Verstappen Tears-Off Everyone: 2022 Belgian GP Review

The 2022 Belgian Grand Prix will be remembered for Max Verstappen-Red Bull Racing's dominance; a race that Verstappen won from 14th place. However, there were lots of talking points from the race otherwise. 'Plan G', remember?

And also, Lewis Hamilton's refusal to visit the circuit medical centre after his opening lap incident with Fernando Alonso. Tune in to our 2022 Belgian GP review episode.

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!

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Soumil, Sundaram & Kunal re-live their memories from our first-ever live stream with Steve Slater while also dissecting key moments from the race. Ferrari's bold (or silly!) strategy with Charles Leclerc for the fastest lap of the race. Their 'question' to drivers on tyre strategy choices. Mclaren's inability to attack or defend, Esteban Ocon's double double overtakes and more.

(Season 2022, Episode 51)

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

Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool

**Race Highlights:**

* Max Verstappen's dominant victory from P14, extending his championship lead.
* A strategic gamble by Ferrari for Charles Leclerc to attempt the fastest lap, resulting in a penalty.
* Esteban Ocon's impressive double overtakes on Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris.
* McLaren's struggles in both pace and strategy.

**Key Points:**

* Verstappen's win showcased his exceptional driving skills and the strength of the Red Bull car.
* Ferrari's strategy for Leclerc backfired, costing him valuable points in the championship battle.
* Ocon's overtakes highlighted his aggressive and determined driving style.
* McLaren's poor performance raised questions about their car's competitiveness.

**Analysis:**

* Verstappen's victory further solidifies his position as the championship favorite.
* Ferrari's strategic blunders continue to hamper Leclerc's title hopes.
* Ocon's performance suggests he could be a contender for future race wins.
* McLaren's struggles indicate they have work to do to catch up with the top teams.

**Controversies:**

* Hamilton's refusal to visit the medical center after his collision with Alonso sparked debate about driver safety.
* Ferrari's strategy for Leclerc was widely criticized by fans and pundits alike.

**Overall Message:**

The Belgian Grand Prix was a race of contrasting fortunes, with Verstappen's brilliance overshadowed by Ferrari's strategic mishaps and McLaren's ongoing struggles.

# **Belgian Grand Prix 2022 Review: Verstappen's Dominance, Hamilton's Refusal, and More**

The 2022 Belgian Grand Prix witnessed Max Verstappen's remarkable victory from 14th place, solidifying his dominance in the race. However, the event was marked by several talking points beyond Verstappen's triumph.

**Key Points Discussed:**

1. **Lewis Hamilton's Refusal to Visit Medical Center:**
- Hamilton declined to visit the circuit medical center after his opening lap incident with Fernando Alonso, disregarding FIA protocol.
- He received a warning for his refusal, sparking discussions about safety concerns in Formula One.
- Despite the incident, Hamilton acknowledged his mistake and apologized to Alonso.

2. **Fernando Alonso's Reaction:**
- Alonso expressed frustration over the incident, waving at Hamilton as he drove past.
- Social media debated Alonso's reaction, with some criticizing his behavior.
- However, Hamilton clarified that such reactions are common in the heat of the moment and should not be taken too seriously.

3. **Esteban Ocon's Double Overtakes:**
- Ocon executed two double overtakes during the race, showcasing his impressive driving skills.
- Despite his impressive maneuvers, Ocon's achievements received limited attention compared to other drivers.
- The hosts acknowledged Ocon's talent and highlighted the short-lived memory of his achievements in Formula One.

4. **Alpine's Contract Saga with Oscar Piastri:**
- The Contract Recognition Board (CRB) is deliberating on the validity of Oscar Piastri's contracts with Alpine and McLaren.
- The outcome of the CRB's decision will determine Piastri's future and potentially impact Daniel Ricciardo's career.
- Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer expressed confidence in upholding their contract with Piastri.
- The hosts discussed the implications of the CRB's decision and potential driver movements in the market.

**Overall Takeaway:**

The Belgian Grand Prix provided thrilling moments on the track, including Verstappen's dominant performance and Ocon's skillful overtakes. However, the race was also overshadowed by controversies surrounding Hamilton's refusal to visit the medical center and the ongoing contract dispute between Alpine and Piastri. The hosts engaged in insightful discussions, analyzing these events and their potential consequences for the drivers and teams involved.

[00:00.000 -> 00:24.400] Now folks, imagine if at the end of last year, someone picked you aside from a room and told
[00:24.400 -> 00:30.160] you, hang on a minute, next year, some driver in Formula 1 is going to end up winning a Grand Prix
[00:30.160 -> 00:35.920] from P14 with almost a 15 second gap and it's going to feel totally normal.
[00:35.920 -> 00:38.320] You're going to look at them and say, are you crazy?
[00:38.320 -> 00:40.000] What are you even talking about?
[00:40.000 -> 00:44.960] These new Formula 1 cars are supposed to make racing as close as possible, but somehow,
[00:44.960 -> 00:48.880] what Max Verstappen has achieved this weekend in the Belgian Grand Prix
[00:48.880 -> 00:55.280] is so great that it feels expected, it feels normal and we were all buzzing before this year's Belgian Grand Prix.
[00:55.280 -> 01:01.480] We thought, wow, okay, finally, after the year away, we are going to get to see a race at Spa-Francorchamps.
[01:01.480 -> 01:05.240] It's so exciting, but did we actually end up seeing a race?
[01:05.240 -> 01:07.000] That's exactly what we're going to discuss
[01:07.000 -> 01:09.360] on this episode of the Inside Line F1 podcast.
[01:09.360 -> 01:12.200] But folks, firstly, I've got to introduce myself.
[01:12.200 -> 01:13.480] My name is Somal Arora.
[01:13.480 -> 01:16.600] I'm the host of The Driving Force on Disney Plus Hotstar.
[01:16.600 -> 01:18.960] As always, I've got Kunal Shah, the former marketing
[01:18.960 -> 01:21.560] head of the Force India F1 team with me,
[01:21.560 -> 01:23.320] who's, of course, now also working
[01:23.320 -> 01:25.160] as an FIA accredited journalist for
[01:25.160 -> 01:26.600] the Viaplay network.
[01:26.600 -> 01:32.200] And as a special, I wouldn't say special guest in this episode, but just as a special surprise
[01:32.200 -> 01:37.520] for all of us, F1 stats guru Sundaram is also a part in this episode, not as a part of his
[01:37.520 -> 01:39.800] own segment, but throughout this episode.
[01:39.800 -> 01:43.880] So Sundaram, lovely, lovely to have you on for this entire episode.
[01:43.880 -> 01:45.560] And I just want to start off with you
[01:45.560 -> 01:47.480] on this particular discussion.
[01:47.480 -> 01:50.480] Have we just seen all of our title hopes
[01:50.480 -> 01:52.320] torn off this weekend?
[01:52.320 -> 01:53.920] You can actually say that, because I
[01:53.920 -> 01:56.920] don't know what Max Verstappen was on yesterday.
[01:56.920 -> 01:59.060] And quite literally, we didn't see a race.
[01:59.060 -> 02:02.880] We saw him playing the F1 2022 game, where he gets bored
[02:02.880 -> 02:03.840] starting from pole.
[02:03.840 -> 02:05.720] And he says, OK, why not make it
[02:05.720 -> 02:08.280] a little bit more difficult, a little bit more fun?
[02:08.280 -> 02:12.120] Starts from 10th in Hungary in a difficult track like the Hungaroring, ends up winning
[02:12.120 -> 02:14.880] that and says, nah, this is too easy.
[02:14.880 -> 02:16.120] Let's start further behind.
[02:16.120 -> 02:19.040] Let's do 14th or 15th at Spa.
[02:19.040 -> 02:20.520] And he ends up winning that as well.
[02:20.520 -> 02:30.180] And on the way to winning the race, along with winning the race, he also a little piece of tear off, hampered Leclerc to a great extent and probably even crushed all of Ferrari's
[02:30.180 -> 02:35.240] title hopes in both championships. So big, big changes that happened yesterday, but I
[02:35.240 -> 02:39.640] think overall, a very spectacular race, which I think we'll talk about more.
[02:39.640 -> 02:45.720] I think, did we actually have a race or not? You know for the first time my notes around
[02:45.720 -> 02:50.080] the banter that we have in the first 5-10 minutes of the episode are longer
[02:50.080 -> 02:56.480] than the race notes itself and before we actually get to the banter,
[02:56.480 -> 03:06.960] let's understand this was master class in action. We all are extremely blessed to witness these kind of races, right?
[03:06.960 -> 03:13.200] Dominance doesn't come as easy as it did. It comes after, it doesn't come as a fluke.
[03:13.200 -> 03:18.720] It comes after a lot of hard work, a lot of perseverance. For Max to have done what he
[03:18.720 -> 03:23.920] actually did in Spa was pretty phenomenal. I mean, you know, the next race, you know,
[03:23.920 -> 03:25.180] we have to ask the question,
[03:25.180 -> 03:28.420] could he start 20th and still try and go and win?
[03:28.420 -> 03:30.980] And traditionally the next race would have been Monza,
[03:30.980 -> 03:31.820] but this time, of course,
[03:31.820 -> 03:35.860] it's Max's actual home track in Sanford,
[03:35.860 -> 03:37.880] the Dutch Grand Prix itself.
[03:37.880 -> 03:39.740] And coming to the banter,
[03:39.740 -> 03:43.760] we actually saw that it's not just Ferrari
[03:43.760 -> 03:47.120] that has various alphabets in terms of strategy
[03:47.120 -> 03:54.200] McLaren were gonna use plan G for Lando Norris I mean I never imagined even
[03:54.200 -> 03:58.720] McLaren went all the way to plan G and imagine drivers like Lando Norris
[03:58.720 -> 04:02.480] driving a car wondering why am I not able to overtake and suddenly be like
[04:02.480 -> 04:05.040] okay what was plan G again?
[04:05.040 -> 04:06.760] I have no clue.
[04:06.760 -> 04:11.240] Was it plan G for plan give up or something at the end considering how McLaren was struggling
[04:11.240 -> 04:13.200] at that particular part of the race.
[04:13.200 -> 04:17.820] But we should come to McLaren in a bit more depth later on because I want to touch upon
[04:17.820 -> 04:20.600] that aspect you mentioned about Max Verstappen.
[04:20.600 -> 04:23.280] It's almost, it's almost Schumacher-esque this.
[04:23.280 -> 04:27.240] I mean, at this stage, you expect him to do stuff like this one
[04:27.420 -> 04:31.980] This particular performance that we saw at the Belgian Grand Prix and one might say
[04:31.980 -> 04:35.440] Oh, it was not not just Ferrari were doing terribly
[04:35.440 -> 04:39.680] It was Red Bull in general who did a great job, but not not all of Red Bull did a great job
[04:39.860 -> 04:44.460] Sergio Perez was struggling we saw him have a terrible start throughout the race as well
[04:44.460 -> 04:45.960] He was never quite there
[04:45.960 -> 04:47.240] at peak performance.
[04:47.240 -> 04:49.600] But the way Max was able to extract performance
[04:49.600 -> 04:51.840] from the car in every single sector
[04:51.840 -> 04:55.200] over the course of the race, and not make any blunders as well,
[04:55.200 -> 04:59.080] this Sundaram is just, I think, prime Red Bull racing.
[04:59.080 -> 05:00.040] You could call it that.
[05:00.040 -> 05:01.440] But prime Red Bull and prime Max,
[05:01.440 -> 05:02.920] it's like they're unstoppable now.
[05:02.920 -> 05:05.200] I just get a Vettel 2013 feeling out of this one.
[05:05.760 -> 05:11.600] Oh, absolutely. It reminds me of the performances that we've seen from Hamilton for several years,
[05:11.600 -> 05:18.400] Alonso during his Ferrari years, or even Michael Schumacher in his Ferrari, in the Ferrari era.
[05:18.400 -> 05:23.840] And I think the main talking point, or what the biggest takeaway for me is that how
[05:23.840 -> 05:30.720] Verstappen has transformed as a driver over the years, especially during his time in Red Bull itself.
[05:30.720 -> 05:38.320] How aggressive he was and how his driving style has been and how his demeanor also has been in certain pressure situations.
[05:38.320 -> 05:46.320] I genuinely am amazed at how he's transformed overall in all those years and probably also winning a championship does
[05:46.320 -> 05:51.040] that to you and that probably lessens the burden as well and you're probably able to enjoy your
[05:51.040 -> 05:56.880] driving a little bit more. So I am genuinely impressed and amazed by how Max Verstappen has
[05:56.880 -> 06:02.720] improved as a driver. It's crazy how it all panned out but we should also talk about how he was so
[06:02.720 -> 06:05.460] good this weekend and why no one else was just able to catch up
[06:05.460 -> 06:08.100] But we should do that after a short break. So stay right here
[06:08.820 -> 06:15.060] Hey folks, welcome back into the inside line f1 podcast. And yes, as you heard about a live race watch alongs
[06:15.060 -> 06:21.000] we were watching the Belgian Grand Prix live with Steve Slater this weekend on Paytm Insider and
[06:21.400 -> 06:25.440] My word canal over there. There was only one thing that we could think of.
[06:25.440 -> 06:28.680] Just why is Perez not able to do what Max is doing?
[06:28.680 -> 06:30.880] Why is Ferrari not able to do what Max is doing?
[06:30.880 -> 06:32.760] Because all the way through, right,
[06:32.760 -> 06:37.000] from the start to the middle, and what was it, lap 25
[06:37.000 -> 06:39.480] or something, when Max already was up to P3?
[06:39.480 -> 06:41.680] And we were just like, oh, come on.
[06:41.680 -> 06:43.600] This is quite literally like a video game, as Sundaram
[06:43.600 -> 06:44.360] mentioned.
[06:44.360 -> 06:51.600] I think it was lap 18 by the time he actually got the lead of the race but I'm still gonna stick to banter because
[06:51.600 -> 06:57.120] I was honest at the start of the episode saying I have more banter notes than race notes and you
[06:57.120 -> 07:02.080] know you guys remember when we did the preview we said it's gonna be a three-way battle will
[07:02.080 -> 07:06.000] Mercedes join the fight with Red Bull and Ferrari? And oh
[07:06.000 -> 07:12.120] my God, there was a no way battle. Like Max was driving through overtaking cars left,
[07:12.120 -> 07:16.920] right, center as though, you know, he was the only driver say driving in the Formula
[07:16.920 -> 07:22.400] One class and everybody else were like moving chicanes or whatever, you know, you may call
[07:22.400 -> 07:26.800] it. And then we also had, like we saw the tear off,
[07:26.800 -> 07:31.600] just how unlucky can Charles Leclerc get through a season?
[07:31.600 -> 07:35.380] Mind you, he actually overtook Max on the opening lap
[07:35.380 -> 07:38.120] very briefly till Max actually overtook him back again.
[07:38.120 -> 07:42.840] So we couldn't really see how far up the grid
[07:42.840 -> 07:48.400] could Charles also have gone up had he not had the tear-off issue.
[07:49.200 -> 07:54.640] We had several things like there was an Iron Man, he was flying over Spa. To me, after Max,
[07:54.640 -> 08:00.240] he was probably the most interesting driver or pilot as we call people in Formula One. And
[08:01.040 -> 08:05.000] before we get to all the serious stuff, right?
[08:05.100 -> 08:07.900] You have to actually say it in this way, Somil.
[08:07.900 -> 08:10.540] Did we actually have a race at Spa?
[08:10.540 -> 08:12.780] Question, because that word question
[08:12.780 -> 08:15.120] actually means you're asking the question,
[08:15.120 -> 08:17.920] especially if you are a Ferrari strategist.
[08:17.920 -> 08:21.380] I mean, did you guys see every time they asked a question
[08:21.380 -> 08:24.500] to their drivers, they would end it with saying question.
[08:24.500 -> 08:25.280] So I'm guessing that's
[08:25.280 -> 08:29.360] a bit of communication that you know they've had some consultant come in and say hey you need to
[08:29.360 -> 08:34.480] be more open, you need to say it this way, why don't you get your drivers more involved, question.
[08:35.280 -> 08:40.720] That was a very very interesting approach, full stop. I mean I don't even know how it works really
[08:40.720 -> 08:46.000] for Ferrari sometimes and at the end as well, sticking with the band to power off it.
[08:46.000 -> 08:47.680] When we were watching the race on the watch along
[08:47.680 -> 08:50.480] on Payday Insider, we were just confused that, OK,
[08:50.480 -> 08:53.080] why is Leclerc boxing for the fastest lap now?
[08:53.080 -> 08:57.080] Because doing so will end up resulting in potentially
[08:57.080 -> 08:58.760] ending up losing more points because he has
[08:58.760 -> 08:59.880] to go back down to Alonso.
[08:59.880 -> 09:02.040] And of course, the penalty happened.
[09:02.040 -> 09:04.440] We all know that it happened through Max Verstappen's
[09:04.440 -> 09:06.720] tear off Weiser hitting Leclerc's brake pads,
[09:06.720 -> 09:10.280] and then his car getting a bit hot in the opening lap.
[09:10.280 -> 09:12.760] So he had to box at the very beginning, which essentially
[09:12.760 -> 09:15.160] ruined his race's strategy plan, as it was.
[09:15.160 -> 09:17.240] And so he wasn't quite able to stick on the softs.
[09:17.240 -> 09:18.680] And things just compounded.
[09:18.680 -> 09:21.400] It broke off the sensor, which meant
[09:21.400 -> 09:23.320] that he was caught speeding in the pit lane,
[09:23.320 -> 09:25.320] even though he technically wasn't really doing that
[09:25.320 -> 09:31.520] Wasn't really going that much faster. So it's like Ferrari just have just have a way to innovate
[09:31.520 -> 09:36.600] I mean, they're great right, they're pioneers in this field. Sometimes it just happens to them
[09:36.600 -> 09:39.560] Sometimes it's not through their own doing but have you noticed guys?
[09:39.560 -> 09:43.160] We've just found a new way for them to ruin a race every single time
[09:43.160 -> 09:45.400] I can't even think of it.
[09:45.400 -> 09:46.680] Now there's this.
[09:46.680 -> 09:49.160] There was, of course, engines catching fire.
[09:49.160 -> 09:51.320] There was the team messing up the strategy.
[09:51.320 -> 09:54.040] There was, what else did we have this year?
[09:54.040 -> 09:56.560] I mean, what else can we add to the list this year, Sundaram?
[09:56.560 -> 09:57.760] I'm just wondering about that.
[09:57.760 -> 10:00.800] I mean, if there was, what do you call that?
[10:00.800 -> 10:01.960] Is it called a bingo board?
[10:01.960 -> 10:04.440] Or I'm not sure what it's called.
[10:04.440 -> 10:10.080] But you have, what does it called a bingo board or I'm not sure what it's called I have what does it refer to us it's it's it's a giant spin wheel right that
[10:10.080 -> 10:12.380] you spin the wheel and you have a giant spin wheel yeah you have you have
[10:12.380 -> 10:16.760] different types of options on how you can end up screwing a race and Ferrari
