Rivals and stars of the season so far – with Jolyon Palmer + James Hinchcliffe
About this episode
Suzuka and the early-season pecking order take center stage as Jolyon Palmer and James Hinchcliffe break down Kimmy Antonelli’s dominant Japan weekend, his calm “leveled up” mentality, and the growing threat to George Russell inside Mercedes. They debate intra-team dynamics, the impact of starts (including a Suzuka lights glitch), and why McLaren’s Oscar Piastri looked sharp in racecraft and strategy. Ferrari’s balance issues and power-unit deficit are weighed, Alpine’s rise for fourth, and Red Bull’s alarming drop-off—plus Aston Martin’s “test session” reality with Fernando Alonso.
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 decision to not switch full focus to 2026 when Laurent Mekies joined as Team Principal last season? Could Max Verstappen’s frustration benefit his teammate, Isack Hadjar? And with Haas and Alpine above Red Bull in the Constructors’ Standings, is it clear who the fourth fastest team on the grid is?
Plus, Hinch thinks Fernando Alonso is the most positive person at Aston Martin right now, Tom suggests a somewhat contentious reason why, and Jolyon isn’t having any of it!
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Cadillac Lyric
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