Max and GP break down their third championship win

Nicola Hume speaks to three-time World Champion Max Verstappen and his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase about their record-breaking season which saw Max clinch the F1 driver’s championship in Qatar.

Max and GP share what its been like to lead so many races from the front, some secrets on their relationship both on-track and off-track and just how their iconic partnership began.
Also, in our 'Oracle Red Bull Racing in 100 Objects' section, Max and GP share what it was like to win the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix on Max’s debut in a Red Bull car.

Finally, they take on the HP Poly Challenge, as they have to identify the year and race from three of their famous radio exchanges.

* **Max Verstappen's Journey to Success:**

* Verstappen's humble beginnings in karting.
* His rapid rise through the ranks, culminating in his Formula One debut at the age of 17.
* His remarkable achievements, including three World Championships and numerous race wins.

* **The Verstappen-Lambiase Partnership:**

* Their enduring relationship, spanning eight seasons.
* Their ability to communicate effectively and understand each other's needs.
* Their shared commitment to excellence and relentless pursuit of improvement.

* **The Secrets of Their Success:**

* Open and honest communication, allowing them to address issues directly.
* A deep understanding of each other's strengths and weaknesses.
* A willingness to adapt and evolve, both personally and professionally.

* **Max Verstappen's Driving Style:**

* His aggressive and fearless approach on the track.
* His ability to extract the maximum potential from his car.
* His relentless pursuit of perfection, even in dominant seasons.

* **The Challenges of Being a Formula One Driver:**

* The intense pressure and scrutiny that comes with competing at the highest level.
* The physical and mental demands of driving a Formula One car.
* The need for unwavering focus and dedication to succeed.

* **Max Verstappen's Future Aspirations:**

* His desire to continue winning races and championships.
* His interest in exploring other forms of motorsport, such as endurance racing.
* His commitment to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in Formula One.

**Memorable Moments:**

* Verstappen's first Formula One victory in 2016, an emotional moment for him and his team.
* The intense rivalry between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, culminating in their controversial collision at the 2021 British Grand Prix.
* Verstappen's dominant performance in the 2022 season, securing his second consecutive World Championship.

**Respect and Understanding:**

Verstappen and Lambiase emphasize the significance of mutual respect in their working relationship. They acknowledge that disagreements and heated conversations may arise during intense racing situations, but these moments are not indicative of animosity. Instead, they view these exchanges as opportunities to communicate their perspectives and find the best possible solution for the team.

**Learning and Growth:**

Verstappen credits Lambiase for his extensive knowledge and expertise in the engineering aspects of Formula One. He highlights how Lambiase's guidance has helped him become more experienced, calm, and focused during races. On the other hand, Lambiase expresses his admiration for Verstappen's ability to win races and acknowledges that working with Verstappen has helped him develop a relaxed and confident approach to winning.

**Cheeky Banter and Fake Arguments:**

Verstappen and Lambiase address the perception that they engage in fake arguments during races to entertain the audience. They clarify that while they may occasionally exchange cheeky comments, these moments are not deliberate attempts to create drama. Instead, they emphasize their commitment to staying focused and maximizing performance throughout the race.

**Endurance Racing as a Potential Future Endeavor:**

When asked about the possibility of competing together in other motorsports, Verstappen and Lambiase express interest in endurance racing, such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans. They acknowledge that it would be a different challenge, requiring a different mindset and approach due to the longer race duration and the involvement of multiple drivers.

**HP Poly Challenge:**

The podcast includes a challenge segment sponsored by HP Poly, where Verstappen and Lambiase attempt to identify the race and year associated with various radio message clips. They correctly identify the Portugal 2021 race for the first clip, the Silverstone 2020 race for the second clip, and the Spa 2023 race for the third clip.

**Conclusion:**

The podcast highlights the strong relationship between Verstappen and Lambiase, built on respect, open communication, and a shared commitment to excellence. Their insights provide a glimpse into the dynamics of a successful driver-engineer partnership in Formula One.

[00:00.000 -> 00:09.000] The Talking Bull podcast is back. Expect funny moments, plenty of action and untold stories throughout the years. Brought to you by HP Poly.
[00:11.000 -> 00:18.000] Hello and welcome back to Talking Bull, brought to you by HP Poly. I'm Nicola Hulme and we're going to talk about all things Oracle Red Bull Racing.
[00:18.000 -> 00:26.880] Now today I have two very special guests with me. Our first guest, famously, is not a fan of podcasts.
[00:26.880 -> 00:28.560] It's Max Verstappen!
[00:28.560 -> 00:29.320] Yes!
[00:29.320 -> 00:32.320] Oh, and three-time world champion, casually, you know.
[00:32.320 -> 00:35.880] And his race engineer is Gian Piero Lambiezi.
[00:35.880 -> 00:37.840] Hello, nice to meet you.
[00:37.840 -> 00:40.880] What? You forgot to mention, big fan of podcasts.
[00:40.880 -> 00:43.400] Oh, there we go.
[00:43.400 -> 00:46.440] Is there anything you'd like to say before we carry on about that little cheeky podcast
[00:46.440 -> 00:47.440] comment that you made?
[00:47.440 -> 00:52.360] No, let's just get on with it, I think.
[00:52.360 -> 00:54.820] Three time world champion.
[00:54.820 -> 00:57.960] How does that feel hearing those words?
[00:57.960 -> 00:58.960] Pretty awesome, right?
[00:58.960 -> 01:03.800] Well, it's something that I never imagined to hear when I started racing.
[01:03.800 -> 01:05.720] So yeah, for sure, of course,
[01:05.720 -> 01:08.040] it's something that I'm very proud of.
[01:09.160 -> 01:10.160] But now that you are here,
[01:10.160 -> 01:11.640] I hope, of course, it doesn't stop here.
[01:11.640 -> 01:12.600] That's the next thing.
[01:12.600 -> 01:14.360] Yeah, so then, well, hopefully fourth, fifth,
[01:14.360 -> 01:16.640] and you just keep going and going and going.
[01:16.640 -> 01:18.480] Yeah, until we get too old.
[01:18.480 -> 01:19.920] Well, yeah, naturally. And too fat.
[01:19.920 -> 01:21.840] Or too fat, yeah, that's the problem.
[01:21.840 -> 01:24.720] That's probably the problem, yeah, at the end.
[01:24.720 -> 01:30.280] So do you have a replica of your trophies? So like your, your world championship trophies
[01:30.280 -> 01:35.440] that you've got from 2021 and 22, where do you keep them?
[01:35.440 -> 01:42.920] It's like rotating trophies. So I have like the replica and the real one at home. So the
[01:42.920 -> 01:47.600] replica of course will stay with me and I can engrave it every
[01:47.600 -> 01:52.560] single year, but the real one, of course, you keep it as long you are world champion.
[01:52.560 -> 01:56.160] But yeah, it's nice trophies to have at home.
[01:56.160 -> 01:59.680] So whereabouts at home do you keep it? Because like Kate Winslet, for example, she's won
[01:59.680 -> 02:04.480] an Oscar. She keeps it in her downstairs toilet so that when people come round, they can pretend
[02:04.480 -> 02:05.160] that they've won an Oscar. So maybe it's an idea, pop it in your downstairs. I hope when people come round, they can pretend that they've won an Oscar.
[02:05.240 -> 02:06.960] So maybe it's an idea, pop it in your downstairs...
[02:07.040 -> 02:08.760] I hope they wash their hands, though, before they touch it.
[02:08.840 -> 02:10.440] Oh, yeah, that's true.
[02:10.520 -> 02:12.120] Yeah, health and safety, maybe don't do that.
[02:12.200 -> 02:17.120] No, I have one next to my slim ring and the other one in my...
[02:17.200 -> 02:19.720] Well, in the living room, basically, in the closet.
[02:19.800 -> 02:23.760] It's been a bit of a crazy season for you.
[02:23.840 -> 02:27.360] I mean, it seems like you've been so comfortable
[02:27.360 -> 02:30.640] just sat there at the front of basically every race.
[02:30.640 -> 02:32.640] How has that felt for you?
[02:33.280 -> 02:35.840] Yeah, I mean, of course, at the end of the day,
[02:35.840 -> 02:37.800] it's the whole team effort.
[02:37.800 -> 02:41.840] And I think this year the car has been incredible to drive.
[02:41.840 -> 02:44.280] It's been fairly dominant, I would say.
[02:44.560 -> 02:49.520] Fairly. And yeah, I tried to extract the most out of it.
[02:49.520 -> 02:52.240] Do you get a little bit bored just kind of sitting there at the front by yourself?
[02:52.240 -> 02:58.480] No, I would get bored not winning. This is much better. This motivates me every single day,
[02:59.040 -> 03:04.000] to come back here at the factory to prepare for the next races, but also once you're there,
[03:04.000 -> 03:05.400] it's the best feeling out there.
[03:05.400 -> 03:08.240] So for me, it's not boring at all.
[03:08.240 -> 03:09.360] And what about for you, GP?
[03:09.360 -> 03:11.920] How do you deal with Max just sat at the front?
[03:11.920 -> 03:15.280] I was about to say, my biggest fear is the moment
[03:15.280 -> 03:17.760] that we do have increased competition.
[03:17.760 -> 03:19.200] We're not winning every race
[03:19.200 -> 03:21.200] because you see how he's treating me at the moment
[03:21.200 -> 03:23.200] and he's winning every race that I've been.
[03:23.200 -> 03:26.480] Oh dear. I'm really not looking forward to it.
[03:26.480 -> 03:28.080] We've we've had that already.
[03:28.080 -> 03:28.960] It's going to be a crash.
[03:28.960 -> 03:32.920] We've had the races where, you know, we might win one or two a year or not.
[03:34.160 -> 03:37.400] And yeah, yeah, I think it's going to be fine.
[03:37.840 -> 03:39.640] How long have you two been working together?
[03:39.640 -> 03:41.960] This is eight seasons now.
[03:41.960 -> 03:43.240] Yeah. Coming up. Yeah.
[03:43.240 -> 03:44.360] The end of this season will be eight.
[03:44.360 -> 03:46.720] I thought it was going to say too long.
[03:46.720 -> 03:51.160] Because it seems like you have such a nice relationship and you kind of seem to know
[03:51.160 -> 03:52.640] each other inside out.
[03:52.640 -> 03:56.040] Are you sort of friends outside of racing as well or is it just strictly a work thing
[03:56.040 -> 03:57.040] for you both?
[03:57.040 -> 04:02.000] There are so many races and there's so much time that you are forced to be together that
[04:02.000 -> 04:07.440] I think it would be unfair to expect Max to want to spend
[04:07.440 -> 04:11.980] even more time with me or vice versa when he's finally got a weekend off.
[04:11.980 -> 04:15.640] The thing is also that I come to the UK to dissimulate the stuff and then I'm really
[04:15.640 -> 04:18.600] happy to leave the UK to go back home.
[04:18.600 -> 04:23.840] And like GP says, we're doing so many races together that it's also nice to just when
[04:23.840 -> 04:30.080] you have free time to spend it with your close ones, your family and friends, because I think they deserve all the
[04:30.080 -> 04:34.560] attention as well. But we did meet up during the holiday. We, we spent the day together. So,
[04:35.280 -> 04:39.520] yeah, it's nice to do it, you know, here and there, but I think we see each other more than
[04:39.520 -> 04:44.640] we see, well, for you, your wife, for me, my girlfriend. So, yeah. I mean,
[04:44.640 -> 04:47.360] essentially it's just like a second relationship for both of you, isn't
[04:47.360 -> 04:48.360] it? Just with each other.
[04:48.360 -> 04:49.360] It's very intense.
[04:49.360 -> 04:50.360] It's just really nice, yeah.
[04:50.360 -> 04:52.720] It's an easier relationship, that's true.
[04:52.720 -> 04:59.200] But you've grown to know each other really well because you seem to be able to cope with
[04:59.200 -> 05:02.400] Max when he's not having a great day, but then also cope with Max when he's having a
[05:02.400 -> 05:05.080] fabulous day and maybe getting a little bit too confident.
[05:05.080 -> 05:08.160] So, how do you keep control of the situation?
[05:08.160 -> 05:16.640] Well, I think it's only natural that after seven, eight years that, like you said before,
[05:16.640 -> 05:24.240] we know each other inside out and we know what triggers the other one or how to perhaps
[05:24.240 -> 05:26.560] coax or put the arm around the other one's shoulder.
[05:26.560 -> 05:32.880] So I think we know how to manage ourselves out of a difficult situation and also enjoy
[05:32.880 -> 05:40.240] the better situations. But I think perhaps until three years ago, I think perhaps 18,
[05:40.240 -> 05:46.200] 19, 20, when the car wasn't quite as competitive as we, the team, would have liked.
[05:46.200 -> 05:50.160] But I think especially Max, because at that point you could see his frustration coming
[05:50.160 -> 05:55.400] through already that he wasn't able to compete for the championships at that point.
[05:55.400 -> 06:00.520] We had a few ups and downs, I would say, in that period, the middle, third, fourth, fifth
[06:00.520 -> 06:01.520] year.
[06:01.520 -> 06:02.800] Few arguments.
[06:02.800 -> 06:09.200] But I think since 2021 was so intense, I think we really, the relationship
[06:09.200 -> 06:17.040] and the bond was cemented that year. And then last year and this year has just been a continuation of
[06:17.040 -> 06:22.720] that. And yeah, Asi is my little brother. I would treat him as.
[06:22.000 -> 06:22.840] He's my little brother, Albert. I love that.
[06:22.840 -> 06:23.660] Friso.
[06:23.660 -> 06:27.520] No, it is, you spend so much time together.
[06:27.520 -> 06:29.720] And also, you know, I started at the team,
[06:29.720 -> 06:32.200] I was 18 years old, I'm 26 now.
[06:32.200 -> 06:34.760] So also I think as a person, I've grown a lot.
[06:34.760 -> 06:37.040] So when I look back at, you know,
[06:37.040 -> 06:39.840] those kind of images from the first few races
[06:39.840 -> 06:42.320] I did with the team, I'm like, oh my God,
[06:42.320 -> 06:44.560] it's very different, I think.
[06:44.560 -> 06:48.480] Also in my behavior, I think it's only natural that also, you know, the connection
[06:48.880 -> 06:53.120] and just me also growing up more, I think that helps a lot in your relationship.
[06:53.440 -> 06:53.720] Yeah.
[06:53.720 -> 06:53.880] Yeah.
[06:53.880 -> 06:56.280] I mean, you seem to have found a really nice balance.
[06:56.280 -> 06:59.840] You seem in such a comfortable, happy place.
[06:59.880 -> 07:01.520] I mean, how does this continue?
[07:01.520 -> 07:03.480] You just keep attacking it race to race?
[07:03.880 -> 07:04.760] Yeah, it does.
[07:04.760 -> 07:07.320] But I mean, I still get upset
[07:07.320 -> 07:10.240] even in such a dominant season when things don't go well.
[07:10.240 -> 07:11.320] And it's the same for GP.
[07:11.320 -> 07:12.400] Like we still want to win.
[07:12.400 -> 07:15.520] We still want to do everything as perfect as we can,
[07:15.520 -> 07:17.240] even though, I mean, no one is perfect,
[07:17.240 -> 07:20.560] but we try to be as close to perfection as possible.
[07:20.560 -> 07:22.040] And that's why sometimes, of course,
[07:22.040 -> 07:24.000] we still have our arguments,
[07:24.000 -> 07:30.000] but it's all because we are very driven to win. we don't like when we come out of a week and we say how we could have
[07:30.000 -> 07:35.040] done things better or quite a bit better you know it still upsets us which i think is good because
[07:35.040 -> 07:39.520] if you don't have that drive then i think something is wrong. Yeah it makes the perfect relationship
[07:39.520 -> 07:48.160] right? Yeah i think in a recent piece of content last week, actually in Qatar, they were asking me for one word to describe Max,
[07:48.160 -> 07:51.060] and I think my word was insatiable,
[07:51.060 -> 07:57.240] which I think goes for me as well in that no matter how many races we win,
[07:57.240 -> 08:01.600] or how many championships we have won or could win,
[08:01.600 -> 08:07.280] I think the point is, I don't think we're ever happy and we, our bar is so high.
[08:07.280 -> 08:10.940] I'd say we're both perfectionists in that respect
[08:10.940 -> 08:13.840] that nothing is ever good enough.
[08:13.840 -> 08:15.800] And I think that's what really motivates us
[08:15.800 -> 08:17.840] to just keep doing what we're doing,
[08:17.840 -> 08:19.920] following the process and yeah,
[08:19.920 -> 08:21.320] achieving the best that we can.
[08:21.320 -> 08:23.320] So, I mean, you've already won
[08:23.320 -> 08:24.720] this year's world championship.
[08:24.720 -> 08:30.080] So now I guess you just, you can approach the next few races with a bit more of a relaxed manner,
[08:30.080 -> 08:36.160] or are you just going to keep going in hard because you can? No, I know myself that if I
[08:36.160 -> 08:40.800] would act like that, I would just get annoyed with myself at the end of the day, because I know that
[08:40.800 -> 08:46.160] I'm going into a weekend not fully committed. And for me, that is unacceptable.
[08:46.720 -> 08:51.200] Um, of course in a way, you know, you have one, you can maybe try to enjoy it a bit,
[08:51.200 -> 08:55.520] but once I know that I'm at the track, I, you know, after FP1, FP2, I want to try
[08:55.520 -> 08:56.640] and find my best balance.
[08:56.640 -> 08:58.960] I want to try and get the best out of myself.
[08:58.960 -> 09:00.720] You know, we, we discussed a lot of things.
[09:00.720 -> 09:04.200] So if I start being a bit like, ah, whatever, like do what you like with the
[09:04.200 -> 09:08.240] car, like, I'm not really interested in making an effort, I know that I will get
[09:08.240 -> 09:12.760] upset. So at the end of the day, my approach will always be the same, you know, up until
[09:12.760 -> 09:17.040] the point where you question yourself, like, am I still fully committed or not? But for
[09:17.040 -> 09:19.200] the moment, that's definitely not an issue.
[09:19.200 -> 09:25.560] Because, I mean, racing is life for you. It seems like whatever kind of race it's going to be,
[09:25.560 -> 09:26.880] you're still going to enjoy it.
[09:26.880 -> 09:28.000] So even if you weren't in F1,
[09:28.000 -> 09:30.160] you'd still be racing something else.
[09:30.160 -> 09:32.560] So do you race like in day-to-day life?
[09:32.560 -> 09:33.720] Like who's the first to finish
[09:33.720 -> 09:35.160] brushing their teeth kind of thing?
[09:35.160 -> 09:38.240] Oh, no, no, no, no, not with those kinds of things, no.
[09:39.240 -> 09:41.640] But of course, when we play like kind of games or whatever,
[09:41.640 -> 09:43.600] or other sports, of course,
[09:43.600 -> 09:46.560] that kind of like winning mentality comes out.
[09:46.560 -> 09:51.160] Only the problem is that most of the sports I like, well, I have a severe lack of talent.
[09:51.160 -> 09:58.960] So yeah, I'm lucky that everything went into racing because yeah, any other sport that
[09:58.960 -> 10:01.320] I tried to do, I'm just not very good at it.
[10:01.320 -> 10:09.040] You know, I will never be as good at it as I'm in racing. So yeah, but still that competitive spirit is always, always there.
[10:09.320 -> 10:11.840] I mean, in terms of other sports though, you both play paddle.
[10:11.840 -> 10:12.440] Was that right?
[10:12.560 -> 10:12.720] Yeah.
[10:12.760 -> 10:14.520] So who's, who's the best at paddle between the two?
[10:14.520 -> 10:17.160] No, I think it's, it's a team sport because you play together.
[10:17.560 -> 10:21.440] So I think actually when we played together, we had been dominating the rest
[10:21.440 -> 10:23.440] of the engineering department so far.
[10:23.560 -> 10:28.000] Yeah, but it wasn't what I asked. If you were to play each other, who would be better?
[10:28.000 -> 10:29.360] It doesn't work like that.
[10:31.200 -> 10:35.520] GP, I'm going to put that question to you. If you were to play each other, who's better?
