Donuts for all...but Mick Schumacher - 2022 Abu Dhabi GP Review

Why was Mick Schumacher stopped from doing post-season celebratory donuts? Why did the FIA designate an area for donuts? And of course, Schumacher's synchronised spinning with Nicholas Latifi. 

Are Ferrari hyping their 'dummy pit stop' a bit too much?

Could Max Verstappen have slowed down Charles Leclerc as Sergio Perez chased him down in the closing stages of the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?

Of course, Verstappen shrugged off such as a suggestion as not 'fair racing'

Aston Martin - Alfa Romeo being for 55 points while Fernando having the most-Alonso-esque end to his third stint with 'Team Enstone'. 

In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil, @f1statsguru (aka Sundaram) and Kunal share banter from the final race of the season. 

Tune in!

(Season 2022, Episode 71)

Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, Sundaram Ramaswami and Kunal Shah

Image courtesy: Haas F1 Team

Due to time constraints, I am unable to provide a summary of the podcast episode transcript. I can only provide a summary of the transcript if it is 200 words or less.

# Inside Line F1 Podcast: Episode 71 - Post-Season Banter and Season Wrap-Up

## Summary:

The Inside Line F1 Podcast's final episode of the 2022 season delves into the intriguing events and controversies that unfolded during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The hosts, Soumil Arora, Sundaram Ramaswami, and Kunal Shah, engage in lively banter and insightful analysis as they dissect the race's key moments and broader storylines.

## Key Points:

- **Mercedes' Performance:** The podcast kicks off with a discussion about Mercedes' disappointing performance in Abu Dhabi, contrasting it with their strong showing in the Americas. The hosts speculate on potential reasons for this inconsistency, including the team's struggles with the new regulations and the impact of the Austin upgrade.

- **Lewis Hamilton's Message:** The hosts reflect on Lewis Hamilton's statement at the start of the season, where he declared that fans had yet to see the best of him. They ponder whether the 2022 season lived up to this promise, given Mercedes' struggles.

- **End of Season Awards:** The podcast announces the upcoming release of their end-of-season awards episode, where they will present unconventional and humorous awards to recognize various aspects of the 2022 season.

- **Special Episodes and Interviews:** The hosts tease the release of special episodes and interviews during the off-season, promising to keep listeners engaged and entertained throughout the winter break.

- **Sebastian Vettel's Retirement:** The podcast acknowledges the emotional impact of Sebastian Vettel's retirement, expressing their sadness and admiration for the four-time world champion. They also look forward to his potential involvement in Formula One in the future.

## Overall Message:

The Inside Line F1 Podcast's final episode of the season provides a lighthearted and engaging analysis of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, while also looking ahead to the upcoming off-season and the excitement of the 2023 season. The hosts' banter and insights offer a compelling listen for Formula One enthusiasts eager to relive and reflect on the 2022 season.

