Podcast: Inside Line F1
Published Date:
Thu, 09 Jun 2022 14:27:59 +0000
Duration:
1893
Explicit:
False
Guests:
MP3 Audio:
Please note that the summary is generated based on the transcript and may not capture all the nuances or details discussed in the podcast episode.
Monaco, but with a long straight; a mix of Monaco and Monza - call it what you may, the Baku City Circuit is a model street circuit. It's how street circuits should be...apart from Monaco.
In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil and Kunal preview the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. @f1statsguru aka Sundaram has his stats preview segment while Aditya Bhat (@bhat.tech) explains the challenges of the 'castle section' at Baku.
The Inside Line F1 Podcast is brought to you by Eight Sleep, the most-trusted name in high-performance sleep.
Would you like to sleep on a bed-mattress designed by Formula 1 engineers to enhance your sleep quality? Here's an exclusive offer for our listeners.
Save $150 at checkout on the Eight Sleep Pod Pro Cover. Go get yours today: https://www.eightsleep.com/insideline
Could Sergio Perez do a double-double in Baku? Do we know which car is quicker - Ferrari or Red Bull Racing? If Ferrari have the car to challenge for the world title, do they have the team in place? Is this the most-likely race to have the unlikely podium trio? Will the 'porpoising' return for Mercedes & other teams on the long-straight of Baku?
And of course, what makes Baku so special? Soumil and Kunal shares some of their favourite Baku moments; the race hasn't been around for that long, but it has already offered us plenty of memorable moments on-track.
Tune in!
(Season 2022, Episode 33)
Follow our hosts: Sundaram Ramaswami, Aditya Bhat, Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah
Image courtesy: Mercedes
**Summary of the Inside Line F1 Podcast Episode 33: Previewing the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix**
- The episode begins with a discussion about Sergio Perez's potential to win back-to-back races in Baku and become the first driver to do so since Nico Rosberg in 2016.
- The hosts, Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah, then preview the upcoming race, highlighting the unique challenges of the Baku City Circuit. They discuss the long straights, the tight castle section, and the high likelihood of unpredictable incidents.
- In a special segment, Sundaram Ramaswami, also known as F1 Stats Guru, shares some interesting statistics about the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He mentions that no driver has ever won pole position, the race, and the fastest lap more than once at Baku, and that Sebastian Vettel has the most consistent record at the circuit, having never finished outside the top four.
- The hosts then delve into the ongoing battle between Ferrari and Red Bull Racing, debating which team has the quicker car. They also discuss the pressure on Ferrari to deliver results after a disappointing start to the season.
- Aditya Bhat, an Instagram sensation known for explaining F1 technical concepts, joins the show to provide insights into the challenges of the castle section at Baku. He explains how the low-speed, high-downforce nature of the section can be difficult for drivers, especially when they are pushing hard on a qualifying lap.
- The hosts discuss the possibility of Mercedes bouncing back from their struggles in Monaco. They speculate on whether the team has truly solved its porpoising issues and whether they will be competitive in Baku.
- The episode concludes with a discussion about other drivers and teams to watch out for in the race, including Sergio Perez, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Pierre Gasly, and Lewis Hamilton.
- The hosts emphasize the unpredictability of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and encourage listeners to tune in for an exciting race.
# Inside Line F1 Podcast: Preview of the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
**Introduction:**
- The podcast discusses the upcoming 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, held at the Baku City Circuit, which combines elements of both Monaco and Monza.
**Track Characteristics and Challenges:**
- The Baku City Circuit is a challenging street circuit with a mix of high-speed straights and tight, twisty sections.
- The long straight provides opportunities for overtaking, but the narrow and winding castle section demands precise driving and car control.
- The track surface is bumpy and abrasive, posing additional challenges for drivers and teams.
**Team and Driver Performance:**
- Sergio Perez's recent strong performances raise questions about whether he can achieve a "double-double" in Baku (winning both the race and qualifying).
- The podcast debates which car is quicker between Ferrari and Red Bull Racing, with Ferrari showing strong pace but Red Bull having a more reliable package.
- Mercedes' struggles with porpoising may resurface on Baku's long straight, affecting their performance.
**Unlikely Podium Contenders:**
- Baku has a history of producing surprise podium finishers, with seven out of 15 podium finishers coming from outside the top five teams.
- The unique characteristics of the circuit, including safety car periods and restarts, can create opportunities for unexpected results.
**Favorite Baku Moments:**
- The hosts share their favorite Baku moments, highlighting the race's unpredictability and excitement.
- They recall Lewis Hamilton's dramatic moment in 2021, where he accidentally left his "magic button" on, leading to a spectacular crash.
**Predictions for the Race:**
- The hosts make their predictions for the race winner and pole position.
- Carlos Sainz is favored for pole and the win, with Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez also in contention.
- Max Verstappen's weekend may be overshadowed by questions about his father's comments regarding Red Bull's strategy favoring Perez in Monaco.
**Conclusion:**
- The podcast concludes with anticipation for an exciting and unpredictable race in Baku, known for its wild and crazy moments.
- The hosts promise to return with a review of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after the race weekend.
[00:00.000 -> 00:23.000] Hey folks, welcome back to the Inside Line F1 podcast and pitch the podium.
[00:23.000 -> 00:25.120] I hope you won't hit me for that. But
[00:25.120 -> 00:30.480] this is our Azerbaijan GP preview episode and on this episode there's a ton to talk about.
[00:30.480 -> 00:36.960] About firstly Sergio Perez's double-double. Will we end up seeing him actually win the two races
[00:36.960 -> 00:41.280] in a year firstly and the two races in a row at Baku as well. That's going to be a major talking
[00:41.280 -> 00:46.560] point and also we have to talk about Mercedes and which Mercedes actually ends up appearing in
[00:46.760 -> 00:50.520] Baku this weekend also two special segments will be a part of this episode
[00:50.840 -> 00:56.400] firstly one from f1 stats guru who will give us a stats preview of this particular Grand Prix and
[00:57.160 -> 01:03.880] Aditya Bhatt the Instagram sensation will be on this particular episode and trying to explain us the challenges of the castle section
[01:03.880 -> 01:08.480] But all of that and more is to come firstly., we shall take a quick break and be right back
[01:08.480 -> 01:09.480] in a second.
