High-speed corners or tricky hairpins? Flat-out straights or tight chicanes? Every Formula 1 racetrack is a unique challenge for the drivers and teams, and the work to create them is a blend of artistry and engineering.

F1 Explains how F1 circuits go from a sketch on a piece of paper, through state-of-the-art digital simulation, to reality.

What are the challenges of building a racetrack? How are they designed to allow close racing, overtaking and interesting strategy? Christian and Katie put your questions on track design to the team from Apex Circuit Design, who were behind the Miami International Autodrome:

We want to answer your F1 question. Record a voice note on your phone or write us an email and send it to [email protected]

Check out our previous episodes:

How car liveries are created - with Alfa Romeo + McLaren

The mental pressure of F1 - with David Coulthard

Steering wheels - how they're designed + what the buttons do

DRS - how F1's overtaking aid works and why it matters

Tyres - an engineer, a driver and a designer explains why they matter

The 2024 F1 calendar - why it helps make F1 more sustainable

Wind Tunnels - the top secret tools where cars are created

Race engineers - the voices on F1 Team Radio, with Zhou Guanyu

Pit stops - two seconds of total teamwork

Simulators with Aston Martin's Stoffel Vandoorne

Racing in the rain with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade

Street circuits with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins

F1 driver fitness with Alexander Rossi + Sebastian Vettel's former trainer

F1 in the USA - why the US has 3 races in 2023

F1 Sprint weekends with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen

For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest names, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid. For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation.

Ferrari is red, Red Bull is blue... F1 car liveries are much more than paint and stickers. They're part of a team's identity, they're worth money to sponsors and they can even affect how the car performs on track. 

F1 Explains how F1 car liveries are created with the help of two experts:

Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne talk paint, carbon fibre, sponsors and stickers and explore how liveries can affect laptimes on-track.

We want to answer your F1 question. Record a voice note on your phone or write us an email and send it to [email protected]

Check out our previous episodes:

The mental pressure of F1 - with David Coulthard

Steering wheels - how they're designed + what the buttons do

DRS - how F1's overtaking aid works and why it matters

Tyres - an engineer, a driver and a designer explains why they matter

The 2024 F1 calendar - why it helps make F1 more sustainable

Wind Tunnels - the top secret tools where cars are created

Race engineers - the voices on F1 Team Radio, with Zhou Guanyu

Pit stops - two seconds of total teamwork

Simulators with Aston Martin's Stoffel Vandoorne

Racing in the rain with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade

Street circuits with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins

F1 driver fitness with Alexander Rossi + Sebastian Vettel's former trainer

F1 in the USA - why the US has 3 races in 2023

F1 Sprint weekends with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen

For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest names, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid. For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation.

Formula 1 is a high-speed, high-stress sport. Staying cool, ignoring distractions and recovering from setbacks requires huge mental strength, composure and resilience. How do F1 drivers cope? How do they make sure their minds are in the right condition? What support and training do they get to help them?

F1 Explains with the help of two expert guests:

Katie and Christian explore how drivers get into the zone before a race by sticking to a routine, how they respond to defeats and mistakes, and why every driver has to believe that they are the best on the grid.

If you have an F1 question you'd like answered, write or record it and email it to [email protected]

We covered the physical fitness required to race in F1 on a previous episode featuring Sebastian Vettel's former trainer. Listen to that here

Other previous episodes:

Steering wheels - what the buttons do + how drivers learn them

DRS - how F1's overtaking aid works and why it matters

Tyres - an engineer, a driver and a designer explains why they matter

The 2024 F1 calendar - why it helps make F1 more sustainable

Wind Tunnels - the top secret tools where cars are created

Race engineers - the voices on F1 Team Radio

Pit stops - two seconds of total teamwork

Simulators with Aston Martin's Stoffel Vandoorne

Racing in the rain with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade

Street circuits with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins

F1 in the USA - why the US has 3 races in 2023

F1 Sprint weekends with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen

For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest names, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid. For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation.

Each one is different, but they're all high-tech pieces of equipment made of military-spec materials, designed to work in extreme conditions. F1 steering wheels do so much more than turn the car. 

Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne explore steering wheels with the help of two expert guests:

Jose and Jolyon tell us how wheels are designed, what all the buttons do, how drivers learn their wheels, how they make sure their unique wheel works best for them, and what happens if a driver hits the wrong button. 

If you have an F1 question you'd like answered, write or record it and email it to [email protected]

Level-up your F1 knowledge with our previous episodes:

DRS - how F1's overtaking aid works and why it matters

Tyres - an engineer, a driver and a designer explains why they matter

The 2024 F1 calendar - why it helps make F1 more sustainable

Wind Tunnels - the top secret tools where cars are created

Race engineers - the voices on F1 Team Radio

Pit stops - two seconds of total teamwork

Simulators with Aston Martin's Stoffel Vandoorne

Racing in the rain with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade

Street circuits with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins

F1 driver fitness with Alexander Rossi + Sebastian Vettel's former trainer

F1 in the USA - why the US has 3 races in 2023

F1 Sprint weekends with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen

For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest names, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid. For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation.

Who decides where F1 teams do their pit stops? How do F1 cars and racetrack corners get their names? How much is F1's prize pot? Race-winning strategist Bernie Collins and award-winning F1TV commentator Alex Jacques are back with Katie and Christian to answer more of your questions.

Along the way you'll hear which F1 car is named after a team founders' wife, the different ways F1 corners get their names, and why drivers leave it until the last possible moment to do their qualifying laps.

We'd love to answer your question about F1. Whatever the topic, record it as a voice note or write it in an email and send it to us at [email protected]

Listen to our other quickfire question specials:

Trophies, travel + 'pace in the car' - with Will Buxton + Bernie Collins

F1 cars, upgrades + 'copycats' - with Bernie Collins + Will Buxton

Tyres, Championship points + car set-up - with Bernie Collins + Lawrence Barretto

'Undercuts', red lights + F1 jobs - with Lawrence Barretto + Bernie Collins

For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest names, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid. For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation.

How do F1 race starts work? Can you score a podium in F1 Sprint? What are the rules on teams sharing reserve drivers? You ask, F1 Explains with the help of F1TV commentator Alex Jacques and F1 strategist Bernie Collins. 

The team explains why F1 Grands Prix start when five red lights go out, explore the history of F1 race starts, and Alex reveals the secrets to commentating on the action-packed opening moments of a race. 

Plus, how is a top 3 finish in F1 Sprint officially recorded, which teams have deals to share their reserve drivers, why are F1 rule changes announced years before they come into effect, and how do race strategists like Bernie work out how fast their car will be in a race?

Send Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill your latest Formula 1 question and F1 Explains will tackle it in a future episode. Write an email or record and attach a voice note and send it to [email protected]

F1 Explains tackles a different F1 topic every week. Check out our previous episodes using the links below:

DRS - how F1's overtaking aid works and why it matters

Tyres - an engineer, a driver and a designer explains why they matter

The 2024 F1 calendar - why it helps make F1 more sustainable

Wind Tunnels - the top secret tools where cars are created

Race engineers - the voices on F1 Team Radio

Pit stops - two seconds of total teamwork

Simulators with Aston Martin's Stoffel Vandoorne

Racing in the rain with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade

Street circuits with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins

F1 driver fitness with Alexander Rossi + Sebastian Vettel's former trainer

F1 in the USA - why the US has 3 races in 2023

F1 Sprint weekends with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen

For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest names, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid. For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation.

It has given us more action, more overtaking and more chances to change the race with strategy. DRS, the Drag Reduction System, can help F1 drivers get in position for a race-winning overtake. Why was it introduced? How does it work? What's the best way to use it?

F1 Explains with the help of three experts, who tell Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne all about this fascinating subject:

Write, record and send your F1 question to [email protected] and we will answer it in a future episode.

F1 Explains tackles a different F1 topic every week. Check out our previous episodes using the links below:

Tyres - an engineer, a driver and a designer explains why they matter

The 2024 F1 calendar - why it helps make F1 more sustainable

Wind Tunnels - the top secret tools where cars are created

Race engineers - the voices on F1 Team Radio

Pit stops - two seconds of total teamwork

Simulators with Aston Martin's Stoffel Vandoorne

Racing in the rain with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade

Street circuits with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins

F1 driver fitness with Alexander Rossi + Sebastian Vettel's former trainer

F1 in the USA - why the US has 3 races in 2023

F1 Sprint weekends with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen

For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest names, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid. For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation.

They're round, they're black, they keep you on the track. Tyres are one of the most important parts of a Formula 1 car, but getting the best performance from them requires tireless work from drivers, teams and engineers.

Three tyre experts join Katie and Christian to explain all you need to know about F1 tyres:

F1 Explains tackles a different F1 topic every week. Check out our previous episodes using the links below:

The 2024 F1 calendar - why it helps make F1 more sustainable

Wind Tunnels - the top secret tools where cars are created

Race engineers - the voices on F1 Team Radio

Pit stops - two seconds of total teamwork

Simulators with Aston Martin's Stoffel Vandoorne

Racing in the rain with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade

Street circuits with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins

F1 driver fitness with Alexander Rossi + Sebastian Vettel's former trainer

F1 in the USA - why the US has 3 races in 2023

F1 Sprint weekends with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen

For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest names, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid. For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation.

Racing more regionally. New power for the F1 Paddock. Game-changing fuels for F1 cars and, potentially, your car. Big things are happening to help make Formula 1 more sustainable.

Christian and Katie ask F1's Head of Sustainability, Ellen Jones, why re-organising the race calendar for 2024 will help reduce the sport's carbon footprint. Ellen also reveals how F1's trialling new ways of reducing the amount of energy used at races and developing a game-changing sustainable fuel with potential to transform the way we all travel in the future. 

McLaren's CEO, Zak Brown, and Sustainability Director Kim Wilson reveal how Lando Norris' race seat and the lake outside their factory are helping the team cut carbon. 

We'd love to answer your F1 question. Record or write it, then email it to [email protected]

Why not listen to another episode?

Why do F1 drivers need race engineers? with Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu

Why are pit stops so important? 

Why do F1 teams need simulators? with Aston Martin's Stoffel Vandoorne

Why is racing in the rain so difficult? with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade

Why are street circuits the ultimate test? with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins

Why do F1 drivers need to be so fit? with Alexander Rossi + Vettel's former trainer

Why is F1 Sprint such a challenge? with Kevin Magnussen

For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest names, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid. For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation.

Why don't F1 drivers get to keep their trophies? How do F1 people cope with travel? What do drivers actually mean when they talk about having 'pace in the car'?

Bernie Collins, former Aston Martin F1 strategist, and Will Buxton, F1TV presenter, are back with Christian and Katie to answer these questions and more.

Bernie tells us about a time a driver was allowed to keep a special trophy, while Will explains how drivers avoid jet lag during the Singapore night race.

We'd love to answer your F1 question. Record or write it, then email it to [email protected]

Why not listen to another episode?

Why do F1 drivers need race engineers? with Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu

Why are pit stops so important? 

Why do F1 teams need simulators? with Aston Martin's Stoffel Vandoorne

Why is racing in the rain so difficult? with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade

Why are street circuits the ultimate test? with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins

Why do F1 drivers need to be so fit? with Alexander Rossi + Vettel's former trainer

Why is F1 Sprint such a challenge? with Kevin Magnussen

For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest names, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid. For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation.