The Downshift AU F1 Podcast

Rain at the start, rain at the finish, and a race decided in between. 🌧️ Lando Norris wins the São Paulo Grand Prix by 14.6 seconds, Max Verstappen charges from the back row (P21) to P2 and now leads the fight for second by 17 points, and Mercedes seal their ninth constructors' title with three rounds to go. The new world champion, Kimi Antonelli, spins on the reconnaissance lap and again from the lead on lap 20, and still brings it home fifth.KT, Huppy, Schwags and Lachy review a soaking weekend at Interlagos:- full wets in qualifying (85 litres of water a second per tyre!)- Liam Lawson's drive to P2 at the start and P7 at the flag, and why he deserves a 2027 seat- Hamilton pleading for softs as the track dried- George Russell's pit-exit pirouette- Red Bull's team orders for Max- Oscar's tough day- Lando smashing his champagne bottle on the podium, and the Downshift twin-peak capPlus a first look at our new live timing app. 🇧🇷CHAPTERS00:00 Coming up in this episode00:30 Cold open01:09 Welcome: who got up for the 4am start?02:34 The weekend in 60 seconds04:21 Weather watch: Lachy's forecast v reality06:16 Wet qualifying and the grid shuffle13:17 The race: Norris holds on as the rain returns24:02 The result, and Oscar's shocker28:48 Our live timing app31:06 Mercedes champions and the fight for second33:27 Lando's champagne and the twin-peak cap36:40 Predictions results40:02 Wrap upSÃO PAULO GP RESULT (after post-race penalties)1 Norris · 2 Verstappen (+14.602s) · 3 Hadjar · 4 Russell · 5 Antonelli · 6 Piastri · 7 Lawson · 8 Leclerc · 9 Hamilton · 10 HülkenbergPole: Norris (his third in a row at Interlagos)THE FIGHT FOR SECOND (drivers' championship, three Grands Prix left)Antonelli 390 (champion) · Verstappen 279 · Russell 262 · Hamilton 261 · Leclerc 249 · Norris 246Constructors: Mercedes 652 (champions) · Ferrari 510 · Red Bull 415 · McLaren 398OUR PREDICTIONS: HOW WE WENT (pole / 1st / 2nd / 3rd / P2 fight)Actual: Norris / Norris / Verstappen / Hadjar / VerstappenLachy: Norris ✓ / Norris ✓ / Verstappen ✓ / Russell / Leclerc (+8)Huppy: Verstappen / Verstappen / Antonelli / Hamilton / Verstappen ✓ (+3)KT: Hamilton / Antonelli / Hamilton / Verstappen / Russell (+1)Schwags and the magic hat: Antonelli / Leclerc / Russell / Piastri / Hamilton (0)Leaderboard: Huppy 72 · Lachy 64 · KT 56 · the hat 40. Join our free predictions competition at predictions.thedownshift.com.au 🏁LIVE TIMING: follow every session with our live timing app (gaps, microsectors, race pace and live tyre life) at thedownshift.com.auNext up: our Las Vegas GP preview. Like and subscribe so you don't miss an episode. We'll see you on the next lap!#F1 #Formula1 #SaoPauloGP #BrazilGP #Interlagos #LandoNorris #MaxVerstappen #KimiAntonelli #Mercedes #F1Podcast #TheDownshift

The title's done, but the fight for second is the closest it's been all year: four drivers covered by 16 points, with 100 still on the table. 🏁 Max Verstappen leads it for the first time this season, two points ahead of Lewis Hamilton, and the battle comes to Interlagos, the home of Senna and a track where nobody is ever out of it.KT, Huppy, Schwags and Lachy preview the São Paulo Grand Prix. There's a track guide to the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, from the downhill plunge into the Senna S to the full-throttle climb from Junção. Then four stories from its history: Carlos Pace, Senna stuck in sixth gear in 1991, and Massa's 30 seconds as champion in 2008. Plus "comeback central", where only 9 of the last 16 winners started on pole. Huppy asks if bumpy Interlagos worries Cadillac after Bottas's suspension failure. Can the Ferraris avoid taking each other out again? Lachy's weather watch says rain for qualifying. Schwags brings the softest tyres in Pirelli's range (C3, C4, C5). And can Mercedes wrap up the constructors' title with a 3-point swing? Kimi Antonelli races as champion for the first time, Hamilton makes his 400th start, and Bortoleto has the home crowd. 🇧🇷

Kimi Antonelli is the 2026 Formula One world champion. 🏆 At 20 years and 68 days he's the youngest champion in F1 history, more than three years younger than Sebastian Vettel's record, and Italy's first world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953. He sealed it in Mexico City with four races still to go, and with a dive down the inside of a Ferrari.Lachy is back from the man flu, so it's the full Downshift line-up of KT, Huppy, Schwags and Lachy reviewing a wild weekend. Liam Lawson's three strikes (the Verstappen clash, a qualifying disqualification and a pit-lane start, then up to P7). Esteban Ocon's shock Haas exit. Lewis Hamilton's first Ferrari pole at 41, the oldest pole-sitter since Mario Andretti in 1982. A red flag after Valtteri Bottas's suspension failure, two safety cars, Ferrari's "big problems", Kimi's 43 laps on a soft tyre, and Max Verstappen's sixth Mexico win to lead the fight for second. 🇲🇽CHAPTERS00:00 Coming up in this episode00:27 Cold open01:07 Welcome: Lachy's back and Kimi's the champion02:23 The weekend in 60 seconds10:04 Lawson's three strikes16:05 Hamilton's first Ferrari pole, at 4118:45 The race: red flag, restarts and Max's win28:49 Tyre talk: 43 laps on a soft30:18 Max's sixth Mexico win and Ferrari's big problems33:46 Kimi Antonelli: youngest world champion ever38:16 The fight for second38:49 Hadjar's selfie scuffle and Checo's 300th39:31 Predictions41:09 Wrap upMEXICO CITY GP RESULT (final, after post-race penalties)1 Verstappen · 2 Hamilton (+0.799s) · 3 Antonelli · 4 Leclerc · 5 Norris · 6 Russell · 7 Lawson · 8 Bortoleto · 9 Hadjar · 10 HirakawaPole: Hamilton (by 0.009s from Russell)THE FIGHT FOR SECOND (drivers' championship)Antonelli 380 (champion) · Verstappen 261 · Hamilton 259 · Russell 250 · Leclerc 245 · Norris 221Constructors: Mercedes 630 · Ferrari 504 · Red Bull 382 · McLaren 365OUR PREDICTIONS: HOW WE WENT (pole / 1st / 2nd / 3rd / Checo)Actual: Hamilton / Verstappen / Hamilton / Antonelli / P17Lachy: Antonelli / Antonelli / Verstappen / Leclerc / P20Schwags: Norris / Hamilton / Antonelli / Piastri / P18Huppy: Verstappen / Verstappen ✓ / Leclerc / Antonelli ✓ / P19KT: Leclerc / Leclerc / Norris / Verstappen / P17 ✓Huppy still leads the season. Join our free predictions competition at predictions.thedownshift.com.au 🏁Next up: our São Paulo GP preview. Can Mercedes wrap up the constructors' title, and who leads the fight for second?Like and subscribe so you don't miss an episode. We'll see you on the next lap!#F1 #Formula1 #MexicoGP #MexicanGP #KimiAntonelli #WorldChampion #Mercedes #MaxVerstappen #LewisHamilton #LiamLawson #F1Podcast #TheDownshift

Ninth place. That's all Kimi Antonelli needs in Mexico City to become the youngest world champion in Formula One history, at 20 years and 68 days, more than three years younger than Sebastian Vettel's record. 🏆With Lachy still out with the man flu, KT, Huppy and Schwags preview round 19 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. We cover the title maths, whether Kimi's record will ever be beaten, and who we'd mic up in the cockpit. Then it's the track guide, what 2,240 m of thin air does to the 2026 cars (Monaco wings at Monza speeds, with no MGU-H and no DRS), Pirelli's tyres a step softer than last year (C3/C4/C5), the weekend weather, Ferrari after Austin, McLaren's "Lego car", why pole is no guarantee here, and Checo's first home race in two years, now in a Cadillac, on the Day of the Dead.

Pole, a 13-second win, number nine for the season... and Kimi still has to wait. 🏁On episode 113 of The Downshift, KT, Huppy and Schwags (Lachy is still crook with the flu, get well soon mate) review the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas. Kimi Antonelli did everything he could in Texas, but George Russell scraped eighth and Lewis Hamilton grabbed fourth, so the title party moves on to Mexico. We dig into the tyre offset that wasn't, Ferrari's two-stop that actually worked, McLaren swapping their cars again, and a very despondent George.In this episode:⏱️ The weekend in 60 seconds: Kimi's first pole since Belgium, Ferrari flat in qualifying, Bottas' car dangling from the crane🛞 Tyre talk: soft pit window lap 20-26, medium lap 21-27. Riddle me this: where's the offset?🏆 Results and championship impact: Kimi on 365, and a fight for second with four drivers covered by 9 points📈 Kimi's 9 wins in 42 starts (21.4%), and Kimi v George in 2026: 9 wins to 3🧡 McLaren swap them again ("happy to be accused of Australian bias")😔 "I'm just not fast enough": George Russell's post-race interview, and the definition of hopeless🔴 Ferrari's strategy masterclass, and Max's new race engineer🔮 Predictions: how we went, and the P9 that makes Kimi champion in Mexico00:00 Cold open00:43 Welcome: Lachy's still crook03:47 The weekend in 60 seconds07:16 Tyre talk: where's the offset?11:45 The results13:15 Championship impact18:45 McLaren swap them again19:34 Despondent George22:33 Ferrari got it right24:00 Predictions25:08 Wrap-up: P9 for the titleUnited States GP top 101 Antonelli, 2 Leclerc (+13.078s), 3 Verstappen, 4 Hamilton, 5 Norris, 6 Hadjar, 7 Piastri, 8 Russell, 9 Lawson, 10 Gasly. Fastest lap: Leclerc. DNFs: Bottas, Colapinto, Bearman.Drivers' championship: Antonelli 365, Russell 242, Hamilton 241, Verstappen 236, Leclerc 233.Constructors: Mercedes 607, Ferrari 474, Red Bull 355, McLaren 355.Kimi is champion in Mexico with P9 or better, whatever anyone else does.Predictions: our Austin picks are in Ep 112. The result was pole Antonelli, podium Antonelli / Leclerc / Verstappen, and 3 DNFs.Leaderboard after Austin: Huppy 63, Lachy 54, KT 52, Schwags 38.Join the waitlist for our free predictions app (launching 2027): predictions.thedownshift.com.auCorrections: Leclerc, Verstappen and Hamilton made two pit stops each, not three, and Russell, Hamilton, Verstappen and Leclerc are covered by 9 points, not 14.Mexico City GP preview coming later this week. Like and subscribe so you don't miss it. See you on the next lap!#F1 #Formula1 #F1Podcast #TheDownshift #USGP #AustinGP #COTA #KimiAntonelli #GeorgeRussell #Ferrari #McLaren #LewisHamilton #MaxVerstappen

Everything's bigger in Texas, including the stakes. 🤠🏁On episode 112 of The Downshift, KT, Huppy and Schwags (Lachy is still down with man flu) preview the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas. Kimi Antonelli arrives in Austin 102 points clear of George Russell: win, with Russell P9 or lower and Hamilton P5 or lower, and he's world champion at 20, the youngest ever. We do the maths (eventually), break down COTA corner by corner, talk C2-C4 tyres and whether Pirelli should make them worse, Huppy fills in on weather, and our predictions descend into chaos.In this episode:🧮 Match point: exactly what Kimi needs to clinch in Austin👶 Youngest champion ever: 20 years 61 days v Vettel's record of 23 years 134 days🛣️ COTA track guide: Turn 1, the esses, the 1.2 km back straight, and energy deployment with no DRS🔧 Mercedes' upgrade, and whether a complaining Max means Red Bull are quick🛞 Tyres: C2, C3, C4, one step softer; one stop or two?☀️ Weather: hot and dry, 29 degrees for qualifying, maybe cloudy on Sunday🔮 Predictions: pole, podium and the DNF count (and Huppy can't pick anything)Chapters00:00 Cold open00:44 Welcome: howdy from Texas02:13 Match point: can Kimi clinch in Austin?09:34 Circuit of the Americas: track guide and tech18:13 Tyre talk: C2, C3, C420:50 Huppy's weather watch22:27 Predictions31:18 Session times and wrap-upSession times (Melbourne, AEDT)Practice 1: Saturday 4:30amPractice 2: Saturday 8:00amPractice 3: Sunday 4:30amQualifying: Sunday 8:00amRace: Monday 7:00am(Austin: 12:30pm and 4pm Friday and Saturday, race 3pm Sunday. London: 6:30pm and 10pm Friday and Saturday, race 8pm Sunday.)Our predictions (pole / P1 / P2 / P3 / total DNFs)KT: Verstappen / Verstappen / Antonelli / Hamilton / 5Huppy: Hamilton / Hamilton / Russell / Verstappen / 4Schwags: Piastri / Russell / Hadjar / Antonelli / 6Lachy (picked by committee): Antonelli / Leclerc / Verstappen / Norris / 7Predictions leaderboard after Singapore: Huppy 61, Lachy 51, KT 50, Schwags 37.Join the waitlist for our free predictions app (launching 2027): predictions.thedownshift.com.auCorrections: Kimi was 18 at his F1 debut, and Fernando Alonso is 45.What would you change to improve the racing in 2027? Tell us in the comments, and if you enjoyed the episode, like and subscribe so you don't miss our Austin review. See you on the next lap!#F1 #Formula1 #F1Podcast #TheDownshift #USGP #AustinGP #COTA #KimiAntonelli #MaxVerstappen #LewisHamilton #GeorgeRussell #F1Predictions

