Kimi Antonelli won the 2026 United States Grand Prix from pole — and somehow the Formula 1 World Championship is still not over.

Austin delivered a weekend full of track-limit chaos, strategy battles, Ferrari pace, Red Bull problems, McLaren frustration, and one very important championship result. Antonelli controlled the race with a one-stop strategy, took his ninth victory of the season, and extended his championship lead — but Lewis Hamilton’s fourth-place finish kept the title mathematically alive and pushed the fight on to Mexico.

Michaela breaks down the entire United States Grand Prix weekend, starting with Ferrari topping all three practice sessions before Antonelli stole pole position when qualifying mattered most.

Then it’s race day.

Kimi manages the one-stop strategy while Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Lewis Hamilton take different approaches around him. Leclerc fights back to finish second, Verstappen takes third, Hamilton finishes fourth, and McLaren struggles through a difficult afternoon with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

We also cover George Russell’s frustrating race, every DNF from Austin, the huge number of deleted laps caused by track limits, and why Circuit of the Americas once again gave teams plenty to think about.

Then F1 Academy delivers one of its biggest weekends of the season.

Alisha Palmowski officially becomes the 2026 F1 Academy Drivers’ Champion, Alba Larsen earns her first victory, Nina Gademan wins the feature race, and a dramatic collision adds even more chaos after the championship has already been decided.

Mike also joins the show for Mr. F1 Wisdom of the Week, looking at Red Bull’s problems, Ferrari’s internal tension, McLaren’s difficult weekend, and what makes the upcoming Mexican Grand Prix such a unique challenge.

And for this week’s technical question: why can a one-stop strategy beat a two-stop strategy even when the two-stop driver has fresher tires?

From Antonelli’s title chase to Ferrari’s recovery, F1 Academy history, tire strategy, track limits, and Mexico waiting next — this one has a little bit of everything.

Follow Lights Out, Let’s Chat and come back each week as Michaela breaks down the racing, strategy, personalities, and chaos of the 2026 Formula 1 season.

The 20-year-old Mercedes driver arrives at the 2026 United States Grand Prix with a huge championship lead and his first mathematical opportunity to secure the title. But winning in Austin alone may not be enough — George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and the rest of the field still have a major say in when this championship is finally decided.

And Max Verstappen is not exactly making life easier.

After back-to-back victories in Malaysia and Singapore, Verstappen and Red Bull arrive at Circuit of the Americas with real momentum. Can Max make it three wins in a row, or will COTA expose a different side of Red Bull’s recent improvement?

Michaela breaks down the biggest stories heading into the United States Grand Prix, including the pressure Antonelli faces as championship leader, Verstappen’s late-season surge, Ferrari’s chances after Charles Leclerc’s Singapore podium, Lewis Hamilton’s frustrating strategy call, and what Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri need from McLaren as the season enters its final stretch.

We’re also getting ready for Circuit of the Americas itself. From the dramatic climb into Turn 1 to the high-speed direction changes, long straight, tire management and track-limit headaches, Michaela explains what makes Austin such a demanding — and entertaining — Formula 1 circuit.

F1 Academy is back too, and the championship battle is heating up. Alisha Palmowski leads Emma Felbermayr and Nina Gademan heading into a huge three-race Austin weekend, with only Las Vegas remaining afterward.

Whether you’ve followed Formula 1 for years or you’re still learning why a driver might intentionally take one corner slower to make the overall lap faster, Lights Out, Let’s Chat gives you the context without drowning you in technical jargon.

So what happens in Texas? Does Antonelli move one step closer to history — or actually finish the job? Can Verstappen win three straight? And who could surprise everyone at COTA?

Follow Lights Out, Let’s Chat and come back each week as Michaela makes sense of the racing, strategy, personalities and chaos of the 2026 Formula 1 season.

Singapore gave us one of the wildest Formula 1 weekends of 2026—and we're still trying to process everything that happened.

Nine retirements in a 20-lap sprint. George Russell taking the lead before crashing on the opening lap. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri colliding on the final lap. And Max Verstappen? He decided to win the sprint, take Grand Prix pole, and finally conquer Singapore.

In Episode 35 of Lights Out, Let’s Chat, Michaela breaks down the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, from the rain-soaked sprint to Sunday's race, and explains the decisions, mistakes, and moments that shaped the results.

We're talking about:

• Max Verstappen's Singapore sweep and what it means for Red Bull.

• George Russell's disastrous weekend and the championship implications.

• McLaren's costly Norris–Piastri collision and the debate over teammate racing.

• Ferrari's promising pace, strategy decisions, and missed opportunities.

• Kimi Antonelli's championship position as the season moves forward.

• The crashes, mechanical failures, and safety-car drama that turned Singapore upside down.

Plus, Mike joins us for Mr. F1 Wisdom of the Week, and Michaela tackles a beginner-friendly Question of the Week: Why can Formula 1 drivers struggle with braking even when their brakes haven't actually failed?

Whether you've followed F1 for years or you're just getting started, we're here to make the racing, strategy, and drama easier to understand—and a lot more fun to talk about.

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Max Verstappen is finally back on top—but getting there was anything but simple.

A rain-soaked race, a 90-minute delay, changing tyre conditions and multiple safety cars turned the weekend into chaos. Max Verstappen fought back to claim his first Grand Prix victory of the 2026 season, while Kimi Antonelli finished second and quietly turned another difficult weekend into an even bigger championship advantage. s1E34 Bahrain-timestamped s1E34 Bahrain-timestamped

And then there was Lewis Hamilton.

Ferrari's gamble on slick tyres initially looked like a disaster as Hamilton fell all the way to P18. Somehow, Lewis fought his way back through the field and finished P3, with Charles Leclerc right behind him in fourth. s1E34 Bahrain-timestamped s1E34 Bahrain-timestamped

In Episode 34 of Lights Out, Let's Chat, Michaela breaks down the entire weekend in a way that makes sense whether you've followed Formula 1 for years or you're still figuring out why everyone suddenly panics when it starts raining.

We’re talking:

• Max Verstappen's first win of 2026
• Lewis Hamilton's incredible P18 → P3 recovery
• Kimi Antonelli extending his championship lead to 84 points
• George Russell's devastating retirement
• Ferrari's wild wet-weather tyre gamble
• Lando Norris nearly hitting Oscar Piastri behind the Safety Car
• Why intermediate and full-wet tyres are different
• Mr. F1 Wisdom of the Week with Mike
• What this all means heading into Singapore

If Formula 1 sometimes feels like everyone else knows a secret language, Lights Out, Let's Chat is for you. We're a female-friendly, beginner-friendly F1 podcast where you don't need to know every regulation, strategy call or tyre compound to join the conversation.

Formula 1 doesn't have to be intimidating. Join the conversation.

Follow the show so you don't miss Episode 35, and send this episode to the friend who's just getting into F1.

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George Russell just won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix by 0.196 seconds.

After 51 laps around Baku, Max Verstappen was less than two-tenths of a second away from stealing the win at the line — and somehow that wasn't even close to the only chaos this weekend.

In Episode 33 of Lights Out, Let's Chat, Michaela breaks down a wild Baku weekend from FP1 all the way through one of the closest finishes of the season.

George Russell looked fast from the beginning. He topped FP1 and FP2, put together a huge qualifying lap for pole, and controlled much of the race.

Then the safety cars changed everything.

Max Verstappen charged from P8 to P2, erased George's comfortable advantage and spent the closing laps hunting him down.

Meanwhile, championship leader Kimi Antonelli had a nightmare qualifying. He hit the wall, couldn't continue in Q2 and started all the way back in P16.

Then he fought his way back to P5.

The damage to his championship lead? George took 15 points out of it in one weekend, cutting Kimi's advantage from 81 points to 66.

And that was only part of Baku.

Isack Hadjar returned after missing three races and immediately put himself on the podium. McLaren went from starting P3 and P5 to leaving Baku with a P14 and a DNF. Aston Martin lost both cars. Alex Albon hit the wall. Alpine's Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly made contact before Gasly was sent into Lando Norris. And by the end of the race, seven drivers had failed to finish.

Yeah. Baku happened.

In Episode 33:

• George Russell's dominant Baku weekend
• The 0.196-second finish between Russell and Verstappen
• Kimi Antonelli's qualifying crash and P16-to-P5 recovery
• Kimi's championship lead dropping from 81 to 66 points
• Isack Hadjar's comeback podium
• Max Verstappen charging from P8 to P2
• McLaren's disastrous weekend
• Lando Norris and the chaotic restart collision
• Seven DNFs and two safety cars
• Ferrari getting both cars to the finish
• Mr. F1 Wisdom of the Week with Mike
• What actually happens during a safety car restart?

For our newer Formula 1 fans, Question of the Week couldn't have arrived at a better time.

What actually happens during a safety car restart?

Michaela explains why the field gets bunched together, why the leader controls the pace, why cold tyres and brakes can become a problem, and why Turn 1 can suddenly become complete chaos.

And after Baku, the championship has another question:

Can George Russell keep closing the gap, or will Kimi Antonelli respond?

Whether you've watched Formula 1 for years or Baku left you wondering why there were suddenly only 15 cars left, you're welcome here.

Formula 1 Doesn't Have To Be Intimidating. Join the Conversation.

Follow Lights Out, Let's Chat so you don't miss Episode 34, and share the show with an F1 fan — or somebody who's just getting started.

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Baku is coming — and Kimi Antonelli has made everybody else's championship fight very uncomfortable.

After taking his eighth win of the season in Madrid, Antonelli heads to Azerbaijan with an 81-point championship lead over George Russell. To put that into perspective: Russell could win the next three Grands Prix while Kimi scored absolutely nothing and he'd still be six points behind.

So... can anybody start closing the gap?

In Episode 32 of Lights Out, Let's Chat, Michaela gets you ready for one of Formula 1's strangest and most unpredictable circuits: Baku.

We're breaking down why the Baku City Circuit creates such a difficult setup challenge, what makes the famous castle section so unforgiving, why that enormous straight matters, and what newer F1 fans should watch during practice and qualifying.

Then it's championship time.

George Russell needs to start taking points away from his teammate. Lando Norris and McLaren arrive with serious pace after Lando's wins in Hungary and Zandvoort and his race-winning speed in Madrid. Max Verstappen has quietly put together two consecutive podiums. And Ferrari?

Well...

Michaela is once again asking Ferrari for one normal weekend. Please. Just one.

We're also back with F1 Academy after three days of testing in Spain. The current grid got two days of track time before 18 young female drivers took over for the rookie test — giving us a first look at some of the names who could become part of F1 Academy's future.

Then Mike takes over for another Mr. F1 Wisdom of the Week, with F1 news, rumors and plenty of opinions before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

And for our newer fans, Question of the Week answers something you're probably going to hear constantly at Baku:

What exactly is a tow?

Michaela explains why following another car can give a driver extra straight-line speed, why drivers deliberately create gaps during qualifying, and why Baku's enormous straight makes the tow especially important.

In Episode 32:

• Why Baku is such a strange Formula 1 circuit
• Kimi Antonelli's 81-point championship lead
• Why George Russell needs a response
• Lando Norris and McLaren's recent speed
• Max Verstappen's back-to-back podiums
• Ferrari's search for one normal weekend
• What to watch during Baku practice and qualifying
• F1 Academy testing and the 18-driver rookie test

• Mr. F1 Wisdom of the Week

• What a tow/slipstream actually means in Formula 1

And one important reminder from Michaela:

Baku is a SATURDAY race. Not Sunday. You've been warned.

Whether you've watched Formula 1 for years or you're still learning why drivers suddenly slow down during qualifying when they're supposedly trying to go fast, you're welcome here.

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Follow Lights Out, Let's Chat so you don't miss the Baku race recap, and share the show with somebody who loves F1 — or somebody who's just starting to figure it all out.

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Lando Norris was leading by more than six seconds—and within one lap, his Madrid Grand Prix was gone.

Lando Norris looked set to win Formula 1's first race at Madring — until a perfectly timed VSC for Kimi Antonelli and a slow McLaren pit stop changed everything. Episode 31 breaks down Antonelli's eighth win, Lando's brutal Madrid heartbreak, Verstappen's podium, Ferrari's gamble, Hamilton's DNF, the new circuit, and why a Virtual Safety Car can completely flip an F1 race.

Norris started from pole, survived two opening-lap attacks from Kimi Antonelli and built a lead of more than six seconds. Then Lance Stroll stopped his Aston Martin just after Lando had passed the pit entrance. Antonelli, Max Verstappen and George Russell could take advantage of the VSC. Lando couldn't — and when he finally stopped one lap later, a problem with McLaren's front-right tyre dropped him all the way to P5.

In Episode 31 of Lights Out, Let's Chat, Michaela breaks down Formula 1's first race at Madrid's new Madring circuit — and why the final Antonelli-Verstappen-Norris podium doesn't come close to telling the whole story.

Kimi Antonelli was there when the opportunity came and turned it into his eighth victory in 14 races, extending his championship lead over George Russell to 81 points. Max Verstappen fought his way to second and held off a recovering Norris, while Ferrari rolled the strategy dice with Charles Leclerc after Lewis Hamilton suffered a brake failure and recorded his first DNF of the season.

There's also a bigger question about Madring itself. The new circuit looked spectacular, but overtaking proved extremely difficult. Michaela looks at what worked, what didn't, and what Formula 1 could learn from its first weekend in Madrid.

And Episode 31 introduces something new: Mr. F1 Wisdom of the Week, with Mike joining the show to ask what actually makes an F1 driver great — winning in the best car, or getting results from a car that shouldn't be near the front?

In This Episode:

• How Lando Norris lost a six-second lead in Madrid
• Kimi Antonelli's eighth victory in 14 races
• Why the Virtual Safety Car completely changed the Grand Prix
• Max Verstappen's fight with Lando for P2
• Lewis Hamilton's brake failure and first DNF of 2026
• Charles Leclerc and Ferrari's huge strategy gamble
• The good — and bad — of F1's new Madring circuit
• The debut of Mr. F1 Wisdom of the Week

Michaela also gives newer fans an easy explanation of the Virtual Safety Car, why pit stops can effectively cost less time under a VSC, and why being a few seconds on the wrong side of the pit entrance can completely change a Formula 1 race.

Whether you've watched Formula 1 forever or you're still trying to figure out why everyone suddenly gets excited when VIRTUAL SAFETY CAR appears on the screen, you're welcome here.

Formula 1 Doesn't Have To Be Intimidating. Join the Conversation.

Follow Lights Out, Let's Chat so you don't miss Episode 32, and share the show with someone who loves F1 — or someone who's just starting to figure it all out.

Kimi Antonelli started his home Grand Prix from P19.

Fifty-three laps later, the 20-year-old championship leader was standing on the top step of the podium at Monza.

Yeah. We need to talk about this one.

In Episode 30 of Lights Out, Let’s Chat, Michaela breaks down an absolutely wild Italian Grand Prix weekend that somehow had everything: Pierre Gasly taking his first Formula 1 pole, Ferrari giving the Tifosi hope before everything unraveled, Max Verstappen fighting his way back onto the podium, McLaren's teammates battling each other — and Antonelli producing one of the drives of the 2026 season.

Mercedes deliberately chose Monza for Kimi's power-unit penalty, dropping him from a P7 qualifying result all the way to 19th on the starting grid. What followed was a patient, aggressive recovery through the field, a scary trip through the gravel while fighting George Russell, and a late pass for the lead.

P19 to P1. At Monza. In front of his home crowd.

Meanwhile, Ferrari's home Grand Prix went from promising to painful almost immediately. Lewis Hamilton ended up in the gravel on lap one, Charles Leclerc crashed heavily on lap two, and suddenly Ferrari's hopes rested entirely on Hamilton recovering through the field.

Michaela also breaks down:

• Pierre Gasly's stunning first Formula 1 pole position
• Why Monza actually made sense for Antonelli's grid penalty
• George Russell and Mercedes' strategy battle
• Max Verstappen's return to the podium
• Lando Norris vs. Oscar Piastri at McLaren
• Ferrari's nightmare home race
• Gasly officially losing his Monaco podium — again
• Why the Monaco result changed months after the race
• What the blinking red light on the back of an F1 car actually means
• Why that light isn't simply a brake light
• And, because apparently this is part of Formula 1 now... Lightning McQueen at Monza

Episode 30 also marks 30 episodes of Lights Out, Let's Chat, and Formula 1 couldn't have provided a much better race to celebrate it.

Whether you've watched Formula 1 for years or you're still figuring out what all those flashing lights, penalties, strategies and radio messages mean, you're welcome here.

Formula 1 doesn't have to be intimidating. Join the conversation.

Follow Lights Out, Let's Chat so you don't miss the next episode, and share the show with another F1 fan.

Question for you: Was Antonelli's P19-to-P1 Monza victory the drive of the season?

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