With Edd Straw on a plane, Glenn Freeman is joined by Jon Noble for a hastily added opening segment to discuss the news that George Russell (and Kimi Antonelli for that matter) have been confirmed at Mercedes for 2026. But does that mean that Russell and the Silver Arrows will be together long-term? We explain why that’s far from clear.The podcast then reverts to its usual format, with Edd Straw joined by Jon Noble (again) and Ben Anderson for the podcast we’d originally recorded before learning of the Russell news. First on the agenda, we explain the ongoing saga between McLaren and IndyCar champion Alex Palou, including what McLaren’s pursuit of more than $20million in lost profits in the UK commercial courts is all about.We also look ahead to the United States Grand Prix, asking if COTA is a modern classic and how the return of a gap in the Pirelli tyre allocations might impact the race. And finally, with the FIA presidential election increasingly set to be a one-horse race, we explain how this has arisen despite there being several candidates who have thrown their hats into the ring. Want bonus episodes and ad-free listening? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier! Check out the new items in The Race Shop - members get a 15% discount! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.