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The checker flag is waiting. I can see a checker flag podcast being quite spicy. Five lives. Checkered flag podcasts. Qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix has just finished. And it was an entertaining evening I have to say. We went into it with high expectations. And we're going to find out whether our expectations were met because I'm joined by the team. Ali commentator Harry Benjamin and the four minute e-driver former Claren Sam Bird. Harry, did you enjoy that qualifying session?
It saw Lando Norris on pole position at the end of it. It did. I did. And it was kind of expected in a way that Norris was going to get pole. I think the biggest stories were the staff and sort of seemingly overcoming red bulls expected problem. And I mean, what a disaster for Ferrari. Ninth and tenth. And we'll come on to that. Signs crashing out, leaving us with a red flag in Q3. So we had a little bit of everything in that final stage of qualifying.
But it does tear us up for a good Grand Prix on Sunday. Sam, did you like what you saw and will you be turning up for more? Come race day? Did I ensure you would have the applause to turn up for more? I loved what I saw. Of course, there's a papaya car on pole position. So yeah, really, really great for Lando, obviously, intriguing for many different reasons I found this qualifying session as we, as I'm sure we will get into Rosanna. We certainly will, as I said, Lando Norris on pole position.
Max, the staff will start alongside him on the front row. P2 for the red bull driver. And then it was Salua's Hamilton in P3. And normally we would hear from our pole sitter straight away. But since the checkered flag flew at the end of qualifying, it's been an interesting development. The top two drivers are requested to go to the FIA press conference to talk to the media. And it all got a little bit, I think, intriguing as the word, actually, Sam.
And I've brought in our F1 BBC correspondent, Andrew Benson, because he was there. Andrew, what happened? Well, initially, Max for Stappen was giving really short answers to the questions. And now everyone realised very quickly that that was in protest at what had happened to him yesterday when he was given a penalty for swearing in the press conference on Thursday. He's been ordered to do effectively some community service to be agreed with the FIAs to what that content is.
Anyway, so these answers just weren't coming. And so, actually, I was in the media centre initially listening to the press conference. So I ran into the press conference room and struck my hand up. I asked him if he'd talked to us outside the room and he gave me a thumbs up. And then I asked Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris. The more they thought of the Stappen being punished. And Norris said he thought it was pretty unfair and didn't agree with any of it.
And Hamilton said it was a bit of a joke, to be honest. And he hopes that this happened doesn't do whatever the FIA come up with in for to do. So we then all had a big scrum with the Stappen outside. Scrum being a nice thing, and that sounds a little bit like you're after the rugby pitch. But actually, he has got his what you do, isn't it, with the other media. Right, so I was kind of negotiating with the Stappen. I was like, what can we talk here?
And he was fine with it, but the FIA sort of media handler was going, no, no, he's got to go to the TV pen and Max was going, but are you guys going to come to the TV pen? And I was like, well, not ideally not. And he says, well, let's just stand in the corridor then and say, well, you can't stand in the corridor. He said, well, let's walk and do it there. This is your F1 water cooler moment, turn up.
So we're all, there's a few of us walking down the paddock with the Stappen and his the Red Bull PR woman, Anna. I've tried on a heel a couple of times while we were walking. So it was all about that. Anyway, he basically said he thought it was ridiculous what had happened to him. And why should he talk in the press conference if he was going to get a fine or some kind of penalty, so I prefer not to speak. I asked him why he thought he'd been punished. And he said they wanted to set a precedent.
Other people had got warnings or perhaps could have been given a fine, but they wanted to set a bigger example with him, which he said he thought was weird, because he hadn't sworn directly at anybody. He understood that swearing at somebody or being rude to someone wasn't acceptable, but he thought what he'd done wasn't wrong. He just used a bad word to describe it as car basically.
And he also made it clear that he wasn't blaming the stewards, he thought they were forced into punishing him, because that's what the international sporting code demands. He actually said he'd had a really good chat with them.
Now, he didn't directly say who he was blaming, but it's very obvious, because all this started, because Mohamed Ben-Salayam, the FI president, gave an interview to Autosport, in which he said he wanted that swear words not to be broadcast on television anymore, on team radio. Now, the thing is they're not broadcast. Are they? They're bleeped out.
But, Ben-Salayam was like kind of thinking he doesn't want the world to see that people in Formula One swear effectively, and the drivers collectively all think this is a bit daft. It's pretty clear. The staffman said he'd had a lot of support from the other drivers, and that's actually where it all started. That's why the staffman, I think, was behaving a little bit like that on Thursday in the first news conference. So it's all kind of spiraled out of control, and here we are, Rosanna.
It's been one of the more entertaining post-qualifying episodes I have to say. Another sub-plot. Another headline from 2024 and the F1 season. Sam, I'm going to come to you on this one, because you know what it's like to be driving out there in anger. Vises down, we say that drivers change a little bit when the visor goes down. Obviously, this was an oppressed conference where Max was having used a swear word, but you know what it's like.
Do you agree with the punishment that Max for staff has been given? I don't even know. Is there a further punishment to come if you only use one word, Altson? It's an oppressed conference. I don't know what's your take on this, Sam. No, I think it's a... The whole thing is ludicrous. And I think the FIA have given the wrong punishment, to be honest. I would have much preferred.
If they felt the need to punish him, which is already, I think, a little bit ridiculous, I would have preferred to have seen some, you know, a fine and that money goes to charity. We are... especially in the race cars when you hear it on the radio. A, you don't hear it because it's bleeped, but secondly, if you know what we are saying, yes, there are beep words, there are swear words there, but we are heart rates at 160. We're fueled by passion and desire to do well.
That's what sport is all about, that passion and that. Willing is to succeed and all sportsmen do it at some point. That's just a fact. I think that the FIA need to figure out where they're going with this and what they need to do in the future, but you're never going to stamp it out. And I think community service is the wrong thing personally. And look, okay, you know, swearing is what it is. We don't do it, obviously. We're live on air, but we are able to filter ourselves.
Because our heart rate isn't going at well, maybe mine, maybe mine, when I start the race, but it's not going at 160 beats per minute. But I just think this is another ridiculous thing that is now becoming a headline story. And we should be talking about qualifying, but we're talking about this. Come on. Let's talk about qualifying then, shall we?
Because whilst Max, the staffer, was a little tasseter in the press conference proper, as you've heard, he had a chat in the corridor with Andrew Benson. He actually did come to the media pen, and he had lots to say about how the cars feeling, how his weekends going, and how it might go come the Grand Prix itself. I think the whole coffin that was still a bit tight, I would say, to begin on the front row. Because I think the whole coffin, we never really saw the string of the McLaren with Lando.
You know, he did the front set up on scrap tires in Q1. Thank you, too. I think he didn't put the lap in properly. So, you know, like, I think for us, you know, being P2 is the best we could have hoped for. And especially if you look at our weekends so far, you know, being P2 is much better than I anticipated this morning when I woke up. Are you, would you say, driving around the cars issues or have those issues actually started to clear up?
Well, we know our limitations always on street circuits. We try to work on it, and I think we optimise as much as we could. So, it's been a little great job overnight also to understand our limitations and try to work with it, basically. You know, and try to optimise everything. Yeah, I think we maximise this. That was Max Verstappen talking to me a little earlier on. He'll start from P2. I think a much better result for him and Red Bull than they were fearing perhaps coming into this weekend.
We know this circuit doesn't suit their car with the bumpiness and the curbs. We've let Andrew Benson, our F1 correspondent, head back to the media centre to write his stories after what was a bit of a frenetic qualifying session. So, let's now turn our attention back to our pole sitter, Lando Norris in the McLaren. What an effort from him. He said it was a difficult lap, a difficult car to drive this evening, Harry.
But wow, he put it on pole and that is vital, even though it'll start alongside his title rival, Max Verstappen. But he needs this win, doesn't he? That's what's really important. He does. Two tenths clear at the top come the end of key three. But you know what, he was quick out the blocks all weekend long. He was picked from pole right from Friday onwards. But as you say, that 59 point gap that there is between Verstappen and Norris.