[10:35.520 -> 10:37.200] I would say I've got much more...
[10:37.200 -> 10:38.320] Depends how long the game is.
[10:40.800 -> 10:44.640] That's a fair point, actually, because I think we played last week in Qatar, didn't we?
[10:44.640 -> 10:47.040] As soon as you stopped running, that's it.
[10:47.040 -> 10:49.480] Yeah, probably the first half an hour.
[10:49.480 -> 10:52.400] I was making a lot of mistakes and I was getting very frustrated.
[10:52.400 -> 10:55.280] And then your fitness levels won over.
[10:55.280 -> 11:00.360] And then, you know, because it's movement and anticipation as well with the game.
[11:00.360 -> 11:03.520] And at one point when you get tired, you just stop running.
[11:03.520 -> 11:06.720] You just try to just place the balls a bit more, but then things go wrong.
[11:06.720 -> 11:12.640] So if it's like a one and a half hour intense heat game, I think I'll win.
[11:12.640 -> 11:14.240] Because of the fitness side?
[11:14.240 -> 11:17.360] Yes, but if it's UK weather, then I might be in trouble.
[11:17.360 -> 11:22.440] You're asking who's got the most talent on you, basically.
[11:22.440 -> 11:29.120] Well, not really. I'm just asking who's the most competitive really, because you both obviously have it
[11:29.120 -> 11:30.120] in you.
[11:30.120 -> 11:31.920] I get very upset if I'm...
[11:31.920 -> 11:37.200] Well, just with myself, like when I realize how bad I am, I just can't, I can't deal with
[11:37.200 -> 11:38.200] it.
[11:38.200 -> 11:40.320] It's just shocking sometimes how I hit the ball.
[11:40.320 -> 11:41.880] So I need a bit more finesse.
[11:41.880 -> 11:44.480] A bit more practice.
[11:44.480 -> 11:46.040] I'm practicing quite a bit.
[11:46.040 -> 11:48.480] The practice isn't, the dedication is not the problem.
[11:48.480 -> 11:51.400] It's the lack of talent still.
[11:51.400 -> 11:54.440] Should we get back onto F1?
[11:54.440 -> 11:57.240] No more paddle stuff.
[11:57.240 -> 12:01.740] So on this podcast, right, there's been so many comments and I've had so many messages
[12:01.740 -> 12:07.520] of everyone just wanting to hear from you, GP, because it seems like we never really get the chance to hear from you.
[12:07.520 -> 12:10.160] Yeah, I'm off.
[12:10.160 -> 12:12.000] You never really get interviewed.
[12:12.000 -> 12:15.680] You don't normally hear from you apart from your radio messages to each other, etc.
[12:15.680 -> 12:17.520] I've just seen little social media clips.
[12:17.520 -> 12:19.440] So it's really nice to have you here.
[12:19.440 -> 12:26.120] So I'd love to delve deep into your career and how you ended up being sat here today.
[12:26.120 -> 12:27.400] Did you study engineering?
[12:27.400 -> 12:28.400] How did you end up here?
[12:28.400 -> 12:29.400] He was actually a writer.
[12:29.400 -> 12:30.400] Yeah, there's some-
[12:30.400 -> 12:31.400] Is that true?
[12:31.400 -> 12:34.640] No, there's some random sources out there.
[12:34.640 -> 12:36.960] I'm looking at Gemma there.
[12:36.960 -> 12:42.480] But no, the truth is I studied engineering like most engineers within the same side,
[12:42.480 -> 12:45.000] mechanical engineering in London.
[12:45.000 -> 12:54.040] Then I happened to quite randomly get a job in Germany for a Formula 3 team.
[12:54.040 -> 12:56.920] That was in 2004.
[12:56.920 -> 13:05.520] Then the owner of the Formula 3 team was part of the group that brought out Eddie Jordan.
[13:06.480 -> 13:06.980] Right.
[13:07.520 -> 13:13.440] So my first year in Formula One was in 2005 as a data engineer in Jordan. I spent 10 years there,
[13:14.800 -> 13:18.480] equally split as data engineer and race engineer. And yeah, since then,
[13:19.360 -> 13:21.120] I've been here as a race engineer as well.
[13:21.120 -> 13:25.960] So, I mean, as we're recording this, it's just after you've won the World Championship.
[13:25.960 -> 13:26.960] How did you celebrate?
[13:26.960 -> 13:29.840] Because you won on the Saturday, but then you had to race again on the Sunday.
[13:29.840 -> 13:31.400] So little celebration on the Saturday.
[13:31.400 -> 13:35.880] Yeah, I mean, just a little bit, but I mean, also, I still wanted to win on the Sunday,
[13:35.880 -> 13:36.880] right?
[13:36.880 -> 13:39.360] So you can't rock up with a hangover to the track.
[13:39.360 -> 13:43.960] So yeah, we just celebrated with everyone who was there at the track, you know, to also
[13:43.960 -> 13:49.000] look back a little bit on the year, because I think it has been just incredible as a team.
[13:49.000 -> 13:51.840] We've broken quite a few records out there.
[13:51.840 -> 13:54.540] So it was very nice to get everyone together there.
[13:54.540 -> 13:59.120] Of course, it was all shifted a bit later in the night because of the night race anyway.
[13:59.120 -> 14:01.560] But yeah, it was good.
[14:01.560 -> 14:05.840] But then I think everyone was very quickly also, you know, back into race mode for the day after.
[14:05.840 -> 14:06.340] Yeah.
[14:06.340 -> 14:10.160] Because, yeah, that was also an important race, I think, to win.
[14:10.160 -> 14:15.320] I mean, being part of Red Bull since 2016, I believe, it was when you joined, wasn't it?
[14:15.320 -> 14:16.440] Yeah, Red Bull Racing, yeah.
[14:16.440 -> 14:19.200] Yeah, so how has that journey been for you?
[14:19.200 -> 14:22.560] I mean, you must have started going, I don't know where we're going to be in a few years' time,
[14:22.560 -> 14:26.400] but I'm just going to work as hard as we are, And now you're sat here as three-time world champion.
[14:26.760 -> 14:27.040] Yeah.
[14:27.040 -> 14:30.160] I mean, I never thought that I would be sitting here as a three-time
[14:30.160 -> 14:31.280] world champion at the time.
[14:31.680 -> 14:33.680] I joined the top team.
[14:33.720 -> 14:38.640] They of course had won quite a few championships already, went through a
[14:38.640 -> 14:42.840] bit of a transition phase as well with the new regulations and then finding
[14:42.840 -> 14:44.200] the correct engine partner.
[14:44.200 -> 14:46.880] And yeah, it just took a bit of time to sort that out.
[14:48.240 -> 14:53.600] And then, yeah, luckily, yeah, we had our years now where we could finally,
[14:53.600 -> 14:55.600] you know, be fighting for a title.
[14:55.600 -> 15:00.880] It's exciting because then now you can approach next year with so much more confidence because
[15:00.880 -> 15:04.080] you're now, you know, you've done it three times in a row and now you're like, well,
[15:04.080 -> 15:06.800] I might as well just do it again next year. You can approach with a different attitude.
[15:06.800 -> 15:11.920] I think we never lacked confidence as a team. I think we always believed that we could do it.
[15:11.920 -> 15:15.920] It was just trying to put everything together and learn from your mistakes as well. And I
[15:15.920 -> 15:20.480] think that's the beautiful thing about the team. They don't rely on confidence, I think.
[15:21.760 -> 15:25.700] And I think it shouldn't rely on confidence because you should be anyway confident
[15:25.700 -> 15:29.280] in your own abilities, everyone in the team, not only me.
[15:29.280 -> 15:34.100] But yeah, you just need to work harder than everyone else out there, you know, to try
[15:34.100 -> 15:35.100] and make it happen.
[15:35.100 -> 15:36.100] Yeah.
[15:36.100 -> 15:39.160] So today, I mean, you're working hard today because this is a simulator day for both of
[15:39.160 -> 15:40.160] you, right?
[15:40.160 -> 15:41.160] Super hard.
[15:41.160 -> 15:43.180] What have you been up to?
[15:43.180 -> 15:49.000] Just preparing the triple header because I can't fly back in between the races.
[15:49.000 -> 15:50.000] It doesn't make sense to do that.
