F1Weekly Podcast # 1136

…ON TODAYS PROGRAM…

 

ASTON MARTIN ALREADY PONDERING... THE SEASON IS ALL BUT A WASH! WILL MERCEDES PASS A COMPRESSION TEST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE RACE? FERRARI MUST KICK OFF THE SEASON WITH A WIN IN MELBOURNE. AND… FERNANDO COULD BE IN F1 FOR ANOTHER FOUR YEARS! THIS WEEK’S NASIR HAMEED CORNER…MORE VINTAGE BANTER BETWEEN THE HOST AND NASIR…THIS WEEKS SPECIAL GUEST:  ADRIAN ZAUGH AND F1W LISTENER BURAQ SARTAG FROM TURKEY! Champ Palou Opens Season
with Dominant March to St. Pete Win 
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Sunday, March 1, 2026) – Alex Palou picked up right where he left off in 2025, opening the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season with a dominant victory in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Palou won his third consecutive and fourth overall series championship last season by a whopping 196 points, an advantage of more than three races, and he and Chip Ganassi Racing showed the same swagger on a sun-splashed Sunday in Florida.

SEE: Race Results

Reigning event winner Palou, from Spain, cruised to his 20th career victory in just his 99th start, driving his No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda to a 12.4948-second victory over the No. 3 DEX Team Penske Chevrolet of NTT P1 Award winner Scott McLaughlin.

“This team keeps on improving, keeps on making new changes, and they just keep on raising the bar,” Palou said. “It’s pretty impressive. It’s a long season in front of us, but what a great way to start the season.”

Christian Lundgaard, who started 12th, rallied to complete the podium finishers in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Kyle Kirkwood dropped from second late in the 100-lap race to finish fourth in the No. 27 JM Bullion/Gold.com Honda fielded by Andretti Global.

Pato O’Ward put two Arrow McLaren cars into the top five after finishing fifth in the team’s No. 5 Chevrolet.

This was the first race in which INDYCAR rules mandated the use of at least two sets of the softer Firestone Firehawk alternate tire with red sidewalls, throwing an additional strategic element into the racing mix. And, as usual, Palou and longtime strategist Barry Wanser made all the right calls.

The decisive moment of the race came on Laps 36 and 37. Team Penske called leader McLaughlin to the pits at the end of Lap 35, with Marcus Ericsson assuming the lead from second in the No. 28 Delaware Life Honda. Andretti Global summoned Ericsson to the pits at the end of Lap 36, with Palou taking the top spot.

But instead of calling Palou to the pits on the next lap, Wanser and Palou decided to stay out until the end of Lap 38 on their original set of alternate tires in an “overcut” strategy. It worked.

Palou blended back on the 14-turn, 1.8-mile temporary street circuit in front of McLaughlin and Ericsson. Once the rest of the leaders cycled through their pit stops, Palou found himself out front by Lap 42. He would only surrender the top spot during pit stop cycles to finish the race, leading 59 of the 100 laps.

There was a bit of suspense when Palou made his final pit stop at the end of Lap 67 with a 14-second lead on McLaughlin. Palou had used the required two sets of Firestone alternate tires in his first two stints and opted for the harder, but slower, Firestone primary tires for his final run to the finish.

Kirkwood and McLaughlin made their final stops at the end of Laps 65 and 68, respectively, both taking the softer but faster Firestone Firehawk alternate tires. That tire choice offered a glimpse of hope that Palou could be reeled in after he took the lead on Lap 70, but Kirkwood never got closer than 5.5 seconds in his pursuit despite the more grippy tires.

Palou, who started fourth, then pulled away at an astonishing rate over the closing laps to win by the largest margin in the 23 editions of this event.

“Those Firestones were like everlasting,” Palou said. “They would just keep going. I had an amazing car today.”

There was drama in the final 10 laps as McLaughlin and Lundgaard both took advantage of fresher tires to pass Kirkwood for the second and third positions on Lap 94.

“Our Chevy was fast, but it’s just a mixed bag on what tire you start on,” McLaughlin said. “Maybe we come back here again, and maybe you start on reds (alternate) and just get them out of the way. Overall, made the passes we needed to make at the right times, and I thought we maximized our day.”

Dennis Hauger, who qualified an impressive third, was the top finisher among the three rookies in the race, 10th in the No. 19 Ault Block Chain Honda of Dale Coyne Racing.

ASTON MARTIN ARAMCO UNVEILS LIVERY FOR 2026 F1 ACADEMY CAR

AMRTC, Silverstone, 24 February 2026: The Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team has officially revealed its F1 ACADEMY car livery, which will be driven by German talent Mathilda Paatz in her debut year of the all-female series.  

The sleek design features the signature Aston Martin racing green and mirrors the team’s elegant AMR26 livery, proudly carrying the Aston Martin Aramco identity on the F1 ACADEMY grid. Mathilda, who represents Aston Martin Aramco as a member of its Driver Academy, drove the liveried F4-spec car operated by PREMA Racing during the first official F1 ACADEMY test, which took place at Shanghai International Circuit between 11-13 February.

Mathilda Paatz, F1 ACADEMY and Aston Martin Aramco Academy Driver: “Seeing the Aston Martin Aramco livery on the car for the first time was really special - it looks incredible and instantly made me feel part of the team. Driving the car for the first time during pre-season testing in Shanghai, I learned a lot. It was something new for me to adapt to, and I'm working well with the team at PREMA to become more familiar with the car. There were challenging moments across those three days, but as a team, we’re pushing hard in preparation for the first race in China. By day three, I was already becoming more comfortable on track, and so I'm keen to get racing next month. I’m not setting my expectations too high, but I'm feeling confident - my goal is to do my best and have a clean weekend that I can be proud of.”

Mathilda Paatz Biography

Mathilda, 17, from Cologne, Germany, joined the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team Driver Academy in November 2025, and was announced as the team’s F1 ACADEMY representative for the 2026 season, competing with PREMA Racing.

In addition to her full-season debut with Aston Martin Aramco in F1 ACADEMY this year, which gets underway at the Shanghai International Circuit on 13-15 March, Mathilda continues to compete in the Formula Winter Series and F4 CEZ Championship, showcasing her adaptability and dedication across categories.

Mathilda brings an impressive racing background. She began karting in 2019 at age ten, swiftly showing promise with third place in the 2020 ADAC Kart Masters - Mini category. In 2022, she claimed victory in the ADAC Kart Masters - Ladies Cup and finished third overall in the standings.

Stepping into single-seaters, she became the first female driver supported by the ADAC Motorsport Junior program in 2024 with ADAC Formel Junior Team in F4 France. She built further momentum in 2025, securing four wins in the E4 Championship - Trophy Woman and multiple class podiums in the competitive Italian F4 Championship.

Her F1 ACADEMY debut came as a Wild Card entry in Montreal in June 2025 with Hitech TGR, following a solid F4 Central European Zone (CEZ) Championship campaign where she achieved a podium (second place at the Red Bull Ring) and finished eighth overall with several top five finishes. This progression positions her as the second F4 CEZ graduate to enter F1 ACADEMY, highlighting her rise on the international stage. 

Palou Unveils 110th Indianapolis 500 Ticket
 
 
INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026) – Four-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou unveiled the ticket for the 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Tuesday, Feb. 24 in Indianapolis.

Palou earned his first victory in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” last May in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, and one of the many honors bestowed upon the winner is unveiling the ticket for the next year’s race. Featuring the winning driver on the next year’s “500” ticket dates to Mauri Rose’s appearance in 1948.

Spain native Palou received a special DHL delivery at K1 Speed in Fishers. He opened the DHL packaging to reveal an enlarged version of the colorful ticket, featuring a photo of his jubilant celebration standing on his winning car following the victory.

“I always had to sign the ticket as a driver, and I always wanted be on the ticket,” Palou said. “It’s amazing. I love it. It was probably the coolest day of my life, and I cannot wait to see it on a small scale all around IMS. It’s going to look good.”

Designed in house by Senior Art Director Mandy Walsh, the ticket celebrates the excitement of Palou’s first “500” victory with his full-color image superimposed over an overhead shot of his car crossing the famed Yard of Bricks. The ticket also features a patriotic flair to celebrate the nation’s military, which is honored throughout the storied event held annually during Memorial Day weekend, and the 250th birthday of the United States this year.

Palou will defend his victory in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on Sunday, May 24 in the 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with live coverage starting at 10 a.m. ET on FOX, FOX One, FOX Deportes, FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Johnson Feasts on Home Cooking
To Earn First Win at St. Pete  
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Sunday, March 1, 2026) – Nikita Johnson earned his first INDY NXT by Firestone victory Sunday, winning his hometown Grand Prix of St. Petersburg after prevailing in a duel of talented teenagers.

Johnson, from St. Petersburg, delivered his first victory in just his fourth career start in the INDYCAR development series. It also was the first INDY NXT victory for Cape Motorsports, which Johnson joined this offseason after a part-time foray last season in the series with HMD Motorsports.

SEE: Race Results

“I can’t thank the boys from Cape Motorsports enough and everyone from ECR who has been helping us,” Johnson said. “It’s a pretty amazing feeling to get my first win in INDY NXT and Cape’s first win in INDY NXT. I can’t wait to see all my friends and family.”

Series rookie Johnson, 17, drove his No. 21 Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR entry to victory by .6990 of a second over pole sitter Max Taylor, 18, in the No. 28 Susan G. Komen car of Andretti Global. Rookie Tymek Kucharczyk rounded out the podium finishers in his first INDY NXT start by placing third in the No. 71 HMD Motorsports entry, 5.055 seconds behind Johnson.

Andretti Global took three of the top five spots. Seb Murray placed fourth in the No. 27 Prosperity machine, while Lochie Hughes rounded out the top five in the No. 26 car.

Johnson wasted no time asserting his command of this race, scheduled for 45 laps but halted on time after 55 minutes. He started second and used a bold, sweeping move to the outside of Taylor in Turn 1 at the start to grab a lead he would never relinquish.

“It was pretty straight up,” Johnson said. “I reviewed some video from previous years on YouTube, the INDY NXT channel. I knew I wanted to get up front quickly, and I did just that. I went into Turn 1 and knew what he (Taylor) was going to do before he did it and just went around the outside. After that, I kept it pretty simple, tried to keep a nice gap.”

Caution periods ended up being Johnson’s biggest foe besides Taylor. The race was slowed by four full-course yellows, but Johnson held off Taylor on each of the restarts.

Perhaps Taylor’s best chance came on a restart on Lap 20. He tried the same move Johnson used to gain the lead on Lap 1, but his attempt at a sweeping, outside pass was unsuccessful.

“All the restarts were pretty difficult,” Johnson said. “He (Taylor) caught on at one point, and I had throw in a little curve ball and change it up.”

Taylor maintained pressure on Johnson for the entire race, never trailing by more than a second and keeping his car usually within six- or seven-tenths of the leader. But Taylor also never got close enough after restarts to mount a serious challenge to the race lead.

The two teens traded blows over the closing laps. Johnson turned his quickest lap of the race on Lap 38, but Taylor countered with the speediest lap overall on Lap 39.

“Good race overall, good points,” Taylor said. “Showed a lot of pace but just messed up on the start.

“The restarts were very difficult to get right. Just kept trying to apply the pressure, trying different things. Probably could have had an opportunity to pass him there, but you live and you learn.”