Leclerc vs. Ferrari & 5 Things To Watch For - 2022 Austrian GP Preview

Charles Leclerc needs to win. He needs to win against Max Verstappen, yes, but before that, he needs to win against Ferrari (as ironic as it sounds!).

In the last 5 races, he's either had reliability or strategy - but never both. If we are to have a title battle in the 2022 Formula 1 season, we need Leclerc to score big in the races in July.

Can Ferrari finally win in Austria? Their last win was back in 2003!

The Inside Line F1 Podcast is brought to you by Eight Sleep, the most-trusted name in high-performance sleep.

Would you like to sleep on a bed-mattress designed by Formula 1 engineers to enhance your sleep quality? Here's an exclusive offer for our listeners.

Save $150 at checkout on the Eight Sleep Pod Pro Cover. Go get yours today: https://www.eightsleep.com/insideline

In our 2022 Austrian GP preview episode, Soumil and Kunal look forward to the race this weekend - a different race format, Red Bull's 'home' race, the possibility of a six-car battle for the race win (c'mon, Mercedes!) & more.

Look out for the kerbs, traffic & cooling issues thanks to the short lap around the Red Bull Ring. @f1statsguru (aka Sundaram) shares some mind-boggling stats in the build-up to the race while also looking back the 2022 British GP - why did Carlos Sainz receive two trophies on the podium?

(Season 2022, Episode 40)

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

Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool

**Summary of the Inside Line F1 Podcast Episode:**

- The upcoming Austrian Grand Prix promises to be an exciting race with the possibility of a six-car battle for the win.

- Ferrari has not won in Austria since 2003, and Charles Leclerc needs a victory to challenge Max Verstappen for the championship.

- The Red Bull Ring is a short lap, which could lead to close qualifying and increased overtaking opportunities.

- The kerbs, traffic, and cooling issues pose challenges for the drivers.

- Mercedes has historically struggled with vibrations and cooling at the Red Bull Ring.

- Six drivers could potentially fight for the win, including Leclerc, Verstappen, Carlos Sainz, Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, and Sergio Perez.

- Lando Norris has a strong record at the Red Bull Ring, but he has retired from the 11th race of every season he has competed in Formula 1.

- Valtteri Bottas has traditionally performed well in Austria, and he will be looking to bounce back after a poor outing at Silverstone.

- Daniel Ricciardo and Lance Stroll are drivers to watch for potential improvement this weekend.

- Carlos Sainz received two trophies at the British Grand Prix: one from the event sponsor and the other, the Royal Automobile Club trophy, which is returned to the Royal Automobile Club after the race.

# Inside Line F1 Podcast: A Comprehensive Summary

---

### Introduction:

- Charles Leclerc's recent struggles with reliability and strategy have hindered his title chances.
- The upcoming races in July are crucial for Leclerc to score big and keep the title fight alive.
- The Austrian Grand Prix presents a unique challenge with its short lap, kerbs, traffic, and cooling issues.

### Race Preview:

- Red Bull's home race could see a six-car battle for the win, including Mercedes.
- The sprint format adds an extra layer of excitement and points to the weekend.
- Carlos Sainz's double trophy ceremony at the British GP is explained.

### Stats and Trivia:

- Sundaram Ramaswami (@f1statsguru) shares intriguing statistics related to the Austrian Grand Prix.
- The British Grand Prix trophy is a unique and historic artifact with an uncertain origin.

### Driver Predictions:

- Soumil Arora predicts a Leclerc victory in both the sprint and the main race.
- Kunal Shah believes Sainz will win the main race, while Verstappen will dominate the sprint.

### Excitement for the Upcoming Races:

- July and October are considered the best months for Formula One fans and drivers.
- Four races in July provide ample opportunities for thrilling action.
- Mick Schumacher's recent performance against Verstappen has raised expectations for his future.

### Conclusion:

The Austrian Grand Prix promises a captivating weekend of Formula One racing with a potential six-car battle for the win, unique challenges presented by the circuit, and the added excitement of the sprint format. The upcoming races in July offer a packed schedule of high-stakes competition, with drivers like Leclerc, Sainz, Verstappen, and Schumacher eager to make their mark.

