Short Corners

Peter talks at length with the driver who in 2024 underwent open-heart surgery before rising again to win. Only one other driver in motor racing history - Robert Kubica - has won both a World Championship Grand Prix and a major rally championship; the other is Heikki Kovalainen. Winner of the 2008 Hungarian GP for McLaren-Mercedes and a podium finisher for Renault F1, Heikki subsequently won two Japanese Rally Championships with Toyota in 2022 and 2023. Then, in the spring of 2024,  Heikki's life changed suddenly when he underwent urgent open-heart surgery in Finland. For two hours he was on life-support.As we now know, the operation was a resounding success. Heikki was soon back in business, presenting the trophies on the podium for the Secto Rally of Finland in early August, before winning again in Japan. It wasn't over, though: on November 25 he was lying a stunning third in the WRC2 division of the Rally of Japan when he crashed heavily on a fast right-hander. As he says in this interview, "it gave the new heart system a bit of a work-out..." And still there was to be an epilogue: basically uninjured, Heikki on December 14-15 jumped into a car totally new to him and won the all-tarmac Union Rally in Italy. All for the love of his sport. Which is why, in our opinion Heikki was unquestionably the star of 2024 In this interview he talks to Peter about his surgery (44:30); about his massive shunt in Japan (28.53); and about beating the likes of Michael Schumacher, Sebastien Loeb, David Coulthard, Felipe Massa, Sebastian Vettel and Toyota's latest Rally star, Sami Pajari, in head-to-head match races in a wide variety of cars (17:00).With thanks to Jetcraft, the world's largest buyer and seller of executive jets:https://jetcraft.comTo OEM Exclusive, the passionate suppliers of OEM upgrades for exotic and high-performance vehiclesAnd to TrackNinja, a lap-timer and data app designed to help users improve their on-track car and driver performance through analysis and an innovative Data Garage. A lite version is free; the loaded edition is US$9.99 pcm or $99.99 yearlyhttps://trackninja.appImages: Grand Prix Photo (Peter Nygaard); WRC; Red Bull and the Peter Windsor Collectionhttps://grandprixphoto.comAlpinestars:https://alpinestars.comFollow our Motor Racing with Peter Windsor WhatsApp Channel:https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakyBQT0gcfSyQvrwc0mWatching from a Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking part of the world? Visit our dedicated new language channels: https://youtube.com/peterwindsor/español; https://youtube.com/peterwindsor/portuguesFollow Peter on Bluesky, Twitter (X) and Instagram:@peterdwindsorAnd follow our Short Corners podcast - now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon MusicWe support the Race Against Dementia:https://raceagainstdementia.com#standwithukraine Nick: you're with us alwaysVisit: https://youtube.com/peterwindsor for F1 videos past, present and future

Join Peter Windsor as he talks at length with Peter Wright, the former BRM and Lotus engineer who, in a career that began in the late 1960s, not only pioneered ground effect with Colin Chapman but who also subsequently worked for the FIA on such safety developments as the survival cell, the halo, the HANS collar, circuit barriers and composite helmet design. Along the way, Peter also found time to create his own self-sustaining glider, to fly a Tiger Moth and to restore a Bugatti T51.  Peter Wright spoke to Peter Windsor from his home in Presteigne, on the Welsh-English border, just before Christmas. This uncut recording of the conversation revolves around the recent publication of Peter's autobiography ( "How Did I Get Here?", which can be ordered via email from www.howdidigethere.co.uk) and includes several sections not featured in our YouTube video. It begins with Peter admitting that, yes, he had at one point been a bit of a hippy...With thanks to Jetcraft, the world's largest buyer and seller of executive jets:https://jetcraft.comTo OEM Exclusive, the passionate suppliers of OEM upgrades for exotic and high-performance vehiclesAnd to TrackNinja, a lap-timer and data app designed to help users improve their on-track car and driver performance through analysis and an innovative Data Garage.  A lite version is free; the loaded version is US$9.99 pcm or $99.99 yearlyhttps://trackninja.appFollow @peterdwindsor on Bluesky, Twitter (X) and InstaCheck out our new Spanish- and Portuguese-language YouTube channels:www.youtube.com/peterwindsorAlpinestars:https://alpinestars.comOscar Razor:Australia's highly-rated, 5-blade razors for men and women https://oscarrazor.com.auInstagram (Hindi):@peterdwindsorWe support the Race Against Dementia:https://raceagainstdementia.com#standwithukraine Nick: you're always with us Visit: https://youtube.com/peterwindsor for F1 videos past, present and future

Peter caught up with @cameronCcTV on the Monday before Christmas to look back at 2024 and also ahead into 2025/26.  Pour the Baileys, jink the ice...and enjoy. This episode is dedicated to my dear friend, Cyd Williams. He was a fast F3/F2/F5000 driver but he was also a Top Man, as Frank Williams used to say.With thanks to Jetcraft, the world's largest buyer and seller of executive jets:https://jetcraft.comTo OEM Exclusive, the passionate suppliers of OEM upgrades for exotic and high-performance vehiclesAnd to TrackNinja, a lap-timer and data app designed to help users improve their on-track car and driver performance through analysis and an innovative Data Garage.  A lite version is free; the loaded version is US$9.99 pcm or $99.99 yearlyhttps://trackninja.appAnd a special thanks to Cameron, who can be followed on: @CameronCcTVFollow @peterdwindsor on Bluesky, Twitter (X) and InstaYour special Amalgam Red Bull F1 model code: PETERxAMALGAMYour dedicated Red Bull Amalgam site address: www.amalgamcollection.com/collections/red-bullCheck out our new Spanish- and Portuguese-language YouTube channels:www.youtube.com/peterwindsorAlpinestars:https://alpinestars.comOscar Razor:Australia's highly-rated, 5-blade razors for men and women https://oscarrazor.com.auInstagram (Hindi):@peterdwindsorWe support the Race Against Dementia:https://raceagainstdementia.com#standwithukraine Nick: you're always with us Visit: https://youtube.com/peterwindsor for F1 videos past, present and future

Kick back and relax as Peter talks through dozens of F1-related questions and comments on his latest livestream.  There's lots of Lewis, Charles, Ferrari, McLaren, Lando, Oscar and George but there's some Georges Boillot, too - and, of course, some Jim Clark. Those pistachio buns are heating in the oven - and the coffee, straight from the Pergamino shop, Antioquia, Colombia, is perfectly-brewed.With thanks to Jetcraft, the world's largest buyer and seller of executive jets:https://jetcraft.comTo OEM Exclusive, the passionate suppliers of OEM upgrades for exotic and high-performance vehiclesAnd to TrackNinja, a lap-timer and data app designed to help users improve their on-track car and driver performance through analysis and an innovative Data Garage.  A lite version is free; the loaded version is US$9.99 pcm or $99.99 yearlyhttps://trackninja.appFollow @peterdwindsor on Bluesky, Twitter (X) and InstaYour special Amalgam Red Bull F1 model code: PETERxAMALGAMYour dedicated Red Bull Amalgam site address: www.amalgamcollection.com/collections/red-bullCheck out our new Spanish- and Portuguese-language YouTube channels:www.youtube.com/peterwindsorAlpinestars:https://alpinestars.comOscar Razor:Australia's highly-rated, 5-blade razors for men and women https://oscarrazor.com.auWe support the Race Against Dementia:https://raceagainstdementia.com#standwithukraine Nick: you're always with us Visit: https://youtube.com/peterwindsor for F1 videos past, present and future