Verstapp-TEN, Sainz Entertains Tifosi - 2023 Italian GP Review

The 2023 Italian Grand Prix was just how Formula 1 races should be. No, seriously! There were no overtakes, but there were edge-of-seat on-track battles. And yes, that's how Formula 1 should be. The focus should be on the battles, whether or not they result in an overtake.

In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah discuss the 2023 Italian Grand Prix. Max Verstappen's awesome 10 race wins in a row record, Carlos Sainz's entertaining driving, Sergio Perez's recovery and Alexander Albon's DRS train.

This race was also the second of the 'ATA' or Alternate Tyre Allocation races, basically, teams had fewer sets of tyres to use. How did the ATA work? Did it spice up the action OR was it status quo for Formula 1?

Alpine's double no-score, Lewis Hamilton's recovery drive with Mercedes and more. Lots to tune in to.

(Season 2023, Episode 46)

Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah

Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool

**Summary of the Inside Line F1 Podcast Episode 46: 2023 Italian Grand Prix Review**

**Key Points:**

* The 2023 Italian Grand Prix was a thrilling race with plenty of on-track battles, even though there were no overtakes for the lead.
* Max Verstappen won the race, extending his record-breaking streak to 10 consecutive race wins, surpassing Sebastian Vettel's previous record.
* Carlos Sainz finished second, ahead of Sergio Perez in third, after a spirited battle between the two Ferrari drivers.
* The race was the second of the 'ATA' or Alternate Tyre Allocation races, where teams had fewer sets of tires to use.
* Alpine suffered a double Q1 elimination, while Lewis Hamilton recovered from a poor qualifying to finish fifth.
* Alexander Albon impressed by finishing sixth in the Williams, ahead of the McLarens and Aston Martins.

**Insights and Perspectives:**

* The race showcased the importance of on-track battles and race craft, rather than relying solely on DRS-aided overtakes.
* The ATA regulations added an element of unpredictability and strategy to the race, forcing teams to carefully manage their tire usage.
* Sergio Perez's recovery drive from a poor qualifying position highlighted his resilience and determination.
* Alexander Albon's strong performance in the Williams demonstrated the team's progress and his own potential.
* Alpine's struggles continued, raising questions about the reliability and performance of their car.

**Controversies and Memorable Moments:**

* The battle between Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez for second place was intense and entertaining, with both drivers pushing each other to the limit.
* Lewis Hamilton's recovery drive from a poor qualifying position was impressive, showcasing his skill and racecraft.
* Alexander Albon's DRS train behind Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri was a unique and entertaining moment in the race.

**Overall Message:**

The 2023 Italian Grand Prix was a reminder that Formula 1 races can be exciting and engaging even without numerous overtakes, as long as there are close battles and strategic challenges. The race also highlighted the importance of driver skill and resilience, as well as the impact of technical regulations on the outcome of the race. # Inside Line F1 Podcast: 2023 Italian Grand Prix Review


## Race Summary: Max Verstappen's Dominance Continues

- The 2023 Italian Grand Prix showcased intense on-track battles, highlighting the essence of Formula 1 racing.
- Max Verstappen secured his 10th consecutive race win, extending his record-breaking streak.
- Carlos Sainz delivered an entertaining performance, engaging in thrilling battles throughout the race.
- Sergio Perez demonstrated resilience, recovering from a poor start to secure a podium finish.
- Alexander Albon showcased his skills, leading a DRS train and showcasing his overtaking prowess.

## Alternate Tyre Allocation (ATA) Race: Impact on Strategy

- The Italian Grand Prix marked the second ATA race, providing teams with fewer tire sets.
- The ATA regulation aimed to spice up the action and encourage strategic decision-making.
- Teams faced challenges in managing tire wear and degradation, leading to intriguing tactical battles.

## Alpine's Double No-Score: Missed Opportunities

- Alpine experienced a disappointing race, with both Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon failing to score points.
- The team's struggles highlighted the competitive nature of the midfield and the importance of consistency.

## Lewis Hamilton's Recovery Drive: Mercedes' Resurgence

- Lewis Hamilton demonstrated his driving prowess, recovering from a poor qualifying position to secure a points finish.
- Mercedes showed signs of improvement, indicating potential for a stronger second half of the season.

## Overall Takeaways: Thrilling Battles and Strategic Challenges

- The 2023 Italian Grand Prix delivered an exciting race with edge-of-seat battles and strategic challenges.
- Max Verstappen's dominance remained unchallenged, while other drivers showcased their skills and determination.
- The ATA regulation added an interesting layer to the race, influencing team strategies and tire management.
- Alpine's double no-score highlighted the importance of consistency in the midfield battle.
- Lewis Hamilton's recovery drive demonstrated his resilience and Mercedes' potential for improvement.

[00:00.000 -> 00:25.760] At the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP, Michael Massey said an iconic quote, Toto, we just went motor
[00:25.760 -> 00:26.760] racing.
[00:26.760 -> 00:29.400] Well, I don't think that was quite applicable for that very race.
[00:29.400 -> 00:34.120] I think when you look back at the 2023 Italian GP, the one line that you can use to describe
[00:34.120 -> 00:40.720] it is Toto, we went motor racing, because that folks is what you watch motor racing
[00:40.720 -> 00:46.240] for, for records to be broken, for fans to be celebrating and at the end of the day,
[00:46.240 -> 00:51.200] some absolutely brilliant action between two teammates. That is why we watch Formula 1 in
[00:51.200 -> 00:56.080] the first place and so even though Max Verstappen has now gone on and broken my dear favorite
[00:56.080 -> 01:01.120] Sebastian Vettel's record, I don't quite feel bad about it. But the biggest story this weekend,
[01:01.120 -> 01:06.900] ladies and gentlemen, and this is what we are going to discuss in great depth, is what is the biggest surprise?
[01:06.900 -> 01:12.300] Is it the fact that we had a Ferrari on pole in Monza or is it the fact that Sergio Perez
[01:12.300 -> 01:14.500] made it on the podium?
[01:14.500 -> 01:19.820] All of this and more is going to be discussed on this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast.
[01:19.820 -> 01:21.820] This is our Italian GP Review.
[01:21.820 -> 01:22.820] My name is Tomer Larora.
[01:22.820 -> 01:25.040] I am the host of the Driving Force on Disney plus
[01:25.040 -> 01:30.640] Hotstar and also of the Indian Racing League on Star Sports and let's just go out to all of our
[01:30.640 -> 01:36.640] co-hosts as well. I'll start off with you Sundaram, F1 Stats Guru, you're on the WTF1 talent roster of
[01:36.640 -> 01:42.560] content creators as well and in that pool of roster you kind of create lots of really exciting and
[01:42.560 -> 01:45.120] engaging content where you get to know more about Formula 1.
[01:45.400 -> 01:49.960] But in this weekend, I just want to know, what did you really observe about Ferrari?
[01:50.120 -> 01:54.280] Because something clicked, I still don't know what, and I'm so happy about it at the end of the day.
[01:54.640 -> 01:56.640] I think we don't know what exactly clicked.
[01:56.800 -> 02:01.320] But the one thing that I was happy to see was happy faces at the Ferrari camp.
[02:01.320 -> 02:06.680] You don't tend to see that, but it always ends with Ferrari doing Ferrari things,
[02:06.680 -> 02:09.400] which we'll kind of dissect a little later.
[02:09.400 -> 02:13.140] It was nice to see Ferrari doing well at home
[02:13.140 -> 02:16.240] and doing well in general for a change.
[02:16.240 -> 02:18.040] And Kunal, you were the former marketing head
[02:18.040 -> 02:19.440] of the Force India F1 team.
[02:19.440 -> 02:21.480] You were currently working at the Italian GP
[02:21.480 -> 02:24.080] in your capacity as the F1 consultant
[02:24.080 -> 02:25.760] at the Viaplay Network. And while working on the broadcast, I know we as the F1 consultant at the Viaplay Network and while
[02:25.760 -> 02:30.240] working on the broadcast I know we were prepping together heading into the weekend saying that oh
[02:30.240 -> 02:35.280] my god the Tifosi everyone should go home it's probably the one race they should absolutely
[02:35.280 -> 02:41.440] write off but we got a Ferrari on pole and more importantly the two Ferraris did not crash so
[02:41.440 -> 02:49.560] even though they did Ferrari things they still got something decent which is great, a big surprise no? It's a great surprise and I can tell you
[02:49.560 -> 02:54.860] why Ferrari were actually quick right and I'm gonna start with an with an
[02:54.860 -> 02:58.660] analogy that we've probably all used in life you know remember when we go to
[02:58.660 -> 03:04.340] school and say there are five subjects we need to give an examination for but
[03:04.340 -> 03:06.640] you focus on that one subject
[03:06.640 -> 03:10.720] which you're really good at. Let's say it's math for example and then you just
[03:10.720 -> 03:15.040] prepare a little bit more for math. So you're like hey I'm not gonna top the
[03:15.040 -> 03:20.760] class or the university as a whole but can I top in math and that's what
[03:20.760 -> 03:25.840] Ferrari did. They realized of course it's Monza, it's the Tifosi, it's their
[03:25.840 -> 03:33.680] home race, lots of history, the legend of Ferrari grows, it was born at Monza in itself, right.
[03:33.680 -> 03:39.040] So they realized, hey, the low downforce configuration works really well for us.
[03:39.840 -> 03:45.800] Why don't we have a Monza specific package? So they brought a Monza specific package.
[03:45.800 -> 03:48.180] They put on new power units for both their drivers.
[03:48.180 -> 03:51.200] So basically they said, let's throw everything at it.
[03:51.200 -> 03:54.180] If there's one race, we will try and stop Red Bull
[03:54.180 -> 03:55.160] from winning everything.
[03:55.160 -> 03:56.880] It's gonna be Monza.
[03:56.880 -> 04:00.160] So the theory is Somil and Sundaram
[04:00.160 -> 04:02.560] that Monza is usually an outlier.
[04:02.560 -> 04:07.360] Red Bull, Aston Martin, for example, don't really have a Monza
[04:07.360 -> 04:14.560] specific configuration, but Ferrari do. So that's the reason, ladies and gentlemen, well, Ferrari,
[04:14.560 -> 04:20.160] why Ferrari actually did so well in Monza. And it's also funny, right? It's true. A yellow
[04:20.160 -> 04:25.640] Ferrari is always better than a red Ferrari. It's just a fact of life. A red Ferrari is normal.
[04:25.640 -> 04:28.640] A yellow one, just that little bit more special.
[04:28.640 -> 04:31.320] And maybe that also got helped out in that regard.
[04:31.320 -> 04:34.320] But I was surprised to see Charles Leclerc not being on the poll.
[04:34.320 -> 04:36.560] Instead, it was Carlos Sainz, which was great.
[04:36.560 -> 04:38.120] I think my money's finally paying off.
[04:38.120 -> 04:42.240] But before we properly dissect into the hows and whats of Ferrari,
[04:42.240 -> 04:50.040] I think we ought to talk a little bit about the record breaker. just today. I mean, he's done 10 races in a row. There's not much more that can be
[04:50.040 -> 04:54.360] said. So let's just give him the due minute that he deserves. All I'm going to say is,
[04:54.360 -> 04:58.880] for all you Sebastian Vettel fans out there, Seb is still the youngest world champion.
[04:58.880 -> 05:02.920] So don't be disappointed. He still has one meaningful record. And at the end of the day,
[05:02.920 -> 05:09.720] I don't think that one is going to be broken. But considering the pace at which Max is breaking every single record out there, I think he's
[05:09.720 -> 05:14.000] going to find a way to get some younger age pills as well to go back in time and to break
[05:14.000 -> 05:15.840] that record as well, Sundaram.
[05:15.840 -> 05:20.460] Because the numbers are just, they just feel like a pack of dominoes at this stage.
[05:20.460 -> 05:30.320] Max pushes one and 15 different records tend to get broken around every weekend. I think that's one record where Vestappen is really going to regret not having the one for the
[05:30.320 -> 05:35.280] youngest world champion. He does have the youngest race winner record, but knowing when he started
[05:35.280 -> 05:40.640] out as a 17 year old kid, he would have really liked to have that one record. And unfortunately,
[05:40.640 -> 05:46.600] that's never going to happen, be it in terms of double championships, triple championships, or even four times.
[05:46.600 -> 05:48.600] He's not going to be the youngest one out there,
[05:48.600 -> 05:51.200] but he's literally gone on to smash
[05:51.200 -> 05:53.000] every other record there is.
[05:53.000 -> 05:56.480] And winning 10 races in a row, or even nine races in a row,
[05:56.480 -> 05:59.440] was probably the hardest of all the records
[05:59.440 -> 06:00.600] that he could take.
[06:00.600 -> 06:03.280] And he's not had it easy also in the last couple of races,
[06:03.280 -> 06:09.080] especially in Zandvoort, how tricky it was. And even Carlos Sainz did not had it easy also in the last couple of races especially in Zandvoort how tricky it was and even Carlos Sainz did not make it easy for him in the
[06:09.080 -> 06:16.160] first 14 laps. As in Carlos Sainz's 14 laps is the most a non Red Bull driver has
[06:16.160 -> 06:21.720] led this season. So it's not been easy for Verstappen but this is the sort of
[06:21.720 -> 06:27.320] brilliance that you tend to see. Once he finds an opportunity, once he made Carlos Sainz make a mistake,
[06:27.520 -> 06:31.760] he then had the lead and it was just to make it to the chequered flag.
[06:32.560 -> 06:37.040] But what I really find amazing, Kunal, is that even though now in terms of numbers,
[06:37.240 -> 06:39.320] he might be one up on Sebastian Vettel.
[06:39.520 -> 06:43.640] Let's face the facts. Fast and Furious 7 was the seventh highest,
[06:43.680 -> 06:49.640] actually not the seventh, I think the 11th highest grossing movie of all time. But by no means was it better than
[06:49.640 -> 06:53.960] the Dark Knight Rises, which was 35th highest grossing. So the numbers don't always tell
[06:53.960 -> 06:57.080] the whole story. Seb is still a little bit more special, no?
[06:57.080 -> 07:03.240] It depends. It depends what generation of Formula One fans you ask this question to.
[07:03.240 -> 07:06.000] You know, let's enjoy Max for who he is
[07:06.000 -> 07:09.960] without comparing him to anyone else because Max has a different style of
[07:09.960 -> 07:14.840] dominance as well right like I said on why I play this weekend you know he's
[07:14.840 -> 07:19.760] battling a different rival every race weekend. In Sunfoot there was someone
[07:19.760 -> 07:26.200] else it was Fernando Alonso in Spa There was Charles Leclerc Ferrari in Hungary.
[07:26.200 -> 07:29.640] It was Mercedes earlier on in the season.
[07:29.640 -> 07:32.440] You know, there was also McLaren at one of the races.
[07:32.440 -> 07:36.440] This weekend, it was Carlos Sainz.
[07:36.440 -> 07:39.760] So he's battling different rivals from different teams
[07:39.760 -> 07:41.280] and like Sundaram pointed out,
[07:41.280 -> 07:43.400] different circumstances
[07:43.400 -> 07:46.240] at different circuit configurations as well.
[07:46.240 -> 07:48.920] So it's just a different way that he's been doing it.
[07:48.920 -> 07:55.600] So yes, while some of the members in the paddock have very nicely pointed out that Max doesn't have
[07:55.600 -> 07:59.920] or hasn't had the strongest of teammates, a point that I actually don't agree with,
[08:00.200 -> 08:08.000] he has had one of the strongest rivals constantly battling him for P2 including Checo Perez and himself.
[08:08.000 -> 08:17.500] And yes, Carlos Sainz made a mistake, but even though Max won in Monza, Carlos was the entertainer 100%.
[08:17.500 -> 08:19.500] There's no doubt he was the driver of the day.
[08:19.500 -> 08:25.760] And, you know, one of the reasons he made the mistake was not because he made a driver
[08:25.760 -> 08:31.320] error under pressure he just used up so much of his tires while battling Max
[08:31.320 -> 08:34.600] Verstappen trying to keep him behind that he just ran out of tires at the end
[08:34.600 -> 08:39.800] and it was either Max having a clean run at him or him making a mistake the way
[08:39.800 -> 08:43.800] he did under pressure. Wait one sec so you're calling Carlos Sainz an
[08:43.800 -> 08:45.100] entertainer, does
[08:45.100 -> 08:51.820] that mean he technically is the lion in the Ferrari circus in a way? No? No okay
[08:51.820 -> 08:57.040] that one didn't land. The visibility around Mumbai. As long as he's the stallion.
[08:57.040 -> 09:00.940] The visibility around Mumbai is quite bad today so jokes are not landing but he was the quicker car.
[09:00.940 -> 09:08.160] But I must say he was the quicker car and. And as much as Shaal wanted the podium and the pole,
[09:08.160 -> 09:11.360] the truth is, and this is where I love Carlos Sainz,
[09:11.360 -> 09:15.760] Carlos Sainz chose a setup on Friday, which worked.
[09:15.760 -> 09:17.720] Shaal went the other way,
[09:17.720 -> 09:20.060] and Shaal was happy to admit it didn't work.
[09:20.060 -> 09:22.040] So guess whose setup he copied?
[09:22.040 -> 09:24.320] It was Carlos Sainz's setup.
[09:24.320 -> 09:28.040] And that's why Shaal was eventually as fast as Carlos Sainz.
[09:28.040 -> 09:32.040] And in a way, I'm glad that Ferrari didn't really have team orders to have one
[09:32.040 -> 09:34.200] driver finish ahead of the other and so on.
[09:34.200 -> 09:35.160] They let them fight.
[09:35.520 -> 09:40.200] And literally the faster Ferrari driver took pole and the faster Ferrari
[09:40.200 -> 09:42.800] driver took the podium in Monza.
[09:43.960 -> 09:46.600] But the interesting thing is, I know Carlos Sainz
[09:46.600 -> 09:50.760] he wears a lot of hats he's often the race strategist as well but
[09:50.760 -> 09:55.280] yesterday after the race he's also had to do a little bit of running sprinting
[09:55.280 -> 10:00.080] to try and get back his watch which was stolen by a couple of thieves so he had a
[10:00.080 -> 10:06.960] pretty hectic Italian Grand Prix weekend but I have an interesting point. I think Carlo Sainz
[10:06.960 -> 10:11.680] is also one of the reason why Charles Leclerc was not on the podium because if you look at
[10:11.680 -> 10:17.840] the classification, Sainz and Leclerc they finished roughly five seconds off Checo Perez
[10:17.840 -> 10:23.040] and Checo Perez in the first half of the race was involved in a battle with George Russell.
[10:27.920 -> 10:34.240] was involved in a battle with George Russell. Had Ferrari kind of invoked team orders and let Leclerc pass signs, he would not have been held back to the extent where he kind of ran into
[10:34.240 -> 10:40.160] Sergio Perez towards the end. So I feel at least if maybe if Perez would not have overtaken it
[10:40.160 -> 10:45.120] would have been a little bit more difficult at least for him towards the end. It's a good theory.
[10:45.120 -> 10:51.040] It's a very good theory. But I think the Red Bulls were so quick that it was almost eventual that
[10:51.040 -> 10:56.320] they would take the one-two. And I think this was the hardest fought one-two for Red Bull,
[10:56.880 -> 11:02.160] pretty much in the recent past that I've noticed. It was also Red Bull's first ever one-two
[11:02.160 -> 11:05.400] in Monza. And traditionally, they've never really done well at Monza,
[11:05.400 -> 11:08.280] because they've never really focused on the outlier
[11:08.280 -> 11:10.760] that Monza needs in terms of technical setup.
[11:10.760 -> 11:14.960] But I personally feel that Carlos Sainz, Ferrari,
[11:14.960 -> 11:18.200] Charles Leclerc maxed out their opportunities.
[11:18.200 -> 11:21.040] And I wouldn't sort of subscribe to this
[11:21.040 -> 11:24.120] could have, would have gotten second place with Leclerc,
[11:24.120 -> 11:30.820] et cetera, because all the hard work, mind you, was being done by Carlos Sainz up front, you
[11:30.820 -> 11:33.760] know, trying to win the race and they were trying to give the best driver a
[11:33.760 -> 11:38.360] best shot. So all in all, a fantastic motor race. And what I really loved, guys,
[11:38.360 -> 11:46.960] was, you know, usual metric for a good motor races. We had 166 overtakes 183 overtakes highest ever I
[11:46.960 -> 11:52.240] don't even know I don't even care how many overtakes happened in Monza but we
[11:52.240 -> 11:58.620] got to see wheel to wheel battle. Yes! For the lead for the podium finishes I mean
[11:58.620 -> 12:02.760] max had to really work hard and it was so smart right it was like a game of
[12:02.760 -> 12:06.280] chess Carlos Sainz had the straight line speed advantage,
[12:06.280 -> 12:08.840] so much so that with the DRS on
[12:08.840 -> 12:11.520] and the DRS effect is anyway low in Monza,
[12:11.520 -> 12:14.520] with the DRS on, Max Verstappen couldn't still
[12:14.520 -> 12:15.800] chase him down.
[12:15.800 -> 12:18.260] So it was either at the pits or, you know,
[12:18.260 -> 12:19.880] putting one of the drivers under pressure
[12:19.880 -> 12:22.480] and getting the Ferrari to run out of their tires,
[12:22.480 -> 12:24.080] that Max could have made the overtake
[12:24.080 -> 12:29.360] and that's eventually what happened. And did you guys really miss DRS aided overtakes here?
[12:29.360 -> 12:35.220] No, absolutely not. I think that's why I mentioned that this felt like a proper motor race because
[12:35.220 -> 12:39.940] that's what you do in a motor race. You play with the minds of the other drivers and you
[12:39.940 -> 12:48.280] come up with on-ground strategies to make yourself win and by that logic, I prefer this Max Verstappen win over any other one that he's had so far this year
[12:48.280 -> 12:52.320] because the man has had to work for it really generally I mean I know the other
[12:52.320 -> 12:55.240] ones also he's had to work for it not that he's sitting and chilling but this
[12:55.240 -> 12:59.040] one more so than ever and that's where your race craft really comes in handy
[12:59.040 -> 13:03.120] which is what I also loved about that whole Leclerc and Sainz battle Sundaram
[13:03.120 -> 13:06.840] the fact that they let them race I think at that point they accepted defeat that they
[13:06.840 -> 13:12.120] can't quite get to Sergio Perez, but nevertheless, we got entertainment, we got motor racing
[13:12.120 -> 13:15.040] and it was not that it always worked out.
[13:15.040 -> 13:19.060] In the case of Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri, it didn't, but we also saw them treating each
[13:19.060 -> 13:21.920] other like gentlemen, apologizing and letting that go past.
[13:21.920 -> 13:25.920] So this is what we watch motorsport for, good hard racing.
[13:25.920 -> 13:31.600] And now that we've got some people on Twitter are saying, eh, boring race. What? What do you
[13:31.600 -> 13:39.120] watch motor racing for then? I think everyone has a different lens at looking at Formula 1 races.
[13:39.120 -> 13:45.880] They expect every race to be extremely entertaining down to the flag, down to the checkered flag.
[13:45.880 -> 13:49.160] But this was a different type of race.
[13:49.160 -> 13:51.600] It's not like the races that you tend to see at Hungary
[13:51.600 -> 13:56.100] or in Spain where strategy kind of is the dictating factor.
[13:56.100 -> 13:59.320] You have a team or a driver going the longer route
[13:59.320 -> 14:01.680] in terms of pitch strategy or having a tire offset.
[14:01.680 -> 14:02.740] None of that stuff.
[14:02.740 -> 14:06.240] This was typical Monza down to pace,
[14:06.240 -> 14:09.840] down to what engine output you have.
[14:09.840 -> 14:11.960] And it is all down to how well
[14:11.960 -> 14:14.440] you are able to capitalize on that.
[14:14.440 -> 14:16.280] And coming back to overtakes,
[14:16.280 -> 14:18.120] there were only 24 overtakes in this race,
[14:18.120 -> 14:21.540] which is much less than what Monza usually sees.
[14:21.540 -> 14:24.360] But still, we had a very entertaining race
[14:24.360 -> 14:25.520] throughout 51 laps.
[14:25.520 -> 14:30.880] And I think that was the nice part of it, being able to enjoy a race despite not having
[14:30.880 -> 14:31.880] enough overtakes.
[14:31.880 -> 14:33.960] Ah, that's the whole point, right?
[14:33.960 -> 14:38.280] You don't really need something absolutely crazy, you don't need DRS, you don't need
[14:38.280 -> 14:44.460] some speed racer like gimmick, all you need is alternate tyre allocation and a good circuit.
[14:44.460 -> 14:48.480] But let's talk about ATA for a second or how do you pronounce it guys? Is it ATA?
[14:49.520 -> 14:53.280] Or ATA, which is the word for wheat in Hindi? I don't know, whatever it is.
[14:53.280 -> 14:58.160] But do you guys think it worked out this weekend? Because the order remained relatively similar,
[14:58.160 -> 15:02.800] but I think when we talk about free practice, right, and how setups are being constantly
[15:02.800 -> 15:09.200] changed, I think it really adds value there that the drivers have to be even sharper which is something that Sergio Perez unfortunately had to
[15:09.200 -> 15:14.320] learn the hard way Kunal because his car wasn't quite set up well, his qualifying was traditionally
[15:14.320 -> 15:19.200] horrible but then he got enough time in the race to learn the car as it came about and come up with
[15:19.200 -> 15:24.400] a pretty good result at the end so I like it, I like the way it's going so far, more volatility
[15:24.400 -> 15:25.280] and it tests out the drivers who are meant to be the best like the way it's going so far, more volatility. And it tests
[15:25.280 -> 15:29.360] out the drivers who are meant to be the best in the world. So can you adapt to a car in
[15:29.360 -> 15:30.360] just 60 minutes?
[15:30.360 -> 15:36.680] I think there are two coins. I would say I like it, but I would still want some tweaks
[15:36.680 -> 15:41.880] to it, if I may put it as that. So what do I like about the ATA? That, you know, it's
[15:41.880 -> 15:45.280] forcing the teams and drivers to be competitive and
[15:45.280 -> 15:50.440] quick on a single lap on every compound right the hard the medium and the soft
[15:50.440 -> 15:55.240] through qualifying but the impact of fewer sets was actually felt on free
[15:55.240 -> 15:59.640] practice because they were putting in fewer laps they were using fewer sets
[15:59.640 -> 16:03.760] because they had fewer sets and the the reason why I would say it's a little
[16:03.760 -> 16:07.640] strange is you're putting up this whole show, driving in hundreds and thousands of
[16:07.640 -> 16:11.960] fans, but you're not giving them enough laps. And yes, it's for environmental
[16:11.960 -> 16:17.880] reasons, etc. But I don't understand why the core product of racing is always the
[16:17.880 -> 16:22.920] first one they pull things out of or strike things off from when it comes to
[16:22.920 -> 16:25.200] environment. I mean the whole operation of
[16:25.200 -> 16:31.760] Formula One in itself has so many more elements I would assume where environmental impact can and
[16:31.760 -> 16:36.400] is being felt but just leave the tires alone and as Lewis Hamilton said what's happened to all the
