Why Monaco Excites F1 & Us - 2022 Monaco GP Preview

It's time for the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix and we tell you just why all of Formula 1 is excited...including us! For starters, a lot of drivers call Monaco 'home'. They will walk to their race cars from their living rooms, just as us mortals do. 

But there's more to excite about Monaco, the 'Crown Jewel' of Motorsport. The history is represents & the challenges it offers to teams-drivers alike.

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In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil and Kunal preview the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix along with Sundaram '@f1statsguru' Ramaswami who shares fascinating stats and facts about Monaco.

Debuting on the Inside Line F1 Podcast from this race onward is Aditya Bhat with his 'F1 Tech Explained' segment. He explains the challenges the teams face with regards to steering setup given the tight-twisty nature of the circuit.

Additionally, the teams will face a challenge on-track and off it. Logistics, car setup, race strategy & others.

As for the drivers, racing those magnificent and super-quick beasts around the streets of Monaco will tax them mentally & physically; as Sebastian Vettel said, "This will be a physical Grand Prix where drivers will hustle the cars."

And lastly, will Charles Leclerc's Monaco curse continue? The Ferrari driver is yet to finish a race at home! 

Tune in!

(Season 2022, Episode 28)

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

Image courtesy: Mercedes

**Inside Line F1 Podcast: Monaco Grand Prix Preview**

- The 2022 Monaco Grand Prix is highly anticipated due to its unique challenges, glamorous atmosphere, and historical significance.
- The longer cars this season may exacerbate the already narrow and challenging circuit, potentially leading to increased difficulty in overtaking.
- The absence of Thursday's free practice session due to cost-saving measures is a notable change in the race weekend schedule.
- Qualifying is expected to be particularly exciting, with the possibility of a three-way team battle for pole position.
- The drivers will face physical and mental challenges due to the tight and twisty nature of the circuit, with Sebastian Vettel emphasizing the physical demands of the race.
- Charles Leclerc's "Monaco curse" continues, as he has yet to finish a race in his home Grand Prix.

**F1 Stats Guru Preview:**

- Sundaram Ramaswamy provides insightful statistics about the Monaco Grand Prix.
- 68% of Monaco races have been won from the front row, highlighting the importance of qualifying.
- No driver in the last 25 years has won from below third on the grid.
- The average number of overtakes has significantly decreased since the introduction of longer and wider cars in 2017.
- Ayrton Senna holds the record for most poles and wins at Monaco, with other legends also featuring prominently on the leaderboard.
- Charles Leclerc has had a string of bad luck at Monaco, failing to finish the race in his last five attempts.
- Carlos Sainz and Sebastian Vettel are known to perform well at Monaco, with Sainz consistently making it to Q3 and Vettel finishing in the top five on 11 occasions.

**F1 Tech Explained Segment:**

- Aditya Bhatt explains the steering challenges faced by drivers in Monaco, particularly at the Grand Hotel hairpin.
- The tight corners require drivers to quickly adjust their steering angles, often using only one hand to maneuver the wheel.
- The left-hand is typically removed from the wheel to allow for a wider range of motion.
- Drivers must be precise and swift in their steering inputs to navigate the hairpin effectively.

**Other Race Dynamics:**

- Teams will face logistical challenges due to the cramped garages and limited space in Monaco.
- Race strategy, including the undercut, will be crucial due to the difficulty of overtaking.
- Drivers will be taxed mentally and physically, with the tight and twisty circuit demanding constant focus and precision.

**Conclusion:**

- The 2022 Monaco Grand Prix promises to be an exciting and challenging event, with the potential for close racing, strategic battles, and unexpected outcomes.

# Inside Line F1 Podcast: Monaco Grand Prix Preview

## Episode Overview:

The Inside Line F1 Podcast delves into the highly anticipated 2022 Monaco Grand Prix, often referred to as the 'Crown Jewel' of Motorsport. The podcast features expert analysis and insights from hosts Soumil Arora, Kunal Shah, Sundaram Ramaswami, and Aditya Bhat.

## Key Points:

1. **Monaco's Significance:**
- Monaco holds a special place in Formula One, representing history, challenges, and excitement for drivers, teams, and fans alike.
- The tight and twisty nature of the circuit poses unique challenges for teams in terms of car setup and strategy.
- The race weekend presents logistical hurdles, such as car setup, race strategy, and managing the demands of the track.

2. **Driver Focus:**
- Mick Schumacher, Carlos Sainz, and Daniel Ricciardo are among the drivers to watch, facing pressure to perform and overcome recent struggles.
- Yuki Tsunoda's impressive performances against Pierre Gasly in recent races have brought him into focus.
- Aston Martin drivers face scrutiny as they bring their green Red Bull-inspired cars to the streets of Monaco, their spiritual home.
- Valtteri Bottas' qualifying prowess with Alfa Romeo raises expectations for a strong showing in Monaco.

3. **Home Race Advantage:**
- Many F1 drivers reside in Monaco, making it a home race for several competitors.
- Drivers often have an advantage due to their familiarity with the circuit and the unique challenges it presents.

4. **Predictions:**
- Max Verstappen is the favorite for both qualifying and the race, having built momentum and overcome a significant points deficit in recent races.
- Mercedes' potential resurgence adds intrigue to the title battle, as they could spoil the championship fight between Leclerc, Verstappen, and their respective teams.

## Conclusion:

The Monaco Grand Prix promises to be an entertaining and challenging event, with the unique characteristics of the circuit testing the limits of drivers and teams. Listeners can expect an exciting race weekend filled with drama, strategy, and the thrill of Formula One racing.

[00:00.000 -> 00:24.120] You're listening to the Inside Line F1 Podcast and Pitch the Podium and over the course of
[00:24.120 -> 00:29.600] the next few minutes, you can expect this from the Monaco GP preview. Firstly we're going to discuss what's
[00:29.600 -> 00:33.760] different this year in Monaco and what are the challenges of the circuit and whether the longer
[00:33.760 -> 00:39.120] cars could actually make it a big big problem. Also the weather could we see three teams fighting
[00:39.120 -> 00:44.000] for pole position are the team auto situation and Red Bull Racing sorted out and apart from that
[00:44.000 -> 00:46.000] we've got two special segments.
[00:46.000 -> 00:48.000] Firstly, one from F1 stats guru,
[00:48.000 -> 00:49.600] who's going to bring us a stats preview
[00:49.600 -> 00:51.000] of the Monaco Grand Prix.
[00:51.000 -> 00:53.480] And secondly, a new one from Aditya Bhatt,
[00:53.480 -> 00:54.920] the Instagram sensation,
[00:54.920 -> 00:56.680] who's been setting the platform alight
[00:56.680 -> 00:58.880] by explaining all the challenges of Formula 1,
[00:58.880 -> 01:00.720] technically on his Instagram Reels.
[01:00.720 -> 01:03.280] So all of this and more from this episode
[01:03.280 -> 01:05.320] of the Inside LineineF1 podcast and
[01:05.320 -> 01:07.320] pitch the podium. Let's begin.
[01:07.320 -> 01:13.320] Hey folks, welcome back in. My name is Somal Arora. I'm the host of the Driving Force on
[01:13.320 -> 01:17.080] Disney Plus Hotstar and I'm joined by Kunal Shah, the former marketing head of the Force
[01:17.080 -> 01:23.400] India F1 team. And Kunal, we've all heard this narrative of Monaco being super special,
[01:23.400 -> 01:28.800] being super glamorous. But for the modern generation, many might look at Monaco and say Monaco, no.
[01:28.800 -> 01:30.920] But there is that charm, isn't it?
[01:30.960 -> 01:34.840] Because even though it might not have been the most entertaining race to watch at,
[01:35.120 -> 01:37.680] just the glamour of it, just the celebrities that arrive,
[01:37.960 -> 01:40.720] just the expensiveness of the entire weekend.
[01:40.760 -> 01:42.520] This place is just unlike any other.
[01:42.800 -> 01:49.440] And I get a feeling that 2022 might be pretty exciting at the end of the day. I see what you've done there
[01:49.440 -> 01:53.720] Somal by saying for the new generation you already made me a part of the older
[01:53.720 -> 01:59.120] generation who believes that Monaco is absolutely the crown jewel of Formula
[01:59.120 -> 02:10.240] One and guys for everybody who has a hangover still from Miami Here's a circuit where there's a real marina with some real water in there
[02:10.240 -> 02:15.120] Okay, and it's been there around for a long long time and you mentioned, you know
[02:15.120 -> 02:20.900] The whole glamour and the glitz angle of Monaco. There's another part to it, which is history
[02:21.560 -> 02:25.400] Literally every inch or since we're in motorsport every
[02:25.400 -> 02:31.760] millimeter of that racetrack is soaked in history. It's one of those five
[02:31.760 -> 02:37.200] Grand Prix circuits that has been around ever since even Formula One started. So
[02:37.200 -> 02:41.800] it's even before all the older generations that go back that I stand
[02:41.800 -> 02:46.320] from somewhere as well. So to me, it's you know another comparison
[02:46.880 -> 02:52.940] Formula one had to hype up Miami just so much because of course it was a debut
[02:53.120 -> 02:57.280] You know was the first time they're having a second hopefully successful race in
[02:57.720 -> 03:02.740] America and I say hopefully because I'm talking of in the build-up, but guess what? This is Monaco
[03:02.740 -> 03:06.920] It doesn't need even half as much hype Just because this is Monaco it doesn't need even half as much hype just
[03:06.920 -> 03:12.960] because it is Monaco. And the parties there at Monaco canal surely right they
[03:12.960 -> 03:16.840] have to be the best because I've heard a couple of stories of about the both the
[03:16.840 -> 03:20.120] parties on the Indian Empress back when you were in Force India the Indian
[03:20.120 -> 03:28.880] Empress of course being Vijay Mallya's yacht back in the day and were the parties really unlike the parties anywhere else?
[03:28.880 -> 03:34.240] No absolutely not you'd hear the same Indian Bhangra music on the Indian M press as well
[03:34.240 -> 03:39.740] but yes those were I mean that those were grand days I would say of the Force India
[03:39.740 -> 03:48.080] Formula One team we had some iconic parties out there and I think you know visiting Monaco was definitely one
[03:48.080 -> 03:52.960] of those highlights of my Force India career I would say because we were on the yacht pretty
[03:52.960 -> 03:59.360] much all the time and you know there is another different charm about Monaco. It surprises me
[04:00.160 -> 04:05.000] that they've actually cramped in so much to host a Grand Prix.
[04:05.000 -> 04:08.300] I mean, look at what the teams actually go through, right?
[04:08.300 -> 04:12.100] Apart from knowing that there could be stoppage at any time,
[04:12.100 -> 04:15.700] which is why they need to be prepared at every second, right?
[04:15.700 -> 04:18.100] You know, there are multi-storied garages, literally.
[04:18.100 -> 04:21.100] They are so cramped up, all of them.
[04:21.100 -> 04:25.000] I know the spares and the trucks are parked elsewhere, for example.
[04:25.000 -> 04:33.000] So just the logistical challenge of Monaco itself is something that's not been talked about as much,
[04:33.000 -> 04:41.000] but I think that in itself is pretty brilliant because teams are used to lots of spaces, especially all these tilket rooms.
[04:41.000 -> 04:50.480] You know, they're designed around pit buildings sometimes literally like I remember so many countries you go to Abu Dhabi, you go to Singapore, you go to of course
[04:50.480 -> 04:54.160] Singapore not as much but you know you go to Turkey for example you even go to the Buddha
[04:54.160 -> 05:00.160] International Circuit in India there is so much space out there right but you come to Monaco
[05:00.160 -> 05:06.500] teams have the same operations in probably one thirdthird of the space or one-fourth of the space as you make.
[05:06.500 -> 05:12.800] And any extra square yard of real estate might end up costing just as much as their front wing,
[05:12.800 -> 05:16.500] so they can't really afford that a bit too much, especially in the budget cap era.
[05:16.500 -> 05:19.700] But it's crazy, the history that Monaco carries.
[05:19.700 -> 05:22.700] But there's one piece of history that's going to be changing this year, Kunal.
[05:22.700 -> 05:28.560] We're not going to have the schedule of Thursday free practice, Friday breaks, Saturday qualifying
[05:28.560 -> 05:29.560] and Sunday race.
[05:29.560 -> 05:32.040] In fact, this year, the Thursday free practice is gone.
[05:32.040 -> 05:35.960] It's just going to be Friday free practice now, just like all the other normal weekends,
[05:35.960 -> 05:37.480] because everyone wanted to save costs.
[05:37.480 -> 05:40.340] And in this era, I think it kind of makes sense to do so.
[05:40.340 -> 05:44.360] But overall, this year's Monaco GP could be very, very exciting.
[05:44.360 -> 05:45.360] I get this feeling.
[05:45.360 -> 05:49.760] Even though, of course, the cars are now longer than ever, because we've seen this amazing battle
[05:49.760 -> 05:53.920] at the top between Leclerc and Verstappen. It becomes more about the qualifying lap,
[05:53.920 -> 05:56.880] and my word, qualifying is going to be so exciting on Saturday.
[05:58.240 -> 06:12.720] Yes, Samuel, you said Monaco is a treat, and I think Monaco most specially is a qualifying treat because putting a qualifying lap around the streets of Monaco is probably one of the hardest things that a Formula One driver ends up doing.
[06:12.920 -> 06:27.340] And if you know if Barcelona is anything to go by especially sector 3 in Barcelona it could be you know a three way team battle for qualifying honors and maybe even a Haas, maybe even an Alfa Romeo
[06:27.340 -> 06:29.460] into the mix come qualifying.
[06:29.460 -> 06:32.860] So yes, you know, Monaco is such that Saturday
[06:32.860 -> 06:36.240] ends up having, you know, more interest than Sunday,
[06:36.240 -> 06:37.280] more often than not.
[06:37.280 -> 06:39.600] But Mira, you've been mentioning about the cars,
[06:39.600 -> 06:42.680] and another thing that will happen in Monaco
[06:42.680 -> 06:46.000] is the teams don't really bring any new upgrades.
[06:46.000 -> 06:49.200] They just optimize their packages as they are, right?
[06:49.200 -> 06:55.480] Because they literally give away all the aerodynamic stuff that they would add to the cars and optimize on
[06:55.480 -> 06:59.560] the mechanical abilities of the cars because a quick way around Monaco
[06:59.560 -> 07:06.340] needs you to actually have confidence as a driver in what's underneath you, right?
[07:06.340 -> 07:07.840] So that's gonna be another challenge.
[07:07.840 -> 07:11.440] And we're in this whole ground effects era of Formula One,
[07:11.440 -> 07:15.160] how the drivers even tackle the curbs in Monaco
[07:15.160 -> 07:16.660] is going to change.
[07:16.660 -> 07:19.480] Because if you tackle them too hard,
[07:19.480 -> 07:21.540] you may end up damaging the floor
[07:21.540 -> 07:24.320] and the floor is where a lot of your performance
[07:24.320 -> 07:25.240] is actually
[07:25.240 -> 07:26.240] generated.
[07:26.240 -> 07:30.320] Kunal, what if I'm in the run after the casino square?
[07:30.320 -> 07:34.360] I mean, we all know about the big root of a big root of a tree over there, right?
[07:34.360 -> 07:36.900] It's such a bumpy thing that drivers tend to avoid it.
[07:36.900 -> 07:39.960] What if you accidentally go over it and end up damaging the floor?
[07:39.960 -> 07:40.960] What about the hairpin?
[07:40.960 -> 07:44.600] What if you end up going on the curb there to make a move and end up damaging your floor?
[07:44.600 -> 07:46.960] There's just so much that can happen and one thing that's been
[07:46.960 -> 07:52.160] making me very curious about Monaco and ground effect cars is manhole covers. Imagine right,
[07:52.160 -> 07:55.880] I mean we've spent so much of time back in the day watching the Formula 1 broadcasts
[07:55.880 -> 07:59.760] at Monaco and hearing the commentators speak about manhole covers just like Mr. Sleaze
[07:59.760 -> 08:03.440] later said on the podcast a couple of weeks ago but with ground effect cars that's going
[08:03.440 -> 08:07.480] to be very interesting, do they just suck them up completely? What happens in that case?
[08:07.480 -> 08:11.040] Because these cars are of course closer to the ground, but it's very, very exciting.
[08:11.040 -> 08:15.880] And at the end of the day, it all comes down to driver confidence and in qualifying Kunal,
[08:15.880 -> 08:19.400] weather could also end up playing a major role because we're hearing reports that it
[08:19.400 -> 08:24.560] could be rainy, especially on Sunday. Now, I don't know about you, but that's just a
[08:24.560 -> 08:25.680] very, very good sign
[08:25.680 -> 08:26.760] for a good Monaco GP,
[08:26.760 -> 08:28.560] because imagine doing it in Monaco.
[08:28.560 -> 08:30.720] I think 1982 springs up to mind,
[08:30.720 -> 08:33.640] and that was one of the most exciting Monaco GPs ever,
[08:33.640 -> 08:35.920] where the lead, I think, changed hands
[08:35.920 -> 08:37.800] six times in the last five autolapses.
[08:37.800 -> 08:39.280] It was just tremendous stuff.
[08:40.640 -> 08:47.600] Or even 1996, Mr. Olivier Panis's only win in Formula 1, starting 14th.
[08:47.600 -> 08:50.400] And I believe there were just three cars that finished that race.
[08:50.400 -> 08:56.920] So Monaco ground effect cars with rain is absolutely going to be epic.
[08:56.920 -> 09:01.160] And I know that the rain will come at certain parts of the Grand Prix weekend.
[09:01.160 -> 09:03.320] When I say I know, I mean, I'm reading the radar.
[09:03.320 -> 09:04.920] I'm no rain god here.
[09:04.920 -> 09:06.880] But I really hope it comes at the right times,
[09:06.880 -> 09:08.160] if you guys know what I mean.
[09:08.160 -> 09:13.000] And maybe a lot of us need to do the rain dance
[09:13.000 -> 09:15.360] when the time is right as well, Samir.
[09:16.520 -> 09:17.920] Oh yeah, exactly.
[09:17.920 -> 09:18.760] It's crazy.
[09:18.760 -> 09:21.880] But with Monaco, the rain just makes it harder
[09:21.880 -> 09:23.560] for the challenge, because as we've discussed,
[09:23.560 -> 09:46.920] there's such a big fight for space here at Monaco especially, which makes me wonder how exactly do the drivers challenge that drivers have in the last decade, essentially, Kunal?
[09:46.920 -> 09:49.800] Because now there's just even less of a margin for error,
[09:49.800 -> 09:53.280] as if there already was quite a fair bit previously.
[09:53.280 -> 09:58.280] You know, you actually nailed it just as you should, Somil,
[09:58.280 -> 10:02.280] because Monaco actually is to be enjoyed for the challenges
[10:02.280 -> 10:04.800] it throws upon the driver and how drivers actually
[10:04.800 -> 10:05.700] rise to the occasion.
[10:05.700 -> 10:13.900] So yes, it may not be as entertaining as pretty much all or pretty much, you know, the last race we had in Spain, for example.
[10:13.900 -> 10:19.700] But just to see the drivers what they will end up doing, you know, throughout the weekend in itself is very fascinating.
[10:19.700 -> 10:24.800] A lot of drivers are saying, Lewis Hamilton, he said, it's actually a mental challenge to drive in Monaco
[10:24.800 -> 10:28.020] because you're at those speeds in these cars so close to the
[10:28.020 -> 10:32.660] barriers. Sebastian Vettel has turned around and said that these cars, these
[10:32.660 -> 10:37.640] being the ground-effect cars, are going to be a physical challenge to drive in
[10:37.640 -> 10:43.220] Monaco. Esteban Ocon has been quoted saying these are like
[10:43.220 -> 10:47.200] go-karts. Now imagine Monaco is literally a very glorified go-kart
[10:47.200 -> 10:49.800] circuit, because that's what you get at a lot of rental go-kart
[10:49.800 -> 10:50.280] circuits.
[10:50.280 -> 10:52.480] You don't get any runoff areas, right?
[10:52.480 -> 10:57.480] So for drivers, lots of exciting times in the car.
[10:57.480 -> 10:59.560] They're going to absolutely relish it.
[10:59.560 -> 11:04.640] And Mercedes has said up to 52 gear changes per lap
[11:04.640 -> 11:06.720] is what they're going to go through,
[11:06.720 -> 11:07.720] right?
[11:07.720 -> 11:12.560] And for the teams, race strategy is very, very important, especially the undercut could
[11:12.560 -> 11:13.800] be very powerful.
[11:13.800 -> 11:19.620] So they need to be acing their race strategy as well, Samuel.
[11:19.620 -> 11:25.240] And then most importantly, before we go on to what the drivers actually will go through in terms
[11:25.240 -> 11:30.280] of a massive driving challenge, we see a lot of times in Formula One, something we are
[11:30.280 -> 11:35.240] fascinated by, the driver's driving and is adjusting knobs and settings and the engineers
[11:35.240 -> 11:37.040] are saying what to do.
[11:37.040 -> 11:41.960] But in Monaco, that challenge is that much more amplified because there is literally
[11:41.960 -> 11:42.960] no room for error.
[11:42.960 -> 11:45.440] So teams and drivers want to leave the garage
[11:45.760 -> 11:49.500] or want to start their hot laps or, you know, the laps that matter
[11:49.840 -> 11:51.760] with the correct settings as well.
[11:52.840 -> 11:53.900] Yeah, absolutely.
[11:53.900 -> 11:56.040] And think of the job with the race engineers, right?
[11:56.040 -> 11:59.540] Because constantly they are kept on their toes to worry about
[11:59.540 -> 12:01.300] where exactly they should speak to the driver.
[12:01.300 -> 12:04.360] And often the driver says, talk to me on the straights.
[12:04.360 -> 12:08.560] And over here, there's barely any straights. So it's where do you talk to the driver and often the driver says talk to me on the straights and over here there's barely any straights so I said why do you talk to the driver it's
[12:08.560 -> 12:12.840] it's really confusing because at any time any radio message can be so distracting especially
[12:12.840 -> 12:17.520] in the third sector and speaking of challenges we've got this fun little segment for you
[12:17.520 -> 12:21.240] remember at the start I told you about Aditya Bhatt the guy who's explaining the technical
[12:21.240 -> 12:28.600] side of F1 extremely well on Instagram Reels. Well, he's right here on the Inside Line F1 podcast and he's going to be explaining the specific
[12:28.600 -> 12:33.600] challenges that all the teams and drivers do face in Monaco and that's regarding the steering angles.
[12:33.600 -> 12:35.640] Listen to him. Aditya Bhatt here.
[12:35.640 -> 12:41.280] It's the Monaco weekend, of course, and I want to take you through some technical steering challenges around the track,
[12:41.280 -> 12:49.280] especially the middle sector and especially at the Grand Hotel hairpin. You see for most of the F1 season, drivers have both their hands snugly
[12:49.280 -> 12:53.080] gripped on the steering wheel, the rubber grips of the steering being molded to their
[12:53.080 -> 12:57.200] hands because you need that good grip when you're throwing an F1 car around a corner
[12:57.200 -> 13:03.600] at 200 kph. But in Monaco, things start getting a bit different. Even before arriving at the
[13:03.600 -> 13:08.760] hairpin, let's look at turn 5, Mirabeabo. You've got that little bump in the middle of the road going into
[13:08.760 -> 13:13.680] Mirabo, so quick right to avoid that, but quickly steering back onto the left hand side
[13:13.680 -> 13:18.960] of the track, always braking in a straight line of course. It's tricky braking into Mirabo
[13:18.960 -> 13:29.520] because it's downhill and the track sort of falls away from you. So it's a delicate act of carrying speed while not having to brake with as much pressure and also not
[13:29.600 -> 13:34.480] locking the front wheels on corner entry. The exit out of Mirabau is crucial for
[13:34.520 -> 13:39.680] entry into the hairpin because the driver has to stay as close to the right-hand sidewall as possible.
[13:39.680 -> 13:45.520] That's where you get the most turning radius to get around the hairpin and my god do you need that
[13:45.520 -> 13:52.640] turning radius. If you watch onboard footage of F1 cars at 0.5x speed like I do you notice that
[13:52.640 -> 13:58.080] even before coming into the hairpin they're getting ready to get that left hand out of the way
[13:58.080 -> 14:03.120] because for the hairpin it's not just enough to put full lock on the steering wheel. The left hand
[14:03.120 -> 14:10.480] is out of the way the right hand is almost on top of the steering wheel just in case it needs to be pushed down just that
[14:10.480 -> 14:15.680] little more left, a bit more steering input to get around the hairpin. Some drivers keep
[14:15.680 -> 14:20.360] the left hand at least partially on and turn the wheel with both hands but most of them
[14:20.360 -> 14:24.760] get the left hand fully out of the way but then you've got to be quick to bring both
[14:24.760 -> 14:28.100] hands into position as you're out of the hairpin. You take a bit of
[14:28.100 -> 14:32.120] curbing right into turn 7 but careful not too much that you're onto the
[14:32.120 -> 14:37.300] pavement. A few different lines turning into turn 8 portier, that's the classic
[14:37.300 -> 14:41.520] make it as wide as possible or just dive in trusting the grip and you'll carry
[14:41.520 -> 14:45.360] speed. And off you go into the darkness of the Monaco tunnel.
[14:45.360 -> 14:49.440] I hope you enjoyed this little insight into the challenges of getting around some of the
[14:49.440 -> 14:53.520] slowest corners in Formula 1. And I hope you enjoy the Monaco Grand Prix weekend.
[14:53.520 -> 14:58.000] I've been Aditya Butt at butt.tech on Instagram and I will see you soon.
[14:58.640 -> 15:03.920] Aha! Now, that's a thought that I didn't quite think about initially Kunal, no? Because
[15:03.920 -> 15:05.760] the lowest hairpin, it's extremely tight,
[15:05.760 -> 15:07.440] and I wonder if things would be exactly the same.
[15:07.440 -> 15:10.960] But it's good to hear Aditya's take on exactly what teams do.
[15:10.960 -> 15:13.360] And this sort of insight is kind of unparalleled in a way.
[15:13.360 -> 15:15.680] I don't think we've heard a lot about this previously.
[15:16.960 -> 15:18.000] You know what I'm going to do?
[15:18.000 -> 15:22.240] I'm going to go back and watch all those onboards at 0.5x speed,
[15:22.880 -> 15:26.480] because I'm fascinated by what Aditya has actually just said that even
[15:26.480 -> 15:31.280] before they get to the hairpin they let go of their left hand and then you know we've seen
[15:31.280 -> 15:36.560] them literally go around and these big long wide cars I'm excited to see how they sort of tackle
[15:36.560 -> 16:05.520] the hairpin which we know is the slowest corner in Formula 1 Sonal. It's only a curse if you believe it is a curse, right? But it's been a terrible run of form nonetheless.
[16:05.520 -> 16:10.920] And if the topic is on luck, I hope he's kind of shedded his luck away in the whole Monaco
[16:10.920 -> 16:15.240] historic Masters crash because things have really been going downhill.
[16:15.240 -> 16:19.240] And many are saying that probably he's shedded his bad luck in Barcelona as well.
[16:19.240 -> 16:24.120] Because if you look at it this way, I think the signs are just so, so correct.
[16:24.120 -> 16:25.120] And they're so bright in terms of
[16:25.120 -> 16:29.600] Leclerc when in Monaco because the car seems to be performing better than ever he's driving better
[16:29.600 -> 16:34.560] than ever if anything this could be the time could it be finally or is this one streak that
[16:34.560 -> 16:43.200] kind of never ends unfortunately. I think you've jinxed it Samu. Absolutely. Come on don't make me
[16:43.200 -> 16:46.360] the culprit for it.
[16:46.360 -> 16:50.040] Everybody is hoping for what you're hoping for, which is Charles doing well at home,
[16:50.040 -> 16:53.880] finally finishing a race at home, having a clean race at home.
[16:53.880 -> 16:57.040] But God knows what's going to happen come Sunday.
[16:57.040 -> 17:08.320] You know, we are planning a Charles Leclerc misfortunes in Monaco series for our TV show. And we've literally decided to wait till after qualifying is over to see if the
[17:08.320 -> 17:14.440] fortune has, you know, to make sure that the misfortune doesn't hit in qualifying.
[17:14.440 -> 17:16.080] So, you know, there we have it.
[17:16.080 -> 17:22.400] It's going to be really epic to see him do that, to see him sort of take the battle to Max Verstappen.
[17:22.560 -> 17:25.320] Because we don't know if the upgrades have worked yet,
[17:25.320 -> 17:26.140] right?
[17:26.140 -> 17:27.920] Because in Spain, he had a failure before the failure.
[17:27.920 -> 17:31.520] Max had that gust of wind that took him away.
[17:31.520 -> 17:34.040] So we don't know if the upgrades have actually worked
[17:34.040 -> 17:36.400] or how close is Ferrari to Red Bull.
[17:36.400 -> 17:39.160] The assumption is that Red Bull is still the quicker car,
[17:39.160 -> 17:41.440] but reliability will always come into play
[17:41.440 -> 17:44.800] because as you would remember from the Spanish Grand Prix,
[17:44.800 -> 17:45.200] the review episode, preview, the review
[17:45.200 -> 17:51.600] episode, all of the three top teams actually had reliability issues, you know, in the last race just
[17:51.600 -> 17:57.280] a few days ago, Samal. So I'm just wondering, right, considering reliability, considering
[17:57.280 -> 18:02.080] everything that's gone wrong for Ferrari, I think it's best to take that one excuse for a DNF out.
[18:02.080 -> 18:06.240] Let's actually play a small game for a second here. What do you think is going to be the way
[18:06.240 -> 18:08.160] in which Leclerc DNFs on Sunday?
[18:08.160 -> 18:09.960] If of course he does, just for fun that is.
[18:09.960 -> 18:12.080] No, I don't mean to put any bad intentions on him,
[18:12.080 -> 18:15.160] but I'm saying Kunal, crash into the back.
[18:15.160 -> 18:16.080] What do you reckon?
[18:16.080 -> 18:17.120] Just for fun.
[18:18.200 -> 18:20.680] Maybe a manhole cover disrupting his skull?
[18:20.680 -> 18:21.880] I really hope not that.
[18:21.880 -> 18:24.760] That's really scary for everybody around.
[18:24.760 -> 18:26.000] But well, you know, that's really scary for everybody around but well you
[18:26.000 -> 18:31.200] know there's this whole talk of you know how Charles is acting Schumacher-esque
[18:31.200 -> 18:36.680] you know gelling the team together and so on you know he's especially
[18:36.680 -> 18:42.960] after the retirement he had in Spain who knows if he'll do a La Rascas
[18:42.960 -> 18:48.120] you know you never know I mean not, but he could just end up going there.
[18:48.120 -> 18:51.600] And I really hope it's not a repeat at the swimming pool
[18:51.600 -> 18:55.200] complex, which is where he's normally had his offs before.
[18:55.200 -> 18:58.600] But above all else, all jokes aside,
[18:58.600 -> 19:03.080] I'm hoping that every top team driver
[19:03.080 -> 19:05.000] is able to carry the confidence
[19:05.380 -> 19:07.700] and give us that qualifying shootout,
[19:07.700 -> 19:11.200] which is what Monaco is literally known for.
[19:11.200 -> 19:13.880] I'm excited to see how closely matched
[19:13.880 -> 19:15.040] the top three teams are.
[19:15.040 -> 19:17.300] And then of course, Bottas and McNewson,
[19:17.300 -> 19:19.760] and could it be Mik Schumacher,
[19:19.760 -> 19:21.600] Q3 second time in a row in Monaco,
[19:21.600 -> 19:23.440] and then sort of goes and scores his points
[19:23.440 -> 19:28.680] at a race where his father scored his first ever pole position if I remember correctly.
[19:28.680 -> 19:32.520] Exactly, who knows what could happen but let's actually get to the midfield in depth in a
[19:32.520 -> 19:37.080] second. I just want to say, well, maybe Leclerc has already practiced for the Rascasse in
[19:37.080 -> 19:41.200] the Monaco Masters considering the way he crashed out over there but again, just a joke
[19:41.200 -> 19:44.840] that one. But actually, let's move on to better things than that joke. Let's actually move
[19:44.840 -> 19:49.320] on to the stats preview by Sundaram.. This segment is back after a long long time
[19:49.320 -> 19:53.320] We had Sundaram back here for the last race in Barcelona. It's great to have him here
[19:53.320 -> 19:57.580] Once again, let's listen to some really fun stats courtesy of F1 stats guru. Let's check it out
[19:58.240 -> 19:58.960] Hey folks
[19:58.960 -> 20:02.980] It's time to do a stats preview of the Monaco Grand Prix with me Sundaram Ramaswamy
[20:02.980 -> 20:09.240] A lot of you know me as the F1 Stats Guru on the internet. Let's talk numbers of Monaco because whenever we talk
[20:09.240 -> 20:13.680] about this particular circuit, there's always a lot of buzz, a lot of chatter, about everything
[20:13.680 -> 20:18.540] that goes around. There's also an argument that's been going on on the internet, if this
[20:18.540 -> 20:23.000] track really warrants a place on the F1 calendar. It's a valid argument because there's a lot
[20:23.000 -> 20:30.500] of data that supports this. Now 68% of all the races at Monaco have been won from the front row and that's
[20:30.500 -> 20:35.120] from the very fact that this track is very narrow and there are very limited overtaking
[20:35.120 -> 20:41.040] opportunities on offer. So qualifying higher up becomes very important. How important?
[20:41.040 -> 20:46.640] No driver in the last 25 years has won from below third on the grid. The last one to do
[20:46.640 -> 20:54.320] that was Olivier Panis in that very chaotic 1996 race where just three drivers finished across the
[20:54.320 -> 21:01.920] finish line. Another important one for the very recent races is that the last three Monaco
[21:01.920 -> 21:05.720] Grands Prix have each seen just one race leader throughout.
[21:05.720 -> 21:12.240] It was Daniel Ricciardo in 2018, Lewis Hamilton in 2019, and Max Verstappen in 2021.
