F1 Explains

Go to the F1 Nation podcast feed to hear our first episode of 2026. Christian Hewgill and Lawrence Barretto talk through all you need to know ahead of the new season

F1 Explains is moving to the F1 Nation podcast feed for the new season.Get answers to your F1 questions from Christian Hewgill and expert guests, plus race reviews and previews with Tom Clarkson - all in one place.Send your questions about the 2026 F1 season to [email protected] F1 Nation on your podcast app, hit follow or subscribe, and you'll get every new episode of F1 Explains

Lando Norris' driving style, the food which fuels the Haas pit crew, the Apex GP cars from F1: The Movie and the team boss who lets his drivers use his office toilet. F1 Explains covered all this and much more in 2025 as we answered your questions on how the sport works.Christian and the team have chosen their favourite moments from the season, which include a world-first episode recorded inside a garage during a Grand Prix, F1: The Movie director Joseph Kosinski explaining how the cars used in the film were created and Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto's description of what happens inside the cockpit when drivers have to save fuel and tyres.Thank you for listening in 2025. Happy holidays from the F1 Explains team!Get your question answered on the podcast next seasonIf you have a question for F1 Explains email [email protected] to more official F1 podcastsIn-depth interviews with the stars of Formula 1 on F1 Beyond The GridExpert insight before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation

In the months between the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi and the five red lights in Australia, Formula 1 teams are still be racing. They're building in factories, testing on simulators and wind tunnels, working flat-out to get their cars ready for a new era.New car design and power unit rules will change the game in 2026, so the work F1 teams do this winter is more important than ever. Williams Team Principal James Vowles and F1 Correspondent and Presenter Lawrence Barretto join Christian Hewgill to explain all.Lawrence tells us why the teams have less time than in previous winters to be ready for the new season, starting with the first of three pre-season tests in January. James explains the work taking place at F1 team factories, and why 2026 is such a big change.Get your question answered on the podcastIf you have a question for F1 Explains email [email protected] to more official F1 podcastsIn-depth interviews with the stars of Formula 1 on F1 Beyond The GridExpert insight before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation

What does a Formula 1 driver need to become a World Champion? Can they really approach a title decider as if it’s any other race? And is it better to be leading the way or chasing?Ahead of this weekend’s three-way title showdown between Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, two-time World Champion Mika Hakkinen joins Christian Hewgill in the Yas Marina paddock to explain what it takes to achieve motorsport’s biggest prize.Mika remembers the moment in his career when he knew he could win a championship, how that changed his mentality and the approach he took to his title deciders in 1998 and 1999.Get your question answered on the podcastIf you have a question for F1 Explains email [email protected] to more official F1 podcastsIn-depth interviews with the stars of Formula 1 on F1 Beyond The GridExpert insight before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation

In a shock reversal of the usual format, this episode of F1 Explains starts with a question that YOU have to answer. It's about an engine company with an incredible winning record in Formula 1. Any guesses?For decades, Ford won in Formula 1. Their engines powered drivers and teams to World Championships. In 2026, the company will return to the grid, partnering with Red Bull on a new F1 engine project.Christian speaks to Mark Rushbrook, Ford Global Director of Racing, to find out how the partnership with Red Bull will work, what knowledge Ford can use to help Red Bull hit the ground running and how F1 differs from Ford's other racing teams.Plus we explain why Red Bull are building their own power unit instead of continuing to buy one from another team, and how the different approaches could affect every team's success in 2026 and beyond.Get your question answered on the podcastIf you have a question for F1 Explains email [email protected] the crowning of the 2025 Formula 1 World ChampionBook your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.comOne-day grandstand tickets for the 2026 Miami Grand Prix start at $85 - go to f1miamigp.com to get yoursListen to more official F1 podcastsIn-depth interviews with the stars of Formula 1 on F1 Beyond The GridExpert insight before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation

How do you start a brand new F1 team? Does joining at the start of new regulations in 2026 give Cadillac an advantage or disadvantage? What are the team’s goals? Cadillac F1 Team CEO Dan Towriss joins Christian Hewgill to answer your questions and tell us what we can expect from F1’s newest team. Dan also talks about their driver line-up of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, Cadillac’s short and long-term engine plans, the role General Motors and TWG Motorsports play in this project, and whether IndyCar star-turned-Cadillac reserve driver Colton Herta could race for the team in the future.Get your question answered on the podcastIf you have a question for F1 Explains email [email protected] the crowning of the 2025 Formula 1 World ChampionBook your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.comTickets for Las Vegas available at f1lasvegasgp.comListen to more official F1 podcastsIn-depth interviews with the stars of Formula 1 on F1 Beyond The GridExpert insight before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation

To answer the latest load of F1 Explains listener questions, Christian is joined F1TV expert James Hinchcliffe, IndyCar race-winner who recently drove an F1 car for the first time, and F1TV lead presenter Laura Winter, who once drove an F4 car but doesn't like to talk about it...Laura and Hinch answer your questions on the differences between F1 and IndyCar machinery, how Cadillac's arrival will change the sport in 2026, how they prepare to cover race weekends and the key people F1 teams try and poach from their rivals. If you have a question for F1 Explains or a smoke machine F1TV can borrow, email [email protected] the crowning of the 2025 Formula 1 World ChampionBook your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.comTickets for Las Vegas available at f1lasvegasgp.comListen to more official F1 podcastsIn-depth interviews with the stars of Formula 1 on F1 Beyond The GridExpert insight before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation

How many members of an F1 team does it take to answer the latest batch of your questions? 5, as it turns out!Haas drivers Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon, Team Principal Ayao Komatsu, Race Engineer Laura Mueller and F1 ACADEMY driver Courtney Crone sat down with Christian Hewgill at the US Grand Prix in Austin.Ayao took questions about the parts Haas buys from Ferrari, and what he thinks about Cadillac's entry into F1 in 2026. Laura explains how F1 teams fix car problems during a Grand Prix. Courtney tells us how working with Haas is helping her racing career. Esteban and Ollie talk car set ups and simulators, all while eating their pre-race lunch.Got a question about F1? We'll find the best person to answer itSend your voice notes and emails to [email protected] the crowning of the 2025 Formula 1 World ChampionBook your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.comTickets for Las Vegas now available at f1lasvegasgp.comListen to more official F1 podcastsIn-depth interviews with the stars of Formula 1 on F1 Beyond The GridExpert insight before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation

When Formula 1 drivers want to go faster, they study squiggly lines on a screen. This is F1 data, showing how drivers accelerate, brake, steer and more. Hidden in the squiggles are the secrets of speed.Tom Stallard, Race Engineer to Oscar Piastri at McLaren, and former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer join Christian Hewgill to decode F1 data. Tom answers your questions on what data is recorded, how it is fed back to the teams by hundreds of sensors on each car, and how engineers analyse thousands of pieces of information.Jolyon explains how F1 drivers study their own data to find improvements, what they can learn from looking at their team mates and rivals' data, and the data drivers need to know during qualifying and races. Got a question? We'll find the best person to answer itSend your voice notes and emails to [email protected] the crowning of the 2025 Formula 1 World ChampionBook your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.comTickets for Las Vegas now available at f1lasvegasgp.comListen to more official F1 podcastsIn-depth interviews with the stars of Formula 1 on F1 Beyond The GridExpert insight before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation

Once McLaren team mates fighting for the Formula 1 World Championship, now legends of the F1 Paddock, Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard know how it feels to be in the middle of a title battle.The pair join Christian Hewgill and F1 Explains listeners live on stage in Austin, Texas, to answer your questions.David and Mika explain how McLaren handled their title rivalry in the late 1990s, compare their experiences to this year's intensifying battle between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris and discuss whether team mates can be friends.Plus, why braking in an F1 car literally takes your breath away, some dogs named after F1 stars and the racing jobs David and Mika would want to do if they weren't drivers.Have your question answered on the podcastSend your voice notes and emails to [email protected] the crowning of a World ChampionBook your seat for a Formula 1 Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.comListen to more official F1 podcastsIn-depth interviews with the stars of Formula 1 on F1 Beyond The GridExpert insight before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation

What does ‘lift and coast’ mean and why do drivers use this technique? How do they reduce their speed under a Virtual Safety Car? Why do they use a different engine mode when driving in the pitlane? And what do the buttons on an F1 steering wheel do? Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto joins Christian Hewgill in the paddock at the United States Grand Prix to answer your questions.Gabriel also reveals what has surprised him the most about teammate Nico Hulkenberg, how he feels about racing his manager Fernando Alonso on track and the differences between F2 and F1 cars.Have your question answered on the podcastSend your voice notes and emails to [email protected]'s All To Drive For in 2025. Be there!Book your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.comListen to more official F1 podcastsIn-depth interviews with the stars of Formula 1 on F1 Beyond The GridExpert reaction before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation

Without marshals, we wouldn't be able to go racing.In their bright orange jumpsuits, they're hard to miss. Hundreds of them are dotted around the track to ensure the safety of all the drivers competing in every series during a Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend. So how do they keep drivers safe? What roles are different marshals performing at different parts of the circuit? How do they know which flags to wave? What’s the process they go through when responding to incidents on track? And how do they work with Race Control? Ahead of the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne have been speaking to Mike Vandament and Jennifer Kelly, both of whom volunteer as marshals at the Circuit of the Americas, to answer your questions about what they do during a race weekend. And if you're interested in becoming a marshal, Sydney Davis Yagel works for the Sports Car Club of America. It’s her job to get people started with marshalling and other trackside jobs. Sydney tells Christian and Katie how she gives people those opportunities and what type of person she thinks makes a good marshal.THE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO FORMULA 1 FLAGSClick here to find out what all the different flags in Formula 1 mean.Have your question answered on the podcastSend your voice notes and emails to [email protected]'s All To Drive For in 2025. Be there!Book your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.comListen to more official F1 podcastsIn-depth interviews with the stars of Formula 1 on F1 Beyond The GridExpert reaction before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation

When F1 drivers crash, the FIA Medical Car rushes to the scene. It's a high-performance machine with a racing driver at the wheel and a doctor in the passenger seat. The Medical Car crew, Dr Ian Roberts and driver Bruno Correia, answer your questions about their vital jobs. They tell Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill about responding to crashes, assessing driver injuries and the part of a Grand Prix when they're most likely to be called into action.Dr Ian explains how he went from working in a hospital to racetracks around the world, Bruno tells the story of swapping a racing car for the Aston Martin and Mercedes Medical Cars, and we hear what drivers are like after a crash.Get your question answered on the podcastSend your voice notes and emails to [email protected]'s All To Drive For in 2025. Be there!Book your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.comListen to more official F1 podcastsIn-depth interviews with the stars of Formula 1 on F1 Beyond The GridExpert reaction before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation

How different is driving at night compared to racing during the day? What impact does being a celebrity have on an F1 drivers’ life? How are car numbers decided? And what’s the process behind designing a special helmet?Williams’ Alex Albon joins Christian Hewgill in the Formula 1 paddock to answer your questions. Get your question answered on the podcastSend your voice notes and emails to [email protected]'s All To Drive For in 2025. Be there!Book your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.comListen to more official F1 podcastsIn-depth interviews with the stars of Formula 1, including Alex Albon, on F1 Beyond The GridExpert reaction before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation

What are race strategists doing during a Grand Prix? How are strategies decided for each driver within a team? What happens to that strategy when something unexpected happens, like teammates colliding with each other? And is Artificial Intelligence used when deciding the best tactics for a race?Bernie Collins, former F1 strategist at Aston Martin and McLaren, joins Christian Hewgill in the paddock to answer your questions about the sport.Bernie also explains why teams change their engine power during different sessions, why drivers try and leave their final qualifying run as late as possible, and what the rules are when a driver is asked to give a place back to an opponent. Get your question answered on the podcastSend your voice notes and emails to [email protected]'s All To Drive For in 2025. Be there!Book your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.comListen to more official F1 podcastsIn-depth interviews on F1 Beyond The GridExpert reaction before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation

2025 is a year of change for Jonathan Wheatley. He left Red Bull in the UK to join Sauber in Switzerland. He also stepped up from Sporting Director to Team Principal. Jonathan answers your questions about moving from a World Championship-winning team to one seeking success. He tells Christian how he leads the hundreds of people working at Sauber's factory and at the racetrack, including drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto. More change is ahead for Jonathan and Sauber in 2026, as Audi-take over the team. Jonathan answers your questions on how the transition is going and Audi's ambition to win in Formula 1.F1 Explains puts your questions to F1 experts and insiders. Send yours to [email protected] from official F1 podcasts: F1 Beyond The GridSauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto's story of leaving Brazil aged 11 to chase his F1 dreamF1 NationValtteri Bottas on why he chose to join Cadillac for 2026

Ferrari is synonymous with Formula 1 around the world. They’ve won more World Championships than any other team in the sport’s history.But is that success why they’re regarded as one of the most iconic names in F1? Or is there more to it?F1 Explains is at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza to find out what makes Ferrari so special.Christian Hewgill is joined by ESPN F1 journalist, Nate Saunders, who is also the author of ‘Forza Ferrari: How F1’s most famous team can win again’, and 2012 GP2 champion and F1TV pundit, Davide Valsecchi.They discuss how Ferrari’s long history with Formula 1 began, the legacy of legendary founder Enzo Ferrari, the team’s famous Tifosi fanbase, the pressure they face from the Italian media and why winning a title with Ferrari is extra special.Christian also meets some very passionate Italian Ferrari fans, who tell us why Ferrari mean so much to them, what it was like being at Monza when Charles Leclerc won in 2024, and how they would feel if Ferrari became World Champions again after such a long wait.Get your question answered on the podcastSend your voice notes and emails to [email protected]'s All To Drive For in 2025. Be there!Book your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.comListen to more official F1 podcastsIn-depth interviews on F1 Beyond The GridExpert reaction before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation

The driver hits the brakes. The car stops in the pit lane and 20 people go to work. Wheel guns roar. Tyres spin. The car speeds back into the race. An F1 pit stop is 2 seconds of precision under pressure.F1 Explains meets the people who make lightning-fast pit stops happen. Christian Hewgill puts your questions to Haas pit crew members Matt Thompson, Monique Hurrell and Marcus Farrer.Matt, Monique and Marcus explain how they became part of the pit crew, what happens during a stop, and what they do for the rest of the race weekend.Get your question answered on the podcastSend your voice notes and emails to [email protected]'s All To Drive For in 2025. Be there!Book your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.comListen to more official F1 podcastsIn-depth interviews on F1 Beyond The GridExpert reaction before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation

Where do Formula 1 teams spot the drivers of the future? What are they looking for in young racers? And how did Mercedes guide Kimi Antonelli from karting to F1? F1 Explains explores junior driver programmes, which exist to find talented young drivers and support them as they climb the motorsport ladder. Most F1 teams have these academies. Red Bull signed a young Max Verstappen, Ferrari supported Charles Leclerc and Oliver Bearman, Lando Norris was part of the McLaren programme, and Mercedes developed George Russell, Kimi Antonelli and Esteban Ocon during their junior racing. F1 ACADEMY leader Doriane Pin is also part of the Mercedes Junior Driver Programme. She tells Christian Hewgill how Mercedes spotted her and answers your questions on what the team is doing to support her career. The Mercedes programme is led by Gwen Lagrue, the man who discovered Russell, Antonelli and Ocon. Gwen explains how he identifies those with the most potential, guides them into junior car racing and decides when they are ready to step up to Formula 3, F2 and, finally, F1. Get your question answered on the podcastSend your voice notes and emails to [email protected]'s All To Drive For in 2025. Be there!Book your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.comListen to more official F1 podcastsIn-depth interviews on F1 Beyond The GridExpert reaction before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation