F1: Beyond the Grid

Lewis Hamilton: "F1 has given me a life - but it's also broken me..." 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…

Robert Kubica: "I wanted to improve as a driver... but I paid too high a price..." 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…

Mark Webber: "Maybe I could have been less intense... but there was so much at stake..." 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…

Esteban Ocon: "My family gave up everything for me - there was no choice but to succeed..." Getting to F1 is no easy task for any driver, but the story of Esteban Ocon’s route to the top reads like a Hollywood movie. On the latest episode of Beyond The Grid, presented by Bose, the Frenchman chats to Tom Clarkson about, amongst other things, the incredible sacrifices his family made in support of his career, the touching gesture he made with his first proper salary, his epic battles with fellow young gun Max Verstappen in junior racing, and the highly unusual diet that keeps him in peak physical fitness…

Martin Brundle: "I was a racer - I had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the commentary box..." 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…

Christian Horner: "The Queen once quizzed me on Multi 21..." 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: “I learnt from my father about pushing the limits and taking risks...” 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!

Gerhard Berger: "I tried to get results, but I also tried to not miss the party..." 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...

Eddie Jordan: “Starting an F1 team was the stupidest thing I ever did – you cannot imagine the stress...” 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…

Romain Grosjean: "Mark Webber wanted to punch me, and I had nothing to say in my defence..." 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...

Stefano Domenicali: “Being a normal guy, I’m proud to have been at Ferrari for so long…” 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…

Toto Wolff: "I run a successful F1 team but that's nothing compared to what other people have achieved..." 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.

Alain Prost: "You can't talk about my rivalry with Senna without understanding what happened after I retired..." 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…

Pierre Gasly: "The Red Bull programme tests you every day to see how strong you are. Once you get it, you know how to handle things..." Daniel Ricciardo’s shock decision to quit Red Bull for Renault in 2019 sent shockwaves through the F1 world – but for rising star Pierre Gasly, it handed him the biggest opportunity of his career so far. After a season and a bit of dazzling drives with Toro Rosso, the young Frenchman was promoted to Red Bull as team mate to none other than Max Verstappen. On this episode of Beyond The Grid, presented by Bose, the 22-year-old tells Tom the inside line of how the move came about, discusses how a season of racing in Japan changed him, gives a fascinating insight into his relationships with other drivers on the grid, including ‘idol’ Sebastian Vettel, and much more besides…

Johnny Herbert: "I always felt I could beat anyone, anytime, in any car. But after my accident, I never had those feelings again..." 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.

Charles Leclerc: "People say the pressure in Ferrari will be on another level - but mental strength is my biggest quality..." 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…

Nico Rosberg: "I don't miss the driving, but I miss the winning..." 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.

Jackie Stewart: "I removed emotion completely when I drove racing cars - I had to..." 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…

Claire Williams: "I had no aspirations to run an F1 team - it was never in my destiny..." 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!

Carlos Sainz: "Racing is in my blood - my father taught me a champion's mentality..." 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...

Emerson Fittipaldi: "When you left the pits you had to give yourself to the sport. You couldn't think what might happen..." 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...

Rob Smedley: "I cried for about an hour after Massa lost the 2008 title - it was so intense..." 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…

Juan Pablo Montoya: "I was different - I guess that's why I wasn't in F1 long. I didn't fit in..." 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, 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!

Otmar Szafnauer: “When Force India went into administration, my role was to keep the team together..." 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...