Hans-Joachim Stuck after the Madrid GP: “You need balls to overtake!”

Motorsport took centre stage on the live TV programme ‘Sport und Talk aus dem Hangar-7’ in Salzburg. The main topic was the dazzling Formula 1 extravaganza at the Madring. The new event at the IFEMA exhibition centre on the outskirts of the Spanish capital Madrid, with Kimi Antonelli as the winner, was analysed in the studio by Hans-Joachim Stuck (75) and Patrick Friesacher (45).

Commenting on Max Verstappen’s chaotic race at the Madring in light of the events, Stuck said: “It wasn’t all that bad, mind you – you have to give him that.”

Lando Norris’s missed pit-stop strategy was also a topic of discussion for Stuck: “In that case, it was definitely bad luck. You can control a lot and coordinate with the pit crew, but not everything. Leclerc was annoyed too – he thought he could drive straight through.”

The season of Mercedes’ prodigy Kimi Antonelli was also a talking point. Stuck: “He came out of nowhere; he was suddenly there. To me, he’s a once-in-a-century talent, like Verstappen or Senna. He’s also a really likeable lad – his family are always there. He’s really living it all to the full! He’s now reaping the rewards. I’m delighted for him with all my heart.”

Stuck, who now calls Tyrol home, knows: “With that points lead, you can afford to drop a place or two in the battle. That’s a lead that’s good for the safety car!”

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On Max Verstappen’s performance on the Nordschleife, Stuck says: “Frank Stippler is one of the fastest drivers in the whole world, and he says it’s absolutely incredible what Max is showing there. That’s just what he needs; it’s a challenge.”

“I don’t want to criticise anything, but all that electric nonsense in Formula 1 doesn’t belong there. Perhaps the driver isn’t such a decisive factor anymore either. And that business with opening the wing. They should get their aerodynamics sorted – and sorry to put it this way: overtaking takes balls!”

It was also about history, 50 years ago: in 1976, Stuck lined up alongside Niki Lauda on the third row of the grid for his comeback at Monza. “I’d visited Niki in hospital beforehand and said: ‘You’re mad if you want to race there now.’ The problem was: how could he put his helmet on without it hurting? And then there was the emotional aspect as well. The first race after that actually went quite well. I still get goosebumps today when I think about it.”

And on the subject of driver training these days, Stuck says: “Karting only really took off with Ayrton Senna. My dad intervened with the minister so that I could start learning to drive earlier. Back then, I had to wait until I was 18 before I was allowed to compete in my first race.”