Away We Go Podcast - Ep. 80: Verstappen, Piastri, and women making History

Hey everyone, Ciara here!

Here is a quick recap of what we got into, and if you want to hear the full debate, make sure to tune into the episode!

The Great Driver Swap: Max to McLaren, Oscar to Red Bull?

Could you imagine Max in a McLaren? As Di and I debated on the podcast, Max wearing papaya and racing alongside Lando Norris sounds like a dream for fans, but a potential nightmare for team harmony. Let's be real---Jos Verstappen wouldn't exactly be thrilled playing nice in a team with two equal number-one drivers. But with rumors that Max is unhappy with Red Bull's car development, and his race engineer "GP" potentially heading to McLaren in a senior role, it's not completely impossible.

On the flip side, Oscar going to Red Bull is a massive gamble. We discussed whether Laurent Mekies could build a championship-winning car around him. However, Di made a great point: McLaren will always treat Lando as their "golden boy." If Oscar wants a team built entirely around him, risking a move to Red Bull might be his best shot.

(Fun fact we mentioned on the pod: Oscar has an abysmal track record with special helmet designs---he's never won a race in one! If you want to track how Oscar's sector times actually compare to Lando's during a weekend, make sure to use the telemetry tools on the Formula Live Pulse app.)

The Return of Christian Horner?

We also dug into the chatter about Christian Horner returning to the Formula 1 paddock. Will he go to the FIA? Probably not---we both agreed his ego needs the on-the-ground glory of a team.

He's being heavily linked to Aston Martin or Alpine. The idea of Horner and Flavio Briatore clashing at Alpine is pure box-office drama. However, Aston Martin's current struggles with the cost cap (they are burning through their budget replacing crashed parts rather than developing the car) might make them a more realistic target for a major leadership shake-up. You can read more about how cost caps dictate modern racing strategies in our deep dive on team budgets.

Women Making History: A Huge Week for F1 Academy

My absolute favorite part of the episode was celebrating the incredible week for women in motorsport. The talent coming up through the ranks right now is phenomenal.

• Chiara Bättig: The 16-year-old Swiss wildcard who stunned the grid by taking pole in the reverse grid and P2 in the feature race at her F1 Academy debut at Silverstone.

• Abbi Pulling: She continues to dominate, recently making history as the first woman to win a GB3 race.

• Nina Gademan: The Dutch driver who just tested the V8-powered Alpine E20 F1 car.

We desperately need better, clearer pathways from F1 Academy into F3, but seeing these young women break barriers is exactly the energy and motivation we need to keep pushing forward.

Calendar Risks

Finally, we touched on the very real risk of losing even more Middle Eastern races (Qatar, Abu Dhabi) from the 2026 calendar due to escalating regional conflicts. Stefano Domenicali is expected to make a call before the summer break ends, and we might see stand-in tracks like Turkey or Portugal make a return. We'll keep you updated on the Live Pulse blog as soon as the FIA makes it official.

Let me know what you think of the Max/Oscar rumors in the comments, and don't forget to download the app before we head to Spa!

And it's lights out and away we go!