Ted's Podbook | Austria awaits

Naomi Schiff joins Ted for her debut on the Podbook as they preview the Austria GP. We discuss whether Checo Perez can compete with Max Verstappen despite being unwell, Lewis Hamilton's impromptu trip to Glastonbury, Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney's investment in Alpine and Lance Stroll's mysterious secrets.

# Austrian Grand Prix Preview: A Detailed Summary

**Introduction**

Ted Kravitz and Naomi Schiff join forces to provide an in-depth preview of the Austrian Grand Prix, offering insights, predictions, and expert analysis.

**Checo Perez's Health Concerns**

Checo Perez, Red Bull's second driver, has been battling an illness, initially thought to be a stomach bug but later revealed to be a fever. Despite his condition, Perez is determined to race, relying on adrenaline to manage his pain during the race.

**Max Verstappen's Rivalry with Lewis Hamilton**

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have been engaged in a heated rivalry, with Verstappen criticizing Hamilton's comments about introducing a not-before date for teams to start developing the next year's car. Verstappen believes that Hamilton's perspective is biased due to Mercedes' current dominance.

**Mercedes' Development Plans**

Mercedes is set to introduce upgrades to their car at the Silverstone Grand Prix, aiming to improve their performance and close the gap to Red Bull. George Russell believes that the upgrades will be a significant step in the right direction.

**Ferrari's Struggles**

Ferrari has faced challenges this season, with Carlos Sainz expressing disappointment about the team's lack of progress compared to last year. Sainz aims to secure good points positions, while Charles Leclerc seeks to break his one-year victory drought.

**Alpine's Investment**

Alpine has made headlines with its recent investment deal, with Renault selling 24% of the team to a group of investors including Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The move is seen as a strategic decision to secure funding and support Alpine's ambitious goals.

**McLaren's Upgrades**

McLaren is introducing the first of its three-race upgrades at the Austrian Grand Prix, with the majority of the upgrades scheduled for Silverstone and Budapest. Lando Norris, who has a successful history at the track, is optimistic about the team's chances.

**Alfa Romeo Sauber's Performance**

Alfa Romeo Sauber faces the threat of being overtaken by Williams in the constructors' standings. Valtteri Bottas, the team's experienced driver, has struggled to match the performance of his teammate, Zhou Guanyu.

**Lance Stroll's Qualifying Secrets**

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin's driver, has been tight-lipped about the specific issues affecting his qualifying performance. He acknowledges that there are "little things" that need to be addressed, but he declines to reveal details, hinting at potential communication errors or disagreements within the team.

**Artificial Intelligence in Formula One**

George Russell highlights the growing influence of artificial intelligence and machine learning in Formula One. He expresses concern about the potential impact of AI on the sport, particularly in terms of data access and usage.

**Conclusion**

The Austrian Grand Prix promises excitement and intrigue, with Red Bull aiming to deliver a special victory in honor of their late founder, Dietrich Mateschitz. The sprint weekend format adds an extra layer of intensity, with qualifying and the sprint race taking place on Friday and Saturday, leading up to the main event on Sunday.

[00:00.000 -> 00:12.800] Hello everybody and welcome back to the Sky Sports F1 podcast feed and to Ted's pod book
[00:12.800 -> 00:18.440] from the Austrian Grand Prix of 2023. Special guest for this one is Naomi Schiff. Hi, Naomi.
[00:18.440 -> 00:21.640] Hi Ted. Thank you first of all very much for having me on the pod book.
[00:21.640 -> 00:23.520] Not at all. I should be thanking you.
[00:23.520 -> 00:29.400] It feels a bit like an honour, I guess. I've been featured a few times on the notebook,
[00:29.400 -> 00:32.840] but the pod book, this is a, seems like some sort of, I don't know, downgrade, upgrade?
[00:32.840 -> 00:33.840] What do you call it?
[00:33.840 -> 00:38.480] No, it's definitely a downgrade. But you join us, dear listener, in a rather idyllic setting
[00:38.480 -> 00:45.000] because we're in our hotel, which doubles up as a music school, a Musikschule.
[00:45.640 -> 00:47.380] Yeah, I guess so.
[00:47.380 -> 00:51.120] And if we don't talk too loudly,
[00:51.120 -> 00:53.560] and if the kids playing in the playground next to us
[00:53.560 -> 00:56.320] don't, you know, scream too loudly,
[00:56.320 -> 00:59.420] you might hear some notes wafting down
[00:59.420 -> 01:01.660] from an upstairs window of some piano,
[01:01.660 -> 01:05.720] and well, I'd say they're sort of grade five so far.
[01:05.720 -> 01:09.800] Yeah, no Mozart just yet but I'm clearly working on it which is more than we can
[01:09.800 -> 01:12.960] say for ourselves in terms of our musical ability so we won't knock it.
[01:12.960 -> 01:16.880] But spot-on with Mozart because of course being one of Austria's most famous
[01:16.880 -> 01:24.680] sons, fact check he was Austrian wasn't he? He was Austrian. At least I know that he's buried in Austria so there's that.
[01:24.680 -> 01:29.800] Yes the famous Mozart balls, the chocolate balls that you get in Vienna.
[01:29.800 -> 01:34.680] But we've been kind of, not exactly celebrating, but had in mind another famous Austrian as
[01:34.680 -> 01:38.160] we've been at the track today, or I certainly have, and that's Dietrich Mateschitz, because
[01:38.160 -> 01:45.280] the founder of Red Bull, or Red Bull as it is known in in Europe and around the world.
[01:45.280 -> 01:48.240] Not the original Red Bull which is owned by the Ties, but I'm getting into too much detail
[01:48.240 -> 01:49.240] here.
[01:49.240 -> 01:55.320] This is the first time Formula One has been at the circuit he built since his passing
[01:55.320 -> 01:58.080] in October last year.
[01:58.080 -> 02:02.100] And I thought, I don't know, maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I think there is going
[02:02.100 -> 02:10.760] to be a little bit of sadness tinged and a determination by both Red Bull teams to kind of deliver for Dietrich,
[02:10.760 -> 02:14.280] if you like, for the first time that, you know, the big man's not going to be at the
[02:14.280 -> 02:20.640] circuit that he refurbished, that he bought when it was in financial straits, refurbished
[02:20.640 -> 02:24.800] with that amazing media center and great paddock building.
[02:24.800 -> 02:28.240] And you've got a sense that even after winning their 100th race in Canada,
[02:28.240 -> 02:30.080] this one might even be more special for Red Bull.
[02:30.640 -> 02:34.560] Yeah, definitely. I mean, obviously, Red Bull and Red Bull Ring, especially, is
[02:35.200 -> 02:40.000] a very special place for them. It being, you know, their factory Red Bull's headquarters are not far
[02:40.000 -> 02:44.880] from here in Montserrat. So it's one that they come to typically and have a sense of pressure,
[02:44.880 -> 02:46.920] a sense of a need to deliver.
[02:46.920 -> 02:50.480] But as you say, this year, it's obviously there's a bit more of a sentimental reason
[02:50.480 -> 02:57.120] to make a statement here and make sure that they make Dietrich proud as he watches down
[02:57.120 -> 02:58.120] on them.
[02:58.120 -> 02:59.120] Yes, it's a feature I'm doing for Sunday.
[02:59.120 -> 03:02.000] I think it's well, I might as well give you a preview of how I'm going to end it.
[03:02.000 -> 03:05.440] You know, they or is that a terrible spoiler alert?
[03:05.440 -> 03:10.040] But it's kind of, you know, they want to deliver,
[03:10.040 -> 03:12.360] they want to, they want effectively
[03:12.360 -> 03:14.000] to make Dietrich proud, don't they?
[03:14.000 -> 03:16.760] And they are coming off the back of 100 Grand Prix wins.
[03:17.680 -> 03:19.360] Yeah, there's every chance they can do that.
[03:19.360 -> 03:22.440] Max Verstappen arrived quite late at the paddock today.
[03:22.440 -> 03:26.440] He only arrived just after 2 p.m. All the photographers and...
[03:26.440 -> 03:27.440] As did Checo.
[03:27.440 -> 03:28.440] TV crews.
[03:28.440 -> 03:29.440] As did Checo, I believe.
[03:29.440 -> 03:31.440] Did he actually come to the circuit? I didn't see Checo.
[03:31.440 -> 03:35.440] Well, I don't know if he actually arrived to the circuit, but I know that he arrived
[03:35.440 -> 03:37.640] touchdown around 2 p.m. today.
[03:37.640 -> 03:39.640] Yeah, so Checo's not been well.
[03:39.640 -> 03:43.840] Yeah, he has been a bit unwell. Initially, we thought it was a stomach bug of some sorts,
[03:43.840 -> 03:46.920] but actually, from what I heard, he came down with a fever.
[03:46.920 -> 03:48.340] So he's actually on antibiotics,
[03:48.340 -> 03:50.240] but you know what racing drivers are like.
[03:50.240 -> 03:52.840] No matter what happens, they will get behind the wheel,
[03:52.840 -> 03:55.920] and somehow, adrenaline always seems to take that pain away,
[03:55.920 -> 03:57.960] at least while you're in the car.
[03:57.960 -> 04:00.880] So Max was on good form,
[04:00.880 -> 04:03.160] talking, replying to things
[04:03.160 -> 04:04.960] that Lewis Hamilton was saying about
[04:06.680 -> 04:10.520] when Lewis found out that Red Bull had already started on next year's car. Lewis was kind of throwing
[04:10.520 -> 04:15.980] up the idea that maybe we should give a not before date where teams can start on developing
[04:15.980 -> 04:22.120] next year's car and actually said that Mercedes would have been a victim of that too in the
[04:22.120 -> 04:27.000] years that they were dominating. And it would have made it a lot closer when Mercedes were dominating.
[04:27.000 -> 04:29.320] He said, yeah, there's no reason why it shouldn't have been.
[04:29.320 -> 04:32.880] You know, I would have preferred to have the competition that I had.
[04:32.880 -> 04:35.960] And Max was very much kicking back on that and saying, well, it was easy for him to say
[04:35.960 -> 04:38.400] when he's not got a dominant car like he did for all those times.
[04:38.400 -> 04:39.400] And now he does.
[04:39.400 -> 04:41.200] But Max was in good form.
[04:41.200 -> 04:42.760] But should we get to that point from Lewis?
[04:42.760 -> 04:49.600] I mean, first of all, I'll tell you what Lewis was saying about what he's got up to recently. But yeah, he seemed like he came
[04:50.240 -> 04:55.840] to the track, or at least to the media, wanting to say something about that. I think he heard in
[04:55.840 -> 05:00.560] Canada, when Christian Horner said, we've already started on next year's car, that I think probably
[05:00.560 -> 05:08.000] made, I imagine made Lewis's heart sink a bit. Yeah, well, obviously, as you can imagine, coming from, you know, Red Bull side, Max's
[05:08.000 -> 05:13.240] side, Christian's side, they're in an incredibly lucky position and fortunate position right
[05:13.240 -> 05:17.120] now that they've got this car that's just so incredibly dominant.
[05:17.120 -> 05:21.460] They've won every single race as a team this season so far.
[05:21.460 -> 05:28.280] You've got to kind of look around and say, well, what more can they do to this car to protect themselves? They're very much in the safe, they're very much in the clear
[05:28.280 -> 05:34.520] and they can now put their focus on next year's car. Whereas everyone behind them is clearly
[05:34.520 -> 05:38.660] trying to close that gap to them and gain as much margin on them this season still.
[05:38.660 -> 05:47.360] So it's obviously an argument that you've got to sort of see from both sides. My personal perspective is I totally get why Red Bull
[05:47.360 -> 05:49.920] would argue that that shouldn't be the case,
[05:49.920 -> 05:52.600] but if you look at it from a sporting perspective,
[05:52.600 -> 05:55.080] from an audience perspective, from a media perspective,
[05:55.080 -> 05:57.180] from everyone else essentially's perspective
[05:57.180 -> 05:58.360] is we want to see a race.
[05:58.360 -> 06:00.400] We don't constantly want to see the same people
[06:00.400 -> 06:02.560] at the front, and at least if it is the same people
[06:02.560 -> 06:04.200] at the front, let that battle be closer.
[06:04.200 -> 06:07.160] So whatever it is that puts you know not necessarily a
[06:07.160 -> 06:10.760] better show on but more competition what we want to see a competition really
[06:10.760 -> 06:14.520] between the Red Bull drivers as well that's why I hope that Cheka gets well
[06:14.520 -> 06:19.640] very quickly because would you say this is you know at the least a must podium
[06:19.640 -> 06:23.160] for him I know I've gone about this sometimes but it kind of really is
[06:23.160 -> 06:28.240] isn't it look I think if there's one place where he should be very close to max, it'll be here.
[06:29.280 -> 06:32.240] That obviously is now going to be dependent on his physical condition,
