Where's F1's back-up plan for Bahrain and Saudi?

0:01This is a Global Player original podcast.

0:30people are going to have to work six weeks in a row.

0:33Naomi:A driver would learn to sing a national anthem backwards while juggling chainsaws if it gave him a tenth of a second.

0:52DC:Well, hello Will, hello DC and hello everybody tuning in to another episode. Welcome back, Will. You weren't able to be with us for our last episode. And unfortunately, Jodie isn't here today. But welcome back, Will. Tell us, have you collected your Oscar? I know, but I mean, what an amazing night. What an amazing night for the sport. What an amazing night for the movie, for Gareth, Al, Gwendolyn, Gary, Juan, everyone behind the scenes who worked on the sound of the film. Just incredible. I mean, number one, amazing to be nominated for so many awards at the Oscars. To come away with one as well is, I think, beyond what anybody could ever have expected from this movie and this enterprise.

1:38But just brilliant. Like, F1, the movie, won an Oscar. It's completely crazy.

1:43Naomi:So my wake up when I touched down in the UK, flying back from Shanghai, was Stefano Domenicali, the CEO of Formula One, going, DC, DC. And I'm like, my God, what's going on? Are we about to have an emergency landing? He went, we won an Oscar! And I found myself going, yay, we won an Oscar. I did nothing at all for that Oscar. But hey, I guess we've been part of the F1 journey. We just weren't front and central like you were in the movie. It's absolutely amazing, isn't it?

2:11DC:I have to say, we were really impressed at how quickly DC got back to get to us for that episode after China. slightly surprised that considering your major contribution to the film will you were not offered to be on brad's private jet to get you back in time for the pod what happened there i don't know i don't know i'm not used to the life of private jets like uh like some uh dc um or as we saw uh coming back from china uh lovely photo of valtteri and lewis no kimmy i think he's probably Still celebrating, isn't he? Couldn't make the flight. And now do we know whose jet it was? Was it Toto's jet?

2:50Yes. DC can tell from the drapes. He's been on it many times. Yes, yes.

2:55Naomi:But here's the thing. Here's the thing, guys. We were talking about private jets and long haul flights. Much more comfortable to be on a commercial. And if you're lucky enough to go on a flatbed in whatever class or ticket that would be called, then that's a game changer. You can lie flat. You know, you don't suffer with, you know, swollen ankles and feet when you land and things like that. So going on a private jet long haul is not actually as good as you would imagine. Because first of all, when you put the beds down, it becomes quite tricky to move around the cabin. Second of all, if you're lucky, and I'm sure Toto's new aircraft does have a separate bathroom for the crew than for the guests on board.

3:34Naomi:But you have to step over everyone else to get to the toilet at the back.

3:39DC:Do you see me playing my tiny little violin right over here for you, DP? This is the absolute definition of first world problems. Oh, guys, you don't understand the hardships. The hardships of flying on a private jet, guys, honestly. It's so cramped and you fall over the bed while they're bringing you your champagne and tucking you in nighty-night. There's only one stewardess as well, a stewardess.

4:04Naomi:So, you know, you sometimes find yourself having to wait for a little drink. But anything over sort of nine, ten hours is more comfortable than a commercial. And the CEO was on my flight. Louis's mother was on my flight. I bumped into Fernando, Alex. Louis wasn't, though. Louis took the private jet. Happy Mother's Day, Mum. Get to economy. No, but Mum didn't want to be on it with all the kids. She wanted to be in her own private space. So, hey, look, private aviation looks a lot cooler than it actually is.

4:34DC:I can say in my lifetime, I've only ever travelled on two private jets, which is already a lot more than a lot of people. One of them was a very short distance from Paris to London. And I have to say it was way worse than the long haul one that I went on, which was an eight hour flight. I felt every single bump and I swear I was like crying for my mom.

4:55Naomi:It was terrifying to me. They are very reactive. They're like go karts of the air. Anyone who's done any go karting knows how physical they are. and actually it reminds me that I survived a plane crash as well in 2000, which was tragically cost the life of the pilot. So, you know, it's a reminder that, you know, life is dangerous, but aviation is still one of the safest ways to travel. So how do we segue from that negative into something positive?

5:22DC:Well, do you know, DC, it sounds like you're our most reliable source here when it comes to driver's travel. Who has a jet? Who travels together? How do these decisions get made? Do people pay for fuel when they jump on someone's plane?

5:35Naomi:Yeah, well, look, there's a combination. We're on a group here because a number of the drivers, old and new, live in the south of France or more specifically Monte Carlo. I still do pay tax in the UK before any haters go, oh, you're not paying. I contribute to the UK system. I just don't live there. So, yeah, so we have a WhatsApp group to figure out who's going where. and we know Max has his own aircraft and it's beautifully painted up in very recognisable colours. But the truth is you can track any aircraft in the same way you can track any private boat as well because of the insurance purposes.

6:14Naomi:So people always know if they really want to, which aircraft is flying where. Toto has his own aircraft, Fernando in Europe and then the rest as far as I know, Checo Perez, but he is still based out of Mexico, so he does a lot of commuting. And then the rest just group together and, you know, pay your way. Lewis used to have his own, didn't he? He did, and it was candy apple red. But in the interest, I think, of saving the planet, he got rid of it. But, of course, it doesn't mean that he doesn't fly privately. He just doesn't have the guilt trip of owning his own. But I'm not quite sure if that's carbon offsetting or not.

6:53Naomi:But anyway. It's guilt offsetting.

6:56DC:It seems to be that it's usually the same suspects that kind of travel together. I mean, obviously it changes a little bit, but it looks like most of the time you see the same groups going together. DC, who would you say of those you've travelled with? And you can tell us who you have and haven't travelled with. Which plane is the most fun to be at after the race? We know that you spilled some tea. Or was it wine? I can't remember exactly. Soy sauce. Soy sauce. Soy sauce. Soy sauce. Soy sauce. Soy sauce. Soy sauce. Flavio's plane.

7:23Naomi:Team principal. Alpine's. Yeah, I still claim it was an Italian friend that did that. But yeah, look, I've travelled with most of the guys over the years. But I'd say the fun aircraft is whichever one I'm on, because, you know, some of these kids take life way too seriously, thinking that, you know, drinking mineral water and visualising a lap of Monza is really going to make the difference if they've got a car which is 30 kilograms overweight and three seconds off the pace.

7:50DC:Okay, so tell us, when you jump on board, do you pay for the fuel or do you just offer incredible in-flight entertainment?

7:57Naomi:We all pay our way. That's the only fair way. And especially, you know, actually, my experience is the wealthier people are, sometimes the more mean they are. So you've got to be upfront on everybody contributing because otherwise you get that, you know, I'm sure you've got friends like that. You all go out to dinner, there's a big group, and they never, ever put their hand up. But if everybody knows you're... Do you still use the expression going Dutch, where everybody is paying their way? Then there's absolutely no discussion. So, yeah, so that's the way we roll when we fly. DC, did you ever fly Stoddiaire back in the day?

8:36Naomi:No, I never. Paul started our own Minardi, which has morphed into RB, V-carb, or however we're referring to them nowadays. No, I never did because being based in Monaco since 1995, then I never had that experience. You used to have a bunch of drivers and teams on board, no? So it was great fun. Paul owned European Aviation and it was unhinged, right? It was in the days when everyone was smoking on board. So you kind of walk in through the mist of just cigarette smoke everywhere. People are passing back bottles of champagne. You take a swig, pass it to the next row behind you and then keep that going.

9:14The best fun was when you take off, people would put the safety advice mats, which are laminated. You put one underneath each foot. You'd hold onto the chairs at the front. And as the plane lifted off, you'd let go and you'd ski down the aisle to the back of the plane, get as far as you could. We had to stop that after somebody broke their arm. It was unhinged. It was absolutely unhinged. And just the best fun. So that was as close as like a PJ because there were no rules. Like it was just brilliantly unhinged.

9:50DC:Well, look, I think we could probably talk about PJ chat all day long, and I'm sure we'll get some more great stories out of you two throughout the rest of the season. But we should probably move on to what everybody has tuned into this episode for, which is the announcement that both Bahrain and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix have been cancelled. So, gentlemen, who wants to start? I mean, no surprise, I think. You know, when you see MotoGP delaying the Qatar round, when you see the World Endurance Championship delaying their Qatar round as well, I think it was only really a matter of time until Formula One ultimately did what they had to do with those two races.

10:30and given how soon they were due to be in the season, not enough time to get a replacement on board. And I know there was a lot of talk of would we go to Imola or Portimao or Istanbul and any one of those places would have been phenomenal and it would have been great to have been able to keep it up at 24 races for the year. But I just think the amount of time, the amount of work that has to go into it, because it's not just opening the doors to a racetrack and saying, come in, come and have a race. you want to be able to promote it and market it and make sure that people are going to be there.

11:05And, you know, there are so many considerations to actually hosting a race beyond simply just opening the doors and, you know, letting people go and use your racetrack. So a shame to have lost two races, but I think ultimately the right decision when it comes down to it.

11:18DC:Yeah, it's a real shame. I mean, Bahrain not only would have been my first race back this season, so my maternity leave has subsequently been slightly extended, but Bahrain really is one of my favorite races on the calendar so it is a true shame but of course safety is um you know the utmost priority and motorsport should never come first in those scenarios so we know that that's the reason why f1 have made this decision of course f1 also operate with extremely tight freight schedules so that's another concern i hear even that some of the freight that was there for testing still hasn't been able to leave bahrain so it's just another example but now let's talk about what this means right the calendar will drop from 24 races down to 22 We will now have an impromptu five-week gap between the Japanese Grand Prix and the Miami Grand Prix.

12:04DC:And there'll also be the support series like F2, F3 and F1 Academy who will be losing some races as well. So let's talk about who loses here, who wins and what the effect of this decision will have on the sport.

12:18Naomi:If we look at those that have been struggling in Formula One particularly, Aston Martin, for instance, Williams with a car that's a bit overweight. and Cadillac as newbies coming. This actually will give them a chance to breathe, understand how the operations of their Grand Prix have worked in the first couple of races. We'll have Japan next as well. And then I think it will be a shot in the arm for those teams. The losers clearly are, as you say, F1 Academy, the fans, you know, the sport as a whole, but we understand the reasons. But for those that will gain, hopefully it will mean we have a much stronger field as a whole when we regroup again in Miami.

13:00DC:There's been a lot of debate online on whether Formula One should have replaced these races. I know you mentioned, Will, there was talk of it potentially being replaced with Imola or the race in Turkey. I think that somebody even suggested that they should have just extended Japan like we may have seen in the past in the COVID years in Austria, where we did a double weekend on the same circuit. What do you guys think? Do you think that there should have been a way to replace these two races? Or do you think that, you know, given the circumstances, 22 is where we should be remaining. They've got the tracks.

13:31I wouldn't have hated a doubleheader at Suzuka. Do one the right way around. Do one reverse. Let's go. Goodness, imagine that. Imagine that. I wouldn't have minded a doubleheader at Suzuka. That would have been great. They've also got the shorter track at Suzuka, which would have been cool. Again, trying to find a replacement venue is really, really hard at late notice. Although I'm sure Imola would have been there in a heartbeat. Imola was always around April time anyway for the San Marino Grand Prix. Silverstone would step up, I'm sure. Silverstone would have stepped up. Of course Silverstone would step up.

14:05And there's so many teams within spitting distance of Silverstone, I'm sure that would have been super, super easy. I think it's a shame. Look, it's necessary. I think, as you guys have already said, real shame for Bahrain and Saudi and for the motorsport fans out there. Obviously, there are far bigger issues at play right here. But no, I think it's a shame they didn't replace it. Doubleheader in Japan would have been great.

14:26Naomi:Yeah, I won't write it off yet. I wouldn't write it off yet. I think there could still be an opportunity later in the year. I think that the decision's been taken, obviously, relatively early because just the logistics of trying to do everything, we've figured that one out. But there is time and there are some other gaps. So we're effectively getting the summer break early if the team has wanted to enforce it. When I say the summer break, Formula One has a historical three-week factory shutdown. Well, they're kind of getting a little bit of that now.

14:55DC:I will say that, you know, obviously there's a lot of debates around what should have happened. But there's also a huge financial element here where, you know, hosting fees aren't necessarily going to be paid. We can speculate. And I think there's a number floating around around the£100 million mark in terms of how much money is said to be lost. And if you even take into consideration activation and all teams bringing out sponsors, etc., there's a lot of money being lost that maybe could be recuperated if those events were held elsewhere. But as we mentioned, there is a logistic question mark here as well.

15:31DC:Like how quickly can you move that race from a Bahrain to an Imola from a freight perspective? It's not that easy, is it? No, and the interesting thing as well is in the wording of the postponement, because if you look at both of them, it said, I'm going to read it here, Formula One and the FIA have today announced that after careful evaluation due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East region, and this is the Bahrain Grand Prix one, the Bahrain Grand Prix will not take place in April, right? will not take place, will not take place in April. So the door is ajar to it possibly being done a little bit further down the road.

16:10And I think that's a really important point. Inspector Buxton there reading into the fine print.

16:14DC:So what do you guys reckon? Where could the gaps be? Where do you assume they might squeeze these races in, if at all? Well, I remember back in the COVID days when we were forced to do a triple header and F1 said that was too much, we're never doing those again. And then they became sort of par for the course and a bunch of triple headers just appeared on the calendar, you know, once every couple of months. Hey, why not quadruple header or five races? Wow. If they can find a space to squeeze it in, they'll squeeze it in. Because you know what? Listen, Lewis said it right at the top of COVID, you know, when it was kicking off and we were in Australia and the race was yet to be cancelled.

16:50Cash is king. Cash is king. If they have to squeeze it in and everyone has to work six weeks in a row, people are going to have to work six weeks in a row. The almighty dollar doesn't sleep. And that's the North Star.

17:05Naomi:It is. And given that you've already mentioned that Formula One will take a hit. So Liberty, the owners of the Formula One business, will see less income from Saudi and Bahrain, which means in the distribution of wealth to the teams, the teams will see less income. Now, you could offset that by saying they've got less cost and not going to those events. But the business of Formula One is big business. And the business of Formula One is racing. It's not being at the factory and simulator time and CFD and wind tunnels. It's putting on a show. So we need to be on track.