The Australian Grand Prix is Almost Here!
Last week the drivers’ of Formula 1 were traveling to Australia, so we don’t have a race to talk about. And the week before that, they narrowly escaped a drone missile attack at a nearby refinery. Now they face off in Australian Grand Prix. Where down under, anything goes. In this episode of the F1 Racing Podcast we’ll look at:
- Drivers / Teams Standings
- New USGP added for 2023
- Season Recap
- Deep dive on the 4 driver’s for the top two teams in what some are calling the Scuderia-Red rivalry:
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Sergio Perez
- Max Verstappen
Drivers / Teams Standings
Driver Standings Week April 4, 2022
- Charles Leclerc – Ferrari – 45 pts
- Carlos Sainz – Ferrari – 33 pts
- Max Verstappen – Red Bull – 25 pts
- George Russell – Mercedes – 22 pts
- Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes – 16 pts
- Esteban Ocon – Alpine Renault – 14 pts
- Sergio Perez – Red Bull – 12 pts
- Kevin Magnussen – Haas Ferrari – 12 pts
- Valtteri Bottas – Alfa Romeo Ferrari – 8 pts
- Lando Norris – McLaren Mercedes – 6 pts
- Yuki Tsunoda – AlphaTauri Red Bull – 4 pts
- Pierre Gasly – AlphaTauri Red Bull – 4 pts
- Fernando Alonso – Alpine Renault – 2 pts
- Zhou Guanyu – Alfa Romeo Ferrari – 1 pt
- Mick Schumacher – Haas Ferrari – 0 pts
- Lance Stroll – Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes – 0 pts
- Nico Hulkenberg – Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes – 0 pts
- Sebastian Vettel – Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes – 0 pts
- Alexander Albon – Williams Mercedes – 0 pts
- Daniel Ricciardo – McLaren Mercedes – 0 pts
- Nicholas Latifi – Williams Mercedes – 0 pts
Team Standings Week April 4, 2022
- Ferrari – 78 pts
- Mercedes – 38 pts
- Red Bull – 37 pts
- Alpine Renault – 16 pts
- Haas Ferrari – 10 pts
- Alfa Romeo Ferrari – 9 pts
- AlphaTauri Red Bull – 8 pts
- McLaren Mercedes – 6 pts
- Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 0 pts
- Williams Mercedes – 0 pts
F1 Adds Las Vegas Grand Prix to 2023 Calendar
`Vegas Baby 2023` If my research serves me correctly, the last time a race was held in Vegas was in 1982. We added Miami to the 2022 Calendar, we’ve had Austin for a while, does this mean we’re going to have three USGP weekends on American soil…wholy shit…I better start saving now. I guessing this will be a night race like most races that take place in a desert.
Season Recap…After Two Whole Weeks
Mercedes
George Russell, who just joined Mercedes, is 4th in championship points, ahead of 7-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in 5th. Mercedes is ahead of the other mid-field teams locked in a development battle, and we still have a shit-ton of races left; Salli define “Shit-ton”
Haas & Alfa Romeo
These two teams are currently in the Top 6 for Constructors’ Championship points. Usually both teams listed here are never this high up in the points race…at any point of the season. So those Ferrari Engines they’re using are paying off after the new car regs this year.
Drivers To Watch
- Zhou Guanyu – this rookie driver finished in the points on his F1 debut and 11th in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, just out of the points.
- Esteban Ocon – currently in 6th place for the Drivers’ Championship and his team Alpine are 4th in Constructors’ Championship.
- Kevin Magnussen – late fill in driver for Nikita Mazepin is currently 8th in championship points. Oh, did I mention he drives for Haas!?!
Driver Deep Dive and Interesting Facts
Charles Leclerc | Ferrari
(Pro in 2018 w/ Sauber a team affiliated w/ Ferrari) 24 yrs old, from Monte Carlo, Monaco; became the second-youngest driver to qualify on pole position in F1 at the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix, he was the youngest driver to win the Pole Trophy in 2019, joined Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016 acting as a development driver for Haas and Ferrari; in 2018 joined Sauber replacing Pascal Wehrlein, joining Marcus Ericsson as his teammate, in 2019 he was promoted to Ferrari where he replaced 2007 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen and has raced there ever since. Because he is leading the World Championship currently, he is the the first-ever Monegasque driver to lead the championship. Ferrari finished P1 & P2 in Bahrain and P2 & P3 in Saudi Arabia this year. He also captured the fastest lap point at both grand prix this year.
Carlos Sainz | Ferrari
(Pro in 2015 w/ Toro Rosso) 27 years old, from Spain, 142 starts, 8 Podiums. Test Driver for Red Bull & Toro Rosso in the Test at Silverstone young drivers event, Began with Toro Rosso from 2015-2017, then moved to Renault from 2017-2018, then McLaren from 2019-2020, and now started driving for Ferrari in 2021. His dad is Carlos Sainz, nicknamed “El Matador” has won the World Rally Championship drivers’ title in Toyota in 1990 & 1992, received the Princess of Asturias Sports Award in 2020, once held the record for most career starts in WRC, first non-Nordic driver to win the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland, he won the Dakar Rally in 2010, 2018, and 2020, won the Race Champions in 1997, and the Asia Pacific Rally Championship in 1990. He now races in Extreme E at 60 years old. He’s kind of a bad-ass in Rally.
Sergio Perez
(Pro in 2011 w/ Sauber) Nickname: “Checo”, 32 yrs old, from Mexico, 215 starts, Holds record for “the number of 190 starts before a race win” at 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix. Also hold the record for “the number of 215 races before a first pole position start” just last week at the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Raced with Ferrari Driver Academy. He raced for Sauber from 2011-2012, with McLaren in 2013, with Force India from 2014-2018, with Racing Point from 2019-2020, and joined Red Bull in 2021. At the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, Perez got hit by Leclerc and went from P2 all the way back to P18. He won that race after overtaking Esteban Ocon on lap 64. This was the **first win for a Mexican driver since Pedro Rodríguez won the 1970 Belgian Grand Prix 50 years prior**.
Max Verstappen
(Pro in 2015 w/ Toro Rosso) 24 yrs old Dutchmen, 143 starts, 2021 World Champion. Youngest driver to start a World Championship race at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix at 17 years, 166 days, breaking Jaime Alguersuari’s record by almost 2 years. Raced with the Red Bull Jr Team, but considered joining the Mercedes development program. Started career at Toro Rosso w/ Carlos Sainz as his teammate. On his first race as a full time driver with Red Bull, replacing driver Daniil Kvyat at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix…which he went on to win after qualifying 4th on a 2-stop strategy rather than a 3-stop strategy like Daniel Ricciardo, his teammate. His dad is Jos Verstappen, a former F1 driver who after leaving F1, won A1 Grand Prix, Le Mans Series and 24 hours of Le Mans LMP2 class in 2008.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there’s still a shit-ton of races left and as the drivers travel to the Australian Grand Prix at least we were able to talk about F1 racing. You should be all caught up on F1 News including, the standings for the Drivers’ Championship, as well as the Constructors’ Championship. In 2023, we get another US race on the calendar in the Las Vegas Grand Prix in 2023. Keep an eye on Zhow Guanyu, Esteban Ocon, and Kevin Magussen as they start to rise. Every team in the bottom five, that’s P15-P20 in the Drivers’ Championship have a Mercedes power units. Haas and Alpha Romeo, both with Ferrari power units are in the top six for the Constructors’ Championship. Lastly we learned a lot about the drivers’ of Ferrari and Red Bull as this 2022 Scuderia-Red Rivalry is just heating up.