08x06 - The Duel

[bunniefuu]

Which one's your boat?

See that really big white one
in the distance?

Yeah, not that one.

Here she is.

- Morning. How we doing?
- Morning, George.

- How are you?
- Very good. You?

- Very good, thank you.
- Oh yeah.

- How's your boat?
- It's good.

- Yeah?
- Yeah, enjoying it.

Sixty foot, so yeah, it's decent.
It feels a bit surreal, to be honest.

How is the season going so far for you?

Um...

The season has definitely
taken a bit of a turn.

There's obviously been
a lot of stress and pressure.

These last few races
have been pretty disastrous.

If it wasn't for you this year,
the team wouldn't be where they are.

They'd be fourth in the championship,
not fighting for second.

Yeah.

We've got to forget about the bullshit
and focus on the racing.

You know, we need to give it all to...

to be ahead of Ferrari.

With about half the season to go,

McLaren are walking this championship...

Another McLaren one-two!

...because they have
two drivers delivering results.

But that's not the case at Mercedes,

Kimi started the season
performing very well, and then...

Sorry about that.

...Kimi hasn't scored points
for a long time.

Oh, Kimi Antonelli!

We've lost so many points to Ferrari.

We are third
in the Constructors' Championship.

f*ck!

Ferrari aren't having
the best of seasons either.

Stop talking to me
while I'm in fricking battle, man. Jeez.

Hamilton just can't find
a way past the Haas.

Struggling for pace, struggling for grip.

Are you upset with me or something?

Lewis is taking time to find his feet.

It's always very tricky
when you join a new team.

I'm fully focused on myself and trying
to extract the maximum out of the car.

I need Lewis to go faster.

Have I been dead slow this whole race?

With two of the most iconic teams
in Formula 1 battling for second place,

which of their new drivers
will rise to the challenge?

The kid,

or the GOAT?

Morning.

Very stylish.

Very Netflix.

Are you able to sit up
slightly higher? Is that possible?

- Yeah.
- Oh, you look good, Toto.

- There's the old man.
- Wow!

Smoking!

I mean, if I wouldn't be married to him...

Historically, you know, there's really
just two big brands in... in Formula 1,

and that is Ferrari and Mercedes.

Battery's dead.

- Do you want to push-start us?
- Push-start us?!

- Okay.
- Ready?

Come on, guys.

We've been racing since 1901...

- Keep going. Keep going.
- We need more. More, more, more.

...so it is a rivalry
that will always exist...

Yay! Whoo-hoo!

...about dominance
in the pinnacle of motor racing.

Thank God it started.

That could've been awkward!

This sport is all about winning,
but I'd rather have P2 than P3.

It's less money for P3,

and that money is crucial
for the development of the cars.

But also, there's bonuses
for our team members. That's important.

Mortgages need to be paid, school fees...

And in that respect, we've got
to give it everything to finish P2.

Ready?

George has shown real pace.

But for Kimi,

yeah, uh, tricky.

I don't know with Kimi.
What's your feeling? Too much pressure?

He had that certain easiness
at the beginning of the season,

and, um, it's the advantage
of being 18 years old.

Not worrying too much is a real asset.

But if that goes, that quickly...

The age quickly turns,
um, into a negative.

Yeah.

Um, we'll walk very, like, behind you

because there's a nice big crowd
for you out the front!

Oh sh*t.

Hello. Good evening. How are you doing?

- How are you?
- Well, I am a bit... overwhelmed.

Kimi!

Thanks. He's got to go.

Kimi, Kimi, Kimi, Kimi!

The dream was to become an F1 driver,

but it hasn't been easy,

because my whole life
has intensified overall.

Look at all this crowd.

Hi, Kimi! Kimi!

- Kimi! Kimi!
- Kimi!

Kimi!

Everyone, slow down, slow down.

I've been
struggling to sleep because it feels like

you're always going.

You never stop.

There's quite a lot of emotion
going through at the moment.

Our journey around the world

continues to spark
an epic test of driving skill.

