Neck strength secrets, wind tunnel watchers, DRS data + pit stop perfection - what we learned in 2023

They're round, they're black, they keep you on the track. Tyres are one of the most important parts of a Formula 1 car, but getting the best performance from them requires tireless work from drivers, teams and engineers. Three tyre experts join Katie and Christian to explain all you need to know about F1 tyres: Former F1 racer Jolyon Palmer explains why tyres are so important to drivers Mario Isola, Head of Motorsport for official F1 tyre supplier Pirelli, tells us why different tyre compounds are chosen for each race weekend and why F1 tyres wear out McLaren's Director of Race Engineering, Hiroshi Imai, explains how F1 teams choose which tyres to use and the tyre rules they must not break You ask, F1 Explains! Send your F1 question - as an email or a voice note - to why@F1.com F1 Explains tackles a different F1 topic every week. Check out our previous episodes using the links below: The 2024 F1 calendar - why it helps make F1 more sustainable Wind Tunnels - the top secret tools where cars are created Race engineers - the voices on F1 Team Radio Pit stops - two seconds of total teamwork Simulators with Aston Martin's Stoffel Vandoorne Racing in the rain with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade Street circuits with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins F1 driver fitness with Alexander Rossi + Sebastian Vettel's former trainer F1 in the USA - why the US has 3 races in 2023 F1 Sprint weekends with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest names, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid. For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation.

24 Aug 202352min

Racing more regionally. New power for the F1 Paddock. Game-changing fuels for F1 cars and, potentially, your car. Big things are happening to help make Formula 1 more sustainable. Christian and Katie ask F1's Head of Sustainability, Ellen Jones, why re-organising the race calendar for 2024 will help reduce the sport's carbon footprint. Ellen also reveals how F1's trialling new ways of reducing the amount of energy used at races and developing a game-changing sustainable fuel with potential to transform the way we all travel in the future.  McLaren's CEO, Zak Brown, and Sustainability Director Kim Wilson reveal how Lando Norris' race seat and the lake outside their factory are helping the team cut carbon.  We'd love to answer your F1 question. Record or write it, then email it to Why@F1.com Why not listen to another episode? Trophies, travel + 'pace in the car' - Your Questions Answered Your F1 Car Questions Answered by Bernie Collins + Will Buxton Why are F1 wind tunnels top secret? Why do F1 drivers need race engineers? with Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu Why are pit stops so important?  Why do F1 teams need simulators? with Aston Martin's Stoffel Vandoorne Why is racing in the rain so difficult? with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade Why are street circuits the ultimate test? with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins Tyres, points + car set-up - Your Questions Answered Why do F1 drivers need to be so fit? with Alexander Rossi + Vettel's former trainer Why does the USA have 3 F1 races in 2023? Why is F1 Sprint such a challenge? with Kevin Magnussen For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest names, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid. For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation.

27 Juli 202330min

Why don't F1 drivers get to keep their trophies? How do F1 people cope with travel? What do drivers actually mean when they talk about having 'pace in the car'? Bernie Collins, former Aston Martin F1 strategist, and Will Buxton, F1TV presenter, are back with Christian and Katie to answer these questions and more. Bernie tells us about a time a driver was allowed to keep a special trophy, while Will explains how drivers avoid jet lag during the Singapore night race. We'd love to answer your F1 question. Record or write it, then email it to Why@F1.com Why not listen to another episode? Your F1 Car Questions Answered by Bernie Collins + Will Buxton Why are F1 wind tunnels top secret? Why do F1 drivers need race engineers? with Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu Why are pit stops so important?  Why do F1 teams need simulators? with Aston Martin's Stoffel Vandoorne Why is racing in the rain so difficult? with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade Why are street circuits the ultimate test? with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins Tyres, points + car set-up - Your Questions Answered Why do F1 drivers need to be so fit? with Alexander Rossi + Vettel's former trainer Why does the USA have 3 F1 races in 2023? Why is F1 Sprint such a challenge? with Kevin Magnussen For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest names, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid. For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation.

20 Juli 202329min

Why are some F1 cars faster than others? Why do some upgrades work and some don't? Why don't F1 teams all just copy the fastest car?  F1TV presenter and Drive to Survive star Will Buxton, and former Aston Martin Head of Race Strategy Bernie Collins join Katie and Christian to answer those questions in more in a quickfire Formula Why special all about F1 cars. You'll hear what upgrading an F1 car has in common with online clothes shopping, why copying a successful car is like trying to cook without a recipe, and why F1 drivers get weighed after every single race. Why not listen to these other episodes? Why are F1 wind tunnels top secret? Why do F1 drivers need race engineers? with Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu Why are pit stops so important?  Why do F1 teams need simulators? with Aston Martin's Stoffel Vandoorne Why is racing in the rain so difficult? with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade Why are street circuits the ultimate test? with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins Tyres, points + car set-up - Your Questions Answered Why do F1 drivers need to be so fit? with Alexander Rossi + Vettel's former trainer Why does the USA have 3 F1 races in 2023? Why is F1 Sprint such a challenge? with Kevin Magnussen Why don't you send us a question? Record or write them, then email to Why@F1.com For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest stars, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid. For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation.

13 Juli 202339min

Hidden inside F1 factories, engineers use blasts of high-speed air to shape race-winning cars. Wind tunnels are multi-million dollar, high-tech facilities where aerodynamicists experiment.  What happens in the wind tunnel usually stays in the wind tunnel, but Formula Why is going into this secretive world with Alpine F1 Team's Technical Director, Matt Harman. He tells us why F1 teams use wind tunnels, why they're so secretive and the incredible way the sport's rule makers, the FIA, keep an eye on how much teams use them.  Christian and Katie also break down the rules about wind tunnels and why teams spend millions to have their own tunnels.  Got a question for us? We'll answer it! Write or record it, then send it to Why@F1.com Check out other episodes of Formula Why. Scroll through the feed or use the links below: Why do F1 drivers need race engineers? with Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu Why are pit stops so important?  Why do F1 teams need simulators? with Aston Martin's Stoffel Vandoorne Why is racing in the rain so difficult? with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade Why are street circuits the ultimate test? with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins Tyres, points + car set-up - Your Questions Answered Why do F1 drivers need to be so fit? with Alexander Rossi + Vettel's former trainer Why does the USA have 3 F1 races in 2023? Why is F1 Sprint such a challenge? with Kevin Magnussen Use the share button and #FormulaWhy to invite a friend to join us on Formula Why.

6 Juli 202325min

They're the voice in the driver's ear, guiding them through every lap. F1 drivers can't compete without their race engineers, but why are they so important? Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu and his race engineer Jorn Becker join Formula Why to answer your questions. Why do engineers speak like they do? Why do they use some words and not others? Why are all F1 Team Radio messages in English? Zhou and Jorn explain the secrets of a great driver/race engineer team.  We want to answer your questions on Formula Why! Record or write them, and send them to Why@F1.com  Check out these other episodes of Formula Why 'Undercuts', red lights + F1 jobs - Your Questions Answered Why are pit stops so important?  Why do F1 teams need simulators? with Stoffel Vandoorne Why is racing in the rain so difficult? with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade Why are street circuits the ultimate test? with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins Tyres, points + car set-up - Your Questions Answered Why do F1 drivers need to be so fit? with Alexander Rossi + Vettel's former trainer Why does the USA have 3 F1 races in 2023? Why is F1 Sprint such a challenge? with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen Thanks for listening. Please rate and review Formula Why and invite a friend to join in using the share button and #FormulaWhy

29 Juni 202329min

Why can pitting a lap earlier than your rival be a race-winning move? Why do F1 cars have red lights on the back? How do drivers remember all their race plans at 200mph? How do people get to be F1 Team Principals, strategists or reporters? Former Aston Martin Head of Strategy Bernie Collins and F1 Chief Correspondent Lawrence Barretto are back with Christian and Katie on Formula Why to answer these questions and more in a quickfire special. Got an F1 question you'd like us to answer, or a message about the podcast? Record it as a voice note or write it in an email and send it to Why@F1.com Check out other episodes of Formula Why. Scroll through the feed or use the links below: Why are pit stops so important? Why do F1 teams need simulators? Why is racing in the rain so difficult? with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade Why are street circuits the ultimate test? with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins Tyres, points + car set-up - Your Questions Answered Why do F1 drivers need to be so fit? with Alexander Rossi + Vettel's former trainer Why does the USA have 3 F1 races in 2023? Why is F1 Sprint such a challenge? with Kevin Magnussen Thanks for listening. Please leave us a rating and a review. Share the show to help other F1 fans learn more about the sport we all love using #FormulaWhy

22 Juni 202334min

Twenty teammates. Two seconds. Total teamwork. F1 pit stops are iconic, but why are they so important, and why are they so difficult to do perfectly? Who's on the pit crew, and what does each person do? Katie and Christian get the answers from: Gemma Fisher - the human performance specialist who revolutionised F1 pit stops Connor Swan - Alpine F1 Team's Pit Stop Performance Co-ordinator Kevin Magnussen - Haas F1 Team driver  Christian and Katie break down an F1 pit stop - from the role of the driver, to the mechanics who fit the tyres - and how the crew works together to get the car back on track in the shortest possible time. Check out other episodes of Formula Why. Scroll through the feed or use the links below: Your F1 Car Questions Answered by Bernie Collins + Will Buxton Why are F1 wind tunnels top secret? Why do F1 drivers need race engineers? with Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu Why do F1 teams need simulators? with Aston Martin's Stoffel Vandoorne Why is racing in the rain so difficult? with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade Why are street circuits the ultimate test? with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins Tyres, points + car set-up - Your Questions Answered Why do F1 drivers need to be so fit? with Alexander Rossi + Vettel's former trainer Why does the USA have 3 F1 races in 2023? Why is F1 Sprint such a challenge? with Kevin Magnussen Got an F1 question for Christian, Katie and our F1 experts? Record or write it, and email to Why@F1.com Thank you for listening. Please leave us a rating and a review. Share the podcast to help other F1 fans learn more about F1 using #FormulaWhy For more F1 podcasts, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid and F1 Nation

15 Juni 202346min