It's official F1 Explains is here! Hello and welcome to F1 Explains our live show here from Austin, Texas. This is F1 Explains. We are live on stage at the circuit of the Americas. And in front of us, a lot of F1 Explains listeners! You are louder than last year gang, you are very impressive. Welcome to F1 Explains. This podcast is going out to Formula 1 fans in more than 120 countries around the world. Give them a cheer guys!
I'm Katie Osborne, this is my buddy Christian Hugo and as you guys might know, this is the podcast F1 Explains that answers your guys' questions. We love to hear from you, it's a whole lot of fun but more importantly we have some very special guests today. We have some very special guests, it doesn't matter if you are a brand new Formula 1 fan or you've been watching for years. This is the podcast for you. We always help you learn something about Formula 1 and have a bit of fun along the way.
Me and Katie Osborne run around the F1 paddock and answer your questions and just sometimes as Katie says, just sometimes we like to get some very special guests. Who would like to meet our guests? The time has officially come, I feel like the time is right. I feel like the time is right. I feel like the time is right. Alright, it's the time we've been on waiting for. We have the two time world champ, Mika Hackingen. Oh, thank you so much. Thank you. And that's not all.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the Ferrari Supersub this season. The Hats Supersub this season and for next season driving for the USA Formula 1 team, Hats, it is Oli Berman. We do know that Oli has some athletic skill, we saw it earlier in pickleball, although when I came up to the game you were not quite winning. So tell me the result. Well I voted back. I was still warming up when you saw me. That's what you were doing. We should give some context to this.
In the paddock there is a game called pickleball. I've never heard of it before, but Katie you spotted Oli playing with someone quite familiar, right? Hold on, pickleball stateside. You all know pickleball. Can I just add a curiosity for my own insight. What about tennis? Anybody? Oh, this one. Okay, so we still have some tennis fans, but really pickleball has kind of taken over state side. I think it's maybe a bit similar to your paddle. Mika have you heard of pickleball before?
Yeah, of course. Ladies and gentlemen, they've ever played in this line. That's what I'm telling you. I've heard it other day. It looks really good fun. It looks really good fun. So I have to be careful with my knees. I'm sorry. Me too. The good news is this is the court's a little smaller, not as much running, all those things. And when you were playing against Kimmy today, you did make it come back. You did show up.
Yes, I didn't know how the rules worked because you play for five points, but you can't win unless it's yourself or something like that. Anyway, it was three one. It was looking bleak. We were doing best of five. Desmond. It was looking really bad. But then I came back and I won five three, I think. So I did the comeback of the century. Thank you. A comeback of the century. Have we said to you were playing? My team made enough too. Kimmy, he's racing for Mercedes. Come here, Tinelli.
You're going to be racing together in F1 next year. And I think this is you winning Joule I, Oli. I think you've got early bragging rights here. Early bragging rights. All right, let's get on with answering some of our listeners questions. Now we have Mika and Oli on stage, shall we? And Mika, you did 161 grand praise. Oli, not about a good right, Oli has done too so far. Now Mika, I'm reading some stats here. Mika has 20 wins, 51 podiums, two world championships.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE But, but, but, Oli, you are being... I have zero of all of those. Well, one way. No, no. A couple of years. Mika, you have got unfortunately a lower point scoring record than Oli in one way, because Oli, you've got 100% point scoring record in Formula One. Give Oli a round of applause. Oh, well done. It seems hard to do, right? Oli, how much advice would you give to Mika? Because he's wasn't 100%. How could he have got his higher, do you think?
I think you should have done less races, Mika. You did just two races like me. You would have been fine. That's true. Well, that's a great question. Someone's just shouting from the crowd. Mika, when you stopped racing in Formula One, you did actually say you were on a sabbatical. Now, a sabbatical means a break. You've still not come back yet. Are you ruling yourself out of coming back? Could you be Oli's teammate in the future at some stage? Yeah, I think my six back, you know.
I think I would have to do some work to get back, I tell you. But, you know, these cars these days, they are... Well, it might have been also very fast, but, you know, they are pulling round six T-forces in a corner, so your body weight goes up six times higher. So they're physically very demanding, very tough for your neck. So it would require enormous amount of physical training and amelacities this. I don't want to do that, you know.
As I said, I want to enjoy the padded club and hanging around there. I enjoy the padded club. Basically, you're saying you enjoy having some nice food and the rest while watching races now. Yeah, great. As we kind of heard a little bit from Oli and that any bit of advice he would have given you, as you think back to your start of your F1 career, can you give us the feeling of what that was like and maybe some advice for Oli? Yeah, it's...
You can, of course, you can give many, many stories and what I have learned in my career, what kind of mistakes are there? But like in my career, you know, it took me seven years before I won my first Grand Prix. So that's a long time, you know. You can imagine every morning you wake up, you go from to the mirror, I said, you're fantastic, you know. But after six, seven years, you start looking at mirror in the morning, is it who is this guy? You start losing your confidence.
So it's a very challenging. Of course, the fans, the team, the media, the partners start questioning about your talent, you know. So it's very tricky how all your career goes. So the world is never keep up, you know. You have to believe in yourself. You know, it's a very important factor. You really need to work with the right people.
Of course, you need to be in the right team and give throughout everything for the team, but also your personal team, your supporting team, they need to be really good people, the right people who can give you the right advice, it's in the right time. And it's a very long journey. And the science is important factor these days to helping young drivers in their physical condition in your mental health. So use every tool what is available today to make your better racing driver.
And long term, if you believe in yourself, you will win. And again, when you're a young driver, from La Valle, it is complicated. Do I have to talk too much about that? No, no, this is great. You guys are interested in what you have to say? It is a very long journey. So when you're a young racing driver, you develop every year. You learn all the time something. And that's what I mean, never give up.
But also, same time, you need to be in the right team that way the team keeps you to support team. Now, you make mistakes. Because some teams are not so nice. So you want to see two, three mistakes that kick you out. So choose the right team. I mean, the Ferrari is a great team after. And are the hot people, and they've been nice to you so far too? They've been amazing. Really, really kind. All right. All right. You must be counting down the days until Australian Grand Prix 2025.
You've obviously already made your debut, but you are going to be a full-time Formula One driver. And then how excited are you? 186 days, 12 hours. No, I'm kidding. I'm not that good. I saw his face. You were like, I thought you knew it. I was like, that's so impressive. Drivers are generally calculated, but that would have been very impressive. Yeah, but no, I'm really excited to get started. Getting those two races that I did this year were amazing, but it really hurts.
Because I've done it twice. Now I'm itching to do it again. Luckily, I have a free practice next week in Mexico to at least scratch the edge a little bit, but it's going to be a while till I'm racing full-time, but I can't wait to get started. It's going to be amazing. I know they can't wait to see you in a car. And of course, we can't either. If you're just joining us now, this is F1 Explanings. And we bring in people to ask questions specifically to you, Mika and Oli here.
Let's welcome our first guest. It's Rachel. Oh. Get Rachel around of applause, everybody. CHEERING Rachel, Rachel, welcome to F1 Explanings Live on stage at the Circuit of the Americas. Rachel, how does it feel to be stood there and describe for our podcast listeners what you're wearing? I'm in a wonderful Ferrari Polo. And you're not the only one adorned in Ferrari on the stage. The man next to you is wearing a very nice, very matching. We're matching. We're matching. It's free.
A Ferrari Polo also. And Rachel, what's it like to be stood on stage next to a Formula One driver or two Formula One drivers, in fact? This is indeed the first time. I'm very excited about it. Well, you're very welcome. Whereabouts you from, Rachel? I'm from here in Austin. From Austin, everyone. CHEERING You must love it when Formula One comes to town. I really do. You really do. And we love coming to Austin, by the way. Austin, we love you. This place is awesome.
Truly, we were talking about this earlier saying, how welcoming, how wonderful this is, even compared to other circuits as places. I've got my, I've got my, I've got my Texas Long Hall. If you guys follow Christian on social media, he almost took that hat off today for interviews. And he kept it on because he told y'all he was going to keep it on. So, well done, Christian. Hook him. I, I see you. Woo! CHEERING Sorry, I've been Texas Long Halls distracted.
And I think, Rachel, you should ask your question. You take it away. The stage is yours. Excellent. My question is, there are a lot of new young drivers racing in F1 at the moment, and new ones joining next season who are a part of Driver Academies. I'm curious how teams scout their next superstar, Oli, how did Ferrari spot you for their Driver Academy? Ferrari is quite a specific academy. They, they run scouting camps every year.
It's a bit like a football team where they bring the prospective drivers to Maronello. They test them physically mentally, but also on the circuit that they have. So they get a first-hand view of exactly how the driver is performing in every capacity, which is great. Some other academies just base it off of the driver's performances in Formula 4, Formula 3, even carting. But Ferrari has a very thorough process. So, when I was maybe 15 or 16, they sent me to Italy.
And I did this full week of training and everything, and then they found me that way. So yeah, it's quite a cool way that they do it for a row. I think they've taken inspiration from football teams and stuff like that. But yeah, usually based on good performance, that's how they find you. Amazing. Thank you. Thanks so much. How do we think Oli did answering our first list for question, everyone? CHEERING AND APPLAUSE I think he did rather well, don't you, Katie?
Pretty solid. Good work on that one. Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm F1 to explain round of applause for being brilliant in answering our first question. It's Rachel, everybody. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE Rachel, thank you. Thank you. And Mika, as a follow-up question to that, obviously driver academies in the history and legacy of what that has... and what that is really has changed. And maybe a hair different than it was back in 1991.
What was the prep like when you kind of were getting yourself in a driver's seat? We did have a driving academies. And quite a few different companies organized this kind of academies. And they're really, really professional how they did it. And they started already, like today, in a lower category, they started already developing you becoming a Formula One driver. And it was a super exciting journey. One of the training courses, of course, is part of your fitness programs.
One of the areas is how is it managing your life? And then there's a driving school. So this happened to me when I was something like 20 years old and they put me in this academy, like in a driving school. And I was thinking, what is this all about? I know how to drive a car, you know? So it was interesting. And what's fantastic, I think what was the most important is this driving school was that they were using for advisors like James Hunt.
And that may be some of you do recognize that name, the World Champion Formula One. So we recognized James Hunt's coach today. We've got real race fans here. So he was one of my mentors when I was a young guy. And he was a race special guy. He always told me that when I left from his house, he said, me, remember, have fun. And he was a quite a special character. And I always, when I left from his house, I was wondering, what do you mean having fun? You go 200 miles per hour with the car.
And it's not so much fun. But then realizing later on, I recognized the message that way, whatever you do in your life, you need to enjoy. And when you do enjoy, you do make a better job. And you can have fun. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE Legend Gentlemen, who would like to meet another listener? CHEERING AND APPLAUSE Please welcome, Ack Wann explains, listen to number two to the stage. It's Michelle! CHEERING AND APPLAUSE All right, guys, what's fun about Michelle? Is Michelle?
This is not her first rodeo with F1 Explains. Oh, she's a seasoned guest. Thank you for recognizing it. Yes, she's back around. She heard that y'all were coming, and she was like, yes, I want to be a part of that. So welcome back. But for those who don't know, where are you from? What's your story? Sure. I'm Michelle. I'm from Cleveland, Ohio. Oh! Oh! Since everyone can't see, I'm sporting a Cleveland shirt and not any team's shirts.
Because last year, I wore my Dutch orange, and I didn't want to be mistaken for a McLaren fan. I'm sorry. Oh! Oh, it's all gone by. Did anybody catch me this face right there? Anybody noticed that? I'm winning, friends. It's fine. They like you, really. Carry on. I am an F1 fan because I really love how nerdy and math-based the sport is.
I've never been a sports person, and the notion of a sport where they penalise teams by taking away their wind tunnel testing time is just the nerdiest thing I've ever heard. It's good for the gigs, isn't it? So on that note, round of a general, you got this. Thank you. So, Mika and Ali, I'm a strictly recreational go-carter. What advice can you give to me to make me go faster? Break glass and accelerate more. LAUGHTER No. No. No, I'm kidding. The karting, like rental karting, right?
Yes. The thing is, with rental cars, they're very heavy, and they don't have much power. So you have to be as fast as you can in the corners, because if you slow down too much in the corners, you don't have enough power to speed you up again. So, I mean, it's easier said than done, I would say, but try to really be as fast as you can through the corners. And if you want, we can go together and now push you along. Oh, solid off. All these things are fun around here.
Mika, on your end, what is your advice for some go-carting, especially knowing that your youngs also are into go-carting as well? Well, break later than others. Just break later. Just break later. Just break later. You know, that's not wise. You know, just break later. It's simple. No, just break later. First time when you come in the corner, you know, long straight, you know, and the corner is getting closer, you know? The first thing you should press the break pedal, come three.
You only come three, Mika. Yeah, come three. I agree. Then you press it, you know. I love it. Thank you. Guys, he's been go-carting out here. Oh, we've got someone's got, but you're carrying... There's a lady in the front row with a helmet. You're carrying that round all day, and it's just on. Maybe he came here with the go-cart. Did you drive here when you go-cart? No, you didn't. No. I would suggest a cap next time. It's lighter, but it's fine.
So, guys, next time you go-carting, you can say you've had advice from two Formula One drivers, OK? So, bank this. It's worth coming to the F1 explain. So basically, counter three, if you're feeling adventurous, counter four. OK. And then basically, Micka's advice is don't break. I'm not sure this is a great health and safety question that we've done here, but excellent. Michelle, next time you go-carting, are you going to be mentioning this?
Well, I think I'm going with Ali next time, so definitely. That's true. Hassan, offer in a heart. That is go-carting with Ali Vermon. We'll hold you to that. Now, you've said it on a podcast, Ali, I'm afraid. I sure hope we do a live show at that one, too. Michelle, thank you for coming up and joining us. Have you enjoyed it? Yeah, absolutely. Thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen, give it a warm round of applause. It's Michelle!
Right, guys, we get questions from all over the world on F1 explains, but this is a first for us. This is a new one. For the first time in our podcast's history, we have a question not just from a listener, but from a listener who is involved in a different sport. Have we got any NBA fans in? Have we got any San Antonio Spurs fans in? They are based just down the road here in Texas. They have an F1 fan on their roster, and they have sent us this question.
I have one explaining a city circle from the Spurs. I have a question for you. Is the pilot or the car their window race? It's both. The car can drive by itself. That was such a methodical... Beyond that point, is there any other way that you could define the difference between our wins? It's a bit of everything, because for sure, if you're not in a certain number of cars, it's impossible to win the race.
But by the same token, the driver also has to do the job, especially in qualifying the cars are split nowadays by really small margins. So even if you have the fastest car, it's not guaranteed that you put the car on pole. So, yeah, I wouldn't say it's 50-50, but they're both really, really important. You can't win the race if you're not in the fastest car, but by being in the fastest car, you don't win the race by default. It's a bit of everything.
Well, we've had those ongoing conversations, right? Is the driver, is it the car? If a particular driver was in a different car, would they show the same results? What's your take on that? Well, it's a sure the driver has to be very talented driver to take these kind of car like Formula One, to limit, and to make it go round the corners fast. So, I think the wind the crown plays. It's 99% is the driver. 99% driver. Olli, would you agree? Yes. It's unbelievable, guys, isn't it?
Because it's me, Kai, I can't argue with the boss. We've got two drivers on stage, and they say it's 99% driver. I'm truly shocked by this. So, what do you guys think is a 99%? Yes, no. I feel like your price is riding it earlier. I feel like the higher now or lower? The going price is right. Who thinks it's higher than 99%. Who thinks it's lower than 99%. How dare you disagree with our Formula One driver, guests?
These guys, how offended are you now, guys, that this crowd are disagreeing with you? I'm not talking anymore. A big thank you to the San Antonio Spurs. Also, this is a shout just to them. Thank you, San Antonio Spurs, for supporting F1 Explains. On that note, though, back here, track side. Are we all ready to meet our next guest? Alright, let's get her out here. Let's turn to me. And... Erin, welcome. Welcome to F1 Explains.
Tell us where you're from and also which Formula One fan group you're from. So, I'm from LA. Thank you. And I am a diehard McLaren fan, but I'm also... I'm also always a Ferrari fan. What, guys, what do you make of this? This is interesting. I love soccer, right, back in the UK. You can only have one soccer team. You can only have one. It's like, don't listen to anyone. I'm a Lester City fan, right? You can only have one. Can you have two Formula One teams, guys? Can you do that?
Oli, can you have two F1 teams? I do. Oli, you score points for two Formula One teams. Exactly, I have to support both of them. What about you? Can you have two? Yeah, I'm sure you can have three or four. Ten, four or ten. It's fine. You got one fan? What is your question having for these guys? Sure. So, my question is for Mika. You were talking? Oli looked offended and sat. So, Mika, you said earlier that confidence is so important for young drivers in F1, especially facing their first year.
How did they gain that confidence? Confidence. I experienced that way, you know, because I started motor racing when I was six years old. So, very, very young. And you do a lot of lot of practicing and a lot of the racing. So, that's the time when you build your confidence inside you. So, when you do entering to Formula One example, you are already super confident. You know, so it's just a practice. You know, it's just a massive amount of practice.
And you just have to believe in yourself and the people who you're working with. You know, that's an important factor. But there is no, in my opinion, there is no any secret formula. You just have to feel good with yourself and keep your foot down. Oli, did you ever struggle with confidence when you first got in a car or were you like, I can do this? I'm born ready for this. I didn't really struggle until my first F1 race in Jetta.
That was really tough because you always, you know, before the first race, you always question if you're good enough, if you can, you know, if you're at the level of these guys in F1. So, before I did the race in Jetta with Ferrari, I was really nervous and not sure if I was at the level of these guys. But I think once you do it once, you, you know, show what you can do, then it's really easy to get confidence. It's kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy once you do well.
You get more confidence, then you do better, and so forth. Yeah, I think you just need to get the baseline confidence, and from now it's, it's a bit easier. Yeah, that, I can't imagine how much confidence plays into everything. Like you've mentioned even mental health in the process, it really is important in that. Now, Aaron, stay here. Before Micka and Oli go, we need to bring out a couple more people who want to see you. Some more F1 explains listeners who have come from a long way away.
So guys, you need to give them a properly big coat of welcome. Please welcome Ryan and Daniel! Ryan Daniel, welcome! Guys, where have you come from today? We've come over from New Zealand. And who do you support? Um, McLaren. Well done. It's a McLaren sandwich. And we also support Liam Lawson. Well, not only you stood next to a McLaren legend, but I've got a surprise for you guys. Producer Chris, can we borrow you? Give Producer Chris a round of applause please, F1 explains listeners.
Now McLaren guys heard that you were going to be here and had come all the way from New Zealand. So what we have for you is a signed half from Lando and Oscar. Are you happy with that? Yeah, really. Thank you guys. Thanks, McLaren. Go, Lando. Yeah, McLaren. Not a bad prize for the Micka. I think it's absolutely fantastic. And of course McLaren coming from New Zealand, you know, so it's an incredible story. So well done. Great to be here guys.
And then Ollie from this point of view, you remember being that young and looking up to some of these drivers who are now probably going to be competing against any advice for little ones like this to say, hey, look, you can do it. Exactly. When I was your age, I was watching Lewis racing in F1. Next year. Next year, I'll be racing against him. So it's great to see and I'm so happy for you guys, you know, you've traveled a long way, but you have something to show for it.
That's really, really awesome. Did you ever think you'd stand next to Formula One drivers? Maybe. Yeah, he thought it would happen. He was sure. What about you, sir? No way. Right. F1 explains family. I needed to show some appreciation. Micka Hacken and has been on the show many, many times. That's good.
We are so delighted to see young, exciting talent coming through. You smashed it in your super, super appearances. We're so excited to see what you can do in a house next year and racing in Formula One full time. We thank you both so much for being on F1 explains. Thank you to our listeners, but ladies and gentlemen, I want you to go absolutely wild for Ollie Behrman and Micka Hacken. Of course. Thank you. Thank you, everyone. Thank you all of you guys for being part of this.
Just before we go, shall we read some signs with our crowd here? What's happening here? You want us to reveal the gender of your baby on F1 explains. Let's see if we can snag a mecha for this one. A listener has given us a gender reveal envelope and they want Micka to do it. Micka, before you go, would you like to reveal the gender of a listener's baby? You've got to go and meet Holda. Can you guys even see it? Open up this envelope. Where we go? Oh, they're over here.
It says soyadni no. It's a boy. Congratulations. Oh, those are the happy couple right now. We've revealed the gender of a baby on F1 explains. Micka, thank you. Absolutely chaos. What else have we got? That was not what I was expecting today. Katie, what others? We've got someone who's made a sign that says this is my sign. I love this simplicity. That makes sense. Yuki signed my plate. That's cool. Yuki, 22. Go Norris, go Maclaren, go Lando. Oh, you're risking graduation.
Girl, first congratulations on graduating here so soon that you will. But more importantly, thank you for being here. There's a sign up there that says everybody is a Ferrari fan, 55-colour signs. Hang on. But then the Ferrari's crossed out and it says Williams underneath it, which... Oh, hang on, there's Katie, what's that one? Charles, I changed my 15th B-Day party to come. See you. That's so nice of you. Dedications to the cause. Circuit of the Americas. Who has enjoyed watching F1 explains?
We are the official Formula One podcaster, answers your questions. Get your phones out. Search F1 explains on Spotify or Apple. Subscribe, follow or like. Me and Katie have new episodes every Friday. We have listeners in more than 120 countries. And you're very welcome to join us. Cota, you have been amazing. Thank you so much. Thank you, all of you. My name is Christian Cugill. This is Katie Osborne. We are everyone explains on the podcast we'll be back next week.
And Circuit of the Americas, we're excited to see you next year. Good night, everybody. Thank you so much. Good night.