No race last weekend, but the paddock never sleeps. 🏎️On episode 111 of The Downshift, KT, Huppy and Schwags (Lachy is out with man flu) run through F1's late silly season. Rafael Câmara lands the Haas seat alongside Ollie Bearman, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are locked in at Aston Martin, Racing Bulls have three drivers for two seats, and Red Bull have signed Laurent Mekies through to 2031. Plus: is George Russell's seat safe, and can Kimi Antonelli wrap up the title in Austin?In this episode:📋 The 2027 grid: who's locked in, who's sweating, and Mercedes' missing announcement🇧🇷 Câmara to Haas: his rise to the top of F2, and why Esteban Ocon lost his seat🐂 Three into two at Racing Bulls: Lawson v Lindblad v Tsolov, and our picks🔥 Alonso: still not done after 443 starts (649 with Stroll), and he'll never stop🏢 Paddock pulse: Mekies to 2031, Horner's podcast tour, Red Bull 7 points off P3, and the Middle East finale🏁 Match point in Austin: Antonelli leads Russell by 102 with six rounds leftChapters00:00 Cold open00:42 Welcome: three of us and a sick Lachy02:12 The 2027 grid: who's locked in?05:58 Câmara to Haas, and why Ocon lost his seat11:01 Three into two: Racing Bulls18:07 Alonso: still not done22:03 Paddock pulse: Mekies to 2031 and the Middle East finale25:39 Match point in Austin, and wrap-upNext race: United States Grand Prix, Circuit of the Americas, Austin, 23-25 October. Our US GP preview, with the full title maths and our predictions, drops on Thursday.Who would you keep at Racing Bulls: Lawson, Lindblad or Tsolov? Tell us in the comments, and if you enjoyed the episode, like and subscribe so you don't miss our Austin preview. See you on the next lap!#F1 #Formula1 #F1Podcast #TheDownshift #SillySeason #F12027 #RafaelCamara #Haas #FernandoAlonso #RacingBulls #LiamLawson #GeorgeRussell #KimiAntonelli

Two McLarens, one gap, zero excuses. 🇸🇬On episode 110 of The Downshift, Huppy, KT, Lachy and Schwags review a chaotic Singapore Grand Prix weekend. Lando Norris sent it on Oscar Piastri at Turn 5 in the wet sprint and put his teammate in the wall, and KT is still wearing his blacked-out McLaren shirt about it. Max Verstappen swept the weekend and finally won at Marina Bay at his 10th attempt, Lewis Hamilton fell from P3 to P6 in the last nine laps, and Kimi Antonelli heads to Austin 102 points clear on match point.In this episode:🧡 KT vs McLaren: Lando, Oscar, papaya rules and a call-out to Zak Brown and Andrea Stella🤡 Huppy's "exclusive images": which drivers can colour inside the lines?🏆 Max's first Marina Bay win, his 73rd win on his 250th start, and the one track he still hasn't won at😴 The bit of the race KT slept through🛞 How to fix the sprint: tyre offsets, more points, hat-drawn grids and kangaroos🔴 Hamilton's VSC gamble, Stroll's 12th DNF and Russell's nightmare weekend📊 Red Bull vs McLaren for P3 in the constructors'🏁 Can Kimi clinch the title in Austin?🔮 The predictions leaderboard after SingaporeSingapore GP top 10: 1 Verstappen, 2 Leclerc, 3 Antonelli, 4 Norris, 5 Piastri, 6 Hamilton, 7 Lawson, 8 Hülkenberg, 9 Russell, 10 Hadjar.Chapters00:00 Coming up in this episode01:08 Welcome: a long night of motorsport02:05 KT vs McLaren: Lando takes out Oscar14:52 Huppy's exclusive images: colouring in the lines17:04 Singapore weekend wrap: Max's first Marina Bay win24:53 How to fix the sprint29:45 Hamilton's strategy, Stroll and Russell33:03 Max is back and the constructors' fight37:58 Match point Kimi: can he clinch in Austin?39:41 Predictions leaderboard41:17 Next up: Austin, and the predictions appPredictions leaderboard after Singapore: Huppy 61, Lachy 51, KT 50, Schwags 37.Next race: United States Grand Prix, Circuit of the Americas, Austin, 23-25 October.Join the waitlist for The Downshift predictions app (free tipping competition in 2027): https://predictions.thedownshift.com.auWas Lando's move on Oscar fair game or a team-killer? Tell us in the comments, and if you enjoyed the episode, like and subscribe so you don't miss our Austin preview. See you on the next lap!#F1 #SingaporeGP #Formula1 #F1Podcast #TheDownshift #MarinaBay #MaxVerstappen #LandoNorris #OscarPiastri #KimiAntonelli #McLaren

