The Inside Track

Calum Nicholas, Red Bull team ambassador, tells Matt Majendie why he thinks Max Verstappen is the best driver on the grid in 2025.

Calum also discusses his time behind the scenes at Red Bull, including the 2021 Championship Season win, what he learned over ten years in his role, and how the culture within the team breeds success.

Also in this episode:

• Calum’s struggle with leaving work behind

Ben Hodgkinson, technical director of Red Bull Powertrains, discusses the team's progress in making the new Powertrains for Red Bull and Max Verstappen's thoughts on its progression.

He also talks about leaving Mercedes to work for Red Bull and what he believes could go wrong with the new regulations in 2026.

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Rick and Matt discuss how Max Verstappen’s pit to podium effort in the Brazilian Grand Prix overshadowed Lando Norris’s perfect weekend, and whether the title race is over for the Red Bull driver.

The pair also review how Red Bull’s engineers and mechanics changed the power train and floor changes to boost Max’s chances in the Brazil Grand Prix.

Also in this episode:

• Yuki Tsunoda&rsqu...

Matt Majendie speaks with Rebecca Clancy, ex-F1 correspondent for the Times and former Editor-in-Chief at Autosport, about Max Verstappen’s chances of winning the 2025 Grand Prix Championship.

Rebecca explains how luck, mentality and raw talent will decide who wins, previews what’s to come in Brazil, shares her predictions for the end of the season, and shares her take on driver moves ahead of 2026.

Also in this...

Rick and Matt discuss whether the late virtual safety car was necessary in Mexico, as Max missed out on second place to Charles Leclerc.

The pair review all the drama from Mexico City, and Matt shares some exclusive insight from Max’s manager Raymond Vermeulen on his future at Red Bull.

Also in this episode:

• Will the pressure of being top unsettle Lando Norris?
• Liam Lawson&rs...

Ahead of the Mexico Grand Prix, Max Verstappen tells Matt Majendie the ‘secret’ behind his recent success, the moment he felt like the title was out of reach, and the one thing that would stop him from winning the championship.

Max explains how significant winning the championship would be for him and the team, and shares his thoughts on McLaren’s approach this season.

Also in this episode: 

Red Bull’s Head of Sporting, Steve Knowles joins Matt Majendie to reveal how Max Verstappen has rediscovered his winning form, and why his belief could deliver a fifth world title. 

Steve explains Laurent Mekies’s influence on Red Bull, the tactical tweaks made behind the scenes, and how important mentality will be for the end of the 2025 F1 season.

Also in this episode:

• Lando vs Oscar - McL...

With five races to go, Max Verstappen is just 40 points off the top of the F1 Championship. Rick Edwards and Matt Majendie discuss how likely his comeback is, why he’ll do well in Mexico, and what must be going through the heads of Team McLaren.

Also in this episode:

• How Charles Leclerc’s tyre masterclass frustrated Lando Norris in Austin
• Are McLaren’s Papaya Rules out th...

Matt chats to Dutch Journalist,  Erik Van Haran, who knows Max Verstappen and the Verstappen clan very well.  They talk about Max's season so far, his recent turnaround and whether he can really win the title. Erik talks about Max's character and reflects on his reputation, especially in the UK. H

e also talks about how the team are working differently under Laurent Mekies, and how those changes are helping to make them b...

In an exclusive interview, Red Bull's chief engineer Paul 'Pedals' Monaghan reveals his frustration despite Verstappen's podium finish. Rick Edwards and Matt Majendie explain why his second place spot was better than his wins in Monza and Baku. 

Plus they discuss the growing tension between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, Christian Horner's plans to make an F1 return next year, and what to look out for in the USA G...

They have been described as the biggest overhaul of Formula One in 50 years. Sports Journalist Matt Majendie explains the five key things you need to know about the regulation changes, and considers whether Max Verstappen could benefit.

In this episode:

• F1 cars to become 50/50 ICE and EV
• Why Formula One is making changes for 2026
• Will there be 100% sustainable fu...

As Max Verstappen seals his fourth win of the season in Baku, Rick Edwards and Matt Majendie ask can this momentum put him back in the title fight? 

Plus, after a drama-packed Azerbaijan Grand Prix, they analyse Red Bull’s tyre-tactics, McLaren’s missed chances, and the growing tension in this season’s championship chase.

Also in this episode:

• Yuki Tsunoda’s strong points finish ...

After Max Verstappen’s record-breaking weekend in Monza, Matt Majendie speaks to Max’s lead mechanic Matt Caller to go behind the scenes. From the fastest lap in F1 history to the intensity of race-day decisions, they talk through the garage atmosphere, the bond between driver and crew, and what it feels like to witness “Max Magic” up close.

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On a record-breaking weekend for Max Verstappen, Rick Edwards and Matt Majendie discuss his win at Monza, and Red Bull’s change of tactics for the second half of the Formula One season.

We also dive into:

• Piastri’s less-than-bonza Monza race
• THAT awkward McLaren overtake
• Will the title race ever get ‘nasty’?
• Listeners’ reactions after Rick’s Piastri comments
• Will there be another fastest lap...

After his oil leak nightmare, Rick Edwards and Matt Majendie ask: Can Lando keep his title challenge alive? Plus Matt goes behind the scenes with Max Verstappen at his home race.

We also dive into:

• Oscar Piastri’s cool but “boring” personality debate
• Ferrari’s double DNF disaster and Carlos Sainz’s controversial penalty
• Isack Hadjar’s ...

Ahead of the season’s return, Matt Majendie rounds up some of the stories you may have missed over the summer break, before turning his attention to Zandvoort and the Orange Army that awaits Max Verstappen in his homeland.  

First there is the question of who Verstappen’s driving partner next season will be, with rumours swirling. Matt discusses the likelihood of a whole host of names, whether moves for...

Is there any word better than ‘curiosity’ to describe Alpine? How on earth do you go about grading Ferrari? And what’s an outsider’s take on Red Bull’s season so far?  

 
In this pod swap episode of The Inside Track, Late Braking’s Ben Hocking joins Matt Majendie and the theme of the day is the 10 teams on this season’s grid. Matt and Ben pull out their red pen and grade e...

As acting Head of Sporting at Red Bull, Steve Knowles is a familiar figure to the race stewards, often acting as a liaison between the team’s drivers and the authorities. 

In the first of our summer break specials Matt Majendie speaks to Steve about the various facets of Steve’s role… which is everything from discussing rules, safety changes and race layout with the FIA; being the primary contact with...

Despite low expectations to begin with, it was yet another disappointing weekend for Red Bull Racing after a lowly 9th and 17th for Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoka respectively. Rick Edwards and Matt Majende pick the bones of the final race before the summer break, questioning whether the Red Bull season can still be salvaged. In better news for Laurent Mekies, Max Verstappen has vowed to stay with the team into 2026, extinguishing...