F1 Nation - podcast cover

F1 Nation

Formula 1www.formula1.com
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Step inside the Formula 1 Paddock for race previews, reviews, interviews and analysis with Tom Clarkson and expert guests.

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Get answers to your questions on F1 Explains with Christian Hewgill. Email F1Explains@F1.com

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An official F1 podcast. For in-depth F1 interviews, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid

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Episodes

Difficult decisions for Ferrari + Mercedes? – Austrian GP Preview

Tom Clarkson is joined by former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer and IndyCar race winner James Hinchcliffe to preview this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix. With Lewis Hamilton’s victory in Barcelona putting him just 41 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli, do Ferrari and Mercedes have some tough decisions to make? If Charles Leclerc doesn’t bounce back in the next few races, could Ferrari ask him to play a supporting role in a Hamilton title challenge? How would Charles respond to that? And wi...

Jun 21, 202648 min

F1 Explains: inside Audi's amazing trackside home

Brand new hospitality unit perfect for F1 drivers, engineers and mechanics. Three floors, two kitchens, multiple meeting spaces, lounges, racing sim room and roof terrace. Great central F1 Paddock location. Close to racetrack, garages and media centre. Comes with chef and two coffee machines. Takes just two days to build and deconstruct. Can be moved wherever you need it (Europe only) by truck. Ideal for European racetracks with no permanent team buildings For inquiries please contact Christian ...

Jun 18, 202627 min

Has Hamilton’s ‘historic day’ put Ferrari in title fight? – Barcelona-Catalunya GP Review

Tom Clarkson is joined by ESPN’s Albert Fabrega and Brazilian journalist Julianne Cerasoli to reflect on Lewis Hamilton’s first Grand Prix victory for Ferrari in Barcelona. What does this victory tell us about Lewis after such a challenging first year with Ferrari? Why did their three-stop strategy get the better of Mercedes? And are Ferrari now a big threat to them in the title race? You’ll hear reaction from Hamilton and Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur. George Russell came home in second p...

Jun 15, 202647 min

F1 Explains: how a Grand Prix gets started

Five red lights go out and the race is on! The start of a Formula 1 Grand Prix is a high-pressure moment - not just for the drivers, but for the woman who controls the start. Rebecca Lee is the Head of Single-Seater Operations at the FIA and the F1 Permanent Starter. She joins Christian Hewgill to answer your questions about the race start procedure. What are the rules at the start of a race? How does she keep everyone safe? Most excitingly, how does she decide when to push the button which turn...

Jun 12, 202625 min

How pressure and expectation is changing for Kimi + George – Barcelona-Catalunya GP Preview

Tom Clarkson is joined in the paddock by IndyCar race winner James Hinchcliffe to preview this weekend’s Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. With Kimi Antonelli on a run of five wins in a row, and leading his teammate George Russell by 68 points in the World Championship, how is the pressure and expectation now changing for both Mercedes drivers? The guys also discuss why they think Lewis Hamilton ‘has his mojo back’ at Ferrari and what Charles Leclerc needs to get out of his recent difficult patch....

Jun 11, 202629 min

‘Fearless, peerless’ Kimi + ‘bamboozled’ Russell – Monaco GP Review with Laura Winter + Lawrence Barretto

Tom Clarkson is joined in the Monte Carlo paddock by F1TV lead presenter Laura Winter and F1 correspondent Lawrence Barretto to dissect a dramatic Monaco Grand Prix. Kimi Antonelli secured his fifth win in a row, extending his championship lead to 66 points. What did we learn about Kimi this weekend? And is he proving to be a ‘generational talent’? On the other side of the Mercedes garage, a drive-through penalty left George Russell out of the points. He says he’s ‘bamboozled’ by his recent stru...

Jun 08, 202655 min

F1 Explains: Monaco mastery, pole positioning + 'more power' - with Alex Jacques

Why do F1 cars need a pre-race warm-up? How do drivers master the streets of Monaco? Why does pole position swap sides at different circuits? These are just some of the questions we're answering in our latest quickfire special. Christian Hewgill is joined by Alex Jacques - F1TV commentator and lover of Canadian cuisine. Also answered: what do F1 drivers mean when they ask their team for 'more power'? What happens when tyres start 'graining'? Why is damaging a rear wing a race-ending incident? We...

