F1 Nation

This episode is sponsored by AWS - Global AI Partner of Formula 1

As Kimi Antonelli becomes the youngest F1 World Champion in history, Tom Clarkson and James Hinchcliffe review the Mexico City Grand Prix.

9th place would have been enough for Antonelli to take the title, but he fought his way to the podium. What does that say about his character? Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton lifted the new champion onto their shoulders on the rostrum. Could Kimi go on to challenge their incredible records?

Race-winner Verstappen showed all his speed and composure to take the victory. What was key to him taking the lead, and is the momentum with him ahead of 2027?

After the Ferraris went wheel-to-wheel, Lewis Hamilton wants 'serious talks'. TC and Hinch assess the situation at the Scuderia and ask what can be done to bring harmony between Hamilton and Leclerc?

How is George Russell feeling now his teammate is officially champion? Does his 2027 title challenge begin in Brazil next week?

Elsewhere there's praise for Liam Lawson after another points finish and we hail Haas stand-in Ryo Hirakawa for a scoring a point on his Grand Prix debut.

This episode is sponsored by

Claude
The AI for problem-solvers. Hand off the tedious work to Claude. Try it on any paid plan at http://Claude.ai/nation

Shopify
If you’re ready to launch your business before Black Friday, go to http://shopify.com/nation to start your free trial

Their names are on the F1 World Championship trophy, now they're answering F1 Explains listener questions! 1978 and 1996 title-winners Mario Andretti and Damon Hill joined us for a special legends live show at Circuit of the Americas.

Mario and Damon tell Christian Hewgill about the incredible growth of F1 in the USA, then listeners Nick and Brian take the stage to ask questions about winning in different forms of motorsport, data vs driving instinct and Mario's movie career...

Get your questions answered by an F1 expert
Email F1Explains@F1.com

Follow the Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix 2026
Race previews and reviews on F1 Nation

Daniel Ricciardo opens up about life after F1
Listen now on F1 Beyond The Grid

With Kimi Antonelli two points away from becoming the youngest World Champion in F1 history, Tom Clarkson and broadcaster Diego Mejía preview the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Can anyone delay Kimi's coronation? Perhaps one of the drivers in contention for P2 in the championship - George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, or Charles Leclerc? Verstappen is a 'turn one specialist' in Mexico, but might the high altitude favour the Ferrari drivers? Why are the final races of 2026 so important for Russell and anyone else hoping to mount a title challenge in 2027?

Tom and Diego also hail Liam Lawson's impressive season at Racing Bulls, look forward to a future teammate battle between Ollie Bearman and Rafael Câmara at Haas and discuss a new Cadillac deal for home hero Sergio Perez ahead of his 300th Grand Prix.

Follow the Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix 2026
Watch live on Apple TV in the US, F1TV in selected countries or your national F1 broadcaster
Highlights and updates all weekend on the F1 app and YouTube channel

Daniel Ricciardo opens up about life after F1
Listen now on F1 Beyond The Grid
Ask a question, get an expert answer
Listen to F1 Explains right here on the F1 Nation podcast feed

This episode is sponsored by AWS - Global AI Partner of Formula 1.

James Hinchcliffe and Lawrence Barretto join Tom Clarkson in the Austin paddock to reflect on the United States Grand Prix.

Kimi Antonelli’s dominant win from pole wasn’t enough to secure the title this time around, but he’s moved even closer to becoming the youngest World Champion in F1 history. How did he make the one-stop strategy work so well? And what are the permutations for Kimi to seal the championship in Mexico?

On the other side of the Mercedes garage, George Russell could only manage P8 after a very difficult weekend compared to Kimi. Is there any chance George might start considering a life away from Mercedes given his teammate’s dominance this year?

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc made it back-to-back podiums with a very impressive drive to P2. Was this as good a performance as we’ve seen from Charles all season? Why was he quicker than Lewis Hamilton this weekend? And was this a missed opportunity for Ferrari – given how strong their race pace was, could they have won had they qualified better?

The guys also discuss why Max Verstappen and Red Bull weren’t the team to beat despite being many people’s favourites, some spicy team radio from Isack Hadjar, another challenging weekend for McLaren and why they think Racing Bulls haven’t given Liam Lawson a contract for next season yet.

Listen to more official F1 podcasts
In-depth interviews on F1 Beyond The Grid
Your questions answered on F1 Explains

What’s the difference between understeer and oversteer? How is race pace different to quali pace? And how do drivers deal with jet lag?

Haas Reserve Driver Jack Doohan joins Christian Hewgill in the Austin paddock to answer your questions about Formula 1.

Jack opens up on the challenges of dealing with the mental pressures of the sport and explains what downshifts are, how they feel in the car and why good downshifts are so crucial to lap time.

This episode is sponsored by AWS - Global AI Partner of Formula 1.

