Formula 1: Drive to Survive (2019) s01e09 Episode Script
Stars and Stripes
1 [engines roaring.]
[Croft.]
Oh! Someone's had a big off.
Renault made contact there with Haas.
[Grosjean on radio.]
That was a terrorist attack.
He just turned into me, mate.
[Gannon.]
Yeah, they're not getting very close on the walk back there, are they? [Medland.]
The midfield this year has been one of the most thrilling battles we've had in a long time.
There's millions of dollars to play for.
And all of it's really boiled down to just two teams Renault and Haas.
[Will Buxton.]
It's old Europe versus the New World.
French royalty versus raw American power.
[engine roars.]
If Haas beats us, it would be a disaster.
I think it's a great fight.
We're ready to go to war.
[Buxton.]
This battle for fourth place, it's brilliant and brutal.
[Hülkenberg.]
He pushed me off the track.
[Buxton.]
And here's the mad thing: their drivers don't get on.
[Croft.]
Magnussen on the inside with Hülkenberg.
[Hülkenberg.]
Magnussen just ran me off the track.
What a cock! Once again the most unsporting driver on the grid.
-Suck my balls, mate.
-Very good, man.
It's a tough rivalry.
[Buxton.]
Renault really don't wanna be beaten by Haas.
It's a mighty, mighty fight.
[pneumatic tools whirring.]
[Steiner.]
Racing, in America, it's in the blood.
NASCAR, IndyCar, it's a long history.
At Haas F1, we want our drivers to have that same American passion.
[Tony Stewart.]
You ready for this? -I have no idea.
We'll see.
-[Stewart laughing.]
How's it going? [Stewart.]
You'll have fun.
What's the worst that can happen? [laughing.]
-[Stewart.]
Piece of cake.
-We've got the ambulance ready, so [Magnussen chuckles.]
[Magnussen.]
This kind of team works for me, 'cause some Formula One teams go racing with money and other, you know, Formula One teams go racing with their heart.
Haas is clearly one of those teams you don't feel like you're racing for commercial reasons.
-So, is the car ready? -Yeah.
Do you know what to do? Yeah.
Flat out.
[laughing.]
[Steiner.]
Haas F1 is the first American team in more than 30 years.
When we started it, everybody told us we would fail.
"Why should you guys in America succeed?" [Magnussen.]
Whoo hoo! It's not easy to put together a team and make it work.
[Croft.]
Kevin Magnussen's really got the bit between his teeth.
Haas rise to the occasion once more.
[Magnussen.]
Haas have done that in NASCAR.
Now in our Formula One third year, we're already fighting the big boys.
-[Croft.]
Sensational from Haas! -[Steiner.]
Awesome! -[Magnussen.]
Boy, I need a drink.
-[Stewart laughing.]
I don't know what I need.
[all laughing.]
[Steiner.]
You just have to drive like that again this weekend.
[Magnussen.]
Are you gonna give me a rub down? -[laughing.]
-[Steiner.]
Uh, no.
[Croft.]
We're deep in the heart of Texas, the Circuit of the Americas.
It is the United States Grand Prix.
Whoo! USA! USA! [Croft.]
And for Formula One's only American team, isn't it great to be back home? Grosjean! Grosjean! Haas have had a really up and down season.
At the start, you had Romain Grosjean really going to pieces in the early races in the year.
But he's found his form and come back on song.
[Croft.]
Grosjean comes home fourth.
[Grosjean.]
Whoo hoo! [crowd cheering.]
[Buxton.]
Now both drivers are secured for another season into 2019.
Everything seems to be coming together for them.
They're confident.
They're hungry to fight.
But coming into Austin, it really is a massive one.
If they can maintain the great performance that they've shown over recent races, they might just be able to put one hand on that fourth place in the championship.
[cameras clicking.]
[reporter.]
What's the general vibe around the team at the moment? What's the atmosphere like? Yeah, the atmosphere is great.
The team is going well.
Very much looking forward to the race.
And I'll just try to bring some good points back home and a great show for our fans.
[Grosjean.]
It's very satisfying.
This year, we've got a really good car for the first time coming in a home race.
[tools whirring.]
And, you know, Austin is a great place for us.
We're gonna see a lot of Haas T-shirt, cap, you know, and flags.
Whatsoever we can see on the track.
So, we're here for the the fight with Renault, ready to go to war.
Because you wanna fight Renault, of course.
Yeah, that's the big target.
I think it's a great fight and it's a great challenge for us.
Yeah, you are fighting Renault, who is a huge car brand all over the world.
So, how do you see this fight? Well, you're right.
You know, Renault's a huge brand, but they're not the biggest brand in the United States, I can tell you that.
All, uh regimes come to an end sooner or later.
For Haas to finish fourth in only their third season would be uh, frankly it would be-- it would be unbelievable, because the team they're up against Renault is one of, if not the biggest auto manufacturer in the world.
They have a wealth of experience in not just competing in Formula One, but winning world championships.
It is however, at the moment, a midfield team trying desperately to rebuild itself.
And in the balance of where we are from a competitive standpoint right now, Renault lost their momentum and they need to get it back.
[Croft.]
Renault seem to have stalled a bit in terms of their point scoring of late.
[Brundle.]
They're still hanging on to fourth place, but only just.
Eight points separate them from their American rivals.
And if their recent form is anything to go by, it's not looking good for the French.
[Croft.]
Oh, no.
[tires screeching.]
Nightmare for Renault.
[tires squealing.]
And that's Nico Hülkenberg into the wall.
