F1: Beyond The Grid

Nephew of two-time Formula 1 World Champion Emerson and son of Brazilian F1 team owner Wilson, Christian Fittipaldi was destined to follow in his family’s footsteps and race in the pinnacle of motorsport. Speaking to Tom Clarkson in his home city of Sao Paulo, Christian reflects on his three seasons on the grid with the Footwork and Minardi teams in the early 1990’s. He talks about what it was like growing up in such an iconic racing family and the pressure he experienced carrying the Fittipaldi name, how he recovered from two serious crashes at Magny Cours and Monza, and why he walked away from F1 at the end of 1994 despite opportunities to stay. Plus, Christian describes how Ayrton Senna’s death at Imola in ‘94 affected him personally and whether he felt a weight of expectation to be the next Senna. Listen to more official F1 podcasts F1 Beyond The Grid - exclusive interviews with F1's biggest stars F1 Nation - expert race previews and reviews Experience F1 live Tickets for the end of the 2024 F1 season and the start of 2025 are available now at tickets.formula1.com Discover F1 Unlocked Unseen. Unheard. F1 Unlocked. Dive into exclusive content from F1 experts, redeem epic rewards and enter money-can't-buy competitions. Click here to join for free This episode is sponsored by: Uncommon Goods -  for 15% off your next gift, go to uncommongoods.com/grid Liquid I.V. - get 20% off your first order of Liquid I.V. when you go to liquidiv.com and use code GRID Shopify - sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/beyondthegrid Vanta - get $1,000 off Vanta at vanta.com/GRID. 

Despite being a hugely versatile racing driver, who competed in Formula 3000, IndyCar, Sports Cars and Touring Cars, Christian Danner was unable to showcase his full potential in Formula 1 in the mid-late 1980s. During an era characterised by poor reliability and pre-qualifying, he either failed to start many of the races he entered, or he failed to finish them. But that certainly doesn’t mean he’s short of some fascinating tales from his time in the sport. Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Christian remembers becoming the first F1 driver to be disqualified for dangerous driving and how Ayrton Senna leapt to his defence. He also talks about the opposition he faced from the media back home in Germany, why Zakspeed teammate Martin Brundle kept him on his toes , how he climbed from P26 on the grid to a career-best finish of P4 at the US Grand Prix in 1989, and much more. This episode is sponsored by Bitdefender, the official cybersecurity partner of Ferrari. Visit Bitdefender.com to learn more about why Ferrari chose Bitdefender to stay ahead of cyber threats and how YOU can make your digital life safer.

This episode is brought to you by Salesforce, a Global Partner of Formula 1®. Fernando Alonso will become the first driver in Formula 1 history to compete in 400 Grands Prix when he races in Mexico this weekend. It’s a monumental milestone that even Alonso didn’t think he’d reach. Hear why the two-time World Champion thought he’d leave F1 at the end of 2009 and how changes in his relationship with the sport have prolonged his career. Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Fernando reflects on the most poignant moments from an eventful 21 seasons on the grid - revealing fascinating details about his secret meetings with Red Bull, whether he regrets turning them down for Ferrari, the one race he tried to win the most and why he needed reassurance during his comeback in 2021. Plus, the Spaniard talks about the impact Adrian Newey will have on Aston Martin and how the legendary designer’s arrival at the team affects his own future. This episode is sponsored by: Salesforce: visit salesforce.com/F1 to learn more about how Formula 1 wins fans and grows its global fanbase with Salesforce Vanta: our audience gets a special offer of $1,000 off at vanta.com/GRID

This week’s guest on F1 Beyond The Grid will make history at the Mexico City Grand Prix – how did he get this far and what’s next? Hear a preview of the episode with Tom Clarkson now and then you can listen to the conversation in full on your podcast app, or watch on the official F1 YouTube channel from Wednesday 23rd October. More official F1 Podcasts F1 Nation - Grand Prix reviews and previews from inside the F1 paddock F1 Explains - drivers, engineers + experts answer your questions about Formula 1 Be there when the 2024 F1 World Champion is crowned Get tickets for Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Las Vegas, the rest of 2024 and early 2025 at tickets.formula1.com