Safety Car robbed Ferrari at Monza? 2022 Italian GP Review

In the build-up to the 2022 Italian GP & in our preview episode, we asked if Red Bull Racing would finally conquer Monza. They did; as did Max Verstappen.

But did the late-race Safety Car rob Ferrari & the tifosi of a possible race win at home in Monza? Could we see rule changes to prevent races ending under the Safety Car?

Join our race watchalong sessions with the legendary British Formula 1 commentator Steve Slater (ex-Sky TV, ESPN, Star Sports).

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

Get your FREE access pass: Paytm Insider & Inside Line F1 Podcast - Race Watchalong with Steve Slater.

In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil, @f1statsguru aka Sundaram and Kunal review the 2022 Italian Grand Prix. Were Ferrari right in pitting Charles Leclerc under the VSC - and was the medium the correct choice? Did Ferrari-Leclerc have any chance of winning the race? Carlos Sainz & Lewis Hamilton's recovery drives, Nyck de Vries' heroic debut, @f1statguru's much-popular stats segment & more. Tune in!

(Season 2022, Episode 55)

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

Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool

**Race Review: 2022 Italian Grand Prix**

* **Key Points:**
* Max Verstappen's victory at the Italian Grand Prix highlighted Red Bull's dominance.
* Ferrari's strategic blunder with Charles Leclerc's pit stop raised questions about their decision-making.
* The late-race safety car sparked debate about potential rule changes to prevent races from ending under caution.
* The race showcased the emergence of Williams with strong performances from Nick de Vries and Nicholas Latifi.
* Statistical analysis revealed interesting insights, including Lewis Hamilton's lack of a championship win in 2022 and Verstappen's impressive record of winning from various grid positions.

**Detailed Summary:**

1. **Red Bull's Dominance:**
* Verstappen's victory extended his championship lead and solidified Red Bull's position as the dominant team.
* The team's strategic decision to prioritize downforce over straight-line speed paid off, resulting in lower tire degradation and better race pace.
* Verstappen's ability to win from different grid positions demonstrated his versatility and adaptability.

2. **Ferrari's Strategic Misstep:**
* Ferrari's decision to pit Leclerc for medium tires under the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was widely criticized.
* The choice left Leclerc vulnerable to Verstappen's fresher soft tires, hindering his chances of a race win.
* Ferrari's strategy appeared to be an attempt to create a tire offset and gain an advantage, but it ultimately backfired.

3. **Safety Car Controversy:**
* The late-race safety car deployment due to Ricardo's stranded car sparked discussions about potential rule changes.
* Some argued for a red flag to ensure a proper race finish, while others emphasized the importance of safety.
* The incident highlighted the challenges in balancing entertainment and safety considerations in Formula One.

4. **Williams' Resurgence:**
* Nick de Vries' impressive debut for Williams earned him the 'Driver of the Day' accolade.
* De Vries' performance, coupled with Nicholas Latifi's strong showing, hinted at a potential resurgence for the Williams team.
* The team's improved pace and strategic decisions contributed to their positive results.

5. **Statistical Insights:**
* Statistical analysis revealed that Hamilton's championship drought in 2022 marked the first time since 2018 that he failed to win back-to-back titles.
* Verstappen's victory extended his record of winning from various grid positions to seven, showcasing his adaptability and consistency.
* Ferrari's struggles with tire degradation and Leclerc's lack of success in converting pole positions into race wins were also highlighted.

**Overall, the 2022 Italian Grand Prix provided a mix of excitement, controversy, and statistical intrigue, making it a memorable race for Formula One fans.**

# Inside Line F1 Podcast - Episode 55: 2022 Italian Grand Prix Review

**Key Points:**

* Max Verstappen's dominant victory at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix, extending his championship lead.
* Ferrari's strategic blunder with Charles Leclerc's pit stop under the Virtual Safety Car.
* Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton's impressive recovery drives.
* Nyck de Vries' heroic debut for Williams, finishing ninth.
* Fernando Alonso's radio message expressing frustration with his Alpine team.
* Aston Martin's announcement of Philippe Hidragovic as a member of their Driver Development Academy.
* Mick Schumacher's strong performance for Haas, raising questions about Kevin Magnussen's future.
* The possibility of Max Verstappen securing his second world championship in Singapore.
* The upcoming live race watch along session on Paytm Insider with Steve Slater for the Singapore Grand Prix.

**Insights and Perspectives:**

* The late-race Safety Car added excitement to the race, bringing Verstappen and Leclerc closer together.
* Sainz's comfortable performance in the car suggests he may deliver strong results in the remaining races.
* Hamilton's recovery drive from 19th to fifth showcases his resilience and determination.
* Alonso's radio message highlights his frustration with Alpine and raises questions about the team's communication.
* The development of young drivers like Hidragovic and Schumacher is crucial for the future of Formula One.
* The Singapore Grand Prix could potentially see Verstappen clinch his second world championship.

**Controversies and Debate:**

* The debate surrounding Ferrari's pit stop strategy for Leclerc, with some arguing it cost him the race win.
* The discussion about Magnussen's recent struggles and whether he deserves to retain his seat at Haas.

**Overall Message:**

The 2022 Italian Grand Prix provided thrilling racing action, strategic decisions, and standout performances from drivers like Verstappen, Sainz, Hamilton, and de Vries. The upcoming Singapore Grand Prix promises more excitement and the potential for Verstappen to secure his second world title.