Jolyon Palmer and Alex Jacques join Tom Clarkson for some energetic debate ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix in Austin.

With Singapore still fresh in their minds, the guys discuss the strategy call from Lewis Hamilton that cost him a podium and whether a driver should go against their team’s strategic decisions.

Lots of listeners disagreed with Jolyon’s take on last week’s podcast about the crash between McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in the Singapore Sprint race. Having had more time to reflect, has JP changed his view?

Looking ahead to Austin, Kimi Antonelli could mathematically become World Champion at the Circuit of the Americas. But do Mercedes have the car to fight for victory? Is their recent form a cause for long-term ‘concern’?

And with back-to-back wins from pole position, momentum is fully with Max Verstappen as we head to a track where he’s won four of the last five races. Will he make it five out of six this weekend? Jacquesy and Jolyon discuss the turnaround Red Bull have made since the start of the season and their thoughts on Team Principal Laurent Mekies signing a long-term contract extension.

Plus, Haas have announced that Brazilian F2 driver Rafa Camara will drive for them in 2027, replacing Esteban Ocon. What can we expect from the Ferrari Academy driver? And what does his arrival mean for Ollie Bearman?

Packed with drivers, cars, team personnel, media, celebrities and more, their voices drowned out by the noise of passionate fans in the grandstands and engineers at work, the Formula 1 grid before a race start is probably the most exciting, chaotic and loudest places to be in all sport.

But what actually happens on the grid before lights out? How are the drivers preparing in those final moments before going into battle? What work is being done on the cars?

Christian Hewgill and Molly Hudson, F1 correspondent for UK newspaper The Times, are together on the grid before this year’s F1 Sprint race in Zandvoort to answer those questions and explain the rules everyone has to follow on the grid.

Plus, Cadillac Reserve Driver Zhou Guanyu, who drove for Alfa Romeo/Sauber between 2022 and 2024, gives us the drivers’ perspective of what it’s like being in that environment when you’re about to go racing.

Max Verstappen secured back-to-back wins from pole position with his first ever victory at the Singapore Grand Prix. With seven podium finishes from the last eight races, at a range of different tracks, are he and Red Bull now the benchmark in Formula 1?

Tom Clarkson is joined in the paddock by Jolyon Palmer and James Hinchcliffe to discuss Max’s ‘masterclass’ around the Marina Bay Circuit and what we can expect from Red Bull for the rest of the season.

Charles Leclerc claimed his first podium in seven races with P2, but should he have taken the lead from Max at the start after a great launch at lights out? And if he had succeeded, could he have held on to win?

There was disappointment on the other side of the Ferrari garage, as Lewis Hamilton’s decision to stay out under the final Virtual Safety Car cost him a podium. He apologised to the team over the radio at the end of the race, but should they have been more forceful in asking him to pit?

The guys also discuss Kimi Antonelli’s ‘opportunistic’ drive to P3, the crash between McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in the Sprint race and Liam Lawson’s future at Racing Bulls after another big points haul for the New Zealander.

THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY...

Hexclad: Find your forever cookware @hexclad and get 15% off at http://hexclad.co.uk/NATION! Offer excludes bundles and other items already on sale. #hexcladpartner

Why does every Grand Prix have a different number of laps? How come some F1 teams have fewer employees than others? What are drivers and engineers doing during practice sessions?

Those are your questions. Christian Hewgill gets the answers from F1TV Lead Presenter Laura Winter and two-time 24h Le Mans podium-finisher (and budding stylist, apparently) Alex Brundle.

Laura and Alex also tackle your questions on tyre rules, whether driver or car is more important, and why a race with every driver in the same car would not tell us who's 'best'

Got F1 questions? We'll get you an answer
Emails and voice notes welcome at F1Explains@F1.com

Listen to more official F1 podcasts
F1 Nation for race previews + reviews
F1 Beyond The Grid for big interviews with big names

Tom Clarkson and F1 Correspondent Lawrence Barretto think Red Bull and Ferrari will be closely-matched at this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, with Mercedes and McLaren also in the mix.

Will Max Verstappen win this Grand Prix for the first time in his career? Will the tight corners of the Marina Bay circuit suit McLaren and Ferrari? Will Mercedes' upgrades give Kimi Antonelli a chance of victory, and can George Russell recover from a back-of-the-grid start due to an engine penalty?

In the highly competitive midfield, Audi, Racing Bulls and Alpine will be watching Aston Martin closely. The pressure of F1 Sprint, the humidity and the high chance of a Safety Car mean a dramatic weekend is guaranteed.

More official F1 podcasts
F1 Explains answers your questions about the sport
F1 Beyond The Grid brings you in-depth interviews with the sport's biggest stars

Jolyon Palmer and Alex Jacques join Tom Clarkson from the F1TV commentary box to debrief an epic Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

Max Verstappen secured his first victory of 2026 and the first win for Red Bull’s own power unit. How did Max recover from a slow start? Why were Red Bull so competitive in Sepang? And just how far have they come this year?

Meanwhile, there were mixed emotions at Mercedes, with Kimi Antonelli coming home in P2 but George Russell retiring due to an engine issue. Now 84 points behind championship leader Kimi, are George’s title hopes well and truly over? How should he approach the rest of the season?

Having gambled on soft tyres while his rivals stuck to inters at the start, Lewis Hamilton dropped from second to eighteenth in the opening stages, before fighting back through the field to third for his first podium since Silverstone. Why did Ferrari start both drivers on the softs? How did Hamilton complete such an impressive comeback? And how much did Team Principal Fred Vasseur need a result like that?

The guys also discuss a champion’s drive from Fernando Alonso to score his best result of the season for Aston Martin with P8, why McLaren weren’t in the mix in Malaysia and their Driver of the Day.

Big names and expert insight on official F1 podcasts
F1 Beyond The Grid - in-depth interviews with F1 stars
F1 Explains - experts answer your F1 questions

THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY...

Claude: Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today on any paid plan at claude.ai/nation

Shopify: If you’re ready to launch your business before Black Friday, go to shopify.com/nation to start your free trial.

Days after driving a modern Formula 1 car for the first time, Jamie Chadwick joined F1 Explains to answer your questions.

She tells Christian Hewgill what surprised her the most when she tested the 2025 Williams F1 car at the Portimao circuit in Portugal, and compares the experience to driving in W Series, Indy NXT and Le Mans.

Jamie also talks about working with Williams, supporting F1 ACADEMY drivers and her ambitions for her racing career, all while signing a flurry of caps thrown on stage by the Baku crowd...

Got questions? We'll get the answers
Send emails or voice notes to F1Explains@F1.com

More Official F1 Podcasts
Expert race reviews on F1 Nation
In-depth interviews on F1 Beyond The Grid

Tom Clarkson and 1996 World Champion Damon Hill preview this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

Damon competed in the very first F1 race at Sepang back in 1999 so tells Tom what we can expect from the track, the weather conditions and who will be competitive here.

The guys also discuss what George Russell will take into the weekend from his dominant victory in Baku, why Ferrari have felt the need to publicly reaffirm their support for Team Principal Fred Vasseur, and their thoughts on Fernando Alonso’s decision to continue racing with Aston Martin in 2027.

Plus, TC ponders what’s next for Esteban Ocon and Haas after they announced they’ll be parting ways at the end of the year.

Big names and expert insight on official F1 podcasts
F1 Beyond The Grid - in-depth interviews with F1 stars
F1 Explains - experts answer your F1 questions

Tom Clarkson, James Hinchcliffe and Alex Brundle sit down in the Baku paddock to dissect a thrilling Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

George Russell may have only won the race by a tenth after a dramatic drag race with Max Verstappen to the finish line, but he was dominant all weekend to take his third victory of the season.

Why was George back to his best in Baku? Has he finally got to grips with the car? And what does this result mean for his title challenge?

Kimi Antonelli recovered from his crash in qualifying to climb from P16 to P5. Given the Mercedes’ straight-line speed, why wasn’t he able to cut through the field as successfully as he did in Monza? And was this the first time we’ve seen Kimi race with the championship in mind?

The guys also discuss Red Bull's first double podium since China 2024 - whether Max could have won had he qualified higher up, the team orders between him and Isack Hadjar, and just how impressive the latter’s performance was after missing the previous three races with a wrist injury.

Elsewhere, there was mayhem in the midfield as Franco Colapinto took out Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly and McLaren’s Lando Norris at the first Safety Car restart, when Arvid Lindblad also hit his Racing Bulls teammate Liam Lawson. So what will the debriefs at Alpine and Racing Bulls look like?

Also on the agenda: Esteban Ocon’s future after leading Haas to a double points finish, a much-needed point for Williams, disappointment for Oscar Piastri having been in podium contention and an anonymous race for Ferrari.

THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY IM8:

Give your body what it deserves with IM8! Go to http://im8health.com/nation and use code NATION for a Free Welcome Kit, five free travel sachets plus ten percent off your order. #im8health

They're the racing series which prepare drivers for Formula 1. F2 and F3 are where Kimi Antonelli, Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Gabriel Bortoleto and many more F1 stars have honed their skills behind the wheel. How are these categories different, what do the drivers drive, and what does it take to win?

2026 Formula 3 champion Ugo Ugochukwu tells Christian Hewgill the key to topping a competitive field of 30 drivers, what he learned from racing on F1 weekends and how he hopes to make the step up to F2 and beyond.

Formula 2 Technical Director Pierre-Alain Michot answers your questions on how the F2 car is different to F1 machinery. He also explains how the updated F2 car for 2027 will give drivers the best possible preparation for F1.

Got a question about Formula 1?
Curious about cars? Wondering about wings? Send your question on any F1 topic to F1Explains@F1.com

Listen to more official F1 podcasts
In-depth interviews with Formula 1 stars on F1 Beyond The Grid
Expert opinion, analysis and reaction on F1 Nation

Follow Formula 2 and Formula 3

• Official Formula 2 website
• Meet F2 rising stars in Chasing The Dream
• F2 Highlights on YouTube
• F2 social media

• Official F3 website
• Ugo's crowning moment on YouTube
• F3 social media

Tom Clarkson, Jolyon Palmer and James Hinchcliffe look ahead to this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku.

The guys reflect on how different Kimi Antonelli’s European leg of the season was this year compared to last, before discussing how much the Italian’s success this season is down to his own progress and how much can be attributed to George Russell’s struggles.

With Lewis Hamilton now over 100 points adrift of championship leader Antonelli, are his title hopes now over? If so, how should Ferrari approach the rest of this year? After their strong pace in Madrid, what are McLaren’s chances of fighting Mercedes for victory? Oscar Piastri’s championship challenge started to fall apart with a DNF in Baku last year, so will he bounce back? And what can we expect from Williams’ upgrades this weekend?

Plus, after Max took just 14 laps to beat 100 karters at Silverstone last week, Tom, Jolyon and Hinch remember the craziest races they’ve been involved in and discuss whether Max can take his first F1 win of the season in Baku.

THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY:

IM8
Give your body what it deserves with IM8! Go to http://im8health.com/nation and use code NATION for a Free Welcome Kit, five free travel sachets plus ten percent off your order. #im8health

Every driver wants to stand above their rivals, hear their national anthem, life the trophy and spray the champagne on the Formula 1 podium. It's a moment of celebration which takes careful planning and is governed by strict rules... like a wedding... in race suits.

We've put your podium questions the two people who work together to make it all happen: Linda Boudabous – Master of Ceremonies and Special Operations Co-ordinator at the FIA, and Katalin Bukor – Head of Ceremonies & Protocol at Formula 1.

They tell Christian Hewgill about broken trophies, keeping VIPs dry and what happens when real champagne can't be sprayed on the podium.

Send us your F1 questions - F1Explains@F1.com

Listen to more official F1 podcasts
F1 Nation for weekly race previews and reviews
F1 Beyond The Grid for in-depth interviews with the biggest stars of F1

Tom Clarkson is joined by journalists Albert Fabrega and Julianne Cerasoli to reflect on the first Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring circuit.

The Virtual Safety Car came at just the wrong time for race leader Lando Norris on lap 15, costing him victory after he’d made a great start from pole. Could McLaren have pre-empted the VSC? Why did Lando pit after the VSC ended? Could he have stayed out on the medium tyre?

Tom, Albert and Julianne discuss those talking points and you’ll hear reaction from McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella.

Kimi Antonelli capitalised on Lando’s misfortune to take his eighth victory of the season and move 81 points clear of Mercedes teammate George Russell at the top of the World Championship.

And Max Verstappen came home in P2 for his sixth podium of the year. But could he have won the race if Red Bull hadn’t asked him to let Lewis Hamilton past after their opening lap incident?

THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY:

IM8
Give your body what it deserves with IM8! Go to http://im8health.com/nation and use code NATION for a Free Welcome Kit, five free travel sachets plus ten percent off your order. #im8health

How did the Madring come to life? What makes it such a unique track compared to the rest of the F1 calendar? And why is ‘La Monumental’ the corner everyone’s talking about?

As we head to the heart of Madrid for the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend, Christian Hewgill has been finding out more about F1's newest circuit.

He's joined by F1 correspondent Lawrence Barretto, who was Carlos Sainz's passenger as he drove the very first lap of the track earlier this year, and the Madring’s Chief Operating Officer, Carlos Jimenez, to answer your questions about this exciting new challenge for the drivers.

Formula 1 is heading to a brand-new circuit in Madrid this weekend, as the Madring hosts the Spanish Grand Prix for the first time.

Tom Clarkson and F1TV lead commentator Alex Jacques discuss the unique challenges this track will present the drivers, why we could be treated to a chaotic race and which teams will be competitive there.

Jacquesy tells Tom why George Russell can still stop his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli from becoming World Champion, despite the Italian’s 66-point lead at the top of the standings.

And you’ll hear what Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc had to say at media day in Madrid, after their tense opening lap battle in Monza.

THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY:

IM8
Give your body what it deserves with IM8! Go to http://im8health.com/nation and use code NATION for a Free Welcome Kit, five free travel sachets plus ten percent off your order. #im8health