[00:00.000 -> 00:24.780] Now just imagine right, you've had a pizza and suddenly you're given another one.
[00:24.780 -> 00:27.040] It just feels great but after the third or fourth pizza,
[00:27.040 -> 00:28.500] you end up feeling a bit bad.
[00:28.500 -> 00:31.740] But with Formula One races, it doesn't quite work like that.
[00:31.740 -> 00:33.260] Even if you've had a great one
[00:33.260 -> 00:35.280] and you end up having four great ones after that,
[00:35.280 -> 00:36.900] the feeling never diminishes.
[00:36.900 -> 00:40.500] And we are on the run of another great race
[00:40.500 -> 00:41.900] that's gonna come up potentially.
[00:41.900 -> 00:42.780] It's the Red Bull Ring.
[00:42.780 -> 00:50.160] And just think back to all the last five or six years. when have we ever seen a bad race at the Red Bull Ring? Well, it's always been
[00:50.160 -> 00:54.080] brilliant. It's always been something full of drama, full of excitement. And what will make
[00:54.080 -> 00:58.960] it exciting this weekend is exactly what we're going to discuss on the Inside Line F1 podcast.
[00:58.960 -> 01:03.280] And folks, my name is Somal Adhora. I'm the host of the Driving Force on Disney Plus Hotstar,
[01:03.280 -> 01:05.360] joined by Kunal Shah, the former
[01:05.360 -> 01:10.720] marketing editor for the Sydney F1 team, who's also an FIA-accredited Formula One journalist
[01:10.720 -> 01:15.440] who works for Viaplay, one of the largest broadcasters of Formula One around the world.
[01:15.440 -> 01:19.800] But I actually want to ask you this question, Kunal, that I just asked the listeners right
[01:19.800 -> 01:21.280] at the very start.
[01:21.280 -> 01:24.520] Have we ever seen a bad Austrian GP since its return?
[01:24.520 -> 01:28.600] Because I just can't remember any. It's got all the characteristics that just make for a
[01:28.600 -> 01:35.740] great weekend. I actually don't remember a single bad race in Austria but thank
[01:35.740 -> 01:39.880] you very much for that introduction guys. It's fantastic to be doing this back-to-
[01:39.880 -> 01:46.000] back races means back-to-back episodes for Samuel and myself and that's fantastic.
[01:46.000 -> 01:49.960] We love doing the podcast. Thank you for all your listens. But you know to me
[01:49.960 -> 01:57.960] Samuel, Austria especially the A1 ring or the Red Bull ring right is like you
[01:57.960 -> 02:02.200] know Wimbledon to Formula One. Such a beautiful circuit especially in the
[02:02.200 -> 02:05.100] summer. You know it's in the
[02:05.100 -> 02:09.840] mountainous regions, gorgeous little circuit and I mean little because it is
[02:09.840 -> 02:15.280] pretty much as little as a circuit can get right. But I absolutely love it. This
[02:15.280 -> 02:22.800] weekend actually will officially mark 50% of the 2022 season being over. Can you
[02:22.800 -> 02:26.840] believe that? 50% of it being over just when a few races ago,
[02:26.840 -> 02:28.760] we were like, yeah, the championship is actually
[02:28.760 -> 02:30.040] a long way to go.
[02:30.040 -> 02:34.160] Let's see how it all evolves and how things change.
[02:34.160 -> 02:38.040] And it's soon going to be 50% of the season over.
[02:38.040 -> 02:39.840] Maybe life is just going a bit too good,
[02:39.840 -> 02:43.200] but I remember it being Austria 2020, almost yesterday,
[02:43.200 -> 02:44.560] when we had two consecutive races
[02:44.560 -> 02:46.000] at this particular circuit. Well, time really flies by. And it's going to almost yesterday, when we had two consecutive races at this particular circuit.
[02:46.000 -> 02:47.600] Wow, time really flies by.
[02:47.600 -> 02:49.960] And it's going to be brilliant, because we also
[02:49.960 -> 02:52.240] have a sprint weekend coming up once again, Kunal.
[02:52.240 -> 02:55.400] And I know I asked this question the last time out,
[02:55.400 -> 02:57.480] saying that do we all miss the sprint races?
[02:57.480 -> 03:00.000] But it just means another start this weekend.
[03:00.000 -> 03:01.600] And that just could be more goodness,
[03:01.600 -> 03:04.720] because turn 1 at Austria, just like every other corner,
[03:04.720 -> 03:06.080] is just so full of drama.
[03:06.080 -> 03:07.880] You always have so much going on there.
[03:07.880 -> 03:10.800] And there's been almost pinball-esque crashes
[03:10.800 -> 03:11.840] at that particular point.
[03:11.840 -> 03:14.720] So there's drama for everyone everywhere, essentially.
[03:15.680 -> 03:18.580] Yes, two starts, two opening laps.
[03:18.580 -> 03:21.240] I really hope what happened on the first opening lap
[03:21.240 -> 03:24.560] at Silverstone is not what actually happens ever again.
[03:24.560 -> 03:28.000] But I think a sprint is always going to be fun.
[03:28.280 -> 03:35.000] Drivers believe that it's easier to overtake at the Red Bull Ring than it was, say, for example, in Imola,
[03:35.600 -> 03:38.800] which is where we had the last sprint weekend of the season.
[03:38.800 -> 03:40.760] Right. So to me, I'm pretty excited.
[03:40.760 -> 03:46.600] We are pretty much going to have qualifying within 24 hours of recording this podcast.
[03:46.600 -> 03:49.320] And then soon we're gonna have the sprint as well.
[03:49.320 -> 03:54.320] And you spoke about how Formula One raced
[03:54.840 -> 03:57.440] at Austria during the pandemic.
[03:57.440 -> 04:00.200] And in 2020 and in 2021,
[04:00.200 -> 04:03.880] we actually had two back-to-back races happening at Austria
[04:03.880 -> 04:07.040] because, hey, we needed to fill up the calendar and why not and
[04:07.200 -> 04:11.480] This year while we don't have two Grands Prix, we actually still have two races
[04:11.560 -> 04:15.520] One being the sprint and the second being the Grand Prix itself on Sunday
[04:16.160 -> 04:22.240] Yeah, but have you noticed they always end up being good races and that's the fun part about this and you always end up getting
[04:22.240 -> 04:28.160] a bit of a surprise like one of the Williams getting poor in 2014, like Landon Norris getting his first podium in
[04:28.160 -> 04:33.280] 2020 or the amazing battle that we had between Wilstapin and Leclerc back in 2019 which is
[04:33.280 -> 04:35.360] a point of discussion that we should come to.
[04:35.360 -> 04:40.000] But one question before we have a bit of a break for a second Kunal.
[04:40.000 -> 04:42.160] The Red Bull ring, many people debate this.
[04:42.160 -> 04:49.740] I just want to know the final end uptake on this. Does the circuit have 9 corners or 10? Because Formula 1 officially counts that kink
[04:49.740 -> 04:53.800] after turn 1 as turn 2, but come on, it's not a turn for the cars is it? Look at how
[04:53.800 -> 04:58.640] straight it is, it's as straight as a plank of wood essentially.
[04:58.640 -> 05:02.320] That's a very good question because when we talk of the circuit, officially it's listed
[05:02.320 -> 05:06.680] as 10 corners, but which is, of course,
[05:06.680 -> 05:08.220] the least number of corners
[05:08.220 -> 05:11.680] for any Grand Prix circuit on the calendar, right?
[05:11.680 -> 05:13.400] Till someday we actually end up racing
[05:13.400 -> 05:15.200] on an oval somewhere in America.
[05:15.200 -> 05:16.420] I don't know, just joking.
[05:16.420 -> 05:18.800] But turns two, that kink that you're,
[05:18.800 -> 05:20.360] the left kink that you're talking of,
[05:20.360 -> 05:24.240] turn five, turn eight are all taken flat out.
[05:24.240 -> 05:27.280] So technically the teams don't really consider
[05:27.280 -> 05:32.400] them as corners, it's just something the drivers have to navigate. And you know you spoke of turn
[05:32.400 -> 05:38.480] one, turn one and turn two, that's where you know lots of overtakes also happen. In fact,
[05:38.480 -> 05:46.160] Aston Martin says that 90% of all overtakes at the Austrian Grand Prix actually happen at these two turns.
[05:46.160 -> 05:48.760] 2019, Leclerc versus Verstappen,
[05:48.760 -> 05:50.860] it was like, you know, lap after lap.
[05:50.860 -> 05:53.360] It was all about who actually makes the overtake
[05:53.360 -> 05:54.920] at turn three.
[05:54.920 -> 05:56.560] So I'm pretty excited.
[05:56.560 -> 05:59.540] We're gonna actually see that twice this weekend,
[05:59.540 -> 06:02.480] the sprint on Saturday and then the race on Sunday.
[06:03.560 -> 06:05.420] Absolutely, but before we discuss the
[06:05.420 -> 06:08.760] challenges of this particular weekend and who could be fighting for the win
[06:08.760 -> 06:13.440] this time out we'll be back in a second so stay right here we'll be back.
[06:13.440 -> 06:18.240] Hey folks welcome back into the Inside Line F1 podcast and of course you were
[06:18.240 -> 06:22.600] on the subject of discussing the Austrian GP and why it always ends up
[06:22.600 -> 06:25.180] producing such a good race and one element that we should talk about Kunal that is really definitely going to producing such a good race. And one element
[06:25.180 -> 06:28.900] that we should talk about Kunal that is really definitely going to make this a good one.
[06:28.900 -> 06:33.380] Now I know I'm hyping it a bit too much, but it is the fact that we could essentially have
[06:33.380 -> 06:38.780] four, or maybe six drivers fighting for the win. And that sounds like an exciting prospect.
[06:38.780 -> 06:43.300] And we know for sure that Carlos Sainz has it in him. So just knowing that at least all
[06:43.300 -> 06:48.040] the top four cars can be fighting is something that we're seeing for the first time this year because we've never
[06:48.040 -> 06:52.040] quite had the surety from signs all the way through but with that win I think things are
[06:52.040 -> 06:55.880] just changing for the better hopefully at least.
[06:55.880 -> 07:00.560] You know if Ben Edwards also is to be believed which I would definitely believe he's the
[07:00.560 -> 07:07.040] lead he's the lead commentator and host for the F1 TV broadcast, who we will hear very shortly from as well.
[07:07.880 -> 07:12.280] There should be six teams in the fight for the win, Somil.
[07:12.280 -> 07:16.020] And if not, there is at least gonna be four drivers,
[07:16.020 -> 07:18.560] you know, definitely going for the fight
[07:18.560 -> 07:21.360] for the win this weekend, and that is pretty epic.
[07:21.360 -> 07:24.600] I think the last 10 laps at Silverstone, of course,
[07:24.600 -> 07:25.920] became a lot more interesting
[07:25.920 -> 07:32.240] because we had four teams, actually five teams in the fight at that point of time. Carlos Sainz
[07:32.240 -> 07:40.240] ran away, there was Perez's Red Bull, Lewis's Mercedes, Lando's McLaren, and then Leclerc's
[07:40.240 -> 07:50.160] Ferrari, and then of course, Fernando Alonso's Alpine in the battle. So if we actually get six teams, sorry six drivers fighting it would be
[07:50.160 -> 07:54.160] epic and some some stats and you like always you guys always hear a lot of
[07:54.160 -> 08:00.920] stats from us and this one is courtesy the F1 stat guru. So since the Red Bull
[08:00.920 -> 08:09.160] ring returned to hosting Formula One races. Races have only been won by Mercedes and Red Bull themselves.
[08:09.160 -> 08:14.160] And the last Ferrari win actually goes back 20 years,
[08:14.360 -> 08:17.740] 2003 when Michael Schumacher won here,
[08:17.740 -> 08:19.800] when it was of course called the A1 ring.
[08:21.000 -> 08:23.700] What, I actually can't believe it, but you're right.
[08:23.700 -> 08:25.480] Ferrari have never quite had a great
[08:25.480 -> 08:30.760] track record but Ben Edwards has a different take on that he thinks that this might just
[08:30.760 -> 08:35.400] be the year that Ferrari end up getting there and potentially even Mercedes could be the
[08:35.400 -> 08:37.800] teams in the mix as well so why is that?
[08:37.800 -> 08:40.800] Let's actually listen to him right now.
[08:40.800 -> 08:46.840] I could ask for six cars to be fighting for the win. Whether it's going to work for Mercedes, I don't know.
[08:46.840 -> 08:48.600] Because Austria is a bit of a funny track.
[08:48.600 -> 08:51.280] And the Red Bull is very quick in a straight line, as we know.
[08:51.280 -> 08:53.160] The Ferrari is very quick through slow corners.
[08:53.160 -> 08:55.320] And there are quite a few slow corners in Austria.
[08:55.320 -> 08:57.760] So I think the Ferrari is going to be very strong there.
[08:57.760 -> 08:58.980] It's such a short lap, though.
