Essential F1

HISTORY MADE IN MEXICO CITY! Andrea Kimi Antonelli is the youngest Formula 1 World Champion ever at just 20 years old, sealing the title with a calm drive to third on the podium alongside Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Can he go on to match their achievements?Nicola and Ben are joined by BBC Radio 5 Live F1 reporter Rosanna Tennant, who has covered Kimi's rise all the way to the top. Together they look back at a hectic Mexico City Grand Prix and ahead to rainy Brazil.In this episode:The boy from Bologna does it. Antonelli becomes the youngest champion in F1 history. We ask whether he can go on to match the sport's greats.Ferrari watch, part 1. Hamilton delivers a fantastic pole lap, but Leclerc gets a run from third. The Ferraris go side by side through turns one and two before an ambitious move takes both off track and lets Verstappen through. Should Leclerc have given the place back? Was the 5 second penalty strong enough? Should there have been team orders before the race?Ferrari watch, part 2. Bottas's scary crash brings out the red flag, and Hamilton gets a better restart to pressure Max for the win. He is still fuming about lap 1. Imagine the debrief, and what would you say to the drivers if you were Fred Vasseur?Verstappen's return to form. Red Bull claim their third win in four Grands Prix despite a bizarre run-in with Liam Lawson in free practice that earned Max a grid penalty. Two great starts and some robust but controlled defending put him second in the championship. Are we seeing a more mature Max?Russell has dropped from second to fourth. Last week we debated whether he needed second place for his own sanity, and we read out your comments.Midfield mayhem, part 1. Arvid Lindblad was having possibly the best weekend of his career until he tripped over Oscar Piastri's McLaren. Ollie Bearman suffered a similar fate when Hulkenberg punted him off. Was Arvid really to blame? Plus Lawson's pit lane to points recovery.Midfield mayhem, part 2. Haas drop Esteban Ocon after a major bust-up in free practice. Reserve Ryo Hirakawa steps in, qualifies 18th, drives a stellar race to 12th and picks up a point on debut after the Alpines are thrown out of the results. How bad must the row have been to sack a driver mid-weekend? And who would you pick for Brazil, Ryo or Rafael?We Need to Talk About... Cadillac. The spotlight was on them for Perez's home race, but a frightening failure caused the Bottas accident and Perez finished last on track. With sackings off track and little improvement through the season, what's going wrong?Rosanna's Mexico City story. After years travelling the globe for BBC Radio 5 Live, she shares a tale from Mexico.Brazilian Grand Prix preview. The constructors' fight is far from over, and three drivers are now chasing second behind Kimi. Can anyone stop Max? Can the Ferrari drivers finally work together to put pressure on Mercedes? Interlagos has delivered classics before.The Prediction Championship of the World. Points were scored this time. Nicola leads on 74, Ben and Producer Jim are tied on 51, and Team Guest has 39. Rosanna gives her top three and fastest lap picks for Brazil.Join the conversation: Who wins in Brazil? Drop your predictions in the comments.Like, subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.Listen wherever you get your podcasts.Follow us @ESSENTIALF1 on social media.#F1 #Formula1 #KimiAntonelli #MexicoGP #BrazilGP #Interlagos #EssentialF1 #F1Podcast

Kimi Antonelli has pole, a win in Austin and a title within touching distance. He only needs a top 9 finish in Mexico to become the youngest World Champion in F1 history. Is he a worthy champion, or have his rivals massively underachieved?Nicola and Ben are joined by F1 YouTuber, Talking Bull podcaster and TalkSport F1 correspondent Tommo McCluskey to break down a dramatic United States Grand Prix and look ahead to Mexico.In this episode:🏁 Antonelli's Austin masterclass. A stunning pole lap followed by a mature drive to victory. We dig into his season and what it means for the title race.🏁 George Russell's tough weekend. He qualified 6th, got hit with a 5-second track limits penalty, struggled past the McLarens and finished 8th, 54 seconds behind his team-mate. With the championship pressure gone, can he rescue some pride in Mexico?🏁 Ferrari and Charles Leclerc. Leclerc was rapid after his first stop and Ferrari got the strategy right. He was closing in on Antonelli before the late VSC. Without it, could he have taken the win?🏁 Red Bull and Max Verstappen. Max was looking to chase a third win in a row, but Leclerc got him on lap 1 and he had engine and gearbox issues. He still pulled off a brilliant overtake and defence against Norris and Leclerc. Is this teething trouble or just bad luck?🏁 The McLaren mystery. Qualifying was poor again, with 7th and 8th on the grid. Norris recovered to 5th and Piastri to 7th, but McLaren are now tied with Red Bull in the constructors' championship. How do they get out of this slump?🏁 Lawson and Racing Bulls. Another standout drive from Liam Lawson, 9th and best of the rest. Racing Bulls look set for 5th in the constructors', 31 points clear of Alpine. Who should partner Lindblad next season? Plus the latest on the Haas signing and the wider driver market.🏁 We Need to Talk About... Williams. Both cars out in Q1, then a miserable race, beaten by both Aston Martins. Is it a small team pouring everything into next year, or is something fundamentally wrong?🏁 Tommo and the Max 100. Tommo was one of the hundred go-karters who raced Max Verstappen at Silverstone. We ask what it was actually like.🏁 Mexico Grand Prix preview. Antonelli needs a top 9 to clinch it. Russell needs to win with Kimi finishing 10th or lower to take the fight to the next round. What do we think happens?🏁 The Prediction Championship of the World. For the second time this season, nobody scored a point in Austin. Nicola leads on 68, Ben has 50, Producer Jim 45 and Team Guest 35. Tommo makes his picks for Mexico: top three and fastest lap.Join the conversation: Who wins in Mexico, and does Kimi seal the title? Drop your predictions in the comments.🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts.📲 Follow us @ESSENTIALF1 on social media.Guest: Tommo McCluskey (TalkSport / Talking Bull / YouTube)Hosts: Nicola, Ben Edwards and Producer Jim#F1 #Formula1 #KimiAntonelli #MexicoGP #USGP #EssentialF1 #F1Podcast

Harry Benjamin stands in for Nicola this week and is joined by legendary F1 commentator Ben Edwards and Daytona 24 Hours and Sebring 12 Hours class winner Johnny Mowlem to break down a the Singapore Grand Prix and look ahead to the US GP in Austin! This week's talking points:Russell's nightmare weekend: A spin in the wet Sprint, a start from the back, then a fightback to 7th. Is 2026 turning into a George Russell disaster zone?Antonelli steals third: He ran 6th for most of the race and picked up a black and white flag, then pounced on a squabbling Norris and Hamilton. Kimi can now win the championship in Austin. Should he go for it, or play it safe?Max is back: Three wins in a row, including the Sprint, and a lights-to-flag victory with serious 2023 vibes. Should the rest of the grid be worried about 2027? Hamilton's strategy gamble: He switched from a two-stop to a one-stop and it all unravelled. Should Ferrari be letting Lewis make strategy calls at all?McLaren's misery: Both cars collided in the Sprint, and Lando got caught out in the Grand Prix. The gap to Red Bull in the constructors' standings is down to just 7 points. Can they hold on to P3?Liam Lawson, best of the rest (again): Another stellar drive to 7th, but still no confirmed 2027 seat. They wouldn't… would they?We need to talk about… Fred Vasseur: The Ferrari board backs him publicly, but the Christian Horner rumours won't go away. Is Fred on his way out?US Grand Prix preview: Could Antonelli become F1's youngest-ever world champion in Texas? Or will Russell's luck finally turn, or Verstappen keep rolling?The Prediction Championship of the World: After Ben's famous top-three call last time, can "Team Guest" climb the table with Johnny's picks?Follow us wherever you get your podcasts 🎧Find us on socials: @ESSENTIALF1#F1 #USGP #AustinGP #Verstappen 

