Grand Prix-winning strategists Ruth Buscombe and Bernie Collins are back with Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill to answer another batch of your Formula 1 questions. On the list this week: Why do teams sometimes get their race strategies wrong? How are car upgrades planned? How do you become an F1 race strategist? What do drivers do to look after their tyres? What are the T-bars on top of F1 cars, and why are they different colours? Send us your F1 question and we'll find the expert to answer i...
May 23, 2024•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Two race-winning F1 strategists answer your questions on how teams plan their pit stops, what happens if fewer than 10 cars finish a Grand Prix and how teams hide their secrets when they speak to drivers on the radio. Bernie Collins and Ruth Buscombe join Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill for a quickfire episode of F1 Explains. Why do some teams hope they'll finish a lap behind the leader? What happens when a driver is told to 'keep their head down'? What words did Ruth struggle with when she ...
May 16, 2024•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast At the Miami Grand Prix, F1 Explains went live on-stage with former Haas Team Principal and Miami GP Ambassador, Guenther Steiner. F1 Explains listeners Joan from Florida, Amanda from Tennessee and Nick from Washington D.C. asked Guenther questions about the life of an F1 Team Principal and whether Steiner's office door survived being smashed by Kevin Magnussen. Special thanks to Sam Rose, Carla Corbet, Lyndsey Fairburn, Lindsay Krushner, Jamil Russell-Lewis + Jason Gol Watch F1 live in 2024 Tic...
May 09, 2024•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Formula 1 car is like a musical instrument: to perform at its best, it has to be tuned. Aerodynamics, suspension, tyres, and transmission can all be changed to suit the racetrack, the driver and the weather. In Miami, Christian Hewgill joins Aston Martin to explore car setup, with driver Fernando Alonso, Ambassador and former F1 racer Pedro de la Rosa, and Performance Director Tom McCullough. Send us your F1 question and we'll find the expert to answer it Write an email or record a voice note ...
May 03, 2024•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast When F1 drivers get dressed for a race, safety is the number one priority. Their gloves, balaclavas, boots, suits and underwear protect them from fire and heat. But race kit can't slow them down. It needs to be light, comfortable and breathable, with a few special features built-in to help them perform at their best. Maurizio Sicco, Consultant at PUMA Motorsport and racewear expert tells Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill all about F1 race kit, how it's designed and tested, and the special requ...
Apr 25, 2024•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Taming the insane speed of an F1 car takes extraordinary skill and incredible technology. The brakes glow red hot. The drivers feel extreme G-forces. How do F1 braking systems work, and how do drivers cope every time they slam their left foot into the pedal? Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill break down F1 brakes with: Andrea Algeri, engineer from Brembo, which produces brakes for the entire F1 grid Jack Doohan, Alpine Reserve Driver Send us your F1 question and we'll find the expert to answer ...
Apr 18, 2024•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Formula 1 Team Principals have a lot to do. They have to manage the drivers, engineers, mechanics, designers and hundreds of other employees at the racetrack and in the factory. Team Principals lead them all through wins, podiums and retirements. If things don't go well, they sometimes pay with their jobs. Aston Martin's Team Principal Mike Krack tells Katie and Christian about his job and how it differs from his fellow bosses. Plus, how he manages drivers, keeps on top of the rulebook and why h...
Apr 11, 2024•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast In Formula 1, a driver's teammate is their biggest rival. Each wants to beat the other, but they also need to score maximum points for their teams. When teammates work together, big rewards can follow. When they clash, it can get messy. Kick Sauber F1 Team duo Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu have been teammates since 2022. They tell Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne the secrets of their relationship, how they help each other, how they race each other on track, how they balance teamwork and riv...
Apr 04, 2024•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast 'Please can you summarise how F1 rules have changed since Fernando Alonso's F1 debut?', asks Richard in Dallas, Texas. 23 years of engines, tyres and points systems? No problem for Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne! That's just one of the questions tackled in this episode, featuring F1TV commentator Alex Jacques and former Renault F1 racer Jolyon Palmer. Also answered: What's the difference between F1, FOM and the FIA? What happens in a team after a bad pit stop? Why did Jolyon Palmer never we...
Mar 29, 2024•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast F1 stars of the future show their speed in Formula 2 and Formula 3. The categories immediately below Formula 1 in the motorsport ladder are the perfect place for a driver to sharpen their skills and prove they're ready to move up. How do F2 and F3 work? How are the cars different? How do they prepare drivers for Formula 1? To answer those questions and many more, Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne speak to: Oscar Piastri - 2020 F3 champion, 2021 F2 champion, McLaren F1 driver Alex Jacques - com...
Mar 22, 2024•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Why is finishing outside the points still important? How do you really say 'Charles Leclerc?' How did the pit lane get its name? Christian and Katie put these listener questions and more to F1TV commentator Alex Jacques and former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer. Ask us a question! We love answering your F1 Qs. Write them in an email or record them as a voice note and send them to F1Explains@F1.com Catch up with our other episodes How Formula 2 + Formula 3 prepare drivers for F1 - with Oscar Piastri F1 ...
Mar 15, 2024•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast The game-changing, trailblazing, all-female racing series is back for 2024 with new drivers, top teams and wheel-to-wheel action. The second season of F1 ACADEMY starts this weekend at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill find out everything there is to know ahead of the first race. Susie Wolff, who's driving the series forwards as Managing Director, tells Katie and Christian about the series' mission in 2024 and how it will inspire young women to pursue careers in m...
Mar 08, 2024•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast 20 F1 cars. 5 red lights. 0.2 seconds to react. 5 seconds to 120 mph. The start of a Formula 1 Grand Prix demands extraordinary skill from the drivers and quick decisions from the team strategists. Katie and Christian explore the start of a race with Mercedes reserve driver and former Haas racer Mick Schumacher, who explains what happens in the cockpit in the moments before the start, and the intense run to turn 1. Former Aston Martin Head of Race Strategy Bernie Collins tells us how the race st...
Mar 01, 2024•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast The latest season of Drive To Survive is another fascinating look inside Formula 1. How is the show planned, filmed and edited? How do the producers decide what stories to tell? What does the future hold for the series? To find out, Christian and Katie speak to Drive to Survive's award-winning Executive Producer, James Gay-Rees of Box To Box Films. F1 Explains is the official F1 podcast which answers your questions about how F1 works. Send us your F1 question and we'll find the expert to answer ...
Feb 24, 2024•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Where in the world is Christian Hewgill? He’s in Bahrain to find out why F1 pre-season testing is so important for teams, engineers and drivers. Katie Osborne has a list of listener questions, Christian gets the answers from McLaren driver Oscar Piastri, Alpine Reserve Driver Jack Doohan, Mercedes’ Communications Director Bradley Lord and McLaren Racing Director Randy Singh. F1 Explains is the official F1 podcast which answers your questions about how F1 works. Record your question as a voice no...
Feb 23, 2024•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast F1 Explains is back for 2024! Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne are starting by answering your questions about new F1 cars. When do teams start working on their challengers for a new season? How much of a new F1 car is actually new? What happens when a team comes up with something that has never been seen before? Aston Martin's Technical Director Dan Fallows explains how a new Formula 1 car goes from sketches on paper to carbon-fibre reality. F1 Explains is the official F1 podcast that answers...
Feb 16, 2024•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Your F1 questions answered by F1 experts. Katie Osborne + Christian Hewgill are back with drivers, engineers + exclusive interviews with people who make F1 work. Send your questions to F1Explains@F1.com.
Feb 06, 2024•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Brilliant questions, fascinating answers. F1 Explains explores how our favourite sport really works. In 2023, Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill put your questions to drivers, engineers, strategists, designers and many more of the people who do great work behind the scenes. At the end of the podcast's first season, Katie and Christian have picked the things they loved learning the most, including the advantages and disadvantages of having F1-ready neck muscles and how the sport's rulemakers kee...
Dec 08, 2023•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast ‘Being here in person is incredible’. ‘Insane. It blows my mind’. ‘It’s a different and amazing experience’. We love watching F1 on-screen, but this episode is all about why going to a Formula 1 Grand Prix is next level. Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne head to the grandstands at the 2023 US Grand Prix to hear why seeing F1 live is a must-do for any F1 fan. Whether it’s seeing how fast the cars really are, the chance to buy exclusive merch or getting to meet your favourite driver, a weekend a...
Dec 01, 2023•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast How do teams and drivers get ready for a track they've never been to before? It takes complex calculations, decades of data and a dash of racers' instinct. F1 Explains has the full answer as we prepare to head to Las Vegas. Plus, who gets which garage in the pit lane? What happens in 'parc fermé', what's an 'anti-stall' and which drivers are interview chatterboxes? Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill put more of your questions to race-winning F1 strategist Bernie Collins and F1 Correspondent &am...