[reporter.]
Where are Renault at the moment? Because it does look as though it's been a bit of a struggle the last few races.
Well, we are where we are.
I mean But in terms of the true form of the team, though, you were looking so strong in fourth and now it's not ideal.
Um [tires squealing.]
[Croft.]
What has happened? Oh, the Renault goes wide.
Is he gonna try and launch? Oh, no! The Renault's made contact there.
Carlos Sainz is out of this race.
We are fourth.
That's the reality, but it is a very tough midfield.
And since Barcelona, they've been a faster car than us, really, so, uh, that's worrying.
[Sainz.]
Renault, at the moment, is in a very tricky situation.
I think if, if Haas beats us, it would be a disaster.
I think we all know how important that fourth place is for Renault.
I think we all feel it inside the team.
We feel the pressure.
What you have to understand about Renault is that they've invested millions in their pursuit of the top three teams.
That means there's a huge amount of expectation on them, not only from their shareholders, but from the whole of France.
Renault's connected to the French people.
It's a partly state-owned company.
Um, so it's a huge responsibility, so you don't want to mess it up.
This year, fourth is very important to us.
We need to show to the world that our ambition to become a top team and fight with the best is credible.
I just hope you see it's a stepping platform if we want to join the top three.
But coming in to Austin, it's difficult to hide the fact we've lost confidence.
[country music playing on radio.]
There's a devil in my soul Proper music, huh? Welcome to Texas.
Bleh.
When the weather is like this here, it's like [blows raspberry.]
[Buxton.]
Let's talk a little bit about the threat of Haas.
Have they Haas? Who are they? I've never heard about them.
They're just this other little American team.
-There is an American team? -I think so, yeah.
Did you know? I'm Nico Hülkenberg.
I'm 30 years old from Germany and I drive for Renault Sport Formula One team.
Well, the atmosphere could be better.
It's challenging.
Everyone realizes that.
Um many things didn't go the way we wanted them to go.
But we have to focus on what is ahead.
It's all about the race.
The race is the only thing that counts.
[man.]
Nico Hülkenberg! [applause.]
[kid.]
You're famous! [laughing.]
Hello.
How are you guys? [boy.]
Wait, how much races did you win? -None yet, unfortunately.
Yeah.
-[girl.]
Oh, wait, really? -[laughing.]
-How are you famous? -Wait, you didn't win any? -No.
[girl.]
Do you have a good mindset? Do you think you will win? It's not so easy.
It's very hard to achieve, you know.
[boy.]
So, how many races have you ever won? Quite a few.
-[kid.]
Microsoft! I wanna play games.
-But in Formula One, not so many! -[Hülkenberg laughs.]
They're disappointed.
-[man.]
This Sunday! This Sunday, I'll try.
I'll go for it.
[Hülkenberg.]
Expectations, you know I've had to deal with them all my career.
My personal expectations to myself are probably higher than anyone else.
This is what I've been dreaming about and worked towards since I am eight years old.
Nico [clicks tongue.]
Nico Hülkenberg has been viewed as this champion-in-waiting for a decade.
Phenomenally successful in junior career, but just never achieved what everybody thought he would in Formula One.
This is a guy who now holds the record for the most races without a podium.
[Croft.]
Oh, dear.
Boom! Front wing just fell off.
[Brundle.]
That is dreadful luck.
[Croft.]
Hülkenberg goes off the track, losing his left wheel.
Hülkenberg, for the second year in a row, is out of this race.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, ooh! [Abiteboul.]
He is frustrated.
He is frustrated, having been, most of his life, a midfielder.
All of these years spent without podium, without wins.
I mean, no, Nico, given the right car, is capable of being world champion.
He is world champion material, there is no doubt about that.
[Hülkenberg.]
I'm getting older, but, you know, I still have that aim and the goal to become Formula One world champion and to win races.
I wanna-- You know, I will keep going and not lift off till I have achieved that.
And now with Renault, you know, I have a team and a partner, because believe I can.
But first we have to get to that fourth place.
And beat Haas.
[laughs.]
[Buxton.]
Ladies and gentlemen, Gene Haas.
[cheering and applause.]
It looks like an incredibly competitive weekend for your boys.
Yeah, our competitors are just pains in the butt.
[laughing.]
-[Buxton.]
Yeah, but-- -[Haas.]
So you just get out of the way.
[man.]
Are you optimistic? Renault's having a bit of a wobble.
-What do you think? -Yes.
Correct.
[chuckles.]
Thank you.
Thank you.
[Medland.]
Coming into race day, there'll be a massive feeling of excitement in the Haas F1 camp.
They might have been underdogs earlier in the season, but they're not anymore.
Remember, they've got a Ferrari engine, and the way they've developed this car during the year has now made them much faster than their French counterparts.
You would really have to say that this race is theirs for the taking.
We all know that we're in the fight for fourth.
It's getting tight now.
For sure, Renault will try to win it as well.
I'm confident with the performance of the car.
Just keep focused, do what you're doing.
Do not change anything.
Just do always-- get to the best, and, uh we will finish fourth.
You know, a lot of people wouldn't have given us any chance to achieve this.
Renault has got three or four times the amount of people we have got.
More than double the budget we have got.
But I think Renault has realized that, at the track, they cannot beat us.
Hey, you know, Kevin, you'll get a chance to beat Nico as well.
That, I think, means a lot to him.
[laughing.]
There's a bit of history between Magnussen and Hülkenberg, and part of it stems from Magnussen's own history with Renault.