[01:09.480 -> 01:15.300] Hey folks, welcome back in. My name is Somal Arora. I'm the host of the driving force on
[01:15.300 -> 01:19.120] Disney plus hotstar joined by Kunal Shah, the former marketing head of the force India
[01:19.120 -> 01:25.760] F1 team and this circuit Kunal, I just absolutely love it. For me, considering the weather right now in India,
[01:25.760 -> 01:28.680] it seems the most equivalent to a watermelon juice in a way.
[01:28.680 -> 01:31.880] It's just power packed, punchy, sweet,
[01:31.880 -> 01:33.200] and there's no disadvantages to it.
[01:33.200 -> 01:35.400] I mean, what really is bad about Baku per se?
[01:35.400 -> 01:37.480] It's never given us a bad race.
[01:37.480 -> 01:39.720] If you consider that Baku started from 2017.
[01:39.720 -> 01:41.200] 2016, that just didn't happen.
[01:43.560 -> 01:45.360] Thank you for that introduction, Somil.
[01:45.360 -> 01:48.540] Baku, well done, Baku.
[01:48.540 -> 01:49.440] And well done, Somil.
[01:49.440 -> 01:52.600] I really loved that introduction, right?
[01:52.600 -> 01:54.400] Welcome, Baku, right?
[01:54.400 -> 01:56.440] But talking about Baku,
[01:56.440 -> 01:59.240] I think, you know, Baku is just how you would like
[01:59.240 -> 02:01.680] your street circuits to be, right?
[02:01.680 -> 02:03.480] You'll hear this in various places.
[02:03.480 -> 02:07.040] All the teams will say it's a mix of Monaco and Monza.
[02:07.040 -> 02:08.640] I liked how Damon Hill put it.
[02:08.640 -> 02:12.880] He said it's Monaco, but with a really long straight, right?
[02:12.880 -> 02:14.620] And at the end of the day,
[02:14.620 -> 02:17.900] I think Baku is a sensational addition
[02:17.900 -> 02:19.520] to the Formula One calendar.
[02:19.520 -> 02:23.240] And the one stat which we will hear the most
[02:23.240 -> 02:26.700] all through the weekend is that Baku has never seen a
[02:26.700 -> 02:32.260] repeat pole sitter nor has it seen a repeat race winner.
[02:32.260 -> 02:37.660] And of course, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc have never finished on the podium
[02:37.660 -> 02:40.220] here two of our title protagonists, right?
[02:40.220 -> 02:43.580] And their best finish has been only a fourth position.
[02:43.580 -> 02:47.480] So I expect these two stats to literally be the highlight of the weekend.
[02:47.480 -> 02:53.120] Yeah, it's ridiculous how luck or just kind of performance has played out for them.
[02:53.120 -> 02:57.280] And seriously, this circuit Kunal, it's produced so many other memories and all the way through
[02:57.280 -> 03:00.400] I think the biggest characteristic has to be that long straight.
[03:00.400 -> 03:04.080] But when you have that long straight, on the other hand, you have the castle section.
[03:04.080 -> 03:06.840] It's as you rightly put it, the perfect street circuit if you could ever
[03:06.840 -> 03:11.760] have one but it's produced so many great memories which one stands out the most
[03:11.760 -> 03:16.440] for you and it's ridiculous that in only six years we have so many to choose from
[03:16.440 -> 03:21.280] actually. We actually have a lot to choose from and you know the castle
[03:21.280 -> 03:27.000] section a very interesting fact that Mercedes shared is that,
[03:28.000 -> 03:32.000] in the old town, like most old towns have cobblestones
[03:32.000 -> 03:35.000] and that gets relayed every year
[03:35.000 -> 03:38.000] to cover up the cobblestones and make it grand prix ready.
[03:38.000 -> 03:40.000] And that's what the castle section
[03:40.000 -> 03:43.000] and it's called the Echheri Sheher town section
[03:43.000 -> 03:48.040] if I remember correctly, I had to actually write that down so I pronounce it correctly but my
[03:48.040 -> 03:54.960] earliest memories of Baku apart from Charles Leclerc's I am stupid crash that
[03:54.960 -> 03:59.700] we saw in his first year at Ferrari you know the one big standout has to be
[03:59.700 -> 04:08.360] Fernando Alonso doing a MotoGP in a Formula One car. I think it was 2018 when he had two wheels on his wagon.
[04:09.280 -> 04:13.200] Two wheels on his wagon after the opening lap and he actually drove that car
[04:13.860 -> 04:19.320] back all the way into the pits. Then of course there is Lewis Hamilton's
[04:19.780 -> 04:23.260] magic or no magic button from last year.
[04:24.440 -> 04:27.620] Daniel Ricciardo's three car overtake and you
[04:27.620 -> 04:33.140] know I was really gunning for this but you know Fettel accusing Hamilton of
[04:33.140 -> 04:38.220] brake testing him that also has to stand out for me Somal. Oh yeah that was some
[04:38.220 -> 04:42.540] race and and one of my memories has to come from that one as well which is
[04:42.540 -> 04:48.560] Valtteri Bottas and Lance Stroll fighting each other on the line for the podium slots in 2017.
[04:48.560 -> 04:51.560] Shevskis, this is what Formula 1 should be like.
[04:51.560 -> 04:56.000] And one of the most craziest issues to actually end up losing a race, Hamilton's headdress
[04:56.000 -> 04:57.000] coming off.
[04:57.000 -> 04:58.000] There's that.
[04:58.000 -> 05:01.240] And who can forget Verstappen and Bottas's punches.
[05:01.240 -> 05:03.680] Of course, different years for both of them.
[05:03.680 -> 05:05.040] But for Verstappen in 2021,
[05:05.040 -> 05:09.440] that was such a mighty moment. And just imagine what would have happened if that puncture didn't
[05:09.440 -> 05:13.600] even happen. Would we get to see Abu Dhabi and the controversy because Verstappen would have a big
[05:13.600 -> 05:21.120] points lead per se, but then would Hamilton actually have kind of been so far back off
[05:21.120 -> 05:24.560] because then he would be in second, there would be no restart, there would be no magic button moment
[05:24.560 -> 05:29.520] as well. Crazy. It's ridiculous. Six years Kunal Baku has had on the F1 calendar
[05:29.520 -> 05:33.440] and there's already what a dozen memories. I just get a feeling that this year we're going to add at
[05:33.440 -> 05:41.200] least a couple more on. I think it's going to be definitely more than a couple of more memories
[05:41.200 -> 05:45.340] because there's just some different level of excitement around Baku.
