Newey, Sprint, Celebrities, Alonso Penalty? 2024 Miami GP Preview

[00:00:02] Before we begin, I wanted to give a huge shout out to the folks at Amazon Music for partnering with us on this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast.

[00:00:10] But more on this later, right then, let's get right into today's episode.

[00:00:27] Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Inside Line F1 Podcast and this is our Miami Grand Prix preview, which also means it's the first time this year we get to celebrate Logan Sargent's homecoming.

[00:00:48] Are we not smiling? You're not smiling, Kunal. Come on. Don't be a bad man. Please.

[00:00:53] So I think the third last of his final home race stretch is what I think is happening.

[00:01:01] Imagine he's got three home races and whoever's dropped that rumor about him being replaced after Imola, which I know is not going to probably happen, could mean, you know, he could probably have his final home race in Miami.

[00:01:13] Although, like I said, it's not happening in Imola. There was somebody who said if the FIA make an exception to give Kimi Antonelli a super license, then he could very well be in Williams where it was a lot of ifs and buts that went in there.

[00:01:30] And with that, what we are going to get to see is a Florida man actually driving in Florida.

[00:01:36] And you know the kind of crazy stuff that Florida men can do at times. It's just a meme trend in case you weren't quite aware.

[00:01:43] There have been news reports of lots of Florida people doing lots of crazy things and crazy things are going to be expected this weekend, Kunal, because Miami means DJ Khaled and his stupidities.

[00:01:53] It means a lot of celebrities with a lot of big egos and high noses also coming on the track.

[00:01:59] It also means stupid helmets on the head for the podium sitters.

[00:02:04] It also means a polished cavalcade on the way to the podium. And what else are we expecting this weekend?

[00:02:10] Shakeel O'Neil, I'd love to see him on the on the start grid this weekend.

[00:02:15] But yeah, lots of celebrities and I'm not going to let the name out.

[00:02:18] But if my sources are correct, a very popular former Indian cricketer, a left hander, if I can just leave a little bit of a hint out there, might just be in Miami this weekend as a guest of Formula One at the race.

[00:02:35] Oh, is he going to be smashing six sixes out of the way? Why he does that?

[00:02:39] Maybe on the golf course. You never know with a certain Lando Norris.

[00:02:43] Are you kidding me? No way. Could that be Yuvrat Singh actually on the grid?

[00:02:49] He could be on the golf course with Lando Norris. I don't know if he'll join the start grid in Miami, but who knows?

[00:02:55] But lots of incredible celebrity guests. The Hard Rock Stadium as well is going to be in the backdrop.

[00:03:02] But you know, in all my favorite fact about the Miami Grand Prix, since this is the preview, is that Formula One ran 36 different simulations and track iterations before agreeing on this 19 corner layout and you know 3DRS zones and all of that.

[00:03:22] To me, you know, frankly, they would have said we need 3DRS zones and build a circuit around that. They would have probably told AI to do that.

[00:03:30] But my favorite section, and I know it's not going to be anyone's favorite section pretty much, is turns 11 to 16.

[00:03:38] The Mickey Mouse section as we call it in the world of motorsport.

[00:03:42] The slow speed stuff. These cars are not built for that. They are fat and not so agile and bulky when it comes to changing directions.

[00:03:51] Very predictable when it comes to changing directions. That's what they say.

[00:03:56] So that's usually my favorite because these cars are not meant for slow speed.

[00:04:00] So when drivers actually drive them in the slow speed, you can either gain or lose a lot of lap time.

[00:04:06] And that's where one big catch for qualifying will definitely come.

[00:04:10] You're right. That's going to be interesting. And speaking of qualifying, believe it or not, Max Verstappen has not taken a pole position at this circuit.

[00:04:18] Yes, in its entirety. And this time last year Verstappen came here and went into god mode as he went from P9 to P1 and passed everyone, including Sergio Perez, with ease to win the race.

[00:04:31] So it's kind of crazy how Verstappen hasn't quite gotten a pole here at Baku, at Singapore or at Las Vegas, which is why Sergio Perez is also colloquially called the king of the streets.

[00:04:42] He could also be potentially in contention because the confidence is finally back.

[00:04:47] The gaps are finally lower and it looks like at least in qualifying Miami will be fun because in the last couple of years we've always seen that to be one highlight session.

[00:04:56] And apart from that, we don't just get one qualifying, we get two this time Kunal. Another sprint weekend.

[00:05:03] Back to back sprint weekends for I think the first time ever in history of Formula One.

[00:05:08] But it's also the 14th time, if I remember correctly, that a sprint race format is thrown upon us.

[00:05:18] I see how the protests and the criticism against this format has literally died down, which means we've all gotten used to it.

[00:05:27] We've been like, we can't change it. It's going to be there. My test will have it.

[00:05:30] But there is a lot of talk about this new format where, you know, Friday and Saturday you get done with the sprint and whatever comes with it.

[00:05:38] And then the Saturday, Sunday you have focus on qualifying. I don't quite mind that.

[00:05:43] But for everybody who's a big fan of the sprint races, right?

[00:05:48] Because Formula One keeps telling us the fans really love to sprint, right?

[00:05:52] And that's how they keep saying that's one of the reasons they want to have the sprint.

[00:05:57] In these 14 sprint race weekend that we've had, only 11 drivers have scored points, right?

[00:06:04] Because only the top 8 get points. The surprise scorer for me has always been Riccardo and Pierre Gusley because ever since we've had sprints, they've not really been in the...

[00:06:14] I mean, Gusley so much so it's fine. But, you know, Daniel Riccardo has definitely not been in form.

[00:06:20] Otherwise, it's all the usual suspects, right? Max Verstappen has 81 points in the all-time sprint stable, right?

[00:06:30] Or the sprint table. And the driver in second place is actually tied with the driver in third place.

[00:06:36] That's Carlos Sainz with 45 points and Checo Perez with also 45 points.

[00:06:43] Leclerc fans, he's got 43 points. But can you imagine if sprint was a completely new category by itself, Samuel?

[00:06:51] Max Verstappen has already claimed almost double the number of points as the driver in second place.

[00:06:59] This is on the all-time points table across F1 sprints.

[00:07:02] But I really want to touch up upon this point before diving deeper into the intricacies of this weekend about the sprint.

[00:07:08] And I'm a fan. There's a reason behind it. Allow me to explain for a second because for a lot of people,

[00:07:15] the reason why the sprint doesn't work is because it doesn't have any consequences or it's not significant enough

[00:07:21] to the race weekend and not enough points are awarded. It doesn't impact the main race,

[00:07:25] which people think shouldn't happen. I am of the same opinion as well. The main race should be separate.

[00:07:30] But people think it's inconsequential. It's just a little bit of driving around here and there.

[00:07:35] And those people also include Fernando Alonso. But hear me out here.

[00:07:39] Look at the good sprints that we've had so far. Qatar 2023.

[00:07:43] Piastry won there. Verstappen sealed the title on Saturday. British GB 2023.

[00:07:47] The top three were within one-tenth in qualifying and Gasly was third with some incredible racing.

[00:07:52] Australia 23. Hamilton knocked out of Q1. Ocon and Russell having the closest finish ever in a Formula One race

[00:07:58] at that point by finishing just 0.009 seconds away from each other.

[00:08:03] Barca 2023. Perez won the sprint. Brazil 2022. Magnussen was on pole. Russell won it.

[00:08:08] So many other sprints to name. And if you look at the root cause,

[00:08:12] you might go, oh, but it's a result of lots of volatility happening at that race weekend.

[00:08:18] And as a result, the sprint was good. But that's the good part about it, right?

[00:08:22] Because in the main race, these volatilities like Verstappen having the wrong setup or maybe Russell out-qualifying,

[00:08:28] I don't know, a Red Bull or maybe a Red Bull having the wrong tyre strategy or just not able to set the car up in one practice session.

[00:08:34] These won't be as significant in the race as they would be in the sprint because by the time the main race comes out,

[00:08:40] all these things get eeked out. So we get one chance to see unpredictability.

[00:08:44] And I'm so glad that we get to see it again in Miami because in China,

[00:08:48] I know it was the rain. I know it was a lot of drivers being in unfamiliar grid positions.

[00:08:54] But in the end, we got a pretty good 30 minute race. And what more could you ask for at the end of it?

[00:08:58] Yeah. And I'm always a fan of two opening laps, two starts, two qualifing,

[00:09:03] because that's also where there's a lot of pressure like opening laps.

[00:09:07] These cars are not built to race together suddenly. You have 20 of them and you do two times over.

[00:09:11] And then sometimes you have a restart and so on. Right.

