The Autosport F1 Podcast

By definition, winning a Formula 1 championship requires excellence and a consistently high level of performance. But which are the best of the best from the 76 drivers’ title successes so far? When it comes to the crunch, we’ve favoured crowns won with cars that weren’t the best over dominant seasons. While pumping in win after win in the best car is harder than the greats make it look and some campaigns have been near perfection, there is something special about a fight against the odds, which pushes the drivers to dig deep, particularly when that effort is rewarded. Putting in a great season is about optimising the car and circumstances every time out – or close to it. If done with the best car, the result is win after win. But if done in a lesser machine, a bit of luck is sometimes required to get the job done – or some intra-team rivalry with your chief opposition… Kevin Turner is joined by Stuart Codling and journalist Damien Smith to try to put these epic campaigns into a top ten order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the Autosport F1 show, Kevin Turner and Stuart Codling break down a wild third round that saw Kimi Antonelli claim his second win of the season for Mercedes, officially becoming the youngest driver ever to lead the World Championship standings. But while Antonelli celebrates, the "new era" regulations are facing their biggest safety test yet. We dive deep into the massive 50G shunt between Oli Bearman and Franco Colapinto that has the paddock—and Andrea Stella—sounding the alarm. In this episode: The Silver Arrows Scuffle: How the safety car spared Mercedes from a very "public" conversation between Antonelli and George Russell. The "Autocorrect" Problem: Why drivers are frustrated with "mechanical algorithms" taking control of their power deployment. Max Verstappen’s Future: Red Bull is struggling, and Max is hinting at "life decisions" outside of F1. Is he actually ready to walk away? Best of the Rest: Praise for Pierre Gasly’s "under the radar" brilliance and Oscar Piastri’s near-miss at a win. Technical Deep Dive: Why Ferrari is killing it off the line but struggling on the straights. With a five-week break before Miami, the FIA and teams are headed to the boardroom to "fix" the rules. Will we see a different F1 in May? TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Intro: A New Championship Leader 2:00 - Race Results & The Safety Car Flip 5:00 - The Bearman/Colapinto Crash: Safety Concerns 10:00 - "Beta" Regulations: Can F1 fix the power delivery? 17:00 - Oscar Piastri’s Performance 22:00 - Battle of the Aerodynamics: McLaren vs. Ferrari 25:00 - Pierre Gasly vs. Max Verstappen 27:00 - Is Max Verstappen actually leaving? 31:00 - What to expect during the April break Subscribe to Autosport for more F1 insights and head over to Autosport.com for our upcoming retro features! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Motorsport fans know that the best performers aren’t always rewarded with a title at season’s end. Unreliability, misfortune, bizarre scoring systems and inferior equipment can combine to deny drivers even when they are at the top of their game. For this list, we have picked out Formula 1’s greatest all-season performances by drivers who didn’t win the championship. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the champions from those years were unworthy; it’s more about highlighting star campaigns that went unrewarded. We’ve taken into account the machinery at their disposal, standout drives, the amount of bad luck they had and the points they gave away. F1 pundit Karun Chandhok joins Autosport’s Stuart Codling to assess host Kevin Turner’s selection. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Formula 1 cars are very reliable now – even when new rules arrive – but there have been plenty of drivers robbed of victory over the 75 years of the world championship, and we’ve decided to pick out the best unrewarded efforts. For our latest Autosport Top 10, we’ve prioritised those performances in which the driver was denied through no fault of their own. The circumstances of the defeat and the timing of the drama have also been considered, as have the overall quality of the drive itself and the significance of the failure. Autosport’s F1 reporter, Stuart Codling, and author and journalist Damien Smith join forces to assess host Kevin Turner’s ranking. What did he get right and wrong? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to the Autosport F1 Chinese GP Review! Host Kevin Turner and Jake Boxall-Legge dive into the action-packed second Grand Prix of F1's new era in China. From historic maiden victories to fiery debates over the new regulations, there is plenty to unpack from the Shanghai circuit. We also hear directly from the paddock with Stuart Codling's on-the-ground insights. The team also discussed Lewis Hamilton's first podium in red following a thrilling battle with Charles Leclerc, and Max Verstappen's second DNF of the year, which fuelled his frustration with the new "Mario Kart" style regulations. They break down the phenomenon of "super clipping" alongside the wider debate around F1's new energy management rules, and examine McLaren's disastrous weekend, where neither car made the start due to electrical issues. 00:00 - Introduction to the Chinese GP results and driver performances 01:17 - Summary of top finishers and notable incidents 02:01 - Stuart Coddling reports from the paddock in China 06:28 – Antonelli’s Debut Win 12:22 - Hamilton vs. Leclerc Fight! 17:24 - Max Verstappen’s reliability issues and demotivation factors 20:27 - Liam Lawson’s impressive weekend and circuit variability 21:21 - FIA’s review of energy management rules and technical updates 24:20 - Fans’ perceptions: artificiality vs. realistic racing 27:15 - Explanation of super clipping and energy deployment regulations 32:22 - McLaren’s on-track struggles and software issues 36:16 - The race calendar’s impact on team development and strategic pauses 39:32 - Current Drivers’ Championship standings and future predictions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 2026 F1 season kicked off with a dramatic race in Melbourne, showcasing new regulations and fierce competition. In this episode, Chief Editor Kevin Turner is joined by Autosport writers Jake Boxall-Legge and Stuart Codling to analyse the race highlights, technical insights, and emerging contenders, giving you a comprehensive breakdown of the first race of the year. Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction to the 2026 Melbourne GP and race highlights 02:24 - Weekend impressions from trackside reporter Stuart Codling 03:52 - Public perception and driver comments on regulations’ impact 05:46 - Race start chaos: battery issues and safety concerns 07:36 - Exciting overtakes and early battles between Russell, Leclerc, and Hamilton 09:44 - Deployments, energy management, and qualifying insights 11:43 - Race pace, tyre longevity, and strategy missteps 13:02 - Safety and reliability of new energy deployment systems 15:02 - Team strategies, mistakes, and potential safety issues 18:08 - Mercedes’ performance gap and customer engine concerns 21:04 - End-of-race performances and up-and-coming drivers 25:00 - Strategic calls during virtual safety cars and their outcomes 27:49 - Ferrari's performance and predictions for Monaco and beyond 29:23 - Rookie driver Isaac Hadjar's impressive debut and team progress 32:37 - New teams Audi and Cadillac: performances and future prospects 36:15 - Aston Martin’s technical issues with Honda power and future outlook 40:03 - Preview of the China GP and the introduction of the sprint race 41:23 - Final thoughts and season expectations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Making an immediate impact in Formula 1 can be extremely tough. As Cadillac and Audi – one a new entity, the other having taken over Sauber – prepare for their debuts, we highlight the best performances by new teams in the history of the championship. In the latest of Autosport’s Top 10s, host Kevin Turner selects the 10 best world championship debuts by teams, while renowned F1 journalist and author Maurice Hamilton decides whether or not he agrees with the ranking. For this list, we have focused on the very first grand prix for each team, rather than the whole season. We have excluded constructors that were well established when the world championship began in 1950, so no Alfa Romeo (1-2-3 on its debut) or Ferrari (second at Monaco). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Championship winners and cars with multiple victories on their CVs usually grab the limelight when it comes to the greatest cars in Formula 1 history. But there have been some fantastic machines that have narrowly missed out on ultimate glory. We reckon they deserve recognition, too. So, in the latest of Autosport’s Top 10s, leading F1 journalist Maurice Hamilton joins host Kevin Turner to debate and discuss the 10 best F1 cars that never took a title. We’ve excluded the Lotus 78 because it played a part in Lotus’s title double in 1978, prior to the arrival of the 79 (much more so than the 312B3-74 did in 1975), as well as the 1991 Williams FW14 due to its similarity to the gizmo-laden B version that dominated in 1992. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

More than 70 tracks have hosted a world championship grand prix since the contest began in 1950, but which are the best? In the latest of Autosport’s Top 10s, host Kevin Turner picks out the 10 greatest F1 circuits, while renowned F1 journalist and author Maurice Hamilton decides whether or not he agrees with our choices… For the article on the top 10 F1 circuits, visit https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/top-10-greatest-f1-circuits/10798627/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, Williams, Mercedes… The list of great Formula 1 teams contains some of motorsport’s biggest hitters – and that’s before we get on to those that are no longer active. At the start of a new series of Autosport Top 10s, host Kevin Turner picks out the 10 greatest teams in world championship history, based on their success, longevity and impact. Renowned F1 journalist and author Maurice Hamilton is the special guest casting his critical eye over the rankings… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What makes a race truly legendary? Is it a wet-weather masterclass, a relentless wheel-to-wheel duel, or an underdog story that defies the odds? As Formula 1 celebrated its 75th year, we move beyond the championship permutations to rank the sheer quality of the racing itself. This is it, the big one! In the final episode of our series looking at the greatest races in world championship history, we set out to choose the best Formula 1 Grand Prix. Sky Sports F1 pundit and racing driver Karun Chandhok brings his extensive knowledge and a critical eye to our debate, with host Kevin Turner and author Roger Smith – who struggled to agree on this one! What’s your favourite GP? If you’d like to take a further look at the best GPs of the past 75 years, keep an eye out for Smith and Turner’s new book, Formula 1 All the Races: The 100 Greatest Races. A Motorsport Studios Production for Autosport Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Title deciders can be the most intense and dramatic events in motorsport. Formula 1 has had some brilliant showdowns in its 75-year history, and we pick out the best in the latest episode on the greatest races in the world championship. Experienced motorsport journalist Damien Smith is Autosport’s special guest, joining host Kevin Turner and author Roger Smith to assess our top-10 ranking. Do you agree with the final order? To find out more about the best GPs of the past 75 years, look out for Smith and Turner’s new book, Formula 1 All the Races: The 100 Greatest Races. A Motorsport Studios Production for Autosport Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Very rarely, races become important milestones in the history of Formula 1. Some of them are exciting, while others are more significant because of how they change motorsport or resonate with fans. In the latest episode of our look at the greatest races in world championship history, we select the 10 grands prix that have contributed the most to F1 folklore. Host Kevin Turner and author Roger Smith talk about these key events and the reasons for their choices, while leading motorsport journalist Damien Smith decides whether he agrees or not! If you want to find out more about the best GPs of the past 75 years, look out for Smith and Turner’s new book, Formula 1 All the Races: The 100 Greatest Races. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Most Formula 1 races go as expected but, every now and again, an unfancied car or driver has a special day. It can be due to chaos ahead, a stellar performance, unusual car strengths or a combination of all three. In the latest episode of our look at the greatest races in world championship history, we select the 10 best surprise victories. Host Kevin Turner and author Roger Smith outline the reasons for their choices, while leading motorsport journalist Damien Smith casts his critical eye over the ranking. If you want to find out more about the best GPs of the past 75 years, look out for Smith and Turner’s new book, Formula 1 All the Races: The 100 Greatest Races. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rain has produced some of the most exciting races in Formula 1 history. And it has also provided the circumstances for the true legends to shine. In the latest episode of our look at the greatest races in world championship history, we select the 10 best wet-weather drives. Host Kevin Turner and author Roger Smith outline the reasons for their choices, while leading motorsport journalist Damien Smith casts his critical eye over the ranking. Which driver do you think was best? If you want to find out more about the best GPs of the past 75 years, look out for Smith and Turner’s new book, Formula 1 All the Races: The 100 Greatest Races. The Lap of Lights is back at Silverstone for the first time since 2021 and the home of the British GP has teamed up with Autosport to bring podcast listeners an incredible offer, including the chance to win tickets to the British Grand Prix when you book using our code 25MOTORLAP. To enter the draw to win one of five pairs of British GP tickets, book your Lap of Lights drive using the code 25MOTORLAP.https://www.silverstone.co.uk/events/lap-of-lights Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Some Formula 1 races leave onlookers struggling to process what just unfolded. In the latest episode of our series on the 100 greatest world championship contests, we pick out the bizarre events. Some are brilliant, some controversial and all need some explaining. Helping host Kevin Turner do just that are author Roger Smith and leading motorsport journalist Damien Smith. If you want to take a further look at the best GPs of the past 75 years, keep an eye out for Smith and Turner’s new book, Formula 1 All the Races: The 100 Greatest Races. The Lap of Lights is back at Silverstone for the first time since 2021 and the home of the British GP has teamed up with Autosport to bring podcast listeners an incredible offer, including the chance to win tickets to the British Grand Prix when you book using our code 25MOTORLAP. To enter the draw to win one of five pairs of British GP tickets, book your Lap of Lights drive using the code 25MOTORLAP.https://www.silverstone.co.uk/events/lap-of-lights Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Overtaking is one thing that all fans want, and the best passes stand as some of the most memorable moments in motorsport history. In his episode of our series on the greatest world championship grands prix, we pick out the Formula 1 races in which overtaking manoeuvres stole the show. Host Kevin Turner and author Roger Smith put forward their reasoning, while special guest Karun Chandhok decides whether they’ve got things right or wrong. Either way, there are some magic moments. If you want to take a further look at the best GPs of the past 75 years, keep an eye out for Smith and Turner’s new book, Formula 1 All the Races: The 100 Greatest Races. The Lap of Lights is back at Silverstone for the first time since 2021 and the home of the British GP has teamed up with Autosport to bring podcast listeners an incredible offer, including the chance to win tickets to the British Grand Prix when you book using our code 25MOTORLAP. To enter the draw to win one of five pairs of British GP tickets, book your Lap of Lights drive using the code 25MOTORLAP.https://www.silverstone.co.uk/events/lap-of-lights Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Drives against the odds, whether they be due to circumstances, inferiorequipment or car problems, can be some of the most compelling. In thisepisode of our series on the 100 greatest world championship grands prix, we look at the epics – wins taken despite the odds apparently being stacked against the eventual victor. F1 pundit Karun Chandhok joins host Kevin Turner and author Roger Smith in our latest list. Does he agree or disagree with our selections? If you want to take a further look, keep an eye out for Smith and Turner’s new book, Formula 1 All the Races: The 100 Greatest Races. The Lap of Lights is back at Silverstone for the first time since 2021 and thehome of the British GP has teamed up with Autosport to bring podcast listeners an incredible offer, including the chance to win tickets to the British Grand Prix when you book using our code 25MOTORLAP. To enter the draw to win one of five pairs of British GP tickets, book your Lap of Lights drive using the code 25MOTORLAP.https://www.silverstone.co.uk/events/lap-of-lights Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices