F1 Beyond The Grid

‘It’s a huge step… but the peak is miles away’. That’s how George Russell sums up racing for Mercedes. Since George joined the team’s young driver programme in 2017 he knew he could rise to the seat of a Silver Arrow Formula 1 car. How did he get there, and how high will he rise in the future? George tells Tom Clarkson about emotive highs with his former team, Williams, a bitter disappointment on his Mercedes debut in Sakhir and a learning moment in Italy which helped shaped him into the driver and the man he is today. Hear about the pressure George races under at Mercedes, his relationships with his colleagues, his view of his place in the sport, his principles and his ambitions in this in-depth conversation. Related episodes:  George Russell’s first BTG interview from July 2020 This episode is sponsored by:  Harry's: get hold of a free travel sized face wash when you redeem a free Harry’s Trial set at harrys.com/grid. All you need to cover is £3.95 for delivery

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Zhou Guanyu’s route to F1 was epic. As a child he watched the Chinese Grand Prix from the grandstands and dreamed of joining his racing heroes. But with no footsteps to follow in, he had to plot his own path. Before he was even a teenager he moved from his home city of Shanghai to the other side of the world to test his talent behind the wheel. Fighting homesickness and intimidation from his racing rivals, he proved himself. Zhou tells Tom Clarkson about the sacrifices, key decisions, victories and personal loss he experienced along the way. Now he’s racing his childhood heroes as the first Chinese driver to compete in Formula 1.  Zhou has already made history for his country and, as he says himself, he’s only just getting started. This episode is sponsored by:  Shopify: sign up for a FREE fourteen-day trial at shopify.co.uk/grid Athletic Greens: get a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase at athleticgreens.com/f1btg Calm: visit calm.com/grid for 40% off unlimited access to Calm’s entire library

During his ten year career, Belgian driver Thierry Boutsen delivered consistently. He stacked up 164 races, 15 podiums and 3 Grand Prix wins; even beating the legendary Ayrton Senna to the top of the podium when driving for Williams at the Hungaroring in 1990. Thierry has always been driven by his passions, his love of speed began racing motorbikes in rainy Belgian woodland where he would develop the skills that would eventually help him take his first victory in difficult conditions at the 1989 Canadian Grand Prix. His Formula One debut was with Arrows at his home race in Spa in 1983, the same track it would end on a decade later when he briefly joined the Jordan team. Thierry tells Tom Clarkson all about his journey to F1, the race wins that define his career, his deep interest in engineering and his close bond with good friend Ayrton Senna. This episode is sponsored by:  Babbel: go to uk.babbel.com/play, and use promo code GRID for an extra six months free  Shopify: sign up for a FREE fourteen-day trial at shopify.co.uk/grid  LinkedIn Jobs: visit linkedin.com/GRID to post a job for free. Terms and conditions apply

With a career spanning four decades, Frank Dernie knows a thing or two about how to make a car fast. After joining Williams in the late 70's as Patrick Head's aerodynamic assistant, helping design the successful FW08 chassis, he went on to work with some of Formula One's biggest stars, greatest teams and the fastest cars on the grid. A pioneer in his field, Frank was the first person in the sport to use computer aided design and is the man to thank for bringing the Williams team's active suspension to life. His analytical and data driven mind was in hot demand in the paddock from teams and drivers alike as he developed his race winning cars. In this episode Frank lets us take a peek inside his brilliant mind as he takes us back to those early days at Williams working with Sir Frank Williams, Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet, testing with Alain Prost and all that fell in between. Related episodes: Nigel Mansell This episode is sponsored by:  Athletic Greens: get a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. Visit athleticgreens.com/f1btg  Calm: get 40% off a Calm Premium subscription at calm.com/grid ExpressVPN: Secure your online data today at expressvpn.com/grid and get three extra months free. 

As a young racer growing up in America in the 60s, Bobby Rahal idolised people like Phil Hill, Dan Gurney and Mario Andretti - drivers who had made it across the Atlantic to drive in Formula 1. He dreamt of doing the same; of travelling to Europe to race at the circuits he'd read about in magazines and going wheel to wheel with his racing heroes. After making a name for himself on US road circuits and putting in some stand-out performances in Formula 3, that F1 opportunity came in 1978 when Walter Wolf offered Bobby a seat alongside Jody Scheckter at the US and Canadian Grand Prix. They were the last two races of the season and, sadly, they would be the first and last races that Bobby would contest in Formula 1. Although his time at the top was brief, Bobby’s legacy lives on as one of a handful of American drivers to have made it to F1. In this episode, Bobby addresses the need for more US drivers on the grid and he winds back the decades to reveal the passions that fuelled his love of European motorsport, his journey to F1 and what really happened at those two races back in 1978.  This episode is sponsored by:  Harry's: Head to harrys.com/grid to have your free Trial set delivered and start a Shave Plan. And your free face wash will be added at checkout! All you cover is £3.95 for delivery Credit Karma:  visit creditkarma.com/loanoffers to see personalized offers BetterHelp: get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/grid

