Miami Preview & Rule Updates

A look ahead to the Miami GP weekend, key storylines to watch, and what the latest regulation updates could mean for the grid. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Fox now, box now, box, box, box. Welcome to Boxbox Box, your relatively well-informed Formula One podcast. My name's Scott. I'm joined today with Mohan. How are you, Moha?

SPEAKER_02 0:35

Well, thank you. Good to see this break is finally ending and we're gonna look at sea racing in a few days again.

SPEAKER_01 0:41

That's right, Miami is on the horizon. Uh ends. Before Miami, there's been regulation changes. So tell me your heart. I haven't actually I haven't really dove into this too much myself. So go go as deep into it as you want. But what what what has happened? Has it been the things that have been discussed, that we've discussed? What's it looking like?

SPEAKER_02 1:01

Uh the first thing uh my guests must give credit to FIA, the fact that they have reacted to this and particularly uh what happened in Japan and BMN's crash and things that actually have come out, and also they've had the luxury of a month to act on this and and have come out with it. Uh admittedly, the press release that came out of FIA was quite hard to read, I must admit. It took me about at least three or four goals to understand what it actually meant. And had to then make notes to myself of what this actually means in practical terms for the driver. So there's quite a few changes. Uh, and I do understand obviously all the significant parties were involved, including at the end, they obviously got the driver's feedback on all of this as well. And Miami will actually show will be a good test for what these changes are, whether they actually will be effective and will they uh actually work well. So, in terms of the actual changes, there's quite a few. So if I go through them uh one by one, the first one is that uh there'd be less battery recharging in qualifying, and this change actually happened in Japan itself, where the maximum permitted recharge has been reduced from eight megajoules to seven megajoules. What this means in practical terms is that drivers would be spending less time uh lifting and coasting or managing energy during hot laps, so that qualifying should actually feel more like a proper flat-out lap again rather than an energy saving exercise, which they had to do previously. The next thing is that the superclip power has been increased, and I think it's useful here for uh the less experienced listeners to actually explain what the difference between clipping and superclipping is, because this is a term that gets thrown around quite a bit. So, clipping basically is when the car's electric power deployment starts to reduce before the end of a straight, uh, because basically the back battery has reached the maximum allowed deployment limit of energy that is available. So, in practical terms, what that actually means is the driver may actually have the throttle fully open, but the car itself stops accelerating as strongly because the hybrid system can no longer give any electrical assistance to the engine. On the flip side of that, super clipping app is a very extreme version of that. So this actually refers to a very sharper, more noticeable reduction in the power at high speed, um, usually because the car is switched over into harvesting energy uh rather than deploying it as such. And we have seen uh quite a few changes uh in relation to this. Um so uh what's happened in the regulation change is that um peak superclip has gone from 250 kilowatts to 350 kilowatts. And this practically means that when the car does need to harvest energy at high speed, it can do it more aggressively and for a shorter time period. And if I actually Rabuhan lost you there for a second.

SPEAKER_01 3:51

Um if we just finish on the finish on the super clipping, pretty much what that was what that was gonna mean.

SPEAKER_02 4:00

So yeah, so super clipping, as I just uh in case it didn't get picked up, is that is a it's a more extreme version of clipping. So basically it refers to very sharper, uh there's a more noticeable reduction in power at high speed. Um, and this is mainly because the car is uh switched from deploying the energy to harvesting, and it actually can happen very aggressively. And we have seen the effects of this. We did see it in Melbourne and we did see it in China, and the drivers, it takes quite a bit of getting used to this. Uh so the actual change that has been done by AFIA is that that superclip power has gone from 250 kilowatts to 350 kilowatts. Um, and what this actually would mean from a practical point of view is that um when the car needs to harvest energy at high speed, uh, it can do it more aggressively, uh, but for a shorter time period. So that the FIA expects that superclip time period to drop roughly between sort of two to four seconds per lap. This hopefully reduces the awkward moments that we have seen where our cars suddenly lose performance on the straights.

SPEAKER_01 5:12

So both these changes combined, they're obviously still going to require battery management during qualifying, but probably not to the extent that we're seeing. That's the idea, it's just a reduction there. That's it.

SPEAKER_02 5:23

And then also that the the changeovers won't be as aggressive as they have been in the past. And I think the drivers had had a lot of difficulty getting used to it, particularly at the end of a straight, to have to when they expect the car to be deploying energy, that it cuts over to recharging, basically.

SPEAKER_01 5:39

And I think that's Sorry, go on.

SPEAKER_02 5:42

And that's and that's been a massive issue with drivers being getting used to it as it has caused a lot of issues in the past.

SPEAKER_01 5:49

And what about during the race? Is it either of these changes to affecting the race as well, or is it just qualifying?

