F1 2023 - Early & Bold Predictions (recorded with a live audience)

This episode is hands down our most-special episode. We recorded our early & bold (or boldest!) predictions for the 2023 Formula 1 season...with a live audience. Yes, we engaged with some of our most-ardent listeners (who also happen to be Formula 1 fans, of course) in the real world.

As you all know, we hosted our first-ever meet-up in the physical world in mid-January in Mumbai. Here's a glimpse of the fun we had - lots of banter, serious talk, predictions and above all else the joy of meeting you all.

We will have more meet-ups. We will scale-up & be in your city (or country!?) sooner than later, we hope.

But for now, sit back & listen to one of our finest episodes yet. 

Tune in!

(Season 2023, Episode 03)

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

**Key Points from the Inside Line F1 Podcast Episode:**

* **Live Audience Meetup:**

> - The podcast hosted its first-ever live meetup in Mumbai, featuring interactive discussions and Q&A sessions with ardent Formula 1 fans.
> - Attendees engaged in lively debates, predictions, and banter about the upcoming 2023 Formula 1 season.
> - The event showcased the passion and enthusiasm of the Inside Line F1 podcast's listeners and highlighted the growing popularity of Formula 1 in India.

* **Driver Personalities and Evolution:**

> - Mithila Mehta, a regular contributor to the podcast, joined the discussion to explore how driver personalities have evolved over the years.
> - The conversation centered around drivers like Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, and Kimi Raikkonen, highlighting their unique characteristics and impact on the sport.
> - Social media's influence on driver personalities was also discussed, with drivers becoming more approachable and entertaining to engage with fans.

* **Bold Predictions for the 2023 Season:**

> - The podcast team made bold predictions for the upcoming 2023 Formula 1 season, covering all ten teams and various aspects of the sport.
> - Predictions ranged from team performances to driver achievements, rule changes, and potential surprises throughout the season.
> - The predictions were made in mid-January, with some updates provided during the podcast recording in early February.

* **FIA and Liberty Media Discussions:**

> - The podcast addressed the FIA's decision to clamp down on drivers' messaging and protests, sparking a debate among the attendees.
> - The FIA's role in sports washing and its relationship with Formula 1 were also brought into question.
> - The possibility of an 11th team entering Formula 1 was discussed, with differing opinions on the matter.

* **Red Bull Racing and Sergio Perez's Role:**

> - Red Bull Racing was considered the team to beat in 2023, with Max Verstappen predicted to retain his championship title.
> - Sergio Perez's performance and his potential role as a number two driver were debated, with varying opinions on his motivation and ability to challenge Verstappen.
> - The impact of the budget cap and reduced wind tunnel testing on Red Bull's performance was also analyzed.

* **Mercedes and the Changing Dynamics:**

> - Mercedes' struggles in the 2022 season and their chances of bouncing back in 2023 were discussed.
> - The dynamic between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell as teammates was brought into focus, with questions about their potential rivalry and collaboration.
> - The team's ability to adapt to the new regulations and regain their dominance was a key topic of discussion.

* **Other Teams and Liberty Media's Role:**

> - Predictions and discussions covered other teams such as Ferrari, McLaren, Aston Martin, and Alfa Romeo, highlighting their strengths, weaknesses, and potential for improvement.
> - Liberty Media's role in shaping the sport and its commercial success was also examined, with a focus on the budget cap and its impact on team competitiveness.

* **Audience Interaction and Quiz:**

> - The live meetup featured interactive segments, including a quiz hosted by Sundaram Ramaswami, known as F1 Stats Guru.
> - The quiz engaged the audience and tested their knowledge of Formula 1 history and trivia.

* **Overall Message:**

> - The episode encapsulated the excitement and anticipation for the 2023 Formula 1 season, bringing together fans, experts, and enthusiasts to share their insights and predictions.
> - The discussions highlighted the evolving nature of the sport, the impact of rule changes, and the dynamic personalities that make Formula 1 a captivating spectacle.

* **Introduction:**

* The podcast episode is a live recording with an audience, making it a special and unique episode.
* The hosts engage with ardent Formula 1 fans in a physical setting, creating an interactive and lively atmosphere.
* The episode promises to be one of the finest, with banter, serious discussions, predictions, and the joy of meeting fellow enthusiasts.

* **Predictions for the 2023 Formula 1 Season:**

* **Red Bull:**

* Expected to continue their dominance, as they have a fantastic setup and won races in 2022 without much effort.
* The 7 million budget cap impact on Red Bull is uncertain, as it's difficult to implement such changes quickly.
* Red Bull will likely remain strong, and Mercedes is also a team to watch.

* **Alfa Romeo:**

* The team has lost Frederic Vasseur, which is a significant change.
* Few fans are actual Alfa Romeo supporters, but many are Sauber fans.
* The team may struggle to find their way and may even forget to hire a team principal.
* Audi's investment in Sauber could bring positive changes, especially considering their strong wind tunnel facilities.
* Valtteri Bottas may have another rear-end incident in 2023.
* The team's reliability issues need to be addressed for them to finish higher than sixth or seventh.
* Mattia Binotto may join Audi in 2024, considering his engineering expertise.

* **Alpine:**

* The team has entered the explosives business and has been successful at it.
* The question remains when Alpine will realize their potential as a race car manufacturer.
* They have had management changes and still have a complex management structure.
* Fernando Alonso's departure may lead to a post-Alonso syndrome, where the team performs better initially.
* It's unclear if they can compete with two drivers who lack a clear number one driver.

* **McLaren:**

* McLaren beat Alpine in court regarding Oscar Piastri's contract.
* The team may regress this year as their investments have stopped, and they are suffering financially.
* Oscar Piastri is an upgrade over Daniel Ricciardo and is expected to perform well.
* Piastri may eventually move to another team, similar to Michael Schumacher's situation.

* **Aston Martin:**

* The team may benefit from Audi's investment in 2026, or even from Mercedes in the future.
* Lando Norris has declined offers from Red Bull to focus on his McLaren career.
* It remains to be seen if Norris will regret this decision if Red Bull continues to dominate.

* **Williams:**

* The team has new owners, but they may struggle to make significant progress.
* Hiring James Vowles as team principal shows an intent to build a strong engineering division.
* Logan Sargeant is not seen as America's answer to an American Formula 1 driver.
* Williams may finish last in the Constructors' Championship.

Sure, here's a detailed summary of the podcast episode transcript:

**Introduction**

* This episode is a live recording with ardent Formula One fans in Mumbai.
* The podcast hosts, Soumil Arora, Sundaram Ramaswami, and Kunal Shah, shared their early predictions for the 2023 Formula One season.

**Bold Predictions for the 2023 Season**

**Aston Martin:**

* Fernando Alonso will have the best version of himself during his time at Aston Martin.
* He won't say anything negative about the team or his teammate, Lance Stroll.
* Alonso will fall out with Lawrence Stroll by the Monza Grand Prix.
* Aston Martin will finish P5 or P6 in the Constructors' Championship.

**Mercedes:**

* Mercedes will continue with the zero-pod concept.
* There will be a three-way championship battle between Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull.
* Lewis Hamilton will win a race and become the first driver to win a race after his 300th Grand Prix.
* George Russell will win more races than Hamilton.
* Mercedes will win the Constructors' Championship.

**Red Bull Racing:**

* Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez will have a more corporate driver fallout.
* Red Bull will win the Constructors' Championship.

**AlphaTauri:**

* Nick De Vries would have been a talent lost to Formula One if he hadn't joined AlphaTauri.
* Yuki Tsunoda will calm down, become the team leader, and take the car all the way through the season.
* Tsunoda won't swear the whole season.

**Haas:**

* Kevin Magnussen will be the better driver than Nico Hulkenberg.
* Haas will finish in the midfield.
* Guenther Steiner will be the most popular person in the team.

**Other Notable Points:**

* The hosts discussed the impact of key personnel changes on the teams, such as the departure of James Allison from Mercedes and the arrival of Andrea Stella at McLaren.
* They also highlighted the potential for Audi's entry into Formula One in 2026 and how it could affect the dynamics of the sport.

**Overall, the podcast provided insightful and engaging discussions on the upcoming Formula One season, offering bold predictions and expert analysis.**

# Inside Line F1 Podcast Episode 03: 2023 Season Predictions with a Live Audience

**Key Points:**

* The podcast's first-ever live meet-up in Mumbai was a resounding success, with many ardent Formula 1 fans in attendance.
* The hosts engaged in lively discussions and banter with the audience, making predictions for the upcoming 2023 Formula 1 season.

**Bold Predictions for the 2023 Season:**

* Williams: Despite a change in drivers and management, the team is expected to remain in the lower ranks, finishing eighth or ninth in the championship.
* Haas: With a more experienced driver lineup, Haas might improve slightly, but they are still predicted to finish in the bottom half of the standings.
* Alfa Romeo: The team's decision to retain experienced drivers is seen as a positive move, but they are still likely to finish in the midfield.
* Aston Martin: The team's ambitious plans and significant investment may not yield immediate results, and they could face reliability issues.
* McLaren: With a new team principal and a reshuffled driver lineup, McLaren is expected to make progress but may still struggle to challenge the top teams.
* Alpine: The team's strong driver pairing and technical expertise could lead them to challenge for podium finishes and possibly even a race win.
* AlphaTauri: The team's focus on developing young drivers might limit their immediate success, and they are predicted to finish in the midfield.
* Red Bull: With Max Verstappen as the reigning world champion and a strong team behind him, Red Bull is the favorite to win the constructors' championship again.
* Mercedes: The team is expected to bounce back from a disappointing 2022 season, but they may still face challenges in matching Red Bull's pace.
* Ferrari: Despite changes in management and strategy, Ferrari is predicted to improve but may not challenge for the championship in 2023.

**Additional Insights and Controversies:**

* The hosts debated the impact of team principals on a team's performance, particularly in terms of reducing strategic errors and improving pit stop efficiency.
* The future of Formula 1 was discussed, with the hosts expressing concerns about the sport becoming too money-centric and losing its original heritage.
* The lack of a broadcaster for Formula 1 in India was acknowledged, with the hosts hoping for an announcement soon.

**Overall Message:**

The episode provided insightful predictions and discussions about the upcoming Formula 1 season, engaging with the live audience and highlighting key storylines and controversies.

