Barcelona Recap

Barcelona served up strategy, tension and plenty of talking points. We break down the race and its biggest moments. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:28

Welcome to Boxbox Box, your friendly neighborhood Formula One podcast. My name is Scott. I'm joined today with Mohan. How are you, Mohan? I'm good, thank you.

SPEAKER_02 0:36

We've had a bit of a break due to both of our commitments since this time to actually have a chat. But it's nice to be talking again.

SPEAKER_00 0:42

True, we are back, and we've come back at a good time because a lot's gone on. Uh Lewis Hamilton has proven that Kim Kardashian is no distraction. And he is uh he's yeah, well, he he he did all right, didn't he?

SPEAKER_02 0:55

He did great, actually. And and it's almost a turn back the clock moment for him as well. So it was great to see the result that came out.

SPEAKER_00 1:01

Yeah, I think Ferrari as well, just impressive. Uh do you think there's a hope for them in the constructors, just quickly here?

SPEAKER_02 1:07

Uh based on this result, actually, I think I I certainly think there is, they've they've turned a bit of a corner. But the the biggest positive that I saw to this was their the strategy, particularly in how they actually managed Lewis's uh tie changes. Um and this is something that they have fallen down a lot in previous races. So it's great to see that they've they've got that part together as well.

SPEAKER_00 1:26

With the development windows that they have this season, do you think the opportunity is there for Ferrari to make significant gains, gains that way? Because the being a new formula, surely there are some big gains that can be made. But the if I remember correctly when we talked about development and changes, it's kind of it's like aggregated or staggered, right? Depending on the positions that the teams are running? Um I think so. Handicapped, I should say.

SPEAKER_02 1:53

Yeah. So uh given the particularly the I think it's the AG edduis, it's called the uh development upgrade options that have been given to each of these teams based on uh how they've been performing up to date. And I think Ferrari is entitled to two of those upgrades, if from what I understand. So it's these teams would obviously have a plan for the year uh and the and of how they actually would stagger each of these upgrades uh and when they actually bring them in. But uh that's not to say that there are minor tweaks and changes that are happening in between all of that at the end of the day, and race to race, these tweaks are actually happening. And you know, the results coming out of Barcelona was very promising for Ferrari overall.

SPEAKER_00 2:31

Yeah, I always used to think of these mid-season upgrades as pretty minor, uh, but I always think it's you know, diminishing returns after a few years in one formula. So since we've got the the new cars, you know, something special could always happen out of nowhere, really. So let's let's move on to Barcelona. Let's unpack what happened there. It was one of the the better Grand Prix I've seen just purely because of Hamilton's performance. So was it was Hamilton's first Ferrari win a genuine turning point, or uh was this a race that just kind of fell into his hands, do you think?

SPEAKER_02 3:03

Uh I think it was a mix here bought, but I would lean more towards uh a genuine turning point. I mean, absolutely we do agree that he he did benefit from the timing of the virtual safety car, and Anton and his rate retirement made it a cleaner result for him. Um but it wasn't a lucky win in the usual sense. You know, he qualified on the front row um and he stayed within reach of uh George Russell quite early in the race. Uh and then, as I mentioned before, Ferrari actually made quite an aggressive three-stop strategy. And uh I was watching the third stop in particular, and and Hamilton came out literally a couple of car lanes ahead of Russell out of that, and that was actually absolutely spectacular to watch. So, what what we have seen out of this is that they actually have now that their pace is very real. So, and the fact that particularly when Hamilton was on that medium tire stint in the middle of the race, um, he was taking serious time away from the both the Mercedes cars. And so this is uh points to the fact that this is not simply a driver being gifted a result. This is where a team and a driver are working to put themselves in a genuinely challenging position. So I think the overall turning point is is is technical rather than psychological. Uh, they did obviously arrive with uh with a major upgrade package on the front wing, on the floor, on the side pod, uh, and the diffuser as well. But and Barcelona is the kind of circuit where you find out whether those aerodynamic changes are, those improvements are actually genuine and they are effective. So I think Hamilton early in the weekend had complained about the rear of the car. Uh, but by the time they got to qualifying, and certainly on race day, they seem to have found the balance that they needed. Uh and it points to the fact that the team overall may finally be giving Lewis the car that suits his driving style, his strengths, and sort of his capabilities overall. So I think if they can actually repeat this, uh, I think that the upward trajectory is a genuine uh thing to watch.

