Sep 16, 2026 · 46 min · 7 segments
**Rumours, rule rows and a title race taking shape — what’s really going on inside the F1 paddock?** Molly Hudson, motor racing reporter at The Times, and former racing driver turned F1 insider Tim…
Tim HauraneyGuest
Rebecca ClancyHost
Well, let's start with Madrid, shall we, Molly? It was your first ever first race.
I don't know why I started saying that, because now it's really hard to say all of a sudden.
Listening to those, the horror stories of Vegas with the drain covers and goodness knows what hour you were in the press room.
I think you kind of have to separate the event itself, the Grand Prix itself from the race, which, you know, quite clearly wasn't very good.
I feel like I've never had longer to write a race report because obviously I do the race report during the race, file on the chequered flag.
This time I felt like, you know, I've never spent so long doing a report, crafting it, because nothing was really happening in the middle of the race.
at I think I think everyone to be honest in the paddock had got a little bit bored of Barcelona I think everyone had just been to Barcelona so many times for testing and then the race so I think it was nice to have something different and the paddock was very unique it was quite interesting to hear the teams complaining that some of them had like a seven and a half minute walk from their hospitality suite to their engineering and I know that sounds ridiculous to say but like we all know what it's like at an F1 weekend every minute of your weekend pretty much is accounted for, especially when you're in a team.
People were kind of shocked, I think, when they got there on Thursday and realised that.
But I think a few more golf buggies next year that can be sorted pretty easily.
Well, let's start with Madrid, shall we, Molly? It was your first ever first race.
I don't know why I started saying that, because now it's really hard to say all of a sudden.
Listening to those, the horror stories of Vegas with the drain covers and goodness knows what hour you were in the press room.
I think you kind of have to separate the event itself, the Grand Prix itself from the race, which, you know, quite clearly wasn't very good.
I feel like I've never had longer to write a race report because obviously I do the race report during the race, file on the chequered flag.
This time I felt like, you know, I've never spent so long doing a report, crafting it, because nothing was really happening in the middle of the race.
at I think I think everyone to be honest in the paddock had got a little bit bored of Barcelona I think everyone had just been to Barcelona so many times for testing and then the race so I think it was nice to have something different and the paddock was very unique it was quite interesting to hear the teams complaining that some of them had like a seven and a half minute walk from their hospitality suite to their engineering and I know that sounds ridiculous to say but like we all know what it's like at an F1 weekend every minute of your weekend pretty much is accounted for, especially when you're in a team.
People were kind of shocked, I think, when they got there on Thursday and realised that.
But I think a few more golf buggies next year that can be sorted pretty easily.
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