Miami GP Preview with Bob Varsha & America in F1 Stories

Here it is, our Miami GP preview with Bob Varsha, the 'Voice of F1' in America.

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In this episode, Bob, Soumil and Kunal discuss various topics - from the overreaction around the 'fake marina' to the talks around Miami replacing Monaco, Formula 1's original 'Crown Jewel'. Is the Miami model one that other circuits can follow - the coverage, the hype, the build-up and hopefully the entertainment, too. 

The Andretti-Sauber deal is now history. But does Bob see more potential in Andretti's interest in starting a Formula 1 team from scratch? What about an American driver in Formula 1? Lots of insights in this 70+ mins long chat. We hope you enjoy our conversation.

(Season 2022, Episode 25)

Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah

Image courtesy: @F1Miami, Twitter

**I. Introduction and Welcoming Bob Varsha:**

- The Inside Line F1 podcast welcomes Mr. Bob Varsha, the "Voice of F1" in America, for a special Miami GP preview.
- Bob shares his gratitude for being invited and expresses his excitement for the upcoming race.
- The hosts mention Bob's recent remission from cancer and his return to work, which brings joy to the listeners.

**II. Bob's Health Update:**

- Bob provides an update on his health, expressing optimism and gratitude for the progress he has made.
- He emphasizes the importance of regular checkups, especially for men over 50, to detect prostate cancer early.

**III. Bob's Current Work in Motorsports:**

- Bob discusses his involvement in various racing series, including Formula E, Extreme E, and a radio show covering Formula One.
- He enjoys working from home but misses the travel and on-site experiences that come with attending races.

**IV. Excitement for the Miami Grand Prix:**

- Bob expresses his enthusiasm for the upcoming Miami GP, especially given the hype and anticipation surrounding the event.
- He is eager to experience the new circuit, which promises a combination of speed, technical challenges, and elevation changes.

**V. Thoughts on the Marina Controversy:**

- Bob shares his opinion on the fake marina at the Miami circuit, acknowledging the criticism but suggesting that it adds character and uniqueness to the track.
- He emphasizes that the focus should be on the racing and entertainment rather than minor aesthetic details.

**VI. Expectations for the Miami Event:**

- Bob looks forward to reconnecting with old friends and colleagues in the Formula One community.
- He is excited to see new drivers and teams perform on the Miami circuit and witness the overall spectacle of the event.

**VII. Formula One's Expanding Presence in the United States:**

- Bob discusses the growing popularity of Formula One in America and the positive impact of adding more races in the country.
- He highlights the unique appeal of Miami, Las Vegas, and Austin as host cities for Formula One events.

**VIII. Circuit Design and Technical Challenges:**

- Bob praises the careful design of the Miami circuit, noting its variety of corners, straightaways, and elevation changes.
- He anticipates that the circuit will provide exciting racing opportunities, including overtaking zones and strategic tire management.

**IX. The Importance of Track Evolution:**

- Bob emphasizes the role of track evolution in Formula One races, as the circuit conditions change throughout the weekend.
- He explains that engineers must adapt their strategies based on how the tires perform and how the track surface develops.

**X. Monaco as the Crown Jewel of Formula One:**

- Bob acknowledges the special status of the Monaco Grand Prix as the "crown jewel" of Formula One.
- He believes that Monaco's unique characteristics and history make it irreplaceable, despite its challenges for modern Formula One cars.

**XI. The Future of Formula One in Monaco:**

- Bob expresses his hope that Monaco will remain on the Formula One calendar, even as new and exciting circuits are added.
- He suggests that Formula One should focus on preserving the traditions and heritage of the sport while embracing innovation and progress.

**XII. Closing Remarks:**

- Bob thanks the hosts for the opportunity to share his thoughts and insights on the Miami Grand Prix and Formula One in general.
- The hosts express their gratitude to Bob for his time and expertise, and they look forward to his continued involvement in the sport.

**The Miami Grand Prix Preview**

* **Bob Varsha** joins Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah to discuss various topics related to the upcoming Miami Grand Prix.

**Topics Discussed:**

* **The excitement surrounding the Miami GP:** Varsha highlights the unique atmosphere and hype surrounding the Miami race, emphasizing the extensive coverage, build-up, and anticipation for the event. He also mentions the potential for the race to become a crown jewel event like Monaco.

* **The Andretti-Sauber deal:** Varsha expresses his disappointment that the deal did not materialize but sees potential in Andretti's interest in starting a Formula 1 team from scratch. He believes that Andretti has the necessary experience and resources to succeed in Formula 1.

* **The possibility of an American driver in Formula 1:** Varsha acknowledges the growing interest in Formula 1 in the United States and the desire for an American driver to compete in the sport. He mentions that there are several talented American drivers in the junior series who could potentially make it to Formula 1 in the future.

* **Monaco vs. Indianapolis 500:** Varsha compares the two iconic races, highlighting the differences in their tracks, atmosphere, and history. He emphasizes that both races have their own unique charm and significance, and that it would be difficult to determine which one is better.

* **The importance of Monaco's heritage:** Varsha stresses the importance of preserving Monaco's heritage and glamour, arguing that it is what makes the race so special. He believes that any changes to the race should be made carefully and with respect for its history.

* **The challenges of racing at Indianapolis:** Varsha describes the unique challenges of racing at Indianapolis, including the massive size of the track, the high speeds, and the intense competition. He also mentions the importance of driver safety, given the high-risk nature of the race.

* **The development war between Ferrari and Red Bull:** Varsha discusses the ongoing development war between Ferrari and Red Bull, highlighting the rapid pace of innovation and the importance of making quick decisions to stay ahead of the competition. He mentions that both teams have shown impressive performance and that the battle between them is likely to continue throughout the season.

* **The struggles of Mercedes:** Varsha analyzes Mercedes' struggles in the current season, attributing them to design issues with their new car. He believes that the team is working hard to identify and correct the problems and expects them to return to competitiveness in the future.

* **The potential of Haas and Alfa Romeo:** Varsha praises the progress made by Haas and Alfa Romeo, particularly considering the strong performance of their Ferrari engines. He believes that both teams have the potential to do even better in the future.

* **The possibility of an American Formula 1 team:** Varsha expresses his support for Michael Andretti's efforts to establish an American Formula 1 team. He believes that Andretti has the necessary experience and resources to succeed and that an American team would be a valuable addition to the sport.

**Miami Grand Prix Preview with Bob Varsha**

* **Overview:**

* The Inside Line F1 Podcast discusses various topics related to the upcoming Miami Grand Prix, including the overreaction to the "fake marina," the potential of Miami replacing Monaco as Formula One's "Crown Jewel," and the possibility of an American driver in Formula One.

* **Andretti-Sauber Deal:**

* The Andretti-Sauber deal is now history, leaving Michael Andretti's Formula One team aspirations uncertain.
* Bob Varsha expresses his disappointment and hopes for a resolution soon.

* **Potential Engine Suppliers for Andretti's Team:**

* Audi and Porsche have expressed interest in joining Formula One in 2026, with Audi seeking its own factory team and Porsche looking to become an engine supplier.
* Andretti's team may find an engine deal with either Audi or Porsche.

* **American Driver in Formula One:**

* The possibility of an American driver in Formula One is an exciting prospect.
* Colton Herta and Pato O'Ward are among the potential candidates.
* Varsha emphasizes that timing is crucial for an American driver to succeed in Formula One.

* **Advantages and Disadvantages of Starting a Formula One Team from Scratch:**

* Starting a Formula One team from scratch offers the opportunity to build a team according to one's own vision.
* However, it also involves significant financial investment and a long-term commitment.
* Varsha believes that Andretti's experience and connections could be valuable assets in starting a new team.

* **Miami Grand Prix Hype and Coverage:**

* The Miami Grand Prix has generated immense hype and media coverage, comparable to major events like the Super Bowl.
* Varsha highlights the importance of creating a spectacle and entertainment around the race weekend.
* He believes that the Miami model could serve as an example for other circuits to follow.

* **Predictions for the Miami Grand Prix:**

* Varsha predicts Max Verstappen to win the race, with Carlos Sainz Jr. taking pole position.
* He acknowledges the unpredictability of Formula One races, citing past examples of unexpected outcomes.

* **Appreciation for Bob Varsha's Insights:**

* The hosts express their gratitude to Bob Varsha for sharing his valuable insights and perspectives on Formula One.
* Varsha's storytelling abilities and passion for the sport make him a captivating guest.

* **Call to Action:**

* The hosts encourage listeners to leave positive reviews, subscribe to the podcast, and engage with the show's content.

* **Miami Grand Prix Review:**

* The hosts promise to return with a review of the Miami Grand Prix after the race weekend.

[00:00.000 -> 00:25.840] Hey folks, welcome back to the Inside Line F1 podcast.
[00:25.840 -> 00:30.480] Welcome back to another race preview, but this time it's a race preview with a bit of a twist,
[00:30.480 -> 00:36.800] with a bit of a fun guest. This time we're going to have the voice of F1 in the USA, Mr. Bob Varsha
[00:36.800 -> 00:41.200] back here again on the podcast. And in case you haven't heard of him, just check out our previous
[00:41.200 -> 00:47.720] episode with him in the Voices of F1 series. It's a great idea of, it gives you a great idea of who Mr. Varsha is, what he's done,
[00:47.720 -> 00:51.800] and just what makes him so lovable, especially just for all of our viewers who've kind of
[00:51.800 -> 00:56.120] listened to him so much back in the USA in the old broadcasts, and for me personally,
[00:56.120 -> 00:57.160] the Formula E stuff.
[00:57.160 -> 00:59.460] But this is our Miami GP preview.
[00:59.460 -> 01:02.520] Let's get on with it and let's get talking about the first ever race that's going to
[01:02.520 -> 01:04.880] happen right here in the 305, isn't it?
[01:04.880 -> 01:11.840] Let's go. Thanks for having me on guys. Such a pleasure to have you sir it
[01:11.840 -> 01:17.360] feels great and after a last episode there's this big urge from all of us to just listen to more of
[01:17.360 -> 01:22.160] you we literally have viewers writing and saying well we want to hear more of Mr. Bob Barsher so
[01:22.160 -> 01:26.120] great to have you here and luckily for us the timing kind of works pretty well, too.
[01:26.120 -> 01:28.120] So is the Miami GP coming up?
[01:28.120 -> 01:29.920] And there must be a lot of hype, no?
[01:29.920 -> 01:32.280] But firstly, I just want to know how you're feeling
[01:32.280 -> 01:33.920] and what you're doing recently.
[01:33.920 -> 01:36.680] Because the last time we spoke to you, you were in remission.
[01:36.680 -> 01:37.840] Things were getting better.
[01:37.840 -> 01:40.480] Is that more of the same now as well?
[01:40.480 -> 01:42.200] Yeah.
[01:42.200 -> 01:43.360] No news is good news.
[01:43.360 -> 01:48.040] And there's been no news since I was told I was in remission.
[01:48.040 -> 01:53.560] My doctor, who's a wonderful guy, Greek by ancestry, and gets a little bit passionate
[01:53.560 -> 02:00.560] when he talks about his specialty, he says, we're definitely on a curative path, not a
[02:00.560 -> 02:01.920] palliative path.
[02:01.920 -> 02:09.360] In other words, we're going to make you right. We're not just trying to keep you comfortable, which is very confidence
[02:09.360 -> 02:15.080] inspiring. So I owe a lot to him and to the team of people that have been working
[02:15.080 -> 02:20.360] with me. I did hit a bit of a bump in the road when I was misdiagnosed
[02:20.360 -> 02:23.520] originally as to the nature of my particular cancer.
[02:23.520 -> 02:25.800] Of course, it's different for everyone.
[02:25.800 -> 02:28.680] I was misdiagnosed and they put me on a treatment path
[02:28.680 -> 02:30.920] that had huge physical effects on me
[02:30.920 -> 02:33.680] and turned out to be unnecessary.
[02:33.680 -> 02:36.320] So, you know, back to square one,
[02:36.320 -> 02:39.440] and we hit on a treatment plan involving radiation
[02:39.440 -> 02:41.640] and hormone suppression and so on,
[02:41.640 -> 02:45.000] that has achieved good results.
[02:45.040 -> 02:46.360] So I'm grateful to those folks
[02:46.360 -> 02:48.080] for getting me straightened out,
[02:48.080 -> 02:50.840] grateful for where I'm sitting right now.
[02:50.840 -> 02:54.140] And I'll close with a message to everyone.
[02:54.140 -> 02:58.480] Gentlemen, we all have some form of prostate cancer
[02:58.480 -> 03:01.320] in our lives, particularly when we're over 50 years of age.
[03:01.320 -> 03:04.760] So make sure if you've never seen one before,
[03:04.760 -> 03:07.440] even go find a urologist
[03:07.440 -> 03:13.520] and be checked for prostate cancer. Lots of folks live with it. Lots of folks like me didn't even
[03:13.520 -> 03:19.840] know they had it until it was time to intervene in a big way. So get checked. That's all I can say.
[03:20.720 -> 03:28.160] I absolutely love that you've taken the time for this message, sir. It's absolutely amazing to hear and good to hear that you're doing well too.
[03:28.160 -> 03:32.960] The best part is that I hear you're back working, you're back doing what you love, back accommodating
[03:32.960 -> 03:33.960] on racing.
[03:33.960 -> 03:36.640] So before we move on to the Miami stuff, how's that been?
[03:36.640 -> 03:41.680] Because I wish I could hear it back here in India, because I just love your work so much.
[03:41.680 -> 03:44.280] I'm sorry if it's becoming too much of a fanboy thing right now.
[03:44.280 -> 03:47.560] Well, that's much appreciated too.
[03:49.200 -> 03:52.320] Yes, I'm doing all of the electric series.
[03:52.320 -> 03:55.760] I'm Mr. Electrons at this point, I guess.
[03:55.760 -> 03:58.900] There's a special Formula E World Championship feed
[03:58.900 -> 04:00.200] for the American audience,
[04:00.200 -> 04:03.240] which airs on our CBS networks here.
[04:03.240 -> 04:07.360] And I call those races with a fellow commentator named Ryan
[04:07.360 -> 04:12.240] Marine. And we use bits and pieces of the international feed with Dario Franchitti
[04:12.240 -> 04:17.840] and Jack Nichols and Nikki Shields and so on. And it makes a really nice program. I just wish we had
[04:17.840 -> 04:22.880] a little bit more time because we kind of get rushed off the air before we can spend time with
[04:22.880 -> 04:28.000] the drivers after the race. But be that as it may, it is great to be calling races again.
[04:28.000 -> 04:34.000] I'm doing it from here in my home office, which is not great because I really love travel.
[04:34.000 -> 04:39.000] And as the world opens up again after the pandemic, I would love to be on site with all my old friends.
[04:39.000 -> 04:48.220] But that's what I have for right now. And then on the extreme east side with those incredibly powerful off-road vehicles, I host
[04:48.220 -> 04:53.160] Fox Network coverage and basically throw it to their series announcers, Andrew Coley and
[04:53.160 -> 04:54.860] Jenny Gow.
[04:54.860 -> 04:58.720] But it's spectacular racing and I have a lot of fun with it.
[04:58.720 -> 05:04.340] So right now, internal combustion engines are not a part of my life, but I do do a radio
[05:04.340 -> 05:09.600] show or I contribute to a radio show for Formula One, which I really enjoy.
[05:09.600 -> 05:14.880] It's called Speed City F1, done out of Austin, Texas by the official radio guys that circuited
[05:14.880 -> 05:15.880] the Americas.
[05:15.880 -> 05:21.240] And we do an hour pre-race, throw to the BBC radio coverage, although we're hoping to get
[05:21.240 -> 05:25.000] that coverage for ourselves down the road, and then an hour post-race.
[05:25.000 -> 05:29.000] So tell them what they're going to see, show them, and then tell them what they saw.
[05:29.000 -> 05:31.000] And I really enjoy doing that.
[05:31.000 -> 05:34.000] But again, I'm doing it from my office, which is not ideal,
[05:34.000 -> 05:38.000] but it's better than sitting around playing golf.
[05:38.000 -> 05:39.000] Absolutely.
[05:39.000 -> 05:42.000] No, but is something special on the cards for Miami?
[05:42.000 -> 05:46.560] Is there a chance that maybe you're going to be there for the weekend? Maybe do something on ground as well?
[05:46.560 -> 05:59.680] Yes, in fact, I will be there for that. I'm excited. To be quite honest, we thought with all of the excitement about Miami and all the folks that I'm sure are coming over, regardless of any residual effects of the pandemic,
[06:00.400 -> 06:05.400] we applied for media credentials, not entirely insured that we were going to get them.
[06:05.400 -> 06:11.400] So with a few weeks to go before the race, one of my colleagues excitedly proclaimed,
[06:11.400 -> 06:12.800] hey, we've got credentials.
[06:12.800 -> 06:17.700] So let's go book airline tickets and, you know, stay a hundred miles from the racetrack,
[06:17.700 -> 06:22.500] but whatever, we're going to go to Miami for this first event, which is really exciting.
[06:22.500 -> 06:23.700] So I'm looking forward to that.
[06:24.700 -> 06:30.160] And I guess it's going to be better than those marina seats, no, for you. I just want to know
[06:30.160 -> 06:34.880] your take on that, because it's been going abuzz on the internet everywhere. And I don't even know
[06:34.880 -> 06:39.840] if it's water as well, it's just paint. But what would you call it a cheap ploy or just stuff that
[06:39.840 -> 06:53.440] you have to do to kind of make the event look good? Is it as harmful as people think it is on the internet? This Marina thing? Oh, no, I totally am gobsmacked by all of this back and forth about whether it
[06:53.440 -> 07:01.280] detracts from the race. I mean, it's like going to a championship match and looking around and
[07:01.280 -> 07:07.080] commenting on the roof of the stadium or the fountains outside.
[07:07.080 -> 07:09.320] I mean, what are you coming to the race for?
[07:09.320 -> 07:10.840] Why do you even care?
[07:10.840 -> 07:14.360] This is a track, granted it's built around a stadium.
[07:14.360 -> 07:16.320] They say it's in a parking lot, it's really not.
[07:16.320 -> 07:18.520] It circles the Hard Rock Stadium
[07:18.520 -> 07:22.700] that's home to the legendary Miami Dolphins of NFL fame.
[07:23.560 -> 07:24.920] And it looks fabulous.
[07:24.920 -> 07:27.040] And all the teams have said great things
[07:27.040 -> 07:33.840] about it, and they don't have to. But they have managed to involve not only a great combination
[07:33.840 -> 07:40.240] of turns and a long straightaway, great breaking areas, couple of good passing zones, three DRS
[07:40.240 -> 07:48.720] zones, we are told. But they've also given it some elevation change, which I'm really excited to see since Florida is basically flat as a pancake,
[07:48.720 -> 07:51.400] certainly around where the stadium is in Miami gardens,
[07:51.400 -> 07:54.280] but it sounds like a really creative circuit.
[07:54.600 -> 07:57.840] And I'm really looking forward to seeing how they've pulled it off.
[07:59.120 -> 08:02.240] What do you reckon about the Marina do Cana? Because in my opinion,
[08:02.360 -> 08:05.760] I kind of like it. It's, It's fun that they're trying something new,
[08:05.760 -> 08:08.320] but again, maybe just real water would have helped.
[08:08.320 -> 08:10.520] What do you think about this whole thing?
[08:10.520 -> 08:13.400] Well, you know, God knows what they've spent
[08:13.400 -> 08:14.320] building this place.
[08:14.320 -> 08:17.320] It looks luxurious and that means expensive.
[08:19.880 -> 08:23.960] Putting water in a real marina or a real puddle,
[08:23.960 -> 08:26.440] whatever you want to call it, I got to imagine
[08:26.440 -> 08:28.520] would be extraordinarily expensive.
[08:28.520 -> 08:35.520] I mean, the idea is to suggest Miami, you know, and boats on this beautiful aqua colored
[08:35.520 -> 08:37.960] water and you know, what's the harm?
[08:37.960 -> 08:42.480] It's better than a stretch of grass or pavement or something else.
[08:42.480 -> 08:43.720] I mean, they're being clever.
[08:43.720 -> 08:45.240] Other people certainly do things.
[08:45.240 -> 08:49.640] The Red Bull ring has that massive statue of a bull.
[08:50.880 -> 08:52.920] The Ricard circuit in the South of France
[08:52.920 -> 08:55.760] has all those lines everywhere.
[08:55.760 -> 08:57.700] The circuit of the Americas here in the United States
[08:57.700 -> 08:59.720] has the dragon's tail tower
[08:59.720 -> 09:02.960] and stars and stripes all over the racetrack.
[09:02.960 -> 09:07.440] I mean, this is, you know, it's a little, it's a little pizzazz, a little buzz.
[09:07.440 -> 09:10.360] And I certainly see no problem with it whatsoever.
[09:11.560 -> 09:16.720] I'm actually glad they don't have real water for all environmental reasons.
[09:17.480 -> 09:20.680] Well, we just need to make sure we, I'm sure the race directors notes will
[09:20.680 -> 09:25.120] include saying, do not jump into the water after you win the race,
[09:26.480 -> 09:26.840] just as you probably would. Right.
[09:26.840 -> 09:28.800] You can imagine the splat.
[09:29.280 -> 09:34.200] I did see on the internet, there's somebody, some commentator from
[09:34.200 -> 09:40.200] somewhere who did an on-camera standing next to the so-called marina.
[09:40.520 -> 09:47.000] And then he jumps, of course, lands on his feet and does his Jesus impersonation, walking around on the water.
[09:47.000 -> 09:53.000] But I'm with you. There's really no reason to put water in there.
[09:53.000 -> 09:58.000] Imagine if it sprung a leak and it got on the racetrack and then we have all those issues.
[09:58.000 -> 10:03.000] The first time I went to Saudi Arabia with Formula E, this is Saudi Arabia.
[10:03.000 -> 10:06.000] It is a desert. We show up and the
[10:06.000 -> 10:12.880] night before the first race, we had a monsoon rainstorm. And so it came under all the fences
[10:12.880 -> 10:19.600] and all the sandbags and everything they tried to do to, you know, alleviate the situation.
[10:19.600 -> 10:26.480] And it was just a huge headache for everybody. So, let's suggest water in Florida because that's
[10:26.480 -> 10:32.400] Florida. And let's not talk about putting water in there and creating another potential problem
[10:32.400 -> 10:38.240] for ourselves. Absolutely. And I think it also adds a lot of character to the circuit. We've
[10:38.240 -> 10:47.380] had the Yass Hotel at the Yass Marina circuit, you've given several examples. I know people on Twitter have put pictures of how Monaco has used images,
[10:47.380 -> 10:51.460] uh, you know, at, at several parts of the circuit to make it look like it is the
[10:51.460 -> 10:54.640] Mediterranean sea when it's actually not that.
[10:54.640 -> 10:59.360] So, uh, if anything, you know, formula one, or maybe formula one fans should
[10:59.360 -> 11:01.920] be more worried about the fake overtaking.
[11:01.920 -> 11:07.360] We all see, uh, you know, with the DRSS than with the fake water or the fake marina
[11:07.360 -> 11:14.480] that's at the circuit. Yeah, well, it's the internet, it's built for argument, so whatever.
[11:16.400 -> 11:19.680] You know what, before we get to the proper arguments, I just want to know your take on
[11:19.680 -> 11:24.320] the event as a whole, sir, because I can imagine it will be a while since you've been to a Formula
[11:24.320 -> 11:25.000] One race.
[11:25.200 -> 11:28.680] So what are you looking forward to the most on ground?
[11:28.840 -> 11:32.320] Again, we've had the Marina stuff, but there's a lot of hype around the guests
[11:32.320 -> 11:33.080] that will be attending.
[11:33.080 -> 11:36.760] There's a lot of buzz around, let's say the audience that's going to be coming
[11:36.760 -> 11:39.320] around because Formula One have properly put in a lot of effort.
[11:39.680 -> 11:42.560] What excites you the most towards this weekend per se?
[11:43.800 -> 11:46.960] Well, I'm most excited to go, obviously a new venue.
[11:46.960 -> 11:50.000] I have no idea where anything is
[11:50.000 -> 11:52.760] other than what I can see on the map.
[11:52.760 -> 11:55.320] I want to see what my working environment is going to be.
[11:55.320 -> 11:58.320] Where's the media center and where will our
[11:58.320 -> 11:59.520] announced position be?
[11:59.520 -> 12:02.400] Because we will be broadcasting right from the race site.
[12:02.400 -> 12:04.860] So there's all of those little details to square away.
[12:04.860 -> 12:07.480] And then yes, who will be there?
[12:07.480 -> 12:08.680] I still have a lot of friends,
[12:08.680 -> 12:10.480] although it's been years since I actually went
[12:10.480 -> 12:12.760] to a Formula One, well, that's not true.
[12:12.760 -> 12:14.560] Just a couple of years ago,
[12:14.560 -> 12:18.000] I made my annual trek to Monaco, but more on that later.
[12:19.680 -> 12:22.160] But I haven't seen a lot of people for a long time,
[12:22.160 -> 12:23.640] like everyone in this pandemic.
[12:23.640 -> 12:29.920] So I'm looking forward to seeing old friends and checking out some of these new kids that I haven't seen in
[12:29.920 -> 12:37.200] the flesh, these Leclercs and Verstappens and what have you, and chatting with Lewis Hamilton,
[12:37.200 -> 12:42.240] who seems to be willing to talk to me more than your average Formula One driver.
[12:42.240 -> 12:49.120] They're all going to be so pressed for time. There is music, there are events involving the drivers, there is something going on starting
[12:49.120 -> 12:50.120] today, Tuesday.
[12:50.120 -> 12:55.480] I'm sure there's stuff going on right now, although some folks are still arriving and
[12:55.480 -> 12:58.240] there will be stuff going on all weekend down there.
[12:58.240 -> 13:03.320] And it's Miami, it's going to be crazy all the way from the Hard Rock down to South Beach
[13:03.320 -> 13:06.200] and up to Fort Lauderdale and everywhere.
[13:06.200 -> 13:10.000] America and the world generally is so excited
[13:10.000 -> 13:13.760] about Formula One coming to America's most international
[13:13.760 -> 13:15.980] and diverse city.
[13:15.980 -> 13:18.440] So to me, it's a marriage made in heaven
[13:18.440 -> 13:21.440] and I certainly hope they can pull it off
[13:21.440 -> 13:22.920] up to their own expectations,
[13:22.920 -> 13:25.800] which are quite high, I get the feeling.
[13:25.800 -> 13:30.140] And then there will be the challenge of bringing back all those folks who came for the first
[13:30.140 -> 13:36.160] one to go and buy the t-shirt, take the picture, all that sort of thing, get the tattoo, who
[13:36.160 -> 13:37.440] knows what.
[13:37.440 -> 13:42.880] And will they combat that next year, the year after that, and so on going forward.
[13:42.880 -> 13:45.520] So yeah, there'll be a lot of excitement
[13:45.520 -> 13:50.960] not only about what is happening, but what the potential is for the future. So those are all
[13:50.960 -> 13:56.560] the sorts of stories that we'll try to explore. It just seems like a scene straight out of the
[13:56.560 -> 14:02.160] Grand Theft Auto Vice City video game where you have a major race in the city of Miami. I just
[14:02.160 -> 14:05.120] love it. But speaking of Miami, speaking of Formula One,
[14:05.120 -> 14:09.280] and you mentioned something, creating a big buzz around it in the first year. Formula One's going
[14:09.280 -> 14:15.680] to do that with Las Vegas as well. And it kind of seems like the whole vision from 2017 is coming
[14:15.680 -> 14:21.120] true, where we've got a more equal playing field, budget caps, more races in America. I mean,
[14:21.120 -> 14:25.920] what's the feeling around Las Vegas as well? Because you mentioned it's what's not to like about it.
[14:25.920 -> 14:27.680] I get a feeling that every American city
[14:27.680 -> 14:30.240] that's going to get on is going to have that same,
[14:30.240 -> 14:31.780] what do you say, same buzz around it.
[14:31.780 -> 14:34.840] So this seems like a good time in general.
[14:34.840 -> 14:36.300] And from the last time we spoke,
[14:36.300 -> 14:39.040] it seems that the dreams are kind of coming true.
[14:39.040 -> 14:39.880] Absolutely.
[14:39.880 -> 14:43.080] You know, it's a reflection of the exploding interest
[14:43.080 -> 14:49.280] in Formula One on behalf of the American audience, which has both its good and its bad elements, because a lot of the old purists
[14:49.280 -> 14:55.280] who enjoyed the elitism of Formula One previously, our own little secret, you know, now have
[14:55.280 -> 15:00.000] to share it with everyone who may have different things that they enjoy about Formula One.
[15:00.000 -> 15:05.840] Miami, as I said, is America's most diverse and international city.
[15:05.840 -> 15:13.600] Vegas is the epicenter of world decadence, as you guys may know.
[15:13.600 -> 15:18.560] So I think it has its own charms and in its own way is a marriage made in heaven for Formula
[15:18.560 -> 15:21.600] One, a real destination city.
[15:21.600 -> 15:25.500] Formula One has wanted to go there for decades, literally, going back to the Bernie
[15:25.500 -> 15:28.240] Ecclestone era.
[15:28.240 -> 15:34.700] And it was never possible because the casino and spa hotel owners could not be convinced
[15:34.700 -> 15:40.720] to allow their sidewalk space and the Las Vegas Strip, the famous strip out in front
[15:40.720 -> 15:45.120] of their hotels, to be used for this racetrack.
[15:45.120 -> 15:51.280] Somehow that barrier was overcome, I suspect because these folks who are the ultimate marketers
[15:51.280 -> 15:56.840] looked and saw that Formula One is extremely popular in America, they have a great international
[15:56.840 -> 16:07.360] airport, this is a very doable thing, and the result's going to be spectacular. One of the biggest hotel and casino successes in Vegas
[16:07.360 -> 16:11.480] is Mr. Steve Wynn, a former Ferrari dealership partner
[16:11.480 -> 16:14.040] with Roger Penske.
[16:14.040 -> 16:19.480] He owns two hotels, the Wynn and its sister hotel, the Encore.
[16:19.480 -> 16:24.600] And I read a report that those hotels received a bigger
[16:24.600 -> 16:28.080] onslaught of requests for reservations
[16:28.080 -> 16:31.080] than they have ever seen in Las Vegas.
[16:31.080 -> 16:34.240] Now this is a city with a massive convention center.
[16:34.240 -> 16:40.160] They host the SEMA, Automotive Performance Marketers Association gathering, the Consumer
[16:40.160 -> 16:43.400] Electronics Show, the National Association of Broadcasters.
[16:43.400 -> 16:46.820] These are massive, massive event, tens of thousands of people.
[16:46.820 -> 16:54.480] But even so, they haven't produced the business opportunity, let's say, that Formula One is.
[16:54.480 -> 16:57.560] And Formula One, mind you, doesn't even have a date yet in Vegas.
[16:57.560 -> 17:02.200] So people are calling up saying, hey, can I get a reservation to get a reservation
[17:02.200 -> 17:05.120] when they decide when they're going to hold this thing?
[17:07.640 -> 17:10.040] So, yeah, there's huge excitement generated by that. And all three races.
[17:10.040 -> 17:13.240] And I know there's been a lot of argument back and forth about whether
[17:14.200 -> 17:18.360] any country other than perhaps Italy should have three races.
[17:18.360 -> 17:23.240] Well, right now, I think the United States is a perfect place for three races.
[17:23.440 -> 17:27.520] We've had them before.
[17:27.520 -> 17:30.960] It's a place everybody in the world wants to go, quite literally, including all the
[17:30.960 -> 17:34.120] Formula One teams and there are many, many, many sponsors.
[17:34.120 -> 17:38.320] Let's go to the biggest marketplace in the world.
[17:38.320 -> 18:05.760] And the three cities that have been chosen, Miami, Boston, and Vegas are so far apart from each other and so different from one another in so many ways that, you know, it'll be like you're in three separate foreign societies, if you will, while the looks awfully close to being a permanent circuit.
[18:05.760 -> 18:11.520] Of course, Circuit of the Americas is absolutely that, and Vegas will be a true street circuit.
[18:11.520 -> 18:13.120] So, you know, what's not to like?
[18:14.400 -> 18:20.560] Exactly. And speaking of Las Vegas, that city hosts, I mean, the WWE every year,
[18:20.560 -> 18:25.520] they've got a big NFL team. And if that's the case, and that still makes Formula One
[18:25.520 -> 18:28.720] Trump all the others, it's just fantastic to see
[18:28.720 -> 18:30.000] what could potentially happen.
[18:30.000 -> 18:31.080] And you're so right about that.
[18:31.080 -> 18:31.960] They're so far apart.
[18:31.960 -> 18:33.000] They're so different.
[18:33.000 -> 18:34.400] I just wonder what's next.
[18:34.400 -> 18:37.560] Can Formula One ever kind of pull off the New York race?
[18:37.560 -> 18:39.760] But I suppose that's a chat for later on.
[18:39.760 -> 18:41.340] We should kind of get back to Earth
[18:41.340 -> 18:42.720] and get back to Miami on that.
[18:42.720 -> 18:44.920] But you mentioned a really good part about Miami.
[18:44.920 -> 18:46.720] It seems like a permanent circuit.
[18:46.720 -> 18:48.580] It seems like something that's been designed
[18:48.580 -> 18:50.160] and it's been here for a while.
[18:50.160 -> 18:51.960] I just want to know what you love about the circuit
[18:51.960 -> 18:52.880] particularly.
[18:52.880 -> 18:53.760] For me, it's the straight.
[18:53.760 -> 18:56.040] It kind of helps out with more overtaking opportunities,
[18:56.040 -> 18:57.840] something that we kind of lacked in Imola.
[18:57.840 -> 19:01.280] But is that the same thing that excites you the most, per se?
[19:01.280 -> 19:09.240] Well, certainly, the prospect of a great race with Formula One technology is an enticement,
[19:09.240 -> 19:11.720] one of the biggest for the Miami Grand Prix.
[19:11.720 -> 19:14.600] I mentioned the circuit seems to have a little bit of everything.
[19:14.600 -> 19:19.440] It seems to be very carefully designed and well done so.
[19:19.440 -> 19:28.340] The teams, of course, at this point have meticulously duplicated the circuit on their simulation software and hardware.
[19:28.340 -> 19:30.080] And they seem excited by it.
[19:30.080 -> 19:32.320] And that's the highest recommendation of all
[19:32.320 -> 19:34.240] that I can get is everybody thinks
[19:34.240 -> 19:36.240] this is gonna be really cool.
[19:36.240 -> 19:39.160] Fast, it's got some twiddly bits here and there,
[19:39.160 -> 19:40.040] and that's fine.
[19:40.040 -> 19:42.200] You need a little bit of both.
[19:42.200 -> 19:44.200] And then that one long straightaway
[19:44.200 -> 19:45.200] leaking to a heavy breaking area that is, You need a little bit of both. And then that one long straightaway leading
[19:45.200 -> 19:47.520] to a heavy braking area that is, you know,
[19:47.520 -> 19:50.520] the traditional passing zones in a Formula One,
[19:50.520 -> 19:52.640] whether you had DRS or not.
[19:52.640 -> 19:55.760] And looking back to the Imola race,
[19:55.760 -> 19:59.080] we found out that you don't necessarily need DRS
[19:59.080 -> 20:00.720] to make passes.
[20:02.260 -> 20:14.000] Keep in mind too, Miami is a subtropical climate and folks joke all the time about, well, you know, it's almost four o'clock, so let's go get a cup of coffee because it's time for the daily rain in Miami.
[20:14.000 -> 20:17.000] So, expect weather to be a bit of a factor as well.
[20:17.000 -> 20:27.000] It's just intriguing on so many different levels that I think it's going to be a big success and certainly interesting.
[20:29.000 -> 20:34.000] I like what you said about simulation and the models that the teams would have done.
[20:34.000 -> 20:46.800] My mind actually goes back to just a couple of races ago in Australia, where Red Bull Racing turned around and admitted that they actually did not read the track evolution as well as they should have.
[20:46.800 -> 20:53.200] And as a result, they went down a completely different setup approach that cost them
[20:53.200 -> 20:58.560] performance in Australia. So I'm excited to see, we are going to have a Red Bull versus
[20:58.560 -> 21:05.200] Mercedes, at least for the next couple of rounds, till maybe maybe Spain or just after till the big upgrade sort of come in.
[21:05.580 -> 21:05.940] All right.
[21:06.140 -> 21:10.080] So I'd love to see from your colleague, you said Red Bull and Mercedes.
[21:10.420 -> 21:16.220] I think Red Bull and Ferrari is I'm still stuck in Abu Dhabi 21.
[21:16.220 -> 21:16.500] Yes.
[21:16.500 -> 21:19.040] Red Bull and Red Bull and Ferrari.
[21:19.040 -> 21:22.380] We are going to see, you know, a battle between them and it will be
[21:22.740 -> 21:26.480] interesting to see how the teams actually evolve through the
[21:26.480 -> 21:31.600] weekend because the drivers are going to learn the circuit pretty soon, but it's the engineers
[21:31.600 -> 21:37.440] who are going to figure out how the tires are performing as the circuit evolves through
[21:38.320 -> 21:43.520] the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I'm excited to see how the teams also deal with the whole
[21:43.520 -> 21:45.280] engineering challenge, Bob.
[21:52.240 -> 21:59.920] Yes. The track evolution will be a huge factor. The track was very meticulously paved, apparently, as a lengthy description of the actual material they used in the asphalt and how it will
[21:59.920 -> 22:05.660] mesh with the Pirelli tires and how the rubber will go down and on and on and on.
[22:05.660 -> 22:10.040] And the whole thing became so, uh, you know, garbled with engineering jargon that I kind
[22:10.040 -> 22:12.600] of had to stop and catch my breath.
[22:12.600 -> 22:18.980] Um, but yes, it'll be, uh, Pirelli's middle three compounds and constructions of the new
[22:18.980 -> 22:20.960] 18 inch tires.
[22:20.960 -> 22:28.300] And uh, you know, to be honest, this is a, uh, you know, a is a first run for Pirelli as well.
[22:28.300 -> 22:31.200] So yeah, there's so many questions.
[22:31.200 -> 22:33.680] And the engineers are going to be so busy.
[22:33.680 -> 22:39.280] And you're right, we have seen before that what the computers say is going to happen
[22:39.280 -> 22:45.920] is often very different from what happens on the day, whether it's aerodynamic function or tire wear or,
[22:46.480 -> 22:50.880] you know, whatever it might be response to the weather conditions and on and on and on. I mean,
[22:50.880 -> 22:55.600] that's part of the charm of Formula One is the more you learn about it, the more questions you
[22:55.600 -> 23:00.640] have about what's going to work and are the tire pressures right or the suspension settings right,
[23:00.640 -> 23:07.120] are the engine settings right? How do you manipulate the DRS zones? How do you
[23:07.120 -> 23:11.680] handle your tire strategy? We don't know what the tire degradation is going to be.
[23:11.680 -> 23:16.960] And until we do, the engineers can't decide what the optimum tire strategy is.
[23:18.880 -> 23:24.240] You know, there's another learning also for me with the whole build up to Miami, Bob, because
[23:24.240 -> 23:26.400] you mentioned you saw this lengthy video
[23:26.400 -> 23:32.560] of how they made the circuit, etc. And I quite like that, you know, Miami is the only circuit
[23:32.560 -> 23:39.520] making a debut this season. And they have gone to tremendous lengths to explain what is it that
[23:39.520 -> 23:44.800] they have done with the whole engineering challenge of the circuit. It just doesn't seem like they've
[23:44.800 -> 23:46.800] connected roads that were available.
[23:46.800 -> 23:49.040] You know, it's, there is a lot of science that's gone in.
[23:49.040 -> 23:54.320] So, you know, again, with the whole excitement and the entertainment that's, you know, that
[23:54.320 -> 24:00.720] builds up with Miami, even the whole technical aspect is, is very much, you know, new circuits
[24:00.720 -> 24:09.600] that, you know, are eager and hosting Formula One in the seasons to come, could look up to when it comes to this Grand Prix, because there is just so much information
[24:09.600 -> 24:14.640] that's been put up out there. I mean, typically all that we know before we go to a new circuit,
[24:14.640 -> 24:20.400] primarily in Europe, it would be, you know, is it a tilt-kid Rome or not, you know, but here
[24:20.400 -> 24:24.400] there is just a lot of information they put out there. And I pretty much like that.
[24:24.400 -> 24:24.960] There is just a lot of information they put out up there and I pretty much like that.
[24:31.280 -> 24:37.840] Yes. I mean, variety is the spice of life and Formula One. I mean, all the tracks cannot be the same, you know, wide open spaces like Monza or Silverstone. You need difficult places. I mean,
[24:37.840 -> 24:42.640] Monaco has come under a lot of scrutiny recently because it's been said that that's one of the
[24:42.640 -> 24:51.600] classic races that doesn't make a lot of money, frankly, for Formula One and might need to up its game if it's even going to stay on the
[24:51.600 -> 24:58.880] calendar. And I think even talking about such a thing is horrific in my mind because Monaco is
[24:59.440 -> 25:05.360] so much still the crown jewel of Formula One. So let's not get caught up in how much profit
[25:05.360 -> 25:06.680] anyone makes off of it.
[25:06.680 -> 25:09.680] I mean, that's the race people want to tune in
[25:09.680 -> 25:11.240] and every driver wants to win,
[25:11.240 -> 25:13.260] perhaps as much as his home Grand Prix.
[25:13.260 -> 25:17.120] So you need a Monaco, you need an Imola,
[25:17.120 -> 25:20.640] you need tracks like the three that we just talked about
[25:20.640 -> 25:21.880] here in the United States,
[25:21.880 -> 25:23.080] the permanent road circuit,
[25:23.080 -> 25:25.000] the almost a permanent road circuit, the almost a permanent
[25:25.000 -> 25:27.800] road circuit and the true street circuits.
[25:27.800 -> 25:31.440] And you want, you know, a slow track, fast track, what's the difference?
[25:31.440 -> 25:36.440] It's a competition and perhaps more than any other kind of motorsport where, you know,
[25:36.440 -> 25:40.080] you buy components off the shelf and everybody has the same stuff.
[25:40.080 -> 25:51.760] And, you know, I love NASCAR and the IndyCar series as much as anyone, but they are not the same as Formula One, where you come up with your own car design, your own car construction.
[25:51.760 -> 25:55.320] There are so many decisions that you make that the other teams are not making because
[25:55.320 -> 25:58.880] they don't have the same car and setup that you do.
[25:58.880 -> 26:04.620] So it's very hard to extrapolate from what one team is doing that's working to what another
[26:04.620 -> 26:06.440] team might be able to do
[26:06.440 -> 26:08.380] to simulate that success.
[26:09.280 -> 26:13.200] I was so grateful to see when the new regulations,
[26:14.360 -> 26:17.520] produce the cars that they did,
[26:17.520 -> 26:19.020] and they're all so different.
[26:19.020 -> 26:20.780] I mean, there's a lot of smart people
[26:20.780 -> 26:22.480] on all the different teams in Formula Ones,
[26:22.480 -> 26:23.320] we all kind of thought,
[26:23.320 -> 26:25.800] geez, they're gonna be kind of cookie cutter looking cars. Nope, one look at the front end of every car on all the different teams in Formula Ones. We all kind of thought, you know, they're going to be kind of cookie cutter looking cars.
[26:26.000 -> 26:26.600] Nope.
[26:26.840 -> 26:31.720] One look at the front end of every car on the grid tells you that everybody has a different idea.
[26:32.040 -> 26:33.360] And I think that's fabulous.
[26:33.680 -> 26:37.360] I, uh, I mentioned my Monaco presence before each year.
[26:37.600 -> 26:41.880] Now that the pandemic's over, uh, I host a Mediterranean cruise this year.
[26:41.880 -> 26:45.680] We're going from Barcelona, um, and winding up in Rome, but we
[26:45.680 -> 26:51.200] stopped for two days in Monaco for Saturday qualifying and a pit walk and a Sunday race,
[26:51.200 -> 26:55.280] and we all get sunburned and have a great old time partying on our boat.
[26:57.440 -> 27:04.240] And I treasure this opportunity to go there and do that. So I'm really looking forward to jumping
[27:04.240 -> 27:05.480] off in about two weeks
[27:05.480 -> 27:06.920] and going to Monaco.
[27:06.920 -> 27:10.800] And I don't even know why I brought that up, but anyway.
[27:10.800 -> 27:13.640] Oh, but I must say, I know why, because I
[27:13.640 -> 27:17.040] do lectures on this cruise with a PowerPoint presentation.
[27:17.040 -> 27:19.400] And now I get to show all of these different cars
[27:19.400 -> 27:22.520] and explain why they are what they are.
[27:22.520 -> 27:26.880] And I'm both excited and terrified by the responsibility of
[27:26.880 -> 27:28.360] doing that for these folks.
[27:31.560 -> 27:36.720] You know, I'm glad you set, you actually set the record straight on a lot of
[27:36.720 -> 27:41.600] points here, Bob, about Monaco and how there's this whole talk about, you
[27:41.600 -> 27:45.480] know, replacing Monaco and, you know, before even a single day
[27:45.480 -> 27:47.920] of the Miami Grand Prix has been experienced,
[27:47.920 -> 27:49.920] there's been talk about whether Miami
[27:49.920 -> 27:52.040] is going to be the new Monaco and the likes.
[27:52.040 -> 27:53.960] But like you rightly said, you know,
[27:53.960 -> 27:56.120] Monaco is a crown jewel of Formula One.
[27:56.120 -> 27:59.360] It's going to take a lot more for a circuit to come
[27:59.360 -> 28:01.120] and sort of replace them.
[28:01.120 -> 28:02.680] Will we have more crown jewels
[28:02.680 -> 28:10.600] across different markets and continents? Maybe so, you know but Monaco remains Monaco for me as well. It is,
[28:10.600 -> 28:15.640] you know, I understand that the cars are not, you know, not the best formula one
[28:15.640 -> 28:19.400] cars and not the best to race around Monaco. So it's probably easier to fix the
[28:19.400 -> 28:23.840] cars than, you know, try going and blaming the circuit. And we just had the Monaco
[28:23.840 -> 28:27.120] E-Prix, you know, a couple of days ago, which was absolutely wild.
[28:27.920 -> 28:33.760] Yeah, that was a great race. And I'm so glad that the Formula E cars are now running on the full
[28:33.760 -> 28:40.960] Grand Prix circuit. They produced a great race. I was really happy to see them represent the
[28:40.960 -> 28:46.320] that world championship so well. And I'm really looking forward to going back to
[28:47.840 -> 28:53.520] Monaco. I'm often asked by folks, you know, where's your favorite racetrack? And I can't
[28:53.520 -> 29:01.440] always pick one, but I inevitably pick a track with history. You know, the Svafrancorchamps,
[29:01.440 -> 29:06.080] the Manzas, and the Monacos, because there is so much history there.
[29:06.080 -> 29:12.880] There's so much to compare it to, so much to recall and enjoy in the way of memories again.
[29:12.880 -> 29:20.320] You know, the newer tracks that I really enjoy, I like Singapore a lot, but a lot of them tend
[29:20.320 -> 29:25.720] to become cookie cutter. You know, every track in the world looks the same from curve to curve.
[29:26.160 -> 29:30.320] Um, so some of these circuits, uh, in places around the world that just don't
[29:30.320 -> 29:34.560] have the personality, if you will, of the Monaco's and the Monza's and the
[29:35.000 -> 29:39.640] Interlagos in Brazil, where formula E has just announced they're going to race next
[29:39.640 -> 29:40.040] year.
[29:40.160 -> 29:42.680] So, um, you know, there's excitement to come.
[29:43.160 -> 29:46.000] Um, but you know, you need a track with personality,
[29:46.000 -> 29:49.000] as well as a series with personality to me.
[29:49.000 -> 29:52.000] And that would be my one argument
[29:52.000 -> 29:55.000] as to why I usually just watch the beginning and the end
[29:55.000 -> 29:58.000] of the big oval races here in the United States,
[29:58.000 -> 30:02.000] because, you know, it gets a little mind-numbing in the middle.
[30:02.000 -> 30:04.000] So I'll watch the beginning when it's exciting
[30:04.000 -> 30:06.280] and the end when it's exciting
[30:06.280 -> 30:09.140] and hope everybody stays safe in the middle.
[30:10.080 -> 30:12.520] Actually, that raises a very good point.
[30:12.520 -> 30:13.960] You mentioned the oval races
[30:13.960 -> 30:16.360] and how they kind of elevate their spectacles
[30:16.360 -> 30:17.200] a little bit more.
[30:17.200 -> 30:19.120] I think more on IndyCar than the NASCAR
[30:19.120 -> 30:20.840] because NASCAR has similar points everywhere,
[30:20.840 -> 30:24.360] but the Indy 500, we kind of pick it out as a spectacle
[30:24.360 -> 30:25.200] because there is more points, there is a different weekend format, there's ay 500, we kind of pick it out as a spectacle because there is more
[30:25.200 -> 30:29.360] points, there is a different weekend format, there is a greater buzz, a greater capacity.
[30:29.360 -> 30:33.440] Do you think Formula One can do more to make Monaco that grand spectacle? Because from the
[30:33.440 -> 30:38.320] perspective of a fan that hasn't quite been there, case in point myself, it always seems like a bit
[30:38.320 -> 30:44.000] of a dull TV event that most people in the new generation kind of want to ignore. So how do you
[30:44.000 -> 30:45.520] kind of get that charm
[30:45.520 -> 30:51.120] off the TV screen? Maybe do something special, have more points elevated, do something else.
[30:51.120 -> 30:55.360] Do you reckon Formula One must do that to make Monaco the crown jewel? Because, I mean, in
[30:55.360 -> 31:00.640] general, the new generation kind of looks at Monaco as another obligation per se, although that shouldn't
[31:00.640 -> 31:07.000] be the case if it was, isn't it? You know, the two are so different, Oval Racing and...
[31:07.000 -> 31:10.000] Well, first of all, I don't think Monaco needs any explaining.
[31:10.000 -> 31:18.000] It is what it is, with the glamour and the history and the visuals, if you will, the optics of the situation.
[31:18.000 -> 31:24.000] And the fact that we're celebrating the fact that it is so different, that it is shorter than the usual track.
[31:24.000 -> 31:29.600] It is slower than the usual track. but the competition is no less fierce.
[31:29.600 -> 31:36.400] You just ask Daniel Ricciardo in his Red Bull days when he got a bad pit stop, they weren't
[31:36.400 -> 31:38.800] ready for him, he lost the race lead.
[31:38.800 -> 31:41.160] He was brutally disappointed.
[31:41.160 -> 31:50.840] Fortunately, he came back a year or so later and won the race, which was great redemption for him. Same thing happened to Lewis Hamilton. When he pitted
[31:50.840 -> 31:55.120] and his teammate Nico Rosberg did not, Rosberg went on and won the race. I mean, you can
[31:55.120 -> 32:01.920] tell from how angry these guys get and how disappointed the teams are if they lose a
[32:01.920 -> 32:05.000] chance to score at Monaco.
[32:05.000 -> 32:11.800] It's simply, it means so much to the teams and that's much to its credit.
[32:11.800 -> 32:14.000] So I wouldn't change a thing about Monaco.
[32:14.000 -> 32:18.600] Yeah, you want it to be more accessible to the fans, you want more fans to be able to
[32:18.600 -> 32:23.240] get in, you want to enhance the TV coverage, you want to make life as easy on the teams
[32:23.240 -> 32:24.240] as possible.
[32:24.240 -> 32:26.840] And Monaco is notoriously brutal on the teams.
[32:27.560 -> 32:30.120] Thank goodness they actually changed the pit lane a few years ago
[32:30.120 -> 32:33.360] because the old pit lane was terrifying.
[32:33.640 -> 32:37.360] I don't know if, if you guys knew back in the days, the first time I went to Monaco
[32:37.360 -> 32:40.800] and I walked out to the start finish line and I looked up and down, what was then
[32:40.800 -> 32:49.280] the pit lane, it was basically on the sidewalk next to the track. It was
[32:49.280 -> 32:56.480] dotted along the way by these platforms on top of which was a water cannon with a fireman
[32:56.480 -> 33:01.760] in complete disaster gear with his back to the racetrack because he was putting his water
[33:01.760 -> 33:06.160] cannon at the pits because if anything started with the
[33:06.160 -> 33:13.120] pit lane, I mean, the crew area about 10 feet deep, above it was this rat's nest of catwalks
[33:13.120 -> 33:17.680] between luxury boxes. And if there were ever a fire, it goes straight up, it doesn't even
[33:17.680 -> 33:26.160] bear thinking about. So these firemen with their Darth Vader safety equipment on, weren't paying attention to the race.
[33:26.160 -> 33:28.080] As soon as there was a spark in the pit lane,
[33:28.080 -> 33:29.440] it was getting a hose.
[33:29.440 -> 33:31.920] And I thought, oh my gosh.
[33:31.920 -> 33:35.000] But finally they changed the pits and it's all beautiful.
[33:35.000 -> 33:36.560] And they do enhance Monaco.
[33:36.560 -> 33:40.880] I mean, the ACO builds a fabulous luxury box
[33:40.880 -> 33:45.000] slash officials tower for the FIA.
[33:45.900 -> 33:48.620] Nah, we don't need to change anything about Monaco
[33:48.620 -> 33:50.460] except try to make it better year to year.
[33:50.460 -> 33:54.660] But getting back to the point about the Indy 500,
[33:55.600 -> 33:59.260] it's the completely opposite animal, if you will.
[33:59.260 -> 34:04.260] You know, the thing about Indianapolis is size and speed.
[34:04.260 -> 34:06.560] You know, it's a massive two and a half miles around.
[34:07.280 -> 34:12.000] It's almost distinctive in its monotony, you know, with the nine degree corners,
[34:12.480 -> 34:15.740] um, just incomprehensible speeds.
[34:15.740 -> 34:20.280] I mean, only at Lamar, perhaps do we see race cars going faster, barring
[34:20.280 -> 34:24.720] drive racing, then, uh, then we see at the Indianapolis 500 that in
[34:24.720 -> 34:28.200] self makes these, itself makes these drivers heroes
[34:28.200 -> 34:30.680] and makes them so exciting to watch.
[34:30.680 -> 34:33.640] It used to be the size of the crowd as well.
[34:33.640 -> 34:36.960] But now that we're seeing hundreds of thousands of people
[34:36.960 -> 34:40.640] turning up in places like Kota, like Silverstone,
[34:40.640 -> 34:46.880] like Melbourne, the size of the crowd at Indianapolis is simply being joined by
[34:46.880 -> 34:52.880] other great racing locations around the world. But the two sports obviously are very, very
[34:52.880 -> 34:58.560] different. The two disciplines, I should say, are so very different. You know, let's celebrate all
[34:58.560 -> 35:05.000] of it. You know, we have this wonderful spectrum of motor sports in all of its glory.
[35:07.880 -> 35:09.180] So let's enjoy all of it.
[35:10.260 -> 35:12.980] I love the point you mentioned about the numbers
[35:12.980 -> 35:15.100] and that the numbers are being matched everywhere.
[35:15.100 -> 35:17.460] I think the thing about Miami is that it's also
[35:17.460 -> 35:19.220] who's turning up that's so exciting
[35:19.220 -> 35:22.340] because there's already been so many cross-sport interactions
[35:22.340 -> 35:24.620] with George Russell being at the NBA games.
[35:24.620 -> 35:29.120] There's some NFL players that there are, of of course intended to come along and everyone's coming
[35:29.120 -> 35:32.720] for this one sole purpose to watch Ferrari and Red Bull.
[35:32.720 -> 35:36.360] The kind of same thing that that kind of battle that I get a feeling that will raise you along
[35:36.360 -> 35:37.360] everywhere.
[35:37.360 -> 35:39.400] But it's amazing, right?
[35:39.400 -> 35:43.080] We've kind of always expected Ferrari to come back after so many years.
[35:43.080 -> 35:48.800] Now that they're finally here, Red Bull have been waiting. And just to work on Red Bull's achievement, because we saw how tough
[35:48.800 -> 35:53.120] it is for a team like Mercedes to come back, to come back after a hard season. We kind of take it
[35:53.120 -> 35:58.720] for granted that Red Bull are doing so well, but I just want to know your take on this upgrades war
[35:58.720 -> 36:02.560] that we're getting to see right now, because Ferrari was so confident back in Imola, and they
[36:02.560 -> 36:07.600] thought that they could win without any upgrades. And here, they are sort of getting a feeling that,
[36:07.600 -> 36:10.440] well, we might not be the sole team at the top.
[36:10.440 -> 36:12.760] So from your eyes, from your lens,
[36:12.760 -> 36:14.640] just how does this battle evolve?
[36:14.640 -> 36:16.720] Is this the classic Formula One development war
[36:16.720 -> 36:19.480] that spills over into another fun battle over here?
[36:19.480 -> 36:20.920] Absolutely it is.
[36:20.920 -> 36:23.000] And again, that's part of the charm of Formula One
[36:23.000 -> 36:31.600] is that you can be top of the world at one race and back of the pack in the next, simply based on how you prepare and the critical
[36:31.600 -> 36:37.120] decisions that you make along the way. And then you have the element of human error. I mean,
[36:37.120 -> 36:45.120] Carlos Sainz went off the road in Imola in one Ferrari and Charles Le Charlotte cleric seemed to have the race in the bag and then wore out his
[36:45.120 -> 36:51.680] tires and got waxed by a very patient Max Verstappen. And that's, you know, two phrases I
[36:51.680 -> 36:56.800] wouldn't have used in the same sentence, any of the previous years, a patient Max Verstappen
[36:56.800 -> 37:01.840] judged his tire life perfectly passed with two laps to go. And, you know, there you have it.
[37:01.840 -> 37:05.920] And that's formula one. We, We see similar things in Formula E,
[37:06.560 -> 37:13.040] but even more so, I mean, you have a team like Tag Heuer Porsche, who were one, two in Mexico,
[37:13.040 -> 37:18.160] just a dominating race, just waited and waited and waited and then moved to the front.
[37:18.880 -> 37:25.600] And Pascoe Verlaine and Andre Lauder were just supreme. They won by like eight seconds. And they even threw
[37:25.600 -> 37:32.080] in the tactical nuance of rushing to start finish as the clock was running down at 45
[37:32.080 -> 37:36.720] minutes to get across the line before the flag wave signal in one lap to go. So you
[37:36.720 -> 37:41.440] had to do effectively two laps, which really broke the camel's back as far as the other
[37:41.440 -> 37:50.700] teams were concerned if they were short on energy. That's part of the Formula E challenge is energy management.
[37:50.700 -> 37:52.340] That's fun.
[37:52.340 -> 37:55.940] Folks talk about wheel-to-wheel racing at high speeds and all that kind of stuff.
[37:55.940 -> 37:57.420] Yeah, that's great.
[37:57.420 -> 38:02.780] It's breathtaking at times, but it's also the garage war, as I like to call it.
[38:02.780 -> 38:06.520] It's everybody in the team involved in doing his or her job
[38:06.520 -> 38:08.600] to the best of their ability.
[38:08.600 -> 38:13.440] And we all know what one recalcitrant air gun
[38:13.440 -> 38:15.600] in the pit lane can do to a team's effort
[38:15.600 -> 38:19.080] after all of this investment and all of this manpower
[38:19.080 -> 38:21.080] and all of this time spent getting race,
[38:21.080 -> 38:22.900] it can go away in a moment.
[38:24.420 -> 38:27.840] And after the Porsches swept the table in Mexico
[38:27.840 -> 38:33.040] City, we went to the next race and they were way off the pace. I mean, it just, stuff like that
[38:33.040 -> 38:39.920] happens in motorsport if innovation and development and, you know, the full spectrum of human
[38:39.920 -> 38:48.720] competition comes into play in terms of figuring things out and preparing for them. And then when they don't work, figuring out an alternative
[38:48.720 -> 38:50.480] as quickly as you can.
[38:50.480 -> 38:55.280] One of the things I just really appreciate about motorsports
[38:55.280 -> 38:58.600] is the ability of these very talented people
[38:58.600 -> 39:00.680] all the way back into the factory
[39:00.680 -> 39:04.000] and the way they can crank out solutions.
[39:04.000 -> 39:05.760] Some of the teams use, you know,
[39:05.760 -> 39:07.640] mega computers to make this stuff happen,
[39:07.640 -> 39:09.200] but you know, whatever it takes, you know,
[39:09.200 -> 39:11.980] it's, yes, there's a cost cap or a spending gap,
[39:11.980 -> 39:15.820] I should say, but it's also leaving plenty of room
[39:15.820 -> 39:19.900] for teams to do innovative and smart things.
[39:19.900 -> 39:21.320] And that's the kind of thing I think of
[39:21.320 -> 39:24.240] while I'm watching a Formula One race.
[39:24.240 -> 39:31.720] You know, back when the tragedy of 9-11 took place and all the subsequent discussion of, well, we
[39:31.720 -> 39:39.200] need cabin doors on the flight decks that can't be accessed.
[39:39.200 -> 39:43.720] And it's going to take $10,000 a door, and it's going to take three years to equip the
[39:43.720 -> 39:44.880] entire commercial fleet.
[39:44.880 -> 39:47.000] And I thought, no, no, no, no, no, no.
[39:47.000 -> 39:51.980] You give this problem to a couple of good Formula One teams, and they will be cranking
[39:51.980 -> 39:56.800] out impermeable doors within a couple of weeks, I guarantee it.
[39:56.800 -> 40:01.160] And you know, they'll have that problem handled because they are that good.
[40:01.160 -> 40:05.540] I mean, I can only compare it to the space program, or perhaps in more
[40:05.540 -> 40:14.200] recent times to the ability of science or pharmacological companies to come up with
[40:14.200 -> 40:23.160] a vaccine to battle the COVID-19 problem. I mean, that was phenomenal work. And it's
[40:23.160 -> 40:27.840] always great in any endeavor in life to see phenomenal people doing phenomenal work. And it's always great in any endeavor in life to see phenomenal people doing
[40:27.840 -> 40:33.760] phenomenal things. And it's not just the drivers in Formula One racing, it's the teams and all of
[40:33.760 -> 40:41.040] the effort and all the technology behind them. That's so true. You know, this whole garage wars,
[40:41.040 -> 40:49.960] as you call them, is going to be interesting because, you know, these cars are now four races in, there's a lot more information about them.
[40:50.360 -> 40:54.140] We've seen Ferrari choose to not bring upgrades to their cars.
[40:54.140 -> 40:57.420] They're very confident in their baseline package and just tuning in.
[40:57.880 -> 41:01.580] Whereas Red Bull is throwing everything they can towards it.
[41:01.580 -> 41:04.340] I mean, we saw in Imola, you know, they had very limited practice.
[41:04.340 -> 41:09.040] They still brought up grades and they sort of, they seemed invincible out there, right? So
[41:09.040 -> 41:12.560] it's going to be interesting to see how the two different approaches work. And, you know,
[41:12.560 -> 41:16.560] going back to your conversation, again, you said these are not cookie cutter cars.
[41:16.560 -> 41:22.560] The two cars fighting up at the front look so different. They have just such different
[41:22.560 -> 41:28.480] philosophies that, you know, they are sort of bringing to the battle. And then there has to be said about the two drivers,
[41:28.480 -> 41:34.720] you know, Max, he's, he's been, he's, he's, he's had his chance. He's like baptism by fire with
[41:34.720 -> 41:40.480] his whole battle with Lewis Hamilton last year. You know, Carlos Sainz, we've seen, he's sort of
[41:40.480 -> 41:47.560] feeling a little lost. You know, he suddenly got a car that's quick yet to, uh, have a session where we were like, Oh, wow, that's the car loss.
[41:47.560 -> 41:50.040] We remember from McLaren and 2021.
[41:50.600 -> 41:53.880] And then of course, you know, Charles Leclerc, you know, the question will
[41:53.880 -> 41:56.040] be asked about his vulnerability.
[41:56.040 -> 42:00.600] You know, it's, it's the first time he's getting a car that could probably take
[42:00.600 -> 42:10.280] him to a championship challenge in, in, in formula one, Of course, he's done fantastic stuff in Junior Formula, but let's see how he rises to the
[42:10.280 -> 42:15.760] challenge on the mental level when he's going to have a season-long battle, hopefully, against
[42:15.760 -> 42:16.760] Max Verstappen.
[42:16.760 -> 42:27.120] Yeah, it's hard to overstate the size of the leap from the highest junior level in Formula 2 into Formula 1. So much
[42:27.120 -> 42:32.880] more power, so much more technology, so much more pressure from the media, from the team, from the
[42:32.880 -> 42:40.320] fans. Who was it that talked about it? It might have been Yuki Tsunoda who talked about Formula
[42:40.320 -> 42:46.120] 1 was so different. He thought he was going to waltz in, you know, I'm a terrific Formula Two driver.
[42:46.360 -> 42:49.400] So, you know, I'm going to be a terrific Formula One driver.
[42:49.400 -> 42:50.840] It's the same stuff, only faster.
[42:50.840 -> 42:51.840] Well, no.
[42:52.640 -> 42:56.800] And he found out he wasn't in physical shape as we all found
[42:56.800 -> 42:58.520] out watching Drive to Survive.
[42:59.000 -> 43:00.480] Have you, do you guys see that?
[43:00.480 -> 43:03.640] You, are you watching that on, on Netflix?
[43:04.840 -> 43:06.880] I tried for a couple of episodes with this new
[43:06.880 -> 43:12.320] season. It was fun, but I suppose the charm kind of gets lost in the first couple of seasons,
[43:12.320 -> 43:18.320] doesn't it? So it's good objectively, but yeah. Yeah, there's problems with it. And part of that
[43:18.320 -> 43:24.080] is because, I mean, Formula One is such an amazing canvas that they can't cover everything. And so
[43:24.080 -> 43:25.920] you find yourself thinking, well, wait a minute,
[43:25.920 -> 43:27.160] just before that wasn't there.
[43:27.160 -> 43:28.920] And of course they don't have time to show that,
[43:28.920 -> 43:30.360] but see that as it may.
[43:30.360 -> 43:34.120] Look at every team on the Formula One grid
[43:34.120 -> 43:36.980] in terms of their driver's ability to come to terms
[43:36.980 -> 43:41.980] with this all new, mysterious, excuse me, race car.
[43:42.960 -> 43:45.380] You mentioned the player, He's got it.
[43:45.380 -> 43:48.440] Sainz is having issues.
[43:48.440 -> 43:54.560] George Russell appears to be very comfortable in this exotic Mercedes.
[43:54.560 -> 43:58.440] Lewis Hamilton, seven-time world champion, is having issues.
[43:58.440 -> 44:02.360] Lando Norris seems to have his hands around the neck of the McLaren.
[44:02.360 -> 44:04.160] Daniel Ricciardo is having problems.
[44:04.160 -> 44:05.040] I mean, you can go
[44:05.040 -> 44:10.800] right back down through the, through the entire grid and see one driver's seems to be way ahead
[44:10.800 -> 44:17.600] of the other in terms of dealing with the race car. And, um, that again is part of the, of the,
[44:19.600 -> 44:25.760] the formula, if you will, the, the equation, um, it's a a very human sport at its, at its very best.
[44:26.060 -> 44:29.500] These guys are all very talented, no matter what you may think of how they
[44:29.500 -> 44:31.240] got there and what their results show.
[44:31.780 -> 44:35.820] Um, but the, uh, the race car is so important.
[44:36.260 -> 44:40.600] And if you don't have your grip, you can be a 10th or two off your teammate
[44:40.620 -> 44:43.140] and be five spots behind them on the grid.
[44:43.140 -> 44:46.240] And you're going to spend your day trying to claw your way forward.
[44:46.280 -> 44:50.560] I mean, that's all part of the, of the epic story of every Formula One weekend.
[44:51.340 -> 44:53.960] Which is what's happening in the midfield with so many of the teams.
[44:54.020 -> 44:58.320] It's literally a game of musical chairs right now, but one specific midfield
[44:58.320 -> 45:01.880] team interests me because of a point you mentioned about engineers and then the
[45:01.880 -> 45:03.400] quality of the work they can get done.
[45:03.780 -> 45:05.360] For years, we've seen Mercedes
[45:05.360 -> 45:10.000] do the same with their team, so much so that we kind of thought that the dominance would never end.
[45:10.000 -> 45:14.880] Now, coming to this stage, right, you mentioned about how Formula 1 engineers can solve the
[45:14.880 -> 45:20.240] biggest and most complex of engineering problems so quickly. But just what's gone wrong over here?
[45:20.240 -> 45:29.280] Because in the simulations, at least according to them, it seems like a dream car. It should be fighting up at the top. Proposing is definitely an issue, but to this scale,
[45:29.280 -> 45:33.520] can it ever get solved? And then what about the others? Because we're kind of getting to see
[45:33.520 -> 45:38.240] McLaren at some points being right up there with them, at the others they're not. We kind of get
[45:38.240 -> 45:42.240] to see Aston Martin making improvements and then at the other points, they're not there as well.
[45:42.240 -> 45:46.880] I just love what's going on, but with Mercedes, do you see a fix to this?
[45:46.880 -> 45:47.920] Oh, sure.
[45:47.920 -> 45:49.560] Yes, I see Mercedes fixing it.
[45:49.560 -> 45:52.120] Despite all the talking down they're doing
[45:52.120 -> 45:53.600] of their own chances, oh, you know,
[45:53.600 -> 45:55.040] this is the championship is gone.
[45:55.040 -> 45:57.320] There's no way, you know, we're just going to...
[45:58.720 -> 46:00.960] The truth, I think, lies in the fact that Mercedes
[46:00.960 -> 46:04.840] went down a development path with their new car
[46:04.840 -> 46:06.400] or design path, I should say,
[46:06.400 -> 46:12.800] and they got some very critical things wrong. So the challenge now is to identify those things.
[46:12.800 -> 46:16.160] And of course, everything affects everything else when it comes to a Formula One car.
[46:17.120 -> 46:22.080] They need to isolate the particular issues, estimate their impact on all the other systems
[46:22.080 -> 46:25.400] on the car and what the potential lap time impact might be,
[46:25.400 -> 46:27.640] and then go about dealing with it.
[46:27.640 -> 46:29.560] It's a huge task,
[46:29.560 -> 46:31.960] but I'm sure they're bending their backs to it right now.
[46:31.960 -> 46:33.600] And I fully expect,
[46:34.640 -> 46:39.000] given George Russell has been right up there in every race,
[46:39.000 -> 46:41.600] despite all the woes from the pit lane,
[46:41.600 -> 46:44.940] that Lewis Hamilton will get his arms around this car
[46:44.940 -> 46:46.480] and he will challenge
[46:46.480 -> 46:53.520] again. I mean, he's just too good not to. So yeah, I see that as a central story this season,
[46:53.520 -> 47:00.000] is the return of Mercedes, maybe not to its former glory. I mean, all good things come to an end,
[47:00.000 -> 47:10.800] but to be competitive, to join that mix at the front, get out of the midfield, which as you say, is a terrific battle in itself between the, you know, the Alpines and so on of
[47:10.800 -> 47:15.600] the world. So it's, yeah, there's fun from front to back in Formula One right now. And it's,
[47:16.320 -> 47:22.560] it's all part of the story. We are so early in the season yet, with good and bad tracks for
[47:22.560 -> 47:26.660] all the teams coming forward. So, you know, make hay while the sun shines kids.
[47:28.920 -> 47:34.540] And I have some fantastic stats on Mercedes, you know, each time, uh, you
[47:34.540 -> 47:38.000] know, there has been a new circuit introduced in the hybrid turbo era.
[47:38.380 -> 47:40.860] Mercedes has won at that circuit.
[47:40.900 -> 47:43.720] Doesn't seem likely this weekend, but like you said, I
[47:43.720 -> 47:45.920] wouldn't rule Mercedes out.
[47:45.920 -> 47:48.400] It's a brilliant engineering team.
[47:48.400 -> 47:54.280] We've seen what they've done, and the fact that they're backing this rocket ship concept
[47:54.280 -> 48:00.280] with the zero parts means that there is something at the end of the road as soon as they fix
[48:00.280 -> 48:02.000] their part-pursing problems.
[48:02.000 -> 48:05.240] And I quite like the fact that we've got this budget gap, cost
[48:05.240 -> 48:09.720] gap, whatever we call it, and the reverse, you know, the sliding scale
[48:09.720 -> 48:13.400] error regulations, because, you know, in a typical era, they would have
[48:13.400 -> 48:18.360] just thrown all the money and, you know, all the engineering time
[48:18.360 -> 48:22.520] available at these problems, but they are now having to pick and choose,
[48:22.520 -> 48:24.640] you know, how they sit and solve these problems.
[48:25.000 -> 48:29.000] And like you're saying, you know, the central team is going to be a Mercedes comeback.
[48:29.000 -> 48:37.000] But I will add a couple of more stats. Lewis Hamilton has won every race in the USA when he's done his debut.
[48:37.000 -> 48:45.880] So in 2007, it was at Indianapolis. In 2012, it was at Dakota. Seems like this stat is also going to be broken.
[48:46.260 -> 48:51.720] Uh, if he wins this weekend for whatever reason, it will be the 32nd unique
[48:51.800 -> 48:54.540] venue he would probably win at.
[48:54.960 -> 49:00.440] And if he doesn't get a podium, it would be, you know, a non podium streak
[49:00.440 -> 49:05.300] of four races when Lewis's maximum non-podium streak in
[49:05.300 -> 49:07.980] his career has been nine races.
[49:07.980 -> 49:12.020] So let's see which way it actually swings for Hamilton and Mercedes.
[49:12.020 -> 49:15.700] And, you know, Lewis is loved in the United States of America.
[49:15.700 -> 49:19.280] I really hope that he, for him, it's like a home race and I'd, I'd
[49:19.280 -> 49:22.780] love to see how he sort of is able to pull more things out of the bag
[49:23.220 -> 49:26.560] after what was a disastrous weekend for him in Imola.
[49:28.320 -> 49:32.080] Yeah, no question about that. But the stats you've mentioned simply point
[49:33.120 -> 49:38.720] backward, if you will, to what Lewis has accomplished, both with his innate skills
[49:39.360 -> 49:45.120] and his mindset and the race car that his team has put under him.
[49:45.120 -> 49:52.700] He was in a terrific McLaren in 2007 when he was partnered in a disastrous way with
[49:52.700 -> 49:54.860] Fernando Alonso at McLaren.
[49:54.860 -> 49:58.680] The next year, he should have won the championship and it was seven that went to Kimi Raikkonen
[49:58.680 -> 50:01.600] because Fernando and Lewis kept taking points off each other.
[50:01.600 -> 50:05.960] But then in 2008, in the most dramatic championship finale
[50:05.960 -> 50:09.680] that I've ever been a part of, or can recall,
[50:09.680 -> 50:14.200] in the rain in Brazil, where Felipe Massa won the race,
[50:14.200 -> 50:15.600] Lewis needed to finish sixth,
[50:15.600 -> 50:20.600] got that sixth place on the last lap from Timo Glock,
[50:21.880 -> 50:24.020] and came through to snatch the title back
[50:24.020 -> 50:26.480] out of the hands of the local favorite.
[50:26.480 -> 50:28.960] I mean, that was just the most dramatic moment.
[50:28.960 -> 50:34.400] But my point is, Lewis had a good car under him then, made the switch to Mercedes.
[50:34.400 -> 50:39.000] Remember everybody thought, what the heck is Hamilton thinking going to Mercedes?
[50:39.000 -> 50:43.120] Michael Schumacher couldn't do anything with this car for crying out loud.
[50:43.120 -> 50:46.600] But he obviously knew more about it than we did
[50:46.600 -> 50:49.620] and the car came good and it was a marriage made in heaven
[50:49.620 -> 50:53.580] between great driver, great car and off we went.
[50:54.480 -> 50:57.880] Now the car is not great or at least it's very different
[50:57.880 -> 51:02.200] and very different from the kind of car that Lewis likes.
[51:02.200 -> 51:08.820] So in addition to isolating the problems with the car and correcting those, they have to
[51:08.820 -> 51:16.400] create a car that fits their, you know, their, their seven time world champion.
[51:16.400 -> 51:21.520] And it's, you know, it's, it's no surprise to anyone that the team coalesces around its
[51:21.520 -> 51:27.240] lead driver and they need to create a better car for Lewis
[51:27.240 -> 51:31.440] without taking away from the car that's under George Russell, because right now he's the
[51:31.440 -> 51:34.120] guy that's that shovel in the coal for that team.
[51:34.120 -> 51:35.740] He's scoring all the points.
[51:35.740 -> 51:38.780] So you know, it's a unique position that Mercedes is in.
[51:38.780 -> 51:43.040] And given what they've accomplished in the past, I have no doubt they'll, you know, accomplish
[51:43.040 -> 51:52.240] great things in the future and it'll be fun to watch. Yeah, you kind of get a feeling that they're just there somehow, they can't be that far off.
[51:52.240 -> 51:56.240] History has proven to us so many times that Mercedes have found their way out and I'm very
[51:56.240 -> 52:02.800] keen to see how things work out for them in that sense and actually, I just kind of dawned upon the
[52:02.800 -> 52:09.280] fact that it's also Haas' home race. It just came to me, what, 60 minutes into this episode that Haas actually had a home race,
[52:09.280 -> 52:12.680] which kind of goes to show that they've been kind of forgetful in the last couple of years.
[52:12.680 -> 52:17.080] And unfortunately, in the last couple of races as well, but the potential is there.
[52:17.560 -> 52:20.160] Is that excitement still there, you reckon, Mr. Varsha?
[52:20.160 -> 52:24.280] Because for Haas, it seems that they have a good package underneath them, but for some reason,
[52:24.680 -> 52:25.040] they're just not able to extract the most of it. Maybe Mick is not doing as well. because for Haas, it seems that they have a good package underneath them, but for some reason,
[52:30.160 -> 52:35.280] they're just not able to extract the most of it. Maybe Mick is not doing as well. Maybe they're not able to kind of compete with the Alfa Romeos sometimes. I kind of labeled them as the biggest
[52:35.280 -> 52:39.280] underperformers along with Alfa Romeo in the last episode of the podcast. So would you kind of agree
[52:39.280 -> 52:47.040] with that opinion and what do you see happening with them so far? Well, I would say that what Alfa Romeo and
[52:47.680 -> 52:52.160] Haas have been able to do with this Ferrari engine that appears to be the class of the pit lane,
[52:54.800 -> 52:59.440] I think that they're doing very, very well. They've made tremendous progress. Obviously,
[53:01.120 -> 53:06.920] the whole Nikita Mazepin, Russia problem early in the year, uh, was a bit of
[53:06.920 -> 53:07.920] a distraction.
[53:07.920 -> 53:14.620] Uh, and then they brought in, you know, the, their former driver, uh, Kevin Magnuson, who
[53:14.620 -> 53:20.680] must have been a cold shower for Mick Schumacher, because suddenly he's up against the teammate
[53:20.680 -> 53:24.560] who is outperforming him in a significant way.
[53:24.560 -> 53:26.640] I mean, Magnuson moved the car up the grid,
[53:26.640 -> 53:33.120] scored points, qualified wonderfully. I mean, who'd have guessed that an Imola, granted the
[53:33.120 -> 53:39.440] weather conditions entered into the factor, factored into the situation, but Kevin Magnuson
[53:39.440 -> 53:49.000] qualified fourth on time. Then they went into the sprint thing and he slid back down the grid a little bit.
[53:49.000 -> 53:53.680] But you know, Magnussen is a threat in that car and it didn't serve him well, particularly
[53:53.680 -> 53:58.020] in the race, whether, well, it was partly the tire choice because he started on mediums
[53:58.020 -> 53:59.120] rather than reds.
[53:59.120 -> 54:07.560] But I think what Alfa Romeo is doing and what Haas is doing with the assistance of Ferrari
[54:07.560 -> 54:09.200] is kind of fun.
[54:09.200 -> 54:11.680] I wouldn't say that they're underperforming as such.
[54:11.680 -> 54:17.680] Yeah, we all want them to do better, but they are doing better in a statistical way.
[54:17.680 -> 54:26.000] They're certainly outrunning the Aston Martins of the world, you know, the, the, the Williams team, of course,
[54:26.000 -> 54:32.000] you know, it's a, it's a race to race thing, but I'd have to say Haas and,
[54:32.000 -> 54:37.000] and Alpha are doing pretty darn well and, you know, may do better in the
[54:37.000 -> 54:41.000] near future, depending on which team Michael and Fred advise.
[54:41.000 -> 54:47.560] Wow. I just get a feeling that you can read our minds because I was just about to ask you
[54:47.560 -> 54:52.480] on just that thing, because with Haas, with Alfa Romeo, there's this whole discussion,
[54:52.480 -> 54:56.540] American team, bigger markets, three races, the potential for an American driver.
[54:56.540 -> 54:58.880] The last we spoke, things were off.
[54:58.880 -> 55:00.360] It didn't quite work out, right?
[55:00.360 -> 55:04.600] We had this chat about Andretti having an intention to buy and it didn't quite work
[55:04.600 -> 55:08.640] out. Have things changed then? Because, come on, this just feels like the right time to have,
[55:08.640 -> 55:12.720] if not one, but two American teams, because we've got so many races happening. There's
[55:12.720 -> 55:17.760] an increasing audience. I don't know why it wouldn't make sense. And if I'm not mistaken,
[55:17.760 -> 55:22.160] have they actually signed a letter of intent to kind of start an F1 team from scratch?
[55:22.160 -> 55:25.920] Are they that ambitious? Well, yes, that's what they've
[55:25.920 -> 55:30.880] essentially done is they went to the FIA and said, we're ready to join. You have space
[55:30.880 -> 55:37.920] under the mandatory team limit in the pit lane. So give us a shot. I myself have no idea
[55:38.560 -> 55:44.480] why there was so much initial reluctance. Toto Wolff, in particular from Mercedes said,
[55:42.480 -> 55:45.280] initial reluctance. Total Wolf in particular from Mercedes said,
[55:45.280 -> 55:50.280] you know, really nasty things about, you know,
[55:50.440 -> 55:52.100] as though this were a bunch of people
[55:52.100 -> 55:54.360] nobody had ever heard of, where are they coming from?
[55:54.360 -> 55:55.880] We've seen this before.
[55:57.880 -> 56:01.360] This is Michael Andretti and his success,
[56:01.360 -> 56:05.000] both as a driver and as a team owner,
[56:05.280 -> 56:09.200] particularly as a team owner, his cousin, John Andretti,
[56:09.200 -> 56:12.660] once told me that Michael has never seemed happier
[56:12.660 -> 56:16.000] than when he became a team owner and a deal maker.
[56:16.000 -> 56:19.440] And now he races in Indy cars and Indy lights
[56:19.440 -> 56:24.440] and in Formula E and in Australian super cars
[56:25.000 -> 56:26.440] and you name it.
[56:28.960 -> 56:31.240] I mean, Michael is just, he's everywhere and he can't, seemingly can't wait
[56:31.240 -> 56:34.360] for the next opportunity to go race in something else.
[56:34.360 -> 56:38.080] I think he'd be a huge addition to Formula One.
[56:38.080 -> 56:40.520] There's certainly enough talent around
[56:40.520 -> 56:43.400] to staff a really good team
[56:43.400 -> 56:45.040] and who wouldn't want to be associated
[56:45.040 -> 56:46.200] with the Andretti name?
[56:46.200 -> 56:48.800] So I don't know what the reluctance has been.
[56:48.800 -> 56:51.280] Maybe there was too much talk early on about,
[56:51.280 -> 56:53.600] you know, Andretti coming, Andretti coming.
[56:53.600 -> 56:57.260] It's gone quiet in recent weeks and months, as you know.
[56:58.440 -> 57:01.380] And to me, maybe that means something's up.
[57:02.420 -> 57:04.680] You know, Michael has said he's put the proof
[57:04.680 -> 57:05.520] of his financing out there. You know, Michael has said he's he's put the proof of his financing
[57:05.520 -> 57:10.800] out there. You know, he wants to make plans. He's got people applying for jobs with him.
[57:10.800 -> 57:17.840] And, and I'm sure there's some very experienced good people. He's got a plan. So you know,
[57:17.840 -> 57:26.560] what's what's the holdup? I don't quite understand that myself. But hopefully eventually it will come good.
[57:26.560 -> 57:28.840] He will do his deal.
[57:28.840 -> 57:33.960] Let's not forget that when the new engine regulations come into effect in 2026, it has
[57:33.960 -> 57:43.000] been confirmed that the VW group in the brands Audi and Porsche will be coming to Formula
[57:43.000 -> 57:44.000] One.
[57:44.000 -> 57:47.040] Supposedly Audi wants its own factory team,
[57:47.040 -> 57:52.000] which it went to McLaren. McLaren said, no, thank you. So now they're looking for somebody else's
[57:52.000 -> 57:59.280] going concern, going operation to buy. Porsche apparently wants to come in as an engine supplier
[57:59.920 -> 58:07.280] and has been linked to Red Bull. And maybe Michael Andretti could, you know, could find his engine
[58:07.280 -> 58:16.640] deal there. Although I understand that's not where his purported deal is right now. So, you know,
[58:16.640 -> 58:19.600] all these questions are up in the air. It's going to take a while to answer them.
[58:19.600 -> 58:24.480] But I do feel for Michael Andretti and his team right now. I'm sure they're anxious to get started
[58:22.280 -> 58:25.400] I do feel for Michael Andretti and his team right now. I'm sure they're anxious to get started,
[58:25.400 -> 58:28.280] to meet their own timeline, but join the grid.
[58:28.280 -> 58:29.680] So, what's the holdup?
[58:29.680 -> 58:30.580] Let's make it happen.
[58:30.580 -> 58:32.000] Maybe there's an announcement coming.
[58:32.000 -> 58:33.300] Let's look at it that way.
[58:34.320 -> 58:37.000] Miami would certainly be a great place for that.
[58:37.000 -> 58:39.040] I'd hate for it to go all the way to the fall
[58:39.040 -> 58:43.000] when we gather in Austin, Texas, but we shall see.
[58:44.000 -> 58:46.360] I just get a feeling it'll just come on a random Saturday
[58:46.360 -> 58:49.040] here or there, as all big Formula One announcements do.
[58:49.040 -> 58:51.400] You just open Twitter, ah, okay, new team,
[58:51.400 -> 58:52.600] come on, that's brilliant.
[58:52.600 -> 58:53.960] But it's interesting, right?
[58:53.960 -> 58:56.320] Because the timing has never been better.
[58:56.320 -> 58:59.360] And as you just spoke about, they're already in the prospect
[58:59.360 -> 59:01.980] of discussing potential engine suppliers
[59:01.980 -> 59:04.220] when there's not even one person hired for the team.
[59:04.220 -> 59:05.600] So that's so exciting
[59:05.600 -> 59:10.240] as well that the plans are real. You can kind of feel the energy coming about all the way through
[59:10.240 -> 59:16.480] with Audi, with Porsche, with Andretti. Just yeah, good times in general, you could call it that way.
[59:16.480 -> 59:21.200] And maybe with Andretti, as we spoke about last time as well, the potential of an American driver,
[59:21.200 -> 59:27.480] the potential of maybe, okay, not exactly American, but say Pat O'Ward, because he's raced enough in the USA.
[59:27.480 -> 59:31.280] He's had enough of a reputation as far as I can tell, he's doing well in IndyCar these
[59:31.280 -> 59:32.280] days as well.
[59:32.280 -> 59:35.760] If I'm not mistaken, he won the last race before this.
[59:35.760 -> 59:36.760] He won yesterday.
[59:36.760 -> 59:37.760] Yeah.
[59:37.760 -> 59:40.760] In Alabama, Barbara Morgenshank.
[59:40.760 -> 59:45.200] And that was some sight to watch, at least from what the clips I've seen on Twitter look like.
[59:45.440 -> 59:48.680] But I just have to repeat my point with the teams.
[59:48.680 -> 59:50.840] It just feels like the timing cannot get better.
[59:50.880 -> 59:54.480] If you've got a driver that kind of fits in well, I think that would be the one.
[59:54.560 -> 01:00:02.840] We were talking about Colton Hurdle last year, but it just goes to show that the list is expanding and there's no one driver that we're pinning all of our hopes on.
[01:00:03.680 -> 01:00:04.120] Well, sure.
[01:00:04.120 -> 01:00:07.600] It's fun to speculate about who you'd like to see in the car.
[01:00:07.600 -> 01:00:10.000] Yeah, Colton Hurd was a hot hand for a while.
[01:00:10.000 -> 01:00:14.400] Colton's experienced some mishaps on the track recently, but you know,
[01:00:14.400 -> 01:00:18.000] it's not a light switch, you know, you're not Formula 1 material one day
[01:00:18.000 -> 01:00:20.000] and not Formula 1 material the next.
[01:00:20.000 -> 01:00:25.480] Paddle Ward, I think, would make a fine formula one driver.
[01:00:25.480 -> 01:00:27.800] And there are guys out there with formula one experience.
[01:00:28.040 -> 01:00:31.800] If you choose to go there, have a new guy and an experienced guy on the team.
[01:00:31.800 -> 01:00:33.800] I mean, uh, you know, Mr.
[01:00:33.920 -> 01:00:34.280] Mr.
[01:00:34.280 -> 01:00:36.480] Flexible, Nico Hulkenberg is out there.
[01:00:36.840 -> 01:00:40.760] Um, and I think you could find a number of guys with helmet in hand who would
[01:00:40.760 -> 01:00:44.440] love a deal to go racing, uh, under the Andretti banner.
[01:00:44.440 -> 01:00:51.320] So yeah, it's, uh, it's fun to think about, but we'll have to wait and see.
[01:00:51.320 -> 01:00:56.120] If you had to pick one that you'd love to see the most, especially from the American
[01:00:56.120 -> 01:00:58.720] market, which one would it be, per se?
[01:00:58.720 -> 01:00:59.720] One driver?
[01:00:59.720 -> 01:01:00.720] Correct.
[01:01:00.720 -> 01:01:01.720] Wow.
[01:01:01.720 -> 01:01:02.720] I get it.
[01:01:02.720 -> 01:01:06.200] Well, I think that kind of proves it. Correct. Wow.
[01:01:09.520 -> 01:01:11.720] I get it. Well, I think that kind of proves it. There's so many good ones to pick from.
[01:01:11.720 -> 01:01:15.080] Yeah. Well, let me say this.
[01:01:15.080 -> 01:01:17.120] There is a distinct
[01:01:19.360 -> 01:01:22.000] prejudice, if that's the right word,
[01:01:22.000 -> 01:01:27.480] against young American drivers, and I've heard it from the mouths of team principals.
[01:01:27.480 -> 01:01:30.920] They think America, as Ron Dennis of McLaren once said,
[01:01:30.920 -> 01:01:33.480] America is the biggest island in the world.
[01:01:33.480 -> 01:01:35.040] And there's some truth to that.
[01:01:36.600 -> 01:01:40.960] Young drivers in the United States have so many options
[01:01:40.960 -> 01:01:43.600] to race, to make good money,
[01:01:43.600 -> 01:01:46.960] and to sleep in their own beds during the week.
[01:01:46.960 -> 01:01:51.560] If you're going to go Formula One racing, there's no question a young driver has to
[01:01:51.560 -> 01:01:57.460] go to Europe, has to race the camps, has to race the competition, because the European
[01:01:57.460 -> 01:02:02.120] perspective tends to be that the young Europeans are better than the young Americans for that
[01:02:02.120 -> 01:02:03.120] reason.
[01:02:03.120 -> 01:02:05.960] They race each other all the time, they know the tracks and so on.
[01:02:08.460 -> 01:02:10.820] I'd love to see that prejudice overcome
[01:02:10.820 -> 01:02:14.560] with a young American driver who makes the commitment
[01:02:14.560 -> 01:02:17.300] that Michael D'Andrea himself did not make
[01:02:17.300 -> 01:02:18.660] in his year in Formula One.
[01:02:18.660 -> 01:02:20.780] He wanted to fly back and forth on Concord
[01:02:21.800 -> 01:02:30.200] and that doesn't work. He once said to me, when I asked him, you know, are you
[01:02:30.220 -> 01:02:37.640] comfortable with team, you get to the factory? And his answer was, they have my number. That's,
[01:02:37.680 -> 01:02:41.720] that's, that's not how it works. You need to be there, you need to be in the factory.
[01:02:42.080 -> 01:02:45.700] Testing went away, and Michael had a rough go of it. He thought he was going to get
[01:02:45.700 -> 01:02:48.320] into a Formula One car with lots of testing, and would have the
[01:02:48.320 -> 01:02:51.040] Honda engine, and it would be really good. Well, that's when
[01:02:51.040 -> 01:02:54.540] McLaren lost their Honda deal, he wound up with a Ford engine,
[01:02:54.760 -> 01:02:57.680] and no testing. That was when the rules changed to allow
[01:02:58.400 -> 01:03:03.480] virtually zero testing. And it was before the era of highly,
[01:03:03.480 -> 01:03:06.680] highly sophisticated simulation systems. So
[01:03:06.680 -> 01:03:10.560] he didn't have that advantage either. His biggest advantage probably was the fact that
[01:03:10.560 -> 01:03:18.040] he was teamed with Ayrton Senna, who I have heard on a number of occasions was very supportive
[01:03:18.040 -> 01:03:24.080] of Michael. And when Michael got cut off at the knees after his podium at Monza, and was
[01:03:24.080 -> 01:03:34.000] sent home in favor of Mika Hakkinen and McLaren, he went home and he climbed into the all new Raynard IndyCar and won his first race at Surprise Paradise in Australia.
[01:03:34.000 -> 01:03:51.760] And the first phone call he got, Mario once told me, was from Santa, who wanted to congratulate him on landing on his feet because, you know, they knew what Michael could do, but he was just fighting with one hand behind his back that whole brief time in Formula One. But anyway, gosh, yeah,
[01:03:51.760 -> 01:03:59.920] it would be hard to pick, I think. Drivers racing in America or American drivers? I think both of
[01:03:59.920 -> 01:04:06.000] them work because at this stage, it seems like a ward would be kind of like a direct pick
[01:04:06.000 -> 01:04:10.480] in a way because he's done Formula One testing, he's been around McLaren, maybe him for Icciaro,
[01:04:10.480 -> 01:04:14.560] the rumour has been running the mills on Twitter again, a lot of rumours run the mill on Twitter,
[01:04:14.560 -> 01:04:20.560] but still, it could seem possible. He seems like the best fit, but would he be the best fit in your
[01:04:20.560 -> 01:04:25.680] eyes? I don't know if he'd be the best fit, quite frankly, because it would depend
[01:04:25.680 -> 01:04:29.760] on where he goes. If we assume he's going to McLaren, yeah, he'd fit right in because he's
[01:04:29.760 -> 01:04:35.040] essentially a McLaren driver right now in IndyCar. Now, if you try to put him somewhere else, that
[01:04:35.040 -> 01:04:40.720] might not be the case because the chemistry within these teams is so important. Can Colton Hurta do
[01:04:40.720 -> 01:04:45.520] the job? Certainly, I think he would be good. And there are some really good young Americans
[01:04:45.520 -> 01:04:47.160] in the pipeline.
[01:04:47.160 -> 01:04:50.360] Logan Sargent, for example, in Formula Two
[01:04:50.360 -> 01:04:52.860] was on a poll in Imola.
[01:04:56.320 -> 01:04:59.360] Oliver Askey was over there driving in Formula E right now
[01:04:59.360 -> 01:05:01.160] and he's taking a very thoughtful approach.
[01:05:01.160 -> 01:05:03.840] Yeah, he's not threatening to score wins,
[01:05:03.840 -> 01:05:07.720] but the challenge of Formula E from a driver's perspective
[01:05:07.720 -> 01:05:10.880] is enormous in terms of learning the car
[01:05:10.880 -> 01:05:15.880] and racing an all electric battery powered car.
[01:05:15.880 -> 01:05:18.600] But I think he's doing some great work.
[01:05:19.800 -> 01:05:23.480] Kyle Kirkwood came up through the Indy ladders,
[01:05:23.480 -> 01:05:28.400] has some possibilities. The reason I hesitate and
[01:05:28.400 -> 01:05:36.560] scratch my head a lot is the example of Jacques Villeneuve, the 97 world champion. At first,
[01:05:36.560 -> 01:05:45.200] Villeneuve, he was okay in the minor formula in Europe, Formula 3 and whatnot. He was good, not great.
[01:05:45.200 -> 01:05:49.400] Came to North America and raced in Formula Atlantic,
[01:05:49.400 -> 01:05:52.680] Toyota Atlantic, where his teammate
[01:05:52.680 -> 01:05:54.440] was a guy named Claude Bourbonnet.
[01:05:55.360 -> 01:05:59.160] Bourbonnet had movie star looks, multilingual.
[01:05:59.160 -> 01:06:02.360] He could do interviews in several different languages
[01:06:02.360 -> 01:06:03.660] really quick.
[01:06:04.880 -> 01:06:07.800] When Jacques, back in those days days has hair down to his shoulder,
[01:06:07.800 -> 01:06:10.340] ripped jeans, only would speak French.
[01:06:10.620 -> 01:06:12.700] Doesn't want to talk about anything, but music.
[01:06:12.700 -> 01:06:18.020] He was very withdrawn, but on track, they battled with one another as
[01:06:18.020 -> 01:06:28.440] teammates, like Forsyth racing, the players team, um, and much like Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso in 2007,
[01:06:28.440 -> 01:06:33.160] they took points off of each other and David Emperingham, a very talented
[01:06:33.160 -> 01:06:37.120] Canadian, came through to take the championship that year. In the offseason
[01:06:37.120 -> 01:06:45.000] they tested Bourbonnais and Villeneuve in their IndyCar.
[01:06:45.960 -> 01:06:49.520] And Villeneuve was magic.
[01:06:49.520 -> 01:06:51.560] I mean, he was a missile.
[01:06:51.560 -> 01:06:56.560] So as I saw it, as the machinery got more and more fearsome,
[01:06:57.920 -> 01:07:01.400] if you will, Villeneuve came to the fore.
[01:07:01.400 -> 01:07:03.960] His talent just helped him rise to the top.
[01:07:03.960 -> 01:07:06.280] And then of course he went off to the Indy 500,
[01:07:06.280 -> 01:07:08.680] fell two laps down and came back and won
[01:07:08.680 -> 01:07:11.040] without the benefit of a yellow flag.
[01:07:12.120 -> 01:07:13.400] And then went off to Formula One,
[01:07:13.400 -> 01:07:14.960] took pole in his first race
[01:07:14.960 -> 01:07:18.640] as Damon Hill's teammate for Williams in Australia.
[01:07:18.640 -> 01:07:22.280] And the next year won the world championship in 97.
[01:07:22.280 -> 01:07:27.240] So, you know, when you look at this crop of talented kids,
[01:07:27.320 -> 01:07:28.660] if I can call them kids,
[01:07:29.920 -> 01:07:32.080] I'm always looking for that something special
[01:07:32.080 -> 01:07:35.280] that gives me a hint that they might have this,
[01:07:35.280 -> 01:07:39.640] that they are not in the kind of car
[01:07:39.640 -> 01:07:42.900] where they can show their true ability.
[01:07:44.640 -> 01:07:46.720] I mean, I hope I made that clear.
[01:07:46.720 -> 01:07:51.840] It's there are always gems out there that just need the right
[01:07:51.840 -> 01:07:55.400] opportunity in the right car, and they'll knock your socks off.
[01:07:55.440 -> 01:07:58.760] So, you know, who that kid might be in the United States right now?
[01:07:59.280 -> 01:08:03.240] I'm not sure, but you've certainly mentioned one good one, Padua Ward.
[01:08:04.360 -> 01:08:10.400] Oh, I just love listening to that story. I wasn't aware about this from Beelno's past.
[01:08:10.960 -> 01:08:16.800] Wow. That's the best part of having you on, Sir. We just get to hear so many amazing stories that
[01:08:16.800 -> 01:08:20.960] we didn't even think would come on. And you just sit there and listen and feel like, wow,
[01:08:20.960 -> 01:08:27.760] this is amazing stuff. But Mawi, I am having having a call out time over here, but I have to
[01:08:27.760 -> 01:08:33.360] put you on the spot as is the same case with Kunal as well. About the predictions for the USGP, we
[01:08:33.360 -> 01:08:38.560] won't let you go so easily, sir. That's the main thing. Because we've had a long chat about Red
[01:08:38.560 -> 01:08:43.760] Bull, long chat about Ferrari, how the garage wars might end up happening. Who do you think wins this
[01:08:43.760 -> 01:08:46.480] garage war? I'll just make it easy for the two of you.
[01:08:46.480 -> 01:08:48.560] I think I'm gonna go for,
[01:08:48.560 -> 01:08:50.320] ambitiously, Carlos Sainz of pole position,
[01:08:50.320 -> 01:08:51.360] but Verstappen for the win.
[01:08:51.360 -> 01:08:52.720] But what do you reckon, sir?
[01:08:52.720 -> 01:08:55.000] Who would you put your money on?
[01:08:55.000 -> 01:08:56.040] And from the weekend,
[01:08:56.040 -> 01:08:57.640] I suppose it's gonna be a lot more exciting
[01:08:57.640 -> 01:09:00.360] because you get to see it happen live in front of your eyes.
[01:09:00.360 -> 01:09:01.200] That's right.
[01:09:01.200 -> 01:09:02.840] So we're talking Miami winner.
[01:09:02.840 -> 01:09:04.760] I'd agree with you on Max Verstappen.
[01:09:04.760 -> 01:09:28.400] And you can put your money on him if you want, but you're not going to get very good odds because I think a lot of people would realize Max seems to have that innate ability to, you know, to keep his car under well have mixed conditions where there's a lot of unknown, you know, his car control is, uh, is superb.
[01:09:28.920 -> 01:09:35.440] Um, Charlotte Claire, while very, very quick, um, you know, has taken a couple
[01:09:35.440 -> 01:09:38.400] of pole positions this year has won a couple of races this year.
[01:09:39.320 -> 01:09:48.960] Um, I really, uh, I I'm mindful of Imola where, where he, you know, where he overshot the life of his
[01:09:48.960 -> 01:09:51.880] tires, but he's still a great pick.
[01:09:51.880 -> 01:09:56.840] You know, Red Bull and Ferrari, I think would garner most votes right now.
[01:09:56.840 -> 01:10:02.040] But you know, that was the case in Monza a couple of years ago when Verstappen and Hamilton
[01:10:02.040 -> 01:10:06.040] both wound up in a steaming pile off of turn one.
[01:10:06.040 -> 01:10:10.920] And Daniel Ricardo of all people came through for the ultimate redemption on the McLaren
[01:10:10.920 -> 01:10:13.880] team by going on to win the race.
[01:10:13.880 -> 01:10:19.720] Um, gosh, it's, it's going to be really hard to pick, ask me after qualifying and they'll
[01:10:19.720 -> 01:10:27.680] tell you when the race and that's, you know, that's part of the, of the joy of going to this event because there is so many
[01:10:27.680 -> 01:10:34.480] questions. I just can't wait to listen to your take on the whole race after it unfolds as well,
[01:10:34.480 -> 01:10:39.600] it'll be so much fun but in general sir, can I just take a moment to say how much we love to
[01:10:39.600 -> 01:10:46.280] have you on because I absolutely have been sitting here enjoying listening and you don't get
[01:10:46.280 -> 01:10:47.280] that with too many people.
[01:10:47.280 -> 01:10:50.240] You just don't feel like you just want to listen more and more and more.
[01:10:50.240 -> 01:10:53.560] But so it's been amazing to have you on.
[01:10:53.560 -> 01:10:54.640] Seriously.
[01:10:54.640 -> 01:10:56.080] And time has actually flown past.
[01:10:56.080 -> 01:11:00.240] I don't know how much it's been, but it's been over an hour, but I don't even feel like
[01:11:00.240 -> 01:11:01.240] it.
[01:11:01.240 -> 01:11:04.380] I've felt like we just started 10 minutes ago, which is the amazing part of having such
[01:11:04.380 -> 01:11:05.400] a great storyteller on.
[01:11:05.400 -> 01:11:08.480] But sir, thank you for making the time to come on to the show in the first place.
[01:11:08.480 -> 01:11:09.960] It's amazing to have you on.
[01:11:10.880 -> 01:11:12.520] Anytime, fellas. I like it.
[01:11:14.920 -> 01:11:17.600] Wowee. So folks, that was that.
[01:11:17.720 -> 01:11:20.200] I hope you had a good time listening because I certainly did.
[01:11:20.480 -> 01:11:22.840] And in case you liked it, you know the deal, right? You know what to do.
[01:11:22.840 -> 01:11:26.380] Leave a good review, subscribe to the podcast and all the other good stuff.
[01:11:26.380 -> 01:11:28.720] But yeah, we should be back with the Miami GP review
[01:11:28.720 -> 01:11:31.160] with more fun stuff and just be right here.
[01:11:31.160 -> 01:11:32.640] Enjoy, have a good time folks.
[01:11:32.640 -> 01:11:33.540] Enjoy the weekend.
[01:11:33.540 -> None] And. you