F1 Explains: James Vowles on the start of the season - live in Melbourne
F1 Nation
Formula 1
4.3 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 6 March 2026
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
After a long winter, we're finally going racing this weekend in Melbourne. Ahead of the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, Williams Team Principal James Vowles explains how the team has prepared for the weekend, his favourite things about the 2026 regulations, and whether the first race will really tell us who's fastest.
James joins Christian Hewgill on the F1 Fanzone stage at Albert Park to look ahead to a mouth-watering new season and to answer questions from F1 Explains listeners Sophie, Victoria and Karen.
And James also tells us what jobs he’d give to Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon if they weren’t drivers.
We want your questions about how Formula 1 works! Email F1Explains@F1.com
F1 Explains and F1 Nation have teamed up for 2026. Subscribe to this feed for race previews and reviews every Monday with Tom Clarkson and guests.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Dating apps? Easy. Online shopping? Simple. Banking app? Sorted. Life admin? Ugh. That's what a digital ID could change. |
| 0:14.3 | And the government is opening a conversation to make it work for you. Your voice will shape the final product. |
| 0:21.8 | So search Digital ID consultation to have your say. |
| 0:25.9 | Digital ID, making it work for you. |
| 0:32.2 | It all starts here. |
| 0:34.5 | Welcome to Melbourne, Australia. |
| 0:36.6 | This is Albert Park. It's the first race of the |
| 0:39.9 | 2026 Formula One season, but it's not just a new season, it's a new era. It's a ripping weekend. |
| 0:46.1 | The weather's fantastic. Huge crowd's going to be excellent. Oh mate, I'm pumped. I'm over the moon. |
| 0:50.6 | Like, you haven't even seen it yet. I'm just like so stoked. In 2025 we crowned a new world |
| 0:55.6 | champion. But of course his teammate has more than a few fans around here. I'm excited to see |
| 1:01.7 | Oscar. Oscar Piaastri. Why is it you like him so much? Because he's from Melbourne. |
| 1:07.5 | Any other reason? What better reason could you possibly want? Why is it you love Oscar so much? Because my name's Oscar. Is it? Yeah. Is that the only reason? Yeah, and he's Australian. Got to support the home hero. Melbourne. He's a sport the home hero. Because he's awesome and fast and just a good driver. The waiting is almost over. The atmosphere couldn't be more electric. |
| 1:27.9 | From the season opener in Australia, this is F1 Explains. |
| 1:35.9 | Hello everyone, I'm Christian Hugel. |
| 1:41.3 | What a pleasure it is to be talking to you from Australia. Welcome to the paddock, which looks upgraded this year. It's a new era, not just for the sports, but for the paddock, which has got bright purple pathways running through it. The Australian Grand Prix Paddock looks absolutely lovely on what is a gorgeous sunny day here in Melbourne. |
| 2:02.6 | If you're new to F1 Explains, welcome with the official Formula One podcast dedicated to answering your questions about the sport. |
| 2:09.9 | In our new home right here on the F1 Nation feed. |
| 2:12.4 | So hit subscribe for race previews and reviews with Tom Clarkson, Jolian Palmer, James Hinchcliffe, |
| 2:17.3 | and plenty more |
| 2:18.2 | guests throughout the season. And I will be here to answer your questions every Friday with guests |
| 2:23.5 | from the world of Formula One, including drivers, engineers and team principals. And speaking of |
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