2 AUG 2021 · The first half of the year ended in style, and all that happened in Hungary is discussed in the last podcast before the summer break. The race was made so great largely by the chaos of the first few laps, with Valtteri Bottas channelling his inner terminator and Lewis Hamilton being the only man on the grid for the restart after a mishap on his part. Such chaos is what the PF1 team look at first.  The pair then turn their attention to the fight for the win that followed. Esteban Ocon prevailed thanks to a perfect performance, while Fernando Alonso played a big part too with the stunning manner in which he held off Hamilton. Has the Frenchman restored his reputation as one of the best young guns around, and being a team player, is the Spaniard better than ever? Alonso wasn't the only older head to impress in Budapest with Sebastian Vettel crossing the line in P2 after an excellent drive. Disqualification may take away the result, but it takes nothing away from his performance, and Michelle and Finley couldn't be happier to see him thrive.  They agree though that in a day full of feel-good stories, perhaps the biggest of them came further down the grid, with Williams scoring their first double-points finish since 2018 and their first points at all since 2019. How big a result was that for them, and how great was George Russell's emotional reaction to it? To round off the episode, the bigger picture is looked at, with the state of the title fight between Hamilton and Max Verstappen heading into the second half of the year being discussed. Twitter: @Planet_F1 Facebook: Planet F1

19 JUL 2021 · It took less than a lap for the British Grand Prix to produce one of the biggest talking points of the season, and plenty more followed. The race at Silverstone started with a bang as Max Verstappen went crashing out of the race after colliding with Lewis Hamilton, and that incident is the first thing that the PF1 team discuss. Did Hamilton deserve his penalty? Should he have had a harsher one? Or was it a racing incident? Regardless, it was an excellent drive from Hamilton from that point onwards, and one that well and truly brought the title fight to life again. In fact, Finley and henry think it may have been one of his best races of the season.  After paying tribute to that performance, the pair then move on to an arguably even more impressive one from the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, who so nearly won in a car that isn't anywhere near the fastest on the grid. The drive reminded us all of just how good he is, and made the battle with McLaren very interesting indeed. The Monegasque may well have been the driver of the weekend, but Fernando Alonso could stake a strong claim for that title himself after a stunning sprint qualifying and a very solid race. How good is he at the age of 39? Judging by how he did at Silverstone, as good as ever. Sebastian Vettel spun fighting his old foe early on and thus ruined his race, but he deserves plenty of plaudits for his off-track display as he kindly stayed behind after the race to help clean up. On a day when things got perhaps a bit too heated in the world of Formula 1, it was the sort of feel-good story that the sport needed. Twitter: @Planet_F1 Facebook: Planet F1

5 JUL 2021 · Formula 1 was back for the second of a double-header at the Red Bull Ring, as Max Verstappen ran rampant again in front of a passionate crowd draped in the orange of the Dutchman's home nation. Henry is joined once again by Charlotte Lines and the PF1 team applaud the continuing heroics of McLaren's Lando Norris, after the young Briton was praised by the seven-time World Champion, no less. Lewis Hamilton has signed a new contract to stay at Mercedes, leaving just one seat open at the Silver Arrows for next season. George Russell came agonisingly close to getting his first points for Williams - again - and the hosts ask the question about whether Russell knows more about his future than he lets on... Penalties were the order of the day in Austria, and the team dissect just how busy the Stewards will have been in Austria - and whether or not they were right to dish out as many punishments as they did, with some decisions much more justifiable than others. There's a brief look ahead to what will be a new-look race weekend at Silverstone, and Henry and Charlotte feel the Formula 1 paddock has earned a well-deserved rest after three gruelling weekends on the bounce. Twitter: @Planet_F1 Facebook: Planet F1 Instagram: @planetf1com

28 JUN 2021 · Formula 1 returned to the Red Bull Ring for the first of two races in Spielberg, and the latest episode of Torquing Point dives straight into Sunday's action. It was Max Verstappen's most dominant performance of the season as he took his third win in four races, which left Mercedes scratching their heads as to how they can claw back the gap Red Bull have created at the front. Henry is joined by Charlotte Lines and the pair discuss just where Mercedes go from here, and just how much they believe Toto Wolff when he says the team won't be bringing any more upgrades to their car this season. The performances of Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc are all in the spotlight - as well as the misfortunes of Daniel Ricciardo and the agony of George Russell being denied a fantastic chance of earning his long-awaited first points for Williams. The two Haas drivers were at it again and the PF1 team talk about Guenther Steiner's unusual present to one of his drivers - which we wouldn't know whether or not it was a nice gesture or simply insulting. After a strong race in France, is Fernando Alonso back to his best? Henry and Charlotte discuss the two-time World Champion's fortunes and all the latest gossip from the paddock, with a brief look ahead to next weekend's race. Twitter: @Planet_F1 Facebook: Planet F1

21 JUN 2021 · A real anomaly is discussed in the latest episode of Torquing Point; an absolute thriller of a French Grand Prix. There are a number of things that made it so good, but the main one was the titanic battle at the front between Mercedes and Red Bull. In a reverse of Barcelona, it was Max Verstappen's team that won the race thanks to a two-stop strategy this time around, but the Dutchman still had a lot of work to do. He drove a near-perfect race, as did Lewis Hamilton, and Finley and Henery applaud them both.  The fight for the win was made all the more interesting by the fact that Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas got involved? just how important is the Mexican to Red Bull, and why oh why didn't Mercedes listen to the Finn?  Behind the top four, McLaren were the winners of the day with Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo in P5 and P6. The PF1 team discuss how strong a lineup that is when firing, and wonder where the fight for P3 in the standings will go from here after a terrible day for Ferrari.  Coming home just behind the McLaren pair was Pierre Gasly, who was once again one of the most impressive drivers of the weekend. Given how good he looks and the fact that Esetabn Ocon was firmly second best to Fernando Alonso, have Alpine been a bit rash with their decision to give their man a new three-year deal? The Aston Martin drivers are then looked at, with both doing excellently to secure a double-points finish. Is Sebastian Vettel back? And does Lance Stroll get the credit he deserves? Twitter: @Planet_F1 Facebook: Planet F1

7 JUN 2021 · As far as races go, few require more discussion than those that take place in Baku, and that was the case again this year.As usual, Finley and Henry start off the latest episode of Torquing Point by taking a look at the fight at the front between Red Bull and Mercedes. For the first time this year, Sergio Perez got himself right in the mix of it, and while it was issues for his rivals that handed him the win, he drove well enough to deserve it, holding his own against Lewis Hamilton all day. Given how good he looked, you can't help but wonder: is this the start of his career as a top driver who can regularly challenge for victories? As for Hamilton and Max Verstappen, they both ended up leaving Baku with zero points added to their tally, but which of them does the 0-0 draw benefit more in the context of the title fight, and who will be rueing their ultimately poor result more? One thing's for sure, neither will feel quite as bad as Valtteri Bottas after his disaster of a weekend.Hamilton's and Verstappen's losses were Sebastian Vettel's and Pierre Gasly's gains as they both claimed their first podiums of the season with excellent performances. Looking at his last two races, it's hard not to think that the old Vettel is back, and looking at his last two years as a whole, it's hard not to wish that Gasly could be given a top seat already. Vettel wasn't the only older head to impress in the City of Wind as, not for the first time, Fernando Alonso also did so, thanks in large part to a stunning last few laps. The efforts of the Spaniard are applauded before the improved but less impressive display of another man who has impressed at the track in the past, Daniel Ricciardo, is discussed.The fortunes of Yuki Tsunoda and the clash between the Haas boys are also looked at, and the PF1 team then wrap things up by trying their very best to get excited about the next race, the French Grand Prix.Twitter: @Planet_F1Facebook: Planet F1

24 MAY 2021 · Given that there was next to no on-track action at the Monaco Grand Prix, there's a remarkable amount of stuff from it that needs discussing. For instance, Max Verstappen is suddenly now leading the Drivers' Championship for the first time ever, while Red Bull are ahead of Mercedes in the Constructors' Championship. How did that happen?Finley and Henry start off by looking at just that, paying tribute to two excellent drives from Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, wondering why the real Lewis Hamilton never showed up and paying sympathies to poor old Valtteri Bottas.For the first time this year though, Red Bull and Mercedes aren't the only teams to discuss when looking at the fight for the win, with Ferrari also looking excellent in Monte Carlo. Just how good is that car? And the same question has to be asked of the man who drove it home in P2, Carlos Sainz. What a season he's having. So too his former team-mate and buddy Lando Norris, who claimed his second podium of the year and consolidated P3 in the standings. While he thrives though, his team-mate flounders, with Daniel Ricciardo looking a shadow of the man who won at the very same track. Should we start to be concerned about his form?Another driver to previously win the race for Red Bull was much better, with Sebastian Vettel putting in his best performance in a long time. Whisper it quietly, but he may still have it...After applauding his efforts, the PF1 team then take a look at the young guns who are getting the better of their title-winning team-mates and assess how the three rookies handled one of the sport's biggest challenges before discussing whether that challenge should remain on the calendar given the somewhat dull affair it's been in recent times.Twitter: @Planet_F1Facebook: Planet F1

10 MAY 2021 · Much to the delight of the Torquing Point team, the Spanish Grand Prix actually produced an entertaining race for a change.That was mainly due to the fight at the front as we were treated to round four of the Lewis Hamilton vs Max Verstappen show. Finley and Henry kick things off by looking at how the Brit ultimately prevailed. It may have been his team's excellent strategy call that was the main reason that he won, but that takes nothing away from his drive, with the Mercedes man barely putting a foot wrong all race. Is there any stopping him?Hamilton didn't have many issues making his through traffic to catch Verstappen, but one man who didn't move aside for him was his team-mate, Valtteri Bottas. Does the fact that he's finally defying team orders show that he's aware this could well be his final season with the team? Most likely.Behind the front three, Ferrari and McLaren were once again the stand-out teams, with Charles Leclerc particularly impressive, being a long way ahead of the rest of the midfield all weekend. In fact, he may not have won the official award, but he's Torquing Point's Driver of the Day. Another contender for that award was Daniel Ricciardo, who finished in P6 and had the upper hand on team-mate Lando Norris all weekend. Many expected him to get the better of Norris this season; will he now kick on and do so? It'll be tight either way, as will the fight between the two teams...The other team looking best placed to join that fight is Alpine, with the car looking particularly unimpressive in the hands of Esteban Ocon. Fernando Alonso has been unable to match the Frenchman in recent weeks, but should and his fans be worried about his form just yet? Finally, the PF1 team round things off by paying tribute to the ever-impressive Mick Schumacher, who looked good again, and the various pit-crews of the grid who faced and overcame some rather unusual challenges in Barcelona.Twitter: @Planet_F1Facebook: Planet F1

3 MAY 2021 · It may have turned out to be a bit of a dull affair, but the Portuguese Grand Prix still threw up a number of conversation topics.As has been the case all season. the biggest of them came at the front of the grid, with Lewis Hamilton prevailing in a battle with Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen to take victory.Finley and Michelle start off by looking at that battle, discussing whether Mercedes had a quicker car than Red Bull and worrying that, even though it's just an eight-point gap, Hamilton may start to run away with the title, especially if Verstappen keeps exceeding those pesky track limits.On the bright side for Red Bull, Sergio Perez is starting to look more and more comfortable in his car and wasn't too far off Bottas by the end of running on race-day. Both look set to be number two driver this year, but once he has a few more races under his belt, will Checo be a better one than the Finn?His race was hindered early on by Lando Norris, and for the third time in three aces, the McLaren man was one of the most impressive drivers on the grid. The PF1 team pay tribute to him as well as Fernando Alonso who, after a poor qualifying, looked back to his best on Sunday. With his team, Alpine, looking better, the midfield battle is really heating up. Another man to impress was the son of Alonso's old rival. He may have only finished in P17, but it was an excellent race for Mick Schumacher as he got the better of Nicholas Latifi with a lovely move and was lightyears ahead of his team-mate, Nikita Mazepin. Things are looking good for the German.Twitter: @Planet_F1Facebook: Planet F1

19 APR 2021 · With rain, Red Flags and rivals clashing, The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix left Torquing Point with no shortage of talking points.Henry Valantine joins Finley to discuss the race, and the pair start off with the fight at the front between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Unlike in Bahrain, the Dutchman prevailed this time around, putting in the perfect drive to storm to victory. He'll take a lot of confidence from that, but asides from his costly mistake, Hamilton still looked pretty handy himself. Can the Red Bull man really challenge him over the course of a season? Judging by that performance, yes.While Verstappen and Hamilton thrived, their team-mates didn't, with the latter's failing to even survive. Valtteri Bottas may not have been massively at fault in the collision with George Russell, but the fact that he was being overtaken by the Williams man in the first place is cause for concern. As for Russell, the PF1 team are in agreement that his behaviour following the incident was unsavoury, to say the least, and makes his intentions clear. The mask has slipped; he wants that Mercedes seat, and he'll do everything he can on and off the track to get it.One young Brit to fair much better than him was Lando Norris, who claimed his second podium with a stunning drive. With him on form and Daniel Ricciardo willing to play the team game, could McLaren have the best lineup on the grid once the Aussie finds his feet?They'll need both to be at their best if they are to claim P3 in the Constructors' Championship again, as Ferrari are looking mighty strong too, with a good car and two drivers performing well, and Finley and Henry couldn't be happier to see the two teams do battle once again. They may not be alone in the fight for P3 either, with Pierre Gasly impressing with an excellent recovery drive in an AlphaTauri that has a lot of pace. If they are to get in the mix though, Yuki Tsunoda needs to cut out the mistakes.Twitter: @Planet_F1Facebook: Planet F1