December 13, 2025 • 24 mins
The 2025 Formula One season is over… and this episode is your deep exhale after an Abu Dhabi finale that still doesn’t feel real. We break down how Lando Norris finally captured his maiden World Championship after nine years with McLaren—clinching it by just two points—and why that razor-thin margin (423–421) instantly turns the entire season into a story of pressure, consistency, and nerves of steel. From there, we rewind the chaos and zoom in on the human drama that made this title fight so gripping: Max Verstappen’s ferocious late-season surge (including a race win in Abu Dhabi and a staggering comeback attempt from more than 100 points down), the moments that swung the momentum, and the debate over whether one costly incident can define an entire 24-race campaign. We also dig into the fallout at Red Bull, including the shock retirement of Helmut Marko and what his exit could mean for the team’s stability heading into a regulation revolution. On the McLaren side, we unpack the “papaya rules” tension and Oscar Piastri’s complicated season—huge pace, big wins, and the uncomfortable reality of being the teammate who almost took the crown. What happens to a driver’s psychology after losing an internal title fight, and how fragile does that dynamic become when the sport is about to reset? And then there’s the biggest curveball: Lewis Hamilton’s brutal first year at Ferrari. No podiums, a car with fundamental limitations, public frustration, and the looming question of whether 2026 is his real target—and his last, best shot at an eighth title. Finally, we turn the page to the “great reset” of 2026: power-unit changes, the end of the MGU-H, a heavier reliance on electric deployment, active aerodynamics, the end of DRS as we know it, and a new push-to-pass style overtaking philosophy that could reshape what “driver advantage” even means. Add an expanding grid, major driver-market movement, and the governance and calendar shifts that set the stage—and you’ve got the perfect storm for F1’s next era. If 2025 was a thriller, 2026 looks like a full reboot. The only question is: who’s built to win the new game?
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The twenty twenty five Formula One season is officially in
the books, and if you're anything like me, you are
probably still recovering from that absolute roller coaster of a
finale in Abu Dhabi.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Still catching my breath honestly, right.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
I mean, we just witnessed one of the most nail biting,
just chaotic championship finishes in well, in modern memory. It
was a stunning end to what was a formidable four
year rain by Max for.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Stapping, Absolutely stunning, and it's the margin, you know, that's
what makes it so incredible. Lando Norris, after nine years
with McLaren nine years, finally gets his maiden World championship.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
By just two points.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Two points He beat for Stepping by two points. And
you're right, this wasn't just a two horse race until
the end. We had three drivers, Norris for Stappin' and
Lando's own teammate Oscar Piastrio all in with a shot
right down to the wire.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
It went to the final laps.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Okay, so we have to unpack all of this. Our
mission today is well, it's a big one. We're going
deep into the human drama of that twenty twenty five
wrap up. We'll get into the key driver's stories for
Stappen's almost unbelievable comeback, that the psychological pension at McLaren
and maybe the biggest shock of all, Lewis Hamilton's truly
Nightmaragh debut with Ferrari.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
And we can't just look back.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Everything, and I mean every single decision we're about to
talk about is now being viewed through the lens of
twenty twenty six.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
The Great Reason.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
The Great reset, the biggest technical and political appeaval the
sport has seen in decades. So this winter break it
feels like the calm for storm that is just going
to completely reshape the entire grid.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Let's start with the man of the moment, then, Lando Norris.
He gets his championship with a perfectly measured third place
finish in Abu Dhabi. Verstappan did what he had to do.
He won the race, which is incredible in itself.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Especially considering he was what one hundred and four points
behind mid season, just a wild comeback attempt.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Exactly, but it just wasn't enough. Norris finished two points ahead,
four twenty three to four to twenty one.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
That two point margin, I mean, that's a single ninth
place finish over twenty four races. It just shows you
how consistent Norris had to be at the end and Pastri,
his teammate, was right there too, only thirteen points back.
This was not just a driver's win. This was a
massive moment for British motorsport history.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
The eleventh British World champion.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Right joining this incredible lineage. You know, you've got the
Hills Jensen button and of course Lewis Hamilton.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
It's a huge deal and a defining moment for McLaren.
They didn't just win the driver's title, they defended the
Constructor's championship. They're second in a row for a team
that went through such a long, painful rebuild. I mean,
you can't overstate what this means for that you.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Can't think about it. The last time a McLaren driver
won the title was.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Lewis Hamilton, way back in two thousand and eight.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Two thousand and eight.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
That's a seventeen year drought. It's monumental. But what I
find fascinating is how they did it. Zach Brown, their CEO,
he made a point of saying how proud he was
that they let their two drivers race right to the end.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
No team orders, that's a big rus.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
A huge risk. Brown even said everyone said that couldn't
be done. It just speaks volumes about the culture they
built there, that trust in their guys.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
It really does. It's this belief that they're professional enough
to handle it, to manage the risk without taking each
other out. It avoids all that political fallout exactly.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Now, let's talk about the aftermath for the champion himself,
because the reaction from Norris, it wasn't that typical, you know,
aggressive roar.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
It was just pure raw emotions.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
It was incredibly human. When he got out of the car,
he was just in tears. He even said, I didn't
think I'd cry, but I did.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
And he talked about the long journeys, nine years with
the team since he was basically a teenager, the pressure
of chasing that childhood dream with the whole world watching.
I mean, seeing that release was just a really powerful,
vulnerable moment.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
One of the best reactions I thought came from his
old teammate, Carlos Science.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Oh what did he say?
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Scenes praised him for showing that human side, and he
noted that Norris quote doesn't fit the badass stereotype we
often see n F one champions. He won anyway under
this immense pressure.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
I think Sants's spot on there.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
You know, d F one tends to glorify this really intense,
almost detached personality you think of Schumacher or even for Stappin. Today,
Lando's wind shows you don't have to be that guy.
You can be authentic, you can be vulnerable and still
be the best. It's refreshing.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
That authenticity carried right over to his first big decision
as champion, the car number.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Ah.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Yes, the champion gets the option to use it, and
Nora's confirmed he's taking it for twenty twenty.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Six, which is huge symbolically, Yeah, it means Max Verstappan,
who has used number one since twenty twenty two, has
to give it up. The number one on the car
is a declaration. It's a statement of dominance.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
It's the clearest possible shift in power, isn't it, moving
from red Bull to McLaren. We're hearing Verstappin might go
back to number three, but yeah, the one belongs to Lando.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Now. I love that kind of subtle drama.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
And speaking of drama, we have to talk about where
he officially got the trophy.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
The FIA gala.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
In Tashkin, huz Bekistan, of all places.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
It's mandatory for the top three, but this year it
was well, it was a little controversial.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Because of Max for Staffan's absence.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Exactly the runner up wasn't there. He cited illness the flu.
He sent a video message with congratulations and everything.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
But he'd previously called the galon nonsense and said he
wouldn't go if it was optional, So his being sick
felt a little too convenient for some people.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
It just creates this immediate contrast, doesn't it. For Verstappin,
anything outside of driving the car feels like a distraction.
For Norris, he seemed to completely embrace it.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
He really did. He got the trophy from the FIA
president Mohammed ben Salaam, and his.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Speech was just peak Lando Norris. It was funny, self
deprecating and he even dropped an F bomb.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
He did. He was joking about their mistakes and said
we had our fair share of mistakes and f ups.
Can I say that here?
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Then he joked, oh, sorry, yeah, I got fined.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
I can pay it off.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Now that's the confidence of a world champion right there,
joking about paying an FIA fine during your acceptance speech.
It's that slightly chaotic, genuine energy that F one.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Needs absolutely and to his credit, Ben Sulaiam played along
and turned it into a punchline. It was just a
fitting end to it all. You could just feel the relief.
Nor Is even admitted he got extremely drunk after the race.
He could finally just exhale.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Okay, let's shift gears now to the drivers who just
missed out, and we have to start with Max Verstappin.
I mean, losing by two points is brutal, but his
season was defined by this just ferocious charge to get
back in the fight.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
It really was, and the raw numbers, even in defeat,
they still show how dominant he was. In the back
half of the season. He had eight Grand Prix wins,
which was more than anyone else.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
More than either McLaren driver yet and he.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Won six of the final nine races. That's an astonishing
run of form.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
The mathematical mountain he had to climb is what gets me.
At one point around Zanvord he was one hundred and
four points down to claw all that back and only
lose by two It's just staggering.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
It really speaks to how good he and that Red
Bull were in the final third of the season. He
even admitted he hated the car at the start of
the year.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
So what was the difference? What were the mistakes that
cost him that fifth title? He pointed to one moment himself,
didn't he the collision with George Russell in Spain?
Speaker 3 (07:12):
That was definitely costly. He got a penalty for it,
which brought his rolling penalty point total to eleven at
one stage, which is dangerously close to a race ban.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
And losing those points in Spain. What did that work
out to?
Speaker 3 (07:25):
The estimates say it cost him nine points in the
final standings, nine points. He lost the title by two.
So yeah, do the math that one incident would have
made him champion.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
But is it that simple? Can you really blame it
on one mistake when the car was so far off
the pace at the start of the year.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
That's the crucial point And that's exactly what Verstappen argued.
When reporters kept asking him about Spain after the finale,
he got pretty testy. He bristled and said, you forget
all the other stuff that happened. The only thing you
mentioned is Barcelona.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
He's got a point. It's a twenty four race season.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
He's absolutely right.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
He even keek Lee said that he received some early
Christmas presents from McLaren's own mistakes in the second half,
which is what allowed him to close the gap in
the first place. So trying to pin it all on
one moment is just it's an oversimplification.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
The story should be less about the one mistake and
more about the incredible recovery that almost almost.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Work exactly, but the drama at Red Bull was far
from over. Right after the final race, we got the
political earthquake.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
The Helmet Marco news a monumental shock.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Doctor Helmut Marco, the senior advisor, the head of the
whole Red Bull driver program for over twenty years, retires
just days after Abu Dhabi.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
The timing is everything. He specifically cited the bitter disappointment
of narrowly losing as the sign that it was time
to step away.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
His legacy is just unmatched in modern f one, isn't it.
He's the guy who found and promoted both Sebastian Vettl
and Max Verstappen. He guided them from go karts to
multiple world championships.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
He was known for being absolutely ruthless, but he was effective.
He was the late Dietrich Metischitz's most trusted guy, the
one who had total freedom to run the program his way.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
He really was, and the vacuum he leaves is huge,
not just in terms of talent spotting, but politically. Marco
was Verstappin's biggest and most powerful ally inside that Red
Bull management structure.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
And of course there are the rumors about his exit package,
a ten million year row golden handshake.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Ten million sounds like a lot, but for losing someone
with his history and you know, his political capital right
befull a massive rule change, you could argue it's a
small price to pay for such a big loss. Red
Bull's management said they had to respect his wishes. But
his departure leaves this huge void, and some say it
consolidates power around Christian Horner, which might not sit well
(09:45):
with Verstappen long term.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
That potential instability is the perfect backdrop to look at
the other side of this McLaren dynamic. So let's talk
about Oscar Piastre. He finished third, had a phenomenal season
with seven wins sixteen podiums. Zach Brown is calling him
a future world champion.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
And he's not wrong.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
Piastre is absolutely championship material, but his own title bid
this year was complicated by well a mix of everything,
bad luck, strategy, and a couple of key mistakes of
his own.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
The mistakes were pretty big, the off track excursion in
Australia that cost him a.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Lot of points, at least sixteen points. Yeah, and he
had three DNFs, including a couple in sprint races. You
just can't afford that and a fight this close.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
But we can't ignore the moments where team strategy seemed
to lean towards Norris. The media has been calling it
the Papaya rules.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Yeah, and the list of those incidence is, well, it's long,
and that's the problem for Piastre. You've got the controversial
car swap in Manza where they asked him to let
Norris buy. There was the safety car timing and Katar
that really hurt him, and then strategy calls into Hungary
and Immola that arguably favored Norris's race.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
So it's understandable that the rumor mill started churning almost immediately,
linking him to Red Bull.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Of course, with Marco gone and potential instability around for staff,
Piastre is the perfect target for a team looking to
build for the future. F one journalists, we're calling a
move in twenty twenty seven entirely.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
Plausible, plausible because of the twenty twenty six rule changes
creating so much uncertainty. If Red Bull nailed their new
engine and McLaren don't, that seat becomes the hottest property.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
On the grid exactly. Piastre has publicly shut it down
for now. Of course, he's pointed to his contract extension,
his confidence in McLaren's development, but the whispers are there.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
But here's where it gets really interesting. Psychologically, Piastree is
now the conquered teammate in a title.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Fight, and F one history is just brutal on those drivers.
