
[29:55.000 -> 30:03.000] Well, there was this moment towards the end of the race between Science and Ricardo, right?
[30:03.000 -> 30:07.480] Like, there was this place where science was trying to
[30:07.480 -> 30:13.180] overtake Ricardo on the outside oh yeah there's this cheeky moment nothing on
[30:13.180 -> 30:18.560] purpose but I think adrenaline science was on the radio saying he did this to
[30:18.560 -> 30:23.460] me on purpose yeah I think there was another interesting thing that happened
[30:23.460 -> 30:27.200] I think that was in the first lap battle with them for I think there was another interesting thing that happened. I think that was in the first lap battle with them four.
[30:27.200 -> 30:30.640] I think Sainz, obviously, like they were driving so close by.
[30:30.640 -> 30:33.440] So somebody was bound to go off track.
[30:33.480 -> 30:38.400] You know, you can't, you can't take the corner with four cars next to each other.
[30:38.800 -> 30:43.200] So I think there was this moment where Sainz kind of went outside the track
[30:43.200 -> 30:46.240] and he got an advantage and overtook
[30:46.240 -> 30:52.320] Norris. But I think with the whole confusion of all the cars over there, he probably didn't
[30:52.320 -> 30:58.080] exactly figure out whom he exactly overtook because he conceded his position to Ricardo
[30:58.080 -> 31:04.160] instead of Norris. And then I think his engineer came on the radio and told him that, you know,
[31:04.160 -> 31:05.840] you have to concede the position to Norris.
[31:05.840 -> 31:10.120] And he is like, no, wait, I just conceded it to Ricardo. So, I am not doing it again.
[31:10.120 -> 31:18.080] Yeah, you got to confuse yourselves if you see too much orange and reds around you, right?
[31:18.080 -> 31:30.000] Same tone, what's happening? Some orange smoke also in the air. It's confusing. But I think he was allowed to keep his position because he did concede instantly.
[31:30.000 -> 31:34.000] So, I think that they kind of gave him the benefit of doubt for that.
[31:34.000 -> 31:46.960] You know, what's interesting is we were able to see all of this and like discuss it right now. So I think like kudos to whoever was sitting behind switching
[31:46.960 -> 31:50.200] these cameras and showing us every bit of it.
[31:50.880 -> 31:51.160] Yep.
[31:51.200 -> 31:51.440] Yep.
[31:51.480 -> 31:51.920] Definitely.
[31:51.920 -> 31:54.400] I think the TV direction was just top notch, right?
[31:54.400 -> 32:01.520] Like, uh, I was pretty sure, like I was 99% confident that since it is the
[32:01.520 -> 32:06.000] USGP, obviously there will be some celebrities and they will cut
[32:06.000 -> 32:13.360] the footage in between to show some celebrity doing some random things.
[32:13.360 -> 32:15.600] But thankfully they didn't do that.
[32:15.600 -> 32:18.080] I think there were just two cuts.
[32:18.080 -> 32:23.640] But I think one was for George Lucas and the other one was for, who was it?
[32:23.640 -> 32:24.640] Somebody else.
[32:24.640 -> 32:30.000] Ben Stiller, I think. Yeah. But, yeah, it was during dull moments of the race and they didn't really cut out anything.
[32:30.000 -> 32:38.360] So, alright. That's fine, I guess. So, I'm quite happy that none of that nonsense happened yesterday with the TV direction.
[32:38.360 -> 32:46.000] Yeah. True. True. Well, for all the drama, otherwise that was happening. You know what surprised me the most?
[32:46.000 -> 32:52.000] How long has he retired his car? Like, for all the drama that you've done, both Alpines were out.
[32:52.000 -> 32:54.000] Yes.
[32:54.000 -> 33:00.000] Williams were nowhere on the show yesterday. I think they were just on there. Except Latifi.
[33:00.000 -> 33:06.700] Because he was like, I think he banged into Stroll in that first lap start. Both in-ports, pseudo.
[33:06.700 -> 33:07.700] Both those Canadians were.
[33:07.700 -> 33:11.200] Yeah, both Canadians running into each other.
[33:11.200 -> 33:21.200] But otherwise, it was more of a, you know, quiet race for those four or five drivers.
[33:21.200 -> 33:23.200] Overall, it's been a good race.
[33:23.200 -> 33:28.960] Definitely. I mean, except all the, all the adrenaline that we are finally coming down on.
[33:30.800 -> 33:31.320] For sure.
[33:31.640 -> 33:36.280] Oh, by the way, uh, one thing I wanted to, I wanted to go special shout out to
[33:36.280 -> 33:36.780] someone.
[33:37.760 -> 33:44.200] So I think we have another member, uh, on the product who's kind of joining the
[33:44.240 -> 33:45.920] hall of fame or rather hall of
[33:45.920 -> 33:50.200] shame along with Toto.
[33:50.200 -> 33:56.320] Because do you know Alan Van Der Moer who's basically the medical car driver.
[33:56.320 -> 34:00.840] Apparently it turns out he's an anti-vaxxer.
[34:00.840 -> 34:06.000] He's literally the only person on the entire PADDACC who is not vaccinated.
[34:06.000 -> 34:10.000] I think he missed last time's race because of that.
[34:10.000 -> 34:14.000] Of course, it's US so there are no rules here.
