Disappointment from Liam Lawson after qualifying 13th for Formula 1's Spanish Grand Prix tomorrow, exiting in the second stage of qualification.
F1 commentator Chris Medland joined Piney to discuss.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talk zed B.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Willam Lawson has qualified thirteenth for the Spanish Formula One
Grand Prix. He was eliminated in the second qualifying session.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
See your Larson Candell Well. Losson's on a decent lap here.
Speaker 4 (00:24):
This could be two racing balls in the top ten
as he crosses the line though lost a bit of
time in that final sector only p thirteen.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
So McLaren's Oscar Piastre grabbing pole position, his fourth pole
of the season, ahead of his teammate Lando Norris defending
champion Red Bull driver Max for Stappen. We'll start from
third on the grid Mercedes George Russell qualifying fourth. Let's
get you to Spain with highly respected Formula One journalist
and broadcaster Chris Medland. Chris can be start with Liam Lawson.
(00:54):
It was very fast in practice. So what happened to
him and qualifying.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Yeah, it didn't quite come together.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
And it's always tricky when you're watching practice about whether
you're seeing everything from every driver every team, and certain
teams do turn the wick up a little bit more.
When we get into qualifying with Liam, I think he
just didn't quite put the lap together. There's some very
sensitive tires we have here in Barcelona, and it's been
very very hot, so it's so hot that the tires
you're using over just one qualifying lap start to overheat
(01:23):
and you lose grip and performance towards the end of
that lap. So if you can't manage the temperage as
well enough, you just lose lap time very very easily.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
And it just got away from Lim a little bit.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
But it was also a massively competitive session and if
he didn't hook it up at all times, you didn't
get all the way through. But as you say, he'd
shown he had the pace in the practice session, so
he was a little bit disappointed not to make it
through the Q three.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
He also, I see, registered his fastest lap in his
final qualifying LP, so he's going fast enough. Isn't it
something that will encourage him ahead of the race itself. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
I think one thing that's been quite encouraging, even as
someone watching Lim has been the fact that he says
his confidence has not taken a hit from the yearies
had yet and he's just not always had the result
he thought he's capable of getting, but he's had the
pace in there, and he's had the confidence in the car.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Well, we saw it in Monaco.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
He put it all together on the track last weekend
where you have to put it together, where you have
to be confident, where you can't afford any mistakes, and
that really, I think convinced a lot of people that yeah,
that's all in there, just needs to bring it out consistently,
and he had continued to do that going through this
weekend up until qualifying. So that's why I think he's
actually going to be more frustrated that when it really mattered,
(02:32):
when he really wanted to get through the Q three,
he didn't quite get the same nap time as his
teammate Isaac Hagya got out the car. But it still
was encouraging that that potential was there for him. So
he will know that he's able to move forward in
the race as well because the Racing Bulls car has
been competitive all season.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Yeah, and promisingly as well. It's not like Monica is
that there are places to pass in Barcelona. There are
two drag reduction system zones as well. How do you
a seious evaluate Liam's ability to move up from thirteenth
during the race.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Yeah, I think he's got every chance.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
I mean, you know, we've talked about it before where
Liam is more than happy to get his elbows out
if he's feeling confident and there's a pass to be made,
and he will need to do that around here. But
you can make a lot of positions at the start.
You can also get caught up in incidence there. So
the main thing there is getting through it cleanly. But
it looks like strategically it might be a bit of
a tricky race as well, some of the more boring races.
If anyone's been watching and thought there hasn't been a
(03:24):
lot of action in any Grand Prix at certain times
this year have been just one pit stop. Well, it
looks like there'll be at least two tomorrow with different
strategies playing out because as I said, the tires have
been overheating.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
It's been very hot.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
That gives you more potential as well to move forward,
not only by making moves on track, but strategically with
the timing of your pit stops, the tires you're running on,
and the pace you can be doing at different points
in the race. So I think there's a lot of
opportunities for him and if he keeps it clean, gets
a good solid start and the team as well get
the strategy right, he's got every chance to still picking
up a points or.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Two on the front of the gread oscar Pistree and
Lando Norris one two for McLaren. How much faster Chris
and your assessment are McLaren than anybody else in terms
of their cars.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
It's a tricky and once that I will admit, because
over one lap we see it in every qualifying session essentially,
and it's no more than a quarter of a second
at at the tracks that they are best at and
others are not so good at. But the average qualifying
margin between first and second before today was less than
a tenth of a second. Today PS three was two
(04:26):
tenths quicker than the Norris. But it's not always been
between the two McLaren drivers either. We've had George Russell
up there, Max of Staffan has three poles. It's very
close on raw pace over one lap. The McLaren strength
is being able to go close to that raw pace
over a race distance and not ruin their tires, not
burn them up, not wear them out too quickly, so
they keep that pace for longer and that advantage opens
up over grown pre distance, and I think when they're
(04:48):
somewhere that they're really comfortable and confident, that's like a
half a second advantage that they've got. So it fluctuates
trac to track depending on the characteristics of the circuit,
whether it suits the car they have or suits some
of their rivals. But the one thing we have seen
is that everywhere we go they have a car capable
of winning races for every other team much more up
and down.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
And I'll say you, twenty four of thirty four Spanish
Grand Priise at this trek have been won by the Puls,
so I guess that gives PS three an historical advantage. Anyway,
how do you avalue add his ability to win it
from the front of the grid.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
Well, certainly he's got the ability, and he does have
the quickest car on the grid right now, so starting
from P one, it's everything you'd ask for. But at
the same time, this is a track where as you
mentioned earlier, you can overtake certainly a lot easier than Monaco,
but the start is crucial because we've seen it a
couple of times, and we actually saw it last year.
Cars starting on a second row have a good chance
(05:42):
of getting into the lead at the start.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
You get a long run to turn one.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
Here there's a long period of accelerating up to fall
through Otto before hating the breaks through the first corner,
so you get a big slipstream effect and the cars
in third and fourth directly behind the front row get
a good toe and that can give them a sling
shot to try and make a move. And George Russell
went from fourth to first at the start last year
and George Russell is starting fourth again tomorrow, so that's
going to be exciting. Max was stappening as well, always
(06:07):
a threat. If he gets a sniff at the start,
he'll go for it. We saw it in IMMLA where
Vestafton was in a position where really he shouldn't have
been challenging for the lead at term one and he
found a way to overtake Oscar and take the lead
and he won that race. So I don't think it's
a foregone conclusion, but you're right statistically and historically he's
in the best place. I just don't think this is
quite the certainty it used to be around here, all.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Right, And they're only being nineteen cars and the racers.
I understand it. You'll be able to film me in here.
Lance stroll Eston, Madden's driver won't compete. What's the story here?
Speaker 4 (06:37):
Yeah, this was a big shock actually, and it's quite
a funny one. Just before I've spoken to you that
the news dropped and you might be able to hear
in the background, I'm out grabbing a late bite to
eat in the middle of Barcelona and suddenly everyone's on
their mobile phones finding stories. Because Lance took part in qualifying.
He got up the car and didn't get weighed, so
he was in trouble for not going to the waybridge
to do all of the checks that you have to
(06:57):
do with the governing body, and he'd been summoned to
the stewards. And I saw that that hearing got delayed
and the steward said it was due to unforeseen circumstances.
So something was going on, but we didn't know what.
And then it turned out it was because he's been
in discomfort with his hands and his wrist and he's
been in pain over the last six weeks. Now for
anyone who doesn't know, and you do well to remember this,
but Lancetrell had a cycling accident two years ago in
(07:20):
pre season, broke both of his wrists. He had to
have surgery on them. He also broke a toe in
that but he came back and raced very quickly, and
he had some very good surgery. But the team seemed
to think the pain he now has is related to
the procedures that were done in twenty twenty three, so
he's going to go to another proscedure to try and
rectify it as soon as possible. So they've pulled him
out of this race on medical grounds. I assume that
(07:41):
means tomorrow or Monday he'll be going through some sort
of surgery or medical procedure to try and get him
fit as quickly as possible. The challenge there is the
next race is in two weeks time and it's his
home Grand Prix in Montreal, so I don't know at
this point total speculation whether he'll be fit for that.
Aston Martin can replace him in the future, but they
can't do that this weekend because you have to qualify
the car in order to race it. So because Lance
(08:03):
took part in qualifying, therefore only he can race if
he's withdrawn they can't put anywhere else in.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
All right, nice and warm in Barcelona, is it?
Speaker 3 (08:11):
Chris?
Speaker 2 (08:11):
You got the shorts on, mate, No need for a
jacket tonight you.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
No need for a jacket. But I'm always trousers.
Speaker 4 (08:16):
I'm all professional when I've been working, so it's always
the long trousers are out.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
But no, you're right.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
It's a thin polo and nothing else and still pretty
toasty for a brit abroad. So it's been it's been
nice in that sense, but yeah it'll be It'll be
hot one tomorrow and that'd be a challenge for the drivers,
but fun for us.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Chris.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
You expertise and analysis greatly appreciated. Mate. Thanks for attacking
the time to join us across New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
No worries, thanks for having me on.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
No, thanks for joining us, Chris, Chris Midland there from
Barcelona where Oscar Pastri and Lando Norris. The McLaren drivers
will start on the front two positions on the starting grid.
Liam Lawson in thirteenth position, his teammate at racing balls,
Isaac Hadgjar ninth on the grid, Max for step and
his third George Russell fourth. Yuki Sonoda, the second of
(08:58):
the Red Bull Drivers was twentieth and last in qualifying,
but we'll move up a place due to the withdrawal
of Lance Stroll. As you just heard Chris Midland outline,
there a troubled wrist or hand injury for Lant's Stroll,
so he will not be on the grid and they
can't bring anybody else in Aston Martin because you have
to be in qualifying in order to race the race itself.
(09:22):
He can be replaced for the next race if that's
what is required, but not for this one. So Fernando
Alonso will be the only Aston Martin driver on the
grid when that race is underway around one o'clock tomorrow morning.
From memory, I think that's the start time. Let me
just check exactly here one o'clock tomorrow morning. The Spanish
Grand Prix and Barcelona. Plenty of places to pass on
(09:44):
this racetrack compared to Monico where there's basically nowhere to pass.
So if Liam Lawson can and the racing terminology get
his elbows out, then who knows, maybe he can move
up the field a little bit at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news talk zed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talk zed B.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Willam Lawson has qualified thirteenth for the Spanish Formula One
Grand Prix. He was eliminated in the second qualifying session.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
See your Larson Candell Well. Losson's on a decent lap here.
Speaker 4 (00:24):
This could be two racing balls in the top ten
as he crosses the line though lost a bit of
time in that final sector only p thirteen.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
So McLaren's Oscar Piastre grabbing pole position, his fourth pole
of the season, ahead of his teammate Lando Norris defending
champion Red Bull driver Max for Stappen. We'll start from
third on the grid Mercedes George Russell qualifying fourth. Let's
get you to Spain with highly respected Formula One journalist
and broadcaster Chris Medland. Chris can be start with Liam Lawson.
(00:54):
It was very fast in practice. So what happened to
him and qualifying.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Yeah, it didn't quite come together.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
And it's always tricky when you're watching practice about whether
you're seeing everything from every driver every team, and certain
teams do turn the wick up a little bit more.
