Episodes

  • Adrian Reynard: a founding father of Brawn GP + Mercedes

    Adrian Reynard: a founding father of Brawn GP + Mercedes
    Jul 29 2025
    Adrian Reynard's motor racing outfit were one of the best in the world during the 1980s and '90s – winning multiple championships across Formula 3000, F3 and IndyCar.
    Reynard Racing Cars also held an impressive record of winning the first race of every major single-seater competition they entered.

    But when Adrian helped create the British American Racing F1 team in 1999, expectations were high and that previous success didn’t quite translate in the pinnacle of motorsport.

    Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Adrian tells the fascinating story of BAR - how the team was formed with 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, why a big falling out with Team Principal Craig Pollock led to Adrian resigning, and how he helped lay the foundations for that team to later become World Champions as Brawn GP and then Mercedes.

    Adrian reflects on his F1 ventures before BAR as well - including a failed attempt to create his own team in 1990, despite selling his house to fund it, and his experiences with March F1 as a 29-year-old Technical Director in the 1980s.

    And Adrian also talks about inspiring legendary engineers like Rory Byrne and Pat Symonds, why he had an up-and-down relationship with the late Eddie Jordan, and the small part he played in the car that Michael Schumacher won his first F1 race in.

    DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION CHARTER
    To find out more about the Diversity and Inclusion charter agreed by all 10 F1 teams, Formula 1 and the FIA, with support from the Royal Academy of Engineering and Sir Lewis Hamilton’s foundation, Mission 44, click here

    It's All To Drive For in 2025. Be there!
    Book your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.com

    Listen to more official F1 podcasts
    Every race analysed on F1 Nation
    Expert answers to your questions on F1 Explains

    THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY:

    Babbel: F1 Beyond The Grid listeners get 55% off subscriptions at babbel.com/grid

    Vanta: visit vanta.com/grid to sign up for a free demo today
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Alex Albon: changing people's perceptions

    Alex Albon: changing people's perceptions
    Jul 22 2025
    Alex Albon went into 2025 facing one big question.

    With the arrival of Carlos Sainz at Williams, how would he measure up against his most competitive teammate since racing alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull?

    So far, Alex has answered that question on track – having the edge over Carlos in qualifying and on race day in the first half of the season.

    But Alex never doubted his ability to rise to that challenge. So, is he a better driver than last year or are we just appreciating his talent more?

    Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Alex talks about what it’s like having Carlos on the other side of the garage, what changes he has made to his approach this year, why the culture and energy at Williams feels different, and how his relationship with Team Principal James Vowles is growing.

    Plus, Alex also looks ahead to 2026 and the arrival of new cars and regulations. Will next season be his time to shine?

    It's All To Drive For in 2025. Be there!
    Book your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.com

    Listen to more official F1 podcasts
    Every race analysed on F1 Nation
    Expert answers to your questions on F1 Explains

    THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY…

    Select Quote: Life insurance is never cheaper than it is today. Get the right life insurance for you, for less, and save more than 50% at selectquote.com/beyondthegrid

    Caldera Lab: Whether you’re starting fresh or upgrading your routine, Caldera Lab makes skincare simple and effective. Head to calderaLab.com/grid and use GRID at checkout for 20% off your first order.

    Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at shopify.com/beyondthegrid
    Show More Show Less
    53 mins
  • Perry McCarthy: driving for 90s non-starters Andrea Moda

    Perry McCarthy: driving for 90s non-starters Andrea Moda
    Jul 15 2025
    He drove for one of the least competitive teams in F1 history. He never started a race. Just making it to Formula 1 was ‘a million to one’ shot for Perry McCarthy. Through extraordinary determination, he did it.
    When his raw talent behind the wheel was spotted at his local racetrack, McCarthy set his sights on racing at the top. He worked on a North Sea oil rig to raise money to fund his career. Racing in Formula 3000 and sports cars in America led to a chance in F1 with Andrea Moda – a team which only raced for one season in 1992. When Perry made it to the track, the car either broke down or was too slow to make it through an extra ‘pre-qualifying’ session.
    From climbing the motorsport ladder with drivers including Damon Hill, to testing with Michael Schumacher at Benetton, and later becoming the mysterious ‘Stig’ on TV’s Top Gear, Perry tells Tom Clarkson an eye-opening story from a different era of Formula 1.

    This episode is sponsored by:

    Vanta: visit vanta.com/GRID to sign up for a free demo today

    Shopfiy: sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at shopify.com/beyondthegrid
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 19 mins
  • Anthony Davidson: reaching the pinnacle through talent + testing

    Anthony Davidson: reaching the pinnacle through talent + testing
    Jul 8 2025
    Racing twice in 2002 with Minardi and once again three years later with BAR Honda in 2005, Anthony Davidson’s Formula 1 career had a few false starts. But in 2007, he finally got a full-time shot with Super Aguri.

    Although his F1 career ended just over a year later, Anthony is rightly proud to have reached the top of motorsport.

    Speaking to Tom Clarkson, he discusses the ups and down of his time in F1 – telling us why he was a better test driver than racing driver, how his incredibly short-notice cameo at the 2005 Malaysian Grand Prix came about, why a groundhog cost him his best ever finish in F1, and what it was like to be involved in the so-called ‘Tyre War era’ of Formula 1.

    Anthony also opens up about winning the World Endurance Championship with Sebastian Buemi in 2014 and why that meant so much to him having felt like ‘everything was lost’ after F1.

    Now a simulator driver for Mercedes, Ant explains how much the sim technology has improved over time, what impact his work has on Mercedes’ performance during race weekends and whether sim racing makes Max Verstappen a better driver.

    F1 The Movie – in cinemas June 25th internationally, June 27th in North America
    Find a screening near you at f1themovie.com

    It's All To Drive For in 2025. Be there!
    Book your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.com

    Listen to more official F1 podcasts
    Every race analysed on F1 Nation
    Expert answers to your questions on F1 Explains

    This episode is sponsored by:

    F1 Experiences: want to get closer to Formula 1 than ever before? Visit f1experiences.com/beyondthegrid to book your official ticket package today.

    Vanta: visit vanta.com/GRID to sign up for a free demo today!

    Indeed: get a $75 sponsored job credit to
    get your jobs more visibility at indeed.com/GRID


    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 17 mins
  • F1 at Downing Street - with the UK Prime Minister, James Vowles, Oliver Bearman + Cadillac boss Graeme Lowdon

    F1 at Downing Street - with the UK Prime Minister, James Vowles, Oliver Bearman + Cadillac boss Graeme Lowdon
    Jul 4 2025
    To celebrate 75 years of the Formula 1 World Championship, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer invited drivers, Team Principals and others from the sport to 10 Downing Street - the heart of government in the UK.

    In a special episode of F1 Beyond The Grid, the Prime Minister tells Tom Clarkson why he's 'proud' of the sport's success and its £12bn annual contribution to the UK economy. Williams Team Principal James Vowles explains how teams find the very best young engineers.

    It is one year since Oliver Bearman was announced as a full-time F1 driver for Haas. Sitting in the Downing Street garden, he describes the 'surreal' feeling of stepping through Number 10's famous black front door, and looks forward to racing in front of his home fans at Silverstone.

    Cadillac join the F1 grid in 2026. Team Principal Graeme Lowdon tells Tom about their dual bases in the US and UK, and gives a peek at preparations for their first Grand Prix.

    Plus, Mercedes graduate aerodynamicist Daniel McCulla talks about how he got his start in F1, what he studied at university and the importance of never giving up on a career in the sport. Formula 1 and the UK government support aspiring engineers with scholarships, Apprenticeships and work placements at Formula 1 teams.

    Listen to more official F1 podcasts
    Lando Norris: raising his game - this week on F1 Beyond The Grid
    F1 Nation previews the 2025 British Grand Prix
    The story of the British Grand Prix - this week on F1 Explains
    Show More Show Less
    23 mins
  • Lando Norris: raising his game

    Lando Norris: raising his game
    Jul 1 2025
    This episode is brought to you by Dropbox Dash, an official technology partner of the McLaren Formula 1 team.
    Now a multiple race winner, podium finisher and polesitter, Lando Norris is ready to take the next step in his Formula 1 career and become World Champion.
    To do so in 2025, he’ll have to beat his equally talented teammate Oscar Piastri. But despite a sometimes challenging first half of the season, Lando says he’s a better driver this year and just needs to find some consistency.
    Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Lando talks about how he’s evolved as a driver on and off track since winning his first Grand Prix in Miami in 2024, what McLaren are doing differently in their approach since becoming Constructors’ World Champions, how he moved on from his collision with Oscar in Canada and why he’s working hard to switch off from Formula 1 when he’s not racing.
    Lando also tells us how F1 The Movie star Brad Pitt performed in the 2023 McLaren car at Austin recently and what it would mean to win his home race at this weekend’s British Grand Prix.
    Plus, Lando’s race engineer Will Joseph joins the pod to discuss how their relationship has changed since they started working together in 2019.

    This episode is sponsored by:

    Shopify - sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at shopify.com/beyondthegrid

    Liquid.I.V. - go to liquidiv.com and get 20% off your first order with code GRID at checkout
    Show More Show Less
    47 mins
  • Brad Pitt: becoming Sonny Hayes for F1 The Movie

    Brad Pitt: becoming Sonny Hayes for F1 The Movie
    Jun 24 2025
    For F1 The Movie, Brad Pitt lived the high-speed life of a Formula 1 driver. He drove with seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton. He learned to race. He spent years shooting scenes at racetracks around the world.

    The result is what he calls ‘the most visceral feeling you will get in a race car of anything put on film’ - F1 The Movie, in cinemas on June 25th and June 27th in North America.

    Brad Pitt tells Tom Clarkson about making the movie, the ‘adrenaline’ he felt driving on spectacular Formula 1 circuits, what he learned from his time with Lewis Hamilton and how getting close to F1 cars and drivers took his breath away.

    Plus, he reveals the true F1 stories which inspired the character of Sonny Hayes, describes the feeling of driving a real F1 car, and hints at his hopes for a sequel.

    F1 The Movie – in cinemas June 25th internationally, June 27th in North America
    Find a screening near you at f1themovie.com

    It's All To Drive For in 2025. Be there!
    Book your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.com

    This episode is sponsored by:

    Ridge - improving the things you carry every day
    For a limited time, go to ridge.com and use the code GRID for 10% off wallets, key cases + more
    Show More Show Less
    29 mins
  • Isack Hadjar: ‘I’m a fighter’

    Isack Hadjar: ‘I’m a fighter’
    Jun 17 2025
    He took some blows on his climb to Formula 1. Now Isack Hadjar is toe-to-toe with the heavyweights.
    Hadjar’s first F1 race was over before it began, as he slid off the track on a rain-soaked day in Australia. He tells Tom Clarkson how previous setbacks helped him get back on his feet, and establish himself as one of the best young drivers in the sport.
    Hadjar describes himself as ‘a fighter’, and he picks the World Champion he most wants to face up to as team mates. He talks about the difficult step from Formula 2 to F1, life in Red Bull’s driver program, how his parents inspired him to reach the highest level, and how he earned his nickname, ‘Le Petit Prost’.
    Experience F1: The Movie on the big screen
    Only in cinemas June 27
    Tickets at f1themovie.com


    This episode is sponsored by:

    Shopify: sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at shopify.com/beyondthegrid

    Vanta: for a limited time, listeners get $1,000 off Vanta at vanta.com/grid.


    Show More Show Less
    43 mins