SPEAKER_00 5:07

You kind of already answered this one, but how much of Hamilton's victory came down to uh the pace, the strategy, the timing of the virtual safety car being perfect? What really was it?

SPEAKER_02 5:17

Um I think it's a combination of all three, but if I I guess if I had to rank them, I certainly would rank pace as first, strategy second, and then the virtual safety car coming in as third. Um the the the VSC obviously was was important because it allowed Hamilton to make the last stop for hard tires and then as a result losing less time than he would have in a normal pit stop. So this what it actually did is it it converted their aggressive strategy into into good track position for them overall. So and but for that to actually have worked, it it relied on Hamilton already having created that position for the team to actually do what they needed to do. So it was a very bold strategy on Ferrari's part of part of it. And what was obviously even more obvious was that Mercedes didn't react to that strategy, and their strategy actually looked a lot more conventional. So, and I think that they had perhaps left the track feeling that they have missed something there. Uh, whereas Ferrari were a lot more bold with it uh and were able to execute that strategy very well. Um, and also was the fact that the upgrades aside to show that if Ferrari can actually get that strategy sorted out, they are a genuine challenger for both the constructors and if Lewis continues this trajectory, a genuine challenger for the drivers' championship as well.

SPEAKER_00 6:39

Yeah, so I mean Leclerc's Leclerc is the question. Did Barcelona prove that Ferrari is properly back in the fight, or did Leclerc's retirement show that there's still more work to do for the team?

SPEAKER_02 6:52

I think Leclerc's retirement sort of is the reason that you cannot say that they're fully back as a complete uh championship challenger, as such. On pace, this was probably their most convincing weekend up to the up to up to this point in terms of all the all the races that have gone before this in this season. Hamilton's obviously qualifying on the front row and in the end actually winning by quite a large margin, admittedly with the with the safety car in play as well. Leclerc actually moved quite strongly early in the race. So from starting at 10th, he showed that the car actually had genuine uh speed and the fact that the the upgrade package was useful. Uh but his overall race is actually quite a warning uh label for the team overall. So he's sort of running in the points that could have been part of a big team result. Uh but the power steering issue sort of ended up ended his afternoon. So we've talked about this not in terms of Ferrari, but in terms of Red Bull and other teams, that to win a championship, you need both the drivers and both the cars delivering consistent results. And I think that's where the issue sits with Ferrari, particularly if the same thing happens again, if Hamilton wins and the clerk retires, it's only half the job done. Um and I think a lot of the discussion going around at the moment is that Lewis obviously had, by his standards, had a pretty ordinary year last year, and he had a lot of complaints about the car, about the strategy, uh, and what he was given as a tool to try and win these races. And technically the clerk has the same tools at his disposable, but has also had a lot longer within the Ferrari team to settle into it. So the fact that he's not delivering those results despite having that additional time within the team is quite a concern. Whereas Lewis is in his second year and has been able to turn things around very quickly with the same conditions.

SPEAKER_00 8:42

Well, speaking of retirements, Kimmy Antonelli also retired from this race. Firstly, a two-part question. Was Antonelli's like retirement the biggest moment of the race for you, Mohan, do you think?

SPEAKER_02 8:52

Yeah, I think from a from a championship moment point of view, I think this is quite large actually. So how costly is it for him in this championship, do you think? I think I think it's it's for him, yes, definitely points point of view, because that gap has been closed. The thing I hope for him, and I I I I I I assume so, based on his demeanor after the race, is the fact that he hopefully doesn't this doesn't become a psychological disadvantage for him rather than than uh than a technical disadvantage. So the timing, unfortunately, for him was pretty brutal. Uh and he had actually passed Russell at that point in the race.

SPEAKER_00 9:27

Yeah, I was about to say, how demoralizing for George Russell to actually finally uh to to get more points than Kimi in a race. But it was purely because of that breakdown. He absolutely got past him and was gone, as far as I'm concerned.

SPEAKER_02 9:40

Absolutely. And he's certainly looking, he was looking like at the very least coming in second, basically, at that point in time. So uh it would have the way things burned out, it would have still turned out to be a loss to Hamilton, but a more controlled one if he if he didn't have the DNF, basically. So I think for him, overall the cost is, I don't think from a championship points point of view, but I think it's it could potentially be from a psychological point of view. He, up to this point, we have seen that he is driving like someone that is genuinely in control of this championship. And it's showing in his demeanor, he's he's he's got youthful exuberance, he's fast, he's very composed, uh he's able to absorb pressure. Um, and I think Barcelona was the first crack in that storyline that threw no fault of his own. So he hoped that he can bounce back in Austria and put that result behind him, knowing that he's got a car that can perform, he has got the skill and the talent to perform to continue leading the championship.

SPEAKER_00 10:40

So did Anson Ellie look like the likely winner before the failure, or was Hamilton completely in control of this race?

SPEAKER_02 10:47

Um, I don't think he looked like the likely winner by the time it had settled into that final phase of the race. He he definitely looked like finishing second, and out obviously the fastest of the two Mercedes cars at that point. Uh, because at that point Hamilton had moved into a very strong position up front. The key was the middle phase of the race, uh, particularly when Hamilton actually had switched to the medium tires. Uh Ferrari had the pace at that point that Mercedes just couldn't answer. Uh, and as I mentioned before, they also didn't react to Ferrari's strategy in terms of the pit stop. So, having said that, I think Antony overall was very impressive. He he just kept pushing as he tends to do. And his move on Russell late in the race was very significant. And he basically shows that uh he's not simply sitting there protecting points for the team. He wants to win and uh is capable of winning. But I I I hope he's able to put this behind him and move on to the next race.

SPEAKER_00 11:46

So it's hard to not compare uh Russell and uh Antonelli when you look at them well when you when just trying to assess George Russell's performance, really. Uh but how strong was George Russell's weekend uh from pole position to finishing second, do you think?

SPEAKER_02 12:01

Uh even though the race actually slipped away from him, I think overall, if you looked at the weekend overall, I think this is a very strong weekend for him. And the fact that the fact that he took pole at a circuit that sort of not usually rewards completeness in terms of the car and completeness of how you actually put a lap together, you you still need to finish the race at the end of the day. So I think it it it presented a race that was that was more comp way more complicated for him in the he certainly did the first part well. He bled at the he held the lead at the start. Um, he managed those opening laps very well, and he managed to build a a little bit of a gap at the front. And at that point, Hamilton's soft ties that he started with were starting to sort of come under pressure. So but the biggest issue for them was the strategy and the fact that I think they were reactive, whereas Ferrari were way more aggressive with their strategy. Uh and I think that's that's what sort of uh dictated the final result. And the fact that, you know, if if not for Anthony's DNF, uh Russell's result could have been way worse. So the fact that, you know, the poll could not, he could not convert a pole position to a win, and the fact that his team uh didn't react well enough to the competitor strategy um was things that actually dragged them down. But overall, as if I was to look at the weekend overall, I think this is a pretty strong weekend for Russell.

SPEAKER_00 13:21

And what about for Mercedes as a team? Do they leave Barcelona encouraged by the Russell result, or would they be frustrated that they've obviously got uh, you know, these DNF issues with Antonelli's failure?

SPEAKER_02 13:32

Um this the frustration for them is that would be the fact that they had this race in their hands at several points in the race, and particularly with Russell on pole, Antonelli starting on third, and the car that genuinely looked uh strong across both practice and qualifying. So and the opening part of the race as well. So the the the failure on Antonelli's car uh is a bigger concern. Uh and not just that, but also if you look back at the previous failures on Russell's car, reliability of the Mercedes engine, the the noise about the reliability of Mercedes is starting to come up a fair bit. And whether this is actually going to continue or whether they can sort this out, uh, whether this is going to continue into the remainder of the season, it could actually, similarly to the Barcelona situation, uh, rip away a genuine chance that they have in their hand if they cannot get in control of the reliability issues.

SPEAKER_00 14:28

Alright, moving on to McLaren now. Was Lando Norris's podium a solid McLaren recovery, or should they be expecting more from their team, especially after a couple of the races they had, the third and fourth race this year?

