Season REVIEW - Our best moments of 2023!

Matt Baker is joined for the final podcast of the season by Ted Kravitz, Karun Chandhok and Bernie Collins.

They discuss Max Verstappen's dominance, which saw the Red Bull driver win his third straight world title.

They debate which drivers have impressed them this year and ask how much longer Fernando Alonso will be in Formula One.

They also talk about their favourite race of 2023 and the feel-good moment of the season.

**Race Summary and Key Points:**

* Max Verstappen dominated the season, winning his third consecutive world title and breaking several records.
* Verstappen set a new record for laps led in a Formula One season, surpassing the previous record held by McLaren in 1988.
* The season was marked by intense competition, with several drivers impressing throughout the year.
* Fernando Alonso was praised for his consistent performance in the Aston Martin, despite the team's struggles.
* Lewis Hamilton was also recognized for his strong performances, despite Mercedes' difficulties.
* Alex Albon was highlighted as an underrated driver, delivering impressive results in the Williams car.
* Liam Lawson, Oscar Piastri, Zhou Guangyu, Nico Hulkenberg, and Yuki Tsunoda were also mentioned as underrated drivers.
* The Singapore Grand Prix was chosen as the race of the year, offering excitement and unpredictable conditions.
* The Melbourne Grand Prix was also praised for its unique podium, featuring three different eras of Formula One champions.
* Zandvoort was remembered as a thrilling race, with dynamic strategy changes due to unpredictable weather.
* Oscar Piastri's qualifying performance in Suzuka and Max Verstappen's qualifying lap in Japan were highlighted as exceptional moments.

**Analysis and Insights:**

* The 2023 Formula One season was a testament to the sport's competitiveness and unpredictability.
* Max Verstappen's dominance was impressive, but other drivers also showcased their skills and potential.
* The emergence of underrated drivers, such as Alex Albon and Liam Lawson, added depth and excitement to the season.
* The Singapore Grand Prix and the Melbourne Grand Prix stood out as memorable races due to their unique circumstances and thrilling racing.
* The qualifying moments of Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen showcased the exceptional talent and precision of Formula One drivers.

**Overall, the 2023 Formula One season was a captivating spectacle of speed, strategy, and fierce competition, leaving fans eagerly anticipating the upcoming season.**

# Podcast Episode Summary: A Retrospective of the 2023 Formula One Season

**Key Points:**

- Max Verstappen's dominance characterized the 2023 Formula One season, securing his third consecutive world title with Red Bull.

- Ted Kravitz, Karun Chandhok, and Bernie Collins discuss Verstappen's exceptional performance, particularly his millimeter-perfect pole position lap in Suzuka.

- The podcast panel debates standout drivers of the season, highlighting Oscar Piastri's remarkable sprint win in Qatar.

- Fernando Alonso's last-lap battle with Sergio Perez in Brazil and Lando Norris' Silverstone podium finish are celebrated as feel-good moments.

- The panel reflects on the season as a whole, expressing disappointment in Mercedes and Ferrari's lack of challenge to Red Bull's supremacy.

- Bernie Collins and Matt Baker express gratitude for the opportunity to work on the podcast and anticipate a closer championship in 2024.

- Ted Kravitz promotes Valtteri Bottas' 2024 Movember charity calendar, which supports prostate cancer and men's mental health initiatives.

**Overall Message:**

The 2023 Formula One season witnessed Max Verstappen's continued dominance, while drivers like Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris showcased their potential. Despite Mercedes and Ferrari's struggles, the podcast panel remains optimistic about a more competitive 2024 season.

[00:00.000 -> 00:07.640] Hello everyone, welcome to our big season review podcast.
[00:07.640 -> 00:13.440] Great to have you with us and well, 22 races down, let's see what we all made of it.
[00:13.440 -> 00:18.280] Joining me for this one is Karim Chantok, Ted Kravitz and Bernie Collins.
[00:18.280 -> 00:19.280] Hello to all three of you.
[00:19.280 -> 00:22.720] We've had a slightly weird technical silliness to start off with.
[00:22.720 -> 00:27.960] Bernie is only sat a matter of meters away from me but we're gonna communicate in different rooms such as the way
[00:27.960 -> 00:31.520] remote recordings work. Karun, start with you, how are you? What's going on?
[00:31.520 -> 00:36.200] I'm good, I still haven't had my haircut after Simon made fun of me in Vegas so I
[00:36.200 -> 00:41.120] will try and get that done this week. Yeah, it's been a busy year hasn't it? I think
[00:41.120 -> 00:51.760] we're all ready for a little break and then countdown to power rain testing. Indeed, less than 100 days away. Ted, you have dressed up for the podcast. In
[00:51.760 -> 00:55.920] case people are listening, you are wearing a fantastic shirt. I have, Matthew, we'll get
[00:55.920 -> 01:00.320] on to that in a minute. I must say from somebody from a theatrical background, you've broken the
[01:00.320 -> 01:05.620] fourth wall here. I am in my book line study, as is Karun.
[01:05.620 -> 01:15.380] Bernie is in her strategy mission control, and you are in your Riverside loft apartment,
[01:15.380 -> 01:16.380] obviously.
[01:16.380 -> 01:20.980] So, honestly, you've just done away with all the magic, haven't you?
[01:20.980 -> 01:23.460] We are in where people expect us to be.
[01:23.460 -> 01:28.080] Bernie's got terabytes of data just behind her in this futuristic looking...
[01:28.080 -> 01:30.680] Flying like lasers behind her, Ted.
[01:30.680 -> 01:31.680] Exactly, exactly.
[01:31.680 -> 01:35.120] Looked up to every Formula One server.
[01:35.120 -> 01:42.520] And the shirt is in reference to my, as we're going to get onto, underrated driver of the
[01:42.520 -> 01:48.000] year. This is the shirt that I bought in the night market in Bangkok
[01:48.640 -> 01:55.440] when we went to hang out for a couple of days with Alex Albon. Sorry to do a plot spoiler or a
[01:55.440 -> 02:00.320] spoiler for the art for my answer there, but this is the very shirt that I wore in that shoot with
[02:00.320 -> 02:06.200] Alex Albon. Brilliant. You look great and you've enjoyed teasing me actually, Ted, throughout the season about my loft,
[02:06.200 -> 02:08.720] my slightly strange loft that I'm in.
[02:08.720 -> 02:12.360] Yes, yes, you know, you open those metal windows behind you.
[02:12.360 -> 02:13.200] Who knows?
[02:13.200 -> 02:14.720] And you can see Tower Bridge.
[02:14.720 -> 02:16.600] So yeah, it's a lovely view.
[02:16.600 -> 02:18.800] It's a very expensive apartment, yeah.
[02:18.800 -> 02:21.040] Bernie, we haven't spoken to you for a while.
[02:21.040 -> 02:22.400] How have you been?
[02:22.400 -> 02:24.520] I know we were just chatting, you were out in Vegas.
[02:24.520 -> 02:26.920] How have you enjoyed the final few races of the season?
[02:26.920 -> 02:27.880] Yeah, I think it's been good.
[02:27.880 -> 02:31.000] I think it's been a much more positive end of the season
[02:31.000 -> 02:32.880] than we all feared maybe at the start of the season.
[02:32.880 -> 02:36.280] Yes, some of the championship was tied up really early on,
[02:36.280 -> 02:38.200] but there was so much still going on
[02:38.200 -> 02:39.560] in those last few races.
[02:39.560 -> 02:41.880] Let's crack on then, and we're gonna try
[02:41.880 -> 02:43.480] and get a few questions in from you guys at home.
[02:43.480 -> 02:47.920] We're gonna also go through a few categories as well throughout the season like Ted alluded to.
[02:47.920 -> 02:52.240] The first one and kind of the only place to start is Max Verstappen and some of the records he's
[02:52.240 -> 02:55.920] broken but I want to draw everyone's attention to something that happened this weekend. So he
[02:55.920 -> 03:03.280] obviously passed a thousand laps led for a Formula One season. Now the record that he's also beaten
[03:03.280 -> 03:07.280] as well is that of McLaren. In 1988, he has equalled
[03:07.280 -> 03:13.080] the amount of laps led by Alan Prost and Ayrton Senna in their McLaren 1003, which is just
[03:13.080 -> 03:17.800] a bizarre stat and amazing that he's got the exact same number. But, Bernie, I'll
[03:17.800 -> 03:21.960] come to you on this first. We knew from the press conference afterwards, Max was saying
[03:21.960 -> 03:30.400] that he deliberately stayed out, he deliberately didn't choose the quickest strategy in order to get more laps in, in the lead,
[03:30.400 -> 03:35.920] in order to have this record, to go over a thousand. As a strategist, have you ever been
[03:35.920 -> 03:40.160] in a position where you're not choosing the quickest time but you're trying to break records?
[03:40.160 -> 03:46.760] It was just ridiculous, wasn't it? I think I was never fortunate enough to be in that very favourable position as a strategist
[03:46.760 -> 03:50.560] to be fit to throw the dice with the points.
[03:50.560 -> 03:52.640] I missed that quote actually after the race.
[03:52.640 -> 03:57.640] It's surprising that, well, I guess they have margin to go for that, so I can see why it's
[03:57.640 -> 04:00.760] important to have another recorder on the board.
[04:00.760 -> 04:04.960] But for people that often might say, we're not that concerned about records, we don't
[04:04.960 -> 04:06.840] care how many we went in a year
[04:06.760 -> 04:13.860] but then to say we're actually running a suboptimal strategy today i'd love to assume that the strategy was more.
[04:13.980 -> 04:20.780] They had the margin to cover all fathers so go for it that way but i'm just go show how.
[04:20.860 -> 04:26.240] Driven he still is at the end of a really strong season to be thinking of what else
[04:26.240 -> 04:28.640] can he do, what is the next target either.
[04:28.640 -> 04:33.500] Karun, you're a man who knows his Formula 1 history. When you look at the records that
[04:33.500 -> 04:39.720] Max has broken this year, just how impressive is what he's achieved from a record statistical
[04:39.720 -> 04:40.720] point of view?
[04:40.720 -> 04:45.520] Well, the statistics, man, is very crofty. I think, listen, it's horrendously impressive,
[04:45.520 -> 04:51.200] right? You know, anytime you look at a season where a driver scored twice as many points as
[04:51.200 -> 04:57.760] a person in second place, that just underlines what a great year they've had. I think there's
[04:57.760 -> 05:03.200] a lot of people out there who say they won because they cheated on the cost cap the year before. They
[05:03.200 -> 05:09.240] won because Max won because he's in, you know in the most dominant car and he's only winning because
[05:09.240 -> 05:10.760] he's the most dominant car.
[05:10.760 -> 05:16.640] Yes, it is the most dominant car of this season, but it's not like Checo blitz the rest of
[05:16.640 -> 05:18.560] the opposition by a long, long way.
[05:18.560 -> 05:23.080] He is a very, very high-quality driver.
[05:23.080 -> 05:25.600] Even the cost cap thing, Lewis himself said they've stopped
[05:25.600 -> 05:30.720] updating the car since August. And I don't know what are they breached at 1.2 million or something.
[05:30.720 -> 05:35.040] I think you'd have spent a lot more than that from August if you're in a championship fight. So
[05:36.080 -> 05:40.480] I think the reality is you have to give credit where it's due. And what we've seen this year
[05:40.480 -> 05:45.760] is one of the greatest seasons put together by a driver perfectly in tune with
[05:45.760 -> 05:46.760] their car.
[05:46.760 -> 05:52.520] Ted, what will you remember most from Max Verstappen's season?
[05:52.520 -> 05:57.120] When you look back over a glass of red wine or something over Christmas with your turkey,
[05:57.120 -> 05:58.720] what will you be thinking?
[05:58.720 -> 06:00.720] What will you be thinking about Max Verstappen?
[06:00.720 -> 06:05.520] Gosh, red wine, the tannins in that, and then the tryptophan.
[06:05.520 -> 06:08.320] Is it not tryptophan that's in the naturally occurring
[06:08.320 -> 06:11.480] sleep inducing enzyme that's in turkey
[06:11.480 -> 06:14.920] that makes you fall asleep after Christmas dinner,
[06:14.920 -> 06:16.120] after Christmas lunch?
[06:16.120 -> 06:17.360] I'd be asleep, Matthew.
[06:17.360 -> 06:18.320] I wouldn't think about it.
[06:18.320 -> 06:20.800] But what I would think about in retrospect this year
[06:20.800 -> 06:27.400] is just the relentless nature of pursuit of perfection.
[06:27.400 -> 06:28.400] And that was it.
[06:28.400 -> 06:29.400] And they never gave up.
[06:29.400 -> 06:32.120] He never wanted to give up being perfect.
[06:32.120 -> 06:36.120] And there were some races that showed that you have to be perfect.
[06:36.120 -> 06:42.080] Max had to be perfect because there was enough of competition left for them to be caught
[06:42.080 -> 06:47.080] if they had slipped up in any way. And Max himself hadn't got to grips with the car
[06:47.080 -> 06:52.080] in Azerbaijan and in Saudi Arabia, where Checo won.
[06:52.480 -> 06:55.840] But after that, it was as if those disappointments
[06:55.840 -> 06:57.280] and those annoyances,
[06:57.280 -> 07:01.120] do you remember how annoyed he was after Saudi?
[07:01.120 -> 07:03.320] Do you remember the Checo celebrating
[07:03.320 -> 07:06.240] and the Y Jos not wanting to
[07:08.000 -> 07:13.200] say well done to Czecho moment immediately, even though I think he later went on to do so.
[07:14.320 -> 07:18.720] And, you know, so he was really annoyed. Max was really annoyed. And that's what made him
[07:19.600 -> 07:26.600] carry on so relentlessly for perfection. But I think I have the moment, Matt, that you're talking about, um, that they
[07:26.600 -> 07:30.320] went for this 1000th lap and made sure they do it.
[07:30.320 -> 07:34.740] So we didn't know this at the time, but what we have is a very, uh, clever, uh,
[07:34.760 -> 07:37.840] AI system, um, well, maybe it's not artificial intelligence, maybe it's
[07:37.840 -> 07:40.960] just intelligence actually transcribes all the team radios for us.
[07:41.240 -> 07:43.560] And I heard it on the team radio feed in the middle of the race.
[07:43.800 -> 07:46.120] In fact, it was at, glasses on,
[07:46.120 -> 07:51.120] it was at 2.26 and 19 seconds
[07:51.380 -> 07:52.640] in the middle of the race.
[07:52.640 -> 07:54.600] And there was a message from GP Lambiazzi
[07:54.600 -> 07:58.760] to Max Verstappen, which was just four words,
[07:58.760 -> 08:01.860] okay, mission A complete.
[08:01.860 -> 08:03.080] And that was it.
[08:03.080 -> 08:05.280] And it was like, no context.
[08:05.280 -> 08:08.120] And it came up on my feed and I thought,
[08:08.120 -> 08:09.240] what was mission A?
[08:09.240 -> 08:10.920] Well, well, well, well, well, well.
[08:10.920 -> 08:13.720] And then it turns out, that was what they were thinking.
[08:13.720 -> 08:16.680] They hadn't told us that they were going to do that.
[08:16.680 -> 08:18.920] And that was their mission A for the race,
[08:18.920 -> 08:23.080] to better 1,000 laps or 1,003 laps in the lead.
[08:23.080 -> 08:24.800] And they really accomplished that.
[08:24.800 -> 08:26.580] Yeah, I just think it goes to show
[08:26.580 -> 08:28.640] what an amazing season it's been for them
[08:28.640 -> 08:30.800] and the fact that they're even thinking about that,
[08:30.800 -> 08:33.620] having the space, the headspace to think about that
[08:33.620 -> 08:35.620] midway through the last race of the season.
[08:35.620 -> 08:37.560] Right, let's get on to some categories.
[08:37.560 -> 08:40.440] I've given you all some homework to do.
[08:40.440 -> 08:41.820] Hopefully you're going to all score good,
[08:41.820 -> 08:43.520] good marks and you've all done it, we'll find out.
[08:43.520 -> 08:45.560] You'll score well, Matthew, you'll get your, oh, you're forever here, you're going to all score good, good marks, and you've all done it, we'll find out. You'll score well, Matthew, you'll get your,
[08:45.560 -> 08:47.480] oh, remember here, you're going to all score well.
[08:47.480 -> 08:49.440] I'm falling, Ted, really, honestly.
[08:49.440 -> 08:50.880] Going to score good.
[08:50.880 -> 08:51.840] Sorry, my fault. Unbelievable,
[08:51.840 -> 08:53.480] these millennials, I tell you.
[08:55.560 -> 08:58.920] Right, driver of the year that's not Max Verstappen.
[08:58.920 -> 09:00.880] I think, I don't want to speak for everyone here,
[09:00.880 -> 09:02.440] but I think I personally would say
[09:02.440 -> 09:04.120] that Max Verstappen has been comfortably,
[09:04.120 -> 09:05.940] in a way, the most superior driver of the year.
[09:05.940 -> 09:08.120] So let's remove him from the equation
[09:08.120 -> 09:09.380] and who has impressed us.
[09:09.380 -> 09:11.080] Bernie, I'll start with you.
[09:11.080 -> 09:12.480] Who's impressed you?
[09:12.480 -> 09:14.760] Well, I was gonna say exactly what I think
[09:14.760 -> 09:16.080] Ted was gonna say at one point,
[09:16.080 -> 09:19.660] and that I think when you look at the driver standings,
[09:19.660 -> 09:21.960] I think the driver who's,
[09:21.960 -> 09:23.600] I class the driver of the year
[09:23.600 -> 09:25.700] as the driver who's outdriven the car. The driver of the year as the driver who's outdriven the car.
[09:25.700 -> 09:27.600] The driver who's performed better in the car
[09:27.600 -> 09:29.720] than I think other people could have done in that car
[09:29.720 -> 09:32.940] and got better results than potentially the car deserves.
[09:32.940 -> 09:33.920] And the one driver,
[09:33.920 -> 09:35.960] there's maybe two drivers that stand out.
[09:36.880 -> 09:37.720] The two that stand out.
[09:37.720 -> 09:39.040] Don't take both, you get one.
[09:39.040 -> 09:39.880] Oh, okay.
[09:39.880 -> 09:40.700] Leave some for us.
[09:40.700 -> 09:42.600] I'm gonna stick to one, which matches Ted.
[09:42.600 -> 09:44.120] So I was gonna say, Albon,
[09:44.120 -> 09:47.520] when you look at where Williams finished in the Constructors' Championship
[09:48.320 -> 09:53.440] and you look at, you know, they finished P7 in the Constructors' Championship, that's massive for them.
[09:53.440 -> 10:00.320] Albon scored I think all but one of those points, so he has outdriven that car, he has brought that
[10:00.320 -> 10:10.080] team forward in a way that when you look at the drivers and constructors stand and stands out. And that's why I thought that he'd driven really well through a lot of races
[10:10.080 -> 10:11.640] this year and qualifying.
[10:11.640 -> 10:15.040] Let's come back to, because I know that Ted, you might have put him for another category.
[10:15.040 -> 10:16.040] Let's come back to that category.
[10:16.040 -> 10:20.000] I did, Bernie, that's not mine. That's not mine. But I love, Bernie, that you're overseeing
[10:20.000 -> 10:24.600] the two that Karun and I thought you were going to mention, who's obviously Lewis Hamilton
[10:24.600 -> 10:25.560] and Fernando Alonso.
[10:25.560 -> 10:26.560] Well, I'm going to put Fernando, so...
[10:26.560 -> 10:27.560] No, I'm going to steal Fernando off you.
[10:27.560 -> 10:28.560] No, no, I got this one.
[10:28.560 -> 10:29.560] No, no, no.
[10:29.560 -> 10:30.560] You got that one.
[10:30.560 -> 10:31.560] All right.
[10:31.560 -> 10:32.560] All right.
[10:32.560 -> 10:33.560] Okay.
[10:33.560 -> 10:35.920] I actually think it's Fernando, but I'm going to say Lewis Hamilton.
[10:35.920 -> 10:38.840] In a car where, do you remember at the start of the season, there was this thing where
[10:38.840 -> 10:43.960] Lewis was telling us all that he sits too far ahead in the car and he feels disconnected
[10:43.960 -> 10:48.000] from the car. Well, he stopped telling us that he sits too far forward
[10:48.000 -> 10:51.560] in the car, even though, maybe because Mercedes
[10:51.560 -> 10:53.640] were saying, well, he sat no further forward
[10:53.640 -> 10:55.760] than he did last year, and Lewis would say,
[10:55.760 -> 10:57.920] well, yeah, but last year didn't go exactly very well either
[10:57.920 -> 10:59.260] and I just didn't talk about it.
[10:59.260 -> 11:02.180] But I just think when you look that he was not connected
[11:02.180 -> 11:04.920] to the car, and particularly that was evidenced
[11:04.920 -> 11:06.900] in Abu Dhabi last weekend,
[11:06.900 -> 11:09.100] for him to still be P3 in the constructors,
[11:09.100 -> 11:12.600] sorry, P3 in the drivers, got constructors on the brain,
[11:12.600 -> 11:17.600] is the driver of the year who's not Max Verstappen, for me.
[11:17.600 -> 11:19.800] But I would kind of like to say Fernando Alonso,
[11:19.800 -> 11:22.500] but Karun, I'll go, you can have Fernando.
[11:22.500 -> 11:23.700] Go on Karun, take the floor.
[11:23.700 -> 11:25.320] Fernando Alonso, driver of the year
[11:25.320 -> 11:27.160] that's not max for Stappen.
[11:27.160 -> 11:29.820] I just think he maximized every opportunity
[11:29.820 -> 11:31.860] in a very Fernando Alonso-esque way.
[11:31.860 -> 11:33.560] You know, there were races where,
[11:34.680 -> 11:35.520] at the start of the year,
[11:35.520 -> 11:37.480] where the Aston was clearly very competitive
[11:37.480 -> 11:39.140] and he was racking up those podiums
[11:39.140 -> 11:40.600] and we all thought, this is going to be brilliant,
[11:40.600 -> 11:42.280] they're going to be the second best team.
[11:42.280 -> 11:44.240] And then from Barcelona onwards,
[11:44.240 -> 11:45.000] we had some,
[11:45.000 -> 11:47.000] some changes to the front wings and things like that,
[11:47.000 -> 11:51.000] that came about and they never quite managed that same form
[11:51.000 -> 11:53.000] as they showed in the early part of the season.
[11:53.000 -> 11:56.000] Other people develop, it's all relative, you know,
[11:56.000 -> 11:58.000] it's hard to say if they went backwards, but you know,
[11:58.000 -> 12:01.000] the reality is if you look at the early part of the year,
[12:01.000 -> 12:07.720] I was doing some numbers yesterday, until Spain, they were 0.51% of the Red Bull,
[12:09.160 -> 12:10.520] the pace setting Red Bull.
[12:10.520 -> 12:14.080] From Spain onwards, it becomes nearly 0.9%
[12:14.080 -> 12:15.600] that gap to Red Bull.
[12:15.600 -> 12:17.760] So that seems to be the tipping point.
[12:17.760 -> 12:21.680] But I look at races like Holland, where we had that rain.
[12:21.680 -> 12:25.160] We look at Brazil, bit of weather,
[12:25.160 -> 12:27.560] you know, strange weather, qualifying,
[12:27.560 -> 12:29.920] Alonso's there, he hangs on in the race,
[12:29.920 -> 12:32.840] incredibly opportunistic when it came to racing
[12:32.840 -> 12:35.240] against Checo there towards the end.
[12:35.240 -> 12:38.320] Abu Dhabi, you know, the sort of pretty dangerous,
[12:38.320 -> 12:41.160] that's why he said brake test on Lewis Hamilton
[12:41.160 -> 12:43.960] to race him to the DRS line and stay in front.
[12:43.960 -> 12:47.760] But there was never a weekend where,
[12:47.760 -> 12:49.000] apart from Mexico,
[12:49.000 -> 12:50.300] where it looks like he was carrying some damage,
[12:50.300 -> 12:51.300] but there was never a weekend
[12:51.300 -> 12:54.320] where he was outpaced by his teammate.
[12:55.200 -> 12:58.260] And I think he really, really maximized
[12:58.260 -> 13:00.360] any performance that was there in the car.
[13:00.360 -> 13:08.480] ♪♪ While we're on things that were said in the press conference, I don't know if anyone else
[13:08.480 -> 13:13.240] picked up on this question that Mike Crack got asked in the press conference about Fernando
[13:13.240 -> 13:18.640] Alonso when he was said, you know, is there a desire to extend his contract past 2024?
[13:18.640 -> 13:24.000] And Mike Crack replied, well, obviously, yes, which seemed to Andrew Benson from the BBC
[13:24.000 -> 13:25.600] asked that question and he was
[13:25.600 -> 13:29.220] digging for more lines. Mike Crack didn't really give them to him. But I think it just
[13:29.220 -> 13:34.940] goes to show the quality that Fernando possesses. But I don't know, was anyone a bit surprised
[13:34.940 -> 13:36.980] that Mike Crack reacted like that?
[13:36.980 -> 13:41.140] Not really and knowing Andrew Benson as both Karun and I do, having been his colleagues
[13:41.140 -> 13:45.360] at various TV stations throughout the time, I think maybe what Benson,
[13:45.360 -> 13:53.980] a self-avowed Fernando Alonso aficionado was after was tempting Mike to fall into the Alpine
[13:53.980 -> 13:59.020] trap of not committing to Fernando Alonso long-term.
[13:59.020 -> 14:06.440] And Mike was too clever for that because we've learned from Alpine, haven't we? With, I forgot his
[14:06.440 -> 14:11.680] name he's been gone so long, Laurent Rossi, that's it. And by extension, I guess, Otmar,
[14:11.680 -> 14:16.640] I think, although I think it was Laurent Rossi's fault. You know, you better commit to Fernando
[14:16.640 -> 14:22.360] Alonso long term and leave it up to Fernando to decide when he's had enough. Otherwise,
[14:22.360 -> 14:25.840] you will invoke his ire. So I think that's probably, I don't know,
[14:25.840 -> 14:30.640] am I reading that differently Karim? What do you think? No, I think you're absolutely right. You
[14:30.640 -> 14:35.200] know, Fernando is just a master politician, isn't he? He doesn't always get those career moves right
[14:35.200 -> 14:41.920] as we've seen in the past, but he absolutely got this one right. And he's the best asset they've
[14:41.920 -> 14:45.000] got. You know, they've got lots of shiny buildings and other bits and pieces, but ultimately he's the best asset they've got. You know, they've got lots of shining buildings
[14:45.000 -> 14:46.480] and other bits and pieces,
[14:46.480 -> 14:49.480] but ultimately he's the guy who's delivering it in the car.
[14:50.400 -> 14:53.000] So yeah, I think, but I think you're right, you know,
[14:53.000 -> 14:54.400] Benson, I remember Ted,
[14:54.400 -> 14:57.520] when Fernando did his first retirement,
[14:57.520 -> 15:01.920] I got Fernando to sign a picture to Benson saying,
[15:01.920 -> 15:03.960] love you lots, which we frame
[15:03.960 -> 15:07.520] and gave it to him as a Christmas present. So there you go.
[15:07.520 -> 15:13.560] Very good. Very good. Let's let's move on to another category. Underrated driver of
[15:13.560 -> 15:17.800] the year. And Bernie, I'm going to come to you again because I because I'm sort of intrigued
[15:17.800 -> 15:26.040] by Alex Albon being your what was our first category? It was Best Driver of the Year that's not an extra saturn.
[15:26.040 -> 15:29.280] So underrated, because presumably underrated
[15:29.280 -> 15:30.960] would be outperforming the car as well.
[15:30.960 -> 15:33.160] So I wonder, who are you going to go for for this one?
[15:33.160 -> 15:36.280] Yeah, well, so my underrated is more that I think
[15:36.280 -> 15:40.480] potentially in the press or externally,
[15:40.480 -> 15:43.640] not viewed as having as good results
[15:43.640 -> 15:46.000] as potentially they are seen for whatever reason.
[15:46.000 -> 15:51.000] So again, there's a few and I can totally see why Albon falls into it,
[15:51.000 -> 15:55.000] but probably the person that stands out the most to me, as someone I think,
[15:55.000 -> 15:59.000] at least going forward let's see, but Liam Lawson.
[15:59.000 -> 16:03.000] To get in that car and to perform as he did,
[16:03.000 -> 16:08.360] I think you cannot overestimate the pressure that is on
[16:08.360 -> 16:16.020] you knowing that you have three seats to really lay a mark and to score points in it in those
[16:16.020 -> 16:22.360] initial races. To seem so calm and cool as he did, this is your one shot at making this
[16:22.360 -> 16:28.040] or potentially a one shot at making this work. So I actually put him down.
[16:28.040 -> 16:29.760] I actually put him down as well, and I'm not surprised.
[16:29.760 -> 16:30.760] So did I.
[16:30.760 -> 16:31.760] Did you?
[16:31.760 -> 16:32.760] Did you?
[16:32.760 -> 16:35.440] Hang on, this isn't working because he's not underrated.
[16:35.440 -> 16:37.160] We all rated him very highly.
[16:37.160 -> 16:39.600] I think externally he's underrated.
[16:39.600 -> 16:41.960] Not by us, but externally.
[16:41.960 -> 16:42.960] Right.
[16:42.960 -> 16:45.360] That was my viewpoint, but maybe I'm wrong.
[16:45.360 -> 16:47.880] I had him and Albon, so now I've got to quickly think
[16:47.880 -> 16:48.720] of a third.
[16:48.720 -> 16:51.080] All right, well I'll give you two thirds.
[16:51.080 -> 16:54.320] I'll give you Yuki Tsunoda, who I think we have overlooked
[16:54.320 -> 16:57.240] because he's made the odd mistake, look at Mexico,
[16:57.240 -> 17:00.880] but he has done very well,
[17:00.880 -> 17:03.000] and particularly in the last few races,
[17:03.000 -> 17:06.280] and is developing into a very nice Grand Prix driver indeed.
[17:06.280 -> 17:08.600] Probably Oscar Piastri doesn't count in this
[17:08.600 -> 17:10.240] because he's not underrated.
[17:10.240 -> 17:12.420] I think we all rate him very highly.
[17:13.960 -> 17:18.800] And so I'd probably go, I might go Zhou Guangyu actually,
[17:18.800 -> 17:20.560] because he had a couple of times in the points
[17:20.560 -> 17:23.400] and decent runs in the points,
[17:23.400 -> 17:26.960] which went completely unreported more or less.
[17:26.960 -> 17:28.760] But yeah, no, I'm still going with Alex Altman
[17:28.760 -> 17:29.920] for my underrated.
[17:29.920 -> 17:31.760] I might go Nico Hulkenberg,
[17:31.760 -> 17:34.000] because I think he's done a much better job
[17:34.000 -> 17:36.600] than people give him credit for this season.
[17:36.600 -> 17:39.600] You know, he's come back after a good chunk of time
[17:39.600 -> 17:40.680] away from Formula One,
[17:40.680 -> 17:43.880] and that's not easy to just get back and get on it.
[17:43.880 -> 17:47.320] And he out-qualified Kevin Magnussen in 99
[17:47.320 -> 17:51.120] across the comparative qualifying sessions
[17:51.120 -> 17:53.160] in both sprints and the races.
[17:53.160 -> 17:58.160] So I think that's a really strong return to Formula One.
[17:58.320 -> 18:01.240] Haas have got terrible issues with tyre wear,
[18:01.240 -> 18:02.520] so let's not discuss the points
[18:02.520 -> 18:09.600] or where they are in their standings. But I thought Niko Hülkenberg's return to F1 was one of the underrated stories
[18:09.600 -> 18:10.600] of the year.
[18:10.600 -> 18:14.000] From being a TV pundit, so there's hope for you yet, Jandog.
[18:14.000 -> 18:19.080] I'll be back in the gym this afternoon, Ted. After my haircut.
[18:19.080 -> 18:23.840] You never know. You never know. Just one more thing on the Liam Lawson idea, because I do
[18:23.840 -> 18:26.000] think that sparks an interesting debate
[18:26.000 -> 18:28.500] about next year and the fact that,
[18:28.500 -> 18:30.360] obviously Logan Sargent is, as we know,
[18:30.360 -> 18:32.200] the only unsigned driver for next year.
[18:32.200 -> 18:34.520] Who knows when that's gonna happen across the winter.
[18:34.520 -> 18:36.640] But there are so many rookies, aren't there,
[18:36.640 -> 18:39.400] waiting for a seat in Formula One.
[18:39.400 -> 18:42.320] We've got Vesti, Porche, obviously the FT champion,
[18:42.320 -> 18:44.440] Drogovic, the previous FT champion,
[18:44.440 -> 18:45.960] they're ready and primed, aren't they,
[18:45.960 -> 18:46.800] to go into these seats.
[18:46.800 -> 18:49.200] And right now, Karim, I mean,
[18:49.200 -> 18:50.680] this is just a bad time, isn't it,
[18:50.680 -> 18:54.160] to be a young rookie driver without a seat in Formula 1.
[18:54.160 -> 18:55.720] There just aren't the seats available.
[18:55.720 -> 18:58.360] It's a really strange feeling when you're doing F2
[18:58.360 -> 19:00.720] or GP2 as I was doing it at the time.
[19:00.720 -> 19:03.640] Because as you're coming to that middle of the season,
[19:03.640 -> 19:07.520] you're all hunting around. There's five or six of you all hunting around, you know,
[19:07.520 -> 19:12.800] I am, and timing becomes so critical, because you're, you're heavily reliant on people from
[19:12.800 -> 19:19.840] the F1 paddock leaving, basically. In my case, I, the timing was good, because three new teams
[19:19.840 -> 19:26.360] arrived on the grid, so more seats opened up, but timing is such an important thing.
[19:26.360 -> 19:30.480] And if you were looking at Drogovic or Lawson,
[19:30.480 -> 19:32.760] their drivers have finished ahead of Sargent,
[19:32.760 -> 19:36.600] for example, in F2, so they probably do feel
[19:36.600 -> 19:39.120] like they deserve an opportunity on the grid.
[19:39.120 -> 19:42.140] Drogovic did a really good job in FP1,
[19:42.140 -> 19:44.340] all the usual caveats, tires, fuel, blah, blah, blah,
[19:44.340 -> 19:47.120] we don't know, but he was there on the time sheet,
[19:47.120 -> 19:49.040] second quickest behind George Russell
[19:49.040 -> 19:51.320] and did a good job in every other time
[19:51.320 -> 19:52.840] we've seen him in an F1 car,
[19:52.840 -> 19:54.440] and he's the F2 champion.
[19:54.440 -> 19:57.160] So I'm a little bit surprised and a bit disappointed
[19:57.160 -> 20:01.160] he hasn't had an opportunity already in F1,
[20:01.160 -> 20:04.400] and maybe there's a conversation there.
[20:05.280 -> 20:06.720] Lawson, we've talked about.
[20:06.800 -> 20:10.720] I don't think Lawson will take the Williams opportunity
[20:10.800 -> 20:14.160] because he genuinely is keeping an eye on that Red Bull thing, right?
[20:14.240 -> 20:15.240] You know, there's...
[20:15.760 -> 20:17.800] What happens? Do they start the season with Checo?
[20:17.880 -> 20:21.320] If that doesn't work out, do they stick Daniel in the Red Bull?
[20:21.400 -> 20:23.480] In which case, do they put Liam in the Alpha Tauri
[20:23.560 -> 20:25.500] or whatever they're going to be called next year?
[20:25.500 -> 20:28.000] I think, so from Liam's standpoint, he's going,
[20:28.000 -> 20:32.500] hang on a second, I might take this gamble here
[20:32.500 -> 20:35.500] and not upset the Red Bull family
[20:35.500 -> 20:39.500] because you can't sign with Williams, even on loan from Red Bull,
[20:39.500 -> 20:41.000] and then leave mid-season.
[20:41.000 -> 20:44.500] So I think he's gambling on something opening up, perhaps,
[20:44.500 -> 20:46.760] in the early part of next year. And as Bernie said, I think he's gambling on something opening up perhaps in the early part of next year.
[20:46.760 -> 20:49.980] And as Bernie said, I think he's done an outstanding job.
[20:49.980 -> 20:51.920] He had few opportunities.
[20:51.920 -> 20:54.040] I mean, Bernie and I, we went to speak to him, didn't we,
[20:54.040 -> 20:56.080] on the grid in Zandvoort.
[20:56.080 -> 20:59.520] He'd done zero laps in the car, in the dry.
[20:59.520 -> 21:02.280] He was about to star his first ever Grand Prix.
[21:02.280 -> 21:04.520] He'd not even had time to speak to his mum and dad
[21:04.520 -> 21:05.040] on the phone he
[21:05.040 -> 21:10.720] told us because they were in New Zealand and he was absolutely flat out. But he was really cool
[21:10.720 -> 21:17.440] and calm on the grid and I thought his performance in Singapore in particular, we know now that he
[21:17.440 -> 21:22.720] got told why basically on his way to the garage to get in the car for qualifying that he was not
[21:22.720 -> 21:28.400] going to be in Formula One next year. Helmut Marko dropped the bad news as he was about to get in the car for qualifying
[21:28.960 -> 21:33.040] and he got in the top 10. So yeah, there's a few people around, isn't it?
[21:33.760 -> 21:39.760] Yeah, yeah. Well, anyway, Matthew, you need to wait. You can't put Porsche in Williams. You need
[21:39.760 -> 21:48.800] to wait and put him in a race-winning car because because firstly we need more people called Theodore in the sport and secondly we need to see what he's gonna
[21:48.800 -> 21:53.360] what's gonna happen when he wins a Grand Prix because did you see his his
[21:53.360 -> 21:57.520] celebrations when he won the F2 championship? Yes, the team radio. No only the team radio but
[21:57.520 -> 22:01.000] when he made sure he got his helmet off before he did the victory and then did
[22:01.000 -> 22:06.120] the victory like I mean his celebrations were so flamboyant.
[22:06.120 -> 22:08.560] I want to see him win a Grand Prix
[22:08.560 -> 22:11.900] to see what he's going to do next.
[22:11.900 -> 22:13.620] Sorry, go on, carry on.
[22:13.620 -> 22:14.720] Absolutely, yeah.
[22:14.720 -> 22:16.260] I think Formula One, you know,
[22:16.260 -> 22:17.580] the way that football perhaps does have
[22:17.580 -> 22:20.300] these crazy celebrations, maybe we need a few more.
[22:20.300 -> 22:22.140] A few Alan Shearer hands up in the air or something,
[22:22.140 -> 22:23.260] who knows.
[22:23.260 -> 22:24.340] Right, let's move on.
[22:24.340 -> 22:25.000] Race of the year. And this is a category just for, basically I kind of up in the air or something, who knows? Right, let's move on. Race of the Year.
[22:25.000 -> 22:28.000] And this is a category just for a...
[22:28.000 -> 22:32.000] Basically, I kind of put in my notes to you, overall, whole weekend, Belta.
[22:32.000 -> 22:34.000] So I don't know what everyone had for that.
[22:34.000 -> 22:38.000] Bernie, I'm stuck with you for each category, but it's your honour.
[22:38.000 -> 22:40.000] I feel there's a lot of pressure there.
[22:40.000 -> 22:45.680] It's difficult, but I think one of the most exciting weekends is probably Singapore,
[22:45.680 -> 22:48.280] just because we had a lot more competitions.
[22:48.280 -> 22:50.200] It was a lot more interesting going into it.
[22:50.200 -> 22:52.280] We were a lot of discussion.
[22:52.280 -> 22:54.080] Was it going to be as pure as it was going to be?
[22:54.080 -> 22:57.640] Not for the out night racing, because Singapore is obviously not renowned for that.
[22:57.640 -> 23:04.640] But in terms of the challenge, you know, maybe and Vegas was another one that was quite close
[23:04.640 -> 23:07.320] on that. But the challenge, I thought, maybe Vegas was another one that was quite close on that, but the challenge I thought the Singapore weekend was good
[23:08.240 -> 23:14.660] Hmm. Yeah, incredible weekend and obviously the time when when Red Bulls run came to an end. Ted, what did you go for?
[23:14.660 -> 23:18.120] I'm going for Melbourne, Australia. Remember that? Yes, because
[23:18.800 -> 23:20.800] well, you talk about the other
[23:22.440 -> 23:27.000] main act that's been this year, which has been Taylor Swift and the Eras Tour,
[23:27.000 -> 23:30.440] well, Formula One had its own Eras Tour on the podium
[23:30.440 -> 23:32.440] because we had three different eras
[23:32.440 -> 23:35.040] of Formula One mega, giga champions
[23:35.040 -> 23:36.600] on the podium for the first time.
[23:36.600 -> 23:38.860] Max Verstappen, who we're now very much
[23:38.860 -> 23:40.400] in the Verstappen era.
[23:40.400 -> 23:42.520] We had Lewis Hamilton, who's had,
[23:42.520 -> 23:51.540] we've had the Lewis Hamilton era before Max. And before before Lewis's era we had the Fernando Alonso era for 2005 and 2006 not as long as he would have liked
[23:51.540 -> 23:57.440] But hey, that's the way it was and before Fernando era. It was the Michael Schumacher era, of course in f1
[23:57.440 -> 23:59.680] So that was the first time I know we had it
[24:00.200 -> 24:03.440] Later on the season as well, but that was the first time the podium
[24:03.440 -> 24:05.300] You remember that it was've written down here,
[24:05.300 -> 24:08.740] Max, Lewis, Alonso, Stroll, then I think Perez,
[24:08.740 -> 24:12.620] then Lando, and then Hulkenberg, and then Oscar Piestre.
[24:12.620 -> 24:15.020] So do you remember all those restarts and red flags?
[24:15.020 -> 24:17.180] Very entertaining, that's right.
[24:17.180 -> 24:18.020] Very entertaining.
[24:18.020 -> 24:19.740] I'm going with Nolten, yeah.
[24:19.740 -> 24:20.560] Yeah, very good.
[24:20.560 -> 24:22.340] Just as an aside, does anyone remember
[24:22.340 -> 24:24.540] the Taylor Swift rumors that were circulating
[24:24.540 -> 24:25.480] around the podium? Oh yeah, I mean, Ted Taylor Swift rumours that were circulating around the planet?
[24:25.480 -> 24:31.520] Oh yeah, I mean Ted and I got, remember, was it Baku Ted? We, Crofty, you and I, there's
[24:31.520 -> 24:34.880] a whole load of references we managed to get in the commentary, it was quite good fun wasn't
[24:34.880 -> 24:35.880] it?
[24:35.880 -> 24:36.880] It was Crofty I think.
[24:36.880 -> 24:37.880] Yeah, feels a long time ago.
[24:37.880 -> 24:41.280] I knew it was trouble when it came in but you know.
[24:41.280 -> 24:45.840] Oh, very good. Very good. Karun, what was your favourite race of the year? I'm
[24:45.840 -> 24:52.400] gonna go for Zandvoort because it was completely bonkers. We were all sitting there and you could
[24:52.400 -> 24:58.720] see this the rain cloud coming. Remember Bernie, you know you were getting very excited in your
[24:59.280 -> 25:03.360] usual Bernie-esque way every time the weather radar lights up with all these blue clouds
[25:01.640 -> 25:03.040] every time the weather radar lights up with all these blue clouds.
[25:04.240 -> 25:07.280] And we could just see the rain coming closer and closer,
[25:07.280 -> 25:10.520] then it dumped and it was brilliant.
[25:10.520 -> 25:14.480] And it just created this really dynamic, exciting race.
[25:14.480 -> 25:16.520] And there was a lot of different strategies.
[25:16.520 -> 25:18.960] A lot of people got it completely wrong.
[25:18.960 -> 25:22.280] And others like Gasly and Lonzo came through
[25:22.280 -> 25:26.560] and obviously Max, serenely at the front,
[25:26.560 -> 25:29.080] once again delivered for the home crowd.
[25:29.080 -> 25:30.800] It was just a bonkers race,
[25:30.800 -> 25:32.800] but very exciting to commentate on.
[25:32.800 -> 25:35.280] It really was a brilliant race in the Netherlands.
[25:35.280 -> 25:39.720] Right, moving on, qualifying moment of the year.
[25:39.720 -> 25:41.960] So it could be one lap or one moment in qualy.
[25:41.960 -> 25:43.240] I'm going to switch it around now.
[25:43.240 -> 25:45.320] Ted, I'm going to get you to kick off.
[25:45.320 -> 25:46.840] Bernie, you're off the hook.
[25:46.840 -> 25:48.160] Right, what have I put?
[25:48.160 -> 25:51.960] I have put, with an honorable mention,
[25:51.960 -> 25:55.800] for Nika Hulkenberg in Canada for P2,
[25:55.800 -> 25:59.320] but that was in the rain, as I remember.
[26:00.360 -> 26:02.760] So it was an honorable Hulkenberg.
[26:02.760 -> 26:07.240] I'm going to say Oscar Piestre on his first visit
[26:07.240 -> 26:12.240] to the samurai of all drivers tracks,
[26:14.640 -> 26:19.640] Suzuka P2 for Oscar Piestre.
[26:20.160 -> 26:21.760] Have I, sorry if I've stolen that one.
[26:21.760 -> 26:23.000] You've stolen mine.
[26:23.000 -> 26:23.840] Have I?
[26:23.840 -> 26:29.040] Who, what, Piestre? Yeah, Piestre Japan was my first pick, but I'll go with my second pick.
[26:30.480 -> 26:36.640] Which was, it's a boring pick, but it is Bestappen in Japan, because I just think
[26:38.080 -> 26:41.280] it was as close to perfection as a lap you get.
[26:41.280 -> 26:48.160] It was in the Schumacher, Senna, Hamilton category of utter qualifying
[26:48.160 -> 26:56.240] brilliance. Nothing really left on the table. I enjoyed what I think I watched the lap back
[26:56.240 -> 27:02.240] probably five, six times because it was just sublime. Every millimeter of the road used
[27:02.800 -> 27:05.200] and he thought about details as well. Coming through 130R, not using all of the road used. And he thought about details as well,
[27:05.200 -> 27:08.080] coming through 130R, not using all of the road,
[27:08.080 -> 27:11.040] using a shorter distance to try and just cut back
[27:11.040 -> 27:14.480] some meters on the track and the positioning of the car
[27:14.480 -> 27:18.400] into spoon curve, just millimeter perfect.
[27:18.400 -> 27:21.480] And on pole by, was it seven tenths of a second?
[27:21.480 -> 27:22.740] Just exceptional.
[27:24.000 -> 27:25.840] Yeah, Bernie?
[27:25.840 -> 27:27.320] Mine's a very different answer
[27:27.320 -> 27:28.800] because I think I'm coming at it
[27:28.800 -> 27:30.640] from a very strategy point of view
[27:30.640 -> 27:33.880] and not the very driver point of view.
[27:33.880 -> 27:36.680] I agree with Ted's though, the wet section's good.
[27:36.680 -> 27:39.340] I actually think the Vegas qualifying
[27:39.340 -> 27:43.720] as a session was good because it was one stint.
[27:43.720 -> 27:47.000] You didn't know if people were gonna do one stint or two stints on the soft tyres.
[27:47.000 -> 27:54.000] The track was improving so much, it was really pushing drivers to lap one lap, try and improve and try and get it pinpoint right.
[27:54.000 -> 28:00.000] And some people made big mistakes across the pit wall on the drivers, that's why we got some people going out very early,
[28:00.000 -> 28:10.760] and some people got it right, and it was because was such an unusual qualifier to what we normally have.
[28:10.760 -> 28:16.120] Very good. I can't believe no one's mentioned Monaco and Verstappen v Alonso, the final
[28:16.120 -> 28:17.120] sector from Verstappen.
[28:17.120 -> 28:18.120] Oh yeah.
[28:18.120 -> 28:19.120] Can you remember that?
[28:19.120 -> 28:20.120] It was a long time ago.
[28:20.120 -> 28:24.520] Alonso had the provisional pole and then Verstappen was down through sector one and sector two
[28:24.520 -> 28:28.880] and then right at the very end managed to steal it away from Alonso had the provisional pole and then Verstappen was down through sector 1 and sector 2 and then right at the very end managed to steal it away from Alonso.
[28:28.880 -> 28:34.400] We did discuss this in Abu Dhabi at the weekend and Anthony Davidson was very firmly of the
[28:34.400 -> 28:41.120] opinion that that was compromised by the fact that Alonso had messed up the last sector
[28:41.120 -> 28:42.880] and Max hadn't.
[28:42.880 -> 28:46.700] Right, okay. And so it wasn't the display of brilliance
[28:46.700 -> 28:51.700] that Karun underlines from Verstappen in Suzuka.
[28:51.960 -> 28:53.000] That's a fair point.
[28:53.000 -> 28:56.260] Maybe I'm coming at it more from a sort of spectacle
[28:56.260 -> 28:58.300] or like an amazing moment of qualifying
[28:58.300 -> 28:59.360] where it's one driver,
[28:59.360 -> 29:00.800] then another driver overtakes another
[29:00.800 -> 29:03.320] and I think that's when qualifying's at its best, right?
[29:03.320 -> 29:10.200] When each driver's outdoing each other. Okay, very good. Final sort of category I've got is feel-good
[29:10.200 -> 29:17.240] moment of the year. What was the heartwarming, wholesome moment that got you thinking? Karun,
[29:17.240 -> 29:18.240] hand up.
[29:18.240 -> 29:29.840] I'm going to go Oscar Piastri winning the sprint in Qatar. It was just brilliant because we've seen him building, building, building
[29:29.840 -> 29:36.000] since Silverstone onwards when the car got updated and his second half of the year was really superb.
[29:36.000 -> 29:42.800] You know he out qualified Lando 8.7 in the second half of the year including sprints.
[29:43.440 -> 29:45.040] He's very spaced still, you know,
[29:45.040 -> 29:46.640] he's a shade behind Lando,
[29:46.640 -> 29:48.320] I think especially with tyre management,
[29:48.320 -> 29:49.720] no doubt about it.
[29:49.720 -> 29:51.600] So that race in Qatar,
[29:51.600 -> 29:53.640] it was this sort of,
[29:53.640 -> 29:55.320] it's a bit about like cycling, you know,
[29:55.320 -> 29:56.880] you've got this guy out front
[29:56.880 -> 29:59.320] and this massive peloton coming to eat him up.
[30:00.280 -> 30:01.440] And that's what it was, you know,
[30:01.440 -> 30:03.120] Max caped through the pack,
[30:03.120 -> 30:05.120] we had those safety cars and bits and pieces,
[30:05.120 -> 30:06.440] but all of a sudden he thought,
[30:06.440 -> 30:09.440] oh God, here we go, he's going to win again.
[30:10.460 -> 30:13.240] And those last four or five laps that Oscar drove,
[30:13.240 -> 30:14.240] I thought was superb.
[30:14.240 -> 30:16.080] He really managed his pace well,
[30:16.080 -> 30:18.580] make sure he had a little bit of tire reserve
[30:18.580 -> 30:21.200] to attack the last few laps.
[30:21.200 -> 30:25.560] And to take that win, you know, as a rookie to win.
[30:28.280 -> 30:30.240] And listen, I know it's not the Grand Prix, but it was a race and he crossed the checkered flag first and everyone cheered.
[30:31.440 -> 30:33.720] So, yeah, for me, that was the feel good moment.
[30:34.320 -> 30:37.760] Yeah, lovely. Bernie, what was your feel good moment?
[30:38.080 -> 30:41.880] Well, I was going to say I had two, but Ted said we weren't allowed to do that.
[30:41.880 -> 30:44.520] So you are. I've got five for this one.
[30:44.520 -> 30:46.800] You've got five for this one.
[30:52.640 -> 30:53.280] I don't worry about stealing any of yours. I think as a competition as the F1 day I think
[30:58.720 -> 31:06.400] one of the feel-good moments was seeing McLaren turn around what was a terrible season up until that point and get both cars P2 P4 in Silverstone. Like if there's ever a sign that you know
[31:06.400 -> 31:11.520] someone who's not doing well can improve and get right up there that was a it was
[31:11.520 -> 31:16.280] I sort of thought that was really unexpected from the start of the year
[31:16.280 -> 31:19.180] although the start of the year was unexpected. And then from a personal
[31:19.180 -> 31:23.920] point of view I loved seeing Alonzo Aston Martin on the podium race one
[31:23.920 -> 31:25.040] Bahrain.
[31:25.040 -> 31:26.280] We'd all gone through the test,
[31:26.280 -> 31:28.600] not sure if that pace was genuine.
[31:28.600 -> 31:30.080] And it was great to see, you know,
[31:30.080 -> 31:33.560] my old team really having pushed forward
[31:34.520 -> 31:35.680] to see all the trackside people
[31:35.680 -> 31:37.400] that have worked so hard for so many years
[31:37.400 -> 31:40.160] and not had the results to be like straight in
[31:40.160 -> 31:41.840] with some really good results in race one.
[31:41.840 -> 31:44.240] For me personally, it was that moment.
[31:44.240 -> 31:48.800] Bernie, I was pretty sure from testing that that pace was genuine
[31:48.800 -> 31:52.000] because it was the final Alonso long run.
[31:52.000 -> 31:54.400] I even said it, not to say I told you so,
[31:54.400 -> 31:59.300] but I even said it in my last testing notebook
[31:59.300 -> 32:01.200] that if you did the Grand Prix today,
[32:01.200 -> 32:04.100] it would have been Max, Checo and then Alonso.
[32:04.100 -> 32:05.680] But you're right right we weren't sure
[32:05.680 -> 32:11.120] if where the others were that's the point about where we knew Alonso was good. So I'm also going
[32:11.120 -> 32:18.400] to go that's uh I'm going to go my first one is um Alonso chasing down Max in Zandvoort at the end
[32:18.400 -> 32:22.400] after the red flag and the restart and everyone was like come on Fernando can you do it can you
[32:22.400 -> 32:28.240] do it but he didn't. I will get the second one I'll go with Fernando last lap with Checo in
[32:28.240 -> 32:33.120] Brazil where's it can he stay ahead of him yeah he can whoo feel good feel good
[32:33.120 -> 32:39.760] okay Lando third is Lando himself in Silverstone so this of course
[32:39.760 -> 32:45.640] incorporates what you're saying about McLaren, both of you, and their performance in Silverstone.
[32:45.640 -> 32:50.480] But Lando is so popular everywhere we go.
[32:50.480 -> 32:53.120] In Holland, he gets just as big a cheer,
[32:53.120 -> 32:55.840] well, almost as big a cheer as Max does.
[32:55.840 -> 32:58.280] In Brazil, he's hugely popular.
[32:58.280 -> 32:59.840] He's so popular everywhere,
[32:59.840 -> 33:01.180] but to do it at Silverstone,
[33:01.180 -> 33:02.520] to be P2 at Silverstone,
[33:02.520 -> 33:04.240] his delight on the radio afterwards.
[33:04.240 -> 33:05.960] That's number three.
[33:05.960 -> 33:09.080] Number four, Ricardo in Mexico.
[33:10.000 -> 33:12.360] That's everywhere that he's come,
[33:12.360 -> 33:14.360] break coming back from the broken hand.
[33:14.360 -> 33:16.680] Yes, maybe Yuki, you know, made a mistake
[33:16.680 -> 33:17.560] and would have finished ahead of him,
[33:17.560 -> 33:21.560] but that was feel good because he's still got the mode.
[33:21.560 -> 33:24.720] The mojo is back and that was feel good for me.
[33:24.720 -> 33:28.320] Five, I'm going to say Gasly on the podium
[33:28.320 -> 33:32.040] after the Alpine Night of Long Knives,
[33:32.040 -> 33:34.080] Otmar Zafnar, Alan Permain,
[33:35.200 -> 33:39.160] parting companies with the turmoil,
[33:39.160 -> 33:41.280] we'll call it the Alpine turmoil,
[33:41.280 -> 33:44.280] and for Pierre Gasly to get a podium after that.
[33:44.280 -> 33:45.440] And just to break my
[33:45.440 -> 33:52.760] own rule, six, I'm gonna end with a driver that wasn't even driving this year but
[33:52.760 -> 33:59.400] had a good feel-good moment as to see a Formula One world champion and a man
[33:59.400 -> 34:05.680] who's found peace with himself and what he wants to do this year. And that's Sebastian's B hotel.
[34:05.680 -> 34:10.320] That for me in Suzuka, to see a guy who's as excited
[34:10.320 -> 34:15.320] as he was, you know, winning races about insect hotels,
[34:15.380 -> 34:17.560] was a real feel good moment for me.
[34:17.560 -> 34:21.080] I'm gonna add in science, Singapore, because we-
[34:21.080 -> 34:22.320] I was gonna say, yeah.
[34:22.320 -> 34:24.960] That last part of the race,
[34:24.960 -> 34:25.600] with a Mercedes
[34:26.240 -> 34:33.120] coming bearing down on him with Lando in between and the way he and Lando tag-teamed and played the
[34:33.120 -> 34:39.520] game. I loved watching Carlos win that race it was it was it was just brilliant to watch because
[34:39.520 -> 34:50.960] you know what there were there have been other races isn't there Austin for example I know it's harder to have taken things in Singapore but there have been other races where Max has not been on the front
[34:50.960 -> 34:56.640] row the first two rows you know Miami and Saudi a place like that but you just kind of expected
[34:56.640 -> 35:06.200] it to come through the pack somehow by some magic but Singapore wasn't the case. They were genuinely off the pace, the Red Bulls.
[35:06.200 -> 35:10.440] And to see Carlos and Ferrari take that win was lovely.
[35:10.440 -> 35:11.520] You know what, there was a bit of relief
[35:11.520 -> 35:12.840] across the whole paddock as well,
[35:12.840 -> 35:15.780] that, oh, thank God, someone else has won one.
[35:15.780 -> 35:18.600] I thought as well you might mention the Lando hug
