The path to F1: Is the junior ladder fit for purpose?

The path to F1: Is the junior ladder fit for purpose?

With Franco Colapinto and Ollie Bearman impressing on their Formula 1 outings this year, and Kimi Antonelli landing a place at Mercedes for 2024, the question of the relevance of Formula 2 has been talked about extensively in recent months.

The Race F1 Podcast has now joined the discussion with an in-depth debate about not only F2, but the state of the whole junior ladder and whether the fact the drivers getting the best results in the primary feeder series are being overlooked is a problem.

Nelson Valkenburg, who commentates on Formula 1 in the Netherlands and is steeped in junior single-seater racing itself, and Samarth Kanal join Edd Straw to give an overview of the landscape and explain what's working and what isn't.

We start off with an explanation of why the mooted 'rookie race' won't happen at the Abu Dhabi test this year, but could take place next year, and look at the reasons for drivers ranked down the order in the F2 standings excelling in their F1 chances.

We then attempt to define the problem, and propose potential solutions to ensure that the junior ladder remains healthy and fit for purpose.

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Mexican GP: Norris to the fore as championship picture changes once more

Mexican GP: Norris to the fore as championship picture changes once more

Edd Straw and Scott Michell-Malm (both in Mexico) are joined by Jon Noble to discuss the Mexican Grand Prix, and a race which changed the championship picture once more.They share their thoughts on Lando Norris's faultless victory, 'damage limitation' performances by Norris's title rivals Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen, and stand-out drives by Charles Leclerc and Ollie Bearman.Plus, Edd, Scott and Jon answer a big batch of questions from The Race Members' Club, with first-lap corner cutting one topic under discussion.Want bonus episodes and ad-free listening? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier! Check out the new items in The Race Shop - members get a 15% discount! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

27 Okt 59min

And Colossally That's History: The amazing story of F1’s craziest track

And Colossally That's History: The amazing story of F1’s craziest track

Pescara, a seaside town halfway down Italy’s Adriatic coast, stands proudly in the record books for having been home to the longest track ever used in Formula 1.Made up of 15.9 miles of country roads, the circuit of Pescara only hosted one world championship-status Grand Prix, in 1957, but it’s significance was mighty - as Matt Bishop and Richard Williams (who literally wrote the book on the Pescara GP) explain in the latest episode of And Colossally That’s History!Over the course of the episode you’ll learn why Pescara found its way onto the F1 calendar in the first place, why the sport's most famous team boycotted the race, which animals the drivers had to dodge during practice, and why Stirling Moss loved the circuit so much when others hated it. As you might imagine, there are plenty of amazing stories to tell, including one about a driver who stopped for fuel at a commercial filling station mid-race, and another about a driver who jumped a level crossing while being chased by police on his way home from the race… Want to get the end-of-season Colossally bonus episode and every episode ad-free? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier! Check out the new Colossally items in The Race Shop - members get a 15% discount! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

24 Okt 1h 5min

Tech Show: Aston Martin's Andy Cowell on the challenge of designing an F1 car to brand-new regulations

Tech Show: Aston Martin's Andy Cowell on the challenge of designing an F1 car to brand-new regulations

Just how big a project is designing a 2026 Formula 1 car given the brand new chassis and power unit regulations? Aston Martin CEO and team principal Andy Cowell explains that to host Edd Straw in an interview in the latest F1 Tech Show. We also hear former F1 technical director Gary Anderson’s insight on such projects, how they have changed as F1 has evolved and the challenge of knowing what you are aiming for in terms of performance. Red Bull’s revival and the ‘tape on pitwall’ controversy from Austin are also discussed, with Gary offering a technological solution.Your questions on Cowell’s engine expertise, rain in the cockpit, engine degradation and fuel suppliers are also fielded.Want bonus episodes and ad-free listening? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier! Check out the new items in The Race Shop - members get a 15% discount! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

23 Okt 51min

Red Bull-McLaren tape shenanigans: Storm in a teacup or a sign of heightening tension?

Red Bull-McLaren tape shenanigans: Storm in a teacup or a sign of heightening tension?

After Red Bull were fined for a pre-race rules breach in Austin, which involved a team member attempting to interfere with a strip of tape McLaren had placed on the pitwall as a grid slot reference for Lando Norris, we ask if the incident marks the revival of the fractious relationship between the two teams. With both teams inevitably having to take a public position on it at this weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix, we discuss the best approaches and explain why teams have always engaged in such shenanigans to a greater or lesser extent. The question of whether there really is a ‘spirit’ of the regulations or the sport is also tackled, as well as examining why the lines that are artificially drawn between the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’ guys by some are reductive. We also tackle a batch of listener questions on Oscar Piastri’s struggles, Pirelli tyres, Carlos Sainz’s risk assessment and more.Want bonus episodes and ad-free listening? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier! Check out the new items in The Race Shop - members get a 15% discount! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

22 Okt 52min

US GP: How Verstappen roared into title contention

US GP: How Verstappen roared into title contention

Edd Straw in joined in Austin by Mark Hughes and Scott Mitchell-Malm to unpick the United States Grand Prix weekend; a weekend when the McLarens clashed again and Max Verstappen roared ominously into championship contention with a pair of victories.We discuss all the major talking points from the sprint and the grand prix, and answer the usual big bunch of questions from The Race Members' Club. Want bonus episodes and ad-free listening? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier! Check out the new items in The Race Shop - members get a 15% discount! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

20 Okt 1h 1min

And Colossally That's History: Adrian Newey - The making of an F1 design genius

And Colossally That's History: Adrian Newey - The making of an F1 design genius

Today, Adrian Newey is widely recognised as an F1 design genius, with his cars having been driven to 14 drivers’ world titles, 12 constructors’ titles, and more than 220 Grand Prix victories. But where did his extraordinary talent for designing (and engineering) racing cars come from? That’s the topic of the latest episode of And Colossally That’s History, which delves into the roots of Newey’s unprecedented success.Hosts Matt Bishop and Richard Williams share incredible tales from Newey’s youth which foreshadow the man he’d become, including the time he used ingenuity and a rules loophole to avoid punishment at school. There’s also plenty of chat about Newey’s career before his big breakthrough with Williams in the early 1990s, such as the transformational work he did in sports prototypes, the period he spent race engineering a pair of Indycar legends, his disastrous first foray into Grand Prix racing, and the giant-killing successes with F1 minnows Leyton House that caught Patrick Head's attention. Along the way you’ll learn how Adrian acquired and honed the skills and design preferences that would later make him the most valuable technical brain in the F1 paddock.Oh, and listen out for Matt's anecdote about the amazing declaration former McLaren boss Ron Dennis once made to him about Newey…Want to get the end-of-season Colossally bonus episode and every episode ad-free? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier! Check out the new Colossally items in The Race Shop - members get a 15% discount! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

17 Okt 1h 13min

Russell signs new Mercedes deal - but is his long-term future any clearer?

Russell signs new Mercedes deal - but is his long-term future any clearer?

With Edd Straw on a plane, Glenn Freeman is joined by Jon Noble for a hastily added opening segment to discuss the news that George Russell (and Kimi Antonelli for that matter) have been confirmed at Mercedes for 2026. But does that mean that Russell and the Silver Arrows will be together long-term? We explain why that’s far from clear.The podcast then reverts to its usual format, with Edd Straw joined by Jon Noble (again) and Ben Anderson for the podcast we’d originally recorded before learning of the Russell news. First on the agenda, we explain the ongoing saga between McLaren and IndyCar champion Alex Palou, including what McLaren’s pursuit of more than $20million in lost profits in the UK commercial courts is all about.We also look ahead to the United States Grand Prix, asking if COTA is a modern classic and how the return of a gap in the Pirelli tyre allocations might impact the race. And finally, with the FIA presidential election increasingly set to be a one-horse race, we explain how this has arisen despite there being several candidates who have thrown their hats into the ring. Want bonus episodes and ad-free listening? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier! Check out the new items in The Race Shop - members get a 15% discount! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

15 Okt 53min

Re-writing papaya rules: We fix McLaren's rules of engagement

Re-writing papaya rules: We fix McLaren's rules of engagement

With McLaren’s racing rules still a big talking point after the scrape between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in Singapore, we have a go at re-writing their so-called 'rules of engagement'. Edd Straw is joined by Ben Anderson and Scott Mitchell-Malm to unpick what McLaren's papaya rules actually entail, and how it could better handle its desire for fairness in the title run in. We also look a bit more broadly at the title run, McLaren's run of three successive defeats, and ask what we should we expect from the remaining six events. Want bonus episodes and ad-free listening? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier! Check out the new items in The Race Shop - members get a 15% discount! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

13 Okt 51min

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