Episodes
Dario Franchitti is the latest to make an appearance on our special podcast series, celebrating 100 years of Motor Sport magazine. The Scot is one of Britain's most successful IndyCar drivers, claiming three Indianapolis 500 crowns and four championship titles in a 265-race IndyCar career, sealing his place as a racing legend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Published 04/04/24
Published 04/04/24
Damon Hill is Rob Windows' latest guest in our special podcast series, celebrating 100 years of Motor Sport Magazine. The 1996 Formula 1 World Champion reflects on following his father's footsteps into the world of Grand Prix racing; driving alongside the likes of Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna; and against Michael Schumacher before winning the title. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Published 02/29/24
A five-time grand prix winner who partnered the likes of Niki Lauda and Alain Prost, John Watson came achingly close to winning the 1982 Formula 1 World Championship. He's Rob Widdows' latest guest in a special podcast series marking 100 years of Motor Sport‘s publication, as he charts a changing era of F1 when Lauda and Mario Andretti introduced new levels of professionalism and ruthlessness to the sport. In a series of fascinating and funny tales, Watson covers driving for Bernie...
Published 01/31/24
F1 World Champion, four-time IndyCar title-holder and Daytona 500 winner, Mario Andretti is the first guest in a special podcast series marking 100 years of Motor Sport‘s publication Andretti has been a regular in Motor Sport‘s pages for more than half that time, and is still making headlines, with plans to be the first to test the Andretti F1 car, if the team is granted a place on the grid. He joins Rob Widdows to recall a career that made him one of the sport’s all-time greats, from...
Published 12/26/23
There was one overwhelming Formula 1 winner in 2023, but who were the other stars aside from Max Verstappen and Red Bull? Motor Sport's F1 editor, Mark Hughes; racer and broadcaster Alex Brundle; and Motor Sport special contributor Damien Smith discuss the top performers of the season, including the drivers who showed world championship potential, but didn't have the machinery to win, the remarkable turnaround from McLaren, and the races of the year. Once you've heard their views, don't...
Published 12/20/23
It was a season of overwhelming domination by Max Verstappen... and of intense competition in the chasing pack. What was the secret of Adrian Newey's rocketship Red Bull? What happened to Aston Martin's early challenge? And what is going on with lewis Hamilton and Mercedes? Mark Hughes, Alex Brundle and Damien Smith form our expert panel to look back over the year and the crucial moments that shaped the 2023 season. Once you've heard their views, have your say on the Motor Sport website by...
Published 12/19/23
Nobody knows the secret of winning at Le Mans more than Tom Kristensen: winner of a record nine 24 Hour races at La Sarthe. In this podcast, recorded in front of a live audience ahead of the 2023 race, Mr Le Mans gives the inside track on how he became the most successful driver in the 100 year history of the race, and offers his thoughts on a new golden era for sports car racing. Hosted by Ed Foster, in partnership with Classic & Sports Finance and Scalextric Hosted on Acast. See...
Published 09/15/23
For over 50 years, Dick Bennetts has been central to some of racing's greatest stories. From giving Ayrton Senna his famous Formula 3 break, to communicating engineering feedback via hand signals with young prodigy Mika Häkkinen, and gaining respect for Nigel Mansell through his spectacular touring car cameos, Bennetts has lived and breathed motor sport through some of its most thrilling moments. In the final installment of Engineering the Greats series 2, in association with Scalextric,...
Published 07/31/23
For success matched only by sheer diversity, few can hold a light to engineering ace Tony Southgate, who joins Rob Widdows for our Engineering the Greats podcast series, produced in association with Scalextric. Designer of Bobby Unser's Indy 500-winning Eagle 68 car, a key contributor to the trailblazing ground-effect Lotus 78 and the creative mind behind Jaguar's Le Mans-conquering XJR-9, the Coventry native has marked himself out as one of racing's great lateral thinkers. Along the way,...
Published 07/24/23
As trailblazers go in motor sport, there aren't many that can match up with the groundbreaking achievements of Leena Gade, who joins Rob Widdows for our Engineering the Greats podcast series, produced in association with Scalextric. On her Le Mans debut with Audi in 2011 Gade became the first female race engineer to win at La Sarthe. She She would mastermind wins again in 2012 and 2014, sealing her place as one of Le Mans' engineering greats, before working in GT racing, IndyCar and now...
Published 07/17/23
Gary Anderson joins Rob Widdows for the latest in our Engineering the Greats podcast series. The former Jordan designer tells how he started working life as a builder, then got his big break in F1 with Brabham as an engineer. Moving on to McLaren, he worked with James Hunt and Alain Prost and was then in IndyCar before Eddie Jordan called him back to the UK — and F1 — where he would make his name designing the legendary Jordan 191. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Published 07/10/23
Steve Hallam, who has worked with Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell and Mika Häkkinen joins Rob Widdows for another Engineering the Greats podcast in association with Scalextric. From race engineering Senna to his first wins in F1, to witnessing Mansell’s inimitable racing style in its early years and being at the centre of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso’s fiery 2007 championship fight, the British engineer has had long a career at the very top. Hear him describe what it takes to work and...
Published 07/03/23
Legendary F1 car designer Patrick Head returns to our Engineering the Greats podcast for series 2, produced in association with Scalextric. He picks up where he left off last time with the story of Williams' dominant 1993 season. Head pulls back the curtain on the fascinating story of that year: of how the team secured Adrian Newey's services, why boss Frank Williams didn't want Damon Hill to partner Alain Prost, and how the cutting-edge FW15C car could have had even more exotic technical...
Published 06/26/23
Can Max Verstappen win a third world championship? Will Mercedes be able to challenge Red Bull and Ferrari, and which of this year's three rookies will impress the most? Mark Hughes and Johnny Herbert join Motor Sport editor Joe Dunn and writer James Elson to examine the big questions ahead of the 2023 F1 season Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Published 02/28/23
Red Bull won the F1 Constructors' Championship and powered Max Verstappen to the drivers' title too. But was it the best Formula 1 team in 2022? Our season review podcast shows why that question isn't as foolish as it sounds, as Le Mans champion and former Toyota grand prix driver Allan McNish joins Chris Medland and F1 presenter Lawrence Barretto to discuss the strongest teams of the season. Joining Red Bull on our shortlist is Mercedes, which put in a Herculean effort to recover and win...
Published 12/21/22
The 2022 F1 season delivered plenty of wheel-to-wheel racing in front of sell-out crowds, with unexpected twists and challenges regularly rearing their head. But which of the 22 races stands out above them all as the best grand prix of the year? F1 driver-turned-commentator Jolyon Palmer and fellow commentator Jack Nicholls join Chris Medland to look back at the year's action and assess the races on our season review awards shortlist. See which race they choose as their highlight of 2022 and...
Published 12/20/22
Can anybody apart from Max Verstappen claim to be the best F1 driver of 2022? Romain Grosjean thinks so as he, Chris Medland and Damien Smith delve into the details of which driver was most impressive throughout the grand prix season — irrespective of equipment. On the shortlist for Motor Sport's 2022 season awards are Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, George Russell and Verstappen. Hear what our expert panel have to say — and who Grosjean chooses above the world champion — then have your say on...
Published 12/15/22
Which F1 overtake stood out in a season of action-packed racing? Williams reserve driver Jack Aitken and Channel 4 Formula 1 commentator Alex Jacques join Chris Medland to review the shortlist of brilliant and brave moments that had crowds on their feet. Hear their views on moves that include Lewis Hamilton's three-wide pass at Silverstone and Sebastian Vettel taking on Kevin Magnussen at the US Grand Prix, then have your say by voting in the Motor Sport Season Review Awards on our website...
Published 12/13/22
The season dawned with the launch of a new generation of Formula 1 cars and, 22 races later, saw Max Verstappen crowned world champion after a dominant season. But why did Ferrari's challenge falter — and why won't the team get the cure that it needs? How did Mercedes turn its season around? And what did Red Bull gain — or lose — from breaching the cost cap? Mark Hughes, Chris Medland and Damien Smith form our expert panel to look back over the year and the crucial moments that shaped the...
Published 11/28/22
For most racing drivers, the chance to step up to Formula 1 is the opportunity of their careers, but Anthony Davidson says that his first grand prix start is something he still regrets to this day. Speaking to Chris Medland in the final episode from the current My big break series, WEC champion Davidson talks about the turning points in his career, which included more than a decade in top-level racing. Along the way, he brings his thoughtful views on why F1's points system should be revamped,...
Published 07/15/22
When you're a Magnussen, the name alone can open doors, but you won't get through them, unless the talent's there. Kevin Magnussen is Chris Medland's latest guest on the My Big Break podcast, describing the key moments that shaped his career. The 29-year-old describes being invited to McLaren after winning the Danish Formula Ford championship because his dad, Jan, had been the team's test driver. He got on to its junior driver programme but it soon became apparent that he wasn't going to get...
Published 07/08/22
Newly confirmed as an F1 driver with AlphaTauri driver for 2023, Pierre Gasly is the latest guest on our My big break podcast series, looking at the key moments that brought him to where he is now. Gasly explains how he tried ice hockey and football before being captivated by motor sport when he went karting for the first time aged 6. Part of a hotshot generation of French drivers, Gasly recalls watching grands prix with Charles Leclerc and Esteban Ocon, dreaming that maybe one of them might...
Published 06/24/22
If a young Valtteri Bottas and his dad hadn't spotted the sign for a go-kart race in Finland, then the Alfa Romeo driver may never have got on track, let alone partnered Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. In the latest podcast from our My big break series, Bottas joins Chris Medland to reveal the make-or-break moments that brought him to Formula 1. He explains the key role that porridge power played ahead of his go kart debut, the local sponsors that bankrolled his fresh tyres, and the tests that...
Published 06/17/22
Kamui Kobayashi showed so much potential as a go-karting teenager that Toyota locked him into a ten-year racing contract at the age of 14. In our new My big break podcast episode, the Le Mans winner looks at the key moments that shaped his career, including that initial deal which took him all the way to Formula 1 — only for the team to announce that it was pulling out of the series after his third race. Kobayashi tells Chris Medland about his grand prix debut and the “crazy” battle with...
Published 06/10/22