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 operation of the car and power unit.

She explains the rigorous processes that ensure not only are the products working as intended, but also how the trackside lab can be used to warn of and prevent imminent reliability problems.

Gary Anderson explains why the competitive order will change after F1’s August break despite the focus being on 2026.

And we also tackle listener questions on AI, tyre pollution, attitudes to reliability and containing outwash.

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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 characteristically strong opinions on why it should have replaced the use of windtunnels in F1, as well as explaining the ever-growing potential of the technology.

We also get Gary Anderson’s insight on windtunnel research versus CFD aero testing, as well as answering your questions on calculations, the cost of manufacturing parts, the plank and Ferrari’s troubles.

Got a question for Gary? Send it to podcasts@the-race.com

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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 suspension upgrade, and whether Gary would have appreciated the feedback documents Lewis Hamilton has been creating and sending to colleagues at Ferrari.

And finally, Gary tackles another batch of questions sent in by listeners, covering topics including dampers, materials science, driver weight, tyre changes and the point of TPC running.

Got a question for Gary? Send it to podcasts@the-race.com

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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 Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s vision for F1’s future, built around a lighter, V8-powered car with standard gearboxes designed to lower costs and increase the spectacle. Is it a good direction, and does it leave enough room for technical innovation?

Gary then answers your questions on several topics including how much lighter F1 cars could be while maintaining safety standards, the management of qualifying laps, intermediate to slick crossover points and how a team can go from midfield mediocrity to the front in F1 as McLaren has in recent years.

Got a question for Gary? Send it to podcasts@the-race.com

Want exclusive bonus episodes and ad-free listening? Enjoy a 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier!

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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 in Montreal, including what the team hope to accomplish with the change, and why Norris's team-mate Oscar Piastri didn't (and may not ever) run it.

And finally, in the regular 'Ask Gary' section, our tech chief answers questions on tyre warm up, the increasing complexity of aero shapes, and the idea of forcing teams to reveal design secrets...

Got a question for Gary? Send it to podcasts@the-race.com

Want exclusive bonus episodes and ad-free listening? Enjoy a 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier!

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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 the big technical stories from the Spanish Grand Prix weekend.

That includes a look at the steel skid block tests run in Friday practice and the potential impact of the change from titanium for selected races. And whether it makes sense to make such a change given the alternative means to reduce the chance of grass fires ignited by sparks.

Host Edd Straw also fires listener questions to Gary on a variety of topics, including active suspension, core versus surface tyre temperature and the Venturi effect.

Got a question for Gary? Send it to podcasts@the-race.com

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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 significant step forward.

Next, Edd and Gary turn their attention to Monaco, looking at the specific setup that the street track demands and then the debating how the teams will approach race strategy, with two pit stops mandatory for every driver in this year's race.

And as usual, the final part of the podcast is dedicated to Gary answering tech questions sent in by listeners. This week the selection includes questions on gears, pitstops, underbody aerodynamics, and track evolution.

Got a question for Gary? Send it to podcasts@the-race.com

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