¶ Intro / Opening
Five lies.
Formula One.
¶ Canadian GP Recap: Mercedes Battle
The potential of rain, mixed up tires on the grid, and teammates with their elbows well and truly out. The Canadian Grand Prix has come to a close. One out by the Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, who extends his lead in the championship. He took to the top step of the podium ahead.
of Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and the Red Bull of Max Verstappen. Welcome to your Checkered Flag Debrief. Come on in, I'm Harry Benjamin, and joining me is the former McLaren mechanic Mark Priestley and F1 journalist Rebecca Clancy. I mean it seems obvious where to start with this one, Beck. And uh Mercedes, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, well they're not afraid to fight. It's only round five. You would have think it was the championship finale at this point.
Yes, more of this please. What an amazing thirty or so laps we had. Absolutely elbows out. I think there were a couple of radio messages, weren't there, from the pit wall saying, Could you perhaps um maybe not crash into each other? Otherwise we are going to have to stop you racing. But it was brilliant to see. They clearly are being allowed to race. There is respect between them.
Sometimes there was a bit of contact or it suddenly looked like there was contact. They are not afraid to go up against each other. And what we're seeing is, you know, the leader in George Russell and then this young 19-year-old Kimmy Antonelli absolutely taking the fight. Not the one who's sitting there saying, Do you know what, I'm just gonna second season, I'm just gonna learn a few things. No, no, he's here for the championship.
Uh this is what we want though, isn't it Mark? We want to see these two fighting'cause it it does look from this weekend that Mercedes have made a step. We know they've brought a big upgrade and it does seem like they are a little bit clear of the rest of the field. So if it is gonna be a two horse fight, we want this kind of fighting. We don't want to be told, no no no, don't race.
No, a hundred percent. I mean they've both got a car capable of winning at the moment. There's a long way to go and it is gonna be a a season of development'cause these are brand new cars for twenty six. We know how much of a a huge change in technology it is. So I think
There will be some ebbing and flowing of the gaps. I think it closed up a little bit in Miami where a lot of other teams brought upgrades. But Mercedes responded here with an upgrade of their own and it's really brought performance. And I think today, in the race, we saw just how much of a gap they've got over the rest of the field because really there was no one else in contention.
Um, but you know, given all of that, we've got two drivers, one quite experienced in the hands of George Russell, one very young as you say, but both having never won a world title before, and this is their first opportunity and they're seeing that happening already. Yes, it's race five. But the world championship is in their sights and there's no one else really gonna get in the way of it other than each other.
But we were robbed.
Beck. We were robbed. It was as you say for about thirty or so laps, those two absolutely hammer and tongs. You didn't know which way it was gonna go, and so many times. I think Mark and I in the commentary box, you know, well I certainly had my hands on my head pulling my hair out, can't imagine what Toto Wolf was thinking. Rob Rosberg Hamilton all over again. But a reliability issue for George Russell paved the way for Antonelli's victory.
Yeah, it was a real shame. We were robbed a power unit issue. It's not what you want to see. And we saw George Russell showing his emotions. He absolutely launched his headrest uh in front of the car and actually slightly onto the track here.
He is under investigation for that as we're recording, so we'll he could get a fine for that, I suspect. But yeah, it was a shame. It did take away from it and Antonelli just pulled away into the distance. Like Mark said, they're so far ahead that even when they were battling
And it was proper yo-yo battling as we've seen this year. Even with that battle, they were still pulling away from the cars behind them. That's how dominant they were in Canada, which is absolutely incredible. And I think for George Russell, he needs to keep that in his mind. There are still 17 races to go. It's an incredibly long season. Europe is up next. Monaco, they come thick and fast. Okay, Kimmy Antonelli has won four consecutive races.
absolutely amazing from him, but George Russell needs to think, okay, we've I've got the car underneath me. He's F three champion, he's F two champion, he knows how to fight, he knows how to win, he just has to keep plugging away and remember that he's got the car to do it.
Yeah, and it was a good weekend from Russell, wasn't it? I mean, take that aside, which was nothing to do with him, the technical failure. He was a solid weekend and he he put it on pole, won the sprint, you know, this was a good weekend for George Russell. So
If you think back last year, Lando Norris, remember in the Claren version of this title fight, remember the the engine failure that he had, where was it, Zanvolt? Yeah, yeah. Um and it was a similar thing, wasn't it? You're thinking, Oh my god, this is his chance to win a world title and he's just lost out to his teammate by a huge chunk.
he became world champion. So you get moments like this in a long season. If it's happening to George, it could easily happen to Kimmy on another day. You're right, George needs to get his head down and he will. You know, he's an experienced guy now. He knows he's got the car, he knows he's got the ability, he just needs to keep going. And and things will settle down over a long season. There is a very long way to go.
¶ Kimi Antonelli's Rising Star
Four wins on the trot though for Kimmy Antonelli. Let's hear from him.
Kimmy, congratulations. Fourth win on the bounce and thirty laps. You gave us some of the best racer we've seen in years. How satisfying is it to come out with that victory to you?
You know not the not really the way I wanted to win, uh, if I have to be honest because It was a it was a tough fight with George and uh it was very intense fun but uh I think would have been cool to see how it would have ended up uh because we were like going at each other like we were we were pushing and uh
I think um yeah we we both did a lot of mistakes. Uh I think also my side I did a mistake that kind of like it wasn't a little bit in a crucial moment when I went back in front and started to pull away. That was a mistake that If it was if I could have avoided it would have been better, but uh for sure, you know it was a tough battle, it was intense and uh of course I felt sorry for him. Uh but of course we'll take the win and uh now we move forward.
How proud are you of your personal performance, not just today, but the weekend and the last four races on the bounce because you're nailing it in only your second season so far?
Yeah, I mean the the season start has been uh super strong and I feel like this weekend I haven't performed as well as Miami I didn't feel that great in the car so I need to understand why but for sure Uh still a very positive weekend. Uh in a track where George has always been very quick. We were up there so also I think a good positive was were the starts this weekend.
Finally some some distance starts so for sure a a lot of positives, a lot of lessons, especially with yesterday sprint. So yeah, now moving forward and uh yeah of course Massive thanks to the team uh for the incredible job they're doing, my family and everyone who is following me.
Four wins on the trot for Kimmy Antonelli. Nobody has ever done that in Formula One history when it comes to their first four Grand Prix scored in their career, all being victories. I mean, uh he just continues to set record after record, extends the championship forty three points now ahead of George Russell and continues that one of being the youngest ever to lead the world championship. Is it Kimmy Antonelli's championship to lose now? Is it too early to say that?
¶ George Russell's Frustration & Resilience
Absolutely, yes. Move on. I mean mathematically, m of course, mathematically yes. But you only have to look back to last year. Oscar Piastri at one point had a hundred and four point lead. So please let's not get ahead of ourselves. And I think, you know, Mark touched on it. This wasn't George Russell's fault. You know, if if he didn't have bad luck, he wouldn't have any luck. And I think that kind of defines his season so far. You only have to look back at China and
Yeah, Miami Kimmy Antonelli absolutely won on merit, but he has been so unlucky. Luck changes and he's just gotta ride it and he will come out the other side, keep his head down. And so yes, Harry, I think you're talking rubbish.
Not for the first time. Thank you for pointing it out. Uh but I I you have to say George Russell was was having an excellent weekend, Mark. The momentum was very much Swinging back towards him in the sprint and again lining up on pole uh for the Grand Prix as well and and out of no fault of his own it seems the car just conking out. W what what do the team do around him? Do you do do they sort of try and gather him up? We've got a week off until Monaco.
think they need to worry too much. I think George has got his head screwed on. There were a lot of people talking after Miami about, you know, is this Kimmy's championship? They were talking rubbish like you. You know, they were saying
All right, hang on.
They were saying that, you know, momentum swinging and he'd had this great run and it looked like after the early uh you know performances of George Russell that it was swinging the opposite direction but I don't think George ever thought that. You know, he said that a number of times this weekend, doesn't he? That there was a lot of noise around the outside, but internally he knows that Miami just isn't one of his great tracks.
We know that Montreal is and he's delivered a great you know, g a great set of performances this weekend. So I don't think anyone needs to be worried, I don't think Mercedes do anything with him. The thing they will be concerned about is the fact that one of their cars didn't finish a Grand Prix today and I think
We don't know the full reasons. Power unit is all we've been been told at this point, but it was a fairly brutal grinding to a halt halfway through and that will be a concern because while they got the performance to win many races this season, there's also a fragility around them, isn't there?
Mark, can I ask very quickly, because you obviously worked with Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. How much does it get inside the driver's head? Because I feel like on one point there's there's a part of the media side where we hear what they want us to hear. And I understand that they can only say certain things. But how much
Reliability. Fight between the two.
Between the two drivers, the two sides of the garage, how much they're keeping from themselves, you know, holding back in the debriefs, getting into each other's head, uh the tactics. We heard about it, you know, you mentioned twenty sixteen already. Rosberg kept turning up late to debriefs just to wind Hamilton up and it was all part of the mental game and it massively comes into it, doesn't it? It's huge.
Um and you know you're absolutely right. There's a there's the the media facing performance you give to the to the media, to the interviews. Uh you know, that's all very carefully constructed by the team. You're told what to say in your briefings and all the rest of it, but internally it's completely different. And
You know, I referred to it I think in commentary of a little bit like that Rosberg Hamilton. In the early days, they were battling wheel to wheel. No matter who won, they'd get out of the car, hug each other, it was all big smiles and lovey dovey. But very quickly you realise there's a championship at stake and then your teammate becomes your enemy and you're no longer friends, you're arch rivals and it becomes bitter. And yeah, internally there can be all sorts of games going on and
The reality is, for both of them, they've dreamt of becoming world champions since they were this tall, tiny little kids. And the opportunity comes around
Can we instill that tool?
That's true, yeah. And he's still a little kid. But the opportunity comes around very rarely in your form sometimes never in a Formula One career. this could be it. This could be the one and only for them. And so you're not gonna let the guy on the other side of the garage have an easy time of it. So you will start holding back information, you will start playing little games, mind games and
You know, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso were perhaps the masters of it, you know, back in two thousand seven. It didn't end well for any of them, but it was a real lesson learned by all, I think.
Let's hear it from George Russell.
George, fel yr ydych chi 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
Disbelief.
Thank you.
feels like somebody doesn't want me to fight or compete for this this championship. Just every three out of the last five races it's there's just been something really uh going against us. Just a bit lost for words right now.
Can you take heart from the way you have driven this weekend, that battle that you had with Kimmy as well, you were on top.
Yeah, I loved the battle. Uh I was I was happy with how I handled it, how I drove. Um and I'm I'm just pleased with the weekend in terms of my own personal performance, you know. There's a lot of doubters maybe after Miami and a lot of a lot of chat, but I know what I can do and poll in the sprint, win the sprint, polling quality, leading the race.
you know, I I really loved the battle, you know, and I wanted to continue for thirty more laps and I would have loved to see how it would have panned out. But Here we are.
So Kimmy picks up twenty five points, George picks up nothing, and just to come back to the mind game situation, I mean that is gonna have to start playing a factor. From what you've just said, surely George does George have a bit of an advantage because he's obviously got had more time in Formula One. Kimmy is young, nineteen. Is there a sense that naivety might come into play? And then where does Toto Wolf a people like Pete Bonington, Kimmy's engineer, sit within this ecosystem.
Well that I think is one of the most interesting aspects of this year because I think both have strengths and weaknesses. So George has the experience, you know, uh a number of years in this sport now, he's learnt to go through the bitter disappointment, the ups and downs, he's learnt how to control things like tires and all of the other aspect, the technical aspects of being an F1 driver, that will be a strength.
But for Kimmy, he has got this raw, excitable, feisty nature to him where he's willing to take maybe more risks. He's at that point of his career. that can also be a strength. There'll be days when that wins him races and there'll be others where it costs him and it costs the team. And that's the difficulty that Toto finds himself with. I would say that when you've got a young kid like Kimmy
Who is this feisty inexcitable? I can't think of anyone better than Pete Bonnington and Toto Wolf to be managing that situation because they've got so much experience. As we said, they've been through all of this with Rosberg and Hamilton. They will have learnt a lot through that, so I think he's in good hands.
Uh well we'll see how it plays out, won't we? Uh a week off until we go to Monaco. So that's the sort of Mercedes battling. Um behind them then was well, everybody else and it they have taken a an advantage, ten seconds
¶ Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari Revival
Nearly eleven seconds at the flag. Lewis Hamilton was behind, finished second. Uh but let's talk about the Ferrari driver because Beck actually really good weekend, probably his best in a long while.
Yeah, and he will be walking away a very, very happy man. Second I can't even remember off the top of my head when he last finished second. I'm sure he can't either. But it was a great result and actually it was a really strong weekend for him in general. And I thought what was interesting from him were the radio messages afterwards saying, Thanks so much for the car. Obviously during the race he complains all the time that it's just Lewis Hamilton through and through his whole career.
you know, I want more power, mate, I want more power It's like, you know, if they could give it to you they would, obviously while he's trailing behind Max Verstappen. But it wasn't it was a classic Lewis Hamilton move around the outside of Max Verstappen.
They were racing and fighting. I thought it was absolutely brilliant the respect that they were showing each other with the racing. It was clean, it was brilliant, it was you know, it was kind of the old battles that we loved seeing between them.
And for Lewis Hamsel came on the radio and said, Thank you so much, this was great, this is for you guys. He was practicing his Italian, which I think it all you know, it probably sounds a bit silly, but actually it does go a long way within the team that he does that.
And he's obviously got his mum with him this season. He's spoken about it quite a lot. He's really wanted his mum to go on the road with him. She's now doing that. You know, that seems to have given him a bit of a a boost as well. He seems really comfortable with this car. He seems really content. It's all moving in the right direction. You know, y you have that shot when the lead the winner comes out of the car and they run at their mechanic
And they launched themselves into the crowd. But Lewis Hamilton's, you know, forty one now, so probably not quite so springy. But he um you know, he walked over and he shook hands with everyone, big hugs for his team and all his mechanics and engineers.
And that's brilliant because it last year in his debut year with Ferrari it didn't feel like he had connected somehow. There was something missing. Now it feels like it's settling down. You know, he's got a race engineer. He didn't obviously like last year's, he's changing it. It feels like it's starting to click for him and we're starting to see that result on the track.
Have we said that before though, at any point? Yes.'Cause we know he loves he loves Montreal.
He does love Montreux and he can be quite track specific. You know, you wouldn't be surprised if he went to Silverstone and won again. You know, he has the ability when he goes to these places where he's absolutely adored, and oh my goodness, he is. utterly adored in Canada. You only had to hear you could hear the cheers when he overtook Stappen for second. He does. He pulls it out of the bag. But there's just it's it's more about his attitude, his body language.
You know, h what he's saying, it does feel like there's been a shift.
No, I I agree. I think um that shift comes you know, w what we do know about Lewis is his emotional state is so linked to results. and what else is going on around him. And uh I think this year I think as much as things are clicking this year, which I think they are, second year at Ferrari at a new team, it's gonna click better. But I think even bigger than that This new generation of cars moves away from that ground effect that he hated. He never got on with that. He came off a run of
you know, the form of anyone in in Formula One, no one's had form like Lewis Hamilton in that era before this. He got into the ground effect era, never really worked for him. We've now ditched that. And he's finding a way to get back, you know, as one with these cars. So I think there's a little bit of it being Montreal, he does love the place. But the fact that he dominated his teammate and convincingly this weekend will just boost that positivity he's got.
And that's the first weekend he's really done that.
Yeah, totally. Charles Leclerc finishing fourth was actually was quite a good result for Leclerc in the end.
Let's hear
Lewis Hamilton finished second.
Congratulations Liz. You've been on it absolutely all weekend long. Just how satisfying is it for you to get the job done as well right at the end?
Oh man, it's the the happiest day of my days at Ferrari so far.
So
Feels great to be able to put the Ferrari on on the podium and to get my first second place with the team as well in the in the main race and it's my second podium as well. I'm I'm just elated and So proud of the team for for working so hard.
I finally have the engineering team that I've been working towards. I think our car is great. The guys did a fantastic job over winter to get the car where it is and I understand I think I understand it a lot better. I'm much more comfortable with it. And um whilst we're not exactly where we want to be to get a result like this, we capitalise, we've got a reliable we've got great reliability and This is
Thank you.
Awesome and a big thanks to the team.
And personally, is it really satisfying for you?'Cause you've always known you've still got it in you, right? But you managed to knit it together really well this weekend.
Yeah, no it's The best feeling. I feel very light right now. Um I feel great my body was Physically I'm I'm very, very strong and clearly mentally in a good place. And I arrived this weekend with mega energy and I want to take the sports.
Lewis Hamilton, then finishing second, actually gave us that bit of entertainment we needed, though, because once Russell retired.
did take a little bit of the life out of the Grand Prix. At that point it would've been nice for a sprinkle of rain. We didn't get it. Um we did quite a bit of Argy Bargie further back in the field, but nothing massive Beck. But it was Hamilton versus Verstappen for a fair few laps, and we've not seen that in a fair while and Both showing that well, they can certainly race it out at fairly clean.
Yeah, you need to work on your rain dance, Harry. This is what the problem is.
He needs to work on all of his dancing, I've seen him.
It is big size sixteen feet. Um but and moving on.
What are we talking about? Lewis versus Matt.
Live it and rather than Beck versus Harry.
Yeah, come on, that's every weekend.
Every weekend. Um yes. What we talk about? Lewis versus Max. That one. Yeah, that one. So
If you want, you know.
I'll move on, shall I? Um it was it was classic. It was brilliant racing. You it was such a shame as we said about Russell uh not finishing the race because it became a bit of a damp squib and you know, fair play to you guys in the commentary box for keeping it alive.
I actually thought it was really good.
But it wasn't the same ener i it did lack a bit of energy dur and but you always get a lull during a Grand Prix, don't you? It's a you know sixty eight races uh sixty eight laps, sorry, as it was in the end. you do get it. And then we had the fight between Verstappen and Hamilton and it's like, yes, please, more of that And actually it wasn't as yo yo as I was expecting. There was a pass here, a pass there but actually once Lewis Hamilton got through
He made it stick. And it was really interesting listening to them in the cooldown room and they were talking about it and Stappen was saying, Oh, you were great out of turn six but I was catching you here and Liz was saying, Oh, your your straight line speed's amazing
They were like how they were talking to each other about what and what they were saying. You're thinking, this is brilliant. This is so such an interesting insight into their minds. And actually, let's not talk about twenty twenty one if we don't have to, but obviously whenever those who are involved you can't not mention it.
it was a different life ago it almost feels like. But they have moved on, Verstappen has matured. I think you know, I think you mentioned it in commentary, you know, five years ago maybe he would have taken a line or a gap that didn't exist. But actually it was really respectful racing. Quite frankly, it was brilliant.
Wasn't it? I loved it. And it was a bit like twenty twenty one. Not not the controversial bit but that season where they were just going at it neck and neck, you know, one week it was one in front, the next it was the other. It was a little bit of a glimmer of of that. So I I loved it. I thought it was really, really good.
I think actually it was really uh you know, we've seen how upset and disappointed Max Verstappen is in twenty twenty six version of Formula One. I think today w he sort of forgot that for a few laps, didn't he? Because he was able to race Found himself on the podium. Um and I think for him and Lewis they're both in a very, very happy position today.
¶ Max Verstappen's Surprise Podium
Let's hear from Max Verstappen, finish third.
Hey Max, considering how the car's felt for much this weekend, how satisfied are you to get your first podium of the year?
Yeah, I would say a little bit of a surprise, but at the same time you have to look at it. I mean two McLaren cars made a mess of the strategy, right? Starting on the inter, so that helps. And then of course uh George's car gave up, so
That that also helps to to be on the podium, but for us of course it's still uh you know a great a great result. You know, we're battling with with the Ferrari, not too far off the Mercedes. It's just that I think uh on the second stint on the medium we were just lacking a bit of grip uh on the medium compound it was just not really working for us so that's something that we need to to understand but yeah nevertheless on on the podium is is positive
And does it feel generally that the team is making that positive step forward? It feels like the gaps, the the front is shut in slowly and and you're making that kind of progress.
I mean uh I think now the last two weekends of course we have been a lot closer. You know, before we're fighting with the midfield, now we're fighting close to the the front. So in that sense for sure we we we made some really positive step steps forward but I also know that we can do better and that's what we'll focus on.
Third for Max for Stafford. First podium of the year. Had to do a double take of that.
I know, yeah. I know.
Even though amidst everything that's going on with the engine regulations Tweaks planned for twenty twenty seven, but not over the line. I think Max Verstappen hearing that and actually putting uh putting into the ether once again that if something doesn't happen, well we might not have a Max Verstappen next year.
Yeah, which, you know, is is a worry I think for the sport generally because he is a great champion. The sport will continue without him if he does if he does decide to go and do something else. It's not like this sport needs him to hold the thing together.
But I do think there's a huge amount of fans that love him. I think he's a been a really positive thing for this sport. Even if you don't like him. And he's he's brought conversation, he's generated, you know, discussion, hasn't he? So you don't really want to lose that from a sport that's growing. But you know we'll see.
He's not leaving though, is he? $100 million a year, of course, for something. Also, and, you know,
He loves endurance racing so much.
Oh which funnily enough falls on weekends that F1 races aren't on. Call me a cynic. He's not leaving. No, he's not. And and this is I think you know, Mark touched on it. One of the brutal truths about being a racing driver is that the second you step away, you think Formula One is gonna end and it will never carry on. And do you know what? The world keeps spinning, we keep racing. And then eventually they all come back as media pundits'cause they can't stand not being in the paddock.
Uh huh.
Oh they'll work carefully. So uh uh right, well Charles Leclerc was fourth. Isaac Hajar, good result for the Red Bull, despite having a few penalties in the other.
¶ McLaren's Costly Strategy Error
Uh car finished fifth. Um no McLaren's in sight in that top five. Mark, it was a nightmare scenario. That started before the lights even went out in a wacky decision to put on the intermediate tires. But it wasn't. Lando took the lead into turn one.
Well, it was because getting off the line is one thing, but that doesn't win you a Grand Prix if you have to box three laps later, which is basically what happened. They took the decision, which was a strange one. It was at we the start of the race was brilliantly weird because it was
not wet enough for intermediates, clearly, but it was also not completely dry. It was very, very cold. I think they were worried about not being able to warm the tires up, right? So you need the tyre temperature to get off the line. the intermediates are much easier to warm up. So that was the basis of their decision. And it kind of worked in that they did get off the line quickly. Certainly in the hands of Lando Norris, he was able to put that to good use, got into the lead at turn one.
But but they don't last five minutes when it's not wet. So unsurprisingly, after a lap or two, Oscar Piastri got rid of his, Lando Norris followed him and got rid of his.
And that puts them way back into the pack immediately. So you're you're heavily compromised. So it was a disastrous strategic decision. But I'm not even sure that was the worst thing that happened to them today,'cause Lando then went to a point where he he had a complete car failure, didn't finish the race. Oscar Piastri ended up with a penalty And finished out so other points. So it was a complete disaster from McLaren. I don't think there's any better way to describe it.
What I don't understand is we heard on the two formation laps that we ended up having, Piastri come on the radio and say Pit me, pit me, bring me in. It's it we're not good for the inters. Put you're telling me that everyone's tires are gonna be cold, so get me some nice tires out of their blankets, which are lovely and warm'cause they've been sitting in their tyre blankets.
I'll end up with the warmest tires. They became so reliant on both of their drivers being on inters. It made no sense. And I'm listening to this radio message thinking, this makes loads of sense. It's really cold in Montreal. These guys are doing two laps now of formation laps. They're trying everything they can to get heat into these tires. And Piastri's saying, just bring me in, my ties are like lovely and warm in there. Like just put them on and let's go race it. It made sense.
No, and that's curious and I wonder if that led to some build up of frustration.
Felt like it, didn't it?
Because that move on Alex Albon, because by this point, Piastri's back in the pack, slides down the inside, he's t he's four car lengths back on on Alex Albon, who doesn't see him coming, completely tears into the side of Albon's side pod. Out goes Albon and Piastri's race is done from that point, which is a very uncharacteristic
It was uncharacteristic, yeah. I think there was frustration. I think what what you're talking about there, splitting the strategies, made so much sense. Made sense to, I think, all of us.
But how many times have McLaren done this where they could have had a better team result by splitting strategies, but they always seemed so paranoid to not give one driver an advantage over another and keep them on the same strategy, even if it's the wrong one. And it felt a little bit like that's what happened today.
Yeah, a uh a a day to forget, I think, for uh for the McLaren guys who pick up absolutely nothing from the Grand Prix. Um but that allowed actually for some qu quite big results for those in the midfield. So
¶ Midfield Highlights & Race Outlook
The top six uh is actually rounded out by Franco Colapinto peck. I mean, we've been talking a lot about Colapinto, good and bad, but the last couple of races, i has he suddenly found his form or or what else is it?
Well, sixth here, seventh in Miami the race before. I think it was only China or Japan. We were talking about the fact that actually he could be the first driver to lose his seat this year. He's under the most amount of pressure. Yes, the Argentinian driver comes with a lot of money and a lot of support. There's even chatter about the Argentinian Grand Prix coming back onto the calendar because there's so much support for him. But actually
just as all of this noise is starting to build and it's all growing and getting louder and louder, he pulls out this great result in Miami and then betters it in Montreal. And you just think, do you know what, fair play? Because it is his first season with them in the sense of Oh is it?
No, it's his first full C.
It's his first full season, isn't it? I'm like my brain is like I know he raised Oh, it feels like it's been around for ages, but then I'm absolutely acutely aware it's like it's it's so bitty, yeah.
Before this season he didn't actually get a full
No, no, no. No, at all. And so it feels a little bit like it's taken him a while to find his rhythm, but he's found it now. And actually he's been really impressive. And it somebody has obviously put their arm around him and said, look
Don't listen to them.
They don't know what they're talking about. We know you're capable. We brought you in because we know you're capable. You know, he was not with Alpine initially and then they brought him across and then you just think, actually he's doing a great job So
Carry on. Keep your head down. Keep doing what you're doing. It has been an incredibly challenging start to the season, we have to say. You know, we're at the end of May now and we've only had five races, which is very unusual. It has been difficult to get Oh it's absolutely I know.
There's big gaps left, right and centre. We're going into another gap again. There's no continuity, there's no momentum. The drivers are struggling with keeping fit because it's like they're here, there and they're everywhere. They still have all of the demands from the partners and the sponsors and doing all of that side of it.
And actually it feels like Colapinsa he's got his head down, he's going with it. Fair play to him. Well let's I think he'll continue down this. I mean this is what we've been told about him, that he is this good and he's showing it.
And uh he just beat well actually by a fair bit, uh Liam Lawson, both those drivers didn't get any running on on Friday really. So that kinda underlines how well they've done. Uh so good points for for those in the midfield. And these kind of races mark well, that's what the midfield runners really kind of thrive on.
Yeah, because you know, particularly in the early part of this new championship with you know, the twenty six cars. there are some quite big gaps. Early in the season there's big gaps when you bring new cars in, especially with the raft of changes we've had. The gaps will close, but at the moment you sort of know roughly where you are in the pecking order.
So when you have a day when some of the big players drop out, you need to be there to capitalise. And I think the guys you mentioned did a really good job of doing that. They put didn't put a foot wrong. Steady races, but importantly, they put their cars where they needed to be when the points became available.
Uh yeah, well Lawson seventh ahead of Gazley. That was quite a fight uh fight towards the flag. Signs picked up two points. And Oliver Behrman rounded out the top ten. Piastri finished the race but two laps down in eleventh. That was another odd scenario, wasn't it? Seeing uh McLaren getting lapped. And actually only sixteen cars finished. Uh Bottas the last of them we lost.
Sergio Perez, Norris, Russell, Alonso, Albon, and actually, real shame to lose Harvid Limblad. Didn't even start the race. He could have done something good today as well, Beck, right?
Yeah, that was sad. I mean that's why we had the second formation lap. Um if Carl just wouldn't start, could he get into gear? Shame,'cause he's been pretty impressive so far, hasn't he? The young Brit. Um so yeah, I there's more to come from him, as we have said repeatedly and will continue to say, it's a long old season.
So hero of the race, driver of the day, who are we going for? Is it straightforward?
أعتقد أن أريد أن أريد أن أريد أن أريد أن أريد أن أريد أن أريد أن أريد
I absolutely agree with you. There was a big intake of breath, wasn't there? Like are we dare do we dare say it? But it it is. Yeah.
Uh so Lewis Hamilton for both of you. Yes. Okay. Yeah, okay, go on, I'll go.
Who would you choose?
I just you know I love a plucky midfield runner. You know I love a I love a colour pinto getting sick. I think that's just great. I think it's great.
Yeah, you can have that, but he wasn't on the podium.
Wasn't on the podium, but that's that's b basically a win for Alpine in the middle. Let's talk, let's face it. Big double points to them. Okay, I'm gonna go for Colapinto, but sterling work from Lewis Hamilton. Uh right, we're gonna have a week off.
Now again. Uh and then Formula One is back and it really means business because we're going to head into the European leg of the season. And uh next up will be a visit to the Principality. Monte Carlo awaits us. Very different tracks. It'll be exciting to see how these cars. negotiate the walls of Monaco. Uh next week, dropping on the checkered flag feed on BBC Sounds and over on the YouTube channel Izzy Hammond will be here with myself and we'll be looking at all the other bits that happened.
Off track across the last few weeks. But my thanks to Beck Clancy, to Mark Priestley. We'll see you next time in Monaco. Bye-bye.
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