F1 Explains

In F1, every thousandth of a second is crucial. Drivers' performances are often separated by less than the blink of an eye, so how are F1 cars timed so accurately?

To find out, Christian and Katie speak to James Clarke, a highly-trained F1 timekeeper. James explains the technology on cars and at circuits which make the timing system work, how lap times and race positions are accurately recorded, and what happens if two drivers set identical times.

Get your question answered by an F1 expert
Record a voice note, write an email and send it to [email protected]

Find the answer in our previous episodes

What F1 drivers eat - with Oscar Piastri's nutritionist, Dr Dan Martin

How F1 helmets are made - with Bell Racing

Ask a Formula 1 Driver – Liam Lawson answers your questions

Inside the FIA Safety Car - with driver, Bernd Mayländer 

How F1 video games are so realistic - with EA SPORTS F124

LIVE in Miami with Guenther Steiner + F1 Explains listeners

F1 race suits, boots, gloves + underwear - with PUMA

F1 brakes - technology + technique - with Brembo + Jack Doohan

The job of an F1 Team Principal - with Aston Martin's Mike Krack

Why F1 teammates are friends + foes - with Valtteri Bottas + Zhou Guanyu

How Formula 2 + Formula 3 prepare drivers for F1 - with Oscar Piastri

F1 Academy - with Susie Wolff + Lia Block

The F1 race start - with Mick Schumacher + strategist Bernie Collins

Behind the scenes on Drive to Survive - with Exec Producer James Gay-Rees

Why F1 pre-season testing matters - with Mercedes, McLaren + Alpine

How F1 teams build their new cars - with Aston Martin Technical Director Dan Fallows

See Formula 1 live this season
Tickets for races in Texas, Las Vegas, across Europe and around the world are available now. Go to tickets.formula1.com to book your seats

As high-performance athletes, F1 drivers have to eat the right things at the right times. Everything they eat and drink, plus the timing of their meals, is carefully planned by expert nutritionists like Dr Dan Martin from Combine Performance. Dan works with McLaren's Oscar Piastri.

Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne find out what an F1 driver's diet is and how it helps them perform at their best. We also get the story behind the banana smoothie which interrupted a previous F1 Explains interview with Piastri...

Get your F1 question answered by an expert
Record it as a voice note or write it in an email and send it to [email protected]

Learn more about F1 with our previous episodes:

How F1 helmets are made - with Bell Racing

Ask a Formula 1 Driver – Liam Lawson answers your questions

Inside the FIA Safety Car - with driver, Bernd Mayländer 

How F1 video games are so realistic - with EA SPORTS F124

LIVE in Miami with Guenther Steiner + F1 Explains listeners

F1 race suits, boots, gloves + underwear - with PUMA

F1 brakes - technology + technique - with Brembo + Jack Doohan

The job of an F1 Team Principal - with Aston Martin's Mike Krack

Why F1 teammates are friends + foes - with Valtteri Bottas + Zhou Guanyu

How Formula 2 + Formula 3 prepare drivers for F1 - with Oscar Piastri

F1 Academy - with Susie Wolff + Lia Block

The F1 race start - with Mick Schumacher + strategist Bernie Collins

Behind the scenes on Drive to Survive - with Exec Producer James Gay-Rees

Why F1 pre-season testing matters - with Mercedes, McLaren + Alpine

How F1 teams build their new cars - with Aston Martin Technical Director Dan Fallows

Experience Formula 1 live this season
Tickets for races in Texas, Las Vegas, across Europe and around the world are available now. Go to tickets.formula1.com to book your seats

They’re essential pieces of safety kit, made from specialised materials. But F1 helmets do far more than just protect the driver. F1 Explains explores helmet design, testing and technology with Stephane Cohen, co-CEO of Bell Racing – the company which makes helmets for 13 current F1 drivers. 

Stephane tells Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill how Bell make helmets that are strong and light, visors that don’t fog up and why a car update can require helmets to be modified. 

Plus, hear how F1 helmets differ from those worn by the stars of the NFL.

Send us your question and we'll find the F1 expert to answer it
Write an email or record a voice note and send it to [email protected]

Learn more about F1 with our previous episodes:

Ask a Formula 1 Driver – with Liam Lawson

Inside the FIA Safety Car - with driver, Bernd Mayländer 

How F1 video games are so realistic - with EA SPORTS F124

LIVE in Miami with Guenther Steiner + F1 Explains listeners

F1 race suits, boots, gloves + underwear - with PUMA

F1 brakes - technology + technique - with Brembo + Jack Doohan

The job of an F1 Team Principal - with Aston Martin's Mike Krack

Why F1 teammates are friends + foes - with Valtteri Bottas + Zhou Guanyu

How Formula 2 + Formula 3 prepare drivers for F1 - with Oscar Piastri

F1 Academy - with Susie Wolff + Lia Block

The F1 race start - with Mick Schumacher + strategist Bernie Collins

Behind the scenes on Drive to Survive - with Exec Producer James Gay-Rees

Why F1 pre-season testing matters - with Mercedes, McLaren + Alpine

How F1 teams build their new cars - with Aston Martin Technical Director Dan Fallows

Experience Formula 1 live this season
Tickets for races in Texas, Las Vegas, across Europe and around the world are available now. Go to tickets.formula1.com to book your seats

What do reserve drivers do? Why are F1 stars weighed after every race? What is the racing line (and how can it help you when doing grocery shopping)?

Cindy from California, Ana in India, Pierre from France and lots more F1 Explains listeners sent in questions about the life of an F1 driver. Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne get the answers from Red Bull Reserve Driver, Liam Lawson.

Liam explains how drivers change approach between an all-out qualifying lap and a long race stint. He tells us about understeer and oversteer, and why drivers hit some trackside kerbs but avoid others.

Send us your question and we'll find the F1 expert to answer it
Write an email or record a voice note and send it to [email protected]

Learn more about F1 with our previous episodes:

Inside the FIA Safety Car - with driver, Bernd Mayländer 

How F1 video games are so realistic - with EA SPORTS F124

LIVE in Miami with Guenther Steiner + F1 Explains listeners

F1 race suits, boots, gloves + underwear - with PUMA

F1 brakes - technology + technique - with Brembo + Jack Doohan

The job of an F1 Team Principal - with Aston Martin's Mike Krack

Why F1 teammates are friends + foes - with Valtteri Bottas + Zhou Guanyu

How Formula 2 + Formula 3 prepare drivers for F1 - with Oscar Piastri

F1 Academy - with Susie Wolff + Lia Block

The F1 race start - with Mick Schumacher + strategist Bernie Collins

Behind the scenes on Drive to Survive - with Exec Producer James Gay-Rees

Why F1 pre-season testing matters - with Mercedes, McLaren + Alpine

How F1 teams build their new cars - with Aston Martin Technical Director Dan Fallows

Experience Formula 1 live this season
Tickets for races in Texas, Las Vegas, across Europe and around the world are available now. Go to tickets.formula1.com to book your seats

It's there to keep F1 safe, and it can transform a race. The FIA Safety Car is sent out in poor weather or after a crash to protect marshals, drivers and fans. But there's more to it than meets the eye...

Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne explore the secrets of the safety car: how the decision to use it is made, its purpose on-track and how drivers and strategists can gain an advantage when the SC is deployed.

Safety Car driver Bernd Mayländer tells F1 Explains about his job and the incredible AMG-Mercedes and Aston Martin he drives. Then, Christian climbs into the driver's seat to see the amazing kit the car has on-board.

Send us your F1 question and we'll find the expert to answer it
Write an email or record a voice note and send it to [email protected]

Learn more about F1 with our previous episodes:

How F1 video games are so realistic - with EA SPORTS F124

LIVE in Miami with Guenther Steiner + F1 Explains listeners

F1 race suits, boots, gloves + underwear - with PUMA

F1 brakes - technology + technique - with Brembo + Jack Doohan

The job of an F1 Team Principal - with Aston Martin's Mike Krack

Why F1 teammates are friends + foes - with Valtteri Bottas + Zhou Guanyu

How Formula 2 + Formula 3 prepare drivers for F1 - with Oscar Piastri

F1 Academy - with Susie Wolff + Lia Block

The F1 race start - with Mick Schumacher + strategist Bernie Collins

Behind the scenes on Drive to Survive - with Exec Producer James Gay-Rees

Why F1 pre-season testing matters - with Mercedes, McLaren + Alpine

How F1 teams build their new cars - with Aston Martin Technical Director Dan Fallows

Experience Formula 1 live this season
Tickets for races in Texas, Las Vegas, across Europe and around the world are available now. Go to tickets.formula1.com to book your seats

Cars that feel F1-fast. Racetracks that look real. Drivers in detail. EA SPORTS F124, the latest official Formula 1 game, is out on 31 May and it's more lifelike than ever. How do game designers bring the world of F1 to life on your console? Katie and Christian speak to two of F124's creators to find out:

Lee explains how photos and radar are used to make sure racetracks look like the real thing. Casey reveals how the brand new Dynamic Handling on F124 and input from Max Verstappen makes the cars better than ever to drive. Plus, Christian tries to put himself in the game...

EA SPORTS F124 is out on 31 May

PEGI: 3 • ESRB: E • Mild Language. In-Game Purchases. Users Interact.

Send us your F1 question and we'll find the expert to answer it
Write an email or record a voice note and send it to [email protected]

Learn more about F1 with our previous episodes:

LIVE in Miami with Guenther Steiner + F1 Explains listeners

F1 brakes - technology + technique - with Brembo + Jack Doohan

The job of an F1 Team Principal - with Aston Martin's Mike Krack

Why F1 teammates are friends + foes - with Valtteri Bottas + Zhou Guanyu

How Formula 2 + Formula 3 prepare drivers for F1 - with Oscar Piastri

F1 Academy - with Susie Wolff + Lia Block

The F1 race start - with Mick Schumacher + strategist Bernie Collins

Behind the scenes on Drive to Survive - with Exec Producer James Gay-Rees

Why F1 pre-season testing matters - with Mercedes, McLaren + Alpine

How F1 teams build their new cars - with Aston Martin Technical Director Dan Fallows

Played the game? Now see F1 for real
Tickets for races in Texas, Las Vegas, across Europe and around the world are available now. Go to tickets.formula1.com

Grand Prix-winning strategists Ruth Buscombe and Bernie Collins are back with Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill to answer another batch of your Formula 1 questions.

On the list this week: 

Send us your F1 question and we'll find the expert to answer it
Write an email or record a voice note and send it to [email protected]

Learn more about F1 with our previous episodes:

LIVE in Miami with Guenther Steiner + F1 Explains listeners

F1 brakes - technology + technique - with Brembo + Jack Doohan

The job of an F1 Team Principal - with Aston Martin's Mike Krack

Why F1 teammates are friends + foes - with Valtteri Bottas + Zhou Guanyu

How Formula 2 + Formula 3 prepare drivers for F1 - with Oscar Piastri

F1 Academy - with Susie Wolff + Lia Block

The F1 race start - with Mick Schumacher + strategist Bernie Collins

Behind the scenes on Drive to Survive - with Exec Producer James Gay-Rees

Why F1 pre-season testing matters - with Mercedes, McLaren + Alpine

How F1 teams build their new cars - with Aston Martin Technical Director Dan Fallows

Experience Formula 1 live in 2024
Tickets for races in Texas, Las Vegas and across Europe are available now. Go to tickets.formula1.com

Two race-winning F1 strategists answer your questions on how teams plan their pit stops, what happens if fewer than 10 cars finish a Grand Prix and how teams hide their secrets when they speak to drivers on the radio.

Bernie Collins and Ruth Buscombe join Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill for a quickfire episode of F1 Explains. Why do some teams hope they'll finish a lap behind the leader? What happens when a driver is told to 'keep their head down'? What words did Ruth struggle with when she moved from an Italian team to a British one?

Send us your F1 question and we'll find the expert to answer it
Write an email or record a voice note and send it to [email protected]

Learn more about F1 with our previous episodes:

LIVE in Miami with Guenther Steiner + F1 Explains listeners

F1 brakes - technology + technique - with Brembo + Jack Doohan

The job of an F1 Team Principal - with Aston Martin's Mike Krack

Why F1 teammates are friends + foes - with Valtteri Bottas + Zhou Guanyu

How Formula 2 + Formula 3 prepare drivers for F1 - with Oscar Piastri

F1 Academy - with Susie Wolff + Lia Block

The F1 race start - with Mick Schumacher + strategist Bernie Collins

Behind the scenes on Drive to Survive - with Exec Producer James Gay-Rees

Why F1 pre-season testing matters - with Mercedes, McLaren + Alpine

How F1 teams build their new cars - with Aston Martin Technical Director Dan Fallows

Experience F1 live in 2024
Tickets for races in Texas, Las Vegas and across Europe are available now. Go to tickets.formula1.com

At the Miami Grand Prix, F1 Explains went live on-stage with former Haas Team Principal and Miami GP Ambassador, Guenther Steiner.

F1 Explains listeners Joan from Florida, Amanda from Tennessee and Nick from Washington D.C. asked Guenther questions about the life of an F1 Team Principal and whether Steiner's office door survived being smashed by Kevin Magnussen.

Special thanks to Sam Rose, Carla Corbet, Lyndsey Fairburn, Lindsay Krushner, Jamil Russell-Lewis + Jason Gol

Watch F1 live in 2024
Tickets for the US Grand Prix in Austin, the Las Vegas Grand Prix and the rest of the 2024 F1 season are available now at tickets.formula1.com

Catch up with our other episodes

F1 car setup - with Fernando Alonso + Aston Martin

Race suits, boots + underwear: what F1 drivers wear - with PUMA

F1 brakes - technology + technique - with Brembo + Jack Doohan

The job of an F1 Team Principal - with Aston Martin's Mike Krack

Why F1 teammates are friends + foes - with Valtteri Bottas + Zhou Guanyu

How Formula 2 + Formula 3 prepare drivers for F1 - with Oscar Piastri

F1 Academy - with Susie Wolff + Lia Block

The F1 race start - with Mick Schumacher + strategist Bernie Collins

Behind the scenes on Drive to Survive - with Exec Producer James Gay-Rees

Why F1 pre-season testing matters - with Mercedes, McLaren + Alpine

How F1 teams build their new cars - with Aston Martin Technical Director Dan Fallows

A Formula 1 car is like a musical instrument: to perform at its best, it has to be tuned. Aerodynamics, suspension, tyres, and transmission can all be changed to suit the racetrack, the driver and the weather.

In Miami, Christian Hewgill joins Aston Martin to explore car setup, with driver Fernando Alonso, Ambassador and former F1 racer Pedro de la Rosa, and Performance Director Tom McCullough.

Send us your F1 question and we'll find the expert to answer it
Write an email or record a voice note and send it to [email protected]

Learn more about F1 with our previous episodes:

LIVE in Miami with Guenther Steiner and F1 Explains listeners

F1 brakes - technology + technique - with Brembo + Jack Doohan

The job of an F1 Team Principal - with Aston Martin's Mike Krack

Why F1 teammates are friends + foes - with Valtteri Bottas + Zhou Guanyu

How Formula 2 + Formula 3 prepare drivers for F1 - with Oscar Piastri

F1 Academy - with Susie Wolff + Lia Block

The F1 race start - with Mick Schumacher + strategist Bernie Collins

Behind the scenes on Drive to Survive - with Exec Producer James Gay-Rees

Why F1 pre-season testing matters - with Mercedes, McLaren + Alpine

How F1 teams build their new cars - with Aston Martin Technical Director Dan Fallows