Formula 1 fans are not short of podcast options these days as the sport continues to boom, though one popular option was lost last year following the death of beloved broadcaster and former team owner Eddie Jordan. The late, great Irishman's Formula For Success show, which he co-hosted with David Coulthard, was a popular listen but ended after 100 episodes following Jordan's death in March last year.

But now, 13-time F1 race-winner Coulthard is back in the podcasting game as part of a quartet of hosts hired for Global's new offering, Up To Speed. The former McLaren and Red Bull racer will co-host the new bi-weekly offering alongside Sky Sports pundit Naomi Schiff, former F1 TV host and ongoing Drive to Survive star Will Buxton and social media content creator extraordinaire Jolie Sharpe.

Podcasting, Coulthard told Express Sport shortly after recording for Up To Speed's first episode had wrapped, has become something of a passion project after enjoying the format with his previous show. "I had a toe in the water with FFS when Eddie Jordan was still with us, and it was something that I grew to love," said the Scot.

"I say that not because it took me a while to get my head around the podcast, but it was really because I had a love-hate relationship with Eddie, god rest his soul. It really gave me a sort of insight into not just the fun that can be had in growing an audience, but actually reacting to a different audience than the one that would be classically watching what I would be doing or part of the show that I'm involved in through Channel 4."

Explaining that Formula For Success had been sunsetted "out of respect for Eddie and the fun that we had", Coulthard added: "There had been a passing of time, and this was the right thing and too exciting an opportunity not to come and join the team here in the studio and hopefully be able to talk to an audience in a different way - a wider audience as well, which is a reflection of Formula 1 right now - and be guided by them."

It is also a return to the F1 beat for Buxton who, after many years presenting for F1 TV, spent time out of the paddock in 2025 having accepted the lead commentary role for IndyCar across the pond. "And I'm still doing Drive to Survive as well," he pointed out, ahead of the popular Netflix docu-drama's new season which releases on February 27.

He added: "What was lovely last year as well was being able to be a fan of Formula 1 for the first time in 25 years and to take that step out and watch it with those kind of childlike eyes again. Just pure enjoyment. I love this sport and to have the opportunity to get together with two people in DC and Naomi that I knew really well, to get to know Jolie for the first time as well. And to have this group together, you can't turn that down."

Sharpe may not be as well-known to traditional motorsport fans but has built up a huge social media following thanks to a knack for knowing what sort of content a modern sport audience wants to see. "It's a massive achievement and something I'm really proud of," she said, sparking laughter from Coulthard and Buxton as she added: "Who would have told me a year ago that I would be sat here with these two idiots?"

The trio traded jokes throughout the entire interview, the chemistry between them obvious - though Schiff was absent due to travel commitments. "We all really compliment each other," Sharpe added. "You can tell just by being on a call with us after an exhausting day of just constant filming, and we're still laughing. I think that's really special. You can't fake that, we can't pretend that."

The 2026 season, with new regulations which threaten to completely upset the balance of power on the grid, will surely provide more than enough storylines to keep the conversation flowing. And even with all their collective experience of F1, they enter the new campaign with the same sense of intrigue that the rest of us are carrying.

Buxton said: "Until you hit the track in Australia for that opening race of the season, none of us know. None of the teams really know. And that's what happens when you get a massive regulation change like this. It is a clean sheet of paper for everybody. It is a step into the unknown for everybody. Because it's not just the cars, it's the engines as well this year.

"The drivers are having to relearn how they drive. The teams are having to relearn how they engineer their cars. It's a step into the unknown for everybody. So as Jolie says, at a time when the sport is as big as it is and as popular as it is, we're hopefully going to be here every week to be able to inform and educate, but also to entertain people in their learning about Formula 1."

Up To Speed with David Coulthard, Will Buxton, Naomi Schiff and Jolie Sharpe is available wherever you get your podcasts on Mondays and Wednesdays.