Send us your Australian GP F1 podcast questions!
Added 2025-03-15 14:00:15 +0000 UTCAt last! It's finally time to submit your questions for our Australian GP podcast that Edd Straw and the team will be recording in the hours after the race on Sunday.
For all of our newer members who have joined since the end of last year: these posts always go out between qualifying and the race on each weekend, and this is where Edd gets the questions to include in our post-race show and also any midweek extras where we answer more questions that we couldn't get to straight after the GP.
We look forward to seeing what you've got for us at the start of 2025!
Comments
A classy gesture by Hamilton, no doubt. However I’m with Marko on this one.
Curtis
2025-03-17 21:50:32 +0000 UTC+1. Palmer asked Horner basically this very question in the F1TV postrace show. He phrased it as whether TSU would’ve been closer to VER in a Red Bull than he was in the Racing Bull. Palmer clearly didn’t think he would’ve been. Also HAD was .55s faster than LAW in Q1. What implications does this have for the relative strengths of those two cars?
Curtis
2025-03-17 21:50:06 +0000 UTCSending this very late but maybe gets picked up midweek. Has anyone found out what Anthony Hamilton sad to Hajar? I was so impressed with him for stepping in and passing on some comfort and pearls of wisdom.
Chris Parrott
2025-03-17 08:45:04 +0000 UTCDo you think Ver would have been faster in the racing bull this weekend? 0.2 in quali is less than hé usually has on his teammates...
David Hiß
2025-03-17 07:38:55 +0000 UTCNew member and f1 fan here. I’m astonished how little time it seems drivers actually get to drive f1 cars. Well below the 10,000 hour rules to become an expert. How many hours does a driver actually drive in a season or year?
Jenny
2025-03-16 20:28:39 +0000 UTCCar recovery seemed to take a very long time on Sunday. Has anything changed for 2025?
Richard
2025-03-16 19:47:35 +0000 UTCLikely this could be down to the floor damage Mclaren are reporting Norris had
Andrew Barker
2025-03-16 17:34:00 +0000 UTCToday we saw Norris asking for the team to consider fitting inters...before it had even started raining. Do you think this is born out of paranoia from Sochi 2021 or is it evidence that he might not be ready for the big title charge?
Andrew Barker
2025-03-16 17:32:46 +0000 UTCGood shout - thanks!
Michael Passingham
2025-03-16 16:42:14 +0000 UTCOne of the narratives around Lewis Hamilton's performance so far has been his having to adapt to a new team, car, engine etc. Meanwhile Nico Hulkenberg outscored him in Melbourne while also driving a new car with a new engine for a new team - and a much worse car, too - without a peep about any adaptation issues. It leads me to wonder how long this adaptation process can be a valid explanation for his struggles - and from what moment on it starts being an excuse for underperformance. What are your views on this? Are we not simply also witnessing a continued struggle with this generation of cars?
Davy Coolen
2025-03-16 15:28:21 +0000 UTCAt what point does Tsunoda get a sympathy corner
Antonio Forte
2025-03-16 13:35:43 +0000 UTCEven though I’m Not the biggest verstappen fan I totally agree It’s weird that he was being hounded to the line when he previously easily made a 15 second gap to max
Simracer Sam
2025-03-16 13:23:02 +0000 UTCWhat needs to happen for the Full Wets to become usable competitive tires again?
David Trippler
2025-03-16 13:20:40 +0000 UTCDeclan May-chin - Do you think a trial by fire like this is good for the rookies first time out?
Declan Machin
2025-03-16 12:40:48 +0000 UTCDid sainz make an error, or was it a car issue?
rod
2025-03-16 12:28:40 +0000 UTCTo me it looked like Ferrari were gambling on a red flag when the last safety car was called and they were p2+p3. What happened seemed to be an inverse of Brazil 24 with cars staying out and red flags. But all it would have taken is someone to crash with more debris than we saw (or even just a more cautious approach from the race director). Then Ferrari would be able to change tyres in the red flag and bank the gains of staying out. Is F1 interested to try and fix the randomness that safety cars and red flags bring to the competitive order? (New member, but I've been enjoying the race for over a year!)
