F1 Drive To Describe
Every week we bring you the Ultimate F1 Podcast brought to you by 4 lifelong F1 fans! Taylor: Self titled "President of the Maxfosi" James: Closet Lewis Hamilton fan who claims to be "A Neutral Brit" Nathan: Openly a not-so "Neutral Aussie" and now Jacqui, the Aussie who doesn't like the Aussies! From race reviews, previews, rankings and walks down memory lane we've got you covered for all things F1, so leave us alone, we know what we're doing! Only, don't leave us alone, we prefer you listen in!
F1 Drive To Describe
F1: Mid Season Team Grades
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
The team are back to hand out their mid-season letter grades to all 11 F1 teams! And yes… somehow, a U is a letter grade!
🏎️ Which host refuses to give out a single A?
📉 How bad have Aston Martin and Williams really been?
🆕 Do Cadillac get a pass as the new kids on the F1 block?
📊 Which teams are exceeding expectations, and who needs to seriously lift their game?
Plus, the guys look ahead to where they think the 2026 F1 season will finish, before we attempt to answer the most important question of all…
🐷 What on earth is a reverse pig?!
All that and more on this week's episode of Drive to Describe.
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Welcome
SPEAKER_04Hello and welcome to Drive to Describe, a Formula One podcast. We are back in the mid-season break after a week off. Uh I am joined as always. He's down in Melbourne. He's been working on some audio technical difficulties. He's hearing himself twice, and thank God we're not. It's James.
SPEAKER_01I was gonna say I'm about the only person in the world who wants to hear myself twice.
SPEAKER_04And she is also down in rainy Melbourne today. Joining us from the eastern suburbs, it's Jackie.
SPEAKER_00Yes, I am in the east. It has rained all day. It's been cold and horrible. Bring out the slicks.
SPEAKER_04Bring out the slicks. All right, we are here. We're gonna do a mid-season teams report. That's what we thought we would do today, and that's what we're going to do. Uh, we're gonna start from the back of the grid and work our way to the front. Uh so stay tuned for our grades on all these teams. We will give a letter grade to each team. We've got some statistical analysis. Statistical? It's a tough word sometimes, analysis. And uh we will go through a bit of this, that, and the other. And of course, there's always a bit of conjecture about whether we're halfway through the season, are we 45% of the way through the season? What is going to happen with these Middle Eastern races? We'll probably touch on that at the end with some predictions around that as we head into the back end, either way, of the 2026 championship. Without further ado, James, we start with the team who is indeed dead last in
Cadillacs Grade
SPEAKER_04this championship. Thank God for that, say Aston Martin. As we we will spend very little time, I imagine, on Sergio Perez Valtarei Batas and the Cadillac F1 team, but we do want to give a letter grade. What where have you landed, James, and then Jackie, and then I'll finish a ramp.
SPEAKER_01I've gone pretty easy on them. Uh C minus. Because they're exactly what I expected them to be. They're nowhere.
SPEAKER_04Just nowhere. I expected nothing, and they've met my expectations.
SPEAKER_01Exactly right. In fact, maybe they've exceeded my expectations. Jackie, what about you?
SPEAKER_00Well, you've gone a C minus. I was a little bit friendlier than that. I just went an outright C. I think they haven't been that bad, and I think they're showing some progress, considering they are a brand new team.
SPEAKER_04Oh, I'm feeling bad.
SPEAKER_00So, yes, there's no points. It looks bad on the ladder, but I actually think there's some positive progress there.
SPEAKER_04Brawn GP. This is this is giving me like uh brawn GP, the the remnants of the uh B A R. Um, this is giving me I feel like I'm already gonna be too harsh. I've gone D plus. Uh I think Oh, that's mean. I mean they're garbage, but it's it it is in line with expectation, I suppose. So maybe I could bump them up to a C minus just uh Yeah, I was gonna say you're ex you're one grade below me. Yeah, but it already feels a little harsh because Jackie's up at C and I'm like oh D.
SPEAKER_01Let's face it, Jackie did tip them to make points earlier in the year. Yeah, okay.
SPEAKER_04Uh I'll I'll bump them to a C minus.
SPEAKER_00We know my predictions aren't great. Come on.
SPEAKER_04Well, this is a review, so we should really it's all in line with what we expected. But they are they are exactly where I thought they'd be at the very back of the grid, but they weren't even at the very back for a portion of the season. Really, maybe they're even a B because they were beating one of the teams, which I had no expectations.
SPEAKER_00It was DQ or penalized or something.
SPEAKER_04I'm gonna bump them up to a C minus on the back of you guys being a bit more generous. However, we are about to uh come into some teams that I'm gonna feel a little less generous with, my friends. Um, and so without further
Aston Martins Grade
SPEAKER_04ado, our next team on the list would be indeed Jackie's prediction for a championship contender. And uh like I said, my predictions aren't solid. And uh not so much.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, aged like milk. Uh Jackie, we'll let you lead off with Aston. Yeah, you can go first on this one, Jackie.
SPEAKER_00What grade can come worse than an F?
SPEAKER_01There needs to be one. I'm gonna yeah, I'm gonna grade them on the UK school system, which there is a grade called a U, an ungradable.
SPEAKER_05Is that really a thing?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, means your proper thick.
SPEAKER_04I think that's almost too generous. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00It's it's they need to be demoted.
SPEAKER_04Oh wow.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Wow.
SPEAKER_00It's the U doesn't normally have a the U doesn't normally have a plus or minus.
SPEAKER_01I've gone for a U minus. You can't use U. It's not a letter grade that we would use here.
SPEAKER_04So it's an F.
SPEAKER_01I nearly got a U in a subject. I could use a U.
SPEAKER_00Now the truth comes out. Uh no, it is a flat out F. I had I had such hope for Aston Martin. I had such hope for Fernando Alonso and Adrian Newey teaming up with unlimited money within the salary cap at Aston Martin, and it just has not happened. They just no, like they are the worst on the grid. If we're grading on a curve, they are the bottom.
SPEAKER_01It is the most Fernando Alonso thing to happen, isn't it? He finally gets a good team with a great designer, and he designs an absolute shed.
SPEAKER_00Yep. It's been hard to watch. As a Fernando Alonso fan, it has been very difficult to sit through. And I was so excited last race when he made Q2. I was yelling at the TV just because he made Q2. That's how bad things are.
SPEAKER_04I mean, hey, I've heard I've heard a tractor before, but a shed is a new one for me, James. So that's uh shed on wheels. Uh yeah, they stink. Uh James, did you go? You went with a U. I went with a U minus. A U minus. Uh mine is an F. I mean, this this team stinks. They've got one point. Last season, by the way, for those of you interested, they finished on 89. So we're about somewhere like 50% through the season, depending on which races go ahead. They are at 1.1% of last year's points. I gave them the 0.1 with because the 1%.
SPEAKER_00With a better designer and a better car.
SPEAKER_04Well, this is the thing. Well, I mean, they brought in Adrian Newey to this team. This is this is a this is a disaster.
SPEAKER_00Yep. But projecting Could they have an end-of-season run? Well, that's what we're doing.
SPEAKER_04That's what I was about to get to.
SPEAKER_00Or am I, I'm like it's gonna hurt myself. Well could there be an end-of-season run in this after the summer break and they just come storming through and suddenly they start in the points, and then we see podiums by the last few races.
SPEAKER_04You are you predicting this? Because this I want to I want to bottle this.
SPEAKER_00I I think I'm just clutching at straws and delirious at this point of how bad they are.
SPEAKER_01Uh no, I think is the answer to that.
SPEAKER_00Can I dream it might happen?
SPEAKER_01You could dream what you like, Jackie, and and whatever's in your dreams, I do not want to get involved in. But uh, yeah, they're they're dog shit.
SPEAKER_00It's bad. It's it is serious, jokes aside, it is bad and not what you would expect from a world champion and the greatest car designer in the history of the sport.
Williams' Grade
SPEAKER_04Well, speaking of dog shit, I was about to say the same thing. I bring you to the Williams racing team. Now, I want to lead with the statistic here, guys, and I'll go first. They're an F. They are dreadful. If I could do F minus, I would.
SPEAKER_00Yep, F.
SPEAKER_04I think they are by far the worst. Uh, they are on 11 points. I don't know if you guys remember this. Last year, in the regulations that they openly did not care about because they were so focused on these regulations, they had 137 points and were fifth in the team championship, in the constructors championship. They are on 8% of last year's points with a car that they told us wait for these new regs. That's all we're thinking about.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, they were more optimistic than me.
SPEAKER_04This started back when they didn't even turn up for testing. Yeah. Which was our episode titled Dude, Where's My Car? And nothing's got better. This is so bad. This is almost uh Aston and them are on a par for me. They're both illustrated by their F's. How are they this bad, James? Make this make sense.
SPEAKER_01Oh they're not in Aston's level of deterredness. But the trouble is as well, is is like we're all well, we've all worked in sales our whole life. Gold rule of sales. Underpromise, over deliver. They have not. They have overpromised and underdelivered quite spectacular. Severely. It's it's it's James Fowser's days has to be numbered unless it gets picks up.
SPEAKER_00Well they don't even have a reason for it, do they? There's just no explanation as to what's happened to lead to this.
SPEAKER_01Well, they're about 50 kilos overweight, aren't they? Still.
SPEAKER_00But why?
SPEAKER_01They failed the crash tests at the start of the year, and so they had to beef up the whole chassis, and the weight has just never come off.
SPEAKER_00It's it's up there with Aston Martin.
SPEAKER_01It's no.
SPEAKER_00I give them a bit of grace because they don't have Adrian Yui.
SPEAKER_01And they also are not four seconds elapsed slower than everybody else.
SPEAKER_04Oh, they've gone close, though. We're halfway through the season, right? They're 10 points ahead of Aston Martin. Do you think they're gonna stay in front of them? Yeah. It's close for me.
SPEAKER_01Aston aren't going anywhere. Well, they make Q2. Williams didn't.
