Missed Apex Formula 1 Podcast

Spanners goes solo to tackle your latest F1 reckons, including whether Apple TV is hurting F1’s growth in America, whether we’re heading for a Sprint every weekend, the case against Monaco Sprints, rookie FP1 rules, Madring’s problems, FIA/FOM politics, the future of hybrid engines and whether F1 risks losing existing fans while chasing new ones. Plus bold 2027 predictions and some properly silly listener takes.

Spanners and the Missed Apex crew review a dramatic first Spanish Grand Prix at Madring. We get into the VSC strategy swings, Norris’ costly timing, Verstappen’s track-limit controversies, Antonelli’s fortune and pace, Ferrari’s mixed afternoon, and whether this circuit actually produced a good race after all.

Spanners' poor time management is this bit isn't done 

The Italian Grand Prix delivered plenty to unpack, from aggressive racing and strategy calls to team orders, tyre decisions and some fascinating intra-team dynamics. Spanners is joined by the crew to break down the key moments from Monza without giving away the result.Support us on Patreon by going to Patreon.com/MissedApex

Monza qualifying delivers a huge surprise as the grid is shaken up in unexpected fashion. Spanners examines Ferrari’s latest attempt to induce cardiac arrest, the theory that Oscar Piastri may have deliberately denied Lando Norris a crucial tow, and Red Bull’s increasingly suspicious use of sister-team drivers to help Max Verstappen. Plus, McLaren’s braking problems, the Mercedes-powered cars looking rapid on a power track, and all the key stories from qualifying.

Spanners previews the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where championship leader Kimi Antonelli starts from the back and Ferrari suddenly have a huge opportunity on home soil. We look at Hamilton and Leclerc’s title chances, why the 2026 cars could make Monza qualifying especially chaotic, the strange new overtaking dynamics created by energy deployment, and whether this traditionally low-downforce race is heading for another one-stop strategy battle. Plus Norris’ new McLaren deal, Williams managing expectations, the latest development war and a few distinctly Italian surprises.

How much does strategy really matter in Formula 1? Spanners and the panel dig into where races are actually won and lost: raw car pace, driver performance, pit-wall decisions, tyre behaviour and plain old circumstance.We look at the strategy calls we love, the ones that make no sense, and where an undercut, overcut, tyre offset or Safety Car call can genuinely change a result. We also get into the Pirelli era and whether deliberately strategic tyres have made F1 more interesting or simply forced drivers to spend too much time managing rather than racing flat-out.And at the heart of it: should Formula 1 create more room for strategic divergence, or should the best car and driver simply sprint to the flag?