He may have been out of the sport for a few years now, but how could anyone forget Flavio Briatore? The former Benetton and Renault boss was one of the biggest and most controversial characters in F1 throughout the Nineties and Noughties, but he was also one of the most successful, with his inimitable style leading Benetton and Renault to multiple championships. 

On this week’s show he opens up about his unlikely journey from the fashion business to F1 team boss, about working alongside Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, locking horns with McLaren boss Ron Dennis, and that most controversial topic: crashgate...

As a racer, Pedro de la Rosa competed in more than 100 Grands Prix, and drove many, many more miles as an F1 test driver for the likes of McLaren and Ferrari. And on this week’s show the Spaniard gives host Tom Clarkson a fascinating perspective on F1, from life behind the scenes during the explosive 2007 season at McLaren, to what it was like being in the garage during Lewis Hamilton’s maiden test. 

Then there are stories of Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen, racing against Red Bull boss Christian Horner, life as a test driver, and what happened when he handed in his resignation to Ron Dennis…

Beyond The Grid is back, and to kick off the new season Tom Clarkson sits down with a driver who proved a rookie sensation last year, both on and off the track: McLaren’s Lando Norris. 

In a revealing conversation, the British racer opens up about his hopes for 2020, whilst also discussing his love of gaming, his relationships with other drivers, dealing with Twitter trolls, and his rather extreme approach to cleaning the house...

 

Mark your diaries – Beyond The Grid is back Wednesday March 11. Make sure you subscribe today so you don’t miss out on Tom Clarkson in conversation with McLaren ace Lando Norris.

In a special one-off episode, we look back on the thrilling 2019 F1 Esports Series, speaking to everyone from drivers to organisers to explore what makes F1 Esports one of the most compelling and fastest growing racing series on the planet.

So here it is folks: your final episode of Beyond The Grid of the year. And what a year it’s been, with great guests every week from March to December. So what better way to bid farewell to 2019 than with Tom’s selection of his favourite moments of the season? 

We’ve stuffed a Christmas cracker full of anecdotes from the likes of Jenson Button, Kimi Raikkonen, Rubens Barrichello, David Coulthard and more. Unwrap and enjoy!

 He’s that rarest of creatures: a multifaceted, outgoing personality who also happens to be a world-class competitor, beloved by fans, media and even his fellow drivers. 

On this week’s show we go deep with Daniel Ricciardo on his life on and off the race track, from his present with Renault to his past with Red Bull; his relationship with Max Verstappen to his relationship with music, food and ultimate fighting. You asked for it, here it is: F1’s most colourful character in extended, unfiltered conversation.

To many people, Bernie Ecclestone is the Godfather of Formula One. He transformed the sport from being the expensive indulgence of rich amateurs in the 50s into the global phenomenon it is today, watched by hundreds of millions of people on television and online. 

On this week’s special show, we speak to Mr E about his incredible career, including his attempts to qualify for races as a driver, managing the interests of tragic world champion Jochen Rindt and running Brabham – including withdrawing the famous fan car! Then there’s the highs and lows of running the sport as its grand supremo…this is one chat you don’t want to miss!

This week’s guest is F1’s original iron man – a veteran of 19 seasons in the top class of racing and a record 322 Grand Prix starts. Over the course of that career, Rubens Barrichello experienced every emotion under the sun: from the despair of being injured and losing hero and countryman Ayrton Senna on the same weekend in 1994; he experienced the euphoria of winning races for Ferrari and Brawn, and also the disappointment of being forced to give up race wins for a team mate. 

The affable Brazilian speaks about all of the above, as well as the time Senna pranked him as a rookie in 1993, the time he ‘married’ Michael Schumacher on a night out, the elation of sealing a drive with Brawn in 2009 and much more!

This week’s guest is a man whose name may not be immediately familiar to everyone, but it probably should be. Why? Well quite simply this is a man who has won more world titles than anyone in history - 26 in total. 

In a glittering career in F1, Aldo Costa was a key engineer for both Ferrari and Mercedes throughout their dominant dynasties, and on this week’s show he spills the beans on what it was like to be on the inside of both historic runs; the similarities, the differences and much more besides...