F1's Youngest Champion Is 5 Sleeps Away | 2026 US GP Review

Five more sleeps. Kimi Antonelli wins the 2026 United States Grand Prix from pole and needs just two points in Mexico to become F1's youngest ever champion, while Russell and Hamilton are split by a single point in the fight for P2. In this episode, Tom and Chris review the US GP at COTA: Antonelli's one-stop win, Leclerc beating Verstappen to P2, George Russell's five-second penalty, Ferrari's Friday-to-Sunday fade, McLaren level with Red Bull, Racing Bulls' clever Q3 trick, Bearman's penalty and our WTF of the weekend. Then it's predictions for the Mexico City Grand Prix: altitude, Ferrari's chances, Sergio Pérez's 300th race and a Día de los Muertos bonus call. CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 1:02 US GP review: Antonelli's one-stop win 4:48 Russell's penalty 11:33 Ferrari: Friday pace & Leclerc's P2 13:09 Verstappen: the Princess and the Pea 17:46 McLaren level with Red Bull 19:57 Racing Bulls & Gasly's shrinking points 24:20 Haas, Bearman & Alonso 25:52 Driver & Move of the Day 29:52 WTF: the tractor vs the barrier 32:59 Antonelli can't find reverse 35:51 Prediction & fantasy league results 37:49 Mexico GP preview 41:33 Mexico predictions 45:28 Bonus prediction & sign-off 🔮 Free Prediction League — closes at Mexico GP qualifying, 9pm Sat 31 Oct (UK): https://backofthegrid.com 🎮 Fantasy F1 & IndyCar (Grid Rival + official F1 Fantasy): https://backofthegrid.com/fantasy 💜 Patreon — includes our community Discord: https://patreon.com/backofthegrid 📱 @BackOfTheGridF1 on X, Instagram & Facebook Back of the Grid is a weekly Formula 1 podcast by fans, for fans, hosted by Tom King and Chris Evans. #F1 #USGP #MexicoGP

Could Kimi Antonelli become F1's youngest-ever world champion in Austin, only for Qatar to be cancelled the moment the maths is done? Tom has a theory. Plus Rafael Camara to Haas, F1's African Grand Prix in Rwanda, and Godzilla on the grid. In this episode, Tom and Chris preview the 2026 United States Grand Prix at COTA: Antonelli's first shot at the title, whether Verstappen can play party pooper, and Red Bull closing on McLaren for P3. Before that, F1 confirms the African Grand Prix in Rwanda, Câmara gets the Haas seat for 2027, Fornaroli stays at McLaren, there's still no decision on Qatar and Abu Dhabi, and IndyCar looks set for Barcelona. Then the Haas and Cadillac liveries for Austin, and our predictions. 00:00 Intro 00:58 F1 confirms the African GP in Rwanda 08:34 Câmara to Haas for 2027 12:46 Fornaroli stays at McLaren 14:03 Qatar & Abu Dhabi: still no decision 20:52 IndyCar heading to Barcelona 22:47 US GP preview: can Antonelli clinch it? 24:24 Verstappen the party pooper? 26:21 McLaren vs Red Bull for P3 28:13 Haas' Godzilla livery 31:22 Cadillac's Austin livery 33:13 Predictions 36:36 Prediction league & sign-off 🏁 Predictions & fantasy leagues (F1 Fantasy + Grid Rival): backofthegrid.com ❤️ Support the show and join our Discord: [Patreon link] 📱 @BackOfTheGridF1 on X, Instagram and Facebook Back of the Grid is a weekly F1 podcast by fans, for fans, with Tom King and Chris Evans. #F1 #USGP #Antonelli

Two processions for the price of one. Max Verstappen finally wins the Singapore Grand Prix after sweeping sprint pole, sprint, pole and race, while Ferrari fumble a double podium and Kimi Antonelli heads to Austin on the brink of the 2026 title. In this episode, Tom and Chris review the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix sprint weekend: the FIA's overtake-mode error in sprint qualifying, Russell's lap-one crash and the Norris/Piastri clash, Hamilton's strategy and Ferrari's radio, Antonelli's rescinded track-limits strike, Lawson and the Racing Bulls seats, plus driver of the day, move of the day, predictions results and your inbox questions. 0:00 Intro 0:16 Welcome: Singapore sprint weekend 0:58 FIA overtake mode error in sprint qualifying 4:25 Sprint: Russell crash & Norris/Piastri clash 9:40 Inbox: should drivers go straight to the stewards? 12:43 Verstappen finally wins in Singapore 15:02 Reliability woes: Bortoleto, Stroll, Hadjar 16:42 Ferrari: Leclerc P2, Hamilton's strategy & radio mess 24:36 Antonelli on the brink of the title 26:20 Antonelli's rescinded track limits strike 28:48 Russell's recovery & McLaren 30:17 Lawson, Lindblad & the new Red Bull regime 33:22 Midfield: Racing Bulls, Audi, Hülkenberg & Haas 35:02 The pit stop record stat 35:52 Driver of the day 38:18 Move of the day 41:05 Worst of the weekend 42:14 Predictions & fantasy results 45:30 Inbox: how much has Bono helped Antonelli? 48:42 Inbox: Mercedes vs Ferrari strategy 52:51 Wrap-up & COTA next week 🏁 Predictions league & fantasy leagues: https://backofthegrid.com 🎧 Join us live and get Discord access on Patreon: https://patreon.com/backofthegrid 📱 @BackOfTheGridF1 on X, Instagram & Facebook Back of the Grid is a weekly F1 podcast by fans, for fans, with Tom King and Chris Evans. #F1 #SingaporeGP #Formula1