When we get into qualifying with Liam, I think he
just didn't quite put the lap together. There's some very
sensitive tires we have here in Barcelona, and it's been
very very hot, so it's so hot that the tires
you're using over just one qualifying lap start to overheat
(01:23):
and you lose grip and performance towards the end of
that lap. So if you can't manage the temperage as
well enough, you just lose lap time very very easily.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
And it just got away from Lim a little bit.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
But it was also a massively competitive session and if
he didn't hook it up at all times, you didn't
get all the way through. But as you say, he'd
shown he had the pace in the practice session, so
he was a little bit disappointed not to make it
through the Q three.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
He also, I see, registered his fastest lap in his
final qualifying LP, so he's going fast enough. Isn't it
something that will encourage him ahead of the race itself. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
I think one thing that's been quite encouraging, even as
someone watching Lim has been the fact that he says
his confidence has not taken a hit from the yearies
had yet and he's just not always had the result
he thought he's capable of getting, but he's had the
pace in there, and he's had the confidence in the car.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Well, we saw it in Monaco.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
He put it all together on the track last weekend
where you have to put it together, where you have
to be confident, where you can't afford any mistakes, and
that really, I think convinced a lot of people that yeah,
that's all in there, just needs to bring it out consistently,
and he had continued to do that going through this
weekend up until qualifying. So that's why I think he's
actually going to be more frustrated that when it really mattered,
(02:32):
when he really wanted to get through the Q three,
he didn't quite get the same nap time as his
teammate Isaac Hagya got out the car. But it still
was encouraging that that potential was there for him. So
he will know that he's able to move forward in
the race as well because the Racing Bulls car has
been competitive all season.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Yeah, and promisingly as well. It's not like Monica is
that there are places to pass in Barcelona. There are
two drag reduction system zones as well. How do you
a seious evaluate Liam's ability to move up from thirteenth
during the race.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Yeah, I think he's got every chance.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
I mean, you know, we've talked about it before where
Liam is more than happy to get his elbows out
if he's feeling confident and there's a pass to be made,
and he will need to do that around here. But
you can make a lot of positions at the start.
You can also get caught up in incidence there. So
the main thing there is getting through it cleanly. But
it looks like strategically it might be a bit of
a tricky race as well, some of the more boring races.
If anyone's been watching and thought there hasn't been a
(03:24):
lot of action in any Grand Prix at certain times
this year have been just one pit stop. Well, it
looks like there'll be at least two tomorrow with different
strategies playing out because as I said, the tires have
been overheating.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
It's been very hot.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
That gives you more potential as well to move forward,
not only by making moves on track, but strategically with
the timing of your pit stops, the tires you're running on,
and the pace you can be doing at different points
in the race. So I think there's a lot of
opportunities for him and if he keeps it clean, gets
a good solid start and the team as well get
the strategy right, he's got every chance to still picking
up a points or.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Two on the front of the gread oscar Pistree and
Lando Norris one two for McLaren. How much faster Chris
and your assessment are McLaren than anybody else in terms
of their cars.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
It's a tricky and once that I will admit, because
over one lap we see it in every qualifying session essentially,
and it's no more than a quarter of a second
at at the tracks that they are best at and
others are not so good at. But the average qualifying
margin between first and second before today was less than
a tenth of a second. Today PS three was two
(04:26):
tenths quicker than the Norris. But it's not always been
between the two McLaren drivers either. We've had George Russell
up there, Max of Staffan has three poles. It's very
close on raw pace over one lap. The McLaren strength
is being able to go close to that raw pace
over a race distance and not ruin their tires, not
burn them up, not wear them out too quickly, so
they keep that pace for longer and that advantage opens
up over grown pre distance, and I think when they're
(04:48):
somewhere that they're really comfortable and confident, that's like a
half a second advantage that they've got. So it fluctuates
trac to track depending on the characteristics of the circuit,
whether it suits the car they have or suits some
of their rivals. But the one thing we have seen
is that everywhere we go they have a car capable
of winning races for every other team much more up
and down.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
And I'll say you, twenty four of thirty four Spanish
Grand Priise at this trek have been won by the Puls,
so I guess that gives PS three an historical advantage. Anyway,
how do you avalue add his ability to win it
from the front of the grid.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
Well, certainly he's got the ability, and he does have
the quickest car on the grid right now, so starting
from P one, it's everything you'd ask for. But at
the same time, this is a track where as you
mentioned earlier, you can overtake certainly a lot easier than Monaco,
but the start is crucial because we've seen it a
couple of times, and we actually saw it last year.
Cars starting on a second row have a good chance
(05:42):
of getting into the lead at the start.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
You get a long run to turn one.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
Here there's a long period of accelerating up to fall
through Otto before hating the breaks through the first corner,
so you get a big slipstream effect and the cars
in third and fourth directly behind the front row get
a good toe and that can give them a sling
shot to try and make a move. And George Russell
went from fourth to first at the start last year
and George Russell is starting fourth again tomorrow, so that's
going to be exciting. Max was stappening as well, always
(06:07):
a threat. If he gets a sniff at the start,
he'll go for it. We saw it in IMMLA where
Vestafton was in a position where really he shouldn't have
been challenging for the lead at term one and he
found a way to overtake Oscar and take the lead
and he won that race. So I don't think it's
a foregone conclusion, but you're right statistically and historically he's
in the best place. I just don't think this is
quite the certainty it used to be around here, all.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Right, And they're only being nineteen cars and the racers.
I understand it. You'll be able to film me in here.
Lance stroll Eston, Madden's driver won't compete. What's the story here?
Speaker 4 (06:37):
Yeah, this was a big shock actually, and it's quite
a funny one. Just before I've spoken to you that
the news dropped and you might be able to hear
in the background, I'm out grabbing a late bite to
eat in the middle of Barcelona and suddenly everyone's on
their mobile phones finding stories. Because Lance took part in qualifying.
He got up the car and didn't get weighed, so
he was in trouble for not going to the waybridge
to do all of the checks that you have to
(06:57):
do with the governing body, and he'd been summoned to
the stewards. And I saw that that hearing got delayed
and the steward said it was due to unforeseen circumstances.
So something was going on, but we didn't know what.
And then it turned out it was because he's been
in discomfort with his hands and his wrist and he's
been in pain over the last six weeks. Now for
anyone who doesn't know, and you do well to remember this,
but Lancetrell had a cycling accident two years ago in
(07:20):
pre season, broke both of his wrists. He had to
have surgery on them. He also broke a toe in
that but he came back and raced very quickly, and
he had some very good surgery. But the team seemed
to think the pain he now has is related to
the procedures that were done in twenty twenty three, so
he's going to go to another proscedure to try and
rectify it as soon as possible. So they've pulled him
out of this race on medical grounds. I assume that
(07:41):
means tomorrow or Monday he'll be going through some sort
of surgery or medical procedure to try and get him
fit as quickly as possible. The challenge there is the
next race is in two weeks time and it's his
home Grand Prix in Montreal, so I don't know at
this point total speculation whether he'll be fit for that.
Aston Martin can replace him in the future, but they
can't do that this weekend because you have to qualify
the car in order to race it. So because Lance
(08:03):
took part in qualifying, therefore only he can race if
he's withdrawn they can't put anywhere else in.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
All right, nice and warm in Barcelona, is it?
Speaker 3 (08:11):
Chris?
Speaker 2 (08:11):
You got the shorts on, mate, No need for a
jacket tonight you.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
No need for a jacket. But I'm always trousers.
Speaker 4 (08:16):
I'm all professional when I've been working, so it's always
the long trousers are out.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
But no, you're right.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
It's a thin polo and nothing else and still pretty
toasty for a brit abroad. So it's been it's been
nice in that sense, but yeah it'll be It'll be
hot one tomorrow and that'd be a challenge for the drivers,
but fun for us.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Chris.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
You expertise and analysis greatly appreciated. Mate. Thanks for attacking
the time to join us across New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
No worries, thanks for having me on.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
No, thanks for joining us, Chris, Chris Midland there from
Barcelona where Oscar Pastri and Lando Norris. The McLaren drivers
will start on the front two positions on the starting grid.
Liam Lawson in thirteenth position, his teammate at racing balls,
Isaac Hadgjar ninth on the grid, Max for step and
his third George Russell fourth. Yuki Sonoda, the second of
(08:58):
the Red Bull Drivers was twentieth and last in qualifying,
but we'll move up a place due to the withdrawal
of Lance Stroll. As you just heard Chris Midland outline,
there a troubled wrist or hand injury for Lant's Stroll,
so he will not be on the grid and they
can't bring anybody else in Aston Martin because you have
to be in qualifying in order to race the race itself.
(09:22):
He can be replaced for the next race if that's
what is required, but not for this one. So Fernando
Alonso will be the only Aston Martin driver on the
grid when that race is underway around one o'clock tomorrow morning.
From memory, I think that's the start time. Let me
just check exactly here one o'clock tomorrow morning. The Spanish
Grand Prix and Barcelona. Plenty of places to pass on
(09:44):
this racetrack compared to Monico where there's basically nowhere to pass.
So if Liam Lawson can and the racing terminology get
his elbows out, then who knows, maybe he can move
up the field a little bit at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news talk zed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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