Welcoming Alex

On this edition of Talking Bull - the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Podcast we have the first exclusive chat with our new driver Alex Albon, we hear from Moto GP Legend Marc Márquez PLUS we have the brand new song from Flawes

# Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Podcast: Exclusive Chat with Alex Albon and MotoGP Legend Marc Marquez

## Introduction:
Welcome to the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Podcast, where we delve into the world of Formula One racing and bring you exclusive interviews with team members and drivers. In this episode, we introduce you to our new driver, Alex Albon, and hear from MotoGP legend Marc Marquez about his experience with Formula One.

## Alex Albon: The New Driver
- Alex Albon joins the podcast for an exclusive chat after his promotion from Toro Rosso to Aston Martin Red Bull Racing.
- He talks about the excitement and pressure of being part of the big team and the expectations that come with it.
- Albon also shares his journey to Formula One, from racing in Formula 2 and Formula E to his impressive start with Toro Rosso.

## Marc Marquez: A MotoGP Legend Experiences Formula One
- MotoGP legend Marc Marquez visits the Red Bull F1 Energy Station and shares his thoughts on the differences between MotoGP and Formula One.
- He discusses the challenges of driving a Formula One car, the importance of engineers, and the adrenaline rush of racing.
- Marquez also talks about his relationship with his brother, Alex Marquez, who is also a MotoGP rider, and how they support and learn from each other.

## Olaf Janssen: Trackside Infrastructure Engineer
- Olaf Janssen, the trackside infrastructure engineer at Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, provides a behind-the-scenes look at his role.
- He explains the technical infrastructure set up at the track, including servers, monitors, laptops, and network switches.
- Janssen also discusses the challenges of working in a limited space and time, and the importance of reliability in the face of environmental issues.

## Alex Albon: Personal Background and Motorsport Discovery
- Alex Albon opens up about his dual nationality, with a Thai mother and British father.
- He credits his father for introducing him to racing and recalls his early fascination with Formula One, particularly Michael Schumacher.
- Albon talks about his childhood obsession with motorsport, including his red bedroom and admiration for Valentino Rossi.
- He shares his experience of driving his first car at age seven and practicing on a figure-of-eight track next to his farm.
- Albon reflects on his journey through the ranks, from British champion to European and World Championships, and his rivalry with Max Verstappen.

## Conclusion:
The podcast episode provides an insightful look into the world of Formula One racing, featuring exclusive interviews with Alex Albon, Marc Marquez, and Olaf Janssen. Albon discusses his excitement and challenges as a new driver, while Marquez shares his unique perspective on Formula One as a MotoGP legend. Janssen offers a glimpse into the technical infrastructure behind the scenes, and Albon shares his personal background and early passion for motorsport. The episode highlights the dedication and passion of the individuals who contribute to the success of Aston Martin Red Bull Racing. **Alex Albon's Journey to Formula One: A Story of Resilience and Determination**

In this podcast episode, Alex Albon, a British-Thai racing driver currently competing in Formula One for Williams Racing, shares his remarkable journey to the pinnacle of motorsport.

**Early Struggles and Doubts:**

Albon's path to Formula One was not without challenges. He experienced a difficult 2012 season, struggling with his driving and lacking financial support. Despite these setbacks, he persevered, securing a drive in 2013 and gradually improving his results.

**Fighting for a Seat in Formula One:**

Albon faced further adversity in 2018, when he lost his Formula 2 seat. With limited options, he tirelessly sought opportunities, eventually securing a drive in Formula E. His strong performances there caught the attention of Red Bull Racing, who signed him as a reserve driver.

**Breakthrough and Success:**

Albon's big break came in 2019 when he replaced Pierre Gasly at Red Bull Racing mid-season. He impressed with his performances, scoring points and even securing a podium finish in Brazil. His impressive rookie season earned him a full-time seat alongside Max Verstappen for 2020.

**Family Support and Thai Heritage:**

Albon acknowledges the unwavering support of his family, particularly his parents and uncle, who helped him navigate the financial and logistical challenges of his racing career. He also expresses pride in representing Thailand in Formula One, becoming the first Thai driver to score points since 1954.

**Life Beyond Racing:**

Outside of racing, Albon enjoys unwinding with computer games, particularly Fortnite and Call of Duty. He also enjoys cooking, with carbonara being his specialty dish. Despite his love for cooking, he admits that his options are limited due to dietary restrictions imposed by his nutritionist.

**Random Fact:**

Albon reveals an interesting anecdote from his childhood. His first word was "Ferrari," reflecting his early fascination with the iconic red cars.

**Conclusion:**

Alex Albon's journey to Formula One is a testament to his resilience, determination, and unwavering passion for racing. Despite facing numerous obstacles, he persevered and ultimately achieved his dream of competing at the highest level of motorsport.

[00:00.000 -> 00:03.000] Hi there, this is Christian Horner.
[00:03.000 -> 00:06.000] You've won the Austrian Grand Prix!
[00:06.000 -> 00:08.000] Hi, it's Alex Albon.
[00:08.000 -> 00:12.000] Hi, I'm Max Verstappen and you're listening to the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Podcast.
[00:12.000 -> 00:15.000] Oh, this feels good!
[00:17.000 -> 00:22.000] Hello and welcome to Talking Bull, the official Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Podcast.
[00:22.000 -> 00:30.200] We're about to embark on the next part of the 2019 season and it's all to play for. We're 12 races in, we've had five podium
[00:30.200 -> 00:35.400] finishes, Max got his first pole position in Hungary and had race wins in Austria
[00:35.400 -> 00:39.920] and Germany where the team also broke the record for pit stops. They managed it
[00:39.920 -> 00:44.760] in an incredible 1.88 seconds, knocking an impressive three hundredths of a
[00:44.760 -> 00:45.640] second off
[00:45.640 -> 00:48.100] our own record set at Silverstone.
[00:48.100 -> 00:49.160] Nice work, boys.
[00:49.160 -> 00:52.600] The big news over the summer break, we have a new driver.
[00:52.600 -> 00:57.960] Alex Albon has been promoted from our sister team, Toro Rosso, and joins Max for the rest
[00:57.960 -> 00:58.960] of the year.
[00:58.960 -> 01:03.480] This podcast is all about meeting the man himself in his first exclusive chat with the
[01:03.480 -> 01:04.480] team.
[01:04.480 -> 01:08.480] We'll be catching up with MotoGP legend Marc Marquez, we spend 60 seconds with our
[01:08.480 -> 01:13.160] trackside infrastructure engineer Olaf Janssen and we know you love music, we'll
[01:13.160 -> 01:18.400] end on a huge new tune from Floors. First up let's introduce you to Alex. Tom
[01:18.400 -> 01:22.120] caught up with him at the factory while he was getting fitted for his brand new
[01:22.120 -> 01:26.400] racing seat. Firstly Alex welcome to the Talking Bull podcast.
[01:26.400 -> 01:28.200] Great to have you on here for the first time.
[01:28.200 -> 01:29.520] Thank you.
[01:29.520 -> 01:30.680] Firstly, mate, just tell us,
[01:30.680 -> 01:32.360] how does it feel to be
[01:32.360 -> 01:34.240] an Aston Martin Red Bull Racing driver?
[01:34.240 -> 01:36.360] Firstly, I get more messages nowadays.
[01:36.360 -> 01:38.840] That's the first thing.
[01:38.840 -> 01:39.760] But no, really excited.
[01:39.760 -> 01:43.520] I think, you know, just to be a part of the whole family,
[01:43.520 -> 01:45.280] to see, I was already, let's be honest,
[01:45.280 -> 01:48.520] with Toro Rosso, but you know, now I step up to the big team.
[01:48.520 -> 01:50.960] It's, yeah, there's more to it.
[01:50.960 -> 01:55.600] Of course, there comes expectation with stepping up to the big team, but to be honest, you
[01:55.600 -> 02:01.000] gotta kind of ignore that and just focus on yourself and we'll see, we'll see how it goes.
[02:01.000 -> 02:04.120] How exactly did the news get broken to you?
[02:04.120 -> 02:06.160] You know, where were you when you found out
[02:06.160 -> 02:08.560] that you were gonna be driving the RB15 in Belgium?
[02:08.560 -> 02:10.720] I got a call from Dr. Marco on the Friday.
[02:10.720 -> 02:13.120] He told me, what's my plans over the summer break?
[02:13.120 -> 02:15.600] And he said to me, you need to be,
[02:15.600 -> 02:17.000] can you be at my office on Monday?
[02:17.000 -> 02:19.080] And I was like, yeah, yeah, I can.
[02:19.080 -> 02:21.520] He was like, 9 a.m.
[02:21.520 -> 02:22.840] I was like, oh, okay then.
[02:22.840 -> 02:25.120] Then I need to stay the night before in Austria
[02:25.240 -> 02:29.960] So I left Sunday night had a meeting Monday morning, but there was no context to the meeting
[02:30.200 -> 02:33.120] just more about for plans for next year really and
[02:33.520 -> 02:38.160] What really how the season's gone and that kind of thing just to catch up and then that's really what went down
[02:38.420 -> 02:40.420] for the first 30 minutes and then
[02:40.520 -> 02:44.020] After 30 minutes, he told me the news and yeah
[02:44.020 -> 02:46.400] It was a I mean these kind of chats
[02:46.400 -> 02:51.240] are quite short to be honest just okay this is it this is what's happening and then Christian
[02:51.240 -> 02:55.920] called me and just kind of just more reassured me and told me listen okay obviously it's
[02:55.920 -> 03:00.960] a big thing but don't feel it kind of thing just try and do your best and just try to
[03:00.960 -> 03:09.240] ignore it really. Ignore all the noise around you and it was just chaos. I was like, okay, I see why now. Because I left it on, I was like, what's the big deal?
[03:09.240 -> 03:12.800] And then when it hit I was like, right, straight off.
[03:12.800 -> 03:13.800] Switched the phone off.
[03:13.800 -> 03:16.800] Exactly. Then all the media started to try to speak to you and I was like, okay, you know,
[03:16.800 -> 03:20.800] firstly, how do you have my number? Secondly, no, thank you. But yeah.
[03:20.800 -> 03:28.620] I just want to take you back seven months because it's been a kind of crazy rollercoaster for you. It looked like you were actually set to be
[03:28.620 -> 03:32.480] competing in Formula E this year. Did you ever in your wildest dreams expect that
[03:32.480 -> 03:38.080] you would be driving for a race-winning Formula One team come now? No way. I mean
[03:38.080 -> 03:48.640] take it back not even seven months, take it back 12 months ago, I was racing race by race, literally. I was getting a call up
[03:48.640 -> 03:54.560] on a Monday to see if I could, if I was free, and I'd book my flights on a Tuesday and race
[03:54.560 -> 04:00.480] and fly on a Wednesday. So that was kind of my life last year for the first six races
[04:00.480 -> 04:04.360] in Formula 2. And that kind of stayed with me until I got the Formula E chance with the
[04:04.360 -> 04:09.360] same team that was with a team called Dams at the time. That was it, there was no option for Formula 1
[04:09.360 -> 04:14.880] and I thought well Formula E is the next best thing, it's the second most let's say competitive
[04:14.880 -> 04:19.680] motor racing kind of sport or championship there is. That was my future really, death's setting
[04:19.680 -> 04:27.000] stone. Literally Abu Dhabi got the call up for Toro Rosso. Got my first taste in an F1 car in March, I think it was.
[04:27.000 -> 04:31.000] And even then, all that stuff just felt unreal.
[04:31.000 -> 04:34.000] And I had a good start to the season and everything was going well.
[04:34.000 -> 04:39.000] Made my mistakes, I guess as a rookie it does, but still learning a lot.
[04:39.000 -> 04:43.000] And then it came to this summer break and not given this chance.
[04:43.000 -> 04:45.160] So it's a wild wild
[04:45.160 -> 04:49.400] turnaround and it's honestly laughable. I mean people understand that you've
[04:49.400 -> 04:54.680] switched teams and cars there's a bit of a change but there's a lot more to
[04:54.680 -> 04:58.360] it than people might expect. Can you tell us a little bit about that? I think
[04:58.360 -> 05:06.000] firstly Max winning in 2016 or 15 kind of made this thing like it's quite easy to change
[05:06.000 -> 05:11.800] cars but really it's not. The first thing is obviously I'm still learning so the
[05:11.800 -> 05:15.880] thing for me is like let's say my slope in terms of speed is growing and I feel
[05:15.880 -> 05:20.800] a lot better driving right now than I did in Melbourne the first race and I
[05:20.800 -> 05:25.000] know that I've got more to do I still feel there's a lot of areas I
[05:25.000 -> 05:28.440] need to work on, not just driving, I think the driving bit's maybe the most natural
[05:28.440 -> 05:32.320] bit but it's more the team kind of understanding how to set up a car and
[05:32.320 -> 05:37.000] and what areas you need to work on. Is it the electronic guy, is it the engine guy?
[05:37.000 -> 05:41.200] Well where do you need to find the lap time? I still feel that slope's going to
[05:41.200 -> 05:46.040] improve so I do feel a little bit like, oh, you know, I'm now in the race
[05:46.040 -> 05:50.660] winning, championship winning team and I've still got, let's say, room to improve.
[05:50.660 -> 05:54.680] So it is a little bit daunting because I do feel like, okay, right, it's not that I'm
[05:54.680 -> 06:00.140] not ready but I feel there's still room there to be more ready, if that makes sense.
[06:00.140 -> 06:04.760] It is a bit of a jump but, you know, you just got to get used to it.
[06:04.760 -> 06:09.080] And you touched on it there, there's obviously a lot of new people to get used to.
[06:09.080 -> 06:11.360] Have you met everyone that you'll be working with?
[06:11.360 -> 06:16.200] No, so this summer break isn't great for that.
[06:16.200 -> 06:21.640] We've had two weeks, almost three weeks off now since the announcement.
[06:21.640 -> 06:25.360] And for people that don't know of we're not allowed to really communicate
[06:25.360 -> 06:32.960] with with anyone in the team at that time so um no kind of meetings no kind of emails exchanged it
[06:32.960 -> 06:40.160] was just enjoy the holiday come back on monday and do your seat fit and get ready so i think um
[06:40.720 -> 06:47.560] there are relatives in in red bull who must be no team members than I do, that's for sure.
[06:47.560 -> 06:52.280] I feel like I'm still learning the names and the faces of everyone around me.
[06:52.280 -> 06:54.960] But yeah, today, Monday, we did the seat fit.
[06:54.960 -> 06:58.640] Tomorrow, we've got some meetings to do and then Wednesday we have sim before we head
[06:58.640 -> 06:59.640] out to spa.
[06:59.640 -> 07:03.880] So I'll get to know most of my team by then.
[07:03.880 -> 07:09.040] So that's the main thing. And then, of of course it will just be about being at the track and
[07:09.040 -> 07:10.480] there's only so much you can do.
[07:10.480 -> 07:16.600] You've got to be in the moment, it sounds corny, but you just have to be in there to
[07:16.600 -> 07:20.000] learn everyone's, how they work and that kind of thing.
[07:20.000 -> 07:26.680] It's not just about knowing their names, it's about them understanding you and that's been
[07:26.680 -> 07:28.360] something I've really learned in Toro Rosso this year.
[07:28.360 -> 07:31.680] I wouldn't say we don't understand each other at the start of the season, but it's just
[07:31.680 -> 07:35.100] that they get you three, four months into the year.
[07:35.100 -> 07:38.960] They kind of know exactly what you mean and they know the kind of things you like, you
[07:38.960 -> 07:40.000] don't like.
[07:40.000 -> 07:41.160] That stuff takes time.
[07:41.160 -> 07:47.840] That's why it's not simple just to arrive into a new team and suddenly be straight on the pace. There's a lot of stuff which, a lot of
[07:47.840 -> 07:51.160] groundwork and a lot of chemistry that needs to take place before you start
[07:51.160 -> 07:54.160] really understanding the team and the team understand you. You need to sort of
[07:54.160 -> 07:58.800] foster those relationships and sort of build towards that. Speaking of new
[07:58.800 -> 08:03.640] relationships, a new team also means a new teammate. It looks like you've
[08:03.640 -> 08:05.120] actually known Max for quite a
[08:05.120 -> 08:10.800] while. Yeah. How far back do you guys go? Yeah, so I would say my first
[08:10.800 -> 08:18.360] introduction to Max was 2010 actually. So we raced each other then. The whole thing
[08:18.360 -> 08:22.520] then was I was kind of this slightly experienced driver. It was my third year
[08:22.520 -> 08:28.720] in the championship. It was called KF3, go-karting, and it was Max's first year. Max was kind of the young guy, kind
[08:28.720 -> 08:33.200] of what he is now, but he was the the hot shot let's say. And we were fighting
[08:33.200 -> 08:36.760] each other quite hard that year. I became European and world champion and he
[08:36.760 -> 08:41.040] became WSK which was like a European championship. We would always end up
[08:41.040 -> 08:46.240] fighting each other. We had a few crashes with each other but the rivalry was good.
[08:46.240 -> 08:53.080] Like it was intense actually but I really enjoyed it and that was the only year we raced
[08:53.080 -> 08:54.440] against each other head to head.
[08:54.440 -> 08:58.400] I'd like to say I came on top at that time but that's also because I was a bit more experienced
[08:58.400 -> 08:59.400] than he was.
[08:59.400 -> 09:03.480] It's weird because I always see him as the younger guy but now he's got almost five years
[09:03.480 -> 09:05.120] of experience so that he's the younger but experienced guy he's got almost five years of experience so
[09:05.120 -> 09:08.820] that he's a younger but experienced guy so yeah it's a bit weird. You've also
[09:08.820 -> 09:12.580] enjoyed a great rivalry with the likes of Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, George
[09:12.580 -> 09:16.660] Russell on your road to F1. What's it been like to continue that battle at the
[09:16.660 -> 09:20.860] highest level of motorsport this year? Yeah it's all that kind of feeling of
[09:20.860 -> 09:25.280] especially last year you see all see everyone doing so well in Formula
[09:25.280 -> 09:29.160] One, you see Max Charles doing a really good job and then at that time as well George and
[09:29.160 -> 09:32.720] Lando were almost, even if they weren't confirmed for Formula One, you knew that they were going
[09:32.720 -> 09:35.940] to be in Formula One the year after that. It was a bit like, you know, I've missed the
[09:35.940 -> 09:40.920] boat here and I'm going to be in Formula E, but saying that, the circumstances changed,
[09:40.920 -> 09:45.160] let's say the driver swaps helped massively, I have to thank Ricciardo
[09:45.160 -> 09:53.240] for that one. But yeah, the opportunity came and now I'm here, now we're all in it together,
[09:53.240 -> 09:56.520] it's really cool, I really enjoy it to be honest because you come into a Formula One
[09:56.520 -> 09:59.880] and it's a little bit daunting in some respects, you're up against Lewis, Sebastian, these
[09:59.880 -> 10:07.040] kind of title names and you know obviously these guys are the best at their game really but then at the
[10:07.040 -> 10:12.160] same time you think I've raced against him, I've raced against him and then you think about it,
[10:12.160 -> 10:16.480] you've raced against half of these people in in some way or another and that kind of takes the
[10:16.480 -> 10:21.120] sting away from it a little bit and you can relax a bit more into it and still get on really well
[10:21.120 -> 10:25.660] with with almost all of them and it's, yeah, it's just, it's nice
[10:25.660 -> 10:28.980] because it just feels like the casting paddock back,
[10:28.980 -> 10:30.980] back this time we were in Formula One.
[10:30.980 -> 10:32.620] Yeah, a lot of respect for each other.
[10:32.620 -> 10:34.740] Like everyone can say that as well.
[10:34.740 -> 10:36.740] What was their reaction like to the news
[10:36.740 -> 10:38.960] that you were going to be making a step up?
[10:38.960 -> 10:41.360] George, Charles, were the first people to text,