[06:32.240 -> 06:35.520] given the fact that he's not well. But, you know, Red Bull Ring,
[06:36.240 -> 06:40.080] this track has the least amount of corners on the Formula One calendar,
[06:40.080 -> 06:44.000] and that's just 10 corners. But actually, if you really look at the track layout
[06:44.000 -> 06:45.400] and in terms of driver input, there's only really any difference they can make in just 10 corners. But actually, if you really look at the track layout and in terms of driver input,
[06:45.840 -> 06:50.500] there's only really any difference they can make in only seven corners. So
[06:51.100 -> 06:57.160] there's really, there's such small margins here in terms of what's going to make the difference that the gap between Max and
[06:57.220 -> 07:02.680] Checo here should be very close. I don't think there should be any excuses for him here. Okay, we'll see how that goes.
[07:03.120 -> 07:09.840] Yeah, best of luck to Checo as he gets over that fever. Let's do Lewis and George while we're talking about it Mercedes,
[07:09.840 -> 07:14.580] then we'll get back to Ferrari. So Lewis was talking about his his week off. He's been
[07:14.580 -> 07:23.300] very busy. He's been in Spain, I believe shooting a commercial. He's been at the I want to say
[07:23.300 -> 07:26.800] Louis Vuitton event and lots of things at Paris Fashion Week.
[07:26.800 -> 07:27.800] Yes, exactly.
[07:27.800 -> 07:31.960] And he's been at Glastonbury where he said, apparently he thought it was just a complete
[07:31.960 -> 07:36.400] spur of the moment moment, he thought, how am I going to spend this Sunday?
[07:36.400 -> 07:38.320] I know, I'll go to Glastonbury.
[07:38.320 -> 07:40.120] Well, that's what he said, I'll go to Glastonbury.
[07:40.120 -> 07:42.720] I don't know how I can get there, how I can get tickets.
[07:42.720 -> 07:44.560] I assume he was all right without a ticket.
[07:44.560 -> 07:47.120] And had a great time. He said he's been there before to watch Kanye
[07:47.120 -> 07:51.120] West in the past and had a great time watching Elton John. So great.
[07:51.120 -> 07:55.960] Yeah, I mean, it's nice to have that little bit of a week off to do other stuff and what
[07:55.960 -> 08:00.320] seems to be the busiest period in Formula One. We've had, what is it, four races in
[08:00.320 -> 08:06.160] five weeks? Four races in five weeks and many races up ahead of us in July with just one week off as well.
[08:06.160 -> 08:08.080] But then there's obviously Goodwood Festival of Speed
[08:08.080 -> 08:08.920] as well, so.
[08:08.920 -> 08:09.740] Is that, when's that?
[08:09.740 -> 08:11.800] That's the week after Silverstone, yes.
[08:11.800 -> 08:13.720] So it's a very busy period at the moment
[08:13.720 -> 08:15.420] for the world of motor sports.
[08:15.420 -> 08:18.160] Between Le Mans, Formula One, Goodwood,
[08:18.160 -> 08:19.880] all of the above, no time to rest.
[08:19.880 -> 08:21.360] Well of course we've got, so this one's back to back.
[08:21.360 -> 08:22.980] Austria's back to back with Silverstone,
[08:22.980 -> 08:27.240] then he says Goodwood, and then it's Hungary and a spa just telling the other
[08:27.240 -> 08:32.440] thing you might hear in the background is the Austrian Air Force doing their
[08:32.440 -> 08:38.840] exercises in the Eurofighters typhoons or is it the the Saabs that they run I
[08:38.840 -> 08:43.160] don't know I'd have to look on the internet. You're the plane guru. Come on Ted even just by hearing that sound you should know what that is.
[08:43.160 -> 08:46.600] I thought they were the Saabs, they might be the French Raphaels.
[08:46.600 -> 08:47.600] Can you hear that?
[08:47.600 -> 08:50.600] We're picking this up on the mic, can anyone listening hear this?
[08:50.600 -> 08:51.600] Of course you can.
[08:51.600 -> 08:55.800] But you'll see them, you'll hear them because of the Zeltberg airbase which is nearby of
[08:55.800 -> 08:56.800] course.
[08:56.800 -> 09:02.600] So yeah, Lewis saying that there's nothing on the car to make them faster, downplaying
[09:02.600 -> 09:07.040] their expectations at Mercedes, but Mercedes will have an upgrade at Silverstone
[09:07.040 -> 09:12.760] So George also saying that's when to expect a little bit more from the car, but it's still a compromise, isn't it?
[09:12.760 -> 09:18.640] This car it obviously is a compromise car because they've started the season with one base and then they sort of patchworked
[09:19.480 -> 09:23.800] You know the new direction change on to what was their original concept?
[09:24.080 -> 09:29.000] So it's always going to be a compromised car, but I think it's been quite positive.
[09:29.000 -> 09:35.000] Post Monaco, obviously they didn't really get to show the performance of those upgrades in Monaco.
