Anyone would think Basil Fawlty was in the Pitpass studio this week as Chris Balfe, Max Noble and Mat Coch do their level best not to mention 'the war', or rather the threat hanging over the sport courtesy of a certain energy drink and its (co-)creator.

Instead the trio manages to do the rarest of things in its Russian Grand Prix podcast, which is talk about the Russian Grand Prix.

Mostly it's admiration of the local officials who seemed capable of fixing anything with a bit of duct tape, though somehow the foolishly brave chap who played chicken with Sebastian Vettel mid-race escaped their attention. That's probably because they were too busy trying to remember who the head of the FIA is, before agreeing it was a short Frenchman who formerly worked for Ferrari which almost certainly meant it must be Alain Prost.

There were serious moments though, notably as the team discussed Carlos Sainz' practice crash, the Spaniard winning new fans with his single-minded determination to get straight back on the horse after being bucked off.

For Balfe the whole weekend had an eerie overrtone with more than a hint of a weekend in May twenty-one years ago. Coch however, wasn't so concerned, suggesting that such crashes are part of the game and while Sainz and Romain Grosjean both had big 'uns it isn't really cause for alarm - though perhaps a rethink over how barriers are installed.

At one point the usually calm and reasonable Noble transforms into Mad Max as he ridicules the current engine formula, suggesting that Bernie Ecclestone is playing games with the media on the sale of the sport. It's his third conspiracy theory in a row, which is a better strike rate than Glen 'Conspiracy Theory' Crompton could ever manage.

It all makes for a lively discussion between the trio who vent their frustration, anger and spleens while doing their very best not to mention 'the war'. Coch mentioned it once, but is sure he got away with it.

Anyway, talking of cat pee, and we were... while the elephant in the paddock is carefully avoided by Balfe and Noble, the feline friend in the latter's section of the studio makes its presence well and truly felt.

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