Show Notes
This week we have not just one, but two of the voices of F1 together as BBC 5 Live commentator Harry Benjamin joins Ben Edwards and Nicola Hume in the Midweek F1 studio to take a look back at Suzuka. Was it a McLaren mistake that handed Max victory and what is Nicola's 20,000 Euro question? Plus we'll take a look ahead to Bahrain and Harry tells us why he thinks it's going to be like 2014 all over again. Don't forget to follow us wherever you listen to your podcasts so you don't miss an episode.
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Harry Benjamin stands in for Nicola this week and is joined by legendary F1 commentator Ben Edwards and Daytona 24 Hours and Sebring 12 Hours class winner Johnny Mowlem to break down a the Singapore Grand Prix and look ahead to the US GP in Austin! This week's talking points: Russell's nightmare weekend: A spin in the wet Sprint, a start from the back, then a fightback to 7th. Is 2026 turning into a George Russell disaster zone? Antonelli steals third: He ran 6th for most of the race and picked up a black and white flag, then pounced on a squabbling Norris and Hamilton. Kimi can now win the championship in Austin. Should he go for it, or play it safe? Max is back: Three wins in a row, including the Sprint, and a lights-to-flag victory with serious 2023 vibes. Should the rest of the grid be worried about 2027? Hamilton's strategy gamble: He switched from a two-stop to a one-stop and it all unravelled. Should Ferrari be letting Lewis make strategy calls at all? McLaren's misery: Both cars collided in the Sprint, and Lando got caught out in the Grand Prix. The gap to Red Bull in the constructors' standings is down to just 7 points. Can they hold on to P3? Liam Lawson, best of the rest (again): Another stellar drive to 7th, but still no confirmed 2027 seat. They wouldn't… would they? We need to talk about… Fred Vasseur: The Ferrari board backs him publicly, but the Christian Horner rumours won't go away. Is Fred on his way out? US Grand Prix preview: Could Antonelli become F1's youngest-ever world champion in Texas? Or will Russell's luck finally turn, or Verstappen keep rolling? The Prediction Championship of the World: After Ben's famous top-three call last time, can "Team Guest" climb the table with Johnny's picks? Follow us wherever you get your podcasts 🎧 Find us on socials: @ESSENTIALF1 #F1 #USGP #AustinGP #Verstappen
Max is back! Chaos in Sepang as Verstappen wins in the wet Nicola Hume and legendary F1 commentator Ben Edwards react to a wild Bah-rain Grand Prix. They're joined by BTCC and Formula E presenter Nicki Shields. 2026 cars in the rain: The first wet race for the new-spec cars caused trouble for Ferrari, Red Bull and more. Should the affected cars have been allowed to restart? 2Max Attack: A vintage Verstappen drive gives him his first win of 2026. Can Red Bull's upgrades help them catch McLaren for third in the constructors'? Russell Watch: Mercedes nailed the inters call, but a technical problem put George out of a podium spot. Is his title fight now over? Hamilton's masterstroke: Lewis made the call to stay out on slicks himself, then carved through the field to finish third. Does that take the heat off Fred Vasseur? Alonso magic: Fernando dragged his Aston Martin to P8. Was it a one-off or a turning point? McLaren misery: Slicks at the start, a near-collision between teammates behind the safety car... bad luck or failing upgrades? Midfield madness: Liam Lawson starred early, and Racing Bulls scored another double points finish while Alpine got nothing. Is best of the rest now theirs? Upgrade watch: Mercedes and Ferrari both brought upgrades. Are we in for closer racing at the front? We need to talk about... the safety car rules. Should lapped cars still be allowed to unlap themselves when it costs us a grandstand finish? Singapore preview: The last stop of the triple header brings brutal heat, first-corner drama and big championship stakes. The Prediction Championship of the World: Can Nicki get Team Guest climbing the table? Thank you for helping us pass 1 million on YouTube! Follow us @ESSENTIALF1 on socials and wherever you get your podcasts.
A race of three parts, carnage at turn one, and a podcast first — nobody scored a single prediction point! Nicola Hume is joined by F1 commentary legend Ben Edwards and special guest, former BBC F1 presenter Holly Samos, to unpack a wild weekend in Azerbaijan — plus look ahead to a long-awaited return to Sepang for the Bahrain Grand Prix (in Malaysia!). And make sure you listen to Holly's amazing Kimi Antonelli story! ON THE AGENDA: Kimi's qualifying nightmare — into the barrier at turn one, out of the session, 16th on the grid… then a fightback to 5th. Great save, or championship wobbles creeping in? RUSSELL WATCH — at LAST a positive George story! On it from FP1, pole by over half a second, and he finally gets a slice of 2026 luck. Mr Saturday won on a Saturday! Is this the start of a Norris-style title fightback? RETURN OF THE ISACK — Hadjar comes back swinging, picking off Norris and Leclerc before hassling his own teammate for third. With Max stuck behind Piastri for 10 laps, should Red Bull have made the switch? VINTAGE VERSTAPPEN — 8th to 3rd in seven laps, rockets off both safety car restarts, and misses the win by ONE TENTH. Surely a Red Bull victory is coming before the season's out? McLAREN MELTDOWN — upgrades, a nearly-stellar Piastri drive, then matching turn one offs and Lando wiped out in the restart carnage. Is the championship challenge officially over? No points!! MENTAL MIDFIELD BATTLE — Colapinto causes chaos at the restart, Lindblad takes out Lawson, and Haas sneak into the points. Does Colapinto deserve a ban? And has "best of the rest" slipped away from Alpine? UPGRADE WATCH — McLaren, Red Bull, Audi, Williams and Cadillac all brought new bits. Who leaves Baku happiest? WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT… ASTON MARTIN — Alonso barely out-qualifying a Cadillac and a double retirement. Is anything salvageable this season? HOLLY'S AMAZING KIMI ANTONELLI STORY — the master of F1 access on what it was really like spending pre-season with Antonelli. SEPANG RETURNS! F1's first visit in nine years… and rain forecast for race day. Buckle up. THE PREDICTION CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE WORLD — after a historic zero-point round, what do we reckon for this weekend. Hit that follow button, like, and subscribe. Follow us @ESSENTIALF1 on all the socials. #F1 #bahraingp #sepangcircuit
Lando Norris was robbed thanks to the VSC. Nicola Hume and Ben Edwards unpack a disappointing Madrid Grand Prix, and they're joined by former racing driver and legendary motoring presenter Vicki Butler-Henderson to deliver her annual grades on the entire class of 2026 so far — every driver, every team, no hiding place! In this episode
Ferrari Meltdown, Russell Robbed & Colin Furze Joins Us | Essential F1 Grazie Monza! Sixty years of waiting, and Italy finally has a home winner again. Kimi Antonelli started P19 after a power unit grid penalty, made 25 overtakes, set the fastest lap and became the first Italian to win his home Grand Prix since 1966 — and the Tifosi absolutely lost it. Nicola Hume and the Godfather of F1 commentary Ben Edwards break down one of the wildest Italian Grands Prix in living memory, joined by YouTube legend and lifelong F1 fan Colin Furze, who brings a Mugello story and a moped sliding-doors moment you won't want to miss. In this episode: 🏆 Kimi's masterclass — P19 to the top step. Lucky VSC pit stop or the greatest Italian GP victory of all time? 🔴 Ferrari's nightmare — Two cars nearly collecting each other at Turn 1, Leclerc's massive off at the Parabolica, and the VSC call that never came for Lewis. Sixth place, fading tyres, and a very big question: could heads roll? 😤 How did George Russell not win that? — Pole missed by a whisker (cue the Toto screen punch), a lead built the hard way against Verstappen, then reeled in and passed with three laps to go. 🐂 Max is still Max — Nobody had him on the podium. Red Bull nailed the VSC call and he battled everyone. Still the best on the brakes? 🇫🇷 Alpine in dreamland — Gasly's stunning pole lap and P7, Colapinto's recovery drive from the gravel to P9. Is this the catalyst to hunt down Racing Bulls? 🔄 Red Bull seat switcheroo, part two — Tsunoda scraps to P10, Lawson languishes in P14. Has either helped their 2027 case? ⚙️ The 2026 regs verdict — Slipstreaming is king again, but is this racing or gimmick? Colin gives us his take. ⚠️ We Need To Talk About… Haas — A brilliant start to the season and not a single point since Monaco. What's gone wrong at a team we all love? 🇪🇸 Madrid preview — A brand new 3.4-mile circuit, 20 turns, a spectacular banked corner and roughly a 1:32 lap. Nobody has real data. Are we in for a shock winner? 🔮 The Prediction Championship of the World — The toughest pick of the year, and the table is tightening. Predictions table: Nicola 46 · Producer Jim 39 · Ben 36 · Team Guest 26 Drop your Madrid predictions in the comments — top three and fastest lap. As Colin says, it doesn't cost anything to subscribe, and it genuinely helps us keep going. Hit the bell and follow us wherever you get your podcasts. Find us on socials: @EssentialF1