F1 Nation

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?

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 hexclad.co.uk/NATION! Offer excludes bundles and other items already on sale. #hexcladpartner

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 podcastsF1 Explains answers your questions about the sportF1 Beyond The Grid brings you in-depth interviews with the sport's biggest stars

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 answersSend emails or voice notes to [email protected] Official F1 PodcastsExpert race reviews on F1 NationIn-depth interviews on F1 Beyond The Grid

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 IM8HEALTH.com/nation and use code NATION for a Free Welcome Kit, five free travel sachets plus ten percent off your order. #im8health

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:IM8Give your body what it deserves with IM8! Go to IM8HEALTH.com/nation and use code NATION for a Free Welcome Kit, five free travel sachets plus ten percent off your order. #im8health

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:IM8Give your body what it deserves with IM8! Go to IM8HEALTH.com/nation and use code NATION for a Free Welcome Kit, five free travel sachets plus ten percent off your order. #im8health

Neck training, positive energy and Belgian mussels are on the menu as Red Bull Test and Reserve Driver Yuki Tsunoda joins Christian Hewgill on stage in Belgium.Yuki answers questions from F1 Explains listeners about why F1 drivers need to be physically fit, the advice he'd give his rookie self, what he learned from teammates including Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo, and his favourite race weekend food.Send your questions, we'll get you the answersEmails and voice notes welcome - [email protected] for listening to F1 Explains so far in 2026. We'll be back after the summer breakWIN TICKETS FOR F1 IN MADRIDOfficial F1 Podcasts are giving you the chance to win one pair of weekend grandstand tickets for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix 2026You must be 18+ to enter. Competition closes on 31 July 2026.To enter and for full terms and conditions, visit f1.com/podcast-win-madrid