Reaction to Japanese GP practice

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1:00Hi, this is Pablo Torei from Pablo Torei. Finds out and today I want to talk to you about boost mobile because we spend a lot of time analyzing inefficiencies in sports, overvalued contracts, money tied up in the wrong places, and so on, but those inefficiencies aren't just on a roster. Sometimes, they're in your own monthly expenses. Boost mobile says switching to their $25 unlimited forever plan can unlock up to $600 in savings a year. That's $25 a month for unlimited data, talk and text when you bring your own phone. If that money is trapped in a pricey phone bill, it might be worth a second look. Visit boostmobile.com to learn more. After 30 gigabytes, customers may experience lower speeds. Customers pay $25 per month as long as they remain active on the boost mobile unlimited plan. Savings claim based on a January 2026 boost mobile survey of a thousand Americans with single line unlimited plans, comparing average annual payments of major carriers to 12 months on the boost mobile unlimited plan. For full offered details, visit boostmobile.com. This message is brought to you by Apple Card. It's a great time to apply for an Apple Card.

2:04You'll have earning unlimited daily cash on every purchase that includes 3% daily cash when you buy the latest iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch at Apple. Through this special referral offer, when you get a new Apple Card, you can earn bonus daily cash. To qualify, you must apply at apple.co-get-daily-cash. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City Branch. Offer may not be available elsewhere, terms and limitations apply. Hello everybody and welcome back to the P1 Podcast with Matt and Tommy, Japanese Grand Prix Friday. Let's talk about it. We've had some news, we've had some things going on in the world of Formula One in the lead up to this and also some things to discuss now that we've seen the cars around the legendary Suzuki Circuit. Tommy, you have literally just got back

3:06from holiday. You don't look tired at all. Last time it was me that was in trouble. I'm still a little bit in trouble, but I'm getting there. It's you now in trouble, Tommy, but with jet lag this time. It's not even jet lag, it's just jet lag. It's just jet lag. It's just that classic like being on an airplane with aircon and everyone coughing and, you know, good times. But we'll make it through. All right, stay away from me. Don't transmit it through the microphone please. That would be good. Right now, so some things to talk about. First and foremost, before we get into it, let's absorb and enjoy every single second of content that we bring out and talk about with Formula One and try not to complain too much because F1's going away for a month. There is no F1 in April, which makes me feel very upset. But of course, you know, there are reasons for that that make absolute sense as to why we've not got two races in April. So yeah, let's just try and

4:10enjoy Japan as much as we can before we head into almost the length of the off season it feels like in April. So at the first thing to talk about because we mentioned, didn't we previously coming into Suzuka that there might be some adjustments and changes to do with the battery, the wonderful thing. Let's talk complain about it. And then immediately three seconds later to talk about you in super clipping. At least I said, let's try not to. And that's now out the window after 10 seconds. But the FIA, you know, they've heard, they've listened to the F1 teams and perhaps the fans and made a small adjustment to the maximum energy recharge from nine megajoules to eight megajoules for qualifying, essentially taking away a slight bit of the reliance of the battery, which in turn is supposed to give slightly higher speeds towards the end of the straights.

5:11We've seen Friday running. Yeah. And what was nine megajoules going to be like, that's what I'm going to ask. Yeah, my thoughts exactly. It's obviously this was one of the worst circuits for it, we're early in the season as well, we're just trying to work everything out. So they've tried to do something to kind of save qualifying because that's been the big thing that we're all kind of upset about. No, we, I feel like the start of the season is going to be very similar in the fact that we get after qualifying, we go, oh, that was rubbish and annoying, they're super clipping, they're easing off, it doesn't feel like qualifying. And then we have these brilliant races and that's everything that's happened so far. And they've tried to kind of rectify that with this whole, you know, not making them harvest as much. But we have still seen an insane amount of super clipping. I mean, 130R is one of the best corners in Formula One, the whole calendar and my word that it is literally like, you've run out of petrol or something

6:12and you're just slowly, slowly, slowly losing speed into the chicane. And I know it's only practiced, but I saw an on board with max and that was about 50 KBHL from essentially the top speed. And we used to them flying through 130R, you know, flat out. Charlotte Claire adjusting his mirror with one hand famously going around that corner and Alonso's amazing pass on Tue Mac and all those amazing moments, you're one 130R, but yeah, it's a shame, isn't it? It's a big shame, you know, downshifting, of course, as well, which is always lovely to hear. Try not to complain, not to complain. So they made the changes, ish, a tiny change, you know, a minuscule change, which as not for me, I've not seen anything visibly different to the last two races that we've seen if anything, it's even worse because 130R is such an iconic corner and it is, I know it was easy

