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For the season finale of And Colossally That's History, Matt and Richard tell the twin stories of Phil Hill and Mario Andretti; two American drivers who couldn't have been more different, but who'll be forever linked by the eerily similar, eerily tragic similarities between their crowning moments. There were 17 years between Phil Hill becoming America’s first F1 world champion at Monza in 1961 and Mario Andretti being crowned the second - also at Monza - in 1978. But rather than being able to celebrate their triumphs unconditionally, both men's title success was overshadowed by their team-mate being involved in a fatal crash in the very same race. Matt and Richard trace the very different paths that Hill and Andretti took to the top of world motorsport, before identifying the similarities in their stories, including how both found themselves in the most dominant car in their respective title winning seasons, and how both were paired alongside fast and flamboyant team-mates, Wolfgang von Trips (in Hill's case) and Ronnie Peterson (in Andretti's). The events of the climactic Monza weekends are also discussed at length, as well as how America's pair of F1 champions dealt with the aftermath of such tragedies. Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. GET YOUR 2026 WALL CALENDAR TODAY - Go to shop.the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we near the end of another marathon year of motor racing, Matt and Richard thought it was the perfect time to reminisce about marathon performances at motor racing’s most celebrated test of endurance, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Over the course of the episode, Matt and Richard tell the tales of six drivers who spent at least 20 hours (and in one case all 24 hours!) at the wheel during a single 24-hour race. As you might expect, there are some astonishing stories to be told about how they did it, including the driver who fixed his car with chewing gum, the driver who did nearly the whole race on a diet of oranges, the driver who almost single-handedly put the new Ferrari marque on the map, and the driver who found a novel way to take his, ahem, ‘bathroom breaks’ without anyone noticing… Get information when you need it with Atlassian Rovo. AI that knows your business. Click here to get started today. Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus podcasts and ad-free listening. GET YOUR 2026 WALL CALENDAR TODAY - Go to shop.the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the latest episode of And Colossally That’s History, Matt Bishop and Richard Williams raise a glass to Graham Hill, killed 50 years ago this week, along with five members of his team, in a light aircraft crash. Hill was just 46 years old at the time, and he left behind not only a wife and a young family but a sizeable void in the sport of motor racing.  Matt and Richard describe how despite a late start - he didn’t get his driving license until the age of 24! - Hill was able to achieve incredible success at the highest level of racing. Not only was he able to win two world championship titles in one of F1’s most talent-heavy eras, he remains to this day the only driver to have completed motor racing's fabled 'Triple Crown' by winning the sport’s three most prestigious and historically significant races: The Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.  Matt and Richard describe how he completed each leg of that significant achievement (five times in the case of Monaco!), while also discussing the many attributes that made him so special both in and out of the cockpit. They also look at which drivers have come closest to emulating Hill’s Triple Crown and ask whether anyone might have a crack at it in the future. Get information when you need it with Atlassian Rovo. AI that knows your business. Click here to get started today. BLACK FRIDAY OFFER: Get 50% off your first month in The Race Members' Club on Patreon today and enjoy bonus F1 podcasts and ad-free listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the latest episode of And Colossally That's History, Matt and Richard reflect on the career of Robert Kubica, regarded by many as the lost champion of F1’s modern era. They describe Robert's path to F1, when he battled - and often beat - fellow future grand prix stars Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg in karting, before his dazzling debut races with BMW-Sauber. Kubica's dramatic pair of Canadian GPs are also discussed at length, with Matt telling anecdotes about witnessing the Pole's horror shunt in Montreal in 2007 and subsequent win at the same circuit in 2008. Matt and Richard also muse on Kubica's inherent strengths as a driver and the way he was perceived and appreciated by fellow drivers and team bosses, both before the 2011 rally crash that stopped his career in its tracks and after, when he made a determined return to F1 before battling to victories in rallying and at the Le Mans 24 hours. And finally, there's time for a debate about where Kubica fits into the unfortunately large collection of lost champions - those drivers whose careers were halted in their prime, before they could achieve what they seemed destined to do. Want bonus episodes and ad-free listening? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest episode of And Colossally That’s History tells the rollercoaster story of Honda’s involvement in Formula 1. Join Matt Bishop and Richard Williams as they explain how founder Soichuro Honda’s deep love of motor racing led him to enter a car in F1 in 1964, barely a year after the first Honda road car had left the factory. The Japanese team’s early forays into Grand Prix racing - met with scepticism by some - are discussed, as well as how Honda became race winners before leaving F1 shortly afterwards - something that’s been a feature of Honda’s involvement in the top level of racing. There’s also discussion about Honda’s second era, when it powered Williams to championships before shifting allegiances to McLaren where even greater domination followed, as well as one of F1’s most enduring alliances with a man beloved by Honda: Ayrton Senna.  Matt and Richard also reflect on Honda’s third F1 era, when Honda became a fully fledged manufacturer again, before withdrawing again and watching Brawn take its cars to championship glory. And finally, the present Honda era, which began with a disastrous rekindling with McLaren but morphed into more title winning success, this time with Red Bull, is discussed. Want to get the end-of-season Colossally bonus episode and every episode ad-free? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier! Check out the new Colossally items in The Race Shop - members get a 15% discount! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s Colossally, Matt and Richard reappraise the career of a driver whose unique achievement in winning the F1 world championship in a self-built machine bearing his own name will likely stand in eternity: Sir Jack Brabham. In debates around F1’s greatest driver, Black Jack’s name doesn’t always come up, despite his three world titles - but should it? That’s one of the topics of conversation in a podcast that charts Brabham’s rise from the dirt tracks of his native Australia to the pinnacle of racing. Matt and Richard discuss how Brabham’s engineering background, fierce competitiveness and ‘brutally effective’ driving style helped him forge a path to the top as not only a driver, but a team owner and constructor too.  FREE WEEK: Want to sample bonus episodes and ad-free listening for FREE? Until the end of Tuesday 11th November, everything new that we publish for The Race Members' Club on Patreon is available to view FREE OF CHARGE, including our in-car insights podcasts over the Brazilian GP weekend. Go to Patreon.com/therace Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As F1 2025 heads towards a spectacular conclusion, we wind the clock back to arguably the greatest title showdown of them all, which happened 17 years ago this coming Sunday: Brazil 2008. It's a race that hosts Matt Bishop and Richard Williams were both in attendance for, affording us a unique perspective to look back on what happened, with Matt and Richard recalling how events played out through their own experiences: Matt watching on nervously from the garage as McLaren's PR and Communications chief, and Richard in the press room as a working journalist reporting on the event. Listen in as Matt and Richard discuss the build up to the race, explaining its significance to all the key players, and how the tension grew and grew all weekend before that spectacular climax where McLaren's Lewis Hamilton snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, denying Ferrari's Felipe Massa - a moment that, even today, generates plenty of emotion... Want to get the end-of-season Colossally bonus episode and every episode ad-free? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier! Check out the new Colossally items in The Race Shop - members get a 15% discount! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pescara, a seaside town halfway down Italy’s Adriatic coast, stands proudly in the record books for having been home to the longest track ever used in Formula 1. Made up of 15.9 miles of country roads, the circuit of Pescara only hosted one world championship-status Grand Prix, in 1957, but it’s significance was mighty - as Matt Bishop and Richard Williams (who literally wrote the book on the Pescara GP) explain in the latest episode of And Colossally That’s History! Over the course of the episode you’ll learn why Pescara found its way onto the F1 calendar in the first place, why the sport's most famous team boycotted the race, which animals the drivers had to dodge during practice, and why Stirling Moss loved the circuit so much when others hated it.  