F1: Chequered Flag

Jennie and the team look back at a terrific race around the streets of Baku. With McLaren now leading the constructors championship by 20 points, they hear from both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, as well as team principal Andrea Stella. They discuss what happened in the crash between Perez and Sainz, and ask whether there are any signs that Red Bull can reverse their fortunes.

Ben Edwards, Marc Priestley and Andrew Benson look back at events from Baku. They discuss what led to Lando Norris not making it out of Q1. Can Charles Leclerc convert his pole into a race win? And what on earth was happening at Williams that led to a a stewards investigation?

Jennie Gow, former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer & BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson look ahead to the Azerbaijan GP. The team discuss Adrian Newey’s move to Aston Martin. Will this propel Aston Martin towards the top of the grid? Plus, will McLaren enforce team orders with the drivers’ and constructors’ championship within sight?

Jennie Gow, Harry Benjamin and British racing driver, Alice Powell, reflect on the Italian GP. We hear from Charles Leclerc after he claimed an emotional victory at Ferrari’s home race. Did McLaren throw victory away though? The team debate that, as well as hearing from Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Plus, how do Red Bull recover?

Jennie Gow and Harry Benjamin are joined by F1 Academy championship leader, Abbi Pulling, to reflect on qualifying at the Italian GP. They discuss Lando Norris’ pole position, and whether Max Verstappen can recover from seventh. Plus, hear from Andrea Kimi Antonelli, after the 18-year-old Italian was confirmed as a Mercedes driver for 2025.

Jennie Gow, Harry Benjamin and Editor-in-Chief at Autosport, Rebecca Clancy, look ahead to the Italian GP. Do we have a championship battle on our hands? We hear from both Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. Plus, the team discuss Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s FP1 crash, and Andrew Benson sits down with Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff.

Alice, Harry and Rosanna look back at the Dutch Grand Prix. They consider whether that was Lando Norris’ best drive as he took his second win of the season. We hear from Lando, as well as Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. And, is it ok to suggest the drivers' championship is on?

Rosanna and the team look back at qualifying from Zandvoort. They hear from Lando Norris who took pole, as well as Max Vertsappen and Oscar Piastri who completed the top three. Sergio Perez is also on the pod and discusses why he has been seeing a driving coach.

Rosanna and the team look ahead to the Dutch Grand Prix. They assess where the top teams are after the summer break. McLaren boss Zak Brown tells us how even he's surprised that his team are fighting for the championship. We hear from Carlos Sainz on his move to Williams. And how much of a blow is it to Red Bull that sporting director Jonathan Wheatley is leaving the team?

Rosanna and team look back at the first race of the season. They reflect on Max Verstappen’s lights to flag victory and hear from the Dutchman. Checo Perez and Carlos Sainz are also one the pod after finishing 2nd and 3rd.

Rosanna and the team look back at the first qualifying session of the season. They hear from the top three as well as Lewis Hamilton who starts back in 9th.

For the last three months, we have followed the Williams and Mercedes teams as they prepared and built their cars for the 2024 season. Holly Samos and Sarah Holt have been our guides as we’ve gone with them inside the factories - but now it’s almost time to return to the track.

First, the teams have to launch their race cars and reveal them to the rest of the world. Williams have travelled to New York to present their car in front of their American fans and partners. For homegrown driver Logan Sargeant this is a chance to mix business and pleasure.

Even on the brink of a new season, Formula 1 is already looking ahead. On the horizon in 2026 is a major new set of technical regulations. The next generation of F1 cars will use less energy - and run on sustainable fuels with net zero CO2 exhaust emissions, as the sport’s CEO Stefano Domenicali explains. The teams are also looking to the future. Mercedes are introducing sustainability initiatives close to home and Williams are on the path to transforming their organisation.

It’s the 14th of February, 2024. Valentine’s Day - and Mercedes are hoping it will be love at first sight, as their new race car makes its bow. The team have travelled just eight miles from Brackley for their pre-season launch at Silverstone, home of the British Grand Prix. It’s time for the wraps to come off the 2024 car. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton get their first drive in the car the team has lovingly built just for them.

Now, as our series comes to a close, just one question remains. How will the Williams and Mercedes cars fair in the season to come?

F1: Back at Base is an IMG Production for the BBC Hosted by me, Joseph Fiennes Co-hosts & Executive Producers are Holly Samos and Sarah Holt The Producers are Alasdair Cresswell, Joe Aldridge and Jack Winstanley. The Senior Producer is Ollie Kneen The Executive Producer for IMG is Steve Tebb The Showrunner is Holly Samos The Story Editor and Scriptwriter is Sarah Holt The Commissioning Editor at the BBC is Stevie Middleton

Lewis Hamilton has returned from the Christmas break with some shocking news for his Mercedes team. His bombshell makes headlines around the world - with some calling it the biggest story in Formula 1 this century. Even if that’s a little far-fetched, there is no doubt that his decision has sent shockwaves through the F1 community.

At Mercedes, team principal Toto Wolff is used to having to react quickly - almost as quickly as his drivers on track. The Austrian has to face a barrage of media questions about the driver who has won six World titles with his team - and who has also become a friend. Holly Samos has exclusive interviews with the key protagonists.

While Mercedes take just a moment to reflect on Hamilton’s news, Williams are making their final preparations for the 2024 season. Logan Sargeant is back at Grove for his seat fitting along with his race engineer Gaetan Jego. Making sure the driver is comfortable in the cockpit is crucial, especially when racing on bumpy tracks at high speed.

The Mercedes factory at Brackley is also now getting back to the tick-list of preparations. The car needs a new paint job and the team has to be kitted out. With the 2024 season coming ever closer, the anticipation is building. And none more so than for the drivers, who get to drive these magnificent machines in the heat of competition.

F1:Back at Base was created and produced by Holly Samos and Sarah Holt and is an IMG Production for the BBC.

Inside their high-tech Formula 1 factories, Mercedes and Williams are in a constant cycle of pushing the boundaries in the car build. And the clock is ticking. With just a few weeks to go until the start of the 2024 season, Williams are working overtime as the final components of the car go into manufacture. Team principal James Vowles says these crucial weeks towards the end of January are the busiest time for the workforce at his Oxfordshire facility, bar none. But what will be the very last piece of the car to be made? Sarah Holt and Holly Samos are going inside the factories to find out.

At the Mercedes factory in Brackley, COO Rob Thomas is aware time is now at a premium. The wind tunnel is still hard at work trialling aerodynamic upgrades that hold the promise of more performance on track. They then need to be put into production - but can the factory afford to leave it as late as possible to give the wind tunnel team more time? There are still some important milestones to go in the car build and for Mercedes’ technical director James Allison, that’s a cause for sleepless nights.

Both factories are working as one to deliver the 2024 race cars for their star drivers in time to go racing at the opening Bahrain Grand Prix on 2nd March. The race team, who travel to the races around the world, are also honing in on their preparations. For the pit crews at Williams and Mercedes, it’s time to rehearse the quicksilver pit-stops that can make - or break - a race weekend.

F1:Back at Base was created and produced by Holly Samos and Sarah Holt and is an IMG Production for the BBC.

Back at base, Williams and Mercedes are returning to work after the winter shutdown. Now is the time for new beginnings – and whatever lies ahead for our two teams and the cars they are busy bringing to life inside their high-tech facilities. F1 experts Holly Samos and Sarah Holt are our guides as we catch up with the teams.

At Mercedes, there is one very familiar face that everyone is pleased to see - the team’s popular star George Russell. The British racer fell ill at the penultimate race of the 2023 season in Las Vegas and has been recovering ever since. George and his performance coach Aleix Casanovas have had to adapt their plans over the winter to get ready to go racing again.

Williams driver Alex Albon - who reveals he competes against his old friend Russell in other sporting contests - is also building up the strength and conditioning he needs to go racing. January is the most crucial time of the year for the drivers to get race fit. This winter it feels more important than ever, as the 2024 Formula 1 season will place even bigger demands on the drivers with a record 24 races on the calendar. Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali joins the podcast conversation as the sport continues to grow.

Lewis Hamilton has been preparing for the new season in America, away from his Mercedes team. But on his last day at Brackley, the seven-time world champion spoke to this podcast about the crucial weeks ahead.

It’s not only the drivers who are operating at 100 percent. Williams team principal James Vowles and his Mercedes counterpart Toto Wolff have come back from their holidays with tales of how they spend their time outside of their demanding day jobs.

As our four star drivers do the hard yards to get race fit, it’s important to remember that they rarely drive an F1 car outside of the race season. BUT there is another tool at their disposal - the simulator. This is another top-secret facility closely guarded by the teams but for our podcast Williams driver Logan Sargeant is showing Holly Samos and Sarah Holt around. The drivers are doing all they can to prepare for the new season - but have the cars that they’re getting ready to race been built yet?

F1:Back at Base was created and produced by Holly Samos and Sarah Holt and is an IMG Production for the BBC.

When it comes to designing and building the new Williams and Mercedes Formula 1 cars for the looming 2024 season, there is precision and, most importantly, there is a plan. There has to be because all 10 teams are facing their first winter shutdown - a new ruling by the sport’s governing body, the FIA. But things don’t always go to plan - and the teams face a race against the clock to finish key bits of the car build before the Christmas holidays. Holly Samos and journalist Sarah Holt are going behind the scenes at two of the biggest names in F1, to the heart of their mammoth operations

One of the first hurdles for the teams to clear are the FIA crash tests. This series of tests is designed to ensure the safety of the sport, and crucially the drivers. However, for the teams they present one of their biggest challenges in the car build. At the Mercedes factory in Brackley they are waiting anxiously for news from the sport’s crash-testing facility at Cranfield University.

For the all-important drivers and team principals - the faces of Formula 1 - the winter is a chance to step back from the spotlight. For Williams star Alex Albon this is a time to reconnect with family while Lewis Hamilton has some thinking to do on his Christmas break in the U.S.

There are also holiday plans on the horizon for team principals Toto Wolff and James Vowles but the responsibility for the workforce back at base is never far from their minds. At Williams, Vowles knows his factory at Grove is preparing to dig deep - but what will he find when his workforce gets back to work in the new year?

F1: Back at Base is an IMG Production for the BBC Narrated by Joseph Fiennes Co-hosts & Executive Producers are Holly Samos and Sarah Holt The Producers are Alasdair Cresswell, Joe Aldridge and Jack Winstanley. The Senior Producer is Ollie Kneen The Executive Producer for IMG is Steve Tebb The Showrunner is Holly Samos The Story Editor and Scriptwriter is Sarah Holt The Commissioning Editor at the BBC is Stevie Middleton

Inside the Williams and Mercedes factories, where F1 cars come to life, the workforce is putting its heart and soul into the winter tasks now well underway. There are just 14 weeks between the 2023 season and the first race of 2024 in Bahrain. In this series, we have been allowed rare access into the heart of the operations. And at the Williams facility, in rural Oxfordshire, we are about to go on a VIP tour to learn how to build an F1 car.

At Brackley, home to the Mercedes’ F1 team, the factory is united by a common purpose. Mercedes dominated F1 from 2014. But when new technical rules came in at the start of 2022, Red Bull overtook Mercedes as the fastest team on track. The desire to return Mercedes to the top runs deep - and for a very significant reason.

The motivation to get the 2024 car right is massive for both teams - but first Williams and Mercedes have to absorb the lessons from last season’s car. And each team has a very specific problem that it now wants to put right.

At Brackley, work continues around the clock on the new Mercedes and the Williams factory is also working at full capacity - with extra shifts and overtime standard at this crucial time in the car build. The factories are moving up a gear, because a new car for a new season - that’s a chance to start again.

F1: Back at Base is an IMG Production for the BBC Narrated by Joseph Fiennes Co-hosts & Executive Producers are Holly Samos and Sarah Holt The Producers are Alasdair Cresswell, Joe Aldridge and Jack Winstanley. The Senior Producer is Ollie Kneen The Executive Producer for IMG is Steve Tebb The Showrunner is Holly Samos The Story Editor and Scriptwriter is Sarah Holt The Commissioning Editor at the BBC is Stevie Middleton

The Williams and Mercedes Formula 1 teams have given us unprecedented access to their top-secret facilities as they work over the winter preparing their cars for the 2024 season. At Mercedes, the team’s superstar driver Lewis Hamilton is going into a restricted area to see how that crucial work is coming along. We follow in his footsteps as F1 experts Holly Samos and Sarah Holt get a VIP tour of one of the most important tools when it comes to designing and building the most complex race cars in the world.

From his position at the very top, Mercedes team principal and CEO Toto Wolff is reflecting on how the team lost ground when major new technical regulations on car design came in for the 2022 season.

At Williams, new team principal James Vowles is welcoming his first major hire - as they plot a return to the front of the grid for the nine-time World Champions. The duo are part of a crack team back at base who have been getting to grips with the 2024 car since last March.

At both teams, the drivers also have their wish-list for the new cars. Alex Albon knows what avenue he wants Williams to go down and there is one person Hamilton has on speed dial when it comes to car design.

The cars that will be driven by Albon, Hamilton & co during the 2024 season are being built by 1000s of people. It’s time for them to get to work - as the race to the 2024 season picks up pace.

F1: Back at Base is an IMG Production for the BBC Narrated by Joseph Fiennes Co-hosts & Executive Producers are Holly Samos and Sarah Holt The Producers are Alasdair Cresswell, Joe Aldridge and Jack Winstanley. The Senior Producer is Ollie Kneen The Executive Producer for IMG is Steve Tebb The Showrunner is Holly Samos The Story Editor and Scriptwriter is Sarah Holt The Commissioning Editor at the BBC is Stevie Middleton

In this series, we have been given unprecedented access to two of the biggest teams in Formula 1 - Mercedes and Williams. It’s a few days after the final race of the 2023 season, and the teams are returning home to their UK factories after an epic year. It’s time to enjoy the year’s hard-fought success with the workforce of hundreds back at base. And we are there with them - our F1 experts Holly Samos and Sarah Holt added to the guest list.

After a dramatic season finale in Abu Dhabi, the sport’s seven-time World Champion, Lewis Hamilton, and team principal, Toto Wolff, are leading the celebrations at the Mercedes team’s twin facilities at Brackley and Brixworth. But there is a familiar face missing.

At Williams’ home in Oxfordshire, the historic team’s star drivers, Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant, have also come home. But for Sargeant, who made his F1 debut for Williams in 2023, the American’s future remains uncertain. Will he keep his place as one of just 20 drivers on the F1 grid? That’s a decision for James Vowles, who has had to make a few big calls in his first season as team principal - and his first since leaving Mercedes.

The homecoming - as happy as it is - is only a brief pause. Formula 1 is a shark. It’s always moving forward. Mercedes and Williams are not standing still. Because the winter is when the real work begins. For the teams. For the drivers. For the men and women designing, manufacturing and building the cars that will race in the 2024 season.

It’s impossible to know what lies ahead but before he leaves to spend the holiday season in America, Lewis Hamilton has one more visit to make. He’s going to a top-secret part of the Mercedes’ factory.

F1: Back at Base is an IMG Production for the BBC Narrated by Joseph Fiennes Co-hosts & Executive Producers are Holly Samos and Sarah Holt The Producers are Alasdair Cresswell, Joe Aldridge and Jack Winstanley. The Senior Producer is Ollie Kneen The Executive Producer for IMG is Steve Tebb The Showrunner is Holly Samos The Story Editor and Scriptwriter is Sarah Holt The Commissioning Editor at the BBC is Stevie Middleton

Andrew Benson and Jack Aitken join Harry Benjamin look back at the action from the Red Bull Ring. They hear from the top three and ask whether Max Versatappen can actually win every remaining race this season.