[00:00.000 -> 00:23.800] Have you ever had one of those circumstances where you've actually went to your mum or
[00:23.800 -> 00:27.200] your dad and you've asked him for permission for going outside
[00:27.200 -> 00:30.860] and your friends are very desperately waiting for you to get a yes,
[00:30.860 -> 00:33.400] but then you get a no and deep down inside,
[00:33.400 -> 00:37.300] you actually just did it for a formality because you actually knew that if you went out,
[00:37.300 -> 00:38.900] you wouldn't really have a good time.
[00:38.900 -> 00:45.360] It's kind of what this 2022 Monza or the Italian GP feels like because we're all harping about the safety car coming
[00:45.360 -> 00:50.660] in at the very end and then having the possibility of a good race but deep down do we really
[00:50.660 -> 00:54.580] think that Ferrari could have gotten the job done had they had the chance with of course
[00:54.580 -> 00:58.960] Verstappen on fresher tyres and Lothair not so much? That is the question we're going
[00:58.960 -> 01:05.280] to answer on this episode of the Inside Lineup 1 But first, I have to introduce myself. My name
[01:05.280 -> 01:10.440] is Somal Arora. I'm the host of The Driving Force on Disney Plus Hotstar. And luckily,
[01:10.440 -> 01:15.280] we've got the entire trio with us. So firstly, of course, the voice you hear more often,
[01:15.280 -> 01:20.620] Kunal Shah, the former marketing head of the Force India F1 team, who's also an FIA accredited
[01:20.620 -> 01:25.040] Formula One journalist for the Viaplay network. and back as a part of the discussion for
[01:25.040 -> 01:30.400] the entire episode this time, F1 stats guru Sundaram and while we Sundaram, we were a part
[01:30.400 -> 01:34.960] of the live stream on Paytm Insider yesterday for a live race watch along and we were just so
[01:34.960 -> 01:40.640] perplexed. I mean I myself feel like a hypocrite because back in Abu Dhabi, I was harping on about
[01:40.640 -> 01:49.120] the need to kind of have consistency with the rules and to have the safety car finish the race if the car cannot be cleared. But here we were complaining about quite the
[01:49.120 -> 01:51.720] opposite. So I mean, I feel guilty on it myself.
[01:51.720 -> 01:55.020] You know, a lot of people have also been calling for Michael Massey to be back. They've been
[01:55.020 -> 02:00.520] missing Michael Massey because the race did not restart. And yes, we do feel like hypocrites
[02:00.520 -> 02:09.120] because I do remember that we kind of analysed this whole situation. Maybe there should a different sort of a regulation brought in that a red flag should be brought out for the
[02:09.120 -> 02:14.400] last five laps of the race if that's the case. Because ultimately we do want the race to finish.
[02:14.400 -> 02:19.200] But yeah, that's probably, I mean, thinking in hindsight, maybe they did apply the rules
[02:19.200 -> 02:24.960] correctly. But yeah, I think that's there's a lot of thinking to be done, thinking to be done there.
[02:24.960 -> 02:31.680] We're talking about safety cars and Abu Dhabi always comes to everybody's minds Lewis Hamilton actually made a reference to it
[02:31.680 -> 02:35.060] And like always before going into the serious stuff
[02:35.720 -> 02:38.440] the even more serious stuff is Lewis Hamilton is
[02:39.200 -> 02:41.360] mathematically out of contention to win the
[02:41.920 -> 02:42.960] 2022
[02:42.960 -> 02:46.880] Formula One World Championship. That is if he was in contention
[02:46.880 -> 02:51.680] ever, right? At least we know that the Mercedes has not been as quick as it has been in the
[02:51.680 -> 02:59.680] previous many seasons. And this is the first time since 2018 that Lewis Hamilton has failed to win
[02:59.680 -> 03:05.240] a back-to-back Formula One title. Now that's a stat you may not read anywhere else,
[03:05.240 -> 03:08.760] or you may not hear anywhere else on the internet.
[03:08.760 -> 03:11.880] And still sticking to the safety car,
[03:11.880 -> 03:15.360] I think rules might be brought into effect,
[03:15.360 -> 03:17.840] but we all need to keep perspective here
[03:17.840 -> 03:20.380] that it is not as straightforward,
[03:20.380 -> 03:22.160] it's not as black or white.
[03:22.160 -> 03:25.160] I mean, Ricardo's car had just stopped.
[03:25.160 -> 03:26.160] He wasn't in the wall.
[03:26.160 -> 03:28.760] The driver wasn't injured.
[03:28.760 -> 03:29.720] He walked out.
[03:29.720 -> 03:32.680] The marshals just couldn't hit the car into neutral
[03:32.680 -> 03:35.520] and roll it off, and hence the tractor had to come.
[03:35.520 -> 03:38.160] It just so happened that it was in the last five
[03:38.160 -> 03:39.280] laps of the race.
[03:39.280 -> 03:42.840] And I just hope that the reverse doesn't happen,
[03:42.840 -> 03:45.600] that certainly there's a safety car, five laps to go,
[03:45.600 -> 03:47.520] and you need to hit a red flag just because you
[03:47.520 -> 03:50.280] want racing to happen.
[03:50.280 -> 03:51.800] Because then the other rule change
[03:51.800 -> 03:54.720] will come in that will you still be
[03:54.720 -> 03:58.000] allowed to change tires under a red flag
[03:58.000 -> 03:59.800] if it's in the last five laps of the race?
[03:59.800 -> 04:04.160] Because one of the reasons why we did not want a safety car
[04:04.160 -> 04:07.840] is to see if Leclerc could have attacked Verstappen,
[04:07.840 -> 04:09.280] Leclerc who had pitted, by the way,
[04:09.280 -> 04:12.240] he pitted for a scrubbed or a used set of soft,
[04:12.240 -> 04:15.280] so he wasn't on a fresh set of softs either and so on.
[04:15.280 -> 04:19.520] So my point is, we're trying to put in too many variables
[04:19.520 -> 04:21.120] and control a lot of variables
[04:21.120 -> 04:23.680] just to get a photo finish each time.
[04:23.680 -> 04:25.440] And I don't know if that's possible
[04:25.440 -> 04:31.440] each time. Yeah that's true I mean deep down as I mentioned it felt like we all knew the result,
[04:31.440 -> 04:35.760] Max was already the faster one but that's the serious stuff right I want to get to the serious
[04:35.760 -> 04:41.200] stuff after a little bit but I just want to know this take from you guys and I want you to respond
[04:41.200 -> 04:47.120] to me on social media if you do get the chance to but who gets more hate this weekend from all the Italian fans?
[04:47.120 -> 04:52.280] Okay, maybe hate is a very strong word but who do the Italian fans dislike more this
[04:52.280 -> 04:53.280] weekend?
[04:53.280 -> 04:56.840] Is it Verstappen for being too good or is it Ferrari or is it FIA?
[04:56.840 -> 05:02.180] I'm sorry, not for kind of restarting the race towards the very end and it's just perplexing
[05:02.180 -> 05:05.040] about what might be going on in their mind at this particular moment
[05:05.040 -> 05:05.720] in time.
[05:05.720 -> 05:08.960] But all the way through as well, it was such an amazing race
[05:08.960 -> 05:12.200] that we also saw the emergence of Williams
[05:12.200 -> 05:14.560] having two drivers with a very similar name.
[05:14.560 -> 05:16.680] There's firstly Nick DeVries, of course,
[05:16.680 -> 05:19.000] our hero for this weekend, our driver of the day.
[05:19.000 -> 05:24.160] And there's Nick DeBrie, Nick for Nicholas and DeBrie
[05:24.160 -> 05:26.780] for, of course, I don't have to expand on that a little bit
[05:26.780 -> 05:29.440] more but tremendous how that went on.
[05:29.440 -> 05:33.160] And that is also going to be one of the big things that we discuss on this episode in
[05:33.160 -> 05:38.840] depth later on, including also asking us the question, well, just why does the FIA not
[05:38.840 -> 05:41.840] go for red flags and restarts of a race?
[05:41.840 -> 05:45.360] All of that and more, but after a short break on the Inside Line F1 podcast.
[05:45.360 -> 05:46.200] Stay right here.
[05:47.120 -> 05:48.200] Oh yes, folks.
[05:48.200 -> 05:51.400] We had a wonderful time yesterday
[05:51.400 -> 05:54.100] on our live race watch along on PTM Insider
[05:54.100 -> 05:55.040] with Steve Slater.
[05:55.040 -> 05:57.240] And we were just able to analyze all the strategies
[05:57.240 -> 06:00.800] and we were able to just react and interact with Steve
[06:00.800 -> 06:01.840] in such a fun way.
[06:01.840 -> 06:04.320] And there was so many people sending in their questions
[06:04.320 -> 06:07.680] and you can be a part of that very group the next time out as well for the Singapore
[06:07.680 -> 06:12.180] Grand Prix. So don't forget to check out the link in our description to sign up for that
[06:12.180 -> 06:17.200] particular race weekend. But yes Kunal, where do we begin? Do we start with a safety car?
[06:17.200 -> 06:20.720] Do we start with a negative race? Because my mind is bubbling up with thoughts about
[06:20.720 -> 06:26.420] this race and I don't know what's more important or what's more entertaining, because both these things just
[06:26.420 -> 06:27.880] really made it a pretty good race.
[06:27.880 -> 06:29.800] So let's start with a simple one, actually,
[06:29.800 -> 06:30.460] rating the race.
[06:30.460 -> 06:32.260] How would you rate this race in general?
[06:32.260 -> 06:34.720] My goodness, this is where I'm always in a spot.
[06:34.720 -> 06:38.560] I think it was an 8 or 9 on 10.
[06:38.560 -> 06:42.440] I mean, I loved the confidence with which Red Bull,
[06:42.440 -> 06:44.640] which Stapin were able to take a penalty,
[06:44.640 -> 06:46.680] and immediately after qualifying, where Stapin was were able to take a penalty. And immediately after qualifying,
[06:46.680 -> 06:47.520] where Stapin was like,
[06:47.520 -> 06:49.720] if I get through lap one cleanly
[06:49.720 -> 06:52.160] and I'm P2 behind Charles,
[06:52.160 -> 06:53.640] then it's game on.
[06:53.640 -> 06:56.400] And he has now proved again
[06:56.400 -> 07:00.240] that he can win from several positions on the grid.
[07:00.240 -> 07:02.120] And he made it seem very effortless.
[07:02.120 -> 07:06.640] And I loved how Red Bull took a very different approach
[07:06.640 -> 07:07.520] to the race itself.
[07:07.520 -> 07:11.000] We've known that they've got the fastest car
[07:11.000 -> 07:13.680] in the straight line when they wanted to be the fastest car
[07:13.680 -> 07:14.860] in the straight line.
[07:14.860 -> 07:16.360] But in Monza, they actually went
[07:16.360 -> 07:17.960] for a higher downforce setup.
[07:17.960 -> 07:22.580] They took on more wing on Max's car than say, for example,
[07:22.580 -> 07:25.000] what Charles had on his Ferrari, right?
[07:25.640 -> 07:29.280] And that set up difference is actually what helped
[07:29.280 -> 07:32.620] Max Verstappen preserve his tires
[07:32.620 -> 07:35.440] or have lower tire degradation than the Ferrari
[07:35.440 -> 07:37.440] and that's where the race was actually won
[07:37.440 -> 07:40.160] apart from the fact that it was a very efficient
[07:40.160 -> 07:42.720] and a quick racing car in itself.
[07:42.720 -> 07:46.480] And when we look at the speed trap figures
[07:46.480 -> 07:50.320] released by the FIA, they are not always accurate
[07:50.320 -> 07:54.400] because they are DRS red speed traps.
[07:54.400 -> 07:57.440] But when you remove the DRS out of the equation,
[07:57.440 -> 08:00.720] despite carrying more wing, Max Verstappen
[08:00.720 -> 08:04.240] was able to actually match Charles Leclerc's Ferrari
[08:04.240 -> 08:05.440] in the straight line speed.
[08:05.440 -> 08:12.400] So not only he had the potent straight line speed to overtake people, but he also had
[08:13.120 -> 08:18.000] lower tire degradation, which gave him a lot more might in tire strategy.
[08:18.800 -> 08:23.920] Back in the day, between 2010 and 2013, when Sebastian Vettel was winning all those races
[08:23.920 -> 08:29.700] for Red Bull, one very interesting stat that was doing the rounds was the fact that Sebastian Vettel had never won a race
[08:30.400 -> 08:31.720] further behind P3
[08:31.720 -> 08:37.440] He had always won from the first three positions of a Grand Prix and that doesn't really apply to Max Verstappen anymore
[08:37.440 -> 08:40.880] he doesn't really care about great positions anymore because
[08:41.640 -> 08:46.960] Before the season he had won a race only from the starting four positions p1 to p4
[08:46.960 -> 08:52.720] but this year already he's won from seven different starting grid slots which is the most
[08:52.720 -> 08:57.760] by a driver in one season so you don't really have to put a scar out in qualifying wherever he
[08:57.760 -> 09:02.560] wherever he starts the grid the race on i think he's going to put up a very good show at the end
[09:02.560 -> 09:08.720] it's not going to bother him anymore it's so so true. I think once he seals the championship in Singapore, which could happen,
[09:08.720 -> 09:12.720] or maybe even Suzuka for that matter, I don't know. Let's be prudent about this. We should
[09:12.720 -> 09:18.640] actually just maybe send in a petition to Red Bull Racing, asking him to start the race from the back
[09:18.640 -> 09:22.560] of the grid, just for fun, just for fun. Let's see. I mean, let's see where he can end up. Maybe
[09:22.560 -> 09:28.400] he ends up with P1 and he ends up winning it by a 10 second gap. I mean, just for fun. Let's see where he can end up. Maybe he ends up with P1 and he ends up winning it by a 10 second gap. Just for fun. Let's wait and see how that potentially
[09:28.400 -> 09:32.320] happens and I just wish that Red Bull end up doing that. But on a more serious note,
[09:32.320 -> 09:36.520] Sundaram, just what do the numbers and what do the stats say about this Italian GP? Because
[09:36.520 -> 09:41.680] with so many variables, like a new driver, like Verstappen setting on new records and
[09:41.680 -> 09:45.800] like big changes in the midfield, I suppose there must be a lot of fun stuff to read out from that.
