Formula 1 is the highest level of car racing with open-wheel race cars. When people talk about it at places like Silverstone, they usually mean testing or racing activities.
F1 teams have a capped allowance of testing mileage outside race weekends. That mileage can be spent on specific permitted activities, which limits how much teams can develop or validate changes midseason.
Sometimes teams can drive the current car on track days that are officially for filming. Even then, they still can’t drive as much as they want—there are limits.
TPC means teams are allowed to test a previous (last year’s) car, but only within strict mileage limits. It’s a way to do some work without full-on midseason testing.
Formula One is the highest level of car racing in the world. Drivers and teams race on different tracks and earn points across the season, and the cars are highly engineered and constantly improved.
“The sim” is a high-tech racing video setup that F1 drivers use to practice. It helps them keep their skills sharp and test driving changes even when they can’t be on track.
He’s talking about timing around the F1 schedule—after a race in Japan, he went on break. That’s why he mentions training and simulator time afterward.
Sonoma Raceway is a famous race track in California. It’s the kind of track with lots of different corner types, so it’s a good test of how a car handles.
F1 teams don’t just make changes randomly—they plan upgrades on a timeline. They decide what to work on first and when to try it so it helps the car most over the whole season.
Teams can’t upgrade everything at once, so they pick the changes most likely to make the car faster. It’s basically choosing the best “bang for effort” improvements.
They’re talking about the Miami race weekend in Formula 1. They got a big points result (“double points”), which means it helped their season standings a lot.
They’re talking about the rules F1 teams have to follow. When the rules change, teams have to redesign and tune their cars, and the best teams can turn those changes into a performance advantage.
An “upgrade package” is basically a bundle of improvements a racing team brings to make the car faster. It’s like installing new parts and settings that help the car perform better at the track.
Concept
track suit
They’re using “track suit” as a metaphor. Even if the rules change and the car gets updated, it still looks like the same kind of F1 car and keeps a familiar overall style.
“P16, P15” means they’re finishing around 15th or 16th place. In racing, higher place finishes usually earn more points, so that’s why they’re aiming to climb.
The Plymouth P15 is an older car made by Plymouth in the 1930s. It’s the kind of model people talk about when they’re comparing different Plymouth versions from that era, like the P15 versus the P16. The “P15” name is basically the model identifier for that specific car.
In Formula 1, the “midfield” is the group of teams that are close enough to fight for points but not consistently battling for the top positions. When teams say they want to get “back towards the points in the midfield,” they mean improving race results enough to reliably finish in positions that score.
The Miami Grand Prix is an F1 race in Miami, Florida. Teams use it to try to move up the standings and score points, especially if they’re currently stuck in the middle of the pack.
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Welcome everyone to the Fast and the Curious podcast.
Betty Garber is on holiday right now, and apparently she's not good enough for me.
So I am hosting this with Christian, and Christian, welcome along.
Alex, thank you. Lovely to be here. You do a great job.
Thank you.
Do I get the revenue share of this episode now?
Well, officially speaking, no, but actually, if I'm honest, Alex, I won't worry about it.
It's not a podcast we do for the money, put it that way.
It's for the love of the sport.
Love of the game.
It's for the love of the game.
Because I've been on a podcast that you've actually hosted before.
We've done an episode of Team Talk, The Williams YouTube show.
Yeah, so you're actually skilled at this.
I would say that I'm not skilled at it, but maybe my podcast skills are ever so slightly
more dependable than Carlos is.
And so they give me the notes to carry the podcast, but I wouldn't say it's up my street.
I do not envy your job.
Well, the thing is right, you could do this job because it's not really a thing.
I couldn't do your job, so that leaves you winning.
Sure.
OK, I mean, who knows?
You could be the next hidden Max Verstappen, but I highly doubt it.
I might be leaving it a bit late at 34, Alex.
I think I did race carts when I was a kid.
I wasn't that good.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah, there's Alex.
Those who can do those who can't talk about it and there's a reason,
as I say, with this way round.
Sucks to suck.
Yeah.
Thanks, mate.
Thanks.
Speaking of podcasts,
do you want to just say on what you've just said to me off air?
I understand that we're your second podcast of the day.
Apologies for the baggy eyes.
Apologies for the low energy.
You are the second podcast of the day.
Content comms team.
And I personally said, guys, we've got to crack down the first and furious
curious, sorry, not that I forget the name of the podcast
always comes first in my books.
Yeah.
And they were like to the back.
Yeah.
Better you than me.
So you've been trumps.
How does that make you feel?
I'm devastated.
I'm shocked. I'm hurt.
I'm appalled.
I won't sleep tonight.
And all of these words sound like Dom from Williams PR.
They just sound very vindictive person, isn't she?
It's unbelievable.
You know, I try my best for this podcast.
I really I bring it to to the top if I could.
And, you know, I try to being being part of parts on host.
I I really do try a bit and apparently it's not enough these days.
And there's bigger and
I wouldn't say it's a bigger podcast.
So we you want to say where it is?
You can say where it is.
You see, you're going to see me in with a similar haircut
and a similar jacket.
And then you're going to clock on which which forecast I was in.
Is it is it the Will Buxton vehicle?
I don't know, maybe, maybe, maybe, because we're all for it.
We plug the other podcasts.
We have them on. It's all fine.
It's all very incestuous.
Do you have a dual podcast with other?
I mean, a little bit like we've had Matt and Tommy on and things like that.
Yeah, it's all it's all one world around in two.
Yeah, less less.
But yeah. Now, anyway, while you're there,
you're not just doing podcasts, you're at Silverstone, aren't you?
And I think I just heard a formal one car behind you.
So Alex joins us from Silverstone.
What have you been up to?
I was testing yesterday and then today is my favorite day of all content day.
So so I've come back to Silverstone because I love it so much.
And weirdly, George is here, too, not driving.
He's opening the car track.
There's a car track opening here.
And then I think there's who's driving today?
Max and Kira Kawa for Hass.
Nice. Yeah, it's all it's all happening over here.
This is this is the place to be.
And let's do some F1 Explains in a moment because you midseason testing is banned,
but you can do certain little bits of tests occasionally.
What what is this test that you are allowed to do just to confuse everybody
when we tell everyone actually midseason testing's banned?
We get a certain amount of kilometers that we're allowed to use
away from race weekends.
And that can be either filming days, which are able to be used as current car days.
This year's car.
And then there are other days we call them TPC tests,
which are basically last year's car.
And you're allowed a few more kilometers on them days than you are on the filming days.
So yeah, really restricted.
It's a small mileage, isn't it?
TPC stands for Testing Previous Car.
Lovely. It makes sense, doesn't it?
It's pretty impressive.
The the.
What's that called? Anonyms?
Acronyms.
Sorry, Acronyms.
Acronyms is good as the cars.
So so yeah, I drove half a day yesterday with Carlos
just basically shaking off the rust because we've had a long break.
And just to be a little bit fresher from Miami.
Got any of the favourite acronyms while we're here?
I suppose DRS was one, wasn't it? The late DRS.
You didn't hear me, did you?
Don't know. What did you say?
See you next Tuesday.
Anyway, and you're saying that,
you're saying that because we have new episodes out on Tuesdays now.
That's what you that's why you're saying that, isn't it?
Yeah, exactly.
We have to go.
That is genius.
Why not have a podcast on a Tuesday called See You Next Tuesday?
There you go. Pitch it.
I can't believe that.
I have so many ideas.
It's crazy. Really?
I think I told you some of my ideas before, but maybe I'm wrong.
Have you? What for podcasts?
No, for anything.
I actually had this same conversation with Carlos three days ago.
Do you want to hear them?
Yeah, no, I definitely want to hear them.
One of them is a bit more extreme than the other.
Selling fridges and cell fridges.
Think about that.
A yellow fridge.
In the home where part of cell fridges.
I don't I don't I don't know where that goes.
But there's a there's a there's a lead there.
Right. So this is a business idea.
Business idea. Right.
And then I just thought of having a cheese shop.
Called a cheese shop in Jeddah called
selling, sorry, cheddar in Jeddah.
Oh, cheddar in Jeddah.
Right. I see.
So selling fridges and cell fridges, selling cheddar in Jeddah.
These are good.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I know that's the thing I know.
So, yeah, there was some more.
I had them on my phone.
You know, I had all these written down
because when I when I had the year of former one
and I was at Red Bull, then I had a lot of time
on a Thursday project to make too much thinking time.
So every every race, I had a new thing
just as a fun thing with the with the marketing team
to come up with a new idea.
I don't think I've ever said this to you before,
but the question I most frequently get asked
working in Formula One is who is your favourite?
And I have to explain to people that strictly speaking,
I'm a journalist and I have to stay impartial
and working in the sport takes way like favourites
like I used to have if I was a fan when I was a kid.
But I always give the same answer and I'm not just saying this.
I always give the same answer.
I've got a favourite to interview and that's Alex Albon
because you never know where it's going to go.
We've been speaking in 10 minutes.
I haven't asked a single question yet, really.
That I had actually written down to ask you and it's brilliant.
This is why there you go, there you go.
You're welcome.
Well, it's part of my role.
It's part of my role, you know, as as the host,
as Betty Glover's replacement, as Betty Glover's replacement.
That's kind of like I'm now nearly 10 minutes
in going to ask you one of the first things
I actually intended to ask you and we've had the break.
Favourite non F1 thing you've done in the break.
Did you get any time off?
Have you just been locked in the sim?
No, I have.
I am straight after Japan.
I went to LA, I spent a week in LA.
I drove around the wine country around Lape, lovely.
I don't drink wine, so it was more driving than wine.
Yeah, I also don't drink and drive.
Obviously. Obviously.
And and then I drove a couple of cars, drove around Sonoma Raceway.
If anyone knows Sonoma, an amazing circuit.
Nice.
And then came back and it has been
a mixture of training, simulator, you are correct.
A lot of simulator.
And then basically trying to
I think every driver is doing this at the moment,
trying to manage all the marketing, commercial
days so that we have less to do once the season starts.
So obviously we are we are contracted.
And we do a lot.
But what a great opportunity to do them in a five week break.
So so so a lot of drivers are kind of running around at a minute.
Are you basically saying we're not hearing from you
for the rest of the season now?
Enjoy this because this is it.
I wish, but that's not the case.
Another reason.
You have two days, we've got so many days.
It's just like, you know, that meme where it's just like,
like the money spreading meme and it's just like one marketing day,
one marketing day, one marketing day like that.
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How are the pets?
Good, thank you.
They've moved house.
Have they?
They have and they're enjoying.
The countryside a bit more.
So they're still indoor cats, but I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't think I want to know the the the idea of releasing
like if you they're old now.
Yeah.
But they are.
I'm sure there's some mice around.
And I'm not sure what you're getting at.
What you what you think they should be let out to get the mice?
Well, now that it's safe to be outside.
Oh, I see. Now they're in the countryside.
Right. I'm with you. Sorry. Yeah.
So so that's my thinking.
Other than that, in pets insurance is at an all time high.
And is a costuming fortune.
And then one of the cats has to be fed purely chicken.
Poached chicken.
And that's about it.
Yeah. I didn't know you could poach chicken.
It stinks the kitchen.
You can't you can't imagine.
Like it's it's a terrible smell, terrible smell.
I actually got like a stronger induction
system in the kitchen just for the kitchen for the chicken smell.
Yeah, not even joking.
And one cat's lost one of these.
So yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. So that's that's the same kind of chicken.
So yeah, it's like a rinse of mango, but it's happened twice.
Poor guy.
So that's that.
That's it.
I'm actually crying because you're a formal one driver.
And I'm saying you're going poached chicken.
It's just really tickled me.
Yeah. I'm sorry. Yeah.
It's tough.
Sometimes my mum gets to take it out as well.
So like, oh, you'll take it out.
And it's it's like white concrete.
It's incredible.
Poor cat's munching for like 45 minutes.
OK.
Well, I now know about some of these things, not poached chickens,
but pet insurance things.
I've got my first pet.
So I thought I had to mention this to you as the famous.
What do you get?
Got a golden retriever puppy.
Oh, sensational.
Yeah, he's cute.
He's cute.
Is it there?
I can get him if you want.
Please.
All right.
Hang on.
Stay there.
I'm going to get him.
Wait.
You know, I have to like wait for that 10 seconds.
Bear with me.
The intermission.
Hello, everyone.
And isn't it weird that Betty is on holiday?
Don't you think she should be working at the minute,
especially since all the drivers are.
Available.
It's bad time to take some time off,
not professionally, in my opinion.
And also must be doing OK to be on holiday.
Oh, I love it.
What's his or her name?
This is Derek.
Derek, love it.
Yes, I love golden retrievers.
You know, Lily said that I look like a god.
She says I have the personality of a golden retriever.
Could you believe it?
You know, you've got a gold of a tree for energy.
I get that content.
Don't agree.
I think I'm more like a German shepherd.
But I get it and get it.
He's quite sleepy because we've been for a walk.
They say they're saying Chihuahua.
You're not as yappy as a Chihuahua.
That's not what they're saying.
They're giving me a bit of this in the corner of my eyes.
That's a beautiful dog, though.
It's my dream dog.
Really?
It is, it is.
Obviously, a lot of the animals' pets live in the UK.
But if I were to have one in Monaco,
the only thing is you need a big apartment
to have a big dog.
And I can tell you, I don't have a big apartment.
Or get them out a lot.
Yes, yeah.
And obviously, I'm not at home and it's tricky,
but I love that dog.
Beautiful.
He's Derek and you're the second F1 driver
he's met on this podcast.
Oh my goodness.
Who's the first?
Oscar Piastri.
Good man.
Yeah.
I love us.
Oh, Kado's there.
Kado's tired now.
He's very sleepy and he's been teething this week.
He dropped two teeth yesterday alone.
Is he chewing up everything?
Yeah, chewing up absolutely everything,
which is why he was in the pen.
Oh, now he's got caught on my headphones.
Hang on, there you go.
Which is why he was in the pen because he just can't,
he can't be trusted.
But he's going to go and sit next to me now,
I think.
He's quite sleepy this morning,
which is good because he was a little devil dog yesterday.
Bless him.
Well, I'm glad that Golden Retriever's your dream dog,
my favourite dog.
I feel like we should,
given it's a Formula One podcast,
at least the attempts of F1 talk.
This break, obviously you've done some sim stuff.
Obviously Williams didn't have the start of the season they wanted.
How beneficial has the time off been to stop and get in the sim,
as opposed to what you would have had,
which is obviously time on track and racing.
Basically what I'm asking is do you think it will have helped
get back to more where you want to be?
It creates a solid time to,
not so much prepare for Miami,
but sit down and think long term of development plans
and cycles for the rest of the year.
Little things you could imagine,
but just prioritising certain upgrades,
certain areas within the business,
and using the simulator as a mechanism
or a tool to what areas do we want to focus on the most,
then what gives us,
like everything now in Coscap World,
what gives us the best bang for buck.
So yeah, that's honestly been a lot of it.
James has spoke optimistically about the ability to bounce back.
Is that ability there this season?
It is, it will be tough,
but there's so much baggage on the car
that I can see how,
no one says easy,
but there's a lot of potential for us to go forwards.
It won't happen overnight,
and it really is kind of like a race by race,
chip away at it kind of thing.
I think that, for example,
we have an upgrade package in Miami,
it will be better,
but it won't be, you know, the biggest thing.
What's the saying,
biggest thing since sliced bread?
Yes, it's sliced bread.
But no, it is kind of that thing.
Realistically we are now
repositioning our focus.
It will be to get back into the midfield fight
and then get to the top of that fight.
So let's see,
but like everything with the new regulation change,
the potential for teams to improve is massive.
And I think, you know,
by the time the end of the year comes around,
we're going to have a completely different car
to where we are right now.
So full push ahead, factory is absolutely flat out.
And Miami was good last year,
double points, really great finish for you right up there.
Is that reason to be cheerful?
Yeah, I mean, I remember last year,
we overtook Kimmy for P5 in the race.
If we're overtaking Kimmy in the races on Sunday,
he's either had, on history,
is the worst race of his life,
or we've just absolutely nailed the regulations.
We've just come up with an upgrade package
that's blown everyone away.
So it's going to be tricky,
but I think that Miami generally suits our car.
It's amazing how, even with regulation changes,
you still have the same track suit your car.
So instead of fighting for kind of,
I think this year we've been fighting around P16, P15,
if that puts us relatively,
maybe towards a points fighting position,
then let's go for it.
Exactly, fingers crossed.
Fingers crossed, fingers crossed.
Alex, we wish you very well.
Good luck in Miami.
This has been a lot of fun, as usual.
And summarizing the reason why I say you're my favorite
to interview, there is no other Formula One driver
that would give me their business ideas
and talk to me about boiled chicken,
and ask to see my dog.
So it's been a joy.
Give the ball chicken, try it,
try to Derek, give him some boiled chicken later today.
Just open the windows in the kitchen and you're away.
Oh, he's fast asleep.
Can you see him?
I can see literally the smallest top of his head, I think.
Yeah, he's literally crashed,
like he's absolutely crashed behind me,
which is great because yesterday he was energetic all day.
So this is a good sign.
I love how they have like zero thoughts in their head.
That's like the best thing about Golden Retriever
is just that kind of transparent eyes.
Yes.
Love it.
Love it.
I'm excited to meet your Golden Retriever one day.
It'll happen.
We'll have to do a doggy daycare meet-up.
He would love that.
He loves to play with other dogs.
Alex, good luck in Miami.
Hope to see you out there.
Have a great rest of your week.
Thank you.
Bye.
See you later.
Alex Albon there doing Alex Albon things.
There is a reason he's my favorite to interview.
Genuinely, there was a point in that interview
where I thought I'm just not going to get to ask him any of the things
I thought I'd ask like it would have been a record
to have not got to any of the questions we pre-planned.
But that's why we love him, my friends.
Yeah, listen, we're all hoping Williams can do better in Miami.
We're all hoping they'll be able to be more competitive
back towards the points in the midfield
as we move through the season.
So Miami up next then, we'll be back very soon
to talk to you about the Miami Grand Prix.
In the meantime, keep sending us your questions.
We are at Fast Curious Pod.
And if you want more Alex Albon related fun,
we did a special episode over the winter period
with the Fast and the Curious Gold episode,
some of our favorite bits.
So we've mashed all of Alex's best bits from the previous,
what three seasons of the Fast and the Curious into one episode.
It is on this feed now.
Scroll back if you are listening.
If you are watching, you can click the link
that producer Will has cleverly put on the screen now.
Right, me, Betty and Greg will be back very soon.
This has been the Fast and the Curious.
I've been Christian Hugill.
That was Alex Albon.
And of course, another appearance from Derrick.
Bye for now.
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About this episode
Alex Albon drops by from Silverstone to chat F1 logistics, midseason testing rules, and what he’s been doing during the break. He explains the limited mileage allowances (including “testing previous car” days) and how simulator time helps shape long-term development and upgrade priorities for Williams. The conversation also goes off-track—in a great way—with pets (cats moving house, Derek the golden retriever), boiled chicken feeding chaos, and even Alex’s playful podcast/business ideas. Williams’ outlook for Miami stays cautiously optimistic.
Full-time F1 driver and pet parent Alex Albon subs in for Betty this week and joins Christian for a catch up on all things life, and some things F1-related.
Make sure you follow us on all the socials and hit subscribe right here because we will be covering the 2026 season from lights out to chequered flag!
