The Williams and Mercedes Formula 1 teams have given us unprecedented access to their top-secret facilities as they work over the winter preparing their cars for the 2024 season. At Mercedes, the team’s superstar driver Lewis Hamilton is going into a restricted area to see how that crucial work is coming along. We follow in his footsteps as F1 experts Holly Samos and Sarah Holt get a VIP tour of one of the most important tools when it comes to designing and building the most complex race cars in the world.

From his position at the very top, Mercedes team principal and CEO Toto Wolff is reflecting on how the team lost ground when major new technical regulations on car design came in for the 2022 season.

At Williams, new team principal James Vowles is welcoming his first major hire - as they plot a return to the front of the grid for the nine-time World Champions. The duo are part of a crack team back at base who have been getting to grips with the 2024 car since last March.

At both teams, the drivers also have their wish-list for the new cars. Alex Albon knows what avenue he wants Williams to go down and there is one person Hamilton has on speed dial when it comes to car design.

The cars that will be driven by Albon, Hamilton & co during the 2024 season are being built by 1000s of people. It’s time for them to get to work - as the race to the 2024 season picks up pace.

F1: Back at Base is an IMG Production for the BBC
Narrated by Joseph Fiennes
Co-hosts & Executive Producers are Holly Samos and Sarah Holt
The Producers are Alasdair Cresswell, Joe Aldridge and Jack Winstanley.
The Senior Producer is Ollie Kneen
The Executive Producer for IMG is Steve Tebb
The Showrunner is Holly Samos
The Story Editor and Scriptwriter is Sarah Holt
The Commissioning Editor at the BBC is Stevie Middleton