David Brabham on growing up as Black Jack’s son, Imola 94, and the potential of Brabham returning to F1
Like Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve and Nico Rosberg, David Brabham knows only too well what it’s like to forge a path to F1 under the shadow of a famous father, in his case triple world champion Jack Brabham – the only driver to win the title in a self-made car.  On this week’s show, Brabs tells us about his unconventional start to racing, the perhaps surprising influence of his father, his st...
1hr 4m Apr 08, 2020
1hr 4m
Mark Blundell on F1 in the 90s, friendship with Martin Brundle, filling Mansell’s seat and more
Fans of F1 racing in the Nineties will remember Mark Blundell well as part of a brilliant ‘Brit pack’ of racers including Damon Hill, Johnny Herbert and his pal Martin Brundle. The gritty racer reached the podium in underdog machinery three times in that period, whilst also acting as test driver for the two best teams at the time: Williams and McLaren.  On this week’s show he discusses all of t...
1hr 15m Apr 01, 2020
1hr 15m
Flavio Briatore on crashgate, Schumacher vs Alonso, and winning the title for ‘a t-shirt maker’
He may have been out of the sport for a few years now, but how could anyone forget Flavio Briatore? The former Benetton and Renault boss was one of the biggest and most controversial characters in F1 throughout the Nineties and Noughties, but he was also one of the most successful, with his inimitable style leading Benetton and Renault to multiple championships.  On this week’s show he opens up...
1hr 11m Mar 25, 2020
1hr 11m
Pedro de la Rosa on spygate, Hamilton vs Alonso, and racing Christian Horner
As a racer, Pedro de la Rosa competed in more than 100 Grands Prix, and drove many, many more miles as an F1 test driver for the likes of McLaren and Ferrari. And on this week’s show the Spaniard gives host Tom Clarkson a fascinating perspective on F1, from life behind the scenes during the explosive 2007 season at McLaren, to what it was like being in the garage during Lewis Hamilton’s maiden ...
1hr 9m Mar 18, 2020
1hr 9m
Lando Norris on late nights, trolls and his pre-F1 meeting with Helmut Marko
Beyond The Grid is back, and to kick off the new season Tom Clarkson sits down with a driver who proved a rookie sensation last year, both on and off the track: McLaren’s Lando Norris.  In a revealing conversation, the British racer opens up about his hopes for 2020, whilst also discussing his love of gaming, his relationships with other drivers, dealing with Twitter trolls, and his rather extr...
1hr 4m Mar 11, 2020
1hr 4m
Beyond The Grid returns March 11!
Mark your diaries – Beyond The Grid is back Wednesday March 11. Make sure you subscribe today so you don’t miss out on Tom Clarkson in conversation with McLaren ace Lando Norris.
2m Mar 06, 2020
2m
SPECIAL EPISODE: Inside the thrilling world of F1 Esports
In a special one-off episode, we look back on the thrilling 2019 F1 Esports Series, speaking to everyone from drivers to organisers to explore what makes F1 Esports one of the most compelling and fastest growing racing series on the planet.
41m Mar 04, 2020
41m
The Best of 2019: Tom’s favourite moments from Season 2
So here it is folks: your final episode of Beyond The Grid of the year. And what a year it’s been, with great guests every week from March to December. So what better way to bid farewell to 2019 than with Tom’s selection of his favourite moments of the season?  We’ve stuffed a Christmas cracker full of anecdotes from the likes of Jenson Button, Kimi Raikkonen, Rubens Barrichello, David Coulthar...
58m Dec 18, 2019
58m
Daniel Ricciardo: “If I’m going to strap myself into a car every weekend, I’m not doing it justice unless I’m all in”
 He’s that rarest of creatures: a multifaceted, outgoing personality who also happens to be a world-class competitor, beloved by fans, media and even his fellow drivers.  On this week’s show we go deep with Daniel Ricciardo on his life on and off the race track, from his present with Renault to his past with Red Bull; his relationship with Max Verstappen to his relationship with music, food and...
