As the second pre-season F1 test gets under way in Bahrain, the latest Flat Chat podcast from GP Racing magazine dives into the latest developments.

As the F1 season-preview issue of GP Racing magazine hits the shelves, GP Racing editor Ben Anderson and columnist Mark Gallagher join host Stuart Codling to examine the unexpected controversies already embroiling a season which promised to be revolutionary.

Whenever F1 adopts new rules there are winners and losers – and unexpected twists. Our panel considers the unanticipated consequences of the new regulations, from bouncing cars to brutal arguments about innovations. No other new rulebook has been the subject of so much scientific research – including cloud computing facilities far beyond those permitted for the teams – so can it deliver on all the promises?

And as some teams fitted major upgrade packages to their cars at the second test, others – including Ferrari – stuck to a gameplan of data-gathering with the original package to maximise understanding of it. Ferrari, as revealed in this month’s GP Racing, has reasons to be confident ahead of this hugely important season. Avoiding the temptation to throw upgrades at the car and go for low-fuel ‘glory runs’ is strongly suggestive of a team much more at ease with itself than in recent seasons.

Our panel also considers the significance of cancelling the Russian Grand Prix. The FIA’s response to events in Ukraine was widely criticised for being light-touch, but is there more to this situation than meets the eye? For the commercial rights holder, not only cancelling the 2022 event but annulling the event going forward was a notably decisive act – and one which will have commercial as well as political consequences.

In recent weeks Max Verstappen has extended his Red Bull contract until the end of 2028, a deal of unprecedented length in modern Formula 1. What does this tell us about Red Bull’s determination to keep hold of him, and the power Max now holds in determining his own future?

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