F1 2024 Abu Dhabi GP: McLaren Seal Constructors Title As Norris Dominates

It's one month until Formula 1 reconvenes in Barcelona to run new cars for the first time, and we’re reconvening on the Autosport podcast to start our F1 technical coverage for the new season. After a short winter break, attention has turned from a controversial title-decider to how teams will have interpreted a new rule book. This year we’ll be talking about the Venturi effect, listed parts and wheel covers. The rule-makers have even mandated some open source parts which forces teams to upload their designs for anyone to see (because sharing is caring?). Our man who scours the technical regulations is Jake Boxall-Legge (Technical Editor, Autosport) and he tells us what fans should be looking for when cars roll out of the garage. GP Racing’s Ben Anderson looks at what the extra year of development time could mean and, whilst people assume we’ll see a convergence of performance, it might actually mean the top teams stretch their advantage. Any new set of rules have the potential to throw the form book out of the window. But what is the chance of that happening this year? The last team to surprise everyone was BrawnGP in 2009 but, as Ben points out, the Honda team had written off two years of development to put all the might of a works team into that moment.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

24 Jan 202254min

Tom Howard is back on the Gravel Notes podcast for a new season of WRC. Joining him on the shows is Martyn Lee to talk about the new Rally1 cars and championship battle with Ogier running a limited season. We also hear from Sebastien Ogier, Craig Breen, Oliver Solberg, Ott Tanak, Kalle Rovanpera and Elfyn Evans ahead of action starting later today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

20 Jan 202238min

This week's Autosport celebrates many of motorsport’s wild and spectacular machines. We’ve selected some of the most outrageous and, in a few cases, ridiculous cars ever to go into competition for our Monsters of Motorsport special. It is a look at some of the cars that can impress and entertain even if they are going around a circuit (or rally stage) all on their own. We're joined today by a special guest too, as Mark Blundell recalls his monster pole lap at Le Mans, and some of the other machinery he's driven to the limit. Martyn Lee hosts alongside Marcus Simmons (Deputy Editor, Autosport) and Gary Watkins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

18 Jan 20221h 7min

Between now and F1 pre-season testing, and for the first time ever, we've decided to bring you something different on the Autosport podcast.  Access to our subscriber only sction Autosport Plus. Autosport Plus give you access to enjoy exclusive long-reads, in depth analysis, technical insight and expert opinion.  Each week our editors will be hand picking some of the subscriber content for you to sample via the podcast. If you like it, I'll tell you how to get a massive 50% discount on membership at the end of the podcast, so stay tuned in to the end. Later, we'll talk about Juan Manuel Fangio, as Nigel Roebuck writes about what made him such a gentleman. But first, our Chief Editor Kevin Turner has picked out this article our subscribers first read last week - rating the best drivers of the century so far. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

10 Jan 202227min

The second part of Autosport’s annual podcast review of the Formula 1 season is here.    In the second part of our season review, we tackle the races after the summer break and how we’re feeling about the events of Abu Dhabi, as the dust begins to settle. Martyn Lee (Head of Podcasts, Motorsport Network) is joined by Alex Kalinauckas (Grand Prix Editor, Autosport) and Luke Smith (F1 Reporter, Autosport). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

29 Dec 20211h 12min

Autosport’s annual podcast review of the year is finally here! Whilst recent headlines have been dominated by the drama in Abu Dhabi, the balance of power between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton shifted many times throughout the season, and it was a year filled with storylines which deserve to be remembered. Today we go back to pre-season testing to remember what we learned even before the cars would race in Bahrain. With Ariana enjoying a well-earned break, Martyn Lee (Head of Podcasts, Motorsport Network) is joined by Alex Kalinauckas (Grand Prix Editor, Autosport) and Luke Smith (F1 Reporter, Autosport). In the first part of our retrospective we take you from early Mercedes dominance to a 32 point lead for Verstappen by the time teams left Austria, finishing with the first shoots of a Hamilton recovery heading into the summer break. With so much to discuss we split our season review podcasts into two parts. Look out for the concluding part on Monday 27th December. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

23 Dec 202159min

Autosport’s Top 50 drivers of the year is our traditional list picking out the great and the good from the motorsport season just gone.    The 2021 Top 50 is the 20th edition and we’ve had the usual tough task of selecting the best performers across Formula 1, the World Rally Championship, Formula E, sportcar and GT racing, touring car series and many other categories.    The list appears in the 16 December issue of Autosport magazine and on Autosport.com, and the latest edition of the Autosport Podcast delves into how it was put together and covers the most controversial decisions.     The Top 50 always stirs debate among fans, drivers and even within the Autosport team itself.    How do you rate drivers in different cars, different series and at different points in their careers? Should standout moments mean more than consistency? And how far should controversial on-track moments count against a driver? All this and more are covered in this podcast special.    Chief Editor Kevin Turner hosts and is joined – happily in person for once during these strange times – by Haydn Cobb (Autosport.com Editor), Jake Boxall-Legge (Technical Editor) and sportscar guru Gary Watkins to discuss the final selection and the drivers who missed out. The debate gets quite dramatic at times, which seems apt given the motorsport season just gone.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

16 Dec 20211h 24min

The UK's junior single-seater landscape is set to change for 2022, with new cars being introduced and even a new series launching next year. The GB3 Championship – which was previously known as British F3 until a mid-season name change enforced by the FIA – has bridged the gap between British F4 and FIA F3 for several years. It will introduce a new machine for its upcoming campaign, the Tatuus MSV-022, which will offer more power and downforce as well as the inclusion of a halo head-protection device. MotorSport Vision which runs the series has also announced a new championship for 2022 – the GB4 Championship – has been created as an entry-level into single-seaters and is open 15-year-olds. Autosport Deputy National Editor Stefan Mackley and Autosport National Editor Stephen Lickorish discuss the changes with the second part of a UK single-seater podcast special. They are joined by MSV CEO and ex-Formula 1 driver Jonathan Palmer to discuss both the new car and championship, as well as what it could mean for the future of young drivers working their way up the motorsport ladder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

14 Dec 202157min