James Hinchcliffe, Jolyon Palmer and Tom Clarkson look ahead to the first race of the 2026 Formula 1 season, the Australian Grand Prix.
Are Mercedes favourites? Are fast-starting Ferrari title contenders? How will McLaren’s teammate battle develop now Lando Norris is reigning champion? Can Max Verstappen put Red Bull in the mix? There are so many questions at the start of a new era of racing. Hinch, Jolyon and TC debate it all.
Plus, how will Williams and Alpine perform? Can Aston Martin recover after a difficult winter? Is 2026 a big chance for Haas? Which of the new teams – Audi or Cadillac – will have a stronger season?

And the team make their pre-season predictions: who will win in Melbourne, and who will be the 2026 F1 World Champion?

F1 Nation and F1 Explains have teamed up for 2026
Scroll down to find Christian Hewgill + Lawrence Barretto explaining all you need to know about the new F1 season

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Boost your knowledge ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season. Christian Hewgill and F1 Correspondent + Presenter Lawrence Barretto run through the key terms and new rules of the sport's new era.

Plus we answer your questions on how drivers will recharge their brand new batteries, how the arrival of Cadillac will change qualifying and the new advanced sustainable fuel powering the new cars.

We want your questions about how Formula 1 works! Email [email protected]

F1 Explains and F1 Nation have teamed up for 2026. Subscribe to this feed for race previews and reviews every Monday with Tom Clarkson and guests.

And check out the new season of F1 Beyond The Grid. New episodes start Wednesday 4th of March with Carlos Sainz

F1TV commentator and former Renault driver Jolyon Palmer joins Tom Clarkson to reflect on pre-season testing, as Formula 1 gets set for a very exciting new era.

The teams and drivers have had a shakedown in Barcelona, followed by two, three-day tests in Bahrain, ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in March.

So what have we learned about the new cars? Which teams look competitive? Who still has a lot of work to do? And what do we think the pecking order is heading to Melbourne?

What Next?
F1 Nation is back next Monday with our big season preview before the Australian Grand Prix. 

And F1 Explains returns for 2026 this Friday on the F1 Nation feed. Presenter Christian Hewgill is joined by F1 correspondent Lawrence Barretto to answer your questions about the new cars and regulations. Send them in to [email protected]

F1 Nation is back for 2026 and we're teaming up with F1 Explains - the podcast which answers your questions about the sport.

On Mondays F1 Nation will bring you expert reaction to F1 action, and insider views on breaking news from Tom Clarkson, Jolyon Palmer, James Hinchcliffe + more F1 insiders.

On Fridays, F1 Explains will tackle your questions on the sport. Christian Hewgill gets the answers from drivers, team bosses and the men and women who work behind the scenes. Send your questions to [email protected]

F1 Nation and F1 Explains - all in one place. New episodes start on Monday February 23rd

F1TV experts Jolyon Palmer and James Hinchcliffe join Tom Clarkson in the Yas Marina paddock after Lando Norris was crowned Formula 1 World Champion for the first time.

He was 34 points adrift after round 15, so how did Lando complete such an incredible comeback in this title fight? Has he broken the mould in terms of what we imagine a World Champion to be like? And how will being champion change Lando? 

You’ll hear reaction from the man himself, as he talks about turning his ‘struggles into strengths’ and winning this title 'the Lando way’. His race engineer Will Joseph also joins the pod to discuss how they overcame a challenging first half of the season and where they go from here.

On the other side of the garage, Oscar Piastri came home in P2 but fell short of the title by 13 points. Why did Oscar lose out after leading the championship for most of the season? What does he need to work on to take the next step? And is there a chance that Oscar will become second favourite at McLaren now that Lando has a title to his name? 

Max Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for his eighth race win of the season, but misses out on what would have been a fifth title in a row by just two points. Could Max and Red Bull have done anything differently to put more pressure on McLaren in this race? Has this been Max’s best season in Formula 1? And will Red Bull’s transformation in the second half of the year give Max more reason to commit his long-term future to the team?

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F1 correspondent and presenter Lawrence Barretto joins Tom Clarkson in the Yas Marina paddock to reflect on a high-stakes qualifying for Sunday’s title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The three title contenders make up the top three on the grid – with Max Verstappen on pole, championship leader Lando Norris in second and Oscar Piastri in third.

How can Max make life difficult for Lando and Oscar behind? What can we expect from the McLaren drivers at the start into turn 1? Will team orders come into play? And what impact could the likes of George Russell in P4 and Charles Leclerc in P5 have on the fight at the front? 

F1TV experts Jolyon Palmer and James Hinchcliffe join Tom Clarkson in the Yas Marina paddock to preview this weekend’s thrilling three-way title showdown at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Just 16 points separate the top three of Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri. So what does each driver need to win the title? And how will each of them approach such a huge occasion?

The guys discuss all the different scenarios that could shape the outcome of this title fight  and whether the McLaren drivers will help each other if in a position to do so.

Plus, Tom, Hinch and Jolyon react to Red Bull’s announcement that Isack Hadjar will replace Yuki Tsunoda for 2026. 

F1TV commentator Jolyon Palmer and Alpine Reserve Driver Paul Aron join Tom Clarkson in the Lusail paddock to reflect on another huge twist in this year’s title race. 

The guys talk about the decisive moment of the Qatar Grand Prix, when everyone except both McLaren drivers pitted under the Safety Car and Max Verstappen took full advantage to ensure the championship fight goes down to the season-finale in Abu Dhabi. 

What was McLaren’s thinking behind that strategy? Why did it cost them victory? And how should they have reacted differently?  

Tom, Jolyon and Paul also discuss why Oscar Piastri was back to his best in Qatar and why Lando Norris wasn’t quite at the level he’s shown in recent weeks.

And with just 16 points now separating Lando, Max and Oscar, what will their mindset be in the build-up to this mouth-watering title showdown at the Yas Marina Circuit?

Also on the agenda: Carlos Sainz’s incredible performance to secure his second podium for Williams, another weekend to forget for Ferrari and a strong result for Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin following the news that Adrian Newey will become their Team Principal in 2026.

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Spanish journalist Albert Fabrega joins Tom Clarkson in the Qatar paddock to discuss the news that Adrian Newey will become Aston Martin Team Principal from 2026.

Why have Aston appointed the legendary designer to this new role? How well suited is Adrian to leading a team? And what do Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll make of the decision? 

Tom and Albert also discuss the championship permutations going into the penultimate round of the season. What does Lando Norris need to be crowned World Champion this weekend? With Max Verstappen closing in, will McLaren change their approach? And who could benefit from the mandatory tyre stints Pirelli have introduced for this race?

The 2025 World Championship took another huge twist in Las Vegas, with Max Verstappen winning and both McLaren drivers being disqualified from the race after their cars were found not to comply with technical regulations.

Why exactly were McLaren disqualified? And what does this mean for the title race? F1 correspondent Lawrence Barretto joins Tom Clarkson in the paddock to explain the dramatic events that unfolded in the hours after the chequered flag.

Tom and Lawrence also discuss the Battle for P2 in the Constructors’ Championship, as Mercedes gained from McLaren’s misfortune to score a double podium, while Ferrari’s struggles continued. 

And Doriane Pin tells us how it feels to have been crowned F1 Academy champion after beating Maya Weug to the title in Vegas.

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F1TV expert and six-time IndyCar race winner, James Hinchcliffe, joins Tom Clarkson to preview this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Lando Norris leads Oscar Piastri at the top of the World Championship by 24 points. With three races and one F1 Sprint to go, there are still 83 up for grabs. 

So how will Lando and Oscar approach this triple header? Hinch shares his thoughts on the mindset of both McLaren drivers and tells Tom why it’s still all to play for despite Lando’s advantage.

Max Verstappen is now 49 points adrift of Lando but, while his title hopes look slim, will he and Red Bull still be fighting for wins and have a say in the championship outcome?

Plus, Ferrari have been on the Vegas podium two years in a row. Could this be the track where they score a first Grand Prix win of the season? After their double DNF in Brazil, Ferrari chairman John Elkann said Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc need to ‘talk less and focus on driving’. How does Hinch think those comments will impact the team?

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