The Autosport Podcast

The 2026 F1 season kicked off with a dramatic race in Melbourne, showcasing new regulations and fierce competition. In this episode, Chief Editor Kevin Turner is joined by Autosport writers Jake Boxall-Legge and Stuart Codling to analyse the race highlights, technical insights, and emerging contenders, giving you a comprehensive breakdown of the first race of the year. Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction to the 2026 Melbourne GP and race highlights 02:24 - Weekend impressions from trackside reporter Stuart Codling 03:52 - Public perception and driver comments on regulations’ impact 05:46 - Race start chaos: battery issues and safety concerns 07:36 - Exciting overtakes and early battles between Russell, Leclerc, and Hamilton 09:44 - Deployments, energy management, and qualifying insights 11:43 - Race pace, tyre longevity, and strategy missteps 13:02 - Safety and reliability of new energy deployment systems 15:02 - Team strategies, mistakes, and potential safety issues 18:08 - Mercedes’ performance gap and cust