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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast Damon Hill is Tom Clarkson’s guest for 30 Days of Beyond The Grid, Day 22. The 1996 World Champion explains why his fellow title-winning teammates - Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, and Ayrton Senna - were in a class of their own. And Damon also shares his perspective on losing the 1994 championship to Michael Schumacher in controversial circumstances. Listen to Damon’s full interview with Tom from 2019 here....
Feb 19, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast He's a three-time podium finisher and a regular points-scorer, with a fantastic pole position to his name, but Lance Stroll's place in Formula 1 is sometimes still questioned. His father, Lawrence, owns the Aston Martin team he drives for - the latest stage in what he calls a 'father-son journey' to the top of motorsport. On 30 Days of Beyond The Grid, Day 21, Lance tells Tom Clarkson why he deserves to be in F1, the sacrifices he’s made and what his relationship with Lawrence is like. For Lance...
Feb 18, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast On Day 20 of our countdown to the new season, former Toro Rosso driver Scott Speed tells Tom Clarkson how his ego and a fiery clash with team boss Franz Tost cut his Formula 1 career short. For Scott’s full conversation with Tom last year, listen here.
Feb 17, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Juan Pablo Montoya is Tom Clarkson’s pick for 30 Days of Beyond The Grid, Day 19. Speaking in 2018, Montoya tells Tom why he left Formula 1 halfway through the 2006 season and how he reflects on his five and a half years in the sport. For the full interview with Juan Pablo, listen here.
Feb 16, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast On Day 18 of our pre-season countdown, an emotional Paul Stoddart tells the story of what he calls ‘the most famous two points in Formula 1 history’ - as his Minardi team secured a shock result at the Australian Grand Prix in 2002. For Paul’s full conversation with Tom Clarkson in 2023, listen here.
Feb 15, 2024•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tom Clarkson has chosen his full chat with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri from last season for Day 17 of 30 Days of Beyond The Grid. Oscar talks to Tom about leaving home at a young age, how his career in motorsport began with remote control racing, looking up to fellow Australians Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo, and much more.
Feb 14, 2024•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast On Day 16 of 30 Days of Beyond The Grid, Carlos Sainz Jr tells Tom Clarkson about his incredible connection with two-time World Rally Champion father, Carlos Sainz Sr. For Sainz Jr's first BTG interview with Tom in full, tap here
Feb 13, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Aston Martin reveal their challenger for the 2024 season today. So, on Day 15 of 30 Days of Beyond The Grid, their Team Principal, Mike Krack, tells Tom Clarkson what it’s like to be in charge of a Constructor and how he works with team owner Lawrence Stroll. Listen to Mike’s full conversation with Tom in 2022 here .
Feb 12, 2024•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Formula 1 will break new ground this year, with 24 races on the calendar. That’s more than any other season in the sport’s history. On Day 14 of 30 Days of Beyond The Grid, F1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali, tells Tom Clarkson why 24 Grands Prix makes sense. To learn more about F1’s future, listen to Stefano’s full conversation with Tom here .
Feb 11, 2024•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast On Day 13 of 30 Days of Beyond The Grid, F1 talent guru Gwen Lagrue, the man in charge of Mercedes’ junior driver programme, reveals what he looks for in potential F1 drivers and future World Champions. Listen to Gwen’s full conversation with Tom Clarkson from 2023 here .
Feb 10, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Franz Tost retired from Formula 1 at the end of 2023, after 18 years as Team Principal of Toro Rosso and AlphaTauri. On Day 12 of 30 Days of Beyond The Grid, Franz tells Tom Clarkson why he ignored naysayers and made a 17-year-old Max Verstappen the youngest debutant in F1 history. To hear Franz reflect on his remarkable career in full, tap here .
Feb 09, 2024•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast On Day 11 of 30 Days of Beyond The Grid, Tom Clarkson asks nine-time Grand Prix winner, Mark Webber, whether he was too intense during his career and how he’s changed since leaving F1. Listen to Mark’s full chat with Tom from 2018 here
Feb 08, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tom Clarkson has chosen his full chat with Susie Wolff in 2022 for Day 10 of 30 Days of Beyond The Grid. Susie talks about her thrilling racing career, the experience of driving an F1 car for Williams, competing with and against her husband Toto, and her ambitions to create more opportunities for women in motorsport. Susie is now Managing Director of F1 Academy. The 2024 championship starts in Jeddah this March. Follow @f1academy on social media to find out more.
Feb 07, 2024•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Heikki Kovalainen was Lewis Hamilton’s teammate at McLaren when he became World Champion for the first time in 2008. On Day 9 of 30 Days of Beyond The Grid, Heikki tells Tom Clarkson how Lewis tried to spice up their rivalry and what it was like to win the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix, his first and only win in Formula 1. For Heikki’s full conversation with Tom, listen here ....
Feb 06, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Romain Grosjean escaped from a fiery crash at the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2020. It proved to be his last action in Formula 1 but, on Day 8 of 30 Days of Beyond The Grid, Romain tells Tom Clarkson why he wasn’t going to let that be the end of his career in motorsport. To hear Romain’s chat with Tom from 2021 in full, tap here .
Feb 05, 2024•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast 20 years on from his first and only victory in Formula 1, Jarno Trulli shares his memories of winning the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix with Tom Clarkson, on Day 7 of 30 Days of Beyond The Grid. F1 Beyond The Grid returns with another stellar guest from the world of Formula 1 on Wednesday 28th February. Every day until then, you can hear the best bits from the last five years, so make sure you follow the podcast to join our countdown. To hear Jarno’s full conversation with Tom from 2021, tap here ....
Feb 04, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
