F1 Beyond The Grid

We’ve done something a little different this week, because we haven’t got one special guest, but four! And the glue that links the fab four is that not only do they all work at Mercedes, they’ve all been with the Brackley-based team since the beginning – back when they were BAR, then Honda, then Brawn GP and finally Mercedes. Join Tom as he shares the stories of Ron Meadows, Andrew Shovlin, Simon Cole and James Vowles and the collective highs and lows that bond them together like brothers. Sponsor: Protect yourself with expressvpn.com/GRID

Yuki Tsunoda may be the latest Japanese racing hero, but he’s got a way to go to match the achievements of Tom’s guest this week: Kamui Kobayashi. In 75 races in F1 for Sauber and Caterham, Kobayashi earned himself a podium on home soil at Suzuka, more points than any other Japanese driver in history and cult hero status among fans. He’s also the man Sergio Perez credits for teaching him the dark art of tyre management.  Kobayashi discusses all of the above and more, including the famous first impression he made on Jenson Button in 2009 and what he thinks of his successor, Mr Tsunoda…

Having joined McLaren in May 2019, Team Principal Andreas Seidl has been a key cog in the Woking team’s recent renaissance. But get to know him and it’s easy to see why.  On this week’s show the German discusses his hopes and aspirations for 2021 and why he couldn’t be happier with his driver line-up of Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo. He also opens up on his management style, what he learned on the way up with BMW in F1 and with Porsche at Le Mans, and why standing on the grid at Monaco will always be such a special feeling…

Beyond The Grid is back for a new season, and for our first episode we’re proud to bring you a driver who is firmly in the spotlight in 2021: Sergio Perez. No one on the grid has experienced as many ups and downs as the Mexican over the last 12 months, from being the first driver to catch Covid-19 to losing his race seat, to winning his first race to landing a last-minute dream move to Red Bull. Checo speaks about all of the above and much more, as well as giving us some fascinating insight into his new working relationships with Max Verstappen, Christian Horner, Adrian Newey and Helmut Marko… Sponsor: Protect yourself with expressvpn.com/GRID

To millions of F1 fans around the world, Murray Walker was much more than an F1 commentator. He was the man that brought their passion to life, with his unmistakable voice sound-tracking – and enhancing – some of the greatest moments in the sport’s history.  As the world mourns his sad passing, at the age of 97, we bring you Tom’s conversation with Murray from early 2019, as he looked back on his incredible life story, from the battlefields of World War Two to F1 commentary boxes across the globe.

Mark your diaries – Beyond The Grid is back Wednesday March 17 with more raw, open and honest conversations with the biggest names in F1, from world champions to new-gen sensations, engineering gods to mighty team managers. Don’t miss it!  

In the third of our Beyond The Grid Revisited episodes, where we delve into the show’s archives, we look back on Tom’s conversation with F1’s resident Iceman: Kimi Raikkonen.   At the time of recording, Kimi was just about to embark on his first season with Alfa Romeo, after departing Ferrari. He was in extremely good spirits and, in a rare feature-length interview, was happy to open up on everything from his party boy past to the joys of fatherhood.     Beyond The Grid will be back with a new series in March.

In the second of our Beyond The Grid Revisited episodes, where we delve into the archives, we look back on Tom’s conversation with a fresh-faced Charles Leclerc in October 2018.   At the time, Leclerc was still enjoying a first season of F1 with Alfa Romeo Sauber, but with one eye on Ferrari after signing a deal to race for the Scuderia in 2019. Listen to him discuss his hopes and emotions about racing in red, and about overcoming hardships in his emotional journey to the top of world motorsport.     Beyond The Grid will be back with a new series in March.

In the first of our Beyond The Grid Revisited episodes, where we delve into the archives, we turn the clock back to our very first episode in 2018 to hear from Lewis Hamilton - then only a four-time champion.  The Briton discussed how the sport had shaped him, how his interests away from F1 keep him grounded and much, much more.  Beyond The Grid will be back with a new series in March.

This is our final episode of 2020, and my goodness what a year it’s been, both in F1 itself and on this very podcast.  We’ve had lots of great guests, lots of wonderful anecdotes, lot of laughs and quite a few tears too. And - we hope you agree - some real insights into some of the sport’s high-rollers. On this special episode, Tom has picked some of his favourite stories and anecdotes from the guests he’s spoken to this year, including gems from Sebastian Vettel, George Russell, Lando Norris, Riccardo Patrese and more!