[10:16.760 -> 10:20.720] are taking each each box or each section every single time and they randomly
[10:20.720 -> 10:26.880] choose one every single time it's been so many different types of reliability issues
[10:26.880 -> 10:28.360] or strategic errors that they've made
[10:28.360 -> 10:32.000] that even I can't seem to, even I've lost count of it.
[10:32.000 -> 10:34.560] But I'm actually genuinely very surprised
[10:34.560 -> 10:36.440] at what's happening at Ferrari.
[10:36.440 -> 10:38.520] And I think we'll dissect a little bit more about this
[10:38.520 -> 10:42.560] because, I mean, one from the Lerch side of things
[10:42.560 -> 10:44.120] and also one from Ferrari side of things,
[10:44.120 -> 10:47.000] I think really, let's dissect a little bit more about this.
[10:47.000 -> 11:01.400] I'm gonna add to that list in qualifying they put used tires in Q3 and Charles actually went on the radio saying and hey guys what what tires are these and they're like okay sorry we put on the wrong set of tires now.
[11:01.400 -> 11:06.640] Imagine to what level operationally they can get stressed and challenged and so on.
[11:06.640 -> 11:12.800] But let's rewind back a little bit. Let's go back to one of the questions that Somil of course
[11:12.800 -> 11:19.600] asked just at the start of this saying what made Max Verstappen so good? Was this his best
[11:19.600 -> 11:50.820] performance ever? And what happened to Checo Perez? and I think while Checo Perez would feel horrible that you know despite starting what he was you know 13 places ahead of Max or something 12-13 places and he still you know finished several you know tens of seconds I think it was 11 or 14 seconds behind like you said, one of the things that actually got revealed earlier this morning was Helmut Marko saying that Checo was testing a new part on the floor and hence was three kilos
[11:50.820 -> 11:52.700] heavier or something.
[11:52.700 -> 11:58.380] Because yes, Checo has been drifting away from Max's benchmark as the season, as the
[11:58.380 -> 12:07.200] Red Bull car has evolved, but Inspired just seemed like it was just too easy for Max to be doing
[12:07.200 -> 12:12.660] what he was doing as compared to everybody else. That's so true and it just
[12:12.660 -> 12:16.800] gets so interesting right that we head into a race weekend knowing that oh yeah
[12:16.800 -> 12:20.800] he's he's gonna take a great penalty and he still might end up winning but
[12:20.800 -> 12:26.720] Sundaram, I mean just this win it would you kind of claim it to be as one of Max's best performances ever?
[12:26.720 -> 12:28.720] What do the stats say about this win?
[12:28.720 -> 12:37.600] I think I would definitely say that this is one of Max's best performances, especially because he's had to drive through the midfield starting from 14th.
[12:37.600 -> 12:45.360] And considering the fact that before the Hungarian Grand Prix, he had never won a race lower than fourth. And at Hungary,
[12:45.360 -> 12:50.000] he won from 10th and this time he's won from 14th. So that is completely new territory for him.
[12:50.720 -> 12:56.880] And he's managed to win a race. So that's quite spectacular, I would say. And one of the stats I
[12:56.880 -> 13:01.840] mentioned during the stats preview is also that we've not had a repeat winner or a driver taking
[13:01.840 -> 13:05.480] back-to-back wins at Spa in consecutive years.
[13:05.480 -> 13:07.520] And it's finally happened after 15 years.
[13:07.520 -> 13:10.400] The last one to do that was Kimi Raikkonen.
[13:10.400 -> 13:15.200] But in terms of a historical aspect, and probably it's a good time to make amends right now,
[13:15.200 -> 13:20.240] this is actually the second instance in F1 history where two successive races have been
[13:20.240 -> 13:22.480] won from 10th or lower.
[13:22.480 -> 13:26.400] And quite interestingly, both times, it was just one driver in the midst of it.
[13:26.400 -> 13:29.360] In 1959 and 1960, it was Bruce McLaren
[13:29.360 -> 13:32.280] who won two races starting 10th and 13th.
[13:32.280 -> 13:34.760] And this time, Verstappen started 10th in Hungary,
[13:34.760 -> 13:38.400] like I mentioned, and he was the 13th driver on the grid
[13:38.400 -> 13:41.180] at Spa because Pierre Gasly, he started from the pit lane.
[13:41.180 -> 13:44.040] So quite a bit of a coincidence in this case,
[13:44.040 -> 13:46.200] but yeah, stats, I mean, these sort of bit of a coincidence in this case, but yeah, stats.
[13:46.600 -> 13:49.200] I mean, these sort of races are a statistician's delight, you know,
[13:49.200 -> 13:50.640] of him starting from 14 and winning.
[13:50.880 -> 13:53.520] So I absolutely found quite a lot of stats for this race.
[13:54.000 -> 13:58.800] You know, this is precisely why I love your Instagram page.
[13:58.800 -> 14:04.200] Although I consume all the stats on Twitter, for me, text or images and videos and stuff.
[14:04.200 -> 14:04.520] Right.
[14:04.800 -> 14:07.400] But the one stat, now, you know, I remember in the mid-season
[14:07.400 -> 14:10.700] when we sat down in a studio in Mumbai to discuss was like,
[14:10.700 -> 14:14.200] how soon can Max Verstappen win the title, right?
[14:14.200 -> 14:19.000] And for me, at least, no longer is that the main question.
[14:19.000 -> 14:22.200] Now, I'm sort of moving the goalposts
[14:22.200 -> 14:29.520] just the way Max and Red Bull did in Spa. Can Max Verstappen win 13 races
[14:29.520 -> 14:35.520] in a season, a record which Schumacher and Vettel hold, or could he actually sort of beat that
[14:38.160 -> 14:46.440] record this year? Helmut Marko has said we need at least three more race wins before we start feeling a
[14:46.440 -> 14:50.920] little bit more comfortable about our title and this is despite having the
[14:50.920 -> 14:59.720] second-place driver also racing for his team. I'm sorry he said what? Has he not
[14:59.720 -> 15:04.880] been watching the TV screens this year seriously? No but it's just diplomacy
[15:04.880 -> 15:05.680] right at the end of the day.
[15:05.680 -> 15:07.400] Deep down, they might be knowing that they're going up
[15:07.400 -> 15:09.920] against a team that, unfortunately, just are
[15:09.920 -> 15:11.440] like a blunt pencil in this case.
[15:11.440 -> 15:13.840] I mean, they've got a big, useful, long pencil
[15:13.840 -> 15:16.080] that looks fancy, but they can't quite use it at the end,
[15:16.080 -> 15:18.600] which is just a terrible analogy for me to make.
[15:18.600 -> 15:20.280] But to put things in the context, right?
[15:20.280 -> 15:21.080] I quite like it.
[15:21.080 -> 15:21.560] You do?
[15:21.560 -> 15:22.280] I quite like it.
[15:22.280 -> 15:26.000] Yeah, it is a very nice analogy, the blunt pencil one.
[15:26.000 -> 15:27.000] Thank you.
[15:27.000 -> 15:31.220] But the blunt pencil was so blunt in a way that they tried to sharpen it up at the final
[15:31.220 -> 15:35.960] laps of the race, put on the soft tyre, put it on an extremely low fuel load.
[15:35.960 -> 15:38.580] Of course, that's Charles Leclerc whom I'm referring to.
[15:38.580 -> 15:43.140] And that lap with Leclerc, obviously, it did get hampered slightly because Fernando Alonso
[15:43.140 -> 15:47.600] was a part of that lap in the first part of the circuit, just near Eau Rouge.
[15:47.600 -> 15:50.560] I think he got a little bit of a toe, but regardless, I can expect a couple of tenths
[15:50.560 -> 15:51.800] to go over there.
[15:51.800 -> 15:56.520] But still, Verstappen in the middle of the race ended up putting the fastest lap, that
[15:56.520 -> 16:03.400] was six tenths faster than Leclerc on fresh softs and a lighter fuel load.
[16:03.400 -> 16:04.400] Wow.
[16:04.400 -> 16:07.840] Can we ever stop singing Vererstappen's praises
[16:07.840 -> 16:12.160] after this race? Or should we, I think, talk about something else? Because I think some might say
[16:12.160 -> 16:16.160] we're just going too overboard. But I think that's the kind of performance it was, wasn't it, Kunal?
[16:16.160 -> 16:21.840] It was. And I think apart from just singing Verstappen's praise on this episode, we're also
[16:21.840 -> 16:26.580] a little surprised with how nobody could literally play catch
[16:26.580 -> 16:31.660] up. And let's get into the specifics of this, right? Firstly, there was this new technical
[16:31.660 -> 16:36.700] directive that was put into place from Spar, like we spoke about in the preview episode,
[16:36.700 -> 16:41.420] controlling porpoising. And the second was around flexi floors. And the assumption always
[16:41.420 -> 16:45.300] was that Red Bull, just because they're winning everything all the time,
[16:45.300 -> 16:46.680] are doing something illegal.
[16:46.680 -> 16:49.080] And that's why we said there could be a three-way battle
[16:49.080 -> 16:51.680] with Mercedes sort of catching up, right?
[16:51.680 -> 16:53.640] And of course, what happened is,
[16:53.640 -> 16:56.040] and this is what Ferrari and Mercedes
[16:56.040 -> 16:57.600] also very largely believe,
[16:57.600 -> 17:01.440] is that the characteristics of the Spa-Francorchamps
[17:01.440 -> 17:04.480] actually worked to Red Bull's advantage.
[17:04.480 -> 17:09.380] Those mighty long straights is where they were uncatchable.
[17:09.380 -> 17:12.040] And then of course, the cooler temperatures
[17:12.040 -> 17:16.020] helped Max Verstappen a great deal more
[17:16.020 -> 17:18.140] to sort of just do one lap in Q3
[17:18.140 -> 17:19.740] and still be 6 tenths ahead.
[17:19.740 -> 17:21.840] And that was like the largest margin
[17:21.840 -> 17:24.140] or the largest gap he had to pretty much anybody
[17:24.140 -> 17:25.560] since any of
[17:25.560 -> 17:27.520] the races previously held in the season.
[17:27.520 -> 17:32.480] So it was a culmination of a lot of facts and not just flukes, I would say, in terms
[17:32.480 -> 17:33.780] of performance.
[17:33.780 -> 17:39.320] Like I said, the circuit, the temperature, the Red Bull car going his way, and, you know,
[17:39.320 -> 17:46.760] beyond everything else, his sheer belief that he could still do magic in the car, even with
[17:46.760 -> 17:52.840] a power unit penalty, even by starting lower on the grid and still try and get at least
[17:52.840 -> 17:57.800] to a podium. But, you know, he was like, like we said earlier, by 18th lap, he was leading
[17:57.800 -> 17:59.320] the race.
[17:59.320 -> 18:02.600] Exactly that. And from that, you mentioned the new technical directive in the middle
[18:02.600 -> 18:07.320] as well. Let's talk about that very briefly because we all had big expectations.
[18:07.320 -> 18:11.720] And I suppose, at least in my opinion, the way I see it, it's a bit too early to judge
[18:11.720 -> 18:16.720] based on just one race, as you rightly mentioned, Kunal, that the characteristics of Spa-Francorchamps
[18:16.720 -> 18:20.280] might be something that actually suits Red Bull Racing quite a fair bit.
[18:20.280 -> 18:28.600] So maybe we get a better idea over the course of a spread of five races to see okay what exactly is going on and on the subject of the TD and on the subject
[18:28.600 -> 18:32.160] of its effectiveness that naturally leads us on to the subject of Mercedes
[18:32.160 -> 18:36.480] and why they weren't quite good enough. Many many on social media Sundaram are
[18:36.480 -> 18:40.360] saying that oh it's just only gone out there and put Mercedes backwards but I
[18:40.360 -> 18:44.600] mean when you consider things and consider the trends over the course of
[18:44.600 -> 18:46.000] the season, it just
[18:46.000 -> 18:48.600] appears to be a track-specific thing for Mercedes.
[18:48.600 -> 18:51.320] Long straights, they've never quite been a big fan of that.
[18:51.320 -> 18:53.400] And over here, when degradation was high,
[18:53.400 -> 18:55.780] this naturally should have favored Mercedes a little bit.
[18:55.780 -> 18:57.840] But one of their top drivers was out,
[18:57.840 -> 18:59.560] and Ferrari were just that bit better.
[18:59.560 -> 19:02.080] So kind of expected, in a way, the gap
[19:02.080 -> 19:03.600] that they had eventually.
[19:03.600 -> 19:08.560] I wouldn't say it was expected, because I think largely everyone was very surprised at Mercedes'
[19:08.560 -> 19:13.840] qualifying pace and even in terms, so they were obviously better in terms of race pace but
[19:13.840 -> 19:17.840] generally though the overall performance of Mercedes was quite shocking to be honest because
[19:18.480 -> 19:24.000] everyone expected this technical directive to help Mercedes to a good extent and probably pull
[19:24.000 -> 19:25.860] back Red Bull and Ferrari.
[19:25.860 -> 19:28.840] But there were talks that probably Ferrari had to
[19:28.840 -> 19:31.540] increase their ride height, which probably hampered
[19:31.540 -> 19:34.060] their tire degradation as well.
[19:34.060 -> 19:36.540] But Red Bull seemed very, you know,
[19:36.540 -> 19:38.900] they were unperturbed by this whole technical directive.
[19:38.900 -> 19:41.500] And it's also probably a very track specific thing
[19:41.500 -> 19:43.660] because the Mercedes car is very unpredictable
[19:43.660 -> 19:47.120] and they have certain scenarios that suits them or certain
[19:47.120 -> 19:52.240] certain window that actually suits them even in terms of tyre performances so I
[19:52.240 -> 19:56.480] would say this could be a one-off bad performance from Mercedes but we'll
[19:56.480 -> 20:01.480] probably have to see over the next few races Zandvoort and Italy how is
[20:01.480 -> 20:06.160] this what the trend is going to be so we'll have to see how that goes.
[20:06.160 -> 20:08.680] And that's true, what you pointed out, Sundaram.
[20:08.680 -> 20:11.680] Mercedes was struggling to get their tires
[20:11.680 -> 20:14.040] into working range in qualifying.
[20:14.040 -> 20:16.080] And that was actually worked against them.
[20:16.080 -> 20:18.200] But in the race, they actually were a little better
[20:18.200 -> 20:20.200] with a heavier fuel load, putting more pressure
[20:20.200 -> 20:22.200] on the tires, getting them into working window,
[20:22.200 -> 20:29.720] and hence were more competitive against Ferrari right but eventually it was tire degradation that was impacting
[20:29.720 -> 20:33.640] every other driver on the grid apart from Max Verstappen and I think enough
