Ep62: Australian Grand Prix: mayhem in Melbourne, Mercedes 1-2, big crashes & Piastri heartbreak

The 2026 Formula 1 season opened in Melbourne with a dramatic Australian Grand Prix. Mercedes locked out the front row, Ferrari launched brilliantly at the start, and Max Verstappen charged through the field after starting from the back.I’m joined by Simone Scanu, co-founder of Formula Live Pulse, to break down everything that happened at Albert Park — from strategy calls to rookie performances.Key Talking PointsMercedes lockout and race paceFerrari’s explosive race startOscar Piastri’s heartbreaking crash before the raceMax Verstappen charging from P20Rookie standouts in the opening raceStrategy decisions and the virtual safety carBroadcast frustrations with missing battery dataAston Martin’s worrying reliability issuesAustralian Grand Prix PodiumGeorge RussellKimi AntonelliCharles LeclercA strong opening weekend for Mercedes — and a huge result for rookie Antonelli.Prediction Tracker UpdateThe Away We Go F1 Prediction Tracker is underway — and Melbourne delivered a few surprises.Very few players predicted a Mercedes win, and almost nobody picked Antonelli on the podium.The leaderboard is wide open after race one. Register free and play along: https://awaywegopodcast.com/play-along/International Women’s DayWe congratulate the Australian Grand Prix Corporation for renaming turn 6, In Her Corner after two prominent women working in Formula 1, Hannah Schmitz, head strategist at Red Bull Racing, and Laura Mueller, race engineer for Esteban Ocon at HAAS F1.This episode also celebrates women working in Formula 1 media and content creation, including:The Paddock Journal - www.thepaddockjournal.comPaddock Passions - https://www.instagram.com/paddockpassionTiggy – It’s Paddock Project - https://www.instagram.com/itspaddockprojectToni Cowan Brown - https://www.instagram.com/tonicowanbrownNext Race: ChinaNext stop is Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix.We discuss:Whether Ferrari can unlock more paceIf Mercedes can keep their advantageWhy China could suit different teamsOur predictions for the next race weekendSubscribeIf you enjoy the podcast, please follow or subscribe — it helps more people discover Away We Go Podcast.You’ll find more photos and videos on the Away We Go Podcast social media channels:YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok | Threads |and also on SubstackOr drop us a line at [email protected] support means the world to us - please rate and review our show on your favourite podcast listening app, we might even read out your review next episodeFormula Live PulseApp: Formula Live Pulse is the ultimate second-screen experience for F1 fans. Try it for free for 7 days - no credit card needed f1livepulse.comApp Store: https://apps.apple.com/au/app/formula-live-pulse/id6739639442Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ss.f1livepulse&pcampaignid=web_share.#Formula1 #F1 #F1podcast #Formula1podcast #FormulaOne #bestf1podcast #australianF1podcast #femalef1podcast #femaleF1podcasthosts #f1travel #travelwriter #f1creator #f1writer