Ferrari, Mercedes, Alpine & Shakedown Chaos – Episode 3 | The Cooldown Lap
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Term
horsepower
Horsepower is a way to measure how powerful an engine is. More horsepower usually means a car can go faster and accelerate better.
Part
serrated fin
A serrated fin is a special part on a car that helps it stay stable and stick to the ground when going fast. It changes how air moves around the car.
Part
back wing
The back wing is a part at the back of a car that helps it grip the road better when driving fast. It pushes the car down to keep it stable.
Brand
AMG
AMG is a special division of Mercedes-Benz that makes faster and more powerful cars. They add extra features to make the cars perform better than regular models.
Car
Alpine
Alpine is a car brand from France that makes sporty vehicles. They are known for being light and fun to drive, especially the A110 model.
Brand
Aston Martin
Aston Martin is a famous car brand from Britain that makes luxury sports cars. They are known for their stylish designs and fast performance.
Brand
Audi
Audi is a well-known car brand from Germany that makes luxury cars. They are famous for their high-tech features and all-wheel drive system.
Brand
McLaren
McLaren is a company that makes fast sports cars and is famous for racing in Formula 1. They are known for building some of the best performance cars in the world.
Term
WDC
WDC means World Drivers' Championship, which is a title given to the best Formula 1 driver each season based on their race performance. The driver with the most points at the end wins.
Brand
Mercedes
Mercedes is a famous car brand that makes luxury cars and is known for their quality and performance.
Concept
Formula One
Formula One is a type of car racing where very fast cars compete on tracks around the world.
Brand
Cadillac
Cadillac is a well-known American car brand that makes luxury vehicles with lots of features.
Brand
Williams
Williams is a Formula One racing team that has been part of the sport for many years and has won several championships.
Brand
Red Bull
Red Bull is a company that sponsors a Formula 1 racing team. They are known for being very successful in racing and making fast cars.
Car
McLaren MCL40
The McLaren MCL40 is a race car used in Formula 1, which is the highest class of single-seater auto racing. It's built for speed and performance, using the latest technology to compete against other teams.
Term
downforce
Downforce helps cars stick to the ground better, especially when going fast. It makes it easier to turn corners without sliding around.
Term
corpsing
Corpsing happens when a car's suspension system can't keep the tires on the road properly, making the car shake or bounce. This can make driving very uncomfortable and even unsafe.
Term
Honda engine
A Honda engine is the motor that powers Honda cars. These engines are known for being dependable and efficient, making them popular in many vehicles.
Term
shakedown
A shakedown is when you take a car out for a test drive to see if everything is working correctly. It's like a check-up for the car to find any problems before using it more seriously.
Term
sensor issues
Sensor issues happen when the devices in a car that check how things are working, like the engine or temperature, aren't working right. This can cause problems with how the car runs.
Concept
Formula 1
Formula 1 is a top-level car racing series where the fastest cars compete in races around the world. It's known for its exciting races and advanced technology.
LIVE
This is not your first rodeo.
>> No, it definitely isn't our first rodeo.
It's our third because this is episode
three of the cooldown lab with your host
John Paul and
>> Dr. Garrett. Welcome back to the show
everybody. We're excited to uh jump back
into things. We delayed this episode to
give ourselves a little bit more ammo to
talk about uh to make sure that the
shakedown was complete before we started
uh rambling on about all the exciting
happenings that have uh been going on
since we were on the podcast last. And
so today we're going to break down a few
exciting things uh all the way from the
last few liveries that have been dropped
since we last chatted. and then we're
going to dive into the shakedown. Some
of the first scenes that we all care
about uh that first time we get to see
the cars on track. Now, we know it's not
the beall end all, but it's exciting.
It's fun. Uh they throw curveballs at us
and it gives us a little bit more uh
ammo and fuel for the fire for the rest
of the season.
>> Yeah, I'm really excited to talk about
it. Uh a lot has been shaken down and a
lot's been going on. So, let's let's
take a look. Let's let's first talk
about Ferrari and the liveries. Let's
get the liveries out of the way cuz I
feel like there was a few drops and the
first one is a Ferrari. Garrett, what do
you think? I'm going to pull up the
picture right now as we speak.
Here we are. This is what the Ferrari
livery looks like. And personally, my
first take um it just reminded me of
Niki Lauz car. I don't know, just like a
throwback, you know, a lot of white. I
know. Um, I don't know what extent
they're going to to please HP and you
know the the fans, but you know, they've
gone to this
>> heard they heard that everyone else was
running a few more horsepowers. They
slapped a few on the car. They threw the
HP logo on there. They thought that made
them faster, you know, must be the
horsepower. Uh, so, you know, they're
getting creative as far as how they're
trying to keep up with the other teams.
And you know, it's a nice looking
livery. And they have some weird parts
of the car. Like I don't know if you've
seen the serrated fin on the back.
>> Like if you pull out a little bit and
see the back wing. No, not that shot.
One from the side. You'll see
there's almost like a step down serrated
look on the wing itself. I haven't seen
that on any of the other cars.
If you
>> look right by the HP, you'll see it
steps down.
>> Oh yeah. Yeah. Okay. Okay. So,
just kind of like, yeah, right there.
Right.
>> There's some weirdness to the car and
the the livery really highlighted that
for me. You know, it's it's a pretty
car. It's a nice looking car. To your
point, it looks like Nikki La's car from
back in the day, but it it really forces
us to see one hilarious part of the car,
which is Lewis Hamilton sitting in it.
>> Yeah. Let's let's talk about that a
little bit. Lewis Hamilton, I got I I
got to pull this up. Um, I I I think we
both saw the same meme and uh it kind of
just stuck with us. You know what I
mean? I think it's over here.
>> Boom.
>> Boom. Um,
>> beautiful looking car, but when you
throw Lewis with a yellow helmet in it,
looks like a fried egg.
>> It the white, the the yellow, the the
red, it just it's a fried egg. It's a
fried egg in a red plate.
Hopefully, it's a fast a fast fried egg,
but until proven otherwise, that's a
fried egg. I think the design team
probably was uh swinging for the fences
and they might have missed a little bit
on doing their due diligence. Not the
worst, but it's pretty funny.
>> Pretty pretty. Yeah, just just a tad
bit. But honestly, good throwback. Uh
they did the same with their their I
guess their suits as well. Uh big
throwback there. Um it's it's hit or
miss. Uh, a lot of people missed, but
say it's a miss. But for me, it's not
too bad. It's not too bad. But, uh,
let's get let's get into, uh, Mercedes.
We didn't talk about that.
>> The the front runners for the season,
the the people have chosen them as the
winners before the season's even
started, before
>> the liveries are dropped, before the
cars even on track. So, what does the
livery show? Are they keeping up with
their
the hype?
They're talking about the car a little
bit. They got the AMG logo.
Um, honestly, I didn't like it when I
first saw it. I thought there was too
much going on with the car. The the
stripes, um, you know, the the stars
just a bit much. But it's grown on me. I
I'm starting to like this. I The more I
look at it, the more it simmers, uh, the
cleaner it looks. And I don't know if
you feel the same way about this.
>> Yeah, man. I like it. It's a uh it's a
clean car. It looks like what they
brought to the track. It's German
engineering. It's uh it's artwork to
match. And you know what? It's clean. I
like it. I like it.
>> Yeah. You know what?
>> I'm disappointed it looks as fast as it
looks.
>> Really hoping it would look a lot slower
and it would be a lot slower, but you
know, we've got high hopes for George
and Kimmy this year based on how it
looks.
>> I don't know. They didn't slap any HP
horsepower stickers on, so it might be a
little bit slower, but
>> they they have enough. They don't have
to throw horsepower on the designs.
Well,
>> maybe
>> I'm not sure about the ugly Microsoft
logo at the top.
>> Yeah. What's up with these uh these
computer companies just like slapping
their logos out there, man?
>> I'm not sure about it, but that's that's
my only gripe with it. The rest of it's
clean and then the Microsoft logo, it's
like, why? Why?
>> Oh my god. You know what? Like I when I
saw the the kind of the stripes on the
side, it reminded me of the Adidas logo.
And I think a lot of people said that.
They're like, "Oh, it's the Adidas logo
cuz they're doing the their the teams
now, the the suits and the the
uniforms." But it's actually the AMG
logo and it's supposed to be seen from
up top.
>> Yeah, I saw that picture.
>> So, I mean, when you look at it that
way, it looks cool. Um, but yeah. No, I
>> It's an Adidas shoe until proven
otherwise.
>> It is. It literally looks like an Adidas
shoe from the side until proven
otherwise. But that's another meme we
might get into. But um the last car is I
guess the Alpine that we got to talk
about.
>> Yeah. Especially with Briator throwing
some pressure at the team. Uh just
doesn't just end with a pretty car. They
got to have some speed to back it up.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Briator has pretty much said
this car is set for this year to do
well. There are no excuses for it to go
any other way. Um, big words, uh, big
expectations
and same delivery.
>> Hey man, if you change less [ __ ] if you
copy and paste, maybe they spent more
time on the aerodynamics than they did
delivery. We can only hope.
>> I honestly never really dislike this
livery. It's unique. It's different. It
has uh nice colors to it. It's bright.
Um, I I liked it. I think they got it
right the first time. They didn't have
to change too much, but it it's no
different to me.
>> Alpine's going to be the new Red Bull as
far as as far as the livery. Just
control CRLV the whole way through.
>> Yeah.
>> Change something that's broken,
>> man. But like look at the 2021 livery.
Like I like that. That was cool.
>> It was cool. They lost it in the middle
there when they were trying to drop some
weight and now it's just the exact same
thing for 2025 to 2026. What did they
change the blue like a a tint to make it
a little bit less shiny? It
>> it's the biggest thing is a sponsor cuz
I think the sponsor's color is pink. So,
they're kind of bringing both of them
into it whereas the 21 the blue and red
was pretty cool.
>> I got you. I got you.
>> Yeah, fair enough.
>> What do you think about Briator dropping
the gauntlet?
Honestly, from we'll get into the
shakeddown a little bit, but he's he's
to a certain degree right there. This is
their year. They completely gave up on
2025. Well, not gave up, but they had
zero focus on 2025. Their whole focus
was 2026. So, if you are going to take a
whole year to I mean technically
sacrifice a year, there is no excuse.
Like you need to pull through and you
know bring your car up when you're dead
last. Like um they have everything going
for them. The engine is there. Um the
car is all ready to go apparently
according to the shakedown that we see.
Um it's just a matter of are they going
to be able to bring their themselves up
into the midfield? Then, you know, some
are speculating, you know, into the top
of the midfield. Um,
>> they have the drivers to do it in Pierre
and Franco.
>> I don't know about Colinto. Uh, you
know, I've I've I've always felt like he
was backed by sponsors money. Um, which
is why he's given a strong opportunity.
Um, Pier Gazzley, I have hopes in. I I I
think if there is going to be a driver
that's going to pull through for them,
it's going to be him. Well, Franco drove
his ass off in his one opportunity in
2024. That's what solidified his seat
and he's kind of hung on ever since. So,
you know, he's got a drive in him if he
has the right car under him. But
luckily, he flamed out last year. So,
>> yeah. Yeah. Last year, uh, being my
first season watching Formula 1, uh, I
cannot go any further past that, but
from what I saw last year, uh, I wasn't
too impressed, which is why even in my
predictions this year, he isn't doing
all that well. So, we'll see how it
goes. Um, but let's go on into the
shakedowns. Did we miss anything from
the liveries?
>> No, man. I think we're done with talking
about pretty cars. I think now we got to
see how they work. That's really what's
important, right? We got to see the cars
heading out on track. Um, and really
that's what we care about. Now, the
shakedown, obviously, everyone's
sandbagging, everyone's running a race
plan to understand what their cars can
do and what we're expecting to see for
this year. But it's our chance to start
to see some of the angles, see some of
the games that teams are playing and see
what they brought to the table.
>> Yeah. No, it it definitely is. And uh
you know, day one, we saw it right off
the bat. Mercedes and Kimmy and George
coming in with just that confidence.
Like I don't even know if you saw the uh
the post shakedown interview. It almost
seemed like George was holding back a
smile, you know, like he knows he has a
rocket and like he's playing it cool,
but like you could just
>> arrogance.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Um, you know, I was I was
actually listening to a podcast where
it's like it's like George has this like
>> like just like this confidence in him as
in he's almost like a world champion
already, you know? He's he's walking
that walk now, you know? He's he's
walking with his chest a little bit
more, you know, wide, more open, a lot
of confidence, which, you know, it
speaks volumes because a lot of that
does transfer into the way he drives.
And if he's given a rocket ship, I I
don't see why he's not going to be
contending for that WDC.
>> Big words early on, but you know, give
him a good enough engine. You put him in
the right spot. I think he could do it.
He's willing to throw down and fight
with some of the leaders. So I guess
>> some of the leaders being your boy Max
Versstappen
>> 100%. Who else did I talk about? I'm
biased as hell.
>> Fernando Lonzo. Fernando Lonzo.
>> I'm biased as hell. That's why I'm here.
Um before we even get to the shakedown,
right? Like the [ __ ] is happening with
Williams.
>> Oh right. They didn't even make it to
the shakedown.
>> Oh man.
>> And team showing up and one who's
saying, "Yeah, we'll we'll see you guys
in Bahrain."
>> Yeah. Yeah. Uh, you know, um, James
Val's words, um, didn't age so well cuz
he was again like, uh, almost like
Briator, like very locked into 2026 and
it seems like now that 2026 is here, uh,
things are falling behind. Not a good
look. Not a good look when when you've
promised a lot, you know. And, um,
>> that wasn't the quote in 2025, break
everything. This is the year that we
like don't care about. It's all about
2026. we're going to come back stronger.
This is going to be our year. And then
>> here we are. They're not ready.
>> Showing up, right? They're they're still
sitting in the bus, car on a plane.
>> It's It's unfortunate. And like, you
know, I was talking to Garrett before
this is like it's unfortunate like my
two teams like Carlos, Fernando Lonzo,
my two drivers, Williams, Aston not
looking the best so far. Um, but with
Williams, they didn't make it due to
their car being overweight. Uh, not miss
uh not passing the crash test. A few
technical things going on with that car
that have held them back, but um it
seems like um they've been all good in
terms of the mechanical the physical
side where they're able to simulate uh
that these tests on a simulator. Now, I
don't personally don't know how that
reliable that is to real life testing,
but they are going to be um simulating a
lot of this shakeddown that need that
needed to happen with a physical car. Um
but I mean, we'll see what happens. you
know, maybe they're buying more time to
produce um you know, give us that rocket
that they promised, but um it never
people are thrown out the rumors that
this is James B's master plan that, you
know, he thinks his car is so good that
he's telling everyone it's overweight
and telling everyone they're behind,
then he's going to show up on day one
and kick the [ __ ] out of everyone. We We
don't know, right? F1's this game of how
much can I bend the rules? How much can
I like fake bluff lie cheat to make my
like get there? And we don't know if
this is the start of that or if this is
truly them struggling. We won't know
until we see the cars going, but adds to
the drama.
>> I mean, you know, Williams has
everything it takes. It has the legacy.
It has the drivers and it has the engine
now. It has the PR the team is there.
You know what I mean? Like I feel like
it's all there for the taking. it just
everything is clicking and um if that is
the case like I wouldn't be surprised
like I wouldn't be surprised if if it
just falls through to that um but I have
also a lot of hope for Williams more so
than Alpine and I'm sorry if that's a
personal take um but uh you know I I I
hope I hope that's the case. I really
do.
>> And what do you think about teams like
McLaren and Aston Martin waiting until
later days in the shakeddown to even
show up? Are they just trying to keep
their cards close to their chest or you
think they're, you know, running a risky
delay as far as collecting data and
getting what they need out of the whole
week?
>> Well, unfortunately, I have to say this
as a Aston Martin fan. Uh, I think for
Aston Martin, it was uh pushing it to
the wire. Um, I was mentioning this
earlier, Adui's design, which has
obviously everyone kind of worried,
panicked, they're like, "What is this
car? Why does it not look like any other
car?" Um, but they he did push it to his
last design uh to uh get it on track,
get it uh made, and that's why the the
actual crash test was pushed back, which
obviously that was delayed. There was a
few delays, but for a team like McLaren,
I think they're just keeping those cards
close to their chest. Like, I think
McLaren is also going to be a rocket
ship. They have uh every reason to be.
Um, they have the drivers, they have the
car, they have um, and you know what, it
it's weird that they seem like the
underdog when they just won the WDC and
everyone is talking about Red Bull and,
you know, um, and Mercedes when McLaren
has already won. It has two of the best
lineup, best lineup for drivers like um,
and nobody's talking about them. It it
they're quiet.
Orlando Norris's dad's point. No one
remembers uh the person who came in
second and they're the team who came in
first, right? Like there's something
weird about it. There's something weird.
The F1 community doesn't like either
believe or respect the fact that they
took it home. And so I think they're
holding that against them this year.
It'll be interesting, right, to see
whether they stand up and say, "We're
the champions. We're going to show you
again." Or to see if they uh the Papaya
rules hold them back. You've got the
defending world champion and you've got
uh Lord Pastri trying to make his Sith
debut and you know cut the team down at
the knees and take one for himself. you
know, can we talk about the McLaren
livery for one second? Because I just
think this livery is gorgeous and I
think it represents um just just what's
happening with with the whole Oscar
Pastry arc with with him just going evil
and revenge mode and Sith mode, whatever
you want to call it. But
>> his villain arc for sure, man.
>> He he definitely is. And he's he's gonna
he's going to do well. like he is going
to do well. Um we already know that a
lot of people are actually even, you
know, saying he might be the contender
for the WDC. Um, which you know when I
watch all these podcasts it's it's all
these like you know uh pundits these
these you know obviously people that are
in the industry for so long that are
saying McLaren's going to still win you
know and the fans are obviously saying
otherwise but um he's a top contender
and this this livery is it feels like
you know Oscar is going you know in Sith
mode and he's going to get his revenge
and it just looks so clean To me, I love
it. I love it.
>> It's wild to me. There's no orange on
that car.
>> And and you know what? I like it. You
know, they have that they obviously have
it on that McLaren logo over there. And
I think that's enough orange. You know,
away with a papaya. Bring out the Sith
Lord.
>> They're going to run a red stripe down
the middle of it halfway through the
season to show the lightsaber he chose.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Straight up. Straight up.
But yeah, no. Um, most most uh, you
know, I was just watching James
Hinchcliffe saying, "No, it's gonna be
McLaren." Like that's that's the move.
That's the opportunity there. Um, we'll
just have to wait and see what happens.
But, um, going back to the shakedown,
um, day one,
>> we talked about Mercedes and Kimmy. Um,
Red Bull was out there as well. Cadillac
was out there. H Alpine quite a bit
teams ran on on day one. Um few teams
didn't. McLaren and Ferrari, Aston
Martin of course and unfortunately
Williams. So um yeah, day one looked
good.
>> What' you think? What' you think? Were
any front runners on day one to you or
was it just test in the waters?
>> Yeah, you know, it's it's always hard to
say. um like first day, especially
shakedowns, like everyone is saying it's
not about the the speed, it's not about
the laps, but it seems like everyone was
really kind of honed in on on the speed,
on the laps, who's who's doing what,
who's doing um who's spinning out, who's
crashing. Um but you know what, day one
was uh a good success. I don't think
there was too much drama day one. There
was a lot of weather issues. I think
throughout the week, a lot of strategy
going on when the cars are actually
going to come out um based off of if
it's going to rain. The temperatures
were pretty cold uh that day as well.
And when it comes down to like the a
average speed, I think from day one, I
believe it was Hajar that got the fast
set the fastest pace for that day. Um
hold on, I have it right over here. It
was Hajar, uh George Russell, and Franco
Colapinto. uh which which were like the
top three for day one. Um
>> miles off the pace for what we're going
to see in testing and you know at the
next race in Barcelona, but
>> it's fun to fun to see who's who's
rising to the top. I think day two
though is when we hit chaos.
>> Yeah, day day two was a little bit more
chaotic. Uh I believe uh day two was
when um
>> bunch of teams chose not to run. Started
raining everywhere.
>> Yeah, it started raining. Yeah, you
>> Ferrari and Red Bull went out.
>> One of the Red Bulls got put on the
wall.
>> It was uh Hajar, right?
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> And it was touch and go whether it would
compromise them for the rest of the
week. So, they were
the Red Bull fans were uh were getting
ready to throw throw sticks and pick up
pitchforks.
Man, the amount of memes that I saw that
like, oh, like, you know, Hadger's done,
like, yo, his seat's done. Like, oh, oh,
there's one meme I saw. Somebody was
like ripping a paper. It's like Hajger's
contract just like just ripped in.
>> Well, a lot of that goes back to Pure
Gazzley's
last season with Red Bull where he
crashed in the pre-season testing.
>> Yeah,
>> it seemed like that threw him off for
the rest of the year.
But I think what a lot of people are
forgetting about Hajar is he crashed on
the formation lap in Melbourne and
pretty well missed the first race of the
season. He bounced back and put together
a performance over the season that put
him in a Red Bull. So, you know, if
anyone's going to bounce back from a
little shunt into the wall, it's
probably him.
>> Yeah,
>> I'm not too worried. It [ __ ] up our
car, but I think we still got enough
laps in and completed the the run plan
they were hoping to, so I'm not too
worried. But yeah, man. Day two, Ferrari
got out, Red Bull got out,
Charles took in the morning, Lewis in
the afternoon, and it was just kind of
pumping laps in at the end of the day.
>> And it's it's good that these cards
obviously went out in the rain, too,
because that's valuable data for the
teams to collect as well. So, Ferrari
obviously sent back out right away. Um,
some of the laps, Rappen,
and Hajar set some of the fastest laps.
They weren't that fast. Um but I mean
considering the conditions uh the lap
times were set for that day.
>> What happened day three run
>> day three uh we got uh we got Mercedes
going out again. George Russell we got
the Racing Bulls. Arvid Lindlad getting
out there. Uh Al first of the whole of
the whole shakedown. Right.
>> What's that?
>> Was that Arvid's first run of the
weekend or the weekend? Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. Before I I think this is Yeah. for
the shakedown. This was the first time
he got out there. Uh and then McLaren
came out. So Lando Norris was driving.
Uh the new shiny number one McLaren
MCL40.
Uh big fancy one on there. Um and yeah,
just
>> the skinniest number one I've ever seen.
Barely tell it's number one.
>> Yeah. And and you know what? They were
they were uh even in the um I think when
they were bringing the liveries out and
stuff, they were just like flashing that
number one everywhere, you know, just so
much pride and like, hey, we're number
one. But um yeah, I mean, they deserve
it. Norris deserves it. And then um we
had Mercedes come out later with Kimmy
and then Pier Gazzley came out for the
first few laps and um Aston Martin.
Fortunately, still day three, no sign of
Aston Martin. My boys have not come out
yet. But um day three,
>> I feel like people were happy with it.
The cars in day three though, like
George got a bunch of laps in. He was
happy with how it went. Got a bunch of
important data. Same with with Kimmy.
The racing bulls were happy with the
car.
And I think McLaren and Norris was even
more just surprised at how different it
felt. like like they were finally
starting to experience the difference in
what the cars felt like last year to
this year and you how energy was
deployed differently, how they were
going to have to drive for this year.
So,
the drivers starting to get a little bit
more comfortable.
>> You know, I I think the biggest thing is
um these cars are going to be more fun
for the drivers to drive. Uh Lewis, I
think, quoted that as well. He's like,
"This is going to be fun. It's going to
be better to overtake." Uh but he
literally used the word fun like these
cars are going to be fun to drive,
right? Which which is huge because I
feel like the energy does
>> they have more control.
>> Yeah. Yeah. They have more control. And
um I think Max actually talked about
this in one of the podcasts he he did
was the downforce era of these uh
previous generation car were just so
uncomfortable to drive as a driver. The
down
>> them into the floor. they were having
back pain. Like it was actually painful
for them to drive in in some instances.
Um I forgot what that term is when the
car actually starts shaking and
bouncing. Uh
>> corposing.
>> Porposing. Thank you. Porposing. That
just looks uncomfortable.
>> Yeah. Especially when you're going
around a corner. If your car is
corposing, you're pulling like five or
seven G's and bouncing. You'd feel like
your neck was going to fall out your ass
at that point.
>> Yeah.
>> That would not be fun. You're pretty
much getting jackhammered into the
ground. Your spine is taking a beating.
And tell me, doctor, how does that
probably feel for you?
>> Feels terrible.
I want them all the time because
hopefully finding their way into my
office, they'll make some good money off
of them. But for their sake and their
longevity in the sport, you know, we
want them uh we want them gliding along
like they're floating on a cloud.
>> Oh yeah, for sure. For sure. But uh
yeah. No. Um that is a huge statement. I
think the car is going to be smaller,
more fun to pass, more fun to drive, and
that should show um on track. I think
that is going to show on track. It's
going to show a lot more confidence in
the drivers, uh a lot more ability to
maneuver the cars um and, you know, go
for more fun overtakes that is as a
viewer is going to make more
entertaining to watch. But, uh, I'm
excited.
>> Control back in the driver's hands and
it's going to start highlighting who's
actually a good driver and who's just
moving a steering wheel.
>> Yeah.
>> Who can multitask? Who can actually
figure out strategy?
And as I say that aloud, I'm sure
that'll, you know, lead back to the
teams and who can who runs a good
strategy department, whose engineer is
really thinking on their feet as far as
when they're deploying versus when
they're defending. And you know, I
there's more human error, but also human
opportunity that exists, which is
exciting.
>> Yeah, it is exciting 100%.
Um, I think we're on what, day three or
day four?
>> Day four. Day four.
>> Day four. Uh, we have Lewis spun out on
day four, too. I think that was a a
little bit of a
>> I think it's on 360 and keep going.
>> Yeah, 360. Keep going. Day four.
>> He's doing donuts.
He's warming up the tires. He's warming
up the tires.
Um, but yeah, Ferrari was running it
hard, too. I think that was its third
day on track.
>> This is the day they're just pumping in
pumping in laps.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Um, McLaren also out there.
Um,
Mercedes, they were posting up some cool
pictures of the car. Were they on track
as well? I can't recall if they were on
track. Um,
>> one of the most important things of the
entire week happened on day four though.
>> What was that?
>> Wasn't that the day that the Aston
Martin showed up?
>> That is right. The most important day of
the week, which shook up all the other
cars. And my god, have I been loving the
memes of like, you know, when Adrien
Newi's car shows up and all the other
team's like, we're [ __ ] Like, oh my
god, what do we do? What do we do? What
do we do? What do we do?
>> When Adrian When Adrian Newi and with a
Honda engine shows up and their car
looks completely different to yours.
>> Yeah.
>> You can be thinking one of two things.
Either we nailed this and he [ __ ] up
or we're [ __ ] And there's nothing in
between because their car looked so
different. We've yet to see the livery.
You know, sure it'll look beautiful, but
even with its, you know, dark winter
coat on, that car looks different, man.
The side pods are wild. They don't look
like anyone else's car. The nose is fat
and stubby. The suspension looks
different.
>> It's It's good, man. It's a good looking
car. It It looks different. It it um it
got some good feedback from um well
maybe not day four but day five from
Fernando Alonzo.
>> Why? What happened on day four?
>> Five laps into the car coming out on
track. Uh it did break down. Um and it
is okay everyone. This is the point of a
shakedown. it is to shake the car down
to find the problems. And to reassure
everyone, it was some sensor issues. So,
it wasn't anything mechanically
significant. It wasn't anything too
extreme. Some sensors, some things that
they could fix. The car was out the next
day. It's okay. Everyone, calm down,
everyone. Aston Martin is going to do
okay. Okay. So,
>> but you wouldn't fight random people
online about that, would you?
>> I No. I mean, I may have said a few
things online. I I am a passionate fan
of Formula 1 for Aston Martin and I may
have defended them a little bit, but you
know, it comes as uh as a as a job a as
as a role uh as a fan and I think
everyone takes pride in their team and
uh you know defends them including
Lambst. Okay. Including L.
>> You got to be a true true fan to defend
Lstroll. So, I think everyone can
understand that.
>> Our Canadian boy. Okay, I'm going to
keep going on the Canadian card.
