Racingnews365.com F1 Podcast Global

The Chinese Grand Prix saw controversy with Daniel Ricciardo and Lance Stroll coming together under the safety car, while Max Verstappen cruised to another race victory - the 58th of his career.Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Samuel Coop and Nick Golding as they reflect on all that happened during the race weekend!

For the first time since 2019, Formula 1 heads to the Shanghai International Circuit this weekend for the Chinese Grand Prix. The Chinese GP is no ordinary event, as it will host the first sprint race of 2024! A LOT has happened in the last five years - join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Samuel Coop and Nick Golding as they discuss everything that has changed and some breaking news that occurred on the build-up to the event.

Max Verstappen was victorious last weekend in the Japanese Grand Prix and matched Michael Schumacher's feat of winning the event three consecutive times.The biggest talking points from the race came elsewhere though, as Daniel Ricciardo and Alex Albon crashed on the opening lap, resulting in a red flag.We discuss the following topics in a brand new RN365 podcast: Ferrari's impressive improvement. Mercedes' struggles. Who will get the 2025 Red Bull seat?Is it time for Lance Stroll to be replaced? When will Williams' bad luck end!PLUS the winners of the merchandise giveaway are announced!Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding as they discuss all the above in the RacingNews365.com podcast.

Rumours over the past week suggested that Mattia Binotto might be set to take over from Otmar Szafnauer as Team Principal at Alpine.The French squad's poor start to 2023 led to public criticism earlier this month from CEO Laurent Rossi, leading some to suggest that Szafnauer’s position may be under threat.But even if Alpine are keen to ring the changes, would Binotto be in a position to take over, and would he even want the job?Joining host Balve Bains to discuss the last week in F1 are RacingNews365.com Asia Correspondent Michael Butterworth and Editorial Director Dieter Rencken.Red Bull reserve driver Daniel Ricciardo had a seat fitting at AlphaTauri earlier this week, but does this mean he’s set to step in and replace the underperforming Nyck de Vries?Why have Pirelli applied to the FIA to change the specification of the sport’s tyres?How is the technical partnership between Red Bull and Ford shaping up?And what can we expect from this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola?All this and much more, on this edition of the RacingNews365.com podcast!

Max Verstappen laid down a marker during the Miami Grand Prix, working his way up from ninth on the grid to take his third win of 2022.But it was a dispiriting day for his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, who failed to capitalise on pole position and seemed unable to cope with Verstappen’s pace.Joining host Balve Bains to discuss the Miami weekend are RacingNews365.com Asia Correspondent Michael Butterworth and Editorial Director Dieter Rencken.After a chastening weekend for Ferrari, why are the Scuderia so far off the pace, and what needs to happen for them to return to the front of the grid?With Mercedes outscoring Aston Martin, and with an update expected for the next round at Imola, are the Silver Arrows on an upward trajectory?And why did Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi feel compelled to publicly criticise his team in the lead up to the event?All this and much more, on this episode of the RacingNews365.com podcast!

Sergio Perez made it two wins in as many days in Baku last weekend, with the Mexican taking victory in both Saturday’s Sprint and Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.Max Verstappen had led the early stages of the Grand Prix, but Perez leapfrogged his teammate in the pits after the Safety Car was deployed to allow for Nyck de Vries’ stricken AlphaTauri to be cleared.With Perez now just six points behind Verstappen in the championship standings, is there a genuine title fight emerging between the two Red Bull drivers in 2023?Joining host Balve Bains to discuss the Baku weekend and other F1 news are RacingNews365.com Asia Correspondent Michael Butterworth and Editorial Director Dieter Rencken.The Baku weekend saw a change to the usual Sprint format, with an extra qualifying session for the Sprint replacing FP2 on Saturday. Did this new format live up to expectations?With another street circuit at Miami coming this weekend, what can we expect from the Florida event?And is a sexism row involving FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem a smokescreen for the absence of TV coverage for the nascent F1 Academy series? All this and much more, on this episode of the RacingNews365.com podcast!

