Best Trackside Science Podcasts (2025)

1
(54) Where do ideas come from? 55:27

Play Pause

10d ago55:27

55:27

Where do ideas come from? Rob describes his Big A Eureka Moment. 2025 Jeff wants to tell 2000’s Jeff to suck it up and stop complaining. We both love people who are generous with their ideas. Email: [email protected] Instagram & Bluesky: Tracksidescience Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tracksidescience Alcohol Jeff: Primary: When Lava Flo…

1
Inside Red Bull's trackside fuel and lubricants lab - and why it matters 1:02:01

2h ago1:02:01

1:02:01

Fuel and lubricants are often taken for granted by F1 fans, but it’s a crucial battleground that has a big impact not only on performance, but also reliability. We hear from Exxonmobil’s Fiona McKewan, whose role as Red Bull technical advisor means she attends races and closely monitors and analyses the various fluids that are essential to the oper…

1
CFD pioneer Nick Wirth on solving real world problems with F1 knowledge 1:02:33

14d ago1:02:33

1:02:33

Edd Straw interviews Nick Wirth, founder of Wirth Research, about how his company is using CFD technology sharpened over his decades in motorsport to tackle wider-world problems. Wirth, boss of the Simtek team that raced in F1 in 1994-95, who also had stints with Benetton and Virgin, has long been an evangelist for the power of CFD. He offers some …

1
Philatelic Science (53) 1:01:56

22d ago1:01:56

1:01:56

Philatelic Science! Rob’s box of stamps generates some science ideas! Wisconsin has indicted a DNA sequence. Jeff is suddenly bro-ing all the time. Email - [email protected] Bluesky - @tracksidescience.bsky.social Instagram - tracksidescience Alcohol Jeff - 1800 Tequila & Cointreau - Bing’s AI tells me this is a Conintreau Margartia. Thank…

51
Can F1’s problems with wet weather running be solved? 53:53

30d ago53:53

53:53

On this week's episode of The Race F1 Tech Show, Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson reflect on the rain-delayed Belgian Grand Prix, and whether anything can be done to solve F1's current problems with cars running in severe wet weather. After that, Edd and Gary discuss whether Ferrari has really turned a corner with its suspen…

101
Gary unpicks Ben Sulayem's F1 vision + The tech impact of Horner's Red Bull exit 50:16

1M ago50:16

50:16

On the latest episode of The Race F1 Tech Show, former F1 technical director Gary Anderson explains what impact Christian Horner’s sudden removal as team principal could have on Red Bull technically, both in the short and the long-run given the team’s longstanding balance issues. Host Edd Straw then quizzes Gary on what he thinks of FIA president M…

1
Mercedes' ongoing struggles with heat + a floor breakthrough for Ferrari? 44:11

2M ago44:11

44:11

On the latest episode of The Race F1 Tech Show, host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson take a closer look at two of the big tech stories coming out of the Austrian Grand Prix. The first is Mercedes' ongoing struggle to extract performance in high ambient temperatures, with George Russell finishing over a minute down on the ra…

1
What does losing '20 points of downforce' really mean? Plus, McLaren's new suspension analysed 45:26

2M ago45:26

45:26

On the latest episode of The Race F1 Tech Show, Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson discuss what losing '20 points of downforce' really means, after Lewis Hamilton suffered that fate in Canada, when his Ferrari collided with an unfortunate marmot. There's also chat about the revised suspension geometry on Lando Norris's McLaren…

1
Why didn't the flexi-wing directive shake up the order? 47:26

3M ago47:26

47:26

With the technical directive reducing the permitted flexibility of the front wings the big talking point of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, why didn’t it shake up the competitive order as some hoped? Former F1 technical director Gary Anderson explains that, and the reasons why he always expected the effects to be more subtle, as he looks back at th…