[00:09:14] But you also mentioned something very interesting. The sprint doesn't really impact the Grand Prix weekend,

[00:09:19] which is absolutely spot on, which is why the one big and only impact which the sprint does have is the tire allocations.

[00:09:29] And Fernando Alonso actually said this in China.

[00:09:32] Maybe we should stop racing in the sprint so we can save tires for the whole weekend. Right.

[00:09:36] I really wish that the FIA is able to make some dispensation for drivers to have more tires during the race weekend.

[00:09:44] Otherwise, drivers like Fernando at least threatened.

[00:09:47] Like I said, you know, I think we should just participate in the sprint.

[00:09:50] So that's one aspect, which is that they should give more tires, especially at a sprint race weekend,

[00:09:56] because every session means that much more and you want to see your drivers be out on track rather than sitting in the garage just trying to save tires.

[00:10:05] So that's one thing, because the park for me rules that have been changed for this year actually have been fairly positive.

[00:10:13] Right. Because you do the sprint and you have a new park for me that opens up for for qualifying in the race.

[00:10:20] And just for the new fans, previously what you did was after FP1, whatever setup you went in to the next session,

[00:10:28] which is typically qualifying into, you would just have to lock your car setup for the entire weekend,

[00:10:33] which means qualifying sprint qualifying sprint shootout and the Grand Prix,

[00:10:38] which meant that if you actually got the wrong setup, you would just be stuck with a really bad car for the entire race weekend,

[00:10:45] which is not good not only for the teams, but also for entertainment because we want the cars to perform the way they are supposed to perform.

[00:10:52] Right. So now what happens is after FP1, there is a park for me one conditions for the sprint races and the sprint shootout and the sprint race.

[00:11:02] Then Park for me opens up again for qualifying and the race.

[00:11:06] And pretty much everyone saw mill in China was saying that this was pretty good,

[00:11:11] even though James Allison has turned out and said that it's a double edged sword because if you saw what happened to Lewis Hamilton hero in the sprint zero in the Grand Prix.

[00:11:20] Similarly, for Checo Perez, he made one small change for the Grand Prix and it went all over the place.

[00:11:25] So it's about making sure you, you know, you're still using the choices you're given through the weekend to add car performance rather than take it away.

[00:11:34] And isn't that what we want to see? Because Formula One otherwise is so predictable because all the variables get chalked out by the teams in such incredible fashion that you want some unpredictability.

[00:11:45] So I don't mind having a sprint here this weekend, especially when the race is going to be largely a tire management fest.

[00:11:51] Is it not Kunal? Because in the last couple of years, we've seen lots of one stoppers, lots of hard compound tires being used, drivers not pushing at 100% until the last few laps.

[00:12:01] And in those last few laps, it often gets very fun because we saw Vettel and Schumacher collide in 2022.

[00:12:07] We saw lots of great battles this time last year towards the end of the race in the mid pack as well.

[00:12:11] Mercedes, McLaren getting involved with each other.

[00:12:14] So it's a good circuit in terms of creating those moments.

[00:12:18] It's just that we'll have to wait a lot, it seems this weekend and with tire management coming in, it's going to be even harder to stop Red Bull because that's where they really are at their best.

[00:12:28] Yes. And the tire management again, we just saw the weather forecast for the Miami Grand Prix weekend.

[00:12:34] It's going to be dry, which typically means it's hot and humid, which means that the surface temperatures will be very high for the core and the surface of the tires, which typically is where you see drivers doing race management, tire management.

[00:12:50] As Somal said last year, it was a one stopper. Max Richtappen started on the hard, switched to the medium and then just finished the race.

[00:12:58] In fact, the McLarens I think did about six or seven laps on the soft and then about some 50 odd laps on the medium tire that there was last year.

[00:13:09] So sorry, on the hard tire. So we will see maybe one stoppers, which may or may not be good if it's tire management because what happens in tire management is I like how Somal put it when we were discussing Oscar Piazzi.

[00:13:24] Can you drive to 100% of 90% of the car performance? That's what tire performance is all about or tire management is all about.

[00:13:33] The team gives you a target lap time and you just keep firing in those, you know, lap times to make sure that you extend tires tint life.

[00:13:43] But this weekend, Somal, let's talk of a few trends that we've picked up early in 2024 from the first five races, which is where it makes it very interesting.

