March 17, 2025 • 19 mins
On Sports Fix with Jason Pine for 17th of March 2025, it was a disappointing outing for Liam Lawson in his first F1 race of 2025, crashing out with 10 laps to go in treacherous conditions at the Australian Grand Prix. Motorsport expert Eric Thompson joined the podcast to discuss what went wrong for Lawson in Melbourne.
Piney offers his thoughts on Lawson's tough weekend.
Plus, the Elijah Fa'afiu is back in the people's chamber to recap another round of Super Rugby, and how impressive the Warriors bounce-back was.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
This is Sportsfix Howard By News Talks ed B.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Hi there and welcome into the Sports Fix podcast. At
the start of another week, the back end of another
busy sporting weekend. It is Monday, March seventeen. Happy Sir
Patrick's Day to those who celebrate. I'm Jason Pine on
Sports Fix. Today we look back over the weekend and
in particular to Melbourne where Liam Lawson had a challenging
weekend in his first event as a full time Formula
(00:44):
One driver with red Ball. We're going to break it
down with Eric Thompson, our motor sport expert. I've got
a few subliminal thoughts on it as well. We'll kick
it around in the Chamber two with a larger few.
And also the Warriors are they back? The Crusaders are
they back? And what's happened to the Blues in Super Rugby?
All of that and the latest sports news going around today,
(01:05):
so let's get into it. In other news, let's get
underway with some of the big sports stories around today.
New Zealand's push for victory at the sou GP event
in La had been foiled. The Greatest Neighbors to the
North As Canada comes to Los Angeles and dreams the
top prize. The Kiwis will hold on for second, Australia third.
(01:27):
The black Falls were first round the first mark, but
a brief touchdown off the foils allowed the Canadians to
snatch a lead that they never relinquished. A golfing highlight
away from the top of the leaderboard in the final
round of the Players Championship at Sawgrass. You can get
it over that bunker there right in front of the
green with a little turn.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
You used the slope.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
About that shot.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
He didn't need to use the slope.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Ticket rate habit.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
That is the sound of Kegan Bradley holding the first
as of the week and jubilation for Newcastle beating Liverpool
two to one and the League Cup final, their first
domestic trophy since winning the FA Cup in nineteen fifty five,
a trophy.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Dissecting the sporting agenda, It's Sportsfix with Jason Vine.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
On the Sports Fix podcast Let's Talk Formula One. Liam
Lawson has had his first outing as a full time
at red ball driver in Formula One unfortunately not quite
going the way he would have hoped in Melbourne over
the weekend, registering a d n F on race day
yesterday after a difficult time in practice and also in qualifying.
Let's break this down, bringing in motorsport expert Eric Thompson, Ete,
(02:44):
thanks for joining us. How will Liam be feeling after
the weekend.
Speaker 5 (02:49):
He'll be a bit annoyed actually. And if there's one
thing about Liam, what Christian Horner and doctor Marco Helmet
Helmut Marco think of him as his resilience and his
mental strength. You know, he's he's not the fastest outright
sort of pure talented driver on the grid, but he's
(03:09):
very very good. But it's that mental fortitude. So he'll
be going away thinking, yes, things didn't quite work out
for me. I did no running in free practice FP three,
no running at all. So our whole practice SESSON session
on a circuit that he didn't know Pony had never
been on before, had no experience of in any sort
of vehicle, so missing that, I think, and that's when
(03:32):
the things started to get a bit difficult for him.
And then that torrential rain on race day and it
was normally very good in the web, but the one
good thing and as Christian Horner has come out and
International Pressure said, he set the second fastest lap time
of all the drivers in the dry when the race
(03:53):
was dry. So he'll be be hanging on to that
pony and is just going yep. I can when things
are going right, I'm as fast, if not faster than
most of the pack.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
How much of what happened over the last three days
et was out of William Lawson's control, I would say quite.
Speaker 5 (04:12):
A lot of it. First of all, the weather number
two that the recharging system and the battery's going flat
and FP three so no running time at all. And
also they rolled the dice and left them out there
on a set of tires that hopefully hoping that the
track would dry. It didn't, so he was the only
one on sort of intermediate tires and the pouring rain.
(04:35):
So of course he just aquiplaned and stood off and
hit the wall. So yeah, you know, some people tell
it was his mistake, you know he stood off. No,
they rolled the dice. You know, if that had worked
by and the sun had come out and that track
had dried at that stage, he was intent so he
could have easily challenged for the top five if it
(04:56):
had suddenly gone dry. But that's the way it is.
So if it worked, you look like, you know, you're magnificent,
and if it doesn't, you know, you look like a
bit of a well, you know, you should have come
in from the tires. But it's the whole team, it's
not he doesn't make the decisions all on his own.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Speaking of the team aspect of this, can you just
clarify for me the car that Liam's in is it
identical to Verstappens pretty much?
Speaker 5 (05:21):
And at the moment they're trying to change it because
in the first couple of practices it was noted and
you could see watching it, fans watching you could see
that that's of Staffins car had a different nose on
to Lim Lawson's car. So they're trying to work out
to get the car to suit limb And because of
the lack of practice sessions pre season or between the seasons,
(05:44):
you know, they've cut way way way way way way
way back on testing and all that sort of stuff,
so they couldn't really get the car set up before
the Australian gone pre four Lawson, So it's a little
bit like we've got to try and get the cars
working for him and the way he drives whilst are
you're practicing for a race but difficult.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Indeed, indeed, because it's still important, isn't it that Liam
performs well across the season, because apart from obviously Max
for stapp and being you know, their man for the
drivers Championship, Lilliam still has to pick up points, doesn't
he for Red Bull to help them in the constructors Championship.
Speaker 5 (06:20):
Absolutely, Finally, you've nailed it because all teams are worried
about I mean, they like it when the driver wins
the championship for them, but all they're worried about is
the Constructors' Championships or the teams championships because that's where
the money comes from. The tens upon tens of millions
of euros comes from that. And with Red Bull dropping
(06:42):
from first in the Constructors Championship in two twenty three
to I think it was third last year in twenty
twenty four, there was a difference of about I think
it was thirty eight million Europe. You know that's that's
not jump change, that's not what you find in the
stop draw. So Liam Liam is expected to be within
(07:03):
I think Christian Horner and Halimaco said, you know, within
something like five to seven tenths of a second of
Max Tostappen. But this is his first hit out. He
goes to China next weekend again circuit he's never been on,
so that'll be interesting. But I reckon he'll be given
probably a good five to six races before, you know,
(07:25):
like management media will probably be having a go soon.
But you know, the people who actually make the decisions,
you know, they're going to give him a bit of
a chance. So it's just it's the first hit out
and nothing really went well. I mean, you've got to
look all through all the categories, you know, with the
rain and the weather and stuff. Especially on that day,
it was just a and that mountain circuit Ponty is
(07:47):
a weird, weird place. It's a public road, so it's
got a crown in the middle of the road, which
means you know, it's not purpose built track. It's got
off camber corners and it's just got white lines everywhere,
and the people are complaining with all the advent around
the lake park with the cycle tracks and all those
sort of things. It's more light lines and more colored
(08:09):
nine surfer rains. You're hiding on that circuit.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
Yeah, and you've you've brought up a good point in
terms of what China will be like. It'll be different, right,
more of a I guess, a traditional racetrack, but still,
as you've said, one that is unfamiliar to Liam.
Speaker 5 (08:24):
Right, yes, still unfamiliar, but that has never really been
an issue. I think what the major problem was at
Melbourne with the weather and at being a street circuit.
Now he won't, you know, like you'll be on the simular.
You've already been on the simulator loads of times anyway.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
But it's a purpose.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
Built racetrack, so he'll feel more comfortable, more at home,
and I think he'll bounce back really really.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Well, very much looking forward to seeing that eat. Thanks,
indeed for your analysis on the Sports Fixed podcast that
it's my a sport expert, Eric Thompson Sportsfix. So what
can we take from Liam Lawson's first Grand Prix as
a full time driver for Red Bull. Hell, I'm sure
be quite keen to hop on a plane and get
(09:08):
out of Melbourne. There was so much hype around his
Formula One debut, a lot of excitement I'm sure Liam
Lawson himself was looking forward to putting on a really
good showing at Albert Park in Melbourne. But unfortunately, for
a variety of reasons, many of them out of his
own control, it just didn't come together for Liam Lawson.
He had trouble in practice, he had trouble in qualifying.