[08:58.980 -> 09:01.240] Remember, in qualifying in Austria,
[09:01.240 -> 09:03.560] the difference in your lap time when they're so close,
[09:03.560 -> 09:07.380] it will literally be 1,000, two thousandths of a second
[09:07.380 -> 09:09.460] because it's a very short lap distance.
[09:09.460 -> 09:12.780] So it's an incredibly difficult one to get,
[09:12.780 -> 09:15.100] absolutely, you've got to get it so perfect.
[09:15.100 -> 09:17.220] And that first corner in particular is an easy one
[09:17.220 -> 09:19.380] to run wide, make a mistake.
[09:19.380 -> 09:20.260] So I'm looking forward to it.
[09:20.260 -> 09:22.940] I think it is going to be another very close battle
[09:22.940 -> 09:29.040] between Ferrari and Red Bull in particular, whether it's going to work so well for Mercedes. I don't know, they might
[09:29.040 -> 09:34.120] work because the slow corner speeds and I noticed that Perez said to Hamilton after
[09:34.120 -> 09:39.760] the race when they were having their battle, you had really good speed down at turn seven,
[09:39.760 -> 09:43.880] which is Luffield corner at Silverstone. That is a slow corner. And so it makes me think
[09:43.880 -> 09:45.080] maybe Mercedes actually
[09:45.080 -> 09:46.880] could have some decent performance.
[09:46.880 -> 09:48.000] So that's what I want.
[09:48.000 -> 09:50.280] I want to see all three teams battling.
[09:50.280 -> 09:52.040] Now, he's got a point, isn't he?
[09:52.040 -> 09:54.160] And if he is correct, Kunal, it's
[09:54.160 -> 09:57.200] hard to imagine how good the race will be,
[09:57.200 -> 09:59.720] I mean, in a positive sense, because the possibilities
[09:59.720 -> 10:00.720] are unlimited in a way.
[10:00.720 -> 10:02.360] But there could be a chance.
[10:02.360 -> 10:05.000] And to see someone like Hamilton or Russell even in the fight,
[10:05.000 -> 10:07.480] I think that just makes a good race even better,
[10:07.480 -> 10:10.420] because there's so many things that make it actually
[10:10.420 -> 10:11.540] a great circuit for racing.
[10:11.540 -> 10:13.460] We've got clear-cut opportunities
[10:13.460 -> 10:14.880] where you can actually go and pass,
[10:14.880 -> 10:16.800] and those corners are extremely wide.
[10:16.800 -> 10:19.420] And last year, we saw that cars, they
[10:19.420 -> 10:21.220] were able to struggle a little bit
[10:21.220 -> 10:22.380] on the entry in the corners.
[10:22.380 -> 10:23.920] They were actually suffering from dirtier
[10:23.920 -> 10:25.280] as they did in every single circuit.
[10:25.280 -> 10:27.920] But with the new generation of Formula 1 cars,
[10:27.920 -> 10:30.280] that problem has been alleviated to a great extent.
[10:30.280 -> 10:33.080] So theoretically, with a wide open circuit,
[10:33.080 -> 10:34.960] lots of following with lots of straights,
[10:34.960 -> 10:36.320] this just could be fantastic.
[10:36.320 -> 10:38.720] And I can't imagine how good it's gonna be
[10:38.720 -> 10:41.920] eventually on Sunday and luckily for us on Saturday as well.
[10:43.640 -> 10:46.240] Yes, and you mentioned Lewis Hamilton this is
[10:46.240 -> 10:51.040] officially the longest that he's gone into a Formula One season without
[10:51.040 -> 10:57.360] actually scoring a win. We've crossed 10 races in the season and he is yet to
[10:57.360 -> 11:01.840] score a win. He would have almost won at Silverstone had it not been for a late
[11:01.840 -> 11:08.560] race safety car and all of that but that's with Lewis Hamilton. He's also the only driver to have actually been classified
[11:08.560 -> 11:11.160] as a finisher in 2022.
[11:11.160 -> 11:14.680] The other driver who's also had the same classification
[11:14.680 -> 11:17.320] of a finisher is Lance Stroll.
[11:17.320 -> 11:20.180] But one of the reasons why we are also of course hyped up
[11:20.180 -> 11:21.800] is Leclerc needs to win.
[11:21.800 -> 11:26.640] He needs to get his title battle up there. He of course would have felt that
[11:26.640 -> 11:32.720] he's lost out on just so many points since his retirement in Spain, either down to mechanical
[11:32.720 -> 11:39.280] gremlins or strategy issues, or in fact, even as one may call it, team orders in the last race in
[11:39.280 -> 11:47.840] Silverstone. Checo Perez, he had a fantastic recovery drive. I mean, he was literally 16th on lap seven
[11:47.840 -> 11:50.160] after his issues at Sylvester.
[11:50.160 -> 11:55.080] And with 19 laps to go, he was almost 45 seconds
[11:55.080 -> 11:56.040] away from the lead.
[11:56.040 -> 11:58.920] So he was helped by the late-race safety car
[11:58.920 -> 12:00.560] where everyone got punched up.
[12:00.560 -> 12:02.520] And then Max Verstappen, he would have won,
[12:02.520 -> 12:04.480] had it not been for the floor damage
[12:04.480 -> 12:06.960] that his car was carrying, you know,
[12:06.960 -> 12:10.760] which we found out Nityanand actually dug through the data
[12:10.760 -> 12:14.560] and Max was losing almost 1.4 seconds a lap
[12:14.560 -> 12:17.200] in race pace as compared to Checo Perez.
[12:17.200 -> 12:21.240] So pretty much every driver is gonna be wanting
[12:21.240 -> 12:24.960] to go out there and sorry, I actually forgot George Russell,
[12:24.960 -> 12:25.000] you know, with his opening lap retirement at Sylvester is going to be wanting to go out there. And sorry, I actually forgot George Russell,
[12:25.000 -> 12:28.200] with his opening lap retirement at Silverstone,
[12:28.200 -> 12:30.160] he no longer is the only driver
[12:30.160 -> 12:32.240] to have finished every race this season
[12:32.240 -> 12:35.280] and finished in the top five and raced every lap.
[12:35.280 -> 12:36.520] So he would want to sort of,
[12:36.520 -> 12:37.960] now that his counter has reset,
[12:37.960 -> 12:41.640] he would want to rebuild on that counter in itself.
[12:41.640 -> 12:47.440] And if there's one driver I would really love to see, Samuel, it's Charles Leclerc,
[12:47.440 -> 12:50.680] because he has been qualifying, what, top three,
[12:50.680 -> 12:52.300] top four, pretty much all the races,
[12:52.300 -> 12:55.020] but he has failed to finish on the podium
[12:55.020 -> 13:00.020] in the last five races, and that just sounds very,
