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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.

On 30 Days of Beyond The Grid, Day 28, Zhou Guanyu tells Tom Clarkson why Fernando Alonso is his idol, what it means to be the first Formula 1 driver from China, and how excited he’ll be to race in front of his home fans at the Chinese Grand Prix. For Zhou’s full conversation with Tom from 2022, listen here.

Martin Brundle is best known today for his infamous pre-race gridwalks and his expert analysis on television. But did you know he had a very impressive and dramatic racing career before moving into the commentary box? On Day 27 of our countdown to the new season, Martin tells Tom Clarkson about beating the likes of Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Mika Häkkinen, before they all went on to become multiple Formula 1 World Champions.  For Martin’s full interview with Tom in 2018, listen here.

Six-time Grand Prix winner Ralf Schumacher joins Tom Clarkson on 30 Days of Beyond The Grid, Day 26.  Ralf explains why he never became friendly with teammates and also tells Tom whether he would have made it to Formula 1 without his seven-time World Champion brother, Michael Schumacher. For Ralf’s full interview with Tom in 2019, listen here.

On 30 Days of Beyond The Grid, Day 25, Alex Albon talks about the impact of being dropped by Red Bull at the end of 2020 and how he fought his way back into Formula 1 with Williams. Listen to Alex’s full chat with Tom Clarkson in 2022 here.

In 2019, Tom Clarkson sat down with Ross Brawn to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Brawn GP becoming the first team to win both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships in their debut year. On Day 24 of our countdown to the new season, listen to their conversation in full - as Ross shares fascinating insight into how the team emerged from Honda’s ashes and went on to dominate the 2009 season. This episode is sponsored by:  Indeed: get a seventy-five dollar sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at indeed.com/GRID. BetterHelp: our listeners get 10% off their first month at betterhelp.com/GRID

On Day 23 of our pre-season countdown, World Champion designer Neil Oatley shares what it was like to have a front row seat for the fierce rivalry between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost at McLaren in the late 1980’s. For Neil’s full chat with Tom in 2023, listen here.

Damon Hill is Tom Clarkson’s guest for 30 Days of Beyond The Grid, Day 22. The 1996 World Champion explains why his fellow title-winning teammates - Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, and Ayrton Senna - were in a class of their own. And Damon also shares his perspective on losing the 1994 championship to Michael Schumacher in controversial circumstances. Listen to Damon’s full interview with Tom from 2019 here. 

He's a three-time podium finisher and a regular points-scorer, with a fantastic pole position to his name, but Lance Stroll's place in Formula 1 is sometimes still questioned. His father, Lawrence, owns the Aston Martin team he drives for - the latest stage in what he calls a 'father-son journey' to the top of motorsport.  On 30 Days of Beyond The Grid, Day 21, Lance tells Tom Clarkson why he deserves to be in F1, the sacrifices he’s made and what his relationship with Lawrence is like. For Lance’s full conversation with Tom in 2020, listen here.

On Day 20 of our countdown to the new season, former Toro Rosso driver Scott Speed tells Tom Clarkson how his ego and a fiery clash with team boss Franz Tost cut his Formula 1 career short. For Scott’s full conversation with Tom last year, listen here.

Juan Pablo Montoya is Tom Clarkson’s pick for 30 Days of Beyond The Grid, Day 19.  Speaking in 2018, Montoya tells Tom why he left Formula 1 halfway through the 2006 season and how he reflects on his five and a half years in the sport.  For the full interview with Juan Pablo, listen here. 

On Day 18 of our pre-season countdown, an emotional Paul Stoddart tells the story of what he calls ‘the most famous two points in Formula 1 history’ - as his Minardi team secured a shock result at the Australian Grand Prix in 2002. For Paul’s full conversation with Tom Clarkson in 2023, listen here.