This Week in F1: Max Leaving F1?, Mercedes Mind Games, and Aston's Issues | The Red Flags Podcast

The Red Flags Podcast

Vox Media Podcast Network

Sports

4.6 • 796 Ratings

🗓️ 16 February 2026

⏱️ 79 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Are the 2026 regs already breaking Formula 1? Brian and Matt dive into all the Bahrain testing chaos: Max Verstappen calling the new cars “Formula E on steroids,” and whether conserving energy is the new alpha racing. They debate if Mercedes is sandbagging, and if Red Bull has another monster engine. Plus: Is Oscar Piastri rattled? Could Alpine actually podium in Australia? And is Aston Martin’s Adrian Newey dream already a nightmare while Lance Stroll is stright chillin? Australia might be carnage and we're HERE FOR IT. Chapters 00:00 - Intro 04:45 - Will Max leave F1? 23:51 – Is Mercedes really sandbagging? 39:16 – Lando vs Oscar vibe check 58:33 – Best of the rest: Haas and Alpine?! 01:11:33 – Aston Martin Meltdown 01:14:53– Australia Chaos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	What's up, Fankas?
0:02.3	Hello, thinkers.
0:05.0	How is everybody doing?
0:08.9	How are you doing?
0:10.8	This was a big week, baby.
0:13.7	This was a big week.
0:15.0	People are not happy.
0:17.6	People are not happy.
0:20.2	Max Verstappen is not happy. Lewis Hamilton is not happy. People are not happy. Max Rastappen is not happy. Lewis Hamilton is not happy. Um,
0:26.0	the Aston Martin organization is not happy, but you know who's going to be happy?
0:33.4	Vankan nation is going to be happy because we're bringing you everything from Bafrain,
0:37.9	testing, everything from Maxofrain, testing,
0:45.5	everything from Max Rastappin's wild quotes, to Landau Norris's sassy retorts,
0:51.8	to Aston Martin being 44 KGs overweight, maybe four or five seconds down, Adrian Newey,
0:53.9	fraud watch, fraud watch much.
0:58.7	But before we get into that,
0:59.3	Venka's,
1:01.9	it's time to join the Patreon.
1:03.5	If you've been circling it,
1:03.9	come on,
1:05.0	baby, jump in,
1:05.9	the water is warm.
	...

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