It had been a decent start to the Formula 1 season – but things found a whole new level in Spain.

We had teary Thomas meeting his hero Kimi Raikkonen; it’s probably his reputation for liking ice-cream. Then there were the epic battles on track: Sebastien Vettel and Valtteri Bottas, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and that last chicane.

Edition 164 of The NR F1 Podcast reviews round 5 of the 2017 F1 championship, as the Spanish Grand Prix in Catalunya is lit up by Pascal Wehrlein, Esteban Ocon, Fernando Alonso and a Lewis Hamilton so hungry, he couldn’t even tell his race engineers to leave him to it.

The crew also dish out their Of The Weekend awards – with no shortage of candidates.

And if you like a bit of hindsight with your F1, then take in the pod’s Spain preview: https://audioboom.com/posts/5908301
Predictions: https://audioboom.com/posts/5911006

* * *

The British county of Norfolk is where the iconic success of Team Lotus was cultivated, where Ayrton Senna, Martin Brundle, Mark Webber and more honed their race craft – and home to The NR F1 Podcast.

Find all you need to know about The NR F1 Podcast and how to join in with the fun by visiting our website: http://nrf1.uk

JOIN IN | Follow and be a part of our Formula 1 prediction league:
http://nrf1.uk/predictf1

SUBSCRIBE | Find your podcast player link: http://nrf1.uk/podsubscribe
* ITUNES – Subscribe, rate and review us: http://nrf1.uk/isonitunes
* GOOGLE PLAY – Likewise: http://nrf1.uk/isongoogleplay
* RSS – For android and other devices via audioBoom: https://audioboom.com/channels/4785441.rss

GET IN TOUCH | Follow our social media feeds and join the fun:
* TWITTER | http://twitter.com/thenrf1
* FACEBOOK | http://fb.me/thenrf1
* EMAIL | nrf1podcast@gmail.com

SUPPORT | Become an NR F1 Podcast supporter: http://patreon.com/nrf1

YOUTUBE | You can view our dandy karting video and F1 driver impressions on The NR F1 Podcast’s lovely new YouTube channel: http://nrf1.uk/nrf1tube

GO RACING | Why not sign up to our lovely new partner’s racing game: http://gpro.net/nrf1

* * *

As for our most popular recent podcasts, try these:

* 1 > e160 We take on the entire 2017 global fans survey – https://audioboom.com/posts/5887788

* 2 > e155 McLaren the disgrace and Max the idiot – https://audioboom.com/posts/5833341

* 3 > e146 Jake Humphrey sorts F1 by shouting from his kitchen – https://audioboom.com/posts/5736293

* 4 > e144 Sipping wine? What are McLaren playing at! – https://audioboom.com/posts/5679856

* 5 > Some 2016 best bits bonus podcast – https://audioboom.com/posts/5485019

@F1 #F1 #SpanishGP #Formula1 #2017 #Formula12017 #F12017 #GrandPrix #GP #Motorsport #F1isBack #FIA #McLaren #Honda #Sauber #RedBull #RedBullRacing #Ferrari #Max #Verstappen #Kimi #Raikkkonen #Fernando #Alonso #Williams #Mercedes #Lewis #Hamilton #Daniel #Ricciardo #Sauber #Pascal #Wehrlein #David #Coulthard #Valtteri #Bottas #2017 #Esteban #Ocon #Sergio #Perez #Force #India

Has Kimi Raikkonen actually got it in him to take pole position in Spain? Can Lewis Hamilton retain is usual knack of making up for a bad weekend with a really rather good one?

Edition 163 of The NR F1 Podcast gets the crew to make their predictions ahead of round 5 of the 2017 F1 season in Barcelona, as Formula 1 arrives in Catalunya for this year’s Spanish Grand Prix.

You too can join in the prediction league fun – keep reading to find out more.

The podcast is the third of 3 pods in 3 days.
The crew dealt with all the latest F1 news in e161 – here: https://audioboom.com/posts/5903081
And if you fancy listening to the NR F1’s Spanish GP preview, then try this: https://audioboom.com/posts/5908301

* * *

The British county of Norfolk is where the iconic success of Team Lotus was cultivated, where Ayrton Senna, Martin Brundle, Mark Webber and more honed their race craft – and home to The NR F1 Podcast.

Find all you need to know about The NR F1 Podcast and how to join in with the fun by visiting our website: http://nrf1.uk

JOIN IN | Follow and be a part of our Formula 1 prediction league:
http://nrf1.uk/predictf1

SUBSCRIBE | Find your podcast player link: http://nrf1.uk/podsubscribe
* ITUNES – Subscribe, rate and review us: http://nrf1.uk/isonitunes
* GOOGLE PLAY – Likewise: http://nrf1.uk/isongoogleplay
* RSS – For android and other devices via audioBoom: https://audioboom.com/channels/4785441.rss

GET IN TOUCH | Follow our social media feeds and join the fun:
* TWITTER | http://twitter.com/thenrf1
* FACEBOOK | http://fb.me/thenrf1
* EMAIL | nrf1podcast@gmail.com

SUPPORT | Become an NR F1 Podcast supporter: http://patreon.com/nrf1

YOUTUBE | You can view our dandy karting video and F1 driver impressions on The NR F1 Podcast’s lovely new YouTube channel: http://nrf1.uk/nrf1tube

GO RACING | Why not sign up to our lovely new partner’s racing game: http://gpro.net/nrf1

* * *

As for our most popular recent podcasts, try these:

* 1 > e160 We take on the entire 2017 global fans survey – https://audioboom.com/posts/5887788

* 2 > e155 McLaren the disgrace and Max the idiot – https://audioboom.com/posts/5833341

* 3 > e146 Jake Humphrey sorts F1 by shouting from his kitchen – https://audioboom.com/posts/5736293

* 4 > e144 Sipping wine? What are McLaren playing at! – https://audioboom.com/posts/5679856

* 5 > Some 2016 best bits bonus podcast – https://audioboom.com/posts/5485019

@F1 #F1 #SpanishGP #Formula1 #2017 #Formula12017 #F12017 #GrandPrix #GP #Motorsport #F1isBack #FIA #McLaren #Honda #Sauber #RedBull #RedBullRacing #Ferrari #Max #Verstappen #Kimi #Raikkkonen #Fernando #Alonso #Williams #Mercedes #Lewis #Hamilton #Daniel #Ricciardo #Brabham #Valtteri #Bottas #2017 #Esteban #Ocon #Sergio #Perez #Force #India

It’s Europe time! Formula 1 returns home and the teams prepare for the Spanish Grand Prix with new bits, wings, pipes, upgrades and in some cases – a new car!

Edition 162 of The NR F1 Podcast previews round 5 of the 2017 F1 season in Barcelona, wonders how rogue Fernando Alonso will get at his home race and exactly what another Valtteri Bottas victory would do for the rest of the year at Mercedes and beyond.

The podcast is the second of 3 pods in 3 days. Our predictions podcast is on its way (to get involved, keep reading) while the crew dealt with all the latest F1 news in e161 – here: https://audioboom.com/posts/5903081

And if you fancy listening to the NR F1’s Russian GP review, then try this: https://audioboom.com/posts/5875562

* * *

The British county of Norfolk is where the iconic success of Team Lotus was cultivated, where Ayrton Senna, Martin Brundle, Mark Webber and more honed their race craft – and home to The NR F1 Podcast.

Find all you need to know about The NR F1 Podcast and how to join in with the fun by visiting our website: http://nrf1.uk

SUBSCRIBE | Find your podcast player link: http://nrf1.uk/podsubscribe
* ITUNES – Subscribe, rate and review us: http://nrf1.uk/isonitunes
* GOOGLE PLAY – Likewise: http://nrf1.uk/isongoogleplay
* RSS – For android and other devices via audioBoom: https://audioboom.com/channels/4785441.rss

GET IN TOUCH | Follow our social media feeds and join the fun:
* TWITTER | http://twitter.com/thenrf1
* FACEBOOK | http://fb.me/thenrf1
* EMAIL | nrf1podcast@gmail.com

SUPPORT | Become an NR F1 Podcast supporter: http://patreon.com/nrf1

JOIN IN | Follow and be a part of our Formula 1 prediction league:
http://nrf1.uk/predictf1

YOUTUBE | You can view our dandy karting video and F1 driver impressions on The NR F1 Podcast’s lovely new YouTube channel: http://nrf1.uk/nrf1tube

GO RACING | Why not sign up to our lovely new partner’s racing game: http://gpro.net/nrf1

OFFER | You can even take advantage of that lovely offer you heard in the middle of the pod – just visit: http://cornerstone.co.uk/nrf1

* * *

As for our most popular recent podcasts, try these:

* 1 > e160 We take on the entire 2017 global fans survey – https://audioboom.com/posts/5887788

* 2 > e155 McLaren the disgrace and Max the idiot – https://audioboom.com/posts/5833341

* 3 > e146 Jake Humphrey sorts F1 by shouting from his kitchen – https://audioboom.com/posts/5736293

* 4 > e144 Sipping wine? What are McLaren playing at! – https://audioboom.com/posts/5679856

* 5 > Some 2016 best bits bonus podcast – https://audioboom.com/posts/5485019

@F1 #F1 #SpanishGP #Formula1 #2017 #Formula12017 #F12017 #GrandPrix #GP #Motorsport #F1isBack #FIA #McLaren #Honda #Sauber #RedBull #RedBullRacing #Ferrari #Max #Verstappen #Kimi #Raikkkonen #Fernando #Alonso #Williams #Mercedes #Lewis #Hamilton #Daniel #Ricciardo #Brabham #Valtteri #Bottas #2017 #Esteban #Ocon #Sergio #Perez #Force #India

The finances are out – and once again we can get angry at the fact Ferrari get another 68m head starts.

Edition 161 of The NR F1 Podcast gets stuck into all the latest news between the races in Russia and Spain – including Fernando Alonso’s Indy test debut, Sauber’s Honda hunch and Mark Webber’s views on Jenson Button.

The pod also adds its opinions to the lively debate on women in Formula 1, in this week’s Tweets & Social.

The podcast is the first of 3 pods in 3 days, with round 5 of 2017 F1 championship in Spain fast approaching.

And if you fancy listening to the NR F1’s Russian GP review, then try this: https://audioboom.com/posts/5875562

* * *

The British county of Norfolk is where the iconic success of Team Lotus was cultivated, where Ayrton Senna, Martin Brundle, Mark Webber and more honed their race craft – and home to The NR F1 Podcast.

Find all you need to know about The NR F1 Podcast and how to join in with the fun by visiting our website: http://nrf1.uk

SUBSCRIBE | Find your podcast player link: http://nrf1.uk/podsubscribe
* ITUNES – Subscribe, rate and review us: http://nrf1.uk/isonitunes
* GOOGLE PLAY – Likewise: http://nrf1.uk/isongoogleplay
* RSS – For android and other devices via audioBoom: https://audioboom.com/channels/4785441.rss

GET IN TOUCH | Follow our social media feeds and join the fun:
* TWITTER | http://twitter.com/thenrf1
* FACEBOOK | http://fb.me/thenrf1
* EMAIL | nrf1podcast@gmail.com

SUPPORT | Become an NR F1 Podcast supporter: http://patreon.com/nrf1

JOIN IN | Follow and be a part of our Formula 1 prediction league:
http://nrf1.uk/predictf1

YOUTUBE | You can view our dandy karting video and F1 driver impressions on The NR F1 Podcast’s lovely new YouTube channel: http://nrf1.uk/nrf1tube

GO RACING | Why not sign up to our lovely new partner’s racing game: http://gpro.net/nrf1

OFFER | You can even take advantage of that lovely offer you heard in the middle of the pod – just visit: http://cornerstone.co.uk/nrf1

* * *

As for our most popular recent podcasts, try these:

* 1 > e160 We take on the entire 2017 global fans survey – https://audioboom.com/posts/5887788

* 2 > e155 McLaren the disgrace and Max the idiot – https://audioboom.com/posts/5833341

* 3 > e146 Jake Humphrey sorts F1 by shouting from his kitchen – https://audioboom.com/posts/5736293

* 4 > e144 Sipping wine? What are McLaren playing at! – https://audioboom.com/posts/5679856

* 5 > Some 2016 best bits bonus podcast – https://audioboom.com/posts/5485019

@F1 #F1 #Formula1 #2017 #Formula12017 #F12017 #RussianGP #SpanishGP #GrandPrix #GP #Motorsport #F1isBack #FIA #F1Sochi #McLaren #Honda #Sauber #RedBull #RedBullRacing #Ferrari #Max #Verstappen #Kimi #Raikkkonen #Williams #Mercedes #Lewis #Hamilton #Daniel #Ricciardo #Brabham #Valtteri #Bottas #2017 #Esteban #Ocon #Sergio #Perez #Timo #Glock #Fernando #Alonso #Force #India

It’s been promised for weeks – and now it’s here. What started off as a great, big light bulb moment, quickly became the sort of farce that had Steve Rust shaking his head in his hands.

Edition 160 of The NR F1 Podcast is an epic, timeless (sort of) effort as Michael Bailey, Perry Hamilton, Richard Baxter, Callum Springall and Steve take on Motorsport Network’s 2017 Global Fans Survey – in its entirety. All 39 questions, live on the pod, down the pub.

Some provide supreme debate. Others involve celebrities and evoke a response fit only for beeping. All of it deserves your ears – and let us know what you think, using any of the usual ways to contact us. The links are below.

* * *

The British county of Norfolk is where the iconic success of Team Lotus was cultivated, where Ayrton Senna, Martin Brundle, Mark Webber and more honed their race craft – and home to The NR F1 Podcast.

Find all you need to know about The NR F1 Podcast and how to join in with the fun by visiting our website: http://nrf1.uk

SUBSCRIBE | Find your podcast player link: http://nrf1.uk/podsubscribe
* ITUNES – Subscribe, rate and review us: http://nrf1.uk/isonitunes
* GOOGLE PLAY – Likewise: http://nrf1.uk/isongoogleplay
* RSS – For android and other devices via audioBoom: https://audioboom.com/channels/4785441.rss

GET IN TOUCH | Follow our social media feeds and join the fun:
* TWITTER | http://twitter.com/thenrf1
* FACEBOOK | http://fb.me/thenrf1
* EMAIL | nrf1podcast@gmail.com

SUPPORT | Become an NR F1 Podcast supporter: http://patreon.com/nrf1

JOIN IN | Follow and be a part of our Formula 1 prediction league:
http://nrf1.uk/predictf1

YOUTUBE | You can view our dandy karting video and F1 driver impressions on The NR F1 Podcast’s lovely new YouTube channel: http://nrf1.uk/nrf1tube

GO RACING | Why not sign up to our lovely new partner’s racing game: http://gpro.net/nrf1

OFFER | You can even take advantage of that lovely offer you heard in the middle of the pod – just visit: http://cornerstone.co.uk/nrf1

* * *

As for our most popular recent podcasts, try these:

* 1 > e159 Valtteri Bottas fends off the Ferrari finger and their Finnea pig – https://audioboom.com/posts/5875562

* 2 > e155 McLaren the disgrace and Max the idiot – https://audioboom.com/posts/5833341

* 3 > e146 Jake Humphrey sorts F1 by shouting from his kitchen – https://audioboom.com/posts/5736293

* 4 > e144 Sipping wine? What are McLaren playing at! – https://audioboom.com/posts/5679856

* 5 > Some 2016 best bits bonus podcast – https://audioboom.com/posts/5485019

@F1 #F1 #Formula1 #2017 #Formula12017 #F12017 #RussianGP #GrandPrix #GP #Motorsport #F1isBack #FIA #F1 Sochi #McLaren #Sauber #RedBull #RedBullRacing #Ferrari #Max #Verstappen #Kimi #Raikkkonen #Williams #Mercedes #Lewis #Hamilton #Daniel #Ricciardo #Sebastian #Vettel #Valtteri #Bottas #2017 #Esteban #Ocon #Sergio #Perez #Antonio #Giovinazzi #Pascal #Wehrlein #Fernando #Alonso #Force #India

Well that was a shocker of a Formula 1 race – not that you’ll hear Valtteri Bottas say it. No, this was a serious weekend for Mercedes’ new kid on the block.

The Finn picked up his first grand prix win, held off Ferrari’s double challenge and left Lewis Hamilton wondering why he wasn’t having everything his own way.

For a race with only one overtake, there was a lot to keep us all going – not that Sochi isn’t on borrowed time, much like Russia’s apparent hotel shortage.

Edition 159 of The NR F1 Podcast reviews the 2017 Russian Bahrain Grand Prix in Sochi, sticks up for itself in the face of a Reddit riot and wanders through the NR F1 pit stops before the crew dishes out their Of The Weekend Awards.

* * *

The British county of Norfolk is where the iconic success of Team Lotus was cultivated, where Ayrton Senna, Martin Brundle, Mark Webber and more honed their race craft – and home to The NR F1 Podcast.

Find all you need to know about The NR F1 Podcast and how to join in with the fun by visiting our website: http://nrf1.uk

SUBSCRIBE | Find your podcast player link: http://nrf1.uk/podsubscribe
* ITUNES – Subscribe, rate and review us: http://nrf1.uk/isonitunes
* GOOGLE PLAY – Likewise: http://nrf1.uk/isongoogleplay
* RSS – For android and other devices via audioBoom: https://audioboom.com/channels/4785441.rss

GET IN TOUCH | Follow our social media feeds and join the fun:
* TWITTER | http://twitter.com/thenrf1
* FACEBOOK | http://fb.me/thenrf1
* EMAIL | nrf1podcast@gmail.com

SUPPORT | Become an NR F1 Podcast supporter: http://patreon.com/nrf1

JOIN IN | Follow and be a part of our Formula 1 prediction league:
http://nrf1.uk/predictf1

YOUTUBE | You can view our dandy karting video and F1 driver impressions on The NR F1 Podcast’s lovely new YouTube channel: http://nrf1.uk/nrf1tube

GO RACING | Why not sign up to our lovely new partner’s racing game: http://gpro.net/nrf1

OFFER | You can even take advantage of that lovely offer you heard in the middle of the pod – just visit: http://cornerstone.co.uk/nrf1

As for our most popular recent podcasts, try these:
* 1 > Some 2016 best bits bonus podcast – https://audioboom.com/posts/5485019
* 2 > e155 McLaren the disgrace and Max the idiot – https://audioboom.com/posts/5833341
* 3 > e144 Sipping wine? What are McLaren playing at! – https://audioboom.com/posts/5679856
* 4 > e148 One legendary drive, the other one bottled it – https://audioboom.com/posts/5753618
* 5 > e146 Jake Humphrey sorts F1 by shouting from his kitchen – https://audioboom.com/posts/5736293

@F1 #F1 #Formula1 #2017 #Formula12017 #F12017 #RussianGP #GrandPrix #GP #Motorsport #F1isBack #FIA #F1 Sochi #McLaren #Sauber #RedBull #RedBullRacing #Ferrari #Max #Verstappen #Kimi #Raikkkonen #Williams #Mercedes #Lewis #Hamilton #Daniel #Ricciardo #Sebastian #Vettel #Valtteri #Bottas #2017 #Esteban #Ocon #Sergio #Perez #Antonio #Giovinazzi #Pascal #Wehrlein #Fernando #Alonso #Force #India