James Allen On F1

This week James Allen welcomes Manish Pandey, the film maker and master storyteller who shot to prominence with the award-winning 2010 documentary Senna, which he made with Asif Kapadia and James Gay Rees of Drive to Survive fame. Since then Manish has followed up, gaining exclusive access to F1’s ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone, to tell his behind the scenes story in the streaming series Lucky. Now he’s done it again with a new film, Seeing Red, about another of F1’s biggest characters, Luca Di Montezemolo.  Montezemolo was only 28 years old when he won the 1975 F1 World Championships as Ferrari team manager with Niki Lauda. He then came back in the 1990s to lead Ferrari’s renaissance, putting in place the “Dream Team” of Jean Todt, Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne that dominated F1 with Michael Schumacher. At the same time he brought the magic back to Ferrari’s road car fleet.  Manish talks about what has drawn him as a film maker to tell the stories of Senna, Ecclestone and Montezemolo, what they have in common and how their stories intersect. He reveals the conversations that Montezemolo and Senna had in 1994 about the great Brazilian joining Ferrari and looks at the Ferrari of today and asks: how important is it that the person at the top of Ferrari loves F1? Seeing Red is on a limited cinema release via Everyman Cinemas in the UK and will be released on major streaming platforms soon. Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com. A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport

This week we welcome Ted Kravitz, a bona fide sports broadcasting legend, who has carved his own niche since 2001, patrolling the F1 pit lane for Sky Sports F1, BBC and ITV Sport.  His Ted’s Notebook segment on the Sky coverage is a must-watch for all fans of the sport, from the US to the UK, Australia and beyond.  He’s just released a new book, F1 Insider, telling his story as well as some great stories and anecdotes from his 25 years as the voice of the F1 pitlane. James Allen, who mentored Ted early in his TV career, chats to him about the F1 personalities that have stood out, moments of high drama that he found himself in the middle of and the toughest moments he’s faced. Ted lifts the veil on how live F1 TV coverage works behind the scenes.  He also looks ahead to the final three months of the season and his gives thoughts the battle for the F1 Drivers’ Championship.  F1 Insider: Notes from the Pit Lane is out now, published by Octopus Books. Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com. A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport 

McLaren are poised to win the F1 Constructors World Championship with a record seven races to spare. Given that this is the final year of these regulations, where the margins are supposed to be tight, how have they done it? Will McLaren’s dominance continue in 2026, when new regulations are introduced? And if not – which team will be the first post-McLaren to win a Constructors’ Championship? With James Allen to discuss this we welcome back friend of the pod, former Aston Martin technical director and head of aerodynamics at Red Bull Racing, Dan Fallows and Autosport’s F1 writer Jake Boxhall Legge.  Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com. A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport 

F1 is back in racing mode after the Summer Break and this week we are in between two fast, intense races; the Dutch GP at Zandvoort and the Italian GP at Monza, the race with the highest average speed lap on the calendar and the home of Ferrari.  Alongside James Allen we’ve brought in to of our fastest thinkers: Our F1 writer from the Netherlands Ronald Vording and our man in Italy Roberto Chinchero.  The team discuss the mood music at Zandvoort, the championship balance between the McLaren drivers, growing pressure on Hamilton and Antonelli ahead of Monza and why Toto Wolff appreciates deepfake images of himself on the internet.  Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com. A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport 

In Part Two of our Summer Special featuring a panel of movie industry experts, we analyse the most cherished racing movies; the classic Grand Prix (1966) as well as other celebrated motorsport films Rush (2013), Days of Thunder (1990) and Le Mans (1971). Are they any good as movies and what does it take to create a film that appeals to all audiences, not just motorsport enthusiasts? And what, if anything, did this summer’s Apple blockbuster F1 Movie with Brad Pitt take from them? We explore how well the various stories and plotlines work and the all-important action sequences. We reveal which cues they take from each other.  How are female characters depicted and how does their treatment compare across the decades? Which films were commercially successful and which ones flopped? Finally, if the master rolls of all these films were in a burning warehouse and only one could be saved for posterity, which one would the experts rescue?  The answer may surprise you.  With James Allen in the studio are:  Eddie Hamilton, editor of Top Gun Maverick and the two most recent Mission Impossible films. Adrian Wootton OBE, runs the British Film Commission (encouraging productions like F1 to film in the UK).  Mark Lane is an award-winning movie producer, with over 40 credits including I am not a serial Killer and The Cut.  Nick Manzi is a producer with a string of hits from Blitz to Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and a lifelong F1 enthusiast.  Don’t miss the chance to compete against our expert writers on Motorsport’s hugely popular F1 Fantasy League. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/race-our-writers-motorsport-launches-its-first-ever-featured-league-on-f1-fantasy/10702182/ Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com.

