OSCAR PIASTRI on Pitstop Podcast !! - PART 2

This is Part 2 of our episode with 2023 McLaren Driver Oscar Piastri! We've wanted Oscar on the podcast for a long time and are so glad we had this time with him to sit down and speak about his journey into Formula 1. There is no doubt that the young Australian driver is one of the most exciting talents to ever join the F1 grid. We can't wait to watch him race with Lando Norris next year at McLaren and hope you guys enjoy this EXCLUSIVE interview before Oscar Piastri enters Formula 1 off the back of 3 world championships in a row. A massive thank you to Oscar for coming to our flat and for giving us your time. Also a big thank you to Oscar's team you have been great and thank you for helping us make this happen! If you haven't heard Part 1 yet, Go check it out first! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

# Formula One Podcast Episode Transcript Summary

## Part Two: Oscar's Journey Through the Formula Series

### DRS Problems in Formula 3

- Oscar experienced consistent DRS issues during his first six rounds in Formula 3, leading to frustrations and humorous tweets about the situation.
- The problems ranged from the DRS opening and closing repeatedly during a qualifying lap to the entire car shutting down during practice and qualifying sessions.
- Despite the challenges, Oscar maintained a positive attitude and turned the situation into light-hearted jokes, which gained significant attention and coverage.

### Racing Against Grand New Joe

- Oscar and Grand New Joe were fierce competitors during their time in Formula 3, often battling for positions on the track.
- One memorable incident occurred in Bahrain, where Oscar, Joe, and Christian Lungard, all Alpine Academy drivers, were involved in a thrilling three-way battle for the lead.
- Oscar described Joe as a predictable and fair racer, acknowledging that they didn't have many on-track battles due to their similar qualifying positions.
- He expressed excitement about the prospect of racing against Joe and other drivers in Formula 1.

### Prema Team Atmosphere

- Oscar praised the Prema team for their professionalism, fast race cars, and supportive atmosphere.
- He highlighted the team's ability to create a fun and relaxed environment, which helped alleviate the pressure and reminded drivers of the joy of racing.
- Oscar attributed his successful two years with Prema to the team's positive atmosphere and the strong relationships he formed with the staff.

### F2 Season Highlights

- Oscar's F2 season was incredibly successful, with 13 podiums, 6 wins, and 5 pole positions in a row.
- He acknowledged that qualifying was more challenging for him initially, as he had not secured any pole positions in Formula 3.
- Oscar emphasized the importance of qualifying well, as it can significantly impact the outcome of the race and the driver's overall championship position.
- He enjoys the mental challenge of putting everything together, including technical aspects, engineering relationships, and the right mindset, to achieve success on the track.

### Technical Side of Formula One Cars

- Oscar believes that drivers should have a basic understanding of the technical aspects of their cars but should not attempt to become engineers themselves.
- He emphasizes the importance of communicating effectively with engineers to convey the car's handling characteristics and needs without getting too involved in the technical details.
- Oscar acknowledges that the technical side of Formula One has evolved, with teams relying on numerous engineers to analyze data and make adjustments.

### Rookie Year Game Plan in Formula 1

- Oscar expressed excitement about joining the Formula 1 grid in 2023, recognizing the significance of being one of only 20 drivers in the world.
- He acknowledged the challenges ahead, particularly considering McLaren's current car performance, but remained hopeful for a strong season.
- Oscar plans to learn from his experienced teammate, Lando Norris, and aims to adapt quickly to the demands of Formula 1 racing.
- He is optimistic about his ability to get back into the racing groove after a year out and is eager to prove himself on the track. # **The Pit Stop Podcast: Exclusive Interview with Rising F1 Star Oscar Piastri**

## **Episode Summary:**

In this captivating episode of the Pit Stop Podcast, hosts Jake Boys and Fabio Bocca engage in an insightful conversation with Oscar Piastri, the highly acclaimed Formula 2 Champion and McLaren's latest signing for the 2023 Formula 1 season. Piastri candidly shares his thoughts, experiences, and aspirations as he prepares to embark on the pinnacle of motorsport.

## **Key Insights and Perspectives:**

1. **Drive to Survive and Its Impact:**
- Piastri acknowledges the immense popularity and influence of the Netflix series Drive to Survive in attracting new fans and enhancing the sport's global appeal. He believes it has been a massive success story for F1.

2. **Adjusting to the Media Spotlight:**
- Piastri reflects on the significant increase in media attention he has experienced since his F1 announcement. He acknowledges that it can be overwhelming at times but recognizes the importance of engaging with fans and promoting the sport.

3. **Stepping into the F1 World Stage:**
- Piastri expresses excitement and anticipation about joining the F1 grid, recognizing that it represents a significant step up in terms of fame and recognition. He acknowledges the pressure and expectations that come with being a high-profile driver but remains focused on his racing.

4. **Balancing Risk and Reward:**
- When asked about how he separates risk from reward while driving at high speeds, Piastri emphasizes the importance of maintaining focus and minimizing distractions. He admits that the danger aspect rarely crosses his mind during races and that his primary concern is optimizing performance and avoiding mistakes.

5. **Helmet Design and Significance:**
- Piastri shares the story behind his distinctive red, yellow, and blue helmet design, which originated from a pre-painted helmet he purchased after a karting crash. He explains that the colors stuck with him throughout his career and have become synonymous with his racing identity.

6. **Looking Forward to Racing with Lando Norris:**
- Piastri expresses enthusiasm about the prospect of racing alongside Lando Norris at McLaren. He praises Norris' speed and talent and views him as a challenging but fair competitor. Piastri believes that their partnership can be a positive force for the team and help drive McLaren forward.

7. **The Importance of Family Support:**
- Piastri acknowledges the unwavering support he has received from his family throughout his racing journey. He emphasizes the sacrifices they have made to facilitate his career and credits them for his success. Piastri also highlights the importance of maintaining a balance between racing and personal life.

8. **Number 81: A Personal Choice:**
- Piastri reveals his intention to race with the number 81 in F1, a number he has used earlier in his career. He explains that it is a unique and rare number that holds sentimental value for him.

9. **Potential Rookie Additions to the F1 Grid:**
- Piastri hints at the possibility of additional rookies joining the F1 grid in 2023, beyond the confirmed arrival of Nick De Vries at Williams. He acknowledges the speculation surrounding open seats at teams like Haas and Williams but refrains from providing specific details.

## **Overall Message:**

The episode provides an insightful glimpse into the world of Oscar Piastri, a rising star in Formula 1. Piastri's candidness and enthusiasm shine through as he discusses his journey, aspirations, and the challenges he faces as he prepares to enter the pinnacle of motorsport. The interview highlights the importance of family support, mental focus, and embracing the opportunities that come with being a high-profile athlete.

[00:00.000 -> 00:04.080] This episode is presented to you by NFL Sunday Ticket,
[00:04.080 -> 00:05.960] now on YouTube and YouTube TV.
[00:05.960 -> 00:08.800] With NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube and YouTube TV,
[00:08.800 -> 00:11.520] you can watch your favorite teams out of market Sunday games,
[00:11.520 -> 00:13.840] plus watch up to four games at once with multi-view.
[00:13.840 -> 00:15.680] Don't miss the race to the playoffs.
[00:15.680 -> 00:19.600] NFL Sunday Ticket is now just $39 when bundled with YouTube TV,
[00:19.600 -> 00:21.320] where you get even more football.
[00:21.320 -> 00:24.440] Visit youtube.com slash Spotify offer to sign up now.
[00:24.440 -> 00:25.040] Lowest price on YouTube TV with Base Plan. Rest of 2023 season. Spotify offer to sign up now. Lowest price
[00:25.040 -> 00:29.520] on YouTube TV with Baseball rest of 2023 season terms and embargoes apply. No cancellations.
[00:31.200 -> 00:37.360] This episode is brought to you by Columbia Sportswear. It's snowing again, and that
[00:37.360 -> 00:42.160] windchill is killer. But you're not worried about that because you shop the Omni Heat
[00:42.160 -> 00:46.360] Infinity Collection. It's warmth perfected with tiny gold dots
[00:46.360 -> 00:48.380] that reflect your body heat inside
[00:48.380 -> 00:50.660] and protect you from the cold outside.
[00:50.660 -> 00:53.720] No snow or chilly temps can stop you now.
[00:53.720 -> 00:54.900] Go out anyway.
[00:54.900 -> 00:57.400] Shop the Omni Heat Infinity Collection now
[00:57.400 -> 01:00.320] at Columbia.com slash infinity.
[01:00.320 -> 01:02.000] Oh, and we're back.
[01:02.000 -> 01:04.880] We're here with part two of the Oscar episode.
[01:04.880 -> 01:06.800] Guys, thanks for checking out part two.
[01:06.800 -> 01:07.600] Thanks for being here.
[01:07.600 -> 01:09.840] Yeah, this part's longer, better.
[01:09.840 -> 01:12.240] As you guys know, we're currently talking about Oscar's journey
[01:12.240 -> 01:13.520] through the Formula Series.
[01:14.160 -> 01:15.680] Absolutely love this episode.
[01:16.400 -> 01:19.120] Know that part two is amazing and we hope you guys enjoy it.
[01:19.120 -> 01:23.280] Yeah, there's some seriously spicy stuff in this part two, I must admit.
[01:23.280 -> 01:25.400] So guys, strap in.
[01:25.400 -> 01:27.760] And don't forget the five star rating at the end.
[01:27.760 -> 01:28.960] Yeah, don't forget that.
[01:30.280 -> 01:33.560] So then you drop, well not drop, you go up to Formula 3.
[01:33.560 -> 01:35.080] Is that when you joined Prema?
[01:35.080 -> 01:36.760] Yeah, yeah, F3.
[01:36.760 -> 01:39.000] My first question about Formula 3 is,
[01:39.000 -> 01:42.160] you have got a load of tweets that crap me off about DRS.
[01:42.160 -> 01:44.120] And I need an explanation of what happened
[01:44.120 -> 01:45.520] with your DRS in Formula 3.
[01:45.520 -> 01:48.720] So, yeah, that was...
[01:49.760 -> 01:52.720] I mean, that year was a bit up and down,
[01:52.720 -> 01:55.920] but that was kind of like the main problem of the year.
[01:55.920 -> 01:57.760] So, for the first...
[02:00.240 -> 02:03.680] I think, so it was nine rounds that year in 11 weekends.
[02:03.680 -> 02:05.460] So, we had three triple headers with a week off in between. So, it was a really rounds that year in 11 weekends. So it was, we had three triple headers
[02:05.460 -> 02:06.620] with a week off in between.
[02:06.620 -> 02:11.620] So it was a really quick season with COVID obviously.
[02:13.340 -> 02:15.420] And for the first six rounds,
[02:15.420 -> 02:18.940] I had a DRS problems every weekend.
[02:19.820 -> 02:23.940] So I think Austria, I think the first time it happened,
[02:23.940 -> 02:27.600] we counted and like on one of my qualifying laps,
[02:27.600 -> 02:30.300] I think it was, my DRS opened and closed,
[02:30.300 -> 02:32.840] it was like 35 times throughout the lap.
[02:32.840 -> 02:34.840] So it was kind of just going down the straight line.
[02:34.840 -> 02:36.720] Like that.
[02:36.720 -> 02:37.560] And-
[02:37.560 -> 02:39.560] So I shouldn't laugh really, but you won the championship.
[02:39.560 -> 02:41.240] I know, but you can laugh about it now.
[02:41.240 -> 02:42.520] I can laugh about it now, yeah.
[02:42.520 -> 02:44.360] But at the time, you know,
[02:44.360 -> 02:47.160] and it became such a regular thing that I was just like
[02:47.680 -> 02:52.280] If I you know, like firstly I kind of wanted people to know that you know
[02:52.280 -> 02:57.720] I was dealing with these problems because you know, I didn't want people to think you know, if I'm having a bad race, you know
[02:57.720 -> 02:59.720] He's just shit
[02:59.720 -> 03:01.720] Sometimes I was just shit, I'm happy to say that
[03:03.000 -> 03:06.800] But you know for those first sort of that first sort of half a season there
[03:06.800 -> 03:09.040] was there was some DRS problems so it made
[03:09.040 -> 03:12.000] overtaking a bit more tricky than it needed to be.
[03:12.000 -> 03:15.840] Dear DRS, please come back. Yeah so I was like
[03:15.840 -> 03:19.760] you know how can I make this light-hearted and funny
[03:19.760 -> 03:22.800] um and sort of take the piss out of it really so that's where
[03:22.800 -> 03:27.180] that all came from and And then they blew up after that
[03:27.180 -> 03:29.680] and sort of the problems kept continuing.
[03:29.680 -> 03:31.880] And I think there was one in like Silverstone
[03:31.880 -> 03:35.760] where my DRS started working finally
[03:35.760 -> 03:38.180] and didn't have any issues.
[03:38.180 -> 03:43.180] And then the next weekend we had some other major problem
[03:43.720 -> 03:46.560] that basically meant my whole car was shutting off.
[03:46.560 -> 03:49.080] So it wasn't even the DRS that was shutting off now.
[03:49.080 -> 03:51.200] So I think I put out a tweet saying like,
[03:51.200 -> 03:55.360] DRS is finally solved, like our relationship is on the mend.
[03:55.360 -> 03:57.440] And then the next weekend my car shuts down,
[03:57.440 -> 03:59.800] like in practice, it shut down on the out lap.
[03:59.800 -> 04:02.560] I did one lap in qualifying and then it shut down.
[04:02.560 -> 04:04.960] Coming to the grid for race one, it shut down
[04:04.960 -> 04:07.880] and I like basically rolled onto the grid with no power.
[04:08.960 -> 04:11.760] So I think I put out a tweet saying like,
[04:11.760 -> 04:15.360] dear DRS, I see you've told the rest of my car
[04:15.360 -> 04:17.880] to stop working as well, dick move.
[04:17.880 -> 04:21.080] So yeah, so that was a major jinx.
[04:21.080 -> 04:22.600] Like that one was pretty popular.
[04:22.600 -> 04:24.600] I think that got a lot of coverage.
[04:24.600 -> 04:25.040] But yeah, they were funny lot of coverage, but yeah,
[04:25.040 -> 04:26.740] they were funny problems to have,
[04:26.740 -> 04:29.440] but I'm glad I can laugh about them now and not go,
[04:29.440 -> 04:30.960] that cost me a championship or something.
[04:30.960 -> 04:31.800] Yeah, that was so-
[04:31.800 -> 04:33.960] Mate, fair plagiary for turning it into a joke,
[04:33.960 -> 04:36.440] because it must be so frustrating that you're out there
[04:36.440 -> 04:38.160] and you're doing the best that you can to win
[04:38.160 -> 04:39.520] and something else is letting you down,
[04:39.520 -> 04:40.800] which is out of your control.
[04:40.800 -> 04:43.380] Yeah, and like, it wasn't through a lack of trying
[04:43.380 -> 04:49.080] that it kept coming back, like Prima turned that car that car freaking inside out like the only thing we didn't
[04:49.080 -> 04:54.800] do was change the chassis like we changed the ECU a few times all the
[04:54.800 -> 05:00.320] looms in the car the radio like we changed everything in that car except
[05:00.320 -> 05:05.200] for the actual chassis and I think the- The radio? Yeah, it was-
[05:05.200 -> 05:06.520] Oh yeah, obviously the radio.
[05:06.520 -> 05:07.360] It was-
[05:07.360 -> 05:10.200] I thought you meant radio instead of music, man.
[05:10.200 -> 05:11.240] I had the wrong station.
[05:11.240 -> 05:12.080] Yeah.
[05:12.080 -> 05:13.080] It's a foot cold.
[05:13.080 -> 05:15.600] Yeah, so we,
[05:15.600 -> 05:18.120] I think the problem was something to do with like
[05:18.120 -> 05:23.120] the ECU was shorting out the radio or something like that.
[05:24.280 -> 05:25.120] I hate it when that happens. Just explain ECU for- So basically like the, out the radio or something like that. And then...
[05:25.120 -> 05:25.960] I hate it when that happens.
[05:25.960 -> 05:27.120] Just explain ECU for...
[05:27.120 -> 05:30.040] So basically like the...
[05:30.040 -> 05:31.320] Electro combustion unit.
[05:31.320 -> 05:32.960] No, no, no, Jesus.
[05:32.960 -> 05:33.800] No, no, no.
[05:33.800 -> 05:35.120] No, it's not just us.
[05:35.120 -> 05:35.960] It's not just us.
[05:35.960 -> 05:39.200] It's, this is really bad and I should really know this,
[05:39.200 -> 05:42.600] but I want to say it's engine control unit
[05:42.600 -> 05:43.880] or something like that.
[05:43.880 -> 05:44.720] Yeah.
[05:44.720 -> 05:47.720] Anyway, it's like a, it does the software
[05:47.720 -> 05:49.000] for the engine and stuff.
[05:49.000 -> 05:49.840] Got it.
[05:49.840 -> 05:51.080] And all the electrical stuff.
[05:51.080 -> 05:52.960] And basically that was shorting out something.
[05:52.960 -> 05:55.920] So my, long story short, the FIA,
[05:55.920 -> 05:59.040] like have the beacons for the DRS,
[05:59.040 -> 06:00.800] like the timing loops in the track.
[06:00.800 -> 06:01.640] Yeah.
[06:01.640 -> 06:02.920] So it knows when you're in the zone.
[06:02.920 -> 06:06.120] And my car was basically dropping in and out
[06:06.120 -> 06:07.520] of those beacons.
[06:07.520 -> 06:10.460] So my car, like my whole car was, I think,
[06:10.460 -> 06:13.480] disappearing from the FIA's system.
[06:13.480 -> 06:15.160] So that's why it kept opening and closing
[06:15.160 -> 06:17.160] because it kept dropping in and out.
[06:17.160 -> 06:18.000] But yeah.
[06:18.000 -> 06:18.820] That's not ideal.
[06:18.820 -> 06:19.880] No, it was not ideal.
[06:19.880 -> 06:24.800] And after six rounds, yeah, I wanted to chop my DRS in half,
[06:24.800 -> 06:28.740] but anyway, it's nice to laugh about it now.
[06:28.740 -> 06:30.860] What's it like racing against Grand New Joe?
[06:30.860 -> 06:32.740] Cause we just did a podcast with them in Switzerland.
[06:32.740 -> 06:34.820] Everyone knows it by now.
[06:34.820 -> 06:36.620] You guys were battling a lot last year
[06:36.620 -> 06:38.140] from what I watched on YouTube anyway.
[06:38.140 -> 06:41.620] Yeah, I think probably the most famous one is Bahrain.
[06:41.620 -> 06:46.160] There was me, Joe and Christian Lungard, so all three of
[06:46.160 -> 06:49.960] the Alpine Academy guys on the first weekend.
[06:49.960 -> 06:55.000] I think Mia, who was the Academy director at the time, was almost about to have a heart
[06:55.000 -> 06:56.000] attack.
[06:56.000 -> 06:58.520] No, it was good racing, Joe.
[06:58.520 -> 07:02.560] You always knew what you were going to get with Joe.
[07:02.560 -> 07:04.960] He never did anything unexpected.
[07:04.960 -> 07:06.320] He was hard but fair. what you were going to get with Joe, he never did anything unexpected and you
[07:06.320 -> 07:10.920] know he was was hard but fair. I don't know if we actually had that many
[07:10.920 -> 07:14.800] battles but you know especially in qualifying I think we're always I think
[07:14.800 -> 07:19.360] we're probably the two highest average qualifying positions for the year so
[07:19.360 -> 07:22.680] we were always sort of close to each other on the on the feature race grids
[07:22.680 -> 07:26.400] but I don't actually know if we had that many
[07:26.400 -> 07:27.240] on-track battles.
[07:27.240 -> 07:28.080] I think we just saw that one clip.
[07:28.080 -> 07:28.900] I only watched like two or three.
[07:28.900 -> 07:29.740] It was like one clip of it.
[07:29.740 -> 07:32.320] Yeah, we had Bahrain where there's like
[07:32.320 -> 07:34.080] the three of us coming into turn one.
[07:34.080 -> 07:34.920] Yeah, that's the one.
[07:34.920 -> 07:37.240] So that's the most well-known one.
[07:37.240 -> 07:40.640] But yeah, we were always kind of near each other on track,
[07:40.640 -> 07:43.200] but never actually had that many battles, I would say.
[07:43.200 -> 07:48.800] Are you excited to race against him again? Are you guys friends? Yeah I still get on well with Joe, obviously we were
[07:48.800 -> 07:53.840] in the academy together as well last year so we got to know each other a bit better
[07:54.400 -> 07:58.000] so yeah I'm looking forward to racing him but I'm looking forward to racing everyone.
[07:58.000 -> 08:02.800] I'd like to be able to say I'm hopefully looking forward to racing nobody and just
[08:02.800 -> 08:06.840] clearing out the front. All the way down the front yeah But I think obviously that's not going to be the case.
[08:06.840 -> 08:08.320] So yeah.
[08:08.320 -> 08:09.600] I need to jump to a question quick
[08:09.600 -> 08:11.120] because I've got so much I want to talk about.
[08:11.120 -> 08:12.360] We're going to forget about it.
[08:12.360 -> 08:16.440] I've been asked to ask you whether you cut your nails yet.
[08:17.720 -> 08:19.720] I know exactly who this is coming from.
[08:19.720 -> 08:20.560] Yeah.
[08:21.960 -> 08:23.000] They look cut to me.
[08:24.000 -> 08:25.500] I don't know, they look quite long to me.
[08:25.500 -> 08:27.160] They're a little bit long, yeah.
[08:27.160 -> 08:35.600] So that was like, yeah, it's from Prima, so I'm assuming it's from Angelina.
[08:35.600 -> 08:36.600] She's amazing, by the way.
[08:36.600 -> 08:37.600] Yeah, she is.
[08:37.600 -> 08:40.240] Yeah, she is really, really good.
[08:40.240 -> 08:46.400] But yeah, her, basically my nails grow very fast and I'm also a bit lazy at cutting them.
[08:46.960 -> 08:53.000] So, it wasn't uncommon for me to turn up at a race and just have, you know, these really long nails.
[08:53.000 -> 08:54.000] Edward Scissorhands.
[08:54.000 -> 08:55.000] Yeah, and it got...
[08:55.000 -> 08:55.520] Pretty much.
[08:55.520 -> 08:59.440] And it got to the point where, like, every time I turn up...
[08:59.440 -> 09:00.800] Is that for extra reach on the DRS?
[09:00.800 -> 09:02.400] Yeah, exactly.
[09:03.080 -> 09:03.800] Genius.
[09:03.800 -> 09:04.800] That's what I was waiting for.
[09:04.800 -> 09:05.000] Yeah. on the DRM. Yeah, exactly. Genius. Exactly. That was weird and everything.
[09:05.000 -> 09:10.760] Yeah, so it got to the point where I would go, because I was with Premo for two years,
[09:10.760 -> 09:14.400] Angelina had to deal with me for two years.
[09:14.400 -> 09:18.480] So it was getting to the point where I'd turn up at the track on a Thursday or whenever
[09:18.480 -> 09:24.200] it was, and the first thing that Angelina would do was say, hi, and then just grab my
[09:24.200 -> 09:27.200] hands and look at my nails to see if they were cut or not.
[09:27.200 -> 09:31.400] And by the end of the two years at Prem where I got the gist of things and you know.
[09:31.400 -> 09:31.900] Cut them once.
[09:31.900 -> 09:35.300] I actually like had conscious thoughts on like the Wednesday before the race.
[09:35.600 -> 09:40.100] Because I don't really like the feeling of freshly cut nails.
[09:40.100 -> 09:41.100] I don't know why.
[09:41.400 -> 09:45.400] So whenever the race weekend started I was like, okay, I've got to like I can't cut them now. It's gonna feel weird. It's gonna throw you off. It's gonna feel weird in the gloves and I don't know why so whenever the race weekend started I was like, okay, I've got a I can't cut them now
[09:45.400 -> 09:50.680] I was gonna feel we didn't throw you off. It's gonna feel weird in the gloves and I don't know probably a bit superstitious
[09:50.680 -> 09:54.680] But anyway, so I used to have I used to have like this is how much I got reminded of it
[09:54.680 -> 10:00.480] I used to have conscious thoughts like a Wednesday of like shit. I better cut my nails. Otherwise Angelina's gonna yell at me
[10:01.640 -> 10:03.640] So I had to cut them. But yeah, they're
[10:04.240 -> 10:07.040] Yeah, I mean I haven't had her on my case for my nails
[10:07.040 -> 10:12.320] this year. So, maybe I need her back just for that. What about toenails? Toenails are okay.
[10:12.320 -> 10:16.560] And you don't see them more, hopefully, not too many people. Or reaching the pedals.
[10:18.240 -> 10:22.000] Well, no, because it's a funny story. Some people actually have feet that are too big
[10:22.000 -> 10:27.800] for the chassis. Right. So, I've got a friend who has reasonably big feet.
[10:27.800 -> 10:31.960] I think it was George Russell as well when he debuted for Mercedes.
[10:31.960 -> 10:33.800] He was the first person that came to my mind.
[10:33.800 -> 10:39.280] Yeah, he has to wear a shoe size smaller because the tops of his feet were hitting the top
[10:39.280 -> 10:40.280] of the tub.
[10:40.280 -> 10:41.280] Wow.
[10:41.280 -> 10:42.280] What size are your feet?
[10:42.280 -> 10:43.280] I think like nine or something like that.
[10:43.280 -> 10:44.280] Oh, that's right.
[10:44.280 -> 10:46.400] Oh, we'll be fine then. Yeah. Just practice them for when we're done. Wow. What size are your feet? I think like nine or something like that.
[10:46.400 -> 10:46.900] Oh, that's all right.
[10:46.900 -> 10:47.700] Oh, we'll be fine then.
[10:47.700 -> 10:48.200] Yeah.
[10:48.200 -> 10:49.600] Just practicing for when we're done.
[10:49.600 -> 10:50.100] Yeah.
[10:50.100 -> 10:53.600] So, it's like, I think if you're like more than 11 or 12,
[10:53.600 -> 10:56.300] then you're in a bit of trouble.
[10:57.300 -> 10:59.700] So, yeah, having long toenails is not good.
[10:59.700 -> 11:03.900] Also puts holes in the Nomex socks, which I mean, the fact
[11:03.900 -> 11:05.880] that I know that probably says a lot.
[11:05.880 -> 11:09.960] But yeah, having long toenails is not good.
[11:09.960 -> 11:11.240] Also more weight.
[11:11.240 -> 11:12.160] More weight, yeah.
[11:12.160 -> 11:13.000] More downforce.
[11:13.000 -> 11:13.820] What were you even talking about?
[11:13.820 -> 11:14.660] I don't know.
[11:14.660 -> 11:17.160] Let's get off toenails as quick as we can.
[11:17.160 -> 11:19.880] But yeah, what was, the Prema team seem amazing.
[11:19.880 -> 11:20.720] Yeah.
[11:20.720 -> 11:21.540] We met Robert, which is cool.
[11:21.540 -> 11:23.320] You raced with Robert, he was hilarious.
[11:23.320 -> 11:24.160] And we've seen all the videos.
[11:24.160 -> 11:27.960] Oh, Robert is so funny. Yeah, Yeah, that was really, really good.
[11:27.960 -> 11:30.280] Like the two years I spent with Premo were,
[11:30.280 -> 11:33.080] I mean, okay, it was a really successful two years as well.
[11:33.080 -> 11:35.000] But, you know, even apart from the success,
[11:35.000 -> 11:36.640] it was an awesome two years.
[11:36.640 -> 11:40.720] Like just the atmosphere and the team was amazing.
[11:40.720 -> 11:43.080] And, you know, I had the, obviously the people
[11:43.080 -> 11:44.960] in the F3 team and the people in the F2 team,
[11:44.960 -> 11:45.840] which are different
[11:45.840 -> 11:51.760] staff and they were all firstly super professional and could give me a really fast race car.
[11:51.760 -> 11:52.760] So, that was nice.
[11:52.760 -> 11:53.760] I liked them because of that.
[11:53.760 -> 12:01.960] But also, it was just fun and didn't take things too seriously and it kind of…
[12:01.960 -> 12:06.120] Not that racing before that wasn't fun, but it really reminded you of, you know,
[12:06.120 -> 12:07.440] why you go racing.
[12:07.440 -> 12:10.960] And I think being Italian and being a family run team
[12:10.960 -> 12:14.220] as well helps with, you know, sort of the emotional side
[12:14.220 -> 12:16.080] and the family atmosphere.
[12:16.080 -> 12:18.000] I mean, yeah, I mean, the way they do it clearly works.
[12:18.000 -> 12:18.840] Yeah.
[12:18.840 -> 12:21.480] They're working with young people with crazy lives
[12:21.480 -> 12:23.680] that have, you know, such hard training
[12:23.680 -> 12:25.520] and doing something so intense,
[12:25.520 -> 12:26.720] they have to really look after you.
[12:26.720 -> 12:28.320] And they clearly do an amazing job at that.
[12:28.320 -> 12:32.480] Exactly. And especially like, especially in F2, like,
[12:32.480 -> 12:34.560] you know, I think there's quite a lot of pressure
[12:34.560 -> 12:37.680] on the F2 teams because they're like, you know,
[12:37.680 -> 12:39.600] I've had engineers say it to me before.
[12:39.600 -> 12:40.640] They're like, you know,
[12:40.640 -> 12:42.800] I'm probably as nervous as you driving the car
[12:42.800 -> 12:46.400] because I know if something goes wrong on my end,
[12:46.400 -> 12:47.280] that could be the difference
[12:47.280 -> 12:49.240] between you getting to F1 or not.
[12:49.240 -> 12:50.080] So it's like-
[12:50.080 -> 12:51.320] Wow, when you put it like that.
[12:51.320 -> 12:55.400] So like in F2, especially because the next step is F1,
[12:55.400 -> 12:57.360] like the team is under massive pressure
[12:57.360 -> 12:59.160] because they're like, if something goes wrong,
[12:59.160 -> 13:02.320] like a technical failure or whatever,
[13:02.320 -> 13:04.940] that it can be the difference, unfortunately.
[13:04.940 -> 13:05.000] So there's a lot of pressure, but with Primer, you never felt that, or whatever, it can be the difference, unfortunately.
[13:05.000 -> 13:06.880] So there's a lot of pressure, but with Primer,
[13:06.880 -> 13:09.640] you never felt that,
[13:09.640 -> 13:13.280] and you almost kind of forgot how sort of serious
[13:13.280 -> 13:17.840] this step is, and this is quite literally the year
[13:17.840 -> 13:21.040] or the years that can decide whether I reach F1 or not.
[13:21.040 -> 13:24.480] So the fact that the atmosphere there was able
[13:24.480 -> 13:25.440] to almost
[13:25.440 -> 13:30.920] distract you from that. Yeah. Was, was, you know, helped massively. I think we should
[13:30.920 -> 13:34.760] definitely jump into the, Oh, I'm literally just going to move this mic down a bit. I
[13:34.760 -> 13:40.080] don't want it to be in space. Oh, fair. Is that camera still rolling? Yeah. Let me just
[13:40.080 -> 13:45.840] put a clap in. We're getting into the good shit now.
[13:47.080 -> 13:47.920] Okay. Massively.
[13:47.920 -> 13:49.060] Yeah, have a drink.
[13:53.960 -> 13:54.840] Quick sips.
[13:54.840 -> 13:56.520] Yeah, I'll have a little one as well.
[13:56.520 -> 13:58.760] You've got so many questions on our laptop.
[13:58.760 -> 14:01.260] I'm coming in with, okay.
[14:02.980 -> 14:07.120] I want to just talk about your F2 season a little bit because we've watched the video,
[14:07.120 -> 14:13.040] you know, it's a crazy season, you absolutely smashed it. It was like 13 podiums, 6 wins,
[14:13.040 -> 14:14.040] 5 poles?
[14:14.040 -> 14:16.240] Yeah, I can't remember the podiums but I think it was.
[14:16.240 -> 14:18.240] Okay, well yeah, we'll just say something like that.
[14:18.240 -> 14:19.240] You've memorised that overnight.
[14:19.240 -> 14:21.360] Well no, because I'm getting to a question, Fabs, alright?
[14:21.360 -> 14:22.360] Yeah.
[14:22.360 -> 14:26.640] 5 pole positions in a row, which is crazy as we see in any form of motorsport.
[14:26.640 -> 14:29.200] Not many people can get that many poles in a row.
[14:29.200 -> 14:31.320] I wanted to know whether you get more nervous
[14:31.320 -> 14:33.840] for qualifying or the race.
[14:33.840 -> 14:36.400] Like which one do you think takes the most energy?
[14:38.060 -> 14:40.300] To be honest, I think it depends a little bit
[14:40.300 -> 14:42.640] on like how you're going.
[14:42.640 -> 14:47.120] Like for me going into qualifying, it depends a little bit on like how you're going. Like for me going into qualifying it depends a
[14:47.120 -> 14:50.400] little bit on like how you've gone in practice. Like before I got
[14:50.400 -> 14:54.840] my first pole position in F2, you know, I didn't have any poles in F3 so it was
[14:54.840 -> 14:58.600] kind of like my weaker point I would say.
[14:58.600 -> 15:00.000] You didn't get any poles in F3?
[15:00.000 -> 15:00.500] No I didn't.
[15:00.500 -> 15:01.500] But you still won the championship?
[15:01.500 -> 15:03.000] I didn't qualify in the front row in F3.
[15:03.000 -> 15:03.500] Wow.
[15:03.500 -> 15:06.480] My best qualifying was my first qualifying of the year.
[15:06.480 -> 15:08.960] I qualified third and then I think I had one more third
[15:08.960 -> 15:11.160] after that and then the rest was lower than that.
[15:11.160 -> 15:12.240] Were you with Primo in F3?
[15:12.240 -> 15:13.080] Yeah.
[15:13.080 -> 15:13.920] Okay.
[15:13.920 -> 15:15.080] Yeah, so that, but that wasn't down to me.
[15:15.080 -> 15:16.960] Logan Sargent had three poles in a row.
[15:16.960 -> 15:19.600] So that was just me being a bit average in qualifying
[15:19.600 -> 15:21.180] rather than the car.
[15:21.180 -> 15:30.360] But I think qualifying is, you know, you've got low fuel, you're on the
[15:30.360 -> 15:35.640] softest tyres, you've got one lap to nail it more or two laps to nail it, you know,
[15:35.640 -> 15:40.120] you're pushing absolutely flat out. So in terms of like getting things together
[15:40.120 -> 15:44.720] that's, you know, you know that that's probably the most difficult part of the
[15:44.720 -> 15:45.600] weekend and also
[15:45.600 -> 15:51.120] the most important. Like F2 was a bit strange last year with the format because we had
[15:51.120 -> 15:55.680] two reverse grid races so you could kind of get yourself back in but like F3 for example,
[15:56.400 -> 16:02.480] you know, you start the feature race where you qualify and then it was reverse top 10 I think
[16:02.480 -> 16:05.760] for race two. So you know if you qualified outside the top 10,
[16:05.760 -> 16:09.020] your whole weekend was screwed.
[16:09.020 -> 16:11.060] So qualifying was massively important,
[16:11.060 -> 16:14.920] but then if you qualify well, you go into the race
[16:14.920 -> 16:17.620] and you're like, okay, I'm at the front for a reason
[16:17.620 -> 16:20.840] because I'm fast, but then you're like,
[16:20.840 -> 16:22.640] this is a lot of points that could go down the drain
[16:22.640 -> 16:25.120] if it goes well, and I've got 19 people behind me.
[16:25.120 -> 16:27.160] Whereas if you're starting like a bit further back,
[16:27.160 -> 16:30.440] it's kind of like, okay, you know, well,
[16:30.440 -> 16:32.440] in my case anyway, it was kind of like,
[16:32.440 -> 16:34.240] you know, you should be fast.
[16:34.240 -> 16:37.020] You should be able to make progress through the field.
[16:37.020 -> 16:39.620] So, you know, there's not really much looking back.
[16:39.620 -> 16:41.080] Whereas when you're starting on pole,
[16:41.080 -> 16:44.320] the only way you can look is, well, for, you know,
[16:44.320 -> 16:46.080] for other cars is backwards.
[16:46.080 -> 16:49.440] So you kind of get into that mindset,
[16:49.440 -> 16:53.120] but I think qualifying, especially like in most motorsport,
[16:53.120 -> 16:55.920] but especially junior single seeders and F1,
[16:55.920 -> 16:58.840] like you can change your whole weekend with qualifying.
[16:58.840 -> 17:00.580] So I think probably there.
[17:00.580 -> 17:02.100] Do you think you thrive
[17:02.100 -> 17:03.680] when you're actually racing other people?
[17:03.680 -> 17:05.520] Is that like what you love the most?
[17:05.520 -> 17:11.880] I think for me, like the part I enjoy most about racing is...
[17:11.880 -> 17:12.880] Winning.
[17:12.880 -> 17:21.040] Winning is nice, but like just knowing like that you can put everything together, like
[17:21.040 -> 17:28.960] there's so many elements apart from going fast in motorsport. Like, okay, that's the main one and the one that people see, but you know, like there's
[17:28.960 -> 17:33.240] so many elements that make you fast that, you know, it's not just as simple as jumping
[17:33.240 -> 17:34.240] the car and drive it.
[17:34.240 -> 17:37.680] Like you've got to be able to have a good relationship with your engineer because then
[17:37.680 -> 17:42.400] he can make the car faster for you or she can make the car faster for you.
[17:42.400 -> 17:47.320] You know, all sorts of stuff, the mental side of things, like, you know, being in the right state of mind
[17:47.320 -> 17:48.600] when you jump in the car.
[17:49.560 -> 17:52.160] So I think nailing all of that stuff
[17:52.160 -> 17:53.640] and trying to do the best you can
[17:53.640 -> 17:56.160] is probably the part I enjoy the most
[17:56.160 -> 17:58.360] and also trying to beat other people.
[17:58.360 -> 18:02.200] Like, you know, I enjoy being able to compare myself
[18:02.200 -> 18:04.120] against, you know, other people on track
[18:04.120 -> 18:07.680] and yeah, like I said, try and beat them
[18:07.680 -> 18:10.800] because in testing, when you're testing by yourself,
[18:10.800 -> 18:13.760] it's kind of like, I don't really know if I'm fast,
[18:13.760 -> 18:17.480] if I'm slow, like there's a lot of uncertainty,
[18:17.480 -> 18:20.000] whereas like, especially when it comes to qualifying,
[18:20.000 -> 18:22.160] that's why I think that's why qualifying's
[18:22.160 -> 18:23.760] such a favorite for most drivers.
[18:23.760 -> 18:25.900] It's like balls on the table, you know exactly where you stand and that's why qualifying is such a favorite for most drivers. It's like balls on the table,
[18:25.900 -> 18:28.140] you know exactly where you stand and that's it.
[18:28.140 -> 18:29.900] All the, you know, I think the saying,
[18:29.900 -> 18:31.940] when the green flag drops, the bullshit stops.
[18:31.940 -> 18:32.780] I think that's-
[18:32.780 -> 18:33.600] Yeah.
[18:33.600 -> 18:34.440] Nice, nice.
[18:34.440 -> 18:35.280] We'll start using that.
[18:35.280 -> 18:36.100] Yeah.
[18:36.100 -> 18:39.660] I think that's where it really comes into play
[18:39.660 -> 18:40.740] in qualifying.
[18:40.740 -> 18:41.580] Yeah.
[18:41.580 -> 18:43.540] It's interesting what you said about the technical side
[18:43.540 -> 18:47.680] of it, because I read online that, I think you said, if someone asked you, if you weren't going to be an F1 driver or a racer or anything You probably would have gone to uni to study engineering
[18:47.680 -> 18:52.440] Yeah, so is the technical side of the car something really important to you because there's been a lot of drivers
[18:52.440 -> 18:56.040] I think it was did mark precinct say Kimi Raikkonen. He didn't care. Did he?
[18:56.040 -> 18:58.040] Kimi didn't care. Kimi wasn't really interested
[18:58.040 -> 19:02.480] I can't imagine that but then it was like I don't know if it was Fernando or someone else or Lewis was like really
[19:02.480 -> 19:05.380] Interested in how the car actually works imagine that. But then it was like,
[19:05.380 -> 19:07.000] I don't know if it was Fernando or someone else
[19:07.000 -> 19:08.740] or Lewis was like really interested
[19:08.740 -> 19:09.960] in how the car actually works.
[19:09.960 -> 19:11.360] So is that important to you?
[19:12.800 -> 19:13.640] Yes and no.
[19:13.640 -> 19:18.020] And I think that's something that I've kind of experienced,
[19:18.020 -> 19:21.340] like learned throughout my career so far
[19:21.340 -> 19:23.960] is that it's important to know what's going on
[19:23.960 -> 19:26.720] but not try and become the engineer yourself.
[19:27.240 -> 19:31.640] And that was something I'd learned sort of along the way and not overthink it
[19:31.680 -> 19:34.400] again. So knowing,
[19:34.400 -> 19:38.400] I think the most important thing is knowing what you need from the car
[19:39.720 -> 19:43.080] and being able to tell your engineer that, and then, you know,
[19:43.080 -> 19:45.080] he can get into all the technical details
[19:45.080 -> 19:48.240] of what to change on the car.
[19:48.240 -> 19:49.080] But-
[19:49.080 -> 19:50.040] I think it's changed a lot now, right?
[19:50.040 -> 19:52.000] Like back in the day, old fashioned wise,
[19:52.000 -> 19:53.480] like the drivers would have been a lot more
[19:53.480 -> 19:55.760] like maybe doing things in the car or saying,
[19:55.760 -> 19:58.240] but these people, like the teams you're working with,
[19:58.240 -> 19:59.800] they're gonna know more than you about the car.
[19:59.800 -> 20:00.640] Like that's their job.
[20:00.640 -> 20:01.480] Yeah, exactly.
[20:01.480 -> 20:02.300] You know what I mean?
[20:02.300 -> 20:03.640] You need to rely on them.
[20:03.640 -> 20:05.240] And you need to be able to tell them
[20:05.240 -> 20:07.840] you want that to change and know that they can do it.
[20:07.840 -> 20:10.000] You have to kind of separate both, I guess.
[20:10.000 -> 20:11.800] Yeah, and I think, you know, knowing,
[20:13.600 -> 20:16.360] you know, like say you've got an understeering car,
[20:16.360 -> 20:18.560] or like all you really need to be able to say,
[20:18.560 -> 20:21.760] in my opinion, is that the car is understeering.
[20:21.760 -> 20:24.960] It's understeering in this part of the corner or whatever.
[20:24.960 -> 20:27.840] I need more front grip or more oversteer
[20:27.840 -> 20:29.840] I don't need to be able to tell the engineer
[20:29.840 -> 20:31.840] change the camber by...
[20:31.840 -> 20:32.720] Take that screw off!
[20:32.720 -> 20:34.720] No, I picture you grabbing a spanner and be like, get out of there!
[20:34.720 -> 20:37.760] Exactly, I don't need to come in and say
[20:37.760 -> 20:40.880] I think we need an extra hole of front wing
[20:40.880 -> 20:45.000] a stiffer rear anti-roll bar, half a degree.
[20:45.120 -> 20:46.600] Like, I don't need to be able to say that.
[20:46.600 -> 20:48.360] And I'm like, it's just going to get confusing
[20:48.360 -> 20:50.680] if I start suggesting those ideas.
[20:50.680 -> 20:53.400] And ultimately that's what the engineer's job is.
[20:53.400 -> 20:55.900] So, I don't want to sort of take away
[20:55.900 -> 20:57.320] from what his job is supposed to be.
[20:57.320 -> 21:00.440] So, I think there's varying levels.
[21:00.440 -> 21:04.080] I think some people have more or less interest
[21:04.080 -> 21:05.080] in the technical side of thing. less interest in the technical side of things.
[21:05.080 -> 21:12.920] I like knowing the technical side of things just so I can at least have some kind of understanding
[21:12.920 -> 21:14.800] of what's going on.
[21:14.800 -> 21:20.000] And I mean in F1, a lot of it's just numbers and looking at graphs and all sorts of stuff.
[21:20.000 -> 21:27.800] So, having an understanding of what's going on I think is important, but you don't need to understand it to the point where,
[21:27.800 -> 21:29.180] you need to start calling the shots
[21:29.180 -> 21:30.320] because that's the engineer's job.
[21:30.320 -> 21:32.840] And especially in F1, you've got like not one engineer,
[21:32.840 -> 21:34.880] you've got like 10 at the track
[21:34.880 -> 21:37.240] and then you've got like another 10 back at the factory
[21:37.240 -> 21:38.080] doing that for you.
[21:38.080 -> 21:38.920] Yeah.
[21:38.920 -> 21:40.160] I'm loving hearing him talk about F1.
[21:40.160 -> 21:41.600] Knowing that in five months,
[21:41.600 -> 21:43.200] literally it's around five months, isn't it?
[21:43.200 -> 21:44.800] You're gonna be stepping onto that grid.
[21:44.800 -> 21:45.640] Let's just get stuck into this one.
[21:45.640 -> 21:47.760] Yeah, we've done all of the journey, man,
[21:47.760 -> 21:49.400] but congratulations.
[21:49.400 -> 21:52.000] Like, me and Fab were talking about it last night
[21:52.000 -> 21:54.760] and like, realistically, that is the goal, isn't it?
[21:54.760 -> 21:56.320] Like being one of the 20.
[21:56.320 -> 21:59.600] And now you know in five months time,
[21:59.600 -> 22:01.060] you're going to be there.
[22:01.060 -> 22:02.800] How are you feeling right now?
[22:02.800 -> 22:03.920] How has your life changed?
[22:03.920 -> 22:04.860] What are you doing?
[22:04.800 -> 22:14.200] be there. How are you feeling right now? How has your life changed? What are you doing? It's changed in a few ways. It's obviously been an interesting year this year with how
[22:14.200 -> 22:20.000] things have played out, but I'm really excited to be on the grid. And like you said, I think
[22:20.000 -> 22:28.240] for me, it wasn't really a goal to reach F1, it was more of a dream to reach F1. It was more kind of when I got to the back end of F2 where I was like, okay
[22:28.240 -> 22:32.520] this dream is not such a dream anymore. It's you know, I can actually, there's a
[22:32.520 -> 22:36.880] chance I can do this. Mate, it's actually giving me goosebumps. So, knowing that
[22:36.880 -> 22:41.560] that's happening in in five months or you know like you said is really, really
[22:41.560 -> 22:46.240] cool and you know I think it's to know that I'm one of 20 drivers
[22:46.240 -> 22:48.380] in the world that does this as a job.
[22:48.380 -> 22:51.960] And I say job, pretty loosely
[22:51.960 -> 22:52.800] because I've been driving it for a while
[22:52.800 -> 22:55.300] and it's not a job, it's fucking awesome.
[22:56.640 -> 22:59.560] So yeah, it's amazing.
[22:59.560 -> 23:01.000] And I'm really looking forward to it
[23:01.000 -> 23:04.040] and getting stuck into racing again.
[23:04.040 -> 23:06.920] I wanted to know if you had like a bit of a game plan
[23:06.920 -> 23:09.040] for your first year, like without giving anything away,
[23:09.040 -> 23:11.740] because I thought about it, I put myself in your shoes
[23:11.740 -> 23:13.720] and I thought, if that was me as my rookie year,
[23:13.720 -> 23:16.120] I'm stepping into F1, it's huge.
[23:16.120 -> 23:17.600] I would just play it safe.
[23:17.600 -> 23:19.320] I'd be like, look, I'm not going for no overtakes
[23:19.320 -> 23:21.960] as long as I can maintain track position and I don't crash.
[23:21.960 -> 23:24.720] We were basically comparing what we would do if we were you.
[23:24.720 -> 23:28.160] Yeah, but like you've had this streak of like winning in your rookie year.
[23:28.160 -> 23:30.400] So are you going to try and go for that?
[23:30.400 -> 23:31.760] Like in your first year?
[23:31.760 -> 23:36.720] Well, I think, you know, being with McLaren, I mean, I hope we've got a strong car next year,
[23:36.720 -> 23:42.080] but you know, realistically, we're probably not going to have a car that can fight for wins.
[23:42.080 -> 23:43.760] Yeah, I hope that's not the case.
[23:43.760 -> 23:44.560] I hope we can, but...
[23:45.440 -> 23:48.160] Maybe they're just waiting for that star driver, you know?
[23:48.160 -> 23:49.000] We'll wait and see.
[23:49.000 -> 23:51.840] There's not many people that have the credentials you do.
[23:51.840 -> 23:52.680] It's true.
[23:52.680 -> 23:53.500] Win, win, win.
[23:53.500 -> 23:55.160] That's the thing, you deserve to be here.
[23:55.160 -> 23:57.520] Like out of so many people,
[23:57.520 -> 23:59.920] your position on the F1 grid is so valid.
[23:59.920 -> 24:00.760] I'd hire you.
[24:00.760 -> 24:01.600] Thank you.
[24:01.600 -> 24:02.760] Yeah, you could drive for Pitstop.
[24:02.760 -> 24:05.200] You know, our F14 comes out. Do you play the F1 game? Yeah, thank you. Yeah, you could drive for Pitstop. You know, our F14 comes out.
[24:05.200 -> 24:07.400] Do you play the F1 game?
[24:07.400 -> 24:08.240] Yeah, we do.
[24:08.240 -> 24:10.280] Am I in your my team in the F1 game?
[24:10.280 -> 24:11.120] Pardon?
[24:11.120 -> 24:12.320] Am I in your my team in the F14?
[24:12.320 -> 24:13.160] Oh, we haven't got that far.
[24:13.160 -> 24:13.980] I haven't got my team.
[24:13.980 -> 24:14.920] You haven't got that far.
[24:14.920 -> 24:16.720] No, we just do split screen with the controller on.
[24:16.720 -> 24:17.560] Oh, okay.
[24:17.560 -> 24:19.040] You've seen the two seasons in there, yeah?
[24:19.040 -> 24:20.360] We play split screen in here.
[24:20.360 -> 24:21.200] Okay, okay.
[24:21.200 -> 24:23.360] I was gonna have a go at you,
[24:23.360 -> 24:25.440] cause you know, do you know what my no idea
[24:25.520 -> 24:27.520] So there's like career mode
[24:27.640 -> 24:33.040] But you can make like you can make your own team in career mode and you can hire me as a driver
[24:33.040 -> 24:35.720] So I was gonna I was gonna fact-check you on
[24:39.680 -> 24:41.680] So anyway
[24:41.800 -> 24:45.000] But yeah, no, it's, it's been really cool.
[24:45.000 -> 24:46.840] I think, you know, the journey's been good.
[24:46.840 -> 24:49.240] So thank you for your nice words.
[24:50.520 -> 24:53.780] But yeah, I think by the game plan for next year,
[24:55.000 -> 24:58.240] you know, I think obviously it's gonna be a massive,
[24:58.240 -> 25:01.000] massive challenge and I'm not underestimating that at all.
[25:01.000 -> 25:04.600] It's gonna be a big jump to F1 and, you know,
[25:04.600 -> 25:07.240] Lando's obviously gonna be a strong teammate as well.
[25:07.240 -> 25:09.880] And I'm looking forward to trying to learn from him
[25:09.880 -> 25:10.840] as much as I can.
[25:11.960 -> 25:16.320] And also, I think coming from a year out of racing,
[25:16.320 -> 25:18.120] it's probably going to take a couple of races
[25:18.120 -> 25:21.000] to get back into that, or I hope not,
[25:21.000 -> 25:23.840] hopefully it takes a couple of laps to get back into that.
[25:23.840 -> 25:26.000] First lap, absolutely, set a track record.
[25:26.000 -> 25:30.400] We're going to be sat here at home on this sofa every time you're out there with the biggest fans.
[25:30.400 -> 25:33.800] We're unbiased, right? We can't be biased with the job that we do.
[25:33.800 -> 25:36.000] We support everyone, but you're going to be our guide.
[25:36.000 -> 25:37.800] Yeah, the fact you've come here, we're going to go mad.
[25:37.800 -> 25:39.000] Thank you. Thank you.
[25:39.000 -> 25:41.000] We have a big poster of you on the wall.
[25:41.000 -> 25:44.000] However, we want to go to a lot of the races next year.
[25:44.000 -> 25:46.000] We'll probably be at quite a lot of them.
[25:46.000 -> 25:48.000] We'll probably be on your private jet as well.
[25:48.000 -> 25:50.000] On your private jet?
[25:50.000 -> 25:52.000] We've got to ask, haven't we?
[25:52.000 -> 25:54.000] Can we?
[25:54.000 -> 25:56.000] You think of that, mate? We'll see.
[25:56.000 -> 25:58.000] That's the best way to answer that.
[25:58.000 -> 26:00.000] Yeah, it's flying around five months away.
[26:00.000 -> 26:02.000] I wanted to know, have you watched
[26:02.000 -> 26:04.000] Drive Survive?
[26:04.000 -> 26:06.600] I've watched a little bit of it.
[26:06.600 -> 26:08.960] I think I watched the first season of it,
[26:08.960 -> 26:11.600] but I haven't really actually watched,
[26:11.600 -> 26:14.240] I spent the last season, I didn't really watch that much.
[26:14.240 -> 26:16.480] Fair, I just wondered like how,
[26:16.480 -> 26:18.080] cause at F2 we were watching it
[26:18.080 -> 26:20.660] and obviously it's getting a bigger following now
[26:20.660 -> 26:22.600] and F2 is amazing by the way, I love it.
[26:22.600 -> 26:24.820] Like I wish they did more to make it bigger
[26:24.820 -> 26:26.800] because some of the races in that are just as good
[26:26.800 -> 26:27.640] if not better.
[26:27.640 -> 26:28.720] There's that new YouTube series about it.
[26:28.720 -> 26:30.640] Yeah, there is, that's cool.
[26:30.640 -> 26:32.880] And like, but obviously there's a smaller crowd at F2,
[26:32.880 -> 26:34.760] there's smaller media coverage.
[26:34.760 -> 26:37.840] How are you adjusting now or like getting ready
[26:37.840 -> 26:39.840] for the fact that, you know, from race day one,
[26:39.840 -> 26:41.840] realistically, the drive survive cameras
[26:41.840 -> 26:43.240] are going to be all over you.
[26:43.240 -> 26:45.120] They are, like, it's going to be one of the
[26:49.760 -> 26:52.480] One of the biggest stories you're going to be sat there in that black room going. Yeah, I'm Oscar piastri And I drive from a car and like you know, I mean, how do you I guess is it?
[26:53.640 -> 26:57.720] Yeah, I assume I would you know, I think drive to survive has been a
[26:58.520 -> 27:04.320] Massive success story for f1 and has brought in so many new fans so much more attention to the sport
[27:04.320 -> 27:06.020] I think it's I and it's brought in so many new fans, so much more attention to the sport. I think it's great.
[27:06.020 -> 27:08.660] So I think I will be in drive to survive
[27:08.660 -> 27:10.340] unless other people say otherwise,
[27:10.340 -> 27:12.860] but I'm looking forward to it.
[27:12.860 -> 27:14.760] Even this year, there's been,
[27:15.620 -> 27:17.540] that was sort of,
[27:17.540 -> 27:19.860] knowing that I wasn't gonna be racing this year,
[27:19.860 -> 27:21.560] that was one of my, I guess,
[27:21.560 -> 27:24.220] kind of things I wanted to experience and get used to
[27:24.220 -> 27:28.320] was like the media side of things and how busy that side of things is.
[27:28.320 -> 27:35.280] So, like when I went to Australia, for example, you know, like that was crazy for the Grand
[27:35.280 -> 27:36.280] Prix there.
[27:36.280 -> 27:40.080] Like, and I wasn't even racing, like, you know, I think one of the days it took me,
[27:40.080 -> 27:48.000] so in the Melbourne Grand Prix, they have a, it's called the Melbourne Walk where all the fans stand. And it's basically the walkway from the car park
[27:48.000 -> 27:50.280] to the paddock entrance.
[27:50.280 -> 27:52.920] I think one of the mornings it took me like 40 minutes.
[27:52.920 -> 27:55.860] And it's like 200 meters long or not even.
[27:55.860 -> 27:58.240] Mate, imagine your home race next year.
[27:58.240 -> 27:59.080] I know.
[27:59.080 -> 28:01.960] So that was like, that was crazy last year
[28:01.960 -> 28:04.080] and just getting used to all of that stuff.
[28:04.080 -> 28:06.400] Like that's sort of been something we've actively tried
[28:06.400 -> 28:09.040] to get used to this year.
[28:09.040 -> 28:11.880] And, you know, because obviously I can't take anything
[28:11.880 -> 28:14.400] from on track because I'm not on track.
[28:14.400 -> 28:16.480] Well, I can listen to Fernando and Estabened
[28:16.480 -> 28:18.520] but that's sort of the extent of what I can do.
[28:18.520 -> 28:21.480] That was the main question that I had for you
[28:21.480 -> 28:22.840] not to put too much pressure on you
[28:22.840 -> 28:24.800] but I'm sure that you know already,
[28:24.800 -> 28:26.760] you've got a big following already,
[28:26.760 -> 28:28.720] but stepping into F1,
[28:28.720 -> 28:31.480] it's like the world stage for motorsport.
[28:31.480 -> 28:32.920] You're going to be a celebrity.
[28:32.920 -> 28:34.280] Like you already are,
[28:34.280 -> 28:37.240] but like you're going to be top tier man.
[28:37.240 -> 28:38.840] Like we've Drive and Survive, everything else.
[28:38.840 -> 28:40.880] These guys are like mega celebs now.
[28:40.880 -> 28:43.880] And like, you're literally about to start that journey
[28:43.880 -> 28:44.720] of your life.
[28:44.720 -> 28:46.240] How does that feel? Like, do you ever think about it or do you just literally about to start that journey of your life. How does that feel?
[28:46.240 -> 28:47.360] Like, do you ever think about it
[28:47.360 -> 28:49.260] or do you just think about the racing?
[28:50.520 -> 28:52.320] I haven't thought about it that much,
[28:52.320 -> 28:54.280] but I think like I was saying,
[28:54.280 -> 28:55.120] since I've been announced,
[28:55.120 -> 28:57.600] I haven't really done that much.
[28:57.600 -> 28:58.440] I haven't been to any races.
[28:58.440 -> 29:00.680] I haven't really experienced it in person maybe as much.
[29:00.680 -> 29:03.000] So it's a little bit,
[29:04.360 -> 29:05.000] a bit of an unknown at the moment,
[29:06.320 -> 29:09.800] but yeah, I would imagine it's gonna be pretty nuts.
[29:09.800 -> 29:12.640] Like, you know, have a few people here and there
[29:12.640 -> 29:14.640] like recognize me in the street
[29:14.640 -> 29:16.960] or at the shopping center or whatever.
[29:16.960 -> 29:18.900] So I've got a little bit already,
[29:19.980 -> 29:22.320] but I think, yeah, next year it's probably gonna be
[29:22.320 -> 29:23.840] another level on top of that,
[29:23.840 -> 29:27.080] which I'm sure will be cool in some scenarios
[29:27.080 -> 29:29.920] and probably a little bit more annoying at some point.
[29:29.920 -> 29:32.280] But at the end of the day,
[29:32.280 -> 29:35.960] like the fans are what really allows us to go racing.
[29:35.960 -> 29:37.960] You know, if none of the fans turned up for the races,
[29:37.960 -> 29:40.640] then there wouldn't be any motorsport,
[29:40.640 -> 29:42.600] there wouldn't be any sport in general.
[29:42.600 -> 29:45.040] So, I think you've got to be very
[29:45.040 -> 29:51.200] grateful to all the fans and, you know, at the end of the day it's a sport but it's also an
[29:51.200 -> 29:55.840] entertainment business as well. So, you know, where, you know, okay F1's a lot of things,
[29:55.840 -> 30:00.000] it's a sport, it's an entertainment business, it's an actual, you know, business for the
[30:00.000 -> 30:07.260] manufacturers as well. So, it's all sorts of stuff but, you know, I think the show is something that Netflix
[30:07.260 -> 30:09.760] and Drive to Survive has really enhanced.
[30:09.760 -> 30:11.980] And I think it's brought in a lot more attention,
[30:11.980 -> 30:12.980] which has been good.
[30:13.820 -> 30:16.800] Have you thought about, we know you have your helmet
[30:16.800 -> 30:19.160] and it's like red, yellow, and blue.
[30:19.160 -> 30:20.680] And there's like a story behind that in it
[30:20.680 -> 30:22.120] where it was just something.
[30:22.120 -> 30:23.800] How did you get that helmet?
[30:23.800 -> 30:28.820] So the, basically I had a white helmet in karting
[30:30.200 -> 30:34.040] and I was planning on getting a painted one at some point
[30:35.120 -> 30:37.160] and was like starting to design it and stuff.
[30:37.160 -> 30:39.560] And then I had a crash where I flipped over
[30:39.560 -> 30:41.920] and basically destroyed that helmet.
[30:41.920 -> 30:43.200] So I needed it.
[30:43.200 -> 30:44.200] I haven't seen that.
[30:44.200 -> 30:47.320] Yeah, I don't know if the videos on YouTube.
[30:47.320 -> 30:48.240] This is in karting, right?
[30:48.240 -> 30:49.880] Yeah, in karting.
[30:49.880 -> 30:53.600] So this was ages ago, this was I think 2014,
[30:53.600 -> 30:55.360] this was or 2013 maybe.
[30:56.640 -> 30:57.960] That was quite early on.
[30:57.960 -> 30:59.800] But basically I was racing the next weekend
[30:59.800 -> 31:01.520] and needed a helmet.
[31:01.520 -> 31:04.220] And I think basically one of the helmet painters
[31:04.220 -> 31:05.800] was importing like
[31:05.800 -> 31:10.720] pre-painted helmets, like really good quality ones to Australia.
[31:10.720 -> 31:15.160] So I basically just picked one off the shelf which was red and blue.
[31:15.160 -> 31:19.360] And then I think the karting team I raced for in Europe had their main colors were like
[31:19.360 -> 31:22.100] blue, fluoro yellow and white.
[31:22.100 -> 31:26.440] So I put some fluoro yellow on there and then I went to F4 with the yellow
[31:26.440 -> 31:28.400] and everyone was kind of like, well,
[31:28.400 -> 31:30.000] the first thing we see on your helmet is the yellow.
[31:30.000 -> 31:32.640] So that's kind of your thing now.
[31:32.640 -> 31:34.720] Obviously a little bit awkward with Lando next year
[31:34.720 -> 31:36.560] because his helmet is very yellow.
[31:36.560 -> 31:37.560] So it's-
[31:37.560 -> 31:38.680] Are you going to use the same helmet then
[31:38.680 -> 31:41.480] or have you planned a new one for next year?
[31:41.480 -> 31:43.360] It's in the works at the moment.
[31:43.360 -> 31:45.600] Like, I mean, there will be some yellow on there still.
[31:46.360 -> 31:50.760] I mean, I think it'll be pretty similar to what I've used in the past, the same sort of three colours.
[31:50.760 -> 31:58.120] Yeah. But yeah, so going back to the story, I crashed, got up and then bought one off the shelf that was red and blue.
[31:58.120 -> 32:00.200] And then it kind of just stuck.
[32:00.200 -> 32:01.560] Just stuck. So, yeah.
[32:02.040 -> 32:03.680] Are you looking forward to racing with Lando?
[32:03.840 -> 32:04.840] Yeah, I am.
[32:04.840 -> 32:06.240] You know, he seems like such a cool guy.
[32:06.240 -> 32:07.160] That's what I wanted to know.
[32:07.160 -> 32:08.560] We love Lando because he's like,
[32:08.560 -> 32:10.080] seems so in like the world we're in,
[32:10.080 -> 32:11.960] like the media world and he has Quadrant
[32:11.960 -> 32:13.400] and he does so much cool stuff.
[32:13.400 -> 32:15.000] And there's only one year gap between you guys,
[32:15.000 -> 32:15.840] which is nuts.
[32:15.840 -> 32:17.200] He's only a year older than you, right?
[32:17.200 -> 32:19.920] Yeah, I think it might be,
[32:19.920 -> 32:21.520] I think it's maybe a little bit more.
[32:21.520 -> 32:22.520] Are you 20, you're 21?
[32:22.520 -> 32:23.360] 21, yeah.
[32:23.360 -> 32:25.160] I think he's 99. Wikipedia says 22 for him, but I guess it's maybe a little bit more. Are you 20, you're 21? 21, yeah. I think he's 99.
[32:25.160 -> 32:26.760] Wikipedia says 22 for him,
[32:26.760 -> 32:28.720] but I guess it's his birthday coming up.
[32:28.720 -> 32:30.120] Yeah, I don't know.
[32:30.120 -> 32:32.840] But anyway, there's not that far between us,
[32:32.840 -> 32:35.400] which is a bit weird when he's going to be entering,
[32:35.400 -> 32:37.000] I think it's his fifth year of F1.
[32:37.000 -> 32:37.840] That's crazy.
[32:37.840 -> 32:40.820] Is that because he could start younger when he did it?
[32:41.960 -> 32:43.880] Because isn't there like an age thing now?
[32:43.880 -> 32:47.040] There is, but I think that already applied when he did it.
[32:47.040 -> 32:51.440] So like my birthday is a little bit unfortunate
[32:51.440 -> 32:53.320] that like, I think, well,
[32:53.320 -> 32:54.960] it depends on how you want to do it really.
[32:54.960 -> 32:57.200] Like it depends how early you want to come out of go-karts.
[32:57.200 -> 32:59.400] Like I think Lando came out of go-karts
[32:59.400 -> 33:01.680] basically as early as he could into F4.
[33:02.600 -> 33:05.000] Whereas for me, I think we waited another year.
[33:05.000 -> 33:11.000] My birthday was like, it was like the day after the first F4 race or something.
[33:11.000 -> 33:13.000] So we had to wait to the next year.
[33:13.000 -> 33:14.000] Oh, got you.
[33:14.000 -> 33:18.000] And then I also did an extra year of Formula Renault compared to Lando
[33:18.000 -> 33:20.000] and then obviously took the year out this year.
[33:20.000 -> 33:23.000] So there's been a couple of extra years in there for me.
[33:26.320 -> 33:27.040] But yeah, I'm looking forward to
[33:31.760 -> 33:38.080] spending time with him and racing with him. Obviously, I think he's an extremely fast guy, probably one of the quickest on the grid. So it's going to be a challenge to beat him,
[33:38.080 -> 33:43.440] but I think it's going to be a good challenge and I think there's going to be a lot to learn.
[33:43.440 -> 33:46.000] So I'm looking forward to it. I think it's super exciting
[33:46.000 -> 33:47.640] because the main thing that I've learned, right?
[33:47.640 -> 33:48.680] I don't learn a lot of stuff
[33:48.680 -> 33:50.960] from watching football with you, I must admit.
[33:50.960 -> 33:52.080] He tries to watch football with me
[33:52.080 -> 33:53.120] and he asks a thousand questions.
[33:53.120 -> 33:54.080] The one thing I have learned.
[33:54.080 -> 33:55.760] You call everyone Ronaldinho.
[33:55.760 -> 33:57.680] No, I just love Ronaldinho.
[33:57.680 -> 33:59.120] He's been watching, he supports Arsenal.
[33:59.120 -> 34:00.760] He's been watching the Arsenal documentary
[34:00.760 -> 34:02.200] that's on Amazon, I think.
[34:02.200 -> 34:04.340] And the thing that you've said to me the most
[34:04.340 -> 34:07.600] is that Arteta has made a team full of youngsters.
[34:07.600 -> 34:08.640] They're all really young.
[34:08.640 -> 34:09.800] You have to put trust in youth.
[34:09.800 -> 34:11.120] And that's why their team is so good.
[34:11.120 -> 34:12.080] They're hungrier.
[34:12.080 -> 34:14.040] So this is why it's so exciting that someone
[34:14.040 -> 34:15.840] is like you and Lando together.
[34:15.840 -> 34:17.960] You haven't got the old guy who's like,
[34:17.960 -> 34:19.720] he can, I mean, obviously Lando has been racing
[34:19.720 -> 34:21.800] for a long time, but you haven't got the Fernando Alonso
[34:21.800 -> 34:22.640] or the Kimi Räikkönen.
[34:22.640 -> 34:24.080] You've got two young, hungry people.
[34:24.080 -> 34:25.800] Yeah, which I think is a recipe
[34:25.800 -> 34:28.280] for either success or disaster,
[34:28.280 -> 34:30.800] depends on if you guys are following each other or not.
[34:30.800 -> 34:32.360] Yeah, no, agreed.
[34:32.360 -> 34:34.400] And I think, you know, I think for me,
[34:34.400 -> 34:38.880] that's, you know, been a massive draw card of McLaren was,
[34:38.880 -> 34:40.640] you know, they really, really wanted me.
[34:40.640 -> 34:42.040] They wanted to invest in youth.
[34:42.040 -> 34:45.960] You know, they've shown that through their previous years
[34:45.960 -> 34:48.920] with, you know, people like Lando, like Lewis.
[34:48.920 -> 34:51.520] So, you know, I think it's sort of been
[34:51.520 -> 34:54.120] in the team's spirit and mentality,
[34:55.080 -> 34:58.840] but yeah, I think it's nice to have, you know,
[34:58.840 -> 35:01.800] two young guys in there that can hopefully
[35:01.800 -> 35:04.200] build the future and move forward with McLaren.
[35:04.200 -> 35:06.400] You know, obviously Lando's already got quite a bit
[35:06.400 -> 35:09.060] of experience under his belt.
[35:09.060 -> 35:10.840] So whilst we're similar in age, you know,
[35:10.840 -> 35:12.460] our experience levels are actually
[35:12.460 -> 35:14.320] going to be pretty different, I would say.
[35:14.320 -> 35:19.320] But yeah, I think it's an exciting prospect moving forward.
[35:19.440 -> 35:20.280] Do you play golf?
[35:21.360 -> 35:22.360] No, not yet.
[35:22.360 -> 35:23.200] I've-
[35:23.200 -> 35:24.020] You're going to learn, just say,
[35:24.020 -> 35:25.320] you're in Lando and get out. Yeah, I know. I've... You're going to learn just so. You're in London, get out there.
[35:25.320 -> 35:26.320] Yeah, I know.
[35:26.320 -> 35:27.320] You play cricket?
[35:27.320 -> 35:31.320] Yeah, I attempt to play cricket.
[35:31.320 -> 35:32.320] I don't anymore.
[35:32.320 -> 35:33.320] I used to.
[35:33.320 -> 35:34.320] Did you play in school and that?
[35:34.320 -> 35:35.320] Yeah, I was okay.
[35:35.320 -> 35:39.400] I played one game in the firsts at boarding school.
[35:39.400 -> 35:40.400] So like in the...
[35:40.400 -> 35:41.640] Oh, so the best team.
[35:41.640 -> 35:44.600] The best team, but that was kind of...
[35:44.600 -> 35:45.360] May have just been
[35:45.360 -> 35:47.640] because everyone else was doing their exams
[35:47.640 -> 35:48.480] in the year above.
[35:48.480 -> 35:50.760] And I kind of just got a pity spot in the team,
[35:50.760 -> 35:51.800] but that's okay.
[35:51.800 -> 35:52.720] I was okay.
[35:52.720 -> 35:53.720] I wasn't anything special,
[35:53.720 -> 35:55.520] but I haven't played since I left school
[35:55.520 -> 35:58.440] because I really just don't have the time anymore.
[35:58.440 -> 35:59.280] But yeah, I like my sports.
[35:59.280 -> 36:00.480] What do your friends think?
[36:00.480 -> 36:02.680] And like people from boarding school and like, you know,
[36:02.680 -> 36:04.440] when this announcement comes out, you know,
[36:04.440 -> 36:05.760] Oscar's racing for McLaren next year
[36:05.760 -> 36:10.400] You're on the grid. Yeah, kind of texts are on your phone. Like are people ringing you going crazy?
[36:10.400 -> 36:16.960] I must be so jealous. Yeah, I think when it first came out like yeah, the attention was was pretty nuts
[36:16.960 -> 36:20.760] You know just getting text messages everywhere and phone calls and stuff
[36:21.360 -> 36:25.880] I've still got a group chat with like all the boys from boarding school that I was with.
[36:25.880 -> 36:28.000] So they were, you know,
[36:28.000 -> 36:29.920] so we still talk every now and again.
[36:29.920 -> 36:31.680] Are they the ones that set off the fire alarm
[36:31.680 -> 36:32.520] or is that you?
[36:34.120 -> 36:35.280] No, that was not me.
[36:39.640 -> 36:40.600] Did I know what was happening?
[36:40.600 -> 36:42.520] Maybe, but that's another story.
[36:42.520 -> 36:43.360] We've all been there.
[36:43.360 -> 36:44.480] Yeah.
[36:44.480 -> 36:46.520] So yeah, you know, they were all really supportive. They all said, Yeah. So yeah, you know, they, they were all really supportive.
[36:46.520 -> 36:47.460] They all said, well done.
[36:47.460 -> 36:49.500] And you know, they're excited or, you know,
[36:49.500 -> 36:51.080] my family and friends back in Australia,
[36:51.080 -> 36:53.480] they're excited as well.
[36:53.480 -> 36:57.900] So yeah, it's been really cool to have their support and,
[36:57.900 -> 36:58.740] you know, have their reaction.
[36:58.740 -> 37:00.160] It really is a family effort, right?
[37:00.160 -> 37:01.520] They've supported you from day one.
[37:01.520 -> 37:02.840] Oh, a hundred percent.
[37:02.840 -> 37:03.680] It's, you know.
[37:03.680 -> 37:04.760] You travel around the world, you need them,
[37:04.760 -> 37:07.520] you need their help to know how to wash stuff and do stuff in your house.
[37:07.520 -> 37:11.840] Exactly. You know, from the biggest things to the littlest things, you know, like...
[37:13.760 -> 37:19.760] A lot of my career was funded by my family and, you know, other sponsors.
[37:20.800 -> 37:26.420] And, you know, obviously, Alpine came in and helped at the end with some contribution to that.
[37:27.600 -> 37:29.640] But my family's been there from day one.
[37:29.640 -> 37:31.960] Like my dad got me into remote control cars
[37:31.960 -> 37:34.760] like when I was six, got me into karting,
[37:34.760 -> 37:36.860] got me into single-seaters.
[37:39.320 -> 37:40.720] And even for my mom,
[37:40.720 -> 37:45.320] like she allowed me to go chase my dream at 14 years old.
[37:45.320 -> 37:48.120] I think there's not too many mums in the world that would...
[37:48.120 -> 37:49.120] Did she hate it?
[37:49.120 -> 37:50.120] I think she...
[37:50.120 -> 37:51.120] My mum would hate it!
[37:51.120 -> 37:52.120] Yeah, I mean, I don't know...
[37:52.120 -> 37:58.440] I go on a night out and my mum stays up until I get home because she's so worried, let alone
[37:58.440 -> 38:00.960] driving a fucking four-minute white car.
[38:00.960 -> 38:02.600] She would not be able to watch.
[38:02.600 -> 38:10.000] Yeah, so she, you know, I think me leaving home so early was obviously pretty difficult for her.
[38:10.000 -> 38:14.000] And, you know, of course, she didn't really tell me that at the time
[38:14.000 -> 38:21.000] because she didn't want to scare me or make it seem like an even bigger sacrifice than it was already.
[38:21.000 -> 38:24.000] But, you know, they were always really supportive.
[38:24.000 -> 38:25.800] One rule that we had was, you know,
[38:25.800 -> 38:28.400] I still have to do school, I have to finish school
[38:28.400 -> 38:30.480] and I have to do reasonably well at school.
[38:30.480 -> 38:31.680] I have to pass at school.
[38:31.680 -> 38:34.560] I think when racing started getting better, you know,
[38:34.560 -> 38:38.680] I think the expectations on grades dropped a little bit,
[38:38.680 -> 38:39.920] but-
[38:39.920 -> 38:41.280] 30% attendance.
[38:41.280 -> 38:44.040] Yeah, it was like, I think my final year of school
[38:44.040 -> 38:47.480] where my attendance was like, yeah, it was like 35
[38:47.480 -> 38:49.200] or something.
[38:49.200 -> 38:51.320] I mean, when you're 21 and you're in F1 next year,
[38:51.320 -> 38:52.440] does it really matter?
[38:52.440 -> 38:54.200] Mine was the same, I didn't get into F1.
[38:54.200 -> 38:59.200] Yeah, so that was the one rule that my family had,
[39:00.680 -> 39:02.360] you know, even through karting and stuff,
[39:02.360 -> 39:04.880] it was always, you know, you can go and go racing,
[39:04.880 -> 39:05.200] but you've got to keep doing well at school. family had, even through karting and stuff, it was always, you can go and go racing, but
[39:05.200 -> 39:08.960] you've got to keep doing well at school.
[39:08.960 -> 39:15.320] And that was the same even when I moved away from my family and I was by myself at school,
[39:15.320 -> 39:18.120] they were still saying, you've got to...
[39:18.120 -> 39:22.640] Because the unfortunate thing and the unfortunate reality with motorsport is there's so many
[39:22.640 -> 39:31.040] people that unfortunately don't make it in any form of motorsport. It's an expensive sport as we all know. So, you know,
[39:31.920 -> 39:37.280] I think having some kind of backup or, you know, something on the side that you can go to
[39:37.840 -> 39:44.640] is really important. And I think some people kind of don't really grasp that as much as they should.
[39:45.000 -> 39:46.920] People kind of don't really grasp that as much as they should.
[39:48.560 -> 39:49.640] What was your backup going to be?
[39:51.080 -> 39:55.920] Probably going to uni. I don't, probably something to do with engineering or cars.
[39:55.920 -> 39:56.800] I never went to uni,
[39:56.800 -> 40:00.160] but I only wanted to go for the party to be deadly true.
[40:00.160 -> 40:01.960] I would have probably done no work.
[40:03.040 -> 40:04.840] I mean, now here we are doing this.
[40:04.840 -> 40:05.680] Yeah, you got an F1 driver in your arm. Well, that's it. Okay, mean, now here we are doing this. Yeah.
[40:05.680 -> 40:07.240] You've got an F1 driver.
[40:07.240 -> 40:08.080] Well, that's it.
[40:08.080 -> 40:10.080] Okay, no, I'm not an F1 driver yet.
[40:10.080 -> 40:10.920] Almost.
[40:10.920 -> 40:11.740] Oh, that's how we've been.
[40:11.740 -> 40:12.580] That's how we've been driving.
[40:12.580 -> 40:13.420] Just for the views, we're expecting a F1 driver.
[40:13.420 -> 40:15.280] For the last week.
[40:15.280 -> 40:16.280] F1 driver.
[40:16.280 -> 40:17.120] Yeah.
[40:17.120 -> 40:19.200] I wanna, let's do one final question.
