Back Of The Grid | F1 Podcast

Could Kimi Antonelli become F1's youngest-ever world champion in Austin, only for Qatar to be cancelled the moment the maths is done? Tom has a theory. Plus Rafael Camara to Haas, F1's African Grand Prix in Rwanda, and Godzilla on the grid.

In this episode, Tom and Chris preview the 2026 United States Grand Prix at COTA: Antonelli's first shot at the title, whether Verstappen can play party pooper, and Red Bull closing on McLaren f...

Two processions for the price of one. Max Verstappen finally wins the Singapore Grand Prix after sweeping sprint pole, sprint, pole and race, while Ferrari fumble a double podium and Kimi Antonelli heads to Austin on the brink of the 2026 title.

In this episode, Tom and Chris review the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix sprint weekend: the FIA's overtake-mode error in sprint qualifying, Russell's lap-one crash and the Norris/Piastri clash,...

The best Bahrain Grand Prix ever… and it wasn't even in Bahrain. Sepang's return delivered mixed conditions, wild strategy and Verstappen's first win of 2026 – once F1 had plugged laptops into the cars to get them moving.

In this episode, Tom and Chris break down a chaotic, rain-hit race at Sepang – the formation-lap power failures and mid-race software fix, Max Verstappen's first win of the season and Red Bull ...

George Russell's first Grand Slam cuts Antonelli's lead to 66 points in Baku, but is he really back in the title fight? Plus the last-lap call that put spectacle over safety, and a Malaysian GP preview.

In this episode, Tom and Chris review a chaotic Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Russell's perfect weekend, Antonelli's costly qualifying mistake, the theory behind Bottas's crash, the missing VSC on the final lap, Hadjar's return and Red Bul...

F1 is giving Monaco a sprint in 2027, so is that two processions for the price of one? Chris and Tom break down the 2027 F1 calendar, the new 290km race distance, and preview the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku.

In this episode: Portimão and Turkey return, sprints grow to 10 rounds (including the season opener and finale), Chris's three reasons a Monaco sprint won't work, the F1 Commission's cut to race distance, the FIA–ACO ro...

Four overtakes. Fewer than Monaco. And F1 has signed a ten-year deal to come back. Tom and Chris review the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix from Madrid's new Madring circuit and ask whether any amount of corner reprofiling can save it.

In this episode: Antonelli cashes in on another virtual safety car to win and stretch his lead to 81 points; Norris is fastest all day and finishes third; Verstappen is ordered to hand a place back to Hamilt...

Kimi Antonelli didn't just win the Italian Grand Prix from P19 — he may have crushed George Russell's title hopes in the process. We break down the chaos at Monza that got him there, Gasly's shock Alpine pole, and the Ferrari meltdown that put Leclerc in the wall again.

In this episode: 0:00 Intro 2:04 Qualifying: Gasly's shock Monza pole (Alpine's first) 7:11 Race start: Mercedes chaos, Antonelli wi...

Ferrari roll into their home race with a second power unit token, a rumoured turbo change, and a livery built to honour Schumacher's 1996 Monza win — but is it enough to actually convert into a race win?

Tom and Chris break down whether the upgrades stack up, plus everything else moving in F1 this week: Norris' new deal through 2030, Colapinto staying put at Alpine, the increasingly open Haas seat, a...

Lando Norris has won two in a row — is the 2026 title fight actually back on? We break down a chaotic Dutch GP, Hamilton's furious radio to Ferrari, and Alonso's shock points finish.

In this episode: Norris dominates on hards for back-to-back wins and closes the gap to Antonelli, Mercedes nearly gift away a podium with a messy team orders call, Hamilton vents at Ferrari after being held up behind Leclerc, Red Bull's driver sh...

It could be the last-ever Dutch Grand Prix, and Max Verstappen's final home race. Tom & Chris preview a potentially wet, sprint-format Zandvoort, plus Cadillac's shock team-boss change and a top 6 separated by just nine points over the last 4 Grand Prix.

In this episode: why C...

Only one driver made our S tier this season, but is it who you would expect?

It's summer break, so Tom & Chris dust off the tier maker and rank every 2026 F1 team and driver from S ("top tier") to D ("shouldn't even be here").

In this episode: with the driver market gone quiet, we go team by team from Cadillac at the back to a Mercedes side that's built the fastest car on the grid but can't stop it from breaking. Every call is ...

Is Stefano Domenicali right that F1 fans don't understand, or even care about, the sport's technology? We get into it. Plus a wild calendar shake-up as Malaysia returns (sort of), and talk of a German GP comeback.

In this episode: Domenicali says the wider fanbase doesn't grasp the power-unit rules — so we ask whether that's fair, or just a soundbite for the shareholders. We dig into the engine-regulation vetoes and MBS's pus...

Lewis Hamilton got five seconds for a 50/50 first-lap incident. Charles Leclerc practically ran Oscar Piastri off the road at the end of the Kemmel Straight and got nothing. We're not sure the stewards watched the same race we did.

In this episode, Chris and Tom review the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix, the last one at Spa for a couple of years. George Russell's afternoon ends before turn six and his frustration with his power unit boils...

The Verstappen-to-McLaren rumours refuse to die down and this week they got louder. Plus: F1 could run 10 sprint weekends in 2027, Aston Martin's big upgrade is delayed to Hungary, and we preview a brutal Belgian Grand Prix at Spa.

In this episode: Mark Weber's denial that Oscar Piastri is being repl...

Charles Leclerc delivered Ferrari's 250th race win, but it's the FIA's farcical safety car finish that everyone's talking about.

In this episode, Tom and Chris dig into the safety car controversy that ended the race under caution despite fans being told a final lap was coming, the FIA president's awkward driver parade cameo, and a controversial track-limits penalty for Antonelli. Then it's onto the race itself: Leclerc's much-neede...

Should Russell's pole have even counted? We break down the yellow-flag row that overshadowed Austria, plus his bounce-back win, Verstappen's Red Bull revival, and a British GP preview.

In this episode, Tom and Chris review the 2026 Austrian GP: the controversial pole that had the whole paddock asking questions, George Russell's important win, Antonelli's mistake-strewn afternoon, Red Bull's upgrade step for Verstappen, Ferrari's la...

Ferrari are flying and Mercedes can't stop breaking down! Can Hamilton make it two wins in a row at the 2026 Austrian GP? We preview race week at the Red Bull Ring.

In this episode: the Monaco saga rumbles on (Mercedes withdraw their review, McLaren keep pushing), F1's new engine catch-up rules and why Red Bull are contesting them, Haas silly season heating up, Magnussen's NASCAR debut, plus full Austria storylines and our predicti...

Lewis Hamilton takes his first win for Ferrari at the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix,  and it might just have reignited the title fight.

Tom and Chris break down how Ferrari out-strategised Mercedes in Barcelona, plus the Gasly Monaco penalty U-turn that's reopened a very messy can of worms.

In this episode: Hamilton's emotional first Ferrari win and the records that come with it, the strategy call that put Mercedes in an impossible ...

The 2026 Monaco Grand Prix had more penalties than overtakes, and we're not exaggerating. Pit-lane speeding chaos, Gasly's lost podium, Russell's drive-through farce and Antonelli's fifth win in a row, all unpacked.

In this episode, Tom and Chris work through a Monaco GP d...