SPEAKER_02 5:55

The superclip part will be during the race as well. But the reduction of the maximum recharges at this stage only in qualifying, time will tell whether they will introduce that to the race itself because I do know the drivers have been asking for that part to be introduced during race time as well.

SPEAKER_01 6:12

Right. And and I think the original parameters were all about this 50-50 model, which was is kind of a number just plucked out of nowhere. It's a it's a it's a PR number. It's got nothing to do with the system or how it should work optimally or anything like that. So that's um yeah, interesting. Okay. Well, it's so yeah, I I think those those changes are obviously uh there to be made and it sh should be positive, I'd say, given what we already know and what's already been happening. Uh what else has been changed, Mohan?

SPEAKER_02 6:39

And actually, just a quick comment as well, in terms of that 50-50 split down, yeah, you're exactly right. I think it is I have not seen an actual rationale for that breakdown anyway. It's purely my take on it was that this is to moving towards their uh uh 2030 target that they have got to be energy neutral. And this was like an arbitrary amount to think, well, if you're 50-50, it actually presents quite a nice image for the sport. But it not it in practical terms it doesn't actually work that way. They may be better off considering the sp a different split uh moving forward. So we'll we'll wait and see. Um in terms of the other changes, uh the race boost itself has been kept. Um, this has been capped at 150 kilowatts. Uh or the exist all the car's existing power level power level uh at that point in time, whichever of those two is higher at that point at that point in time. From a practical point of view, what this means is that it should stop one car suddenly gaining a massive speed advantage over another. Um, and where overtaking should still be possible, but it's it's largely come about by the Bierman crash, and it's largely to avoid that dangerous closing speed issue that was happening, where one driver arrives far too quickly on another car that is harvesting at that particular point in time. So they have taken note of that and acted on that.

SPEAKER_01 8:02

So is that going to affect just the the Mario Kart overtakes that we've been seeing? Because not everyone's critical of that. Um but it is that will that affect that? Is this going to mean to stop it?

SPEAKER_02 8:12

It should affect that because I think at that point in time, when those overtakes happen, the cars are a lot closer to each other and and the car in front of the car at the back can react a lot quicker. In the Beerman situation, now he comes around a corner and there's a colon um Colopinto harvesting in front of him with no opportunity to get out of the racing line. So it should avoid that situ that kind of situation, which is way more dangerous than the simple overtaking situation, basically.

SPEAKER_01 8:37

And I suppose the the changes have been um I mean are being forced in a way where Colopinto wouldn't be harvesting as much or as heavily as he currently as he as he was then, right?

SPEAKER_02 8:50

That's right. And also when he's harvesting, that harvest would actually happen a lot more aggressively so that he would top up very quick, a lot more quicker than he was previously, basically.

SPEAKER_01 8:59

Sorry, it's more aggressive. Okay. So that's so they've opened that up to for for faster harvesting, is that basically, yeah, that's what they've done.

SPEAKER_02 9:06

So it reduces everything somewhere between two to four seconds, it reduces that harvest time so that they're not sitting in that harvesting mode for a longer period, which is what they were doing before. Okay, got ya.

unknown 9:17

Cool.

SPEAKER_02 9:18

Uh the next change is that the NG MGUK deployment is now a lot more controlled around the lab. The cars can still deploy the 350 kilowatts in the key acceleration and overtaking zones, but deployment can be limited to 250 kilowatts in other parts of the lab. So that's there's a bit more control that's been applied around that. What this means in practical terms is that the fastest parts of the circuit should be more predictable. And while overtaking zones still get enough electrical power to create racing, it's basically an attempt by FIA to keep the attack element within the race without making cars behave strangely elsewhere on the trend. Um so, and the other one is actually that more races uh will be allowed to, and those exact races haven't been determined yet, where they can actually use um alternative lower energy limits. Um and I think the number of events where these events can where these limits can be applied. We're not having much luck with uh internet connection. I'm not sure it's your end of mine, but I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 10:25

I've switched I've switched to the uh away from the Wi-Fi now. So we should be okay. So I uh um you said more tracks will be able to, is the last thing I heard, but it probably got more in there.