[13:00.200 -> 13:08.320] I don't know, it's scary, it's just weird weird right. It's just not Charles Leclerc and if you
[13:08.320 -> 13:13.360] look at all the races it's not all to do with the driver I mean so many of them have been cases where
[13:13.360 -> 13:17.920] the team has taken away not intentionally of course oh it could well be maybe that could be
[13:17.920 -> 13:23.440] the conspiracy theory of the 2020 decade essentially but it's just been races where the team
[13:23.440 -> 13:25.360] has compromised this challenge in terms of winning the race and now it seems like it's just been races where the team has compromised this challenge in terms
[13:25.360 -> 13:29.680] of winning the race and now it seems like it's heading towards compromising their challenge for
[13:29.680 -> 13:35.600] the championship but how he responds is going to be critical because we know that he can do a great
[13:35.600 -> 13:40.880] job at this particular circuit. Case in point 2019 where he had this outstanding battle with Max
[13:40.880 -> 14:05.400] Verstappen that could just end up being a precursor to what we end up seeing this weekend but he's got in him to just get one up on Max Verstappen and maybe on his teammate as well.
[14:05.400 -> 14:10.500] You're right Somil, you know if there's anything Charles needs to not lose hope and keep driving
[14:10.500 -> 14:18.160] as fantastically well as he has been so and in fact you know by not claiming pole position
[14:18.160 -> 14:24.040] at Silverstone and in Canada it's now the longest gap between races where Charles has
[14:24.040 -> 14:25.080] not been on pole.
[14:25.080 -> 14:30.320] But no, in all seriousness, Charles, of course, came into the month of July before Silverstone
[14:30.320 -> 14:35.600] and said, I need to be in full attack, need to win all the races I can this summer.
[14:35.600 -> 14:39.740] Mattia Binotto said Charles now has an extra power unit in his pool.
[14:39.740 -> 14:43.280] He can push even more aggressively in the races before the summer.
[14:43.280 -> 14:48.840] So all of that concluded, he needs to be up there, out there qualifying up front,
[14:48.960 -> 14:53.800] you know, leading the race in the sprint and then leading the race in the Grand Prix
[14:53.800 -> 15:00.000] as well. Because I think if we are going to see a title battle, let's not dream about
[15:00.000 -> 15:03.160] a Perez Verstappen or a Verstappen signs.
[15:03.400 -> 15:08.960] It has to, it is going to be a Leclerc Verstappen or a Verstappen signs it has to it is going to be a Leclerc Verstappen or a Verstappen nobody.
[15:11.600 -> 15:16.320] Ah come on what if we have a 2010 like scenario where we have five different drivers potentially
[15:16.320 -> 15:21.360] fighting and then maybe the least expected one which in this case could well end up being Charles
[15:21.360 -> 15:25.680] Leclerc by the end of the year ends up winning the title. But yeah, I'm dreaming far too much.
[15:25.680 -> 15:29.720] And at this stage, it seems like the team and the driver being on the same page also
[15:29.720 -> 15:30.800] is a bit of a dream.
[15:30.800 -> 15:33.240] But I think that's enough on raining down on their parade.
[15:33.240 -> 15:37.080] I also want to talk about Lewis Hamilton for a second, because his parade has been rained
[15:37.080 -> 15:39.040] down upon many times over here.
[15:39.040 -> 15:44.080] I mean, it's hard to believe, but he hasn't won a race here since 2016, Kunal.
[15:44.080 -> 15:46.680] He's been on pole here or there once or twice, but he hasn't won a race here since 2016, Kunal. He's been on pole here or there once or twice,
[15:46.680 -> 15:49.720] but he's traditionally had a bad record since then,
[15:49.720 -> 15:53.880] because 2017, 18, 19, and 2020 Austrian GP,
[15:53.880 -> 15:56.360] he wasn't on the podium, which is hard to imagine.
[15:56.360 -> 15:58.800] But that's just what the case was for Mercedes.
[15:58.800 -> 16:01.440] So historically, it's not been the best hunting ground,
[16:01.440 -> 16:09.280] but we know for a fact that potentially, he could be in the mix as well. But Mercedes have had traditional problems over here with vibrations.
[16:09.280 -> 16:13.800] It's actually good you mentioned Hamilton, Somal, because Hamilton has actually won here
[16:13.800 -> 16:20.040] in 2016 after which he has failed to even stand on the podium, right? That's the key
[16:20.040 -> 16:27.000] part. Hamilton has one race win out here whereas Max Verstappen has three and guess who has two wins?
[16:27.000 -> 16:34.000] It's Valtteri Bottas, right? So it's actually not one of the best hunting grounds for Mercedes
[16:34.000 -> 16:45.000] and something else that I dug up as a stat as well, right, is Mercedes has actually had three double DNFs since their return to Formula One.
[16:45.480 -> 16:50.480] And 2018 Austrian Grand Prix was their last double DNF,
[16:51.120 -> 16:53.760] which was of course on mechanical grounds with both drivers.
[16:53.760 -> 16:56.520] And then 2016 Spain, we know what happened.
[16:56.520 -> 17:01.080] And then way before that was 2011 Australian Grand Prix.
[17:03.000 -> 17:06.360] Wow, that's a long way off.
[17:06.360 -> 17:11.180] And a lot of it can be broken down to the kerb side because we've often heard the Mercedes
[17:11.180 -> 17:15.840] engineers specifically say to them that guys stay off there, the vibrations are going to
[17:15.840 -> 17:18.200] be a major, major talking point.
[17:18.200 -> 17:22.440] Just how do they deal with that eventually?
[17:22.440 -> 17:24.320] The vibrations are going to be key.
[17:24.320 -> 17:28.000] In fact, this year, the kerbs are going to be even more crucial because let's remember guys,
[17:28.000 -> 17:32.000] these are ground effect cars. They need
[17:32.000 -> 17:36.000] their floors to be undamaged as much as possible
[17:36.000 -> 17:40.000] to extract the best performance. We saw what happened to Max Verstappen
[17:40.000 -> 17:44.000] at Silverstone just a few days ago. So how the drivers
[17:44.000 -> 17:45.400] tackle these curbs
[17:45.400 -> 17:47.240] is also gonna be very crucial
[17:47.240 -> 17:50.440] because if you want quick lap times,
[17:50.440 -> 17:51.640] you have to be aggressive
[17:51.640 -> 17:53.360] with the usage of these curbs as well.
[17:53.360 -> 17:57.960] So that's another challenge into the mixable.
[17:57.960 -> 17:59.200] Among other things as well,
[17:59.200 -> 18:01.760] because in those list of other things,
[18:01.760 -> 18:03.760] we also have to talk about the gravel traps
[18:03.760 -> 18:09.440] and the sausage curbs, which have often been a point of debate. I think over the last couple of years, we've had big
[18:09.440 -> 18:13.280] discussions on the gravel traps specifically because there have been drivers who have tried
[18:13.280 -> 18:18.480] to make moves around the outside. I think it was last year where we also renamed our race
[18:18.480 -> 18:22.880] review for this race to be the Outside Line F1 Podcast just to pay homage to the number of moves
[18:22.880 -> 18:28.880] that we saw around the outside over there. But as with Sergio Perez and Lando Norris last year, we have seen proof time and
[18:28.880 -> 18:34.400] again that it may not work out because of the gravel on the outside. So with let's say more
[18:34.400 -> 18:39.440] racier cars that can follow better, will drivers be even more audacious than before? And if they
[18:39.440 -> 18:43.120] are, that's going to be a major talking point that they have to keep in mind and the sausage
[18:43.120 -> 18:46.600] curb at turn number one as well, Kunal, because if I remember correctly,
[18:46.600 -> 18:51.480] Fernando Alonso went on a tirade about it last year, and he actually intended to start
[18:51.480 -> 18:56.440] his own path of being a vigilante right after the Austrian GP, because he said it's dumb
[18:56.440 -> 18:59.000] to follow the rules because the rules aren't quite black or white.
[18:59.000 -> 19:04.560] So race control could well be under pressure about how to resolve that turn one issue.
[19:04.560 -> 19:06.600] That's correct. Track limits is always a challenge.
[19:06.600 -> 19:09.760] You know, turn 10 is going to be another challenge for track limits as well.
[19:10.080 -> 19:14.640] And let's hope that these curbs don't really launch drivers into the air like
[19:14.640 -> 19:17.960] we've seen that before. But all in all, Somil, I think it's going to be a very
[19:17.960 -> 19:20.840] exciting race weekend. I love gravel traps.
[19:20.840 -> 19:24.960] I love the fact that they add an extra challenge rather than having a runoff
[19:24.960 -> 19:27.320] area, as we've seen in some of the more modern circuits, right?
[19:27.320 -> 19:29.440] And one of the, I mean, you know,
[19:29.440 -> 19:33.160] we spoke of, before we move on from gravel traps,
[19:33.160 -> 19:36.200] just, you know, something Mercedes actually said is,
[19:36.200 -> 19:40.200] the curbs at the Red Bull Ring are notorious
[19:40.200 -> 19:42.000] and very aggressive.
[19:42.000 -> 19:45.880] And they are considered to be one of the toughest tests
[19:45.880 -> 19:47.640] for vehicle suspensions.
[19:47.640 -> 19:50.760] So let's see how cars stack up to that as well.
[19:50.760 -> 19:53.840] And then the other big challenge, I believe,
[19:53.840 -> 19:55.600] is going to be the short lap.
[19:55.600 -> 20:01.680] It's 63 seconds, depending on how much faster cars can go.
[20:01.680 -> 20:05.800] So that is a big challenge when it comes to cooling,
[20:05.800 -> 20:07.760] which is the problems that we've seen
[20:07.760 -> 20:10.000] with Mercedes before as well.
[20:10.000 -> 20:11.680] We've seen problems with traffic,
[20:11.680 -> 20:14.440] especially in Q1 and Q2,
[20:14.440 -> 20:17.080] when there are a lot more cars on track.
[20:17.080 -> 20:20.280] We saw how Vettel got stuck behind somebody else,
[20:20.280 -> 20:23.040] and then Fernando Alonso almost had a near miss
[20:24.740 -> 20:25.640] last year in qualifying,
[20:25.640 -> 20:27.200] if my memory is correct.
[20:27.200 -> 20:29.740] And then strategy, you know, safety car,
[20:29.740 -> 20:32.840] normally virtual safety car, depending on the timing,
[20:32.840 -> 20:36.240] we'll see if it can induce a second race stop,
[20:36.240 -> 20:38.440] because normally it turns out to be a single stopper
[20:38.440 -> 20:41.000] around Austria, because drivers are left
[20:41.000 -> 20:42.200] to do all the overtaking
[20:42.200 -> 20:44.740] and climbing of positions on track.
[20:46.800 -> 20:49.400] Exactly, and that just makes it such a fun race.
[20:49.400 -> 20:54.600] And with the short circuit as well, as you mentioned, Kunal, there's a bit of a challenge in terms of managing your cooling.
[20:54.600 -> 21:03.000] But F1 Stats Guru, who we're just going to hear from in a minute right now, has also come up with this very interesting stat about the advantage of having a short lap.
[21:03.000 -> 21:09.680] And he says that a short circuit also translates to smaller gaps between cars. Since the Swindy returned to the F1 calendar in 2014,
[21:09.680 -> 21:16.480] the average pole margin in dry qualifying sessions is just 0.156 seconds. That's a tenth
[21:16.480 -> 21:22.320] and a half. Now that means that qualifying on Friday is going to be extremely special, but
[21:23.360 -> 21:26.160] I just can't say it properly. Qualifying on Friday
[21:26.160 -> 21:30.960] doesn't sound quite right. But that's too much of complaining. I'm sure I'll get a hang of it
[21:30.960 -> 21:35.680] as time goes on. But it's actually time to listen to F1 Stats Guru as he brings you
[21:35.680 -> 21:48.840] a stats preview of the Austrian Grand Prix, I'm Sundaram, also known as the F1 stats guru, let's talk numbers. Now the Red Bull Ring is the 5th shortest circuit of the season
[21:48.840 -> 21:54.160] after Monaco, Netherlands, Mexico and Brazil, yet the overall lap time of roughly 63 seconds
[21:54.160 -> 22:00.360] is the quickest this year. The F1 sprint returns this weekend and the man to beat is Max Verstappen,
[22:00.360 -> 22:05.000] that's because he's been on pole in 3 of the 4 race weekends to include an F1 sprint.
[22:05.000 -> 22:09.600] Plus he just loves racing at this venue, he has 4 wins here and no one else has those
[22:09.600 -> 22:10.600] many wins in Austria.
[22:10.600 -> 22:13.000] They don't call it the Red Bull Ring for nothing.
[22:13.000 -> 22:18.160] Valtteri Bordasi had a bad outing in Silverstone but he'll be happy to come back to Spielberg.
[22:18.160 -> 22:22.320] And that's cause he's finished on the podium in 6 of the last 7 occasions.
[22:22.320 -> 22:25.160] Here's something for the McLaren fans though, this is one of
[22:25.160 -> 22:29.520] Lando Norris' more preferred tracks, he started on the front row last year and he's
[22:29.520 -> 22:34.440] finished in the top 6 in every outing, including 2 P3 finishes. But wait, there's something
[22:34.440 -> 22:39.240] else you need to know about. This is Norris' 4th season in Formula 1 and quite strangely,
[22:39.240 -> 22:46.320] he's retired from the 11th race of every season he's been a part of and Austria is race number 11 this year.
[22:46.320 -> 22:50.240] Keep your fingers crossed but if he does DNF, don't blame me.
[22:50.240 -> 23:05.160] That's the stats preview at the Austrian Grand Prix.
[23:05.160 -> 23:07.240] And apart from the stats as well, Kunal,
[23:07.240 -> 23:09.360] there's also another thing that we should bring up
[23:09.360 -> 23:11.840] that we haven't quite brought up so far in this episode.
[23:11.840 -> 23:15.040] And it's the eight sleep list of drivers to watch out for.
[23:15.040 -> 23:17.120] One of them this weekend has to be Charles Leclerc.
[23:17.120 -> 23:18.920] And we've already discussed his performance.
[23:18.920 -> 23:22.640] And all that could be a major discussion point,
[23:22.640 -> 23:24.300] depending on how he works with the team.
[23:24.300 -> 23:26.720] But I also want to talk about Valtteri Bottas,
[23:26.720 -> 23:29.040] a driver that you brought up a minute or two ago,
[23:29.040 -> 23:31.800] because he traditionally here has had a great record.
[23:31.800 -> 23:33.720] And with Alfa Romeo, of course,
[23:33.720 -> 23:36.040] the chances of winning or maybe even taking pole position
[23:36.040 -> 23:39.040] are very, very far off, but he's done great here.
[23:39.040 -> 23:41.800] This and Sochi are essentially his key circuits.
[23:41.800 -> 23:42.960] So with Sochi gone,
[23:42.960 -> 23:44.960] I'm sure the pressure will be on him to deliver here
[23:44.960 -> 23:49.200] because this is Valtteri Bottas home turf essentially.
[23:49.200 -> 23:55.240] It is his home turf literally speaking and I think he has been out qualified by
[23:55.240 -> 24:02.760] Joe Guan Yu for two consecutive races. He's also not been as you know happy in
[24:02.760 -> 24:06.280] his point scoring positions. He's gone maybe three races without the points.
[24:06.280 -> 24:10.360] If my math is correct, yes, he's actually,
[24:10.360 -> 24:12.920] no, he's gone two races out of the last three
[24:12.920 -> 24:13.760] without the points.
[24:13.760 -> 24:17.160] So for him to make a comeback would be spectacular.
[24:17.160 -> 24:19.360] And on my list always,
[24:19.360 -> 24:21.920] I think it's like how you always have Carlos Sainz's
[24:21.920 -> 24:23.920] prediction for race with Samuel.
[24:23.920 -> 24:26.000] My eight sleep list of performers
[24:26.880 -> 24:32.400] is always going to have Daniel Ricciardo. He now officially has the worst start to an F1 career
[24:32.400 -> 24:38.240] in his season ever, in his career ever. I really wish that he's able to sort things out. In
[24:38.240 -> 24:43.120] Silverstone, he complained about the fact that his McLaren had literally no grip whatsoever.
[24:43.120 -> 24:46.240] So let's see how he sort of bounces back with his team.
[24:46.240 -> 24:48.480] And then I'd love to see what Lance Stroll
[24:48.480 -> 24:49.640] is gonna be up to doing.
[24:49.640 -> 24:53.920] I mean, he has finished every race this season, right?
[24:53.920 -> 24:57.400] He, however, has just three points.
[24:57.400 -> 25:00.800] That means he scored one point in three races
[25:00.800 -> 25:03.160] over the last 10 races, right?
[25:03.160 -> 25:07.080] And he was 11th in Silverstone,
[25:07.080 -> 25:10.320] but I don't understand what the Strolls are doing.
[25:10.320 -> 25:12.000] I mean, especially Lance Stroll
[25:12.000 -> 25:14.160] and what his father, Lawrence Stroll,
[25:14.160 -> 25:17.200] is doing with his son's racing career in Aston Martin.
[25:17.200 -> 25:18.900] But that's for another episode.
[25:18.900 -> 25:20.360] But these two drivers are definitely
[25:20.360 -> 25:22.360] on my list of performers.
[25:22.360 -> 25:24.840] Now, I have to bring up this particular joke
[25:24.840 -> 25:27.160] that we often tend to use back here in India.
[25:27.160 -> 25:28.960] When people ask, well, what do you do?
[25:28.960 -> 25:31.080] Many people end up saying, well, I'm a pilot.
[25:31.080 -> 25:33.040] I end up wasting my dad's money.
[25:33.040 -> 25:35.320] So in Hindi, it essentially translates into that,
[25:35.320 -> 25:36.640] but he's just doing that.
[25:36.640 -> 25:39.880] He's taking all of his dad's money and flying it away.
[25:39.880 -> 25:41.360] That's what the sentiment of most people is.
[25:41.360 -> 25:43.600] But no, generally he's improved,
[25:43.600 -> 25:46.680] but I can't quite see him beating Sebastian Vettel yet.
[25:46.680 -> 25:50.280] And to see how he performs in this weekend, where we also have a sprint, is going to be
[25:50.280 -> 25:52.320] tricky and very interesting.
[25:52.320 -> 25:55.340] Because Vettel, of course, is doing a great job with the Aston Martin.
[25:55.340 -> 25:59.200] Can we see some sense of improvement, maybe some competition with the Aston Martin?
[25:59.200 -> 26:02.760] Because at this stage, they're quite pulling in the opposite direction right now.
[26:02.760 -> 26:05.360] But well, we often tend to rain down
[26:05.360 -> 26:09.200] on their parade. Let's hope they have a good weekend. But there's a very interesting story
[26:09.200 -> 26:15.040] that I wanted to discuss from a very long time. And it's a question that I had right after Carlos
[26:15.040 -> 26:19.680] Sainz was given a silver trophy at the British GP. And I said, well, hang on a minute. Don't
[26:19.680 -> 26:23.600] they give out the gold trophy to the winner? And then he actually got it. But the big question