>> Fair enough. I'll you on that. And then
we got Friday, last day of the
shakedown. Um, a bunch of teams went out
and a bunch of teams got laps in.
>> Where did everyone land? Where how did
these teams shake out as far as number
of laps they were throwing down? Uh,
where did we end up? Because, well, from
memory serves, Mercedes kind of blew
everyone out of the water. put the most
laps down. Um, there's a bit of a
hierarchy, a top top three we were
talking about earlier.
>> Yeah, let's I'll I'll quickly pull up uh
this is a page that I've been following
that has been showcasing a lot of this.
So, um we have it's just so funny. Says
goss and they're at zero. So, uh I love
that meme. Um number one, we have
Mercedes at 500 laps completed.
Obviously, they've been out. They've
been grinding. Uh car feels good.
They've been they've been working at it.
Ferrari again have been going just as
quick. Uh just as uh many laps almost
437, Hos at 390. And then we have the
remainder of the team. Alpine 345,
Racing Bulls 321, Red Bull 303, and then
McLaren 287, which I found a little bit
interesting that they're running uh some
less laps, but I again um they're
probably uh keeping those cards close to
them. They know what they got. Um, and
then the remainder Audi, Cadillac, Aston
Martin with one of the fewest laps out
there and Williams. So, I think Aston
Martin
>> Aston and Williams really trying hard to
keep those cards close to their chest.
>> Yeah. Yeah, for sure. For sure. They're
they they've got something really good.
They're not going to, you know, lay it
all out. Um, they're gonna they're gonna
bring it in Australia and they're gonna
bring it hot, you know. So, don't you
worry, Garrett. We're We're coming.
We're coming.
>> It's funny.
>> I think it's important though to realize
I think consistency is a big part of
this. I'm I'm excited to see how this
like how the number of laps run, the
speeds start to play out once you see
the cars on track and the uh in the
Bahrain test. I think that, you know,
there's something to be said about 500
laps. Like, that's a ton of running. Uh,
and I think everyone else kind of
falling in the middle there. They're
putting a lot of laps in. We'll see what
that translates to for consistency, but
got to get the data to to start making
the plan. So,
>> well, I think
>> to see a bunch of laps get put down.
>> You you were talking about it, right,
with the especially with the new uh
combustion um loophole that they found.
Were they going to actually uh break
down? And that was one of the concerns
for not just you, but a lot of people on
um you know, in F1 as fans. Then you
could see Mercedes, uh, Alpine, um, you
have, uh, McLaren, you know, um, they're
they're running a lot of laps. They're
they're they're good, you know,
collectively they're close to what I I'm
not going to do the math real quick, but
like almost close to a thousand laps
with a Mercedes engine, you know. Um, so
when you look at it as a collective, as
an engine supplier, they're looking
solid, reliable. I think I think they're
going to they're going to do well in
terms of reliability. And if they're
getting that extra horsepower on top of
that, maybe they did they did it, you
know, they they might have just done it.
>> And we all know that Ferrari puts in uh
or cranks the engine mode up quite a lot
in these tests and, you know, doesn't
sandbag as hard as as Mercedes. But, you
know, the when you talk about a thousand
laps or Mercedes, let's not scoff at the
fact that the Ferrari and the H put in
just about as many laps. So,
>> yeah. Yeah. And about that Ferrari
engine.
>> Let's let's talk about the laps. I know
these lap times don't really signify too
much, but when we look at it, um the top
three faceted laps from the entire
shakeddown, number one, Lewis Hamilton
>> does every year. They're trying to give
us give us that hope.
I I I've I've heard that they are uh
they try hard during tests and when it
comes in the season they kind of
>> go the other way flat. It's that
thatium. They're trying to get you
hooked on hope.
>> Hopium. Um but Lewis Hamilton number
one. Number two George Russell. Um and
then number three we have Lando Norris.
So again um the only outlier I see there
is Lewis Hamilton. uh having being the
person that put in P12 in my
predictions. Um it seems
>> I'm hoping he slows down quite a bit.
>> Yeah, I'm just hoping he does. Um but
you know what, went pretty quick uh as
well. Hos did pretty well like like you
mentioned. So the Ferrari engine may not
be as slow as a lot of people
anticipated, but we can't say anything
right now. Um we do have to wait and see
where these cars go.
>> Um yeah, man. Yeah, very
>> shake. The shakeddown's done. We're not
going to dive into every little piece of
carbon fiber and plastic and metal on
these cars because we do not claim to be
as intelligent as Adrian Newui and see a
be an avatar. But there's a lot to talk
about when it comes to the aerodynamics.
I'm sure we can jump on 11 other
podcasts or watch 10 hours of technical
explanation, but uh I think the two of
us will just wait until the cars go
vroom vroom. see some real lap times
from these guys here uh coming up in the
next couple weeks. Anything else we
we're forgetting about we want to talk
about today?
