James Allen On F1

James Allen On F1

Three-time BAFTA award-winning F1 commentator James Allen returns to the broadcast mic with a thoughtful and engaging new podcast, looking at the human side of the sport.  Every episode will feature an insightful 20-minute interview with a prominent figure from inside and around the sport focusing on themes beyond the everyday news cycle. Joining James in the studio for analysis and discussion will be a rotating cast of key figures from Autosport and Motorsport’s global editorial team and guests from the broader F1 media world.  Thoughtful, accessible and insightful, the James Allen on F1 podcast takes the helmet off the sport. It is a must for any fans looking for a glimpse behind the scenes at the human beings who make the fascinating world of F1.  Get in touch with the show on JamesAllenonF1@autosport.com

  1. 27 AUG

    What makes a great racing movie and which one is the best?

    In Part Two of our Summer Special featuring a panel of movie industry experts, we analyse the most cherished racing movies; the classic Grand Prix (1966) as well as other celebrated motorsport films Rush (2013), Days of Thunder (1990) and Le Mans (1971). Are they any good as movies and what does it take to create a film that appeals to all audiences, not just motorsport enthusiasts? And what, if anything, did this summer’s Apple blockbuster F1 Movie with Brad Pitt take from them? We explore how well the various stories and plotlines work and the all-important action sequences. We reveal which cues they take from each other.  How are female characters depicted and how does their treatment compare across the decades? Which films were commercially successful and which ones flopped? Finally, if the master rolls of all these films were in a burning warehouse and only one could be saved for posterity, which one would the experts rescue?  The answer may surprise you.  With James Allen in the studio are:  Eddie Hamilton, editor of Top Gun Maverick and the two most recent Mission Impossible films. Adrian Wootton OBE, runs the British Film Commission (encouraging productions like F1 to film in the UK).  Mark Lane is an award-winning movie producer, with over 40 credits including I am not a serial Killer and The Cut.  Nick Manzi is a producer with a string of hits from Blitz to Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and a lifelong F1 enthusiast.  Don’t miss the chance to compete against our expert writers on Motorsport’s hugely popular F1 Fantasy League. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/race-our-writers-motorsport-launches-its-first-ever-featured-league-on-f1-fantasy/10702182/ Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com.

    45 min
  2. 20 AUG

    What happens when film industry experts break down the F1 Movie?

    This week we gather a stellar line-up of movie industry insiders as we break down the summer blockbuster F1 Movie, which has now earned over half a billion dollars at the box office, so deserves some deeper consideration. Having earlier looked at it from the point of view of journalists and fans, we now get the movie experts to cast an eye over it; is it technically a good film? How well does the story work, and what about the all-important action sequences? How does the treatment of female characters compare? And do movies like this do any long-term good for the sport? In Part II next week, the panel will compare it with the 1960s classic Grand Prix as well as other classic motorsport films Rush, Days of Thunder and Le Mans. Are they any good as movies? And what does it take to create a movie that appeals to all audiences, not just motorsport enthusiasts? With James Allen in the studio are:  Eddie Hamilton, editor of Top Gun Maverick and the two most recent Mission Impossible films. Adrian Wootton OBE, runs the British Film Commission (encouraging productions like F1 to film in the UK).  Mark Lane is an award-winning movie producer, with over 40 credits including I am not a serial Killer and The Cut.  Nick Manzi is a producer with a string of hits from Blitz to Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and a lifelong F1 enthusiast.  Chapters 00:00 Introduction to F1 Movie Discussion 03:00 Audience Reception and Expectations 05:58 The Art of Filmmaking in F1 Movies 08:59 Motorsport as a Cinematic Backdrop 11:55 Elements of a Successful Film 14:51 Character Dynamics and Storytelling 18:08 Technical Achievements and Authenticity 20:46 The Role of Female Characters 23:59 Budget and Financial Aspects of F1 Movie 26:51 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Don’t miss the chance to compete against our expert writers on Motorsport’s hugely popular F1 Fantasy League. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/race-our-writers-motorsport-launches-its-first-ever-featured-league-on-f1-fantasy/10702182/ Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com. A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport

    45 min
  3. 30 JUL

    Is It True F1 Drivers Are Among The Fittest Athletes In Sport?

    This week we look ahead to the F1 summer shutdown, which starts after the chequered flag falls in Hungary until Zandvoort at the end of August. But rather than use it as an excuse for tired old repeats, we are embracing the shutdown and looking at its significance to F1. This week we look at what the F1 drivers need to do during the break; how they recover after 14 gruelling races in five months, how they stay in shape while recharging. We also explore more broadly the physical and mental challenges on F1 drivers today. Is it true that F1 drivers are among the fittest athletes in sport? Taking James Allen deep into this fascinating topic is Nick Harris, who has trained and mentored many great drivers in the past 20 years from Mark Webber, David Coulthard and Jenson Button to Fernando Alonso and Nico Hulkenberg. He has also worked with top performers from other sports, like Andy Murray and Maria Sharapova. To view the highlights of the 2025 Global F1 Fan Survey and to download the Whitepaper, go to https://fansurvey2025-formula1.motorsportnetwork.com/ Don’t miss the chance to compete against our expert writers on Motorsport’s hugely popular F1 Fantasy League. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/race-our-writers-motorsport-launches-its-first-ever-featured-league-on-f1-fantasy/10702182/ Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com. Producer: Dre Harrison A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport

    37 min
  4. 23 JUL

    The F1 Season In Numbers At The Halfway Stage

    In F1 the numbers never lie; whether it’s zeros on a paycheck, thousandths of a second on a stopwatch or points of downforce on a new front wing. At the halfway stage of the F1 World Championship, the points tables for drivers and constructors tell their own story. McLaren are well ahead in both; Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull trail badly. But by looking at the underlying numbers we can spot trends and learn more about what’s really going on this season and what might happen in the second half. We did this at the quarter stage and now at we look again, after 12 rounds in this 24 race F1 World Championship. Joining James Allen are special guest Dan Fallows - one of the top F1 engineers of the last two decades, he headed up the Red Bull aero department from the Sebastian Vettel era up to the first ground effect car in 2022 and was most recently Technical Director of Aston Martin F1 team. Also joining us are F1 data guru Rob Smedley, of Smedley Group and Autosport’s Jake Boxall-Legge. To view the highlights of the Global F1 Fan Survey and to download the Whitepaper, go to https://fansurvey2025-formula1.motorsportnetwork.com/ Don’t miss the chance to compete against our expert writers on Motorsport’s hugely popular F1 Fantasy League. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/race-our-writers-motorsport-launches-its-first-ever-featured-league-on-f1-fantasy/10702182/ Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com. Producers: Dre Harrison, Ben Holmes A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport

    54 min
  5. 16 JUL

    The Chase For Power And Money In F1: Two Perspectives

    On this week’s podcast we speak to the most powerful woman in F1 today and the American who plans to be one of the two most powerful men next year. As Chief Commercial Officer of F1 and CEO of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Emily Prazer is responsible for bringing billions of dollars of revenue into the sport. She tells us her plans to make Vegas bigger and better this year and reveals its economic impact. Meanwhile Tim Mayer will face off against Mohammed Ben Sulayem in December’s election for FIA President. He faces an uphill task, but he strongly believes the FIA can be more professionally run. He explains why he has decided to run, what he would do differently from the current President and how he would avoid conflicts with F1 drivers over topics like jewellery and swearing. James Allen is also joined in the studio by Autosport’s F1 Business Correspondent Mark Mann-Bryans. To view the highlights of the Global F1 Fan Survey and to download the full Whitepaper, go to https://fansurvey2025-formula1.motorsportnetwork.com/ Don’t miss the chance to compete against our expert writers on Motorsport’s hugely popular F1 Fantasy League. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/race-our-writers-motorsport-launches-its-first-ever-featured-league-on-f1-fantasy/10702182/ Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com Producer: Dre Harrison A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport

    49 min

About

Three-time BAFTA award-winning F1 commentator James Allen returns to the broadcast mic with a thoughtful and engaging new podcast, looking at the human side of the sport.  Every episode will feature an insightful 20-minute interview with a prominent figure from inside and around the sport focusing on themes beyond the everyday news cycle. Joining James in the studio for analysis and discussion will be a rotating cast of key figures from Autosport and Motorsport’s global editorial team and guests from the broader F1 media world.  Thoughtful, accessible and insightful, the James Allen on F1 podcast takes the helmet off the sport. It is a must for any fans looking for a glimpse behind the scenes at the human beings who make the fascinating world of F1.  Get in touch with the show on JamesAllenonF1@autosport.com

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