F1 Nation

It's race week. You've got a flight to catch. You need to score points this weekend or you might lose your seat. Fans want selfies at the airport. Your engineer needs your thoughts on car set-up. A pundit just said something about you on a podcast. Your Team Principal is calling you...
This is the high-pressure life of a Formula 1 driver. To cope, they need to be mentally strong. How do they train their brains to handle the demands of racing at the very top, and who helps keep their minds in shape?
Christian puts your questions on this to an expert on how F1 drivers' brains work. Dr Tommy Wood is Lead Scientist for Motorsport at Hintsa Performance - a company which provides coaches and sports psychologists for many drivers on the grid.
Tommy tells us how F1 drivers block out distractions and focus on their on-track performance and explains the coaching which helps them do it. Does age affect a driver's mental abilities? And do off-track friendships between drivers have an effect when battling wheel-to-wheel?
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Expert opinion every race weekend on F1 Nation - find the latest episode here on this podcast feed
This November, F1 takes over Las Vegas
The Las Vegas Grand Prix returns November 19 - 21, 2026 — and tickets are on sale now! Be there for the fastest weekend of the year. Click here for tickets

Tom Clarkson is joined by F1TV commentary duo Jolyon Palmer and Alex Jacques to reflect on an eventful Canadian Grand Prix.
Kimi Antonelli capitalised on George Russell’s DNF to claim his fourth win in a row and move 43 points clear of his Mercedes teammate at the top of the World Championship standings. What did the guys make of their wheel-to-wheel battles in Montreal? Will Mercedes ask them to dial it down? And how does this result change the mindset of the two title contenders?  
Behind Antonelli, Lewis Hamilton overcame a tense battle with Max Verstappen to score his best result as a Ferrari driver. Was this Lewis’s best weekend since joining the team? And will he continue to avoid the simulator before races?
Tom, Jolyon and Alex also discuss Franco Colapinto’s best finish in Formula 1 and share their thoughts on McLaren’s decision to start both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri on intermediate tyres. How much responsibility for that call lies with the drivers?
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Why do some drivers move across the world to pursue their racing dreams? How important is it to compete in different series on the motorsport ladder? And what mentality do you need to make it to Formula 1? 
Seven-time Grand Prix winner Juan Pablo Montoya joins Christian Hewgill to talk about the route to F1 – a journey he completed successfully and one he’s reliving again through his son Sebastian, who’s currently competing in F2.
Juan talks about leaving Colombia at a young age, how Sir Jackie Stewart helped him in his early racing days, and what Sebastian needs to make that final step up to F1. Plus, Juan Pablo shares his advice for young kids hoping to reach the pinnacle of motorsport.
Picture: Clive Mason/ALLSPORT/Getty Images

Tom Clarkson, Jolyon Palmer and James Hinchcliffe are back to preview this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix. 
After three wins on the bounce, Kimi Antonelli leads George Russell by 20 points at the top of the World Championship standings, so how crucial is it for George to beat Kimi in Montreal? If he doesn’t and more teams get in the mix, will Mercedes have some tough decisions to make? 
For Ferrari, is Canada a defining moment in Lewis Hamilton’s season? Will Charles Leclerc be thinking about his future if they’re unable to fight at the front in this next run of races? 
Plus, the guys debate the topic of driver insecurities and share their personal experiences after Jenson Button discussed the topic on the latest F1 Beyond The Grid podcast. 
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LAS VEGAS. FORMULA 1. LIKE NOTHING BEFORE.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix returns November 19th – 21st, 2026.
Get your tickets for the fastest weekend of the year at f1lasvegasgp.com/tickets.

You've seen them standing alongside F1 drivers in TV interviews. They're holding phones, recording every word the driver says. Who are they and what are they doing?
F1 Press Officers and Communications teams arrange the interviews you see and hear every race weekend. They're the link between the team, the drivers, the media and fans around the world.
Sophie Ogg, who was formerly F1 Communications Director at McLaren, joins Christian Hewgill to explain what's involved in the job: dealing with media requests, working with adrenaline-fueled F1 drivers and reacting to breaking news - all with the aim of letting fans know what's going on inside a Formula 1 team.
F1 Explains is here to answer your F1 questions
Send them to [email protected]

Listen to more Official F1 Podcasts
In-depth conversations with big F1 names on F1 Beyond The Grid

Expert opinion every race weekend on F1 Nation - find the latest episode here on this podcast feed
This November, F1 takes over Las Vegas
The Las Vegas Grand Prix returns November 19 - 21, 2026 — and tickets are on sale now! Be there for the fastest weekend of the year. Click here for tickets