Max is back! Chaos in Sepang as Verstappen wins in the wetNicola Hume and legendary F1 commentator Ben Edwards react to a wild Bah-rain Grand Prix. They're joined by BTCC and Formula E presenter Nicki Shields.2026 cars in the rain: The first wet race for the new-spec cars caused trouble for Ferrari, Red Bull and more. Should the affected cars have been allowed to restart?2Max Attack: A vintage Verstappen drive gives him his first win of 2026. Can Red Bull's upgrades help them catch McLaren for third in the constructors'?Russell Watch: Mercedes nailed the inters call, but a technical problem put George out of a podium spot. Is his title fight now over?Hamilton's masterstroke: Lewis made the call to stay out on slicks himself, then carved through the field to finish third. Does that take the heat off Fred Vasseur?Alonso magic: Fernando dragged his Aston Martin to P8. Was it a one-off or a turning point?McLaren misery: Slicks at the start, a near-collision between teammates behind the safety car... bad luck or failing upgrades?Midfield madness: Liam Lawson starred early, and Racing Bulls scored another double points finish while Alpine got nothing. Is best of the rest now theirs?Upgrade watch: Mercedes and Ferrari both brought upgrades. Are we in for closer racing at the front?We need to talk about... the safety car rules. Should lapped cars still be allowed to unlap themselves when it costs us a grandstand finish?Singapore preview: The last stop of the triple header brings brutal heat, first-corner drama and big championship stakes.The Prediction Championship of the World: Can Nicki get Team Guest climbing the table?Thank you for helping us pass 1 million on YouTube! Follow us @ESSENTIALF1 on socials and wherever you get your podcasts. 

A race of three parts, carnage at turn one, and a podcast first — nobody scored a single prediction point!Nicola Hume is joined by F1 commentary legend Ben Edwards and special guest, former BBC F1 presenter Holly Samos, to unpack a wild weekend in Azerbaijan — plus look ahead to a long-awaited return to Sepang for the Bahrain Grand Prix (in Malaysia!). And make sure you listen to Holly's amazing Kimi Antonelli story! ON THE AGENDA:Kimi's qualifying nightmare — into the barrier at turn one, out of the session, 16th on the grid… then a fightback to 5th. Great save, or championship wobbles creeping in?RUSSELL WATCH — at LAST a positive George story! On it from FP1, pole by over half a second, and he finally gets a slice of 2026 luck. Mr Saturday won on a Saturday! Is this the start of a Norris-style title fightback?RETURN OF THE ISACK — Hadjar comes back swinging, picking off Norris and Leclerc before hassling his own teammate for third. With Max stuck behind Piastri for 10 laps, should Red Bull have made the switch?VINTAGE VERSTAPPEN — 8th to 3rd in seven laps, rockets off both safety car restarts, and misses the win by ONE TENTH. Surely a Red Bull victory is coming before the season's out?McLAREN MELTDOWN — upgrades, a nearly-stellar Piastri drive, then matching turn one offs and Lando wiped out in the restart carnage. Is the championship challenge officially over? No points!!MENTAL MIDFIELD BATTLE — Colapinto causes chaos at the restart, Lindblad takes out Lawson, and Haas sneak into the points. Does Colapinto deserve a ban? And has "best of the rest" slipped away from Alpine?UPGRADE WATCH — McLaren, Red Bull, Audi, Williams and Cadillac all brought new bits. Who leaves Baku happiest?WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT… ASTON MARTIN — Alonso barely out-qualifying a Cadillac and a double retirement. Is anything salvageable this season?HOLLY'S AMAZING KIMI ANTONELLI  STORY — the master of F1 access on what it was really like spending pre-season with Antonelli.SEPANG RETURNS! F1's first visit in nine years… and rain forecast for race day. Buckle up.THE PREDICTION CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE WORLD — after a historic zero-point round, what do we reckon for this weekend. Hit that follow button, like, and subscribe.Follow us @ESSENTIALF1 on all the socials.#F1 #bahraingp #sepangcircuit

