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Hello and a very warm welcome to the late-breaking F-1 podcast presented by Harry Ead, Sam Sage, and me, Ben Hocking, here on a non-F-1 preview. Well, it's not a preview at all. It would be a preview if there was F-1 this weekend. There is not F-1 this weekend, therefore it is not a preview. I hope that's cleared everything up, guys. Whoa. You can't turn up an episode and start slapping people with the facts like that, man. You've got to come in all chill. Oh, easy. That's why Harry eats here. Mr. Horizontal lead. Yeah, well, that's one. My name now, I've just been told off by producer Kirstie for being too horizontal.

Yeah, slapping fact. I don't think Ben's ever delivered a fact with a slap before. Here it is. Right in the face. He's just taking it, Mr. Reed. Take it. Wow. Okay. What we're talking about today, Ben? Please don't slap me. I won't be slapping you because we're going to be talking about the FIA a bit later on and there's plenty of slapping to go around there. We've got the news that Colton Herta will be racing in F2 next season. Our thoughts on that, a little bit of F1 back and forth for this Wednesday episode. But we are going to start with the title contenders because with four rounds to go, things are really, really hotting up.

This feels like a bit of a slow burn of a season, but we've got to these last few races,

and a number of different scenarios could play out with just those four races to go.

So what we're going to do, hopefully F1 have provided us with three different title contenders,

and there are three of us. So we're going to split up the workload a bit, and we're going to

take one of these three drivers each. And we're going to say what we think should make them the most

hopeful for the rest of this year, what is maybe the one reason why they should be encouraged versus the

other two? And then we'll also go to why they should be a little bit worried versus the other two.

So the championship as it stands, Landon Norris 357 points. Oscar Piastri, a whole one point back

on 356. And then Vastappen is on 32 321 so that's 36 behind the lead of Norris.

We'll go in championship order so we'll start with that Manlando Norris, Sam. And you've got the

honours. Why should he be hopeful? Why should he feel encouraged for these next full races?

Well, Ben, you've already slapped us with some facts and maybe I'm going to drop kick some stats your way, my friend. Blimey. Man's thing in the championship by one point. Dang it, I reckon. No, it's the championship leader, which is a great way to go into the final four races. He's in the prime position. This is where you want to be, right? You don't want to be the hunter. Realistically, you want to be the person who hasn't got to do or die to end up getting the points needed to try and overhaul this. Mac Verstappen is still 36 back. And I've seen a lot of conversations over the last couple of weeks since he's had this charge of, oh, what if this, or what if that? And I know Max Verstafford doesn't live in what if land, but for example, Spain is brought up regularly. Well, if it doesn't crash into George Russell and end up in 10th place, but finishes in, potentially the 4th or whatever he was in before the crash, he'd be another 10, 12 points closer and therefore the gap might be closing a 20 points thing, it is 40, which is really interesting that, you know, the Formula 1 title can be so fickle, it could be deciding so easily. But Landon Noris hasn't got to worry about ifs or what's or maybe, he's even with the crash in Canada, even with the DNF in Zambor, he's still one point clear of his teammate. And he's formed, the one thing he can cling on to right now is the best of those two McLaren drivers. And whilst I do think that the staff in is on a role, that McLaren is still the best car of the lot. The Red Bulls come a long way. It's improved. The development path of that Red Bull has been really positive. And I think it's made a wise move,

what to jump straight into 2026 wholeheartedly. But McClaren, I still think, have the ultimate

pace advantage and the tracks coming forward do suit the McLaren. Brazil should be a pretty clear

match between the McLaren and the Staffing. I think the McLaren will have a slight edge. I think

Qatar is another one where McLaren can move forward, and that's a great positive for him. Landon Norris' biggest hope here, his biggest cheer for himself is his form over his teammate. Max is still in a very, very far-reaching shot. I take him this title. His biggest competitor is Oscar Piastri, and that man has similarly lost what makes him Oscar Pistri at the moment.

So Lando's biggest hope, keep being Lando.

Because right now he's driving like a champion in the run.

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