Essential F1

Essential F1
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Join F1 commentating legend Ben Edwards and motorsport TV presenter Nicola Hume between every F1 race as they cut through the noise of Formula One and bring you everything you need to know along with special guests from the world of F1. 

  1. Miami Mayhem with Mercedes, McLaren and Max!

    2D AGO

    Miami Mayhem with Mercedes, McLaren and Max!

    The 2026 F1 season is back with a dramatic race in Miami. It looks like the teams have been very busy, even if some of the drivers haven't! Kimi Antonelli become the first ever F1 driver to win his first three races from his first three pole positions and has definitely put George Russell in the shade. McLaren showed that they've still got it with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris both putting in strong perforrmances and guess who's back! Max Vertsappen has stopped moaning about everything and seemed much happier, plus it was great to see Williams back in the room after a dreadful start to the season. It was a bank holiday, so everyone is at home, but to discuss all this and more, we welcome a new guest to Essential F1, racing driver, driver coach and F1 commentator, Alice Powell. Lots to discuss including:  Ben's Miami round upAre Max Verstappen and Red Bull back?Can Ferrari actually get a win this season?Might McLaren be Mercedes' closer competitor now?Can Williams get back to their 2025 form? Kimi Antonelli wins again. Is this Piastri all over again or is he 2026 World Champion? George Russell is not happy. Is it just because of this circuit?Miami was bonkers, but what were the most bonkers bits?A tribute to Alex Zanardi We need to talk about Isack Hadjar A look ahead to the Canadian Grand PrixPrediction Championship Please don't forget to follow us and make sure you join us next week as we welcome Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal of Haas F1 to the studio for a special in-depth interview with Ben and Nicola. If you have a question for Ayao email info@thecontentworks.com  #miamigp #f1#mclaren #mercedesf1 #ferrari #redbullracing #williamsf1 #haasf1 #racingbulls #astonmartin #audif1 #alpine #cadillac #landonorris #oscarpiastri #lewishamilton #charlesleclerc #maxverstappen #isackhadjar #carlossainz #alexalbon #estabanocon #liamlawson #arvidlinblad #fernandoalonso #lancestroll #nicohulkenberg #gabrielbortoleto #pierregasly #francocolapinto #sergioperez #valtteribottas

    38 min
  2. Return Of The Mac! McLaren Are Back On The Podium. Have We Got A Championship Fight?

    MAR 31

    Return Of The Mac! McLaren Are Back On The Podium. Have We Got A Championship Fight?

    This year's Japanese Grand Prix was definitely more interesting than last year's. Kimi Antonelli's wins makes him the youngest driver to top the F1 leaderboard and puts George Russell in quite an awkward place.  Great to see McLaren back on the podium after such a bad start to their season and does this mean that we have a Championship fight coming up, but what about Max Verstappen? Another weekend where he has been very critical of the new regs, but would he be so negative if he had a better car.  To discuss all this and more, F1, Formula E and BTCC presenter, Nicki Shields joins Nicola and Ben in the studio this week.  01:10 Ben's Japanese Grand Prix Round Up03:35 Mac are back, but could Piastri have won?05:12 Ollie Bearman's accident has raised questions about the new regs08:35 Kimi Antonelli looked untouchable, what does this mean for team dynamics?11:55 Well done Pierre Gasly, holding off Verstappen. Is this the level Red Bull are at now?15:06 Leclerc and Hamilton battling is great to watch, but is it costing them valuable points?17:01 Are the 6 drivers who could all potentially be the 2026 F1 Champion?18:20 We need to talk about the under-achievers22:08 Let's look ahead to the next race, which is now Miami25:30 Miami Grand Prix predictions Don't forget to follow us so you don't miss any of our Essential F1 content and share your thoughts in the comments.  #f1 #mclaren #mercedesf1 #ferrari #redbullracing #williamsf1 #haasf1 #racingbulls #astonmartin #audif1 #alpine #cadillac #landonorris #oscarpiastri #lewishamilton #charlesleclerc #maxverstappen #isackhadjar #carlossainz #alexalbon #estabanocon #liamlawson #arvidlinblad #fernandoalonso #lancestroll #nicohulkenberg #gabrielbortoleto #pierregasly #francocolapinto #sergioperez #valtteribottas #japanesegp #miamigp

    31 min
  3. Kimi's Antonelli's First Win and Lewis Hamilton Back On The F1 Podium. Could Charles Leclerc Have Joined Him?

    MAR 17

    Kimi's Antonelli's First Win and Lewis Hamilton Back On The F1 Podium. Could Charles Leclerc Have Joined Him?

    Congratulations to F1's newest winner, Kimi Antonelli, who put in a blistering shift to win the Chinese GP. And he was joined on the podium by his team-mate George Russell, Bono and Lewis Hamilton who looked like a proud dad. Lewis said that it was some of the best racing he's ever experienced and Ferrari are back in form, but could they have had both cars on the podium rather than letting the drivers battle it out? Joining Ben Edwards and Nicola Hume to discuss this and lots of other talking points from this weekend is BBC 5 Live and Sky F1 Lead Commentator, Harry Benjamin. 01:10 Welcome01:30 Ben's race roundup 04:06 Lewis Hamilton is back, but could Ferrari have split the two Mercedes?06:55 Another stellar drive from Ollie Bearman. Bigger things in 2027?10:55 Alpine have race pace. Are they the best of the rest?13:14 Where are Red Bull's Wings? 16:20 Even worse than Red Bull, what has happened to McLaren?19:43 Arise Kimi Antonelli! Faultless first podium. Could he win the title?24:12 What do we think of the season so far?29:47 We need to talk about Aston Martin36:33 Looking ahead to the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka38:09 Prediction Championship Of The World!  Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss any Essential F1 content.

    44 min
  4. Has The Australian F1 Grand Prix Set The Pace For The Season?

    MAR 10

    Has The Australian F1 Grand Prix Set The Pace For The Season?

    Formula One returned for 2026 with the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne. New Season and new rules set the scene for an interesting race from the the start.  Joining Nicola Hume and Ben Edwards for the debrief is broadcaster and host of the BBC's F1: Back At Base, Holly Samos.  Ferrari are back. Charles Leclerc on the podium, but could they have won? Welcome Arvin Lindblad. What a debut from the only rookie. It was a terrible Saturday followed by a sensational Sunday from Max Verstappen, but he Mebourne curse struck again for Oscar Piastri and 5th for Lando Norris. Did McLaren overcook it in 2025?Meanwhile, Mercedes are back. Toto Wolff is smoother than ever, but they didn't have it all their own way and as the new regulations are here, what do we think of the 2026 F1 style? We talk about the fact that drivers are now having to back off in qualifying. Is this right? And there's no time to rest as it's the Chinese F1 Grand Prix this weekend in Shanghai with the first Sprint race. Could this circuit give us a good idea of what is to come this year? The team share their predictions for the Chinese Grand Prix.

    39 min
  5. All The New F1 Tech Explained

    MAR 6

    All The New F1 Tech Explained

    With the biggest change in rules for years, there's a lot of new stuff to get our heads around for Formula One this season. Ben, Tommo and Vicki are here to tell you about all the tech including aero, energy recovery and boost.

    16 min
  6. We Are Back For Formula One 2026!

    MAR 4

    We Are Back For Formula One 2026!

    New Season. New Rules. New Studio! We are back with Essential F1 - the Formula 1 podcast that's essential for everybody who's into F1. The Oracle - Ben Edwards, is here to guide us through what will be a very interesting season, with the biggest set of rule changes in a generation. Joining Ben to discuss what pre-season testing has shown us and to run through all the teams, is ‪@TommoMcCluskey‬ and the legendary Vicki Butler-Henderson steers us through the 2026 chicances. And fresh from testing, Producer Jim has a few points for Ben & Tommo to discuss.

    52 min
  7. Lando Norris Comes Out On Top! With Colin Furze

    12/09/2025

    Lando Norris Comes Out On Top! With Colin Furze

    Congratulations to Lando Norris, the 10th British driver to become Formula 1 Champion.With the whole season coming down to the last race, Lando, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri were all in contention. All Lando needed to do was keep his cool, and that's exactly what he did to win the title and 2025 F1 Drivers' Championship. As it's last episode of Midweek F1 for the 2025 season we thought we'd get out of the studio and head to YouTuber and F1 Superfan, Colin Furze's incredible bunker to take a look back at Lando's road to becoming 2025 F1 Champion and what we can expect in 2026, with all the changes that are coming. It's been an equally nail-biting end to our Prediction Championship Of The World and we'll find out whether Ben Edwards, Nicola Hume, The Guests or Producer Jim has won.We'd like to thank everybody that has listened to Midweek F1 this year and wish you all the best for the festive season. Please don't forget to subscribe and we'll see you in 2026. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Midweek F1 Team.

    44 min
  8. What Were McLaren Thinking?!

    12/03/2025

    What Were McLaren Thinking?!

    What a weekend at Lusail for the Qatar Grand Prix! McLaren had it in the bag, but what went wrong and what does this mean for the final race of the season? This is even more like a Hollywood F1 movie than the actual Hollywood F1 movie. Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen have all had an incredible 2025 season in their own way and any one of them could be crowned Formula 1 Champion this weekend. Joining Ben and Nicola to discuss everything and share some incredible F1 driver stories of his own is Top Gear and Grand Tour genius, Andy Wilman. Don't forget to hit the follow button so you don't miss an episode.

    46 min
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About

Join F1 commentating legend Ben Edwards and motorsport TV presenter Nicola Hume between every F1 race as they cut through the noise of Formula One and bring you everything you need to know along with special guests from the world of F1. 

Information

  • Creator
    Essential F1
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    32
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Content Works
  • Show Website
    Essential F1

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