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Formula 1

Your questions about Formula 1, answered by the experts. Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill explain F1 with drivers, engineers and more of the amazing people behind-the-scenes.

Send your questions, voice notes and messages to F1Explains@F1.com

An official F1 podcast. For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest stars, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid. For race reviews and previews, listen to F1 Nation.

F1 Explains

When F1 drivers crash, the FIA Medical Car rushes to the scene. It's a high-performance machine with a racing driver at the wheel and a doctor in the passenger seat. 

The Medical Car crew, Dr Ian Roberts and driver Bruno Correia, answer your questions about their vital jobs. They tell Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill about responding to crashes, assessing driver injuries and the part of a Grand Prix when they're most likely to be called into action.

Dr Ian explains how he went from working in a hospital to racetracks around the world, Bruno tells the story of swapping a racing car for the Aston Martin and Mercedes Medical Cars, and we hear what drivers are like after a crash.

Get your question answered on the podcast

Send your voice notes and emails to F1Explains@F1.com

It's All To Drive For in 2025. Be there!

Book your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.com

Listen to more official F1 podcasts

In-depth interviews with the stars of Formula 1 on F1 Beyond The Grid

Expert reaction before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation

The Medical Car: 'the world's fastest ambulance'

How different is driving at night compared to racing during the day? What impact does being a celebrity have on an F1 drivers’ life? How are car numbers decided? And what’s the process behind designing a special helmet?

Williams’ Alex Albon joins Christian Hewgill in the Formula 1 paddock to answer your questions. 

Get your question answered on the podcast

Send your voice notes and emails to F1Explains@F1.com

It's All To Drive For in 2025. Be there!

Book your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.com

Listen to more official F1 podcasts

In-depth interviews with the stars of Formula 1, including Alex Albon, on F1 Beyond The Grid

Expert reaction before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation

Alex Albon explains night races, car numbers + helmet designs

What are race strategists doing during a Grand Prix? How are strategies decided for each driver within a team? What happens to that strategy when something unexpected happens, like teammates colliding with each other? And is Artificial Intelligence used when deciding the best tactics for a race?

Bernie Collins, former F1 strategist at Aston Martin and McLaren, joins Christian Hewgill in the paddock to answer your questions about the sport.

Bernie also explains why teams change their engine power during different sessions, why drivers try and leave their final qualifying run as late as possible, and what the rules are when a driver is asked to give a place back to an opponent. 

Get your question answered on the podcast

Send your voice notes and emails to F1Explains@F1.com

It's All To Drive For in 2025. Be there!

Book your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.com

Listen to more official F1 podcasts

In-depth interviews on F1 Beyond The Grid

Expert reaction before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation

How strategy is influenced by tyres, drivers, crashes, AI and more – Quickfire Questions with Bernie Collins

2025 is a year of change for Jonathan Wheatley. He left Red Bull in the UK to join Sauber in Switzerland. He also stepped up from Sporting Director to Team Principal. 

Jonathan answers your questions about moving from a World Championship-winning team to one seeking success. He tells Christian how he leads the hundreds of people working at Sauber's factory and at the racetrack, including drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto. 

More change is ahead for Jonathan and Sauber in 2026, as Audi-take over the team. Jonathan answers your questions on how the transition is going and Audi's ambition to win in Formula 1.

F1 Explains puts your questions to F1 experts and insiders. Send yours to F1Explains@F1.com

More from official F1 podcasts:

 

F1 Beyond The Grid

Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto's story of leaving Brazil aged 11 to chase his F1 dream

F1 Nation

Valtteri Bottas on why he chose to join Cadillac for 2026

Ask a Team Principal with Sauber's Jonathan Wheatley

Ferrari is synonymous with Formula 1 around the world. They’ve won more World Championships than any other team in the sport’s history.

But is that success why they’re regarded as one of the most iconic names in F1? Or is there more to it?

F1 Explains is at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza to find out what makes Ferrari so special.

Christian Hewgill is joined by ESPN F1 journalist, Nate Saunders, who is also the author of ‘Forza Ferrari: How F1’s most famous team can win again’, and 2012 GP2 champion and F1TV pundit, Davide Valsecchi.

They discuss how Ferrari’s long history with Formula 1 began, the legacy of legendary founder Enzo Ferrari, the team’s famous Tifosi fanbase, the pressure they face from the Italian media and why winning a title with Ferrari is extra special.

Christian also meets some very passionate Italian Ferrari fans, who tell us why Ferrari mean so much to them, what it was like being at Monza when Charles Leclerc won in 2024, and how they would feel if Ferrari became World Champions again after such a long wait.

Get your question answered on the podcast

Send your voice notes and emails to F1Explains@F1.com

It's All To Drive For in 2025. Be there!

Book your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.com

Listen to more official F1 podcasts

In-depth interviews on F1 Beyond The Grid

Expert reaction before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation

Forza Ferrari – Why Ferrari are F1’s ‘most famous’ team

The driver hits the brakes. The car stops in the pit lane and 20 people go to work. Wheel guns roar. Tyres spin. The car speeds back into the race. An F1 pit stop is 2 seconds of precision under pressure.

F1 Explains meets the people who make lightning-fast pit stops happen. Christian Hewgill puts your questions to Haas pit crew members Matt Thompson, Monique Hurrell and Marcus Farrer.

Matt, Monique and Marcus explain how they became part of the pit crew, what happens during a stop, and what they do for the rest of the race weekend.

Get your question answered on the podcast

Send your voice notes and emails to F1Explains@F1.com

It's All To Drive For in 2025. Be there!

Book your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.com

Listen to more official F1 podcasts

In-depth interviews on F1 Beyond The Grid

Expert reaction before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation

Meet a Formula 1 pit crew - with Haas

Where do Formula 1 teams spot the drivers of the future? What are they looking for in young racers? And how did Mercedes guide Kimi Antonelli from karting to F1? 

 

F1 Explains explores junior driver programmes, which exist to find talented young drivers and support them as they climb the motorsport ladder.

 

Most F1 teams have these academies. Red Bull signed a young Max Verstappen, Ferrari supported Charles Leclerc and Oliver Bearman, Lando Norris was part of the McLaren programme, and Mercedes developed George Russell, Kimi Antonelli and Esteban Ocon during their junior racing.

 

F1 ACADEMY leader Doriane Pin is also part of the Mercedes Junior Driver Programme. She tells Christian Hewgill how Mercedes spotted her and answers your questions on what the team is doing to support her career.

 

The Mercedes programme is led by Gwen Lagrue, the man who discovered Russell, Antonelli and Ocon. Gwen explains how he identifies those with the most potential, guides them into junior car racing and decides when they are ready to step up to Formula 3, F2 and, finally, F1. 

Get your question answered on the podcast

Send your voice notes and emails to F1Explains@F1.com

It's All To Drive For in 2025. Be there!

Book your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.com

Listen to more official F1 podcasts

In-depth interviews on F1 Beyond The Grid

Expert reaction before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation

How F1 teams find future stars – with Mercedes

Being the boss of Formula 1 is a big job. F1 teams, drivers, race promoters, sponsors and more than 825 million fans worldwide rely on Stefano Domenicali to lead the sport forwards.

 

It’s a huge responsibility, so how does he keep everyone happy? 

 

Speaking to Christian Hewgill, Stefano explains exactly what his job involves and how the role compares to his time as Ferrari Team Principal.

He also answers your questions about the cost cap, the calendar, the points-scoring system, the sport’s growth in the US and why Formula 1 is entering a new era in 2026.

 

And with so many exciting new additions to the sport in the last few years - like F1 Sprint, the spectacular Las Vegas Grand Prix, the trailblazing F1 ACADEMY, and F1 The Movie - what does Stefano think the next big thing for Formula 1 will be?

Get your question answered on the podcast

Send your voice notes and emails to F1Explains@F1.com

NET ZERO

F1 is on-target to be Net Zero by 2030. The sport has reduced its carbon emissions by 26% since 2018. Read more here. 

F1 THE MOVIE starring Brad Pitt

NOW PLAYING

Get tickets now

It's All To Drive For in 2025. Be there!

Book your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.com

Listen to more official F1 podcasts

In-depth interviews on F1 Beyond The Grid

Expert reaction before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation

Ask Stefano Domenicali – F1 President and CEO answers your questions

He's a race-winner, a Haas driver and he lays claim to being the tallest person on the F1 grid (hairstyle permitting). Esteban Ocon joins F1 Explains to answer the latest batch of listener questions.

Among the topics in our inbox: how drivers prepare mentally and physically, why they get handed a little paper ticket at their post-race weight check, how being tall affects the job of an F1 driver, and whether fireproof underwear is comfortable.

Esteban also talks about working with his Haas race engineer Laura Mueller, how drivers sense when it's time to change tyres during a wet race, his pre-race rituals and how he keeps his concentration while racing.

Get your question on the podcast!

Send your voice notes and emails to F1Explains@F1.com

F1 THE MOVIE starring Brad Pitt

NOW PLAYING

Get tickets now

It's All To Drive For in 2025. Be there!

Book your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.com

Listen to more official F1 podcasts

In-depth interviews on F1 Beyond The Grid

Expert reaction before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation

Esteban Ocon explains F1 training, post-race weigh-ins + racing focus

How do F1 teams help new drivers settle in? What are the secrets of Silverstone? Could Taylor Swift help Ollie Bearman go faster? Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu answers these questions and more in the latest F1 Explains live show, recorded at the British Grand Prix.

F1 Explains listeners Eilín from Ireland, Maya from New York and honeymooning couple Amie and Sam join Ayao and Christian Hewgill on-stage. They ask Ayao how Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman adapted to their new team, the differences between rookies and experienced drivers, and how F1 stars stay focused during a race. Will Ayao use Christian's idea of playing his drivers' favourite songs over the radio to give them a boost? Watch this space...

Get your question on the podcast!

Send your voice notes and emails to F1Explains@F1.com

F1 THE MOVIE starring Brad Pitt

NOW PLAYING

Get tickets now

It's All To Drive For in 2025. Be there!

Book your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.com

Listen to more official F1 podcasts

In-depth interviews on F1 Beyond The Grid

Expert reaction before and after every Grand Prix on F1 Nation

Ask Ayao Komatsu LIVE at the British Grand Prix

F1 pre-season testing is just days away, and F1 teams are racing to be ready. What's going on inside their factories? How long does it take drivers to be 100% confident in a brand new car? How do strategists get ready for the first race? Plus, who do you root for - the driver or the team?

Ahead of the 2025 season, Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne get the answers to these questions and more from F1 Correspondent and Presenter Lawrence Barretto, and F1TV strategy expert Ruth Buscombe Divey.

Get your F1 question answered in 2025

Send voice notes or emails to F1Explains@F1.com

Listen to more official F1 podcasts

 • 
F1 Beyond The Grid • - exclusive interviews with F1's biggest stars

 • 
F1 Nation • - expert Grand Prix reviews and previews

Discover F1 Unlocked

Unseen. Unheard. F1 Unlocked. Dive into exclusive content from F1 experts, redeem rewards and enter money-can't-buy competitions. Click here to join for free

How F1 teams are getting ready to race - your 2025 questions answered with Lawrence Barretto + Ruth Buscombe Divey

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