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Tom Clarkson, Jolyon Palmer and James Hinchcliffe look forward to the return of Formula 1 at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Kimi Antonelli leads the F1 World Championship by 50 points, but his rivals are still in the fight. The guys discuss whether the young Italian can continue his stellar season under growing pressure in the second half of the year.
After some 'sloppy' mistakes in recent races, can Ferrari challenge Mercedes? Will Lando Norris, our most recent race-winner, become a factor in the title fight?
Also in this episode, what's behind a change of Team Principal at Cadillac? And will Aston Martin make another leap forward at Zandvoort?
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Tom Clarkson is joined in the paddock by F1TV expert and IndyCar race winner, James Hinchcliffe, to reflect on the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Lando Norris converted pole position to take his first Grand Prix victory of the season and his first as a World Champion. Why was Lando back on top in Budapest? Is he driving better this year than last year when he won the title? And can he now regularly fight with Mercedes and Ferrari to defend that title in 2026?
Max Verstappen was pleasantly surprised to finish P2 and secure his third podium in the last four races. So how did Max end up on the rostrum? And what did Tom and Hinch think of his incredible overtake of Lewis Hamilton on lap 16? 
It was another mixed weekend for Mercedes. Kimi Antonelli climbed from seventh on the grid to third, extending his championship lead further, while George Russell suffered an anti-stall issue at the start before fighting back for a points finish. How different will Kimi and George’s mindsets be going into the summer break?
Plus, the guys discuss a missed opportunity for Ferrari and a much better weekend for Aston Martin, whose upgrades helped Fernando Alonso reach Q2 for the first time this season.
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Neck training, positive energy and Belgian mussels are on the menu as Red Bull Test and Reserve Driver Yuki Tsunoda joins Christian Hewgill on stage in Belgium.
Yuki answers questions from F1 Explains listeners about why F1 drivers need to be physically fit, the advice he'd give his rookie self, what he learned from teammates including Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo, and his favourite race weekend food.
Send your questions, we'll get you the answers
Emails and voice notes welcome - F1Explains@F1.com
Thanks for listening to F1 Explains so far in 2026. We'll be back after the summer break
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With chassis set to be more important than power unit at the Hungaroring, will Ferrari have a more competitive car than Mercedes in Budapest? If so, who will come out on top between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton? And could George Russell benefit as he looks to close his 50-point gap to championship leader Kimi Antonelli?
F1 correspondent and presenter Lawrence Barretto joins Tom Clarkson in the paddock to answer the key questions ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix. 
Tom and Lawrence also discuss what we can expect from the big upgrades Aston Martin are bringing to this race and how they could shape Fernando Alonso’s decision on his future. Plus, will McLaren and Red Bull be in the mix for victory?
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Tom Clarkson is joined by race-winner Kimi Antonelli, F1TV lead presenter Laura Winter and two-time Le Mans podium finisher Alex Brundle to review the Belgian Grand Prix. 
Kimi converted pole to secure his sixth win of the season and move 45 points clear at the top of the World Championship. 12 months on from last year’s Belgian Grand Prix, one of his most challenging weekends of the 2025 season, how has the 19-year-old made such an incredible transformation?  
Kimi joins us in the Mercedes motorhome to reflect on his victory and a close fight with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.  
You’ll also hear reaction from George Russell, whose DNF after a collision with Lewis Hamilton on lap 1 leaves him 50 points adrift of Antonelli. What do the guys make of that incident, the comments George has made about his car’s problems and where he goes from here? 
Tom, Laura and Alex also discuss how surprised they were by Ferrari’s pace, Max Verstappen’s third podium of the season, and whether Lando Norris could have won without his grid penalty.
 
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