[26:23.600 -> 26:28.960] still remains, why does the winner of the British GP only get, not only get, but trophy to the winner and then he actually got it but the big question still remains why does the winner of the British GP only get not only get but why does the winner of the British
[26:28.960 -> 26:35.040] GP get two trophies here's F1 stats Krish Sundaram to answer that right here on the Insightline F1
[26:35.040 -> 26:40.080] podcast. Are you wondering why did Carlos Sainz receive two trophies on the British Grand Prix
[26:40.080 -> 26:45.500] podium? So one set of trophies is actually on behalf of the event sponsor or the title partner
[26:45.500 -> 26:48.900] like Pirelli, Santander or even Sega for instance.
[26:48.900 -> 26:53.520] And the other one is that beautiful golden trophy called the Royal Automobile Club trophy
[26:53.520 -> 26:57.880] which is regularly presented to the winner of the British Grand Prix each year.
[26:57.880 -> 27:00.200] But there's an interesting backstory to that.
[27:00.200 -> 27:05.200] You see, this trophy is actually 150 years old and was first presented at a horse show
[27:05.200 -> 27:10.960] in 1898. But F1 drivers or teams don't get to keep this trophy, as it's returned back to the
[27:10.960 -> 27:15.200] Royal Automobile Club, where it's permanently housed. So the trophy is presented during the
[27:15.200 -> 27:19.600] podium ceremony, drivers carry it along and celebrate with their fans, and sometimes even
[27:19.600 -> 27:24.080] bring it to the press conference. And then the officials go, thank you so much, sir, but we'll
[27:24.080 -> 27:25.460] take that back.
[27:25.460 -> 27:29.420] And that's why this trophy is never visible in the trophy cabinets of teams like Ferrari,
[27:29.420 -> 27:31.020] Mercedes or even Red Bull.
[27:31.020 -> 27:36.180] I mean think of this, Lewis Hamilton, an 8 time British Grand Prix winner, yet he can't
[27:36.180 -> 27:38.860] take this brilliant trophy home every time he wins here.
[27:38.860 -> 27:41.860] Geez, I really hope he has a few replicas at least.
[27:41.860 -> 27:49.700] But that's not all, the astonishing fact is, no one really knows the true origins of this trophy, not even the Royal Automobile Club. Legend has
[27:49.700 -> 27:53.900] it that it was donated to the club by Sir Charles Rolls, the co-founder of the Rolls
[27:53.900 -> 27:58.980] Royce Motor Company. Interesting isn't it? Do follow me on Twitter and Instagram under
[27:58.980 -> 27:59.980] the name F1StatsGuru.
[27:59.980 -> 28:25.280] Hey folks, welcome back to the InsideLineF1 podcast and yeah, now it makes sense to see stats guru. might not be as special but it still means the same thing right 25 points at the end who would
[28:25.280 -> 28:30.080] you pick to get those points and actually not just 25 right it's it's going to be 28 isn't it this time
[28:30.080 -> 28:36.800] on with a sprint ah it's more actually the the drivers from the sprint actually have more points
[28:37.360 -> 28:51.460] so it's going to it's i think isn't it eight points for the winner of the sprint from this season? Anyway, I would go for Charles Leclerc to actually be finally winning a race.
[28:51.460 -> 28:54.600] His last race win was many, many races ago in Australia.
[28:55.100 -> 28:55.960] I will go for Leclerc.
[28:56.020 -> 28:56.560] Which win?
[28:56.800 -> 28:59.200] A sprint win or a major win?
[28:59.200 -> 29:01.720] Because we know that he does great on Saturday.
[29:02.120 -> 29:08.720] Well, does that mean he's only going to do great on Saturday again this time out? And I emphasize on the only part because that's what a season has
[29:08.720 -> 29:15.120] been like all around. So sprint or the main race? I think he's gonna do both. I definitely
[29:15.120 -> 29:21.840] think he's gonna do both. And for me, well I guess I'm gonna make it a meme but luckily it's
[29:21.840 -> 29:29.840] been a bit solidified at this stage. I'm gonna to go for a Carlos Sainz win yet again in the main race but for the sprint I just can't look beyond Max Verstappen
[29:29.840 -> 29:35.040] now. He's just too good at this moment but I think Carlos Sainz will end up getting the win but
[29:35.040 -> 29:39.360] finally Kunal, this whole weekend any major talking point any other driver that you want to
[29:39.360 -> 29:46.640] look forward to what's it that excites you the most, finally? I think just having so many races in the month of July.
[29:46.640 -> 29:50.000] July and October are supposed to be the best months
[29:50.000 -> 29:52.440] for Formula One fans and drivers.
[29:52.440 -> 29:57.260] We have four races this month out of five weekends.
[29:57.260 -> 29:58.600] This is only the second race,
[29:58.600 -> 30:00.560] so there are two more races after this.
[30:00.560 -> 30:04.640] I'm just excited to see how all the races unfold.
[30:04.640 -> 30:07.720] We've got France and then Budapest.
[30:07.720 -> 30:11.160] And yes, if there's another driver I'm excited to see,
[30:11.160 -> 30:13.640] I'm gonna say Mick Schumacher,
[30:13.640 -> 30:15.600] he's also lifted the whole pressure
[30:15.600 -> 30:18.680] of scoring his first points in Formula One.
[30:18.680 -> 30:20.600] He just didn't score it out of luck,
[30:20.600 -> 30:22.440] he was battling Max Verstappen
[30:22.440 -> 30:24.720] and boy, he actually battled very well.
[30:24.720 -> 30:25.480] So what
[30:25.480 -> 30:29.480] could Mick do just the way we are saying, you know, what can Carlos Sainz now do now
[30:29.480 -> 30:33.320] that a big pressure off their shoulders have been lifted?
[30:33.320 -> 30:38.400] Yeah, he has to score some good points this weekend. Sorry about that. I had to get a
[30:38.400 -> 30:42.320] pun into this episode. You know how the deal is, right? But folks, thank you for bearing
[30:42.320 -> 30:49.600] with this pun. And thank you for listening to the entire episode of the Inside Line F1 podcast and I hope you enjoyed it particularly the British
[30:49.600 -> 30:53.760] GP story which was actually something that even I didn't know leading up to this weekend so
[30:53.760 -> None] it's great learning for all of us and don't forget to tune in to the race review episode as well that Thank you for listening and we shall see you rather soon. Enjoy the weekend. Bye. Bye you