2 Soft Compounds

Baku promised the usual chaos, safety cars and sudden twists, but in the end delivered long stretches of nothing much at all!  On this week's 2 Soft Compounds, hosts Rick Houghton and Damien Reid unpack how a circuit this unpredictable became a slow moving train, and why it isn't just down to driver caution. The guys start with the standouts: George Russell's most complete weekend y...

Madrid's brand new 'Madring' promised a modern street circuit spectacle and delivered a procession: track position over bravery, and overtakes you could count on one hand.  On this week's 2 Soft Compounds, host's Rick Houghton and Damien Reid break down what the circuit gets right for fans to look at but wrong for racing. The guys discuss Lando Norris' stunning pole f...

Monza gave us a proper head scratcher: the speed traps and lap times say slower, but the racing looked busier than ever.  This week on 2 Soft Compounds, hosts Rick and Damien dig into why purists hate and casual fans love the recent hybrid deployments, battery tactics and  "yo yo" overtakes now prevalent in F1.  The boys also celebrate Pierre Gasly's properly earned pole for Alpine,...

Zandvoort was supposed to be Max's home turf party - instead it all went Pete Tong!  This week on 2 Soft Compounds, hosts Rick Houghton and Damien Reid dig into the slippery patch warning, the unusual line into Turn 3, and how Liam Lawson's pressure tipped a rare driver error at the worst possible moment. They also unpack Max's Red Bull extension through 2030, Red Bull's off we...

Aston Martin's 16-part reset shaved two seconds off their pace, giving Rick and Damien plenty else to dig into from a chaotic Hungary weekend. This week on 2 Soft Compounds, hosts Rick Houghton and Damien Reid cover all the action from the Hungarian Grand Prix, including George Russell's mystifying anti-stall off the grid, McLaren's team-order tension between Norris and Piastri, Fer...

Spa should have settled the algorithm debate, but instead it just made the case worse. This week on 2 Soft Compounds, Rick Houghton and Damien Reid dig into the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, from AI-driven energy deployment and neutralising some of the world's best racing corners, to George Russell's Eau Rouge meltdown, Kimi Antonelli's win, Isack Hadjar's faultless drive and the...

Silverstone should have been a classic, but instead it became another Formula One battery-management argument.  This week on 2 Soft Compounds, Rick and Damien dig into the British Grand Prix weekend, from boost games and artificial overtaking to Kimi Antonelli’s championship grit, Max Verstappen’s Red Bull frustration, Christian Horner rumours and an FIA safety car finish that short-changed the cr...

This week on 2 Soft Compounds, hosts Rick and Damien jump straight into the Styrian Grand Prix story that left the paddock shaking their heads: the single waved yellow at the Red Bull Ring that decides pole, and the uncomfortable reality that the rules demand a "lift" without ever defining one. George Russell plays the rulebook perfectly, race control hesitates to escalate, and everyone&...

This week on 2 Soft Compounds, Rick and Damien dig into F1's messy 2026: the unpopular rule changes, the Iran war scrapping Saudi and Bahrain, and the Monaco pit-lane timing scandal now snowballing into appeals and possible legal fallout (Russell may have lost the title over it).  Plus! Damien breaks an exclusive - Qatar and Abu Dhabi could be dropped for extra Las Vegas street races amid shi...

Monaco always exposes the smallest weaknesses, and this weekend was no exception. This week, host's Rick and Damien break down Kimi Antonelli’s stunning qualifying performance, the crucial relationship between driver and race engineer, and why modern Formula One is as much about information management as outright speed. The guys also unpack Max Verstappen’s power issues, Lando Norris’ frustra...

Canada gives us the kind of Formula One weekend that makes you argue with your mates for days: big pace swings, strange tyre choices, and just enough chaos to expose who is thinking clearly under pressure. This week on Two Soft Compounds, Rick and Damien jump straight into the Canadian Grand Prix story that left everyone shaking their heads: McLaren starting on intermediate tyres on a track that w...

A five-week break, a sprint weekend, and suddenly the 2025 F1 season feels very different. This week on 2 Soft Compounds Rick and Damien break down Kimi Antonelli’s breakthrough Miami win, why it felt far more convincing than a lucky result, and whether Mercedes are becoming a genuine threat again without even bringing a major upgrade package. The guys also dive into the technical battle shaping t...

Something’s not quite right in Formula 1 right now and Suzuka really brought that into focus. In this episode of 2 Soft Compounds , hosts Rick Houghton and Damien Reid vocalise what many fans are already thinking: the sport feels like it’s in a bit of a mess. The guys discuss Lando Norris' comments about the car effectively making an overtake for him with some racing incidents being linked to...