He used to drive for that team and felt Renault didn't have enough faith in him to try and keep him.
He was replaced by Nico.
So, Kevin Magnussen's definitely had a point to prove.
[Magnussen.]
It's going to be a dirty race.
Kevin and Nico don't get on at all.
[Hülkenberg.]
Magnussen just ran me off the track.
How can I-- How can I say? It's-- It's a tough rivalry.
When it comes to racing, he's just nasty.
And what he does is just, you know, ruthless, being an asshole, basically.
[Magnussen.]
It's no secret.
I can't wait to beat him.
It's a big target for me, personally.
You know, it is what it is.
[Steiner.]
A lot of people say Kevin is the bad boy of Formula One.
But he's a pure racer.
He fights for everything.
He doesn't leave anything behind.
You know, he would never give up.
And he can be one of the best in Formula One.
[Croft.]
So, it all comes down to this.
The outcome of this race could transform the fortunes of one of these teams.
On the grid, Renault and Haas are side by side today.
Who's got the fastest pace? Who can show what they're made of when it really matters? [man.]
O' say can you see By the dawn's early light  What so proudly we hail At the twilight's last gleaming And the rocket's red glare The bombs bursting in air [Magnussen.]
We've been very neck-and-neck the whole year.
But I feel like this is the chance to actually prove which of us is better as individuals, as racing drivers.
And the home Of the brave [crowd cheering.]
[Magnussen.]
Radio check, mate.
Radio check.
[Slade.]
Track temperature was 29 degrees.
[Hülkenberg.]
You're just sitting there, you know, waiting.
It's so fucking intense.
You feel, like, your heart, you know, pumping, "boom, boom" and it feels like it's kind of in your mouth.
At that moment, you just need to function.
[Magnussen.]
Everything that I've worked towards in my career so far has come purely down to this moment.
[engines roar.]
[Croft.]
Very good start indeed by Nico Hülkenberg in the Renault.
[Magnussen.]
Oh, for fuck's sake.
[Croft.]
Into turn one Oh! There's contact.
Carlos Sainz going wide in the Renault.
[Grosjean.]
Fuck! Come on! Fuck.
Oh! Grojean's hit Leclerc.
Leclerc's spinning.
Grojean's got damage.
No! Oh.
[Grosjean.]
Fuck! Front wing.
[Gannon.]
Box now.
Box now.
[Croft.]
We have our first retirement and it's the home team, Haas.
-Too much damage on Grosjean's car.
-[Brundle.]
Oh, that is such a shame.
[Grosjean.]
Sorry.
[Croft.]
Lap one and Haas are already a car down.
[Steiner.]
You think this cannot happen.
It's just like realizing that there was a big opportunity and you cannot make it right again.
[Grosjean.]
I was just thinking, "Please, not again.
" I was really trying to be careful, but of course, when it's your home race, you want to do well.
So, maybe I pushed too hard.
You're talking about, "Maybe I brake two-tenths of a second too late.
" But at that speed, it's about ten meters and ten meters means that you have contact or not.
I apologized to all the team.
Obviously, not what we wanted in the fight with Renault, and, you know, the most painful at that point is seeing that Renault, I think they were sixth and seventh.
A big gap for Kevin to, uh, close.
[Croft.]
There's more contact.
And another car spinning off.
[tires squealing.]
Wow! [Slade.]
You're doing a great job, Nico.
Grosjean out of the race.
Magnussen is P-10.
[Hülkenberg.]
You know, you need to be really focused in that moment.
You might have a good start, but Kevin is quick.
He's always gonna be a serious, you know, threat to us.
[Salvi.]
Stay positive, stay positive.
It's a long race ahead.
[Steiner.]
With one driver sure, it's more difficult now, but in racing, you never give up.
In situations like this, you race hard, you know.
[Croft.]
Kevin Magnussen turning it up a notch.
If he wants to catch those Renaults, he's gonna have to fight his way through that midfield.
[Magnussen.]
All the responsibility is on you and I'm not willing to make any compromises.
[Magnussen.]
Fucking hell.
They're just really slow.
[Salvi.]
Keep on pushing, Kevin.
-Go on, mate.
-Go on.
[Croft.]
Kevin Magnussen is closing the gap.
But with both Renaults in point-scoring positions, Haas have a mountain to climb.
Sainz was after the curb on turn one, you know? [Steiner.]
So you think Sainz got an advantage by doing this? [Grosjean.]
It's a big advantage to them.
[Steiner.]
Can you please have a look at the start of Sainz, because he apparently cut the corner totally, you know, to get an advantage.
[Steiner.]
What were we supposed to do? The Renaults were in front of us.
We cannot sit back and just see, "Oh, maybe we get lucky and they retire and then we get the points.
" No.
You need to go and attack at that point, because there's nothing left to lose.
[Loos.]
Carlos, we have a situation.
[Sainz.]
What? [man.]
Carlos has a five-second penalty for going off the track.
[Croft.]
You could not script this moment if you sat down at the start of the season and you tried it.
[Sainz.]
Ah, what a shame.
[Croft.]
Carlos Sainz, at the moment, is up into seventh place.
When he comes into his pit-stop, he'll have to stay stationary for five seconds.
[Sainz.]
I couldn't believe it.
I was thinking, "Why? Why? Why? Why? And how is it possible?" [Croft.]
A five-second time penalty.
He'll serve it in his pit-stop.
This will cost him time and could cost him and Renault an awful lot of points.
[Sainz.]
We were in a good position.