>> No, I think you've nailed it. I think uh
when it comes down to us, we like
talking about the cars going fast around
the the circuit and that's where we kind
of limit ourselves, but um yeah, I I
think we pretty much nailed everything
for today.
>> You changing any of your predictions
right off the bat? I know we're not
locking them in until after the
preseason test, but any big shakeups to
what you put down last week?
>> That's a that's actually a good
question. I um would put a little bit
more faith in the Alpine based off of
what the engines are doing. So, you
know, as much as I said, uh, you know,
about Franco off the bat, um, and him
being so low, but if the car is the way
it is, if the engine is the way it is,
um, and if Briator puts that pressure
down and it goes somewhere, um,
they might be doing uh, better than than
I I expected them to do. But um yeah,
that's that's the only thing that I can
see that's standing out from the
shakedown and the amount of laps that
the Mercedes did as a collective engine
supplier.
>> Yeah, man.
>> Yeah. How about you? Any any changes
there?
>> I'm with you. I'm cautiously optimistic
that my boy is still going to be high up
there, but uh the Mercedes is scaring
the [ __ ] out of me a little bit.
>> They they're they're doing something.
They're doing something. And the only
I'm not here for it. I need them to ease
up a little bit.
>> Yeah. Well, we'll see how it goes. And
again, the only time we're going to find
out is during that testing that's coming
up. Do you know when the testing is
actually?
>> Uh, let's find out.
>> So, the testing in Bahrain is going to,
you know, show us a lot.
>> February 11th to 13th
and then 18th to 20th, it looks like.
And is that the first one public? 11
to13. Is that public?
>> So, you're asking me questions way above
my pay grade.
>> That's That's totally okay. I thought
you had it open. That's why. But uh
>> um one of I think one of these is uh
public or they're both public. Um it's
on the calendar. I'm sure we're going to
get a lot of information regard
regardless. Yeah. Info we got from the
super secret behind closed doors testing
from this week.
>> Wow. So behind closed doors like I'm I
feel like the first two days they were
actually running the metrics and and the
numbers and the lap times. Did you know
that?
>> Yeah.
>> It was it was being leaked and I'm like
bro that's that's so secret.
Just the data just being exported to the
world. Awesome.
Might as well show it at this point.
might as well just televise it.
>> 100%. They could have made so much money
if they did, but
>> I think I think
>> not F1.
>> Yeah. Yeah. They're they're building the
hype behind I guess secret testing. So,
well, maybe maybe we can pass off that
uh you know, information and our our
opinion to F1 and they'll they'll change
it up for us next year.
>> Yeah, next year we'll run the shakedown.
>> 100%. 100%. But I think that's it for us
>> with that. Let's wrap it up. give people
a break from us for another week and
then we'll jump back in next week.
>> 100%. Well, with that we'll sign off. Uh
be sure to like, subscribe, we're on
Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, Amazon
Music, all the platforms. And uh yeah,
we'll see you next week.
>> See you next week on the Cool Down Lab
podcast.
About this episode
Excitement fills the air as hosts John Paul and Dr. Garrett dive into the latest developments in Formula 1, including the unveiling of new liveries from Ferrari, Mercedes, and Alpine. They share their thoughts on Ferrari's nostalgic design, Mercedes' evolving aesthetics, and Alpine's consistent look. The conversation shifts to the shakedown, where teams showcase their cars on track, revealing early performance insights and team dynamics. With a focus on expectations for the season, the hosts discuss standout drivers and the implications of team strategies as they gear up for the races ahead.
Original notes
F1 launch season just turned up the heat — and the paddock is already getting spicy 👀
In Episode 3 of The Cooldown Lap, we break down the newly revealed liveries from:
🔴 Ferrari
⚪ Mercedes
🔵 Alpine
Who refined perfection?
Who played it too safe?
And who completely missed the mark before a wheel even hit the track?
Then we dive deep into the full five days of shakedown testing — the good, the bad, and the concerning.
Lap times started to tell stories, reliability raised questions, and not every team made it out clean.
We also unpack the growing tension at Alpine, including rumors around Flavio Briatore’s influence and pressure behind the scenes — and what it could mean for the team moving forward.
🎙️ Hosted by Jogpaul & Garrett
📊 Topics covered:
• Ferrari’s evolution — bold step or subtle misfire?
• Mercedes’ new look and early performance signals
• Alpine’s livery + internal pressure rumors
• All 5 days of shakedown lap times explained
• Which teams spun, crashed, or struggled with reliability
• The cars that impressed early
• And the teams that didn’t even show up 👀
👇 Drop a comment
Which livery is your favorite so far?
And which team are you already worried about heading into the season?
📲 Follow us on Instagram for clips, debates & hot takes:
@TheCooldownLap
#F1 #Formula1 #FerrariF1 #MercedesF1 #AlpineF1 #F1Shakedown #F1Testing #F1News #F1Podcast #TheCooldownLap #Motorsport #F1Liveries
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