SPEAKER_00Come on, James, they're gonna get podiums by the end of the season.
SPEAKER_01Oh. In F2, maybe. But then I still think there's a few F2 cars that beat them.
SPEAKER_04Well, we're still talking about Williams, but they I mean, this this to have spoken about these regulations for this long and to have delivered this car is is so bad. It's really disgraceful. Now, whether how much of that you put on James Vows, I don't know. He speaks really well. I've really liked the way he speaks for years, but that doesn't deliver a car. And and and gee whiz, for a team that didn't care about the regs to get all the way up to fifth, I you would think if they give a shit, yeah, they might be a little better than second last, well, third last technically.
SPEAKER_00Is that the problem? They care too much and it's gone wrong. They need to not care.
SPEAKER_04How does that make any sense?
SPEAKER_00And they'll be successful.
SPEAKER_01That sounds like an abusive relationship. It's because I love you too much. That's why you have to.
SPEAKER_04I love you too much, that's why my car's shit. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00But it's sad for Albon and Science, especially Science. I feel like he's just going so far backwards.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's the only plus I've got for them is that Carlos is still there. That he's stuck with it. Yeah, because there's there's a very good chance by the end of the year he's not.
SPEAKER_04Where would he go? Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Audi.
SPEAKER_04Ugh. Well, speaking
Audis Grade
SPEAKER_04of Audi, let's do it. I've got more upsides than Williams. Audi sit currently on 12 points. They came obviously from the Green Snot machines last year, where they had 70 points by the end of the season. So so far they're at 17% of last year's points. If you consider this the same team, I don't know. I don't know, guys. I part of my grading is based on the livery. It went from shit to even somehow worse.
SPEAKER_00That's fair.
SPEAKER_04Why not? But Jackie, why don't we kick off with you? What's your Audi grade score?
SPEAKER_00D minus for me, and the minus is purely for Nico Hulkenberg. I blame this solely on him. I think Bortoletto's doing quite well. Uh considering what he's driving and his experience, I think he's doing really well. But Hulkenberg's just pulling them all back. They're a mid-level team, they should be a bit higher up than what they are.
SPEAKER_04Hulk has as many points as Aston Martin, by the way.
SPEAKER_00That's not a highlight or a positive comparison.
SPEAKER_04Indeed not. Indeed not.
SPEAKER_01James, what's your mark for Um I've actually agreed with Jackie here, and I'm a little bit nervous about that. Uh D minus. Um they started reasonably well, and they do have an upside every now and then, but just not very often.
SPEAKER_04Why is the car so ugly? It's Audi. D minus. Ugly car. Nico Holkenberg is 10 years past it. And uh is the livery better than the slime grain. You know I was gonna jump off that gravy train at some point, James. It didn't take long.
SPEAKER_01Uh yeah. Because as soon as you as soon as you acknowledged it, he went downhill.
SPEAKER_04So I know, Ryan. I feel I almost fault. I almost feel bad about it. Sage's a jinx. I'm a jinx.
Haas' Grade
SPEAKER_04All right, let's move on. We move on to the Formula One team known as Haas, Gene and his friends. Uh James, what do you think about Haas so far?
SPEAKER_01I'll go with a D plus for Haas. Because they're they have that like great moments, or not great moments, good moments. But um overall, still a little shit.
SPEAKER_00You've been a little more generous than me. I was just a straight out D for them.
SPEAKER_01I think they're they're markedly better than Audi. And so they needed a bit more distance between Audi and Hass.
SPEAKER_00What about Behrman though? Behrman started off relatively strong and positive, and then the last few races he's just faded away. Like I don't think he they've been in the point since is it Monaco?
SPEAKER_01It could just be that the development races they're losing the development race. Because I think Behrman of those drivers in that midfield, Bearman has the most upside.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Ock on Island's reminding me of like Hurricane Katrina that went through. This this feels like it's over. And if you didn't sell your investment properties by now, like cracked ends. Yeah, it's a ghost town now. Uh he's been horrible this year, horribly outclassed by Ollie Behrman. I've given them a D plus. Um similar to you, James. They're on uh 21 points season to date, 79 last year, so they're at 27% of last year. What stands out here is you got Aston at 1%, Williams at 8%, Audi 17% of last year, and Haas at 27% of last year. The rich got richer, and the poor got poorer, and it's significant. And we see it every race weekend now, where we know those top four teams are all in the top 10, and then it's who's going to make up the last two that do one qualifying lap when all of them aren't on track and finish ninth and tenth. Like that's where we're at at the moment with these rags. And so, yeah, a lot of these teams dropped off from last year. I've got D plus again, they've been better than Audi and Williams, so and Aston's, I guess, you know.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. There has to be an asterisk that there's two less races between this time and last year.
SPEAKER_04Just well it's still halfway through the season, so we don't know how many races there's gonna be.
SPEAKER_01But I know, but they if if they're at less points and we've had two less races, they've had two less chances to if if score points.
SPEAKER_04Well, because we're gonna have Malaysia at it, don't forget.
