Recorded during the last phase of Bahrain Test 2, this podcast provides fascinating insight from Mark Slade on a number of major topics, including - (00:00) the relative performance right now of Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren; (03:33) the prodigious talent of Nico Hulkenberg (a driver with whom Mark has worked on numerous occasions); (07:52) the mess at Aston Martin-Honda; (23:00) the electrical power available from standard and over-ride modes vs car speed - graphic can be seen under the chapter heading; (26:44) more detail on energy harvesting at the entry to corners; (32:04) the linguistic genius of Sir Frank Williams; (33:00) why F1 would be very different today - featuring super-reliable and spectacular V8s or V10s - if Ari Vatanen had beaten Jean Todt to the FIA Presidency; (35:06) why today's turbo F1 power units are less noisy/visually spectacular as those of the 1980s; (38:03) comparing a young Lewis Hamilton with a young Robert Kubica; (41:36) Lewis vs Fernando comparison; (42:45) the 2026 prospects of Alpine-Mercedes; (45:55) Aston-Honda limiting their test runs to one or two laps only (breaking news); (53:00) why Kevin Magnussen picked up speed in late 2024 with Haas-Ferrari; (56:08) race starts in 2026; and (59:20) will high-energy dense fuels have a weight advantage in 2026? 

Mark Slade has been a race engineer at McLaren, Mercedes, Renault and Haas and  has played a major role in two World Championships, 34 GP wins, 101 podiums and 40 pole positions.

With thanks to Jetcraft, the world's largest buyer and seller of executive jets:https://jetcraft.com

To TrackNinja, a lap-timer and data app designed to help users improve their on-track car and driver performance through analysis and an innovative Data Garage. A lite version is free; the loaded edition is US$9.99 pcm or $99.99 yearly

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To OEM Exclusive, the passionate suppliers of OEM upgrades for exotic and high-performance vehicles

And to REC Watches, whose timepieces are infused with DNA and actual material from famous racing and road cars. Claim your additional 10 per cent discount by adding the codeword PETER:https://recwatches.com/next-project

Images: Mark Slade 

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