Paddock 43: An F1 Podcast

PS: THIS WAS RECORDED RIGHT AFTER THE RACE SOOO... I did not know about Oscars penalty at the time of recording. SORRY!!!!
Kimi Antonelli is Formula 1 world champion at just 20, Lewis Hamilton is furious with Charles Leclerc, and Nico Rosberg somehow finds himself perfectly positioned for the drama.
In this episode of Paddock 43, Elle Baillieu breaks down the three biggest stories from the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix: Antonelli’s historic championship, Ferrari’s opening-lap controversy and Valtteri Bottas’s frightening crash.
We discuss the photograph of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton lifting Kimi on the podium, with 12 drivers’ world championships between them, Mercedes backing its young driver, and the significance of number 12 and Ayrton Senna.
Then it’s into the Ferrari debate. Was Charles’s five-second penalty enough? How much responsibility did Lewis have for the incident? And why did Nico’s commentary and post-race interview make the whole situation even more entertaining?
Plus, how can suspension fail under braking? We explain the forces involved and compare Bottas’s apparent front-left failure with Kevin Magnussen’s 2023 Mexico crash, while separating the known details from the causes still to be established.
And to put Kimi’s age into perspective: 20 things that happened in F1 in 2006, the year he was born. Alonso was winning his second championship, Lewis was racing in GP2 and Nico Rosberg was making his F1 debut.
Who do you side with in the Ferrari debate? Let me know in the comments.
Subscribe to Paddock 43 for F1 news, opinions, stories and the conversations beyond the race results.

🏁 Welcome to Paddock 43 – The Formula 1 Podcast That Keeps It Real!



🏎️💨If you love F1 drama, race breakdowns, driver gossip, and unfiltered opinions, you’re in the right place! Paddock 43 is your go-to podcast for everything happening on and off the track



.🚥 What You’ll Get Every Week:

✅ Race Recaps & Analysis – Who dominated, who bottled it, and what it means for the championship.

✅ Breaking F1 News & Rumours – Driver transfers, team drama, FIA chaos—nothing’s off-limits.

✅ F1 Lifestyle & Behind-the-Scenes – From team principals to race engineers, we break it all down.

✅ Hot Takes & Debate Segments – lets get controversial



Unlike other F1 podcasts, we bring the energy, the humour, and the unfiltered takes—just like chatting F1 with your best mates.



Subscribe & Never Miss an Episode!



🔔💬 Join the Paddock 43 Community:

📲 Follow us on Instagram (@paddock43podcast) & TikTok (@Paddock43Podcast) for BTS, F1 Memes, Live Q&As, and Breaking News Updates.🎤 Got a question or F1 hot take? Drop it in the comments—we might feature it in the next episode!🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube – Hit that follow button so you never miss a race-week recap!🏁 Welcome to Paddock 43—where F1 meets the fans. Let’s race!



🏎️💨@ellebaillieu

It is our 100th episode what the hell!!!?? where did time go...!!! And today we have a special recording studio..
What happens when you put an F1 presenter and a diehard Liam Lawson fan in a papaya McLaren?
F1 content creator Dani Clarkson joins Elle Baillieu for a special passenger-seat edition of Paddock 43, recorded in a McLaren Artura Spider around Melbourne’s Albert Park Grand Prix circuit.
With the Austin Grand Prix weekend setting the scene, we’re swapping the usual podcast setup for a drive and a Formula 1 catch-up.
Come for the F1 chat. Stay for the McLaren.
Follow the show and leave a rating if you enjoy the episode.
Follow Elle on Instagram: @ellebaillieu
Paddock43: @paddock43podcast

🏁 Welcome to Paddock 43 – The Formula 1 Podcast That Keeps It Real!



🏎️💨If you love F1 drama, race breakdowns, driver gossip, and unfiltered opinions, you’re in the right place! Paddock 43 is your go-to podcast for everything happening on and off the track



.🚥 What You’ll Get Every Week:

✅ Race Recaps & Analysis – Who dominated, who bottled it, and what it means for the championship.

✅ Breaking F1 News & Rumours – Driver transfers, team drama, FIA chaos—nothing’s off-limits.

✅ F1 Lifestyle & Behind-the-Scenes – From team principals to race engineers, we break it all down.

✅ Hot Takes & Debate Segments – lets get controversial



Unlike other F1 podcasts, we bring the energy, the humour, and the unfiltered takes—just like chatting F1 with your best mates.



Subscribe & Never Miss an Episode!



🔔💬 Join the Paddock 43 Community:

📲 Follow us on Instagram (@paddock43podcast) & TikTok (@Paddock43Podcast) for BTS, F1 Memes, Live Q&As, and Breaking News Updates.🎤 Got a question or F1 hot take? Drop it in the comments—we might feature it in the next episode!🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube – Hit that follow button so you never miss a race-week recap!🏁 Welcome to Paddock 43—where F1 meets the fans. Let’s race!



🏎️💨@ellebaillieu

When does supporting an F1 driver cross the line? Motorsport content creator and comedian James Coker joins Elle on Paddock43 for an honest—and often ridiculous—conversation about F1 fandom, life as a creator, and why he stepped away from the WTF1 podcast.
James opens up about the cumulative impact of toxic comments and DMs, why chasing controversy wasn’t worth the toll on his mental health, and how making jokes about the paddock changes once you know the people in it. We discuss parasocial relationships, the boundaries between fans and drivers, and whether drivers and creators should do more to call out online abuse.
Then there’s the question of Oscar Piastri’s burger curse.
We debate whether McLaren favoured Lando Norris during last season’s title fight, revisit Oscar’s momentum, and get distracted by Elle’s passionate defence of his Grill’d burger. James is trying to explain the curse. Elle is apparently trying to sell him lunch.
With Austin approaching, we also talk Kimi Antonelli’s remarkable season, George Russell’s fortunes, and our predictions for the United States Grand Prix. James takes us back to the chaotic 1984 Dallas Grand Prix before we look ahead to the next chapter of F1 in Texas.
Plus: Austin versus Miami, grandstands versus hospitality, an FIA hat encounter involving Lando Norris’s dad, and why James isn’t interested in spending Christmas with Toto Wolff.
IN THIS EPISODE:
• Why James stepped away from the WTF1 podcast
• F1 fan behaviour, online abuse and parasocial relationships
• The balance between humour, honesty and paddock access
• Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris and the McLaren favouritism debate
• The Oscar Piastri Grill’d burger curse
• Kimi Antonelli and the championship conversation
• Austin predictions and the 1984 Dallas Grand Prix
• Why the 2026 season has felt so disjointed
Where do you draw the line between passionate support and going too far? And who’s on your Austin podium? Tell us in the comments—keep it respectful.
Subscribe to Paddock43 for more F1 conversations, guest interviews and stories from across motorsport.
Follow James:
https://www.instagram.com/thisjamescoker/
Recorded ahead of the 2026 United States Grand Prix. Predictions and calendar discussions reflect the conversation at the time of recording. Views on team decisions are the hosts’ and guest’s opinions.
#F1 #Paddock43 #JamesCoker

🏁 Welcome to Paddock 43 – The Formula 1 Podcast That Keeps It Real!



🏎️💨If you love F1 drama, race breakdowns, driver gossip, and unfiltered opinions, you’re in the right place! Paddock 43 is your go-to podcast for everything happening on and off the track



.🚥 What You’ll Get Every Week:

✅ Race Recaps & Analysis – Who dominated, who bottled it, and what it means for the championship.

✅ Breaking F1 News & Rumours – Driver transfers, team drama, FIA chaos—nothing’s off-limits.

✅ F1 Lifestyle & Behind-the-Scenes – From team principals to race engineers, we break it all down.

✅ Hot Takes & Debate Segments – lets get controversial



Unlike other F1 podcasts, we bring the energy, the humour, and the unfiltered takes—just like chatting F1 with your best mates.



Subscribe & Never Miss an Episode!



🔔💬 Join the Paddock 43 Community:

📲 Follow us on Instagram (@paddock43podcast) & TikTok (@Paddock43Podcast) for BTS, F1 Memes, Live Q&As, and Breaking News Updates.🎤 Got a question or F1 hot take? Drop it in the comments—we might feature it in the next episode!🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube – Hit that follow button so you never miss a race-week recap!🏁 Welcome to Paddock 43—where F1 meets the fans. Let’s race!



🏎️💨@ellebaillieu

LONG YOUTUBE DESCRIPTION
Fresh back from the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix, and I have thoughts. Max Verstappen finally won at Marina Bay, I think Lewis Hamilton got his Ferrari strategy gamble wrong, and McLaren’s Sprint collision was completely unnecessary. Kim Kardashian, though? Brilliant PR weekend.
This week on Paddock 43, I’m unpacking the Singapore GP from both sides: being there in person, then coming home and catching up on everything happening around the race.
It was my first trip to Singapore, and I wanted to experience the event as a fan. I’m sharing how our Zone 1 Walkabout ticket worked, what approximately A$1,500 got us, the grandstand views, watching qualifying from the Singapore Flyer despite my Ferris wheel phobia, and getting absolutely drenched on the way to Sprint qualifying. Plus, where we watched Sunday’s race, late-night hawker food and why I’d recommend a hotel with a pool.
On track, Max delivered both poles and both wins. George Russell’s Sprint crash happened right in front of us. Lewis stayed out after missing the pit entry under the Virtual Safety Car, and I’m getting into why I think he got the gamble wrong—as well as the communication between him and Ferrari.
Then there’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. A gap doesn’t automatically make a move worth attempting, especially against your teammate on the final lap. I’m talking about the collision, the lost points and Lando’s initial response versus his later apology.
Off track, Kim Kardashian addressed the awkward Martin Brundle moment and joked with Kimi Antonelli about the towel incident. I thought she handled both really well.
Also in this episode:
• Formula 1’s announced return to Africa with a Rwanda Grand Prix agreement.
• Why the timing is early 2030s, what we know about the proposed circuit and questions about access for local fans.
• The proposed V8 engine return, turbocharging, hybrid power and why we shouldn’t expect a straight replay of the 2013 soundtrack.
• Christian Horner’s Guardian interview and my reaction to his account of his dismissal.
Do you agree with me on Lewis’s gamble? And was Lando’s Sprint move worth the risk?
Subscribe to Paddock 43 for Formula 1 news, race reactions, fan experiences and my take on what’s happening on and off the grid.
Hosted by Elle Baillieu.
#F1 #SingaporeGP #Paddock43
LONG PODCAST DESCRIPTION
I’m back from my first Singapore Grand Prix, slightly exhausted and with plenty to talk about. Max finally got his Singapore win, Lewis got the strategy gamble wrong in my opinion, and McLaren gave us another teammate collision we really didn’t need.
But first, the fan experience. I wanted to see Singapore properly, so we went with a Zone 1 Walkabout ticket, got drenched heading to Sprint qualifying, watched qualifying from the Singapore Flyer and finished Sunday near pit exit for Max’s win and the fireworks. I’m sharing what our ticket included, what we paid and what I’d recommend if you’re thinking of going.
Then it’s into the racing: Max’s weekend sweep, seeing George’s Sprint crash in front of us, Lewis and Ferrari’s communication, and why I thought Lando’s move on Oscar was unnecessary. No further action from the stewards doesn’t mean McLaren should be happy about it.
Kim Kardashian also had her redemption arc with Martin Brundle and Kimi Antonelli. Credit where credit is due—I thought it was a brilliant PR move.
Plus, Formula One’s return to Africa, the Rwanda circuit plans, the proposed V8 comeback and why “V8” doesn’t mean we’re getting the old naturally aspirated engines back. I’m also giving my reaction to Christian Horner’s Guardian interview.
Let me know where you land on Lewis’s decision, the McLaren collision and the V8 hype.
Paddock 43 with Elle Baillieu.
SHORT EPISODE / TRAILER DESCRIPTION
Back from Singapore, and I think Lewis got the gamble wrong, McLaren’s collision was unnecessary, and Kim Kardashian handled her PR brilliantly. Plus: Max’s first Singapore win, my Zone 1 Walkabout experience, F1’s return to Africa and what the V8 comeback actually means.

🏁 Welcome to Paddock 43 – The Formula 1 Podcast That Keeps It Real!



🏎️💨If you love F1 drama, race breakdowns, driver gossip, and unfiltered opinions, you’re in the right place! Paddock 43 is your go-to podcast for everything happening on and off the track



.🚥 What You’ll Get Every Week:

✅ Race Recaps & Analysis – Who dominated, who bottled it, and what it means for the championship.

✅ Breaking F1 News & Rumours – Driver transfers, team drama, FIA chaos—nothing’s off-limits.

✅ F1 Lifestyle & Behind-the-Scenes – From team principals to race engineers, we break it all down.

✅ Hot Takes & Debate Segments – lets get controversial



Unlike other F1 podcasts, we bring the energy, the humour, and the unfiltered takes—just like chatting F1 with your best mates.



Subscribe & Never Miss an Episode!



🔔💬 Join the Paddock 43 Community:

📲 Follow us on Instagram (@paddock43podcast) & TikTok (@Paddock43Podcast) for BTS, F1 Memes, Live Q&As, and Breaking News Updates.🎤 Got a question or F1 hot take? Drop it in the comments—we might feature it in the next episode!🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube – Hit that follow button so you never miss a race-week recap!🏁 Welcome to Paddock 43—where F1 meets the fans. Let’s race!



🏎️💨@ellebaillieu

Drivers pressing the accelerator. Cars barely moving. An entire Grand Prix waiting on a software fix. What actually happened in Malaysia?
F1 journalist and published author Luke Smith joins Elle on Paddock 43 to unpack the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. With more than a decade covering Formula 1, Luke writes for The Athletic, part of The New York Times, and is the author of On the Grid. He was on the ground at Sepang—and takes us inside the confusion, frustration and information gaps as the start unravelled.
We break down the software failure in plain English, how the 2026 power-unit regulations contributed, why testing missed it, and what the FIA’s rapid fix does—and doesn’t—resolve.
Plus:
• What journalists and teams knew during the delay
• The drivers’ reactions and the mood in the paddock
• Whether the 2027 and 2028 changes address F1’s underlying complexity
• Confidence in the fix heading into Singapore
• Luke’s tips for enjoying the Singapore Grand Prix as Elle prepares to head over
• The Qatar and Abu Dhabi calendar situation as understood at the time of recording
Read Luke’s article in The Athletic on The New York Times website:
[How computer software bugs led to F1’s Malaysia farce: ‘Totally unacceptable’] https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7658750/2026/10/04/bahrain-grand-prix-software-bugs-explainer/?unlocked_article_code=1.GFE.fUel.Yfz8vJ1fpKfm&source=emp_shared_article&smid=ta-ios-share
Explore Luke’s book:
On the Grid
Have F1’s cars become too complicated? Tell us what you think, and follow Paddock 43 for more F1 conversations, race reactions and paddock stories.

🏁 Welcome to Paddock 43 – The Formula 1 Podcast That Keeps It Real!



🏎️💨If you love F1 drama, race breakdowns, driver gossip, and unfiltered opinions, you’re in the right place! Paddock 43 is your go-to podcast for everything happening on and off the track



.🚥 What You’ll Get Every Week:

✅ Race Recaps & Analysis – Who dominated, who bottled it, and what it means for the championship.

✅ Breaking F1 News & Rumours – Driver transfers, team drama, FIA chaos—nothing’s off-limits.

✅ F1 Lifestyle & Behind-the-Scenes – From team principals to race engineers, we break it all down.

✅ Hot Takes & Debate Segments – lets get controversial



Unlike other F1 podcasts, we bring the energy, the humour, and the unfiltered takes—just like chatting F1 with your best mates.



Subscribe & Never Miss an Episode!



🔔💬 Join the Paddock 43 Community:

📲 Follow us on Instagram (@paddock43podcast) & TikTok (@Paddock43Podcast) for BTS, F1 Memes, Live Q&As, and Breaking News Updates.🎤 Got a question or F1 hot take? Drop it in the comments—we might feature it in the next episode!🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube – Hit that follow button so you never miss a race-week recap!🏁 Welcome to Paddock 43—where F1 meets the fans. Let’s race!



🏎️💨@ellebaillieu