[10:41.360 -> 10:43.140] one of the first people to text me actually.
[10:43.140 -> 10:47.200] I think because we're this young generation, we're all happy for each other because it
[10:47.200 -> 10:49.580] looks like we're all doing quite well.
[10:49.580 -> 10:54.440] When you just purely compare it to teammates or compare it to just to how we're doing,
[10:54.440 -> 10:58.240] it's nice because it just seems like there's a new generation these days that's coming
[10:58.240 -> 11:09.200] through where there was a bit of a gap I think, let's say for the last six years where the guys who are now in Formula One are quite,
[11:09.200 -> 11:14.720] I wouldn't say old, but they're older than us and you've got this wave coming through and yeah,
[11:14.720 -> 11:18.960] we all get along because we're basically friends just because we've grown up with each other
[11:18.960 -> 11:24.000] our whole lives. It looks good on us because when you know you've competed against a guy
[11:24.000 -> 11:26.700] last year who's now doing so well, let's say,
[11:26.700 -> 11:29.300] you realize like, hang on, we're not bad, kind of thing.
[11:29.300 -> 11:30.800] And it's just cool.
[11:30.800 -> 11:33.200] It's great to see you all like push each other along.
[11:33.200 -> 11:38.000] Maybe in five years when George is in Mercedes and Lando's doing his thing,
[11:38.000 -> 11:41.000] maybe it'll be less friendly. We'll see about that.
[11:41.000 -> 11:42.500] But for now, it is quite friendly.
[11:42.500 -> 11:45.360] And we even heard a little rumor that you actually spent
[11:45.360 -> 11:47.760] some time with George over the summer break.
[11:47.760 -> 11:51.000] Yeah, we were in Portugal together.
[11:51.000 -> 11:55.440] He got sick though so he could literally only spend a day with me but he's feeling better
[11:55.440 -> 11:56.440] now.
[11:56.440 -> 11:58.960] But even Lando, we play iRacing quite a lot together.
[11:58.960 -> 12:02.040] So yeah, I know Max as well plays with Lando.
[12:02.040 -> 12:04.720] Again it's this new generation and we're all quite close to each other.
[12:04.720 -> 12:07.520] We all want to be in top teams and we all have the same ambitions.
[12:07.520 -> 12:09.880] So you kind of share similar interests.
[12:10.400 -> 12:11.480] Welcome to the team, Alex.
[12:11.480 -> 12:14.840] We have part two of his exclusive chat on the way.
[12:15.080 -> 12:17.920] Now, Alex isn't the only newbie in the team this year.
[12:17.960 -> 12:21.480] We also have an all new Red Bull F1 energy station.
[12:21.480 -> 12:26.080] It's the talk of the paddock made up of sustainably sourced Austrian timber.
[12:26.080 -> 12:30.800] It offers 27% more floor space than its predecessor. It can be erected in less than
[12:30.800 -> 12:37.360] two days and taken down in one by a crew of 25. Everyone has been keen to try it out, including
[12:37.360 -> 12:42.480] MotoGP legend Marc Marquez. Steve caught up with him to find out what he makes of his Formula 1
[12:42.480 -> 12:47.200] experience. Marc Marquez, welcome to the brand new Red Bull F1 Energy Station.
[12:47.200 -> 12:48.200] Thank you.
[12:48.200 -> 12:49.920] How has your day gone so far?
[12:49.920 -> 12:50.920] Not bad, not bad.
[12:50.920 -> 12:54.460] It's my first time here in Formula One.
[12:54.460 -> 12:59.280] I did a test but I've never been in a GP in Formula One.
[12:59.280 -> 13:03.560] So yeah, it was really nice to see, especially the way to work inside the box.
[13:03.560 -> 13:07.520] And yeah, then I was on the track and it was a nice experience.
[13:07.520 -> 13:08.680] How did you find the garage?
[13:08.680 -> 13:11.600] What did you think of it when you went in there?
[13:11.600 -> 13:17.440] When I was in the garage, of course I'm used to being in a garage of MotoGP, but here in
[13:17.440 -> 13:22.840] Formula 1 it was different, the way to work, the way to...
[13:22.840 -> 13:25.480] The engineers, the position, all these things,
[13:25.480 -> 13:29.320] and yeah, it was impressive because everything is bigger.
[13:29.320 -> 13:31.500] You know, we have two bikes,
[13:31.500 -> 13:34.680] but, you know, we have only two wheels per bike,
[13:34.680 -> 13:37.600] so here everything is bigger, but it was really nice.
[13:37.600 -> 13:39.640] How do the team members vary?
[13:39.640 -> 13:41.640] Are there a lot more people in F1,
[13:41.640 -> 13:44.000] or more in MotoGP, or is it quite similar?
[13:44.000 -> 13:48.680] Already when I was here in the Sp in the Red Bull session it was amazing but
[13:48.680 -> 13:53.800] then when I was in the box I saw already that there was many many people. I mean I have
[13:53.800 -> 14:01.760] been testing with F1 and also I have been in the Red Bull in London and it was nice
[14:01.760 -> 14:05.000] to see but here is working much more people
[14:05.360 -> 14:10.360] and yeah, in MotoGP we can say that it's more like a family.
[14:10.440 -> 14:12.860] You took a bit of a trip I hear as well
[14:12.860 -> 14:16.400] to one of the corners to watch the cars going round.
[14:16.400 -> 14:20.620] How did you find it and were there any sort of similarities
[14:20.620 -> 14:22.380] you could take or pointers you could take
[14:22.380 -> 14:24.600] for when you're back here later in the season?
[14:24.600 -> 14:26.960] Yeah, it was on the last section,
[14:26.960 -> 14:30.920] and I cannot take many reference from F1.
[14:30.920 -> 14:32.920] They are braking so late.
[14:32.920 -> 14:34.880] I mean, it's true that then it's so difficult
[14:34.880 -> 14:38.840] to see the main difference between riding style.
[14:38.840 -> 14:43.840] I mean, in MotoGP, you can see how the rider
[14:44.080 -> 14:45.000] is playing with the body.
[14:45.440 -> 14:47.440] Here it's more difficult to see the difference,
[14:47.440 -> 14:49.620] but also it was nice to see the corner speed
[14:49.620 -> 14:53.680] because it's amazing how they can turn the car.
[14:53.680 -> 14:56.560] And obviously you had a go in
[14:56.560 -> 14:59.020] one of the Formula One cars last year.
[14:59.020 -> 15:00.920] How did you find that experience?
[15:00.920 -> 15:02.160] The experience was really nice
[15:02.160 -> 15:05.040] when I was driving the F1 car I
[15:05.040 -> 15:08.640] mean especially in the beginning especially the break point you know I
[15:08.640 -> 15:11.680] started with the car and I was braking more or less in the same place like a
[15:11.680 -> 15:16.160] motorbike but then you can see that you go you can go very very deep on the
[15:16.160 -> 15:20.840] break point. This was one thing and then the downforce. Downforce is something
[15:20.840 -> 15:26.740] that we we don't have on the motorbikes and here they have the downforce is, I think,
[15:26.740 -> 15:29.540] the most important thing on the high-speed corners
[15:29.540 -> 15:33.140] and was amazing because looks like you cannot be faster,
[15:33.140 -> 15:35.340] but if you are faster, better it is.
[15:35.340 -> 15:37.380] So it was difficult to understand.
[15:37.380 -> 15:39.420] And before that, I understand you had a bit of a go
[15:39.420 -> 15:41.980] in our simulator in Milton Keynes as well.
[15:41.980 -> 15:44.860] Do you have anything similar that in MotoGP
[15:44.860 -> 15:47.640] to sort of test the bike, test the track
[15:47.640 -> 15:48.480] and get used to it?
[15:48.480 -> 15:51.000] No, in MotoGP we don't have simulators.
[15:51.000 -> 15:55.840] In MotoGP I feel lucky because still the rider
[15:55.840 -> 15:57.760] is the most important thing.
[15:57.760 -> 15:59.960] Here, when I was in the simulator,
[15:59.960 -> 16:02.600] you can see that everything is about engineers.
[16:02.600 -> 16:05.160] I mean, of course the driver is very, very important,
[16:05.160 -> 16:07.800] but the engineers also are very, very important.
[16:07.800 -> 16:10.840] In MotoGP too, but in the end,
[16:10.840 -> 16:12.200] you cannot have a simulator
[16:12.200 -> 16:14.700] because depending how you're riding,
[16:14.700 -> 16:16.640] depending if you are tired or not,
[16:16.640 -> 16:19.200] depending how is the position of your body,
[16:19.200 -> 16:20.880] the bike balance is changing a lot.
[16:20.880 -> 16:24.080] So it's impossible to have a simulator.
[16:24.080 -> 16:29.480] Do you think you'd ever like to make the change from two wheels to four? Last year when I was
[16:29.480 -> 16:35.260] testing, after the test, many journalists asked me but you know
[16:35.260 -> 16:40.540] two wheels is my wall. Of course it's nice to have the experience, of course
[16:40.540 -> 16:46.480] it's nice to drive a F1 and enjoy that amazing experience,
[16:46.480 -> 16:49.480] but in the end, here we have the best drivers in the world,
[16:49.480 -> 16:52.520] so I choose two wheels,
[16:52.520 -> 16:56.140] and yeah, I mean, to arrive on the level of F1,
[16:56.140 -> 16:59.200] I think I will be not able to do it.
[16:59.200 -> 17:02.240] Do you find when you're racing MotoGP on the bike
[17:02.240 -> 17:05.640] that you're a lot more sort of connected with the bike,
[17:05.640 -> 17:08.000] as you're sort of, there's nothing really surrounding you,
[17:08.000 -> 17:10.480] where within the F1 car, you've got a body
[17:10.480 -> 17:11.920] and a lot more protection.
[17:11.920 -> 17:15.840] Yeah, when I was driving an F1 car, I feel really safe.
[17:15.840 -> 17:19.360] I mean, I feel like I'm inside a box, and very safe,
[17:19.360 -> 17:22.400] and then I was not scared to,
[17:22.400 -> 17:26.840] if I was there, Dr. Marco, Marco Mark Webber and they told me break later
[17:26.840 -> 17:32.360] I said, okay, I will break later because it's just you lock the wheels and go straight and come back
[17:32.360 -> 17:35.120] So in a MotoGP is different
[17:35.120 -> 17:39.000] I mean when you see that the bike is shaking when you see that you are playing with the body
[17:39.520 -> 17:42.640] when somebody told you break later you say
[17:43.920 -> 17:48.160] You can do it. I will not do, but the risk
[17:49.060 -> 17:52.000] and the feeling, the adrenaline is in a different way.
[17:52.000 -> 17:54.560] Would you say racing is in your DNA,
[17:54.560 -> 17:56.440] you grow up with it and therefore,
[17:56.440 -> 17:58.800] when you change in whatever machine you go to,
[17:58.800 -> 18:02.380] there's something in you that knows how to do it?
[18:02.380 -> 18:06.300] The way to understand the motorsport or the adrenaline,
[18:06.300 -> 18:10.540] and it's true that, for example, if I'm riding a bike,
[18:10.540 -> 18:13.820] if I drive a car, I have one, I like to be fast.
[18:13.820 -> 18:17.980] I mean, I don't like to drive and only spend the time.
[18:17.980 -> 18:20.580] No, I like to be fast, and for that reason,
[18:20.580 -> 18:24.380] before I answer to you in a way that you are thinking
[18:24.380 -> 18:25.880] to move to, no, if I answer to you in a way that you are thinking to move to, if
[18:25.880 -> 18:30.560] I'm not competitive in something, I don't like to do it because in the end, I like the
[18:30.560 -> 18:34.080] experience but I like to be competitive where I am.
[18:34.080 -> 18:40.240] To stay competitive, what do you do to stay sharp and what does your training consist
[18:40.240 -> 18:41.240] of?
[18:41.240 -> 18:42.240] It's the ambition.
[18:42.240 -> 18:47.760] It's the ambition, it's the motivation. In the end, I get up
[18:47.760 -> 18:55.080] every day, in the end I try to be focused, I try to train at home, try to have some plan
[18:55.080 -> 19:02.240] because I like when you arrive on Sunday and you have that feeling of the victory.
[19:02.240 -> 19:08.500] You brushed up on about winning then, and when you win you have some quite signature celebrations.
[19:08.500 -> 19:10.120] How do you prepare for that?
[19:10.120 -> 19:12.440] How do you train to do that
[19:12.440 -> 19:14.200] and get it right every single time?
[19:14.200 -> 19:17.280] Yeah, I mean, of course, it depends how you feel.
[19:17.280 -> 19:21.200] I mean, I'm very lucky that I have a very nice group,
[19:21.200 -> 19:24.120] and during a weekend, I have like,
[19:24.120 -> 19:25.300] my mechanics are my friends
[19:25.300 -> 19:31.340] sometimes we are in Barcelona and we go to dinner or to party or to whatever or
[19:31.340 -> 19:35.780] to the beach because we like we are we are friends and when we are there
[19:35.780 -> 19:40.760] during a GP of course we are professional but we have some free time
[19:40.760 -> 19:46.560] and then we are speaking about it and then yeah sometimes you get some ideas, but then
[19:47.080 -> 19:51.160] Depends how you feel that moment then you're celebrating one way or the other way
[19:51.160 -> 19:54.920] And then what do you do so you've you've won your race?
[19:55.280 -> 19:57.240] You've not got a race for a week or two
[19:57.240 -> 20:01.320] What do you do to sort of take your mind away from racing and switch off?
[20:01.320 -> 20:05.640] I'm living in my town. I mean in the town where I was born.
[20:05.640 -> 20:10.320] So yeah, this is the best way to relax, to disconnect
[20:10.320 -> 20:14.180] because then you have your friends from the school,
[20:14.180 -> 20:16.240] you have your family, you have your cousins
[20:16.240 -> 20:21.240] and then all these things helps me to have this stability
[20:21.480 -> 20:26.720] and honestly speaking, where I feel better is when I'm at home.
[20:26.720 -> 20:29.720] So then of course in summertime and wintertime
[20:29.720 -> 20:33.860] I try to find some places to have some holidays,
[20:33.860 -> 20:36.680] but I like to be just quiet.
[20:36.680 -> 20:38.920] And do any of your friends race?
[20:38.920 -> 20:40.520] And did you go out racing with them?
[20:40.520 -> 20:43.760] No, no, no, all my friends, they are riding a bike,
[20:43.760 -> 20:49.000] they ride like Enduro la motocross, ma sono amaturi.
[20:49.000 -> 20:53.000] Sono fortunato che mio fratello sia anche competente
[20:53.000 -> 20:56.000] nella campagna mondiale in categoria Moto2.
[20:56.000 -> 20:59.000] Quindi io passo molto tempo con lui,
[20:59.000 -> 21:02.000] viviamo insieme, alleniamoci insieme,
[21:02.000 -> 21:04.000] viaggiamo insieme attorno al mondo,
[21:04.000 -> 21:07.840] e questo è il miglior modo. living together, training together, we are traveling together around the world and this is the best way and I feel very lucky
[21:07.840 -> 21:10.280] because you spend the time with your brother
[21:10.280 -> 21:12.440] but in the same time is your best friend
[21:12.440 -> 21:16.720] and the person that you are training
[21:16.720 -> 21:18.360] and spend a lot of time.
[21:18.360 -> 21:19.960] And do you sort of share each other
[21:19.960 -> 21:21.920] like tips and advice with each other?
[21:21.920 -> 21:23.840] Yeah, of course, I mean, when we are at home
[21:23.840 -> 21:27.760] we are trying to analyze his weekend, my weekend,
[21:27.760 -> 21:31.200] and then try to share the information.
[21:31.200 -> 21:35.280] But then when we are on the race week, on the weekend,
[21:35.280 -> 21:39.000] then I'm working with my team, he's working with his team.
[21:39.000 -> 21:42.080] Of course, if I have a doubt or he has a doubt,
[21:42.080 -> 21:44.160] we ask and we discuss about it.
[21:44.160 -> 21:47.420] But yeah, then we are more focused on our
[21:47.420 -> 21:52.960] category. When we are at home, I try to help him and he tries to help me.
[21:52.960 -> 21:59.120] Does him and your family help you stay motivated? Obviously, winning five world championships,
[21:59.120 -> 22:10.400] you keep coming back, you're hungrier each year. does your family help drive that sort of passion? Yeah of course, my family, my friends, my team, you know when you are winning and
[22:10.400 -> 22:17.000] then you see that the emotions of the people around you are maybe even more
[22:17.000 -> 22:22.440] excited than you, so this is something that is incredible. In the end if you
[22:22.440 -> 22:26.800] are winning and you feel alone, it's no sense. For me,
[22:26.800 -> 22:32.880] the most important thing is that when I'm winning, I see all happy faces from my family,
[22:32.880 -> 22:38.340] my team, my friends, and then this motivate me that I want to repeat this moment, so continue
[22:38.340 -> 22:39.340] like this.
[22:39.340 -> 22:40.840] Mark Threlfalll And do you get to take any of them to any
[22:40.840 -> 22:42.600] sort of other cool Red Bull events?
[22:42.600 -> 22:47.500] Fabrizio Pascucci Yeah, normally, for example, today I come with my brother.
[22:47.500 -> 22:50.520] He's not a Red Bull athlete, but he was in the past
[22:50.520 -> 22:52.700] and he will be, I think.
[22:52.700 -> 22:57.700] So, yeah, then it was sometimes I come with him,
[22:58.260 -> 23:00.420] then sometimes with my father, my mother,
[23:00.420 -> 23:05.000] and my friends, they were in Red Bull Ring GP last year
[23:06.480 -> 23:08.120] and they enjoyed a lot, so yeah,
[23:08.120 -> 23:09.760] I try to spend time with them.
[23:09.760 -> 23:13.440] And how has Red Bull played a part in your career?
[23:13.440 -> 23:15.720] How long have you been a Red Bull athlete
[23:15.720 -> 23:18.120] and how have they helped you progress?
[23:18.120 -> 23:20.680] Obviously, since I started in the World Championship
[23:20.680 -> 23:24.040] from 2008, I already was a Red Bull athlete,
[23:24.040 -> 23:28.000] so I feel really proud toleta di Red Bull, quindi mi sento davvero orgoglioso di essere in famiglia di Red Bull,
[23:28.000 -> 23:35.000] perché alcuni gruppi che credono in te, da quando hai iniziato,
[23:35.000 -> 23:41.000] ero 15 anni, ora sono 26, e già 11 anni che lavoriamo insieme,
[23:41.000 -> 23:45.000] quindi non è like a sponsor,
[23:45.240 -> 23:46.560] it's like something different.
[23:46.560 -> 23:50.040] I mean, it's some connection there that I like it
[23:50.040 -> 23:53.800] and yeah, in the end, it's a cool brand
[23:53.800 -> 23:55.480] and also it's an exclusive brand,
[23:55.480 -> 23:58.920] so this is something that I feel proud.
[23:58.920 -> 24:01.400] And you've obviously come and visited probably
[24:01.400 -> 24:03.200] the best weekend you could have
[24:03.200 -> 24:05.200] on our new Red Bull F1 Energy Station.
[24:05.200 -> 24:07.240] What do you make of this so far?
[24:07.240 -> 24:10.280] Yeah, I mean, I was, I entered from the circuit
[24:10.280 -> 24:12.560] and I was in the car and then I was checking
[24:12.560 -> 24:13.560] and I said, what is this?
[24:13.560 -> 24:17.300] This is a, this is a flat, it's a house,
[24:18.380 -> 24:20.300] because it was so big, but yeah,
[24:20.300 -> 24:23.720] then it will be nice to be here on the first day
[24:23.720 -> 24:26.000] of Red Bull Energy Station. And do you have any more plans to come and visit here on the first day of the Brembole Energy Station.
[24:26.000 -> 24:30.000] And do you have any more plans to come and visit us throughout the next couple of seasons?
[24:30.000 -> 24:37.000] Maybe, maybe. I would like to come to Monaco, maybe to this kind of circuit inside the city,
[24:37.000 -> 24:41.000] because also the experience I think will be nice.
[24:41.000 -> 24:46.720] Well, thank you very much, Marc, for joining us here in Spain. Like I said I hope we
[24:46.720 -> 24:53.440] get to see you again soon. Of course good weather in Spain, good food. Exactly and we wish you all
[24:53.440 -> 24:57.920] the best for the rest of the season and hope you can claim your sixth world championship. We will
[24:57.920 -> 25:02.960] try, we will try. Thank you very much. Great to hear from Mark, hope to see you in Monaco at some
[25:02.960 -> 25:09.000] point soon. Now as you know on the podcast we like to introduce you to members of the team that you wouldn't normally hear from.
[25:09.000 -> 25:12.000] This time, we're spending 60 seconds with Olaf Janssen.
[25:12.000 -> 25:18.000] I'm Olaf Janssen. I'm the trackside infrastructure engineer at Aston Martin Red Bull Racing.
[25:19.000 -> 25:31.960] I'm part of a team of two that provide the IT infrastructure at theC for the team to do their role. My job involves setting up the technical infrastructure at the TRAC, comprises of 10 servers, 80 monitors,
[25:31.960 -> 25:38.440] 60 laptops, 800 meters of Cat6 cabling, 30 network switches, 60 terabytes of storage
[25:38.440 -> 25:43.160] and we create 350 to 500 gigabytes of data and events.
[25:43.160 -> 25:45.320] The TRAC site infrastructure comprises of
[25:45.320 -> 25:50.560] the pit wall garage, engineers office and the ops room back in the UK. These are all
[25:50.560 -> 25:55.520] connected via network and also intercom communication system. Issues we face
[25:55.520 -> 26:00.640] Trackside are limited space, limited time to set up and pack down, reliability
[26:00.640 -> 26:07.200] mainly caused by environmental issues. I started at Red Bull in 2005, haven't looked back since.
[26:08.200 -> 26:09.200] Great to hear from Olaf.
[26:09.200 -> 26:14.200] Right now though, it's more of Tom's exclusive chat with our new driver, Alexander Albon.
[26:14.200 -> 26:18.200] We've heard about his life on the track, let's find out more about the man himself.
[26:18.200 -> 26:23.200] Alex, can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you first discovered motorsport?
[26:23.200 -> 26:30.720] I have dual nationality, half Thai, half British. My mum's Thai, dad British. Dad was the one who got me into racing. I was five I think
[26:30.720 -> 26:35.120] when I went to my first track which was Silverstone. Kind of heard that V10 noise and just went yeah
[26:35.120 -> 26:41.360] this is this is very cool. I was a massive Schumacher fanboy, if I could even say that here,
[26:41.360 -> 26:46.160] but I was. I had a kind of red red everything red shirt I got my
[26:46.160 -> 26:52.320] dad to paint my bedroom red I had red duvet covers that kind of thing so a bit obsessed
[26:52.320 -> 26:58.560] it's fair to say and uh kind of all this obsession of of motorsport because I was also a big fan of
[26:58.560 -> 27:04.480] Rossi sorry if Marquez is I know a lot of these people are watching listening to Marquez but uh
[27:04.360 -> 27:04.920] if Marquez is I know you a lot of these people are watching listening to Marquez, but uh
[27:10.040 -> 27:15.040] Yeah, I was a big fan of Rossi as well and that whole kind of environment of motorsport I got my first car when I was 7 I lived on a farm next door to us was like this barn
[27:15.040 -> 27:19.240] My dad got me like this just two bricks really and it was a figure of eight
[27:19.240 -> 27:24.880] So you could just imagine weaving in and out after school just push my dad every day to to drive
[27:25.760 -> 27:28.960] weaving in and out. After school just pushed my dad every day to driver and it would just tie me and we do like three laps of this figure of eight and
[27:28.960 -> 27:33.040] of course lap times kind of got better as you start to learn kind of the basic
[27:33.040 -> 27:37.360] let's say driver control that kind of thing. From then on we just, he took me to
[27:37.360 -> 27:43.240] my first track I wasn't too bad nothing nothing amazing but I stuck to it and
[27:43.240 -> 27:46.720] yeah went on from there and it just started to become
[27:46.720 -> 27:51.120] British champion and then went through the ranks and eventually raced max European and
[27:51.120 -> 27:55.360] World Championships and then moved over to single seaters. I guess even as a youngster
[27:55.360 -> 27:59.200] when you're in the Red Bull Junior program you had dreams of making it to Formula One.
[28:00.080 -> 28:10.640] Have there ever been any moments where you thought the dream might not become a reality? Yeah, definitely. Twice. Twice to a point where I was convinced there was nothing going to happen.
[28:12.080 -> 28:19.040] 2012 was a big one for me. That was actually, I mean, I think it's fair to say I had a very bad
[28:19.040 -> 28:24.160] year personally and also just driving wise, it just wasn't quick. It was my first year from
[28:24.160 -> 28:29.400] Kocarts, so it's quite a big year for any driver some drivers adapt really easily through
[28:29.400 -> 28:34.640] from karts to cars others take more time I definitely was the latter and just
[28:34.640 -> 28:39.000] struggled struggled with with with the driving and and I didn't have a lot of
[28:39.000 -> 28:44.000] money back then so I thought that was it I thought going to 2013 there was
[28:44.000 -> 28:45.000] there was nothing for me.
[28:45.000 -> 28:51.000] But luckily we got some money together thanks to my manager at the time.
[28:51.000 -> 28:55.000] And we got it going, kind of got onto the grid in 2013.
[28:55.000 -> 29:00.000] And just, even 2013 itself wasn't even that good, but just had enough results,
[29:00.000 -> 29:06.640] good results to kind of see potential there, the sponsors to see potential there and got a
[29:07.600 -> 29:11.760] a good drive for 2014 and then finished I think third in the championship back there
[29:11.760 -> 29:18.560] and then again last year like as I said last year literally just truthfully begging on the phone
[29:18.560 -> 29:26.840] to get a seat into into Formula, Formula 2 never mind Formula. It was just about going race by race and so much doubt.
[29:26.840 -> 29:29.200] But it's weird, I mean people say,
[29:29.200 -> 29:33.560] wow, that's tough, but it's only tough for a while.
[29:33.560 -> 29:36.760] It was almost like treating every race as your last chance.
[29:36.760 -> 29:39.480] And you kind of have this really gritty
[29:39.480 -> 29:41.300] attitude towards driving.
[29:41.300 -> 29:45.620] And yeah, you kind of just turn that kind of negative doubt if you're
[29:45.620 -> 29:48.900] going to race into a positive and start to become really hungry for it.
[29:48.900 -> 29:54.160] Yeah it was a really good period and Gotwind was leading the championship and fighting
[29:54.160 -> 30:01.080] with George for the championship and yeah got a place into Formula 1.
[30:01.080 -> 30:04.880] Who were some of the sort of main people behind the scenes who sort of have really supported
[30:04.880 -> 30:06.660] you along the way? It's a lot of people
[30:06.660 -> 30:12.360] actually. Family obviously is a big help. Mum and dad, they were kind of the ones
[30:12.360 -> 30:17.660] to keep me strong through the tough times and my uncle kind of getting me
[30:17.660 -> 30:20.620] contacts for Thailand because that's really where my money was coming from
[30:20.620 -> 30:25.940] was that kind of that chance to to keep racing. My manager
[30:25.940 -> 30:31.400] at the time, Gwen, who is now part of the Mercedes junior team and then yeah
[30:31.400 -> 30:36.520] just friends really. It was just, I wouldn't say a lot of people, it was a small
[30:36.520 -> 30:41.560] network with a lot of passion and people that really cared about me and
[30:41.560 -> 30:46.660] they were the ones to keep me motivated and to help me
[30:46.660 -> 30:50.720] because yeah there was no way I was gonna find a budget for motorsport. It is
[30:50.720 -> 30:55.020] an insanely expensive sport and I was very lucky as well to have the Thai
[30:55.020 -> 30:59.660] connection because yeah it would never have been a possibility. We hear
[30:59.660 -> 31:03.860] that you've got a pretty big family at home and you actually live nearby to
[31:03.860 -> 31:05.920] the factory it
[31:05.920 -> 31:10.000] must be quite an easy commute for you now on sim days. It's literally 10
[31:10.000 -> 31:14.920] minutes from my house so it's perfect. I see all these drivers living in Monaco
[31:14.920 -> 31:19.960] and part of me is jealous and the other side of me think well they have to waste
[31:19.960 -> 31:24.000] one day of travel, one day of sim, another day of travel so they have to waste
[31:24.000 -> 31:25.200] three days of their
[31:25.200 -> 31:32.320] life. It was all from 2012 because I was with Red Bull at that period from go-karts to cars.
[31:33.440 -> 31:39.760] We moved house and we didn't really have an idea of where we wanted to go. So really Milton Keynes
[31:39.760 -> 31:44.640] was a logical place because Red Bull was here and I was a Red Bull driver at the time. My whole
[31:44.640 -> 31:47.360] family came with me. I have three sisters and a brother, so we went
[31:47.360 -> 31:51.360] to school around the area. It's a little bit more less hectic now, everyone's at
[31:51.360 -> 31:58.640] uni so it's a lot quieter but yeah, no, it's nice to be here and even
[31:58.640 -> 32:03.400] better now because now I literally am in Milton Keynes, there's no excuses to
[32:03.400 -> 32:08.560] have a chat with my engineer face to face and I think it will only help that kind of
[32:08.560 -> 32:12.040] learning process getting up to speed as quick as possible in the cars this year.
[32:12.040 -> 32:16.360] How well do you get on with your siblings, big family? Yeah well there's
[32:16.360 -> 32:21.440] five siblings in a in a four-bedroom house so we're close. We've been through
[32:21.440 -> 32:26.320] some tough times together, let's say that, and yeah we get along well.
[32:26.320 -> 32:31.280] Actually just even, was it two days ago, the GCSE results, everyone's GCSE results came
[32:31.280 -> 32:35.360] out and my little brother did like amazing.
[32:35.360 -> 32:38.300] So I just want to touch on something else with you, obviously you were born in London
[32:38.300 -> 32:41.240] but raced under the Thai flag as you touched on.
[32:41.240 -> 32:44.680] How proud were you earlier this year when you became the first Thai driver to score
[32:44.680 -> 32:48.780] in F1 since 1954? Especially considering the
[32:48.780 -> 32:52.400] last driver to do so was actually a member of the Thai royal family, Prince
[32:52.400 -> 32:57.180] Bira. Yeah, it's really crazy and even when I go to Thailand I meet relatives
[32:57.180 -> 33:01.600] of Prince Bira and it's like just full circle, really weird.
[33:01.600 -> 33:06.320] Because I was in the first points was it were in Bahrain
[33:06.320 -> 33:10.440] and I was just flew straight away to Thailand after that and it was like quite weird and
[33:10.440 -> 33:16.080] I think Thailand isn't known for Formula One. So even even motorsport in general isn't big
[33:16.080 -> 33:20.880] I'd say MotoGP is a lot bigger in Thailand and then Formula One and that's also because
[33:20.880 -> 33:25.520] they have that the racing brewery around there so yeah it is really cool
[33:25.520 -> 33:31.200] I kind of see that pickup of excitement in Thailand that I was there also before the
