F1 2026 Rule Changes, A Historic Mercedes Test & Istanbul Park News

Max Verstappen’s F1 Future Is More Uncertain Than Ever

In this episode of From The Paddock, hosts Alex and Lydia explore why Max Verstappen’s podium result at the Canadian Grand Prix was the unhappiest of his career so far. Verstappen has had issues with the 2026 Red Bull Racing Formula 1 car and the new FIA regulations this season and has struggled to get results in driver standings, with the race in Montreal being his first podium so far this season. Alex and Lydia also take a look at the fine George Russell was given for removing the headrest of his Mercedes F1 car after breaking down during the Grand Prix and whether or not the FIA should police these incidents. Finally, the team break down what each individual Pirelli tyre compounds are, how they work and when they get used and why the wrong choice cost McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Pastry during the race in Montreal. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Christian Horner BYD F1 Team Meetings Raise Serious Questions

Christian Horner has reportedly held a series of meetings with Chinese EV giant BYD — including with their vice president Stella Li at the Cannes Film Festival. BYD want to enter F1, either as a brand new 12th team or via a stake in Alpine. Hosts Alex and Lydia get into why this story is controversial on three levels — the geopolitics, the EV-versus-V8 contradiction, and the Ron Dennis parallel from 2016. We also take a step back from the silly-season noise and get into why Montreal is genuinely one of the best weekends on the calendar. The track's Expo 67 origin story, the Wall of Champions, the Gilles Villeneuve legacy, the bagel war, Schwartz's smoked meat, and what's been overhauled at the venue after the 2024 paddock flooding fiasco. And finally it is the Canadian GP Preview Round 5, Sprint weekend at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mercedes are bringing their first major upgrade package of the year, McLaren are arriving on the back of a Miami sprint win and a double podium, and Ferrari have more upgrades coming after their Miami package. We walk through what to watch, where Russell stands with his championship lead now 20 points behind Antonelli, and lock in predictions. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

McLaren Letter Could Put Red Bull’s Billion-Dollar F1 Team in Jeopardy

In this episode, Alex and Lydia take a look at McLaren team principal Zak Brown’s letter to the FIA arguing F1 should ban one company from owning two teams. The obvious target is Red Bull, but the more pressing one is Mercedes' rumoured Alpine move. They explore what the letter contained, Ben Sulayem's response, and what this could mean for the whole grid. Elsewhere, Alex and Lydia explore Verstappen's Nürburgring heartbreak. Max Verstappen led the Nürburgring 24 Hours for much of the race before a driveshaft failure with 3.5 hours to go ended his victory hopes. We recap the race, look at his odd run of GT3 bad luck this year, and ask what these weekends spent on the Nordschleife tell us about his future in F1. Finally, Fernando Alonso has just taken delivery of a one-of-one Pagani Zonda in Monaco — complete with a custom Recaro child seat matching his 2026 helmet design, made for his newborn son Leonardo. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Real Reason F1 Cars Are Slower In 2026

In this episode, Alex and Lydia break down the reasons why F1 cars are slower in 2026 - and why it's by design by the FIA. The changes by the FIA which include new hybrid energy demands, have been criticised by some fans and even drivers but there's a few reasons why the change is good. They also dive into why a return to V8 powertrains in 2030 or 2031 may hit Cadillac's Formula 1 team hard and how Susie Wolff’s Charlotte Tilbury deal helped transform F1 Academy’s commercial appeal and open the door to a wider wave of major non-traditional motorsport sponsors. If you want F1 analysis with context, debate, and the biggest storylines from the paddock, this episode has you covered. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Red Bull's Top Target and How F1 is Closing In on the NFL | From the Paddock Ep. 6

In this episode, we discuss the F1 driver-market dominoes surrounding Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen, and Carlos Sainz Jr., break down how performance clauses work, and explore why Formula 1 is closing in on the NFL. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].