In Vettel’s Aston F1 adventure

The four-time world champion has reconnected with some old Formula 1 friends at Aston Martin and the effect has been transformative. Always funny and engaging off the track – until the circumstances at Ferrari drove him to misery – Vettel found his voice again in his new environment and plunged into social engagement. He has also taken on the challenge of leading the team to fulfill new owner Lawrence Stroll’s aspirations for world titles.

GP Racing Editor Ben Anderson and columnist Mark Gallagher join host Stuart Codling to examine how the Silverstone-based team is undergoing radical transformation after years of instability and lack of investment. With a new factory and name on its doorstep, this is a team that should move up.

Investing in facilities is just one of the levers Stroll pulls on. Vettel was a big recruiting firm, but others are joining in, including former McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh, as part of a strategy to turn Aston Martin into a billion dollar tech company.

The podcast guests also take a look back at the success of the recent Dutch Grand Prix and the message being sent to F1’s commercial rights holders who recently announced a new deal with Qatar. Someone has to pay to host Grands Prix, whether it’s the fans buying tickets or wealthy governments looking to put their country on the sporting map. Is there an argument for running races without fans as a pure TV spectacle? Many drivers and F1 purists would disagree …

And while Netflix is ​​releasing a new feature-length documentary dedicated to the life of Michael Schumacher, GP Racing is offering an exclusive interview with the movie’s makers this month. Our panel weighs the success of the project and Netflix’s growing interest in Formula 1 as a whole. Could the streaming giant ever acquire the broadcast rights? And even if not, who might be next for the big screen documentary treatment?