A new F1 season, with new drivers in new cars, painted with new colours and overseen by new owners, adds up to a whole lot of questions. Luckily we can put all of those to Joe Saward, who’s all too briefly back home between race weekends in Australia and China.

On today’s menu we talk about the tantalising new atmosphere in the paddock, McLaren’s tricky engine decision and an aerodynamicist penguin with a talent (no, really). We also cover the honeymoon period for the new folks, F1’s engine formula formality and Wehrlein’s very mature choices.

Hold on tightly as we dive into the possibilities of a Honda/Sauber partnership, discuss who has the best car this season and why it is all too easy to say everybody is doing it wrong. Talk turns to unimpressive rubber, who has the ideal driver lineup, the politics of quitting again, plus what to look out for in China.

On top of all that, two men discuss a woman’s bottom for 30 minutes and that goes about as well as can be expected. Enjoy this latest Aside with Joe, or at the very least, try to make it to the end without breaking something. Fair warning.

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It’s the first Debrief of 2017, and what better topic to be discussing than the change of leadership for the commercial side of Formula One. Bernie Ecclestone is stepping aside at long last and letting someone else take control of the sport we know and mostly love.

On this show, we are joined by the marvellous Adam Barton to discuss all things Liberty, including the Snapchat generation, what the new bosses first job should be, and whether we’ll see a Ferrari reunion in the paddock.

We also talk about the opportunities for new circuit deals, whether Bernie leaves behind him a positive or negative legacy, and how much you can change, how quickly? Finally, we touch on F1’s problem of selling itself, and what age you need to be to lead from the top. Don’t forget to let us know your thoughts about Bernie’s exit, using the link below.

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It’s been a while since there was some sincerely shocking F1 news that made you sit up in your seat and do a double take. With Rosberg’s retirement, it’s only natural we took time out to talk about it, so coming up on this show, we accept the challenge of a listener, ponder outside bets for Mercedes, and the possibility of a fabulous 2017.

We’ve got a handful of voicemails from lovely listeners, sharing their thoughts on the Rosberg situation, and along the way we chat about whether Nico is a classy driver, what effect Bottas has had on Williams, and who is bottom of the Mercedes list.

We also chat about the 2016 season and discuss whether it was a classic or not, and pick the right time to hear those fantastic soap opera cliffhanger drums.

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Back home following F1’s impressive outing in Brazil, intrepid globetrotter Joe Saward checks in to ponder all the comings and all the goings within the sport. From the quest for an epic TV showdown, to finding the right person to run McLaren and all points in between, we present this packed podcast to take you to the grand finale in Abu Dhabi this weekend.

Topics for consideration include speculation about who might fill the final three seats, the supreme talents doing amazing stuff, the future of the Malaysian GP and why a 40 minute race makes sense. There is discussion of the quarrels between Felipe Nasr and Sauber, an episodic title fight, riding a rocketship to the moon and alternate careers for a motor racing scribe.

Attention turns to conflicts of interest and a personal sense of morality, the negotiations surrounding Singapore and Brazil, Pascal Wehrlein’s attitude problem and the benefits of balancing performance levels. Joe takes a shot at explaining F1’s complicated prize fund model, considers his 500 race milestone and applauds the performance of Esteban Ocon.

Finally, we’ve being doing these shows for so long, it turns out we can finish each other’s sentences. As ever enjoy another timely edition of An Aside with Joe.

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On this show we discuss robot drivers, genius suggestions, and get replaced by a better podcaster. Two of our favourite people have been talking about similar topics to do with F1, so we thought we’d get in on the act. Following on from a fabulous guest spot by Giggles, we discuss what F1 is missing at the moment and how we can get it back.

From the arrival of Mercedes and the departure of one Flavio Briatore, to the increasing zen-like state of Lewis Hamilton, we cover a wide array of topics in our search for personality. Naturally, when talking about something like F1, we go round and round in circles, but eventually find our way out to something of a conclusion.

With Verstappen as everybody’s driver of the day, Gutiérrez getting a famous phone call, and that infamous F1 driver Charlie Whiting, there’s plenty to listen out for in the latest edition of F1 Debrief.