Matt Tucker
2025-03-16 12:21:06 +0000 UTCGood afternoon all, what do you think was in it for both Ferrari drivers with better strategy calls? Do you think Carlos' mistake had anything to do with still getting used to the car? Different behavior in specific situations? And how good was the Williams in the dry? Thanks, David
David Hiß
2025-03-16 12:06:42 +0000 UTCJust one - what the f*** was that?
Matthew Pope
2025-03-16 11:26:39 +0000 UTCProbably something about mgu-k deployment, to help overtaking. That’s why he said he wasn’t close enough to use it, every team has different mgu-k modes to give the driver an extra boost to overtake
Rol4nd86
2025-03-16 11:19:15 +0000 UTCWhat were Ferrari thinking??
Xerxes Balsara
2025-03-16 11:18:33 +0000 UTCMartin Brundle mentioned that this was an ‘all-time’ drive from Lando Norris. Am I wrong for thinking that’s very overblown, given the pace in the car and its ability to warm the tyres, especially up against Verstappen’s far inferior machinery.
James Hoyle
2025-03-16 11:17:29 +0000 UTCWhy were Ferrari so slow?
Dan
2025-03-16 11:03:48 +0000 UTCNew member here - absolutely love all your content and insights! Who exactly makes the decisions about calling a red flag or safety car, and what information/ footage do they see? How on earth were marshals and heavy machinery allowed literally meters away from cars on a slippery track?! (Shoutout to the marshal at T6 standing on the edge of the track just watching them go past!!!) We saw multiple cars bin it by barely touching the throttle and at very slow speed. It baffles me that everyone watching can see this unfolding and the risks involved but no action is taken by the officials?
Alex97
2025-03-16 11:01:02 +0000 UTCHow important a mental advantage will Norris take forwards given his huge points lead over his teammate and title rival after just one race (Oscar’s home race too) and holding off max in conditions that he often dominates in?
Phil Pittard
2025-03-16 10:29:12 +0000 UTCHad the same thought. Was wincing each time they showed cars going by with the removal vehicles on track. Seemed so wet that any could slip into them at any moment, especially given how a few of the incidents today were at relatively low speed.
Andrew Narduzzi
2025-03-16 10:09:36 +0000 UTCAre the rookies’ mistakes today excusable, making Sainz’ error inexcusable? Or was the fact that Sainz also crashed sufficient reason to excuse the rookie’s mistakes (particularly Hadjar and Doohan so early in the race)?
Andrew Narduzzi
2025-03-16 10:05:09 +0000 UTCPersonally, I found the team orders chat so early in the season to be annoying. It also seemed to throw off Oscar quite a bit. In the heat of a battle on track, do you think the team orders message threw Oscar off, or was his quicker pace a passing moment?
Andrew Narduzzi
2025-03-16 10:02:16 +0000 UTCAny word on the Haas pace this weekend? They looked well off the pace.
Andrew Ferg
2025-03-16 09:52:33 +0000 UTCWhat’s the K1 button Lewis was trying to figure out?
Michael Passingham
2025-03-16 09:51:11 +0000 UTCDoes the incidents with the rookies this weekend, prove that Rookies should be allowed more testing prior to their first season?
Andrew Ferg
2025-03-16 09:48:41 +0000 UTCHow was piastri able to get back on the track after initially being stuck in the grass? Is there someting in the reverse option that gave him more traction?
Jurriaan Beelen
2025-03-16 09:47:55 +0000 UTCHow would you say the rookies have performed told weekend? (Lawson included) and is it a big deal that Antonelli managed to bring it home with few mistakes? Also, please explain Bearman and Haas. What is going on with them??
Siva Visagan
2025-03-16 09:40:43 +0000 UTCWant to echo the sentiments of others regarding if a red flag would have been better than a safety car. We had Lando going close to a crane and a marshall on the track too, in wet conditions it feels it could have been easy (as we saw) for people to still lose it and spin off and hit either people or cranes.
David Saiya
2025-03-16 09:38:27 +0000 UTCIt was my understanding that since Bianci’s tragic incident there was a firm rule in place that if any machinery was deployed on track a red flag was required. Is this no longer the case? Or was this simply rhetoric from f1 rather than an actual ruling? This race was obviously littered with safety cars, and in the wet it was clear that even holding onto the car in straight lines at low speed was highly challenging, and the possibility of a serious incident was incredibly high. But on the flip side it would seem that in the absence of cranes available Albert Park’s race could not have functioned in any other way. How can this be fixed for 2026?
Martin Hills
2025-03-16 09:32:34 +0000 UTCWhy were so many teams reactive rather than proactive when it came to the rain late on? Given the meteorological technology now on offer, the teams still seem to rely on someone telling them its raining rather than reacting to what the radar is showing then.
TheLedge86
2025-03-16 09:24:44 +0000 UTCWhat has this weekend impacted how far along y'all are on the Williams Hype Train? (Also: I am here for Piastri's spunk!)
Stranded_Colourwork
2025-03-16 08:47:43 +0000 UTCFinal q from me: Has Hulkenberg in one race fully justified Audi's decision to sign him and not retain Bottas? Whist there's no doubt GB will out pace him at times and may be a future star, Hulk is perfect to steer the team through this transition and will take advantage of any opportunities like he did last season at Haas.
Ed Mars
2025-03-16 08:46:42 +0000 UTCAre there any alternatives to flat bed recovery trucks around Albert Park? Whilst I don't want red flags, some of the recovery seemed a bit of a 90s throwback.
Ed Mars
2025-03-16 08:41:28 +0000 UTCDo you think that F1 cars in their current form are no longer suitable for racing? Even with wet conditions there were few passes before the track dried and the DRS waa active. I know Melbourne is difficult at best of times, but it does not bode well
Ed Mars
2025-03-16 08:29:01 +0000 UTCmclaren are adamant in their post race interviews that while it is the best car, it is not by a lot. How big a win do they want to finally say yes we have a dominant car. and telling piastri to hold position when he is in drs range then telling him to race when he is 3 sec behind is a annoying
VENKATESH REDDY
2025-03-16 08:16:42 +0000 UTCHow was the McLaren seemingly able to fire up its tyres so quickly, whilst simultaneously making them last longer than anyone else? Surely the former would be a trade-off for the latter?
Sidders99
2025-03-16 08:13:00 +0000 UTCSo who thinks Helmut is going through his phone book looking up the number for Perez after this weekend.
Simon Pope
2025-03-16 08:08:51 +0000 UTCWe're Doohan and Hadjar guilty of rookie errors or were the conditions down to chance at the start?
Adam Barton
2025-03-16 08:00:21 +0000 UTCWas Verstappen a bit more circumspect at the end of the race with Norris than he has been in the past given he doesnt have a championship lead or was he too far back to make a move in the last couple of laps?
Adam Barton
2025-03-16 07:57:56 +0000 UTCTotally. Certainly felt like they were a bit rusty on that front for some reason
Liam Scully
2025-03-16 07:51:52 +0000 UTCWas Albon’s finishing position testimony of the Williams pace, the weather conditions or a combination of both (not discounting Albon’s abilities)?
Oscar Robledo
2025-03-16 07:33:33 +0000 UTCCould you please comment about the anticlimax of the Lando vs Oscar McLaren battle. I am not referring to both going off and Oscar falling off the lead lap, as this was a flip of a coin as to who would recover. I am referring to the implementation of Team Orders even before the halfway mark of the race. You could see Oscar had to then back off to build a gap for double stacking. Do you believe this affected Oscars race (ignoring the off later). The first 20 laps of McLaren dominance reminded me of the 1998 Melbourne race. A race I was sitting directly opposite MSC Ferrari pits (worst race ever to see in person!)
Nick of Oz
2025-03-16 07:04:04 +0000 UTCInteresting that McLaren could extend their tyres in qualifying to win pole yet apparently able to get heat into them more quickly in the race than even Max. Would have thought if they were easier on their tyres then they would have been harder to get heat into them.
Tony Geran
2025-03-16 06:58:24 +0000 UTCIt felt as though every Hamilton radio was being played and honestly it felt quite jarring. The broadcaster was trying to play to the narrative despite the conversations feeling relatively normal, is this an indication of how the Hamilton Ferrari relationship will be portrayed in the media or will this hyper fixation end?
Michael Suli
2025-03-16 06:50:56 +0000 UTCIs that THE Kimi Antonelli that everyone’s been hyping up? Fantastic drive, only rookie to keep all four wheels going round on the tarmac. Who was the most recent rookie who provided such an incredible drive on debut?
Dan Neale
2025-03-16 06:49:23 +0000 UTCLewis Hamilton in his first Ferrari race got the full Ferrari strategy blunder. Did Ferrari just put all there chips on no rain?
Alex Hindley
2025-03-16 06:47:52 +0000 UTCAny guesses how it would have played out if everyone made the right call on strategy? Max win, points for tsunoda, podium for Ferrari?
Robin BE
2025-03-16 06:47:41 +0000 UTCNot bad race but would have been much better if the saftey car hadn’t been on track for 25plus laps Might have been better with at least one red
Simracer Sam
2025-03-16 06:40:27 +0000 UTCGreat wildcard weather season opener and we also get to look forward to finding out who has the genuine dry weather pace next weekend in China too. Win win.
Ben Johnson
2025-03-16 06:34:15 +0000 UTCUnless I'm mistaken, I just watched my first live race without a Newey accredited car on the grid. There must be quite a few of us, how long has it been?
Hugo Holmes
2025-03-16 06:30:50 +0000 UTCIn hindsight, what was the ideal tyre strategy for the late race rain? Was there any gamble that could've launched someone from the middle of the pack to the lead, or did McLaren and Norris nail their choices?
Anssi Rulamo
2025-03-16 06:30:24 +0000 UTCA lot of questions about Hamilton living up to ferraris pressure. After what can only be called a dissapointment of a race for both drivers, should the question rather be if Ferrari can cope with the pressure of having Leclerc and Hamilton as a line-up?
Seymen
2025-03-16 06:26:13 +0000 UTCQuestion about how the sausage is made so to speak. Considering how crazy the V8 races got, do you guys get the chance to watch the support categories? Or are you too busy fishing for interviews?
Jasper Pendlebury
2025-03-16 06:23:04 +0000 UTCSurely Haas must be rueing not sticking with the gamble, big chance of points wasted when the car isn’t yet seemingly in the window
Christian Rose
2025-03-16 06:19:56 +0000 UTCWhat is the feeling in the Ferrari camp after this race? Did they just get the setup/strategy wrong or is there something inherently wrong with the car?
Hatman
2025-03-16 06:15:58 +0000 UTCNot a question but all of Australia are really hurting right now. 😢 great race. So close to disaster for almost every driver on the grid
James Rowland
2025-03-16 06:12:37 +0000 UTCLast comment I promise. Max has just shown why he is still a title contender even if his car looks mid at best. In equal machinery no one gets close (from a Lando fan)
Jack Lunn
2025-03-16 06:08:53 +0000 UTCAntonelli showed what he was made out to be today, a spectacular and measured drive from 16th to 5th. We know he had issues in qualifying, which lead to the low starting position. How long do you think it will be until he is pushing or beating Russell on a regular basis?
Elliot Davison
2025-03-16 06:08:30 +0000 UTCThe timing tower not showing the gaps for half the race was so frustrating. Felt so difficult building a picture of what battles were going on
Michael Suli
2025-03-16 06:05:33 +0000 UTCWhy did Haas take off inters and not just complete the gamble around lap 40? Got bearman lapped again and could have scored them big points.
Michael Suli
2025-03-16 06:04:28 +0000 UTCA lot of respect earnt by Kimi Antonelli today. Worked his way through traffic . Kept his car on the tarmac and matched Russell when he got past Albon. How does that rank for a debut?
Jack Lunn
2025-03-16 06:04:25 +0000 UTCMax seemed a lot closer to the McLaren’s in wet conditions. Is that a Max trait or a car trait?
Chris Parrott
2025-03-16 06:03:53 +0000 UTCWhat’s with the race direction? I felt we missed quite a lot of action
Liam Scully
2025-03-16 05:58:22 +0000 UTCLando seemed much more aggressive shutting both piastri and max off at the start. Is this a showing of learning over the winter ?
Jack Lunn
2025-03-16 05:57:35 +0000 UTCOther question, is this the most chaotic race in recent memory?
Cade
2025-03-16 05:56:15 +0000 UTCFive laps before the end. But has lando and McLaren just done max verstappen and red bull type things. Leading comfortably through all conditions. Calling the best strategy. And (hopefully) winning the race. A sign of things to come ?
Jack Lunn
2025-03-16 05:50:26 +0000 UTCWhy did Haas bail out of staying out? If you're going to do that why chicken out? They had nothing to lose and everything to gain, nonsensical decision. Ferrari will get the headlines, but that was an abysmal call.
Michael Brown
2025-03-16 05:49:40 +0000 UTCTo add to this I know Mark Hughes did an excellent article on why Verstappen destroys his teammates last year, but are Red Bull following a development route that in theory offers the quickest car but only Max has the ability and confidence to extract the most out of?
Connor Bacon
2025-03-16 05:48:56 +0000 UTCEasy to say with the benefit of hindsight, but would Ferrari have been better off splitting the strategy between the two cars when the rain hit on lap 47?
Stuart Coulter
2025-03-16 05:47:48 +0000 UTCFirst of all, THIS IS FUCKING WILD!!!! (currently on lap 47) Question: isn't there a huge disincentive to be the first one to pull the trigger on a pit stop in these changing conditions, because even if you get it right, if there's a high likelihood of an imminent safety car, you basically lose time? Or is taking the initiative in such situations still the right call? How do teams balance the potential advantage of being the first to switch to the "right" tire, vs taking a "wait and see" approach and gambling on a faster stop?
Cade
2025-03-16 05:44:57 +0000 UTCIs it just coincidence that all the Ferrari powered cars were very underwhelming at best or do they have any issues with drivability in the wet? If Ferrari go to China and have the same level of competitiveness will they be the first to bail on 2025 development? McLaren will be miles ahead before they get the car sorted
Thomas Knights
2025-03-16 05:37:15 +0000 UTCNot a race question but critical: The new Concorde agreement has been signed by all 11 teams moving forward. Do you have some more details on how the balance of money will change and potentially be slightly more equitable overall? What other changes are in this new Concorde in light of F1's push towards sustainability and other equity goals (e.g women in sport etc.)?
Alexander Law
2025-03-16 05:26:07 +0000 UTCCarlos Sainz sympathy corner?
Nate B
2025-03-16 05:24:37 +0000 UTCInteresting, they did that during the F2 sprint race. When Esterson went off the two marshal teams at Turn 6 went on track to clean the track up. When the cars were close to coming through the teams stood to the side but one of the marshals stood on the outer edge of the track as a point of reference between the race line and the stranded car. They had a whistle that they blew when it was not safe and then again when it was. I think it's operating procedure.
Alexander Law
2025-03-16 05:16:15 +0000 UTCWe've heard it said that rain is the great equaliser, but today we saw Max massively chew through his tyres in the first phase of the race, while the McLarens' seemed much better. Is there something about the modern era of cars or tyres that result in this kind of dynamic? Was the McLaren just generically better today?
Rio
2025-03-16 05:14:14 +0000 UTCMy question is ... should the race have been Red Flagged whilst they cleared Jack Doohan's car? The optics of two marshalls standing on the road next to a heavy truck whilst the Safety car went past was a little disconcerting. Edit: as was Lando overtaking a moving truck on the exit of Turn 10 with the SC out.
Michael Holden
2025-03-16 04:32:21 +0000 UTCHadjar on his phone during the anthem… nek minnut
Kyle
2025-03-16 04:06:47 +0000 UTCI'd like to explore how much Max is carrying this Red Bull team. Even during the "dominant" 2023 season, it seems that Max, perhaps more than any prior driver is the key ingredient in success, and perhaps the car has been flattered by his ability. Where do we really think Red Bull is, and if they loose Max, how far would they fall?
Richard Matera
2025-03-16 03:19:17 +0000 UTCWhat was worse from round 1: Bearman's lead up to the race, or the new opening TV credits?
Vin Narayan
2025-03-16 01:03:13 +0000 UTCMy BIG question for 2025: Will Fernando’s patience & forbearance carry him through another full, and very long, season? 😂
Butch McGee
2025-03-15 23:13:33 +0000 UTCKimi Antonelli’s car looked like a fire work show during qualifying. As a new F1 fan if floor damage were to happen during a race what are the rules and penalties with being to sparky?
Durk Hurk
2025-03-15 23:11:10 +0000 UTCWon’t happen once Liam gets his rhythm. Plus Max seems happy to coach LL.
Butch McGee
2025-03-15 23:10:30 +0000 UTCDid any of the teams appear to consider a wet race in their FP3 set ups on Saturday Ed? I’d imagine a wet / damp setup on a hot dry track would put the softs under a bit of duress.
Butch McGee
2025-03-15 23:06:50 +0000 UTCWhen "top" drivers go out on new soft tyres in Q1 and Q2, are they pushing flat out or trying to save the tyre for the race? How do they know how much or little to push?
Daniel Hayes
2025-03-15 22:12:41 +0000 UTCHow embarrasing would it be for Red Bull (and or) Lawson if Tsunoda was to beat him a fair ammount of times thru this season?
Bendik Stokke
2025-03-15 22:11:55 +0000 UTCIt's early to be giving predictions, but it appears to me that this era has turned into a drivers era. With the overall team performance becoming more evenly matched, can we start to say that the driver has more impact than the manufacturer? Overall speed seems to be driver centered verses who can build the fastest car.
Ethan Fish
2025-03-15 21:46:29 +0000 UTCWhich cars traits are likely best suited to rain? Which drivers?
rod
2025-03-15 21:31:09 +0000 UTCWhat does the history of rainy races at Albert park look like for the pole sitter?
rod
2025-03-15 21:29:30 +0000 UTCHow high, theoretically, can we expect Kimi to finish?
rod
2025-03-15 21:28:41 +0000 UTCHow did Jack’s qualifying performance impact his outlook internally at alpine?
rod
2025-03-15 21:27:19 +0000 UTCHow real is the qualifying gap McLaren has to the rest of the field?
rod
2025-03-15 21:26:27 +0000 UTCI also agree with you, Bart. This is, I think, a condition born out of the affects of ‘reality TV mind’ that has maybe created this reactionary state, akin to the ‘voting a person off the island’ or however those sorts of shows work. As we know, DTS definitely hypes the personal drama side and that feeds into the behaviours you’ve so astutely observed.
Lane
2025-03-15 21:05:28 +0000 UTCBit of a general, long winded, question but is elite single seater racing in the best condition it's every been in? F1s on track product is the best it's been in years, Liberty is really pushing the off track product, Indy cars on track product is consistently excellent and Fox is really pushing the off track product. F2, F3 and F1 Academy is being broadcast live, and nearly ever present at F1 races. Add into this the indepth coverage provided by journalists, particularly at The Race, it seems to me that we are entering a golden age of the sport.
Derek Hourigan
2025-03-15 20:36:03 +0000 UTCIs Redbull now confirmed as a one-car team? Endless reasonable drivers (many of whom excelled elsewhere) apparently hopeless once in the B-side of the Redbull garage. Marko at pains to slate other drivers while either making dud choices himself, or torpedoing the chances of anyone in the ‘other’ side of the garage through not giving both the same focus/energy
Egg Straw
2025-03-15 20:09:07 +0000 UTCAre Red Bull incapable of running two cars at the front? Reference points being Brabham in the early 1980’s with Piquet and Benetton in the early 1990’s with Schumacher.
Andrew
2025-03-15 20:06:53 +0000 UTCHow satisfying was it to be there in person to see Hamilton making history and winning on his Ferrari debut?
Egg Straw
2025-03-15 20:04:59 +0000 UTCIt's on a rotating deal with Saudi & Bahrain with Australia getting at least 4 opening slots over the next decade.
Steve D
2025-03-15 20:01:05 +0000 UTCWe hear a lot that “Melbourne is a very specific type of circuit” In a world now where there are a lot of variations of street circuits on the calendar, what is it about Melbourne that keeps it as a unique track and not one teams can always use to get a read on their all round competitiveness?
Rich Snape
2025-03-15 19:58:14 +0000 UTCAnother thing I wounder is how quick is that vcarb for it to be that close to verstappen who is known to outperform his machinery.
Tyler Hall
2025-03-15 19:01:07 +0000 UTClol 😂 right! The team would be the same without him.
The Ferrari Fan Club Podcast
2025-03-15 18:51:00 +0000 UTCAustralia is totally my favorite season opener. You’re right about the atmosphere, it just makes sense. The time is great for the US. I get a Saturday night race which is perfect!
The Ferrari Fan Club Podcast
2025-03-15 18:50:01 +0000 UTCThat car is terrible. When all the most recent drivers fail in the second car it starts to become a team issue.