1
Red Bull's resurgence + The intriguing strategic variables for Monaco 49:59

3M ago49:59

49:59

On the latest episode of The Race F1 Tech Show, host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson look back on Imola and ahead to Monaco. First, they discuss how Red Bull turned the tables on McLaren at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, asking whether this was a track-specific change in the pecking order, or whether Red Bull have made a si…

1
Explaining the one weakness in McLaren's dominant race-winning car 59:15

4M ago59:15

59:15

With five wins from a possible six in 2025 (plus another victory in the Miami sprint), you might be forgiven for thinking McLaren’s MCL39 is without fault. But listen to drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and its clear the car isn’t always perfect to drive, - especially in qualifying trim, and on this podcast host Edd Straw and former F1 techn…

1
F1’s 2026 engine drama - What’s going on? 45:39

4M ago45:39

45:39

On the latest episode of The Race F1 Tech Show, Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson take a look at the current drama surrounding F1’s 2026 engine regulations, with stakeholders discussing significant changes to the rules aimed at heading off fears about cars repeatedly running out of energy. Do these changes suggest the rule di…

1
Science Firings part 2 (EXPLICIT) 1:00:09

4M ago1:00:09

1:00:09

The moronic, mean-spirited and illegal assault on US government scientists continues.

1
How Red Bull managed to win in Suzuka with a tricky car 34:15

5M ago34:15

34:15

We talk with Gary about Red Bull’s troubles and how it managed to win with a tricky car that took a long time to troubleshoot at Suzuka, and tackle your questions on the minimum weight limit, design drawings and airbox intakes. And with tyre weight a big talking point of late, we discuss whether or not the wheels should be excluded from minimum wig…

1
Ferrari's Chinese GP blunder - The mistakes that led to its double DSQ 51:27

5M ago51:27

51:27

Ferrari's Chinese Grand Prix weekend fell apart in embarrassing fashion when, after Lewis Hamilton's fine sprint race win on Saturday, both the Briton and team-mate Charles Leclerc were disqualified from Sunday's Grand Prix for excessive skid wear and an underweight car respectively. But how did one of F1's biggest hitting teams find itself in such…

1
2025 F1 Tech Preview: Comparing the 'Big 4' car concepts + Answering your questions 49:47

6M ago49:47

49:47

The new season of The Race F1 Tech Show kicks off with a look Formula 1’s big four and the directions they have taken with their 2025 cars. Ex-Jordan, Stewart and Jaguar technical director Gary Anderson joins host Edd Straw to run the rule over the top cars based on what we’ve seen during launch season and testing. There’s plenty of chat about the …

1
(52) Salute to Government Scientists 49:45

6M ago49:45

49:45

To those recently, and illegally, fired. Contains some strong language, because that is 100% appropriate.

1
(51) Science from Australia! 44:13

8M ago44:13

44:13

Episode 51 - Our Down Under connection! In 2021 we got an email from a listener from New Zealand working in Australia as a Physics Science Communicator. It took years to get over the shock that someone we didn't already know was actually listening to us, but we did and now he is here! Drinks Jeff - Folgers Rob - Austin Eastciders Errol - Hop Nation…

1
Tech review of 2024: Gary answers your questions 1:12:36

8M ago1:12:36

1:12:36

On the final episode of The Race F1 Tech Show for 2024, host Edd Straw helps former F1 technical director Gary Anderson navigate through a bumper batch of questions from listeners. Included are questions on whether a loss of platform control was the reason behind Red Bull’s dip in dominance, whether there’s evidence that the windtunnel restrictions…

1
The surprisingly interesting world of F1 fuel tanks 1:16:16

9M ago1:16:16

1:16:16

On this episode we’re lifting the lid (or should that be peaking under the fuel cap?) of F1 fuel tanks - an area of the car some might assume is fairly basic and uninteresting, but (like everything else in F1) is actually incredibly complex and has a huge impact on performance. Joining us to share his wisdom is Giles Dawson of Aero Tech Laboratorie…

