Kimi wins, Lando loses out, but could Max have won? - Spanish GP Review

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1:27Save big money at Menards Such a good stint for Lando Norris. It's all come undone with the timing of that safety car. A load of ****. We deserve the win quite easily, so we can still win plenty more races this year. For the eighth time in Formula One, Kimi Antonelli wins a Grand Prix. You'll have been bad for Lando, but let's keep pushing. He lost the lead in the race because he was so good and so fast. if he wasn't that far ahead. He was too fast. He was too fast. He was too fast. Would you have been tempted to roll the dice, though, if you were McLaren? He was looking very strong on the medium tyre and just left him out?

2:08I would have waited. Max, we think we should give the position back to Hamilton, so that will mean letting Antonelli through. Let's imagine for a second that he hadn't let Kimi Antonelli pass. I think he would have won the race. Welcome everyone to the Madring for F1 Nation's review of the Spanish Grand Prix. I'm Tom Clarkson alongside ESPN's Albert Fabrega and Brazilian F1 journalist Julian Sarasoli. Guys, very warm welcome to the show. Please can we start with our resident Spanish correspondent. What a weekend here in Madrid. The first Grand Prix near the Spanish capital since 1981. We've loved it.

2:51how's the event been received here in Spain? I think that if we have a look at the whole picture, it's been an amazing weekend. It was a challenge to build a track. It was a challenge to fit in a track in the EFEMA industrial area or the showroom area. And I think as a global event, it's been nice. Obviously, there is many things to learn from and to improve for the following years. That's true. that's an evidence and we don't have to hide that but I think it's been a successful end of a long journey that starts a long time ago to bring Formula One back to Madrid. I think the event did work and I think it worked surprisingly well for the first year because we've seen with Miami with Las Vegas it's not going to be perfect in the first time it's not going to be the race is not going to be perfect everything's not going to work like clockwise but you can see a lot of potential for this race.

3:51It's great to be here so close to the city. It's easy to get in. There's so much space for Formula One to showcase what he wants to be. And the drivers did have fun at the track. And they were really elated after Saturday, weren't they? Lando Norris's pole. I haven't seen Lando bouncing like that. I think anywhere. I mean, the adrenaline rush that you get here was was incredible. Yeah, it's this kind of laps where you feel connected to the car, you go as close as possible to the walls. It's a momentum for the drivers, really amazing. And I think that Lando needed it after what happened in Monza, where he was down to do a lap like this, to recover that feeling with the car, with himself, I think.

4:40And it was important for the final result. Yesterday, the circumstances showed today that it was not well let's bring it on to the race defining moment on lap 15 when the virtual safety car came out after Lance Stroll stopped with brake issues and Lando was five seconds past the pit lane entry when the VSC came out he was then told to box at the end of that lap it looked like the VSC had ended shortly before he came in but McLaren stuck with their decision and Lando pitted. Here's an explanation as to why from team principal Andrea Stella. The logic is that if you stay out, now you are staying out with used medium and already grained, and it means that at some stage you will pit behind the people that have already pitted on the hard ties.

5:31So it's going to be a similar race to Leclerc, but actually pitting even earlier because the medium would finish earlier. So there was no option really to retain the lead. We needed to accept that the timing was incredibly unfortunate. And it's a positive race overall. The elements that we could not control made the difference, but those that we could control make us very optimistic for the future. Right, Julianne, what are your thoughts on McLaren's strategy? It's a pity, isn't it? because in a way he lost the lead in the race because he was so good and so fast because he was what six seconds clear of Antonelli if he wasn't that far ahead.

6:15He was too fast. He was too fast. He was too fast and it's just one of those things racing has the what it's one of those things because it's a track in which is really difficult to overtake and track position was important. He lost track position and then the stop was not good. It was a seven second stop so we all added up so we had the driver who was the fastest in qualifying and the fastest in the race not winning the race because of a split second if that car had taken I don't know another 10 seconds to be recovered he would have won the race yeah no nothing to say the first win of Landon Horry was because a safety car in Miami time ago today the vehicle safety car get rid of this win that he was really deserved.

7:00I 100 % agree with Julian today. He deserved that win because he's been quick the whole race and yeah, been in front of Antonelli after the first two laps. I think the win was there. Would you have been tempted to roll the dice though if you were McLaren? He was looking very strong on the medium tyre and just left him out? If they beat him in, it was because it was the right moment to do it. I don't think there was more performance from the tyre at that moment. The medium tyre didn't work really well with the fuel tanks on. And if they take that decision, I always think that the team has more data and more information that we do.

7:42And if they pit him in, it was because it was the moment to do it. I would have waited. What if there's another safety car and you can take advantage? Who knows? If there is a safety car, he's going to do a stop. is going to cost him less time. And it's really costly here, the stop anyway. Do you get to a point, though, where you know, or at least the engineers on the pit will know that, you know, there's a car that stops in an unsafe place? I think everyone watching that race knew that there was going to be a VSC. I agree. Do you preempt it? Should you actually, should he have just come in? If it makes sense, that's what you said, if you put it together of what we said before.

8:27If in that moment the tyres were starting to degrade too much and you are losing performance, you are going to lose time and you see that there's a car stopped and it's not moving and there is obviously something going to happen, maybe it's the time to beat it, but it's too risky. If it doesn't happen, then you lost. And you risk what happened in Qatar last year. You don't risk it when you dominate in the race. you risk it if you are second if you are third if you are in a position in which you can gain a lot by doing so, yes, but from the lead no, and in a track like this that you, it's difficult to overtake but looking at the positives for Lando and McLaren it's been a pretty extraordinary weekend for them, actually in that he missed FP2 with a gearbox problem he wasn't setting the world on fire for Q1 and Q2, even the first run of Q3.

9:24And then he suddenly found pace right at the end of Q3, puts him on pole position. And he was, I think, far and away the fastest car in this Grand Prix as well. So there are a lot of positives for them to take from this Grand Prix, even though he only ended up with a P3. Definitely. And we've seen that in other tracks with a lot of corners when it's hot as well. McLaren deals really well with the tyres. I think we can expect the same thing for Baku as well. They are in a good moment. We tend to forget because all races get into one and then Monza was a bad one for them. It was always going to be a bad one for them.

10:01When you go to Zandvoort, you go to Budapest, they are in a very good moment in the championship. Yeah, and it looks like with the setup with a little bit more downforce, they feel more comfortable. I said in Zandvoort, after Zandvoort said, the driver who's going to be a contender for the title or who's going to put more pressure to Antonelli, I think it's going to be Lando from Zanvo to the end of the season. Then I regret in Monza, but I think he's in a good momentum. He released already the pressure of the beginning of the season where the car was miles away where he should. And I think he's in a great momentum right now.

10:36And he said after Zanvo, if we can sort out the pace of the car through slow corners, I can win every race for the remainder of this year is what he said then. I think what half of this lap is spent cornering, not all of it slow corners, obviously, but did you see evidence that McLaren are starting to get on top of their slow corner pace here? I think they are. I think there's still work to be done. This track, because it was an unknown for everyone, I think everybody left qualifying saying, oh, I could have got a little bit more here, a little bit more there. if there was qualifying today who knows who would be in front but the thing with Lando he's driving so well he's so confident and qualifying was mostly about the drivers on Saturday we saw four different cars in the top four positions and he was a lot down to confidence and Andrea Stella said that he lost three tenths in the last corner which is amazing I don't think it was three times.

11:38I think it was a little bit less, but he touches the wall a little bit, it looks like. So there was still more to come from him.

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12:53Let's talk about our race winner, Kimi Antonelli. His eighth win of the season. And of course, he capitalised on the misfortune for Lando Norris. It was very different to that sensational comeback win last weekend in Monza. But you've got to be in the right place at the right time to take advantage of other people's misfortune. George Russell wasn't there in a Mercedes to take advantage of it. Kimi Antonelli was. So I think, although he was saying after the race, I didn't deserve to win, I think he did. Yeah, it's 25 points anyway. Incredible win, not incredible win. And as I said, you have to be there.

13:38He would deserve second. It's not that far off. It was a great lap in qualifying. And the way Kimi is driving, he gets to a new track. He's not overdriving in FP1. He's not trying to be the quickest, going slowly, slowly. and he's behaving as if he's 28 or not a 20-year-old. 38. And I asked Toto Wolff because Kimi was saying on Thursday, it's really important for me to take it race by race. I do not want to think about the championship. And I said to Toto, how come is he not going to think about the championship? It's 81 points. It's a massive lead. I'm sure that you're going to go in your head thinking, oh, where am I going to win it?

14:22and trying to make it as quickly as possible to get rid of it almost. And he said, I can tell you 100%, he's not thinking about that. The last thing in his mind is to be a world champion right now. He's only thinking about the worst case scenario that can happen in every single race until the end of the season. I don't know how he's thinking. What we can see is how he's acting. And to be honest, he's acting in a very mature behavior and he's taking the races in a flow, in a momentum where he doesn't feel the pressure. He doesn't make any mistake. I love the first lap in Monza of Kimi Antonelli, pushing where he had to push, releasing a little bit where he was more conservative because there was a potential clash with other cars.

15:10So it's very difficult what he's doing with no mistakes at all. No, no, having said that, having said that, he had a few track limits yeah that's the point yeah which he's been doing in every every race every race and he touched the wall in the last stages here didn't he so Toto was saying oh I got some more grey hair and I said Kimi what do we need to do to help you do you want to sit further up in the car you're not seeing the white line why are you doing this you don't need to push this hard but I don't think this is luck I don't think this is luck or unlucky I think he's there and he's doing not under control 100 % of course but he's he's driving in a very in a way where these things happen and and has no consequences and I think I think he's he's amazingly driving the car on these situations with no pressure he doesn't feel he's he's clear and yeah 100 % agree that he's not thinking in the championship and I love I love the variety of wins that he's giving us now you know okay we will wax lyrical about monza for for many years to come but then you seven days later you come here and it's a completely different challenge it's a completely different grand prix he doesn't have the fastest car here and yet he finds a way to win okay sure the vsc but as i said before he was in the right place to capitalize yes and what he says that he feels in his head he's like it's like a video game that he's playing and he's unlocking new things on the map on the video game and once this is unlocked and then he goes to the next one and the map is getting pretty big yeah what a great analogy and he's feeling the environment the people that he's has around him in the team that is keeping after the things that are not under control from him.

17:05And can we say that maybe on the strategies, Mercedes is a little bit more on Kimi's side than on... Well, I don't know. George's side already or not? Well, let's talk about that because, you know, why did they pit George Russell under the VSC today? He was on the hard tyre. I was very surprised that they didn't pursue what Ferrari did with Leclerc and just keep him out. Makes sense. the explanation is that they wanted to do something different to Leclerc they were not thinking about winning the race or anything like that they were thinking about fourth position so whatever Charles does you do the opposite they were just trying to do something to roll the dice because track position was so important and in a way he finished in the same position he would have finished anyway but you put them in a situation where you have to stop again because you know that the medium will not make it until the end of the race.

18:01So you put George in a situation where you have to stop again and put another set of cards. But it just kind of speaks volumes anyway, doesn't it? That they were worried about, you know, George is having to worry about Leclerc and finishing fourth. It's not about going for the win. You know, George is very good at taking the positives. I thought he was sensational after Monza, how so magnanimous, the way he was so generous towards Kimi last weekend. And even after this, I think he's still taking the positives. I think in a race where potentially many things could happen, it could be safety cards or red flags or whatever, I think you have to take some risks.

18:38And if you are fighting for the World Championship or you're still aiming to be in a situation and a position to fight for the World Championship at the end of the year, if your strategy is to fight with Leclerc for the fourth position, it says everything. We have to remember that George had a lot of problems in the beginning of the year. So his PU components are very old. And he's been having some issues with his battery. So when the battery has a very low charge, it doesn't behave really well. So when you get here to the end of the lap, the battery was not behaving the way you should. It's like our phone.

19:20Our phone, when it's a bit old, the battery doesn't work really well anymore. And they have to keep this battery because they're waiting for the ADU to just change the whole PU. And he is nursing a car that is not 100 % until they change this battery. And that was really bad for his qualifying. Then he loses time in qualifying. Of course, he's going to start behind. And then he's on the back foot. It spirals, doesn't it? It mushrooms, it seems, for him. Especially when you have Kimi doing everything right in the other car. What surprised me, to be honest, I was expecting him just to raise the hand and say, eh, I don't want to get in the garage now.

19:59I was expecting him to, I don't know, not to protest, but to be a little bit more, to question a little bit more strategy. Because so often he does, doesn't he? He's very aware of the race. He very often does question the strategy. In fact, he did today, actually, at one point as well. Later on, I think it was a little bit like a comment with a little bit of second sense, what he said but yeah even if for example the problem of the battery that julian was mentioning i would prefer to to take an a1 and penalize to take a penalty and and go for it and feel driver again and feel you know fighting for the win because this must be so difficult right now whatever is the reason if it's a battery i would stand up in front of the team and say put a new battery i will penalize 10 positions or whatever is the penalty that i will get but i want to race in the same conditions if they are different I want to feel again that I'm fighting for something important not only for the fourth position and it's all about confidence for him isn't it indeed and in a track like this even more that 81 point deficit is it even worth commenting on what George is thinking of that or does he think he's still I mean obviously he's got a chance in this world championship but he's three and a half wins behind his teammate now.

21:12His only chance is not to think about it to go race by race but it's really hard for him because he's gonna have to take a penalty and Kimi Baku Malaysia depends on when the new PU comes Kimi might not have to or maybe just take for the turbo so it is hard the more he thinks the harder he gets so just think about Baku thinking about doing a good race there and take it from there so neither Mercedes driver is thinking about the championship but for completely different reasons especially because i think for george what it feels like for me is that he saw a window of opportunity before kimmy got really really good and kimmy got really really good really fast and this window is closing closing rapidly and at the beginning of the season you could think that he was the number one he was he has all the stars on the shoulder he was the the old driver with more experience with more wins kimmy was still rookie difficult season last year for him.

22:17He ended up better, but it was a difficult season, so you must think, okay, we have a good car, we are in a winning team, we have a winner car now. That's my opportunity. And when you see that your teammate is achieving the results and the wins and you don't, it must be so difficult for him. Max, we think we should give the position back to Hamilton, so that will mean letting Antonelli through as well. What the f*** are you guys thinking? He would have shot it into me. Like, what are you guys talking about? If I just stay on the track, we are out of the race. And there is the moment. He listens.

22:50Antonelli is through. And standing on the brakes, letting Hamilton by. Can he get back into the order? He can. So Hamilton going off means he had to give so much time. And Max Verstappen is down to fourth. Can we talk about Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton now? What are your thoughts on that Turn 1 incident? Max, even after the race, was emphatic that he had to get out of the way of Lewis, otherwise they were going to make contact. And it was a defining moment because, of course, to let Lewis back through, Max had to let Kimi through as well. I also want to ask you whether you think, had he not done that, could Max have kept Kimi behind and won the race?

23:30But first of all, the Turn 1 incident, what did you guys make of it? It was not that clear. There is always, you know, stewards give a little bit more of room during the first lap and mainly during the first corner. He took an advantage. That's clear. Not sure if enough to make a penalty. I don't know what could be the penalty from the stewards. If it's 10 seconds, if not giving back the position. Or is his first corner incident and it could be five. I'm not sure. It was tight. It was tight for me. I've been in other situations where he was more clear. They were flexing their muscles because I think everyone knew it was going to be difficult to overtake.

24:09So you really had to go for it on the opening lap, didn't you? Before things settled down. Yeah, that's what we've seen. They've been really, really aggressive in the first lap because they knew it was their only opportunity. And we have to remember how the rule works. So you have to be parallel to have the right of the corner or to be in front. but also there's a part of the rule that says that you have to be under control of the car and that's why Max said Lewis wasn't in control of the car and that is so subjective and it's so hard to judge and let's remember that he gave the position back because Red Bull thought that there would be a penalty so in the end it was Red Bull's decision I was expecting Max maybe to take the risk and even Red Bull say if it's 10 seconds it's harsh he will penalise the final result but if it's a five seconds penalty that he could be like an attainment of the first corner incident I think it could take more profit if he stays on track and gets a penalty for the pit stop Right, what about the pace of the Red Bull?

25:18So let's imagine for a second that he hadn't let Kimi Antonelli pass and Lando had still got tripped up by the VSC it was difficult to overtake here did Max have the pace to keep Antonelli at bay for a whole Grand Prix? I think he would have won the race because it wasn't a matter of pace. It was a matter of track position. So even though he was slower, he didn't have the pace, he would have won the race. Yeah, I think so. I think so. And it was not like other races where Max was complaining a lot of the car. I think the balance of the car was not that bad. The pace was not good enough to score the pole and win the race, maybe.

25:58But yeah, if he had to defend the position, I think he had pace enough to do it. I mean, it's quite a crazy thing where Red Bull are at the moment to think that, you know, OK, he needed a few things to happen. But to think that he could have won this Grand Prix, I find astounding. I think these last couple of races, certainly, but maybe I think you could say this about his whole season. I think we're seeing the best version of Max Verstappen we've ever seen this year. I thought he was relentless at Monza unbelievable race at Monza to get on the podium and the same here I think he released already that momentum where he was feeling that he was not going to fight for the championship and he felt that the car was born not in a good manner that any single upgrade that was fitting in the car didn't work and he felt that the year was lost I think that that momentum is already passed and he is more relaxed.

26:59I don't know. I see him a little bit more relaxed, less upset with the regulations. And he's taking the things in another humor, I would say. And maybe he's driving a little bit more relaxed in this way. This track was a bit different because it was all about qualifying. Amazing lap he did for qualifying to put that car in third position on the grid, really close to the pole position. So putting the car there and keeping it more or less there on the first corner, that was the job done for that race. And it could have been even better if he had stayed ahead of Kimi. A word on Liam Lawson, his third race for Red Bull this summer.

27:41Finishes P6, qualifies P8. How would you rate the job he's done this weekend? Crazy that now he's done more races than when he was a Red Bull driver. What we have seen in the last years mainly, where Maxi was not happy with the car the teammates were a little bit more closer when Max was connected to the car, the gap increased a lot and I think Liam is doing a good job this year, I would say, not only with Red Bull I would say that with Racing Bulls was doing a nice season, I think he is comfortable with the role within the team we saw yesterday testing the hard tyre for the team, not maybe having that chance to test again the soft tyre.

28:27So I think he's accomplishing with the target that he has on the table. And I also feel that maybe he would release a little bit the pressure of what happened. For him it was really a challenge to go back to Red Bull. And I think that he's achieving good results and I think he's a little bit more relaxed at that point. It's becoming more of a redemption. Yeah. And assuring. I think his continuity within the project that maybe on last season he was not. I think it was a very difficult moment for him to step back in Zandvoort. And I think he's grown. You can see him growing within the team by the race.

29:07You know, I'm sure he's gone from probably being a tiny bit reluctant in Zandvoort to now really hoping that he can stay in the car for Baku because I think he feels he's building some momentum now. And at the same time, who was here? Isaac was here poor Isaac the whole weekend so he wants to stay around okay this is my seat just reminding everybody tapping Liam on the shoulder whenever he can how's my car don't crash it but he did still have a cast on his wrist didn't he so I wonder whether he'll be back for Baku where we obviously need to wait I don't know I remember I listened to some you know Mark Marquez the rider the MotoGP world champion he said that he had a call from Hadja asking for an advice about this damage, this recovery, because, you know, the riders, they used to have that kind of injuries.

30:00And Marc Marquez said to him, take it easy. Don't rush. Trust me. Don't try to speed up your recovery because maybe you will pay it for a longer time. So take your time. Do it well. And start from zero again 100 % sure that the thing is completely recovered. And he's been a bit unlucky with the calendar as well. Yeah, that's true. Because, of course, they wouldn't put him back here in the car. What if there's a crash or something? And Baku. So don't come back on a street track. Yeah, not only that, because if he's got an accident here, he doesn't have time to remove his hands from the steering wheel.

30:39And then he might force the wrist and it might be even worse. and Zandvoort, another one, Daniel Ricciardo, how old he knew himself. So he hasn't been really lucky with the calendar as well. I'm pretty sure that Rebel are also reluctant to put him back in the car. Well, we will wait to hear news, whether it's Baku for the return for Hadjah or whether he's going to wait a further week and come back at a permanent racetrack in Sepang where there's lots of runoff and more time, more time behind the wheel. And then there'll be Singapore, another excuse. And then Leon will be going, like, I'll put more street tracks on this calendar.