This week we gather a stellar line-up of movie industry insiders as we break down the summer blockbuster F1 Movie, which has now earned over half a billion dollars at the box office, so deserves some deeper consideration. Having earlier looked at it from the point of view of journalists and fans, we now get the movie experts to cast an eye over it; is it technically a good film? How well does the story work, and what about the all-important action sequences? How does the treatment of female characters compare? And do movies like this do any long-term good for the sport? In Part II next week, the panel will compare it with the 1960s classic Grand Prix as well as other classic motorsport films Rush, Days of Thunder and Le Mans. Are they any good as movies? And what does it take to create a movie that appeals to all audiences, not just motorsport enthusiasts? With James Allen in the studio are:  Eddie Hamilton, editor of Top Gun Maverick and the two most recent Mission Impossible films. Adrian Wootton OBE, runs the British Film Commission (encouraging productions like F1 to film in the UK).  Mark Lane is an award-winning movie producer, with over 40 credits including I am not a serial Killer and The Cut.  Nick Manzi is a producer with a string of hits from Blitz to Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and a lifelong F1 enthusiast.  Chapters 00:00 Introduction to F1 Movie Discussion 03:00 Audience Reception and Expectations 05:58 The Art of Filmmaking in F1 Movies 08:59 Motorsport as a Cinematic Backdrop 11:55 Elements of a Successful Film 14:51 Character Dynamics and Storytelling 18:08 Technical Achievements and Authenticity 20:46 The Role of Female Characters 23:59 Budget and Financial Aspects of F1 Movie 26:51 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Don’t miss the chance to compete against our expert writers on Motorsport’s hugely popular F1 Fantasy League. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/race-our-writers-motorsport-launches-its-first-ever-featured-league-on-f1-fantasy/10702182/ Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com. A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport

F1 people are enjoying their summer break as the three-week Shutdown enters its second week.  But one man who has not shut down is our F1 Writer Ronald Vording, who joins James Allen from the Netherlands to take stock of the season and look ahead to what we can expect when the racing starts again later this month.  Max Verstappen confirmed before the break that he’s not looking to move teams for 2026 and he will race for Red Bull next season. What went on behind the scenes in his decision-making process? What is Max’s state of mind now with 10 rounds to go and no chance of winning the title? We answer some listener questions and talking points on how McLaren shows no favouritism towards its drivers as they duel for the World Championship.  Where is Lewis Hamilton now on the Motivation-ometer and why is he writing “documents” for Ferrari?  Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com.

This week as F1 starts its Summer Shutdown we look in detail at how F1 driver contracts work and why this period of the season is critical for options being triggered (or not), renewals being signed and decisions being taken by drivers and teams about next season. To help James Allen go deep into F1 driver contracts is one of the best known and most successful driver managers in F1 history. Julian Jakobi has managed dozens of great names like Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Jacques Villeneuve, Juan Pablo Montoya and more recently Checo Perez. He continues to manage a stable of drivers across multiple race series. What does a driver manager do? What is in the scope of the role? What kinds of considerations do teams have around drivers during the Summer Shutdown?  And what was it like to manage Senna and Prost at the same time, while they were in open conflict? Chapters 00:00 The Role of a Driver Manager 08:45 Understanding Driver Contracts and Options 12:05 The Impact of Rookies in F1 14:47 Key Clauses in Driver Contracts 18:14 The Influence of Team Management on Drivers 21:39 Future Driver Moves and Team Strategies

