Silly Season Headlines & Mid-Season Moments | Grid Walk August 10, 2023

F1 summer shutdown is in full swing! Grid Walk kicks off a little differently this week! Briana receives an important package that sparks an impromptu mail haul! What does one wear to a “black tie optional” event?? (Really, if you know, can you comment lol) You can tell from Nicole’s voice that she is recovering from an exciting weekend at Lollapalooza in Chicago! The weekend was so exciting that Delta canceled her flight so Nicole is not in her usual Grid Walk setting! A canceled flight doesn’t stop Nicole from sharing about the Lana Del Rey and Red Hot Chilli Peppers Grand Prix and all of the F1 fans she got to meet in Chicago!

Tire of Topics is here again to keep all F1 fans informed about the latest headlines of F1 drivers’ silly season! It is only the second week of silly season topics on the tire and Scuderia Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz has been put back on the Pirelli tire! Can Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team just announce a signed contract already?? Is Lando Norris talking to Oracle Red Bull Racing again or is Lando Norris sticking with Mclaren F1 Team? Is Liberty Media pressuring Oracle Red Bull Racing to put “a more competitive driver” in the second Red Bull seat to race against Max Verstappen? What is Alex Albon’s plan for wanting to stay at Williams Racing? How much longer will F1 fans see Max Verstappen at Oracle Red Bull Racing or in Formula 1 in general?

Briana has prepared her Midseason F1 Review Podiums, some of Briana’s favorite moments from the F1 season thus far! Grid Walk loves marketing and business so it is not surprising.

Briana starts with her Favorite F1 Marketing Moments. Did Google Chrome and Mclaren F1 hit it out of the park? What clothing company had a major W with their F1 merchandise? Can we reminisce on the excitement of Celsius Energy Drink and Scuderia Ferrari entering a partnership? Can more makeup companies like Tarte Cosmetics use F1 races for brand trips??

F1 teams have given several jaw dropping Tech Upgrades so far! Briana shares her favorite F1 tech moments that we’ve gotten during the first half of the F1 season. Was Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team’s introduction of the B-Spec car a hopeful moment? Remember all the way back to car launches and the mystery of Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team’s AMR23? F1 fans have to agree that one of the most exciting moments of the season was getting to the floor of Oracle Red Bull Racing’s RB19 at the Monaco Grand Prix!

Even though the paddock is a bit quiet right now Yellow Sector Notes still takes us through the grid (well as much as possible)! Will Mclaren F1 Team let Indy Car Pato O’Ward drive in the free practice rookie session in Mexico? Scuderia Alpha Tauri driver Yuki Tsunoda has dropped merch exclusively in Japan! It is confirmed, Lewis Hamilton’s beloved dog, Roscoe, will make an appearance in the upcoming Brad Pitt F1 movie that Lewis Hamilton is executive producing!

Grid Walk is a weekly Formula 1 show that releases every Thursday. For daily F1 content follow @gridwalkshow on all social media platforms.

00:00 Coping with the F1 Summer Break

00:45 Briana Opens Mail03:55 Nicole Went to Lollapalooza

08:47 Tire of Topics: F1 Silly Season Headlines

09:58 Lewis Hamilton's Contract

15:17 Formula 1 Mid Season Review: Marketing Moments

18:47 Silly Season Wishes

19:52 Bring Sebastian Vettel Back

21:45 More Driver Crossovers Please

23:14 Nicole Met F1 Fans at Lollapalooza

26:56 Driver Connections to Red Bull

27:33 Alex Albon Turns Down Red Bull

29:15 Lando Norris Connected to Red Bull Again

33:25 Formula 1 Mid Season Review: Tech Moments

36:52 Max Verstappen Leaving F1?

40:10 More Carlos Sainz Rumors: Audi?

43:47 Yellow Sector Notes

**Gridwalk: F1 Summer Break Shenanigans and Silly Season Speculations**

- Briana and Nicole discuss their summer break activities and fashion choices for a black-tie optional event.

**Silly Season Speculations:**

- The hosts spin the Tire of Topics to select the next topic for discussion.

- **Lewis Hamilton's Contract Extension:**
- Both Hamilton and Toto Wolff have stated that the contract negotiations are ongoing, but there have been no recent updates.
- Briana and Nicole express their anxiety about the delay and speculate about the potential length and terms of the contract.

- **Midseason Review Podiums:**
- Briana presents her top three marketing activations of the season so far:
- Honorable Mention: PacSun's Formula One crop tops
- P3: Google Chrome at the Silverstone GP
- P2: Celsius sponsoring Ferrari for the US races
- P1: Tart doing an influencer brand trip at the Miami GP
- Next week, Nicole will share her midseason review podiums.

- **Wildcard Silly Season Wishes:**
- Briana and Nicole share their hopes and dreams for the upcoming Silly Season:
- Briana wishes for Sebastian Vettel to return to Formula One in some capacity, either as a driver or in an administrative role.
- Nicole would like to see a driver from a different motorsport, such as IndyCar, get a chance to compete in Formula One.

- **F1 Merch in the Wild:**
- Briana shares her encounters with fellow Formula One fans wearing F1 merchandise at Lollapalooza.
- She highlights three interactions:
- P3: A guy rocking the F1 PacSun merch at an Emo Night set.
- P2: Charles Leclerc fan Sarah, who was also wearing the latest Puma x Charles Leclerc collaboration.
- P1: Jamie, a Danny Ricciardo fan wearing a Red Bull Furious Motorsports jersey.

- **Alex Albon's Loyalty to Williams:**
- Briana and Nicole discuss Alex Albon's unwavering support for Williams Racing despite rumors of a potential return to Red Bull as their number two driver.
- They speculate on Albon's reasons for staying with Williams, including his belief in the team and his desire to avoid the turmoil of the Red Bull system.

- **Lando Norris and Alex Albon's Similar Situations:**
- Briana points out the similarities between Albon's situation and Lando Norris's connection to McLaren, his father's former team.
- Both drivers have expressed their commitment to their current teams despite having ties to other teams.

## Lando Norris and the Red Bull Seat:

* Lando Norris has reportedly received multiple offers from Red Bull to join the team when Max Verstappen's contract expires.
* Norris has consistently declined these offers, preferring to remain at McLaren.
* There are indications that Norris may be more open to the move now, potentially setting up a thrilling championship battle between him and Verstappen.
* Liberty Media is reportedly pressuring Red Bull to fill the second seat with a competitive driver, making Norris a prime candidate.

## Tech Moments of the Season:

* P3 Mercedes B-spec car: The anticipation for the reveal of the Mercedes side pods was palpable, and the relief at seeing them finally on track was immense.
* Aston Martin's water slides: The team showcased innovative floor designs during preseason testing, which sparked intrigue and excitement among tech enthusiasts.
* Monaco GP floor pictures: The release of floor pictures after the Monaco GP provided valuable insights into the intricate designs of the cars, leading to a frenzy of analysis and discussion.

## Max Verstappen's Uncertain Future:

* Verstappen has repeatedly expressed his lack of enthusiasm for Formula One, leading to speculation about his potential retirement.
* His dominant position in the sport and long-term contract with Red Bull make his comments intriguing and raise questions about his motivations.
* Some believe Verstappen may be seeking leverage in contract negotiations or desires more freedom to race in other series.

## Carlos Sainz and Ferrari:

* Rumors of a pre-contract agreement between Sainz and Audi have been circulating, causing a stir in the media.
* Sainz's team, Ferrari, has denied these rumors, stating that Sainz is solely focused on negotiating with Ferrari.
* Sainz has expressed frustration with Ferrari's treatment of him as a number two driver despite his strong performances.

## Miscellaneous News:

* Oscar Piastri has released flip-flops, embracing the meme surrounding his Australian slang video.
* Joe Guan Yu visited a Lululemon store in China, showcasing his immense popularity in his home country.
* Alpine's goal to become the "French Ferrari" has been a topic of discussion.
* Roscoe, Lewis Hamilton's dog, will appear in the upcoming F1 movie produced by Hamilton.

The hosts encourage listeners to engage with the podcast by leaving comments, subscribing, and rating and reviewing the episodes. They also invite listeners to share their desired Silly Season headlines on social media.

[00:00.000 -> 00:02.000] Weee!
[00:02.000 -> 00:04.000] Ha!
[00:04.000 -> 00:12.000] Cooling down on our lined up on the grid, it's lights out and away we go on this week's grid walk.
[00:14.000 -> 00:26.480] So, FN Summer Break's going great. I don't miss it yet. Give me about a week. This time last week. It still just feels like, it just felt, I guess because it was the first weekend, it
[00:26.480 -> 00:27.840] just felt like an off race week.
[00:27.840 -> 00:32.960] So maybe once it's like two weeks off in a row, maybe once we hit like three, I'm going
[00:32.960 -> 00:33.960] to be like, what?
[00:33.960 -> 00:34.960] Hello?
[00:34.960 -> 00:38.480] Um, and I was also in the land of Lala.
[00:38.480 -> 00:44.120] So it kind of almost felt like F1 didn't exist, except for when I bumped into other F1 fans
[00:44.120 -> 00:46.880] in F1 merch. Did something happen?
[00:48.160 -> 00:51.520] Um, I think my package was delivered. Oh!
[00:54.640 -> 00:58.880] Live mail, live mail, Brianna's opening the mail.
[01:01.360 -> 01:02.720] This is so important.
[01:07.000 -> 01:09.000] Hold on, I'll wait till I sit down to say this. This is real, I don't know what's happening.
[01:09.000 -> 01:28.000] I'm gonna start over, hold open. Do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do Oh, I don't have a dress. Oh, you still don't have a dress to wear No, which is my own procrastination. This is my fault, right?
[01:28.700 -> 01:33.480] But what like what do you wear to a black tie optional event?
[01:33.480 -> 01:38.480] I told you a so not some not sponsored not something in the closet
[01:39.160 -> 01:44.440] I'm also sliding down as I go. This would be a fun bit on the podcast for whenever I need to
[01:41.640 -> 01:43.560] I'm just sliding down as I go. This will be a fun bit on the podcast
[01:43.560 -> 01:46.560] for whenever I need to sit back up.
[01:46.560 -> 01:49.120] But you'll see me like slowly.
[01:49.120 -> 01:52.120] I'm going lower to the ground.
[01:52.120 -> 01:52.960] But.
[01:54.400 -> 01:55.560] Is that on purpose?
[01:55.560 -> 01:57.320] Or where are you sitting right now?
[01:57.320 -> 02:01.040] So I'm currently, so I am in Chicago.
[02:01.040 -> 02:04.480] Cuz Lollapalooza, if we use this for the show or not.
[02:04.480 -> 02:07.720] And Delta's having a bit of a day
[02:07.720 -> 02:11.440] and canceled a bunch of flights all across the country.
[02:11.440 -> 02:15.120] So I was going to be home today
[02:15.120 -> 02:17.560] and now I'm not home today.
[02:17.560 -> 02:21.680] So I am in Chicago at a friend's apartment in her bedroom
[02:21.680 -> 02:24.160] and I am borrowing her desk chair.
[02:24.160 -> 02:25.400] We're really making it work.
[02:25.400 -> 02:28.880] So YouTube viewers, yes, you are not crazy.
[02:28.880 -> 02:31.960] I'm in a completely new environment.
[02:31.960 -> 02:36.960] I did not move again, but I am not in my same time zone.
[02:39.360 -> 02:41.380] Ooh, that's a pretty dress.
[02:41.380 -> 02:43.920] We love a leg slit on a dress.
[02:43.920 -> 02:44.960] Yes, yes.
[02:44.960 -> 02:47.080] This is as basic as someone could go.
[02:47.080 -> 02:49.160] This is like my backup, backup dress,
[02:49.160 -> 02:51.200] which is, I basically would describe it
[02:51.200 -> 02:56.200] as just a floor length, black,
[02:56.240 -> 02:58.640] like stretchy material with a slit.
[02:58.640 -> 02:59.480] Great.
[02:59.480 -> 03:01.640] That's how I would describe this to anyone
[03:01.640 -> 03:03.840] because I'm not doing a good job showing it.
[03:03.840 -> 03:05.680] So that arrived and then...
[03:07.280 -> 03:13.760] So I don't go to many black tie adjacent events. Like this is not stuff that's just like sitting
[03:13.760 -> 03:22.480] in my closet. So I don't and I think this is the exact same option but it's more it's less stretchy
[03:22.480 -> 03:25.420] and it has more like a oh I like the top like
[03:25.420 -> 03:34.460] cowl top yes yeah all of these are great options for dress up with accessories right
[03:34.460 -> 03:37.800] and then I'm thinking like I might actually be able to wear it again
[03:37.800 -> 03:42.860] because I was looking at ASOS and at Revolve and I was like okay so I'm gonna
[03:42.860 -> 03:46.200] spend $300 on a dress I'm gonna wear once and never again and I just
[03:47.360 -> 03:51.560] Yeah, I procrastinated. This is really me making excuses for procrastinating
[03:53.840 -> 03:55.840] But I'll be at a wedding this weekend
[03:55.840 -> 04:03.560] Hey weddings, and I will not be at a music festival and I will be back in my normal state but
[04:07.760 -> 04:12.000] festival and I will be back in my normal state but music festivals. Yeah so how was Lala? I love Lala. I say music festivals are fun like I go to a bunch of them and I really just am like a Lala
[04:12.000 -> 04:19.520] stan. Really great, incredible, stacked lineup, who were big hits to see. Billie Eilish, Carly
[04:19.520 -> 04:26.840] Rae Jepsen was always really fun. 1975, Maisie Peters, Noah Kahn, Maggie Rogers was
[04:26.840 -> 04:31.940] unbelievable. I wrapped out the show last night. We had to make a really hard
[04:31.940 -> 04:35.300] decision between Red Hot Chili Peppers and Lana Del Rey and we did go see Lana
[04:35.300 -> 04:40.760] Del Rey, which I know Brianna would be like, that is so not what I would do. No, no, no.
[04:40.760 -> 04:45.760] I see, I don't think you can make a wrong decision there. I we were like, what do you mean?
[04:45.760 -> 04:50.040] This is the closing night at the exact same time on opposite ends
[04:50.040 -> 04:55.040] We was like making a pros and cons list of what what to do. I was like
[04:57.440 -> 05:05.760] Yeah, I think I would have made the decision based on likelihood for me to purchase a ticket or or convince someone to go like I think
[05:05.760 -> 05:10.680] I could convince someone in my life to go see Lana again so I would want to go
[05:10.680 -> 05:13.760] see the Red Hot Chili Peppers because it would be harder for me to convince
[05:13.760 -> 05:17.600] someone in my life to go to a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert but I don't think
[05:17.600 -> 05:21.920] there's a wrong decision. There wasn't. There was a lot of touring. Yeah so that's
[05:21.920 -> 05:28.720] a lot like Lana just came back a lot of people are saying you know like Red Hot Chili Peppers will stop. I don't think they will so I think I'll get another opportunity
[05:28.720 -> 05:34.320] there but it was great. I was hyped to just be there and all the things. Food's delicious. I
[05:34.320 -> 05:38.960] love Chicago. The city of Chicago is like incredible. So much fun. I was actually,
[05:38.960 -> 05:43.520] Lala's like part of where NASCAR was. We're not part of but like it was in the same locations
[05:43.520 -> 05:45.840] where NASCAR was here a couple weeks ago.
[05:45.840 -> 05:48.860] So it's really funny seeing a lot of the remnants
[05:48.860 -> 05:52.160] of all of the NASCAR prep throughout Chicago.
[05:52.160 -> 05:56.400] There's a lot of Chicago motor core apparel everywhere.
[05:56.400 -> 05:59.440] So that's really, really funny.
[05:59.440 -> 06:00.280] Incredible weekend.
[06:00.280 -> 06:01.720] The street names looked really cool.
[06:01.720 -> 06:03.340] Yeah, yeah, definitely.
[06:03.340 -> 06:05.100] I mean, it's a beautiful, this is a great setting for it. I feel like this is the type of setting that, like,
[06:05.100 -> 06:08.540] when F1's thinking about a New York City race,
[06:08.540 -> 06:11.540] it's so, it would be, they would want this,
[06:11.540 -> 06:13.540] but I don't think they would get this.
[06:15.180 -> 06:16.180] But great times.
[06:16.180 -> 06:18.580] The NASCAR can pull it off.
[06:18.580 -> 06:23.580] Yeah, with mixed reviews of how it went down.
[06:23.580 -> 06:26.400] But we'll see, yeah, it's the reviews of of how it went down but we'll see,
[06:26.400 -> 06:31.280] yeah, it's the view of it all with the lake and everything so we'll, yeah, it would be very
[06:31.280 -> 06:36.640] interesting to see an F1 race, you know, take place here but NASCAR, I mean, like, Chicago,
[06:37.520 -> 06:42.960] yeah, I mean, this is pure F1 summer break conversation where I don't even think we've
[06:42.960 -> 06:47.000] said the word Formula One once yet in this intro, we're just catching up.
[06:47.000 -> 06:50.000] But let's continue that.
[06:50.000 -> 06:54.000] It was the Lana Del Rey and Red Hot Chili Peppers Grand Prix.
[06:54.000 -> 06:58.000] And for me, Lana Del Rey finished out P1.
[06:58.000 -> 07:04.000] And wedding dress shopping in which I hopefully one of these dresses will be P1.
[07:04.000 -> 07:05.040] Black tie
[07:05.040 -> 07:09.200] optional to a woman is just as annoying confusing as business casual. The
[07:09.200 -> 07:14.160] spectrum of dresses women are going to show up to this event and I have texted
[07:14.160 -> 07:18.000] multiple people I know going to this wedding and they have sent me everything
[07:18.000 -> 07:24.120] from a cocktail dress to a ball gown. That's black tie optional. That is
[07:24.120 -> 07:27.120] legitimately the act of it being optional,
[07:27.120 -> 07:29.520] the people opting into the option of wanting
[07:29.520 -> 07:30.520] to be black tie.
[07:30.520 -> 07:33.320] And it's also like, you can't be going by whatever dress
[07:33.320 -> 07:35.120] your mom's going to be wearing, because it's
[07:35.120 -> 07:37.360] such a different level once it's like, because then like,
[07:37.360 -> 07:39.080] when moms go black tie optional, it's
[07:39.080 -> 07:42.840] like that's like the full, like, entire, like, thing.
[07:42.840 -> 07:43.880] But yeah, it's different.
[07:43.880 -> 07:44.760] It's so hard.
[07:44.760 -> 07:46.160] And in my brain, I hear black
[07:46.160 -> 07:50.080] tie optional and I'm like, all right, I guess I'm leaning black tie because that's just...
[07:50.880 -> 07:54.480] Right. I mean, that's what I'm thinking. I don't know. That's my personal opinion on it.
[07:55.200 -> 08:00.800] It's also, it's a family wedding. So I think like, because there's the whole photo element of it.
[08:00.800 -> 08:08.300] Yeah, you gotta be black tie-ish. Right, but so I learned ten days ago now,
[08:08.300 -> 08:14.020] so like not super, like not with a lot of time to plan, I learned that the wedding party
[08:14.020 -> 08:19.340] is gonna be all like pastel colors. So now I need to make sure, so and it's not that
[08:19.340 -> 08:23.220] there's a color, because I'm a firm believer that like if the bridesmaids are wearing a
[08:23.220 -> 08:29.080] color you don't wear that color. But if all the bridesmaids are wearing every pastel
[08:29.080 -> 08:33.200] color now I'm like okay so I need a bold bright or dark color it like really
[08:33.200 -> 08:38.280] limited the options. I'm surprised Brianna's gonna wear black and she's never worn black
[08:38.280 -> 08:43.280] before ever. She owns no black and it's gonna be a really out of her comfort
[08:43.280 -> 08:45.000] zone moment for her to be
[08:45.000 -> 08:47.440] in something black. Just kidding.
[08:47.440 -> 08:51.360] Welcome back to Tire of Topics!
[08:51.360 -> 08:57.260] Silly season edition. So last week we talked about the Red Bull number two
[08:57.260 -> 09:02.400] seat. We talked about Carlos Sainz who is back on this wheel just to stress me out
[09:02.400 -> 09:05.920] and Nico Hulkenberg who is not on this wheel.
[09:05.920 -> 09:12.760] This week, the Tire of Top X is selecting. Do we talk about Lando Norris and Alex
[09:12.760 -> 09:18.960] Albarn, who are connected? Do we talk about Logan Sargent? Do we talk about IndyCar
[09:18.960 -> 09:22.760] drivers and F2 drivers and where they stand in silly season?
[09:22.760 -> 09:26.760] Carlos is back. We have Lewis Hamilton. We
[09:26.760 -> 09:31.800] have the Alfa Romeo drivers. And then we have Max Verstappen. All of these spins are just
[09:31.800 -> 09:37.720] various Silly Season storylines that are worth digging into. And like we said last week,
[09:37.720 -> 09:41.320] there's a lot of summer break left. So if we don't hit on the one you're looking to
[09:41.320 -> 09:44.260] hear us talk about, we'll probably talk about it next week.
[09:44.260 -> 09:46.600] And drivers can clearly come back on the wheel
[09:46.600 -> 09:50.320] because news happens and there's things that we will eventually
[09:50.320 -> 09:51.640] talk about.
[09:51.640 -> 09:52.280] So.
[09:52.280 -> 09:53.800] Or the lack of news.
[09:53.800 -> 09:55.320] Or lack of news.
[09:55.320 -> 09:57.560] Excuse someone who's not there yet.
[09:57.560 -> 10:00.120] OK, let's spin the wheel, spin the wheel,
[10:00.120 -> 10:01.200] spin the wheel of fun.
[10:01.200 -> 10:02.600] If you're not watching on YouTube,
[10:02.600 -> 10:05.460] you're missing out on such a fun time with this spinning Pirelli wheel of fun. If you're not watching on YouTube, you're missing out on such a fun time
[10:05.460 -> 10:07.120] with this spinning Pirelli wheel.
[10:08.840 -> 10:09.680] Oh.
[10:09.680 -> 10:11.440] It's not a wheel, it's a tire.
[10:11.440 -> 10:12.360] Tire, right.
[10:12.360 -> 10:13.600] Tire Typhoon has moved.
[10:13.600 -> 10:14.440] Woo!
[10:14.440 -> 10:16.600] Fantastic, exactly where we wanted to start
[10:16.600 -> 10:18.760] because we were already alluding to the lack of news
[10:18.760 -> 10:20.680] that we are currently getting from Lewis Hamilton.
[10:20.680 -> 10:21.520] Hi.
[10:22.760 -> 10:30.000] Where is the contract extension? Knock, knock. Show us. Thank you.
[10:30.000 -> 10:37.180] Please. I think the most recent news is that, well, I guess that there's no news, but both
[10:37.180 -> 10:42.900] of them continue to talk about it. So Toto recently said that this contract isn't going
[10:42.900 -> 10:46.000] to cover any post F1 area. Also, since we last talked about this, Toto recently said that this contract isn't going to cover any post-F1 area.
[10:46.560 -> 10:51.520] Also, since we last talked about this, Toto said he's working very hard to keep Lewis in the sport,
[10:51.520 -> 10:57.360] which is never a quote that I like to hear, personally. And Lewis said that it's just with
[10:57.360 -> 11:01.920] the lawyers and he is threatening us that we're not going to hear till Abu Dhabi because he is
[11:01.920 -> 11:05.920] being mean and wants us all to stop asking about it it. But Lewis I will stop asking about it if
[11:06.680 -> 11:14.060] You tell us tell us and we'll stop asking give us what we're asking for and guess what will happen. We'll stop asking
[11:14.880 -> 11:17.340] yeah, I also saw the total quotes and
[11:17.780 -> 11:24.880] Like part of me the the comments of like this contract is only like entailing what happens like, you know during
[11:26.240 -> 11:30.560] of like this contract is only like entailing what happens like you know during F1 career not like a post F1. I'm like okay that's great because I don't want to I'm not ready to be
[11:30.560 -> 11:36.320] talking about any post F1 career there at all even though I hope that would be down the line him in
[11:36.320 -> 11:40.640] a role with Mercedes or seeing him do something but that's okay I'm like more like okay great so
[11:40.640 -> 11:46.120] you're talking about the now and like contracts, contracts are such a like, annoying back and forth thing.
[11:46.120 -> 11:48.840] And Louis, it's so the point, and we've said this,
[11:48.840 -> 11:50.560] is really could just be sitting with lawyers.
[11:50.560 -> 11:52.800] And it's like fine tuning little wording things,
[11:52.800 -> 11:54.640] but come on, I wanna know, I wanna know, I wanna know.
[11:54.640 -> 11:56.200] I don't wanna wait till Abu Dhabi.
[11:56.200 -> 11:58.600] I was so like, it's gonna be Silverstone.
[11:58.600 -> 12:01.440] Silverstone will be the magical day, and here we are.
[12:02.880 -> 12:10.080] So on a scale from 1 to 10, like where, where are your nerves?
[12:10.080 -> 12:15.120] 10 being super nervous, 1 being not nervous at all. Because right now the
[12:15.120 -> 12:19.240] discourse I'm seeing online is people are like stringing together Toto wolf
[12:19.240 -> 12:27.280] coats and about how Toto sounding more stressed. We did get the alleged news that Ferrari did
[12:27.280 -> 12:30.760] offer Lewis a contract, but Lewis didn't accept.
[12:30.760 -> 12:33.000] So where are your nerves right now?
[12:33.000 -> 12:39.720] At 10 being like, oh my god, he's like leaving Mercedes?
[12:39.720 -> 12:41.880] Yeah, or it's only a one-year contract?
[12:41.880 -> 12:44.320] Because to me, a one-year contract sounds awful.
[12:44.320 -> 12:45.760] I don't want to do this again next year
[12:46.720 -> 12:53.620] I'm gonna start probably definitely lower than you because I'm just going in with optimism and I'm gonna go
[12:53.620 -> 12:56.760] I'm putting myself at a four putting myself at a four
[12:58.240 -> 13:02.100] Right. So go ahead and give us your higher than five answer probably
[13:03.120 -> 13:07.320] No, my I was going in at like a five-ish, a four, five.
[13:07.320 -> 13:09.480] I'm right where you are.
[13:09.480 -> 13:11.160] I know the contract will get done.
[13:11.160 -> 13:14.760] It will probably be two years, maybe with some kind of option
[13:14.760 -> 13:15.860] after next year.
[13:15.860 -> 13:19.240] Lewis is so angry.
[13:19.240 -> 13:21.720] He's not leaving, and I don't.
[13:21.720 -> 13:24.800] He's not going to Ferrari.
[13:24.800 -> 13:26.600] No, no, no.
[13:26.600 -> 13:28.620] And that rumor came out,
[13:28.620 -> 13:30.340] I mean that rumor was rumored a while ago,
[13:30.340 -> 13:33.180] and then like literally the most recent news was,
[13:33.180 -> 13:34.260] yeah, the contract was offered,
[13:34.260 -> 13:35.620] and Lewis went, no thank you.
[13:35.620 -> 13:37.540] Yeah, no, it's Mercedes or bust,
[13:37.540 -> 13:41.380] and like I just, but will I get more nervous?
[13:41.380 -> 13:43.900] Like, yeah, for sure, but right now I'm at a four.
[13:45.160 -> 13:45.720] Yeah, I'm at a four. Yeah.
[13:45.720 -> 13:50.160] I think I don't foresee Lewis leaving.
[13:50.160 -> 13:52.320] I also think something that's not talked about enough
[13:52.320 -> 13:54.520] that's worth touching on before we wrap up the Lewis
[13:54.520 -> 13:56.480] conversation is that I think Lewis really
[13:56.480 -> 13:59.760] believes that he can do the most good while he's still driving.
[13:59.760 -> 14:02.240] So a lot of people will point at all of his other interests
[14:02.240 -> 14:05.440] and all of the other things he's working towards,
[14:10.960 -> 14:15.520] whether it's, you know, he's building things for the greater good of all of our lives, or he's building Hollywood movies, I think he knows and understands that right now he can do the most good
[14:15.520 -> 14:20.720] while still driving, actually. So none of those things matter. He's gonna be in a Mercedes car
[14:20.720 -> 14:23.840] next year. I just want to know, like, for how long and when I need to be stressed again.
[14:23.840 -> 14:26.960] Yeah, people are like, oh yeah, but he'll have so much more time to work on the other things.
[14:26.960 -> 14:30.320] Like yeah but the leverage you have when you're still active is like so very different. So I
[14:30.320 -> 14:40.320] 1000% agree with you there. But give us the news please Louis. Maybe the contract signed on Toto's
[14:40.320 -> 14:46.320] Armcast. Like maybe that's what maybe it's all just written here and Louis has just
[14:46.320 -> 14:50.720] signed it here and that's, that's the reveal.
[14:50.720 -> 14:56.080] I want that more than anything. If I was a social, if one of us was a social media person
[14:56.080 -> 15:00.060] over in the Mercedes team right now, I would be on the phone like, okay, Toto, you can't
[15:00.060 -> 15:04.200] take your cast off until the Dutch GP and we're going to announce this there and it's
[15:04.200 -> 15:07.880] going to be on your cast and like,'s gonna be a whole thing we're gonna get
[15:07.880 -> 15:11.480] Louis to sign it in some public setting and then like someone's gonna catch a
[15:11.480 -> 15:14.880] photo of it oh gosh I'm building the campaign right now.
[15:14.880 -> 15:18.080] It's such a good idea, Nicole. Thank you, thank you.
[15:18.080 -> 15:23.480] Since it is spring break which marks the midpoint in the season give or take a
[15:23.480 -> 15:27.920] race because China but this week I have
[15:27.920 -> 15:33.280] two podiums that I'm calling my midseason review podiums and then next week Nicole is going to
[15:33.280 -> 15:39.520] bring her midseason review podiums. So starting out in probably the least shocking place if you've
[15:39.520 -> 15:47.280] listened to Gridwalk for a while, which is my favorite marketing, activation, partnership, announcements, et cetera,
[15:47.280 -> 15:48.300] of the season.
[15:50.600 -> 15:52.600] So we both work in marketing.
[15:52.600 -> 15:54.440] The sponsorship side of F1 is something
[15:54.440 -> 15:56.720] that we're very passionate about, if you're new here.
[15:56.720 -> 15:57.560] It's our favorite.
[15:57.560 -> 16:00.880] So I do have an honorable mention here.
[16:00.880 -> 16:03.640] It's an honorable mention because it is kind of pre-season.
[16:03.640 -> 16:09.880] I don't know how much it would would count but I wanted to include it. And it... okay thank you.
[16:09.880 -> 16:17.860] Cool. So honorable mention PacSun's merch line. The freaking out I did that I now
[16:17.860 -> 16:25.820] own two Formula One crop tops that I did not cut myself. Worthy of inclusion on the podium. I probably
[16:25.820 -> 16:32.560] would be higher if it happened in season. But can't all be perfect.
[16:32.560 -> 16:41.480] P3, Google Chrome at the Silverstone GP. The Ferris wheel, Landon Norris's helmet.
[16:41.480 -> 16:46.080] I don't think I heard more non-marketing business people
[16:46.080 -> 16:50.800] talking about a marketing business activation than this activation because
[16:50.800 -> 16:54.760] of how well they integrated it. And you can say what you want about the car
[16:54.760 -> 16:58.600] livery and the fact that they like kind of misfired in my opinion but at least
[16:58.600 -> 17:05.400] we were talking about the fact that there was a Google Chrome livery.
[17:07.200 -> 17:08.680] All right, P2.
[17:09.940 -> 17:10.780] Oh, which one do I pick? Okay.
[17:11.920 -> 17:13.160] Okay, P2.
[17:13.160 -> 17:14.620] The last minute decision.
[17:15.760 -> 17:16.760] I know, I know.
[17:16.760 -> 17:18.360] I didn't actually rank these before doing it.
[17:18.360 -> 17:20.040] I just listed out my top moments.
[17:20.040 -> 17:21.200] Go with your gut.
[17:21.200 -> 17:26.960] P2, Celsius sponsoring Ferrari for the US races.
[17:26.960 -> 17:31.200] P2 for Celsius?
[17:31.200 -> 17:34.000] Yeah, because this one's really on the list mostly
[17:34.000 -> 17:37.240] because of my personal excitement for this.
[17:37.240 -> 17:41.400] We did do an entire 30-minute segment about what this means
[17:41.400 -> 17:43.600] and how excited we are.
[17:43.600 -> 17:45.280] If I remember, we'll link it in the
[17:45.280 -> 17:48.040] show notes below so you could go back and listen to it because it all is still
[17:48.040 -> 17:52.920] relevant about why this partnership was such a big deal to us. The reason it's
[17:52.920 -> 18:00.560] only P2 is because I think it it doesn't signify as much for the space as what P1
[18:00.560 -> 18:07.680] is going to be. And you can argue with me about these being flipped after I tell
[18:07.680 -> 18:15.200] you my P1, which is P1, Tart doing an influencer brand ship at the Miami GP.
[18:15.200 -> 18:27.640] The fact that a makeup brand decided that the best place to do a brand trip and bring a bunch of influencers
[18:27.640 -> 18:36.680] was a Formula One race was so foundational in my brain that like we as female fans are
[18:36.680 -> 18:41.000] being seen that I just it needed to be P1 to me.
[18:41.000 -> 18:42.120] Definitely P1.
[18:42.120 -> 18:43.120] That was a huge deal.
[18:43.120 -> 18:44.120] I agree with you.
[18:44.120 -> 18:46.480] But Celsius, we still love you and
[18:46.480 -> 18:49.080] have you at Ferrari.
[18:49.080 -> 18:53.600] Spin two. Now that we've already decided and announced on Gridwalk that Lewis Hamilton
[18:53.600 -> 18:58.440] will be staying at Mercedes forever, we can spin two.
[18:58.440 -> 19:10.000] Spinning the tire of topic. Ooh, and it goes around and around and around.
[19:10.000 -> 19:12.000] It always lands right in between.
[19:12.000 -> 19:13.000] Wild card!
[19:13.000 -> 19:14.000] Oh my gosh.
[19:14.000 -> 19:20.000] So spicy and fun and so wild, but I, I, wow.
[19:20.000 -> 19:21.000] Okay.
[19:21.000 -> 19:25.000] So this was really just space for us to talk about Silly Season wishes.
[19:25.000 -> 19:29.000] Everything else on this wheel, everything we've been talking about, has been very like,
[19:29.000 -> 19:33.000] there's this story, or let's talk about this driver, and where that driver's going to end up,
[19:33.000 -> 19:37.000] based on these things that are either rumored or reported, etc.
[19:37.000 -> 19:42.000] So this is really meant to be, like, we haven't talked a lot about what our wishes are
[19:42.000 -> 19:46.840] for Silly Season. So, Nicole, what are your Silly
[19:46.840 -> 19:53.560] Season dreams, wishes, desires that are detached from reporting?
[19:53.560 -> 20:00.280] Yes. I want an announcement of Seb in some type of administration role somewhere. Like,
[20:00.280 -> 20:06.720] I miss him a lot. And I, or like, even if it's within F1, or if it's him pursuing
[20:06.720 -> 20:08.960] other ventures, which I've also seen some news and
[20:08.960 -> 20:10.600] considering the things of him doing.
[20:10.600 -> 20:13.640] I mean, I would love to see him somewhere on the grid.
[20:13.640 -> 20:15.360] But I want Seb.
[20:15.360 -> 20:16.600] I want Seb back.
[20:16.600 -> 20:19.120] I think it would be just so beneficial to the sport and
[20:19.120 -> 20:20.520] having his presence back.
[20:20.520 -> 20:25.760] It feels like there's something missing this year. So I want Seb
[20:25.760 -> 20:29.720] somewhere. And I'm not necessarily like saying put him back in a car,
[20:29.720 -> 20:33.880] because like look, I'm not gonna get like too hopeful wild. If I want to get
[20:33.880 -> 20:38.840] real wild, let's put him back, see what he can do in that Aston now. But I
[20:38.840 -> 20:43.200] think realistically... I was gonna say, what are you talking about? Put him in a car!
[20:43.200 -> 20:45.240] No, but I think I think it
[20:45.240 -> 20:48.400] makes a lot of sense like coming off the Lewis Hamilton conversation we were
[20:48.400 -> 20:56.520] having where like it does feel like Seb left f1 to go do all this other stuff
[20:56.520 -> 21:02.480] and make this impact and I don't know if he's been able to do that or has
[21:02.480 -> 21:06.800] actively been pursuing doing that off the grid as well as as much as he wanted.
[21:06.960 -> 21:09.160] Yeah, as much.
[21:10.720 -> 21:19.720] I just Yeah, I agree with you. I, I would also on my wish list would be some way for Seb to be at at least 60% of the races.
[21:19.720 -> 21:30.800] Like I don't care if it's in administration role with the team, I would love if it was back in a car, please put him back in a car. That would be great. I would even take him joining Red Bull.
[21:33.920 -> 21:39.200] I actually think it would really help my distaste for Red Bull if Seb was there somewhere. So yeah,
[21:39.200 -> 21:49.780] I agree. Some kind of Seb news would be awesome as a wildcard. I think that I would really
[21:49.780 -> 22:07.900] like a, like, some kind of driver from a different series coming over into F1. And we have IndyCar on here, so I'm not going to talk about that in particular,
[22:07.900 -> 22:10.700] but to me it doesn't need to be a single-seater thing.
[22:10.700 -> 22:14.900] Like, there are great race car drivers all over, and I did like,
[22:14.900 -> 22:18.600] as much as I didn't fully believe in the Nick Debris experiment,
[22:18.600 -> 22:23.600] I do like seeing world champion caliber drivers who are currently driving
[22:23.600 -> 22:29.280] in other disciplines get to try out other things. Like I really enjoyed Fernando Alonso getting
[22:29.280 -> 22:37.240] to do Le Mans and then also try IndyCar in the Indy 500. I want... it's really cool
[22:37.240 -> 22:42.080] to see what I think it's Project 91 is doing in NASCAR right now where they're
[22:42.080 -> 22:48.260] basically running a car that like other drivers can go and experiment in NASCAR. So that's why we've seen Jen
[22:48.260 -> 22:52.700] Sabaton and Kimi Raikkonen run NASCAR. And not that I'm a NASCAR fan in any way,
[22:52.700 -> 22:56.140] I just like seeing drivers who do other disciplines try other things. So I would
[22:56.140 -> 23:02.100] love if we got some kind of driver who specializes in some other motorsport get
[23:02.100 -> 23:05.480] to be in an F1 car next year. Very exciting.
[23:05.480 -> 23:08.720] And today I hope we hit the IndyCar on the wheel.
[23:08.720 -> 23:12.160] But if not, we'll have to save that for another episode.
[23:12.160 -> 23:13.000] Tease.
[23:13.000 -> 23:13.960] It's a tease.
[23:13.960 -> 23:16.000] It's a tease.
[23:16.000 -> 23:17.760] I was at Lollapalooza this weekend,
[23:17.760 -> 23:21.680] and people had a ton of really amazing outfits
[23:21.680 -> 23:22.920] across the board.
[23:22.920 -> 23:26.760] But some people, F1 merch in the wild and it
[23:26.760 -> 23:32.480] felt really great to be seeing F1 merch in the F1 offseason. Yes you are also
[23:32.480 -> 23:39.000] kind of dealing with what I am dealing with. So these are fellow Lollapalooza
[23:39.000 -> 23:45.760] attendees that are also F1 fans like myself. So P3, first interaction,
[23:45.760 -> 23:49.200] shout out to the guy that I met at Emo Night set.
[23:51.000 -> 23:53.280] He was rocking the F1 PacSun merch,
[23:53.280 -> 23:54.680] I literally have his T-shirt,
[23:54.680 -> 23:56.460] it was across the field,
[23:56.460 -> 24:00.240] either Fall Out Boy or like Panic! At The Disco
[24:00.240 -> 24:01.680] was blaring in the background,
[24:01.680 -> 24:04.600] and he's rocking out and I just literally point at his shirt
[24:04.600 -> 24:06.500] and I was like, yeah!
[24:06.500 -> 24:08.000] And he like did it right back.
[24:08.000 -> 24:12.000] P2, Charles Leclerc fan Sarah.
[24:14.000 -> 24:15.000] She agreed we were...
[24:15.000 -> 24:17.000] Shout out to Sarah.
[24:17.000 -> 24:19.000] Waiting in line for deep dish pizza,
[24:19.000 -> 24:21.000] so please don't tell all of the New Yorkers
[24:21.000 -> 24:22.500] as I sit in a deep dish shirt.
[24:22.500 -> 24:24.500] I cheated on New York style pizza this weekend.
[24:24.500 -> 24:25.040] But I look up to my... They're different things. They are different. They serve different purposes. I tell all of the New Yorkers, as I sit in a deep dish shirt, I cheated on New York style pizza this weekend.
[24:25.040 -> 24:26.040] But I look up the month.
[24:26.040 -> 24:27.040] They're different things.
[24:27.040 -> 24:27.840] They are different.
[24:27.840 -> 24:29.000] They serve different purposes.
[24:29.000 -> 24:30.160] New York is better, though.
[24:30.160 -> 24:31.240] One is a pie.
[24:31.240 -> 24:31.920] One is pizza.
[24:31.920 -> 24:33.640] Deep dish pizza is not pizza.
[24:33.640 -> 24:34.880] OK, tangent.
[24:34.880 -> 24:35.400] Sorry.
[24:35.400 -> 24:37.100] You were going to say things about Sarah,
[24:37.100 -> 24:38.480] but you can't say deep dish pizza
[24:38.480 -> 24:40.560] and not sneak in there that it's not pizza.
[24:40.560 -> 24:41.960] It's just tomato pie.
[24:41.960 -> 24:43.080] Those are different things.
[24:43.080 -> 24:46.400] You can like them both.
[24:51.200 -> 24:55.280] And Sarah also likes deep dish pizza and Charles LeClaire. Looked up, did see the latest Puma collab.
[24:55.280 -> 24:57.080] I just thought it was like, caught it.
[24:57.080 -> 24:59.200] Before I saw the number 16,
[24:59.200 -> 25:01.960] I saw the little diamonds on this white hat.
[25:01.960 -> 25:03.760] I said, I absolutely love your hat.
[25:03.760 -> 25:05.160] She's like, thank you so much.
[25:05.160 -> 25:07.680] I said, are you coping well with the break?
[25:07.680 -> 25:09.400] She says, I needed a little bit of a break.
[25:09.400 -> 25:11.240] I says, yeah, I know, me too.
[25:11.240 -> 25:13.800] And that was the end of the whole entire thing,
[25:13.800 -> 25:16.480] but it was such a real go Ferrari moment.
[25:16.480 -> 25:17.760] Told her to check out Gridwalk.
[25:17.760 -> 25:18.780] Hopefully she does.
[25:18.780 -> 25:21.520] If you are listening, hi, Sarah, loved your hat.
[25:21.520 -> 25:24.080] Hopefully Charles has a better half of the season.
[25:21.640 -> 25:24.040] Sarah, loved your hat. Hopefully Charles has a better half of the season.
[25:24.040 -> 25:33.600] And P1, my favorite fan interaction of the weekend.
[25:33.600 -> 25:39.200] Shout out to Jamie in a Danny Rick jersey.
[25:39.200 -> 25:39.720] Of course.
[25:39.720 -> 25:41.080] Of course, that's your P1.
[25:41.080 -> 25:42.520] I was like, wow, Sarah seems really nice.
[25:42.520 -> 25:44.320] It looks like you had a great interaction.
[25:44.320 -> 25:46.680] What's going to top this? This is outside.
[25:46.680 -> 25:47.180] Oh, gosh.
[25:47.180 -> 25:47.680] Was it between?
[25:47.680 -> 25:49.480] I think I was waiting for Maggie Rogers.
[25:49.480 -> 25:53.000] And spotted, corner of my eye, it
[25:53.000 -> 25:55.880] was a Red Bull Furious Motorsports jersey.
[25:55.880 -> 25:58.280] And at first, I was like, oh, no, Red Bull.
[25:58.280 -> 25:58.780] Ah.
[25:58.780 -> 26:00.400] And then I saw Ricardo on the back.
[26:00.400 -> 26:01.880] I go running up to her and say, I'm
[26:01.880 -> 26:03.480] so sorry to suddenly ambush you.
[26:03.480 -> 26:06.520] But I just need to say I absolutely
[26:06.520 -> 26:09.080] love your jersey for the fact that it's Daniel Ricardo,
[26:09.080 -> 26:10.560] but not that it's Red Bull.
[26:10.560 -> 26:12.400] And she says, totally understand.
[26:12.400 -> 26:13.800] Honey badger's back.
[26:13.800 -> 26:16.560] We high five, chatted a little bit,
[26:16.560 -> 26:17.920] and then the show was starting.
[26:17.920 -> 26:20.120] But such a P1 experience.
[26:20.120 -> 26:21.120] Shout out to Jamie.
[26:21.120 -> 26:23.200] It was really great to run into another Danny Rick
[26:23.200 -> 26:31.680] fan in the wild and like fangirl about it for a second. And before we move on from Nicole's experience at Lollapalooza,
[26:31.680 -> 26:37.920] I want everyone listening to this to leave a comment, you know, a review, etc. Just cheering
[26:37.920 -> 26:47.680] for the fact that Nicole somehow has a voice today, because her voice yesterday? Gone. So let's give Nicole a round of applause.
[26:47.680 -> 26:49.680] Thank you! Thank you so much!
[26:49.680 -> 26:51.680] You're able to record a podcast!
[26:51.680 -> 26:57.680] We have a podcast! Audio components are required!
[26:57.680 -> 27:01.680] All right, Tyre, what topic do you have for us now?
[27:01.680 -> 27:03.680] Spinning...
[27:03.680 -> 27:05.960] I never know what to say to fill the time as it spins.
[27:05.960 -> 27:10.080] And it also always stops, like, in the middle. Ooh, this is an interesting one.
[27:10.080 -> 27:17.880] Amanda Norris and Alex Albaugh. So if you're confused why I put those two together, not
[27:17.880 -> 27:22.400] you, Nicole, but anyone listening, I know you're not, it's because they both have very
[27:22.400 -> 27:26.800] similar stories right now, which is connections to other teams
[27:26.800 -> 27:31.520] that's not the team they're driving for, but they've taken it in two different directions.
[27:31.520 -> 27:35.200] So I thought we'd start with Alex Albon, because it's the easier, quicker one.
[27:35.200 -> 27:36.200] Yes.
[27:36.200 -> 27:43.440] Alex Albon, we just want him to succeed so much, and he has declared himself as the Williams
[27:43.440 -> 27:44.960] Racing fanboy.
[27:44.960 -> 27:47.500] No matter what, he just so believes in the team and believes
[27:47.500 -> 27:48.520] in what they're doing there.
[27:48.520 -> 27:51.640] And even with the buzz of like when there was the conversation and last
[27:51.640 -> 27:56.560] week we talked about like Red Bull number two seat, like Alex made it very clear.
[27:56.880 -> 27:58.900] I am here at Williams.
[27:58.900 -> 28:02.560] I'm very happy with Williams and I will be at Williams.
[28:03.940 -> 28:11.000] You're also kind of bearing the lead, which is it's pretty decently reported that Red Bull asked Alex Albon to come back and Alex said no.
[28:11.000 -> 28:19.000] Yeah. And I don't know if it's belief in Williams or a lack of wanting to put himself through the turmoil of the Red Bull system ever again.
[28:19.000 -> 28:27.360] Like if Mercedes came calling, I'm sure he'll say yes yes well I'm Ferrari I'm using Alex's words
[28:27.360 -> 28:32.120] at the moment but you're so right it's yeah I mean I don't think why I wouldn't
[28:32.120 -> 28:35.400] want to go back there anyway I mean I don't want to go to the begin with but
[28:35.400 -> 28:41.080] that's also just me but it would be cool to see if Alex could do something at
[28:41.080 -> 28:46.760] Williams but yeah I think the not wanting to return shout out to Alex for not going back to your toxic ex
[28:46.760 -> 28:48.760] whoops
[28:49.840 -> 28:52.400] Unlike some other other ones who've tried
[28:53.440 -> 28:56.540] Well, just we all can't be Alex Albon
[28:57.640 -> 29:04.800] But I do think Alex Albon's current contract length at Williams though is of the drivers out there right now is setting himself up
[29:04.800 -> 29:10.940] the best to be in a Mercedes seat when Lewis does decide to retire
[29:10.940 -> 29:14.760] because by the way that's what we're dealing with here whenever Lewis decides
[29:14.760 -> 29:19.840] to retire but so Lando Norris is definitely more interesting one of the
[29:19.840 -> 29:26.000] pair here where it has been decently reported that Lando Norris has had multiple offers
[29:26.000 -> 29:30.480] from Red Bull every single time his McLaren contract is up, and Lando said, no thank you,
[29:30.480 -> 29:36.000] I don't need to be in that shitshow, and you know, more power to you, Lando. Like, it is
[29:36.000 -> 29:42.400] definitely much easier to not be at a top team and to just be lauded as, oh, if only he was.
[29:47.720 -> 29:53.960] be lauded as, oh, if only he was. So he's taken the easier route. But now, apparently that's being offered again. They're courting Lando. And I think it's really interesting
[29:53.960 -> 29:57.560] that even in the last two weeks, we've gotten a quote from Lando that says, no, no, no,
[29:57.560 -> 30:01.360] I'm sticking it out with McLaren, that would be cool. We've also gotten some inklings and
[30:01.360 -> 30:08.600] some quotes that show that he seems to be a little more open to it than previously thought.
[30:08.600 -> 30:13.120] So what do you think the likelihood is that Lando ends up at Red Bull, and do you want
[30:13.120 -> 30:16.240] to see it?
[30:16.240 -> 30:23.800] So likelihood, again, it's just the big question of like, will, I mean, yes.
[30:23.800 -> 30:25.140] When Red Bull like removes Checo, it's like, then it yes, right when Red Bull like
[30:25.240 -> 30:28.940] removes check. It's like then it's just going to like all go
[30:29.040 -> 30:32.480] like full frenzy I did last week say I would love to see
[30:32.580 -> 30:38.880] the chaos that occurs with Lando and Max both at Red Bull
[30:38.980 -> 30:43.960] until you said maybe Fernando at Red Bull would be like I was
[30:44.060 -> 30:46.220] trying to think about what would be like, I was trying to think of like what would be like a really entertaining thing to watch.
[30:46.540 -> 30:52.180] That is definitely more entertaining, I think, but I would love to see like Lando at Red Bull and just
[30:52.860 -> 30:57.800] sounds like an alternative multiverse that I would definitely watch for a period of time.
[30:57.800 -> 31:03.320] I don't know what my overall feelings would be in the long run for it, but right now I'd be like, yeah, that's interesting.
[31:03.760 -> 31:04.780] Sounds...
[31:04.780 -> 31:06.120] sure. Would you just be like, yeah, that's interesting. Sounds short. Would
[31:06.120 -> 31:09.600] you just be like, hard pass? Do not
[31:11.080 -> 31:12.440] eject on sport.
[31:12.480 -> 31:15.240] Don't want to hear this.
[31:16.920 -> 31:20.600] No, I, I think right now my brain in that second Red Bull
[31:20.600 -> 31:24.560] seat is prioritizing competitive, like if we were
[31:24.560 -> 31:26.120] watching, I need to be able
[31:26.120 -> 31:29.920] to see two drivers duke it out for the World Championship versus Max and...
[31:29.920 -> 31:30.920] Max's friend.
[31:30.920 -> 31:31.920] Other.
[31:31.920 -> 31:38.720] Right. Max and person that they point to and say, he's trying.
[31:38.720 -> 31:45.240] And I think Lando has that, even if like he is good friends with Max, they're both have said like, he has that like that competitive mindset of like, I want to do this. I think Lando has that even if like he is good friends with Max, they're both have
[31:45.240 -> 31:47.900] said like he has that like that competitive mindset of like I want to do
[31:47.900 -> 31:53.000] this I think he's he would he wouldn't just sit back and like let Max be Max.
[31:53.000 -> 31:59.560] And I actually want to see if Lando's that good. Right? Like and Max is the test
[31:59.560 -> 32:05.700] and so yes those neither of those drivers are my favorite drivers, but at
[32:05.700 -> 32:09.600] least we would get a really spicy championship battle, so I would be
[32:09.600 -> 32:16.760] completely in favor of it. I... so I do... it has been reported that Liberty is
[32:16.760 -> 32:19.860] putting a lot of pressure on Red Bull to fill that second seat with a competitive
[32:19.860 -> 32:26.400] driver, and of the young competitive drivers, Lando seems like the obvious choice.
[32:26.400 -> 32:27.400] I agree.
[32:27.400 -> 32:31.400] So I'm actually kind of hoping for it.
[32:31.400 -> 32:36.400] What happens? I mean, I wouldn't be like surprised.
[32:36.400 -> 32:40.400] Like I would be like, uh-huh, that makes a lot of sense.
[32:40.400 -> 32:44.400] Yeah, but at the same time I'd be surprised because Lando's been so strong.
[32:44.400 -> 32:45.600] No, no, no, no no no no
[32:45.600 -> 32:48.520] no, but you dangle that world championship.
[32:48.520 -> 32:50.400] Hang your dream.
[32:50.400 -> 32:56.720] I will say that if it comes out that Red Bull gave him the offer and Lando said no, I don't
[32:56.720 -> 33:01.800] want to hear shit about Lando having a killer mentality or being one of the top drivers.
[33:01.800 -> 33:05.700] Because if you're one of the top drivers, you take the fastest car by a million miles
[33:05.700 -> 33:07.320] and you go try to beat Max.
[33:07.320 -> 33:08.640] Yeah.
[33:08.640 -> 33:11.100] I am not a killer mentality person.
[33:11.100 -> 33:12.000] I would not.
[33:12.000 -> 33:13.040] I would be like, no, no, no,
[33:13.040 -> 33:14.680] don't need to be in the second seat to Max.
[33:14.680 -> 33:16.200] That kills careers.
[33:16.200 -> 33:19.840] But if you are a top driver, you think you can beat Max.
[33:19.840 -> 33:21.680] So let's see if you can do it, Lando.
[33:22.600 -> 33:25.160] Checo thought he could beat Max at the start of this year.
[33:25.160 -> 33:27.300] And now, look where that is.
[33:28.640 -> 33:32.880] My second mid-season podium is tech moments
[33:32.880 -> 33:35.720] that fried my brain in the moment.
[33:35.720 -> 33:39.020] And I mean fried my brain in the most positive way.
[33:39.020 -> 33:40.780] It was like, what is going on there?
[33:40.780 -> 33:42.760] That is crazy.
[33:42.760 -> 33:45.600] I can't wait to see if that works kind of moment.
[33:48.240 -> 34:01.360] Oh so P3 Mercedes B-spec car. P3? Now this is only this is only P3 because I think we all knew this
[34:01.360 -> 34:06.280] was inevitable that this was coming, and the anticipation to see
[34:06.280 -> 34:10.840] the side pods was there, but it was just a relief that I just no longer had to hear about