Mercedes' struggles under F1's newest set of technical regulations have facilitated a change in their ranks.James Allison and Mike Elliott have swapped roles ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with the former returning as Technical Director just 20 months after handing over the baton to the latter to become Chief Technical Officer.With both titles seemingly out of reach this year, what does Mercedes' reshuffle mean for the team's future prospects?Joining host Balve Bains to discuss last week's F1 news are RacingNews365.com Asia Correspondent Michael Butterworth and Editorial Director Dieter Rencken.Following another incident where a driver suffered an injury after making contact with a sausage kerb, does the FIA need to reconsider how these are deployed around circuits?Ferrari's right of review request for Carlos Sainz's Melbourne time penalty was dismissed, but was this really a surprise?With former Renault F1 team boss Cyril Abiteboul now in charge of Hyundai's motorsport programme, is the Korean firm angling to join F1 in the near future?And after an unexpected four-week break, F1 finally returns this weekend with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Will Baku live up to its reputation of exciting racing?All this and more, on this episode of the RacingNews365.com podcast!

World Champion Max Verstappen caused a stir recently when he suggested that he may be prepared to walk away from F1 if he is unsatisfied with the direction the sport is taking.The Dutchman is known for his dislike of both Sprint events and an expanded calendar, both of which have been championed by F1’s powerbrokers.Could Verstappen really leave F1 in the coming years? And what might he do instead?Joining host Balve Bains to discuss last week's F1 news are RacingNews365.com Asia Correspondent Michael Butterworth and Editorial Director Dieter Rencken.After several recent controversial decisions, what are the main challenges facing stewards in 21st century F1?With F1 chief Stefano Domenicali open to the idea of rotating Grands Prix as the calendar expands, is this a good idea?What sort of anecdotes and information might we find inside Guenther Steiner’s tell-all account of his 2022 season?And a dramatic crash in a WEC support race and the tragic death of Craig Breen in a rallying accident bring the issue of safety into sharp focus.All this and more, on this episode of the RacingNews365.com podcast!

With no Grand Prix until April 30th, confusion has reigned over plans to alter the format of the Sprint weekends to have two qualifying sessions.Under the proposal, Friday’s qualifying session now sets the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix, and FP2 is replaced by a separate qualifying just for the Sprint on the Saturday.But with this new format set to be used at the following race in Baku, there are question marks over whether tyre supplier Pirelli will have enough rubber to cater for two qualifying sessions in addition to the Sprint and the Grand Prix.Joining host Balve Baines to discuss last week's F1 news are RacingNews365.com Asia Correspondent Michael Butterworth and Editorial Director Dieter Rencken.Should the format of the Sprint weekend be changed, or is it fine as it is?Was Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur right when he suggested that Red Bull's punishment for breaching F1's cost cap was too lenient?And with Charles Leclerc taking to Instagram to tell his followers not to follow him to his house, do F1 drivers need more privacy?All this and more, on this episode of the RacingNews365.com podcast!

After the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix turned out to be a Red Bull benefit, attention now turns to the second round of the 2023 F1 season in Saudi Arabia.With the super-fast sweeps of the Jeddah Street Circuit likely to present teams and drivers with a very different challenge to that which they faced in Bahrain, will we see Red Bull’s rivals reel in the drinks-backed outfit?Joining Michael Butterworth to discuss the key issues in the run up to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is Dieter Rencken, Editorial Director of RacingNews365.com.Even at this early stage of 2023, there has already been some team personnel movement, with David Sanchez transferring from Ferrari to McLaren. What role will the Spaniard play at the Woking outfit?And with Mercedes having issued an open letter to fans after their poor performance in Bahrain, are alarm bells starting to ring at Brackley?All this and more, on this edition of the RacingNews365.com F1 podcast!

With pre-season testing completed, attention soon turned to the first race of the 2023 Formula 1 season at the Bahrain International Circuit on Sunday.And while many F1 fans may have looked at the start of a new season as reason enough to be hopeful of a close championship fight, there was a depressingly familiar look to proceedings once the race settled down.Ferrari struggled with reliability, Mercedes were short on outright pace, and there was a typically dominant performance from Red Bull, who locked out the front row and then completed a comfortable 1-2 finish in the race, with Max Verstappen leading home Sergio Perez.But will Red Bull's pre-eminence in the desert set the tone for the rest of the season, or do the unique characteristics of the Bahrain International Circuit make this result an outlier?Joining Michael Butterworth to pick over the bones of the season's first race is Dieter Rencken, Editorial Director of RacingNews365.com.With Fernando Alonso finishing an impressive third for Aston Martin, where do his new team measure up this year?With McLaren suffering with poor pace and reliability, what will it take to return the papaya squad to the sharp end of the grid?And what sort of an account did F1's three rookies give of themselves in Bahrain?All this and more, on this edition of the RacingNews365.com F1 podcast!

With three days of pre-season testing having been completed, Formula 1 now turns its attention to the 2023 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on March 5.But who is likely to be standing atop the winner's dais, and who will be plumbing the depths of dispair after next Sunday's race?Joining Michael Butterworth to discuss F1's likely formbook after testing is Dieter Rencken, Editorial Director of RacingNews365.com.Can Red Bull carry on their formidable form from 2022 that saw them canter to both Championship titles?What shape are Ferrari and Mercedes in as they look to challenge Red Bull's dominance?Which of the midfield runners is most likely to cause a surprise and vault up the order?And with Lance Stroll's injury-enforced absence from pre-season still shrouded in mystery, will Aston Martin be forced to call on the services of a substitute driver?All this and more, on this edition of the RacingNews365.com F1 podcast!

The interminable winter break is almost over, and F1 engines will roar in anger for the first time in 2023 at this week's three-day pre-season test in Bahrain.But while there may have been no on-track F1 action since Max Verstappen eased to victory in Abu Dhabi last November, there has certainly been no shortage of off-track mud-slinging and intrigue to pique the interest of F1 fans the world over.Joining Michael Butterworth to discuss the sport's various political machinations over the winter break is Dieter Rencken, Editorial Director of RacingNews365.com.FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem lately announced that he would be stepping back from day-to-day involvement in F1. With plenty of public criticism having come his way since his accession to the presidency in December 2021, is there a concerted effort from within F1 to force him out of his role?Several key F1 figures also made known their displeasure at the FIA's decision to ban  political, religious and personal statements without prior approval. With the FIA having moved to clarify that the offending article would do no such thing, did pressure from drivers and team bosses force the governing body to change its stance?One of the biggest announcements during pre-season was that Ford are set to return to F1 in 2026 in partnership with Red Bull. But why has the drinks-backed squad elected to team up with Ford instead of Porsche or Audi, as was mooted last year?With an unusually large amount of unpainted black bodywork on show from the teams this season, will saving weight be as much of an issue as it was in 2022?And with Frederic Vasseur having taken over the hot seat at Ferrari, how will the Frenchman fare in his new role with the Scuderia?All this and much more, on this edition of the RacingNews365.com F1 podcast!

In another special edition of the RacingNews365.com F1 podcast, journalists Dieter Rencken and Michael Butterworth discuss the performance of each of the ten F1 teams that competed in the 2022 season.Red Bull and Max Verstappen may have cantered to both Championships, but which other teams also deserved praise for their 2022 efforts? Which teams punched well below their weight this year and will be needing to improve in 2023?And with a lot of change on the Team Principal front over the winter break, how much upheaval will we see in 2023?All this and more on this edition of the RacingNews365.com F1 podcast! 

In a special edition of the RacingNews365.com F1 podcast, journalists Dieter Rencken and Michael Butterworth take a deep dive into the 2022 F1 season and the key issues that emerged from it.The first year of a new era of technical regulations saw F1 cars look vastly different in 2022 from those that had gone before. Did the new rules succeed in tightening up the field and producing closer racing?2022 was the first season where teams were audited under F1's budget cap, and with Red Bull having been found guilty of overspending, was their punishment a fair one?With F1 seeing record crowds throughout 2022, how do the sport's commercial prospects look?And having come into the role off the back of the controversial ending to the 2021 F1 season, how should Mohammed Ben Sulayem's first year as FIA President be evaluated?All this and more on this edition of the RacingNews365.com F1 podcast, with Part 2 to follow on December 26th!

One of the worst-kept secrets in Formula 1 over the past week was finally revealed on Tuesday, as Ferrari announced that Team Principal Mattia Binotto would leave the team at the end of 2022.Rumours that Binotto’s place at Ferrari was in jeopardy had started to circulate during the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend, and grew ever more prominent until the announcement that Binotto and Ferrari are to part ways.Joining Michael Butterworth to discuss Binotto’s departure and what it means for Ferrari is Dieter Rencken, Editorial Director of RacingNews365.com.With Ferrari facing the prospect of a fifth Team Principal in ten years, why is there such a high turnover of senior management at Maranello, and who is likely to take over at what is becoming something of a poisoned chalice?Is there any substance to rumours that Alfa Romeo Team Principal Fred Vasseur is set to replace Binotto, or is this just agent-led posturing?And with a very highly regarded engineer soon to be on the job market, what will former Ferrari lifer Binotto do next?All this and more on this edition of the RacingNews365.com F1 podcast!

The final race of the 2022 Formula 1 season followed a similar pattern to several others this year, with Max Verstappen leading away from his pole position to score a record-extending 16th win of the season.Behind Verstappen, Charles Leclerc took advantage of a good strategy call from Ferrari to leapfrog Sergio Perez into second place, thereby finishing runner-up in the Drivers' Championship at the Mexican's expense.But with Ferrari having made several operational errors and questionable strategy calls throughout the season, is team boss Mattia Binotto's position under threat? Joining Michael Butterworth to discuss the key issues from the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend is Dieter Rencken, Editorial Director of RacingNews365.With Perez needing to finish ahead of Leclerc to bag second place in the Championship, should Verstappen have done more in Abu Dhabi to back Leclerc up into the path of the Mexican?What can we expect from the final two additions to the 2023 grid: newcomer Logan Sargeant and returnee Nico Hulkenberg?And as Sebastian Vettel bids farewell to F1 after 299 Grands Prix, four World Championships and 53 race wins, how will the German be best remembered?All this and more on this edition of the RacingNews365.com F1 podcast!

In a special edition of the RacingNews365.com F1 podcast, Michael Butterworth and Dieter Rencken delve into the sport’s financials, and explain how F1’s revenues trickle down to the ten teams.How has F1’s distribution of income changed since the new Concorde Agreement came into force in 2021?What is the total prize pot, and how is it divided up between the teams?And why do some teams receive specific bonus payments that others do not?All this and more on this special edition of the RacingNews365.com F1 podcast!(Note: All figures quoted in this podcast are estimates)

George Russell took a fairy-tale debut F1 win in Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix, dominating the afternoon to finish ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz.But there was trouble brewing at Red Bull, where, after an uncharacteristically low-key weekend, Max Verstappen ignored team orders to let Sergio Perez through for sixth place, as the Mexican seeks to secure second spot in the Drivers' Championship.With Verstappen having very publicly disobeyed a direct order from team boss Christian Horner, how will Red Bull deal with the situation, and how does this change the previously friendly dynamic between Verstappen and Perez? Joining Michael Butterworth to discuss the key issues from the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend is Dieter Rencken, Editorial Director of RacingNews365.With Russell now having broken his F1 duck and remaining ahead of seven-time World Champion teammate Hamilton in the Drivers' standings, has the Briton showed himself to be a title winner in waiting?Further down the Constructors' Championship, who will win out in the battles between Alpine and McLaren for fifth, and Alfa Romeo and Aston Martin for seventh places?And as Formula 1 seeks to broaden its horizons and race at ever newer and shinier facilities, why do classic tracks like Interlagos continue to produce such good racing? All this and much more on this edition of the RacingNews365.com F1 podcast!

Max Verstappen took a record 14th win in a single F1 season with a consummate victory in Sunday’s Mexico City Grand Prix, ahead of Lewis Hamilton, Sergio Perez and George Russell.But with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc looking out of sorts all weekend and finishing a full minute behind Verstappen, will alarm bells be ringing at Maranello?Joining Michael Butterworth to discuss the key issues from the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend is Dieter Rencken, Editorial Director of RacingNews365.Away from the racetrack, it was finally revealed earlier in the week that Red Bull would be hit with a $7 million fine and 10 percent reduction in aerodynamic testing time for next year, after having breached F1’s budget cap by some $1.8 million last year.With other teams complaining the sanction is too lenient, and Christian Horner calling it ‘Draconian’, what effect will this have on Red Bull’s competitiveness next year, and is the punishment severe enough to dissuade other teams from doing likewise?Meanwhile, Red Bull and Max Verstappen elected not to give any interviews to Sky Sports over the Mexico weekend, after being made aware that reporter Ted Kravitz had implied that Lewis Hamilton was ‘robbed’ of the 2021 World Championship.This comes after Ferrari had refused to speak to Sky at the Dutch Grand Prix, and Guenther Steiner has not spoken to Sky’s German affiliate for several races.With several voices indicating their displeasure with Sky, is it time for the broadcaster to change its approach?And with several drivers voicing their concern at the growing number of people in the F1 paddock, is it time for attendance to be capped?All this and much more on this edition of the RacingNews365.com F1 podcast!