This week we look ahead to the F1 summer shutdown, which starts after the chequered flag falls in Hungary until Zandvoort at the end of August. But rather than use it as an excuse for tired old repeats, we are embracing the shutdown and looking at its significance to F1. This week we look at what the F1 drivers need to do during the break; how they recover after 14 gruelling races in five months, how they stay in shape while recharging. We also explore more broadly the physical and mental challenges on F1 drivers today. Is it true that F1 drivers are among the fittest athletes in sport? Taking James Allen deep into this fascinating topic is Nick Harris, who has trained and mentored many great drivers in the past 20 years from Mark Webber, David Coulthard and Jenson Button to Fernando Alonso and Nico Hulkenberg. He has also worked with top performers from other sports, like Andy Murray and Maria Sharapova. To view the highlights of the 2025 Global F1 Fan Survey and to download the Whitepaper, go to https://fansurvey2025-formula1.motorsportnetwork.com/ Don’t miss the chance to compete against our expert writers on Motorsport’s hugely popular F1 Fantasy League. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/race-our-writers-motorsport-launches-its-first-ever-featured-league-on-f1-fantasy/10702182/ Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com. Producer: Dre Harrison A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport

In F1 the numbers never lie; whether it’s zeros on a paycheck, thousandths of a second on a stopwatch or points of downforce on a new front wing. At the halfway stage of the F1 World Championship, the points tables for drivers and constructors tell their own story. McLaren are well ahead in both; Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull trail badly. But by looking at the underlying numbers we can spot trends and learn more about what’s really going on this season and what might happen in the second half. We did this at the quarter stage and now at we look again, after 12 rounds in this 24 race F1 World Championship. Joining James Allen are special guest Dan Fallows - one of the top F1 engineers of the last two decades, he headed up the Red Bull aero department from the Sebastian Vettel era up to the first ground effect car in 2022 and was most recently Technical Director of Aston Martin F1 team. Also joining us are F1 data guru Rob Smedley, of Smedley Group and Autosport’s Jake Boxall-Legge. To view the highlights of the Global F1 Fan Survey and to download the Whitepaper, go to https://fansurvey2025-formula1.motorsportnetwork.com/ Don’t miss the chance to compete against our expert writers on Motorsport’s hugely popular F1 Fantasy League. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/race-our-writers-motorsport-launches-its-first-ever-featured-league-on-f1-fantasy/10702182/ Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com. Producers: Dre Harrison, Ben Holmes A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport

On this week’s podcast we speak to the most powerful woman in F1 today and the American who plans to be one of the two most powerful men next year. As Chief Commercial Officer of F1 and CEO of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Emily Prazer is responsible for bringing billions of dollars of revenue into the sport. She tells us her plans to make Vegas bigger and better this year and reveals its economic impact. Meanwhile Tim Mayer will face off against Mohammed Ben Sulayem in December’s election for FIA President. He faces an uphill task, but he strongly believes the FIA can be more professionally run. He explains why he has decided to run, what he would do differently from the current President and how he would avoid conflicts with F1 drivers over topics like jewellery and swearing. James Allen is also joined in the studio by Autosport’s F1 Business Correspondent Mark Mann-Bryans. To view the highlights of the Global F1 Fan Survey and to download the full Whitepaper, go to https://fansurvey2025-formula1.motorsportnetwork.com/ Don’t miss the chance to compete against our expert writers on Motorsport’s hugely popular F1 Fantasy League. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/race-our-writers-motorsport-launches-its-first-ever-featured-league-on-f1-fantasy/10702182/ Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com Producer: Dre Harrison A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport

In this emergency podcast we react to the news that Christian Horner has been sacked with immediate effect by Red Bull Racing. During 20 years in charge of Red Bull Racing Horner won eight Drivers’ championships, six constructors’ and took 124 Grand Prix wins. But after some key departures and the poor performance this season of the car the team has dropped Horner. His role will be taken by Racing Bulls Team Principal Laurent Mekies, who in turn will be replaced by Alan Permane, Racing Bulls Racing Director. We’ll get into the background to the sacking, what role Max Verstappen and his father may have played and what it means for Ferrari, who may well move for the 51 year-old to replace Fred Vasseur, whose contract expires at the end of this season. James Allen is joined in the studio to analyse the news by our correspondents Ronald Vording from Netherlands, Christian Nimmervoll from Austria and Motorsport Editor-in-Chief Ben Hunt. To view the highlights of the Global F1 Fan Survey and to download the full Whitepaper, go to https://fansurvey2025-formula1.motorsportnetwork.com/ Don’t miss the chance to compete against our expert writers on Motorsport’s hugely popular F1 Fantasy League. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/race-our-writers-motorsport-launches-its-first-ever-featured-league-on-f1-fantasy/10702182/ Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com. Producer: Dre Harrison A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport

This week we get behind the numbers to find out what fans think of F1, as the 2025 Global F1 Fan Survey is launched, ahead of the British Grand Prix. Over 100,000 respondents took part from 186 countries. Fans were self-selecting, so this isn’t a complete picture of all F1 fans worldwide, but what it does show is that F1 is managing the juggling act of attracting new fans, while keeping its long-standing fans on board. And the responses show there is quite a bit of common ground between the two cohorts, not least that the sporting product of F1 is the most important thing for both. We look at the box office numbers for the opening weekend of F1 The Movie and ask what it means for the sport. And we’ll hear from the newest team principal on the grid, Graeme Lowdon, why Cadillac will be operating out of both the US and the UK when they come into F1 next season. You can watch the full YouTube video on the Autosport YouTube Channel. Joining James Allen in the studio to talk through all this are Motorsport’s Editor-in-Chief Ben Hunt and F1 writer Emily Selleck. To view the highlights of the Global F1 Fan Survey and to download the Whitepaper, go to https://fansurvey2025-formula1.motorsportnetwork.com/ Don’t miss the chance to compete against our expert writers on Motorsport’s hugely popular F1 Fantasy League. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/race-our-writers-motorsport-launches-its-first-ever-featured-league-on-f1-fantasy/10702182/ Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com. Producer: Dre Harrison A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport

A new F1 documentary film launches next week that brilliantly shows both the raw emotional journey and the lived experience of an F1 driver. It covers Damon Hill’s life from when his idyllic childhood was shattered after his World Champion father Graham Hill died in a place crash to finally winning the F1 World Championship in 1996. It’s a story laced with good and bad luck and a burning desire to put right what had gone wrong when his father died. What marks out this film is the rawness of the emotion in the storytelling, particularly from Damon and his wife Georgie. F1 drivers make good subjects because they are so extreme; extraordinary people who do extraordinary things. The timing is perfect as F1 the Movie hits cinemas this week, telling an underdog story. Damon was a real-life F1 underdog. So what is it really like to lose everything, but come through to triumph? And why did he feel Williams were never really behind him in his title quest? Damon Hill joins James Allen to discuss the film, along with Sky Sports F1 presenter Simon Lazenby, whose production company Sylverent brought the project to life. And joining them is Autosport’s Editor in Chief Kevin Turner. “Hill” debuts 2 July on Sky Documentaries. Don’t miss the chance to compete against our expert writers on Motorsport’s hugely popular F1 Fantasy League. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/race-our-writers-motorsport-launches-its-first-ever-featured-league-on-f1-fantasy/10702182/ Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com. Producer: Dre Harrison A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport

Finally.. it’s F1 movie launch season. But is the film, dubbed by one critic “Barbie for men” any good? Our correspondents were given a preview showing in Montreal and give their verdict. We hear from the producer Jerry Bruckheimer and one of the stars, Kerry Condon.  Plus we examine the fallout from the Canadian Grand Prix - for the second consecutive race we saw a collision in the closing stages. This time Lando Norris hit his team mate Oscar Piastri, but the dent was in Lando’s championship challenge. We look at the external and internal pressure mounting on Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur and discuss echoes from the past when Jean Todt was under pressure and Michael Schumacher protected him. As Renault’s CEO abruptly departs, what next for Alpine F1 as they sink to 10th in the Constructors’ Championship while doing an exec search for their fourth team principal in two years? Fernando Alonso gave Aston Martin a season best result in Montreal on their 100th Grand Prix, but is Lance Stroll’s form a concern? And should Montreal race winner George Russell take matters into his own hands and force a move to Aston? In the studio with James Allen, one of our regulars, Motorsport Editor-in-Chief Ben Hunt and we welcome back Autosport’s F1 Business Correspondent Mark Mann-Bryans. Don’t miss the chance to compete against our expert writers on Motorsport’s hugely popular F1 Fantasy League. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/race-our-writers-motorsport-launches-its-first-ever-featured-league-on-f1-fantasy/10702182/ Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X/Twitter or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com. Producer: Dre Harrison A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport

This week we look at what’s going on at Silverstone, as we count down to the British Grand Prix in a few weeks’ time, the UK’s largest ticketed event. We look at how the Grand Prix is broadcast with Channel 4 TV presenter Lee McKenzie. Lee gives her view on Lewis Hamilton’s struggles at Ferrari. And as a woman who has worked in the F1 industry for over 15 years, she gives her take on how F1 has managed to get to 42% of its fanbase being female. We also have the latest in our series of race promoter interviews. James Allen travels up to Silverstone to meet with CEO Stuart Pringle, who tells us how his team handle 480,000 fans over four days, how Silverstone is becoming more than just a race venue and we get into the thorny question of ticket pricing. Don’t miss the chance to compete against our expert writers on Motorsport’s hugely popular F1 Fantasy League. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/race-our-writers-motorsport-launches-its-first-ever-featured-league-on-f1-fantasy/10702182/ Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X/Twitter or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com. Producer: Dre Harrison A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport

It’s a packed edition this week as James travels to the impressive new Aston Martin factory at Silverstone to speak to CEO and team principal Andy Cowell, the latest in our series of F1 Team Principal interviews. Cowell speaks in detail about Adrian Newey’s involvement in the design of the teams Honda-powered 2026 car and how he’s ‘provoking’ the team to reach an ultra-high performance level. Max Verstappen seemed to feel that his Red Bull team was anything but high-performing in the Spanish GP. But is that what drove his bizarre behaviour, colliding with Mercedes’ George Russell? James is joined in the studio by Motorsport.com Editor in Chief Ben Hunt and by Autosport’s Dutch F1 writer Ronald Vording to discuss the fallout. Don’t miss the chance to compete against our expert writers on Motorsport’s hugely popular F1 Fantasy League. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/race-our-writers-motorsport-launches-its-first-ever-featured-league-on-f1-fantasy/10702182/ Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com. Producer: Dre Harrison A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport

Monaco was not the most exciting Grand Prix, Lando Norris closed the gap in the title race on his team-mate Oscar Piastri with his first victory on the streets. McLaren extended their already massive lead in the Constructors table and no-one looked happier on the podium than McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown. But away from the track, Monaco was a huge weekend, with more people, more boats and more going on than for many years. It reflected F1’s cultural and financial boomtime. And we are focussing on that in this episode. F1 is attracting a lot of new sponsors, but what is bringing the big money into the sport? We hear from the largest of them, LVMH, who have come in with a 10 year $1bn deal, using its multiple brands like Louis Vuitton, Moet Hennessy and TAG Heuer, which was the title sponsor of the Monaco GP, the first time that the race has ever had a title sponsor. We also hear from the new Liberty Media CEO Derek Chang on his vision for how F1 grows from here. James Allen is joined in the studio by Autosport’s F1 Business Correspondent Mark Mann-Bryans. Don’t miss the chance to compete against our expert writers on Motorsport’s hugely popular F1 Fantasy League. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/race-our-writers-motorsport-launches-its-first-ever-featured-league-on-f1-fantasy/10702182/ Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X/Twitter or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com. Producer: Dre Harrison A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport

We are in the middle of another triple header, the second of the F1 season so far. Imola proved a more exciting race than anyone expected and Monaco is next with a new rule making two pit stops mandatory. Max Verstappen and Red Bull came roaring back to dominant form in Imola, while Ferrari had a weekend of two halves in front of the tifosi. And Aston Martin found some speed … in qualifying at least! So what’s going on and will Monaco give us a different picture once again? James Allen is joined by Motorsport.com Editor in Chief Ben Hunt, who is fresh back from Imola. And Autosport’s Jake Boxall-Legge explains why he thinks McLaren will be hard to beat on the streets and are favourites for a record 16th Monaco GP win. Don’t miss the chance to compete against our expert writers on Motorsport’s hugely popular F1 Fantasy League. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/race-our-writers-motorsport-launches-its-first-ever-featured-league-on-f1-fantasy/10702182/ Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X/Twitter or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com. Producer: Dre Harrison A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport

This week we are doing something a little different. It’s the season so far in numbers. We are a quarter of the F1 season down already, six rounds to analyse and comb through for narratives, patterns and trends. Whether it’s points, killer stats or fractions of seconds, we have all the key numbers from the season so far after Oscar Piastri extended his Championship lead over Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. James Allen is joined by former Ferrari and Williams engineer Rob Smedley, BBC 5 Live broadcaster, podcaster and former McLaren mechanic Marc Priestley. And Autosport’s Jake Boxall-Legge joins the crew. Don’t miss the chance to compete against our expert writers on Motorsport’s hugely popular F1 Fantasy League. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/race-our-writers-motorsport-launches-its-first-ever-featured-league-on-f1-fantasy/10702182/ Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X/Twitter or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com. Producer: Dre Harrison A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport