F1: Beyond The Grid

This episode is brought to you by T-Mobile, official 5G partner of F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix Why did Oliver Oakes become Alpine Team Principal? How does his background as a racing driver and team owner prepare him for this new challenge? And what are his priorities in 2025 and beyond? Speaking to Tom Clarkson at the team’s headquarters in Enstone, Oakes answers all the key questions around Alpine’s future with him at the helm. Ollie discusses his mixed feelings after their double podium in Brazil, why Alpine have chosen Mercedes as their power unit supplier from 2026, whether Pierre Gasly is ready to lead the team next season, and much more. More official F1 Podcasts F1 Nation - Grand Prix reviews and previews from inside the F1 paddock F1 Explains - answering your questions about Formula 1 Be there when the 2024 F1 World Champion is crowned Get tickets for Las Vegas, the rest of 2024 and early 2025 at tickets.formula1.com This episode is sponsored by: Uncommon Goods: to get 15% off your next gift go to uncommongoods.com/GRID Vanta: get $1,000 off Vanta at vanta.com/grid Bitdefender: visit Bitdefender.com to learn more about why Ferrari chose Bitdefender to stay ahead of cyber threats and how YOU can make your digital life safer

He’s one of the most experienced drivers in F1 history, who won races for championship teams Ferrari and Brawn GP.  During his long career, Rubens Barrichello had to cope with the loss of his legendary countryman, Ayrton Senna, and the challenge of carrying the hopes of Brazilian fans afterwards. At Ferrari, Rubens went up against a dominant Michael Schumacher, and while he never won a title, he proved he could match his teammate on his day.  Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Rubens reflects on some of the highs and lows of his career, the long shadow cast by the death of Senna, and the pressure and pride he felt racing for Brazil’s passionate F1 fans. 10 Teams, 20 Drivers, 1 Massive Season Launch A groundbreaking season launch event at London’s The O2 – featuring all the teams, their drivers and team bosses, plus top entertainment – ahead of the 2025 campaign. 18.02.25! This episode is sponsored by: SelectQuote: get the right life insurance for YOU, for LESS, at selectquote.com/beyondthegrid  Indeed: to get your jobs more visibility with a $75 sponsored job credit, go to indeed.com/grid

Nephew of two-time Formula 1 World Champion Emerson and son of Brazilian F1 team owner Wilson, Christian Fittipaldi was destined to follow in his family’s footsteps and race in the pinnacle of motorsport. Speaking to Tom Clarkson in his home city of Sao Paulo, Christian reflects on his three seasons on the grid with the Footwork and Minardi teams in the early 1990’s. He talks about what it was like growing up in such an iconic racing family and the pressure he experienced carrying the Fittipaldi name, how he recovered from two serious crashes at Magny Cours and Monza, and why he walked away from F1 at the end of 1994 despite opportunities to stay. Plus, Christian describes how Ayrton Senna’s death at Imola in ‘94 affected him personally and whether he felt a weight of expectation to be the next Senna. Listen to more official F1 podcasts F1 Beyond The Grid - exclusive interviews with F1's biggest stars F1 Nation - expert race previews and reviews Experience F1 live Tickets for the end of the 2024 F1 season and the start of 2025 are available now at tickets.formula1.com Discover F1 Unlocked Unseen. Unheard. F1 Unlocked. Dive into exclusive content from F1 experts, redeem epic rewards and enter money-can't-buy competitions. Click here to join for free This episode is sponsored by: Uncommon Goods -  for 15% off your next gift, go to uncommongoods.com/grid Liquid I.V. - get 20% off your first order of Liquid I.V. when you go to liquidiv.com and use code GRID Shopify - sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/beyondthegrid Vanta - get $1,000 off Vanta at vanta.com/GRID. 

