Five years after Carlos Sainz left McLaren, his former team and his former teammate are the reigning Formula 1 World Champions. As he watched Lando Norris reach the summit of world motorsport, did he ever think ‘that could have been me?’.  
Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Carlos reflects on leaving McLaren and becoming a race winner with Ferrari before joining Williams. He remembers feeling ‘powerless’ during a difficult start to the 2025 season, and reveals the work which led him to stand on the podium later in the year.
Carlos gives his first impressions of the 2026 F1 cars and explains why he wants to use the ‘peak’ of his career to take Williams back to the top.


Listen to other official F1 Podcasts
F1 Nation Australia Grand Prix Preview
F1 Explains: what you need to know for 2026


This episode is sponsored by: 

Shopify: sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/beyondthegrid

Quince: go to quince.com/GRID for free shipping and 365-day returns.

CarGurus: buy or sell your next car today with CarGurus at cargurus.com

<div>Five years after Carlos Sainz left McLaren, his former team and his former teammate are the reigning Formula 1 World Champions. As he watched Lando Norris reach the summit of world motorsport, did he ever think ‘that could have been me?’.  </div><br><div>Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Carlos reflects on leaving McLaren and becoming a race winner with Ferrari before joining Williams. He remembers feeling ‘powerless’ during a difficult start to the 2025 season, and reveals the work which led him to stand on the podium later in the year.</div><br><div>Carlos gives his first impressions of the 2026 F1 cars and explains why he wants to use the ‘peak’ of his career to take Williams back to the top.</div><br><div>
<p><strong>Listen to other official F1 Podcasts</strong><br><a href="https://www.podfollow.com/f1-nation">F1 Nation Australia Grand Prix Preview</a><br><a href="https://www.podfollow.com/f1-nation">F1 Explains: what you need to know for 2026</a><br> </p><p>This episode is sponsored by: </p><p>Shopify: sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at <a href="http://shopify.com/beyondthegrid">shopify.com/beyondthegrid</a></p><p>Quince: go to <a href="http://quince.com/GRID">quince.com/GRID</a> for free shipping and 365-day returns.</p><p>CarGurus: buy or sell your next car today with CarGurus at <a href="http://cargurus.com">cargurus.com</a></p></div>

Formula 1's fastest stars slow down for in-depth interviews. Tom Clarkson brings you revealing, feature-length conversations with drivers, team bosses, engineering experts and F1 legends.

Hit the follow button for the fastest way to get new episodes. Watch episodes exclusively on the F1 YouTube channel.

An official Formula 1 podcast. For race reviews + previews, listen to F1 Nation. To learn more about how F1 works, listen to F1 Explains

F1: Beyond The Grid

Carlos Sainz: pushing for progress with Williams

A title fight full of twists and turns, a new World Champion, rookies reaching major milestones and Formula 1 on the big screen.
The 2025 season was nothing short of dramatic on and off track. Here, on F1 Beyond The Grid, Tom Clarkson has sat down with the people in the thick of all that drama and in this end-of-year special, Tom picks out his highlights.
You’ll hear from the new World Champion Lando Norris, who reveals how he changed his mental approach to racing, and his race engineer Will Joseph. Lando’s title rival and teammate Oscar Piastri explains how he made so much progress from 2024 to 2025. And McLaren CEO Zak Brown and Team Principal Andrea Stella tell us how they’ve managed to get Lando and Oscar to buy into the team’s racing philosophy.
Away from the champions, Isack Hadjar reflects on how he bounced back from a nightmare F1 debut in Australia. Esteban Ocon and his race engineer Laura Mueller explain how they’ve built a relationship in their first year working together at Haas. And Valtteri Bottas tells Tom why he’s got unfinished business with F1 ahead of his return with Cadillac in 2026.
From the cockpit to the pitwall, Williams Team Principal James Vowles shares his pride after Carlos Sainz secured the team’s first podium since 2021 and Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur gives his thoughts on Lewis Hamilton’s first year in red.
Plus, four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel reflects on the highs and lows of his career and Hollywood icon Brad Pitt reminisces on what it was like becoming F1 driver Sonny Hayes for F1: The Movie.
Thank you for listening in 2025. F1 Beyond The Grid will return in 2026.
To hear the full interviews with the guests featured in this show, click on the links below…
Lando Norris
Oscar Piastri 

Andrea Stella + Zak Brown
Helmut Marko
Fred Vasseur
James Vowles
Brad Pitt

Sebastian Vettel 

<div>A title fight full of twists and turns, a new World Champion, rookies reaching major milestones and Formula 1 on the big screen.</div>
<br>
<div>The 2025 season was nothing short of dramatic on and off track. Here, on F1 Beyond The Grid, Tom Clarkson has sat down with the people in the thick of all that drama and in this end-of-year special, Tom picks out his highlights.</div>
<br>
<div>You’ll hear from the new World Champion Lando Norris, who reveals how he changed his mental approach to racing, and his race engineer Will Joseph. Lando’s title rival and teammate Oscar Piastri explains how he made so much progress from 2024 to 2025. And McLaren CEO Zak Brown and Team Principal Andrea Stella tell us how they’ve managed to get Lando and Oscar to buy into the team’s racing philosophy.</div>
<br>
<div>Away from the champions, Isack Hadjar reflects on how he bounced back from a nightmare F1 debut in Australia. Esteban Ocon and his race engineer Laura Mueller explain how they’ve built a relationship in their first year working together at Haas. And Valtteri Bottas tells Tom why he’s got unfinished business with F1 ahead of his return with Cadillac in 2026.</div>
<br>
<div>From the cockpit to the pitwall, Williams Team Principal James Vowles shares his pride after Carlos Sainz secured the team’s first podium since 2021 and Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur gives his thoughts on Lewis Hamilton’s first year in red.</div>
<br>
<div>Plus, four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel reflects on the highs and lows of his career and Hollywood icon Brad Pitt reminisces on what it was like becoming F1 driver Sonny Hayes for F1: The Movie.</div>
<br>
<div>Thank you for listening in 2025. F1 Beyond The Grid will return in 2026.</div>
<br>
<div>To hear the full interviews with the guests featured in this show, click on the links below…</div>
<br>
<div>
<a href="https://podfollow.com/f1-beyond-the-grid/episode/5ea7ad5f9b9f1f978b026fa9b1f271d8b97edbb0/">Lando Norris</a> </div>
<br>
<div>
<a href="https://podfollow.com/f1-beyond-the-grid/episode/31e0a8439e65b5d80e459e4ea135aa570bcb5aaa/">Oscar Piastri </a><br>
 <br>
<a href="https://podfollow.com/f1-beyond-the-grid/episode/b005e8851b4080eb5aa016be7972919125d96524/">Andrea Stella + Zak Brown</a>
</div>
<br>
<div>
<a href="https://podfollow.com/f1-beyond-the-grid/episode/7d7a0292df8c66d7cac778bcb5b3bb12b8939f76/">Helmut Marko</a> </div>
<br>
<div><a href="https://podfollow.com/f1-beyond-the-grid/episode/abf8d8d7feddf7d8f37e7ffb1bcf837f5d0ba24a/">Fred Vasseur</a></div>
<br>
<div>
<a href="https://podfollow.com/f1-beyond-the-grid/episode/4854fb01f34814ca4352d7186eb33787f9ee6e8a/">James Vowles</a> </div>
<br>
<div>
<a href="https://podfollow.com/f1-beyond-the-grid/episode/375ea494bf155854fc22f7886246b6855d100021/">Brad Pitt</a> <br>
<br>
<a href="https://podfollow.com/f1-beyond-the-grid/episode/09c9473045c2e754df7baad4c8904c7e07ec78b0/">Sebastian Vettel </a>
</div>

Lando’s champion evolution, Vowles’ podium pride + Brad Pitt’s ‘need for speed’ – The Best of 2025

As Formula 1 enters an exciting new era of fast, thrilling and sustainable racing in 2026, what can we expect on track?
Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff, and Managing Director of Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertains, Hywel Thomas, explain how the new power units and advanced sustainable fuels will enhance performance and demand different skills from the drivers and teams.
Toto and Hywel tell Tom Clarkson how they feel on the eve of this new rule cycle compared to 2014, when they went on to win eight Constructors’ World Championships in a row, and what they make of rumours in the paddock pitching them as pre-season favourites.
You’ll also hear their thoughts on how George Russell and Kimi Antonelli performed in 2025 and what they can achieve in the coming years.


This episode is sponsored by:


Truewerk: upgrade your day with workwear built like it matters. Get 15% off your first order at truewerk.com with code GRID.  


Indeed: listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to help get your job the premium status it deserves at indeed.com/GRID. 


F1 Store: F1 Store: treat the F1 fan in your life this festive season with exclusive gear from the Official F1 Store. Shop now at F1Store.formula1.com

<div>As Formula 1 enters an exciting new era of fast, thrilling and sustainable racing in 2026, what can we expect on track?</div>
<br>
<div>Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff, and Managing Director of Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertains, Hywel Thomas, explain how the new power units and advanced sustainable fuels will enhance performance and demand different skills from the drivers and teams.</div>
<br>
<div>Toto and Hywel tell Tom Clarkson how they feel on the eve of this new rule cycle compared to 2014, when they went on to win eight Constructors’ World Championships in a row, and what they make of rumours in the paddock pitching them as pre-season favourites.</div>
<br>
<div>You’ll also hear their thoughts on how George Russell and Kimi Antonelli performed in 2025 and what they can achieve in the coming years.<br>
<br>
<br>
<strong>This episode is sponsored by:</strong> <br>
<br>
Truewerk: upgrade your day with workwear built like it matters. Get 15% off your first order at <a href="http://truewerk.com">truewerk.com</a> with code GRID.  <br>
<br>
Indeed: listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to help get your job the premium status it deserves at <a href="http://indeed.com/GRID">indeed.com/GRID</a>. <br>
<br>
F1 Store: F1 Store: treat the F1 fan in your life this festive season with exclusive gear from the Official F1 Store. Shop now at <a href="https://f1store.formula1.com/en/?ce=1&amp;_s=bm-fi-f1-prtsocial-bf-pod-beyond-the-grid-281125-bc">F1Store.formula1.com</a><br>
<br>
<br>

</div>

Toto Wolff + Hywel Thomas: racing towards 2026

2025 has been a year of firsts for Laura Mueller and Esteban Ocon.
For Laura, it’s her first season as a race engineer. For Esteban, it’s his first season with Haas. And it’s their first time working with each other.
So how are they finding it? What do they need from one another to get the best out of each other? And how do they communicate in and out of the car?
Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Laura and Esteban take us inside their first year working together and how the relationship between a race engineer and an F1 driver works.
They provide fascinating insight into how they talk to each other on team radio – explaining when the right time to speak during a lap is, how often they should speak and why that can change in different scenarios.
Laura and Esteban also reflect on the highs and lows of this year – including how they bounced back from a challenging season-opener in Melbourne to score points in China the week after.
And you’ll hear all about Laura’s path to becoming F1’s first female race engineer and the childhood hero who inspired this journey.



This episode is sponsored by:


F1 Store: treat the F1 fan in your life this festive season with exclusive gear from the Official F1 Store. Shop now at F1Store.formula1.com


Shopify: sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.com/beyondthegrid


Aura Frames: For a limited time, save on the perfect gift by visiting AuraFrames.com to get $35 off Aura’s best-selling

Carver Mat frames by using promo code GRID at checkout 


Vanta: get started at vanta.com/GRID


Honda Vintage Culture: right now, listeners can get 20% off the full Honda Vintage Culture range. Just head to hondavintageculture.com and use the code BTG20 at checkout

<div>2025 has been a year of firsts for Laura Mueller and Esteban Ocon.</div>
<br>
<div>For Laura, it’s her first season as a race engineer. For Esteban, it’s his first season with Haas. And it’s their first time working with each other.</div>
<br>
<div>So how are they finding it? What do they need from one another to get the best out of each other? And how do they communicate in and out of the car?</div>
<br>
<div>Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Laura and Esteban take us inside their first year working together and how the relationship between a race engineer and an F1 driver works.</div>
<br>
<div>They provide fascinating insight into how they talk to each other on team radio – explaining when the right time to speak during a lap is, how often they should speak and why that can change in different scenarios.</div>
<br>
<div>Laura and Esteban also reflect on the highs and lows of this year – including how they bounced back from a challenging season-opener in Melbourne to score points in China the week after.</div>
<br>
<div>And you’ll hear all about Laura’s path to becoming F1’s first female race engineer and the childhood hero who inspired this journey.<br>
<br>
<br>
This episode is sponsored by:<br>
<br>
F1 Store: treat the F1 fan in your life this festive season with exclusive gear from the Official F1 Store. Shop now at <a href="https://f1store.formula1.com/en/?ce=1&amp;_s=bm-fi-f1-prtsocial-bf-pod-beyond-the-grid-281125-bc">F1Store.formula1.com</a><br>
<br>
Shopify: sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today at <a href="http://shopify.com/beyondthegrid">shopify.com/beyondthegrid</a> <br>
<br>
Aura Frames: For a limited time, save on the perfect gift by visiting <a href="http://AuraFrames.com">AuraFrames.com</a> to get $35 off Aura’s best-selling<br>
Carver Mat frames by using promo code GRID at checkout <br>
<br>
Vanta: get started at <a href="http://vanta.com/GRID">vanta.com/GRID</a> <br>
<br>
Honda Vintage Culture: right now, listeners can get 20% off the full Honda Vintage Culture range. Just head to <a href="http://hondavintageculture.com/">hondavintageculture.com</a> and use the code BTG20 at checkout<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>

</div>

Carlos Sainz: pushing for progress with Williams

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