Motor Sport F1 Show with Mark Hughes

By removing data, cutting away from drivers' disparaging comments, and failing to broadcast in-car outbursts, F1 looks to be trying to minimise criticism of the 2026 championship. It's not a smart move, says Mark Hughes in the latest episode of the F1 Show.

Watch Mark and Bryn Lucas discuss the issue in full, following a Belgian Grand Prix so dominated by energy management that it "sterilised" the normally magnificent Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

This week's instalment also reveals just what was behind Mercedes' disastrous first lap, which saw George Russell drop down the running order before spinning out of the race after contact with Lewis Hamilton.

Should the Ferrari driver have received a penalty? And should his team-mate Charles Leclerc got away without one after contact with Oscar Piastri?

Mark and Bryn also review Isack Hadjar's sensational drive from the back of the grid to sixth place at Spa, and look ahead to Hungary, where talk of energy management should be replaced by a close battle for victory.

Plus, your questioned answered: do team engineers still make set-up changes, or are they all dictated by simulators? How closely should we compare Ferrari in 1996 to Aston Martin today? And why was Piastri lagging Norris at Spa?

Subscribe now for every weekly episode and tell us what you want to know from Mark. Send us a message on social media or find this podcast at https://go.motorsportmagazine.com/4vK9CRm and drop your questions in the comments. He'll answer a selection of the best every week.

Read Mark's column every Wednesday at https://go.motorsportmagazine.com/4vK9CRm
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Max Verstappen may be the best driver in Formula 1 at the moment. So why would he even consider moving to current backmarker Aston Martin?

Hear Mark Hughes' compelling case in the latest episode of the Motor Sport F1 Show, as he sets out why the four-time champion is considering his future, and why he'd pick the Silverstone-based team over the likes of Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren.

There's also Fernando Alonso to consider: what happens to him if he's displaced by Verstappen? Mark has an intriguing suggestion.

But it's not just silly season on the agenda ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix which will demand more electrical energy than the current generation of cars can provide. Can Spa provide a great race, even if cars spend much of the lap recharging their batteries?

Mark and presenter Bryn Lucas also discuss who will win the team-mate batle between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, now that they both seem to be in tune with their Ferraris. How do they compare with the greatest team-mates in F1 history?

Plus your questions answered: What if Toto Wolff had signed Verstappen for Mercedes in 2014; and what's really happening when drivers tweak the torque map and differential on their cars?

Subscribe now for every weekly episode and tell us what you want to know from Mark. Send us a message on social media or find this podcast at https://go.motorsportmagazine.com/4gLZJPr and drop your questions in the comments. He'll answer a selection of the best every week.

Read Mark's column every Wednesday at https://go.motorsportmagazine.com/4gLZJPr
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Max Verstappen arrived at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix on a high after an upswing in his Red Bull's performance. But after crashing out of the Formula 1 race, after a rear wing issue, the four-time champion sounded despondent.

Red Bull must now face the possibility that he will leave the team, or even Formula 1, at the end of the season, says Mark Hughes in the latest episode of the Motor Sport F1 Show.

He and host Bryn Lucas examine what Verstappen's options are, and what went wrong last weekend.

At the opposite end of the scale, Charles Leclerc's fortunes changed for the better; after struggling in this year's Ferrari, which was designed with Lewis Hamilton's influence, it all clicked for Leclerc who raced to victory. What changed, and did Ferrari let Hamilton have too much influence? All is not as simple as it seems.

Mark and Bryn also talk about the discontent over the race ending under the safety car; why reliability is becoming a Mercedes bugbear; and whether F1 should reintroduce refuelling.

Plus, Mark answers your questions on matt paint, Honda's F1 record, and solutions to the safety car problem.

Subscribe now for every weekly episode and tell us what you want to know from Mark. Send us a message on social media or find this podcast at https://go.motorsportmagazine.com/4wvTMdI and drop your questions in the comments. He'll answer a selection of the best every week.

Read Mark's column every Wednesday at https://go.motorsportmagazine.com/4wvTMdI
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Formula 1 season has burst into life, with three different race winners in the past three grands prix, and a return to fast-paced racing rather than complaints about artificial overtakes and super-clipping.

But the controversy around electrical energy looks set to be back with a spark at Silverstone, where its series of fast, sweeping corners offer little natural opportunity to generate power for the batteries.

This year's cars will run out of energy on the straights, says Mark Hughes, in the latest episode of the F1 Show, warning fans that the sound of a car decelerating on the straight while racing 'flat out' will mix up their senses.

What will it mean for the race itself, and the competitive order? Mark and presenter Bryn Lucas take a detailed look.

They also ask what hope for Lando Norris as he returns to the scene of a triumphant home victory in 2025, and discuss the latest rumours around Max Verstappen's future.

Plus, there's a look back to the controversies of last weekend, including George Russell's pole lap set under a yellow flag. and discussion on why the Mercedes factory team has such an advantage over customers with the same engine.

And Mark answers your questions on slowing for yellow flags, Ferrari personnel departures, and an intriguing tyre proposal.

Subscribe now for every weekly episode and tell us what you want to know from Mark. Send us a message on social media or find this podcast at https://go.motorsportmagazine.com/4eYzvqk and drop your questions in the comments. He'll answer a selection of the best every week.

Read Mark's column every Wednesday at https://go.motorsportmagazine.com/4eYzvqk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

F1 wheel wars: are new rims behind Ferrari success?

Mark Hughes and Bryn Lucas explain how the new design works and why it could be the opening shot in a new round of wheel wars, with Formula 1 regulations giving teams more freedom in their design.

They also consider whether this another example of Ferrari becoming F1's most innovative team, after its rotating 'Macarena' rear wing and clever spotting of a loophole around the crucial rear-end aerodynamics.

Ferrari will remain in the spotlight this weekend as it brings an engine upgrade: can it help Hamilton win for the second grand prix in succession; and does F1 need him to succeed?

Over at Mercedes, the questions of whether it should impose team orders to tackle the newfound threat have already begun. Mark gives his verdict.

He also answers your questions on the ideal driver line-up for next season; Ferrari's brake confusion; and why Isack Hadjar hasn't been blown away by Max Verstappen.

More on the stories that really matter, in the latest episode of the Motor Sport F1 Show.

Subscribe now for every weekly episode and tell us what you want to know from Mark. Send us a message on social media or find this podcast at https://go.motorsportmagazine.com/4w93qTp and drop your questions in the comments. He'll answer a selection of the best every week.

Read Mark's column every Wednesday at https://go.motorsportmagazine.com/4w93qTp
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.