F1 Beyond The Grid

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Mick Doohan: a five-time World Champion on two wheels Sep 19, 2023

Show notes

From 1994 to 1998, Mick Doohan transcended motorbike racing as he won the 500cc World Championship five years in a row.
Like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen in modern times, Mick was often invincible on the racetrack and dominated his class.
The Australian also knows Formula 1 inside out. He’s spent more than 30 years in the paddock and, with his son Jack looking to climb from F2 to F1, he’s still ever-present today.
Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Mick discusses how his winning mentality compares to some of F1’s greatest champions. He talks about his very close friendship with Michael Schumacher, what it was like to test a Williams car in 1998, Jack's development with Alpine, how two wheels compares to four, and much more.
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This episode is sponsored by…
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Gwen Lagrue: finding F1's future stars Sep 12, 2023

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Ever wondered how your Formula 1 heroes are found in the first place?
Well, George Russell, Esteban Ocon and Alex Albon may not be on the grid today if it wasn’t for the keen eye of F1 talent guru Gwen Lagrue.
He’s the Frenchman in charge of Mercedes’ junior driver programme, with a track record of uncovering hidden gems and helping them fulfil their potential in the pinnacle of motorsport.
Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Gwen talks about the traits that separated Russell, Ocon and Albon from others in their early karting years, what qualities he’s looking for when scouting young drivers, how regularly a future World Champion comes along, and some of the protégés currently on Mercedes’ radar.
Plus, you’ll hear the thoughts of Mercedes Team Principal, Toto Wolff, on their recruitment strategy and whether Max Verstappen could have ended up at the team in different circumstances.
Related Episodes
Alex Albon
Esteban Ocon
George Russell
Toto Wolff
This episode is sponsored by:
Mercedes AMG-SL: test drive the AMG SL today at your local authorised Mercedes-Benz dealer or learn more at MBUSA.com/AMG-SL
Santander: want to win exclusive Formula 1 experiences and money-can’t-buy prizes just by answering questions about F1? With Santander Lap Zero, you can be in with a chance. For more information, competition rules. full terms and conditions and to enter go to santanderlapzero.com. That’s santanderlapzero.com or search Santander Lap Zero

Nico Hulkenberg: focusing on family and F1 Sep 05, 2023

Show notes

Nico Hulkenberg will be on the grid again in 2024 after securing another year with Haas.
At the 2023 Mexican Grand Prix, the German will reach a landmark 200 Grand Prix starts – accumulated from his time at Williams, Force India (now Aston Martin), Sauber, Renault and Haas.
So how is ‘The Hulk’ that races today different to the 22-year-old that made his debut in 2010?
Nico tells Tom Clarkson how family life and his recent break from F1 have given him a completely different outlook on the sport, what his relationship with teammate Kevin Magnussen is like, whether Team Principal Guenther Steiner is just like the man we see on TV, and much more.
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Related Episodes
Nico’s first BTG appearance
Guenther Steiner
Kevin Magnussen

'The Incredible ____' - This week on F1 Beyond The Grid... Sep 04, 2023

Show notes

Which Formula 1 veteran is joining Tom Clarkson for this week's episode of F1 Beyond The Grid?
Find out here and then listen to the full episode on Wednesday 6th September.
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Fred Vasseur: pursuing the ‘pinnacle’ with Ferrari Aug 29, 2023

Show notes

Ferrari’s wait for a record 32nd World Championship is set to continue in 2023. But are the most successful team in Formula 1 history at least heading in the right direction?
Ahead of their home race at Monza, who better to answer that question than Ferrari Team Principal, Fred Vasseur?
Cracking jokes throughout, Fred tells Tom Clarkson how the culture at Ferrari is like no other he’s experienced in F1 and why this job is the ‘biggest challenge’ of his career. He talks about the development of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, the team’s strengths and weaknesses, and he sends a message to the Tifosi.
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Related Episodes

Charles Leclerc, ‘2nd isn’t enough’
Carlos Sainz
Fred’s previous F1 BTG appearance
This episode is sponsored by:
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The man under most pressure in the paddock? This week on F1 Beyond The Grid... Aug 28, 2023

Show notes

Does this person have the most scrutinised job in Formula 1?
Judge for yourself when the full episode comes out on Wednesday 30th August.
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Heinz-Harald Frentzen: Germany’s F1 cult hero Aug 22, 2023

Show notes

F1 Beyond The Grid is back after the summer break with German fan favourite and three-time Grand Prix winner Heinz-Harald Frentzen.
He tells Tom Clarkson some very intriguing tales from an eventful decade in Formula 1 - which saw him drive for Sauber, Williams, Jordan, Prost and Arrows from 1994 to 2003.
Highlights include Heinz-Harald’s sacking by Eddie Jordan halfway through the 2001 season, how telling Ron Dennis a bad joke cost him a move to McLaren, why his 1999 Championship challenge collapsed, the friendship he forged with seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher, and much more.
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Related Episodes
Eddie Jordan, Heinz-Harald’s boss at Jordan
Alain Prost, four-time World Champion and owner of Prost Racing
Jacques Villeneuve, Heinz-Harald’s teammate
Sam Michael, race engineer for Heinz-Harald at Jordan
This episode is sponsored by:
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Mercedes AMG-SL: test drive the AMG SL today at your local authorised Mercedes-Benz dealer or learn more at MBUSA.com/AMG-SL
Santander: want to win exclusive Formula 1 experiences and money-can’t-buy prizes just by answering questions about F1? With Santander Lap Zero, you can be in with a chance. For more information, competition rules. full terms and conditions and to enter go to santanderlapzero.com. That’s santanderlapzero.com or search Santander Lap Zero

F1 BTG returns with a 90's fan favourite... Aug 22, 2023

Show notes

A three-time F1 winner gives F1 Beyond The Grid his first in-depth interview for 20 years, but who is it?
Find out here, then listen to the full episode on Wednesday 23rd August.
Follow, rate and review F1 Beyond The Grid using #F1BeyondTheGrid.

Herbie Blash: race mechanic to Race Control Aug 01, 2023

Show notes

To stay in the paddock for more than half a century, you simply must adore Formula 1. The sport might have changed a lot in that time, but what has always stayed the same is Herbie Blash’s enthusiasm for F1. Now the FIA’s permanent senior advisor to the Race Director, Blash’s career began as a race mechanic at Rob Walker Racing and Lotus in the 1960’s.
30 years later, having won two World Championships as team manager of Brabham Racing in the 1980’s, Herbie switched the pit wall for Race Control – where he spent more than two decades as deputy to the late, legendary FIA Race Director Charlie Whiting.
Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Herbie relives some of the most intriguing tales of his long career; from pushing the regulations to the absolute limit with Brabham, working with World Champions like Niki Lauda, dealing with driver fatalities, becoming best mates with Charlie, his passion for motorbikes, and much more.
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Related Episodes
Bernie Ecclestone
Damon Hill
Jochen Rindt Remembered

Otmar Szafnauer on leading Alpine Jul 25, 2023

Show notes

From rural Romania to F1 Team Principal, Otmar Szafnauer’s story is as inspiring as it is unlikely. Life as Alpine boss - coping with pressure from boards of directors, dealing with drivers and leading a team of 950 people - was a world away from his early childhood in a house with no running water, in a village with only two cars.
In a conversation with Tom Clarkson recorded before Otmar left the team, he talks about what those early years taught him, the highs and lows of his decades in Formula 1, his views on the leadership of Alpine, the relationship between Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, the 2023 success of Alpine’s former drivers and the challenge of turning the team into regular race winners.

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