SPEAKER_01No, but at this point, you're gonna be able to do that.
SPEAKER_04No, no, no. This isn't this is against this is against all of last year, right? Oh, good job. Sorry, so yeah, though they're at halfway through the year, 27% of last year's points, and all these other teams are at significantly less. I thought there was no other way to do it other than trying to compare season to season uh in that respect. But yeah, I've got a D plus for Hussein. I mean, best of the rest is diminishing returns, but Jesus, yeah, it's pretty uh pretty brutal down the down the bottom of the grid.
SPEAKER_01All right,
Alpines Grade
SPEAKER_01that takes us to the baguette eating cheese monsters uh Alpine. The cheese monsters. Yeah, well they're all the French people, aren't they? They're all they're all allowed their cheese.
SPEAKER_04It's all part-owned by both.
SPEAKER_00Well, to our French listeners.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, bonjour.
SPEAKER_01Both of you, yeah. Bonjour.
SPEAKER_04I don't think we've had a French download ever.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Not even French. Yeah, when there's an Englishman on the pot.
SPEAKER_04All right. Uh the baguette eaters are doing quite well though. Uh they are at 61 points this year, 22 last year, dead last. Uh, so unlike Williams, when they put their eggs in this basket, it seems to have somewhat worked.
SPEAKER_01And they get a good engine.
SPEAKER_04It helps.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Um, I've gone with a B minus because I did not have high hopes. And so uh, yeah. There are there have been there have been rounds this year where they've been the best of the rest, which you would not have expected.
SPEAKER_05Jackie?
SPEAKER_00I'm almost a B minus. I've actually gone a C plus for them. I expected them to be ahead of Racing Bulls, and I think that's the only reason I've given them a C plus instead of a B minus. Pierre's starting to drive some really solid and consistent races. He finally got a podium in Mo in Monaco, didn't get to stand there, but he won it. Um so there have been some real highlights for the team, but I just I expect them to be a little bit better against racing bulls, but maybe that's racing bulls have exceeded. We'll discuss that later. But um, yeah, C plus for me.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, we will. And for the same I've got them at a B plus. I mean, they're 270% better than last year already, with half a season to go. So on that basis alone, but I don't want to give them into the A categories because how much of this is just that engine? Yeah. And you know what? And I mean, power to them, but at the same time, yeah. Uh, we've seen a bit of a slip in their form in recent races where they're struggling to even get to Q2 in some instances, which is a little concerning. They've never been a great development team, never. And so they started a little ahead of the game. Will they stay there? That's going to be how at the end of the season I think we judge them for now. Uh, they're significantly improved year on year, and so therefore, B for me.
Racing Bulls Grade
SPEAKER_04Which takes us to the Bulls that are racing.
SPEAKER_05Liam Lawson.
SPEAKER_04And Liam Lawson.
SPEAKER_05And uh You boys love Liam Lawson. Who's his teammate again? What was his name, James?
SPEAKER_01Arvid Lindblad.
SPEAKER_04Isn't it Constinopoulos Jones? The rules that are racing. Jackie, go on, kick us off.
SPEAKER_00B plus for me. I think they've been doing really well, much better than I expected them to. Um, they're really closing the gap in on Red Bull compared to what I believe they have previously. Liam, love him or hate him, he's driving quite well this season. He's being consistent, he's finishing in the points, he's got twice as many points as Lindblad, but you know, give him some grace, he's still new. But um I think they're both driving really impressively and doing really well.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I've got them as a B. Same. It's you can't really fault them if we're gonna be honest. They're the best of the rest. And only a B. I don't nobody's got an A. I'll give you the tip, nobody's got an A for me. Not a single gambler's been faultless.
unknownNo.
SPEAKER_00Oh, see, I graded on a curve.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I I've got some A's. Uh, this is one of them, A minus for me. I think the whole I think the whole Red Bull outfit, and we'll get to the other team almost immediately. Uh, considering the upheaval at racing balls as well, by the way, because Lorent Laurent left, so they had to rejig all of that. They brought Liam Lawson in after a few races and reaccommodated him within the team. They brought in a rookie, and they are the best of the rest. So, and not to mention the whole engine thing that these guys are doing, uh, which we seem to be an abject complete failure with Aston Martin. So, overall, this entire uh considering the upheaval within the organization at large, uh, I'm incredibly impressed by both teams, but uh an A minus for these guys, they're They're seriously racy at times. We're talking qualifying 6-7. They're the only team breaking up the top lot at times in qualifying. So I'm uber impressed by racing bulls. Um, I think you're a little harsh with a B, James. Almost a little mean.
SPEAKER_01Well, you wait until we get Red Bull. Well,
Red Bulls Grade
SPEAKER_01go on. Uh, I've gone with the C minus for Red Bull. Dude.
SPEAKER_02Oh. Go on. We have Taylor when we need it.
SPEAKER_01It's not funny. Own it. When they're fast, they're really fast. But when they're slow, they're even slower. There's not they they've never had that consistency that they've had for the last four years. Where out of the box they were fast on a weekend and they were just fine-tuning it. They're just not. There's been some quality sessions where Max has struggled to make it in a Q3. And we all know that Max is one of the best drivers on the grid. We're not great in drivers here, we're great in teams.
SPEAKER_05No, I agree. I agree with you. Okay, Jackie?
SPEAKER_00Oh, that that feels harsh. I've just gone a straight C for me. I think they haven't succeeded, but they haven't failed. I think other teams have definitely overtaken them. Um I think Max earlier in the season definitely was sidetracked with his priorities. He was too busy worrying about regulations and this and that, and I'm going to quit and all the rest of it rather than just getting in the car and driving. And I think that's had an impact. I think Isaac's doing very well. Um, that second car at Red Bull's traditionally cursed, and I think he's doing really well. Um, but to me, they're just they haven't excelled, they haven't failed, so they're they're smack banging in the middle of my bell curve at C.
SPEAKER_04All right. Well, I'm I'm pulling, I guess, Taylor's weight here. So I've got an A- for these guys. And look at kind of runs off the back of what I was talking about with racing balls. Whole new engine, whole new team. They've lost Adrian Newey, they've lost Christian Horner. Feel how you want about Christian Horner. These guys were beacons of their great successful era. They lost uh Dietrich, they lost old one-eyed Joe, the racist, everything, they've lost everything. And when you think about all of that and the fact that they are still, even with a new engine, new team, new uh everything, new everything, they are still a team capable of getting a pole position, despite all of those limitations that they came in with. And I think what why why I rate them so highly as well, they were in the championship right up to the very, very end in the last regulations to the last race. And when you consider that they're still at 40% of last year's points at the halfway mark, in a team with all that upheaval, new engines, new regs, and were fighting for the championship right till the end. I'm uber impressed that they're even competitive. I didn't think they would be. Red Bull A-There.
SPEAKER_00I can understand how you're grading them.
SPEAKER_01Sorry, James. They would have got 70% of their points in the second half of the year last year? Possibly, yeah.
SPEAKER_04I don't know why that's relevant to what I'm saying.
SPEAKER_01Well, you're saying they're at 40% of last year's points. They're total points, James.
SPEAKER_00Again, total points for the whole season.
SPEAKER_04Oh, I keep forgetting that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So they're exceeding really on last year, considering they came home strong.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. I just think when you consider the fact that they were the champions multiple times in the last regulations, okay. Therefore, they get less wind tunnel time, they get less development time, all of that comes into it. Yes, McLaren will be uh particularly handicapped by that for one year.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_04But Red Bull over a number of years, X, you know, take what you will out of the catering situation and their sushi uh entitlements. I mean, I'm I'm uber impressed that they are even competitive given all those factors. And they are competitive. And yeah, they've got some things to sort out. They've got an uber twitchy car, like that thing just rockets off the track at the slightest twitch at the moment, which has got to be very disconcerting for the drivers. But they've got they've got this one lap pace. So if they can turn that into race pace, which I Red Bull's track record for the past 20 years says they will find a way. I'm I'm I'm impressed. Even if you're not, I I just put all those factors in, and what I expected was not this, not a car that could even get a pole. Um, I'm yeah, I'm impressed. They've got things to work out for sure. Uh, but there's a lot to like here.
SPEAKER_01I just think that you take Max out of that team and they're slap bang average. The team itself haven't performed.
SPEAKER_04I even factored that in though, James. And when you think about the fact that this year we're seeing way less discrepancy between their two drivers, so that's another factor for me that actually is a good thing because we know how good Max is, which means maybe this car's a little bit more compatible with scoring points in general, not specific to one driver.
SPEAKER_01I just I don't perfect per can even talk. Um, personally, I can't give anybody an A grade if they've not won a race or look like they should have won a race. Like I say, I've not given anybody an A grade.
SPEAKER_00So you're just starting at B. You're that nasty lecturer that nobody likes because they don't give an A grade.
SPEAKER_04I was gonna say it's an A minus anyway, James. So yeah. Oh it's it has the letter A in it. It does have the letter A in it. All right. A team with
McLarens Grade
SPEAKER_04the letter A in it is the McLaren Formula One racing team. My absolute favourites, as you guys well know, so I'll go last. But uh Jackie, this is more your speed. What are your thoughts on the boys in Papaya?
SPEAKER_00C plus. They're just that plus better than Red Bull, purely because Lando got the win in the last race. There haven't been a lot of positives here compared to last season. They've taken far too long to get used to these changes, to get used to the engine. I do think Piastri's a little bit checked out. I expected more.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we're we're surprisingly aligned. C plus for me as well. Um recency bias would probably yeah, you win the last race, they're probably gonna get a bit higher grade than they would have done, but they were dog shit for the first few rounds.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I've got C plus too. We're running the gauntlet here.
SPEAKER_01Um they have we've we haven't colluded on this. No, not at all.
SPEAKER_04No, James, we don't like to agree.
SPEAKER_01Uh we certainly don't about Red Bull.
SPEAKER_04Uh they have 220 points. Last year was 883, so they're at 26% of last year's score halfway through the season. Now, obviously, that's off the back of an incredible scoring season uh that's unlikely to be repeated coming into this year. However, uh, James, you rightly say had Lando not won this last race, we'd be going, Jesus, what on earth is happening at McLaren? They are dreadful. And maybe that's a sign of things to come, or maybe it was very track specific. I think after the Hungaru ring, we'll see what they can do. Um, but yeah, C they are that doesn't mean we don't think they can develop, because we all think they can develop this car. But season two date, not very good. I think we all agree on that.
SPEAKER_01And but then the next track, San Vort, is uh it'll suit them. Very similar track to Hungry. Yep, theoretically should suit them.
Ferraris Grade
SPEAKER_04All right, the boys in Scarlet, the Ferrari team sitting second overall in the championship. Uh, James, what are your thoughts on Ferrari? Uh B plus for me.
SPEAKER_01They're not Ferrari. So that's your highest grade.
SPEAKER_04I was gonna say that that's your highest scorer. You're right, okay.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, uh, they're they're not Ferrariing as much as they have done in the past. They're a little bit more reliable in the pit lane. I love that that's a word. They still have their moments, don't get me wrong. But uh, and they've reignited the fire in Lewis Hamilton, which was the best thing they could have done. And they're still not out of the uh championship fight for me.
SPEAKER_04Uh agreed. They are on 307 points versus 398 all of last year, so sitting at 77% of last year's score as we approach 50% of the way through the season, they are an A-for me. I expected Ferrari to be good, and they are good. They might be better than I thought, depending on how the rest of the season plays out. I didn't think Lewis had this rerun in him, and I'm here for it. I'm I'm fully on the Lewis trade. Given that Oscar's checked out, which I agree with you on, Jackie. Uh Lewis Hamilton's the guy for me this year. I'm I'm right in on it. Let's go. Let's go, Lewis.
SPEAKER_00I think you boys have been harsh. I've got an A plus for Ferrari.
SPEAKER_04A minus isn't a harsh thing. I think B plus is a bit harsh.
SPEAKER_00Hey, if you're going for Valedictorian, you're going to be annoyed at that A- That's fair. I think they're doing so well, it's so much better than last year. As a team, they seem to be getting their act together more. We know quite often there can be things within the garage and pit stops where they just get it wrong and communications and whatnot. I think that's starting to improve, and both drivers have got a win. It's not even favoring one.
SPEAKER_04You know, I'm here for it because I'm I'm I'm on the Ferrari train in general. Ever since I started watching this sport.
SPEAKER_00You were Ferrari when we met.
SPEAKER_04I was Ferrari when we met. A plus is perfection.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, now this is Ferrari, remember?
SPEAKER_01They have not been perfect. I mean, hey, it's your score.
SPEAKER_00Compared to last season and where I expect them to be, I think they have been.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I mean, they did make a pit stop that cost Lewis a second place. They've done a few Ferrari things still festering away there in the background. And for fuck's sakes, pick a language to speak on the radio. No wonder no one knows what's going on. Um, anyway, A minus for me, A plus for you, Jackie. James B plus being your highest score. You're allergic. I never thought we'd come into this show with a letter grade format and you would drop a U, but no A's.
SPEAKER_01That wasn't on the bingo card for today. I just don't I don't think anybody deserves one.
SPEAKER_00Well, see that nasty lecturer that no one likes.
SPEAKER_04That's right. Well,
Mercedes' Grade
SPEAKER_04we move on to the team that is leading the way in both the drivers and constructors. That is the Mercedes Patronus Formula One team sitting on 379 points in the constructors, which makes up 81% of their overall points last season. And James, you've given them uh, I guess a B plus. B oh this this feels like George Russell this feels like George Russell slander.
SPEAKER_01If the engine was reliable, they would have probably snuck into an A minus, but that thing is wildly unreliable. They've built a rocket ship, they've just built a very unreliable one. So a B. A B.
SPEAKER_00But you've graded them lower than Ferrari, just to be clear.
SPEAKER_01I didn't have as higher expectations for Ferrari as I do for Mercedes this year.
SPEAKER_00Okay, cool.
SPEAKER_01They should be, if their engine was reliable, they would be out of sight by now.
SPEAKER_04To be fair, have Ferrari had reliability issues? I can't recall. No, not really. No.
SPEAKER_00No.
SPEAKER_01Which has kept them in the championship fight. Because if I've already got to a point now where um both Mercedes have uh used their engine allocation, so they have to have a new engine now. They can probably have to have another two before the end of the year. Yeah, I mean, there's still a lot of races to go, yeah. Yeah. And hot races as well. So it's a good thing.
SPEAKER_00Well, James, you and I are kind of aligned then.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00If you've gone one, two for Ferrari Mercedes, so have I. I've got them at an A, just a straight A. They've done well, they exceeded really well with the start of the season. They just took it away in those first six races. Um, but I just think there's more there. There's been some minor slip-ups, there's a few things. George is never happy with anything. I think there's they could be doing better. They're doing well, don't get me wrong. But I think they could be doing better.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, so I wrote A plus, but you've convinced me, the two of you, that that's wrong.
