Papaya Rules on today's show ladies and gentlemen...whatever that means.
After an enforced break that saw the host have a flight cancelled and lose his passport, Pondering Papaya is back to dissect the fall out from the Italian Grand Prix.
Joining Sam to do just that is DNF1 podcast host Adam Burns and F1 content creator Sarah McKenzie-Foley.
Enjoy!
You want a mid-season review? We’ll give you a mid-season review. An almost two-hour show looking at all 14 races of the F1 season so far. What themes do we notice? What races have we forgot? And what can it tell us about what’s to come when F1 returns.
Joining Sam is the Independent’s F1 correspondent Kieran Jackson, the Mirror’s F1 correspondent Daniel Moxon and Quadrant producer/F1 content creator Matt Amys.
Have a question for the show? Email inbox@ponderingpapaya.com. You can also reach us on socials @ponderingpapaya on all the major platforms.
On the final day of the Behind the Papaya week, we are speaking to McLaren’s Director of Sustainability Kim Wilson.
Kim told us the challenges all F1 teams face in being sustainable and how McLaren are using cutting edge technology to lead the charge.
Have a question for the show? Email inbox@ponderingpapaya.com. You can also reach us on socials @ponderingpapaya on all the major platforms.
On day five of the Behind the Papaya week, we are speaking to the team that look after McLaren's cars once they stop racing.
With McLaren arguably more proud of their history than any other team, it is a great task to keep their vast catalogue up and running but you will hear from the team that does just that.
Have a question for the show? Email inbox@ponderingpapaya.com. You can also reach us on socials @ponderingpapaya on all the major platforms.
On day four of Behind the Papaya week, we spoke to Amanda McLaren, sole child of team founder Bruce McLaren.
When Bruce lost his life, Amanda was just four but as she got older, she was able to appreciate the incredible life her father led and the enduring legacy he left on the world.
Have a question for the show? Email inbox@ponderingpapaya.com. You can also reach us on socials @ponderingpapaya on all the major platforms.
On day three of Behind the Papaya week, we are speaking to Henry Chilcott who from May 2017 to July 2020 was McLaren's Group Marketing Director and during his tenure, Henry helped to make the Woking side one of the most marketable teams on the F1 grid.
Now working at Formula E, Henry took time out of his busy schedule to chat with us all things McLaren and what makes Zak Brown so good and what he does.
Have a question for the show? Email inbox@ponderingpapaya.com. You can also reach us on socials @ponderingpapaya on all the major platforms.
It's a very special week here on Pondering Papaya as we take you behind the scenes of the McLaren team.
Each day we are going to be bringing you an interview with someone who either worked with the team or had a special connection to it and they will give you a fascinating insight into what life at the MTC is like.
On today's episode, we will be hearing from McLaren's former Pit Stop Performance Lead Sergio Stelitano to learn how the team became the king and queens of the F1 pit stop.
Welcome to a very special week here on Pondering Papaya as we take you behind the scenes of the McLaren team. To kick the week off, we are revisiting some of our previous interviews that older listeners may already have heard but fear not as there will be two brand new episodes on Thursday and Friday.
Each day we are going to be bringing you an interview with someone who either worked with the team or had a special connection to it and they will give you a fascinating insight into what life at the MTC is like.
To start things off, we will be hearing from a man called Josh Roles who during his four years working at McLaren became Fernando Alonso’s number two mechanic. Starting at the road car team, Josh moved to McLaren racing in October 2015 and provided a behind the scenes look at what his job involved. Enjoy.
Oscar Piastri registered another P2 in his career but a slow pit stop may have robbed his chance of victory.
To discuss that and more, Sam is joined by F1 Reporter at the GRID Network Esha Azeem and Pit Debrief Content Writer Magdalena Put.
Have a question for the show? Email inbox@ponderingpapaya.com. You can also reach us on socials @ponderingpapaya on all the major platforms.
After their first one-two in three years in Hungary, #McLaren are back to try and repeat the trick in Spa and with an incoming Max Verstappen grid penalty, there is every chance they could do just that.
Joining Sam on today's episode is the Independent's #F1 correspondent Kieran Jackson (@kieranrjackson) and F1 content creator FP1Will (@FP1Will).
Have a question for the show? Email inbox@ponderingpapaya.com. You can also reach us on socials @ponderingpapaya on all the major platforms.
Oscar Piastri is an #F1 race winner!
A tense end left a sour taste in the mouth but #McLaren did earn their first one-two since 2021.
To dissect all the action from the #HungarianGP, Sam Cooper was joined by DNF1 Podcast host Adam Burns and YouTuber LawVS.
Have a question for the show? Email inbox@ponderingpapaya.com. You can also reach us on socials @ponderingpapaya on all the major platforms.
Tempers are being to flare between #McLaren and Red Bull as Zak Brown kept up his rather one-sided war of words with Christian Horner.
To discuss that and look ahead to the Hungarian Grand Prix, Sam was joined by F1 content creator Sarah McKenzie-Foley (link to her work here) and #F1 journalist Rory Mitchell (link to his work here).
Have a question for the show? Email inbox@ponderingpapaya.com. You can also reach us on socials @ponderingpapaya on all the major platforms.
#LandoNorris #ZakBrown #OscarPiastri #HungarianGP
A potential one-two became P3 and P4 after some crucial strategy errors from McLaren cost both drivers.
Instead of the usual race review, we're live from the Silverstone paddock to give you a recap of the sessions as they happened.
Joining Sam for free practice is the Mirror's F1 correspondent Daniel Moxon, for quali it's Crash.net's Lewis Larkam and for the race itself it's the Independent's F1 correspondent Kieran Jackson.
Have a question for the show? Email inbox@ponderingpapaya.com. You can also reach us on socials @ponderingpapaya on all the major platforms.
High drama turned into disaster for McLaren and Lando Norris in Austria as a late collision with Max Verstappen sent the McLaren out of the points and out of the race.
To unpack all the aftermath, Sam was joined by Quadrant producer and F1 YouTuber Matt Amys.
There is also time for a preview of this weekend's race at Silverstone.
Have a question for the show? Email inbox@ponderingpapaya.com. You can also reach us on socials @ponderingpapaya on all the major platforms.
With one race down of the triple header, we’re bringing you a bumper pod today with a look back on Spain as well as a preview of this weekend’s race in Austria.
Joining Sam to recap all the action from Barcelona is Peter Mujuzi from McLaren Fan TV and FormulaNerds’ Senior Editor James Phillips.
Have a question for the show? Email inbox@ponderingpapaya.com. You can also reach us on socials @ponderingpapaya on all the major platforms.
Amanda McLaren is the only daughter of Bruce McLaren, the team's founder way back in 1963.
When Bruce lost his life, Amanda was just four but as she got older, she was able to appreciate the incredible life her father led and the enduring legacy he left on the world.
Have a question for the show? Email inbox@ponderingpapaya.com. You can also reach us on socials @ponderingpapaya on all the major platforms.
In what was a race for the ages, McLaren came away wondering what could have been with Lando Norris not able to pit Max Verstappen to the win.
To discuss the race in detail, Sam Cooper was joined by F1 journalists Daniel Valente (@F1GuyDan) and Ed Spencer (@EdSpencer99).
Have a question for the show? Email inbox@ponderingpapaya.com. You can also reach us on socials @ponderingpapaya on all the major platforms.
There are bogey tracks and then there is McLaren in Montreal...
Having failed to score a point since 2014, Sam is joined by F1 content creator Sarah Mckenzie and journalist Jasmine Hughes to discuss whether McLaren can lift their Canada curse this weekend.
You can find Sarah's work here while you will find more of Jasmine's work here
Mark Hamilton of the Scuderia F1 podcast also jumps on to tell us why Canada is a great place for F1.
Have a question for the show? Email inbox@ponderingpapaya.com. You can also reach us on socials @ponderingpapaya on all the major platforms.
The Monaco GP wasn’t exactly a thriller but it was nevertheless a great result for Oscar Piastri who scored his third podium for the team.
To discuss that and more, Sam Cooper was joined by #F1 commentator Kai Bachini and FormulaNerds Senior Editor James Phillips.
Have a question for the show? Email inbox@ponderingpapaya.com. You can also reach us on socials @ponderingpapaya on all the major platforms.