Car liveries: paint, decals, special designs + performance
Ferrari is red, Red Bull is blue... F1 car liveries are much more than paint and stickers. They're part of a team's identity, they're worth money to sponsors and they can even affect how the car performs on track. F1 Explains how F1 car liveries are created with the help of two experts: Markus Höpperger tells us how Alfa Romeo's livery is designed and how paint schemes, sponsor placement and ...
50m Oct 05, 2023
50m
The mental pressure of F1 - with David Coulthard
Formula 1 is a high-speed, high-stress sport. Staying cool, ignoring distractions and recovering from setbacks requires huge mental strength, composure and resilience. How do F1 drivers cope? How do they make sure their minds are in the right condition? What support and training do they get to help them? F1 Explains with the help of two expert guests: Pete McKnight - performance coach who get...
49m Sep 28, 2023
49m
Steering wheels: how drivers learn their buttons
Each one is different, but they're all high-tech pieces of equipment made of military-spec materials, designed to work in extreme conditions. F1 steering wheels do so much more than turn the car. Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne explore steering wheels with the help of two expert guests: Jose Manuel Lopez, Mclaren Principal Race Engineer Jolyon Palmer, former F1 driver with Renault and GP2...
49m Sep 21, 2023
49m
Box box boxes, F1 car names + prize money - Your Questions Answered by Bernie Collins + Alex Jacques
Who decides where F1 teams do their pit stops? How do F1 cars and racetrack corners get their names? How much is F1's prize pot? Race-winning strategist Bernie Collins and award-winning F1TV commentator Alex Jacques are back with Katie and Christian to answer more of your questions. Along the way you'll hear which F1 car is named after a team founders' wife, the different ways F1 corners get t...
34m Sep 14, 2023
34m
Start secrets, Sprint stats + super subs - Your Questions Answered by Alex Jacques + Bernie Collins
How do F1 race starts work? Can you score a podium in F1 Sprint? What are the rules on teams sharing reserve drivers? You ask, F1 Explains with the help of F1TV commentator Alex Jacques and F1 strategist Bernie Collins. The team explains why F1 Grands Prix start when five red lights go out, explore the history of F1 race starts, and Alex reveals the secrets to commentating on the action-packed...
41m Sep 07, 2023
41m
DRS: how the Drag Reduction System has changed F1 racing
It has given us more action, more overtaking and more chances to change the race with strategy. DRS, the Drag Reduction System, can help F1 drivers get in position for a race-winning overtake. Why was it introduced? How does it work? What's the best way to use it? F1 Explains with the help of three experts, who tell Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne all about this fascinating subject: McLar...
38m Aug 31, 2023
38m
Why tyres matter so much in F1 - with Pirelli + Jolyon Palmer
They're round, they're black, they keep you on the track. Tyres are one of the most important parts of a Formula 1 car, but getting the best performance from them requires tireless work from drivers, teams and engineers. Three tyre experts join Katie and Christian to explain all you need to know about F1 tyres: Former F1 racer Jolyon Palmer explains why tyres are so important to drivers Mario...
52m Aug 24, 2023
52m
Why will the 2024 F1 calendar help make the sport more sustainable?
Racing more regionally. New power for the F1 Paddock. Game-changing fuels for F1 cars and, potentially, your car. Big things are happening to help make Formula 1 more sustainable. Christian and Katie ask F1's Head of Sustainability, Ellen Jones, why re-organising the race calendar for 2024 will help reduce the sport's carbon footprint. Ellen also reveals how F1's trialling new ways of reducing...
30m Jul 27, 2023
30m
Trophies, travel + 'pace in the car' - Your Questions Answered by Will Buxton + Bernie Collins
Why don't F1 drivers get to keep their trophies? How do F1 people cope with travel? What do drivers actually mean when they talk about having 'pace in the car'? Bernie Collins, former Aston Martin F1 strategist, and Will Buxton, F1TV presenter, are back with Christian and Katie to answer these questions and more. Bernie tells us about a time a driver was allowed to keep a special trophy, whil...
30m Jul 20, 2023
30m
F1 cars, upgrades + 'copycats' - Your Questions Answered by Will Buxton + Bernie Collins
Why are some F1 cars faster than others? Why do some upgrades work and some don't? Why don't F1 teams all just copy the fastest car? F1TV presenter and Drive to Survive star Will Buxton, and former Aston Martin Head of Race Strategy Bernie Collins join Katie and Christian to answer those questions in more in a quickfire Formula Why special all about F1 cars. You'll hear what upgrading an F1 c...
40m Jul 13, 2023
40m
Why are F1 wind tunnels top secret?
Hidden inside F1 factories, engineers use blasts of high-speed air to shape race-winning cars. Wind tunnels are multi-million dollar, high-tech facilities where aerodynamicists experiment. What happens in the wind tunnel usually stays in the wind tunnel, but Formula Why is going into this secretive world with Alpine F1 Team's Technical Director, Matt Harman. He tells us why F1 teams use wind t...
25m Jul 06, 2023
25m
Why do F1 drivers need race engineers? with Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu + Jorn Becker
They're the voice in the driver's ear, guiding them through every lap. F1 drivers can't compete without their race engineers, but why are they so important? Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu and his race engineer Jorn Becker join Formula Why to answer your questions. Why do engineers speak like they do? Why do they use some words and not others? Why are all F1 Team Radio messages in English? Zhou and J...
29m Jun 29, 2023
29m
'Undercuts', red lights + jobs in F1: Your Questions Answered by Lawrence Barretto + Bernie Collins
Why can pitting a lap earlier than your rival be a race-winning move? Why do F1 cars have red lights on the back? How do drivers remember all their race plans at 200mph? How do people get to be F1 Team Principals, strategists or reporters? Former Aston Martin Head of Strategy Bernie Collins and F1 Chief Correspondent Lawrence Barretto are back with Christian and Katie on Formula Why to answer t...
34m Jun 22, 2023
34m
Why do F1 pit stops take teamwork?
Twenty teammates. Two seconds. Total teamwork. F1 pit stops are iconic, but why are they so important, and why are they so difficult to do perfectly? Who's on the pit crew, and what does each person do? Katie and Christian get the answers from: Gemma Fisher - the human performance specialist who revolutionised F1 pit stops Connor Swan - Alpine F1 Team's Pit Stop Performance Co-ordinator Kevin ...
47m Jun 15, 2023
47m
Why do F1 teams need simulators? - with Aston Martin's Stoffel Vandoorne
For learning racetracks to testing new car upgrades, simulators are a vital tool for every team in F1. Katie and Christian talk to four sim experts to explain why. Stoffel Vandoorne, Aston Martin's reserve driver, took a break from a long day in the sim to tell us why they're so useful for racers. Alpine's Technical Director Matt Harman breaks down how team engineers use them to test new part...
47m Jun 08, 2023
47m
Why is racing in the rain so difficult? - with Mika Hakkinen
In F1, rain always means drama. Drivers fight to stay on track. Their skills are pushed to the limits. Why is steering, braking, and racing so much harder in the rain? Formula Why has the answers. After a quick guide to F1's wet weather tyres, motorsport scientist Dr Diandra Leslie-Pelecky explains why it's so hard to keep control on a wet racetrack. Haas F1 Team Race Engineer Mark Slade tell...
41m Jun 01, 2023
41m
Why are F1 street circuits the ultimate test? - with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins
No room for error. No time to breathe. When F1 races on city streets – like in Monaco, Miami or Singapore – drivers and strategists face a challenge like no other. Double F1 World Champion and street race-winner Mika Hakkinen joins Christian and Katie to answer why low grip, narrow streets lined with unforgiving metal barriers are the ultimate test of a drivers’ skill – and why spilt drinks and...
32m May 25, 2023
32m
Tyres, F1 points + car set-up: Your Questions Answered by Bernie Collins + Lawrence Barretto
Why do F1 winners get 25 points? Why do tyre-smoking lock-ups happen? Why do F1 cars change for every race? This week on Formula Why we're answering some of the questions you've sent in to Why@F1.com so far. Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne are joined by former Aston Martin Head of Strategy Bernie Collins and F1 Correspondent and Presenter Lawrence Barretto to explore the whys, the hows and ...
30m May 18, 2023
30m
Why do F1 drivers have to be so fit? - with Vettel's former trainer + Alexander Rossi
Insane speed needs incredible strength. If you’ve ever wondered why F1 drivers look so exhausted at the end of a race, here's your answer. Katie and Christian find out why F1 drivers need elite levels of fitness, why their necks, legs and cores need to be so strong and why staying hydrated is so important. Racing scientist Dr Diandra Leslie Pelecky talks through the ‘extremes’ F1 drivers exper...
45m May 11, 2023
45m
Why does the USA have 3 F1 races in 2023? - with Alexander Rossi + Leigh Diffey
Passionate fans. Spectacular racing. A new home hero to cheer. Formula 1 has a long history in the United States. 2023 is a new chapter, with races in Miami, Austin and Las Vegas. Katie and Christian go back through the decades to tell the story of F1 in the US. Then it’s time to explore the present and the future with former F1 commentator Leigh Diffey, former US F1 driver Alexander Rossi and...
49m May 04, 2023
49m
Why are F1 Sprint weekends such a challenge? - with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen + strategist Bernie Collins
Less prep. More pressure. In 2023, F1 Sprint is more thrilling than ever. Listener Crystal from New York wants to know why F1 Sprint is such an exciting challenge for F1’s teams and drivers. Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill explore the answer with Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen and his race engineer, Mark Slade. Kevin and Mark had an F1 Sprint weekend to remember in 2022. Kevin took a stunni...
43m Apr 27, 2023
43m
Know more about F1, with Formula Why
The more you know about Formula 1, the more you'll love it. Join Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill for Formula Why, the official F1 podcast for every fan who wants to know how the sport really works. Write or record and send your 'why' questions to Why@F1.com and we'll get F1 experts to answer them on a future episode.
2m Apr 18, 2023
2m