Lando Norris was robbed thanks to the VSC.Nicola Hume and Ben Edwards unpack a disappointing Madrid Grand Prix, and they're joined by former racing driver and legendary motoring presenter Vicki Butler-Henderson to deliver her annual grades on the entire class of 2026 so far — every driver, every team, no hiding place!In this episode Hamilton vs Verstappen at turn one: incident or advantage? Could Max Verstappen have won? The Lando VSC robbery — should pit stops be banned under VSC? Ferrari watch: Hamilton's retirement and Leclerc's gamble Midfield battle: Racing Bulls 77 v Alpine 68 Should Mercedes make a decision and back Kimi for the title? How did they manage to get a brand new circuit so wrong? Baku preview and Hadjar's return The Prediction Championship of the World Vicki Butler-Henderson's Back to School report on the class of 2026 Thanks for listening and please hit the follow button wherever you listen. Find us @EssentialF1 on socials. 

Ferrari Meltdown, Russell Robbed & Colin Furze Joins Us | Essential F1Grazie Monza! Sixty years of waiting, and Italy finally has a home winner again. Kimi Antonelli started P19 after a power unit grid penalty, made 25 overtakes, set the fastest lap and became the first Italian to win his home Grand Prix since 1966 — and the Tifosi absolutely lost it.Nicola Hume and the Godfather of F1 commentary Ben Edwards break down one of the wildest Italian Grands Prix in living memory, joined by YouTube legend and lifelong F1 fan Colin Furze, who brings a Mugello story and a moped sliding-doors moment you won't want to miss.In this episode:🏆 Kimi's masterclass — P19 to the top step. Lucky VSC pit stop or the greatest Italian GP victory of all time?🔴 Ferrari's nightmare — Two cars nearly collecting each other at Turn 1, Leclerc's massive off at the Parabolica, and the VSC call that never came for Lewis. Sixth place, fading tyres, and a very big question: could heads roll?😤 How did George Russell not win that? — Pole missed by a whisker (cue the Toto screen punch), a lead built the hard way against Verstappen, then reeled in and passed with three laps to go.🐂 Max is still Max — Nobody had him on the podium. Red Bull nailed the VSC call and he battled everyone. Still the best on the brakes?🇫🇷 Alpine in dreamland — Gasly's stunning pole lap and P7, Colapinto's recovery drive from the gravel to P9. Is this the catalyst to hunt down Racing Bulls?🔄 Red Bull seat switcheroo, part two — Tsunoda scraps to P10, Lawson languishes in P14. Has either helped their 2027 case?⚙️ The 2026 regs verdict — Slipstreaming is king again, but is this racing or gimmick? Colin gives us his take.⚠️ We Need To Talk About… Haas — A brilliant start to the season and not a single point since Monaco. What's gone wrong at a team we all love?🇪🇸 Madrid preview — A brand new 3.4-mile circuit, 20 turns, a spectacular banked corner and roughly a 1:32 lap. Nobody has real data. Are we in for a shock winner?🔮 The Prediction Championship of the World — The toughest pick of the year, and the table is tightening.Predictions table: Nicola 46 · Producer Jim 39 · Ben 36 · Team Guest 26Drop your Madrid predictions in the comments — top three and fastest lap. As Colin says, it doesn't cost anything to subscribe, and it genuinely helps us keep going. Hit the bell and follow us wherever you get your podcasts.Find us on socials: @EssentialF1