Nov 10, 2023•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast How do F1 drivers find the fastest way around a racetrack? Why do the stars of our sport use special drinks bottles? Do some F1 teams have No 1 and No 2 drivers? Race-winning F1 strategist Bernie Collins and F1 Correspondent and Presenter Lawrence Barretto return to answer your questions in another quickfire special. Plus, why do F1 tracks get grippier, what really goes on in F1 hospitality and how does the bonus point for fastest lap work? If you have a topic you'd like Christian, Katie and our...
Nov 03, 2023•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Formula 1 legend, F1 fans with questions and a loud Texas crowd. F1 Explains took to the stage at the Circuit of The Americas for our first ever live show! Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill welcomed former McLaren, Red Bull and Williams driver David Coulthard to COTA's Amphitheatre stage. F1 Explains listeners Crystal from New York, Sammi from Massachusetts and Amanda from Tennessee brought their questions about F1 teammates, reaction times and training. You'll hear why F1 drivers backsides ...
Oct 26, 2023•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Priceless cars, team headquarters, crucial equipment, thousands of spare parts, tyres, fuel... and the Team Principal's favourite coffee. Every item F1 teams need to compete is moved from race to race by an amazing team of logistics experts. Formula 1's Global Logistics Partner, DHL, moves the sport around the world. It's a year-round, tight deadline task which is being achieved more sustainably than ever before - using bio-fuelled trucks and efficient freighter aircraft. Paul Fowler, DHL Vice P...
Oct 19, 2023•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast High-speed corners or tricky hairpins? Flat-out straights or tight chicanes? Every Formula 1 racetrack is a unique challenge for the drivers and teams, and the work to create them is a blend of artistry and engineering. F1 Explains how F1 circuits go from a sketch on a piece of paper, through state-of-the-art digital simulation, to reality. What are the challenges of building a racetrack? How are they designed to allow close racing, overtaking and interesting strategy? Christian and Katie put yo...
Oct 12, 2023•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ferrari is red, Red Bull is blue... F1 car liveries are much more than paint and stickers. They're part of a team's identity, they're worth money to sponsors and they can even affect how the car performs on track. F1 Explains how F1 car liveries are created with the help of two experts: Markus Höpperger tells us how Alfa Romeo's livery is designed and how paint schemes, sponsor placement and graphics are chosen McLaren's Louise McEwen explains why the team turned papaya and how they decide when ...
Oct 05, 2023•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Formula 1 is a high-speed, high-stress sport. Staying cool, ignoring distractions and recovering from setbacks requires huge mental strength, composure and resilience. How do F1 drivers cope? How do they make sure their minds are in the right condition? What support and training do they get to help them? F1 Explains with the help of two expert guests: Pete McKnight - performance coach who gets F1 drivers mentally ready to race. Performance Director for Hintsa Performance David Coulthard - 13-tim...
Sep 28, 2023•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Each one is different, but they're all high-tech pieces of equipment made of military-spec materials, designed to work in extreme conditions. F1 steering wheels do so much more than turn the car. Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne explore steering wheels with the help of two expert guests: Jose Manuel Lopez, Mclaren Principal Race Engineer Jolyon Palmer, former F1 driver with Renault and GP2 champion Jose and Jolyon tell us how wheels are designed, what all the buttons do, how drivers learn the...
Sep 21, 2023•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Who decides where F1 teams do their pit stops? How do F1 cars and racetrack corners get their names? How much is F1's prize pot? Race-winning strategist Bernie Collins and award-winning F1TV commentator Alex Jacques are back with Katie and Christian to answer more of your questions. Along the way you'll hear which F1 car is named after a team founders' wife, the different ways F1 corners get their names, and why drivers leave it until the last possible moment to do their qualifying laps. We'd lo...
Sep 14, 2023•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast How do F1 race starts work? Can you score a podium in F1 Sprint? What are the rules on teams sharing reserve drivers? You ask, F1 Explains with the help of F1TV commentator Alex Jacques and F1 strategist Bernie Collins. The team explains why F1 Grands Prix start when five red lights go out, explore the history of F1 race starts, and Alex reveals the secrets to commentating on the action-packed opening moments of a race. Plus, how is a top 3 finish in F1 Sprint officially recorded, which teams ha...
Sep 07, 2023•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast It has given us more action, more overtaking and more chances to change the race with strategy. DRS, the Drag Reduction System, can help F1 drivers get in position for a race-winning overtake. Why was it introduced? How does it work? What's the best way to use it? F1 Explains with the help of three experts, who tell Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne all about this fascinating subject: McLaren Aerodynamics Specialist Emel Cankaya works on designing DRS systems. She explains the physics of DRS, ...
Aug 31, 2023•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
