Lewis Hamilton's honorary home race - 2022 Sao Paolo GP Preview

It's officially the Sao Paolo GP - even though we're accustomed to calling it the Brazilian GP over the years! Call it what you may, this is Lewis Hamilton's 'honorary' home race after he was granted honorary citizenship of Brazil - a heart-warming gesture, to say the least.

For our regulars, you already know that we will be hosting this season's final live race watchalong for this weekend's race. The super host and pundit will the legendary Peter Windsor. The event is FREE and open to all fans! 

Join our race watchalong sessions with the award-winning journalist & team manager (Williams & Ferrari), Peter Windsor. 

On the live stream, you can discuss with Peter & our hosts various race-related topics - performances, insights & more. Join us to enhance your real-time race viewing experience!

Get your FREE access pass for our race watchalong session with Peter Windsor on Paytm Insider.

In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil, @f1statsguru & Kunal preview the 2022 Sao Paolo Grand Prix. We expect 'altitude' and 'elevation changes' to the buzzwords this weekend. And of course, a driver or three might compare racing at Interlagos to racing at a go-kart circuit!

And of course, we've got two races this weekend - Will Max Verstappen win them both? Or will altitude bring Mercedes into play again? They've been tantalisingly close to a race win in the last two Grand Prix weekends. Will Ferrari continue to struggle? Tune in!

(Season 2022, Episode 68)

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

Image courtesy: Mercedes

**Race Preview: Brazilian Grand Prix**

- The Brazilian Grand Prix, also known as the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, is set to take place at the Interlagos circuit.

- Lewis Hamilton, who recently received honorary Brazilian citizenship, will be competing in this race, which is considered his 'honorary' home race.

- The Inside Line F1 Podcast team, including hosts Soumil Arora, Sundaram Ramaswami, and Kunal Shah, will be hosting a live race watch-along session for fans to join and discuss the race.

- The race weekend will feature a sprint race on Saturday, followed by the main Grand Prix on Sunday.

- Max Verstappen is the current favorite to win the race, having secured his second world championship title.

- Mercedes is looking to secure a race win, having come close in the previous two Grand Prix weekends.

- Ferrari's struggles are expected to continue, as they have been facing difficulties throughout the season.

- The race could be affected by altitude and weather conditions, which may favor Mercedes.

- The battle for second place in the drivers' championship between Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc is also a point of interest.

- The race could potentially offer surprises, with teams like McLaren or Alpine having a chance to make it to the podium.

- The track layout of Interlagos, with its elevation changes and overtaking opportunities, is expected to make for an exciting race.

- Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda have provided insights into the unique characteristics of the Interlagos circuit.

- Track limits and tire wear are important factors to consider during the race.

- The race is expected to have multiple safety car appearances and two-stop strategies.

- The possibility of a Mercedes win in the sprint race is seen as a potential advertisement for the sprint race format.

- Lewis Hamilton's recent honorary citizenship and his return to the top five in the championship standings are notable achievements.

- Fernando Alonso's chances of a podium finish are discussed, considering his recent bad luck and his strong record at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

- Mick Schumacher's situation at Haas and the rumors surrounding Nico Hulkenberg's potential replacement are mentioned.

- The impact of the new sponsor MoneyGram on Haas' financial situation is briefly touched upon.

# Inside Line F1 Podcast Episode 68: Sao Paolo Grand Prix Preview

## Introduction

- The upcoming Sao Paolo Grand Prix, often referred to as the Brazilian GP, holds special significance for Lewis Hamilton, who was granted honorary citizenship in Brazil.
- The podcast hosts, Soumil, @f1statsguru, and Kunal, provide an exciting preview of the race weekend.

## Race Preview: Sao Paolo Grand Prix

- The high altitude and elevation changes at the Interlagos circuit are expected to be key factors influencing the race.
- Speculation about drivers comparing the race to a go-kart circuit due to its challenging nature.
- The possibility of two races this weekend, with Max Verstappen potentially extending his lead in Formula One history.
- Mercedes' recent close calls to a race win and Ferrari's struggles are also topics of discussion.

## Haas Driver Lineup Speculation

- The hosts discuss the rumors surrounding Haas' potential driver lineup for the upcoming season.
- The team's focus on stability and avoiding accident-prone drivers like Romain Grosjean, Nikita Mazepin, and Mick Schumacher.
- The possibility of Haas aiming for a more experienced driver rather than a rookie.

## Pierre Gasly's Race Ban Risk

- Pierre Gasly is one race away from receiving a race ban due to accumulated penalty points.
- The hosts express surprise at this development, given Gasly's generally clean racing record.

## Sprint Race and Max Verstappen's Record

- The upcoming sprint race format adds an extra layer of excitement to the weekend.
- Max Verstappen has the opportunity to further extend his lead in the record books.

## Live Race Watch Along Invitation

- The hosts remind listeners about the upcoming live race watch along session with legendary journalist and team manager Peter Windsor.
- The event is free and open to all fans, offering an enhanced race viewing experience with expert insights and discussions.
- Listeners are encouraged to join the live stream and interact with Peter and the hosts during the race.

## Conclusion

- The hosts bid farewell to the listeners and invite them to join the live race watch along session.
- They promise to return on Monday with a comprehensive race review.

[00:00.000 -> 00:23.380] After Formula 1 has just made a short trip to probably the flattest and most dull racing
[00:23.380 -> 00:30.640] circuit that we could possibly have in the form of Las Vegas. Yes I know it's not ready but still we are now going to Sao Paolo
[00:30.640 -> 00:36.720] for the Brazilian Grand Prix and this one is going to be manic. What a crazy circuit, what crazy fans
[00:36.720 -> 00:40.800] we have here in Brazil and every single time I think we can all just look back over the years
[00:40.800 -> 00:45.200] and say well the Brazilian GP has it ever given us a terrible race and the
[00:45.200 -> 00:49.520] answer to that question largely can be no it really hasn't every year has been something
[00:49.520 -> 00:54.080] special and that is exactly what we're going to talk about on this episode of the Inside Line F1
[00:54.080 -> 00:59.520] podcast previewing the Brazilian Grand Prix what's to look forward to and also sharing you more
[00:59.520 -> 01:08.480] insights about our live race watch along coming this Sunday so stay tuned on that. But firstly I must introduce myself. My name is Somal Arora. I'm the host of the
[01:08.480 -> 01:12.600] Driving Force on Disney Plus Hotstar and joining me as always firstly is Kunal
[01:12.600 -> 01:16.640] Shah, the former marketing head at the Force India F1 team who now works as an
[01:16.640 -> 01:20.480] FIA accredited Formula One journalist for the Viaplay network and of course
[01:20.480 -> 01:26.720] F1 stats guru Sundaram. And Sundaram, first off, right, I'm so confused about this one.
[01:26.720 -> 01:29.000] We haven't had a full-time Brazilian driver
[01:29.000 -> 01:31.040] at the Brazilian GP since 2017.
[01:31.040 -> 01:34.380] But this year, do we count it as no Brazilian drivers
[01:34.380 -> 01:35.240] on the grid or not?
[01:35.240 -> 01:38.960] Because Lewis Hamilton has just been given his citizenship.
[01:38.960 -> 01:43.800] We do have, you can call him a Brazilian driver,
[01:43.800 -> 01:46.360] because Lewis Hamilton has been awarded
[01:46.360 -> 01:48.680] the honorary citizenship of Brazil
[01:48.680 -> 01:50.720] and it's kind of ironic in a way
[01:50.720 -> 01:53.320] because Lewis Hamilton is the reason
[01:53.320 -> 01:56.640] why Brazil's native driver, Filipe Massa,
[01:56.640 -> 01:58.920] lost a championship back in 2008.
[01:58.920 -> 02:01.360] He was world champion for 30 seconds
[02:01.360 -> 02:07.000] and if not for that last lap pass over Timo Klock, they would have had one more
[02:07.000 -> 02:10.200] world champion in the 2000s.
[02:10.200 -> 02:14.640] So what do you think about it Kunal, do we now finally have one Brazilian driver on the
[02:14.640 -> 02:19.300] grid and does last year's win count as a home driver winning in a home race?
[02:19.300 -> 02:26.560] To me, now that all the championships are wrapped up, these are just those off-track stories to keep Formula One,
[02:26.560 -> 02:29.040] to keep the fan bases engaged.
[02:29.040 -> 02:30.760] What I really care about is the fact
[02:30.760 -> 02:33.400] that this is the Max Verstappen era.
[02:33.400 -> 02:35.200] He's making all those records, you know,
[02:35.200 -> 02:39.480] 14 wins in a season, most points scored in a season,
[02:39.480 -> 02:41.200] but any driver, question is,
[02:41.200 -> 02:45.940] can he score a maximum of 34 points again this weekend. There is the
[02:45.940 -> 02:49.940] sprint race happening on Saturday, which means qualifying is on Friday. There's
[02:49.940 -> 02:54.460] gonna be the usual talk about, hey is a sprint really a race because Max has
[02:54.460 -> 02:57.580] turned around and said it's not actually a race because you know people don't
[02:57.580 -> 03:01.740] take a risk and so on. So it's a typical banter that's gonna go on around the
[03:01.740 -> 03:06.120] sprint but I'm eager to see if see if he can score 34 points again,
[03:06.120 -> 03:08.280] because that would mean winning the sprint.
[03:08.280 -> 03:11.400] That would mean winning the race on Sunday, that is,
[03:11.400 -> 03:13.880] and then taking the fastest lap point as well.
[03:13.880 -> 03:15.640] So that's something I want to see,
[03:15.640 -> 03:19.080] because when you have a car like this under you,
[03:19.080 -> 03:22.240] and when you're in the form of your life that you are in,
[03:22.240 -> 03:24.600] you want to maximize it,
[03:24.600 -> 03:26.980] because you don't know if you're gonna have it next year
[03:26.980 -> 03:27.860] or the next race.
[03:27.860 -> 03:30.640] And specifically in Red Bull's case,
[03:30.640 -> 03:33.840] next year with a 10% reduction and all of that,
[03:33.840 -> 03:35.640] you really don't know how it's all gonna shape up.
[03:35.640 -> 03:38.800] So I'm eager to see what Max Verstappen
[03:38.800 -> 03:40.600] is able to do out here.
[03:40.600 -> 03:47.500] And also, what else of Max will we measure? measure I mean let's look at it that way.
[03:47.500 -> 03:53.000] I mean we in Mexico are measuring his lap time consistency during the race.
[03:53.000 -> 04:06.160] Now when was the last time we actually did that and of course one of the reasons we are doing that is because everything that Max is doing right now is gold and how much more gold are we going to see in the last two races of
[04:06.160 -> 04:12.960] the season. What if he actually ends up with that 16 race win record? It will just be possibly
[04:12.960 -> 04:17.680] unbreakable until of course Formula 1 comes up with 30 races and Max Verstappen goes on to beat
[04:17.680 -> 04:22.640] that one as well. But here's a completely fun and useless stat for this weekend that I think you
[04:22.640 -> 04:27.360] should probably know about. Brazil has a new president Lula da Silva he's back in power he was in
[04:27.360 -> 04:31.320] power for the last time in 2011 and correct me if I'm wrong over here folks
