F1 Nation

Jolyon Palmer and Alex Jacques join Tom Clarkson from the F1TV commentary box to debrief an epic Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

Max Verstappen secured his first victory of 2026 and the first win for Red Bull’s own power unit. How did Max recover from a slow start? Why were Red Bull so competitive in Sepang? And just how far have they come this year?

Meanwhile, there were mixed emotions at Mercedes, with Kimi Antonelli coming home in P2 but George Russell retiring due to an engine issue. Now 84 points behind championship leader Kimi, are George’s title hopes well and truly over? How should he approach the rest of the season?

Having gambled on soft tyres while his rivals stuck to inters at the start, Lewis Hamilton dropped from second to eighteenth in the opening stages, before fighting back through the field to third for his first podium since Silverstone. Why did Ferrari start both drivers on the softs? How did Hamilton complete such an impressive comeback? And how much did Team Principal Fred Vasseur need a result like that?

The guys also discuss a champion’s drive from Fernando Alonso to score his best result of the season for Aston Martin with P8, why McLaren weren’t in the mix in Malaysia and their Driver of the Day.

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Days after driving a modern Formula 1 car for the first time, Jamie Chadwick joined F1 Explains to answer your questions.

She tells Christian Hewgill what surprised her the most when she tested the 2025 Williams F1 car at the Portimao circuit in Portugal, and compares the experience to driving in W Series, Indy NXT and Le Mans.
 
Jamie also talks about working with Williams, supporting F1 ACADEMY drivers and her ambitions for her racing career, all while signing a flurry of caps thrown on stage by the Baku crowd...

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Tom Clarkson and 1996 World Champion Damon Hill preview this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

Damon competed in the very first F1 race at Sepang back in 1999 so tells Tom what we can expect from the track, the weather conditions and who will be competitive here.

The guys also discuss what George Russell will take into the weekend from his dominant victory in Baku, why Ferrari have felt the need to publicly reaffirm their support for Team Principal Fred Vasseur, and their thoughts on Fernando Alonso’s decision to continue racing with Aston Martin in 2027.

Plus, TC ponders what’s next for Esteban Ocon and Haas after they announced they’ll be parting ways at the end of the year.

Big names and expert insight on official F1 podcasts
F1 Beyond The Grid - in-depth interviews with F1 stars
F1 Explains - experts answer your F1 questions

Tom Clarkson, James Hinchcliffe and Alex Brundle sit down in the Baku paddock to dissect a thrilling Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

George Russell may have only won the race by a tenth after a dramatic drag race with Max Verstappen to the finish line, but he was dominant all weekend to take his third victory of the season.

Why was George back to his best in Baku? Has he finally got to grips with the car? And what does this result mean for his title challenge?

Kimi Antonelli recovered from his crash in qualifying to climb from P16 to P5. Given the Mercedes’ straight-line speed, why wasn’t he able to cut through the field as successfully as he did in Monza? And was this the first time we’ve seen Kimi race with the championship in mind?

The guys also discuss Red Bull's first double podium since China 2024 - whether Max could have won had he qualified higher up, the team orders between him and Isack Hadjar, and just how impressive the latter’s performance was after missing the previous three races with a wrist injury.

Elsewhere, there was mayhem in the midfield as Franco Colapinto took out Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly and McLaren’s Lando Norris at the first Safety Car restart, when Arvid Lindblad also hit his Racing Bulls teammate Liam Lawson. So what will the debriefs at Alpine and Racing Bulls look like?

Also on the agenda: Esteban Ocon’s future after leading Haas to a double points finish, a much-needed point for Williams, disappointment for Oscar Piastri having been in podium contention and an anonymous race for Ferrari.

They're the racing series which prepare drivers for Formula 1. F2 and F3 are where Kimi Antonelli, Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Gabriel Bortoleto and many more F1 stars have honed their skills behind the wheel. How are these categories different, what do the drivers drive, and what does it take to win?

2026 Formula 3 champion Ugo Ugochukwu tells Christian Hewgill the key to topping a competitive field of 30 drivers, what he learned from racing on F1 weekends and how he hopes to make the step up to F2 and beyond.

Formula 2 Technical Director Pierre-Alain Michot answers your questions on how the F2 car is different to F1 machinery. He also explains how the updated F2 car for 2027 will give drivers the best possible preparation for F1.

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Tom Clarkson, Jolyon Palmer and James Hinchcliffe look ahead to this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku.

The guys reflect on how different Kimi Antonelli’s European leg of the season was this year compared to last, before discussing how much the Italian’s success this season is down to his own progress and how much can be attributed to George Russell’s struggles.

With Lewis Hamilton now over 100 points adrift of championship leader Antonelli, are his title hopes now over? If so, how should Ferrari approach the rest of this year? After their strong pace in Madrid, what are McLaren’s chances of fighting Mercedes for victory? Oscar Piastri’s championship challenge started to fall apart with a DNF in Baku last year, so will he bounce back? And what can we expect from Williams’ upgrades this weekend?

Plus, after Max took just 14 laps to beat 100 karters at Silverstone last week, Tom, Jolyon and Hinch remember the craziest races they’ve been involved in and discuss whether Max can take his first F1 win of the season in Baku.

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Every driver wants to stand above their rivals, hear their national anthem, life the trophy and spray the champagne on the Formula 1 podium. It's a moment of celebration which takes careful planning and is governed by strict rules... like a wedding... in race suits.

We've put your podium questions the two people who work together to make it all happen: Linda Boudabous – Master of Ceremonies and Special Operations Co-ordinator at the FIA, and Katalin Bukor – Head of Ceremonies & Protocol at Formula 1.

They tell Christian Hewgill about broken trophies, keeping VIPs dry and what happens when real champagne can't be sprayed on the podium. 

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Tom Clarkson is joined by journalists Albert Fabrega and Julianne Cerasoli to reflect on the first Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring circuit.

The Virtual Safety Car came at just the wrong time for race leader Lando Norris on lap 15, costing him victory after he’d made a great start from pole. Could McLaren have pre-empted the VSC? Why did Lando pit after the VSC ended? Could he have stayed out on the medium tyre?

Tom, Albert and Julianne discuss those talking points and you’ll hear reaction from McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella.

Kimi Antonelli capitalised on Lando’s misfortune to take his eighth victory of the season and move 81 points clear of Mercedes teammate George Russell at the top of the World Championship.

And Max Verstappen came home in P2 for his sixth podium of the year. But could he have won the race if Red Bull hadn’t asked him to let Lewis Hamilton past after their opening lap incident?

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How did the Madring come to life? What makes it such a unique track compared to the rest of the F1 calendar? And why is ‘La Monumental’ the corner everyone’s talking about?

As we head to the heart of Madrid for the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend, Christian Hewgill has been finding out more about F1's newest circuit.

He's joined by F1 correspondent Lawrence Barretto, who was Carlos Sainz's passenger as he drove the very first lap of the track earlier this year, and the Madring’s Chief Operating Officer, Carlos Jimenez, to answer your questions about this exciting new challenge for the drivers.

Formula 1 is heading to a brand-new circuit in Madrid this weekend, as the Madring hosts the Spanish Grand Prix for the first time.

Tom Clarkson and F1TV lead commentator Alex Jacques discuss the unique challenges this track will present the drivers, why we could be treated to a chaotic race and which teams will be competitive there.

Jacquesy tells Tom why George Russell can still stop his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli from becoming World Champion, despite the Italian’s 66-point lead at the top of the standings. 

And you’ll hear what Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc had to say at media day in Madrid, after their tense opening lap battle in Monza.

THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY:

IM8
Give your body what it deserves with IM8! Go to IM8HEALTH.com/nation and use code NATION for a Free Welcome Kit, five free travel sachets plus ten percent off your order. #im8health