F1 Beyond The Grid

Formula 1

The risk-takers, late-brakers and history-makers of Formula 1 slow down for in-depth interviews. Tom Clarkson brings you revealing, feature-length conversations with drivers, team bosses, engineering experts and F1 legends.

Hit the follow button for the fastest way to get new episodes. Watch episodes exclusively on the F1 YouTube channel.

An official Formula 1 podcast. For race reviews + previews, listen to F1 Nation. To learn more about how F1 works, listen to F1 Explains

Subscribe Listen in podnod RSS feed Show website

437 episodes
Updated Tuesday

Episodes437

Newest first

Sep 18, 2019 · 45 min
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 Prix starts and scoring two podiums – although it’s fair to say it was something of a rollercoaster career, and by the time it was over he’d switched his attention to nurturing Max’s prodigious talents. On this week’s episode he gives us the full story, describing in detail how what he learned along the way was vital for helping his son get ahead...
Sep 11, 2019 · 58 min
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 that had dropped him years earlier – about driving for Toro Rosso in 2019. On this week’s show, the British-born Thai talks about that rollercoaster journey to the top, as well his sensational blockbuster promotion to Red Bull, his childhood obsession with Michael Schumacher and much more.
Sep 4, 2019 · 1 hr 25 min
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 press, for his flamboyant and always committed approach. This week on Beyond The Grid, Maldonado pulls no punches as he discusses the highs and lows of his F1 career, including that famous victory in Barcelona, his run-ins with other drivers, being labelled a pay driver, the pressure from his homeland and much, much more.
Aug 28, 2019 · 1 hr 8 min
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 Grid, we caught up with this giant of F1, now 87, to look back over his remarkable career, which saw him move from the world of dentistry to going toe-to-toe with the likes of Fangio and Moss, driving for Ferrari, mastering the treacherous Nurburgring and much more.
Aug 21, 2019 · 25 min
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 the best in the business…
Aug 14, 2019 · 53 min
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 Copersucar, and - most famously - with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost at McLaren in the midst of their bitter rivalry. This week on Beyond The Grid, Ramirez - a former mechanic, team manager and co-ordinator - lifts the lid of his four decades in motor racing’s premier category, from his early years working alongside a young Ron Dennis and Dan Gurney, to his latter years alongside Mika Hakkinen.
Aug 7, 2019 · 1 hr 23 min
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... On this week's Beyond The Grid, Ickx reflects on a career in motorsport: Those who nurtured him, like Ken Tyrrell; those who he raced against, like Jackie Stewart and Jack Brabham; and those who shaped his career, like the great Enzo Ferrari. A legendary chat with a legend of the sport - you don't want to miss it!
Jul 31, 2019 · 1 hr 35 min
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 those things, as well as the stand-out moments from a fascinating career which included 69 Grand Prix starts, surviving the fastest crash in F1 history, clocking over 100,000 test kilometers and winning Le Mans twice before moving into the world of race track design, heading up the Grand Prix Drivers Association and more.
Jul 24, 2019 · 1 hr 8 min
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 motorsport. He’s currently President of motorsport’s governing body, the FIA, but in a previous life was a successful rally co-driver, before taking the reins of Peugeot Sport and dominating all forms of rallying and the world sportscar championship, not to mention Le Mans. In a revealing and open interview, the Frenchman tells Tom Clarkson about all of the above and more, as well as revealing a remarkable mathematical ability...
Jul 17, 2019 · 1 hr 12 min
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 just behind the wheel of some of the most ferocious F1 cars of all time, but for the way he kept going, especially after his beloved younger brother was killed while racing. So get ready for a thrilling and at times deeply moving look back through the career of one of motor racing’s good guys, from the time Senna stepped in to stop him becoming his team mate to negotiations with Bernie Ecclestone; surviving that big crash at Monza to nearly punching Michael Schumacher…
Jul 10, 2019 · 44 min
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 tenth anniversary of that success Tom Clarkson sat down with the man at the centre of the story – current F1 motorsports chief Ross Brawn – for the inside story on a true sporting fairy-tale…
Jul 3, 2019 · 1 hr 4 min
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 down with the Dane during a quiet period at the Austrian Grand Prix for a candid and honest talk about the highs and lows of his career to-date, including his racing origins, his growth as a driver, and - of course - that famous withering put-down of Nico Hulkenberg...
Jun 26, 2019 · 52 min
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 through one of its most tumultuous periods, famously providing spirit-lifting victories in Germany and San Marino. This week on Beyond The Grid the amiable Frenchman talks us through his memorable career, regaling Tom with anecdotes of partying with former team mate James Hunt, Villeneuve’s madcap antics off-track and that turbulent Ferrari period…
Jun 19, 2019 · 46 min
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 the beginning. Less than a year later he’d announce his retirement from F1, turning his attention instead to the world of business, where he went on to have great success, first with his firearms training company and then with his ground-breaking organic farming business. On this week’s show, host Tom Clarkson is treated to a trip down memory lane, with stories of Jody’s 70s rivals and the danger of the era, his relationship with Enzo Ferrari and team mate Gilles Villeneuve, how he applied F1 processes to the business world, and much, much more…
Jun 12, 2019 · 45 min
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 Tom Clarkson through his career to date, from his early days at Williams, to his time at Force India and Sauber when Ferrari rumours swirled, to the present day at Renault, where he’s tasked with taking the French marque back to the front. There's also fascinating insight into his Le Mans win, thoughts on his fellow drivers, and revealing information about his life and interests away from the track...
Jun 5, 2019 · 1 hr 13 min
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 an amazing resume – especially given Gordon Murray arrived in the UK from his native South Africa in the late Sixties with not much more than a dream to work in motor racing. So sit back and enjoy hearing the back stories behind some of the best cars in F1 history, anecdotes about working with Bernie Ecclestone at Brabham, fascinating insight into the design process, and what it was like to engineer some of the quickest drivers ever…
May 29, 2019 · 1 hr 13 min
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 the Northern Irishman – over the course of his career he saw many colleagues killed or badly injured, and that’s one of the topics that’s discussed on this fascinating episode of Beyond The Grid, supported by Bose. There are also stories about his recently departed former team mate Niki Lauda, what it felt like to drive the infamous Brabham fan car, winning in F1’s first carbon fibre chassis and much more…
May 22, 2019 · 1 hr 14 min
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’s Monaco home, there are stories on his F1 beginnings with Sauber, his relationships with team mates Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, revelations about his 2008 title near miss, and fascinating insight about former team Williams’ current plight...
May 15, 2019 · 1 hr 4 min
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-Sicilian regales host Tom Clarkson with stories from his stellar F1 career, including the tale of his near-move to Williams, his high jinks with team mate Gerhard Berger in boss Jean Todt’s car, the role Nelson Piquet played in his contract negotiations, and the passion of driving for - and winning with - Ferrari...
May 8, 2019 · 1 hr 9 min
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, Renault and Mercedes, and knows better than most what it takes to win. So get ready for fascinating insight on life as an engineer for three of the sport's biggest teams, the inside line on working alongside great drivers like Hamilton and Schumacher, and an honest appraisal of the rivalries that drive F1's brightest technical minds to push the boundaries ever further...