It's a harrowing list. Nico Rosberg is really the only
modern driver who lost an internal title fight to Hamilton
and then came back to win one himself.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
And even he retired immediately after, saying the mental cost
was just too high.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
So that's the big question for Pastree heading into next year,
isn't it Can he overcome that psychological weight, especially if
the team dynamic naturally starts to shift towards the raining
world champion.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
It's a massive hurdle. Yeah, and those rid bull rumors,
they start to look like a potential escape patch if
things get too difficult internally, he'll have to way McLaren's
proven strength against the challenge of being the number two
in a champions team.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
It's a tough spot to be in.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
Okay, so last but not least. In a driver analysis,
we have to talk about Lewis Hamilton's debut season at Ferrari.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
A nightmare is how he described it. A season of
firsts and all of them were the wrong kind.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
It really was an anis horriblis for him, a horrible year.
He's the second highest paid driver on the grid, something
like seventy million dollars and he just endured his first
season in nineteen years without a single podium finish.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Not one podium. That's almost unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
And the comparison to his teammate, Charles Leclerk is just devastating.
The Clerk outqualified him twenty two to seven. His average
grid spot was five point six, Hamilton's was nine point five.
To be that far off your teammate in the same car,
that's something Hamilton is basically an ever experience.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
So what was the problem was it him, was it
the car?
Speaker 3 (13:03):
The primary issue was the car being unloved s F
twenty five, so farra were trapped. To get any pace
out of it, they had to run it extremely low
to the ground to make the ground effect aerodynamics work.
But that created a whole host of other.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Problems, right because running at that low wears out the
legality plank underneath.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
The car exactly, and Hamilton actually got disqualified in China
for that very reason excessive plank ware. So after that,
Ferrari had to raise the right height and other races
to be safe. But as soon as they did that,
the car just lost all its pace. They were in
a technical buind with no way out, and.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
His frustration was just so public, wasn't it. We heard
him on the radio saying he felt useless that the
team should change driver.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
After one race.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
He admitted he felt an unbearable amount of anger and rage.
It was clear the psychological toll was immense. His plan
for the winter break says it all. He said he
needs to completely disconnect, to unplug from the matrix. He
even joked he was going to throw his phone in
the frickin' bin.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
You can't blame him. He just needs a total reset,
but he is still motivated by that dream of an
eighth title. Listening, he's banking everything on the twenty twenty
six rule changes.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
He is, he's using that as his fuel. He was
part of the decision for Ferrari to stop developing the
twenty twenty five car early and shift all their focus
to the twenty twenty six car. He said he supported
it one hundred percent, even if it meant sacrificing this season.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
Which shows he's still thinking long term. And it was
nice to see Lando Norris publicly back him up.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
It was Norris said, he's proved he's probably the best
of all time, and if anyone can bounce back, it's
mister Hamilton. That mutual respect is great, but yeah, the
pressure is on Ferrari and Hamilton to deliver in twenty
twenty six. If they miss the mark, then the retirement
talk is only going to get louder.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Okay, let's turn our full attention now to that future,
to the chaos of twenty twenty six. And let's be clear.
These regulations are being called F one's biggest rule change ever.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
And that's not an exaggeration.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
We are changing the chassis philosophy and the engine rules
at the same time, to the degree for the first
time in F one history.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
The scale is just unprecedented. So let's start with the
heart of the car, the power unit, the basic layout,
the one point six liter V six turbo hybrid that stays.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
It stays, but the emphasis shifts dramatically. The most complex
and expensive part of the current engine, the MGUH, the
motor generator that recovers heat energy from the exhaust, is
gone completely removed.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
So why is getting rid of the MGUH such a
big deal?
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Well, two main reasons.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
First, it makes the engine simpler and cheaper, which is
what helped detract new manufacturers like Audi. But second, and
this is the big one, it shifts all the energy
recovery responsibility to the MGUK, which captures kinetic energy from
breaking and the power from that system is basically being
doubled doubled.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
So what does that mean in terms of total power?
Speaker 3 (15:48):
It means the hybrid system will account for about fifty
percent of the car's total power output. We're moving to
a true fifty to fifty split between combustion and electric power.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
It's a massive.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
Shift, and this is where the big manufacturers are placing
their bets absolutely.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
You look at Honda, who are teaming up with Aston Martin.
They've already come out and said they're on the eve
of something very special with their new power unit. They
see this as their chance to dominate the next era.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
Now, there was a big worry right that losing the
MGUH and using less fuel would make the engine sound well, less.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Exciting, A very valid concern.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
But the good news is that initial tests on the
dyno suggest the sound will be really, really similar to
what we have now, so the spectacle should be safe.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Okay, thank goodness for that. Let's move to the chassis
because the aerodynamic changes are just as revolutionary. The whole
ground effect concept from twenty twenty two is being thrown.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Out, completely abandoned. In its place, F one is introducing
movable front and rear wings. We're talking active aerodynamics and
this isn't a gimmick. It's essential for the new power
units to even work effectively.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
How so, how does active arrow help the engine?
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Okay, so on the straits, the front and rear wings
will fly out to slash drag. Less drag means the
car can reach high speeds more easily, which lets the
driver lift off the craddle way earlier before a corner.
That extra coasting and breaking time is vital for harvesting
as much energy as possible through that more powerful MGUK.
Then for the corner, the wings pop back up to
(17:18):
give them the downforce they need.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
And this means the end of DRS. The drag reduction
system it's gone.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
It's being replaced by a sort of push to pass
button instead of a flap opening. The driver will get
a preset burst of extra electrical energy from the hybrid
system to help them make the overtake.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
So it's moving from an automatic system in a specific
zone to a tactical driver controlled energy boost exactly.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
It completely changes the racing philosophy. Drivers like for Stappan,
who are masters of carrying incredible speed through corners, might
find that advantage reduced. The twenty twenty six cars will
likely be slower in the corners, So.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
The whole game shifts from a physics puzzle about cornering
speed to an energy management equation.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
Precisely, it's all about how you harvest your energy and
when you choose to deploy that push to pass boost.
It's a much more tactical, high stakes game.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
And thankfully f one realized all the technical jargon they
were using was just confusing everyone.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
Yeah, they're simplifying the terminology things like MOM for manual
override mode and x Y.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
Mode for the wings. That's all going.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
It's likely going to be called overtake mode and just
active arrow. It makes it easier for fans, commentators, everyone
to understand what's happening.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Now. One last thing in the arrow safety. What happens
with these fancy movable wings when it starts to rain.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
That's a critical point. They've introduced a partial active arrow
mode for wet or low grip conditions. If it's too
dangerous for the wings to go fully flat on a
damp straight, race control can activate the setting.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
And what does that partial mode do?
Speaker 3 (18:46):
The front wing goes flat, but the rear wing stays up.
This does two things. First, it stops the car from
being pushed down so hard on a damp straight that
it wears out the plank. But more importantly, it prevents
dangerous understeer driver suddenly lost all rear downforce. On a
damp high speed straight they could easily spin. This partial
(19:06):
mode is a really smart safety feature.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Okay, let's talk about the faces on the grid. It's
growing to eleven teams in twenty twenty six with Cadillac
finally arriving, and they.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
Are going for pure experience for their first year. They've
signed Vulteri botas a ten time winner, and Sergio Perez,
who has six wins. They clearly want drivers who can
give them solid feedback to develop.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
That first car.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
They've also got Colton Hurta as a test driver, which
is interesting.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
And we have big moves in the red bull world too.
Easik Hadjar gets the promotion from racing bulls to the
main red Bull team.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
This is a huge opportunity, but it's also a massive risk.
But Hajar seems to be approaching it differently than his predecessors.
He's going in with this attitude of calculated pessimism.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
What do you mean by that?
Speaker 3 (19:48):
He's publicly said he has to accept that he will
be slower than for Stapping at the start. He said,
if you go in there thinking you're special and you
can beat Max right away, you just get stomped over
and the snowball off begins.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
That loss of confidence that we've seen destroy other drivers
in that seat.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Exactly by managing his own expectations, He's hoping to avoid
that mental spiral.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
He thinks the twenty twenty six rule.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
Reset is the best timing by far for him to
join because everyone is starting from scratch.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
Even though he admits Max will probably adapt faster than anyone, right.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
He just sees it as an equalizer for his own
learning curve. And his old seat at racing bowls goes
to a new British rookie, Arvid Lindblad. He'll be the
fourth youngest driver in F one history.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
And finally, a sad story really, the Alpine and Renault situation,
Renault's pulling out as an engine manufacturing.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
It's a tragedy for the sport's history. Really, Renault brought
the turbo to F one. Elaine Prost won his last
title with a Renault engine. Prost himself said he understands
the money side of it, but that it will be
incredibly hard for them to ever come back, especially with
how complex these new twenty twenty six engines are.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
And it comes after a really tough twenty twenty five
The Alpine team Jack dohand their rookie failed to score
a single point all.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Season, and his struggles have continued since leaving F one.
He had a horror test in Japan's Super Formula Series,
crashing three times in three days. It just shows how
much pressure these guys are under and how hard it
is to rebuild your confidence once it's shattered.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Okay, before we wrap up, let's quickly touch on the
background stuff, the governance and the calendar that underpins all
this change.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
The big one is the Concord Agreement. It's the document
that locks everyone in F one, the FIA and all
eleven teams. The twenty twenty six Agreement has been signed,
securing the sports commercial and regulatory future all the way.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
To twenty thirty. That's huge for stability, and.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
That agreement gives more money to the FIA, the governing body.
We still need to police these new rules.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
They absolutely will.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
Regulating the cost cap has already proven to be incredibly
expensive and complex. The FIA needs more resources and technical
staff to manage the twenty twenty six rules properly.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
And leadership is stable too, with Mohammed ben Silam being
re elected as FIA president. Yes.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
And finally, the calendar still twenty four races. It'll start
in Australia in March. The biggest change is we now
have two races in Spain, the.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
New Madrid Street Race in September and the traditional Barcelona
Race in June, and.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
They're trying to make the travel more logical. The Canadian
GP moves to May to pair with Miami, creating a
North American leg, and Monaco moves back a bit to June.
We've also got six sprint venues confirmed, including Zandvort for
its final year on the calendar.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
So after all that, what a year and what a
setup for what's to come. We've got a two point
title fight, the end of a dynasty, the retirement of
a legend in Helmet Marco, and now a complete technical reset.
The volatility is just off the charts, it really is.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
And all these technical unknowns for twenty twenty six they
completely validate the gambles that drivers like Lewis Hamilton have
made pushing their teams to focus on the future. It
guarantees a competitive reset. It also makes that McLaren dynamic,
the Norris and Piastre situation even more fragile. If they
don't get the new car right, the pressure could be immense.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
So if you look at a top Red Bull's whole
formula for success relied on Max's incredible adaptability, but also
on the stability that someone like Marco provided. They lose
that key piece right before total reset, and what are
the chances the entire competitive order just gets wiped clean.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
I think the chances are exceptionally high. You've got Aston,
Martin and Handa saying they're on the eve of something special.
You have Mercedes who are desperate to get back to
the front with Hamilton and Russell. The old certainties of
Red Bull winning every race are gone. Everyone is starting
from zero with a completely different kind of machine, and we.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
Are shifting from a pure physics puzzle of aerodynamics and
ground effect to this complex test of energy management and
active arrow. So if this new overtake mode, this push
to pass becomes the key to winning races, that changes
the type of driver who will succeed it does.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
It moves the focus away from pure cornering speed, which
was versap in superpower, to maximizing energy regeneration and being
smarter with your tactical power deployment. So the final question
for you, the listener, as we head into this new era,
is this who benefits most. Will it be the seasoned
veterans like Hamilton and Alonzo, who've seen it all and
adapted to countless rule changes, Or will it be this bold,
(24:13):
technically fluent new generation like Norris and Piastre, who seem
to adapt to new technology at unbelievable speed. The answer
to that question will define F one's next great champion
The twenty twenty five Formula One season is officially in
the books, and if you're anything like me, you are
probably still recovering from that absolute roller coaster of a
finale in Abu Dhabi.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Still catching my breath honestly, right.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
I mean, we just witnessed one of the most nail biting,
just chaotic championship finishes in well, in modern memory. It
was a stunning end to what was a formidable four
year rain by Max for.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Stapping, Absolutely stunning, and it's the margin, you know, that's
what makes it so incredible. Lando Norris, after nine years
with McLaren nine years, finally gets his maiden World championship.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
By just two points.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Two points He beat for Stepping by two points. And
you're right, this wasn't just a two horse race until
the end. We had three drivers, Norris for Stappin' and
Lando's own teammate Oscar Piastrio all in with a shot
right down to the wire.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
It went to the final laps.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Okay, so we have to unpack all of this. Our
mission today is well, it's a big one. We're going
deep into the human drama of that twenty twenty five
wrap up. We'll get into the key driver's stories for
Stappen's almost unbelievable comeback, that the psychological pension at McLaren
and maybe the biggest shock of all, Lewis Hamilton's truly
Nightmaragh debut with Ferrari.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
And we can't just look back.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Everything, and I mean every single decision we're about to
talk about is now being viewed through the lens of
twenty twenty six.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
The Great Reason.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
The Great reset, the biggest technical and political appeaval the
sport has seen in decades. So this winter break it
feels like the calm for storm that is just going
to completely reshape the entire grid.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Let's start with the man of the moment, then, Lando Norris.
He gets his championship with a perfectly measured third place
finish in Abu Dhabi. Verstappan did what he had to do.
He won the race, which is incredible in itself.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Especially considering he was what one hundred and four points
behind mid season, just a wild comeback attempt.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Exactly, but it just wasn't enough. Norris finished two points ahead,
four twenty three to four to twenty one.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
That two point margin, I mean, that's a single ninth
place finish over twenty four races. It just shows you
how consistent Norris had to be at the end and Pastri,
his teammate, was right there too, only thirteen points back.
This was not just a driver's win. This was a
massive moment for British motorsport history.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
The eleventh British World champion.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Right joining this incredible lineage. You know, you've got the
Hills Jensen button and of course Lewis Hamilton.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
It's a huge deal and a defining moment for McLaren.
They didn't just win the driver's title, they defended the
Constructor's championship. They're second in a row for a team
that went through such a long, painful rebuild. I mean,
you can't overstate what this means for that you.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Can't think about it. The last time a McLaren driver
won the title was.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Lewis Hamilton, way back in two thousand and eight.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Two thousand and eight.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
That's a seventeen year drought. It's monumental. But what I
find fascinating is how they did it. Zach Brown, their CEO,
he made a point of saying how proud he was
that they let their two drivers race right to the end.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
No team orders, that's a big rus.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
A huge risk. Brown even said everyone said that couldn't
be done. It just speaks volumes about the culture they
built there, that trust in their guys.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
It really does. It's this belief that they're professional enough
to handle it, to manage the risk without taking each
other out. It avoids all that political fallout exactly.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Now, let's talk about the aftermath for the champion himself,
because the reaction from Norris, it wasn't that typical, you know,
aggressive roar.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
It was just pure raw emotions.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
It was incredibly human. When he got out of the car,
he was just in tears. He even said, I didn't
think I'd cry, but I did.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
And he talked about the long journeys, nine years with
the team since he was basically a teenager, the pressure
of chasing that childhood dream with the whole world watching.
I mean, seeing that release was just a really powerful,
vulnerable moment.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
One of the best reactions I thought came from his
old teammate, Carlos Science.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Oh what did he say?
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Scenes praised him for showing that human side, and he
noted that Norris quote doesn't fit the badass stereotype we
often see n F one champions. He won anyway under
this immense pressure.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
I think Sants's spot on there.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
You know, d F one tends to glorify this really intense,
almost detached personality you think of Schumacher or even for Stappin. Today,
Lando's wind shows you don't have to be that guy.
You can be authentic, you can be vulnerable and still
be the best. It's refreshing.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
That authenticity carried right over to his first big decision
as champion, the car number.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Ah.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Yes, the champion gets the option to use it, and
Nora's confirmed he's taking it for twenty twenty.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Six, which is huge symbolically, Yeah, it means Max Verstappan,
who has used number one since twenty twenty two, has
to give it up. The number one on the car
is a declaration. It's a statement of dominance.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
It's the clearest possible shift in power, isn't it, moving
from red Bull to McLaren. We're hearing Verstappin might go
back to number three, but yeah, the one belongs to Lando.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Now. I love that kind of subtle drama.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
And speaking of drama, we have to talk about where
he officially got the trophy.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
The FIA gala.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
In Tashkin, huz Bekistan, of all places.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
It's mandatory for the top three, but this year it
was well, it was a little controversial.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Because of Max for Staffan's absence.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Exactly the runner up wasn't there. He cited illness the flu.
He sent a video message with congratulations and everything.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
But he'd previously called the galon nonsense and said he
wouldn't go if it was optional, So his being sick
felt a little too convenient for some people.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
It just creates this immediate contrast, doesn't it. For Verstappin,
anything outside of driving the car feels like a distraction.
