F1 Explains

Each one is different, but they're all high-tech pieces of equipment made of military-spec materials, designed to work in extreme conditions. F1 steering wheels do so much more than turn the car.  Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne explore steering wheels with the help of two expert guests: Jose Manuel Lopez, Mclaren Principal Race Engineer Jolyon Palmer, former F1 driver with Renault and GP2 champion Jose and Jolyon tell us how wheels are designed, what all the buttons do, how drivers learn their wheels, how they make sure their unique wheel works best for them, and what happens if a driver hits the wrong button.  If you have an F1 question you'd like answered, write or record it and email it to Why@F1.com Level-up your F1 knowledge with our previous episodes: DRS - how F1's overtaking aid works and why it matters Tyres - an engineer, a driver and a designer explains why they matter The 2024 F1 calendar - why it helps make F1 more sustainable Wind Tunnels - the top secret tools where cars are created Race engineers - the voices on F1 Team Radio Pit stops - two seconds of total teamwork Simulators with Aston Martin's Stoffel Vandoorne Racing in the rain with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade Street circuits with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins F1 driver fitness with Alexander Rossi + Sebastian Vettel's former trainer F1 in the USA - why the US has 3 races in 2023 F1 Sprint weekends with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest names, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid. For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation.

Who decides where F1 teams do their pit stops? How do F1 cars and racetrack corners get their names? How much is F1's prize pot? Race-winning strategist Bernie Collins and award-winning F1TV commentator Alex Jacques are back with Katie and Christian to answer more of your questions. Along the way you'll hear which F1 car is named after a team founders' wife, the different ways F1 corners get their names, and why drivers leave it until the last possible moment to do their qualifying laps. We'd love to answer your question about F1. Whatever the topic, record it as a voice note or write it in an email and send it to us at Why@F1.com Listen to our other quickfire question specials: Trophies, travel + 'pace in the car' - with Will Buxton + Bernie Collins F1 cars, upgrades + 'copycats' - with Bernie Collins + Will Buxton Tyres, Championship points + car set-up - with Bernie Collins + Lawrence Barretto 'Undercuts', red lights + F1 jobs - with Lawrence Barretto + Bernie Collins For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest names, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid. For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation.

How do F1 race starts work? Can you score a podium in F1 Sprint? What are the rules on teams sharing reserve drivers? You ask, F1 Explains with the help of F1TV commentator Alex Jacques and F1 strategist Bernie Collins.  The team explains why F1 Grands Prix start when five red lights go out, explore the history of F1 race starts, and Alex reveals the secrets to commentating on the action-packed opening moments of a race.  Plus, how is a top 3 finish in F1 Sprint officially recorded, which teams have deals to share their reserve drivers, why are F1 rule changes announced years before they come into effect, and how do race strategists like Bernie work out how fast their car will be in a race? Send Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill your latest Formula 1 question and F1 Explains will tackle it in a future episode. Write an email or record and attach a voice note and send it to Why@F1.com F1 Explains tackles a different F1 topic every week. Check out our previous episodes using the links below: DRS - how F1's overtaking aid works and why it matters Tyres - an engineer, a driver and a designer explains why they matter The 2024 F1 calendar - why it helps make F1 more sustainable Wind Tunnels - the top secret tools where cars are created Race engineers - the voices on F1 Team Radio Pit stops - two seconds of total teamwork Simulators with Aston Martin's Stoffel Vandoorne Racing in the rain with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade Street circuits with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins F1 driver fitness with Alexander Rossi + Sebastian Vettel's former trainer F1 in the USA - why the US has 3 races in 2023 F1 Sprint weekends with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest names, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid. For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation.

Emel Cankaya, McLaren Aerodynamics Specialist, explains the physics of DRS and why it makes cars go faster. The podcast discusses the introduction of DRS, its impact on overtaking, and the strategic use of DRS in Formula 1 racing. They also explore the effects of slipstream and dirty air on aerodynamic performance and tire/engine temperature.

Former F1 racer Jolyon Palmer and Mario Isola, Head of Motorsport for Pirelli, discuss the importance of F1 tires, including compounds, wear, and selection process. They explore the differences between F1 and road tires, sustainability efforts, and the surprising performance of intermediate tires in the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix.

Racing more regionally. New power for the F1 Paddock. Game-changing fuels for F1 cars and, potentially, your car. Big things are happening to help make Formula 1 more sustainable. Christian and Katie ask F1's Head of Sustainability, Ellen Jones, why re-organising the race calendar for 2024 will help reduce the sport's carbon footprint. Ellen also reveals how F1's trialling new ways of reducing the amount of energy used at races and developing a game-changing sustainable fuel with potential to transform the way we all travel in the future.  McLaren's CEO, Zak Brown, and Sustainability Director Kim Wilson reveal how Lando Norris' race seat and the lake outside their factory are helping the team cut carbon.  We'd love to answer your F1 question. Record or write it, then email it to Why@F1.com Why not listen to another episode? Trophies, travel + 'pace in the car' - Your Questions Answered Your F1 Car Questions Answered by Bernie Collins + Will Buxton Why are F1 wind tunnels top secret? Why do F1 drivers need race engineers? with Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu Why are pit stops so important?  Why do F1 teams need simulators? with Aston Martin's Stoffel Vandoorne Why is racing in the rain so difficult? with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade Why are street circuits the ultimate test? with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins Tyres, points + car set-up - Your Questions Answered Why do F1 drivers need to be so fit? with Alexander Rossi + Vettel's former trainer Why does the USA have 3 F1 races in 2023? Why is F1 Sprint such a challenge? with Kevin Magnussen For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest names, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid. For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation.

Why don't F1 drivers get to keep their trophies? How do F1 people cope with travel? What do drivers actually mean when they talk about having 'pace in the car'? Bernie Collins, former Aston Martin F1 strategist, and Will Buxton, F1TV presenter, are back with Christian and Katie to answer these questions and more. Bernie tells us about a time a driver was allowed to keep a special trophy, while Will explains how drivers avoid jet lag during the Singapore night race. We'd love to answer your F1 question. Record or write it, then email it to Why@F1.com Why not listen to another episode? Your F1 Car Questions Answered by Bernie Collins + Will Buxton Why are F1 wind tunnels top secret? Why do F1 drivers need race engineers? with Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu Why are pit stops so important?  Why do F1 teams need simulators? with Aston Martin's Stoffel Vandoorne Why is racing in the rain so difficult? with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade Why are street circuits the ultimate test? with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins Tyres, points + car set-up - Your Questions Answered Why do F1 drivers need to be so fit? with Alexander Rossi + Vettel's former trainer Why does the USA have 3 F1 races in 2023? Why is F1 Sprint such a challenge? with Kevin Magnussen For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest names, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid. For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation.

Why are some F1 cars faster than others? Why do some upgrades work and some don't? Why don't F1 teams all just copy the fastest car?  F1TV presenter and Drive to Survive star Will Buxton, and former Aston Martin Head of Race Strategy Bernie Collins join Katie and Christian to answer those questions in more in a quickfire Formula Why special all about F1 cars. You'll hear what upgrading an F1 car has in common with online clothes shopping, why copying a successful car is like trying to cook without a recipe, and why F1 drivers get weighed after every single race. Why not listen to these other episodes? Why are F1 wind tunnels top secret? Why do F1 drivers need race engineers? with Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu Why are pit stops so important?  Why do F1 teams need simulators? with Aston Martin's Stoffel Vandoorne Why is racing in the rain so difficult? with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade Why are street circuits the ultimate test? with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins Tyres, points + car set-up - Your Questions Answered Why do F1 drivers need to be so fit? with Alexander Rossi + Vettel's former trainer Why does the USA have 3 F1 races in 2023? Why is F1 Sprint such a challenge? with Kevin Magnussen Why don't you send us a question? Record or write them, then email to Why@F1.com For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest stars, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid. For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation.

Hidden inside F1 factories, engineers use blasts of high-speed air to shape race-winning cars. Wind tunnels are multi-million dollar, high-tech facilities where aerodynamicists experiment.  What happens in the wind tunnel usually stays in the wind tunnel, but Formula Why is going into this secretive world with Alpine F1 Team's Technical Director, Matt Harman. He tells us why F1 teams use wind tunnels, why they're so secretive and the incredible way the sport's rule makers, the FIA, keep an eye on how much teams use them.  Christian and Katie also break down the rules about wind tunnels and why teams spend millions to have their own tunnels.  Got a question for us? We'll answer it! Write or record it, then send it to Why@F1.com Check out other episodes of Formula Why. Scroll through the feed or use the links below: Why do F1 drivers need race engineers? with Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu Why are pit stops so important?  Why do F1 teams need simulators? with Aston Martin's Stoffel Vandoorne Why is racing in the rain so difficult? with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade Why are street circuits the ultimate test? with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins Tyres, points + car set-up - Your Questions Answered Why do F1 drivers need to be so fit? with Alexander Rossi + Vettel's former trainer Why does the USA have 3 F1 races in 2023? Why is F1 Sprint such a challenge? with Kevin Magnussen Use the share button and #FormulaWhy to invite a friend to join us on Formula Why.

They're the voice in the driver's ear, guiding them through every lap. F1 drivers can't compete without their race engineers, but why are they so important? Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu and his race engineer Jorn Becker join Formula Why to answer your questions. Why do engineers speak like they do? Why do they use some words and not others? Why are all F1 Team Radio messages in English? Zhou and Jorn explain the secrets of a great driver/race engineer team.  We want to answer your questions on Formula Why! Record or write them, and send them to Why@F1.com  Check out these other episodes of Formula Why 'Undercuts', red lights + F1 jobs - Your Questions Answered Why are pit stops so important?  Why do F1 teams need simulators? with Stoffel Vandoorne Why is racing in the rain so difficult? with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade Why are street circuits the ultimate test? with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins Tyres, points + car set-up - Your Questions Answered Why do F1 drivers need to be so fit? with Alexander Rossi + Vettel's former trainer Why does the USA have 3 F1 races in 2023? Why is F1 Sprint such a challenge? with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen Thanks for listening. Please rate and review Formula Why and invite a friend to join in using the share button and #FormulaWhy