F1 Beyond The Grid

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Isack Hadjar + Laurent Mekies: trust, teamwork + targets Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

From scoring his first podium with the team in Monaco, to missing three races with a wrist injury, and then re-signing for 2027, Isack Hadjar has had an eventful first season at Red Bull Racing.
Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Isack opens up about what happened to his wrist, how challenging it was to miss those races and what that new contract means to him.
Plus, Isack tells Tom why he’s been ‘surprising himself’ this year, what it’s like being Max Verstappen’s teammate and his targets for the rest of the season and beyond.
Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies also joins Tom to talk about their approach to Isack’s recovery, why they’ve decided to keep him on for another year and whether Red Bull have everything they need in place to start challenging for World Championships again.

Romain Grosjean: a career of comebacks Sep 22, 2026

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‘I did all I could to survive’. A fiery crash put his life in danger, but Romain Grosjean escaped the flames and returned to racing.
As Romain tells Tom Clarkson, the crash in Bahrain was not the first time he had to rebuild his career. After a seven-race spell in Formula 1 in 2008, he was dropped for the following season. Determined to find a way back, he took a step down the motorsport ladder to the junior category, GP2, became champion, and earned a Formula 1 comeback with the same team that had previously let him go.

Romain, who has 10 F1 podiums to his name, reflects on Grands Prix he could have won, how his former team Haas have changed since he scored points for them on their debut 10 years ago, and considers his future in the Formula 1 paddock.

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Yuki Tsunoda: racing for F1 return Sep 15, 2026

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After describing 2025 as the ‘toughest year of my career’, Yuki Tsunoda was thrilled to make his F1 comeback with Racing Bulls after the summer break – stepping in for Liam Lawson while he fills in for the injured Isack Hadjar at Red Bull.

Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Yuki gives a very honest account of his struggles at Red Bull last season – revealing how it affected him personally, the biggest mistake he made and what it really felt like when he found out he wouldn’t be on the grid in 2026.

Or so it would seem… Yuki received the call that he’d be back racing in Zandvoort just three days before the first practice session, so he takes Tom inside the chaotic week that ensued, how he prepared to drive the 2026 cars for the first time at such short notice, and what it meant to score points in the second race of his comeback at Monza.

And while Yuki’s unsure how many more races he’ll compete in this season as Isack recovers, Tom asks him what the future holds from 2027 onwards.

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Pedro de la Rosa: Aston’s ambition, Fernando’s future + McLaren memories Sep 08, 2026

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Aston Martin Global Ambassador Pedro de la Rosa joins Tom Clarkson to discuss how Aston are fighting back after a difficult 2026 so far.
Pedro tells Tom how it really felt when they realised just how far behind they were during the Barcelona shakedown and whether the team’s strategy of waiting until halfway through the season to bring upgrades risked them losing two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso.
Pedro also talks more about his relationship with Alonso, including how they communicate with each other through eye contact, and what it’s like working with Aston Team Principal and legendary designer Adrian Newey.

Plus, 20 years on, Pedro reflects on his first and only F1 podium at Hungary in 2006, why that result didn’t guarantee his seat at McLaren and how ‘hurt’ he was to not race alongside Lewis Hamilton in 2008.

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Charles Leclerc: full faith in Ferrari Sep 01, 2026

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Why did he sign a new multi-year deal with Ferrari? What caused his rough patch earlier in the season? How did those struggles really make him feel? And what did victory at Silverstone mean to him after that difficult period?
Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Charles Leclerc opens up and shares really interesting insight into the ups and downs he’s experienced so far in 2026.

Charles also tells Tom what it’s like being a Ferrari driver at Monza, why Michael Schumacher had such a big influence on him growing up, whether he thinks Ferrari can challenge Mercedes for the World Championship this season, and how it feels to now be married to his wife Alexandra.

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Sergio Perez: bouncing back with Cadillac Aug 25, 2026

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After a year away from Formula 1, following his exit from Red Bull Racing at the end of 2024, Sergio Perez is back with the sport’s newest team - Cadillac.
Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Sergio talks about his last six months at Red Bull being mentally demanding, the new perspective having a year out has given him, the initial reservations he had about returning to F1 and why the Cadillac project is just as motivating for him as fighting at the front of the grid.

Checo also discusses Cadillac’s decision to replace Graeme Lowdon with Marcin Budkowski as Team Principal, why he wishes he’d enjoyed his career more and how he thinks age affects racing drivers.

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LEGENDS: Damon Hill – from ‘humiliation’ to World Champion Aug 18, 2026

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1995 was a 'catastrophe' for Damon Hill, a bruising battle on and off the track. He was determined that 1996 would be his year.

30 years since his title triumph, 1996 World Champion Damon Hill joins Tom Clarkson to reflect on his winning season. From four wins in the opening five races, to finding out he was being dropped by Williams at the end of the season while still in the championship fight, Damon talks candidly about the ups and downs of a very dramatic title-winning campaign.

He also tells Tom how he changed his approach going into 1996, after some tough battles with Michael Schumacher on and off track the year before, and why he turned down an offer to sign for McLaren despite wanting to join them.

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Ollie Bearman: High hopes with Haas + Ferrari Jul 28, 2026

Show notes

Ferrari discovered him, trained him and gave him a place in Formula 1 with Haas. Ollie Bearman dreams of driving for the Scuderia, but with Lewis Hamilton enjoying a revival and Charles Leclerc committed long-term, what does Bearman's future hold?

Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Ollie discusses what he still believes he can achieve with Haas, why this year’s results don’t reflect how much his driving has improved, and whether he’d ever leave the Ferrari family to pursue other options.

Ollie also talks about stepping up as a team leader this year, recalling the time he picked up the microphone and addressed the whole team after a few difficult races.

Plus, he explains why he was moved to tears after driving Ayrton Senna’s 1985 Lotus at Silverstone.

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Official F1 Podcasts are giving you the chance to win one pair of weekend grandstand tickets for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix 2026. You must be 18+ to enter. Competition closes on 31 July 2026. To enter and for full terms and conditions, visit f1.com/podcast-win-madrid

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Alan Permane: Lawson, Lindblad + leading Racing Bulls Jul 21, 2026

Show notes

Racing Bulls Team Principal Alan Permane says his exit from Alpine in 2023 was both ‘devastating’ and a ‘defining moment’ in his career.
‘Devastating’ because he’d been with Team Enstone for more than 30 years, winning World Championships with Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso. But ‘defining’ as it led to his first role as a Team Principal in Formula 1 – his biggest job yet.
One year since taking the reins, Alan tells Tom Clarkson why the role was not initially a natural fit for him, how he’s risen to the challenge and what changes he’s made at Racing Bulls.
He also shares fascinating insight into his drivers. What state of mind was Liam Lawson in after his demotion from Red Bull Racing? How did he produce such an impressive turnaround in form? Why does Alan describe rookie Arvid Lindblad as ‘very pushy’? And how has he dealt with some intense moments between Lawson and Lindblad on track?

Alan also talks about the unique way they decided which driver would receive the team’s latest upgrade first, whether they’d ever give Max Verstappen a test in the Racing Bulls car, and what he makes of Red Bull junior driver and F2 championship leader Nikola Tsolov.

WIN TICKETS FOR F1 IN MADRID
Official F1 Podcasts are giving you the chance to win one pair of weekend grandstand tickets for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix 2026
You must be 18+ to enter. Competition closes on 31 July 2026.
To enter and for full terms and conditions, visit f1.com/podcast-win-madrid

This episode is sponsored by:

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Damson Idris: F1: The Movie ‘changed my life’ Jul 14, 2026

Show notes

Damson Idris describes playing Formula 1 rookie Joshua Pearce in F1: The Movie - the Oscar-winning, highest-grossing sports film of all time - as a life-changing moment.
Speaking to Tom Clarkson a year since its release, Damson talks about racing in the F2 cars they used for the film, how he and co-star Brad Pitt compared against each other on track and what it was like to immerse himself in the world of Formula 1.

Damson also tells Tom about his relationship with Lewis Hamilton and why he believes the seven-time World Champion ‘has that Michael Jordan thing’. You’ll also hear about a dramatic moment during filming that showed Damson what it’s truly like to be a Formula 1 driver pushing to the limit.

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