604: Gravel Notes: Inside The World Of A WRC Mechanic

Jonathan Noble and Stuart Codling sit down to review all the action from Saturday's Sprint Race and Grand Prix Qualifying from Qatar. There's an immediate reaction to the news that Max Verstappen's pole position was removed; with the Dutchman demoted to second via a controversial penalty for driving unnecessarily slowly with George Russell in Q3, with the British driver now inheriting pole as a result. There's also an analysis of Lewis Hamilton's continued criticism of his poor qualifying form, Lando Norris giving up a Sprint victory to teammate Oscar Piastri on the run to the line, and Sergio Perez's losing a position in the pitlane to Franco Colapinto after the Mexican driver missed the green light at the start of the Sprint. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1 Dec 202412min

Alex Kalinauckas and Stuart Codling analyse Friday’s action at the Qatar Grand Prix. Lando Norris narrowly beat George Russell to pole in Sprint Qualifying, and Alex breaks down the different approaches taken to the session as the drivers had to juggle cooler conditions than expected and keep their rear tires in the right operating window. There’s also discussion on the fight for sixth in the Constructors between Alpine, Haas and RB the potential final point in tomorrow’s sprint, and Qatar themselves buying a minority state in the Audi team. Be sure to listen to the end for a sneak peek at the latest episode of the James Allen on F1 Podcast, a McLaren vs Ferrari special. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

29 Nov 202415min

Jonathan Noble and Stuart Codling begin their Qatar GP coverage as they review Media Day at the Lusail International Circuit. In this podcast, the duo discuss the drivers reacting to the latest round of firings by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, as Deputy Race Director Janette Tan and veteran Race Steward Tim Meyer were both let go in surprise fashion, with George Russell reacting by saying: "We'd love to get a little bit of clarity and understanding of what's going on and, you know, who's getting fired next.” There's also discussion on progress towards new overtaking regulations and meetings with drivers on the matters, and what Qatar has done with the circuit to avoid a repeat of the tyre failings seen during last year's race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

28 Nov 202412min

After a hectic Vegas GP, Bryn Lucas hosts the latest edition of the Autosport Q+A alongside Haydn Cobb and Jake Boxall-Legge. On the show this week, you, the Autosport audience, asked where Max Verstappen ranks on the all-time list of F1 drivers after capturing his fourth World Championship and pondered what more he needs to do to be on the level of Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, and Juan Manuel Fangio. There's also a breakdown of what our experts think would happen if Verstappen swapped cars with McLaren's Lando Norris. Who would win the title? Also on the show; analysis of Carlos Sainz and whether he was right to be so bullish with teammate Charles Leclerc, ranking the American tracks on the current F1 calendar, and asking whether the excitement over Williams' Franco Colapinto has died down after a couple of high-profile crashes in recent races. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

27 Nov 202441min

In a shock announcement, Formula 1 has announced that the sport has an “agreement in principle” with General Motors to join the grid in 2026 via their Cadillac brand. Bryn Lucas is joined by Jake Boxall-Legge in a special video to break down how the negotiations, which had seemingly stalled, suddenly got pushed through during the Las Vegas GP weekend and why F1 changed its mind on GM’s proposal. In addition, the pair also discuss who could supply the team with power units in the interim, Andretti’s role within the Cadillac F1 team going forward, the history of the family in the sport itself, and who could potentially drive for them in 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

25 Nov 202426min

Ben Hunt and Mark Mann-Bryans head to the Casino to finish rounding up the Vegas Grand Prix weekend. Together they sit down and discuss Max Verstappen finishing fifth to win his fourth consecutive World Championship, becoming just the fourth driver to ever do. There's a deep dive into his managing drive in Vegas, as well as the key moments across the season that cemented the title, and just how far up the all-time list he sits with his fourth title secured. George Russell is also discussed at length as he led a brilliant Mercedes 1-2 finish in the race itself, with Lewis Hamilton mounting a charged comeback through the field from 10th on the grid. Ben and Mark also ponder that with Mercedes dominating in a controlled manner, what could Lewis be letting himself in for when he joins Ferrari next year, who had to deal with Charles Leclerc having a heated rant on teammate Carlos Sainz in front of him in the battle for the final podium spot. And finally, more on Alpine and the battle for sixth in the Constructors as Gasly's P3 grid start was ruined by a power-unit failure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

24 Nov 202418min

Ben Hunt and Mark Mann-Bryans take up their putters and head to the mini-golf course as they discuss Qualifying day at the Vegas GP. Between swings, the duo discuss George Russell taking his fourth pole position of the season ahead of Carlos Sainz and a surprise third for Alpine's Pierre Gasly. There's also more discourse on the differences in pace between Russell and teammate Lewis Hamilton in qualifying. Beyond that, there's a discussion on a huge crash in Q2 for Franco Colapinto, as he hit the outside wall at 50G's on his final hot lap, his health status for the race tomorrow, and the costly damage for the team as Williams suffers its fifth major crash in the last two weekends. Finally, Ben and Mark give their predictions for the podium for tomorrow's race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

23 Nov 202413min

Mark Mann-Bryans and Ben Hunt return after Friday's running to review FP1 and 2 in Las Vegas. The main story was Mercedes' dominance. Lewis Hamilton led both Friday practise sessions, fresh after responding to comments by his team boss about his "shelf life" during the final break in the calendar. Mark and Ben break down Hamilton's response on and off the track and discuss how the cold of Las Vegas is helping Mercedes set the pace. There's also discussion about a relatively easy start for new FIA Race Director Rui Marques and the driver's reactions to previous director Niels Wittich's departure, the Red Flag for Alex Albon in FP2, and where Red Bull fit amongst the pecking order after another slow start to the weekend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

22 Nov 202412min