Motor Sport F1 Show with Mark Hughes

Max Verstappen wins in Malaysia, Red Bull's rough-track advantage, and a restart that took two hours: Mark Hughes and Bryn Lucas look back on the Sepang Grand Prix and ahead to Singapore. This week, Mark explains why Verstappen's first win of the season came in the fastest car on the grid, and why Fernando Alonso's eighth place was the drive that impressed him most. Mark also explains how a rough...

Would Christian Horner work at Ferrari? Mark Hughes and Bryn Lucas discuss the latest speculation and Mark's latest column on what would happen if Horner took charge at Maranello, what level of control he would demand, and whether Ferrari's senior management is brave enough to give it to him. Horner also says Red Bull has lost its mojo since he left. Does he have a point? Then it's on to a chaotic...

Charles Leclerc is dynamite in Baku: he started in pole position for four years in a row and is regularly the fastest on track in the race. But he's never won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He's expected to start at the back of the grid on Saturday due to engine penalties so it doesn't look like he'll win in 2026... or could he? Just as Max Verstappen battled past 100 karts in a showcase race erlier t...

Madrid's Madring circuit was every bit as flawed as predicted - but was Lando Norris's masterclass the real story of the weekend? And is he now as fast or faster than Max Verstappen? Mark Hughes and Bryn Lucas break down the Spanish Grand Prix at Madring, dissecting the circuit's one-line layout, the chaos around the venue, and whether next year's tweaks can actually fix it. Plus: how Norris's pol...

Mark Hughes joins Bryn Lucas to break down a stunning Italian Grand Prix, where Kimi Antonelli produced one of the most improbable wins in recent memory - starting 19th and beating a Mercedes team-mate who began 17 places ahead of him. Mark explains why the drive ranks alongside Formula 1's greatest recoveries, and whether George Russell can still realistically challenge for the title. Also this w...

Mark Hughes previews the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, breaking down why F1's fastest car keeps changing hands - from Mercedes' early-season dominance to McLaren's gearing advantage and Ferrari's new turbo upgrade, which could make it the quickest car in the field. Mark and Bryn discuss why Monza will finally reveal how much of McLaren's recent form comes down to track-specific gearing rather than...

Mark Hughes has found the piece of the jigsaw that explains McLaren's stunning Zandvoort form - and it isn't just the upgrades. Breaking down why Lando Norris's car was three tenths quicker through the high-speed sector but three tenths slower on the straights, Mark reveals the gearing trade-off baked into McLaren's concept since day one, and why it could leave the team badly exposed at Monza, whe...

Mark Hughes has handed out just one A+ so far this season - and even Kimi Antonelli's own team-mate George Russell can't quite explain how he's making a rookie-in-his-second-year look this good. Using the old-school GCSE method, Mark grades every driver on the 2026 grid at the summer break, from the Ferrari pairing of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc through to the biggest team-mate swings on th...

George Russell has complained of his struggles to adapt to this year's Mercedes Formula 1 car, but world champion Lando Norris hasn't offered much comfort, saying: This is our job, we are paid millions to do it. We must drive any car they give us." More than just exposing the difference between their driving styles, the comments reveal Norris and Russell's contrasting mindsets at the start of the...

Oscar Piastri and George Russell have both led the Formula 1 World Championship in the past 12 months, so why are these top-level drivers unable to get on terms with their team-mates? And how is Lewis Hamilton now looking to have the edge over Charles Leclerc after a crushing 2025 season? Mark Hughes outlines new evidence that emerged during the Hungarian Grand Prix to explain the sometime dispari...

Is Formula 1 insulting fans' intelligence by trying to hide the problems with this year's cars? By removing data, cutting away from drivers' disparaging comments, and failing to broadcast in-car outbursts, F1 looks to be trying to minimise criticism of the 2026 championship. It's not a smart move, says Mark Hughes in the latest episode of the F1 Show. Watch Mark and Bryn Lucas discuss the issue in...

Max Verstappen may be the best driver in Formula 1 at the moment. So why would he even consider moving to current backmarker Aston Martin? Hear Mark Hughes' compelling case in the latest episode of the Motor Sport F1 Show, as he sets out why the four-time champion is considering his future, and why he'd pick the Silverstone-based team over the likes of Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren. There's also F...

