The Formula 1 season kicked off in Melbourne, Australia, with a wet race around the historic Albert Park Circuit. Though Lando Norris won the race and McLaren looked more or less comfortable from start to finish, the rain-soaked drama didn’t give us much of a read on the season’s trajectory.
What it did give us, however, is drama. Before the race had begun, rookie Isack Hadjar had crashed on the formation lap, drawing the ire of Helmut Marko, who heads up driver development at Red Bull. Further into the race, Lewis Hamilton‘s first outing with Ferrari was weighed down by communication issues. Now, Wyatt Watson and Alex Gintz look ahead to China and discuss some new scrutiny procedures announced ahead of the season’s second race which may turn the fight at the front upside down.
“The Pit Straight” is Frontstretch‘s open-wheel racing podcast, available during the racing season weekly on Tuesdays on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and right here on the web.
Alex is the IndyCar Content Director at Frontstretch, having initially joined as an entry-level contributor in 2021. He also serves as Managing Director of The Asia Cable, a publication focused on the international affairs and politics of the Asia-Pacific region which he co-founded in 2023. With previous experience in China, Japan and Poland, Alex is particularly passionate about the international realm of motorsport and the politics that make the wheels turn - literally - behind the scenes.