The Race F1 Tech Show

Edd Straw interviews Nick Wirth, founder of Wirth Research, about how his company is using CFD technology sharpened over his decades in motorsport to tackle wider-world problems. Wirth, boss of the Simtek team that raced in F1 in 1994-95, who also had stints with Benetton and Virgin, has long been an evangelist for the power of CFD. He offers some characteristically strong opinions on why it should have replaced the use of windtunnels in F1, as well as explaining the ever-growing potential of the technology. We also get Gary Anderson’s insight on windtunnel research versus CFD aero testing, as well as answering your questions on calculations, the cost of manufacturing parts, the plank and Ferrari’s troubles.Got a question for Gary? Send it to podcasts@the-race.comWant bonus episodes and ad-free listening? Get 90% off your first month's membership to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier! Check out the new items in The Race Shop - members get a 15% discount! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of The Race F1 Tech Show, Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson reflect on the rain-delayed Belgian Grand Prix, and whether anything can be done to solve F1's current problems with cars running in severe wet weather.After that, Edd and Gary discuss whether Ferrari has really turned a corner with its suspension upgrade, and whether Gary would have appreciated the feedback documents Lewis Hamilton has been creating and sending to colleagues at Ferrari.And finally, Gary tackles another batch of questions sent in by listeners, covering topics including dampers, materials science, driver weight, tyre changes and the point of TPC running.Got a question for Gary? Send it to podcasts@the-race.comWant exclusive bonus episodes and ad-free listening? Enjoy a 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier! Check out the new items in The Race Shop - members get a 15% discount! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the latest episode of The Race F1 Tech Show, former F1 technical director Gary Anderson explains what impact Christian Horner’s sudden removal as team principal could have on Red Bull technically, both in the short and the long-run given the team’s longstanding balance issues. Host Edd Straw then quizzes Gary on what he thinks of FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s vision for F1’s future, built around a lighter, V8-powered car with standard gearboxes designed to lower costs and increase the spectacle. Is it a good direction, and does it leave enough room for technical innovation?Gary then answers your questions on several topics including how much lighter F1 cars could be while maintaining safety standards, the management of qualifying laps, intermediate to slick crossover points and how a team can go from midfield mediocrity to the front in F1 as McLaren has in recent years. Got a question for Gary? Send it to podcasts@the-race.comWant exclusive bonus episodes and ad-free listening? Enjoy a 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier! Check out the new items in The Race Shop - members get a 15% discount! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the latest episode of The Race F1 Tech Show, host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson take a closer look at two of the big tech stories coming out of the Austrian Grand Prix. The first is Mercedes' ongoing struggle to extract performance in high ambient temperatures, with George Russell finishing over a minute down on the race winner at the Red Bull Ring having won commandingly in Canada two weeks earlier. The second is the potential breakthrough Ferrari have made with its upgraded floor. Edd and Gary discuss the changes and ask whether a genuine step forward has been made, and whether upcoming changes to the rear suspension of the SF-25 should bring a further performance step.And as ever the episode is rounded out with Gary answering tech questions sent in by listeners. This time the subjects covered include whether teams can measure brake pressure and whether anti-dive is adjustable or not.Got a question for Gary? Send it to podcasts@the-race.comWant exclusive bonus episodes and ad-free listening? Enjoy a 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier! Check out the new items in The Race Shop - members get a 15% discount! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the latest episode of The Race F1 Tech Show, Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson discuss what losing '20 points of downforce' really means, after Lewis Hamilton suffered that fate in Canada, when his Ferrari collided with an unfortunate marmot.There's also chat about the revised suspension geometry on Lando Norris's McLaren in Montreal, including what the team hope to accomplish with the change, and why Norris's team-mate Oscar Piastri didn't (and may not ever) run it.And finally, in the regular 'Ask Gary' section, our tech chief answers questions on tyre warm up, the increasing complexity of aero shapes, and the idea of forcing teams to reveal design secrets...Got a question for Gary? Send it to podcasts@the-race.comWant exclusive bonus episodes and ad-free listening? Enjoy a 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier! Check out the new items in The Race Shop - members get a 15% discount! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the technical directive reducing the permitted flexibility of the front wings the big talking point of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, why didn’t it shake up the competitive order as some hoped?Former F1 technical director Gary Anderson explains that, and the reasons why he always expected the effects to be more subtle, as he looks back at the big technical stories from the Spanish Grand Prix weekend. That includes a look at the steel skid block tests run in Friday practice and the potential impact of the change from titanium for selected races. And whether it makes sense to make such a change given the alternative means to reduce the chance of grass fires ignited by sparks. Host Edd Straw also fires listener questions to Gary on a variety of topics, including active suspension, core versus surface tyre temperature and the Venturi effect.Got a question for Gary? Send it to podcasts@the-race.comLAST CHANCE: Get 75% off your first month of access when you join The Race Members' Club on Patreon. Use the code RACE75 when checking out! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the latest episode of The Race F1 Tech Show, host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson look back on Imola and ahead to Monaco.First, they discuss how Red Bull turned the tables on McLaren at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, asking whether this was a track-specific change in the pecking order, or whether Red Bull have made a significant step forward.Next, Edd and Gary turn their attention to Monaco, looking at the specific setup that the street track demands and then the debating how the teams will approach race strategy, with two pit stops mandatory for every driver in this year's race.And as usual, the final part of the podcast is dedicated to Gary answering tech questions sent in by listeners. This week the selection includes questions on gears, pitstops, underbody aerodynamics, and track evolution.Got a question for Gary? Send it to podcasts@the-race.comGet 75% off your first month when you join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an F1-only tier! Head to patreon.com/therace Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With five wins from a possible six in 2025 (plus another victory in the Miami sprint), you might be forgiven for thinking McLaren’s MCL39 is without fault. But listen to drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and its clear the car isn’t always perfect to drive, - especially in qualifying trim, and on this podcast host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson look at the reasons for that. Following that, we’ve been inundated with tech questions from listeners recently, so the rest of the podcast is dedicated to answering them. As ever, it’s an interesting and varied selection, with questions on dirty air, engine modes, brake callipers, visor tear offs, and Lewis Hamilton's current struggles improving with the change of formula for 2026.Want to ask Gary a question? Send it to podcasts@the-race.comGet 75% off your first month when you join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an F1-only tier! Head to patreon.com/therace Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the latest episode of The Race F1 Tech Show, Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson take a look at the current drama surrounding F1’s 2026 engine regulations, with stakeholders discussing significant changes to the rules aimed at heading off fears about cars repeatedly running out of energy.Do these changes suggest the rule direction was wrong in the first place, or are there other factors at play?Before that, Gary muses on Lewis Hamilton’s current predicament at Ferrari, and suggests the setup direction he’d push the seven-time world champion in if he was in Ferrari’s engineering team. And finally, the episode is rounded out with four excellent questions from listeners, which cover dirty air, how car liveries are applied, Max Verstappen’s recent upshift issue, and whether Renault might be tempted back into the power unit game, should F1 revert to V10 engines one day. If you'd like to ask Gary a tech question, email podcasts@the-race.comFollow The Race on Instagram, X and FacebookCheck out our latest videos on YouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talk with Gary about Red Bull’s troubles and how it managed to win with a tricky car that took a long time to troubleshoot at Suzuka, and tackle your questions on the minimum weight limit, design drawings and airbox intakes. And with tyre weight a big talking point of late, we discuss whether or not the wheels should be excluded from minimum wight tests. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.