F1 Beyond The Grid

The journey that has taken Ayao Komatsu from a teenager in Tokyo, dreaming of working in Formula 1, to the new Haas Team Principal is a gripping tale. Featuring fascinating anecdotes of his father’s experiences as a political prisoner, the challenges Ayao faced when he left Japan for England, and how he engineered his way through university to a career in F1, this is a compelling conversation between Komatsu and Tom Clarkson. Ayao talks about his relationship with his family, the influence Japanese F1 hero Takuma Sato has had on his career, why he once wanted to be a journalist, how he’s transforming Haas, and much more. Related Episodes Nico Hulkenberg  Kevin Magnussen  Takuma Sato Book your seat at a Grand Prix Tickets for the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024 are now on sale along with Miami, Imola and every other race this season. Head to tickets.formula1.com to buy now More official F1 Podcasts F1 Nation - race previews, reviews and analysis from the F1 Paddock F1 Explains - your questions answered by the experts

2 Apr 20241h 2min

He’s a World Championship-winning engineer with nearly 50 years in Formula 1, but Pat Symonds’ focus is new innovation and F1’s next generation.   Pat scored title wins with Michael Schumacher in the 90s and Fernando Alonso in the 2000s. In the 80s, he helped a rookie Ayrton Senna get up to speed and take a stunning Monaco podium. Today, as Formula 1’s Chief Technical Officer, his task is producing spectacular racing - now and for years to come. Pat tells Tom Clarkson about his past successes, his memories of working with great drivers and his future projects, including the sustainable fuel which will power a new breed of F1 car from 2026. Book your seat at a Grand Prix Tickets for the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024 are now on sale along with Japan, Miami, Imola and every other race this season. Head to tickets.formula1.com to buy now More official F1 Podcasts F1 Nation - race previews, reviews and analysis from the F1 Paddock F1 Explains - your questions answered by the experts This episode is sponsored by: Salesforce: visit Salesforce.com/F1 to learn more about how Formula 1 wins fans and grows its global fanbase with Salesforce Shopify: sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/beyondthegrid OneSkin: get 15% off OneSkin with the code GRID at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod Factor: head to factormeals.com/grid50 and use code grid50 to get 50% off

27 Mars 20241h 5min

A Formula 1 winner in his first season, Oscar Piastri has his sights set on more success. At McLaren, alongside Lando Norris, guided by Team Principal Andrea Stella and manager Mark Webber, he’s right where he needs to be. Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Oscar reflects on his rookie year in F1, his Sprint victory ahead of Max Verstappen, on-track clashes and off-track discussions with Lewis Hamilton, and why at his home race in Melbourne he’ll be fuelled by his Grandma’s baking as well as the Australian crowd. You can now watch full episodes of F1 Beyond The Grid on the F1 YouTube channel.   More Official F1 Podcasts For more Oscar, listen to the next episode of F1 Explains – the podcast which answers your questions about Formula 1. Oscar explains how his time in Formula 3 and Formula 2 prepared him for the pinnacle of motorsport. Listen to F1 Nation's preview of Oscar's home race  This episode is sponsored by: Indochino: go to indochino.com and use code GRID to get 10% off any purchase of $399 or more BetterHelp: our listeners get 10% off their first month at betterhelp.com/GRID

20 Mars 202444min

What does 2025 hold for Alex Albon? How has golf changed his approach to Formula 1? Would he like more competition from his teammate? The Williams driver answers all those questions and more in his first proper catch-up with Tom Clarkson on F1 Beyond The Grid since 2022. Albon explains the mindset of being a number two driver at Red Bull Racing compared to being team leader at Williams, how his fitness varies so much throughout the season, and why self-care is the most important part of his preparation. Plus, Alex explains why he has 13 cats and who the most competitive Padel player in the paddock is. Related Episodes James Vowles, Williams Team Principal  Logan Sargeant More official F1 Podcasts F1 Nation - race previews and reviews from the F1 Paddock F1 Explains - your questions answered by the experts This episode is sponsored by: Indeed:  listeners of our show get a seventy-five dollar sponsored job credit to get your job more visibility at indeed.com/GRID

13 Mars 202440min

Brand new name. Brand new leader. Brand new ambition? As RB enter the next era of their Formula 1 venture, is their purpose still to develop young drivers for Red Bull Racing? Outlining his vision to Tom Clarkson, new Team Principal Laurent Mekies talks about making RB more competitive in all areas, transforming the team’s culture and mentality, and how the combination of Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda will drive them further up the grid. Mekies also discusses how much the team has changed since he was an engineer in the Toro Rosso days, how he helped persuade drivers to introduce the life-saving halo during his time with the FIA, and what working for Ferrari meant to him. Follow, rate and review F1 Beyond The Grid and share this podcast using #F1BeyondTheGrid. Related Episodes Daniel Ricciardo  Yuki Tsunoda  Liam Lawson  Franz Tost, RB’s previous Team Principal More Official F1 Podcasts F1 Nation - race previews and reviews from the F1 Paddock F1 Explains - your questions answered by the experts This episode is sponsored by:  Factor: head to factormeals.com/grid50 and use code grid50 to get 50% off F1 Experiences: visit f1experiences.com/2024 to book your official ticket package today  Babbel: get six months free with a purchase of a 6-month subscription at babbel.com/play with the promo code GRID24.

6 Mars 20241h 5min

Sergio Perez secured a career-best P2 in the Drivers’ World Championship in 2023. But in one of the most dominant Formula 1 cars in history, Checo spent much of the year stuck in the shadow of his unstoppable teammate Max Verstappen. Despite one of Sergio’s most mentally challenging seasons, in which he faced serious questions about his future at Red Bull Racing, the Mexican is in fighting spirits for 2024. Chatting to Tom Clarkson during pre-season testing, Perez talks about where it all went wrong last year, why it’s so difficult to beat Max, how he switched off during the off-season, what he’s changing in his approach for the new campaign, and much more. Plus, hear how Checo Jr could be following in Sergio’s footsteps - and which F1 driver he’d want to be stuck in a lift with! Follow, rate and review F1 Beyond The Grid and share this episode using #F1BeyondTheGrid. Check out F1 Nation’s 2024 season preview with Tom Clarkson, Damon Hill, Natalie Pinkham and Pedro de la Rosa. Related Episodes Adrian Newey, Red Bull Racing’s legendary designer More Official F1 Podcasts F1 Nation - race previews and reviews from the F1 Paddock F1 Explains - your questions answered by the experts This episode is sponsored by: Shopify: sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/beyondthegrid Indochino: go to indochino.com and use code GRID to get 10% off any purchase of $399 or more. Babbel: right now, Babbel is offering our listeners six months free with a purchase of a 6-month subscription with promo code GRID24.

28 Feb 202451min

F1 is full of extraordinary humans, but who is Tom Clarkson's first guest in 2024? Find out here, then join F1 Beyond The Grid for in-depth conversations with the sport's fastest stars every Wednesday. Discover new official F1 podcasts in 2024: F1 Nation - 2024 Season Preview out now F1 Explains - your questions about F1, answered by the experts

27 Feb 20242min

Mercedes Technical Director, James Allison, is Tom Clarkson’s pick for the penultimate day of our countdown to the new series of F1 Beyond The Grid. James tells the very funny and emotional story of how his rather awkward first interaction with Lewis Hamilton formed the foundations of a strong and successful relationship between them. For James’ full conversation with Tom from 2019, listen here.

26 Feb 202411min