For Norris, he seemed to completely embrace it.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
He really did. He got the trophy from the FIA
president Mohammed ben Salaam, and his.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Speech was just peak Lando Norris. It was funny, self
deprecating and he even dropped an F bomb.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
He did. He was joking about their mistakes and said
we had our fair share of mistakes and f ups.
Can I say that here?
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Then he joked, oh, sorry, yeah, I got fined.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
I can pay it off.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Now that's the confidence of a world champion right there,
joking about paying an FIA fine during your acceptance speech.
It's that slightly chaotic, genuine energy that F one.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Needs absolutely and to his credit, Ben Sulaiam played along
and turned it into a punchline. It was just a
fitting end to it all. You could just feel the relief.
Nor Is even admitted he got extremely drunk after the race.
He could finally just exhale.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Okay, let's shift gears now to the drivers who just
missed out, and we have to start with Max Verstappin.
I mean, losing by two points is brutal, but his
season was defined by this just ferocious charge to get
back in the fight.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
It really was, and the raw numbers, even in defeat,
they still show how dominant he was. In the back
half of the season. He had eight Grand Prix wins,
which was more than anyone else.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
More than either McLaren driver yet and he.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Won six of the final nine races. That's an astonishing
run of form.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
The mathematical mountain he had to climb is what gets me.
At one point around Zanvord he was one hundred and
four points down to claw all that back and only
lose by two It's just staggering.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
It really speaks to how good he and that Red
Bull were in the final third of the season. He
even admitted he hated the car at the start of
the year.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
So what was the difference? What were the mistakes that
cost him that fifth title? He pointed to one moment himself,
didn't he the collision with George Russell in Spain?
Speaker 3 (07:12):
That was definitely costly. He got a penalty for it,
which brought his rolling penalty point total to eleven at
one stage, which is dangerously close to a race ban.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
And losing those points in Spain. What did that work
out to?
Speaker 3 (07:25):
The estimates say it cost him nine points in the
final standings, nine points. He lost the title by two.
So yeah, do the math that one incident would have
made him champion.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
But is it that simple? Can you really blame it
on one mistake when the car was so far off
the pace at the start of the year.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
That's the crucial point And that's exactly what Verstappen argued.
When reporters kept asking him about Spain after the finale,
he got pretty testy. He bristled and said, you forget
all the other stuff that happened. The only thing you
mentioned is Barcelona.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
He's got a point. It's a twenty four race season.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
He's absolutely right.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
He even keek Lee said that he received some early
Christmas presents from McLaren's own mistakes in the second half,
which is what allowed him to close the gap in
the first place. So trying to pin it all on
one moment is just it's an oversimplification.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
The story should be less about the one mistake and
more about the incredible recovery that almost almost.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Work exactly, but the drama at Red Bull was far
from over. Right after the final race, we got the
political earthquake.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
The Helmet Marco news a monumental shock.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Doctor Helmut Marco, the senior advisor, the head of the
whole Red Bull driver program for over twenty years, retires
just days after Abu Dhabi.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
The timing is everything. He specifically cited the bitter disappointment
of narrowly losing as the sign that it was time
to step away.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
His legacy is just unmatched in modern f one, isn't it.
He's the guy who found and promoted both Sebastian Vettl
and Max Verstappen. He guided them from go karts to
multiple world championships.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
He was known for being absolutely ruthless, but he was effective.
He was the late Dietrich Metischitz's most trusted guy, the
one who had total freedom to run the program his way.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
He really was, and the vacuum he leaves is huge,
not just in terms of talent spotting, but politically. Marco
was Verstappin's biggest and most powerful ally inside that Red
Bull management structure.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
And of course there are the rumors about his exit package,
a ten million year row golden handshake.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Ten million sounds like a lot, but for losing someone
with his history and you know, his political capital right
befull a massive rule change, you could argue it's a
small price to pay for such a big loss. Red
Bull's management said they had to respect his wishes. But
his departure leaves this huge void, and some say it
consolidates power around Christian Horner, which might not sit well
(09:45):
with Verstappen long term.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
That potential instability is the perfect backdrop to look at
the other side of this McLaren dynamic. So let's talk
about Oscar Piastre. He finished third, had a phenomenal season
with seven wins sixteen podiums. Zach Brown is calling him
a future world champion.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
And he's not wrong.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
Piastre is absolutely championship material, but his own title bid
this year was complicated by well a mix of everything,
bad luck, strategy, and a couple of key mistakes of
his own.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
The mistakes were pretty big, the off track excursion in
Australia that cost him a.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Lot of points, at least sixteen points. Yeah, and he
had three DNFs, including a couple in sprint races. You
just can't afford that and a fight this close.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
But we can't ignore the moments where team strategy seemed
to lean towards Norris. The media has been calling it
the Papaya rules.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Yeah, and the list of those incidence is, well, it's long,
and that's the problem for Piastre. You've got the controversial
car swap in Manza where they asked him to let
Norris buy. There was the safety car timing and Katar
that really hurt him, and then strategy calls into Hungary
and Immola that arguably favored Norris's race.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
So it's understandable that the rumor mill started churning almost immediately,
linking him to Red Bull.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Of course, with Marco gone and potential instability around for staff,
Piastre is the perfect target for a team looking to
build for the future. F one journalists, we're calling a
move in twenty twenty seven entirely.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
Plausible, plausible because of the twenty twenty six rule changes
creating so much uncertainty. If Red Bull nailed their new
engine and McLaren don't, that seat becomes the hottest property.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
On the grid exactly. Piastre has publicly shut it down
for now. Of course, he's pointed to his contract extension,
his confidence in McLaren's development, but the whispers are there.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
But here's where it gets really interesting. Psychologically, Piastree is
now the conquered teammate in a title.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Fight, and F one history is just brutal on those drivers.
It's a harrowing list. Nico Rosberg is really the only
modern driver who lost an internal title fight to Hamilton
and then came back to win one himself.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
And even he retired immediately after, saying the mental cost
was just too high.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
So that's the big question for Pastree heading into next year,
isn't it Can he overcome that psychological weight, especially if
the team dynamic naturally starts to shift towards the raining
world champion.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
It's a massive hurdle. Yeah, and those rid bull rumors,
they start to look like a potential escape patch if
things get too difficult internally, he'll have to way McLaren's
proven strength against the challenge of being the number two
in a champions team.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
It's a tough spot to be in.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
Okay, so last but not least. In a driver analysis,
we have to talk about Lewis Hamilton's debut season at Ferrari.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
A nightmare is how he described it. A season of
firsts and all of them were the wrong kind.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
It really was an anis horriblis for him, a horrible year.
He's the second highest paid driver on the grid, something
like seventy million dollars and he just endured his first
season in nineteen years without a single podium finish.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Not one podium. That's almost unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
And the comparison to his teammate, Charles Leclerk is just devastating.
The Clerk outqualified him twenty two to seven. His average
grid spot was five point six, Hamilton's was nine point five.
To be that far off your teammate in the same car,
that's something Hamilton is basically an ever experience.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
So what was the problem was it him, was it
the car?
Speaker 3 (13:03):
The primary issue was the car being unloved s F
twenty five, so farra were trapped. To get any pace
out of it, they had to run it extremely low
to the ground to make the ground effect aerodynamics work.
But that created a whole host of other.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Problems, right because running at that low wears out the
legality plank underneath.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
The car exactly, and Hamilton actually got disqualified in China
for that very reason excessive plank ware. So after that,
Ferrari had to raise the right height and other races
to be safe. But as soon as they did that,
the car just lost all its pace. They were in
a technical buind with no way out, and.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
His frustration was just so public, wasn't it. We heard
him on the radio saying he felt useless that the
team should change driver.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
After one race.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
He admitted he felt an unbearable amount of anger and rage.
It was clear the psychological toll was immense. His plan
for the winter break says it all. He said he
needs to completely disconnect, to unplug from the matrix. He
even joked he was going to throw his phone in
the frickin' bin.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
You can't blame him. He just needs a total reset,
but he is still motivated by that dream of an
eighth title. Listening, he's banking everything on the twenty twenty
six rule changes.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
He is, he's using that as his fuel. He was
part of the decision for Ferrari to stop developing the
twenty twenty five car early and shift all their focus
to the twenty twenty six car. He said he supported
it one hundred percent, even if it meant sacrificing this season.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
Which shows he's still thinking long term. And it was
nice to see Lando Norris publicly back him up.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
It was Norris said, he's proved he's probably the best
of all time, and if anyone can bounce back, it's
mister Hamilton. That mutual respect is great, but yeah, the
pressure is on Ferrari and Hamilton to deliver in twenty
twenty six. If they miss the mark, then the retirement
talk is only going to get louder.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Okay, let's turn our full attention now to that future,
to the chaos of twenty twenty six. And let's be clear.
These regulations are being called F one's biggest rule change ever.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
And that's not an exaggeration.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
We are changing the chassis philosophy and the engine rules
at the same time, to the degree for the first
time in F one history.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
The scale is just unprecedented. So let's start with the
heart of the car, the power unit, the basic layout,
the one point six liter V six turbo hybrid that stays.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
It stays, but the emphasis shifts dramatically. The most complex
and expensive part of the current engine, the MGUH, the
motor generator that recovers heat energy from the exhaust, is
gone completely removed.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
So why is getting rid of the MGUH such a
big deal?
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Well, two main reasons.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
First, it makes the engine simpler and cheaper, which is
what helped detract new manufacturers like Audi. But second, and
this is the big one, it shifts all the energy
recovery responsibility to the MGUK, which captures kinetic energy from
breaking and the power from that system is basically being
doubled doubled.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
So what does that mean in terms of total power?
Speaker 3 (15:48):
It means the hybrid system will account for about fifty
percent of the car's total power output. We're moving to
a true fifty to fifty split between combustion and electric power.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
It's a massive.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
Shift, and this is where the big manufacturers are placing
their bets absolutely.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
You look at Honda, who are teaming up with Aston Martin.
They've already come out and said they're on the eve
of something very special with their new power unit. They
see this as their chance to dominate the next era.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
Now, there was a big worry right that losing the
MGUH and using less fuel would make the engine sound well, less.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Exciting, A very valid concern.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
But the good news is that initial tests on the
dyno suggest the sound will be really, really similar to
what we have now, so the spectacle should be safe.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Okay, thank goodness for that. Let's move to the chassis
because the aerodynamic changes are just as revolutionary. The whole
ground effect concept from twenty twenty two is being thrown.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Out, completely abandoned. In its place, F one is introducing
movable front and rear wings. We're talking active aerodynamics and
this isn't a gimmick. It's essential for the new power
units to even work effectively.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
How so, how does active arrow help the engine?
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Okay, so on the straits, the front and rear wings
will fly out to slash drag. Less drag means the
car can reach high speeds more easily, which lets the
driver lift off the craddle way earlier before a corner.
That extra coasting and breaking time is vital for harvesting
as much energy as possible through that more powerful MGUK.
Then for the corner, the wings pop back up to
(17:18):
give them the downforce they need.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
And this means the end of DRS. The drag reduction
system it's gone.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
It's being replaced by a sort of push to pass
button instead of a flap opening. The driver will get
a preset burst of extra electrical energy from the hybrid
system to help them make the overtake.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
So it's moving from an automatic system in a specific
zone to a tactical driver controlled energy boost exactly.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
It completely changes the racing philosophy. Drivers like for Stappan,
who are masters of carrying incredible speed through corners, might
find that advantage reduced. The twenty twenty six cars will
likely be slower in the corners, So.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
The whole game shifts from a physics puzzle about cornering
speed to an energy management equation.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
Precisely, it's all about how you harvest your energy and
when you choose to deploy that push to pass boost.
