In short
F1 Nation previews the 2026 Miami GP after a five-week break, focusing on FIA rule changes for sprint weekend qualifying, Miami track characteristics (long straights, heavy braking, concrete walls), and how upgrades may reshuffle the pecking order.
Guests
Jolyon Palmer (former F1 driver) and James Hinchcliffe (IndyCar race winner).
Key claims
Miami could be McLaren’s best title chance so far because of a “restart” in development time and a new car/upgrade push; Mercedes remains the benchmark, but McLaren can fight if they close the gap. Russell shouldn’t panic if Kimi Antonelli is quick again—nine-point intra-Mercedes gaps aren’t decisive yet. Ferrari may be “proof of concept” in Miami; Canada/Monaco are likelier win chances. Haas and Alpine are outperforming but Red Bull should recover once it finds the sweet spot.
Notable examples
Miami’s lap-one drama risk (dusty inside line, braking-point sensitivity, big launch-speed differentials); Antonelli’s strong Miami history and Japan pace; Russell’s “asterisk” results (China qualifying issues, Japan safety-car/incident context).
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOThe Significance of the Miami GP
1:13 to 2:12
The hosts discuss the implications of the upcoming Miami GP for McLaren and other teams.
“and IndyCar race winner James Hinchcliffe.”
Changes and Upgrades for Miami
2:12 to 3:05
An overview of changes in regulations and upgrades teams have made for the Miami GP.
“which is hard to do when you have those back to back or close races early on, a lot will have changed.”
Analyzing the Miami International Autodrome
3:05 to 12:44
A detailed look at the characteristics of the Miami circuit and its challenges for drivers.
“Could we see a change in the pecking order?”
The Pressure on George Russell
12:44 to 14:00
Discussion on George Russell's performance and the pressures he faces during the season.
Kimi's Confidence and George's Calmness
14:00 to 15:12
Discussion on Kimi's racing performance and George's mindset heading into Miami.
“He very nearly didn't even get into qualifying in Melbourne.”
Ferrari's Chances in Miami
15:13 to 18:04
Analysis of Ferrari's performance and expectations for the Miami GP.
“Kimi's got a lot more to prove just yet.”
Driver Dynamics: Hamilton vs. Leclerc
18:05 to 21:32
Exploration of the competitive dynamics between Hamilton and Leclerc in upcoming races.
“I just look at Canada and look at Hamilton's record there and of course Leclerc's record at Monaco.”
Haas and Alpine: Unexpected Performers
21:33 to 24:42
Discussion on Haas and Alpine's surprising performances and their battle with Red Bull.
“Haas currently fourth, Alpine fifth in the Constructors' Championship.”
Stars of the Season: Behrman and Gasly
24:43 to 27:34
Highlights of standout performances from Behrman and Gasly in the current season.
“I think, for the teams further ahead again.”
Mental Fortitude After Crashes
27:35 to 28:00
Discussion on the mental resilience of drivers after accidents and their readiness for races.
“side effects of his crash in Japan he's he said physically he's fine but do you carry that mental baggage with you going to the next race?”
Show all 19 chapters
Colapinto's Emotional Return to Racing
28:00 to 29:20
Discussing Colapinto's confidence and emotions ahead of the Miami GP.
“The younger you are, the nuttier you are.”
Racing Bulls' Performance and Upgrades
29:20 to 30:40
Analyzing Racing Bulls' execution and upgrades for the Miami GP.
“So he'll turn up confident, but if you can't put it on paper, let's say even on the first run or two of free practice, you fall back into that rot.”
Reflections on Rookie Performance
30:40 to 34:20
Examining Lindblad's debut and the importance of the break for rookies.
“You had Lindblad absolutely flying at the start of Melbourne, really put it all together.”
Team Strategies for Improvement
34:20 to 38:40
Discussing the potential for bottom teams to improve during the break.
“You know, those first three races happen in pretty quick succession.”
Leadership Changes at Audi
38:40 to 42:00
Exploring the implications of management changes at Audi with Alan McNish's appointment.
“aston martin who knows well said yeah but so the lead time on the power unit is obviously longer than the five-week gap.”
The Dynamics of Driving for Former Drivers
42:05 to 43:30
Exploring the advantage of having team principals with driving experience.
“So I think in the short term, there'll be a little bit of growing pains just as that all, you know, that dynamic comes together, how he and Bonotto work together.”
Formula One's Return to Istanbul Park
43:31 to 45:04
Discussion on the excitement surrounding the return of Istanbul Park to the F1 calendar.
The Challenges and Thrills of Racing at Istanbul
45:05 to 47:48
Insight into the unique characteristics and challenges of racing at Istanbul Park.
“You've then got turn eight in the middle of it.”
Grand Prix Predictions: Miami Edition
47:49 to 50:28
Predictions for the upcoming Miami Grand Prix and sprint race outcomes.
“New car, punchy McLaren, and they show us what they're capable of.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:04James Hinchcliffe:This could represent certainly the best chance of the season that McLaren's had. It's almost like a restart to the season.
0:10Jolyon Palmer:I think we'll see this weekend if they can fight for the title.
0:15James Hinchcliffe:Even if Miami goes in Kimi's way, I don't think it should be panic in the Russell camp. I think they just need to, more than anything, is stay cool, stay calm.
0:24Jolyon Palmer:Miami, we did see last year, Kimi was really quick. I'd expect him to be really quick again. Kimi's got a lot more to prove just yet. Formula One is going back to Turkey. Istanbul Park is a brilliant racetrack, a modern-day classic. It's such a cool circuit. It's super intense. I'm pleased to see it back.
0:48F1 is back, and everything could be different. McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull, and the rest have had a month to study data and develop upgrades. in the hope of catching Mercedes. The Silver Arrows, of course, will have been working hard to stay ahead. So what are we going to see in Miami? That's what we're here to try and predict. I'm Tom Clarkson and welcome to F1 Nation, where I'm joined by former F1 driver Jolian Palmer and IndyCar race winner James Hinchcliffe. Guys, after five weeks away from racing, it almost feels like the start of the season again. Is that how it feels for you?
1:27Jolyon Palmer:Well, we're previewing a Grand Prix, TC, which is a nice change, isn't it? We're getting back going again, thinking about competitive orders, trying to rejig our brains on what's happened so far. Because those three races feel like so long ago, don't they? So it's nice to be winding up for Miami. And Hinch, how do you think the drivers will have been using this five-week break?
1:47James Hinchcliffe:Well, if you think about it, they had one of the shortest off-seasons they've ever had. So I'm sure in a lot of cases they were, especially after the stress of the start of the season, so much information, so much difference, so much learning. I'm sure a lot of them took the first part to really just rest, reset, recoup, give the brain a bit of a break. But then certainly as the engineers and everybody back at the factories have had a chance to really deep dive into the data, which is hard to do when you have those back to back or close races early on, a lot will have changed. They'll be back in the simulator preparing a lot of upgrades coming, you know, as we know.
2:22James Hinchcliffe:So I imagine the first half was a nice and much needed break. And the second half of this unofficial spring break has been absolutely flat out as everybody prepares for Miami. Well, you mentioned upgrades, but let's start with a quick summary of what else has changed for Miami. Because the FIA, F1 and the teams have agreed changes which should see the drivers going flat out in qualifying. Other changes are aimed at avoiding big speed differences between cars at the start and during the race. And being an F1 sprint weekend, it's been decided to make the first and only practice session of the weekend half an hour longer to help the teams and drivers get used to the changes before they go into sprint qualifying.
3:04So with all that in place, we're going to find out which team has done the best work over the break. Could we see a change in the pecking order? why don't we start guys by then looking at the track how different are the characteristics of the miami international autodrome to anything we've dealt with so far this year i'd say they're
3:26Jolyon Palmer:probably another step into difference really i mean you've got japan which is probably the biggest outlier melbourne's a real outlier as well in terms of the the amount of recharge opportunities and all of those long flat out sections but miami's got some really long straights So they would have had three DRS zones of old, which sort of tells you kind of how important those long straights are. And they're really beltingly long. Full throttle out of the last turn as well, down towards where you go flat out through the final right-hand swerve before you hit the brakes for the first corner. So there is a lot of flat-out sections, a lot of straight-line speed.
4:02Jolyon Palmer:Therefore, you're going to need to recover still plenty of energy. In between it, there's big stamps on the brakes, though. It's not like a Japan in that way so much. uh china you've always got one massive stop but then the few of them in between are not so much so i would say miami is probably although it's kind of a street circuit style it feels like it's actually fairly regular compared to what we get now in the bulk of the season i'd say hinge yeah
4:28James Hinchcliffe:i i do think that highlighting the street circuit part of it is important though i mean i know that that melbourne's sort of a temporary track but there is grass there are some runoffs Miami, there is not. It's walls. It's going to be punishing drivers that have mistakes. And in that section, those S's sort of in that first sector there, there are some kind of blindish corners, which we've talked a lot about some of the closing rates, and this is going to be one of the first tests, I think, of is anybody going to get caught out by that when you have a little bit more of a racetrack with some blind corners?
5:00James Hinchcliffe:Not as bad as Jetta, but yeah, first time we're surrounded by concrete. It's going to be interesting.
5:04Jolyon Palmer:And every time we come to Miami, that first sector, we're always like holding our breath, probably through qualifying when they're winding it up for the maximum. And you can abuse so much of the curbs through sort of turns three, and then you get into six, seven, and eight, the triple left, and you can hurtle so much speed on the way in there. And I still think we're going to see that with this generation of car, obviously less downforce, they're a little bit more lively, but you can still find a lot of time on the way in and then just be patient for that throttle because the corner exits around this circuit are kind of even more critical than we've seen so far.
5:36I always look at turn one in Miami. Pretty much every race we've had there, there's been some kind of drama with the five-week break preceding this race. Do you think that's an invitation for, I don't want to use the word carnage, but for incident at least on lap one?
5:52Jolyon Palmer:I like the idea of carnage, to be honest, TC. I think, well, you've got this kind of a short run, but then we have seen so many uh interesting starts anyway to say the least with uh someone having a shot down the inside which could be really dirty because it's a temporary circuit you don't often rubber in that inside line um and it's not obviously used the rest of the year round so it gets really dusty offline you then start breaking from the inside you're trying to go for a move you snatch a front tire and then you're pinballing in towards someone else and it's kind of getting your braking point for that first turn is going to be really difficult and when you consider the first corners that we've just come from japan china they're very very different they're not big stamps on the brakes they're not about judging your brake it's about judging your confidence and your throttle liftoff here if you're missing a little bit of brake pressure if you're missing five meters on the brakes it's going to be it's going to be an incident so it's a different different challenge and i think the other thing to consider right is
6:51James Hinchcliffe:we've seen very different launch speeds from cars so you're you're gonna have i think a little bit more of a differential in speed before you even get to that brake zone which is then obviously a bit more substantial than what we've seen so um yeah as you say carnage could be on the menu
7:07Jolyon Palmer:they're tricky when you're when you've got some people sort of looking in the mirrors all the way into the first corner you've got other people just charging forwards looking looking for more and more places when everyone's uniform at a start and you're sort of row four and you think you're going to be seventh and eighth if it's great you go sixth that's sort of one thing you've got to judge one or two cars but with the starts that we've seen so far this year you've got cars that are gaining three four positions even more from further back and so you have got space of the track where there might be no one and then a space of the track where you might be four wide into that first corner do you expect grip levels to be different now that we've got f2 there this this year for the first time probably help a little bit it's another single seater series with pirelli rubber as well that will will help to clean up the racing line it's always better to have your your f1 feeder series there it's also you know less local traffic that's going to be out there dropping anything on the on the racing line dropping oil or anything else so it'd be better maybe marginally all right let's look at the pecking order then um let's start by looking at mclaren versus mercedes right mclaren have won in miami for the past two years and their technical director of performance mark temple told us on this show he thinks mercedes are beatable mclaren team principal andrea stella says the team is bringing a completely new car to miami so is this the race where mclaren get their first win of the year do you rate their chances i mean it's so it's
8:36James Hinchcliffe:almost like a restart to the season as you mentioned earlier with this amount of time off the information and all the data that the teams have from the first three rounds we know that everybody is bringing a lot of upgrades it's yes i mean yeah the short answer is yes i think they have as good a shot as the top anyone in the top three teams uh we have to remember that mercedes has been very quick here as well the last few round or last few years especially uh you know kimmy antonelli's performance here last year was incredibly uh impressive but this could represent certainly the best chance of the season that mclaren's had just because it is a little bit of a reset and you know historically they have run well here they feel confident heading to this
9:15Jolyon Palmer:race they're all the talk is new car they've preset miami as an upgrade chance anyway which they did a couple of years ago when norris got his first win with a massively upgraded car and they've done a similar thing this year i think they knew they were on the back foot on the back of last season pushing so hard for the title so they sort of were getting through those first races and then miami was going to be a target now it's obviously better for them that the two middle eastern races didn't happen because they've got that deficit i don't know if they'll win I don't know if they'll be able to fight, but they have got the Mercedes power unit that they're getting closer and more on top of.