(09:31):
It meant that on an unfamiliar track he had very
very little driving time before the race itself yesterday, and
in horrendous conditions which actually, ironically enough, might have suited
Liam Lawson in terms of closing things up. He had
to start from pitt Lane. He qualified eighteenth, but then
they made some changes to the car and under the
rules of Formula one that meant that he had to
(09:53):
start from pitt Lane, so right right at the back.
He was doing okay. He was going along the right
past a few guys and some of the drivers crashed out.
At one point he was up near the top ten,
but again bad luck befell him and the team orders
he stayed out on a certain set of tires while
the number one in Red Bull, Max Fstapan, came in
(10:14):
to get his tires changed, and while he was out there,
Liam Lawson had a crash, hit the wall and for
him that was curtain's DNF in his first IF one
race as a full time driver. Look, it's not terminal.
This is the first event of twenty four, Bob McMurray
said to me on the radio on Saturday. This is
(10:34):
day two of seventy two days. Nothing that happens here
can to find Liam Lawson one way or the other.
Of course, he would have liked to have start started
rather in more positive fashion, but it just wasn't to be.
So now they jump on a plane, get to China
and go again. Liam Lawson was put into that seat
for a number of reasons, one of which was his
(10:57):
mental resilience. They saw in him an ability to not
ride the highs too high or the lows too low,
and just to keep on keeping on and looking ahead
to the next event. The next event is in China
this coming weekend. He doesn't have too long to dwell
on what happened in Melbourne, so here's for a much
better showing in practice and qualifying and in the race itself,
(11:20):
an event two of twenty four for Lilliam Lawson this
coming weekend.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
The Chamber is now in session on Sportsvex.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
On the Sports Fix podcast. Let's kick around the few
outcomes and issues from the sporting weekend in the People's Chamber.
Elijah was here, the Warriors did well on Friday night.
Don't want to get to that, Elijah, But can we
start with Liam Lawson and his challenging weekend in Melbourne.
It's early on in the season and I know that
(11:50):
he will say, look, it's just one event of twenty four,
but he must be quite keen to see the back
of Melbourne Liam Lawson.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 6 (11:59):
Probably not the way Liam would have wanted his Red
Bull tenure to start out. Unfortunate circumstances for him. Obviously,
it was raining in Melbourne. I don't think it's a
track that he's too familiar with either, so he would
have had to learn over the weekend in terms of
the turns and the sectors over in Melbourne.
Speaker 4 (12:18):
And yeah, again there's the weather.
Speaker 6 (12:19):
Conditions proved to play a big role in him eventually
crashing out on lap forty five. So not the ideal
way to start things off for Liam, but definitely I'm
sure he would have It would have been a big
learning curve for him.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Yeah, that's yeah. I think that sort doesn't it. You know,
use any cliche you like, you win or you learn
and you know whatever. But he is under an intense spotlight.
He'd want to stay off social media elige. I don't
know about you, mate, but I've had a look at
some of the social media and I know people have
their favorites and have their allegiance and all that sort
of thing. But but yeah, I don't know that i'd
(12:50):
be looking at social media if I was Liam Lawson.
A lot of the stuff that's coming out is I
pretty need you given it's only been one race.
Speaker 6 (12:58):
For sure, I think it's a big overreaction from those
I guess who are critics or doubters of Liam Lawson.
But I guess if you look at you and I Piney,
we have the more optimists when it comes to Liam Lawson.
And you know, we know how good Liam Lawson is
when he gets going. We know he's part of a
great team and he's got a great teammates alongside him
and Maxvistappens, so we can only hope that things.
Speaker 4 (13:20):
Can go up from here for Liam.
Speaker 6 (13:22):
And unfortunately, I think the next rounds in China, which
is another track that's not too familiar for Liam, so
that he'll again will have to be a big weekend
of learning how that track goes. But yeah, I'm definitely
positive when it comes to Liam, and listen, it's only
one round, i'd say.
Speaker 5 (13:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
Bob McMurray said a really interesting thing on the radio
over the weekend. He said it was on Saturday. He said,
today is day two of seventy two. You know there
are twenty four events, each of them three days. It's
still so early, so yeah, let's see what happens in China.
Luckily for Liam he gets the chance to quickly put
that behind him and move on to the Shanghai Grand
Prix coming up this weekend. On the radio on Friday,
(13:59):
I said, I wasn't worried about Liam Lawson over the weekend,
but I was very worried about the Warriors. Turns out
I had nothing to worry about it all.
Speaker 4 (14:06):
No, definitely not what a way to turn things around from.
Speaker 6 (14:10):
I guess the disaster you'd call them the opening round
in Las Vegas. It's always nice, I guess for the
Warriors to be back at home in front of the
mount smart, faithful and a great performance all around the
Ford pact dominated the co captains Barnetts and Fisher, Harris
and Aaron Clark, who I think could be one of
the best pickups the season for the Warriors. And I
(14:30):
guess for a playmaker like Luke Metcalf, who has copped
some unfair criticism after his opening round performance, he delivered
and he definitely proved some of those doubts is wrong
with a very strong performance over many against Manley.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
So great one for the Warriors.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
I've explain this to me because it's basically the same team,
right Clark and for Ford. Otherwise it's the same thirteen
and it's the same seventeen. So is this just the
nature of being a Warriors fan that you just have
to expect Vegas one week in Mount Smart the next.
Speaker 6 (15:04):
I'd say, so you have to ride with the up
and ups and downs. It's a roller coaster over a
Mountain Smarts. I know Auckland c have the fairest wheel
set up over there, but the Warriors, they've already had
a roller coaster there the entire time. So I guess
for Warriors fans, we'll see what happens next, whether they
can build from this momentum and carry that momentum going,
(15:28):
but definitely a huge confidence boost at least if you're
the Warriors and.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
The Roosters are next, that's just coming Friday night. But
they beat the Panthers over the weekend, I'm not sure
too many people saw their coming.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
Definitely not.
Speaker 6 (15:39):
And I think we've seen in the opening two rounds
there's been a lot of interesting probably upsets you could
call them, or at least a lot of interesting results.
I wouldn't say there's a standout top team at least
so far. I mean, we know the Panthers have won
the last four, but the way they've it's completely new
roster for them, so they're not as dominant as we've
(16:02):
seen from them in the past few years. So I
do think the NRL, at least in the couple first
opening rounds, as a wide opener, i'd say.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Super right be to finish round five's in the books.
I'm a bit worried about your blues. I have to
say one win from five. Those are those are Crusaderes
twenty twenty four numbers.
Speaker 4 (16:21):
Yeah, oh, thank you for that, honey.
Speaker 6 (16:22):
I mean, yeah, it is a bit tough when we're
languishing near the bottom, but I will I will say
we've had a couple of close losses to the Brumbies
and the Chiefs, so I think if we do win
those games, then things would look a little bit different
for us on the table. I wouldn't say I'm in
panic mode, but I do think there's a lot of
(16:44):
execution that needs to be worked on with the Blues.
Speaker 4 (16:47):
And you know, I'm not saying overhaul the whole vern
ball game plan.
Speaker 6 (16:51):
But maybe they might need to be some slight tweaks
to make considering defenses. They know what to expect when
they come come up against the Blues, so I wouldn't
say I'm panicking, but they do need to turn things around,
especially when they've got a high flying team like the
Crusaders coming into town this week.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
It shows how they've been really because even though they've
lost four out of five games, their points differential is
only minus seventeen, so not like they've been having it.
Actually say, one point losses in their last two and
then look, there's too much quality in that side for
them to stay down there for too long. Although I
guess we said that about the Crusaders last year. They
did have a number of injuries meantime, they've got the
(17:28):
sun on their backs on you know, on a lovely
day in christ Year. It's running in all sorts of tries.
Mac As, spring of five tries, sever reesa hat trick.
The Crusaders could be back.
Speaker 6 (17:40):
A great day if you played the Crusader's back three
and your fantasy team, I say exactly, Macas, bring us
downd out. I think we've seen the class of sever
rees and Will Jordan in particular. We knew this when
Jordan was missing last season for the Crusaders and how
desperate they needed Will Jordan in the lineup. And now
that he's back, everything's clicking on all cylinders, it seems
(18:02):
for the Crusaders and particularly that back line. So I'm
excited to see how they go against the Blues at
Eden Park.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Yeah, I'm that is a game I am very much
looking forward to as well. It looks like the standout
fixture in round six Blues Crusaders five past seven on
Saturday night. I think we can probably have a yarn
about that on the People's Chamber next Monday. Elijah, enjoy
your week mate, Always good to chat the sporting issues
of the weekend with you.
Speaker 4 (18:26):
Thank you so much for new needing a vix.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
We've got just the ticket.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
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Speaker 3 (18:34):
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Speaker 2 (00:17):
This is Sportsfix Howard By News Talks ed B.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Hi there and welcome into the Sports Fix podcast. At
the start of another week, the back end of another
busy sporting weekend. It is Monday, March seventeen. Happy Sir
Patrick's Day to those who celebrate. I'm Jason Pine on
Sports Fix. Today we look back over the weekend and
in particular to Melbourne where Liam Lawson had a challenging
weekend in his first event as a full time Formula
(00:44):
One driver with red Ball. We're going to break it
down with Eric Thompson, our motor sport expert. I've got
a few subliminal thoughts on it as well. We'll kick
it around in the Chamber two with a larger few.
And also the Warriors are they back? The Crusaders are
they back? And what's happened to the Blues in Super Rugby?
All of that and the latest sports news going around today,
(01:05):
so let's get into it. In other news, let's get
underway with some of the big sports stories around today.
New Zealand's push for victory at the sou GP event
in La had been foiled. The Greatest Neighbors to the
North As Canada comes to Los Angeles and dreams the
top prize. The Kiwis will hold on for second, Australia third.
(01:27):
The black Falls were first round the first mark, but
a brief touchdown off the foils allowed the Canadians to
snatch a lead that they never relinquished. A golfing highlight
away from the top of the leaderboard in the final
round of the Players Championship at Sawgrass. You can get
it over that bunker there right in front of the
green with a little turn.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
You used the slope.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
About that shot.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
He didn't need to use the slope.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Ticket rate habit.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
That is the sound of Kegan Bradley holding the first
as of the week and jubilation for Newcastle beating Liverpool
two to one and the League Cup final, their first
domestic trophy since winning the FA Cup in nineteen fifty five,
a trophy.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Dissecting the sporting agenda, It's Sportsfix with Jason Vine.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
On the Sports Fix podcast Let's Talk Formula One. Liam
Lawson has had his first outing as a full time
at red ball driver in Formula One unfortunately not quite
going the way he would have hoped in Melbourne over
the weekend, registering a d n F on race day
yesterday after a difficult time in practice and also in qualifying.
Let's break this down, bringing in motorsport expert Eric Thompson, Ete,
(02:44):
thanks for joining us. How will Liam be feeling after
the weekend.
Speaker 5 (02:49):
He'll be a bit annoyed actually. And if there's one
thing about Liam, what Christian Horner and doctor Marco Helmet
Helmut Marco think of him as his resilience and his
mental strength. You know, he's he's not the fastest outright
sort of pure talented driver on the grid, but he's
(03:09):
very very good. But it's that mental fortitude. So he'll
be going away thinking, yes, things didn't quite work out
for me. I did no running in free practice FP three,
no running at all. So our whole practice SESSON session
on a circuit that he didn't know Pony had never
been on before, had no experience of in any sort
of vehicle, so missing that, I think, and that's when
(03:32):
the things started to get a bit difficult for him.
And then that torrential rain on race day and it
was normally very good in the web, but the one
good thing and as Christian Horner has come out and
International Pressure said, he set the second fastest lap time
of all the drivers in the dry when the race
(03:53):
was dry. So he'll be be hanging on to that
pony and is just going yep. I can when things
are going right, I'm as fast, if not faster than
most of the pack.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
How much of what happened over the last three days
et was out of William Lawson's control, I would say quite.
Speaker 5 (04:12):
A lot of it. First of all, the weather number
two that the recharging system and the battery's going flat
and FP three so no running time at all. And
also they rolled the dice and left them out there
on a set of tires that hopefully hoping that the
track would dry. It didn't, so he was the only
one on sort of intermediate tires and the pouring rain.
(04:35):
So of course he just aquiplaned and stood off and
hit the wall. So yeah, you know, some people tell
it was his mistake, you know he stood off. No,
they rolled the dice. You know, if that had worked
by and the sun had come out and that track
had dried at that stage, he was intent so he
could have easily challenged for the top five if it
(04:56):
had suddenly gone dry. But that's the way it is.