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Two races from the end of the Formula 1 season, we grab Joe for a quick chat to discuss 2016’s imminent conclusion. Before we cover what might yet happen, we look back on what did go down in Mexico, on the judgement calls that had to be made, the shortcut that probably wasn’t and listening to radio messages in context.

We also talk propaganda versus proper filming, Vettel’s whole new level of desperation, living life with two dogs on a red jet and just letting drivers be themselves. Conversation turns to what Ross Brawn is up to, Hamilton’s press conference banter, the role of modern day journalism and the future of Autosport magazine.

With Audi pulling out of the WEC Joe presumes there’s more to it than meets the eye, additionally we cover all new electric rallycross, a familiar face in Call of Duty, who’s hiding behind a hedge in Switzerland and why Niki Lauda is the Yoda of F1.

All this plus championship predictions and more in the latest Aside with Joe.

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F1 Debrief makes a welcome and musical return to talk about all things lyrical. This week we’re discussing the curious case of the missing McLarens, the prancing horse with no name and why some drivers are just phoning it in.

As the Circuit of the Americas asked almost all of the drivers to provide their favourite music under a set of very specific circumstances, we decided to pass judgement on the final selections and provide some thoughts of our own. Who is looking a little bit emotional on their road trip? And who has a bizarre selection of songs to flick between?

Of course, it’s only fair for us to share our own musical selections as well, and that creates plenty of discussion in and of itself. If you’ve been paying attention to the COTA’s efforts or are inspired by this episode, share your own playlists for the open road.

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• The American Soundtrack: A Formula 1 Drivers’ Playlist
• COTA’s Spotify playlist
• Sidepodcast’s COTA playlist

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After just one show, the feedback came flooding in, so here we are with a collection of emails, tweets and voicemails to discuss the change to the qualifying format as well as Red Bull’s paint job, Kimi Räikkönen’s answer to everything and taking the first step on the journey to better head protection.

Steven calls in with a view on many different subjects, including a quick rant at those teams that choose testing liveries and then ruin them when they go racing. He also reviews the highs and lows from testing and makes a couple of sneaky predictions.

We also talk about the tyre deflating idea and ponder why Romain Grosjean has gotten into trouble this time. All that and more on this show, and don’t forget you can have your name up in lights by sending in some feedback of your own!

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As discussed

• FIA Announces World Motor Sport Council Decisions
• Sidepodcast on Soundcloud
• Faster for the feed of sound – RSS updates

See more on F1 Debrief – Do we have any feedback on this?

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Sidepodcast returns for a new year of podcasting, starting with a discussion on the big news this week – the potential changes to qualifying. Whilst the exact details are still unknown, we delve into the topic with relish, pondering how on the face of it the changes seem minimal but as you dig deeper, you find many people who will be affected by these session structure tweaks.

We also talk about the closed cockpit solution and whether it is right for Formula One, as well as suggesting an idea for an alternative solution. We discuss the perils of learning about aerodynamics and wonder whether F1 does need to look to its past as some drivers would very much like.

All that and more in this first F1 Debrief of 2016. As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts so do send your feedback our way – we’ve got a new email address for that exact purpose!

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As discussed

• Qualifying format set to change for 2016 season
• F1 Commission Confirms New Bodywork Regulations for More Dynamic Formula One Cars
• Formula 1 drivers lukewarm over elimination qualifying plan
• Tech analysis: What F1 2017 car rules will actually look like

See more on F1 Debrief – We’re not quite ready to let you infiltrate the racing

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Sidepodcast’s 2015 break takes a break of its own as we hustle a quick podcast out the door regarding the FIA’s recent statement of a potential refuelling return.

As big fans of refuelling before it departed, we now discuss our mixed reactions to the possibility of a return and ponder just what the governing body are thinking with their latest batch of changes to the sport.

From comparisons to their eco-friendly motorsport rivals, to outsourcing the difficult decisions to someone who can actually come to an agreement, we chat about what the future holds for Formula One as it continues to evolve and, well, rewind.

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• Formula 1 plans faster cars and thrilling races
• Spanish Grand Prix falls to seven year low
• Refuelling to return from 2017 season

See more on F1 Debrief – There’s a definite change in policy here

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