The Autosport Podcast

In this episode of the Autosport podcast, we delve into the prestigious BRDC SuperStars programme, exploring how it nurtures and develops the most promising young British racing talent. Created by Damon Hill OBE and in recent years closely overseen by Derek Warwick, both of whom are former BRDC Presidents, the programme has a strong record of results with SuperStars chalking up an impressive total of 384 wins, 1,558 podiums and 342 pole positions, with over 45 drivers becoming full-time professionals during their time on the programme. Martyn Lee and Kevin Turner sit down with Andy Meyrick, Director of the BRDC SuperStars, to discuss the role of SuperStars in nurturing future talent, its impact on the careers of aspiring drivers and the future of British motorsports. We were also thrilled to feature two up-and-coming drivers who are currently being coached by the BRDC SuperStars programme. Callum Voisin and Matt Rees join the conversation to share their personal experiences, the challenges they face, and t

On this month’s Flat Chat podcast we discuss the major changes happening within Mercedes. At the beginning of this season, Toto Wolff claimed that Mercedes' basic car concept was a dead end and that a major rethink was needed. Our tech columnist Pat Symonds explains what this means for the team. He breaks down "car concept" and the challenges faced when attempting an engineering U-turn in the fast-paced world of Formula 1.   Hosts Stuart Codling, Mark Gallagher and Matt Kew also discuss the rising fortunes of Aston Martin. The team has been surrounded by innuendo regarding whether their cars are simply copies of other successful designs, particularly Red Bull. This month, Matt Kew takes aim at this popular narrative and sheds light on the reality of the situation, revealing that not everything is as it appears to be.   Lastly, we look forward to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend. For the first time, Baku will host a sprint race with a separate qualifying session replacing the normal Saturday morning prac

Today we delve into the fascinating world of motorsport's pioneers and the unforgettable stories of the drivers who helped shape racing history. In the final episode of our current series, Martyn Lee and Chief Editor Kevin Tuner are taking a trip back in time to explore the legends of pre-WW2 grand prix racing, uncovering the legacy of these early drivers and their impact on the sport we know today. Discover the challenges and excitement of the early days of grand prix racing, as adventurers (and even spies!) turned into professionals, pushing the limits of what was possible with emerging technology. We'll also take a deep dive into the machinery and technology available to these pioneers, exploring their ingenuity and resourcefulness to tackle poor surfaces, demanding tracks, and the endurance required to compete in two-day GPs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, we dive deep into the recent management changes within the Mercedes Formula 1 team, as James Allison and Mike Elliott swap roles in a bid to bring the team back to the forefront of Formula 1. We discuss the background and motivations behind this surprising move and analyze how it might impact the team's performance and strategies.   Martyn Lee is joined by Jonathan Noble (@NobleF1) to explore why the team decided to shuffle its senior technical personnel. As Allison returns to the role of Technical Director and Elliott takes up the position of Chief Technical Officer, we break down the reasons behind the job swap and how both individuals believe their skills are better suited to the other's position.   Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal, has also weighed in on these management changes, expressing his admiration for the introspection and self-awareness shown by both Allison and Elliott. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to the special tribute to honour the life and career of the late Craig Breen. Tragically, Craig was taken from us far too soon in a crash which left the motorsport community in mourning. Known for his heart-on-sleeve approach, Craig left an indelible mark on the world of rallying.  Today we'll be speaking with those who knew him personally, sharing stories and memories that celebrate Craig's character both on and off the track. We'll discuss his passion and and the lasting legacy he leaves behind in the rally world. Firstly we're joined by Autosport's rally man Tom Howard in Croatia. And our special guest is a renowned figure in the world of rallying, hailing from Northern Ireland, Kris Meeke. With an impressive career spanning over two decades, Kris has multiple WRC wins, is a true ambassador of the sport, and was a friend of Craigs. Kris provide a unique and heartfelt perspective. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we're heading back in time to explore the golden age of Grand Prix racing – the pre-Formula 1 era. From 1906 to the outbreak of World War II in 1939, motorsport was a hotbed of innovation and spectacular machines. So, prepare yourselves for a thrilling adventure as we delve into the top 10 pre-war Grand Prix cars and the epic races that defined them. Using Autosport's latest list as our guide, Chief Editor Kevin Turner takes a look at each car's success in major GP events and their impact on motorsport history. These incredible machines and their epic races remind us of the rich history and innovation that paved the way for the Formula 1 we know and love today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Forever the bridesmaid, never the bride – we'll explore the tale of the F1 cars that could never quite clinch the coveted victory. Today we're going to take a stroll down the pit lane of heartbreak and missed opportunities. We're discussing the definitive list of the top 10 F1 cars that, despite their promise, never managed to secure a championship Grand Prix win. Based on Kevin Turner's latest Top 10 list, we're joined by Jake Boxall-Legge to dive into these tantalizing tales of racing machines that just couldn't quite taste the victory champagne. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does the data show us after the first 3 races of the F1 2023 season? From strong Red Bull form to abysmal starts for Ferrari, Mercedes' improvements and declines, surprise midfield strengths and more, Martyn Lee is joined by Jon Noble and Blake Hinsey, ex-Red Bull Performance Engineer, to discuss everything the data tells us from the opening of the F1 2023 season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Martyn Lee is joined by Kevin Turner, Jake Boxall-Legge and Matt Kew to analyse the biggest talking points from Formula 1 at Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, Alex Kalinauckas, is in Melbourne to bring us coverage of the Australian GP. Plus he updates us on life as a travelling F1 reporter with his latest travel diary instalment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It was wet and wild Down Under as rain arrived for Free Practice 2 at the Australian Grand Prix.   Join Martyn Lee and Haydn Cobb as they recap the action as rain poured down on Albert Park, making for treacherous conditions at times and limited dry running. There were incidents for Verstappen, Norris, Stroll and Russell as drivers explored the limits.   Also listen in for a rundown of the biggest stories you've been clicking on this week at autosport.com, with news about Red Bull, Mercedes and a new FIA rule which upset fans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Autosport podcast highlights the exciting new national racing championships making their debut in 2023. We take a look at different events, categories, and circuits where the races will be held and provide information on those expected to participate. We also discuss the significance of the championships in the broader context of motorsport and the potential impact they could have on the sport's future.  Martyn Lee is joined by Kevin Turner and Stephen Lickorish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we have a very special guest, Luke Browning, who is one of the rising stars in motorsport. Luke recently made headlines by winning the prestigious Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver Award, which recognizes the most promising young drivers in the UK. He also recently joined the Hitech team for the start of the 2023 FIA F3 season. On the podcast he talks about his experiences battling to win the championship in GB3, his journey to winning our young driver award, and how he’s approaching 2023 on the F3 grid. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The latest Flat Chat podcast from GP Racing magazine leads on Valtteri Bottas becoming the first and possibly the last F1 driver on the cover with a moustache and mullet. Bottas is the subject of an exclusive no-holds-barred interview (and an unusual photo shoot) in GP Racing this month. Now free of the corporate leash he’s enjoying life – and racing – once again. He explains why he rejected advice to ‘be more evil’ while at Mercedes and why he’s taking a stand for drivers to be able to express themselves. GP Racing columnists Mark Gallagher and Matt Kew join editor Stuart Codling to discuss this latest incarnation of Bottas as well as some of the most recent developments in F1. As senior Ferrari engineer David Sanchez leaves for McLaren, the panel reflect on the chaos which seems to be enveloping the teams currently in the wake of the dominant Red Bull outfit. If former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto was as much a victim of regime change in the boardroom as of operational problems on track, why is

Martyn Lee is joined by Kevin Turner, Alex Kalinauckas and Filip Cleeren to analyse the biggest talking points from Formula 1's race under the lights at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In today's Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix qualifying at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, it was a Red Bull on Pole Position but not the world champion. One year on from his first pole position came the second pole for Sergio Perez. The Mexican driver posted a stunning lap time of 1:28.265, narrowly edging out Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who will start 12th because of a 10 place grid drop. Third was Fernando Alonso, 0.4 seconds behind Perez, but he moves up to start second, for an Aston Martin on the front row. Max Verstappen suffered a dramatic Q2 exit due to a driveshaft issue and will race from a disappointing 15th position. Martyn Lee is joined by Autosport’s F1 Writer, Jake Boxall-Legge, who is in Saudi Arabia to witness the action first hand.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Martyn Lee is joined by Editor of autosport.com, Haydn Cobb, to recap today's action at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. They talk about the biggest stories from Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, Aston Martin, Alpine and Williams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Martyn Lee is joined by Kevin Turner, Matt Kew and Jake Boxall-Legge to look back at the first race of the 2023 season and assess what it means for the year ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Listeners of the Autosport podcast asked us to tell them more about what it's like doing our job, behind the scenes. Our Grand Prix Editor, Alex Kalinauckas, has been in Bahrain since he flew out to cover F1 testing. So we asked him to record a few comments at the end of each day and explain about the tasks our Autosport staff do to bring Formula 1 to your screens or magazines. At the end of the podcast today we come up to date with his analysis of Saturday evenings qualifying and what kind of race we could expect tomorrow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso emerged as the fastest driver in the second practice session for the 2023 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. The session saw the top 13 drivers finish within one second of each other, with Charles Leclerc of Ferrari in fourth place. Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg produced an impressive effort to come fifth. Temperatures were down to 22C in the evening running under lights, prompting several teams to immediately head out on the soft tyres. Alpine's Esteban Ocon used the softs to take first place, followed by Lance Stroll of Aston Martin, who had set the first-place benchmark on the mediums a few moments earlier.   The first round of performance runs saw Leclerc surge ahead of his teammate Carlos Sainz and take the lead, which lasted for 20 minutes. Perez then shot into first place before Alonso took over the lead with a time of 1m30.907s, which remained unbeaten for the rest of the session. The drivers then completed the typical l