The Autosport F1 Podcast

In this episode of the Autosport podcast, we delve into the prestigious BRDC SuperStars programme, exploring how it nurtures and develops the most promising young British racing talent. Created by Damon Hill OBE and in recent years closely overseen by Derek Warwick, both of whom are former BRDC Presidents, the programme has a strong record of results with SuperStars chalking up an impressive total of 384 wins, 1,558 podiums and 342 pole positions, with over 45 drivers becoming full-time professionals during their time on the programme. Martyn Lee and Kevin Turner sit down with Andy Meyrick, Director of the BRDC SuperStars, to discuss the role of SuperStars in nurturing future talent, its impact on the careers of aspiring drivers and the future of British motorsports. We were also thrilled to feature two up-and-coming drivers who are currently being coached by the BRDC SuperStars programme. Callum Voisin and Matt Rees join the conversation to share their personal experiences, the challenges they face, and the invaluable guidance they receive as part of this elite group. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this month’s Flat Chat podcast we discuss the major changes happening within Mercedes. At the beginning of this season, Toto Wolff claimed that Mercedes' basic car concept was a dead end and that a major rethink was needed. Our tech columnist Pat Symonds explains what this means for the team. He breaks down "car concept" and the challenges faced when attempting an engineering U-turn in the fast-paced world of Formula 1. Hosts Stuart Codling, Mark Gallagher and Matt Kew also discuss the rising fortunes of Aston Martin. The team has been surrounded by innuendo regarding whether their cars are simply copies of other successful designs, particularly Red Bull. This month, Matt Kew takes aim at this popular narrative and sheds light on the reality of the situation, revealing that not everything is as it appears to be. Lastly, we look forward to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend. For the first time, Baku will host a sprint race with a separate qualifying session replacing the normal Saturday morning practice. The race start order will be governed by a traditional qualifying session, which moves to Friday afternoon. The new Saturday morning session dictates the Sprint line-up, with the Sprint itself no longer having any bearing on Sunday. But is this a good move for Formula 1 given the high chance of damage at Baku. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we delve into the fascinating world of motorsport's pioneers and the unforgettable stories of the drivers who helped shape racing history. In the final episode of our current series, Martyn Lee and Chief Editor Kevin Tuner are taking a trip back in time to explore the legends of pre-WW2 grand prix racing, uncovering the legacy of these early drivers and their impact on the sport we know today. Discover the challenges and excitement of the early days of grand prix racing, as adventurers (and even spies!) turned into professionals, pushing the limits of what was possible with emerging technology. We'll also take a deep dive into the machinery and technology available to these pioneers, exploring their ingenuity and resourcefulness to tackle poor surfaces, demanding tracks, and the endurance required to compete in two-day GPs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, we dive deep into the recent management changes within the Mercedes Formula 1 team, as James Allison and Mike Elliott swap roles in a bid to bring the team back to the forefront of Formula 1. We discuss the background and motivations behind this surprising move and analyze how it might impact the team's performance and strategies. Martyn Lee is joined by Jonathan Noble (@NobleF1) to explore why the team decided to shuffle its senior technical personnel. As Allison returns to the role of Technical Director and Elliott takes up the position of Chief Technical Officer, we break down the reasons behind the job swap and how both individuals believe their skills are better suited to the other's position. Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal, has also weighed in on these management changes, expressing his admiration for the introspection and self-awareness shown by both Allison and Elliott. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to the special tribute to honour the life and career of the late Craig Breen. Tragically, Craig was taken from us far too soon in a crash which left the motorsport community in mourning. Known for his heart-on-sleeve approach, Craig left an indelible mark on the world of rallying. Today we'll be speaking with those who knew him personally, sharing stories and memories that celebrate Craig's character both on and off the track. We'll discuss his passion and and the lasting legacy he leaves behind in the rally world. Firstly we're joined by Autosport's rally man Tom Howard in Croatia. And our special guest is a renowned figure in the world of rallying, hailing from Northern Ireland, Kris Meeke. With an impressive career spanning over two decades, Kris has multiple WRC wins, is a true ambassador of the sport, and was a friend of Craigs. Kris provide a unique and heartfelt perspective. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we're heading back in time to explore the golden age of Grand Prix racing – the pre-Formula 1 era. From 1906 to the outbreak of World War II in 1939, motorsport was a hotbed of innovation and spectacular machines. So, prepare yourselves for a thrilling adventure as we delve into the top 10 pre-war Grand Prix cars and the epic races that defined them. Using Autosport's latest list as our guide, Chief Editor Kevin Turner takes a look at each car's success in major GP events and their impact on motorsport history. These incredible machines and their epic races remind us of the rich history and innovation that paved the way for the Formula 1 we know and love today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Forever the bridesmaid, never the bride – we'll explore the tale of the F1 cars that could never quite clinch the coveted victory. Today we're going to take a stroll down the pit lane of heartbreak and missed opportunities. We're discussing the definitive list of the top 10 F1 cars that, despite their promise, never managed to secure a championship Grand Prix win. Based on Kevin Turner's latest Top 10 list, we're joined by Jake Boxall-Legge to dive into these tantalizing tales of racing machines that just couldn't quite taste the victory champagne. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does the data show us after the first 3 races of the F1 2023 season? From strong Red Bull form to abysmal starts for Ferrari, Mercedes' improvements and declines, surprise midfield strengths and more, Martyn Lee is joined by Jon Noble and Blake Hinsey, ex-Red Bull Performance Engineer, to discuss everything the data tells us from the opening of the F1 2023 season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Martyn Lee is joined by Kevin Turner, Jake Boxall-Legge and Matt Kew to analyse the biggest talking points from Formula 1 at Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, Alex Kalinauckas, is in Melbourne to bring us coverage of the Australian GP. Plus he updates us on life as a travelling F1 reporter with his latest travel diary instalment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It was wet and wild Down Under as rain arrived for Free Practice 2 at the Australian Grand Prix. Join Martyn Lee and Haydn Cobb as they recap the action as rain poured down on Albert Park, making for treacherous conditions at times and limited dry running. There were incidents for Verstappen, Norris, Stroll and Russell as drivers explored the limits. Also listen in for a rundown of the biggest stories you've been clicking on this week at autosport.com, with news about Red Bull, Mercedes and a new FIA rule which upset fans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Autosport podcast highlights the exciting new national racing championships making their debut in 2023. We take a look at different events, categories, and circuits where the races will be held and provide information on those expected to participate. We also discuss the significance of the championships in the broader context of motorsport and the potential impact they could have on the sport's future. Martyn Lee is joined by Kevin Turner and Stephen Lickorish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we have a very special guest, Luke Browning, who is one of the rising stars in motorsport. Luke recently made headlines by winning the prestigious Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver Award, which recognizes the most promising young drivers in the UK. He also recently joined the Hitech team for the start of the 2023 FIA F3 season. On the podcast he talks about his experiences battling to win the championship in GB3, his journey to winning our young driver award, and how he’s approaching 2023 on the F3 grid. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The latest Flat Chat podcast from GP Racing magazine leads on Valtteri Bottas becoming the first and possibly the last F1 driver on the cover with a moustache and mullet. Bottas is the subject of an exclusive no-holds-barred interview (and an unusual photo shoot) in GP Racing this month. Now free of the corporate leash he’s enjoying life – and racing – once again. He explains why he rejected advice to ‘be more evil’ while at Mercedes and why he’s taking a stand for drivers to be able to express themselves. GP Racing columnists Mark Gallagher and Matt Kew join editor Stuart Codling to discuss this latest incarnation of Bottas as well as some of the most recent developments in F1. As senior Ferrari engineer David Sanchez leaves for McLaren, the panel reflect on the chaos which seems to be enveloping the teams currently in the wake of the dominant Red Bull outfit. If former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto was as much a victim of regime change in the boardroom as of operational problems on track, why is his successor Frederic Vasseur – the preferred choice of the new executives – seemingly at loggerheads with CEO Benedetto Vigna? While team principal and senior executive squabble over peripheral topics such as who gets a paddock pass, the team has bigger issues to face: a car concept that may not be working and a lead driver, Charles Leclerc, who may be on the verge of throwing Ferrari over for a better offer when his contract expires. At McLaren, meanwhile, what is the thinking behind yet another management restructure? Having dropped the much-derided 'matrix management' system three years ago in favour of a conventional top-down hierarchy, McLaren's decision to have three technical leaders represents a major pivot. Elsewhere on the grid another team with a new leader, Williams, has enjoyed an unexpectedly positive start to the season considering the latest upheaval over the winter. First impressions are that new boss James Vowles is taking exactly the right approach to dealing with the problems which have pegged Williams back in recent years: measured and diplomatic, but decisive, as befits a leader with a background in engineering and strategy. It’s the opposite tactic to that recently adopted by AlphaTauri boss Franz Tost, who seems to be following the playbook of Antonio Conte at Tottenham Hotspur by throwing his backroom staff under the bus… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Martyn Lee is joined by Kevin Turner, Alex Kalinauckas and Filip Cleeren to analyse the biggest talking points from Formula 1's race under the lights at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In today's Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix qualifying at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, it was a Red Bull on Pole Position but not the world champion. One year on from his first pole position came the second pole for Sergio Perez. The Mexican driver posted a stunning lap time of 1:28.265, narrowly edging out Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who will start 12th because of a 10 place grid drop. Third was Fernando Alonso, 0.4 seconds behind Perez, but he moves up to start second, for an Aston Martin on the front row. Max Verstappen suffered a dramatic Q2 exit due to a driveshaft issue and will race from a disappointing 15th position. Martyn Lee is joined by Autosport’s F1 Writer, Jake Boxall-Legge, who is in Saudi Arabia to witness the action first hand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Martyn Lee is joined by Editor of autosport.com, Haydn Cobb, to recap today's action at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. They talk about the biggest stories from Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, Aston Martin, Alpine and Williams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Martyn Lee is joined by Kevin Turner, Matt Kew and Jake Boxall-Legge to look back at the first race of the 2023 season and assess what it means for the year ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Listeners of the Autosport podcast asked us to tell them more about what it's like doing our job, behind the scenes. Our Grand Prix Editor, Alex Kalinauckas, has been in Bahrain since he flew out to cover F1 testing. So we asked him to record a few comments at the end of each day and explain about the tasks our Autosport staff do to bring Formula 1 to your screens or magazines. At the end of the podcast today we come up to date with his analysis of Saturday evenings qualifying and what kind of race we could expect tomorrow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso emerged as the fastest driver in the second practice session for the 2023 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. The session saw the top 13 drivers finish within one second of each other, with Charles Leclerc of Ferrari in fourth place. Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg produced an impressive effort to come fifth. Temperatures were down to 22C in the evening running under lights, prompting several teams to immediately head out on the soft tyres. Alpine's Esteban Ocon used the softs to take first place, followed by Lance Stroll of Aston Martin, who had set the first-place benchmark on the mediums a few moments earlier. The first round of performance runs saw Leclerc surge ahead of his teammate Carlos Sainz and take the lead, which lasted for 20 minutes. Perez then shot into first place before Alonso took over the lead with a time of 1m30.907s, which remained unbeaten for the rest of the session. The drivers then completed the typical late-FP2 long-run data-gathering exercises. The stewards will investigate a pitlane incident where Nyck de Vries's AlphaTauri was released into Lando Norris's path. Alonso’s time followed his impressive performance in the first practice session where he split the two Red Bulls. Despite attempts by Alonso and Aston Martin to downplay their impressive pace from testing, they continue to be strong contenders. Aston Martin had two cars in the top six, with Lance Stroll finishing sixth in his second session back in the car. However, there were some concerns about Stroll's mobility, as he replied "I can't" when asked to compromise his line for Turn 1 later on in the session. Red Bull's pace on long-run simulations still appeared to mark them out as the team to beat. To discuss the action on track is Martyn Lee and the Editor of Autosport.com, Haydn Cobb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, we're getting ready for a new season of racing and looking at the season-preview issue of GP Racing magazine. Our cover features Red Bull, who seem to be the ones to beat based on their form and pre-season test. But with 23 races scheduled, there's still hope for an exciting year of competition. Joining Stuart Codling to discuss the pecking order are special guests Mark Gallagher and Matt Kew. We'll be looking at the second year of the new technical regulations and whether they have succeeded in bringing us closer and more competitive racing. We'll also be discussing Red Bull's penalty for breaking the budget cap in 2021 and whether it will affect their performance this season. Testing has given us a glimpse of what to expect in the season opener, with Red Bull looking fastest, Ferrari close behind, and Mercedes potentially lagging. We'll be exploring how the teams have adapted to rule tweaks that aim to slow the cars down and reduce bouncing. We'll also be discussing the new Aston Martin factory and whether they can manage the logistics of moving in during a month with three GPs. Plus, we'll take a look at the revolving door of team managers and the transition to a football manager-style culture of regular hirings and firings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join us in this F1 analysis podcast as we break down the data from the top F1 teams, including Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, Aston Martin and McLaren to give us a glimpse into the upcoming F1 season. From analysing fastest laps to understanding the impact of pace vs degradation, we leave no stone unturned in our quest to uncover the insights hidden within the data. We’re joined by an expert panel of guests, including Blake Hinsey, ex-Red Bull Performance Engineer as well as Autosport’s Jon Noble and Martyn Lee, to share their perspectives on the data and offer predictions for the upcoming season. Whether you're a die-hard F1 fan or just curious about the science behind racing, today's podcast brings you some valuable insights and analysis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Martyn Lee is joined by Matt Kew who is now back in the UK and Alex Kalinauckas who stayed in Bahrain to cover the first race this weekend. Today we look at five of the biggest questions we have before F1 goes racing this weekend in Bahrain: Are Red Bull as quick as everyone is saying? What do Ferrari have to do in order to leapfrog Red Bull Why can nobody work out if Mercedes is looking good, bad or ugly? Who predicts Aston Martin could be a dark horse this year? How can McLaren dig themselves out of a pre-season funk? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stuart Codling watched the cars trackside at the Bahrain International Circuit today and joins Martyn Lee to discuss everything we learned from Formula 1's only pre-season test. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Top teams Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari were all being careful with their performance predictions after reliability ended some runs and kept others in the garage. Aston Martin gave Fernando Alonso plenty to get on with as they continue to look like their 2023 car is handling well. Stuart Codling joins Martyn Lee to analyse the track action. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our team are at the Bahrain International Circuit to watch trackside as F1's 2023 challengers leave the garage for the first time. Autosport's Alex Kalinauckas and GP Racing Editor Stuart Codling join Martyn Lee to analyse the early running. We saw Red Bull's RB19 unveiled in the pit lane before Max Verstappen put in 157 laps to top the time sheets (not that today's time mean a huge amount!). In fact we saw just one Red Flag when the Aston Martin stopped on track with an electrical issue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Following last night's Alpine event we've now seen all ten Formula 1 challengers for this year. Or rather more specifically, we've seen all their liveries. How much each team revealed varied from simply repainting a 2022 car (here's looking at you, Red Bull) to the Ferrari with its innovative front wing and suspension setup. Luke Smith joins Martyn Lee today to look back over the entire F1 launch season and talk about what we learned about the year ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

And Alpine makes 10! We've now seen the entire grid (or at least, liveries and some of the cars), now Alpine have unveiled their A523 F1 2023 race car at a star-studded event in a London club. Even with the two liveries, are Alpine confident they can maintain their "best of the rest" position? And what does their new Rac(h)er mean for the future of women in motorsport? Matt Kew joins Martyn Lee straight from the busy Alpine club launch to discuss all this and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After Mercedes revealed its W14 F1 car at Silverstone, viewers were surprised but pleased to see the return of the black silver arrow, albeit with a lot more "naked carbon" than before. But why is the car back in black, and why are they so confident in their W13 2022 car's design concept that they haven't switched over to a Red Bull or Ferrari style design? Alex Kalinauckas chats with Martyn Lee to discuss these questions and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Not only have we now seen the real Ferrari SF-23 F1 car, but we've also seen it driven in anger on track! Ferrari's 2023 season launch may have been great, but it's also spurred up some technical questions regarding its front wing setup when compared to a 2022 Mercedes W12 design that wasn't allowed to be used. So why is Ferrari's design legal? Roberto Chinchero joins Martyn Lee to discuss the technical questions as well as the future of Ferrari's F1 team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aston Martin launched their actual 2023 F1 race car, the AMR23, with a surprising amount of technical insight from Technical Director Dan Fellows, interviews with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, and unsurprisingly, a green livery. But why is Aston Martin's AMR23 being labelled as "aggressive"? Luke Smith joins Martyn Lee live from the post-launch party to tell us more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

New driver duo, new team principal, new livery (sort of): McLaren's F1 2023 launch may be all about its upgrades for the new season, but McLaren, its drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and its bosses Zak Brown and Andrea Stella, are certainly looking to McLaren's future in F1. After Interviewing Lando, Oscar, Zak and Andrea, Luke Smith caught up with Martyn Lee live from the McLaren Technology Centre to chat about what today's launch really means for McLaren. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From top level FIA international series all the way to one-off events like the Goodwood Revival, 2023 is set to be a thrilling year of motorsport. Kevin Turner and Stephen Lickorish join Martyn Lee to talk about their favourites this year from sportscars, Formula E, MotoGP, BTCC, super tourers and even the return of the Autosport 3 Hours. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’ve once again teamed up with F1 racer-turned-pundit Karun Chandhok for our traditional Big Questions piece looking at the campaign ahead. Chandhok takes on topics up and down the grid, from Red Bull’s likely challengers to how much work is needed at Williams, via the line-ups that could prove most explosive on and off track. Karun is joined by Kevin Turner, Alex Kalinauckas and Martyn Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Lewis Hamilton celebrates ten seasons with the team at Mercedes, Kevin Turner and Alex Kalinauckas rank his greatest years in order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team has unveiled its new C43, the last Sauber-built car to carry the name of the Italian manufacturer. The team unveiled a show car at a launch event in Switzerland on Tuesday morning, as well as issuing CGI images. The real C43 will be seen for the first time when it undertakes a filming day in Barcelona on Friday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Williams has unveiled their 2023 livery, and while it may not break away from convention, it has added some new Gulf and updated Duracell logos among other things. But what are Williams' chances during the 2023 season? Could they be taking pole positions and 1st places, or are they doomed to be at the back of the grid yet again? And will new driver Logan Sargeant, and new Team Principal James Vowles, bring a breath of fresh air to the team? Matt Kew and Martyn Lee discuss this and more, live from the Williams Launch Event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cars that rarely looked like contenders for victory have occasionally slipped through the net to become winners of world championship Formula 1 races. But which was the worst of the bunch? Most cars that win in Formula 1 are special. The level of competition ensures that genuinely poor designs rarely get near a podium, particularly given the reliability of modern racing machines. But sometimes a combination of luck, inspiration and/or unusual weather gives underdog cars their moment in the limelight. For this list, we looked at the overall pace of the cars, their reliability, how difficult they were to drive and the circumstances of their success. Your host Martyn Lee is joined by Kevin Tuner and Jake Boxall-Legge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does Red Bull's 2023 launch, and announcement of Ford returning to F1, really mean for the team going forward? While the New York launch dragged on a bit, we eventually got to see some cars, but is it really the 2023 RB19? And can Verstappen really defend his title? Jon Noble and Matt Kew discuss this and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Once again Haas are first out of the blocks with a car launch, except this isn't really anything else but their new sponsor on a 2022 base car. Whilst there are multiple rule changes for 2023 they are relatively minor. However there are some key visual indicators which show this is not their new car. With a substantial budget thanks to a new MoneyGram sponsorship, two established drivers in Magnussen and Hulkenberg, and a solid Ferrari partnership can Haas improve this year? Let's discuss with Martyn Lee and Jonathan Noble. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The fourth episode in our new series of Top 10’s takes a look at the greatest F1 wet weather drives. Every great grand prix driver has at least one rite of passage in adverse weather, often several. For today’s podcast Kevin Turner has limited each driver to one appearance on the list, and the distinction to remember is that we’re not talking about which drivers perform best when the heavens open, but specific wet weather drives. To discuss, we’re joined by motorsport journalist Damien Smith and your host Martyn Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Whenever we see drivers climbing into the race seat of a brand new set of cars at the start of a new season, the atmosphere is filled with anticipation. And that’s the prospect this weekend. One of the most exciting weekends in motorsport this year, because the Daytona 24 hours marks the start of the new era. Last weekend saw Tom Blomqvist put his Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06 LMDh car on pole in a last-gasp effort which set the scene for this weekend’s season opener, just 8 tenths separating the whole class, the competition is tight! The grid has so much to look out for. 9 of the new GTP class cars making a return to IMSA, 10 LMP2 entries, 9 LMP3’s, another 9 in GTD Pro, and 24 GTD cars on the grid. 61 cars in total. Today we’ll ask: • Why we’re so excited about the new LMDh prototypes • What we can expect from Porsche, BMW, Cadillac and Acura • What drivers you should be watching this weekend Let's get up to speed with our sportscar man Gary Watkins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week's podcast look at the 26 drivers who took a single world championship F1 win. Some of those drivers should have won many more races, while others got on the list through good fortune or an outstanding performance. Here is our pick of F1's top 10 one-hit wonders, based on their drives to victory, the circumstances of that success and their overall careers. We’re excluding those drivers who are still active in F1, so no Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Carlos Sainz or George Russell just yet. Joining us on the podcast to discuss the topic are Kevin Turner, Damien Smith and Haydn Cobb. Your host is Martyn Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This weekend the World Rally Championship returns to legendary Monte Carlo. We have a record-breaking world champion, drivers in new teams, new management and the evolution of the Rally1 hybrid monsters. Fans know how good the sport is, but increasing social media coverage continues to spread rallying to new audiences. And because of all that, we’ve titled this podcast “Is WRC Motorsport’s Sleeping Giant?” Today we’ll ask: · Can Hyundai pick up where they left off? · Will Kalle Rovanpera cope with the weight of being champion? · Do we have a true 3-way fight for the title in 2023? Let's get up to speed with our rally man Tom Howard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Autosport Podcast joins you today live from the Autosport International main stage at Birmingham's NEC. Autosport International was back for the first time since 2020 with over 100,000 expected through the doors, at our traditional kick-start to the motorsport calendar. Martyn Lee is joined on stage by Luke Smith, Alex Kalinauckas and Stuart Codling to discuss some of the recent new stories dominating Formula 1. Michael Andretti has publicly complained about the resistance of existing teams regarding his proposal to enter F1. What's the problem with welcoming extra cars on the grid? Or with the sports recent success, should they leave alone a winning formula? We also discuss the chances for Red Bull, given their cost cap punishment. Can Mercedes recover over the winter and challenge the champions? And what will Ferrari expect in 2023 under their new Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The second episode in our new series of Top 10’s takes a look at the greatest F1 drivers who couldn’t clinch a drivers title. Chief Editor Kevin Turner leads the way, joined by motorsport journalist Damien Smith and Autosport.com Editor Haydn Cobb. The show is hosted by Martyn Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Formula E returns this weekend with new cars, new tech, new teams and drivers ready to race the fastest ever version of the electric machines. In many ways it is a reboot for the ground-breaking series. Just before Christmas we dispatched our Formula E man Jake Boxall-Legge to Valencia for the pre-season test, to spy on this new generation. Today we’ll ask: • What’s so special about the Gen3 cars? • Which drivers and teams you should look out for • Is this the reset FE needs to step up into the motorsport mainstream? Let's get up to speed with our expert Jake Boxall-Legge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 3 Episode 1. Welcome back to the third series of our Top 10’s list curated by Chief Editor Kevin Turner. Look out every weekend for a new episode. This series we’ll discuss topics such as the greatest drivers who never won the championship, one hit wonders, the worst cars to grace the grid and the best wet weather drives. For the first show in this series, Kev has compiled the Top 10 F1 drivers never to have won a world championship race. To debate the order of the list is motorsport journalist and former Autosport head honcho, Damian Smith. The show is hosted by Martyn Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Emerson Fittipaldi won the Formula One World Championship driving for Lotus in 1972. He was 25 years old and became the youngest ever F1 champ. It was a record which held for an amazing 33 years until Fernando Alonso won with Renault in 2005. Today, we talk to our Chief Editor Kevin Turner about the story of that incredible year and how Fittipaldi stepped up to become champion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rally driver and Hoonigan founder, Ken Block, passed away yesterday following a snowmobile accident in Utah. He was 55 years old, and most famous for his Youtube series of daring stunt videos which have been watched over 650million times. His Hoonigan Racing Division described him as “a visionary, a pioneer and an icon and most importantly a father and husband who will be terribly missed.” Today we’ll look back at a life lived at full speed: We’ll hear from friends Petter and Oliver Solberg Explain how he entered the world of motorsport And look at the legacy he leaves behind Martyn Lee gets up to speed with our rally man Tom Howard Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices