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The Motorsport Brief | Cadillacs & potential conflict as F1 returns

The Motorsport Brief | Cadillacs & potential conflict as F1 returns

Rusty's Garage Aug 28, 2025 17 min
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About this episode

Cadillac's entry into F1 and the return of the series post-summer break are hot topics in this episode. Rusty discusses the rising star Taylor Gill, leading the Junior World Rally Championship, and the intense competition between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris at McLaren. The episode also delves into team dynamics, potential rivalries, and the impact of upcoming regulations on constructors. With insights from Matt Hickey, the conversation touches on the future of Red Bull Racing and the intriguing battles for points among lower-tier teams.

Topics: cadillac in f1 oscar piastri lando norris junior world rally championship team dynamics red bull racing constructor standings 2026 regulations driver rivalries motorsport events
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Cadillacs and Potential Conflicts on this edition of the Motorsport Brief as Formula One fires
back up after the summer break.
Hi everybody, welcome to another edition of the short cast. Rusty here in the garage, bit
of reaction to a recent one on AI in Motorsport too, thank you for the feedback there. I tried
to make that a bit of a panel convo, break it down with tech commentator Trevor Long,
but Tom Moore from DJR also joined us and he had some fascinating insights on things that
we're starting to see in the supercars paddock and in the motorsport industry generally in
our part of the world now, all around AI and machine learning. That is worth a listen
when you get the time. We were joined last week by Taylor Gill, who's that, I hear some
of you asking, just a 21-year-old Australian who is leading the Junior World Rally Championship
with one round to go. Great story. He's based in Finland now but will jet back home next
month for a run in a Yaris AP4 car on the New South Wales South Coast. Those roads around
Neruma are awesome and Neruma will host a round of the ARC next year. Now hopefully
that run is good training for what seems like a logical step on the world stage next
year for Taylor, but first he wants to claim that JWRC crown. He leads a handful of mathematical
contenders going into the final event. That's the European Rally in October. Nice to shine
a bit of a light on him and he's great in that media space too. Good talker. Just
10 races to go in Formula One. Oscar Piazzari is top of the points ladder. Feel like we
should revisit that after the summer break. He leads the race for the drivers crown
by nine, only nine over teammate Lando Norris. Going into his home race, Max Verstappen trails
Norris by 88, he's third in the standings. McLaren is a massive 299 points clear in the
battle for the constructors title. Mercedes less than 30 behind Ferrari, the red team
currently second on that table. Red Bull Racing, this seems almost unthinkable, they're
a distant fourth right now. Matt Hickey from Codesports has been a good sport on a few occasions
this year joining us on the garage. He's back from, I guess, sunning himself on a private
yard off Sardinia with the rest of the pit lane. Welcome, mate. In all seriousness,
did I see a milestone birthday during the break? And if I did, congratulations. You're
a good journalist, Rusty. You're spot on, yes, no, the big 3-0, but unlike most
of the grid, I was in quite sad looking Melbourne with the cold and rain. I wasn't sunning myself
on a yacht, so not quite in that tax bracket just yet.
Let's brighten your day, then. We're getting into footy finals. That's big in that part
of the world, in Melbourne, obviously, and for those that follow NRL beyond that around
the country too. That can be hard for motorsport to get column space in the month of September.
Do you reckon that's changing in your office? Is there interest in Formula One generally and
what Oscar's doing? Is that shifting the sentiment a little bit because there was
a time where motorsport was looked down a little bit by those that covered the ballcodes?
Yeah, no, it's a really interesting point and I think a valid one, but
the sheer popularity of the sport now, it's impossible to deny the appropriate space
whoever and wherever you're publishing. It's stunning. It's one of the fastest-growing
sports in the entire world, as we know. Obviously, drivers have had a massive impact on that,
and then you throw on the fact that Oscar Piastri is doing what he is doing,
and there's a buzz. There's a real buzz that we might have one, and I think we do have one,
and the race to the end of the season is going to be enthralling,
and hopefully it results in a championship in a big front page.
It's easy to forget that the turnaround for McLaren in just a few short years is
really remarkable. Can they sort of do that in balance with the title fight they've got
between their two drivers and without it impacting on next year's car too,
and the fact that we've got a significant regulation change? Are they going to pour
all this energy into those two and what's on the immediate horizon? You can't
do that at the expense of next year and remaining competitive either, can you?
Yeah, it's one of the fascinating things about the sport and certainly that you would have seen
over the years. Trying to find that balance, some teams nail it, some teams don't,
and we don't really know until next year as to how they fared when trying to achieve that balance.
I think McLaren have such an advantage that they probably have the space to give a little
for next year and still keep their noses out in front. I mean, we see how far in front
they are in the Constructors' Championship. Both of their drivers look almost untouchable
at the moment. They are just a mile ahead of the rest of the pack, although I think in
future they're going to be known as Mastercard McLaren, which I'm not too sure about, but anyway.
But I think they'll be able to afford a little bit of room to 2026,
just because they're so far in front at the moment.
You see yarns and these might be perhaps driven a bit by the team, but you see them about
Lando and Oscar fundamentally getting on well and I'm sure he is cordial, maybe not as
