James Allen On F1
Episodes
66: Red Bull F1 team boss Laurent Mekies on why 2026 is a new dawn
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week we have a special episode with two conversations from the Autosport Business Exchange in London.ABX is a gathering of leaders from across m...
65: Meet the woman who makes sense of F1’s most complex puzzles
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week we meet a woman who has worked in F1 for Ferrari, Haas and Sauber. She has been at the heart of decision making on the pit wall as head of ...
64: Superforecasting the 2026 F1 season
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the first week of January, the slate has been wiped clean, a whole new year of F1 lies ahead. Before a car is launched and a wheel has turned ...
63: How the F1 calendar works and why promoters are signing long term
31 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
F1 Grands Prix have become much than sporting events. They now stretch over four days of fan engagement with star name music acts, cultural events, to...
62: Freezing speed - F1 life through a lens
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
F1’s surge in popularity in the last five years is not because the sport itself has notably changed or improved. It is because people have discovere...
61: Lando Norris World Champion – Proves nice guys can finish first!
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We have a new F1 World Champion, Lando Norris. He held his nerve in Abu Dhabi to finish on the podium, which is all he needed to do to become one of o...
60: What the pressure feels inside an F1 team at a title showdown
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s crunch time in Abu Dhabi, with a three-way fight for the F1 World Drivers Championship. From McLaren’s point of view it didn’t have to be ...
59: Inside the mental battle as F1 2025 reaches crunch point
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we go inside the minds of the competitors for the F1 World Championship. We explain some of the things that happened during an intense La...
58: Meet the leader making F1’s smallest team punch above its weight!
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we have the latest in our series of F1 team principal interviews as we meet Ayao Komatsu at the HQ of Haas, F1’s smallest team. What Haa...
57: How influencers are growing F1 audiences in the US
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we discuss some of the significant developments that took place during the Brazil GP weekend, which saw Lando Norris take command of the F1 ...
56: When the World Champion got kidnapped and other F1 tales
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we meet one of the small group of broadcasters who can call themselves an F1 TV commentator. Alex Jacques is the voice of Channel 4’s F1 ...
55: Inside the mind of the greatest F1 car designer in history
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special edition of the James Allen on F1 podcast we hear from Aston Martin Chief Technical officer Adrian Newey, who shares some insights into...
54: The Rise of Racing in America, according to Toto Wolff and Apple
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we have a special edition featuring interviews with Toto Wolff and Eddy Cue from the Autosport Business Exchange event we hosted recently in...
53: Meet the man set to lead a top manufacturer’s F1 challenge: Jonathan Wheatley
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we have the latest in our series of F1 team principal interviews as we sit down with Sauber boss Jonathan Wheatley. He has been in F1 sin...
52: The F1 Season in Numbers at the three-quarter stage
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In F1 the numbers never lie – whether it’s the number of zeros on your pay cheque, the thousandths of a second on the stopwatch or the points of d...
51: Keeping Up Appearances F1 style
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week James Allen delves into a topic that has always fascinated him - the way F1 teams and drivers present themselves – in other words their id...
50: Immortalising the man who made Ferrari great again
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week James Allen welcomes Manish Pandey, the film maker and master storyteller who shot to prominence with the award-winning 2010 documentary Sen...
49: Confessions of an F1 TV Pit Reporter
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we welcome Ted Kravitz, a bona fide sports broadcasting legend, who has carved his own niche since 2001, patrolling the F1 pit lane for Sky ...
48: Who will be the first F1 team post-McLaren to win the World Championship?
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
McLaren are poised to win the F1 Constructors World Championship with a record seven races to spare. Given that this is the final year of these regula...
47: Who’s fast and who’s furious after intense Dutch GP
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
F1 is back in racing mode after the Summer Break and this week we are in between two fast, intense races; the Dutch GP at Zandvoort and the Italian GP...
46: What makes a great racing movie and which one is the best?
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Part Two of our Summer Special featuring a panel of movie industry experts, we analyse the most cherished racing movies; the classic Grand Prix (19...
45: What happens when film industry experts break down the F1 Movie?
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we gather a stellar line-up of movie industry insiders as we break down the summer blockbuster F1 Movie, which has now earned over half a bi...
44: Why is Lewis Hamilton writing documents for Ferrari?
