Drivers, sponsors, repairing crashes and making big decisions; Formula 1 Team Principals have a lot to handle. Williams Racing boss James Vowles answers your questions about his job. What does it mean when a team says they're focusing on F1's new rules in 2026? How does James deal with team mate battles? How are Williams supporting young women reach F1? Christian Hewgill asks James these questions and more in an interview which is hilariously interrupted by Alex Albon. It's safe to say this epis...
Apr 10, 2025•32 min
190 mile per hour corners. Heavy braking zones. Twists and turns with no room for error. Suzuka, home of the Japanese Grand Prix, tests Formula 1 drivers' skills to the limit. But what are those skills? What are the 20 drivers actually doing with their hands, their feet, and their eyes, which allows them to drive so fast? Former F1 racer and Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de la Rosa answers your questions on the incredible abilities of F1 drivers. He tells Christian Hewgill how they hit corner ap...
Apr 03, 2025•44 min
What does the CEO of a Formula 1 team actually do? What happens in the F1 boss group chat? How are McLaren going to handle their drivers in 2025? Who decides who gets to go on the podium to collect the Constructors' Trophy? Zak Brown answered these questions and more on-stage at the Australian Grand Prix. Christian invited F1 Explains listeners Chloe, Samantha, Lauren and Katy to ask Zak their questions, including whether Zak will be celebrating success with more tattoos or shoeys. Send us your ...
Mar 28, 2025•26 min
A new car to drive. A new Race Engineer to talk to. When Formula 1 drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz move teams, they have a lot to learn. Mercedes Reserve Driver Valtteri Bottas tells Christian Hewgill about the challenges drivers face when switching sides, from learning buttons on their steering wheel to understanding the voices in their ear. Then, 2009 World Champion Jenson Button returns to the podcast to share his experiences of moving from Williams to Honda to McLaren. Send us y...
Mar 21, 2025•31 min
Faster cars. Brighter spotlight. Higher pressure. A Formula 1 debut is a dream come true, but rookies need to impress, or their first season could be their last... 2009 World Champion Jenson Button tells Christian Hewgill the lessons he learned from his first year in F1 with Williams, what the 2025 rookies should try and achieve and the mistakes to avoid. Oscar Piastri's Race Engineer Tom Stallard explains how he and the team supported Oscar in his rookie season, and answers your questions about...
Mar 13, 2025•38 min
Christian's just about to leave for the Australian Grand Prix, but before he goes he's got all the details of F1 Explains LIVE in Melbourne - with special guest, McLaren CEO Zak Brown F1 Explains LIVE at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix 2025 F1 Fanzone Stage, near the Brabham Grandstand 1130-1200, Saturday March 15th Got a ticket for the track on Saturday? You can come to the show If you'll be at the race and have a question for Zak Brown, email it to F1Explains@F1.com - we might be able to m...
Mar 07, 2025•3 min
Formula 1 teams have one chance to test their cars before the 2025 season. With every lap, drivers and engineers learn more about their new machines. Why is pre-season testing so important, and how do teams get the most out of it? From Bahrain, Christian and Katie are joined by F1TV Lead Presenter Laura Winter, who gives us the lowdown on testing. Then Alpine rookie Jack Doohan, McLaren's Oscar Piastri and other key team members explain what happens at testing, and how they gather data ahead of ...
Feb 28, 2025•41 min
F1 pre-season testing is just days away, and F1 teams are racing to be ready. What's going on inside their factories? How long does it take drivers to be 100% confident in a brand new car? How do strategists get ready for the first race? Plus, who do you root for - the driver or the team? Ahead of the 2025 season, Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne get the answers to these questions and more from F1 Correspondent and Presenter Lawrence Barretto, and F1TV strategy expert Ruth Buscombe Divey. Get...
Feb 21, 2025•42 min
On F1 Beyond The Grid, Formula 1's fastest stars slow down for in-depth conversations with Tom Clarkson. They reveal what it’s like being at the centre of the biggest stories of the season and share fascinating insight into what life is like as a Formula 1 driver, Team Principal, engineer, designer, and more. In this end-of year special, Tom picks his favourite moments from a long list of stellar guests. Fernando Alonso reflects on becoming the first driver in F1 history to compete in 400 Grands...
Dec 27, 2024•1 hr 23 min
How do Formula 1 drivers find the fastest way around the track? How do teams scout future superstars? Why is driving in F2 the best way of reaching the top? What really happens on the grid before a race? In 2024, F1 Explains answered these questions and many more sent in by listeners from all over the world. Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne have picked the most fascinating moments from the podcast's second season: Liam Lawson on how drivers find the racing line Ollie Bearman reveals Ferrari's...
Dec 20, 2024•47 min
'To finish first, first you have to finish'. Formula 1 teams can't score points, wins or championships unless their cars make it to the chequered flag. Reliability Engineers like Sauber's Laura Villadelprat work in the garage and the factory to keep the cars on-track and avoid the dreaded DNF (Did Not Finish). Laura explains how F1 teams know when it's time to swap old car parts for new ones, how they monitor reliability in real time, and what they do to investigate the causes of race-ending pro...
Dec 06, 2024•36 min
F1 cars are out-of-this-world to drive, even for experienced racers. Pato O'Ward is a race-winner in IndyCar with Arrow McLaren, but when he jumps in a Formula 1 car as Reserve Driver for McLaren F1 Team, he's blown away. Pato joins Katie and Christian to answer your questions about the differences and similarities between Formula 1 and IndyCar - the cars, the racetracks, the pit stops and more. 'Hi F1 Explains, my question is...' Be part of the podcast. Send your question to F1Explains@F1.com E...
Nov 29, 2024•24 min
F1 cars are racing on the streets of Las Vegas at more than 200 miles per hour. It’s the most spectacular race of the season, and it takes months of work by a team of more than 15,000 people. Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne are in Las Vegas to find out how Formula 1 takes over the city. Las Vegas Grand Prix VP of Sporting and Race Operations Silvia Bellot explains how public roads, including the famous Las Vegas Strip, are transformed into a racetrack with miles of special lights, safety bar...
Nov 22, 2024•33 min
It's where pit crews go to work, where strategies are decided and where races can be won and lost. Katie and Christian step into the Formula 1 pit lane to put your questions to former Aston Martin Head of Race Strategy Bernie Collins. Bernie explains how the length and speed limit of the pit lane affects race strategy, why every team's pit box is different, what all the screens and buttons on the team pit wall are for and what it's like to be in the pit lane during a Grand Prix. 'Hi F1 Explains,...
Nov 15, 2024•29 min
F1 Explains gave listeners who attended our live show at F1 Arcade Washington D.C. the chance to win tickets for the 2025 Miami Grand Prix. Courtesy of the Miami Grand Prix, two lucky listeners have won a pair of tickets for the new McLaren grandstand, some exclusive McLaren merchandise and the chance to win a hot lap of the track with a professional driver. The draw was done at random and it's time to announce the winners. Congratulations to them, and thank you to everyone who entered. You can ...
Nov 08, 2024•9 min
The clock is ticking. The starting grid is full of people - drivers, engineers, reporters and celebrities. Formula 1 is about to go racing, but there's so much work to do. What happens on the grid in the crucial final minutes before lights out? In the first podcast episode to be recorded on a Formula 1 starting grid before a race, Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne push through the crowds and explain what teams and drivers are doing, why the pre-race countdown is so important and the rules of t...
Nov 08, 2024•33 min
Want somewhere to watch a Grand Prix with F1 fans, race against your friends and enjoy food and drink? Look no further than F1 Arcade! Christian and Katie recorded a special episode of F1 Explains at F1 Arcade Washington D.C. after the Mexico City GP Watch Party. F1 Arcade is open now in Washington D.C., Boston MA, plus London and Birmingham in the UK. Go to f1arcade.com to buy tickets for Watch Parties or a high-speed night out . F1 Explains listeners Kim, Lindsay, Nick, Hayden and Kat asked Ka...
Nov 01, 2024•42 min
A Formula 1 legend and a brand new star took to the stage at Circuit of the Americas for F1 Explains LIVE. Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne put your questions to 2-time World Champion Mika Hakkinen, and Ferrari Academy Driver and 2025 Haas F1 Team Driver, Ollie Bearman. F1 Explains listeners Rachel from Austin, Texas, Michelle from Cleveland, Ohio, Erin from Los Angeles, California and Ryan and Daniel from New Zealand asked Mika and Ollie questions about how Ferrari spotted Ollie, how to be f...
Oct 24, 2024•30 min
Come watch the Mexico City GP with F1 Explains at F1 Arcade Washington D.C. Buy tickets at f1arcade.com/us/watch-parties/mexico-city On Sunday October 27th, Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne will be hosting a Watch Party for the race, and recording an episode of the podcast. Join us to watch the Grand Prix on big screens with amazing food and drink, plus racing on the F1 Arcade simulators. Going to be there? We can answer your F1 question. Send it to F1Explains@F1.com, and tell us you're comin...
Oct 22, 2024•2 min
What do Formula 1 drivers do in the hours before the start of a Grand Prix? VCARB's Liam Lawson tells Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne about his pre-race routine, and how he'll be preparing his body and mind to for his return to Formula 1 this weekend at the United States Grand Prix. Andy and Jess from the UK, and Kathy from California had their questions answered on this episode. Send your questions to F1Explains@F1.com F1 EXPLAINS LIVE - in Austin Texas + Washington D.C. Saturday October 19...
Oct 18, 2024•32 min
F1 cars race round corners at more than 190 miles per hour. Those insane speeds are made possible by downforce - the invisible power which keeps F1 cars on-track. Emel Cankaya is an Aerodynamics Specialist at McLaren. She tells Katie and Christian what downforce is, how F1 cars create it and what the front wing, rear wing and floor of the car do. She also explains how and why F1 teams change their downforce set ups for each racetrack, and how she got her job in Formula 1. F1 Explains listener Br...
Oct 10, 2024•33 min
What are the rules when F1 drivers go wheel-to-wheel? How do they know when to hit the brakes? Why do drivers wait until the last moment to set their qualifying lap times? Aston Martin Reserve Driver Stoffel Vandoorne joins Christian Hewgill (and Katie Osborne in voice note form) to answer your questions. Send us your questions Laura from Belgium, Todd from Virginia, Richard from Texas and Luana from Switzerland had their questions answered on this episode. Send yours to F1Explains@F1.com F1 EXP...
Oct 03, 2024•31 min
Precision at 200 miles per hour. Millimetre-perfect steering, Millisecond-perfect braking and acceleration. That's what it takes to race in Formula 1. Performance Engineers help the 20 fastest drivers in the world to be their very best. McLaren's Tom Stallard, a former Performance Engineer, tells Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne about the incredible work these engineers do with Formula 1 drivers. It's a mix of studying data, finding improvements, and coaching drivers to go faster on-track. Pl...
Sep 26, 2024•36 min
16 drivers in identical cars, racing wheel-to-wheel on Grand Prix weekends. F1 ACADEMY, the game-changing racing series for female drivers, returns at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix. Hamda and Amna Al Qubaisi are F1 ACADEMY race-winners, teammates and sisters. They answer your questions on staying calm under pressure, racing in different junior categories and how they recover after a race. They tell Christian Hewgill how F1 ACADEMY has changed their careers, and the support they get from Formula ...
Sep 19, 2024•22 min
24 spectacular Grands Prix in 21 incredible countries. A Formula 1 season is a world tour. How is it scheduled? F1 Explains gets the inside track from Formula 1 Director of Race Promotion, Louise Young. Her team is responsible for planning the Formula 1 calendar. They decide the order of races, negotiate contracts and work with promoters – the groups who own or operate the racetracks which host each Grand Prix. Louise explains how the F1 season is scheduled, how new races are chosen, and how Gra...
Sep 12, 2024•40 min
What does it take to win the F1 World Championship? Is it better to be the leader or the chaser in a title fight? What changes when you become a champion? In a special episode, recorded at F1 Paddock Club, 1996 World Champion Damon Hill reveals all you need to know about winning the sport's ultimate prize - including how teammate rivalry goes beyond the racetrack and onto the dinner table! F1 Explains listener Lilly from Amsterdam joins Christian Hewgill and Damon on-stage to ask her question. T...
Sep 05, 2024•28 min
Why is the 'undercut' pit stop strategy more powerful at some tracks than others? Formula 1 strategists make race-changing decisions under huge pressure. How do they practice? What is a 'DRS train' and how does being in one change a driver's race? Former Aston Martin Head of Race Strategy Bernie Collins answers these questions and more in a quickfire special. Yiorgios in Greece, Carla in Kentucky, Luana in Switzerland, Chad in Tennessee, Katherine in Illinois, April in Toronto, John in Minnesota...
Aug 29, 2024•31 min
How does a Formula 1 team stay fit, healthy and ready to race? The team's Physiotherapist (or Physical Therapist) treats every member of the team like an athlete, helping pit crew members avoid or recover from injury, keeping engineers active and making sure jet lag doesn't knock mechanics off their game. Faith Atack-Martin from Combine Performance works with Haas F1 Team. She tells Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill how she looks after the staff who travel to races all over the world, and how ...
Aug 22, 2024•42 min
What are the most frequently asked questions sent to the F1Explains@F1.com inbox? We answer three of them on this summer break mini episode. Plus, Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill have news of F1 Explains live shows. We're coming to: Dutch GP in Zandvoort - August 23-25 US Grand Prix in Austin - October 18-20 Las Vegas Grand Prix - November 21-23 Tickets to all three races and the rest of the 2024 season are on sale now at tickets.formula1.com If you'll be there, let us know at F1Explains@F1....
Aug 01, 2024•18 min
Dozens of people work inside an F1 team garage, and they all have different jobs. Without these mechanics and engineers, the drivers would never get out on-track. Who are they, what do they all do, and how did they get their jobs? In this episode, recorded at the 2024 Canadian and British Grands Prix, Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne speak to three of Kick Sauber's garage team: Tyre Performance Engineer, Dominic Cheng Composite Technician Michael Loacker, who looks after the car's bodywork Ca...
Jul 25, 2024•38 min
