F1 Explains
Your questions about Formula 1, answered by the experts. Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill explore our favourite sport with F1 drivers, engineers and the people who make the sport work. You can send us a question! Record it as a voice note or write it in an email, then send it to F1Explains@F1.com For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest stars, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid. For race reviews and previews, listen to F1 Nation.
Episodes
June 6, 2024 • 31 mins
It's there to keep F1 safe, and it can transform a race. The FIA Safety Car is sent out in poor weather or after a crash to protect marshals, drivers and fans. But there's more to it than meets the eye...
Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne explore the secrets of the safety car: how the decision to use it is made, its purpose on-track and how drivers and strategists can gain an advantage when the SC is deployed.
<...
Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne explore the secrets of the safety car: how the decision to use it is made, its purpose on-track and how drivers and strategists can gain an advantage when the SC is deployed.
<...
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May 30, 2024 • 39 mins
Cars that feel F1-fast. Racetracks that look real. Drivers in detail. EA SPORTS F124, the latest official Formula 1 game, is out on 31 May and it's more lifelike than ever. How do game designers bring the world of F1 to life on your console? Katie and Christian speak to two of F124's creators to find out:
- Lee Mather - Senior Creative Designer
- Casey Ringley - Senior Game Designer + Vehicle Handling Lead
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Grand Prix-winning strategists Ruth Buscombe and Bernie Collins are back with Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill to answer another batch of your Formula 1 questions.
On the list this week:
On the list this week:
- Why do teams sometimes get their race strategies wrong?
- How are car upgrades planned?
- How do you become an F1 race strategist?
- What do drivers do to look after their tyres?
- What are the T-bars on top of F1 cars, and why...
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Two race-winning F1 strategists answer your questions on how teams plan their pit stops, what happens if fewer than 10 cars finish a Grand Prix and how teams hide their secrets when they speak to drivers on the radio.
Bernie Collins and Ruth Buscombe join Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill for a quickfire episode of F1 Explains. Why do some teams hope they'll finish a lap behind the leader? What happens when a driver...
Bernie Collins and Ruth Buscombe join Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill for a quickfire episode of F1 Explains. Why do some teams hope they'll finish a lap behind the leader? What happens when a driver...
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May 9, 2024 • 37 mins
At the Miami Grand Prix, F1 Explains went live on-stage with former Haas Team Principal and Miami GP Ambassador, Guenther Steiner.
F1 Explains listeners Joan from Florida, Amanda from Tennessee and Nick from Washington D.C. asked Guenther questions about the life of an F1 Team Principal and whether Steiner's office door survived being smashed by Kevin Magnussen.
Special thanks to Sam Rose, Carla Corbet, Lynd...
F1 Explains listeners Joan from Florida, Amanda from Tennessee and Nick from Washington D.C. asked Guenther questions about the life of an F1 Team Principal and whether Steiner's office door survived being smashed by Kevin Magnussen.
Special thanks to Sam Rose, Carla Corbet, Lynd...
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A Formula 1 car is like a musical instrument: to perform at its best, it has to be tuned. Aerodynamics, suspension, tyres, and transmission can all be changed to suit the racetrack, the driver and the weather.
In Miami, Christian Hewgill joins Aston Martin to explore car setup, with driver Fernando Alonso, Ambassador and former F1 racer Pedro de la Rosa, and Performance Director Tom McCullough.
Send us your F...
In Miami, Christian Hewgill joins Aston Martin to explore car setup, with driver Fernando Alonso, Ambassador and former F1 racer Pedro de la Rosa, and Performance Director Tom McCullough.
Send us your F...
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April 25, 2024 • 38 mins
When F1 drivers get dressed for a race, safety is the number one priority. Their gloves, balaclavas, boots, suits and underwear protect them from fire and heat. But race kit can't slow them down. It needs to be light, comfortable and breathable, with a few special features built-in to help them perform at their best.
Maurizio Sicco, Consultant at PUMA Motorsport and racewear expert tells Katie Osborne and Christian H...
Maurizio Sicco, Consultant at PUMA Motorsport and racewear expert tells Katie Osborne and Christian H...
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April 18, 2024 • 47 mins
Taming the insane speed of an F1 car takes extraordinary skill and incredible technology. The brakes glow red hot. The drivers feel extreme G-forces. How do F1 braking systems work, and how do drivers cope every time they slam their left foot into the pedal?
Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill break down F1 brakes with:
Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill break down F1 brakes with:
- Andrea Algeri, engineer from Brembo, which produces brakes for the entire F1 grid
- Jack D...
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April 11, 2024 • 39 mins
Formula 1 Team Principals have a lot to do. They have to manage the drivers, engineers, mechanics, designers and hundreds of other employees at the racetrack and in the factory. Team Principals lead them all through wins, podiums and retirements. If things don't go well, they sometimes pay with their jobs.
Aston Martin's Team Principal Mike Krack tells Katie and Christian about his job and how it differs from his fell...
Aston Martin's Team Principal Mike Krack tells Katie and Christian about his job and how it differs from his fell...
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April 4, 2024 • 29 mins
In Formula 1, a driver's teammate is their biggest rival. Each wants to beat the other, but they also need to score maximum points for their teams. When teammates work together, big rewards can follow. When they clash, it can get messy.