[34:10.840 -> 34:11.840] zero side pods.
[34:11.840 -> 34:15.720] It was less, there was not like, oh my god, is this gonna work?
[34:15.720 -> 34:17.240] It was more like, this better work.
[34:17.240 -> 34:20.600] And those are different feelings, but it needed to get mentioned.
[34:20.600 -> 34:21.600] P3.
[34:21.600 -> 34:29.760] By the way, not on this list are some things that will probably be on someone listening
[34:29.760 -> 34:35.360] to this personal exciting tech moments. This is just selfishly my exciting tech moments.
[34:35.360 -> 34:36.360] Just so we're clear.
[34:36.360 -> 34:37.360] For you, not for them.
[34:37.360 -> 34:43.400] Right. I'm including you into my brain. Like, McLaren is not on this list. McLaren bringing
[34:43.400 -> 34:50.220] their bees by car, it was not an exciting tech moment. It was an exciting moment in the season. But, okay, moving on. Already
[34:50.220 -> 34:57.860] making excuses about people not liking my podium. P2, when Aston Martin showed up with
[34:57.860 -> 35:04.180] the water slides in preseason testing. And actually, the craziest part is that they showed
[35:04.180 -> 35:07.720] the water slides in their car launch.
[35:07.720 -> 35:10.960] They actually showed their car, but none of us believed them.
[35:10.960 -> 35:15.560] And there was a whole thing for a while there until we got well-lit photos that no one knew
[35:15.560 -> 35:16.560] how deep they went.
[35:16.560 -> 35:32.880] It was like, do they just moment of the season so far, is when all the cars went flying at
[35:32.880 -> 35:35.960] the Monaco GP and we finally got floor pictures.
[35:35.960 -> 35:42.280] It was just such a glorious day!
[35:42.280 -> 35:45.520] And it also just then led to like the greatest joke where we got to see the bottom
[35:45.520 -> 35:49.840] of the Williams and they were just like, wow, you could really just see the difference.
[35:51.600 -> 35:56.240] Oh, you can even see the difference that day between the Mercedes, the Ferrari and the Red
[35:56.240 -> 36:01.280] Bull. And just like the frenzy in the tech community and circles as everyone was like,
[36:01.280 -> 36:07.440] give me the photos, where are the photos? And the Red Bull, it's the Red Bull. Everyone go, go, go, go, go. Everyone's just like...
[36:08.720 -> 36:12.000] I think I sent you a podcast worth of voice notes that day.
[36:12.240 -> 36:13.640] With like, so many screenshots.
[36:13.640 -> 36:14.640] It's the floor! It's the floor!
[36:16.560 -> 36:20.280] And then you started getting like all the really smart people drawing squiggly
[36:20.280 -> 36:22.160] lines and explaining how the floors worked.
[36:22.160 -> 36:25.720] It was a magical tech day of the season.
[36:25.720 -> 36:33.640] And I just want to extend a formal thank you to Sergio Perez for just going in his downward
[36:33.640 -> 36:38.960] spiral because we would not have all the photos we have today. We actually post Red Bull upgrade
[36:38.960 -> 36:43.440] also got photos of those floor because of him. So thank you. Thank you for not being
[36:43.440 -> 36:50.560] great because if you're not going to give us a championship battle, which we all knew, at least give us photos of the Red Bull. So thank you.
[36:51.120 -> 36:56.720] And those are my tech moments of the season so far. All right, I think our final spin of the day,
[36:56.720 -> 37:02.240] anything remaining we'll touch on next week. Let's see what the Tire chooses for us.
[37:04.000 -> 37:08.000] what the tire chooses for us. And...
[37:08.000 -> 37:12.000] Ooh. Okay, so this is Max.
[37:12.000 -> 37:16.000] So it might not be our final spin of the day, because this one's a quick one.
[37:16.000 -> 37:20.000] Max seems to like to talk a lot about
[37:20.000 -> 37:24.000] how he no longer wants to be driving an F1. So if we're talking about
[37:24.000 -> 37:26.460] Silly Season, I do think it's worth touching on the fact that
[37:26.460 -> 37:30.520] he has spent a lot of time this season talking about how he no longer wants to be driving
[37:30.520 -> 37:31.520] in F1.
[37:31.520 -> 37:33.480] What are your thoughts and feelings?
[37:33.480 -> 37:36.360] Yeah, he just seems like, kind of bored.
[37:36.360 -> 37:42.600] I don't, I can't get a read on like, someone who's so unbelievably dominant in a sport,
[37:42.600 -> 37:47.440] but then a lot of the time, like kind of looks like they don't want to be there or like it almost doesn't
[37:47.440 -> 37:51.760] recognize like I don't know I feel like when you see like an iconic like we're
[37:51.760 -> 37:54.700] doing it we're doing the thing and every weekend Max like yep we're here and
[37:54.700 -> 37:57.420] we're doing it again and all of his quotes are like yeah and the racing like
[37:57.420 -> 38:01.240] I think he would be like ten times happier sitting at home doing like his
[38:01.240 -> 38:09.320] truck sim racing and like living out his life. Like I just I'm not getting like the passion and jazz and desire that you would
[38:09.520 -> 38:12.440] for someone who has such a dominant position in the sport.
[38:12.640 -> 38:17.080] But also maybe he'll just continue on and on and on.
[38:17.280 -> 38:19.800] I it's the most interesting athlete
[38:20.000 -> 38:23.960] perspective I've ever seen for someone in such a dominant position.
[38:24.160 -> 38:28.120] Right. And I don't think I'd be thinking this much about it if he wasn't talking all the
[38:28.120 -> 38:32.120] time about how, I don't know how long I'll be in the sports, like maybe only a couple
[38:32.120 -> 38:35.920] more years. I don't know. I don't know. He also has an absurdly long contract, I think
[38:35.920 -> 38:41.000] through 2028, but because I mean, contracts in F1 don't mean anything.
[38:41.000 -> 38:45.400] Everything's made up and the points don't matter.
[38:51.120 -> 38:54.760] Everything is made up and the points don't matter, yes. I think the counter argument I've seen to a lot of this is that he might be trying to build up some
[38:54.760 -> 38:57.680] kind of leverage for some kind of contract negotiation that he's working
[38:57.680 -> 39:03.600] on. I want them to give Max the ability to race in whatever series he wants. I
[39:03.600 -> 39:09.120] want Max, because I think Max would. I think if Max was actually allowed to race in non-F1 weekends, we would
[39:09.120 -> 39:13.720] see him in the endurance championship, like running a NASCAR. Like, who knows what Max
[39:13.720 -> 39:17.360] would do? It would be crazy to see Max do a triple crown. I'd love to be able to see
[39:17.360 -> 39:27.520] somebody do it. So give Max the freedom to do it. Let him have some fun, maybe, I think, if he can have fun.
[39:27.520 -> 39:32.000] He's definitely been built to be a racing robot. I don't know. No, he seems to have
[39:32.000 -> 39:38.360] fun on his streams that he does. Right, that's what I'm saying. Let him go play his truck
[39:38.360 -> 39:47.040] simulator games and have the time of his life. I don't think he's leaving F1 anytime soon, but I'm intrigued
[39:47.040 -> 39:52.320] why he keeps talking about it and what he's trying to get out of it, I think is my POV
[39:52.320 -> 39:58.360] on this. Yeah, but yeah, no, he's not going anywhere this year. Hey, it would be Nico
[39:58.360 -> 40:12.320] Rosberg retiring after a world championship times like 3000 if he was just like, okay, goodbye, I'm done. Oh, that'd be crazy huge. Wow. Oh my goodness. Anyway, we'll see if that happens.
[40:12.320 -> 40:17.080] All right, we lied before. As soon as it landed on max, we knew that was a quick one. So we
[40:17.080 -> 40:21.840] have time in the show rundown to spin this one more time. And the things remaining if
[40:21.840 -> 40:27.560] you're just listening and you want some suspense, we have a return to Carlos science,
[40:27.560 -> 40:31.400] we have a Logan sergeant, we have the two Alfa Romeo
[40:31.400 -> 40:34.600] guys, and then we have IndyCar and F2.
[40:34.600 -> 40:39.600] Let's spin.
[40:39.600 -> 40:43.600] And slowing down, slowing down, slowing down.
[40:43.600 -> 40:47.000] And And slowing down, slowing down, slowing down.
[40:47.000 -> 40:49.000] And return to Carlos Sainz.
[40:49.000 -> 40:52.000] Fantastic.
[40:52.000 -> 40:56.000] F this story.
[40:56.000 -> 41:07.040] This has been a nightmare of a week since we last recorded about Carlos Sainz, because it's all just gibberish because some publication in Australia said
[41:07.040 -> 41:10.780] that Carlos Sainz has a pre-contract, which by the way isn't a real contract, it's a verbal
[41:10.780 -> 41:16.960] agreement that hey maybe we'll sign you or maybe I will drive for you with Audi and then
[41:16.960 -> 41:21.680] there's no one else reporting that but it became such wildfire on social media because