1hr 32m Dec 11, 2019
1hr 32m
Bernie Ecclestone: "I'm now enjoying doing all the things that perhaps I should have done years ago"
To many people, Bernie Ecclestone is the Godfather of Formula One. He transformed the sport from being the expensive indulgence of rich amateurs in the 50s into the global phenomenon it is today, watched by hundreds of millions of people on television and online.  On this week’s special show, we speak to Mr E about his incredible career, including his attempts to qualify for races as a driver, ...
1hr 6m Dec 04, 2019
1hr 6m
Rubens Barrichello: “Even now, I feel sick not being in an F1 car. I miss the buzz”
This week’s guest is F1’s original iron man – a veteran of 19 seasons in the top class of racing and a record 322 Grand Prix starts. Over the course of that career, Rubens Barrichello experienced every emotion under the sun: from the despair of being injured and losing hero and countryman Ayrton Senna on the same weekend in 1994; he experienced the euphoria of winning races for Ferrari and Braw...
1hr 26m Nov 27, 2019
1hr 26m
Special episode: Aldo Costa - The man with more world titles than anyone else
This week’s guest is a man whose name may not be immediately familiar to everyone, but it probably should be. Why? Well quite simply this is a man who has won more world titles than anyone in history - 26 in total.  In a glittering career in F1, Aldo Costa was a key engineer for both Ferrari and Mercedes throughout their dominant dynasties, and on this week’s show he spills the beans on what it...
1hr 24m Nov 20, 2019
1hr 24m
Mika Hakkinen: “I carry the emotions of winning the world title every day”
He is regarded as one of the fastest drivers to ever grace an F1 racetrack, and arguably the rival Michael Schumacher feared the most. Not only was Mika Hakkinen’s commitment in a racing car absolute, particularly on a qualifying lap; he somehow came back from a horrifying accident at the end of 1995 not only to win races, but two world championships.  On this week’s episode we catch up with th...
1hr 30m Nov 13, 2019
1hr 30m
Franz Tost: “I don’t think I’m hard on drivers – but I expect to see results”
Putting aside Frank Williams, who is no longer in the active role at Williams he once was, Franz Tost is the second longest-serving team boss in the pit lane, behind only Red Bull counterpart Christian Horner. In his 14 years at the helm of Toro Rosso, Tost has overseen the team’s maiden pole and victory, nurtured talents like Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo, and helped re...
1hr 2m Nov 06, 2019
1hr 2m
Mario Andretti: “I was driven by a burning desire to pursue the impossible dream”
As motor racing stories go, Mario Andretti’s is pure Hollywood. Born in what was war-ravaged Italy in 1940, and later a refugee, he would rise to not only become arguably the greatest all-round racing driver in history, but also a household name, synonymous with speed, across America – his adopted homeland after emigrating in the 1950s.  On this week’s episode we hear the full epic tale, from t...
1hr 34m Oct 30, 2019
1hr 34m
Takuma Sato: “When I saw an F1 car for the first time I thought it was outrageous”
He’s regarded as arguably the fastest Japanese driver of all time, and yet it could all have been so different for Takuma Sato. A bike racing champion in his youth, Sato caught the racing bug watching Senna at Suzuka in his youth, and though he didn’t start racing until much later than almost all of his rivals, his talent and sheer bloody minded determination lifted him all the way to F1.  On t...
58m Oct 23, 2019
58m
Ralf Schumacher: “Would I have made it to F1 without Michael? I don’t think so”
He was a driver for whom much was expected, arriving in F1 as the younger brother of a double world champion. And though today Ralf Schumacher doesn’t rate his achievements that highly, those who raced against him will tell you the six-time Grand Prix winner was one of the quickest and most under-estimated of his era.  On this week’s show, Ralf discusses being a racing dad to up-and-comer son D...
50m Oct 16, 2019
50m
Jenson Button: “My title was the perfect story – they need to make a movie of it”
Our guest this week is someone who lived through one of the sport’s biggest fairy tales when, in 2009, he won the world title with Brawn, less than 12 months after the team had been put out of business by Honda. But though that season has come to define Jenson Button’s F1 career, in reality it was just one small part for a racer that clocked up more than 300 Grand Prix starts.  On this week’s e...
1hr 18m Oct 09, 2019
1hr 18m
Valtteri Bottas: “Beating Lewis isn’t easy. But I don’t like anything easy in my life...”
As Lewis Hamilton’s team mate at Mercedes, Valtteri Bottas finds himself consistently measured against a driver many consider the best of all time. But far from being overawed, the gritty Finn actively relishes the challenge, and has become a consistent race-winning threat.  On this week’s show Bottas opens up about mental resilience, motivation and self-development, and also gives us a fascina...
46m Oct 02, 2019
46m
Cyril Abiteboul: “I live F1 physically. I don’t sleep for two nights after a race”
He’s a man with one of the toughest jobs in F1: tasked with leading one of the sport’s grandee teams back to the top, under the weight of huge public expectation. But if anyone knows Renault, it’s Cyril Abiteboul. The Frenchman has worked in a variety of positions for the French marque over the years and, though just 41, is now in his fourth season as Team Principal.  On this week’s episode Abi...
1hr 1m Sep 25, 2019
1hr 1m
Jos Verstappen: “My own F1 career could have gone better, but I’m happy, because what I learned I gave to my son…”
This week’s guest is Dutch, caused a major stir when he first jumped into an F1 car, and has the surname of Verstappen… but we’re not talking about Red Bull star Max, we’re talking about his father. Jos Verstappen had the same meteoric rise through the junior formulas as his son, culminating in an F1 debut alongside Michael Schumacher at Benetton in 1994. He’d end up making more than 100 Grand ...
45m Sep 18, 2019
45m
Alex Albon: “Adversity has given me a strong personality…”
A year ago, Alex Albon didn’t have an F1 drive, and his prospects of getting one looked slim at best. He had no affiliation with an F1 team and, despite shining in F2, he was having to looking at alternative series in which to earn a living. It was not the first time his career faced a crossroads, but this time, things were turned upside down when he got a call from Red Bull – the same Red Bull...
59m Sep 11, 2019
59m
Pastor Maldonado: “Sometimes I went over the limit. No more than others, but my mistakes were always on the front page…”
Pastor Maldonado was always a headline maker. The Venezuelan arrived in F1 in 2011 with Williams as GP2 champion, and the very next year delivered the team a first win in over seven years with a dazzling performance in Spain. But for all his speed, and all his talent, Maldonado also found himself on the end of a large amount of criticism, sometimes from his fellow drivers, sometimes from the pr...
1hr 25m Sep 04, 2019
1hr 25m
Tony Brooks: “If you made a mistake in my day, you were in the lap of the gods…”
He raced in an era of heroes; a time when cars had no seat belts, yet could still be raced at averages of 150mph. Many he raced against in the 1950s – the first decade of the world championship – perished in pursuit of speed, but Tony Brooks emerged unscathed with six Grand Prix victories, having come ever so close to winning the world title his talents surely deserved. This week on Beyond The ...
1hr 8m Aug 28, 2019
1hr 8m
SPECIAL EPISODE: Six of the best anecdotes from Season 2 so far!
 It’s the F1 summer break, and on this week’s episode Tom has trawled through the archives and picked out six of his favourite anecdotes from Season 2 so far. We won’t give anything away, but listen out for gems from Kimi Raikkonen, David Coulthard and Jean Alesi among others. So whether you’re a diehard fan or a new listener to the show, sit back and enjoy some fabulous F1 conversations with t...
26m Aug 21, 2019
26m
SPECIAL EPISODE: Jo Ramirez on being in the middle of Senna and Prost at McLaren
He may not be a household name, but Jo Ramirez is one of those people who has seen it all and worked with them all. He broke into F1 in the 1960s, working with emerging superstar Ricardo Rodriguez. His Mexican countryman sadly perished before his star had truly emerged, but by then Ramirez was set on a path that would eventually see him work with Jackie Stewart at Tyrrell, Emerson Fittipaldi at...
54m Aug 14, 2019
54m
Jacky Ickx: "I lived through an incredible era. I'm a survivor"
He may never have claimed the world championship his supreme talents probably deserved, but Jacky Ickx remains one of the most revered drivers of the 60s and 70s. An eight-time Grand Prix winner, and twice runner up for the title, the lightning quick Belgian also won the famed Le Mans 24 Hours six times in arguably its most brutal era - not bad for someone who never wanted to be a racing driver...
1hr 23m Aug 07, 2019
1hr 23m
Alex Wurz: “On the morning of the day I scored my first podium, I was fired…”
He’s one of the most interesting characters in the F1 paddock: a podium-scoring driver who remains just as busy today as he was when he was racing. Then again, Alex Wurz was never your average racer; from his unconventional introduction to speed as a BMX world champion to airbrushing his own helmets to ensure they looked correct. On this week’s episode, the affable Austrian talks about both of ...
1hr 35m Jul 31, 2019
1hr 35m
Jean Todt: “I’ve been blessed to enjoy success in an world that has always fascinated me. But now I want to give back…”
Among F1 fans, Jean Todt is perhaps most famous for leading Ferrari out of their early 90s slump and into a period of unprecedented domination in the 2000s. As mighty as that period was - and don’t forget that Schumacher’s drivers’ title in 2000 was Ferrari’s first since 1979 - that success was to some extent only the tip of the iceberg for a man with one of the most impressive CVs in world mot...
1hr 8m Jul 24, 2019
1hr 8m
Derek Warwick: "The bravest thing I ever did was get back in the car the day after my team mate was nearly killed"
From the rock ‘em, sock ‘em world of stock car racing to the pinnacle of motorsport, Derek Warwick’s career was one hell of a rollercoaster ride. In an F1 career spanning 146 Grand Prix starts, the tough Brit raced for the likes of Renault and Lotus, and stood on the podium four times, albeit always missing out on the top spot. But he’s perhaps best remembered for the bravery he exhibited: not ...
1hr 12m Jul 17, 2019
1hr 12m
SPECIAL EPISODE: Ross Brawn on Brawn GP’s fairy-tale 2009 title success
The history of F1 is littered with great stories and improbable comebacks, and Brawn GP’s title-winning season in 2009 is right up there with the best of them. It was late 2008 when Honda surprisingly pulled the plug on its F1 project, leaving a team hundreds strong with a bleak future. That the team not only survived but emerged with a grid-blitzing machine is the stuff of legend, and on the t...
45m Jul 10, 2019
45m
Kevin Magnussen: "Racing-wise, I don't care what people think of me. I'd feel weird if everyone was saying I'm a nice guy..."
His F1 career began with a bang, with a podium finish on debut with McLaren in Australia in 2014. Though he hasn't hit those heights since, in the intervening period Kevin Magnussen has established himself as a hard-edged, no-nonsense racer who, after losing his McLaren drive and then spending a year with Renault, is now really hitting his stride with the American team Haas.  Tom Clarkson sat d...
1hr 4m Jul 03, 2019
1hr 4m
Patrick Tambay: “There was a time after Gilles’ death I felt he was in the car with me”
He raced for some of Formula One’s top teams, including McLaren and Renault, but Patrick Tambay is probably best remembered as a Ferrari driver. Having arrived in F1 via the circuitous route of downhill skiing, the US college system and the North American CanAm series, Tambay ended up driving for the Prancing Horse after the death of close friend Gilles Villeneuve. He then helped carry the team...
52m Jun 26, 2019
52m
Jody Scheckter: "When you first get into F1 you’ll do anything. I remember once thinking I'd rather be dead than not drive in F1…"
Jody Scheckter’s life has been anything but conventional. Having arrived in Britain from South Africa in 1970, Jody broke into Grand Prix racing in 1972 with McLaren where he caused a stir with his great speed and somewhat wild race craft. Rough edges polished, he’d go on to win the sport’s ultimate prize - the world title - in 1979 while driving for Ferrari, though in some ways that was just t...
47m Jun 19, 2019
47m
Nico Hulkenberg: "Winning Le Mans was unforgettable - but I'm an F1 guy"
He arrived in F1 in 2010 as one of the hottest properties in motorsport, and showed his promise by scoring a sensational pole position before his rookie season was out. Today, Nico Hulkenberg is still regarded as one of the most talented drivers on the grid, despite the fact he's surprisingly yet to make it to the podium.  On this week's show, the driver known affectionately at ‘The Hulk’ talks...
45m Jun 12, 2019
45m
Gordon Murray: "As an F1 car designer I was always looking for an unfair advantage. I still am..."
This week’s guest on Beyond The Grid is renowned as one of F1’s great innovators and technical brains – perhaps the best. In a 20-year Grand Prix racing career this blue-sky thinker was responsible for introducing such things as tyre warmers, mid-race fuel stops and the ingenious Brabham fan car – not to mention a host of championship-winning machines and the acclaimed McLaren F1 road car. It’s...
1hr 13m Jun 05, 2019
1hr 13m
John Watson: “I learned to calculate risks – I didn’t go into areas where there was no escape”
He may not be as well-known as James Hunt or Nigel Mansell, but for a good period in the late Seventies and early Eighties, after the former had retired and before the latter became a household name, John Watson was Britain’s Grand Prix hero.  Over the course of 152 starts, Watson reached the podium 20 times, winning five races – including one from 22nd on the grid! But it wasn’t all roses for ...
1hr 13m May 29, 2019
1hr 13m
Felipe Massa: “I have no bad feelings about 2008 – but winning the title at home would have been incredible”
As a driver Felipe Massa experienced every emotion under the sun: The joy of winning races for Ferrari; the utter despair of losing a world title at the final race of the year; and the huge uncertainty of recovery from life-threatening injuries. This week on Beyond The Grid, supported by Bose, the popular Brazilian bares his soul on all three subjects - and much more besides. Recorded in Massa’...
1hr 14m May 22, 2019
1hr 14m
Jean Alesi: “The day I stopped driving in F1 was the worst day of my life”
With his trademark head tilt and unique grip on the steering wheel, there was no mistaking the driver of Ferrari number 27 in the early Nineties. But then in many ways Jean Alesi embodied the perfect Ferrari driver: passionate, fast and driven by heart-on-sleeve emotion. No wonder he was such a firm favourite of the Tifosi. This week on Beyond The Grid, supported by Bose, the popular French-Si...
1hr 4m May 15, 2019
1hr 4m
James Allison: "For an engineer, F1 is an unending work of invention and skill"
Mercedes have been the standard setters in F1 since 2014, and this year they've started the season at a relentless pace. This week on Beyond The Grid, supported by Bose, we speak to one of the key figures in the Silver Arrows' incredible winning machine: Technical Director James Allison. In an F1 career spanning nearly 30 years, Allison has enjoyed successful spells with the likes of Ferrari, R...
1hr 9m May 08, 2019
1hr 9m
Damon Hill: "I had an innate desire to race - and a need to make things right"
In the current era, it's not unheard of for a driver aged 24 to have hundreds of Grands Prix under his belt. At the same age, Damon Hill had only just begun racing cars. Then again, had his father - charismatic double F1 world champion Graham Hill - not died tragically in his formative years he might never have raced at all.  This week on Beyond The Grid, supported by Bose, Damon talks Tom Cla...
1hr 6m May 01, 2019
1hr 6m
Alan Jones: “I was a pretty aggressive driver. If someone passed me I took it personally…”
He’s renowned as one of racing’s toughest nuts – a driver who gave his all on the race track and didn’t suffer fools off it. And this week on F1’s official podcast, Beyond The Grid, supported by Bose, 1980 World Champion Alan Jones regales host Tom Clarkson with no-nonsense tales from his extraordinary career. Having arrived in Europe from his native Australia in the early 70s, Jones worked hi...
1hr 15m Apr 24, 2019
1hr 15m
Sergio Perez: “There are no coincidences in F1. There’s a reason why I’m always there when there’s an opportunity to take…”
He’s known as a driver who makes the most of every opportunity – in the thick of the midfield battle, give Sergio Perez a sniff of a podium and the Mexican will normally take it. This week on Beyond The Grid, supported by Bose, ‘Checo’ tells host Tom Clarkson about where that desire and racing ability came from, taking us on a journey from his childhood in Guadalajara to his formative years in...
54m Apr 17, 2019
54m
1000th race special with Murray Walker - ‘The Voice of F1’
He's been called ‘The Voice of F1’ - and for good reason. For more than 25 years, Murray Walker provided commentary on Grand Prix racing for the majority of the English-speaking world - and always in his own inimitable style. This week on a special 1000th race edition of Beyond The Grid, supported by Bose, host Tom Clarkson speaks to the legendary British broadcaster, a man whose exhilarating,...
1hr 7m Apr 10, 2019
1hr 7m
Guenther Steiner: "F1 fans like an underdog to fight with the big boys"
He's the colourful Team Principal of the American Haas team, and thanks to an unforgettable appearance in the recent Netflix documentary series Formula 1: Drive To Survive, Guenther Steiner has also become something of a fan favourite. This week on Beyond The Grid, supported by Bose, the Italian joins host Tom Clarkson for a lively conversation about his fascinating career to date, from his ea...
49m Apr 03, 2019
49m
Luca Di Montezemolo: "Ferrari is passion, Ferrari is emotion, I thank God I worked for them"
He was handed arguably the biggest job in motor racing in his mid-twenties, when none other than Enzo Ferrari made him Sporting Director of his famous team. But rather than falter under such pressure, Luca Di Montezemolo flourished. In the Seventies, as the 'Old Man's' trusted man on the ground at races, he led the team to their first world titles in over a decade. Then in the Nineties, after s...
1hr 14m Mar 27, 2019
1hr 14m
David Coulthard: “I loved being an F1 driver - but I don’t miss the mental anguish”
David Coulthard arrived in F1 amid one of its most turbulent periods, getting his big break at Williams in 1994 after the tragic death of superstar driver Ayrton Senna. He’d go on to race in 246 Grands Prix, winning 13 of them, including two victories each at classic venues Monaco and Silverstone. But amid the champagne celebrations there were bumpy periods too – moments of self-doubt and big c...
1hr 22m Mar 20, 2019
1hr 22m
Kimi Raikkonen: “Racing and partying – for me it was normal“
He exploded onto the F1 scene in 2001 as a 21-year-old super rookie – barely any experience, but tons of raw speed. In the years that followed, Kimi Raikkonen became an F1 icon, winning 21 races for McLaren and Ferrari and the 2007 world championship crown before taking a sabbatical where he raced almost everything else with four wheels. Grand Prix racing’s resident Iceman remains the same unf...
47m Mar 13, 2019
47m
Beyond The Grid Is Back..
Beyond The Grid is back Wednesday 13th March. Make sure you subscribe now so you don't miss out on Tom Clarkson in conversation with 'The Iceman' himself: the one and only Kimi Raikkonen.
1m Mar 12, 2019
1m
Sabine Kehm on working with Michael Schumacher as his PR and manager
On January 3rd 2019, Michael Schumacher – statistically the most successful F1 driver of all-time – turned 50. To commemorate the occasion, last week Tom brought you a special conversation with Ross Brawn - the man who helped guide Schumacher to all but three of his 91 Grand Prix victories. This week, for our second and final special episode, Tom is back with an equally revealing chat with Sab...
42m Jan 09, 2019
42m