[09:45.800 -> 09:52.800] Oh, absolutely. It was one of my better weekends because there were quite a bit of stats to, you know, find and dig out.
[09:52.800 -> 09:58.200] I'm just going to cover up on the more important ones for this weekend.
[09:58.200 -> 10:01.800] Obviously, Kunal has mentioned that Hamilton's out of the running for the championship.
[10:01.800 -> 10:04.800] And I mentioned that Verstappen's won from seven different positions.
[10:04.800 -> 10:09.040] These are the most biggest stats I would say but I also have to mention that
[10:09.040 -> 10:15.120] Mercedes have taken 13 podiums this year and that's the most by a team in one season without
[10:15.120 -> 10:21.280] winning a Grand Prix. 13 podiums without a single win and also talking about Charles Leclerc, he's
[10:21.280 -> 10:25.080] lost yet another race starting from pole position. He has 17
[10:25.080 -> 10:31.200] poles in Formula 1 and he's won just four of them. In fact, Max Verstappen has won six
[10:31.200 -> 10:36.000] races when Shah Al-Lakhlaq has started from pole. So the next time Lakhlaq starts on pole,
[10:36.000 -> 10:38.720] I think Verstappen is going to be very, very happy.
[10:38.720 -> 10:43.880] And that could well end up being Singapore for all we know in three weeks time. But it's
[10:43.880 -> 10:45.760] so hard to speculate right now.
[10:45.760 -> 10:48.920] But in general as well, Kunal, on the subject of Ferrari,
[10:48.920 -> 10:51.920] on the subject of the pace and them being competitive,
[10:51.920 -> 10:54.520] it's like the minions now need a new big boss.
[10:54.520 -> 10:56.120] If you've seen the movie, you kind of
[10:56.120 -> 10:57.160] understand the reference.
[10:57.160 -> 11:00.120] Because Ferrari now, they're struggling
[11:00.120 -> 11:01.840] in terms of strategy, yes.
[11:01.840 -> 11:03.760] And we should discuss why they actually
[11:03.760 -> 11:10.320] boxed for the medium so early on in the first VSC. But secondly, I think Mattia Binotto's comments are coming to light and we are
[11:10.320 -> 11:15.360] seeing Ferrari actually generally fall back in terms of performance as well. So with that in
[11:15.360 -> 11:19.200] mind, would you actually say that Ferrari were robbed this weekend at the end? I would say
[11:20.080 -> 11:31.800] it's easy to assume that Ferrari were robbed at the end and we all wanted that two lap or one lap shootout and see if Charles could take the fight to max or at least just having them battle.
[11:31.800 -> 11:34.760] So definitely Formula 1, the T4C, all of us were robbed.
[11:35.200 -> 11:40.840] But like I explained at the start of the show, these are moments where safety is of prime importance.
[11:40.840 -> 11:50.400] And that's what the FIA will always focus on, whether it's the fifth lap or the 55th lap of a race, they don't really care about that. And I guess that, at least at the
[11:50.400 -> 11:56.720] moment, is sacrosanct to Formula 1, right, that apart from what happened in Abu Dhabi, like we
[11:56.720 -> 12:02.960] keep talking. So I think maybe they were robbed of a chance. Up until now, they didn't really have
[12:02.960 -> 12:05.360] a chance, but in Monza, it seemed
[12:05.360 -> 12:09.520] that they had sorted their car out a little bit. They were a lot more comfortable because
[12:09.520 -> 12:16.880] the trend has been that since maybe Hungary, the Ferrari has eaten up its tires a lot more than,
[12:16.880 -> 12:32.320] say, the Red Bull. And then Belgium, we also saw what sort of happened with the new technical directive come in and so on. And you know, so to my mind, I think we were all robbed, but maybe the decisions made based
[12:32.320 -> 12:35.280] on the current regulations were pretty fine.
[12:35.280 -> 12:39.080] And you know, everybody's been asking the questions, should Ferrari have boxed for the
[12:39.080 -> 12:49.360] hard in the first VSC and so on, I personally believe that they were lacking outright pace to Max Verstappen,
[12:49.360 -> 12:55.440] and which is why they purposely went for a different strategy to see if they could take
[12:55.440 -> 13:00.960] the fight to Max. And like we saw even in Zandvoort, you know, the first part of the race,
[13:00.960 -> 13:06.520] not a lot of overtaking happened while drivers were on the same tire and the same utilization of tires and so on.
[13:06.520 -> 13:08.180] But once you were on a different tire
[13:08.180 -> 13:10.720] and you had an offset of pace or a bit of a delta that
[13:10.720 -> 13:12.420] was needed, you could make overtakes.
[13:12.420 -> 13:15.880] So that was also eventually what Ferrari
[13:15.880 -> 13:17.880] was trying to do to create the tire offset
[13:17.880 -> 13:21.000] and then go attack Max Verstappen, which, of course,
[13:21.000 -> 13:22.400] we know didn't happen.
[13:22.400 -> 13:30.800] I think the T4C must have felt robbed, in specific specific more robbed than anyone else because there was, I mean they could not witness the race
[13:30.800 -> 13:36.240] for the last two Italian Grands Prix because of Covid obviously and the last two years Ferrari
[13:36.240 -> 13:40.960] were not really that competitive. So this year when the car does seem to be at the front, they
[13:40.960 -> 13:48.240] have been winning a couple of races and especially after what they saw through free practice and in qualifying, there surely must have been a lot of hope
[13:48.240 -> 13:53.600] built up leading up to Sunday, but they probably did not know that Max Verstappen had his car
[13:53.600 -> 13:55.160] set up for race day.
[13:55.160 -> 13:59.320] And now that we are at the end of this triple header, you can probably say this a little
[13:59.320 -> 14:05.780] bit with more surety that probably the technical directive has affected Ferrari's pace to a certain extent
[14:05.780 -> 14:11.900] and also they are suffering with tyre degradation. It's debatable if they should have switched
[14:11.900 -> 14:16.800] or if they should have pitted during the VSE but what I felt at that point of time is Max
[14:16.800 -> 14:22.400] Verstappen coming up to P3 or P4 in the first few laps, he just needed a handful of laps
[14:22.400 -> 14:25.620] to probably pass Leclerc and they were both on the same set of tires.
[14:25.880 -> 14:28.640] Had he done that then I think it would have been more straight.
[14:28.640 -> 14:31.100] It would have been very straightforward that they would do a
[14:31.260 -> 14:35.220] one stop and Leclerc would not have had the chance to probably get that position back.
[14:35.300 -> 14:39.780] They saw a small window of opportunity during the VSC and I think they took the risk and went for it.
[14:39.940 -> 14:43.440] But unfortunately it didn't pay off because they didn't really have the pace.
[14:43.440 -> 14:48.100] We saw that even after the safety car Leclerk was not covering up ground by a lot.
[14:48.100 -> 14:51.700] So I think eventually, Westhapen would have won even without the safety car.
[14:51.700 -> 14:55.500] That's true. And you know, we were robbed of how it would have all turned out.
[14:55.500 -> 15:02.000] It was like lots of these races that end with a safety car or just before a safety car.
[15:02.000 -> 15:04.700] We eventually know the end winner, right?
[15:04.700 -> 15:07.500] All we want to know is how the victory would have been taken.
[15:07.500 -> 15:11.300] And I think that's the how that we are all wondering that would have happened.
[15:11.300 -> 15:14.500] And pitting under the safety car was, again, the right thing to do.
[15:14.500 -> 15:19.000] And, you know, lots of times they're criticized for not doing that.
[15:19.000 -> 15:22.600] It sometimes just so happens that you make all the right strategy calls,
[15:22.600 -> 15:25.160] but you just don't have the underlying pace.
[15:25.160 -> 15:29.720] And that's what happened in the case of Charles Leclerc.
[15:29.720 -> 15:31.640] But if you were to switch it back,
[15:31.640 -> 15:34.720] they actually had the pace from Carlos Sainz's perspective
[15:34.720 -> 15:38.960] to go all the way down from 18th to fourth place.
[15:38.960 -> 15:43.880] So, all in all, they were quicker compared to the rest.
[15:43.880 -> 15:45.920] And I'll quote George Russell here.
[15:45.920 -> 15:48.000] George Russell said, I can keep anybody behind me
[15:48.000 -> 15:50.960] in the race apart from Max Verstappen.
[15:50.960 -> 15:52.760] And that's literally what's been happening.
[15:52.760 -> 15:54.760] Everybody is able to compete amongst themselves.
[15:54.760 -> 15:57.440] The 19 drivers, maybe not Nicholas Latifi,
[15:57.440 -> 15:58.640] so say 18 drivers.
[15:58.640 -> 16:01.960] Latifi is always at the back, and Max is always at the front.
[16:01.960 -> 16:02.600] That's true.
[16:02.600 -> 16:03.080] That's true.
[16:03.080 -> 16:05.920] And it somehow just feels that Ferrari
[16:05.920 -> 16:08.280] have lost touch with Red Bull and Red Bull only.
[16:08.280 -> 16:10.720] I mean, they're dropping back into the Maseri zone.
[16:10.720 -> 16:12.520] But with Carlos Sainz as well, it kind of
[16:12.520 -> 16:16.560] leaves you perplexed about what the actual pace is really like.
[16:16.560 -> 16:18.760] Because somehow, the world always
[16:18.760 -> 16:20.880] finds a way not to make Sainz the focal point.
[16:20.880 -> 16:22.920] I mean, regardless of how good he can be,
[16:22.920 -> 16:24.280] just think about it this weekend.
[16:24.280 -> 16:49.040] 18th to nearly third had the safety car not been there. He was on fire. the I think it's not really a great time to dive down to the pace of Carlos Sainz before we actually talk about what the FIA could have done better, if they could have done something
[16:49.040 -> 16:50.840] better in this particular case.
[16:50.840 -> 16:55.360] Now, you've got to applaud them for the confidence that they showed by keeping the safety car
[16:55.360 -> 16:59.640] out there, like, no, okay, this is our decision and we will stick with it regardless of the
[16:59.640 -> 17:01.240] backlash that we get.
[17:01.240 -> 17:03.580] And they got a lot of it from the fans on track.
[17:03.580 -> 17:10.000] But the fact of the matter is the FIA actually tried to push a regulation to make sure that the races won't end under the
[17:10.000 -> 17:17.280] safety car last year, but the teams couldn't really end up agreeing on a solution for that.
[17:17.280 -> 17:21.360] And do you think that has really robbed us of a big one? Because back in the US,
[17:21.360 -> 17:25.480] they have a solution where they red flag the race, they have a three-lap shootout at the very end.
[17:25.480 -> 17:28.600] And F1 clearly had the time this weekend, Kunal.
[17:28.600 -> 17:33.720] I mean, I remember with around 15 minutes left to go on the broadcast clock,
[17:33.720 -> 17:37.320] we were over and done with the podium and the entire feat.
[17:37.320 -> 17:40.280] So it's sort of like F1 couldn't have done that, right?
[17:40.280 -> 17:43.040] Yeah, and that's an interesting point because Monza is, again,
[17:43.040 -> 17:46.720] one of those races that gets done really quickly given the lap times
[17:47.200 -> 17:51.220] Given the higher average speeds given that pretty much there are very few corners
[17:51.220 -> 17:56.940] It's a start and stop circuit and so on right so specific to Monza you had time on the clock, right?
[17:57.040 -> 18:00.340] But again goes back to what I said at the start of the show
[18:00.340 -> 18:06.960] Where will this rule change take us if there is one that will come and I believe it will come
[18:06.960 -> 18:12.480] at some point because everybody's got this whole entertainment hat on all the time and is it a red
[18:12.480 -> 18:16.640] flag? Then if it's a red flag, are you allowed to change tires? And you know, I spoke of tire offset
[18:16.640 -> 18:21.600] but if both Charles and Max are both on the same tire, maybe you wouldn't actually even have a
[18:21.600 -> 18:28.320] restart where Charles could have attacked, right? So lots of perspectives that should go in.
[18:28.320 -> 18:33.320] And I believe that the safety car
[18:33.360 -> 18:36.080] shouldn't have been the one taking the checkered flag
[18:36.080 -> 18:38.160] ahead of the racing car drivers.
[18:38.160 -> 18:40.480] But with Ricardo being stuck in gear,
[18:40.480 -> 18:44.240] all of these things are things you just cannot anticipate.
[18:44.240 -> 18:48.880] He was just stuck in gear at a point of the track where extraction was tougher than some of the other, like for
[18:48.880 -> 18:54.480] example, what happened to Sebastian Vettel. So how do you dial in things constantly with all
[18:54.480 -> 19:00.480] these moving variables while cars are going racing on track at full speed or behind a safety car,
[19:00.480 -> 19:06.280] lap counts are going down and so on. So I'm sure there will be some change that they'll try and bring in.
[19:06.280 -> 19:08.640] I'm not entirely in for a red flag,
[19:08.640 -> 19:10.720] even though we had that red flag situation
[19:10.720 -> 19:12.400] in Baku last year,
[19:12.400 -> 19:14.280] because one of the team bosses actually said
[19:14.280 -> 19:15.960] that why a red flag a race
[19:15.960 -> 19:17.920] when the car is not in the barriers
[19:17.920 -> 19:19.560] and the driver is not injured?
[19:19.560 -> 19:22.240] Then will that be the next question that somebody ask?
[19:22.240 -> 19:26.960] Are we illegally, unjustly using a red flag
[19:26.960 -> 19:29.280] to influence race outcomes?
[19:29.280 -> 19:33.520] How far will this discussion, controversy, all the memes
[19:33.520 -> 19:34.720] then end up going?
[19:34.720 -> 19:35.480] That's so true.
[19:35.480 -> 19:36.080] That's so true.
[19:36.080 -> 19:38.040] And in that case, we just have to consider
[19:38.040 -> 19:38.960] the long-run impacts.
[19:38.960 -> 19:42.120] But yeah, I mean, it just feels like a bad hangover
[19:42.120 -> 19:44.040] from Abu Dhabi that's making us question things
[19:44.040 -> 19:47.080] like that a little bit too much. About, OK, should we want more entertainment?
[19:47.080 -> 19:48.560] But all things considered, I think
[19:48.560 -> 19:51.480] we have spoken enough about the FIA and Ferrari.
[19:51.480 -> 19:53.760] We should talk about the other star of this race,
[19:53.760 -> 19:58.480] and actually, the real genuine star of this race, Nick DeVries.
[19:58.480 -> 19:59.880] I mean, he was fantastic.
[19:59.880 -> 20:04.040] But I think that reminds me to also mention Alex Albon
[20:04.040 -> 20:05.060] before we actually go to speak about Nick DeVries. It's good to hear mention Alex Alborn before we actually go to speak
[20:05.060 -> 20:06.360] about Nick DeVries.
[20:06.360 -> 20:08.520] It's good to hear that Alex Alborn is doing slightly better.
[20:08.520 -> 20:12.800] I mean, we've all heard reports that his condition deteriorated, but apparently we're getting
[20:12.800 -> 20:15.040] to see or hear news that he's doing better.
[20:15.040 -> 20:16.360] So that's an important thing.
[20:16.360 -> 20:18.800] And let's hope that he's back on track very, very soon.
[20:18.800 -> 20:27.440] In fact, Williams just sent out a release saying he was in intensive care after some expected but uncommon complications
[20:27.440 -> 20:30.040] happened post-surgery, right?
[20:30.040 -> 20:34.400] So it's good that he is out of the intensive care now.
[20:34.400 -> 20:36.840] He was actually on the ventilator for some time apparently,
[20:36.840 -> 20:38.280] but of course, being on the ventilator
[20:38.280 -> 20:40.920] doesn't always sound as serious as it is.
[20:40.920 -> 20:42.520] And I'm no medical professional,
[20:42.520 -> 20:46.240] but just reading out what I have read especially
[20:46.240 -> 20:51.440] with the Williams release but that's what happened but Nick DeVries was the other Dutch star this
[20:51.440 -> 20:56.960] weekend at the Italian Grand Prix and you know I loved how in the end he was on the radio saying
[20:56.960 -> 21:02.080] guys can I get some help I can't move my arms and the Williams engineers came embraced him
[21:02.080 -> 21:05.960] lifted him out and he fought so well.
[21:05.960 -> 21:10.500] And he came and he's now scored 30% of the team's points
[21:10.500 -> 21:11.840] in just his first chance.
[21:11.840 -> 21:15.360] And Jos Capito pointed out two very critical things.
[21:15.360 -> 21:17.920] First is, he didn't know till Saturday
[21:17.920 -> 21:19.640] that he was gonna be in the car.
[21:19.640 -> 21:22.580] So he literally had no running on the Friday, right?
[21:22.580 -> 21:25.700] The second thing is that Jos Capito says,
[21:26.540 -> 21:30.520] Nick DeVries needs to decide what he wants to do for 2023,
[21:30.520 -> 21:33.440] which probably means that Williams are open to having him,
[21:33.440 -> 21:34.840] but Nick is just trying to figure
[21:34.840 -> 21:36.620] what's the best place for him to be.
[21:36.620 -> 21:38.600] Could it be Alpine? Could it be something else?
[21:38.600 -> 21:41.500] He is linked to Mercedes, as we know,
[21:41.500 -> 21:43.240] which is why he's driven for all
[21:43.240 -> 21:45.400] barring one Mercedes-Power teams this weekend. But hats off to him. to Mercedes as we know, which is why he's driven for all Bahrain 1 Mercedes power teams
[21:45.400 -> 21:52.120] this weekend. But hats off to him. And, you know, Nicolas Latifi or Gotifi, as he's known,
[21:52.120 -> 22:00.840] is now again 21st in a 20 driver championship. And while, you know, we can talk or not talk
[22:00.840 -> 22:08.040] about Latifi's lack of performance, Latifi gave a very interesting insight. He said, if we qualify the car higher up there,
[22:08.040 -> 22:10.120] we have the pace to defend,
[22:10.120 -> 22:13.040] which technically means that Nick DeVries
[22:13.040 -> 22:15.320] is doing what he did in qualifying,
[22:15.320 -> 22:17.640] gave him such a good chance to go and score
[22:17.640 -> 22:21.080] his and Williams' first points together.
[22:21.080 -> 22:22.680] And I was saying that, you know,
[22:22.680 -> 22:24.760] we obviously know that Williams
[22:24.760 -> 22:48.500] have been having a difficult few years and George Russell's taken 37 Grand Prixs points together. qualifying session. He makes a couple of mistakes here and there even during the race. He was reprimanded as well. But then he qualifies P8 and he finishes P9. If this was some other
[22:48.500 -> 22:52.060] driver, any other driver, we wouldn't have been raving about this. But it's only about
[22:52.060 -> 22:56.840] the fact that he had very little experience in the car. And obviously, the grid penalties
[22:56.840 -> 23:01.060] also helped his case. But I think everyone is really warming up to the fact that someone
[23:01.060 -> 23:04.860] young and new has done so well on his F1 debut in a Williams car.
[23:04.860 -> 23:09.240] Yeah, and he started A, it's because of the grid penalties, as you said. And grid penalties
[23:09.240 -> 23:14.600] in itself was such a talking point of the weekend. Nine drivers with a penalty, FIA
[23:14.600 -> 23:21.080] using a new system to set up the grid penalties, sorry, the start grid for the race. And while
[23:21.080 -> 23:26.040] they released the final grid, start grid several hours before,
[23:26.040 -> 23:29.480] Red Bull was debating with the FIA
[23:29.480 -> 23:32.620] why Max was not P7 and instead P4
[23:32.620 -> 23:37.540] till literally minutes before the pit opened,
[23:37.540 -> 23:39.460] which is usually 40 minutes before the race.
[23:39.460 -> 23:42.740] So even that was an interesting perspective
[23:42.740 -> 23:46.000] of this race weekend, that nine drivers with penalties
[23:46.000 -> 23:50.320] and literally every driver asking, can somebody please tell me where I'm going to start this
[23:50.320 -> 23:55.840] weekend, start this race, because, hey, I don't know what's happening with all the start grid
[23:55.840 -> 24:00.400] penalties. You know what, grid penalties are an interesting topic. We should, in this three week
[24:00.400 -> 24:04.400] break, actually talk about this in depth, because there's a lot of different opinions and takes that
[24:04.400 -> 24:08.800] we can have on that, which wouldn't be as relevant to a race review episode right now so
[24:08.800 -> 24:13.360] let's let's hold on our thoughts on that particular one and we should come back on that on the Inside
[24:13.360 -> 24:18.400] Line F1 podcast so stay tuned with us for that bit but as well right, Nick de Vries just makes
[24:18.400 -> 24:24.160] you question and wonder so much about the drivers and is changing cars actually that much of a
[24:24.160 -> 24:49.520] challenge because just remember right on Friday he was driving an Aston Martin which is a completely different car with a different design approach and different philosophy if you like to put that jargon in there and right now he was driving the Williams and he ended up doing so well and just early on the season I think he's tested the Mercedes as well, right? Or is he scheduled to do that? He actually tested the Mercedes. He drove France FP1 for Mercedes in place of Lewis Hamilton,
[24:49.520 -> 24:53.200] right? But here's one thing about Nicholas Latifi, right? And I don't know why we're
[24:53.200 -> 24:59.360] giving him airtime, but maybe it's just to have fun. Not only has he been beaten by his regular
[24:59.360 -> 25:06.300] race driver teammates, but also by substitutes. Last year, I think it was Robert Kubica
[25:06.300 -> 25:10.360] substituting for Kimi Raikkonen for a couple of race meets.
[25:10.360 -> 25:15.240] And that's when Nicholas Latifi was demoted to 21st.
[25:15.240 -> 25:17.560] And this year it's by Nick DeVries.
[25:17.560 -> 25:22.560] So just goes to show how deep or shallow his talent pool
[25:23.560 -> 25:25.600] may or may not be in Formula One.
[25:25.880 -> 25:31.200] And, you know, I don't understand why Williams is even considering
[25:32.520 -> 25:33.840] him for 2023.
[25:33.840 -> 25:38.640] But, you know, I know I'm not the one who gets the millions if he does drive for
[25:38.640 -> 25:39.280] Williams.
[25:39.600 -> 25:40.400] Yeah, that's true.
[25:40.440 -> 25:44.280] I mean, Williams will just have to consider and wonder, OK, just where does
[25:44.280 -> 25:44.800] this weigh up?
[25:44.800 -> 25:45.760] Should we focus
[25:45.760 -> 25:49.480] on the millions we are getting right now or maybe the millions we can earn by finishing
[25:49.480 -> 25:50.480] better.
[25:50.480 -> 25:53.100] But I think that's enough on Williams. I want to talk about Carlos Sainz because he was
[25:53.100 -> 25:59.000] also one of the great drivers for this weekend. Many people are saying that he was the Ferrari
[25:59.000 -> 26:03.360] that got robbed in a more literal sense because there have been doubts about Leclerc's pace
[26:03.360 -> 26:09.040] yes but Carlos Sainz after the pit stop just seriously seemed like he could get George Russell
[26:09.040 -> 26:13.440] and it's kind of like a dual-edged question this one, right? Is this the best we've got from
[26:13.440 -> 26:19.120] Mercedes and secondly, how good can Carlos Sainz be because from P18 almost to P3,
[26:19.680 -> 26:24.000] that is quite a good weekend and that just went underappreciated, under-noticed as I mentioned
[26:24.000 -> 26:25.020] early on.
[26:25.020 -> 26:29.240] Yeah, it did because I think a lot of the attention was on Verstappen and then De Vries
[26:29.240 -> 26:34.680] and then it switched towards the safety car as well. So, I think even Hamilton's drive
[26:34.680 -> 26:39.640] was a little underrated and not much airtime was given to that. But Sainz coming close
[26:39.640 -> 26:49.000] to P3, he was very confident. He was actually very disappointed that the safety car came out and that kind of ruined his chances of a podium finish.
[26:49.000 -> 26:56.000] I think he was 7 or 8 seconds off George Russell and that battle could have gotten very, very interesting.
[26:56.000 -> 27:01.000] But the one takeaway that I'll take from this is that Sainz seemed very comfortable in the car. He mentioned that.
[27:01.000 -> 27:05.320] And he did have his struggles towards the start of the season.
[27:05.320 -> 27:07.920] So if he does feel at one with the car,
[27:07.920 -> 27:10.240] maybe we can see some very good performances
[27:10.240 -> 27:12.920] in the next few races as well.
[27:12.920 -> 27:14.840] And I'm really looking forward to seeing that.
[27:14.840 -> 27:17.200] My mind goes back to Lewis Hamilton
[27:17.200 -> 27:21.320] because you mentioned that he didn't get a lot of airtime.
[27:21.320 -> 27:23.600] And some interesting insights from him,
[27:23.600 -> 27:27.280] again, he was planning to watch Game of Thrones
[27:27.280 -> 27:28.680] sitting in a DRS train,
[27:28.680 -> 27:31.840] and luckily we didn't have lots of that, any of that.
[27:31.840 -> 27:35.480] But Mercedes' simulation told Lewis Hamilton
[27:35.480 -> 27:38.720] that he could finish anywhere between sixth and fourth,
[27:38.720 -> 27:41.680] and he finished fifth, which I think is fantastic.
[27:41.680 -> 27:43.480] So 19th to fifth.
[27:43.480 -> 27:45.600] And just a couple of races ago, you know, his dear
[27:45.600 -> 27:50.720] friend Fernando Alonso, who we should talk about, or at least his radio message that we should talk
[27:50.720 -> 27:57.440] about. Fernando Alonso turned around and said, this guy knows only how to drive starting first.
[27:57.440 -> 28:03.280] So, you know, Lewis took that up as a challenge. And he says, I'll go 19th to wherever it is that,
[28:03.280 -> 28:08.760] you know, we're going. And while we're, while we're talking of scenarios for Sainz and Russells
[28:08.760 -> 28:11.680] and Perez's of the world, let's remember the safety car
[28:11.680 -> 28:15.920] actually added a lot of excitement in the last few laps.
[28:15.920 -> 28:20.040] Because at that time, Max Verstappen was almost 16 odd seconds
[28:20.040 -> 28:24.400] ahead of the driver racing car number 16, right?
[28:24.400 -> 28:27.080] And had there not been a safety car,
[28:27.080 -> 28:29.400] he would have finished that much gap ahead.
[28:29.400 -> 28:33.720] So he would have sort of had no anticipation of a fight.
[28:33.720 -> 28:36.080] But when the safety car came out, suddenly it was like,
[28:36.080 -> 28:38.880] oh my god, the two protagonists, they have fresh tires.
[28:38.880 -> 28:40.920] OK, who's got how many old tires?
[28:40.920 -> 28:42.520] Oh, will there be a restart now?
[28:42.520 -> 28:45.520] And that whole anticipation made the last few laps a lot
[28:45.520 -> 28:51.600] more exciting than watching Verstappen finish like 20 seconds, you know, up the road. It was
[28:51.600 -> 28:56.560] all like, oh, it's gonna, the race actually gets better now. That's the feeling that we all sort
[28:56.560 -> 29:02.640] of had then, at least I did. Yeah, seriously. And on the watch along as well, we were all so confused.
[29:02.640 -> 29:05.080] And I remember Steve saying, oh yeah,
[29:05.080 -> 29:07.080] the race is going to be pretty dull
[29:07.080 -> 29:08.520] unless we get a safety car.
[29:08.520 -> 29:11.200] And at that very moment, we got to see Daniel Ricciardo
[29:11.200 -> 29:11.700] stopping.
[29:11.700 -> 29:13.800] So maybe the commentators have something special
[29:13.800 -> 29:16.340] in their bag that they can pull out in moments like this one.
[29:16.340 -> 29:18.320] But yeah, perhaps the charge wasn't full
[29:18.320 -> 29:19.920] because we only got to see half of it.
[29:19.920 -> 29:22.440] But otherwise as well, we saw interesting stories
[29:22.440 -> 29:25.880] in the likes of, firstly, Fernando Alonso's radio
[29:25.880 -> 29:26.840] message.
[29:26.840 -> 29:29.680] Now, Sunil, it's like he could literally
[29:29.680 -> 29:32.240] pick out and understand what was happening to the car
[29:32.240 -> 29:34.280] before it actually happened.
[29:34.280 -> 29:36.440] Age experience, perhaps you could call it that way?
[29:36.440 -> 29:37.080] Yeah, of course.
[29:37.080 -> 29:38.840] I mean, he's always on top of the car,
[29:38.840 -> 29:41.520] and he knows even the slightest of changes
[29:41.520 -> 29:43.200] or even the slightest of problems
[29:43.200 -> 29:44.800] that tend to happen with the car.
[29:44.800 -> 29:49.360] And unfortunately, the team did not pick up that. And that's something that actually baffles me.
[29:49.360 -> 29:54.080] That's probably something I have to go back to as well and try and understand what exactly is
[29:54.080 -> 29:57.760] happening there. Because the dynamics for some sort of reason doesn't seem right, especially
[29:57.760 -> 30:02.720] after his announcement that he's leaving Alpine. Something doesn't seem right between his radio
[30:02.720 -> 30:10.260] messages to the team. At times, I felt that probably they're hiding information or not giving him the right of the type of information that he would need.
[30:10.260 -> 30:12.800] But something just doesn't seem right over there.
[30:12.800 -> 30:18.140] To me, I love his impatience on the radio. I love how he said,
[30:18.140 -> 30:21.840] you know, wow, when they told him everything is right with the power unit.
[30:21.840 -> 30:25.800] And I personally believe given the battle that they are in with McLaren,
[30:25.800 -> 30:29.700] I believe they're not holding back information.
[30:29.700 -> 30:32.240] In fact, if you see the trend,
[30:32.240 -> 30:36.240] since Miami, Fernando Alonso's outscored Esteban Ocon,
[30:36.240 -> 30:38.560] and that's 10 races in the points,
[30:38.560 -> 30:41.240] in the running consistently, et cetera, et cetera.
[30:41.240 -> 30:46.680] I believe they are probably just giving him what he needs. Maybe on the development
[30:46.680 -> 30:50.280] of the next year's car is where they're holding him back. But in the race preps and stuff,
[30:50.280 -> 30:56.040] I believe they are surely up there doing what they were doing anyway before that.
[30:56.040 -> 30:59.720] And let's hope that happens actually. Who wouldn't like to see Fernando Alonso go out
[30:59.720 -> 31:04.600] there and compete a little bit better. And on the subject of development as well, it's
[31:04.600 -> 31:06.200] just got me a little curious
[31:06.200 -> 31:08.480] because recently we saw Philippe Hidragovic
[31:08.480 -> 31:11.360] being announced as a member
[31:11.360 -> 31:14.880] of the Aston Martin Driver Development Academy.
[31:14.880 -> 31:16.480] But then again, it raises questions like,
[31:16.480 -> 31:17.520] oh, what are they developing?
[31:17.520 -> 31:19.760] Because he's already a Formula 2 champion
[31:19.760 -> 31:21.160] and they've already got one driver
[31:21.160 -> 31:23.160] who's got a lifetime contract at the team
[31:23.160 -> 31:24.680] and the other one who's gonna hog the seat
[31:24.680 -> 31:27.440] until he's around 60, 70 or whatever. What are they developing
[31:27.440 -> 31:30.120] Kunal? I mean, how are they developing him in any way?
[31:30.120 -> 31:35.080] Well, they're just realizing that as a manufacturer team, which they actually are, they need a
[31:35.080 -> 31:41.200] junior driver development program. And I was actually surprised saying, hey, what on earth,
[31:41.200 -> 31:50.880] you know, why are you developing an already developed driver? And the press really says he will be one of many reserved drivers of the team as well. So maybe it's just
[31:50.880 -> 31:56.400] a commercial arrangement, an agreement, something Philippe, his sponsors, there isn't a Brazilian
[31:56.400 -> 32:01.280] driver on the grid and Brazil is a massive market. So you never know where these combinations go.
[32:01.920 -> 32:07.080] And talking of development drivers, Ferrari's development driver
[32:07.080 -> 32:09.520] of the Driver Development Academy, Mick Schumacher,
[32:09.520 -> 32:12.040] he was, he actually had a good weekend as well.
[32:12.040 -> 32:15.940] He would have almost gone from P20 to P8,
[32:15.940 -> 32:19.280] at least based on how Haas saw the situation happening.
[32:19.280 -> 32:22.080] And then unfortunately he finished P12
[32:22.080 -> 32:26.480] and the team was very thankful to him for doing what he did. And somehow,
[32:26.480 -> 32:30.960] you know, when this whole conversation, should they renew, make or not, and now there's news
[32:30.960 -> 32:36.640] that Hulkenberg is in the conversation, it feels like Kevin McNewson has suddenly gone off the bed,
[32:36.640 -> 32:41.840] you know, so to say. And, you know, he had that slight off a couple of races ago, which was a
[32:41.840 -> 32:45.440] driver error. And just doesn't seem like it's the same Magnussen who
[32:45.440 -> 32:50.640] started the season with a lot of excitement and just being grateful that he's back in Formula 1
[32:50.640 -> 32:56.480] making the most of his opportunity or his third opportunity if one was to count how many he's
[32:56.480 -> 33:02.400] got. So I don't know where that is going to go eventually. Yeah and we're just not talking about
[33:02.400 -> 33:05.640] make enough. It's suddenly like the momentum has
[33:05.640 -> 33:10.420] clearly changed and it feels like the new normal that Mick Schumacher is beating Magnussen
[33:10.420 -> 33:15.760] comprehensively every weekend. But let's actually wait and watch to see what happens in Singapore.
[33:15.760 -> 33:21.300] Can that trend continue? And can Max Verstappen end up becoming a two time world champion
[33:21.300 -> 33:29.360] officially over there? The permutations and combinations are still slightly complex and they haven't been officially released by F1 yet, so we'll actually wait
[33:29.360 -> 33:33.880] and watch on that one. But we can potentially see that happening, we've heard that. And
[33:33.880 -> 33:38.520] wouldn't it be fun for you to join us on the live race watch along for that race on PTA
[33:38.520 -> 33:42.920] Insider to witness the moment happen and to see and hear Steve Slater commentating and
[33:42.920 -> 33:45.180] talking about it and discussing and answering
[33:45.180 -> 33:48.860] all of your questions on all things Formula One right there.
[33:48.860 -> 33:52.500] To sign up for that you can check out the link in our description below and also maybe
[33:52.500 -> 33:56.300] just check out the previous watchalongs that we had on Paytm Insider as well just to get
[33:56.300 -> 33:59.260] a better idea of exactly what could you be in for.
[33:59.260 -> 34:03.740] It's totally free folks, don't forget to come in and join us over there.
[34:03.740 -> 34:07.480] So that's until then folks, we'll be coming up with lots of Formula 1 coverage in the
[34:07.480 -> 34:11.640] break as well. So don't forget to subscribe to the InsideLineF1 podcast. But I hope you
[34:11.640 -> None] enjoyed this episode and we shall see you rather soon. Bye-bye. you