Episode Overview

The 2026 Formula One season brings the biggest rules overhaul in over a decade — and we have the perfect guest to break it all down. Host Diane Bortoletto is joined by Simone Scanu, co-founder of real-time F1 data and telemetry app Formula Live Pulse, and co-host Ciara Gillan for a deep-dive pre-season debrief covering Bahrain testing, Ferrari's jaw-dropping engineering innovations, the new hybrid power units, and who's already in trouble before lights out in Melbourne.

Whether you're a die-hard fan or still wrapping your head around Active Aero and Overtake Mode, this episode has everything you need to know heading into the 2026 season.

In This Episode

1. Ferrari's secret weapon — the revolutionary exhaust-mounted wing and why other teams can't just copy it
2. Bahrain testing results — who impressed, who struggled, and what it actually tells us
3. Honda & Aston Martin's testing nightmare — battery vibration issues and a troubling mileage deficit
4. The 2026 power unit explained — 50/50 hybrid split, the removal of the MGU-H, and what Lift & Coast means for racing
5. Boost Mode vs Overtake Mode — what's the difference and how will drivers use them strategically?
6. Is the Adrian Newey era at Aston Martin already over?
7. Cadillac's debut season — the only team alongside McLaren and Ferrari to field two race-winning drivers
8. Max Verstappen — why you can never count him out, no matter the car
9. Williams — missed Barcelona but showed up in Bahrain. What should we expect?
10. Rookie watch: Isack Hadjar vs. Arvid Lindblad — from six rookies in 2025 to just one in 2026
11. Drive to Survive Season 7 — is it getting too staged? The team shares their honest take
12. Australian Grand Prix logistics — Middle East conflict, freight rerouting, and what's at stake for the season opener
13. AGPC shoutout — the corner named after Laura Müller and Hannah Schmitz to celebrate International Women's Day
14. Creator shoutout: ☕ Coffee Corner Motorsport on YouTube and Instagram — Terry Widdows is using Formula Live Pulse telemetry data for his analysis this season. Go follow him!

Key Stats from Testing

Team and Estimated Test Mileage

Ferrari / Mercedes: 20,000+ km

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