It's a much more tactical, high stakes game.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
And thankfully f one realized all the technical jargon they
were using was just confusing everyone.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
Yeah, they're simplifying the terminology things like MOM for manual
override mode and x Y.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
Mode for the wings. That's all going.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
It's likely going to be called overtake mode and just
active arrow. It makes it easier for fans, commentators, everyone
to understand what's happening.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Now. One last thing in the arrow safety. What happens
with these fancy movable wings when it starts to rain.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
That's a critical point. They've introduced a partial active arrow
mode for wet or low grip conditions. If it's too
dangerous for the wings to go fully flat on a
damp straight, race control can activate the setting.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
And what does that partial mode do?
Speaker 3 (18:46):
The front wing goes flat, but the rear wing stays up.
This does two things. First, it stops the car from
being pushed down so hard on a damp straight that
it wears out the plank. But more importantly, it prevents
dangerous understeer driver suddenly lost all rear downforce. On a
damp high speed straight they could easily spin. This partial
(19:06):
mode is a really smart safety feature.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Okay, let's talk about the faces on the grid. It's
growing to eleven teams in twenty twenty six with Cadillac
finally arriving, and they.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
Are going for pure experience for their first year. They've
signed Vulteri botas a ten time winner, and Sergio Perez,
who has six wins. They clearly want drivers who can
give them solid feedback to develop.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
That first car.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
They've also got Colton Hurta as a test driver, which
is interesting.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
And we have big moves in the red bull world too.
Easik Hadjar gets the promotion from racing bulls to the
main red Bull team.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
This is a huge opportunity, but it's also a massive risk.
But Hajar seems to be approaching it differently than his predecessors.
He's going in with this attitude of calculated pessimism.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
What do you mean by that?
Speaker 3 (19:48):
He's publicly said he has to accept that he will
be slower than for Stapping at the start. He said,
if you go in there thinking you're special and you
can beat Max right away, you just get stomped over
and the snowball off begins.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
That loss of confidence that we've seen destroy other drivers
in that seat.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Exactly by managing his own expectations, He's hoping to avoid
that mental spiral.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
He thinks the twenty twenty six rule.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
Reset is the best timing by far for him to
join because everyone is starting from scratch.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
Even though he admits Max will probably adapt faster than anyone, right.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
He just sees it as an equalizer for his own
learning curve. And his old seat at racing bowls goes
to a new British rookie, Arvid Lindblad. He'll be the
fourth youngest driver in F one history.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
And finally, a sad story really, the Alpine and Renault situation,
Renault's pulling out as an engine manufacturing.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
It's a tragedy for the sport's history. Really, Renault brought
the turbo to F one. Elaine Prost won his last
title with a Renault engine. Prost himself said he understands
the money side of it, but that it will be
incredibly hard for them to ever come back, especially with
how complex these new twenty twenty six engines are.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
And it comes after a really tough twenty twenty five
The Alpine team Jack dohand their rookie failed to score
a single point all.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Season, and his struggles have continued since leaving F one.
He had a horror test in Japan's Super Formula Series,
crashing three times in three days. It just shows how
much pressure these guys are under and how hard it
is to rebuild your confidence once it's shattered.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Okay, before we wrap up, let's quickly touch on the
background stuff, the governance and the calendar that underpins all
this change.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
The big one is the Concord Agreement. It's the document
that locks everyone in F one, the FIA and all
eleven teams. The twenty twenty six Agreement has been signed,
securing the sports commercial and regulatory future all the way.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
To twenty thirty. That's huge for stability, and.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
That agreement gives more money to the FIA, the governing body.
We still need to police these new rules.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
They absolutely will.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
Regulating the cost cap has already proven to be incredibly
expensive and complex. The FIA needs more resources and technical
staff to manage the twenty twenty six rules properly.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
And leadership is stable too, with Mohammed ben Silam being
re elected as FIA president. Yes.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
And finally, the calendar still twenty four races. It'll start
in Australia in March. The biggest change is we now
have two races in Spain, the.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
New Madrid Street Race in September and the traditional Barcelona
Race in June, and.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
They're trying to make the travel more logical. The Canadian
GP moves to May to pair with Miami, creating a
North American leg, and Monaco moves back a bit to June.
We've also got six sprint venues confirmed, including Zandvort for
its final year on the calendar.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
So after all that, what a year and what a
setup for what's to come. We've got a two point
title fight, the end of a dynasty, the retirement of
a legend in Helmet Marco, and now a complete technical reset.
The volatility is just off the charts, it really is.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
And all these technical unknowns for twenty twenty six they
completely validate the gambles that drivers like Lewis Hamilton have
made pushing their teams to focus on the future. It
guarantees a competitive reset. It also makes that McLaren dynamic,
the Norris and Piastre situation even more fragile. If they
don't get the new car right, the pressure could be immense.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
So if you look at a top Red Bull's whole
formula for success relied on Max's incredible adaptability, but also
on the stability that someone like Marco provided. They lose
that key piece right before total reset, and what are
the chances the entire competitive order just gets wiped clean.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
I think the chances are exceptionally high. You've got Aston,
Martin and Handa saying they're on the eve of something special.
You have Mercedes who are desperate to get back to
the front with Hamilton and Russell. The old certainties of
Red Bull winning every race are gone. Everyone is starting
from zero with a completely different kind of machine, and we.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
Are shifting from a pure physics puzzle of aerodynamics and
ground effect to this complex test of energy management and
active arrow. So if this new overtake mode, this push
to pass becomes the key to winning races, that changes
the type of driver who will succeed it does.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
It moves the focus away from pure cornering speed, which
was versap in superpower, to maximizing energy regeneration and being
smarter with your tactical power deployment. So the final question
for you, the listener, as we head into this new era,
is this who benefits most. Will it be the seasoned
veterans like Hamilton and Alonzo, who've seen it all and
adapted to countless rule changes, Or will it be this bold,
(24:13):
technically fluent new generation like Norris and Piastre, who seem
to adapt to new technology at unbelievable speed. The answer
to that question will define F one's next great champion
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