[00:00.000 -> 00:26.560] Hey there folks, and welcome to probably the most special episode of the Inside Line F1 podcast ever.
[00:26.560 -> 00:30.960] Now in our 11 years of existence we've never done an episode like this
[00:30.960 -> 00:36.560] and that's not because we're getting a legendary broadcaster to join us or a world champion to come on the show.
[00:36.560 -> 00:46.000] No, that's because this episode is all about the story of what happened when the Inside Line F1 podcast went live in person for the first time ever
[00:46.000 -> 00:50.000] for the first ever meetup in Mumbai a couple of weeks ago and
[00:50.000 -> 00:52.000] let me calm down for a second
[00:52.000 -> 00:56.000] even thinking about that night right now gives me goosebumps because
[00:56.000 -> 01:00.000] we had over a hundred amazing attendees join in
[01:00.000 -> 01:04.000] and all of them were asking us so many great questions on Formula 1
[01:04.000 -> 01:09.960] and we had such an incredible discussion about so many things about the 2023 Formula 1 season, about the
[01:09.960 -> 01:13.960] driver personalities and how they've changed over the years with Mithila leading that chat
[01:13.960 -> 01:18.560] as well and mind you we're getting to that first and also we had an amazing quiz with
[01:18.560 -> 01:23.900] F1 Stats Guru and that just completely revitalized the entire event.
[01:23.900 -> 01:26.840] Everyone was so engaged and, I want to thank everyone
[01:26.840 -> 01:28.040] from the bottom of my heart.
[01:28.040 -> 01:30.440] I want to thank Social for organizing this event,
[01:30.440 -> 01:32.480] Insider for assisting out with the promotions
[01:32.480 -> 01:35.320] and the ticketing, and the Lollipop Man F1 comic,
[01:35.320 -> 01:38.620] because he sent us an amazing welcome video for all
[01:38.620 -> 01:40.240] of our listeners over there.
[01:40.240 -> 01:42.200] And everyone loved it so much.
[01:42.200 -> 01:43.280] So thank you for everyone.
[01:43.280 -> 01:46.760] And thank you to all the attendees. If you're listening right now,
[01:46.760 -> 01:49.040] genuinely, you made it happen.
[01:49.040 -> 01:50.480] So thank you for joining us.
[01:50.480 -> 01:52.440] And now that we have tasted blood,
[01:52.680 -> 01:54.040] we want more.
[01:54.040 -> 01:55.320] Our listeners want more.
[01:55.320 -> 01:57.520] And we just want to do more of this so often.
[01:57.520 -> 02:00.200] So rest assured, we will scale up
[02:00.200 -> 02:02.600] and we are coming to your city sooner rather than later.
[02:02.600 -> 02:11.360] So stay tuned and follow us on all of our social media handles because we can't wait to meet you in person in your city so stay tuned for
[02:11.360 -> 02:17.200] all of that but let's begin with the first segment what we started off with so Mithila joined us for
[02:17.200 -> 02:22.320] the event as well and it's amazing because we often don't get to listen to Mithila a lot on
[02:22.320 -> 02:26.800] the podcast these days but when she comes on it's just that little bit extra special.
[02:27.080 -> 02:36.040] And it was made even more special because we were talking about our favorite thing to discuss, driver personalities and how they've evolved over the years, just like the Formula One cars.
[02:36.320 -> 02:45.640] So we've spoken a lot about the likes of Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen, and this little driver called Kimi Raikkonen who apparently won the 2007 World Championship
[02:45.800 -> 02:49.200] Yeah, he's he's Mithila's favorite. I've heard about him a couple of times
[02:49.200 -> 02:55.720] So listen in as Mithila and I have a word about driver personalities and how they've changed so much over the years
[02:55.720 -> 03:01.440] It's very interesting that you know, you also have like say Charles Leclerc and you've seen the next slide his
[03:02.040 -> 03:05.000] Banana peel of course The famous banana peel.
[03:05.000 -> 03:08.000] It's the peak of Formula 1 drivers I'd say.
[03:08.000 -> 03:09.000] Can you believe it?
[03:09.000 -> 03:11.000] Yeah, it's amazing though.
[03:11.000 -> 03:13.000] Because it humanizes them to a great degree, I feel.
[03:13.000 -> 03:14.000] Sorry?
[03:14.000 -> 03:16.000] It humanizes them to a great degree, I feel.
[03:16.000 -> 03:17.000] It's incredible.
[03:17.000 -> 03:22.000] I can't imagine that a Ferrari driver would be caught dead in public like this.
[03:22.000 -> 03:25.560] It's just insane that the team that is really like
[03:25.560 -> 03:30.200] policed and controlled their drivers for so many years and a banana, a humble
[03:30.200 -> 03:35.400] banana. But anyway, social media has ushered in this era where drivers you
[03:35.400 -> 03:40.800] know really have to be likeable and kind and funny and they're there to make
[03:40.800 -> 03:44.120] crack jokes. Every time we're in the paddock, you know, we interview like
[03:44.120 -> 03:47.160] whether it's Charles or you know Lando and they're so funny make crack jokes. Every time we're in the paddock, you know, we interview like, whether it's Charles or you know, Lando,
[03:47.160 -> 03:48.520] and they're so funny.
[03:48.520 -> 03:50.640] You can't imagine that these are the same guys
[03:50.640 -> 03:54.360] who are out there racing like the life depends on it.
[03:54.360 -> 03:57.080] They're like these regular class jokers.
[03:57.080 -> 04:00.640] It's just a completely different personality.
[04:00.640 -> 04:02.680] And then there's our man Max Verstappen.
[04:02.680 -> 04:03.520] Exactly.
[04:03.520 -> 04:04.360] Who's just not here to be liked,
[04:04.360 -> 04:05.000] because I think it's a good point you mentioned. When you watch Drive to Survive, it comes across that every single driver And then there's our man Max Verstappen. Exactly. Who's just not here to be liked.
[04:05.000 -> 04:06.000] Because I think it's a good point you mentioned.
[04:06.000 -> 04:11.000] When you watch Drive to Survive, it comes across that every single driver wants to be portrayed to be likeable.
[04:11.000 -> 04:12.000] But this guy doesn't care.
[04:12.000 -> 04:13.000] He doesn't care.
[04:13.000 -> 04:14.000] And that's brilliant.
[04:14.000 -> 04:15.000] He doesn't care.
[04:15.000 -> 04:16.000] And yet the fans love him.
[04:16.000 -> 04:17.000] Exactly.
[04:17.000 -> 04:18.000] For what he is and how he is.
[04:18.000 -> 04:26.000] And I think that's what sets him apart in this era of drivers where everyone wants to be funny and entertaining and likeable and they are so
[04:26.000 -> 04:30.000] and then there's Max and he's going about doing, how many Max fans here actually guys?
[04:30.000 -> 04:35.000] Yeah, see? And he's just going out there doing his thing.
[04:35.000 -> 04:36.000] Well, they have their reasons actually.
[04:36.000 -> 04:41.000] I should have asked how many Lewis fans out here, I missed that.
[04:41.000 -> 04:45.560] Somebody trying to raise their hand but their friends not
[04:45.560 -> 04:52.240] allowing it. But the hands will still rise? No? Yeah. So it's interesting to see that
[04:52.240 -> 05:03.640] a complete change and then you have Mr. Fernando Alonso and you know in an era, it's like he's
[05:03.640 -> 05:07.000] such a contrapersonality to every era he's raced in.
[05:07.000 -> 05:10.000] And you know, we talk about how drivers today,
[05:10.000 -> 05:15.000] Somal, this is something we were discussing, drivers are so focused on good PR,
[05:15.000 -> 05:21.000] they're literally taught by the teams what to say and how to say whether good or bad.
[05:21.000 -> 05:26.400] And then you have someone like Fernando and we have somebody waiting for us.
[05:26.400 -> 05:27.400] We do have somebody waiting for us.
[05:27.400 -> 05:28.400] It's Jehan.
[05:28.400 -> 05:29.400] He's going to be here in two minutes.
[05:29.400 -> 05:35.480] But the last thing we have to talk about, Mithla, is how we have the best Formula One
[05:35.480 -> 05:38.480] driver at the end of the day.
[05:38.480 -> 05:43.320] Because we may have these categories of drivers who are not PR friendly, some PR friendly
[05:43.320 -> 05:45.800] ones, some others, but then there's Kimi.
[05:45.800 -> 05:46.800] There's Kimi.
[05:46.800 -> 05:50.600] Who literally walked off in the middle of a race to sit in his yacht and drink.
[05:50.600 -> 05:51.600] Yeah.
[05:51.600 -> 05:52.600] And he didn't go back to the parrock.
[05:52.600 -> 05:54.600] And we love him for it, right guys?
[05:54.600 -> 05:59.320] I am a diehard Kimi Raikkonen fan and it's sometimes it's embarrassing because as a member
[05:59.320 -> 06:03.920] of the press, I have to be like unbiased and very objective.
[06:03.920 -> 06:04.920] But then there's Kimi.
[06:04.920 -> 06:09.840] I mean, what can you say all his classic quotes and just his most deadpan
[06:09.840 -> 06:15.240] expressions and I think every you know Kimmy conference that we've attended
[06:15.240 -> 06:18.700] sometimes like Kunal and me like to joke it has better attendance than the
[06:18.700 -> 06:22.380] grandstands at some of the races you know that's how popular Kimmy Raikkonen
[06:22.380 -> 06:30.480] is and timelessly so he has been on social media has not been on social media. He doesn't really need to do much, right?
[06:30.840 -> 06:37.560] So when you look at driver personalities and just how they've evolved you also find a driver like Kimi who seems to have done
[06:37.880 -> 06:42.280] Everything wrong on paper and still he's the most popular one out there, right?
[06:42.280 -> 06:45.480] Yep, gotta love him for that and the the best part about Kimmy is, folks,
[06:45.480 -> 06:46.600] that he will drink his heart out.
[06:46.600 -> 06:48.960] So I hope that you guys do the same as well today.
[06:48.960 -> 06:50.400] We're all here just to enjoy Formula One.
[06:50.400 -> 06:51.320] Let's just be like Kimmy.
[06:51.320 -> 06:52.800] Let's just enjoy Formula One.
[06:52.800 -> 06:56.080] If we don't like drinking alcohol, at least,
[06:56.080 -> 06:58.040] what's the other alternative that we got?
[06:58.040 -> 06:59.360] Oh, there's lots of folks on social media
[06:59.360 -> 07:00.200] that tell us more about it.
[07:00.200 -> 07:02.440] Rose water, like the Middle Eastern races.
[07:02.440 -> 07:03.440] Exactly.
[07:03.440 -> 07:04.720] No, but thank you so much, Mithila,
[07:04.720 -> 07:13.780] for coming out to share more light about it. Thank you, guys. Thank you for chatting with me. Right then, now for the main event, our early and bold predictions for 2023.
[07:13.780 -> 07:17.240] Before we begin, I want to put a small disclaimer on this.
[07:17.240 -> 07:22.120] This segment was recorded in mid-January and of course right now it is, at the time of
[07:22.120 -> 07:24.320] publishing at least, the start of February.
[07:24.320 -> 07:27.680] So some things have changed, especially about the Chinese Grand Prix
[07:27.680 -> 07:31.400] which Kunal talks about early on. So take that bit with a little pinch of salt.
[07:31.400 -> 07:35.880] But in this segment we're talking about all of our early and bold predictions
[07:35.880 -> 07:41.420] for the 2023 F1 season and we're talking only about 10 teams. We wanted to do 11
[07:41.420 -> 07:46.420] but Mohammed bin Salman approved of that and all the other teams said no you can't do that
[07:46.420 -> 07:48.320] So we're only sticking to 10 for now
[07:48.320 -> 07:53.360] but we're making our boldest predictions for all the teams for the FIA and the Liberty media and
[07:54.100 -> 08:00.600] Yes, it is one of our longest episodes, but there is so much banter and because there's so little room the offseason
[08:00.600 -> 08:06.240] We thought why don't we talk about every single team in depth and interact with all of our listeners and get to know what they think about
[08:06.240 -> 08:36.000] the sport as well. So listen in this is gonna be a ton of fun Yeah, just warm it up a little bit.
[08:36.000 -> 08:37.440] Formation lap.
[08:37.440 -> 08:43.640] So what happens here is we're going to give our best and bold predictions about 2023 and
[08:43.640 -> 08:46.000] we're just not going to talk about the teams or the drivers
[08:46.000 -> 08:46.640] as well.
[08:46.640 -> 08:48.360] We're actually going to talk about the entire sport
[08:48.360 -> 08:48.860] in general.
[08:48.860 -> 08:51.440] And so ideally, it would make sense
[08:51.440 -> 08:52.800] if we talk about the FIA.
[08:52.800 -> 08:55.360] And they already have their season highlight.
[08:55.360 -> 08:58.200] Their season highlight is that catastrophic night
[08:58.200 -> 09:00.160] between Mohammed bin Sulaym and Christian Honor.
[09:00.160 -> 09:02.040] Just about as catastrophic as our tech issues
[09:02.040 -> 09:04.800] earlier on today, but it happens.
[09:04.800 -> 09:05.760] Stuff happens.
[09:05.760 -> 09:12.960] Sometimes things don't go your way. But I have got a question. I want to ask you this guys,
[09:12.960 -> 09:19.440] the FIA have now clamped down on drivers giving any messaging. Just what happens in 2023? What
[09:19.440 -> 09:25.360] creative way does Lewis Hamilton find to protest against the FIA? Does Lewis Hamilton now need to get
[09:25.360 -> 09:29.720] permission to dye his hair rainbow coloured? Would that be counted as a protest or not?
[09:29.720 -> 09:33.880] What happens here now? What happens now? The FIA have clamped down on everything. Ben
[09:33.880 -> 09:38.120] Sulaim has done a Ben Sulaim. I think he's just the Arab Jean-Marie Boleska from the
[09:38.120 -> 09:43.160] very very past. Does dyeing your hair count as a protest now? What if Lewis dyes his hair
[09:43.160 -> 09:46.800] rainbow? Which is more when they check. They've already gone into the driver's underpants.
[09:46.800 -> 09:48.680] They need to regulate that.
[09:48.680 -> 09:51.040] What else do we have to regulate now?
[09:51.040 -> 09:52.120] Interesting question.
[09:52.120 -> 09:55.480] So what if we have a Black Arrows this year?
[09:55.480 -> 09:58.720] Because the Black Arrows was also as a part of the protest
[09:58.720 -> 10:03.840] or a political statement against everything that the black community was going against at that time.
[10:03.840 -> 10:04.600] The black Mercedes car.
[10:04.600 -> 10:05.000] The black Mercedes car.
[10:05.000 -> 10:06.000] The black Mercedes, yeah.
[10:06.000 -> 10:08.000] And suddenly it's gone, become silver in 2022.
[10:08.000 -> 10:10.000] Could it be black in 23?
[10:10.000 -> 10:14.000] And how will the FIA actually clamp on something like that?
[10:14.000 -> 10:22.000] So I think the FIA largely has been party to a lot of sports washing that has happened in Formula 1.
[10:22.000 -> 10:25.340] Like, you know, we will have a race in China this year
[10:25.340 -> 10:30.680] is my prediction because China has to show, hey, we are doing well, even though COVID
[10:30.680 -> 10:37.320] is probably as prevalent as it was, you know, 15, 18 months ago in other parts of the world.
[10:37.320 -> 10:43.380] So it's interesting, they are party to sports washing, but don't want drivers to be party
[10:43.380 -> 10:45.000] to their own political affiliations.
[10:45.000 -> 10:51.000] What do you guys think? Is FIA right with their decision? What do you guys think? No?
[10:51.000 -> 10:53.000] Is that a unanimous no? Raise your hands.
[10:53.000 -> 10:58.000] Why, why, there we are. We have another mic, we'll actually get one to you but for now, what do you think about this?
[10:58.000 -> 11:06.920] F1 is at its peak right now, we have a very big audience, so it is easier to spread messages like this against racism, against LGBT.
[11:06.920 -> 11:09.040] I think we should in fact promote it.
[11:09.040 -> 11:10.120] It's a very good point.
[11:10.120 -> 11:11.960] It's a very good point that you made over there.
[11:11.960 -> 11:14.280] I think personally, I think FIA should not
[11:14.280 -> 11:15.840] have gone ahead with this plan.
[11:15.840 -> 11:18.560] Drivers have a certain amount of an audience,
[11:18.560 -> 11:21.360] and they should be able to spread a much better message.
[11:21.360 -> 11:23.120] And drivers should be allowed to do that.
[11:23.120 -> 11:28.280] So yeah, I really don't think I am in agreement with FIA over here.
[11:28.280 -> 11:34.280] While Somil gets fixed, for me MBS as we call him in the world of motorsport is a gift that
[11:34.280 -> 11:39.880] keeps giving, we had the FIA gala with him and Christian Horner and my prediction for
[11:39.880 -> 11:46.400] the FIA is they will keep having a rift with Formula One as you know the commercial
[11:46.400 -> 11:53.280] rights holder and the governing body for the FIA for Formula One not giving entry
[11:53.280 -> 11:58.320] to 11th team is bringing more interest than actually giving entry to the 11th
[11:58.320 -> 12:02.600] and 12th team but I get this feeling that for the betterment of the sport and
[12:02.600 -> 12:10.480] to have more cars racing which is what everybody is always wanted we will have 11th team announced in 2023 that's my
[12:10.480 -> 12:11.480] prediction.
[12:11.480 -> 12:12.480] Don't we already have it announced?
[12:12.480 -> 12:19.480] Hey by the way guys and ready or no and ready what are we for over here?
[12:19.480 -> 12:20.480] Not with GM.
[12:20.480 -> 12:26.320] Not with GM ok we need to hear this opinion actually can we we get a mic across to you? Over there in the back?
[12:26.320 -> 12:27.320] All the way at the back.
[12:27.320 -> 12:28.320] Not with GM, ok that's interesting.
[12:28.320 -> 12:33.320] The gentleman in the blue shirt over there?
[12:33.320 -> 12:36.320] They've already come in with Cadillac, big big announcement.
[12:36.320 -> 12:49.320] I think many people think it's going to be just a superficial, even why not with GM. Andhreti has a very long and fantastic history with motorsport but somehow
[12:49.320 -> 12:56.720] I don't feel GM still understands Formula 1 as a business. Most American companies don't
[12:56.720 -> 13:05.000] really understand Formula 1 as a business yet, this is what I feel. It's amazing how Liberty Media understands, but all the manufacturers...
[13:05.000 -> 13:14.000] So for example, Ford, they really dumped Formula 1 in a very bad way.
[13:14.000 -> 13:17.000] Actually, this is one very fun story I want to tell you guys about Ford.
[13:17.000 -> 13:22.000] Because back in 2002 or 2003, when Eddie Irvine was driving for Jaguar, Jaguar was owned by Ford.
[13:22.000 -> 13:27.720] So one fine day, the Ford executives in in Detroit Michigan were just sitting down thinking okay let's just decide to cut
[13:27.720 -> 13:31.400] our costs and so they checked their pay list. There's this one person called Eddie
[13:31.400 -> 13:35.680] Irvine who is earning around 8 to 10 million dollars a year. It's like who's
[13:35.680 -> 13:39.760] this Eddie Irvine? He's not a GM, he's not a managing director, who is this fellow
[13:39.760 -> 13:43.600] earning 8 million dollars and the Ford executives then realized that hey he's
[13:43.600 -> 13:47.440] someone driving for a Formula One team. that's how clueless the American team
[13:47.440 -> 13:51.160] tended to be I don't know if it's gonna be the similar with similar thing with
[13:51.160 -> 13:54.200] Andretti because they've got so much experience across sports but what do you
[13:54.200 -> 13:58.160] reckon Kunal? I get this feeling this is new Formula One I get what you're saying
[13:58.160 -> 14:06.740] American companies have used Formula One before but I get this feeling GM will be a great brand to have in the sport.
[14:06.840 -> 14:13.600] It's time to open up all the gates that Formula One has built over time and let
[14:14.000 -> 14:15.600] people, let brands
[14:15.600 -> 14:21.760] understand and find their own ways of working in Formula One because what you're talking of was how Bernie
[14:21.880 -> 14:32.200] Eccleston was handling things and there's this famous quote that he didn't like it if you made money from Formula One and that was usually one of the challenges most brands faced.
[14:32.200 -> 14:37.340] But now Liberty Media is saying, no, come, everybody has to make money from Formula One, right?
[14:37.340 -> 14:42.900] And with the change of attitude, with a budget cap, with all those financial controls coming in,
[14:42.900 -> 14:46.720] I get this feeling Ford is somebody we will see in the sport soon enough.
[14:46.720 -> 14:49.440] We will of course see GM as well.
[14:49.440 -> 14:54.720] Hyundai, thanks to Cyril Abitay Bol's, you know, appointment earlier in the week,
[14:54.720 -> 14:57.280] suddenly they are on, you know, they are also knocking on doors.
[14:57.280 -> 15:00.240] So I get a feeling we are going to have a lot of manufacturers come in.
[15:00.240 -> 15:04.640] Yeah, exactly. No, I think speaking of GM, I think right now all the Formula 1 teams are seeing GM,
[15:04.640 -> 15:06.600] to Andretti and Cadillac at this stage in time.
[15:06.600 -> 15:11.800] But let's actually talk about Red Bull Racing next because they're the one team we have to talk about, right?
[15:11.800 -> 15:16.600] 2023, the season highlight is of course partnering it up with us for the F1 pit stop.
[15:16.600 -> 15:19.100] So all the merch that you're getting there is from Red Bull India.
[15:19.100 -> 15:21.700] And by the way, that comes from the budget cap.
[15:21.700 -> 15:24.600] So value it big time. They're spending money here.
[15:21.840 -> 15:23.280] that comes from the budget cap. So value it big time.
[15:23.280 -> 15:24.800] They're spending money here.
[15:24.800 -> 15:25.800] Can you use the…
[15:25.800 -> 15:30.600] Sadhguru – There's a reason why all of you all have paid to come here, because catering
[15:30.600 -> 15:34.040] most specifically is a very, very touchy point with Red Bull.
[15:34.040 -> 15:36.640] So we wanted to go clear of that.
[15:36.640 -> 15:41.320] And somebody actually asked me if the AC vents could be used for the seven percent, no the
[15:41.320 -> 15:43.520] ten percent reduction in aero time.
[15:43.520 -> 15:45.620] No, it cannot be used for that.
[15:45.620 -> 15:49.980] So 7 million down the drain, 10% of aero time.
[15:49.980 -> 15:51.260] But I still get this feeling,
[15:51.260 -> 15:52.880] I'm not alone when I think Red Bull
[15:52.880 -> 15:55.120] is still going to be the team to beat
[15:55.120 -> 16:00.120] and Max Verstappen is going to be the driver to beat in 2023.
[16:00.780 -> 16:01.940] What do you guys think?
[16:03.860 -> 16:05.000] Oh, okay, we have an opinion already.
[16:05.000 -> 16:09.000] Can we get a mic out there to the back in a second?
[16:09.000 -> 16:11.000] There we are.
[16:11.000 -> 16:13.000] The gentleman in the Mercedes T-shirt.
[16:13.000 -> 16:20.000] Just before that, by raise of hands, how many of you think Red Bull is going to be winning this championship?
[16:20.000 -> 16:24.000] Yeah, not a majority it seems.
[16:24.000 -> 16:25.000] Not bad.
[16:25.000 -> 16:30.000] And you are wearing a Mercedes T-shirt by the way, so I can expect a pointer to come along already.
[16:30.000 -> 16:31.000] What do you reckon?
[16:31.000 -> 16:34.000] Yeah, so I have two point questions. Is that fine?
[16:34.000 -> 16:35.000] Yeah, of course.
[16:35.000 -> 16:43.000] So the first one would be that, given the fact that Mercedes has probably ruled the hybrid era.
[16:43.000 -> 16:47.040] And they have just sang, the first season, right?
[16:47.040 -> 16:49.600] So with the rule changes.
[16:49.600 -> 16:53.520] So will that be an understatement or an overstatement to say that
[16:53.520 -> 16:57.240] a Mercedes will emerge back as a champion again?
[16:57.240 -> 16:58.960] Probably or not.
[16:58.960 -> 17:02.760] And the second part of it being is that now in 20...
[17:02.760 -> 17:10.000] Audi is also coming in the picture now and you know F1 is particularly
[17:10.000 -> 17:18.360] famous or infamous for being a sport which is money centric and Audi is owned by Volkswagen
[17:18.360 -> 17:27.960] which is bigger than even Ferrari, Ford, Mercedes probably together combined. Right, so will Audi create that kind of an impact?
[17:27.960 -> 17:32.040] What kind of an impact will Audi bring in the F1 sport?
[17:32.040 -> 17:35.640] Will Audi be the next Mercedes of the next era of sporting?
[17:35.640 -> 17:40.280] Actually we should get to that next because we have got Alfa Romeo, Audi coming up right after Red Bull Racing.
[17:40.280 -> 17:43.200] So with this whole thing I think we can answer it better over there.
[17:43.200 -> 17:44.600] Yeah, so both the questions.
[17:44.600 -> 17:45.000] Absolutely, so do we stick to Red Bull over there. Yeah, so both the questions. Absolutely.
[17:45.000 -> 17:48.000] So do we stick to Red Bull now or do we come back to that later?
[17:48.000 -> 17:51.000] Because this is a great one that we should answer when we talk about Audi,
[17:51.000 -> 17:53.000] which is funnily enough coming up exactly next.
[17:53.000 -> 17:55.000] So we can stick to Red Bull.
[17:55.000 -> 17:58.000] I think let's stick to Red Bull because there are 10 teams yet.
[17:58.000 -> 18:02.000] We were going to add the 11th, but MB has called and said
[18:02.000 -> 18:05.300] he doesn't have an approval from Stefano just yet.
[18:05.300 -> 18:07.220] So we can go with Red Bull.
[18:07.220 -> 18:09.980] I have a Red Bull question.
[18:09.980 -> 18:10.980] Oh go for it.
[18:10.980 -> 18:12.980] Yeah, yeah.
[18:12.980 -> 18:17.180] I was a bigger fan of Red Bull when Vettel was.
[18:17.180 -> 18:18.180] You're at his peak.
[18:18.180 -> 18:19.180] Who wasn't?
[18:19.180 -> 18:20.180] Who wasn't?
[18:20.180 -> 18:21.180] Hey, you shouldn't be.
[18:21.180 -> 18:23.180] You were in Force India that time.
[18:23.180 -> 18:25.320] Think from the mind, think from the heart.
[18:25.320 -> 18:32.840] Yeah, not a West Apple fan and I'm not a minority from the response we got earlier on that.
[18:32.840 -> 18:34.840] So I'm very much at peace with that.
[18:34.840 -> 18:38.560] I have a question regarding Sergio Perez.
[18:38.560 -> 18:48.000] I just wanted to know what's your opinion on him potentially being the next Valtteri Bottas for Red Bull?
[18:51.000 -> 18:57.000] Or someone who is going to challenge Max Verstappen in a way we still cannot fathom?
[18:57.000 -> 19:03.000] Wait, Perez being the next Valtteri Bottas, that doesn't involve him showing his derriere, right?
[19:03.000 -> 19:07.000] No, no, no. It's purely on the track. Nothing outside the law.
[19:07.000 -> 19:12.000] What do we think about it, Sundaram? Because that's my bold prediction for 2023, by the way.
[19:12.000 -> 19:15.000] I think Sergio Perez is going to have his worst season with Red Bull.
[19:15.000 -> 19:18.000] The car is just not suiting him anymore. It's just going away in a way.
[19:18.000 -> 19:22.000] I think he just falls back into that role. That's my take. But what do you have about it, Sundaram?
[19:22.000 -> 19:25.000] I have a very interesting point about this because
[19:30.040 -> 19:35.120] Sergio Perez, he heard what Verstappen did. I mean he knows what Verstappen did in Brazil So I think Perez has really done his part. I mean when he was brought into the team
[19:35.240 -> 19:37.360] There were certain roles that were assigned to him
[19:37.360 -> 19:43.200] And I think he's already won the team two drivers championships, one constructors championship and looking at his age
[19:43.200 -> 19:49.760] He might be in that space right now that I want to be one of the guys who is fighting for the championship.
[19:49.760 -> 19:54.400] So I wouldn't really be surprised if he denies a couple of team orders just like Valtteri
[19:54.400 -> 19:58.160] did a couple of times. I wouldn't really be surprised but I think he will be a little
[19:58.160 -> 19:59.680] bit more selfish this year.
[19:59.680 -> 20:03.040] But will they survive though? Will Verstappen and Perez as a pairing survive?
[20:03.040 -> 20:06.960] I actually have a very different view than the two gentlemen on my left and right.
[20:06.960 -> 20:13.160] I think we need to give Checo Perez a bit of praise because he's gone up against...
[20:13.160 -> 20:16.760] We can actually have a round of applause for him. Yeah, yeah, there you go.
[20:16.800 -> 20:20.120] He's gone up against Max Verstappen, right?
[20:20.120 -> 20:24.420] He's dared to cheat against Max Verstappen as we know in Monaco.
[20:24.840 -> 20:27.860] He's dared to go up against a title fight.
[20:27.860 -> 20:29.260] We know how difficult that is.
[20:29.260 -> 20:33.400] We've seen Bottas do it, we've seen Barrichello do it, we've seen several number two drivers
[20:33.400 -> 20:34.880] do it before.
[20:34.880 -> 20:39.360] The pressure cooker like sound we had on the broadcast earlier when we were talking to
[20:39.360 -> 20:43.600] Jehan was not from Checo Perez's helmet, right?
[20:43.600 -> 20:46.320] But I've worked with him at Force India.
[20:46.320 -> 20:51.440] He's a very calm, composed, kooky, very quick racing car driver.
[20:51.440 -> 20:56.200] I think he will do better if he just accepts that he's going to be the number two driver.
[20:56.200 -> 21:01.360] The minute he accepts that, there will be a certain more discipline in his driving that
[21:01.360 -> 21:02.360] will come in.
[21:02.360 -> 21:07.480] That's what Max tried to do in Brazil, saying saying this is my team and I can call the shots,
[21:07.480 -> 21:09.280] not Christian or Helmut.
[21:09.280 -> 21:12.560] And I get this feeling that Checo's actually gonna have
[21:12.560 -> 21:14.520] the best season of his career.
[21:14.520 -> 21:15.360] Because let's remember,
[21:15.360 -> 21:18.320] Daniel Ricciardo's waiting in the wings as well,
[21:18.320 -> 21:20.800] with an eye on 2024.
[21:20.800 -> 21:24.560] So we're gonna see the best of Checo Perez in 2023,
[21:24.560 -> 21:26.000] and you heard it here first.
[21:26.000 -> 21:28.000] But wait, what if he gets demoted?
[21:28.000 -> 21:30.000] There we are.
[21:30.000 -> 21:32.000] Yeah, I had a similar question.
[21:32.000 -> 21:36.000] If we talk about Perez standing up to Verstappen or defying team orders,
[21:36.000 -> 21:41.000] can Perez actually afford to defy team orders this year given that you have Ricciardo on the wings?
[21:41.000 -> 21:45.560] Also that Perez coming to Red Bull was a very big move for him.
[21:45.560 -> 21:48.880] He was fighting for survival in Formula One in itself.
[21:48.880 -> 21:54.120] And you know, even if he does not stand up, if let's say we follow what Kunal said and
[21:54.120 -> 21:58.800] he accepts the second driver role, will Perez actually be motivated enough to even help
[21:58.800 -> 22:03.600] Red Bull out in that situation, given that Perez's best performances have come when he's
[22:03.600 -> 22:07.080] been fighting for survival in the championship, you know.
[22:07.080 -> 22:08.760] But that's exactly the scenario he's in.
[22:08.760 -> 22:11.520] He knows Ricardo's waiting on the wings.
[22:11.520 -> 22:16.520] Ricardo's hired as a marketing driver, same as, you know, Mick Schumacher.
[22:16.520 -> 22:21.400] But I think Checo has at all ways, you know, when we were prepping for the show, Somu said
[22:21.400 -> 22:26.880] contracts and Red Bull have never gone hand in hand. And that's the case that even Chekko knows.
[22:26.880 -> 22:31.000] So I get a feeling that the pressure cooker environment will actually get the better of
[22:31.000 -> 22:32.000] him.
[22:32.000 -> 22:38.000] And one more prediction for Red Bull for 2023, we will have a Wolf and Horner show return
[22:38.000 -> 22:39.360] this season.
[22:39.360 -> 22:41.500] And I think that's box office.
[22:41.500 -> 22:42.500] That's box office.
[22:42.500 -> 22:47.240] That's a blockbuster story for Netflix and for Formula 1 and for us on
[22:47.240 -> 22:49.040] the Inside Line F1 podcast.
[22:49.040 -> 22:51.400] The catering wars.
[22:51.400 -> 22:52.400] The what?
[22:52.400 -> 22:53.400] The catering wars.
[22:53.400 -> 22:54.400] The catering wars, yes.
[22:54.400 -> 22:55.400] Yeah, there we are.
[22:55.400 -> 22:56.400] I suppose we had a question.
[22:56.400 -> 22:57.400] There we are, sir.
[22:57.400 -> 23:07.000] Yeah, so whatever we just spoke about Chekho and what's happened. What do you think will be the equation with the coming of age Russell
[23:07.000 -> 23:10.000] and going out of age Hamilton?
[23:10.000 -> 23:14.000] But the seven time world champion probably about to be...
[23:14.000 -> 23:17.000] That's exactly one question we wanted to ask all of you when we come to Mercedes.
[23:17.000 -> 23:20.000] We will get there. There's going to be a lot of that banter because
[23:20.000 -> 23:23.000] I don't want to spill it out already but we will get there.
[23:23.000 -> 23:25.400] But have you got in mind, sir?
[23:25.400 -> 23:26.600] Let me just get a...
[23:26.600 -> 23:31.200] Actually, thank you for coming in such great numbers that we have to struggle to pass on the mic.
[23:31.200 -> 23:33.200] That is brilliant. Seriously, thank you.
[23:33.200 -> 23:38.400] Hello. So, the thing is like we have seen that the cost cap regulations
[23:38.400 -> 23:40.600] and the penalty that Red Bull has been fined.
[23:40.600 -> 23:44.200] So, how much of a difference is it actually going to make on track?
[23:44.200 -> 23:51.760] Like, we have 63% reduced aero testing for Red Bull and we have seen this year like Mercedes from
[23:51.760 -> 23:56.160] where they were for the first three races to like getting back on track with the kind
[23:56.160 -> 24:00.920] of testing they had. So what do you think like 2023 how is it going to shape up for
[24:00.920 -> 24:05.000] them? With the 15mm regulations as well coming up this year as well.
[24:05.000 -> 24:09.800] So aero testing is going to be very important factor and even though they have a newie kind
[24:09.800 -> 24:16.000] of a guy with them, how do you rate they would go about development as a team itself in 2023?
[24:16.000 -> 24:18.000] That's a very good point.
[24:18.000 -> 24:21.400] That's a very, I think that's one of the more bigger questions that people are going to
[24:21.400 -> 24:22.800] ask for 2023.
[24:22.800 -> 24:25.000] Can Red Bull still fight for the championship
[24:25.000 -> 24:29.800] despite the penalty? What I've written in my cue card is it will not matter. The reason
[24:29.800 -> 24:34.840] for that is the team itself because Red Bull is such an efficient operation. They have
[24:34.840 -> 24:38.720] such great resources. Let's not talk about the budget that they have for these resources.
[24:38.720 -> 24:42.240] I'm going to stay out of that, but they have all the resources and they're going to be
[24:42.240 -> 24:46.500] mindful of the penalty. So, straight going into the season,
[24:46.500 -> 24:51.300] because a lot of the wind tunnel time for this season has been done last year as well.
