Bella James plays 'This or That' | Plus the inside stories on all her viral clips
About this episode
Formula One news and internet fame collide as Bella James returns to The Fast and the Curious. The crew breaks down Jean-Pierre Lambiasse’s shock move from Red Bull to McLaren (no earlier than 2028), debating what it means for Red Bull and how F1 contracts and “gardening leave” work. Then Bella shares her path from uni content creation to viral F1 clips and her YouTube series Box Box—an eight-to-nine minute, drive-through interview format built around showing guests’ personalities beyond racing. The chat ends with a fast “this or that” game and Bella’s dream guests.
Christian and Betty are joined by special guest Bella James. They’ll catch up on all the latest things going on in the F1 world (spoiler alert…not a very long list), celebrate Bella’s successes as a content creator since she was last on the pod, and quiz her with some quick fire ‘this or that’ questions all about the biggest figures in the world of F1.
Which driver would she want to see win in 2026?
Who does she not want to retire at the end of the season?
Who is her favourite out of Betty and Christian?
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!
YouTube: @fastcuriouspod
Twitter: @fastcuriouspod
Instagram: @fastcuriouspod
TikTok: @fastcuriouspod
Threads: @fastcuriouspod
Producer: Will Tyrrell
Social Media Manager: Nicola Howard
Executive Producer: Christian Hewgill
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Progressive
"Drivers who switch and save with Progressive save over $900 on average. Pop over to Progressive.com, answer some questions, and you'll get a quick quote with discounts that are easy to come by."
Progressive is an insurance company. They’re saying that if you switch to them and answer a few questions online, you may get discounts that lower what you pay.
Progressive is an auto insurance company that markets discounts for drivers who shop their rates. In this segment, they’re used as an example of how switching insurers can reduce your premium.
Formula One
"[101.8s] We obviously still haven't got any racing to talk about, but that is not going to stop us [106.0s] talking about the wonderful world of Formula One."
Formula One is the biggest level of race car driving in the world. The cars are very high-tech, and the races happen on tracks in different countries.
Formula One (F1) is the top tier of international open-wheel racing, run by the FIA. It’s known for highly technical cars, strict regulations, and races held around the world on road courses and purpose-built tracks.
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
"...to chat to Christian about the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Now, a year on, she has gone from strength to strength..."
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is an official Formula One race in Saudi Arabia. It’s one of the stops on the F1 schedule.
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is an F1 race held in Saudi Arabia. It’s part of the F1 calendar and is known for being relatively recent compared with many historic Grand Prix events.
Jean-Pierre Lambiasse
"Christian, Jean-Pierre Lambiasse. What are your thoughts? Yes, the man who gets shouted at by Max Verstappen for a living Jean-Pierre Lambiasse, aka GP, is leaving Red Bull. He will join McLaren."
Jean-Pierre Lambiasse is an important person in an F1 team behind the scenes. When he switches teams, it can affect how the team works and how the car gets improved.
Jean-Pierre Lambiasse (often referenced as “GP”) is a senior figure in Formula One team operations. Moves like “leaving Red Bull” and “joining McLaren” matter because they can change how the team coordinates engineering, performance targets, and day-to-day execution.
Max Verstappen
"Christian, Jean-Pierre Lambiasse. What are your thoughts? Yes, the man who gets shouted at by Max Verstappen for a living Jean-Pierre Lambiasse, aka GP, is leaving Red Bull."
Max Verstappen is one of the best-known F1 drivers right now. The mention of him shouting at someone shows how serious and constant the communication is in racing.
Max Verstappen is a leading Formula One driver, and his on-track performance and team communication are closely watched. References to him “shouting” at someone highlight how intense and fast the feedback loop is during race weekends and car development.
Red Bull
"Yes, the man who gets shouted at by Max Verstappen for a living Jean-Pierre Lambiasse, aka GP, is leaving Red Bull. He will join McLaren."
Red Bull is one of the big Formula One racing teams. When key people leave or join, it can change how the team builds and improves the race car.
Red Bull is a top Formula One team and constructor, known for its high-performance cars and strong driver development. In F1, team staff and leadership changes can affect how the car is designed, upgraded, and managed during the season.
McLaren
"Jean-Pierre Lambiasse, aka GP, is leaving Red Bull. He will join McLaren."
McLaren is another major Formula One team. If a key leader joins them, it can help shape how they build the car and plan for races.
McLaren is a historic Formula One team and constructor with a long record in both racing and engineering. Hiring a senior figure like Jean-Pierre Lambiasse can influence the team’s technical direction, car development process, and race strategy.
race engineer
"and he's been Max's race engineer since 2016."
A race engineer is the person in the team who talks to the driver during the race. They use car data to help with strategy and adjustments so the driver can go faster and manage the car.
A race engineer is the key technical communicator between the team and the driver during a race. They interpret data, advise on setup/strategy changes, and help the driver manage tires, fuel, and pace.
paddock
"Yeah, anyway, on GP, were you really surprised when this dropped? Because I feel like everyone was surprised, but then also when you started thinking about it, you're like, I can sort of see. No, I wasn't surprised. There was a lot of talk about him potentially moving on in the paddock in Abu Dhabi at the end of last season."
The paddock is the team area at a race. It’s where mechanics and team people work, and where a lot of behind-the-scenes driver talk happens.
In Formula 1, the paddock is the secured area where teams, garages, and personnel operate between sessions. It’s where driver and team news often breaks, and where you’ll hear talk about contracts and potential moves.
team principal
"The job title has been banded about is chief racing officer. [852.5s] Betty, I've got that right, haven't I? [853.9s] Yeah, and that's currently covered off [856.5s] by team principal Andrea Stella."
A team principal is basically the top leader of an F1 team. They oversee the team’s direction and make big decisions.
A team principal is the senior executive responsible for overall leadership of an F1 team, including strategy, organization, and high-level decision-making. In this segment, Andrea Stella is described as covering this responsibility.
F1
"[913.8s] got so much F1 experience in GP, [916.2s] is just another handy person to have."
“F1” is Formula 1—the biggest and most competitive type of race car series in the world. If someone has F1 experience, they’ve worked at the very top level.
“F1” refers to Formula 1, the top tier of open-wheel racing. Experience in F1 typically signals elite engineering, racecraft, and team collaboration at the highest competitive level.
contract
"It will really depend with what's in his contract. On Max, Bella, what are your thoughts?"
A contract is the agreement that says what a driver is allowed to do—like which team they race for and for how long. If the contract changes, the driver might be able to move to a different team.
In motorsport, a driver’s contract governs where they can race, when they can switch teams, and what obligations they have. That’s why the conversation focuses on whether Max can leave and which team he could join.
Silverstone
"...when we were in Silverstone and everyone was getting excited because they'd just released the film..."
Silverstone is a well-known race track in the UK. It’s where big racing events happen, so it makes sense people would get excited there.
Silverstone is a famous motorsport circuit in the UK and a regular venue for Formula 1. When people mention being at Silverstone, they’re usually talking about a high-energy race weekend atmosphere.
underdog role
"But then he was sort of in that underdog role last season, and I feel like, like, the British public especially, but I feel like everybody, like, the Americans, everyone, just started getting behind him a bit,"
“Underdog” means someone who isn’t expected to be the winner. When that happens in racing, people often start cheering for them more.
An “underdog role” is when a driver or team isn’t expected to win, so fans rally behind them. In racing coverage, it often describes a season where results are less dominant than before, changing how audiences root for the competitor.
goat category
"[1366.8s] I was actually thinking this earlier. [1369.4s] Do you think Max Verstappen can be in that goat category now?"
“GOAT” means “greatest of all time.” They’re asking whether Max Verstappen is now seen as the best ever in Formula 1.
“GOAT” is internet shorthand for “Greatest Of All Time.” In sports talk, it’s used to debate whether a person has become the top historical figure in their field based on results and impact.
competitive car
"...he won for so many years consecutively, despite not having the competitive car."
A “competitive car” is a race car that’s fast enough to fight at the front. If the car isn’t good, even a great driver can struggle to win.
In Formula 1, a “competitive car” means the car has the pace and reliability to consistently challenge for wins and points. Even elite drivers can’t fully overcome a car that’s outmatched in aerodynamics, tires, or overall performance.
best bar country mile
"I think he's the best bar country mile now."
That phrase means “way ahead” of everyone else. The speaker is saying Max Verstappen stands out a lot.
“Bar country mile” is a British idiom meaning “by a huge margin.” In this context, the speaker is emphasizing that Verstappen is far ahead of others in performance or consistency, at least in their view.
Auto Trader Magazine
"[1832.9s] And I don't... [1833.0s] Auto Trader Magazine. [1834.1s] Auto, yes. [1834.5s] Things like this,"
Auto Trader is a car-focused publication and website. They’re using it as an example of the more “hardcore” car media group they were placed with.
Auto Trader is an automotive media and listings brand known for vehicle listings and car-related editorial content. Mentioning “Auto Trader Magazine” signals the speaker was grouped with more traditional automotive journalism outlets at the event.
F1 content
"Because you said you did YouTube content, but was there like an overnight thing of going, okay, I'm going to try F1 content?"
F1 is Formula 1, the highest level of race car competition. “F1 content” just means making videos about those races and the drivers.
“F1” refers to Formula 1, the top tier of open-wheel racing. “F1 content” usually means videos focused on F1 cars, drivers, races, and storylines that fans follow during the season.
Drive to Survive
"But F1 just... It was just how Drive to Survive"
“Drive to Survive” is a Netflix show about Formula 1. It makes the racing easier to get into by showing what’s happening off the track too.
“Drive to Survive” is the Netflix documentary series that follows Formula 1 teams and drivers through the season. It helped many new fans understand the personalities, rivalries, and behind-the-scenes pressure that come with F1.
motorsport
"[2010.4s] ultimately, like, [2011.3s] motorsport is sick anyway. [2012.9s] It's such a spectacle to see."
Motorsport is basically car racing—different series where drivers compete. It’s exciting because you’re watching both the driving and the teams making decisions during the race.
Motorsport refers to competitive racing and related forms of driving, like Formula 1, endurance racing, and touring car series. It’s often as much about strategy, teams, and driver skill as it is about raw speed.
pits
"Well, I'm not surprised because I'm going to see the pits at the moment. I don't even know what's going on with them, but I just know it's bad"
The pits are the area at a race track where the team goes to work on the car during a stop. Mechanics can change tires and do other quick fixes to help the car get back out faster.
“Pits” refers to the pit lane and pit area at a race track, where teams service cars during scheduled stops. It’s where you’ll see mechanics working on tires, refueling, and making quick adjustments.
Goodwood Revival
"...one more so than others, which was a Goodwood revival in 2024. And I just happened to, it was a good video..."
Goodwood Revival is a big car event in the UK where people bring older cars and race them. It’s known for a fun, old-school vibe, so clips from there often get attention.
The Goodwood Revival is a famous motorsport event held at Goodwood Motor Circuit in the UK, known for vintage racing and period-correct cars. When someone says a clip went viral from the “Goodwood Revival,” it usually means it was filmed in that historic, enthusiast-focused setting.
F2
"It was something in F2 then, I think. Yes. He had literally just signed the house contract like maximum a month before."
“F2” means Formula 2, a racing league where drivers compete in cars similar in spirit to F1. It’s like a stepping stone—many drivers use it to move up to Formula 1.
“F2” refers to Formula 2, a major open-wheel racing series that sits just below Formula 1. Drivers often use F2 to prove they’re ready for F1, so early career moments in F2 can be a big deal for fans.
MoneyGram
"And you know, I think the first one, the first brand I worked with was MoneyGram, Hass F1 team."
MoneyGram is a company that helps people send money. Here, it’s mentioned as one of the brands that reached out to work with her.
MoneyGram is a money transfer service. In this context, it sounds like a brand partnership that helped fund or amplify the creator’s content.
Top Gear
"[3170.8s] So you've had, [3171.2s] you've had some big old names, haven't you? [3172.9s] Chris Harris from Top Gear."
Top Gear is a long-running automotive TV show known for car reviews, challenges, and celebrity interviews. Chris Harris is one of its most recognizable presenters, and his mention signals a mainstream, enthusiast-friendly automotive audience.
Chris Harris
"But Chris Harris, for example, massive name. Top gear presenter, huge, for those who are not car people, like massive car YouTuber, car journalist has done everything in cars."
Chris Harris is a famous car writer and TV personality. He’s known for reviewing cars and talking about car culture, including on YouTube.
Chris Harris is a well-known British automotive journalist and TV personality, best known to many listeners as a Top Gear presenter. He’s also active as a car YouTuber, which is why his name carries weight in car media circles.
Formula 1 world champion
"So, number one, Charlotte Claire, 2026 world champion, or Lewis Hamilton, 2026 world champion. Lewis Hamilton. Charlotte Claire is your favourite driver?"
In Formula 1, drivers earn points at races all year long. The driver with the most points at the end of the season becomes the “world champion.”
“World champion” refers to winning the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship, which is awarded based on points accumulated over the season. When someone says “2026 world champion,” they’re talking about the driver who finishes that year on top in the standings.
Request an Explanation
Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.
Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.
Want to learn more?
Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.
Help improve this episode
See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark. Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.