[05:45.340 -> 05:48.700] And, you know, I love the whole engineering challenge
[05:48.700 -> 05:50.540] it throws towards the teams as well.
[05:50.540 -> 05:54.200] You know, the Monaco type closed sections requires,
[05:54.200 -> 05:55.700] you know, higher downforce levels,
[05:55.700 -> 06:00.060] but then you have the 2.2 kilometer or long straight,
[06:00.060 -> 06:02.740] which sort of needs the Monza kind of setting.
[06:02.740 -> 06:05.500] So, you know, teams are always looking at risk versus reward
[06:05.500 -> 06:09.740] and all the sort of trade-offs that they would make
[06:09.740 -> 06:11.800] with regards to getting performance, you know.
[06:11.800 -> 06:14.840] And we've seen, for example, it was last year
[06:14.840 -> 06:19.840] where the Red Bulls actually had a better tire life
[06:20.140 -> 06:23.740] than Mercedes, and they could actually jump Lewis Hamilton
[06:23.740 -> 06:27.600] for the lead of the race and so on. So various strategies that will come into play as well.
[06:27.600 -> 06:30.400] But Samuel, why don't we also look at some of the stories
[06:30.400 -> 06:34.800] that will sort of dictate this weekend,
[06:34.800 -> 06:36.960] starting from Friday, and I've listed them down.
[06:36.960 -> 06:40.400] The most obvious story has to be Alfa Romeo
[06:40.400 -> 06:42.080] and their troubled Fridays.
[06:42.080 -> 06:44.560] I think four out of seven races
[06:44.560 -> 06:45.240] that they had troubled Fridays, but they four out of seven races that they had
[06:45.240 -> 06:49.000] troubled Fridays but they've sort of clotted back together, had very good
[06:49.000 -> 06:54.520] races on the Sunday. So that's something to look forward to I would say and if I
[06:54.520 -> 06:59.720] may also add, you know, Williams were caught in breach of the financial
[06:59.720 -> 07:05.640] regulations in 2021. They paid $25,000 US.
[07:05.640 -> 07:06.980] And why am I saying all of this?
[07:06.980 -> 07:09.360] Because it's the first time these financial regulations
[07:09.360 -> 07:12.600] are being sort of, you know, they made a debut in Formula
[07:12.600 -> 07:14.760] One, and they're being policed.
[07:14.760 -> 07:17.000] And actually, Williams didn't spend more money
[07:17.000 -> 07:19.360] than what the budget gap needed them to.
[07:19.360 -> 07:21.200] They just forgot to file documentation,
[07:21.200 -> 07:23.760] or they had difficulties in filing documentation.
[07:23.760 -> 07:28.240] And I expect this to become a big discussion point,
[07:28.240 -> 07:30.900] given how Ferrari is already saying that,
[07:30.900 -> 07:33.120] the way Red Bull have been developing their car,
[07:33.120 -> 07:35.960] they probably blown 70% of the budget and so on.
[07:35.960 -> 07:38.880] So there is gonna be some bit of discrepancy
[07:38.880 -> 07:40.840] in how teams do their reporting
[07:40.840 -> 07:43.800] and how the reporting for 2022
[07:43.800 -> 07:49.200] will happen by 31st of March 2023. So could there
[07:49.200 -> 07:53.360] be some sort of a loophole which teams always love to exploit. So lots of stories around
[07:53.360 -> 07:56.720] this that I expect to come out on Friday Sommel.
[07:56.720 -> 08:02.200] But actually I just want to talk about Williams for a second more because $25,000, what is
[08:02.200 -> 08:05.760] that? Pocket change? Is that even enough to discourage a team to put their
[08:05.760 -> 08:12.160] documents on time? Really, I've got to wonder. Penalties should be stricter regardless of who
[08:12.160 -> 08:17.360] you are. Of course, it's not that the penalty was $25,000 only because of it was Williams. But
[08:17.360 -> 08:22.320] the point is, it seems like too little to impact a Formula One team's budget per se. So there's
[08:22.320 -> 08:26.600] that. But at least it's not Williams blowing away their entire budget, which seems
[08:26.600 -> 08:30.200] to be the popular misconception on all the WhatsApp groups, strangely enough.
[08:30.200 -> 08:32.040] But you mentioned Alfa Romeo Canal.
[08:32.040 -> 08:35.520] I want to talk about them for a second because they're going to have a fresh new livery,
[08:35.520 -> 08:37.400] which looks like the tricolore of Italy.
[08:37.400 -> 08:38.400] Oh, wait, Italy.
[08:38.400 -> 08:39.400] Wow.
[08:39.400 -> 08:41.360] I butchered that pronunciation, haven't I?
[08:41.360 -> 08:42.840] But it looks like the tricolore.
[08:42.840 -> 08:43.840] Have you seen it?
[08:43.840 -> 08:44.840] What are your thoughts on it?
[08:44.840 -> 08:48.960] Because I think for the sake of a sponsor sponsor they've kind of taken away the entire
[08:48.960 -> 08:53.840] beauty of that Alfa Romeo car and it just looks not that the Italian flag looks bad but just that
[08:53.840 -> 08:57.680] it looks awkward on the design again I think to look forward to but not so much in my mind.
[08:59.360 -> 09:03.440] Yeah I'm always fascinated by car liveries because I don't really care too much about them you know
[09:03.440 -> 09:08.040] you could put like a fully black carbon fiber car and I'd still love it as much.
[09:08.040 -> 09:11.000] But yeah, car liveries are always interesting to look forward to.
[09:11.000 -> 09:18.480] And this is exactly why they changed the livery, right, for a sponsor, for all the discussion points that come around it, the conversations that are happening around it.
[09:18.480 -> 09:20.600] But let's move on to Saturday.
[09:20.600 -> 09:23.600] You know, qualifying, it's going to be interesting.
[09:23.000 -> 09:31.000] Qualifying, it's going to be interesting. It's, again, one of those circuits where qualifying doesn't define what your race is going to look like,
[09:31.000 -> 09:37.000] because the race is fairly open with a lot of overtaking opportunities, a lot of strategy opportunities as well.
[09:37.000 -> 09:44.000] But the key learning from the last couple of years is that qualifying doesn't always end within 60 minutes.
[09:44.000 -> 09:48.640] There are red flag sessions and other stoppages that happen.
[09:48.920 -> 09:54.040] I think last year we ran for close to two hours, which means that on Saturday,
[09:54.040 -> 09:59.120] we're probably going to get twice the more buck for our, you know, twice the
[09:59.120 -> 10:02.160] more bang for our buck, it comes with a qualifying hour, it should be called
[10:02.160 -> 10:03.640] the qualifying hour into two.
[10:08.760 -> 10:14.720] You missed out on a pun, Kunal. You could have said more bang for your buckoo But hey, whatever. I'm just on a pun mission today, but no you're right about that qualifying in Baku does tend to be quite crazy
[10:14.720 -> 10:16.720] I mean think of it 12 months ago
[10:16.720 -> 10:21.240] Sean Leclerc in a Ferrari in a midfield team actually ended up taking ball position here
[10:21.240 -> 10:23.040] so it genuinely is a
[10:23.040 -> 10:25.520] ridiculously crazy track and the toe canal is
[10:25.520 -> 10:29.920] going to be crazy because we discussed this point before the recording went on about this Sergio
[10:29.920 -> 10:35.280] Perez actually title contender. I think the first signs of it could genuinely come if Red Bull ask
[10:35.280 -> 10:39.840] him to give the toe on the final run to Max Verstappen because that will completely reveal
[10:39.840 -> 10:47.920] Red Bull Racing's approach in that sense. You're right. You know, the whole Checo Perez not being
[10:47.920 -> 10:51.320] or being in the title fight could be just the next race away.
[10:51.320 -> 10:53.560] You know, giving a toe to Max Verstappen
[10:53.560 -> 10:58.040] or again asking to make way for Max Verstappen, right?
[10:58.040 -> 11:00.640] So we'll see how the whole Checo Perez thing goes
[11:00.640 -> 11:02.600] but talking of qualifying still, you know,
[11:02.600 -> 11:04.120] tire warmup is always a challenge.
[11:04.120 -> 11:05.360] So the sequence that we saw, you know, tire warm-up is always a challenge. So the sequence
[11:05.360 -> 11:08.240] that we saw, you know, Charles Leclerc complain about
[11:08.240 -> 11:10.440] in Monaco, the sequence of when you go out for a
[11:10.440 -> 11:13.800] qualifying laps will also sort of matter.
[11:14.200 -> 11:16.520] The tire warm-up is a challenge again, like I
[11:16.520 -> 11:18.520] explained earlier in the show that, you know, the
[11:18.520 -> 11:21.120] resurfacing that happens annually sort of is one
[11:21.120 -> 11:23.640] of the reasons. But the beauty is that it's actually
[11:23.640 -> 11:25.040] a really long lap as opposed to Monaco. So teams are able to sort of work around of the reasons, but the beauty is that it's actually a really long lap
[11:25.040 -> 11:26.080] as opposed to Monaco.
[11:26.080 -> 11:28.480] So teams are able to sort of work around
[11:28.480 -> 11:31.040] and the drivers are able to bring more energy,
[11:31.040 -> 11:33.000] more heat into the tires.
[11:33.000 -> 11:35.760] And again, given the whole nature of the circuit,
[11:35.760 -> 11:39.000] you know, all the 90 degrees sections and so on,
[11:39.000 -> 11:42.320] you don't, you rely on more braking energies
[11:42.320 -> 11:43.760] to drive heat into the tires.
[11:43.760 -> 11:45.080] Now I know I'm getting technical,
[11:45.080 -> 11:48.440] but just some things to look forward to on Saturday.
[11:48.440 -> 11:53.440] And Red Bull Racing have never had pole here.
[11:53.780 -> 11:58.780] So that would be fun to see if a Red Bull Racing car,
[11:59.000 -> 11:59.840] could it be, you know,
[11:59.840 -> 12:02.720] Checo Perez who could take pole position, who knows.
[12:04.300 -> 12:08.040] And hopefully it is, because we all want to see that happening but you mentioned a very
[12:08.040 -> 12:13.480] interesting subject Kunal that I want to talk about, tyres because in Baku heat tends to
[12:13.480 -> 12:18.380] be a big big thing over there and we have seen a couple of critical punctures happening
[12:18.380 -> 12:26.280] at key moments in races as I mentioned previously for Valtteri Bottas back in 2018, Max Verstappen back in 2021. Yes, the tires are different.
[12:26.280 -> 12:30.600] Yes, the circumference of the rims are now different.
[12:30.600 -> 12:32.800] But still, generally, that could be a threat as well,
[12:32.800 -> 12:33.640] bursting tires.
[12:33.640 -> 12:37.440] And that's happened consistently at Baku now for years.
[12:37.440 -> 12:39.600] Especially on race day, Samul.
[12:39.600 -> 12:41.840] So talking of what to look forward to,
[12:41.840 -> 12:44.600] hopefully not that we look forward to tire failures,
[12:44.600 -> 12:48.880] especially late race tire failures and what, you know,
[12:48.880 -> 12:51.860] how it sort of impacted race results and so on.
[12:51.860 -> 12:56.240] So let's hope that that doesn't happen come Sunday.
[12:56.240 -> 12:58.520] But, you know, like I said,
[12:58.520 -> 13:00.960] Red Bull have never had pole here.
[13:00.960 -> 13:03.760] Ferrari has never has a race win here as well.
[13:03.760 -> 13:06.400] So could that change this Sunday finally?
[13:06.400 -> 13:12.880] Because Samuel, overall the whole question has to be, you know, which is actually the quicker car?
[13:12.880 -> 13:19.840] Is it the Ferrari or is it the Red Bull racing car? Because, you know, everybody brought upgrades to
[13:19.840 -> 13:25.400] Spain, but we saw that Spain had a skewed result. You know, Charles, of course, had his car failure
[13:25.400 -> 13:27.000] and then Max had had a spin.
[13:27.000 -> 13:28.360] So it sort of nullified.
[13:28.360 -> 13:31.680] We didn't really get to see if the Red Bull could match up
[13:31.680 -> 13:32.800] to the upgraded Ferrari.
[13:32.800 -> 13:34.720] And then Monaco is always an outlier
[13:34.720 -> 13:35.760] in terms of performance.
[13:35.760 -> 13:40.400] So could Baku also help us reveal a little bit more
[13:40.400 -> 13:43.240] in terms of which car is actually quicker, Somil?
[13:43.240 -> 13:48.720] That's going to be something to look forward to this weekend. You're so right about that. That's going to be so intriguing along
[13:48.720 -> 13:54.320] with where Mercedes stack up as well, but we shall get to Mercedes in more depth a bit later on. But
[13:54.320 -> 13:59.760] I actually want to take you folks to a special segment on this episode. It's one where we have
[13:59.760 -> 14:10.320] Aditya Bhatt, the Instagram sensation who's going on explaining the basics of F1 extremely well and today what we're going to discuss is the Baku circuit and the challenges that
[14:10.320 -> 14:14.720] it brings about especially in terms of setup and the castle section so you know what let's
[14:14.720 -> 14:17.600] actually head to him and listen to more on exactly how that works out.
[14:17.600 -> 14:25.640] I am stupid I am stupid that's not just me after the recent crypto crash but also Charles Leclerc on the radio
[14:25.640 -> 14:31.240] after his crash in the castle section at the 2019 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. We've seen a fair
[14:31.240 -> 14:36.320] few crashes here and the obvious conclusion is I mean yeah of course look how tight it
[14:36.320 -> 14:41.960] is but is it just that? Let's talk about it. I'm Aditya Bhatt and welcome to Formula 1
[14:41.960 -> 14:45.480] Tech Explained. When you look at the Baku circuit map, what
[14:45.480 -> 14:50.580] do you see? I see the longest widest straight in Formula One, a bunch of other very fast
[14:50.580 -> 14:55.920] straights and 90 degree corners. But then there's the castle section and the exit out
[14:55.920 -> 15:02.080] of it I'm talking turns 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. If you pull up an aerial view of the track,
[15:02.080 -> 15:06.320] this section almost looks a bit of an anomaly. A very tight, twisty
[15:06.320 -> 15:12.080] set of low speed corners with absolutely no room for error, on a track that is otherwise mostly
[15:12.080 -> 15:19.520] an expressway in downtown Baku. If you cut out the castle section from Baku and ctrl c ctrl v'd
[15:19.520 -> 15:28.460] it into Monaco, it would fit right in wouldn't it? As a Formula 1 team, when you think car setup for Baku, you're thinking high top speed,
[15:28.460 -> 15:30.560] low drag, low downforce.
[15:30.560 -> 15:35.660] You optimize for the majority of the track, you optimize for that top end straight line
[15:35.660 -> 15:37.540] speed on the long straights.
[15:37.540 -> 15:42.800] But what happens when you arrive at the castle section in a car that's set up for the exact
[15:42.800 -> 15:50.320] opposite purpose. When you're pushing, let's say on a quali lap, in a car with essentially zero downforce
[15:50.320 -> 15:52.000] and you're arriving where?
[15:52.000 -> 15:56.080] Right into this unforgiving low speed high downforce section.
[15:56.080 -> 16:00.240] This is all theory and speculation of course, but honestly, I'm actually very impressed
[16:00.240 -> 16:03.200] that more drivers don't crash here more often.
[16:03.200 -> 16:04.800] Thank you so much for your time.
[16:04.800 -> 16:05.000] I've
[16:05.000 -> 16:11.000] been Aditya Bhatt at Bhatt.Tech on Instagram and I'll see you on the next one.
[16:11.000 -> 16:15.920] Now that's genuinely such an important point Kunal because at the castle section we've
[16:15.920 -> 16:19.900] seen big drivers like Charles Leclerc end up making major mistakes and it must be such
[16:19.900 -> 16:25.460] a tricky task in these new modern Formula One cars which are now wider, longer, essentially
[16:25.460 -> 16:29.200] the dimensions are just ridiculous for them and he's right about it, if you take this
[16:29.200 -> 16:33.040] section and put it into Monaco, it wouldn't look out of place. But speaking of Monaco
[16:33.040 -> 16:36.940] and speaking of things that don't look out of place, Sergio Perez at Street Circuits
[16:36.940 -> 16:43.920] recently has looked very, very, very comfortable and he could be on for a very big achievement
[16:43.920 -> 16:46.200] of sorts, kind of essentially doing a double-double
[16:46.200 -> 16:50.400] in a way, where he ends up winning two consecutive Baku Grand Prixs and two consecutive races
[16:50.400 -> 16:51.920] in 2022.
[16:51.920 -> 16:55.720] And we spoke about it a second ago, about the Toho and Red Bull Racing's perception
[16:55.720 -> 16:59.040] of what Sergio Perez really is, and that could be uncovered on Saturday.
[16:59.040 -> 17:02.220] But let's be honest, this year he's looked far better.
[17:02.220 -> 17:03.900] He could be in for a chance.
[17:03.900 -> 17:07.860] He's just not shied away from anything this year.
[17:07.860 -> 17:12.680] He's not shied away from anything. He's just recently signed a two-year extension. He's
[17:12.680 -> 17:19.280] only 15 points away from Max Verstappen. So, you know, that's close enough for Red Bull
[17:19.280 -> 17:25.120] to still wholeheartedly back Max Verstappen. But hey, it's Max Verstappen, you know, you never know.
[17:25.120 -> 17:31.040] It's tough to bet against Max Verstappen. I mean, if Max could go up against Lewis Hamilton and win,
[17:32.560 -> 17:36.720] you know, I don't know how many people would bet that Charles, sorry, Sergio Perez could have a
[17:36.720 -> 17:41.680] match for Max Verstappen come through the period of the season. But like we said in this, you know,
[17:41.680 -> 17:46.880] episode before as well, that just the fact that Checo Perez is here,
[17:46.880 -> 17:50.180] despite being the genuine number two driver,
[17:50.180 -> 17:51.880] and I know a lot of people have written to me saying,
[17:51.880 -> 17:53.560] how do I know he's a number two driver?
[17:53.560 -> 17:55.760] Has Red Bull come out and said he's a number two driver?
[17:55.760 -> 17:57.060] No, they've not.
[17:57.060 -> 17:59.020] But just their actions prove
[17:59.020 -> 18:00.980] that he is treated as a number two driver
[18:00.980 -> 18:02.140] when it comes to upgrades,
[18:02.140 -> 18:04.900] when it comes to strategy and so on, right?
[18:04.900 -> 18:05.160] And I would love to see Checo Perez do well. treated as a number two driver when it comes to upgrades, when it comes to strategy and so on, right?
[18:05.160 -> 18:09.720] And I would love to see Checo Perez do well.
[18:09.720 -> 18:11.400] There's another interesting stature.
[18:11.400 -> 18:15.680] So Red Bull have the same number of podiums
[18:15.680 -> 18:19.120] at Baku as Force India does, right?