The Ferrari Fan Club Podcast
2025-03-15 18:47:50 +0000 UTCThis hadn't occurred to me in previous seasons, but after seeing McLaren's striking liveries in the F3 and F2 races, I'm wondering whether the teams' spending on their respective driver academies counts toward the cost cap. If not, wouldn't the stronger potential driver pool for well funded teams give them an advantage? If so, how does something like McLaren's IndyCar team fit in...really just wondering how the line is drawn.
Christian
2025-03-15 18:45:39 +0000 UTCWhat do you think about Lawson especially in qualifying, obviously he has never driven here before but the amount of mistakes and times he went off on that final lap was a bit excessive.
Tyler Hall
2025-03-15 18:00:26 +0000 UTCDid any of the rookies put in an outstanding/eye catching performance? I think Bortelleto did very well making Q2 but he wasn't that far ahead of Hulkenburg, whereas Doohan was on Gasley's pace all weekend but again got unlucky in qualifying, though obviously he is partly to blame for being in that position
Ed R Gaming
2025-03-15 17:57:01 +0000 UTCThought I missed the Grand Prix for a moment
callum smith
2025-03-15 17:47:50 +0000 UTCWhat do you think the chances are of Australia keeping it's slot as season opener? Especially given the increasing importance for (some) events to have atmosphere and character It excels compared to Bahrain. As someone who grow up in the 00s i love the special nostalgia of getting up in the wee hours to watch the opener. Is this wishful thinking given the time difference and impact on European TV audience numbers?
Duncan Bertram
2025-03-15 17:12:00 +0000 UTCEarly wrecks last year seemed to ruin Williams year before they even got started. Is Haas vulnerable to that same situation due to finances or just the cost cap limitations in general? Did that wreck cost them two gearboxes?
Robert Chambers
2025-03-15 16:54:22 +0000 UTCGiven how closely matched Doohan has been to Gasly (at least up until he had to slow for yellows in Q2), do you think he has any chance at all of surviving an entire season if he keeps it up? Or has the decision been made and it's more when rather than if?
Andrew Barker
2025-03-15 16:38:04 +0000 UTCMarko likes slating drivers, like this year's rookies but when is someone going to question his position? The Red Bull driver programme is a shambles and Lawson looks in trouble already. They've spat out numerous decent drivers and have ended up with poorer options. What does Marko actually offer??
Mark Whiley
2025-03-15 15:58:35 +0000 UTCNow that we can no longer answer 'Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari' to the question of 'what's the one driver/team combination you'd love to see happen?', what replaces it as the next best thing? By virtue of their success and Toto's flirting last year, is it Max and Mercedes by default? Fernando Alonso and any team that could give him one last title shot? Or is there simply not a clear 'dream' pairing right now, and if not, where could one develop in the future? I feel like if they're both successful in the coming seasons, George Russell and Aston Martin are almost the perfect fit...
Darryl Finch
2025-03-15 15:56:51 +0000 UTCHow concerned should Haas be about there pace? Are they really that far off.
Kieran Sharkey
2025-03-15 15:25:10 +0000 UTCWhen/if will helmut Marko get rid of Lawson just like gasly and Albon
Andrew Goddard
2025-03-15 15:17:12 +0000 UTCChristian Horner prayed the narrative, that Lawson didn't knew the track and all other rookies did. Sugarcoating?
Florian Sindler
2025-03-15 15:16:31 +0000 UTCThe performance of the Williams in Australia qualifying, comparing against where they were at the start of 2024, is stark. Is this a clear sign the investment from Dorilton and James Vowels' leadership have finally born fruit and made a permanent improvement in fortunes for the team?
Kyle Tyler-Biggs
2025-03-15 15:12:43 +0000 UTCI know the pits are organised in last years constructors finishing position, but what decides if the winning team go first or last in order. I remember the mercedes drivers going straight line for the box but McLaren seem to be the last box.
Tom Walker
2025-03-15 15:12:26 +0000 UTCWhere would Max Verstappen qualified if he drove for Racing Bulls? Their car seems to be better than Red Bull's
Iain Clark
2025-03-15 15:10:45 +0000 UTCWhat was behind Liams troubling qualifying
URBAN MOTO-BIKE
2025-03-15 15:07:24 +0000 UTCDid RB make a massive step since testing or is there another main factor at play, like track characteristics or tyre compounds?
Jan Alexander
2025-03-15 15:03:38 +0000 UTCI fear everyone’s hope of an epic title battle this year may unfortunately be over already. If McLaren really has a 3-5 tenths advantage and wins 4 out the first 5 races, by the time we reach Miami teams would have switched all development to 26 because it doesn’t make sense to continue developing the 25 when your already so far behind. So McLaren will dominate and all teams will just focus on 26 and it will be 22/23 all over again
Nevin Knowles
2025-03-15 15:01:09 +0000 UTCI agree, but George Russell sarcastically saying Mclaren can focus on 2026 now doesn't help the narrative!
Ryan Doherty
2025-03-15 14:49:48 +0000 UTCAgree. We have to look beyond these statements. And subsequently people have the desire to be the one that stated the right picking order first.
Jannes
2025-03-15 14:46:48 +0000 UTCAntonelli seemed to suffer more from riding the turn 6 curbs than others, does that point to a design vulnerability of the Mercedes?
ESch
2025-03-15 14:45:13 +0000 UTCTo what extent was Red Bull's result Verstappen brilliance or genuine pace? Where are they in the pecking order?
David
2025-03-15 14:41:03 +0000 UTCHow much of Haas' Friday/Saturday problems can be placed on the drivers, or has the equipment and strategy missed the mark?
Cory Caouette
2025-03-15 14:36:57 +0000 UTCWith Gabriel Bortoleto making Q2 in the Sauber is the situation much better than testing would have made it out to be? Do you think the team can make regular Q2 appearances and has the chance to not be the 10th best team or was this result a fluke and highly dependent on Antonelli and Lawson underperforming in qualifying?
Joe
2025-03-15 14:29:52 +0000 UTCIt seems like McLaren have come out the gate swinging! Mercedes doesn’t look bad either. Since Ferrari has a new car and the most to play with in terms of finding pace how many races do we need before we actually start panicking? How fast can the Ferrari really be if their upgrades work?
The Ferrari Fan Club Podcast
2025-03-15 14:24:46 +0000 UTCGiven the amount of difficulty in managing turn 6 and the gravel with a lot of drivers, what purpose will the change in that turn serve for 2026 and beyond?
chris dawson
2025-03-15 14:22:44 +0000 UTCAre Haas cooked?
Nathan Bailey
2025-03-15 14:16:11 +0000 UTCI saw Charles say in an interview that they were forced to make a setup change to the car ahead of qualifying, which left the car a bit of a handful for him. Presumably this is a very aggressive wet set-up that made the car more difficult in qualifying. Is this the case? Additionally, if Sunday is as wet as expected, can the ferrari drivers hope for a podium result? Max Verstappen seems inevitable in any rainy condition and charles doesn't seem to be more than average in the rain (generally speaking) and Hamilton is still adapting to a new car, which would surely just be amplified by wet conditions.
KoffieMonsta
2025-03-15 14:13:11 +0000 UTCConsidering mclaren has a relatively strong car and red bull are struggling slightly with theirs ( not as much as people are making it out to be ) who do you think is the biggest threat for norris for his wdc let's say top 3 drivers who can beat him even in this scenario
Harsh Khare
2025-03-15 14:12:56 +0000 UTCDo you think Tsunoda not getting the Red Bull seat was a blessing in disguise?
Matthew McMahon
2025-03-15 14:10:10 +0000 UTCWith the errors we’ve seen from some of the rookies, does it show the pressure that exists in a qualifying session to be a whole level above that which they’ve experienced previously?
PK
2025-03-15 14:07:35 +0000 UTCIs Ferrari’s performance in quali based on never having pushed the car that hard during testing or practice? So now we see that they went too extreme with tire prep to make up for last year’s drop off with quali pace?
Echo4Alpha
2025-03-15 14:07:31 +0000 UTCI've got one, has the fanbase become overly reactionary. Could be im just seeing a vocal part of the fanbase. But I'm shocked and annoyed by the amount of people deciding everything is over now that the qualifying result is in. Same goes with calls about drivers, both positive and negative. Just give it some time already...
Bart
2025-03-15 14:06:40 +0000 UTC
