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 2...
Jul 16, 2024•54 min
What’s the difference between winning races and winning World Championships? David Coulthard enjoyed multiple Grand Prix wins and podiums, but titles were out of reach during his 15-year career in Formula 1. So why was he unable to achieve success that the likes of Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have all experienced? Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Coulthard analyses everything he tried to maximise his ability when competing against ‘exceptional’ drivers and why he...
Jul 09, 2024•59 min
This episode is brought to you by GetYourGuide – the app to discover and book unforgettable travel experiences. Choose from over 100,000 things to do in one app, including an exclusive tour of the McLaren Technology Centre. Discover, book and make memories this summer at GetYourGuide.co.uk Lando Norris’ first F1 victory has changed everything. Speaking to Tom Clarkson before the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix, the McLaren driver explains why winning means so much more, and why racing for the lead feel...
Jul 02, 2024•46 min
Just 14 races into his debut Formula 1 season in 2001, Luciano Burti suffered a huge crash at the Belgian Grand Prix. He walked away but it proved to be his last action as an F1 driver. Speaking to Tom Clarkson in his home city of Sao Paolo, Burti reflects vividly on the crash; what he was thinking about as it was happening, the physical injuries he suffered, why he wasn’t able to return to racing, and how the accident led to improved safety in the sport. The Brazilian also discusses why he chan...
Jun 25, 2024•1 hr 7 min
From 2014 to 2021, Mercedes dominated Formula 1 with a record eight Constructor World Championships in a row. Since 2022 though, they have struggled to fully grasp the current ground effect cars and, as a result, have dramatically fallen down the pecking order, behind their rivals Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari. Merc’s struggles continued at the start of 2024, but they have made progress in the last few races. George Russell’s P3 and Lewis Hamilton’s P4 in Canada secured the team’s best result of...
Jun 18, 2024•44 min
He’s an engineer who won Formula 1 World Championships with Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen. Now he’s working on the rules of the sport for 2026 and beyond. Nikolas Tombazis is the Director of Single Seaters for the FIA. He is overseeing the regulations for the 2026 season, when F1 cars will be lighter, smaller and sustainably fuelled, with greater battery power and revolutionary active aerodynamics. He tells Tom Clarkson how the new rules have been designed to create close, competitive ra...
Jun 11, 2024•47 min
As President and CEO of Liberty Media, Formula 1's parent company, Greg Maffei is at the very top of the sport. Together, he and F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali, are setting the strategy for the sport’s future. Since Liberty Media took ownership of the Formula 1 in 2017, we’ve seen thrilling races from the Las Vegas Strip to Silverstone, new fans around the world have fallen in love with the sport, and new stars have been given their chance to shine in F1 Academy. Maffei tells Tom Clarks...
Jun 04, 2024•36 min
At the end of his glittering career, four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel said he was in the ‘best shape possible’ thanks to his performance coach Antti Kontsas. So how do you physically and mentally prepare a Formula 1 driver for a season of racing around the world? With over 10 years of experience working in the paddock, coaching the likes of Sebastian Buemi, Jean Eric Vergne and Vettel, Kontsas tells Tom Clarkson his secrets to training these extraordinary humans for the pinnacle of moto...
May 28, 2024•51 min
30 years ago, Karl Wendlinger’s Formula 1 career was just beginning to rise after a strong start to 1994 with Sauber. But that all changed in first practice for the Monaco Grand Prix, when the Austrian lost control of his car as he approached the Nouvelle chicane and crashed into the barriers. After a long recovery to regain racing fitness, Wendlinger returned a year later at the Spanish Grand Prix. He wasn’t the same driver though, and at the end of 1995, his time in F1 was up. Speaking to Tom ...
May 21, 2024•57 min
In 1984, Martin Brundle and Ayrton Senna made their Formula 1 debuts. They had just fought each other in an epic battle for the 1983 British Formula 3 title. But while there was little to separate the duo in junior racing, their F1 careers panned out very differently. As Senna went on to achieve hero status as a triple World Champion, Brundle’s 12-year career was significantly shaped by very serious injuries he suffered in just his ninth Grand Prix. Speaking to Tom Clarkson in the latest of F1 B...
May 14, 2024•39 min
McLaren are back on top of the Formula 1 podium, but their mission is far from accomplished yet. Since taking charge in 2018, CEO Zak Brown has overseen a huge transformation on and off the track and the team’s progress has accelerated astronomically over the last 12 months. Lando Norris’s long-awaited maiden Grand Prix victory in Miami is the culmination of an enormous amount of hard work to turn their fortunes around, after an awful start last season left them right at the back of the grid. So...
May 07, 2024•49 min
30 years since his death at Imola on 1st May 1994, Ayrton Senna’s legacy is still felt around the world. Brazil’s three-time Formula 1 World Champion continues to inspire today’s generation of racing drivers and fans. To Bruno Senna, Ayrton is still both his uncle and his hero. Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Bruno shares his childhood memories of Ayrton away from the track, the ‘racing relationship’ they built together, how his life changed after Imola 1994, and the pressure Ayrton’s success put on h...
Apr 30, 2024•1 hr 4 min
A multiple title winner at junior level and a point-scorer on his unexpected F1 debut in 2016, Stoffel Vandoorne seemed on track for a long and prosperous career in Formula 1. But his big break at McLaren in 2017 arrived during one of the team’s most challenging periods. They finished second-last in the standings during Vandoorne’s first season, endured a difficult transition from Honda to Renault engines the following year, and there was huge organisational change at the top as Zak Brown came i...
Apr 23, 2024•48 min
20 years since his infatuation with Formula 1 began at China’s first race in 2004, Zhou Guanyu will race in front of his home fans for the first time as an F1 driver at the Chinese Grand Prix. Zhou tells Tom Clarkson what racing in Shanghai will look like through his eyes; from his helmet design and sold-out grandstand, to the reaction he’s expecting on his first lap of the track and what it would mean to score his first points of the season in the city he was born in. The Sauber driver also tal...
Apr 16, 2024•51 min
Fernando Alonso is 'here to stay' in Formula 1 with Aston Martin. What made the double World Champion decide to continue racing with his current team? In a special episode of the F1 Nation podcast, Aston Martin Ambassador Pedro de la Rosa and 1996 World Champion Damon Hill join Tom Clarkson to analyse Alonso's announcement, what it means for him, the team and the rest of the drivers searching for a 2025 race seat. Get in touch If you have a question for our F1 Nation experts, then send an email ...
Apr 12, 2024•26 min
Seven-time Grand Prix winner Juan Pablo Montoya joins Tom Clarkson for the first episode of F1 Beyond The Grid’s LEGENDS episodes. Going into the final two races of 2003, Montoya was only three points behind World Championship leader Michael Schumacher in a three-way fight for the title, with Kimi Raikkonen just behind them. But by the season finale, the Colombian was out of contention – so where did it all go wrong? Juan Pablo reflects on the highs of his wins at Monaco and Hockenheim that year...
Apr 09, 2024•43 min
The journey that has taken Ayao Komatsu from a teenager in Tokyo, dreaming of working in Formula 1, to the new Haas Team Principal is a gripping tale. Featuring fascinating anecdotes of his father’s experiences as a political prisoner, the challenges Ayao faced when he left Japan for England, and how he engineered his way through university to a career in F1, this is a compelling conversation between Komatsu and Tom Clarkson. Ayao talks about his relationship with his family, the influence Japan...
Apr 02, 2024•1 hr 3 min
He’s a World Championship-winning engineer with nearly 50 years in Formula 1, but Pat Symonds’ focus is new innovation and F1’s next generation. Pat scored title wins with Michael Schumacher in the 90s and Fernando Alonso in the 2000s. In the 80s, he helped a rookie Ayrton Senna get up to speed and take a stunning Monaco podium. Today, as Formula 1’s Chief Technical Officer, his task is producing spectacular racing - now and for years to come. Pat tells Tom Clarkson about his past successes, his...
Mar 27, 2024•1 hr 6 min
A Formula 1 winner in his first season, Oscar Piastri has his sights set on more success. At McLaren, alongside Lando Norris, guided by Team Principal Andrea Stella and manager Mark Webber, he’s right where he needs to be. Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Oscar reflects on his rookie year in F1, his Sprint victory ahead of Max Verstappen, on-track clashes and off-track discussions with Lewis Hamilton, and why at his home race in Melbourne he’ll be fuelled by his Grandma’s baking as well as the Australi...
Mar 20, 2024•45 min
What does 2025 hold for Alex Albon? How has golf changed his approach to Formula 1? Would he like more competition from his teammate? The Williams driver answers all those questions and more in his first proper catch-up with Tom Clarkson on F1 Beyond The Grid since 2022. Albon explains the mindset of being a number two driver at Red Bull Racing compared to being team leader at Williams, how his fitness varies so much throughout the season, and why self-care is the most important part of his prep...
Mar 13, 2024•41 min
Brand new name. Brand new leader. Brand new ambition? As RB enter the next era of their Formula 1 venture, is their purpose still to develop young drivers for Red Bull Racing? Outlining his vision to Tom Clarkson, new Team Principal Laurent Mekies talks about making RB more competitive in all areas, transforming the team’s culture and mentality, and how the combination of Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda will drive them further up the grid. Mekies also discusses how much the team has changed si...
Mar 06, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Sergio Perez secured a career-best P2 in the Drivers’ World Championship in 2023. But in one of the most dominant Formula 1 cars in history, Checo spent much of the year stuck in the shadow of his unstoppable teammate Max Verstappen. Despite one of Sergio’s most mentally challenging seasons, in which he faced serious questions about his future at Red Bull Racing, the Mexican is in fighting spirits for 2024. Chatting to Tom Clarkson during pre-season testing, Perez talks about where it all went w...
Feb 28, 2024•51 min
F1 is full of extraordinary humans, but who is Tom Clarkson's first guest in 2024? Find out here, then join F1 Beyond The Grid for in-depth conversations with the sport's fastest stars every Wednesday. Discover new official F1 podcasts in 2024: F1 Nation - 2024 Season Preview out now F1 Explains - your questions about F1, answered by the experts
Feb 27, 2024•2 min
Mercedes Technical Director, James Allison, is Tom Clarkson’s pick for the penultimate day of our countdown to the new series of F1 Beyond The Grid. James tells the very funny and emotional story of how his rather awkward first interaction with Lewis Hamilton formed the foundations of a strong and successful relationship between them. For James’ full conversation with Tom from 2019, listen here....
Feb 26, 2024•11 min
On 30 Days of Beyond The Grid, Day 28, Zhou Guanyu tells Tom Clarkson why Fernando Alonso is his idol, what it means to be the first Formula 1 driver from China, and how excited he’ll be to race in front of his home fans at the Chinese Grand Prix. For Zhou’s full conversation with Tom from 2022, listen here.
Feb 25, 2024•11 min
Martin Brundle is best known today for his infamous pre-race gridwalks and his expert analysis on television. But did you know he had a very impressive and dramatic racing career before moving into the commentary box? On Day 27 of our countdown to the new season, Martin tells Tom Clarkson about beating the likes of Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Mika Häkkinen, before they all went on to become multiple Formula 1 World Champions. For Martin’s full interview with Tom in 2018, listen here....
Feb 24, 2024•14 min
Six-time Grand Prix winner Ralf Schumacher joins Tom Clarkson on 30 Days of Beyond The Grid, Day 26. Ralf explains why he never became friendly with teammates and also tells Tom whether he would have made it to Formula 1 without his seven-time World Champion brother, Michael Schumacher. For Ralf’s full interview with Tom in 2019, listen here.
Feb 23, 2024•10 min
On 30 Days of Beyond The Grid, Day 25, Alex Albon talks about the impact of being dropped by Red Bull at the end of 2020 and how he fought his way back into Formula 1 with Williams. Listen to Alex’s full chat with Tom Clarkson in 2022 here.
Feb 22, 2024•13 min
In 2019, Tom Clarkson sat down with Ross Brawn to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Brawn GP becoming the first team to win both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships in their debut year. On Day 24 of our countdown to the new season, listen to their conversation in full - as Ross shares fascinating insight into how the team emerged from Honda’s ashes and went on to dominate the 2009 season. This episode is sponsored by: Indeed: get a seventy-five dollar sponsored job credit to get y...
Feb 21, 2024•44 min
On Day 23 of our pre-season countdown, World Champion designer Neil Oatley shares what it was like to have a front row seat for the fierce rivalry between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost at McLaren in the late 1980’s. For Neil’s full chat with Tom in 2023, listen here.
Feb 20, 2024•11 min