[40:19.200 -> 40:21.040] You have a final question and I'll have a final question.
[40:21.040 -> 40:22.880] Okay, but my final question is one
[40:22.880 -> 40:23.920] that I think you wrote down.
[40:23.920 -> 40:27.000] Okay, that's fine, you can do it. I wanna ask ask, is it going to be the one I'm going to ask?
[40:27.000 -> 40:28.000] No, no, you ask first.
[40:28.000 -> 40:29.800] I want to ask, how do you,
[40:29.800 -> 40:32.920] I'm going to explain why I ask it first.
[40:32.920 -> 40:34.880] Christian Horner did a video,
[40:34.880 -> 40:35.840] but he was talking to someone
[40:35.840 -> 40:37.800] and there was a video of a car going around a corner
[40:37.800 -> 40:39.560] and he was explaining how the reason Christian
[40:39.560 -> 40:42.200] never made it into F1 is because he was unable
[40:42.200 -> 40:43.440] to do that with the car.
[40:43.440 -> 40:47.480] Like unable to make his brain drop into that area
[40:47.480 -> 40:50.720] where he's willing to like not be scared or whatever,
[40:50.720 -> 40:52.000] not worry about it.
[40:52.000 -> 40:56.160] How do you as a 21 year old separate like risk from reward?
[40:56.160 -> 40:59.880] Like how on earth do you fly around these streets
[40:59.880 -> 41:01.880] and round these tracks?
[41:01.880 -> 41:03.640] And we saw the videos when we were watching them
[41:03.640 -> 41:05.880] getting so close to that barrier.
[41:05.880 -> 41:08.760] Like what you think, I can't imagine it.
[41:08.760 -> 41:10.120] So I just wanted to hear from someone
[41:10.120 -> 41:11.720] that's going to be racing an F1 next year,
[41:11.720 -> 41:13.120] like how do you separate?
[41:13.120 -> 41:18.120] I think on a traditional track versus a street circuit,
[41:18.240 -> 41:21.360] it's obviously a bit different because on a normal track,
[41:21.360 -> 41:23.480] especially with like how the tracks are today
[41:23.480 -> 41:24.740] with a lot of runoff and stuff,
[41:24.740 -> 41:27.240] like you've got to mess up pretty big
[41:27.240 -> 41:29.960] to hit something basically.
[41:29.960 -> 41:32.600] So that helps at a street track, Monaco, for example,
[41:32.600 -> 41:33.900] obviously that's not true.
[41:34.840 -> 41:37.120] But, you know, I think for me,
[41:37.120 -> 41:40.760] the risk in terms of like danger
[41:40.760 -> 41:43.840] has never really crossed my mind.
[41:43.840 -> 41:47.760] Like there's been a few points in your career when that happens.
[41:47.760 -> 41:49.760] Like, you know, unfortunately when there's big crashes,
[41:49.760 -> 41:53.600] like, you know, unfortunately with Antoine Hubert at Spa,
[41:53.600 -> 41:57.360] that was, you know, kind of really, I think for a lot of people,
[41:57.360 -> 42:00.880] like probably the first time they've really thought, you know, Jesus is,
[42:00.880 -> 42:04.800] you know, bad stuff can still happen, really.
[42:04.800 -> 42:05.680] So, it doesn't really cross your mind that much, Jesus is, you know, bad stuff can still happen really.
[42:08.480 -> 42:10.320] So it doesn't really cross your mind that more. It doesn't cross my mind that much.
[42:10.320 -> 42:14.800] For me, the more, the bigger risk is like stuffing up
[42:14.800 -> 42:17.280] and qualifying 10th instead of like first.
[42:18.880 -> 42:23.360] So that's like more the risk versus reward that I always look at is like, you know,
[42:23.360 -> 42:27.840] if I break a little bit too late, I'm going to lock up and miss the corner or whatever, not that I'm going
[42:27.840 -> 42:29.200] to hit a wall or something.
[42:29.200 -> 42:33.960] But Monaco, for example, it's a very different story because, you know, you turn in a little
[42:33.960 -> 42:37.560] bit too early, a little bit too late or whatever, push a little bit too hard and, yeah, you
[42:37.560 -> 42:40.440] are in a wall very quickly and very hard.
[42:40.440 -> 42:41.840] So it's a bit different.
[42:41.840 -> 42:47.440] But I think when you're on track, like I think if you, you know, all racing drivers,
[42:47.440 -> 42:49.880] you can't think about that because otherwise
[42:49.880 -> 42:51.600] it's just gonna hinder you.
[42:51.600 -> 42:54.960] You just cannot let it get into your brain.
[42:54.960 -> 42:58.800] Push it to the back of your mind and just focus on the race.
[42:58.800 -> 43:00.440] My question was a bit simpler.
[43:00.440 -> 43:03.280] What number are you racing with next year?
[43:03.280 -> 43:06.960] So it's, I hope 81.
[43:06.960 -> 43:10.000] Well, I don't know if we can actually lodge the number yet.
[43:10.000 -> 43:11.040] Okay. To the FIA.
[43:11.040 -> 43:12.560] We will bleep that.
[43:12.560 -> 43:13.400] Yeah.
[43:13.400 -> 43:15.360] But we know, we know.
[43:15.360 -> 43:16.880] Yeah. Good number, great number.
[43:16.880 -> 43:21.040] Yeah. I mean, I've kind of already said it before
[43:21.040 -> 43:24.360] and it's a number I've used in my career earlier anyway.
[43:24.360 -> 43:25.560] It was on your go-kart, no? It was on your go-kart, no?
[43:25.560 -> 43:27.560] It was on my go-kart, yes.
[43:27.560 -> 43:28.560] Come on!
[43:28.560 -> 43:31.560] I know something for once!
[43:31.560 -> 43:33.640] So that's the number I'm planning on going with.
[43:33.640 -> 43:36.480] I think it's a pretty like, rare number.
[43:36.480 -> 43:40.160] I don't see that many people racing with it.
[43:40.160 -> 43:43.280] And if you spin it round, it's the legal age for alcohol in the UK as well.
[43:43.280 -> 43:44.280] Exactly.
[43:44.280 -> 43:45.240] So it's a great one to be fair.
[43:45.240 -> 43:49.040] So that's the number I'm planning on racing with.
[43:49.040 -> 43:53.960] But yeah, unless someone nabs it, which I don't think anyone will.
[43:53.960 -> 43:56.480] It'd have to be a prick to nab that.
[43:56.480 -> 43:57.720] It's a pretty unique number.
[43:57.720 -> 43:58.560] Yeah.
[43:58.560 -> 44:02.960] Yeah, like I mean, of the rookies coming in next year,
[44:02.960 -> 44:05.840] I don't know if there's, I'd be very surprised if any-
[44:05.840 -> 44:07.280] You said rookies with an S.
[44:07.280 -> 44:08.400] Yeah.
[44:08.400 -> 44:10.920] Well, I know of one rookie that's coming in obviously
[44:10.920 -> 44:12.760] with Nick, but I think-
[44:12.760 -> 44:14.680] Sounds like you might know of a few more.
[44:14.680 -> 44:16.240] I don't actually want to get out of you,
[44:16.240 -> 44:17.440] like even if you do know, you don't have to say,
[44:17.440 -> 44:19.160] but just out of curiosity,
[44:19.160 -> 44:21.600] is there anyone on the current F2 grid from last season
[44:21.600 -> 44:23.600] that you would look at that you would say like,
[44:23.600 -> 44:26.440] they deserve a seat, that you think they're good enough?
[44:27.400 -> 44:29.000] As in from the year that I raced in?
[44:29.000 -> 44:32.240] No, from last year, from this year, sorry.
[44:32.240 -> 44:33.080] From this year.
[44:33.960 -> 44:36.360] Because there's no one from F2 coming up, is there?
[44:36.360 -> 44:39.920] Well, I think there's a chance at Williams.
[44:39.920 -> 44:41.560] Yeah, there is definitely an open seat there.
[44:41.560 -> 44:42.960] We just still have to wait and see.
[44:42.960 -> 44:45.160] Yeah, so that's why I said rookies,
[44:45.160 -> 44:46.440] because that one, you know,
[44:46.440 -> 44:48.320] there's obviously a lot of speculation about that, but-
[44:48.320 -> 44:49.360] This guy knows stuff.
[44:49.360 -> 44:50.200] Pin him down.
[44:50.200 -> 44:51.040] I don't know.
[44:51.040 -> 44:51.860] I can't wait till these cameras are off.
[44:51.860 -> 44:54.760] He's going to have to turn the cameras off.
[44:54.760 -> 44:56.720] The only thing I do know with that,
[44:56.720 -> 44:59.120] and yeah, I don't know if I should.
[44:59.120 -> 44:59.960] Tell us after.
[44:59.960 -> 45:02.000] Yeah, tell us after it.
[45:02.000 -> 45:04.760] So yeah, there could be, you know,
[45:04.760 -> 45:05.000] more than two rookies.
[45:06.400 -> 45:07.240] It's a possibility.
[45:07.240 -> 45:08.160] There's obviously-
[45:08.160 -> 45:09.000] We have an inkling.
[45:09.000 -> 45:13.000] There's an open seat at Williams and open seat at Haas.
[45:13.000 -> 45:15.760] So they could be a rookie.
[45:15.760 -> 45:17.060] Confirmed at Haas.
[45:18.440 -> 45:19.280] I don't know.
[45:19.280 -> 45:20.100] I don't know.
[45:20.100 -> 45:20.940] I don't know.
[45:20.940 -> 45:21.780] It's killing me.
[45:21.780 -> 45:23.920] Thank you very much for joining us on the Pit Stop Podcast.
[45:23.920 -> 45:30.000] We are now going to put you through the first ever fastest lap of the Pit Stop podcast.
[45:30.000 -> 45:33.260] We are going to give you three laps on our simulator around Austria.
[45:33.260 -> 45:35.360] Me and Fab have got our times here.
[45:35.360 -> 45:38.640] So we're going to do your lap and then we'll come sit you back down.
[45:38.640 -> 45:41.320] We'll put my time up, put Fab's time up and we'll see where you come in.
[45:41.320 -> 45:42.320] Yeah.
[45:42.320 -> 45:43.320] Okay.
[45:43.320 -> 45:44.320] Sounds good.
[45:44.320 -> 45:45.400] Let's just quickly do the outro for the pod. I think you're going to win by the way.
[45:45.400 -> 45:47.600] Because thank you so much for coming on the show.
[45:47.600 -> 45:48.440] No worries.
[45:48.440 -> 45:50.180] Thank you for taking the time driving down here,
[45:50.180 -> 45:51.760] you know, being our first F1 driver.
[45:51.760 -> 45:52.960] No worries. Thanks for having me.
[45:52.960 -> 45:54.920] It's a big moment for us.
[45:54.920 -> 45:56.960] I don't know if we come across like it was or not,
[45:56.960 -> 46:00.080] but it is a big moment to have a driver like yourself
[46:00.080 -> 46:01.960] in our flat, on our sofa.
[46:01.960 -> 46:03.900] Can't wait to continue our relationship,
[46:03.900 -> 46:05.360] see you at the races, fly on your private jet. We can't wait for continue our relationship see you at the races fly on your
[46:05.360 -> 46:10.080] private jet we can't wait for it mate so thanks for being it yeah best of luck for next year
[46:10.080 -> 46:15.040] fully deserved man right behind you everyone is cheers let's see what you can do on the sim though
[46:15.040 -> 46:19.520] because if you're shit then i know this seems a big test isn't it i'll be calling mclaren saying
[46:20.880 -> 46:25.720] you made a mistake if you enjoyed the podcast please rate it five stars. Make sure you hit the follow button
[46:25.720 -> 46:28.780] and we will see you guys in our next episode.
[46:28.780 -> 46:29.620] Goodbye.
[46:29.620 -> 46:30.460] Bye-bye.
[46:30.460 -> 46:31.280] Bye.
[46:31.280 -> 46:32.120] Bye.
[46:32.120 -> 46:32.960] Bye.
[46:32.960 -> 46:33.780] Bye.
[46:33.780 -> 46:34.620] Bye.
[46:34.620 -> 46:35.460] Bye.
[46:35.460 -> 46:36.280] Bye.
[46:36.280 -> 46:37.120] Bye.
[46:37.120 -> 46:37.960] Bye.
[46:37.960 -> 46:38.780] Bye.
[46:38.780 -> 46:39.620] Bye.
[46:39.620 -> 46:40.460] Bye.
[46:40.460 -> 46:41.280] Bye.
[46:41.280 -> 46:42.120] Bye.
[46:42.120 -> 46:42.960] Bye.
[46:42.960 -> 46:43.780] Bye.
[46:43.780 -> 46:44.620] Bye.
[46:44.620 -> 46:52.200] Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Powered by Spirit Studios.