[33:31.200 -> 33:35.760] first race in Melbourne and there was a lot of people but to be honest it wasn't crazy I mean
[33:35.760 -> 33:41.040] there were a couple people in the hotel lobby at the time which I still thought was was was nuts
[33:41.040 -> 33:46.400] and it was a bit like the people that know me really know me like I had an elderly woman
[33:46.400 -> 33:51.520] crying right in front of me I was like what's going on this is like all nuts but saying that
[33:51.520 -> 33:57.600] there wasn't that many people and now I was there not long ago a month ago and the pickup of
[33:57.600 -> 34:02.880] interest was just huge it was suddenly people not just see him on the streets that kind of thing and
[34:04.080 -> 34:05.160] yeah it was it was really cool to see and that kind of thing and yeah it was it
[34:05.160 -> 34:09.180] was really cool to see and I kind of see it and it scares me at the same time
[34:09.180 -> 34:12.300] that okay I don't overcome like a like an odd just that that's not kind of the
[34:12.300 -> 34:16.260] stuff I like but it is really nice to see you know and just kind of this whole
[34:16.260 -> 34:20.580] Red Bull even promotion it's it's big news out there yeah. So you definitely
[34:20.580 -> 34:24.220] think there's room for the sport to grow in the region we might even see you in a
[34:24.220 -> 34:26.280] show car on the streets of Bangkok one day.
[34:26.280 -> 34:27.280] That's really cool.
[34:27.280 -> 34:30.520] I don't know if you saw, Mark Webber did one, I can't remember, it must have been around
[34:30.520 -> 34:34.320] 2010 and that went down amazing.
[34:34.320 -> 34:38.880] And you actually even race with a Thai symbol on the back of your helmet?
[34:38.880 -> 34:49.760] Yeah, that's the Thai number 9 is what you see and it's on your RB11 as well. So it's basically the King Rama 9. He passed away
[34:49.760 -> 34:56.720] in 2016 I believe it was which is why you have it on that cut and just he had a huge influence.
[34:56.720 -> 35:04.400] I don't know if you've, I have not seen it where one person has had such an incredible kind of
[35:07.680 -> 35:08.400] where one person has had such an incredible kind of loving from so many people.
[35:14.800 -> 35:17.440] If you ever saw a funeral, it was millions, millions kind of going on the streets. I was there the week he passed away.
[35:17.440 -> 35:22.640] I think it was like 38, 39 degrees and people were out on the streets kind of mourning,
[35:22.640 -> 35:30.340] all wearing black and there was just people fainting everywhere but it was so normal to them or just they didn't really care
[35:30.340 -> 35:34.020] about it just because they they wanted to show kind of their love for him and
[35:34.020 -> 35:38.540] it was just incredible to see. Away from the racetrack we're coming towards the
[35:38.540 -> 35:42.340] end now what are some of the things that you like to do just you know unwind and
[35:42.340 -> 35:49.840] forget about racing? I'd say I'm a very normal person, normal as in I like computer games so maybe not
[35:49.840 -> 35:56.200] that normal but a nerdy, normal for maybe my age and a guy I don't know so
[35:56.200 -> 36:01.520] play a lot of fortnite, call of duty that kind of thing with friends and just kind
[36:01.520 -> 36:08.500] of really switch away switch off from the whole racing scene completely so I enjoy that a lot even though it's with a lot of the time
[36:08.500 -> 36:12.840] drivers as well we still do it together kind of thing and yeah just give each
[36:12.840 -> 36:16.720] other rubbish basically. And then apart from that I quite like cooking I'm not
[36:16.720 -> 36:23.080] very good at it but I like doing it and it sounds boring but also just
[36:23.080 -> 36:26.160] training I feel like it's such a big part of our lives now
[36:26.160 -> 36:30.720] that even when we stop to relax, like I spent the first
[36:31.320 -> 36:36.280] five days after Hungary not training and it just feels really wrong. Like you feel really bad and
[36:36.620 -> 36:40.580] you feel kind of lazy and slow. So we enjoy training as well.
[36:40.600 -> 36:44.040] What's your specialty dish? My carbonara is really good.
[36:44.680 -> 36:49.760] training as well. What's your specialty dish? My carbonara is really good like you know none of this cream like the pure eggs and parmesan I think that's
[36:49.760 -> 36:53.600] that's maybe my go-to but obviously it's not the healthiest dish. We have a
[36:53.600 -> 36:57.920] nutritionist for people that I know and she works for a lot of the Formula One
[36:57.920 -> 37:03.720] drivers she kind of teaches us the do's and don'ts of nutrition so most of the
[37:03.720 -> 37:05.440] time we're cooking chicken, we're
[37:05.440 -> 37:09.720] cooking rice, we're cooking vegetables. I'm not sure there's much you
[37:09.720 -> 37:13.040] can do with that stuff. I don't know maybe I need to get taught by someone
[37:13.040 -> 37:18.560] else. Maybe my mum's taught me poorly but there's only so much
[37:18.560 -> 37:22.560] variation you can do to chicken before it just gets boring. And just to finish
[37:22.560 -> 37:26.760] off with can you tell us something completely random about yourself that people might not know?
[37:26.760 -> 37:32.120] People might know this, people might not know. My first word was Ferrari so I
[37:32.120 -> 37:35.720] couldn't say Ferrari so this was kind of leading on to that obsession I was
[37:35.720 -> 37:40.880] saying about all red but I used to just say Rari Rari because I was a I was an
[37:40.880 -> 37:44.400] absolute nut so but it didn't obviously I didn't know the body shape of a Ferrari
[37:44.400 -> 37:45.880] I just saw a red car and was like,
[37:45.880 -> 37:47.000] Rari, Rari.
[37:47.000 -> 37:47.960] So, yeah.
[37:47.960 -> 37:49.280] All right, thank you, Alex.
[37:49.280 -> 37:52.000] Best of luck with the first race this weekend, Alex.
[37:52.000 -> 37:53.120] We're all behind you.
[37:53.120 -> 37:55.640] That's almost it for this edition of Talking Bull.
[37:55.640 -> 37:58.520] We leave you with an exclusive track from Floors.
[37:58.520 -> 38:00.240] This is here to stay.
[38:00.240 -> 38:02.480] We'll be back soon with more action from the track,
[38:02.480 -> 38:04.120] the paddock, and the factory.
[38:04.120 -> 38:29.000] Until then, take care. And no, I won't be a part, no, of this tainted ride-on
[38:29.000 -> 38:33.000] Since you put me on the straight and narrow
[38:33.000 -> 38:38.000] This greatest craze will seal my fate
[38:38.000 -> 38:45.000] I'm here to stay, here to stay
[38:49.000 -> 38:54.000] I'm here to stay, here to stay
[38:57.000 -> 39:02.000] Together, we can build up our escape
[39:02.000 -> 39:08.000] I'll never, never let you turn the page forever
[39:08.000 -> 39:13.000] We'll endeavor, be happy ever after
[39:14.000 -> 39:17.000] Somebody ask me
[39:17.000 -> 39:21.000] I do my best to set the stage, don't test me
[39:21.000 -> 39:47.000] Cause I can fake that, but it tastes disaster I'm here to stay, here to stay I'm here to stay, here to stay
[40:07.000 -> 40:16.000] What are you waiting for? The sea starts to crack when I'm walking back
[40:16.000 -> 40:20.000] What are you waiting for?
[40:20.000 -> 40:30.000] My head's turned on, top's a different story What are you waiting for?
[40:33.000 -> 40:41.000] What are you waiting for?
[40:43.000 -> 40:47.000] I'm here to stay, here to stay
[40:50.000 -> 40:56.000] I'm here to stay, here to stay
[41:23.600 -> 41:25.000] Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe
[41:25.000 -> 41:26.900] on your favorite podcasting platform.