Rolling Start | The American F1 Podcast

F1 2026 Canadian GP | Hamilton's Rebirth, Russell's Reckoning + Antonelli's Reign

The 2026 Canadian Grand Prix had everything — inter-team drama at Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton's best Ferrari performance yet, George Russell hitting a career crossroads, Kimi Antonelli breaking records, and McLaren having a complete meltdown. We break down the tire strategy disaster, Toto Wolff's radio intervention, the Ferrari upgrade picture, Red Bull's comeback, and what it all means heading into Monaco.

F1 2026 Miami GP | Kimi’s Here, McLaren’s Back + Ferrari Still Bottling It

F1 is officially back and Miami just reset the entire season. Kimi Antonelli is no longer a storyline… he’s the problem. Three poles. Three wins. And now a real championship gap. Meanwhile, McLaren just showed up with a half-built upgrade package and still almost won, Ferrari somehow turned a race lead into damage control (again), and George Russell is starting to feel the pressure in a way we haven’t seen before. This isn’t Mercedes domination anymore, this is a full-blown fight. 🔥 On this episode: * Is Kimi already the #1 driver at Mercedes? * Is George cracking under pressure? * McLaren double podium... are they back for real? * Why Ferrari keeps finding new ways to loseIs this already a 3-team championship fight? * Where does Max Verstappen and Red Bull actually fit? * Has the midfield officially become chaos? * Canada preview: who’s actually winning next? The gap is closing. The pressure is rising. And the kid is taking over.

F1 2026 Japan GP | Mercedes Built a Rocket, Ferrari Missed Their Shot + Red Bull Miles Off

Japan just confirmed what Australia hinted at — this might already be Mercedes’ era. Another dominant performance, a car that looks untouchable, and a grid that feels like it’s already chasing shadows. Ferrari had moments… and then did what Ferrari always does — overplayed the strategy and let it slip. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen is dragging Red Bull into relevance while the rest of the package looks nowhere near championship level. Three races in, and the gap doesn’t look like it’s closing — it looks like it’s getting worse. 🔥 On this episode: * Has Mercedes already broken the 2026 season? * Why does Ferrari keep losing races they should be winning? * Is Charles Leclerc doing everything he can… with no help? * How bad is Red Bull’s situation really right now? * Is Max Verstappen hiding a fundamentally flawed car? * Are the 2026 regulations creating better racing… or just exposing bad teams faster? * Who’s actually second-best right now — Ferrari, McLaren, or someone else? * Overreaction or reality: Is this already Mercedes’ championship? New regs. Same drama. And a gap that’s starting to look dangerous.

F1 2026 Australia | Mercedes Dominates, Ferrari Bottles It + Aston's Cooked

The new era of F1 is here — and Mercedes may have already broken it. George Russell won the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli made it a Mercedes 1-2, and the scary part is they still didn’t execute a perfect race. Ferrari showed genuine pace but lost out by staying out during the VSC windows, while Red Bull salvaged P6 through Max Verstappen after a nightmare Saturday and battery issues at the start. In this episode, James and Ben react to the opening race of 2026 and ask the big question: did Mercedes just win the championship in race one? We cover: * Russell, Antonelli, and the early Mercedes hammer blow * Ferrari’s strong start and familiar strategy pain * McLaren’s rough opener and Piastri’s brutal home-race DNS * Red Bull’s mixed bag with Max’s comeback and Hadjar’s DNF * why the midfield fight might be incredible * and why Aston Martin looks nowhere near ready for this era. The 2026 regs brought more overtakes in Melbourne than last year, but they also brought chaos, battery games, and a grid that already feels split between contenders and survivors.

2026 Pre-Season | F1 Is Gaslighting Us, Mercedes Might + Ferrari Redemption

The 2026 Formula 1 season hasn’t even started, and already it feels like a battery fight disguised as a racing war. In this preseason episode of Rolling Start, we break down why the new regulations have us fired up, skeptical, and asking one massive question: did F1 just save racing… or completely overcomplicate it? We get into the biggest storylines coming out of testing: 🔥 In this episode: * Why the 2026 regs already feel like chaos instead of closer racing * Whether Red Bull just bet its entire future on an unproven Ford-backed engine * Why Mercedes might be building another era of dominance * Ferrari’s shot at redemption… or another year of living off nostalgia * Why McLaren might be the quiet killer no one is talking about enough * Aston Martin’s expensive disaster and why 2026 could expose everything * Why Cadillac and Audi are already more impressive than expected * Our biggest dark horses, biggest flops, and podium predictions for Australia This one is part breakdown, part therapy session, part warning shot. Because if these regs work, 2026 could be legendary. If they don’t, we may be watching a technical arms race instead of actual racing.