Australian Grand Prix Preview

This BBC Podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. Du, jag skulle ju köpa några nya palpställd i lagret. Det kanske blev lite mer grejer. De hade ju allt, hade en skribd, jag köpte en sån här, och kontornstolar, och så hade de en sitsnygg typcontainer. Vi har inredning för hela arbetsplatsen. Välkommen till AI-produkten! Amazon Spring Dill dig ser snart här med grlimma erbjudanden så Johan kan passa på att fynda, göm från alla sina vårdssyslor.

Det er en verd! Dags å finne elektronik, outdoor, hem og mye mer. Fotsteg! Johan, tillbaka till jobbet! Men bara en tjuvkik på Amazons erbjudanden innan. Oh, vilket fünd! ご視聴ありがとうございました från 10 till 16 mars på Amazon.se. Ännas utvalda produkter i lager. Five Live Formula One

Well from the paddock in Albert Park, welcome to your first checkered flag preview of the year. Now actually Mark Priestley's supposed to be here, but he's actually still on the flight here, but I've done a little bit better than that.

I've got the reigning world champion, the man with the number one on his car, Lando Norris. And now, Lando, I know you said that it doesn't change anything being world champion.

But there's gotta be some perks to it. A couple of freebies, new car, new watch. What we talking here? Free meals? No, I've got a new strap on the watch. Oh okay, yeah, I like it. A bit pink. Yeah? No, otherwise it uh I mean Yeah, there's perks, there's good things away from the track, but uh it doesn't change me in in any way and

It doesn't um it doesn't mean I'm gonna go out in in qualifying in the races now and just uh be quickest or anything, you know. So no, the only thing that's gonna make me continue to make me happy is uh performing well. Uh winning and qualifying on pole and all those things and um that's got nothing to do with what numbers on your card.

Quite right too, but uh we're gonna be watching you with great intrigue this weekend. Well I think the world is on I is gonna be on Formula One to see how things stack up because nobody really knows anything. But how do you feel? You've had two tests in Bahrain, where do you think McLaren stack up? Um we're we're towards the top. Uh I certainly think we're in the mix with with the top four teams, being Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes and ourselves.

In which order is the big question. So um yeah, again, no no point predicting these things, we have to wait and see. We'll do we'll do our best, get the maximum out of our car. That's Always a big thing, especially with how the r the regulation is now and mm there's so many opportunities of just focusing on yourself and and not listening and caring about what others do. So uh that's our job.

Uh biggest challenge to get your head around with these new cars. You mentioned all the regulation changes. Energy management is the big talking point. What's been the hardest thing so far to kind of adapt to? Lifting makes you go quicker. Yeah, is it a weird sensation to do that? Yeah,'cause you wa yeah. Y you you you grow up thinking more throttle

But that's not the case anymore, so Well look, we've uh we've reached McLaren here and and Harry from Comms has given me a look, so I've got to let you go. Uh Lando, go well this weekend. Pleasure. Uh and best of luck for the race on Sunday. Cheers too, thank you very much. Alright, uh cheers Lando. Right, um just kind of about Side McLaren now on my own.

Still no sign of Mark Priestley. Uh oh but look I found A Jenny Gow. And then Andrew Benson. Hey team. Harry Benjamin, good day. Good day, good day. Lando, nice, I'm on pretty good form there. World ch reigning world champion, back in the paddock, ready to defend it all, Andrew. Well it's not to lie, cause you just said reigning world champion, number one on the car, and we're in Australia.

It's it's pretty good. The sun is beating down on us in this paddock. Although I think Jenny they've gotten rid of a load of trees, so there's not much shade than there usually is. So Not many places to hide. Have you got your sun cream on? I have, factor fifty all over, and I find this temperature wonderful. We've been in the UK for a long time. It's been wet, windy, cold, miserable, rained every day.

This, this is a bit of a right, isn't it? It certainly is. And I've got my hat out as well. Fisherman's hat is well and truly on Benson's head. I think what sh we should do overnight is get some cork. and put them all around Benson's hat because it's perfect. It's the right hat and just no corpse. It's not a fashion statement, Jenny, it's it's practical. And so are the corps. Yes, to protect my shiny head from the beating Australian sun. That's enough of

The imagery of Benson's shiny head in the beating sun. Right, we're outside McLaren. Uh we'll do a little walk down the paddock, shall we? Uh it's Thursday so it's media day. It's kind of coming to an end at the moment, but still

Fairly busy hustle and bustle. A few reserve drivers just walked past us. Uh can see I think the Alpine Reserve Paul Aron, a few head honchos lurking about, Bradley Lord from uh Mercedes sitting there having a bit of uh a late lunch. But let's start with McLaren then because Andrew, you know, we we have s tr everyone's trying to figure out this pecking order, right? We're not really gonna know until well qualifying on Saturday. But in the top four we expect McLaren to be there. But

They're they're the defending champions for the constructors as well. But yeah it feels like We're downplaying them slightly. I think they're downplaying themselves actually. They're they're b but they've been very clear, McLaren, that they're

in the mix at the front but not quite at the very front. That's what Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Andrea Stella, the team principal, Zach Brown, the CEO, they've all been saying that consistently for the n for the last two or three weeks. They're still saying it again today. And you can never be absolutely definitive after pre season testing and everybody knows that.

They've got what is believed to be the best engine in the Mercedes. But is it even the best engine? We don't know until the race, particularly the race, because of the complications of these new rules. But I don't see any reason to disbelieve them. There's obviously some kidology going on. There always is at this point of the season in Formula One. Um but uh I believe that they're not quite where they would like to be. Um I think the car's a little bit heavy at the moment.

Um only a little bit, not nothing like Williams. We'll get onto that later. Yeah. Um but they'll be there or thereabouts. I think because the rules have changed so much. Just because they won last year and the constructors the year before, you couldn't expect that they would gyda'r hynny'n ysgrifennu'n ysgrifennu'n ysgrifennu'n ysgrifennu'n ysgrifennu'n ysgrifennu'n ysgrifennu. The works team I think will have a little bit of an advantage at the start of this new regulation season.

Well that's the assumption, Jenny. Um I like assumptions. The the the rules are so complicated. I'm afraid, Harry. Um Inevitably the people who've designed and built the engine are gonna have an advantage you would think over the people who just receive it in a box and are told how to operate it. Um but you know McLaren are a very good team. They've become an elite team in the last two or three years, as you say, reigning constructors champions for the last two years consecutively.

So um I don't think that'd be very far away. We uh did our big preview show uh of the year, really a wi about a week ago, which you can uh find on uh BBC Sounds uh and iPlayer as well if you wanna go watch it uh where we do explain uh all of the technical regulations as best we can. I think it's a regular feature we'll be coming back to across the coverage of just explaining things

as and when they appear. Um but we'll we'll we'll have a wonder. Before we move on, Mercedes is the next one along. I think we've got to talk about the home hero as well, Jenny. Oscar Piastri. He's coming back having been well in control of of the title for so long last year. Ultimately he slid to third in the standings behind Lando and Max Verstappen. But

It's a good good place to start again to G himself up with the home crowd behind him. It's a terrible place for him to start because no Australian has ever won the Australian Grand Prix. So Mark Webber tried it, didn't manage it. Um we've had countless people to try it. Daniel Ricardo, for example, tried it, failed, got chucked off the podium. So I I get you the home support is great for him, but actually will it work against him and the fact that no Aussie has ever won him? It's a big style.

Well, let's uh let's not tell him that and try and keep things positive for Skopje. Well look, he uh I uh he was in the press conference earlier actually and he he seemed in in pretty fine fetal actually, quite confident, joking around so Uh let's see how uh how Piashri and McLaren get on uh this weekend. Right, we are outside Mercedes now.

There is a lot of talk and has been pretty much since since the regulations were announced for this year, Andrew, that Mercedes, we know they are quite literally a powerhouse when it comes to making engines. When we had that, the big uh when the hybrid engine came in back in 2014, Mercedes. dominant and their customer team's very happy as well to have that car as we'll just talk of Oscar Piastri. He's coming towards us uh now with his uh trainer holding his uh very nice helmet but looking

Fairly calm. We've got a a dashing green McLaren cap, which I don't think I think it clashes a bit to be honest with the uh with the papaya of his race suit. But uh walking along with his overalls half down. And back into the garage I'm sure for some uh final briefings ahead of practice uh tomorrow and then Lando Norris who uh we just spoke to earlier. He's coming back this way, but he we've already had him, but uh again uh heading towards the garage and uh trying to uh dodge

some of the paparazzi that are trying to get him and the fruit we're in the middle of it now actually Jenny. So I think the drivers have just been upstairs having their briefing, so all of the drivers from all the different categories go upstairs. They have a briefing ahead of the first race of the season. And we're seeing all of them now come down and return to their paddock.

So you might see George Russell, maybe Kimi Antonelli, the Mercedes drivers, you never know. No, you never know. I think I just accidentally got into the back of a selfie uh that Lana Norris had. with a fan there. But Andrew, Mercedes, they know how to build an engine. It's all about the engines this year. It was one major factor.

Have they got that advantage? Are they the team to be? Is George Russell champion and waiting? Well it's that's a going a bit far I think before the race first race has even happened Harry. Um I think most important about Mercedes, yes they've built a great engine, of course they have. I don't think it's got the same sort of advantage that I have had over the field in 2014 when the last time the engine rules changed. But um

Th I think more to the point about Mercedes there's a sort of sense of quiet confidence about them. More the is related to the fact that they they feel like they've got the car right for the first time in five years basically. Uh they really struggled under the previous regulations.

There's been no bad news from the car in pre-season testing and um As a consequence of that, and the engine seeming to be in a very good place as well, it's no surprise that uh George Russell is championship favourite. Is it a surprise though that they have had some gremlins? they wouldn't be able to take the grid because the all these little mistakes and reliability issues mount up and it's fine in testing but race week that won't work. That's true, but um

Reliability has been their weak point in testing, but it is just testing and the whole point is to see where the limitations of the car and engine are. They found them. Uh they did find them, but of course they can that that's ca Up to a point that's relatively controllable. If the engines

You know, for example, in the last test in Bahrain they were the ones proving out the latest specification of engine. If they've got any concerns about that, they just run the engine in a slightly less potent specification potentially. For example. Your course, reliability is always a concern for a Formula One team, but also Mercedes are usually on top of that sort of thing. Can I ask you both a question? Are we totally thinking that Kimia and Antonelli can't challenge if they have the best car?

He was quite a long way off George Russell last year on average. Uh just uh in general performance. There was the odd time when he finished ahead of him in qualifying in the race, but it was only just the odd time. Of course he was a rookie aged eighteen, so you can kind of forgive him that. Um but and this is his second season but Russell is an absolutely elite Formula One driver.

and uh I think for Antonelli to make the step that he would need to get on terms with him and p and mount a championship challenge against Russell if Russell's in a position to go for the championship himself. is asking quite a lot after the gap from that they were had between them last year. I think Kimi Antonelli will surprise this year. I mean he's already came into Formula One hotly rated bit of a Mercedes golden boy, had his struggles, especially you know in his home race.

bit too many distractions but I wonder if it will come down to that slight inexperience. I think he's got raw pace but ultimately uh will that inexperience if he is involved in a in a quite a heated championship battle with his teammate George Russell where it goes to favour George Russell in the end.

We have now found ourselves though outside Red Bull. Uh where? Isaac Hajar, the latest recruit to Red Bull. is uh is acting as photographer and taking pictures, I think, of the photographers. Um when he was at Racing Balls they often got him involved in their TikToks and social media, so he's well used to a bit of camera action.

But we got uh we've got another number two driver. Will the curse be broken Jenny by Isaac Hajar? It's a big ask, isn't it? You'd like to think so, you'd hope so, coming in at this point in time with a whole new car, whole new regulations set. Um it's a big change and and you know, we don't know who's gonna get the upper hand. Will it be the older guys who have more experience? Will it be the new generation who have gone into eSIMs and all of that stuff and spent a lot of time in simulators?

It's almost impossible to know who will have the upper hand. And I think a lot of people were really impressed with him. Remember this time last year. He was distraught. Didn't even make the race start. He walked down here with his helmet on in tears and Anthony Hamilton, Lewis's dad, put his arm around him, comforted him. and gave him words of wisdom and my word, how he has turned that around.

He had a very strong rookie season at Racing Bulls last year, but it's one thing to beat Liam Lawson in a Racing Bull. It's another thing to beat Max Verstappen in a Red Bull. Um I don't see him getting on terms with Verstappen. His not certainly not this year. His target is to be within a respectable distance of him. which no one's managed since Daniel Ricardo basically back in twenty eighteen. Even that's a big ask.

So uh I don't want to write him off but um give him a chance actually. It's he's got a very steep mountain to climb. But whereas previously, you know, there's been a lot sometimes mid season swaps for third world. So we lost Daniel Ricardo, he called it quits, couldn't manage it, then Pierre Gasly crashed and burned.

Alex Albon had to go away and come back. That's how badly uh it went for him. Liam Lawson barely stood a chance. Yuki Sinoda failed at the chance of being number two driver. So With a big regulation overhaul where it is a bit of a reset, I suppose that might provide him some glimmer of getting up to speeds a little quicker than maybe others have done with the way the development programme has been run.

previously within Red Bull. It's all about context, Harry, isn't it? Max Verstappen is one of the greatest racing drivers in history, if not the greatest racing driver in history. E for anyone to beat him in this paddock will be a tough ask for someone in their second season who's unproven at the moment. I mean i if he does it'll be absolutely amazing. But It that's that's how big a job he has on his hands. I can actually also just see through the window team principal Laurent Mekies.

uh chatting away. I can't see who he's chatting to, but he's uh uh indoors with the aircom. But I I wonder if this feels like a bit of a a a new a new start for Red Bull as well, Jenny. It's it's Lauren Mekes' first full season as team principal for Red Bull. You've got Hajjar in alongside Max Verstappen.

And of course uh let's just get out of the way. We've got something coming towards us here, a bit of a a trolley on the way with some F one branding. Um then also The the powertrain situation, Red Bull powertrains building their own. Engine in partnership with Ford, a massive historical name, America American brand coming back into the sport and that seems to quietly impress a lot of people so far. I've been impressed with them. I don't think they need to start all over again and

You know, they ended so well. It almost felt like as soon as M Mekias came into the team, it freed everyone up, it liberated them, and they started winning. Um I was out for dinner actually with um Laurent last night and he was relaxed. I know, but there was a group of us, not just me and him. I was out for dinner last night with Andrew Benson. Well, you know, name dropper. Uh it was just interesting because he was one of very few of the team principals that actually came out.

and had the time to not be here stressing about the car but actually come out for dinner um and and I thought he looked very relaxed. Well that's that's how you gotta be I tell you what, uh uh we uh can hear from uh Red Bulls, Max Verstappen. This is him speaking in the pen. We had quite a decent preseason. Um it's been uh yeah, I think a big learning curve, but we've been running well, uh been doing a lot of laps so

There's actually not really a lot that we could have wished for that could have gone better. Um but in terms of performance I don't know. I think we still ha have quite a bit of work to do, you know, to um to be up front but This is also something that I had already uh

For it to be like that. So that was matches up and giving the the sort of proper answer the expect to hear. I was in this queue, first time I've ever done the pen. I was very nervous. You've got to stand in a queue, it's one by one. You can't ask the same question, it's already been asked, you only get one attempt at it.

And he'd already answered all the same questions. So I went in with uh well hang on, let's talk about off track, Max. How are you gonna balance? We know he loves his simulators, we know he loves uh his GT racing, got his own team as well, did the

The uh the Nurbergering twenty-four hours wasn't it last year? He's aiming to do it. He's aiming to do it. Uh did a run though in the GT car last year, uh trying to get all his various licenses and stuff. So I asked him how he balances all that alongside what's the biggest regulation overhaul of Formula One history. Yeah, I mean I of course also have a lot of great people around me that helped me with a lot of things uh in F on and of course on on the GT projects, the SIM projects so

Um you cannot do these things alone. You know, you need a lot of clever individuals to uh to help you um and uh yeah look into every single detail to Uh to perform. But uh now we'll be fighting to try and get That status back as world champion this year. Where we're driving a number three car as well this year. Uh he did drive thirty three, but Daniel has not been in F one for two years. So the rule is when someone's left F one

for two years, you can have their number. And he can't race number one anymore because he's not world champion. So he's decided on number three. Uh yeah, number three. We'll have to get used to that, but he does love the threes anyway. So uh we're now outside Max uh no we're not outside Ferrari I should say. Uh can't see any drivers at the moment, but uh Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc second year.

Now Andrew for Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari. Does he have a race engineer yet? He does have a race engineer. He doesn't have his permanent race engineer yet. Of uh his race engineer from last year. So we will be hearing on the coverage a new voice speaking to Lewis Hamilton. Worked with him over the course of testing. That's quite a big deal not to have sort of a permanent replacement lined up in in time for the start of the season. It's unusual to say the least that you would I mean it's

Of course, you know, he's a seven time world champion. I'm sure he can cope with the change of race engineer, but it's obviously not the ideal. You know, he obviously didn't get on The relationship with Ricardo Adami last year uh didn't go that smoothly, which is why he's been moved into a different position with Ferrari's in charge of the Young Driver Academy. His new engineer, Lewis Hamilton, he used to work with Kimmy Reichenon.

uh when he was at Ferrari alongside Sebastian Vettel. Um and then they've got a new guy coming in uh permanently at some point, I s I suspect from another team and he's must be on gardening leave or something at the moment. Yeah, exactly. Um but he's not here yet.

He's been uh saying he's rediscovered himself. Um, he lost himself last year. He said on on an Instagram post, he repeated those remarks again today. Um Of course the positivity is likely to last only as long as he gets out on track and is able to compete with Charles Leclerc, his teammates. Um we we yet to see how that goes from Hamilton's point of view. We got great mileage done in winter testing, an amazing amount of work has been done with

uh fr from the team back at the factory, but we've learnt a lot from last year. We're leaving behind the bad and taking the hit uh moving forwards with the good. And we're just I think we're just sharp. I think we're sharp prepared and and we know what we need to do. But we also know there's massive challenges for all of us with the new rules and regulations. So yeah. And this is your second season with

Ferrari, just how different does it feel coming into year two? You know all the processes, you know the people in the team. How does that help you? uh it's m massively uh different to the first year and and s a much nicer feeling coming um having having spent a year at the team, understanding the culture, understanding ways finding ways of working together and I think we're in a good place now together as a team and

I feel very gelled with with the team today, so yeah, much happier. I know it's early days, we haven't even turned a wheel here in Melbourne, but can we talk about goals for the season for you? What's a realistic ambition for the mm? Um the goals to win.

That's what we're that's what of course everyone's working towards, every team is, but that's uh that's our goal, is to to maximize on every opportunity, to be lean, to be um Hopefully fighting in the top group, hopefully in the uh the first races as we don't really know Mercedes look particularly quick and

I'm not really sure whether or not we've seen the full unleashed Red Bull yet. So um it's all it's really, really exciting. But I do know know that w whatever the case I feel like I've got a great group of people behind me who are Head down focused on bringing performance and really maximizing from every weekend. Lewis Hamilton then he was very chatty actually Jen in the press conference. Had a lot to say. What have you made of it all? Uh he looked really calm, relaxed.

ymwneudol, yn gyffredin, yn ymwneudol, yn ymwneudol, yn ymwneudol, yn ymwneudol, yn ymwneudol, yn ymwneudol, yn ymwneudol, yn ymwneudol, yn ymwneudol, yn ymwneudol, yn ymwneudol. And not only is it pretty impressive that he's able to do this sort of training because I think a lot of people look at him and just think it comes naturally. And he doesn't work hard at being a fit athlete, but he works incredibly hard.

And I really wanted to challenge you guys. Have you seen his six pack? You really think he people think that he doesn't work hard? I think people who aren't here who haven't m necessarily seen his six pack don't realise how hard a driver does work. And how he trained. I want to see you both in a gym trying to replicate that. But no, you should see Betty. He he landed here in Australia. He went for a run that same day.

I couldn't believe it. You're a changed man. But big news, I'm just trying to have a look around, can't can't see anybody. But I presume Andrew you've got the sit down with Kim Kardashian at some point coming, is that right? Uh a lot unlikely to be top of either my agenda or hers, I think that one. Yeah, well we'll see. Yeah, I recognise.

Uh homecoming that he's been enjoying over the last uh couple of months. Charlecler fresh off the back of being married as well. So uh Charles Leclerc mm did see him a little early looking quite uh determined, but we'll move on.

and head towards Williams who are next. And well they rocketed up the order in terms of the paddock after a great season last year really, which kinda surprised everyone, fifth in the end. Alex Albon, Carlos Sainz getting a couple of podiums, Andrew. But things have not gone well in the offseason. They're behind, they're overweight. And that's a pretty damning indictment for a team Sh should and could have made

a real go at a resetting the regulations. Yeah, lots of questions being directed at Williams at the moment. They've been talking, uh particularly James Vowels, the team principal who joined three years ago, about how twenty twenty six was their big chance to make a big leap towards the front again. Um everything looked to be going very well last year when they finished fifth as you said, uh which they didn't expect to be that good last year. Uh they surprised themselves.

Uh I think they've surprised themselves in a rather different way this year. Um the car's at least twenty kilos overweight. In fact I'm hearing it's closer to thirty, which is nearly a second a lap just in weight. Why is a good question. I think it's hard to get down to the weight limit w under these new rules, but a lot of people have got a lot closer than that.

Um so that'll be a lot of the lap time that they're losing. Um but I think just generally the car's not in a good place and uh uh James Vows talks a good game. ond mae'n ddim wedi'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'

But that's what it looks like for Williams. So lots of work to do to make up ground. Lots of work, but uh it seemed like a good double at last year Jenny with Carlos Sainz and and Alex Albon. I wonder if if a kind of regulation reset like this where a driver really has to think about energy management, I'm sure a lot

g a lot gets pre-planned by the time they go qualifying, but when you're in a race scenario and you're trying to overtake or you're trying to defend or you find yourself going wheel to wheel or maybe even in qualifying where suddenly you've got traffic and you have to abandon a lap and and reset. A driver can really make the difference there in how well they're able to adapt. And Carlos Sainz, I reckon, is that kind of driver.

Yeah, he I mean he could have been an engineer in a different life. He is incredibly intelligent. He's comes from the same frame of mind as the Nico Rosberg. Manages to channel so many different things and compute so many different things all at the same time. So is he's very impressive. And I just wonder how how they're gonna keep him if the car isn't as good as they've promised him because

They came to Carlast and said, right, we want to we want you to come to Williams. We can deliver you a championship winning car at some point. If they're going backwards, Carlos is going to look at other places in this grid and want to be further up again. Well he joined Williams when he could have g joined Audi or Sauber as it was last year, uh on the b belief that he thought that Williams would be the better option for him long term.

Which it it looked right. It looked like he made the right decision last year. It doesn't look like that so much this year. Um Audi don't well we'll get on to Audi in a minute, but um uh yeah, I don't know how long his contract is, Jenny, but you're right, he won't be happy being in the ninth fastest team if that's where they end up.

Alex Albon's just walked out of the uh Williams hospitality, straight into the back of the garage, holding his uh racing shoes. Could be a big here year for him as well. against Carlos signs. I always think it's quite lucky that we're not talking about the driver when they walk directly past us, especially if we're not saying anything. I think that's fun. Oh you love the game.

Uh right, we walked past the the Perelli garage, got narrower tires this year, so that's gonna be an added challenge for them and uh Uh Lawrence Stroll also just walking past us, the CEO of Aston Martin. There is a lot to talk about Aston Martin which we will come on to but we're going team by team. No, I would I actually would be too scared to talk about anything in front of the in front of him. But we're outside racing bulls.

Um now they seem like they're uh another team in that kind of mid midfield uh running. Arvid Limblad. the newest Formula One driver to the grid. He got a lot of running out in in Bahrain. He lines up alongside Liam Lawson. What are you making? KG, I think would be the best way to describe him.

His eyes lit up a little bit when he talked about being a former one driver and then he was most relaxed talking about his family heritage which is very interesting. You can read all about it on the BBC Sport website. Obviously uh Swedish father and uh British mother of uh Indian descent.

Um he's the first British Indian to um race in Formula One of course. Um he's done very well through the junior formulas, looks very quick, um and obviously but it's only Formula One where you find out exactly how good somebody is. Uh but um

So this year we'll find that out. Well I tell you what, you you had your catch up with uh with Harvid Linblad in Bahrain and if you were a keen listener to the Check and Fly podcast last year you would have heard the debut of when Harry Met series and it was Oli Behrman last year and I'm pleased to confirm we've had a renewal. And it's now when Harry met Ovid.

And I caught up with him a little earlier. Arvid Limblad, welcome to Formula One, welcome to Melbourne. You must be feeling it a little bit, because you've just been in India, right, for a show run and now you're on Australian time. I mean first of all how is India and how how are you coping with all the jet lag and the tiredness? Yeah, I'm uh I'm a little bit tired still, but I'm basically all the way there. Um so jet lag's okay.

Uh India was fun. Um and yeah, I'm just I'm excited to be here, excited for my for my debut. Big step up this year obviously from from Formula Two and they've made it really easy for you as well by quite possibly the biggest regulation change ever in Formula One history. You've had time in the car in testing in Bahrain. How how are you getting up to speed with everything? How are you feeling in the car? I feel good. I mean obviously yeah you're right it is very different.

uh new car, new tires, new engine. Uh so it's a big change. But uh no, I think things have been going well. I'm enjoying working with the team. Obviously they're very used to sort of welcoming rookies and helping them get up to speed so it's been really good with them so far. Um

And like I said, yeah, just looking forward to getting on track. Nice. Now let's get to know the man behind the visor. I've got some quick fire questions for you. So I'd like some quick fire answers please. First one, do you have a driving licence? No. Who's a racing hero? Growing up was Lewis. Favourite trap? Uh Macau. Earliest motorsport memory. Uh I started with motocross when I was three. Do you have a nickname?

Not really. Not one you want to share. Well it one thing that that is doing the rounds. about five years ago, back in twenty twenty one, going up to Lando Norris and saying I'm gonna be with you in in five years' time.

And lo and behold, that has come true. Can you explain a bit about the sort of the context of of that of that situation? Have you spoken to Lando since about it? How do you reflect on sort of that journey to now? Yeah, it's it's a funny story now, obviously that's sort of come back round. Uh I remember the day very well. I was uh I was at the track, Lando was there launching his sort of go kart. Um

and uh I saw him walking, I was with my friend and I said I'm gonna go up to Lando and he was like, No, you haven't got the balls kind of thing. Um

And then I walked I came to London and the first thing they just end up coming out was I want you to remember me, I'll see you in five years. Um and yeah, I don't know. I mean I I always believed from the moment I started this journey when I was five I could be in Formula One. I had that same belief when I was fourteen and obviously I'm very excited now that it It's come true. Um

Yeah, it's I mean it's it's a very wholesome story and it's great to it's great to have you on the grids and another British driver on the grid as well. Um there's a lot of admin I think that goes into being a Formula One driver sometimes that not a lot of people realise. And one of the things I spoke to Ollie Behrman about it last year.

Choosing your race number. You've gone for 41. Talk me through the process. Why forty one? And how do you actually sort of what's the submission process like? So um Yeah, is it's not an easy one because it is something you're kind of stuck with, you know, for a while. Um and um Yeah, basically I was having a conversation with with um someone sort of who helps look after me from Rebel HQ and we were discussing it and um was sort of looking at my name and she mentioned forty one

Fifty one or forty five. And they all kind of came from name. Um and I thought forty one was the coolest of the three. Um It hasn't really been used in other sports. Um, and I liked that. I wanted to sort of have something that is there's lots of numbers that are very much affiliated to an athlete. You know, 23 is Michael Jordan. Um, you know, and you know, number seven's Ronaldo, all those kind of things. So I wanted something that's hasn't really been used so it's kind of my own thing. Um

And that's why I went with forty-one and the submission process, I don't know you'd have to talk to the team. I just kinda said to them I wanna be f they asked me what do you wanna be? I said forty-one and they sort of dealt with the rest. Um but no, it's been a few months now um since that decision and I'm I'm very happy that I sort of went with that. Um I think it looks good on the car.

Perks of being a Formula One driver, tell the team and they'll sort it out for you and it'll be fine. But it's nice, it's good to sort of c have your own sort of uh legacy to carve out really with with your number. Um now. You have unfortunately, by your team, been signed up to talk to me at various points throughout the year as we sort of check in with how your rookie season goes. I think the next time we're catching up.

is in Miami in about five races time. So what would you be happy to have achieved in in the first sort of four races of the year by the time we speak next? So I can bring it back up and and talk to you about it then. Um I think I I think it's important to set goals, but at the same time, you know, there's there's so many unknowns at the moment, you know. Yes, we've had testing, but

It's hard to know really where we're at because of fuel loads, all these kind of things. So we'll see this week. Um I don't really want to put sort of a number on things. Um I'm very much focused at the moment on myself. Uh really trying to learn with the team, get the most out of the package, get up to speed, um and then we'll

We'll see where we are over the first couple of races, but at the moment, yeah, very much focused on myself. Well, Ovid, best of luck this weekend. We'll be watching you with a keen eye and uh we'll catch up with you next time in Miami. Thank you, thank you for having me. Jag skulle ju köpa några nya palpstrält i lagret. Det kanske blev lite mer grejer. De hade ju allt, hade en skribord, jag köpte en sån här, och kontorstolar, och så hade de en skit snygg tipkontakt.

Vi har inredning för hela arbetsplatsen. Välkommen till AI Produktion. Just köpa några. Det kanske blir lite mer grejer. De har ju alltid. Man har en skribord, och kontorstolar och så hade de en skitsnyggontain på en massa bra. Vi har inredning för hela arbetsplatsen. Välkommen till Adorn. Arvid Limblad, actually I would agree with you Benny, and having seen him, he was in the press conference as well today from the FIA. He did look a bit nervous. And I mean I don't blame him, but

No surprise. Did you see who was on the sofa with? Well yeah, he did say Lewis Hamilton i is is one of his his idols. But the s I love the story of how five years ago at a carting track he went up to Lewis Hamill uh to Lando Norris and said one day, uh something on my mind is I'm gonna join you on the grid one day. Lo and behold, five years later, here he is.

as a Formula One Grand Prix driver. For every driver that goes up to someone says, I'm gonna be on the grid in five years time or whatever it is, l Lando to Max Verstappen to Lewis Hamilton, um there must be Mae'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy'n rwy.

So I'm excited to see what he can do. Well he's uh alongside Liam Lawson who's back for another bite at the Cherry. So let's see how Red Bulls junior sister team get on this year. Pressure always on them, uh but they get the opportunity. Right, next up.

We end up outside Aston Martin and uh a little bit of activity going on but not that much and I mean Andrew, where where do we start, right? When when you've got all the money in the world You've got, you've just built a brand new base in Silverstone, state of the art facilities. Andrew New is your team principal and he's also designed the car. You've linked up with Honda off the back of recent World Championship success with Red Bull. Barely any running in testing.

And it doesn't look like they're even gonna be able to complete the race here on Sunday. Harry, this is probably the biggest story in Formula One at the moment. There was the most extraordinary news conference earlier today with Adrian Newey and Koji Watanabe, the uh boss of the Honda F1 project.

in which new he the sort of headline from it really, he knew he was listening all the litany of problems that they've got, but the headline was that uh there's so much vibration coming from the Honda engine.

that Fernando Alonso thinks he can't do more than twenty five laps without incurring permanent nerve damage. And Lant Lance Stroll, his teammate, only gives it fifteen. Well to be fair, Lance yeah he's got a he's got a wrist injury, hasn't he? Or he's off the back of the thing. He's also twenty years younger than Orlando is is a phenomenon, let's make no mistake. So I mean the the it's just I mean

remarks in that press conference. First of all New he was saying he thought that they had the fifth fastest car at the moment. uh in terms of chassis uh and he believes in its development potential, the only issue is that it's underdeveloped because

Basically he arrived at the beginning of March and they didn't get it in the wind tunnel until mid-April because of some issues with calibration. So they're very behind on development with the car. But the big problem is definitely the engine. This vibration issue which in testing was shaking the batteries so much that they were failing.

Um they've got a uh what they hope is a remedy in place for that for this weekend, but they don't know until the car runs how effective it's gonna be. Beyond that though, it's just down on power. both the ICE, the internal combustion engine, and the electrical part of the en engine. Uh Koji Watanabe would not respond to my question when I asked him, is it true that it's fifty kilowatts down on electrical energy? Three hundred and fifty is the total.

Um just didn't answer the question. But I've got that from an extremely good source and new he was strongly implying that the ICE, the internal combustion engine, is also down on power and was also explaining how With these uh energy recovery regulations that we've that have been enhanced for this year, the the lower performance you get from the internal combustion engine, the more that

spirals with the electrical energy'cause you can recover less and therefore you need to br you need to choose the battery more to compensate for the lack of e uh power from the engine, then you've run out of electrical energy to go on the straits. So they're in a really difficult place.

And um there's two questions. Can they make the car quicker, which Nui believes they can, but last time Honda were in this sort of situation, which is very reminiscent of their start with McLaren in twenty fifteen, it took them six years to make a competitive engine. And you know, yeah.

how Alonso must be feeling it's taken him twenty five years to get into an Adrian Newey car and it's got the worst engine on the grid in it. Your heart goes out to him. Is it is it a surprise though? Because okay this is a surprise but Fernando Alonso has a history of being in the wrong car at the right time and F1 is all about being in the right car at the right time. It wins you World's Championships. How many titles do you think Alonso could have won if he was in the best car?

Well e even with a bit of better luck at Ferrari he would have a two more through no fault of his own basically. So that's four. But if he'd gone to Red Bull then I could he could have had seven, nine, you know, if he'd made the right choices. But I don't think you could say this is a wrong choice. This is just this is the right ingredients, but all mixed in the wrong order, if you like. I don't I the most extraordinary thing for me is how Honda ended up in this place.

They've been in Formula One since twenty fifteen. They won the World Championship with Red Bull in twenty twenty-four. Max Verstappen was World Champion. It's it's not much more than a year ago. And yet here we are with a new engine regulation.

They've been in okay, they the argument is that they dismantled the engine program. Yeah, they were sort of they ha they half put their foot out of the bar. Sent the engineers out to do other things, but they were still upgrading the the previous engine, right? Someone was still doing that.

And I was told today from a very good source that what happened was that they all the engineers that went off and designed the engine that won the World Championship with Red Bull, they didn't bring them back. Why? Apparently Fernando Alonso said, Where are all the engineers who built the last engine for Red Bull? And they said, Well they're all working elsewhere now. And he was like, Well, why aren't they working on the F F one engine again? And they didn't have an answer.

Surely that's their priority. This is F one. You would think. Do heads roll at some point because okay, how uh A, how do you know you've got the fifth fastest chassis when you've barely been able to do any testing? I I am I'm sure it's an Asian new design car. It's probably fairly decent even at a baseline, but you're not gonna be able

to to figure out where the where the good bits are and where the bad bits are of your car until they sort the engine out and then by the time they do that they're already behind. Well the answer to that is yeah the car's not working as well as it could do because of problems with the engine and also the gearbox by the way, which Aston Martin built themselves.

Um but they'll know their numbers and they'll also see the downforce figures from the other cars by knowing their performance in the in the corners. Felly dyna'n ffordd y byddai'n ffordd y byddai'n ffordd y byddai'n ffordd y byddai'n ffordd y byddai'n ffordd y byddai'n ffordd y byddai'n ffordd. Is this a problem for Adrian Newey? He's come in, he's now technical uh team principal and that's a role that he's never had before. Is that a m a misstep? Uh well

I don't see any reason why you can't be team principal fundamentally. Team principle can mean many different things in many different environments. It's just what you want it to be. So Andrea Stella, for example, at McLaren is a very different team principal from Toto Wolfe and Mercedes. But they're both leaders.

Is Adrian Newey a leader? Adrian Newey leads by reputation and you know he led Red Bull to many, many world championships effectively. You know, he was in charge of the design of the car. He's effectively still just in charge of the design of the car. You know, okay he's running the team, but that's what fundamentally running the team means, is making the fastest car you can. I don't see any reason why he can't be a good team principal in that context.

But bottom line we're not expecting t to see an Aston Martin on Sunday do any more than twenty five laps. Well, as Alonso said when he spoke, he was being you know, doing saying all the right things. He said if the car was able to win a race you could drive it for three hours.

Back in the early ground effect era, sort of the 80s, lots of those drivers there was a lot of problem with the stiff suspension then, lots of those drivers ended up with some form of physical or mental disability as a consequence of driving those cars. So it is a serious point that if you're having so many vibrations through the car, apparently Alonso's hands at the end of what limited running they did in testing were in a real state. So it is a real it's a f serious physical issue and so

Yes, you push through it if you have to, if you're a capable of winning the race, but why would you do it if you're at the back? Well look, it's uh a nightmare, I think, to put it bluntly, for uh Aston Martin who will struggle not only this weekend but I think in the early part of this season. Uh Ayakamatsu gives us uh a wave, the team principal of Hass as he leaves the uh hospitality and we find ourselves outside uh Esteban O'Connor and Ollie Bearman's window.

stare at us. They're sort of emblazoned on the window pictures of them and they're quite intense. No, no, they're not, they're just sort of they're quite intense stares, aren't they? But uh Hass uh again actually I think had had a quietly good run in testing, lots of mileage on the board. Uh S Van Okon's um I should say Oli Behrman's star continues to rise, I think, and rather put S Van Ocon in the shade.

last year. They feel like they've got an increased partnership with with Toyota as well and their engineering arm with the racing. So uh again it could be a good year for Haas. Could they get a podium? Finally, at some point. I mean it would take something weird. for that to happen I think. But this one is weird at times. So it's quite possible that they could do that. Um I I kind of hope they do.

Rwy'n cael ei wneud a Haas wedi cael ei wneud rwy'n cael ei wneud. Rwy'n cael ei wneud. Rwy'n cael ei wneud. Rwy'n cael ei wneud. Rwy'n cael ei wneud. Rwy'n cael ei wneud. Rwy'n cael ei wneud. Rwy'n cael ei wneud. So I feel that there is hope, renewed hope. The b the boys seem very relaxed.

um calm. Uh so let's see what they can do. So you think S Ban Ock on might be a man under pressure this year if uh if Behrman continues to outperform him? He very much will be, yeah. Berman was very impressive last year in his rookie season. Has looked like the t close to the top of the midfield.

Uh but there's a big gap between the top four teams and the midfield, at least a second a lap it looked like from testing. So a podium would be difficult, I think very difficult,'cause there's eight cars in the four front running teams of course.

Well at that's has we now find ourselves outsider a new name in Formula One this year. No more sauber. We now have Audi. We actually stood right next to Gabriel Bortoletto and uh talking to Emerson Fittipaldi actually, that's a rather cool circle to to be involved with. Uh but uh Audi looks cool, the teamwear's pretty cool, the brand's pretty cool to have in in Formula One as well. And I I'm I'm

I think there's a bit of optimism around this team. Testing was was actually okay, considering they're a team generally that is built. Their engine from scratch, brand new. I think it's a tall order what these um teams are trying to do if they if they are coming into this sport with anything that is new. You could argue Aston Martin, they are coming in as a new entity even though they're here, the same drivers, some of the same personnel. Their argument is, well, we're new as well. But

i it's not quite like this team, is it? These they're trying to do something very different and Cadillac even more so. So I think I think there's a lot of pressure um from above. And it will be interesting to see how quickly they can start to perform. Rumour has it, Andrew, and you might be able to know, you were actually out in testing.

You know when an Audi drives past you, the engine apparently has got a very distinct sound. They all sound slightly different. I mean so these engine regulations that peop people have been hearing a lot about, I'm sure, they were fundamentally created to get Audi into the sport.

The hope at the time was that Porsche would enter at the same time, obviously another VW group brand. They didn't come, but Audi did, attracted by this 50-50 split between internal combustion engine and hybrid, electrical power. All last year the rumours were they were not in a good place, but they've looked pretty impressive so far. you know, respectable midfield uh position it looks like at the moment. It's a decent starting point.

for a project that is uh you know, has very, very high ambitions. You know, they want to win the World Championship obviously. Audi doesn't come into a motorsport category, you know, to do anything other than win. Um they're very

honest and humble about the fact it's gonna take them few a few years. Whether they achieve it, of course, we'll have to wait and see. Um but there's you know, there's an interesting vibe about them, as Jen uh Jenny says the the brand is being leveraged in a slightly different way, even to down to the point the way they've got the uh drivers illustrated inside the little sort of team h hut there, instead of having their photographs, they've got a kind of

Outline silhouette of them in black against a red background. Again, the Audi colours there. So interesting to see how they get on. Well as we uh get away from Valtery Bottas back on the groove with Cadlat we will come to them because we're almost at the end. of the paddock as we head from the shade into the sunlight. It's things are slowly winding down here in Melbourne on the Thursday. We find ourselves out of the team, outside the team that finished last.

in twenty twenty five Alpine. But Jenny they got a Mercedes engine this year, so Rocket themselves back up the order? I'm gonna put Benny's hat on the fact that they will not finish last. I'm not giving you my hat. Yeah, it's not an option. I'm gonna be the boss of that. But I think with the Mercedes engine, now they've kind of dumped the Renault

engine. I think they're in a better place already. And actually the car wasn't a terror last year. It just didn't work particularly well with the engine and now that's not part of the game. I think I think it's easier to say they'd be on the podium than Haas. Well I think Haas and Alpine are competing to be the next best after the top four basically. That's the way it looks. Well, I'll rephrase that. Gasly and Haas are competing to be the best of the best best of the rest after the top four.

I'm not telling you who I'm quoting, but I'm quoting someone from within Alpine on that. Um Pranko Colapinto his teammate does not yet appear to be on the same level as Pierre Gasly. So yeah, they've made a decent step forward. Some of that will definitely be the engine because they were being held back by the Renault engine last year for sure.

Also, they hadn't developed the car for a couple of years more or less because they were again a bit like Williams putting a lot of um effort into this year, hoping that the regulation change would allow them to leap up the field. Does look like look does look like it has allowed them to do that. H can they hang on to it is a big question.

Who would you prefer to be your boss? Jonathan Wheatley or Flavio Briatori? Uh you just falling into the Netflix narrative. Of course I am. I think I love the sort of Jonathan Wheatley's.

Kill'em with kindness, management star versus Flavio. Well you know where you stand pretty much with Flavio. Jonathan Wheatley comes from our thoughtless Creatory School of Formula One. In fact, if you think about it Flavio Briatore, executive advisor to the Renault Board, but effectively Team Principal of Renault uh Alpine, sorry, in Formula One. Look at the team principals that are in Formula One right now who've come from his era at Benetton and Renault.

Jonathan Wheatley, you named at Audi, Alan Pemain at Racing Bulls, and Ayokamatsu at Haas. All learnt their stripes, earned their stripes I should say, at Benetton and Renault. Um so obviously Flav was doing something right back then, wasn't he? And maybe learn how not to run a team in their opinion. He won four world championships, Jenny. I know.

I watched the uh the Benetton film the other day. Have you seen it? I haven't. I th it it's it's a bit one sided, but I quite enjoyed it. Worth a watch, Andrew. Uh yeah. Okay, you're not watching it. Right, we've made it to the end. I was there, Harry, remember? I was there. God forget how old you are, Benny.

I don't. Right, we've made it to the end of the paddock and we're outside. Is this paddock now? It goes on forever. My watch has come on and asked me, are you exercising? And I absolutely am. uh get the steps in. Uh right, we're outside Cadillac. I can see Team Principal Graham Loudoun outside. And this is well the 11th team. They're here. They have formalized. We've got two more drivers now on the grid. Valteri Bottas and Sergio Perez back on the grid.

Where are Cadillac, Andrew? Well I mean talking about Audi is a mega brand to have an F1. Cadillac, you know, an iconic American brand. It's cool. It is cool. It is cool. General Motors obviously owns Cadillac. Um this team came out of the Andretti project which the the Andretti name has been quietly removed from it.

But you know they've talking about what people, you know, Audi have had to build a new engine and attach it to the Sauber project, bring them both together, Honda are new with Aston Martin, this is entirely new from the ground up. They've bought a Ferrari engine for now, but there will be a Cadillac engine along the way in a few years' time, they tell us. But you know, a new team created from nothing in the last few years.

Um and they expected to be at the back and I think they would have been at the back if Master Martin weren't in such a big pile of of mire at the moment. What were you gonna say then? Yeah, well I could have said a few things couldn't I, but none of them would have gone out on the radio. Um so yeah, I mean Let's wait and see where they actually are. But they're again they're being humble about their um expectations for this year, but again their ambitions are high, just like Audi's.

Um and it's uh an interesting new addition to the paddock. I mean this has been a programme that's taken four years in the making. And that's just this podcast. It seems like it. Uh and I think they're all quite emotional. Uh so I did an event with them earlier and I spoke to the bosses of only uh GM and Cadillac. And the last question I said was what are you gonna feel on Sunday when you're standing on the grid and the engines start to rumble?

And the words, they're so emotional. This is such an achievement for them to be here, to have an entry in F one. That's hard enough to get. Well it was quite the battle, wasn't it, to get that entry. Um and it was only that GM joined them that they were able to do it. And as a nice touch actually, the chassis, every chassis has a name, this one is called Mac26, which is a nod to Marijuan Jack.

So I I think I'm excited for them. I'm excited'cause we know Graham Loudon from so many teams and you kind of want to wish them well because new teams coming into O F one, it's hard. and a battle of the number two drivers. Perez against Botas. But actually I think that's a very uh a very clever lineup when you first start a Formula One team from scratch. It's giving me

Roman Grosjong Kevin Magnuson Magnuson vibes at Haas. It's getting getting that experience first and foremost. It's as good a lineup as they could have hoped for, I think, to start in Formula One. All right then, um we're gonna call it there, I think. Our little walk down the paddock has been very hot. No more teams. Although I would like another team. No, the only garage left is the FIA garage. So let's go back. We'll we'll we'll head back the other way.

Um but uh thank you for listening. Uh we're gonna have coverage all throughout the weekend. Uh you can listen to every podcast we do. We'll have uh post-qualifying podcast and our checkered flag review as well on BBC Sounds and iPlayer and every Session this weekend. Free practice one all the way through to the Grand Prix on Sunday will be live across the five live

network. Thank you very much Andrew and Jenny for your company. Uh Mark Priest is going to join us as well throughout the rest of this weekend. He's still about twice, hasn't he? He's still making his way here. I think he's supposed to get here tonight. So we'll catch up with him and you'll hear from him as well. Um this has been an IMG production for BBC Radio Five Live. A new era of Formula One is about to dawn. I think the biggest step the sport has ever seen. There are new rules, new cars.

And a brand new team. In Formula One, it's just absolute brutal pure competition. And the next generation of star drivers are taking us along for the ride too. I'm gonna go like a madman. Yeah, if you wanna make it, first of all you have to believe that you have what it takes. The biggest shakeup of ever F one's years in the making. Somebody's gonna get it right and somebody's gonna get it wrong. I'm Rosamond Pike and this is Listen on BBC Sounds.

This is not the future we were promised. Like how about that for a tagline for the show? From the BBC, this is The Interface, the show that explores how tech is rewiring your week and your world. This isn't about quarterly earnings or about tech reviews. It's about what technology is actually doing to your work and your politics, your everyday life, and all the bizarre ways people are using the internet. Listen on bbc.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

Amazon Spring Dill dig ser snart här med grimma erbjudanden så Johan kan passa på att finda, göm från alla sina vårdssysslor. Dags å finne elektronik, outdoorhem og mye mer. Fotsteg! Joan, tillbaka till jobbet! Men bara en tjukik på Amazons erbjudanden innan. Oh, vilket fünd! Kör det redo för Amazon Springle. Endast utvalda produkter i lager.