Inside the F1 2025 Pre-Season Test with Scarbs F1: What We’ve Learned with Craig Scarborough

[00:00:00] 2025 is here properly. Testing is over and done with. And I particularly love this part of the year because we get to speak to Craig Scarborough, Scarbs F1 or Scarb's Tech as we all know him on social media. And we tend to break down every single Formula One car, understand their strengths, understand what's not so strong about it and the way forward for them over the course of the season.

[00:00:22] And the interesting insight that we got a couple of years ago, which was again game changing Kunal, was McLaren and what they had to do with the upgrades. That's what we learned with Craig in 23. They made a big improvement after that when Craig said that they had to make an improvement and get an upgrade and look where they are now. And this year we got to know so much about so many of the teams, particularly the top four. I mean, there's a lot he revealed.

[00:00:46] There was a lot revealed and while Craig said that he isn't really good on predictions, I think what you're talking of 2023 just to just to lay it out there so that everyone gets a perspective of the episode ahead. The what Craig said is McLaren have a good car, but they need to do ABC in through the season to get a better car. Guess what McLaren did? They did the ABC. Okay. And then 2024 is when they delivered their first

[00:01:15] first ever Constructors World Championship since many, many years. This year we've got Craig saying the same thing about each of the teams, more importantly, each of the drivers, since there are so many drivers who've changed teams, so many drivers who are joining Formula One for the first time. And you know, guys, I love the fact that yes, there were technical points that he made about cars and what they need to do with drivability. But I also loved how he said sometimes it's all about humans, you know, humans, new set of humans coming to work together.

[00:01:45] With different cultures, different personalities, different attitudes, and even that needs to fire, whether or not you need a faster car or you build a faster car as the season goes. Yeah, and there's so much to pick from that, isn't there Sundaram? Because we touched upon every team, we touched upon those who showed a lot of potential, and all the developments are so interesting as you've been digging so much over the last couple of days.

[00:02:08] I mean, that's exactly the thing. When you go into pre-season testing, you see a lot of these cars, and they all come up with a lot of interesting innovations, interesting upgrades from what they've done last year. And it's very easy to kind of, you know, jump on how hyped in, like he says, even in the episode. And it's, it's so wonderful to have someone kind of break down that for us and tell us, you know what, this is not as great as you think it is.

[00:02:31] This is something that is pretty interesting. And in that regard, hearing from Scarbs right after pre-season testing is so, so insightful. And there are so many caveats, there are so many outliers. So it's a very difficult reading for a layman like us, or even people who are still involved in the sport. But someone who's kind of able to break that down for us is so exciting to watch. So I'm so much so excited for the season and see how it kind of goes.

[00:02:58] And we also got to learn so much about the team's mindset towards the season, because that's what each development actually showcases. It's all a decision at the end of the day, whether you decide to have a new part or you don't. So all of that and more is going to be part of this episode. I hope you enjoy it. Let's listen in to Scarbs. Okay, then we're finally done with testing in Formula One, or as I'd like to call it, correct time, because we're here with Scarbs F1, Craig Scarborough.

[00:03:24] And every single year, we get to speak to him about testing and what we've learned and what the teams have done, what can they do better? And what are the key little details that the world might not have noticed on the broadcast, which we are so grateful to have now, but just actually need some further observation. And that is something that, Craig, you are so excellent at, which is something we've loved to listen to on the Inside Line F1 podcast for years now.

[00:03:47] The kind of nerdy little details that, again, don't really come out in the media as much, but other kind of stuff we also love to analyze. Because it tells you so much about the teams and the way they're thinking about the new season. And this year, you must have had so many big hints from testing. What was it like for you particularly? What did you observe broadly from all the teams and what they've done so far? Oh, first of all, thank you for that introduction. Wow. Yes.

[00:04:15] And in terms of summarizing testing, I think of all years, this year is going to be the hardest year to judge because we've had these regulations now since 2022. Everyone has kind of closed up. We saw last year, lots of teams have made various mistakes along the way or hadn't actually recovered from previous mistakes. If you think of someone like Mercedes. And it looks like this year, the thing I've taken out from testing is that everyone's learnt their lesson.

[00:04:41] Everybody's come out with a car that's kind of where you would expect them to be. So I don't think testing is going to give us the answer to who's going to win the championship this year. But I just think it's going to show how tight this championship is going to be this year because it's going to twist and turn every few races. It's going to be madness. And did you expect testing to be this way with a lot of teams keeping a lot of their cars similar? Or actually, the question to you, have they even kept their cars similar? Because the whole world would like to believe that.

[00:05:11] Or is that really the case? Have you spotted many big changes this year from all the teams? Yeah, I mean, I think everyone thinks that the cars look exactly the same now. And I think probably to, you know, the average fan's eyes, yes, they probably do. But when you actually start to drill into some of those sort of key factors that we can see on the outside, you know, the shape of the front wing, the nose, the floor and the side pods. Yes, you can actually see there's lots of differences, particularly with suspension now,

[00:05:40] which has never really been an area where teams have played, particularly at the front. And it's been a big talking point already through these sort of opening weeks of the preseason. So, yes, they are all different. You know, the real important things are things that we can't see. It's what's happening, you know, kind of underneath the floor. And we can only kind of guess at how that's working and also guess how the suspension is going to work with how they've set the floor up. Because, you know, as much as we can look at all the fiddly bits on the outside,

[00:06:09] it's how that underfloor and the suspension work in unity. And I guess you would say with the tyres as well. And testing doesn't give us the answer to that. But, yeah, it's still a really fascinating season and lots of little differences between every single car. And, you know, even from year to year, you know, the Ferrari is different to last year's Ferrari. Last year's McLaren is different to this year's McLaren. And, you know, virtually up and down the grid. As much as we'll probably talk about roadball at some stage, it looks like it's a carbon copy of last year.

[00:06:38] There are differences on there. And it all gives us those clues. And who better to actually dissect all those clues and what's actually happening with those cars, Craig? Thank you again for being here. Like we've been saying in the preparation, testing has ended. Speculation is to start. And I think the kind of testing we've had has been very boring, so to say. You know, the only reliability issue we faced was actually at the circuit when they had a power outage.

[00:07:07] Otherwise, everyone's had near perfect runs where Lance Stroll fell a little unwell on the final day. But everyone's pretty much maximized all the mileage, you know, ticked all the boxes. And I would say the suspense for 2025 is only higher after witnessing such a complex yet simple way of how cars went testing this weekend. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, a boring three days of testing sets us up for a fascinating season.

[00:07:35] Because, you know, normally during testing, you'll have someone that may be standing head and shoulders above everyone else or someone that's having, you know, the worst of possible times in terms of reliability or, you know, car performance or bouncing and stuff like that. This year, everyone seems to be prepared, as I sort of said earlier. And that really only just sets us up for, you know, for a really interesting season. It'll be phenomenal to see how things go about it. And I want to talk to you about Ferrari.

[00:08:04] And that's where I'd also love to get some insight from Sundaram, who's been doing lots of digging. But we'll get to that. But about Ferrari, right? They've changed their suspensions. And that's something that Haas has not followed suit with. It's a big move because they're finally moving in the direction of some of the other, let's say, most successful teams of this time. But do you think they're going all in a bit too late? Because they have limited wind tunnel time. They've got to choose between 25 and 26.

[00:08:30] Changing the suspension is clearly something that requires lots of preparation and research. It's obviously a bold and big call. Are they going all in at the wrong time? Do you think so? I mean, I'm certainly looking at the results from testing. I don't think they've made a mistake. But, of course, as you mentioned already, you've got the wind tunnel restrictions this year. You have budget restrictions. You're going to have two very competitive drivers driving around, what, maybe six other very competitive drivers.

[00:08:59] I think it could end up being a mistake not from the technical side but from managing the entire season side. Obviously, you've got 2026 massive rule changes coming up. I think the change from push rod at the front to pull rod is not as big an important thing as a lot of people have made out, particularly the Italian press that predict this one way or the other every year that they're going to switch to one or the other and making claims. Sometimes actually, you know, saying exactly what they said last time.

[00:09:27] I don't think it's that important. It's a small aerodynamic thing. I don't think it's going to fundamentally change the way that they manage their tires. I think there's a much bigger picture than whether you're pushing and pulling springs of the dampers because they don't really care, you know, tucked away inside the nose of the car. But it has been a big investment for what's probably quite a small performance increase. But Ferrari also made fairly fundamental changes to the rest of the aero on that car. You know, you've then got, you know, Lewis.

[00:09:55] And you're going to have a lot of adaptation with both Lewis adapting to the car and Ferrari adapting to how Lewis likes to drive a car, which is a very specific style and not necessarily the same as Charles. So, yeah, I think it's odd that Ferrari have chosen to, you know, invest so much of their resources into a relatively minor change when I think that there's, you know, a much bigger picture to be looked at this season.

[00:10:19] And the interesting thing is usually when you have the regulations that are so stable across years, one of the things that teams tend to do is try and fix their weaknesses from the previous year. And at least in Ferrari's case, we've already known that they are very, very good in the low speed corners. But we think that kind of put them off was the high speed corners. So do you feel that with the change in the suspension and also otherwise, do you feel they've made gains in that specific area?

[00:10:46] I mean, that's going to be the question that I don't think Bahrain has really kind of given us the results. Although Bahrain is very much a rear limited track, a traction limited circuit. We haven't seen any, you know, even in sector two, you haven't really seen enough of the high speed stuff to see if Ferrari have recovered, you know, the level of downforce. When you look at the changes that they've made, the front pull rod will, you know, give them a small downforce or aero efficiency improvement.

[00:11:13] The side pods are, again, potentially meaning that they're running slightly less drag than the bulkier side pods they had before. Because they run very much a McLaren style of slimmer side pod with those little winglets out the front. Everything adds up that they should have a little bit more performance in the car. But of course, so is everybody else. And whether they've switched into a, you know, a different segment of performance where it is much more, you know, higher downforce,

[00:11:38] but still with a reasonable level of efficiency to give them that high speed, medium speed corner performance advantage that they've had. But without wrecking their tyres. Testing hasn't given us the answer, but that is the question Ferrari have to pose themselves this year. So, you know, as long with lots of other teams, you know, if, I mean, Ferrari looks fast. Let's, you know, let's make no bones about that. That is definitely, you know, top three.

[00:12:04] You know, there's almost, obviously it's a big top four, but, you know, where it sits in those top three, it's hard to say. And, you know, you've got to think about how they're going to plan their season. You know, if they are on for a championship with one of the drivers, you know, are they going to have team orders? That's going to be pretty risky with those two characters and with the team management there. You know, do they go all out of constructors? There's lots of questions to be answered this year.

[00:12:30] And I think Ferrari, along with a few other teams, have probably got more questions being thrown at them than anyone else. But so far, there's no, you know, negative things to say about the new Ferrari. Yeah. And the big focus for them is just making Lewis Hamilton comfortable, right? Because once you do that, you can unlock so much more. And they have such a good driver lineup. And throughout testing, I was amazed by the kind of mileage they were also able to get out. It's clear, right?

[00:12:58] Because there were other teams like Aston Martin who were very cryptic. So we can't tell. Cryptic not by, I don't know if it's by choice or by virtue of their lack of performance on track. But ultimately, we know a lot more about the likes of Ferrari and Red Bull and McLaren with the kind of running they've done. And from that, it seems like they have found gains. Everyone watching on track has reported that they are far more confident than they were last year. The car can be dialed in.

[00:13:25] And it's just attributing to the fact that there are gains that have been made. Why do you think that gains have largely been made for Ferrari? And do you think where there's a next step for them that's still left to be unlocked? Let's say particular areas where McLaren are still ahead of them? I mean, I think they've gained performance. You know, the classic way you gain performance is by increasing downforce and cutting drag. And I think the changes that they've made to the car logically would suggest it's gone in that direction. You know, like I said, they're not unique in that situation.

[00:13:54] I think one of the key things in that car is going to be tyre management throughout the race. Charles was very good at that last year. We know Lewis is very good at tyre management when working with his race engineer, which immediately raises the question, how is that relationship going to work with Ferrari? That could be quite blunt and uncommunicative on the radio to their drivers. And Lewis, who's used to having Bono, you know, really kind of, you know, wrapping a blanket around it and telling him exactly what he needs.

[00:14:24] So there's that sort of big question. Equally, Lewis has a particular way of driving, the way he likes to get to the apex, get the car rotated on the brakes and back out. Now, we know that the current breed of tyres and, you know, the current breed of Mercedes that he's been racing haven't been conducive to the way he's driving. Now, you know, so far, everything he's said about the Ferrari has all been very positive. But it's one of those situations where you would expect him to be positive. He's not going to start being very negative. And, you know, the car's not doing what I want it to at this stage

[00:14:53] because that would really ruin the relationship very early. But, you know, again, we have to see if Lewis really is comfortable in that car during qualifying, when he's in those first laps, when he's racing, you know, wheel to wheel with someone that can actually get the car to do what he wants to do. And that's going to be, you know, the big question, isn't it? Whether they can actually deliver that for Lewis and how that affects the balance with Charles.

[00:15:19] Because, you know, Charles and Carlos were quite equal in the early days. But I think Charles certainly established some dominance either through the driving or through political means, maybe you want to say. And again, that's another dynamic of Ferrari this year that we're just going to have to see how that works out. But really, you know, the unanswered question is very much how they'll manage tyres during the race. And they've kind of had ups and downs through last year.

[00:15:46] I think they finished the season quite well with their tyre management. I think, as I said, they did have a dip mid-season. So that's, you know, that for me, that's the unanswered question. Until we get to some more tracks in different conditions, both hot and cold, you know, front limited, re-limited, fast and slow speed circuits, there's any time that we'll start to build some real answers about that Ferrari. You know, I love how the PR machinery is so active with Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari.

[00:16:13] Sorry. It's not about the eighth. It's about my first with Ferrari. I thought I didn't have any more first left in my career than the whole time interview that's come. I think it's pretty fantastic. And like you're saying, they want to do all they can to get the relationship off to a great start. You know, it's needed. Momentum is so crucial. And you very rightly pointed out about, you know, Lewis's driving style and how this era's Mercedes didn't sort of help him.

