The Race F1 Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Bring Back V10s: Why Benetton's post-Schumacher era was so rough May 28, 2026

Show notes

Bring Back V10s tackles one of F1's roughest title wins hangovers in episode 6 of season 13, with a look back at the sudden downturn in fortunes for one of the 1990s' elite teams.

Benetton was on top of the world at the end of 1995, having clinched the constructors’ crown and back-to-back drivers’ world titles with Michael Schumacher. But with Schumacher departing for Ferrari in 1996, the team had a new challenge to prove its success wasn’t just about the driver - and it didn't go very well...

Joining Glenn Freeman for a look back at Benetton’s turbulent post-Schumacher period are Matt Beer and Ben Anderson.

They discuss the logic behind choosing Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger to lead Benetton's new era, how quickly things got fractious behind the scenes and whether this decline was always inevitable no matter who Benetton picked for its life after Schumacher.

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What major new deal says about Alpine’s chances of becoming an F1 force again May 27, 2026

Show notes

Alpine announced a major new sponsorship deal on Wednesday, with Italian fashion house Gucci to enter Formula 1 for the first time next year as the team's title sponsor. Jon Noble, who was at the launch event in Paris, joins Edd Straw to explain why this deal is so significant for Alpine (and parent company Renault) outside of the obvious money it will bring.

Edd and Jon also discuss Alpine's wider progress this season, as the former world championship winning team - under the leadership of Flavio Briatore - continues its steady rise back up the grid after its rock bottom finish in the constructors' standings in 2025. And finally, Jon explains what impact the new deal might have on the team's driver line-up of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto going forward, as Briatore looks to make another fashion brand a serial F1 winner, after his previous success with Benetton.

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Canadian GP Driver Rankings: Did we get them right? May 26, 2026

Show notes

In the first episode of a new regular post-race series, Edd Straw presents his Canadian Grand Prix Driver Rankings and takes questions on what he got right - and what he got wrong...

Joining Edd to probe his decision making - and share the thoughts of The Race Members' Club - is Glenn Freeman, who presses Edd on the rationale behind where he ranked the duelling Mercedes drivers, a resurgent Lewis Hamilton, and a clumsy Oscar Piastri.

If you want to take issue with Edd's ranking and have your viewpoint discussed on the show, sign-up to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today.

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Canadian GP: Mercedes title battle blows up as Antonelli wins again May 25, 2026

Show notes

From Montreal, Edd Straw and Jon Noble are joined by Josh Suttill to discuss a thrilling Canadian Grand Prix in which the world championship battle between Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell really came alive. But did the Silver Arrows' intra-team battle step over the line given Toto Wolff has warned he may put the handbrake on? The guys debate this, as well as discussing McLaren's strange implosion, Lewis Hamilton's revival, Red Bull's mixed outing and all of the race's other big talking points. Plus, there's the usual bumper selection of listener questions to answer.

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In-Car Insights: Edd and Jon review their first day in the Canadian GP paddock May 22, 2026

Show notes

As a special bonus, we're making the Thursday edition of our In-Car Insights podcast - usually only available to The Race Members' Club - free for everyone to listen to.

Angry reactions to "b******t" speculation, intrigue over F1's supposedly agreed 2027 engine plan, and a whole race weekend to look forward to - it was quite the first day in the Canadian Grand Prix paddock for Edd Straw and Jon Noble. What luck that they had a handy shuttle journey in which to record an episode of In-Car Insights!

If you like what you hear - and we're confident you will - head to Patreon.com/therace to sign up to The Race Members' Club and enjoy these bonus episodes (and much more besides) on every grand prix weekend.

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How F1 became hostage to its manufacturers - The Undercut with Damon Hill and Mark Hughes May 21, 2026

Show notes

On the latest episode of The Undercut, Damon Hill and Mark Hughes explore the complex relationship that F1 has with automotive manufacturers - a relationship that many would argue is to blame for the knot that the sport has put itself in with the 2026 regulations. With another big manufacturer - Chinese car giant BYD - exploring joining the grid, is it time for F1 to de-couple itself from the 'myth' that road relevancy was every really an important aspect of the sport? That's the question at the heart of this wide-ranging conversation...

Get bonus F1 podcasts, extra content and ad-free listening, sign-up to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today.

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Is Red Bull 2.0 good enough to keep Verstappen? May 20, 2026

Show notes

With Max Verstappen’s future still up in the air, can Red Bull Racing 2.0 really can convince him it’s the place to be in the short and long-term? And what might the team do should it be necessary to replace the Dutchman in 2027 or the years that follow? Edd Straw is joined by Jon Noble and special guest Matt Majendie - author of the new book Inside Red Bull Racing - to debate those questions, and ask whether the new-look Red Bull (devoid of championship-winning stalwarts like Christian Horner, Helmut Marko, Adrian Newey and more) still has what it takes to be F1’s standard-setter.

Get bonus F1 podcasts, extra content and ad-free listening, sign-up to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today.

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Tech Show: Fixing Ferrari’s risk-averse culture + Dubious 2026 F1 car developments May 19, 2026

Show notes

On the latest episode of The Race F1 Tech Show, Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson discuss the concept of risk vs reward in grand prix racing, following on from Fred Vasseur's recent comments that Ferrari need to move out of a conservative mindset and 'push everything' in terms of innovation.

Edd and Gary also discuss some of the latest tech developments seen in F1, including a clever exploitation at the rear of the Red Bull's sidepod - or technically the floor - that has gone straight onto Gary's 'dubious list'.

And finally, Gary answers several questions sent in by listeners. On this weeks list are questions about hydrogen-fuelled F1, our battery graphic complaints, and if the introduction of V8 engines could be brought forward to 2028.

If you'd like to ask Gary a tech question, send it to podcasts@the-race.com

Get bonus F1 podcasts, extra content and ad-free listening, sign-up to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today.

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Why Verstappen's Nurburgring adventure was a successful failure May 17, 2026

Show notes

While his F1 colleagues were putting their feet up and enjoying a weekend without racing, Max Verstappen was at the Nurburgring taking part in one of the most demanding 24-hour events in the world - and coming ever so close to taking victory on debut. But what can we learn from the Dutchman's near-miss and what do his latest exploits away from F1 tell us about his future in grand prix racing? Edd Straw is joined by a sleep-starved Josh Suttill, still at the Nurburgring, to answer those questions and more...

Get bonus F1 podcasts, extra content and ad-free listening, sign-up to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today.

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The art of communicating with F1 drivers - A race engineer shares his secrets with Damon and Johnny May 16, 2026

Show notes

On the latest episode of Stay On Track, Damon Hill and Johnny Herbert go deep on the most important relationship in F1 - the one between a driver and his race engineer.

They're joined by special guest Pierre Hamelin, who listeners might recognise as Arvid Lindblad's race engineer at Racing Bulls. Pierre has developed a reputation as a man who nurtures rookie drivers, having previously engineered Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly, Carlos Sainz, Daniel Riccardo, Liam Lawson, Isack Hadjar and others. But how does he go about helping a young driver get the best out of himself and the car?

Pierre shares his secret tips and tricks, plus Johnny and Damon discuss the evolving F1 title race and why Canada is such an important grand prix for George Russell...

Get bonus F1 podcasts, extra content and ad-free listening, sign-up to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today.

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