Rivals and stars of the season so far – with Jolyon Palmer + James Hinchcliffe

Rivals and stars of the season so far – with Jolyon Palmer + James Hinchcliffe

April 5, 2026 · 1h 3m

About this episode

Tom Clarkson discusses the early F1 season with guests Jolyon Palmer and James Hinchcliffe, analyzing driver performances and team strategies.

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! THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY... Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/nation BetterHelp: Sign up and get 10% off at betterhelp.com/f1nation Indeed: Get a £100 sponsored job credit to get your…

People in this episode

Host: Tom Clarkson

Guests: Jolyon Palmer, James Hinchcliffe

Topics covered

Keywords

Sponsors

Shopify, BetterHelp, Indeed

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull Racing, Haas, Alpine

More episodes of F1 Nation

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the F1 Nation podcast page.