[24:51.300 -> 24:55.000] Alright, so from the very onset you won't see them struggling,
[24:55.000 -> 24:58.500] but I think somewhere in the mid-season the effects of that reduced
[24:58.500 -> 25:01.100] wind tunnel time will start showing up.
[25:01.100 -> 25:09.160] But Red Bull would know that if they are very efficient with putting the right parts, the right components into the wind tunnel, you have Adrian Neu
[25:09.160 -> 25:13.160] and you have all the best resources there. And I would really not be surprised if Red
[25:13.160 -> 25:18.360] Bull goes on to win this championship. I think it won't be much of a factor in my opinion.
[25:18.360 -> 25:22.880] Hang on. So are you saying that Red Bull are going to win the World Constructors Championship?
[25:22.880 -> 25:25.000] At least the drivers maybe. That's my prediction. I don't think they are going to win the world constructors championship? At least the drivers maybe? That's my prediction.
[25:25.000 -> 25:27.000] I don't think they are going to win the constructors though.
[25:27.000 -> 25:28.000] Hey, I like stats, ok?
[25:28.000 -> 25:33.000] So, I know that there are only a handful of people who have won three consecutive championships.
[25:33.000 -> 25:34.000] There are.
[25:34.000 -> 25:36.000] And I think West Harbin is going to be the next.
[25:36.000 -> 25:38.000] But Red Bull doesn't win the constructors championship. No chance.
[25:38.000 -> 25:40.000] Who is going to win it?
[25:40.000 -> 25:42.000] That I will reveal later.
[25:42.000 -> 25:44.000] It's definitely not going to be a clown team.
[25:44.000 -> 25:47.800] But I think we have a last question we can take about Red Bull before we,
[25:47.800 -> 25:49.500] because we have got other teams as well.
[25:49.500 -> 25:53.000] We have nine more teams plus Liberty Media to talk about.
[25:53.000 -> 25:59.300] I do have a question more like a discussion point on the reduced wind tunnel testing.
[25:59.300 -> 26:06.480] If you were to compare Red Bull and the Mercedes, so Red Bull's foundation,
[26:06.480 -> 26:09.200] like the very foundation in which the car is built,
[26:09.200 -> 26:11.520] they got it right in 2022.
[26:11.520 -> 26:15.040] While Mercedes is still struggling with their car concept.
[26:15.040 -> 26:20.760] So, if we were to talk about how much of an impact it would make on a team,
[26:20.760 -> 26:26.760] it wouldn't be as much an impact on Red Bull as much as it would be on say Mercedes
[26:26.760 -> 26:30.600] who is still sort of developing the concept at that stage.
[26:30.600 -> 26:33.040] So it was just a point that I wanted to add.
[26:33.040 -> 26:37.800] Yeah, it could well be because Mercedes now have that question which we will get to.
[26:37.800 -> 26:39.680] It just plays into the whole discussion.
[26:39.680 -> 26:42.480] But let's answer that when we get to Mercedes because it will be more fun.
[26:42.480 -> 26:43.960] But what have you got my friend?
[26:43.960 -> 26:49.160] Good t-shirt by the way, I like that. it's a Max Verstappen P11 good job.
[26:49.160 -> 26:53.600] Many teams have had a dream team of kind of management Ferrari at John Thorpe, Michael
[26:53.600 -> 26:58.800] Schumacher, Rubens, Paracello, Rory, Burns, Ross, Braun. Mercedes have had their dream team. Do you
[26:58.800 -> 27:03.880] think the dream team is in place at Red Bull right now? It's hard to argue isn't it Kunal?
[27:03.880 -> 27:08.000] It will be a dream team if we have Fernando Alonso and Max Ostendorf.
[27:08.000 -> 27:10.000] Yes we know the words.
[27:10.000 -> 27:16.000] No but seriously I think with Adrian Newey, Christian Horner, Jonathan Wheatley, they have a fantastic set up.
[27:16.000 -> 27:21.000] We've seen and you know just to add to the 7 million, will it impact them?
[27:21.000 -> 27:29.200] I think Red Bull had such an advantage in 2022 that they were just winning races without really needing to win them, without trying to win them.
[27:29.200 -> 27:38.000] The 7 million would impact them if it came from the budget gap. So I think that's a change in the financial regulations that may come up.
[27:38.000 -> 27:49.840] It's far more difficult to put it in implementation than for me to just sit on a stage like this and say it. But I think Red Bull will definitely be great and we spoke of Mercedes which we will come
[27:49.840 -> 27:52.480] to when we actually end up speaking of Mercedes.
[27:52.480 -> 27:57.400] I think we should in the interest of time and in the interest of air time for all the
[27:57.400 -> 28:01.400] other teams probably just go to the next team's tomel.
[28:01.400 -> 28:05.000] And that's Alfa Romeo and the season highlight is losing Frederic Vasseur.
[28:05.000 -> 28:08.000] I'm sure Joe had his crash but this is the main thing that we talk about.
[28:08.000 -> 28:13.000] But first thing I really want to know is how many of you are actual Alfa Romeo fans?
[28:13.000 -> 28:15.000] Wow!
[28:15.000 -> 28:17.000] Two people.
[28:17.000 -> 28:20.000] The Frederic Vasseur looking gentleman has raised his hand.
[28:20.000 -> 28:23.000] Two people. Hence proven.
[28:23.000 -> 28:26.600] Okay, I'm going to switch the question. How many of you are Sauba fans?
[28:26.600 -> 28:28.180] Because you all know the difference.
[28:28.180 -> 28:31.180] Little more, little few, okay, little more hands.
[28:31.180 -> 28:33.460] Yeah, we have got a couple.
[28:33.460 -> 28:37.340] But I think we could almost forget about them, almost like they forgot to hire a team principal
[28:37.340 -> 28:38.620] at the end of the day as well.
[28:38.620 -> 28:43.540] It's just sometimes they lose their way in the middle and I think that's a really interesting
[28:43.540 -> 28:44.540] question that we have to ask.
[28:44.540 -> 28:48.840] I have applied for that vacant team principal's role. I'm just waiting to hear back from them.
[28:48.840 -> 28:52.840] Good point. But hey guys, are we all really just Saab fans or are we just waiting for Audi?
[28:52.840 -> 28:53.840] Quite literally.
[28:53.840 -> 28:55.840] Waiting for Audi.
[28:55.840 -> 28:58.340] Waiting for Audi? How many of you are actually waiting for Audi?
[28:58.340 -> 28:59.340] Which is...
[28:59.340 -> 28:59.840] Wow.
[28:59.840 -> 29:00.340] That's more like it.
[29:00.340 -> 29:01.340] A lot of you are waiting for Audi.
[29:01.340 -> 29:03.340] Yeah, more fans in 2026 I suppose.
[29:03.340 -> 29:05.660] I think Mick Schumacher is also waiting for Audi. So, more fans in 2026, I suppose. I think Mick Schumacher is also waiting for Audi.
[29:05.660 -> 29:09.020] So, 2026 is way far into the future.
[29:09.020 -> 29:12.940] You know, that's actually one thing I want, I would really want Audi to do,
[29:12.940 -> 29:16.060] because if they go ahead with an all German lineup,
[29:16.060 -> 29:18.460] they would have done what Mercedes failed to do.
[29:18.460 -> 29:20.060] Mercedes...
[29:20.060 -> 29:20.860] Someone agrees.
[29:20.860 -> 29:25.440] So, Mercedes being a German manufacturer, German engine supplier, they
[29:25.440 -> 29:31.760] wanted another German partnering Nico Rosberg after Michael Schumacher left the team.
[29:31.760 -> 29:37.600] Ah, sorry. Yeah, you're right. They did it. My bad, my bad. They did do that. But I hope that
[29:37.600 -> 29:44.320] they go ahead and in 2026, they have a Sebastian Mettel and a Mick Schumacher teaming for 2026.
[29:44.320 -> 29:46.560] But let's actually answer his question
[29:46.560 -> 29:51.200] over there as well, what sort of an impact can Audi have when they come in? Because mind you,
[29:51.200 -> 29:55.200] other manufacturers have tried this before, when BMW Saab over there, they had their wind tunnel
[29:55.200 -> 29:59.840] all the way in Germany, when their office was sort of in Switzerland as well, so what sort of
[29:59.840 -> 30:08.400] impact can that investment bring, especially in a budget cap world, importantly. So, one of the lesser known secrets in Formula 1, or maybe it's publicly known now,
[30:08.400 -> 30:13.600] that SAUER has one of the best wind tunnel facilities in Formula 1.
[30:13.600 -> 30:16.400] And that's one of the reasons why BMW had partnered,
[30:16.400 -> 30:19.600] that's also one of the reasons why Audi had partnered as well.
[30:19.600 -> 30:30.720] We're still gonna be an aero concept driven racing series. Andrea Seidel, former Volkswagen man as well with a lot of racing heritage, has taken over
[30:30.720 -> 30:31.720] as CEO.
[30:31.720 -> 30:37.400] So, at this moment, I'm like all of you all here waiting for Audi, not really bothered
[30:37.400 -> 30:42.720] about Alfa Romeo leaving, not had that emotional bond with Alfa Romeo.
[30:42.720 -> 30:46.320] I'm very happy that the very cool red S logo of
[30:46.320 -> 30:53.280] Sauber will be back at the end of the season and my prediction is that Valtteri Bottas
[30:53.280 -> 31:00.640] is going to have one more rear end moment in 2023. I don't know which part of the world
[31:00.640 -> 31:04.800] he is going to have one. I think it's going to be a drive to survive anyway, but what
[31:04.800 -> 31:05.140] I'm really
[31:05.140 -> 31:10.140] interested to see is what happens with Audi, how do they influence the team over the course
[31:10.140 -> 31:15.340] of the next few years. But on 2023 as well, they just have a very stable lineup. That's
[31:15.340 -> 31:18.700] the best part about them. But reliability is an issue, isn't it, Sundaram? They didn't
[31:18.700 -> 31:23.340] finish in 12 out of the 22 races last year. Yeah, they didn't finish in 12 and I think
[31:23.340 -> 31:26.960] they had the most retirements of any team last year, but
[31:27.640 -> 31:31.060] I'm actually a little confused and I think the future of
[31:31.760 -> 31:35.280] Alfa Romeo this year looks a little murky. I'm not really sure how they're gonna perform
[31:35.360 -> 31:41.440] But they have two very solid drivers in Valtteri, Batass and Joe Guarniolo. I'm actually a little
[31:41.440 -> 31:45.000] I'm actually wondering if Joe is actually going to have a Chinese
[31:45.000 -> 31:47.000] Grand Prix home base at all.
[31:47.000 -> 31:48.000] Yeah.
[31:48.000 -> 31:51.480] But it will be very nice to have that, but otherwise it's a very solid, solid team.
[31:51.480 -> 31:55.200] As long as they can figure out their reliability issues, I think they're going to be there
[31:55.200 -> 31:57.960] somewhere maybe sixth or seventh.
[31:57.960 -> 32:03.200] I also think that 2024, Mattia Binotto is going to join Audi.
[32:03.200 -> 32:04.200] Oh, come on.
[32:04.200 -> 32:06.600] So that's another prediction that I'm making. Oh come on.
[32:06.600 -> 32:12.680] Let's remember he is still one of the best engineers in the paddock and like I said I've been saying from the start
[32:12.680 -> 32:18.140] This is an engineering heavy sport, and I don't think Mataya's gonna go without a job for too long
[32:18.140 -> 32:24.080] He's of course growing trees in his garden right now, but he'll soon be making cars for Sauber Audi
[32:24.080 -> 32:25.000] I get a feeling.
[32:25.000 -> 32:29.000] The Germans working with Binotto, this just feels like a bit of a dream team.
[32:29.000 -> 32:34.000] But folks, before we move on to the next team, have you got any questions, any bold predictions for Alfa Romeo?
[32:34.000 -> 32:38.000] Sir, I think you had one, right? No? There we go.
[32:38.000 -> 32:49.700] I had a question. When you say it's an engineering heavy sport, so Matthew Abhinav should do well. In the past almost a decade, the two successful team principals have been Dodo Wolf and Christian
[32:49.700 -> 32:53.380] Horner who almost have no engineering background to say as such.
[32:53.380 -> 32:57.020] They have just been good managers who have hired the right people.
[32:57.020 -> 33:02.100] Whereas Matthew Abhinav, even with certain right people, hasn't been able to do what
[33:02.100 -> 33:03.100] other people could have done.
[33:03.100 -> 33:05.160] And that's been the trend through the grid as well.
[33:05.160 -> 33:07.400] There's been other people with racing backgrounds
[33:07.400 -> 33:10.640] who have failed, but then we have two people
[33:10.640 -> 33:13.040] with racing failure backgrounds, rather.
[33:13.040 -> 33:16.200] Both of them did not get anywhere with their racing.
[33:16.200 -> 33:17.840] One comes as an investment banker,
[33:17.840 -> 33:20.480] joins F1, and they are the most successful team principals.
[33:20.480 -> 33:22.560] So do you think the engineering aspect
[33:22.560 -> 33:24.800] does not feature into the management as much,
[33:24.800 -> 33:29.860] and rather, Binotto would rather suit somewhere as a head engineer or something in a team
[33:29.860 -> 33:32.760] helping them get that edge in the tech aspect?
[33:32.760 -> 33:36.720] I get a feeling Binotto will not be getting team principal offers.
[33:36.720 -> 33:41.380] I think the head of engineering offers is what he'll get, personal view.
[33:41.380 -> 33:48.740] Not so educated maybe, but it's just something that I feel because let's remember Ferrari built a really quick car for 2022 and if you see the
[33:48.740 -> 33:50.280] deficit they overcame
[33:50.280 -> 33:54.280] they overcome between the two era changes it was really good
[33:54.280 -> 33:58.680] and talking of engineering or management backgrounds
[33:58.680 -> 34:02.160] right thank you I can't I can see you all still okay
[34:02.160 -> 34:10.040] yeah good one so talking of engineering backgrounds, you know, if you see even Williams' appointment,
[34:10.040 -> 34:13.800] James Wawel comes from an engineering background.
[34:13.800 -> 34:18.440] So, very clearly the team, ten teams also have different ways of how they want to run
[34:18.440 -> 34:19.880] their management.
[34:19.880 -> 34:23.960] For me, since I don't have an engineering background, I always say bring on the business
[34:23.960 -> 34:25.160] managers,
[34:25.160 -> 34:26.420] let us hire all the right people.
[34:26.420 -> 34:27.420] Do you not?
[34:27.420 -> 34:33.180] I mean I have an engineering background but I cannot make a car go quick and if I was
[34:33.180 -> 34:37.400] really good an engineer, I would have fixed the IT problems we've had here.
[34:37.400 -> 34:40.760] Fair, but let's actually talk about the next team that we have over here.
[34:40.760 -> 34:44.040] It's going to be, who've we got?
[34:44.040 -> 34:45.560] Ah, Alpine.
[34:45.560 -> 34:48.640] This year of course marked a new dawn for them.
[34:48.640 -> 34:52.120] They entered the business of explosives, they were brilliant at it actually.
[34:52.120 -> 34:56.080] By the way folks, if you want any for Diwali, just contact one man called Otmar Safner.
[34:56.080 -> 34:59.840] Kunal might have his number, so he can give you a better idea about that.
[34:59.840 -> 35:10.000] But now, we're going to have Kunal talk about Alpine. When on earth will they actually realize their manufacturer potential?
[35:10.000 -> 35:16.000] When on earth will they actually deliver to being a race car manufacturer in Formula 1?
[35:16.000 -> 35:22.000] I mean on one hand you have Red Bull, you know, making energy drinks, taking the fight to, you know, Ferrari and Mercedes,
[35:22.000 -> 35:25.000] two of the most iconic car manufacturers in the world.
[35:25.000 -> 35:31.000] On the other hand you have Alpine that's even struggling to get there since years, right?
[35:31.000 -> 35:36.000] They've had Ciril, they've had lots of management changes, they also still have a very weird management setup
[35:36.000 -> 35:47.780] with Otmar and Loro Rossi and so many managers that I really hope that a manufacturer like Alpine is able to take the fight more consistently
[35:47.780 -> 35:53.480] up at the front because hey that's what we all want right at the end of the day manufacturers
[35:53.480 -> 36:00.000] battling out there. There's a very interesting point which Ron Dennis also made back in 2015
[36:00.000 -> 36:05.300] when they signed the partnership with Honda. lot of people are questioning why McLaren Honda
[36:05.300 -> 36:10.100] and back then he mentioned that at this time and in this age if you want to win the championship
[36:10.100 -> 36:14.500] you have to be a works team. It didn't work out with McLaren but it worked out for Red Bull
[36:14.500 -> 36:19.500] and if you see all the championships since then have been won by a works team
[36:19.500 -> 36:25.840] and that's a big question that you are constantly pondering. Why is Renault not there up with the top three?
[36:25.840 -> 36:28.280] Very nice report by Kunal over there.
[36:28.280 -> 36:30.200] Probably it doesn't work as a team.
[36:30.200 -> 36:31.200] So it's not…
[36:31.200 -> 36:32.200] Forget it.
[36:32.200 -> 36:33.200] But wait a second.
[36:33.200 -> 36:38.600] How hard do you guys think will Fernando Alonso race the Alpines this year?
[36:38.600 -> 36:40.480] That's the battle I want to see.
[36:40.480 -> 36:44.280] You know Alonso with all his grunt and being upset with how he was treated.
[36:44.280 -> 36:50.120] There's one thing he'll race differently with differently with Oscar Piastri, maybe okay, but what about Alpine?
[36:50.120 -> 36:55.280] That's that's one thing that I'm really wanting to see and then of course the post Alonzo syndrome
[36:55.280 -> 36:57.280] You know we were doing some digging around
[36:58.040 -> 37:02.240] That a team has actually gotten quicker at least for one season
[37:03.080 -> 37:07.800] Immediately after Fernando Alonso has left the team. So it's true, it's true
[37:07.800 -> 37:11.520] think about it. Yeah always McLaren 2018
[37:11.520 -> 37:14.040] 2019 they were fantastic Ferrari 2014
[37:14.040 -> 37:18.600] 2015 they won races. Renault 2009 to 2010
[37:18.600 -> 37:20.880] they got better. At least for one season they
[37:20.880 -> 37:23.000] got better before that and then there
[37:23.000 -> 37:24.640] was him leaving McLaren and then McLaren
[37:24.640 -> 37:26.000] leaving the World Championship the next year after that.
[37:26.000 -> 37:28.000] So, it's just the Fernando Alonso syndrome.
[37:28.000 -> 37:30.000] It just always happens.
[37:30.000 -> 37:32.000] Which is why, my bold prediction is that this year,
[37:32.000 -> 37:34.000] Alpine,
[37:34.000 -> 37:36.000] I know it's not an educated one, but just the Alonso syndrome.
[37:36.000 -> 37:38.000] They're going to be fighting with the big dogs
[37:38.000 -> 37:40.000] at least a couple of times here and there.
[37:40.000 -> 37:42.000] But, what I'm very curious about is,
[37:42.000 -> 37:44.000] can you fight with two spades?
[37:44.000 -> 37:48.000] I'll show you what I mean.
[37:48.000 -> 37:52.000] They don't have a number one driver. They just don't. There's no arrow.
[37:52.000 -> 37:56.000] There's no pointy. I mean, if you've watched Aladin, that movie,
[37:56.000 -> 38:00.000] of course, the Dictator, there's nothing pointy at the end. It's just two spades. Poor two drivers who have
[38:00.000 -> 38:04.000] done great in midfield teams. Do they lack that sharpness, Kunal? Which I think they do, big time.
[38:04.000 -> 38:10.160] I think the question someone's trying to get at also is how soon before we have a Ghazali-Ocon fallout.
[38:10.160 -> 38:11.480] It's a French team, they will obviously.
[38:11.480 -> 38:16.000] But I also think that there will be a management fallout before the drivers fallout.
[38:16.000 -> 38:17.480] Like I said, there are lots of heads.
[38:17.760 -> 38:21.440] There's, you know, like Fernando Alonso pointed out that I wasn't talking to Otmar,
[38:21.440 -> 38:23.640] I was talking to Laurent about my contract.
[38:23.960 -> 38:28.000] And suddenly you're wondering, okay, so who is actually doing all the decision making.
[38:28.000 -> 38:33.800] But either way, I think Alpine just needs to work harder and not rely on the post-Alonzo syndrome
[38:33.800 -> 38:37.300] for becoming a better manufacturer in Formula 1.
[38:37.300 -> 38:38.300] Okay.
[38:38.300 -> 38:43.100] One of my bold predictions this year, agreeing to the post-Alonzo syndrome,
[38:43.100 -> 38:46.080] is I think that Ocon and Gasly both could
[38:46.080 -> 38:48.160] take a podium or a few this year.
[38:48.160 -> 38:49.160] Oh, interesting.
[38:49.160 -> 38:50.680] What do we think about that folks?
[38:50.680 -> 38:52.080] Where do Alpine finish this year?
[38:52.080 -> 38:53.080] P3, P4?
[38:53.080 -> 38:54.080] P4?
[38:54.080 -> 38:55.080] P3.
[38:55.080 -> 38:56.080] P4.
[38:56.080 -> 38:57.080] P4, okay.
[38:57.080 -> 38:58.080] P5.
[38:58.080 -> 38:59.080] P5.
[38:59.080 -> 39:04.040] Eventually after doing all that they have done, they will still land up in P4 or P5.
[39:04.040 -> 39:07.000] That's the general feeling in the room, I guess.
[39:07.000 -> 39:09.000] It's something with Enstorm, maybe.
[39:09.000 -> 39:11.000] It's just the home of mediocrity.
[39:11.000 -> 39:13.000] But hey, we should not go down that route.
[39:13.000 -> 39:18.000] Maybe we should go about the team that they absolutely, badly, terribly lost to last year.
[39:18.000 -> 39:20.000] It's time for McLaren.
[39:20.000 -> 39:22.000] I don't mean on the track, by the way.
[39:22.000 -> 39:26.000] They beat Alpine in the court room and that's what matters. Do you have a question, sir?
[39:26.000 -> 39:27.760] McLaren did have a better season.
[39:27.760 -> 39:29.920] It's just Danny Deck not performing good.
[39:30.520 -> 39:32.680] Lando almost beat them single-handedly.
[39:32.680 -> 39:33.560] It's true.
[39:33.840 -> 39:35.720] Wait, how many Danny Deck fans do we have over here?
[39:36.280 -> 39:36.680] Partially.
[39:36.680 -> 39:37.760] Are you going to let him leave?
[39:38.120 -> 39:39.000] Without beating him up?
[39:39.240 -> 39:39.920] Are you sure?
[39:40.720 -> 39:42.640] No, but it's true actually because...
[39:42.640 -> 39:48.000] And I think we asked him coming in, he's just going to help McLaren because I think he might do better than Danny Dech
[39:48.000 -> 39:52.000] But I think he still cannot do it
[39:52.000 -> 39:56.000] That's one point we should touch upon. So you're saying that Piastri is going to do good
[39:56.000 -> 39:59.000] Not as good as Lando but he's still going to grab points
[39:59.000 -> 40:03.000] I think they're going to regress this year. I feel they've reached their peak. I think the investments have stopped up
[40:03.000 -> 40:05.000] They're suffering financially. They are going to regress.
[40:05.000 -> 40:09.000] But what do we think about Piastri guys? Where do we think he goes eventually?
[40:09.000 -> 40:12.000] Because we have a gentleman in a Ferrari jacket having an opinion on him.
[40:12.000 -> 40:14.000] So, yeah, something to say?
[40:14.000 -> 40:18.000] And Sundaram, I want to know your take on this as well, about Oscar Piastri really.
[40:18.000 -> 40:25.680] Because we have spent so many hours discussing him, that I want to know what you have to think about it. But after you sir.
[40:25.680 -> 40:30.200] Good evening, I think so Oscar Payashtev will have a better season than the other two rookies
[40:30.200 -> 40:34.360] on the grid that is Nick De Vries and Logan Sargent.
[40:34.360 -> 40:38.320] First of all he has a better car than the other two and he has really impressed me especially
[40:38.320 -> 40:40.120] in his F2 and F3 seasons.
[40:40.120 -> 40:46.400] He was really impressive, he baited his teammates very comfortably and I don't think so he will be on Norris' pace immediately.
[40:46.600 -> 40:48.400] Maybe a couple of times of here and there.
[40:48.700 -> 40:51.300] But by the end of the season, I think so he will be on his pace.
[40:51.700 -> 40:53.500] And he is definitely an upgrade on Daniel Ricciardo.
[40:53.600 -> 40:56.500] I think so Ricciardo's had his payday in Formula 1.
[40:56.600 -> 40:57.700] I think so it's over for him.
[40:58.700 -> 41:00.900] Okay, interesting. What do you think about it Sundaram?
[41:03.900 -> 41:04.300] Take.
[41:04.400 -> 41:06.000] We'll figure it out. What do you think about it Sundaram?, we will figure it out. What do you think about Sundaram?
[41:06.000 -> 41:08.000] On the Oscar Piastri point,
[41:08.000 -> 41:12.000] I think the reason why Alpine and McLaren were fighting over him,
[41:12.000 -> 41:16.000] over the court room itself speaks a lot about his potential.
[41:16.000 -> 41:20.000] And that was something which Otmar was not letting go of.
[41:20.000 -> 41:24.000] And what I really think Piastri has is the adaptability.
[41:24.000 -> 41:28.000] If you see his last three championships that he was a part of,
[41:28.000 -> 41:32.000] Formula 2, Formula 3 and one other one, he's gone ahead and won those championships.
[41:32.000 -> 41:38.000] So what he brings is adaptability which perhaps Danny Rick did not really have.
[41:38.000 -> 41:40.000] And what else do I have over here?
[41:40.000 -> 41:42.000] Yeah, and one other thing that I really think is,
[41:42.000 -> 41:48.160] Piastri is going to have a lot of pressure, all of these courtroom battles and I think he is going to have a lot of pressure, probably
[41:48.160 -> 41:52.920] the amount of pressure which Lewis Hamilton had in his debut season going up against Fernando
[41:52.920 -> 41:53.920] Olón.
[41:53.920 -> 41:57.440] So there is going to be a lot of eyes on Piyasri this year, but I think he is going to come
[41:57.440 -> 41:58.440] really really good.
[41:58.440 -> 42:00.280] Yeah, what do you reckon Kunal?
[42:00.280 -> 42:05.700] You know I am silent because usually the structure is, Somil does all the asking, Sundaram brings
[42:05.700 -> 42:09.160] all the serious points and I bring on all the banter, okay.
[42:09.160 -> 42:14.520] But I've been following McLaren since the Ron Dennis days and it is so tough to banter
[42:14.520 -> 42:18.680] a team that was run by such a serious personality like Ron Dennis, okay.
[42:18.680 -> 42:23.640] I don't know how many Ron Dennis fans in the house here, but my goodness, that was a tough
[42:23.640 -> 42:25.480] time, you know, just, you couldn't
[42:25.480 -> 42:28.500] really smile around talking about McLaren.
[42:28.500 -> 42:34.040] But I think Oscar Piastri is already hogging all the airwaves out here.
[42:34.040 -> 42:38.260] Landon Norris, poor thing, for being such a popular driver, but still not spoken about
[42:38.260 -> 42:39.260] as much.
[42:39.260 -> 42:44.160] My bold prediction is that Oscar Piastri will take the fight to Landon Norris for everything
[42:44.160 -> 42:47.500] that Sundaram said also my bold prediction is that
[42:48.180 -> 42:52.920] McLaren are going to lose Oscar piastri to another team. Oh just the way
[42:53.440 -> 42:55.180] Michael Schumacher
[42:55.180 -> 42:58.920] Suddenly had a great debut three four races and boom he was with another team
[42:59.280 -> 43:07.000] Because piastri is suddenly the most spoken about talent in Formula 1 without actually having driven in Formula 1.
[43:07.000 -> 43:09.000] So, I am also putting on a lot of pressure.
[43:09.000 -> 43:15.000] I really like the photo that you put over here, two very young drivers, I think it's the youngest line up on the grid this year?
[43:15.000 -> 43:17.000] Yes, after Aston Martin.
[43:17.000 -> 43:18.000] After Aston Martin.
[43:18.000 -> 43:21.000] Ah yes, the very young and teenage Fernando Alonso.
[43:21.000 -> 43:25.120] Yeah, you can't forget right, Fernando Alonso is only in his third season of Formula 1.
[43:25.120 -> 43:27.840] Obviously, plus we've got the great Lance Stoll.
[43:27.840 -> 43:28.840] So you had something to say?
[43:28.840 -> 43:29.840] Where do you think the Aston would go?
[43:29.840 -> 43:30.840] Oh, good point.
[43:30.840 -> 43:31.840] My goodness.
[43:31.840 -> 43:32.840] Red Bull?
[43:32.840 -> 43:33.840] I'm saying Audi.
[43:33.840 -> 43:42.240] I think Audi would be, if the day comes along, Audi would be a…
[43:42.240 -> 43:49.720] 2026 is too far, but I think it could very well be even a Mercedes because hey who next after Lewis Hamilton right now
[43:49.720 -> 43:56.480] So this is Academy doesn't really have a lot of drivers and as much as everybody's dreaming up Schumacher reunion with Mercedes
[43:56.480 -> 44:03.140] I don't think Schumacher has been signed on to replace Lewis Hamilton truth be told okay, but could very well be Mercedes
[44:03.140 -> 44:06.540] Who knows let's talk about Lando to Mercedes maybe when we get to Mercedes.
[44:06.540 -> 44:11.540] Could do, could do. But let's get to that when we talk about Mercedes because next folks,
[44:11.540 -> 44:14.580] I think it's about time we get to a moment of silence.
[44:14.580 -> 44:18.220] Wait, you had a point sir?
[44:18.220 -> 44:21.420] Let's actually get a mic across, it'll be better. We can then hear you a little bit
[44:21.420 -> 44:22.420] more.
[44:22.420 -> 44:32.500] So Lando has said that he has had offers from Red Bull which he declined to focus on his McLaren career and pursue his dream at McLaren.
[44:32.500 -> 44:43.000] Do you think it's this offer rejection is going to regret him in the future when Red Bull clearly dominate every other team and McLaren kind of fall behind?
[44:43.000 -> 44:49.360] He is in the same boat as his former teammate Daniel Ricciardo after all but it's like Fernando Alonso the number of times
[44:49.360 -> 44:53.760] He said no to Red Bull as well, so you know when Red Bull wins so easily
[44:53.760 -> 44:56.660] I'm sure every driver who said no to them regrets it right
[44:56.720 -> 45:01.920] But at the end of the day it is a maxwish Tappan team and what Lando Norris is hoping to build is
[45:02.560 -> 45:06.160] McLaren all around him which he has managed to do so.
[45:06.160 -> 45:12.280] So, longevity for him would be building his own team at McLaren and that's probably one of the reasons I feel
[45:12.280 -> 45:16.040] we'll see him stick around at McLaren for a lot more time.
[45:16.040 -> 45:18.040] Could be wrong, but yeah.
[45:18.040 -> 45:20.040] I want to see him do it all.
[45:20.040 -> 45:25.000] Does Lando want to take the risk of going against Vastapan who is in his prime?
[45:25.000 -> 45:29.000] In a team that Vastapan has basically have around him made away.
[45:29.000 -> 45:34.000] Could be interesting. I think that's what proves your mental as a racing driver.
[45:34.000 -> 45:36.000] You take up those challenges. It's going to be interesting.
[45:36.000 -> 45:38.000] Let's wait and see what happens with Landon Norris.
[45:38.000 -> 45:41.000] But sir, you had a question. Actually we need to know your name now.
[45:41.000 -> 45:44.000] You've asked so many questions. It will be awkward if we don't know your name at the end of it.
[45:44.000 -> 45:45.400] Prakhar. You, Prakhar.
[45:45.400 -> 45:47.100] Prakhar, ah, you're Prakhar, hey!
[45:47.100 -> 45:47.900] Great job, man!
[45:47.900 -> 45:49.000] Just one thing.
[45:49.000 -> 45:51.900] So, when we talk about Oscar Piastri coming and having a great season,
[45:51.900 -> 45:55.600] a lot of talk about Danny Rick not having a great time with McLaren,
[45:55.600 -> 46:00.000] was that McLaren could not suit the car to his liking, the way he likes to drive.
[46:00.000 -> 46:06.240] Given that Piastri himself is at a stage where he's still trying to understand what he would want in a Formula 1 car
[46:06.720 -> 46:11.520] Do we think given that McLaren wasn't able to help an established driver McLaren will be able to help?
[46:11.840 -> 46:15.840] Piastri find a style to drive in or will there be confusion on both ends?
[46:16.000 -> 46:20.560] I think sometimes when you're established you have a lot of experience in your past that you can't shed that easily
[46:20.720 -> 46:22.880] That unlearning process becomes a bit harder
[46:23.120 -> 46:27.840] So for every young driver i've spoken to they're very convenient in terms of changing cars and
[46:27.840 -> 46:30.960] again we'll figure it out but for the older drivers you have a prejudices
[46:30.960 -> 46:34.280] about the way the car should behave and maybe I could be wrong here I want to be
[46:34.280 -> 46:37.000] proven wrong. That's a very good point. Yeah maybe that could be the reason why
[46:37.000 -> 46:41.960] Ricardo couldn't quite get it done so Carlos Sainz is a great example which is
[46:41.960 -> 46:48.080] what baffles me if we call Danny Rick an A-class player, how is Carlos Sainz able to go from McLaren to
[46:48.080 -> 46:51.560] Renault to Dora Rosso to Ferrari and just still be good?
[46:51.560 -> 46:54.200] It took some gravel exploring to get it over there.
[46:54.200 -> 46:55.200] But yeah, he's…
[46:55.200 -> 46:57.480] Hey, by the way, this is the first time you've spoken about Carlos Sainz.
[46:57.480 -> 46:58.480] It's great.
[46:58.480 -> 46:59.720] People do talk about Carlos Sainz, by the way.
[46:59.720 -> 47:00.720] So it's incredible.
[47:00.720 -> 47:02.120] We don't forget him all the time.
[47:02.120 -> 47:04.720] But I think it's about time we go to our next team.
[47:04.720 -> 47:08.520] And folks, I'll need a bit of cooperation here with you.
[47:08.520 -> 47:11.200] I think it's time for a moment of silence.
[47:11.200 -> 47:15.320] No, genuinely, folks, we need to respect all the lost pieces
[47:15.320 -> 47:18.200] of carbon fiber and Armco that have lost their lives
[47:18.200 -> 47:19.640] at the hands of Nicholas Siddiqui.
[47:19.640 -> 47:21.640] Can we please have a moment of silence with them?
[47:21.640 -> 47:23.360] You were just like lost.
[47:23.360 -> 47:24.640] I got lost?
[47:24.640 -> 47:25.000] Oh, good one. Good one. I don't think the Max fans will let you have a moment of silence for them. Audience member says, Tiger lost. Tiger lost? Oh, good one. Good one.
[47:25.000 -> 47:31.160] I don't think the Max fans will let you have a moment of silence for that one.
[47:31.160 -> 47:32.160] It only gets better now.
[47:32.160 -> 47:35.080] It only gets better with Williams, but does it?
[47:35.080 -> 47:40.000] The big question that we've really got, guys, is the vision of the working capital.
[47:40.000 -> 47:43.920] And Kunal, I want to start with you on this one because I have a genuine take that Williams
[47:43.920 -> 47:45.880] are just not going anywhere
[47:45.880 -> 47:50.680] They've got new owners. Yes, but what do you do when you're in a let's say in a ditch?
[47:50.900 -> 47:52.660] What did McLaren do in 2018?
[47:52.660 -> 47:53.320] they've
[47:53.320 -> 47:55.800] restructured the team around one experienced driver and a
[47:56.040 -> 48:02.860] Youngster a really promising youngster called Landon Norris or someone who's marketable as personality and is one of the best in the junior categories
[48:03.160 -> 48:08.640] Williams have their Alex Albon Williams have their Carlos Sainz basically from McLaren if we want to patch up that reference, but
[48:09.080 -> 48:11.080] Logan Sargent
