You have heard Ciara Gillan on the podcast before, but mostly talking Formula 1. This episode is different. It is an introduction — a chance to get to know the woman who will be joining as co-host for race recaps throughout the 2026 season.
Ciara is Irish, based in Berlin, and came to Formula 1 gradually — she was always aware of the sport but started watching it properly when she began dating Simone Scanu, co-founder of the real-time F1 data app Formula Live Pulse. As she tells it, she asked so many questions during races that Simone eventually built her an app so she would have the answers. That app became Formula Live Pulse.
She is a Ferrari fan by association, wearing red on the day we recorded, and openly admits to Ferrari anxiety — that very specific feeling of getting too hopeful too soon. She is also a big Oscar Piastri supporter, drawn to what she describes as his humility and the way he races aggressively without ever letting arrogance show in his interviews.
The episode covers how Ciara got into the sport, her background as a filmmaker and producer, her thoughts on the 2026 season, and a rapid-fire round that ends with her choosing Lewis Hamilton as the driver she would most want to take on holiday. Her reasoning is solid: elegant trips, interesting conversation, and inside knowledge she cannot currently afford.
It is a warm, honest conversation and a good starting point if you want to understand who you will be hearing from each race weekend this season.