The Race F1 Podcast
The Race Media Ltd
Updated about 14 hours agoIf something happens in Formula 1 racing, The Race F1 Podcast has got you covered. Featuring renowned F1 journalists Edd Straw, Jon Noble, Mark Hughes, Scott Mitchell-Malm, Ben Anderson and more, we’ll bring you unbeatable insight from the ground at every F1 race, including the inside line on the latest breaking Formula 1 news and gossip, informed debate about the biggest topics, and in-depth analysis after each grand prix. The feed also features other F1 shows from The Race's stable, including Bring Back V10s, And Colossally That's History!, and The Race F1 Tech Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episodes (762)
The key tech trends of F1's 2026 cars
Now that almost all of the 2026 cars have broken cover, we take an in-depth look at the technical and design trends that have stood out so far in the latest edition of The Race F1 Podcast. Ex-F1 technical director Gary Anderson and Mark Hughes join Edd Straw to work through the key areas and explain the various design choices taken by teams. We take a close look at the approach to active aero, in particular the choices made by teams like Mercedes only to adjust one element of the front wing. The sidepod designs and bargeboard details at the front of the floor are also delved into, as a well as a look at the bold suspension geometries chosen by teams - particularly Aston Martin. We also ask why the Racing Bulls airbox intake is so massive, and what the reason is for the slots in at the back of the floor leading into the diffuser on some cars. Finally, we pick out the best and worst performers from testing, and nominate the most interesting, and most concerning, of the 2026 cars. Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Newey’s Aston Martin catches the eye - but who was the real winner of F1's shakedown test?
Aston Martin dominated the headlines in the final part of the Barcelona shakedown test when its aggressive Adrian Newey creation broke cover, while Lewis Hamilton ended the five days of running with the fastest time for Ferrari. But does the Aston Martin’s speed match its looks, and is Mercedes really the team in front?On this episode of The Race F1 Podcast, Edd Straw is joined by Jon Noble and Scott Mitchell-Malm to mull over these questions, and cast an eye over the progress of each of the teams that ran in Spain this week.Fill out a quick survey about your podcast habits by going to theathletic.com/survey26 and you could win $/£100 worth of Amazon vouchers Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mercedes’ ominous form, McLaren’s debut, and more on Williams’ shakedown absence
On the latest episode of The Race F1 podcast, Edd Straw - fresh off a plane from Barcelona - is joined by Scott Mitchell-Malm to discuss the latest from F1’s private shakedown test in Spain. Top of the agenda is Mercedes’ ominous form, but there’s also chat about McLaren’s first run with its new car, Red Bull’s test plans after Isack Hadjar’s unfortunate crash on Tuesday, and updates on every other team that ran on Wednesday.There’s also further explanation of why Williams are missing the group shakedown, with Scott reporting back on what team principal James Vowles told him and select media on Wednesday.And finally, Edd is joined by Spanish journalist Jorge Peiró (@JPEIR0) for a final perspective on what it was like to cover the test on-site, albeit outside the circuit…Fill out a quick survey about your podcast habits by going to theathletic.com/survey26 and you could win $/£100 worth of Amazon vouchers Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What we learned on day 1 of F1's frustrating private test
F1’s first group test of 2026 got underway in Barcelona on Monday in a strange locked down environment, completely free of media and fans. The Race’s Edd Straw and Jon Noble were amongst a handful of hardy journalists who spent the day trying to observe from a distance while evading over zealous security guards, and on this episode of The Race F1 Podcast they report back on what they found.They discuss which teams ran (and which didn’t), who lapped the most, and who set the benchmark time, and also share their initial thoughts on what the new cars look and sound like on track. They also explain why they were left with the impression that the whole event was a big missed opportunity for F1. Fill out a quick survey about your podcast habits by going to theathletic.com/survey26 and you could win $/£100 worth of Amazon vouchers Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Alpine unveils new livery on cruise ship - but will the team sink or swim in 2026?
In one of the most unique launches of 2026, Alpine chose to kick-start its 2026 campaign with a livery unveiling aboard a cruise ship. The Race F1 Podcast's Edd Straw and Jon Noble were both on hand to witness events first-hand and speak to the key players, and they report back on what they found in the latest episode.Amongst the topics discussed are whether Alpine is poised to benefit from its switch to Mercedes power units for 2026, plus what we should expect from drivers Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto.Fill out a quick survey about your podcast habits by going to theathletic.com/survey26 and you could win $/£100 worth of Amazon vouchers Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ferrari launches new car + Why Williams are missing crucial first test
The latest episode of The Race F1 Podcast discusses the fortunes of two teams with huge championship pedigree who have been starved of title success in recent times: Ferrari and Williams.Ferrari unveiled the SF-26 on Friday, before Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc gave the new car a brief shakedown at the Italian team's Fiorano test track. Edd Straw is joined by Scott Mitchell-Malm to discuss the new machine, its initial running, and what the team had to say after its launch.After that, Edd and Scott turn their attention to Williams, who announced on Friday that it would be missing the upcoming 5-day private test in Barcelona due to delays getting its 2026 car ready. So what's happened, and how big a blow will it be for the team? Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mercedes’ F1 car reveal and McLaren’s ‘clever’ upgrade strategy
On Thursday it was the turn of Mercedes to release the first images of its 2026 F1 car, the W17. Mercedes has long been tipped as a favourite, largely because of paddock rumours that its development for the new engine regulations was going extremely well. But what more can we glean now we've seen imagery of the car?From an airport bar, Edd Straw is joined by Jon Noble to discuss that topic, before talk turns to McLaren. The world champion team has announced that it will miss day 1 of the private test in Barcelona as part of a wider plan on upgrades that seem to run counter to what its rivals are doing. Tune in to hear why Edd and Jon think it could prove a clever move in the long term, plus we share the latest we know about the upcoming meeting on engines, where the compression ratio saga will be discussed. Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Why Audi and Honda managed expectations at respective launch events
It was another busy day in F1 on Tuesday as Audi had its season launch in Germany and Honda held its own event in Japan. Linking them was a common message - that of managed expectations for 2026, as Edd Straw, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Scott Mitchell-Malm discuss on this podcast.First, we join Val in the party atmosphere of the Audi launch in Berlin. After speaking to various members of the team, he tells us what messages the team were sending out on the eve of the new season.Then we hear from Scott on Honda, who reports back on an event in Tokyo in which the Japanese manufacturer revealed its new 2026 Formula 1 engine - but kept part of the design hidden for now...Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Haas and Cadillac F1 cars break cover - our reaction
Haas became the latest F1 team to release imagery of its 2026 F1 challenger on Monday, days after F1’s newest team, Cadillac, ran its first ever car at Silverstone - and on this episode of The Race F1 Podcast we discuss both.Scott Mitchell-Malm joins Edd Straw to chat about what we’ve learned about each team, including what the prominent Toyota branding on the Haas means and whether Cadillac's successful early debut says anything about its prospects for the coming campaign.After that, former F1 technical director Gary Anderson joins Edd to discuss some of the technical details on display in the renders Haas released, and how what can be seen on the car compares to what could be gleaned on the similarly Ferrari-powered Cadillac.Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
When should an F1 driver retire? - The Undercut with Damon Hill and Mark Hughes
When should an F1 driver retire? It has been a big topic of late, with F1's two most experienced competitors, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, struggling with unwieldy and uncompetitive machinery as they bid to recapture former glory.When is the right time for them to hang up their helmets? That's the subject debated by 1996 F1 world champion Damon Hill and renowned F1 journalist Mark Hughes in the latest episode of The Undercut, the podcast where we give the duo a thought-provoking starting topic and then see where the conversation takes them...Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
BONUS: Indycar at war! Ep. 3 - Peace in our time
While the F1 world is a little quieter, we’re dropping a special three-part series into the feed as a winter bonus, all about the barely believable story of how Indycar racing was torn apart in the mid-90s.The third and final episode deals with how the CART/IRL war finally came to an end after more than a decade of fighting - but not before one of the most controversial Indy 500 finishes of all time…We hope you’ve enjoyed this small foray away from F1. We’ll be back to cover the rest of what should be a thrilling F1 pre-season very soon.Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Red Bull and Verstappen kick-off F1 launch season - but what did we learn?
Red Bull kicked off F1’s launch season with a flashy event in Detroit, revealing a glossy revised livery and giving us some hints about expectations for 2026. But what did we learn about the hopes for its new power unit and how big Ford’s involvement really is? And did Max Verstappen give anything away about how he's feeling heading into what's likely to be a crucial year for his future?Edd Straw is joined by Jon Noble to discuss all of this and more, plus reflect on the much more low-key launch of Racing Bulls' 2026 season. With the junior team given less than 15 minutes in the spotlight during the launch event, is it a case of 'Scuderia Afterthought', or will the Italian-based outfit kick-on and become more than a 'talent incubator' for the main squad?Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What's active aero and will the Mercedes engine be best? We answer your questions on F1 2026
With the first car launch events imminent, we answer your questions on F1 2026 in the latest edition of The Race F1 Podcast.Edd Straw is joined by Scott Mitchell-Malm and Jon Noble to pick over a large selection of questions sent in by The Race Members' Club, including ones on how active aero will really work, which drivers are best suited to thrive under the new regs, and whether the full works teams will steal a march on customer outfits.The guys are also tasked with putting their money where their mouths are and coming up with an expected power unit pecking order - no easy task when a wheel is yet to be turned!Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
BONUS: Indycar at war! Ep. 2 - The nightmare attempt to rival the Indy 500
While the F1 world is a little quieter, we’re dropping a special three-part series into the feed as a winter bonus, all about the barely believable story of how Indycar racing was torn apart in the mid-90s.Episode 2 deals with CART's US 500 nightmare as it attempted to go head-to-head with the first 'IRL' Indy 500 in 1996. Glenn Freeman, Edd Straw and John Oreovicz then look back on CART's strength in the late-1990s, and the IRL's struggles to become established. Then at the turn of the century, Chip Ganassi Racing became the first big hitter from CART to go back to Indianapolis, starting a gradual shift of more teams crossing the divide each May, which eventually led to the first big full-time defection to the IRL.We hope you enjoy this little sideways step into another area of motorsport, but if it’s not for you, fear not we’ll be back with more F1 coverage very soon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
HILL & HERBERT: Who will be 2026 F1 champion? Damon and Johnny's verdict
Damon Hill and Johnny Herbert are back for the first 2026 episode of their F1 podcast, Stay On Track! They discuss the impact winning the F1 world title will have on Lando Norris (and his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri), and share their view on the mindset Isack Hadjar needs to have going into Red Bull Racing alongside Max Verstappen. They also weigh up which team will get the new regulations right, and who might get them wrong, and what impact multiple exits will have on Red Bull. There's also talk of Lewis Hamilton's pivotal second Ferrari season, plus Hill and Herbert make their champion predictions for 2026...Want to listen ad-free? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
BONUS: Indycar at war! Ep. 1 - The insane story of how a sport was split apart
While the F1 world is a little quieter, we’re dropping a special three-part series into the feed as a winter bonus. As you might have guessed from the title, it's not about Formula 1, but we think it’s such an incredible tale that many of you will enjoy it, and possibly even be amazed by it. It features our very own Edd Straw, alongside host Glenn Freeman and US racing expert John Oreovicz, and it tells the barely believable story of how Indycar racing was torn apart in the mid-90s, shortly after Nigel Mansell had helped make the North American series so popular that Bernie Ecclestone saw it as a threat to F1.Episode 1 deals with the immediate aftermath of Indianapolis Motor Speedway boss Tony George announcing, in early 1994, that he would be forming his own competitor to the hugely popular CART Indycar series. We hope you enjoy the show, and we’ll be back with episodes 2 and 3 very soon (in between the usual F1 episodes!). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What to expect from F1's weird 2026 pre-season