9:50Jolyon Palmer:And that extra 30 minutes of free practice, I think, could be so important for them with the amount of upgrades we're expecting on the car. I think we'll see this weekend if they can fight for the title. I think we'll see really if they're going to be close enough, because if they don't make enough strides here, then I don't think they'll catch up over the year. That's really interesting. So you think the pecking order that we see in Miami will set the form book for the rest of the year? It will set the form book for the next chapter of the year, which is you've got Miami, then you go straight to Montreal, another sprint weekend.
10:26Jolyon Palmer:Different circuit, but again, there's not going to be, I don't think, another big raft of upgrades coming. There'll be small tweaks probably in this couple of week gap. Monaco then, again, massively different circuit, but not one that you're going to bring big upgrades to. and then you get back towards the sort of european calendar and the conventional racetracks this is the month where if you've been having issues and you've got the chance to get on top of them which is a few teams have have had these developments in the pipeline and now they can unleash them i just feel like if they're still chasing it by a considerable you know a quantifiable margin i feel like they're going to be is they're already with 100 points nearly deficit to mercedes the drivers are sort of 50 points away from the lead if they're taking more deficit in the next couple of races i don't think they'll make it up does that apply to george russell as well let's look at that intra-team battle at mercedes now the deficit between george and kimmy antonelli leading is nine points kimmy's won the last two races of course george is going to pull the line it's a long season we've got a long way to go but does it does he need to stop the rot is that how he's going to approach this it's a crucial race particularly as Antonelli is as Hinch was just saying was so quick here last year he's got to he's got to turn the tide right he does but I don't
11:40James Hinchcliffe:think it's quite as as pressing time-wise as people are making it think you know we're around four there's a lot of racing to go you just look back last year after the summer break you had a 34 point deficit between Piastri and Norris and by Mexico Norris had taken the championship lead back. So a nine point gap in Miami, I don't think should stress anybody out. Yes. You don't want Kimi getting too much confidence. You don't want him winning at every type of circuit and, and getting on too much of a role. But I, even if sort of like Piastri had that string of, of tracks that didn't suit him particularly well in the, in the latter part of last year.
12:19James Hinchcliffe:And it sort of, you know, added to the, the drop in performance, right. As, as Norris was peaking, if Kimi is particularly really good at Miami fine is he going to be good at Montreal we don't know he's you know he's he did okay there last year um but so did George he did better right so again even if Miami goes in Kimmy's way I don't think it should be panic in the Russell camp I think they just need more than anything is stay cool stay calm do what he does he's been driving so so well the tail end of last year I mean really all last year started this year everything Kimmy's done well he has done very well but there have been little asterisks beside both you know China and Japan so if I'm Russell I'm trying really hard not to panic because he and the team are doing great they just need to focus and not let the success Kimi's having you know kind of get to them what was the asterisks next to Antonelli's win in Japan I understand the China one in that George had problems in qualifying and Kimi got the pole and then took the win but what was it in in Japan because Kimi was quicker than George pretty much all weekend as as far as I can make out right but the safety car oh sure but but I think as much as the result it was the speed of Antonelli that will have worried George right yeah for sure I mean he definitely had pace and once he got to the front it's not like anybody was going to touch him but you know George was dealt dealt a bad hand in the race even the speed throughout the weekend is almost irrelevant right the race is what matters and in the race he was ahead before that all happened so um yeah i do think there is still a little bit of uh you know
13:54Jolyon Palmer:of a footnote on that one as well but also i guys you were sort of saying stop the rot for george russell he's had what a second in china with a big asterisk or double asterisk uh and then a fourth okay not the best race in japan and the pace there was definitely towards kimmy but before that he's been cleaning up everything he's been winning everything he won the sprint you know kimmy very nearly crashed out of the sprint in China. He very nearly didn't even get into qualifying in Melbourne. So it's been fine details that generally have gone Kimi's way so far, but I don't think George is thinking that he needs to stop the rot or anything as dramatic as that.
14:32Jolyon Palmer:I kind of think if I'm George, you've got to stay so calm. Miami, we did see last year Kimi was really quick. I'd expect him to be really quick again. Sometimes as a driver, you just gel with a certain track. You know, going back to somewhere where you had a sprint pole last year as a rookie, you're going to have confidence you know exactly where you can throw all those curbs i was talking about in the first sector a lot of them about attitude of the car as you go over the curb making sure you're not unsettling it making sure you're taking exactly the right point to the inch otherwise you can have these big snaps that then take away the confidence but if you start with a lot of that confidence you can chip away particularly on a sprint weekend and george has got to think maybe the guy is going to be quicker again here but do the best i can and then there will be certain tracks coming up that if he can't win in Miami, which he might do, I think he'll get back into his stride again.
15:19Jolyon Palmer:Kimi's got a lot more to prove just yet. He's gaining confidence, but I think there's so much more for him to prove. And you think George has the patience and the maturity now to think like that? I feel like he does at the moment. I feel like there's a difference when I look at George compared to Lando last year, where I think Lando felt like there was more pressure on his shoulders with just the way that he was speaking, the way that he was saying he's not comfortable with the car he arrived in China having won in Melbourne but he was still saying I'm not feeling the love from the the car George's shoulders back he is he's waltzing down the paddock he is still you know the confident air in him and I think every time he turns up at the moment he thinks he's going to win it didn't happen in Japan but I don't see yet him having any sort of pressure on his shoulders of course it must be there but I don't see that coming just after one weekend where he's been categorically outpaced.
16:11Jolyon Palmer:Maybe he'll come in a few races, but for now, I think he's still confident.
16:26Shall we move it on to the red team, to Ferrari, second in the Constructors' Championship after these opening three races? Rumors of big upgrades being shaken down during a filming day at Monza. I mean, they've been quick. Both drivers have finished on the podium, but they've felt quite a long way off a win, in my opinion. Guys, do you think this five-week break has given them enough opportunity to really challenge in Miami?
16:55Jolyon Palmer:I don't know. I think Miami's not going to be one that they're going to be expecting to fight for the win just yet. I know there's a big load of upgrades coming for them. That's exciting. i also that they've had this confidence through the start of the season that they know something good is coming on the car and this is probably going to be the arrival of it in miami the thing that i see with ferrari is that they've already got a really good car the chassis side you know that's where the upgrades are going to be coming more and more aerodynamics uh more downforce hopefully more performance but what they really need is a bit more grunt from for miami and again talk about those long straights i just think a little bit like they struggled in in japan on the the three long straight sections there i don't know if they'll be able to add enough downforce so it's already a really good car with everyone else you know mclaren bringing upgrades i'm sure mercedes will be moving forward as well i don't know if they'll be able to completely overcome mercedes at miami maybe they will we will find out you know we're all just punting i do think Canada and more particularly Monaco are going to be their big chances to get into a race winning frame.
18:04And how much is that down to drivers in Canada and Monaco? I just look at Canada and look at Hamilton's record there and of course Leclerc's record at Monaco. Do you think are those tracks coming up where the guys in the cockpit can actually overcome some of the deficiencies in the car?
18:20James Hinchcliffe:Yeah, I think they can make a difference, you know, and in the same way that we talk about Kimi potentially being really good at Miami and drivers just gelling with certain racetracks, for sure, you know, Canada's a special one for Hamilton for a lot of different reasons, always run very competitively there. And, you know, the man for Monaco, nobody is quicker around the streets of the principality than Leclerc. So I actually, I quite agree coming into Miami for whatever reason, even with as strong a start to the season as they've had, you know, we started with McLaren and Mercedes, and that still, to me, sort of seems like the battle that we're going to be seeing there but come the following two rounds absolutely i think
18:57Jolyon Palmer:ferrari can be up there and and with both drivers as well so the big thing the for the next two is that recharging the battery is just going to be basically for free montreal you've got some short straights and punchy little straights but you've got so many big braking events it's always the sort of circuit where you're on the limit of cooking the brakes and okay into the final chicane that's going to be there'll be a little bit of d rating into there but basically going to be able to recharge the battery really easily they're not going to be taking the loss that they've got on the straights too much they'll have to swallow a little bit into the final corner and that'll be basically it for monaco there'll be nothing it'll just be pure chassis performance what have you got in terms of uh downforce and compliance and right now they look like they could be the class of the field there so that's why i'm so excited for them in the next races but for miami i think it'll be kind of proof of concept get it working sprint weekend again use that extra 30 minutes dial in still hope that they can get these great starts and hope that they can challenge because they're not miles away but it feels like it's more akin to the last few circuits in terms of how sort of power sensitive it is and what about the intra-team battle between the two drivers then i mean um hamilton seems so much happier with this regulation this type of car than he was at any of the previous four years.
20:16Do you think he can hold a candle to Leclerc, or do you think the edge is still with Schal like it was last year?
20:23James Hinchcliffe:I think these next two to three races are really going to be the telltale sign, right? Because with everything changing for 2026, yes, he definitely, he says he feels better in the car. It physically, visually looks better when he's driving, when you're watching, you know, the onboards or watching, you know, I know Julian mentioned a track side in testing. But we do know even last year, you know, Shanghai was a great race for him, right? So he's had some success at those races, and it's kind of repeated. I feel like last year, this is the point of the season where the gap really started to grow between him and Charles.
20:56James Hinchcliffe:And so if over these next two, three events, at a place like Montreal where we expect him to be very quick, if he can stay ahead and stay in the fight, then I think it kind of gives you the confidence that, okay, I can do this all year long if you're Hamilton. if he starts falling back you know if for some reason some of these changes some of these upgrades make the car a bit more on the nose and and it sort of goes more towards a balance that suits charles style we could see a gap within the team start to grow i'm not saying i think that's going to happen i'm certainly not saying i hope that happens but i i think it's a little too early still to know exactly where that that battle between the two of them is going to be okay but we're confident that ferrari will be what the third fastest team this coming weekend minimum
21:40Jolyon Palmer:minimum third yeah the gap behind is just too big at the moment and i guess the question is how good is mclaren's upgrade package versus ferrari's because they're basically just in an in an upgrade
21:51James Hinchcliffe:off heading to miami and remember ferrari's been in the team that's kind of had some of the cooler innovations so far you know heading into the into the pre-season throughout the first few races maybe we're all kind of sleeping on them as a team that could bring out actually the biggest and most impressive upgrades because they have sort of had that trend so far this year right What about the battle behind the top three? Haas currently fourth, Alpine fifth in the Constructors' Championship. Both of those teams ahead of Red Bull, would you believe it? Now, can they stay there? Can they continue to beat the Milton Keynes team?
22:24What do you think, guys? Let's start with Haas.
22:27James Hinchcliffe:They've said that they are really trying to front load their upgrades. So they're trying to blow as much of their development budget as they can, as early in the season as they can. They know there's some low-hanging fruit there. They want to get that performance right away and then begin to understand, you know, where the performance is. That might give them the edge now, but who knows how that plays out down the line and whether that, you know, kind of penalizes them and holds them back later in the season. It's tough to tell. It is shocking to think that the smallest team on the grid could potentially out develop Red Bull over this, you know, this stretch.
Read the full transcript
23:01James Hinchcliffe:I know we can get to Alpine in a sec, but starting with Haas, they're ahead now. Can they stay ahead? If they are putting a lot of effort and like I said, in front loading the upgrades, you would expect almost them to stay there, at least in the short term. But with the pure size, the resource, the experience of Red Bull, I mean, you'd be shocked if it stayed that consistent pecking order and Red Bull stayed the fifth, sixth fastest team as the season progresses. I think it's been an incredible performance from Haas up to this point. I just don't know if it's sustainable.
23:34Jolyon Palmer:They're not staying ahead of Red Bull. They just can't. They just can't. There's been a lot that's gone wrong as well for Red Bull so far. A lot more has gone wrong for Red Bull than it's gone wrong for Haas. Haas have had a really clean run so far through the first races. Obviously, Behrman's big crash, but he was already coming from a Q1 exit in Japan. When you look at Red Bull's season so far, they lost a load of points with Hadjar in Melbourne. Verstappen had to start from the back of the field. uh they lost more points with max in china and had you had a spin uh and then japan they were still struggling for a little bit of pace and trying to get on on top of things they haven't had a clean weekend as and when they they obviously need to find a bit of performance which they kind of had in in melbourne so i believe they've got way more in their locker than they had in uh than they than they showed in china and japan they just got nowhere near the sweet spot of that car probably they'll they'll be bringing a ton of upgrades as well for the for the next race They've obviously already bought a few to Japan, which didn't really look like they paid off.
24:33Jolyon Palmer:But all they need is a clean weekend. And I think we'll start to see both, you know, Hadjov's done a really good job. He's been close to Max. He'll be getting a good chunk of points. Verstappen will start to be a menace, I think, for the teams further ahead again. I just can't see as great as Haas have been, as good as Gasly's been in Alpine, it would be a shock if they could really take a fight to Red Bull so far. And the Red Bull power unit is good. and you really feel that Hassan Alpine could have done with those two Middle Eastern races right before Red Bull hit their stride they needed the points from those two races didn't they with the resource that Red Bull have got you don't want to give them a month to pour through data work on the car bring new parts they you know they I know they've had a lot of people leave and we did the whole podcast special about GP and the exodus they've still got it there's a huge amount of resource there and you do feel like that has to come out on top when it starts ticking over Hass and over Alpine.
25:27Jolyon Palmer:Alpine said at the start of the year they're going to bring big upgrades at set intervals. I believe one is Miami as well. So not quite as front loaded as Haas maybe, but they're playing the long game this year. You know, maybe they can keep fighting Red Bull for the moment, but you just feel that as soon as Red Bull figure it out, they've got the sort of baseline to be much quicker than they've shown. And looking at the driver performances, are Behrman and Gasly standout performers for you guys this year?
25:56James Hinchcliffe:I think Gasly for sure. I mean, Behrman as well. I mean, they've both done an incredible job. You look at, you know, Haas' combined position, the points total, it's all but one point has been Behrman. Gasly has, you know, obviously done a great job as well. But for me, I mean, he's the one that I've kind of looked at more just because through the second half, well, through really all of last year, but certainly in the latter half of the season, I mean, it was just so, it was so painful, you know, to show up every weekend for him knowing that we hadn't been upgrading the car and it was just going to be, you know, what's the damage limitation?
26:29James Hinchcliffe:And he's really taken this opportunity and run with it. Some very strong drives, some very strong performances, both on Saturdays and Sundays. So he's been a delight to watch. Behrman, you almost expected it just because of how strongly he ended last season. But I think both of those guys have done a phenomenal job.
26:46Jolyon Palmer:And they both seem so happy and at ease with life this year as well. even speaking to him right at the start of the season i spoke to pierre in pre-season he was so laid back and happy with obviously knows that suddenly he's gonna be fighting for points but he's not a guy that's scratching his head about what on earth's going on of course everyone's trying to learn all the drivers are still like the engineers and and the everyone of the teams trying to work out how these things properly work but he was just taking it all in super chill and behem in the same figuring out things on the fly in the australian grand prix working out how overtake works to make his pass on Limblad and it took him I don't know 15 laps which was more than he hoped but he was also relaxed about it and I do think that those two are the leading stars for their team at the moment obviously Behrman missed out in Japan but generally their standout performances have carried their teams up the order and do you think Behrman will be suffering any side effects of his crash in Japan he's he said physically he's fine but do you carry that mental baggage with you going to the next race?
27:45Jolyon Palmer:Hinch is better to answer this one than me that's for sure Well, Hinch, yeah, sure. Indianapolis. How were you next time you went there?
27:53James Hinchcliffe:Yes, I've definitely hit some walls in my day, JP. Thanks for that. But no, look, drivers were nuts. He won't carry any of that. The younger you are, the nuttier you are. And anybody still willing to strap into a Formula 1 car and go racing is missing a little bit, you know. so um so no it won't affect him at all um if anything it'll make him a little bit a little bit smarter and a little bit more heads up on some of those potential situations maybe parts on that racetrack that will potentially create those situations obviously they've made some changes to try to mitigate the speed you know deltas that we've been seeing but no he's shaking that off the knees healed the bruise is gone he's ready to go and colapinto is going to turn up in Miami uh full of emotion and adrenaline after his show car run in Argentina over the weekend um he's an emotional guy a passionate guy do you think that will help him reach new heights
28:53Jolyon Palmer:imagine he'll walk into Miami feeling like he is the next coming event and center suddenly with one man well found Joe let's say um you know when the the support he has from his local crowd is is incredible and that's when you're not in Argentina so taking that that show run in in uh in Buenos Aires must have been pretty spectacular for him. Yeah, I mean, it's going to be, he'll have a bit of confidence, but in the end, there's been quite a big gap between himself and Pierre so far. So he'll turn up confident, but if you can't put it on paper, let's say even on the first run or two of free practice, you fall back into that rot.
29:31Jolyon Palmer:So he has to use that and thrive off that Argentinian energy straight away.
29:42we've discussed red bull racing already but can we talk about racing bulls who are just two points behind the big team execution wise they've been exemplary so far this year they're bringing an upgrade to miami just how much do you think they can achieve yeah i mean
30:00James Hinchcliffe:again there's so many unknowns heading into miami like you say i think from an execution standpoint they've done very very well especially with with two young drivers you've got Lawson with some experience but certainly not much if that's the veteran in your team you know that's saying something and Lindblad is a rookie I think the two of them have done a really good job dealing with all the changes dealing with everything that's been new but and then the team again like you say is executed with the package they've got I do not think it's as strong a package as a lot of the cars in front the Red Bull powertrain as Jolin was mentioning earlier seems to have actually been a kind of pleasant surprise for for that team and the sister team but um it'll be interesting to see kind of where they stack up because again a team without the resource of the big four certainly not making the noise about the upgrades that they're bringing that say a haas is so i'm curious kind of where they stack up it could be a weekend where they might actually fall down a little bit if they haven't kept up on that development side or they've planned their developments a little bit more spread out over the next five six races i think also they're a team that have
31:06Jolyon Palmer:probably come close to maximizing their potential in those first races at least with one car each time when you look through their results eighth seventh and ninth for racing bulls when you think of the top guys being too far away uh we're already speaking about has and alpine being very strong but racing bulls have always been there with a with at least a couple of points out from each Grand Prix. You had Lindblad absolutely flying at the start of Melbourne, really put it all together. Lawson has been really solid the last couple of races as well. I think the strategy has fallen quite nicely for him so far as well in those, whether it's the sprint race and he's on the hard tire, pitting under safety cars in China and Japan, getting himself up the order when he hasn't really qualified in the top 10 there.
31:48Jolyon Palmer:I honestly did in Melbourne, but got a bad start. So I feel like they've maximized it. And if everyone else starts to get closer to their real potential then they might find it a little bit harder to land back in the points but we'll see they've proven that they can have a good car that's that's giving the drivers confidence again and they can develop it as well so maybe they'll be ready to surprise again and what about linblad then stunning debut as you say in melbourne is it useful to be able to press pause after three races give you an opportunity just to reflect what you've done look at what you've got coming up get yourself back into a proper sleep pattern staying you know in the same same bed for consecutive nights and do you think this has come at a good time for him this gap i think so i'd have taken it definitely you because you hit the ground running and you're just like a sponge absorbing everything possible in in melbourne you'd like what is formula one even going to feel like be like race like what's it like working with a full crew for the first time doing pit stops longer races all of this stuff he's so young and he did it so well so you nail it then you turn up to china and you think okay i'm a i'm a legend i'm one of these guys and you and just a few things went wrong for him he was still look quick still look sharp had poor reliability and a couple of spins but i actually i had a decent debut in melbourne and i know exactly this feeling you turn up to the next race and you think i am one of the best and then you're like oh okay maybe i need to keep working at this because they are actually moving on the whole time um and then And in Japan, he was actually really solid again and did a great job in qualifying and missed out a bit in the race.
33:22Jolyon Palmer:But I think the reset, just to think, okay, and breathe, because it comes at you so quickly. All of this Formula One life is so busy when you're into the run of it. We should have had five Grand Prix by now. And it goes by in an absolute flash. So just having a chance to absorb everything that you've learned and kind of like restart from scratch. You still got the points on the board from Melbourne, but he just can have a chance to compute what went right what went wrong how do you tidy up those rough edges on the other grand prix
33:50James Hinchcliffe:i think it's perfect for a rookie this it's a bit like you know jp you can relate to this i'm sure when you do a two-day test in a new car right so the first day it's it's all very overwhelming you're sort of just trying to keep your head above water you feel like you're drinking from a fire hose trying to take everything in you go to bed you sleep on it you wake up you come to the track the next day when you get in the car it all feels like second nature everything you've done just sort of happens automatically. This is like an exaggerated version of that. You know, those first three races happen in pretty quick succession.
34:23James Hinchcliffe:So much is happening. So much is being learned. Now you've had a chance to sit back, let it all digest, let it really ingrain into your brain, that muscle memory stuff. When they get back in the cars in Miami, I think a lot of that stuff will feel a lot more second nature, especially to a driver like Lindblad, who doesn't have to unlearn habits and procedural things from an old car and is, again, like you say, just young and learning this Formula One way. So, yeah, I think you're right. I think it's been probably a very welcome break for him. And he is a sponge. He's actually my guest on this week's F1 Beyond the Grid out on Wednesday.
34:59And I was really impressed by him. He's confident without being arrogant and he wants to learn. He's a bright cookie.
35:07Jolyon Palmer:Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick. All of that is the best thing you could hear for an 18-year-old. Well, what about the bottom four? Audi Williams, Cadillac and Aston Martin have had the most to gain during the break since Japan. How much progress are they going to make? Do you expect the pecking order among them to change? What are you expecting, guys, from the bottom four?
35:30James Hinchcliffe:Okay, of that group, you'd hope that Williams makes the biggest jump, right? It sounds like a lot of their issues come from a heavy car and time helps solve that, right? That will give them all the engineers back at the factory a chance to shave some weight off it. And hopefully that's just instant pace. They've got the power unit in the back of that thing. It just needs, you know, some help in the weight. The drivers were saying, yes, the balance isn't great either. And it's probably missing a bit of downforce. But again, with the structure that James Vowles has built there, you'd like to think that of those four teams, they're probably going to make the most jump.
36:05James Hinchcliffe:Next, you know, you'd hope that Cadillac just being kind of as far down as they were, knowing immediately where the weaknesses are. It's pure downforce for them. First time they'd run a car, first time they'd raced a car, lots learned. Hopefully, again, some low-hanging fruit there that they can improve on. Audi, it's tough to know because, again, they're probably trying to continue to improve the power unit. They're going to obviously push for upgrades on the chassis. They've had a little bit of turmoil. I don't know if that's an unfair term at the team. uh it's become destabilized a little bit with with the change in management with jonathan wheatley walking out so that kind of makes you worry about where their their progress is going and how much they can make and then obviously aston who knows i mean they could be exactly where they were they could be mildly better they could be two seconds faster because they were they were so far off to begin with that one i think is the biggest question mark and hardest one to
36:57Jolyon Palmer:predict yeah i i agree williams i think that they they didn't really have excuses at the start of the year but they certainly don't have excuses not to actually just correct their their sort of wrong turn that they've taken at some point with this and it's been what nine weeks since the last pre-season test so they at the very least they obviously missed the barcelona running but at very least they would have realized exactly where they're at when the car hit the ground and you think there's got to be something coming in all of this time plus the month off to put on the car to shed weight to find downforce they've got a load of issues all up and down the car but they have to be a team that can move forward they're the closest probably to do that other than Audi who have their inherent issue with the starts and I don't know if that'll be fixed although the slight tweak of the rules might fix a little bit of their start issues as well with the use of the MG UK if you don't get off the line at all well so we'll see how that pans out for Audi that might salvage a place or two for them because their starts have been hideous so far.
37:59Jolyon Palmer:Cadillac must be able to add downforce. You know, they have a Ferrari power unit. That's a great baseline. It's not the best power unit. It's very competitive at the front. It's leading every race. So that's one part that's the complex part of this year. The next part is just adding downforce. Now, I'm not a car designer. I have no qualifications in this at all, but they have a lot that they can find they have people that are very well equipped with great qualifications to do the job uh they have pat simmons they have nick chesty these are these are you know brilliant designers of race winning championship winning uh acclaim so they have to be able to add some downforce i'm not expecting them to get with the pack but i am expecting them to make a leap in in miami finally aston martin who knows well said yeah but so the lead time on the power unit is obviously longer than the five-week gap.
38:49But you talk about Cadillac having good people to put development on the chassis. Well, you have to say that Aston have that as well. So I would expect the chassis to have improved since Japan at Aston Martin at the very least.
39:02Jolyon Palmer:A hundred percent. They have Adrian Newey there. He was late to the project. That's part of the long unfurling of their excuses is that Adrian was late. But you have to believe that because the guy has got an amazing CV. he's one of the geniuses of the sport all time so they will catch up on the chassis but the problem is the power unit isn't it's just such a big issue where they have to run it even detuned to get any level of reliability out of it and they're still trying to figure out or they were still trying to figure out uh exactly what was going on as japan and i don't know how they could have done that without putting the car back on the track in in the meantime so adrian can work his magic but i It's going to need a lot more than that to get the car into any level of competitive order.
39:46Jolyon Palmer:That's the problem.
39:52Now, Hinch, you talked about the management changes at Audi and Jonathan Wheatley, team principal, leaving after the Chinese Grand Prix. That'll happen. But actually news at the end of last week is that Alan McNish is coming into Audi to stabilise the camp. He's now their racing director. He's got great Audi heritage. He's raced for them for 25 years. He's been the team principal of their Formula E team. He won the World Endurance Championship for Audi back in 2013. He's in charge of their driver development program. So he's been embedded inside that team since the start of the Audi project, quite frankly.
40:30And he's now being recognized as the guy leading the team track side, which is very much what Jonathan Wheatley was doing when he was there. So I feel things are starting maybe to settle down actually at Audi and we might start to see them make a little bit of progress. With McNish, I worked with him in the past at the BBC. He's got a great racing brain. There's nothing he doesn't know about the sport, let alone Formula 1. So I'm really pleased for Alan first, but also I think he's a great appointment. I think he's an Audi man. He's got Audi DNA in him, if you understand what I mean by that. But he thinks like the management at Audi or perhaps the management are thinking like him more to the point.
41:11James Hinchcliffe:Yeah, I mean, this appointment is great. I mean, I completely agree. He checks all the boxes. He has all the experience. Because he hadn't been as forward-facing on the Yachty program, I almost feel like his appointment here was sort of like his F1 driving career, where it was maybe a bit later than it could have been and sort of a little bit out of nowhere. But again, but well-deserved in both cases. And I'm super excited for him, and I'm super excited for the team and the direction that he can take them. Because as you say, he's got all the qualifications, bleeds the brand. And and that's absolutely, I think, the right call.
41:45James Hinchcliffe:But as we know, you know, somebody stepping into that role, that's not something that you see changes instantly. Right. That's not an overnight adjustment. He's got still a lot to learn for that specific role. And he still has to start, you know, feeling out where they're at, feeling out where, you know, he thinks he can make a difference and what changes he wants to see. So I think in the short term, there'll be a little bit of growing pains just as that all, you know, that dynamic comes together, how he and Bonotto work together. But ultimately, I think long term, it's a it's a brilliant play from Audi.
42:18Just as drivers, did you prefer reporting to an ex-driver yourself? Did you feel they understood your needs better than someone who hasn't actually been in the cockpit?
42:27James Hinchcliffe:It helps. I always did. I liked I liked driving for former drivers for sure. um you know i've raced for michael andretti for a long time uh that was always a good boss to have in that sense because you speak the same language they've had that experience so i've i've i've always kind of liked having that dynamic i don't know about you jp never had it never had it i
42:47Jolyon Palmer:yeah always had um well fred verser serial abutable uh yeah always had non-drivers i would have liked to report to a driver because you you do talk the language is just slightly different isn't it when you you report back to a driver and they get what you're saying in fewer words i feel like you could just do a little hand motion and then understand what the car's doing and for my money there's not enough former drivers that are team principals used to be a bit more of a thing didn't it back in the day you had jackie stewart taking over at stewart grand prix you had alan pross taking over a team uh nikki lauder of course um it's been a long time all the tps are
43:24James Hinchcliffe:moving to engineering backgrounds which we certainly do yeah but guys i don't i'm not even talking about from an engineering point of view from what the car's doing it's more you know outside of the garage in a way it's kind of like guys you know here we are how are you dealing with the pressure i know what you're feeling can we sort out you know the logistics
43:44Jolyon Palmer:better for you it's almost do they understand that bit oh 100 100 tc because they've done it and mcnish has been there he's he's raced in formula one he knows it was what 25 years ago now that he that he raced in formula one but the sport is has changed in many ways but the logistic side of it you know dealing at the high level when you rock up to a race weekend all of the the things that you that you have to deal with all the pressures all of this stuff the media the sponsors and partners and he knows what it's like and he again just understands what a driver's feeling which if you haven't raced in Formula One I think it's difficult to fully grasp it and he's a smart guy as well Alan McNish I think he's a I think he's a great hire because he's been around as you say he's been around motorsport for such a long time anyone who's had his success at Le Mans is a thinking driver he's a he's a smart intelligent guy that can can work out things on the fly and adapt and I think he's a I think he's the obvious hire he's a great now one final bit of news before we go to miami is that formula one is going back to turkey next year and if you've only just started watching formula one istanbul park in turkey is a brilliant racetrack a modern day classic it was on and off the calendar between 2005 and 2021 and the nine races we've had there previously have always been exciting it's going to be back on the schedule from 2027 to 2031 five years of racing back at istanbul park jp you race there in gp2 talk us around the track i mean i i immediately think of turn eight but there's a lot more to it as well right yeah it's such a cool circuit it's one of the one of the the old times for me it's like undulation that you don't really get from the tv but it's everywhere in the the whole first half of the lap, blind apexes, little crests, and then you drop down, super fast approaches.
45:40Jolyon Palmer:You've then got turn eight in the middle of it. But even into turn eight, you're coming quite steeply up a hill on the exit of what I think is actually technically turn six. And then the long drag as well down to the final corner, downhill slightly, and then a really tricky braking zone. It's super intense. I think the drivers are going to have to up their training even more because of those fast corners especially turn eight is brutal i did my first ever gp2 main series race in turkey i'd never driven it before i turned up 30 minutes of practice it was wet like monsoon wet bone dry for qualifying so i'm like okay it's all these veterans what the heck is this place all about went out completely wide-eyed of course i've done a few laps on the sim but these are like 2011 gp2 sims they're not exactly state of the art and it was a roller coaster ride just braving it basically through all these turns it's a serious circuit i'm pleased to see it back on pole just just can you finish that story for us pole by three tens no no no no i think i was top half which i'll take for my debut i think i was like 12 but it's interesting it's it's thrown up just lots of interesting races there's been controversy you talked about the breaking points into that sort the last section, I think, of Vettel and Weber making contact in 2010.
47:02Of course, it's where Hamilton sealed his seventh world title back in 2020. That race, Lance Stroll was on pole position for it in the wet. So it's a crazy race track for throwing up odd results in many ways.
47:18James Hinchcliffe:And you love that. I mean, you love having that kind of track. And I feel like we've seen that it sometimes that's hungaro ring sometimes that's monza you know you've seen some uh some impressive performances at some of those places but it's it's always good to have one that's um you know a little bit of a little bit of an outlier a little bit of a roulette wheel because people
47:37Jolyon Palmer:love seeing a shock result the racing there as well is is fantastic so you've got that really long run you've got out of turn eight then you've got a left right chicane difficult to pass um but then then then there's the long run to the final three corners big braking zone but the amount of times you can sort of swap places trade paint a little bit through there and then you get another chance to do something into turn one and then you're whipping up the hill towards turn three it's like this switchback heaven at uh at istanbul so it's a it's a driver's favorite simply to go around i think this was one of herman tilke's best circuits that he made it's it's really very good can we have one little f1 nation request to stefano dominicali can we not go there in november do you remember in covid the races were in november and it was really cold good race though tc we made it a summer race it was a good race i thought you're gonna say can we have one f1 nation request can we do some laps in the car let's all go around and record one of these around the circuit now you're talking yeah some pirelli hot laps with you two please i'm i'm right in there let's break it down finally guys so i want you for the main grand prix you know we'll do the sprint as well actually sprint and and for the main grand prix on sunday back in miami now give us your podium sprint first of all all right so let's i'll do
48:59James Hinchcliffe:sprint first so you can do grand prix first then um i still think you know mercedes come with the the slight advantage so even even with all the upgrades you got to figure them out first so their baseline's the best so let's say for sprint it's still a mercedes one two and we'll throw lando in there for p3 because he's been quick at miami in the past i'll go with that for the sprint
49:20Jolyon Palmer:i i think i can see it's george or kimmy take your pick i can see george coming out of the blocks quite quickly and and taking the sprint uh but then throw it forward to the race and i'm just gonna go curveball i'm gonna say mclaren get on top of this you had oscar second in japan and i'm going to say Lando gets a clean run through Miami. He's had the win there in the past. New car, punchy McLaren, and they show us what they're capable of. So Norris takes a bit of a surprise win ahead of the two Mercedes.
49:50James Hinchcliffe:I was just thinking, are we underplaying this whole Ferrari start advantage in a sprint race, right? Because if you can get out front and there's no real strategy and you can just stay out there, maybe a Ferrari wins the sprint. And which one, Hinge? I'd say Leclerc. I'd say Leclerc. Street circuit connoisseur, so to speak. But I don't hate your Grand Prix prediction. It's just it's so hard because even when other teams have had good starts or good races going, you know, Mercedes have always still kind of found the way, haven't they? So I'm almost more inclined to kind of revert to more of the outlier results in the sprint with maybe a Ferrari victory.
50:27James Hinchcliffe:And maybe it's a Mercedes, McLaren, Mercedes in the Grand Prix.
50:32Jolyon Palmer:Mercedes have got to see if they can get off the line still, because if they can get off the line, then they will be obviously still difficult to beat but if they can't and you've got these upgrades coming on ferrari and on on the mclaren they kind of came through with a bit of difficulty in in japan obviously needed a safety car for kimmy but you know they they have to learn to get these cars off off the line what are you going for tc i'm on the jp mclaren bandwagon but i think piastri i've been really impressed with him this year you know okay he's only he's only started in one race. But oh, it was a good one.
51:07In his own words, when we actually start these things, we're pretty good at it. But every time he's been on track, he's been really impressive. I feel he's had the edge over Lando. I know Lando's had lots of technical troubles, but I like the cut of the Piastri jib. So I think if the McLaren is there or thereabouts, he won a Piastri one in Miami, of course, last year. So he's my bet. Well, guys, as ever, thank you very much for your time, JP and Hinch great to talk it all through
51:35James Hinchcliffe:and we can go racing again at last thanks so much buddy always a pleasure and yeah cannot wait cannot wait happy to be there too it's going to be fun yeah looking forward to it
51:44Jolyon Palmer:I'll see you guys out there alright we'll see you there and you can catch JP and Hinch on F1 TV and the F1 YouTube channel for all the latest from Miami and as I said earlier my guest on F1 Beyond the Grid this week is Racing Bull's Arvid Lindblad and the latest F1 Explains is all about what happens inside a garage during a Grand Prix. That's right below this episode on the F1 Nation feed. Now we'll be back. F1 Nation will be back next Monday with our review of the Miami Grand Prix. But for now, thank you very much for listening. F1 Nation is produced by F1 and Audioboom Studios.
From the publisher
Tom, Jolyon and Hinch debate which team will make the biggest leap forward in Miami, and how the second F1 Sprint weekend of the year puts pressure on drivers to get back up to speed quickly. Can McLaren get ahead of Mercedes? Have Ferrari got special upgrades? Will Red Bull rise back to the front?
Plus, the team celebrate the news that F1 is returning to Istanbul Park - a 'modern classic' which always produces exciting racing. We're already looking forward to the 2027 Turkish Grand Prix...