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
F1 people are enjoying their summer break as the three-week Shutdown enters its second week. But one man who has not shut down is our F1 Writer Ron...
43: F1 driver contracts: Why exit clauses are more important than money
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week as F1 starts its Summer Shutdown we look in detail at how F1 driver contracts work and why this period of the season is critical for options...
42: Is It True F1 Drivers Are Among The Fittest Athletes In Sport?
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we look ahead to the F1 summer shutdown, which starts after the chequered flag falls in Hungary until Zandvoort at the end of August. But ra...
41: The F1 Season In Numbers At The Halfway Stage
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In F1 the numbers never lie; whether it’s zeros on a paycheck, thousandths of a second on a stopwatch or points of downforce on a new front wing. A...
40: The Chase For Power And Money In F1: Two Perspectives
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this week’s podcast we speak to the most powerful woman in F1 today and the American who plans to be one of the two most powerful men next year. ...
39: Emergency Podcast - Christian Horner Sacked By Red Bull Racing
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this emergency podcast we react to the news that Christian Horner has been sacked with immediate effect by Red Bull Racing. During 20 years in cha...
38: F1 Fans Make Their Voices Heard As New Survey Breaks Cover
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we get behind the numbers to find out what fans think of F1, as the 2025 Global F1 Fan Survey is launched, ahead of the British Grand Prix. ...
37: Behind The Scenes Of A Visceral New F1 Documentary
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A new F1 documentary film launches next week that brilliantly shows both the raw emotional journey and the lived experience of an F1 driver. It cover...
36: Brad Pitt’s F1 Movie: The Verdict
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Finally.. it’s F1 movie launch season. But is the film, dubbed by one critic “Barbie for men” any good? Our correspondents were given a preview ...
35: Inside The F1 Race That’s Bigger Than Glastonbury
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we look at what’s going on at Silverstone, as we count down to the British Grand Prix in a few weeks’ time, the UK’s largest ticketed ...
34: How To “Provoke” An F1 Team Into Ultra-High Performance
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a packed edition this week as James travels to the impressive new Aston Martin factory at Silverstone to speak to CEO and team principal Andy C...
33: F1 Is “Shakespeare on Wheels” And It’s Pulling In The Big Money
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Monaco was not the most exciting Grand Prix, Lando Norris closed the gap in the title race on his team-mate Oscar Piastri with his first victory on th...
32: Why McLaren Look Set For A Record 16th Monaco GP Win
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We are in the middle of another triple header, the second of the F1 season so far. Imola proved a more exciting race than anyone expected and Monaco i...
31: The F1 Season So Far In Numbers
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we are doing something a little different. It’s the season so far in numbers. We are a quarter of the F1 season down already, six rounds ...
30: Emergency Pod – Sainz To Challenge Ben Sulayem for FIA Presidency
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today Autosport broke the news of a challenge to FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem from former WRC and Paris Dakar champion Carlos Sainz Sr. In this...
29: F1 Miami – Land Of The Bling And The Home Of The Brave
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s Miami GP week. We have an exciting podcast with two special guests from different parts of the F1 spectrum. Racing Bulls F1 team principal Laur...
28: Is Hamilton’s Malaise Set To Last The Whole Season?
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The first triple header of the season is done, some tired faces have headed back from the Gulf for a short Easter break before attacking the standalon...
27: Could Verstappen Really Leave Red Bull Early?
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
F1 has taken some very interesting turns in the last week, and we don’t mean hairpins. As we transit from Bahrain to Saudi, we have seen three of...
26: From Rising Sun To Tumbling Markets
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we take the temperature as F1 leaves Japan after its brief Asian swing and heads to the Middle East. We examine some possible consequences...
25: No Ming Vase Strategy For Red Bull With Lawson After China
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There’s a famous saying - “In F1, you are either giving pain or taking it.” And after just two rounds of the World Championship there are plenty...
24: Melbourne: From Hadjar’s Tears To Domenicali’s Deals
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lando Norris tamed the chaos in Melbourne to win the opening round of the F1 season. In doing so, he put down a marker for his teammate Oscar Piastri,...
What Premier League Teams Can Learn From F1
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s edition, we look back at this November episode, exploring how F1 teams make key decisions on areas like driver recruitment, developme...
23: Break Glass In The Event Of Emergency
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve just returned from Bahrain, where the F1 teams did their only test last week ahead of the new F1 season kick-off in Melbourne. People say tes...
22: From Fake Marina To Fan Favourite
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week as we digest the F175 launch and head off for pre-season testing, we speak to one of F1’s top race promoters to find out what goes on behi...
21: Making the F1 Fans’ Voice Heard
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week F1 held its spectacular season launch event at the O2 Arena in London in a ceremony that was all about entertaining the fans, particularly F...
20: Will AI Unleash Greater Human Potential In Formula 1?
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Motor racing has a long tradition as an incubator of technology. AI is the latest example as tech companies flood into the sport as partners, helping ...
19: Zak Brown - F1 World Champion Team Boss
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we have a special interview with newly minted F1 World Champion team boss, Zak Brown. Zak has been McLaren's CEO since 2018, but it’s tak...
18: How Do You Make A Difference In F1?
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hello and welcome to the James Allen on F1 podcast, brought to you by Autosport. This week we chat to F1’s youngest team principal, Oliver Oakes. T...
17: “Reinvention Is Powerful”
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For the first JA on F1 podcast of 2025, we discuss Lewis Hamilton as he turns 40. The seven-time World Champion is preparing to drive a Ferrari F1 car...
16: Superforecasting - What Will Happen In F1 In 2025?
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Who will win the 2025 F1 Drivers' Championship? Will Lewis Hamilton score more points than Charles Leclerc? What impact will the struggles of car ma...
15: It’s Ferrari Vs McLaren For F1’s Constructor Crown
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The F1 season is almost over. Max Verstappen has joined Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel as a four-time world champion. But there is one very importan...
14: What Premier League Football Teams Can Learn From F1
14 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we are doing something a little different. We explore how F1 teams make key decisions on areas like driver recruitment, development and race...
13: James Vowles – How To Take An F1 Team To The Next Level
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we are looking at how you get an F1 team to the next level. In a super competitive environment like F1, where no-one stands still, how do yo...
12: Daniel Ricciardo – What Was Special About Him And What Went Wrong?
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we delve into the curious case of Daniel Ricciardo. He once rode a horse into the paddock at Austin, but will not be lining up there in at t...
11: Show Me The Money - F1 Style
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
F1 runs on money and this week James is in Singapore to dig into how F1 is now raking in around $2.5 billion a year in sponsorship. Since Liberty M...
10: Why Success In F1 Is Never Guaranteed
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we look at why it is so tricky to build a winning team in F1 and why success is never guaranteed. We go behind the scenes of Adrian Newey’...
9: Paddy Lowe: From F1 Titles With Lewis Hamilton To Zero Emission Fuels
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week James looks into the future and asks what F1’s move to zero emission fuels from 2026 actually means. If the cars are zero emission, you d...
8: Sky TV Presenter Bernie Collins On Why Women Make Great F1 Strategists
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we meet top F1 race strategist Bernie Collins, who has made a successful switch to TV, becoming a hugely popular presenter on Sky Sports cov...
7: Otmar Szafnauer On How To Run An F1 Team And Make Driver Decisions
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we take the audience into the heart of an F1 team and look at how crucial decisions get made that can push the team up, or down, the grid; f...
6: Guenther Steiner And The Importance Of Personality In F1
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we welcome one of F1’s most charismatic figures: Guenther Steiner. His expletive ridden rants on the hit Netflix show Drive to Survive tur...
5: Damon Hill On What Norris and Russell Need To Be World Champions
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we have a British GP themed discussion, with special guest Damon Hill, the 1996 F1 World Champion. Damon knows all about how an F1 driver g...
4: Meet The Man Bringing Lewis Hamilton To Ferrari
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we speak to the man with arguably the hardest job in F1: Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur. Fred is bringing Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari next ye...
3: Meet F1's Boss Of Bosses
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we welcome none other than Greg Maffei onto the James Allen on F1 podcast. Greg is the CEO of Liberty Media and the man who had his eye on F...
2: Meet The Most Powerful Woman In F1
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week the James Allen on F1 podcast comes face to face with the most powerful woman in F1; Renee Wilm. Renee is Chief Legal And Administrative Of...
1: Senna And The Art Of F1 Storytelling
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This month the F1 world is celebrating Ayrton Senna, the three-time world champion who died 30 years ago. For many lovers of the sport, he remains th...