EP 15: Drinking The Hopium

Langa and Wame are back to chat about the first race of the 2025 Australian Grand Prix. A thrilling race left much to digest and open ended questions. Ferrari, Hamilton, the new crop of rookies, Piastri under pressure and why Mercedes are like the ex partner that gaslit you.Likes and comments make a big difference to whose ears this reaches so please do help us if you like the show.twitter & instagram: @drsopenpod

Wame and guest, friend of the show, Thato dissect the Miami sprint race, Grand Prix qualifying but more than that it's consequences. In an event where Verstappen dropped dropped the ball and LOL'd after finding out he's on sprint pole, what does this say about the next gen drivers and of course Mercedes.

Wame and Langa sat down and discussed the news of the week which is that Red Bull's genius designer Adrian Newey will be leaving the team. We discuss how Red Bull have got to this situation, and the impact that may have on Mercedes and Ferrari. We were joined by Wame's neighbour's dogs who also have an opinion it seems.

Our guests this week are Prince Ndiweni and Ncumisa Mthi. Prince has rich experience in the South African motorsport scene having been a mechanic, a karting racer and now shares his fantastic knowledge as a motorsport analyst on a number of media outlets. Ncumisa is as knowledgable as they come, with a deep interest in a variety of motorsports - a passion that started with her family when she was very young. We recapped an interesting Qatar Grand Prix including a coming together of Mercedes pair George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, McLaren's continued improvement resulting in a sprint race win for Oscar Piastri and of course Max Verstappen winning another drivers championship. We also considered a dramatic weekend where rules on tyre use were changed for safety but extreme driving conditions had to be endured. McLaren broke the world record for fastest pit stop and we further discussed the likelihood of Andretti Global's bid to enter formula 1 succeeding. Find us on twitter @drsopenpod, instagram @drsopenpodcast and give us a rating wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Wame is back, and really, that's all that matters. Mercedes and Hamilton clearly knew this and put in a much improved performance for the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix which included an astonishing 107 overtakes. We discussed them, Ferrari, Alpine and where to from here for Aston Martin. We truly value your support and value your engagement on twitter @drsopenpod and instagram @drsopenpodcast.

After a half year hiatus we are back (for real this time.) Langa and Naz sat down to discuss the Monaco Grand Prix and tried to contextualise the 2023 season so far. Discussion points include Aston Martin and how far they can go after the new Honda deal but hamstrung by Lance Stroll. Mercedes who made step in the right direction and how it was to see Sir Lewis smiling again, although George Russell needs to make sure he doesn’t become like Nico Rosberg and Jenson Button. And of course, Estie Bestie’s superb performance at Monaco   We managed to spare Ferrari from some deserved slander but that will happen in weeks to come. We love to hear from you so engage with us on twitter @drsopenpod and Instagram: @drsopenpodcast.

Langa and Naz sat down to discuss the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix taking a deep look at Mercedes and the W13, Charles Leclerc’s outstanding drive and where to from here for drivers like Checo Perez and Daniel Ricciardo. Diversions include Langa jumping into the Jukskei River, North Korean former dictator Kim Jung Il, why would Red Bull change their accounting standards, and whether slaughtering a goat for Hamilton is actually a good idea or not. If you enjoy the podcast please rate and review us wherever you are listening to this as it helps other people find us. Twitter: @drsopenpod Instagram: @drsopenpodcast

Langa sat down to chat with Sir Lewis and Mercedes fan Eni Shobo to discuss the 2022 Sao Paulo grand prix which marked Mercedes AMG’s first win of the season. We deep dived into the fall out from Max Verstappen refusing to let his teammate through despite team orders, his collision with Sir Lewis Hamilton and reflected on the cost cap scandal. We also spoke at length about an incredible first win for George Russell and Mercedes’ strong development this year. The Mercedes car is truly indestructible. We reflected on the career and character arcs of Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo who may be racing for the last time in F1 next week at Abu Dhabi. Finally we had thoughts on the rumours of Mattia Binnoto’s role as team principle at Ferrari being under threat and we have the return of Kevin Magnussen appreciation corner as the Dane scored his and Haas’ first ever pole position. Digressions include Antonio Conte and Tottenham Hotspurs, who Eni supports, whether Mercedes should have a junior team talent management in F1, Toto Wolff learning from mistakes and when Niki Lauda tried to sign Verstappen for Mercedes. Eni is extremely considered and funny and presented Langa with a number of ideas that gave him food for thought.  If you enjoy the pod please remember to rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts as this helps us reach more people. You can also interact with us on twitter (@drsopenpod) and instagram (drsopenpodcast.)

Our guest this week is Mbali Macu, one of just 9 black women with an ATPL in South Africa out of roughly 2000 holders. She shares with us about her love of aviation, how she became a pilot, her current role in aviation industry oversight and of course - her love for Lewis Hamilton and F1. Mbali is funny, insightful, and gave a full and rich picture of her experience as a black woman pilot whilst providing us with inspiration for the future. We also preview the upcoming Singapore Grand Prix and laugh at Wame as she serves a twitter ban. If you enjoy the pod please remember to rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts - this helps us reach more people. You can also interact with us on twitter (@drsopenpod) and instagram (@drsopenpodcast.)

Wame and Langa held a live pod recording in Johannesburg ahead of the Italian Grand Prix. We engaged the audience to discuss the season so far and tried to touch on every team on the grid. Thank you so so much to everyone who attended and if you enjoy the pod please rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts. You can find us on twitter @drsopenpod and instagram @drsopenpodcast.