BBC Radio 5 Live
F1: Chequered Flag
F1 Chequered Flag from the BBC offers expert analysis of every F1 race, with exclusive insight into every twist and turn of the F1 season. Each episode brings you in-depth race reviews, breaking down the strategies that shape each Grand Prix and the key players making headlines. Hear from F1 stars like Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris and the bosses of powerhouse teams like Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren. Plus keep up to speed on the cars and tactics changing the game. Stay tuned for the latest F1 updates, straight from the track. F1 Chequered Flag: Home of Formula 1. S...
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Episodes
Chequered Flag Extra: Ayao Komatsu On The Rise Of Haas 16.04.2026 22:19
Haas currently sit in fourth in the F1 constructors’ standings. So how are F1’s smallest team performing so well? Izzy Hammond and Harry Benjamin visit the team’s HQ to speak with Team Principal Ayao Komatsu about their success. Plus, just how did Ollie Bearman escape from that huge accident in Japan unharmed and what are the team’s ambitions for the future? Izzy and Harry also answer your F1 hot...
Chequered Flag Extra: Q&A Special 09.04.2026 39:36
Will Lewis Hamilton win a race in 2026? Who could replace Max Verstappen if he were to leave F1 at the end of the season? Which circuits would you like to see on the calendar? And what is your favourite F1 car and livery? Harry Benjamin, British racing driver Alice Powell and the BBC’s F1 correspondent Andrew Benson tackle your questions in this Q&A special. Find out the team's thoughts on cur...
Chequered Flag Extra: Verstappen’s Future, Bearman’s Crash & Jack Black 02.04.2026 24:20
Izzy Hammond and Harry Benjamin look back at the Japanese GP, digesting the latest F1 trends and biggest discussion points. Could Max Verstappen be on his way out of F1? How hard is it to change F1’s new regs? And do we currently have too many overtakes going on? Plus, Izzy presents her favourite memes of the week, we discuss your hot takes, and call for Jack Black to be at every F1 race!
Japanese GP Review: Could Verstappen Leave F1? 29.03.2026 41:04
Who would shine in the land of the rising sun as George Russell and Kimi Antonelli went head-to-head at the Japanese Grand Prix? But the post-race reaction was dominated by comments from four-time world champion Max Verstappen, who tells BBC F1’s Jennie Gow that he is “not enjoying” the sport and is considering his F1 future. Harry Benjamin, W Series race-winner Alice Powell and F1 journalist Rebe...
Japanese GP Quali Review: Antonelli v Russell & Verstappen’s Struggles 28.03.2026 25:26
Who would prevail in the pole shootout between Kimi Antonelli and George Russell in Japan? Harry Benjamin, Jennie Gow and W Series race-winner Alice Powell reflect on qualifying at the Japanese Grand Prix. Could Ferrari challenge the Silver Arrows? And would McLaren improve their poor start to the season? Plus, Max Verstappen’s Red Bull struggles continue.
Japanese GP Preview: Will Mercedes’ Dominance Continue? 26.03.2026 43:06
George Russell won in Australia. Kimi Antonelli claimed a first F1 victory in China. Can anyone stop Mercedes in Japan? Jennie Gow is joined by the BBC's F1 correspondent Andrew Benson and F1 journalist Scott Mitchell-Malm to look ahead to round three at the historic Suzuka Circuit. Is this era of racing ‘fun’? We hear from seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who is looking to challenge for...
Back at Base, Series 3: 9. A New Era 19.03.2026 25:54
Following the first two races of the 2026 Formula 1 season, we catch up with two of the sport's rising stars, Chinese GP winner for Mercedes, Kimi Antonelli, and Haas one-to-watch Ollie Bearman. With never-before-heard interviews from the series, we learn a little more about their lives on the road and at home. As they embarked on their second year racing in the world’s fastest sport, how would th...
Chinese GP Review: Antonelli Stars & Ferrari’s Gripping Battle 15.03.2026 41:45
Mercedes show their strength once again, but will we have an inter-team title fight between George Russell and Kimi Antonelli after the Italian’s star show in China? Ferrari produced a battle for the ages, so is Lewis Hamilton back to his best? Plus, what is going on at McLaren? Harry Benjamin, former McLaren Formula E driver Sam Bird and the BBC’s F1 correspondent Andrew Benson review the Chinese...
Chinese GP Saturday Review: Pole History & Hamilton’s Resurgence 14.03.2026 37:14
It was an eventful day at the Chinese Grand Prix as a surprise pole sitter made history, following a dramatic sprint. Was that F1’s best sprint? Plus, is Lewis Hamilton back to his best? Harry Benjamin, former McLaren Formula E driver Sam Bird and the BBC’s F1 correspondent Andrew Benson reflect on Saturday at the Chinese Grand Prix, and look ahead to Sunday’s race.
Chinese GP Preview: Who would take sprint pole? 13.03.2026 28:38
Who would take pole for Saturday’s sprint? Would George Russell’s domination continue? Can Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari keep the pressure on Mercedes at the front of the grid? Harry Benjamin, former McLaren Formula E driver Sam Bird and the BBC’s F1 correspondent Andrew Benson reflect on sprint qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix, and look ahead to the weekend’s action.
Chequered Flag Extra: Selfies, Curses & F1 Hot Takes 12.03.2026 25:44
Izzy Hammond and Harry Benjamin digest the latest F1 trends and biggest discussion points after the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. Are F1 curses real? Are the ‘burger curse’ and ‘Red Bull second seat curse’ impacting F1? We also celebrate Izzy’s favourite Melbourne memes and discuss your hot takes, including the prediction that Aston Martin will win a race in 2026!
Australian Grand Prix Review 08.03.2026 33:56
Are we going too early to say George Russell will be crowned the 2026 world champion? After his dominant victory in Melbourne, Harry, Jennie and Marc look back at the opening race of the new season and ask just how big Mercedes’ advantage over the rest of the field might be. They hear from Russell, his teammate Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton.
Australian Grand Prix Qualifying Review 07.03.2026 34:12
So, Mercedes are going to run away with both the drivers’ and constructors’ titles… right? After their dominant display in the first qualifying session of the season, Harry, Jennie and Marc pick through the bones of what happened. They hear from many of the drivers and discuss what it all means heading into Sunday’s race.
Aston Martin’s woes as 2026 cars run for first time in Australia 06.03.2026 16:57
Will the two Aston Martin cars make Sunday's starting grid? Harry Benjamin, Jennie Gow, Marc Priestley and Andrew Benson look back on the first day of on-track action at the Australian GP. Who is the team to beat? And why are Aston Martin struggling so badly? We hear from their team principal Adrian Newey.
Australian Grand Prix Preview 05.03.2026 54:00
Are Mercedes really favourites? Can Lando make a successful defence of his title? And are things really that bad at Aston Martin? Just a few of the questions Harry Benjamin, Andrew Benson and Jennie Gow tackle ahead of this weekend’s season-opening race in Melbourne. Lando joins us on the pod to tell us whether life has changed since becoming world champion. Lewis Hamilton explains why he’s so pos...
F1 2026 Preview: New Rules, New Regs & A Four-Way Title Fight? 02.03.2026 59:36
Harry Benjamin and Jennie Gow are joined by ex-McLaren mechanic Marc Priestley and former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer from Mercedes’ Brackley HQ ahead of the new F1 season. With the new rules and regulations dominating the build-up to the 2026 campaign, we ask whether they are a good thing for the sport. Will we have a four-way fight for the title? Will Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari have a resurgence aft...
Back at Base, Series 3: 8. Making History 25.02.2026 38:07
The countdown to Formula 1’s new era has begun in earnest. There are now just days to go until the teams unleash the new-look cars that will carry their fortunes in the landmark 2026 season. Concepts crafted inside the team’s fiercely-protected factories are about to spring into life on the track. It’s mid-January, and the Cadillac Formula 1 team are preparing for a huge milestone on their journey...
Back at Base, Series 3: 7. Shooting for the Stars 25.02.2026 29:23
The new year has been rung in and, for Formula 1, 2026 is here at last. The landmark year of change that the teams have been chasing for months. Inside the closely-guarded F1 factories, there are whispers of speculation about the redesigned cars and the potential for a new competitive order. But only when the cars break cover at the first race in Australia will the secret be out at last. For Kimi...
Back at Base, Series 3: 6. A Clean Sheet 18.02.2026 34:02
Formula 1 is in a moment of pause. The 2025 racing cars have been wheeled into storage, and the racetracks have fallen silent. But inside the top-secret F1 factories, each team is facing a winter like never before. Revised rules for 2026 are reshaping the cars and redefining what powers them, and that means the pressure is on for the hundreds working back at base. Before diving into the future, th...
Back At Base S3: 5. A Mountain to Climb 11.02.2026 36:36
We open Episode Five checking in at the airport with Haas driver Ollie Bearman as he prepares to take off for the final three races of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship. But there’s only one thing on his mind - will he get the dreaded middle seat? Fellow rookie Kimi Antonelli is also flying high as Formula 1 touches down for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The Mercedes teenager takes a gamble on tyr...
Back at Base, Series 3: 4. Flying High 04.02.2026 39:42
The final phase of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship is hotting up for our rookie drivers Kimi Antonelli and Ollie Bearman with just five races to go. At the start of this episode, we’re flying high with Mercedes driver Antonelli as he boards his flight to Mexico. But when you’re a jetset driver, how do you pass the time during long-haul trips across the world? The high-altitude circuit in Mex...
Back at Base, Series 3: 3. Hope and Ambition 28.01.2026 33:29
Hollywood legend Keanu Reeves makes his entrance in Episode Three of the podcast as the actor reveals why he has chosen to document Cadillac’s journey to the Formula 1 grid in a follow-up to his award-winning 2023 series about the Brawn F1 team. Our expert F1 guides, Holly Samos and Sarah Holt, are also closely following Cadillac’s story, and they arrive at the team’s factory for a landmark moment...
Back at Base, Series 3: 2. Master vs Apprentice 21.01.2026 31:36
The new Cadillac Formula 1 team reveals who they’ve chosen as their race drivers for their debut 2026 season. Returning fan favourites Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, with more than 500 Grand Prix starts between them, are set to make history as Cadillac’s first-ever F1 driver line-up. In an exclusive for this podcast, former Red Bull race-winner Perez explains why he’s chosen to make his F1 retu...
Back at Base, Series 3: 1. All at Risk 14.01.2026 38:05
We’re on a high-speed taxi ride with teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli as he takes series co-host Holly Samos on a thrilling hot lap around Silverstone, home of the British Grand Prix. The 18-year-old’s career is also hitting the gas, after Mercedes chose him to replace seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton and handed the Italian his F1 debut in 2025. Already a social media sensation,...
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Qualifying Review 06.12.2025 41:52
Who will be crowned the 2025 F1 champion? After Max Verstappen puts it on pole, Steve Crossman, Harry Benjamin, Rebecca Clancy and Rosanna Tennant look back at qualifying and assess how it shapes Sunday’s title decider. They hear from all three championship protagonists and discuss how the race might play out.
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