[00:13:54] The first and foremost has to be Fernando Alonso. In the first five races of the season, he has finished lower than where he started on four occasions.

[00:14:06] This absolutely adds to the fact that when it comes to qualifying that Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso usually puts it out of position.

[00:14:16] And in Alonso's case, it's higher up on the grid than where it would be.

[00:14:23] So I think Fernando Alonso will continue with that trend. We know Max Wichtappen. He's of course still in God mode.

[00:14:32] He wasn't on pole the last two years, so he's never been on pole in Miami, but that never stopped him from winning here.

[00:14:38] He won last year from ninth and I think 2022 he won from third place.

[00:14:44] So literally front row qualifying means nothing in Miami with a very small data set that we have.

[00:14:52] But sticking to more trends, Charles Leclerc has finished fourth for three races, which typically again is where he was fourth in Bahrain.

[00:15:05] He was fourth in Japan and then in China. Oscar Piastri, this is where it gets fun, has finished eighth three times in five races.

[00:15:16] Speaks wonderfully well of where that McLaren is as a car and where Piastri is just settling in given how track position is so vital.

[00:15:25] And we've kept talking about it when it comes to McLaren, Aston Martin and Mercedes gets even better.

[00:15:32] Lewis Hamilton has finished ninth in three out of the five races.

[00:15:39] OK, ninth and Hamilton's best finishes in Miami have only been six in both the races.

[00:15:46] Right. And my favorite trend, Nico Hulkenberg has finished three times in the points, which is more than any other driver, which is actually one time more than Lance Troll himself.

[00:16:02] It's absurd. It's absurd.

[00:16:06] Hulkenberg or Troll, I know where you're going.

[00:16:10] But yeah, it is. Yeah, I'll let that to the interpretation of everyone who's listening.

[00:16:14] Everyone knows what we're talking about. But it's interesting, right?

[00:16:17] And normally you don't tend to look at Nico Hulkenberg as one of the top performers in Formula One.

[00:16:23] But I like what Audi are doing when they've snapped him up because quite clearly they've said, OK,

[00:16:28] We need one experienced driver to guide us through these things, to be the holding hand in terms of car setup, in terms of design, in terms of just setting the foundation for the team.

[00:16:39] But now the pressure is on Audi, Kunal, because I feel the second driver will really showcase what their intent towards Formula One in the first couple of years is.

[00:16:47] Because remember when Toyota came back to Formula One, what were the two drivers they signed?

[00:16:51] Rather who were the two drivers that Toyota signed when they returned to Formula One?

[00:16:55] Alan McNish, Nika Salo. Incredible racers, probably not the best in Formula One, which is true.

[00:17:01] But when Mercedes came back, their intent was even further clear.

[00:17:05] They signed Nico Rosberg, a promising young driver who was just on the way up and Michael Schumacher.

[00:17:11] Now it's all about Audi's intent with who they signed for the second driver.

[00:17:15] And I find it interesting that instead of going for two Alphas or maybe one young driver, they've chosen the more prudent option.

[00:17:23] And Hulkenberg, do you think he's the best possible choice for him?

[00:17:27] I would say so with all that experience.

[00:17:29] And let's remember Hulkenberg won his Le Mans on debut with Porsche.

[00:17:34] The team principal at that time was Andreas Seidel.

[00:17:38] The team principal at Sauber, Audi, whatever you're going to call the team is already Andreas Seidel.

[00:17:45] So it's a reunion that's happening.

[00:17:47] And I think Nico Hulkenberg is a solid midfield driver.

[00:17:52] I mean, look at it this way.

[00:17:54] We all went into the season after the first race in Bahrain.

[00:17:58] What happened in the race?

[00:17:59] The top ten positions were occupied by the top five teams, which is Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, Aston Martin.

[00:18:07] And the midfield teams actually turned around and said, my goodness, to score even one point this season is going to be a tough ask.

[00:18:15] But what has actually happened since Bahrain?

[00:18:19] Why don't we look at the top ten qualifying positions?

[00:18:23] Again, if we were to extrapolate the same thing that the top five teams, both drivers will always be in Q3 and take the top ten positions.

[00:18:32] Pretty much none of the midfielders would be in the top ten.

[00:18:37] But that's not what happened in Bahrain.

[00:18:40] Lance Stroll didn't make it to Q3.

[00:18:42] Guess who did?

[00:18:43] Nico Hulkenberg.

[00:18:44] In Saudi Arabia, Carlos Sainz was, of course, not racing because of his operation.

[00:18:49] So it was Oliver Baeman, who was 11th.

[00:18:51] Guess who made it to Q3?

[00:18:53] Yuki Sonoda.

[00:18:54] In Australia, it was Hamilton who didn't make it to Q3.

[00:18:57] It was again Yuki Sonoda.

[00:18:59] In Japan, it was again Stroll who didn't make it to Q3.

[00:19:03] The beneficiary was Yuki Sonoda.

[00:19:06] In China, Hamilton and Stroll didn't make it to Q3.

[00:19:11] And the beneficiaries were Hulkenberg and Bottas.

[00:19:15] So when the opportunity has come calling, Hulkenberg has been the one who's grabbing them.

[00:19:21] Of course, Yuki Sonoda as well.

[00:19:23] But right now we are just talking of Hulkenberg.

[00:19:26] And remember, in that midfield, the gaps are less than half a tenth.

[00:19:31] So he's been on the sharper end of those gaps as well.

[00:19:34] So I think it's a great signing for Nico Hulkenberg himself.

[00:19:39] Longevity in his career.

[00:19:40] Probably the best comeback for any midfield driver after three years of being outside of Formula One.

[00:19:46] And I'll put it the other way, Somil.

[00:19:48] I'll put it the other way, Somil.

[00:19:50] 2026, at least perception wise right now, if Carlos Sainz, who we all know Audi is chasing so heavily, decides to sign for Sauber or Audi, whatever.

[00:20:05] OK, I got a little lost there.

[00:20:06] But if Carlos Sainz decides to sign up there, I like how Carlos Sainz has already said nobody knows what's going to happen in 2026.

[00:20:14] It's a lottery for everyone.

[00:20:16] Just that the perception is if there is a Red Bull seat available, potential with Checo Perez and a Mercedes seat.

[00:20:23] So two of the top three teams have a seat available.

[00:20:27] And Carlos Sainz isn't the one they sign.

[00:20:29] The perception of that for both the teams and Sainz is what doesn't make the cut for me.

[00:20:34] And the other thing is, yes, 2026 is a lottery.

[00:20:38] Right.

[00:20:39] But when last did Sauber win a lottery in Formula One?

[00:20:44] They almost did in 2008.

[00:20:47] They almost did.

[00:20:48] And that's how it all completely unraveled.

[00:20:51] And by the way, on that subject as well, we're going to have Christian Dana.

[00:20:55] Dana, how do you pronounce it in German, Kunal?

[00:20:57] What's the exact?

[00:20:58] Christian Dana, I think.

[00:20:59] But he's going to be coming on the podcast.

[00:21:01] We will clarify his pronunciation before that.

[00:21:03] But he is a German racing driver who's raced in Formula One before in IndyCar, DTM, you name it.

[00:21:10] He's raced for Helmut Marco RSM at Le Mans for Sauber with a Mercedes C8 as well.

[00:21:15] So he's a legend who knows the sport inside out and also what's happening in Formula One inside out.

[00:21:20] And he'll be able to tell a lot more about what sort of a driver is Audi looking for and what's happening in that.

[00:21:27] And that episode is going to be coming on shortly on the podcast as well.

[00:21:30] So you better stay tuned for all of that.

[00:21:32] But it's interesting how these little dynamics play out.

[00:21:35] And for Audi now, shows your intent.

[00:21:37] Who do you get?

[00:21:38] Do you get an Alphard?

[00:21:39] Do you get someone like Carlos Sainz who's probably a smarter driver than all the others

[00:21:44] but maybe just doesn't have that last bit of pace that someone like Max Verstappen has?

[00:21:49] It really shows what the management think of what the team's chances are as well.

[00:21:54] And that will be an interesting decision.

[00:21:56] But look at it this way.

[00:21:59] Carlos Sainz, Max Verstappen head to head in Tourer also.

[00:22:02] Sainz wasn't blown away at that time.

[00:22:04] And this was several years ago.

[00:22:06] Both the drivers have matured.

[00:22:08] Carlos Sainz head to head with Lando Norris at McLaren.

[00:22:11] Sainz was actually slightly faster driver.

[00:22:14] Of course, at that time you can argue that Lando was still maturing.

[00:22:18] Carlos Sainz against Charles Leclerc again hasn't been blown away.