1
Who'll win F1's three-team constructors' championship battle? 55:59

9M ago55:59

55:59

The battle for the 2024 drivers' world crown may be all but over, but on the constructors' front the battle is still raging, with the final three races set to decide whether McLaren, Ferrari or Red Bull take top honours (and the considerable prize money that goes with it). On this episode of The Race F1 Tech Show, host Edd Straw and former F1 techn…

1
F1’s latest cheating suspicions, red flag tyre changes and Aston’s struggles 1:00:16

10M ago1:00:16

1:00:16

On this episode of The Race F1 Tech Show, host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson cover a raft of topics that came up over the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend, including wet weather set-ups, red flag tyre changes (and whether they should be allowed), and Aston Martin's miserable performance level - especially compared to its simi…

1
Red Bull's bib adjuster - what is it and why are rivals upset? 1:02:40

10M ago1:02:40

1:02:40

The main topic for this episode of The F1 Tech Show was an obvious choice, after Red Bull admitted in Austin that it has a device that can adjust the height of the ‘bib’ at the front of the floor but denying that it was ever – or could ever have been – used to make changes during parc ferme. Edd Straw is joined by former F1 technical director Gary …

1
The pros and cons of Renault ending its F1 engine programme 54:59

11M ago54:59

54:59

On this episode of the pod, host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson discuss the news that Renault's Formula 1 engine programme will cease ahead of Alpine's expected move to customer Mercedes power from 2026. They discuss why Renault is making this move (and why now), and the potential positives and negatives that such a move m…

1
(50) International Podcast Day 51:44

11M ago51:44

51:44

Remember how you waited anxiously as a kid for it to come? Not having to go to school on that day? Family from all over pulling into the driveway with gifts and food for the International Podcast Day celebration? Yah, we don’t either. #internationalpodcastday Alcohol Jeff - Southern Tier Brewing Imperial Pumking Ale Rob - Canada Dry Black Cherry Sp…

1
Why current rules have sparked a windtunnel arms race 48:56

12M ago48:56

48:56

Computer simulation technology may have come on in leaps and bounds in recent years, but the windtunnel still remains an essential and hugely important tool in an F1 team's development arsenal. McLaren have recently invested significant money in a windtunnel overhaul, and Aston Martin's brand new windtunnel facility - set to be fully functional ear…

1
Impromptu Science (49) 59:21

12M ago59:21

59:21

No plan or pre-recording preparation whatsoever…the difference between dentists & endodontists… old microscopes… Rob’s home office inspection… regulation of medical data.. college graduation in state prisons.. pubpeer.com… problematic paper screener … (https://www.irit.fr/~Guillaume.Cabanac/problematic-paper-screener)... Jeff’s anxiety about teachi…

1
Explaining Red Bull's decline + F1's latest flexi wing controversy 1:01:11

12M ago1:01:11

1:01:11

On this episode of the pod, host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson dig into two of the big technical talking points from the Italian Grand Prix in Monza: Red Bull's sharp decline in form, and fresh concerns - from Red Bull and Ferrari - about the flexibility of the front wing used by Formula 1 pacesetter McLaren. After those …

1
Revealing F1's battery technology battleground 1:11:32

1y ago1:11:32

1:11:32

On this week's episode, we're diving into the world of battery technology. The 2026 engine regs have placed a greater emphasis than ever before on battery power, and with the help of Gavin White and Kieran O'Regan, the co-founders of About:Energy, a company that provides world-leading expertise in battery testing and software, we'll explain where t…

1
Lifting the lid on F1 helmet technology 1:19:04

1y ago1:19:04

1:19:04

On this episode of The Race F1 Tech Show, we lift the lid on F1 helmet technology, as host Edd Straw chats to Stephane Cohen, CEO of Bell Helmets, the brand used by 13 of 20 drivers on the F1 grid. They discuss how F1 helmets have developed in recent years in terms of both design and materials used, and explain why helmets are akin to shoes. Before…

