The Autosport F1 Podcast

Autosport's F1 experts return for the second part of our 2022 season review. Following our previous show, which focussed on the battle up front, this episode analyses action further down the grid. How did the best-of-the-rest battle work out with McLaren vs Alpine? Has Fernando Alonso made the correct decision to jump ship to Aston Martin? And why was the driver market so spectacular this year? Luke Smith, Alex Kalinauckas and Matt Kew join Martyn Lee to conclude our look at the this year in Formula 1. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join Autosport's F1 experts as they look back at the past 12 months of action. Luke Smith, Alex Kalinauckas and Matt Kew join Martyn Lee for the first of our two-part retrospective on 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Merry Christmas from everyone here at Autosport. After you've tucked into your second helping of turkey and escaped the in-laws, pop in your headphones to play along with our festive podcast looking back at 2022. Question master Luke Smith tests the memory of our F1 experts, with events on and off track the subject of our Christmas quiz. But can you do better than our editors? Luke is joined by Alex Kalinauckas, Matt Kew and Stuart Codling to recall the highs and lows of the 2022 F1 season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Autosport Top 50 Drivers list is now in the 21st year of ranking the greatest drivers of the previous 12 months. Autosport’s correspondents travel the world to bring you the inside track from the worlds of Formula 1, World Rally Championship, MotoGP, Sportscars, GT Racing, Formula E, touring cars and more. At the end of every season we ask them to rank the drivers from the series they follow, and that’s now we start to compile Autosport’s overall list of top fifty. The 2022 list appears in the bumper holiday edition of Autosport magazine on 22 December and on Autosport.com. This week’s podcast reveals the secrets of how we rank drivers and compare them across various series. Martyn Lee is joined by Kevin Turner, James Newbold and Tom Howard to discuss the controversies and how some drivers get the nod over their rivals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Formula 1’s driver market has it’s explosive moments this year, with Alonso, Piastri and Ricciardo dominating the headlines. But now it’s the turn of the team bosses. A breathless 24 hours has seen news from Ferrari, Alfa Romeo/Sauber/Audi, McLaren and Williams Today we’ll ask: Who’s out and who’s in What it means for next season, and years to come How these new appointees can impact their new teams Let's get up to speed with Autosport F1 Reporter Luke Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Jenson Button won the 2009 F1 title he became the first of our Young Driver Award winners to do so. Zak O’Sullivan was the 2021 winner and was recently at Silverstone to get his first taste of F1 machinery with Aston Martin as part of his prize. This Sunday night, at the Autosport Awards, the winner of the 2022 Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year will be announced. On today’s podcast, Martyn Lee is joined by chief editor Kevin Turner to reveal exactly how to win the prestigious competition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ferrari Formula 1 team principal Mattia Binotto confirmed he’s leaving the team at the end of the year, after much speculation in recent weeks. Ferrari issued a statement earlier today confirming that it had accepted Binotto’s decision to leave. Today's podcast will ask: • was he ultimately pushed, or did he walk to enable him to go elsewhere? • what does this mean for Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in 2023? • and why are observers saying management is Ferrari's Achilles heel? Let's get up to speed with Motorsport.com's F1 Editor Jonathan Noble. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Autosport's Luke Smith is at the Yas Marina circuit for Formula's post-season Pirelli tyre test. As well as fielding potential future F1 stars with their young drivers, teams were also allowed to use their 2023 contracted drivers to get them acquainted with their new cars, ahead of the single pre-season test next year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

F1 2022 is over! Whilst Abu Dhabi wasn't the nailbiter we saw last year, there were still battles to be decided in the drivers and teams championships. This weekend Sebastian Vettel ended his 299-race career with a celebration from everyone in the paddock, including a track run yesterday with Seb and the Autosport team (trying to keep up). Joining us from Abu Dhabi is Luke Smith and Jess McFadyen, alongside Kevin Turner and your host Martyn Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Luke Smith and Alex Kalinauckas are heading home from the circuit after watching Saturday’s qualifying action, here to analyse how tomorrow’s grid came together. They were also joined by Matt Kew for a track run alongside Sebastien Vettel as the Aston Martin driver bids farewell to Formula 1. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It was a Sprint weekend in Brazil, so the grid lined up today as they finished (mostly, notwithstanding penalties) on Saturday. Martyn Lee is joined by Luke Smith, Alex Kalinauckas and Haydn Cobb to analyse how the race was won, and the team orders controversy which blew up as the drivers crossed the line. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Luke Smith and Matt Kew analyse Saturday's Sprint and what it means for the Grand Prix tomorrow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“You're stuck with me for quite a bit longer” That's the headline on the front cover of this week's Autosport magazine, and today we’re bringing you the story behind that interview special. It was an interview where Lewis Hamilton opened up about recent challenges and his Formula 1 future. Unlike a short television recording or a quote for social media, we sat down with him in Austin without the pressure of the cameras or microphones for a rare extended chat about his life and career. On the podcast today we find out: • how his family helped him come back from Abu Dhabi disappointment • what really happened at Mercedes with the 2022 car • and why Hamilton hasn't had enough of F1 for quite some time Let’s get up to speed with Autosport’s Matt Kew. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Go to: awardsvoting.autosport.com Voting for the 2022 Autosport Awards is open, giving you the chance to have your say on the best motorsport performers of the season. The Awards, which date back to 1982, celebrate the top drivers and competition machines each year. The nominees in the eight categories open to public vote in 2022 have now been revealed. On today's podcast, Autosport's Chief Editor Kevin Turner takes you through the categories and drivers, to help you decide which ones to vote on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NASCAR's Ross Chastain stunned the motorsport world last weekend, as he took the decision to nail the throttle and deliberately drove into the SAFER barrier to ride his way around outside, at a 50mph overspeed than anyone else. Duly setting a new lap record and hitting 5G from the force. It was a wild, last gasp move that guaranteed his place at Phoenix this weekend. We're joined by Nick Degroot to analyse the reaction from NASCAR, and whether we'll see that move again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Luke Smith and Stuart Codling are both in Mexico City this weekend to review the Mexican Grand Prix, with your host Martyn Lee. With both titles wrapped up there is still plenty to race for. Can Max Verstappen break the record and take 14 wins in a single season? Will Sergio Perez make it a perfect season for Red Bull and leapfrog Charles Leclerc to snatch second in the drivers championship? And can Alpine hold off McLaren over the final grand prix? Let’s find out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Luke Smith, Alex Kalinauckas and Stuart Codling are fresh from watching qualifying for the Mexican Grand Prix, and here to analyse the grid for Sunday’s main event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The FIA, Formula 1's governing body, has handed Red Bull Racing a $7 million fine and an aerodynamic testing reduction after striking an agreement over its breach of Formula 1's $145m budget cap in 2021. The FIA revealed after the Japanese Grand Prix that both Red Bull and Aston Martin were in breach of F1’s financial regulations for 2021, putting them at risk of sanctions. Red Bull fiercely denied it had broken the budget cap, but entered talks with the FIA over an Accepted Breach Agreement to reach a settlement. Today we find out: · what are the financial and sporting penalties dished out · how it will impact Red Bull on track · what this means for team who breach the cost cap in the future Let's get up to speed with Autosport.com Editor Haydn Cobb Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It has been one of F1’s worst kept secrets, but Audi has finally named Sauber as its "strategic partner" to enter Formula 1 in 2026. Sauber has confirmed that Audi will buy a stake in the company, but we don’t know how much We know they will begin increasing their stake, but we don’t know when. Ferrari have a Sauber engine supply deal until the end of 2025, but that means supplying a competing road car manufacturer, and the potential for Audi to gain knowledge of the Ferrari program. Will that be an issue for the team at Maranello? Again, so many unanswered questions. Today we ask: · Why has F1 been so keen on getting VW Group into the sport? · What does this mean for Audi, Sauber and Alfa Romeo? · And can Audi be competitive when they arrive? Let’s get up to speed with Autosport’s Matt Kew. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Martyn Lee is joined by Luke Smith and Mandy Curi, who were both at Circuit Of The Americas this weekend, to look back at the United States Grand Prix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Luke Smith and Alex Kalinauckas analyse the grid for United States GP, which differs slightly from the order they crossed the line because of various power unit penalties. We pay tribute to Dietrich Mateschitz, as it was announced shortly before qualifying that he had sadly passed away following an illness. Luke and Alex also reflect on the current resurgence of Formula 1 in the United States, as Austin hosts another fan-packed grand prix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s not unheard of in Motorsport, but certainly not common, for a newly crowned champion driver to up sticks and move to a back-of-the-grid team. But that’s exactly what is happening in Formula E next season. Stoffel Vandoorne will move to the Dragon Penske squad as drivers champion and join a team with two points to their name in 2021-2022. Today we ask: How will the grid look different next season as the reigning champ heads from Mercedes to Dragon? Why one of the most successful teams might not be on the grid? And can the new Gen3 cars provide the entertainment needed to forget about the manufacturers who have recently left the sport? Let's get up to speed with Autosport’s Jake Boxall-Legge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Extreme weather is nothing new to Formula 1. But it seems more recently, it is becoming an issue for the cars. Seven sessions up to the 2022 mid-season break required wet or intermediate tyres: the events in Imola, Monaco, Montreal and Budapest. Since then, add Singapore and Suzuka. We hear a lot about how rain levels the performance, how it throws the form book out of the window, how it shakes up the grid. According to F1 legend Pat Symonds, the opposite is the case. We’re going to look at two things today. Firstly, Pat’s argument that Formula 1’s recent adventures in the rain show that far from levelling the performance, it’s the best who do better. And then we’ll look at specifically this generation of cars and wet weather tyres. Today we ask: · Do downpours really level the playing field? · Why do the best teams and drivers always rise to the top? · And why we can’t think of the rain as having an equal effect on machine vs driver. Let's get up to speed with GP Racing magazine editor Stuart Codling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Formula 1 2022 could have been Ferrari’s triumphant return to the top. Both world championships were in play as Ferrari stole an early lead. Three races in, Charles Leclerc was 46 points clear of Max Verstappen and more importantly Ferrari looked to have pace in their pocket. Fast forward, and in Suzuka just over a week ago Verstappen’s title was a formality with a margin of 113 points over Leclerc, and in Austin this weekend Red Bull could clinch the team battle too. Ferrari weren’t just bested; they were well and truly beaten. With four races to go, and no major rules change into next year, what next for Ferrari? Today we ask: How much of a missed opportunity was 2022? How far away are they from beating Red Bull? And what the drivers can take forward to do battle in 2023? Let's get up to speed with Autosport's Luke Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every Formula 1 driver has to fight for their place on the grid, and they only need to glance across to the Formula 2 paddock to see 22 drivers all with an eye of putting you on the unemployment line. For example, take the next F2 race at Yas Marina in November. Last year’s F2 races were won by Zhou Guanyu and Oscar Piastri, two names which have displaced legends Kimi Räikkönen and Daniel Ricciardo from Alfa Romeo and McLaren respectively. With a 14 round, 28 race season following F1 around the world, it’s the perfect chance to see legends on their way up, just as GP2 was and to a lesser extent it’s predecessor Formula 3000. Today we ask: • How was the 2022 season was dominated by the champion? • Is this the ultimate open-wheeled spec series? • And what happens next after you win Formula 2? Let's get up to speed with Autosport's Megan White and Martyn Lee Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“When I crossed the line, I didn't know that I was World Champion, there was a lot of confusion but I thought it was quite funny“. Those are the words of Max Verstappen. At the Japanese Grand Prix, the 25 year old Dutchman won his second World Championship with a dominant performance in the wet. But it wasn’t just his supremacy in Suzuka, his 32nd GP win, which led to his title coronation. After all, he has won 12 Grand Prix this year, plus the Sprints in Italy and Austria. But over the weekend, Verstappen was denied his moment of elation when taking the chequered flag. Whether it’s tears, screams or the perfect soundbite from a team boss, those few seconds after crossing the line are edited for a prime time spot in news bulletins around the world. In many ways, it’s Formula 1’s shop window. So what went wrong last weekend? • Why wasn’t Verstappen told he was world champion? • Why were some teams unsure of when to stop racing? • And how did a new rulebook, a shortened race and a last corner penalty cause a perfect storm of confusion? Let's get up to speed with Motorsport.com’s Jonathan Noble and Martyn Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the 2022 Formula 1 season played out, particularly Max Verstappen's battles with Charles Leclerc, we naturally focussed on performances race by race. Now that Verstappen has secured his second drivers title, we think it's time to reflect on the sheer scale of his dominance. Verstappen won 12 Grand Prix this season plus the sprints in Italy and Austria. Consider we've only had 18 race meetings (with four remaining) and Verstappen didn’t score any points in two of the first three, Bahrain and Australia. • What were the key moments this year? • Was it a season Max won, or one Ferrari lost? • And what does it mean for the future? Let's get up to speed with Autosport’s Matt Kew and Martyn Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Red Bull Racing and Aston Martin have both been found to be in breach of Formula 1’s cost cap rules. We're going to tell you exactly what they’ve done, and what it means. We’ll find out: • Everything we know so far about Red Bull’s overspend • How the teams are policed, and why we’re still talking about 2021 • What this mean for the teams who complied, and potential punishment for Red Bull Let's get up to speed with Autosport's Luke Smith and Martyn Lee Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Martyn Lee is joined by Dutch F1 journalist Erwin Jaeggi, Autosport’s Luke Smith and Alex Kalinauckas to review a wet afternoon at Suzuka, where once again confusion from the sport's decision makers became an unnecessary talking point. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Luke Smith is joined by Matt Kew to look at a busy day on and off track in Japan. The polesitter was lucky not to have been penalised, after veering in front of another car in Q3. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we're talking about one of the motorsport stories of the year. If you’re not following this one, prepare to be amazed. Colin McRae’s previous record of being the youngest champion at 27 hasn’t just been beaten, it has been smashed, by 22 year old Finnish driver Kalle Rovanperä. · How did Kalle break the mould and dominate WRC so young? · What similarities do the Rovanperä's have to other racing dynasties? · And what can such a young champion do for the future of the sport? Let's get up to speed with Autosport's Tom Howard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we're going to tell you the story behind Nyck de Vries’s crazy 24 hours in Monza. It was the ultimate job interview for a 2023 Formula 1 contract. At last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix we were delighted to see Alex Albon return after an emergency appendectomy and serious complications, ultimately requiring him to be put on a ventilator. It was because Albon couldn’t drive at Monza that Nyck de Vries was thrust into the limelight, scoring points with a stunning debut drive. And now Autosport sources expect him to partner Yuki Tsunoda at Alpha Tauri next season. Today: • Find out about the 60 minute warning he had to ‘suit up’ • His circuitous route to F1, and whether that was looking likely before his Monza performance • After scoring points on his debut, which other F1 drivers have done the same? Let's get up to speed with Autosport's Jake Boxall-Legge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Martyn Lee is joined by Matt Kew and Jess McFadyen to analyse the Singapore GP. Confirmation of the result took over two hours following an investigation by the stewards. Whilst the provisional result was ultimately confirmed, once again Formula 1 fans were switching off their TV not knowing who the winner was. On the podcast today we look at the damage caused by such delays and what Formula 1 can do to fix it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome back to Part 2 of Alex's special travel diary. This is a format we haven't tried before, so we hope you enjoy it. We asked Alex to record a short update at the end of each day to talk about the life of a travelling Formula 1 journalist. Today we hear from Alex getting up close to the cars on Friday morning, and the why he thinks it's important to watch the action from various corners to bring Autosport readers a greatest level of insight. Alex also explains how teams and reporters are staying on UK time, which means a 2pm alarm call and a 6am bed time. Plus Alex gives a full run down of today's qualifying action and who he tips for a good Sunday afternoon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sorry to listeners who already downloaded this podcast. Some of Alex's audio needed to be re-uploaded, in this fixed version. Today, we're talking about the Singapore GP practice times, some breaking news about two teams possibly exceeding the budget cap, and finally something we’ve never done before. So we’d love your feedback. First up Martyn will run you through the practice results and news, then our Grand Prix Editor Alex Kalinauckas who has been recording his week since leaving the UK. The life of a travelling F1 journalist has highs and lows – in return for getting to see cars and drivers up close, they travel the world. Surely it’s all first class flights and large expense accounts? The reality is - our team members Alex, Luke, Jonathan and Adam - live a somewhat nomadic life. And when there are double headers or triple headers, they often won’t get home to their family for weeks on end, flying from race to race. So we asked Alex to record his experiences each day, and tell us about the life of an F1 journalist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, we're taking you into the world of Formula 1 pit stops. Why are they harder on the teams than ever? How have the mechanics had to change because of 2022's rules? And can the fastest pit stop record ever be beaten? Let's get up to speed with Autosport's Luke Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we're going from Formula 1 and taking two steps down the single-seater ladder. With the championship wrapped up at Monza, we’re taking a look at FIA Formula 3 • Why is F3 a series every F1 should have their eye on? • Who had a standout season this year? • And which names we might just be seeing a lot more of in the future Let's get up to speed with Autosport's Megan White. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's podcast, we're featuring something from out sister channel, GP Racing's Flat Chat with Codders. If you like it, please consider subscribing to that podcast for future episodes. Published monthly to coincide with the magazine, Stuart Codling is joined by Mark Gallagher and Matt Kew to discuss the biggest talking points in Grand Prix racing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kevin Turner and Stefan Mackley join Martyn Lee for the final part of our current series of "Top 10..." drivers. We're ending with Tyrrell. Already a successful entrant of other people’s cars, Ken Tyrrell became a Formula 1 constructor at the end of 1970. By the time his team closed its doors at the end of 1998, after being bought by British American Tobacco, Tyrrell had racked up 23 world championship grand prix victories, two drivers’ titles and a constructors’ crown. While much of that success came in the team’s early days, the well-organised squad was highly respected throughout its three decades and ran some great drivers, including up-and-coming talents. Despite its financial problems in the second half of its life, Tyrrell is 10th on the all-time world championship wins list, behind Benetton and ahead of BRM. For this top 10, we considered the amount of success the drivers scored with Tyrrell, the impact they had on the team and the circumstances of their time there. We didn’t include their achievements elsewhere and have excluded the period during which the team ran Matra and March chassis, though that would have made no difference to the final ranking… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Martyn Lee is joined by Tom Howard to analyse a fairy tale weekend for Hyundai at WRC's Acropolis Rally Greece. As other teams fell by the wayside, Hyundai picked up a remarkable 1-2-3 result for the first time in history, and a 1-1-1 result marking their third win in a row (Finland, Belgium and Greece). What makes this story more remarkable is from how far back Hyundai came in 2022, with a Rally1 challenger developed and built far too late. From the lows of Monte Carlo and Kenya, the team were forced to build reliability whilst watching rivals run away with an early lead. However, a controversial decision to impose team order to 'bring the cars home' on Sunday called off a duel between Neuville and Tänak, much to the annoyance of the Estonian former champ and his supporters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There's much to discuss on the podcast today as Formula 1 wraps up it's European races for 2022. Why were we waiting hours for the final grid last night? Could Max Verstappen deliver another recovery drive caused by engine penalties? Or would the Italian fans see their polesitting hero Charles Leclerc stand on top of the infamous Monza podium? To answer all that and more, Martyn Lee is joined by Alex Kalinauckas and Haydn Cobb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before practice got underway for the Italian Grand Prix, a one paragraph press release from Porsche blew a hole in Formula 1's plan for a raft of new engine names to join the sport. Porsche has officially called OFF its plans for a Formula 1 partnership with Red Bull, just weeks after the deal was all but signed. Now, it's dead in the water. How did we get here? How has Red Bull has reacted? And does this leave either Red Bull or Porsche high & dry? Martyn Lee is joined by Autosport's F1 Reporter Luke Smith, to explain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The latest in our special mini-series looking back at the greatest Grand Prix drivers arrives at Minardi, Martyn Lee is joined by list writer James Newbold, and Autosport's chief editor Kevin Turner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt Kew looks back at the Dutch GP with the help of Jess McFadyen and Jake Boxall-Legge, with Luke Smith live from the Netherlands. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Luke Smith and Alex Kalinauckas are at Zandvoort this weekend and witnessed another thrilling qualifying session where the top two were separated by the smallest of margins. The race pace of Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari has all been strong on various tyres during practice so we might be set for an unpredictable grand prix tomorrow. Luke and Alex also tackle to issue of flares being set off by Verstappen fans, with one being thrown as Lewis Hamilton exited pit lane, and a flare which was thrown onto the track causing a red flag during qualifying. Both organisers and Max Verstappen have condemned the actions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The latest in our special mini-series looking back at the greatest Grand Prix drivers arrives at Ligier, as we go back to the1970s and 80s. Kevin Turner is joined by Marcus Simmons and your host Martyn Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It won Le Mans seven times, six of those consecutively. It finished Le Mans 1-2-3 the second time it was on track. It raced at the top level for 15 years with more chassis built than any other racecar. It made careers and F1 drivers queued up to compete in one. This is the Porsche 956/962. Today on the Autosport podcast we tell the story of why it's the greatest sportscar ever raced. We're joined by Serge Vanbockryck, the world’s foremost expert on the car. Serge launched his second book last weekend at Silverstone. It’s a three-volume, 1400-page magnum opus called the Ultimate Works Porsche 962, published by Porter Press. Later in the podcast we're joined by team owner and driver John Fitzpatrick who was on hand at Silverstone to tell us about his memories of racing the Porsche. Alongside Serge and John are Autosport's sportscar authority Gary Watkins, and your host Martyn Lee. Find out more about Serge's books here: https://porterpress.co.uk/collections/serge-vanbockryck Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A mixed up grid, with championship leaders starting from the back due to power unit penalties, meant today's Belgian Grand Prix had the potential to be an almighty battle through the field for Verstappen and Leclerc. To discuss today's GP we're joined by Luke Smith, Jess McFadyen and Haydn Cobb talking to Martyn Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Luke Smith and Matt Kew were at Spa today to watch a delayed qualifying, which we knew ahead of time would be impacted by seven drivers taking some form of penalty because of changing power unit parts. Even if Verstappen or Leclerc grabbed pole they knew another driver would inherit the front row spot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Martyn Lee is joined by Haydn Cobb to discuss all the action on track as Formula 1 returns! Plus there's so much driver news to discuss as Alonso spills the beans on how quickly he did the Aston Martin deal, what Daniel Ricciardo has been saying about his departure from McLaren, and the breaking news that Audi will join F1 as a full manufacturer from 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices