Hello, and welcome to pitt Talk of Fox Sports and Speed Cafe Formula one podcast. On today's episode, it's Las Vegas Grand Prix week, as if One prepares for the final tripleheader to get us to the end of the season, and FIA race director Neil's Vitch says he was sacked from the position suddenly ahead of one of the highest pressure races of the season. My name's Michael Lamonato, motorsport writer for Fox Sports Australia. It's great to have your company and the company of my co host from Speed Cafe. He always gambles responsibly. Imagine what you could be buying instead, It's Matt Cash.

Hello, and welcome to pitt Talk of Fox Sports and Speed Cafe Formula one podcast. On today's episode, it's Las Vegas Grand Prix week, as if One prepares for the final tripleheader to get us to the end of the season, and FIA race director Neil's Vitch says he was sacked from the position suddenly ahead of one of the highest pressure races of the season. My name's Michael Lamonato, motorsport writer for Fox Sports Australia. It's great to have your company and the company of my co host from Speed Cafe. He always gambles responsibly. Imagine what you could be buying instead, It's Matt Cash.

I problem is I spent far too much time imagining what I could be buying instead. This is why I can't have nice things. You can imagine them, Yeah, I imagine very, very vividly. The problem is I'll indulge you with a guilty pleasure of mine. At the moment. Hot Wheels going to release this F one stream next year, but I don't know of those out there thatrently into hoot Was. I'm not a collected by any stretch, but they currently sell lotus forty nines and I don't know, Michael, she probably can't quite see on my camera, but just over my shoulder here, I've got about forty of them. For forty of them, I'm trying to get forty nine lotus forty nine. That's where all my money goes. And okay, they're not the most expensive thing in the world, but yeah, I've got about I've got nearly fifty lotus forty nine sitting over there. It's it's yeah, I can I can imagine more vividly.

I problem is I spent far too much time imagining what I could be buying instead. This is why I can't have nice things. You can imagine them, Yeah, I imagine very, very vividly. The problem is I'll indulge you with a guilty pleasure of mine. At the moment. Hot Wheels going to release this F one stream next year, but I don't know of those out there thatrently into hoot Was. I'm not a collected by any stretch, but they currently sell lotus forty nines and I don't know, Michael, she probably can't quite see on my camera, but just over my shoulder here, I've got about forty of them. For forty of them, I'm trying to get forty nine lotus forty nine. That's where all my money goes. And okay, they're not the most expensive thing in the world, but yeah, I've got about I've got nearly fifty lotus forty nine sitting over there. It's it's yeah, I can I can imagine more vividly.

That is extremely specific, extremely specific.

That is extremely specific, extremely specific.

It was. It was. It was voted the greatest racing car of all time. You go, just pick up a small handful.

It was. It was. It was voted the greatest racing car of all time. You go, just pick up a small handful.

No, I guess looking at a whole packet. It is very It's the most visual podcast I think I ever been involved in. I'll paint the picture for you. Is that's brilliant. Now here we go, Oh, we've got quite We've got several packets of the five four A packet there.

No, I guess looking at a whole packet. It is very It's the most visual podcast I think I ever been involved in. I'll paint the picture for you. Is that's brilliant. Now here we go, Oh, we've got quite We've got several packets of the five four A packet there.

One, two, three, and four. There's seven there, so there must be there must be twenty odd just in that group.

One, two, three, and four. There's seven there, so there must be there must be twenty odd just in that group.

Yeah, I saw because of this. You know, Formulae has a bit of a hot wheeled partnership, as you mentioned a post on social media about how the hot Wheels cars is way off topic, isn't it. I have become decreasingly detailed as time has worn on because and I remember this because you know, I was a kid. I had some hot Wheels cars and if you slipped them on upside down underneath it would have sort of like the outline molded in of drive train one the various parts of the underneath of the car. But increasingly now if you buy a new one, it's just sort of like a flat surface underneath. Yes, there you go. I can't really see any detail on the one who.

Yeah, I saw because of this. You know, Formulae has a bit of a hot wheeled partnership, as you mentioned a post on social media about how the hot Wheels cars is way off topic, isn't it. I have become decreasingly detailed as time has worn on because and I remember this because you know, I was a kid. I had some hot Wheels cars and if you slipped them on upside down underneath it would have sort of like the outline molded in of drive train one the various parts of the underneath of the car. But increasingly now if you buy a new one, it's just sort of like a flat surface underneath. Yes, there you go. I can't really see any detail on the one who.

Show detail mate, it's just a flat bit of I think I think it might be plastic. Yeah, I was always a matchbox car round the hotel. Maybe I like I like the real cars rather than the fictitious ones exactly. This has been a fun, fun Formula one podcast so far.

Show detail mate, it's just a flat bit of I think I think it might be plastic. Yeah, I was always a matchbox car round the hotel. Maybe I like I like the real cars rather than the fictitious ones exactly. This has been a fun, fun Formula one podcast so far.

Yes, yes, well, you know, people want people need to be east back in. We've had two weekends off. People want to feel like it's a slow and steady transition. But to help eas you back into the first week of racing in only two weekends off, it hasn't been that long. We'll catch you up with all the news you might have missed in the last ten days or so since the previous podcast. And let's start with the Monaco Grand Prix, which has earned a six year contract extension that'll take it to the end of twenty thirty one. But it's had to make a key concession on its long running May date to get that deal over the line.

Yes, yes, well, you know, people want people need to be east back in. We've had two weekends off. People want to feel like it's a slow and steady transition. But to help eas you back into the first week of racing in only two weekends off, it hasn't been that long. We'll catch you up with all the news you might have missed in the last ten days or so since the previous podcast. And let's start with the Monaco Grand Prix, which has earned a six year contract extension that'll take it to the end of twenty thirty one. But it's had to make a key concession on its long running May date to get that deal over the line.

Yeah, and I'm sort of in two minds about this. I don't I don't mind the new day. I'm a traditionalist. I don't like change. You know, cars should have no wings and you look a bit like a Lotus forty nine just to pick a car at random. But at the same time, I also don't think that Formula one has a place in Monaco anymore because the sport has just outgrown it and it doesn't provide the return on investment that some of the other events. Do you know you think Singapore, Yeah, Monico used to be this blue ribbon, blue chip, high profile event for one now has many of them, so it's not special in that regard anymore. Remaining on the calendar, yeah, okay, it makes sense to move it as well. You get some rationalization when it comes to logistics and carbon offsets and all that jazz. Yeah, I guess, I guess it makes sense and they're paying more money, so it makes a lot of sense.

Yeah, and I'm sort of in two minds about this. I don't I don't mind the new day. I'm a traditionalist. I don't like change. You know, cars should have no wings and you look a bit like a Lotus forty nine just to pick a car at random. But at the same time, I also don't think that Formula one has a place in Monaco anymore because the sport has just outgrown it and it doesn't provide the return on investment that some of the other events. Do you know you think Singapore, Yeah, Monico used to be this blue ribbon, blue chip, high profile event for one now has many of them, so it's not special in that regard anymore. Remaining on the calendar, yeah, okay, it makes sense to move it as well. You get some rationalization when it comes to logistics and carbon offsets and all that jazz. Yeah, I guess, I guess it makes sense and they're paying more money, so it makes a lot of sense.

That's going to say all your traditionalist views paired with the ultimate non traditionalist, we don't need Monaco position anymore. It's quite the leap there, but good for Monaco. I guess good from Monico to extend it does mean that Canada is also going to move earlier into calendar from twenty twenty six, so we don't jump back and forth between Europe and North America for no reason. Let's move on to staff personnel now, and Aston Martin and its technical director or former technical director, Dan Fellows have parted ways with immediate effect during the break was last week after only around two years together, and this follows the team slump down the pace rankings this year. In fact, it was the slowest car hall in Brazil. Fellows, though will remain within the Aston group, but specifically not in the F one projects.

That's going to say all your traditionalist views paired with the ultimate non traditionalist, we don't need Monaco position anymore. It's quite the leap there, but good for Monaco. I guess good from Monico to extend it does mean that Canada is also going to move earlier into calendar from twenty twenty six, so we don't jump back and forth between Europe and North America for no reason. Let's move on to staff personnel now, and Aston Martin and its technical director or former technical director, Dan Fellows have parted ways with immediate effect during the break was last week after only around two years together, and this follows the team slump down the pace rankings this year. In fact, it was the slowest car hall in Brazil. Fellows, though will remain within the Aston group, but specifically not in the F one projects.

This is interesting. I got wind of this over the United States Grand Prix and unfortunately it was fhemently denied by Dan Fellows at that point. The trick with these things, though, you have to ask exactly the right question, and if you don't ask exactly the right question, they'll take that little avenue and they'll deny it or whatever. So it's been floating around for a while and ultimately dan Fellow's left Red Bull to get out from under the skirt of Adrian Newey. Well, guess who's just been announced to Aston Martin. It was always on the cards as soon as Adrian Nue was announced it and asketon dan Fellow's future was limited.

This is interesting. I got wind of this over the United States Grand Prix and unfortunately it was fhemently denied by Dan Fellows at that point. The trick with these things, though, you have to ask exactly the right question, and if you don't ask exactly the right question, they'll take that little avenue and they'll deny it or whatever. So it's been floating around for a while and ultimately dan Fellow's left Red Bull to get out from under the skirt of Adrian Newey. Well, guess who's just been announced to Aston Martin. It was always on the cards as soon as Adrian Nue was announced it and asketon dan Fellow's future was limited.

Yes, and I mean the top heaviness of the technical structure there as well. I always felt like someone had to go, and sure enough it's the technical director who's presided over. Yes, a big jump at the start of last year, but really perpetual decline since then. So dan Fellow's making his own way in Formuda one again. Let's move to one of the biggest open secrets now confirmed certainly recent months in the Formula one padding, and that is that Alpine will be taking Mercedes customer engines from twenty twenty six in a deal that's also going to include gearbox supply at least for the first season. On that lad account, that sees Alpine returned to the status that it enjoyed, suffered. However you want to describe it a couple of years ago. As an independent constructor, I.

Yes, and I mean the top heaviness of the technical structure there as well. I always felt like someone had to go, and sure enough it's the technical director who's presided over. Yes, a big jump at the start of last year, but really perpetual decline since then. So dan Fellow's making his own way in Formuda one again. Let's move to one of the biggest open secrets now confirmed certainly recent months in the Formula one padding, and that is that Alpine will be taking Mercedes customer engines from twenty twenty six in a deal that's also going to include gearbox supply at least for the first season. On that lad account, that sees Alpine returned to the status that it enjoyed, suffered. However you want to describe it a couple of years ago. As an independent constructor, I.

Don't really know how I feel about this. The one thing I will point out is that I'm absolutely baffled as to why the likes of Ferrari or Audi or any of the other power manufacturers weren't fighting tooth and nail to get that supply deal with our pain. Because you think about it, we go into twenty twenty six, all new regulation cycle, data is going to be king. Mercedes has more data points than any other manufacturer, particularly the likes of Honda is going to have one team, Audi is going to have one team, Ford is going to have two teams, or Red Bull. Ferrari is not going to have that many data points. Mercedes has just given itself a massive competitive advantage, and it's having someone pay for the privilege. That's just brilliant business in my book.

Don't really know how I feel about this. The one thing I will point out is that I'm absolutely baffled as to why the likes of Ferrari or Audi or any of the other power manufacturers weren't fighting tooth and nail to get that supply deal with our pain. Because you think about it, we go into twenty twenty six, all new regulation cycle, data is going to be king. Mercedes has more data points than any other manufacturer, particularly the likes of Honda is going to have one team, Audi is going to have one team, Ford is going to have two teams, or Red Bull. Ferrari is not going to have that many data points. Mercedes has just given itself a massive competitive advantage, and it's having someone pay for the privilege. That's just brilliant business in my book.

Yeah, I'm surprised for Arian Hondre. At least I can understand, how do you maybe not feeling prepared to do more than one team in the first year and.

Yeah, I'm surprised for Arian Hondre. At least I can understand, how do you maybe not feeling prepared to do more than one team in the first year and.

That's the best way to do it. Though similarly, I think the first year that's the best time to do it, because that's when you get all you're learning done. That's true, no doubt, Just accelerate all that. Yeah, I'm absolutely staggered as to why that wasn't more of a contest.

That's the best way to do it. Though similarly, I think the first year that's the best time to do it, because that's when you get all you're learning done. That's true, no doubt, Just accelerate all that. Yeah, I'm absolutely staggered as to why that wasn't more of a contest.

Well, good news for Mercedes in that case. Let's talk about about Sergio Perez, who's been talking to GQ magazine saying that he turned down two offers from rival teams to re sign with Red Bull Racing instead at the start of the year. Says this, of course, as the news titans around his career towards the end of this season, following months now of underperformance.

Well, good news for Mercedes in that case. Let's talk about about Sergio Perez, who's been talking to GQ magazine saying that he turned down two offers from rival teams to re sign with Red Bull Racing instead at the start of the year. Says this, of course, as the news titans around his career towards the end of this season, following months now of underperformance.

I'd love to know the timing around when those offers were made, because I think that's the most important thing. They're unlikely to have been made in the last week, for instance, they would have come somewhere towards the start of the year. His first six races of the season were actually pretty good. He scored what's one hundred and three points or something off the top of my head, and six races. That's not a bad return. So at that point it makes sense that he's attractive to other teams. However, since then, you know, did he sign with Red Bull? Because that was the only offer he had left on the table. It'd be interesting just to understand where those offers came from, not even necessarily who they were, but where they came in, sort of the timing of the season.

I'd love to know the timing around when those offers were made, because I think that's the most important thing. They're unlikely to have been made in the last week, for instance, they would have come somewhere towards the start of the year. His first six races of the season were actually pretty good. He scored what's one hundred and three points or something off the top of my head, and six races. That's not a bad return. So at that point it makes sense that he's attractive to other teams. However, since then, you know, did he sign with Red Bull? Because that was the only offer he had left on the table. It'd be interesting just to understand where those offers came from, not even necessarily who they were, but where they came in, sort of the timing of the season.

Yeah, you can understand Sergio Perez and Red Bull Racing resigning at the start of the year when he was performing well looked like a no brainer sort of at the time, although it was very early, but certainly the circumstances have changed since then. Let's move to williams Now, which in the last week has been forced to deny what it says a spurious rumors that it won't be at the Las Vegas Grand Prix after it's highly damaging weekend in Brazil that featured three big crashes, to for alex Albon and another for Franco Colapindo, which team boss James Valves described afterwards as unsustainable amounts of damage.

Yeah, you can understand Sergio Perez and Red Bull Racing resigning at the start of the year when he was performing well looked like a no brainer sort of at the time, although it was very early, but certainly the circumstances have changed since then. Let's move to williams Now, which in the last week has been forced to deny what it says a spurious rumors that it won't be at the Las Vegas Grand Prix after it's highly damaging weekend in Brazil that featured three big crashes, to for alex Albon and another for Franco Colapindo, which team boss James Valves described afterwards as unsustainable amounts of damage.

What's been unsustainable all season. It's why they got rid of Ergan Sergeant, isn't it. But ultimately there was I don't understand where this doubt about William's participation in Vegas has come from, because they're contractually bound to compete, you know, even if they have to pull you know, some components off of Lapsi's car and paper mache them to make to meet the new REGs. You know, you do what you have to do to get a car on track. It doesn't have to be competitive, it just has to be there. Otherwise there's all sorts of penalties that are that are every day you're under the Concord Agreement, So it was always going to be there. It seems a bit of a story about nothing and some rumors and whatever being stirred up for for no real reason in my opinion.

What's been unsustainable all season. It's why they got rid of Ergan Sergeant, isn't it. But ultimately there was I don't understand where this doubt about William's participation in Vegas has come from, because they're contractually bound to compete, you know, even if they have to pull you know, some components off of Lapsi's car and paper mache them to make to meet the new REGs. You know, you do what you have to do to get a car on track. It doesn't have to be competitive, it just has to be there. Otherwise there's all sorts of penalties that are that are every day you're under the Concord Agreement, So it was always going to be there. It seems a bit of a story about nothing and some rumors and whatever being stirred up for for no real reason in my opinion.

Yes, and don't forget everything. You know, Triple Header is linked together. You don't go to Vegas, You're not gonna be on the flight to Kataut, So it would have really made any sense for me to turn up in the first place. What state they turned up in though, of course, does remain to be seen. And finally, a bonus sixth story this week, since it's been ten days or so since the last EPISOD, that is Greg maffay, CEO Formula one Commercial Rights hold to Liberty Media, will step down from the role at the end of the year after more than nineteen years at the helm, which paves the way for board changes that will better reflect the company's change direction as it becomes really quite more significant a player in category level sport.

Yes, and don't forget everything. You know, Triple Header is linked together. You don't go to Vegas, You're not gonna be on the flight to Kataut, So it would have really made any sense for me to turn up in the first place. What state they turned up in though, of course, does remain to be seen. And finally, a bonus sixth story this week, since it's been ten days or so since the last EPISOD, that is Greg maffay, CEO Formula one Commercial Rights hold to Liberty Media, will step down from the role at the end of the year after more than nineteen years at the helm, which paves the way for board changes that will better reflect the company's change direction as it becomes really quite more significant a player in category level sport.

Well you say category level sport, but realistically it's Formula one. And the way they've divided the business up, they've spun off Serious Exam and a couple of other businesses to the point where Liberty Media is effectively Formula one group. That's really all that's left in there. It's even split off Quinn, which is a hospitality business. But MAFE specifically, his exit is interesting. He was out of contract at the end of the year. That's fine, but he's leaving. There is no replacement. Chairman John Malone is going to step in an interim basis, so there's no replacement, which suggests this was not planned, because if it's planned, you have someone waiting in the wings that's just able to seelessly takeover. That's not the case, so this wasn't planned. I have heard of growing tensions between MAFE and Malone for quite some time. The word I've also been given is that just the restructure of Liberty Media and the reduction in the scope of the role has meant that MAFE is just not interested. I've also heard some interesting claims about Moto GP and its contribution to the audial so it's it's interesting. There's definitely more to this than Mafe saying I'm done, because if he was going to say I'm done, then you have six or twelve or eighteen months of planning and you have the successor in the line. This one smells funny to me.

Well you say category level sport, but realistically it's Formula one. And the way they've divided the business up, they've spun off Serious Exam and a couple of other businesses to the point where Liberty Media is effectively Formula one group. That's really all that's left in there. It's even split off Quinn, which is a hospitality business. But MAFE specifically, his exit is interesting. He was out of contract at the end of the year. That's fine, but he's leaving. There is no replacement. Chairman John Malone is going to step in an interim basis, so there's no replacement, which suggests this was not planned, because if it's planned, you have someone waiting in the wings that's just able to seelessly takeover. That's not the case, so this wasn't planned. I have heard of growing tensions between MAFE and Malone for quite some time. The word I've also been given is that just the restructure of Liberty Media and the reduction in the scope of the role has meant that MAFE is just not interested. I've also heard some interesting claims about Moto GP and its contribution to the audial so it's it's interesting. There's definitely more to this than Mafe saying I'm done, because if he was going to say I'm done, then you have six or twelve or eighteen months of planning and you have the successor in the line. This one smells funny to me.

Well, Greg's last roll, first race after his announcement that this will be his last few races will be the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which was the big project of Liberty Media era Formula one. The headline event the Blue Red Band Spectacle as we all saw last year, the big all singing, all dancing Grand Prix in a music festival just before it last year. I think they're doing the opening ceremony again.

Well, Greg's last roll, first race after his announcement that this will be his last few races will be the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which was the big project of Liberty Media era Formula one. The headline event the Blue Red Band Spectacle as we all saw last year, the big all singing, all dancing Grand Prix in a music festival just before it last year. I think they're doing the opening ceremony again.

Went off with a bang too. If you're a manhole covery, yes.

Went off with a bang too. If you're a manhole covery, yes.

Well you're you're a Ferrari car. Yeah, yes, we all remember that.

Well you're you're a Ferrari car. Yeah, yes, we all remember that.

Carlos definitely enjoyed it. Yeah.

Carlos definitely enjoyed it. Yeah.

Hopefully no two am practice sessions this time around. We are back in Las Vegas this weekend for the first of the last triple header of the season. To get us to the end of the year. This is Formula one's most hyped Grand Prix by a long long way. You might have noticed it already on if on social media and all sorts of things. Good for Australia though, because the time zone is actually great because of the slightly bizarre running time of the race at ten pm local in Las Vegas. Shame if you're in New York to watch one of your American Grand Prixs. For us, it's great. It's five pm Eastern time. What's that two pm if you're ever in Perth and you can calculate that it's in the middle. But it's really interesting that leading into this race to hear from the organizers in Las Vegas, and now, of course they're not about to talk down the race, will you talk up how effective or how big a deal last year's race was? And I think it's interesting to kind of recontextualize the setting up of this Grand Prix. There are lots of street circuits in Formula one, but this is probably the most ambitious in the context. Right Like, for a long time, Las Vegas and the casinos that pretty much run that place were fairly opposed the idea of closing streets for an event like this. Now they've gone to great pains to make sure the streets are closed as limited a time as possible, which is why we get these strange running times. But actually, in review of that first year's race, they're talking about this as being it was last year's November, as the race was timed last year, I think the second biggest weekend in the city's history, the exposure being much greater than even expected, And I think what was almost most interesting was them saying it could be half or even I think a third as well exposed as last year's race and it would still count as a success. So I think it's a little bit of expectation management, isn't it.

Hopefully no two am practice sessions this time around. We are back in Las Vegas this weekend for the first of the last triple header of the season. To get us to the end of the year. This is Formula one's most hyped Grand Prix by a long long way. You might have noticed it already on if on social media and all sorts of things. Good for Australia though, because the time zone is actually great because of the slightly bizarre running time of the race at ten pm local in Las Vegas. Shame if you're in New York to watch one of your American Grand Prixs. For us, it's great. It's five pm Eastern time. What's that two pm if you're ever in Perth and you can calculate that it's in the middle. But it's really interesting that leading into this race to hear from the organizers in Las Vegas, and now, of course they're not about to talk down the race, will you talk up how effective or how big a deal last year's race was? And I think it's interesting to kind of recontextualize the setting up of this Grand Prix. There are lots of street circuits in Formula one, but this is probably the most ambitious in the context. Right Like, for a long time, Las Vegas and the casinos that pretty much run that place were fairly opposed the idea of closing streets for an event like this. Now they've gone to great pains to make sure the streets are closed as limited a time as possible, which is why we get these strange running times. But actually, in review of that first year's race, they're talking about this as being it was last year's November, as the race was timed last year, I think the second biggest weekend in the city's history, the exposure being much greater than even expected, And I think what was almost most interesting was them saying it could be half or even I think a third as well exposed as last year's race and it would still count as a success. So I think it's a little bit of expectation management, isn't it.