7:12before, like last year, of course, they would take it flat, you know, a little bit of a turn of the wheel, easy stuff. Now it feels like you could get out and walk around it at exactly the same speed. And that's, of course, what they're trying to help with, but surely everybody knew that that this is more trying to save their blushes as much as possible rather than this is a fix, because it's not going to be a fix until something much more drastic happens. So, look, Saturday is a problem, we know that Sunday has been entertaining and I hope that it will continue to be that way. So yes, let's see, let's see how the rest of the weekend goes, because if we have great Sundays, then perhaps that is the trade-off that we're not used to to giving, but the trade-off that we have to accept, at least for this year whilst they figure it out. Okay, let's get into free practice one where the top three were George Russell, Kimi Antonelli and Lando Norris, an uneventful session, not much to go off the part from

8:17randomly Sergio Perez and Alex Albon having a crash. If you actually watch that, you would be forgiven for thinking that was Sunday race day, because Alex Albon just dived down the inside into the last chicane. Perez just does not see him. That right mirror has not been used heading into that last chicane, because he just turns in and there was a big impact. Albon, of course, also involved in and off at the Degna II and going into the gravel trap, but fortunately for him managing to get out. But I think, apart from that, of course Jack Crawford was in the Aston Martin replacing Fernando Alonzo. I'm sure Alonzo was absolutely devastated to not be in the Aston Martin before the spring break as they're calling it. And we can now officially crown another daddy of the podcast, Daddy Vowels, but now I mean, I'm sure there are many other daddies that we don't call daddy, but Daddy Alonzo. I've always called Alonzo Daddy Alonzo anyway.

9:18Yeah, that's different story. Yeah, Fernando, I'm surprised even once get back in that car. I saw a clip actually of the whole vibrations and stuff, and it seems like the car. You can even see it on the onboard camera, how much it's vibrating, and it looked like it's even doing it just being idle on the grid, waiting to do the start. So, first Fernando Alonzo, I'd probably, he's a racer, and this is why he's a multiple champion and a racing driver, but why do I want to get back in that car? I don't know. But yeah, he's congratulations, Fernando, but not congratulations on having to drive the Aston Martin for the rest of the weekend, because it still looks absolutely horrendous, car to drive, and yeah, probably hurts even more that, you know, it's at Honda's home track, and I saw Aston Martin for seemingly the first time it feels like post like a picture where they're kind of sat with a Honda engineer,

10:20and they're kind of like, we're in this together, we can do this because it's maybe a bit slanderer so far, and there's been comparisons, hasn't there, to the McLaren Honda days and how they need to be careful to not blow the relationship up within the first two races, because they can turn it around, we saw that what they did with Red Bull. Exactly, but it's just how much time is that going to take, and how old will Fernando Alonzo be when that is all sorted? When he's racing as kid. Now that would be something. Let's head to free practice to the more representative session, and it's Oscar Piastry fastest ahead of Kimi Antonelli, and George Russell. So once again, two Mercedes and a McLaren. Now, the big question from people on Patreon, remember Tony Soprano, are McLaren back? What a Friday in terms of pace. They still have their gremlins,

11:22Lando had some problems today, but in terms of the pace, it feels as though they've finally been given the final page of the instruction booklet that says how to actually turn it on, because they look on par with Mercedes around one lap, that they really do, across FP1 and FP2. Piastry, of course, being fastest in the second session, it's really exciting. It's awesome to see that McLaren have found something around here. Now, it's not necessarily, doesn't necessarily mean that it's going to be consistent throughout the season now, but it's a huge step forward for McLaren. I don't think you could argue, at least obviously it's only Friday running, but I don't think you could argue that Mercedes have fallen back, because then you look at the soft tire runs in particular in FP2 for Ferrari to Mercedes, and the gap still seems massive. I will say that for Ferrari, they looked much better on the mediums when they were doing flying laps,

12:23but as soon as they put on the softs, they couldn't take that step that the Oscar managed to do, and the Mercedes and of course, Lando was playing a little bit of catch-up. So, yeah, for me right now, McLaren are right in the hunt, depending on the steps they take between now and tomorrow, to challenge not just for pole, but perhaps even beyond the podium and race wins. A good surprise, you might say, McLaren. I was thinking about the predictions, and I was regretting every... I literally... I was like, Matt, it's true practice to get over yourself, but I was like, oh my god, and I forgot about your good surprise as well. I've good surprise Red Bull, they look shocking. They do. I've gone for a Hamilton win, and he's gone, I don't have any confidence in the car. I'm like, why can't concussion Matt from a few days ago have cooked, but instead, I think I might be well on for zero points and you're on for about eight. Yeah, McLaren look very nice indeed, particularly, as you mentioned, on the one lap pace,

13:26and that's going to be important for them, because obviously we've seen them a bit further down the order at the start. But, look, McLaren has kind of said before in China, but then they ended up having a double DNS, so they didn't back it up. But in theory, if Mercedes have this big engine performance, and that's where they're finding a lot of their time, McLaren have that same engine, and we've said jokes about the instruction manual on how they just need to unlock it. If this is three races in, and we don't know yet, maybe Mercedes just turned the wick up in main qualifying in the miles ahead. But, McLaren have a great chance to challenge, and I think by the end of the season, I wouldn't be surprised if they are a lot closer, maybe even challenging Mercedes for victories. The problem for McLaren is they've had such horrendous reliability that are already 80 points behind in the championship. Obviously, Oscar, you know, great to see him in first place. I just want to see him start a Grand Prix, and I'm sure a lot

14:31of other Australian people are watching wanting to just see him actually race for a change, because their reliability has been absolutely shocking, but it shows there's pace in the car. Certainly does. A good Friday for Oscar in particular. Question from P1 Patreon member Kiran Mega, should Ferrari be concerned by McLaren's pace today? I think so, because I don't know what they should be more concerned about the gap to Mercedes that maybe you'd hope would be a bit closer, a track like this. Obviously, we saw in China that Mercedes were gaining so much time on the straights. Japan doesn't have a huge amount of straights, but it's obviously very quick corners, and it doesn't seem like Ferrari have that same confidence, particularly on the soft tyres, Hamilton, who's been very vocal in talking about how much he loves these cars now, and they're amazing, and he's having the best time ever, and it feels like he's having the

15:35best racing, and he's really enjoying it. And now, saying that he's got very little grip, something doesn't feel quite right with Ferrari, and the problem for Ferrari is their kind of secret weapon has been these starts, and how they can get into first. It's not even like a case of getting into T1 first, because they've got the way they can fire up their turbo with their smaller turbo quicker. They can get into the lead, and we've seen that a lot, but if they're starting 6th, 5th and 6th, it's going to be a lot harder than when they were 3rd, so obviously to stick to this. Yeah, and then another prediction in the bag for Tommy of Ferrari not leading that one, I'm just, I'm with Snowball, and maybe we just, let's just, you win the first three races, let's reset and then do the other 19. Okay, cool. I did Jake that I might have to get my three year old daughter Grace to do the next lot of predictions, and for the next, if foreseeable. Maybe it might have to be if I actually, so this will be tied in quite nicely with the question.

16:38So Ferrari being concerned by McLaren, absolutely. Now, one slight saving grace is that we know that the chassis side of the Ferrari is very, very good, and a lot of torque already coming into this weekend, and for the first, I guess, cut off is around the engine regs, and the catchup that teams can, or engine manufacturers can, can play, they play the little Uno I need help card, and essentially, I think it's after six races. How many golden mushrooms will have to Martin get? A lot. But basically how it works on a sort of basic level is that if you're 2% behind the best engine, you can unlock a little bit more of the cost cap, and you can develop and improve your engine, 4%, even more so. And the members are that Ferrari believe, obviously they're going to believe, and I firmly believe as well, that they are at least 2% behind the best engine, that's where they're losing their performance. So from a present standpoint, yes, concerned,

17:44and I think Ferrari could well very easily slip into the third fastest team, but there are glimmers of hope with these new regs that teams can catch up, and they can bring updates to their engine to be able to close that gap, which I think is astronomical for the Mercedes. And it's interesting, I don't know the exact way that they test this, but I also am sat here going like, Mercedes have a genuine reason to not show their performance with their car. I've heard this with their engine, because the more performance they show, the more the teams can catch up. Now, again, there must be a way in which the FIA can test the engine to its full limits, regardless, but I'm sure there are very, very clever ways in which that can't happen. I did see that about, you know, that's a very big loophole that Mercedes could essentially jump through where they could peg back their performance to look like the teams were a lot closer, you know, maybe let Ferrari in the lead at the start, for example, and then just be like,