[16:36.400 -> 16:43.520] inters and vets that were brought to Monza but not used. Wait, but don't you think it's actually
[16:43.520 -> 16:45.720] not hindered the core product? You think so because I don't see think it's actually not hindered the core product? You think
[16:45.720 -> 16:50.480] so? Because I don't see how it's hindered the core core product no? More volatility
[16:50.480 -> 16:55.400] is just better entertainment and puts the trickier conditions for the
[16:55.400 -> 17:00.680] toughest athletes in the world? So more volatility you know if we said to
[17:00.680 -> 17:05.040] measure this metric were there any surprise Q1 eliminations?
[17:05.040 -> 17:07.760] Yes, you could say Alpine was a surprise Q1 elimination.
[17:07.760 -> 17:10.640] They had a double Q1 elimination, fair, right?
[17:10.640 -> 17:12.360] But wait, not Lance Stroll?
[17:12.360 -> 17:16.400] I mean, well, you expect him to be there, don't you?
[17:16.400 -> 17:17.240] Yeah.
[17:17.240 -> 17:18.060] Well.
[17:18.060 -> 17:22.040] And just to add, I mean, yes,
[17:22.040 -> 17:24.920] it offered some bit of volatility.
[17:24.920 -> 17:27.880] Was it Monza or was it the ATA that got out Alpine?
[17:27.880 -> 17:29.800] I think it was Monza in general.
[17:29.800 -> 17:31.920] It wasn't just the ATA, right?
[17:31.920 -> 17:33.880] But the bigger challenge here, Somil,
[17:33.880 -> 17:37.800] is that drivers themselves have said
[17:37.800 -> 17:41.600] that when you force teams to use harder compounds,
[17:41.600 -> 17:45.520] the faster teams in general tend to do better. And that's
[17:45.520 -> 17:49.080] true right, because what happens in typical qualifying right, you have a
[17:49.080 -> 17:52.400] Haas, they're saying everybody else is on the medium, I'm gonna put on the soft
[17:52.400 -> 17:57.400] and get through to Q2 if I can. But hey when it comes to the ATA, you can't
[17:57.400 -> 18:01.640] really do that as a team, you're then forced to use a particular compound. Yeah
[18:01.640 -> 18:06.360] that's true in a way, but again that at the cost of saving
[18:06.360 -> 18:11.320] 3,000 tires a year feels like I think I probably saved 3,000 tires a year that's
[18:11.320 -> 18:14.340] just me we clearly know your take on it. I'm not saying that you're not an
[18:14.340 -> 18:18.200] environmentalist you live in the country that's the most environmentally friendly
[18:18.200 -> 18:20.640] in the world and if you said something like that they'd probably boot you out
[18:20.640 -> 18:24.360] immediately but what do you think about it Sundaram because what we got from
[18:24.360 -> 18:29.240] that is Sergio Perez having to work even harder and finally salvage
[18:29.240 -> 18:32.780] a podium, which in my mind is the biggest story of the weekend.
[18:32.780 -> 18:36.680] But for some reason, we just don't pay attention to it every single time.
[18:36.680 -> 18:37.680] Max will take prominence.
[18:37.680 -> 18:38.680] Ferrari will take prominence.
[18:38.680 -> 18:42.680] But guys, a guy has come back with such great redemption.
[18:42.680 -> 18:45.160] He's not been on the podium for months now.
[18:45.160 -> 18:47.200] It must be the greatest satisfaction in the world,
[18:47.200 -> 18:49.120] but we just don't talk about it Sundaram.
[18:49.120 -> 18:52.160] We're bad people, we're horrible people.
[18:52.160 -> 18:54.320] I think we're overhyping Chekho in this sense
[18:54.320 -> 18:56.280] because it's always been a case
[18:56.280 -> 18:59.640] where he kind of underperforms on Saturday
[18:59.640 -> 19:01.400] and he kind of balances it out
[19:01.400 -> 19:03.240] and goes on to become the hero
[19:03.240 -> 19:05.360] by overtaking a couple of slower cars.
[19:05.920 -> 19:11.280] If you have that that speed demon of a car ideally you're expected to finish to qualify
[19:11.280 -> 19:17.520] in the top two top four maybe but he's always been qualifying even lower than that but yesterday when
[19:17.520 -> 19:23.040] he was really battling it out with the Ferraris and even with with George Russell I felt this is
[19:23.040 -> 19:26.960] a crucial race for Sergio Perez because if he's not able
[19:26.960 -> 19:32.080] to take that car to P2, there's going to be a lot of criticism coming his way. Thankfully,
[19:32.080 -> 19:37.200] he did manage to take it to P2, but if he had not managed to get past Carlos Sainz, he was really
[19:37.200 -> 19:42.640] trying hard. He was doing all sorts of tricks, even over the radio, trying to mention that he's
[19:42.640 -> 19:49.600] pushed him off. He's done that a couple of times, but eventually he managed to take it to P2 and I think that is worth
[19:49.600 -> 19:54.200] mentioning and that is a commendable effort. But Chekho does have to be a little bit more
[19:54.200 -> 19:56.600] consistent on Saturdays.
[19:56.600 -> 20:00.760] Three years of lockdown, three years of using digital devices to record episodes and I still
[20:00.760 -> 20:09.120] haven't learned this one trick. I have still put my mic on mute. Here we go. But I see a lot of new Formula One fans join in, right? And every single time we have a word about
[20:09.120 -> 20:13.520] Checo, it's always positive because they unfortunately aren't quite aware of the
[20:13.520 -> 20:18.800] dynamics of qualifying. So they watch the race on Sunday and they're like, bro, Sergio Perez is the
[20:18.800 -> 20:28.920] man, man. He comes from P17 up to P4 and P5. What a driver, I love him. So if 10 years later, we have to go to remember the legacy of Checo Perez, in the minds of
[20:28.920 -> 20:32.520] all the casual fans, it'll be quite positive, which is not bad.
[20:32.520 -> 20:38.600] Good to build a post-race, post-Formula One pundit-based career on that one, in that regard,
[20:38.600 -> 20:39.760] if he wants to really.
[20:39.760 -> 20:42.040] But that's not what we should be talking about.
[20:42.040 -> 20:45.560] What we should be talking about is the racing action because there were tons of it.
[20:45.800 -> 20:48.120] We saw the McLaren's colliding with each other.
[20:48.240 -> 20:51.200] We saw Hamilton and Oscar Piastri having a bit of a battle.
[20:51.480 -> 20:57.760] But what was most surprising to me Kunal was the fact that you can pass a Williams on the straight.
[20:58.160 -> 20:58.920] It was amazing.
[20:58.920 -> 21:00.520] Alex Albon, we had the train briefly.
[21:00.560 -> 21:10.640] Lando Norris couldn't get past, but it is fun watching Alex Albon here in Italy which is what we also predicted and we got our top five finish betting successful as well which is nice on us,
[21:10.640 -> 21:15.840] two races in a row. Hats off, hats off to you, hats off to Sundaram, hats off to what we do
[21:15.840 -> 21:23.280] together on the Inside Lion F1 podcast. Alexander Albon knew all along, he said he had marked this
[21:24.160 -> 21:26.200] you know he had marked this race on
[21:26.200 -> 21:29.680] his calendar ever since the start of the season because he knew they had the
[21:29.680 -> 21:34.040] package for Monza. He knew he had this one race to deliver and he didn't have
[21:34.040 -> 21:38.060] this race last year because of his appendicitis operation that he had to go
[21:38.060 -> 21:43.520] through and Nick DeVries did the magic that he did. Now, he actually delivered
[21:43.520 -> 21:50.640] in qualifying. The Williams were the quickest cars on the hard tire. That also dictated some of their race
[21:50.640 -> 21:54.200] strategy. They were the first ones to switch to the hard tire, hoping to sort
[21:54.200 -> 21:58.640] of have the train and stick a few people behind them. They managed with the
[21:58.640 -> 22:04.000] McLarens, but Lewis Hamilton on the medium, they had to, you know, they
[22:04.000 -> 22:08.960] had the reverse strategy on both the Mercedes drivers. Lewis Hamilton on the medium they had to you know they did this they had the reverse strategy on both the Mercedes drivers and Lewis Hamilton on the medium was
[22:08.960 -> 22:13.120] able to overtake Alexander Albin eventually and Albin who somehow
[22:13.120 -> 22:17.680] somebody's named him the Tire Vspera you know I don't think that's the most
[22:17.680 -> 22:24.400] obvious thing but either way he did 35 laps on the hard tire which were most
[22:24.400 -> 22:28.000] than any other driver on the grid but that's just Williams
[22:28.000 -> 22:32.640] and they knew they had to be on the hard the soonest they could and that's what they did
[22:32.640 -> 22:38.320] eventually. And I like that, I like that Williams are able to eke out points from these quirky
[22:38.320 -> 22:42.960] little races where they normally shouldn't quite at least until a couple of years ago be there in
[22:42.960 -> 22:49.280] the points. So I like this, I like how things are going over there and these are the races honestly Sundaram that we should see someone
[22:49.280 -> 22:54.800] like Alpine get in the points or even someone like Lance Stroll. I know it's expected of them right
[22:54.800 -> 23:01.040] now at this stage if you expect good results from all three of them it's probably the wrong thing to
[23:01.040 -> 23:05.280] do maybe you aren't an experienced enough Formula One fan, but nevertheless,
[23:05.280 -> 23:09.320] you need to set some expectations even though they're low, but what these three drivers
[23:09.320 -> 23:13.760] perform, Ocon, Gasly and Stroll was even lower than the low expectations.
[23:13.760 -> 23:17.400] And honestly, if Alex Albon is getting in points, if McLaren's are not really doing
[23:17.400 -> 23:22.400] very well this weekend, that just pains me to see that these guys were not there to capitalize
[23:22.400 -> 23:23.400] on it.
[23:23.400 -> 23:28.080] I mean, imagine me being a casual observer feeling that bad. Imagine the mood in the garage in that regard.
[23:28.720 -> 23:35.200] Now, my disappointment in Alpine and Renault has no limit. I've said this multiple times,
[23:35.200 -> 23:41.760] this being a works team does not have its act together. And Esteban Ocon...
[23:41.760 -> 23:46.240] What works? Wait a minute. What do you mean by works team? Nothing is working buddy.
[23:46.920 -> 23:51.300] Exactly and Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly are otherwise good drivers.
[23:51.300 -> 23:54.720] I mean you've seen what Pierre Gasly is able to do when he was in the Alpha Tauri
[23:55.100 -> 24:00.980] after his demotion from Red Bull. You would have probably expected him to go the Kvyat way, but
[24:01.580 -> 24:08.640] Gasly did extremely well during his time in Alpha Tauri and that's one of the reasons why he got this Alpine seat but they're not able to use
[24:08.640 -> 24:12.400] that potential they're not able to show all that they have on track because that
[24:12.400 -> 24:18.460] car is that unreliable and we say Ferrari does Ferrari things but the
[24:18.460 -> 24:22.080] Alpine's engine is doing Alpine engine things there's there's also a lot of
[24:22.080 -> 24:25.040] talk about it having a power deficit. There's a lot of
[24:25.600 -> 24:31.520] discussions happening around that as well. But it's a team that's been blowing hot and cold.
[24:32.400 -> 24:37.600] They did extremely well in Monaco and they kind of tapered off and they did well at Zandvoort. I
[24:37.600 -> 24:43.680] know it was also due to the circumstances and Gasly was able to capitalize on it. But a very
[24:43.680 -> 24:45.200] sad weekend where both of them got kicked out of Q1 and they were not able to capitalize on it. But a very sad weekend where both of them got
[24:45.200 -> 24:50.960] qualified, kicked out of Q1 and they were not able to get anything out of the race.
[24:50.960 -> 24:56.160] It's just sad. And as for Lance Stroll, I don't know if we have any expectations from him at all,
[24:56.160 -> 25:02.000] because he's the only driver in the top 11 to not have a podium. Even Esteban Ocon and Pierre
[25:02.000 -> 25:09.520] Gasly have a podium, Lance Stroll doesn't. And him not being able to get enough points has now meant Aston Martin is
[25:09.520 -> 25:14.960] fourth in the Constructors below Ferrari. Incredible right, Ferrari actually pulled
[25:14.960 -> 25:20.640] that one in Monza and caught P3 in the Constructors Championship. But just
[25:20.640 -> 25:24.600] a wee bit about Alpine, you know, the funny thing is on Friday after the
[25:24.600 -> 25:28.520] free practice sessions, they were actually actually slow but Pierre Gasly actually
[25:28.520 -> 25:32.600] said to the media that it was unspectacular but it was still a very
[25:32.600 -> 25:36.500] solid Friday for us. I really don't know what the solid would mean if it means a
[25:36.500 -> 25:41.080] Q1 exit and not scoring points but it's probably again one of those
[25:41.080 -> 25:50.300] power deficits to their power unit and hence as a result just not able to perform on these really long straights and they're waiting for an equalization
[25:50.300 -> 25:54.440] once it is approved by the other teams and the FIA as well.
[25:54.440 -> 25:58.320] But Albon, who we actually just spoke of, I'm just going to go back to him for a bit.
[25:58.320 -> 26:02.680] In the last two races, Alexander Albon has scored 10 points.
[26:02.680 -> 26:05.240] Well, yes, that's a lot for Williams,
[26:05.240 -> 26:07.000] but that's the same number of points
[26:07.000 -> 26:11.080] that George Russell, Lando Norris have scored,
[26:11.080 -> 26:12.560] which is 10 points.
[26:12.560 -> 26:16.080] Lance Stroll has actually scored zero in that time.
[26:16.080 -> 26:18.320] Esteban Ocon has scored one,
[26:18.320 -> 26:21.920] and Oscar Piastri has scored two points.
[26:21.920 -> 26:28.960] That's just how well Alexander Alban has gone in Sanford and in Monza.
[26:28.960 -> 26:37.040] And talking about Lance Stroll, it amazes me that Mike Crack still is making statements like the gap
[26:37.040 -> 26:43.360] between Stroll and Alonso is actually very small. I think that's just money talk.
[26:43.360 -> 26:44.160] One second.
[26:44.160 -> 26:48.320] We can laugh it off. small. I think that's just money. One second. So if the gap between
[26:48.320 -> 26:53.680] Stroll and Alonso is small, Sundaram, what was the gap between Verstappen and
[26:53.680 -> 26:57.120] Carlos Sainz in qualifying? There was no gap. No, I think they both said the same
[26:57.120 -> 27:05.600] lap time if that's the case. 0.013 seconds. Oh, what a huge gap, man. Oh my God.
[27:05.600 -> 27:06.600] Oh, oh, oh, what a...
[27:06.600 -> 27:09.280] Yeah, I think, I think two tenths is a small gap.
[27:09.280 -> 27:11.760] Now, the three tenths on a lap is a small gap.
[27:11.760 -> 27:15.120] But yeah, one hundredth per lap is a huge one.
[27:15.120 -> 27:16.800] So, does Mike Crack know racing?
[27:16.800 -> 27:17.800] I think he does, right?
[27:17.800 -> 27:18.800] He's meant to be a racing guy.
[27:18.800 -> 27:19.800] He does, yeah, yeah, yeah.
[27:19.800 -> 27:23.960] But the funny thing is, and I don't, I don't know if Sommel caught it given his love for
[27:23.960 -> 27:25.200] Lance Stroll.
[27:25.200 -> 27:30.820] Max Verstappen when he ended the race, GP, Jaipero Lampierre, his engineer who we all
[27:30.820 -> 27:36.240] know is his fiercest rival these days in Formula One, came on the radio and said, it was a
[27:36.240 -> 27:38.360] stroll in the park Lance, wasn't it?
[27:38.360 -> 27:46.600] And I don't know if that was a pun on Lance Stroll in itself, but I just burst out laughing.
[27:52.520 -> 27:56.760] No, it's awesome to see them reminding the world who the best driver in the world really is, Fernando Alonso. Now, but the point being, ladies and gentlemen, this was a great weekend of motorsport.
[27:56.760 -> 28:03.080] And if there's one line that I'd like to use to end it all off, it is, guys, did we get it?
[28:03.320 -> 28:04.160] Did we get it?
[28:04.360 -> 28:06.360] We did get a good race at the end.
[28:06.360 -> 28:11.960] We were hoping we were dying for a good one after a while. And finally, Monza has delivered
[28:11.960 -> 28:16.960] as well. And next up is going to be Singapore. Now there is a fortnight's break, we will
[28:16.960 -> 28:21.660] be coming back with a really special episode of the Inside Line F1 podcast in the middle.
[28:21.660 -> 28:26.000] And yes, there is also going to be a live event in Mumbai for the Singapore GP as well.
[28:26.000 -> 28:33.000] So stay tuned for all of that stuff folks. Check out the links in our description for our social media profiles to see how you can keep up with us.
[28:33.000 -> 28:40.000] But for now, I suppose that is all. Bake in the glory of, rather not bake in the glory, you're not a cake are you?
[28:40.000 -> 28:46.800] You bask in the glory of Max Verstappen's records. Enjoy the couple of weekends that we have now folks and
[28:46.800 -> 28:52.000] see you for the Singapore GPT-3 review. Take care, bye.
[29:02.360 -> 29:04.360] you