2 Soft Compounds
2 Soft Compounds is a weekly podcast focusing on Formula 1, hosted by radio broadcaster Rick Houghton and motorsport journalist and GrandPrix247 founder, Paul Velasco.
With a focus on unfiltered analysis, behind-the-scenes insights and expert commentary, the podcast offers fans an entertaining and informative take on the fastest sport in the world.
2 Soft Compounds
2 Soft Compounds - 2025 Pre Season Testing
2 Soft Compounds - Ep 2 - 2025 Pre Season Testing
🏁 Testing, Tyres & Toto's Cannon! This week on 2 Soft Compounds, hosts Rick Houghton and Paul Velasco (GrandPrix247) break down pre-season testing in Bahrain, revealing which teams look hot, which look lost and why McLaren might just be the ones to beat.
They also dig into Hamilton’s smooth start at Ferrari, the latest paddock gossip (including that wild Susie Wolff FIA presidency rumour) and why rookies and sandbagging teams could spice up the grid.
With bold predictions, plenty of banter plus a few spicy takes, this is your fast-lap guide to the 2025 F1 season opener.
👉 New episodes every Tuesday – follow us @TwoSoftCompounds on Instagram to join the conversation!
Podcast Rundown
1️⃣ Bahrain Testing: Fast Laps & Red Flags - Breaking down pre-season testing — who's hot, who's not.
2️⃣ Hamilton at Ferrari: Smooth Operator or Bumpy Ride? First impressions of Lewis in red — is this the car that finally gives him his 8th title?
3️⃣ Rookies, Rivals & Surprise Packages - From rookie debuts to midfield movers — who’s impressing, who’s struggling, and why Haas might be in real trouble.
4️⃣ Susie Wolff for FIA President?! - The wild paddock rumour that’s got everyone talking — would she take on the top job (and should she)?
5️⃣ Aston Martin: Green Machines or Lost Cause? - What’s going on at Aston — are they giving up on 2025 already and waiting for Adrian Newey’s magic touch in 2026?
6️⃣ Looking Ahead to Melbourne. - Final thoughts as the countdown to the first race begins — why this season could be the closest, craziest yet.
Production Credits:
Presented by: Rick Houghton & Paul Velasco
Studio Engineer & Editor: Roy D'Monte
Executive Producer: Ian Carless
Produced by: GrandPrix247 & W4 Podcast Studio
Hi, welcome to the Two Soft Compounds podcast. Before we begin, I've got a quick favour to ask. There's one simple way you can support our show, and that's by hitting that follow or subscribe button on the app you're listening to the show on right now. It really does make a huge difference in helping us get the show out there to as many people as possible, so please give us a hand and click that button right now. Thank you, I don't make mistakes. I make prophecies that immediately turn out to be wrong.
Speaker 2:Anything can happen in Formula One, and it usually does.
Speaker 1:It's Two Soft Compounds, episode two, with myself, Rick Horton and Paul Valesco, who, of course, is the founder and chief editor of GrandPrix247.com.
Speaker 2:Welcome, Paul, Thanks a lot man, good to be back and really pumped for this show.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so we're talking now on today's episode about the testing at Bahrain International Circuit. We've seen in the past the teams go to Barcelona, but they decided for the last couple of years that Bahrain would be better because of the weather, although when they arrived the weather wasn't that hot, it was only about 14 Celsius. My observations from watching the three-day test in Bahrain first of all, it didn't feel like a pre-season test. It felt like I was watching a regular F1 race weekend and they were in a practice session, and I think that's probably because not much has changed in terms of regulations from last season to this season and they didn't really have massive amounts of reliability issues because essentially, with a few changes, they're using the same cars as last year. Would you you agree with that, paul?
Speaker 2:Yeah, you hit the nail on the head, absolutely. I was actually going to try and ambush you with this and say the only uncertainty was the certainty, and the certainty being the tyres are at the peak of what they're going to be developed, because next year they're going to 18-inch. So these tyres are at the very top, these cars are at the very top. The these tires are at the very top. These cars are at the very top. The very last season of it. The teams know it and, as you said, it was like sometimes guys weren't even going out. You know what I mean. So it became a very, very, very interesting test for me in terms of trying to determine who's doing what and who's quick. So you, yes, you nailed it. It was a very strange test in the fact that they're much closer. Everything's going to be concertina, so so I see the whole grid just being super packed.
Speaker 1:Yeah, definitely. I mean, the only real way to tell what teams are doing is when they do their race sims, and most of the teams did full race simulations over the three-day test. A couple of teams did two race simulations, which gives us even more data, but basically that means they're fueling the car for a full race distance and they are completing full race distance laps, and then, if you compare the times, you get a kind of a brief look at what the order may be, and the order looks pretty similar to last season. I mean Sauber, for instance, on their race sim still look as though they're the slowest team on the grid.
Speaker 2:Yeah, actually I yeah, there was a. Actually I believe there was a bus on the circuit that was quicker.
Speaker 1:But anyway, yeah, carry on and if you go up further, it's it's obvious that williams have improved from last year, which is a great sign, and carlos science set in the fastest time of the test, but of course that could have been on low fuel. But when it comes to race sims, you look further up the grid, it looks like McLaren are still the leaders, it looks like Mercedes and Ferrari are very evenly matched, and Red Bull, for me, was quite interesting because they aborted their race sim, I think twice. Actually, red Bull did the least amount of laps from every team at the test and they admitted themselves that they do have some issues to iron out before they get to Australia. Yeah indeed.
Speaker 2:And I think Max was putting a brave face. I too read it pretty much like you did. You know McLaren looked super good in there, like one second quicker than Leclerc at the same time. But everything's blurred into one. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:I can't tell you what happened on the first day, second day, third, it kind of blurs into one and very much saw I think it was on the second day where the mclaren was really really putting down some very, very hot race pace comparative to. Uh le clac was also allegedly on a on a race pace. That was quite alarming. It was like almost a second lap. That, to me, was a bit of a red flag in terms of how good mclaren are being Red Flag, being that they're very good, and the Red Flag for the other teams. And, as you said, it hasn't changed from last year. Abu Dhabi they had the best car at the end of the season. They've still got it, I believe, and that's why there were times when the McLaren guys were sitting there while people were out on track and they just weren't going out. But there was no sense of urgency in the pit or anything, even when they changed floors and stuff. So I think they're a bit cocky heading to Australia.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think, and obviously in future podcasts we're going to preview the Australian Grand Prix. I think the thing for me this season is that Norris has to get his elbows out If he's going to have potential of winning the driver's title. He has to be aggressive, much more so than he was last year. There was times last year where he clearly had a faster car but it was getting overtaken on apexes on the inside into turn one. He's got to get the elbows out and be more aggressive as he approaches this season, I think, to have any chance of winning that driver's championship. And I think it'll be interesting as well to see just how much development goes on throughout this season. We're used to seeing cars and even the order of things change sort of midway through the season when they bring new development updates to the cars, but of course they're all focused now on the 2026 car, especially the likes of Adrian Newey. Are we going to have that many updates throughout this season?
Speaker 2:I imagine not the teams that can go for the title are going to have that many updates throughout this season. I imagine not the teams that can go for the title are going to have to spend. You know what I mean. So I see it being this is going to be a fast and furious championship until summer and then they're going to see where they stand and some teams are going to actually have to put resources in to win this championship and other teams are going to say this is done. A lot of teams were doing that last year. I mean Aston Martin had been training more for three years. I mean they're just waiting for Adrian Uri. So I think that's a story again for the Australian Grand Prix preview, as you said. But in terms of the pecking order that you described, I think it hasn't changed much.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think I was a little disappointed with the performance of Haas. Like I mentioned mentioned, I think Sauber are probably at the low end of the pecking order. But yeah, the midfield's quite interesting Alpine seem to have made some developments and, as we mentioned, williams seem really. I mean, williams have always been fast in a straight line and and always struggled in slower corners and if you looked at some of the data that was coming from the Bahrain test, I compared the Williams Williams, carlos Sainz's Williams lap to the Ferrari lap of Hamilton and in a straight line the Williams outpaces the Ferrari just. But it's in the slower corners that the Ferrari becomes the better car.
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, the Williams Carlos Sainz has brought a huge energy. He's a big driver in terms of. Perhaps he should have won a lot more in his championship, but he is a big driver, probably one of the bigger drivers that they've had coming in to the team in maybe a decade. George Russell was there, but he came in as a rookie, whereas Carlos Sainz comes from Ferrari. He's been to all the big teams. He knows how to put a team together. I think he's galvanizing the team, the big teams. He knows how to put a team together. I think he's galvanizing the team. Um, I don't know if there was a showboating lap. I look at it this way if I was in testing, I'd also go as quick as I could do. You know, I'm saying I'd also go and give it all. Believe me, if, if stake, f1, saab or whatever you want to call them, could have done the best lap in in testing, even showboating, they would have have done it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, do you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:I agree.
Speaker 2:I do believe that. So the Williams look like they're in a good place. They have this upward trajectory. There's Mercedes, there's McLaren has a blueprint that they can win, even if you're a customer. So with Carlos Sainz there, I feel the team has just taken a step up in inspiration and I think they're going to be the ones to watch, if testing is anything to go by. I'm not going to say that was total showboating, but the proof will be in the pudding. End of the day, the proof will be when it's all beans in qualifying on Saturday 15th of March.
Speaker 1:Yeah, let's talk briefly about Hamilton at Ferrari. I watched some onboard footage of Hamilton driving the Mercedes from last season and it looked as though in every single race weekend and every single lap he was fighting that car. You could just tell by the steering wheel movements. And what I noticed from the Bahrain test was that the Ferrari was so smooth and there was hardly any readjustment on the steering wheel. He was able to turn him when he wanted to. He was hardly any readjustment on the steering wheel. He was able to turn in when he wanted to. He was able to hit the gas on the outside of the apex and really get motoring again. Did you notice that, paul? Because I thought it was really interesting. I thought he struggled with the Mercedes for the last couple of seasons in terms of fighting the car In the Ferrari. He looks as though he's on rails again. It was really noticeable to me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's interesting, got a piece from quotes from Johnny Herbert who basically echoes exactly what he said. I'm actually going to read it out to you. In terms of the car, he says it looks as if the Ferrari has a little bit more of a sharper front end, which is only going to benefit Lewis in his campaign to get that eighth title, and I think it's very possible for that to happen. I think it looks more like what Lewis has always been after. He has always liked a very sharp front end and that was something that they struggled with A bit of understeer with the Mercedes. He didn't like it. And this is Johnny Herbert, observing pretty much what you've said.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I really do believe that and I thought something that takes me back years, but you remember when Michael Schumacher left Ferrari and then he spent sort of three seasons sitting on the pit wall watching and then obviously came back and rejoined with Mercedes and I remember saying at the time, well, this could be a chance for Schumacher to get another championship. And everyone I spoke to said no, too old, not going to happen. And ultimately, the Mercedes that he joined at that particular time wasn't the strongest car, but most people I spoke to were correct. He'd lost that kind of edge and I was worried that the same thing might happen to Hamilton. I know he's been driving consistently for the many, many years that he's been in the sport, but I thought the shift to a new team might take the edge off. But it looks as though I'm wrong again. It looks as though he's sharper and more keen and raring to go than ever he has been yeah, the proof's out there, we've seen it, everything's in in line.
Speaker 2:I mean, I don't think there's anyone who can actually say well, lewis won't be world champion this year. The only thing he's got to do is got to beat charles o'clock. Okay, it's not going to be easy. Honestly, I think people are sometimes maybe just almost giving him the championship. Charles is not going to roll over and Charles is the homegrown boy, you know. So there's a it's going to be a very, very interesting dynamic there. You know what I'm saying? Fred Vasseur is going to have to do some very, very interesting juggling Because if Leclerc hammers Hamilton like he did to Vettel, that Hamilton like he did to Vettel, that's going to be horrific, yeah, however, if Hamilton is giving it to Leclerc, then that's the script that everyone wants to believe will happen.
Speaker 2:But honestly, I think this is Lewis's hardest challenge ever. You know, taking on Leclerc at Ferrari new team, learning everything from scratch. Ferrari new team, learning everything from scratch. If Lewis bags an eighth world title this year, it's the most incredible sporting feat in history. Forget Formula One sport, because, man, it's an incredible ask. So we'll see, we'll see. This is the most incredible season we've got ahead of us.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I totally agree with you. Just looking at some of the data to come from the three-day test in Bahrain, aston Martin's Lance Stroll did the fewest amount of laps only 34 laps he did over the three days, which is a remarkably low amount, isn't it?
Speaker 2:It's a good thing you reminded me, because that's one of the things biggest disappointments in testing for me was Aston Martin, the lack of mileage. Both drivers got sick on the last day. I don't know if you heard about that. So I must say I'm just going to follow that story up because I feel that they've kind of almost thrown in the towel and they're just waiting for the 2026 to come along. And I just hope Aston Martin aren't going to be the team that just throw in the towel and just circulate because Fernando Alonso is running out of time. And yeah, well, lance, he's never going to run out of time. He could probably race until he's 50. I don't know, it's an awkward thing. You know, you've got this team that has so much money, so much invested in the. Everything's in place to have the greatest team in Formula One.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And yet I don't know. I wasn't impressed with their showing you showing. It was like they were absent without leave.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because they started 2024 so promisingly and that quickly faded away and they didn't end the season particularly well last year and it looks as though the same thing is happening this year. And you're right, adrian Newey, reportedly on 20 million pounds a year, will start developing that car for 2026. But he's only just about starting, isn't he, because he's had the gardening leave from Red Bull.
Speaker 2:No, he started today actually Right, okay, yeah, In fact we ran a story that they even bought him one of those old drafting boards in his office. So he's sorted.
Speaker 1:He's there, yeah, so it'll be interesting to see how their season stacks up, because obviously all eyes for them, I think, are really on 2026. But still, you know they've got to compete. There's prize money at the end of the day, depending on the order you finish the championship. They want to do the best they can, but, like you say, look money is not an issue with them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, come on, they're pouring so much For them. I it to the brand. You know it's very easy to say this because he has a team that spend probably more than most half the grid put together have spent in the last five years, and yet they're just not bad that they should be as they were in 2024. But they lost their way horribly. You know they had a car that put alonzo on the podium all the time and I'm I'm going to throw this one at you, and perhaps that's why alonzo bunk, wanted, wanted to bunk testing. I mean, he's been doing testing now for 20 years, so the guy must be so like over it, especially if he gets in a car that he knows, because they know within the first couple of hours in that car they know that they've got a winning car or not. And I'm not reading the body language as being positive coming out of Aston Martin.
Speaker 1:No, I would agree. Is there anyone that surprised you during the three-day test? Maybe one of the rookies, or maybe a team? Is there anything that really stood out to you as a highlight?
Speaker 2:I tell you the Williams, as we've already mentioned, I felt that they were just a revelation in terms of just the way they're operating at all levels. So yeah, in terms of the rookies, well, you know, I think that a lot of them spent their time betting in. I think Haas are in trouble. I don't know why I have this feeling that Haas are the worst team. I have very little confidence in Esteban Ocon leading it and Berman's a rookie. I think they're in trouble. You mentioned that Stake might be the worst team. Sauber let's call it Sauber, right? Sauber you said maybe might be the worst team. I'm going to say Haas.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, I mean fair enough. I mean they were fairly evenly matched when they did their race sims and, like we said, that's probably the only way you can compare data between teams in terms of testing mileage when they do a full race simulator with, you know, full fuel and tire changes, as they would in a race. One thing that I wanted to mention about the tires was the Ferrari seemed to be going through an awful lot of tire sets. It was like they've got some sort of setup issue and they're burning through tires faster than anyone else. Did you notice that Not?
Speaker 2:really, and I'll actually have to look back, but I don't. I just think. Also, maybe Lewis was driving the car harder, because the first day he got such a bad rap on the British media, daily Mail went oh, it's like a disaster. It wasn't a disaster. Lewis was pushing the car all over the place and it was his first day in a brand new car. So of course he was going to be offline and trying different things and immediately it was, like you know, warning signals for the sort of yellow press. But no, I must be honest, I didn't.
Speaker 1:I think one of the things with Lewis is he's one of the world's best Formula One drivers probably one of the world's best that we've ever had in the sport and I think obviously when he gets into a new car with a new team, he needs to find where the limits are, because driving at his best, he's pushing it right on the limit. So of course, you know, there's going to be times when he leaves the track, when he has oversteer and understeer, because he's trying to find the consistent limit in that Ferrari car and that's going to take some time obviously.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, I think the test was good. Like I said earlier, I think everything's in place for Lewis to get that eighth title, provided he can beat Charles. You know that's how I look at it. You mentioned Lewis is the greatest driver of all time. You know, I'm a big Senna fan and I'm going to tell you I think he's the greatest driver of all time. Then Lewis came along and I still believe Senna and Lewis are the greatest of all time. But actually I'm going to put it out on the limb there, so people know I think Max Verstappen is the greatest driver of all time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think history will tell us that Max Verstappen is the best driver of all time. He's the most complete driver.
Speaker 2:I mean, you know he's also lives in an era where, apart from embracing racing, his private life is sim racing. So he's constantly thinking about racing. He drives probably the safest cars in the history of the sport, you know. They're very, very safe. Compared to when Senna died in a car, you know what I mean. So it's also guys can push it to the limit a lot more. The reliability is a lot higher. So I believe if Senna was in this era, he would be as good, if not better, than Max. Do you know what I'm saying?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I would totally. I was a big Senna fan. I was quite young when Senna passed away, so I didn't have the appreciation of the sport that I do now. But looking back on Senna and his achievements, I mean just unbelievable. You know, I was the same. I worked in Formula One when Michael Schumacher was around and you know, you just looked at his presence in the paddock. It was unbelievable. The way, you know, just walking through the paddock you just got the sense that this man was all-conquering. You know he was very confident. He was always smiling.
Speaker 2:It's an aura, isn't it? It's an aura, yeah, exactly, Aura of greatness. I call it an aura of greatness. It surrounds certain people. It surrounds like politicians I've met is like Nelson Mandela. He had this aura of greatness. You know, you, when you're around him, you like I felt that was center, as you said, you felt it was Schumacher. It's, there's this aura that you can't explain, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, definitely. Now we're coming to the end of our podcast now based on the Bahrain three day preseason test. But, paul, season test. But, paul, I wanted to ask you about something happening off track in the world of formula one.
Speaker 2:Suzy wolf, uh, the story that she may be challenging muhammad bin salam for the presidency of the fia. What do you think about that seriously? Yeah, mate, there's a rumor, that's okay. So you are no question about a rumor. So you want suzy wolf to be president of the FIA? Forget Mohammed bin Salam. He's the current president. He's coming up for election in 2025. We know all about him. I mean, the guy's got so much experience. You know what I mean. Whether you like him or not, his CV is impeccable in terms of a guy who's built his career around motorsport to become the FIA president that he is. Let's just forget that. Whether he's doing a good job, a bad job or not, you give me Susie Wolfe. Who is Susie Wolfe?
Speaker 1:I'm just I'm reporting. I'm reporting on the rumor that I've heard Mate, but you opened.
Speaker 2:You kicked a can of worms here for me, because I'm going to tell you this who is Susie Wolfe? Susie Wolfe is Susie Stoddard, who married Toto Wolfe, and you know Toto's a billionaire, right? I think it's a rumor, because I don't think the Wolves are that stupid. I mean, they're very smart people. Toto's probably one of the smartest guys in the paddock and when I see this guy, that people are actually putting this out there, that Susie him. Yes, make Toto the guy to go against, but not Susie. What has she achieved? Yes, toto Wolff, go for it, go for the FIA presidency, but don't send your wife into battle and you know she'll get roasted, toasted and, you know, set aside. Yeah, yeah. It would be good to see if any more of that comes out, toasted and set aside.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. It would be good to see if any more of that comes out, though, wouldn't it? It would be good to find out if she puts herself forward for the presidency of the FIA.
Speaker 2:If.
Speaker 1:Because at the moment it is a rumor.
Speaker 2:I think it's a rumor and I think it's a bullshit rumor. If it came from them, it was them testing the waters. And if they're testing the waters, I'm telling them Wolfies, don't send Susie, send Toto, don't send your pea shooter, send the cannon. Thank you.
Speaker 1:Okay, love it Right, paul. End of the episode. We've covered most of what we witnessed in the Bahrain three-day test and, of course, we march on to the opening round of the Formula One 2025 season in Melbourne, australia, and we've got a few podcasts to come between now and then. So thank you to Paul and thanks to you for listening. We'll catch you next time on Two Soft Compounds. Two Soft Compounds was presented by myself, rick hutton, alongside paul valesco. The studio engineer and editor was roy de monte, the executive producer was ian carlos, and this podcast is a co-production between grand prix 24 7 and w4 podcast studio dubai. Don't. If you want to join in the conversation, leave a comment on our Instagram page at Two Soft Compounds. We love getting comments, questions, and we'll give a shout out to some of the best ones on the podcast in the next few weeks. You can also email us at twosoftcompounds at gmailcom, and if you haven't done so already, please do click that follow or subscribe button. See you next time.