F1: Beyond The Grid (Formula 1)

Beyond The Grid, presented by Bose, is a new podcast that delivers great stories, fresh insight and amazing anecdotes from the world of F1.

Each week Tom Clarkson will bring fans in-depth, personal conversations with the biggest names in the sport, from current superstar drivers and leading team bosses to legendary figures from history.

Lewis Hamilton is one of the most interviewed people in the world, but beyond the champagne-soaked press conference soundbites, how well do you really know the four-time F1 world champion?

For the very first episode of Beyond The Grid, presented by Bose, Tom Clarkson sat down with the British racer to talk about everything from success to regrets, travel to fashion, relationships to making music - and even his dog's modelling career.

"I was a bit nervous about what we were going to talk about, but it was a good interview. I thought you were just going to ask me about tyres," the Mercedes driver admitted as we wrapped up his podcast debut.

Don't worry Lewis, that's not Beyond The Grid's style…

He was regarded as one of the greatest drivers of his generation - and then he was struck down in his prime.

On this week’s episode of Beyond The Grid, presented by Bose, Tom Clarkson speaks to Williams Martini Racing reserve driver - and one-time Grand Prix winner - Robert Kubica, whose F1 career was abruptly halted by a devastating rally crash in 2011 that severed his arm and nearly cost him his life. From humble beginnings to incredible highs and debilitating lows, Robert’s is one of the most incredible journeys in all of motorsports - and it’s not over yet…

Team mate squabbles, hairy crashes, incredible victories – there wasn’t much Mark Webber didn’t experience in 12 years in F1. On episode 3 of Beyond The Grid, presented by Bose, the Australian, now retired, reflects on his incredible career in the top flight; on his approach, his team mates, partying with rivals, coming back from a broken leg to taste victory, nearly quitting Red Bull and much, much more…

As a racing driver he fought wheel-to-wheel with - and on his day beat - the very best of his era, including Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna and Mika Hakkinen. 

But for a whole generation of F1 fans, Martin Brundle is ‘Mr Grid Walk’ – a man whose expert analysis and revolutionary approach to F1 broadcasting have won him multiple awards. 

On this week’s episode of Beyond The Grid, presented by Bose, Tom catches up with the nine-time podium finisher to discuss his action-packed Grand Prix career, youthful battles with Senna, his three big crashes, and his unexpected move into the commentary box…

In another life, he might have been an F1 driver. Instead, after a slight change of direction, he became a team boss - and the youngest on the grid to boot. On the latest episode of Beyond The Grid, presented by Bose, Christian Horner tells Tom about swapping the driver's seat for the pit wall, why it took 'balls' for Red Bull to pick him to lead their new team, Daniel Ricciardo's shock switch to Renault, and the surreal conversation he once had with the Queen. Oh, and then there's the story about how wife Geri indirectly funded his racing career...

Jacques Villeneuve was just 12 when his father – swashbuckling fan favourite Gilles Villeneuve – was killed in practice for the Belgian Grand Prix. You might have thought that would turn the Canadian away from pursuing a racing career of his own, but instead Jacques climbed – unconventionally – all the way to the top of the Grand Prix tree, winning the F1 world title his father was never able to in 1997.

 In this week’s episode of Beyond The Grid, presented by Bose, the famously non-conformist Villeneuve discusses that meteoric rise, the traits he inherited from his father, battling Michael Schumacher, stealing Damon Hill’s dinner, and much, much more!

With his larger than life personality, penchant for fun and an eye for a party, Gerhard Berger was one of the most popular characters in the F1 paddock in the Eighties and Nineties. But much more than that, he was also one of the era's finest racers, holding his own against - and often beating - the best of the best and driving for both Ferrari and McLaren. 

In the latest episode of Beyond The Grid, presented by Bose, the Austrian opens up to Tom Clarkson about his carefree racing approach, pranks with Senna, secrecy with Ferrari, surviving terrible accidents, bringing Red Bull into F1 and much, much more...

The history of F1 is filled with iconic team owners; extraordinary characters who went above and beyond to build cars and go racing. But it’s fair to say that when they made Eddie Jordan, they broke the mould. The self-proclaimed ‘Irish chancer’ built his team up from nothing, staved off numerous attempts to close it down, ran some of the sport’s finest drivers (including giving a certain Michael Schumacher his F1 debut) and even won several Grands Prix before selling up and starting a new career in the media. 

On this week’s episode of Beyond The Grid, presented by Bose, EJ speaks to Tom about all these things and more – and it’s one hell of a story…

There's no doubt that Formula 1 drivers live a largely glamorous life. But to say it's all roses would be far from the truth - and this week's guest on Beyond The Grid, presented by Bose, knows that better than most. 

In a career spanning more than 100 Grands Prix, Romain Grosjean has experienced the highs of reaching the podium several times and the lows of facing heavy criticism from his fellow drivers for his on-track behaviour. From fascinating insight into working with a sports psychologist to the reality of racing as a father of three, the Haas driver shares his story...

Running an F1 team is a demanding job. When that team is Ferrari, the pressure rises dramatically. Stefano Domenicali knows all about that. 

On the latest episode of Beyond The Grid, presented by Bose, the Italian recalls his 23 years at the Prancing Horse, which peaked with him taking the reins as Team Principal. He delivers fascinating insight into working with Michael Schumacher, during what was Ferrari’s most successful period, and the hurt endured as Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso agonisingly missed out on championships. Then there’s the moment he shook the hand of all 1,000 team members after handing in his resignation from the big job…

He's presided over one of the most successful F1 teams of all time - and had to manage one of the most heated rivalries in history. So what exactly makes Mercedes chief Toto Wolff tick? 

On this week's episode of Beyond The Grid, presented by Bose, the thoughtful Austrian lifts the lid on running a team - including dealing with the 'volcano-like' relationship between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg - gives a welcome update on colleague Niki Lauda's health, and tells Tom Clarkson about his truly remarkable journey to F1 via the business world after losing his father at a young age.

The word legend is often bandied about in sports, but this week’s guest on Beyond The Grid, presented by Bose, is truly worthy of the moniker. 

As a driver, Alain Prost set new standards, establishing a win record that only three drivers in history have surpassed – and he did it against some of the greatest talents in F1 history. His inimitable approach earned him the nickname The Professor, but it’s for his rivalry with Ayrton Senna – his one-time team mate – that the great Frenchman is best remembered. 25 years on from his fourth and final world title triumph, Tom Clarkson sat down with Prost – now a special advisor with Renault – to talk about his epic career, including, of course, that unique and multi-faceted relationship with Senna…

He’s one of racing’s toughest nuts – a man who refused to let potentially life-changing injuries stand in the way of his dream of racing in Formula 1. 

This week on Beyond The Grid, presented by Bose, we’re joined by Johnny Herbert, a man for whom the phrase ‘triumph over adversity’ seems tailor made. Once the bright young hope of British Motorsport, Herbert’s career came to an abrupt halt when he suffered horrific damage to his feet in an F3000 crash. But he refused to give in, battling his way onto the F1 grid less than a year later with truly remarkable results. In an enthralling discussion, Johnny explains how the accident changed his life and career, discusses his hat-trick of Grand Prix wins and describes life as Michael Schumacher’s team mate.

It takes a special kind of driver to get the call to race for Ferrari with less than a season of Grand Prix racing under your belt - especially when the man you’re set to replace is a world champion. Charles Leclerc is that driver. 

The young man from Monaco has shown flashes of brilliance this year while racing for Sauber, but it’s not just his skills behind the wheel that set him apart - it’s his mental fortitude too. On this week’s episode of Beyond The Grid, presented by Bose, Leclerc explains to Tom how his racing persona was toughened by personal tragedy, including losing his father midway through his title-winning F2 campaign in 2017 and the passing of godfather Jules Bianchi in 2015. He also discusses his thoughts on his impending move to F1’s most historic team, shares anecdotes of growing up around F1 drivers in Monaco and much, much more…

He’s the only man in the last nine years other than Lewis Hamilton or Sebastian Vettel to win a world title. But what makes Nico Rosberg’s story so compelling is what happened immediately after his crowning glory when, seemingly at the peak of his powers, he walked away from F1. 

On this week’s episode of Beyond The Grid, presented by Bose, the German talks in depth about his career, including what it took to beat childhood friend and rival Hamilton to the 2016 title, how it felt it emulate father Keke’s achievement, whether he’s had any regrets about early retirement, and how his life has changed since hanging up his helmet.

He’s regarded as one of the very best drivers of all-time; a man who, when he walked away from F1, had amassed three world championship titles and a then-record 27 Grand Prix victories. But that he was able to walk away at all was something of a success in itself, for so many of his friend and rivals were not so fortunate in an era when death lurked around every corner. 

This week’s guest on Beyond The Grid, presented by Bose, is that icon of late Sixties and early Seventies F1 racing: Sir Jackie Stewart. Now 79, the proud Scot is still firing on all cylinders, so get ready for stories of flat-sharing with fellow champ Jim Clark, his view on what made him so successful, the perils and mind-set of racing in F1’s ‘killer years’, and why he eventually founded a Grand Prix-winning F1 team of his own…

To say Claire Williams has racing in her blood would be an understatement. But despite being born into and raised around one of F1’s most successful teams, it’s fair to say she never expected to one day find herself taking the reins of her family squad.

 On this week’s episode of Beyond The Grid, presented by Bose, the daughter of legendary team boss Sir Frank Williams spills the beans on how she came to take the position of Deputy Team Principal (including the crucial role played by Toto Wolff!), provides fascinating insight into how she twins running a team with motherhood, recounts epic tales of growing up in a racing family, and lifts the lid on the driver who once lost a potential drive with the team for being too tidy!

F1 has seen its fair share of second generation racers, but Carlos Sainz doesn't quite fit the mould. The natural script would have been for him to follow his famous father and namesake into rallying, but while Carlos Sainz Sr became a double world champion on the dirt, his son set his sights on F1 after being inspired by countryman Fernando Alonso. 

In this week's Beyond The Grid, presented by Bose, Sainz speaks about his father's influence on his career, regaling Tom with some great anecdotes that show their competitive relationship. The Renault driver also discusses his impending move to McLaren and why he's ready to be a team leader, his much debated relationship with one-time team mate Max Verstappen and much, much more...

He's the granddaddy of Brazilian motorsport; a true trailblazer who, having become F1's youngest ever world champion in 1972, inspired a generation of exceptional talent in his homeland, including Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna. Emerson Fittipaldi saw it all in his Grand Prix career, from the highs of winning two world titles, 14 races, and two Indy 500s, to the lows of seeing multiple colleagues killed and his family-run team fold. On this week's episode of Beyond The Grid, presented by Bose, the great man looks back on it all, providing fascinating insight into one of F1's classic eras, and giving the inside line on the time he let Senna test his IndyCar...

This week, for the first time on Beyond The Grid, presented by Bose, we’re not speaking to a driver or a team boss, but to an engineer – and someone who’s been directly involved of some of the biggest moments in F1 in the past 20 years. Rob Smedley is probably best known to most fans as Felipe Massa’s long-standing Race Engineer, and in that role he experienced the full gamut of emotions, from the elation of race wins to the heartbreak of a narrow title loss, and the horror of seeing ‘his’ driver severely injured. 

We also talk to him about working for Ferrari, issuing controversial team orders, his impending departure from Williams, and why Michael Schumacher – a man he worked so closely with – was much more than a driver…

He streaked into F1 in 2001; a spectacular no-holds-barred racer unafraid to go wheel-to-wheel with the biggest names in the sport. But though he made a big splash, winning seven races, including the Monaco Grand Prix, Juan Pablo Montoya’s Formula 1 career lasted just five-and-a-half seasons before he suddenly said goodbye to Grand Prix racing for good.

On this week’s episode of Beyond The Grid, presented by Bose, JPM tells Tom about his short but sweet time in the top flight of racing, including his journey into F1 with Williams, his thoughts about being team mate to one Schumacher brother and chief rival to the other, why his relationship with McLaren turned sour, and just what it was like to drive the V10 cars of the day…

*We experienced some issues with interference during the recording of this week's episode in Abu Dhabi. We've made some adjustments and hope you still enjoy the show!

Though he's been in F1 a long time, you may not have been overly familiar with Otmar Szafnauer before this year. As COO of Force India, the American played a key role in turning them into one of the best pound for pound teams on the grid. But when driver Sergio Perez pulled the trigger and sent the Silverstone squad into administration in mid-2018, Szafnauer found himself on a course that ultimately led to him becoming Team Principal of a new entity: Racing Point. 

On this week’s episode of Beyond The Grid, presented by Bose, Szafnauer talks Tom through his ‘most stressful’ of seasons, discusses the potential impact of fresh funding into the team, his hopes for 2019, and his fascinating background in the sport…

This week marks the season finale of Beyond The Grid - but don't worry, we'll be back before you know it in 2019 with more conversations with the great and the good of Grand Prix racing (and much more besides). But before the chequered flag flies, there's just enough time for Tom to pick out some of his top moments of 2018. So stand by for a few laughs, a few tears and a few eye-opening revelations...

On January 3rd 2019, Michael Schumacher – statistically the most successful F1 driver of all-time – turns 50. To commemorate the occasion, Beyond The Grid is back with two special conversations with two people who know the great man better than most. 

Our first guest worked with Schumacher for all but three of his record 91 Grand Prix victories, and helped steer him to amazing seven world titles with Benetton and Ferrari: current F1 motorsport chief Ross Brawn. So sit back and enjoy as Ross discusses his enduring friendship with the driver many regard as the greatest ever, and regales host Tom Clarkson with anecdotes and stories from their lengthy and incredibly successful working relationship.

On January 3rd 2019, Michael Schumacher – statistically the most successful F1 driver of all-time – turned 50. To commemorate the occasion, last week Tom brought you a special conversation with Ross Brawn - the man who helped guide Schumacher to all but three of his 91 Grand Prix victories. 

This week, for our second and final special episode, Tom is back with an equally revealing chat with Sabine Kehm - one of the few people to have witnessed the public and private sides of Michael Schumacher, having worked with him first as a journalist, then as his PR and, more recently, as his manager. So get ready to peak behind the curtain and learn more about the other side of Grand Prix racing's greatest ever talent...

Beyond The Grid is back Wednesday 13th March. 

Make sure you subscribe now so you don't miss out on Tom Clarkson in conversation with 'The Iceman' himself: the one and only Kimi Raikkonen.

David Coulthard arrived in F1 amid one of its most turbulent periods, getting his big break at Williams in 1994 after the tragic death of superstar driver Ayrton Senna. He’d go on to race in 246 Grands Prix, winning 13 of them, including two victories each at classic venues Monaco and Silverstone. But amid the champagne celebrations there were bumpy periods too – moments of self-doubt and big crashes, both on and off the race track.

 In this week’s Beyond The Grid, DC joins TC for an honest and open appraisal of his remarkable F1 career, including his career-defining years at McLaren battling Schumacher and Hakkinen, the special diet he adopted to compete with the best, and why being super organised is the key to success…

He was handed arguably the biggest job in motor racing in his mid-twenties, when none other than Enzo Ferrari made him Sporting Director of his famous team. But rather than falter under such pressure, Luca Di Montezemolo flourished. In the Seventies, as the 'Old Man's' trusted man on the ground at races, he led the team to their first world titles in over a decade. Then in the Nineties, after several years away, he returned as President to lead Ferrari out of the doldrums and into the most successful period of their history.

 So sit back as Luca shares with Tom startling revelations about Enzo Ferrari, incredible anecdotes about Niki Lauda, Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna, and his forthright views on the last two superstars he signed for Ferrari: Alonso and Vettel.

He's the colourful Team Principal of the American Haas team, and thanks to an unforgettable appearance in the recent Netflix documentary series Formula 1: Drive To Survive, Guenther Steiner has also become something of a fan favourite. 

This week on Beyond The Grid, supported by Bose, the Italian joins host Tom Clarkson for a lively conversation about his fascinating career to date, from his early years in rallying to his time at Jaguar, and from his stint in F1 with Red Bull to the foray into NASCAR that eventually led to him spearheading the Haas F1 project. So standby for stories on being hired by Niki Lauda, working with Carlos Sainz's dad and - yes - that Netflix appearance...

He's been called ‘The Voice of F1’ - and for good reason. For more than 25 years, Murray Walker provided commentary on Grand Prix racing for the majority of the English-speaking world - and always in his own inimitable style. 

This week on a special 1000th race edition of Beyond The Grid, supported by Bose, host Tom Clarkson speaks to the legendary British broadcaster, a man whose exhilarating, excitable style behind the microphone was once memorably summed up by Australian wit Clive James as akin to someone whose "trousers are on fire".

But there was much more to Murray Walker's super-charged F1 delivery than an iconic voice - he also had authority, wit and incredible knowledge. So get ready for stories on sharing the commentary booth with James Hunt and Martin Brundle, forging relationships with Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill, dealing with the tragedies of Imola ’94, and his favourite drivers and races from F1's first 1000 races...

He’s known as a driver who makes the most of every opportunity – in the thick of the midfield battle, give Sergio Perez a sniff of a podium and the Mexican will normally take it. 

This week on Beyond The Grid, supported by Bose, ‘Checo’ tells host Tom Clarkson about where that desire and racing ability came from, taking us on a journey from his childhood in Guadalajara to his formative years in Europe, when he journeyed across the world on his own at 15 with little more than a dream to reach F1. In a revealing conversation, Perez also describes why his big move to McLaren turned sour, outlines his role in Force India’s dramatic rebirth as Racing Point, discusses his unique strengths as a driver, and reveals just why he has a steadily growing collection of watches…

He’s renowned as one of racing’s toughest nuts – a driver who gave his all on the race track and didn’t suffer fools off it. And this week on F1’s official podcast, Beyond The Grid, supported by Bose, 1980 World Champion Alan Jones regales host Tom Clarkson with no-nonsense tales from his extraordinary career. 

Having arrived in Europe from his native Australia in the early 70s, Jones worked his way into F1 before becoming a Grand Prix winner with Shadow in 1977. But it’s with Williams that AJ is inextricably linked, winning 11 world championship races for the squad, as well as their first drivers’ crown. Forthright and brutally honest, get ready for a no-holds-barred account of Jones’ career and rivals, including his flirtations with Ferrari, falling out with team mate Carlos Reutemann and his regretted early retirement. No punches are pulled! (Contains explicit content)

In the current era, it's not unheard of for a driver aged 24 to have hundreds of Grands Prix under his belt. At the same age, Damon Hill had only just begun racing cars. Then again, had his father - charismatic double F1 world champion Graham Hill - not died tragically in his formative years he might never have raced at all.

 This week on Beyond The Grid, supported by Bose, Damon talks Tom Clarkson through his remarkable career, including his long battle to get to the top, the despair of losing team mate Ayrton Senna in 1994, his eventual title glory in 1996 and much, much more...

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...

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...

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...