[04:31.320 -> 04:34.500] and you can reach out to me on social media for this one but I think it's the
[04:34.500 -> 04:38.280] longest time gap between two races in the country where we have the same
[04:38.280 -> 04:42.860] democratically elected leader. Useless but it's something I mean at least we
[04:42.860 -> 04:47.200] have a race for them it looked like last week we wouldn't even have that for the first place. I'm really
[04:47.200 -> 04:50.960] happy I don't store this sort of information in my database and when I
[04:50.960 -> 04:55.080] came across this I'm like wow this is such a random thing and yes there was a
[04:55.080 -> 04:58.560] little bit of a doubt if the Brazilian Grand Prix will go ahead but I think
[04:58.560 -> 05:02.840] they've quashed all those rumors and yes we are going to see the Sao Paulo
[05:02.840 -> 05:08.240] Grand Prix. The very interesting thing I want to point out is the pronunciation of Sao Paulo,
[05:08.240 -> 05:12.680] because a lot of a lot of people who mentioned it on the broadcast,
[05:12.680 -> 05:14.240] they call it Sao Paulo.
[05:14.240 -> 05:18.280] And the little squiggly line on top of the A is called a tilde,
[05:18.280 -> 05:20.240] and it has a very nasal effect.
[05:20.240 -> 05:22.320] So it's called Sao Paulo. Pretty interesting.
[05:22.600 -> 05:26.280] Well, you guys are really making a lot of off-track stories
[05:26.280 -> 05:29.800] just to keep the energy and the interest
[05:29.800 -> 05:31.400] going on into the season.
[05:31.400 -> 05:34.520] But I'm going to bring it back to Formula One, right?
[05:34.520 -> 05:37.720] Thank you, by the way, for that pronunciation.
[05:37.720 -> 05:39.440] I don't think I'm ever going to get it.
[05:39.440 -> 05:42.400] I'm anyway struggling with my Norsk pronunciation.
[05:42.400 -> 05:44.960] So all our listeners in Norway can reach out and do
[05:44.960 -> 05:45.040] some practicing of Norsk pronunciation so all our listeners in Norway can reach out and do some
[05:45.040 -> 05:51.120] practicing of Norsk with me but coming back to this whole thing is it Sao Paulo is it the Brazilian
[05:51.120 -> 05:55.840] Grand Prix? The truth is it's about who is actually paying the money and it's the Sao
[05:55.840 -> 05:59.840] Paulo government or the local municipality that's probably footing the bill and that's why it's
[05:59.840 -> 06:06.000] called the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. It's the only the time it's been called that, which was last year as well.
[06:06.000 -> 06:07.000] But guess what?
[06:07.000 -> 06:09.720] I don't know what the hashtag on social media is going to be.
[06:09.720 -> 06:11.360] Is it going to be São Paulo GP?
[06:11.360 -> 06:13.280] Is it going to be Brazil GP?
[06:13.280 -> 06:14.280] Or what?
[06:14.280 -> 06:19.040] Or Brazilian GP, which sort of takes half your Twitter characters away.
[06:19.040 -> 06:29.660] Anyway, but talking of sprint still, the last time We had a sprint weekend was also the last time Charles Leclerc scored a Grand Prix win back in Austria
[06:30.240 -> 06:34.000] Also Haas is keeping on reminding us that the last time
[06:34.640 -> 06:36.480] they scored
[06:36.480 -> 06:40.880] Points or the last time the last two times there was a sprint weekend and a Grand Prix weekend
[06:40.880 -> 06:45.360] They scored points and their highest per weekend score this season
[06:45.360 -> 06:48.160] was in Austria, which was 14 points
[06:48.160 -> 06:49.720] from a Grand Prix weekend.
[06:49.720 -> 06:51.280] So, you know, they've been trying to play up saying,
[06:51.280 -> 06:53.000] it's a sprint weekend, we are charged up,
[06:53.000 -> 06:54.560] we wanna go score points again,
[06:54.560 -> 06:57.040] because they are in a battle for,
[06:57.040 -> 06:59.360] I think it's P8 in the championship
[06:59.360 -> 07:01.600] by one point or something there about.
[07:01.600 -> 07:08.480] So P2, P4, P6, P8 everybody in who likes even numbers will remember
[07:08.480 -> 07:16.160] that these four slots even slots in the constructors championship are up for grabs let's see how it all
[07:16.160 -> 07:20.240] pans out in you know in less than 10 days this season is going to end. And there are so many
[07:20.240 -> 07:25.080] other battles to keep a track of as well there There's Sergio Perez versus Charles Leclerc.
[07:25.080 -> 07:27.840] There's, of course, the battle for P4 in the championship.
[07:27.840 -> 07:29.880] So many other fun things.
[07:29.880 -> 07:33.280] And we are going to keep a track on that in the live race
[07:33.280 -> 07:35.880] watch along with Peter Winsor this weekend.
[07:35.880 -> 07:37.560] And you must join us this weekend, folks,
[07:37.560 -> 07:39.760] because what we're offering is sort
[07:39.760 -> 07:41.640] of the best possible second screen experience
[07:41.640 -> 07:42.360] you could have.
[07:42.360 -> 07:43.520] We've got Lifetiming with us.
[07:43.520 -> 07:46.240] We've got Peter sharing his insights on the sport,
[07:46.240 -> 07:48.600] specifically on the driving styles of all the drivers
[07:48.600 -> 07:51.360] and the live race strategy as the race goes on.
[07:51.360 -> 07:53.440] And you can interact with him for free.
[07:53.440 -> 07:55.080] The session is open to everyone
[07:55.080 -> 07:56.240] while the race goes on as well.
[07:56.240 -> 07:59.080] So it offers, I think, quite a dynamic element to the race
[07:59.080 -> 08:01.600] where you can interact and also send in your questions
[08:01.600 -> 08:02.840] while the race progresses.
[08:02.840 -> 08:04.720] And speaking of Peter,
[08:04.720 -> 08:07.240] there's a lot of fun stories that he shared in the last episode
[08:07.240 -> 08:08.920] of the Inside Lineup One podcast.
[08:08.920 -> 08:10.440] So why don't we listen to him?
[08:10.440 -> 08:14.680] Why don't we get a good idea of what he thinks is going to be the most important factor to
[08:14.680 -> 08:16.140] expect this weekend?
[08:16.140 -> 08:19.040] And also some other fun stories about Brazil's Formula One history.
[08:19.040 -> 08:20.040] Let's listen.
[08:20.040 -> 08:22.680] Well, I think the Brazilians are quite astute, aren't they?
[08:22.680 -> 08:26.680] And they can see that Senna was a better driver than Nelson Piquet, probably.
[08:26.680 -> 08:27.680] Simple as that.
[08:27.680 -> 08:32.280] I think a better question, to be honest, is why Emerson Fittipaldi is on a higher pedestal
[08:32.280 -> 08:34.280] than the one on which he sits.
[08:34.280 -> 08:39.040] Because without Emerson, we may not have had Senna or Piquet.
[08:39.040 -> 08:41.600] I mean, he started it all and he was really good, Emerson.
[08:41.600 -> 08:44.320] I mean, he was at least as good as Nelson, if not better.
[08:44.320 -> 08:49.520] Well, definitely better, I think, in my view. Nelson, I think the problem with Nelson was that
[08:49.520 -> 08:53.920] he drove for Bravo, and it was always a bit sort of seedy, wasn't it? The whole thing about,
[08:53.920 -> 08:59.440] you know, that in 81, when he eventually won the championship, effectively by default, because
[08:59.440 -> 09:04.160] Carlos Reutemann won it that year, but having three months after winning the South African Grand Prix,
[09:04.160 -> 09:08.480] they decided to strip that race of points. And the guy that did that was Bernie Eccleston,
[09:08.480 -> 09:11.920] whose driver then went on to win the championship. I mean, it was the most ludicrous thing that
[09:13.200 -> 09:17.120] he was allowed to get away with that year. But nonetheless, Nelson did get that championship
[09:17.120 -> 09:23.120] in the end by one point, but it was in a car that had ridiculous advantage for quite a lot of races,
[09:23.120 -> 09:26.400] because they just had a new six centimetre ride
[09:26.400 -> 09:30.960] height rule and Brabham effectively, I'm going to use the word cheated because they got away with
[09:30.960 -> 09:35.440] it, but they circumnavigated the rule with a way of dropping the car down to the road so it was
[09:35.440 -> 09:39.840] effectively full ground effect when everybody else is running high, you know, and that those sorts of
[09:39.840 -> 09:46.720] things. I mean Ayrton didn't win races that way. He won races because he was a super quick driver,
[09:46.720 -> 09:50.560] whereas Nelson always had that bit of a thing about him. And when he was at Williams,
[09:50.560 -> 09:56.800] he got blown away by Nigel anyway. So, you know, I think that when did Ayrton get blown away by a
[09:56.800 -> 10:02.240] teammate the way Nelson did at Williams? So I think it's that, really. And I think the Brazilians
[10:02.240 -> 10:06.000] are quite discerning. You know, they would have known that Ayrton was the pure racing driver,
[10:06.000 -> 10:09.120] whereas Nelson always needed these sort of extra bits and bobs
[10:09.120 -> 10:11.200] to give him the win, generally.
[10:11.200 -> 10:13.200] I mean, there were occasions when he was really good,
[10:13.200 -> 10:17.520] but overall, I think that's the way history looks at Nelson Piquet.
[10:19.720 -> 10:22.520] If it's dry, I can't see any way in the world
[10:22.520 -> 10:25.520] that Red Bull won't be the dominant car around there.
[10:25.520 -> 10:30.400] And obviously, Max totally confident now, mathematically with the second world championship
[10:30.400 -> 10:34.720] now secured, you know, who's going to beat Max around there in a car as quick as that?
[10:37.440 -> 10:41.760] You know, in theory, it won't be a great circuit for Mercedes because it is bumpy,
[10:41.760 -> 10:45.440] I'm sure it'll be bumpy, even if they try and resurface it. And if it's bumpy,
[10:45.440 -> 10:49.760] they'll be on the limit in terms of vertical oscillation and all the other stuff. If it's wet,
[10:49.760 -> 10:53.840] in theory, that should be nullified. But then Lewis was so slow in Singapore in the early laps in
[10:53.840 -> 10:58.640] the wet, you know, it doesn't seem to apply anyway. So, you know, I suppose Mercedes will
[10:58.640 -> 11:02.480] struggle there. And Ferrari, I guess it'll be a bit of a handful, they're probably right on the
[11:02.480 -> 11:05.520] edge of downforce where they can be.
[11:05.520 -> 11:08.560] So you're probably going to see Carlos Sainz having a few moments,
[11:08.560 -> 11:12.640] and Charles maybe on Friday having a couple of events as well.
[11:12.640 -> 11:14.560] But yeah, Ferrari will be quick.
[11:14.560 -> 11:16.080] There's no question it's a good car.
[11:17.760 -> 11:21.040] Now, welcome back in to the Inside Line of Fun podcast, folks.
[11:21.680 -> 11:24.240] As you heard previously, you can join us for the live race.
[11:24.240 -> 11:29.840] Watch along with Peter Winseth by clicking on the link in the description of this episode or in the bio of any of
[11:29.840 -> 11:34.880] our social media channels because this one is going to be a fun one and remember the registration is
[11:34.880 -> 11:39.920] absolutely free for everyone. But speaking of this weekend, speaking of what to expect with Peter,
[11:39.920 -> 11:44.240] Sundaram, he spoke about the weather and I think that's going to be pretty crucial because there's
[11:44.240 -> 11:46.240] some signs that it could be slightly tricky and at a
[11:46.240 -> 11:49.720] circuit like Sao Paulo, at a circuit like Interlagos where passing is slightly
[11:49.720 -> 11:53.680] easy, I think that could add up to make it quite a fun race at the end. Oh it
[11:53.680 -> 11:58.040] absolutely can and that's one of the characteristics of this particular track.
[11:58.040 -> 12:03.280] The weather can literally turn without any warning and all the
[12:03.280 -> 12:05.120] mechanics and all the team strategists have to
[12:05.120 -> 12:11.280] really be on their toes trying to figure out what best tires to put on the car and we've seen some
[12:11.280 -> 12:17.360] drivers really excel in these sort of situations, Max Verstappen and many other drivers as well and
[12:17.360 -> 12:22.400] that could really spice things up and especially if it's predicted for right throughout the week
[12:22.400 -> 12:30.560] and not just the race, even for qualifying and the practice sessions. So that can actually mix things up and it can actually spoil teams plans when it
[12:30.560 -> 12:36.000] comes to setup and their other practice programs. So this could be that one of those races where
[12:36.000 -> 12:40.400] you might see a McLaren or even an Alpine car make it up to the podium or maybe even
[12:40.400 -> 12:45.520] Lewis Hamilton win. A Lewis Hamilton win, isn't that what everybody is wanting? It's more
[12:45.520 -> 12:50.720] like, hey, let's have Lewis Hamilton win and then maybe Mercedes. But frankly, Mercedes has said they
[12:50.720 -> 12:54.960] are trying to get a win. They're trying to focus on winning and they're closer to winning. They've
[12:54.960 -> 13:00.080] been closer to winning in Austin and Mexico, the last two races. Can they really spring a surprise
[13:00.080 -> 13:10.840] and win? The question is going to be whether, yes, the question is also going to be about altitude because we saw what the altitude did to the Mercedes in Mexico
[13:10.840 -> 13:15.640] and what also it didn't do to the Ferrari in Mexico so you know Ferrari
[13:15.640 -> 13:19.360] versus Mercedes will be Ferrari versus Mercedes versus altitude depending on
[13:19.360 -> 13:27.760] who's able to make that variable sort of work out right and Lewis Hamilton he's really been on form
[13:27.760 -> 13:34.720] I believe after Verstappen and Leclerc he has scored most points for any driver
[13:34.720 -> 13:40.160] since the Canadian Grand Prix which was 12 or 13 races ago if I remember
[13:40.160 -> 13:44.920] correctly so that's that's you know typical Mercedes versus Ferrari that's
[13:44.920 -> 13:49.740] what we are literally going to be you know looking out for. Will Mercedes be
[13:49.740 -> 13:57.400] third time lucky or not who knows but interestingly Mercedes has scored very
[13:57.400 -> 14:01.800] few points in the sprint races if there are you know the F1 tells us there are
[14:01.800 -> 14:07.000] fans interested in sprint races and here's you know, F1 tells us that our fans are interested in sprint races. And here's a sprint race related stat.
[14:07.000 -> 14:13.180] They've scored only six points, which is actually lesser than Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, not
[14:13.180 -> 14:17.000] put together, but which is, you know, basically, they've only been the fourth highest team
[14:17.000 -> 14:20.720] scorer when it comes to, you know, sprint races.
[14:20.720 -> 14:26.880] And they now have the record for the most podium finishes in a season without winning a race.
[14:26.880 -> 14:31.920] Right, so let's see how that goes. But does it not bother you guys that we are trying to talk
[14:31.920 -> 14:37.840] up a Mercedes win, which is a surprise win, but a Ferrari winning would be a surprise as well,
[14:37.840 -> 14:43.840] because it's been nine races since they've won. And I believe Leclerc versus Perez,
[14:43.840 -> 14:45.600] which is the second spot in the drivers
[14:45.600 -> 14:52.640] championship has changed hands three times since the summer break. Ferrari? What Ferrari? I mean,
[14:52.640 -> 14:56.320] are you talking about Ferrari in the world hypercar championship? I don't know if they
[14:56.320 -> 15:01.840] still exist in Formula One. I thought they left the sport after Monaco. No, I mean, jokes aside,
[15:01.840 -> 15:05.520] it seems unlikely at this stage, but for all we know, maybe this could
[15:05.520 -> 15:10.640] be one last surprise that potentially happens to perhaps Ferrari gathering up some momentum,
[15:10.640 -> 15:15.560] but it's really weird what's happened after the technical regulation has come in and Ferrari
[15:15.560 -> 15:17.480] really have lost all of their momentum.
[15:17.480 -> 15:19.880] But I think that's the fun thing about Sao Paulo.
[15:19.880 -> 15:23.480] Sometime or the other, we always tend to find some teams bringing up a surprise like Red
[15:23.480 -> 15:30.080] Bull in 2019, Red Bull in 2020, Carlos Sainz having a really good year in 2019 here as well. So surprises are
[15:30.080 -> 15:34.640] kind of normal in Southall, Sundaram. We have seen quite a few of them and along with the altitude,
[15:34.640 -> 15:39.920] along with the weather, just the opportunities that you have to pass over here, I think that
[15:39.920 -> 15:44.720] just makes the circuit amazing. Plus it's rather weird location that is in the middle of some really
[15:44.720 -> 15:48.880] big apartment complexes, so it feels like in the middle of nowhere but it's suddenly not in the
[15:48.880 -> 15:53.280] middle of nowhere from certain angles. It's just a weird mix but everything just fits into it and
[15:53.280 -> 15:59.680] this just feels like a proper racing circuit. Oh absolutely, I mean as a kid when I used to
[15:59.680 -> 16:06.680] play the Formula One game on the PlayStation or even on the computer, this particular track was when I would usually start at
[16:06.680 -> 16:09.600] the back of the grid and make my way up to the front of it,
[16:09.600 -> 16:11.400] because it was real fun and
[16:11.400 -> 16:13.880] it was one of those tracks where it was really possible.
[16:13.880 -> 16:15.840] Not just me, I'm sure even the drivers
[16:15.840 -> 16:17.840] really love driving around the circuit.
[16:17.840 -> 16:19.800] It has a little bit of everything.
