Show Notes
In the very first episode of our new F1 history podcast, The Race F1 Rewind, hosts Edd Straw and Mark Hughes look back at Sebastian Vettel’s six-year stint with Ferrari and a partnership that promised much, but delivered nothing like what was hoped for.
Driven by the romantic dream of replicating the golden era of his hero Michael Schumacher, the four-time world champion arrived at Maranello in late 2014 ready to lead the team to new glories, only to find that his footing was already being undermined by internal wrangling and political upheaval at the Scuderia.
Edd and Mark explain the timeline of events and extraordinary behind-the-scenes details that meant Vettel never stepped into the supportive environment he thought he was joining.
They outline how Vettel came to leave Red Bull, how Ferrari's incumbent star Fernando Alonso was blindsided by his team's secret talks with Vettel, how the rapid turnover of senior leadership continually impacted the German's standing, and how the sudden promotion of young phenom Charles Leclerc served as an internal test of Vettel's worth.
Edd and Mark also hit the fast forward button to explain how the hangover of this period is still felt today, with Leclerc having faced many of the same issues as his former team-mate.
Get bonus F1 podcasts, extra content and ad-free listening, sign-up to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from The Race F1 Podcast
In the latest episode of The Race F1 Rewind, Edd Straw and Mark Hughes dig into the truth about Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari exit in 2006, which brought the curtain down on a period of unprecedented dominance that included five drivers’ and six constructors’ world titles and 72 Schumacher victories. They explain the circumstances around the news breaking and explore the conspiracy theory that Schumacher was pushed out, before hitting the fast forward button and speculating on what might have happened if Schumacher had never left.
As F1 heads to Austin’s Circuit of The Americas, Mercedes faces a huge test not only of its troubled upgrade, but also of its 2027 prospects, with rivals Red Bull and Max Verstappen proving the combination to beat in recent races.
In the latest episode of The Race F1 Podcast, sponsored by Skinceuticals, former Red Bull team boss Christian Horner joins Edd Straw and Jon Noble for a wide-ranging and feature-length conversation. He reflects on building Red Bull Racing from a disruptive underdog into a multi-championship powerhouse, the leadership style that shaped that success, and why he got forced out. He also explains his non-negotiables for returning to the sport, what Max Verstappen brings to a team, and his thoughts on whether Adrian Newey will prove a success at Aston Martin. There’s also a number of surprise revelations - including one about Fernando Alonso - plus Horner tells the real story of how those recent Ferrari rumours came about…
In the latest edition of The Race F1 Tech Show, Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson take a closer look at Red Bull's recent performance gains and explain Mercedes' upgrade troubles, and look ahead to what both situations mean for 2027.
We get the inside story of the new Rwanda F1 circuit in the latest episode of The Race F1 Podcast. Edd Straw is joined by Jon Noble, who recently visited the site where the recently announced African Grand Prix will take place in the early 2030s.