05x05 - Pardon My French

[bunniefuu]

[orchestral strings playing]

[Szafnauer] I started with a medium.

Should I do the large as well,

just in case we stop

for coffee and a croissant?

Can one of you guys maybe go down

and get, like, a fancy coffee?

A skinny cappuccino

with a bit of cinnamon on top, please.

I like ironing about as much

as I like cutting the grass.

I have to spend a lot of time

to get it perfect.

My name is Otmar Szafnauer,

and I'm the team principal

of the BWT Alpine Formula 1 team,

the only French team on the grid.

[exhales] Blue's my color.

I was the previous team principal

at Aston Martin.

It wasn't easy to walk away,

but the owner

definitely has very high expectations.

[Lawrence Stroll] Fifteen minutes

for the whole thing. Fire away.

I think the atmosphere

was changing into more pressure,

less fun, less achievement,

and it didn't make sense for me to stay.

We're done.

Yeah. Not quite right. Not quite right.

It was fortuitous

that, weeks after I'd left,

Alpine had a need as well.

You know, it's a little bit

like the first day of school.

We finished fifth last year.

We were lacking, uh, overall management.

We didn't have a team principal.

Otmar has a lot of skills

that could serve our ambitions.

Ticks all the boxes.

[Szafnauer] Bit of zinc, vitamin D.

All washed down with beetroot juice.

Magnifique.

- [intense music playing]

- [chuckles]

[Szafnauer] I believe I can lead Alpine

back to winning ways,

but there's no hiding.

The stopwatch tells you

exactly how well you've done,

and I really like that.

Merci beaucoup. Merci beaucoup.

[Szafnauer] Bonjour.

Je m'appelle Otmar.

- [wheel g*n whirring]

- [engine roaring]

[traditional French music playing]

[indistinct chatter in French]

[fan] "To Frederic," I mean, "To Fred,"

please, if you can do that.

That one, the "magic."

- [Alonso] "To Fred" as well?

- [fan] Yeah, it's for me again.

And the last one.

I know I'm annoying, Fernando.

It's Monaco.

Oh no, it's Abu Dhabi 2017.

- [Alonso] Okay, thanks.

- [fan] Thanks, Fernando.

And have a good season!

- [intense music playing]

- [bustling chatter]

[team member in English] Really excited.

The Alpine team

is, uh, the former Renault team.

We have 45 plus years of presence in F1.

We've been Alpine since last year.

It has a French DNA.

You must feel it.

If you don't, there's something wrong.

- [Szafnauer] Hey, buddy, You well?

- You alright?

Good to see you.

Hi, Otmar. How are you?

[Szafnauer] I met you in the pizza joint.

How're you?

[Rossi] It's hard

not to get along with Otmar.

He's easygoing, um,

immensely knowledgeable.

- [Alonso] How are you?

- [Szafnauer] You well?

Good. Good.

- Nice to see you.

- Looking forward to it.

He's a smooth operator

in a good sense of the way.

He knows how to manage difficult people.

Caps. Do we have caps?

- I haven't seen any, no.

- No? We don't have them here?

We need cap?

[indistinct response]

As a team principal,

you have to adapt your style

to the, uh, personalities

that you're working with.

You know, uh, Fernando has

a reputation of being a hothead.

[Alonso] What a stupid guy!

[Rosberg] Alonso's brilliant at defending.

What a great job he did there.

[Alonso] Guys,

I hope you enjoyed the show.

[Szafnauer] He can be impatient,

but he is very experienced,

two-time World Champion,

and driven to perform

to the best of his ability on track.

The tricky bit is, uh, to get him

to become more of a team player.

Very important that I look good.

[chuckles]

I need to look young.

[in French] More than Esteban.

[makeup artist] No problem.

[in English] Red lips and everything.

[Ocon in French]

More for him, he has wrinkles as well.

[makeup artist]

Careful, he wont be the villain like that.

[in English] What's that?

- [Ocon] "Les rides" is the

- Wrinkles.

Ah. Yeah, yeah, yes. [chuckles]

- Oui, oui, oui.

- [all chuckle]

[makeup artist] Oui, oui, oui.

[Alonso] We are very selfish,

drivers in general,

but, um, in Formula 1,

there has to be always

good characters and and bad ones

and heroes and antiheroes.

