Show Notes
The 2026 Formula 1 season is ushering in one of the biggest technical resets in modern F1 history. In this episode, we break down the new regulations shaping the future of the sport — from lighter, more agile cars and active aerodynamics to sustainable fuels and a major shift toward electric power. We’ll talk about what’s changing, why it matters, and how it could impact racing, overtaking, and strategy throughout the season. If you want to understand the new era of F1 before the season begins, this episode is for you.
More from The Grid Girls Formula: An F1 Podcast
Singapore Grand Prix 2026 recap (finally!). Max Verstappen won the Sprint and the race, Lewis Hamilton lost a podium after a poor strategy call under the Virtual Safety Car, McLaren's drivers collided in the Sprint, and Kimi Antonelli moved closer to the championship. Let's talk about it!
Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia review for newer F1 fans. A mechanical engineer explains why F1 cars lost power on the formation lap at Sepang, how Red Bull Ford won its first race as an engine manufacturer, why Mercedes lost a podium late with Russell's retirement, and how Hamilton and Ferrari recovered to finish on the podium. In this episode: The formation lap software bug and the FIA's explanation, in plain English Why the Bahrain GP was held at Sepang, and what happened there Red Bull Ford's first win with its own power unit Mercedes' Sepang heartbreak and the 84-point championship gap Hamilton and Ferrari's comeback from the back of the field A quick look at every other team Singapore GP preview: the first sprint weekend at Marina Bay, and the 2008 "crashgate" story My take: F1's 2026 engines are an impressive piece of technology, but splitting power between electrical and mechanical adds new ways for things to go wrong. Grid Girls Formula explains Formula 1 for newer fans: race recaps, technical analysis, history, news and opinion.
Baku delivered another most dramatic weekend! George Russell takes a dominant pole and holds off Max Verstappen by just 0.196 seconds for his third win of the year — but the story everyone's talking about is the Turn 1 restart crash that ended the races of Franco Colapinto, Pierre Gasly, and reigning world champion Lando Norris, and the paddock disagreement it sparked afterward. Also in this episode: Kimi Antonelli's costly Q1 crash and recovery drive to P5, the near-unheard-of moment Red Bull considered letting Isack Hadjar past Max Verstappen, McLaren's zero-point weekend, and a full rundown of the rest of the grid. Plus, a look ahead to next weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix — being held in Malaysia. New episodes every week. Follow along on Instagram @gridgirlsformula.
Same car, same drivers, completely different result — why? This week: the real physics of what makes an F1 track "high downforce" vs "low downforce," aero grip vs mechanical grip, why straights are a strategy tool not just a speed test, and why Ferrari/McLaren/Red Bull/Mercedes each thrive on different corners. Then a full preview of this weekend's Baku Grand Prix — the one track that breaks every rule we just covered.
A full breakdown of the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix — Formula 1's first-ever race at the new Madring circuit in Madrid. Lando Norris led from pole but lost the race to a mistimed Virtual Safety Car window, Charles Leclerc led the most laps but finished fourth, and Kimi Antonelli picked up his eighth win of the season to extend his championship lead to 81 points. In this episode: qualifying's razor-thin margins, the Lap 1 chaos, Norris's brutal pit stop timing, Leclerc's long strategy gamble, Lewis Hamilton's brake failure and title concession, the Sainz/Alonso home-race drama, and why F1 drivers and pundits are already calling for the Madring to be redesigned before 2027. If you're newer to F1 through Drive to Survive or the F1 movie, this episode is built to explain not just what happened, but why it matters — strategy, regulations, and the technical side, explained without assuming you already know it all.