And this is a crucial weekend and I know what, I think Norris and McLaren will be a little bit annoyed at the fact that Verstappen's stuck it on the front row because we're all coming into this weekend expecting this of all the tracks, regardless of where Red Bull have been anyway in there, seeming downturn in performance. We expected this track much like last year to be their bogie circuit because they can't ride the curves, they struggle with the bumps in the bouncing.
But he's put it on the front row. So Norris needs to get a good start. And we know that's something that hasn't come his way. Ironically, last time out he had a good start from 15th on the grid. But now he's on the front row. Verstappen will be alongside him and pole here is on the left hand side as you're the driver. So have a slight advantage. Just have that inside line coming down towards turn one. So that's what he needs to focus on. Good start and outscore Verstappen.
He can only do so much. If Verstappen finishes second, it's not enough points that Norris takes away from him on some Sunday evening. So that's what he needs to do. All he can do is go out and win it, but he's got to do that on Sunday afternoon. It's critical. 178 meters from pole to turn one. And a lot could happen in those 178 meters. You've raised around here. How do you approach a start when you've got your title rival breathing down your neck or even going wheel to wheel with you?
It's difficult. So I think that's a lot of time for him or one career. Am I right in saying that every single one of them is not led the end of that first lap? People speak about it. He is fully capable, though, of getting to that first corner in the lead. If he does, he could have a lonely afternoon or evening, sorry, evening, definitely evening. I hope he does, but I think Max is going to be very, very tempted to try and take the lead into that turn one.
I think he can control the race himself. Well, let's hear from Lando Norris. P1 for the British driver. Can he hang on to that and take the checker flag to take a win around this very challenging track? Oppositions are always a nice thing and another one for me. So a good day. We've been quick all weekend. Yeah, so I'm happy. I feel it's a little bit tough for me. Whatever the likes, competition closed up a lot coming into qualifying.
I had to push on a little bit more and it was just kind of found the limit of what the car was able to do and became quite difficult to drive. But nevertheless, we're still on the pole. So I'm happy. I guess I was trying to find something to complain about or be not satisfied with, but I am satisfied with it. And I guess you weren't probably expecting it to be Max for Stappen alongside you on the front road. Is that the fluster you slightly when it comes to how the race looks?
No, I mean, if you didn't expect Max to improve a bit for quality, then you're not too smart. They were very quick and ready in FP3. But of course, people just look at the timing sheets and go, oh, they're slow, but don't actually look at the data and look as wide. And that's just because they were saving a bit and didn't turn the engine up and there's kind of things.
For the people that are actually interested in looking at the data, they would have known, actually, it would have been quite quick. For the people that just look at the screen and just want to guess and make opinions for no reason, then they're probably being correct.
Landon Aorus, I'm not sure whether he was putting me in my place or maybe some others that have commented on perhaps the gap that there was going to be between Landon Aorus and Max for Stappen and then didn't prove to be this evening because Landon Aorus, guys, he thought that it would be Max for Stappen right up there. He'd obviously been looking at the data and knew that actually the red bulls were faster than it perhaps appeared on the surface.
But Sam, I'm interested by what you said. You think he may end up if he can hold on to the lead off the start. He may end up having a lonely evening. Is that because you think their racepaces is super strong and he's just going to canter off into the distance? Well, we've seen it before recently with Landon. Haven't we, especially in Zanvot where he took the lead from Max for Stappen and then disappeared off into the distance?
Now, Zanvot is quite high downforce circuit as is Singapore in many respects. So, I think the McLaren can hold on to its tire better than the red bull. So, yeah, I think if he can hold on to the lead for the first sort of 10, 12 laps of the race, I think we'll see Lando gently start to pull away from the rest of the field. But that speculation, I think that their long run pace was very strong, but we will find out Rosanna.
We will, and it of course doesn't really matter how many seconds you crossed the line ahead of Max for Stappen if you're Lando. Now, it's about how many points you score and he's going to be surely gunning for that fastest lap. If indeed he is out front to try and maximize what he takes home. It's going to be an interesting first part of the Grand Prix, it really is.
And then behind those two, Lando and RS and Max are on the front row, it's Lewis Hamilton, P3 lining up alongside his teammate George Russell. Now, I don't know about you guys, but I did not expect a Mercedes second row given what's been a very up and down weekend so far for them. Yeah, from feeling lost, really, after practice for Lewis Hamilton. Surprisingly, they lock out the second row. Hamilton equally surprisingly ahead of George Russell.
He's only done that. Well, this would be the fifth time he's done that this season. Russell has had the match on him so far and qualifying. And we only have to go back to the Italian Grand Prix where Hamilton was so down beat after qualifying because he just seemed to lose pace throughout the weekend and not have an answer.
I think he felt like he could have put it on pole in Monza and remember coming out with a bit of a quip on his part, but saying, you know, maybe they'll have better luck with when Kimi Antonelli takes over in qualifying. And this is Lewis Hamilton, he clearly not happy with the way that car has been going. We know Russell too has been on the radio health forever this weekend talking about how much the tires have been changing and the characteristics of them from session to session.
So to come away with a front row, with a second row lockout, I think is pretty a pretty good recovery for Mercedes, son. Yeah, great recovery for Mercedes, but I don't think they fully understand how or why they're on the second row. It seems like every session is different to the session before. And you never know whether they're going to be competitive or really struggling or kind of a bit of both as we saw in FP3.
We saw Russell locking up so many on so many occasions, he preferred the balance in FP3 to what we saw in qualifying. I don't know what Mercedes is ever going to turn up at the moment. And with regards to Lewis Hamilton doubting his qualifying, I mean, the guys had over a hundred pole positions. I think it is in Formula One, so he is the master of qualifying. Okay, this year hasn't been his greatest qualifying, but great to see him on form today.
Well, he did, didn't he, in the Park Fermi interview straight after the qualifying session, he did say that his qualifying has been disaster all year long. So that's what I wanted to talk to him about when he came to the media pen. This is what Lewis Hamilton had to say. He just wouldn't believe the struggle and what we've been through to try and get to get something like this.
Get a car in a better place and be up there. I'm so happy and just very thankful for the position to be up there and be in the mix. After the last two, yesterday and this morning, I was a second and a 1.2 seconds off. So with the changes we made for us to now be just three tenths off, that's a huge leap in the right direction.
And yeah, just those days when you're like, don't give up, don't give up, don't give up, and keep trying, keep trying, even though every time you fail, it will eventually get come. So you just got to keep on it. I hate to be pessimistic, but because of the way the car behaves, is there a slight danger that it could be different tomorrow? It will be different tomorrow. I mean, it's been every time we've been out today this weekend, it's been so different and we've changed so much.
We've been left right up, down, all over. But I think now that it is working better, it's a much better platform. I think hopefully then tomorrow with the controls we have, maybe we should be able to, I hope we can put it in a bit of better window for the long run. And I'm trying to hold onto these guys. Explaining football to the friend who's just there for the nachos? Hard.
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My dad works in B2B marketing. He came by my school for career day and said he was a big row as man. Then he told everyone how much he loved calculating his return on ad spend. My friends still laughing me to this day. Not everyone gets B2B, but with LinkedIn, you'll be able to reach people who do get $100 credit on your next ad campaign. Go to LinkedIn.com slash results to claim your credit that's LinkedIn.com slash results terms and conditions apply LinkedIn the place to be to be.
Guys, Lewis Hamilton was boyed up in the me Japan, but I did say I didn't want to put any pessimism out there in the universe. But as you said, Sam, we just never know which Mercedes is going to turn up and it can switch from one day to the next. So a good quality car might not be a good race car, but but they have two of them up against the loan ranges of Maxis Apple for rebel and Lando Norris former Clarence.
So perhaps there is a strategic advantage for Mercedes if they can keep up with the race pace of the front two. What do you reckon? Well, you say loan ranges of Norris and the staff and I don't think necessarily Norris is a loan ranger. The Astrid is right there as well. Yeah, okay, but just behind them. So he's in the mix. He's in the conversation for a podium for staff and very much so on his own with no help.
So I don't know what to make of Mercedes at all to be honest Rosanna. I still don't even if they're lost we're lost. No, but if they converge on and they have converged on their setup, then are they both going to be quick? Are they both going to be slow? Are they going to struggle with their ties? Are they going to be great with their ties? Honestly, I think every weekend has been very, very different for them and I don't know where they're going to be going with their pace tomorrow.
Yeah, it's a watch this space moment, isn't it? Indeed indeed. It is Rosanna indeed. You know what I'll be worrying for them though going into the race that I think they'll just be hoping that they they are able to either keep. Keep pace or move forward because more often than the last few rounds that they kind of while they've showed good form and again, I go back to Monza in particular. They were they're good in qualifying Hamilton should have been on the front row at least, I think.
And they felt back during the race and I Russell got damaged but still they weren't sure why they were losing pace and they seem to have had this click earlier on the season and suddenly Sadie's were back and they found their North Star and now it's just fading a little bit away but it's still better than where they were at the start of the year.
And for me, if they have a clean race with a reasonable strategy, I think that they will be able to race and potentially beat Ferrari who let's face it had a dismal day at the office. They did, they had a terrible day in the office so we will just rattle through the rest of the top 10 to get to Ferrari. That's how bad a day it was.
As I mentioned, P5, then it was Nico Holkkenberg what in the past P6 and absolutely brilliant Saturday evening for him. I think has tweeted saying their king of qualifying something like that.
I think he'd done it again. For now, to Alonzo and the Asamort and P7 ahead of Yuki Sonoda out qualifying his teammate Daniel Carter will come onto that a little later and then and then we have Ferrari P9 for Charlotte Claire on account of a lap time being deleted for track limits and then Carlos Syms crashing in the final part of the season. And absolutely terrible day evening in the office for Ferrari guys. What can they do from there?
As I said, Rosanna, I think that they'll be fighting Mercedes for maybe both P6. I can't see them getting too much higher than that. But yeah, tough, tough day at the office. Charlotte Claire going over track limits by millimeters in turn one. Carlos Syms crashing before he'd even started his push lap. But even the pace wasn't there, Rosanna. Like the lap the Charlotte Claire did was only good enough for being behind Nico Holkkenberg.
So that either shows how brilliant a job Nico Holkkenberg did, which is which is very true. But or how disappointing Ferrari were this afternoon. And I think it's probably a bit of a mixture. It was disappointing just to pick up on Carlos Syms and that bizarre crash in the final corner. He just described it to a Sam and why he crashed in the way he did. So Carlos Syms was in sector three. Now when a car behind is on a flying lap, you need to get out of their way.
If you don't, you run a risk of getting penalized or you will get penalized, he's moved over to the inside of the track, the infamous inside of turn 17, where Nelson P.K. Jr. found the wall all those years ago. Now he's nearly slowed to a stop, which is then calling the rear tire. He's then pushed into turn 18, downshift and then gone back on the throttle hard through 18 to exit and get a good start to the lap.
But in doing so mid to high range of the rev range, he's had an oversteer. He's tried to catch it while keeping his foot, what looks like buried to the floor. In the hope that then he could continue, the downforce would help him and he could continue to start the lap. But he's over corrected and then it's swung him round and he's hit the wall.
Ferrari has a lot of work on through the night. I don't know the extent of the damage, but from the camera angles that we saw, it looked really, really expensive and extensive. We don't know whether there's going to be any grid drops due to changes of gearboxes and things like that. Yeah, luckily Colossiance was fine as you say the car, maybe not so. Let's hear what he had to say about how the accident happened.
Well, I've been struggling all weekend really with the tire in the right window, opening the lap and there I had to let buy a couple of cars at the end of the lap and I had a very little grip launching the lap. It surprised me how dirty and how cold my tires were after having to let buy a couple of cars and I did a very simple driver error, which is unfortunate. I was only allowed to ask Colossiance one question and that was because he was being hurried along to go to the stewards.
But as he walked away, I asked him, could it be a pit lane start and he just shrugged and put his hands in the air and Harry, he was going to the stewards because the saga didn't stop there. The car was broken, he then headed back to the pits and that's what's got him in trouble this evening, hasn't it?
Yeah, there was no zebra crossing so he had to cross the track without permission during qualifying and the stewards have deemed he, well that is against the sporting regulations and deemed that was unsafe because although Carlos signs is pleading with the stewards was that he crossed where the red flag was so presumed there would be no more cars out on track.
There were still cars circulating and their possibility of one of the cars making a mistake and not coming into the pit lane at the end was too much for him to get away, Scott free. So signs are is fine 25,000 euros, 12,500 of which is suspended for the remainder of the season on the condition that there is no further breach of a similar nature.
That is less than what Aluist Hamilton got fined for the same grievance in Qatar last year after which the FIA did say they would look into the penalty for that incident but clearly that is still a penalty. They just reduced the fine slightly so bad to worse for Carlos signs on that front. Yeah, still a lot of money. He's obviously going to look way. Can I say something?
I'm a current racing driver that is organized and run by the FIA and a lot of the things that they do are superb and they've built our sport to what it is today which is an incredible thing. But there's some things where I yeah, I want to bury my head a little bit and then Carlos signs swore at the stewards afterwards and all of a sudden. That didn't happen anyway. That didn't happen. Well, we will wait and see where he starts.
The Singapore Grand Prix from but yeah, a tricky evening in Singapore four signs and Ferrari behind them. Alex Albonp, he 11 ahead of his new teammate. Should I say new now? I mean, he's been here a couple of races. Franco, Colour Pinto P12. So good showing for Williams. I think they both thought there was more in the tank there.
Sergio Perez, Peter Tien, a big scalping Q2. I mean, we know we were expecting some challenges this weekend but he's qualified in the same spot as he did this time last year so nothing's changed. I just wonder if it highlights the Verstappen effect and how he can maybe get that car into places where it shouldn't be.
Yeah, I mean Verstappen is a world class stunning. The fastest guy out there, you'd argue right now you'd put Landon Orison and potentially Leclerc Hamilton into the discussion but recently Verstappen's been the fastest guy out there by fire distance. And he's able to extract more from that car than Sergio Perez end of end of topic really. He's he is a lot, lot quicker on on one lap pace.
The slight issue is I'm sure Singapore was another race that everyone was saying would be another deadline for Sergio Perez. So, he 13. If it is indeed a deadline, it's not looking great. Behind him Kevin Magnus and P14 ahead of Esteban Ocon, the first of the Alpenes, really difficult evening for them as well. And then Daniel Ocado, P16, missing out on the second part of qualifying.
And I fear for Daniel Ocado. Let's hear what he said to me in the media pen because yeah, I'd been watching him make his way around the media pen and he's been smiling and that's what I asked him about first. This time it's all the small. This is the I will admit once it's a fake smile. Yeah, this one is not there's not a genuine one. So yeah, it's yesterday was good today wasn't and that's I think that's a frustrating thing.
It's we were genuinely competitive yesterday and I felt like we really had a chance today to do something quite magnificent but every every soft I use today I was just so well. And that's still a little bit of a lack of understanding of this stage why we couldn't find a lot of time. So yeah, what's your last qualifying session and F1 was it?
We'll see the answer then that Daniel Ocado gave me about perhaps this being his last ever F1 qualifying session. Oh, disappointing. Were we sort of expecting it? I mean, it's just been one thing after the other for Port Riccardo, hasn't it? I think what will be worse for Daniel Ocado once again is that Yuki Sonoda are qualified in and Sonoda got into the top 10 and qualified eight.
Yeah, I look it's not surprising. Ricardo has been under pressure pretty much all season long. It kind of died down in the middle of the season while Red Bull were having their own problems with the car and heres and Sonoda, you know, being given a contract already for next year ahead of Ricardo.
Daniel Ocado is a phenomenal driver and will go down as one of the sports best in personably and on track. But unfortunately in this new era of car since since he joined the Claren, he's not been the same driver as he once was when he was starting out and of course in his heyday with Red Bull.
And even in the early stages, when he was with Renault as well, getting onto the podium and it's just not panned out well for him. We may well see Liam Lawson in the car after this little break. It feels like a pack according to the rumor. Contratchely, these are the dates of the year when decisions have to be made. Red Bull need to do something with Liam Lawson. Otherwise, we hear he's free to go elsewhere. They clearly rate him and want him in a car.
And who's the driver that's not performing at the moment is Daniel Ricardo. Yeah. Motorport is ruthless, I think. Well, being a top line athlete, it's a ruthless game if you're not performing. The bosses will find somebody else that will potentially perform instead of you. So, yeah, unfortunately it's Daniel Ricardo.
But, you know, he's had a wonderful career in Formula One. One multiple races made a lot of money. Yeah, he'll be missed, but I'm sure he will find something else that's fun to do if he were to be leaving Formula One. But it's all speculation currently, isn't it? It is, but you know what RB need to drivers scoring points in this tough midfield battle.
If they got a Sonota in 8, for then you would expect the other car to be 9th or 7th, right? And they need to score points against Hass, against Alpine, against Williams. And I suppose the bottom line is if Sonota can get in there, why can't Ricardo? And then that's where the question mark comes, isn't it? So it's a shame because Ricardo starts the weekend off well up in the top 10 in practice, but unfortunately just didn't come together and qualify for it.
Maybe he can have a stellar race, who knows, and turn it all around. That's the beauty of Formula One. We can talk about a driver's future being on the cusp of it, ending their career in Formula One weekend. But then they have one good result, and then suddenly we all change our tune and go there a champion of the future. As Sabs said, obviously nothing set in stone at the moment, it is all conjecture, but Daniel Ricardo did cut a pretty disappointed figure in the mid-Japan after qualifying.
Behind him, Lance Stroll, P17, then Pierre Gazzli, and then the two Salvers, Valtteri Bottas, and Joe Gwan-Yus. So come on then guys, what's your prediction for the Grand Prix? Who's going to win it? Do you reckon there might be some sort of interruptions? What are you hoping for expecting? I think that monitor lizard is getting my race. What I jinxed qualified, didn't I? So I did. So it said we're having a nice smooth run and then boom, signs in the walls, am I bad on that one?
So I think it will be a smooth race, but Norris will lose the lead at the start, but it will win it. Well, look, there's been weather around, so weather could play a part, as we've seen previously. I think that the safety car hasn't been used recently. I do hope and think that McLaren are going to have a great result. Behind Lando and Oscar, I really don't know what the order could be. I think Max will be in the discussion.
No one knows what Mercedes pace will be like for our real stage of fight back. I'm going to say Holcombberg for points, because I think he deserves some points. But I code him. No, no. I mean, we've had 200 odd chances of that, but Blessing Nico hasn't got one yet. Wouldn't that be great, actually? Rosalind, what a story that would be. If that would be great. Holcombberg for a podium. That's Sandberg's prediction there. No, I didn't know that. No, it's not. No, no. No, no.
I was hopes and dreams. Hopes and dreams. He's a lovely guy and he deserves a podium. But this weekend isn't the time point. Points for points for points for Nico. What about you, Rosalind? I'm going to go rogue. I'm going to say the two title contenders are going to take each other out at the first turn. Lewis Hamilton is going to take a victory and Nico Holcombberg will get onto the podium. And Franco Colipinto will score points yet again. There you go. That's awesome. Wow.
I mean, you're wrong, Rosalind. Completely, but it sounded great. Outside after that. Well, you've got a side off break because you are going to be calling all the moves tomorrow for the Singapore Grand Prix. Your former e-driver from McLaren, Sandberg, and I'll e-commit it at Harry Benjamin. They will be right there. So will I. It's been a hot and sweaty evening here in Singapore. And it'll be more of the same. I'm sure come at Rase Day. Hopefully you will join us then.
But for now, from Sam, Harry, and me, Rosalind, this has been an IMG production for BBC Radio 5 Live. As there to help you grow, Shopify helps you turn browsers into buyers with the Internet's best converting checkout. 36% better on average compared to other leading commerce platforms. Because businesses that grow grow with Shopify. Get a $1 per month trial period at Shopify.com slash work. Shopify.com slash work. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance.
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