Five seconds it feels like forever.
[Croft.]
With Sainz held up in the pits, Magnussen is able to get ahead of him.
[man.]
Yes! [Croft.]
The Haas driver is giving it everything.
And into the pits comes the other Renault of Hülkenberg.
[Slade.]
Standby, Nico.
[Croft.]
Unbelievable.
What a turnaround for Haas.
Magnussen has made it up to sixth place.
-Oh! -[man.]
Yes! [Salvi.]
Great job.
You are pulling away from Hülkenberg.
[tools whirring.]
[Hülkenberg.]
Magnussen is in front, right? [Slade.]
Magnussen is in front.
Now is the time to push as hard as you can.
Push like hell.
[Croft.]
The battle for best of the rest has come down to these two drivers, these two rivals, these two men with everything to prove.
[Salvi.]
Hülkenberg on a very good lap.
[Magnussen.]
Yeah.
He's picking up the pace now.
We're under threat.
[Croft.]
Hülkenberg chasing down Magnussen.
This is a massive scrap.
They are both pushing to the absolute limit.
[engine shudders.]
[Hülkenberg.]
Oh, no.
[Slade.]
We've got a problem, Nico.
You are losing a little bit of performance.
So, look after the rear tires.
[Hülkenberg.]
Annoying.
[Croft.]
Right rear is not looking very good.
I think it's got some light blistering in the middle of the right rear tire.
[Hülkenberg.]
Fuck! [Croft.]
And Magnussen is starting to pull away.
-[Hülkenberg.]
Fuck.
-[Slade.]
Sorry, Nico.
[Hülkenberg.]
The pace is slow.
[Hülkenberg.]
All of a sudden, the car has problems.
You're like, "This can't be true.
" Some one thing was wrong in a split second and everything is, you know-- everything is suddenly much harder.
[engine revving weakly.]
[Hülkenberg.]
Losing the rear more and more now.
[Slade.]
Magnussen has boxed.
Magnussen has boxed.
[Salvi.]
Twenty seconds, 20 seconds.
[Croft.]
So Magnussen has been called in for his pit stop.
[Brundle.]
Hülkenberg has a chance to regain his advantage.
[Croft.]
Hülkenberg retakes the position, but with the Renault's rear tire problems, can he hold onto it? [Salvi.]
We need to fight until the end.
Keep on pushing.
[Magnussen.]
You just have to focus on yourself.
You know, our battle is probably gonna go down to the last lap.
It's gonna go down to the very end.
[Croft.]
Will Magnussen catch Hülkenberg? [Hülkenberg.]
How many laps to go? [Slade.]
Eleven laps to go.
[Magnussen.]
Give me everything.
I need everything.
[Croft.]
A very dramatic final few laps.
Can Hülkenberg keep going on these tires? [Slade.]
Seven laps to go, Nico.
Gap to Magnussen behind you is 7.
3.
[Croft.]
Oh! Locking up there.
Hülkenberg's in real trouble.
[Hülkenberg.]
Tires are struggling.
[Slade.]
Hang on, Nico.
[Hülkenberg.]
You know, if you do a mistake, it's gonna hurt you.
[Slade.]
You're doing a great job in the circumstances, Nico.
Just need a few more laps, you're doing a great job, mate.
[Hülkenberg.]
I think we're fucked.
[Hülkenberg.]
You might be in front, but you're burning through your tires.
And you can see, you know, the defeat is coming.
[melancholy music playing.]
You think about all these times you have bad luck in your career.
I can't really lose much more.
But fortunately not this time.
[Hülkenberg.]
Whoo! [Croft.]
Hülkenberg crosses the line ahead of Magnussen.
Somehow, he managed to hold on.
[Slade.]
Absolutely brilliant, Nico.
That was beautifully judged there.
Thank you very much.
[Hülkenberg.]
Thanks, mate.
[Croft.]
The Renault crosses the line in sixth.
Those points should be enough to ensure Renault take fourth in the Constructor's Championship this season.
[Brundle.]
Making Renault best of the rest.
Wow! Thank you.
How are you doing? [Hülkenberg.]
You know, I needed that.
You know, it was really important for myself, for my own confidence, you know, and I just, like You feel free suddenly again, you know? You got all that weight from your chest, from your shoulders and a very great feeling.
What Hülkenberg did in Austin really is a huge moment for Renault.
Not only do they win best of the rest for 2018, but they keep that dream alive that they can and will be world champions once again.
[Magnussen.]
Fucking hell.
You know, it's embarrassing.
During the last laps, I thought it would be fine.
But we've lost-- lost out.
We just gotta, you know, take that on our shoulders and try and do better next year.
You know, I believe we can do better.
[Steiner.]
Fuck.
 Fucking hell! I'm afraid to get off the fucking pitwall.
[man.]
Fucking hell.
[Steiner.]
You sit there, like, beaten up on your seat and just think, "How did we do this all wrong? We should have done better.
" Everybody in Haas wants to do better.
I don't know.
Maybe it just wasn't our time.
[in French.]
Thank you.
[in Enlgish.]
Do you think, next year, you're gonna have more races like that? Well, of course.
We want to close the gap to the top three teams.
You know, it's, obviously, a challenge.
Of course, everybody is working and pushing hard for that.
Thank you.
I think Nico, with his talents, evidenced by his performance in Austin it shows that there is some things that doesn't work right now in Formula One.
You can't have a driver like Nico not on a podium.
Thank you.
[Abiteboul.]
He's world champion material.
He deserves a car that can match his skills.
And I just hope that one day we can see that in action, because he deserves it.
[Croft.]
Oh! Someone's had a big off.
Renault made contact there with Haas.
[Grosjean on radio.]
That was a terrorist attack.
He just turned into me, mate.
[Gannon.]
Yeah, they're not getting very close on the walk back there, are they? [Medland.]
The midfield this year has been one of the most thrilling battles we've had in a long time.
There's millions of dollars to play for.
And all of it's really boiled down to just two teams Renault and Haas.
[Will Buxton.]
It's old Europe versus the New World.
French royalty versus raw American power.
[engine roars.]
If Haas beats us, it would be a disaster.
I think it's a great fight.
We're ready to go to war.
[Buxton.]
This battle for fourth place, it's brilliant and brutal.
[Hülkenberg.]
He pushed me off the track.
[Buxton.]
And here's the mad thing: their drivers don't get on.
[Croft.]
Magnussen on the inside with Hülkenberg.
[Hülkenberg.]
Magnussen just ran me off the track.
What a cock! Once again the most unsporting driver on the grid.
-Suck my balls, mate.
-Very good, man.
It's a tough rivalry.
[Buxton.]
Renault really don't wanna be beaten by Haas.
It's a mighty, mighty fight.
[pneumatic tools whirring.]
[Steiner.]
Racing, in America, it's in the blood.
NASCAR, IndyCar, it's a long history.
At Haas F1, we want our drivers to have that same American passion.
[Tony Stewart.]
You ready for this? -I have no idea.
We'll see.
-[Stewart laughing.]
How's it going? [Stewart.]
You'll have fun.
What's the worst that can happen? [laughing.]
-[Stewart.]
Piece of cake.
-We've got the ambulance ready, so [Magnussen chuckles.]
[Magnussen.]
This kind of team works for me, 'cause some Formula One teams go racing with money and other, you know, Formula One teams go racing with their heart.
Haas is clearly one of those teams you don't feel like you're racing for commercial reasons.
-So, is the car ready? -Yeah.
Do you know what to do? Yeah.
Flat out.
[laughing.]
[Steiner.]
Haas F1 is the first American team in more than 30 years.
When we started it, everybody told us we would fail.
"Why should you guys in America succeed?" [Magnussen.]
Whoo hoo! It's not easy to put together a team and make it work.
[Croft.]
Kevin Magnussen's really got the bit between his teeth.
Haas rise to the occasion once more.
[Magnussen.]
Haas have done that in NASCAR.
Now in our Formula One third year, we're already fighting the big boys.
-[Croft.]
Sensational from Haas! -[Steiner.]
Awesome! -[Magnussen.]
Boy, I need a drink.
-[Stewart laughing.]
I don't know what I need.
[all laughing.]
[Steiner.]
You just have to drive like that again this weekend.
[Magnussen.]
Are you gonna give me a rub down? -[laughing.]
-[Steiner.]
Uh, no.
[Croft.]
We're deep in the heart of Texas, the Circuit of the Americas.
It is the United States Grand Prix.
Whoo! USA! USA! [Croft.]
And for Formula One's only American team, isn't it great to be back home? Grosjean! Grosjean! Haas have had a really up and down season.
At the start, you had Romain Grosjean really going to pieces in the early races in the year.
But he's found his form and come back on song.
[Croft.]
Grosjean comes home fourth.
[Grosjean.]
Whoo hoo! [crowd cheering.]
[Buxton.]
Now both drivers are secured for another season into 2019.
Everything seems to be coming together for them.
They're confident.
They're hungry to fight.
But coming into Austin, it really is a massive one.
If they can maintain the great performance that they've shown over recent races, they might just be able to put one hand on that fourth place in the championship.
[cameras clicking.]
[reporter.]
What's the general vibe around the team at the moment? What's the atmosphere like? Yeah, the atmosphere is great.
The team is going well.
Very much looking forward to the race.
And I'll just try to bring some good points back home and a great show for our fans.
[Grosjean.]
It's very satisfying.
This year, we've got a really good car for the first time coming in a home race.
[tools whirring.]
And, you know, Austin is a great place for us.
We're gonna see a lot of Haas T-shirt, cap, you know, and flags.
Whatsoever we can see on the track.
So, we're here for the the fight with Renault, ready to go to war.
Because you wanna fight Renault, of course.
Yeah, that's the big target.
I think it's a great fight and it's a great challenge for us.
Yeah, you are fighting Renault, who is a huge car brand all over the world.
So, how do you see this fight? Well, you're right.
You know, Renault's a huge brand, but they're not the biggest brand in the United States, I can tell you that.
All, uh regimes come to an end sooner or later.
For Haas to finish fourth in only their third season would be uh, frankly it would be-- it would be unbelievable, because the team they're up against Renault is one of, if not the biggest auto manufacturer in the world.
They have a wealth of experience in not just competing in Formula One, but winning world championships.
It is however, at the moment, a midfield team trying desperately to rebuild itself.
And in the balance of where we are from a competitive standpoint right now, Renault lost their momentum and they need to get it back.
[Croft.]
Renault seem to have stalled a bit in terms of their point scoring of late.
[Brundle.]
They're still hanging on to fourth place, but only just.
Eight points separate them from their American rivals.
And if their recent form is anything to go by, it's not looking good for the French.
[Croft.]
Oh, no.
[tires screeching.]
Nightmare for Renault.
[tires squealing.]
And that's Nico Hülkenberg into the wall.
[reporter.]
