F1 Nation

He hit the front. He brushed the wall. He took the win. Sergio Perez swept the first F1 Sprint weekend of 2023, taking victories on Saturday and Sunday. Checo tells Tom Clarkson about his ‘intense’ victory. Tom, Damon Hill and ESPN’s Juan Fossaroli review the Red Bull battle in Baku. Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s Motorsport Advisor, explains what he feels Perez has learned since joining Red Bull. Former Ferrari Grand Prix-winner Jean Alesi sums up the team’s return to the podium. Esteban Ocon reflects on a frustrating weekend in his upgraded Alpine. Mark Webber, manager of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, reveals how Oscar battled illness to race. Plus, a feature interview with Franz Tost, AlphaTauri’s Team Principal who has announced he will retire at the end of this season after 18 years with the team. Check out F1 Beyond The Grid for in-depth interviews with F1’s biggest names. Plus listen to F1’s new podcast, Formula Why to hear why F1 Sprint weekends like this one are so challenging. This episode is sponsored by:  BetterHelp: find more balance, with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com/f1nation today to get 10% off your first month. F1TV Pro: for a limited time fans in the Netherland, US, Canada and Brazil can trial F1 TV Pro free for 7 days. Simply go to F1TV.com to sign-up and take your race weekend to the next level! Heineken Silver is running a sweepstakes to win a VIP experience to the Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix. You must be a US resident aged 21 or over. Click here to enter and see full terms and conditions Caldera Lab: take your skin care to the next level with Caldera Lab. Get 20% OFF with our code NATION at calderalab.com/NATION

Finally it’s race week again! After four weeks without Formula 1, Tom Clarkson and Natalie Pinkham look ahead to Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix. They discuss proposed changes to the sprint race format, which features for the first time this season in Baku. There’s also big change at Mercedes. James Allison joins the pod to explain why he’s gone back to his previous role as technical director and how that could impact the Silver Arrows going forward this season. Ferrari are fourth in the Constructors’ Standings after a frustrating start to 2023. Can they recover from a point-less weekend in Melbourne to get their championship back on track? And after Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon’s dramatic crash cost Alpine valuable points at the Australian Grand Prix, team principal Otmar Szafnauer tells us why they’re confident of bouncing back. Plus an update on our F1 Fantasy League, the F1 Nation World Championship. Record and email your questions about the season so far to F1Nation@F1.com This episode is sponsored by:  Babbel: go to babbel.com/podcast23 and use promo code F1NATION for an extra three months free. Ibotta:  Right now, Ibotta is offering our listeners $5 just for trying Ibotta. Just go to the App Store or Google Play store and download the FREE Ibotta app and use code NATION.

Introducing Formula Why, a brand-new official F1 podcast about how F1 really works. Episodes weekly from Friday 28th April.  Search your podcast app for Formula Why and hit the follow button to get the first episode fast.

Red Bull have been unstoppable so far in 2023. They’ve taken three pole positions and three victories in the first three races. So can the reigning World Champions be caught this season? Tom Clarkson is joined by former McLaren driver Pedro de la Rosa and ex-Ferrari race engineer Rob Smedley to discuss how the rest of the grid can maximise a month without racing to close the gap. Lapo Elkann, the brother of Ferrari President John Elkann, has urged Ferrari to “wake up” as they sit fourth in the Constructors’ Standings, after a difficult start to the season. Rob shares some intriguing insight into just how high the standards are at Ferrari and how much influence the Italian media has on the team. The guys also discuss the progress made by Williams and whether changes at McLaren will take the team forward. Will Alfa Romeo be title contenders in the near future? Plus, Rob and Pedro answer some of your questions in Ask The Nation. Record and send your questions to F1Nation@F1.com This episode is sponsored by:  NordVPN: EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal https://nordvpn.com/f1nation. Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Caldera + Lab: get 20% OFF at calderalab.com by using code NATION at calderalab.com HelloFresh: go to hellofresh.com/50nation and use code 50nation for 50% off, plus your first box ships free!

How is Verstappen able to get the most out of his Red Bull car? What can Lance Stroll achieve with Aston Martin? What’s the best F1 destination to travel to? Tom Clarkson and Damon Hill answer your questions in Ask The Nation. To get your question answered on a future episode, record it as a voice note and email it to F1Nation@F1.com . Plus, Tom and Damon look back at the first three races of 2023 and assess Red Bull, Aston Martin, Mercedes and Ferrari. This episode is sponsored by: Athletic Greens: get a FREE 1-yearsupply of Vitamin D and 5 free travel packs with your first purchase. Go to athleticgreens.com/F1NATION Calm: visit calm.com/nation for 40% off unlimited access to Calm’s entire library NordVPN: EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal https://nordvpn.com/f1nation. Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Babbel: go to babbel.com/podcast23, and use promo code F1NATION for an extra three months free

Max Verstappen won the Australian Grand Prix for the first time to extend his F1 World Championship lead to 15 points. But it wasn’t as straightforward as many of his previous victories. The Dutchman overcame battles with Mercedes, safety cars and three red flags. Tom Clarkson and Damon Hill are joined by Australia’s Network 10 TV team to dissect all the drama from an action-packed race in Melbourne. After a disappointing Saturday, Sergio Perez produced a monster drive from the pitlane to come fifth and stay in touch with his teammate in the driver standings. Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu shares his delight at scoring points for the first time this season after finishing ninth. Oscar Piastri’s manager Mark Webber and McLaren CEO Zak Brown reflect on a memorable home race for Oscar, who scored his first ever points in Formula 1. There were mixed fortunes for Mercedes, with George Russell suffering a power unit failure and an elated Lewis Hamilton holding off Fernando Alonso to claim second place. Will that be the springboard for a turnaround in the team’s season? And it was another bad day at the office for Ferrari. Charles LecLerc went into the gravel on turn one for his second DNF of the season and Carlos Sainz failed to score points after receiving a 5-second penalty for spinning Alonso in a chaotic restart at the end of the race. Plus an update on our F1 Fantasy League, the F1 Nation World Championship. Join our league using the code P2TSWHJ1Y04. Record and email your questions about the season so far to F1Nation@F1.com This episode is sponsored by:  Ibotta: Right now, Ibotta is offering our listeners $5 just for trying Ibotta by using the code NATION when you register. BetterHelp: Discover your potential with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com/f1nation today to get 10% off your first month

‘There will be more to come’ from Aston Martin, says Team Principal Mike Krack. The Aston boss joins Tom Clarkson, Natalie Pinkham and Damon Hill to preview the 2023 Australian Grand Prix. He explains what Fernando Alonso has brought to the team, how Lance Stroll has produced ‘incredible’ drives despite a pre-season injury, and reveals his conversations with former driver Sebastian Vettel this season. With Max Verstappen just one point ahead of Sergio Perez, Tom and Damon discuss the rivalry at Red Bull and why teammate championship battles can produce amazing F1 action. CEO of the Australian Grand Prix, Andrew Westacott, looks forward to a special weekend of racing which could, he says, be spiced up with a Sunday rain shower. Plus, the team assess Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes, ask if Valtteri Bottas can be considered an honorary Australian yet, and there are new leaders in our F1 Fantasy League. Record and send your F1 questions to the F1 Nation team. Email a voice note to F1Nation@F1.com to have it answered in a future episode. Advertisers on today's episode include: BetterHelp: give online therapy a try and get on your way to being your best self. Visit betterhelp.com/f1nation to get 10% off your first month. NordVPN: EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal  https://nordvpn.com/f1nation Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee!

Sergio Perez rules the streets of Jeddah. Under pressure from his charging teammate, he held on to win the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. But what did the fight between the two Red Bull drivers reveal about the team and their championship challenge? Tom Clarkson, Damon Hill, Lee McKenzie and Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de la Rosa dive into the race. Winning Team Principal Christian Horner picks the best bits of Perez’s performance and explains why Red Bull’s early dominance doesn’t mean ‘game over’ for the other teams. Pedro gives us the inside line on Fernando Alonso’s starting grid penalty and reflects on another strong weekend for the British team. Plus, Kevin Magnussen stops by to celebrate snatching a point for Haas. AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda (who lost out to Magnussen) and his personal trainer explain the work they’re doing in the gym. Pierre Gasly explains what he’s ‘still figuring out’ at Alpine. Plus an update on our F1 Fantasy league, the F1 Nation World Championship. Record and email your questions about the season so far to F1Nation@F1.com This episode is sponsored by: Calm: go to calm.com/nation for 40% off unlimited access to Calm’s entire library. NordVPN: EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal  https://nordvpn.com/f1nation Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee!

0.5 seconds: the difference between winner and runner-up on the world’s quickest street circuit in 2022. Will 2023 be as close? Tom Clarkson, Damon Hill and Natalie Pinkham preview the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and explore why round 2 will be closer than round 1. CEO of the race, Martin Whitaker, explains how the track has been changed for this year’s event. Why is this a crucial weekend for Ferrari and Aston Martin? As Mercedes rally their fans and McLaren struggle after a difficult season-opener, what will the teams do next? Plus, how did you get on against the F1 Nation team in our F1 Fantasy league’s first weekend? This episode is sponsored by: F1TV: For a limited time F1 are offering a 7-day free trial for F1 TV Pro subscribers. Simply go to F1TV.com to sign-up and take your race weekend to the next level! F1 TV Pro is only available in select territories, so please do check the website for more details and full terms and conditions. Offer ends Sunday 19 th March. NordVPN: EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal  https://nordvpn.com/f1nation Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Athletic Greens: get a  1-year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 free travel packs with your first purchase at athleticgreens.com/F1NATION. Ibotta: Right now, Ibotta is offering our listeners $5 just for trying Ibotta by using the code NATION when you register. Just go to the App Store or Google Play store and download the FREE Ibotta app 

Fernando Alonso’s podium, Charles Leclerc’s retirement, Red Bull’s pace advantage; the 2023 F1 season started with some shocks. We hear from Max Verstappen and Alonso, then Red Bull’s victorious Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey tells Tom Clarkson and Natalie Pinkham there were ‘unexpected problems’ for the team to fix before their dominant 1-2 in Bahrain. Aston Martin Team Principal Mike Krack celebrates a stunning P3 for Alonso, and Lance Stroll recounts his incredible recovery from pre-season injury to a top 10 finish. Ferrari find reasons to be optimistic despite a race-ending problem for Charles Leclerc. Mick Schumacher, Mercedes Reserve Driver, takes us inside a team with ‘work to do’ and explains how it feels to sit on the side-lines. Williams’ Logan Sargeant reveals what he’s learned from his first F1 race weekend. At AlphaTauri, Yuki Tsunoda’s targeting points at race two. He explains how Daniel Ricciardo’s former trainer is making him stronger in every area. Play F1 Fantasy with F1 Nation. Pick your team for free and enter the F1 Nation World Championship here This episode is sponsored by: NordVPN: EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal  https://nordvpn.com/f1nation Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Athletic Greens: get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 free travel packs with your first purchase. Go to athleticgreens.com/F1NATION. BetterHelp: visit betterhelp.com/f1nation today to get 10% off your first month.