[21:12.240 -> 21:16.760] And my favorite stat is the one of average overtakes, because since the start of the
[21:16.760 -> 21:22.080] hybrid era in 2014 up until 2016, where cars were slightly shorter and a bit more narrower
[21:22.080 -> 21:25.840] back then, we saw an average of 11.66 overtakes
[21:25.840 -> 21:26.840] at Monaco.
[21:26.840 -> 21:32.820] But 2017 onwards, when we've had longer cars, a bit more wider cars, the number of average
[21:32.820 -> 21:37.620] overtakes drastically dips to just 2.75 to date.
[21:37.620 -> 21:40.260] And that's why I say that it's a very valid argument.
[21:40.260 -> 21:44.660] But a lot of people tend to say that the higher the number of overtakes, the better the racing
[21:44.660 -> 21:49.600] spectacle. And I would say it's a kind of a misconception in a sense, because if you
[21:49.600 -> 21:54.000] remember the Miami Grand Prix, where there were a lot of overtakes, many of which were even missed
[21:54.000 -> 22:00.080] on the broadcast, the racing wasn't the best, I would say. So it's very important to understand
[22:00.080 -> 22:06.560] that the buzz about Monaco is always because it's a very special track. It's a prestigious track,
[22:06.560 -> 22:12.640] probably the most prestigious track out there. And this track has a special place in F1 history.
[22:12.640 -> 22:18.720] That's why it has a lot of exemptions as well when it comes to race distance or even the minimum
[22:18.720 -> 22:26.000] track length. Things are done very differently in Monaco. So Monaco isn't just about pure speed and overtaking.
[22:26.000 -> 22:31.280] A lot of it also depends on qualifying higher up. And also a lot of it depends on the sort of
[22:31.280 -> 22:37.200] dive strategy and pitch strategy that you have, because like we saw last year, the overcut has
[22:37.200 -> 22:43.680] a very good advantage. So it's also about strategy and you have to keep that in mind.
[22:43.680 -> 22:48.160] Now, the legendary track that Monaco is, the leaderboard is still adorned by some of the
[22:48.160 -> 22:49.560] all-time F1 greats.
[22:49.560 -> 22:53.760] We have seen Lewis Hamilton breaking a lot of records off lately, but this track, the
[22:53.760 -> 22:59.000] leaderboard, has a very feel-good, nice factor about it because Ayrton Senna still leads
[22:59.000 -> 23:02.240] the way in terms of most polls and wins at this track.
[23:02.240 -> 23:04.680] And then there's literally all the legends up there.
[23:04.680 -> 23:08.360] There's Graham Hill, there's Michael Schumacher, there's Alan Prost, Jackie
[23:08.360 -> 23:12.960] Stewart, Jim Clark, and even Juan Manuel Fangio all up there from the modern
[23:12.960 -> 23:16.880] grades, Lewis Hamilton has won three races here and from, in terms of polls,
[23:16.960 -> 23:19.440] Alonso, Ricardo and Hamilton have two polls each.
[23:20.000 -> 23:23.480] Now, if you're talking about Monaco, we definitely have talked about one
[23:23.480 -> 23:27.680] particular person in particular, one particular person that is Charles Legler.
[23:28.000 -> 23:33.200] It's his home race and everyone knows that he has a bit of a bad, he has some
[23:33.200 -> 23:37.240] bad luck at this particular track because he's not one he's not, he's not finished
[23:37.240 -> 23:42.200] the race and his last five outings over here, and it's a very important race for
[23:42.200 -> 23:45.600] him as well, because he's just lost the championship lead to Max Verstappen.
[23:45.600 -> 23:50.240] So this becomes that race where he has the opportunity to stamp some authority,
[23:50.240 -> 23:55.120] finish the race first of all, probably take the win, and regain the championship lead.
[23:55.120 -> 24:02.000] So let's see how that goes about and I hope he has an incident-free race at Monaco this time around.
[24:02.000 -> 24:06.500] But there are two people in particular I would like to talk about who absolutely relish
[24:06.500 -> 24:09.000] the prospect of driving around Monte Carlo.
[24:09.000 -> 24:12.000] The first one is Leclerc's teammate, Carlos Sainz.
[24:12.000 -> 24:15.500] He absolutely loves here. He absolutely loves driving around this track.
[24:15.500 -> 24:20.500] He's made it to Q3 every single time and he scored points on every occasion.
[24:20.500 -> 24:22.000] He's driven around here.
[24:22.000 -> 24:27.480] His joint best finish in Formula 1 was when he, uh, came P2 at last
[24:27.480 -> 24:29.080] year's race behind Max Verstappen.
[24:29.600 -> 24:32.000] And the other person is Sebastian Vettel.
[24:32.000 -> 24:36.280] Now he's not had the best start to do his F1 season this year.
[24:36.280 -> 24:39.960] And it was also the case last year, but I remember saying this stat last
[24:39.960 -> 24:43.880] year as well, because this is that time of the year where this, uh, we're
[24:43.880 -> 24:46.240] coming to those tracks which Sebastian
[24:46.240 -> 24:52.400] Wettel prefers and has some very good performances overall in his career. So Wettel has been around
[24:53.040 -> 24:59.520] in this sport since 2007 and his first full season was in 2008. Since then, he's finished
[24:59.520 -> 25:04.800] the Monaco Grand Prix on 11 occasions and on each occasion he's finished in the top five.
[25:04.800 -> 25:05.520] I didn't think it would happen last year and he he finished in the top 5. I didn't think it would
[25:05.520 -> 25:09.920] happen last year and he actually finished in the top 5 last year. Let's see if we can do that this
[25:09.920 -> 25:14.240] year as well. That was the stats preview of the Monaco Grand Prix with me Sundaram. If you want
[25:14.240 -> 25:20.080] to check out my stats and facts, you can follow me on Instagram as F1StatsGuru. I'll see you guys soon.
[25:22.160 -> 25:26.480] And Kunal, I think the one stat from this stats preview by Sundaram that really stands
[25:26.480 -> 25:32.020] out for me is the average overtakes one because things have drastically gone down.
[25:32.020 -> 25:35.540] Before we talk about the midfield, I think it's a real point of concern, right?
[25:35.540 -> 25:36.540] Entertainment in the race.
[25:36.540 -> 25:41.000] I think it's going to be harder, but it's not just the overtakes that make a good race,
[25:41.000 -> 25:43.680] do they?
[25:43.680 -> 25:48.320] It's actually not the overtakes, it's just the ability to fight,
[25:48.320 -> 25:54.800] you know, the fight coming out of the, you know, going into the hairpin, coming out of
[25:54.800 -> 25:59.760] the tunnel and various places, La Rascasse, could it be Saint-Divorce, you know, corner
[25:59.760 -> 26:06.140] one, could it be strategy that sort of comes in? And I think what also ends up making Monaco a lot of fun,
[26:06.140 -> 26:08.860] and maybe this is, I'm not being sadistic out here,
[26:08.860 -> 26:12.760] but a slow driver finding himself out of place
[26:12.760 -> 26:15.060] and holding all the quicker ones up,
[26:15.060 -> 26:18.520] because that's usually where a lot of fun happens.
[26:18.520 -> 26:20.280] You know, teams trying to think on their feet,
[26:20.280 -> 26:21.500] trying different strategy.
[26:21.500 -> 26:24.080] And you know, you can't really just end up pitting
[26:24.080 -> 26:27.620] in Monaco the way you'd probably end up pitting at another circuit because you
[26:27.620 -> 26:32.000] never know if you're gonna come back rejoin the queue again and not sort of
[26:32.000 -> 26:36.740] find your way to the front. Let me guess would we put that driver to be Nicholas
[26:36.740 -> 26:43.220] Latifi this time out Kunal? Maybe? No? Oh hang on a minute that reminds me
[26:43.220 -> 26:45.400] let's just do this, right?
[26:45.400 -> 26:47.960] Do we think that Latifi is going to crash this time out?
[26:47.960 -> 26:49.920] I know it's a very, very bad thing to do.
[26:49.920 -> 26:54.520] You shouldn't kind of wish that upon anyone else, but just because we are on this mission
[26:54.520 -> 27:00.680] here today, Latifi to crash at the swimming pool, I think I'll give the odds to be 60%
[27:00.680 -> 27:02.480] maybe, no?
[27:02.480 -> 27:07.200] Well, I don't know. I just I just hope it's a safe race and I
[27:07.200 -> 27:11.520] hope not a lot of safety car interruptions but you know beyond a
[27:11.520 -> 27:16.480] point I'm not that big a fan of Latifi right but unfortunately what's also
[27:16.480 -> 27:20.680] happening and this is just after our stats preview that's come from Sundaram
[27:20.680 -> 27:30.820] is Mick Schumacher has taken the same number of races as Nicholas Latifi did to not have scored his first points in Formula One. So I
[27:30.820 -> 27:37.340] think Mick is probably gonna overtake that stat in in Monaco this weekend if
[27:37.340 -> 27:47.580] he doesn't score. But some of that actually tells me Mick Schumacher is definitely one of the key drivers on my 8 sleep
[27:47.580 -> 27:53.560] list of drivers in focus. Absolutely Mick Schumacher being the one for you and as
[27:53.560 -> 27:58.180] you discussed early on just the pressure of him scoring points this weekend has
[27:58.180 -> 28:01.560] to be huge because there's this big fight with Kevin Magnus and he has to
[28:01.560 -> 28:04.720] win the inter-team battle but you know what the driver that I'm gonna go for
[28:04.720 -> 28:06.300] Kunal for this particular list is
[28:06.300 -> 28:11.720] going to be Carlos Sainz because he's traditionally had a decent record at Monaco mind you.
[28:11.720 -> 28:15.460] Last year, he ended up on the podium and had a wonderful, wonderful race.
[28:15.460 -> 28:19.400] Of course, the qualifying lap kind of helped out and of course the crash by his teammate
[28:19.400 -> 28:20.600] helped out quite a fair bit.
[28:20.600 -> 28:28.480] But he's a potent force over here and currently he's just lacking all the confidence but with Ferrari doing well I get a feeling that he could be in
[28:28.480 -> 28:32.520] the mix but at Monaco the most important thing is confidence and unfortunately
[28:32.520 -> 28:35.800] signs lacks that at this particular point of time he's in fact come out and
[28:35.800 -> 28:39.600] said that he doesn't feel as comfortable in the car as Leclerc does so that's
[28:39.600 -> 28:53.160] gonna be a big worry for Ferrari. It is and that's right he's been very honest about his struggles in in that Ferrari and talking of honesty another team boss who
[28:53.160 -> 28:56.820] actually has been very honest and open pretty much for the first time I would
[28:56.820 -> 29:02.620] say has been Zac Brown when he used the word disappointed when it came to
[29:02.620 -> 29:05.480] Daniel Ricciardo because God alone knows what's happening to Daniel Ricciardo because God alone knows what's
[29:05.480 -> 29:09.600] happening to Daniel Ricciardo in that McLaren. I think I said that pretty much
[29:09.600 -> 29:15.800] the same thing in the Spanish GP you know review as well but yes Ricciardo as
[29:15.800 -> 29:23.600] well has to be in you know has to be in that list of drivers in focus that we
[29:23.600 -> 29:25.640] have sponsored by its sleep salon.
[29:26.840 -> 29:30.240] Absolutely, and with Lando Norris hopefully feeling better,
[29:30.240 -> 29:32.400] I mean, that's just gonna be an even bigger challenge,
[29:32.400 -> 29:35.420] because Norris was just so good last weekend,
[29:35.420 -> 29:38.400] even though he had a bit of an illness.
[29:38.400 -> 29:40.960] I mean, what is gonna happen if he's perfectly in form?
[29:40.960 -> 29:44.560] Because remember, Norris last year also a podium sitter.
[29:44.560 -> 29:50.640] But now I've got to ask you a really big question Kunal, who else do you reckon is going to
[29:50.640 -> 29:52.440] be the driver to focus on?
[29:52.440 -> 29:56.520] Because I get a feeling that Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly are going to be very, very
[29:56.520 -> 30:01.400] interesting because unknowingly we haven't quite focused much on it, but Yuki Tsunoda
[30:01.400 -> 30:03.600] has been absolutely bossing this battle.
[30:03.600 -> 30:09.840] Of course, he's not been out qualifying Gasly as much but in the races this kamikaze style of his is paying off and Gasly has been
[30:09.840 -> 30:15.600] beaten for the last three races in a row so he's getting better but he's just not in our point of
[30:15.600 -> 30:19.440] view and not in our field of vision I think would be the better term to use for this. So with the
[30:19.440 -> 30:26.180] ultimate driver's test coming for Alfa Tauri This is going to be a fun weekend to check who actually is the better driver now.
[30:26.180 -> 30:32.340] Yeah, I think Gasly is also in that same position as Alonso. A fair bit of bad luck going his
[30:32.340 -> 30:40.500] way. But to see Yuki doing the heavy lifting while Gasly isn't is definitely a shine of
[30:40.500 -> 30:46.280] a show of progress, I would say. because if you just go back 12 months,
[30:46.280 -> 30:48.240] he was probably not in the position to do that.
[30:48.240 -> 30:50.680] It was either Gasly scoring or Gasly not.
[30:50.680 -> 30:53.000] But here it's like Gasly scoring or Gasly not,
[30:53.000 -> 30:55.840] Yuki's ending up finding himself scoring as well.
[30:55.840 -> 31:00.840] So Pierre Gasly, again, a very crucial race for him.
[31:01.080 -> 31:04.160] He's done so much in their Alpha Tauri before
[31:04.160 -> 31:05.360] that he's got a bit of a buffer,
[31:05.360 -> 31:10.720] unlike say Daniel Ricciardo, you know, where that win in Monza is a long, long time ago,
[31:10.720 -> 31:16.480] and there's been pretty much nothing special after that, right? So clearly, you know, Gassli is on
[31:16.480 -> 31:21.280] that list. And, you know, you have to put the Aston Martin drivers on it as well, you know,
[31:21.280 -> 31:26.760] what will the green Red Bull end up doing around the streets of Monaco?
[31:26.760 -> 31:30.100] You know, and, you know, it's an important race for Red Bull.
[31:30.100 -> 31:31.800] They're also bringing the energy station.
[31:31.800 -> 31:37.820] So I don't know if the Aston Martin, you know, if the Aston Martin guys have a green energy
[31:37.820 -> 31:42.760] station that they're going to bring to the race.
[31:42.760 -> 31:44.180] It's their spiritual home, isn't it?
[31:44.180 -> 31:48.360] I think the pit crew just for this weekend should be wearing tuxedos because Aston Martin,
[31:48.360 -> 31:52.560] Monaco, James Bond, you get all the Casino Royale feels in this particular weekend for
[31:52.560 -> 31:53.560] them.
[31:53.560 -> 31:55.400] But yeah, I think they're more than copycats right?
[31:55.400 -> 32:00.020] I suppose, I hope they get a chance to maybe maximize their car this weekend.
[32:00.020 -> 32:04.560] But I want to talk about Valtteri Bottas in this list as well Kunal because at Mercedes
[32:04.560 -> 32:08.880] he's never quite had the best qualifying record here at Monaco, which again is the most crucial
[32:08.880 -> 32:11.040] thing unless you crash out on Sunday.
[32:11.040 -> 32:15.000] But here with Alfa Romeo, he's been qualifying exceptionally well so far this year.
[32:15.000 -> 32:19.320] I'm just very keen to see, can he do something better than what he did at Mercedes with an
[32:19.320 -> 32:21.000] Alfa Romeo this time out?
[32:21.000 -> 32:22.760] That's going to be fun.
[32:22.760 -> 32:26.840] And Alfa Romeo is actually touted to be a very quick car this weekend.
[32:26.840 -> 32:30.520] Of course, this is before even a single lap has been driven around the circuit, but it's
[32:30.520 -> 32:36.080] purely based on the qualifying performance or rather the single lap performance that
[32:36.080 -> 32:41.160] Alfa Romeo showed on the Sector 3 in Barcelona, Sommel.
[32:41.160 -> 32:43.320] So I would love to see Bottas.
[32:43.320 -> 32:46.800] It's such a refreshing delight to see him doing
[32:46.800 -> 32:53.040] what he's doing with so much ease, no pressure on him and just you know also seeing Sauber,
[32:53.040 -> 32:58.800] you know the guys who run Alfa Romeo, do so well because Sauber has been such a legendary team
[32:58.800 -> 33:04.480] all along Sommel. Exactly, but it's such a small outfit when you compare it to Ferrari and
[33:04.480 -> 33:05.200] Mercedes and
[33:05.200 -> 33:09.160] the likes that extracting good performances from a limited budget becomes such a hard
[33:09.160 -> 33:13.080] task and they're doing so so well this year. I just hope they're able to compete and keep
[33:13.080 -> 33:17.880] up in the development war. But at the end of the day, this isn't this a home race for
[33:17.880 -> 33:24.040] most of the F1 drivers canal? Bottas, Hamilton, Norris, Verstappen, I suppose Ricciardo also
[33:24.040 -> 33:25.040] has a flat in Monaco.
[33:25.040 -> 33:28.880] This probably is F1's home race and I kind of just remembered that 24
[33:28.880 -> 33:33.920] minutes in the episode, isn't it? So it's you of course Charles Leclerc as well he
[33:33.920 -> 33:38.600] is he is Monaco, the others have sort of gone and lived in Monaco after
[33:38.600 -> 33:42.040] they've earned all the money but that's interesting because Formula One's home
[33:42.040 -> 33:46.000] race is Silverstone given that it's a European sport, so to say,
[33:46.000 -> 33:48.420] but Liberty Media's home race is, of course,
[33:48.420 -> 33:50.500] all the races that happen in America.
[33:50.500 -> 33:53.180] But for the drivers, it's pretty much Monaco,
[33:53.180 -> 33:54.880] where they're currently staying,
[33:54.880 -> 33:57.680] or a race where they actually sort of grew up,
[33:57.680 -> 33:59.180] for example, Gasly in France,
[33:59.180 -> 34:01.720] or you guys know the nationality of the drivers.
[34:01.720 -> 34:04.400] So, yeah, it's a home race.
[34:04.400 -> 34:07.680] Like Albin said, I live three minutes away,
[34:07.680 -> 34:09.320] walking distance from the paddock.
[34:09.320 -> 34:13.960] And I think that's a refreshing change for them as well.
[34:13.960 -> 34:14.600] Exactly.
[34:14.600 -> 34:16.760] So will it be a home driver that takes
[34:16.760 -> 34:18.040] the win this time, Adkanal?
[34:18.040 -> 34:20.040] Who is your pick for?
[34:20.040 -> 34:23.560] I mean, I haven't narrowed it down much,
[34:23.560 -> 34:28.880] haven't I, because I think the only driver who doesn't quite, only drivers who don't quite stay in Monaco
[34:28.880 -> 34:33.520] in the top six are just essentially, what is it, Pérez and Sainz, isn't it?
[34:33.520 -> 34:36.880] So, and they already don't seem like they are going to ever get the chance to win.
[34:36.880 -> 34:38.960] So that's a bit of a silly question, but whatever.
[34:38.960 -> 34:40.480] Who are your predictions for this weekend?
[34:40.480 -> 34:43.680] I'm going to go for Max Verstappen, actually, for both qualifying and the race.
[34:44.960 -> 34:45.120] Wow. I'm going to go for Max Verstappen actually for both qualifying and the race.
[34:45.120 -> 34:50.240] Wow I'm going to go for Max Verstappen as well. I think that momentum he's built is
[34:50.240 -> 34:57.040] pretty fantastic and you know just let's look at the numbers. Out of 86 points in the last
[34:57.040 -> 35:06.480] three races he scored 85 of them. Right. Wow. And Red Bull Racing, you know, they have, of course, had Checo Perez score as well. So
[35:07.200 -> 35:14.240] they, I think, scored from 147 points that were available, they scored 140. And I think Max has
[35:14.240 -> 35:22.800] overcome a 52 point deficit, a swing in 52 points over Charles in the last few races, which is also
[35:22.800 -> 35:26.000] where ruling out George Russell from the title battle
[35:26.640 -> 35:34.560] isn't fair just yet because I think that gap is just 36 points. So I mean, I'm relishing it.
[35:34.560 -> 35:42.160] I'd love for Mercedes to suddenly come out and be front running, be outside bets for the title.
[35:42.160 -> 35:46.120] If they are not eligible for the title battle because it's too late in the season
[35:46.300 -> 35:51.660] Could they still end up winning races and spoil the title battle between say, you know
[35:51.660 -> 35:55.900] Leclerc, Verstappen and Red Bull and Ferrari. I mean, it's it's it's so exciting
[35:55.900 -> 35:57.900] You know, they're gonna be like, you know, no holds barred
[35:57.900 -> 36:03.940] You know more to more to win than to lose kind of approach by Mercedes and I would love for that
[36:04.660 -> 36:08.760] Yeah, and with the last generation of cars Mercedes weren't quite great in Monaco but
[36:08.760 -> 36:13.240] again it seems to be a mystery right as you said looking at Barcelona sector 3 they could
[36:13.240 -> 36:17.560] well be in the fight and let's hope for the same actually because we can't just wait for
[36:17.560 -> 36:21.600] the for a really good Monaco GP it's not been happening for a very very long time I mean
[36:21.600 -> 36:28.000] a good Monaco GP the Monaco Jeepney has been happening for a long time but I hope this is entertaining. I hope this is really really fun and I hope
[36:28.000 -> 36:32.120] that you found this episode to be very entertaining as well folks and if you did you know the
[36:32.120 -> 36:36.620] deal leave a like, leave a subscribe, share a good rating and all the rest. But folks
[36:36.620 -> 36:39.840] thank you for watching, thank you for listening and we shall see you for the Monaco Jeepney
[36:39.840 -> None] review episode, review episode I'm sorry, in a few days. Bye bye.