The Race F1 Podcast

With one round down, opinions are still split on F1's new rules and the way they've altered the on-track spectacle. On this episode of The Race F1 Tech Show, Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson discuss the positives and negatives of what we saw in Australia, discuss how the teams' growing tech understanding will impact racing, and debate the tweaks F1 can make to the rules to improve what many see at the immediate problem areas.Gary also answers questions from listeners on battery technology, front-axle harvesting, and power unit component allocation.If you've got a tech question for Gary, send it to [email protected] bonus F1 podcasts, extra content and ad-free listening? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and get 90% off your first month! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Edd Straw is joined by Jon Noble, in Melbourne, and Scott Mitchell-Malm to unpick the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.The big talking point heading into the race was the nature of the racing under the new regulations - so what did the guys make of what they saw on Sunday?And would Charles Leclerc and Ferrari have been able to stop George Russell leading home a Mercedes one-two had different strategic decisions been made?We tackle those topics and more, plus answer the first batch of your questions about everything that happened in Round 1 of 2026.Want bonus F1 podcasts, extra content and ad-free listening? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and get 90% off your first month! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

F1 heads into its season-opener in Australia with the usual excitement tempered by trepidation about what impact the new regulations - and in particular the energy-starved power units - might have on the racing. So how will the on-track action play out this year, and will we really see chaos during qualifying and at race starts? And if the racing does fall flat, will panic set in? In our second and final pre-season episode, Edd Straw is joined by Ben Anderson and Glenn Freeman to debate those questions and more...Want bonus F1 podcasts, extra content and ad-free listening? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and get 90% off your first month! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

George Russell heads into the season-opening Australian Grand Prix as world championship favourite. But are he and Mercedes really up to the challenge, and will it be Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc or someone else who emerges as his main rival?In the first episode of our two-part F1 2026 season preview, Edd Straw is joined by Ben Anderson and Glenn Freeman to look at the drivers who should be vying for race wins, the dark horses who could surprise, those with something to prove, and those heading into the season under maximum pressure to perform. Want bonus F1 podcasts, extra content and ad-free listening? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and get 90% off your first month! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Max Verstappen has been incredibly critical of the direction F1 has taken with its 2026 rules - but does he have a point? Is F1 still F1?That's the key topic of conversation in the latest episode of Stay On Track, in which 1996 world champion Damon Hill and three-time grand prix winner Johnny Herbert look ahead to the season-opening race in Australia and contemplate what we can expect from the racing in this new era of F1.They also discuss whether they'd have liked to have driven these cars, speculate on how the team-mate battles might play out in the 'big four' teams, and pick a winner for the first race based on what they saw in testing.Want bonus F1 podcasts, extra content and ad-free listening? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and get 90% off your first month! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Race F1 Tech Show returns, with Edd Straw and legendary former F1 technical director Gary Anderson discussing all the big tech talking points heading into 2026.Gary gives his assessment of each team heading into the new season, plus shares his thoughts on the new power units, deployment regimes, energy harvesting, the start sequence and more.He also answers questions from listeners on bargeboards (or should that be floorboards?), the loss of the MGU-H, the weight limit, and lift wings vs downforce wings.If you'd like to ask Gary a question, you can send it to [email protected] bonus F1 podcasts, extra content and ad-free listening? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and get 90% off your first month! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The combination of Fernando Alonso, Adrian Newey and works Honda engines was meant to be the stuff of dreams for Aston Martin, but in testing the combination looked in big trouble and facing an extremely tough start to 2026 at the very least. So has Alonso's last chance to win again in F1 already slipped away, and if so what does that mean for the 44-year-old's future?Edd Straw is joined by Scott Mitchell-Malm and Jon Noble to discuss the prospects of the Spaniard and his Aston Martin team, including where things have gone wrong, how much Honda are to blame, and what the recovery plan might look like. Want bonus F1 podcasts, extra content and ad-free listening? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and get 90% off your first month! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ferrari ended testing on top courtesy of a Charles Leclerc flyer at the end of the final day of running in Bahrain. But who is really the pace-setter heading to Melbourne, and how did Aston Martin somehow manage to have its worst day yet of a nightmare pre-season? Edd Straw is joined by Scott Mitchell-Malm and Samarth Kanal to answer those questions and sum up each team's start to 2026.Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ferrari was talk of the paddock on the penultimate day of pre-season testing in Bahrain with its 'upside-down' rear wing. So what’s that design about and is it legal? And just how strong is the Prancing Horse looking in terms of performance?Edd Straw is joined by Scott Mitchell-Malm, with special contributions from technical expert Gary Anderson, to answer those questions, and get into the other big talking points from Thursday, which included the teams partaking in lower power trials.Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was George Russell in the upgraded Mercedes on top on the first day of the final Bahrain pre-season test as the lap times continued to drop. But what impact could the looming compression ratio saga resolution have on it, and how did the experimental start procedure trialled at the end of the day play out? Edd Straw is joined by Scott Mitchell-Malm to review another gripping day of running, and run the rule over every team on track.Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We reveal every team’s top priority for the final three days of pre-season testing in Bahrain in the latest edition of The Race F1 Podcast. Scott Mitchell-Malm and Samarth Kanal join Edd Straw to work through the 11 teams and what we need to see from them to be sure they are in the best possible place for the start of the season. We discuss the off-track challenge for Mercedes, McLaren’s game of catch-up and Ferrari’s need to build on promising signs. The impressive start made by the Red Bull Powertrains engine, and how Racing Bulls appears to be struggling to make the most of it is also tackled, along with the form of fellow newcomer Audi. And the struggles of Aston Martin are again in the spotlight.Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in F1 have long talked about finding ‘the unfair advantage’, but sometimes the line between clever thinking and outright cheating is not easy to see - as Damon Hill and Mark Hughes discuss on the latest episode of The Undercut.The engine compression saga that’s engulfed F1 ahead of the 2026 season is the latest scenario where a team looks to have found a loophole in the F1 regulations - but should Mercedes be congratulated for what is undoubtedly clever engineering or should the FIA always look to curb any advantage that could be said to go against the spirit of the regulations?Mark and Damon discuss this and other 'grey area' scenarios in what is a typically wide-ranging and free-flowing conversation.Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Mercedes pair of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell ended up with a one-two on the timesheets at the end of the Bahrain test. But with the top teams falling over themselves to declare each other the frontrunner, who is really on top at the conclusion of three days of running? And how seriously should F1 take Andrea Stella’s safety warnings? Edd Straw is joined by Scott Mitchell-Malm and Jon Noble to discuss both of those questions, and reflect on three days of running that left us with as many questions as answers.Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day 2 of F1 testing in Bahrain was dominated by Max Verstappen’s comments about the 2026 regulations - but what’s prompted him to call them “not very Formula 1-like", "anti-racing" and more like "Formula E on steroids”? Dutch F1 commentator Nelson Valkenburg, of Viaplay Netherlands, joins Edd Straw to give his verdict on Max’s comments, and talk through all the rest of the big stories from the day, including Ferrari’s pace and Mercedes’ struggles. Also in this episode, Scott Mitchell-Malm reports back on Aston Martin’s progress after Lance Stroll claimed the team’s new car was up to four and a half seconds off the leading teams, and Jon Noble checks in to discuss the story he broke on Thursday about a potential change to the F1 start procedure that was blocked by Ferrari.Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Edd Straw and Jon Noble as they discuss all of the big stories from Day 1 of F1 testing in Bahrain, including Mercedes boss Toto Wolff’s assertion that the Red Bull is the benchmark car. Edd and Jon also provide some trackside observations of watching the new cars in action, and reflect on Lewis Hamilton’s comments about the new regulations. They also provide an update on every team’s progress on the first day of running. Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s day 1 of the Bahrain test, and as a special bonus, we’re making our first In-Car Insights podcast of the week - a podcast series usually only available to The Race Members' Club - free for everyone to listen to.Our In-Car Insights series is a hugely popular staple of our grand prix weekend output for members, and features the likes of Edd Straw, Scott Mitchell-Malm and Jon Noble discussing the day's news and events as they travel from the circuit back to their hotel.In this episode, join Edd, Scott and Jon in the car as they head to the Sakhir circuit and delve into everything they're looking for on the first day of the first proper F1 2026 test, and marvel at Edd's management of fuel economy and traffic challenges too.Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

F1 launch season has reached its conclusion with Aston Martin and McLaren holding online launches and Cadillac revealing its livery in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl. Jon Noble was in Saudi Arabia for the Aston launch, and he tells Edd Straw what he learned and why some of the language coming from the likes of Adrian Newey and Fernando Alonso suggests the team won't be at the sharp end of the grid in 2026 - at least to begin with.There's also chat about McLaren's launch, the latest on the engine compression saga, and our thoughts on Cadillac's expensive TV commercial and interesting split livery concept.Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With F1 pre-season in full swing, Damon and Johnny return with another episode of Stay On Track, and this time they’re discussing car launches and testing from a driver’s perspective. They share some weird and wacky stories from their own careers, including the time Damon was almost sacked during a car launch and the time Johnny inadvertently found himself part of a space opera! They also discuss how testing has changed over the years, and debate whether the current restrictions on testing have limited opportunities for drivers to experiment with new driving techniques - something that could be a big factor this year, with the new regulations… Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

F1 has all-new cars in 2026, but how will they change the racing we see on track? That's the big question tackled in this episode of The Race F1 Podcast, as Edd Straw, Scott-Mitchell-Malm and Dutch F1 commentator Nelson Valkenburg, of Viaplay Netherlands, attempt to unpick what we've learned from the limited driver and team feedback we've heard so far.How big is the driving challenge, and has it gone too far in the direction of energy management over pure driving? And will one type of driver excel compared to another?Those are some of the topics tackled, before talk turns to the latest on Williams' delayed start to 2026, what to make of the latest comments from Adrian Newey about Aston Martin starting four months behind the curve, and why Jack Doohan has landed a role as Haas reserve driver.Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Now that almost all of the 2026 cars have broken cover, we take an in-depth look at the technical and design trends that have stood out so far in the latest edition of The Race F1 Podcast. Ex-F1 technical director Gary Anderson and Mark Hughes join Edd Straw to work through the key areas and explain the various design choices taken by teams. We take a close look at the approach to active aero, in particular the choices made by teams like Mercedes only to adjust one element of the front wing. The sidepod designs and bargeboard details at the front of the floor are also delved into, as a well as a look at the bold suspension geometries chosen by teams - particularly Aston Martin. We also ask why the Racing Bulls airbox intake is so massive, and what the reason is for the slots in at the back of the floor leading into the diffuser on some cars. Finally, we pick out the best and worst performers from testing, and nominate the most interesting, and most concerning, of the 2026 cars. Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aston Martin dominated the headlines in the final part of the Barcelona shakedown test when its aggressive Adrian Newey creation broke cover, while Lewis Hamilton ended the five days of running with the fastest time for Ferrari. But does the Aston Martin’s speed match its looks, and is Mercedes really the team in front?On this episode of The Race F1 Podcast, Edd Straw is joined by Jon Noble and Scott Mitchell-Malm to mull over these questions, and cast an eye over the progress of each of the teams that ran in Spain this week.Fill out a quick survey about your podcast habits by going to theathletic.com/survey26 and you could win $/£100 worth of Amazon vouchers Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the latest episode of The Race F1 podcast, Edd Straw - fresh off a plane from Barcelona - is joined by Scott Mitchell-Malm to discuss the latest from F1’s private shakedown test in Spain. Top of the agenda is Mercedes’ ominous form, but there’s also chat about McLaren’s first run with its new car, Red Bull’s test plans after Isack Hadjar’s unfortunate crash on Tuesday, and updates on every other team that ran on Wednesday.There’s also further explanation of why Williams are missing the group shakedown, with Scott reporting back on what team principal James Vowles told him and select media on Wednesday.And finally, Edd is joined by Spanish journalist Jorge Peiró (@JPEIR0) for a final perspective on what it was like to cover the test on-site, albeit outside the circuit…Fill out a quick survey about your podcast habits by going to theathletic.com/survey26 and you could win $/£100 worth of Amazon vouchers Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

F1’s first group test of 2026 got underway in Barcelona on Monday in a strange locked down environment, completely free of media and fans. The Race’s Edd Straw and Jon Noble were amongst a handful of hardy journalists who spent the day trying to observe from a distance while evading over zealous security guards, and on this episode of The Race F1 Podcast they report back on what they found.They discuss which teams ran (and which didn’t), who lapped the most, and who set the benchmark time, and also share their initial thoughts on what the new cars look and sound like on track. They also explain why they were left with the impression that the whole event was a big missed opportunity for F1. Fill out a quick survey about your podcast habits by going to theathletic.com/survey26 and you could win $/£100 worth of Amazon vouchers Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In one of the most unique launches of 2026, Alpine chose to kick-start its 2026 campaign with a livery unveiling aboard a cruise ship. The Race F1 Podcast's Edd Straw and Jon Noble were both on hand to witness events first-hand and speak to the key players, and they report back on what they found in the latest episode.Amongst the topics discussed are whether Alpine is poised to benefit from its switch to Mercedes power units for 2026, plus what we should expect from drivers Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto.Fill out a quick survey about your podcast habits by going to theathletic.com/survey26 and you could win $/£100 worth of Amazon vouchers Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest episode of The Race F1 Podcast discusses the fortunes of two teams with huge championship pedigree who have been starved of title success in recent times: Ferrari and Williams.Ferrari unveiled the SF-26 on Friday, before Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc gave the new car a brief shakedown at the Italian team's Fiorano test track. Edd Straw is joined by Scott Mitchell-Malm to discuss the new machine, its initial running, and what the team had to say after its launch.After that, Edd and Scott turn their attention to Williams, who announced on Friday that it would be missing the upcoming 5-day private test in Barcelona due to delays getting its 2026 car ready. So what's happened, and how big a blow will it be for the team? Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Thursday it was the turn of Mercedes to release the first images of its 2026 F1 car, the W17. Mercedes has long been tipped as a favourite, largely because of paddock rumours that its development for the new engine regulations was going extremely well. But what more can we glean now we've seen imagery of the car?From an airport bar, Edd Straw is joined by Jon Noble to discuss that topic, before talk turns to McLaren. The world champion team has announced that it will miss day 1 of the private test in Barcelona as part of a wider plan on upgrades that seem to run counter to what its rivals are doing. Tune in to hear why Edd and Jon think it could prove a clever move in the long term, plus we share the latest we know about the upcoming meeting on engines, where the compression ratio saga will be discussed. Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was another busy day in F1 on Tuesday as Audi had its season launch in Germany and Honda held its own event in Japan. Linking them was a common message - that of managed expectations for 2026, as Edd Straw, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Scott Mitchell-Malm discuss on this podcast.First, we join Val in the party atmosphere of the Audi launch in Berlin. After speaking to various members of the team, he tells us what messages the team were sending out on the eve of the new season.Then we hear from Scott on Honda, who reports back on an event in Tokyo in which the Japanese manufacturer revealed its new 2026 Formula 1 engine - but kept part of the design hidden for now...Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Haas became the latest F1 team to release imagery of its 2026 F1 challenger on Monday, days after F1’s newest team, Cadillac, ran its first ever car at Silverstone - and on this episode of The Race F1 Podcast we discuss both.Scott Mitchell-Malm joins Edd Straw to chat about what we’ve learned about each team, including what the prominent Toyota branding on the Haas means and whether Cadillac's successful early debut says anything about its prospects for the coming campaign.After that, former F1 technical director Gary Anderson joins Edd to discuss some of the technical details on display in the renders Haas released, and how what can be seen on the car compares to what could be gleaned on the similarly Ferrari-powered Cadillac.Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When should an F1 driver retire? It has been a big topic of late, with F1's two most experienced competitors, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, struggling with unwieldy and uncompetitive machinery as they bid to recapture former glory.When is the right time for them to hang up their helmets? That's the subject debated by 1996 F1 world champion Damon Hill and renowned F1 journalist Mark Hughes in the latest episode of The Undercut, the podcast where we give the duo a thought-provoking starting topic and then see where the conversation takes them...Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While the F1 world is a little quieter, we’re dropping a special three-part series into the feed as a winter bonus, all about the barely believable story of how Indycar racing was torn apart in the mid-90s.The third and final episode deals with how the CART/IRL war finally came to an end after more than a decade of fighting - but not before one of the most controversial Indy 500 finishes of all time…We hope you’ve enjoyed this small foray away from F1. We’ll be back to cover the rest of what should be a thrilling F1 pre-season very soon.Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Red Bull kicked off F1’s launch season with a flashy event in Detroit, revealing a glossy revised livery and giving us some hints about expectations for 2026. But what did we learn about the hopes for its new power unit and how big Ford’s involvement really is? And did Max Verstappen give anything away about how he's feeling heading into what's likely to be a crucial year for his future?Edd Straw is joined by Jon Noble to discuss all of this and more, plus reflect on the much more low-key launch of Racing Bulls' 2026 season. With the junior team given less than 15 minutes in the spotlight during the launch event, is it a case of 'Scuderia Afterthought', or will the Italian-based outfit kick-on and become more than a 'talent incubator' for the main squad?Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the first car launch events imminent, we answer your questions on F1 2026 in the latest edition of The Race F1 Podcast.Edd Straw is joined by Scott Mitchell-Malm and Jon Noble to pick over a large selection of questions sent in by The Race Members' Club, including ones on how active aero will really work, which drivers are best suited to thrive under the new regs, and whether the full works teams will steal a march on customer outfits.The guys are also tasked with putting their money where their mouths are and coming up with an expected power unit pecking order - no easy task when a wheel is yet to be turned!Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While the F1 world is a little quieter, we’re dropping a special three-part series into the feed as a winter bonus, all about the barely believable story of how Indycar racing was torn apart in the mid-90s.Episode 2 deals with CART's US 500 nightmare as it attempted to go head-to-head with the first 'IRL' Indy 500 in 1996. Glenn Freeman, Edd Straw and John Oreovicz then look back on CART's strength in the late-1990s, and the IRL's struggles to become established. Then at the turn of the century, Chip Ganassi Racing became the first big hitter from CART to go back to Indianapolis, starting a gradual shift of more teams crossing the divide each May, which eventually led to the first big full-time defection to the IRL.We hope you enjoy this little sideways step into another area of motorsport, but if it’s not for you, fear not we’ll be back with more F1 coverage very soon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Damon Hill and Johnny Herbert are back for the first 2026 episode of their F1 podcast, Stay On Track! They discuss the impact winning the F1 world title will have on Lando Norris (and his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri), and share their view on the mindset Isack Hadjar needs to have going into Red Bull Racing alongside Max Verstappen. They also weigh up which team will get the new regulations right, and who might get them wrong, and what impact multiple exits will have on Red Bull. There's also talk of Lewis Hamilton's pivotal second Ferrari season, plus Hill and Herbert make their champion predictions for 2026...Want to listen ad-free? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While the F1 world is a little quieter, we’re dropping a special three-part series into the feed as a winter bonus. As you might have guessed from the title, it's not about Formula 1, but we think it’s such an incredible tale that many of you will enjoy it, and possibly even be amazed by it. It features our very own Edd Straw, alongside host Glenn Freeman and US racing expert John Oreovicz, and it tells the barely believable story of how Indycar racing was torn apart in the mid-90s, shortly after Nigel Mansell had helped make the North American series so popular that Bernie Ecclestone saw it as a threat to F1.Episode 1 deals with the immediate aftermath of Indianapolis Motor Speedway boss Tony George announcing, in early 1994, that he would be forming his own competitor to the hugely popular CART Indycar series. We hope you enjoy the show, and we’ll be back with episodes 2 and 3 very soon (in between the usual F1 episodes!). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We untangle how F1's strange 2026 pre-season will work in the latest edition of The Race F1 Podcast. Jon Noble and Josh Sutill join Edd Straw to explain what the car reveals and testing can and cannot tell us, and reveal the significance of ‘the bucket of knowledge’.We run through through the launch events and pick out the ones that might be the most significant and impactful, including F1’s dalliance with the Super Bowl, and explain why the unusual behind-closed-doors Barcelona test upsets the rhythm of this process. There’s also a look at how pre-season testing will be approached with the new cars, as well as what can be learned from the on-track running. Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's 2026, and what better way to start the new year than with an episode of The Race F1 Podcast! And there's no better place to start than with a look ahead to what the 2026 Formula 1 season has in store. Jon Noble and Scott Mitchell-Malm join Edd Straw to explain what to expect in 2026, in particular in terms of the quality of the racing on track. We look at the impact the energy demands of the new power units will have on how the season plays out, and what on-track battling might look at.The question of how likely it is a team will start in dominant form, Brawn 2009 or Mercedes 2014 style, and how quickly others can catch up. We also run through the key questions of the year, including Lewis Hamilton’s prospects, the chances of the new Red Bull power unit being a hit or miss, Aston Martin’s hopes and whether Cadillac will be anything more than a backmarker. Plus, in a special segment with Shell, we explore the 2026 changes to fuel. Learn more about race fuel via the Shell Motorsports Website and follow @shellmotorsport on Instagram Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. GET YOUR 2026 WALL CALENDAR TODAY - Go to shop.the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s not even 2026 yet but the first controversy of the new regulations has already erupted, as we discuss in the latest edition of The Race F1 Podcast. Jon Noble joins Edd Straw to explain what Mercedes and Red Bull are understood to be achieving in terms of the compression ratio of their V6 and how its rivals to react to it. We explain what we know about the benefit in terms of power and efficiency, and why rivals are questioning it. We also look into what the FIA might do about it in either the short or the long term, and how the politics of the situation might play into it. Finally, we ask if it’s a problem given pushing the limits of the regulations has always been what motorsport is about.Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. GET YOUR 2026 WALL CALENDAR TODAY - Go to shop.the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We ask how the cars of the 2022-2025 rules era will be remembered in the latest edition of The Race F1 Podcast. Mark Hughes and Jon Noble join Edd Straw to judge how well they worked against their key objectives in terms of improving raceability and closing up the competition.We also explain why the most significant legacy of this rules set might be something only indirectly related to the cars on track. And we reflect on the teams that made the biggest impact with these ground effect cars, and those who underachieved.Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. GET YOUR 2026 WALL CALENDAR TODAY - Go to shop.the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the season finale of And Colossally That's History, Matt and Richard tell the twin stories of Phil Hill and Mario Andretti; two American drivers who couldn't have been more different, but who'll be forever linked by the eerily similar, eerily tragic similarities between their crowning moments.There were 17 years between Phil Hill becoming America’s first F1 world champion at Monza in 1961 and Mario Andretti being crowned the second - also at Monza - in 1978. But rather than being able to celebrate their triumphs unconditionally, both men's title success was overshadowed by their team-mate being involved in a fatal crash in the very same race.Matt and Richard trace the very different paths that Hill and Andretti took to the top of world motorsport, before identifying the similarities in their stories, including how both found themselves in the most dominant car in their respective title winning seasons, and how both were paired alongside fast and flamboyant team-mates, Wolfgang von Trips (in Hill's case) and Ronnie Peterson (in Andretti's).The events of the climactic Monza weekends are also discussed at length, as well as how America's pair of F1 champions dealt with the aftermath of such tragedies.Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. GET YOUR 2026 WALL CALENDAR TODAY - Go to shop.the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the final tech show of the year, former F1 technical director Gary Anderson gives his verdict on the outgoing F1 regulations, and explains where he thinks the incoming regulations have missed a trick.He also answers questions from listeners about how to write better rules, the lack of geometry tweaks by the FIA, and whether active suspension should have returned.We also bring you the second part of our interview with Atlassian customer CTO Andrew Boyagi, who explains how the company’s AI technology is helping Williams reach new performance levels.Get information when you need it with Atlassian Rovo. AI that knows your business. Click here to get started today.Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. GET YOUR 2026 WALL CALENDAR TODAY - Go to shop.the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We work out who were the real stars of the 2025 Formula 1 season in the latest edition of The Race F1 Podcast. Every year, our team of F1 journalists picks their top 10 drivers of the season, with Scott Mitchell-Malm, Mark Hughes and Ben Anderson joining Edd Straw to discuss their choices.  The final top 10 is based on the combined voting of those four, plus Jon Noble, based on each driver’s overall performance relative to machinery over the year. We explain why the world champion isn’t the obvious choice as number one, why it was so tight in terms of picking between the leading midfielders and how we went about factoring in experience levels. There’s also a look at the leading drivers who missed out on our list, including Ferrari disappointment Lewis Hamilton. To add another perspective, we also look at how our ranking differs from that voted for by The Race Members’ Club.Get information when you need it with Atlassian Rovo. AI that knows your business. Click here to get started today.Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. GET YOUR 2026 WALL CALENDAR TODAY - Go to shop.the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the latest episode of The Race F1 Tech Show, Edd Straw and Gary Anderson discuss the unusual taste of 2026 we got with the tyre-test running in Abu Dhabi after the grand prix. That was done using the definitive 2026 Pirelli tyres, but with 'mule cars' adapted to replicate downforce levels, so how useful - or not - will that running have been? Edd and Gary discuss.Gary also answers questions from listeners about whether teams should be able to develop their own tyres, whether a return to simplified aero would solve F1's dirty air issue, and on the fine margins used to control plank wear. Plus, Edd and Gary discuss Williams' progress this season, with Atlassian's customer CTO Andrew Boyagi joining to explain the company's role in Williams' step forward.Got a tech question for Gary? Send it to [email protected] information when you need it with Atlassian Rovo. AI that knows your business. Click here to get started today.Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. GET YOUR 2026 WALL CALENDAR TODAY - Go to shop.the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we near the end of another marathon year of motor racing, our history podcast And Colossally That's History thought it was the perfect time to reminisce about marathon performances at motor racing’s most celebrated test of endurance, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.Over the course of the episode, Matt and Richard tell the tales of six drivers who spent at least 20 hours (and in one case all 24 hours!) at the wheel during a single 24-hour race.As you might expect, there are some astonishing stories to be told about how they did it, including the driver who fixed his car with chewing gum, the driver who did nearly the whole race on a diet of oranges, the driver who almost single-handedly put the new Ferrari marque on the map, and the driver who found a novel way to take his, ahem, ‘bathroom breaks’ without anyone noticing…Get information when you need it with Atlassian Rovo. AI that knows your business. Click here to get started today.Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. GET YOUR 2026 WALL CALENDAR TODAY - Go to shop.the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Edd Straw and Scott Mitchell-Malm reconvene in a much quieter Abu Dhabi to discuss the news that Helmut Marko will leave Red Bull at the end of 2025, ending a run of more than 20 years as the Formula 1 team’s motorsport advisor. But why is Marko out now, and what does this mean for Red Bull Racing - and Max Verstappen - going forward? Edd and Scott also unpick everything that happened in the post-race Abu Dhabi test, which effectively saw two tests running in tandem, with each team having one 2025-spec car for young driver testing and one so-called 'mule' car for 2026 tyre testing.Get information when you need it with Atlassian Rovo. AI that knows your business. Click here to get started today.Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. GET YOUR 2026 WALL CALENDAR TODAY - Go to shop.the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Abu Dhabi, Edd Straw is joined by Mark Hughes, Scott-Mitchell Malm and Jon Noble to dissect the race in which the destination of the 2025 F1 world championship was finally settled.They explain how Lando Norris was able to get the job done, discuss whether he's a deserving champion, and ruminate on what the title will do for the Briton in the short and long-term. They also discuss whether Max Verstappen will have any regrets, despite his stunning finish to the season, and whether Oscar Piastri should now be expected to be a perennial contender.All of the other big storylines from Yas Marina are also discussed, plus Edd, Mark, Scott and Jon tackle a range of questions sent in by The Race Members' Club.Get information when you need it with Atlassian Rovo. AI that knows your business. Click here to get started today.Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. GET YOUR 2026 WALL CALENDAR TODAY - Go to shop.the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a special bonus ahead of this weekend's title finale, we're making the Thursday edition of our In-Car Insights podcast - usually only available to The Race Members' Club - free for everyone to listen to.Get the lowdown from Edd, Scott (and Samarth off-mic in the back) from inside Edd's Geely hire car as they make their way from the Abu Dhabi F1 paddock to a Cadillac press dinner at an Indian restaurant.Find out what the guys made of the special title showdown press conference, convened so Max Verstappen and the McLaren drivers could field the inevitable questions collectively before they get down to business this weekend, and how the protagonists will each be approaching this critical race weekend.Plus other lessons learned on 'media day' in the Yas Marina paddock.If you like what you hear - and we're confident you will - head to Patreon.com/therace to sign up to The Race Members' Club and enjoy these bonus episodes (and much more besides) on every grand prix weekend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the latest edition of The Race F1 Tech Show, Edd Straw and Gary Anderson discuss whether Adrian Newey's impending switch to the team principal role at Aston Martin will blunt the impact he'll be able to make on the technical side of things at the team.Before that, Gary has his say on McLaren's baffling Qatar strategy, and he also discusses why teams are having to 'make do and mend' with car parts at this late stage of the season.As ever, Gary also gets stuck into answering questions from listeners, which this week are on tyre graining, plank skids, and Oscar Piastri's low-grip struggles.Got a tech question for Gary? Send it to [email protected] information when you need it with Atlassian Rovo. AI that knows your business. Click here to get started today.Want bonus episodes and ad-free listening? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier! GET YOUR 2026 WALL CALENDAR TODAY - Go to shop.the-race.com and enjoy 20% of everything with the code BF20 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a bumper mid-week edition of The Race F1 Podcast, we analyse Red Bull's big driver decisions for 2026 and look ahead to the massive title showdown in Abu Dhabi between Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri.First up, with the news that Isack Hadjar is to be promoted in place of Yuki Tsuonda in 2026, we asked if the 21-year-old can end the curse of the second Red Bull and thrive as Max Verstappen’s team-mate. Jon Noble and Ben Anderson join Edd Straw to explain why the change has been made and what qualities Hadjar has shown during his rookie F1 season, as well as the challenges he will face. Whether Yuki Tsunoda has been given a fair shot at Red Bull Racing is also discussed, along with why he failed to make a bigger impact in his outings for the team in 2025.We also explain why Liam Lawson has been given the nod to lead the sister Racing Bulls squad in 2026, and what we can expect from his new rookie team-mate, Arvid Lindblad, who'll partner the New Zealander next season. Finally, we look ahead to the world championship decider in Abu Dhabi, discussing the various title permutations, how each contender is likely to approach the weekend, and what could potentially derail the points leader and favourite, Lando Norris.Get information when you need it with Atlassian Rovo. AI that knows your business. Click here to get started today.BLACK FRIDAY OFFER: Get 50% off your first month in The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. GET YOUR 2026 WALL CALENDAR TODAY - Go to shop.the-race.com and enjoy 20% of everything with the code BF20 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scott Mitchell-Malm and Mark Hughes join Edd Straw to discuss the Qatar Grand Prix and a weekend when the title race took yet another turn. The podcast begins with the obvious question: How did McLaren get it so badly wrong with strategy? The guys discuss that, plus whether McLaren's focus on fairness between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will cost it the drivers' title, given Max Verstappen moved within 12 points of Norris with his seventh victory of the season.Sainz's podium, Antonelli's late wobble, Ferrari's dire performance and much more are also discussed, plus there's the usual bumper batch of questions from The Race Members' Club to answer.Get information when you need it with Atlassian Rovo. AI that knows your business. Click here to get started today.BLACK FRIDAY OFFER: Get 50% off your first month in The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. GET YOUR 2026 WALL CALENDAR TODAY - Go to shop.the-race.com and enjoy 20% of everything with the code BF20 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.