explosive as the kind of inter-team rivalries that we've seen over the years. Can you see this
in the remaining 10 races, becoming a bit Nico Rosberg versus Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2016,
or will they be able to keep a lid on that better?
Look, I think there will be a point in the back-off of the season. Now, whether it reaches...
Got a bit, doesn't there?
There has to be, right? Whether it reaches the scales of what we've seen in the past
with teammate rivalry, I'm not sure, but I just get the feeling there is going to be a big moment
in the run home that's really going to shape the conversation and the final stretch.
I also believe that there's going to be one or two races where something big happens,
whether it's a mechanical fault, which we haven't really seen at all for McLaren this year, but
very rarely did teams go through unscathed in that regard to one of the two drivers,
which is really going to change the look of the standings. But I would be shocked if
something didn't happen in the back-off because the law of averages suggests it has to.
Which, again, makes it unmissable, right? Because we don't want that to happen,
but the thought of that happening potentially means we'll be glued.
Oscar's calm and consistency, they're the major assets for him going into this.
But you and I have talked a couple of times now, right Lando off at your peril. I mean,
what he's done particularly in recent races, maybe since Monaco onwards, I think, is to be
applauded. People who love this sport love pondering the strengths of rivals, what they
might bring to the table and so on. What do you see as Norris' ace or aces in his hand for these
10 races, do you reckon? I think having that extra few years in the sport is always going to
be a bonus. And I think that will help Lando down the stretch. I think the other important thing
or the intriguing thing to me is that he's had potentially his little tough period. We don't
know how the rest of the season is going to play out. But towards the start of the year,
which has given him self-time to gather, he's had that brain fade that we saw,
well I was about to say a few weeks ago, but after a break a few months ago.
And now he's had time to just regather himself and maybe not get
flustered during this big run home because he's had that little moment, that little hurdle that
now he's gotten himself over. I think that will be really important mentally for him.
He can now see the stretch home is gaining some momentum into the back half of the season,
which we all know is so crucial. So I think for Lando, that is where his advantages will lie
as we head towards the back end of the season. Max just won't because he's not programmed
that way. But can you see Red Bull now that you talk constructors points there before,
they're whatever they are a distant kind of fourth in the race. Can you see them almost
getting to the point where they go, let's just write this year off. We've had a couple of changes
in the second seat and it's been tough for us, etc. Let's focus on 26 and getting that right
with Ford and so on. I can, but also with the, it's hard to describe what Max Verstappen is,
but with the, I guess the raging bull, maybe not the Red Bull that Max Verstappen is, it's
very hard to deny him trying to give him the best car possible because he is undeniable when he has
that at his fingertips. I also think that even if they do decide to do that, he will make the car
overperform so much to the point that he will still be a factor at the front end of the grid.
So I'm not sure we'll necessarily be able to tell from Max's performance,
but maybe in the other Red Bull we'll be able to see if they're starting to look forward to 2026.
That's actually a really good point, you make. The impact of the others that are capable of
stealing points, if you will, from McLaren or from Lando and Oscar respectively,
what chance of Ferrari doing a bit more of that, do you think?
Yeah, look, they've got the talent. We know we've seen flashes of how good the car is.
I'm a Shuller-clerk fan. I'll never deny that. I think he's fantastic. He's great with the media.
I think he's very much himself, which is fantastic too. So there are chances of stealing points.
I think as we've seen, there's going to be moments here and there where, or randomly,
maybe the McLaren car doesn't quite look suited to a certain track or whatever it might be,
and we'll see the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari popping up. How often? It's hard to judge
because, as I said, McLaren have been so powerful and so strong. And then, like you mentioned,
we've got these 2026 regulations. So how does every team player, it's going to be fascinating to see
how it pens out, not just at the top of the grid, but towards the bottom as well, because of
course, Cadillac coming too. Let's go there then. Perez and Valtteri Bottas, Sergio's back.
So as Valtteri next year, that kind of makes sense to have a driver line up
like that. I think both of them feel like they have nothing to prove, but they bring
a lot to the table for this. Can this team be better than cellar dwellers and perhaps
surprise us next year? Or is it just going to be such a huge mountain to start the climb on?
I think it'll be a big mountain early. I think they, of course, the timing has been worked out
well in terms of the new regulations come in. So they're not necessarily going to be a mountain
behind, which is obviously a strategic decision. Like you said, the driver pairing, I think
fantastic. You need as much feedback on a new car as you can possibly get as early as you can get it,
and you're going to get that with two really experienced drivers. I'd be fascinated to hear
what you think, Rusty, of what this is going to look like in 2026 with a new team. Are we going
to see them score a point from years past? What do you reckon? I think that would be
your target in year one. If you can just do a few things like that that show that you're
putting the ingredients in the right places and starting that build the right way. If you can
claw a couple of points like that, I reckon that's a real win for them in 2026.
Yeah, I think if they can, as you said, squeeze into a top 10 or maybe squeeze into a Q2 or a
Shot Q3 at a track, I think it'll be really good signs and promising signs to hopefully
a bit of longevity. Can we get you to stick around for a little bit longer?
Sounds good to me. All right, more on F125 and the critical second half of the season right after this.
Hope you're enjoying this episode of Rusty's Garage. We will be at the Singapore Grand Prix
and the Bathurst 1000 in October, as well as MotoGP at Phillip Island, huge month for motorsport.
Right now though, the Convo on F1 and this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort continues
with our guest, Matt Hickey from Code Sports. Hey, it's been pretty quiet on the Christian
Horner front. Someone said to me the other day, is there a chance of walking away altogether,
made good money, won world championships with one of the best teams in the game in two
special chapters, Vettel and Verstappen. They've had more winners on their books
since then, obviously. Do you think he could do that or is there more chance of
hell freezing over? I mean, he just loves the sport so much that you can't not see him
coming back. Also married a spice girl, which is potentially another reason to hang around at home,
but look, just a boulevard competitor, no pun intended, it's very hard to see him completely
walking away from the sport. However, he's left in such a manner in the last few years has
been relatively tumultuous for Christian with some things that have been popping up in the
headlines. It's, I don't think out of this world to imagine him going, all right,
maybe I've just had enough for now and potentially a year or two out of the game and he's got,
you know, young kids, I believe, from memory. So to hang around and maybe be with them a little
bit more. But I get the feeling we will somewhere down the track, whether it's in a month or a year
or five years, we'll see Christian Horner somewhere. Alex Palau from IndyCar has been
linked to that second Red Bull seat. Chip Ganassi has been pretty quick to kind of
torpedo that and say it's clickbait. Will he, won't he, could he cut it,
do you reckon? I mean, an ultra competitive racer.
Yeah, look, I think all of these guys are so, so skilled that they would all
not be miles off. But as we know, in F1, it's a matter of tenths of seconds and two tenths
of seconds. I think with time, he would definitely have the quality to do it. But
as we've seen so often in that Red Bull second seat, they don't give anybody the time.
So I would be fascinated if they went with an untested person at this level. Of course,
we've seen him be fantastic elsewhere. Just purely based off what they've done previously,
because if you're not going to give somebody the time to get used to it,
then you need to get somebody experienced straight into the door.
It does seem like that move would be not 180, but a real break from tradition for someone
like Helmut Marco. You're absolutely right there. Good battle for the miners at the moment.
When we look further down the constructors' standings, what is it? If I've got the numbers
right, William 70, Aston Martin 52, Sauber 51, Racing Bulls 45, and you could even throw,
I guess, Haas in there as well, who I think are about 10 points behind RB. That little
game will be worth watching over the final 10 races as well, won't it?
Certainly. I love these little battles down the order, because all of a sudden,
those one or two points for 10th and 9th become stunningly crucial. If somebody can somehow
catapult themselves into Q3 and maybe get towards 7th, 8th, 6th, it's a game changer.
I think it's going to be really fascinating. There's also a team down the bottom who might have
done some things to an Australian driver that we weren't too thrilled about. Maybe
down the bottom is not a bad spot for them, Rusty. I still haven't heard whether Franco
Kalpinto's 5-race trial is over yet, but there's going to be some fascinating things down that
order. I think Williams maybe have separated themselves in that fifth spot, but as you say,
Aston Martin down. It's going to be really close, and as everybody knows, millions of dollars
at stake as well. Fernando, what is he now? 44 or something or rather, and all the
eyes on 2026 and working with Adrian on what hopefully will be a good car. That would be
insane to think he was fighting for podiums potentially next year.
Yeah, phenomenal. I also get the feeling he's got something up his sleeve at some race
to end this year, to really have a big say in that fight down the constructors as well.
It's remarkable what he's doing at the moment. He's a freak of an athlete.
Couple to finish. Daniel Riccardo popped up at a conference on the Gold Coast recently.
He looks real kind of bare grills on us with that massive beard that he says his time in Formula
1 is done. Could you maybe see him doing a, I posed this question on radio the other day,
maybe a little one off thing. Go and do a Bathurst 1000, go and do a, I don't know,
Le Mans 24 hour. I still feel like he's got racer in him, even though he's off and enjoying
life beyond motorsport at the moment. I mean, as we see with most of these guys that it's very
hard for them to completely walk away from the sport because that competitive juice never really
dies off. It would be fantastic. Can you imagine the roar at Mount Panorama if you went round at
Bathurst? It would be unbelievable. It would be incredible. I just really, and I'm a massive
Daniel Riccardo fan. It's fantastic to see him. I think he's really enjoying his time
away. We know how difficult it was for him at the back end of his F1 career, chopping and
changing teams, getting so much criticism and maybe unwarranted feedback as well.
So he seems to be really enjoying himself away from the spotlight and I'm sure at some point
we will get a little taste of Daniel Riccardo here or there. Maybe it might even be in the
States. We know his love for NASCAR and things like that as well. As always, you have been
awesome. Congrats on turning the big 3-0 and thank you for coming back on the pot again today.
Cheers, Rossi. We are just about out of time for this one. Next week,
the art of helmet painting with one of the best in the world and he hails from our corner too.
Enjoy the Dutch Grand Prix. Have an awesome weekend everybody. Bye for now.

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