Despite being a hugely versatile racing driver, who competed in Formula 3000, IndyCar, Sports Cars and Touring Cars, Christian Danner was unable to showcase his full potential in Formula 1 in the mid-late 1980s. During an era characterised by poor reliability and pre-qualifying, he either failed to start many of the races he entered, or he failed to finish them. But that certainly doesn’t mean he’s short of some fascinating tales from his time in the sport. Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Christian remembers becoming the first F1 driver to be disqualified for dangerous driving and how Ayrton Senna leapt to his defence. He also talks about the opposition he faced from the media back home in Germany, why Zakspeed teammate Martin Brundle kept him on his toes , how he climbed from P26 on the grid to a career-best finish of P4 at the US Grand Prix in 1989, and much more. This episode is sponsored by Bitdefender, the official cybersecurity partner of Ferrari. Visit Bitdefender.com to learn more about why Ferrari chose Bitdefender to stay ahead of cyber threats and how YOU can make your digital life safer.

This episode is brought to you by Salesforce, a Global Partner of Formula 1®. Fernando Alonso will become the first driver in Formula 1 history to compete in 400 Grands Prix when he races in Mexico this weekend. It’s a monumental milestone that even Alonso didn’t think he’d reach. Hear why the two-time World Champion thought he’d leave F1 at the end of 2009 and how changes in his relationship with the sport have prolonged his career. Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Fernando reflects on the most poignant moments from an eventful 21 seasons on the grid - revealing fascinating details about his secret meetings with Red Bull, whether he regrets turning them down for Ferrari, the one race he tried to win the most and why he needed reassurance during his comeback in 2021. Plus, the Spaniard talks about the impact Adrian Newey will have on Aston Martin and how the legendary designer’s arrival at the team affects his own future. This episode is sponsored by: Salesforce: visit salesforce.com/F1 to learn more about how Formula 1 wins fans and grows its global fanbase with Salesforce Vanta: our audience gets a special offer of $1,000 off at vanta.com/GRID

This week’s guest on F1 Beyond The Grid will make history at the Mexico City Grand Prix – how did he get this far and what’s next? Hear a preview of the episode with Tom Clarkson now and then you can listen to the conversation in full on your podcast app, or watch on the official F1 YouTube channel from Wednesday 23rd October. More official F1 Podcasts F1 Nation - Grand Prix reviews and previews from inside the F1 paddock F1 Explains - drivers, engineers + experts answer your questions about Formula 1 Be there when the 2024 F1 World Champion is crowned Get tickets for Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Las Vegas, the rest of 2024 and early 2025 at tickets.formula1.com

Tom Stallard, Oscar Piastri’s race engineer and McLaren’s Director of Human Performance, is a man of many talents. As a professional rower, he won an Olympic silver medal and became World Champion. As an engineer in Formula 1, he’s won races with some of the sport’s most talented drivers and has played a huge part in McLaren’s transformation into title contenders. So why did Tom make such a big career change and how does working in F1 compare to rowing? Speaking to Tom Clarkson at McLaren’s headquarters, Stallard talks about his gruelling fitness regime as an Olympic rower, what a race engineer’s relationship with their driver is all about, working with the likes of Jenson Button, Daniel Ricciardo and Carlos Sainz, how Oscar Piastri is galvanising the team now, and much more. More official F1 Podcasts F1 Nation - Grand Prix reviews and previews from inside the F1 paddock F1 Explains - answering your questions about Formula 1 Be there when the 2024 F1 World Champion is crowned Get tickets for Austin, Mexico City, Las Vegas, the rest of 2024 and early 2025 at tickets.formula1.com This episode is sponsored by: Indeed: get a seventy-five dollar sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at indeed.com/GRID Vanta: our audience gets a special offer of $1,000 off at vanta.com/GRID