[34:14.000 -> 34:18.000] That's why he is back.
[34:18.000 -> 34:29.000] So think about it, Saudi Arabia has stricter rules about COVID than US. Just saying, because he's going to miss the Saudi Arabia and Qatar race.
[34:29.000 -> 34:33.000] But he was able to attend the US race without a vaccine.
[34:33.000 -> 34:39.000] Saudis got all F1 stricter clothing wise as well.
[34:39.000 -> 34:43.000] So, Cassius King is at a new level in Saudi.
[34:43.000 -> 34:45.600] So that's anyways out of the discussion and picture
[34:45.600 -> 34:54.320] but yeah dude I'm I'm I didn't know this I'm more curious on why doesn't FIA stand behind this and
[34:54.320 -> 35:00.720] just sack him yeah I mean yeah they definitely should sending a message right like you're
[35:00.720 -> 35:05.760] allowing someone who's an anti-vaxxer to promote themselves on this show.
[35:05.760 -> 35:10.440] Yeah and I am sure there is a huge line of drivers lining up in front of FI's office
[35:10.440 -> 35:15.560] to get that job because it's one of the best jobs out there in the paradigm right.
[35:15.560 -> 35:19.320] Especially for somebody who is probably a retired driver or something.
[35:19.320 -> 35:23.080] I mean you are there at F1 always.
[35:23.080 -> 35:27.560] You don't have to like, you are not under any pressure, but still you get to enjoy everything.
[35:27.560 -> 35:46.360] On a chirpy note, I think, I think, give me at the end of everything. I think the last few laps was just like done with his racing. Did you see that drift from Kimi driving off the gravel
[35:46.360 -> 35:48.600] and then coming back onto the track,
[35:48.600 -> 35:51.160] just lazing around over there?
[35:52.400 -> 35:55.080] I think he was creating like a virtual safety car
[35:55.080 -> 35:56.440] or a safety car for-
[35:56.440 -> 35:58.440] Yeah, it was a virtual safety car.
[35:58.440 -> 36:00.920] I think it was like for a very short amount of time,
[36:00.920 -> 36:02.560] but yeah, it was there.
[36:04.600 -> 36:06.560] I think Kimi is just done with it now.
[36:06.560 -> 36:10.720] Yeah, I think he is just going to count his days.
[36:10.720 -> 36:13.280] And just f**k off.
[36:13.280 -> 36:20.960] That and the other twin finally had a happy moment where he on the last lap cleared science to get 2 extra points.
[36:20.960 -> 36:21.920] Oh yeah.
[36:21.920 -> 36:32.000] It was a good closure for him. And the only surprising part after all of this was Shakil O'Neil coming in whatever that hell of a car was.
[36:32.000 -> 36:37.000] With big horns and just carrying that. What was that?
[36:37.000 -> 36:47.840] I loved it. I loved it. Man, that was just amazing. You know, one thing, when the podium ceremony was going on and like
[36:47.840 -> 36:52.320] Shakil O'Neil was like standing in between Max and Lucas, right?
[36:52.320 -> 36:56.800] These guys are shorter than him even after standing on the podium steps.
[36:56.800 -> 36:59.440] That's true. That's true.
[36:59.440 -> 37:00.800] That's true.
[37:00.800 -> 37:06.160] And someone on Reddit has done this meme where they've even shrunk others a bit more.
[37:06.160 -> 37:10.840] So it looks like there is a giant standing on the podium.
[37:10.840 -> 37:14.040] It's obviously awkward.
[37:14.040 -> 37:34.000] There's this other meme where it is like Serena came to Monaco to congratulate Lewis, but Max won. And then, similarly, like Shaquille O'Neal came to Austin to congratulate Lewis, but Max won.
[37:34.000 -> 37:43.000] Anyway, this has been a heck of a race, man.
[37:43.000 -> 37:45.200] Five more races.
[37:45.200 -> 37:46.200] Love it.
[37:46.200 -> 37:57.600] The championship battle, I think, is still on. Even though it's a 12-point lead or a 13 or something like that lead, it is still anybody's game.
[37:57.600 -> 38:06.000] Oh, man. It still goes so tight. Every point matters. I'm so excited for it.
[38:06.000 -> 38:14.000] I wanna, I wanna, whoever stuck around with us so far into the last few seconds of the episode, thank you.
[38:14.000 -> 38:17.000] You guys, I wanna ask you this question.
[38:17.000 -> 38:23.000] We're thinking of doing a YouTube live for one of the next races.
[38:23.000 -> 38:27.360] And we'll bring anyone who's willing to join us on the camera.
[38:27.360 -> 38:33.760] So write to us, comment either here or DM us on our socials. We look at each D and that comes our way.
[38:34.800 -> 38:41.520] Ping us anywhere you can find us. For that matter just tweet us individually if you want. But
[38:42.640 -> 38:46.800] yeah, connect. Let us know if you are interested in something like that.
[38:47.440 -> 38:53.840] One way or another, we'll probably be live in one of these races, you know, pouring this banter out
[38:53.840 -> 39:01.920] as someone spins on their track. Until then, follow us on our socials for constant updates.
[39:01.920 -> 39:09.120] These are your hosts, signing off. Bye-bye.
[39:04.430 -> 39:08.310] socials for constant updates. These are your hosts signing off.
[39:08.310 -> 39:08.810] Bye-bye.