The best Bahrain Grand Prix ever… and it wasn't even in Bahrain. Sepang's return delivered mixed conditions, wild strategy and Verstappen's first win of 2026 – once F1 had plugged laptops into the cars to get them moving.   In this episode, Tom and Chris break down a chaotic, rain-hit race at Sepang – the formation-lap power failures and mid-race software fix, Max Verstappen's first win of the season and Red Bull Powertrains' first victory, George Russell's late retirement leaving Kimi Antonelli 84 points clear, and Lewis Hamilton's recovery from a minute down to the podium. Plus Fred Vasseur's "vote of confidence", the 500 marshals flown in from Bahrain, driver and move of the day, and our Singapore GP preview and predictions ahead of the first Marina Bay sprint. 0:00 Intro 0:17 F1 returns to Sepang 5:11 Formation-lap power failures & the mid-race software fix 10:47 Verstappen's first win of 2026 & Red Bull Powertrains 17:15 Russell retires – is the title fight over? 21:02 Ferrari's tyre gamble & Hamilton's recovery 25:41 Vasseur's vote of confidence 28:29 McLaren struggles & Norris's reprimand 31:16 Racing Bulls, Aston Martin & Williams 34:47 Driver & move of the day 40:12 Organisation, 500 marshals & the "Bahrain" GP 46:15 Predictions & fantasy league results 48:59 Singapore GP preview 54:41 Singapore predictions 58:06 Inbox 🏁 Singapore is a sprint weekend – predictions close Friday 9 October at 1:30pm UK (sprint qualifying). Get yours in at https://backofthegrid.com, where you'll also find our Grid Rival fantasy leagues and the season standings. ☕ Support the show and join our community: https://patreon.com/backofthegrid 📲 Follow us: @BackOfTheGridF1 on X, Instagram and Facebook Back of the Grid is a weekly F1 podcast by fans, for fans – race reviews, previews, predictions and plenty of opinions. #F1 #MalaysiaGP #Verstappen

George Russell's first Grand Slam cuts Antonelli's lead to 66 points in Baku, but is he really back in the title fight? Plus the last-lap call that put spectacle over safety, and a Malaysian GP preview. In this episode, Tom and Chris review a chaotic Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Russell's perfect weekend, Antonelli's costly qualifying mistake, the theory behind Bottas's crash, the missing VSC on the final lap, Hadjar's return and Red Bull's first double podium since China 2024, and Colapinto's collision with Gasly and Norris. Then it's on to the Malaysian GP return, the stats from the last time F1 raced there, and our predictions. Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:17 Welcome & Baku recap 1:27 Russell's first Grand Slam 5:06 Antonelli's costly qualifying mistake 8:03 Why did Bottas crash? The regen theory 11:31 No VSC on the last lap: spectacle over safety? 15:47 Should the stewards explain their decisions? 17:08 Red Bull double podium & Hadjar's return 21:57 Ferrari fade, McLaren's nightmare 24:07 Colapinto takes out Gasly & Norris 30:03 Lindblad vs Lawson: "pretty sick" 32:25 Haas, Williams & Audi 35:09 Driver & move of the day 37:44 Final award & Pirelli's tyre problem 41:29 Prediction league & fantasy results 44:25 Malaysian GP preview 49:46 Our Malaysian GP predictions 55:21 Inbox: Lindblad & Red Bull's junior programme 58:46 Wrap-up 🏁 Malaysian GP predictions are open now. Get yours in before Q1 at https://backofthegrid.com, plus links to our F1 Fantasy and Grid Rival leagues. 💜 Support the show on Patreon for extra perks, including our community Discord: Patreon.com/BAckOfTheGrid 📱 Find us as @BackOfTheGridF1 on X, Instagram and Facebook. Back of the Grid is a weekly F1 podcast by fans, for fans, hosted by Tom King and Chris Evans. See you next week for the Malaysian GP review! #F1 #AzerbaijanGP #Formula1

F1 is giving Monaco a sprint in 2027, so is that two processions for the price of one? Chris and Tom break down the 2027 F1 calendar, the new 290km race distance, and preview the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku. In this episode: Portimão and Turkey return, sprints grow to 10 rounds (including the season opener and finale), Chris's three reasons a Monaco sprint won't work, the F1 Commission's cut to race distance, the FIA–ACO row over Le Mans, Williams' Baku upgrade, F2's triple-race weekend, our predictions, and why this weekend's race is on a Saturday. ⚠️ Race is SATURDAY! Please Remember predictions close Friday 1pm UK (4pm Baku). CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 1:16 2027 F1 calendar revealed 2:04 Portimão & Turkey return 4:53 Triple headers 6:28 Sprints grow to 10 rounds 7:24 Sprint opener & finale – Middle East compensation? 9:41 A Monaco sprint?! 13:36 Fixing the sprint format 18:47 Why Monaco now? Our theory 20:25 Breaking: races cut to 290km 22:52 Le Mans, Indy 500 & the FIA–ACO row 26:39 Azerbaijan GP preview 28:54 Williams upgrade & Hadjar update 30:38 F2's triple-race weekend 32:07 Predictions 35:44 Inbox: could F1 race midweek? 38:57 Why is Baku on a Saturday? 42:34 Wrap-up LINKS 🏁 Predictions & fantasy leagues: https://backofthegrid.com ❤️ Patreon (incl. our Discord community): https://patreon.com/backofthegrid 📱 @BackOfTheGridF1 on X, Instagram & Facebook Back of the Grid is a weekly F1 podcast by fans, for fans – hosted by Tom King and Chris Evans. #F1 #AzerbaijanGP #MonacoGP #Baku

Four overtakes. Fewer than Monaco. And F1 has signed a ten-year deal to come back. Tom and Chris review the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix from Madrid's new Madring circuit and ask whether any amount of corner reprofiling can save it. In this episode: Antonelli cashes in on another virtual safety car to win and stretch his lead to 81 points; Norris is fastest all day and finishes third; Verstappen is ordered to hand a place back to Hamilton; and Hamilton ends up touring the circuit with no brakes. Plus the argument for closing the pit lane under a VSC, Lawson's likely last outing in the Red Bull, Sainz's miserable home weekend, and a Coca-Cola can causing more fuss than the race did. CHAPTERS 0:00 - Intro 1:14 - Madrid: an industrial estate with a banked corner attached 2:34 - Four overtakes and a ten-year deal 6:11 - A blank slate, wasted 9:00 - Track limit issues 11:20 - What we'd change 14:07 - Antonelli wins again on virtual safety car luck 15:05 - Verstappen v Hamilton and the order to hand it back 19:29 - Norris: fastest all day, third by VSC 20:37 - Should a VSC close the pit lane? 24:59 - McLaren's share of the blame 26:38 - Ferrari: Hamilton's brakes, Leclerc's long game 28:21 - Russell hung out to dry on a two-stop 30:49 - Piastri's wing, Lawson and the Red Bull seat 32:32 - Colapinto scores as Alpine close on Racing Bulls 34:43 - Sainz's home nightmare 36:33 - Ocon's best since Monaco 37:26 - Driver of the Day 39:54 - Move of the Day 41:09 - WTF of the Day: no brakes, no spin, no Coca-Cola 47:44 - Predictions league and fantasy results 50:59 - A week off, then Baku LINKS Predictions league, fantasy leagues and contact form: https://backofthegrid.com Patreon (listen live, plus our Discord community): https://patreon.com/backofthegrid X, Instagram and Facebook: @BackOfTheGridF1 Back of the Grid is a weekly Formula 1 podcast by fans, for fans. Tom and Chris breaking down every race weekend without the paddock access or the party line. Like, subscribe, and drop your take in the comments, we read and reply to all of them. #F1 #SpanishGP #Formula1

Kimi Antonelli didn't just win the Italian Grand Prix from P19 — he may have crushed George Russell's title hopes in the process. We break down the chaos at Monza that got him there, Gasly's shock Alpine pole, and the Ferrari meltdown that put Leclerc in the wall again. In this episode: 0:00 Intro 2:04 Qualifying: Gasly's shock Monza pole (Alpine's first) 7:11 Race start: Mercedes chaos, Antonelli wins from P19 10:13 Should Russell have pitted under the VSC? 15:56 66-point gap — is the title race over? 20:00 Ferrari meltdown: Leclerc/Hamilton T1 clash + Leclerc's crash 27:52 Red Bull: Verstappen's alt strategy podium, Lawson/Hülkenberg clash 30:10 McLaren: Norris vs Piastri 31:51 Midfield: Colapinto's off, Tsunoda/Audi protest, backmarkers 36:05 Driver of the Day & Move of the Day 40:01 Monza's baffling trophy design 42:36 Predictions League & Fantasy recap 44:58 Madrid preview: the "Mad Lad Ring" 53:54 Inbox: skittish cars Q&A + Loick Hartog's heroics 1:00:45 Sign-off Submit your Madrid predictions and check the leaderboard at backofthegrid.com. Find our fantasy leagues on Grid Rival there too, and catch us on socials @BackOfTheGridF1. Back of the Grid — by fans, for fans. See you next week for Madrid. #F1 #ItalianGP #Antonelli

Ferrari roll into their home race with a second power unit token, a rumoured turbo change, and a livery built to honour Schumacher's 1996 Monza win — but is it enough to actually convert into a race win? Tom and Chris break down whether the upgrades stack up, plus everything else moving in F1 this week: Norris' new deal through 2030, Colapinto staying put at Alpine, the increasingly open Haas seat, and a theory on whether Toyota could be eyeing Yuki Tsunoda. Plus, Antonelli's grid penalty, the track's four straight-line mode zones, Isaac Hajar's wrist injury, and Russell's shot at cutting into the championship lead — before locking in this week's predictions. 00:00 Intro 01:11 Norris signs until 2030, gets his title-winning MCL39 chassis 05:45 Colapinto stays at Alpine for '27, Gasly locked in 06:14 The Haas seat — who's replacing Ocon? 08:02 Could Toyota poach Tsunoda from Honda for a Japanese line-up? 12:40 Alonso rules himself out of Alpine 14:13 FIA's power unit token review — nobody gets extra tokens 17:30 Ferrari's Schumacher tribute livery for Monza 20:41 Antonelli's grid penalty and Monza's overtaking potential 22:23 Can Ferrari's upgrades convert into a home win? 23:47 Monza's four straight-line mode zones 28:32 Does McLaren's recent form travel to Monza? 31:54 Hajar's wrist — does Lawson stay in? 34:43 Russell's chance to cut into Antonelli's lead 35:54 Predictions: pole and race winner 37:28 Predictions: first DNF and finishers 39:19 Predictions: the mystery driver (Hajar/Tsunoda) 42:59 Inbox: does Russell get a tow off Verstappen in Q3? 45:22 Outro Submit your own predictions and check out our fantasy leagues at backofthegrid.com Got a question for the inbox? Drop it in the comments or fin @BackOfTheGridF1 on socials #F1 #ItalianGP #Ferrari #Formula1

Lando Norris has won two in a row — is the 2026 title fight actually back on? We break down a chaotic Dutch GP, Hamilton's furious radio to Ferrari, and Alonso's shock points finish. In this episode: Norris dominates on hards for back-to-back wins and closes the gap to Antonelli, Mercedes nearly gift away a podium with a messy team orders call, Hamilton vents at Ferrari after being held up behind Leclerc, Red Bull's driver shuffle with Lawson and Sonoda stepping in, Verstappen's rare first-lap crash and shock new contract through 2030, and Alonso somehow turns 18th on the grid into 9th. Plus Driver of the Day, Move of the Day, our WTF Moment, and a look at that AI-enhanced crash replay everyone's talking about. 0:00 Intro 1:59 Race review: Norris's dominant Dutch GP win 4:09 Is Norris really back in the title fight? 8:24 Mercedes' risky team orders call 12:58 Toto Wolff on losing Mercedes' budget edge 14:49 Hamilton furious at Ferrari strategy 18:16 Red Bull shake-up: Lawson and Sonoda step in 21:35 Verstappen's rare DNF and new Red Bull deal 25:51 Hülkenberg and Alonso's standout drives 30:53 Williams lock in Sainz and Albon 33:54 Driver of the Day 35:56 Move of the Day 38:48 WTF Moment 45:49 The AI-enhanced crash replay debate 49:03 Predictions, league standings and Grid Rival 51:43 Outro and what's next 🔗 Prediction League & Grid Rival: backofthegrid.com 🎙️ Patreon (includes our community Discord): patreon.com/backofthegrid  📱 Follow us: @BackOfTheGridF1 on X, Instagram & Facebook Back of the Grid is an F1 podcast by fans, for fans, hosted by Tom King and Chris Evans #F1 #DutchGP #Formula1