[16:19.800 -> 16:21.480] It has the center S's,
[16:21.480 -> 16:23.560] it has a tight technical section in between,
[16:23.560 -> 16:26.200] and the highlight is that start-finish straight,
[16:26.200 -> 16:29.000] that extra long start-finish straight,
[16:29.000 -> 16:32.000] where we're going to see a lot of overtakes.
[16:32.000 -> 16:33.900] And it's just brilliant.
[16:33.900 -> 16:36.000] And I'll quote what Pierre Gasly has said.
[16:36.000 -> 16:40.000] He's, of course, said, he's highlighted that this is an anti-clockwise circuit,
[16:40.000 -> 16:43.000] while Yuki Sonoda has said it's a left-handed circuit
[16:43.000 -> 16:47.160] because there are more left-handed turns than right-handed turns, right?
[16:47.160 -> 16:50.220] Track limits, important, at turn four.
[16:50.220 -> 16:52.280] If you saw the Brazilian Grand Prix last year,
[16:52.280 -> 16:54.600] you will remember what turn four track limits are.
[16:54.600 -> 16:56.640] Maybe the FIA still doesn't know.
[16:56.640 -> 16:58.920] Maybe it's 20 meters after the exit curb,
[16:58.920 -> 17:01.000] or even more, I don't know.
[17:01.000 -> 17:03.520] But very interestingly, Pierre Gasly also pointed out
[17:03.520 -> 17:09.440] that this was one of those tracks where none of the straights are actually a straight. So the buzzword this weekend could be,
[17:09.440 -> 17:14.240] it's like driving a go-kart on a go-kart circuit because Ocon, Alonso, I think even British
[17:14.240 -> 17:18.720] Tappans of the likes have turned around and said that the 2022 cars are like go-karts, right?
[17:18.720 -> 17:25.960] So I'm eager to see how the racing is going to be because Interlagos usually throws up some really good
[17:25.960 -> 17:26.960] races.
[17:26.960 -> 17:30.080] Remember Lewis Hamilton from the back last year.
[17:30.080 -> 17:33.640] Remember Lewis Hamilton in qualifying and in Park Ferme last year, you know, he had
[17:33.640 -> 17:39.920] the 0.2 millimeter deviation in his DRS wing.
[17:39.920 -> 17:41.160] So that's going to be interesting.
[17:41.160 -> 17:43.720] And we spoke about the weather.
[17:43.720 -> 17:46.600] There have been 10 safety car appearances
[17:46.600 -> 17:48.480] in the last five races on an average.
[17:48.480 -> 17:51.040] This is what Aston Martin tells us.
[17:51.040 -> 17:53.720] And pit lane time loss is very low.
[17:53.720 -> 17:56.040] Tire wear is extremely high.
[17:56.040 -> 17:59.480] I believe Pirelli have come with C2, C3, and C4
[17:59.480 -> 18:02.000] for the last time in 2022.
[18:02.000 -> 18:03.800] So we'll see how those compounds go,
[18:03.800 -> 18:07.600] but it's normally expected to be a two stop race
[18:07.600 -> 18:09.240] with a lot of overtaking.
[18:10.440 -> 18:14.160] Again, Aston Martin points out that turn one and turn four
[18:14.160 -> 18:16.200] is where 80% of the moves come,
[18:16.200 -> 18:18.120] which is basically breaking points
[18:18.120 -> 18:22.080] at the end of two long DRS zones.
[18:22.080 -> 18:24.360] So I am pretty sure it's gonna be
[18:24.360 -> 18:27.680] a very exciting race weekend in itself. And
[18:28.240 -> 18:32.320] you know, Max Verstappen has said a sprint is not really a race, but the very fact that we'll have
[18:32.320 -> 18:39.120] two starts and two opening laps, that's what gets me charged up anyway. And clearly, I think it's
[18:39.120 -> 18:43.440] going to be a Max Verstappen win. At some point, I've been debating this with myself, you know,
[18:43.440 -> 18:47.600] Red Bull have never scored a one-2 in the Drivers Championship before and
[18:47.600 -> 18:52.840] Christian Horner says they want to help Perez do that. Now could helping Perez
[18:52.840 -> 18:58.480] mean that Max gifts a win to Perez just because Perez has done so much to help
[18:58.480 -> 19:06.600] Max win these two titles? It seems very un-Wishtappen-like if he moves over to let Perez win.
[19:06.600 -> 19:10.680] But hey, Michael Schumacher has done it before, so why not Max Wishtappen?
[19:10.680 -> 19:14.200] You know, we've been seeing all these parallels being sort of driven.
[19:14.200 -> 19:15.480] And here's an interesting stat.
[19:15.480 -> 19:21.120] If Wishtappen does win a 15th race this season, either Brazil or Abu Dhabi, he would have
[19:21.120 -> 19:28.560] scored as many wins in one season as Jenson Button scored in 17 seasons in Formula 1.
[19:28.560 -> 19:36.040] Wow, that is a bad one. I used to be a Jenson Button fan as a kid. That's just crushed me apart.
[19:36.040 -> 19:40.680] Wow, I mean, I think you mean when rather than if that's going to happen.
[19:40.680 -> 19:44.240] But strange, I just hope that Red Bull end up doing that.
[19:44.240 -> 19:45.280] Maybe just give the call
[19:45.280 -> 19:49.200] and perhaps repay Sergio Perez for everything he's done. And you know, it'll be quite amazing
[19:49.200 -> 19:55.360] to see him finish in P2 after so many struggles in his Formula One career. But that is sort of a
[19:55.360 -> 20:01.280] dream, sort of a fantasy for everyone. But what's more realistic, perhaps, is, is perhaps a Mercedes
[20:01.280 -> 20:05.280] winner, which is exactly what Andre Brown is asking. Will Mercedes finally win this time?
[20:05.280 -> 20:08.760] Well, if something happens to Checo, if something happens to Ferrari,
[20:08.760 -> 20:10.080] there is possibly a chance.
[20:10.080 -> 20:12.920] But I think we are seeing Mercedes get closer, Kunal.
[20:12.920 -> 20:16.280] I think maybe the sprint might be possible, not the whole race,
[20:16.280 -> 20:19.280] because you see Mercedes just end up losing the pace over the course
[20:19.280 -> 20:20.440] of the long-run Grand Prix.
[20:20.440 -> 20:22.160] And they've done it for, what, Mexico?
[20:22.160 -> 20:23.480] They've done it in the US as well.
[20:23.480 -> 20:25.000] It's been two consecutive races where
[20:25.000 -> 20:27.640] post-strategic calls have impacted their decisions.
[20:27.640 -> 20:30.860] So a win for them kind of seems unlikely at this stage,
[20:30.860 -> 20:32.880] but for all we know, maybe it could be a sprint,
[20:32.880 -> 20:35.400] a big surprise perhaps for all of us.
[20:35.400 -> 20:37.320] You know, if they end up winning a sprint race,
[20:37.320 -> 20:39.040] I think that'll be the biggest advertisement
[20:39.040 -> 20:42.400] for a sprint race in the history of sprint races
[20:42.400 -> 20:45.720] and Formula One, because it'll be hailed as a comeback,
[20:45.720 -> 20:48.640] and oh my God, Mercedes won against a Ferrari
[20:48.640 -> 20:51.880] and a Red Bull and whoever, and so on, right?
[20:51.880 -> 20:54.560] So that would actually be a fantastic advertisement.
[20:54.560 -> 20:56.600] Now that I think of it, I'm repeating myself
[20:56.600 -> 20:57.720] in a more affirmative way,
[20:57.720 -> 21:00.040] rather than putting it as a question, right?
[21:00.040 -> 21:02.840] But talking of Mercedes still, going back to Hamilton,
[21:02.840 -> 21:04.720] when he got, a couple of days ago,
[21:04.720 -> 21:07.040] he got his honorary citizenship.
[21:07.040 -> 21:08.360] And I loved this.
[21:08.360 -> 21:10.400] And I'm talking being neutral.
[21:10.400 -> 21:13.160] I realize when I speak about 2021 Abu Dhabi
[21:13.160 -> 21:15.980] and what happened, it's important to state where you stand.
[21:15.980 -> 21:17.080] I'm being neutral.
[21:17.080 -> 21:19.080] Whatever's happened has happened.
[21:19.080 -> 21:20.760] Was it right, wrong?
[21:20.760 -> 21:22.000] I've spoken about this before,
[21:22.000 -> 21:26.240] but when he was given the honorary citizenship,
[21:26.240 -> 21:31.560] he was called an eight times world champion and the announcer, and it was an official
[21:31.560 -> 21:38.360] of the state government, said that Lewis was actually robbed of his title last year. So
[21:38.360 -> 21:52.200] Brazil is awarded honorary citizenship to an eight time champion, I would say. And lastly, after his run of form in Austin and then Mexico, Lewis Hamilton is back in
[21:52.200 -> 21:54.360] the top five of the championship.
[21:54.360 -> 21:56.200] He's ahead of Carlos Sainz.
[21:56.200 -> 22:03.320] And Lewis has actually never not finished outside of the top five in his Formula One
[22:03.320 -> 22:04.640] career whatsoever.
[22:04.640 -> 22:26.400] And the gap between him and science is only 4 points. And folks, you can also send them in to us by contacting us on our social media channels. And the link is down in the description.
[22:26.400 -> 22:33.760] Is one from Jamie Q05. Compounds are the same as Mexico. Can we expect another one stopper, Sundaram?
[22:33.760 -> 22:37.360] I don't think so. It's going to be a one stopper. And I don't think so. It's going to be as dull a
[22:37.360 -> 22:43.440] race as it was the last time out. So technically, the teams will be going for a two stopper. That's
[22:43.440 -> 22:45.240] what we saw last year as well.
[22:45.240 -> 22:47.780] And they probably wouldn't go for the softest compound.
[22:47.780 -> 22:50.520] So they're going to be using the mediums and the hearts.
[22:50.520 -> 22:54.000] And with a lot of overtaking on offer,
[22:54.000 -> 22:56.720] I think there will be a lot of different strategies
[22:56.720 -> 22:57.800] that teams can opt for,
[22:57.800 -> 23:00.000] and they will most likely go for a two stopper.
[23:00.000 -> 23:01.760] It's unlikely they would go for one.
[23:01.760 -> 23:04.240] Safety car interventions will happen.
[23:04.240 -> 23:05.760] Pit lane time loss is less.
[23:05.760 -> 23:08.000] But I actually have a different view.
[23:08.000 -> 23:10.080] Everybody else will do a medium hard.
[23:10.080 -> 23:12.360] If they do that, Red Bull will do a soft medium
[23:12.360 -> 23:16.080] because Red Bull are just able to go one step softer
[23:16.080 -> 23:18.000] than their immediate rivals.
[23:18.000 -> 23:22.520] But that's just a crazy prediction that I'm trying to make.
[23:22.520 -> 23:24.120] Let's actually wait and see if that happens.
[23:24.120 -> 23:25.520] And if they really want a challenge,
[23:25.520 -> 23:27.440] maybe just send Max to the back of the grid
[23:27.440 -> 23:29.080] and see what's the worst that can happen.
[23:29.080 -> 23:30.800] That'll be something incredibly fun.
[23:30.800 -> 23:32.760] And this is the best circuit you could possibly do that,
[23:32.760 -> 23:35.480] because you've got lots of spaces in as well.
[23:35.480 -> 23:37.760] Now, the final question that we've got on our social media
[23:37.760 -> 23:41.600] is, is there any chance for anyone outside of the top three
[23:41.600 -> 23:43.560] to potentially take a podium as well?
[23:43.560 -> 23:48.520] I don't know. If out of all the places of the season, I think this is going to be the one
[23:48.520 -> 23:50.560] and Rihanna Jax had asked that question.
[23:50.560 -> 23:52.960] I just want to take your bold predictions on this one guys.
[23:52.960 -> 23:53.960] Will it be Fernando Alonso?
[23:53.960 -> 23:57.440] And actually the first question should be, will Fernando Alonso finish the race in the
[23:57.440 -> 23:58.440] round?
[23:58.440 -> 24:01.960] Because if he does, I think it'll be hard to argue against him as being the most likely
[24:01.960 -> 24:03.320] potential podium finisher.
[24:03.320 -> 24:09.200] But what do you reckon about this whole scenario? Is Alonso going to finish? That's a big question and for someone who's followed him
[24:09.200 -> 24:14.480] for close to two decades, I know he carries a lot of bad luck wherever he goes. Be it MotoGP,
[24:14.480 -> 24:19.680] be it Indy, wherever he goes and whoever he supports or whichever team's logo he's wearing,
[24:19.680 -> 24:25.840] there always tends to be a retirement written all over it. But the interesting fact is that Alonso has
[24:25.840 -> 24:31.600] not retired from the Brazilian Grand Prix since 2009, that is 12 years, 13 years ago. And let's
[24:31.600 -> 24:36.800] see if that streak continues. But if he does finish, and again, like we mentioned before,
[24:36.800 -> 24:42.080] the weather is going to play a huge part. If it's a dry race, I think it's a very straightforward
[24:42.080 -> 24:45.880] Red Bull winning this along with the Mercedes and Ferraris up there
[24:45.880 -> 24:49.140] But if it does rain and if it does rain throughout the weekend
[24:49.320 -> 24:54.420] Maybe we can see Fernando Alonso or probably even the other Alpine making it to the podium
[24:54.420 -> 24:59.420] So I'm not really ruling that out. It is a possibility. I'll tell you who else needs to finish a race
[24:59.940 -> 25:06.660] That's Yuki Sonoda because he has out qualified Gus Lee eight times this season and he only
[25:06.660 -> 25:09.380] did it twice in 2021, right?
[25:09.380 -> 25:16.140] He has received more grid penalties than any driver this year and he has retired in four
[25:16.140 -> 25:23.180] of the last nine races out of which he was the first DNF in three of them, right?
[25:23.180 -> 25:25.580] So Yuki Sonoda is on a roll but needs to finish
[25:25.580 -> 25:31.720] races but the driver in focus this weekend, for all the wrong reasons, I'm not sure, could
[25:31.720 -> 25:38.240] be Mick Schumacher because there is this thing of, hey, is Mick going to be giving way to
[25:38.240 -> 25:45.600] Nico Hulkenberg? And to me, it could very well be that the whole Haas-Schumacher situation is being played up
[25:46.400 -> 25:53.440] with Hulkenberg's name being put in for Netflix reasons. You never know. The deal might be done,
[25:53.440 -> 25:57.760] but they're just waiting and they're putting in all these paddock rumors just to spice things up
[25:57.760 -> 26:01.040] for Netflix towards the end of the season. I don't know. I'm going to actually tweet that
[26:01.040 -> 26:07.040] out and see what people say. But Mick currently has the longest pointless streak.
[26:07.040 -> 26:11.200] And he actually scored the last time there was a sprint weekend in Austria,
[26:11.200 -> 26:12.640] 10 races ago.
[26:12.640 -> 26:15.760] So could a sprint and a Grand Prix weekend actually bring him luck?
[26:16.320 -> 26:18.320] And if it does, I'm sure he'll be the one saying,
[26:18.320 -> 26:23.120] let's not have six, but have 16 sprint and Grand Prix weekends in 2023.
[26:23.840 -> 26:28.360] No, I have an interesting point with this whole Hulkenberg
[26:28.360 -> 26:32.440] news that's been coming in because Haas has got a new
[26:32.440 -> 26:35.240] sponsor in MoneyGram and they're not going to be
[26:35.240 -> 26:37.320] finishing the Constructors Championship last,
[26:37.320 -> 26:38.800] so they're going to be finishing eighth or ninth.
[26:38.800 -> 26:40.800] So that probably means more money coming in
[26:40.800 -> 26:41.960] for them this year.
[26:41.960 -> 26:45.680] And that allows someone like Nico Hülkenberg coming in,
[26:45.680 -> 26:52.080] if that is true. But my point on that is that maybe they are going for someone with a little
[26:52.080 -> 26:57.680] bit of experience rather than a rookie because Haas' last few drivers, especially starting from
[26:57.680 -> 27:03.520] Romain Grosjean, Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher haven't been the most cleanest of racers. They've
[27:03.520 -> 27:09.200] been very accident prone and that's led to the team paying a huge bill when it comes to
[27:09.200 -> 27:14.000] parts or other resources. So maybe what Haas are trying to do is to go for a
[27:14.000 -> 27:20.280] stable lineup and a lineup that doesn't doesn't crash too often. Trying to save
[27:20.280 -> 27:25.120] money in a way. If anything Haas is the team that wants to be the most
[27:25.120 -> 27:28.700] boring one right now because they've added so much spice and flavor in the
[27:28.700 -> 27:33.240] last couple of years that I think now is the time for them to just be rather
[27:33.240 -> 27:37.440] rather quiet and rather stable with the driver lineup but that is rather
[27:37.440 -> 27:41.360] interesting. Also another one Pierre Gasly as well he's one race away from a
[27:41.360 -> 27:46.800] race ban. I mean look at him it would be would be like Chris Evans, the actor from Captain America
[27:46.800 -> 27:48.520] being arrested for assaulting somebody.
[27:48.520 -> 27:49.720] How could that be possible?
[27:49.720 -> 27:51.060] I mean, just look at the person.
[27:51.060 -> 27:53.400] It is so unlikely that something like that could possibly
[27:53.400 -> 27:54.200] happen.
[27:54.200 -> 27:56.480] But wowee, what a weekend this could be on the whole.
[27:56.480 -> 27:58.480] Gasly one step closer to a ban.
[27:58.480 -> 28:01.080] Mercedes potentially in the mix, but most importantly,
[28:01.080 -> 28:03.560] a sprint race and chances for Max Verstappen
[28:03.560 -> 28:06.300] to extend his lead in history.
[28:06.300 -> 28:07.300] Crazy weekend all around.
[28:07.300 -> 28:08.300] This is going to be so much fun.
[28:08.300 -> 28:13.060] But folks, don't forget to join us for the live race watch along this Sunday by clicking
[28:13.060 -> 28:15.080] on the link in the description below.
[28:15.080 -> 28:18.820] You can join in and you can send in your questions to Peter, interact while the race is going
[28:18.820 -> 28:23.540] on and know more about the driving styles of all the drivers live as the race happens.
[28:23.540 -> 28:25.640] And all of that is for free.
[28:25.640 -> 28:29.280] So don't forget to check that out folks and enjoy the weekend have a fun time.
[28:29.280 -> 28:31.640] We shall be back on Monday with the race review.
[28:31.640 -> None] Bye bye. you