[20:33.640 -> 20:41.240] of Max Verstappen but Mercedes actually ended a six race streak of finishing on
[20:41.240 -> 20:45.040] the podium their highest such streak in 2022.
[20:45.040 -> 20:50.160] And they still are the only team to have finished at least one car in the top five
[20:50.160 -> 20:53.280] in every race this season, right?
[20:53.280 -> 20:56.320] So overall, I think their race, their Sunday was much better,
[20:56.320 -> 20:58.120] not so much so their Saturday.
[20:58.120 -> 21:02.040] And to me, the even more surprising part was on Saturday,
[21:02.040 -> 21:06.480] I think Hamilton, Wolf, Shovlin, maybe even Russell, if I remember,
[21:06.480 -> 21:14.720] all of them said, we need to make sure that we do not repeat the same mistake with our 2023 car,
[21:14.720 -> 21:22.240] sort of indicating that they need to give up on the W13 and focus on what is it to do with the W14
[21:22.240 -> 21:29.040] that's going to be racing next season. Because like Wolf said, you can't have a car where one race you're on pole
[21:29.040 -> 21:31.200] and the next race you're two seconds off pole.
[21:31.200 -> 21:39.840] And that sort of working window is too narrow for the team to sort of dial more performance into.
[21:39.840 -> 21:47.760] So again, circuit specific, yes, absolutely. But it was shocking to see 1.8 seconds
[21:47.760 -> 21:51.000] as the gap between Paul and Lewis Hamilton.
[21:51.000 -> 21:53.280] Yeah, but in the race, at some point,
[21:53.280 -> 21:56.120] you felt that they just can't get to Carlos Sainz
[21:56.120 -> 21:56.940] at the end, right?
[21:56.940 -> 21:59.200] But George Russell, even though the gap was close,
[21:59.200 -> 22:01.360] you just got a feeling that, ah, they've just
[22:01.360 -> 22:02.760] got that pace missing.
[22:02.760 -> 22:06.000] So that, I suppose, was a bit of an anticlimactic end,
[22:06.000 -> 22:08.600] which actually kind of brings us on to Kalau's signs
[22:08.600 -> 22:10.000] and why he had a terrible race.
[22:10.000 -> 22:13.120] Because let's not forget, guys, he was our pole sitter
[22:13.120 -> 22:14.760] for this weekend, remember?
[22:14.760 -> 22:17.040] That actually happened on Saturday as well.
[22:17.040 -> 22:21.240] But a similar sort of race for him, Sundaram, in a way,
[22:21.240 -> 22:24.600] because the pace just wasn't there, degradation was absurd,
[22:24.600 -> 22:25.040] and the hard compound tyres that he put on pace just wasn't there, degradation was absurd and
[22:25.040 -> 22:29.200] the hard compound ties that he put on eventually just didn't quite give him enough grip and
[22:29.200 -> 22:32.560] Max, as we all know, was just in a different league altogether.
[22:33.200 -> 22:47.640] I think the importance of having pole position is slowly eroding away because the pole sitter has won only 14 races, oh sorry, the pole sitter has won only five races
[22:47.640 -> 22:49.360] in 14 rounds this year.
[22:49.360 -> 22:51.640] So having pole position doesn't really give you
[22:51.640 -> 22:54.120] a very good advantage, is what it seems.
[22:54.120 -> 22:56.320] But Sainz was generally suffering
[22:56.320 -> 22:58.920] from a lot of tire degradation as well.
[22:58.920 -> 23:02.560] But even apart from that, the pace that Red Bull had
[23:02.560 -> 23:04.480] over Ferrari was enormous.
[23:04.480 -> 23:05.000] He was easily a second quick, Max Verstappen that Red Bull had over Ferrari was enormous.
[23:05.000 -> 23:08.840] He was easily a second quick, Max Verstappen and Red Bull
[23:08.840 -> 23:10.680] were over a second quicker than the Ferrari.
[23:10.680 -> 23:13.760] So that also hampered science to an extent.
[23:13.760 -> 23:17.360] And I think science and Verstappen were on very similar
[23:17.360 -> 23:18.940] pit-strike tie strategies as well.
[23:18.940 -> 23:21.680] So I think they couldn't have really done anything
[23:21.680 -> 23:24.880] because they were just so far off in terms of pace.
[23:24.880 -> 23:27.160] Yeah, and you know, Ferrari actually tried
[23:27.160 -> 23:31.200] every compound they could to try and help Sainz's race
[23:31.200 -> 23:33.800] because he started on the soft, he made them work,
[23:33.800 -> 23:37.140] he jumped max at the start, he took on the medium,
[23:37.140 -> 23:38.600] and then he took on the hard as well,
[23:38.600 -> 23:40.880] saying, figuring out which compound
[23:40.880 -> 23:42.980] eventually works out for him or not.
[23:42.980 -> 23:47.200] And to me, the very fact that he did not
[23:47.200 -> 23:54.240] lose P3 is a win for Ferrari and Matteo Abbinato turned around and this time, and I'm trying not
[23:54.240 -> 24:01.440] to be funny here, he said, our strategy was not the problem in Spa, we just lacked performance.
[24:01.440 -> 24:05.000] Right. And that's actually true, because, you know, somebody asked a question saying,
[24:05.000 -> 24:08.760] can you guys dissect the strategies that were at play
[24:08.760 -> 24:11.760] at Spa and could somebody else have done something different
[24:11.760 -> 24:13.080] to try and challenge Max?
[24:13.080 -> 24:15.600] But the truth is, or there are two truths here.
[24:15.600 -> 24:19.400] First is that Max had such fantastic performance
[24:19.400 -> 24:24.080] that he did not sort of need different strategy to win
[24:24.080 -> 24:27.040] and vice versa for the others. They lacked so much
[24:27.040 -> 24:32.560] performance when, you know, against Max Verstappen that no amount of strategy would have sort of kept
[24:32.560 -> 24:38.400] them in the running at least for P1 in the race. So, you know, you need both. You can't just rely
[24:38.400 -> 24:46.640] on either strategy or performance. You need to bring both to the table. And it seems that Ferrari were literally lacking that as well.
[24:46.640 -> 24:51.520] Yes, we saw how Charles's race was compromised because
[24:51.520 -> 24:53.360] of a tear off and so on.
[24:53.360 -> 24:57.520] But truth be told, even if he didn't have the tear off issue,
[24:57.520 -> 25:00.480] I don't believe he would have been in the running
[25:00.480 -> 25:02.640] for victory in Spa.
[25:02.640 -> 25:03.240] Exactly.
[25:03.240 -> 25:05.080] And Benotto is kind of right in that sense
[25:05.080 -> 25:09.360] that the strategy is the second concern performance is the first but that still
[25:09.360 -> 25:12.680] doesn't mean you put a hard tower on Charles Leclerc at the Hungarian Grand Prix
[25:12.680 -> 25:17.040] that I mean that that still doesn't kind of add up for me but hey we've doubled
[25:17.040 -> 25:20.480] down on that far too much we have to talk about other crazier things in the
[25:20.480 -> 25:24.360] race and one crazy thing happened in the first lap that I just could not
[25:24.360 -> 25:25.120] comprehend initially when we were just watching him because it felt like we things in the race. And one crazy thing happened in the first lap that I just could not comprehend
[25:25.120 -> 25:30.160] initially when we were just watching it because it felt like we were sitting in a time machine
[25:30.160 -> 25:35.920] and the year was suddenly 2007 and not 2022 when we saw of course the two titans of the sport
[25:35.920 -> 25:40.480] Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton crash or perhaps Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso
[25:40.480 -> 25:43.680] crash because of course we've all seen the replays. I think we can all kind of have a
[25:43.680 -> 26:08.640] unanimous sentiment over it that Hamilton was at fault over here. Misjudgment in a way okay and Had that incident not happened, Alonso would have been able to have an even better race eventually because P5 and he had a bit of a gap to all the drivers up ahead but it was
[26:08.640 -> 26:12.300] kind of lucky in a way that Leclerc got the penalty and he took the extra stop.
[26:12.300 -> 26:15.980] So had that not happened and he not had even the slightest bit of damage, do you reckon
[26:15.980 -> 26:18.480] Sundaram he would have had a better race as such?
[26:18.480 -> 26:24.100] I think what he was most upset about was the fact that he had a very good start.
[26:24.100 -> 26:29.840] He was up into P2 and he was leading Hamilton so that's what he was most upset about
[26:29.840 -> 26:35.920] because eventually looking at the race distance of 44 laps, I mean the whole
[26:35.920 -> 26:40.520] race length of 44 laps, I don't suppose Alonso would have stuck to P2 or
[26:40.520 -> 26:44.120] even P3 looking at the pace of the Red Bulls or looking at the pace of the
[26:44.120 -> 26:45.260] Ferraris as well,
[26:45.260 -> 26:47.860] he would have slipped down further,
[26:47.860 -> 26:49.860] but P5 was actually the best
[26:49.860 -> 26:52.000] of what he could have achieved yesterday.
[26:52.000 -> 26:56.000] It was, and I think Hamilton, Alonso,
[26:56.000 -> 26:57.340] had they not had that incident,
[26:57.340 -> 27:00.120] I would have loved to see how Perez would have recovered
[27:00.120 -> 27:01.300] from a bad start as well,
[27:01.300 -> 27:02.840] because he had a lot of wheel spin,
[27:02.840 -> 27:04.820] he just dropped the clutch and the car didn't go,
[27:04.820 -> 27:10.480] and we know how that whole played out, right? To me, the only striking part of that
[27:10.480 -> 27:17.600] accident or incident rather was that Lewis Hamilton was walking back very sullen to the pits, we saw
[27:17.600 -> 27:22.880] how he was captured. It was nowhere as classic as what Kimi Raikkonen did in the desert a few years
[27:22.880 -> 27:26.040] ago, right? But it was still, it's like, you know, at least try and get a little closeri Raikkonen did in the desert a few years ago, right? But it was still, it's like, you know,
[27:26.040 -> 27:28.520] at least try and get a little closer to Raikkonen
[27:28.520 -> 27:30.680] and how cool that visual was, right?
[27:30.680 -> 27:32.600] Aren't you guys also remembering that visual
[27:32.600 -> 27:34.860] of Kimi Raikkonen going through the desert?
[27:34.860 -> 27:38.700] Anyway, the point is, Lewis Hamilton actually refused
[27:38.700 -> 27:40.540] to go to the circuit medical center
[27:40.540 -> 27:46.160] for a post-accident checkup, which is a protocol by the FIA. And then he was given a
[27:46.160 -> 27:52.000] warning and so on and so forth. So I don't quite know why he did that at this moment, given how
[27:54.560 -> 27:58.800] safety is paramount in Formula One. It seems a little silly for him to have done that.
[27:58.800 -> 28:05.200] Maybe he has his reasons, but either way, it was nice of Lewis to walk by and say, hey, you know what, he was in my blind spot.
[28:05.200 -> 28:08.700] I turned in on him.
[28:08.700 -> 28:10.000] It was my mistake.
[28:10.000 -> 28:12.580] And yes, a lot of social media is going crazy
[28:12.580 -> 28:15.500] about how Fernando Alonso was waving at Lewis and so on.
[28:15.500 -> 28:18.700] But remember, even Lewis said that in the heat of the moment
[28:18.700 -> 28:22.040] when they are in action and things happen,
[28:22.040 -> 28:25.520] you end up saying things like Fernando's radio message
[28:25.520 -> 28:31.040] or doing things like his waving of the hand when he drove past Lewis, which you don't
[28:31.040 -> 28:33.660] really remember once you're out of the car.
[28:33.660 -> 28:39.400] So we should say Fernando some flack and praise his P5 performance, which by the way, for
[28:39.400 -> 28:48.400] all his hate or love of Lewis Hamilton, he finished 44 seconds behind George Russell, right?
[28:48.400 -> 28:50.720] So number 44 is stuck with him either way.
[28:51.560 -> 28:54.640] And you don't often tend to see Lewis Hamilton make mistakes
[28:54.640 -> 28:56.520] and when you actually see that,
[28:56.520 -> 28:57.600] you can't remember the last time
[28:57.600 -> 28:59.920] when he's actually had a race retirement of sorts.
[28:59.920 -> 29:02.280] This one would probably be a little bit easier to remember,
[29:02.280 -> 29:03.440] which was the Italian Grand Prix,
[29:03.440 -> 29:10.360] but the last time he actually retired on an opening lap was back in 2016, when he crashed
[29:10.360 -> 29:11.360] with Nico Rosberg.
[29:11.360 -> 29:14.860] And I don't really have to mention the track because I think everyone knows that it was
[29:14.860 -> 29:15.860] in Barcelona.
[29:15.860 -> 29:22.400] But yeah, you rightly said it that these sort of, and I think Alonso is a treat to listen
[29:22.400 -> 29:24.920] to when he gets on the radio.
[29:24.920 -> 29:26.320] He said a lot of things in the past
[29:26.320 -> 29:30.240] as well about the engine, about the stewards' decisions, about other drivers as well. But
[29:30.240 -> 29:34.600] yeah, these sort of things happen because they're high-performance athletes. There's
[29:34.600 -> 29:38.940] a lot of adrenaline rushing through them. And when another driver collides into you,
[29:38.940 -> 29:42.240] you end up saying a thing or two. And this has happened to a lot of drivers, Max Verstappen,
[29:42.240 -> 29:46.320] Lewis Hamilton. But then these things, you don't tend to remember them a lot because yeah,
[29:46.320 -> 29:47.400] it's just in the heat of the moment.
[29:47.880 -> 29:51.680] I think, you know, somewhere Fernando Alonso has also realized that one of the
[29:51.680 -> 29:57.080] things that made Kimi Raikkonen really cool, uh, at the fag end of his career,
[29:57.080 -> 30:01.680] when he was not winning races, not getting onto the podium, but still revered as
[30:01.680 -> 30:03.960] one of the coolest personalities were radio messages.
[30:03.960 -> 30:07.780] And I think Fernando has decided to step into that gap that
[30:07.780 -> 30:11.700] exists in the Formula One fans' mindset of these really
[30:11.700 -> 30:13.580] cool radio messages.
[30:13.580 -> 30:15.180] And that's where he sort of stepped up.
[30:15.180 -> 30:17.940] But hats off to him, P5.
[30:17.940 -> 30:21.420] Also, Esteban Ocon.
[30:21.420 -> 30:26.920] I don't know what does he need to do to get prime time focus, not just from us,
[30:26.920 -> 30:28.880] but from pretty much everybody in Formula One.
[30:28.880 -> 30:32.880] I mean, that guy did one double overtake,
[30:32.880 -> 30:36.320] which was fine, not hyped, and it was spoken about.
[30:36.320 -> 30:38.400] So he said, you know what, nobody's paying attention.
[30:38.400 -> 30:40.760] I'm gonna do another double overtake, right?
