F1 Nation

This episode is sponsored by AWS - Global AI Partner of Formula 1.
Jolyon Palmer and Alex Jacques join Tom Clarkson for some energetic debate ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix in Austin.
With Singapore still fresh in their minds, the guys discuss the strategy call from Lewis Hamilton that cost him a podium and whether a driver should go against their team’s strategic decisions.
Lots of listeners disagreed with Jolyon’s take on last week’s podcast about the crash between McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in the Singapore Sprint race. Having had more time to reflect, has JP changed his view?
Looking ahead to Austin, Kimi Antonelli could mathematically become World Champion at the Circuit of the Americas. But do Mercedes have the car to fight for victory? Is their recent form a cause for long-term ‘concern’? 
And with back-to-back wins from pole position, momentum is fully with Max Verstappen as we head to a track where he’s won four of the last five races. Will he make it five out of six this weekend? Jacquesy and Jolyon discuss the turnaround Red Bull have made since the start of the season and their thoughts on Team Principal Laurent Mekies signing a long-term contract extension. 
Plus, Haas have announced that Brazilian F2 driver Rafa Camara will drive for them in 2027, replacing Esteban Ocon. What can we expect from the Ferrari Academy driver? And what does his arrival mean for Ollie Bearman?

Packed with drivers, cars, team personnel, media, celebrities and more, their voices drowned out by the noise of passionate fans in the grandstands and engineers at work, the Formula 1 grid before a race start is probably the most exciting, chaotic and loudest places to be in all sport.
But what actually happens on the grid before lights out? How are the drivers preparing in those final moments before going into battle? What work is being done on the cars? 
Christian Hewgill and Molly Hudson, F1 correspondent for UK newspaper The Times, are together on the grid before this year’s F1 Sprint race in Zandvoort to answer those questions and explain the rules everyone has to follow on the grid.
Plus, Cadillac Reserve Driver Zhou Guanyu, who drove for Alfa Romeo/Sauber between 2022 and 2024, gives us the drivers’ perspective of what it’s like being in that environment when you’re about to go racing.

Max Verstappen secured back-to-back wins from pole position with his first ever victory at the Singapore Grand Prix. With seven podium finishes from the last eight races, at a range of different tracks, are he and Red Bull now the benchmark in Formula 1?
Tom Clarkson is joined in the paddock by Jolyon Palmer and James Hinchcliffe to discuss Max’s ‘masterclass’ around the Marina Bay Circuit and what we can expect from Red Bull for the rest of the season.
Charles Leclerc claimed his first podium in seven races with P2, but should he have taken the lead from Max at the start after a great launch at lights out? And if he had succeeded, could he have held on to win? 
There was disappointment on the other side of the Ferrari garage, as Lewis Hamilton’s decision to stay out under the final Virtual Safety Car cost him a podium. He apologised to the team over the radio at the end of the race, but should they have been more forceful in asking him to pit?
The guys also discuss Kimi Antonelli’s ‘opportunistic’ drive to P3, the crash between McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in the Sprint race and Liam Lawson’s future at Racing Bulls after another big points haul for the New Zealander.
THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY...
Hexclad: Find your forever cookware @hexclad and get 15% off at hexclad.co.uk/NATION! Offer excludes bundles and other items already on sale. #hexcladpartner

Why does every Grand Prix have a different number of laps? How come some F1 teams have fewer employees than others? What are drivers and engineers doing during practice sessions?
Those are your questions. Christian Hewgill gets the answers from F1TV Lead Presenter Laura Winter and two-time 24h Le Mans podium-finisher (and budding stylist, apparently) Alex Brundle.
Laura and Alex also tackle your questions on tyre rules, whether driver or car is more important, and why a race with every driver in the same car would not tell us who's 'best'
Got F1 questions? We'll get you an answer
Emails and voice notes welcome at F1Explains@F1.com
Listen to more official F1 podcasts
F1 Nation for race previews + reviews
F1 Beyond The Grid for big interviews with big names

Tom Clarkson and F1 Correspondent Lawrence Barretto think Red Bull and Ferrari will be closely-matched at this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, with Mercedes and McLaren also in the mix.
Will Max Verstappen win this Grand Prix for the first time in his career? Will the tight corners of the Marina Bay circuit suit McLaren and Ferrari? Will Mercedes' upgrades give Kimi Antonelli a chance of victory, and can George Russell recover from a back-of-the-grid start due to an engine penalty?
In the highly competitive midfield, Audi, Racing Bulls and Alpine will be watching Aston Martin closely. The pressure of F1 Sprint, the humidity and the high chance of a Safety Car mean a dramatic weekend is guaranteed.
More official F1 podcasts
F1 Explains answers your questions about the sport
F1 Beyond The Grid brings you in-depth interviews with the sport's biggest stars