[18:19.120 -> 18:22.560] And all of these podiums scored by Red Bull
[18:22.560 -> 18:25.140] and Force India have been scored by Checo
[18:25.140 -> 18:29.360] Perez and you know if Monaco was anything to go by it was one it was the
[18:29.360 -> 18:37.260] first time in his career that Checo Perez outpaced Max Verstappen in every
[18:37.260 -> 18:40.760] session through the weekend. I'm talking of free practices, I'm talking of
[18:40.760 -> 18:45.040] qualifying and then I'm talking of the race as well. Yes, I know what happened in
[18:45.040 -> 18:49.760] qualifying. Please don't give me a reminder of that. But just seeing how the record books are
[18:49.760 -> 18:57.760] going to read for the time to come, Samal. Hang on a moment. You're right. Sergio Perez is
[18:57.760 -> 19:03.920] the master of Baku in a way. So it seems like the onus is on him to deliver. But I think the
[19:03.920 -> 19:06.160] same can be said about Charles Leclerc as well
[19:06.160 -> 19:10.160] Because as you mentioned early on he's never had a big result over here
[19:10.280 -> 19:13.440] Neither has Max Verstappen, but that could have been very different last year
[19:13.440 -> 19:19.880] But the point is Leclerc got pole position last year. Could he get another pole right here once again?
[19:19.880 -> 19:24.600] Of course, he's been on a bit of a trend. He got pole position in Monaco as well Spain too
[19:24.600 -> 19:28.000] So this realistically would represent a bit of momentum
[19:28.000 -> 19:28.480] on for him.
[19:28.480 -> 19:32.160] But let's be honest, Ferrari now are the team in focus in a way.
[19:32.160 -> 19:34.360] And we should kind of be talking about them
[19:34.360 -> 19:35.880] in the eight sleep drivers in focus,
[19:35.880 -> 19:38.640] because both Leclerc and Carlos Sainz,
[19:38.640 -> 19:40.080] the ball is now in their court.
[19:40.080 -> 19:41.320] They essentially have dropped the ball
[19:41.320 -> 19:42.600] in the last couple of races.
[19:42.600 -> 19:44.160] How do they pick up and run with it?
[19:44.160 -> 19:45.680] That's going to be the major factor.
[19:45.680 -> 19:49.000] And Ferrari, of course, kind of lost it out for Leclerc
[19:49.000 -> 19:49.880] last time out.
[19:49.880 -> 19:52.360] This time out, there's no running away
[19:52.360 -> 19:55.160] and no hiding because essentially now they are second.
[19:55.160 -> 19:56.160] They are the ones catching up.
[19:56.160 -> 19:58.000] And any mistake here essentially means
[19:58.000 -> 19:59.960] that Ferrari would be a long way back down
[19:59.960 -> 20:03.360] and they just can't afford it at this stage.
[20:03.360 -> 20:05.200] I think we should put Ferrari
[20:05.200 -> 20:07.640] in the eight sleep teams in focus,
[20:07.640 -> 20:10.880] even though we don't really have a segment by that name.
[20:10.880 -> 20:11.800] No, but Somer, you're right.
[20:11.800 -> 20:13.920] You know, Ferrari have no hiding.
[20:13.920 -> 20:17.400] One of the questions that we keep discussing as well is,
[20:17.400 -> 20:20.640] if Ferrari have the car to win the championship,
[20:20.640 -> 20:23.560] do they really have the team to win the championship
[20:23.560 -> 20:26.360] finally when they sort of have the car to win the championship?
[20:26.400 -> 20:31.240] But yes, Leclerc and his pole position run is fantastic. If he scores pole on
[20:31.840 -> 20:36.800] Saturday he would actually have more poles than Max Verstappen and it would be his fourth
[20:37.680 -> 20:40.260] consecutive pole position of the season and
[20:40.920 -> 20:44.140] Only three drivers have scored poles. It's Charles. It's
[20:44.720 -> 20:45.920] Max with one
[20:45.920 -> 20:48.480] and Checo Perez with one as well.
[20:48.480 -> 20:51.320] And another interesting thing,
[20:51.320 -> 20:55.440] the power unit that failed in Charles' car
[20:55.440 -> 20:58.520] is actually gonna be used in Baku.
[20:58.520 -> 21:01.480] The team has tested it and they believe it's gonna be fine.
[21:01.480 -> 21:04.920] So that's something that's always gonna be to look out for
[21:04.920 -> 21:05.800] as opposed to,
[21:05.800 -> 21:11.360] as for Carlos Sainz, let's hope that, you know, Monaco was the,
[21:11.720 -> 21:17.400] was the sort of trigger that he needed to have an upswing in results as they would come.
[21:17.920 -> 21:23.040] The other two drivers that I would sort of add to this list is Pierre Gasly, you know,
[21:23.040 -> 21:27.760] with Checo Perez's two-year extension with Red Bull
[21:27.760 -> 21:32.960] Racing, Gasly has nowhere to go and Helmut Marko has said that he's more or less going to just
[21:32.960 -> 21:39.680] re-sign Gasly and Sunoda for Alpha Tauri for 2023. Now would something like this work? Yeah,
[21:39.680 -> 21:44.640] would something like this work against Pierre Gasly's confidence? I mean, he's been delivering
[21:44.640 -> 21:45.240] the goods, he's been delivering the goods.
[21:45.240 -> 21:47.440] He's had a few bad races this season,
[21:47.440 -> 21:51.140] but a lot more luck than performance, right?
[21:51.140 -> 21:55.360] So how would Gasly feel knowing that he may well have
[21:55.360 -> 22:00.280] an Alpha Tauri for another two seasons and so on, right?
[22:00.280 -> 22:02.040] So that's one driver.
[22:02.040 -> 22:05.100] And then there's Lewis Hamilton on the list
[22:05.100 -> 22:12.600] Samuel so Lewis Hamilton trails George Russell by 34 points and Hamilton has
[22:12.600 -> 22:19.560] been beaten by George Russell in the race at every race since the opening
[22:19.560 -> 22:27.700] round in Bahrain so that's six races on the trot Samuel. That's right and that is
[22:27.700 -> 22:32.080] just the big inequality at Mercedes right now. It's ridiculous how things are
[22:32.080 -> 22:36.060] playing out but racefans.net actually did a really fun analysis on exactly
[22:36.060 -> 22:41.460] what's gone wrong and realistically they claim that on pace Hamilton was only
[22:41.460 -> 22:44.600] really down in Imola. I mean everywhere else there were external factors that
[22:44.600 -> 22:49.440] kind of impacted his race. Like in Saudi, there was the setup change. In Barcelona, of course,
[22:49.440 -> 22:53.920] there was the impact with Kevin Magnussen that really skewed up the results. But it's interesting
[22:53.920 -> 22:58.240] because we have to talk about which Mercedes and which Lewis Hamilton we'll get this time out.
[22:58.240 -> 23:03.360] But before we do so, I suppose it's time to go in the stats section. Why don't you have,
[23:03.360 -> 23:05.000] why don't you share a really fun stat with us Kunal
[23:05.000 -> 23:07.080] before we actually go to F1 Stats Guru,
[23:07.080 -> 23:08.800] who's also gonna be having a special segment
[23:08.800 -> 23:09.800] on this episode here.
[23:11.320 -> 23:13.800] Well, the special stat,
[23:13.800 -> 23:16.400] so that people have some things to look forward to.
[23:16.400 -> 23:21.400] Mercedes is the only team with no DNFs in 2022.
[23:22.200 -> 23:28.240] So with that, we should now have F11 stats guru Sundaram tell us his stats preview
[23:28.240 -> 23:33.600] for the Monaco Grand Prix, sorry the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Hey folks it's time to do the stats
[23:33.600 -> 23:38.720] preview of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. I'm Sundaram also known as F1 stats guru on the internet. Let's
[23:38.720 -> 23:43.440] talk numbers. Now the word that's doing the rounds is unpredictability and that's because the
[23:43.440 -> 23:46.720] Azerbaijan Grand Prix has a bit of a tendency of throwing some very
[23:46.720 -> 23:47.720] unpredictable races.
[23:47.720 -> 23:51.040] You never know when someone's tire is going to blow out, when they're going to crash into
[23:51.040 -> 23:55.360] the barriers, or when they're going to lock up and go straight into the runoff area.
[23:55.360 -> 23:58.960] Six of the active 10 teams have already made it to the podium, including Williams and Aston
[23:58.960 -> 23:59.960] Martin.
[23:59.960 -> 24:04.240] The only ones missing out are Alpine, McLaren, Alfa Romeo and Haas.
[24:04.240 -> 24:05.200] Drivers starting from 10th on the
[24:05.200 -> 24:10.120] grid have won the race, which is Daniel Ricciardo in 2017, and even drivers who started 6th,
[24:10.120 -> 24:15.880] 7th, 8th and even 11th have finished on the podium, which goes to show that the top 10
[24:15.880 -> 24:21.120] has a very good chance of finishing in the podium spots and nothing is certain until
[24:21.120 -> 24:25.040] the chequered flag drops at the end of the race. No driver has taken pole
[24:25.040 -> 24:30.000] position, the race win, or even the fastest lap on more than one occasion, which actually means
[24:30.000 -> 24:34.400] 5 races at Baku and every single time there's been someone who's taken pole position,
[24:34.400 -> 24:39.680] who's won the race, and who's had the fastest lap time. Now, in such a scenario, who is the
[24:39.680 -> 24:47.320] most successful driver around this particular track? You'd have to look at the podiums leaderboard because they have two very interesting names,
[24:47.320 -> 24:49.640] Sebastian Vettel and Sergio Perez.
[24:49.640 -> 24:53.040] Both of them have taken three podiums at Baku.
[24:53.040 -> 24:54.520] But if we dig a little bit deeper,
[24:54.520 -> 24:56.200] you would see that Sebastian Vettel
[24:56.200 -> 24:59.120] is the most consistent driver around this particular venue.
[24:59.120 -> 25:01.420] He's never finished outside the top four.
[25:01.420 -> 25:03.560] And if he does that this time again,
[25:03.560 -> 25:05.920] he's gonna set the internet ablaze. One person who's actually missing out on all the fun is Max Verstappen. outside the top 4.
[25:05.920 -> 25:08.840] One person who is missing out on all the fun is Max Verstappen.
[25:08.840 -> 25:11.880] He's never finished on the podium at Baku.
[25:11.880 -> 25:16.440] He's had a couple of DNFs at this venue and he came very close last year but suffered
[25:16.440 -> 25:20.520] a puncture towards the end of the race in very weird circumstances.
[25:20.520 -> 25:22.880] And always save the best for the last.
[25:22.880 -> 25:29.200] If you consider all the street circuits that have had a minimum of 2 races since 2017,
[25:29.200 -> 25:34.240] Monaco has an average overtake rate of 3.2 overtakes per race, Australia has seen around
[25:34.240 -> 25:40.280] 11, Azerbaijan has seen a whopping 40 overtakes on an average every time F1 comes to this
[25:40.280 -> 25:41.280] particular track.
[25:41.280 -> 25:44.880] Which goes to show, again, like I mentioned, you never know what's going to happen.
[25:44.880 -> 25:48.160] I'll say it one last time again unpredictability if you
[25:48.160 -> 25:52.560] can actually go ahead and guess the podiums what it actually looks like and if it's actually
[25:52.560 -> 25:57.840] correct give yourself a pat on the back that's the stats preview I'm Sundaram F1 stats guru
[25:57.840 -> 26:04.640] on the internet I'll see you guys later. And that folks was F1 stats guru Sundaram always
[26:04.640 -> 26:07.440] on point with the stats and it's amazing
[26:07.440 -> 26:10.920] that we are able to get such high quality stats on the show every single time.
[26:10.920 -> 26:15.440] I just love listening to him and I hope that you enjoy this episode and his particular
[26:15.440 -> 26:17.260] segments as much as we do.
[26:17.260 -> 26:21.640] But we have to get back to our discussion about Mercedes Kunal because we popped up
[26:21.640 -> 26:24.640] this question, which Mercedes will we see this weekend?
[26:24.640 -> 26:28.560] We discussed it earlier on in the episode that Mercedes have been kind of unrepresentative
[26:28.560 -> 26:32.720] in terms of their package because Spain offered something, Monaco offered something else.
[26:32.720 -> 26:37.160] It didn't quite let us see which Mercedes, what is the real performance of Mercedes,
[26:37.160 -> 26:38.160] I mean to say.
[26:38.160 -> 26:41.160] But Baku in a way should be a lot more representative per se.
[26:41.160 -> 26:42.560] What do you reckon happens with them?
[26:42.560 -> 26:47.220] Because long straights, one has to wonder that paupersing could well be another issue,
[26:47.220 -> 26:51.180] not just for Mercedes but for most other teams as well.
[26:51.180 -> 26:52.260] For most other teams as well.
[26:52.260 -> 26:57.440] Kevin McNeeson has said his neck issue took longer to solve because of paupersing.
[26:57.440 -> 27:03.160] Mercedes said after Barcelona that their paupersing issues had been solved and they'd found a
[27:03.160 -> 27:04.160] fix for it.
[27:04.160 -> 27:06.160] So Baku could just be yet
[27:06.160 -> 27:12.560] another race where they sort of confirm that hypothesis but will they do well as you know on
[27:12.560 -> 27:17.280] the circuit overall? I guess not because you know apart from the long straight pretty much everything
[27:17.280 -> 27:27.640] else is Monaco like and you know I think Mercedes probably prefer more of the high speed corners and the high speed sections that we saw in Barcelona
[27:27.640 -> 27:29.120] for them to do well at.
[27:29.120 -> 27:33.160] So it could well be that Mercedes' next good race
[27:33.160 -> 27:36.160] happens in Sylvester, where again, the characteristics
[27:36.160 -> 27:37.640] are fairly different.
[27:37.640 -> 27:39.760] But yes, poppicing.
[27:39.760 -> 27:41.960] Let's see what happens with the teams and the drivers.
[27:41.960 -> 27:44.680] And I really hope it's not as painful as it
[27:44.680 -> 27:47.280] looks from the outside, Samil.
[27:47.280 -> 27:49.240] Yeah, exactly.
[27:49.240 -> 27:52.840] It's really physically impactful on the drivers and one of the first drivers to actually come
[27:52.840 -> 27:55.360] out and complain about it was Lewis Hamilton.
[27:55.360 -> 28:01.040] And remember last year, he did show us what magic really looks like, but in the wrong
[28:01.040 -> 28:02.040] form.
[28:02.040 -> 28:05.520] He accidentally forgot to switch off the magic button and eventually
[28:05.520 -> 28:11.120] had his dramatic moment that we actually voted as the OOF moment of the year on the Inside
[28:11.120 -> 28:15.480] Line Up for the podcast end of year award. So this year I just hope he uses the right
[28:15.480 -> 28:19.320] magic and that hopefully is just going to be the thing to watch out for Lewis Hamilton.
[28:19.320 -> 28:22.760] But coming back to the other teams as well, right, Baku traditionally tends to be the
[28:22.760 -> 28:30.320] place where we do get lots of outsiders as podiums in a way, where we saw Lance Stoll in 2017, I
[28:30.320 -> 28:35.720] suppose. Sergio Perez has been here in 2016 as well. We've seen teams that are not traditionally
[28:35.720 -> 28:41.360] part of the mix end up having a big say in the final pecking order. So if anything, this
[28:41.360 -> 28:52.000] could be one place where we could see a dark horse finish at the end Kunal. We could and you know, 7 out of 15 podium finishers have come outside the top 5 in Baku,
[28:52.000 -> 28:56.000] which just goes to show how crazy it can be.
[28:56.000 -> 29:02.000] And you know, red flags, we saw safety cars, you know, the different stoppages and start and stop natures
[29:02.000 -> 29:07.240] that we see out here actually give us that much more of an interest and something we've seen in
[29:07.240 -> 29:14.960] Baku that is safety car and the following restart could probably lead to another immediate safety car period because that's just how
[29:15.280 -> 29:22.760] the nature of the circuit offers its entertainment. So let's hope for a safe but a very, very fun race this weekend, Sommel.
[29:23.520 -> 29:29.360] safe but a very very fun race this weekend Samu. Absolutely, which leads us on to the predictions. Who are you going to go for winning this race
[29:29.360 -> 29:33.640] and for pole as well. I'm still going to keep on going for Carlos Sainz for the pole and
[29:33.640 -> 29:37.300] Carlos Sainz for the win. I just want it to happen so bad. I'm kind of like manifesting
[29:37.300 -> 29:41.000] it into reality. It's not working right now but again apparently with those things it
[29:41.000 -> 29:46.720] takes time. But Kunal, for you, is it still going to still gonna be signs or are you kind of putting your money on somebody else?
[29:46.720 -> 29:49.560] Maybe just for the sake of an outside thought,
[29:49.560 -> 29:50.720] someone like George Russell,
[29:50.720 -> 29:52.160] he's always been in the top five,
[29:52.160 -> 29:53.880] buck who's always crazy,
[29:53.880 -> 29:55.280] would be a good man to that.
[29:56.640 -> 29:58.840] Yeah, it'd be great if Russell is able to score a win.
[29:58.840 -> 30:01.960] I mean, then Formula One's really turned upon its head,
[30:01.960 -> 30:06.640] right, but I think it's gonna to be Jacob Perez who's going to be
[30:07.200 -> 30:12.800] up for the race win, but I still think it's going to be Charles Leclerc for pole position.
[30:12.800 -> 30:20.560] His qualifying form, his one lap form is fantastic. So I think it's Charles on Saturday
[30:21.360 -> 30:28.560] and Jacob Perez on the Sunday, right? And what's Max Richterpen gonna do? I think Max
[30:28.560 -> 30:34.880] on Friday is going to be very much quizzed about his father's comments about his, you know, about
[30:34.880 -> 30:40.240] Red Bull's strategy favoring Checo Perez in Monaco. So he's probably going to spend a lot of
[30:40.240 -> 30:46.520] his weekend explaining that. Exactly. And let's hope that we get to see the wild and the crazy things in Baku.
[30:46.520 -> 30:50.440] Like for instance, maybe a crane actually ending up hitting one of the sponsor boards
[30:50.440 -> 30:53.800] or something quite like that, or a manhole cover or something like that, because it's
[30:53.800 -> 30:56.680] Baku, something crazy happens here every single year.
[30:56.680 -> 30:59.160] And this means that this weekend could very well be very fun.
[30:59.160 -> 31:01.400] But folks, thank you for watching this episode.
[31:01.400 -> 31:03.320] Thank you for listening to this episode.
[31:03.320 -> 31:04.320] And we shall be back.
[31:04.320 -> 31:11.360] Baku, sorry, second time I've done that this episode and we shall be back with a straight face for the Azamajan GP review right here on the Inside Linoflume
[31:11.360 -> 31:12.360] Podcast and Fitts' Deporium.
[31:12.360 -> None] See you then. Bye bye. you