{"version":"1.0.0","episode":{"title":"Predicting the 2026 F1 Championship: 22nd to 11th","url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/predicting-the-2026-f1-championship-22nd-to-11th","audioUrl":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/63e24225436c36001119fc66/e/699c745cdc0d51c3f11d6d8d/media.mp3","description":"We’re back with the first part of one of our most anticipated podcasts of the year: that’s right, testing times and vibes are helping us to predict the ENTIRE CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE. And we have changed our minds aplenty since our preseason predictions…Join us tomorrow for our top ten! Sign up to our Patreon! You'll get access to every P1 episode ad-free, extended versions of every 2026 race review, early access to tickets & merch, and access to our Discord server where you can chat with us and other F1 fans! Click here to sign up now: http://patreon.com/mattp1tommyThis episode is sponsored by The AA, the UK’s No.1 breakdown provider. 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See acast.com/privacy for more information."},"annotations":[{"startTime":234.8,"endTime":240.0,"type":"concept","title":"race winners","url":"/glossary/race-winners","quote":"...they've got two very experienced and good drivers and race winners, but, you know, I don't think it's a crazy shout to say that one of them is going to have to be","canonicalId":"concept:race-winners","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Race winners are drivers who have previously won races, indicating experience and skill in competitive motorsport environments.","simplifiedExplanation":"Race winners are drivers who have already won races before, so they know how to be the best in competitions."}},{"startTime":273.6,"endTime":276.0,"type":"concept","title":"midfield car","url":"/glossary/midfield-car","quote":"...he was always won in a false India that could get a podium in a midfield car in an absolute bonkers race.","canonicalId":"concept:midfield-car","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"In racing, a midfield car refers to a vehicle that is neither among the fastest nor the slowest in the competition, typically finishing in the middle of the pack. These cars usually have less performance compared to front-runners but can capitalize on chaotic races to achieve better results.","simplifiedExplanation":"A midfield car is a race car that usually finishes in the middle, not the fastest but not the slowest. Sometimes it can do better if the race is crazy or other cars have problems."}},{"startTime":273.6,"endTime":276.0,"type":"term","title":"podium","url":"/glossary/podium","quote":"...he was always won in a false India that could get a podium in a midfield car in an absolute bonkers race.","canonicalId":"term:podium","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"A podium in racing means finishing a race in one of the top three positions, usually first, second, or third. Drivers who finish on the podium often stand on a raised platform to receive trophies and recognition.","simplifiedExplanation":"Getting a podium means finishing in the top three in a race, like first, second, or third place. It's a big deal and drivers get awards for it."}},{"startTime":324.6,"endTime":332.0,"type":"concept","title":"DNF","url":"/glossary/dnf","quote":"where we have massive DNFs. Maybe there's rain in the air as well. But for me, it's going to be a tough season for Cadillac.","canonicalId":"concept:dnf","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"DNF stands for 'Did Not Finish' and refers to a race competitor who fails to complete the race due to mechanical failure, accident, or other issues.","simplifiedExplanation":"DNF means a driver couldn't finish the race because something went wrong, like a crash or car problem."}},{"startTime":381.4,"endTime":384.5,"type":"brand","title":"Aston Martin","url":"/glossary/aston-martin","quote":"I think Aston Martin are going to have a poor season. They're going to definitely have a poor start to the season unless this is the greatest sandbagging we've ever seen in the history of the sport","canonicalId":"brand:aston-martin","priority":0.9,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Aston Martin is a British luxury automotive manufacturer known for producing high-performance sports cars and participating in Formula 1 racing.","simplifiedExplanation":"Aston Martin is a famous car company from Britain that makes fast and fancy cars and also races in Formula 1."}},{"startTime":384.5,"endTime":389.5,"type":"term","title":"sandbagging","url":"/glossary/sandbagging","quote":"They're going to definitely have a poor start to the season unless this is the greatest sandbagging we've ever seen in the history of the sport where they don't want to show any Adrian Newey innovations","canonicalId":"term:sandbagging","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Sandbagging in motorsports refers to deliberately underperforming or hiding a car's true potential during testing or early races to mislead competitors.","simplifiedExplanation":"Sandbagging means a team or driver is pretending to be slower or worse than they really are, so others don't know how good they really are."}},{"startTime":389.5,"endTime":394.6,"type":"company","title":"Adrian Newey","url":"/glossary/adrian-newey","quote":"unless this is the greatest sandbagging we've ever seen in the history of the sport where they don't want to show any Adrian Newey innovations and they just didn't want to run","canonicalId":"company:adrian-newey","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Adrian Newey is a renowned Formula 1 car designer known for creating innovative and highly competitive racing cars.","simplifiedExplanation":"Adrian Newey is a famous person who designs very fast and clever Formula 1 race cars."}},{"startTime":553.7,"endTime":559.2,"type":"term","title":"mileage (racing context)","url":"/glossary/mileage-racing-context","quote":"They've done a brilliant job again, similar to Cadillac in terms of the mileage that they managed to get in Bahrain.","canonicalId":"term:mileage-racing-context","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"In racing, mileage refers to the total distance a car covers during testing or a race, which is important for assessing durability and reliability of the car and its components.","simplifiedExplanation":"Mileage in racing means how far a race car can go during a race or testing without breaking down. It's important to know if the car can last the whole race."}},{"startTime":655.7,"endTime":666.58,"type":"concept","title":"Formula One","url":"/glossary/formula-one","quote":"I think that in some ways it works in his favour if VCarb aren't having these random podium shouts because it gives him time to learn Formula One, to deal with the pressure that we know that rookies have struggled","canonicalId":"concept:formula-one","priority":0.9,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Formula One is the highest class of international single-seater auto racing sanctioned by the FIA. It features the fastest and most technologically advanced cars competing in a series of races called Grands Prix.","simplifiedExplanation":"Formula One is a type of car racing where the fastest and best cars race on tracks around the world. It's like the top league of car racing."}},{"startTime":680.3,"endTime":694.3,"type":"concept","title":"Red Bull Racing","url":"/glossary/red-bull-racing","quote":"\"...I just don't see a racing bulls and a VCarb being as strong as some of the other teams...\"","canonicalId":"concept:red-bull-racing","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Red Bull Racing is a prominent Formula 1 team known for their competitive cars and strong performances. They are often referred to simply as 'Red Bull' or 'Racing Bulls' in casual conversation.","simplifiedExplanation":"Red Bull Racing is a famous team in Formula 1, which is the highest level of car racing. They build very fast cars and often win races."}},{"startTime":768.8,"endTime":775.5,"type":"brand","title":"Mercedes","url":"/glossary/mercedes","quote":"And yeah, they have a great Mercedes engine underneath them. But it sounds like they're having a lot of trouble as they missed the test.","canonicalId":"brand:mercedes","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Mercedes-Benz is a major automotive manufacturer that also supplies engines to various Formula 1 teams. Their F1 power units are known for high performance and reliability.","simplifiedExplanation":"Mercedes is a big car company that makes engines for racing cars in Formula 1. Their engines help the cars go very fast and perform well."}},{"startTime":902.7,"endTime":947.9,"type":"concept","title":"Formula 1","url":"/glossary/formula-1","quote":"16th place I have gone for, my guy Fernando Alonso. I just don't, I'm not feeling good vibes about the Aston Martin, of course. Is it even delusional that he could be up in the dizzying heights of 16th? It's that bad for Aston Martin at the moment.","canonicalId":"concept:formula-1","priority":0.9,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Formula 1 is the highest class of international single-seater auto racing sanctioned by the FIA, featuring the fastest and most technologically advanced race cars.","simplifiedExplanation":"Formula 1 is a type of car racing where the fastest and most advanced cars compete on different tracks around the world."}},{"startTime":921.6,"endTime":930.7,"type":"term","title":"McLaren Honda","url":"/glossary/mclaren-honda","quote":"I think they'll improve and Alonso is a driver that, you know, I think even to the like McLaren Honda days, I remember him getting like a fifth place or something in one of the races where they're absolutely awful.","canonicalId":"term:mclaren-honda","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"McLaren Honda refers to the Formula 1 team partnership between McLaren and Honda, which was active in the 2015-2017 seasons but struggled with reliability and performance.","simplifiedExplanation":"McLaren Honda was a team in Formula 1 where the car maker McLaren worked with the engine maker Honda, but they had a hard time winning races."}},{"startTime":1091.56,"endTime":1098.2,"type":"car","title":"Dodge Charger","url":"/cars/dodge/charger","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/1970_Dodge_Charger_R-T_Hirschaid_22-20220709-RM-120204.jpg","quote":"Like this 1973 Dodge Charger on eBay that has been tucked away in an Arizona barn for over 40 years, only 55,000 miles and somehow in great running order, even as a rare sunroof.","canonicalId":"car:dodge:charger","priority":0.5,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"The Dodge Charger is a classic American muscle car known for its powerful engines and iconic styling, especially popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The 1973 model is part of the second generation of Chargers and is notable for its design changes and performance options.","simplifiedExplanation":"The Dodge Charger is a famous fast car from America made in the 1970s. The 1973 version is special because it looks different and can be very powerful.","imageAttribution":"Ermell (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":1093.0,"endTime":1100.0,"type":"term","title":"barn find","url":"/glossary/barn-find","quote":"Like this 1973 Dodge Charger on eBay that has been tucked away in an Arizona barn for over 40 years, only 55,000 miles and somehow in great running order...","canonicalId":"term:barn-find","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"A 'barn find' refers to a vehicle that has been stored and forgotten for many years, often in a barn or similar structure, and is rediscovered in relatively original condition. These cars can be highly sought after by collectors.","simplifiedExplanation":"A barn find is a car that was left in a barn or garage for a long time and then found again. It usually means the car is old but still mostly original."}},{"startTime":1124.2,"endTime":1129.3,"type":"car","title":"Pontiac Grand Prix SJ","url":"/cars/pontiac/grand-prix","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/1964_Pontiac_Grand_Prix%2C_front_left%2C_06-16-2024.jpg","quote":"There are thousands of cars like this on eBay from rare finds like the Pontiac Grand Prix SJ to unique builds and your next daily driver...","canonicalId":"car:pontiac:grand-prix","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"The Pontiac Grand Prix SJ is a performance-oriented trim of the Grand Prix, a personal luxury car produced by Pontiac. The SJ trim typically included sportier features and more powerful engine options compared to base models.","simplifiedExplanation":"The Pontiac Grand Prix SJ is a fancier and sportier version of a Pontiac car called the Grand Prix. It usually has a stronger engine and nicer features.","imageAttribution":"MercurySable99 (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":1270.7,"endTime":1278.3,"type":"term","title":"championship table","url":"/glossary/championship-table","quote":"in the championship table, which as of right now is one of the most sort of generous predictions I could have put him at.","canonicalId":"term:championship-table","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"The championship table in racing is the ranking of drivers or teams based on their accumulated points throughout the season, determining their position in the competition.","simplifiedExplanation":"It's a list that shows which drivers or teams are winning or losing in a racing season based on how many points they have earned."}},{"startTime":1445.1,"endTime":1447.0,"type":"brand","title":"Audi","url":"/glossary/audi","quote":"and this is kind of the risk I've taken with this and gone, that Audi will perform maybe a lot better than Williams","canonicalId":"brand:audi","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Audi is a German automotive manufacturer known for luxury vehicles and motorsport involvement, including recent entries into Formula One racing.","simplifiedExplanation":"Audi is a car company from Germany that makes fancy cars and also races cars in big competitions like Formula One."}},{"startTime":1450.5,"endTime":1452.0,"type":"brand","title":"Williams","url":"/glossary/williams","quote":"that Audi will perform maybe a lot better than Williams, which is why Holkenberg is up in 13th place.","canonicalId":"brand:williams","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Williams is a British Formula One racing team with a long history in the sport, known for developing competitive race cars.","simplifiedExplanation":"Williams is a famous team that builds and races cars in Formula One, which is a top-level car racing competition."}},{"startTime":1509.7,"endTime":1516.2,"type":"brand","title":"Haas","url":"/glossary/haas","quote":"Haas were very impressive in the pre-season test, but then so were Williams last year when they topped the test.","canonicalId":"brand:haas","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Haas F1 Team is an American Formula 1 racing team that joined the sport in 2016. They are known for their technical partnership with Ferrari and have been steadily improving their performance.","simplifiedExplanation":"Haas is a team from America that races cars in Formula 1, the highest level of car racing."}},{"startTime":1509.7,"endTime":1526.2,"type":"concept","title":"pre-season testing","url":"/glossary/preseason-testing","quote":"Haas were very impressive in the pre-season test, but then so were Williams last year when they topped the test. We can take as much as we can from pre-season. That's right, isn't it? Williams were the fastest car at the end of pre-season testing last year.","canonicalId":"concept:preseason-testing","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Pre-season testing is a period before the official racing season where teams test their cars on track to evaluate performance and reliability. 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In Formula 1, Alpine is the rebranded team formerly known as Renault, competing with a strong focus on engineering and development.","simplifiedExplanation":"Alpine is a car company from France that also races in Formula 1, which is the top level of car racing. They make fast cars and try to win races with their team."}},{"startTime":1740.8,"endTime":1748.26,"type":"term","title":"engine","url":"/glossary/engine","quote":"I think they'll have a great car. They've got a great engine and I think they'll be","canonicalId":"term:engine","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"An engine is the component of a vehicle that converts fuel into mechanical power to move the car. In Formula 1, engines are highly specialized and engineered for maximum performance and efficiency.","simplifiedExplanation":"The engine is the part of the car that makes it go by burning fuel and turning that into power. In race cars, engines are very powerful and help the car go really fast."}},{"startTime":1976.5,"endTime":1980.4,"type":"concept","title":"cost caps","url":"/glossary/cost-caps","quote":"But it really does depend. Of course, there's cost caps, there's things in","canonicalId":"concept:cost-caps","priority":0.9,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Cost caps are financial limits imposed on Formula 1 teams to control spending and promote competitive balance by restricting how much money teams can spend during a season.","simplifiedExplanation":"Cost caps are rules that stop racing teams from spending too much money, so all teams have a fair chance to compete."}},{"startTime":1988.6,"endTime":1991.6,"type":"concept","title":"turn it around","url":"/glossary/turn-it-around","quote":"I love the way we've been like, yeah, Aston Martin will turn it around, surely.","canonicalId":"concept:turn-it-around","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"In motorsports, 'turn it around' refers to a team improving its performance significantly after a period of poor results.","simplifiedExplanation":"When people say 'turn it around' about a racing team, they mean the team will get a lot better after not doing well."}}],"speakers":[{"id":"s1","name":"Stak","role":"host"}],"transcripts":[{"url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/predicting-the-2026-f1-championship-22nd-to-11th/transcript.vtt","type":"text/vtt"}]}