F1 2025 Japan GP Thursday: F1 Reacts To The Lawson/Tsunoda Swap

After another four-week break, the run-in for the 2024 Formula One World Championship starts this weekend with Round 19 - The United States Grand Prix from Austin, Texas. Alex Kalinauckas and Ben Hunt join Bryn Lucas from the Autosport Podcast studio and together they catch up on all the autumnal news before previewing the race itself. Last week we found out that Haas and Toyota have formed a new technical partnership, the Japanese manufacturers' first presence in the sport since 2009 as they "share resources" with the American-British team. Alex goes into detail as to what the relationship entails, and whether it's the first step for a full-bodied return for Toyota. There's also a discussion on Alpine's future in the sport as the French team confirmed they'll be ceasing to build F1 power units when the regulations change in 2026 and whether Mick Schumacher is a late contender for what could be 2025's final remaining seat at Sauber. And of course, there's a preview on COTA, with a newly repaved surface set to benefit a rejuvenated Red Bull, amidst claims the Milton Keynes team could be back on form, with an upgrade package set to be used in Austin, and why their rivals at McLaren are reluctant to do the same. And how will COTA handle their track limits after their 2023 controversy and Haas's "right to review"? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

14 Okt 202449min

Dre Harrison introduces Episode 3 of our mini-series on Super Touring Power 2, the event that celebrated the golden age of Super Touring racing in the UK. In this episode, it’s a special celebration chat with RML Racing, Super Touring’s most successful team, on the brink of their 40th Anniversary. Joining Kevin Turner on stage was the man himself Ray Mallock and two of his Championship-winning drivers - Double BTCC Champion John Cleland of 1989 and 1995, and Laurent Aiello, Champion of 1999. There’s discussion on the incredibly successful Vauxhall Cavalier and Nissan Primera, the cars they won their respective Championships with, the key people behind RML’s success, like the late David Leslie and engineer Phil Barker, what Mallock thought of working with Cleland and Aiello, and the Frenchman’s legacy and why he’s most proud of his BTCC title in '99. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

11 Okt 202424min

The four finalists who will contest the 2024 Silverstone Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award have been selected. Formula 3 race winner Arvid Lindblad, recently crowned British F4 champion Deagen Fairclough, GB3 Champion Louis Sharp and Italian F4 Champion Freddie Slater will battle it out for prizes that include a test in Aston Martin F1 machinery and £200,000. Of the four finalists, only Lindblad has been a finalist before, in 2023. The drivers will be put through their paces in a thorough test of their fitness, as well as two days of testing at Silverstone in F2, GT3 and LMP3 machinery. Dre Harrison and Autosport Chief Editor (and Judge!) Kevin Turner is on the latest edition of the Autosport Podcast to talk about all four finalists' seasons, such as Fairclough's dominance in British F4, Lindblad's four wins as a rookie in F3, Freddie Slater taking the Italian F4 Crown, and Louis Sharp's recent GB3 title win, as well as a behind the scenes look at the judging process. Be sure to tune in on January 29th, 2025 to see who wins! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

8 Okt 202431min

Today marks the 50th Anniversary of one of McLaren's greatest achievements. In 1974, they became the second manufacturer in history to win the Formula One World Championship and the Indianapolis 500 in the same year. Motorsport legends Emerson Fittpaldi won the F1 World Title in the McLaren M23, and Johnny Rutherford won the Indy 500 with the McLaren M16, two cars with very similar design concepts that stood the test of time. To mark the occasion, Autosport's Chief Editor Kevin Turner made the trip out to Pembrey in North Wales to have the McLaren Heritage Program fire up both cars together for the first time, and on this edition of the Autosport Podcast, he and Dre Harrison chat about what made McLaren's double so special. From the intertwined development path that both cars took, the dramatic rise of speeds in Indianapolis in the early 1970s, to how Fittipaldi triumphed in '74 as both he and Clay Regazzoni entered the final round of the Championship tied on points, something that's only happened twice in F1 history, Dre and Kev talk about the enduring legacy of McLaren's legendary double. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

6 Okt 202451min

It was a fascinating season in the world of IndyCar in 2024. Josef Newgarden became the first person to retain the Indy 500 title since Helio Castroneves in 2002. Across the overall season, the series had seven different winners, as Alex Palou won his third Astor Cup in four seasons with Chip Ganassi Racing. Together, Dre Harrison and Joey Barnes record an extended edition of the Autosport Podcast to review our Top 10 drivers of the 2024 season and review the big stories coming out of the end of the year, including Santino Ferrucci's great season with AJ Foyt Racing, Newgarden's non-500 struggles on and off the track, as well as the excellent turnaround campaigns from Will Power and Colton Herta at Penske and Andretti respectively. Can anyone challenge Palou for the #1 spot? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

4 Okt 20241h 55min

In the second episode in a four-part series, Dre Harrison introduces another interview from Super Touring Power 2, the event that celebrated what many fans consider to be the golden era of Touring Car racing.  In Episode 2, Kevin Turner sits down with two legends of the sport and beyond; 1993 British Touring Car Championship Runner-Up Steve Soper, and two-time British Touring Car Champion in 1989 and 1995, John Cleland. In the episode, Kevin presses Steve and John on the strengths and weaknesses of their cars in a highly competitive environment (Including the startling revelation that Cleland hated front-wheel drive!), dealing with the rise of popularity the series had in the '90s, and asking if there was one Super Touring Car they always wanted to drive, but never did… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

3 Okt 202424min

Formula E celebrates its 10th Anniversary later this year and with it, it's time to take a look back and rank the series 10 best drivers since its inception in China back in 2014. In the short decade of the series history, we've had 86 drivers take to the series, including former F1 World Champions and Indy 500 winners, but who is Formula E's greatest driver so far? Deputy National Editor and Formula E Reporter Stefan Mackley is joined on the Podcast by series broadcaster Saunders Carmichael-Brown to go back and forth on their own Top 10 lists and argue their case. Many of the series World Champions make the list such as 2024 series Champion Pascal Wehrlein, Sebastien Buemi, and Jean-Eric Vergne. But do any of the other veterans like Mitch Evans, Sam Bird or Felix Rosenqvist make it? Listen in and find out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

28 Sep 20241h 37min

In the first of a four-part series, Dre Harrison introduces the best of Super Touring Power 2, an event which Autosport had the privilege of conducting a range of interviews with some of the greatest drivers of the Super Touring Car era. In Episode 1, Marcus Simmons sits down with 1998 and 2000 runner-up Anthony Reid, current British Touring Car Championship leader Jake Hill, and 1999 British Touring Car Champion Laurent Aïello, making his first UK appearance in 25 years! During the interview, a deep dive on the comparisons between the 90’s and the current hybrid cars Hill drives today, how Aïello came across the pond to England and his relationship with Nissan and the late David Leslie, and the stories of Anthony Reid racing in Germany and sleeping in the pit garages. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

27 Sep 202421min