Shanghai Recap

Shanghai delivered strategy drama, wheel-to-wheel fights and shifting fortunes across the field as teams grappled with tyre management and changing track conditions. We break down the key moments, standout performances and what the result means for the early championship narrative. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Boxama, boxe, box, box, box.

SPEAKER_01 0:19

So Hamilton was four point eight, four point eight. I think that's a podium, mate. I think that's a podium.

SPEAKER_02 0:27

Welcome to Box Box Box, your hopefully favorite Formula One podcast. My name is Scott. I joined today, as always, with Mohan. How are you, Mohan?

SPEAKER_00 0:35

Uh, I'm very well, thank you. Uh good to be talking to you on the end of uh another exciting race, actually.

SPEAKER_02 0:41

Absolutely. So we just had the Chinese Grand Prix and in this 2026 season, if anyone's listening to this in the future. Just quickly, I suppose, it was a sprint as well. Did you enjoy the whole weekend?

SPEAKER_00 0:52

Uh I did in the sense that it's some of the things that we talked about as predictions for early in the season and sort of seating seemed to unfold. And the biggest thing of that, I guess, is is Mercedes' dominance in all of this. But one of the interesting things that's come out of this, and we saw it both in the sprint and in the in this race, which we'll talk about a bit later, is how the midfields actually come a lot closer. And they uh are able to put in performances that wouldn't have been capable in 2025. And perhaps part of that is the Rex, perhaps part of that is the is the is the setup of these cars. But it's actually made it's given some of the drivers that would have normally been at the back of the grid a lot better chance to compete this year.

SPEAKER_02 1:33

I think we'll open up on it more as we as we go through. But uh, you know, I'm seeing headlines that like they're calling it Mario Kart, um this this other type of racing, the the yo-yo racing, or uh I've heard it more referred to as rubber band racing recently, which I guess is a lot more a lot more accurate per se.

SPEAKER_00 1:49

Aaron Powell That's quite mixed. Um I guess if you depending who you talk to, there's quite mixed reaction. Some people love it, some people absolutely detest it, including the drivers on the paddock, there's mixed feelings about it. And obviously, as always happens, the people at the front are love it. And those that are struggling with it absolutely hate it, basically.

SPEAKER_02 2:06

And well, yeah that's very true, but it seems like Max genuinely doesn't like this. And I actually think he'd still be complaining if he was winning.

SPEAKER_00 2:14

And I think so. And I think he early on had basically said, no, this is Formula E on steroids, basically, which at times you probably see part of that. But the fact that you look at something like Mercedes, where they've got the engine in four different cars and they're getting four different sets of results, basically, which is which is unusual. It's it's a spectacle. I think I like it. I like the fact that obviously the the number of overtakes have quadrupled, I think, in this time frame. But it is some of the challenges on track are really interesting to watch. I actually enjoyed it very much, I must admit.

SPEAKER_02 2:45

Before we we do we dive into the Grand Prix, um, I know you did a wrap on the sprint race. Is there anything else you want to talk about with that sprint?

SPEAKER_00 2:52

Um I guess the it's uh the coming into the qualifying we sort of saw that Mercedes dominated and that and they stayed that way for the race. It's the nature of the calendar, I suppose, that this race is quite early in the calendar, but it's obviously also was early in the calendar last year. So you wonder whether that the the the sprint part of this calendar could have been pushed out a bit further till the drive the drivers and the teams that got used to the cars a bit more. And maybe that was a bit too much pressure to have to deliver two races on one weekend in the second week. You know what I mean? So and we've seen the the outcomes of that on teams like McLaren and so on, and that have struggled. Now sorry, go on. And yeah, so it's overall as a race, I think it is good to watch. It's uh it's a great track for the sprint race itself. And but I think perhaps a bit premature for the calendar.

SPEAKER_02 3:40

And the other thing I really wanted to touch on uh before we we dive into the Grand Prix itself uh is the qualifying and the I guess the the situation with the these these hybrid cars and the qu and how they take to the track when qualifying. It seems to be we have a we have a situation where the cars are harvesting energy, where they uh you know you could potentially not go flat out into a corner and it pays off later. I think it was Oscar Piastri, uh it was either Piastri or Lando, I can't remember now. He he said something about how he was getting faster and faster, but his times were slower and slower across the Australian qualifying. How do you see this shaping up currently? Because it seems to be the biggest criticism across the board when it comes to the new regulations.

SPEAKER_00 4:23

I think part of this actually comes still coming down to the fact that the drivers themselves are not fully across how best to deploy this new setup. And they're they're finding their way, and I think testing probably wasn't enough of a of a run into the season itself, that they seem to be almost doing live testing on this weekend. So it's it's a large part of this, I think, is just thinking this them getting used to it, and not just them, but the team setting it up as well. Uh it's quite curious because up to this race, I mean, you look at Mercedes and Ferrari on their own, the fact that that it the single lap pace is not necessarily translating to race pace in that sense. Uh, and it also obviously comes down to field loads and things like that as well. So I I think a large part of this still comes back to the fact that they maybe in if you looked at this in uh we've got two more sprints to come up in uh in uh in May, I believe. And it'd be interesting how that how that pans out compared to these early ones.

SPEAKER_02 5:21

It's something I'll touch on throughout the entire year looking at where we're at now. Uh but the uh you know when we go back to Australia and the the comment Lewis made about how uh the we should have they should have pitted one of the cars. It's it's because they're testing, if they would say stagger that and go on two different strategies, you no longer have comparable data between two different cars, uh or not directly comparable. So it's hard to know what these teams are currently doing at this stage because you're right, they're trying to find their feet completely, trying to understand the data, what they're getting back. And I think particularly in this race we just had, where you had Lewis and uh Charlotte battling the whole time. But that's a lot of data for the teams to take in to understand, a lot of practice for these two drivers as well in how to overtake and and whatnot. So uh these are these are things we're all gonna uh I think pay positive dividends for Ferrari. Uh but it's yeah, the the I guess the the long-term uh the long-term prospects and uh looking ahead to future races is probably something I think people don't really talk about or see in the moment. It's it usually the conversations in F1 are about winning that race at that time always. Would you agree with that?

SPEAKER_00 6:28

Absolutely. In terms of this data collection, it almost seems to be, I mean, if you look at Ferrari as a prime example, is the fact that it's almost they're also looking to see like what level uh what a team like Mercedes-Benz does to actually not quite copy them, but to follow the same strategy so that they don't make the same mistakes or they can compete at the same level as such. But it's I think it's somewhat unfortunate that they have to do this live during a calendar. Uh and they don't have they haven't had the opportunity to do any of this prior to prior to the season, uh, that they've only been able to do it while the cars are angry on track, basically.

SPEAKER_02 7:02

Right. Well, let's let's dive into the Grand Prix itself. Um there was like we had some uh I believe it's called uh DNS's that did not start, or you know, something doesn't even happen anymore in in F1. How much did the fact that some of the teams couldn't even take the start, particularly McLaren, uh you know, immediately alter the the competitive pitcher on Sunday?

SPEAKER_00 7:23

Um yeah, McLaren was the biggest shock in all of this, and I think the the overall narrative for the race was effectively rewritten before the lights even went out. Landor Norris didn't even get out of the garage on race day, and his problem appeared to be linked to a systems or a control issue that from a from an electronics point of view, whereas Piastri's actually got onto the grid and then couldn't go any further. And I must admit I felt quite sorry for Piastri. This is uh two races in a row, he hasn't been able to start the race. And for a team overall, given the expectation that was placed on this team of that they were expected to fight up the front of the grid, and also even the results that came through at qualifying the day before, losing both cars at the very start is about as damaging as it gets, even though it's quite early in the season. And given how much Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz seem to have leapfrogged the rest of the team from a points point of view. This is while it's not just uh it's an immediate, it seems like an immediate loss of points that they could potentially catch up later in the year. It's just, I think it it affects the over, it will at even at this stage, I think it affects their overall season. So that, you know, Mercedes and Ferrari seem to sort of have one less major worry uh variable to worry about as part of this uh big b this issue. I mean the other part of it is also there must be some sort of psychological effect on these teams not being able to start. So um as soon as that happens, the first question that gets thrown about is fundamental reliability of these cars, whether they've done the right preparation coming into this to be able to be able to put the cars on the track. And how robust their processes are, both on track and back at the factory, that would allow for this situation to happen. Um the the good thing with McLaren is they didn't do what Aston Martin did and didn't throw the power unit manufacturer under the bus. Um, and they have been very diplomatic about their communications with Mercedes-Benz and the fact that they are working collaboratively with them and trying to solve the issues, but Titan everybody knows that it is a fundamental issue with the power unit that is causing this, and it's it's not the aerodynamics or any other part of the car. So hopefully, not in the next race, but in the in the couple of weeks break that they will have in April, that they will be able to sort this out. As will teams like Aston Martin and Williams, who are struggling at this stage to put cars on the track, you hope that they can they're able to resolve these and actually be able to start and finish a weekend completely.

SPEAKER_02 9:56

So there was certainly a disrupted build-up uh in this Grand Prix. Which drivers made the most of that and who looked unsettled from the onset?

SPEAKER_00 10:06

Once the race actually finally got underway, uh ahead of after all the drama that uh and the disrupted buildup, um, few drivers immediately stood out, and particularly how cleanly they executed the start. And we both know uh a lot of the talk has been Ferrari's starts and how fantastic those starts have been. But we must talk about Antonelli and how he's actually at the top of that list as well. He, despite some of the starts he'd had in previous races where he had not had good starts, in this particular instance he launched off very well and positioned himself quite confidently into that open, opening two or three cars. And and sort of showed how he can, at his young age, can still function under pressure, and that was really good to see. It's that composure for a very young driver and a very junior driver was was fantastic to actually see. And as you mentioned, Ferrari looked very sharp off the lines. Both cars reacted very quickly and were aggressive, sort of within the first uh breaking zones. They made it very clear that they sort of wanted to control that track position rather than react to Mercedes's uh actions. This, I guess, allowed them to stay firmly in the fight for quite a while. But obviously, in the end, the faster cars took over. On the flip side of that, uh, Red Bull actually didn't seem to extract the same clarity from their opening, whether this is linked to any compromises in their setups or whether they're simply being caught out by the start-stop nature of the build-up to the races. They seem to be a lot more reactive compared to the other teams. So at a particularly at a circuit like Shanghai, whether those long straights can actually amplify a lot of positioning errors. And those first, those dynamics in the first lap become very, very important. And if they're unable to position themselves well in those laps, it obviously goes on to affect the rest of the race, and that's what we saw.

SPEAKER_02 12:00

Certainly Ferrari flew off the line again. Once like they're just amazing how the how they've got this this so perfectly set up for that kind of start. Tell me, did Ferrari's aggressive positioning and early battles put them in contention or did it ultimately compromise their race pose?

SPEAKER_00 12:17

Um, I guess just so before I answer that, also just for for any of the listeners that may not understand uh the technical aspect of why they are able to have these amazing starts. From what I understand, on very basic basic terms, it's to do with the size of their turbo. And the fact that obviously the turbo spins, forces the air into the engine, you get better power out of it. But their turbo is a lot smaller than their rivals. And it's the simple analogy is if you've got a bicycle with a big wheel versus a bicycle with a small wheel, the bicycle with the smaller wheel is gonna have much more many more revolutions and spin that much faster. And the same with the turbo, basically, the smaller the turbo, the faster it's gonna spin and be more effective. Hence the reason they are able to get these amazing starts, but also the fact that they have also mastered the new starting sequence, that that five-second rev-up before they go and they're able to launch incredibly well. It is very impressive to see, I must admit, from a viewer's point of view. Um, and as a result of it, both the drivers are able to, both Lewis and the clerk are able to put themselves at the front from lap one. And the fact that they they show clear determination that they want to dictate the pace of the race instead of just simply reacting to what Mercedes is going to do. But as the race unfolded, um it became clear that Ferrari weren't able to sustain that initial level of performance. While that early aggression may have brought some short-term gains, I guess, over a full race distance it's a very different story. And so the underlying balance and the tie behavior didn't quite match that of Mercedes. And Mercedes seemed to be able to manage their tire degradation a lot better, not just here, but in Melbourne as well, they were able to show that. So this, I think, overall creates quite an interesting contrast in the race. Ferrari looked very sharp and decisive in the opening part, but then Mercedes gradually are able to exert themselves and actually to, particularly in George Russell's case, actually, to be able to demonstrate a fair bit of patience to exert that authority in the race. While it suggests that Ferrari can still absolutely fight at the front, I think obviously we have to be admit the fact that Mercedes seem to have the more complete package over a race distance and are able to manage their ties a lot better than Ferrari as such. And I think that is moving into the remaining rounds and even the next few rounds, that is quite a significant takeaway for us in terms of what it would mean for the championship.

SPEAKER_02 14:46

This is where my long game question really comes into this, because if if you're Ferrari, and look, they've had questionable decisions decisions over the last 10 years. So maybe try and make sense of some of the things or or crazy ideas they've come up with. If you're Ferrari, there's no there's no winning these races at the moment. You're looking forward to engine upgrades or or something to really s shift the the dynamics. And that's something that I think you know it can certainly happen if we look back at, I believe, 2019, uh I believe it was, where where the Mercedes had the engine upgrade and then were easily able to catch back up to Max Verstappen, who was leading by so much. Uh the you know, are there situations now where Ferrari would say, right, let's battle this out and let's hold up George Russell? Let's let's make it difficult for him to go past and and not say it outwardly, but you know, if he's stuck back there, Kimmy's getting some wins, making that making that championship fight uh happen between the two of them rather than letting George Russell run away with it. Is that something that Ferrari would look to do? Because you just don't want a runaway horse, I suppose, is is where where I'm coming from with this.

SPEAKER_00 15:51

It's obviously something they're not going to outwardly communicate in that sense, but it's it certainly would make sense because of the fact of at the very least to actually be a disruptive influence, I guess, on the on the on the on the outcome of these races. The thing they need to sort out is the one thing thankfully they sought out was sorted out was their trial strategy this time, and they they learned from from the pre from Mobile and and were able to pit at the right time and and manage manage. The thing that they, while it was great to see on track, uh the thing they have to make sure is that the two drivers, Fourier drivers, have to work together. And there has to be, while it was interesting and that both drivers admitted that they love challenging each other, they have to target the fact that the ultimate aim is to actually beat Mercedes, not to beat each other. And I think that's something that they're gonna have to get their head around, both as the drivers and a team, and also the instructions from the team to the drivers to say your primary goal is to either disrupt Mercedes or to keep them at bay, not to fight with each other.

SPEAKER_02 16:50

I I do also, you know, I wonder like if you're if you're you're Ferrari and you've got um Kimi Antonelli behind you, you're not catching George Russell, uh in my perspective, I'd let him straight through. You could go up there, fight with Russell, see maybe you guys will tangle up because how many times have we seen uh those points just get ranged in at the end of the season? And how much those huge incidences um even causing disruption between teammates, you know, and and and whatnot. So I'm I'm gonna keep an eye on that. It's it's my my personal theory. Uh so tell me, Mohan, uh, Red Bulls Sunday reality, did their race performance represent a solid recovery and damage limitation or confirm that they lacked outright pace in Shanghai?