Where are Renault at the moment? Because it does look as though it's been a bit of a struggle the last few races.
Well, we are where we are.
I mean But in terms of the true form of the team, though, you were looking so strong in fourth and now it's not ideal.
Um [tires squealing.]
[Croft.]
What has happened? Oh, the Renault goes wide.
Is he gonna try and launch? Oh, no! The Renault's made contact there.
Carlos Sainz is out of this race.
We are fourth.
That's the reality, but it is a very tough midfield.
And since Barcelona, they've been a faster car than us, really, so, uh, that's worrying.
[Sainz.]
Renault, at the moment, is in a very tricky situation.
I think if, if Haas beats us, it would be a disaster.
I think we all know how important that fourth place is for Renault.
I think we all feel it inside the team.
We feel the pressure.
What you have to understand about Renault is that they've invested millions in their pursuit of the top three teams.
That means there's a huge amount of expectation on them, not only from their shareholders, but from the whole of France.
Renault's connected to the French people.
It's a partly state-owned company.
Um, so it's a huge responsibility, so you don't want to mess it up.
This year, fourth is very important to us.
We need to show to the world that our ambition to become a top team and fight with the best is credible.
I just hope you see it's a stepping platform if we want to join the top three.
But coming in to Austin, it's difficult to hide the fact we've lost confidence.
[country music playing on radio.]
There's a devil in my soul Proper music, huh? Welcome to Texas.
Bleh.
When the weather is like this here, it's like [blows raspberry.]
[Buxton.]
Let's talk a little bit about the threat of Haas.
Have they Haas? Who are they? I've never heard about them.
They're just this other little American team.
-There is an American team? -I think so, yeah.
Did you know? I'm Nico Hülkenberg.
I'm 30 years old from Germany and I drive for Renault Sport Formula One team.
Well, the atmosphere could be better.
It's challenging.
Everyone realizes that.
Um many things didn't go the way we wanted them to go.
But we have to focus on what is ahead.
It's all about the race.
The race is the only thing that counts.
[man.]
Nico Hülkenberg! [applause.]
[kid.]
You're famous! [laughing.]
Hello.
How are you guys? [boy.]
Wait, how much races did you win? -None yet, unfortunately.
Yeah.
-[girl.]
Oh, wait, really? -[laughing.]
-How are you famous? -Wait, you didn't win any? -No.
[girl.]
Do you have a good mindset? Do you think you will win? It's not so easy.
It's very hard to achieve, you know.
[boy.]
So, how many races have you ever won? Quite a few.
-[kid.]
Microsoft! I wanna play games.
-But in Formula One, not so many! -[Hülkenberg laughs.]
They're disappointed.
-[man.]
This Sunday! This Sunday, I'll try.
I'll go for it.
[Hülkenberg.]
Expectations, you know I've had to deal with them all my career.
My personal expectations to myself are probably higher than anyone else.
This is what I've been dreaming about and worked towards since I am eight years old.
Nico [clicks tongue.]
Nico Hülkenberg has been viewed as this champion-in-waiting for a decade.
Phenomenally successful in junior career, but just never achieved what everybody thought he would in Formula One.
This is a guy who now holds the record for the most races without a podium.
[Croft.]
Oh, dear.
Boom! Front wing just fell off.
[Brundle.]
That is dreadful luck.
[Croft.]
Hülkenberg goes off the track, losing his left wheel.
Hülkenberg, for the second year in a row, is out of this race.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, ooh! [Abiteboul.]
He is frustrated.
He is frustrated, having been, most of his life, a midfielder.
All of these years spent without podium, without wins.
I mean, no, Nico, given the right car, is capable of being world champion.
He is world champion material, there is no doubt about that.
[Hülkenberg.]
I'm getting older, but, you know, I still have that aim and the goal to become Formula One world champion and to win races.
I wanna-- You know, I will keep going and not lift off till I have achieved that.
And now with Renault, you know, I have a team and a partner, because believe I can.
But first we have to get to that fourth place.
And beat Haas.
[laughs.]
[Buxton.]
Ladies and gentlemen, Gene Haas.
[cheering and applause.]
It looks like an incredibly competitive weekend for your boys.
Yeah, our competitors are just pains in the butt.
[laughing.]
-[Buxton.]
Yeah, but-- -[Haas.]
So you just get out of the way.
[man.]
Are you optimistic? Renault's having a bit of a wobble.
-What do you think? -Yes.
Correct.
[chuckles.]
Thank you.
Thank you.
[Medland.]
Coming into race day, there'll be a massive feeling of excitement in the Haas F1 camp.
They might have been underdogs earlier in the season, but they're not anymore.
Remember, they've got a Ferrari engine, and the way they've developed this car during the year has now made them much faster than their French counterparts.
You would really have to say that this race is theirs for the taking.
We all know that we're in the fight for fourth.
It's getting tight now.
For sure, Renault will try to win it as well.
I'm confident with the performance of the car.
Just keep focused, do what you're doing.
Do not change anything.
Just do always-- get to the best, and, uh we will finish fourth.
You know, a lot of people wouldn't have given us any chance to achieve this.
Renault has got three or four times the amount of people we have got.
More than double the budget we have got.
But I think Renault has realized that, at the track, they cannot beat us.
Hey, you know, Kevin, you'll get a chance to beat Nico as well.
That, I think, means a lot to him.
[laughing.]
There's a bit of history between Magnussen and Hülkenberg, and part of it stems from Magnussen's own history with Renault.
He used to drive for that team and felt Renault didn't have enough faith in him to try and keep him.
