Engine Upgrades and Team Updates

Hello everybody . Good evening, Buenos Tardes as they say here in sunny Barcelona and we're back to back racers in Formula One twenty twenty six for the seventh round of the FIFA one World Championship , the Grand Prix of Don't call it Span theish Grand Prix because that's coming later in the year, we think or is that the Madrid Grand Prix? Barcelona, Catalonia. With me, standing in front David Croft is Harry Benjamin, standing over us is Harry Benjamin and Craigslater . Afternoon all. Hello. Nice to be back. Thanks for having me. It's good that you can actually recall what the name of the race is because it's seven great big letters. Well, I'm reading it on that one over there , but it is the Barcelona in Catalonia. So do we think Madrid is not the Spanish Grand Prix? No, Madrid will be the Spanish Grand Will. Yeah. Okay, at the Madring at the Madring. Yeah. Okay. I'm going there next week to have a look around. How are you? I am. Okay . With the monumental is the corner monumental? And well with Zanvor off the calendar, I think it will become the steepest corner in Formula One next year. Okay. I hope it's better more than I rouge. Now that it's dressed up banking wise. Oh banking wise. I mean, I was there when it was just it looked like the Grand Prix of Houndslow, not to or kind of well, you know, it was right next to it. It was near the airport and sort of exhibition center or but I think once the stands are added, it will have a lot more character and atmosphere obviously. But it was that was my initial concern visiting the site months ago. Well, our office is near Houndslows, not only buildings like the Grandprey of Sky, whatever. Good idea. Stefano Dim in the caring? We've got an idea for you. Right. Well, the point of Padakunca, welcome to what a star is to we've already had a new Grand Prix. Is to give people the inside line on what's been going on in the paddock so far and lots of stories I've got to tell you carrying on from the Monaco Grand Prix, not least the fact that you don't hear this very often, the FIA appeared to have admitted making a mistake with the pit lane speeding penalties. More of that later, but all of the attention has been on the Vundakind of Formula One at the moment, Kimmy Antonellian. Here outside Mercedes, he is going for six in a row, almost unprecedented, certainly from a driver only in the second year of Formula One. So I wasn't in the press conference, I was in the Penn doing some other interviews, so I didn't hear what he was not worried about. What was he not worried about? Who was in the thing I asked him was mainly about, you know, what's changed since pre since last season to this season and it's a load of things . It's not worrying about all the various processes of what's going on with the car and why is this not working and why is that not working? And just having a more overall feel and a comfort with the team around him and from week in week out he's not, worrying about turning up to a track for the first time, a having not raced it either. One of the things he actually brought up was the idea of energy and the energies he's feeling. And that is from race to race, something he's a lot more comfortable with. And I think that that explains quite a lot for a driver because a lot of it is done on feel, right? And if he's got this good energy about him and he's feeling that from the team, he's getting it back , then it's a match made in heaven. Yeah, he's quite I mean, we go on about the natural instincts and driving talent of a Kimmy Antoni, but actually he's got an analytical brain and even remember last year that problem weekend that weekend where he had all these schoolmates down at the track almost a year ago this week or a couple of weeks ago , it drained him of energy having to do all of that. And he's been I think very quickly he has made corrections or appraised when he had time, what worked, what didn't, how do I change the people around me or my routine and it is all paying off. Are you a big believer of that phrase or things happen for a reason? And I'm just wondering when I think about that time in Immola, when he invited all his team and his girlfriends, there was a big distraction took away some of the focus, perhaps what he later admits. Yeah. You put him off because he was exhausted before the weekend even happened. There was nobody in the team said not sure if you should do that, Kimmy. I'm not sure it's something that I find out . That's what we find out. Yeah , is it sometimes that things maybe happen for a reason? I would agree with you. I think things happen for a reason and things don't happen for a reason on the other side of it as well. And I think he's generally going from race to race. He also said, you know, I'm not thinking about the championship, but you know, whether or not you believe it. We've heard it always . I know that. But he has this aura about him. You know, even when he swanned into the press conference, it actually wasn't a swan , it was just a he had a confident air about him immediately chatting to Tom Clarkson who does the hosting of it asking about, you know, being really personable with everybody. He was the first one there as well. He was early. Didn't want to be slapped with a bill from the F IA . So all of that, I just feel like he's got this air about him, which he didn't always have last year. It's a sixty six point there. Otherwise, yeah, it's going to cause ten points two races to go if he still is calm what's he? And he's still got time to ask if anyone's seen his towel . So have you seen his towel? I last saw it in the hands of a Kardash. Okay, have you seen his towel? No, anyone's seen his towel. I wouldn't touch his towel though. Quite right. What about George? I always think and I've thought this quite often in Formula One, when you sometimes get someone with a big point, gap or deficit, you start rationalizing a little bit too much why that is the reason and I do actually align with George on the fact that he's had a lot of bad luck. He could have had a whole heap more points. And so actually, I think the notion that Kimmy is significantly quicker , which people are beginning to say more often now, certainly based on the last couple of races that he looks faster. I'm not entirely sure which would have would have panned out out carrying great carry on . So yeah, I think I've got a feeling the luck will even itself out and maybe in a half a dozen races time. I'm sure Kim will still be ahead, but maybe there'll be that seed of doubt in which way this championship's going to go. The points gap doesn't doesn't fairly tell the story so far. It's not it's not that George's been failing to optimize his car and he's been well off the pace and he's he's not been up there and fighting. You know, just go to last week in Monaco. He should have picked up a bag full of points, maybe not on the podium, but then ended outside of the point. So it doesn't reflect the story of the season so far. And you know, at the time, we still don't know how long this season 's going to be when it comes to races. There's still time for the that luck to swing back his way needs he needs them. Yeah, it wanted all but I know I played I mean playing football that's probably a strong word to say this morning. Like I helped kick a ball at George Russell this morning as he came in. Did you? Yeah, we were doing sort of first touch challenge. Okay World Cup fever and all that and I was I was actually a bit sort of surprised at how you know it was first thing in the mor ning, but he was so full of beans full of confidence really up for it, happy smiley and that kind of character is not somebody who's worried. He's not somebody who's who's feeling that he's on the back foot. He knows what he's got to do. He knows he can do it. I don't think he's getting sort of this idea of right okay, Kimmy is quicker than me now and I've got to start getting out there. Just this is a Monaco was a kind of test track for qualifying excellence and Kimmy Antonio passed that test. This is another kind of almost standardized bellweather circuit in terms of race pace and maybe overall qualifying pace as well . It's another significant weekend if Kimmy can beat George because of that, I think, but maybe it's an opportunity if George is the more rounded package for him to post a decent win this weekend . He needs a result yes. He does, which is why he didn't seem too worried . He hasn't been had he's shaken off the whole bamboozled. That will be a word of the season, won't it? Bamboozled. What about it being the summer of George? Is that what he said? Could it be summer the of George? And is this the Russell Reset ? But he instead , rather than not getting my Seinfeld references, he was talking about how he sort of mentally deals with the pressures of a grandpri season, especially when it's not going entirely his way . Okay, right. So that is the Mercedes guys dealt with now let's get on, shall we? The reason that Craig has got his document out there on his portable electr onic device is that we have had some news from the FIA that it looks like all potentially of the pit lane speeding infractions of the Monaco Grand Prix might have been given incorrectly and that they might not have been speeding after all. Can you give us the key line in their initial findings? So they have accepted Alpine's appeal and they'll hear the case again in front of the Stewarts. And the key aspect to this is people will know that these speeding fines and there's Lando Norris just arriving his teammate Oscar Piaster didn't wanna during the race landed. Yesterday did land in it. But it's because people think that the distance that the timing sensors were measuring were shorter , was longer rather than the actual distance covered by the cars. So it says here formula One management as official timekeeping supplier to the competition provided evidence that a distance used in calculating the F one official timing and hence the pit lane speed inaccurate . So surely and overestimated the speed of car ten. So surely that leads to an overturn in Gasley in specifics result . But then it caused a headache. So the issue is no you're right there. I've never known them . So yeah to admit a fault of timing mistake. Well , so they cite Formula One management who supply the timekeeping instrumentation from doing most of the infrastructure around the site. The FIN on behalf of all the are receivers of that data is there ? Well everywhere everyone is . So in a sense they are casting the blame towards former One Management but they have to they have to appreciate how and where that data has come from. So I think that is a we'll have to fall let's see what the final decision is on this, but key to Gazley's situation is that he did not serve the penalty for the for the speedy guy . So that means he can appeal had he had he served the penalty in this question , he would not have been able to appeal it, but he looks like getting the podium back. Yeah. We will be telling you about loops and what they look like and how they're measured and all of this and Corne's gone through it in the skypad will be doing that. Don't you worry about it throughout the whole weekend? So stay with us for that. But we want to hear from all the drivers and they've had things to say, not least Pierre Gasly whether he as the only team and driver affected who did appeal and it's too late for all the others. We got a list here actually just quickly of all the people who did get done for speeding in the pit lane in Monaco, but it was only Alpine and Gasly who actually lodged an appeal and that time limit to lodge an appeal has now expired. So all of those other people, Hamilton, Russell, Piatri, Colopinto , they can't now appeal their penalties, not that perhaps it would affect their race or they could do anything about it because the time has elapsed. Okay, two things on this. Firstly, can you blame him and you think it's quite cool and fun to do the I don't care that I'm not going to keep it but I'm going to celebrate anyway when I saw that it felt pretty genuine at the time to me, but that he felt like he had it. And if it gives him a taste of what it's like on the podium and without getting it and then he gets it back then he's had a small celebration authentically. Sources from Putin Alpine suggested to me he was doing it sarcastically point out he was doing it for a long while though. He was to point out the unfairness, underscore the unfairness of being deprived of third place . It's quite a long thing to do with lots of energy just for Spike basically. No, not Spike, but he's obvious making a point . You know, I think he's clarified that he after the race. He was happy He was had a face like London. You can't blame it. And it sort of carried into the day a little bit. Right. That's point one. Point two , are we in the position then that we think that the FIA are probably not going to overturn or cannot overturn the result of the Monaco Grand Prix and instead will come out when they come out with it and we're still waiting, aren't we? Possibly tomorrow for a final decision Friday and judgment tomorrow. Okay in a kind of let's just put this down to experience and make sure it never happens again type thing. I know I think you could get as they will get his podium You think they will. Yes. Yeah. I think that's where it's pointing. He'll get fifteen points. Those are the podium. No, but he'll get the trophy. Those are the protocols, I think. You even asked Isac, would you have to hand the trophy over? And he said, If I have to, then yes. Okay, I mean I've seen results changed and trophies handed back . I remember Fischeller and Kimmy Reichen on the Grid Nimula after a race in Brazil, which was red flagged . But my point is if you're accepting that all of those were wrong, all of those penalties didn't were wrong, and all of those infractions didn't happen, then is it just hard luck down to the other teams who didn't put in a protest , and wouldn't they then want to revisit it later? Well, the fact that they didn't put in a protest, I think that's what they will come back on because they haven't done it yet. In fact, Louis Helton's right. He served it. Exactly. George Russell was the foresight in the car to say let's not serve it and let's contest it after the race. He did though this right. I mean, and he was . So then that's when that's on the team that you got a question them afterwards. So I unfortunately it opens up a rather large can of worms. Really? I mean, nevermind that a cauldron. What's a larger can of worms? A culdron cauldron. It's bigger than a worm. Turine. I mean, I've never I've very seldom known something like that. But yeah, okay, well listen, we will see, maybe they just keep it as simple as Pierre Gasly gets the fifteen points and the trophy . But we will see, we'll keep you up to date. Something else that's going around in Formula One is that some people , some engine manufacturers are allowed to upgrade their engines if they're found to be wanting in power compared to the best. Now, given that they've won all the Grand Prix so far and won everything, apart from one sprint race, actually no they have they won the sprint race as well. Mercedes were thought to be the best engine, but no , it turns out the best internal combustion engine at least is the Red Bull . And well, it came as a bit of a surprise to some drivers. So what do we think is going to happen here? It was provisional. Well, I did ask him, do you think you can get it overturned then? Well, hang on. So what have you you've seen a document that says Red Bull is the bench setter. So Mercedes , Ferrari and Audio get one. No, Mercedes get one. One of the others get two. The others get two ex orcist. Yeah. So I mean that came out when I saw that on Sunday evening in Monaco. Lewis Hamilton had clearly clearly called a token but really it's an opportunity to upgrade. You're allowed to upgrade your I think it is significant that hasn't been made public. So maybe there is more discussion room, maybe there's leave to contest this and they didn't want to make it public. I did ask Max immediately afterwards this are you looking to contest this? And he says, Well, that's why we're having the discussion. So clearly he thinks there's something to be gained there. I mean, it's sounding like just from hearing today that the talk at a Rebels that they are pushing for some kind of review into this because on the face of it, how does that possibly stack up? But we know they look they're looking at the ICE side, they're not looking at the electrical side, but even that has a big question mark over itself, why are they not doing that? So I think there's because this is this got has r amifications not just in the short term, but this is over the next couple of seasons. So this is a really big moment. There'll be a couple of other checks on the on the Agio stuff after I think it's Hungary and Mexico where they'll do another recheck of it. But you've got to get it right now. So I'd rather that you have some sort of review, which I hope they do to get it sorted now because on the face of it, the order to I think to us to anyone watching at home, doesn't quite stack up . Okay plenty of other stories going around the place . Name one, I liked Ceco Perez making excuses for his out of position, but saying that the point they might have chosen was still good for Cadillac. Yeah, I just had a ten minute chat with him . randomly A different story maybe no you could tell when you bring it up it hurts him and I think he knows that he made a mistake and they seem convinced that there will be another opportunity to get points and maybe they're right in this era of reliability being quite a big factor, but I think that what hurts Mor is that it went to Aston Martin. Okay, other Noris see almost almost impossible for him to defend his title. Now he thinks , but not beyond them to start winning races. Yes, maybe well, they've got an upgrade coming here. They were pinning quite a lot on it. So let's see how they get on here. Listen, McLaren go well at usual layout circuit layouts like this so they could definitely be on the podium or eat breaks Charl er. The thorny . Then there's the Brakes and Charlie Leclerc exactly. Well, he's gone to different breaks and that might have a better weekend. It's kind of political, isn't it? They've got this. Oh, don't start. This looks political, but it's we need to get the statements. There's no more statements, don't more statements. We'll do that in the session, Craig. I promise you, I promise you. We're back on air tomorrow, usual Europe an timings, okay? Friday morning, Friday afternoon, F one show, qualifying Sunday morning. Start Print weekend. Grand Prix twelve thirty, alright? Usual European timings. Harry, Craig, thank you so much as this day, second of a back to back here in Europe from sunny Barcelona. And that's it for now. Thanks for your company. Looking forward to having you with us throughout the weekend, bye bye.