So if it worked, you look like, you know, you're magnificent,
and if it doesn't, you know, you look like a
bit of a well, you know, you should have come
in from the tires. But it's the whole team, it's
not he doesn't make the decisions all on his own.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Speaking of the team aspect of this, can you just
clarify for me the car that Liam's in is it
identical to Verstappens pretty much?
Speaker 5 (05:21):
And at the moment they're trying to change it because
in the first couple of practices it was noted and
you could see watching it, fans watching you could see
that that's of Staffins car had a different nose on
to Lim Lawson's car. So they're trying to work out
to get the car to suit limb And because of
the lack of practice sessions pre season or between the seasons,
(05:44):
you know, they've cut way way way way way way
way back on testing and all that sort of stuff,
so they couldn't really get the car set up before
the Australian gone pre four Lawson, So it's a little
bit like we've got to try and get the cars
working for him and the way he drives whilst are
you're practicing for a race but difficult.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Indeed, indeed, because it's still important, isn't it that Liam
performs well across the season, because apart from obviously Max
for stapp and being you know, their man for the
drivers Championship, Lilliam still has to pick up points, doesn't
he for Red Bull to help them in the constructors Championship.
Speaker 5 (06:20):
Absolutely, Finally, you've nailed it because all teams are worried
about I mean, they like it when the driver wins
the championship for them, but all they're worried about is
the Constructors' Championships or the teams championships because that's where
the money comes from. The tens upon tens of millions
of euros comes from that. And with Red Bull dropping
(06:42):
from first in the Constructors Championship in two twenty three
to I think it was third last year in twenty
twenty four, there was a difference of about I think
it was thirty eight million Europe. You know that's that's
not jump change, that's not what you find in the
stop draw. So Liam Liam is expected to be within
(07:03):
I think Christian Horner and Halimaco said, you know, within
something like five to seven tenths of a second of
Max Tostappen. But this is his first hit out. He
goes to China next weekend again circuit he's never been on,
so that'll be interesting. But I reckon he'll be given
probably a good five to six races before, you know,
(07:25):
like management media will probably be having a go soon.
But you know, the people who actually make the decisions,
you know, they're going to give him a bit of
a chance. So it's just it's the first hit out
and nothing really went well. I mean, you've got to
look all through all the categories, you know, with the
rain and the weather and stuff. Especially on that day,
it was just a and that mountain circuit Ponty is
(07:47):
a weird, weird place. It's a public road, so it's
got a crown in the middle of the road, which
means you know, it's not purpose built track. It's got
off camber corners and it's just got white lines everywhere,
and the people are complaining with all the advent around
the lake park with the cycle tracks and all those
sort of things. It's more light lines and more colored
(08:09):
nine surfer rains. You're hiding on that circuit.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
Yeah, and you've you've brought up a good point in
terms of what China will be like. It'll be different, right,
more of a I guess, a traditional racetrack, but still,
as you've said, one that is unfamiliar to Liam.
Speaker 5 (08:24):
Right, yes, still unfamiliar, but that has never really been
an issue. I think what the major problem was at
Melbourne with the weather and at being a street circuit.
Now he won't, you know, like you'll be on the simular.
You've already been on the simulator loads of times anyway.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
But it's a purpose.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
Built racetrack, so he'll feel more comfortable, more at home,
and I think he'll bounce back really really.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Well, very much looking forward to seeing that eat. Thanks,
indeed for your analysis on the Sports Fixed podcast that
it's my a sport expert, Eric Thompson Sportsfix. So what
can we take from Liam Lawson's first Grand Prix as
a full time driver for Red Bull. Hell, I'm sure
be quite keen to hop on a plane and get
(09:08):
out of Melbourne. There was so much hype around his
Formula One debut, a lot of excitement I'm sure Liam
Lawson himself was looking forward to putting on a really
good showing at Albert Park in Melbourne. But unfortunately, for
a variety of reasons, many of them out of his
own control, it just didn't come together for Liam Lawson.
He had trouble in practice, he had trouble in qualifying.
(09:31):
It meant that on an unfamiliar track he had very
very little driving time before the race itself yesterday, and
in horrendous conditions which actually, ironically enough, might have suited
Liam Lawson in terms of closing things up. He had
to start from pitt Lane. He qualified eighteenth, but then
they made some changes to the car and under the
rules of Formula one that meant that he had to
(09:53):
start from pitt Lane, so right right at the back.
He was doing okay. He was going along the right
past a few guys and some of the drivers crashed out.
At one point he was up near the top ten,
but again bad luck befell him and the team orders
he stayed out on a certain set of tires while
the number one in Red Bull, Max Fstapan, came in
(10:14):
to get his tires changed, and while he was out there,
Liam Lawson had a crash, hit the wall and for
him that was curtain's DNF in his first IF one
race as a full time driver. Look, it's not terminal.
This is the first event of twenty four, Bob McMurray
said to me on the radio on Saturday. This is
(10:34):
day two of seventy two days. Nothing that happens here
can to find Liam Lawson one way or the other.
Of course, he would have liked to have start started
rather in more positive fashion, but it just wasn't to be.
So now they jump on a plane, get to China
and go again. Liam Lawson was put into that seat
for a number of reasons, one of which was his
(10:57):
mental resilience. They saw in him an ability to not
ride the highs too high or the lows too low,
and just to keep on keeping on and looking ahead
to the next event. The next event is in China
this coming weekend. He doesn't have too long to dwell
on what happened in Melbourne, so here's for a much
better showing in practice and qualifying and in the race itself,
(11:20):
an event two of twenty four for Lilliam Lawson this
coming weekend.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
The Chamber is now in session on Sportsvex.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
On the Sports Fix podcast. Let's kick around the few
outcomes and issues from the sporting weekend in the People's Chamber.
Elijah was here, the Warriors did well on Friday night.
Don't want to get to that, Elijah, But can we
start with Liam Lawson and his challenging weekend in Melbourne.
It's early on in the season and I know that
(11:50):
he will say, look, it's just one event of twenty four,
but he must be quite keen to see the back
of Melbourne Liam Lawson.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 6 (11:59):
Probably not the way Liam would have wanted his Red
Bull tenure to start out. Unfortunate circumstances for him. Obviously,
it was raining in Melbourne. I don't think it's a
track that he's too familiar with either, so he would
have had to learn over the weekend in terms of
the turns and the sectors over in Melbourne.
Speaker 4 (12:18):
And yeah, again there's the weather.
Speaker 6 (12:19):
Conditions proved to play a big role in him eventually
crashing out on lap forty five. So not the ideal
way to start things off for Liam, but definitely I'm
sure he would have It would have been a big
learning curve for him.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Yeah, that's yeah. I think that sort doesn't it. You know,
use any cliche you like, you win or you learn
and you know whatever. But he is under an intense spotlight.
He'd want to stay off social media elige. I don't
know about you, mate, but I've had a look at
some of the social media and I know people have
their favorites and have their allegiance and all that sort
of thing. But but yeah, I don't know that i'd
(12:50):
be looking at social media if I was Liam Lawson.
A lot of the stuff that's coming out is I
pretty need you given it's only been one race.
Speaker 6 (12:58):
For sure, I think it's a big overreaction from those
I guess who are critics or doubters of Liam Lawson.
But I guess if you look at you and I Piney,
we have the more optimists when it comes to Liam Lawson.
And you know, we know how good Liam Lawson is
when he gets going. We know he's part of a
great team and he's got a great teammates alongside him
and Maxvistappens, so we can only hope that things.
Speaker 4 (13:20):
Can go up from here for Liam.
Speaker 6 (13:22):
And unfortunately, I think the next rounds in China, which
is another track that's not too familiar for Liam, so
that he'll again will have to be a big weekend
of learning how that track goes. But yeah, I'm definitely
positive when it comes to Liam, and listen, it's only
one round, i'd say.
Speaker 5 (13:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
Bob McMurray said a really interesting thing on the radio
over the weekend. He said it was on Saturday. He said,
today is day two of seventy two. You know there
are twenty four events, each of them three days. It's
still so early, so yeah, let's see what happens in China.
Luckily for Liam he gets the chance to quickly put
that behind him and move on to the Shanghai Grand
Prix coming up this weekend. On the radio on Friday,
(13:59):
I said, I wasn't worried about Liam Lawson over the weekend,
but I was very worried about the Warriors. Turns out
I had nothing to worry about it all.
Speaker 4 (14:06):
No, definitely not what a way to turn things around from.
Speaker 6 (14:10):
I guess the disaster you'd call them the opening round
in Las Vegas. It's always nice, I guess for the
Warriors to be back at home in front of the
mount smart, faithful and a great performance all around the
Ford pact dominated the co captains Barnetts and Fisher, Harris
and Aaron Clark, who I think could be one of
the best pickups the season for the Warriors. And I
(14:30):
guess for a playmaker like Luke Metcalf, who has copped
some unfair criticism after his opening round performance, he delivered
and he definitely proved some of those doubts is wrong
with a very strong performance over many against Manley.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
So great one for the Warriors.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
I've explain this to me because it's basically the same team,
right Clark and for Ford. Otherwise it's the same thirteen
and it's the same seventeen. So is this just the
nature of being a Warriors fan that you just have
to expect Vegas one week in Mount Smart the next.
Speaker 6 (15:04):
I'd say, so you have to ride with the up
and ups and downs. It's a roller coaster over a
Mountain Smarts. I know Auckland c have the fairest wheel
set up over there, but the Warriors, they've already had
a roller coaster there the entire time. So I guess
for Warriors fans, we'll see what happens next, whether they
can build from this momentum and carry that momentum going,
(15:28):
but definitely a huge confidence boost at least if you're
the Warriors and.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
The Roosters are next, that's just coming Friday night. But
they beat the Panthers over the weekend, I'm not sure
too many people saw their coming.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
Definitely not.
Speaker 6 (15:39):
And I think we've seen in the opening two rounds
there's been a lot of interesting probably upsets you could
call them, or at least a lot of interesting results.
I wouldn't say there's a standout top team at least
so far. I mean, we know the Panthers have won
the last four, but the way they've it's completely new
roster for them, so they're not as dominant as we've
(16:02):
seen from them in the past few years. So I
do think the NRL, at least in the couple first
opening rounds, as a wide opener, i'd say.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Super right be to finish round five's in the books.
I'm a bit worried about your blues. I have to
say one win from five. Those are those are Crusaderes
twenty twenty four numbers.
Speaker 4 (16:21):
Yeah, oh, thank you for that, honey.
Speaker 6 (16:22):
I mean, yeah, it is a bit tough when we're
languishing near the bottom, but I will I will say
we've had a couple of close losses to the Brumbies
and the Chiefs, so I think if we do win
those games, then things would look a little bit different
for us on the table. I wouldn't say I'm in
panic mode, but I do think there's a lot of
(16:44):
execution that needs to be worked on with the Blues.
Speaker 4 (16:47):
And you know, I'm not saying overhaul the whole vern
ball game plan.
Speaker 6 (16:51):
But maybe they might need to be some slight tweaks
to make considering defenses. They know what to expect when
they come come up against the Blues, so I wouldn't
say I'm panicking, but they do need to turn things around,
especially when they've got a high flying team like the
Crusaders coming into town this week.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
It shows how they've been really because even though they've
lost four out of five games, their points differential is
only minus seventeen, so not like they've been having it.
Actually say, one point losses in their last two and
then look, there's too much quality in that side for
them to stay down there for too long. Although I
guess we said that about the Crusaders last year. They
did have a number of injuries meantime, they've got the
(17:28):
sun on their backs on you know, on a lovely
day in christ Year. It's running in all sorts of tries.
Mac As, spring of five tries, sever reesa hat trick.
The Crusaders could be back.
Speaker 6 (17:40):
A great day if you played the Crusader's back three
and your fantasy team, I say exactly, Macas, bring us
downd out. I think we've seen the class of sever
rees and Will Jordan in particular. We knew this when
Jordan was missing last season for the Crusaders and how
desperate they needed Will Jordan in the lineup. And now
that he's back, everything's clicking on all cylinders, it seems
(18:02):
for the Crusaders and particularly that back line. So I'm
excited to see how they go against the Blues at
Eden Park.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Yeah, I'm that is a game I am very much
looking forward to as well. It looks like the standout
fixture in round six Blues Crusaders five past seven on
Saturday night. I think we can probably have a yarn
about that on the People's Chamber next Monday. Elijah, enjoy
your week mate, Always good to chat the sporting issues
of the weekend with you.
Speaker 4 (18:26):
Thank you so much for new needing a vix.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
We've got just the ticket.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
It's Sports Fix powered by News Talks IVV and.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
That brings the curtain down on this edition of the
Sports Fix podcast. Thank you for downloading, Thank you for listening.
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(18:55):
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