SPEAKER_02 10:37

So these um events where the lower energy limits can be applied has been increased from eight to twelve. What this actually means practically is that it gives the sport a bit more flexibility to adapt the rules to different circuits. So, for instance, a track like Miami, which has got long straights and quite heavy braking zones, may need different energy settings compared to, say, Monaco, Hungary, or Singapore. And that's that's kind of what it means from a practical point of view. The next one is that there'll be a lower um low power start detection which is being tested. And this is actually to detect cars with an abnormally low acceleration after the clutch is released at the start. And from a practical point of view, this is meant to avoid any dangerous start line speed differences. So that if one car launches poorly because of low power deployment, the system should help to prevent the field from concerning in a slow-moving car. Be interesting actually how uh given the starts that Ferrari have had and how they have they have capitalized on those fast starts, how this actually affects them and uh whether they it brings them back into the line, back into the pack uh from a start point of view. We'll we'll we'll wait and see. The next one is that they are they are doing some work to try and improve visibility on in wet weather conditions. They've sort of flagged improvements around those conditions, but they actually haven't specified what those improvements are going to be. It's just a work in progress kind of thing. It's obviously ultimately practically meant to make racing safe, particularly where spray becomes an issue. Um but out of all of this, the energy management is uh changes, are the headlines uh coming into Miami. Um and and uh part of the recognition, I guess from a bigger picture point of view, is that um there was a recognition that uh the start of the 2026 package was very heavily tilted towards energy management and trying to move it towards more uh a feel of more natural racing, shall we say? And reducing any excessive uh lift and cost and avoiding those those closing speed issues that happened previously. So this is, I said, credit to them that they have acted on something and have made these changes. But obviously, it'll be useful to see what they look like live and uh whether there more changes will be needed uh for the remaining races.

SPEAKER_01 13:02

Something we should probably uh do as a bonus episode some at some point in time, although not um not Formula One per se, but it just the development uh Formula E's been going through because uh from what I can tell, their Gen 4 car is exceptional and is really gonna push the limits on uh what what's coming out of uh that formula. So um to see to see us, I suppose, at Formula One struggling um to manage the the energy deployment when it's uh battery-based and to see them thrive is is quite interesting. And it's something that I kind of thought that one day uh Formula One would just end up being electric and Formula E would dissolve. But it's it's I I'm not sure where those predictions sit these days. It's a very weird kind of space. And um you know, I kind of thought Formula E would end up being the next, I don't know, the next crazy idea. So maybe they move to hydrogen cars or something like that. But it's uh yeah, I I I I I really think we should touch on that at some point in time.

SPEAKER_02 13:59

Absolutely. No, and and I think this is where I mean FIA should hopefully not be su uh functioning in isolation, that they should recognize that there is the technology out there and and obviously something like Formula E is able to exploit that technology to its fullest extent, that they don't need to start these things from scratch. They can learn from what's already out there and apply that to Formula One, basically.

SPEAKER_01 14:23

Yeah, and I suppose like the the ability to s to specialise once you um when you're putting you know all that all your eggs in that one basket is what makes Formula E successful in that space. Whereas this yeah, this this whole hybrid game has always been such an awkward balance. And um, you know, how many times do we see MGU H or K failure um in in one race or another where it just you know decimated someone's almost guaranteed win? I think um I think was it Charles Leclerc's first win at Bahrain? I think he almost did he almost lose that because of one of those failures.

SPEAKER_02 14:56

Yes, exactly. Yeah, it was the power unit, yeah. That's right.

SPEAKER_01 14:59

Yeah. So all right, well, let's move on to Miami, if that's okay, my hunt. Because we're um we we need to talk about that. Uh and you know, finally, finally excited to be to be back racing, really. Uh so tell me, after this extended break, uh which team has the most approve in Miami, do you think?

SPEAKER_02 15:17

Uh so for me, I think the obvious answer here is McLaren uh because Mercedes has started the season as the benchmark. Ferrari have been consistent at the front. But McLaren is the team where the gap between, particularly given their results last year, the gap between expectation and outburst feels uh quite large. After the three rounds so far, they sit third on the constructors' championship, quite a long way behind Mercedes-Penz and Ferrari. And Norris is sitting, Norris and Piastri are sitting fifth and sixth respectively in the drivers' championship. So Miami comes as quite a real pressure point for them, particularly given that there's been a five-week grap, and hopefully McLaren have actually used that brake well. And we see the outcome of any work that they have done in this period. As we know, Miami, you know, is not Monaco. It's not a circuit where a car can hide behind track position. But it's not a purely a high-speed circuit either. It has quite long straights, quite heavy braking zones, quite a lot of demand on traction, and quite an awkward technical section around I think that turns 13 to 16. If McLaren is still not competitive here, then their concern actually becomes a lot bigger than just a slow start to the season. For Lando Norris, that's precious feels very specific, given that he's the reigning world champion. But um, as we know, Antonelli and George Russell have controlled the early championship story coming into Miami. Norris doesn't necessarily need to win Miami, but he needs a weekend where McLaren looked like it looks like it actually belongs in the fight. Uh, podium, a strong sprint result, or genuine pace in qualifying would change the narrative there. Whereas for someone like Piastri, it's slightly different. Uh he basically needs a clean weekend. Miami has enough overtaking opportunity for him to put full use of his racecraft. Um, but because it's a sprint weekend, any mistakes can actually be amplified as well. So one poor sprint qualifying can compromise Saturday, uh, and one wrong setup direction um can actually damage the whole weekend. Uh on top of that, I will actually put Red Bull back into this conversation as well because Max is currently sitting ninth in the standings with only 12 points. Uh and Red Bull as a team are sitting 11 with Alpine. If you told me that at the start of the season, I wouldn't have believed it. And it's a sentence we're definitely not used to saying. Uh but for me, overall, the team that has most to prove is McLaren because the expectation coming into this race and into this season was quite large, whereas somewhere like Red Bull, it's almost seen as a rebuild, basically. And McLaren unfortunately do not have that luxury. So it it's it's something that's they're gonna come into this this race with a lot of pressure on their backs.

SPEAKER_01 18:08

So um so Mohan, tell me how much will the sprint format shake up this weekend, do you think?

SPEAKER_02 18:13

Uh I think this would actually shake up the weekend massively. Um because particularly because it's the first race after a significant gap. And the teams have to compress all their learning in the last few weeks into one practice session. The one thing FIS actually made allowance for is that FP1 has been extended to 90 minutes, but this is still only on the back on the back of it, basically only leaves one practice session before sprint qualifying. So which means the teams don't get that usual Friday rhythm of harvesting FP1 data or any setup changes. They have to make decisions very quickly. And if they start in the wrong window, they pretty much could be playing catch up for the rest of the weekend. And this matters even more so under the 2026 regulations because the teams are still learning about how to manage these regulations. So throwing a sprint weekend into that, there's a lot more uncertainty that gets thrown into the mix. For a team like Mercedes, they for me at still look the best place to handle any of these regulations. And Antonelli and Russell have their form so far has shown that. For Ferrari, this is a big opportunity. And they're sitting second in the constructors at the moment. The sprint format gives them two chances to score and two chances to actually apply pressure on Mercedes, but it also gives them two chances to get things wrong. So they need to be fairly decisive, particularly with Hamilton actually still building rhythm under this new carniera and with technically a new team for him. For McLaren, and as I mentioned before, they come into this weekend with the most amount of pressure on them. And as a result, there is a balance between high risk and high reward for them. Um so if they have, depending on the work they have done in the factory um in the in the preceding weeks, if they bring a strong package to the track in Miami, um, they can immediately get themselves back into the front running conversation. Uh but if the car shows to be difficult in FP1, uh, they have a lot less time to diagnose any issues uh and adjust them for sprint and for the weekend. Uh the midfield actually could benefit the most with Haas, Alpine, and Racing Bowls. And even Audi, they all have the opportunity to steal points from the top teams, particularly if those top teams stumble at this at this race. Ollie Bierman, as we know, has already put Haas in seventh position in the drivers' standings. Gasly is eighth. Man, all of those drivers actually in that midfield have the opportunity to score some points here. So it does not add the sprint format does not just add extra points. It adds a lot of volatility as well. It rewards the cars that are predictable and who can react sharply. And also, and particularly teams that actually particularly don't overthink the setup as well. So it could be the difference between what's been so far, where it's a normal Mercedes-Benz Lent weekend, or a completely scrambled aura.

SPEAKER_01 21:07

Do you think that these changes that have just been made to the battery deployment and whatnot? Do you think it's better to have uh a full qualifying weekend for that or a sprint weekend? It's probably got pros and cons. Just wondering what you think personally. And and obviously that wasn't FIA have chosen to do these changes off of the gap that's been provided by the geopolitical situation. So what's yeah, what are your thoughts?

SPEAKER_02 21:32

I think I mean this is for me, from my point of view, I think it's only cons at this stage. I don't see any pros in it. Because these, these actual formally the changes got released two weeks ago, perhaps, and that's all the time they've had. The actual meeting happened on the 9th. There's obviously ratification that had to happen after that. There were conversations that had to be had with the drivers as well and things like that. So, in terms of the actual time the teams have had to work on this, uh, it's half the time that they had in the break. So So ideally, at least one more practice session would have been suitable because the teams are going to have to be very versatile and very adaptable and very flexible to make the changes with a very limited time to actually test those changes. So I think that it'll be interesting what comes out of this, because I think that the time they have been given is very, very limited to implement this.

SPEAKER_01 22:29

Yeah, I'm surprised they didn't, even just from like a safety point of view, I'm surprised they didn't just add a second practice session on that first day or something like that. A bit um a left-of-center solution to deal with the changes. But um that's uh yeah, that's that's it'll be interesting. It's kind of like we're restarting the season in a sense, because they're just gonna have to work it out and um see how we go. So um tell me, Mohan, uh is Miami a true test of the 2026 cars, do you think? Um or is it more of a setup gamble? I mean, it's not it's never really been a track for skill in a sense, right? Just given how how flat the whole circuit is. But um, what are your thoughts?

SPEAKER_02 23:06

Yeah, I think I would lean towards calling this a useful test, but not a perfect one. This, as we know, this circuit has, I think, three long straights, quite heavy breaking zones, and quite a couple of tricky sections in the track as well. So the this the combination of all of that is a good test for the the 2026 um regulations, particularly in situations where the teams are sort of trying to balance that lower drag, the reduced downforce, working out energy deployment, how to harvest, and all of those factors combined together. This circuit actually asks questions on all of those factors as well. So you you actually need a lot of efficiency in the straight line areas and you need good traction out of those slow corners. So for me, I think um team like Mercedes, this track is a good chance for them to prove that their early advantage that they have enjoyed up to now is not specific to a circuit and the results that they have got is not specific to the previous circuits that they have got. For Ferrari, I think this track will tell us whether they have genuine race space and consistency and whether they actually can put Mercedes Benz under pressure over an entire weekend. So I think that this circuit is suited to their car, particularly those long straights and the traction zones would suit the setup of their car if their power deployment and the time management is in a good place. So I think the setup gamble comes from partly from the sprint format and the limited practice session that they will actually have. And the teams will actually have to make the decisions between qualifying performance and race stability. Where do they where do they tip that balance at the end of the day? Uh, without enough long-run proof behind that or enough data behind that. So I I believe Miami definitely is a test, but it's not a clean um, shall we say, a laboratory test as such. It is a test under a lot of pressure, particularly given the limited practice that they have had and the regulation tweaks that have happened, and the sprint format. You put all of that into the mix. It is a it is a very pressurized test as such, and we'll I think it'll actually be quite a revealing weekend because of all those factors mixed in.

SPEAKER_01 25:26

I'll never forget that when the Miami Grand Prix was first announced, that I thought we were going to get the American Monaco. I thought we were going to be on the beachfront with the palm trees. I thought the sky the city skyline would be in the background. Uh and we ended up with a parking lot. And I I don't I don't know. I'm assuming they've they did the numbers and they looked at the the the the they looked at the roads there and they thought that's not a racetrack, we'll get a procession, or the or there's some sort of calculations there they've done. But what I can tell you right now is this current Grand Prix track is no good. So it wouldn't have been any worse, it would have at least looked picturesque.

SPEAKER_02 26:02

Yeah, no, I must have been off all the of one of the many circuits. Obviously, this for me is uh one of the least inspiring circuits to to watch racing on for that very reason that I think there was way better options to provide a spectacle. But it also comes down to you know who was involved in constructing this and the sponsorship and the deals that would have been done at the time to get that space. And you know, I think the it's the Dolphin Stadium, isn't it? So who knows what part they played in in this as well. But you know, it is as a car park. For me, I think I to be very honest, I think of it as a glorified uh go-kart track, to be honest.

SPEAKER_01 26:35

That's a that's a really good way to look at it, actually. And it's um I I think that one of the worst parts is the the uh oh did they have them last year? No, they had they they had them the first couple of years, the fake wharf with the fake um boats and it's it's almost like they're it's almost like they're uh they're apologizing for not putting it on on the uh on on the beach or whatever it should have been. Um yeah, what a circus. Anyway, um so tell me, Mohan, uh which driver uh needs the biggest result most this weekend. Needs a big result. Sorry, that was I butchered that question.

SPEAKER_02 27:06

I think for me, uh the person that needs the biggest result is uh Stepan. And that is a very strange thing to say, I must actually, I must say. Because normally we are talking about him actually being the benchmark, not someone that actually needs a response. Uh but right now where he's sitting ninth in the championship with only 12 points, and Red Bull as a team are sitting uh with just 16 points level with Alpin and Hass. And it's not something we would uh in in our wildest dreams thought we'd be saying at this this stage of the season. So for Verstappen, this is not this seas this is not just about points. It's it's it's his opportunity and the team's opportunity to actually put a stop to the story that's coming out that now Red Bull has kind of lost their way in 2026. Uh if he qualifies well and is able to fight near the front, even if he doesn't win, it does change the narrative quite significantly. But if he ends up being stuck at the lower end of the points again, as he has in the previous races, then the Red Bull story becomes quite a problem. And particularly given that he has been one of the strongest advocates too with the with the regulations, and hopefully what they have proposed favors Red Bull as well. To some extent, that they can actually put some changes into it, and he's and quietens even the conversation, potentially of him leaving the sport altogether, which he has been very vocal about in the preceding weeks. So this test this track will actually say uh where that actually sits from a conversation point of view. Uh the second name that needs a big result is Lando. And as I mentioned before, given the results that he has got so far, they're not disastrous by any means, but it definitely puts him in a very uncomfortable position uh compared to where Antonelli and Russell are sitting. And he needs a weekend where he looks like a he's going to be a genuine threat to Mercedes, even if he doesn't have a win. But it's it's an opportunity for him and the team to actually be quite assertive and to have a clean sprint, a good race space, and ideally a podium, of course. And so this he does come into this with with needing uh a big result overall. From uh then we have Oscar, and definitely somewhat biased from an Australian perspective. We're always watching him closely. But from an objective point of view, he certainly needs a lot of momentum as well. And he just needs to be up there and delivering. And uh it also that team dynamic of the internal pressure comes into it as well. It'd be interesting to see. Uh, but if not, for instance, argument's sake, if Norris gets the new package working but Piastre doesn't, then that creates that additional pressure within the internal team pressure as such. Um, I also have to mention the two Aston Martin drivers, Alonso and Stroll. Um, and uh who would have thought Aston Martin would be sitting last in the constructors' championship with no points whatsoever alongside Cadillac as well. So admittedly, Alonso, as good as he is, cannot drag the car into the points if the package itself is not there. But the team and and and these drivers need to show some signs of life in this season because the team is struggling. Um and every opportunity that they miss does stand out and and get spoken up quite quite a lot. Out of all of that, if I had to pick one, for me, definitely the person that needs a big weekend is for Stappen.

SPEAKER_01 30:31

Yeah, I completely agree. Um, and it's almost you'd almost say, just in terms of the the emotions and morales behind it, that the uh, you know, this is this could be make or break for his F1 career. He could well go off to a different uh racing series like we've discussed and love it and stay there. So um I certainly hope he does well. He's not somebody I'd ever want to not be in F1. As much as I'd also love to see him uh once he's finished his time at F1, kick on to different series like rally and try that. But I think he's got many years left, right?

SPEAKER_02 31:04

Absolutely. And I and I've seen interviews with the other drivers who, you know, there's it's not not quite a love hit, but they they love the fact that he's he races with them, but they also hate the fact that how good he is, basically. But but it's the thing of in any sport, you're competing against someone who's that um brilliant, makes you a better, better, better athlete, a better sports person, whatever sport you're into. And the drivers welcome that. They face it back if he's gonna be the benchmark, he's the he's he's our target. By us trying to be like him or be better than him, we become better uh drivers at the end of the day. And I think for the rest of the grid as well, they would be very sad to lose in for that reason alone.

SPEAKER_01 31:44

So completely agree. Mohan, could the extra Friday practice change the competitive order? Do you think?

SPEAKER_02 31:52

Yeah, I think this is actually it becomes because of the break in particular and because of the changes, it becomes one of the most important details of this weekend. So as I mentioned before, this has been extended from the usual 60-minute uh session to a 90-minute session. It sounds small, but obviously, you know, in things of it's if it's a 50% addition compared to what they could have had. For teams like McLaren and Red Bull, who are building up at Mohammed, it could be the difference between guessing and under actually understanding the car. If they each bring uh a meaningful upgrade package, it could actually translate to good results over the sprint and the main race. For Red Bull, I think that extra practice is even more important than McLaren. And both Verstappen and Hajjar need a car that actually gives them a lot of confidence under breaking and under deployment. And particularly, I think the potential is that Verstappen will actually lose time in exactly the places where overtaking and defending actually matter. So that extra 30 minutes does let a team like that test a lot more the mechanical balance of the car before, obviously before Park Fermi kicks in. Um sort of believe Mercedes will benefit a lot less dramatically because they already seem to have a good baseline there to start with. But that is also why it would actually protect them against uh advancing teams as such. Um it what it would give them is extra time to sort of validate any tire behavior and keep both the drivers in that right, you know, functioning window for the weekend. I think the midfield is where the extra practice would really change things, particularly for all of the rest of them, Haas, Alpine, Racing Bowls, Audi, Williams, Aston Martin, all of them basically need every minute that they can get. And any extra running time would be gratefully accepted. And particularly for team like Cadillac, who's sitting at the bottom as well, together with Aston Martin, the fact that they it's an opportunity for them to potentially score the first points of the season. So overall, I think yes, the extra practice can actually change the order, but not magically, by turning the slowest guy into the fastest. It it is it is an opportunity for teams to learn how to reduce any mistakes and help any upgrades to be effective sooner.

SPEAKER_01 34:10

So extra extra practice time, not session, which was my critique from before, that's correct? Yeah, that's correct. Yeah. Okay. So um also moving on, uh uh the other thing I want to talk about with Miami, I suppose, is from what we talked about earlier with the regulation changes, how do you think that these could impact the teams that are heading into Miami? Is there any kind of predictions you have that, you know, we can apply to this race? Um is Ferrari one of them and the how they start the race? Is that the biggest concern?

SPEAKER_02 34:37

Yeah, actually, and that's one of the changes that actually, and time will tell how that that affects them or if it affects them at all, and with how well the other teams actually learn to use it as such. So, as we know, the whole concept around 2026 has been built around giving electrical energy a much, much bigger role and more active management of the power unit. So while that sort of sounds exciting in theory, Miami is exactly the kind of circuit where it could have actually created problems. You have sort of long, full throttle sections, quite heavy braking zones. And then that, as I mentioned before, that quite an awkward middle sector where sort of the driving rhythm actually matters quite a bit. So if not for those changes that were brought in a couple of weeks ago, it would have made racing look very unnatural. And hopefully these last changes actually take away that or induces that view of the race. But I think the original regulations would have worked to a point where they would have created quite a bit of overtaking opportunities, but also the fact that it's the vision of the fact that overtaking becomes a bit too artificial. And so we, as racing fans, we actually want to see overtaking around strategy and around technical variation, not just boosting power when they need it to. So this is why I think the the recent updates make a bit more sense. Particularly the reduction of the recharge amount in qualifying, and also increasing the peak superclick power would make qualifying and racing feel a little more natural than it has been in the past. And for a team like Mercedes, I think it protects their advantage and where it's actually where they currently sit, because they for me at this stage look like the most complete team out on the track. And the two drivers within that team have had the best platform so far to punch up the up the front. So for Ferrari, I think yes, definitely the impact of those starts would be interesting to see whether it's actually affected them or not. Um and and their way of driving, both Le Clerc and Hamilton, is actually they are they tend to excel when they're when the LAP is more about commitment and rhythm rather than artificially saving energy, shall we say. So I think this overall this this track ends up being not quite perfect, but quite a good stress test. And where the original rules may have pretty sort of fairly spectacular straight line closing speeds, but maybe not great racing. The updates are trying to keep that strategy and energy element without making the cars feel that they're constantly being interrupted by the battery as such. That's something that uh I think as fans as well we don't want to see. So this is what we should sort of watch for, not just who is the fastest, but whether the racing actually looks natural and whether the drivers have the opportunity to actually attack naturally, um, and whether overtaking actually feels earned rather than manufactured.

SPEAKER_01 37:38

All right, well, let's move on to our picks for qualifying sprint and race day. I'll say um I'll go left of center for qualifying. Uh, one of the Mercedes for qualifying sprint, I'd I'd I'd pick a Ferrari um just because of the start, probably Lewis, and then race day, I'd say Kimmy. But what are your thoughts? Break it apart.

SPEAKER_02 37:55

Uh for qualifying, uh, I would I would still pick Kimmy. Um and I might feel bald at this stage because of his youth. But the results that he's delivered today speak volumes at the moment. So he's leading the championship, as we know. He's won two of the first three races. Uh, and as a team, they seem to be the strongest team so far. So on a sprint weekend, I think confidence matters a lot. And he takes a lot of confidence into this race. My alternate qualifying pick is uh Leclerc. So if the if the regulations changes do indeed, as we said before, make the qualifying lapse seem a lot more natural and less dominated by sort of awkward energy harvesting. Leclerc for me is the type, exactly the type of driver who could benefit from that. For the sprint, my pick is George. Um, and I think particularly because the sprint races tend to reward sort of clean execution, tire control, uh, and generally avoiding chaos, which is which is something he's very good at doing. And he's the kind of driver who can turn a front row or a second row into maximum points come the sprint. My wild card for the sprint actually is Oscar. And I think uh, as I mentioned before, this circuit gives McLaren as a team a chance to reset. And if they have indeed improved their car over the break, he could be the one to quietly bank a big big result while the others are kind of trying to overreach. On race day itself, I would pick Mercedes and specifically Kimi. Someone actually beats Mercedes properly. I think they remain a fairly safe pick at this point in time. The long straights and the heavy braking zones that we've mentioned many times here do reward a car that is efficient, stable, and good at deployment, which the Mercedes-Benz car have shown many, many times, basically. So my podium prediction for the race is Antonelli, LeCluck, and Norris in that order. Uh, but in a markstead, I'm actually going to throw in a chaos pick of Verstappen. So if Red Bull have actually actually indeed found something over the brake, or if the tweaks to the regulations have actually made the car a lot more drivable, Max doesn't need a lot of encouragement to be in the fight. And I think the outlier for me is that he he has the opportunity, if they've got those things right, to jump straight back into podium contention um for this race.

SPEAKER_01 40:20

I do wonder how much he's phoning it in somewhat, just knowing that the car is not competitive. If he if it started to be competitive, he'd probably be able to add that extra 10% uh or whatnot that he uh that no one else can kind of thing. True.

SPEAKER_02 40:35

And it's actually uh you've seen that in some of the the earlier races, the fact that there he has probably backed off quite a bit just through frustration, mind you, and and the fact knowing that they are not going to be fighting up ahead. Or the fact that they're just literally wrestling this car on the track all day, every day. But yeah, if he was up there, say sitting in one fourth, uh, who knows what could happen.

SPEAKER_01 40:56

And uh I suppose as well, just for the the engineers there, there'd be no team in the brakes scramble eating uh as much as Red Bull just to try and retain him as a driver. So um the uh yeah, look, should be interesting. It's I'm not sure if the race will be the I suppose the the spectacle we want it to be returning. It would have been much better to see races in Bahrain or Jeddah, for example, given how amazing those tracks are. But uh it's gonna be good to be back nonetheless. Uh is there anything else you want to add to uh before we close off?

SPEAKER_02 41:29

Earlier in the in the month, we did talk about the key news stories, but I think since that time, the biggest news story obviously has been these wreck changes, and I think we've all been waiting to see what that actually was. But it'd be useful to see this in practice and whether any additional changes that are come out of it. And hopefully that if there are changes that are needed, that FIA don't actually wait for a Bierman situation to materialize before making any such necessary changes that not to be stubborn about it, that actually to improve, as I keep saying mentioned before, to improve the spectacle of the sport and actually to make the racing seem a lot more natural and uh for want of a better expression, take away that Mario Kart element of it. So that to give the fans as well a bit more of what they actually want to see in this sport. Uh not a matter of um overtaking because you have the power to do it, overtaking because you have the skill to do it, basically. So and that you've strategized correctly to be able to win that race.

SPEAKER_01 42:26

There's something else uh maybe just mentioned before we um wind up here. Uh the Turkish Grand Prix is returning next year. Have you seen that news?

SPEAKER_02 42:34

Yeah, actually, I've seen that news and also the other Yeah, which would be fantastic. So I'm not sure whether that I'm assuming that ends up being a 27th race if all goes well next year, or whether there is another I I don't know if there's any any tracks that are slated for being dropped next year, as far as I understand. The other news story that came out this morning is the reorganization at the start of the season. So the Bahrain and Saudi races jump ahead. So they become first and second next year, and Melbourne becomes the third race next year. Um and I think this has happened quite a bit, and it's not, it shouldn't come as a surprise because we do know that the Bahrain and Saudi races do function around the Ramadan calendar, from what I understand. And I believe Ramadan concludes in the first week of March, so that allows for those two races to slot in ahead of Melbourne. Um but I guess from a from a local point of view, we've always loved the fact that Melbourne's been the first race. And it's the chance to see cars, new new, new livery, new updates first, firsthand. But unfortunately, we won't get to see that next year.

SPEAKER_01 43:40

Yeah, so it's a Zanfort. This is last year at Zanfort, apparently. So um that won't be on the calendar next year, which is interesting. Um but uh I suppose the other thing that I was reading is that the Belgian and Spanish Grand Prix are going to uh well sorry, um the uh the the Barcelona Catalonia Oh no, sorry. The Yeah, no, there's gonna be a rotation, um or something like that. So might need to look into that 'cause I I I can't really understand surely we wouldn't rotate spa. That would be that would be unhinged. True.

SPEAKER_02 44:14

And particularly given Red Bull's uh uh investment there, basically.

SPEAKER_01 44:18

It's like it's like only getting it's like getting Brazil to play every second World Cup. It wouldn't make no sense at all. Um anyway, well let's let's look into that for the next episode. Um all good by hand. Do you want to shout out our socials?

SPEAKER_02 44:28

So our social is Boxboxbox Oz A U S. Uh, we're on Instagram, Facebook, X, and uh TikTok. I had to think that for a second. Our website is boxboxbox.net.au. Please provide us with your feedback, like, subscribe, share, and also send us any recommendations for conversations that you wish to wish to uh have. Please also check out our spin-off podcast, which is uh Racing Rewind, where this year this uh season we are taking a deep dive into the 2003 season. And they're fun decoded, where we uh attempt to explain and simplify the technical aspects of this sport. And we have published a couple of episodes of those in the break for you to listen to if you haven't already. And all those episodes are also on our main uh box box box uh podcast as well. Uh so please, yeah, provide us with your feedback and and share if you find it interesting.

SPEAKER_01 45:22

Thank you, Mohan. Uh Portemal coming back as well, I think, the Portuguese Grand Prix.

SPEAKER_02 45:27

Um so, yeah, so we'll be speaking again um at uh just after actually um just after the sprint and just after qualifying in Miami uh before the big race.

SPEAKER_01 45:38

Sounds good, and we'll definitely just sort out this calendar of next year. I'm very interested in it now that I've just started looking into it. So um all good. Thank you so much, Mohan. Thank you for joining us uh and we will see you next time.

SPEAKER_02 45:49

Thank you.