[00:16:41] Did you see anything in testing which gave you any hints on the fact that this Ferrari suits his driving style a little better, where he's able to extract more performance? I mean, I think immediately you can see. I mean, I think, yeah, you can read between the body language that, you know, and seeing the car's body language on the track that it's much more suited to him. It's much more stable. The Mercedes has been a horrible car over these past few years.

[00:17:05] And I think jumping into just a well-balanced and consistent car is going to be a big step forwards for him. Because, you know, as a driver, you've got to build your confidence. You know, that's the most important thing, probably more important than, you know, the outright performance of the car is that, you know, the confidence of the driver. So, yes, so far. But as I say, it's only when you get into those qualifying laps and those, you know,

[00:17:30] late break moves to get past someone that you'll see if he's truly able to extract, you know, the performance from the car that he needs. But certainly there's nothing saying that that's not going to happen. So I would say on that side of things, everything's positive so far. That's an interesting point that you mentioned. You mentioned the confidence and also that along with that comes adaptability. But when you join a different team, there's also a lot of unlearning that you have to do first and then a lot of learning, especially when there's a team with a completely different sort of culture,

[00:17:59] completely different power unit and the ways of working. So although people want to know if you can go completely at it from the very first race, we just want to understand what will be Lewis Hamilton's biggest challenge with Ferrari this year. For me, having seen how Lewis has worked, particularly, as I said, with Bono and with the rest of the team over the past few years, is how he's going to manage during the race. Lewis likes to get information. He likes to be told the lap times he should be doing, what other people are doing with their tyres, where the strategy is going.

[00:18:30] You've always seen that quite open discussion. Lewis has been also quite critical of his team on the radio when he isn't getting what he wants or he's not happy with what he's got. And again, I think Ferrari are a very different environment. It's almost a bit more businesslike rather than the sort of the Métis-Pally relationship that he had with a lot of the people on the radio at Mercedes.

[00:18:57] I think, you know, he could get a pole at Melbourne, but I wouldn't be surprised if there's at some race that communication breaks down and Lewis isn't getting what he wants. And, you know, the chance of a result would be lost through them not communicating, them not getting the strategy and the discussions right. So for me, that's the one thing that I want to see, you know, evolve through this year. And obviously, I think we all want to see any driver do well in the team.

[00:19:27] So I think for me, that is probably going to come maybe after an initial jump. I was actually watching the Bernie Ecclestone documentary. I don't know if you've seen it, Lucky. And it reminded me, in going back all those years of the drivers, often when a big driver arrives at Ferrari, they'll win very early in the season of their debut season. And you think, wow, this is great. And then, of course, everything, you know, you have that dip after. So that's what I would expect.

[00:19:56] And I wouldn't be surprised to see a result from Lewis, you know, at Melbourne or in those first races, be it a pole or a race win. But I don't think that would be indicative of, you know, it all being fantastic throughout the season. I think there will be challenges for them. And with Charles as well. I mean, you know, this isn't a one-sided discussion there. I love how Charles has now suddenly become an afterthought. And, you know, understandably, so the greatest of all time has joined, you know, Ferrari.

[00:20:24] And very nice you mentioned Lucky because Manish Pandey, you know, the director is a friend of the podcast. He's been on a couple of times, a very dear friend of mine as well. But what a beautiful series Lucky is. It's absolutely recommended for every Formula One fan. But I know, Somal, you've got the next team you want to go to? Yeah, Mercedes. And I think if Lucky had a part two, they would get a chapter on it, for sure. And this season is going to be quite an important one in that whole journey.

[00:20:52] Because for Mercedes, it's the last one with this generation of cars. I think they'll firstly be glad, in a way, that this whole nightmare has come to an end. But how good is their final package? Because it seems like they've changed a lot. Like, just looking at the design of their side pods, it felt like, wow, they're learning from others. Like, they've gone back to a totally different base. And when I compare this to what we saw in 2022, with the zero pods and everything that they did and all that,

[00:21:22] it feels like a complete U-turn. Expected? Yes. But, again, we'll now find out if it's a little too late. Do you think, firstly, their running was very representative? Because Russell and Antonelli were very confident. There's a caveat to that, isn't there? I think there's a caveat to anyone's testing performance, isn't there? You just never know. I think we could expect Mercedes probably running quite high fuel loads. You know, they're not out to grab glory. They don't need to do that.

[00:21:49] I think what they need to do is to prove how that car is working. And evidence on track is that it doesn't suffer with some of the problems that their previous cars have had. And, again, everything we say is covered by this. It was only Bahrain in the hot, you know, for three days. But the car certainly looked a lot more comfortable. It didn't seem to have all of those horrible traits of a snappy rear end and bouncing and just general instability and not being particularly comfortable with its tires.

[00:22:17] So it looks as though they, and I've said this every year since the end of 2022, you know, it looks like they've learned their lesson. This car looks like, you know, visually from the outside, it looks like it's the improvement that they were seeking. But, you know, as I say, I've said that many times, you know, but I think this year or more than the other years, I think there is optimism that actually they looks like they may have got, you know, the formula right in getting the performance out of these cars. But, you know, they're coming from a long way back.

[00:22:48] I think there is a big jump in performance in this chassis. You know, that's, you know, almost undoubtedly the case. But, you know, is that going to throw up other problems? You know, they were very canny, very wise with their tire management last year. They didn't have the fastest car. And in the race, although some, you know, some days, you know, the weather conditions got away from how they could work their tires. They've always been very good at managing their tires through the race. That's almost their trump card.

[00:23:15] You know, if they're given a faster car, you know, all so much the better. Because I think a lot of this year will be about race tire management. I mean, who qualifies on pole could become unimportant. I mean, I think certainly last year to me, it felt like it was. As long as you're towards the front and you've got your tire management right and your strategy right with that as well. So, I think that's what Mercedes have certainly been concentrating on rather than trying to get glory runs. But everything looks like it's coming together.

[00:23:45] And, you know, Anthony wants to come out and prove himself. He's a young lad. He's, you know, he's obviously clearly got lots of talent. Lots of people know, you know, drivers far better than me. Highly rate him. And I think he could, you know, I think George wants to establish himself as, you know, a kind of, not so much the number one driver at Mercedes, but, you know, kind of one of Formula One's top drivers. He's, you know, very much, as much as I think, underneath maybe he's quite a quiet and retiring guy.

[00:24:13] So, I think he really wants to put himself out there and present himself as, you know, a future champion. And I think he's trying to do that by just putting solid work in with the car and makes, again, another interesting dynamic within the team through the year. And, again, you know, Anson Eliud expects him to have a little benefit in the early races. And then that dip, as most rookies tend to have. And then they kind of work out where they were going wrong and then come back again.

[00:24:40] So, it's going to be a season of changes for Mercedes. But maybe the other question then is, at what point do they kind of pack up, pushing hard on this year and worry about next year? But, you know, I think that's the same question for many teams. I think Mercedes could be tempted to pack up earlier. Yeah. And, you know, Kimi Antonelli has actually been testing all of last year to try and get as much mileage in the car this year. Okay, then. That was Mercedes. I think there's a lot of teams to talk about.

