This episode is brought to you by Dropbox Dash, an official technology partner of the McLaren Formula 1 team.
Now a multiple race winner, podium finisher and polesitter, Lando Norris is ready to take the next step in his Formula 1 career and become World Champion.
To do so in 2025, he’ll have to beat his equally talented teammate Oscar Piastri. But despite a sometimes challenging first half of the season, Lando says he’s a better driver this year and just needs to find some consistency.
Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Lando talks about how he’s evolved as a driver on and off track since winning his first Grand Prix in Miami in 2024, what McLaren are doing differently in their approach since becoming Constructors’ World Champions, how he moved on from his collision with Oscar in Canada and why he’s working hard to switch off from Formula 1 when he’s not racing.
Lando also tells us how F1 The Movie star Brad Pitt performed in the 2023 McLaren car at Austin recently and what it would mean to win his home race at this weekend’s British Grand Prix.
Plus, Lando’s race engineer Will Joseph joins the pod to discuss how their relationship has changed since they started working together in 2019.
This episode is sponsored by:
Shopify - sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at shopify.com/beyondthegrid
Liquid.I.V. - go to liquidiv.com and get 20% off your first order with code GRID at checkout
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47:12
Brad Pitt: becoming Sonny Hayes for F1 The Movie
For F1 The Movie, Brad Pitt lived the high-speed life of a Formula 1 driver. He drove with seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton. He learned to race. He spent years shooting scenes at racetracks around the world.
The result is what he calls ‘the most visceral feeling you will get in a race car of anything put on film’ - F1 The Movie, in cinemas on June 25th and June 27th in North America.
Brad Pitt tells Tom Clarkson about making the movie, the ‘adrenaline’ he felt driving on spectacular Formula 1 circuits, what he learned from his time with Lewis Hamilton and how getting close to F1 cars and drivers took his breath away.
Plus, he reveals the true F1 stories which inspired the character of Sonny Hayes, describes the feeling of driving a real F1 car, and hints at his hopes for a sequel.
F1 The Movie – in cinemas June 25th internationally, June 27th in North America
Find a screening near you at f1themovie.com
It's All To Drive For in 2025. Be there!
Book your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.com
This episode is sponsored by:
Ridge - improving the things you carry every day
For a limited time, go to ridge.com and use the code GRID for 10% off wallets, key cases + more
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28:48
Isack Hadjar: ‘I’m a fighter’
He took some blows on his climb to Formula 1. Now Isack Hadjar is toe-to-toe with the heavyweights.
Hadjar’s first F1 race was over before it began, as he slid off the track on a rain-soaked day in Australia. He tells Tom Clarkson how previous setbacks helped him get back on his feet, and establish himself as one of the best young drivers in the sport.
Hadjar describes himself as ‘a fighter’, and he picks the World Champion he most wants to face up to as team mates. He talks about the difficult step from Formula 2 to F1, life in Red Bull’s driver program, how his parents inspired him to reach the highest level, and how he earned his nickname, ‘Le Petit Prost’.
Experience F1: The Movie on the big screen
Only in cinemas June 27
Tickets at f1themovie.com
This episode is sponsored by:
Shopify: sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at shopify.com/beyondthegrid
Vanta: for a limited time, listeners get $1,000 off Vanta at vanta.com/grid.
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43:22
LEGENDS: Emerson Fittipaldi’s ‘courage’ + ‘risk’ to become World Champion
Emerson Fittipaldi made history with Lotus in 1972 by becoming the first Brazilian to win the Formula 1 World Championship. In 1974, he won the title again with McLaren.
Emerson’s achievements on track are legendary, but his actions off track are just as iconic.
In a special F1 Beyond The Grid Legends episode, Emerson tells Tom Clarkson why he refused to take part in the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix, the extensive medical precautions he had in place during race weekends, and how he and some of the sport’s other big names at the time helped improve safety in the sport.
Emerson also talks about leaving Brazil for the UK to pursue his racing career, forming his own Brazilian F1 team, and the incredible phone call he received from Enzo Ferrari after Niki Lauda’s serious accident in 1976.
Plus, which current F1 driver reminds Emerson of himself? What impresses him the most about Max Verstappen? And how does he view this year’s title battle between McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris?
This episode is sponsored by MasterClass: see MasterClass’s latest deal–at least 15% off–at masterclass.com/GRID
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50:10
Valtteri Bottas: Cadillac is ‘very interesting project’
This year is the first time Valtteri Bottas isn’t racing in Formula 1 since he started as a rookie in 2013, but the 10-time Grand Prix winner says F1 is ‘still the number one thing in my life’ and his priority is to get back on the grid in 2026.
Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Valtteri discusses all the options he has for his next move.
Would he like to drive for the new Cadillac team that will join F1 next season? Could he race for Mercedes again? Or will there be opportunities at other teams like Red Bull or Alpine?
Valtteri tells Tom why he doesn’t want his F1 career to be over yet, what attributes he would bring to a team in a year of new regulations and cars, and the deadline he has put in place to make a decision on his future.
He also explains why he rejoined Mercedes as a Reserve Driver this year instead of competing in any other series.
F1: THE MOVIE starring Brad Pitt
Don't miss the chance to see F1 on the big screen. Only in cinemas June 2025
Get tickets now
It's All To Drive For in 2025. Be there!
Book your seat for a Grand Prix this season at tickets.formula1.com
THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY:
Liquid I.V. : Go to liquidiv.com and get 20% off your first order with code GRID at checkout
Indeed: Listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at indeed.com/grid
Vanta: For a limited time, listeners get $1000 off at vanta.com/grid
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.
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