F1 Beyond The Grid

He’s known as a driver who makes the most of every opportunity – in the thick of the midfield battle, give Sergio Perez a sniff of a podium and the Mexican will normally take it. 

This week on Beyond The Grid, supported by Bose, ‘Checo’ tells host Tom Clarkson about where that desire and racing ability came from, taking us on a journey from his childhood in Guadalajara to his formative years in Europe, when he journeyed across the world on his own at 15 with little more than a dream to reach F1. In a revealing conversation, Perez also describes why his big move to McLaren turned sour, outlines his role in Force India’s dramatic rebirth as Racing Point, discusses his unique strengths as a driver, and reveals just why he has a steadily growing collection of watches…

He's been called ‘The Voice of F1’ - and for good reason. For more than 25 years, Murray Walker provided commentary on Grand Prix racing for the majority of the English-speaking world - and always in his own inimitable style. 

This week on a special 1000th race edition of Beyond The Grid, supported by Bose, host Tom Clarkson speaks to the legendary British broadcaster, a man whose exhilarating, excitable style behind the microphone was once memorably summed up by Australian wit Clive James as akin to someone whose "trousers are on fire".

But there was much more to Murray Walker's super-charged F1 delivery than an iconic voice - he also had authority, wit and incredible knowledge. So get ready for stories on sharing the commentary booth with James Hunt and Martin Brundle, forging relationships with Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill, dealing with the tragedies of Imola ’94, and his favourite drivers and races from F1's first 1000 races...

He's the colourful Team Principal of the American Haas team, and thanks to an unforgettable appearance in the recent Netflix documentary series Formula 1: Drive To Survive, Guenther Steiner has also become something of a fan favourite. 

This week on Beyond The Grid, supported by Bose, the Italian joins host Tom Clarkson for a lively conversation about his fascinating career to date, from his early years in rallying to his time at Jaguar, and from his stint in F1 with Red Bull to the foray into NASCAR that eventually led to him spearheading the Haas F1 project. So standby for stories on being hired by Niki Lauda, working with Carlos Sainz's dad and - yes - that Netflix appearance...

He was handed arguably the biggest job in motor racing in his mid-twenties, when none other than Enzo Ferrari made him Sporting Director of his famous team. But rather than falter under such pressure, Luca Di Montezemolo flourished. In the Seventies, as the 'Old Man's' trusted man on the ground at races, he led the team to their first world titles in over a decade. Then in the Nineties, after several years away, he returned as President to lead Ferrari out of the doldrums and into the most successful period of their history.

 So sit back as Luca shares with Tom startling revelations about Enzo Ferrari, incredible anecdotes about Niki Lauda, Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna, and his forthright views on the last two superstars he signed for Ferrari: Alonso and Vettel.

David Coulthard arrived in F1 amid one of its most turbulent periods, getting his big break at Williams in 1994 after the tragic death of superstar driver Ayrton Senna. He’d go on to race in 246 Grands Prix, winning 13 of them, including two victories each at classic venues Monaco and Silverstone. But amid the champagne celebrations there were bumpy periods too – moments of self-doubt and big crashes, both on and off the race track.

 In this week’s Beyond The Grid, DC joins TC for an honest and open appraisal of his remarkable F1 career, including his career-defining years at McLaren battling Schumacher and Hakkinen, the special diet he adopted to compete with the best, and why being super organised is the key to success…

Beyond The Grid is back Wednesday 13th March. 

Make sure you subscribe now so you don't miss out on Tom Clarkson in conversation with 'The Iceman' himself: the one and only Kimi Raikkonen.

On January 3rd 2019, Michael Schumacher – statistically the most successful F1 driver of all-time – turned 50. To commemorate the occasion, last week Tom brought you a special conversation with Ross Brawn - the man who helped guide Schumacher to all but three of his 91 Grand Prix victories. 

This week, for our second and final special episode, Tom is back with an equally revealing chat with Sabine Kehm - one of the few people to have witnessed the public and private sides of Michael Schumacher, having worked with him first as a journalist, then as his PR and, more recently, as his manager. So get ready to peak behind the curtain and learn more about the other side of Grand Prix racing's greatest ever talent...

On January 3rd 2019, Michael Schumacher – statistically the most successful F1 driver of all-time – turns 50. To commemorate the occasion, Beyond The Grid is back with two special conversations with two people who know the great man better than most. 

Our first guest worked with Schumacher for all but three of his record 91 Grand Prix victories, and helped steer him to amazing seven world titles with Benetton and Ferrari: current F1 motorsport chief Ross Brawn. So sit back and enjoy as Ross discusses his enduring friendship with the driver many regard as the greatest ever, and regales host Tom Clarkson with anecdotes and stories from their lengthy and incredibly successful working relationship.

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...