Tom Clarkson is joined by former F1 driver, Jolyon Palmer, and IndyCar race winner, James Hinchcliffe, to look back on what we’ve learned from the first three races of the season and what we can expect from Miami onwards.

The guys discuss the battle between George Russell and Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes, why Oscar Piastri and McLaren were better in Japan, and what they and Ferrari need to do to catch Mercedes.

Red Bull Racing find themselves in the midfield battle, so will they regret their decision to not switch full focus to 2026 when Laurent Mekies joined as Team Principal last season? Could Max Verstappen’s frustration benefit his teammate, Isack Hadjar? And with Haas and Alpine above Red Bull in the Constructors’ Standings, is it clear who the fourth fastest team on the grid is?

Plus, Hinch thinks Fernando Alonso is the most positive person at Aston Martin right now, Tom suggests a somewhat contentious reason why, and Jolyon isn’t having any of it!

THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY...

Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/nation

BetterHelp: Sign up and get 10% off at betterhelp.com/f1nation

Indeed: Get a £100 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at indeed.com/f1nation

Who overtook who? Which driver is in the gravel? Formula 1 commentators put on-track action into words. They need to be accurate, fast and entertaining to make sure you always know what's happening.

F1TV and Apple TV commentator Alex Jacques is the voice of Formula 1 around the world. He welcomes Christian Hewgill into the commentary box to answer your questions. From the screens he can see and the research he does to the role of co-commentators and finding the right words at the biggest moments, Alex tells all about his job.

Send us your questions for episodes on race strategy and race engineers
F1Explains@F1.com

F1 Nation - weekly episodes every Monday with Tom Clarkson and expert guests

F1 Beyond The Grid - Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies on the 2026 challenge

F1 correspondent Lawrence Barretto and Aston Martin Third Driver Jak Crawford are Tom Clarkson’s guests in the Suzuka paddock for F1 Nation’s review of the Japanese Grand Prix.

Kimi Antonelli made it back-to-back wins to become Formula 1’s youngest ever World Championship leader. How much pressure has he put on Mercedes teammate and title rival George Russell?

With Oscar Piastri finishing P2 and Charles Leclerc also on the podium, the guys discuss where McLaren and Ferrari need to improve if they’re to battle Mercedes for wins this season.

Elsewhere, there’s plenty of praise for Alpine’s Pierre Gasly after scoring points in every race so far this season. Could they challenge the frontrunners this year? And Lawrence gives us the lowdown on what’s going on at Audi after Jonathan Wheatley’s sudden departure as Team Principal.

Is it tyres or tires? Either way, they're very important. The temperature and condition of a driver's tyres have a huge impact on their performance. 2026 sees all-new tires in F1, so what's changed? How do Pirelli choose which tyres to bring to each Grand Prix? How does the company and the FIA ensure tire fairness?

Pirelli is the Official Tyre Supplier of Formula 1. The company's Head of Motorsport, Mario Isola, joins Christian Hewgill to answer your questions. Mario explains what's different about this season's rubber, the number of tires Pirelli brings to each race and how they are allocated to the drivers.

Why don't F1 tyres have tread? Do all types of tire weigh the same? Who pays for them? Mario has the answers.

Send us your questions for episodes on race strategy and race engineers
F1Explains@F1.com

F1 Nation - Japanese GP Preview out now. Race review coming Monday on this feed

F1 Beyond The Grid - Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu on the team's ambitions

Tom Clarkson, former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer and IndyCar race winner James Hinchcliffe talk about the magic of Suzuka, the early season competitive picture and how the race weekend will unfold. Is there ‘magic in the air’ for Ferrari? Can McLaren and Red Bull find more performance? At Haas, is Ollie Bearman driving towards a future in red?

This episode is sponsored by Indeed: Indeed: get a £100 sponsored job credit at indeed.com/f1nation

It's the heart of F1, a circus of speed which tours the racetracks of the world. Drivers mingle with VIPs and engineers. Mechanics push tyre trollies past crowds of reporters and camera crews. Inside hospitality buildings, Team Principals meet sponsors and guests. To enter this exclusive area you usually need a paddock pass, but F1 Explains can get you in...

Christian Hewgill is your guide for a tour of the F1 Paddock to answer your questions about what happens there during a Grand Prix weekend.

Send your questions to F1Explains@F1.com

F1 Nation and F1 Explains have teamed up for 2026
Get weekly race reviews and previews right here on this podcast feed

Exclusive in-depth interviews on F1 Beyond The Grid
Latest: How Jacques Villeneuve shook up F1
Coming soon: Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu on Ollie Bearman's future

F1TV commentator and former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer joins Tom Clarkson in the Shanghai paddock to reflect on an action-packed Chinese Grand Prix.

Kimi Antonelli became the second youngest Grand Prix winner in F1 history, leading George Russell to the second consecutive Mercedes 1-2 of 2026. So can Kimi fight his more experienced teammate for the title this year?

Kimi’s race engineer Pete ‘Bono’ Bonnington joins the pod to share what this victory means to them and where the Italian goes from here.

Lewis Hamilton claimed his first Grand Prix podium for Ferrari, after an epic battle with teammate Charles Leclerc for third place. After a strong start to the new era of F1, is Lewis back to his best? Why did he have the better of Charles in China? And have we seen more evidence that Ferrari can fight with Mercedes for wins this year?

The guys also discuss another big result for Ollie Bearman at Haas, double points for Alpine, a fighting performance from Carlos Sainz in the Williams and more difficult weekends for McLaren, Red Bull and Aston Martin.

This episode is sponsored by:

Quince: go to Quince dot com slash NATION for free shipping and 365-day returns. That's a full year to build your wardrobe and love it.

Indeed: get a £100 sponsored job credit at indeed.com/f1nation

Saily: get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code F1nation at
checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/f1nation

What do the red flashing lights on F1 cars mean? When do drivers attack and defend? How do F1 mechanics fix crashed cars so quickly? F1 Explains answers your questions after the first race of 2026.

F1 Correspondent and Presenter Lawrence Barretto joins Christian Hewgill to explain battery recharging, the way drivers are using Boost and Overtake modes, and what the new active aero front wings have in common with electric toothbrushes...

And, after Mercedes showed their speed in Australia, we look at how power unit manufacturers work with their customer teams.

Get your question answered on the podcast
Send your questions to F1Explains@F1.com

F1 Explains + F1 Nation have teamed up for 2026
Find the latest race previews and reviews on this feed - 2026 Chinese GP Preview out now with Tom Clarkson and Jolyon Palmer

This week on F1 Beyond The Grid
Cadillac CEO Dan Towriss talks about launching the team