The Downshift AU F1 Podcast

The DownShift team welcome a "new" member to the panel as we gather at DownShift HQ to watch the Hungarian Grand Prix in the final race before heading into the summer break. Laughter ensues as Schwags addresses some listener feedback to correct some lighting issues for our YouTube viewers with a makeover for Lachy. Discussing the race's highlights, emotional reactions from fans, and...

The team discuss the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix, reflecting on the previous race's highlights, controversies, and team dynamics. Delving into the performance of key drivers, particularly Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, and the implications of team orders within McLaren. At a track that is more like a go karting-style circuit, Oscar Piastri's victory marked a significant moment for McLar...

The DownShift team review the Belgium Grand Prix at the famous Spa race track, analyzing the performance of drivers, race strategies, and tire management. Taking us through: - Piastri's record lap leading McLaren's strong performance. - The influence of weather conditions and tire choices. - Hamilton's early pit stop strategy that paid off significantly. - Lando Norris's mistakes t...

As two of the team sun themselves on on a beach somewhere, KT and Schwags reflect on what has been a busy couple of weeks without any racing action but plenty of action in F1. With the ousting of Christian Horner from Red Bull and secret rendezvous rumored between Toto Wolff and Max Verstappen on the Italian hideaway of Sardinia the mini break between Silverstone and Spa has been anything but bori...

Mid-season report card for Formula One teams, evaluating their performances based on the first half of the championship. The team discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each team, including McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull, Williams, Sauber, Racing Bulls, Aston Martin, and Alpine. Prior to the news that Christian Horner was sacked from Red Bull the team pose the question of what would you do...

What a difference the rain makes at the Silverstone Grand Prix. From accurate weather predictions from Lachie, our resident weather expert to the performance of key drivers like Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri, and Lando Norris. From a race weekend that was awash with contract rumors surrounding Max Verstappen and question marks hovering around the future of George Russell moving into a race that sa...

As three quarters of the team review the F1 Movie released in cinemas this week. The Hollywood tale of Sonny Hayes, the washed up has been who seeks redemption in a last ditch bid for a failing F1 team and Team Owner's last chance to seek glory in the greatest show on earth. The team also preview the upcoming Qatar Airways British Grand Prix at the iconic Silverstone raceway where F1 began 75 year...

The team review the Austrian Grand Prix, discussing the technical issues faced during the race, the impressive performance of McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and the impact of Ferrari's upgrades. The discussion also touches on the challenges faced by Max Verstappen and Red Bull, the importance of communication and strategy within teams as communication with the pit wall continu...

Formula one takes us to a track that always delivers action and drama as we edge closer to the middle of the season with McLaren dominating the Constructors Championship and their driver come off a bit of a tussle that saw Lando Norris finishing worse for wear. The DownShift team continue to discuss the controversies from the Canadian Grand Prix and preview the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix. Analyz...

The team review the recent racing events, briefly mentioning Ferrari's victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours, Shane Van Gisbergen's win in NASCAR before moving onto Mercedes' dominance at the Canadian Grand Prix. McLaren's team dynamics are under scrutiny of Lando Norris's rookie error that impacted the race outcome and any chances McLaren may have had at a podium. George Russell is...

In this episode, we discuss the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix and the Le Mans 24 Hours, analyzing the current driver standings and team performances in Formula One. We delve into the dynamics of Red Bull and Ferrari, the impressive performance of McLaren, and the implications of Lance Stroll's injury on Aston Martin's strategy. We also explore the potential return of Valtteri Bottas and the...

The team review the Spanish Grand Prix following an exciting start, with 47 laps providing some good overtaking until Kimi Antonelli brought out the safety car leading to Max Verstappen's controversial incident with George Russell, and the implications of penalties in the championship standings. Fernando Alonso brings home his first points for the season while his team make has to bail out due...

Preview of the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix, reflecting on the previous year's race. Spain see the introduction of stiffer regulations on the wing setup for teams addressing the whole FLEXI WING scandal and whether these technical changes could impact performance. Sharing our predictions for the race, highlighting key drivers and teams to watch, and wrap up with final thoughts on the excitement...

The team review the recent Monaco Grand Prix, discussing the race's lack of excitement, the impact of pit stop strategies, and the performances of various drivers. They delve into the challenges faced during qualifying, the importance of tire management, and the communication issues within Ferrari. The conversation also touches on post-race interactions among teams and predictions for future r...

The DownShift team preview the Monaco Grand Prix, discussing its history, iconic moments, dramatic crashes and legendary laps. Unique challenges of the street circuit that has delivered dramatic crashes and legendary laps in a race that polarizing track among fans who love or hate it. Thoughts on the compulsory two-stop strategy, and how sponsorship deals in F1 are skyrocketing, reflecting the spo...

Analyzing key moments, driver performances, and team strategies. How Aston Martin made it into Q3 then completely stuffed it up while Ferrari completely stuffed up qualifying and then redeemed themselves in the race. The influence of safety cars as Max Verstappen takes his second win of the season and a driver swap brings the McLaren drivers closer together on championship points for no good reaso...

Delving into the upcoming Formula One race at the Imola circuit. Discussing unique characteristics of the track, including its elevation changes and technical challenges, as well as the implications of weather on race strategy. Touching on Ferrari's performance expectations and the importance of driver confidence. Predictions for the race with 4 different Pole Predictions!!!!

The Downshift team review the first quarter of the Formula One season, discussing team performances, leadership changes, and future outlooks. Providing grades for each team based on their performance, highlighting Alpine's struggles, McLaren's impressive start, and the challenges faced by Red Bull and Ferrari. The conversation also touches on the unexpected improvement of Williams and the...

The grid expands in 2026 as Cadillac joins F1 and Audi take over Stake Kick Sauber in the 2026 season. The team delve into Cadillac's significant investment and the challenges they face as a new team, including driver lineup speculations and the strategic decision to use Ferrari engines initially. Audi's entry as a works team, developing their own engine and the advantages or disadvantages...

Huppy, Lachy, Schwags and KT review the Miami Grand Prix, discussing McLaren's dominance, Oscar Piastri's impressive performance, Ferrari's strategic missteps, and Kimi Antonelli's performance after only 6 races in Formula 1. Delving into race dynamics, the push to turn one controversies, and share the results of their predictions for the race, reflecting on the current season stan...

The DownShift team preview the upcoming Miami Grand Prix, discussing the track's characteristics, overtaking challenges, and tire strategies. They analyze team performances, particularly focusing on McLaren and Aston Martin, and make predictions for the race while considering the implications for the championship. The conversation also touches on potential weather impacts and the dynamics between...

Focusing on Oscar Piastri's impressive performance and the competitive dynamics at McLaren. The team delve into the influence of Mark Webber on Piastri, the pressure on Lando Norris, and the importance of mental toughness in racing. The conversation also covers the current driver standings, and the situation at Red Bull with thoughts on the current driver challenge and constructors championshi...

Review of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, discussing key incidents, driver performances, and the impact of race strategy. They analyze the qualifying rounds, the commentary provided during the race, and the dynamics between drivers and teams. The conversation also touches on future races and predictions for the championship standings, highlighting the competitive nature of Formula 1.

Preview of the upcoming Jeddah Grand Prix, discussing the track's characteristics, car setups, and the performance expectations for teams like Ferrari and McLaren. Delving into the dynamics between rookie drivers and established stars, while also making predictions for the race.

From race start, to battling technical difficulties, driver performances, and team dynamics. The team analyse the controversies surrounding the race, the somewhat return of Ferrari's performance, and the promising performances of rookie drivers. Wrapping up with how well the team did with our predictions.