SPEAKER_00Which we didn't even try to do that on purpose.
SPEAKER_04Any team like George Russell, I don't want to give an A plus to. So I'm okay. I came into this open-minded.
SPEAKER_01Uh apart from George Russell.
SPEAKER_04Apart from Bat George. Uh, I'll go an A on the basis of you guys convincing me that they're not an A plus team. The reliability piece though, James, I think genuinely you've convinced me that that that is really important, particularly while we're not judging when they replace engines and you know start down the grid. It matters, like the fact that they have had all these failures does exactly mean what you're saying. There will be punishment to be taken in the back half of the season for these reliability issues. So it it's part of the process, right? So, but that all of that said, um, geez, they're fast. And Kimmy Antonelli is way better than I thought. Uh, and I think George is pretty good. I don't like him, but I think he's pretty damn good. And the fact that Kimmy is torching him for the most part is very, very impressive to me. Didn't see that coming, even though I predicted it, it was not a genuine prediction of well, there's 59 points between them now.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, but that goes up and down. It's it's because the reliability issue, you could have Kimmy DNF the next two, and it is 15 points in two weeks. That's right. Yeah, you never know. And this year, this year especially is a hundred points. I don't think is unless it's with four races to go, there's there's no nobody's out of it until the fat lady things.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's fair.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I don't I don't think there's any way to predict what'll what'll even happen at the moment. Yeah. Um, and that's one of the that's one of the most fun parts about this season. All right, so that's all our team's done. We are halfway
Where were we last week?
SPEAKER_04through the break. There's been no crazy news, which is why we haven't been here. Um, which, you know, take from that what you will. We we talked about doing an episode last week. Jackie's, are we recording? I said, I've got nothing to say. James, I think James reply.
SPEAKER_00It's a very professional outfit here sometimes.
SPEAKER_01Yes, yes. So anyway, we're here. The planning that goes into these podcasts is huge.
SPEAKER_04Well, this one was planned this morning. Yes. Or yeah, like yesterday. He's like, We're recording. I guess we can talk about something. Um, but I do want to ask you guys as we head towards the back half of the season, the Malaysia tickets still remain not on sale, which is starting to give me the shh.
SPEAKER_00We want to know what's going on there.
SPEAKER_04That's right. The flights continue to rock it up, which is very frustrating, but I refuse to book until I know what it's going to cost me. Uh, James, you're heading off to the Austin Grand Prix, which will be very that's in a few months' time. Uh, and then Jackie, we may be in Malaysia, we may not. We don't know.
unknownWe don't know.
SPEAKER_00The plan at this stage is to head off to back to Seppang. There's the one thing that we all agree on in this podcast is the Sepang Circuit is an amazing track for a race.
SPEAKER_01Incredible, very true, incredible track.
SPEAKER_00And I was there for the last race in 2017. I want to be back there again for the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang in Malaysia.
SPEAKER_01And and coming back to that, there's not many things that we all agree on.
SPEAKER_00This is it. This is the only thing we agree on. That and Aston Martin.
SPEAKER_01I think are the only two that we there. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, very true.
SPEAKER_04Um, and then the last thing I want to touch on. Do we
Will Qatar & Abu Dhabi Races Go Ahead?
SPEAKER_04we're getting, you know, we're getting within only a few months now of the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. They have when do they have to make a decision by? Because they made it quite early with Bahrain and uh Saudi. They made it the Japanese Grand Prix, I think, from memory. Uh, I imagine.
SPEAKER_00Things had just taken off then, though. It was still very early in the piece.
SPEAKER_04That's right. But they still made that decision quite you know, as far in advance as was probably plausible given the scenario. Started in what, February or March. Do you anticipate any either of these races going ahead? Or there's now talk that it might end up in Imola, right? From uh to to finish the season. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00You imagine Imala last race with Kimi Antonelli taking the championship win.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, but Imla in November. Yeah, I don't know about this. It'll be snowing.
SPEAKER_05Get my dream track, race on ice.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Oh, president for a day just came flashing back.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it it's I can't see you can't have a race in the northern Italy in November.
SPEAKER_04No, it's they just will not be able to turn the tires on. Yeah, too too cold, they'll just be sliding everywhere. But also like it doesn't it's gonna sound weird. It doesn't feel right finishing the season in Italy for me. No, it just doesn't feel like just finish it in Vegas if that's where we're gonna end up.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, do it at the upside down pig. Or run up to the page.
SPEAKER_01Well, there was online rumor about that, wasn't it? Go back to back, go the next week as well. Reverse pig. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04There's a new one for your trivia, James. Sex position or track?
SPEAKER_03The reverse pig.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01The bacon sizzle.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. All right. So the prediction will these races happen or not?
SPEAKER_00No.
SPEAKER_0450-50 for me. I see a world where Abu Dhabi happens, yeah, and Qatar doesn't.
SPEAKER_00Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_04I just think Abu Dhabi is kind of this crown jewel for them. The track, the the race is terrible. The track is spectacular. Having been there twice, it is a beautiful circuit, and it is one of those tracks like a Singapore, like a Monaco, that I think F1 likes to be seen at.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I I also don't think these cars will be wonderful there, because it's all twists and turns and then two big long straights, so they'll be out of energy halfway down the second straight.
SPEAKER_04As a side note, are they have they got any? And this is normally what happens, they normally have a bunch of tire testing post the final race. I don't know if that's on the schedule either, but presumably that would have been. I think it'll back out of there pretty quickly. Yeah, well, maybe. But I mean, you know, we know our man Taylor's in Dubai, and it's life as normal, so I don't think I don't know, it's it's a hard one, isn't it? It's just the eminent threat, isn't it, when you've got a fake tan idiot in making decisions on a and you're setting up a major target, that's the bigger thing, right? Like yeah, everyday Joes can drive up and down the highways in Dubai, but you put the Formula One circus in town and maybe the Iranians go home. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Well, if if you want to create an international incident, that's top of your list, isn't it?
SPEAKER_04Yeah. So on in that region right now. Yeah, on that basis now, I say they're both not happening. And we end up in a snow-covered Italy track.
Contingency Tracks
SPEAKER_01I I would like to see somewhere take it, but there's maybe go back to Fuji or something in it, but mind you, Fuji in November. It will be raining. It's not there's a chance it'll be raining. It will be raining. Yeah, yeah. India, go back to the Bud circuit. Oh no, God.
SPEAKER_00Pass.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, no, not my favorite circuit.
SPEAKER_01What about the Istanbul Circuit? That's a ripper. Send them around. Um Philip Island.
SPEAKER_00Well, it's gonna be available next year. There's nothing big happening there in 2027.
SPEAKER_04Look, I just think we're gonna end up with something in Europe, if anything. Otherwise, Vegas is where it fits.
SPEAKER_00I think that's its only option.
SPEAKER_01I think it'd have to be very Southern Europe. Maybe Turkey.
SPEAKER_04Wait, what's the track out in Porto? I've forgotten the name. Uh Portamao. Would Portamau work?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I it would be chili. But it would work. It would work better than it's in northern Italy, that's for sure. Yeah. It's tough.
SPEAKER_00Is that ranked for Formula One?
SPEAKER_01I don't think so. Anyway, we'll see. Let's face it, you could double head in Vegas and you could doublehead in Sao Paulo.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, you could. Of course you could. Yeah, you could just add a race. Yeah. Yeah. Reverse pig, we're calling it now. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01The bacon burner.
SPEAKER_04Anything to add before we get out of the bacon burner?
SPEAKER_01Anything to add before we get out of Dodge? No. No, thank you for listening. It's uh I believe we've got something coming up, Jackie, haven't we? Which is quite a bit.
SPEAKER_04Jackie's working on something unique. Not sure how this year.
SPEAKER_00We do. It will be it will be a YouTube segment. Sorry, those of you on Spotify and the Apple podcast, you will have to go to YouTube for it because there will be pictures and there will be videos. And we're going to see if I can actually say you keep those on the yes, it will not be pictures or videos of any of us.
SPEAKER_04You guys know I'm a good sport with trivia type games. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
SPEAKER_01But you've never spit the dummy when you're losing.
SPEAKER_00So it will be a game. I'll be picking out a few things that have happened in Formula One over the years. Uh the boys are gonna have to guess what it is. Uh and see how it works.
SPEAKER_01My brain doesn't work very well.
SPEAKER_04Small small note,
Oscar Piastris Increbile Hearing
SPEAKER_04uh regular listener Bomps sent through, my brother-in-law sent through a uh Oscar Piastri thing on Instagram. I don't know if you guys caught this, where they play for him car engines like from old Formula One McLaren cars, and he guessed all of them. Not only did he guess the year, he guessed what track it was and what was happening. Yeah, hacking and overtaking. Unbelievable. I mean, the spa one I thought was probably the one that because it's simply the engine going up, up, up, up. So you're like, that makes sense. But some of the ones he picked was like the 90s in Monaco, and I'm like, how did he how did he do that? Unbelievable.
SPEAKER_00He understands his history.
SPEAKER_04He picked one of his own laps in 2025. He was like, Oh, that's me here. I'm like, whoa.
SPEAKER_00So we're gonna get him on the podcast next week, then he might be good at this game.
SPEAKER_04Get Oscar on the pod, you reckon?
SPEAKER_01If we get Oscar on the pod, we're not doing your quiz.
SPEAKER_00That's right. I go past his mother's house every couple of days. So why not? I'll just go knock on the door.
SPEAKER_04We might have a chat with him. Yeah, we've got other things to talk to Oscar about.
SPEAKER_01Let's dive into Twitter. You know where we are. That's right.
SPEAKER_04All right, guys. Uh, listeners, we'll be back with something next week, possibly on the YouTube only. I'm sure uh we'll let you know in due course, or we won't, and you'll just be there. Uh, but until then, too do.
SPEAKER_00Bye.
SPEAKER_04Ta da
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