So I am on on the dark side.

[makeup artist] You're ready.

[sighs] I feel good.

Now I can be in front of the TV.

[Ocon in French] It's cool, no? I like it.

They are heavy though.

Everything is it's all embroidered.

It used to be with stickers.

[in English] Esteban has great potential.

He's a youngster that's very ambitious

and immensely talented.

[Ocon] Otmar is a great asset for us.

He's gonna bring a lot of his expertise

from his previous teams,

so that it's very exciting.

[Szafnauer] I think I can help.

- [Alonso] You have to.

- [Szafnauer] I will. Don't you worry.

- [indistinct announcement]

- Don't you worry.

[team member] In some really good ways.

[Alonso] Yeah, yeah.

Esteban has, uh, a few more years

on his contract,

Fernando's in in his last year,

and we'll look to future-proof

to make sure that we continue

with a good, strong driver lineup.

And a big key element of my plan

is our reserve driver.

[presenter] Please,

under your big applause,

Fernando Alonso,

Esteban Ocon, and Oscar Piastri.

Oscar Piastri most recently

won the F2 Championship.

He's very strong, uh, very fast.

We've invested maybe $4 million

in his preparation for Formula 1.

It's a lot of money.

But, uh, I think Oscar

is a future world champion.

I was with the team in Qatar when

when Fernando finished on the podium,

so, you know, I've experienced the joy

and the podium from the other side,

and, yeah, I wanna try and be able

to experience that myself too.

Enjoy your season. Thank you very much.

Please applaud

for those incredible drivers.

[audience applause]

Now the focus is to get Alpine fourth

in this year's Championship

[photographer] Big smiles.

That's good. Thank you.

because your prize money is

significantly higher than finishing fifth.

[photographer]

That's good. Both to me.

Double-digit millions.

I have to steer the ship

in the right direction

to keep the team going,

and I think we've got a good chance.

[dramatic music builds to cl*max]

[intense stinger]

[intense music playing]

[commentator 1] Lewis Hamilton

under pressure from Alonso in the Alpine.

[Loos] Nice work, mate.

Hamilton 0.7 behind.

[Peckett] Okay, mate, well done. P8.

[Ocon] Very good, guys.

- [Peckett] Well driven by you as well.

- Copy.

This weekend we were flying.

[Loos] Zhou going slow ahead of you.

He has an issue.

Pace is very good. Keep it up.

[Alonso] I have more as well.

- Go on.

- Come on!

[Loos] Nice work, mate. That's P7.

[Peckett] P10. Another point on the board.

[Alonso] Good job, guys. Good points.

[team cheering]

[commentator 2] Alpine move up to 5th

in the Constructors' Championship,

pushing Alfa Romeo down to sixth.

- Well done.

- Good job.

[Szafnauer]

Alpine's a team on the ascendancy.

Well done.

We're getting better and better

over the season.

[commentator 1]

Esteban Ocon's going for it.

Dive down the inside, goes through.

[Peckett] Well done.

- [Ocon] Yes! [chuckles]

- [Peckett] And that's the checkered flag.

P5. Well done. Very good indeed.

And Fernando, P10.

Good for our Championship order.

[Ocon] Yes. Awesome job, guys.

[crowd cheering]

[commentator 2] That result brings Alpine

and McLaren together in the Championship,

tied on 81 points each.

[Ocon] It's the perfect weekend,

I think, for us.

There's nothing better we could have done.

We are going to France with confidence.

[Brown] It's gonna be

extremely close this year.

Fourth is is still in play,

so we're gonna give it all we've got

until the checkered flag.

[intense stinger]

[upbeat music playing]

- [server 1 in French] Croissant for you?

- No, thank you.

- [man 1] Bonjour!

- [man 2] Bonjour. Ça va?

[in English] Oh! This is a nice station.

[server 2] Thank you. Enjoy.

[in French] I need to avoid that,

but that's kind of you.

- [server 2] Pain au chocolat?

- No, thank you.

[server 1 in English]

Enjoy your day. See you.

[Tsunoda] Je m'appelle Yuki. Merci.

[commentator 1] It's a Sunday afternoon

in the south of France.

Welcome along to the French Grand Prix

here in the Circuit Paul Ricard.