[30:40.760 -> 30:42.520] And we're still not talking about it.
[30:42.520 -> 30:45.600] And I still remember we had Mika Hakkinen
[30:45.600 -> 30:53.200] as our guest on the Viya Play show right and as expected everyone wanted to ask him what happened
[30:53.200 -> 30:59.760] in 2000 you know Hakkinen, Zonta, Schumacher, three-way pass and we are still living it 22
[30:59.760 -> 31:04.000] years later I don't think anybody is even going to remember Ocon's two double passes
[31:05.760 -> 31:11.600] later I don't think anybody is even going to remember Ocon's two double passes 20 days after Spires ended. Poor chap. Yeah I don't know why I don't know why just just things with Estima and
[31:11.600 -> 31:15.600] Ocon tend to get faded away very quickly like people tend to have a very short memory but
[31:16.640 -> 31:21.200] do you guys remember that he actually even won a race last year? You have to remind people that oh
[31:21.200 -> 31:29.080] okay he actually did that yeah hungry and and he did it on merit as well. So it's ridiculous how things play out with him eventually. But it's great that
[31:29.080 -> 31:34.440] his value is recognized within all the teams. And I remember us coughing last year and saying,
[31:34.440 -> 31:38.680] huh, three-year contract for Estima and Ocon. Are you guys out of your minds, Alpine? But
[31:38.680 -> 31:42.160] I think it might just end up being one of the sturdiest moves as well. A good drive
[31:42.160 -> 31:48.120] in the tyre down eventually. And that move that he made over there, just not as good as Meek obviously because you're not
[31:48.120 -> 31:51.920] racing against Michael Schumacher and it's the midfield and what not but my word did
[31:51.920 -> 31:56.980] we get excited on the Paytm Insider livestream that we had over there. This was just quite
[31:56.980 -> 32:01.780] quite something but folks, there's also a lot more to get excited about this weekend
[32:01.780 -> 32:07.880] as well. We're getting Sanford, is that the Sanford? Have I pronounced it correctly? I think you can let me know on social media
[32:07.880 -> 32:11.520] whenever you can but the Dutch GP is gonna come up this weekend as well. So
[32:11.520 -> 32:15.480] gentlemen, what are your thoughts on that Kunal? What excites you the most barring
[32:15.480 -> 32:19.520] the party atmosphere that really gets me going for this weekend? I'll tell you
[32:19.520 -> 32:24.120] what I'm looking forward to the most. What I'm looking forward to at Zandvoort
[32:24.120 -> 32:26.000] at the Dutch Grand Prix I will only
[32:26.000 -> 32:32.320] talk about in our preview episode. So remember to subscribe, notify, put your notifications on,
[32:32.320 -> 32:36.720] etc. But that's I'm not trying to plug our our show because there's something more important
[32:36.720 -> 32:45.600] that is expected to happen from now until the preview and that is the outcome of Piasco or whatever Oscar Piastri did with Alpine.
[32:45.600 -> 32:51.800] And the contract recognition board is actually in discussion
[32:51.800 -> 32:54.000] as we are recording this episode.
[32:54.000 -> 33:01.400] I believe the outcome will be known in the next couple of days or even before
[33:01.400 -> 33:04.100] because it's about which contract will they uphold
[33:04.100 -> 33:05.400] and then finally for the driver
[33:05.400 -> 33:07.040] to make the decision, right?
[33:07.040 -> 33:12.040] And here very crucially is where Oscar Piastri's career
[33:12.580 -> 33:14.280] is in question.
[33:14.280 -> 33:16.120] The good news is he will have a drive.
[33:16.120 -> 33:17.780] We just don't know which team,
[33:17.780 -> 33:21.440] but the resulting factor will then be
[33:21.440 -> 33:25.320] if Daniel Ricciardo will have a drive or not for 2023.
[33:25.320 -> 33:32.800] And Otmar Safnauer has been really grilled about Piasco in Belgium, and he actually turned
[33:32.800 -> 33:38.400] around and said, can we please wait for Monday before we talk about our future, before we
[33:38.400 -> 33:46.300] talk about whether Alpine is considering Daniel Ricciardo, because I believe that the contract recognition board
[33:46.300 -> 33:49.860] will uphold our contract with Oscar Piastri,
[33:49.860 -> 33:53.260] which was signed in November, 2021.
[33:53.260 -> 33:54.900] So I'm now waiting to see
[33:55.920 -> 33:59.420] if Otmar will be proved wrong one more time.
[33:59.420 -> 34:00.460] Right, why do I say that?
[34:00.460 -> 34:03.700] Because several things that he said in the short period
[34:03.700 -> 34:04.820] that he's joined Alpine,
[34:04.820 -> 34:10.000] especially about Fernando Alonso and so on, suddenly weren't making the cut. And Fernando
[34:10.000 -> 34:14.960] was very quick to refute that. I called Laura Rossi and whoever else to tell them about
[34:14.960 -> 34:21.520] me moving on and my mechanics and so on, but he chose not to call Otmar. So my reading is that
[34:21.520 -> 34:25.280] there is some water under the bridge between Ottmar and Fernando,
[34:25.280 -> 34:30.640] but now I want to see what actually happens with Ottmar's predictions on Oscar Piastri.
[34:30.640 -> 34:37.120] I believe he is okay if Oscar doesn't race with Alpine, but he wants a significant payback for
[34:37.120 -> 34:42.320] all the investments that they made over the years. And then they will go and see if they can use that
[34:42.320 -> 34:45.680] money to see which driver they can buy on the
[34:45.680 -> 34:50.960] market. For example, Pierre Gasly by paying off Red Bull or by then affording Daniel Ricciardo's
[34:50.960 -> 34:57.120] services, which I believe must be much cheaper from this season onwards. You know, there's this
[34:57.120 -> 35:03.040] whole piasco incident or the piastri gate issue between McLaren and Alpine has shot up so much of
[35:03.040 -> 35:07.440] prominence for the CRB, the Contract the contract recognition board that I saw a very funny
[35:07.640 -> 35:13.000] tweet on Twitter by Pablo Elizalde where he says that plot twist
[35:13.120 -> 35:18.640] the CRB decides that Piastri will work for CRB in 2023 and actually got me really
[35:19.680 -> 35:21.120] chuckling after
[35:21.120 -> 35:23.120] watching that tweet, but seeing that tweet
[35:24.000 -> 35:25.240] But yeah, that's that's going
[35:25.240 -> 35:28.360] to be a big thing that we're gonna be watching out for this whole week what
[35:28.360 -> 35:33.320] what happens what's the outcome of that whole contractual issue and you should
[35:33.320 -> 35:37.700] also keep an eye out on our next episode on the inside line f1 podcast the duck
[35:37.700 -> 35:42.520] GP preview which comes up very very soon so stay tuned for that folks hope you've
[35:42.520 -> 35:46.800] enjoyed a good time this this weekend and hope you've enjoyed also joining us on
[35:46.800 -> 35:51.320] our live race watch along on Paytm Insider which will be back for the Italian Grand Prix.
[35:51.320 -> 35:54.680] So don't forget to register for that by clicking on the link in our bio.
[35:54.680 -> 35:55.920] So thank you so much for watching.
[35:55.920 -> 35:56.920] Thank you so much for listening.
[35:56.920 -> None] Bye bye and have a good time. To you. you