42 episodes
F1 Explains Formula 1
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- Sport
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3.6 • 15 Ratings
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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.
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Suits, boots + underwear: what F1 drivers race in - with PUMA
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 Hewgill all about F1 race kit: how it's designed and tested, and the special requests drivers make for their customised gear.
Leading sportswear brand PUMA make race suits for Mercedes, Sauber, Ferrari and Williams, and the brand new PUMA x F1 collection, available now
F1 EXPLAINS: LIVE IN MIAMI - FRIDAY 3RD MAY
Join us and Guenther Steiner for a live show at the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix 2024
Friday May 3rd, 1:40pm - North 300 Level, Hard Rock Stadium
Free to all Grand Prix ticket holders
Send a question for Guenther and you can be part of the show! Email it to F1Explains@F1.com
Catch up with our other episodes
F1 brakes - technology + technique - with Brembo + Jack Doohan
The job of an F1 Team Principal - with Aston Martin's Mike Krack
Why F1 teammates are friends + foes - with Valtteri Bottas + Zhou Guanyu
How Formula 2 + Formula 3 prepare drivers for F1 - with Oscar Piastri
F1 Academy - with Susie Wolff + Lia Block
The F1 race start - with Mick Schumacher + strategist Bernie Collins
Behind the scenes on Drive to Survive - with Exec Producer James Gay-Rees
Why F1 pre-season testing matters - with Mercedes, McLaren + Alpine
How F1 teams build their new cars - with Aston Martin Technical Director Dan Fallows
More Official F1 Podcasts
For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest names, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid
For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation -
Brakes - with Brembo + Alpine's Jack Doohan
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:
Andrea Algeri, engineer from Brembo, which produces brakes for the entire F1 grid
Jack Doohan, Alpine Reserve Driver
F1 EXPLAINS: LIVE IN MIAMI - FRIDAY 3RD MAY
Join us and Guenther Steiner for a live show at the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix 2024
Friday May 3rd, 1:40pm - North 300 Level, Hard Rock Stadium
Free to all Grand Prix ticket holders
Send a question for Guenther and you can be part of the show! Email it to F1Explains@F1.com
Catch up with our other episodes
The job of an F1 Team Principal - with Aston Martin's Mike Krack
Why F1 teammates are friends + foes - with Valtteri Bottas + Zhou Guanyu
How Formula 2 + Formula 3 prepare drivers for F1 - with Oscar Piastri
F1 Academy - with Susie Wolff + Lia Block
The F1 race start - with Mick Schumacher + strategist Bernie Collins
Behind the scenes on Drive to Survive - with Exec Producer James Gay-Rees
Why F1 pre-season testing matters - with Mercedes, McLaren + Alpine
How F1 teams build their new cars - with Aston Martin Technical Director Dan Fallows
More Official F1 Podcasts
For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest names, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid
For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation -
Team Principals - with Aston Martin's Mike Krack
The boss of a Formula 1 team has 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 fellow bosses. Plus, how he manages drivers, keeps on top of the rulebook and why he chooses to watch races from the pit wall, not the garage.
Got a question? We can answer it!
We love answering your F1 questions. Write them in an email or record them as a voice note and send them to F1Explains@F1.com
Catch up with our other episodes
Why F1 teammates are friends + foes - with Valtteri Bottas + Zhou Guanyu
How Formula 2 + Formula 3 prepare drivers for F1 - with Oscar Piastri
F1 Academy - with Susie Wolff + Lia Block
The F1 race start - with Mick Schumacher + strategist Bernie Collins
Behind the scenes on Drive to Survive - with Exec Producer James Gay-Rees
Why F1 pre-season testing matters - with Mercedes, McLaren + Alpine
How F1 teams build their new cars - with Aston Martin Technical Director Dan Fallows
More Official F1 Podcasts
For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest names, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid
For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation -
Teammates - with Valtteri Bottas + Zhou Guanyu
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 each other, how they race each other on track, how they balance teamwork and rivalry and how they decide who gets which side of the garage...
Get in touch
We love answering your F1 questions. Write them in an email or record them as a voice note and send them to F1Explains@F1.com
Catch up with our other episodes
How Formula 2 + Formula 3 prepare drivers for F1 - with Oscar Piastri
F1 Academy - with Susie Wolff + Lia Block
The F1 race start - with Mick Schumacher + strategist Bernie Collins
Behind the scenes on Drive to Survive - with Exec Producer James Gay-Rees
Why F1 pre-season testing matters - with Mercedes, McLaren + Alpine
How F1 teams build their new cars - with Aston Martin Technical Director Dan Fallows
More Official F1 Podcasts
For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest names, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid
For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation -
Driving styles, pit stop problems + 2 decades of F1 rules in 2 minutes - Jolyon Palmer + Alex Jacques answer more questions
'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:
What's the difference between F1, FOM and the FIA?
What happens in a team after a bad pit stop?
Why did Jolyon Palmer never wear a cap when he raced in F1?
Ask us a question!
Want to be on the next episode of F1 Explains? If you've got an F1 question, send it to us and we'll find an expert to answer it. Send your email or voice note to F1Explains@F1.com
Previously on F1 Explains
Points, pronunciation + the 'pit' lane - with Jolyon Palmer + Alex Jacques
How Formula 2 + Formula 3 prepare drivers for F1 - with Oscar Piastri
F1 Academy - with Susie Wolff + Lia Block
The F1 race start - with Mick Schumacher + Bernie Collins
Behind the scenes on Drive to Survive - with Exec Producer James Gay-Rees
Why F1 pre-season testing matters - with McLaren's Oscar Piastri
How F1 teams build their new cars - with Aston Martin Technical Director Dan Fallows
More Official F1 Podcasts
In-depth interviews with the sport's biggest stars: F1 Beyond The Grid with Tom Clarkson
Listen to race previews and reviews from the F1 paddock on F1 Nation -
Formula 2 + Formula 3: the path to F1 - with Oscar Piastri + Alex Jacques
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:
Oscar Piastri - 2020 F3 champion, 2021 F2 champion, McLaren F1 driver
Alex Jacques - commentator covering F3, F2 and F1
For the latest on F2 and F3 visit
The official F2 website
The online home of F3
Curious about cars? Quizzical about qualifying? Wondering about wheelspin? If you've got an F1 question, send it to us and we'll find an expert to answer it. Send your email or voice note to F1Explains@F1.com
Catch up with our other episodes
Points, pronunciation + the 'pit' lane - with Jolyon Palmer + Alex Jacques
F1 Academy - with Susie Wolff + Lia Block
The F1 race start - with Mick Schumacher + Bernie Collins
Behind the scenes on Drive to Survive - with Exec Producer James Gay-Rees
Why F1 pre-season testing matters - with McLaren's Oscar Piastri
How F1 teams build their new cars - with Aston Martin Technical Director Dan Fallows
More Official F1 Podcasts
Hear how Oscar Piastri is approaching his second F1 season on F1 Beyond The Grid with Tom Clarkson
Listen to race previews and reviews from the F1 paddock on F1 Nation
Customer Reviews
Great for new F1 fans
Gives you an up-to-date ‘what’s going on’ in an easy style. All your questions answered with great access to drivers and teams.
Great Pod
Really enjoying this series - been following F1 for a 6 or 7 years now and still so much detail to learn. Naturally it’s targeting a broad audience so there is some beginner information to include everyone, but there are guaranteed new bits of info each week.
Easy and informative.
Really reccommend.
More a newbie pod
Probably one for the US audience new to F1. Not bringing much substance and very robotic presenters.