What separates people who perform at their best under pressure from those who crack? Dr. James Hewitt has spent two decades answering that question—first as a professional cyclist, then through a PhD studying elite performance, and eventually as Chief Innovation Officer at Hintsa Performance, the company behind 19 Formula 1 World Championships with drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, and Kimi Räikkönen.

In this conversation, Sabrina speaks with James, who works with F1 teams and elite performers today, about what fans completely miss when watching races. You'll discover what's really happening inside that cockpit (imagine doing complex math during a high-intensity workout in a sauna for two hours), why American hustle culture is the opposite of peak performance, and what young racers and their families desperately need to know about navigating this increasingly expensive and professionalized sport.

Check out James online:

Website | Dr. James Hewitt

Instagram | jamesphewitt

Twitter/X | @jamesphewitt

YouTube | Dr. James Hewitt Peak Performance Keynote Speaker

Book | Regenerative Performance: How to Thrive in an Always-On World Without Sacrificing Your Well-Being

Book | Exponential: Hewitt, James, Hintsa, Aki, Öhman, Jyri, Huhtanen, Mari

Send a text

Support the show

Follow 2 Guys, A Girl, and F1 on Instagram.
Have episode feedback or ideas? Want to connect with 2 Guys, A Girl, and F1? Drop them a line at: sabrina@2guysagirlandf1.com

Check out Dick's karting documentary, Power Drive Vegas.
Interested in Dick's YT Channel about his return to kart racing? See this link.

Thanks to all who have become members of the 2 Guys, A Girl, and F1 via our “Buy me A Coffee” page. This community is growing because of you. To become a member, click here.

Like the 2 Guys, A Girl, and F1 background music? It's "An Adventure Called Life" by Score Squad. It's available for purchase at Premium Beat. Use referral code SNSAEDUB at checkout to get 25% off your first purchase.

2025 Sound Engineers: Paul Douglas and Elena Richey

Would Nico Rosberg have retired if he hadn't won the 2016 championship? Do Europeans feel F1 has been 'Americanized' with three US races? These are the kinds of questions that create the best podcast conversations—and they came from listeners Heath and Drew.

In this quick PSA, Dick and Sabrina talk about why listener questions like these make the show better. Drew's hypothetical about Rosberg's retirement could fuel an entire episode. Heath's perspective on F1's expansion brings angles the hosts don't always consider. Your questions, your debates, your curiosities—that's what shapes 2 Guys, A Girl, and F1.

What F1 topics are you thinking about? What debates are you having with friends? What would you ask our upcoming expert guests if you were sitting in on the interview? Send them to sabrina@2guysagirlandf1.com. You're part of this show—let's hear from you.

Send a text

Support the show

Follow 2 Guys, A Girl, and F1 on Instagram.
Have episode feedback or ideas? Want to connect with 2 Guys, A Girl, and F1? Drop them a line at: sabrina@2guysagirlandf1.com

Check out Dick's karting documentary, Power Drive Vegas.
Interested in Dick's YT Channel about his return to kart racing? See this link.

Thanks to all who have become members of the 2 Guys, A Girl, and F1 via our “Buy me A Coffee” page. This community is growing because of you. To become a member, click here.

Like the 2 Guys, A Girl, and F1 background music? It's "An Adventure Called Life" by Score Squad. It's available for purchase at Premium Beat. Use referral code SNSAEDUB at checkout to get 25% off your first purchase.

2025 Sound Engineers: Paul Douglas and Elena Richey

Why did Formula 1 close Barcelona's pre-season testing to media and fans—and what does that decision reveal about who really calls the shots in the sport? In this conversation, Sabrina sits down with Joe Saward, one of only five journalists who attended every F1 race in 2025, all on his own dime and completely independent from teams or media companies.

They talk about the political and business calculations behind Barcelona's closed-door testing, why Bahrain's contract forced F1's hand, and whether this precedent could return in 2031. You'll also hear Joe's take on what the 2026 regulations will actually deliver—battery glitches, potential ECU failures, and why Mercedes doing 100 laps on day one with a brand-new power unit is more impressive than most fans realize. Beyond the technical side, they dig into F1's brutal travel schedule and why only five journalists now go to all 24 races, how workforce turnover is changing team culture, and what makes F1 different from any other business when teams like Mercedes are turning over a billion dollars but the people doing it would still say it beats working.

If you want to understand the politics, the money, and the real decision-making that shapes what you see on a Grand Prix Sunday, this is the conversation that connects those dots.

Check out Joe online:

• JSBM Newsletter
• Grand Prix+
• The Green Notebook

Send a text

Support the show

Follow 2 Guys, A Girl, and F1 on Instagram.
Have episode feedback or ideas? Want to connect with 2 Guys, A Girl, and F1? Drop them a line at: sabrina@2guysagirlandf1.com

Check out Dick's karting documentary, Power Drive Vegas.
Interested in Dick's YT Channel about his return to kart racing? See this link.

Thanks to all who have become members of the 2 Guys, A Girl, and F1 via our “Buy me A Coffee” page. This community is growing because of you. To become a member, click here.

Like the 2 Guys, A Girl, and F1 background music? It's "An Adventure Called Life" by Score Squad. It's available for purchase at Premium Beat. Use referral code SNSAEDUB at checkout to get 25% off your first purchase.

2025 Sound Engineers: Paul Douglas and Elena Richey