F1 Beyond The Grid
F1 Beyond The Grid is an official Formula 1 podcast featuring in-depth interviews with drivers, team bosses, engineering experts, and F1 legends. Host Tom Clarkson explores the stories behind the sport's risk-takers, late-brakers, and history-makers. Each episode offers revealing, feature-length conversations that go beyond the race track. The podcast is available on the F1 YouTube channel and is part of the official F1 podcast lineup.
Episodes
50 years since James Hunt’s dramatic title win - with Freddie Hunt
A fiery crash, a miraculous recovery, a shock disqualification, and a tense, rain-soaked title-decider. At the end of the drama-filled 1976 season, James Hunt emerged as Formula 1 World Champion.Hunt was loved by fans and respected by his rivals, particularly by Niki Lauda. The pair fought for the world title in a remarkable year in which Lauda almost lost his life.James retired from F1 as a World
James Vowles: ‘the most difficult year of my career’
2026 was supposed to be the year Williams made a big step forward in Formula 1.They’d scored their first podiums under Team Principal James Vowles in 2025, all while prioritising focus on this new era of regulations, so expectations of what they could achieve this season were high. But they’ve fallen well short of those.Speaking to Tom Clarkson, James talks about the phone calls he had with Alex A
Isack Hadjar + Laurent Mekies: trust, teamwork + targets
From scoring his first podium with the team in Monaco, to missing three races with a wrist injury, and then re-signing for 2027, Isack Hadjar has had an eventful first season at Red Bull Racing.Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Isack opens up about what happened to his wrist, how challenging it was to miss those races and what that new contract means to him.Plus, Isack tells Tom why he’s been ‘surprising
Romain Grosjean: a career of comebacks
‘I did all I could to survive’. A fiery crash put his life in danger, but Romain Grosjean escaped the flames and returned to racing.As Romain tells Tom Clarkson, the crash in Bahrain was not the first time he had to rebuild his career. After a seven-race spell in Formula 1 in 2008, he was dropped for the following season. Determined to find a way back, he took a step down the motorsport ladder to
Yuki Tsunoda: racing for F1 return
After describing 2025 as the ‘toughest year of my career’, Yuki Tsunoda was thrilled to make his F1 comeback with Racing Bulls after the summer break – stepping in for Liam Lawson while he fills in for the injured Isack Hadjar at Red Bull.Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Yuki gives a very honest account of his struggles at Red Bull last season – revealing how it affected him personally, the biggest mist
Pedro de la Rosa: Aston’s ambition, Fernando’s future + McLaren memories
Aston Martin Global Ambassador Pedro de la Rosa joins Tom Clarkson to discuss how Aston are fighting back after a difficult 2026 so far.Pedro tells Tom how it really felt when they realised just how far behind they were during the Barcelona shakedown and whether the team’s strategy of waiting until halfway through the season to bring upgrades risked them losing two-time World Champion Fernando Alo
Charles Leclerc: full faith in Ferrari
Why did he sign a new multi-year deal with Ferrari? What caused his rough patch earlier in the season? How did those struggles really make him feel? And what did victory at Silverstone mean to him after that difficult period?Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Charles Leclerc opens up and shares really interesting insight into the ups and downs he’s experienced so far in 2026.
Charles also tells Tom what it
Sergio Perez: bouncing back with Cadillac
After a year away from Formula 1, following his exit from Red Bull Racing at the end of 2024, Sergio Perez is back with the sport’s newest team - Cadillac.Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Sergio talks about his last six months at Red Bull being mentally demanding, the new perspective having a year out has given him, the initial reservations he had about returning to F1 and why the Cadillac project is jus
LEGENDS: Damon Hill – from ‘humiliation’ to World Champion
1995 was a 'catastrophe' for Damon Hill, a bruising battle on and off the track. He was determined that 1996 would be his year.30 years since his title triumph, 1996 World Champion Damon Hill joins Tom Clarkson to reflect on his winning season. From four wins in the opening five races, to finding out he was being dropped by Williams at the end of the season while still in the championship fight,
Ollie Bearman: High hopes with Haas + Ferrari
Ferrari discovered him, trained him and gave him a place in Formula 1 with Haas. Ollie Bearman dreams of driving for the Scuderia, but with Lewis Hamilton enjoying a revival and Charles Leclerc committed long-term, what does Bearman's future hold?Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Ollie discusses what he still believes he can achieve with Haas, why this year’s results don’t reflect how much his driving ha
Alan Permane: Lawson, Lindblad + leading Racing Bulls
Racing Bulls Team Principal Alan Permane says his exit from Alpine in 2023 was both ‘devastating’ and a ‘defining moment’ in his career.‘Devastating’ because he’d been with Team Enstone for more than 30 years, winning World Championships with Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso. But ‘defining’ as it led to his first role as a Team Principal in Formula 1 – his biggest job yet.One year since taki
Damson Idris: F1: The Movie ‘changed my life’
Damson Idris describes playing Formula 1 rookie Joshua Pearce in F1: The Movie - the Oscar-winning, highest-grossing sports film of all time - as a life-changing moment.Speaking to Tom Clarkson a year since its release, Damson talks about racing in the F2 cars they used for the film, how he and co-star Brad Pitt compared against each other on track and what it was like to immerse himself in the wo
LEGENDS: Giancarlo Fisichella on winning for Italy + Antonelli’s potential
For 20 years, Italy waited for a driver to join Giancarlo Fisichella as a Formula 1 Grand Prix-winner. Now, Kimi Antonelli is flying Il Tricolore on the top step of the podium once again. Fisi tells Tom Clarkson about the pressures of carrying Italy’s hopes in F1 and what Kimi needs to do to end the nation’s even longer wait for a World Champion.Fisi looks back on his own F1 career - the ‘hard’ mo
Lando Norris: ‘success is addictive’
Lando Norris achieved his lifelong dream in 2025, becoming Formula 1 World Champion for the first time after a rollercoaster title battle that went all the way down to the wire in Abu Dhabi.Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Lando talks about not being nervous before that season-finale, what it really means to achieve the goal he’s been chasing for so long, how becoming champion has changed him and whether
Flavio Briatore: growing Alpine with Colapinto, Gasly + Gucci
Flavio Briatore and ‘Team Enstone’ go back a long way.As Benetton in the 90’s, he led them to multiple World Championships with Michael Schumacher. And as Renault in the 2000s, he did the same with Fernando Alonso. So how can he achieve similar success with Alpine?Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Flavio talks about the progress the team have made since he became Executive Advisor, what he makes of his dr
Tom Kristensen: the best who never raced in F1?
As a child, Formula 1 was his dream. As a young driver, he was on the same trajectory as Michael Schumacher. Tom Kristensen was offered a chance to join a Formula 1 team, but he saw it as too risky. Instead, he found success in sportscars and made history at the Le Mans 24 Hours with a record nine victories.Tom tells Tom Clarkson about the ‘risky’ offer he received from a Formula 1 team in the 19
Alex Albon: making history with Williams
In Barcelona, Alex Albon became the driver with the most race starts in Williams history – surpassing Nigel Mansell’s record of 95 Grands Prix.Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Alex talks about what that milestone means to him and how he’s changed, as a driver and as a person, since joining the team in 2022.Alex also tells Tom why Williams have had a difficult start to the new era of Formula 1 and how tha
LEGENDS: Jean Alesi’s one and only win
At the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix, Jean Alesi achieved the sole Grand Prix victory of his Formula 1 career.Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Jean relives the standout moments from that unforgettable moment in Montreal – like only finding out from the fans that he was leading the race, doing a lap of honour on the back of Michael Schumacher’s car, and then being whisked to the Vatican in Rome to celebrate.He
Mattia Binotto: ‘Audi are serious’ about F1 success
He learned how to win at Ferrari. He believes Audi can become Formula 1 World Championship contenders by 2030. For Mattia Binotto, the first step is raising the ambition of every person in his team. Audi aren’t on the grid to take part. They’re there to win.The Audi Team Principal tells Tom Clarkson how he plans to turn the former Sauber team into winners. Mattia talks about the pressure and oppor
LEGENDS: David Coulthard on finding the best seat in F1
The Formula 1 driver market is potentially just one domino away from exploding into a frenzy, so what exactly does an F1 driver need to do to get themselves into the best seat on the grid?With multiple wins, poles and podiums throughout his 15 seasons at the pinnacle of motorsport, David Coulthard was often fighting at the front. But how did he make his way into the fastest cars?Speaking to Tom Cl
LEGENDS: Jenson Button’s first F1 win
20 years ago, Jenson Button added his name to the illustrious list of drivers to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix, when he emerged victorious at Hungary in 2006.A moment long overdue after multiple podiums, Jenson admits he did get to a point where he thought a win might never happen.So how did he feel when he finally did cross the finish line and take the chequered flag first?Speaking to Tom Clarkson,
LEGENDS: When Emerson Fittipaldi shocked Formula 1
Why would a double F1 World Champion at the height of his powers walk away from a winning car? For the 1976 season, Emerson Fittipaldi stunned the sport by leaving McLaren and setting up his own team. He wanted a challenge, and he certainly got one.50 years later, Emerson tells Tom Clarkson why he and his brother Wilson launched Copersucar, a team based in their home country of Brazil. He also re
Arvid Lindblad: fast, fresh + fearless
‘I’ve always been the youngest, the new kid, the underdog. It helps me not be intimidated’. Arvid Lindblad, the fourth-youngest F1 driver in history, is full of confidence. In his first race he fought wheel-to-wheel with World Champions. The Racing Bulls driver has made a fast start to his first season in Formula 1. He always believed he’d race at the top. He’s living his childhood dream and he’s
Colton Herta: 'my goal is Formula 1'
Formula 1 has always been a dream for Colton Herta. Walking away from IndyCar to race in Formula 2 is a gamble. His reward, should he prove himself, could be an F1 drive with Cadillac. Colton has come close to F1 before. This time he’s determined to make it.Speaking on the day he had a seat-fit for Cadillac’s F1 car, Colton Herta tells Tom Clarkson about growing up at racetracks with his father, I
Bernd Maylander: 500 races in the Safety Car
At this year’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Bernd Maylander reached a remarkable milestone of 500 races as the FIA Safety Car Driver.Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Bernd reflects on how the Safety Car and his job have evolved since his first race back in 2000 and some of the most iconic races he’s been involved in over the last 25 years.He talks through what a Grand Prix weekend looks like for
Doriane Pin: F1 ACADEMY champion, still pushing
From the first time she sat in a kart, aged 9, Doriane Pin has wanted to race in Formula 1. F1 ACADEMY champion, Mercedes Development Driver, poised to drive an F1 car for the first time - Doriane is getting closer and closer to that dream.Doriane tells Tom Clarkson her racing story so far, from feeling like a 'superhero' in her kart, to seeking sponsors at the age of 11, taking on the Le Mans 24
Laurent Mekies: relishing Red Bull challenge
Red Bull Racing were at a crossroads when Laurent Mekies took over as Team Principal halfway through 2025. After a difficult first half of the season, should they continue working on their 2025 car or write that year off and prioritise the new regulations for 2026?Their decision to stay focussed on the ‘25 car paid off, with Max Verstappen going from more than 100 points behind to missing out on t
Ayao Komatsu: aiming high with Haas
Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu is Tom Clarkson’s guest on this week’s F1 Beyond The Grid.Ayao has been with Haas since their debut season 10 years ago, but he’s only been in charge since 2024. What has he learned about leadership in that time? How did he guide the team’s recovery from such a difficult start last season? And what are Haas’ targets in the new era of Formula 1?As for the drivers, A
LEGENDS: How Jacques Villeneuve shook up F1
The son of a motorsport legend, a racer since childhood, Formula 1 was Jacques Villeneuve's destiny. In 1996, the young Canadian arrived at his first Grand Prix and immediately proved he belonged there by taking pole position. In his rookie season Villeneuve won races, went wheel-to-wheel with Michael Schumacher and took Williams teammate Damon Hill to a final race title-decider. 30 years on, he
Dan Towriss: the ‘passion and drive’ behind Cadillac F1 Team
The newest team in Formula 1 are here to compete. Cadillac have earned the respect of their rivals. Now they’re pushing to get faster.CEO Dan Towriss takes Tom Clarkson back to the start of the story - how he and his TWG Motorsports company first became involved in discussions about F1, conversations with General Motors and Cadillac, the work to build a team, choosing their race drivers and making
Carlos Sainz: pushing for progress with Williams
Five years after Carlos Sainz left McLaren, his former team and his former teammate are the reigning Formula 1 World Champions. As he watched Lando Norris reach the summit of world motorsport, did he ever think ‘that could have been me?’. Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Carlos reflects on leaving McLaren and becoming a race winner with Ferrari before joining Williams. He remembers feeling ‘powerless’ d
Lando’s champion evolution, Vowles’ podium pride + Brad Pitt’s ‘need for speed’ – The Best of 2025
A title fight full of twists and turns, a new World Champion, rookies reaching major milestones and Formula 1 on the big screen.The 2025 season was nothing short of dramatic on and off track. Here, on F1 Beyond The Grid, Tom Clarkson has sat down with the people in the thick of all that drama and in this end-of-year special, Tom picks out his highlights.You’ll hear from the new World Champion Land
Toto Wolff + Hywel Thomas: racing towards 2026
As Formula 1 enters an exciting new era of fast, thrilling and sustainable racing in 2026, what can we expect on track?Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff, and Managing Director of Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains, Hywel Thomas, explain how the new power units and advanced sustainable fuels will enhance performance and demand different skills from the drivers and teams.Toto and Hywel tell
Laura Mueller + Esteban Ocon on their race engineer-driver dynamic at Haas
2025 has been a year of firsts for Laura Mueller and Esteban Ocon.For Laura, it’s her first season as a race engineer. For Esteban, it’s his first season with Haas. And it’s their first time working with each other.So how are they finding it? What do they need from one another to get the best out of each other? And how do they communicate in and out of the car?Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Laura and E
LEGENDS: Sebastian Vettel’s World Champion wisdom
Winning four Formula 1 World Championships is a feat only six elite drivers have achieved. Competing under the highest pressure, year after year, has given Sebastian Vettel rare racing insight. Since retiring from the sport in 2022, he’s been raising awareness of causes he cares about, and reflecting on his career – the peaks, how he learned to balance risks and rewards, and the years where his co
Helmut Marko: choosing champions at Red Bull
Every driver who wants to win with Red Bull needs to impress Helmut Marko. The veteran Motorsport Advisor oversees the team’s young driver programme and helped launch the careers of Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen. A former F1 driver himself, he knows what it takes to race under the highest pressure.Helmut tells Tom Clarkson about his life in racing: childhood adventures in Austria with future
Oscar Piastri: fighting for his first F1 title
With three rounds left of the 2025 season, Oscar Piastri is still in contention to become Formula 1 World Champion for the first time.So what’s it like being in the thick of an F1 title fight with so much at stake?Speaking to Tom Clarkson before the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Oscar opens up about the pressure of a title battle and why fighting a teammate is different to racing against any other driver.
Andrea Stella + Zak Brown: McLaren’s transformation + the Drivers’ Championship race
McLaren have won back-to-back Constructors’ titles for the first time since the early ‘90s.Just eight years ago, in 2017, they finished second to last, so how exactly have they transformed into World Champions since then?Speaking to Tom Clarkson at the McLaren Technology Centre, CEO Zak Brown and Team Principal Andrea Stella outline how they’ve masterminded McLaren’s remarkable turnaround together
LEGENDS: Mika Hakkinen’s 1995 crash + incredible recovery
30 years ago, a 120mph puncture sent Mika Hakkinen’s car spinning over a high kerb and into a wall of tyres. His McLaren did not have many of the safety devices modern F1 cars have. Mika suffered serious injuries which left him in hospital, unsure if he would ever race again.Mika tells Tom Clarkson he thinks about his crash at the 1995 Australian Grand Prix every day, and he remembers the moment h
Enrico Cardile: Aston Martin’s 2026 ambitions + working with Adrian Newey
Ahead of a new era of Formula 1 in 2026, Italian engineer Enrico Cardile moved from Ferrari to Aston Martin. Working alongside Adrian Newey as Chief Technical Officer, his aim is to turn Aston into winners.Enrico tells Tom Clarkson how he studied Ferrari at university, before joining the company as a young engineer in the road car division. He moved on to the F1 team, developing single-seaters whi
Allan McNish: winning ‘the Audi way’
Serial winner in sports cars, Formula 1 driver and all-out racer: Allan McNish is using his experience to give Audi a fast start in F1. A Le Mans and World Endurance Championship-winner with the manufacturer, Allan knows how ‘the Audi way’ of racing will translate to F1.Allan’s own journey to F1 began with a McLaren test alongside Ayrton Senna. 13 years later, he finally made his Grand Prix debut.
James Vowles: podium pride + Williams’ winning potential
With 16 Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships combined, Williams are the third most successful team in Formula 1 history – behind Ferrari and McLaren.But they haven’t won a title since 1997 and it’s 13 years since they last won a race, so Team Principal James Vowles is on a mission to bring the glory days back to Williams.In 2025, the team have taken big steps towards success. Carlos Sain
Derek Bell: from Ferrari F1 debut at Monza to five Le Mans wins
A whirlwind rise to Formula 1 with its most famous team in the 1960s, and one of the greatest sportscar racing drivers in the world during the ‘70s and ‘80s, Derek Bell has established an incredible legacy in motorsport.Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Derek talks about being personally picked by Enzo Ferrari to make his Formula 1 debut for the team at their home race and what it was like going out for d
Franco Colapinto: Buenos Aires boy who made F1 breakthrough
Franco Colapinto didn’t take long to make a name for himself in Formula 1.He became the first Argentine F1 driver in 23 years when he debuted with Williams in 2024. It only took him two races to then become the first Argentine points scorer in the sport since 1982.More than a year since his incredible breakthrough, and now racing for Alpine, Franco tells Tom Clarkson the story of how a boy from th
Graeme Lowdon: getting Cadillac on-track in F1
Six months before their first race, the new Cadillac Formula 1 Team is already moving fast. The drivers have been signed, the car is being developed on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, and engineers are running simulations to prepare for Grand Prix racing.Leading Cadillac to the Formula 1 grid is Team Principal Graeme Lowdon, who knows how to launch a brand-new team. He did it in 2010 with Virgin
Gabriel Bortoleto: ‘my dream was so big’ - the long journey to F1
Aged 11, Gabriel Bortoleto left Brazil, determined to make it in motorsport. His family’s passion, hard work and sacrifice gave him a start. His talent saw him accelerate towards a racing career. A two-time World Champion saw he was special, and helped guide him to Formula 1.Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Gabriel looks back at his childhood, how his parents worked hard to fund his racing dream, how he
Fred Vasseur: Ferrari’s ‘next step’ with Lewis Hamilton + Charles Leclerc
‘Pressure is the best motivation for all of us’. Fred Vasseur knows all about pressure. He leads Formula 1’s most storied team. At the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, the tifosi – Ferrari’s passionate fans – want to see Charles Leclerc or Lewis Hamilton on the podium. But what they, the rest of Italy and Ferrari fans all over the world really want Vasseur to deliver is the Formula 1 World Championshi
James Hinchcliffe: F1TV expert on surviving ovals + being inspired by Villeneuve
Today he's on F1TV giving us expert racing insight. But 10 years ago, James Hinchcliffe suffered a near-fatal accident during practice for the 2015 Indy500, which left many people doubting that his racing career could continue.A year later, he scored a sensational pole position at the very same racetrack.Speaking to Tom Clarkson, James talks through the freak injury he suffered and how he made suc
Jacky Ickx: Belgium’s F1 + Le Mans legend
Jacky Ickx didn’t grow up wanting to be a racing driver, so how did he become Belgium’s most successful Formula 1 driver and one of the most versatile racers in the history of motorsport?Competing in all types of cars and competitions, not only did Jacky win eight F1 races and finish runner-up in the Drivers’ Standings twice, he was also a serial winner in Le Mans, the World Endurance Championship
Adrian Reynard: a founding father of Brawn GP + Mercedes
Adrian Reynard's motor racing outfit were one of the best in the world during the 1980s and '90s – winning multiple championships across Formula 3000, F3 and IndyCar.Reynard Racing Cars also held an impressive record of winning the first race of every major single-seater competition they entered. But when Adrian helped create the British American Racing F1 team in 1999, expectations were high and
Alex Albon: changing people's perceptions
Alex Albon went into 2025 facing one big question. With the arrival of Carlos Sainz at Williams, how would he measure up against his most competitive teammate since racing alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull?So far, Alex has answered that question on track – having the edge over Carlos in qualifying and on race day in the first half of the season. But Alex never doubted his ability to rise to tha
Perry McCarthy: driving for 90s non-starters Andrea Moda
He drove for one of the least competitive teams in F1 history. He never started a race. Just making it to Formula 1 was ‘a million to one’ shot for Perry McCarthy. Through extraordinary determination, he did it.When his raw talent behind the wheel was spotted at his local racetrack, McCarthy set his sights on racing at the top. He worked on a North Sea oil rig to raise money to fund his career. Ra
Anthony Davidson: reaching the pinnacle through talent + testing
Racing twice in 2002 with Minardi and once again three years later with BAR Honda in 2005, Anthony Davidson’s Formula 1 career had a few false starts. But in 2007, he finally got a full-time shot with Super Aguri.Although his F1 career ended just over a year later, Anthony is rightly proud to have reached the top of motorsport.Speaking to Tom Clarkson, he discusses the ups and down of his time in
F1 at Downing Street - with the UK Prime Minister, James Vowles, Oliver Bearman + Cadillac boss Graeme Lowdon
To celebrate 75 years of the Formula 1 World Championship, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer invited drivers, Team Principals and others from the sport to 10 Downing Street - the heart of government in the UK. In a special episode of F1 Beyond The Grid, the Prime Minister tells Tom Clarkson why he's 'proud' of the sport's success and its £12bn annual contribution to the UK economy. Williams Team Pri
Lando Norris: raising his game
This episode is brought to you by Dropbox Dash, an official technology partner of the McLaren Formula 1 team.Now a multiple race winner, podium finisher and polesitter, Lando Norris is ready to take the next step in his Formula 1 career and become World Champion.To do so in 2025, he’ll have to beat his equally talented teammate Oscar Piastri. But despite a sometimes challenging first half of the s
Brad Pitt: becoming Sonny Hayes for F1 The Movie
For F1 The Movie, Brad Pitt lived the high-speed life of a Formula 1 driver. He drove with seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton. He learned to race. He spent years shooting scenes at racetracks around the world. The result is what he calls ‘the most visceral feeling you will get in a race car of anything put on film’ - F1 The Movie, in cinemas on June 25th and June 27th in North America.Brad P
Isack Hadjar: ‘I’m a fighter’
He took some blows on his climb to Formula 1. Now Isack Hadjar is toe-to-toe with the heavyweights.Hadjar’s first F1 race was over before it began, as he slid off the track on a rain-soaked day in Australia. He tells Tom Clarkson how previous setbacks helped him get back on his feet, and establish himself as one of the best young drivers in the sport.Hadjar describes himself as ‘a fighter’, and he
LEGENDS: Emerson Fittipaldi’s ‘courage’ + ‘risk’ to become World Champion
Emerson Fittipaldi made history with Lotus in 1972 by becoming the first Brazilian to win the Formula 1 World Championship. In 1974, he won the title again with McLaren.Emerson’s achievements on track are legendary, but his actions off track are just as iconic.In a special F1 Beyond The Grid Legends episode, Emerson tells Tom Clarkson why he refused to take part in the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix, the
Valtteri Bottas: Cadillac is ‘very interesting project’
This year is the first time Valtteri Bottas isn’t racing in Formula 1 since he started as a rookie in 2013, but the 10-time Grand Prix winner says F1 is ‘still the number one thing in my life’ and his priority is to get back on the grid in 2026.Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Valtteri discusses all the options he has for his next move.Would he like to drive for the new Cadillac team that will join F1 ne
Simone Resta: F1 car designer who swapped Ferrari for Mercedes
When he left Ferrari to join Mercedes, Simone Resta took decades of experience with him. In Italy, he worked with Michael Schumacher and designed race-winning cars for Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen and Charles Leclerc. Now, his task is giving George Russell and Kimi Antonelli the best Mercedes he can.As Deputy Technical Director Simone is focusing on the 2025 season, but he tells Tom Clarkson h
Dario Franchitti: why ‘F1 dream’ never became reality
Dario Franchitti has had a sensational racing career in the United States, becoming a four-time IndyCar series champion and a three-time winner of the Indy500.But earlier in his career, Dario had plenty of interest from Formula 1 and tested for a few different teams. So why didn’t he end up racing in the pinnacle of motorsport?Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Dario talks about the three big opportunities
Celebrating F1 75 with Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti was 10 years old when the first ever Formula 1 World Championship Grand Prix took place at Silverstone, on the 13th of May 1950.The 1978 World Champion has seen everything the pinnacle of motorsport has to offer over the past 75 years, and is one of just 34 drivers to win the ultimate prize, so he’s the perfect person to celebrate such a landmark anniversary.Speaking to Tom Clarkson
Claire Williams: proud of Williams' progress
When Claire Williams sold the Williams F1 team at the end of 2020, a very special 43-year association between the Williams family and Formula 1 came to an end.Founded by Claire’s father, Sir Frank Williams, in 1977, the team have won 16 World Championships – a feat only bettered by Ferrari and McLaren. Claire rose through the ranks – starting as press officer in 2002 and eventually becoming Deputy
Jonathan Wheatley: leading Sauber forward into Audi era
As the new Team Principal of Sauber, Jonathan Wheatley is taking on one of the most exciting projects in Formula 1. With Benetton, Renault and Red Bull Racing, Jonathan has won 19 World Championships over the last 34 years. Now, after nearly two decades as Red Bull’s Sporting Director, he’s in a very different role with a very different team. And not just any team, because, in 2026, Sauber will be
Piers Thynne: running McLaren's championship-winning factory
Tom Clarkson’s guest on this week’s F1 Beyond The Grid is McLaren’s Chief Operating Officer, Piers Thynne, who has been with the team since 2008.He oversees everything that happens at the team's base, the McLaren Technology Centre, so he’s played a crucial role in their current success.How have McLaren transformed into World Champions after finishing second to last in 2017? Why is their philosophy
Esteban Ocon: feeling at home with Haas
After five years with Alpine, Esteban Ocon is embarking on a new adventure with Haas in 2025.What challenges has he faced while settling into his new team? How is he getting on with new race engineer Laura Mueller? What are the strengths and weaknesses of their car?Esteban tells Tom Clarkson how he’s adapting to his new surroundings and how Haas have made such a miraculous recovery from a nightmar
'The team is a big family' - This week on F1 Beyond The Grid...
Tom Clarkson reveals which Formula 1 star will be joining him on this week’s episode of F1 Beyond The Grid. Listen to the full show on Wednesday 16th March or you can watch their chat on the official F1 YouTube channel.
Marc Gene: witnessing five World Champions at Ferrari
Ferrari ambassador and former test driver Marc Gene has been with the team since 2004.During that time, Marc has had the privilege of working alongside five World Champions: Michael Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and now, Lewis Hamilton.Do they all have a common trait that makes them so successful? What’s the difference between one-time and multiple World Champions?
Jaime Alguersuari: record-breaking debut to high-pressure exit
Chosen by Red Bull aged 15. Suddenly launched into his first Grand Prix as the youngest driver ever, having never driven a Formula 1 car before. Racing for the Red Bull junior team, Jaime Alguersuari was expected to win. He was dropped when he didn’t.Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Jaime looks back at his rapid rise to Formula 1. From his surprise debut in 2009, the demands of the Red Bull junior progra
Pierre Gasly: believing in Alpine
‘I wish I could fast forward’, says Pierre Gasly. Like all F1 drivers, Pierre is used to things happening quickly. He thinks Alpine will be fighting further forwards in a matter of months, and is impatient to get there. He knows how winning feels. He believes he can do it again.Gasly tells Tom Clarkson about the faith he has in Alpine and its leaders, Team Principal Oliver Oakes and Executive Advi
Andy Cowell: Aston Martin 'want to win’
Aston Martin’s Team Principal knows what it takes to win in Formula 1. Andy Cowell leads a team which now includes Adrian Newey. They have the newest factory in the sport. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are in the driving seat. Owner Lawrence Stroll is funding the team’s future. When will these ingredients bring trophies?Andy tells Tom Clarkson that Aston Martin are in ‘the building phase’ again
Liam Lawson: ready to go at Red Bull
With 11 Grands Prix under his belt, Liam Lawson is technically no longer a rookie – but he is about to embark on his first full Formula 1 season in 2025 and race at many tracks he’s never driven before.So how does the New Zealander feel about this next step with Red Bull Racing? Speaking to Tom Clarkson at the team’s UK headquarters in Milton Keynes, Liam answers all the big questions ahead of a p
'I felt so out of control': BTG returns Wednesday 12th March
First up in 2025: Liam Lawson. Listen to a preview of the Red Bull racer's conversation with Tom Clarkson here.Don't miss the full episode on Wednesday 12th March.Listen to F1 Nation's 2025 PreviewRomain Grosjean, Laura Winter + Tom Clarkson answer the big questions ahead of the Australian Grand Prix. Listen hereExperience F1 live in 2025Head to tickets.formula1.com to book your place tracksideGet
Aston Martin’s masterplan – Newey, Alonso, Lawrence + Lance Stroll from the BTG Archive
Adrian Newey began his new job at Aston Martin this week. Is he the man who will make Aston Martin World Champions? How does Adrian’s arrival change Fernando Alonso’s future plans? How has team owner Lawrence Stroll transformed Aston since he took over in 2018? And what is it really like for Lance Stroll to have his dad as his boss?Tom Clarkson has been listening through his interviews with Lawren
Williams’ winning formula? – Vowles, Sainz + Albon from the BTG Archive
The arrival of four-time Grand Prix winner Carlos Sainz from Ferrari marks the start of an intriguing new adventure for Williams in 2025.Is Carlos the man to drive Williams back to their glory days? How will Alex Albon stack up against a much more experienced teammate? And can Williams move further up the grid this season or is the introduction of new regulations in 2026 the priority for Team Prin
McLaren’s revival: Norris, Piastri, Brown + Stella from the BTG Archive
2024 saw McLaren become Constructor World Champions for the first time since 1998.Will they defend their title in 2025? And will Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri become the team’s first Drivers’ World Champion since Lewis Hamilton in 2008?Tom Clarkson has been digging through the F1 Beyond The Grid archives to find out how McLaren have transformed into the fastest team in Formula 1 and whether their
Racing for Ferrari: Vettel, Prost + Mansell from the BTG Archive
Lewis Hamilton is getting ready for his first season with Ferrari in 2025. He’s won seven World Championships and 105 races, but some of Formula 1’s most successful drivers have joined Ferrari in the past and missed out on the ultimate prize.So what lessons can Lewis take from those who came before him? How difficult is it to win titles with the Scuderia? And why is driving for Ferrari so differen
Liam Lawson's racing line, how Ferrari found Ollie Bearman + Oscar Piastri's F2 preparation - The Best of F1 Explains 2024
What really happens on the grid before a race? How do Formula 1 teams scout their future stars? How are drivers coached to go faster? In 2024, F1 Explains answered these questions and many more sent in by F1 fans from all over the world.F1 Explains takes your questions and finds the experts to answer them. In this special episode, presenters Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne have picked the mos
Ageless Alonso, Carlos’s comeback + super sub Bearman – The Best of 2024
A driver market for the ages, Verstappen at his very best, emotional race wins, new Constructor World Champions and the end of some iconic eras. The 2024 Formula 1 season was sensational.On F1 Beyond The Grid, the stars of this dramatic year of racing have sat down with Tom Clarkson, revealing what it’s like being at the centre of the biggest stories of the season and sharing fascinating insight i
'One of a kind': Mercedes on Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes: their names are together forever in the Formula 1 record books. As the most successful team and driver partnership in the sport's history comes to an end, some of Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes colleagues tell Tom Clarkson their stories of working with him: Toto Wolff – Team Principal, on how Lewis got stronger every year of their partnershipAndrew Shovlin – Trackside Engin
