The Race F1 Podcast

To many, Formula 1 is about engineering genius, so why does the governing body, the FIA, so often outlaw bold new ideas after they appear? Has grand prix racing become anti-innovation, or is it essential for 'the show' to control technical development?On this episode of The Race F1 Podcast, which was inspired by a question sent in by someone in The Race Members' Club on Patreon, Edd Straw is joined by Samarth Kanal and Mark Hughes to debate whether F1 has got the innovation balance right or wrong, and to hypothesise on what would happen if the FIA relaxed the rules and allowed the teams to innovate as they wish, provided they stuck to the cost cap...Here's the full listener question from StevieNoises that inspired the episode:Why is F1’s strategy so anti-development? Ferrari’s exhaust wing is banned for 2027 and, to quote from The-Race.com ‘although the FIA was satisfied that the designs fully compiled with the regulations, it was mindful that if things were left untouched there was a risk of things getting more extreme and a potential tech war exploding.’'Tech war' is negatively loaded language that perfectly describes the sport! Car performance is based on the design of the car rather than the talent of the driver (for the most part), so a tech war is what Formula 1 is. Why is the strategy to counter development? Teams cannot just spend their way out of problems now. All of the teams saw the Ferrari rear wing in testing and took time to evaluate if it is worth bringing. 10 years ago, all of the top teams would have had one on the car for round 1. With the cost cap in place, there arguably should be more freedom in chasing designs.I understand that occasionally developments are banned because it can lead to one team being extremely dominant which you could make the argument with McLaren's system. But it's not like Ferrari have won a lot of races this year BECAUSE of the exhaust wing. This is not a development like DAS, or the double diffuser for example. Get bonus F1 podcasts, extra content and ad-free listening, sign-up to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today.

In the latest episode of The Race F1 Tech Show, we evaluate two teams that took major steps forward before the summer break: McLaren and Aston Martin.Edd Straw is joined by former F1 technical director Gary Anderson, who explains why McLaren's approach to upgrades should pay it back in the second half of the season, and why Lando Norris' stunning Hungary victory shouldn't be a track specific one-off.Next, Gary discuss his old team, Aston Martin, and the performance step it was able to make with a heavily upgraded car. Gary explains the bold aerodyanmic choices Adrian Newey has taken with the car, and why it affords the team plenty of headroom for improvement.And finally, Gary answers another batch of questions from listeners on differences in deployment between drivers, the 2027 rules, upgrade scheduling, hybrid technology evolution and F1’s ultimate rules.If you'd like to ask Gary a question, send it to podcasts@the-race.comGet bonus F1 podcasts, extra content and ad-free listening, sign-up to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today.

After its nightmare start to 2026, Aston Martin finally showed signs of a revival in Hungary after putting a big upgrade on the car. So has Adrian Newey finally got the Silverstone-based team on the right track, or will there be more bumps in the road, even with a new Honda power unit on the way?On the latest episode of The Race F1 Podcast, Edd Straw is joined by Josh Suttill and Jon Noble to assess Aston Martin's current position and expected trajectory, and how that might impact Fernando Alonso’s future. Plus, we round up the latest F1 news, including how the 2026 and 2027 calendars are shaping up amid continued conflict in the Middle East and why a significant FIA figure has spoken out against F1's power unit manufacturers...Get bonus F1 podcasts, extra content and ad-free listening, sign-up to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today.

Alpine's executive advisor and de facto team boss Flavio Briatore, is the latest guest on The Race Business's 'In Conversation With...' series. He talks about how Team Enstone has gone from an $80 million valuation to a $3.5 billion valuation, how highly he rates Pierre Gasly, why he thinks there needs to be 24 sprint races and explains how he turned a 'very bad idea' into a $150 million title sponsorship deal.

Do F1 drivers need to cut back on complaining over team radio, or is it just a consequence of radio traffic being so easy to hear these days?Edd Straw is joined by Glenn Freeman and special guest Conor Daly on the latest episode of The Race F1 Podcast to delve into driver etiquette and whether things need to change.There's also talk of whether things have gone too far with F1's blue flags rules after the Oscar Piastri/Carlos Sainz flashpoint in Hungary, and whether F1 could take lessons from IndyCar.Get bonus F1 podcasts, extra content and ad-free listening, sign-up to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today.

Lando Norris became the fifth different winner this season with a surprise win in Budapest - but was it enough to earn him the top spot in our rankings as well? Val Khorounzhiy joins Edd Straw to probe him on how he ranked the drivers’ performances after the Hungarian Grand Prix - including where he placed Carlos Sainz after the Spaniard's controversial clash with Oscar Piastri under blue flags.Get bonus F1 podcasts, extra content and ad-free listening, sign-up to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today.

Edd Straw is joined by Jon Noble and Josh Suttill to dissect the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest. Ferrari was the odds on favourite after Friday practice, but in the end it was Lando Norris and McLaren who emerged victorious - to their own surprise. We explain how and why McLaren came on so strong on Saturday and Sunday, discuss whether Ferrari had only themselves to blame for losing victory, and examine why championship-chasing Mercedes was not in the running this weekend. Plus, we discuss Verstappen's superb run to second place, Russell's poor start, and the controversial blue flag drama that impacted Oscar Piastri’s race before his retirement.Get bonus F1 podcasts, extra content and ad-free listening, sign-up to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today.

As a special bonus, we're making the Friday edition of our In-Car Insights podcast - usually only available to The Race Members' Club - free for everyone to listen to.In this episode - more accurately described as on-foot insights - Edd Straw and Josh Suttill recap Friday's action at the Hungaroring, which included the first running for Aston Martin's heavily upgraded car.They also look at Ferrari’s strong pace, McLaren and Red Bull’s mixed day, Mercedes’ struggles, and the tight midfield fight involving Racing Bulls, Audi, Williams, Alpine, and Haas.Plus, there’s an update on the circuit surface, the turn one bump, tyre strategy, and why qualifying could be all about getting the perfect lap in tricky conditions.If you like what you hear - and we're confident you will - head to Patreon.com/therace to sign up to The Race Members' Club and enjoy these bonus episodes (and much more besides) on every grand prix weekend.

Another season of Bring Back V10s is coming to an end, and as usual we're rounding things off by handing the power over to our audience to ask us anything about F1's V10 era.Host Glenn Freeman is joined by Edd Straw and Matt Beer to tackle questions about Gerhard Berger at Williams, classic liveries teams should bring back, which version of Silverstone was the best, Alex Zanardi at BMW Williams, Kimi Raikkonen's 2003 title charge, and remastering V10 era computer games.Plus, hilarity ensues as Edd gives a ridiculously comprehensive answer when he's asked who would win a championship of the last classified team from each season of the V10 era...Get bonus F1 podcasts, extra content and ad-free listening, sign-up to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today.