SPEAKER_02 14:41

Yeah, actually, especially after the the reliability issues they've had and sort of sort of a a fair bit of uncertainty in terms of the performance coming into this race. Because we did think at one stage that they would start to knock off Ferrari, right? Absolutely. And then they were they were they were showing results that were consistent across races, even though they weren't necessarily winning all of the races. Both both drivers were able to finish you know consistently in the top five, and then all of a sudden that those reliable tissues came back into it, basically. So I think Norris finishing third was certainly important because I think the team needed uh a clean weekend. And this is sort of, you know, um but having said that they would be expecting a lot more. I think Stella's commit comments after the race reflected that the fact that this even though the result actually was being it was a genuinely uh they felt was a disappointing weekend for them overall. So they they sort of know they were close to McLaren, more close to Mercedes in terms of points coming into that. Uh, but Ferrari have jumped ahead of them, given the results that have actually been um presented. So their results, so it's actually the it's solid results, but not spectacular results. And there is a lot more work to be done on this on their cars, particularly from an aerodynamic point of view. And and then they obviously there's more upgrades to come for the McLaren cars, because the upgrades they have bought up particularly at Barcelona were a lot smaller than some of the other teams actually brought into it. So based on sort of pure pace, they seem still seem to be chasing Ferrari and Mercedes, rather than being able to dictate uh pace like they did last year.

SPEAKER_00 16:22

And moving on to Red Bull now, what did Verstappen's fin uh what did Verstappen finish in fourth tell us about Red Bull's current level on a more conventional circuit, I suppose?

SPEAKER_02 16:32

Um it certainly tells us that now Red Bull are competitive and particularly with Max behind the wheel, but they're certainly not the benchmark but that they used to be. So uh it's and Barcelona is a kind of circuit where you cannot really hide. Uh if you've got a car that's you know somewhat nervous, it does show it up quite a lot. So and if in the end of the day, despite finishing fourth, he was almost 40 seconds, I think, behind Hamilton. So that's a massive gap in the in the in the margins that you're playing with. So they did bring some changes, some upgrades, particularly in relation to the aerodynamics of the car. But the result actually would suggest that this these changes were not enough, uh, particularly to put it put him into uh into victory contention. What is what is interesting is sort of the contrast inside Red Bull. Um the fact that Verstappen's and both Hajah's results are a strong team results, uh team result, which is something that they as a team were struggling for the last couple of years because most of those results and the points were coming purely out of Verstappen's performance and not the second car. But there is now still quite a distance between Hamilton, Russell, and Norris to show that um they're gonna be as competitive uh come mid-season or come the end of the season.

SPEAKER_00 17:44

So uh Moha, tell me about the uh the the old British podium. Did Sky Sports jump on this like they normally do with the British drivers? Or was this yeah, was it? Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 17:54

I mean, there was there was a lot talked about this in the sense that I mean it obviously did give it a somewhat of a historic feel, we have to admit that. And you know, it it's quite a striking image for the sport overall. Um, but it also points to the fact that the strength of uh the current pool of British drivers, you know, and there are three different teams, three different career stories to get to that point, and all ended up on the same podium, which is you know quite a quite a fantastic story to to to c to discuss. And the fact that, you know, uh Hamilton has able to to something that the entire sport has been waiting on for Hamilton to deliver his first Vitry in red. And that that that that probably overtook the the British British driver podium, and I think so it should, to be honest. And I think, you know, the there was a lot of talk at the end of last year as to whether Hamilton was past it, as to whether Ferrari could actually give him a car that was genuinely challenging. But he was able to put all that aside and turn back the clock to Louis Saval and and produce a victory interesting choice of words, actually.

SPEAKER_00 19:01

I'm sure he has found the car quite challenging uh over the last few years. But yeah, to challenge the other teams, it it hasn't really been the case. So yeah, it's very interesting. I I I I always you know always wonder about countries and their development programs around the the drivers that come through, but uh it just seems like the UK really has it has the most opportunity, I suppose.

SPEAKER_02 19:20

And also in terms of uh uh no uh team setups as well. I mean the majority of teams are established over there. So that that that has to that has to um have a result, you've got to admit the fact that they're they are focused in one particular area and not traveling all over the place. And over time more teams have ended up setting up in the UK. So that's that would definitely play a play a part in all of this as well.

SPEAKER_00 19:41

Also having so many homegrown superstars, you the talent pool must be huge that's coming out of the UK. Whereas, you know, a country that doesn't maybe even has the resources, has the tracks, but doesn't have the drivers there, there might might not be as many uh younger drivers getting into the sports. So it's a whole it's a whole game within a game there, right? So tell me, with only 14 finishes, uh did Barcelona become more of a attrition race than expected? Uh because I suppose normally they normally it's not that low, right, at Barcelona. There's no reason for it to be.

SPEAKER_02 20:10

No, actually it um was quite surprising in the end the the amount of teams that didn't finish in the end. I think strategy we have to admit that it did define the race almost completely. Because without that three-stop decision that Ferrari made, I think Hamilton would have spent most of the afternoon trying to pressure Russell for a result and would have probably played out into a fairly conventional Mercedes race that is shaped by Mercedes without that strategy. So Ferrari were great at recognizing what the tire degradation picture was like for this track and and developed a strategy around that and and it it paid massive dividends for them. So um, you know, they had stopped him early and then committed to uh to a 28-lap stint in the middle. Um and they stopped following Mercedes at that point, basically, and and not only that, they forced Mercedes to react to their strategy. And I think that overall was a was a quite a turning point in the race. And Hamilton, known on fresh tires in clean air, to was able to make that that extra stop viable for them to actually do. So and and then the VSC basically turned what was a strong strategy into a winning strategy uh and gave them the result that they ended up with.

SPEAKER_00 21:27

Yeah, uh thanks for touching on that. I was meant to touch on that and I asked you about the finishers uh straight up. Is there anything else you want to add about the attrition at Barcelona?

SPEAKER_02 21:35

Yeah, I think you've got to actually some of the the teams that actually finished off, but it's it's quite surprising for this track the the level of attrition that actually happened. Uh but um there were sort of other other uh things that actually happened in the race as well that that did play a part in this. For instance, you know, for Alonso stopping at sort of turn nine gave gave Ferrari the perfect window to make Hamilton's final stop. So that that actually played into their parts as and he was. Able to rejoin just ahead of Russell, like literally car a couple of car lines ahead of Russell. And that I'm not that benefited them overall in that sense. So I don't think this was just luck or anything like that. I think it's quite an aggressive strategic decision. But this is, I mean, a notoriously demanding circuit. And I know was it was it one, two, it's probably like eight, nine drivers, I think the different DNFs in that sense, uh, if I remember correctly. Some of those were related to mechanical issues, some were sort of separate incidents or car issues. Uh, but it it what it served to do is actually give the race a very different uh texture. Uh because instead of being purely about pace and strategy, it it came down to sort of almost a survival mode for this team. So it it did the attrition does matter, and and uh it it I wouldn't say it played a part in the final result, uh particularly the podium. Uh, but it was quite surprising to see on this track what actually happened.

SPEAKER_00 23:00

Uh now this was potentially Alonzo's final home race. Was this was it I mean, was it disappointing given his performance or is this one of the more emotional subplots? And tell me, what's really going on there? Is this actually is he actually retiring?

SPEAKER_02 23:13

Uh he's hinted at it, and and I think uh the current issues that Aston Martin are having is not helping that situation. It yeah, I mean uh as a from a disappointment point of view, I would I would agree absolutely, it would have been would there were a lot of emotional subplots coming into this, and even if it sort of wasn't central to the fight, the Spanish fans were obviously hoping for a for a better result for him. And um, I mean he's been part of the sports identity for more than not 20 years, and and any home race as a result carries a lot of history for him. So um the the disappointed for him started in qualifying and continued on into the race. But as I mentioned before, this is uh a reflection not just of his where he ended up, but but what the state of the team at the moment. And uh they did not bring any upgrades to Barcelona, particularly on a s on a on a circ on a on a circuit that normally rewards any aerodynamic upgrades. And as a result, they look very exposed as a team. So I think he deserved a more emotional or more competitive farewell at home, and unfortunately didn't get that. And the sport is quite brutal in that sense, it doesn't always write those beautiful stories. Uh, but yeah, the fans would have definitely left disappointed, not just the fans on the track, but the fans watching uh internationally as well, um, that this is this is potentially the last time we have seen him on this track?

SPEAKER_00 24:32

Yeah, we should definitely unpack the Aston Martin situation. It's nothing's going to plan, obviously. So what was the biggest takeaway for you from Barcelona? Was it Hamilton's resurgence or the Antonelli's heartbreak or the Titan Championship battle? Actually, before we move on to that, tell me about did Barcelona give us a clearer uh championship picture or has Kimmy's retirement distorted the whole for uh form guide for us?

SPEAKER_02 24:56

Uh I think it gave us a slightly clearer performance picture overall. Uh I think Antonelli's retirement sort of distorted the championship picture, but I think that's but that's potentially only a brief distortion. In terms of pace, we certainly learned a lot. Uh Ferrari's upgrades that they brought was certainly seemed to be serious upgrades. Uh Mercedes remains fast, especially over one lap, but may not have had Ferrari's race space on the harder compound tyres. So uh McCran's reliability is improving gradually and sort of they're nudging that podium territory, but they're still searching for a lot of things, particularly from the aerodynamic point of view. So there's a lot more work to be done by them. Uh Red Bull is still definitely in the fight, but certainly not at the front as they have been in the in the past. But the the championship points now tell a slightly dramatic version of the story. Uh, before Anthony Lee uh lost what was almost a guaranteed second place for him through the reliability, actually. So um the the real takeaway for me, I guess, is is that Hamilton and Ferrari are now a credible enough threat to Mercedes. And and hopefully that Ferrari as a team continue to give Hamilton a car that is performing and continue to build on that aggressive strategy that they seem to have developed. Uh that hopefully that pays dividends for them moving forward.

SPEAKER_00 26:20

Yes, a key takeaways. Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_02 26:23

Uh obviously the the biggest aside from the aside from the British driver podium, I think the biggest takeaway for me is is Hamilton's resurgence. And and and Antonelli's heartbreak, I guess, at the end of the day. So but I I think certainly Antonelli is off of of the mindset and he's got the mentality to bounce from it. But if have if Ferrari and Hamilton continue to click, then this is we're looking at uh no, you're almost bumping George down to third potential re for the world championship, basically, so that you know it could come down to a a two-driver challenge. And um let's let's hope from Ferrari's point of view that they maintain that trajectory that they have developed here.

SPEAKER_00 27:07

Yes, I'll go through the standings because we are starting to get some sort of a picture here, uh, particularly in the constructors. So I might start with them actually. So the constructor standings currently Mercedes in first place on 262 points, Ferrari in second on 190, McLaren in third on 141, Red Bull in fourth on 89, and Alpine in fifth on 57. Uh, I think the main thing here is that the you know the cream will rise to the top. The the top four teams that we thought would be the top four teams are now the top four teams. So uh that's that's something there because there was a time where we thought Red Bull might be uh swimming amongst Haas and whatnot, and they kind of were. Haas started, they had a really good opening Grand Prix, and uh that's that's really settled. So I I don't expect them to be disrupted. More of those top four teams will probably figure out their order. Would you agree with that?

SPEAKER_02 27:59

Uh absolutely. Um and I must actually admit I I need to offer a correction here, too, uh, in relation to uh Cadillac's previous result where Perez held the point for a very brief point and had it taken off him, basically. And as a result, they have no championship points, uh, no uh constructors' chap points basically, which is all just sitting there as such. Uh for me as a team, obviously you look at Aston Martin's issues, probably we could do an entire episode just on what's going on there and and what the the the puzzling nature of what's going on over there. And the one that actually I think is surprised me as a team going into this is Audi. And I think the fact that they the results that they are producing for what is technically a first year, but they have got all the sober history behind them. The other team that actually is that appears to be struggling significantly is still Williams, and the fact of uh you've got teams that are technically, if you look at the pedigree of these teams, you've got teams like Racing Bulls, Alpine, and Haas, who are much younger as a team and don't have the same history as a team like Williams, are just struggling as uh overall to to get these cars out at the end of the day. So that actually for me is is part of the larger picture at the bottom end of the of the teams.

SPEAKER_00 29:15

Well, you've highlighted two pretty interesting teams there because Williams have a takeover and uh not a rebrand, but effectively a rebrand, a full takeover that hasn't changed anything in terms of their results, which is confusing. And then you have Audi that's had this takeover rebrand as well, but it's almost like they've gone backward. It's always been quite a solid team.

SPEAKER_02 29:38

So it's can you kind of work that out or yeah, actually it's it's it's it's a bit puzzling, I guess, in a sense of where the where they sit with this is the the the results predicted from an Audi point of view. Um I I I am actually quite impressed with the overall results that they are delivering. And particularly both those drivers actually are uh are delivering good results. Um but uh you've got I said you've got teams like Alpine and Racing Bulls who are technically younger teams who are able to deliver better results and all of that. So interesting to see how this pans out moving forward. Uh and I guess we also have to make an allowance for those teams and including Cadillac, that they are technically new and do need a certain amount of time to settle in and hopefully would find their pace, uh find their place uh on the grid.

SPEAKER_00 30:24

Is there any Is it confusing to you that the top teams kind of stay the top teams when we move into a new formula? Because all you would need is one great idea from these lower, lower, typically lower on the grid teams to, you know, I suppose lead the development cycle and and have the the the lead car from some sort of technical innovation in a new formula. But it just doesn't seem to be the case. It's the same old teams that are at the top that have the most funding. Is that confusing to you? Is there a reason for that?

SPEAKER_02 30:55

I guess it is somewhat confusing, but you also have to think of the amount of resources available to these top teams away from the track and the fact that that must definitely play a part in what they develop and how they develop uh the personnel that they have, the person the personnel they are able to attract to those teams. I mean, look at McLaren, the the the shopping that they have done in the last little while. That all of that collectively would have to would have to play a part in these teams staying at the top. The fact that no, obviously they are working within Coscaps, but they obviously have other resources that they can tap into. But the the lesser teams don't have. You know, they they they are still playing catch-up in a lot of cases. And as a result of it, they will probably they might have one or two brilliant results come out of this, but on average they will stay in that midfield at best because they don't have the the off-track resources available to these top teams.

SPEAKER_00 31:49

I do wonder about the political side of it as well. The you know, if you're a engineer at Williams and you have the the next idea that's gonna take Williams to the next level, you know, maybe you get on the phone with Red Bull and get yourself a job instead, you know. So I don't really know what the they seem to poach people all the time. I don't know. Yeah, the intellectual property rules are, but they can't be they can't be very good.

SPEAKER_02 32:10

And also the non-compets, actually, because uh you think of from a from a corporate world point of view, the amount of clauses that would be in people's contracts, you know. I mean, think of Jonathan Wheatley's not being allowed to, well, technically at this stage, he's not been allowed to go across to Aston Martin, even though I think they've almost painted his parking spot from what I gather. That, you know, all of that still exists. The fact that no, it's I mean, it is the fact that no teams get poached, but also personnel go looking for teams where you're right, where the ideas can be heard better and put into action a lot better than being drowned out in a lesser team.

SPEAKER_00 32:41

Heard better. I like that. That's a yeah, that's a very political spin on the on on someone using ideas personal gain. That's good. I like that. All right, uh, let's go through the drivers as well, just so we can cover that off. The driver standings, uh in first place, Kimmy Ansnelly on 156 points, second, Lewis Hamilton on 115, George Russell in third on 106, only nine nine points between the two. Fourth, Charles Leclerc on 75, and Lando Norris in fifth on 73. Uh just for clarity, sixth is Ossip Oscar Piastri on 68, and Max Verstappen in seventh on 55, uh, and then all the way down in ninth uh is Hadar on 34, with Pierre Gasly slipping into that uh breaking into that top eight instead of Isaac, Isaac Hadjar. Uh and so yeah, so you know it's an interesting, interesting standing, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 33:31

Mohan they're and actually this would have the part of this would have been the the rearrangement of the result where Gasly actually got was awarded the podium. Well, technically not the podium, but he's awarded the 10th place which I should base. So that that switch would have would have obviously wouldn't have made the difference of the seven points that sits there, but definitely would have helped Gasly to go to to leapfrog to that eighth spot. But yeah, it's uh it's interesting again. I mean the gap up the top, it's I'm actually looking at the difference. It's 101 points between Verstappen and Antonelli. And given what happened last year, that's that's not a huge gap on Verstappen's standards, you know what I mean? So it's it'll be interesting to see what happens in the come mid-season where this sits. And particularly given uh Max Verstappen's exit clause in his contract at the moment, uh, which from what I understand, if he isn't fourth or better come mid-season, he has the option to exercise an exit out of his out of his contract, um, which will be being managed and looked at very well. But we have had previous discussions about um Max potentially being poached on the other teams. Mercedes' name has been thrown up a lot, McLaren's name's been thrown up a lot, uh, particularly McLaren more recently, given that GP, his engineer is going to go across to to McLaren. So there is a lot of lot of speculation flying around the paddock in terms of what happens with him. But that it's it's a constant thing in the sport overall. You know, it's not just him, but other teams are being talked about as well. But if you look at the top six drivers currently sitting in the championship, so the two Ferraris, so the two Mercedes and the two McLaren's, there's no discussion about any of those drivers going. The only one that's potentially unhappy within that group of six is Oscar. And it obviously it comes down to how McLaren manage him and whether they keep him or whether he could go somewhere else. But the other five are really not going anywhere in a hurry. So uh we'll be interested what actually happens with with this shuffling that happens and all the trading that goes on mid-season and whether Max is in a position to exercise that clause.

SPEAKER_00 35:26

Yeah, very true. And I I don't think Max would go anywhere except for Mercedes, really, at this point. So you wouldn't want to jump onto another struggling team. So uh when he's he sits in a good such a good spot socially with Red Bull, you know. So um there's definitely a lot of rumors, a lot going on right now in that kind of space. So we'll watch it, and when something more concrete pops up, we'll uh we'll definitely bring it to the air. So anything else, Mohan? Anything else you want to do?

SPEAKER_02 35:49

There's just one point I actually want to touch on, and this is uh particularly in terms of Mercedes and and and the fact that they are allowing those two drivers to race each other, I think it's gonna it's gonna undo them at some point because nobody wants to see this thing of no number one driver and number two driver, even though in many teams there is an unofficial marking as such. The analogy I have is what happened with McLaren last year and the fact that they they have they were in a similar position where they were allowing these two drivers to race. And they actually allowed Max into the into the fight as a result of doing that. And I think Mercedes had to be very careful about the same thing that they could allow, they've could allow Lewis into that mix because of the fact that they are not saying, well, prioritize this or prioritize that. Um rather than saying, no, we're we're allowing them to race freely on the track. It's not un I mean, a couple of the races I've watched, it's not unheard of, and it wasn't far off, both of them crashing out. And um that would be very detrimental to the team. So I think moving forward, they are going to have to manage that situation of free to rest kind of thing. You know what I mean? So they need there need to be a bit more, there needs to be a bit more instruction of how to manage that, I think.

SPEAKER_00 37:00

So yeah, and a lot going on there. The other thing, too, I suppose, a lot of immaturity between Kimmy and George. Whereas Lewis and LeClaire don't seem to have that same they seem to be working together quite well. They've had like a few little battles and it hasn't been anything like the the poutiness you get from, say, George Russell. But as well as if they start giving team orders, I could imagine that that would psychologically destroy whoever is in the bat the rear rear end of those team orders, which at this point I think would be George. So he could check out from this seat and from this team and that could hurt their points as well. So there's a lot to lot to manage there. You kind of almost want them to be racing just for to get the most out of their overall performance. But at the same time, obviously that could hurt things overall, like you're suggesting, and like we always have seen. I don't know when when have we ever seen them let the team the the let them race and it not be detrimental, you know what I mean? Yes, absolutely. You kind of don't want runaway leaders to allow that to happen. So uh very me very interesting. I don't know, and and look, Toto's done this all before. So um I'm sure he'll I'm sure he'll know what to do.

SPEAKER_02 37:57

But yeah, I mean a lot of the discussion was the was the Rosberg Hamilton issues that came up a time ago, but it's that came up again in the conversation. This Yeah, yeah. And to the fact of I think that he almost fired bought the drivers that were such a skipped at that point.

SPEAKER_00 38:10

And I'm sure I'm sure he really liked the uh the skill gap between Valtory and Lewis, because it didn't cause those problems. So anyway, it's it's yeah, yeah. It's this is why we watch a sport. So Orgum Mohan, I want to quickly shout out our socials. Um particularly, do we have a do we have like a Linktree or something that directs?

SPEAKER_02 38:29

Yeah, it's so um on our social media post as well, there is a there is a link that comes out which will take you to to um our um Linktree connection which points you to all the platforms that we are currently on. Um please reach out to us. Uh our social media handle is at boxboxbox ours AUS. Uh we are on Instagram, Facebook, X, and TikTok. Uh and we also have a website which is boxboxbox.net.au. Uh please uh listen, subscribe, send us your feedback, uh any questions that you have, any topics that we you wish us to cover if you disagree with what we've said. We look forward to your feedback and please share with anyone that's interested as well, and and send us send us any comments that you have. Definitely.

SPEAKER_00 39:12

And yeah, any feedback like Mohan said, please let us know. Um, I think we'll be quite good at this coming 2028, Mohan. So we'll uh until then we'll keep flopping along. So thanks again. Uh thanks for joining us, everybody, and we'll see you next time. Thank you.