Or it's just a load of pr because if you'll get how much money they've spent, I think looking at the finances, it was about three ninety million dollars that they spent. That was the cost of revenue difference in Q four last year. It was huge, all attributed to Las Vegas. So there will be some set up costs in that obviously, and then that all sort of advertize over the coming years. But Vegas is a little bit different as a Saturday night race for a start, which works out to be a lovely Sunday afternoon in front of the TV for us. But it's also promoted by Formula One. As you mentioned, it's not a it's not a revenue stream. It's almost a lost leader in that it goes out there, it promotes the best of Formula one, and the intent is that it goes out and into tracts partners that initially do a deal with the event and then come into the business more broadly. And you look at you know, dealers with like Amex and a couple of others around the place. That's the value that Vegas adds. Beyond that, it also goes to my point of it diminishes what Monaco is because you've now got this high profile, blue ribbon exciting event that they're pushing really hard to turn into something extraordinary. And let's be honest, it is something pretty extraordinary to be racing down the strip in Vegas. That's that's I mean, can you imagine this ten years ago, five years ago, absolutely extraordinary? Half years well at two am this time last year. So it just goes to show that Formula one is building not just races now, it's building events and experiences. It's been working hard to diversify its ticket offering this year and that's resulted in a number of different options coming on sale. Will really late in the piece, like the last couple of weeks. That's something I think they need to get their head around a little bit more. But beyond that, I'm just looking at it and it's an exciting race. You know, I've got three to go. We're in the midst of a championship battle. The title could be decided this week, and you know, it's just what I don't like is that we're racing in the strip. We're racing somewhere absolutely extraordinary, and you know, on TV it looks like Singapore or Guitar or not Kaitar, because that's not a street race or Saudi. It just like looks like another street race at night in Formula one. There's not a lot to differentiate it unless you see the big wide shots going down the strip.

Or it's just a load of pr because if you'll get how much money they've spent, I think looking at the finances, it was about three ninety million dollars that they spent. That was the cost of revenue difference in Q four last year. It was huge, all attributed to Las Vegas. So there will be some set up costs in that obviously, and then that all sort of advertize over the coming years. But Vegas is a little bit different as a Saturday night race for a start, which works out to be a lovely Sunday afternoon in front of the TV for us. But it's also promoted by Formula One. As you mentioned, it's not a it's not a revenue stream. It's almost a lost leader in that it goes out there, it promotes the best of Formula one, and the intent is that it goes out and into tracts partners that initially do a deal with the event and then come into the business more broadly. And you look at you know, dealers with like Amex and a couple of others around the place. That's the value that Vegas adds. Beyond that, it also goes to my point of it diminishes what Monaco is because you've now got this high profile, blue ribbon exciting event that they're pushing really hard to turn into something extraordinary. And let's be honest, it is something pretty extraordinary to be racing down the strip in Vegas. That's that's I mean, can you imagine this ten years ago, five years ago, absolutely extraordinary? Half years well at two am this time last year. So it just goes to show that Formula one is building not just races now, it's building events and experiences. It's been working hard to diversify its ticket offering this year and that's resulted in a number of different options coming on sale. Will really late in the piece, like the last couple of weeks. That's something I think they need to get their head around a little bit more. But beyond that, I'm just looking at it and it's an exciting race. You know, I've got three to go. We're in the midst of a championship battle. The title could be decided this week, and you know, it's just what I don't like is that we're racing in the strip. We're racing somewhere absolutely extraordinary, and you know, on TV it looks like Singapore or Guitar or not Kaitar, because that's not a street race or Saudi. It just like looks like another street race at night in Formula one. There's not a lot to differentiate it unless you see the big wide shots going down the strip.

Yes, I'm glad you brought that up, because that was something I think we talked about this last year, because there was something that really stood out to me about this race is that on television, it actually in the it generally didn't look as impressive, as you would think for this big they're racing down the sprint, the strip idea. They generally use the landscape well over the course of the whole week. Obviously they turned Las Vegas into the playground, into the setting of the race. The race itself at night I thought was a little bit underwhelming, and I couldn't help but think, actually, it looked better in the daytime. We're at dusk. You know, there were some shots I think, actually weirdly, if you remember that golf tournament they had on Netflix last year and a lead up to the race, because that went from day to night, it was that dusk period that looked great. I actually remember thinking this. I watched Moto GP and KATA all last year, as it was it was shortly after Vegas, and I thought the same about that as well. A flood lit circuit, they all look the same. You mentioned it. I know you sort of went back in it, but I think you're right. They all look various tones of gray and beige, Whereas I think during dusk you actually get a sense of the city sky and I think that's right. But I think that also goes to during another one of your points, the place of Monaco on the calendar is that when you watch Monaco, you know it's there, you know it looks visually spectacular, even with the racing is always processional these days, and it's identifiable with Formula one in a way that none of these night races really are, even if the concept of Vegas or Singapore might be more intrinsic to Formula one today because everyone knows it and understands at Singapore has become a really popular event to go to, particularly in our part of the world. Vegas obviously has this big hype around it, this big expectation, but people still know Monaco like Monaco is form of the one in the minds of a lot of very casual fans of the sport, or even people who aren't necessarily Formula one fans but kind of have a general concept of what it is, not even know what Formula one is, but they know that some cars race around Monaco and that happens to be Formula one. I doubt they're thinking of the Formula EE pre so maybe they are. Who knows, I should I shouldn't prejudge.

Yes, I'm glad you brought that up, because that was something I think we talked about this last year, because there was something that really stood out to me about this race is that on television, it actually in the it generally didn't look as impressive, as you would think for this big they're racing down the sprint, the strip idea. They generally use the landscape well over the course of the whole week. Obviously they turned Las Vegas into the playground, into the setting of the race. The race itself at night I thought was a little bit underwhelming, and I couldn't help but think, actually, it looked better in the daytime. We're at dusk. You know, there were some shots I think, actually weirdly, if you remember that golf tournament they had on Netflix last year and a lead up to the race, because that went from day to night, it was that dusk period that looked great. I actually remember thinking this. I watched Moto GP and KATA all last year, as it was it was shortly after Vegas, and I thought the same about that as well. A flood lit circuit, they all look the same. You mentioned it. I know you sort of went back in it, but I think you're right. They all look various tones of gray and beige, Whereas I think during dusk you actually get a sense of the city sky and I think that's right. But I think that also goes to during another one of your points, the place of Monaco on the calendar is that when you watch Monaco, you know it's there, you know it looks visually spectacular, even with the racing is always processional these days, and it's identifiable with Formula one in a way that none of these night races really are, even if the concept of Vegas or Singapore might be more intrinsic to Formula one today because everyone knows it and understands at Singapore has become a really popular event to go to, particularly in our part of the world. Vegas obviously has this big hype around it, this big expectation, but people still know Monaco like Monaco is form of the one in the minds of a lot of very casual fans of the sport, or even people who aren't necessarily Formula one fans but kind of have a general concept of what it is, not even know what Formula one is, but they know that some cars race around Monaco and that happens to be Formula one. I doubt they're thinking of the Formula EE pre so maybe they are. Who knows, I should I shouldn't prejudge.

Very few are most of.

Very few are most of.

The people who are working with I think, but I think to go back. It's become weird. A little bit of a theme in this episode that the place of Monaco. I think that that's still it still owns that visual spectacle in a way. These night races don't really because I just don't think night racist pop on television in the way I think sport organizers think they will. It's not like running football or whatever at night, where really you can tell the difference obviously, but it doesn't really make a big visual diference to what you're looking at. Racing at night just doesn't look that great.

The people who are working with I think, but I think to go back. It's become weird. A little bit of a theme in this episode that the place of Monaco. I think that that's still it still owns that visual spectacle in a way. These night races don't really because I just don't think night racist pop on television in the way I think sport organizers think they will. It's not like running football or whatever at night, where really you can tell the difference obviously, but it doesn't really make a big visual diference to what you're looking at. Racing at night just doesn't look that great.

You lose something, don't you. You just don't have the same visceral is the wrong word, but this sensory perception of speaking. Ultimately, we can't tell with the naked eye for cars five seconds like quicker or slower. If you're there in person, yes you can, but on TV you just you don't have that reference to your point about you know the backdrop. I'm a massive cycling fan, and you know, the Tour de Front is a massive event, not just for cycling nerds like me, but for my in laws. Watch it, my parents watch it. They've got no interest in cycling, but it's just such a pretty couple of hours of television because I've got these big, wide, expansive shots of the towns that they go through, of the mountains, of everything else. You've got this backdrop that paints a picture of the race, and a night race, You're just you're stripping all that away, You're putting it against a green screen effectively.

You lose something, don't you. You just don't have the same visceral is the wrong word, but this sensory perception of speaking. Ultimately, we can't tell with the naked eye for cars five seconds like quicker or slower. If you're there in person, yes you can, but on TV you just you don't have that reference to your point about you know the backdrop. I'm a massive cycling fan, and you know, the Tour de Front is a massive event, not just for cycling nerds like me, but for my in laws. Watch it, my parents watch it. They've got no interest in cycling, but it's just such a pretty couple of hours of television because I've got these big, wide, expansive shots of the towns that they go through, of the mountains, of everything else. You've got this backdrop that paints a picture of the race, and a night race, You're just you're stripping all that away, You're putting it against a green screen effectively.

And I think that that is I think that's not to be under stated. Run as a great example more slow TV in Formula one. That's what I want. I wanted to just be single camera, stuck on a single car for the whole weekend, just to see how the whole thing unraveling.

And I think that that is I think that's not to be under stated. Run as a great example more slow TV in Formula one. That's what I want. I wanted to just be single camera, stuck on a single car for the whole weekend, just to see how the whole thing unraveling.

This big wide shots. I remember going back and showing my age the early Australian Grand Prixs and Adelaide. They used to have a helicopter follow the cars through the S's and up through East Terrace and onto Joan Straight and they'd sit with this camera shot for four or five corners and you could see the cars, you know, this cordion effect between cars and then lapping back markers, and you wouldn't you get this real notion of speed versus you know, the leaders versus the back markers, because suddenly a back marker had flash into shot and it'd be gone again because I just hold this one comparatively wide shot and you get this real idea that the walls are close, these things are moving, and they're sort of, you know, closing up and pulling away from another. It's just I think the working too hard to show the cars and the fact that they move around or whatever. We need to see more atmosphere. So this has turned into a critique of television production Formula one, hasn't it?

This big wide shots. I remember going back and showing my age the early Australian Grand Prixs and Adelaide. They used to have a helicopter follow the cars through the S's and up through East Terrace and onto Joan Straight and they'd sit with this camera shot for four or five corners and you could see the cars, you know, this cordion effect between cars and then lapping back markers, and you wouldn't you get this real notion of speed versus you know, the leaders versus the back markers, because suddenly a back marker had flash into shot and it'd be gone again because I just hold this one comparatively wide shot and you get this real idea that the walls are close, these things are moving, and they're sort of, you know, closing up and pulling away from another. It's just I think the working too hard to show the cars and the fact that they move around or whatever. We need to see more atmosphere. So this has turned into a critique of television production Formula one, hasn't it?

Yes? So well? As a final note on that that it will change this year and they will have learned a lot. Last year is the first time they did it. It's underestimated how much work goes into camera positioning and that kind of stuff, and they had no history or playbook to do it. So this year expected to probably look quite different. And then we can come back and do a special episode of the podcast just critiquing the Talision podcast. Let's talk about that championship though, because the drivers, well, both championships are still up for grabs, but the drivers championship could be decided this weekend in Las Vegas, and wouldn't Formula One just bloody love that Lando Norris is sixty two per points points behind Max Wstappen. After Las Vegas, there will be sixty points remaining, which means Norris must outscore Max by three points or more to keep the title alive. Now, Matt, we'll talk about this before the podcast. We've got probably slightly different opinions on how this is going to play out in my mind, and I think it's likely actually that it's not decided this weekend, just because looking at the track layout and looking at Red Bull's recent form. Although form has been so hard to read this season. It's been so up and down for most teams, every team except McLaren really, but you should say that Lando Nora should finish at least a couple of places ahead of Max. Withstaff on pure pace, I expected to be McLaren and Ferrari at the front, then Red Bull racing in that third position. Say, he's very good in cold conditions though, and this is going to be very cold, so who knows. Maybe that could be a bit of a wild card team this weekend. But I think Norris can get those three points. I'm certainly not saying he's going to win the championship. I think it'll then be decided, probably in the sprinted Katar again, but I think he'll walk away from Vegas in the lead. But you've got some good counterpoints, I think.

Yes? So well? As a final note on that that it will change this year and they will have learned a lot. Last year is the first time they did it. It's underestimated how much work goes into camera positioning and that kind of stuff, and they had no history or playbook to do it. So this year expected to probably look quite different. And then we can come back and do a special episode of the podcast just critiquing the Talision podcast. Let's talk about that championship though, because the drivers, well, both championships are still up for grabs, but the drivers championship could be decided this weekend in Las Vegas, and wouldn't Formula One just bloody love that Lando Norris is sixty two per points points behind Max Wstappen. After Las Vegas, there will be sixty points remaining, which means Norris must outscore Max by three points or more to keep the title alive. Now, Matt, we'll talk about this before the podcast. We've got probably slightly different opinions on how this is going to play out in my mind, and I think it's likely actually that it's not decided this weekend, just because looking at the track layout and looking at Red Bull's recent form. Although form has been so hard to read this season. It's been so up and down for most teams, every team except McLaren really, but you should say that Lando Nora should finish at least a couple of places ahead of Max. Withstaff on pure pace, I expected to be McLaren and Ferrari at the front, then Red Bull racing in that third position. Say, he's very good in cold conditions though, and this is going to be very cold, so who knows. Maybe that could be a bit of a wild card team this weekend. But I think Norris can get those three points. I'm certainly not saying he's going to win the championship. I think it'll then be decided, probably in the sprinted Katar again, but I think he'll walk away from Vegas in the lead. But you've got some good counterpoints, I think.

Yeah. I looked to Asbojan and Okay. Oscar Piastre drove really well to win that race for McLaren, but Sergio Perez was right there towards the end as well. There are strong similarities between Baku and Vegas long straits. Not much in the way of sort of even meeting my high speed stuff. It's largely ninety degrees stuff and comparatively tight nine degree stuff. So I can see Red Bull doing well. We know Max won this event last year. Lando basically has to win. Lando has to finish top eight or better, and then if he finishes a second or third, depending where Max finishes, and if he gets fast at SLAP, it's game over for Lando. I can see the championship being over this weekend, and I'm saying that purely because I called it weeks and weeks ago. The championship will be decided in Vegas, and I stand by that. I think Lando's I don't think he's given up the fight, but he's more pragmatic about it now that the Championship and the Constructors Championship is more important if you're going to defend against Max, who's going to show on and risk taking you both out because if neither of them finish in Vegas, Max's champion. So you're going to jump out of the way because you want to protect the Constructors Championship advantage. You need the points for that. Given where Ferrari is, and I expect Ferrari will be strong this weekend, so I can see a little bit of a little bit of elbows out action from Max and just harrying that car. I think what South Paolo did will come a massive shot in the arm. That was an incredible drive. The more I think about it, the more impressive that drave was. I sort of downplayed it at the time, but I think I'm wrong in that it was exemplary. Take that confidence forward that the McClaren hasn't been the fastest thing in a straight line. It's got changes to its rear wing that are comparatively untested on this style of circuit because it's post the bacou changes. It does have its mini drs and all that sort of jazz, So it'll be interesting to see what happens. Either way, Susafan has won the championship. Whether it's this weekend or whether it's Qatar in a week's time. I don't think it makes a whole lot of difference. I just like the breaking rights of being able to say I told you so.

Yeah. I looked to Asbojan and Okay. Oscar Piastre drove really well to win that race for McLaren, but Sergio Perez was right there towards the end as well. There are strong similarities between Baku and Vegas long straits. Not much in the way of sort of even meeting my high speed stuff. It's largely ninety degrees stuff and comparatively tight nine degree stuff. So I can see Red Bull doing well. We know Max won this event last year. Lando basically has to win. Lando has to finish top eight or better, and then if he finishes a second or third, depending where Max finishes, and if he gets fast at SLAP, it's game over for Lando. I can see the championship being over this weekend, and I'm saying that purely because I called it weeks and weeks ago. The championship will be decided in Vegas, and I stand by that. I think Lando's I don't think he's given up the fight, but he's more pragmatic about it now that the Championship and the Constructors Championship is more important if you're going to defend against Max, who's going to show on and risk taking you both out because if neither of them finish in Vegas, Max's champion. So you're going to jump out of the way because you want to protect the Constructors Championship advantage. You need the points for that. Given where Ferrari is, and I expect Ferrari will be strong this weekend, so I can see a little bit of a little bit of elbows out action from Max and just harrying that car. I think what South Paolo did will come a massive shot in the arm. That was an incredible drive. The more I think about it, the more impressive that drave was. I sort of downplayed it at the time, but I think I'm wrong in that it was exemplary. Take that confidence forward that the McClaren hasn't been the fastest thing in a straight line. It's got changes to its rear wing that are comparatively untested on this style of circuit because it's post the bacou changes. It does have its mini drs and all that sort of jazz, So it'll be interesting to see what happens. Either way, Susafan has won the championship. Whether it's this weekend or whether it's Qatar in a week's time. I don't think it makes a whole lot of difference. I just like the breaking rights of being able to say I told you so.

Either way, it's probably going to be decided on a Saturday, which is weird. But well, then again, it was last year, so let's talk just to go back, well, not to go back to Brazil per se, but I think the effect of that race was interesting on the constructors Championship because that's the championship that is very much alive and is probably going to take us all the way to Abu Dabil. The McLaren is close to having a full race worth of points advantage over Ferrari because I was comparatively underwhelming in Brazil in the wed at least compared to its recent form. McClaren now leads Ferrari by thirty six points in the Constructors Championship. It's also forty nine points ahead of Red Bull Racing in third, and Mercedes can't finish higher or lower than fourth. That season's done. They may as well pack it up now and then Aston Martin. That's a pretty comfortable lead for fifth. In the battle between Alpine Harsen rbs all pretty close. There's an outside chance someone could get Aston Martin if they have another Brazil style thirty odd point score swing. That remains to be seen through three races to go. But that battle of the constructors Championships with a lot of money, so with a lot of pride, particularly given that I think in April no one thought anyone other than Red Bull Racing would be winning this thing. Now the team struggling even to race for second. This is a big weekend for McLaren and Ferrari in particularly because we've already sort of touched on this is a track that should suit Ferrari in particular, although no Charlotte Clair has said, oh like, the tire advantage might not be as big this year because the cars much more gendle on its ties and the cold weather might make that a little bit different. McClaren is interesting because, like you say, the rear wing that had worked so well in Azerbaijan won't be the same rear wing they use this weekend. But Red Bull full of confidence. I think, in particular the fact that max for Staffen one with such ease on Sunday in Brazil, and even in the sprint on Saturday was competitive, got stuck behind Charlotte Clair. Had he not been may well have been able to win that race as well. Could we be seeing a late resurgence from Red Bull Racing here? Is it too late to win the constructors Championship? Is it really just second place they're aiming for now?

Either way, it's probably going to be decided on a Saturday, which is weird. But well, then again, it was last year, so let's talk just to go back, well, not to go back to Brazil per se, but I think the effect of that race was interesting on the constructors Championship because that's the championship that is very much alive and is probably going to take us all the way to Abu Dabil. The McLaren is close to having a full race worth of points advantage over Ferrari because I was comparatively underwhelming in Brazil in the wed at least compared to its recent form. McClaren now leads Ferrari by thirty six points in the Constructors Championship. It's also forty nine points ahead of Red Bull Racing in third, and Mercedes can't finish higher or lower than fourth. That season's done. They may as well pack it up now and then Aston Martin. That's a pretty comfortable lead for fifth. In the battle between Alpine Harsen rbs all pretty close. There's an outside chance someone could get Aston Martin if they have another Brazil style thirty odd point score swing. That remains to be seen through three races to go. But that battle of the constructors Championships with a lot of money, so with a lot of pride, particularly given that I think in April no one thought anyone other than Red Bull Racing would be winning this thing. Now the team struggling even to race for second. This is a big weekend for McLaren and Ferrari in particularly because we've already sort of touched on this is a track that should suit Ferrari in particular, although no Charlotte Clair has said, oh like, the tire advantage might not be as big this year because the cars much more gendle on its ties and the cold weather might make that a little bit different. McClaren is interesting because, like you say, the rear wing that had worked so well in Azerbaijan won't be the same rear wing they use this weekend. But Red Bull full of confidence. I think, in particular the fact that max for Staffen one with such ease on Sunday in Brazil, and even in the sprint on Saturday was competitive, got stuck behind Charlotte Clair. Had he not been may well have been able to win that race as well. Could we be seeing a late resurgence from Red Bull Racing here? Is it too late to win the constructors Championship? Is it really just second place they're aiming for now?

Going to be the second place that best? Doesn't it? It's that far down, you know, forty nine points. It's not again mathematically it's it's possible, but you're relying on four cars ahead of you, having three comparatively poor weekends. Just having like a spreadsheet that I've got here and I can't think of a weekend where McLaren has not delivered strong points all weekend or just having a quick look. I think the fewest points I've scored all weekend was fourteen in China. That's the worst weekend I've had all season. Red Bulls worst was eight points in round eight whatever whatever. That was also eight points in round twenty. So what was the one before Southlia Mexico?

Going to be the second place that best? Doesn't it? It's that far down, you know, forty nine points. It's not again mathematically it's it's possible, but you're relying on four cars ahead of you, having three comparatively poor weekends. Just having like a spreadsheet that I've got here and I can't think of a weekend where McLaren has not delivered strong points all weekend or just having a quick look. I think the fewest points I've scored all weekend was fourteen in China. That's the worst weekend I've had all season. Red Bulls worst was eight points in round eight whatever whatever. That was also eight points in round twenty. So what was the one before Southlia Mexico?

My surgery didn't score, which is normally the common denomination.

My surgery didn't score, which is normally the common denomination.

Ouch, that's the truth. Yea, it is true. And look, I ran a piece on Speak Cafe today that Sergio's performance is going to cost Red Book thirty million dollars. This is what we say about You know, the Constructors Championship is worth money, in significant amounts of money. Exactly how much depends. It's based on a calculation off of Formula one's projected revenues. We can safely predict that that'll be something like about one point seven billion dollars next year. So if that's the case, the difference between finishing first in the Championship, for which you get fourteen percent of the prize spot versus third, which you get twelve point two percent of the prize spot, works out to be about thirty million dollars, which also turns out to be about what Sergio Perez's commercial backers bring to the team, So he's also now not really contributing either on the financial standpoint.

Ouch, that's the truth. Yea, it is true. And look, I ran a piece on Speak Cafe today that Sergio's performance is going to cost Red Book thirty million dollars. This is what we say about You know, the Constructors Championship is worth money, in significant amounts of money. Exactly how much depends. It's based on a calculation off of Formula one's projected revenues. We can safely predict that that'll be something like about one point seven billion dollars next year. So if that's the case, the difference between finishing first in the Championship, for which you get fourteen percent of the prize spot versus third, which you get twelve point two percent of the prize spot, works out to be about thirty million dollars, which also turns out to be about what Sergio Perez's commercial backers bring to the team, So he's also now not really contributing either on the financial standpoint.

It's a lot of kid cats, isn't it.

It's a lot of kid cats, isn't it.

So that's a lot of kickouts, a lot of mobile phonecations of that deals then, isn't it so it's a lot of hot wheels. There's a lot of other spreading lines. Let me just do quick maths. But and that's the you know, looking at at this on my projections, McLaren shouldn't win the championship this year. It's looking at more than two hundred and twenty million dollars in prize money next year by my rough maths. So obviously that depends on Formula one's earnings. But yeah, two hundred and twenty six ish million dollars in prize money. That's more than the cost cap. The top seven team should actually have the cost cap paid to them in prize money. But even still, you want as much money as you can because there's other things that you can use that on the hospitality marketing, all those sorts of things.

So that's a lot of kickouts, a lot of mobile phonecations of that deals then, isn't it so it's a lot of hot wheels. There's a lot of other spreading lines. Let me just do quick maths. But and that's the you know, looking at at this on my projections, McLaren shouldn't win the championship this year. It's looking at more than two hundred and twenty million dollars in prize money next year by my rough maths. So obviously that depends on Formula one's earnings. But yeah, two hundred and twenty six ish million dollars in prize money. That's more than the cost cap. The top seven team should actually have the cost cap paid to them in prize money. But even still, you want as much money as you can because there's other things that you can use that on the hospitality marketing, all those sorts of things.