Orchestrating it all,
the Formula 1 boss, Stefano Domenicali.

Will he be pleased with what he sees?

Why are they running?

- In there!
- Here?

Hi there.

- How are you?
- Good. You?

Excuse me. He's a driver.

- Ah, okay.
- He's meant to be there.

This way.

Welcome back to Spa-Francorchamps
ahead of this weekend's action.

Kimi, has the relentlessness of Formula 1
taken some adjusting to for you?

It's been challenging.

I don't think anybody can comprehend

the workload associated
with being a Formula 1 driver.

Espe... Especially with marketing days.

Yeah, it's tough.

They just keep adding.

How many days?

I... I... Forty-two.

That's a lot.

Plus the pressure,
replacing Lewis Hamilton.

You factor all of that together,
is it a shock he's having a wobble? No.

And yet, he has to find his form.
He has to find results.

And let's be honest,
he's not the only one.

Lewis, now, there's a lot of excitement
around Ferrari coming into this weekend.

You tested some new parts
at Mugello last week.

How did the car feel in those ten laps?

The same as before.

So...

The same as, like, the week before.

- No. Okay.
- What to say? I'm here to win.

And I don't have as much time
as this one here,

so it's, like, it's crunch time.

So far, Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari
hasn't been able to deliver

the kind of performances
that we expect from him.

How is this pace?
I can't really go any quicker.

Norris 32.6 and Charles 32.7.

- What position am I in?
- P6.

For sure, it's a challenge
that Lewis spent, uh,


of years at, uh, McLaren-Mercedes,

with probably the same culture.

I think that the... the change is huge.

We have to do it step by step.
It's taking time.

Is this... Is this all one or all separate?

So it's... It is the same.

Uh, so it's all together. It's just like--

What is the reason
that you guys don't bring the--

- We have it.
- The teleprompter?

We have it, but...

- It broke?
- No, no, no.

We just thought
that it's just a few lines,

so maybe it's... we're just gonna print it.

- Okay.
- Do you prefer a teleprompter?

But Ferrari signing Lewis
isn't without its own risks.

For Ferrari.

This isn't 25-year-old Lewis.
This isn't even 30-year-old Lewis.

There were question marks
over the last couple of years at Mercedes,

ever since that championship lost in 2021.

- Good morning.
- Good morning.

Good morning.

- No hat this year?
- No hat this year.

Charles, are you surprised

that you maybe seem to have
the upper hand on Lewis

in terms of pure performance?

It's not really been
part of my thought process.

I think the main target of the team,
and my main target at the moment,

is to bring Ferrari back to the top.

Uh, it's been a very tough season.

Last year, we were fighting
for the World Championship.

And we started the year
understanding pretty soon

that McLaren had done a huge step ahead

and that it would be very difficult
to catch up.

That was a hard one to... to accept.

Not only for us, but also for the Tifosi.

Now, as a team,
we have to be focused on the last 12 races

to try to open the gap with Mercedes.

We are still P2 in the championship,
and we have to fight for this.

The fight for P2
in the Constructors' World Championship

has been very tight.

The rivalry and competition is immense.

No different whether the driver
is young, old, experienced or not.

You've just got to beat the other one.
And every point counts.

Twelve points between Ferrari
and Mercedes is not a lot.

And Spa is...
It's one of those magic circuits.

Super fast, with incredibly long,
flowing, high-speed corners

like the infamous Eau Rouge.

It's a track
which separates the men from the boys.

Is Eau Rouge... Is it flat in the wet here?

Oh yeah, in lap one.

- Well, be careful what you tell me.
- Yeah.

"What happened to Gabi?"
"He kept flat out."

- Sketchy.
- Yeah, it is sketchy.

The Eau Rouge.

The red water.

- Is that it?
- Yeah, red water.

Brown water after you sh*t yourself.

Coming into Belgium, we need to get back
into some good, solid points.

I'm in sixth,
but Kimi qualified almost last.

To close the gap to Ferrari,
he needs to get back in that groove.

Go hard, okay?

Oh, Kimi.

Obviously,
I'm coming from a difficult run.

Unfortunately
the qualifying didn't go our way.

I'm starting behind Lewis,
uh, which is not ideal.

I think Lewis will have an advantage.

We have modified the car
to give him more speed.

But anyway, this means
we are starting in 18th place.

But with the wet conditions,
it's going to be interesting.

Okay. Thank you, Fred. Good Grand Prix.

I would imagine
this will be a safety-car start,

with this amount of rain.

Yeah, it will be. It will be.

Okay, Kimi, so all cars
will be starting from the pit lane.

There will be a minimum of two laps
behind the safety car,

then they'll call it.

Copy that.

- Are the cars moving yet?
- Yeah, they are moving.

I'm starting on P3 for the race,
and my main priority at the moment

is to focus on myself and, um,
to win some big points for Ferrari.

Safety car in this lap.

Remember, no overtaking till the line.

Let's go racing!

Overtake available.

Yep.

Nice job, mate.

Lewis 1.4 ahead.

Copy that.

That's a confident move
for Hamilton, as Antonelli goes wide.

Pace is good.

Keep it up.

Good job. Gasly next.

Hamilton the car behind.

How many seconds behind?



Push, Lewis.

That's awesome, Lewis. Good job.

This is old-school Hamilton right now,

schooling the rest of the midfield.

Position?

We are at P7.

That's good.

Antonelli would have been hoping

for the sort of progress
that we've seen from Hamilton.

Kimi, you have overtake available.

Antonelli behind.

Just really struggling for pace.

I need to get out from P16.

But it's not easy to do.

You're doing a good job. You're still P15.

Struggling to overtake him
on the straight.

I have a lot of oversteer.

Mentally, I just didn't feel good.

Charles Leclerc
has kept Max Verstappen at bay.

He completes the podium.

P3, well done.

Uh, thank you. Good job.

- P5.
- Very good, George.

P7.

From P18. Awesome comeback.

Yeah. Great job in the strategy.

Okay, Kimi, so that's P16.

Lewis, he's such an iconic driver.

He's one of the very best in the sport.

I don't feel quite at his level yet.

Ciao, Kimi.

Um, a difficult weekend.
Where were you lacking?

Just confidence, I think.

It's a difficult moment for me.

Uh, with the cars,
I... I'm struggling to find confidence,

and, um, yeah, just, uh, need to find
the light out of the tunnel again.

Are you okay?

- Yeah, I'm... I'm okay.
- Yeah?

- Okay.
- Thank you.

- Is he ill or something?
- He was crying.

I think so. I think he was.

After a bad performance, obviously,

you know, walking back into the garage
is not the... the easiest of things.

Not because I didn't want
to see the mechanics, but just because

I kind of feel very ashamed
of my performance...

and just wanted to...

to stay a bit alone.

Hi, Kimi.

- Thanks.
- You're welcome. Hi, hi.

- Can I have a photo?
- Yes.

Come here, Grandad.

I know Kimi Antonelli very well, actually,

because he raced in my go-karting team.

And he is an absolute generational talent.

But he's also a little bit more
of the vulnerable personality.

- All good?
- Bad weekend.

- Yes, it was.
- Come on.

I will make it up next weekend.

Very hard
to bounce back from such a setback

when everybody is watching you.

I mean, a team is, like,
thousands of people that are...

their bonuses are depending on you
out on the racetrack.

You get into this spiral of self-doubt

and bad feeling, um,

and it's... it's hard
to get back out of that.

So, Daddy, how is it going?

- All good?
- All good.

- Are you going to do a couple of laps?
- After we're done releasing the air.

I got the passion
from my dad. When I was very little,

I used to spend a lot of time
at the racetrack, uh, with him.

For sure, he's been a big part
of my journey so far.

And, yeah, he's been super helpful,

especially in difficult moments.

We need to work on your mindset.

Yes.

Uh...

I have struggled to balance everything.

This is something we have to learn
because this is F1.

- You have to handle these things well.
- Yes.

We must learn from this.

You need to get better
at dealing with everything

because we cannot afford to...

- Throw away a weekend.
- Bravo.

Okay?

It's going to be okay.

Kimi is a young man
now. He's not a young boy anymore.

As a driver,
you need to cope with the pressure.

You need to rely on your ability,

a state of mind.

Take risks when risks are to be taken.

The good ones can sustain the pressure.

This difficult period,
especially if I can get out of it,

is just gonna make me stronger.

Just focusing on the process, focusing on
driving well and putting things together.

I'm doing what I love to do, and, uh,

I'm... I'm ready to push forward
and, uh, turn the page.

So hard to overtake here, mate.

Give it everything, Kimi.

Nice work.

Can't get close to these cars.

A lot of hard work
for one point, but I'll take that.

You've got overtake available.

Great job.

P9.

Very good, Kimi. Get them.

Just keep the pressure on.

They're pulling away from me, I think.

Well done, Kimi. That's P4, mate.

- P8.
- Sorry about this weekend.

- The car is terrible.
- We need to improve the pace.

There's so much passion around Ferrari.

Lewis! Lewis! Lewis!

To get that much support,

especially on a season
that hasn't been easy,

means a lot, I think, for both of us.

Ciao, ciao, ciao.

Ready?

Ladies and gentlemen,
Charles Leclerc e Lewis Hamilton.

That's the most Italian way
they said "Lewis Hamilton."

Lewis, what are the feelings?

To see the Tifosi
and actually be a part of the Tifosi

has been a long-life dream,
since I was a kid,

since I was watching Michael Schumacher.

We love you!

Every driver dreams
that one day they'll race for Ferrari.

Are you ready?

Watch out, they are intense.

They are very intense.

But because it's the oldest team,

because it's the most storied team,
because they've won more than any other,

they have more expectation,
they have more pressure.

The extra pressure
that Ferrari brings with it,

for sure, takes its toll.

You go from zero to hero
within a single weekend.

Uh, if you win,
you're bigger than the pope.

And if you lose,
you're on the brink of being fired.

You have never had so many
races without a podium in your career.

- Does it bother you?
- No. No, of course it does.

I think about it every day.

I see a huge amount of potential
within this team.

The passion, nothing comes close to that.

I feel that it's my job to... to dig deep.

That's my sole goal.

Good morning. Good morning. Wow.

I'm delighted to be able
to welcome Sir Lewis Hamilton.

- Let's give him a round of applause.
- Hi.

Hello.

What's up, man? Good morning.

- What time did you guys get here?
- Early.

- Early? Early.
- Early, early.

Good. It's so nice to see you all.

I wanna make sure that if any
of the girls in the room have a question,

that they've got the opportunity
to ask it.

So, who would like to be brave

and ask a question of Lewis?

If you could go back to yourself as a kid
and give yourself a piece of advice,

what would you say?

Ooh. Um...

There were, for sure, times
through my career that I had self-doubt.

Even this year, I've had moments
where I've really questioned myself.

Sometimes that doubt can creep in. Um...

The most important thing is
to never give up.

You're gonna fall and stumble
so many times and make so many mistakes.

Painful as sometimes
those experiences have been,

they've really shaped me
into the person that I am today.

I think self-belief is
the most important thing.

For me, that's what's gonna get you
to wherever it is you're gonna go.

Lewis Hamilton starting P5
after a strong qualifying session.

Sweeping round
the outside, Lewis Hamilton.

It's a dream start for Ferrari.

Now Sainz the car behind.

Oh, so unlucky.
Kimi Antonelli wiped out there.

- He took me out.
- Copy, saw that, mate.

That's a P4.

Yeah, great job.
Much better result this weekend.

Good points for the team.

So that's P13.

Yeah, I don't know what to say.

Turn one, and the Ferraris are very close.

Let's keep the head down.

That's a P8.
Good job out there. You gave it all.

Lewis Hamilton pulled it out of the bag

and has managed
to turn things around in this battle.

But going into the Brazil race,

Ferrari is just one point
ahead of Mercedes.

The fight is tight
with Mercedes, but time is running out.

We have four races to go.

For sure, you can't do a single mistake.

The most important is
to be focused on yourself.

Then we'll see after next weekend
where we are.

Good morning!

Do the samba.

Look at that. Whoa!

Brazil's a massive opportunity for Lewis.
It's a circuit he loves.

It's a place where Lewis comes alive.

So it really is
a fantastic opportunity for him...

...to score well,

bring home a great result for the team,
and help them in their championship fight.

You are one point
ahead of Mercedes. Who's getting it?

Um, I'm hoping we do.

We've been making positive progress,
so I'm excited. I love being in Brazil.

The importance of execution
on the Saturday is really key.

- Good luck. Looking great.
- Thank you.

Love the top.

Do you want it?

Who's gonna get second
in the Constructors'?

A couple of races ago, I'd have said us.

The thing is, Charles and Lewis
perform pretty consistently.

- All good?
- Yeah.

This weekend, we need
the two of us to be scoring points.

I think the middle of the season
was frustrating.

I do think we lost a good five races
in... in the middle of the year.

You coped with it, but for you, it was
five races that threw you back completely.

Yeah. The European season,
we... we need to trash it into the bin.

I forgot about that.
I forgot about past races.

- Okay, good.
- Toto remembers one session prior.

- Everything else before is...
- It's gone.

- Is gone.
- You know, it's just...

You know, we've got to achieve this P2.

- It makes such a difference for everyone.
- Yeah, I know. I totally agree.

For sure.

We've just got to get
out of the blocks well.

Yeah, 100%.

Radio check.

Copy that. Mode race and charge on.

Clear from behind and go.

Pushing.

I have no temperature
or grip on the rears.

Hamilton right on the edge here.

Struggling to get the rears in, mate.

Can Hamilton
find something in the final sector?

He can't.

That's P13.

The gaps on track are so small

between P5 and P15.

It means that if you are not able
to put everything together,

you can make a huge step back.

That's, uh, P6.

Yeah, tough session.
Just did not click at all.

Yep, tough, George.

Considering you had no grip,
I think it's a... it's a save.

Yeah, my thoughts.

Track is clear.

Charge off. You can push.

Copy that.

Nice lap. P3.

Going into quali,
the aim is to do a good session

and to finish as high up as possible.

All clear. You're good to go.

Copy that.

It's such a close fight with Ferrari.
I just need to find the perfect lap.

Well done, mate. That's P2.

Ah, man! Whoo!

Great job.

Kimi, really well done. You have
a good view tomorrow from starting.

There's only one left to you,
but no one in front of you.

All to play.

I wouldn't have expected
to finish ahead of them.

I'm looking forward to the race.

I'm just gonna try
to do everything right from the start

and, uh, then try to put pressure.

I have noticed you seem a lot happier.

Absolutely. Every time I get
in the car, I feel more and more at ease.

I'm more confident, and this is very good,
especially for the end of the season.

Very good start.

- How are you?
- Yeah, ready for today.

- You look so like...
- No, no, I'm, like, focused.

I'm like... a big opportunity.

We have the upper hand,
but we don't feel any sort of entitlement

because any driver on that level
has an absolute desire to win,

and, uh, that is clearly burning in Lewis.

You just need to bring your best game.

Considering how everything is so tight,

it's even more crucial
for us to be perfect.

With Lewis starting from behind,

it's always incredibly difficult
to come back in the top ten.

But he's an extremely talented driver.

Kimi Antonelli's first front-row start

for a Grand Prix in Formula 1.

He's P2.

And it couldn't have come
at a more important time

in the relentless battle
for second in the Constructors'.

Last car approaching the grid.

You don't want to kind of fall
into the trap of just trying to overdo.

That could cost points for the team.

Pace is good.

Oh!

I got some damage.

Yep, front wing missing.

Is my floor okay?

