Ep 21 / Baku debrief + Sepang preview

George Goes Grand Slam | Why Sepang Could Be The Race Of The Year

20 min 35 secWith JackVoice note: Zara Horn

Bayley is out sick, so Jack takes the wheel. George goes grand slam in Baku, McLaren have a weekend to forget and Hadjar gives Max something to think about. Then it's off to Sepang with a voice note from Zara Horn, bold podium picks and an ice bucket forfeit with added flour.

Inside this episode

On the radio

EP 21
Inside episode 21

One mate. Plenty of chaos.

The cold open gets a little too literal

Bayley is bedridden, so Jack runs the show solo and sends him a get-well-soon. The blue-paint Williams forfeit from Episode 20 did land, but Jack is saving the transformation until Bayley can witness it in person. The Jordan jacket gets another day.

George goes grand slam

A quiet opening gives way to a frantic Baku finish. Jack weighs Russell's control of the weekend against Verstappen closing to just 0.196 seconds at the flag. Antonelli recovers from P16 to P5, leaving Russell 66 points behind him. Naturally, Jack turns the title fight into an Order 66 reference.

Oscar holds the line, then McLaren lose out

Jack picks apart Piastri's defence against Verstappen, especially the time Oscar finds through the technical middle sector. The late lock-up changes everything. Oscar ends up P13 and Norris retires after the Alpine collision, leaving McLaren pointless and the McLarethon parked at 8 km.

Hadjar has entered the argument

Red Bull's race pace catches Jack's attention, but Isack Hadjar is the real talking point. After outqualifying Max and letting him through in the race, Hadjar wants more pace from the car ahead. Jack asks how much more he might have shown if the order had been reversed.

Sepang, straight from the cockpit

Two huge straights, wide braking zones, heat and the prospect of rain have Jack backing Sepang for race of the year. Zara Horn joins by voice note to describe driving the circuit in an F4 car with the Ferrari Driver Academy. Her standout memory: heading towards Turns 1 and 2 without being able to see where the corner goes.

Can George do it again?

Jack looks ahead to Russell keeping the title fight alive, Antonelli responding to a messy qualifying session and McLaren finding a reset. Red Bull's sudden speed adds another question. The Malaysia preview is full of optimism about overtaking, tyre wear and first-lap chaos; the podium picks are firmly Jack's predictions.

One host, one extra bad decision

Jack backs Russell to win ahead of Verstappen and Norris, with Colapinto last. If Antonelli finishes ahead of Russell, Jack promises an ice bucket challenge after the podcast, followed by a pack of flour over his head. Bayley's absence has done nothing to improve the decision-making.

A Baku debrief and Sepang preview, with Jack's opinions and predictions from the final episode. For the official race record, see the Azerbaijan Grand Prix results. The official calendar lists the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia at Sepang from 2 to 4 October.

Never miss a debrief.

Follow The Race Mates on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and new episodes land in your feed before and after every race weekend.