F1 Explains

How do F1 commentators call races? What do F1 team radio messages mean? How do drivers make sure their laps in qualifying are as fast as possible? In this 'mega' episode, F1TV commentary duo Alex Jacques and Jolyon Palmer explain how they do their jobs - the camera shots and data they look at during a Grand Prix Alex and Jolyon also help Christian Hewgill decode F1 team radio messages, and break d...

Filmed on real F1 racetracks, in the middle of real F1 action, F1 The Movie is the most authentic racing movie ever. Director Joseph Kosinski tells Christian Hewgill how the movie was made - how it all started with an email to Lewis Hamilton, how the team modified real race cars to film the spectacular racing sequences, and how he shot scenes on the grid, on the track and in the pit lane during F1...

Watching F1 on TV is incredible. Seeing the action live is even better. With 24 amazing races, different ticket options and viewing positions to choose from, how do you plan a trip to a Formula 1 Grand Prix? Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill speak to Gavin and Megan, F1 fans from Colorado who are going to this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix during their honeymoon. They want advice planning their...

What is a ‘driving style’ and how many different ones are there? What’s the secret to executing a champagne pop on the podium? And how do F1 drivers come up with ideas for special helmet designs and create the final product? McLaren driver Lando Norris joins Christian Hewgill at the Canadian Grand Prix to give you the answers. Lando also tells us what he likes to eat for breakfast, why he has to g...

He's a legend of Formula 1, a three-time World Champion who fought to make the sport safer. Sir Jackie Stewart's good work continues today with his charity Race Against Dementia. Sir Jackie joins Christian Hewgill to answer your questions on how F1 has changed since the 1960s and 70s, the great drivers of the past and how F1 cars and racetracks have become safer over the decades. Lady Helen Stewar...

Teamwork. Racing. Pasta. We explore all that and more as Mika Hakkinen joins Christian Hewgill and F1 Explains listeners live on-stage at the Monaco Grand Prix. Double World Champion Mika talks about what he learned from racing Michael Schumacher. Their rivalry started as teenagers in karts and continued when they fought for F1 titles in the late 1990s. F1 Explains listeners Lisa, Daniel and Tessa...

No room for mistakes. No time to breathe. The Monaco Grand Prix is a unique challenge. Legends win here, but even the greats have failed to complete 78 laps on the narrow streets of Monte Carlo. Christian Hewgill is in Monaco to find out what makes this race special. Monaco winner and two-time F1 World Champion Mika Hakkinen explains why it's such a difficult Grand Prix, mentally and physically. F...

F1 Explains LIVE with Mika Hakkinen Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix 2025 Saturday 24th May, 1:30pm F1 Fanzone stage Send your question to F1Explains@F1.com , tell us you're coming and you could be part of the show F1: THE MOVIE starring Brad Pitt Only in cinemas June 2025 Watch the trailer now It's All To Drive For in 2025. Be there! Book your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.com...

What happens in a Formula 1 team's garage during a race? In a world-first episode, recorded inside the Haas garage during the Miami Grand Prix, mechanics, engineers and strategists tell F1 Explains what they do while the cars are racing. How are the pit crew told it's time for a pit stop? How do strategists make their calls? How do mechanics make sure new tyres are ready to go? Christian Hewgill e...

How do F1 bosses keep the pressure off young drivers? What's it like launching a brand new team? Former Haas Team Principal and future star of the F1 movie Guenther Steiner answers these questions and more in an episode recorded live at the Miami Grand Prix. F1 Explains listeners Jenny, Joshua and Sydney join Christian Hewgill on-stage to ask Guenther their questions about running an F1 team. Guen...

Formula 1 races in incredible places. Miami is unique. Home of two-time Superbowl champions the Miami Dolphins, the Miami Open tennis, other world-class sporting events and concerts, the Hard Rock Stadium is transformed into a Grand Prix track where hundreds of thousands of fans enjoy the action both on and off the circuit. Christian Hewgill is in Miami to answer your questions how the event happe...

He's a former racer who's now boss of Alpine. Oliver Oakes joins F1 Explains for another 'Ask A Team Principal' special. He tells Christian Hewgill how he deals with feedback from drivers Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan, while keeping hundreds of team members working together. Plus, Oliver explains how he became a Team Principal in Formula 1 after starting out as a driver and team boss in F3 and F2....

How do drivers stay so calm when they’re about to crash? What’s the difference between a slipstream and dirty air? Why do F1 cockpits have small ‘windscreens’? How do you become an F1 presenter? And what exactly is the role of a driver’s press officer?  Christian Hewgill is joined by F1TV main presenter Laura Winter and IndyCar race winner James Hinchcliffe to answer your quickfire questions. Get...

Drivers, sponsors, repairing crashes and making big decisions; Formula 1 Team Principals have a lot to handle. Williams Racing boss James Vowles answers your questions about his job. What does it mean when a team says they're focusing on F1's new rules in 2026? How does James deal with team mate battles? How are Williams supporting young women reach F1? Christian Hewgill asks James these questions...

190 mile per hour corners. Heavy braking zones. Twists and turns with no room for error. Suzuka, home of the Japanese Grand Prix, tests Formula 1 drivers' skills to the limit. But what are those skills? What are the 20 drivers actually doing with their hands, their feet, and their eyes, which allows them to drive so fast? Former F1 racer and Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de la Rosa answers your qu...

What does the CEO of a Formula 1 team actually do? What happens in the F1 boss group chat? How are McLaren going to handle their drivers in 2025? Who decides who gets to go on the podium to collect the Constructors' Trophy? Zak Brown answered these questions and more on-stage at the Australian Grand Prix. Christian invited F1 Explains listeners Chloe, Samantha, Lauren and Katy to ask Zak their que...

A new car to drive. A new Race Engineer to talk to. When Formula 1 drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz move teams, they have a lot to learn. Mercedes Reserve Driver Valtteri Bottas tells Christian Hewgill about the challenges drivers face when switching sides, from learning buttons on their steering wheel to understanding the voices in their ear. Then, 2009 World Champion Jenson Button re...

Faster cars. Brighter spotlight. Higher pressure. A Formula 1 debut is a dream come true, but rookies need to impress, or their first season could be their last... 2009 World Champion Jenson Button tells Christian Hewgill the lessons he learned from his first year in F1 with Williams, what the 2025 rookies should try and achieve and the mistakes to avoid. Oscar Piastri's Race Engineer Tom Stallard...

Christian's just about to leave for the Australian Grand Prix, but before he goes he's got all the details of F1 Explains LIVE in Melbourne - with special guest, McLaren CEO Zak Brown F1 Explains LIVE at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix 2025 F1 Fanzone Stage, near the Brabham Grandstand 1130-1200, Saturday March 15th Got a ticket for the track on Saturday? You can come to the show If you'll be...

Formula 1 teams have one chance to test their cars before the 2025 season. With every lap, drivers and engineers learn more about their new machines. Why is pre-season testing so important, and how do teams get the most out of it? From Bahrain, Christian and Katie are joined by F1TV Lead Presenter Laura Winter, who gives us the lowdown on testing. Then Alpine rookie Jack Doohan, McLaren's Oscar Pi...

F1 pre-season testing is just days away, and F1 teams are racing to be ready. What's going on inside their factories? How long does it take drivers to be 100% confident in a brand new car? How do strategists get ready for the first race? Plus, who do you root for - the driver or the team? Ahead of the 2025 season, Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne get the answers to these questions and more from...

On F1 Beyond The Grid, Formula 1's fastest stars slow down for in-depth conversations with Tom Clarkson. They reveal what it’s like being at the centre of the biggest stories of the season and share fascinating insight into what life is like as a Formula 1 driver, Team Principal, engineer, designer, and more. In this end-of year special, Tom picks his favourite moments from a long list of stellar...

How do Formula 1 drivers find the fastest way around the track? How do teams scout future superstars? Why is driving in F2 the best way of reaching the top? What really happens on the grid before a race? In 2024, F1 Explains answered these questions and many more sent in by listeners from all over the world. Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne have picked the most fascinating moments from the podc...

'To finish first, first you have to finish'. Formula 1 teams can't score points, wins or championships unless their cars make it to the chequered flag. Reliability Engineers like Sauber's Laura Villadelprat work in the garage and the factory to keep the cars on-track and avoid the dreaded DNF (Did Not Finish). Laura explains how F1 teams know when it's time to swap old car parts for new ones, how...

F1 cars are out-of-this-world to drive, even for experienced racers. Pato O'Ward is a race-winner in IndyCar with Arrow McLaren, but when he jumps in a Formula 1 car as Reserve Driver for McLaren F1 Team, he's blown away. Pato joins Katie and Christian to answer your questions about the differences and similarities between Formula 1 and IndyCar - the cars, the racetracks, the pit stops and more. '...