18:46see you later, we're off. And yeah, win the race, and then say, well, look, we're not that far, far clear. And you know, it's something that we've, if you weren't watching in 2014, you know, there's this kind of famous theory and probably a very real one that that Mercedes half the time, we're never using their full engine potential, because one race where Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg got to race on a safety car restart, they ended up, I think, clearing the entire field by about seven or eight seconds in a couple of laps, which if that is the case again, and Mercedes are like picking themselves back, of course, that they're playing that game of the performance and making it look like, oh, we're not that far ahead. So the other teams don't need it. And then as soon as that is locked in, they can be like, cool. And because I guess you want to, if these are the rules to make people catch up, you want to win with the smallest margin possible to stop

19:47teams catching up. And that's the same year where Williams turned up the wick a little bit too much on them, say, does engine and got pole in Austria. That's that same year, isn't it? But then, you know, we say that, but it's not based on race time, it's not based on that, it'll be done in the dinos and everything else. And I'm sure there are ways in which to to to get the maximum performance out of an engine, but I also wouldn't be surprised if there are little things that can make sure that they don't go as extreme in those tests. But, you know, that's just purely speculation and me, and me thinking and coping, I guess, for for arey's sake, if they don't win any races this year. Next question, people on picture, remember Elaria, are Red Bull in serious trouble given their performance so far? Yes, yes, they're in massive, massive trouble. It's right now, in Formula One, there are three top teams, and then there's the midfield, like Red Bull are a mid, like we've joked about this before, we've joked about all of Max wasn't in Red Bull,

20:48there'd be a midfield car. Well, Max is in Red Bull, and it is still a midfield car. I think it had just still doing a reasonable job in comparison when you look at the times between himself and Max, but that doesn't matter when they're fighting the has is the Williams, Williams, Albert, I know he had a very scruffy Friday with a few different incidents, but he's up in eighth. And so there are progress being made by other teams, and Red Bull, who I thought, bringing upgrades to this weekend should be able to take a step forward, because the idea and the the understanding is that it's not the engine, it's the chassis, that's the problem, with the car is that there is no, the drivers don't have any confidence, they're I think Max even said in practice today that he's under steering so much, we're just going to box, not even going to go for another flying lap. So the car is fundamentally wrong from an aeroside of things, but seemingly good from an engine side, which is the opposite for a lot of other teams. Yeah, the opposite to what we thought would happen, and they struggled so

21:49much in the corners in China, they're obviously absolutely wofl, and they're way off the pace, seemingly here again. We saw a take it with a pinch of salt, but we saw someone in China, I think a VIP take some photos where the cars were getting weighed, and we saw the likes of, I think they saw three cars get weighed, they're all very similar, and then the Red Bull was, I think like 20, 20 kilos heavier than everything else, which 20 kilos heavier when you're trying to go around the S's at Suzuki is going to feel a lot, and they're really struggling here again, despite the upgrades. The theory was there that maybe China was just an outlier because Australia, how do I put it P3? You think, wow, this is a great base for Red Bull, actually very impressive, to be if they were indeed second best in qualifying, because we thought their engine was going to be quite poor, and that's why they'd be slower, but yeah, they're well in that midfield,

22:53we've seen the likes of, you know, you're looking where Max is, and he's among like, not just the V Cubs, which of course have the same engine as him, but Williams and Audi seem to have stepped up a little bit as well with Hulkenberg in seventh and Albin in eighth. So yeah, it's going to be struggle town for Max to step in on this weekend, and probably for the foreseeable future, fun times. And there you go, all right, pretty much done and dusted, would you say, Tommy? Yeah, just looking up and down the order. Lim Blad's having more problems, once again, thankfully for him, it's not a sprint weekend, so at least he had some more time to be able to dial in to Suzuki, because of course, back in China, he only had a literally a handful if that of laps before he had to go into competitive sessions. So I'm hoping for Lim Blad's sake, he's not plagued with issues the entire year because he's impressed so far. Yeah, and Audi as well,

23:56another one to mention that continuing their game of only one car seems to be reliable, any given day or session, because Bautiletto had a bit of a shocker, you know, to only manage to get out, the garage right near the end, to put in some laps. And yeah, reliability is still seeming to be quite an issue for a lot of drivers. That's where it's gone. If 22 cars start the race as well, predictions, championships over. Yeah, Galsley's looking kind of floppy in 14th as well. That's a very non-flop. I will be very strict. Okay, that is it. Thank you everybody. If tuning in, we'll see you very soon. Tomorrow, in fact, of course, for all of our watchalongs, as always, make sure to come and join us on YouTube, Twitch and Dream 11. And we will see you then looking forward to it. Adios. Good bye. Sweet dreams. Lots of love. Bye. Yeah. Bye.

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