He was replaced by Nico.
So, Kevin Magnussen's definitely had a point to prove.
[Magnussen.]
It's going to be a dirty race.
Kevin and Nico don't get on at all.
[Hülkenberg.]
Magnussen just ran me off the track.
How can I-- How can I say? It's-- It's a tough rivalry.
When it comes to racing, he's just nasty.
And what he does is just, you know, ruthless, being an asshole, basically.
[Magnussen.]
It's no secret.
I can't wait to beat him.
It's a big target for me, personally.
You know, it is what it is.
[Steiner.]
A lot of people say Kevin is the bad boy of Formula One.
But he's a pure racer.
He fights for everything.
He doesn't leave anything behind.
You know, he would never give up.
And he can be one of the best in Formula One.
[Croft.]
So, it all comes down to this.
The outcome of this race could transform the fortunes of one of these teams.
On the grid, Renault and Haas are side by side today.
Who's got the fastest pace? Who can show what they're made of when it really matters? [man.]
O' say can you see By the dawn's early light  What so proudly we hail At the twilight's last gleaming And the rocket's red glare The bombs bursting in air [Magnussen.]
We've been very neck-and-neck the whole year.
But I feel like this is the chance to actually prove which of us is better as individuals, as racing drivers.
And the home Of the brave [crowd cheering.]
[Magnussen.]
Radio check, mate.
Radio check.
[Slade.]
Track temperature was 29 degrees.
[Hülkenberg.]
You're just sitting there, you know, waiting.
It's so fucking intense.
You feel, like, your heart, you know, pumping, "boom, boom" and it feels like it's kind of in your mouth.
At that moment, you just need to function.
[Magnussen.]
Everything that I've worked towards in my career so far has come purely down to this moment.
[engines roar.]
[Croft.]
Very good start indeed by Nico Hülkenberg in the Renault.
[Magnussen.]
Oh, for fuck's sake.
[Croft.]
Into turn one Oh! There's contact.
Carlos Sainz going wide in the Renault.
[Grosjean.]
Fuck! Come on! Fuck.
Oh! Grojean's hit Leclerc.
Leclerc's spinning.
Grojean's got damage.
No! Oh.
[Grosjean.]
Fuck! Front wing.
[Gannon.]
Box now.
Box now.
[Croft.]
We have our first retirement and it's the home team, Haas.
-Too much damage on Grosjean's car.
-[Brundle.]
Oh, that is such a shame.
[Grosjean.]
Sorry.
[Croft.]
Lap one and Haas are already a car down.
[Steiner.]
You think this cannot happen.
It's just like realizing that there was a big opportunity and you cannot make it right again.
[Grosjean.]
I was just thinking, "Please, not again.
" I was really trying to be careful, but of course, when it's your home race, you want to do well.
So, maybe I pushed too hard.
You're talking about, "Maybe I brake two-tenths of a second too late.
" But at that speed, it's about ten meters and ten meters means that you have contact or not.
I apologized to all the team.
Obviously, not what we wanted in the fight with Renault, and, you know, the most painful at that point is seeing that Renault, I think they were sixth and seventh.
A big gap for Kevin to, uh, close.
[Croft.]
There's more contact.
And another car spinning off.
[tires squealing.]
Wow! [Slade.]
You're doing a great job, Nico.
Grosjean out of the race.
Magnussen is P-10.
[Hülkenberg.]
You know, you need to be really focused in that moment.
You might have a good start, but Kevin is quick.
He's always gonna be a serious, you know, threat to us.
[Salvi.]
Stay positive, stay positive.
It's a long race ahead.
[Steiner.]
With one driver sure, it's more difficult now, but in racing, you never give up.
In situations like this, you race hard, you know.
[Croft.]
Kevin Magnussen turning it up a notch.
If he wants to catch those Renaults, he's gonna have to fight his way through that midfield.
[Magnussen.]
All the responsibility is on you and I'm not willing to make any compromises.
[Magnussen.]
Fucking hell.
They're just really slow.
[Salvi.]
Keep on pushing, Kevin.
-Go on, mate.
-Go on.
[Croft.]
Kevin Magnussen is closing the gap.
But with both Renaults in point-scoring positions, Haas have a mountain to climb.
Sainz was after the curb on turn one, you know? [Steiner.]
So you think Sainz got an advantage by doing this? [Grosjean.]
It's a big advantage to them.
[Steiner.]
Can you please have a look at the start of Sainz, because he apparently cut the corner totally, you know, to get an advantage.
[Steiner.]
What were we supposed to do? The Renaults were in front of us.
We cannot sit back and just see, "Oh, maybe we get lucky and they retire and then we get the points.
" No.
You need to go and attack at that point, because there's nothing left to lose.
[Loos.]
Carlos, we have a situation.
[Sainz.]
What? [man.]
Carlos has a five-second penalty for going off the track.
[Croft.]
You could not script this moment if you sat down at the start of the season and you tried it.
[Sainz.]
Ah, what a shame.
[Croft.]
Carlos Sainz, at the moment, is up into seventh place.
When he comes into his pit-stop, he'll have to stay stationary for five seconds.
[Sainz.]
I couldn't believe it.
I was thinking, "Why? Why? Why? Why? And how is it possible?" [Croft.]
A five-second time penalty.
He'll serve it in his pit-stop.
This will cost him time and could cost him and Renault an awful lot of points.
[Sainz.]
We were in a good position.
Five seconds it feels like forever.
[Croft.]
With Sainz held up in the pits, Magnussen is able to get ahead of him.
[man.]
Yes! [Croft.]
The Haas driver is giving it everything.
And into the pits comes the other Renault of Hülkenberg.
[Slade.]
Standby, Nico.
[Croft.]
Unbelievable.
What a turnaround for Haas.
Magnussen has made it up to sixth place.
-Oh! -[man.]
Yes! [Salvi.]
Great job.
You are pulling away from Hülkenberg.
[tools whirring.]
[Hülkenberg.]
Magnussen is in front, right? [Slade.]
Magnussen is in front.
Now is the time to push as hard as you can.
Push like hell.
[Croft.]
The battle for best of the rest has come down to these two drivers, these two rivals, these two men with everything to prove.
[Salvi.]
Hülkenberg on a very good lap.
[Magnussen.]
Yeah.
He's picking up the pace now.
We're under threat.
[Croft.]
Hülkenberg chasing down Magnussen.
This is a massive scrap.
They are both pushing to the absolute limit.
[engine shudders.]
[Hülkenberg.]
Oh, no.
[Slade.]
We've got a problem, Nico.
You are losing a little bit of performance.
So, look after the rear tires.
[Hülkenberg.]
Annoying.
[Croft.]
Right rear is not looking very good.
I think it's got some light blistering in the middle of the right rear tire.
[Hülkenberg.]
Fuck! [Croft.]
And Magnussen is starting to pull away.
-[Hülkenberg.]
Fuck.
-[Slade.]
Sorry, Nico.
[Hülkenberg.]
The pace is slow.
[Hülkenberg.]
All of a sudden, the car has problems.
You're like, "This can't be true.
" Some one thing was wrong in a split second and everything is, you know-- everything is suddenly much harder.
[engine revving weakly.]
[Hülkenberg.]
Losing the rear more and more now.
[Slade.]
Magnussen has boxed.
Magnussen has boxed.
[Salvi.]
Twenty seconds, 20 seconds.
[Croft.]
So Magnussen has been called in for his pit stop.
[Brundle.]
Hülkenberg has a chance to regain his advantage.
[Croft.]
Hülkenberg retakes the position, but with the Renault's rear tire problems, can he hold onto it? [Salvi.]
We need to fight until the end.
Keep on pushing.
[Magnussen.]
You just have to focus on yourself.
You know, our battle is probably gonna go down to the last lap.
It's gonna go down to the very end.
[Croft.]
Will Magnussen catch Hülkenberg? [Hülkenberg.]
How many laps to go? [Slade.]
Eleven laps to go.
[Magnussen.]
Give me everything.
I need everything.
[Croft.]
A very dramatic final few laps.
Can Hülkenberg keep going on these tires? [Slade.]
Seven laps to go, Nico.
Gap to Magnussen behind you is 7.
3.
[Croft.]
Oh! Locking up there.
Hülkenberg's in real trouble.
[Hülkenberg.]
Tires are struggling.
[Slade.]
Hang on, Nico.
[Hülkenberg.]
You know, if you do a mistake, it's gonna hurt you.
[Slade.]
You're doing a great job in the circumstances, Nico.
Just need a few more laps, you're doing a great job, mate.
[Hülkenberg.]
I think we're fucked.
[Hülkenberg.]
You might be in front, but you're burning through your tires.
And you can see, you know, the defeat is coming.
[melancholy music playing.]
You think about all these times you have bad luck in your career.
I can't really lose much more.
But fortunately not this time.
[Hülkenberg.]
Whoo! [Croft.]
Hülkenberg crosses the line ahead of Magnussen.
Somehow, he managed to hold on.
[Slade.]
Absolutely brilliant, Nico.
That was beautifully judged there.
Thank you very much.
[Hülkenberg.]
Thanks, mate.
[Croft.]
The Renault crosses the line in sixth.
Those points should be enough to ensure Renault take fourth in the Constructor's Championship this season.
[Brundle.]
Making Renault best of the rest.
Wow! Thank you.
How are you doing? [Hülkenberg.]
You know, I needed that.
You know, it was really important for myself, for my own confidence, you know, and I just, like You feel free suddenly again, you know? You got all that weight from your chest, from your shoulders and a very great feeling.
What Hülkenberg did in Austin really is a huge moment for Renault.
Not only do they win best of the rest for 2018, but they keep that dream alive that they can and will be world champions once again.
[Magnussen.]
Fucking hell.
You know, it's embarrassing.
During the last laps, I thought it would be fine.
But we've lost-- lost out.
We just gotta, you know, take that on our shoulders and try and do better next year.
You know, I believe we can do better.
[Steiner.]
Fuck.
 Fucking hell! I'm afraid to get off the fucking pitwall.
[man.]
Fucking hell.
[Steiner.]
You sit there, like, beaten up on your seat and just think, "How did we do this all wrong? We should have done better.
" Everybody in Haas wants to do better.
I don't know.
Maybe it just wasn't our time.
[in French.]
Thank you.
[in Enlgish.]
Do you think, next year, you're gonna have more races like that? Well, of course.
We want to close the gap to the top three teams.
You know, it's, obviously, a challenge.
Of course, everybody is working and pushing hard for that.
Thank you.
I think Nico, with his talents, evidenced by his performance in Austin it shows that there is some things that doesn't work right now in Formula One.
You can't have a driver like Nico not on a podium.
Thank you.
[Abiteboul.]
He's world champion material.
He deserves a car that can match his skills.
And I just hope that one day we can see that in action, because he deserves it.