1
Will Red Bull's latest upgrades be enough to counter McLaren's growing strength? 47:41

1y ago47:41

47:41

On this episode, host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson turn the spotlight on Red Bull, after the world champion team introduced new upgrades at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Gary gives his thoughts on Red Bull's 'mix and match' approach to bodywork at each circuit, and discusses whether these updates will help Red Bull stem the …

1
What's going wrong at Ferrari? 59:40

1y ago59:40

59:40

Edd and Gary are back, fresh from their trip to the British Grand Prix, where they got the chance to take a close look at the cars on track. As ever, Gary made some shrewd observations, which he reports back on in the first part of the podcast. Then, for our main topic, Edd and Gary turn the spotlight on Ferrari, after another troubling weekend whe…

1
Unpicking the strengths and weaknesses of F1’s ‘Big 4’ teams 49:17

1y ago49:17

49:17

As the fight at the front gets ever closer, The Race F1 Tech Show takes an in-depth look at the relative strengths and weaknesses of F1’s current big four teams. With Gary Anderson away on holiday, host Edd Straw is joined by another man with a penchant for all things technical: Mark Hughes. Together he and Edd take a team-by-team look at Red Bull,…

1
Why F1's 2026 rule changes could backfire 54:05

1y ago54:05

54:05

F1 is heading for major rule changes on both the power unit and chassis sides in 2026, but with the battle at the front getting closer and performance in general converging, are these technical tweaks that the sport could do without? That's one of the questions debated by host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson on this episode…

1
Inside F1’s development war - and why it's getting closer at the front 57:26

1+ y ago57:26

57:26

On this episode, host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson look back on Imola and ahead to Monaco, as they discuss the latest phase in F1’s increasingly intriguing development war. First, Edd and Gary discuss Red Bull’s difficult weekend in Imola, and whether that, combined with other teams’ gains, hints at the world champion te…

1
McLaren's race-winning upgrades + What should Newey do next? 53:13

1+ y ago53:13

53:13

On this episode, host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson discuss the upgrade package that helped Lando Norris and McLaren snap Max Verstappen and Red Bull's stranglehold on the Miami Grand Prix. They look at what McLaren changed, how it has helped the team, and whether this means McLaren will be able to fight at every kind of …

1
Analysing how the teams responded to the new sprint race rules 50:51

1+ y ago50:51

50:51

On this episode, host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson look back on the Chinese Grand Prix, and in particular how the teams responded to the new-for-2024 sprint weekend format and revised parc ferme rules. After that, Gary answers a bumper selection of questions from listeners, including ones on the real impact of front wing…

1
BONUS: Discover the technology of autonomous racing with A2RL 45:39

1+ y ago45:39

45:39

On a special bonus episode of the pod, host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson chat to Dr Tom McCarthy, executive director of ASPIRE and a key figure behind the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League aka A2RL. This pioneering autonomous racing series is new for 2024 and pitches eight teams against one another in modified Super For…

1
Red Bull's latest upgrades, plus the cost of Williams crash-strewn start 1:11:32

1+ y ago1:11:32

1:11:32

Host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson cover a lot of ground on the latest episode of The Race F1 Tech Show, starting with a look at Mercedes' latest struggles, before moving onto an analysis of Red Bull's latest upgrades and why cooling has become such an important factor in this era of F1. After that, we hear from Williams …

1
(48) Science Video Game - PhD Simulator 56:31

1+ y ago56:31

56:31

We relive the highs and lows of graduate school through a spot-on video game. PhD Simulator - A Text-Based Game by Mianzhi Wang (wmz.ninja) Email: [email protected] Instagram: Tracksidescience Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tracksidescience Alcohol Jeff - Dekalb County’s fine tap water Rob - Shark Jumper IPA Night Shift Brewing Sounds & …

