Helio Castroneves says that destiny guided his glittering IndyCar career that's crowned by a record-equalling four Indy 500 wins, but the path to glory was far from straightforward. He speaks to Chris Medland in the opening episode from season two of our Big Break podcast series, charting the make-or-break moments that shaped top-level racers, engineers and managers. Ahead of this year's Indy 500, Castroneves recalls his early dreams of racing in Formula 1, graduating from karting in Brazil...

If it hadn't been for a long lunch with Niki Lauda, a willingness to swap grand prix racing for NASCAR, and a vision for a US F1 team, it's unlikely Guenther Steiner would have found himself leading Haas in Formula 1. In this episode from Motor Sport's My big break series, Steiner tells Chris Medland about the make-or-break moments that brought him to his current role. He describes his move to Jaguar's F1 team from Ford's World Rally team — at the behest of Lauda — and his rapid...

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown is on a mission to return the Formula 1 team to title-winning form, while also seeking success in IndyCar, Extreme E and at Le Mans. In Motor Sport's latest My big break podcast series, he tells Chris Medland about the moments that took him from growing up as a racing fan in California, to joining a select club of F1 team bosses. Brown recalls meeting Mario Andretti as a youngster and the F1 veteran's advice that set him off on a racing career. He discovered his...

George Russell joins Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton's team-mate in 2022, after an acclaimed three years at Williams. In our latest My big break episode, the 23-year-old reveals how he went from racing as a karting hopeful to signing the contract for F1's top team. He tells Chris Medland how Alex Albon gave him a leg-up as he was just getting started — a favour repaid when Russell put in a good word for Albon with Williams, and the frustration of being out-paced by team-mate Antonio Giovinazzi...

Alex Albon has a second shot at Formula 1 with Williams this year, continuing his rocky journey from karting champion to the grand prix paddock. In our latest My Big Break podcast, he tells Chris Medland how he rose through the ranks of F3 and F2, battling for race wins and championships with Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Lando Norris. Albon recounts losing Red Bull backing after a tricky first year in Formula Renault, before picking himself up, graduating to GP3 and challenging Leclerc...

Formula 1 produced a season like no other in 2021: Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton battled for the championship from the start of the Bahrain Grand Prix to the very final lap in Abu Dhabi. To look over the excitement, the drama, the many controversies and the occasional mistake, Chris Medland is joined by Motor Sport F1 Editor Mark Hughes and Contributing Editor Damien Smith See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kimi Räikkönen was racing go karts with no prospect of moving to cars when a contract offer arrived that looked too good to be true: a monthly salary and a route into single-seaters. In the latest episode from our My Big Break series, Räikkönen recalls his wariness before signing the deal that turned out to be one of the make-or-break moments that have made him the most experienced F1 driver in history. Ahead of his retirement, he tells Chris Medland about his explosive first season in...

A year after surviving a fiery crash at the Bahrain Grand Prix, Romain Grosjean explains why the moment that almost killed him was a "positive experience". As he prepares to join Andretti Autosport for the 2022 season, Grosjean reflects on the 'big break' moments that brought him to where he is today: his early F1 struggles, his championship-winning return to GP2, and what it took to become an IndyCar driver. As well as that crash. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nobody knows the secret to Porsche's winning formula more than Norbert Singer. The legendary engineer was a crucial part of every Porsche Le Mans victory between 1970 and 1998 and also had a key role in developing perhaps the greatest sports car of all time: the Porsche 911. In this podcast from our Porsche's winning formula series, Singer speaks about his early career, and how he came close to joining Opel before arriving at Porsche and helping to develop the 917 into a Le Mans...

Tim Schenken left Australia as national hillclimb champion at the age off 22 and returned 20 years later, having competed in F1, raced the Porsche 917/10 to victory at Zandvoort, Nürburgring and Hockenheim, and found himself detained in a Florida police station alongside Ronnie Peterson. Now Clerk of the Course for the Australian Grand Prix (when it returns), Schenken focuses on his career with Porsche in the latest Motor Sport podcast from our Porsche's winning formula series. He...

Much of Brian Redman's endurance legend was forged at the wheel of Porsche's greatest machines. The self-effacing Lancastrian won the Spa 1000Km four times, took three victories at the Daytona 24 Hours and has a brace of Sebring and Nürburgring overall winner trophies. Redman joins us to give more insight into Porsche's winning formula, recalling how his impressive early privateer appearances got him a seat at the works team, his experience of being a team-mate to Jo Siffert and Pedro...

Much of Brian Redman's endurance legend was forged at the wheel of Porsche's greatest machines. The self-effacing Lancastrian won the Spa 1000Km four times, took three victories at the Daytona 24 Hours and has a brace of Sebring and Nürburgring overall winner trophies. Redman joins us to give more insight into Porsche's winning formula, recalling how his impressive early privateer appearances got him a seat at the works team, his experience of being a team-mate to Jo Siffert and Pedro...

Le Mans veteran Romain Dumas joins the Motor Sport podcast to discuss all things Porsche, from his early beginnings, a learned love for Porsche and his conquering of multiple disciplines. From Pikes Peak to fighting with Audi across Europe and the US to a Dakar ambition, Dumas' enthusiasm for racing makes for a compelling listen. Plus, he gives his thoughts on the future of the World Endurance Championship and why Formula E might not be the way forward many make it out to be.   See...

If anyone knows Porsche’s winning formula, it’s Jochen Mass. For more than a decade, he raced sports cars with the factory team, competing in seven Le Mans 24 Hour races and winning multiple world championship races. Mass joins us for the first in our new podcast series, recalling his early days with the outfit, when the Porsche Development Centre consisted mainly of wooden sheds; and the development of the 956 and 962 with the legendary engineer, Norbert Singer. He describes the fearsome...

A World Sportscar Champion; Le Mans 24 Hours winner; Formula 1 driver and now a trusted voice to millions in the Sky F1 commentary box. Martin Brundle is inducted into the Motor Sport Hall of Fame this year, in recognition of his exceptional career behind the wheel and the microphone. In this podcast, Brundle looks back at his racing career; his commentary break filling in for a missing James Hunt, and learning the ropes from fellow Hall of Fame inductee, Murray Walker, whose advice he...

He joined Ferrari as a test driver, partnered Michael Schumacher in his final year with the team and went on to win the 2008 F1 championship... for a few seconds. Felipe Massa is our latest Motor Sport podcast guest, bringing tales of being part of the Maranello machine; of challenging for the title, then becoming the unmistakable number 2 driver, with the famous radio message, "Fernando is faster than you". It's the inside story of a rollercoaster career at Ferrari from one of the most...

Derek Bell shares his vivid memories of his time at Ferrari, which began when he caught the eye of Enzo Ferrari as a young F2 driver in 1968 and soon found himself touring Maranello and having lunch with the Commendatore. But in a case of being in the right place at the wrong time, Bell describes being the victim of a pared-back Ferrari race programme. He turned to sports cars, where once more he was seen by Enzo, in a privately-entered Ferrari 512. Another call from Maranello saw him line up...

When Stefan Johansson took the lead at Imola in his second race for Ferrari, he couldn't hear his engine over the roar of the crowd. In the latest from our 'Driving for Ferrari' series, Johansson describes the emotion of racing for the team in the mid-1980s; the contrast with McLaren's clinical approach; and the one question Enzo Ferrari asked him before he joined. Plus - his plan to improve the racing in F1.,   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's every F1 driver's dream to get a seat with Ferrari... unless the car turns out to be as bad as the 1992 contender. In the latest from our Ferrari podcast series, Ivan Capelli describes the emotion and intensity of signing for the team as an Italian - and how it all unravelled during an "unreal", tense and extremely uncompetitive season   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Gerhard Berger joins Ed Foster for the first of our new series featuring Ferrari's F1 drivers. Berger is one of the only drivers to leave Ferrari on his terms after both of his stints with the Maranello outfit. He reveals the pressure, the pranks and the privilege of driving for F1's longest-standing team.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A designer who has worked with drivers including Graham Hill, Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet, Jack Brabham and Ayrton Senna, Gordon Murray knows plenty about what it takes to engineer a Formula 1 great. In the final episode of our podcast series, he reveals some of the secrets to a winning partnership, and talks about his current projects, plus the future of motoring,   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John Barnard pioneered technologies that underpin the modern Formula 1 car, and was first to use a carbon fibre chassis at McLaren where he won titles with Niki Lauda and Alain Prost. At Ferrari, he developed the semi-automatic gearbox that won the first time it was raced. In this podcast, Barnard reveals more about working with the top drivers of the era, as well as larger-than-life team bosses, including Enzo Ferrari, Ron Dennis and Flavio Briatore.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and...

In a career with Hesketh, Williams and Benetton - to name a few - Frank Dernie helped haul F1 into the digital era, pioneering the use of data loggers, active suspension and extensive wind tunnel testing. He also worked with many the legends of the sport, including Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell and Michael Schumacher. In the latest from our podcast series, he tells us what it takes to engineer the greats.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Patrick Head is the engineering genius who played a crucial role in Williams' success in the 1980s and 1990s. In the latest of our Engineering the Greats series, he talks about starting his career, working with top drivers, including Nigel Mansell, and the future of the current Williams team.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Without a great engineer, great drivers have no chance to shine. In the first of a new series, Engineering the Greats, Adrian Newey talks about working with some of Formula 1's leading drivers, and what it takes to win championships alongside the likes of Nigel Mansell, Mika Hakkinen and Sebastian Vettel at Williams, McLaren and Red Bull   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.