As you might imagine, there are plenty of amazing stories to tell, including one about a driver who stopped for fuel at a commercial filling station mid-race, and another about a driver who jumped a level crossing while being chased by police on his way home from the race…  Want to get the end-of-season Colossally bonus episode and every episode ad-free? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier! Check out the new Colossally items in The Race Shop - members get a 15% discount! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Adrian Newey is widely recognised as an F1 design genius, with his cars having been driven to 14 drivers’ world titles, 12 constructors’ titles, and more than 220 Grand Prix victories.  But where did his extraordinary talent for designing (and engineering) racing cars come from? That’s the topic of the latest episode of And Colossally That’s History, which delves into the roots of Newey’s unprecedented success. Matt and Richard share incredible tales from Newey’s youth which foreshadow the man he’d become, including the time he used ingenuity and a rules loophole to avoid punishment at school.  There’s also plenty of chat about Newey’s career before his big breakthrough with Williams in the early 1990s, such as the transformational work he did in sports prototypes, the period he spent race engineering a pair of Indycar legends, his disastrous first foray into Grand Prix racing, and the giant-killing successes with F1 minnows Leyton House that caught Patrick Head's attention.  Along the way you’ll learn how Adrian acquired and honed the skills and design preferences that would later make him the most valuable technical brain in the F1 paddock. Oh, and listen out for Matt's anecdote about the amazing declaration former McLaren boss Ron Dennis once made to him about Newey… Want to get the end-of-season Colossally bonus episode and every episode ad-free? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier! Check out the new Colossally items in The Race Shop - members get a 15% discount! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Colossally is back, and Matt and Richard are kicking off season 4 with an in-depth look at the extraordinary life of Bruce McLaren, the man who founded and gave his name to this year's constructors' world champions, but who possibly remains a bit of an enigma to some modern F1 fans, having died in 1970. In this episode we trace Bruce's remarkable journey to motor racing immortality, explaining how a humble boy from New Zealand, who spent much of his youth confined to bed with a debilitating hip disorder, rose to the top of global motor racing, first as a Grand Prix-winning driver and then as a race-winning team owner and constructor. Along the way Matt and Richard discuss the defining moments of Bruce's racing career, explain the origins of his team's famous papaya livery, and assess the attributes that made him special, not just a driver, but as an engineer and leader of men. The impact of Bruce's untimely death, resulting from a crash while testing in 1970, is also covered in poignant detail, with Matt sharing a pair of anecdotes that illustrate how a shell-shocked McLaren team grittily persevered after his passing and how Bruce's legacy has been honoured by those who've led the team in the modern era.  Want to get the end-of-season Colossally bonus episode and every episode ad-free? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier! Check out the new Colossally items in The Race Shop - members get a 15% discount! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’ve missed your weekly fix of Colossally, fear not because Matt and Richard will shortly return with Season 4 of the podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the final episode of season 3, Richard and Matt wax lyrical about a driver whose name might be unfamiliar to many motor racing fans, but who could be regarded as the sport's first bonafide superstar: Tazio Nuvolari. Matt and Richard explain how, in the pre-war era of Grand Prix racing, Nuvolari became the embodiment of everything a racing driver was supposed to be: A virtuoso and a daredevil, who stirred the emotions in a way that crossed national boundaries.  There are stories of his great rivalries, his relationships and associations with Enzo Ferrari and (more controversially) Benito Mussolini, plus numerous accounts of his famous driving technique, which included being the originator of the four-wheel drift. And of course there's also plenty of chat about the famous drives that secured Nuvolari's legendary status, including the one where, in obsolete machinery, he defeated the all-conquering German cars in Hitler's backyard, and the one witnessed by a 14-year-old Murray Walker in 1938, which left such an impression on the legendary commentator that the Italian would forever remain his favourite driver. Matt and Richard will be bringing members an exclusive Q&A episode on Patreon, where they'll answer questions on each of the topics covered. Join on Patreon today - we even have an 'F1-only' tier! 🚨 NEW MERCH ALERT! If you love Colossally AND in particular Anorak Facts, we've got a new t-shirt and notebook design you'll love! 🚨 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of And Colossally That's History! Richard Williams and Matt Bishop look back on the career of Mika Hakkinen, and in particular how he was able to overcome - thanks to a considerable slice of good luck - the devastating crash in 1995 that so nearly took his life to become a double Formula 1 world champion. Along the way, Matt and Richard explain what made Hakkinen - widely regarded as one of the quickest drivers of his generation, and a man who often went toe-to-toe with and beat Michael Schumacher in the late 1990s and early 2000s - such a special talent. They also look back on the dreadful crash in Adelaide in 1995 that would ordinarily have ended Hakkinen's career, if not his life, describing the incredible work done by the medical team on-site, and the remarkable bravery and tenacity show by Hakkinen in the aftermath. Matt also shares some great anecdotes about the time he spent with Hakkinen in his glory days, post-accident, when Matt was writing about the Finn as a magazine editor. He discusses what Mika told him after that legendary overtake on Schumacher at Spa in 2000, and he describes - in hilarious detail - what happened when Mika took him rally driving on a frozen lake the morning after a heavy night drinking vodka... Matt and Richard will be bringing members an exclusive Q&A episode at the end of Season 3, where they'll answer questions on each of the topics covered. Join on Patreon today and get 75% off your first month - we even have an F1-only tier! 🚨 NEW MERCH ALERT! If you love Colossally AND in particular Anorak Facts, we've got a new t-shirt and notebook design you'll love! 🚨 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the latest episode of And Colossally That's History! Richard and Matt are reappraising the legacy of one of F1's most enduring cars: The Lotus 72. Named by no less than Adrian Newey as the car he wishes he'd designed, the 72 was a revolutionary machine in Formula 1 terms, setting the template, as it did, for all F1 cars that would follow. It was also one of the longest-serving and most successful cars in F1 history, spending six years in the top flight (from 1970 to 1975) , and being raced to 20 world championship-status Formula 1 grand prix wins, two Formula 1 drivers’ world championships, and three Formula 1 constructors’ world championships. Richard and Matt explore how innovative Lotus boss Colin Chapman, working with designer Maurice Philippe, arrived at the game-changing 72, and why it became so successful. They also talk about the great drivers that excelled in various iterations of it, with both Matt and Richard describing in brilliant detail their experiences of watching the car being expertly piloted by Ronnie Peterson - a man who seemed its perfect match. Matt and Richard will be bringing members an exclusive Q&A episode at the end of Season 3, where they'll answer questions on each of the topics covered. Join on Patreon today and get 75% off your first month - we even have an F1-only tier! 🚨 NEW MERCH ALERT! If you love Colossally AND in particular Anorak Facts, we've got a new t-shirt and notebook design you'll love! 🚨 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode of And Colossally That’s History! Matt and Richard wind the clock back to 1950, as they reappraise the very first race of the F1 world championship era, which took place at Silverstone on May 13.  Along the way, they look at the origins of the term ‘Formula 1’, dig into the debate over where the first race run to Formula 1 regulations actually took place, and explain why Alfa Romeo emerged as the dominant force in the post-war years, leading up to Silverstone.   They also discuss the strange origins of Silverstone as a race venue, before chatting about the wonderful ensemble of drivers that assembled at the former bomber base for the first race - a remarkable list that included a Thai royal, a Colditz Castle POW, and a gigolo, but NO representative from Ferrari. And finally, they look back on the race itself, which was won by man who, to quote the great Juan Manuel Fangio, “Drove like a madman...”   Matt and Richard will be bringing members an exclusive Q&A episode at the end of Season 3, where they'll answer questions on each of the topics covered. So if you'd like to ask a follow-up question about Silverstone 1950, join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today. For a limited period we’re giving you 75% off your first month!   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.