Lost a lot of downforce.

Yeah, damage confirmed to the floor.

Mate, I'm gonna crash out here.
The car is crazy unstable.

- Oscar, your pace looks good.
- Copy.

Oh, f*ck's sake.

f*ck. Mate, he completely whipped me off.

Yeah, copy. We're reviewing it.

Suspension is broken.

It's a big blow for the team.

I think a podium
was definitely on the cards.

It definitely hurts.

That's the last thing I wanted.

How on earth
did Antonelli get through that crash

in one piece?

Is the car okay?
I have a lot of, uh, vibrations.

Yeah, copy. We're seeing
some of that. We're just checking now.

Yeah, we think car's okay.

You're sure it's all good?

In terms of aero, we think it's fine.

Let's just keep on it.

You're breathing very heavily. Easy.

Yeah.

I can't keep up, mate.

Feels like the suspension's broken
or something.

Cool the fuel down and box, box.

We are retiring the car.

A tough day for Ferrari.

I think we have been very unlucky.

I can't blame Lewis and Charles

because it's completely
out of their control.

I'm so sorry, guys.

It was tough for sure.

You start from, uh, P3,
you are in the pace all the weekend,

and then you have a double zero.

And the Mercedes
are still fighting like hell on track.

It's very difficult.

If Mercedes can hang on
to second and third,

it will give them
a huge advantage over Ferrari

in the battle for P2 in the Constructors'.

Here comes Verstappen from the very back.

Max Verstappen has climbed 15 places.

He's in fourth position.
Russell in third now.

Verstappen behind will have DRS.

I can't push the high speeds.
The rear is just moving.

Good job.
Round the outside, round the inside.

Okay, Kimi,
so the situation has now changed.

So Verstappen now the car behind,

so we are now defending this position.

Just keep your eye on your mirrors.

I wasn't expecting Max
to arrive behind me.

This might be a bit more stressful
than what I was thinking.

Another strong lap, Max. Gap 1.6.

You do have DRS.

One more lap.

Max is coming behind me,
and he's very quick.

I was just trying to not make any mistakes

and try to give it a bit more of a push.

Losing out on the last lap,

it cannot happen.

But he's wide in the
infield. Could this yet go to the line?

Kimi! f*ck.

And it's Kimi Antonelli who hangs on

with his best ever result in Formula 1.

Yeah, boy!

P2, mate.

Oh my goodness. That was stressful.

Good lad. Good lad.

Kimi, what a fight at the end.

What a fight. Well done.

Oh, thanks, Toto.

- Oh my God. What a weekend.
- You can take a breath now.

- What a race.
- Yeah.

What a race.

I've been doubting myself
quite a lot and asking a lot of questions,

and, uh, it was tough.

But, um, you know, to finish on a high
was, uh... was very important.

As a driver, of course, you race to win,
but, you know, you also race for the team.

Are you proud?

Yes, I think it's what we knew he has,

and it's something that,
you know, gives great satisfaction.

His first season was difficult,
but, uh, seeing him perform in that way,

it was just another good indication

that, um, Kimi will be very successful
in the future.

- Ah, that was stressful.
- At the end, that was stressful. f*ck me.

- But it was good.
- It was good.

- Energy management was also good, maybe.
- Yeah.

Good. No, super happy. Thank you.

Okay.

Ferrari have had
an absolute shocker in Brazil.

No one's picked up any points,

and now they have slid into P4
in the Constructors' Championship.

I'm not sure that I can say what I have
in mind in front of the camera. Uh...

Honestly, first, the result of the season
is not based on the result of one race.

We have to turn the page
as soon as possible

to be focused on, uh... on Vegas

and to try to do the best in Vegas.

We're gonna be super aggressive
to try and win this race.

Get him!

This is complete and utter chaos.

Both drivers have just been disqualified.

The World Championship battle
has been blown wide open.

This might be my only opportunity

to win a Drivers' World Championship.

They threw the f*cking win away.

We will fight to the end.

That was f*cking bullshit.