SPEAKER_00 17:33

What it actually felt for them, I think rather than a collapse as such, it was more, I guess it was like a reality check for them. And it's it's it's their performance sort of suggested that they still have a strong underlying racecraft and operationally are quite strong. But they don't have perhaps the outright pace to dominate any races that they have enjoyed in in previous seasons. So recovery drives and sort of damage limitation are usually the hallmarks of championship-winning teams. But they're also indicators of something that isn't perfectly aligned in the team as it has been for them in previous seasons. What was encouraging, I guess, was on average for them to stay, for the ability to actually stay in a bit of a strategic fight in the race, even though they've they sort of didn't demonstrate any clear superiority, they still stayed somewhat relevant, I guess, throughout the race, even to battle for midfield points. This, I guess, suggests that the birth baseline performance still remains quite competitive. But if they continue to rely on just being resilient through a race rather than dominating, which they have done in the past, they're gonna find the season's gonna get harder and harder, and they're gonna be battling for midfield points, not up the front of the grid. And the circuit like Shanghai does highlight how sensitive those margins are in the current car and particularly in this new age of regulations. Uh, a small deficit in tire behavior or a small uh uh imbalance in your aerodynamics can translate to quite a significant loss of position on the track. So, Red Bull, I think they will still leave Shanghai knowing that they are contenders and obviously compared to McLaren, at least they managed to put some cars on track. But on in the back of their mind, there would also be this niggle that they are no longer the bench that they were previously.

SPEAKER_02 19:22

Now I was supposed to ask you about Ann Snelly before moving on. So tell me how impressive was Kimmy's race performance, particularly in managing the pressure of leading a race like that. You know, uh were there any penalties or setbacks across the Grand Prix distance?

SPEAKER_00 19:37

Before we actually die to dive into this, I must admit um uh a lot of Toto's comment at the end of the race where he literally thumbmed his nose back to his own garage probably and to his own senior managers at Mercedes-Benz, who quite a few of them unoriginally fought him very hard to give Antonelli that seat. And he fought very hard to because you know, because your junior he was, he was making a lot of mistakes, you know, that he needs to spend a couple more years perhaps in F2 before they gave him the seat. And this for Toto was a confirmation that his faith has been repaid, and it was so good to see that. He treats him like his own son almost and you know nurtures this this young kid's career. And he obviously repaid that faith that has been placed in him. As a performance, obviously it was hugely impressive, not just because of the actual final result itself, but how about the actual composed way he drove. Um, he did have a couple of lockups here and there, uh, which sort of made everyone's hearts skip a beat, I must admit, particularly towards the end of the race. Um, and and given sort of there had been a certain amount of disruption in the build-up to the race, uh, what he was able to put on track was um was very, very impressive. Um and it showed that he can actually manage a race and he can manage the length of a race, and you know, including the the varying tire phases and things like that, and he was able to be able to sail through that very well, particularly for a driver, as I said, who is so early in his Formula One career, and he didn't rely on any chaos or mistakes happening behind him. He just got in front and controlled the race. Um, I must admit there was conversation afterwards, and as commentators do, they do try and play this up, and there was immediate talk of his contention or his potential contention for drivers' championship. And it was interesting to see Toto and Kimi's father both shut that down very quickly to say, no, this is this is fantastic, amazing achievement. However, let's keep our heads here. He has got a long way to go before we even think about that. Like let's just nurture this one one race at a time and manage him accordingly, which I think was very sensible on their part rather than getting carried away with the result. So it's good to see that he has got that sensible support behind him, both sides. From a team point of view and a family point of view, and this is going to hold him in very good stead for the rest of his career.

SPEAKER_02 22:07

Yeah, and you know, it's uh they could well, if this is if this ends up being a two-car fight, they could well be in contention in a couple months' time. So it'll be interesting to see how it plays out. Uh certainly one race at a time is how you'd want to take it with somebody so new to this level. So tell me, uh the safety car reset and how decisive was the safety car uh in punching the field uh and creating late race opportunities? Was it was that frustrating for teams?

SPEAKER_00 22:32

Um I guess in terms of impact, it certainly it certainly compressed the the field. And obviously, and whenever we compress that field, you're sort of increasing the tension in the field as well. But it's probably fair to say that it didn't fundamentally alter the overall race outcome. Um, and I think um, as it has in in in other cases. Um, the drivers in the teams who had demonstrated sort of the strongest pace up to that point, um, still maintained that advantage coming out of um uh the when the safety car ended. So it obviously does, it always creates a certain level of uncertainty in the short term, but it wasn't, it didn't reset the competitive order uh through for the rest of the race. Where it really mattered was in the margins. So the midfield team suddenly found themselves within striking distance of points, and that made for some very interesting challenges. And the drivers who had been managing their tires very carefully uh up to that point also had to kind of recalibrate their approach to the race itself. Um, restart obviously always introduces a certain amount of risk, and those breaking zones become a lot more contested, and any track position obviously becomes a bit more fragile as well. From a strategic point, I guess some teams are forced into decisions that they may have not been able to, not needed to make under normal green flag conditions. Uh but I didn't I don't I didn't think it actually rewrote the headline result as such. Just I think it just shaped how the final phase of the race unfolded. And obviously, in any such situation, there's a level of complexity that gets added to it as well. But I think all it did was reaffirm the order that was kind of set up to that point.

SPEAKER_02 24:11

So which teams got their windows perfectly timed and who will regret regret not reacting sooner to the uh evolving track conditions?

SPEAKER_00 24:18

So there was obviously a lot of talk early on in terms of uh whether teams would employ a one-stop or a two-stop strategy. Over the race, you got to see that it kind of evolved into a into uh the largely a one-stop, and particularly around whether that hard tie could actually really realistically make it to the end of the race. Early in the race, there was quite a lot of uncertainty in the teams as to what the level of degradation would be. Mercedes appeared to be fairly confident early on that the hard compart would last and they and they continue to manage that on very well. Ferrari, on the other hand, seemed a lot less certain about the longevity of that tire. So their early aggression, I guess, meant that they were pushing quite hard. And that I think did affect them in the latter part of the race. Further down the field, teams like Aston Martin and Haas were also balancing that same decision. That midfield is often, it becomes a gamble when it's in terms of a one-stop or a two-stop. And particularly that balance as to whether they maintain track position or they've got enough space to actually try and regrain, regain that track position if they do pit. So in the end, I think Mercedes looked like the team that actually maximized the strategic pitcher very well. Ferrari, you could tell in the latter part of the race, they were obviously opted to still stay out on those hard ties, which were graining really badly. Um, and it it put quite a gap between one and two and three and four, basically, because that's that's how well Mercedes managed their ties moving forward.

SPEAKER_02 25:50

Ferrari will certainly snag a win or two uh this season just with some well-timed pits uh with the safety cars. But um certainly I think they're gonna need something from their engineers uh to to catch up to Mercedes and to make this a a competitive championship. Um and uh just thinking back, it was 2021 when Mercedes uh changed their uh the the engineers caught them up to Red Bull. I was um I said 2019, they've had an epiphany and remembered, so it was 2021. Uh now tell me, Mohan, uh the the tire story of the race. Which drivers or teams best mastered that degradation and stint length and who simply ran out of grip when it mattered most?

SPEAKER_00 26:29

Uh it sort of, I guess um this this it it overall I think defined the the the landscape of the race as such. Um so the drivers that were able to extend their stints without overheating or craning seemed to gain uh most of the flexibility, I guess, in this race. And certainly Mercedes Ben stood out in that matter. The the track in Shanghai, it's there there's quite a lot of heavy braking zones, and that can put a lot of strain on tyres. However, there were some midfield results that actually were quite surprising and and promising, and some from some junior drivers, particularly uh drivers like um Beerman and Colapinto as well, basically, no, who who outshone some of their more senior rivals on the on the track. And I think part of that also comes down to the fact of one, that how the how well the teams manage their pit stops, but also how these drivers are learning to manage their tires very well. So, and it's not always purely technical managing the tires. There is a I I do I believe there is a certain psychological aspect to it as well. And the psychological aspect basically comes down to um when to actually push and when to conserve energy. And I think that is just a skill that is just developed by the drivers as time goes on. What it did actually show is that because of the results that were came out, that outright speed moving forward for the remainder of the season, outright speed may not be the only thing that actually determines the outcome of the championship. Uh, the time management probably has, if not a larger, perhaps an equal portion to play in how this championship is decided.

SPEAKER_02 28:02

So back to Ferrari, um, that on-track fight that they had, what did that reveal about the freedom to race versus, say, the bigger championship thinking?

SPEAKER_00 28:12

Um, it was actually obviously from a spectator point of view, um, it was quite compelling to watch, and particularly how fierce it did become at certain points. And I did think they they touched once or twice, even though it wasn't mentioned. There the the the indication that they're actually allowed to ride was the fact that there wasn't a token, a request from the from the garage for a token exchange of positions. So they were simply allowed to race. Um and the drivers, I guess, were encouraged to place trust in each other and stay away from each other. Um, and um, but that obviously that kind of intensity, it doesn't take much for things to go wrong, so it carries a massive risk. But but it also does showcase is the confidence which with both both these drivers, Hamilton and Leclerc, demonstrated. What was particularly interesting was that the feedback from both the drivers is that genuinely enjoyed the competition. Uh, they didn't look frustrated at the end of it, they didn't look constrained by team dynamics, and they really appeared to be energized by the fight. And I mean, it's particularly someone like Lewis Hamilton, and aside from the fact that he ended up on the podium, it's probably one of the happiest I've seen him in a long time. And I think overall this season is probably the happiest I've seen. The fact that he thinks he has got a car that is a genuine contender, and he himself with that car is a genuine contender for this season. So that was great to see. But overall, I think it was fantastic that they allowed the drivers to sort themselves out. But I come back to my original point is yes, the cliche that no, your biggest rival is the driver on the other side of your garage. But in Ferrari's cake, I think they had their bigger rival is Mercedes, and they need to work together to overcome that team. Do you think the old Lewis is back? Certainly, and I think we saw that in some of the qualifying, we saw that, and I think he seems to have rediscovered um a genuine passion and this love for the racing. I don't think it ever went away, but he looked really down on himself and really down on the team at the end of last year, and to the point that, you know, there were questions floated around whether he would come back or how whether he would last another year, perhaps. But seeing what he has been able to deliver and the fact that he has found his enthusiasm again for the for the sport, um and he's fit enough, obviously, and healthy enough that he could keep racing for several more seasons.

SPEAKER_02 30:35

Compared to the sprint over a full Grand Prix distance, which of the young drivers delivered the most complete and mature performance? I'm assuming Kimmy, and I guess who struggled as well.

unknown 30:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:45

Yeah, actually, some of the younger drivers, I mentioned this before, they did stand out quite significantly and showed a lot of maturity, I must admit, in terms of how competitive they were. Drivers like Bierman, Bortoleto, and the rookie Lindblad all showed moments of real composure, not just in sort of single laps, but across long stints in the race, particularly where time management, positioning their car, and making critical decisions. They actually showed a lot of maturity in that. What makes this actually particularly interesting is how much these performances can actually elevate those teams as well that were sort of battling at the bottom end of the midfield, I guess. It allows midfield teams like Haas and Audi to operate quite strategically rather than simply being reactive through a season. And so what's happening is suddenly instead of just keeping up, they're actually defending for points on the track, which is fantastic to see. And you know, it's something that perhaps even last year we wouldn't have expected it. So this is where the mixed feelings about these new regulations come into it. And I think without these changes, these midfield teams probably didn't stand the same chance to fight for points as much as they have in these last couple of races. Um they they're these drivers saw that they're not just there to fill seats, but they're actually actively shaping that midfield and the and the and the race for that midfield. Um and overall, they're now they're being very disciplined about it. For the given the immaturity and the inexperience, I guess they've got in F1, they are running very disciplined races and are be able and are able to grab, and everything's an opportunity. They're able to grab these opportunities with two hands and make the most of it. So if this continues, I think the midfield battle is something that's going to be quite unpredictable, but also very, very entertaining to watch.