F1 is back — and Zandvoort sent itself off in style. 🇳🇱Nicola and Ben are joined by the legendary Louise Goodman to unpack a Dutch Grand Prix that had everything: a Russell sprint masterclass, Lando Norris making it two in a row, and Max Verstappen celebrating his shiny new Red Bull contract with a first-lap trip into the barriers.On the agenda this week: Russell watch — sprint pole converted, sprint won, then mugged at the restart and forced to wave Antonelli through. Rear gunner or still a title contender? Norris on the charge — outscoring Kimi in both races and hunting down that championship lead on used hards. Have the 2026 regs finally clicked at McLaren? Ferrari being very Ferrari — quick in race trim, nowhere in qualifying, shouting on the radio, and very nearly taking each other out on the last lap. The Red Bull seat switcheroo — Hadjar's summer boxing mishap, Lawson's promotion, and Tsunoda's move to Racing Bulls. Aston Martin — Alonso doing Alonso things for P9. Can they reel in Williams? The 2027 driver market — Verstappen re-signed, Williams keeping both, and a whole lot of question marks at Alpine, Haas, Audi and Cadillac. You told us about James Vowles — we read out your (extremely spicy) messages on whether he'd have been sacked by now in any other sport. Louise's top 5 F1 fanbases, a proper Zandvoort story as we say goodbye to the circuit, and the latest on Jason Plato's BTCC troubles from Donington. Plus a look ahead to Monza, and the Prediction Championship of the World — where Ben's comeback rolls on and Nicola scored a big fat zero. 🥲Current standings: Nicola 46 · Producer Jim 38 · Ben 36 · Team Guest 21Don't forget to follow, hit the bell, and find us wherever you get your podcasts.📱 @ESSENTIALF1 on all the socials.

Lando Norris wins in Budapest to become F1 2026's FIFTH different Grand Prix winner — and McLaren look like they're back in championship contention. Nicola and Ben are joined by F1 reporter and author Rachel Brookes to break down all the drama from the Hungaroring, tell us what really happened with Sky F1 and look ahead to Zandvoort.🟠 Papaya Rules Return — Oscar Piastri leads off the line only for team orders to hand the advantage to Norris. Was McLaren favouring Lando all along?🟠 McLaren's Budapest Upgrade — Are they now a genuine championship threat or is this track-specific?🏎️ Hamilton's Costly Penalties — Ferrari looked to have the beating of Mercedes all week. Did the FIA cost Lewis a crucial chance to close the gap to Antonelli?😬 Russell's Nightmare — From 5th to 20th on lap one. Good recovery to 7th or another nail in his championship coffin? George is now 59 points behind Antonelli.💪 Hulkenberg Finally Scores — The Hulk lights up the best-of-the-rest battle. Is he doing enough to keep his seat at Audi?🔮 Silly Season EXPLODES — Max to McLaren? Russell to Red Bull? Sainz to Audi? We discuss who's on the move and Rachel tells us where she thinks Max is really going. 🇳🇱 Dutch GP Preview — A farewell to Zandvoort as it leaves the F1 calendar. Can McLaren make it three in a row at Norris's home race?🏆 Prediction Championship of the World — Ben picks the top THREE in Hungary! The standings are shaking up. Rachel Brookes makes her picks for Zandvoort.🔔 Hit the bell and follow us wherever you get your podcasts📱 Find us on social media: @EssentialF1Essential F1 — the podcast for fans who love the sport, the stories, and the drama behind the racing.

George Russell's weekend went from bad to worse: slower than teammate Kimi Antonelli all weekend, punted off by Hamilton on lap one, and now 50 points adrift in the championship. Can he salvage his season before the summer break?Jennie Gow steps in for Nicola as she and Ben Edwards break down an absorbing Belgium Grand Prix. Kimi Antonelli bags his sixth win of the season and looks utterly untouchable. Charles LeClerc grabbed second but escaped a controversial defence on Oscar Piastri — should he have been penalised? Plus, Max Verstappen secures another podium but those McLaren rumours just aren’t going away.Joining the show is legendary TV producer Andy Wilman (Top Gear, The Grand Tour, Clarkson's Farm) with a fascinating story about one of the all-time greats, ‘el Maestro’, Fangio. Plus we take a look at:  Aston Martin's dire form — Fernando Alonso finishes two laps down The tight midfield battle: Alpine vs Racing Bulls vs a resurgent Audi Isaac Hadjar's remarkable run and what it means for Red Bull's second seat Hungarian GP preview and summer break driver market speculation The Prediction Championship of the World standings update Drop your Hungary predictions in the comments!🔔 HIt the FOLLOW button so you never miss an episode. 📱 Follow us @ESSENTIALF1 on socials.