Emotions ran high in the F1 Paddock after a stunning, breathless and chaotic Saudi Grand Prix. TC, Natalie Pinkham and Damon Hill went behind the scenes with Red Bull and Mercedes in the hours after the chequered flag. Team Principals Christian Horner and Toto Wolff look back at the race and explain how they’re going to lead their drivers and teams in 2021’s winner-takes-all season finale. Plus, George Russell stops by to relive his race-ending crash and tell us about a message Toto left for him...
Dec 07, 2021•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast ‘I was in awe of Sir Frank’, says Damon Hill, who won the 1996 Formula 1 World Championship with Williams. ‘There’ll be so many people who were touched by his organisation, his determination to succeed and his love of motor racing’. Damon, TC and Natalie reflect on Sir Frank’s incredible passion and spirit. With his passing at the age of 79 he leaves behind a remarkable legacy, and the team he drove forwards for 40 years races onwards this weekend in Saudi Arabia. CEO of the Saudi Grand Prix, Ma...
Nov 30, 2021•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast They were lightyears ahead of the rest in Qatar. As F1 heads for hyper-speed Saudi, just 8 points split Verstappen and Hamilton. Max can land the knock-out punch in this astonishing title fight in Jeddah, but as Tom Clarkson and Damon Hill explore, it looks like we’re heading for a breathless, brilliant final-race showdown. The pair analyse how each title challenger got the most out of the Qatar GP, how Verstappen can win the title in Saudi Arabia, and whether he or Lewis Hamilton will be feelin...
Nov 23, 2021•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast "This is what a World Championship battle should look like", Lewis Hamilton said after he and Max Verstappen staged an all-time classic in Sao Paulo. Grid penalties, a disqualification from qualifying and a magnificent Verstappen drive couldn’t stop Hamilton from taking win 101. TC and Pinks dive into how he did it with Mercedes’ Andrew Shovlin, who explains the driving skills and secrets Hamilton used to chase down Max Verstappen and take the win. Plus, the inside story of Lewis’ DRS infringeme...
Nov 16, 2021•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s an F1 Nation fiesta, recorded at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Tom Clarkson, Damon Hill and Ziggo TV’s Jack Plooij crash Red Bull’s post-race party. Sergio Perez and his father Antonio, Christian Horner, Adrian Newey and Alex Albon all stop by to celebrate a fantastic weekend for the team, which saw Max Verstappen extend his championship lead and Checo take a podium in front of his delirious home crowd. It’s not all Red Bull, though. The gang pick through the race start, Pierre Gasly’s ...
Nov 09, 2021•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Max Verstappen heads for Mexico’s cauldron of noise leading the championship. Will he extend his points lead, or can Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton hit back? Joining TC and Natalie to debate that and much more is former Jordan, Ferrari and Williams engineer, Rob Smedley. Rob’s an F1 data expert and can tell us whether Red Bull or Mercedes will be quicker at the high-altitude Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. As a championship battle veteran and former race engineer, which title contender’s pitwall woul...
Nov 02, 2021•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast After F1’s pulsating return to the USA, Max Verstappen has a 12 point lead in the title race. Damon Hill says Verstappen now has ‘two fingers on the trophy’, but as the 1996 champ knows, it’s not over until it’s over! Damon, Natalie Pinkham and Tom Clarkson give their take on a tense tussle in Texas and answer F1’s burning questions: why did Mercedes' apparent Friday pace not win them the race on Sunday, what was the key to Red Bull’s aggressive race-winning strategy, and how thirsty would Sergi...
Oct 26, 2021•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Mario Andretti -1978 Formula 1 World Champion and motorsport legend - joins Tom Clarkson and Damon Hill to look ahead to the 2021 United States Grand Prix. Who better than two title-winners to debate whether Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton are better equipped to win in Austin and take command in the championship fight? Mario picks his stars of the 2021 F1 grid and explains why he thinks IndyCar sensation Colton Herta has what it takes to join them one day. Plus, memories of Andretti’s champions...
Oct 19, 2021•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Mark Webber joins TC and Natalie for a deep dive into the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix. Webber won nine times with Red Bull during his career, but he thinks his old team will have to pull out all the stops if Max Verstappen is to beat Lewis Hamilton to this year’s World Championship. Webber’s here for the big questions from the race: why did Hamilton stay out so long on his worn tyres, have Ferrari hit back against McLaren, what was Mark’s former teammate Sebastian Vettel thinking when he gambled on ...
Oct 12, 2021•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast He’ll be back on the grid with Williams in 2022 – but until then Alex Albon is flat out trying to help Red Bull prevail not only in the Turkish Grand Prix but the 2021 World Championship fight too. Alex joins TC and Damon for an in-depth chat about his Red Bull sim work, what he’s learned in his year away from F1 racing, how it feels to be replacing his mate George Russell at Williams, how the 2022 cars feel in the sim and his championship predictions. Plus, how lost passport drama struck Alex a...
Oct 05, 2021•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Joy, despair, and everything in-between - Sochi served up a true classic as late rain produced a breathtaking finish. Damon Hill, Natalie Pinkham and Tom Clarkson walk through how it all unfolded - from the late drama and Lando Norris's agony at missing a first Grand Prix triumph to Lewis Hamilton's record 100th, and of course Max Verstappen's spellbinding surge to second. Plus all the behind the scenes details from the paddock AND a helping of Ask Damon, with listener questions on 2022 and how ...
Sep 28, 2021•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Valtteri Bottas drops by for a chat as F1 prepares to return to the Sochi Autodrom. The track holds happy memories for the Finn: it’s where he took his first F1 victory, and he won there in 2020 as well. Valtteri is always super strong in Russia, but he thinks three teams will be fighting for the win this year. He also reveals what he’ll miss about Mercedes, why he’s excited about leading Alfa Romeo, and the tough choice of company car he’ll have at his new team. Plus, Tom’s skydiving cameo in t...
Sep 21, 2021•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Phew, what a race! Once again the Italian Grand Prix at Monza delivered another humdinger of an event, full of action and incident. Here to discuss it all are Damon Hill, Natalie Pinkham and Tom Clarkson, who begin by talking about race winner Daniel Ricciardo’s remarkable weekend and recent uptick in form. Then they get into the thorny subject of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen’s latest clash and whether it sets a precedent moving forwards. Plus there’s all the usual behind-the-scenes stories...
Sep 14, 2021•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Max Verstappen’s orange army invaded Zandvoort at the weekend and they got just what they wanted - a sensational home win for the hard-charging Dutchman. Fresh from the circuit, Tom Clarkson and Natalie Pinkham share their thoughts and behind-the-scenes stories from a sensational first race back at the seaside venue since the 80s. Then F1’s Managing Director of Motorsport jumps on to share his thoughts on what made the race great (and what the sport has learned for the future), what to expect at...
Sep 07, 2021•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast As Spa-Francorchamps delivers a washout, Tom and Natalie wring out their socks to join Damon in discussing one of the weirder weekends in F1 history. And despite the lack of race action there’s much to chat about, including whether it was right not to start the race, Lando Norris’s big crash at Eau Rouge, George Russell’s qualifying heroics - and just what this weekend means for the title race. And the gang also look ahead to the upcoming Dutch Grand Prix, where the weather forecast thankfully l...
Aug 31, 2021•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s race week! After what feels like an eternity, F1 is almost back, with the teams and drivers heading to the awesome Spa-Francorchamps circuit for the Belgian Grand Prix. And who better to look forward to the action than three-time Belgian GP winner Damon Hill and Tom Clarkson, who this week are joined by Eddie Jordan, Damon’s former boss who enjoyed his first F1 win with the 1996 world champ in Spa in 1998! They discuss the unique challenge of the circuit, who the track is likely to favour, ...
Aug 24, 2021•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s STILL the F1 summer break, so for the second and final time Damon, Tom and Natalie are back for another boredom-busting Ask Damon special. This week the 1996 F1 world champion answers your questions on his favourite sounding engine, extra-terrestrial goings on in a racing car, his favourite music, his most evocative smell and more! And don’t forget to tune in next week when normal service resumes with our Belgian Grand Prix preview episode!
Aug 17, 2021•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s the F1 summer break, and that means it’s time for something different on The Nation. As the gang enjoy a well-earned rest, we’ve got a couple of special Ask Damon episodes to keep you entertained. On this week’s show 1996 world champion Damon Hill is joined by Tom Clarkson and Natalie Pinkham as he answers YOUR questions on who he swapped helmets with, what he used to eat before a Grand Prix, who his ideal team mate is, and what it was like to film a Pizza Hut commercial with Murray Walker ...
Aug 10, 2021•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Damon and Tom look back on another thrilling, crash-affected race that produced a brand-new winner: Esteban Ocon! They discuss how the Frenchman was able to hit the jackpot, unpick the opening lap crashes that proved catastrophic for Red Bull and Ferrari, discuss Lewis Hamilton’s exhausting fight back from a questionable strategy call, and why Sebastian Vettel impressed, despite his disqualification. Tom also shares some behind the scenes perspective on THAT spiky press conference answer from Ma...
Aug 03, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Transcript available on Metacast After the thrills and spills of Silverstone, Damon and Tom return to preview the final race before the summer break, in Hungary. First up they discuss the continuing fallout from Hamilton and Verstappen’s clash in Britain, including that 1.8m dollar damage bill that Red Bull have revealed. Then F1 Nation’s Dutch correspondent - Jack Plooij from broadcaster Ziggo - joins the boys to discuss the view from the Netherlands, plus to offer some insight on how Verstappen might approach the Hungarian ra...
Jul 27, 2021•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast What a weekend that was in Silverstone! From Friday qualifying to Saturday’s Sprint and THAT incident in Sunday’s race, there wasn’t a dull moment. Fresh from the circuit, Damon, Tom and Natalie reconvene to digest all the action, starting of course with that controversial clash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Whose fault was it and was the penalty fair? They also discuss Charles Leclerc’s superb race for Ferrari, Sebastian Vettel’s litter-picking and whether they enjoyed F1’s first e...
Jul 20, 2021•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Forget about the football, this week is all about F1 at Silverstone and the British Grand Prix. To celebrate, Tom and Damon are joined by Williams’ young superstar George Russell to look ahead to his home race – and the exciting arrival of F1 Sprint and a new weekend format. He also discusses his F1 future and whether there’ll be any announcements this weekend… To guys also share anecdotes from the recent Goodwood Festival of Speed, reminisce on memories of Silverstone past, and debate who might...
Jul 13, 2021•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast And just like that, the triple header is over! After the third race in three weeks, Damon, Natalie and Tom reconvene to pick over events at the Red Bull Ring - including those much debated penalties to Lando Norris and Sergio Perez. They also discuss Max Verstappen’s dominance, Lewis Hamilton’s new contract, Fernando Alonso’s bromance with George Russell and much more - including a few behind the scenes stories from the paddock. Plus there’s the latest instalment of Ask Damon, where The Champ an...
Jul 06, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Red Bull Ring lived up to its name as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen eased to victory over Lewis Hamilton in the Styrian Grand Prix. Tom and Natalie unpack how it all played out, and are joined by Mercedes’ Technical Director James Allison to discuss the Silver Arrows’ defeat and how they plan to respond at the same track next weekend. There’s also chat about Charles Leclerc’s driver of the day performance, Daniel Ricciardo’s homesickness, George Russell’s heartache and Fernando Alonso’s continue...
Jun 29, 2021•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merci beaucoup, Paul Ricard! Damon, TC and Pinks re-live a thrilling French Grand Prix and marvel at Red Bull’s winning strategy. Damon gives his take on Valtteri Bottas’ radio fury, Max Verstappen’s Turn 1 wobble and Mercedes’ chassis swap. The gang also discuss a great weekend for McLaren and try and get to the bottom of Ferrari’s tyre woes. With two races in Austria coming up, the team debate whether Red Bull or Mercedes are the favourites. Plus, why Pinks wants to swap lives with Yuki Tsunod...
Jun 22, 2021•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s triple header time! Yes, this weekend the French GP kicks off a run of three races in three successive weekends, and Damon and Tom can’t wait! They discuss who the Paul Ricard track is more likely to suit: Mercedes or Red Bull, Ferrari or McLaren, and share some memories of the circuit. Then four-time world champion - and six-time French GP winner - Alain Prost joins to discuss Alpine’s progress and what it was like to be Damon’s team mate in 1993. And finally, Ask Damon returns with a musi...
Jun 15, 2021•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast Fresh from his plane back from Baku, Tom joins Damon and Natalie to look back on a thrilling Azerbaijan Grand Prix which saw Sergio Perez claim his first win for Red Bull after Max Verstappen’s spectacular exit. They pick apart all the drama of that accident, Hamilton’s error at the restart, Vettel’s brilliance for Aston Martin, Gasly’s elbows out duel with Leclerc and much more. Plus there’s another edition of Ask Damon, including questions on tech gizmos and reading material. To ask the champ ...
Jun 08, 2021•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast After an off-weekend, TC and Pinks can’t wait for another action packed Azerbaijan Grand Prix, as they look ahead to this year’s race in Baku. They’re also joined by Alpine reserve driver Daniil Kvyat to discuss what it takes to do well at the street track, as well as who he’d fight in the F1 paddock... And finally Alfa Romeo boss Fred Vasseur jumps on to chat about the team’s recent progress, Antonio Giovinazzi’s growing star, and whether he’d give an F1 drive to a 17-year-old...
Jun 01, 2021•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ok, so there wasn’t much overtaking, but Monaco still served up some great talking points - and Damon, Natalie and Tom are back to discuss them all! From Charles Leclerc’s qualifying crash to Mercedes’ off colour day and Max’s perfect weekend, they dig into it all. Plus there’s chat on Sainz’s progression, Norris’s continued excellence and whether Sebastian Vettel has finally found his mojo. And if that wasn’t enough, Damon answers another listener question, this time on the harsh realities of s...
May 25, 2021•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s Monaco race week! TC and Damon are very excited this week as they preview the classic street race - especially when Monaco master Sir Jackie Stewart joins to discuss how to win in the Principality, and who might triumph this year. The Scot also hangs around for the latest instalment of Ask Damon, as the ‘96 champ fields your questions once more - and reveals why he turned down the chance to drive for Jackie’s team! If you want to ask Damon a question, send a voice message to AskDamonHill@gm...
May 18, 2021•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
