332 episodes
- Max Verstappen secured back-to-back wins from pole position with his first ever victory at the Singapore Grand Prix. With seven podium finishes from the last eight races, at a range of different tracks, are he and Red Bull now the benchmark in Formula 1?
Tom Clarkson is joined in the paddock by Jolyon Palmer and James Hinchcliffe to discuss Max’s ‘masterclass’ around the Marina Bay Circuit and what we can expect from Red Bull for the rest of the season.
Charles Leclerc claimed his first podium in seven races with P2, but should he have taken the lead from Max at the start after a great launch at lights out? And if he had succeeded, could he have held on to win?
There was disappointment on the other side of the Ferrari garage, as Lewis Hamilton’s decision to stay out under the final Virtual Safety Car cost him a podium. He apologised to the team over the radio at the end of the race, but should they have been more forceful in asking him to pit?
The guys also discuss Kimi Antonelli’s ‘opportunistic’ drive to P3, the crash between McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in the Sprint race and Liam Lawson’s future at Racing Bulls after another big points haul for the New Zealander.
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Hexclad: For a limited time, F1 Nation listeners get 15% off with our exclusive link. Just head to hexclad.co.uk/nation F1 Explains: lap count calculations, team size differences + the purpose of practice - with Laura Winter + Alex Brundle
08/10/2026 | 29 mins.Why does every Grand Prix have a different number of laps? How come some F1 teams have fewer employees than others? What are drivers and engineers doing during practice sessions?
Those are your questions. Christian Hewgill gets the answers from F1TV Lead Presenter Laura Winter and two-time 24h Le Mans podium-finisher (and budding stylist, apparently) Alex Brundle.
Laura and Alex also tackle your questions on tyre rules, whether driver or car is more important, and why a race with every driver in the same car would not tell us who's 'best'
Got F1 questions? We'll get you an answer
Emails and voice notes welcome at F1Explains@F1.com
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F1 Beyond The Grid for big interviews with big names- Tom Clarkson and F1 Correspondent Lawrence Barretto think Red Bull and Ferrari will be closely-matched at this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, with Mercedes and McLaren also in the mix.
Will Max Verstappen win this Grand Prix for the first time in his career? Will the tight corners of the Marina Bay circuit suit McLaren and Ferrari? Will Mercedes' upgrades give Kimi Antonelli a chance of victory, and can George Russell recover from a back-of-the-grid start due to an engine penalty?
In the highly competitive midfield, Audi, Racing Bulls and Alpine will be watching Aston Martin closely. The pressure of F1 Sprint, the humidity and the high chance of a Safety Car mean a dramatic weekend is guaranteed.
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F1 Explains answers your questions about the sport
F1 Beyond The Grid brings you in-depth interviews with the sport's biggest stars - Jolyon Palmer and Alex Jacques join Tom Clarkson from the F1TV commentary box to debrief an epic Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
Max Verstappen secured his first victory of 2026 and the first win for Red Bull’s own power unit. How did Max recover from a slow start? Why were Red Bull so competitive in Sepang? And just how far have they come this year?
Meanwhile, there were mixed emotions at Mercedes, with Kimi Antonelli coming home in P2 but George Russell retiring due to an engine issue. Now 84 points behind championship leader Kimi, are George’s title hopes well and truly over? How should he approach the rest of the season?
Having gambled on soft tyres while his rivals stuck to inters at the start, Lewis Hamilton dropped from second to eighteenth in the opening stages, before fighting back through the field to third for his first podium since Silverstone. Why did Ferrari start both drivers on the softs? How did Hamilton complete such an impressive comeback? And how much did Team Principal Fred Vasseur need a result like that?
The guys also discuss a champion’s drive from Fernando Alonso to score his best result of the season for Aston Martin with P8, why McLaren weren’t in the mix in Malaysia and their Driver of the Day.
Big names and expert insight on official F1 podcasts
F1 Beyond The Grid - in-depth interviews with F1 stars
F1 Explains - experts answer your F1 questions
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Shopify: If you’re ready to launch your business before Black Friday, go to shopify.com/nation to start your free trial. - Days after driving a modern Formula 1 car for the first time, Jamie Chadwick joined F1 Explains to answer your questions.
She tells Christian Hewgill what surprised her the most when she tested the 2025 Williams F1 car at the Portimao circuit in Portugal, and compares the experience to driving in W Series, Indy NXT and Le Mans.
Jamie also talks about working with Williams, supporting F1 ACADEMY drivers and her ambitions for her racing career, all while signing a flurry of caps thrown on stage by the Baku crowd...
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Send emails or voice notes to F1Explains@F1.com
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About F1 Nation
Step inside the Formula 1 Paddock for race previews, reviews, interviews and analysis with Tom Clarkson and expert guests.
Get answers to your questions on F1 Explains with Christian Hewgill. Email F1Explains@F1.com
An official F1 podcast. For in-depth F1 interviews, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid
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