After a decade of highs and lows as Haas Team Principal, Guenther Steiner has changed lanes. Now he’s an author and broadcaster with a new perspective on the drivers, the teams and the bosses he previously saw as rivals. Talking to Tom Clarkson, Guenther looks back at his time at Haas, from their stunning points-scoring debut in 2016, through triumphs, frustrations and low moments, to his departure and what he’s doing today. He explains why he feels he stayed at Haas too long, picks the driver he thinks is the best in the current field, the Team Principals who impress him most and looks forward to what he might do next. More official F1 Podcasts F1 Nation - Grand Prix reviews and previews from inside the F1 paddock F1 Explains - answering your questions about Formula 1 Be there when the 2024 F1 World Champion is crowned Get tickets for Austin, Mexico City, Las Vegas, the rest of 2024 and early 2025 at tickets.formula1.com This episode is sponsored by: Vanta: get $1,000 off Vanta at vanta.com/GRID Shopify: sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/beyondthegrid  Uncommon Goods: to get 15% off your next gift, go to uncommongoods.com/grid

‘For 2025, I think we have the best driver line-up on the grid’. Williams Team Principal James Vowles is confident. Race-winner Carlos Sainz joins proven performer Alex Albon next year – a combination of speed and experience Vowles believes will drive Williams forward. He tells Tom Clarkson his long-term vision for the historic team. 2024 has been a year of big decisions for Williams. Vowles explains asking Logan Sargeant to stand aside so Alex Albon could race in Australia, replacing Sargeant mid-way through the season, bringing in Franco Colapinto and signing Sainz for 2025. More official F1 Podcasts F1 Nation - Grand Prix reviews and previews from inside the F1 paddock F1 Explains - answering your questions about Formula 1 Be there when the 2024 F1 World Champion is crowned Get tickets for Austin, Mexico City, Las Vegas, the rest of 2024 and early 2025 at tickets.formula1.com

Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner gives Tom Clarkson and Damon Hill the inside story on the decision to replace Daniel Ricciardo with Liam Lawson at RB. Horner reveals the race when pressure began to mount on the Australian, and why Ricciardo was replaced with six races remaining. With one eye on 2025 and the future of the Red Bull driver line up, is this a chance for Liam Lawson to stake a claim for a permanent race seat? More official F1 Podcasts F1 Nation - Grand Prix reviews and previews from inside the F1 paddock F1 Explains - answering your questions about Formula 1 Be there when the 2024 F1 World Champion is crowned Get tickets for Austin, Mexico City, Las Vegas and more at tickets.formula1.com

Points on his surprise debut with Ferrari. Another top 10 with Haas. Ollie Bearman has made a flying start in Formula 1. In 2025 with Haas, he’s got the chance to show what he can do every race weekend. Ollie tells Tom Clarkson about stepping up from Formula 2, handling the pressure when he got the last-minute call to race for Ferrari in Saudi Arabia, the advice Charles Leclerc gave him, and how his race for Haas in Azerbaijan felt different. He remembers moving from the UK to go racing in Italy, and looks forward to starting his first full F1 season. More official F1 Podcasts F1 Nation - Grand Prix reviews and previews from inside the F1 paddock F1 Explains - answering your questions about Formula 1 Be there when the 2024 F1 World Champion is crowned Get tickets for Austin, Mexico City, Las Vegas and more at tickets.formula1.com This episode is sponsored by: Indochino - Visit Indochino.com and use code GRID to get 10% off any purchase of $399 or more Liquid I.V. -  get 20% off your first order when you shop better hydration today using promo code GRID at liquidiv.com 

For a driver who only qualified for nine Formula 1 races in three seasons, German racing legend Bernd Schneider sure has some epic stories from his short stint on the grid in the late 1980’s and early ‘90’s. Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Schneider talks about how close he came to denying Michael Schumacher his F1 debut and the huge contract Eddie Jordan offered him to return to the sport. Bernd, who went on to become a five-time DTM champion with Mercedes-Benz after his F1 career finished, also reveals how he was nearly partly responsible for Mercedes pulling out of all motorsport after their car flipped several times at Le Mans in 1999 and what it was like to be teammates with icons Mika Hakkinen, Mark Webber and Jean Alesi. This episode is sponsored by: Shopify: sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/beyondthegrid Indeed: listeners of the show will get a seventy-five dollar sponsored job credit at indeed.com/GRID

Just 19 months after making his debut with Renault, Jolyon Palmer lost his seat with four races of the 2017 season still remaining and his Formula 1 career was over. So where did it all go wrong for the 2014 GP2 champion?  Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Palmer dissects all the ups and downs of his year and a half on the grid. He talks about facing unique challenges to prove his worth on track, why he describes former teammate Nico Hulkenberg as a ‘career-killer’, when he stopped enjoying racing and the controversial way in which he found out he was being replaced by Carlos Sainz.   Jolyon also shares his thoughts on the current crop of F1 drivers and what he enjoys about being a commentator on F1TV. LISTEN: ADRIAN NEWEY JOINS ASTON MARTIN Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de la Rosa reacts to the news that legendary F1 designer Adrian Newey will join the team from March 2025 on this week's F1 Nation with Tom Clarkson.  This episode is sponsored by:  Salesforce: visit salesforce.com/F1 to learn more about how Formula 1 wins fans and grows its global fanbase with Salesforce. Indeed: get a seventy-five dollar sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at indeed.com/GRID

Now in his fourth year as a Formula 1 driver, Yuki Tsunoda says he’s starting to show his ‘full potential’.  Frequently beating his VCARB teammate, eight-time Grand Prix winner Daniel Ricciardo, in qualifying and on race day, the Japanese star’s driving has attracted a lot of attention in 2024. So how and why has Yuki improved so much and what does his future hold? Is promotion to VCARB's senior team, Red Bull Racing, still his priority or will he have to find opportunities elsewhere? Speaking to Tom Clarkson ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, Yuki explains how he's made so much progress on track, why VCARB is a very different team now than in 2023 and the next steps he's planning to further his career.

With 13 wins from 18 races, Michael Schumacher’s seventh and final World Championship was his best season in Formula 1. Still to this day, Schumacher is the only driver to have won five titles in a row as he and Ferrari dominated F1 from 2000 to 2004.  So why was the German at his most ruthless during that last triumph in ‘04? 20 years on, Tom Clarkson speaks to McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella (Michael’s performance engineer in 2004), Sabine Kehm (Michael’s media and PR consultant in 2004) and Ferrari Sporting Director Diego Ioverno (Ferrari’s gearbox engineer in 2004) for unique insight into how Michael obliterated his opposition that season, what he was like to work with and how it felt to be part of the most successful period in Ferrari’s F1 history. This episode is sponsored by: Bitdefender -  visit bitdefender.com to learn more about why Ferrari chose Bitdefender to stay ahead of cyber threats and how YOU can make your digital life safer Harry's -  get started with a $13 trial set for just $3 at harrys.com/GRID. Liquid I.V. -  get 20% off your first order at liquidiv.com and use code GRID at checkout. Shopify -  sign up for a $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/beyondthegrid

After winning his home race for the first time in 2024, Charles Leclerc has just one more item to tick off his Formula 1 bucket list. But can the Monegasque and Ferrari still become World Champions together? Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Leclerc reflects on that special victory at the Monaco Grand Prix, the reasons behind Ferrari’s struggles since then and why he’s confident of future success with the team. Also on the agenda, Charles talks about having Lewis Hamilton as his teammate in 2025, what he’ll miss about Carlos Sainz, how ‘life-changing’ Leo the Dachsund is keeping him on his toes, and much more. This episode is sponsored by: F1 Experiences: Want to get closer to F1 than ever before? F1 Experiences ensures you get the very most out of your Grand Prix weekend, with ticket packages offered at every race on the calendar. Visit f1experiences.com/beyondthegrid to book your official ticket package today  Indeed: get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at indeed.com/GRID. Shopify: sign up for a $1-per-month trial period at shopify.com/beyondthegrid

Tom Clarkson is back, speaking to a current F1 star ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix. Listen for a preview, then hear the full in-depth interview on Wednesday 21st August. Follow F1 Beyond The Grid to get the episode delivered to your podcast app as soon as it’s released

Change is on the horizon at Alpine, as boss Bruno Famin prepares to step down, and the Renault-owned team considers switching to another manufacturer's power units. Bruno tells Tom Clarkson why he is moving away from the F1 team to focus on operations at Renault's engine factory in Viry, just outside Paris. The factory has produced Renault F1 engines since the 1970s, but staff have been told this project will stop ahead of F1's new engine regulations in 2026. Bruno explains the thinking behind that plan, the possibility of Alpine becoming a Mercedes-powered customer team, and the alternative projects Viry could work on in future. Bruno also looks back on his year as Alpine Team Principal, the arrivals of experienced engineer David Sanchez and former team boss Flavio Briatore. Plus, Pierre Gasly's continuing relationship with the team, and the departure of Esteban Ocon. This episode is sponsored by Liquid IV: get 20% your first order when you shop better hydration today using promo code GRID at liquidiv.com Experience F1 live in 2024 Tickets for races in the Netherlands, Italy, Texas, Las Vegas and around the world are on sale now. Go to tickets.formula1.com to book your place at a Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri and George Russell are just a handful of the Formula 1 stars born in Bruno Michel’s racing series. Multiple F1 World Champions and Grand Prix-winners have risen from Formula 2 and Formula 3, previously known as GP2 and GP3. From the very first GP2 champion, Nico Rosberg, to Lando Norris, Nico Hulkenberg, Pierre Gasly, Valtteri Bottas and many more, Bruno has been supporting young drivers in their journey to the pinnacle of motorsport for two decades. He tells Tom Clarkson how he built the ladder to Formula 1, why Hamilton and Leclerc particularly stood out, and his prior work as manager to drivers including Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber. As F1 teams look to sign stars for the 2025 season, Bruno explains why future Haas driver Ollie Bearman is ready to step up to the top level, and what Mercedes junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli can do to claim his place in F1. Plus, how F1 Academy will become a pathway to F3 and beyond. Experience F1, F2 + F3 live in 2024 Book your seat at a Grand Prix today. The second half of the season is on sale now at tickets.formula1.com This episode is sponsored by: Indochino: go to indochino.com and use code GRID to get 10% off any purchase of $399 or more Fitbod: join Fitbod today to get your personalized workout plan. Get 25% off your subscription or try the app FREE at Fitbod.me/GRID

Paul Monaghan, Red Bull Racing’s chief engineer, has been with the team from the very beginning of their Formula 1 venture in 2005. He’s experienced the highs and lows of the team’s evolution from racing rookies into serial winners.  How does the their first era of dominance with Sebastian Vettel compare to their current success with Max Verstappen? What’s the secret to the Dutchman’s speed? And, with the competition getting closer, Adrian Newey leaving and Red Bull making their own engines for 2026, what does their future hold?  Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Paul shares fascinating insight from nearly two decades with the team and tells some very entertaining anecdotes from working with Ayrton Senna at McLaren and Fernando Alonso at Renault earlier on in his career. Related Episodes Adrian Newey Sergio Perez David Coulthard   Don't miss the chance to see F1 live Tickets for races in the US, across Europe and the rest of the world are on sale now. Go to tickets.formula1.com to book your place at a Grand Prix. This episode is sponsored by Liquid I.V: get 20% off your first order when you go to liquidiv.com and use code GRID at checkout Harry's: get started with a $13 trial set for just $3 at harrys.com/GRID Babbel: listeners can get six months free with a purchase of a 6-month subscription at babbel.com/BTG Shopify: sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/beyondthegrid