On the very first episode of his new show, The Team Principal Podcast, former Aston Martin and Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer is joined by The Race's Ben Anderson to discuss how a team principal goes about integrating a new driver into a team.

First, Otmar talks about Lewis Hamilton's switch from Mercedes to Ferrari and the role Scuderia boss Fred Vasseur will have played in helping the seven-time world champion settle over the winter.

Otmar offers his thoughts on what he'd do if he was in Fred's shoes, and then contrasts that approach with the approach Mercedes boss Toto Wolff will have to adopt to help Hamilton's replacement - rookie Kimi Antonelli - settle into his new life as a full-time grand prix driver.

Within the discussion, Otmar reveals the techniques and strategies he used in his own career, and explains why being able to adapt your approach to suit the unique personality of each driver is so important for a team principal.

To round off the episode, Otmar casts an eye over 2025's driver pairings, giving his team principal's take on which of the duos will be the most harmonious, which he'd like to manage, and which he expects to provide fireworks...

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We have some exciting news: We're launching a brand-new podcast - The Team Principal Podcast, with Otmar Szafnauer!

As the former team principal of the Racing Point, Aston Martin and Alpine F1 teams, Otmar knows a thing or two about what it takes to run a multi-million dollar Formula 1 operation, and he's here to share that wisdom with you!

Alongside his deputy TP, Ben Anderson, Otmar will share honest, unfiltered stories from his career, and use his unique viewpoint to reflect on breaking F1 news, as only a former team boss could. 

He’ll also be joined by guests, including current and former F1 team principals, to discuss the thorny business of running a modern Formula 1 race team.

The first episode will be dropping soon, so check back to this feed, or search for The Team Principal Podcast in your podcast app of choice and like, follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode.

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We dive into the big talking point of Formula 1 pre-season as Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc drove the new Ferrari SF-25 for the first time at Fiorano today.

Jon Noble joins Edd Straw moments after hearing Lewis Hamilton’s first full press conference as a Ferrari driver to explain why the claim he is “reinvigorated” holds water.

Hamilton’s very obvious enthusiasm at being a Ferrari driver and confidence in it having everything it needs to be a world championship winner this year makes it very clear that he doesn’t for one moment regret leaving Mercedes. 

We also explain the approach Ferrari has taken with the new car, with Gary Anderson casting his expert technical eye over what we’ve seen of the SF-25 so far.

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We react to Formula 1’s first-ever group launch event in the latest edition of The Race F1 Podcast.

Jon Noble and Charley Williams join Edd Straw from the O2 Arena in London to appraise F1 75 and ask whether this one-off event could become a regular one.

We pick out the teams that made the best (and worst) impressions with their segments and what we want to see more, or less, of in the future.

We also gauge the crowd reaction and what it says about F1. And with plenty of news emerging from the day, we also ask if F1’s Monaco two-stop plan is a good one. 

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The launch of the Williams FW47 is the subject of the latest edition of The Race F1 Podcast. 

First Jonathan Noble joins Edd Straw in the Silverstone garages to explain the significance of Williams being the second team to launch its 2025.

We run through the significant progress Williams has made in order to be in this position, and what its expectations are for the coming year. 

Gary Anderson then offers his technical appraisal of the car, picking out the key aspects that caught his eye so far.

He gives his verdict on whether Williams has gone in the right direction or not, and how that impacts its chances for the season.

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We tell all about the surprise launch of the first new Formula 1 car of 2025 - the McLaren MCL39 - in the latest episode of The Race F1 Podcast. 

First, Mark Hughes joins Edd Straw at a cold and blustery Silverstone to discuss McLaren’s prospects of the season and what drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, as well as team principal Andrea Stella, revealed about the season ahead. 

And we also highlight the influence of a certain ex-Red Bull technical leader that is very clear in the approach it has taken this year. 

Then, Gary Anderson joins us to give his detailed technical appraisal of the car and explain why he’s convinced by the direction the team has taken. 

Want extra podcast content and to ask questions on the show? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon - we even have an F1-only tier! Head to Patreon.com/therace

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We look ahead to Formula 1’s imminent launch season in the latest edition of The Race F1 Podcast. 

Scott Mitchell-Malm and Ben Anderson join Edd Straw to explain how the time between now and the first day of testing in Bahrain on February 26 will play out. 

The centrepiece of launch season is the F1 75 event at London’s O2 Arena on February 18, where all 10 teams will have a slot on stage to reveal their livery. We explain what to expect from that, and debate whether it will live up to fan expectations. 

We also explain what cars we might see appearing before them, and the restrictions that mean it’s difficult to launch a genuine 2025 car before the big event in London. 

And with just a small window between F1 75 and freight leaving for Bahrain, we run through the teams that will be revealing the cars in the days before testing starts. 

Finally, we each pick out which car - or cars - we’re most looking forward to seeing break cover.

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We dissect Formula 1’s latest flexi-wings row in the latest edition of The Race F1 Podcast. Following news of a technical directive being issued curbing front wing flexibility, Jon Noble and Mark Hughes join Edd Straw to explain what’s changing and why. 

Inevitably, there’s the question of which teams this could help and hinder to consider, as well as the political dimension as the usual competitive paranoia bubbles up among the ultra-competitive teams. 

We also explain why flexi-wings can’t be regulated out of F1, and the reasons for the eternal push-and-pull battle between the rulemakers and teams on what’s permitted. 

And with the rule change kicking in after eight races, we ask whether it could distort the season and lead to a competitive swing in June.

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We dare to attempt to predict the 2026 Formula 1 driver market in the latest edition of The Race F1 Podcast.

Jon Noble and Scott Mitchell-Malm join Edd Straw to run through the 11 teams and settle on the most likely pairings for 2026. 

The likelihood of curveballs like Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull, Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari move not working out and many more changing the game is addressed, as we lay out the market landscape. 

Last year’s podcast attempting to do this was ultimately derailed by Hamilton’s shock Ferrari deal, and even with things seemingly being more settled heading into 2026 we explain why there’s still potential for a few surprises. 

And as well as discussing the 10 existing teams, we also look at what Cadillac might do for its first season in F1. 

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Amid the talk of Max Verstappen heading to Aston Martin in 2026, we address the rumours in the latest edition of The Race F1 Podcast. 

In a follow-up recording to the live shows we recently staged in London and Birmingham, we tackle some of the vast number of questions we received from the audience - including one about the reigning world champion’s future. 

We also discuss other aspects of Aston Martin’s rise, including the influence of Adrian Newey and Andy Cowell over driver decisions and Lance Stroll’s future. 

Other topics include how Lewis Hamilton will handle Ferrari politics, why Red Bull eschewed Carlos Sainz and whether Andrea Stella could have had the same impact on Alpine as he has on McLaren.

We also ask how clearcut the decision was for Gabriel Bortoleto to sign for Sauber, what qualifies as success for Audi, the reasons for the expected increased field spread under the new regulations next year and much more.

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