F1 Beyond The Grid

After describing 2025 as the ‘toughest year of my career’, Yuki Tsunoda was thrilled to make his F1 comeback with Racing Bulls after the summer break – stepping in for Liam Lawson while he fills in for the injured Isack Hadjar at Red Bull.

Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Yuki opens up about his struggles at Red Bull last season – revealing how it affected him personally, the biggest mistake he made and what it really felt like when he found out he wouldn’t be on the grid in 2026.

Or so it would seem… You can imagine how happy Yuki was to receive the call that he’d be back racing in Zandvoort, just three days before the first practice session! Yuki takes Tom inside the chaotic week that ensued, how he prepared to drive the 2026 cars for the first time at such short notice, and what it meant to score points in the second race of his comeback at Monza.

And while Yuki’s unsure how many more races he’ll compete in this season as Isack recovers, Tom asks him what the future holds from 2027 onwards.
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Aston Martin Global Ambassador Pedro de la Rosa joins Tom Clarkson to discuss how Aston are fighting back after a difficult 2026 so far.

Pedro tells Tom how it really felt when they realised just how far behind they were during the Barcelona shakedown and whether the team’s strategy of waiting until halfway through the season to bring upgrades risked them losing two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso.

Pedro also talks more about his relationship with Alonso, including how they communicate with each other through eye contact, and what it’s like working with Aston Team Principal and legendary designer Adrian Newey.

Plus, 20 years on, Pedro reflects on his first and only F1 podium at Hungary in 2006, why that result didn’t guarantee his seat at McLaren and how ‘hurt’ he was to not race alongside Lewis Hamilton in 2008.
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Why did he sign a new multi-year deal with Ferrari? What caused his rough patch earlier in the season? How did those struggles really make him feel? And what did victory at Silverstone mean to him after that difficult period?

Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Charles Leclerc opens up and shares really interesting insight into the ups and downs he’s experienced so far in 2026.

Charles also tells Tom what it’s like being a Ferrari driver at Monza, why Michael Schumacher had such a big influence on him growing up, whether he thinks Ferrari can challenge Mercedes for the World Championship this season, and how it feels to now be married to his wife Alexandra.
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After a year away from Formula 1, following his exit from Red Bull Racing at the end of 2024, Sergio Perez is back with the sport’s newest team - Cadillac.

Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Sergio talks about his last six months at Red Bull being mentally demanding, the new perspective having a year out has given him, the initial reservations he had about returning to F1 and why the Cadillac project is just as motivating for him as fighting at the front of the grid.

Checo also discusses Cadillac’s decision to replace Graeme Lowdon with Marcin Budkowski as Team Principal, why he wishes he’d enjoyed his career more and how he thinks age affects racing drivers.

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1995 was a 'catastrophe' for Damon Hill, a bruising battle on and off the track. He was determined that 1996 would be his year.
30 years since his title triumph, 1996 World Champion Damon Hill joins Tom Clarkson to reflect on his winning season. From four wins in the opening five races, to finding out he was being dropped by Williams at the end of the season while still in the championship fight, Damon talks candidly about the ups and downs of a very dramatic title-winning campaign.

He also tells Tom how he changed his approach going into 1996, after some tough battles with Michael Schumacher on and off track the year before, and why he turned down an offer to sign for McLaren despite wanting to join them.
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