The 2026 Formula 1 season burst into life in China but is this the future fans really want? In this week's episode of 2 Soft Compounds, Rick Houghton and Damien Reid break down a race that delivered on the surface, but raised bigger questions underneath. Kimi Antonelli ’s sensational first win at just 19 signals a new era, while Mercedes ’ pace and growing reliability issues across the grid h...

Formula 1’s new era exploded into life in Melbourne with active aero replacing DRS, boost buttons rewriting overtakes, and drivers juggling energy modes like software engineers at 300 km/h. On this episode of 2 Soft Compounds , host's Rick and Damien unpack a race weekend packed with drama: Antonelli’s massive crash and rebuild, Verstappen’s bizarre rear-axle lockup, and Oscar Piastri’s heart...

This week on Two Soft Compounds , Rick and Damien Reid wrap up one of the wildest Formula One seasons in years, as Lando Norris clinches his first world title after a nerve-shredding showdown in Abu Dhabi. They break down how McLaren turned their Qatar disaster into a championship-winning strategy, why Verstappen’s two-point heartbreak may reshape Red Bull’s future, and how Norris proved that “nic...

This week on Two Soft Compounds , Rick Houhgton and Damien Reid break down the chaos from Qatar and set the stage for an all-out championship decider in Abu Dhabi. After another McLaren strategy disaster and a baffling tire call, Verstappen’s title chase is alive, just 12 points behind Norris with everything to play for. The guys debate whether McLaren’s refusal to back a number-one driver could c...

This week on Two Soft Compounds , Rick and Damien Reid unpack the chaos after Vegas, from Hamilton’s explosive Ferrari comments to McLaren’s double disqualification that’s thrown the title race wide open. They debate whether Ferrari’s culture is breaking Lewis’ spirit, if Lando’s plank failure was pure bad luck or bad setup, and why the FIA might have missed bigger culprits. The guys also spotligh...

This week on Two Soft Compounds , Rick and Damien Reid break down the fallout from Brazil - where Verstappen dominated , Norris shone , and Piastri’s confidence cracked . The guys discuss Red Bull’s bizarre qualifying collapse, McLaren’s growing garage divide, and whether Oscar’s struggles prove that pressure really does break the “Iceman.” They also dive into Ferrari’s latest meltdown, Hamilton’s...

This week on 2 Soft Compounds , Rick and F1 journalist, Damien Reed, break down a controversial Mexican Grand Prix - from Lando Norris’s flawless win to another FIA meltdown that robbed fans of a dramatic final-lap showdown. Together they debate whether McLaren’s setup changes are secretly favouring Norris over Piastri, unpack Ferrari’s latest communication chaos and call out the baffling late-rac...

This week on 2 Soft Compounds , Rick is joined by Damien Reid as they break down Max Verstappen’s Texas masterclass - a weekend that felt like a throwback to his dominant years. The guys dissect McLaren’s self-inflicted sprint disaster, growing tension between Norris and Piastri and why Oscar’s cool composure might finally be cracking under pressure. They question whether McLaren are secretly favo...

This week on 2 Soft Compounds , Rick teams up with F1 journalist Damien Reed to preview the Texas Grand Prix and unpack the chaos surrounding F1’s upcoming 2026 rule overhaul . They break down major changes - ground effect scrapped, DRS removed, and active wings introduced and debate whether the FIA’s cost-cap push will backfire. The conversation heats up around Christian Horner’s rumored comeback...

This week on Two Soft Compounds, Rick is joined by motoring journalist and Formula One commentator Damien Reed to unpack a record-breaking Singapore Grand Prix and a night race that tested the limits of every driver under 60°C cockpit heat. As George Russell delivered a flawless weekend to take victory and crown Mercedes’ comeback, the guys debate whether Singapore signals a genuine shift in momen...

This week on Two Soft Compounds , Rick and Paul set the stage for Singapore, where the championship battle could be blown wide open. Max Verstappen looks unstoppable after back-to-back dominant weekends, even sneaking in a Ferrari GT3 win on his “time off.” Has Red Bull unlocked something that puts him firmly back in the title race? And what does that mean for McLaren, who are juggling a construct...

This week on Two Soft Compounds , Rick and Paul dive into Baku’s chaos, from six red flags in qualifying to Verstappen’s flawless grand slam, and debate whether McLaren’s nightmare weekend has reopened the title fight. The streets of Baku delivered chaos in qualifying and domination in the race. Rick Hutton and Paul Velasco dive into a record-breaking six red flags, Oscar Piastri’s nightmare weeke...