McLaren technical director James Key is one of the youngest tech chiefs in Formula One. He’s very bright, he’s super-organised and he’s ultra-competitive, all attributes that he’s using to drive the team back to the top of the sport. In this episode, James opens up to Tom Clarkson about McLaren’s difficult start to the 2022 season, when their cars finished 14th and 15th in the Bahrain Grand Prix, and how the team pulled together in the days that followed to improve the MCL36. Only three races later Lando Norris finished third at Imola. James also gives a fascinating insight into what it’s like to work with McLaren drivers Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, and how they're adjusting to the new 2022-spec cars, and he hints at what we can expect from them as the season unfolds. We also hear about James'  journey to F1, the technological advances he's been a part of, the highs, the lows and most importantly: what the future holds for McLaren. : Related episodes from the BTG archive: Lando Norris  Daniel Ricciardo  Andreas Seidl, McLaren Team Principal  Zak Brown, McLaren CEO Steve Nichols, Engineer  Alain Prost Mika Hakkinen This episode is sponsored by:  Formula 1 Eyewear: Check out their Red, Gold and Trackside Collections of eyewear with their at formulaeyewear.com Shopify: visit shopify.com/beyondthegrid for a FREE fourteen-day trial and get full access to Shopify’s entire suite of features Hello Fresh: go to hellofresh.com/grid16 and use code grid16 for up to 16 free meals AND 3 free gifts!

From frustration which drove him to tears in 2019, to an incredible F1 victory in 2021, Esteban Ocon has felt the extreme lows and highs of a racing driver’s life. After losing his race seat at Force India, Ocon spent a season as reserve driver for Mercedes in 2019. A year of ‘low moments’ opened his eyes to what he jokingly calls ‘the dark side’ of F1 – the off-track negotiations which can determine a driver’s future just as much on-track results. Wiser and more determined, Esteban returned to racing with Renault in 2020, scored his first podium and became a Grand Prix winner with Alpine. On his return to F1 Beyond The Grid, the Frenchman tells Tom Clarkson all about that chapter of his life, and looks ahead to the story he’s determined to write with Alpine. Plus, F1 friendships, the importance of clean racing, and why he sees the Spanish Grand Prix as a home race. Related episodes from the BTG archive Esteban Ocon’s first appearance  Fernando Alonso, Esteban’s Alpine teammate  Otmar Szafnauer on Force India’s administration  Mick Schumacher Lance Stroll This episode is sponsored by:  Calm: Get an exclusive offer of 40% off a Calm Premium subscription at calm.com/GRID F1 Manager: Launching on PC, PlayStation and Xbox, Summer 2022. Visit F1manager.com to Wishlist the game on your platform of choice and follow @F1Manager on Twitter to stay up to speed Babbel: Get six months free with a purchase of a 6-month subscription with promo code GRID. 

40 years ago, in May 1982, Formula 1 lost a marvellous maverick. No-one else drove a car quite like Gilles Villeneuve. He lost his life in a crash while at the very peak of his racing powers. In this special episode, those who knew Gilles share their memories and stories with Tom Clarkson. F1 World Champions Mario Andretti and Jody Scheckter and 7-time Grand Prix winner Rene Arnoux raced alongside Villeneuve and were close to him as friends. Jonathan Giacobazzi idolised Gilles; his family’s name appeared as a sponsor on the Canadian’s race suit, and their families travelled the racetracks of Europe together. Jochen Mass was also a good friend of Villeneuve – a fact that makes his blameless involvement in the crash which claimed his life even more tragic. They remember Gilles as a person, a teammate, a rival and a friend, and consider why he is still so adored, 40 years after his death. This episode is sponsored by:  Credit Karma: Head to creditkarma.com/loanoffers to see personalized offers  LinkedIn Jobs: Go to linkedin.com/GRID to post a job for free. Terms and conditions apply. F1 Manager: Launching on PC, PlayStation and Xbox, Summer 2022. Visit F1manager.com to Wishlist the game on your platform of choice and follow @F1Manager on Twitter to stay up to speed 

Growing up in Northern California, a young Alexander Rossi dreamed of racing in Formula 1. His route was not an easy one. Along the way he experienced false starts, unfulfilled promises, behind the scenes power moves and the tragic loss of his friend and teammate Jules Bianchi. Alex tells Tom Clarkson everything that led to his 5 Grands Prix in 2015 and just how close he was to staying in the sport for a longer time. Today, Alex is pushing to add the IndyCar Championship to his Indy 500 win,  supported by team boss Michael Andretti, and challenged by teammate Colton Herta. Alex also has tales of racing at Indy with Fernando Alonso, and competing in Mexico’s extreme truck race, the Baja 1000. Related episodes from the BTG archive The USA’s first F1 World Champion, Phil Hill, remembered  Mario Andretti – 1978 F1 World Champion  Eddie Cheever – the USA’s most experienced F1 driver  Danny Sullivan – from NY taxi driver to F1  NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon on his F1 drive  F1 driver and IndyCar star, Juan Pablo Montoya This episode is sponsored by: F1 Manager: Launching on PC, PlayStation & Xbox, Summer 2022. Visit F1manager.com to Wishlist the game on your platform of choice and follow @F1Manager on Twitter to stay up to speed  Express VPN: Secure your online data TODAY by visiting expressvpn.com/grid and get an extra three months FREE