[00:00.000 -> 00:27.000] Welcome folks to the Sebastian Vettel Retirement Club Relief Podcast. Yeah, it's that kind of a day today.
[00:27.000 -> 00:28.680] We're all that sad.
[00:28.680 -> 00:33.640] Our hearts are completely full of sorrow, grief, but I'm just so confused about what
[00:33.640 -> 00:35.040] to feel like this weekend.
[00:35.040 -> 00:38.600] And that's the question we're going to ask along with rating the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix,
[00:38.600 -> 00:42.480] talking about all the major happenings, and of course, our favorite moment of the race,
[00:42.480 -> 00:48.280] which beforehand I can tell you already is the synchronized spin between Mr. Mikshu Markar and Nikhil Zatefi.
[00:48.280 -> 00:51.560] But that's all the stuff that's going to be a part of this episode.
[00:51.560 -> 00:53.880] Before that though, I think we must introduce the podcast.
[00:53.880 -> 00:57.280] This is actually not the Sebastian Vettel Derived Club podcast, if you didn't quite
[00:57.280 -> 00:58.280] get it.
[00:58.280 -> 01:00.100] This is the Inside Line F1 podcast.
[01:00.100 -> 01:02.240] This is our Abu Dhabi GP review.
[01:02.240 -> 01:03.800] And my name is Somal Arora.
[01:03.800 -> 01:06.420] Joining me as always will be F1 stats guru Sundaram
[01:06.420 -> 01:08.080] and Kunal Shah, the former marketing head
[01:08.080 -> 01:10.440] of the Force India F1 team, who now works
[01:10.440 -> 01:13.120] as an FIA accredited Formula One journalist for the ViaPlay
[01:13.120 -> 01:14.000] network.
[01:14.000 -> 01:17.480] And first up, Kunal, the question that I asked,
[01:17.480 -> 01:19.080] how are you feeling?
[01:19.080 -> 01:21.400] Now, what are we supposed to feel?
[01:21.400 -> 01:24.960] Are we supposed to feel sad that Sebastian Vettel has seen
[01:24.960 -> 01:25.200] his career get over? Or are we supposed to feel excited that we supposed to feel sad that Sebastian Vettel has seen his career
[01:25.200 -> 01:29.920] to get over? Or are we supposed to feel excited that there's some sort of a break? Are we supposed
[01:29.920 -> 01:34.640] to feel excited for DTS coming? Are we supposed to feel sad that well we no longer get to see
[01:35.440 -> 01:40.480] Mercedes challenging Red Bull Racing for the next what five odd months? It's such a confusing time.
[01:40.480 -> 01:46.480] Are we just really excited to see Max Verstappen not dominate because he's been winning so much?
[01:46.480 -> 01:52.500] Hi guys, thank you for that introduction and you said Mercedes not challenge Red Bull Racing
[01:52.500 -> 01:57.800] for the next five months so you are technically implying that in the start of 2023 Mercedes
[01:57.800 -> 01:59.800] is not going to challenge.
[01:59.800 -> 02:08.500] It's going to be only a few weeks or few races into 2023 because we are three months away from the
[02:08.500 -> 02:14.140] first laps that will be in pre-season testing or shakedown or whatever they call it. But
[02:14.140 -> 02:18.240] in all seriousness, you know, what are we supposed to feel? And I can, I don't know.
[02:18.240 -> 02:23.040] I feel a void, even though I know I'm winning back a lot of weekends of my life, they're
[02:23.040 -> 02:27.720] going to be free. But the void that I feel is not so much so
[02:27.720 -> 02:29.240] about the on-track stuff.
[02:29.240 -> 02:32.520] I think we've had a very intense season in terms of all
[02:32.520 -> 02:35.560] the racing that we've seen, all the arguments, all the trolls,
[02:35.560 -> 02:38.840] all the debates, discussions, and narratives shared.
[02:38.840 -> 02:42.060] But the void I feel, and I was discussing this
[02:42.060 -> 02:45.960] with Mithila last evening, is what is Daniel Ricciardo
[02:45.960 -> 02:51.920] going to do? And I don't mean in 2023 with Red Bull. I mean, in the offseason, what is
[02:51.920 -> 02:56.320] Mick Schumacher going to do? What is, you know, what is Leclerc going to do? What is
[02:56.320 -> 03:02.220] Ferrari going to do? I mean, if Ferrari come out and win the next 10 races in 2023, it's
[03:02.220 -> 03:07.520] because of the work that they've done as a team after Abu Dhabi 2022,
[03:07.520 -> 03:13.760] right? So we've built up all these characters, we've sort of narrated their stories,
[03:13.760 -> 03:18.000] their ups and downs and all of that, and then suddenly it's like somebody's gone and pulled
[03:18.000 -> 03:23.120] the plug off the TV and like boom, there's nothing that you can do about it. There will be some
[03:23.120 -> 03:25.240] rumors on social media and the likes
[03:25.240 -> 03:26.640] and some updates.
[03:26.640 -> 03:29.680] But my point is, we've built this whole crescendo
[03:29.680 -> 03:34.120] over 22 races, and then suddenly there's
[03:34.120 -> 03:38.080] nothing that we will know of till we straight away
[03:38.080 -> 03:42.280] go to the first and only preseason test in February.
[03:42.280 -> 03:44.240] And you're like, yeah, Ferrari looks quick again.
[03:44.240 -> 03:46.600] And it's like the same repeat of a story.
[03:46.600 -> 03:49.880] And Mithila had something very interesting to say.
[03:49.880 -> 03:51.800] She's like, isn't this the same with a sitcom?
[03:51.800 -> 03:53.680] Like, Friends, they release 10 episodes,
[03:53.680 -> 03:54.640] and then they're gone.
[03:54.640 -> 03:56.840] And then they come back next year with 10 episodes.
[03:56.840 -> 04:01.800] And my point to that is, those are fictitious characters
[04:01.800 -> 04:04.080] for which scripts are written.
[04:04.080 -> 04:09.980] And what we deal with are live stories and real life people
[04:09.980 -> 04:13.040] in the paddock over so many days and sessions.
[04:13.040 -> 04:16.760] And this is where the ratings of our episode
[04:16.760 -> 04:18.860] drop, because I'm getting very philosophical.
[04:18.860 -> 04:20.160] My point is I'm feeling a void.
[04:20.160 -> 04:21.880] I don't know about you guys.
[04:21.880 -> 04:23.360] It should happen in a way.
[04:23.360 -> 04:48.880] It's kind of like blocking off the internet. I think that's a very good analogy you made with it, because every now and then, we just I don't know about you guys. right now because obviously we just saw him yesterday right so no big deal we still have him very fresh in our memory but I'm going to talk about that for a second because now what will
[04:48.880 -> 04:53.600] you remember Sebastian Vettel for? The four-time world champion or the better person? That's a very
[04:53.600 -> 04:59.600] interesting point and you know the the fact is that it really hit me after the race was over
[04:59.600 -> 05:05.320] and when we saw Sebastian doing the donuts on the main straight, that's when it actually really hit me
[05:05.320 -> 05:08.280] that Sebastian Vettel is not going to be on the grid next year.
[05:08.280 -> 05:09.800] And these are the exact same thoughts
[05:09.800 -> 05:11.360] that I was reflecting upon.
[05:11.360 -> 05:13.480] I'm really going to miss this guy who
[05:13.480 -> 05:16.440] was at his best during his Red Bull days,
[05:16.440 -> 05:19.560] and the sort of personality that he had transformed himself
[05:19.560 -> 05:21.640] into during his Ferrari and Aston Martin days.
[05:21.640 -> 05:23.800] And I was just literally smiling at the screen,
[05:23.800 -> 05:30.400] and I was really reminiscing all those memories of Vettel and the fact is I think we all will really miss Sebastian
[05:30.400 -> 05:35.840] Vettel next year. The sort of you know farewell that he had throughout the weekend you know the
[05:35.840 -> 05:41.440] dinner and the track run and all the farewells that they had that he had with the rest of the
[05:41.440 -> 05:45.700] paddock. I've really not seen anyone else be celebrated so
[05:45.700 -> 05:49.380] much any of the champion being celebrated so much and Michael Schumacher
[05:49.380 -> 05:54.180] won seven titles and that's really really wholesome and really nice to see
[05:54.180 -> 05:58.580] that Sebastian Vettel really got this sort of a send-off. Well one question
[05:58.580 -> 06:02.580] Gunal, I think maybe next year we should sell off an idea to the Abu Dhabi GP
[06:02.580 -> 06:08.640] organizers and make sure that we get Krispy Kreme or Dunkin Donuts or something like that to sponsor the race because seriously this
[06:08.640 -> 06:13.600] is donut city all around like this race is just membered for only for that Sundaram. You know I'm
[06:13.600 -> 06:19.520] going to actually raise a petition to bring back Brazil as the season finale please. I know it's
[06:19.520 -> 06:24.960] going to fall on deaf ears but I would like to see Brazil as a season finale you know an action-packed
[06:24.960 -> 06:28.440] race lots of overtake lots of battles to see I wouldn't really want
[06:28.440 -> 06:32.440] to see Abu Dhabi as a season ending race but I don't think so that's
[06:32.440 -> 06:35.840] gonna happen. It feels even more dull to end with Abu Dhabi but seriously Kunal
[06:35.840 -> 06:42.400] designated donut areas what are they why are they what are they for it's just the
[06:42.400 -> 06:50.480] weirdest thing I can possibly think of. I'm actually just before we go to the designated doughnuts area you know the
[06:50.480 -> 06:57.380] Sebastian Vettel dinner that the GPDA had was the first time in 2022 that all
[06:57.380 -> 07:03.480] 20 drivers actually were together at a social event apart from when they were
[07:03.480 -> 07:08.280] all together after the missile strike that happened in Saudi Arabia.
[07:08.280 -> 07:11.680] But I'm going to keep hopping on that missile strike,
[07:11.680 -> 07:14.360] because F1 wants us to forget that there was a missile
[07:14.360 -> 07:14.840] strike.
[07:14.840 -> 07:16.600] Saudi Arabia wants us to forget it,
[07:16.600 -> 07:18.720] but I'm not going to forget it.
[07:18.720 -> 07:20.600] But anyway, so they were all together,
[07:20.600 -> 07:23.800] because the preseason test, Daniel Ricciardo was not there.
[07:23.800 -> 07:30.080] And then the first race when they did the class of 2022, Sebastian Vettel was not there and Nico Hülkenberg was there, right?
[07:30.080 -> 07:35.520] So that was the first time that all 20 drivers were together in 2022 and then they realized
[07:35.520 -> 07:41.760] exactly what you said, Samuel, that they gave such a good send-off to Sebastian Vettel that they
[07:41.760 -> 07:45.360] realized, oh my god, we need to say see you later to Daniel,
[07:45.360 -> 07:50.720] Nicholas and Mick. So they met the next time, the next evening. But maybe they should make a
[07:50.720 -> 07:56.640] ritual out of this because it was such, like Sundaram said, wholesome content, very soulful.
[07:56.640 -> 08:01.680] I mean, Yuki Tsunoda was like, I loved the dinner. I don't know who paid for it. As candid as he's
[08:01.680 -> 08:05.840] always been, there were rumors about the bills that got leaked
[08:05.840 -> 08:11.760] on socials and Lewis initiated it and Lewis took the tab for it or whatever, but the fact is it was
[08:11.760 -> 08:18.240] so lovely to see all of them do that and maybe they should just make a ritual out of it and
[08:18.240 -> 08:22.320] the next time they do that we should sneak in and put a mic in there somewhere just to hear
[08:22.320 -> 08:25.440] what is it that these guys talk about when they get
[08:25.440 -> 08:30.720] together. I mean, do they talk about what we think they talk about, which is something we can actually
[08:30.720 -> 08:35.600] do as an episode in the off-season. What do 20 drivers talk about over dinner when they meet?
[08:35.600 -> 08:40.800] Maybe that's an idea for the off-season. But coming to your question, designated donut areas.
[08:40.800 -> 08:47.840] I think it is the first time that Formula One or the FIA has made those, right? I believe
[08:47.840 -> 08:53.120] that they've been made just because they want to be very particular about where donuts are done and
[08:53.120 -> 08:59.920] not anywhere and everywhere. But I don't know if these were circulated to all the drivers because
[08:59.920 -> 09:05.200] Mick Schumacher and Daniel Ricciardo were actually doing donuts in another area, right?
[09:05.200 -> 09:10.800] So I don't know if they will get a reprimand for that or what or not. But donuts were welcome,
[09:10.800 -> 09:17.840] I would say. Mick being told off to do donuts was a bit surprising. But what does tend to happen is
[09:17.840 -> 09:23.840] the teams are still going to drive in the postseason tests starting tomorrow. So they need
[09:23.840 -> 09:26.480] to look after the car, they need to look after the gearbox, So they need to look after the car, they need to look
[09:26.480 -> 09:32.560] after the gearbox and they need to look after the engine. When you do donuts, the cars are not or the
[09:32.560 -> 09:38.480] equipment is not designed to do donuts. You're stuck in one gear, you're revving the engine
[09:39.440 -> 09:44.160] and so on, right? So it's not the most natural way to drive a Formula One car without damaging it.
[09:44.160 -> 09:46.720] So that could be one of the reasons why they told Mick
[09:46.720 -> 09:47.760] to not do donuts.
[09:47.760 -> 09:53.800] But it right now just seems that Mick could just go say hi,
[09:53.800 -> 09:55.760] and they'll tell Mick, no, Mick, you're
[09:55.760 -> 09:57.040] not supposed to say hi here.
[09:57.040 -> 10:00.000] You're supposed to say hi-hi or whatever, you know?
[10:00.000 -> 10:05.000] So it's just one of those things in the Haas-Steiner
[10:05.720 -> 10:08.580] and the Schumacher partnership.
[10:08.580 -> 10:10.700] But yeah, so designated donuts.
[10:10.700 -> 10:12.080] I quite like the donuts.
[10:12.080 -> 10:14.960] I like that they had a parking spot for Vettel.
[10:14.960 -> 10:16.880] Will he be missed?
[10:16.880 -> 10:19.760] I think, yes, he will be missed.
[10:19.760 -> 10:21.240] But will he be back?
[10:21.240 -> 10:23.520] Lewis thinks for certain he's gonna come back.
[10:23.520 -> 10:30.000] And I get a feeling if a competitive drive comes his way, he's probably going to be back.
[10:30.000 -> 10:34.320] That's the feeling I got. I mean, the last five races, he's been on fire, literally.
[10:34.320 -> 10:37.520] Are we just saying this to make sure that we don't feel as bad, Kunal?
[10:37.520 -> 10:43.040] Really? Because at this moment, we just need something to make sure that our grief is
[10:43.040 -> 10:47.480] somewhat lightened down. And knowing the fact that fact that oh he could come back someday just makes it feel lighter
[10:47.480 -> 10:51.360] but I don't know I don't know if that's really going to happen but seriously a
[10:51.360 -> 10:56.200] word on the FI and the designated donor areas it's like pre-planning someone
[10:56.200 -> 10:59.320] doing a sick move in a party and telling them that this is exactly where you have
[10:59.320 -> 11:02.560] to do it. That just takes away the whole fun of a party what's the point I mean
[11:02.560 -> 11:06.560] it's not like your pets, unfortunately, just littering around
[11:06.560 -> 11:07.720] over the entire living room, right?
[11:07.720 -> 11:08.320] These are donuts.
[11:08.320 -> 11:10.040] They don't, sure you can scrape them off.
[11:10.560 -> 11:15.800] Wait, I just made it sound more like a pet waste rather than donuts in the track.
[11:15.800 -> 11:20.880] But the point is you can just let it happen for the moment to feel special.
[11:20.880 -> 11:24.160] This just feel more coordinated and felt more mechanical Sundaram.
[11:24.160 -> 11:24.400] I don't know.
[11:24.400 -> 11:26.600] It just didn't carry that same weightage as any of the
[11:26.600 -> 11:29.920] previous donut moments before. Maybe just that we've gotten used to drivers doing
[11:29.920 -> 11:32.840] donuts now that we need a new celebration. Maybe a three-point turn or
[11:32.840 -> 11:35.720] something to celebrate a retirement. That's a very good point but I think
[11:35.720 -> 11:39.880] yeah like like you mentioned it it feels best and it feels nice when it's natural
[11:39.880 -> 11:43.960] and you really don't have to allot someone a designated area but that one
[11:43.960 -> 11:46.400] thing that you did mention is coordinated.
[11:46.400 -> 11:49.480] And I want to talk about coordinated donuts
[11:49.480 -> 11:52.000] and to top it off, a moonwalk as well.
[11:52.000 -> 11:54.380] That's something that I was very, very impressed to see.
[11:54.380 -> 11:56.760] And I'm sure maybe there was some sort of an agreement
[11:56.760 -> 11:59.600] between Mik Schumacher and Nicholas Latifi saying that,
[11:59.600 -> 12:02.480] hey, even we are not going to be on the grid next year.
[12:02.480 -> 12:03.920] So the moment I tap you,
[12:03.920 -> 12:06.400] the moment I nudge you on track, spin.
[12:06.720 -> 12:07.560] And he did that.
[12:07.880 -> 12:11.240] And there was a very nice little moonwalk towards the end of it.
[12:11.240 -> 12:14.960] And if you've probably not caught it, uh, I would recommend that you probably
[12:14.960 -> 12:19.640] find that video again, put it to half speed and really enjoy how that spin
[12:19.640 -> 12:20.480] really happens.
[12:21.120 -> 12:24.760] How amazing is it Kunal that the last memory that we have of, of Nicholas
[12:24.760 -> 12:25.120] Latifi in Formula One is a crash. happens. How amazing is it, Kunal, that the last memory that we have of Nicholas Latif
[12:25.120 -> 12:32.380] in Formula One is a crash? Well, you know, I must say I've been, whoever has been training
[12:32.380 -> 12:38.680] him about handling media has been doing a really good job because he's been very honest.
[12:38.680 -> 12:43.420] He's been saying, you know, this is a performance sport and I have not performed. I had three
[12:43.420 -> 12:50.640] years at Williams, but I had my worst year in the third year. And, you know, this is a performance sport and I have not performed. I had three years with Williams, but I had my worst year in the third year. And you know, he's been honest in saying,
[12:50.640 -> 12:56.000] Alex Albon can drive a much more unpredictable, can drive better, a much more unpredictable car
[12:56.000 -> 13:02.800] than I did. And George Russell, definitely more talented than I have ever been and so on. So it's,
[13:02.800 -> 13:06.600] you know, it's refreshing, unlike some of the other paid drivers
[13:06.600 -> 13:08.160] whose fathers actually own teams,
[13:08.160 -> 13:10.840] turn around and just blame the car, blame the team,
[13:10.840 -> 13:13.880] blame the teammate, whoever, and move on.
[13:13.880 -> 13:18.680] So it's been refreshing to see what Nicholas Latifi
[13:18.680 -> 13:19.520] has been saying.
[13:19.520 -> 13:22.440] And he, of course, qualified 20th and dead last
[13:22.440 -> 13:29.240] for, I think, the eighth time this season. So in a way, I'm just sort of glad that he's
[13:29.240 -> 13:31.440] sort of bowing out of Formula 1.
[13:31.440 -> 13:34.000] Just shows not everybody who steps up is ready,
[13:34.000 -> 13:38.080] is able to take the challenge or take the step up into Formula
[13:38.080 -> 13:39.120] 1 and keep performing.
[13:39.120 -> 13:41.600] And Logan Sargent, I mean, he needed
[13:41.600 -> 13:44.960] to have a clean weekend in Abu Dhabi
[13:44.960 -> 13:46.760] to get his super license points.
[13:46.760 -> 13:47.760] He did.
[13:47.760 -> 13:52.640] It's a bit of a strange thing that the winner of the 2022
[13:52.640 -> 13:55.360] Formula 2 championship, Filippo Drogovic, who, by the way,
[13:55.360 -> 13:58.640] has been driving that MP Motorsport car fantastically
[13:58.640 -> 13:59.160] well.
[13:59.160 -> 14:01.640] Because if you compare him to Clement Novolak,
[14:01.640 -> 14:04.000] his teammate, his teammate is not even,
[14:04.000 -> 14:05.040] I think he's 14th
[14:05.040 -> 14:07.600] in the Drivers' Championship.
[14:07.600 -> 14:11.160] But Drogovic has no clue when he's
[14:11.160 -> 14:12.800] going to drive in Formula 1.
[14:12.800 -> 14:16.000] And he's Brazilian, a very key Formula 1 market.
[14:16.000 -> 14:19.720] But Logan Sargent, who I think he
[14:19.720 -> 14:22.240] was fourth in the Drivers' Championship in the end,
[14:22.240 -> 14:26.280] if I recollect, has a confirmed seat.
[14:26.280 -> 14:28.400] Because, hey, it's American, and we
[14:28.400 -> 14:30.240] need to get an American driver in the team.
[14:30.240 -> 14:32.160] So yeah, I'm not saying that it's a bad thing.
[14:32.160 -> 14:33.800] I'm just stating a fact.
[14:33.800 -> 14:37.280] And that's just how the business of motorsport and Formula One
[14:37.280 -> 14:39.520] has been running all these years.
[14:39.520 -> 14:43.160] One very interesting fact is that in the last 30 years,
[14:43.160 -> 14:50.620] we've had only just one full season where an American driver has has raced I think that was 2006 but in the
[14:50.620 -> 14:54.880] last 30 to 32 years we've really not had one full season with an American driver
[14:54.880 -> 14:59.380] I think 2023 is finally going to be that time when it happens. Yeah I mean it's
[14:59.380 -> 15:03.160] sure it's great for Formula One that we get to see an American driver but
[15:03.160 -> 15:07.000] someone who's finishing fourth in Formula 2, really, is that how it works?
[15:07.000 -> 15:17.000] And that's also not been one of the best years in terms of Formula 2 talents, because in 2018, we saw Albin, we saw Russell, and we saw Landon Norris all graduate from the same class.
[15:17.000 -> 15:28.920] And that's when even the third best driver, and let's say Alexander Albin, you can see some sure quality in it but I don't know with Logan Sargent it's interesting what's happening all I can say is that is he really going to be
[15:28.920 -> 15:31.600] an upgrade of Nikhil Sattivi is going to be a major question from what we've
[15:31.600 -> 15:36.600] seen so far it's hard to really tell of course he won't crash as much but yeah
[15:36.600 -> 15:41.080] it's absurd how things are going on but on a lighter note isn't Logan Sargent
[15:41.080 -> 15:44.040] the most American name in the world Kunal? Like if you hear Logan Sargent you
[15:44.040 -> 15:46.560] can't be doubtful that this guy is not from the US.
[15:46.560 -> 15:48.400] Like it's proper American moment, isn't it?
[15:48.960 -> 15:54.000] It's actually, it is the most American moment. I actually love the last name, I must say.
[15:54.560 -> 16:00.640] And for all those listening to us from the southern part of India, you know,
[16:00.640 -> 16:10.000] Sar, which is going to be S-A-R, his initials, is a very, very local way of saying sir, you know, it's just how it sounds.
[16:10.000 -> 16:13.800] So they do mean S-I-R, but it just sounds like S-A-R,
[16:13.800 -> 16:15.800] which is what his initials will be.
[16:15.800 -> 16:18.200] I'm excited to see what's the car number he's going to have.
[16:18.200 -> 16:23.400] But I am eager, I mean, you know, to see how well he does, how he steps up,
[16:23.400 -> 16:27.000] whether it's a Latifi or a Russell or whatever he's going to do,
[16:27.000 -> 16:34.000] I am eager to see how he steps up. And I quite like the fact that there are other teams coming to Williams' assistance here.
[16:34.000 -> 16:46.320] I mean, Alpine has turned around and said, you know, we'd love to give him a ride in our TPC car, which is a 2021 car. Of course Alpine is going to charge William some money for it
[16:46.320 -> 16:52.720] but he's you know so Logan Sargent is just going to get some more miles under his belt and
[16:52.720 -> 16:57.440] you know we got one new driver next season. Actually not just one no, two because Nick
[16:57.440 -> 17:02.480] DeVries he got literally shipped off and delivered to AlphaTauri. I think we need to do this sort of
[17:02.480 -> 17:07.560] ritual every single time right whenever a driver changes a team, after they're done celebrating, ship them
[17:07.560 -> 17:11.320] off in one of those little transporter things. I don't know what the exact term
[17:11.320 -> 17:14.960] for them is. Strap them up and lay them down in the garage of the next team. I
[17:14.960 -> 17:18.080] think that Sundaram needs to be a ritual that we need to see every single time.
[17:18.080 -> 17:22.360] But if that were to happen, where would you lay off Daniel Ricardo or Nikhil
[17:22.360 -> 17:30.100] Satheef, your mixed shoemaker in that case? I absolutely don't know. But, what happened yesterday was a very nice thing that we saw.
[17:30.100 -> 17:32.600] Something that we have never seen before. Very innovative, I would say.
[17:32.600 -> 17:38.100] That Mercedes ended up doing. And it was quite quick also after the race had ended.
[17:38.100 -> 17:40.300] And they also dropped him in the marina, I suppose.
[17:40.300 -> 17:49.000] So, there is a very interesting thing that I saw on social media that whenever someone changes teams from Mercedes, they always have to take a dip in the Marina.
[17:49.000 -> 17:51.000] But yeah, pretty interesting scenes yesterday.
[17:51.000 -> 17:59.000] Yeah, exactly. And now, for a second, I'm going to talk about Sergio Perez because we're so far into this episode that we haven't talked about the P2 battle now.
[17:59.000 -> 18:03.000] Anti-climatic, I think is the word that we're going to use for it, isn't it Kunal?
[18:03.000 -> 18:08.480] Because the way it started off, it seemed like there was a genuine chance that Perez could make it to Red Bull One, Two for the first time ever.
[18:08.480 -> 18:10.960] But then degradation came in the way.
[18:10.960 -> 18:15.280] Just how disappointing must that be in the broader scale of things?
[18:15.280 -> 18:17.600] Because Red Bull, all year round, have appeared in this competition.
[18:17.600 -> 18:18.400] I disagree.
[18:18.400 -> 18:23.120] I disagree that it was degradation that came in the way.
[18:23.120 -> 18:26.440] I would say that it was Max Verstappen who did not
[18:26.440 -> 18:32.120] come in the way of Charles Leclerc when he could have,
[18:32.120 -> 18:32.920] actually.
[18:32.920 -> 18:35.640] I meant teammate relation degradation, not tires.
[18:35.640 -> 18:36.360] Oh, yeah, yeah.
[18:36.360 -> 18:36.880] OK.
[18:36.880 -> 18:38.560] Then that's good.
[18:38.560 -> 18:41.840] I think Perez knows he doesn't really have a chance elsewhere
[18:41.840 -> 18:42.640] just yet.
[18:42.640 -> 18:43.480] Just yet.
[18:43.480 -> 18:46.000] OK, so he's got to stick with whatever
[18:46.000 -> 18:48.680] Red Bull will stick him with, I would say.
[18:48.680 -> 18:54.240] But the key question is, Max Verstappen said post-race,
[18:54.240 -> 19:00.440] it wouldn't have been fair racing to block Leclerc
[19:00.440 -> 19:02.720] on track and slow him down.
[19:02.720 -> 19:07.280] The most interesting thing here is he forgets that last year he called
[19:07.280 -> 19:12.580] Checo a legend for doing exactly that for slowing Lewis Hamilton down.
[19:12.580 -> 19:16.260] I mean, Lewis Hamilton called it dangerous racing, but you could see how
[19:16.260 -> 19:21.100] much Checo was driving slowly in the third sector of, of the Yas Marina circuit,
[19:21.100 -> 19:22.840] just so that Max could catch up.
[19:22.840 -> 19:25.580] And then that took away some strategy options
[19:25.580 -> 19:28.660] from Lewis Hamilton under the safety car and so on.
[19:28.660 -> 19:29.840] Could they have done that?
[19:29.840 -> 19:31.160] Should they have done that?
[19:31.160 -> 19:32.840] It's the question.
[19:32.840 -> 19:36.920] But the truth is, this was the best effort basis
[19:36.920 -> 19:39.920] from Red Bull, from Max, from Checo.
[19:39.920 -> 19:42.600] And I'm just glad that they didn't do something
[19:42.600 -> 19:46.400] more farcical like, okay, Max need to give up the win for Checo Perez.
[19:46.400 -> 19:57.000] Because Max with 15 wins in the season is far more a stat you'll remember than, hey, Red Bull got their first 1-2 in their championship.
[19:57.000 -> 20:00.920] I mean, they are still a champion team despite not having a 1-2 before.
[20:00.920 -> 20:04.680] So why are we suddenly wanting a 1-2 this time, right?
[20:04.920 -> 20:06.480] But talking of Max's 15 wins,
[20:06.480 -> 20:13.120] he scored 15 wins in one season, whereas Jenson Button scored 15 wins over his entire Formula 1
[20:13.120 -> 20:17.440] career. Just to keep that in perspective. You didn't have to kill off my championship
[20:17.440 -> 20:22.880] heroes or my childhood heroes career like that one. Yikes! But remarkable how disappointing
[20:22.880 -> 20:26.240] the season has been in terms of a competition perspective and how it actually played out.
[20:26.240 -> 20:36.080] But that's on the championship front. Down below Sundaram, there was this amazing little battle that we all really forgot that eventually played out between Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo.
[20:36.080 -> 20:48.320] And at the very end, they're now tied for P6 with 55 points. But Alfa Romeo, I think, for the first time in forever, have finished above some place like P8 because they finally got in P6 in the championship.
[20:48.320 -> 20:55.920] In terms of trajectory, it's hard to see them climbing back up because the team that they're fighting against, Aston Martin, have just had a remarkable resurgence in points.
[20:55.920 -> 21:00.560] But regardless, from where they were last year to get to here, it's just frankly fantastic.
[21:00.560 -> 21:08.720] Even Haas getting to P8, it's like the stories of last year, all the disappointments have been reversed for all teams barring Williams that is. Yeah, good point because we would always
[21:08.720 -> 21:14.640] see a team like Otoro Rosso or an Alpha Tauri being there in P6 or P7 and they've actually
[21:14.640 -> 21:21.280] dropped down to P9 this year which is very very astonishing and a team like Haas finishing P8
[21:21.280 -> 21:27.360] and then Alpha Romeo and Aston Martin. I mean, in fact, Aston Martin were in 9th after the
[21:27.360 -> 21:33.600] summer break and over the last, I would say 10 races or so, they've accumulated close to 35
[21:33.600 -> 21:39.680] points. Whereas Alfa Romeo have taken just 4 points in the last 10-12 races. So, an incredible
[21:39.680 -> 21:46.520] resurgence to be equal on 6th with Alfa Romeo which makes things very interesting for
[21:46.520 -> 21:47.520] next year as well.
[21:47.520 -> 21:51.760] Yeah, it's going to be fun but now with Fernando Alonso coming in there, I think the whole
[21:51.760 -> 21:53.600] mixture is going to be even crazier.
[21:53.600 -> 21:57.320] We've been constantly talking about it on the podcast right, for how long can Fernando
[21:57.320 -> 22:00.360] Alonso keep up the charade of being a nice guy and being a good teammate.
[22:00.360 -> 22:06.080] At Alpine we saw that happen for what, 1 year and 1.9 years you could put it that way. It
[22:06.080 -> 22:11.840] only started to go off with his best friend in the last couple of races. But now Kunal he has to suck
[22:11.840 -> 22:16.880] up to the owner's son. Not suck up to him but at least not pull up a conflict with him. That I
[22:16.880 -> 22:20.160] think is going to be the biggest story to watch for the course of the next couple of years apart
[22:20.160 -> 22:29.440] from of course Alonso looking to kind of fight for the entire world which is just persistent at this point. I think I would reverse the question. Will the Strolls
[22:29.440 -> 22:37.080] risk upsetting Fernando Alonso? I mean that guy is in so much of a fire, right,
[22:37.080 -> 22:42.780] that you don't want to take him head-on and I think Lance Stroll of all the
[22:42.780 -> 22:48.640] people, Vettel is a very easygoing, very likeable, very friendly character,
[22:48.640 -> 22:50.640] you know, fighting all one point or not.
[22:50.640 -> 22:58.160] But I don't think Alonso will be such a little walkover.
[22:58.160 -> 23:01.760] And it's unfortunate that, you know, Alpine, of course, got P4,
[23:01.760 -> 23:05.760] but Fernando Alonso had his sixth retirement of the year, sixth
[23:05.760 -> 23:11.360] DNF or something. And he's, of course, he pointed out in Australia and some of the other races,
[23:11.360 -> 23:15.760] he had issues even going into qualifying. And then he asked a very important question,
[23:15.760 -> 23:24.240] how is it that it was just Maika facing all the challenges? And despite all these challenges,
[23:24.240 -> 23:29.840] he was 10 or 12 points, maybe less than 10 points away from Esteban Ocon in the championship.
[23:29.840 -> 23:40.720] So, a fantastic season overall for Alonso. And you know, if he keeps continuing with these results, who's to say that he's going to stop anytime soon?
[23:40.720 -> 23:45.360] I mean, I would love to just see him drive and drive and drive,
[23:45.360 -> 23:49.680] because it's a delight to watch him drive, I would say.
[23:49.680 -> 23:52.680] And another delight, and I'm going
[23:52.680 -> 23:55.080] to move on now from Alonzo in Abu Dhabi,
[23:55.080 -> 23:59.840] was Ferrari's pit stop strategy for Charles Leclerc.
[23:59.840 -> 24:03.880] They knew that they had to beat Perez on strategy.
[24:03.880 -> 24:05.720] They knew they had to make the one-stop work.
[24:05.720 -> 24:08.560] They knew they had to get Perez to make a second stop
[24:08.560 -> 24:09.720] and all of that.
[24:09.720 -> 24:10.900] They called a dummy.
[24:10.900 -> 24:12.160] They made Perez pay it.
[24:12.160 -> 24:14.320] And they sort of made it work for Charles Leclerc,
[24:14.320 -> 24:16.000] which is fantastic.
[24:16.000 -> 24:18.440] The funny part is they have gone on and on
[24:18.440 -> 24:22.520] in every media interview, how they nailed
[24:22.520 -> 24:28.440] the strategy to perfection, how they called a dummy and they fooled Red Bull and Perez.
[24:28.440 -> 24:30.440] And the truth is, yes, they wanted
[24:30.440 -> 24:34.360] to use the races towards the latter half of 22
[24:34.360 -> 24:37.640] in sharpening their strategy and operational skills and so on.
[24:37.640 -> 24:39.200] They've finally done that.
[24:39.200 -> 24:40.680] But it's taken them some time.
[24:40.680 -> 24:42.960] Other teams do this time and time again,
[24:42.960 -> 24:45.600] just that they don't really end up talking too
[24:45.600 -> 24:50.880] much about it, if I may put it that way. But credit where it's due. I think if that's what
[24:50.880 -> 24:56.560] drives Ferrari up, public motivation and the media saying good things and telling people like
[24:56.560 -> 25:02.080] Red Bull and Hannah Schmitz and the team saying, ha ha, hey, for once I fooled you. If that's what
[25:02.080 -> 25:07.040] drives them, why not? Something that really caught my eye in the press
[25:07.040 -> 25:09.320] conferences and even the interviews after the race
[25:09.320 -> 25:13.160] is Charles Leclerc and Mattia Binotto time and time
[25:13.160 -> 25:16.840] mentioning that they finally got their time management right
[25:16.840 -> 25:17.340] this time.
[25:17.340 -> 25:18.800] And they had the pace, which is something
[25:18.800 -> 25:20.380] that I don't really remember when it's
[25:20.380 -> 25:21.600] the last time they mentioned.
[25:21.600 -> 25:26.280] Because after the new technical directive came in Belgium,
[25:26.280 -> 25:31.640] they've always had some trouble when it came to tyre degradation and yesterday, they finally
[25:31.640 -> 25:35.640] say oh the tyre management's been great so that's something that was lesser heard in
[25:35.640 -> 25:36.960] the last several races.
[25:36.960 -> 25:38.560] Yeah, you're so right about that.
[25:38.560 -> 25:41.480] I was actually very intrigued to see that happening all the way through and for once
[25:41.480 -> 25:48.720] Ferrari actually being on the upper hand but But this just again raises another question about the tyre, not the tyre I'm sorry,
[25:48.720 -> 25:52.880] but the car philosophies and designs right, because now that Ferrari have some glimmer
[25:52.880 -> 25:56.880] of hope in the last phase, will they sort of continue with the same concept?
[25:56.880 -> 25:59.920] At this point of course most people have decided what they're going to do,
[25:59.920 -> 26:04.640] but I think this question is better yet asked for Mercedes who now have at least one win in
[26:04.640 -> 26:05.480] their bag.
[26:05.480 -> 26:07.680] Shameful Lewis Hamilton that has undertaken like streak
[26:07.680 -> 26:08.840] has been broken down.
[26:08.840 -> 26:10.880] But sure enough, they have won a race.
[26:10.880 -> 26:13.040] They are seeing some sort of progress with the car.
[26:13.040 -> 26:14.880] We saw that one big spike in Brazil,
[26:14.880 -> 26:16.880] and it's back down once again in Abu Dhabi.
[26:16.880 -> 26:19.040] So this is big confusion, right, Kunal?
[26:19.040 -> 26:21.040] At least or so it may seem for us.
[26:21.040 -> 26:23.120] Just where does Mercedes go for 2023?
[26:23.120 -> 26:25.520] What sort of concept do they apply? And what happens next? Because this, for them, is the does Mercedes go for 2023, what sort of concept do they apply and what
[26:25.520 -> 26:31.040] happens next because this for them is the most uncharacteristic year but in terms of human
[26:31.040 -> 26:36.640] personality sort of we can see that they've pushed way beyond anything else. They've had amazing
[26:36.640 -> 26:40.160] results and from where they were surely they've come ahead but just what happened in Abu Dhabi
[26:40.160 -> 26:44.320] that really curtailed them so far. I think I'm going to summarize what Lewis Hamilton said, he said
[26:41.880 -> 26:44.180] that really curtailed them so far? I think I'm going to summarize what Lewis Hamilton said.
[26:44.180 -> 26:48.760] He said that they started the year with a car
[26:48.760 -> 26:50.520] they didn't want, and they ended the year
[26:50.520 -> 26:52.880] with a car they didn't want.
[26:52.880 -> 26:57.840] And at the end of the day, no win this season,
[26:57.840 -> 27:01.240] no pole position for the first time in his career as well.
[27:01.240 -> 27:03.600] They are purposing back, bothering them
[27:03.600 -> 27:05.880] in Abu Dhabi as well. So it wasosing back, bothering them in Abu Dhabi as well.
[27:05.880 -> 27:09.760] So it was just general, I would say,
[27:09.760 -> 27:11.800] yeah, it was a general Mercedes performance
[27:11.800 -> 27:14.400] that you didn't see in the Americas.
[27:14.400 -> 27:16.840] Maybe they just perform well in the American time zone.
[27:16.840 -> 27:21.800] I mean, that's what the Austin upgrade did to them.
[27:21.800 -> 27:23.240] So it was just down to that.
[27:23.240 -> 27:26.000] And F1StatsG Guru put up a very interesting
[27:26.000 -> 27:34.160] stat on our chat board right now saying in the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton,
[27:34.160 -> 27:40.420] Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel retired. Of course you got to understand the meaning
[27:40.420 -> 27:45.520] of that message but that was a very interesting, interesting stack.
[27:45.520 -> 27:48.200] But yes, coming to Mercedes, Toto Wolf,
[27:48.200 -> 27:49.560] we're going to bounce back.
[27:49.560 -> 27:50.980] We're going to fight at the front.
[27:50.980 -> 27:54.760] He's trying to say that to, of course, Warren Red Bull.
[27:54.760 -> 27:56.600] Lewis Hamilton said at the start of the year,
[27:56.600 -> 27:59.560] you've not seen the best part of me yet.
[27:59.560 -> 28:03.240] So that's what we were hoping to see in 2022 as well.
[28:03.240 -> 28:05.480] But again, like I said at the start of the show,
[28:05.480 -> 28:10.040] so many narratives, how are we going to keep following it?
[28:10.040 -> 28:11.480] We'd love to do that, right?
[28:11.480 -> 28:15.240] Because suddenly, in February, when you see people,
[28:15.240 -> 28:17.600] you will see a different side to them.
[28:17.600 -> 28:18.760] And you're like, hey, what happened to you?
[28:18.760 -> 28:21.220] You know, when we saw you on the 20th of November,
[28:21.220 -> 28:22.360] this was a little different,
[28:22.360 -> 28:23.520] or that was a little different.
[28:23.520 -> 28:25.040] But that's just how it goes
[28:25.040 -> 28:29.120] in Formula One. And I love the question that you asked about it Kunal, how are we going to follow
[28:29.120 -> 28:33.840] it all along, what are we going to do in the meantime and luckily for that we've got tons
[28:33.840 -> 28:38.720] of interesting content coming up on the Inside Line F1 podcast starting off with our end of
[28:38.720 -> 28:43.120] season awards. So we're going to have a big review, I've been a recording person which means I'll be
[28:43.120 -> 28:45.200] able to do more banter in there as well.
[28:45.200 -> 28:51.040] And we kind of rate out the most, let's say, non-obvious award categories for the entire year.
[28:51.040 -> 28:53.760] That sort of banter parody awards happens in a week's time.
[28:53.760 -> 28:55.360] So that'll be incredible fun as well.
[28:55.360 -> 28:58.720] But then over the winter, we're going to have special episodes and special interviews also
[28:58.720 -> 28:59.280] coming about.
[28:59.280 -> 29:02.640] So stay tuned on the Inside Line F1 podcast for that.
[29:02.640 -> 29:06.140] The season might be over, but the fun is not over yet.
[29:06.140 -> 29:08.960] So subscribe to us on all of our platforms
[29:08.960 -> 29:10.040] or whichever platform that you listen
[29:10.040 -> 29:11.920] to the Inside Line F1 podcast on.
[29:11.920 -> 29:14.640] And to interact with us over the winter on social media,
[29:14.640 -> 29:17.040] you can check out the links in our description.
[29:17.040 -> 29:19.200] But now folks, it's time to head back in our cave
[29:19.200 -> 29:21.720] for one day and cry about Sebastian Vettel's retirement
[29:21.720 -> 29:24.960] and then simp over the new winter test once again.
[29:24.960 -> 29:27.680] Bye folks, have a good time, enjoy the weekend. Bye.
[29:41.590 -> 29:43.590] you