Canadian GP: Hakkinen-Safety Car, Kubica-BMW, Mansell & more with Steve Slater - Voices of F1

Steve Slater, the Voice of F1 (ESPNStar & Fox Sports among others), joins Soumil Arora to share some of his finest memories from the Canadian Grand Prix over the years.

Did you know? There have been more Canadian Grands Prix than any other Grand Prix outside of Europe.

In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Steve recalls several iconic races through history - 1999, when Mika Hakkinen became the first driver to win the race under the Safety Car.

1991, when Nigel Mansell lost the race with only half a lap to go (he lost drive). 

Robert Kubica's crash in 2007 to winning his and BMW's first and only Grand Prix in Formula 1 in 2008.

This one's a must-listen! 

Steve predicts a Lewis Hamilton this Sunday! Who do you think will win in Canada? Tell us via the poll on Spotify or tag us on social media.

(Season 2023, Episode 28)

Follow our host on Twitter: Soumil Arora

Image courtesy: Mclaren

**Key Points Discussed in the Podcast:**

* **Steve Slater's Memories of Canadian Grand Prix:**

- Steve Slater, the renowned Formula One commentator, shares his memories and insights from the Canadian Grand Prix over the years.


* **Iconic Canadian GP Moments:**

- Steve recalls several iconic races, including Mika Hakkinen's victory under the Safety Car in 1999, Nigel Mansell's heartbreaking loss due to a mechanical failure in 1991, and Robert Kubica's remarkable win and BMW's first and only Formula One victory in 2008.


* **Canadian GP Uniqueness:**

- Steve highlights the Canadian Grand Prix's unique characteristics, such as its location on an island in the middle of a river, its accessibility via public transportation, and its vibrant atmosphere.


* **Challenges of Canadian GP:**

- Steve acknowledges that the Canadian Grand Prix can sometimes be processional, with long periods of not much happening followed by sudden bursts of action.


* **Favorite Race and Duel:**

- Steve prefers races with unpredictable outcomes and close battles, citing the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix as an example. He also mentions the legendary duel between Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell at the 1991 British Grand Prix as one of his favorites.


* **Current Season Analysis:**

- Steve discusses the dominance of Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen in the 2023 season, attributing it to technical advantages and the team's overall strength.


* **Sergio Perez's Title Chances:**

- Steve assesses Sergio Perez's chances of winning the world championship, considering the significant points deficit he faces compared to Max Verstappen.


* **Aston Martin's Rise:**

- Steve comments on Aston Martin's impressive progress in Formula One, attributing it to their substantial investment and the leadership of Lawrence Stroll.


* **Budget Cap and Sliding Scale Aerodynamics:**

- Steve weighs in on the impact of the budget cap and sliding scale aerodynamics regulations, suggesting that they have helped smaller teams like Aston Martin make significant strides.


* **Ferrari's Struggles:**

- Steve analyzes Ferrari's struggles in the 2023 season, despite their strong driver lineup. He speculates that Ferrari's management may have interfered with the design team's decisions, prioritizing straight-line speed over cornering performance.


* **Fernando Alonso's Transformation:**

- Steve remarks on Fernando Alonso's remarkable transformation from a young, arrogant driver to a more mature and experienced racer who enjoys his time in Formula One.


* **McLaren's Restructuring:**

- Steve explains McLaren's restructuring after losing Mercedes-Benz's financial support, emphasizing the team's focus on profitability and its potential to deliver the best value for money in Formula One.


* **Canadian GP Raft Race:**

- Steve mentions the legendary Canadian GP raft race, where Formula One teams compete against each other in a raft race on an artificial lake.


* **Steve's Commentary Preparation:**

- Steve reveals that he used to bring extensive notes to the commentary box for the Canadian Grand Prix, anticipating long periods of inactivity on the track.


* **2011 Canadian GP Rain Delay:**

- Steve recalls the record-breaking 2011 Canadian Grand Prix, which lasted over four hours due to rain, and how he filled the airtime during the rain delay with Stump Steve on Twitter.


* **Steve's Favorite Race:**

- Steve expresses his preference for races with unpredictable outcomes and close battles, citing the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix as an example. # Inside Line F1 Podcast Transcript Summary

## Episode 28: Canadian Grand Prix Memories with Steve Slater

### Introduction

* Steve Slater, the voice of F1 for ESPN Star and Fox Sports, joins Soumil Arora to reminisce about iconic Canadian Grand Prix races.
* There have been more Canadian Grands Prix than any other Grand Prix outside Europe.

### Memorable Canadian Grand Prix Races

* **1999:** Mika Hakkinen becomes the first driver to win a race under the Safety Car.
* **1991:** Nigel Mansell loses the race with half a lap to go due to a stalled engine.
* **2008:** Robert Kubica wins his and BMW's first and only Grand Prix victory in Formula 1.

### Robert Kubica's Career and Potential

* Kubica was considered a highly rated driver before a rally crash in 2010 derailed his career.
* He was rumored to have been offered a potential seat at Ferrari alongside Fernando Alonso for 2011.
* Kubica had the ability to be a world champion, but his accident prevented him from reaching his full potential.

### The Wall of Champions

* The Wall of Champions is a section of the Montreal circuit where several champions have crashed.
* Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher, and Jacques Villeneuve all crashed there in 1999, giving it its name.
* Mika Hakkinen won that race, becoming the first driver to win a Grand Prix behind a safety car.

### The Closeness of the 2023 Field

* The 2023 Formula 1 season has seen an incredibly close field, with small margins separating the top teams.
* This has led to exciting qualifying sessions and races, with several drivers and teams in contention for victories.

### Technology in Formula 1

* Steve Slater believes that Formula 1 has become too focused on technology and aerodynamics.
* He argues that this has led to a decrease in overtaking and excitement on the track.
* He prefers the older era of Formula 1, where driver skill and car design were more important.

### The Sprint Format

* Steve Slater is not a fan of the sprint format, which was introduced in 2021.
* He believes that it is an artificial way to create excitement and does not add anything to the racing.
* He prefers the traditional Grand Prix format, which he believes is a better test of a driver's skills and endurance.

### Steve Slater's Favorite Circuits and Races

* Steve Slater's favorite circuits are Spa-Francorchamps and Monza.
* He also enjoys the Imola circuit, which he hopes will return to the Formula 1 calendar soon.
* His favorite race was the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix, where Felipe Massa thought he had won the championship before Lewis Hamilton overtook him on the last lap.

### Steve Slater's Relationship with Formula 1

* Steve Slater is proud of his time working in Formula 1 and introducing the sport to India.
* He still stays in touch with many of his former colleagues and friends from the paddock.
* He plans to visit Malaysia and Singapore later this year to reconnect with old friends.

### Nigel Mansell's Celebration Blooper

* In the 1991 Canadian Grand Prix, Nigel Mansell lost the race while leading due to a celebration blooper.
* He let the revs drop at the hairpin while waving to the crowd, causing his engine to stall.
* This allowed Nelson Piquet to overtake him and win the race. # Inside Line F1 Podcast: Steve Slater Recalls Memorable Canadian Grand Prix Moments

**Introduction:**

In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Steve Slater, a renowned Formula One commentator, joins host Soumil Arora to share his insights and recollections of some of the most iconic Canadian Grand Prix races over the years.

**Memorable Canadian Grand Prix Moments:**

1. **1999 Canadian Grand Prix:**

- Mika Hakkinen became the first driver to win a race under the Safety Car.

2. **1991 Canadian Grand Prix:**

- Nigel Mansell lost the race with only half a lap to go due to a sudden loss of drive.

3. **2007 Canadian Grand Prix:**

- Robert Kubica suffered a horrific crash, but miraculously survived and returned to Formula One the following year.

4. **2008 Canadian Grand Prix:**

- Robert Kubica won his and BMW's first and only Formula One Grand Prix.
- Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Räikkönen, and Nico Rosberg collided, ending their chances of victory.

5. **Other Bloopers:**

- Nelson Piquet's alternator failure in 1984, leading to a race victory for Nigel Mansell.
- Lewis Hamilton's pit lane collision with Kimi Räikkönen in 2008, resulting in a double retirement.

**Steve Slater's Predictions for the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix:**

- Predicts a Lewis Hamilton victory based on Mercedes' improving performance and Hamilton's determination.

**Conclusion:**

Steve Slater's anecdotes and insights provide a captivating glimpse into the history and excitement of the Canadian Grand Prix, leaving listeners eagerly anticipating the upcoming race weekend.

[00:00.000 -> 00:28.560] So the five red lights illuminate and we go. Iconic, this never gets old and this is going to be so amazing
[00:28.560 -> 00:34.960] this entire next hour where we folks have Steve Slater, the voice of Formula One in Asia over the
[00:34.960 -> 00:40.640] last couple of decades and he's going to be on the show to talk about all of our Canadian GP stories
[00:40.640 -> 00:45.240] and more including our thoughts on the 2023 F1 season. Wow! Strap
[00:45.240 -> 00:50.440] yourselves in because this is going to be a fun hour coming up. Welcome everyone to
[00:50.440 -> 00:54.840] the Inside Line F1 podcast. My name is Samul Arora. I'm the host of the Indian
[00:54.840 -> 00:59.640] Racing League broadcast on Starsports and this time as I mentioned early on
[00:59.640 -> 01:04.080] the legend himself, Steve Slater is joining us once again on the Inside Line
[01:04.080 -> 01:05.000] F1 podcast.
[01:05.000 -> 01:09.200] And Steve, firstly, thank you so much for taking out some time on a Sunday morning to
[01:09.200 -> 01:10.520] talk about some racing.
[01:10.520 -> 01:14.440] And when you put it that way, it sounds almost perfect.
[01:14.440 -> 01:15.440] What could be better?
[01:15.440 -> 01:18.360] An English summer's day just outside the window.
[01:18.360 -> 01:22.400] I'm heading to an airfield to fly vintage aircraft a little bit later on.
[01:22.400 -> 01:25.200] And we get to talk about racing cars for an hour first,
[01:25.200 -> 01:31.360] is this as good as it gets? Yeah that's more like it, if only the current season was as good as it
[01:31.360 -> 01:36.960] gets though because we've been watching Formula One over the last what, holy wow, it's been six
[01:36.960 -> 01:42.080] months since the year has begun, so what three months is the season has started and since then
[01:42.080 -> 01:45.360] right there's been such an overload of racing because there's
[01:45.360 -> 01:50.320] a race happening every other week but not everyone seems to be best pleased by the action going
[01:50.320 -> 01:55.200] around so have you enjoyed watching your racing so far or is it just the aircraft that has kept
[01:55.200 -> 02:00.640] you entertained over the last few months? No I've been enjoying the racing, yes it's been a
[02:00.640 -> 02:06.400] dominated season dominated by Red Bull racing, There are technical reasons why the Red Bull appears
[02:06.400 -> 02:09.360] to have the advantage over Ferrari.
[02:09.360 -> 02:13.400] McLaren, sorry, Mercedes have rather dropped the ball.
[02:13.400 -> 02:17.320] They tried their aerodynamic approach,
[02:17.320 -> 02:18.960] which they struggled with last year
[02:18.960 -> 02:23.080] and have failed to execute properly this year.
[02:23.080 -> 02:25.440] There's some fairly significant changes at Mercedes as
[02:25.440 -> 02:31.280] a result of that and we're seeing the car now suddenly gaining side pods. They're almost
[02:31.280 -> 02:35.040] back at their pre-season test point now, so they're going to come back stronger in the
[02:35.040 -> 02:42.320] mid part of the season. You've got McLaren who have been good in parts, but with actually
[02:42.320 -> 02:45.000] a much smaller budget than a lot of the other teams.
[02:45.000 -> 02:52.000] Aston Martin, one just wonders how many million dollars the Stroll family are spending to get themselves there.
[02:52.000 -> 02:59.000] And Fernando Alonso, it's got to be said, Fernando is enjoying his motor racing.
[02:59.000 -> 03:06.040] I love the comment somebody said, you know, now you're in your 40s, but how long are you gonna continue?
[03:06.040 -> 03:07.440] He says, well, show me a younger driver
[03:07.440 -> 03:08.540] that's faster than me.
[03:09.760 -> 03:12.640] So, and then Ferrari.
[03:12.640 -> 03:16.880] Well, yes, Ferrari sort of makes you want to throw things
[03:16.880 -> 03:18.360] at the television quite often, doesn't it?
[03:18.360 -> 03:20.560] Because like, they've got so much potential,
[03:20.560 -> 03:23.560] but managed to find a way of stalling it every time.
[03:23.560 -> 03:26.200] And it's interesting that
[03:26.200 -> 03:30.800] Ferrari really haven't made some of the steps forward. I don't know whether you
[03:30.800 -> 03:34.800] saw the speculation this week that the senior Ferrari management of the Ferrari
[03:34.800 -> 03:41.480] company had actually briefed the design team to actually increase straight-line
[03:41.480 -> 03:49.600] speed because you can't have a Ferrari being beaten by Mercedes on straight line speed. But that's compromised them for their aerodynamics for
[03:49.600 -> 03:55.560] cornering. And perhaps if Ferrari's management hadn't meddled for marketing reasons, the
[03:55.560 -> 03:57.480] Ferrari might be a more competitive car.
[03:57.480 -> 04:02.720] Well, are we all the way back to the what to the mid 20th century when Enzo Ferrari
[04:02.720 -> 04:09.520] used to have this mindset as well, that it doesn't matter what the aero is, build a fast straight line car. But I heard a lump in
[04:09.520 -> 04:13.600] your voice when you were talking about Ferrari and just the emotion that surrounds it. Is it
[04:13.600 -> 04:19.440] the same for Fernando though? Because I think Steve we've never seen this person ever. We've
[04:19.440 -> 04:24.160] seen a certain person named Fernando Alonso who can drive race cars very very fast but this is a
[04:24.160 -> 04:25.360] different human being.
[04:25.360 -> 04:27.680] Did you ever see these sort of signs with Fernando
[04:27.680 -> 04:30.280] back in the day when you ever met him?
[04:30.280 -> 04:32.520] I think he was always a winner.
[04:32.520 -> 04:35.480] He is never a guy that if you walk to a doorway,
[04:35.480 -> 04:38.920] so he would say after you.
[04:38.920 -> 04:42.040] Most Formula One drivers are like that, it's got to be said.
[04:42.040 -> 04:44.000] When I first started working with Alonso,
[04:44.000 -> 04:48.000] it's 20 years ago now, he was a very arrogant individual,
[04:48.000 -> 04:50.000] was quite hard work to do interviews with
[04:50.000 -> 04:51.040] and things like that.
[04:51.040 -> 04:53.040] I think he's matured, he's grown up.
[04:53.040 -> 04:55.200] He's got other things in his life as well.
[04:55.200 -> 04:57.800] And, but the simple fact is he is still
[04:57.800 -> 05:00.280] a fantastically quick racing driver.
[05:00.280 -> 05:02.960] And he could transfer that to Le Mans,
[05:02.960 -> 05:04.560] he could, while he was on the podium,
[05:04.560 -> 05:07.880] he could transfer that to Le Mans, he could transfer that to IndyCar where he actually
[05:07.880 -> 05:11.760] led the Indy 500 a few years ago, didn't win it.
[05:11.760 -> 05:17.200] But he's got the pace, he could jump into pretty well, you could give him a supermarket
[05:17.200 -> 05:20.320] trolley and he'd be first through the doors with it.
[05:20.320 -> 05:23.760] It's amazing but what do you reckon about his old paternal side?
[05:23.760 -> 05:26.480] It's a little odd, he's finally grown up at 41.
[05:27.040 -> 05:33.040] And why not? He knows he's in the last few years of his Formula One racing career.
[05:34.000 -> 05:39.280] What he will do next, I don't know. It's got to be said, there's never been great,
[05:39.280 -> 05:44.640] with possible exception of Niki Lauda, there's never been a great history for F1 drivers
[05:44.640 -> 05:47.880] successfully running teams afterwards. It seems it's a different skill set.
[05:47.880 -> 05:54.400] Alan Prost had a darn good go but his team of course went into liquidation at
[05:54.400 -> 05:58.600] the end of it. We've seen the odd one in the past but I think, I don't know,
[05:58.600 -> 06:02.680] whatever Alonso do it'll be worth watching. And Steve, what do you reckon
[06:02.680 -> 06:09.840] about the title challenge at the top, if there ever is one with Sergio Perez in that regard, because our friend F1 stats guru on the
[06:09.840 -> 06:14.560] podcast revealed that now Sergio Perez has to overcome the record for the biggest points
[06:14.560 -> 06:19.920] deficit ever overcome by a driver in a season to win a world title. I think Perez is at 53 points,
[06:19.920 -> 06:27.240] maxed it last year at some number around the 40s. So do we even have a fight, or is it game over already?
[06:27.240 -> 06:28.880] I wouldn't say it's game over already.
[06:28.880 -> 06:30.720] Red Bull are committed to fair racing
[06:30.720 -> 06:32.440] between their two drivers.
[06:32.440 -> 06:35.300] In a way, it allows Paris potentially
[06:35.300 -> 06:37.880] to win a few more Grands Prix, because there won't
[06:37.880 -> 06:40.840] be a pressure on the team to say we need every individual point
[06:40.840 -> 06:44.320] for Max, because Max is already in such a strong position.
[06:44.320 -> 06:47.720] I mean, Max probably could go off on holiday for the rest of the season and still be world
[06:47.720 -> 06:48.720] champion.
[06:48.720 -> 06:53.440] But, you know, that's not the way it's going to work.
[06:53.440 -> 07:00.560] The simple fact is that Max Verstappen, the current Red Bull and the team that's around
[07:00.560 -> 07:02.240] them are the dream package.
[07:02.240 -> 07:05.160] It's like the Michael Schumacher Ferrari package
[07:05.160 -> 07:07.920] of sort of 2000, what was it, five, six,
[07:07.920 -> 07:08.920] something like that.
[07:10.280 -> 07:14.000] That is exactly what I think it should be.
[07:15.200 -> 07:18.880] And there's a simple answer to everyone
[07:18.880 -> 07:22.280] that complains that Max Verstappen is dominating.
[07:22.280 -> 07:23.880] Find somebody to go beat him.
[07:23.880 -> 07:27.280] My apologies, Samuel, I've just lost your audio.
[07:27.280 -> 07:31.760] Oh you're just back again. No no no it's so silly actually, it's been what three years since COVID
[07:31.760 -> 07:37.920] and we all sometimes forget to mute our microphones off as well. But before we get to talking about
[07:37.920 -> 07:41.840] some other drivers that have really intrigued us, first thing I'd also like to welcome all the live
[07:41.840 -> 07:46.200] audience members that are also joining in right here. Folks, you can say hello on the chat as well.
[07:46.200 -> 07:48.040] Send in your questions for Steve,
[07:48.040 -> 07:49.440] and we'd really love to answer them.
[07:49.440 -> 07:51.480] And genuinely, thank you for taking out your time
[07:51.480 -> 07:53.640] on a Sunday afternoon slash morning,
[07:53.640 -> 07:54.880] and hopefully evening as well,
[07:54.880 -> 07:57.080] if we've got listeners all over the globe as well.
[07:57.080 -> 07:58.240] So genuinely, thank you.
[07:58.240 -> 07:59.240] Thank you for joining in.
[07:59.240 -> 08:00.600] Yes, I've just enabled the chat,
[08:00.600 -> 08:02.680] so if anybody does the whisper backstage,
[08:02.680 -> 08:03.920] I'll pick up on it.
[08:03.920 -> 08:06.880] Ha ha, awesome. Awesome but Steve I also want
[08:06.880 -> 08:11.760] to talk about a few interesting points about the season. I want to know your takes on how this goes
[08:11.760 -> 08:18.160] as well. Firstly the broader regulation part with the sliding scale aerodynamics and the budget cap
[08:18.160 -> 08:25.720] it seemingly allowed a minor or a rather small team like Aston Martin to jump up the ranks very, very quickly.
[08:25.720 -> 08:27.720] But do you think it's working overall so far?
[08:27.720 -> 08:31.660] And do you like how this whole new modern generation
[08:31.660 -> 08:33.680] of Formula 1's turning out to be?
[08:33.680 -> 08:34.480] I think, yes.
[08:34.480 -> 08:40.000] I mean, it's got to be said that Red Bull Racing last year
[08:40.000 -> 08:45.680] were caught playing fast and loose with the budget cap.
[08:45.680 -> 08:50.360] If I remember rightly, they were fined.
[08:50.360 -> 08:51.960] The limit's $140 million.
[08:51.960 -> 08:55.520] I think it dropped down to $135 million for this season.
[08:55.520 -> 08:57.440] And if I remember rightly, Red Bull Racing
[08:57.440 -> 09:04.720] were fined about $7 million for breaching that budget cap last
[09:04.720 -> 09:06.640] year. And that could easily be the one of the
[09:06.640 -> 09:12.080] reasons why their car has this such a significant advantage over Mercedes, although I think a lot
[09:12.080 -> 09:18.000] of that is Mercedes having made errors in the way they've dealt with it. It could be the reason why
[09:18.000 -> 09:21.920] Ferrari are struggling to catch up though because they did comply with the rules and
[09:24.000 -> 09:26.080] Aston Martin's a fascinating one,
[09:26.080 -> 09:28.160] because bear in mind, this is the team
[09:28.160 -> 09:30.520] that just a few years ago were Force India,
[09:30.520 -> 09:32.760] and just a few years before that were Jordan.
[09:33.720 -> 09:36.680] They've made an absolutely immense investment
[09:36.680 -> 09:38.120] in what they're doing,
[09:38.120 -> 09:41.060] and it's a great support for the Aston Martin brand
[09:41.060 -> 09:42.320] around the world, and being British,
[09:42.320 -> 09:45.160] I'm personally very proud of what Aston Martin are doing
[09:45.160 -> 09:49.000] as the premier British sports car brand.
[09:49.000 -> 09:51.400] And yes, it's owned by a Canadian,
[09:51.400 -> 09:54.040] but it's still very much a British brand.
[09:54.040 -> 09:57.800] If you buy a Rolls Royce, you're basically buying a BMW.
[09:57.800 -> 09:58.800] If you're buying a Bentley,
[09:58.800 -> 10:01.800] you're basically buying a Volkswagen.
[10:03.200 -> 10:05.960] But if you buy an Aston Martin you're buying something that's
[10:05.960 -> 10:10.560] about well the only other British sports car that's similar is the Morgan which
[10:10.560 -> 10:15.680] is still built to a 1946 design. And it's so beautiful and especially the
[10:15.680 -> 10:20.440] three-wheel Morgans as well the way they just drive around eventually it's what
[10:20.440 -> 10:25.920] a sight. Well I was very lucky to have six years of driving a Morgan,
[10:25.920 -> 10:27.200] and I loved it to bits.
[10:27.200 -> 10:29.280] What?
[10:29.280 -> 10:31.920] One day when I can afford it, I might well have another one.
[10:31.920 -> 10:33.680] OK, Steve, at some point, you really
[10:33.680 -> 10:36.260] have to tell me more about the experience of owning a Morgan.
[10:36.260 -> 10:38.080] But in fact, we've actually got questions
[10:38.080 -> 10:39.840] from all of our live audiences as well.
[10:39.840 -> 10:41.880] And this is first one from Priyansh.
[10:41.880 -> 10:43.280] And by the way, Priyansh, thank you.
[10:43.280 -> 10:45.680] Thank you so much for taking out the time to join us right here.
[10:45.680 -> 10:48.440] He's got three of them, actually, and three really incredibly fun
[10:48.440 -> 10:48.960] ones.
[10:48.960 -> 10:50.880] Firstly, on Sergio Perez.
[10:50.880 -> 10:52.960] And that's a harsh one, isn't it?
[10:52.960 -> 10:55.680] Do you think Perez is the right choice for Red Bull Racing?
[10:55.680 -> 10:58.120] And do you think his own interest,
[10:58.120 -> 10:59.280] what about his own interest?
[10:59.280 -> 11:01.520] Is he the right person to continue for Red Bull Racing
[11:01.520 -> 11:02.920] in that second driver role?
[11:02.920 -> 11:04.540] And what do you reckon about it, Steve?
[11:04.540 -> 11:09.440] Well, I'll take you back to Felipe Massa, where Felipe said, well, what do I do?
[11:09.440 -> 11:11.200] Do I leave and drive an inferior car?
[11:12.960 -> 11:15.920] At the end of the day, he's got the same car as Max Verstappen.
[11:15.920 -> 11:16.640] He's OK.
[11:16.640 -> 11:20.240] He's paired with what is clearly the best driver in the world at the moment.
[11:21.600 -> 11:25.680] I would think for Sergio, his challenge is to get himself into a position and he's
[11:25.680 -> 11:34.200] quite often isn't is able to do it to get himself into a an F1 car that is in the car.
[11:34.200 -> 11:37.760] He's got a match Max and that's got to be the greatest at the end of the day your teammates
[11:37.760 -> 11:41.000] is your best possible challenge and they're doing it in the best cars. Is he going to
[11:41.000 -> 11:44.680] be world champion one day? Probably not but he's going to win a few more Grand Prix's
[11:44.680 -> 11:45.560] on the way, particularly
[11:45.560 -> 11:47.280] if anything goes wrong for Max.
[11:47.280 -> 11:48.320] Yeah, exactly.
[11:48.320 -> 11:49.760] And that's how it's turning out to be.
[11:49.760 -> 11:52.800] But Priyansh has actually got another one in Ferrari.
[11:52.800 -> 11:54.420] And this one, oh boy.
[11:54.420 -> 11:56.720] How do you feel Ferrari can get back to the top?
[11:56.720 -> 11:59.440] Is the Leclerc sign sparing the best one going forward?
[11:59.440 -> 12:02.640] And the change at the top hasn't really helped them with the strategy level.
[12:02.640 -> 12:08.720] They still end up making the same mistakes. But I sort of disagree, isn't it, Steve? Because I think they make new mistakes all
[12:08.720 -> 12:14.880] the time. Yes, exactly that. They seem to find new ways of losing races every time.
[12:16.080 -> 12:22.720] I, it frustrates me because I am passionate about motorsport and you can't not be passionate
[12:22.720 -> 12:27.400] about Ferrari. Anybody who listens to a classic Ferrari going past down
[12:27.400 -> 12:29.600] the road, if their pulse rate doesn't rise,
[12:29.600 -> 12:31.800] they ain't got a pulse.
[12:31.800 -> 12:35.840] And the F1 cars, OK, the F1 cars all sound a bit the same.
[12:35.840 -> 12:37.760] In Ferrari at the moment, you've got a team
[12:37.760 -> 12:39.800] which is finding its feet.
[12:39.800 -> 12:41.880] I get the impression that at some point,
[12:41.880 -> 12:46.960] Ferrari will start focusing on 2024 and you may well see that
[12:46.960 -> 12:51.120] they won't improve any further because why spend another 10 million dollars trying to make your
[12:51.120 -> 12:56.240] car go quicker for this year when you might want to ensure that it's going to be quicker than Red
[12:56.240 -> 13:01.760] Bull next year and I think that could be the the next decision that Ferrari's management team have
[13:01.760 -> 13:06.480] to make is when do they say right okay okay, we start focusing on the next season.
[13:06.480 -> 13:08.800] They've also got to keep Carlos Sainz
[13:08.800 -> 13:10.360] and Charles Leclerc interested.
[13:11.320 -> 13:13.640] Both of those drivers would be snapped up
[13:13.640 -> 13:16.680] if they came on the driver market by, say, a Mercedes
[13:16.680 -> 13:19.660] or a, dare I say, an Aston Martin.
[13:22.020 -> 13:27.920] I think that, I mean, you know, somebody once said to me they were offered a seat at Renault
[13:27.920 -> 13:31.520] and he says, look, I've got a choice between driving for Ferrari and getting a Ferrari
[13:31.520 -> 13:34.880] company car or Renault and getting a Renault company car, which am I going to choose?
[13:35.760 -> 13:39.200] You know what, Daniel Ricciardo actually got the Renault Twizy, that small little
[13:39.200 -> 13:42.800] two-seater car that they actually had as one of his company cars as well.
[13:44.640 -> 13:50.400] Yeah, the one I loved was back in the days when Mercedes, if you won a championship for Mercedes,
[13:51.200 -> 13:54.880] you were given a vehicle from their production line, any vehicle you could have your choice.
[13:55.600 -> 14:02.080] And I won't name the driver, but they asked for a luxury coach.
[14:02.080 -> 14:03.120] A luxury coach?
[14:03.120 -> 14:11.640] Because it was the most expensive thing on the Mercedes product list which you could then sell. What a... Now it was clever. One second, it can only be so many
[14:11.640 -> 14:19.520] drivers can it? Not naming, no names, no patents. Oh man. It's also a little bit like when
[14:19.520 -> 14:24.800] Honda F1 were based at Brackley in England and they offered most of
[14:24.800 -> 14:26.680] their senior engineers a choice of any vehicleackley in England. And they offered most of their senior engineers
[14:26.680 -> 14:28.920] choice of any vehicle in the Honda range.
[14:28.920 -> 14:31.720] What they hadn't expected was that they,
[14:31.720 -> 14:36.040] nearly all their engineers got Honda Blackbird 1200 motorcycles
[14:36.040 -> 14:38.360] which were capable of about 200 miles an hour.
[14:38.360 -> 14:41.160] So their entire engineering team were engaged
[14:41.160 -> 14:43.560] in the highest riskiest thing to do on the road.
[14:45.120 -> 14:48.840] That's precisely what you do. That's the benefit of working for a company like that.
[14:48.840 -> 14:52.200] I mean, who would go up there and ask for a Honda Civic or something like that, would
[14:52.200 -> 14:57.760] you? Oh, but goodness, Renault needs to step up their game with the company cars, by the
[14:57.760 -> 15:00.760] way. I think it helps that they're Alpine now and they have at least the A110.
[15:00.760 -> 15:06.040] Yes, exactly. I think that's one of the advantages of being Alpine. The cars of those Alpines are fun, actually.
[15:06.040 -> 15:07.160] They're a good car.
[15:07.160 -> 15:08.360] Have you driven them, Steve?
[15:08.360 -> 15:10.240] I'd really love to know.
[15:10.240 -> 15:13.800] Yes, I've driven the small engine one, and I liked it.
[15:13.800 -> 15:16.520] I thought it was a really nicely balanced car.
[15:16.520 -> 15:17.280] It's not a Porsche.
[15:17.280 -> 15:21.320] It's very different to a Porsche, but it's a, yeah.
[15:21.320 -> 15:22.120] I can't afford one.
[15:22.120 -> 15:23.120] I hasten to that.
[15:23.120 -> 15:26.000] I mean, it's what, 50,000 pounds or something thereabouts? Yeah. It's a lot of money for a car, I can't afford one of these. I mean, it's what, 50,000 pounds or something thereabouts?
[15:26.000 -> 15:29.000] Yeah, it's a lot of money for a car.
[15:29.000 -> 15:30.000] I'm happy with the ones I got.
[15:30.000 -> 15:31.000] It looks beautiful.
[15:31.000 -> 15:32.000] It really does look beautiful.
[15:32.000 -> 15:34.000] But actually, on the discussion of Ferrari, once again,
[15:34.000 -> 15:37.000] we've actually got a question from Kevin that's coming in.
[15:37.000 -> 15:39.000] That's also on the same point as well.
[15:39.000 -> 15:42.000] If Ferrari needs some person like Aldo Costa to join,
[15:42.000 -> 15:44.000] or is he the guy who knows Ferrari?
[15:44.000 -> 15:46.640] Because he's the guy who knows Ferrari,
[15:46.640 -> 15:49.240] and the person who brought Mercedes success as well.
[15:49.240 -> 15:51.680] You think it's a management thing?
[15:51.680 -> 15:54.520] And have they made enough changes recently to sort of?
[15:54.520 -> 15:56.920] I think they've probably made enough changes recently.
[15:56.920 -> 15:58.640] They need to bed the team in.
[15:58.640 -> 16:00.400] And I've now just had a mental block,
[16:00.400 -> 16:03.320] and I can't think of the name of the great French guy who's
[16:03.320 -> 16:13.600] running the team at the moment. Fred. And he is a racer heart absolutely at heart and he is also a
[16:13.600 -> 16:17.040] very good manager he's the sort of guy can pull the team together and that's
[16:17.040 -> 16:21.080] what they need at the moment hmm so I don't think much more management the
[16:21.080 -> 16:29.480] only thing with Fred must be he must start, if Ferrari management are meddling, he won't be comfortable with that. But what I would
[16:29.480 -> 16:32.160] say is at the moment I think the Ferraris just need to get their feet on the ground
[16:32.160 -> 16:36.800] and start building upwards. The other team that's going to be interesting to
[16:36.800 -> 16:40.880] watch in that respect is McLaren because they actually were quite, they've got
[16:40.880 -> 16:47.200] quite a small budget. They're not as heavily funded as some of the other teams around F1.
[16:47.200 -> 16:53.040] We're still talking $100 million rather than $135 million. You're looking at a lot of money,
[16:53.040 -> 16:58.000] but it's not at the same level as some of the others. I do think actually McLaren are probably
[16:58.000 -> 17:02.880] now capable of delivering what I would call the best bang for the buck in Formula One.
[17:02.880 -> 17:06.880] But Steve, before we get to some of the other questions that all of our dear listeners have
[17:06.880 -> 17:12.880] sent in live, I just want to ask one thing about McLaren about how has it gone so pear-shaped so
[17:12.880 -> 17:18.080] quickly? Because I think we remember 10 odd years ago when, luckily you were in the commentary box,
[17:18.080 -> 17:23.280] McLaren used to have such an amazing technology department, it used to have a great spend and
[17:23.280 -> 17:25.000] investment on R&D.
[17:25.000 -> 17:28.280] And sure, they didn't get success over the last decade and a half, and they had a little
[17:28.280 -> 17:32.840] bit of financial trouble during COVID. But surely the Formula One department is a different
[17:32.840 -> 17:36.680] thing, right? So how did they not become one of the key spenders in Formula One over the
[17:36.680 -> 17:37.680] last few years?
[17:37.680 -> 17:47.000] They bear in mind that in, was it 2011, they lost their Mercedes-Benz investment and budget and probably lost 40 or 50 million
[17:47.000 -> 17:53.480] a year which had been previously invested from Mercedes.
[17:53.480 -> 17:58.200] They had to rebuild a team and they had to make a team that shows a profit.
[17:58.200 -> 18:00.280] At the end of the day, it's an independent team now.
[18:00.280 -> 18:05.000] It's like Williams or the Alfa Romeo team.
[18:05.640 -> 18:08.320] They're all teams that have to show an independent profit.
[18:08.320 -> 18:11.440] The Alfa Romeo naming on their car
[18:11.440 -> 18:15.440] is not particularly a direct development budget
[18:15.440 -> 18:17.760] from the car manufacturer, it's a sponsorship,
[18:17.760 -> 18:20.120] which is why they're gonna move relatively seamlessly
[18:20.120 -> 18:22.560] to another brand name in a year or so's time.
[18:23.920 -> 18:27.840] So I think that McLaren are in a similar situation
[18:28.480 -> 18:32.640] and they've got a great factory and they've got a great team of people there
[18:33.600 -> 18:38.160] and they are separate of course now from the McLaren road car division, that's a separate activity
[18:39.600 -> 18:44.960] but it is a smaller budget and a smaller team but actually as a smaller team they are capable
[18:44.960 -> 18:46.360] of regularly running at the front.
[18:46.360 -> 18:48.640] And I think particularly with Lando Norris there,
[18:48.640 -> 18:51.960] you're going to have more podiums coming up
[18:51.960 -> 18:53.800] as the season goes on.
[18:53.800 -> 18:56.040] Yeah, actually, let's stay on McLaren for one second
[18:56.040 -> 18:57.580] before we go to other things as well.
[18:57.580 -> 19:00.320] Because there's one from Ajit who's actually
[19:00.320 -> 19:01.600] sent a really fun question.
[19:01.600 -> 19:03.600] Why is it so difficult for McLaren and Williams
[19:03.600 -> 19:05.640] to get into a podium position nowadays?
[19:05.640 -> 19:07.880] Is it just the budget or related to skills
[19:07.880 -> 19:09.280] of the driver and the team?
[19:09.280 -> 19:12.440] And there's also, I think there's one from Ankit
[19:12.440 -> 19:14.360] as well that I just saw a second ago.
[19:14.360 -> 19:14.860] Yes.
[19:14.860 -> 19:17.040] That is also based on a similar point as well,
[19:17.040 -> 19:18.880] which was on McLaren.
[19:18.880 -> 19:21.680] Have they lost the game?
[19:21.680 -> 19:24.040] And I'm just sort of loading it up because I can see it.
[19:24.040 -> 19:25.000] Have they lost the game with losing? Yeah, it. Yeah, have they lost a game with
[19:25.040 -> 19:27.080] the scene? Have they lost the game? We're losing the works
[19:27.080 -> 19:31.880] partnership tag. And thanks for that one. Yeah, I think that
[19:31.960 -> 19:34.280] it's not that they've lost the game, but they've had to
[19:34.280 -> 19:40.280] restructure. And having no longer being part of a major car
[19:40.280 -> 19:43.200] manufacturers investment program, you've got to then
[19:43.200 -> 19:46.600] restructure the team and Zac Brown
[19:46.600 -> 19:50.320] has done a fantastic job and he's doing the same thing actually with IndyCar teams as
[19:50.320 -> 19:55.280] well at the moment with his McLaren IndyCar team and with his Formula E and Formula E
[19:55.280 -> 20:04.000] off road racing. So he's got a lot of fingers in a lot of pies. Ultimately he came from
[20:04.000 -> 20:07.140] the finance sector in New York. He knows how to raise
[20:07.140 -> 20:12.960] finance and to generate business models. And that's what he's doing with the McLaren F1
[20:12.960 -> 20:18.600] team. They've got one very good driver and a second very good new driver who's learning
[20:18.600 -> 20:24.360] the ropes with every successive race. So I personally think that future looks good for
[20:24.360 -> 20:25.640] McLaren. And as I say,
[20:25.640 -> 20:31.720] they're the team that's probably set to deliver the maximum points for the dollar over the next
[20:31.720 -> 20:37.080] half season. I've lost your audio again. There we are. I have made the same mistake again in the
[20:37.080 -> 20:44.480] second in the last 10 minutes. But yeah, okay, let's let's actually now also get back to Canada,
[20:44.480 -> 20:47.280] because that's essentially what we're here for and there are so many other questions
[20:47.960 -> 20:55.240] Especially two of them from Mayur that we'd love to answer. Firstly, he's got one about your time commentating about your favorite race and your favorite duel
[20:55.240 -> 20:57.680] But Mayur, rest assured we will get back to that
[20:57.680 -> 21:03.280] But we need to also speak about the Canadian GP for a second as well because Steve this one is
[21:03.400 -> 21:05.200] I don't know how people,
[21:05.200 -> 21:08.160] just don't sort of rate Canada in the top 1%
[21:08.160 -> 21:10.260] of all the Formula One Grand Prix all the time.
[21:10.260 -> 21:12.000] Because for me, when I look at it,
[21:12.000 -> 21:13.840] it's a lot like heading into an Indian restaurant
[21:13.840 -> 21:15.420] and ordering kebabs.
[21:15.420 -> 21:17.600] Even though you're sort of there for the tikka masala,
[21:17.600 -> 21:19.280] the kebabs will never, ever disappoint you.
[21:19.280 -> 21:20.920] And that's what the Canadian GP has been like
[21:20.920 -> 21:23.740] for the last 30, 40 odd years at least.
[21:23.740 -> 21:27.440] Well, I have to say that this Canadian Grand Prix,
[21:27.440 -> 21:32.360] we've had moments of genius, and we've had moments of drama.
[21:32.360 -> 21:35.480] We've even sadly had a moment of tragedy
[21:35.480 -> 21:39.440] back in the 1990s when a track marshal was killed there.
[21:39.440 -> 21:43.800] But Canada, back in the early 2000s,
[21:43.800 -> 21:46.200] you have to remember that it was the only Grand Prix
[21:46.200 -> 21:49.040] on the North American continent.
[21:49.040 -> 21:55.760] We had Brazil and we had Canada as the only two Grand Prix on that side of the Atlantic.
[21:55.760 -> 22:01.640] With the new Netflix generation of viewers and everything else in the United States,
[22:01.640 -> 22:07.040] obviously we now got three stateside Grands Prix's and in fact it'll be
[22:07.040 -> 22:11.640] four including Canada. So it's moved to being part of a market rather than being
[22:11.640 -> 22:15.760] the only one on the North American continent which has probably had a big
[22:15.760 -> 22:20.040] effect on Canada. Also before some of the city Grands Prix's came in, before
[22:20.040 -> 22:26.520] Baku, before Singapore, Canada and Montreal was the only Grand Prix circuit
[22:26.520 -> 22:30.960] you could at that time get to on the tram or by bus or by the Metro. So you
[22:30.960 -> 22:34.520] didn't, you know, if you were flying in as a visitor or as a tourist you didn't
[22:34.520 -> 22:37.820] have to go and rent a car and drive up into the Ardennes Mountains or something
[22:37.820 -> 22:46.920] like that. So that's another great thing. It's a fantastic location. It's the
[22:54.120 -> 22:54.520] Expositional it was the it's the island in the middle of the the river which was basically created and
[22:56.240 -> 23:03.120] reclaimed to Host the Expo 67 the world exposition and some of the old Expo buildings are now like art deco icons are still there
[23:03.120 -> 23:05.920] They're you know, 50 something years old now.
[23:07.000 -> 23:12.000] So it's a great place to visit.
[23:12.160 -> 23:15.880] And Montreal is, for those that haven't visited Canada,
[23:15.880 -> 23:20.080] Montreal is part of the French speaking area of Canada,
[23:20.080 -> 23:23.580] which is still very much, very pro-French.
[23:24.440 -> 23:27.040] They've never quite forgiven us, the Brits,
[23:27.040 -> 23:33.600] for having taken over the rest of Canada as a dominion. But you've got French catering,
[23:33.600 -> 23:39.280] you've got great, great people and a real attitude in the city. And you get that when
[23:39.280 -> 23:44.180] you get there. It's a good place to go, even if it wasn't a motor race.
[23:44.180 -> 23:46.160] And they actually had quite a bit of wildlife also,
[23:46.160 -> 23:47.000] didn't they?
[23:47.000 -> 23:49.460] They had, no wait, I was about to say hedgehog,
[23:49.460 -> 23:50.720] but Sonic is a hedgehog,
[23:50.720 -> 23:53.920] but they actually had tiny little groundhogs,
[23:53.920 -> 23:55.040] didn't they, at the Montreal circuit?
[23:55.040 -> 23:56.400] Groundhogs.
[23:56.400 -> 23:59.360] Yeah, yeah, they're sort of like a rodent.
[23:59.360 -> 24:01.960] I've never got close to one, but yeah,
[24:01.960 -> 24:07.200] they do tend to come out from burrows that are dug into the
[24:07.200 -> 24:12.320] sandy soil on the island and particularly by about Sunday they've
[24:12.320 -> 24:15.040] gotten brave because they've gotten used to the people being around and also
[24:15.040 -> 24:19.360] because the people have left a little bit of litter around and food so because
[24:19.360 -> 24:23.360] they're foragers so they'll come out foraging unless they get scared away by
[24:23.360 -> 24:30.400] people and there's a lot of work done actually to try and seal off the area around the track to prevent animals
[24:30.400 -> 24:34.880] crossing the track and things like that. But it does occasionally happen.
[24:34.880 -> 24:38.560] There have been so many clips of them actually running in the middle of the circuit during
[24:38.560 -> 24:42.480] a Formula One race to the point where it's actually scary. But now that we're on the
[24:42.480 -> 24:50.280] subject of very Montreal specific things in Formula One, let's not forget, we used to have and now we also have once again,
[24:50.280 -> 24:55.200] the legendary Canadian GP raft race, where Formula One teams actually compete against
[24:55.200 -> 24:59.840] each other in a raft race in the middle of an artificial lake on the Canadian GP island,
[24:59.840 -> 25:03.560] the Île Notre Dame. Have you ever had the chance of going there, Steve, and witnessing
[25:03.560 -> 25:11.720] for yourself? I'll be honest with you, I was too busy working to get to the RAF race. But interestingly,
[25:11.720 -> 25:16.820] in my start sports period, we never were trackside for the Canadian Grand Prix because the budget
[25:16.820 -> 25:23.240] to fly the production commentary team out, pay for the commentary facilities, fly everybody
[25:23.240 -> 25:25.000] across the Atlantic was just too high.
[25:26.000 -> 25:28.040] So we actually would do that particular race
[25:28.040 -> 25:32.040] from a studio in London and myself and Karun
[25:32.040 -> 25:33.880] or myself and Chris Goodwin would be,
[25:35.000 -> 25:37.880] would spend a lot of time on the internet
[25:37.880 -> 25:40.640] and on the phone catching up with people.
[25:40.640 -> 25:44.920] And then, well, basically though, once the race starts,
[25:44.920 -> 25:46.320] your job as a commentator is to
[25:46.320 -> 25:50.800] interpret what the TV camera is showing you, not to say, well I'm looking out the window.
[25:52.160 -> 25:58.480] And I was very happy with what we did. What I would say is that this race and the
[26:00.640 -> 26:05.840] Spanish Grand Prix, which I'm glad that last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix was such an interesting race.
[26:07.360 -> 26:12.080] But those two races were the ones where I bring the most notes into the commentary box. I used
[26:12.080 -> 26:16.400] to normally start a Canadian Grand Prix with 24 pages of notes because there were going to be
[26:16.400 -> 26:21.760] lengthy periods where there was nothing to talk about. So I would prepare notes and prepare
[26:21.760 -> 26:25.860] information so that we could drop some of those items in
[26:25.860 -> 26:27.660] when there was nothing much going on on the track.
[26:27.660 -> 26:30.460] Because unfortunately, Canada can be quite processional.
[26:31.940 -> 26:33.780] Somebody once said it's long periods
[26:33.780 -> 26:35.980] of not a lot happening, followed by an awful lot happening
[26:35.980 -> 26:37.280] in a short period of time.
[26:39.180 -> 26:41.060] And of course, we did have the record-breaking one,
[26:41.060 -> 26:41.900] didn't we, Anna?
[26:41.900 -> 26:44.280] Was it four hours, 39 minutes?
[26:47.600 -> 26:53.720] record-breaking one, didn't we, Anna? Was it four hours 39 minutes where that was the 2011 race when it rained and it still went down to an overtaking move on
[26:53.720 -> 26:59.040] the last lap when Jenson Button passed Sebastian Vettel. Sebastian Vettel
[26:59.040 -> 27:02.520] half spun his car on the last lap of the race while he was leading. So you can't
[27:02.520 -> 27:09.520] say the race was without interest but I do recollect we had Stump Steve going on on Twitter and it's the only time I ever
[27:09.520 -> 27:14.440] trended on Twitter because so many people were coming in with questions for me live.
[27:14.440 -> 27:18.320] So that was how we filled in nearly two hours of rain stop.
[27:18.320 -> 27:23.840] Oh, that one. What a legendary race that was. I remember distinctly that you folks were
[27:23.840 -> 27:26.540] on air for more or less four hours roughly
[27:26.540 -> 27:31.600] but still it was so so entertaining during the rain break as well and even before and after that because
[27:31.920 -> 27:38.120] Jenson Button had just all the chaos in the world the guy started somewhere in the upper midfield and then
[27:38.280 -> 27:42.240] Had so much of chaos had so many crashes so many incidents
[27:42.480 -> 27:45.880] So many pit stops and even then, the fact
[27:45.880 -> 27:50.480] that he came up on the last lap and forced Sebastian Vettel into an error, ah, what a
[27:50.480 -> 27:55.160] race. I think it was very clearly one of the best races that I've ever watched in my life
[27:55.160 -> 27:59.240] and it must have been such a memory for you folks covering it on the ground.
[27:59.240 -> 28:07.080] Well, yeah, I mean Jenson was about mid distance,istance, I think it was like 39 or 38.
[28:07.080 -> 28:14.280] He bounced off the back of Fernando Alonso and he then had a puncture.
[28:14.280 -> 28:17.880] He then had a stop-go penalty and he was dead last.
[28:17.880 -> 28:21.440] Yet in all of those changing conditions, he came back through the field and then Sebastian
[28:21.440 -> 28:25.280] Vettel, poor man, dropped it on the very last lap, did a half spin.
[28:25.280 -> 28:27.320] Jensen drove through to take the victory.
[28:27.320 -> 28:28.880] That was pretty impressive.
[28:28.880 -> 28:30.800] What a comeback that must have been.
[28:30.800 -> 28:33.080] I mean, to be taken off the Formula 1 radar
[28:33.080 -> 28:35.600] for that horrific injury that he had, that also, by the way,
[28:35.600 -> 28:38.360] gave Sebastian Vettel his chance to sort of take part
[28:38.360 -> 28:40.400] in a Formula 1 race for the first time ever.
[28:40.400 -> 28:43.120] And then after that, coming back a year later
[28:43.120 -> 28:45.840] and taking his BMW and Sauber's
[28:45.840 -> 28:50.380] only ever win in Formula One. What a story that must have been but on the
[28:50.380 -> 28:54.320] subject of Robert Steve I've heard from so many people that back in the day he
[28:54.320 -> 28:58.800] was actually paid as a young kid to drive around and test karts because he
[28:58.800 -> 29:02.320] was just so good that his feedback was very very valuable. Do you think there's
[29:02.320 -> 29:05.520] any merit to that story? That doesn't surprise me.
[29:09.020 -> 29:10.940] I never thought of him being paid to do it,
[29:10.940 -> 29:13.540] but quite likely, because he was one of the quickest
[29:13.540 -> 29:19.580] guys in the European karting championship at that time.
[29:19.580 -> 29:23.620] And he's the sort of guy you would
[29:23.620 -> 29:25.000] pay if you had your son
[29:25.080 -> 29:26.400] who was also a prodigy who says,
[29:26.400 -> 29:27.960] oh, well, the cart's not good enough.
[29:27.960 -> 29:30.640] Put Kubica in and see what would happen.
[29:30.640 -> 29:31.880] So yeah, it would make sense.
[29:31.880 -> 29:36.160] Because most of those guys were 14 or 15.
[29:36.160 -> 29:40.200] And it was the same with Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel,
[29:40.200 -> 29:43.200] pretty well all of the guys that are in that age group
[29:43.200 -> 30:03.640] on the grid, they all came through carting and were on the road together. You know, guys like Charles Leclerc, It's such a shame that eventually in 2010 he had his very very unfortunate rally crash,
[30:03.640 -> 30:07.700] but had that not happened, there have have been rumors swirling around that Robert would have been
[30:07.700 -> 30:12.380] offered a potential seat at Ferrari to partner alongside Fernando Alonso for
[30:12.380 -> 30:17.580] 2011. Now I don't know how legitimate that would have been but in that sense
[30:17.580 -> 30:20.700] assuming that would have happened how do you think he would have stacked up with
[30:20.700 -> 30:29.120] Fernando Alonso or even the other stalwarts of that early 2010 era like Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton or even Sebastian Vettel because for many
[30:29.120 -> 30:32.720] he's one of the very highly rated drivers that never really got a chance
[30:32.720 -> 30:36.480] to prove it in a world championship winning car but do you think he was good
[30:36.480 -> 30:40.200] enough to compete with those lot of drivers who we now know as legends of
[30:40.200 -> 30:44.200] the sport? I think absolutely Robert Kubica had the ability to be a world
[30:44.200 -> 30:45.200] champion there's no two ways about it he was only just starting on his winning of the sport? I think absolutely Robert Kubica had the ability to be a world champion. There's
[30:45.200 -> 30:52.560] no two ways about it. He was only just starting on his winning streak. He was and is, remains an
[30:52.560 -> 30:59.440] intensely competitive individual. And yeah, I think it's a talent loss. It would have been
[30:59.440 -> 31:05.600] very interesting to see what would have happened if Robert from Poland, of course, that area of North-East Europe,
[31:06.320 -> 31:12.560] what would have happened with F1 in that area if Robert had been able to stay on and likely
[31:12.560 -> 31:18.320] would have gone to Ferrari, I think. He is very much experienced at living in Italy,
[31:18.320 -> 31:24.800] he spent some time there in the past and in fact when he was doing his physio I bumped into him at
[31:28.200 -> 31:36.680] and in fact when he was doing his physio I bumped into him at Bologna Airport one day because he was working with an Italian physio at that time and yeah he's definitely would have
[31:36.680 -> 31:41.800] fitted in well with Ferrari and it could easily be in a Ferrari World Champion. I'm not entirely
[31:41.800 -> 31:50.480] sure what Robert is doing now I think he's working in the paddock still with some TV companies but I haven't seen him around for a little while. Yeah it's such a
[31:50.480 -> 31:55.520] shame what eventually happened. I think Robert's now working as an ambassador for the Rokit mobile
[31:55.520 -> 32:01.120] phone company and again they were the sponsors of Williams for a little bit and then they went and
[32:01.120 -> 32:05.800] they had a major legal saga but no no, I think Robert was representing them
[32:05.800 -> 32:06.960] as one of their ambassadors
[32:06.960 -> 32:09.000] back for the Eastern European market.
[32:09.000 -> 32:10.160] But that's Robert.
[32:10.160 -> 32:13.320] Let's talk about another Canadian GP memory
[32:13.320 -> 32:14.960] that we all have and we all love.
[32:14.960 -> 32:18.240] Something a little more iconic and specific to the circuit,
[32:18.240 -> 32:20.520] the Wall of Champions.
[32:20.520 -> 32:22.480] It seems, Steve, that for the last few years,
[32:22.480 -> 32:24.240] the Wall of Champions hasn't quite claimed
[32:24.240 -> 32:25.600] any champions so far.
[32:25.600 -> 32:27.200] But what's the whole story behind it?
[32:27.200 -> 32:30.560] And just how iconic is it to the Montreal circuit right here?
[32:30.560 -> 32:33.800] Well, it's coming up to, I'd anticipate,
[32:33.800 -> 32:36.960] to be 24 years this year since the Wall of Champion
[32:36.960 -> 32:37.640] got its name.
[32:37.640 -> 32:40.360] Because it was the 1999 Grand Prix.
[32:40.360 -> 32:44.080] That's the wall on the inside of Turn 13, of course.
[32:44.080 -> 32:48.600] And that was the 1999 Grand Prix, where Damon Hill slapped it into the wall on the inside of Turn 13, of course. And that was the 1999 Grand Prix where Damon Hill slapped it into the wall and then about
[32:48.600 -> 32:52.080] ten laps later Michael Schumacher did the same.
[32:52.080 -> 32:56.800] And then the home hero, Jacques Villeneuve, did the same five laps after that.
[32:56.800 -> 32:59.400] So yeah, that's when he got the Wall of Champions.
[32:59.400 -> 33:03.840] And of course, Mika Hakkinen, there was also, this is another one for a good pub quiz as
[33:03.840 -> 33:08.000] well, what record did Mika Hakkinen set when he won that Grand Prix?
[33:08.000 -> 33:12.000] Wait, what record? Wait, let me think, one sec.
[33:12.000 -> 33:16.000] Surely has to be nothing to do with the lowest starting position
[33:16.000 -> 33:20.000] or what could it be?
[33:20.000 -> 33:24.000] Shall I put you out of your misery? Actually, no, wait, wait, wait, one sec. You know what, let's actually get a take
[33:24.000 -> 33:29.680] of all the people in the audience. So if you know the answer just type it in the chat but i just
[33:29.680 -> 33:36.480] can't can't seem to think what it must be. Yeah let's see if anything comes up on on chat. Well
[33:36.480 -> 33:46.400] i'm gonna i'm gonna do a five five five red lights on this one because otherwise they will go on to Google and win it. So five red lights are on. Two, three, four,
[33:47.280 -> 33:53.840] five red lights, we're on, we go. It was actually, Mika was the first ever F1 driver to
[33:54.480 -> 33:59.280] win a Grand Prix behind a safety car. The safety car was out on the last lap.
[33:59.280 -> 34:01.520] Wait, what? Are you kidding me?
[34:01.520 -> 34:07.700] No, I can't remember why the safety car was out, but I do have it still in the notes that Mika was the first one to win under a safety car.
[34:07.700 -> 34:17.340] You know what that's oh yeah Wow you learn something new every day. Exactly
[34:17.340 -> 34:22.780] yeah. Oh yeah that that that makes sense because I think up until that point in
[34:22.780 -> 34:29.860] time the safety car was more or less useless because if you had an accident on track or if a car was parked up after a DNF
[34:29.860 -> 34:34.540] it would just be kept at the exit of the track basically where the grass would be and so
[34:34.540 -> 34:38.140] there'll be nobody coming and picking it up so essentially the race would still be green
[34:38.140 -> 34:43.660] just with the yellow flag and no real safety car so that that that kind of makes sense
[34:43.660 -> 34:46.000] let's see I just hope that this weekend we also get just that that kind of makes sense. Let's see. I just hope
[34:46.000 -> 34:49.920] that this weekend we also get just about that much of chaos because we genuinely
[34:49.920 -> 34:54.100] genuinely need a good race and usually Montreal delivers but this time
[34:54.100 -> 34:57.160] especially with so many other protagonists like Fernando Alonso and
[34:57.160 -> 35:01.780] even the Mercedes cars looking good we want a good race but yeah hopefully this
[35:01.780 -> 35:07.700] one is a good one. Yes I'm really looking
[35:07.700 -> 35:10.720] forward to next weekend's Grand Prix like I say I won't be able to see it
[35:10.720 -> 35:13.920] live myself which is frustrating but I'll catch up with it probably at
[35:13.920 -> 35:21.800] midnight or something. Oh well yes I'm commentating on some vintage
[35:21.800 -> 35:29.160] racing cars and airplanes so it's at the flywheel event in Bicester in Oxfordshire, yeah.
[35:29.160 -> 35:32.240] So and there's some amazing cars coming out for that.
[35:32.240 -> 35:34.860] Grand Prix Bugattis from the 1930s,
[35:34.860 -> 35:36.860] Le Mans winning D-type Jaguars.
[35:38.440 -> 35:40.800] I walked past a workshop yesterday there
[35:40.800 -> 35:45.000] and there was a 1967 AC Shelby Cobra
[35:45.700 -> 35:47.360] being prepped for the race,
[35:47.360 -> 35:49.040] making the most amazing noise.
[35:49.040 -> 35:50.580] It's all about ground shaking.
[35:52.940 -> 35:55.000] So it's gonna be good fun.
[35:55.000 -> 35:57.160] I think the biggest car we have there
[35:57.160 -> 35:59.180] is some called a Napier Bentley,
[35:59.180 -> 36:02.460] which has a Napier aircraft engine in from about 1930s.
[36:03.400 -> 36:09.360] 24 liters, that's 24,000cc. Only has a two-speed gearbox
[36:09.360 -> 36:14.480] but with 650 horsepower at the back wheels you only need two gears. Wow, I think this one and
[36:14.480 -> 36:20.240] also the 36 litre Brutus, I think these two cars we've seen and heard at the Goodwood Festival of
[36:20.240 -> 36:25.760] Speed and my word do they make some noise. But hey hey that's not a bad way to spend a weekend Steve
[36:25.760 -> 36:30.400] but even then when you come back after all of that and look at the racing on Sunday there still will
[36:30.400 -> 36:36.640] be so much to excite you on Sunday evening because at the Canadian GP I am particularly excited about
[36:36.640 -> 36:42.320] how that midfield muddle between Alonso, Hamilton, the Ferraris and also even Lance Stroll potentially
[36:42.320 -> 36:47.480] goes about in his home race but more than that is there anything else that also excites you?
[36:47.480 -> 36:52.400] Perhaps someone like Joe Guarnier who's very randomly either P9 or qualifying in P19 or
[36:52.400 -> 36:53.400] something like that.
[36:53.400 -> 36:55.800] It's just the closeness for me that makes it so exciting.
[36:55.800 -> 36:58.400] But what really stands out for you, Steve, this weekend?
[36:58.400 -> 37:09.280] Well, the closeness of the field is the simple reason why we're seeing fields covered by two tenths of a second in qualifying.
[37:10.000 -> 37:14.720] And certainly, if you blink your eyes, that's 0.2 of a second. So if you blink your eye,
[37:14.720 -> 37:21.200] 0.2 of a second, right? That 0.2 of a second made the difference between getting into the top 10
[37:21.200 -> 37:25.960] and being 12th or 13th at the last Grand Prix Qualifying. So that's how
[37:25.960 -> 37:31.720] closely packed these cars are. One little mistake, putting one wheel on a white line,
[37:31.720 -> 37:38.640] putting a car over the kerbs, will move you from potentially a top 5 position in Qualifying
[37:38.640 -> 37:50.920] to back into the top 15. So that's how closely packed it is. Jaugun Yu is definitely a feisty racer, there's no other way you could describe him. And it
[37:50.920 -> 37:54.840] doesn't seem to matter to him whether he starts 10th or 15th, he'll still work his way up
[37:54.840 -> 38:01.200] into the points if he has a half a sniff of it. I think that technically Aston Martin
[38:01.200 -> 38:05.920] should be good here. Ferrari, that straight line speed thing we talked about
[38:05.920 -> 38:10.080] earlier is possibly going to hurt them on that long back straight, particularly with
[38:10.080 -> 38:15.720] DRS, and I still think DRS is the work of the devil, because I do think that it's a
[38:15.720 -> 38:20.160] total blind alley to have an artificial means of reduction drag. What they should be doing
[38:20.160 -> 38:24.040] is just making all the wings smaller and say to the drivers, cope with longer braking areas.
[38:24.040 -> 38:29.200] If you have longer braking areas, you'll have have more overtaking. So I do think the cars
[38:29.200 -> 38:33.060] are still generating way too much downforce and way too much turbulence. If you put a
[38:33.060 -> 38:37.380] teeny weeny front wing on the cars like an Indy car has, you'd end up with better racing
[38:37.380 -> 38:41.540] because actually you couldn't have a huge great rear wing generating loads of drag.
[38:41.540 -> 38:48.480] So you'd put a smaller wing on, get better straight line speed, longer braking areas, more overtaking. I still don't understand. I think the problem is the
[38:48.480 -> 38:53.440] teams have spent so many million dollars on aerodynamicists and computational fluid dynamics
[38:53.440 -> 38:56.880] and all that malarkey that actually sometimes it gets in the way of racing.
[38:56.880 -> 38:59.920] Huh, it's interesting you mentioned that. And that just makes me wonder
[38:59.920 -> 39:04.240] about this whole question that's in my head, right? Which is what is Formula One meant to be
[39:04.240 -> 39:05.480] at the end of the day?
[39:05.480 -> 39:07.280] Is it meant to be a spectacle
[39:07.280 -> 39:10.320] where manufacturers showcase all their engineering prowess
[39:10.320 -> 39:13.000] or at the end of the day, a good TV product?
[39:13.000 -> 39:14.640] Because in my head,
[39:14.640 -> 39:16.360] you need the latter more than the former
[39:16.360 -> 39:17.680] because at the end of the day,
[39:17.680 -> 39:19.000] why would people turn in?
[39:19.000 -> 39:20.920] Sure, the manufacturers definitely help
[39:20.920 -> 39:22.240] adding a bit of pizzazz to it,
[39:22.240 -> 39:23.960] but you need a quality product
[39:23.960 -> 39:28.820] and that's what gets me confused about what Formula One is meant to be, Steve.
[39:28.820 -> 39:34.500] I personally go for the latter. The problem is when you've got car manufacturers spending
[39:34.500 -> 39:40.560] tens of millions of dollars, they rule the roost. They want technical perfection. But
[39:40.560 -> 39:47.720] actually I think that the problem is at the moment, if you were to paint a Williams in Ferrari colors,
[39:47.720 -> 39:49.800] which would you be able to tell them apart?
[39:51.680 -> 39:56.340] Yeah, you can't even, yeah.
[39:56.340 -> 39:58.920] And certainly, if you drove past,
[39:58.920 -> 40:00.840] you could not have a Ferrari and a Williams
[40:00.840 -> 40:02.280] or a Mercedes drive past and say,
[40:02.280 -> 40:03.740] I recognize the difference.
[40:04.900 -> 40:12.000] That has been missing from F1 now for about two decades. They've become very much people
[40:12.000 -> 40:17.200] spending millions of dollars to change the last percent. Don't necessarily knock all of it because
[40:17.200 -> 40:22.240] some of it is fantastic. There was a very good question earlier on, I think it was Amkitz was it,
[40:22.240 -> 40:28.800] that was asking about will we move to a pure electric racing car in some time in the future? Well of course we've got Formula E already,
[40:30.400 -> 40:37.520] but I think the hybrid cars are fine, but I personally still do very much miss the
[40:37.520 -> 40:43.040] sound of multi-cylinder engines, the sound of very high revving engines, and dare I say it,
[40:43.040 -> 40:45.040] one of the joys of historic racing cars is actually
[40:45.040 -> 40:51.680] watching guys fighting with h-section gear changes as well, gearbox gates, you know you can make a
[40:51.680 -> 40:57.760] mistake if you get it wrong under pressure that's for sure. So all of that stuff is still out there
[40:57.760 -> 41:06.960] but I think we've got technology for me and maybe I'm old fashioned, but technology for me is
[41:07.680 -> 41:12.400] a part of it, which shouldn't be all of it. Speaking of technology, Formula One have invested
[41:12.400 -> 41:17.920] so many million dollars into partnering up with AWS and also trying to create this new generation
[41:17.920 -> 41:22.720] of modern Formula One cars that are meant to be better in terms of racing. But Kevin has asked a
[41:22.720 -> 41:29.440] very, very realistic question. And he's saying saying that why does this year the overtaking feels lesser compared to last year? Do they have
[41:29.440 -> 41:34.080] to change anything with the regulations to make sure that we get more action and I agree with him
[41:34.080 -> 41:39.440] the overtaking well we are getting closer battles this year yes but of course overtaking is much
[41:39.440 -> 41:46.560] much trickier not that overtaking makes a good, but you definitely need some to ensure that we get better battles.
[41:46.560 -> 41:49.960] That I think quite clearly is missing right here, Steve, these days.
[41:49.960 -> 41:53.920] Of course, that's going on.
[41:53.920 -> 42:04.760] I think I do agree with, I think it was Cavan, I do rather agree with him that the overtaking
[42:04.760 -> 42:06.200] does appear to have been lessened.
[42:06.200 -> 42:10.980] When you get overtaking, it's generally artificial using the DRS.
[42:10.980 -> 42:15.160] Part of that is, again, the cars are now cornering so fast, you know, sometimes that you're talking
[42:15.160 -> 42:20.240] about a braking area of 0.8 of a second into a corner.
[42:20.240 -> 42:24.720] At Silverstone, they will run down hangar straight and into stow corner.
[42:24.720 -> 42:25.680] They actually start turning
[42:25.680 -> 42:30.960] in before they start braking. That's how much downforce you got, that's how much braking force
[42:30.960 -> 42:35.920] you've got. And where are the overtaking zones when you do that? You know, basically, you've
[42:35.920 -> 42:40.320] got technology that's removed the overtaking zone. Yeah, it's so true. Not that you need a million
[42:40.320 -> 42:51.600] overtakes to make a race good, but somewhere and yeah it seems to be missing at this moment in time. I think the only times we've seen a brilliant race is in conditions
[42:51.600 -> 42:55.920] where grip really starts to get low and driver starts to struggle. I mean think back to all the
[42:56.480 -> 43:02.000] great races that you remember from the last half a decade or so and most of them just end up being
[43:02.000 -> 43:07.480] wet races. Hockenheim 2019, this past Monaco Grand Prix as well, so many other wet races that come
[43:07.480 -> 43:08.480] to mind.
[43:08.480 -> 43:12.600] Of course, there are a couple here and there like Brazil 2021 where Lewis Hamilton really
[43:12.600 -> 43:17.200] really flew past and had an incredible one, or Abu Dhabi 2021 where you had a championship
[43:17.200 -> 43:18.560] decider or something like that.
[43:18.560 -> 43:23.080] But most races I remember happen to be in the wet where the grip is just not there,
[43:23.080 -> 43:26.120] which is where I think drivers can really show their skill.
[43:26.760 -> 43:31.200] If it's a damp track, if you've got a wet track, um, that could be the main,
[43:31.360 -> 43:34.720] uh, thing. And actually, dare I say it, it's what brought Monaco to life.
[43:35.200 -> 43:39.400] It's what brought Spain to life. Bernie Eccleston once said he was going to,
[43:39.400 -> 43:41.480] uh, going to consider putting sprinklers on every,
[43:41.520 -> 43:45.020] on the side of every track and firing them off randomly.
[43:46.680 -> 43:48.960] I don't think we could go to that artificial,
[43:48.960 -> 43:50.600] but what I would say is, again,
[43:50.600 -> 43:53.360] once you remove some of that grip level, you get racing.
[43:54.880 -> 43:56.840] And I think actually, ultimately,
[43:56.840 -> 44:00.940] we'll see some really interesting racing going on.
[44:01.800 -> 44:07.000] But yeah, Canada has been known to have rain in this time of year. I'm
[44:07.000 -> 44:12.360] not quite sure what the forecast is yet. For my friends in the paddock, I don't really
[44:12.360 -> 44:19.680] want to have to walk around in wellington boots and raincoats. But equally, we might
[44:19.680 -> 44:24.240] just see something. It's an interesting one because you've got the back section of the
[44:24.240 -> 44:25.040] circuit with a series of curbs that one've got the back section of the circuit with
[44:25.040 -> 44:31.520] a series of curbs that one goes into the other, very technical. Then you've got that long straight
[44:31.520 -> 44:39.680] down to the back of the pits. So it isn't a great overtaking circuit normally, but DRS is probably
[44:39.680 -> 44:44.160] going to provide us with some of that. I'll probably be proved completely wrong now once
[44:44.160 -> 44:46.360] we get into the race next week.
[44:46.360 -> 44:50.280] And you know what Steve? Rain is forecasted for this weekend.
[44:50.280 -> 45:06.520] Well that will be fun. That will be fun. So, can I just answer Ajit? What's my take on on the new sprint format.
[45:08.200 -> 45:09.760] A Grand Prix should be a Grand Prix. It is a grand prize.
[45:09.760 -> 45:11.960] It's a wrong race.
[45:11.960 -> 45:12.960] It's not Le Mans.
[45:12.960 -> 45:15.480] It's just long enough to stay interesting.
[45:17.760 -> 45:19.080] The sprint format is great,
[45:19.080 -> 45:21.200] but have we actually seen any great racing
[45:21.200 -> 45:23.380] in any of the sprint races so far?
[45:26.520 -> 45:28.040] I'm not convinced that it's actually
[45:28.040 -> 45:30.880] delivered anything more than just a short taster
[45:30.880 -> 45:32.240] on a Saturday afternoon.
[45:32.240 -> 45:35.560] I think in its older format, it definitely
[45:35.560 -> 45:37.680] was a lot worse than what we have right now.
[45:37.680 -> 45:39.200] Again, with more points right now,
[45:39.200 -> 45:41.960] there's a greater incentive for drivers to push on.
[45:41.960 -> 45:44.800] But nevertheless, with such limited opportunities
[45:44.800 -> 45:45.380] to overtake or at least close with such limited opportunities to overtake
[45:45.380 -> 45:50.120] or at least close up a little bit to cars, it feels a lot like a parade at times.
[45:50.120 -> 45:55.480] A bit more than a parade, but the drivers are giving it everything, I'm sure. But the
[45:55.480 -> 46:02.380] simple fact is that I don't think it's added to the racing element of Formula One, but
[46:02.380 -> 46:04.760] it does give us something else to watch on a Saturday afternoon.
[46:04.760 -> 46:08.840] Apart from the classic Saturday afternoon football isn't it?
[46:08.840 -> 46:12.960] Well I'm not a Manchester City supporter so I'm not celebrating at the moment.
[46:12.960 -> 46:17.920] Hey actually that reminds me do you watch football very often Steve and if
[46:17.920 -> 46:21.920] you do which club do you normally support? I'm big on United I know we
[46:21.920 -> 46:24.880] have a couple of listeners listening in who are big on Arsenal as well and I
[46:24.880 -> 46:27.480] disagree but which is your favourite club?
[46:27.480 -> 46:32.520] I really don't support any one. A little bit quite keen on… I love the passion that Liverpool
[46:32.520 -> 46:38.720] have. They're like the Ferrari of the Premier League in that you really want them to win
[46:38.720 -> 46:47.640] but they seem to find new ways of not doing it. Man City have been absolutely dominant this season of course. Originally
[46:47.640 -> 46:51.800] I'm from the north of England so I should support Newcastle United really but you can
[46:51.800 -> 46:53.800] only take so much pain in your life.
[46:53.800 -> 46:58.800] No, no, no, it's changing this year. Newcastle are getting just so much better. It's actually
[46:58.800 -> 47:03.680] scary how good they might be next year as well. But let's get back to Formula One actually.
[47:03.680 -> 47:09.680] And speaking of Man City and their domination, let's get to Red Bull because Ankit here has thrown in a very good question
[47:09.680 -> 47:14.480] about Max Verstappen and his dominance. And do you think it wears off the charm of the sport?
[47:14.480 -> 47:18.480] I think Steve would all be lying if we said that that wasn't the case, right? But does it
[47:18.480 -> 47:24.160] ruin the charm for you just a little bit? I know I've got to agree with Ankit and it was
[47:24.160 -> 47:26.720] the same in the Michael Schumacher domination
[47:26.720 -> 47:31.840] era, but there were always ones where the ball got dropped and you're waiting to see
[47:31.840 -> 47:34.320] what happens if there's a slip up.
[47:34.320 -> 47:39.640] Max isn't perfect, he's a human being, he's a bloody good human being, that has got to
[47:39.640 -> 47:46.880] be said in terms of his winning ability, but there is always that, there's always what can Sergio
[47:46.880 -> 47:51.120] Perez do in the same car, can he find a way of getting up to speed and matching him?
[47:52.000 -> 47:56.240] Will there be an error made by somebody in the team somewhere, a statistician or a guy in the
[47:56.240 -> 48:01.840] pit crew dropping the wrench or something like that? You never know. And that is the beauty of
[48:01.840 -> 48:08.280] Formula 1. We still start Formula 1 Grand Prix, even if Max is on pole position by half a second,
[48:08.280 -> 48:10.280] you're never entirely sure whether he's going to get
[48:10.280 -> 48:11.720] through that first corner unscathed,
[48:11.720 -> 48:13.280] you're never entirely sure whether he'll get
[48:13.280 -> 48:15.360] through his first pit stop unscathed,
[48:15.360 -> 48:17.120] or will somebody come up with a better strategy,
[48:17.120 -> 48:18.720] or will it start to rain at the wrong time,
[48:18.720 -> 48:20.720] or will somebody bring out the safety car?
[48:20.720 -> 48:23.600] You can never tell, and that's the beauty of Formula One.
[48:23.600 -> 48:24.520] Yeah, that's true.
[48:24.520 -> 48:25.440] But Red Bull
[48:25.440 -> 48:30.720] are so impeccable these days that it seems almost impossible that they'll make even one single error
[48:30.720 -> 48:35.120] but let's wait and see on that as the weekend as the season progresses. But Steve here's a really
[48:35.120 -> 48:40.160] special question from Mayur and before I go into it, Mayur you've nailed it my friend. The
[48:40.160 -> 48:46.080] sentiments are absolutely echoed 100 percent. He says hi, Steve. First of all, big fan.
[48:46.080 -> 48:48.360] I miss your commentary in F1 races.
[48:48.360 -> 48:51.320] Good to hear your voice again, and it brings back so many
[48:51.320 -> 48:51.880] memories.
[48:51.880 -> 48:53.080] So, so true.
[48:53.080 -> 48:54.760] My question is, during the time you
[48:54.760 -> 48:56.400] were commentating in the races, which
[48:56.400 -> 48:58.720] was your favorite race and your favorite duel
[48:58.720 -> 49:00.520] which you enjoyed commentating?
[49:00.520 -> 49:03.800] Oh, that must be a tough choice.
[49:03.800 -> 49:13.160] Of circuits, the two circuits that I love are Spa, the Belgian Grand Prix venue, and
[49:13.160 -> 49:14.160] Monza.
[49:14.160 -> 49:20.040] Imola also has a very special atmosphere, and I hope that everything comes back together
[49:20.040 -> 49:25.200] to allow an Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix to either be held later this season or internet.
[49:26.720 -> 49:31.360] But certainly Monza has a passion and a feeling. It's chaotic.
[49:34.560 -> 49:39.920] Just getting in and out of the circuit itself is an adventure. It used to be that you have to go
[49:39.920 -> 49:47.840] and pick your media passes up from the local infant school in the town. Everything about it is
[49:47.840 -> 49:53.440] sort of like they've always just done it for the first time. But they've been running the Grand
[49:53.440 -> 50:02.240] Prix there since 1923, it's coming up to its centenary. I do love Spa just because it is the
[50:02.240 -> 50:05.480] ultimate racetrack and then you can throw in the weather.
[50:05.480 -> 50:07.760] And the fact that Spa can have three different sorts
[50:07.760 -> 50:09.200] of weather in three different locations
[50:09.200 -> 50:10.700] on the track at the same time.
[50:12.200 -> 50:15.580] And that's before I start drinking the Belgian beer.
[50:18.560 -> 50:22.400] For me, that is a great circuit.
[50:22.400 -> 50:29.240] Individual races, oh crikey, there's so many now that I'm not
[50:29.240 -> 50:33.200] entirely sure I could pick on one. I suppose the ultimate race has to have
[50:33.200 -> 50:39.920] been the Brazilian Grand Prix when Felipe Massa thought he was world champion,
[50:39.920 -> 50:49.560] Lewis Hamilton got past Jarno Trulli on the last lap, Karen Chandock and I, if anyone has the recording of that,
[50:49.960 -> 50:51.480] listen to the last few minutes
[50:51.480 -> 50:53.840] and you'll hear us burst out laughing.
[50:53.840 -> 50:55.960] And the reason is we were working off the monitor
[50:55.960 -> 50:58.200] in a studio in London for that one.
[50:59.240 -> 51:01.320] We got onto that last lap and Karen and I
[51:01.320 -> 51:03.160] are shouting at each other in the commentary box,
[51:03.160 -> 51:04.400] let alone commentating.
[51:05.520 -> 51:11.920] And you'll hear us burst out laughing as Hamilton takes the chequered flag. The reason is that we
[51:11.920 -> 51:15.440] both looked at each other and realised that as we got closer and closer to the screen,
[51:15.440 -> 51:20.000] we were both on our hands and knees on the desk trying to get closer to the screen.
[51:22.320 -> 51:26.880] And for me that is still one of the great Grand Prix's.
[51:26.880 -> 51:28.960] That's what the Grand Prix should be about.
[51:28.960 -> 51:29.960] Yes, yes.
[51:29.960 -> 51:36.800] I so vividly remember the two of you absolutely losing it as I was watching it.
[51:36.800 -> 51:41.600] Wow, I was only five at that time and still it's one of the best memories I have.
[51:41.600 -> 51:46.800] That one and also Abu Dhabi 2010 that you folks covered and then Brazil 2012
[51:46.800 -> 51:53.440] as well the championship finale Steve oh yes you and your crew were just so good at that yeah I
[51:53.440 -> 51:59.760] mean at the end of the day if we don't get excited how can we expect anyone else to um but Formula
[51:59.760 -> 52:06.360] One will do is doing quite well without me I think so this is actually 10 years since I did my last full season
[52:06.360 -> 52:07.800] with Star Sport.
[52:07.800 -> 52:09.880] So it is quite scary.
[52:09.880 -> 52:11.360] Time's passed very quickly.
[52:11.360 -> 52:12.440] Ah, no, no, Steve.
[52:12.440 -> 52:14.360] It would just be that little bit better
[52:14.360 -> 52:15.840] if we had you commentating as well.
[52:15.840 -> 52:18.080] But I don't think your relationship with Formula One
[52:18.080 -> 52:20.400] is by any means over and done, is it?
[52:23.080 -> 52:24.780] Oh yeah, well, I've still been doing,
[52:24.780 -> 52:26.880] I was still working, been working until
[52:26.880 -> 52:31.920] COVID around the F1 paddock on occasion. I'm still doing bits and pieces here and there
[52:31.920 -> 52:36.720] and of course I've been pursuing my other love of flying and vintage aeroplanes and in fact
[52:36.720 -> 52:40.640] in a few minutes time I'll be leaving to fly that little yellow aeroplane that's just over my right
[52:43.360 -> 52:48.360] just over my right shoulder. So I think that we'll,
[52:48.360 -> 52:50.840] you know, I'm certainly,
[52:50.840 -> 52:53.040] I can look back on my time with F1
[52:53.040 -> 52:55.120] and be really proud of what we achieved.
[52:55.120 -> 52:59.040] And bear in mind that when I started in F1 in 99,
[52:59.040 -> 53:01.460] in for Star Sports, that is,
[53:01.460 -> 53:04.160] we didn't really have a footprint for Formula 1
[53:04.160 -> 53:05.560] anywhere in Asia. It was a
[53:05.560 -> 53:11.800] little bit in Malaysia. We introduced India to Formula One or Formula One to India. I'm
[53:11.800 -> 53:16.320] not quite sure which way around you put that. And even today, even though there isn't a
[53:16.320 -> 53:22.680] dedicated broadcaster in India at the moment, it's just I'm very proud of the fact we were
[53:22.680 -> 53:27.000] able to introduce India to this fantastic sport.
[53:27.000 -> 53:31.000] We're so so grateful to you and the entire crew for that.
[53:31.000 -> 53:34.000] We have so many memories with you and the entire crew.
[53:34.000 -> 53:41.000] You, Chris Goodwin, Paula Malayali, we had Matthew Marsh as well, Sanjeev Palo and of course one of our very good friends and listeners,
[53:41.000 -> 53:46.060] Kurt Morris has sent in a question on social media about Alex Young as well,
[53:46.060 -> 53:48.180] and also asking how is Alex doing these days.
[53:48.180 -> 53:50.220] Do you often chat with him, Steve?
[53:50.220 -> 53:52.620] Well, I would come down to Singapore on a regular basis.
[53:52.620 -> 53:53.300] And I saw Alex.
[53:53.300 -> 53:55.020] Alex was also spending quite a bit of time
[53:55.020 -> 53:58.620] in Europe with KaterMF1 and various other projects
[53:58.620 -> 54:00.020] that he was involved with.
[54:00.020 -> 54:01.660] So I used to see Alex quite a bit.
[54:01.660 -> 54:03.900] I haven't seen Alex now for about five or six years,
[54:03.900 -> 54:07.040] although we stay in touch via the internet.
[54:07.040 -> 54:08.500] And Matthew Marsh is still obviously
[54:08.500 -> 54:10.560] very much involved with Star Sports.
[54:11.880 -> 54:13.740] I see Karen Chandock on occasion,
[54:13.740 -> 54:16.080] particularly bump into him at tests.
[54:16.080 -> 54:17.700] He's been doing some testing
[54:17.700 -> 54:19.780] with the Williams Historic Car Fleet recently
[54:19.780 -> 54:22.280] and doing shakedowns of some of their museum cars.
[54:23.320 -> 54:26.120] And I see other members of the team or
[54:26.120 -> 54:29.400] stay in touch with other members of the team. In fact I'm actually due to I think
[54:29.400 -> 54:32.480] later this year we might see if we can find an excuse to come out to Malaysia
[54:32.480 -> 54:35.520] and Singapore and take a bit of a holiday and go around and meet a few of
[54:35.520 -> 54:40.520] my old mates. Oh yes we'd so badly want that to happen but hey actually we were
[54:40.520 -> 54:43.360] on the subject of some Canadian GP stories and there's one really
[54:43.360 -> 54:45.880] interesting one that pops up in my head Steve.
[54:45.880 -> 54:51.240] And that was the time when Nigel Mansell actually lost the Canadian GP from the lead because
[54:51.240 -> 54:53.280] he ended up celebrating a bit too early.
[54:53.280 -> 54:54.920] Do you remember that one?
[54:54.920 -> 54:57.840] Yeah, it was back in 1991.
[54:57.840 -> 55:03.640] I was actually at that time doing PR work with the Canadian brewer Labatt, who I was
[55:03.640 -> 55:06.840] doing the PR for their touring car racing team in Britain.
[55:07.280 -> 55:12.080] And they also were just on, just about to go onto the Williams F1 car and Labatt
[55:12.640 -> 55:14.280] then moved into F1 sponsorship.
[55:14.680 -> 55:19.540] And in fact, we were also working with a Canadian Formula 3000 driver at
[55:19.540 -> 55:20.800] that time called John Jones.
[55:21.280 -> 55:24.480] And we're doing, I was doing the PR for that with the team Labatt's Jackie
[55:24.480 -> 55:25.120] Stewart racing or Paul Stewart racing in Formula 3000. John Jones and I was doing the PR for that with the team LeBats Jackie Stewart Racing
[55:25.120 -> 55:30.880] or Paul Stewart Racing in Formula 3000 so I was very much involved around it.
[55:31.520 -> 55:36.800] Yeah, Nigel let the revs drop at the hairpin, busy waving to the crowd, got distracted,
[55:39.520 -> 55:49.040] definite blooper but basically everybody said he stalled the engine that's not entirely true the Honda f1 engine I think it was it was in the back of the Williams at
[55:49.040 -> 55:55.960] that time was it Rene must have been Honda was running had its alternator
[55:55.960 -> 56:02.360] system has to be kept running at about 6,000 rpm otherwise the the volts dry
[56:02.360 -> 56:06.000] off and that slow lap and drained the battery. He let the
[56:06.000 -> 56:09.540] alternator drop below its critical level, it kicked out and the ignition died.
[56:09.540 -> 56:12.520] Everyone said he'd hit the ignition switch with his hand while he was
[56:12.520 -> 56:16.860] waving, no it wasn't the case, it was the alternator that had died. Either way
[56:16.860 -> 56:21.840] the engine stopped and Nelson Piquet, who of course had been his deadly rival the
[56:21.840 -> 56:26.560] previous couple of years, went on to take the victory.
[56:31.680 -> 56:32.400] Nelson always very famously refused to say he was sorry for Nigel for having thrown it away.
[56:36.960 -> 56:40.960] But the other blooper, the one I always remember also, was the blooper, and I'm trying to think, trying to look at the notes here, trying to catch what year it was, which was when,
[56:40.960 -> 56:45.440] I think it's 2008, when Lewis Hamilton, who'd been leading the race,
[56:45.440 -> 56:51.680] they had, everyone dived into the pits behind a safety car and Lewis, they held the cars at the
[56:51.680 -> 56:58.160] end of the pit lane to allow the safety car to come through and Kimi Räikkönen stopped at the
[56:58.160 -> 57:03.360] end of the pit lane and Lewis tail-ended him, writing off both their cars and their chances
[57:03.360 -> 57:05.760] for the race and then just to add some good measure,
[57:05.760 -> 57:07.720] Nico Rosberg drove into the back of Hamilton
[57:07.720 -> 57:09.160] as well in the Williams.
[57:09.160 -> 57:14.880] So yeah, that was another good blooper for Canadian Grand
[57:14.880 -> 57:16.160] Prix.
[57:16.160 -> 57:17.320] What a classic moment.
[57:17.320 -> 57:21.520] And that led to Robert Kubica's only ever Formula 1 win.
[57:21.520 -> 57:23.840] Yes, exactly.
[57:23.840 -> 57:25.760] And BMW's only ever win as well.
[57:25.760 -> 57:30.140] Yep, the good old days of Formula One but hopefully we have a lot more of them
[57:30.140 -> 57:34.180] coming along soon as well with some really good racing. But hey, I see we have
[57:34.180 -> 57:38.980] a few more audience questions here. Can I just quickly answer Mayo's question as
[57:38.980 -> 57:42.460] well, working with Chris Goodwin. Yeah, great guy to work with. I haven't seen
[57:42.460 -> 57:49.700] Chris for a little while now. He's actually moved on from McLaren and he's head of chassis design and handling design for Aston Martin
[57:49.700 -> 57:53.880] road cars. So if you've got if you're an Aston Martin, it goes around corners. All right.
[57:53.880 -> 57:54.880] Thank you, Chris Goodwin.
[57:54.880 -> 58:01.200] Ah, good old Chris. I think if I'm not wrong, Steve, he was also a test driver for McLaren,
[58:01.200 -> 58:02.200] wasn't he?
[58:02.200 -> 58:05.060] Test driver and then he went to chassis design for the road car
[58:05.060 -> 58:08.800] division and then he moved across to Aston Martin. Steve that must also mean that Chris
[58:08.800 -> 58:14.340] was there at McLaren when they created the MP412C right? That car used to corner like
[58:14.340 -> 58:19.480] a dream from all the people I've heard driving it. Yes he did. Yes he did test driving with
[58:19.480 -> 58:25.440] the MP412C and he drove the two seat F11 car and I think it can be whispered these
[58:25.440 -> 58:28.800] days because it's a few years since they did it there were a number of times he
[58:28.800 -> 58:32.680] donned a white helmet and white overalls to be the Stig for Top Gear as well
[58:32.680 -> 58:37.320] well briefly yeah there were a number of people with the Stig even I think even
[58:37.320 -> 58:40.880] Lewis Hamilton had a go once just for a laugh. Hang on I didn't know about the
[58:40.880 -> 58:44.760] Lewis Hamilton part I definitely did know about Michael Schumacher though but
[58:44.760 -> 58:48.680] Chris Goodwin as the Stig wow Wowee. That's news to me.
[58:48.680 -> 58:55.120] Yeah, there's been a number of Stigs, as you'd imagine. But Chris was there testing McLarens
[58:55.120 -> 58:59.600] at the time, so if they needed a quick driver to drive something quick, put the white overalls
[58:59.600 -> 59:05.600] on. I'm probably letting out a secret I shouldn't have there, so you'll have to bloop this bit.
[59:05.600 -> 59:07.120] You bet we won't, Steve.
[59:07.120 -> 59:12.080] No, but on a serious note, it's so, so amazing that we've had you on the Inside Line F1
[59:12.080 -> 59:13.520] podcast once again, Steve.
[59:13.520 -> 59:17.360] It's so refreshing to hear your voice once again and just to hear your perspective on
[59:17.360 -> 59:18.360] Formula One.
[59:18.360 -> 59:19.360] So honestly, thank you.
[59:19.360 -> 59:23.840] Thank you so much for taking out the time to actually join us on the Inside Line F1
[59:23.840 -> 59:24.840] podcast.
[59:24.840 -> 59:27.240] And before we leave, can you just give us your thoughts on the weekend
[59:27.240 -> 59:30.880] ahead and just what you feel at the end of this amazing hour of talking Formula
[59:30.880 -> 59:35.600] One with you. Absolutely loved this, thank you so much and thank you to everybody
[59:35.600 -> 59:38.880] who's joined in and fired the questions across. I'm sorry I couldn't catch up
[59:38.880 -> 59:47.440] with all of them fast enough but yeah well I think Kunal and I are working on coming back and doing a few more on occasion.
[59:47.440 -> 59:52.240] So I'm hoping that can be done.
[59:52.240 -> 01:00:01.840] And yeah, and I just remember that Lewis Hamilton last won the Canadian Grand Prix back in 2019.
[01:00:01.840 -> 01:00:05.720] That was his seventh Canadian Grand Prix win.
[01:00:05.720 -> 01:00:08.720] There's only him and Michael Schumacher had won seventh.
[01:00:08.720 -> 01:00:11.920] I would not be surprised if Lewis Hamilton
[01:00:11.920 -> 01:00:14.440] does not come out on top next weekend
[01:00:14.440 -> 01:00:15.880] and make it win number eight.
[01:00:15.880 -> 01:00:18.800] Oh, Steve, that is a bombshell.
[01:00:18.800 -> 01:00:21.880] That is a proper bombshell.
[01:00:21.880 -> 01:00:23.640] Well, you've got an improving Mercedes.
[01:00:23.640 -> 01:00:26.540] You've got Lewis Hamilton with a real challenge on
[01:00:26.540 -> 01:00:27.540] his hands.
[01:00:27.540 -> 01:00:28.540] Why not?
[01:00:28.540 -> 01:00:33.580] If that happens, Steve, it'll just make it the best weekend of Formula One action ever.
[01:00:33.580 -> 01:00:35.940] But fingers crossed, we need some degree of drama.
[01:00:35.940 -> 01:00:39.700] But seriously, once again, thank you for taking out the time to join us on the Insideline
[01:00:39.700 -> 01:00:41.140] F1 podcast, Steve.
[01:00:41.140 -> 01:00:42.140] Thank you.
[01:00:42.140 -> 01:00:48.480] And also a huge thank you to all of our live audience members who also tuned in for this live recording and also to every single
[01:00:48.480 -> 01:00:51.920] listener who's going to be completing this episode when it goes out on air as
[01:00:51.920 -> 01:00:55.640] a recorded one. Seriously thank you for taking out the time to listen to us and
[01:00:55.640 -> 01:00:59.640] we'll be back with more on the Inside Lineup 1 podcast with the Canadian GP
[01:00:59.640 -> 01:01:03.680] review so stay tuned and remember to subscribe to the podcast and share it
[01:01:03.680 -> 01:01:06.120] with any friends or family members who might like it as well.
[01:01:06.120 -> 01:01:08.840] See you until then folks. Bye bye and take care.
[01:01:15.210 -> 01:01:17.290] you