The Autosport F1 Podcast

The 2026 F1 season kicked off with a dramatic race in Melbourne, showcasing new regulations and fierce competition. In this episode, Chief Editor Kevin Turner is joined by Autosport writers Jake Boxall-Legge and Stuart Codling to analyse the race highlights, technical insights, and emerging contenders, giving you a comprehensive breakdown of the first race of the year.

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction to the 2026 Melbourne GP and race highlights
02:24 - Weekend impressions from trackside reporter Stuart Codling
03:52 - Public perception and driver comments on regulations’ impact
05:46 - Race start chaos: battery issues and safety concerns
07:36 - Exciting overtakes and early battles between Russell, Leclerc, and Hamilton
09:44 - Deployments, energy management, and qualifying insights
11:43 - Race pace, tyre longevity, and strategy missteps
13:02 - Safety and reliability of new energy deployment systems
15:02 - Team strategies, mistakes, and potential safety issues
18:08 - Mercedes’ performance gap and customer engine concerns
21:04 - End-of-race performances and up-and-coming drivers
25:00 - Strategic calls during virtual safety cars and their outcomes
27:49 - Ferrari's performance and predictions for Monaco and beyond
29:23 - Rookie driver Isaac Hadjar's impressive debut and team progress
32:37 - New teams Audi and Cadillac: performances and future prospects
36:15 - Aston Martin’s technical issues with Honda power and future outlook
40:03 - Preview of the China GP and the introduction of the sprint race
41:23 - Final thoughts and season expectations.
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Making an immediate impact in Formula 1 can be extremely tough. As Cadillac and Audi – one a new entity, the other having taken over Sauber – prepare for their debuts, we highlight the best performances by new teams in the history of the championship.

In the latest of Autosport’s Top 10s, host Kevin Turner selects the 10 best world championship debuts by teams, while renowned F1 journalist and author Maurice Hamilton decides whether or not he agrees with the ranking.

For this list, we have focused on the very first grand prix for each team, rather than the whole season. We have excluded constructors that were well established when the world championship began in 1950, so no Alfa Romeo (1-2-3 on its debut) or Ferrari (second at Monaco).

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Championship winners and cars with multiple victories on their CVs usually grab the limelight when it comes to the greatest cars in Formula 1 history. But there have been some fantastic machines that have narrowly missed out on ultimate glory.

 We reckon they deserve recognition, too. So, in the latest of Autosport’s Top 10s, leading F1 journalist Maurice Hamilton joins host Kevin Turner to debate and discuss the 10 best F1 cars that never took a title.

We’ve excluded the Lotus 78 because it played a part in Lotus’s title double in 1978, prior to the arrival of the 79 (much more so than the 312B3-74 did in 1975), as well as the 1991 Williams FW14 due to its similarity to the gizmo-laden B version that dominated in 1992.
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More than 70 tracks have hosted a world championship grand
prix since the contest began in 1950, but which are the best?

In the latest of Autosport’s Top 10s, host Kevin Turner
picks out the 10 greatest F1 circuits, while renowned F1 journalist and author
Maurice Hamilton decides whether or not he agrees with our choices…

For the article on the top 10 F1 circuits, visit https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/top-10-greatest-f1-circuits/10798627/

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Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, Williams, Mercedes… The list of great Formula 1 teams contains some of motorsport’s biggest hitters – and that’s before we get on to those that are no longer active. 

 

At the start of a new series of Autosport Top 10s, host Kevin Turner picks out the 10 greatest teams in world championship history, based on their success, longevity and impact. Renowned F1 journalist and author Maurice Hamilton is the special guest casting his critical eye over the rankings… 
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