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F1: Beyond The Grid

Latest episodes

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Aug 22, 2023 • 2min

F1 BTG returns with a 90's fan favourite...

Three-time F1 winner, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, makes his first in-depth interview appearance in 20 years on F1 Beyond The Grid. He shares compelling anecdotes from his racing career with different teams, offering behind-the-scenes insights for avid motorsport fans.
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Aug 1, 2023 • 1h 15min

Herbie Blash: race mechanic to Race Control

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. Follow, rate and review F1 Beyond The Grid and share this episode using #F1BeyondTheGrid. Related Episodes Bernie Ecclestone Damon Hill  Jochen Rindt Remembered 
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Jul 25, 2023 • 49min

Otmar Szafnauer on leading Alpine

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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Jul 18, 2023 • 51min

Mario Illien: powering F1 champions

Engineer or artist? Mario Illien is both.  The Swiss engine designer powered McLaren to glory in the 1990s, and helped make F1’s current hybrid engines the most efficient in the world. Working in isolation for up to 18 hours a day, Mario has spent decades using exotic materials to make light, efficient and powerful engines for F1 and IndyCar legends. He tells Tom Clarkson the secrets of a great F1 power unit, which drivers were able to get the most out of an engine, and how he and his company Ilmor powered teams to Indy 500 victories and F1 World Championships. Plus, tales of 1000 horsepower engines, top secret projects and racing from Paris to Beijing. Invite a friend to listen using the share button and #F1BeyondTheGrid. Check out F1 Nation’s preview of the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, and Formula Why’s latest episode for answers to your F1 questions.  This episode is sponsored by:  Silverstone Museum: cement your superfan status at Silverstone Museum – go to silverstonemuseum.co.uk and use the code BEYOND15 to save 15% Factor: head to factormeals.com/btg50 and use code btg50 to get 50% off
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Jul 11, 2023 • 56min

Christian Klien: Red Bull’s first F1 prodigy

This episode is brought to you by GetYourGuide — the leading online platform for travel experiences. Book your behind-the-scenes tour of McLaren HQ at getyourguide.com. Multiple World Champions and now a dominant force in Formula 1, it’s easy to forget Red Bull Racing’s humble beginnings back in 2005. They’ve produced F1 stars like Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly, but the first man to graduate from Red Bull’s junior programme and race for the team was Christian Klien. His time in the sport was shorter than hoped, reduced to test driver roles after just three years on the grid. But in faster cars, his talent may have been far more obvious. Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Christian reflects on his F1 venture - explaining why it didn’t last longer and how he knew it was time to leave the sport in 2010. He also talks about his former teammates, Mark Webber and David Coulthard, why Red Bull was renowned for being a party team, his thoughts on the 2023 season, and much more. Follow, rate and review F1 Beyond The Grid and share this episode using #F1BeyondTheGrid Related Episodes David Coulthard  Mark Webber  Christian Horner, Red Bull’s Team Principal on masterminding their return to the top  Don't forget you can get 15% off when you book your tickets to Silverstone Museum by using the code BEYOND15 at silverstonemuseum.co.uk
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Jul 4, 2023 • 43min

Lando Norris: driving McLaren’s revival

 This episode is brought to you by Salesforce, Official CRM Technology Partner of Formula 1. Visit Salesforce.com/F1 to learn more about how Formula 1 wows fans and grows its global fanbase with Salesforce. 2023 has been one of Lando Norris’ most challenging Formula 1 seasons so far. McLaren have simply not had the race pace to challenge their rivals for podiums. But Lando’s impressive P4 at the Austrian Grand Prix may be a sign of better things to come during the rest of the year. In a candid conversation with Tom Clarkson, it’s clear how committed Lando is to winning with McLaren in the future. He talks about the extra pressure and responsibility of being the team’s senior driver and how his fans make a huge difference to his performance at the British Grand Prix. Lando also discusses coping with fame, dealing with criticism, and even what kind of dad he hopes to be one day. Plus, hear how new teammate Oscar Piastri compares to his predecessor Daniel Ricciardo. Follow, rate and review F1 Beyond The Grid and share this episode using #F1BeyondTheGrid. Related episodes Lando’s first Beyond The Grid appearance Lando’s previous Beyond The Grid interview  Oscar Piastri  Daniel Ricciardo 
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Jun 27, 2023 • 48min

