F1 Explains: the secrets of the podium

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0:36Hello everyone, welcome to F1 Explains. This is the official Formula 1 podcast that explains the sport we all love. You send your questions to f1explains at f1.com over email and we find the best people in the paddock to answer them. Hello, my name is Christian Hugill. This week, not in the paddock because we have to have a week without F1 racing. We'll survive, we've got plenty more to come. But of course, F1 Explains is here as ever. And this week we're talking about the time of a race day that can be jubilant, emotional, overwhelming, or even disappointing if you wanted to be on a higher step.

1:10But most of the time, it's a scene of pure joy.

1:22Yes, the podium. this year, a second home for Kimi Antonelli. George Russell and Lando Norris, also frequent visitors. And Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen, Isaac Hadja, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have all visited too. But it's not just about the drivers, you know. A lot of work goes into making sure the podium celebrations go exactly to plan week in, week out, all over the world. And the two voices you're about to hear with me are key to it all. Linda Boubidouce is Master of Ceremonies and Special Operations Coordinator at the FIA, the sports governing body. And Katalin Boucour is Head of Ceremonies and Protocol at Formula One.

2:04We had a chat in a rather special place a little earlier this season in Barcelona. Linda, Caitlin, welcome to F1 Explains. It's a joy to have you here. Can I just say how excited I am to be doing an interview in the cool down room? This is a first for me. Oh, nice. It's a first for us as well. it actually makes a nice podcast studio you could rent it out when the drivers aren't using it have you thought of that could be an extra revenue stream for the fia we don't have revenue so of course you don't pitch it for f1 maybe yeah to be honest we have uh we have uh groups who are coming around have a look at it so we don't do podcasts but it's uh used quite a few times anyway for other uh for other groups as well like mention it to stefano the big boss of f1 You know, you've got to bring ideas to the table, haven't you?

2:50Well, Linda, Caitlin, we'll start by getting your job titles and what exactly you do. Let's start with you, Linda. Yeah, so I'm F1 protocol. I'm in charge of the protocol in F1, mainly that that's what people see. And then I have other missions with the president side of the federation. And Caitlin? Yeah, I'm working from the Formula One side, head of ceremonies and protocol. But I work closely together with FIA. I also have as Linda the Master of Ceremony certificate, but obviously at that time I worked for the FIA when we do the podium ceremonies and all the what is under FIA regulations. And of course, most listening will know this, that the FIA is the sport's governing body, but we have people who are new to Formula One joining us all the time.

3:38This must be one of many examples where the FIA and Formula One work very closely together. Heather, do you two see a lot of each other over the course of a race weekend? I see her more than my colleagues, I think. Yeah, we work really closely together. Well, there are quite a few written rules around the podium in the sporting regulations. I mean, Formula One, the FIA, we all have a rule, don't we? There's books of them. Let's break down and cover a couple of those rules. I promise you this will be more entertaining to listen to than perhaps it sounds as we say. Let's dive into the rules. But we've got to start with people on the podium.

4:12We see the top three drivers on the podium, obviously, alongside a team member from the winning constructor, the winning team. But we also see a few other people as well. Who are they and why are they chosen? Katie Lynn, why don't you start us with that? This is also a joint work together with the FIA because in the FIA regulation, we have all the rules how to choose the dignitaries, what are the rules for that. After that, Linda and myself, we go to the promoter, we received a list who is the highest dignitary person who are here. And then obviously I pass it on to Linda because it's also covering a lot of FIA representatives.

4:52Linda, who are those FIA representatives? How are they chosen? So like Kathleen said, we have a list first. And then for the second place driver, we have the president of the ASN, which means local club, the sport club that is part, is a member of our federation. Perfect. and for the FIA medal is someone either the president if he's here the president of our federation or a representative that he designed I've got some notes here given by my wonderful producers this is a particular article of the FIA rules you know the article number 11 this is why they're on the podcast absolutely smashed it with article 11 it states the winner's trophy must be presented by the head of state or prime minister of the host country or the president of the FIA.

5:37But it also has the catch-all caveat that a comparable person within the host country of a dignitary or international status or failing that, the president of the local FIA affiliate should fill in. There is an exception to this. Do I know if you know the exception to this? Yeah, I think there is the FIA president if none of them can attend. Correct. And in Monaco, where tradition has a member of the Monogasque royal family presenting the trophy, the constructors' trophies presented by a representative of the race's title sponsor. And the second and third place trophies are presented by local dignitaries in a strict order of hierarchy.

6:13How long has this been the case for? Because there's so many different things that go into it that we wouldn't even think about that these rules are just there. For as long as I can remember, Angus Ketchum has more experience. No, that was since the beginning. And Monaco is the only one who's still keeping it. All the other countries have their five rules. It's amazing, isn't it? Because we look at old pictures of Formula One, one of the things we love so much about the sport is its rich history. Some things have stayed exactly the same. Many things have changed. This is one of those where these traditions have kept going over a number of years.

6:43And I think that what makes the sport the sport itself, like Formula One has so much history that we cannot erase. Of course, we make it evolved, but I think history is very important in this sport and we have to respect it and keep it. Absolutely. Right. We've got a few questions from our listeners. F1 Explains at F1.com is the place to send your questions. if you want to know something in particular about the world of Formula One. This is from Dennis in the USA. And the same question has also been sent in by Zephaniah from South Africa and Marcus and Spencer in Singapore. I wonder if they were at a clothes shop.

7:17They want to know about the most important parts for the drivers, the trophies. They're different at every race. So how and where are they designed and made? Who makes them? And how do they get to the Grand Prix? What happens if one gets broken? A lot of questions in there. Right, let's start with the very first one within the question. How are they designed and made? Who wants to pick up on that? This one is more on us from the F1 side because we do have also a commercial part in that. So in the past, it was always the title sponsor who had the rights to produce the trophies, the F1 trophies.

7:52Now we're moving on more to have it made by the promoter. So in this case, we have a team who are requesting to send over from the promoter side all the trophy designs. This goes through approval, obviously, including because we have an FIE guideline on that as well. And this is what is being sent out to all the promoters or the title sponsors. They have to fit to this FIE, within this FIE regulations. And after that, it goes in both of our approval. what I love as well is they seem looking from the outside you'll correct me if this isn't a thing but they seem to have a flavor of each of the countries I remember the specific pattern in Hungary for example is that something that's a deliberate choice yeah this is they send over the design and both both of us as much as FIA as much as F1 has to approve that and we do like it it has a different flavor to every country as you say I think I'd like that part of the job Is that quite fun looking over the designs that come in?

8:54Yeah, I think it's cool. And also it gives us an insight of the country we're going to go to. And I think it's very nice to have the signature of each country throughout the year because we do travel a lot. How do they get to the Grand Prix was the next part of all of those listeners' questions. I'm intrigued by this because, goodness me, I would not want that pressure. Thank you very much. I mean, we know that F1 has a logistics partner in DHL. Are they the sort of people that help? How would they get to the race? Well, the ones who are produced in a different country when it's not the promoter or if it's the promoter who asks them to be made in a different country, then it's our partner DHL who is helping.

9:32Otherwise, for example, if you picked up on the Hungarian one, this was produced obviously in Hungary and the promoter is sorting it out themselves. We should mention Hungary, shouldn't we? Because one of the most infamous recent year podium incidents is the lovely Lando Norris, who accidentally managed to break maxes in Hungary. I believe also Isaac Hadja broke his trophy for his first podium in Zanvo last year. Formula One drivers are clumsy, aren't they? We know that. What happens in this eventuality? How do we fix a broken trophy? This, the one, the specific one in Hungary, this was nice from the company who made, which is apparently who made the trophy.

10:15They offered to make a new one. Otherwise, it's really expensive. I bet. But I think also Lando promised that he's going to pay it. We're holding you to it, Lando, if you didn't. But anyway, they made it and sent it out to him. I don't know about... Isaac? I don't know. I think it was the same, but depending who is breaking whose trophy and who made the trophy, I think that then it's in this one. But I remember Isaac breaking it himself. Yeah, oh no, he broke it himself. During the picture of the team, I think. He only has himself to play. Yeah, exactly. I also loved on that front as well, the fantastic story of Nico Hülkenberg having the Lego trophy.

11:03And I remember him saying like, Well, it's cool. I'll never forget my first podium. I'll definitely never forget my first trophy. That was brilliant. That was very funny. Are there... I love the detail we go into in this podcast. Are there rules around the weight and dimensions of the trophies at all? Yeah, there's regulations. So the winning trophy and the constructor trophy has to be between 50 and 65 centimetres. And for the second place driver and third place driver, it's between 35 and... 25 and 45. And all of them has to be less than five kilos because we have to lift them. So we have to make sure we can carry them.

11:39Just for us. Well, it's for you. I mean, we do give them to the dignitary. So we have to be able to lift them as well. And they're tired at the end of the race. Could you imagine if they were even heavier, there'd be even more breakage and we wouldn't want that. So there's a good reason for that. Yeah, but adrenaline helps. When they're on this podium, usually it's for the good. So they have enough adrenaline to lift the trophy. Yeah, sure, sure. Right, we've done trophies. We're going to move on to national anthems. But before that, we'll take a quick break.

12:18Welcome back to F1 Explains and welcome back to Formula One's cool-down room, which ironically isn't that cool, but the drivers aren't in here that long anyway. And it's a very warm day in Barcelona where we're recording this podcast. We've been talking all things podium this week. And of course, a key part of the podium is the national anthems. We hear the national anthem of the winning driver and the winning constructor on the podium. How does that work? Yeah, we have a national anthem already, all the national anthem of his driver. So the FIE, Linda, is sending out at the beginning of the year, of course, both the drivers and the team's nationalities, which is sent to our team, audio team, who is playing it out.

13:04But this has to be also checked by FIA, checked by us and confirmed for all. But as long as for the whole season we have the same drivers and they don't change in teams, this is programmed. Oh, but, so for example, when Franco Colapinto replaced Logan Sargent at Williams a couple of years ago, That must have meant all of a sudden you're needing an Argentinian national anthem. Yeah, that's correct. There you go. The things you don't think of. I'm aware that FIA and Formula One are impartial. We don't have favorites. But we're all friends here. Have you got a favorite national anthem? This becomes a real hot topic within Formula One.

13:41If we're Formula One fans, we hear a lot of different national anthems. Any particular favorites? I don't have any favorite, but there's one that we listen to all the time. For me, when I first started, I had Max Verstappen winning. So I know the Dutch national anthem by heart. Like when I hear it, I'm like, oh, I know that one. But for me, I don't have a favorite one. Growing up in the 2000s, this was the German national anthem and the Italian national anthem because I was watching Michael Schumacher and Ferrari dominate. So the regular Sunday song at our house was those two national anthems.

14:10And as an 11-year-old boy at school, I would find myself humming the German national anthem. I was a sad child. I didn't have much going on in my life other than the other one. I think for us, if we would go karaoke, we would go for the national anthem. Yeah, for sure. Please do that. The next party you go to. What are you going to do? I'm going to do Celine Dion. I'll have the Dutch national anthem. I'll have the Dutch national anthem. People are looking at you like, are you okay? Oh, brilliant. Now, before we actually move on from national anthems, there is an exception to the rule of playing two, isn't there?

14:40Explain when only one would be played. Yeah, when the driver has the same nationality as its team and we have only one national anthem playing for actually both because we're not going to play it twice. So, for example, Lando Norris winning for McLaren Bridge team. So when London wins, it's a shorter podium. We'll get home a couple of minutes. Exactly, exactly. We'll have to thank him. Yeah, well done, London. Well done, McLaren, for being British, apparently. Anyway, once the national anthem has been played and the trophy's handed out, we get to the messy bit, the fun bit, the champagne. It's always the iconic bit of the weekend, isn't it?

15:12The champagne spraying. It's an iconic image of Formula One. Question one, who provides the champagne? We do have a contract. So now, as you see, we are sitting in the cool down room of who is providing the champagne. It is emblazoned all over the room. I can see three bottles to my left, massive, great big bottles. Are they called the Magnum of champagne, big bottles? No, no, the Magnum goes, this is Gerobon. The Magnum goes to the F2 and F3 drivers, the Super Ray drivers. So that's called, the big bottle to our left is a what? Gerobon. I'm learning a lot. Excellent. F1 explains champagne but there are so many signs in this very small room for Moet and Chandon who provide the champagne it's good champagne that one is a three litre one the one and a half litre one is the Magnum if you want to a three litre bottle wow next question we've obviously given Moet and Chandon a lot on this podcast I'm getting married next year would they like to make any donation do we think is that something we think we can arrange I think we can do some vote with your great we'll be in touch you don't mind me doing to wedding planning at the podcast, do you?

16:17Now, are there any rules about the champagne? For example, I'm thinking there are important people on the podium. Yeah. I'm guessing the important people don't want to get soaked. Yeah, we're trying to, first we breathe the drivers but they usually behave, honestly, they wait that the dignitaries leave. I try to, I try to be the nice cop here. Cataly made a face. It's just, not all the time. It depends who. They don't all behave, but they're trying to behave and going back to the question is yes we're trying to avoid having the dignitaries being shamed especially in Arabic countries but I can say that some dignitaries want to be sprayed yeah to be honest some of them it's also in the FIE regulation when we send out the podium guidelines that you need to leave the podium.

17:08Well I get it you want the full experience we've got a listener question on this, Mr. Jay golden i'm not being formal that's what they put we don't know their first name so hello mr jay golden he's in phoenix uh mr jay golden says i come to you with a pressing question that deserves the same investigative energy you bring to tire degradation or power unit sourcing what did kimmy antonelli drink on the miami podium of course kimmy is 19 florida's drinking age is 21 so can you answer that question for us yeah but uh it's he's drinking non-alcoholic bubbles unfortunately we cannot give him so we keep all the rules in every country as much as also we have the the non-alcoholic countries or i don't know how you say that normally zero alcohol countries like the middle east there they have their they provide their own made bubbles and it's also secret for us what is in really well you've also answered mr gold in second part of the question because he went on to say this raises a broader question.

18:10What do drivers drink on the podium in countries that don't allow alcohol at all? Are we watching the pinnacle of motorsport celebrated with a very expensive jukebox? The fans deserve to know. Kimi deserves to be well hydrated. Well, it remains a bit of a mystery, but hello to Liz in Chicago, Kaylee from Calgary. They also wanted to know what underage drivers drink on the podium. I'm imagining that makes Kimi's first of age podium. Kimi's first 21-year-old podium will feel extra special. in America, but when he's in Europe now, he's... We mentioned the dignitaries avoided being sprayed by the champagne.

18:45That is a rule. They do have to be moved away. You mentioned that some of them misbehave. Anyone put any names to that? Some of the slightly... Drivers, I mean, look, listen, we're not throwing anyone under the bus. We're saying the drivers, they get particularly excitable. Are there any that you particularly notice? Depend on the race, I think. Depend on the race and also depending if they know who are on the podium, because, of course, I think once they made also the joke with your president, then we were saying to wait, please, until the president is leaving. And I don't know if it was Max Orlando or it was Luis, but they agreed and they started to spray him.

19:24It's all good fun. Just go into a bit more detail then about your roles in the podium ceremony. We do see you on the telly sometimes in Parc Fermet after a race. so at that point the race is finished the podium is in full flow what are you doing exactly walk me through your roles in Parc Fermé no well whether it be in Parc Fermé whether it be on the podium what are you doing at that point yeah so on in Parc Fermé and that's the meeting we have on Thursday with Formula One FIA and Formula One gets together on Thursday and we decide how we're going to park the cars where for it to fit our technical checks and for also Formula One to be able to shoot it the best way possible so we agree on all of that and then in park fermé we just make what the procedures go so i'll make sure the drivers get weighed they do the interviews katie makes sure as well that the interviewers are here and the camera is set i'll make sure as well that nothing is impending the technical checks that are going on with our technical team my colleague from the media roman also is working with us on that and making sure like the photographers are and right place like it's a whole group working all together roman sat at the back of the room yeah everyone explains you the week roman do you want to say another hello second everyone explains appearance of the season and how about yourself yeah we work closely together on this obviously from our side we need to look from a production perspective what is good for the what is the best for the fan what is the best for television but also uh being aligned with all the FIA roles.

20:52So we have really similar job as Linda said as well, that F1 and FIA gets together on Thursdays, we agree on everything. We are more looking in, as I said, the visuals, how does it look, where are the cameras and after with my FIA jacket, I'm helping them out, bringing the drivers up, bring them to the cool down room and then... We have different lenses, I would say, during this moment, but our lenses kind of match because I need her and she needs me. So we're always together. Teamwork in Formula 1 makes the dream work. Must be a lot of fun. It's an unusual job, but there must be some real adrenaline moments.

21:29We do have good memories. We do have good memories. Any particular ones stand out to you? For me, it's Monza with Charles Wynn. Oh, of course. Because Monza with the Tifosi Wynn is insane. I always say that it's honestly one of my best, best podiums. Kata has more experience than I do, so she has more memories. but yeah but all of them are different to be honest you mentioned one of one of them when when nico was winning i don't know if i feel good or bad for him that that it was the only place where it was a lego trophy listen i think he loved it it seems yeah that's the most important that's the most important but it's good memories yeah yeah good absolutely it's really special you mentioned ferrari i've only ever been under the podium once because usually at that point of the weekend I'm doing something different that was in Bahrain 2022 when it was a Ferrari 1-2 Charles Leclerc first Carlos Sainz second and it was Ferrari's first 1-2 for a long time bear in mind it wasn't a home race it was the first race of the season but the fans underneath were in tears yeah and that's the emotion that Ferrari brings that moment to Italy with Leclerc must have just been unbelievable but also we witnessed so much joy when if I take Nico example the whole team was just going mad and Parc Fermé, they were so happy, they were jumping around and you can tell that it's all the effort like a whole team put for it to happen and the good thing is Cathy and I are here to witness the good moments and all the efforts that people bring together and make things happen and it's so so nice.

23:01We've got to leave this room very shortly because the Formula 2 race will be happening and then some drivers will come into this room to cool down but before we do our listeners have a real curiosity in these episodes that we do where we speak to people behind the scenes we know our listeners love to find out how you got into your roles because i doubt either of you sat at school and you know what i want to do is i want to look after the podium for formula one it would have been very niche if you did let's let's work to the left to right how did you get into your role and work your way into this position so i first started in the isn in the club in monaco i come from monaco i worked for the local club so i did all the motorsport event that we we organized in Monaco we do Formula E we do WRC we do Formula One and then I had an experience in protocol as well for something completely different which is the Expo 2020 I was head of protocol there and then the position opened in FIA to be totally transparent I didn't apply for this one I applied for another one which I wasn't which I wasn't picked yeah and And they called me back saying that my CV would match more this position.

24:05And I did the whole interview process. And here I am. But it kind of dropped from the sky. I didn't expect to be here. Amazing. Kathleen, what about you? Yeah, that's similar to me. So that wasn't, it was a long, long road. Because I started like so long ago that I was looking after first the fan zone. And after I was looking more in the paddock. And after the ceremonies. And as it came after the ceremonies, I got more and more experience. so it's more than 15 years now so that's why and with my previous boss who was working here I started, I learned in and that's why I ended up here So it's like the drivers they work their way up to the podium as they get more experienced unless you're Kimmy or Max you just go straight there so you've worked your way to the podium Katalin, Linda this has been an utter joy to talk to you it's been fascinating to find out more about your roles because you are part of the many unsung heroes of Formula 1 that keep everything running smoothly so that when we're sat at home watching racing, we've got this spectacular entertainment spectacle to watch on a Sunday afternoon.

25:05So thank you for everything you do. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. And thank you for taking the time to talk to us on F1 Explains. It's been great. Thank you. Thank you for having us. Thank you, everyone.

25:19Doing this podcast over the last three and a bit years has taught me that we take an awful lot for granted in Formula 1. And again, the sheer level of organisation and skill and talent from the people behind the scenes. It's just something we're very grateful for and we love highlighting on F1 Explained. So a massive thank you to Linda and Catalin for telling us what their jobs are, what the role involves and how they get drivers up onto the podium and not spraying champagne over important people or other sparkling liquids, I suppose. Anyway, of course, Tom Clarkson and the gang will be back next week with F1 Nation to preview and debrief the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku.

26:01Bless you. And I will be back next Friday with another F1 Explains. And on Beyond the Grid, over on our other podcast feed, Tom is talking to Yuki Tsunoda, who's had a busier season than he had expected to. Filling in for, well, sort of filling in for Isik Hadjia. Filling in for Liam Lawson. Well, Liam has been with the main Red Bull team. Filling in for Isik. You get the idea with that. Good time of the year to talk to Yuki. So make sure you check out that over on Beyond the Grid. Whatever you're doing, have a great week and keep sending those questions to F1Explains at F1.com. And we'll keep answering them.

26:35Until next time, speak to you soon. Bye for now.