SPEAKER_02 32:40

With the midfield, did Sunday's result suggest a genuine reshuffle in the fight for points amongst those teams?

SPEAKER_00 32:48

Particularly if you look at the last two race results together rather than in isolation, there is quite a sense that these midfield teams have closed the gap a lot more to the front, or that they're actually able to become a lot more consistent in their performance. China didn't necessarily feel like it was a one-off that flattered these teams. It sort of reinforced a pattern where teams like Haas and Audi were able to sort of stay within reach, sort of strategic reach at least, of the front-running teams, particularly over a race distance. So as I mentioned, part of this does appear linked to the new regulatory environment as teams sort of sort themselves out. And it also doesn't mean that the top teams aren't fast overall, but it does mean that those margins for error are a lot smaller than what they were before. So that all it takes is a very slightly compromised setup from one of those front-running teams or an imperfect pit stop or a misjudgment on time management. Uh could easily see these midfield teams fighting for a podium, basically.

SPEAKER_02 33:56

Shanghai is notoriously known for its difficult overtaking. Uh, did this race once again highlight that or has it changed because of the modern regulations?

SPEAKER_00 34:08

This obviously we know that this circuit is um has got quite a quite a few uh overtaking opportunities, particularly in the long strate and in the heavy braking zones. Normally, sort of following a car closely for extended periods brings a very clear set of issues that have to be traded off. One advantage that the drivers can actually prepare move several corners in advance. And if they manage their battery deployment, which a lot of them are getting used to, and they can, if they can manage their tire temperatures as well, um the long run down the strait, as a result of managing those items, can create genuine passing chances. But on the flip side of it, the disadvantages are also quite visible. Running in dirty air through a long loaded corner makes tire management particularly very difficult. And drivers at times were found that they were losing grip when they needed it the most. So this obviously increases the risk overall that that has to be demonstrated. What it the dynamic overall, I guess, what it contributes to is some is some of the on-track contact that we did see, but um not necessarily reckless driving. Um situations where drivers were trying to capitalize on limited overtaking windows before the tire performances dropped out, I guess, and they came unstuck as a result of it. So if you look at the crash that Ocon created, for instance, that is a classic example of that. So while the track obviously does offer genuine overtaking potential, it does create conditions where the pressure can just gradually build up over the over the distance of an entire race.

SPEAKER_02 35:43

Yeah, dirty air is uh dirty air has always been the issue, I think, at the Chinese Grand Prix. And it's uh I do wonder with this new formula, if if Ferrari didn't have those small turbos, I do wonder if this would be considered a complete failure. Just because the them getting off the line so quickly and the the changes, changing places that happen after that seem to be the the current entertainment that we've experienced across the the the two Grand Prix. Certainly I agree.

SPEAKER_00 36:09

Yeah, a lot of water to go under the bridge, but uh I mean the fact that it's I mean, exactly if that didn't exist, the Mercedes Benz would be by the first corner, those cards would disappear into the distance, basically, and it would become a very boring race for a start. There would be no challenge offered to them at all.

SPEAKER_02 36:27

Yeah, it just uh well well on that on the potential two-car race or two-car championship, which I guess yeah, it still could be the case based on these two results and I guess the broader weekend performance. Just to ask you outright, is it reasonable to talk about Kimmy Nationality as a genuine driver's championship contender?

SPEAKER_00 36:46

I think as we all know, title challenges are built over months, not individual races or moments for that matter. And I think the real test for him is whether he can actually maintain this level of execution across different types of circuits and circuits with very different characteristics. And also under changing weather conditions, sort of brings in other sort of psychological pressures that can be done. He, I think obviously, for a for a very young man, seems to have a good head on his shoulder. But as I mentioned before, he seems to have, whether it's through his own doing or whatever, it's just it's happened, he's wrapped in a very supportive environment, both from Toto and his family. Um and they are very much of the view of we need we are in no hurry for him to be a world champion. We need to nurture this talent, encourage his talent, um, and genuinely build on his his enthusiasm that he has for the sport. I think obviously while he's while he has the foundational qualities to be part of this conversation, I think his continued development through the remain through at least half of this season will actually show whether he is able to challenge for this. And also moving forward, if he has genuine setbacks, how he actually overcomes that. We did see some of that with uh I mean what happened in Melbourne, for instance, when he when he put his car into the wall in FP3. Uh, and I mean admittedly his mechanics did a miraculous job to get that car back on the track in three and a half hours. But he uh obviously was able to challenge for challenge in qualifying very quickly. He he was able to put that behind him very quickly and not dwell on it. Uh and that is that is the mark of a champion, I guess, the fact that you can you you can compartmentalize things and things that happen badly in your in your sport and look at the next opportunity, the next potential. I've got to focus on that. He seems to have that well down. What it does come down to is whether he can keep repeating his performances and keep showing the maturity with his performance as he moves forward.

SPEAKER_02 38:52

So say he does repeat it over the next couple of races, we might start to really see how good George Russell really is. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 39:00

And it could be a it could be a shock to the system for him. And actually it's it'd be interesting at that point what what team politics plays as well at that point. As we all know, everybody's lovely when the when things are going well. And we've seen this not just with Mercedes, we've seen this with uh with other um other teams as well, where um technically there's not meant to be a one and two uh driver. But when number two starts just starts challenging number one, the niceties tend to go out the window a little bit. So if he does genuinely challenge George moving forward, it'll be interesting to see how George himself handles it. Um and uh at the moment he's very supportive and you know a part of the team, all one team and all those conversations. But time will tell um if this is still technically a rookie, challenging for a world championship, how that actually plays out.

SPEAKER_02 39:51

All right, so after China, which teams leave feeling like true contenders and who's struggling right now?

SPEAKER_00 39:58

So based on not just China, but based on the opening results overall of the season, the last two races, it's a growing sense that Mercedes are currently the team to beat, particularly over a full race distance. What has stood out is not just outright pace, but the ability to control the races through time management and strategy. When a car can maintain competitive lap times while still sort of protecting the degradation on their tries, it'd be it makes it very difficult for their rivals to try and apply pressure on the on those teams. And that's the impression Mercedes-Benz have actually, as a team, have created in these last two races. As we mentioned before, at this stage, Ferrari looked like the only genuine challenger to Mercedes. They've shown that they can even match or even exceed Mercedes in high-intensity moments. But the question remains whether they actually have the same completeness across conditions that might vary across the season. If they can improve their long-run efficiency and simplify uh how they execute the strategy and not make any blunders in that sense, I think the raw ingredients for them are there to challenge for a constructor's championship and a driver's championship. But it's something that we are going to watch very closely as it develops as the season goes on. The um the wild card in all of this, despite what happened in China, is still McLaren. In terms of some of the results that they showed up to that point, their pace was actually quite strong. It is quite confounding what's happening with their power unit, actually, given that it's technically the same power unit that Mercedes have, and they shouldn't be having the same issues. And nor are the other two teams that are using the Mercedes power units, basically. So, which is um Williams has got a whole different set of issues. Alpine aren't having the same issues. So the thing that actually comes down to it is the fact that yes, it's the same engine, but it's not the Mercedes mechanics aren't working in McLaren. It's McLaren have to take this and try and make the best out of it. So all the other components that go to make this racing car competitive have to be considered, and this comes down to McLaren's engineering and how they actually manage it. So if they can sort these electrical issues that they had in China out, I think they are a genuine contender as well. As Norris showed in the qualifying of the main race in China. Um, and you do hope for Piastri says that he's actually able to get out on the track and show exactly what he's made of. So I think the real the top three are at this stage at its stands are Mercedes Ferrari and potentially McLaren. Mohan, final words on the Chinese Grong Pri? This, I think part of it is it gives an indication that drivers overall, if you look at the grid as a whole, are still coming to terms with the new regulations. And I think teams like Mercedes have have got their head around it a lot better than others. But it has been long talked about the fact that they would genuinely be the ones that benefit the most out of these regs. So this, while the results actually show that they are the leaders, I don't fully think this is going to be the picture moving forward because I think as driver teams and drivers get used to how to manage these cars moving forward, sort out their strategies a lot better. I I think that the field is going to become a lot closer. And particularly as we mentioned, those midfield teams are going to come into the grid a lot more.

SPEAKER_02 43:23

Moving forward, um, there's obviously a lot going on currently um in geopolitics. Uh the Bahrain and Saudi have been cancelled, that's correct. Uh and what could this Yeah, yeah. What could this mean for the rest of the uh rest of the season?

SPEAKER_00 43:37

Are there any other races at risk right now? So I guess the first thing is that's come out of that is that um obviously these red these lasers are not being replaced. So we will go from a 24 race season to a 22 race season at this stage, so that our calendar in uh in uh April is uh actually racing calendar, not the box box box calendar, is going to be somewhat uh there's gonna be some gaps. In there. What the the the issue, I guess, overall is that this is this may not be the end of it. That there are at least uh two, if not three, races later in the year that if this conflict in the Middle East continues, could be at risk. And they are potentially the race in Baku, which is scheduled for September, the Qatar in late November, and then obviously Abu Dhabi in early December. So those it is possible that we go down to a 19 race calendar uh at Come Come later in the year. So and a large part of it is because of um uh the the logistical issues of trying to get equipment across, uh, but even more than the logistical part, it's a safety issue, obviously. Uh, and Teams and their fire does not want to risk anybody being caught up in any of these issues. Um so it'll be interesting whether if they know early on that these other races are potentially affected, that they may find a way to replace those races, perhaps. But it would depend on whether a particular location gets a second race. Or like we spoke about last week, that there are other contenders of tracks that are currently idle that may come into play in this situation.

SPEAKER_02 45:17

And we're aware of how of how inefficient the F1 calendar is uh logistically. I know that Formula E makes a point to be as efficient as possible. With Formula One, uh the usually you wouldn't have these logistical issues and problems during the year. So the fact they jump from continent to continent back and forth, who knows what could transpire and what other issues we could have moving forward. So certainly a year to watch. It's you know, we during COVID we had a almost a full European season. So or we did, I think, uh in the end. So they can make things work. It's disappointing to lose two races, though, I think.

SPEAKER_00 45:52

Oh, absolutely. And I think I must admit it's it's um uh what has now become now become a a fairly crowded calendar that almost half of the year is spent racing. Having uh having a almost an entire month gap is is quite significant because it's not just the races themselves. If you think of all the uh businesses and support and rely on this income in each of those locations that are affected as well. Uh and you know all the support crews. FIA themselves would be more losing a lot of money. Um and it obviously then go that that does a knock-on effect in terms of what what funds are available for the sport itself. So yes, generally I absolutely agree that losing it is not great. But hopefully we only lose these two and no more for the rest of the season.

SPEAKER_02 46:36

Now, moving on uh to the drivers' standings, uh we've got George Russell uh in first on 51 points, Kimmy Antonelli in second on 47, Charles Leclerc in third on 34 points, uh Lewis Hamilton in fourth on 33, Oliver Behrman in fifth on 17 points, uh something I did not think I'd be saying at the start of the season. Additionally to that, Max Verstappen's in eighth on eight points, and Oscar Piastri's in twelfth on three.

SPEAKER_00 47:05

Uh yeah. It's something that if you'd have taken bets at the start of the season, you wouldn't have never taken those bets.

SPEAKER_02 47:11

No, definitely not. And it'd be interesting to see how it changes too. And and just with the constructors uh while we're here, uh Mercedes in first on 98, uh, can't see that changing. Uh Ferrari in second on 67, McLaren third on eighteen. They're probably doing well to be in third. Uh Haas in fourth on 17, and Red Bull in fifth uh with 12 points. Uh so uh I guess anything else you want to add uh on the current stand-ins. Obviously, early days, things will change significantly in Sablin.

SPEAKER_00 47:41

Uh yeah, it's it's I mean Mercedes are doing what McLaren did last year and sort of pulling ahead very early on. And it's a matter of whether Ferrari can hold them at bay and challenge them significantly moving forward. But no, from a driver's point of view, it is so encouraging to see some of the junior drivers up the field. You know, Liam Lawson sitting at number nine, uh Linblad, Hajar taken up 10 and 11, and you know, you've got more senior drivers below them. Um, and that is for the sport itself, I think it's great to see. Um, and the fact that it's um um the fact that each of these teams have got two drivers who can genuinely challenge uh and can genuinely support and bring points back to the team.

SPEAKER_02 48:24

There's something else I want to bring up just quickly that happened last year, although I we didn't really touch on it. Liberty Media has uh acquired Moto GP now. I'm wondering whether we end up getting a Moto GP Drive to Survive type show or spin-off because of this. Or I can definitely see Liberty Media trying to pull the F1 fans across to Moto GP now that it's all in their ecosystem.

SPEAKER_00 48:47

Uh is that something you could see happening? Uh certainly. I mean, if you look at the if you look at the success of Drive to Survive, from a several points of view. One, I think it presents the sport in a very easy to digest format. The information presented is is presented in such a obviously being being episodic, it is easier to take in. But it has actually structured the sport, explained the sport very well. But the biggest gain is that it has brought in a whole new set of fans to the to the sport, which is why you find, you know, places like Melbourne and every other place, tickets selling out in a matter of hours, regardless of how expensive they are. So um if it if it does that for one sport, I I think it's fantastic to see. And Netflix have done this um uh not just with this sport, and and if you look at they've done it for tennis, they've done it for for, they've done it for American football, and it's brought in, it's explained the sport a lot better than for for people who didn't understand it, but it's grown the sport as well. So if you can do the same thing for GP, Moto GP, grow the sport, bring in more fans, bring in more income, and make the sport bigger, then I think it's fantastic.

SPEAKER_02 49:53

I did read something somewhere about Moto GP moving to street racing now, which I think would be terrifying. Um couldn't imagine the uh the Moto GP bikes going around um the corners of Baku or um, I guess uh the track in um Saudi. Uh but um Yeah, anyway, we'll see what happens there. Anything else from you, Mohan, before we wrap up?

SPEAKER_00 50:12

Uh just to mention that uh to our fans as well. I'll uh talk about our socials in a minute, but uh even though there may be a gap in our calendar in in the racing calendar in in April, and not to fear, we will still keep you entertained. We have got other episodes planned under our racing rewind banner and uh a fun decoded banner so that you will have uh interesting things to listen to. And uh our website is uh boxboxbox.net. Which leads you to our socials and also uh which are on Facebook, Instagram, X, and Twitter. And please, yeah, please provide us feedback because this is how we grow, this is how we learn, this is how we find out whether you like us or dislike us or wish to argue with us, basically.

SPEAKER_02 50:52

Yep. Uh yeah, we certainly won't take any breaks. There's always something to talk about in the wonderful world of F1. My name's Scott. Uh thanks for joining us today. Uh thank you, Mohan, for uh your time as well. And we will see you all next week for uh whatever's up next. What's up next, Mohan?

SPEAKER_00 51:08

So, yeah, so next weekend we will preview next uh week rather we will preview Suzuka and which will be uh it's a force before break in the in the calendar. So we'll talk to you next week to preview the race and then obviously catch up with you on the race weekend itself. Wonderful. Thank you again, Mohan. Thanks for joining us. We'll see you all next time. Thank you.