[00:22:23] I would love to see Carlos Sainz go up against Max Verstappen again.

[00:22:27] Both of them in their matured cycles and see what comes of that or against George Russell.

[00:22:34] And interestingly, the last driver,

[00:22:37] or you know, Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz were together at Renault.

[00:22:41] And guess who was a quicker driver back then?

[00:22:44] Exactly.

[00:22:47] So either way, the narratives are going to be extremely exciting to get.

[00:22:53] Yep, going to be done of fun.

[00:22:54] But let's also talk about some other things that we have to make sure happen this weekend.

[00:22:59] There is tire management that we've discussed here.

[00:23:01] Fernando Alonso was third this time last year at Miami.

[00:23:04] But let's not forget, two interesting things are going to be happening this time.

[00:23:08] Firstly, we are going to be seeing Ferrari with a blue livery.

[00:23:13] And I know it's a cosmetic change.

[00:23:15] I know it's probably not the most important thing in the world.

[00:23:17] And we won't remember it at the end of the season.

[00:23:20] But Ferrari in blue, what a legacy they have by sealing the Formula One World Championship in the USA with this livery.

[00:23:27] But more importantly, the Hewlett Packard deal seems huge, Kunal.

[00:23:31] Like there is money already flowing in.

[00:23:34] Like the Lewis effect has already begun quite clearly.

[00:23:37] I don't know if it's a Lewis effect.

[00:23:39] I think it's just the formula.

[00:23:42] I'm sure it does.

[00:23:43] But it's not that Leclerc is not a marketable commodity or marketable driver.

[00:23:48] Leclerc is as marketable, I would say.

[00:23:50] Of course, it's the Lewis effect given that this is a long term deal.

[00:23:56] But it's also the state of Formula One as a sport, as a business, which is why these deals even come into place, I would say.

[00:24:03] But what will happen is, you know, and I've had the worst of experiences with HP laptops before, so I'm going to just keep my mouth shut.

[00:24:10] But this all talk about a blue livery.

[00:24:14] Isn't it just a shade of blue?

[00:24:16] I don't think they're going to color the cars blue and white like we've seen them before.

[00:24:20] I think it's a shade or a hint or a touch of blue that's going to be introduced from this weekend from what I have read.

[00:24:26] Which is still OK, right?

[00:24:28] It's something.

[00:24:29] Yeah, like I said, I don't care.

[00:24:32] Ferrari is always red for me.

[00:24:33] So happy to tell you what I'm more interested about.

[00:24:36] Will that fake Marina still be fake or have they finally filled the water in that Marina?

[00:24:42] And if there is water, how did they fill in that water?

[00:24:47] Was it sustainable?

[00:24:48] Did they just open the taps and seal the plugs or did they let rain do the talking, rainwater harvesting or whatever?

[00:24:55] You know what? They actually haven't confirmed that.

[00:24:57] Last year they sent out a release saying that yes, the water will be unreal or rather fake at that Marina, which is interesting.

[00:25:05] But they have no intent of announcing anything for this year, which says a lot about how things are going because I normally thought that they'd be more proactive with these things, but they aren't.

[00:25:15] But interestingly enough, on this I checked right.

[00:25:18] I always had this perception that Miami would be one of the costlier races to watch as a Formula One fan on ground.

[00:25:24] Obviously traveling to Miami and booking hotels there is a problem genuinely.

[00:25:28] And it's not cheap in any way whatsoever.

[00:25:31] But check out the ticket prices, Kunal.

[00:25:33] Do you know how much does a three day grandstand ticket at Imola cost, which is going to be the race after this one?

[00:25:38] Take a random estimate.

[00:25:40] Three day grandstand 500-600 euros?

[00:25:43] Yeah, roughly $540 for the cheapest ticket, cheapest grandstand three days.

[00:25:47] Guess how much it is for Miami?

[00:25:49] It's not as high as you think it is.

[00:25:52] I'm assuming the tickets are still available because last year they struggled to sell tickets, which means the tickets are probably cheaper than they've ever been, which means Miami is a steal if you get tickets go for it.

[00:26:05] But I assume pretty much $500-700 or thereabouts for a three day Grand Prix weekend grandstand three day ticket.

[00:26:11] $600. That's all.

[00:26:14] And when you compare, that's actually very good.

[00:26:17] And it's also a pretty decent grandstand that you get a view from because when you see Las Vegas and the obnoxious prices that they had there, this is still a more reasonable approachable Grand Prix.

[00:26:28] That's interesting to say the least.

[00:26:31] It is. And I'm excited to see if they actually fill up all the stands because I remember last year was a challenge.

[00:26:37] I remember the first year that the start grid had so many celebrities.

[00:26:40] I almost thought they wouldn't clear the start grid on time to get all the celebrities in there.

[00:26:47] But if I can actually share one more trend, Somal, we talk of the midfield team and how close it is and so on.

[00:26:57] Seven teams have scored points in Formula One in the first five races.

[00:27:01] The top five teams, Racing Bulls courtesy, Yuki Sunoda and then both the Haas drivers have scored for Haas, which means Williams, Alpine and Sauber haven't really scored.

[00:27:16] But guess how close it is that even the teams not scoring points, Williams has finished 11th two times.

[00:27:25] Whereas Alpine and Sauber have finished 11th one time each.

[00:27:31] So that's how close it is. And why is 11th so important?

[00:27:35] Because you're just there or thereabouts when it comes to points.

[00:27:38] It's about whether you executed your race well enough and had have had the pace to challenge in the battle for points.

[00:27:45] And I know clearly in the case of Sauber, at least, it's been the slow stops that have sort of knocked them out.

[00:27:51] So, again, the midfield is going to be very, very interesting for us to follow.

[00:27:57] Right. But clearly it could well be the first ever Max Rich-Stappen pole position in Miami, which then would mean his 38th career pole.

[00:28:08] Fantastic, isn't it? And I mean, Fernando Alonso was on the podium last year.

[00:28:15] I'd love to see him there if that ever can happen.

[00:28:19] But another thing, talking of pit stops, Red Bull have been even quicker in pit stops this year.

[00:28:25] I mean, if I can remember correctly, in China, their quickest stop was 1.9 seconds.

[00:28:34] In Japan, their quickest stop was 2.08 seconds.

[00:28:39] And in Australia, they had a 2.1 second pit stop.

[00:28:44] Right. So clearly they are just able to hammer in everything on track, off track, in the pit lane, everything.

[00:28:51] But off track, yes. How can we forget Adrian Newey?

[00:28:56] You know where this is going. I do. Do you think he's leaving Red Bull Racing Somal?

[00:29:02] The sources are correct for the first time. The sources are genuinely valid.

[00:29:08] This time we're not hearing it from some sports insect or some other really weird public sports insect.

[00:29:16] I'm just going to let people decipher that by themselves.

[00:29:19] But it's not an unreliable publication actually reporting it. It's not sensational, which is beyond me.

[00:29:26] And now the playing field, I mean, we're just assuming at this stage that Adrian Newey wants to be in Formula One.

[00:29:32] We don't know. I mean, if you look at it broadly, although a very hyper competitive and very smart man,

[00:29:37] yes, he's someone who is very much in his middle age, has achieved almost everything in his career,

[00:29:43] has all the money in the world and probably the only thing he could be looking for is time.

[00:29:48] Does he want to go to Ferrari? Does he want to go to Aston Martin? Does he want to be in Formula One?

[00:29:54] Does he want to design race cars or does he want to design project road cars?

[00:29:57] Nobody knows at this stage. So even though Adrian Newey might be leaving Red Bull,

[00:30:01] it's just the start of a big saga, not the end of it for Red Bull.

[00:30:06] And you know, for me Kunal, it's really funny because now it will be a fun time to see how good of a team Red Bull is.

[00:30:12] And the reason behind that is Mercedes really succeeded even when their top engineers and top people left.

[00:30:19] We saw James Allison leave the team and come back. Mercedes were still very good in that period.

[00:30:24] We saw Paddy Low leave the team and come back. They were still very good in that period.

[00:30:28] The best teams be the best, even though their top drivers or top engineers or top management people end up leaving.

[00:30:35] That's when you know you've built a system that's sustainable enough to survive on its own.

[00:30:39] Now it's the time to see if Red Bull can do that.

[00:30:42] They have lost their chief magician, but there are lots of really good engineers there who can take up the mantle.

[00:30:47] And this is going to be their biggest challenge now.

[00:30:50] That's actually very, very well put and that's going to be what people would follow the Red Bull racing story for.

[00:30:57] Their 20th year in Formula One, two or three, you know, they've been dominant across three different rules.

[00:31:03] At least they've won across and dominant across two of them.

[00:31:07] But Samuel, is he going to really leave?

[00:31:11] That's the question because the sources are true.

[00:31:14] There's been the validated ones.

[00:31:17] They've sort of checked with Red Bull. Red Bull has made an official statement.

[00:31:20] And I'll tell you why I'm wondering if he's actually going to leave or what.

[00:31:24] Because at the start of the season when the saga broke out, the question was, is Christian Horner going to leave?

[00:31:32] Right. A couple of races ago, Helmut Marko, who we've of course enjoyed a very great relationship on the podcast,

[00:31:39] you know, media used the media publicly turned around and said, I'm leaving.

[00:31:44] I may not be here. I don't know. And then actually ended up staying.

[00:31:47] Right. Could this now be a renewed Eastern?

[00:31:51] Because he's used the media to have an exit from Red Bull, but hasn't really said much or done much.

[00:31:58] Or there's no statement coming in from Red Bull apart from the fact that he's here till his contract end, which is 2025, etc.

[00:32:05] So one doesn't know if Adrian knew he was going to stay or going to leave.

[00:32:10] We'll only know in due course. The due course could be Miami.

[00:32:14] I expect Red Bull again to hog the limelight.

[00:32:18] It will be hogging the limelight for a race which is their powertrain partner, Ford's home race as well.

[00:32:26] And beyond and in fact, Oracle as well. So lots of sponsors.

[00:32:30] And again, it's going to be talk of the team breaking down rather than charging forward is what could happen to Red Bull.

[00:32:37] And again, a lot of these sports insect websites, as you call them click baits have been saying Adrian Newy can only be available in 2027 or whatever.

[00:32:47] Let's remember if he makes a normal exit from his contract, then yes, 2027 is where his exit date could be.

[00:32:56] But if this is some sort of a termination on moral grounds or a force majeure, as they say, because he's clearly been the one who stole the media or the media has reported him as being upset with how the whole misconduct against Christian Horner was handled.

[00:33:14] Which means if he's going on moral grounds, then the exit clauses can be very, very different.

[00:33:20] And if anything, if there is somebody leaving Red Bull on moral grounds for what has happened, this is almost a little small victory for the lady who was disgruntled.

[00:33:31] If that's the word. Yep. Or mistreated. That's probably a better word. Exactly. Exactly.

[00:33:38] It's amazing, right? The only way to beat the best is let them beat themselves up and watch how it all goes.

[00:33:47] It's a giant that's too big to be slayed. But we're probably banking on them being the winners this weekend.

[00:33:53] So let's get some predictions on those. Let's not go the conventional way because it's probably going to be Max winning the Grand Prix.

[00:34:01] Let's get sprint predictions this time. I am going to be banking on Sergio Perez taking pole in sprint at least because he has been getting better in qualifying.

[00:34:09] And this is a circuit where he's gotten pulled before. He's happy things are back. He's on the North American soil once again, which is also great.

[00:34:16] There's no real firm ground to it. But I'm saying Sergio Perez on pole for the sprint at least. Where are you going with this one?

[00:34:23] I get a feeling it's going to be a Max washout completely. But I'm looking forward to say for the likes of Daniel Ricciardo finally finishing a race, two retirements because of accidents that have happened.

[00:34:34] I'm looking at Lewis Hamilton actually turning around and saying I didn't make the setup change and he'll actually have a good sprint and a good Grand Prix weekend.

[00:34:45] I'm actually looking forward to Fernando Alonso still battling his elbows and toes and nails and whatever out and not getting a penalty because he got a penalty in Australia.

[00:34:56] He got a penalty in China. Can you believe he's halfway through to a race pan?

[00:35:01] I'm looking forward to a race where Fernando does Fernando things and the FIA just realizes that's just how it's going to be with Fernando.

[00:35:08] He's actually doing it right and safe and let's not have a penalty for him for once.

[00:35:14] On that note, ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for tuning in to the Miami Grand Prix preview.

[00:35:20] Samuel's run last lap issue so he's going to hang up his boots before the last lap.

[00:35:25] And we will see you this week with some more specials on social media and then the race review next weekend.

[00:35:34] So keep looking out for our social media handles for all the cool updates and short form content.

[00:35:39] But thank you very much and have a lovely race weekend.