The Formula 1 season has burst into life, with three different race winners in the past three grands prix, and a return to fast-paced racing rather than complaints about artificial overtakes and super-clipping. But the controversy around electrical energy looks set to be back with a spark at Silverstone, where its series of fast, sweeping corners offer little natural opportunity to generate power...

F1 wheel wars: are new rims behind Ferrari success? Mark Hughes and Bryn Lucas explain how the new design works and why it could be the opening shot in a new round of wheel wars, with Formula 1 regulations giving teams more freedom in their design. They also consider whether this another example of Ferrari becoming F1's most innovative team, after its rotating 'Macarena' rear wing and clever spott...

Ferrari is favourite to win in Monaco this weekend - and that might just be the start of a Formula 1 title fightback. Mark Hughes and Bryn Lucas reveal why the team could end the 2026 season with the fastest car, thanks to its innovative aerodynamic features, plus the prospect of two key engine upgrades that promise to put the team at least on a par with Mercedes — and potentially ahead of the cur...

George Russell saw the Canadian Grand Prix as a chance to relaunch his F1 world championship campaign but instead his worst fear was realised. Not only did he retire with engine issues, his team-mate Kimi Antonelli was bang on his pace — at one of Russell's strongest circuits. Mark Hughes and Bryn Lucas explore the gripping Montreal team-mate brawl we saw before Russell bowed out and what it means...

Max Verstappen races in the Nürburgring 24 Hours this weekend on a mission to win. But it's not just about the four-time F1 champion taking on one of the world's greatest races amid a packed grid and sell-out crowd - it could also point to his own racing future, says Mark Hughes After heavily criticising the current generation of Formula 1 cars, could Verstappen find more satisfaction in GT racing...

Formula 1 cars are set to sound great again! Mark Hughes reveals the overwhelming levels of support in the F1 paddock to scrap the current V6 hybrid power units in favour of screaming V8s, for the first time in over a decade. The only question is when it's going to happen. Plus: George Russell has a big problem. After being outperformed by Kimi Antonelli, who took his third successive win in Miami...

How old is too old for an F1 driver? Fernando Alonso says he’s ready to race on into his late forties and Mark Hughes says he still has the talent, the adaptability and the burning desire to fight for a world championship — in fact, in some areas, he's better than any other driver. Plus: F1 is back on track this weekend - will we see a new frontrunner after a month of frantic factory work? More fr...

As F1 announces changes to its rules in a bid to improve the racing, Mark Hughes and special guest Matt Bishop explain what changes we're likely to see and why fans should keep criticising the series when it delivers artificial racing. Plus: Matt explains why former Ferrari driver and Le Mans winner Michele Alboreto should be more highly rated, and Mark answers your questions on whether F1 cars wi...

As F1 discusses rule changes after just three races in 2026, it's also set to unlock engine upgrades for the trailing pack. How will this affect the championship? This week's crunch F1 meeting looks likely to alter the energy split of the new power units: Mark Hughes examines who will be the big winners and losers, and asks what F1’s crisis of its own making says about the state of the sport? Plus...

Two top F1 drivers punished by the new regulations — with two very different reactions. Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc can’t race the way that they want to and Verstappen is threatening to quit. But Leclerc has built a team to help him master the new rules. Mark Hughes and Bryn Lucas look at what’s going on. Plus: F1 faces a crunch meeting, and who is F1’s greatest-ever team boss? More from Ma...

Leading the F1 title race at the age of just 19, Kimi Antonelli would be the youngest world champion in history if he tops the table at the end of the season. He's not just there by luck either. As Mark Hughes explains in the latest episode of the Motor Sport F1 Show, the young Mercedes driver's victory at the Japanese Grand Prix revealed that he's got the raw pace on take on his more experienced...

It's all change at Aston Martin's F1 team — but all is not as it seems. Mark Hughes cuts through the noise to explain why Adrian Newey is set to step down as team principal; the clash at the top of the team that started it all; and why Jonathan Wheatley might be the perfect replacement. Plus: Why you shouldn't write Max Verstappen off in the Japanese Grand Prix, and the potential reason Mercedes i...

Formula 1 found its happy place in Shanghai, says Mark Hughes. Can it recreate that sensational racing for the rest of the season? We look at why the Chinese Grand Prix was so much better than in the Australian round. Also: Can Kimi Antonelli challenge George Russell for the championship? How Ollie Bearman’s showing he’s ready for a top team, and why Aston Martin’s troubles might mean Fernando Alo...