Morning. How are you guys? All good?

Is it up here to the paddock?

What time's the briefing?

- About 20 minutes ago.

- Oh!

It's like were sh**ting

an athletic commercial of some sort.

[energetic music playing]

[Norris] Just jogging. Morning jog.

[Szafnauer] Morning. Nice to meet you.

We used to be colleagues,

and we're still friends.

- [all chuckle]

- [Szafnauer] That's a rarity.

[team member] Bonjour. Good morning.

[Szafnauer] Bonjour.

[Ricciardo] Scusa.

[Norris] Sorry.

[Brown] Sorry to get you out of bed.

You look like you're still asleep.

- [Norris] No. I'm in. I'm good to go.

- [Brown] Yeah?

[Seidl] Okay. Good morning, everyone.

[Brown] We're obviously doing everything

we can to beat Alpine.

They're doing everything they can

to beat us.

France is a big race for us.

Not only is at the home race

for the entire team,

but we gotta beat McLaren.

Have fun.

Yeah, we gotta make sure

that we, uh we win that battle.

[dramatic stinger]

[crowd cheering]

[Szafnauer] All good?

No problems.

Engine, tires, everything's good.

All calm. Super calm.

[commentator 2]

On the grid, it's Lando fifth,

Alonso seventh,

Daniel Ricciardo is ninth.

and Esteban Ocon in tenth.

[Szafnauer] It'd be really frustrating

to end up fifth again.

It's a lot of pressure,

but I need to deliver.

If we get a good start, good first lap,

points are possible.

It's a long race.

I'm confident.

Let's get the McLarens

and everyone else.

[Peckett] Last car is on the grid.

[intense music playing]

[engineer] Thirty seconds to go.

[Loos] Twenty.

[Peckett] Ten.

[engineer] Five seconds to go.

[Ricciardo] Let's have a f*cking good one.

[intense music building]

[engines roaring]

[team cheering]

[commentator 1] Fernando Alonso swooping

around the outside

and up into fourth place

and ahead of Lando Norris.

[indistinct chatter]

[Loos] Nice job, mate.

[engineer] Keep pushing.

[Peckett] Norris and Ricciardo

in front of you.

Let's push up, please.

[dramatic music intensifies]

[parts crunching]

[Ocon] Contact with Tsunoda.

[Tsunoda] Ah!

I got hit, uh, from behind.

[Ocon] He didn't give me any space.

[Peckett] Okay, so we have

a five-second penalty

for the collision with Tsunoda.

Five-second penalty.

[engineer] We are doing a good job

compared to the cars behind.

Ocon has a five-second penalty.

- [Lando] Yeah, all good.

- [engineer] All good.

[Peckett] Okay, let's box now, please.

[commentator 1] The crew won't be able

to work on the car for five seconds,

and then they can get going.

[Ocon breathing heavily]

[wheel g*n whirring]

[Ocon] Who has passed me?

[Peckett] Sainz,

Norris, and Ricciardo in front.

Currently we're P11.

Head down. Head down.

[dramatic music playing]

[commentator 1] Fernando Alonso is sixth

with Norris and Ricciardo

running seventh and eighth.

[Loos] Norris putting in

some green sectors now,

so it seems like he's picking up the pace.

[Alonso] Okay. It's a long race.

If they want to fight,

they will pay the price.

[commentator 3] Very close,

Alonso to Norris, Norris to Ricciardo.

[Loos] Norris,

one second behind at the moment.

[Alonso] Yeah, no problem.

I want them very close to me.

[commentator 3] Those two McLarens

being played with by Fernando Alonso.

And that's helping Ocon close up

and pressure Ricciardo.

[Peckett] The aim is

to get past Ricciardo.

[Stallard] Ocon, 0.9 behind.

[Ricciardo] Okay.

[Stallard] 0.8.

[Ricciardo] Doing what I can.

[Peckett] Okay, mate, let's keep

the pressure on him. Keep pushing.

[Stallard] Ocon's been told to attack.

Gap 0.5.

[Peckett] That's good. Let's push on.

- [Peckett] Nice one.

- [team cheering]

[Ricciardo] I f*cking tried.

[Stallard] Yeah. Sure.

[commentator 2] Despite that

five-second penalty, Ocon's ahead,

thanks to some brilliant defensive work

from Fernando Alonso.

[commentator 2] Fernando Alonso for Alpine

comes home in sixth,

ahead of Lando Norris in the McLaren.

Esteban Ocon will finish eighth.

[Ocon] Yes! That feels like a win today.

[team cheering]

[commentator 2] Incredible teamwork

from Alpine this weekend.

They've snatched fourth

from McLaren in the Constructors'.

[Alonso] Good job, guys. Another top six.

[Loos] Thank you, mate. Very well managed.

[Peckett] Nicely driven.

[Ocon] Copy that. Good job. Good job.

[Peckett] Good result for the team.

[scattered applause]

[engineer] Okay, mate, you're quiet.

I hope you're still there?

[Norris] Struggled today, I guess.

[Stallard] Keep trucking.

It was, uh, a good battle out there.

[Ricciardo] Okay.

[Alonso] We played the race

like a chess game, you know,

and, uh, we tried to position

the McLarens close to us

and tried to have some clean air in front.

I did 350 races.

I know what I'm doing sometimes.

Not bad, huh?

- Not bad.

- [Ocon] Not bad.

- Well done.

- Thank you.

See? It was a good weekend, all weekend.

- We've got to repeat it now.

- Yeah.

Whatever it was, we gotta repeat it.

Just keep going.

It feels great to be fourth

in the Constructors' Championship

after our home race in France.

Brilliant.

Yeah, really, really good.

Otmar brought exactly what I wanted.

The bond between the people in the team

that I was longing for

and we were missing,

so, uh, I'm immensely satisfied.

Losing to Otmar, um,

you know, it doesn't feel good

at the end if you don't come out on top.

[birds tweeting]

[Szafnauer] No, it it's nice.

[Rossi] Once sip is gonna change my world.

Cheers, Laurent. It's great.

It's really great. Really enjoy it.

And, uh

I think the team is quite happy as well.

[Szafnauer] We should just keep going.

It's a very competitive landscape

that we work in,

but the more competitive,

the more rewarding

when we do it.

- I mean, the trajectory is good.

- Yes.

- It's going up.

- Yes, yes.

[Szafnauer] Fernando's, at 41 years old,

top of his game. Brilliant.

Doin' a great job.

We have, uh, a great lineup.

We need to keep that

for the next years to come.

No, it's it's a good thing

that we've got three good ones.

[commentator 4] What a way to kick off

his 2015 championship.

Oscar Piastri!

I'm Oscar Piastri.

I'm the current Formula 2 champion

and former Formula 3 champion,

and I am the reserve driver

for Alpine F1 team.

I've had a good few years

in the junior categories,

and I wanna be able

to to build on that momentum,

to seize the moment

when that occasion arises.

He is an outstanding talent.

We had an opportunity

to potentially do something with him

in his very formative years,

and we didn't pursue that.

That's something I regret not doing

because he could be

the next Max Verstappen.

Oscar is mega talented

and highly regarded

to the extent that any team in the sport

would love to have him.

[commentator 4] Oh, and Oscar gets

a champagne shower there.

There's only one way.

- Yeah.

- It's up.

It's up. [chuckles]

- Cheers to that.

- Cheers.

[glasses clink]

[Szafnauer] Uh-uh. In your bed.

Bear, in your bed. In your bed.

[energetic music playing]

[producer] I mean, surely

these are the perks of Formula 1.

You know, you can have your private jets,

you can have your hotels,

but a police escort [chuckles]

[Ocon] Yeah, it's really crazy.

- It's ridiculous if you think about it.

- [siren blares]

[producer] It's your job to overtake.

Not queueing on the motorway.

[commentator 1] Welcome along

to the last Formula 1 Grand Prix

before the summer break.

It is the Hungarian Grand Prix.

[indistinct yelling]

[rhythmic tapping]

[Szafnauer] Ah. Bit of pasta.

[notification tweets]

[notification tweets]

[notification tweets]

[notification tweets]

[camera shutters clicking]

[reporter in German] Is that okay?

[Vettel] Not really.

We have media later, right?

We've got them after the TV.

[notification tweets]

[in English] Seb has Instagram?

What am I missing?

Okay.

I hereby announce

my retirement from Formula 1

by the end of the 2022 season.

