Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
Hey everybody, thanks for tuning in to the undercuts review of the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix qualifying. Please rate, review and subscribe wherever you listen and enjoy the show.
[00:00:19] Speaker B: By being a racing driver, you are under risk all the time. By being a racing driver means you are racing with other people. And if you no longer go for a gap that exists, you're no longer a racing driver.
[00:00:33] Speaker A: What is going on, everybody? We are back for the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix and what a crazy qualifying we just had.
It was looking like my McLaren guys were just going to take another pole. But unfortunately Max, being the world champion that he is, was able come up with a crazy lap at the very end of Q3 and ended up Nick and Pole by 12/1000 of a second from Lando and Oscar is right behind the two of them. It was looking like it was Oscar's pull to take, right? I mean he had provisional pole on the banker laps going into the last ones. He just made a teeny tiny mistake it in his final lap, I think it was turn two, went a little wide and that was enough. I think he had purple sectors in both the second and the third on that final lap. So if he had just linked up turn two, it would have been. It might have been Paul. I shouldn't say it would have been because Max put in a crazy lap. Lando put in a really great lap too. I mean, like I said, 12/1000 of a second apart between Max and Lando. So yeah, really amazing for Max. I gotta give him credit. That's why he's a world champion. Right? But it probably doesn't look bad for the McLarens in the race. I think their race pace, you know, looks a little better than the Red Bulls. Yuki obviously predicted a podium. Like I said in our off week episode, Yuki was not able to get out of Q2, unfortunately and he actually had the slowest qualifying time in Q Q2.
Ultimately, Carlos impeded Lewis in that session. So he got a three second or a, not a three second, a three spot grid penalty which pushed him down to P15, moving Yuki up one. But yeah, Yuki, you know, first weekend in the car, not that Liam got much time, but we heard that Yuki's getting the whole season. So I mean, whatever that means from Helmet Marco, that could be absolutely nothing.
Yeah, definitely disappointing from Yuki. And he also got out qualified by Liam and Hadjar because Hajar was able to, I believe for the first time in his very young F1 career, was able to get through to Q3, especially because he was dealing with some kind of issue with not the car per se, but with the seat belt. I think Ted Kravitz said something along the lines of what did he say? Right. The belt and the upper part of the leg. So, you know, use your imagination. It probably was not very comfortable for Hajar today, but still amazing getting through to Q3. And I think he ended up qualifying in P7, if I am remembering correctly. Yeah, amazing. I mean, we had three rookies through to Q3. Actually Kimmy, who we. We expect at this point to get through there, ended up in P6 in the end. And Bearman getting, getting through in the Haas which looked like it had absolutely no pace and was able to get into Q3 and get P10. So that's great for, for Bearman. He's really turned it around from the struggles that he had in that first weekend.
Not all that surprised. He's done incredible things already. In F1, Carlos was struggling if he was all the way down in P12 before the three spot grid penalty. But he impeded Lewis. Like I said on essentially, I mean, Lewis was already through to Q3. He was the last guy across the line to take another lap in Q2. And you know, it was. Carlos has to be paying attention. His team should have let him know that that was a possibility.
Bad on both of them and you know, three spot grid penalties, brutal there. But what are you going to do?
The Ferraris, Charles is behind the, the two McLarens. He'll be next to Oscar in the second row and then both the Mercedes. I mean, George looked like he had some. A couple laps in there that he might be able to ring a great lap together and potentially push for pole. But it wasn't to be. Him and Kimmy are locking out the third row with really close time. So Kimmy is really, really impressive for how little F1 he has had. It is really crazy.
And Hajar and Lewis, you know, it's his, his hero right next to him on the grid. That'll be amazing.
What a great story. And then Albon once again beating his teammate, getting through to Q3 again, which I don't, I don't. Carlos maybe got through once. Man, so much has happened already this season. I'm already struggling to remember everything that is.
That's happened so far.
And any other big surprises?
No, not really. I mean, doing or doing really struggled. He had that huge crash. I mean, he wasn't even in FP1 already. A rookie already in a. In a car for an FP1 session. I am blanking on the dude's name that replaced him. He was a Japanese driver.
So yeah, already little running for Jack and then he had an awful crash in FP2.
What the issue was, which I'm sure most of you already heard already, but in the simulator he was able to keep his DRS wing open going into turn one, which is kind of like a blind, semi blind, I should say, hard right turn, where in real life you have to close that front wing or that back wing manually to go into there. And he didn't do it and he took way too much speed and just spun out and crashed into the wall. Took off his rear wing. It was, it was bad. And I mean we've known his seat is on the line since before the season started, frankly, from the end of last season, you know, before he was even in the seat, he was. There are people talking about who's going to fill that spot. Of course, Franco being the reserve driver for three years is a big part of that discussion.
So, yeah, I mean the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix tomorrow were. But it looks like we are expecting rain or potentially expecting some rain.
So really anything could happen, right? I mean, Max is incredible in the rain. Lando has had some mistakes in the rain, but he did pretty well in Australia.
It seems that all the drivers other than the McLarens think that the McLarens are way faster than everybody else.
So obviously Oscar was kind of pushing back on that a bit during his post qualifying interviews saying, you know, I don't think we're as far ahead as some of the other people are saying, you know, we've seen this a million times. Max did that in the Red Bull. Lewis did that a little bit in the Mercedes. Although they were really far ahead. I mean, Max was too. What am I talking about? They all do it.
So yeah, I'm expecting a super exciting race tomorrow. So yeah, I think that's really it. Amazing pull from Max. As much as he has gotten on my nerves in the past. Not so much this season obviously because McLaren has won everything so far. So that makes it easier for me to digest, I guess. But yeah, an amazing lap for Max. No doubt about it. Both the McLarens behind him here. I'll read off the the starting grid for tomorrow.
Max and Lando locking out the front row.
Oscar and Charles taking the second row.
George and Kimmy Mercedes third row. Oscar and Lewis behind them.
Albon and Ollie locking out the top 10. You know, I'm not going through all these.
We will be back tomorrow for the 2023. So. My God. 2023. Strike that. 2025 Japanese Grand Prix. Thanks so much guys and we'll see you on Monday.
[00:10:24] Speaker B: If you cannot move, switch off the car.
[00:10:34] Speaker A: Thank you so much for tuning in to the undercuts review of the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix qualifying. Please rate, review and subscribe wherever you listen and join us for our review of the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix on Monday. We will see you then.