[41:21.680 -> 41:28.000] there's no news coming out because it's summer break that the science team had to report to the Italian press that Carlos has no interest in
[41:28.000 -> 41:32.080] leaving Ferrari and he's just negotiating with Ferrari. I think the actual quote was,
[41:33.840 -> 41:39.280] I think it was option A, but in my head I read it as plan A, plan B, plan C are all Ferrari.
[41:40.480 -> 41:45.840] The only way Ferrari knows how to communicate or understand is by lettered plans.
[41:45.840 -> 41:50.480] Yeah, I saw all that coming around and I was like, hey, all right, Brianna, where, what's
[41:50.480 -> 41:51.480] our sourcing?
[41:51.480 -> 41:53.040] How, where is this coming from?
[41:53.040 -> 41:58.080] Is that what country is this coming from and reporting and like how deep down can we find
[41:58.080 -> 41:59.080] this?
[41:59.080 -> 42:02.720] We had like discussed this a little bit of a buzz like last week of like, this was always
[42:02.720 -> 42:09.040] a possible like option for him but like gosh a headline that says pre-contract is like great so
[42:09.040 -> 42:13.960] you have like nothing because a pre-contract isn't a thing really. It's all
[42:13.960 -> 42:17.400] made up and the points don't matter. It's all made up and the points don't matter.
[42:17.400 -> 42:27.600] I just don't know how to talk about this right now because I do think I do think Mattia Bonato was
[42:27.600 -> 42:31.560] the one who brought in Carlos. I do think Carlos was brought in under the
[42:31.560 -> 42:34.960] understanding that he was not going to be treated as a number two driver when
[42:34.960 -> 42:39.680] he is faster on track. I do think Carlos has been treated like a number two
[42:39.680 -> 42:44.040] driver when he's been faster on track a number of times so far this season and
[42:44.040 -> 42:47.280] as a Carlos Sainz fan I have wanted to scream at Ferrari because what's the
[42:47.280 -> 42:52.200] point? And then they'll call you're not competing for anything. Pit stop strategy
[42:52.200 -> 42:58.640] and just everyone gets screwed up. Don't start if you it's also just like
[42:58.640 -> 43:02.940] they're doing it poorly like there's a way to do it where we can't see it right
[43:02.940 -> 43:06.920] so if Carlos like if you start Carlos on softs
[43:06.920 -> 43:08.560] and LeClaire on mediums,
[43:08.560 -> 43:11.520] and then Carlos ends up behind LeClaire on the mediums,
[43:11.520 -> 43:14.280] then everyone in the world is going to see the fact
[43:14.280 -> 43:16.360] that you're ruining Carlos's strategy
[43:16.360 -> 43:17.920] because you started him on softs.
[43:17.920 -> 43:19.440] Just don't start him on softs.
[43:19.440 -> 43:21.160] Don't do that strategy.
[43:21.160 -> 43:23.040] Because the only way that strategy works
[43:23.040 -> 43:28.440] is if you swap your drivers. So I they're they're even doing it poorly there's a way to like
[43:28.440 -> 43:34.200] somewhat hide this instead they're doing so but I can't talking about Ferrari
[43:34.200 -> 43:41.320] Brianna I would totally support Carlos going to another team I'm just tired of
[43:41.320 -> 43:45.000] these rumors because I don't think they're coming from anywhere substantial.
[43:45.000 -> 43:47.000] Yeah, I agree with you there.
[43:47.000 -> 43:49.000] Just, again, silly season headlines.
[43:50.000 -> 43:55.000] Welcome back to Yellow Sector Notes. Not the fastest walk around F1, but we will complete a full lap.
[43:55.000 -> 44:00.000] Well, not this week. Actually, this week we're not completing a full lap around the paddock because it's silly season.
[44:00.000 -> 44:03.000] There's only so... well, it's summer break. Not really.
[44:03.000 -> 44:08.040] There's only so much news. I don't know. Bear with me. me I'm giving you the good news if there is news to be told all
[44:08.040 -> 44:13.600] right so starting with some McLaren news it has been formally announced that
[44:13.600 -> 44:17.680] IndyCarDrivers outspell and paddle award will be getting McLaren look the
[44:17.680 -> 44:22.380] McLaren rookie fp1 sessions this year I'm so excited please give powder the
[44:22.380 -> 44:30.000] Mexico race thank you my cliaren. Not McLaren, I read McLaren. It's Mercedes. Mercedes released their sustainability
[44:30.000 -> 44:33.360] report for this year, which is a really interesting report. They do to hold themselves
[44:33.360 -> 44:38.720] accountable. Yuki dropped new merch. It's currently only available in Japan, but he says global
[44:38.720 -> 44:43.120] shipping is coming really soon. It's also really cool. He's really leaning into the like fall leaf
[44:43.120 -> 44:45.120] vibe. I really like it.
[44:45.120 -> 44:49.520] McLaren and Coke continue to have the most continue like confusing brand
[44:49.520 -> 44:53.400] relationship on the grid in my opinion. I never know if Coca-Cola is actually
[44:53.400 -> 44:56.520] sponsoring McLaren and then they just like randomly drop a Coca-Cola Burger
[44:56.520 -> 45:01.840] King McLaren sponsorship combination but I don't know it's confusing but it
[45:01.840 -> 45:05.680] exists so McLaren is doing some kind of giveaway with Burger King.
[45:12.960 -> 45:20.800] Speaking, Oscar Piastri has dropped flip-flops. Leaning into the meme. Did you see this meme? I did not but now I will have to do a deep dive. Yeah, crash course because I'm not the like
[45:20.800 -> 45:25.680] perfect person to retell this but I think Oscar Orlando did one of
[45:25.680 -> 45:31.680] those videos of like Aussie slang and you know like flip-flops. Oh yes yes I do
[45:31.680 -> 45:37.440] yes I did see this okay. So yeah so then Oscar actually went to his merch team
[45:37.440 -> 45:41.840] and they made flip-flops and I think they named the thong standles and he's
[45:41.840 -> 45:49.840] like gonna send Lando a pair I don't know I just like leaning into the meme. Joe Guan Yu visited a Lulu lemon shop in China which
[45:49.840 -> 45:53.240] is a brand he's currently an ambassador of and all the videos looked insane he
[45:53.240 -> 45:59.160] was totally swarmed it's really cool to see just how popular he is in his home
[45:59.160 -> 46:06.160] country and I am excited for when we go back and race there and he gets a home race next year. Fingers crossed that that contract is coming soon.
[46:08.960 -> 46:13.760] This week someone was quoted as saying that Alpine wants to be the French Ferrari.
[46:13.760 -> 46:15.680] I'm just going to leave that there.
[46:16.320 -> 46:19.680] Estee Bestee teased new merch speaking of Alpine.
[46:19.680 -> 46:25.400] And last but not least, Roscoe will be in the new F1 movie that Lewis Hamilton is producing.
[46:28.400 -> 46:29.680] Those are the yellow sector notes
[46:29.680 -> 46:33.840] for episode 29 of Gridwalk.
[46:33.840 -> 46:36.080] How was my sector time today, Nicole?
[46:36.080 -> 46:39.200] Faster than Delta canceled my flight today.
[46:39.200 -> 46:42.000] That's pretty fast.
[46:42.000 -> 46:48.540] Thank you to Voice Over Man, thank you Lana Del Rey, and to our four-legged executive
[46:48.540 -> 46:49.540] producers.
[46:49.540 -> 46:53.780] If you are an audio listener, don't forget to turn on your auto-download so that you
[46:53.780 -> 46:58.060] always have a Gridwalk episode with you ready to listen to, and take two seconds to please,
[46:58.060 -> 46:59.860] please, please rate and review the pod.
[46:59.860 -> 47:04.860] If you're watching on YouTube, subscribe, like the video, turn on notifications, leave
[47:04.860 -> 47:09.080] us a comment and let us know what silly season headline would you like to see come true.
[47:09.080 -> 47:10.600] It doesn't need to be one that we talked about.
[47:10.600 -> 47:11.600] Make up your own.
[47:11.600 -> 47:14.160] Maybe you want to see Big Bird on the grid.
[47:14.160 -> 47:16.520] Let us know what you'd like to see happen.
[47:16.520 -> 47:20.800] All of these things, all of the engagement, the rates, the views, the comments, subscriptions,
[47:20.800 -> 47:24.880] really really help us out and help people find our podcast, show our podcast to your
[47:24.880 -> 47:25.880] fellow F1 friends.
[47:25.880 -> 47:30.480] Make sure you're joining us for daily grid walks on all of our social media platforms.
[47:30.480 -> 47:34.640] Follow at Gridwalk Show on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and threads.
[47:34.640 -> 47:36.200] That list keeps getting longer and longer.
[47:36.200 -> 47:42.000] We will be back to walk the Formula One grid every Thursday, even during F1 summer shutdown,
[47:42.000 -> 47:46.920] and we sincerely hope you join us. Whew, today kind of felt like a Ferrari pit stop,
[47:46.920 -> 47:48.320] but not a gridwalk.
[47:50.040 -> 47:52.560] I think our building locations give that away.
[47:52.560 -> 47:54.160] Maybe, maybe a little bit, yeah.
[47:54.160 -> 47:55.000] Okay.
[47:57.950 -> 47:59.950] you