POST TEST F1 PREDICTIONS – Episode 6 | The Cooldown Lap
About this episode
The hosts dive into their updated F1 season predictions after testing, reflecting on Aston Martin's disappointing performance and the reshuffling of top contenders. They discuss George Russell's strong chances for the championship, Max Verstappen's skill and Red Bull's potential, and Charles Leclerc's promising Ferrari reliability. The conversation also touches on the impact of sprint races, driver mentalities, and personal biases influencing their picks. The banter includes lighthearted takes on Lando Norris's breakup and the stakes of their hot wing challenge, adding a fun, relatable layer to their F1 analysis.
Pre-season testing is done — and now there are no excuses 👀
In Episode 6 of The Cooldown Lap, we revisit our original pre-testing predictions… and compare them to what the data actually showed on track.
Who overreacted?
Who stayed calm?
And who’s already backtracking?
With real lap times, reliability trends, and performance gaps now visible, we lock in our updated championship predictions — P1 to P20.
But this time there’s a twist.
We’re betting on it.
Loser has to eat the hottest wing in the world 🌶️🔥
No milk. No escape. No mercy.
🎙️ Hosted by Jogpaul & Garrett
📊 Topics covered:
• Biggest winners from testing
• Teams that look like real contenders
• Surprise midfield movers
• Early red flags & reliability concerns
• Pre-testing vs post-testing prediction shifts
• Our locked-in 2026 championship order
👇 Drop a comment
Who’s your champion after testing?
And who do you think is eating the wing?
📲 Follow for clips, debates & race-week chaos
@TheCooldownLap
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Formula 1
"on in the F1 world this week, I think the most exciting or captivating news was that Lando Norris broke up with his girlfriend."
Formula 1 is a type of car racing where the fastest and most advanced cars race on tracks around the world. It's like the top league of car racing.
Formula 1 (F1) is the highest class of international single-seater auto racing sanctioned by the FIA. It features the fastest and most technologically advanced racing cars competing in a series of Grand Prix events worldwide.
sprints
"I feel like the sprints are... What do you even feel about the sprints? Do you feel like we should have them? I love them because any opportunity further to be more racing and chaos and a weekend, the better, but I know the drivers hate them because they have to be at level nine death mode twice. And I imagine that's pretty freaking taxing to the nervous system for one weekend. But they wanted to do it so the fans who have much money to travel to a track and to be there for three days get to see more than two hours worth of racing. Yeah. So I can see why they do it. I can enjoy it as a fan, but I know the drivers are probably like, shut up, Garrett. We don't want more. Yeah, no, that's fair."
Sprints are short races that happen before the main race to give fans more racing to watch. Drivers have to race really hard more than once, which can be tiring.
In motorsports, sprints are short races held in addition to the main event, designed to add more excitement and racing action during a race weekend. They often require drivers to push at maximum effort multiple times, which can be physically and mentally demanding.
Max Verstappen
"No logical reason for picking these other than I like Max Verstappen for the win."
Max Verstappen is a famous race car driver in Formula 1, which is the top level of car racing in the world.
Max Verstappen is a prominent Formula 1 driver known for his aggressive driving style and multiple World Championships.
Mercedes
"I thought George would be hunting him down in the Mercedes."
Mercedes is a famous car company that also makes race cars for the top racing series called Formula 1.
Mercedes is a leading Formula 1 team known for its dominant performance and multiple Constructors' and Drivers' Championships.
Aston Martin
"But a lot of that changed after we saw the Aston Martin basically not run in testing"
Aston Martin is a company that makes fancy cars and also builds race cars for Formula 1.
Aston Martin is a British luxury car manufacturer that also competes in Formula 1 racing.
sandbags
"we got a better understanding of how heavy we think the sandbags are on the side of that Mercedes"
Sandbags means when race teams pretend their cars are slower than they really are during practice so other teams don't know how fast they can go.
In Formula 1, 'sandbags' refer to teams deliberately running slower during testing to hide their true performance from competitors.
Red Bull
"and a whole lot of unknown about how turned down that Red Bull"
Red Bull is a company that makes energy drinks and also has a very good team in Formula 1 racing.
Red Bull Racing is a top Formula 1 team known for its competitive cars and multiple championships.
Ferrari
"and that McLaren engine were all week. With Ferrari showing its cards, we just don't know if they showed all of them."
Ferrari is a famous car company from Italy that makes very fast and fancy cars and also races in Formula 1, which is a top car race.
Ferrari is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer and a prominent Formula 1 racing team known for its racing heritage and high-performance vehicles.
McLaren
"and that McLaren engine were all week. With Ferrari showing its cards, we just don't know if they showed all of them."
McLaren is a company that makes very fast sports cars and also races cars in Formula 1, which is a top-level car race.
McLaren is a British automotive manufacturer known for its high-performance sports cars and Formula 1 racing team.
sandbagging
"You're just hoping that they're about to show the most successful and generational demonstration of sandbagging that we'll ever see in F1."
Sandbagging means pretending to be slower or worse than you really are, so you can surprise others later with better performance.
Sandbagging is a tactic where a team or driver deliberately underperforms or hides their true capabilities, often to gain a strategic advantage later.
driver
"I think that you put a good enough driver in a car that will operate."
The driver is the person who drives the race car during the race. How good they are can change who wins.
In motorsports, the driver is the person who controls and races the car. The skill of the driver is crucial in determining race outcomes, especially in Formula 1 where car performance and driver ability both matter.
Ford
"...based off of what we've seen Red Bull, Ford have pulled through. They're quick."
Ford is a big car company that helps Red Bull Racing by making powerful engines for their race cars.
Ford is a major automotive manufacturer that supplies engines to Red Bull Racing in Formula 1. Their partnership provides high-performance power units for competitive racing.
180 degree spinning wing
"...he's got that cool 180 degree spinning wing. He's got, you know, a Ferrari that looked incredibly reliable."
This is a special wing on a race car that can turn halfway around to help the car go faster or stick to the track better depending on the situation.
The 180 degree spinning wing refers to a movable aerodynamic device on a Formula 1 car that can rotate to adjust downforce and drag, improving performance in different racing conditions.
podiums
"I think Charles is going to be up there battling for podiums all season."
In car racing, if a driver finishes in the top three, they get to stand on a special stage called the podium to receive trophies and celebrate.
In racing, a podium refers to finishing a race in the top three positions, which are celebrated on the podium during the award ceremony.
power unit
"But one thing we can say is the power unit, you're right, has been reliable. It's been quick."
The power unit is the engine system in a Formula 1 car that makes it go. It uses both gas and electric power to be very fast.
In Formula 1, the power unit refers to the entire hybrid engine system that combines an internal combustion engine with electric motors and energy recovery systems to deliver power.
McLaren Formula 1 car
"And we're showing our bias because even though McLaren's probably the second fastest car on the grid,"
McLaren makes special race cars that compete in Formula 1, the highest level of car racing. These cars are very fast and designed to race on tracks.
McLaren's Formula 1 car is their racing vehicle used in the Formula 1 World Championship. These cars are highly specialized, built for speed, agility, and aerodynamics.
P7
"Well, tell me this, Garrett, if you think that he finishes P7 knowing Lewis Hamilton,"
P7 means coming in seventh place in a race, which is how they rank drivers in racing.
P7 refers to finishing in 7th position in a race or championship standings, a common way to denote race results in motorsports.
midfield
"Now is where there's points to be won in the midfield."
Midfield means the cars that are in the middle of the race, not first but not last either.
In racing, the midfield refers to the group of competitors who are neither leading nor at the back, often battling for middle positions.
Haas
"P8 was Isaac. I just think that Red Bull is just going to edge out the Haas in other avenues."
Haas is a racing team in Formula 1, which is like a big car race with the fastest cars in the world.
Haas F1 Team is an American Formula 1 team competing in the world championship, known for being a newer and smaller team compared to established giants.
P13
"It hurts me to put Fernando P13, but despite everything, I feel like this is still high up. ... he's at P13, to be quite honest with you."
P13 means the driver is in 13th place during a race or qualifying. It's a way to say where they are compared to other drivers.
P13 refers to the 13th position in a race or qualifying session in motorsport. It indicates the driver's current standing relative to others.
Audi
"Yeah, I was going to bring it. I honestly said this before, you have a lot of faith in Audi. A decent amount of faith in Audi."
Audi is a car company from Germany that makes fancy cars and also races in big car races like Formula 1.
Audi is a German automotive manufacturer known for its luxury vehicles and involvement in motorsports, including Formula 1 with a new power unit and team.
Plymouth P15
"... where Nico and Carlos are. I just put Carlos in P15 and you swapped the two. I did. I did swap the t..."
The Plymouth P15 is an old car made a long time ago, before World War II. People like to talk about it because it shows what cars looked like and how they worked back then. It might be mentioned because someone is fixing one up or sharing a story about it.
The Plymouth P15 is a classic car model produced by Plymouth in the late 1930s, known for its pre-war design and engineering. It holds significance as a representation of American automotive styling and technology before World War II, often discussed among vintage car enthusiasts. Its mention in a podcast likely relates to classic car restoration, historical interest, or a specific event involving the vehicle.
race IQ
""And I think that takes a lot of... What's that term called? Just a race IQ, I would say. Just like, just acknowledging able to make such a decision on the fly is just brilliant.""
Race IQ means being really smart about how you drive in a race. It means knowing when to make moves, when to stop for tires, and how to stay ahead of other drivers by thinking fast.
Race IQ refers to a driver's ability to make smart decisions during a race, including strategy, car management, and reacting to changing conditions on the track. It encompasses understanding when to pit, how to manage tires and fuel, and how to adapt to competitors' actions.
rookie
"But man, he's a rookie. He's gonna make mistakes. He's going up against the likes of freaking so many experienced drivers."
A rookie is a new driver who is still learning and might make some mistakes.
A rookie is a driver who is in their first season or early in their career in a racing series, often prone to mistakes due to inexperience.
testing
"know what the breakdown was for testing who was kind of like on top of the other? No, I didn't look that low down the list very often. They were kind of keeping tabs on it. I believe Valtteri was a little bit quicker in the testing out of all the sessions."
Testing is when drivers try out their cars before or during the racing season to see how well they work and make them better.
Testing in motorsports refers to pre-season or in-season sessions where drivers and teams evaluate car performance, try new setups, and gather data to improve race performance.
Cadillac
"I don't know what to expect from Cadillac. I don't know what to expect from either of them."
Cadillac is a car company that makes fancy cars, and they also race in some big car races.
Cadillac is a luxury automotive brand from the United States, known for producing premium cars and recently entering motorsports including endurance racing.
top 10
"Listen, if, I'm going to say this out here, everybody, if Aston Martin is any of the drivers are in the top 10, I will eat that wing anyways to celebrate. Are you going to eat that wing on the race that it happens, if Fernando gets in the top 10, you're eating the wing?"
Finishing in the 'top 10' means coming in among the first ten cars in a race, which is considered a good result.
In racing, 'top 10' refers to finishing a race within the first ten positions. It is often a benchmark for a strong performance, especially for teams or drivers not usually competing for wins.
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