Thank you for listening to the late breaking F1 podcast.

Make sure to check out new episodes every Wednesday and every Sunday.

Hello and a very well welcome to the late-breaking F-1 podcast presented by Harry Ead, Sam Sage, and me, Ben Hocking.

A full three of late-breaking today for a random non-race Sunday, which feels very late-breaking. But there's still plenty going on. I didn't expect there to be as much news as there is for today, Sam. But the F-1 gods have graced us with news. Yeah, usually you find Ben looking in the back of the Bing, down the back of the sofa. It might be under the sink sometimes, just to find an an F1 News story. But apparently in this first four months of the 2024 year that we have upon us, they're literally being thrown at his face. Have you ever seen that video of that man getting hot dogs thrown directly at his face? And he can't hit him all. That's Ben with F1 News stories right now. It's not figurative. I've not seen that video, but I have to look it up now. We're looking on different channels. Evidently. Great. Good stuff. Hot dog videos. We're going any further than that in terms of the intro for this show? We are moving it on to the topics. Good stuff. What a great start. We've got late faking coming up later on.

We've got the 2025 calendar that's been announced very early in the 2024 season.

So our thoughts on that.

Andretti plowing ahead in terms of trying to get on the F1 grid,

our reaction to their new HQ being opened at Silverstone.

But we're going to start with the news that after consultation with the late breaking bylaws,

we have decided we'll be allowed.

Fernando Alonzo, despite making his announcement on a Thursday, which to be clear, F1 World is not allowed.

We record on a Wednesday.

We have decided that it is okay. And he can sign his two-year contract extension with Astor Martin, which will keep

him at the team until the end of the 2026 season, coincidentally, until he is 45 years old.

So Alonso is going until he's 70 years old. There is no doubt about that.

Sam, what are your thoughts on the signing of this deal, the timing of it? Your reaction?

Well, you say it's okay. I don't think it is okay. I think that I might start a personal vendetta

against Fernando Alonso and he can only be okay with me and his podcast

if he decides to appear as a guest and becomes a friend of the podcast.

The anti-Hari-Ead, who's leader of the fan club?

I might have to go full Terminator on him and just be like, I'm coming only for you, Fernando

Alonso. But beware and then play the terminated music.

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