Away We Go Podcast

Kimi Antonelli won back-to-back races at Suzuka to become the youngest championship leader in Formula One history, and he did it while sipping sparkling rose water on the podium — because at 19, Japan's legal drinking age of 20 means he wasn't allowed champagne.Oscar Piastri returned from his race absence to lead for 15 laps and finish second, and the result raised a lot of questions about what both drivers are capable of this season.Di and Ciara break down the race from Suzuka — the 5.8-kilometre, 18-corner figure-of-eight circuit that has been part of the Formula One calendar since 1987 — covering Kimi's terrible start from pole, his recovery, and the safety car timing that proved decisive.Ollie Bearman's 50G crash, triggered by the new regulations' sudden power clipping, is a major talking point. Carlos Sainz made the point that if the same incident had happened on a street circuit with no runoff, the outcome could have been very different — and he's calling on the FIA and Formula One management to use the five-week break to find a solution.The episode also gets into Oscar Piastri's performance in context — he hasn't started a race this season, yet out-qualified his teammate to start third and led the Grand Prix. Di and Ciara discuss what that says about his talent versus the car beneath him, and where McLaren might go from here.Then there's Ferrari, where Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton nearly made contact mid-race and the team dynamic — or lack of one — is becoming harder to ignore.Other topics this week: Lewis Hamilton's deep personal connection with Japan and what shaped him as an athlete; the Japanese fan culture of swapping friendship bracelets, rewatching the race on the big screen after it ends, and taking every piece of rubbish home; Fernando Alonso is a new dad; and Jonathan Wheatley is out at Audi.Away We Go is now on Substack — writing at the intersection of Formula One and travel. Subscribe to Away We Go on Substack: https://awaywegopodcast.substack.comThe Japan travel guide is live on the website, and next week's episode features Japan expert Tess Moone from Tess Somewhere.Creator of the week: Irish comedian Carl Mullen, who makes very funny Formula One content. Carl Mullen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DVnr5YWjZ6R/Predict the podium — play along: https://awaywegopodcast.com/play-along/Japan travel guide — free download: https://awaywegopodcast.com/travel/You’ll find more photos and videos on the Away We Go Podcast social media channels:YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok | Threads |and also on SubstackOr drop us a line at [email protected] support means the world to us - please rate and review our show on your favourite podcast listening app, we might even read out your review next episodeFormula Live PulseApp: Formula Live Pulse is the ultimate second-screen experience for F1 fans. Try it for free for 7 days - no credit card needed f1livepulse.comApp Store: https://apps.apple.com/au/app/formula-live-pulse/id6739639442Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ss.f1livepulse&pcampaignid=web_share.#Formula1 #F1 #F1podcast #Formula1podcast #FormulaOne #bestf1podcast #australianF1podcast #femalef1podcast #femaleF1podcasthosts #f1travel #travelwriter #f1creator #f1writer

F1 journalist Reilly Sullivan left Sydney, moved to Beijing, and came straight out of the Shanghai paddock to talk to us. This episode is part race review, part travel guide, and part honest conversation about what it is actually like to pack up your life and move to China.Reilly covers his first Chinese Grand Prix from inside the media centre, one of the most impressive press facilities on the calendar, purpose-built when China joined the Formula 1 calendar in 2004, and talks through what race-by-race media accreditation looks like for a freelance journalist working their way into the paddock.On the race itself: Kimi Antonelli winning in his second ever grand prix, the sprint weekend delivering genuine excitement, and why Reilly thinks Antonelli could go all the way for the championship this year. He also caught a quick word with Nico Hulkenberg about the April race break, and Hulkenberg's response was one of the most measured things said by anyone in the paddock all weekend.On China: Beijing versus Shanghai, the realities of moving somewhere genuinely unfamiliar, learning Mandarin from scratch, and why the Chinese Grand Prix should be on your Formula 1 travel list.We also get into the 2026 regulations, active aerodynamics, Boost Mode, Lift and Coast, and whether the new era is actually delivering the racing it promised.To read Reilly's latest story where he interviews Zhou Guanyu, click here. You can connect with Reilly Sullivan on Instagram @reillyjosephsullivan.Away We Go Podcast is hosted by Dianne Bortoletto. New episodes every week covering Formula 1, travel and lifestyle.#F1 #Formula1 #ChineseGrandPrix #Shanghai #KimiAntonelli #F1Travel #China #F12026 #F1Podcast #AwayWeGoPodcastYou’ll find more photos and videos on the Away We Go Podcast social media channels:YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok | Threads |and also on SubstackOr drop us a line at [email protected] support means the world to us - please rate and review our show on your favourite podcast listening app, we might even read out your review next episodeFormula Live PulseApp: Formula Live Pulse is the ultimate second-screen experience for F1 fans. Try it for free for 7 days - no credit card needed f1livepulse.comApp Store: https://apps.apple.com/au/app/formula-live-pulse/id6739639442Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ss.f1livepulse&pcampaignid=web_share.#Formula1 #F1 #F1podcast #Formula1podcast #FormulaOne #bestf1podcast #australianF1podcast #femalef1podcast #femaleF1podcasthosts #f1travel #travelwriter #f1creator #f1writerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27OlsSvFu8M