[09:35.000 -> 09:40.000] Barcelona was a really good indication of what was possible, and then Canada as well.
[09:40.000 -> 09:45.160] I thought that Canada was a really good telltale sign of how much they have gone in the right direction.
[09:45.160 -> 09:50.120] But then I looked at the results from Canada last year and they actually performed quite well in Canada last year.
[09:50.120 -> 09:52.120] So it seems that Canada does suit their car.
[09:52.120 -> 09:56.880] So I guess we've got a seed on a number of other circuits with different dynamics.
[09:56.880 -> 10:03.040] But yeah, I think they were all surprised about just how much potential they were able to unlock with this set of upgrades.
[10:03.040 -> 10:05.320] So I think whatever's to come in Silverstone
[10:05.320 -> 10:08.280] should be another proper push in the right direction.
[10:08.280 -> 10:10.680] Okay, someone else who performed well-ish,
[10:10.680 -> 10:13.040] I suppose, in Canada was Ferrari.
[10:13.040 -> 10:16.720] Carlos Sainz trailing home behind Charles Leclerc,
[10:16.720 -> 10:18.000] but they're not really racing each other,
[10:18.000 -> 10:19.480] he just wants to get some good points positions,
[10:19.480 -> 10:20.400] which they did.
[10:20.400 -> 10:23.240] Carlos Sainz was kind of optimistic
[10:23.240 -> 10:24.400] about the weekend ahead,
[10:24.400 -> 10:26.200] I was saying more optimistic of the two, but then he often starts weekends like that, Carlos Sainz was kind of optimistic about the weekend ahead, I was saying more optimistic
[10:26.200 -> 10:29.960] of the two. But then he often starts weekends like that, Carlos, and then something always
[10:29.960 -> 10:35.160] comes in to sort of upset his rhythm. While Charlotte Clare was saying that, yes, while
[10:35.160 -> 10:38.800] people love anniversaries in Formula One, love celebrating birthdays and anniversaries
[10:38.800 -> 10:44.160] and notable dates, this one is not one that he wants to celebrate because it is one year
[10:44.160 -> 10:46.320] since... This one is not one that he wants to celebrate because it is one year since his last victory.
[10:47.600 -> 10:51.760] Exactly. Yeah, I remember I remember last year talking to him straight after the race. We did
[10:51.760 -> 10:57.200] a little walk and talk to the press conference. Very stark contrast to where they are at the
[10:57.200 -> 11:01.840] moment in Formula One compared to where they were last year. Although for Carlos Sainz can only
[11:01.840 -> 11:05.280] really be uphill on from what happened to him here last
[11:05.280 -> 11:07.580] year in terms of car going up in flames.
[11:07.580 -> 11:08.580] Really scary moment that was.
[11:08.580 -> 11:11.580] So hopefully nothing bad happens to them this weekend.
[11:11.580 -> 11:14.520] But it's quite tough for Ferrari at the moment.
[11:14.520 -> 11:20.420] I think they are making very slow progress as opposed to the teams around them, which
[11:20.420 -> 11:29.800] is really disappointing if you look at where they were last year at this time. Yep, yep. They've certainly gone as the, I know I keep saying this, but gone as the easy-to-drive,
[11:29.800 -> 11:33.000] nice car of last year and it's a bit of a...
[11:33.000 -> 11:36.000] Temperamental horse, this one.
[11:36.000 -> 11:40.400] It is. Let's touch quickly on Alpine. I saw Pierre Gasly around the place, didn't speak to him.
[11:40.400 -> 11:46.360] Did speak to Esteban Ocon. Most of the questions Ocon was getting about this investment into the Alpine team, Renault
[11:46.360 -> 11:48.520] giving up 24% of the team.
[11:48.520 -> 11:49.520] I think that's kind of the headline.
[11:49.520 -> 11:55.240] I mean, you could talk about Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney and all of that, and the
[11:55.240 -> 11:58.940] Rexham-related investors.
[11:58.940 -> 12:09.280] But the reality is for me that Renault, a big constructor in Formula One history, has just sold almost a quarter
[12:09.280 -> 12:10.960] of their F1 team.
[12:10.960 -> 12:12.960] What's going on?
[12:12.960 -> 12:15.680] Well, money talks, doesn't it?
[12:15.680 -> 12:16.680] What's going on?
[12:16.680 -> 12:17.680] What's happening?
[12:17.680 -> 12:21.000] Look, I think it is surprising.
[12:21.000 -> 12:25.600] You want to maintain as much control as you can over your team and over the future of your team.
[12:25.600 -> 12:28.600] But at the end of the day, the sport is all about money.
[12:28.600 -> 12:34.280] And money is definitely something that will help them move forwards in the directions that they've set out for themselves.
[12:34.280 -> 12:37.040] They've got really big targets in terms of where they want to be.
[12:37.040 -> 12:43.120] Maybe this is what they needed in terms of making that next step, making that big step towards the top teams.
[12:43.120 -> 12:47.560] I can only imagine that that would be the reason why they'd give away such a huge part of their ownership.
[12:47.560 -> 12:51.960] Yeah, they don't need the money. Renault.
[12:51.960 -> 12:52.960] You don't think they do?
[12:52.960 -> 12:53.960] No, there's a massive corporation.
[12:53.960 -> 12:54.960] Well, the team, the team surely.
[12:54.960 -> 12:58.480] Well, maybe the team do, yeah. Anyway, okay, well, I'm sure that we'll find out.
[12:58.480 -> 13:01.440] I'm sure there's a reason that makes sense for why they've done this, surely.
[13:01.440 -> 13:06.360] No, I guess to lighten, to spread the burden and get a valuation for the team.
[13:06.360 -> 13:07.360] Maybe that helps, I don't know.
[13:07.360 -> 13:09.560] But listen, we'll talk about that throughout the weekend.
[13:09.560 -> 13:14.040] Let's move on to McLaren because they have the first of their three race upgrades.
[13:14.040 -> 13:16.960] They work very hard in Woking to get the upgrades on the car here.
[13:16.960 -> 13:18.520] It's not all of them.
[13:18.520 -> 13:23.480] Majority of them will come at Silverstone and then the last few in Budapest.
[13:23.480 -> 13:25.560] But Lando Norris was saying that it's always been
[13:25.560 -> 13:28.720] my most successful track ever since he first came here
[13:28.720 -> 13:31.240] in Formula 3.
[13:31.240 -> 13:33.000] He said, I've always gone well here
[13:33.000 -> 13:35.560] and it's headed for an exciting weekend.
[13:35.560 -> 13:40.560] And I do remember him in, I think it was 2020,
[13:40.560 -> 13:41.600] getting the podium here.
[13:41.600 -> 13:43.400] COVID times, he did get a podium here.
[13:43.400 -> 13:46.240] I mean, look, some of that was paired with a little bit of luck.
[13:46.240 -> 13:48.720] But the fact of the matter was he was in a position to claim
[13:49.040 -> 13:51.080] to claim that little bit of luck that he had.
[13:51.080 -> 13:53.120] And as I said, it's a track where
[13:54.080 -> 13:56.600] the drivers can make somewhat of a difference,
[13:56.600 -> 13:58.560] but not too much of a difference.
[13:58.880 -> 14:02.280] The margins are always so tight here between between the field.
[14:02.280 -> 14:06.240] Last year, top three were between between the the three of them was 110th,
[14:06.240 -> 14:07.680] which is very, very, very small
[14:07.680 -> 14:09.740] compared to some of the other events we go to.
[14:09.740 -> 14:12.040] So, that gives the midfield teams
[14:12.040 -> 14:14.780] a little bit more of an opportunity to capitalize on,
[14:14.780 -> 14:17.480] you know, picking up whatever additional points
[14:17.480 -> 14:18.300] they possibly can.
[14:18.300 -> 14:20.600] I can see you looking at the sky to see what plane this is.
[14:20.600 -> 14:22.760] Well, we can see them, they're right above us.
[14:22.760 -> 14:25.000] It looks like they're doing a practice dogfight,
[14:25.000 -> 14:31.000] but it looks like one of them is going slightly slower than I would expect the other one to go.
[14:31.000 -> 14:34.000] It's kind of balletic, they're flying there.
[14:34.000 -> 14:39.000] It's crazy just how loud they are, because if you guys could see how far away they are from us here,
[14:39.000 -> 14:42.000] the amount of sound that's coming out of that is just insane.
[14:42.000 -> 14:47.120] All right, well, we'll let the Austrian Air Force get on with it.
[14:47.120 -> 14:50.040] Let's move on to Alfa Romeo Sauber.
[14:50.040 -> 14:54.180] Valtteri Bottas was a late arriver here actually only came in this morning, so hasn't been
[14:54.180 -> 14:59.320] doing much cycling in the hills here, but has been doing some naked swimming in Finland,
[14:59.320 -> 15:00.320] he was saying.
[15:00.320 -> 15:01.320] Did you see on the socials?
[15:01.320 -> 15:06.400] I tried to avoid seeing Valtteri Bottas' butt cheeks too much on the net.
[15:06.400 -> 15:11.080] It was the summer solstice there as well as everywhere else, I suppose, in the Northern
[15:11.080 -> 15:12.080] Hemisphere.
[15:12.080 -> 15:16.400] And he was saying that the nights are only two hours long in Finland.
[15:16.400 -> 15:19.920] That is a very, very, very long day.
[15:19.920 -> 15:20.920] I know.
[15:20.920 -> 15:24.880] It must be good for people who suffer from seasonally affected disorders.
[15:24.880 -> 15:25.920] I guess so. You get lots of sunlight. Yeah be good for people who suffer from seasonally affected disorders. I guess so.
[15:25.920 -> 15:26.920] You get lots of sunlight.
[15:26.920 -> 15:27.920] Yeah, good for them.
[15:27.920 -> 15:30.520] I mean, good for like vitamin D is so important for everyone, isn't it?
[15:30.520 -> 15:31.520] It must be.
[15:31.520 -> 15:33.240] Off to Vinland after this, I guess?
[15:33.240 -> 15:38.760] Listen, I've been there with Valtteri, his lake and his fun sauna time.
[15:38.760 -> 15:52.160] So yeah, I know what a paradise it is up there, But not so much for Paradise on track because Alfa Romeo Sauber are in danger of being caught by Williams with Alex Albins and Azar Haas actually. Kevin Magnussen
[15:52.160 -> 15:55.520] at Haas saying look you know we keep an eye on Williams but we've scored points three or four
[15:55.520 -> 15:59.440] times with this car so far this year we don't think that's going to dry up. We think Kando was
[15:59.440 -> 16:04.080] a bit of an outlier but Nico Hockenberg proved in qualifying there is speed in the car we just need
[16:04.080 -> 16:08.120] to get it together. But Valtteri is kind of thinking, and this made me think, you know, back to
[16:08.120 -> 16:12.440] Valtteri's Williams time. I mean, it's a very different team. It was a stronger team, surely,
[16:12.440 -> 16:17.480] when Valtteri was at Williams. But, you know, have Alfa Romeo Sauber now got to worry about
[16:17.480 -> 16:20.480] Williams in the constructors? I suppose they have.
[16:20.480 -> 16:26.560] I mean, that's not really good news, is it? Well, I mean, I guess that has something to say about William's progress as well.
[16:27.440 -> 16:31.400] Not so much as, you know, maybe Alfa Romeo's regression, let's say.
[16:31.400 -> 16:33.560] But it's been it's been a tough season for them.
[16:33.560 -> 16:36.920] And I think I think it's been quite a tough season for Valtteri as well.
[16:36.920 -> 16:40.440] I mean, his performance compared to his teammate
[16:40.960 -> 16:47.640] Joe has been, yeah, not very impressive, if I impressive, if I can say so.
[16:47.640 -> 16:50.600] You would think coming in as such an experienced driver,
[16:50.600 -> 16:54.400] so many years battling right at the front with Lewis
[16:54.400 -> 16:56.600] on several occasions out qualifying him,
[16:56.600 -> 16:58.520] on several occasions out racing him,
[16:58.520 -> 17:01.280] that he's a driver that clearly has what it takes if you're
[17:01.280 -> 17:04.560] beating the greatest of all time on track,
[17:04.560 -> 17:08.240] then you clearly are very capable. So I'm not sure what's going on with him in that car at the
[17:08.240 -> 17:13.400] moment and why he doesn't seem to be getting along with it well. Or maybe that's just Joe
[17:13.400 -> 17:18.400] Guagniou also just having outstanding performances in what seems to be quite a tricky car to
[17:18.400 -> 17:19.400] get around the track.
[17:19.400 -> 17:23.580] Yeah, he's had a better year, Joe Guagniou, certainly, than last year. And we will leave
[17:23.580 -> 17:28.200] you with a little bit of a teaser from Lance Stroll.
[17:28.200 -> 17:32.400] I asked him, are you now going to be qualifying, concentrating on qualifying,
[17:32.680 -> 17:34.520] given that qualifying has been the weak point?
[17:34.520 -> 17:36.600] He says, yes, the last few qualifying's haven't been good,
[17:36.920 -> 17:40.240] but there are little things that have been happening in qualifying.
[17:40.240 -> 17:44.640] We know what they are in the team and we're going to do something about it.
[17:44.640 -> 17:46.960] And I said, of course, all right, what are they?
[17:46.960 -> 17:50.400] He said, basically, I'm not going to tell you.
[17:50.400 -> 17:52.080] So he's keeping secrets.
[17:52.080 -> 17:53.080] Yeah.
[17:53.080 -> 17:54.720] Things are happening.
[17:54.720 -> 17:56.840] I don't know.
[17:56.840 -> 18:02.160] Miscommunication potentially, prioritizing maybe one driver over another.
[18:02.160 -> 18:04.920] Yeah, I guess I guess there probably are.
[18:04.920 -> 18:05.320] There's not many things that can really be that secret about what would be going on within maybe one driver over another. Yeah, I guess there probably are,
[18:05.320 -> 18:07.960] there's not many things that can really be that secret
[18:07.960 -> 18:09.560] about what would be going on within the team
[18:09.560 -> 18:14.000] and qualifying other than some sort of communication error
[18:14.000 -> 18:15.960] or disagreements about timings,
[18:15.960 -> 18:18.200] have to pit, put on new tires, I don't know.
[18:18.200 -> 18:19.200] That's what happened in Canada, wasn't it?
[18:19.200 -> 18:20.760] Yes.
[18:20.760 -> 18:23.160] Well, I mean, it's been a very stark contrast
[18:23.160 -> 18:24.480] between him and Fernando,
[18:24.480 -> 18:29.120] much like it's been between Max and Checo over the last couple of races. So I think he probably does
[18:29.120 -> 18:35.240] need to change something now. Obviously, Fernando is a mighty force to go up against, but you
[18:35.240 -> 18:39.680] would expect him at least to be in Q3 with a car that seems to be very, you know, second
[18:39.680 -> 18:40.680] best at the moment.
[18:40.680 -> 18:43.640] Okay, well, at least Lance Stroll knows what those little things are that he needs to fix
[18:43.640 -> 18:46.880] in qualifying and we'll look forward to him doing that and seeing
[18:46.880 -> 18:51.560] how far Fernando Alonso can go. Can he be faster than Mercedes again this weekend? Will
[18:51.560 -> 18:56.400] Ferrari get up there? Will it be those three teams challenging for the second or third
[18:56.400 -> 19:02.280] places? And can anything upset Max Verstappen and that desire on his behalf, I'm sure, and
[19:02.280 -> 19:06.360] the whole of the Red Bull team and family who run and own the circuit to deliver
[19:06.360 -> 19:08.000] for the first race we go here
[19:08.000 -> 19:11.440] since the passing of their founder, Dietrich Mateschitz.
[19:11.440 -> 19:15.140] But I will leave you with a thought from George Russell,
[19:15.140 -> 19:18.440] who, while we're talking about our only intelligence,
[19:18.440 -> 19:20.480] he's talking about artificial intelligence.
[19:20.480 -> 19:22.800] And apropos of absolutely nothing,
[19:22.800 -> 19:24.560] came up with something and said,
[19:24.560 -> 19:26.700] there's a lot going on with artificial intelligence
[19:26.700 -> 19:28.020] at the moment in teams,
[19:28.020 -> 19:32.500] and how that world is evolving in motorsport,
[19:32.500 -> 19:35.820] and a lot going on in machine learning as well.
[19:35.820 -> 19:39.480] So that was a bit of an intriguing thing.
[19:39.480 -> 19:42.120] So I like to think that engineers think
[19:42.120 -> 19:44.740] that they are much more intelligent than machines,
[19:44.740 -> 19:48.600] and machines could learn something from them, but maybe it will be the other way around.
[19:48.600 -> 19:49.600] And if one teams...
[19:49.600 -> 19:51.840] It will 100% be the other way around.
[19:51.840 -> 19:57.160] I mean, they're saying that artificial intelligence is already so much smarter than we are in
[19:57.160 -> 19:58.880] terms of IQ.
[19:58.880 -> 20:02.640] So I can't see why that would not be the case.
[20:02.640 -> 20:05.360] And some even say that artificial intelligence
[20:05.360 -> 20:06.880] is more of an existential crisis
[20:06.880 -> 20:08.200] than global warming at the moment.
[20:08.200 -> 20:10.640] So I can imagine that that would be having an impact
[20:10.640 -> 20:12.620] on the Formula One world and who's got access
[20:12.620 -> 20:15.440] to what software and what data and what AI.
[20:15.440 -> 20:17.320] Well, if those nice people at artificial intelligence,
[20:17.320 -> 20:18.640] whoever they are, could concentrate
[20:18.640 -> 20:22.840] on countering global warming, then that would...
[20:22.840 -> 20:26.880] You're like one existential crisis cancelling out another one.
[20:26.880 -> 20:27.880] Fantastic.
[20:27.880 -> 20:28.880] That'd be great.
[20:28.880 -> 20:29.880] Good.
[20:29.880 -> 20:33.520] And if only we were run by artificial intelligence, we would not be hitting the six o'clock bell
[20:33.520 -> 20:39.160] here in our hotel, and we would have finished 10 minutes ago when we should have finished.
[20:39.160 -> 20:43.800] But hey, if an AI machine can make this podcast 10 minutes long with you and me talking, then
[20:43.800 -> 20:45.080] good luck to them, because we can't.
[20:45.080 -> 20:46.080] But it's been a pleasure, Naomi.
[20:46.080 -> 20:47.080] Thank you very much.
[20:47.080 -> 20:48.080] Thank you for having me, Ted.
[20:48.080 -> 20:49.080] And we will see.
[20:49.080 -> 20:50.080] Should we go do some piano now?
[20:50.080 -> 20:51.080] Yes.
[20:51.080 -> 20:54.200] Has the music, I think six o'clock, the music lesson's finished.
[20:54.200 -> 20:55.200] The parents have come to pick them up.
[20:55.200 -> 20:56.200] Silence.
[20:56.200 -> 20:57.200] Only birds chirping now.
[20:57.200 -> 20:58.200] Yeah, OK.
[20:58.200 -> 21:03.160] And the Air Force have gone for their candudos and their kartoffeln.
[21:03.160 -> 21:04.160] Thanks for joining us.
[21:04.160 -> 21:05.440] It's a sprint weekend, so we will see you for free
[21:05.440 -> 21:09.280] practice one on Friday, which let's face it is probably when you're listening to this,
[21:09.280 -> 21:14.720] and qualifying Friday afternoon, then sprint qualifying on Saturday morning, and then the
[21:14.720 -> 21:20.720] sprint race on Saturday afternoon, and then the Grand Prix as it normally is starting at 12.30
[21:20.720 -> 21:26.720] UK time with the lights out at 2pm. We. We will say tschüss and auf wiedersehen!
[21:26.720 -> 21:28.720] Auf wiedersehen!