A new car to drive. A new Race Engineer to talk to. When Formula 1 drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz move teams, they have a lot to learn.

Mercedes Reserve Driver Valtteri Bottas tells Christian Hewgill about the challenges drivers face when switching sides, from learning buttons on their steering wheel to understanding the voices in their ear.

Then, 2009 World Champion Jenson Button returns to the podcast to share his experiences of moving from Williams to Honda to McLaren.

Send us your F1 questions
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Faster cars. Brighter spotlight. Higher pressure. A Formula 1 debut is a dream come true, but rookies need to impress, or their first season could be their last...

2009 World Champion Jenson Button tells Christian Hewgill the lessons he learned from his first year in F1 with Williams, what the 2025 rookies should try and achieve and the mistakes to avoid.

Oscar Piastri's Race Engineer Tom Stallard explains how he and the team supported Oscar in his rookie season, and answers your questions about how new F1 drivers adapt to racing the fastest cars on the planet.

Get your question answered on the podcast!
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F1 Explains LIVE at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix 2025

Official Formula 1 podcasts
Reaction to every race on F1 Nation
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Experience F1 live in Las Vegas
New ticket options, expanded grandstands and lower prices for 2025
Find out more at F1LasVegasGP.com

Christian's just about to leave for the Australian Grand Prix, but before he goes he's got all the details of F1 Explains LIVE in Melbourne - with special guest, McLaren CEO Zak Brown

F1 Explains LIVE at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix 2025

If you'll be at the race and have a question for Zak Brown, email it to [email protected] - we might be able to make you part of the show

F1 Explains will return with a brand new episode on Friday March 14th

Be at a race this season!
Grandstands, general admission + hospitality at tickets.formula1.com

Formula 1 teams have one chance to test their cars before the 2025 season. With every lap, drivers and engineers learn more about their new machines. Why is pre-season testing so important, and how do teams get the most out of it?

From Bahrain, Christian and Katie are joined by F1TV Lead Presenter Laura Winter, who gives us the lowdown on testing. Then Alpine rookie Jack Doohan, McLaren's Oscar Piastri and other key team members explain what happens at testing, and how they gather data ahead of the first race.

Got questions about F1? We'll answer them!

Read more here on F1.com

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 [email protected]

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

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On F1 Beyond The Grid, Formula 1's fastest stars slow down for in-depth conversations with Tom Clarkson.

They reveal what it’s like being at the centre of the biggest stories of the season and share fascinating insight into what life is like as a Formula 1 driver, Team Principal, engineer, designer, and more. In this end-of year special, Tom picks his favourite moments from a long list of stellar guests.

Fernando Alonso reflects on becoming the first driver in F1 history to compete in 400 Grands Prix and why he nearly retired much earlier in his career. Carlos Sainz explains how he recovered from physical and mental setbacks to win multiple races. And Ollie Bearman describes what it was really like making his F1 debut at such short notice in Saudi Arabia.

As well as today’s big names, legends of the past like Juan Pablo Montoya and David Coulthard relive their career-defining moments. Plus, you’ll hear memories of Lewis Hamilton’s time at Mercedes and Bruno Senna’s stories of growing up with his uncle Ayrton, 30 years on from his death.

Thank you for listening in 2024. F1 Beyond The Grid will return in 2025.

To hear the full interviews with the guests featured in this show, click on the links below…

Toto Wolff
Charles Leclerc
Carlos Sainz
Juan Pablo Montoya
David Coulthard
Bruno Senna
Fernando Alonso
Andy Stevenson
Ollie Bearman
Ayao Komatsu
Tom Stallard
Paul Monaghan

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How do Formula 1 drivers find the fastest way around the track? How do teams scout future superstars? Why is driving in F2 the best way of reaching the top? What really happens on the grid before a race? In 2024, F1 Explains answered these questions and many more sent in by listeners from all over the world.

Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne have picked the most fascinating moments from the podcast's second season:

Whether you're a new F1 fan or a long-time follower, there's always something more to learn about F1. If you have a question you'd like us to answer, send it as an email or a voice note to [email protected] 

Thank you for listening, for sending questions and for coming to our live shows in 2024. F1 Explains will be back for more in 2025.

Listen to more official F1 Podcasts
F1 Beyond The Grid - in-depth interviews with F1's biggest stars
F1 Nation - Grand Prix reviews and previews from inside the F1 paddock

Experience F1 live
Tickets for the 2025 F1 season are available now at tickets.formula1.com

Discover F1 Unlocked
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'To finish first, first you have to finish'. Formula 1 teams can't score points, wins or championships unless their cars make it to the chequered flag.

Reliability Engineers like Sauber's Laura Villadelprat work in the garage and the factory to keep the cars on-track and avoid the dreaded DNF (Did Not Finish).

Laura explains how F1 teams know when it's time to swap old car parts for new ones, how they monitor reliability in real time, and what they do to investigate the causes of race-ending problems.

'Hi F1 Explains, my F1 question is...'
You can get your question answered on the podcast. Send your question to [email protected]

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
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F1 cars are out-of-this-world to drive, even for experienced racers. Pato O'Ward is a race-winner in IndyCar with Arrow McLaren, but when he jumps in a Formula 1 car as Reserve Driver for McLaren F1 Team, he's blown away.

Pato joins Katie and Christian to answer your questions about the differences and similarities between Formula 1 and IndyCar - the cars, the racetracks, the pit stops and more.

'Hi F1 Explains, my question is...'
Be part of the podcast. Send your question to [email protected]

Experience the inner sanctum of Formula 1 - in F1 Garage
Catch all the on-track action and indulge in premium hospitality throughout the Grand Prix weekend. Find out more and book here

Tickets for the 2025 F1 season are available now at tickets.formula1.com

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F1 cars are racing on the streets of Las Vegas at more than 200 miles per hour. It’s the most spectacular race of the season, and it takes months of work by a team of more than 15,000 people.  

Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne are in Las Vegas to find out how Formula 1 takes over the city. Las Vegas Grand Prix VP of Sporting and Race Operations Silvia Bellot explains how public roads, including the famous Las Vegas Strip, are transformed into a racetrack with miles of special lights, safety barriers and fences. She reveals the challenges of racing in the non-stop entertainment capital of the world, including re-opening the track to regular traffic in-between the F1 action. 

Katie and Christian answer your questions about the Las Vegas Strip Circuit – the layout, the track surface and the barriers.  Then, Christian heads to the grandstands to talk to fans who are loving watching F1 live in Vegas.  

If you want to experience the Las Vegas Grand Prix for yourself, you can place your deposit for 2025 tickets now at f1lasvegasgp.com/2025-deposits/. Plus, coming in Spring 2025, an F1 Drive karting track and other special events in Grand Prix Plaza.

 
'Hi F1 Explains, my F1 question is...'
Be part of the podcast. Send your question to [email protected]

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