[35:18.600 -> 35:20.760] in Parc Fermé as well, between Sainz and Lando.
[35:20.760 -> 35:22.280] Obviously Lando worked with Sainz
[35:22.280 -> 35:24.280] to keep him within DRS range
[35:24.280 -> 35:26.180] to negate the threat from behind.
[35:26.180 -> 35:27.660] I thought that was quite a nice moment.
[35:27.660 -> 35:29.940] My other moment, which is from this weekend,
[35:29.940 -> 35:31.500] and I don't know how much of it you saw,
[35:31.500 -> 35:34.460] was Franz Tost on the grid with all the drivers.
[35:34.460 -> 35:37.360] The amount of hugs and love for Franz Tost
[35:37.360 -> 35:39.540] was extraordinary and just goes to show, I think,
[35:39.540 -> 35:42.020] how highly he's held amongst people in Formula One
[35:42.020 -> 35:44.300] and I think, yeah, it's gonna be sad to miss him.
[35:44.300 -> 35:45.880] Did you, sorry, I know I keep banging on
[35:45.880 -> 35:46.880] about the press conferences,
[35:46.880 -> 35:50.080] but I was looking at the press conferences this weekend.
[35:50.080 -> 35:53.400] Did you see him give advice to the young driver
[35:53.400 -> 35:55.000] who wants to get into Formula One?
[35:55.000 -> 35:56.680] Where he sort of says, deadpan, you know,
[35:56.680 -> 35:58.600] you just do casting, you just do Formula Three,
[35:58.600 -> 36:00.640] you just do Formula, you know, very, very funny.
[36:00.640 -> 36:01.480] Very, very good.
[36:01.480 -> 36:03.280] So I think we'll miss his personality.
[36:03.280 -> 36:06.880] He was Simon Lazenby's favorite team boss, isn't he Ted? I'm sure Simon will be crying
[36:06.880 -> 36:08.800] when we get to the first place next year.
[36:08.800 -> 36:16.000] And mine in a sense on the team radio. Whenever he joined us as the pit boss on the team radio
[36:16.000 -> 36:24.120] feed on the pit wall, he would say, hello Crofty. He would always, good afternoon to
[36:24.120 -> 36:25.440] you Crofty. He would roll his R's for Crofty. And then when Crofty would he would always, good afternoon to you Crofty,
[36:25.440 -> 36:27.920] he would roll his R's for Crofty.
[36:27.920 -> 36:29.160] And then when Crofty would say,
[36:29.160 -> 36:30.860] okay, right, thank you very much, friends,
[36:30.860 -> 36:33.000] friends would always sign off by saying,
[36:33.000 -> 36:35.360] thanking you, which I like.
[36:35.360 -> 36:38.360] I like anybody who uses the phrase thanking you,
[36:38.360 -> 36:39.880] but yeah, I like it.
[36:39.880 -> 36:41.040] Good old friends.
[36:41.040 -> 36:43.540] I'm sure we'll see him around again in some way.
[36:43.540 -> 36:45.600] We hope so, We hope so.
[36:45.600 -> 36:48.760] So look, just before we go, I thought we'd just go, final moment, final word on the season
[36:48.760 -> 36:53.040] as a whole, what each of you will remember the season for, your overriding feeling.
[36:53.040 -> 36:55.160] Karim, I'll start with you.
[36:55.160 -> 36:56.160] What will that be for you?
[36:56.160 -> 37:02.000] Honestly, a bit of disappointment that Mercedes and Ferrari didn't turn up to the party to
[37:02.000 -> 37:07.240] challenge Max and Red Bull. You know, that... That, as pre-season testing unfolded,
[37:07.320 -> 37:09.560] and we got the first race weekend,
[37:10.320 -> 37:14.120] I was just disappointed, honestly.
[37:14.200 -> 37:17.400] And, you know, it was wonderful to see
[37:17.480 -> 37:20.720] the exceptional greatness of Max
[37:20.800 -> 37:24.320] in a car that was one of the greatest cars ever built.
[37:24.920 -> 37:25.600] But I was disappointed that the greatest cars ever built but I was
[37:25.600 -> 37:28.600] disappointed that the others didn't take the fight to him.
[37:28.600 -> 37:35.720] Bernie what about you? Again I'm gonna cheat and do two. The first one I
[37:35.720 -> 37:41.000] think it was although the year became not surprising the year was surprising
[37:41.000 -> 37:45.880] at the start we were shocked with how poorly McLaren and
[37:45.880 -> 37:51.280] Mercedes performed, surprised, you know, from testing onwards at how Aston
[37:51.280 -> 37:54.960] performed. So I think the order that we had at the start of the year was very
[37:54.960 -> 37:59.320] different to what we expected at the end of the year before. So I think that
[37:59.320 -> 38:02.680] was a surprise. And then for me personally, it was obviously my first
[38:02.680 -> 38:07.000] year with Elot on Sky, so that's obviously a positive on a victory.
[38:07.000 -> 38:08.000] Hugely positive.
[38:08.000 -> 38:11.000] And you survived! You haven't run away yet.
[38:13.000 -> 38:15.000] One more fall down and then it's gone.
[38:15.000 -> 38:16.000] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[38:16.000 -> 38:18.000] Hey, you're not getting away that easily, Collins.
[38:18.000 -> 38:19.000] You win this next year.
[38:19.000 -> 38:24.000] So, I mean, for me, Matt, I would say when I was growing up and I wasn't,
[38:24.000 -> 38:26.280] I'm old, but I'm not that old to have
[38:26.280 -> 38:32.120] been around in 1988 when the MP4-4 won all the races apart from one, I always look back
[38:32.120 -> 38:36.160] on that time and thought, I wonder what it would have been like to actually work on that
[38:36.160 -> 38:37.160] season.
[38:37.160 -> 38:40.040] I know while we had the fight between the two teammates, maybe that we didn't have the
[38:40.040 -> 38:44.600] Red Bull, now I'm glad that I experienced what it was like when you've got a car that
[38:44.600 -> 38:53.980] wins everyone apart from one. It's been interesting to actually live through that. Almost as interesting
[38:53.980 -> 39:01.000] as living through doing practice at four in the morning, which I never thought I'd do.
[39:01.000 -> 39:05.280] That was interesting, but I'm glad I lived through it and actually did it.
[39:05.280 -> 39:13.000] So yeah, so seeing, you know, seeing perfection at work has been interesting and enjoyable
[39:13.000 -> 39:14.360] in its own way.
[39:14.360 -> 39:18.720] And seeing the chasing pack get closer, you know, the likes of McLaren improving, the
[39:18.720 -> 39:23.840] likes of Aston Martin improving, which does give me hope that while clearly Red Bull will
[39:23.840 -> 39:31.440] make another step forward next year, everybody else will have closed up enough to give us the closer championship. I'm
[39:31.440 -> 39:35.120] not going to say it's going to be hugely close and that anyone's going to beat Red Bull, they
[39:35.120 -> 39:40.480] might not yet, but it is going to be much closer next year than it was this year. Yeah, well,
[39:40.480 -> 39:47.920] fingers crossed. That's that's a lovely way to end it. And yeah, thank you very much,, for listening to the podcast this year. We're going to try and be back for a few ad hoc
[39:47.920 -> 39:52.720] ones over the winter and over the coming weeks before Christmas. Ted, I can't quite do as good
[39:52.720 -> 39:56.880] a sign off as you did from your notebook the other day. Thank you from the bottom of my heart
[39:56.880 -> 40:01.280] and from the heart of my bottom. Well, it was kind of, I was sort of minded,
[40:01.280 -> 40:05.200] I was minded about Valtteri Bottas' Christmas calendar.
[40:05.200 -> 40:10.400] His calendar for 2024, which is still on sale, I believe.
[40:10.400 -> 40:11.600] Actually, it's selling out.
[40:11.600 -> 40:15.600] It is in aid of the Movember charity, which is for, I believe,
[40:15.600 -> 40:17.000] prostate cancer and men's mental health.
[40:17.000 -> 40:19.000] So, yeah, it's a good one.
[40:19.000 -> 40:21.600] And, you know, you'll never see it's like again.
[40:21.600 -> 40:23.400] I can't think of any other driver.
[40:23.400 -> 40:25.920] Are you saying there's no Ted Kravitz version for 2025?
[40:25.920 -> 40:28.920] The nude calendar, no, certainly not.
[40:28.920 -> 40:31.880] Together with Valtteri's tan lines and everything.
[40:31.880 -> 40:33.400] It's quite the thing to behold
[40:33.400 -> 40:36.560] and worth your money as a Christmas present for charity.
[40:36.560 -> 40:37.680] Very good.
[40:37.680 -> 40:38.760] Yeah, so thank you very much everyone
[40:38.760 -> 40:39.580] for listening this year.
[40:39.580 -> 40:40.560] We really appreciate your company
[40:40.560 -> 40:42.840] and know that there's a lot of Formula One podcasts
[40:42.840 -> 40:43.680] out there.
[40:43.680 -> 40:47.280] I think we launched with three or four this year. So yeah, we're really grateful for your company
[40:47.280 -> 40:54.320] and we will be back in the new year. Until then, bye for now.