[dramatic stinger]

My goals have shifted from winning races

and fighting for championships

to seeing my children grow.

Farewell, and thanks for letting me

share the track with you.

I loved every bit of it.

[reporter] Big news of the weekend is

that Vettel has announced his retirement.

He will be retiring

at the end of this year.

So sad to hear that you're retiring.

You're my favorite driver.

I've followed you since Ferrari.

Anytime you have a a driver

of Sebastian's, uh, pedigree retire,

it it's big news.

[Vettel in German] It's enough.

It's time to do something else.

[in English] This is gonna kick off

a merry-go-round of driver changes.

[Leclerc] Seb.

Negotiations go on

behind the scenes all the time.

However, these come to light

around the August break,

and because there are so many rumors,

it has widely become known

as silly season.

[reporter] What happened,

and what made your decision final?

- Maybe I was drunk. I don't know!

- [both chuckle]

No. I, uh I know I was not drunk.

[Gow] It's like a giant game

of musical chairs.

You never quite know

who's gonna be a big winner,

but someone always loses out.

[reporter] It very much opens

silly season in the driver market,

and Daniel Ricciardo's is a name

that has been in the midst

in this contract talk too.

In terms of silly season,

we are not part of it, so can't comment.

You have to ask other teams.

Oh, very diplomatic. [chuckles]

[clock ticking]

F1 is, uh, more ruthless than any business

that I've ever been involved in.

[Steiner] Everybody tries

to have everybody else over,

or eat them up.

If there are ten piranhas in a basin,

and somebody puts their hand in,

everybody wants to eat that hand.

[Gow] Lawrence Stroll and Aston Martin,

they have the budget

to get whoever they want,

and they wanna get

the biggest name they can,

so, for team principals who are still

mid-contract talks with their drivers,

all of a sudden, alarm bells are ringing.

[reporter 1] Otmar, just to go back

on the Fernando point,

you said you're confident he's gonna stay,

but did he speak to you

about maybe wanting to go elsewhere?

[Szafnauer] We like him, um

We like him a lot 'cause he's performing,

and he says he likes us.

Yeah, he's absolutely brilliant

and performing to a high level, so

[reporter 2] Is it a question of money

with Fernando or

[Szafnauer] Not just Fernando.

Every driver I've ever negotiated with,

they want the most money,

and we wanna pay the least.

[all chuckle]

And then we end up

in some kinda unhappy place for everyone,

or a happy place

that everyone's willing to sign.

[ominous music playing]

[Szafnauer] Fernando's in his last year

on his contract,

and we need to keep that experience

and sign him up for the following year.

[team member] Who's gonna start

singing "Happy Birthday"?

[Szafnauer] Yeah. I will.

[team member] Yeah?

You got a good voice for it.

- [Szafnauer] It'll be in English, right?

- I hope so.

Or in Spanish?

Do a mixture of both.

[in Spanish] Happy birthday.

Happy birthday.

[in English] Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday, dear Fernando

Happy birthday to you

[all cheering]

- I need to wish something.

- [scattered chuckles]

Thank you.

[applause]

Thank you.

So this is a small birthday present

from all of us, but mainly the kitchen.

[Alonso chuckles]

And a bigger birthday present

coming later today.

- [chuckles]

- Happy Happy birthday.

- Forty-one?

- Yep.

- For number 14.

- Yep.

- It's a good juxtaposition of numbers.

- Good numbers.

- Good numbers.

- Thank you, guys.

And, uh

Enjoy your weekend.

Let's get on the podium.

[Alonso] Alpine has been always

part of my family in Formula 1.

Nine years, been with Renault or Alpine,

but, uh, you never know

what the future will bring.

[Szafnauer] So,

if I get the thing from Benet

[Alonso] Okay.

[Szafnauer] we sign. I

[Alonso] If it's not today,

it's gonna be tomorrow.

[Szafnauer] Yeah,

'cause I'm a guy of my word.

If I say Friday, it's got to be Friday.

[Alonso] As long as it's not September.

[Szafnauer] No, no, no, no. Now.

Okay, ciao. Happy birthday.

[rhythmic music playing]

[wheel g*n whirring]

- [Szafnauer] Ready?

- [team member] Yeah. Limbering up?

- Pardon?

- Limbering up?

Yeah. My limbering up should be

kinda like a little bit of this.

[team member] It just gives me flashbacks

to this year last time.

[Szafnauer]

I wasn't with you guys last year.

I was with the bad guys.

- [team member] The enemy.

- The enemy.

- They're all the enemy.

- Exactly.

The more a driver performs,

the more choices he will have,

and you can see in the driver market

that there's a lot of competition,

a lot of skulduggery

that sometimes goes on.

[crowd cheering]

[Szafnauer] Hi, Laurent.

It might be true because, like I said,

there was, uh

there definitely was a meeting.

During the weekend, uh,

there were strong rumors about Fernando.

You know, the paddock's small.

[indistinct over radio]

[Szafnauer] Yeah, let's talk

after the start. I'll call you.

It's unbelievable.

[dramatic stinger]

[intense music playing]

[commentator 1] Welcome along

to the last Formula 1 Grand Prix

before the summer break.

[commentator 5] The Alpines of Alonso

and Ocon are fifth and sixth,

McLaren's Norris in fourth,

and Ricciardo in ninth place.

It's all about

McLaren versus Alpine today.

Both teams will need

their drivers scoring points

in their battle for fourth

in the Constructors' Championship.

[Loos] Last car is on the grid.

[intense music intensifies]

[rhythmic beeping]

[commentator 1]

And it's lights out and away we go.

[commentator 5]

A great start by the Alpines.

They're flying.

[commentator 2] Alpines are going wheel

to wheel. Alonso trying to get through.

[Stallard]

Could be close with Ocon, pit exit.

[commentator 2] Daniel Ricciardo's

on the tail of the two Alpines here.

[Loos] The car behind you now

is Ricciardo.

[Alonso] Copy.

[crowd cheering]

[Stallard] You can use overtake,

make his life difficult.

[Ricciardo] Understood.

[commentator 2] Norris is in front,

but Ricciardo is stuck behind the Alpines.

And Ricciardo gets them both.

That could be huge

in the battle for fourth.

[Ricciardo] Let's f*cking go.

[Stallard] Good work. Good work.

[Alonso] Jesus Christ.

[groans]

f*ck.

[commentator 2]

Now the Alpines are under pressure

from Lance Stroll in the Aston Martin.

[Loos] That's Stroll behind, mate.

[commentator 2]

Stroll to the inside of Alonso.

And through.

[Alonso] Unbelievable.

[Peckett]

Stroll now the car behind us. DRS.

[commentator 2]

Ocon powerless to resist Stroll.

Alpine's day's going from bad to worse.

[Stallard] Stroll, 0.6 seconds behind.

[Michell] So car ahead, Ricciardo.

Let's go get him.

[commentator 2] Here's Stroll attacking

the outside of Ricciardo into turn two.

There's contact. Stroll's off.

[sarcastic laugh]

[Stroll] I gave him plenty of room.

[Michell] We saw, mate. Get going.

- [Stroll] f*cking hit me.

- Yeah, we saw.

- Check damage.

- Yeah, we're checking. We're checking.

[Ricciardo] There's no way

I could get that stopped.

[Stallard] Copy.

Daniel, we have a five-second penalty

for the clash with Stroll.

[commentator 1] Max Verstappen comes home

to win the Hungarian Grand Prix.

[Loos] Okay, that's P8.

[Alonso] Okay.

Is Daniel out of the points?

[Loos] Yeah, Daniel's out of the points.

[Peckett] Okay,

and that is the checkered flag.

- [Ocon] Yeah.

- [Peckett] It's P9.

[Stallard] Okay, Daniel.

We crossed the line P13,

but we'll have a five-second penalty.

[commentator 2]

Ricciardo's 5-second penalty means

he ends up in 15th place.

With only one McLaren

finishing in the points,

despite a challenging race,

Alpine have secured fourth place,

with both their drivers in the points.

- [team member] Good. Good. Well done.

- [Szafnauer] Well done.

[team member] We can have

pizza tonight now, Ciaron.

- [Ciaron] We're allowed.

- [team member] What you doing tonight?

I got this BWT thing,

and after that, I'll meet you for a beer.

- [man 1] Otmar!

- [Szafnauer] Hey!

- [man 1] Hello!

- [applause]

[man 2] Hello, big boss.

[man 3] Give him a big applause.

- [Szafnauer] How are you?

- [indistinct response]

[chanting] Otmar! Otmar! Otmar! Otmar!

Otmar! Otmar! Otmar! Otmar!

Otmar! [cheering]

[all cheering]

- How are you?

- [man 2] How's everybody?

Did you eat?

[man 3] Otmar, you are so cool.

I'm very happy that you are

All our future,

you are everything for us, you know it.

Hey, can we give him an applause?

It was really great.

[Szafnauer] I didn't do it.

The drivers did it.

[all cheering]

[tense music playing]

[Alonso] Seb retired,

and, um, I received a call from Lawrence.

He told me, "I guess you are

with Alpine for the future,"

and I said, "No, it's not the case. I'm

I'm waiting for the contract to sign."

So yeah, he sent the proposal,

and it was

a happy one for me,

and uh, we move on.

- [dramatic stinger]

- [notification tweets]

[reporter 1] Fernando Alonso will join

Aston Martin next season in Formula 1,

replacing the retiring Sebastian Vettel.

The two-time World Champion

will leave Alpine.

[reporter 2] Aston Martin are currently

second bottom in the Constructors',

but hailed the signing

as a clear statement of intent.

[Lawrence] It's about one thing, winning.

Um, and winning means winning.

And, like any other business,

it's all about people.

[Horner] It's typical Fernando.

He obviously wasn't getting

what he wanted at Alpine,

and he's decided to take control

of his own situation.

That's what makes him

the ruthless competitor that he is,

and, uh, sometimes unpredictable.

[Szafnauer] It was difficult

for me to understand

the lack of loyalty to Alpine.

During the weekend, I had my suspicions,

but I thought

that what he would really focus on

was the fact

that we're the fourth-fastest team.

I thought that would sway him

a little bit more

than, uh, whatever Aston gave him

to sway him.

[producer] More money, presumably.

I can only guess.

Bye-bye.

I'm still the bad guy.

[ominous music playing]

[birds tweeting]

Can I sneak by, guys?

Uh, good morning, everyone,

and thanks for coming.

I wanna start with an apology.

I don't really like all of us learning

through the media and through the press,

uh, that kind of news.

We were having good negotiations

with Fernando to continue with the team,

and for many of you,

he's part of our family,

and we gave him what we thought,

and he accepted, was a fair contract,

but let's show him

that he made the wrong choice.

So, looking into the future,

we do have now a spot

for Oscar, our reserve driver.

[notification tweets]

[applause]

[Szafnauer] Thank you very much.

[intense music builds to cl*max]

- [Brown] Got a second?

- [Walsh] Yep.

[Brown] Cool.

We can't keep going on like this.

It's not good for the team.

It's not good for our sponsors.

Don't know why it's not clicking

as relates to Daniel,

but it's not clicking.

And we think we need to start considering

what a change would look like.

And the driver that gets us

the most excited is Oscar Piastri.

Can we get him?

[calculating music playing]

Alpine's a good team to be driving for

because we're doing all the right things

and putting the tools in place

that are required to win.

I'm excited to have Oscar for 2023.

[music builds to cl*max]

[notification tweets]

[intense music playing]

Nobody saw it coming. I mean, it's just

[reporter] Oscar drops

an absolute bombshell.

Everyone is kicking off.

This is a real drama

for Otmar and Alpine.

[phone beeping]

[Szafnauer] Hey, Laurent.

It's, uh, Otmar calling.

So we've got problems.

[music intensifies, builds]

[music halts]

[exhales, sniffs]

[sighs]

We've got an open seat, and we need

to fill it with somebody that's fast

[Gasly] I always love a challenge.

- [Szafnauer] somebody experienced.

- [Ricciardo] I wanna get back to winning.

[Gasly] I want it more than anyone.

[Ricciardo] I know I can do it.

[dramatic music playing]

[Gasly] Time to be a f*cking k*ller.

If he does not perform,

then everything could become a problem.

[Gasly] People just remember

your last race.

That's how the sport works.

[Tsunoda] I want to show

that I can deliver the performance

for the team, for the Japanese fans.

[chuckles] No pressure.

[energetic outro music playing]