Let's move on now, Matt, not entirely, because Las Vegas is still very much on the horizon for all of us, but stepping back a little bit to some drama in the FIA that's been bubbling along really ever since President Mohammed Bensalon was elected a couple of years ago. Now, in the aftermath of the twenty twenty one ABB Grand Prix, but ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix race, Director neil's Vitch has left the race directorship. Now the FIA spun. This is stepping down to pursue new opportunities. One of the great lines in hr Hes since told German language Motorsport magazine that he did not resign, that he was sacked. No one's entirely sure why. It'd certainly come out of the blue, that much is absolutely certain. Maybe maybe you know some whispers of a little bit of tension at the top there, but certainly no one expected this to be moving with three races still to go, and certainly not ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, surely one of the highest pressure races in which to be in race control, if not just because it's only the second running of this race, and we all remember how difficult it was to manage the race last year, not least because of the exploding drain cover obliterated Carlos Sciences car and of course, most importantly the swearing in the press conference subsequent to that. This is gonna be the fourth race director in as many years. Of course, Michael Massi in twenty one, Nils Vitisch was in twenty twenty two, along with Eduardo Fretas, who left at the end of that year. And now in twenty twenty four we'll have Roy Marquz, who's the Formula two and Formula three race director promoted this weekend to Formula one. Not sure if that means he's also actually gonna be doing F two and F three and Katar and Abu Dhabi the last two or only F two rather and Kato and Abu Dhabi the last two rounds of that championship. But that's a question for next week, I suppose. And things are moving so quickly at the FIA, but it's not exactly a great look culminating with Nils Vitich leaving the organization. Considering just how many high profile people have left in the last twelve months.

Let's move on now, Matt, not entirely, because Las Vegas is still very much on the horizon for all of us, but stepping back a little bit to some drama in the FIA that's been bubbling along really ever since President Mohammed Bensalon was elected a couple of years ago. Now, in the aftermath of the twenty twenty one ABB Grand Prix, but ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix race, Director neil's Vitch has left the race directorship. Now the FIA spun. This is stepping down to pursue new opportunities. One of the great lines in hr Hes since told German language Motorsport magazine that he did not resign, that he was sacked. No one's entirely sure why. It'd certainly come out of the blue, that much is absolutely certain. Maybe maybe you know some whispers of a little bit of tension at the top there, but certainly no one expected this to be moving with three races still to go, and certainly not ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, surely one of the highest pressure races in which to be in race control, if not just because it's only the second running of this race, and we all remember how difficult it was to manage the race last year, not least because of the exploding drain cover obliterated Carlos Sciences car and of course, most importantly the swearing in the press conference subsequent to that. This is gonna be the fourth race director in as many years. Of course, Michael Massi in twenty one, Nils Vitisch was in twenty twenty two, along with Eduardo Fretas, who left at the end of that year. And now in twenty twenty four we'll have Roy Marquz, who's the Formula two and Formula three race director promoted this weekend to Formula one. Not sure if that means he's also actually gonna be doing F two and F three and Katar and Abu Dhabi the last two or only F two rather and Kato and Abu Dhabi the last two rounds of that championship. But that's a question for next week, I suppose. And things are moving so quickly at the FIA, but it's not exactly a great look culminating with Nils Vitich leaving the organization. Considering just how many high profile people have left in the last twelve months.

It's not a great look, particularly when you look at the history of the race director role in that usually has been pretty stable prior to Michael mass Let's not forget Michael MASSI inherited that job when Charlie Whiting sadly died over the days prior to the Australian Grand Primum. Was that twenty.

It's not a great look, particularly when you look at the history of the race director role in that usually has been pretty stable prior to Michael mass Let's not forget Michael MASSI inherited that job when Charlie Whiting sadly died over the days prior to the Australian Grand Primum. Was that twenty.

Nineteen, I think, wow, that long ago.

Nineteen, I think, wow, that long ago.

There you go, But Charlie Whiting had been in that role for twenty twenty five years or something. It was some extraordinary period. And before him, Buncher Ryder was also in that role for a long time, going back into the eighties. So you know, for thirty years we had sort of two race directors and now in four years we've had four race directors. There's been no obvious mistakes. It was a little bit wobbly from vitic when he first took over, but there's been no obvious mistakes. You know, he's not impacted the outcome of a race or completely screwed something up or made, you know, controversial decisions. So what's happened behind closed doors? Because this can't be performance related, can it?

There you go, But Charlie Whiting had been in that role for twenty twenty five years or something. It was some extraordinary period. And before him, Buncher Ryder was also in that role for a long time, going back into the eighties. So you know, for thirty years we had sort of two race directors and now in four years we've had four race directors. There's been no obvious mistakes. It was a little bit wobbly from vitic when he first took over, but there's been no obvious mistakes. You know, he's not impacted the outcome of a race or completely screwed something up or made, you know, controversial decisions. So what's happened behind closed doors? Because this can't be performance related, can it?

No, you wouldn't have thought so, particularly not in the context of Okay, Michael Massi. It all came down to Avid hab twenty twenty one. Had been tensioned with the teams before that. I still think that while the FIA's own report afterwards found that he wasn't sufficiently supported in the role, but they used him as a scapegoat anyway. Maybe because of the tensions with the team's just made that easy. Arduado Freds left after the Japanese Grand Prix of twenty twenty two, in which you might remember Pierre Gazzi was released onto the track not in red flag conditions, just before red flag conditions, while there was a tractor on the track in monsoon rain, extremely dangerous situation. He was forced to pay the price for that. Neils Wit did she like you say, no obvious trigger for this. I do want to go back to, Oh goodness me, the Michael Massi situation, not abu dab twenty twenty one. Don't panic, but that finding that he was not sufficiently supported by the FIA, because for me, this is kind of the core of the problem. Charlie Whiting's long tenure was obviously earned, but the role evolved with him over the twenty odd years he was in that position. He kind of made the race directorship also safety delegate ship, if we can call it that, a role he made his own that is tied to being the race director as well. His workload was quite significant, but he was able to manage that because he kind of invented it all for himself as the sport grew and evolved, So he really was those roles to throw first of all. Michael Massey in he was being trained up to take that position, but he wasn't near the completion of that apprenticeship because obviously Charlie Whitings, he said, tragically died so suddenly and unexpectedly was thrown into that had to learn as he went also during the pandemic. That can't have been very easy. And despite the FIA finding after his tenure that he needed more support, invented this remote race control that we very rarely hear about, and at certain times I've certainly thought we probably could afford to hear about, because there have been times it feels like it could have been needed to intervene more strongly. I've never got the sense that actually race control has changed that much. The pressure remains really quite great. Certainly we learned that with Eduardo Fratis and the way the Japanese Grand Prix was handled that year. Maybe some incidents this year, but nothing really controvert nothing beyond the remit of what is normal regulatory controversy in any sport. You can never make everyone happy when you're running a sport. But it still feels to me that we're going to get this churn. Regardless of whatever is the reason that visage is left. There's could have been some kind of tension. But we're going to get churned for whatever the reason for as long as this role remains so big and the preparation for it is so sleeem I think it's ironic. Actually, Muhammed Ben Slam told Alto Sport last year. I think it was he recognized that you can't just buy race directors from Amazon, I think was what he said. They're rare and they're hard to groom, and getting rid of one and promoting one suddenly it's a big step up from the junior categories to Formula one. I think only exacerbates the problem. And I think we're only going to get to a position we're going to have more rotation, which does not serve anyone in the.

No, you wouldn't have thought so, particularly not in the context of Okay, Michael Massi. It all came down to Avid hab twenty twenty one. Had been tensioned with the teams before that. I still think that while the FIA's own report afterwards found that he wasn't sufficiently supported in the role, but they used him as a scapegoat anyway. Maybe because of the tensions with the team's just made that easy. Arduado Freds left after the Japanese Grand Prix of twenty twenty two, in which you might remember Pierre Gazzi was released onto the track not in red flag conditions, just before red flag conditions, while there was a tractor on the track in monsoon rain, extremely dangerous situation. He was forced to pay the price for that. Neils Wit did she like you say, no obvious trigger for this. I do want to go back to, Oh goodness me, the Michael Massi situation, not abu dab twenty twenty one. Don't panic, but that finding that he was not sufficiently supported by the FIA, because for me, this is kind of the core of the problem. Charlie Whiting's long tenure was obviously earned, but the role evolved with him over the twenty odd years he was in that position. He kind of made the race directorship also safety delegate ship, if we can call it that, a role he made his own that is tied to being the race director as well. His workload was quite significant, but he was able to manage that because he kind of invented it all for himself as the sport grew and evolved, So he really was those roles to throw first of all. Michael Massey in he was being trained up to take that position, but he wasn't near the completion of that apprenticeship because obviously Charlie Whitings, he said, tragically died so suddenly and unexpectedly was thrown into that had to learn as he went also during the pandemic. That can't have been very easy. And despite the FIA finding after his tenure that he needed more support, invented this remote race control that we very rarely hear about, and at certain times I've certainly thought we probably could afford to hear about, because there have been times it feels like it could have been needed to intervene more strongly. I've never got the sense that actually race control has changed that much. The pressure remains really quite great. Certainly we learned that with Eduardo Fratis and the way the Japanese Grand Prix was handled that year. Maybe some incidents this year, but nothing really controvert nothing beyond the remit of what is normal regulatory controversy in any sport. You can never make everyone happy when you're running a sport. But it still feels to me that we're going to get this churn. Regardless of whatever is the reason that visage is left. There's could have been some kind of tension. But we're going to get churned for whatever the reason for as long as this role remains so big and the preparation for it is so sleeem I think it's ironic. Actually, Muhammed Ben Slam told Alto Sport last year. I think it was he recognized that you can't just buy race directors from Amazon, I think was what he said. They're rare and they're hard to groom, and getting rid of one and promoting one suddenly it's a big step up from the junior categories to Formula one. I think only exacerbates the problem. And I think we're only going to get to a position we're going to have more rotation, which does not serve anyone in the.

Sport, particularly when if you look at the F one steward side of things and they're talking about bringing in some consistent stewards because the rotation is introducing consistency. I mean, that's that's a debate that's been had many, many, many times over over the years, and there's arguments for and against it. I don't really care one way or the other which way it goes, but the race director is a significant member of the Formula one community. And the Formula one paddock. When Charlie Whiting was doing it is last season twenty eighteen, there were twenty one Girls Prix. When he took over, there was sixteen, maybe seventeen, depending which year it was. So over the years the job grew just as a race director side of things. He was also doing circuit inspections and a number of other things that Michael Massey took on as well. So you'll imagine you've been doing a job for ten years and you get a little bit more responsibility. It's not difficult. Then you get a little bit more it's not difficult, and you just build up, and then you eventually move on for one reason or another. The next guy comes in and suddenly what wasn't especially difficult but a pretty busy job for you is just absolutely untenable. I wonder if there's a degree burnout involved. Let's also remember that Protest and Vitage were NBS appointments, so something has also changed in that relationship. I wonder if there was a bit of pushback from Vitage saying that I'm a race director, I manage things, or pushback in some of the other elements of the FIA, and perhaps what the governing body wanted of him, because doing twenty four races a year is a huge, huge commitment. I'll do a good third of that this year, and a toilet takes is significant. To travel involved, the time away from home, the sacrifices you make with family. It's huge to do this. And yes, we're in the greatest sport in the world, but you can't turn your nose off at the fact that this is people's lives. I don't know what the cause is. Remarkas is he's been put in there pretty quickly. I have not heard bad things about him, But at the same time, he's not done anything like Formula one before. There is nothing like Formula one, even the Warden Durants Championship. We saw that with Fratus. They're very different beasts because you're going from a handful of professionals and a group of amateurs to ten hyper competitive teams that know the rules inside out better than you do and will exploit every little chick in the armor of those regulations. So it's a very very different beast. And again, like I said with MAFE, this one just doesn't pass the sniff test.

Sport, particularly when if you look at the F one steward side of things and they're talking about bringing in some consistent stewards because the rotation is introducing consistency. I mean, that's that's a debate that's been had many, many, many times over over the years, and there's arguments for and against it. I don't really care one way or the other which way it goes, but the race director is a significant member of the Formula one community. And the Formula one paddock. When Charlie Whiting was doing it is last season twenty eighteen, there were twenty one Girls Prix. When he took over, there was sixteen, maybe seventeen, depending which year it was. So over the years the job grew just as a race director side of things. He was also doing circuit inspections and a number of other things that Michael Massey took on as well. So you'll imagine you've been doing a job for ten years and you get a little bit more responsibility. It's not difficult. Then you get a little bit more it's not difficult, and you just build up, and then you eventually move on for one reason or another. The next guy comes in and suddenly what wasn't especially difficult but a pretty busy job for you is just absolutely untenable. I wonder if there's a degree burnout involved. Let's also remember that Protest and Vitage were NBS appointments, so something has also changed in that relationship. I wonder if there was a bit of pushback from Vitage saying that I'm a race director, I manage things, or pushback in some of the other elements of the FIA, and perhaps what the governing body wanted of him, because doing twenty four races a year is a huge, huge commitment. I'll do a good third of that this year, and a toilet takes is significant. To travel involved, the time away from home, the sacrifices you make with family. It's huge to do this. And yes, we're in the greatest sport in the world, but you can't turn your nose off at the fact that this is people's lives. I don't know what the cause is. Remarkas is he's been put in there pretty quickly. I have not heard bad things about him, But at the same time, he's not done anything like Formula one before. There is nothing like Formula one, even the Warden Durants Championship. We saw that with Fratus. They're very different beasts because you're going from a handful of professionals and a group of amateurs to ten hyper competitive teams that know the rules inside out better than you do and will exploit every little chick in the armor of those regulations. So it's a very very different beast. And again, like I said with MAFE, this one just doesn't pass the sniff test.

Yeah, and I think thinking about how Roy's going to be taking over this weekend. Two championships still live. Regardless of what you think about the Drivers' Championship, it is still up for grabs and the teams will fight till the finish. You don't have to look back at when the Constructive Championship plays a role in this as well. But Red Bulls response to the use of red flags in Brazil really dialed it up to ten between Christian Horne and Max withstaff and this new race director will be subjected to that pressure if anything like that happens again in Las Vegas. And then you do consider the Constructors Championship. Not only the three leading teams, but the midfield teams arguably have even more reason to fight because every million dollars is worth more to them consideringly incomes a relatively less and that fight is going down to the why because it's only three or four points between most of them. It's a high pressure situation. There could not be a worse way to jump into Formula One with no formal handover, no transition, no apprenticeship, with three back to back races, I mean, fire him might already be looking forward to the end of the season. I think regardless of how big a step it is, and I'm sure it's pleased to be able to call himself a Formula One race director, but also just in the context of the way all this is unfolded, it can't be a great way to take that position. And this weekend let's not forget as well. The follow up is going to be on the Grand Prix Drivers Association letter, which we talked about in the last podcast. The team's really clapping back at FI president in particularly with at THEFI in general about the way that the sport is administered when it comes to drivers and fines and punishments and all those kinds of things. That's going to become a major talking point this weekend. That's going to put the new to race director on the spot as well. He's going to have his first drivers briefing. It probably it's going to be something like one am on Saturday morning or Friday morning, whenever it is. It's just going to be a difficult transition. So look, hopefully it all goes smoothly, but then again, last years Las Vegas Grand Prix was anything but smooth. That's amount of next week's podcast. They will wrap up Las Vegas Grand Prix. Matt, let's get to the alternative Championship, the most important part of the podcast.