On this month’s edition of the Flat Chat podcast, Stuart Codling is joined by Mark Gallagher and Matt Kew to discuss how Max Verstappen joined exclusive club of F1 champions who clinched the title on a Saturday.

This month the cover star of GP Racing is Fernando Alonso. We charged our reporter Oleg with the task of finding out what makes him tick, and why Formula 1 is “like a drug to him”. 
 
And around this time of year we like to do a tech analysis of the constructors’ championship-winning car. As Matt Kew has written about recently, Red Bull’s RB19 doesn't have any one trick up it's sleeve, thereby denying the opposition the opportunity to either complain or copy. On the podcast this month we talk about how Adrian Newey continues hunt for perfection.

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Flat Chat 

The podcast for fans of Formula 1, Formula E, Sportscars, Touring Cars and Rally. The Autosport Podcast is the official podcast of Autosport, the world’s leading authority on motorsport.

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It was a surprise win for the Porsche customers Jota Sport as they took victory in the World Endurance Championship's Six Hours of Spa... depending on your definition of the term "Six Hours"! With Earl Bamber having a huge wreck on the Kemmel Straight with just under two hours to go, a lengthy red flag was needed to fix the armcoe barrier, and with it, the stewards took the discretion to reset the clock back to the time of the Red Flag. But was this ultimately the "right" move?
Joining Kevin Turner on the Autosport Podcast is Gary Watkins and James Newbold as they break down why the clock was reset, why Ferrari lodged a formal protest against the result, as well as where all their cars sit performance wise with Le Mans just around the corner. There's also discussion on Alpine as they bridge the gap to the sport's "Big Three" of Porsche, Toyota and Ferrari, and the LMGT3 class, where Manthey took the class victory after the Iron Lynx Lamborghini's had to stop for fuel in the closing stages.
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WEC 6 Hours Of Spa Review - Jota Takes A Surprise Win After Two Hour Red Flag

Formula 1 is back on European soil this weekend as the travelling circus heads to Italy, and a return to Imola for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Round 7 of the World Championship, and a welcome comeback after the horrible flooding of 2023 that led to the race’s cancellation.  
Joining Bryn Lucas on the Podcast is Alex Kalinauckas, and together they discuss the big speculation around Williams and the future of American driver Logan Saregant. Miami had rumblings that Williams were pursuing an exemption from the FIA to potentially have Mercedes junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli in the car despite jot turning 18 until August, against the factory team's wishes. Is the writing on the wall for Saregant? And with Max Verstappen disagreeing with the superlicense system entirely, saying it was brought in because of him, has it outlived its usefulness?
The pair also discuss the changes made at Ferrari, with Loic Serra and Jerome D'Ambrosio confirmed to be joining the Maranello factory in October, with the latter taking up a new role as deputy team principal. What sort of role will they play in red, and should there be concern for Charles given his well documented frosty relationship with previous engineer Xavi Marcos?
There's also a full preview of Imola this weekend, including the upgrade packages due for McLaren and Ferrari this weekend, whether Pirelli bringing softer rubber will make for more strategic options, and pondering if they'll be any chance of more passing given the complaints about the lack of it in Miami from McLaren's Andrea Stella and Aston Martin's Mike Krack.
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Imola Race Preview - Ferrari Bolsters Their Roster, Max Wants Superlicense Scrapped

The Month of May 2024 marks the 30th Anniversary of the tragic Imola 1994 weekend where Formula 1 lost the lives of Roland Ratzenberger and three-time World Champion, Ayrton Senna.
In Episode 1 of the new "James Allen on F1 Podcast", James remembers Ayrton's legacy and how he's been remembered 30 years on from that tragic day. The podcast features interviews with Manish Pandey, writer and producer of the 2010 "Senna" movie, with a clip from the interview included in this trailer.
Ayrton's niece and CEO of the Senna Institution Bianca Senna is also interviewed, where Biancas explains how the Institution has provided educational support to over 36 million children in Senna's home country of Brazil, as well as sit-down chats with Autosport's new Editor-In-Chief Rebecca Clancy, and Brazilian journalist Julianne Cerasoli, who discuss what Ayrton meant to them, as well as the seismic recent news of Adrian Newey leaving Red Bull Racing at the start of 2025.
Episode 1 of the James Allen on F1 Podcast: "Senna & The Art Of F1 Storytelling" is available now on the Autosport YouTube Channel, iTunes, Spotify and Google Podcasts.
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Trailer - The James Allen On F1 Podcast, Senna & The Art Of F1 Storytelling

On his 110th Grand Prix Start, and after 15 podium finishes previous, Lando Norris finally scores his first career victory on the streets of Miami, with it also being McLaren's first win since Monza 2021.
On the Autosport Podcast, Bryn Lucas is joined by Alex Kalinauckas to break down the action, including how Norris took advantage of the perfectly timed Safety Car after Logan Sargeant and Kevin Magnussen hit each other. There's more on Max Verstappen who suffered floor damage from a rare error when cutting the Sector 2 chicane, as well as Ferrari, with Carlos Sainz picking up a post-race penalty for hitting Oscar Piastri while trying to pass at the hairpin.
Did Kevin Magnussen go too far to defend his teammate in the Sprint after picking up 35 seconds of time penalties? And the midfield battle heats up as RB strong results for both their drivers in the Sprint and the Grand Prix, and Alpine gets their first point of the season.
And be sure to follow the new James Allen on F1 Podcast, releasing on the Autosport YouTube and Podcast channels on May 7th, with Episode 1 paying tribute to the legacy of the late Ayrton Senna, with last week marking the 30th anniversary of his passing. Listen in for a sneak peek of an Interview with Manish Pandey, writer and producer of the 2010 movie "Senna".
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Miami Grand Prix Review - Lando Finally Wins As Verstappen Struggles

After days of mounting reports, Red Bull finally confirmed on May 1st that Adrian Newey, legendary Chief Technical Officer will be leaving the team in the first quarter of 2025, after what will be 19 years with the team. Adrian will be taking a stepback from his role within the F1 team as he stays to develop their RB17 Hypercar instead.
Joining Bryn Lucas on the Podcast is Autosport Editor Haydn Cobb, and on it, they discuss the timelines that led to Newey's announced departure as well as his exit plan with the team, as well as his future, with Ferrari and Aston Martin both reportedly keen to take on his services as the sport enters a critical development period, with the 2026 technical regulation change looming over the horizon.
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