The Race F1 Podcast

With F1 pre-season in full swing, Damon and Johnny return with another episode of Stay On Track, and this time they’re discussing car launches and testing from a driver’s perspective. They share some weird and wacky stories from their own careers, including the time Damon was almost sacked during a car launch and the time Johnny inadvertently found himself part of a space opera! They also discuss how testing has changed over the years, and debate whether the current restrictions on testing have limited opportunities for drivers to experiment with new driving techniques - something that could be a big factor this year, with the new regulations…

Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

F1 has all-new cars in 2026, but how will they change the racing we see on track? That's the big question tackled in this episode of The Race F1 Podcast, as Edd Straw, Scott-Mitchell-Malm and Dutch F1 commentator Nelson Valkenburg, of Viaplay Netherlands, attempt to unpick what we've learned from the limited driver and team feedback we've heard so far.

How big is the driving challenge, and has it gone too far in the direction of energy management over pure driving? And will one type of driver excel compared to another?

Those are some of the topics tackled, before talk turns to the latest on Williams' delayed start to 2026, what to make of the latest comments from Adrian Newey about Aston Martin starting four months behind the curve, and why Jack Doohan has landed a role as Haas reserve driver.

Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Now that almost all of the 2026 cars have broken cover, we take an in-depth look at the technical and design trends that have stood out so far in the latest edition of The Race F1 Podcast. Ex-F1 technical director Gary Anderson and Mark Hughes join Edd Straw to work through the key areas and explain the various design choices taken by teams.

We take a close look at the approach to active aero, in particular the choices made by teams like Mercedes only to adjust one element of the front wing. The sidepod designs and bargeboard details at the front of the floor are also delved into, as a well as a look at the bold suspension geometries chosen by teams - particularly Aston Martin. We also ask why the Racing Bulls airbox intake is so massive, and what the reason is for the slots in at the back of the floor leading into the diffuser on some cars.

Finally, we pick out the best and worst performers from testing, and nominate the most interesting, and most concerning, of the 2026 cars.

Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aston Martin dominated the headlines in the final part of the Barcelona shakedown test when its aggressive Adrian Newey creation broke cover, while Lewis Hamilton ended the five days of running with the fastest time for Ferrari. But does the Aston Martin’s speed match its looks, and is Mercedes really the team in front?

On this episode of The Race F1 Podcast, Edd Straw is joined by Jon Noble and Scott Mitchell-Malm to mull over these questions, and cast an eye over the progress of each of the teams that ran in Spain this week.

Fill out a quick survey about your podcast habits by going to theathletic.com/survey26 and you could win $/£100 worth of Amazon vouchers

Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the latest episode of The Race F1 podcast, Edd Straw - fresh off a plane from Barcelona - is joined by Scott Mitchell-Malm to discuss the latest from F1’s private shakedown test in Spain.

Top of the agenda is Mercedes’ ominous form, but there’s also chat about McLaren’s first run with its new car, Red Bull’s test plans after Isack Hadjar’s unfortunate crash on Tuesday, and updates on every other team that ran on Wednesday.

There’s also further explanation of why Williams are missing the group shakedown, with Scott reporting back on what team principal James Vowles told him and select media on Wednesday.

And finally, Edd is joined by Spanish journalist Jorge Peiró (@JPEIR0) for a final perspective on what it was like to cover the test on-site, albeit outside the circuit…

Fill out a quick survey about your podcast habits by going to theathletic.com/survey26 and you could win $/£100 worth of Amazon vouchers

Get your 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.