We untangle how F1's strange 2026 pre-season will work in the latest edition of The Race F1 Podcast. Jon Noble and Josh Sutill join Edd Straw to explain what the car reveals and testing can and cannot tell us, and reveal the significance of ‘the bucket of knowledge’.We run through through the launch events and pick out the ones that might be the most significant and impactful, including F1’s dalliance with the Super Bowl, and explain why the unusual behind-closed-doors Barcelona test upsets the rhythm of this process. There’s also a look at how pre-season testing will be approached with the new cars, as well as what can be learned from the on-track running. Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
F1 2026: The big stories to watch for
It's 2026, and what better way to start the new year than with an episode of The Race F1 Podcast! And there's no better place to start than with a look ahead to what the 2026 Formula 1 season has in store. Jon Noble and Scott Mitchell-Malm join Edd Straw to explain what to expect in 2026, in particular in terms of the quality of the racing on track. We look at the impact the energy demands of the new power units will have on how the season plays out, and what on-track battling might look at.The question of how likely it is a team will start in dominant form, Brawn 2009 or Mercedes 2014 style, and how quickly others can catch up. We also run through the key questions of the year, including Lewis Hamilton’s prospects, the chances of the new Red Bull power unit being a hit or miss, Aston Martin’s hopes and whether Cadillac will be anything more than a backmarker. Plus, in a special segment with Shell, we explore the 2026 changes to fuel. Learn more about race fuel via the Shell Motorsports Website and follow @shellmotorsport on Instagram Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. GET YOUR 2026 WALL CALENDAR TODAY - Go to shop.the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Explaining the 2026 engine loophole controversy
It’s not even 2026 yet but the first controversy of the new regulations has already erupted, as we discuss in the latest edition of The Race F1 Podcast. Jon Noble joins Edd Straw to explain what Mercedes and Red Bull are understood to be achieving in terms of the compression ratio of their V6 and how its rivals to react to it. We explain what we know about the benefit in terms of power and efficiency, and why rivals are questioning it. We also look into what the FIA might do about it in either the short or the long term, and how the politics of the situation might play into it. Finally, we ask if it’s a problem given pushing the limits of the regulations has always been what motorsport is about.Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. GET YOUR 2026 WALL CALENDAR TODAY - Go to shop.the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How will the outgoing cars - and the racing they produced - be remembered?
We ask how the cars of the 2022-2025 rules era will be remembered in the latest edition of The Race F1 Podcast. Mark Hughes and Jon Noble join Edd Straw to judge how well they worked against their key objectives in terms of improving raceability and closing up the competition.We also explain why the most significant legacy of this rules set might be something only indirectly related to the cars on track. And we reflect on the teams that made the biggest impact with these ground effect cars, and those who underachieved.Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. GET YOUR 2026 WALL CALENDAR TODAY - Go to shop.the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
And Colossally That's History: The tragic coronations of America's only F1 champions
For the season finale of And Colossally That's History, Matt and Richard tell the twin stories of Phil Hill and Mario Andretti; two American drivers who couldn't have been more different, but who'll be forever linked by the eerily similar, eerily tragic similarities between their crowning moments.There were 17 years between Phil Hill becoming America’s first F1 world champion at Monza in 1961 and Mario Andretti being crowned the second - also at Monza - in 1978. But rather than being able to celebrate their triumphs unconditionally, both men's title success was overshadowed by their team-mate being involved in a fatal crash in the very same race.Matt and Richard trace the very different paths that Hill and Andretti took to the top of world motorsport, before identifying the similarities in their stories, including how both found themselves in the most dominant car in their respective title winning seasons, and how both were paired alongside fast and flamboyant team-mates, Wolfgang von Trips (in Hill's case) and Ronnie Peterson (in Andretti's).The events of the climactic Monza weekends are also discussed at length, as well as how America's pair of F1 champions dealt with the aftermath of such tragedies.Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. GET YOUR 2026 WALL CALENDAR TODAY - Go to shop.the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tech Show: Our verdict on the 2022-2025 rules - and where F1's next regulations have gone wrong
On the final tech show of the year, former F1 technical director Gary Anderson gives his verdict on the outgoing F1 regulations, and explains where he thinks the incoming regulations have missed a trick.He also answers questions from listeners about how to write better rules, the lack of geometry tweaks by the FIA, and whether active suspension should have returned.We also bring you the second part of our interview with Atlassian customer CTO Andrew Boyagi, who explains how the company’s AI technology is helping Williams reach new performance levels.Get information when you need it with Atlassian Rovo. AI that knows your business. Click here to get started today.Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. GET YOUR 2026 WALL CALENDAR TODAY - Go to shop.the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We rank the Top 10 F1 drivers of 2025
We work out who were the real stars of the 2025 Formula 1 season in the latest edition of The Race F1 Podcast. Every year, our team of F1 journalists picks their top 10 drivers of the season, with Scott Mitchell-Malm, Mark Hughes and Ben Anderson joining Edd Straw to discuss their choices. The final top 10 is based on the combined voting of those four, plus Jon Noble, based on each driver’s overall performance relative to machinery over the year. We explain why the world champion isn’t the obvious choice as number one, why it was so tight in terms of picking between the leading midfielders and how we went about factoring in experience levels. There’s also a look at the leading drivers who missed out on our list, including Ferrari disappointment Lewis Hamilton. To add another perspective, we also look at how our ranking differs from that voted for by The Race Members’ Club.Get information when you need it with Atlassian Rovo. AI that knows your business. Click here to get started today.Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. GET YOUR 2026 WALL CALENDAR TODAY - Go to shop.the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tech Show: What can teams learn by running 2026 tyres on mule cars?
On the latest episode of The Race F1 Tech Show, Edd Straw and Gary Anderson discuss the unusual taste of 2026 we got with the tyre-test running in Abu Dhabi after the grand prix. That was done using the definitive 2026 Pirelli tyres, but with 'mule cars' adapted to replicate downforce levels, so how useful - or not - will that running have been? Edd and Gary discuss.Gary also answers questions from listeners about whether teams should be able to develop their own tyres, whether a return to simplified aero would solve F1's dirty air issue, and on the fine margins used to control plank wear. Plus, Edd and Gary discuss Williams' progress this season, with Atlassian's customer CTO Andrew Boyagi joining to explain the company's role in Williams' step forward.Got a tech question for Gary? Send it to [email protected] information when you need it with Atlassian Rovo. AI that knows your business. Click here to get started today.Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. GET YOUR 2026 WALL CALENDAR TODAY - Go to shop.the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
And Colossally That's History: 20+ hours at the wheel - 6 crazy Le Mans drives
As we near the end of another marathon year of motor racing, our history podcast And Colossally That's History thought it was the perfect time to reminisce about marathon performances at motor racing’s most celebrated test of endurance, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.Over the course of the episode, Matt and Richard tell the tales of six drivers who spent at least 20 hours (and in one case all 24 hours!) at the wheel during a single 24-hour race.As you might expect, there are some astonishing stories to be told about how they did it, including the driver who fixed his car with chewing gum, the driver who did nearly the whole race on a diet of oranges, the driver who almost single-handedly put the new Ferrari marque on the map, and the driver who found a novel way to take his, ahem, ‘bathroom breaks’ without anyone noticing…Get information when you need it with Atlassian Rovo. AI that knows your business. Click here to get started today.Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. GET YOUR 2026 WALL CALENDAR TODAY - Go to shop.the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.