[48:11.080 -> 48:15.420] fourth in F2, he could have gotten Filipe Drogovic. I don't think this is
[48:16.460 -> 48:22.100] Williams by the way when Dorito Capital came in they said that we want to move away from the reliance on paid drivers
[48:22.880 -> 48:25.320] How how is this not?
[48:25.320 -> 48:28.120] So Felipe Drogovic is South American.
[48:28.120 -> 48:31.720] Had he been North American, life could have been a little different.
[48:31.720 -> 48:36.040] But this is not a typo guys, because one of the things that Williams has done is hired
[48:36.040 -> 48:37.960] James Wowells.
[48:37.960 -> 48:41.560] So to celebrate Mr. Wowells' appointment, we said why don't we take all the Wowells
[48:41.560 -> 48:45.700] out, because I don't think he's had his first day at Williams just yet.
[48:45.700 -> 48:51.140] Okay, but on a more serious note, Williams hiring James Wawel instead of Jos Capito
[48:51.580 -> 48:55.580] shows it's a statement of intent, for me at least. They've hired a really
[48:56.540 -> 49:00.060] successful engineer and they're trying to build an engineering,
[49:00.660 -> 49:02.300] you know, engineering
[49:02.300 -> 49:08.000] division around him that can bring them back to some bit of the legacy that they represent.
[49:08.000 -> 49:15.000] Talking about Darleton Capital, paid drivers, you know, I've had this interesting chat with Peter Winsor several years ago.
[49:15.000 -> 49:18.000] He said Formula 1 has always had paid drivers.
[49:18.000 -> 49:20.000] There are two types of paid drivers.
[49:20.000 -> 49:23.000] One is a driver, for example, Pastor Maldonado.
[49:23.000 -> 49:28.280] I'm just giving an example. He'll come with you and he'll come with bucket loads of money and say,
[49:28.280 -> 49:28.960] give me a drive.
[49:28.960 -> 49:30.760] That's the number one kind of pay driver.
[49:30.760 -> 49:35.680] Those are the kind of pay drivers we as fans in general don't like, right?
[49:35.680 -> 49:39.160] Because they just come in and take somebody's seat with all the money.
[49:39.160 -> 49:42.280] The second kind of pay drivers are the kind of pay drivers that
[49:42.280 -> 49:50.560] Fernando Alonso has been, Michael Schumacher has been, where they say or Nikhil Lauda for that example, they say we are really
[49:50.560 -> 49:56.480] popular in the country we come from, can we work together to go and get sponsors for the
[49:56.480 -> 50:02.520] team and that sort of pay drivers have always been around in Formula 1 and I think Logan
[50:02.520 -> 50:04.440] Sargent is that sort of a driver.
[50:04.440 -> 50:09.680] He's not come with bucket loads of money, hopefully he will get Donaldton Capital bucket loads
[50:09.680 -> 50:17.200] of money, but I do not think that Logan Sargent is America's answer to an American Formula
[50:17.200 -> 50:29.040] 1 driver, I think what America really wants is a driver bred through an American racing series or simply put the Indy, the IndyCar series to join Formula One,
[50:29.040 -> 50:32.880] several names going around, Colton Hurta was one of the names you just mentioned,
[50:32.880 -> 50:37.920] that's the kind of driver that you know American fans wants to go and cheer up,
[50:37.920 -> 50:42.560] saying here's a driver that's come up through the American motorsport ranks
[50:42.560 -> 50:50.000] and made it to Formula One. And I don't think Logan is necessarily a driver for the fans, he's gonna be the driver for the sponsors.
[50:50.000 -> 50:56.720] And I get this feeling, David Croft and several others including Samuel Arora, who for me is junior David Croft,
[50:56.720 -> 51:02.960] is soon gonna call him Sergeant Logan for obvious reasons.
[51:02.960 -> 51:06.000] Obviously, why can you not? It's the most American name in the world.
[51:06.000 -> 51:08.600] But generally, I think my bold prediction for this year
[51:08.600 -> 51:12.400] is that Logan Sgt. is going to be 21st in the World Championship.
[51:12.400 -> 51:15.000] It just, it is meant to be.
[51:15.000 -> 51:18.300] You've got so many great American drivers across the shore in IndyCar.
[51:18.300 -> 51:19.400] Why Logan Sgt.?
[51:19.400 -> 51:21.100] And I think I've kind of cracked it.
[51:21.100 -> 51:24.300] Logan Sgt. is just a diversity hire for Formula 1, basically.
[51:24.300 -> 51:27.680] Except that the group of diversity that Formula 1 wants to target is Americans.
[51:28.240 -> 51:32.480] And it's just the world going reverse in a way. I mean they've got so many great American fans but
[51:32.480 -> 51:36.960] you know what, Logan Sargeant is not the answer to them. Maybe someone like a Pato Ward who I know
[51:36.960 -> 51:43.680] is not American but you kind of do get an idea. Colton Hurt, Alex Palau is Spanish but he's
[51:43.680 -> 51:47.000] raced enough over there. Someone to bring the market along.
[51:47.000 -> 51:49.100] I don't think Logan Sargent is the answer.
[51:49.100 -> 51:50.200] So bold predictions guys.
[51:50.200 -> 51:54.100] Do you think Williams is actually going to finish anywhere barring B10?
[51:54.100 -> 51:54.700] Thoughts?
[51:54.700 -> 51:55.300] No?
[51:55.300 -> 51:57.100] Unanimous decision.
[51:57.100 -> 51:58.000] Sundaram, your thoughts?
[51:58.000 -> 51:59.300] No, I don't think so.
[51:59.300 -> 52:00.400] They are going to finish last.
[52:00.400 -> 52:01.800] Who have we got next?
[52:01.800 -> 52:04.100] Ah, yeah, Aston Martin.
[52:04.100 -> 52:06.000] Any Aston Martin fans here?
[52:06.000 -> 52:08.000] For real?
[52:08.000 -> 52:10.000] Only because of Fernando also?
[52:10.000 -> 52:12.000] Exactly.
[52:12.000 -> 52:14.000] Oh, sorry, what was the question?
[52:14.000 -> 52:16.000] Yeah?
[52:16.000 -> 52:18.000] Wait a minute, we need to get you a mic, my friend.
[52:18.000 -> 52:20.000] You are a
[52:20.000 -> 52:22.000] Lawrence Stroll fan.
[52:22.000 -> 52:24.000] Not a Lance Stroll fan.
[52:24.000 -> 52:25.980] Did I hear it correctly?
[52:25.980 -> 52:30.980] I see he's got an envelope full of money there, so that's probably where he's…
[52:30.980 -> 52:31.980] No.
[52:31.980 -> 52:32.980] Good, money is good.
[52:32.980 -> 52:38.440] No, like the reason like I like Lawrence is because he came and saved Force India and
[52:38.440 -> 52:43.960] another thing is that in Drive to Survive, I remember once, he got so angry that people
[52:43.960 -> 52:46.040] were saying that Racing Pointer's cheated and I remember his speech he got so angry that people were saying that Racing Point has cheated
[52:46.040 -> 52:50.760] and I remember his speech and I also remember his entry with that cool music that was happening.
[52:50.760 -> 52:52.680] He is just, he is like a Bond villain.
[52:52.680 -> 52:57.960] Yeah, Bond, he is like a villain maybe, Bond villain maybe, but you know interesting, Aston
[52:57.960 -> 53:06.400] Martin is no longer going to be forcing India from this season because they physically have moved their address, right?
[53:06.400 -> 53:14.040] And it's no longer what we call as Dadford Road, that was the road where Aston Martin
[53:14.040 -> 53:16.760] or Force India, we had a factory here.
[53:16.760 -> 53:18.240] It's now called…
[53:18.240 -> 53:20.760] Somal, what was the name you came up for the road again?
[53:20.760 -> 53:21.760] Somal Kheran- That can afford road.
[53:21.760 -> 53:22.760] It's true, it's true.
[53:22.760 -> 53:28.820] I don't know. for the road again. Dad can afford road. It's true, it's true. I think Somers got his payment
[53:28.820 -> 53:31.960] for today. Where is that coming from? Aston Martin? No, I think Aston Martin is one of
[53:31.960 -> 53:35.820] the most exciting teams. They've got such a young driver line up. Fernando Alonso is
[53:35.820 -> 53:39.660] great as always and Lance Stoller, the most exciting rookies in Formula 1, right? He's
[53:39.660 -> 53:47.000] taken pole position, already beaten so many drivers. It's okay, let's get serious. What? I know you have, how much money do you have there?
[53:47.000 -> 53:58.000] It's enough, it's enough. No but in all seriousness guys I think Lance Stroll genuinely is the future of Formula 1. He is basically
[53:58.000 -> 54:08.200] someone who will get rid of all of Ferrari's problems and their inferiorities because look at it, look at the drivers Lance Stoll has retired, he's retired every single Formula One driver with
[54:08.200 -> 54:12.600] Ferrari who hasn't won a world championship since 2010 or since maybe
[54:12.600 -> 54:17.300] the late 2000s, Felipe Massa retired by Lance Stoll, Sebastian Vettel retired by
[54:17.300 -> 54:21.080] Lance Stoll and Fernando Alonso is next on the list and then maybe one day he'll
[54:21.080 -> 54:28.960] retire Charles Leclerc as well. And the three fastest drivers at Force India Racing Point, Aston Martin, have actually left the team.
[54:28.960 -> 54:33.480] We had Esteban Ocon, we had Checo Perez, now we have Sebastian Vettel.
[54:33.480 -> 54:38.600] Aston Martin will now enter year three of their five-year plan of being champions.
[54:38.600 -> 54:40.200] So let's really see how that happens.
[54:40.200 -> 54:46.160] But I'm really excited about Fernando Alonso finally racing a Mercedes engine for the first time since
[54:46.960 -> 54:53.080] 2007 and I promise you he's not gonna have the guts to call out at a GP2 engine again.
[54:53.080 -> 54:59.180] Okay, he's gonna respect it. It's an you know, it's a championship winning engine and I think at the end of the day
[54:59.180 -> 55:01.100] I'm not wrong if I say that
[55:01.100 -> 55:07.840] Everybody just cares about where Fernando Alonso is gonna to finish rather than where Aston Martin are necessarily going to finish.
[55:07.840 -> 55:10.240] That's actually my bold prediction for this time.
[55:10.240 -> 55:15.280] I think we are going to see the nicest version of Fernando Alonso during his time at Aston
[55:15.280 -> 55:20.280] Martin because this is his retirement plan and he is literally not going to utter one
[55:20.280 -> 55:25.040] negative word about the engine, the team or even his friendly teammate Lance Stoll.
[55:25.040 -> 55:29.920] I disagree actually. I think for me, Fernando Alonso is going to fall out by Monza. There is
[55:29.920 -> 55:34.080] no chance he can keep Godi 2 shoes inside him. By Monza, he'll be falling out with Lawrence Stoll
[55:34.080 -> 55:37.600] and you can mark my words on that. But where do we think they finish this year guys? Because
[55:39.760 -> 55:46.000] they're just regressing. P5, P6. That's bold.
[55:46.000 -> 55:48.000] P5, P7.
[55:48.000 -> 55:51.000] Nobody thinks they can challenge for podiums ever.
[55:51.000 -> 55:53.000] Because guys remember, you are a Lauren Stoll fan.
[55:53.000 -> 56:00.000] Lauren Stoll said that we have a 5 year plan to get Aston Martin, sorry not Force India, competing all the way at the very top.
[56:00.000 -> 56:02.000] It's year 3 and they are not there yet.
[56:02.000 -> 56:04.000] Yeah, but any bold predictions from your end?
[56:04.000 -> 56:07.000] I think Fernando Alonso will be on the podium this season.
[56:07.000 -> 56:10.000] That's my bold prediction for 2023.
[56:10.000 -> 56:14.000] You mentioned Fernando Alonso not saying bad things about Aston Martin.
[56:14.000 -> 56:17.000] That's also true because he's now eyeing a management role.
[56:17.000 -> 56:19.000] Like this is retirement planning that's happening.
[56:19.000 -> 56:24.000] And the future, 5 years from now, we'll have Hamilton in Mercedes' management,
[56:24.000 -> 56:25.000] Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin and maybe Sebastian Vettel And the future, five years from now, we'll have Hamilton in Mercedes' management, Fernando
[56:25.000 -> 56:31.560] Alonso at Aston Martin and maybe Sebastian Vettel managing Red Bull Racing at some point,
[56:31.560 -> 56:32.960] battling it out as well.
[56:32.960 -> 56:34.760] He'll be at Ferrari.
[56:34.760 -> 56:36.480] He'll be at Ferrari.
[56:36.480 -> 56:39.240] Vettel, okay, that's an interesting prediction right there.
[56:39.240 -> 56:43.080] I was going to say that Vettel always dreamed of winning a championship with Ferrari, that's
[56:43.080 -> 56:44.080] why he made the switch.
[56:44.080 -> 56:48.500] What if he came back as a team principal and won the championship some other way, like as a constructor?
[56:48.500 -> 56:53.500] What if? We can only wonder at this stage, he's just actually thinking about butterflies.
[56:53.500 -> 56:56.000] That's what Aston Martin does to you, they suck the hope out of you.
[56:56.000 -> 57:00.000] Well, Fernando Alonso is next in that line, hopefully he doesn't reconsider his life priorities.
[57:02.500 -> 57:04.500] We've got Mercedes next, at last.
[57:04.500 -> 57:09.000] And now we can really talk about them, about how they've built up such a successful unit.
[57:09.000 -> 57:16.000] But by the way, I really think that George Castle is just like the Salman Khan of Formula 1, really.
[57:16.000 -> 57:18.000] You always blame the other driver?
[57:18.000 -> 57:19.000] Sorry?
[57:19.000 -> 57:21.000] You always blame the other driver?
[57:21.000 -> 57:22.000] Hate and run?
[57:22.000 -> 57:23.000] Yes, hate and run.
[57:23.000 -> 57:24.000] Six pack abs?
[57:24.000 -> 57:26.000] Yes. Skinny clothes, oh sorry, tight clothes? Yes, hit and run. Six pack abs? Yes. Skinny clothes?
[57:26.000 -> 57:28.000] Oh sorry, tight clothes? Yes.
[57:28.000 -> 57:30.000] It's uncanny. Shirtless. Shirtless?
[57:30.000 -> 57:32.000] As well? It's uncanny.
[57:32.000 -> 57:34.000] No, but...
[57:34.000 -> 57:36.000] Someone who'd really like to flex their muscles?
[57:36.000 -> 57:38.000] Exactly. No, but...
[57:38.000 -> 57:40.000] What do we think about them? Sundaram, any bold predictions
[57:40.000 -> 57:42.000] for Mercedes on your end? What happens now?
[57:42.000 -> 57:44.000] Because, by the way, we had a great question about the
[57:44.000 -> 57:48.720] concept of the car. Red will have an established concept Mercedes, zero power or not, where
[57:48.720 -> 57:53.680] do we go from here? Yeah I think so it's really not out there already but I think that they
[57:53.680 -> 57:58.880] will continue with this, what is it called, zero side power concept because they have
[57:58.880 -> 58:03.840] spent a lot of time last year building and experimenting on that and the reason why they
[58:03.840 -> 58:05.040] had a huge setback was
[58:05.040 -> 58:08.880] because of poppicing issues. I think Toto mentioned that the poppicing issue it set
[58:08.880 -> 58:13.040] them kind of 10 months behind in terms of development. So they have tested that out
[58:13.040 -> 58:18.400] extensively. There were results towards the end of last season. I feel they will go ahead with that
[58:18.400 -> 58:30.000] and one thing I will be really surprised this year if we do not have a three-way championship between Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull. That has to happen this year. 2022 was an off year for
[58:30.000 -> 58:34.400] Mercedes but 2023, this is one of the best teams out there. They won eight championships
[58:34.400 -> 58:39.800] in a row. They know how to do these things. So 2023, Mercedes is definitely back. I think
[58:39.800 -> 58:43.120] Lewis Hamilton is going to win a race and he's going to be the first one to win a race
[58:43.120 -> 58:50.400] after his 300th Grand Prix. But I think George Russell is going to win a race and he's going to be the first one to win a race after his 300th Grand Prix but I think George Russell is going to win more races than Hamilton that's my prediction.
[58:50.400 -> 58:54.480] Wait how many of people how many of you are on his side wait do you have some decision? None of them.
[58:55.120 -> 58:59.440] Sure go for it we can maybe get a mic across to you and get your take on that because it's
[58:59.440 -> 59:07.060] interesting. So I'm a Lewis fan and from the bottom of my heart I will say he will follow his dear
[59:07.060 -> 59:10.260] friend Nico Rosberg, win his 8 world drivers championship and retire after that.
[59:10.260 -> 59:11.260] That will be great to do.
[59:11.260 -> 59:12.500] That will be a great way of doing it.
[59:12.500 -> 59:18.460] He is already making noises of that and I think for Formula 1, Max vs Lewis is more
[59:18.460 -> 59:22.300] box office than Max vs Shaal.
[59:22.300 -> 59:25.960] So they are going to try and make sure that some of that Max versus Shaal.
[59:25.960 -> 59:29.760] And in the end Lewis wins and all the, life comes a full circle, we tie us and we move
[59:29.760 -> 59:30.760] on to the next one.
[59:30.760 -> 59:35.200] Could be and the record breaking eighth title is won. But I am very eager to know, like
[59:35.200 -> 59:39.160] one of the main things is will they continue with the zero port concept because it's a
[59:39.160 -> 59:43.320] very engineering heavy challenge. I know I have used the word engineering all evening
[59:43.320 -> 59:50.400] but that's the truth of the sport. Every other team trying to go down that road actually went back, McLaren case in point.
[59:50.400 -> 59:57.000] So Mercedes seems hell bent on making it work and to make it work they just need to make their flow work better.
[59:57.000 -> 59:59.000] Well they won in Brazil, won a 1-2.
[59:59.000 -> 01:00:08.240] You have to remember a lot of other teams were not really pushing and Brazil they won because they had a sprint race which Red Bull Racing did not read correctly in
[01:00:08.240 -> 01:00:13.160] terms of car setup so it was a win on merit for that day but if Red Bull
[01:00:13.160 -> 01:00:16.580] don't make the same mistake again will they could they end up still winning or
[01:00:16.580 -> 01:00:19.880] not that's the main thing so I get a feeling they will continue with the
[01:00:19.880 -> 01:00:46.680] zero-pot concept but one big concern for me personally is the amount of people that have left Mercedes, the management is new, the engineers doing things are new, James Wawel is gone, James Allison is doing new things, so lots of people have enjoyed all the success, probably gotten bored of the success, taking on new challenges and we saw that with the Todd, Braun, Schumacher, Byrne and other eras that we have seen before.
[01:00:46.680 -> 01:00:51.680] So how will that impact Mercedes, that's what we will get to see and like I said at the
[01:00:51.680 -> 01:00:56.720] start of the hour, Horner vs Wolf is also something we will see and it's even better
[01:00:56.720 -> 01:01:01.560] if it's after an on-track battle that they have across the season.
[01:01:01.560 -> 01:01:07.440] Sure, just one wind up to this will be, I am sort of happy Vals has left because our
[01:01:07.440 -> 01:01:09.440] strategy will improve probably.
[01:01:09.440 -> 01:01:14.080] We overshadow the fact that Mercedes have had the poorest strategy, we blame Ferrari
[01:01:14.080 -> 01:01:17.880] a lot, but Mercedes have a lot of bad strategies, Hamilton supported a lot of it last year.
[01:01:17.880 -> 01:01:21.600] But he has been with the team for a good 10-12 years and a lot of strategic calls that they
[01:01:21.600 -> 01:01:25.240] have taken in all those championship winning years, James Royles was there.
[01:01:25.240 -> 01:01:27.680] But he sort of went on a vein.
[01:01:27.680 -> 01:01:28.680] That's my view of it.
[01:01:28.680 -> 01:01:29.680] Let's see.
[01:01:29.680 -> 01:01:30.680] Exactly.
[01:01:30.680 -> 01:01:33.240] Our friend in the Mercedes shirt.
[01:01:33.240 -> 01:01:35.300] At last, we are here with Mercedes.
[01:01:35.300 -> 01:01:38.880] You had a question that we'd love to tackle at this point.
[01:01:38.880 -> 01:01:41.720] Can Mercedes win the Constructors this year?
[01:01:41.720 -> 01:01:45.160] I think that's my bold prediction.
[01:01:45.160 -> 01:01:49.280] I think Mercedes is, has to be the team because they've got two, a dual-pronged attack, two
[01:01:49.280 -> 01:01:53.760] drivers but I think at the same time they're also going to have the most corporate driver
[01:01:53.760 -> 01:01:57.840] fallout in the world because George Russell is such a peer-friendly driver, he won't just
[01:01:57.840 -> 01:02:02.560] go on and abuse you in the face and say, hey you F word or whatever, you're not doing things
[01:02:02.560 -> 01:02:03.560] right, I need more attention.
[01:02:03.560 -> 01:02:07.440] He's just going to be on nice things like Captain Hold from Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
[01:02:07.440 -> 01:02:09.160] It's like, your story, your story.
[01:02:09.160 -> 01:02:11.240] He will make a presentation for Lewis Hamilton.
[01:02:11.240 -> 01:02:12.240] Exactly.
[01:02:12.240 -> 01:02:16.800] Call him in the boardroom and then have a notice sent to him or something.
[01:02:16.800 -> 01:02:17.800] That's the kind of fallout.
[01:02:17.800 -> 01:02:18.800] They are going to fall out.
[01:02:18.800 -> 01:02:19.800] We've got the mic to you.
[01:02:19.800 -> 01:02:20.800] You have a question about…
[01:02:20.800 -> 01:02:28.840] So with George Russell being the rising star and with Hamilton being the already 7 star
[01:02:28.840 -> 01:02:35.800] champion probably or probably not being the one to beat Schumacher's record, what do you
[01:02:35.800 -> 01:02:41.200] think would be the case in the next year?
[01:02:41.200 -> 01:02:49.000] Will it be a driver, you know, the prime driver and the second driver or will it be equal drivers?
[01:02:49.000 -> 01:02:56.680] The first question, between Hamilton and Russell, because at the end, Wolf wants Mercedes driver
[01:02:56.680 -> 01:02:59.000] to win the Drivers' Championship.
[01:02:59.000 -> 01:03:00.000] Right?
[01:03:00.000 -> 01:03:01.000] At the end.
[01:03:01.000 -> 01:03:06.880] However, Hamilton might be bringing in the money because of his fame and all.
[01:03:06.880 -> 01:03:13.480] But at the end of the day, it's more about if Mercedes driver is winning the championship
[01:03:13.480 -> 01:03:27.280] or not. And the second question being again about Audi coming in. and what would Mercedes react with that in that keeping that in perspective because
[01:03:27.920 -> 01:03:35.040] being a Audi being a parent company the parent company of Audi being a Volkswagen Volkswagen is
[01:03:35.040 -> 01:03:41.600] comparatively much larger than Mercedes and you know all the Ferraris and BMWs and all combined
[01:03:41.600 -> 01:03:45.500] so what would that how would react, like how would a Mercedes
[01:03:45.500 -> 01:03:46.500] 100 would react to that?
[01:03:46.500 -> 01:03:49.500] How do you think they'd really have to react right? Because the budget cap is a big issue.
[01:03:49.500 -> 01:03:53.540] I think they would just want to go ahead and beat them and if it was about how big the
[01:03:53.540 -> 01:03:58.160] car companies are, we have Alpine which is you know larger at least given that it's a
[01:03:58.160 -> 01:04:03.780] mass car company. But the parent company size merely makes a difference I would say. It's
[01:04:03.780 -> 01:04:05.040] of course all the wherewithal
[01:04:05.040 -> 01:04:08.960] and the equipment and the knowledge they bring to the table but I think everybody is going
[01:04:08.960 -> 01:04:14.480] to be very happy to be beating Audi and keep beating them on track and talking about Mercedes
[01:04:14.480 -> 01:04:18.720] I think the one thing we should give to them your first question was even through their
[01:04:18.720 -> 01:04:26.300] dominating eras they let both drivers race so that, I mean if there was one team that would dominate,
[01:04:26.300 -> 01:04:32.660] I would say let it be Mercedes and we trust them to let their drivers race as well, right?
[01:04:32.660 -> 01:04:37.860] And that to me is very critical rather than Red Bull trying to make this whole farce of
[01:04:37.860 -> 01:04:43.220] letting Max and you know Checo race. But I would say Red Bull will let their drivers
[01:04:43.220 -> 01:04:46.040] race.
[01:04:46.040 -> 01:04:50.200] So I think in each team including Red Bull, like in Red Bull for example Max Verstappen
[01:04:50.200 -> 01:04:54.020] is definitely the more dominant team mate as compared to Checo.
[01:04:54.020 -> 01:04:56.160] In Mercedes we have Russell and Hamilton.
[01:04:56.160 -> 01:04:58.600] Now Hamilton is a 7 time champion.
[01:04:58.600 -> 01:05:03.680] If it boils down to the point that Mercedes once again is dominant and Mercedes are on
[01:05:03.680 -> 01:05:05.360] for the drivers title and both of them
[01:05:05.360 -> 01:05:11.160] are in position to win the title, would they favour Hamilton to win the record 8 title
[01:05:11.160 -> 01:05:15.480] or would they give George an equal opportunity?
[01:05:15.480 -> 01:05:21.060] It's like picking between your children, you can't really do that, it's so, but I doubt,
[01:05:21.060 -> 01:05:24.860] it's such a hypothetical circumstance that I think it's really going to happen genuinely,
[01:05:24.860 -> 01:05:26.600] it's going to be fantastic to see how that plays out because yeah, it's such a hypothetical circumstance that I think it's really going to happen genuinely. It's going to be fantastic to see how that plays out.
[01:05:26.600 -> 01:05:30.600] Because, yeah, it's the best thing we can ask for really, isn't it?
[01:05:30.600 -> 01:05:35.600] Yeah, on that James Walls thing, you know, not only was he their strategist,
[01:05:35.600 -> 01:05:41.600] he also played in for Toto Wolf last year whenever Toto Wolf was out of phases,
[01:05:41.600 -> 01:05:49.800] including the Brazilian Grand Prix, James Walls saw the one call in the shorts. Given that James Walls now moved on, we do not, Merck, do not
[01:05:49.800 -> 01:05:54.440] just need a chief strategist, they also need someone who can fill in when Toto Wolf misses,
[01:05:54.440 -> 01:05:58.720] especially when Toto Wolf says he's going to miss even more races going forward. So,
[01:05:58.720 -> 01:06:04.480] do you guys have any names on your mind as to who could take up that role from your knowledge?
[01:06:04.480 -> 01:06:08.560] And secondly, on the point of the Zero Pot, yes, it could be a very big success given
[01:06:08.560 -> 01:06:13.960] Merck's belief in it, but let's say Merck did not have a very good couple of first races.
[01:06:13.960 -> 01:06:18.600] Do you think there will be a point where Merck's interest in the ZeroPod will start waning
[01:06:18.600 -> 01:06:19.600] in mid-season?
[01:06:19.600 -> 01:06:27.760] It's tough to say because, you know, after all, they're trying to make a concept work which no other team has made work
[01:06:27.760 -> 01:06:34.840] and there is only so much patience they will have within themselves, within their driver line up which is itching to win.
[01:06:34.840 -> 01:06:42.760] So they will evaluate and I am pretty sure they have evaluated all the concepts already and they know whether or not it's going to work
[01:06:42.760 -> 01:06:46.840] and to what success and they know why the ZeroPod did not work as well.
[01:06:46.840 -> 01:06:48.720] So that's the second answer.
[01:06:48.720 -> 01:06:53.080] The first one is, your guess is as good as mine at the moment.
[01:06:53.080 -> 01:06:56.680] All the top people have sort of moved on in the recent times.
[01:06:56.680 -> 01:07:02.520] So it'll be interesting to see who Mercedes-Benz thing can fill the deputy team principal sort
[01:07:02.520 -> 01:07:05.320] of role at races that you know
[01:07:08.680 -> 01:07:08.760] Toto Wolff isn't gonna be and could it be that Lewis Hamilton?
[01:07:15.580 -> 01:07:17.640] You know is being groomed to be a you know a team leader at Mercedes for his management role that he may have in the future I mean, I'm kidding, but you never know
[01:07:17.640 -> 01:07:23.060] It's as open as that but race engineers have done that Mike Rockenfeller for Red Bull Racing actually
[01:07:23.160 -> 01:07:29.600] Did that Rocky from Sebastian Vettel's race engineer? He eventually did become somewhat of a management person in Red Bull before he eventually left that team.
[01:07:29.600 -> 01:07:31.960] So, there could be a possibility that could happen.
[01:07:31.960 -> 01:07:34.560] But, well, we've got to go to AlphaTauri now.
[01:07:34.560 -> 01:07:41.880] Andrea Scala, who's leading McLaren now, he was Alonso's race engineer and Kimi's race engineer.
[01:07:41.880 -> 01:07:42.880] Correct, that's true.
[01:07:42.880 -> 01:07:44.920] Yeah, so that could eventually also happen.
[01:07:44.920 -> 01:07:45.280] But now it's
[01:07:45.280 -> 01:07:50.120] time to go to the most forgettable team in Formula 1. So much so that even Red Bull forgets
[01:07:50.120 -> 01:07:56.000] them at times. AlphaTauri, there we are. Guys, it's 7.45 and I'm feeling a little hungry.
[01:07:56.000 -> 01:08:00.040] So that little piece of, what do you have there? I'm getting a little hungry. Oh, this
[01:08:00.040 -> 01:08:05.000] is the France. France what? The France. What is it? What is that?
[01:08:05.000 -> 01:08:06.000] It's the France tossed.
[01:08:06.000 -> 01:08:07.000] France tossed who?
[01:08:07.000 -> 01:08:10.000] Isn't that what Lewis Hamilton asked?
[01:08:10.000 -> 01:08:12.000] You're not wrong to forget him.
[01:08:12.000 -> 01:08:14.000] Even Lewis Hamilton does the same thing.
[01:08:14.000 -> 01:08:16.000] It's so easy to forget Al Fatah.
[01:08:16.000 -> 01:08:19.000] Were they even on the grid last year?
[01:08:19.000 -> 01:08:20.000] What is it?
[01:08:20.000 -> 01:08:22.000] But how good is their line-up, Kunal?
[01:08:22.000 -> 01:08:25.280] What do you think about Nick De Vries and Yuki Tsunoda?
[01:08:25.280 -> 01:08:27.920] Because I genuinely am very concerned.
[01:08:27.920 -> 01:08:29.920] Nick De Vries wasn't really a first choice.
[01:08:29.920 -> 01:08:33.840] After he won Formula A, he was only in and around the F1 paddock because
[01:08:33.840 -> 01:08:35.840] the teams needed a young driver for FP1.
[01:08:35.840 -> 01:08:37.520] How many, Sundaram? Five teams had him on?
[01:08:37.520 -> 01:08:40.640] Five different teams. And I think he has a race overall from six different teams.
[01:08:40.640 -> 01:08:41.140] And even...
[01:08:41.140 -> 01:08:42.000] He's been collecting a lot.
[01:08:42.000 -> 01:08:49.660] Exactly. And even in Monza, the circumstances favoredored him you had so many cars really DNFing, a car package
[01:08:49.660 -> 01:08:54.340] that suited the circuit like Monza eventually. I would say that Nick DeVries
[01:08:54.340 -> 01:08:59.740] would have been a talent lost to Formula One had he not sort of had that come
[01:08:59.740 -> 01:09:04.380] back and joined I would say because at the end of the day winning Formula E and
[01:09:04.380 -> 01:09:10.560] then still making it a Formula One is something nobody's done before right, but that said you know
[01:09:10.560 -> 01:09:17.360] Alfa Tauri what surprises me the most is that Red Bull did not use them to test a budget
[01:09:17.360 -> 01:09:21.720] cap breach right, they said we'll just do it with the A team and we'll see what happens
[01:09:21.720 -> 01:09:28.000] because Alfa Tauri otherwise tests the drivers, tests you know tests engines as well so I thought maybe
[01:09:28.000 -> 01:09:32.320] they'll first try a budget cap breach with Alpha Tauri see how the FI takes to
[01:09:32.320 -> 01:09:37.440] that and then do it with the A team but it's it's so difficult to put a team
[01:09:37.440 -> 01:09:41.600] like Alpha Tauri and talk about it because Red Bull sometimes or most times
[01:09:41.600 -> 01:09:49.200] are not serious about Alpha Tauri either. And I'll be honest, my favorite person in Alpha Tauri is Franz Tost, right?
[01:09:49.200 -> 01:09:55.760] Because he is the one who just with a straight face gives away the most interesting news
[01:09:55.760 -> 01:09:56.760] headlines, right?
[01:09:56.760 -> 01:10:02.600] Liam Lawson's debut in Formula One, in FP1, all of the media was hyping it up, when is
[01:10:02.600 -> 01:10:07.400] it going to happen, is it going to happen and then one long press conference with the FIA
[01:10:07.400 -> 01:10:09.400] and France just lets it be saying,
[01:10:09.400 -> 01:10:11.200] Liam's going to be in the car in Spa
[01:10:11.200 -> 01:10:13.600] and you know he says it amongst twenty other things he says.
[01:10:13.600 -> 01:10:17.000] He did that with Yuki Sonoda's renewal as well.
[01:10:17.000 -> 01:10:20.600] So, you know, just watch out for France Tost,
[01:10:20.600 -> 01:10:22.600] you know, he speaks slow, he's an… he's…
[01:10:22.600 -> 01:10:27.760] but he gives away some of the most interesting pearls of wisdom in his interviews.
[01:10:27.760 -> 01:10:34.560] That's why he's my most famous person in Alpha Tauri, also the most consistent face in Alpha Tauri.
[01:10:34.560 -> 01:10:35.280] I'm meeting him in life.
[01:10:36.280 -> 01:10:37.000] You have a question, sir?
[01:10:37.000 -> 01:10:40.200] So, there's one more thing that we were going to ask everybody.
[01:10:40.200 -> 01:10:45.400] Who do you think is going to be the development driver for Alfa Tauri in 2023?
[01:10:45.400 -> 01:10:47.400] Is it going to be Sonoda?
[01:10:47.400 -> 01:10:48.400] No.
[01:10:48.400 -> 01:10:54.400] It's going to be a driver with the initials D-E-V, very clearly, right?
[01:10:54.400 -> 01:10:57.400] So, that's degrees on television graphics.
[01:10:57.400 -> 01:10:59.400] Yeah, Sonoda needs to be developed himself.
[01:10:59.400 -> 01:11:00.400] That's the main problem that we have.
[01:11:00.400 -> 01:11:03.900] I mean, Helmut Macher literally called him a problem child of all things as well.
[01:11:03.900 -> 01:11:07.400] So, eyeball prediction for Alfa Tauri, this year Yuki Tsunoda will calm
[01:11:07.400 -> 01:11:11.240] down, he won't swear at all, he'll become the team leader and he'll absolutely dominate
[01:11:11.240 -> 01:11:16.640] and take that car all the way through. Seriously, he is not going to swear the whole season.
[01:11:16.640 -> 01:11:21.320] Even if he crashes at the Japanese Grand Prix. Maybe once. Even if he's stuck in traffic
[01:11:21.320 -> 01:11:28.000] in Q1. Maybe twice. He'll swear in Japanese at the Japanese Grand Prix and none of us will pick it up.
[01:11:28.000 -> 01:11:32.000] We might have anime sort of subtitles down in the middle.
[01:11:32.000 -> 01:11:36.000] I don't think, my prediction is he is not going to see the end of the season.
[01:11:36.000 -> 01:11:38.000] They will either have Dennis Hauger or Liam Lawson.
[01:11:38.000 -> 01:11:43.000] Dennis Hauger being the former F3 champion, Norwegian driver or Liam Lawson,
[01:11:43.000 -> 01:11:45.600] fill in the seat out there.
[01:11:45.600 -> 01:11:46.600] That's my feeling.
[01:11:46.600 -> 01:11:49.160] Of course, F2 performance is not Swit's time.
[01:11:49.160 -> 01:11:53.000] They're the shortest drivers lineup, yeah?
[01:11:53.000 -> 01:11:54.000] Precisely.
[01:11:54.000 -> 01:11:55.000] Yeah.
[01:11:55.000 -> 01:11:58.000] So at least they can't complain of center of gravity when it comes to performance.
[01:11:58.000 -> 01:12:00.400] Okay, let's go to Haas.
[01:12:00.400 -> 01:12:01.800] They're going to offer something different.
[01:12:01.800 -> 01:12:08.800] Yeah, they're the comeback king team in a way, because they've got both their drivers leaving Formula 1 and then coming back after such a long period of time.
[01:12:08.800 -> 01:12:12.320] But I would say they're comeback pawns, because they're fighting in the midfield.
[01:12:12.320 -> 01:12:12.820] It's true.
[01:12:12.820 -> 01:12:16.080] They're no longer gonna be kings, okay, or at least not in 2023.
[01:12:16.080 -> 01:12:20.480] So it's gonna be comeback pawns with Kevin McNewson, Nico Hulkenberg.
[01:12:20.480 -> 01:12:25.680] I still think Gunter Steiner will be the most popular person in the team and
[01:12:26.280 -> 01:12:33.100] Drive to survive that's going to come on 24th of Feb will be the biggest highlight of the season. I agree, but okay
[01:12:33.100 -> 01:12:35.100] What sure you have a question sir?
[01:12:35.100 -> 01:12:37.100] Whom do you all think is going to be the better driver in 2023?
[01:12:38.620 -> 01:12:44.560] Can we rephrase it to who's gonna suck the other person's balls, which is what Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Mandeson said to each other?
[01:12:44.560 -> 01:12:45.000] Oh, I don't it's hard to suck the other person's balls, which is what Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Mandeson said to each other.
[01:12:47.240 -> 01:12:51.560] Oh, I don't, it's hard to tell. You'd be inclined to Kevin Mandeson because of the reasons he buys, but Sushant, what
[01:12:51.560 -> 01:12:52.280] do you think about it?
[01:12:52.280 -> 01:12:54.240] Yeah, I'm a little concerned about Nico Hulkenberg.
[01:12:54.280 -> 01:13:00.800] He's made the, I mean, a very random reappearance because of as a COVID substitute, but
[01:13:00.800 -> 01:13:03.000] he's not been driving for the last three years.
[01:13:03.000 -> 01:13:09.320] He's, and like you mentioned, I think in 2020, when he was back in the force India he was saying that my neck really hurts
[01:13:09.320 -> 01:13:13.840] so in terms of fitness and in terms of being sharp I am really concerned about Hulkenberg
[01:13:13.840 -> 01:13:17.400] and I think Magnussen is probably going to be the better driver he's going to edge him
[01:13:17.400 -> 01:13:18.400] out over there.
[01:13:18.400 -> 01:13:26.320] You know Nico Hulkenberg is joining Haas three years too late because... Oh yeah. Yeah, seriously, after Renault, he was in talks with Haas.
[01:13:26.320 -> 01:13:30.200] So he is going to be joining a team that he's been want...
[01:13:30.200 -> 01:13:30.700] who...
[01:13:30.700 -> 01:13:33.200] that he said no to three years ago, actually.
[01:13:33.200 -> 01:13:37.480] But bold prediction, after all of these changes and stuff,
[01:13:37.480 -> 01:13:41.200] they're still going to be eighth or ninth in the championship.
[01:13:41.200 -> 01:13:43.960] They've gone from experience with McNeeson, Grosjean,
[01:13:43.960 -> 01:13:46.720] to Mazespin and Schumacher
[01:13:46.720 -> 01:13:51.040] back to experience. Let's see how that delivers for them. They are still keeping on trying
[01:13:51.040 -> 01:13:56.200] different formula to make it work in formula 1. But I think it is going to be 8th or 9th.
[01:13:56.200 -> 01:14:00.560] But for once they have a less controversial sponsor on board.
[01:14:00.560 -> 01:14:04.960] Moneygram. Yeah. Anyone heard about Moneygram? Nobody has heard about Moneygram. But I think
[01:14:04.960 -> 01:14:07.500] this year they could still win the Destructors World Championship.
[01:14:07.500 -> 01:14:09.500] Remember they won last year with Mick Schumacher.
[01:14:09.500 -> 01:14:13.000] Last time they had two experienced drivers in Formula 1.
[01:14:13.000 -> 01:14:16.000] They also won the Destructors World Championship. So, could well be.
[01:14:16.000 -> 01:14:20.000] I think at the end of the season, if there are too many crashes, it could be Moneykilogram.
[01:14:20.000 -> 01:14:22.000] Ah, brilliant.
[01:14:22.000 -> 01:14:24.000] So that's it, I think you're done.
[01:14:24.000 -> 01:14:25.000] At last, we saved the worst for last. Brilliant. So that's it, I think we're done.
[01:14:25.000 -> 01:14:27.000] At last, we saved the worst for last.
[01:14:27.000 -> 01:14:28.000] Yes.
[01:14:28.000 -> 01:14:30.000] Shall we talk about Ferrari?
[01:14:30.000 -> 01:14:31.000] Question?
[01:14:31.000 -> 01:14:32.000] Pfft.
[01:14:32.000 -> 01:14:33.000] Sorry.
[01:14:33.000 -> 01:14:35.000] Oh well, oh well.
[01:14:35.000 -> 01:14:37.000] Okay, I see hands going up already.
[01:14:37.000 -> 01:14:39.000] So, this is going to be a tough one.
[01:14:39.000 -> 01:14:41.000] We're also fighting against the clock.
[01:14:41.000 -> 01:14:43.000] We have only three more hours to go to finish this.
[01:14:43.000 -> 01:14:45.800] Ferrari are also fighting against the clock and Ferrari are fighting against…
[01:14:45.800 -> 01:14:49.800] I can see Rohan from social doing, five minutes to go, okay.
[01:14:49.800 -> 01:14:53.400] Ferrari are also fighting against themselves by the way, let's not forget.
[01:14:53.400 -> 01:14:54.400] Yeah, always.
[01:14:54.400 -> 01:14:55.400] You've got a question sir.
[01:14:55.400 -> 01:14:59.120] So I think this might be a bit of an unpopular opinion but I think Ferrari have done really
[01:14:59.120 -> 01:15:03.520] well last season and they were just expected to do a lot better which is why they have
[01:15:03.520 -> 01:15:06.400] been getting so much banter but I think they have actually done really well.
[01:15:06.400 -> 01:15:09.900] I agree and I am surprised that they are not going and hiring Hannah Schmitz
[01:15:09.900 -> 01:15:14.400] because if they really end up you know tightening their strategy team
[01:15:14.400 -> 01:15:20.900] which is pretty much we all want, they will end up at least being more consistent in pits
[01:15:20.900 -> 01:15:23.900] and you know every time Ferrari pits everyone is questioning saying
[01:15:23.900 -> 01:15:29.080] Arey yeh sahi time pe kiya ki especially if it's a little you know out of place and each
[01:15:29.080 -> 01:15:33.360] time they throw a dummy they make sure they say it in the press conferences yeah yeah
[01:15:33.360 -> 01:15:37.720] we threw a dummy and they fell for it you know so they have to do that like the one
[01:15:37.720 -> 01:15:42.960] time they get it right we did it we did it we can do something no but how many of you
[01:15:42.960 -> 01:15:45.200] guys agree that Ferrari actually did a good job last year?
[01:15:45.200 -> 01:15:47.200] I don't think the people in the Ferrari jackets,
[01:15:47.200 -> 01:15:48.800] I don't think you will agree with it, will you?
[01:15:48.800 -> 01:15:51.800] No, but that's a bit of a minority.
[01:15:51.800 -> 01:15:55.200] But for this year, I think it's going to be the death of the Ferrari clowns
[01:15:55.200 -> 01:15:56.800] because you've got Frederico Sir coming in.
[01:15:56.800 -> 01:15:59.200] But I want to know your take on this.
[01:15:59.200 -> 01:16:03.000] What do you reckon happens eventually with someone like Frederico Sir?
[01:16:03.000 -> 01:16:05.280] Do you think the foolhouse...
[01:16:05.280 -> 01:16:07.080] What was the exact term for it?
[01:16:07.080 -> 01:16:08.080] Say it, say it, say it.
[01:16:08.080 -> 01:16:10.280] The shithousery ends?
[01:16:10.280 -> 01:16:11.280] I think so.
[01:16:11.280 -> 01:16:15.280] I think that's probably what's going to happen because if you look at Mercedes and Red Bull,
[01:16:15.280 -> 01:16:21.280] their team principals are very too ruthless chaps.
[01:16:21.280 -> 01:16:23.280] They're very ruthless and that's what Frederick Vasseur brings.
[01:16:23.280 -> 01:16:29.080] He's a very ruthless person and yeah, he can be quite funny during interviews and press conferences but he is
[01:16:29.080 -> 01:16:33.580] going to add that element into the team, he is going to take quick and tough decisions
[01:16:33.580 -> 01:16:38.680] and probably all the issues that we saw in terms of strategy, in terms of pit stop, all
[01:16:38.680 -> 01:16:43.820] that comes to a halt and it's going to be a year of stepping up for Ferrari, not just
[01:16:43.820 -> 01:16:45.120] for the drivers because
[01:16:45.120 -> 01:16:50.160] Luckluck despite the pace, he's made the odd mistake here and there, Sainz was, oh we have
[01:16:50.160 -> 01:16:55.640] to talk about Sainz, okay so Sainz was really not there in terms of pace but will he also
[01:16:55.640 -> 01:17:00.040] take the strategy calls for Ferrari?
[01:17:00.040 -> 01:17:05.360] I think a restructure will be announced if Frederic Passeur, you know, literally takes
[01:17:05.360 -> 01:17:08.480] the reins as he has since the 9th of January.
[01:17:08.480 -> 01:17:12.160] I also get this feeling everyone is going to hype him up as, oh, here's the arrival
[01:17:12.160 -> 01:17:15.320] of a Jean-Todd-like character because he's French.
[01:17:15.320 -> 01:17:20.860] Just like how every other driver joining Ferrari is like, is he the Michael Schumacher of this
[01:17:20.860 -> 01:17:23.000] generation they're looking for?
[01:17:23.000 -> 01:17:27.460] So my feeling is that Ferrari will clean up a lot of things, so we are not going to be
[01:17:27.460 -> 01:17:29.980] here at the end of the season making fun of them.
[01:17:29.980 -> 01:17:33.480] They will actually pull out stops, but I don't think they are going to be winning a championship
[01:17:33.480 -> 01:17:34.820] in 23 just yet.
[01:17:34.820 -> 01:17:39.740] It will probably be in preparation for an assault in 24.
[01:17:39.740 -> 01:17:45.440] And I get this feeling Carlos Sainz is going to be the closest matched number two driver.
[01:17:45.440 -> 01:17:51.440] He'll be forced to be number two, but he will be the closest matched number two driver, unfortunately.
[01:17:51.440 -> 01:17:53.440] Oh!
[01:17:53.440 -> 01:17:58.640] No, but George Russell is not going to be the de facto number two.
[01:17:58.640 -> 01:18:02.880] In case of Carlos Sainz, it's going to be, because you know, yeah, exactly.
[01:18:02.880 -> 01:18:08.000] And I think Frederic Pessoir will probably take a call on that because that's something that's hampered
[01:18:08.000 -> 01:18:12.080] Ferrari as well not deciding which driver to back at some point. The first
[01:18:12.080 -> 01:18:19.000] race wins. So since 2017 the driver who wins the first race goes on to finish second in the championship.
[01:18:19.000 -> 01:18:23.000] So Ferrari are not going to win the first race. Max is going to win.
[01:18:23.000 -> 01:18:26.000] Max is going to win. But you are a Mercedes. Oh yes, he is a Lewis Hamilton fan.
[01:18:26.000 -> 01:18:33.000] But it always happens right? 2017, 2018, no not 2018 but yeah. No it's happened 2017 onwards.
[01:18:33.000 -> 01:18:37.000] Yeah, but every time Ferrari ends up winning the first race, we just know it's going to tank.
[01:18:37.000 -> 01:18:42.000] It's just not, yeah but I'm actually curious about this Kunal. How much of an impact does a team
[01:18:42.000 -> 01:18:49.000] principal have on the clumsiness? The pit guns being left outside, the dummy calls, the hard compound tires.
[01:18:49.000 -> 01:18:53.000] How much of an impact can a team principal have immediately on that?
[01:18:53.000 -> 01:18:56.000] I would say it's about bringing in the right people with the right experience
[01:18:56.000 -> 01:19:01.000] and then having this feedback mechanism of not making the same mistake again.
[01:19:01.000 -> 01:19:10.160] And that's where all the managerial abilities come in and Frederic Vossoeur you know sort of ran a very successful junior series teams did
[01:19:10.160 -> 01:19:14.800] very well with Renault and with Sauber where they are today is also his inputs
[01:19:14.800 -> 01:19:18.360] so I get this feeling they're bringing in somebody with great managerial
[01:19:18.360 -> 01:19:23.720] experience unfortunately they've lost their best engineer but I get a feeling
[01:19:23.720 -> 01:19:27.480] Vossoeur will make Ferrari strengthen their tools in junior but I get a feeling VASUR will make Ferrari strengthen their tools
[01:19:27.480 -> 01:19:29.320] in 2023 itself.
[01:19:29.320 -> 01:19:31.400] We just have, ok one question.
[01:19:31.400 -> 01:19:35.440] Since we are talking about the future of the sport, I just want to talk about not just
[01:19:35.440 -> 01:19:39.640] 2023 but the future of F1 in general and the role Ferrari has to play in it.
[01:19:39.640 -> 01:19:44.360] So over the past few years the sport has been becoming more money centric, there have been
[01:19:44.360 -> 01:19:47.680] a lot of, the exclusivity of the sport has been drastically reduced,
[01:19:47.680 -> 01:19:50.480] there have been barriers to enter the sport have been drastically reduced,
[01:19:50.480 -> 01:19:52.000] of course that's a good thing,
[01:19:52.000 -> 01:19:56.400] if you bring in more audience, but also at this point of time we need to preserve the heritage,
[01:19:56.400 -> 01:20:00.480] and the original DNA of what the sport stands for,
[01:20:00.480 -> 01:20:05.000] and what role do you think, first of all what the future of F1 lies for the
[01:20:05.000 -> 01:20:09.240] next 10 years and what role do you think Ferrari which I guess arguably is the most popular
[01:20:09.240 -> 01:20:14.520] car brand and the most popular or one with the most heritage in F1 has a role to play
[01:20:14.520 -> 01:20:18.600] in it. I think the future is extremely bright and I say this after having worked in the
[01:20:18.600 -> 01:20:23.720] Bernie era, I wish I was working in Formula 1 in the liberty area because then even careers
[01:20:23.720 -> 01:20:28.120] of people in Formula 1 are far more stable to put it simply that, right.
[01:20:28.120 -> 01:20:32.280] I think the future is extremely bright with all the manufacturers wanting to come in 24
[01:20:32.280 -> 01:20:38.440] or 25 odd races and I know as a fan I want a race every weekend but as somebody who still
[01:20:38.440 -> 01:20:43.560] works in Formula 1, last three or four races I'm just, you know, like this saying, how
[01:20:43.560 -> 01:20:50.040] do I end up finishing the season? Right? So my feeling is it's going to be a very, very popular series. They've
[01:20:50.040 -> 01:20:54.880] lowered the entry barrier, they're making all the right noises, drive to survive will
[01:20:54.880 -> 01:21:00.520] keep happening. Our podcast will keep going. My big concern is about Formula One in India
[01:21:00.520 -> 01:21:05.140] and you know, 2023 doesn't really have a broadcaster signed up yet.
[01:21:05.140 -> 01:21:08.600] So there's a good chance you guys are all going to use VPN and look at you know all
[01:21:08.600 -> 01:21:09.940] the streams outside.
[01:21:09.940 -> 01:21:14.760] But truth be told there will be an announcement soon enough is what I'm being told for the
[01:21:14.760 -> 01:21:15.960] Indian market.
[01:21:15.960 -> 01:21:21.000] Not that I know enough but I think there will be you know a new broadcaster or not we will
[01:21:21.000 -> 01:21:26.000] see but I don't think Formula One will put focus on the Indian market.
[01:21:26.000 -> 01:21:32.160] We will continue to be ignored unfortunately because of a lot of baggage that the sport
[01:21:32.160 -> 01:21:36.880] carries from 2013 and all the Indian Grand Prix's that have happened.
[01:21:36.880 -> 01:21:37.880] Super.
[01:21:37.880 -> 01:21:41.760] So, I suppose folks we have run out of time, but the questions should not stop.
[01:21:41.760 -> 01:21:44.320] We are still going to be here, open to interact with everyone.
[01:21:44.320 -> 01:21:45.540] So, I think that should not stop. We're still going to be here, open to interact with everyone. So I think that should be fun.
[01:21:45.540 -> 01:21:48.740] But got to commemorate with a little,
[01:21:48.740 -> 01:21:51.620] oh, we had a Tim Cook waving a checkered flag thing at the end,
[01:21:51.620 -> 01:21:53.660] but we've missed that because tech.
[01:21:53.660 -> 01:21:55.660] So hey, thank you so much for joining us, folks.
[01:21:55.660 -> 01:21:56.980] This was absolutely fantastic.
[01:21:56.980 -> 01:21:58.400] Thank you for giving us your time.
[01:21:58.400 -> 01:22:01.860] And we hope you really enjoyed this.
[01:22:01.860 -> 01:22:05.440] But the questions will not and should not end as well.
[01:22:05.440 -> 01:22:06.440] We'll be here.
[01:22:06.440 -> 01:22:07.440] Let's just chat Formula 1, guys.
[01:22:07.440 -> 01:22:09.680] Let's just play all the music and let's just chat Formula 1.
[01:22:09.680 -> 01:22:10.960] So this should be amazing.
[01:22:10.960 -> 01:22:14.840] And as always, don't forget to subscribe to the Inside Line F1 podcast.
[01:22:14.840 -> 01:22:15.840] I know, it's a little bit of work.
[01:22:15.840 -> 01:22:16.840] Here and there, a little bit.
[01:22:16.840 -> 01:22:17.840] But it's okay.
[01:22:17.840 -> 01:22:19.000] But whenever you're home, don't forget to do that.
[01:22:19.000 -> 01:22:20.000] But thanks for joining in, folks.
[01:22:20.000 -> 01:22:21.000] Hope you had a good time and enjoy the evening.
[01:22:21.000 -> 01:22:22.000] Thanks, guys.
[01:22:22.000 -> 01:22:25.000] Thank you. Thank you.
[01:22:42.210 -> 01:22:44.210] you