F1 Explains

F1 cars are racing on the streets of Las Vegas at more than 200 miles per hour. It’s the most spectacular race of the season, and it takes months of work by a team of more than 15,000 people.   Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne are in Las Vegas to find out how Formula 1 takes over the city. Las Vegas Grand Prix VP of Sporting and Race Operations Silvia Bellot explains how public roads, including...

It's where pit crews go to work, where strategies are decided and where races can be won and lost.  Katie and Christian step into the Formula 1 pit lane to put your questions to former Aston Martin Head of Race Strategy Bernie Collins. Bernie explains how the length and speed limit of the pit lane affects race strategy, why every team's pit box is different, what all the screens and buttons on the...

F1 Explains gave listeners who attended our live show at F1 Arcade Washington D.C. the chance to win tickets for the 2025 Miami Grand Prix. Courtesy of the Miami Grand Prix, two lucky listeners have won a pair of tickets for the new McLaren grandstand, some exclusive McLaren merchandise and the chance to win a hot lap of the track with a professional driver. The draw was done at random and it's ti...

The clock is ticking. The starting grid is full of people - drivers, engineers, reporters and celebrities. Formula 1 is about to go racing, but there's so much work to do. What happens on the grid in the crucial final minutes before lights out? In the first podcast episode to be recorded on a Formula 1 starting grid before a race, Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne push through the crowds and exp...

Want somewhere to watch a Grand Prix with F1 fans, race against your friends and enjoy food and drink? Look no further than F1 Arcade! Christian and Katie recorded a special episode of F1 Explains at F1 Arcade Washington D.C. after the Mexico City GP Watch Party. F1 Arcade is open now in Washington D.C., Boston MA, plus London and Birmingham in the UK. Go to f1arcade.com to buy tickets for Watch P...

A Formula 1 legend and a brand new star took to the stage at Circuit of the Americas for F1 Explains LIVE. Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne put your questions to 2-time World Champion Mika Hakkinen, and Ferrari Academy Driver and 2025 Haas F1 Team Driver, Ollie Bearman. F1 Explains listeners Rachel from Austin, Texas, Michelle from Cleveland, Ohio, Erin from Los Angeles, California and Ryan and...

Come watch the Mexico City GP with F1 Explains at F1 Arcade Washington D.C. Buy tickets at f1arcade.com/us/watch-parties/mexico-city On Sunday October 27th, Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne will be hosting a Watch Party for the race, and recording an episode of the podcast. Join us to watch the Grand Prix on big screens with amazing food and drink, plus racing on the F1 Arcade simulators. Going...

What do Formula 1 drivers do in the hours before the start of a Grand Prix? VCARB's Liam Lawson tells Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne about his pre-race routine, and how he'll be preparing his body and mind to for his return to Formula 1 this weekend at the United States Grand Prix. Andy and Jess from the UK, and Kathy from California had their questions answered on this episode. Send your que...

F1 cars race round corners at more than 190 miles per hour. Those insane speeds are made possible by downforce - the invisible power which keeps F1 cars on-track. Emel Cankaya is an Aerodynamics Specialist at McLaren. She tells Katie and Christian what downforce is, how F1 cars create it and what the front wing, rear wing and floor of the car do. She also explains how and why F1 teams change their...

What are the rules when F1 drivers go wheel-to-wheel? How do they know when to hit the brakes? Why do drivers wait until the last moment to set their qualifying lap times? Aston Martin Reserve Driver Stoffel Vandoorne joins Christian Hewgill (and Katie Osborne in voice note form) to answer your questions. Send us your questions Laura from Belgium, Todd from Virginia, Richard from Texas and Luana f...

Precision at 200 miles per hour. Millimetre-perfect steering, Millisecond-perfect braking and acceleration. That's what it takes to race in Formula 1. Performance Engineers help the 20 fastest drivers in the world to be their very best. McLaren's Tom Stallard, a former Performance Engineer, tells Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne about the incredible work these engineers do with Formula 1 driver...

16 drivers in identical cars, racing wheel-to-wheel on Grand Prix weekends. F1 ACADEMY, the game-changing racing series for female drivers, returns at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix. Hamda and Amna Al Qubaisi are F1 ACADEMY race-winners, teammates and sisters. They answer your questions on staying calm under pressure, racing in different junior categories and how they recover after a race. They tel...