Kick Sauber F1 Team duo Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu have been teammates since 2022. They tell Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne the secrets of their relationship, how they help e...
Kick Sauber F1 Team duo Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu have been teammates since 2022. They tell Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne the secrets of their relationship, how they help e...
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'Please can you summarise how F1 rules have changed since Fernando Alonso's F1 debut?', asks Richard in Dallas, Texas. 23 years of engines, tyres and points systems? No problem for Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne!
That's just one of the questions tackled in this episode, featuring F1TV commentator Alex Jacques and former Renault F1 racer Jolyon Palmer. Also answered:
That's just one of the questions tackled in this episode, featuring F1TV commentator Alex Jacques and former Renault F1 racer Jolyon Palmer. Also answered:
- What's the difference between F1, F...
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March 22, 2024 • 40 mins
F1 stars of the future show their speed in Formula 2 and Formula 3. The categories immediately below Formula 1 in the motorsport ladder are the perfect place for a driver to sharpen their skills and prove they're ready to move up.
How do F2 and F3 work? How are the cars different? How do they prepare drivers for Formula 1? To answer those questions and many more, Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne speak to:
...
How do F2 and F3 work? How are the cars different? How do they prepare drivers for Formula 1? To answer those questions and many more, Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne speak to:
...
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March 15, 2024 • 35 mins
Why is finishing outside the points still important? How do you really say 'Charles Leclerc?' How did the pit lane get its name? Christian and Katie put these listener questions and more to F1TV commentator Alex Jacques and former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer.
Ask us a question!
We love answering your F1 Qs. Write them in an email or record them as a voice note and send them to F1Explains@F1.com
Catch up with ...
Ask us a question!
We love answering your F1 Qs. Write them in an email or record them as a voice note and send them to F1Explains@F1.com
Catch up with ...
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March 8, 2024 • 37 mins
The game-changing, trailblazing, all-female racing series is back for 2024 with new drivers, top teams and wheel-to-wheel action. The second season of F1 Academy starts this weekend at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill find out everything there is to know ahead of the first race.
Susie Wolff, who's driving F1 Academy forwards as Managing Director, tells Katie and Christian about the ser...
Susie Wolff, who's driving F1 Academy forwards as Managing Director, tells Katie and Christian about the ser...
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March 1, 2024 • 35 mins
20 F1 cars. 5 red lights. 0.2 seconds to react. 5 seconds to 120 mph. The start of a Formula 1 Grand Prix demands extraordinary skill from the drivers and quick decisions from the team strategists.
Katie and Christian explore the start of a race with Mercedes reserve driver and former Haas racer Mick Schumacher, who explains what happens in the cockpit in the moments before the start, and the intense run to turn 1. Fo...
Katie and Christian explore the start of a race with Mercedes reserve driver and former Haas racer Mick Schumacher, who explains what happens in the cockpit in the moments before the start, and the intense run to turn 1. Fo...
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February 24, 2024 • 35 mins
The latest season of Drive To Survive is another fascinating look inside Formula 1. How is the show planned, filmed and edited? How do the producers decide what stories to tell? What does the future hold for the series?
To find out, Christian and Katie speak to Drive to Survive's award-winning Executive Producer, James Gay-Rees of Box To Box Films.
F1 Explains is the official F1 podcast which answers your qu...
To find out, Christian and Katie speak to Drive to Survive's award-winning Executive Producer, James Gay-Rees of Box To Box Films.
F1 Explains is the official F1 podcast which answers your qu...
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February 23, 2024 • 45 mins
Where in the world is Christian Hewgill? He’s in Bahrain to find out why F1 pre-season testing is so important for teams, engineers and drivers.
Katie Osborne has a list of listener questions, Christian gets the answers from McLaren driver Oscar Piastri, Alpine Reserve Driver Jack Doohan, Mercedes’ Communications Director Bradley Lord and McLaren Racing Director Randy Singh.
F1 Explains is the official F1 p...
Katie Osborne has a list of listener questions, Christian gets the answers from McLaren driver Oscar Piastri, Alpine Reserve Driver Jack Doohan, Mercedes’ Communications Director Bradley Lord and McLaren Racing Director Randy Singh.
F1 Explains is the official F1 p...
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February 16, 2024 • 37 mins
F1 Explains is back for 2024! Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne are starting by answering your questions about new F1 cars. When do teams start working on their challengers for a new season? How much of a new F1 car is actually new? What happens when a team comes up with something that has never been seen before?
Aston Martin's Technical Director Dan Fallows explains how a new Formula 1 car goes from sketches on pap...
Aston Martin's Technical Director Dan Fallows explains how a new Formula 1 car goes from sketches on pap...
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February 6, 2024 • 2 mins
Your F1 questions answered by F1 experts. Katie Osborne + Christian Hewgill are back with drivers, engineers + exclusive interviews with people who make F1 work.
Send your questions to F1Explains@F1.com.
Send your questions to F1Explains@F1.com.
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December 8, 2023 • 52 mins
Brilliant questions, fascinating answers. F1 Explains explores how our favourite sport really works. In 2023, Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill put your questions to drivers, engineers, strategists, designers and many more of the people who do great work behind the scenes.
At the end of the podcast's first season, Katie and Christian have picked the things they loved learning the most, including the advantages and d...
At the end of the podcast's first season, Katie and Christian have picked the things they loved learning the most, including the advantages and d...
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