F1Weekly Podcast # 1173
ON TODAYS PROGRAM…
MERCEDES CROWNED WORLD CHAMPIONS
NORRIS WINS IN A FAST MCLAREN
MAX DOES… WHAT HE DOES
OCON WAS REALLY JUST A PAIN IN THE ASS!
THIS WEEK’S NASIR HAMEED CORNER… HISTORY OF THE HUNGARIAN GP, WE HAVE AN INTERVIEW WITH FORMER F1 DRIVER JJ LEHTO, SOME BRAZIL GP TRIVIA…
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LANDO…
“It was a very tough race, very, very tough,” said Norris. “Obviously, not the best of launches off the line, but a lot of challenges today, obviously with the conditions. Going onto slicks in the wet is always tough, especially when you’re pushing for the lead and trying to catch up a little bit. So the main thing today was I just kept it cool and I didn’t make any mistakes. And I had the pace when I needed to. So it was good. Nice to be back on the top step, and what a place to do it as well.
Verstappen and Hadjar second and third in Brazilian Grand Prix!
Oracle Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen delivered one of the drives of the 2026 F1 season to power through the field from 21st place on the grid to finish second in the Brazilian Grand Prix as team-mate Isack Hadjar joined him on the podium at Interlagos on a superb day for the team.
After replacing the power unit in his RB22 prior to a rain-lashed qualifying session on Saturday, Verstappen knew he would be starting the Grand Prix from the back of the grid in 21st position. The Dutchman has a history of delivering special drives at the historic Brazilian circuit however, and today was no exception.
As the Grand Prix started on a damp track following earlier rain, Verstappen scythed through the field. By end of Lap 1, he was already in P13 and continued overtaking rivals to advance to P8 by the end of Lap 5 and then second place once the pit stop strategies took effect and newly minted world champion Kimi Antontelli spun his Mercedes.
A late rain shower created a difficult finale to the Grand Prix, but Vertsappen avoided any issues to secure the runner-up position behind dominant race winner Lando Norris of McLaren.
One spot behind Verstappen was team-mate Isack Hadjar, who capitalised on a fifth place grid start and drove another strong and smart race in stressful conditions to secure his third podium finish of the season, after third places in Monaco and Azerbaijan, and secure the double podium for Oracle Red Bull Racing.
After starting from third place on the grid after driving brilliantly in the downpours of Saturday’s qualifying, Visa Cash App RB’s Liam Lawson wasn’t able to mount a podium challenge, but was rewarded with a good points haul for his efforts after coming home in eighth place.
His team-mate Arvid Lindblad didn’t enjoy a great qualifying session, but drove a fighting race in the Grand Prix and only just missed the points in 11th place.
MAX VERSTAPPEN – 2nd
“Starting P21 and making our way up to P2 was a crazy result! We had a lot of fun in the first stint, with great pace and quite a few overtakes, so I was really happy with that. When we switched to slicks, we struggled with a lot of oversteer, which made the car difficult to drive, so I felt there was potentially more in it. Once we switched back to the intermediates, things improved again.
“To finish second here is fantastic. Hopefully, next year we can start a bit further up the grid, but racing in the wet always gives you more opportunities and that certainly helped us today. We scored some important points for the team in the Constructors’ Championship, so we need to keep pushing, learn from this weekend and carry that momentum into the remaining races.”
ISACK HADJAR – 3rd
“It was such a demanding race, with incredibly challenging conditions, but I really enjoyed it. I’ve never faced so many challenges in a single race, but we handled them really well as a team and I’m very happy we came away with a double podium. A big thank you to the pit crew, who did an amazing job today and helped us stay in the fight.
“I struggled a little during the middle of the stint on intermediates, but things started to improve and we were very competitive on the softs, even with the rain returning towards the end. I really enjoyed the battle with Kimi in the final laps. It was great racing him and even better to finish on the podium alongside two fantastic drivers.
“It’s a really rewarding result for the whole team. We’re moving in the right direction with the car and this gives us a lot of confidence heading into the remaining races.”
LAURENT MEKIES – CEO & Team Principal
“What a fantastic result for the whole team here in São Paulo. Max delivered another masterclass drive, fighting his way from P21 to P2 in a way only he can do. That’s now three consecutive podiums here in Brazil from P17 or lower. You could almost say we’re getting used to it, but it never stops being outstanding to watch the way he races here, particularly in such challenging conditions.
“It’s also been a fantastic weekend for Isack. He continued to build his confidence and performance throughout the weekend and delivered a fantastic race today, securing his third podium of the season in an example of clever racing. To have both drivers on the podium is a tremendous reward and true team effort from the whole group. The conditions were incredibly difficult to judge and the drivers and team executed to perfection, from strategy to pit-stops.
“It wasn’t all straightforward, though. We were very competitive on the intermediates, but from when we switched Max to the dry tyres, we experienced a significant change in balance that made things more difficult. We will need to understand that and keep pushing, because Lando ultimately had a little more pace than us today. Overall, this double podium is a fantastic achievement and a reflection of the hard work, commitment and determination that define this team.”
George Russell
It was a pretty eventful race today. We had really strong pace at times, particularly on the Soft tyre, and that was a big positive for me. I made a mistake at the pit exit when I was perhaps taking too much risk; I saw an opportunity to fight for the win and wanted to go for it. Ultimately, I don’t think it changed our finishing position too much. We struggled more on the Intermediate towards the end, so there are definitely things for us to understand, but overall, I’m leaving this weekend encouraged by my performance. I’ve been working hard to get back to that level consistently and I’ve felt much more like myself here.
Most importantly, we achieved what we came here to do and won the Constructors’ Championship. We would have liked to have done it in a bit more style today, but it’s an incredible achievement for everyone in the team. We’ve had four difficult years and the whole organisation put so much work into getting us back into this position. When I joined Mercedes in 2022, we hoped we’d be fighting for championships regularly, so to have gone through that journey and now get back to the top is something we should all be incredibly proud of.
Winning the Constructors’ World Championship is always the ultimate reflection of a team effort. This sport isn’t just about the two drivers who are in the car every weekend; it’s about the thousands of decisions made back at the factories and the determination of every person who contributes to the performance of the team.
Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEOWinning the world championship is a proud moment for every member of our team. F1 is a people business. The trophies may be handed over at the track, but success starts in our factories, in our meeting rooms, on the simulator, in the machine shops, and with every individual who contributes to our performance.
What makes me happiest today is seeing the reward for that effort. The men and women in Brackley and Brixworth have shown once again what can be achieved when talented people work together with humility, determination and a shared purpose. They have fought for every point, every improvement and every opportunity throughout the season.
This achievement has also been made possible by the strength of the partnerships that surround our team. PETRONAS has stood alongside us for more than a decade and continues to be an integral part of our performance. Their expertise, innovation and collaborative approach help drive us forward every day, whether through the development of our race fuels and lubricants or their work on advanced sustainable fuel technologies that will help shape the future of motorsport and mobility. We are equally grateful to Mercedes-AMG and the wider Mercedes-Benz organisation for their unwavering support and belief in what we do, and to INEOS for their commitment to our team and our long-term ambitions. Alongside them, our global partner family provides expertise, technology and support that helps us operate at the level required to compete for world championships.
We will enjoy this achievement because everyone has earned that right. Then, very quickly, our focus will turn to the next challenge. That is the mentality that has shaped this team and will continue to drive us forward. That is more important than ever as today wasn’t an easy afternoon for us. We had the pace to win today but suffered during both transition points. We would obviously have liked to finish the job in a more convincing way, but ultimately, we scored the points we needed. These last few races have been challenging at times and today was another difficult one, so there is plenty for us to understand and improve.
That doesn’t take anything away from what this team has achieved across the season though. We started the year incredibly strongly and that gave us the foundation that ultimately got us over the line today. I’m incredibly proud of everyone in this organisation. It has taken us several years to get back to the top, and that has required an enormous amount of determination and hard work from everyone at Brackley and Brixworth. Not many teams have been able to come back from a period like that and win again. This championship belongs to every single person in this team.
Kimi Antonelli
I’m disappointed with my race today because I really felt the win was there. We had a very strong start and the pace on the Intermediates was really good. Once we switched to the Soft tyre, I was getting into a good rhythm, but I started to feel something strange with the rear of the car. It was very unstable, particularly in some of the high-speed corners, and I then had the spin. That flat-spotted the tyres and compromised the rest of the race. When we put a new set on later, the pace was strong again, so it’s frustrating and we need to understand exactly what happened.
We can put that disappointment aside though because today is a great day for the team. Everyone deserves this Constructors’ Championship. It’s not only the boys and girls here at the track, but everyone back at Brackley and Brixworth, the support of Mercedes-Benz, PETRONAS and all our partners. They have worked incredibly hard to give us this car and the opportunity to fight for both championships. They helped me achieve my dream last weekend and I’m incredibly happy that today we could achieve this together. I’m very grateful to be part of this team. We’ll enjoy this moment, but we want to keep winning, so we’ll keep pushing and try to finish the season on a high.
Fernando Alonso
RACE RESULT 12
“The car felt strong today, particularly in the corners, and we were having some good fights out on track. I think it was one of our most competitive races, but we were struggling for performance on the straights. We made a strong start in the wet conditions, but then I couldn’t avoid contact with Ollie [Bearman] who lost some control of his car in Turn 3. There are positives to take from this weekend, and we need to keep working hard to close the gap for next year.”
ALAN JONES…1946-2026
Jones was the second and last Australian to win the world championship in an F1 career that featured 12 victories and 24 podium finishes. He followed Jack Brabham, a three-time champion in the 1950s-60s.
‘Australian icon and a Williams legend’
Williams said Jones formed an “extraordinary bond” with the team’s founders to win the title in its fourth season as an F1 constructor.
“He set the standard for Williams champions: a fast, uncompromising racer with a challenger mentality who loved motor racing and dedicated his life to it,” Williams said in a statement. “He is a true Australian icon and a Williams legend, and he will be dearly missed. We send our love and thoughts to the Jones family and all his friends.”
F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali hailed “a true great of our sport and an extraordinary racer,” adding: “Alan was a formidable competitor, a natural leader and an icon who inspired generations of fans, particularly in his beloved Australia.”
Tough as tough on the race track
Jones was known for his aggressive driving style and abrasive personality. “If someone passed me, I took it personally,” he said on a 2019 podcast.
In an era when deaths and serious injuries weren’t uncommon in F1, Jones started each year by checking his life insurance and making travel plans for his wife to return to Australia if he was killed, but said he never personally feared death in a race.
“I never worried about the dangers,” he said. “I worried about the money.”
Success was far from assured in Frank Williams’ second attempt at launching an F1 team after years toward the back of the grid.
Frank Williams was adept at defusing Jones’ temper and keeping him focused, car designer Patrick Head was at the cutting edge of F1 thinking, and wealthy Saudi Arabian sponsors funded the team to deliver on its ambitions. On top of that, Jones’ driving style and physical strength were a good fit for the team’s FW07 car.
Jones was runner-up in 1979 before going one better in 1980. He didn’t seek to make friends with other F1 drivers.
“They were just things that had to be passed,” was how he described his rivals in the 2019 podcast “Beyond The Grid.” After one public feud with his Argentine teammate Carlos Reutemann, Jones needed a police escort for his next race in Argentina.
A wave?
Disappointed that Ferrari went back on what Jones later claimed was a signed contract for him to drive for the Italian team in 1977, he bore a grudge.
“When I used to drive down pit lane and they were working on their cars, I’d give them a little wave,” he said later. “Now, I might have only used one finger but it was a wave!”
Jones was born in Melbourne in 1946 and was the son of a successful amateur racing driver. He moved to Britain in the late 1960s and funded his journey to F1 by buying and selling old vans.
Jones drove for small teams when he arrived in F1. His first win for Shadow in 1977 from 14th on the grid came as such a surprise to organizers of the Austrian Grand Prix that they hadn’t prepared a recording of the Australia anthem for the podium ceremony. Jones later recalled that “a drunk played ‘Happy Birthday’ on a trumpet” instead.
After an unsuccessful title defense in 1981 — Jones believed he’d driven better than before but the car let him down — he headed back to Australia and bought a farm. Homesickness and a dislike for the British weather played a part.
Still, Jones was soon bored of his new life as a cattle breeder and made a one-off F1 comeback in 1983 with Arrows before returning with Haas — no relation to the current F1 team of the same name. The car wasn’t competitive and Jones had a best finish of fourth before leaving F1 again in 1986.
— with Nasir Hameed and Toby Dawes.
American Dairy Association Indiana
Extends Partnership With IMS.
NDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026) – American Dairy Association Indiana has renewed its multiyear partnership with Indianapolis Motor Speedway, continuing its longstanding role in one of the most iconic celebrations and symbols of victory – an ice-cold bottle of milk after 500 miles of racing – for years to come.
The tradition of drinking milk after winning the Indianapolis 500 dates back to 1936, when Louis Meyer, an avid drinker of buttermilk, requested a bottle after earning his third Indy 500 victory. As the story goes, a dairy industry executive saw the newsreel footage of the iconic moment and requested milk be made available to the winner of each Indianapolis 500 thereafter.
These days, buttermilk is no longer offered as an option. All 33 drivers entered in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge submit their milk preference to ADAI in advance. They can choose between whole milk, 2% reduced fat milk or skim milk. Whole milk is the most popular choice, but there are some drivers who still request buttermilk in honor of Meyer.
“Drinking an ice-cold bottle of milk has become a symbol of victory and is one of the most treasured traditions here at IMS,” INDYCAR and IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “Rooted in Louis Meyer’s surprise victory lane request in 1936, a cold bottle of milk has become an expectation to greet the winning driving in victory lane each year. At Indy, ‘Winners Drink Milk,’ and we look forward to continuing to celebrate winners with the ADAI.”
Each May, two Indiana dairy farmers are selected to serve as milk presenters, delivering the coveted bottle of milk to the Indianapolis 500 winner during the post-race celebration.
“There’s something really special about knowing Indiana dairy farmers are part of one of the most iconic traditions in sports,” ADAI CEO Jenni Browning said. “Our dairy farm families take tremendous pride in presenting milk to the Indianapolis 500 winner – a moment that celebrates the hard work, dedication and passion shared by farmers and drivers alike. We’re grateful for our longstanding partnership with IMS and proud to carry this tradition forward together.”
In addition to the milk selection tradition, ADAI will continue to support the Fastest Rookie Luncheon that honors rookie qualifiers for the Indianapolis 500 each year. The annual Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year trophy also is sponsored by ADAI. Last year, the trophy awarded to the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year was redesigned and features the famous Marmon “Wasp,” which Ray Harroun drove to win the inaugural race in 1911.
ADAI is a not-for-profit promotion, communication and nutrition education organization funded by and serving Indiana dairy farm families.
The 111th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is scheduled for Sunday, May 30. Tickets are on sale at IMS.com or by visiting the IMS Ticket Office.
DONINGTON PARK TO HOST 2027 BTCC SEASON LAUNCH
Snetterton and Croft confirmed for official pre-season testing
TOCA – series organiser of the British Touring Car Championship – has confirmed its pre-season test dates and official Season Launch ahead of the 2027 campaign.
The first official pre-season action will get underway at Snetterton on 9/10 March, with the Norfolk circuit hosting a two-day test as teams and drivers begin preparations for the new season.
Attention will then turn to Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire, which will stage two further days of official testing on 18/19 March.
The annual Season Launch will take place at Donington Park on 31 March, bringing the championship’s teams and drivers together ahead of another eagerly anticipated season.
Drivers and teams will participate in official pre-season media activities and interviews with ITV Sport, the BTCC Media Team and other championship partners at Donington Park on 30 March, although this day will be closed to the public.
The Leicestershire venue will also host the opening rounds of the 2027 campaign on 10/11 April, with the championship returning to the National circuit just ten days after the Season Launch.
The three pre-season events will provide a sustained build-up to the new campaign, with official BTCC activity beginning in early March and continuing towards the opening race weekend in April.
Further information regarding the Season Launch programme, spectator access and activities at each venue will be announced in due course.
Please monitor the official BTCC, Snetterton, Croft and Donington Park social media channels for additional information as each event approaches.
BTCC 2027 Pre-Season Dates:
- 9/10 March – Snetterton (Official Test)
- 18/19 March – Croft (Official Test)
- 31 March – Donington Park (Season Launch)