24 spectacular Grands Prix in 21 incredible countries. A Formula 1 season is a world tour. How is it scheduled? F1 Explains gets the inside track from Formula 1 Director of Race Promotion, Louise Young.  Her team is responsible for planning the Formula 1 calendar. They decide the order of races, negotiate contracts and work with promoters – the groups who own or operate the racetracks which host e...

What does it take to win the F1 World Championship? Is it better to be the leader or the chaser in a title fight? What changes when you become a champion? In a special episode, recorded at F1 Paddock Club, 1996 World Champion Damon Hill reveals all you need to know about winning the sport's ultimate prize - including how teammate rivalry goes beyond the racetrack and onto the dinner table! F1 Expl...

Why is the 'undercut' pit stop strategy more powerful at some tracks than others? Formula 1 strategists make race-changing decisions under huge pressure. How do they practice? What is a 'DRS train' and how does being in one change a driver's race? Former Aston Martin Head of Race Strategy Bernie Collins answers these questions and more in a quickfire special. Yiorgios in Greece, Carla in Kentucky,...

How does a Formula 1 team stay fit, healthy and ready to race? The team's Physiotherapist (or Physical Therapist) treats every member of the team like an athlete, helping pit crew members avoid or recover from injury, keeping engineers active and making sure jet lag doesn't knock mechanics off their game. Faith Atack-Martin from Combine Performance works with Haas F1 Team. She tells Katie Osborne...

What are the most frequently asked questions sent to the F1Explains@F1.com inbox? We answer three of them on this summer break mini episode.  Plus, Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill have news of F1 Explains live shows. We're coming to: Dutch GP in Zandvoort - August 23-25 US Grand Prix in Austin - October 18-20 Las Vegas Grand Prix - November 21-23 Tickets to all three races and the rest of the...

Dozens of people work inside an F1 team garage, and they all have different jobs. Without these mechanics and engineers, the drivers would never get out on-track. Who are they, what do they all do, and how did they get their jobs? In this episode, recorded at the 2024 Canadian and British Grands Prix, Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne speak to three of Kick Sauber's garage team: Tyre Performance...

To win in F1, hundreds of people have to work together. From the mechanics at the track to designers at the factory, every team member plays their part. How are F1 teams organised, and why does every team have to build a unique car? Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill go back into the sport's past with F1 Correspondent and Presenter, Lawrence Barretto, who explains how car design has been part of...

A double F1 World Champion and three F1 Explains listeners joined Christian Hewgill live on stage at the 2024 British Grand Prix. F1 Explains listeners Sophie from Rugby, Ryan from London and Alex from Atlanta Georgia asked Mika Hakkinen about how Formula 1 has changed since his final season in 2001 and how it feels to drive high-speed corners. The 1998 and 1999 World Champion also explains what i...

In F1, every thousandth of a second is crucial. Drivers' performances are often separated by less than the blink of an eye, so how are F1 cars timed so accurately? To find out, Christian and Katie speak to James Clarke, a highly-trained F1 timekeeper. James explains the technology on cars and at circuits which make the timing system work, how lap times and race positions are accurately recorded, a...

As high-performance athletes, F1 drivers have to eat the right things at the right times. Everything they eat and drink, plus the timing of their meals, is carefully planned by expert nutritionists like Dr Dan Martin from Combine Performance. Dan works with McLaren's Oscar Piastri. Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne find out what an F1 driver's diet is and how it helps them perform at their best....

They’re essential pieces of safety kit, made from specialised materials. But F1 helmets do far more than just protect the driver. F1 Explains explores helmet design, testing and technology with Stephane Cohen, co-CEO of Bell Racing – the company which makes helmets for 13 current F1 drivers.  Stephane tells Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill how Bell make helmets that are strong and light, visors...

What do reserve drivers do? Why are F1 stars weighed after every race? What is the racing line (and how can it help you when doing grocery shopping)? Cindy from California, Ana in India, Pierre from France and lots more F1 Explains listeners sent in questions about the life of an F1 driver. Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne get the answers from Red Bull Reserve Driver, Liam Lawson. Liam explains...

It's there to keep F1 safe, and it can transform a race. The FIA Safety Car is sent out in poor weather or after a crash to protect marshals, drivers and fans. But there's more to it than meets the eye... Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne explore the secrets of the safety car: how the decision to use it is made, its purpose on-track and how drivers and strategists can gain an advantage when the...