Description
Kimi Antonelli is on the brink of becoming Formula 1 world champion - but what made his Austin Grand Prix performance so impressive, and what does it mean for George Russell? Mark Hughes joins Bryn Lucas to look back at the US GP, assess the championship picture and look ahead to the Mexican Grand Prix.
Mark explains why Russell may be finding life alongside Antonelli so difficult, picks out the young Italian’s most impressive performance of the season, and assesses the technical factors behind Ferrari’s struggles and Red Bull’s resurgence.
The conversation also turns to F1’s growing popularity in the United States, Isack Hadjar’s fiery temperament, Fernando Alonso’s criticism of the backmarkers, and Valtteri Bottas’s future at Cadillac.
Plus, Mark discusses the uncertainty surrounding the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix, explains why the order of any cancellation matters financially, and answers your questions on the FIA’s cost-cap controls and why following other cars tends to get harder as a regulation cycle progresses.
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01:48 How Formula 1 has transformed in America
08:48 Is Russell struggling psychologically against Antonelli?
12:28 Antonelli’s best performance of the season
16:00 Mercedes’ delayed upgrade and the 2027 engine
21:17 Could Ferrari win with engine parity?
21:50 Why Red Bull has become competitive again
27:28 Is Isack Hadjar’s anger helping or hurting him?
31:12 Does Fernando Alonso have a point about F1’s backmarkers?
33:00 Mark’s experiences interviewing Schumacher, Vettel and Webber
36:58 What does the future hold for Valtteri Bottas at Cadillac?
38:27 Will F1 race in Qatar and Abu Dhabi?
45:18 Your questions: the FIA’s new cost-cap controls
47:34 Why does close racing get harder over a regulation cycle?
49:27 What to expect from the Mexican Grand Prix