Jun 04, 202633 min

Are Ferrari favourites? – Monaco GP Preview with Palmer + Hinchcliffe

Tom Clarkson is joined by former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer and IndyCar race winner James Hinchcliffe to look ahead to this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix. After Canada, Lewis Hamilton said he thinks Ferrari will be strong in Monaco. So, could this be the first Grand Prix of 2026 that Mercedes don’t win? Are Ferrari the favourites in Monte Carlo? Jolyon, Hinch and Tom discuss the Scuderia’s chances and what mindset Charles Leclerc is in before his home race, after describing Canada as the ‘most diffic...

May 31, 202644 min

F1 Explains: brain training for F1 drivers - with an expert coach

It's race week. You've got a flight to catch. You need to score points this weekend or you might lose your seat. Fans want selfies at the airport. Your engineer needs your thoughts on car set-up. A pundit just said something about you on a podcast. Your Team Principal is calling you... This is the high-pressure life of a Formula 1 driver. To cope, they need to be mentally strong. How do they train their brains to handle the demands of racing at the very top, and who helps keep their minds in sha...

May 28, 202631 min

'Flashpoint' at Mercedes, ‘magic’ Lewis + Franco's finest - Canadian GP Review with Jolyon Palmer + Alex Jacques

Tom Clarkson is joined by F1TV commentary duo Jolyon Palmer and Alex Jacques to reflect on an eventful Canadian Grand Prix. Kimi Antonelli capitalised on George Russell’s DNF to claim his fourth win in a row and move 43 points clear of his Mercedes teammate at the top of the World Championship standings. What did the guys make of their wheel-to-wheel battles in Montreal? Will Mercedes ask them to dial it down? And how does this result change the mindset of the two title contenders? Behind Antone...

May 25, 202644 min

F1 Explains: how drivers reach F1 – with Juan Pablo Montoya

Why do some drivers move across the world to pursue their racing dreams? How important is it to compete in different series on the motorsport ladder? And what mentality do you need to make it to Formula 1? Seven-time Grand Prix winner Juan Pablo Montoya joins Christian Hewgill to talk about the route to F1 – a journey he completed successfully and one he’s reliving again through his son Sebastian, who’s currently competing in F2. Juan talks about leaving Colombia at a young age, how Sir Jackie S...

May 21, 202627 min

Will Kimi’s momentum continue? Big weekends for George, Lewis + Charles? - Canadian GP Preview with Palmer + Hinchcliffe

Tom Clarkson, Jolyon Palmer and James Hinchcliffe are back to preview this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix. After three wins on the bounce, Kimi Antonelli leads George Russell by 20 points at the top of the World Championship standings, so how crucial is it for George to beat Kimi in Montreal? If he doesn’t and more teams get in the mix, will Mercedes have some tough decisions to make? For Ferrari, is Canada a defining moment in Lewis Hamilton’s season? Will Charles Leclerc be thinking about his f...

May 17, 202657 min

F1 Explains: How Press Officers tell the story

You've seen them standing alongside F1 drivers in TV interviews. They're holding phones, recording every word the driver says. Who are they and what are they doing? F1 Press Officers and Communications teams arrange the interviews you see and hear every race weekend. They're the link between the team, the drivers, the media and fans around the world. Sophie Ogg, who was formerly F1 Communications Director at McLaren, joins Christian Hewgill to explain what's involved in the job: dealing with med...

May 14, 202638 min

F1’s greatest teammate rivalries – with Palmer + Hinchcliffe

With an intra-team title battle brewing between Kimi Antonelli and George Russell at Mercedes in 2026, Tom Clarkson is joined by Jolyon Palmer and James Hinchcliffe to chat about some of the greatest teammate rivalries in F1 history. The guys discuss Lewis Hamilton’s battles with Nico Rosberg at Mercedes and Fernando Alonso at McLaren, the major flashpoints during Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber’s time at Red Bull, and the politics between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost at McLaren. Why were those...

May 10, 20261 hr 1 min

F1 Explains: Race Engineers - with Haas F1 Team's Laura Müller

Why do they say 'box, box, box', not 'pit, pit, pit'? What makes them fume on the radio? How has their job changed in 2026? F1 Race Engineers are the voice in the driver's ear, passing on information, listening to feedback, working together to get the best result possible. Laura Müller, Race Engineer for Esteban Ocon at Haas, joins Christian Hewgill to laugh a lot and also to answer your questions on F1 car set-up, how teams know how fast their rivals are, how she became a race engineer and why ...

