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
Italian GP: Verstappen’s Masterclass, McLaren’s Switcheroo & The Rise of F1’s Next Gen
This week on 2 Soft Compounds, Rick and Paul unpack the fastest Formula One race in history and the drama it delivered!
At the legendary Temple of Speed, Max Verstappen silenced the doubters with a vintage drive that saw him break the Monza lap record and reclaim the top step of the podium in dominant style.
Meanwhile, all eyes were on McLaren, for reasons beyond just raw pace. A pit stop blunder cost Lando Norris second place and gifted it to Oscar Piastri, prompting a rare intra-team position swap. But in a show of maturity and mutual respect, Piastri accepted the call without complaint. Rick and Paul dig into the psychology behind this unique teammate dynamic and what it means for the title race going forward.
Elsewhere, Ferrari floundered at home (again), while rookies Gabriel Bortoleto and Isack Hadjar stole headlines with gutsy, points-paying drives in midfield machinery. With the European leg of the season behind us and Baku on the horizon, the guys also look ahead at how strategy, street circuits, and reliability could shake up the second half of the season.
Production Credits:
Presented by: Rick Houghton & Paul Velasco
Studio Engineer & Editor: Roy D'Monte
Executive Producer: Ian Carless
Produced by: W4 Podcast Studio & GrandPrix247
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. Hey, welcome to another edition of Two Soft Compounds the Formula One podcast, with me, rick, and Paul Velasco, the founder and chief editor of Grand Prix247.com. Off the back of the Italian Grand Prix, the fastest ever Formula One race in the history of the sport and a weekend that was dominated by a masterclass from Max Verstappen he was just on fire all weekend, paul.
Speaker 1:Tell me about it. I mean, no one saw that Red Bull coming out like that. I mean, it was just on another planet. And, of course, max, when I say the Red Bull, you've got to say the Red Bull Verstappen, because the Verstappen in that car was just absolutely awesome. And what can I say? I mean, the guy just gets better and better all the time. He totally ambushed Ferrari and McLaren totally. It started in qualifying. You talk about history. He set the lap record. It was the fastest lap ever set at Monza. I think. The fastest ever. Yeah, so you know, I mean he just I don't know. I'm in love with what this guy's doing, honestly in Formula 1, he's just so good. He's so, yeah, but I'm going to let you elaborate on it because I'll get back to that. Yeah, but I'm gonna let you elaborate on it because I'll get back to that. But honestly, I, what did you think of the win? Just, let's talk about the win and the way he approached the weekend.
Speaker 2:I thought it was amazing. Um, I listened to Damon Hill, who's often been a critic of Max Rastappan, and Damon Hill went. I'm just blown away. I mean that is just unbelievable. And that's exactly how I felt. I mean, he approached the weekend with a brilliant attitude. He was up and positive when he was speaking before the race and then he just got his head down and did an unbelievable job, you know, finishing as far as far ahead of the McLarens as he did. He didn't put a foot wrong. Every single corner was brilliantly done and driven. He was able to keep the pace when his tyres were going off. At one point there was a close-up of his front tyres when he was on the mediums and I thought, my God, they're going to blow up any minute now, but he kept it going and he kept it going for another 10 laps or so. Just an amazing job.
Speaker 1:Yeah, overall, I mean end of the day. Let's start with the start. He got a great start. I think he was a bit naughty, to be honest. He did push Norris onto the sand but immediately pulled away. So it's like he yeah, norris had nowhere to go really, but then it's not like Max kept him there. He then swung left because he wanted to get a good run into turn one. He got a too good a run into turn one and just couldn't make turn two like that little complex, you know, and Norris kept it tight. Credit to him. I mean, you know, because he was right on the inside and he had Leclerc and Piastri all over his mirrors. But he managed to get through and he complained a bit on the radio. Then Max was told to cede the position, which Max did, and by lap four Max was in the lead. He took him with a fine move on the outside of turn one. It was like like I thought oh, here we go, here we go, lewis, lewis.
Speaker 2:Remember when they mounted each other that one year?
Speaker 1:at Monza. Yeah, but he didn't. He got through cleanly, boom, and I thought, okay, let's see now and honestly that Red Bull RB21 in his hands is was looked dominant to me. Thereafter, piastri had no answer and, honestly, as far as I'm concerned, the race kind of became super mundane after the first six laps. Those were the most awesome six laps, that actually first six laps, with Leclerc going and Norris and Piastri and they all over each other and almost nudging each other, but they didn't and it was just, absolutely it just for me, it just drove home the point that we're in an era where we have really half a dozen of the greatest drivers I've ever seen in terms of in one kind of grid and that Max is the cream of it all. They just chase Max all weekend.
Speaker 1:But I think the big story is McLaren, which I think you're going to get into the detail.
Speaker 2:Do you agree with the swap fall or do you not agree with the swap?
Speaker 1:let's let's put it this way, just to sum up the race norris and piastri with p2 and p3, and they went to great lengths. On the radio and I'm not sure as well I'm going to touch you all was that before we heard it. What we heard, the conversation was that before or after piastri came into pit, because piastri was first, and they said listen, yeah it was coming into pit.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was just before right and there will be no undercut. Yeah, that, to me, was a red flag. How do you tell a driver you can't undercut? I mean, then it's not even an undercut, it's nothing, it's just go out and drive. An undercut is where the driver comes in as high speed as possible, does a fantastic pit stop and does a fantastic outlap, which is what most of them did. In fact, it was very, very good pit stops until they fumbled Norris. Yeah, and when they fumbled Norris, suddenly they had the situation I'm just laying out the…. They had the situation where Norris peeled in behind Piastri. So Piastri basically inherited P2 because McLaren erred, yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:Now, the way I look at it is this, because that's the question you asked it was not Piastri's fault that that happened. It wasn't Norris's fault that that happened. So it was a racing thing. And actually, when you hear Piastri complain, he says look guys, I understand, but we agreed that pit stop errors is a racing incident and but I will swap. And so I'm going to be on the fence and say, yeah, I don't agree with the swap. I think it's. I don't like controlled races, but it is a team sport. So we told I think it's wrong. But I'm going to throw this at you and say mclaren are trying to win a championship like has never been won before, with two guys who, at the end of this world championship, one will be a winner, one will be a loser, and they'll be on the podium and they'll shake hands with smiles and be happy for each other. That's what McLaren are trying to do.
Speaker 1:I don't know if they're going to achieve that, but honestly, the way Piastri took it on the chin and said, yeah, okay, cool, I agree. First of all, he's a fantastic sportsman, a fantastic driver, and for him to do that, I don't think many drivers would have done that. A lot of them would have spat their dummy out big time, big time. But he did it, he abided and him and Lando were buddies afterwards and, honestly, I try to find anything that Piastri said that was negative about the swap and there isn't. So I don't think I answered your question, but I kind of just threw the ball in the air. It's still in the air for me because I'm just trying to process this whole thing. I'm just going to leave it to you to agree or disagree with me. This is a very different world championship that I've ever witnessed.
Speaker 2:Yeah, this is a very different world championship that I've ever witnessed. Yeah, I mean, I think all year long McLaren have had certain agreements in place between both the drivers and the team and when they brief before each Grand Prix weekend, they go over those agreements and those policies. Now, in my eyes, lando Norris had earned the right to be in P2 because that's where he qualified the car. He was faster in practice, he was faster in qualifying than Piastri was and he managed to hold off Piastri in the opening laps of the race and pull out a gap. So to me that was justified that he was in P2. Now, normally what happens is that the lead driver comes in for the pit stop first, but what they were trying to do was protect Piastri from a charging Charlotte Clerk. So they got on the radio to Lando Norris and said listen, just to let you know, this is what we're doing. We're going to pit Oscar first because we're worried that Charles is going to take him down, but we won't, we'll make sure that there's no undercutting. And Norris acknowledged that on the radio. So that's what they did. Piastri had an amazing pit stop 1.9 seconds, one of the fastest of the entire season and he gets out and he drives a brilliant out lap Following lap. Norris comes in. We all know what happened Six-second pit stop, wheel gun jams, so he gets out. Naturally Piastri has passed him at this point for P2, as you explained Now.
Speaker 2:I think it wasn't Piastri's fault that Norris had a long pit stop. It certainly wasn't Norris' fault and he'd reached P2 on merit in the race and in qualifying. I just think the agreement they have stands and I don't think I know it spoils some of the excitement. But I think it was fair to do that swap and I think Oscar, he complained about it a little bit because I think he just wanted his opinion heard so that he could turn around afterwards and go. You know, if he gets to the end of the season and Piastri loses the championship by a few points, he can go back and say look what happened in Monza. Okay, this is where I'm going to throw this one at you.
Speaker 1:Let's say they get to Abu Dhabi and exactly the same thing happens. But if the one cedes it to the other, if Piashvi cedes it or Norris cedes it, let's say the roles are reversed. Are they going to do it? Because, let's say, that decision, let's say what happened at Monza decided the championship. I don't know so much. You think Oscar would have pulled the side.
Speaker 2:I mean one thing that I didn't like.
Speaker 1:No, you haven't answered the question. I'm asking you that question. Well, if it happens in Abu Dhabi, you mean? No, let's just say, hypothetically, monza was the season decider. You see, I think, you see, it's a problem, mate.
Speaker 2:One thing that I've understood listening to Martin Brundle on Sunday. He said that he'd spoken to Oscar Piastri and Oscar Piastri is happy to play the team game. He will do whatever the team want him to do. He's not going to stick a spanner in the works. He's not going to agree to something and then do something opposite on the racetrack. He's a team player. And he said. He said, and I quote one day I'm going to need the team to step up for me, so at the moment I step up for them no, no, it's beautiful.
Speaker 1:Look I'm, I'm with you and I think we're speaking like two real mclaren fanboys. Yeah, but anyway we are. I I mean, when McLaren were bad, we said it, you know. But you know, you can't fault what they're doing and as long as the two drivers are happy. And I really did sense that. Yeah, piaget obviously would have liked to have finished ahead of him, but I do feel he accepted it in a way that suggests to me is very different to any other driver pairing I've ever noticed. There's always a bit of resentment, always a bit of this, and I just feel that, wow, I mean, I can't recall such a friendly driver swap. I remember when was it Barrichello had to give the lead to Schumacher at?
Speaker 1:one point, and I mean Barrichello's lip, dragged for the rest of his career. Do you know? What I mean, whereas Pesci was cool about it. I mean, I don't know, did you notice any kind of like anything suspicious? I think these guys have just got a fantastic vibe, that's all.
Speaker 2:I don't think they are the best of mates, you know. I don't think they hang out with each other, but I think they're professionally very, very good acquaintances, exactly. I think there's a mutual respect between both of them. Exactly, and I think that combines with the agreements that Zac Brown has put in place to say listen guys, you can race each other, but it has to be in a fair and sporting, clean way. Yeah, and I think you know, piastri, afterwards, like you, I could not find a negative comment from anyone in the press pool. I couldn't find an article. The one thing I could find is people saying it ruins the weekend for them because of the swap.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I saw a lot of that.
Speaker 2:Come on, it hasn't.
Speaker 1:You know if anything.
Speaker 2:It makes it more exciting as we move forward because the points gap is less than it was.
Speaker 1:Exactly it. More exciting as we move forward because the points gap is is less than it was. Exactly that's it. And you know you've got to take your hat off to Stella and Zach, who's ever making these calls with this team. I really hope that they win the championship their way because they can really come to the end of the year and say we want it our way. Yeah, in a very unusual way, and they've made amends for all the time that McLclaren messed up their championships. And you know mclaren, whenever they had two big drivers they could never really handle it.
Speaker 1:You know, prost center ron didn't handle it you know, if you think of uh hamilton, uh alonzo, you know, and zach being a racing guy, I'm really, I'm impressed. It's not to say that there's going to be tears. I mean, I still think there's. Look, I'm not on the fence of saying yeah, it's going to, something's going to happen. I'm more on the fence of saying let it just unfold. We don't have to predict that anything will happen. Let it just unfold. If there was ever any potential for there to be, give it and like maliciousness, like in terms of Rosberg Hamilton, it didn't happen after Canada and it could have.
Speaker 1:It could have got better and it did not happen in this race, and it could have got really bitter. So, honestly, I'm just going to sit and watch. I'm enjoying it.
Speaker 2:Okay, so they're the top three Max, lando and Oscar, and then in fourth place, charlotte Clerk. What happened to Ferrari's pace this weekend?
Speaker 1:It was bizarre because at the start of hey, no, listen, can we just think of something? I just want to throw this one at you. What did you make of the booing of Norris on the podium?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean to Fossey. They want to see a Ferrari driver on the podium. Don to see a Ferrari driver on the podium, don't they?
Speaker 1:I think they probably so you don't think it was specifically directed at Naira.
Speaker 2:Well, I think they were probably unhappy of the swap as well. I think they probably thought that denied them, you know, denied them.
Speaker 1:But probably more so that there was no. Ferrari which we're talking about?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think so that's what they go to see. I mean, you know, it's like a religion in Italy. They go to sea. I mean, you know it's like a religion in Italy Monza, Temple of Speed, and all that.
Speaker 1:Well, Piero Ferrari said that winning at Monza for them is like winning the championship. So they didn't win the championship and they didn't win at Monza.
Speaker 2:Last year they did, they did. Charles Leclerc won it last year. This year the Ferraris just baffled me a little bit. I thought they'd be a lot, and then, and did you see the speed?
Speaker 1:they got. Yeah, the Mercedes Russell could not get near him. We were DRS.
Speaker 2:But I just don't understand why Charles Leclerc couldn't really dent Oscar Piastri's gap.
Speaker 1:Maybe he damaged something or whatever, but I expected Leclerc to be right up there because Lewis had a stormer.
Speaker 2:Let's be honest, I mean Well, he did until a certain point. I mean, he made all overtaking manoeuvres, going from 10th to 6th, and he did that in the first third of the race and then he just stalled out. He couldn't make any more progress, which again was baffling to me who did he get stuck behind?
Speaker 1:he got stuck behind, he was stuck behind George Russell wasn't he. Yeah, george Russell he couldn't get by George not being able to get past him on those long straights with just baffles me and yet George couldn't catch Charles. I don't know. I mean, look, I think Lewis qualified P5. He wasn't that far off Leclerc. He still isn't beating Leclerc, which means he's got to do it yeah.
Speaker 1:I thought he did look what I wanted to mention because I did give it some thought about Lewis before we put a full stop on Leclerc. I remember when Lewis he spent, I think, five or six years where he never, never, ever set foot in the midfield, never. Then came 22, when that motor wasn't working for him and he really had so many incidents in the pack, do you remember, and he couldn't overtake and it was just like he was not very good because he's just not used to it, but because of the genius as he has in him now he just sighs his way like it's like, you know, and that's what's the difference between a good driver and a great driver. In terms of the clack, yeah, I'm yeah, I expected a bit more, but he did give it. He did give it beans. Uh, with piastri right at the beginning, if you remember the first six laps, they were really almost touching at times and George was also involved. I loved that, but after that, yeah, they just fizzled out. They just fizzled out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was like nearly all the teams had decent pace until the second third of the race and then everyone sort of plateaued and it became you. You know, at one stage there's a big drs queue and no one could really do anything about the car in front for a long time and I just it's.
Speaker 1:it's baffling to me and even listen around lap 10 or lap 12, it was like the gap with two seconds, three seconds, two seconds, four seconds, three seconds, two seconds, one second, then a gap, as you said, that trained and no one could do, but it became a total stalemate. But anyway, that's it. So you know, ferrari, leave Monza empty-handed but, yeah, I mean it's. You couldn't expect better, especially, you know, mclaren, for me, were always the favorites for this race yeah but Max came and did.
Speaker 2:What he did was just like the Max fact if you remember, last year Red Bull had a nightmare at Monza. They couldn't make anything work at Monza. It was one of their worst races of 2024. So whether they've learned from that and gone away and thought right, we know what we need to do to unlock the car at this circuit. You know, that's interesting.
Speaker 1:But look, maybe the car has taken a step. I think Max hinted at the fact that it's taken a step up, so maybe they've unlocked something that they hadn't unlocked before. But I'll be very interested to see how they proceed for the next part of the season. I don't think he's going to be a threat to the McLarens, but let's see. I mean, you just never know with Formula One.
Speaker 2:Yep, let's talk about Mercedes. Then George Russell, the highest Mercedes finisher, finishing in fifth place. Again, lewis Hamilton, who finished behind him, couldn't really do anything, and George himself couldn't do anything against Charles Leclerc. It was, as you say, paul, that sort of stalemate. And it's worth mentioning Wes. We mentioned George, kimi Antonelli, toto Wolff said he had an underwhelming race, and for Toto to come out and say that is kind of the first time he's ever said something negative about one of his drivers.
Speaker 1:Yeah, look, I called it on Kimi a couple of months ago, or a month ago. I wrote to Outside Line on our website basically saying look, it was one year too early for Kimi as far as I'm concerned.
Speaker 1:it's actually transpiring now. Look, he scored points, which was good, p9 was good, but he should have done a lot better. He's way off George's pace in the race. He makes a lot of mistakes. He made mistakes during the weekend that compromised his track time. He needs as much track time as he can get. So, yeah, I think too much enthusiasm, too much hype. He really hasn't lived up to the hype.
Speaker 1:If you want to look at a driver that lived up to his hype, you look at Piastri. Right from day one you knew this kid was good, whereas Antonelli Look, riccardo Patrese, who's an Italian, called it out very nicely. We've also published this on our site. Straight after the race he says Camille Antonelli is very good at PR, but he's got to also be a very good racing driver. Mercedes have basically dug a hole they can't get themselves out of because they cannot axe him. They've got to give him next year, but in 2026, he's really got to perform. And I'm not seeing Max Verstappen in this kid just yet. To be honest with you, and that's what you you got to look at where max was and what kind of impact he had. A guy like piastri even norris can be as a template at this stage. Like I said, I think he it's a year too early yeah, I would agree with you.
Speaker 2:And is there any news by the way, paul, you you'll know better than me any news on george russell's contract with mercedes?
Speaker 1:look, total, basically it's a done deal. You know what I mean. And George seems comfortable. He bought himself like a $25 million yacht or whatever. I mean you know, so he can't be doing too bad. Yeah, I mean, look, I think they're going to stick with the drivers they have. They will do, and I think George just delivered what he could. I don't think. I think George is the kind of driver that whatever you give him, he's going to bring the maximum out of it. You know what I mean. Perhaps not, maybe on the level of max, you know, but that's 101. George will bring it 100. I think George is that kind of driver and he did it. You know he did. I think he got the best result Mercedes could have got.
Speaker 2:Okay, williams, alex Albon finishing in seventh place and Carlos Sainz having another nightmare. I mean, carlos Sainz is just not getting to grips with that. Car Sainz finished in 11th after a nightmare race which involved a couple of scuffles and penalty points. You know, I just can't get my head around how Carlos he's just driving so badly.
Speaker 1:I mean he cuts corners, he misses chicanes. Obviously the car's really bad. I mean it's obviously very bad to drive, but Alex is getting a handle on it and Carlos isn't.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and all the promise that Carlos brought to the team and the fact that the team turned around in the winter last year and said wow, man, carlos is so committed. He's in the factory every single day. He's working with his engineers every single day. He's on the simulator every single day. We're going to hit the ground running when it comes to Australia. And since then he hasn't really shone. Alex Albon's quietly just been getting on with it and getting to grips with a badly performing car, and Carlos just needs a break. I think it obviously must be affecting his confidence as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know I think he's a bit lost and he says the kind of things that I don't really see. Guys like Max Verstappen or Lewis Lewis maybe, but Max Verstappen saying it's like, yeah, he's just marking time this year. Next year is the year. The thing you have for now. So you've got to give it your best shot. But sort of analyzing his races, it's a lot of self-inflicted mistakes. Okay, Berman did punt him, I would say that was a punt.
Speaker 1:He overshoots his break marks. Yeah, he's a veteran, you know, and I'd expect better from him, but yeah, it is what it is.
Speaker 2:Rookie of the Monza Grand Prix weekend, gabriel Bortoletto. A fantastic drive in an underperforming Sauber to finish eighth. Just did really well, had a great qualifying, kept his nose clean in the race, did all the right things to finish in that high position. I mean that is a high position for a Sauber to finish in.
Speaker 1:Yeah, man Compared to.
Speaker 2:Nico. I mean he didn't start the race because of a technical problem, but Bortoletto's been out qualifying him recently. He's been doing a hell of a job.
Speaker 1:No, he's doing a fantastic job. Quite in awe of him. Yeah, nico had a hydraulics issue but he was destroyed qualifying by the kid you. He was destroyed in qualifying by the kid, you know. And yeah, he drove a really steady race. He's in there with the guys and the quote I loved is he asked over the radio who won the race and they said Max Verstappen and he just went oh man, that guy you know now I have a lot.
Speaker 1:He's fast between him and Hadja. Let's be honest, we've already spoken about Antonelli and Hadja finished P10 starting way down the grid. He had another very strong race, again beat Yuki Tsunoda but everyone beats Yuki Tsunoda these days just about, although Liam didn't this time, but Isak drove a good race to finish P10 and Bottoletto, so I think those two guys are angling for rookie of the year. It's going to be a tough call, as, yeah, it is. You know what I'm noticing with these guys, which is really exciting they're just getting better and better. Yeah, incrementally. You know what I mean. If you think about how he couldn't have got worse than australia, right, yeah, but I feel that every time I see botoletto getting a bit better, but better, I don't see yuki getting any better at all at all.
Speaker 1:I just see a totally destroyed driver who believed that he could match Max At one point in his career. He would tell anyone who would listen yeah, I'm the guy I can beat Max and I think he's got such a big reality check and he can beat nobody. So, yeah, I'm impressed with Hadja and the good thing is good news is that Mekis has insisted that Hadja will not be promoted this season. I'm very happy for that, because that car I don't think is an easy car to drive. You need to be like Max and Max has been driving those kind of cars for like 10 years now. The same lineage.
Speaker 1:You put Hadja in this car now he's going to do exactly. He'll probably be better than these other guys. But Hadja in this car now he's going to do exactly. He'll probably be better than these other guys, but he'll be pretty much like Lawson, whereas next year you're starting the whole thing from scratch. If there's ever an opportunity for him to be on a level playing field with Max, with no experience both the exact same experience with the car, with the new rules and that I think that's about the levelest playing field Hadja can get to prove himself against Max. It'd be a tough ask, but they'd have nobody else. I don't see anybody else in the pipeline for them to. I don't think they'll keep Ternoda. I think Ternoda's gone and I think they're going to bring Lindblad and they'll run Lawson again for another year. That's my take on what's happening there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think Hadjar really surprised me this weekend. Well, he didn't surprise me because I know he's a good driver, but after that nightmare qualifying that he had, and then they swapped out the power unit so he started from the pit lane to finish 10th and, in the points you know, just shows you how mature his driving style has become stays out of trouble, does his thing, sticks in the hot laps when he needs to. Yeah, I mean, like I say, didn't surprise me, but I thought if he was going to have a chink in his armour it might have been Monza. When, I mean, he looked distraught after qualifying, he was mate, he was totally.
Speaker 1:That's the thing I love about him. He wears his heart on his sleeve. He does. Yeah, he really was almost weeping and he couldn't talk. He was like he wasn't interested, but I like, I mean, I know it's not nice it appears rude, but I kind of like that in a driver.
Speaker 1:For some reason I don't you know. You know it's a guy he's genuinely upset and then he made amends and and I'm I respect that I think we in in for a good little package. When he gets into a good car and he can get his head around it, I think he's going to be a very solid driver. That is a Max Verstappen. Well, you know, I know I was saying to one of my friends we were talking about Formula 1, and he said that it will happen, but I suggest that I don't think we'll ever see a better driver than Max Verstappen.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think you're right.
Speaker 1:Anyway, enough hot air up Max Verstappen's ass. Who's next? The Alpines who's next?
Speaker 2:the alpines? Should we talk about the alpine? Yeah, the alpines had a bit of a nightmare, didn't they? Um, also the hass team not performing as they would uh, would have wanted to.
Speaker 1:Obviously, the dns after martin last and fernando.
Speaker 2:I mean again a rare racing mistake for fernando alonso. Uh, coming off the chicane and just wrecking his suspension um, esterman ocon got lapped, pierre gasly, franco colopinto and Lance Stroll in dead last.
Speaker 1:I don't get it. Hey, I don't get how this guy, because it's such an embarrassment, you know. Anyway, other than that Italian Grand Prix, the fastest Grand Prix ever, it really went super quick. It did, I must say, Because the next thing you knew, you just finish your beer and the race is over, you know, and there was no soccer, which was actually even worse, because normally you can swap over to soccer. So you've got, but, uh, football, premier league, yeah, so what else to talk about, mate?
Speaker 2:well, it's worth mentioning that the next race is azerbaijan. It's uh, baku, I think, fast becoming one of my favorite circuits of the year. We've seen some unbelievable races there. Occasionally you can get a race where nothing happens at all, but sometimes you can get a race when everything happens. Do you remember Kimi Räikkönen, who retired and then there was a red flag and they put him back in the race in the Ferrari and he was screaming for his steering wheel? The drama of Fernando Alonso, who was driving for McLaren at the time, bringing the car home on two wheels after a first lap incident. Romain Grosjean, who crashed put it in the wall under the safety car. The brake testing incident between Vettel and Hamilton that excitement, man, you know. Hamilton, oh you forgot one.
Speaker 1:Do you remember when Ricciardi rear-ended Verstappen? Yes, there was that.
Speaker 2:That one, yeah, and the magic brake that failed on the Mercedes, the magic button for Hamilton on the restart and the one where Max Verstappen crashed on the straight, didn't he? He had a blowout, yeah.
Speaker 1:And Valtteri Bottas, he was going to win it once and also ran out. Yeah, and Valtteri Bortas, he was going to win it once and also ran out. Yeah, no, maybe that was Singapore, anyway, yeah, no, look, it's interestingly, baku is Asia, right? Yeah, so that was. Monza was the last European race.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was RFI Europe.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we won't see you anymore. Now it's all going to be different time zones and, yeah, baku is cool time zones and, yeah, baku is cool. Baku will be a very good interesting because I got those two super long straights. So yeah, uh, I really look forward to it.
Speaker 2:I mean, it's yeah, it's like you say anything can happen there so next time we speak, uh, we'll do a two soft compounds special and also touch on the preview for the baku baku grand prix. I've got a stats guy who's coming on the preview for the Baku Grand Prix. I've got a stats guy who's coming on the podcast. Next time he's going to give us a lowdown on everything that's happened since Baku came to the Formula One calendar and some takeaways to what or enjoyed during the race, some things that he predicts and some things that he thinks could be achieved in terms of milestones and that sort of thing.
Speaker 1:I thought you were the stats man.
Speaker 2:No man. No, this guy's brilliant, I'm not. So that's it for the moment. Thank you very much for listening from myself and Paul. Have a great week and we'll catch you next time on Two Soft Compounds and for your latest Formula One news, head over to GrandPrix247.com. Two Soft Compounds was presented by myself, rick Hutton, alongside Paul Valesco. The studio engineer and editor was Roy DeMonte, 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 forget, if you want to join in the conversation, leave a comment on our Instagram page at twosoftcompounds, and if you haven't done so already, please do click that follow or subscribe button. See you next time.