1
Williams' production problems - what's going on and how do they fix it? 1:00:26

1+ y ago1:00:26

1:00:26

One of the big stories of the Australian Grand Prix weekend was Williams only being able to field one car in the race after Alex Albon tore a hole in one of its two monocoques with a crash on Friday. He was then given Logan Sargeant’s monocoque for Saturday and Sunday, finishing 11th. But how did a team like Williams find themselves in such a posit…

1
New concept, same struggles - How worried should Mercedes be? 50:08

1+ y ago50:08

50:08

After two seasons of struggles, Mercedes abandoned its old car philosophy for something new in 2024. But although the W15 has shown flashes of speed, there were worrying signs in Saudi Arabia that the new machine is suffering from an affliction that has haunted the team since the start of the current ground effect era: Porpoising. On this episode o…

1
The amazing tech that allowed Red Bull to go aggressive in 2024 58:02

1+ y ago58:02

58:02

The Race F1 Tech Show is back, and for our first show of 2024 we have something very special. Oracle Red Bull Racing's 2024 car - the RB20 - has been talk of the F1 paddock ever since the world champions rolled it out at pre-season testing and revealed a surprising (and some might say radical) new design direction. On this episode, host Edd Straw a…

1
Introducing… The Race F1 Briefing 1:26

1+ y ago1:26

1:26

The Race F1 Tech Show will be returning with a new series very soon, but before then we wanted to let you know about a new podcast from The Race. With so much going on in Formula 1 these days, it's not always easy to keep your fingers on the pulse of all the big talking points. Introducing The Race F1 Briefing, designed specifically to provide an o…

1
2023 in review: Where Red Bull's rivals failed - and what they need to fix 54:08

1+ y ago54:08

54:08

After focusing on Red Bull in the first of our season review episodes, host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson turn their attention to the rest of the field on the final show of the year. They discuss who did the better job out of Mercedes and Ferrari, which is best placed to challenge Red Bull in 2024, and what performance el…

1
(47) What connects you to science? 55:51

2y ago55:51

55:51

Episode 47 - What connects you to science? Rob’s a conference guy, he likes interacting with people. Jeff’s a reading-papers-in-a-quiet-house kind of guy. Rob likes the cutting edge while Jeff gravitates towards the arcane. Rob’s beer is bigger than Jeff’s. Email: [email protected] Instagram: Tracksidescience Patreon: https://www.patreon.c…

1
2023 in review: Is the Red Bull RB19 the best F1 car of the modern era? 55:06

2y ago55:06

55:06

With the end of the season just around the corner, host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson present part one of our technical review of 2023, which deals with Red Bull's all-conquering RB19 - undoubtedly the car of the season, but should it be regarded as the best of the modern era? We debate that question, assess its various s…

1
(46) ChatGPT: good for a fart joke? 54:01

2y ago54:01

54:01

Is it a Promethean kind of thing? An end of the world thing? It’s definitely a protecting people with Fecal Incontinence kind of thing. It’s definitely not able to cite it’s sources. Email: [email protected] Instagram: Tracksidescience Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tracksidescience Alcohol Rob - Be Hoppy Indian Pale Ale Wormtown Brewery…

1
FOCUS ON: Ambiguous statistics + Tackling track limits 46:15

2y ago46:15

46:15

Host Tim Silvey is joined by Sean ‘Virtual Statman’ Kelly and our resident racing driver Alex Brundle to bring you fresh perspectives, performance insights and statistical surprises to enhance your enjoyment of Grand Prix racing. On this episode, Sean gives us a deep dive on ambiguous statistics, after Max Verstappen's run of dominance led to stati…

1
Why are so many teams suffering big performance swings from race to race? 1:05:12

2y ago1:05:12

1:05:12

The latest episode of The Race F1 Tech Show takes an in-depth look at the key technical talking points from the Brazilian Grand Prix. Host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson begin by taking a look at Fernando Alonso’s extraordinary defence (and then attack) of Sergio Perez’s Red Bull, and the way the Spanish veteran used all t…