May 07, 202627 min

Kimi wins under pressure, but are McLaren closer? Miami GP Review with James Hinchcliffe + Lawrence Barretto

Tom Clarkson is joined by F1 correspondent Lawrence Barretto and F1TV expert James Hinchcliffe to reflect on an action-packed Miami Grand Prix weekend. Kimi Antonelli made it three race wins in a row to extend his championship lead to 20 points. Was this the toughest win of Kimi’s career and what does that tell us about him? On the other side of the Mercedes garage, how will George Russell be feeling about the title fight after losing out to his teammate again? And what do the guys make of Georg...

May 04, 202651 min

F1 Explains: Test + Reserve Drivers with Cadillac’s Colton Herta + Zhou Guanyu live in Miami

What’s the difference between a ‘Test Driver’ and a ‘Reserve Driver’? Well, who better to answer that than Cadillac Test Driver Colton Herta and Reserve Driver Zhou Guanyu? Colton and Zhou join Christian Hewgill ahead of Cadillac’s first home race in Miami to answer your questions about Formula 1. How does F2 compare to Colton’s previous career in IndyCar? What’s it like working with Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez? Who replaces a driver if they are injured or ill? How close is simulator perfor...

Apr 30, 202632 min

McLaren's 'best chance'? - 2026 Miami GP Preview

Can a 'completely new' McLaren take victory in Miami? Tom Clarkson, James Hinchcliffe and Jolyon Palmer think it's the papaya team's best chance of the season so far. F1 is back after a break from racing, and everything could be different! Tom, Jolyon and Hinch debate which team will make the biggest leap forward in Miami, and how the second F1 Sprint weekend of the year puts pressure on drivers to get back up to speed quickly. Can McLaren get ahead of Mercedes? Have Ferrari got special upgrades...

Apr 27, 202653 min

F1 Explains: inside a garage during a Grand Prix

What happens in a Formula 1 team's garage during a race? In a world-first episode, recorded inside the Haas garage during the 2025 Miami Grand Prix, mechanics, engineers and strategists tell F1 Explains what they do while the cars are racing. How are the pit crew told it's time for a pit stop? How do strategists make their calls? How do mechanics make sure new tyres are ready to go? Christian Hewgill explains it all from an exclusive position surrounded by data screens, engineers and equipment. ...

Apr 23, 202652 min

What makes the 'perfect' F1 driver?

Verstappen's mentality? Schumacher's teamwork? Alonso's intelligence? Tsunoda's physique? Tom Clarkson is joined by former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer and IndyCar race winner James Hinchcliffe to build the ‘perfect’ F1 driver. They debate the key attributes needed to become the best in the pinnacle of motorsport and which drivers from past and present are closest to perfection. Plus, the guys chat about the possible driver market ramifications if Max Verstappen does leave Red Bull Racing and they sh...

Apr 20, 202648 min

F1 Explains: Cadillac's solid start - with Graeme Lowdon

Cadillac have made a solid start in F1. The challenge now is to make their car faster. With a long break before the Miami Grand Prix, there's time for hard work at the factory... and for Team Principal Graeme Lowdon to answer your F1 questions. How do Formula 1 teams get all their kit to Grands Prix? What’s the difference between Reserve, Test and Development drivers? And how do team members working at the team's bases in the US and UK during race weekends help the team at the track? Graeme also...

Apr 16, 202630 min

Lambiase leaving: what next for Max + Red Bull? Can McLaren catch Mercedes in '26?

Tom Clarkson is joined by former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer and IndyCar race winner James Hinchcliffe to discuss the news that Max Verstappen’s race engineer, GianPiero Lambiase, will leave Red Bull Racing in 2028 and join McLaren as their Chief Racing Officer. What does Lambiase’s departure mean for Red Bull? How will it affect Verstappen’s future at the team? And what will GP bring to McLaren? Plus, the guys are joined by McLaren’s Technical Director of Performance, Mark Temple, who says Mercedes...

Apr 12, 202639 min

F1 Explains: race strategy in 2026 - with Bernie Collins

So much has changed for the 2026 F1 season. How has it affected the job of a race strategist? The new cars and new tyres mean teams have to think differently when planning their pit stops. Race-winning strategist and Sky Sports F1 expert Bernie Collins joins Christian Hewgill to explain it all. Bernie also answers your questions on what F1 teams are doing during the April break in racing, how much it costs to race in F1, and what happens when drivers don't set a time in qualifying. Send us your ...

Apr 09, 202639 min

Rivals and stars of the season so far – with Jolyon Palmer + James Hinchcliffe

Tom Clarkson is joined by former F1 driver, Jolyon Palmer, and IndyCar race winner, James Hinchcliffe, to look back on what we’ve learned from the first three races of the season and what we can expect from Miami onwards. The guys discuss the battle between George Russell and Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes, why Oscar Piastri and McLaren were better in Japan, and what they and Ferrari need to do to catch Mercedes. Red Bull Racing find themselves in the midfield battle, so will they regret their decis...

Apr 05, 202659 min

F1 Explains: Commentating on a Grand Prix - with Alex Jacques

Who overtook who? Which driver is in the gravel? Formula 1 commentators put on-track action into words. They need to be accurate, fast and entertaining to make sure you always know what's happening. F1TV and Apple TV commentator Alex Jacques is the voice of Formula 1 around the world. He welcomes Christian Hewgill into the commentary box to answer your questions. From the screens he can see and the research he does to the role of co-commentators and finding the right words at the biggest moments...

Apr 02, 202632 min

Kimi puts pressure on George + McLaren fight back - 2026 Japanese GP Review

F1 correspondent Lawrence Barretto and Aston Martin Third Driver Jak Crawford are Tom Clarkson’s guests in the Suzuka paddock for F1 Nation’s review of the Japanese Grand Prix. Kimi Antonelli made it back-to-back wins to become Formula 1’s youngest ever World Championship leader. How much pressure has he put on Mercedes teammate and title rival George Russell? With Oscar Piastri finishing P2 and Charles Leclerc also on the podium, the guys discuss where McLaren and Ferrari need to improve if the...

Mar 30, 202647 min

F1 Explains: Tyres - what's new for 2026 and how Pirelli get drivers on track

Is it tyres or tires? Either way, they're very important. The temperature and condition of a driver's tyres have a huge impact on their performance. 2026 sees all-new tires in F1, so what's changed? How do Pirelli choose which tyres to bring to each Grand Prix? How does the company and the FIA ensure tire fairness? Pirelli is the Official Tyre Supplier of Formula 1. The company's Head of Motorsport, Mario Isola, joins Christian Hewgill to answer your questions. Mario explains what's different ab...

Mar 27, 202626 min

‘George won’t play nice’ in title fight with Kimi – Japanese GP Preview

As Formula 1 heads to Suzuka, Japan, a teammate battle is brewing. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli have driven the pace-setting Mercedes to one win each. How will they race each other this season? How will Mercedes handle their drivers? Max Verstappen has been linked to Mercedes in the past, so are George and Kimi also racing to keep their place in the team? Tom Clarkson, former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer and IndyCar race winner James Hinchcliffe talk about the magic of Suzuka, the early season c...

Mar 23, 202655 min

F1 Explains: The Formula 1 Paddock

It's the heart of F1, a circus of speed which tours the racetracks of the world. Drivers mingle with VIPs and engineers. Mechanics push tyre trollies past crowds of reporters and camera crews. Inside hospitality buildings, Team Principals meet sponsors and guests. To enter this exclusive area you usually need a paddock pass, but F1 Explains can get you in... Christian Hewgill is your guide for a tour of the F1 Paddock to answer your questions about what happens there during a Grand Prix weekend....

Mar 20, 202625 min

Can Kimi take title fight to George? Lewis back to his best? – 2026 Chinese GP Review with Jolyon Palmer + Bono

F1TV commentator and former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer joins Tom Clarkson in the Shanghai paddock to reflect on an action-packed Chinese Grand Prix. Kimi Antonelli became the second youngest Grand Prix winner in F1 history, leading George Russell to the second consecutive Mercedes 1-2 of 2026. So can Kimi fight his more experienced teammate for the title this year? Kimi’s race engineer Pete ‘Bono’ Bonnington joins the pod to share what this victory means to them and where the Italian goes from here...

Mar 16, 202636 min
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