[15:50.000 -> 15:54.000] So it's important, you know, this day that we nailed the setup.
[15:54.000 -> 15:57.000] You know, some sprint races as well in the meantime.
[15:57.000 -> 16:01.000] So, yeah, that's why it's very nice, you know, to do one hour of podcast in between.
[16:01.000 -> 16:03.000] Because you're such a big fan of podcasts.
[16:03.000 -> 16:05.920] Perfect preparation.
[16:11.360 -> 16:18.240] No, but it's always important to try and set up the cars as good as you can before you even get there. Yeah. So the same with you, GP, because you are also head of race engineering, aren't you?
[16:18.240 -> 16:22.400] So do you kind of liaise with Hugh Bird quite a lot and kind of have meetings and discuss things
[16:22.400 -> 16:30.880] between the two of you as well? Or is it mostly a solo thing that you're up to with Max? In terms of simulator? A bit of both, racing
[16:30.880 -> 16:38.000] and sim work. Yeah, I mean, sim work, I guess it's slightly more independent across crews. There's no
[16:38.000 -> 16:43.200] real need to tread on each other's toes in that respect. Of course, a lot of the pre-event
[16:43.200 -> 16:49.720] simulation information that comes through is cross-departmental. So we're aware of the various simulations that are
[16:49.720 -> 16:53.440] happening on the vehicle side or aerodynamics, et cetera, and what new components are coming
[16:53.440 -> 16:57.680] through that we can incorporate into our race event preparation.
[16:57.680 -> 17:09.040] As a head of race engineering, which I think has been a bit tricky to get on top of because I am obviously primary focus has to be
[17:10.640 -> 17:16.000] race engineering role with Max. Otherwise I'll be doing a disservice to him. But also I need to be
[17:16.000 -> 17:22.240] very aware that I am head of race engineering as well. So I need to be there to lend a hand for
[17:26.960 -> 17:35.760] I need to be there to lend a hand for Hugh and Woody and Checo and the rest of the crew as and when. It's obviously clear to them that I'm available if ever they need help, whenever they
[17:35.760 -> 17:40.800] need help to talk through issues they may have or just want to run through what they want to do with
[17:40.800 -> 17:46.160] the car, run plan, etc, strategy. So yeah, it's finding the right balance.
[17:46.160 -> 17:47.160] It's busy.
[17:47.160 -> 17:48.160] You're busy.
[17:48.160 -> 17:49.160] It's quite busy.
[17:49.160 -> 17:50.160] Yeah.
[17:50.160 -> 17:51.160] What do you do to relax?
[17:51.160 -> 17:52.160] Aside from paddle.
[17:52.160 -> 17:56.160] Aside from paddle, which you're very good at.
[17:56.160 -> 17:58.880] Apparently better than Max Verstappen, I've heard.
[17:58.880 -> 18:03.680] I quite like mountain biking.
[18:03.680 -> 18:05.280] I think Simon's been on, hasn't he, before and they've spoken about mountain biking. I think Simon's been on, hasn't he, before?
[18:05.280 -> 18:06.280] Yeah.
[18:06.280 -> 18:07.280] And they've spoken about mountain biking.
[18:07.280 -> 18:08.280] Yeah.
[18:08.280 -> 18:11.840] We're quite lucky to have the woods here, locally to us, which means you can get out
[18:11.840 -> 18:13.560] there, have a burst for an hour.
[18:13.560 -> 18:14.560] Set purple sectors.
[18:14.560 -> 18:17.000] Yeah, set a few PBs on Strava and then...
[18:17.000 -> 18:18.000] Very nice, yeah.
[18:18.000 -> 18:19.000] And then go back, clean the bike.
[18:19.000 -> 18:21.640] If you could have Max engineering in your ear while you're doing that, do you think
[18:21.640 -> 18:22.640] that would help?
[18:22.640 -> 18:23.640] Absolutely not.
[18:23.640 -> 18:30.400] I don't think so. I don't even know what to do myself on the bike, so
[18:31.360 -> 18:32.960] let alone if I have to try and coach you.
[18:34.080 -> 18:34.800] Yeah, I wouldn't want that.
[18:36.080 -> 18:37.840] I mean, you're already shunting out by yourself.
[18:39.040 -> 18:42.560] Do you think if there was a situation where you were behind the wheel of an F1 car and you were
[18:42.560 -> 18:45.680] engineering, how do you think you would cope with that, with a swap of roles?
[18:45.680 -> 18:50.160] Well, we had a few little debates, I remember, with Cookie as well, thinking about what lap
[18:50.160 -> 18:51.160] time you could do.
[18:51.160 -> 18:52.160] Who's Cookie?
[18:52.160 -> 18:57.720] He's been my performance engineer for basically most of the season.
[18:57.720 -> 19:02.040] So yeah, just had this little discussion, what do you think you could do, you know,
[19:02.040 -> 19:03.760] like looking at onboards and data.
[19:03.760 -> 19:08.780] So here on Talking Ball, we have a thing called Red Bull's 100 Objects.
[19:08.780 -> 19:13.420] So everybody that comes in as a guest will bring in an item that means something to them
[19:13.420 -> 19:14.880] during their time here at Red Bull.
[19:14.880 -> 19:20.720] I mean, we've had numerous things like Adrian Newey's notebook, we've had laptops, we've
[19:20.720 -> 19:25.000] had pictures, and I can see two giant trophies sat on the table.
[19:25.000 -> 19:30.000] So we're going to start with this one right here, which I believe is your first ever win.
[19:30.000 -> 19:31.000] Is that right, Max?
[19:31.000 -> 19:32.000] An F1, yeah.
[19:32.000 -> 19:33.000] Yeah.
[19:33.000 -> 19:37.000] Talk us through the moment that you won this trophy and how that felt for you.
[19:37.000 -> 19:40.000] Pretty insane, I think.
[19:40.000 -> 19:46.160] Joining the team the week before, going through simulator sessions that I had to do,
[19:46.160 -> 19:51.200] getting used to the car, the procedures. It's like a little booklet, I remember.
[19:52.800 -> 19:56.240] Yeah, I honestly had no expectations going into the weekend at the time. I was like,
[19:56.240 -> 19:59.920] well, I need to learn so many things, you know, suddenly the pressure of being in a top team,
[19:59.920 -> 20:04.800] you know, you can't just hide anymore in like a bad weekend or a bad result. So,
[20:04.580 -> 20:10.580] You know, you can't just hide anymore in like a bad weekend or a bad result. So, um, yeah, I drove out of the pits and yeah, completely different car for me in
[20:10.580 -> 20:11.100] FB1.
[20:11.100 -> 20:16.060] So it was all about getting used to the car, you know, getting on top of the
[20:16.060 -> 20:19.260] tools, uh, balance your seat, you know, a lot of things.
[20:19.320 -> 20:21.580] The engine was different to what I was used to.
[20:22.260 -> 20:24.460] Um, yeah.
[20:24.600 -> 20:29.240] And I think overall, I think we had quite a solid weekend up until the Sunday.
[20:29.240 -> 20:30.400] It was all, all okay.
[20:30.400 -> 20:35.640] I was quite happy with it, but then, uh, yeah, and I will never forget, um, on the
[20:35.640 -> 20:37.120] grid, I think Christian came to me.
[20:37.520 -> 20:40.520] He said, well, you know, just enjoy, no pressure.
[20:41.040 -> 20:42.160] Try to score a few points.
[20:42.640 -> 20:43.000] So yeah.
[20:43.200 -> 20:43.560] Okay.
[20:44.200 -> 20:46.400] He says no pressure, but there's, yeah.
[20:46.400 -> 20:47.720] But I mean, it was my first race.
[20:47.720 -> 20:49.640] I think that meant, wow, you know, just no pressure.
[20:49.640 -> 20:51.120] Don't do anything silly basically.
[20:51.520 -> 20:54.000] But I qualified fourth, I think, at the time.
[20:54.480 -> 20:59.240] And, uh, yeah, I mean, turn four was a beautiful corner that day in lap one
[20:59.240 -> 21:02.560] where two Mercedes cars just disappeared off the road.
[21:03.520 -> 21:07.560] Um, and then I knew, okay, you might be on the podium here today.
[21:07.860 -> 21:11.680] You know, if we, if I'm holding on in the race, because again, it was like my
[21:11.680 -> 21:13.440] first proper race distance in the car.
[21:13.440 -> 21:17.840] So it was definitely a bit different to what I was used to in terms of speed.
[21:17.920 -> 21:18.960] It was quite a bit faster.
[21:19.440 -> 21:23.560] Um, and yeah, how the race panned out, like I could look after my tires.
[21:23.560 -> 21:25.160] Got, well, we did the two stop.
[21:26.040 -> 21:28.520] I had to keep Kimi behind for quite a few laps.
[21:29.240 -> 21:33.480] And yeah, I definitely felt like with 10 laps ago, I was getting quite nervous, but
[21:33.480 -> 21:35.920] I was like, I can't, I can't make a mistake.
[21:35.920 -> 21:39.080] I kept telling myself, I can't, this is, this is going to be my first win.
[21:39.080 -> 21:40.180] I can't lock up.
[21:40.180 -> 21:42.280] I can't do anything wrong here.
[21:42.920 -> 21:48.800] And I kept telling myself that until the last lap, and I crossed the line and won the race.
[21:48.800 -> 21:50.560] I think also GP was completely shocked.
[21:51.440 -> 21:54.080] I remember the radio messages like,
[21:54.080 -> 21:55.360] yeah, I can't believe this.
[21:55.920 -> 21:57.200] I think everyone was a bit like,
[21:57.840 -> 21:58.880] what just happened?
[21:58.880 -> 21:59.760] Including myself.
[22:01.120 -> 22:04.000] Yeah, it's a weekend that you will never forget
[22:04.000 -> 22:10.400] because you work to get into Formula 1 and you dream of being on a podium one day.
[22:10.400 -> 22:13.160] You dream of, of course, being on the top step.
[22:14.240 -> 22:16.640] And once I stood there, it was quite emotional.
[22:16.640 -> 22:23.320] Seeing also my dad there, I think he was even more nervous than me because I think apparently during the race, he started bleeding out of his nose because he was that nervous.
[22:23.320 -> 22:23.840] Really?
[22:24.440 -> 22:25.280] Yeah, the nose bleed.
[22:26.880 -> 22:28.120] So yeah, he was very nervous.
[22:28.720 -> 22:31.560] Together with my manager there as well, I think they were watching in my room.
[22:31.560 -> 22:33.880] So I think they must have been jumping around like crazy.
[22:34.400 -> 22:37.440] Yeah, so that was definitely a dream come true that day.
[22:37.560 -> 22:37.840] Yeah.
[22:37.840 -> 22:39.560] How did that day feel for you, GP?
[22:40.560 -> 22:42.520] Yeah, similar vibe, to be honest with you.
[22:44.720 -> 22:48.000] How do you keep him knowing that he's approaching his first win?
[22:48.000 -> 22:53.000] How do you communicate and keep everything calm and under control in that situation?
[22:53.000 -> 23:03.000] I think it was more in the lead up to Sunday that he really started to build a picture of what his capabilities were.
[23:03.000 -> 23:05.040] So I think just going back a bit,
[23:05.840 -> 23:08.640] the 10 days before following the previous race,
[23:08.640 -> 23:11.760] I remember I think I had a phone call from Helmut one evening saying,
[23:13.600 -> 23:15.920] you've got a new driver, it's Max Verstappen,
[23:15.920 -> 23:18.000] and he'll be in this week because he's on the simulator.
[23:18.720 -> 23:22.560] Okay, I had it confirmed the next morning from here at the factory.
[23:23.120 -> 23:25.720] And yeah, we organized three days on the simulator
[23:25.720 -> 23:29.120] really just to get him acquainted,
[23:29.120 -> 23:33.840] the team familiar with the crew, procedures, the car,
[23:33.840 -> 23:36.760] try to run through as much of our usual pre-events,
[23:36.760 -> 23:39.000] sets up stuff that we would normally do.
[23:40.080 -> 23:42.320] Yeah, and then give him a few challenges
[23:42.320 -> 23:45.720] in terms of like blind tests, qualifying fuel, whatever.
[23:45.720 -> 23:48.920] You could just see already the immediacy
[23:48.920 -> 23:51.400] on how he was picking all this stuff up.
[23:51.400 -> 23:53.040] There was no repetition involved.
[23:53.040 -> 23:55.080] You think, okay, he's an 18-year-old kid,
[23:55.080 -> 23:57.920] he's used to playing PlayStation, whatever.
[23:57.920 -> 24:00.080] This is going really well.
[24:00.080 -> 24:02.040] Then we get to the race event and I remember
[24:02.040 -> 24:04.800] having a we hit the ground running,
[24:04.800 -> 24:06.680] competitive immediately,
[24:06.680 -> 24:09.400] there's no major dramas with the balance.
[24:09.400 -> 24:11.200] For me, everything was just insane.
[24:11.200 -> 24:12.400] The car was so much better.
[24:12.400 -> 24:13.320] I was like, wow.
[24:14.280 -> 24:15.600] Everything was like, wow.
[24:16.840 -> 24:18.760] But I think ultimately that was then your downfall
[24:18.760 -> 24:21.720] in qualifying because I think he was just
[24:21.720 -> 24:23.040] almost so happy to be there.
[24:23.040 -> 24:24.080] Everything was going well.
[24:24.080 -> 24:26.520] He felt he could just keep relying on his talent
[24:26.520 -> 24:28.720] and keep chipping away at it and he'll keep finding time
[24:28.720 -> 24:32.120] that eventually, I think it's at the last run of Q3
[24:32.120 -> 24:33.600] that Daniel ended up pipping you.
[24:33.600 -> 24:34.440] Well, there was a few tenths actually.
[24:34.440 -> 24:37.120] Yeah, I just tried to push like a little bit,
[24:37.120 -> 24:39.920] probably at the time too much to what I knew from the car
[24:39.920 -> 24:42.960] and I just overdrove it and ended up being.
[24:42.960 -> 24:44.320] We didn't follow the track perhaps enough
[24:44.320 -> 24:47.800] with some changes that we'd normally make in qualifying.
[24:49.360 -> 24:51.080] But having been through that,
[24:51.080 -> 24:52.640] you're kind of confident going into Sunday
[24:52.640 -> 24:54.760] that we can have a good race here,
[24:54.760 -> 24:58.460] especially as Max says, once the two leaders had retired.
[25:00.360 -> 25:01.720] And then it was really just incredible
[25:01.720 -> 25:03.520] that he was able to manage,
[25:04.400 -> 25:05.180] the rear left tyre would have been the was able to manage the rear left tyre
[25:05.180 -> 25:07.200] would have been the limitation that year.
[25:07.200 -> 25:09.320] That rear left tyre for as long as he did,
[25:09.320 -> 25:11.580] keeping such an experienced driver like Kimi behind,
[25:11.580 -> 25:15.020] it was my first race win as well.
[25:15.020 -> 25:15.860] Oh, amazing.
[25:15.860 -> 25:18.360] Yeah, so it was a double whammy.
[25:18.360 -> 25:19.200] Oh, very nice.
[25:19.200 -> 25:20.020] Really good day.
[25:20.020 -> 25:21.540] Now look, we've got loads and loads of questions
[25:21.540 -> 25:22.380] to get through.
[25:22.380 -> 25:25.140] These are from fans that have sent in their questions.
[25:25.140 -> 25:28.520] So our first three questions are actually on video.
[25:28.520 -> 25:31.680] So the first one is from Tyler in the USA.
[25:31.680 -> 25:32.680] Hi, everyone.
[25:32.680 -> 25:35.520] It's Tyler from New Jersey, United States of America.
[25:35.520 -> 25:38.260] My question for Max and GP is what is the secret
[25:38.260 -> 25:40.660] to the two of you maximizing performance
[25:40.660 -> 25:42.480] and getting the maximum potential
[25:42.480 -> 25:44.400] out of both driver and machine?
[25:44.400 -> 25:47.380] Is there a secret behind your magic?
[25:47.380 -> 25:51.260] I don't think it's a real secret, but I think you just need to get on really well.
[25:51.260 -> 25:54.420] You need to understand what you want from each other.
[25:54.420 -> 25:58.320] I think nowadays, we really grew in our role as well, I guess, but I almost don't need
[25:58.320 -> 26:02.020] to even say anything.
[26:02.020 -> 26:08.140] After I say, I have a bit of understeer, oversteer, like GP knows what he will change on the car for me,
[26:08.140 -> 26:10.120] the way I drive the car as well.
[26:10.120 -> 26:12.060] And that takes time.
[26:12.060 -> 26:15.220] I mean, that's why I would always be against,
[26:15.220 -> 26:18.300] you know, like swapping race engineers or performance.
[26:18.300 -> 26:20.460] Like they're very crucial in your performance.
[26:20.460 -> 26:22.900] That's why, yeah, the longer you can stay together,
[26:22.900 -> 26:25.080] the better because you will really
[26:25.080 -> 26:26.080] be one on one.
[26:26.080 -> 26:27.080] You know, it's this feeling.
[26:27.080 -> 26:28.080] I agree with that.
[26:28.080 -> 26:36.800] I mean, time and experience and yes, time spent together ultimately is factor one.
[26:36.800 -> 26:41.640] But also I think what's really important is just to be able to be yourself.
[26:41.640 -> 26:43.800] And I think Max feels he can be himself with me.
[26:43.800 -> 26:45.600] I can be myself around him
[26:45.600 -> 26:51.040] and there's no tiptoeing around any issues at all. If we have to be blunt about something with
[26:51.040 -> 26:57.760] each other we will be and I think that just fast tracks you to short-term gains which ultimately is
[26:57.760 -> 27:03.360] maximizing the potential of the car during a race weekend. This next question is from Maria in Chile.
[27:04.000 -> 27:10.000] This next question is from Maria in Chile. Hi, it's Maria. I'm from Chile and I have a question for both Max and GB.
[27:10.000 -> 27:15.000] In each Grand Prix we have seen a relationship based on respect,
[27:15.000 -> 27:19.000] but there also has painful moments and live banter in between.
[27:19.000 -> 27:23.000] So the question is how important it is a relationship like this
[27:23.000 -> 27:25.680] and how does it impact the daily work with
[27:25.680 -> 27:27.800] the car and the team?
[27:27.800 -> 27:28.800] Good question.
[27:28.800 -> 27:33.240] Yeah, well, I mean, of course, respect is very important, but it's what I mentioned
[27:33.240 -> 27:38.900] before like, you know, people sometimes they don't really understand what kind of relationship
[27:38.900 -> 27:39.900] you have.
[27:39.900 -> 27:43.480] So for example, if we are on the radio and we're, we sound a bit upset or angry, they
[27:43.480 -> 27:45.200] think we are in a fight. Yeah.
[27:45.200 -> 27:48.400] But that's not the case. It's just, we want the best out there. And then of course,
[27:48.400 -> 27:53.280] sometimes I raise my voice on the radio because yeah, I'm full of adrenaline as well driving.
[27:53.280 -> 27:58.800] And of course, GP is also, he wants the best. And yeah, that's why sometimes we have quite fiery
[27:59.520 -> 28:04.560] conversations. But for me, that is the way I like to approach our weekend, our racing,
[28:04.560 -> 28:08.280] because if I would be upset or whatever, or not happy with a certain situation,
[28:08.360 -> 28:11.680] he's like, copy that, or like, thank you very much for your message.
[28:11.760 -> 28:14.200] I was like, man, like, what is going on?
[28:14.280 -> 28:19.360] You know, we are both in this together and we want to have the best possible result.
[28:20.600 -> 28:25.400] So, yeah, but of course, respect is very important.
[28:25.400 -> 28:28.680] This next question is from Agatha in Australia.
[28:28.680 -> 28:31.920] Hi, it's Agatha and greetings from Melbourne, Australia.
[28:31.920 -> 28:35.920] Max, what is something you've learned from Gian Piero that you value?
[28:35.920 -> 28:40.520] And Gian Piero, what is something that you have learned from Max that you value? Thank you.
[28:40.520 -> 28:47.200] I think I learned through GP a lot about the engineering side of, the mechanical side of a car.
[28:48.000 -> 28:55.700] If I compare that from when I was 17, 18, you know, to now, we've discussed so many things in the car.
[28:56.300 -> 29:04.600] That's, yeah, the way, you know, things are explained or, you know, throughout the weekend, you know, how to look after tyres, these kind of things.
[29:04.600 -> 29:08.300] Like we discuss every single week and so many different details to perform.
[29:08.300 -> 29:14.440] So I guess that's what I've learned, you know, from GP to be way more experienced and probably
[29:14.440 -> 29:15.440] also a bit more calm.
[29:15.440 -> 29:16.440] Yeah.
[29:16.440 -> 29:21.240] Have you learned anything from Max, GP?
[29:21.240 -> 29:25.680] Maybe the biggest thing is almost learning how to win.
[29:25.680 -> 29:30.120] I would say, like I say, that his first race win was also my first race win.
[29:30.120 -> 29:38.000] And whilst you have a level of confidence and belief in your working practices, until
[29:38.000 -> 29:42.980] you actually see that come through, there's always a little bit of doubt about whether
[29:42.980 -> 29:48.120] somebody else is doing it better than you or what you're missing out on, etc.
[29:48.120 -> 29:54.360] And I think being with Max and winning, because it wasn't, like it was new to him in Formula
[29:54.360 -> 30:04.520] 1, but it wasn't prior to that, I think he's, he relaxed me into the environment of being
[30:04.520 -> 30:06.000] able to win races,
[30:06.000 -> 30:09.280] making it a comfortable and familiar thing.
[30:09.280 -> 30:11.640] I think we've just been able to grow from that.
[30:11.640 -> 30:13.280] I don't know what I feel like I have.
[30:13.280 -> 30:17.120] This question from Walker in the USA, I quite like.
[30:17.120 -> 30:21.880] Have you ever had a fake argument during races just to keep us entertained?
[30:21.880 -> 30:25.880] No, not from my side. I know for sure he will say yes. races just to keep us entertained?
[30:25.880 -> 30:30.080] Not from my side. I know for sure he will say yes.
[30:30.080 -> 30:32.160] Not a fake argument, but some fake...
[30:32.160 -> 30:33.160] Cheeky comments.
[30:33.160 -> 30:39.080] Yeah, cheeky comments. And it's definitely not going to be the last one as well.
[30:39.080 -> 30:42.240] We've got more to look forward to.
[30:42.240 -> 30:46.000] Fake arguments? No, no fake arguments. No.
[30:46.800 -> 30:48.560] No. Sometimes I get the feeling that you...
[30:51.760 -> 30:53.520] I just bored, basically, sometimes.
[30:53.520 -> 30:56.560] Well, sometimes I just want, like, hello or, you know.
[30:56.560 -> 30:57.760] No, no, no.
[30:57.760 -> 31:01.280] If you're winning so far, like, you're 30 seconds ahead in a race, yeah,
[31:01.280 -> 31:03.040] do you kind of, you end up just kind of going,
[31:03.040 -> 31:05.520] hey, so, GP, what you doing?
[31:08.320 -> 31:12.160] I think even, even then, even if we are 30 seconds up the road, you know, I'll still be,
[31:13.200 -> 31:18.240] you know, in the zone, as it were still trying to maximise everything and taking everything
[31:18.240 -> 31:21.840] seriously. Whereas I think at that point, he's perhaps lost a bit of interest. He's like, come
[31:21.840 -> 31:29.040] on, GP, just chill out a bit. Yeah. Yeah, I don't know where it was, maybe spa or whatever.
[31:29.040 -> 31:31.000] Sometimes you check in, right?
[31:31.000 -> 31:32.520] Like, how's it going?
[31:32.520 -> 31:33.520] All good?
[31:33.520 -> 31:34.680] Yeah, all good.
[31:34.680 -> 31:36.080] And then you talk about the tires.
[31:36.080 -> 31:42.120] And then I said, we can also keep on pushing to try and open up a stop.
[31:42.120 -> 31:43.120] No, we don't need that today.
[31:43.120 -> 31:44.120] It's not necessary.
[31:44.120 -> 31:46.080] That's because at exactly the same point, I've got Christine in my ear saying, stop. No, we don't need that today, it's not necessary. That's because at exactly the same point,
[31:46.080 -> 31:47.520] I've got Christine in my ear saying,
[31:47.520 -> 31:48.400] no, no, we don't need that.
[31:48.400 -> 31:48.900] Yeah.
[31:49.920 -> 31:51.680] There are a lot of reasons to it,
[31:51.680 -> 31:53.920] but sometimes it's just a bit of banter, you know.
[31:53.920 -> 31:54.800] That's fair enough, yeah.
[31:54.800 -> 31:56.800] That's probably then a bit of a fake kind of...
[31:58.320 -> 32:01.120] This is the last question from Mora in the Netherlands.
[32:01.120 -> 32:03.360] He says, if you guys would get the chance
[32:03.360 -> 32:08.940] to compete in any other motorsport together as a driver and an engineer, what other motorsport would
[32:08.940 -> 32:09.940] you choose?
[32:09.940 -> 32:10.940] Endurance?
[32:10.940 -> 32:16.200] Yeah, like Le Mans or something like that. Yeah. Would you be happy to do that? Stay
[32:16.200 -> 32:17.200] up for 24 hours?
[32:17.200 -> 32:19.400] I'd be happy to do that. It's a different challenge, isn't it?
[32:19.400 -> 32:26.320] Well, I mean, once you've done so many years in F1, probably at one point, well, you don't want to do, I think, do this forever, right?
[32:26.320 -> 32:28.200] You can't, unfortunately.
[32:28.200 -> 32:32.720] And probably, you know, that's also a very different way of approaching it
[32:32.720 -> 32:34.920] because you are sharing the car with other drivers as well.
[32:34.920 -> 32:38.360] So it's quite a different kind of approach.
[32:38.360 -> 32:40.320] I mean, you still go in there to win it,
[32:40.320 -> 32:43.520] but you have to think about the three drivers, you know,
[32:43.520 -> 32:47.000] they all have a bit of a different driving style and there's a lot more going on.
[32:47.000 -> 32:52.000] And yes, it's a bit of a different experience. It's not like one and a half hour, kind of two hour sprint racing.
[32:52.000 -> 32:56.000] It's proper endurance. So also the whole mentality, mindset is different.
[32:56.000 -> 33:00.000] Yeah. I mean, I wonder how long you can go without blinking in one of those races.
[33:00.000 -> 33:07.000] Yeah, that's, I have no clue actually. Even while driving in the F1 car, I don't know how many times I blink.
[33:07.000 -> 33:11.000] It's great, actually I saw a video, I think it was an old video, you're in a car with your dad.
[33:11.000 -> 33:15.000] And you did, it was pretty much the whole entire lap without blinking.
[33:15.000 -> 33:19.000] And it was the only time I think your dad reacted to a moment you took a corner and he panicked.
[33:19.000 -> 33:20.000] Yeah, it's not nice.
[33:20.000 -> 33:23.000] And that was the only time you blinked, the only time.
[33:23.000 -> 33:26.000] Yeah, it's the other way around as well.
[33:26.000 -> 33:28.960] You know, when my dad is driving, the other passenger is always a bit like...
[33:28.960 -> 33:30.480] Yeah, because you're not in control.
[33:30.480 -> 33:35.360] But yeah, I think it's definitely while driving you blink a bit less than normal.
[33:35.360 -> 33:39.280] Yeah. Right. So we also have the HP Poly Challenge.
[33:39.280 -> 33:41.920] So they are our partners on this podcast.
[33:41.920 -> 33:43.600] So we have here the PolySync 20.
[33:43.600 -> 33:46.720] Now, we've discussed the little cheeky
[33:46.720 -> 33:50.320] radio messages that you've had between each other, some of them a little bit heated, some of them a
[33:50.320 -> 33:56.720] little bit cheeky. So, your challenge, we've got three clips here and you will get half a point for
[33:56.720 -> 34:03.920] each thing you get right. So I want the race and the year that this radio message happened. Okay,
[34:03.920 -> 34:07.600] so we're going to go with clip number one.
[34:07.600 -> 34:08.480] What a joke, mate.
[34:08.480 -> 34:11.280] I can't even see where I'm going, so much vibration.
[34:11.280 -> 34:12.120] Understood, Max.
[34:12.120 -> 34:14.880] If it's a safety concern for you, we're happy to box.
[34:14.880 -> 34:17.760] I'll just visit the dentist after the weekend.
[34:19.640 -> 34:21.920] Clearly a very bumpy race for you.
[34:21.920 -> 34:22.760] Oh my God.
[34:22.760 -> 34:25.120] I don't think that was related to the track surface.
[34:25.120 -> 34:27.820] That was the tyre vibration, don't you think?
[34:27.820 -> 34:33.240] It must have been like 2020 in Silverstone, maybe.
[34:33.240 -> 34:35.640] Is that the answer you're going for?
[34:35.640 -> 34:39.040] I had Sochi in my mind, but maybe it's not.
[34:39.040 -> 34:40.040] Sochi?
[34:40.040 -> 34:41.040] Oh, wait.
[34:41.040 -> 34:43.680] No, because that was actually quite a good race.
[34:43.680 -> 34:45.040] I was not saying what a joke.
[34:45.340 -> 34:46.380] Do you want to go Silverstone then?
[34:47.220 -> 34:50.580] No, I think I have to rely on the year.
[34:50.620 -> 34:51.380] Yeah. What year was it?
[34:52.380 -> 34:53.840] Because that can't be 2020.
[34:54.500 -> 34:55.180] 19.
[34:56.060 -> 34:57.020] This is completely wrong.
[34:57.020 -> 35:00.440] I mean, you're way off because none of that was right.
[35:00.820 -> 35:03.180] It was Portugal in 2021.
[35:03.360 -> 35:03.980] That's what it was.
[35:09.920 -> 35:15.080] You remember it well, I see. Oh, you guys. It's an incredibly smooth track, so it must have been tyre vibration. Yeah,
[35:15.080 -> 35:32.000] I must have lucked out. Right, clip number two. Max, I think we're a little bit close for tyres at this stage. Silverstone 2020, the 70th anniversary race.
[35:32.000 -> 35:35.200] You didn't even have to hear the whole entire clip.
[35:35.200 -> 35:38.800] I know exactly. I remember that Max, you're too close to the car.
[35:38.800 -> 35:41.200] I was like, I could almost punch my own wheel.
[35:41.200 -> 35:46.720] It was that last bit, I'm not just sitting behind like a grandma.
[35:46.720 -> 35:48.640] Yeah, it was just, I mean…
[35:48.640 -> 35:52.720] Like we've discussed three hours before, you mean, Max, and you'd agreed to?
[35:52.720 -> 35:55.080] And then I saw, I'm going to win this race.
[35:55.080 -> 35:57.560] I was like, I'm not sitting behind, I'm going to push them.
[35:57.560 -> 35:58.560] Brilliant.
[35:58.560 -> 36:01.560] Because they were so quick that year and I was like, this is maybe my only chance this
[36:01.560 -> 36:10.320] year to win it because we were better on tyres that we can due to the compound selection. And yeah, I was like, I'm going for it. Worst case, we finish B3
[36:10.320 -> 36:11.320] anyway. So.
[36:11.320 -> 36:12.320] Love it.
[36:12.320 -> 36:15.320] GP loved it as well.
[36:15.320 -> 36:17.320] Okay, clip number three.
[36:17.320 -> 36:22.320] I can also show that we do another stop, a little bit of pit stop training.
[36:22.320 -> 36:23.320] Talked about it.
[36:23.320 -> 36:24.320] No, not this time.
[36:24.320 -> 36:25.000] Come on then, what was the race in the year? Spa 23. No bit of pit stop training. He's talked about it. No, not this time.
[36:26.000 -> 36:28.000] Come on then, what was the race in the year?
[36:28.000 -> 36:30.000] Spa 23.
[36:31.000 -> 36:32.000] Is the correct answer.
[36:32.000 -> 36:35.000] No, no, no, not this time.
[36:35.000 -> 36:36.000] No pit stop training.
[36:36.000 -> 36:37.000] No, no.
[36:39.000 -> 36:41.000] I want to say thank you so much for joining me.
[36:41.000 -> 36:43.000] It's been really lovely sitting and chatting to you.
[36:43.000 -> 36:44.000] Enjoy the rest of the season.
[36:44.000 -> 36:48.360] This is where I would normally say to whoever we've got on, go and smash
[36:48.360 -> 36:50.880] every race, but I mean, you've already won the championship, so just go and enjoy it.
[36:50.880 -> 36:54.560] Smash it out of the park. Well, there's still five more races, we want to win all of them.
[36:54.560 -> 36:59.600] Yeah, so just go and win all of them and enjoy and celebrate because you can. Yeah?
[36:59.600 -> 37:00.600] Absolutely, yeah.
[37:00.600 -> 37:01.600] Fabulous.
[37:01.600 -> 37:04.600] Bit of a champagne, yeah, at the end.
[37:04.600 -> 37:07.200] Champagne. And we'll see you next time.