F1: Mid Season Team Grades

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.

Transcript

Welcome

SPEAKER_04 0:06

Hello 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_01 0:25

I was gonna say I'm about the only person in the world who wants to hear myself twice.

SPEAKER_04 0:31

And she is also down in rainy Melbourne today. Joining us from the eastern suburbs, it's Jackie.

SPEAKER_00 0:40

Yes, I am in the east. It has rained all day. It's been cold and horrible. Bring out the slicks.

SPEAKER_04 0:46

Bring 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_04 1:35

this 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_01 1:55

I've gone pretty easy on them. Uh C minus. Because they're exactly what I expected them to be. They're nowhere.

SPEAKER_04 2:09

Just nowhere. I expected nothing, and they've met my expectations.

SPEAKER_01 2:12

Exactly right. In fact, maybe they've exceeded my expectations. Jackie, what about you?

SPEAKER_00 2:18

Well, 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_04 2:29

Oh, I'm feeling bad.

SPEAKER_00 2:30

So, yes, there's no points. It looks bad on the ladder, but I actually think there's some positive progress there.

SPEAKER_04 2:35

Brawn 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_01 3:10

Let's face it, Jackie did tip them to make points earlier in the year. Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_04 3:15

Uh I'll I'll bump them to a C minus.

SPEAKER_00 3:17

We know my predictions aren't great. Come on.

SPEAKER_04 3:20

Well, 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_00 3:40

It was DQ or penalized or something.

SPEAKER_04 3:42

I'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_04 3:56

ado, 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_01 4:11

Yeah, aged like milk. Uh Jackie, we'll let you lead off with Aston. Yeah, you can go first on this one, Jackie.

SPEAKER_00 4:22

What grade can come worse than an F?

SPEAKER_01 4:26

There 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_05 4:35

Is that really a thing?

SPEAKER_01 4:37

Yeah, means your proper thick.

SPEAKER_04 4:41

I think that's almost too generous. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:44

It's it's they need to be demoted.

SPEAKER_04 4:47

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_01 4:48

Yeah. Wow.

SPEAKER_00 4:50

It's the U doesn't normally have a the U doesn't normally have a plus or minus.

SPEAKER_01 4:55

I've gone for a U minus. You can't use U. It's not a letter grade that we would use here.

SPEAKER_04 5:02

So it's an F.

SPEAKER_01 5:04

I nearly got a U in a subject. I could use a U.

SPEAKER_00 5:08

Now 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_01 5:36

It 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_00 5:47

Yep. 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_04 6:03

I 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_00 6:44

With a better designer and a better car.

SPEAKER_04 6:46

Well, 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_00 6:55

Yep. But projecting Could they have an end-of-season run? Well, that's what we're doing.

SPEAKER_04 7:01

That's what I was about to get to.

SPEAKER_00 7:02

Or 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_04 7:15

You are you predicting this? Because this I want to I want to bottle this.

SPEAKER_00 7:20

I I think I'm just clutching at straws and delirious at this point of how bad they are.

SPEAKER_01 7:25

Uh no, I think is the answer to that.

SPEAKER_00 7:29

Can I dream it might happen?

SPEAKER_01 7:31

You 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_00 7:41

It'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_04 7:52

Well, 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_00 8:08

Yep, F.

SPEAKER_04 8:09

I 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_00 8:38

Yeah, they were more optimistic than me.

SPEAKER_04 8:41

This 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_01 9:06

Oh 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_00 9:45

Well 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_01 9:51

Well, they're about 50 kilos overweight, aren't they? Still.

SPEAKER_00 9:56

But why?

SPEAKER_01 9:57

They 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_00 10:08

It's it's up there with Aston Martin.

SPEAKER_01 10:11

It's no.

SPEAKER_00 10:12

I give them a bit of grace because they don't have Adrian Yui.

SPEAKER_01 10:16

And they also are not four seconds elapsed slower than everybody else.

SPEAKER_04 10:22

Oh, 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_01 10:32

Aston aren't going anywhere. Well, they make Q2. Williams didn't.

SPEAKER_00 10:36

Come on, James, they're gonna get podiums by the end of the season.

SPEAKER_01 10:38

Oh. In F2, maybe. But then I still think there's a few F2 cars that beat them.

SPEAKER_04 10:45

Well, 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_00 11:22

Is that the problem? They care too much and it's gone wrong. They need to not care.

SPEAKER_04 11:25

How does that make any sense?

SPEAKER_00 11:26

And they'll be successful.

SPEAKER_01 11:28

That sounds like an abusive relationship. It's because I love you too much. That's why you have to.

SPEAKER_04 11:34

I love you too much, that's why my car's shit. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:38

But it's sad for Albon and Science, especially Science. I feel like he's just going so far backwards.

SPEAKER_01 11:45

Yeah, 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_04 11:58

Where would he go? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:00

Audi.

SPEAKER_04 12:02

Ugh. Well, speaking

Audis Grade

SPEAKER_04 12:03

of 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_00 12:34

That's fair.

SPEAKER_04 12:35

Why not? But Jackie, why don't we kick off with you? What's your Audi grade score?

SPEAKER_00 12:40

D 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_04 13:03

Hulk has as many points as Aston Martin, by the way.

SPEAKER_00 13:09

That's not a highlight or a positive comparison.

SPEAKER_04 13:11

Indeed not. Indeed not.

SPEAKER_01 13:13

James, 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_04 13:34

Why 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_01 13:55

Uh yeah. Because as soon as you as soon as you acknowledged it, he went downhill.

SPEAKER_04 13:59

So 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_04 14:07

All 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_01 14:20

I'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_00 14:37

You've been a little more generous than me. I was just a straight out D for them.

SPEAKER_01 14:44

I think they're they're markedly better than Audi. And so they needed a bit more distance between Audi and Hass.

SPEAKER_00 14:53

What 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_01 15:06

It 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_04 15:22

Yeah. 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_01 16:32

Yeah. There has to be an asterisk that there's two less races between this time and last year.

SPEAKER_04 16:39

Just well it's still halfway through the season, so we don't know how many races there's gonna be.

SPEAKER_01 16:46

But 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_04 16:53

Well, because we're gonna have Malaysia at it, don't forget.

SPEAKER_01 16:56

No, but at this point, you're gonna be able to do that.

SPEAKER_04 16:57

No, 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_01 17:24

All right,

Alpines Grade

SPEAKER_01 17:25

that 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_04 17:38

It's all part-owned by both.

SPEAKER_00 17:39

Well, to our French listeners.

SPEAKER_04 17:40

Yeah, bonjour.

SPEAKER_01 17:41

Both of you, yeah. Bonjour.

SPEAKER_04 17:44

I don't think we've had a French download ever.

SPEAKER_01 17:47

Yeah. Not even French. Yeah, when there's an Englishman on the pot.

SPEAKER_04 17:55

All 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_01 18:10

And they get a good engine.

SPEAKER_04 18:11

It helps.

SPEAKER_01 18:13

Yeah. 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_05 18:32

Jackie?

SPEAKER_00 18:33

I'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_04 19:03

Yeah, 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_04 19:56

Which takes us to the Bulls that are racing.

SPEAKER_05 19:59

Liam Lawson.

SPEAKER_04 20:00

And Liam Lawson.

SPEAKER_05 20:03

And uh You boys love Liam Lawson. Who's his teammate again? What was his name, James?

SPEAKER_01 20:09

Arvid Lindblad.

SPEAKER_04 20:10

Isn't it Constinopoulos Jones? The rules that are racing. Jackie, go on, kick us off.

SPEAKER_00 20:22

B 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_01 20:49

Yeah, 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.

unknown 21:07

No.

SPEAKER_00 21:08

Oh, see, I graded on a curve.

SPEAKER_04 21:10

Yeah, 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_01 22:17

Well, you wait until we get Red Bull. Well,

Red Bulls Grade

SPEAKER_01 22:21

go on. Uh, I've gone with the C minus for Red Bull. Dude.

SPEAKER_02 22:27

Oh. Go on. We have Taylor when we need it.

SPEAKER_01 22:30

It'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_05 23:03

No, I agree. I agree with you. Okay, Jackie?

SPEAKER_00 23:10

Oh, 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_04 23:51

All 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_00 25:12

I can understand how you're grading them.

SPEAKER_01 25:15

Sorry, James. They would have got 70% of their points in the second half of the year last year? Possibly, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 25:25

I don't know why that's relevant to what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_01 25:27

Well, you're saying they're at 40% of last year's points. They're total points, James.

SPEAKER_00 25:32

Again, total points for the whole season.

SPEAKER_04 25:34

Oh, I keep forgetting that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:36

So they're exceeding really on last year, considering they came home strong.

SPEAKER_04 25:41

Yeah. 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_02 25:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 25:57

But 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_01 26:52

I just think that you take Max out of that team and they're slap bang average. The team itself haven't performed.

SPEAKER_04 27:00

I 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_01 27:21

I 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_00 27:40

So you're just starting at B. You're that nasty lecturer that nobody likes because they don't give an A grade.

SPEAKER_04 27:44

I 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_04 27:54

the 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_00 28:10

C 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_01 28:31

Yeah, 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_04 28:49

Yeah, I've got C plus too. We're running the gauntlet here.

SPEAKER_01 28:52

Um they have we've we haven't colluded on this. No, not at all.

SPEAKER_04 28:59

No, James, we don't like to agree.

SPEAKER_01 29:01

Uh we certainly don't about Red Bull.

SPEAKER_04 29:05

Uh 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_01 29:54

And 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_04 30:03

All 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_01 30:15

They're not Ferrari. So that's your highest grade.

SPEAKER_04 30:18

I was gonna say that that's your highest scorer. You're right, okay.

SPEAKER_01 30:21

Yeah, 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_04 30:50

Uh 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_00 31:29

I think you boys have been harsh. I've got an A plus for Ferrari.

SPEAKER_04 31:33

A minus isn't a harsh thing. I think B plus is a bit harsh.

SPEAKER_00 31:37

Hey, 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_04 32:00

You 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_00 32:06

You were Ferrari when we met.

SPEAKER_04 32:08

I was Ferrari when we met. A plus is perfection.

SPEAKER_00 32:12

Yeah, now this is Ferrari, remember?

SPEAKER_01 32:15

They have not been perfect. I mean, hey, it's your score.

SPEAKER_00 32:20

Compared to last season and where I expect them to be, I think they have been.

SPEAKER_04 32:25

Yeah, 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_01 32:55

That wasn't on the bingo card for today. I just don't I don't think anybody deserves one.

SPEAKER_00 33:03

Well, see that nasty lecturer that no one likes.

SPEAKER_04 33:06

That's right. Well,

Mercedes' Grade

SPEAKER_04 33:07

we 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_01 33:35

If 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_00 33:53

But you've graded them lower than Ferrari, just to be clear.

SPEAKER_01 33:56

I didn't have as higher expectations for Ferrari as I do for Mercedes this year.

SPEAKER_00 34:01

Okay, cool.

SPEAKER_01 34:04

They should be, if their engine was reliable, they would be out of sight by now.

SPEAKER_04 34:08

To be fair, have Ferrari had reliability issues? I can't recall. No, not really. No.

SPEAKER_00 34:14

No.

SPEAKER_01 34:15

Which 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_00 34:38

Well, James, you and I are kind of aligned then.

SPEAKER_01 34:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:41

If 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_04 35:10

Yeah, so I wrote A plus, but you've convinced me, the two of you, that that's wrong.

SPEAKER_00 35:15

Which we didn't even try to do that on purpose.

SPEAKER_04 35:19

Any 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_01 35:26

Uh apart from George Russell.

SPEAKER_04 35:30

Apart 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_01 36:28

Yeah, 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_00 36:56

Yeah, that's fair.

SPEAKER_04 36:57

Yeah, 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_04 37:10

through 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_00 37:29

It's a very professional outfit here sometimes.

SPEAKER_01 37:31

Yes, yes. So anyway, we're here. The planning that goes into these podcasts is huge.

SPEAKER_04 37:35

Well, 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_00 37:52

We want to know what's going on there.

SPEAKER_04 37:53

That'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.

unknown 38:11

We don't know.

SPEAKER_00 38:12

The 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_01 38:20

Incredible, very true, incredible track.

SPEAKER_00 38:23

And 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_01 38:29

And and coming back to that, there's not many things that we all agree on.

SPEAKER_00 38:37

This is it. This is the only thing we agree on. That and Aston Martin.

SPEAKER_01 38:41

I think are the only two that we there. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, very true.

SPEAKER_04 38:46

Um, and then the last thing I want to touch on. Do we

Will Qatar & Abu Dhabi Races Go Ahead?

SPEAKER_04 38:49

we'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_00 39:09

Things had just taken off then, though. It was still very early in the piece.

SPEAKER_04 39:12

That'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_00 39:31

You imagine Imala last race with Kimi Antonelli taking the championship win.

SPEAKER_01 39:36

Yeah, but Imla in November. Yeah, I don't know about this. It'll be snowing.

SPEAKER_05 39:42

Get my dream track, race on ice.

SPEAKER_01 39:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:49

Oh, president for a day just came flashing back.

SPEAKER_01 39:52

Yeah, it it's I can't see you can't have a race in the northern Italy in November.

SPEAKER_04 40:01

No, 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_05 40:21

Yeah, do it at the upside down pig. Or run up to the page.

SPEAKER_01 40:26

Well, there was online rumor about that, wasn't it? Go back to back, go the next week as well. Reverse pig. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 40:36

There's a new one for your trivia, James. Sex position or track?

SPEAKER_03 40:43

The reverse pig.

SPEAKER_04 40:45

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:47

The bacon sizzle.

SPEAKER_04 40:48

Yeah. All right. So the prediction will these races happen or not?

SPEAKER_00 40:55

No.

SPEAKER_04 40:56

50-50 for me. I see a world where Abu Dhabi happens, yeah, and Qatar doesn't.

SPEAKER_00 41:04

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_04 41:06

I 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_01 41:24

Yeah. 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_04 41:37

As 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_00 42:27

Well, if if you want to create an international incident, that's top of your list, isn't it?

SPEAKER_04 42:32

Yeah. 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_01 42:42

I 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_00 43:03

Pass.

SPEAKER_03 43:04

Yeah, no, not my favorite circuit.

SPEAKER_01 43:08

What about the Istanbul Circuit? That's a ripper. Send them around. Um Philip Island.

SPEAKER_00 43:15

Well, it's gonna be available next year. There's nothing big happening there in 2027.

SPEAKER_04 43:19

Look, I just think we're gonna end up with something in Europe, if anything. Otherwise, Vegas is where it fits.

SPEAKER_00 43:26

I think that's its only option.

SPEAKER_01 43:27

I think it'd have to be very Southern Europe. Maybe Turkey.

SPEAKER_04 43:33

Wait, what's the track out in Porto? I've forgotten the name. Uh Portamao. Would Portamau work?

SPEAKER_01 43:40

Yeah, 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_00 43:50

Is that ranked for Formula One?

SPEAKER_01 43:53

I 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_04 44:04

Yeah, you could. Of course you could. Yeah, you could just add a race. Yeah. Yeah. Reverse pig, we're calling it now. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:13

The bacon burner.

SPEAKER_04 44:15

Anything to add before we get out of the bacon burner?

SPEAKER_01 44:19

Anything 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_04 44:29

Jackie's working on something unique. Not sure how this year.

SPEAKER_00 44:32

We 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_04 44:53

You guys know I'm a good sport with trivia type games. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

SPEAKER_01 44:58

But you've never spit the dummy when you're losing.

SPEAKER_00 45:03

So 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_01 45:12

My brain doesn't work very well.

SPEAKER_04 45:13

Small small note,

Oscar Piastris Increbile Hearing

SPEAKER_04 45:15

uh 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_00 45:51

He understands his history.

SPEAKER_04 45:52

He picked one of his own laps in 2025. He was like, Oh, that's me here. I'm like, whoa.

SPEAKER_00 45:58

So we're gonna get him on the podcast next week, then he might be good at this game.

SPEAKER_04 46:02

Get Oscar on the pod, you reckon?

SPEAKER_01 46:04

If we get Oscar on the pod, we're not doing your quiz.

SPEAKER_00 46:07

That'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_04 46:12

We might have a chat with him. Yeah, we've got other things to talk to Oscar about.

SPEAKER_01 46:17

Let's dive into Twitter. You know where we are. That's right.

SPEAKER_04 46:22

All 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_00 46:35

Bye.

SPEAKER_04 46:36

Ta da