Under 1,600 floodlights and through 19 corners of concrete and sweat, F1's original night race faces something new: its first ever sprint. 🇸🇬On episode 109 of The Downshift, Huppy, KT, Lachy and Schwags head back to Marina Bay, the place where this podcast was born on a boys' trip two years ago. Kimi Antonelli arrives 84 points clear and could clinch the championship this weekend. George Russell returns as defending winner needing a miracle. And Max Verstappen comes in hunting the one trophy he's never won.In this episode:🏁 The history of the Singapore GP, from Thomson Road to Crashgate to Sainz ending Red Bull's 2023 streak🗺️ A corner-by-corner track guide of Marina Bay and its five straight mode zones🛞 Pirelli's softest tyres (C3, C4, C5) and the sprint weekend squeeze🌧️ Lachy's weather forecast: humidity, heat and the chance of a night-race downpour🏆 Kimi's title maths, Russell's last stand and Max's missing trophy🎨 Audi's new livery: hit or miss?🔮 Our pole, podium and sprint winner predictions (Schwags is still picking out of a hat)📱 First look at The Downshift predictions app, launching in 2027. Join the waitlist!Chapters00:00 Cold open00:43 Welcome: Singapore, where The Downshift began02:41 History of the Singapore GP05:58 Track guide: Marina Bay11:07 Tyres & strategy13:36 Weather15:53 Talking points: Kimi's title, Russell's last stand17:38 Can Max finally win Singapore?18:33 Briatore, Colapinto & Crashgate19:13 Audi's new livery20:26 Predictions27:04 The Downshift predictions app29:15 Session times30:48 Wrap upWho do you think takes pole, the win and the sprint in Singapore? Tell us in the comments, and if you enjoyed the episode, like and subscribe so you don't miss the race review. See you on the next lap!#F1 #SingaporeGP #Formula1 #F1Podcast #TheDownshift #MarinaBay #KimiAntonelli #MaxVerstappen #F1Predictions

A tropical deluge, a formation lap where the cars simply stopped, slicks vs inters, and a field turned upside down 🌧️ Through it all, Max Verstappen took pole and his first win of 2026 (his 72nd career win) at the track where he won F1's last visit back in 2017. Martin Brundle called it one of the craziest races he's ever seen, and we reckon it's the race of the season.Huppy and Schwags report from the ground at Sepang: record crowds, transport chaos, decoy water bottles and a wild Malaysian crowd. Then we break down the formation lap software drama, Piastri's inters call, Hamilton overruling Ferrari to climb to P3, Alonso's stellar drive, Lando's near miss, and George Russell's heartbreaking power unit failure with five laps to go that pushes Antonelli's lead out to 84 points with seven rounds left. Plus, how far off were our overtake predictions? Try 185 overtakes 😳📲 Think you can out-tip us (and five AIs)? Join the waitlist for The Downshift Predictions app, launching for 2027: predictions.thedownshift.com.au👍 Like and subscribe so you don't miss our Singapore preview, and let us know in the comments: race of the season?#F1 #BahrainGP #Sepang #MalaysianGP #Formula1 #TheDownshift