[00:25:08] I'm tempted to go to the world champions next because Mercedes, McLaren, I still find it hard to believe that they're now separate and successful because a big part of my childhood was both of them together. But it's phenomenal that this is happening. And McLaren this year, I think, were very brave in testing, weren't they?

[00:25:29] By keeping their car inside on day one for so long and saying that it was a technical change that they had planned for and it was part of the run plan. And then going out there and delivering such confident lap times and then being able to put out Piastri and Norris away from the car for such a long time and giving the other teammate more time in the car. It's unbelievable how confident they seem overall. And everyone says, Craig, that it's just last year's car, but a B version of it.

[00:25:58] Is that a fair observation to make, according to you? Well, I mean, I think you could take two views on it. You could say, well, yes, it is a B version, but then kind of so is everybody else, really. You know, the differences between last year's cars and this year's cars for most teams is in very subtle areas. I mean, in fact, for Williams, it's exactly the same monocoque. But, yeah, I mean, I think it's unfair to say that it is just a B version because, you know, there is some significant change around the front suspension.

[00:26:25] The aerodynamics are subtly different as well. And, again, you know, this is the testing specification that we've seen, almost the shakedown specification. There will be updates over the first few races, and then obviously they'll get into the big things. I think what's interesting is that McLaren have produced some performance in testing that we've not seen from them in almost as long as I can remember.

[00:26:49] You know, it's probably going back to, you know, the old days when they would turn up with Alan Prost and Senna, you know, three days into the final test with their new car and just blitz everyone. McLaren have almost a tradition ever since of having a car that doesn't perform well initially, having a big update to it through the season or updates to it through the season, and getting their performance, you know, midway through the year.

[00:27:16] And that has certainly been the case over the past few years, as you very pointed out, I mentioned earlier in our previous conversation. So I think the fact that McLaren and the Ara tend to be a late developer, shall we say, are already setting the pace with a lot of confidence. McLaren is, you know, potentially worrying, you know, because if they can then add performance through the year as well, then that's looking like it's a very good year for McLaren.

[00:27:41] But again, I don't think this year is going to pan out as it has done under the, you know, maybe the recent eras where you would have had, you know, Ferrari dominance, Red Bull dominance, Mercedes dominance, Red Bull. I think this year is going to be much more like last season where you're going to have eight winners, maybe more winning one or two races through the year. I don't think people may get back to back, but I don't think we're going to have an extended period of dominance,

[00:28:07] even if we reach the first European race, which is San Marino. After, you know, the first flyaway races, you could have had one team dominate them. You get the updates at Imola and everything changes. And that's going to happen. That's going to happen again and again as we reach different parts of the season. You know, the summer break, teams starting to break off for 2026 development, teams running out of budget because their teammates have been crashing into each other so much and just wrapping up huge bills.

[00:28:37] So it's going to be a season that tumbles a lot. So I think the main thing, because I've noticed this on, you know, throughout social media and everyone's reporting on testing, is that, you know, it's going to be a McLaren year. And while I don't doubt McLaren may have the best car at the moment, perhaps over the whole season, that isn't, you know, just a one-sided story. But certainly the car is looking good. They've been quite adventurous with the front suspension.

[00:29:03] Everyone's talking about the angle of the front wishbones, which a lot of people slightly incorrectly term anti-dive. It's actually much more an aerodynamic thing than a vehicle dynamic thing. And also how they play about with the steering rack, which I was looking at today. Put some pictures out on social media. They were quite radical with it last year. They've gone even more radical in trying to get performance out of the track rod,

[00:29:27] which steers the front wheels, which has been very much a benign part of Formula One cars for many years. There's a fairly simple way they tend to set it up now. They've actually got it crossing underneath the front suspension. Makes it quite a powerful, quite a powerful device. Yeah. So, you know, I think McLaren have kind of got it to prove, you know, last year we saw that their race tyre management was very good.

[00:29:51] We saw that the car clearly had lots of performance once they reached that kind of first update package, which was Miami, if I can remember. But my memory is not so great on that. But their problems last year tended to be more biological and internal, isn't it? It was, you know, Lando having that crisis of confidence just at the point you thought he was going to get a championship. Yeah. Piastri getting angry with not getting the results because, you know,

[00:30:21] he seemed to be the second driver in the championship. And equally, you know, from the team's point of view, you had, you know, some pretty bad strategy calls. So for me, more than the car, they've got to get that internal stuff sorted out. You know, you've got to kind of keep Lando mentally positive. You've got to, you know, let Piastri think that he's been given all the opportunities that he deserves and not fouling up on some, you know,

[00:30:50] strange race calls when you're either in the lead or trying to get the lead through strategy. That, for me, is where McLaren have to prove themselves this year while keeping everything else going at the same time, obviously. I'm going to say something in Hindi and explain what it is because you just said something so interesting. We could have more than eight winners this year or we could have one team dominate, eliminate Limula, get an upgrade and the season goes bonkers. I'm going to say,

[00:31:17] which literally means that what you've said is so interesting that I hope that it comes true. And hence, I will feed you lots of desserts for it to come true. Wow. I mean, if I know I was going to get desserts, I would have spoken about it longer. But, you know, I think the one thing that you nailed about McLaren, these biological issues within the team and, you know,

[00:31:41] Andrea Stella has been very vocal about how it's a new team, even though it's carrying the legendary name of McLaren forward. My feeling is if it's a closely fought season again, that biology or that biological, you know, mix of McLaren will be tested. For Lando's sake, for Oscar's sake, or maybe at least I would say Lando and McLaren's sake,

[00:32:02] they will hope that their car is just that much dominant enough that the others are playing catch up and they have that bit of comfort margin available to pull away. Because, you know, when it comes to wheel to wheel battle, somehow it just seems that Max is untouchable for whatever reason. Okay. Especially when it comes up against a Lando Norris. So I'd love to see how that whole battle shapes up for 2025. Yeah.

[00:32:29] I mean, I think we're going to have some incredible battles between, you know, teammates against each other and, you know, against all the other teams as well. I think it's going to be fascinating. And then you come to the question of, you know, Drivers' Championship, Constructors' Championship. You know, of those top four teams that we keep talking about, you would have to say everyone apart from Red Bull has got a very, very strong driver pairing. Obviously, we'll talk a bit about Red Bull.

[00:32:58] Are they going for the Drivers' Championship or the Constructors' Championship? Because when you've got two teammates taking points off of each other and you have, you know, papaya rules or, you know, no team orders or whatever, however you want to describe it. You know, you have to have – and again, we talk about, you know, sort of biological things. A lot of what happens in a Formula One team is down to the management.

[00:33:20] You know, if you actually looked at the skills of the, you know, maybe the individual drivers, the individual engineers and everyone else involved in the team, you know, they haven't – now, none of them have got superheroes in their team. But if you have a manager that gets the best out of these people, then you get a better result as a team. And, you know, a lot of these teams need to go into a season with a plan. You know, we're going to get one of our drivers to the Drivers' Championship. We're going to get the team to the Constructors or we're going to try and get both somehow.

[00:33:48] And then, you know, at some point you have to start making quite difficult calls which are going to upset, you know, one of the drivers certainly, but, you know, huge amounts of fans at the same time in making rather horrible calls about, you know, what we're going to do to get to our end goal. And, you know, and that extends to, as we've sort of said before, you know, that how much aero testing, how much budget. You're looking at 2026. You're looking at your damage budget, your development budget. There's lots of things for the teams to juggle this year.

[00:34:15] Probably more so than I think we've seen in many years because we've got such a competitive environment. You know, it's going to be a season where I think we're going to get a lot of big headlines and a lot of very angry people out there, which is probably great for a drive to survive and, you know, the next episode of Lucky. But, yeah, I mean, I think this is going to be a season a lot of people probably will remember quite well. It's phenomenal.

[00:34:42] You know, the way McLaren are progressing, it's like a kid is growing up and the clothes are getting too tight. And suddenly they've got to pick and choose. What do we do? Do we go for new clothes? Do we just, ah, we've got to figure it out. It's going to be a tough year for relationships, I feel. And that's something that Red Bull are banking upon a lot because they've let go of Sergio Perez and gotten Liam Lawson because they believe that A, Liam will bring in some fresh air.

[00:35:08] And B, he'll be tougher and better at managing relationships with Red Bull in the tough times than Yuki Sonora, which is A, a big call. But B, that also leaves him with a very unproven, let's say partly unproven driver lineup. Let's put it that way because with Yuki, also there was lots of hope, but we don't really know if he's going to be good. And that's a challenge that Red Bull are working towards. And to make that better, it seems that they're trying to make their ride much more easier, which is something that they have been complaining about the last year.

[00:35:36] And then now it's a new opportunity for this newbie-less Red Bull racing to prove how good they are. And there's been a bit of back and forth about that as well. I find it phenomenal. A.R. Nui coming to the media and saying that I felt that they were not prepared enough, that they were not next in line. And something alluding to that stuff. And now Red Bull respond. And everything we've seen so far, I find it weird, Craig, is just shots of Red Bull racing being a tough car to drive and the car being spun out. And nothing really more about it.

[00:36:04] And it makes me wonder, well, what's going on over here? Because clearly it's Max and Red Bull. You can't ignore them. But it's so hard to decipher where they are with the similarities of the car and everything that's going around. Yeah, you're absolutely right. I mean, if you look at the problems they had last year, the fact that they still won that driver's championship, you know, it kind of, you know, it defies logic at some points. You had such an advantage. And then they just, you know, Miami again, it just disappeared from view for a while.

[00:36:32] So, yeah, they had a difficult car. They had a car that was clearly been developed in a wrong direction. There are some other things which people are denying that changed on that car around Miami to do with, you know, something that really made it handle very well, particularly for Verstappen. And, you know, through the year, they had all these other internal issues again, didn't they? You know, everyone was leaving. Everyone was angry. Everyone was going to get fired.

[00:37:02] Somehow Perez stayed on to his seat. And then at the end of the year, he was gone. There's a lot to recover from. And they're probably one of the harder teams to predict, as you say. So, you know, let's go through it. First of all, the car. The car is looking still a little bit tricky to drive. The car, everyone said, looks exactly the same as last year's. And I think that is a fair assumption. I posted a comparison immediately. I wasn't absolutely immediately convinced that was the RB21 when they released some pictures.

[00:37:33] There's a lot more to come on that car. They understood quite late last year where their errors were. So you wonder, did they have maybe an RB20 continuation as the early season package, very much like McLaren have done in recent years? And then planning, you know, the true RB21 update. You know, they've knocked some of the problems out of that car and some of the odd things that were added to it last year.

[00:38:00] And, you know, they've also changed fundamentally how they do the cooling for the turbochargers at the back of the car, which is really interesting. And again, they've gone their own way, which is quite, again, interesting. But the way they've played about with their turbo intercoolers actually looks like it's quite a cheap solution. Where everyone else is using 3D printed intercoolers, they've actually got, you know, big handmade ones in the side pods. So it's like, are they thinking about budget this early? You know, they didn't get the Constructors' Championship.

[00:38:27] They've got a bit more wind tunnel time than McLaren, which, again, is another one of those factors that you need to kind of account for through the year. I think that car in Max's hands certainly will be fast enough for poles and for wins. How that develops through the year is going to be something, you know, we just have to wait and see. The Lawson question is going to be a massive one. Again, what are the management doing? How are they planning the season?

[00:38:55] Are they saying to Liam, look, we're expecting Max to leave at the end of the year. You be number two this year and you're in the hot seat for next year, which for me is probably the reason they didn't choose Yuki. I think Yuki, if they were looking for a one-year, maybe two-year backup driver for Stappen, I think Yuki would have been more in the mold that we've seen where it's very much a one and a two driver. And, again, you know, I think a lot of fans don't like that.

[00:39:23] But equally, I think, well, if I'm putting in, what is it, $150 million to run a team for a year, I want the world championship for the drivers, then I'm going to have a number two driver. I want the best driver in the number one seat. And, you know, to get to my goal, that's the compromise we make. And now, you know, that's a valid way of doing racing. And some people do like it, some don't. I don't think Yuki had that added shelf life.

[00:39:50] And he kind of came on quite aggressively early. And I think he's kind of flattened out in his performance. I think he is a great driver. I don't think he's a great, great driver. He's not a future world championship or potentially even race winner. And I think they've chosen Liam. But Liam can be a hothead. And we saw that very much last year, particularly when he seems to be next to Perez. Perez in races.

[00:40:16] And again, you know, I don't think Red Bull are going to want that with him and Max. You know, I think there's going to be, you know, keep your distance very much between them two. You know, there'll be days when I'm, you know, I wouldn't be surprised if Liam got his maiden victory this year. You know, I think he's certainly one of those eight who can get a championship, not a championship winner, a race win this year. But I think Red Bull, you know, there's a lot of engineering to go into that car.

[00:40:42] And I think there's a lot of relationship fixing inside the team that needs sorting out. You know, there's a lot of key people have come and gone. And that's always destabilizing for a team, particularly a successful team, because you kind of have a formula of how you work. And I think testing maybe has proven out that Red Bull haven't been that sort of super confident. Let's just go out, put the big times in, put the long runs in, show the car's great. And so, yeah, big question mark over them for this year.

[00:41:11] I've got no doubt that they could take the driver's championship. You know, I think, you know, we can end up with the same result as last year. But, you know, there's a lot of ifs along the way there, as it would be making a prediction for any of those teams. And flexi wings are also such a big part of the equation, aren't they, Kunal?

[00:41:36] Because now we're getting to see Formula One teams having to design a spec of car for the first part. And then one post-spin. That's also going to be something interesting to account for in Red Bull's journey. That will. And then there's also been the mini DRS, which still continues. And I'd love to get your perspective on this dual formula for the season. I know a lot of people are saying, you know, the FIA's U-turn from last year will actually impact the championship.

[00:42:01] And, you know, Ferrari is still saying, you know, I think it was Red Bull saying that Ferrari and McLaren are still doing their mini DRS tricks. I'd love to get your perspective, Craig, on how do you think that will impact the championship challenge for the season? Yes. I mean, it's going to be a big question mark. The teams have been given quite a long lead time. So I think it's Monaco now that the big regulation change comes in for the front wings and with some other ones being applied from race one.

[00:42:27] So I don't think it will necessarily make a massive change to the order because I think teams will have planned for it. But flexiwings, I mean, this has been going on now since the 90s. And it's a source of frustration for me that it's never properly been tackled. You know, it's constantly been chipped away. You know, you can see it happening on the TV. This is why I find it frustrating.

[00:42:53] You know, the FIA, particularly with the rear wings at the moment, as much as we talk about the front wings as well, you know, it's both patently obvious what's going on. And we look at many DRS last year with McLaren. You know, I don't like to be sort of too dramatic in my comments. But from my point of view, that car should have been disqualified. It was clearly busting the rolls. You know, you could see it happening on the TV. And, you know, McLaren kind of just took it off and went, oh, yeah, sorry about that.

[00:43:22] And it's like, whoa, no, no. I'll just say sorry, you know, we overdid it. But for me, flexing wings is something that, you know, a lot of people get misunderstood. You know, wings will flex, wings will wobble. But let's not be naive. When we see the wings slowly moving down on the straights and then jumping up as you reach the braking zone, that is designed in flex.

[00:43:45] You've had massive teams of aerodynamicists, aerodynamic designers, structures designers, you know, the people working with the carbon fiber layouts. That's all designed, you know. So that, you know, it will meet the test and no more and then dramatically flex away, giving you a huge aerodynamic advantage. Now, some of the aerodynamic advantage is about balance, which actually is in some ways is a good thing. But from my point of view, if a wing is flexing purposely, it's against the regulations, whether it's mini DRS or the front wing flexing.

[00:44:14] Everybody's doing it to different degrees. Everyone's doing it in different ways. A lot of people are saying, well, Red Bull doesn't seem to be flexing that much on the front wing because the way they put their front wing adjuster in front of the camera. So that bit doesn't flex. But the bit that's just out of sight in front of the front wheels does flex. Everyone else is the opposite way around. You see the two areas overlapping, which creates a vortex, gives the teams a huge performance advantage on the straights, cut and drag. So I wish we could get this sorted out once and for all.

[00:44:42] And I don't think the Monaco changes are going to change anything in terms of people will still be flexing the wings front and rear. And I think the FAA will continue to be somewhat inactive actually sorting this out and dishing out penalties when something is being used. Now, I know it's quite a draconian way of doing it to, you know, to disqualify someone from maybe qualifying or even a race result.

[00:45:06] But, you know, it keeps going on and it won't change under the new regulations next year either. But some days I just wish I was in the FAA office and it was me making some of these decisions. But the only other thing I'll say is, yeah, everybody's doing it. I think everyone has a perception of what other people are doing. It depends on your favorite team. If you're a Red Bull fan, it's Rari and McCann. If you're a McCann fan, it's that Red Bull team again.

[00:45:35] So everybody's doing it. And you either wipe it out or you bring it back. It's insane. So many little story points in this Formula One season. Like things can come in and try to influence the way we see it. And it's going to be phenomenal. It's all lining up towards it. And an added factor into that is Williams actually apparently looking better with a similar monocoque. Or rather the same monocoque as you pointed out. It's phenomenal. It all looks the same.

[00:46:05] And the developments, at least on the driver's side, are there. I think the big question this year is, can they back it up? New sponsor, new look as well. Something that's sharper. New team principle with more time on his hands. It's all pointing towards the right direction for me. But now we'll find out whether the hype is real. Well, the biggest worry always in testing is that you jump on the wrong hype train, don't you? Yeah. You know, in years gone by, Ferrari put some fantastic times in on the last day. And it's like, yay, Ferrari going to win a championship.

[00:46:34] And then this year, you know, I don't think there's necessarily a hype train behind Williams. But I think we have seen a step change in their performance. You know, the team has been very, very low in the past few years in terms of their performance. And, you know, how they've operated as a team, how they've worked tactically, strategically. You know, getting the car out late because the spreadsheet wasn't updated or not getting the car out very late.

[00:47:03] You know, everything has gone wrong in that team. Again, from the management level, not from a lack of, you know, work from, you know, the drivers or engineers. So I think James Vowles seems to have made a change there in ways that other people have stepped into that similar role and the technical director role haven't been able to do. And I think that is, again, you know, very much a leadership, a management quality that he's brought.

[00:47:31] You know, James is one of these people that have seemed to evolve from the, you know, the Brackley team, you know, BAR, Honda, Braun slash Mercedes. He's, you know, don't sit down here. I think my neighbors are coming home. Sorry. I'll come, I'll just step back on that one if you want to do a cut. Yeah, James Vowles, I mean, he's come from, you know, they're very much that Brackley group of management, you know, under Ross Braun, Paddy Lowe, you know, from BAR to Honda to Braun to Mercedes.

[00:48:01] People that, you know, are just very good at understanding the problem and then conveying that in really clear language. And James is really clear on that. And I think, you know, a lot of people just saw him as I did at one stage. It's just the strategic guy at Mercedes. But, you know, there's a lot more to it. And I think we're actually seeing the results of that at Williams. And he's dealing with the people in the factory, but he's also dealing with the people in the boardroom. And the people in the boardroom seem to be letting him do what he wants to do. And I think that's where some previous people have fallen down.

[00:48:32] And, you know, they've got some money on board now. You feel they've got a bit of momentum. You know, there wasn't a lot wrong with their car last year. You know, it was a very low downforce, low drag car that worked very well at certain races. You know, it either works good in qualifying or good in races. And I think they've got a lot of work to actually bring that car up to be a car that is consistent. You know, high speed tracks, low speed tracks, hot tracks, cold tracks.

[00:48:57] You know, there's a lot still to be unanswered because Bahrain is, you know, literally just one segment of, you know, the plethora of tracks that we're going through through the year. But you just get the feeling that they're making the right decisions one after the other here. You know, I mean, Carlos is a fantastic signing for them. I think it's going to be great to have him up against Alvin. We can really kind of judge both drivers. And it's going to be a year, which I think, again, it's going to have a lot of ups and downs for them.

[00:49:27] You know, they've always started with a relatively poor car and seem to develop it into a reasonable car at certain tracks and at certain times of day. So let's see what happens there. And maybe this is a start of a recovery for them that maybe McLaren, you've seen from McLaren over recent years. I can remember being on podcasts, you know, in that Honda era. And it was like, you know, that, you know, we all want, I think all of us want to see every team do well.

[00:49:55] You know, I mean, we all have favorites, I'm sure. But, you know, I think, you know, when you see teams like McLaren or Williams not doing well because of the history of the teams, you know, and Ferrari as well. And you've had a really low period where now you feel that they're on the cusp of something. I think Williams seem to be kind of on that path as well. So fingers crossed that that works for them. But I don't think we're going to see them necessarily joining that top four of teams this year.

[00:50:21] But I think in terms of that fight for the midfield is going to be super interesting. Where do you think, Craig, Williams could land up? Let's have a guess out there, given just how much positivity is there. And again, there's a very big PR hype train with Carlos Sainz, you know, understandably with motorsport royalty involved from Spain themselves. Where do you think they're going to land up in 2025? Well, I mean, let's be honest. I think the best they could get is fifth.

[00:50:51] I think there are other teams that are quite clearly tied to getting that 10th position for various reasons. So when you think of who they're up against this year and, you know, if they are being operated as a really good professional team, then, you know, I think they could have the measure of Aston Martin. They could have the measure of Visa, Cash App, RB, Racing Bulls, you know, the Fionn. I still can't remember what we're supposed to call them officially.

[00:51:22] So, yeah. So, I mean, I think fifth is realistic. But, you know, when you're dealing with the midfield, you're talking about very fine margins. You know, one wet race can really swap around your fortunes, as we saw with Alpi last year, who, again, you're not going to tell me clear where they'll be this year. You know, are Haas going to make the same level of progress as they did last year? So, it's tricky. But I wouldn't be surprised if they were somewhere between fifth and seventh.

[00:51:52] That's very interesting that you say that because my next question is also going to be largely around that. Because this year, I mean, in 2024, we had as many as five teams stand on the podium. And it's been very difficult for a fifth team to actually stand there. The top four have really been cementing that place in the top 10. So, if there is one team that you can single out that has a chance of a podium outside the top four, which team do you think that could be?

[00:52:19] I think, well, I think really there are three teams that I think realistically could get into that stage. I mean, we've spoken about Williams. And I think the Williams team, the drivers, and if it's the right weekend, the right track, the right weather, the right tyres, I think Williams could get on a podium. Maybe not purely on performance. You know, they're not going to suddenly be faster than, what, two and a half of the other games. But I think they get that result.

[00:52:47] I think the other team around P, who are one of those teams that, you know, the Endstone team, as we saw late last year, can just bring a result. Even to the point of a win, where you just wouldn't expect it. You know, they're happy to play that strategic role, roll the dice, get that result in. I think they're the other team. And I think the other one would be Haas, who, again, are very canny with their strategy.

[00:53:11] And, again, you know, you've seen under Komatsu how that they've been kind of building that sort of strategic and tactical knowledge. We've got a driver change there, which kind of raises almost more questions than it answers in terms of the trajectory they've had in terms of performance. But I think they're the other team that could, on the right day, you know, suddenly have one of their drivers stood up there with a champagne. I think Haas are probably out of that three of the less likely.

[00:53:40] But I'd be surprised if it was any of the other teams kind of getting that result in. What a midfield we've got. Honestly, this is dangerous territory. I think one bad day and you could end up missing out on such a big chunk of points. Or one good day and you could go from P9 to P6, which is what's happened with Alpine.

[00:53:59] And it's amazing the kind of consistent effort that Haas did last year that partly got whitewashed or at least from an attention standpoint got less attention than what Alpine did in Brazil. But this year they've tried to go even lesser in front of the public eye. They want to be under the radar. They've gone for really long high-field runs, no real representative times.

[00:54:23] I'm not trying to say they're trying to hide something, but maybe they just want to look at a different approach to testing. What did you gather from Haas? Very similar to Ferrari still in terms of the concept they're following, isn't it? Yeah, I mean, I think you've kind of nailed where Haas are without me having to answer at all. Yeah, that is interesting. You know, they have gone very much into a different mode now that Steiner has gone and Komatsu has kind of stepped up.

[00:54:52] And, you know, I think last year you had that dynamic between Magnussen and Hulkenberg was quite interesting. Hulkenberg certainly could find time in qualifying that Magnussen couldn't, but their race strategy kind of dragged them into places they really shouldn't have been. And I think that is maybe that, again, we've sort of spoken a lot about that management strategy for the year. How are we going to tackle the year?

[00:55:19] And I think Haas seemed to me, I mean, I'm reading their mind if this is correct. I think they're looking at race performance. I think you could find Haas in some very tricky qualifying situations. I think they wouldn't care if they go out and queue free in certain circumstances because they've got their race strategy sorted out. And we saw that very much last year. Managing their tyres through the race, which historically has been something they've been terrible at. They've made huge strides last year.

[00:55:46] They have kept very much similar concepts to the old car. They've actually kept the old front suspension, whereas Ferrari changed to pull rod front. They've actually kept the old push rod, probably partly for budget reasons, but also because they understood it. They knew how it worked with the tyres and they didn't want to mess things up by having, you know, another variable in there that they have to understand and learn early in the season. I think if Haas do that, then they're going to start to pick up points.

[00:56:12] And again, when we think of top four teams, that's, you know, positions one to eight. And if you think this year, that's going to be even worse for the midfield because you haven't got the Perez factor this year. You know, let's face it, last year he struggled to get into the points where really he should be getting podiums. And, you know, Hamilton and the Mercedes team a lot last year kind of dropped out of good positions. I don't think we're going to get that this year with the top eight drivers.

[00:56:38] I think, you know, if you took the top eight drivers that finish in the first handful of races, it's going to be those top four teams every time, maybe with one wildcard falling in there. So you're only getting positions for ninth and tenth. So these midfield teams, in order to get the points, in order to rack up the results, have got to be aiming for ninth and tenth every time. And I just think Haas have got that focused.

[00:57:05] The big question for them is they may well get that in the early part of the season. But are they able to develop the car if they've got the money and the resources left over? And I think with their driver pairing, you know, I mean, it's not exactly the setup that they had last year. But I could see some fireworks in that setup, you know, with obviously the rookie of Behrman.

[00:57:33] And then Ocon, who is, you know, can be quite tough with his teammates. You know, we saw Magnussen and Hülkenberg seem to have a level of respect and, again, that distance between them. But, you know, it doesn't take more than a few crashes, as Haas know only too well under, you know, some previous years that it soon eats your budget. So, Haas, I would put my hand up for a really good early season.

[00:57:59] And then the question mark is, how can they keep that season going with everything else that needs to be juggled through this year? And, you know, with Haas, I love the fact that Esteban Ocon is now going to have the same opportunity as Nico Hülkenberg did. Of course, it was a big surprise for everyone when Haas and Hülkenberg gelled so well.

[00:58:20] But, you know, if Hülkenberg is going to be a bit of a Salkenberg in Sauber this year with the whole issues that, you know, they've been facing back in the factory with being back on development, etc. I think this is a God-sent opportunity for Esteban Ocon to have a team that is fairly solid. You know, along with McLaren last year, Haas was the only team that could bring upgrades and find performance and not go backwards. So, I'm very excited to see what Ocon can do.

[00:58:47] And, you know, for midfield drivers, they wait for such opportunities. When you don't have a top team, how can you just use a solid midfield team to bank in those Q3s, to bank in those 9th and 10th and even 11th places? I remember last year there was a count of who has finished more in 11th place. Was it Hülkenberg or was it Yuki Tsunoda?

[00:59:09] So, I'm looking forward to Esteban Ocon in that Haas and how he actually develops further as a driver and, of course, takes the team along. Yeah, as I say, it's going to be interesting. I think a lot of people often do focus on qualifying performances. And, again, from testing and from what I've said already, I don't think Haas are necessarily going to go on those glory runs in qualifying when it's going to disrupt their race performance.

[00:59:38] But, yeah, you know, it gets hard to predict the midfield. And, again, once you start to fall out of the points scoring, it's much harder for us to try to remember where those 11th, 12th and 13th positions, you know, in front of the rest of the midfield. Because they're going to count for everything in the championship this year. You know, it's going to be those 9-point scoring finishes that are going to be almost as important as those sunny or maybe wet days when you get that, you know, sudden freak result.

[01:00:07] Now, the pre-season testing, Scabs, is usually when you see all the cars for the very first time. And I'm sure all the teams are also looking very intently at their competitors. What little bits have they brought over the winter break? Some teams have that, which is very visibly seen. Teams like Sauber have something very interesting going around the mirrors. Aston Martin has something going around the halo and some very interesting inlets there. So, in terms of innovation, has there anything particularly that's caught your eye?

[01:00:36] Do you think there's something very interesting to talk about? I think this year probably, this is probably one of the last, sorry. This year, I think this is probably the year I've seen the least in terms of something. I think, ooh, that's actually really quite important, quite interesting. As you say, every team has got a little tweak and a change. Sometimes, you know, everyone jumps onto it.

[01:00:59] So, like the Aston Martin halo vents, everyone got very excited about them, but they're really just a very small kind of pressure management thing in the aerodynamics. It's nothing that teams are going to need to copy. Obviously, it's not adding much to their performance. Really, the only thing that's kind of really opened my eyes, again, as I mentioned earlier, was the McLaren front suspension, both in the angle of the wishbones and how they've got that steering track rod leaning forwards under the suspension.

[01:01:28] That's quite interesting. I've never seen anything quite like that before. Everyone else really is just kind of shuffling very similar concepts with the front wing, the nose, you know, the side pods and how that links down to the floor. I think a lot of that is going to go by the wayside once the season starts. I don't think anyone's going to probably make major changes to some of those areas.

[01:01:53] I think front wings obviously always do develop slightly, but everyone's going to be focusing on the floor this year. And, you know, we're seeing everyone working the floor edge with the zigzags and the edge wing that you have going along the floor edge. That is, you know, one of the key areas. And then finally, how you don't normally see it, but underneath the taillight inside the diffuser, how the diffuser comes together. Does it come out in a kind of a vertical boat like keel or is it coming up vertically?

[01:02:22] And managing that and how the air comes back under the floor at the back of the car is really where the performance is going to be. And looking at where we're at with the regulations, I don't think anyone is probably going to come out now with anything that we're all going to go, wow, everyone needs to copy that. There's no double diffuser F ducts, I think, left under these regulations. So it's going to be this year a lot of bit about the little bits of development.

[01:02:47] And then as I keep saying is, you know, as the season tumbles over different points where, you know, where you've got regulation changes, summer breaks, budget restrictions, error restrictions. You know, thinking about 2026, you know, where do people start to pull the plug from a technical point of view? I'm going to hate to have to say this, probably the last third of this year is probably going to be very boring from a technical development point of view.

[01:03:13] But maybe we can all go and start to have a look at the 2026 regulations, which are fascinating and probably even more interesting and far reaching than the 2022 regulations or 2014 regulations are. So, you know, again, there's been a lot of negativity about those regulations, again, partly because of miscommunication, I think, from the FIA and F1 as to exactly what's going on there. But, you know, I think they're going to be really interesting.

[01:03:40] We're going to come to a very new breed of cars that are going to be, you know, absolutely incredible. For which we actually have two hours, not one, because there's so much to understand. That'll be a crazy year. And I can't wait for that. I think this winter will be phenomenal because we're going to be having an excellent season before that and a fascinating one after that. So, it'll be great. Absolutely, I think. Sorry about the lag, but you were saying, Craig.

[01:04:08] Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, this year we're going to have everybody fighting either at the front or the midfield. And then next year, everything gets thrown up in the air and we'll come down in a completely different order. So, I think enjoy this year because it's going to be a rollercoaster leading to probably what might be for some sudden cliff. It'll be crazy. But a pecking order. Do you have any rough pecking order in mind? Because I'm going for Ferrari ahead. This is my heart talking, not my mind. And I've got to let my heart speak this year.

[01:04:38] And it seems like the year of letting our emotions do the talking. So, Ferrari has to be the one up top for me. I think McLaren next, followed by Red Bull and Mercedes. I'm going constructors, but I still feel in the drivers. It's going to be Max. That's just who he is. But is there any sort of rough estimation that you've come up with based on testing? Which might be naive, but still, it's fun to give it a shout. Yeah. I mean, I've never been a great one for predictions because it's just so much we don't know.

[01:05:06] I think this year, I probably think very similar to you. I mean, I think McLaren are going to be that kind of straight line across the season. You know, if they're not winning their podiuming, you know, it'll be one or the other of the drivers. So, I think that they are really well lined up for the constructors. If things go right for them and doesn't go right for their competitors, then there's a driver's championship in there. And I think logically you would say Lando.

[01:05:34] But equally, I wouldn't be surprised if it was Oscar. He just seems to want it in a way that we haven't seen any, seen Lando deliver. I think Ferrari are going to be the wiggly line and as would Red Bull. And I think they'll probably be going up and down at different points. I think the question will be, I think Ferrari are going to be, again, maybe a slightly more consistent line. I think Red Bull are going to be very much more big up and downs.

[01:06:02] And I think, you know, if Max isn't winning, then I think Max is probably off the podium. Whereas I think the Ferrari, if they're not winning, probably would stay on the podium. I just don't know if the car is going to be, you know, consistent enough. Mercedes is a really dark question. I think, again, they could have those weekends when, as we saw with George last year a few times, just absolutely blitzes it. You know, the car works. No one knows why. It just is really fast.

[01:06:32] And they'll be kind of the really spiky one. And, you know, I don't think. The midfield is too tight to mention, as we've spoken. I mean, I think it will be Sauber at the back of the pack. The team that I find hardest to place is, you know, the Racing Bulls. I just, every year, I just never know where they're going to be. I think this year, I think they showed, I think Uti showed quite a lot of maturity last year.

[01:07:01] Maybe not as much as a lot of other drivers, but he certainly has matured. But I think, you know, that second seat, not quite sure how that's going to shake out. They're the team that I really can't predict. But it could be, again, one of those teams that gets that sudden high rather than consistent performances. But I think, you know, the midfield really is utterly unpredictable.

[01:07:28] And we could almost have two showings of the Grand Prix. One for the top four teams and one for everybody else. And I think both would be absolutely fascinating races. If you could somehow Photoshop one half of the grid out from the races, I reckon you can make twice as much money showing each Grand Prix in two pieces. It'll be madness. I think we're in for a good year. And it's great as always, great to have this pre-test, sorry, post-testing review every single time.

[01:07:58] It's so good to see. Because then we can go back in the mid-season, analyze what we thought of, and see if we actually made any sense, which will be so much fun. And that is something we should do around the summer break, by the time we see the technical developments coming to an end. But thank you. Thank you for your time, Jager. It was excellent having you here again, as always. Looking forward to how the season pans out for you as well. No, it's quite a different season for me this year for lots of reasons. So I'm actually going to have lots of fun on social media this year,

[01:08:27] looking at all sorts of races, not just F1. So yeah, it'll be something slightly different. Should be good. Thank you, Craig. Thanks for watching, everyone. This was the Inside Line F1 podcast. Enjoy the season.