F1Weekly Podcast # 1168
ON TODAYS PROGRAM…
MAX MAKES HISTORY WITH THE FORD PACKAGE!
THE START OF THE RACE WAS SOO EXCITING GEORGE FOR A MOMENT THOUGHT HIS LUCK WAS TURNING AROUND!
THE SOFTWARE BLUNDER IN THE WET WAS HILARIOUS!
LCH FIGHTS BACK FOR A WELL EARNED PODIUM AND…FERNANDO BRINGS HOME THE ASTON TO P8…!
THIS WEEK’S NASIR HAMEED CORNER… LANDO NORRIS AT SILVERSTONE AND RICKY COLLARD BRITISH F3 driver.
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Verstappen Holds Nerve For First 2026 Win At Dramatic Rescheduled Bahrain Grand Prix In Malaysia.
Max Verstappen held his nerve in the chaos of Sunday’s rain-hit rescheduled Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia to bank his first win of the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship season.
The Dutchman started on pole position and initially lost the lead to Mercedes duo Kimi Antonelli and George Russell in the run down to Turn 1, however picked them off comfortably in a race that had two safety cars and a virtual safety car.
The four-time world champion then held on to win by 2.307s from title leader Antonelli with Oracle Red Bull Racing teammate Isack Hadjar moving up the grid to fifth after starting out in eighth place.
Visa Cash App Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson enjoyed a productive race as he moved up to finish seventh, while British teammate Arvid Lindblad earned a gutsy point for finishing in 10th place.
MAX VERSTAPPEN – 1st
“What an incredible result! The race was not made easy for us with all the decisions we had to make and then the Safety Car at the end on top of everything. But we made all the right calls with the tyres, kept our cool, and it all paid off. Of course, to win a race in the first year of being a new power unit manufacturer is honestly just incredible and something everyone should be really proud of. We knew from the start that Red Bull Ford Powertrains built a strong engine and also knew the limitations too. Although it was hard at times, and we sometimes didn’t believe we could get this win, we kept pushing. The Team has also been working hard to understand our issues and brought performance upgrades to the car. Step by step, we have been getting closer and today we did it, which is really special and an emotional moment. It is an incredible project and winning in our first season together is a fantastic feeling.”
ISACK HADJAR – 5th
“Even though we managed to score P5, I am obviously frustrated. The car didn’t feel as good as it did on the previous days, and then I didn’t have the power after the restart at the end for two laps. If this hadn’t have happened, I am sure I would have been on the podium. Despite this, it was a good overall result for the Team. I can’t wait to look at the data and see what happened, then regroup and go again in Singapore. It is a track that I really, really like, so I will of course be pushing for the best result possible there.”
LAURENT MEKIES – CEO and Team Principal
“This is another milestone moment in the history of this Team: the first victory for us as a power unit manufacturer with Red Bull Ford Powertrains in its very first season! The credit goes to all the people involved who have been working incredibly hard on this project over the past five years. Everyone in Milton Keynes and at the track deserves this moment and should celebrate it as an important step towards many more victories in the future.
“The first win of the season is a great way to finish what has been an extremely successful weekend overall. After showing strong pace in every session and securing our first pole position of the season yesterday, Max converted that performance into an outstanding P1 today. In often chaotic circumstances, he remained in control throughout the race, managed the conditions brilliantly, showed the strongest pace and delivered exactly the kind of performance we know he is capable of.
“More broadly, this result confirms the progress we have been making in recent months. We were already close several times, and today we converted that pace. The Team has been working tirelessly to improve our package, and weekends like this are the reward for that effort.
“There are naturally mixed feelings on the other side of the garage because Isack also showed very strong pace all weekend. We could have rounded off this weekend with another double podium; unfortunately, not everything went well with his car. Finishing fifth still represents a strong result considering where he started, but naturally it is frustrating when you know more was possible. We will analyse exactly what happened, take the positives from a weekend where both drivers were consistently competitive, and immediately turn our focus to Singapore. For tonight, however, everyone should enjoy a well-deserved victory and an important milestone for this Team.”
Kimi Antonelli
Overall, given our struggles this weekend, I think P2 was the maximum we could have achieved today. The conditions were really challenging, both with the difficult call on which tyre to start on, when to stop to take the slicks, and then when to stop and what compound to take to ensure we held on to second. The team did a good job with those calls, and I am pleased we were able to score solid points.
Despite that, we leave Malaysia frustrated. Our pace hasn’t been where we wanted it to be and we weren’t able to fight for victory. It was also extremely disappointing to see George retire when we were so close to such a good result for the team, and a double podium at what is one of the most significant races in our season. We will work hard ahead of Singapore to understand how we can improve and make sure we perform more strongly next weekend.
George
That was another tough and disappointing day for me amongst several we have had this season. It is pure bad luck, but it still hurts. It is particularly tough as we were on for a podium and a great result for the team. I made a great start on the Intermediate but struggled a little once we moved to the Medium tyre. I felt much better once we were on the Soft compound and, whilst we were never in the fight for the win, our pace was good.
photo: Zak Mauger / FIA Formula 2. ref: Digital Image
It’s such a shame to retire from the race when we were looking comfortable in P3. It would have been important points in the Constructors’ for the team and a double podium would have been a lovely reward for our Title and Technical Partner PETRONAS as their home race.
It’s not been an easy weekend, but our race pace was better than our qualifying performance on Saturday. That is encouraging but we will work hard as a team to understand why we have underperformed overall here in Malaysia and how we can make sure we are stronger in Singapore. It has been a tough season on my side of the garage, but we will keep fighting.
Fernando Alonso
RACE RESULT P8
“We have been more competitive this weekend and P8 is a good result for us. There were a lot of things that happened in the race. We started with the dry tyres and put ourselves in a difficult position, but thankfully the Safety Car started a new race for us. There are not many weekends where we can score points, so we executed well and took the opportunity. Let’s see if we can keep up this pace into Singapore where on paper we have some hope. The issues at the start were quite strange and we need to understand what happened there.”
HAAS TEAM STATEMENT…
At the end of the 2026 season, Esteban Ocon will move on from the team.
Since joining ahead of the 2025 campaign, Esteban has played a key role in our journey, helping deliver our second-highest points tally as a constructor and creating plenty of memorable moments along the way.
Esteban has brought experience, determination, and passion to the team. We’d like to thank him for his hard work and commitment, and we look forward to finishing the season strongly together.
“I’d like to thank Esteban for everything he’s contributed to the team since joining us in 2025. His professionalism and commitment have proved valuable as we continue to grow as an organization.”
– Ayao Komatsu
MS-INDYCAR Statement
on Passing of Gordon Johncock.
NDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026) – A statement from Indianapolis Motor Speedway and INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles about two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and 1976 INDYCAR SERIES champion Gordon Johncock, who died Monday, Sept. 28 in South Branch, Michigan, at age 90:
“Gordon Johncock was known for his hard-charging, no-nonsense style of racing, and he left a lasting legacy on both Indianapolis Motor Speedway and INDYCAR. While his 1973 Indianapolis 500 victory was overshadowed by tragedy, that race was an inflection point for safety, leading to a vital shift in track engineering and regulations. Gordon was unable to truly celebrate his first win, so that made his second win in 1982, following a thrilling duel with Rick Mears, all the more memorable. His victory is one of the iconic moments in the history of the Speedway. Remembered as much for his quiet life away from racing, Gordon left a lasting impact on the world of motorsports. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”
Born Aug. 5, 1936, in Hastings, Michigan, the lifelong resident of the state was the INDYCAR SERIES national champion in 1976 and won 25 races in the series. Yet, Johncock was known for winning both memorable and forgettable “500s,” each time driving for Patrick Racing.
Johncock’s duel with Rick Mears in the closing laps of the 1982 race was the most thrilling to that point, prompting renowned television broadcaster Jim McKay to claim he’d “never seen anything like it.” Johncock masterfully covered Mears’ last-lap passing attempt in Turn 1, then outran the 1979 race winner to the finish line. Their margin at the checkered flag was a then-record .16 of a second, still the seventh closest ever.
Johncock later said he was fortunate to win as he hit an unfamiliar bump low in Turn 3 on the last lap that pushed his car up the track and gave Mears an opportunity to gain ground.
“I pretty near lost it,” he told The Indianapolis Star in 2016. “Ask Rick; he saw it (because) he was right there.
“I had never run that low before in Turn 3, but I knew I had to if I was going to be able to stay in the throttle. It was just a little rougher down there than I expected.”
The 1973 “500” was one of tragedy and poor weather, with rain postponing the race two days. Johncock started 11th and grabbed his first lead on Lap 40, but soon after teammate Swede Savage and crew member Armando Teran were involved in separate horrifying accidents.
Johncock, who led 64 laps, was in front of Bill Vukovich II when rain ended the race on Lap 133. With the annual Victory Banquet canceled, Johncock and his Patrick crew “celebrated” with hamburgers at a local Burger Chef restaurant after visiting Savage in the hospital.
Johncock was able to properly celebrate following his 1982 victory, and Mears said he never felt so good finishing second.
“I remember thinking during the race that if we can’t win it would be great to see him win,” Mears said.
Said Johncock of watching replays of the duel with Mears, “It gives you goosebumps … (that) well, I did it again!”
After a successful stint as a sprint car racer, Johncock’s INDYCAR SERIES career began in 1964 with a dirt race in Springfield, Illinois, and it didn’t take him long to show his talent. Johncock finished fifth as a rookie in the 1965 “500” in a roadster, in a race that saw five rookies finish in the top nine. He won for the first time nine races later at the Milwaukee Mile. Johncock also scored the first of his 20 career poles that year.
Johncock started his own team in 1967, joining A.J. Foyt as the sport’s only owner/driver. Johncock won six races during that three-year span.
Johncock nearly won a few more Indianapolis 500s. He finished third in 1976 and 1978, and he was fourth on two other occasions (1966 and 1974). In 1977, Johncock was leading Foyt, the eventual winner, with 16 laps remaining when his car’s crankshaft broke. He had led 129 laps.
Johncock’s career in the INDYCAR SERIES spanned 262 starts over 25 seasons. He actually retired twice, the first during the first week of “500” practice in 1985. He served on the IMS Radio Network for that race. Two years later, he replaced the injured Jim Crawford and finished 22nd.
Johncock’s last “500” was in 1992 after he retired on Lap 60 with engine failure. He finished 29th. His 24 starts in the race rank fifth among all drivers, tied with Johnny Rutherford and Scott Dixon. Johncock led 339 laps in the Indianapolis 500, which stands 15th all time.
Johncock was one of the last living drivers to have competed in front- and rear-engine Indy cars.
He was successful in stock car racing, too, competing in 21 of NASCAR’s top-division races. He made three starts in the Daytona 500, qualifying fifth in 1973. He had three top-five finishes in NASCAR, highlighted by a fourth in the 1973 Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway. He also won a pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway that season.
After Johncock’s second retirement, he turned his focus to his timber business in South Branch, Michigan, located 200 miles north of Detroit. Johncock enjoyed such a quiet life away from racing that some employees were surprised to learn he had been a race car driver, much less a two-time Indy 500 winner.
Johncock kept most of his racing memorabilia in his basement, although his two winner’s plaques have shared a wall with artwork of the 1982 win, the race’s checkered flag and a stuffed deer head in his living room. He seldom attended the “500” after retiring.
“It was a job I used to have,” Johncock said of racing. “Now I have a different job.”
Johncock was inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame in 1997 and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1999.
Johncock is survived by his wife, Sue; three daughters (Patsy, Pamilee, Peggy), two sons (Gordon Jr., Wally); stepdaughter (Valerie); and 12 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.
Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso commit to Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team as 2027 driver line-up is confirmed.
29 September 2026, AMRTC, Silverstone: The Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team is pleased to confirm that Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso will continue as the team’s drivers, having extended their long-term contracts.
As the most experienced driver line-up in Formula One, the duo will continue to provide Aston Martin Aramco with a valuable depth of racing knowledge and technical insight as the team builds on its work throughout the 2026 season and beyond. The renewed commitment from both drivers demonstrates their strong motivation and unshakable belief in the potential of the team and its technical partners.
Lance, who will enter his 11th Formula One season in 2027, has played a pivotal role in the Aston Martin Aramco journey since first joining the Silverstone-based team in 2019. The Canadian has completed more than 200 Formula One starts, with three podium finishes to his name, and brings a wealth of experience gained during a period of significant growth and development for the team.
Mike Krack, Team Principal, Aston Martin F1 Team, and Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin F1 Team
Fernando will continue his record-breaking Formula One career and this extension reaffirms the Spaniard’s long-term commitment to the Aston Martin Aramco team and brand. Since signing with the team in 2023, the double World Champion has competed in 85 Grands Prix, scored eight podiums and taken two second-place finishes.
The continuation and stability of the long-standing pairing allows Aston Martin Aramco to fully focus on its development path, harnessing the knowledge and deep-rooted relationships between the drivers and the wider organisation.
JESSICA HAWKINS CROWNED BRITISH GT4 SILVER CUP CHAMPION.
Monday 28 September, Brands Hatch: Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team driver ambassador and Head of F1 ACADEMY, Jessica Hawkins, has been crowned 2026 British GT4 Silver Cup Champion, securing the title alongside teammate Will Orton following the championship finale at Brands Hatch.
Competing for MK Racing alongside Will in the Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evo, the duo secured the Silver Cup title at the final round of the championship, adding another major achievement to her racing career.
Jessica Hawkins poses with the Aston Martin AMR21
The championship was decided during a thrilling two-hour finale at Brands Hatch, with the chequered flag falling with just two tenths of a second separating the cars on the final lap. Jessica and Will crossed the line in third to secure the Silver Cup crown, finishing the season on 143.5 points.
Supported by arm, Jessica, who combines her racing programme with her role as a Driver Ambassador and Head of F1 ACADEMY for Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team, has established herself as an important figure in the team’s driver development and wider motorsport activities.
Jessica Hawkins, Driver Ambassador & Head of F1 ACADEMY, Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team: “Winning the Silver Cup is an incredible way to end the 2026 season. It’s been a huge effort from everyone at MK Racing, and I’m so proud of what Will and I have achieved together. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported us throughout the season and to Aston Martin, arm and Valvoline for continuing to support my racing journey. To have a championship title to celebrate is a fantastic feeling.”
About Jessica Hawkins
Jessica Hawkins began her racing career at the age of eight. She was a champion in cadet-level racing in the UK and won on her debut on the European scene. She moved to cars full-time in 2015 racing in Formula 4 and tin-tops before touring Europe with Fast and Furious Live, where she took part as a stunt driver. She joined the all-female W Series, which raced in Formula Regional machinery later joining Aston Martin F1 Team as Driver Ambassador.
Whilst racing in W Series in 2021, Jessica reprised her stunt driver role in the James Bond film No Time to Die. In 2023, Jessica became the first woman in almost five years to test a modern Formula One car. As well as this, Jessica delivered the team’s first ever demo run in Saudi Arabia.
In 2025, Jessica returned to GT racing, this time entering the 2025 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, driving an Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo for Comtoyou Racing. This year she is racing in British GT and has spent much of the season in the lead, bringing home multiple wins and podiums, before securing the title of Silver Cup Champion.
Indianapolis 500 Folk Hero ‘Jigger’ Sirois Dies at 91
INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026) – Leon Duray “Jigger” Sirois, who became part of Indianapolis 500 folklore by nearly earning an improbable pole for the 1969 race, died Sept. 23. He was 91.
Sirois, a native of Shelby, Indiana, made no starts in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” despite attempting to qualify every year from 1969-75. But his close call at earning the top starting spot in unique circumstances in May 1969 became a legendary story in the history of the world’s greatest race.
Midget car standout Sirois drew first in line to attempt to qualify on Pole Day, May 17, 1969, in the No. 14 Gerhardt-Offenhauser owned by California car dealer Myron Caves. After a long rain delay, Sirois entered the 2.5-mile oval late in the afternoon to make the first four-lap qualification attempt of the day.
His first three laps ranged between 160 and 162 mph, but Caves waved off the final lap of the run due to a perceived lack of speed, negating the run. Moments later, Arnie Knepper began his qualifying attempt, but rain began to fall during his warmup laps and continued, washing out all track activity for the rest of the weekend.
If Sirois’ final lap had not been waved off, he would have been the lone qualifier of the weekend and have sat on the coveted provisional pole for that week, perhaps even holding it through Bump Day the next weekend and starting the race from the top spot. Sirois’ second and third attempts the next weekend also were waved off due to lack of speed or mechanical problems, and he didn’t qualify for the race.
Qualification rules were changed in 1971 to guarantee all cars in line on the first day of qualifying at least one chance to make the field during the first round, ending any chance of another “Jigger” story.
Sirois continued to attempt to qualify for the “500” every year through 1975, including the sluggish Jack Adams Turbine in 1970. It was the last qualifying attempt ever for the Indianapolis 500 by a turbine-engine car. He was the second alternate for the 1974 race, falling just short of making the field.
The failure to qualify at Indianapolis belied Sirois’ skill at many levels of open-wheel racing.
Sirois failed to qualify for the five USAC Champ Car races he entered in 1967 driving for team owner Bob Cavanaugh. But he attracted strong attention from Indianapolis 500 car owners in 1968 after he was forced to withdraw from the inaugural USAC Champ Car race at Michigan International Speedway due to clutch failure while running as high as second in low-budget equipment.
He made 10 USAC Champ Car starts, with a best finish of fifth in 1969 at Phoenix. He also finished third – in a turbine-engine car – behind winner A.J. Foyt and Knepper in the rain-shortened Ted Horn Memorial USAC National Dirt Car Championship race in September 1972 at DuQuoin, Illinois.
Sirois enjoyed the most success in midgets, primarily racing around the Chicago area. He won four championships in 1961, including the UARA midget title. He was inducted into the National Midget Racing Hall of Fame in 2013.
One of the most popular veteran drivers, Sirois returned to IMS in May frequently to meet fans and media members, always well-liked for his geniality and courtesy. His sportsmanship surrounding the fateful decision to wave off his 1969 qualifying attempt – he never once blamed Caves or his crew – led the American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association (AARWBA) to create the annual “Jigger Award” to honor the year’s “hard luck” driver during qualifying. Sirois was the first recipient in 1969.
Sirois was born into the sport. His father, Earl “Frenchy” Sirois, was a longtime Indianapolis 500 mechanic who worked on the winning cars of Lee Wallard, Sam Hanks and Jimmy Bryan during his 40-year career. Sirois was named after two-time “500” pole winner Leon Duray.
The legendary nickname “Jigger” referred to two-time Indy 500-winning riding mechanic Jigger Johnson, a family friend. Sirois’ older sister also called him by that name.
Sirois suffered from a stutter that began during a tornado scare near his hometown of Shelby when he was 3 years old. He began to manage his stutter in his mid-60s after receiving speech therapy and worked tirelessly to promote awareness and treatment of stuttering disorders in youth.