F1: Chequered Flag

Harry Benjamin, McLaren Formula E driver Sam Bird, and BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson reflect on the Chinese Grand Prix sprint, as well as qualifying for Sunday’s race. We talk about Max Verstappen’s imperious form, Lewis Hamilton’s contrasting day, plus ask if Lando Norris will ever win a race.

Jennie Gow, Jolyon Palmer, Bec Clancy & Andrew Benson look ahead to the Chinese Grand Prix. We discuss the return to China after five years away, Fernando Alonso’s new deal at Aston Martin, and whether Max Verstappen can be challenged this weekend. We also hear from the three-time world champion, as well as Alonso.

Jennie Gow, Harry Benjamin & Alice Powell react to the Japanese Grand Prix. We hear from Max Verstappen after his third win of the season. Plus, discuss the battle at Ferrari hearing from both Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc. The team also discuss Yuki Tsunoda after yet another impressive drive, hearing from the home hero.

Harry Benjamin, Alice Powell & Andrew Benson reflect on qualifying at the Japanese Grand Prix. We hear from polesitter Max Verstappen, plus Sergio Perez and Lando Norris.

Jennie Gow, Jolyon Palmer, Bec Clancy & Andrew Benson look ahead to the Japanese Grand Prix. We discuss whether Red Bull will have more reliability issues, and how Carlos Sainz’s victory in Australia changes the dynamic at Ferrari. Plus, should Alonso have received a penalty in Melbourne? And could Sebastian Vettel make a comeback to the sport?

Rosanna Tennant, Harry Benjamin and former McLaren mechanic Marc Priestley look back on an entertaining Australian Grand Prix. Carlos Sainz took victory as Max Verstappen retired. We hear from both Sainz and Verstappen, as well as Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris.

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.

Harry Benjamin is joined by Jack Aitken and Andrew Benson to review the day’s action. They hear from Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez after the pair had an altercation on the first lap. And they also reflect on the news that Dutch racing driver Dilano van 't Hoff died after a crash at Spa in the Formula Regional European Championship.

All episodes of Spygate available right now on BBC Sounds.

In 2007 an improbable, low-fi crime nearly brought the high octane world of Formula One to its knees. Narrated by Pete Tong, Spygate draws in some of the most powerful men in the sports history and pits iconic teams McLaren and Ferrari against each other, all set against the backdrop of Lewis Hamilton’s record-breaking debut and his ferocious rivalry with Fernando Alonso. Buckle up - this season is one hell of a ride.

Jennie and the team look back at qualifying from Austin. They hear from the top three and discuss how they see Sunday’s race unfolding.

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc sits down with Andrew Benson to chat about the first half of the season. They discuss missed opportunities, racing against Max Verstappen and playing golf.

In an F1: Chequered Flag special, BBC Sport's chief F1 writer Andrew Benson speaks to Mercedes driver George Russell about his first season with the Silver Arrows, racing against Lewis Hamilton and memes.

Jennie and the team look back at qualifying from Silverstone. They hear from the top three as well as the three British drivers.

Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer hosts a Christmas party for the 5 Live Formula 1 team team.

Despite a few no-shows, his guests include Jack Nicholls, Jennie Gow, Steve Crossman, Andrew Benson and Radio 1’s Christian Hewgill.

They reminisce about the 2021 season and explain why it will go down as the greatest in the sport’s history.

They also hear from new world champion Max Verstappen.

Jennie and the team look back at the Russian Grand Prix. They hear from race winner Lewis Hamilton who registered his 100th win in the sport. And Lando Norris talks about the decision that cost him his first race win.

Jennie and team look back at qualifying from Monaco. They hear from polesitter Charles Leclerc as well as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

Jennie and the 5 Live F1 team count down their top 10 moments of 2020. From Lewis Hamilton’s record-equalling 7th world title to Romain Grosjean’s dramatic crash in Bahrain, they discuss each moment and why it made it on the list. We relive some of those thrilling moments and hear from those involved.

Jack Nicholls and the team chart Mercedes' dominance of the sport. We hear from boss Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton.

Jennie Gow is joined by Jack Nicholls, Jolyon Palmer and Andrew Benson to discuss what’s been a busy week of announcements regarding the future of Formula One. We hear which races have been postponed or cancelled and how the teams are planning to help the NHS. Plus, the team reflect on the cancellation of the Australian Grand Prix weekend just hours before it was scheduled to start.

Steve Rider hosts a special end of year quiz as the 5 Live F1 team battle it out to show who has the best knowledge of the 2019 Formula 1 Season.

Ten years ago today, Jenson Button was crowned the Formula 1 world champion. In this special episode he sits down with Victoria Turner to reminisce about that fairy-tale season in 2009 and the many highs and some lows that came with it.

Claire and the team reflect on a farcical end to qualifying at Monza where only two drivers managed to start their final lap. It was Charles Leclerc that took pole, from Lewis Hamilton in second. We hear from both drivers.

Jennie Gow, Jack Nicholls and former Formula One driver Jolyon Palmer discuss a thrilling final race of the season in the desert as Lewis Hamilton wrapped a championship winning season in style with victory in Abu Dhabi.

We sit down with two-time Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso who reflects on his career and explains why he is leaving the sport. Former Renault driver Jolyon Palmer and the BBC's chief F1 sports writer Andrew Benson also look Alonso's legacy and discuss what the future holds for the Spaniard.

Lewis Hamilton signs off the first half of the F1 season with a win in Hungary and now holds a 24 point lead over title rival Sebastian Vettel. Jennie Gow, Jolyon Palmer and Jack Nicholls discuss.

As the popularity, participation and coverage of women’s sport continue to grow – Jennie Gow investigates whether the use of grid girls is a sexist, outdated relic in 2017. Hear the thoughts of the models themselves alongside F1 drivers, team and circuit bosses. Plus find out how the issue is being considered in boxing, cycling and darts.

Jennie Gow presents a Formula One special looking at why Lewis Hamilton has recorded more pole positions than any other driver. Hear from Hamilton himself, his former team-mate Jenson Button, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and Allan McNish on what sets Hamilton apart on a single lap shoot-out.

The 5 live F1 team look back at the Monaco Grand Prix which was won by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel.

Fresh from winning the Russian Grand Prix, Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas joins our podcast looking ahead to the Spanish Grand Prix. We ask him; can he beat Hamilton again?

Jack Nicholls and the 5 live F1 team review the opening race of the 2017 season which saw Sebastian Vettel take victory in Australia.

The 5 live Formula 1 team bring you up to speed with the latest F1 news and interviews. Plus a preview of the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

Jennie Gow is joined by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, deputy team principal of Williams Claire Williams, Mark Gallagher and Andrew Benson to look ahead to the 2017 Formula One season.

The 5 live F1 team look ahead to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as the season comes to a climax. Will Rosberg or Hamilton win the World Championship? Long Synopsis

The 5 live Formula One team look ahead to what could be a pivotal Brazilian Grand Prix this weekend for Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.

Tom Clarkson and the team are in Austin to preview the American Grand Prix - can Lewis Hamilton put pressure on Nico Rosberg in the race for the World Championship?

Tom Clarkson presents a preview of the Belgian Grand Prix with the 5 live F1 team.

Jennie Gow and Jack Nicholls look ahead to the 2016 Formula 1 season, with the latest from pre-season testing. You'll hear from rising star Max Verstappen, who outlines his hopes for the new campaign.