James Vowles: aiming to win with Williams

Williams haven’t won a Formula 1 title since 1997. In recent years, they’ve become all too familiar with the back of the grid. But after Alex Albon’s mighty P7 in Canada, is Team Principal James Vowles starting to turn things around? He arrived at Williams with a wealth of experience and a winning mentality – having played a huge role in Mercedes’ unprecedented eight Constructor Championships in a row. Speaking to Tom Clarkson at the team’s base in Grove, James outlines what success looks like for Williams in the near future. He talks about where the team is lacking compared to others, how Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant are working together, and the lessons he’s learned from Mercedes. Plus, hear how Lewis Hamilton compares to other World Champions James has worked with, and much more. Follow, rate and review F1 Beyond The Grid and share this episode using #F1BeyondTheGrid. Related episodes Alex Albon  Logan Sargeant Lewis Hamilton Toto Wolff, Mercedes Team Principal  Ross Brawn, special episode on Brawn GP’s fairytale 2009 season  Mercedes’ Brackley Boys, featuring James, on 20 years of racing together
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Jun 20, 2023 • 56min

Giancarlo Fisichella: history with Ferrari, Force India + Fernando Alonso

His 14 F1 seasons were filled with drama, shocks and history. Three-time Grand Prix winner Giancarlo Fisichella is rightly very proud to have stayed at the top for so long, fulfilling his dreams of becoming a Formula 1 driver and racing for Ferrari.  From his dramatic first win with the Jordan team at Brazil in 2003, to the unlikely pole he took for underdogs Force India at Belgium in 2009, Giancarlo has experienced the most emotional highs F1 has to offer and he relives those iconic memories with Tom Clarkson.  He talks about helping Renault teammate Fernando Alonso become a two-time World Champion, the ‘pressure and power’ he felt as an Italian driving for Ferrari, whether his F1 journey would have continued had he not joined the Scuderia, and much more. Follow, rate and review F1 Beyond The Grid and share this episode using #F1BeyondTheGrid. Related episodes Fernando Alonso  Eddie Jordan, owner of Jordan team  Ralf Schumacher, Giancarlo’s teammate at Jordan  This episode is sponsored by MoneyGram: convert your digital currency to cash and back again using the only digital wallets with real cash access activated by MoneyGram. Learn more at moneygram.com/stellarwallets.
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Jun 19, 2023 • 2min

'Pressure and power' - this week on BTG...

A race-winning fan favourite is TC's guest on this week's F1 Beyond The Grid. Hit play to find out who it is, then hit follow so you get the episode as soon as it's released on Wednesday 21st of June. Use the share button and #F1BeyondTheGrid to tell other F1 fans about the podcast. Check out other Official F1 Podcasts: F1 Nation - race reviews and previews recorded inside the F1 Paddock Formula Why - answering your questions about F1
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Jun 13, 2023 • 49min

Stefano Domenicali: leading F1 forward

What does the future hold for Formula 1? New races? New teams? New rules? F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali answers all these questions and many more in an intriguing chat with Tom Clarkson.  Domenicali knows what success tastes like. He won multiple World Championships as a leader at Ferrari. Now he plans to harness those experiences and continue evolving the sport, amidst a huge boom in popularity worldwide. Stefano explains his approach to the presidency since taking over from Chase Carey in 2021 and why he’s not afraid to make big decisions for the good of Formula 1.  He also tells Tom about the relationship between F1 and the FIA, what he’s expecting from the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix and whether he thinks Max Verstappen is one of the greatest drivers of all time. Follow, rate and review F1 Beyond The Grid and share this episode using #F1BeyondTheGrid.   Related Episodes  Stefano Domenicali’s first Beyond The Grid appearance Listen to other official F1 Podcasts F1 Nation - race previews and reviews from the F1 Paddock Formula Why - answering your questions about Formula 1 This episode is sponsored by:  MoneyGram: flex your finances using the only digital wallets with real cash access activated by MoneyGram. Learn more at moneygram.com/stellarwallets. ExpressVPN: go to expressvpn.com/GRID and you can get an extra three months of ExpressVPN for FREE! F1 Authentics: find your ultimate piece of F1 history and head over to F1Authentics.com to shop now! Enter the code GRID10’ at checkout to receive 10% off your order. HelloFresh: visit hellofresh.com/grid16 and use code grid16 for 16 free meals plus free shipping!

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