Motor Sport Magazine Podcast

Legendary F1 car designer Patrick Head returns to our Engineering the Greats podcast for series 2, produced in association with Scalextric. He picks up where he left off last time with the story of Williams' dominant 1993 season.Head pulls back the curtain on the fascinating story of that year: of how the team secured Adrian Newey's services, why boss Frank Williams didn't want Damon Hill to partner Alain Prost, and how the cutting-edge FW15C car could have had even more exotic technical tricks, had Williams not been outmanoeuvred in a classic FIA showdown. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can Max Verstappen win a third world championship? Will Mercedes be able to challenge Red Bull and Ferrari, and which of this year's three rookies will impress the most? Mark Hughes and Johnny Herbert join Motor Sport editor Joe Dunn and writer James Elson to examine the big questions ahead of the 2023 F1 season Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Red Bull won the F1 Constructors' Championship and powered Max Verstappen to the drivers' title too. But was it the best Formula 1 team in 2022?Our season review podcast shows why that question isn't as foolish as it sounds, as Le Mans champion and former Toyota grand prix driver Allan McNish joins Chris Medland and F1 presenter Lawrence Barretto to discuss the strongest teams of the season.Joining Red Bull on our shortlist is Mercedes, which put in a Herculean effort to recover and win after a poor start to the season; Ferrari, which had the pace to beat Red Bull in several races; and Alpine, which consistently racked up the points.Hear what our expert panel has to say and then make your choice in the Motor Sport Season Review Awards. Vote by December 22 and be in with a chance of winning £2,000 Goodwood season tickets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2022 F1 season delivered plenty of wheel-to-wheel racing in front of sell-out crowds, with unexpected twists and challenges regularly rearing their head. But which of the 22 races stands out above them all as the best grand prix of the year?F1 driver-turned-commentator Jolyon Palmer and fellow commentator Jack Nicholls join Chris Medland to look back at the year's action and assess the races on our season review awards shortlist.See which race they choose as their highlight of 2022 and then go to the Motor Sport site to vote for your selection - don't forget to make your selection by December 22. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can anybody apart from Max Verstappen claim to be the best F1 driver of 2022? Romain Grosjean thinks so as he, Chris Medland and Damien Smith delve into the details of which driver was most impressive throughout the grand prix season — irrespective of equipment.On the shortlist for Motor Sport's 2022 season awards are Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, George Russell and Verstappen. Hear what our expert panel have to say — and who Grosjean chooses above the world champion — then have your say on the Motor Sport website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Which F1 overtake stood out in a season of action-packed racing? Williams reserve driver Jack Aitken and Channel 4 Formula 1 commentator Alex Jacques join Chris Medland to review the shortlist of brilliant and brave moments that had crowds on their feet.Hear their views on moves that include Lewis Hamilton's three-wide pass at Silverstone and Sebastian Vettel taking on Kevin Magnussen at the US Grand Prix, then have your say by voting in the Motor Sport Season Review Awards on our website before December 22 to have a chance of winning £2,000 Goodwood season tickets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The season dawned with the launch of a new generation of Formula 1 cars and, 22 races later, saw Max Verstappen crowned world champion after a dominant season.But why did Ferrari's challenge falter — and why won't the team get the cure that it needs? How did Mercedes turn its season around? And what did Red Bull gain — or lose — from breaching the cost cap?Mark Hughes, Chris Medland and Damien Smith form our expert panel to look back over the year and the crucial moments that shaped the 2022 season.As well as the championship battle, they discuss the legacy of Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo as the drivers leave the grid for 2023, look back over the fortunes and futures of all ten teams. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For most racing drivers, the chance to step up to Formula 1 is the opportunity of their careers, but Anthony Davidson says that his first grand prix start is something he still regrets to this day.Speaking to Chris Medland in the final episode from the current My big break series, WEC champion Davidson talks about the turning points in his career, which included more than a decade in top-level racing.Along the way, he brings his thoughtful views on why F1's points system should be revamped, the challenges facing female racing drivers, and his current commentary role.He reveals how an impromptu visit to Brands Hatch was the key to moving out of karting — where he raced alongside the likes of Dan Wheldon and Jenson Button — and into Formula Ford. Within two years, Davidson was a Formula 1 test driver and he eventually got his chance to race with Minardi, driving what he calls a "beast" of a car that he wasn't physically prepared for — and paying £250,000 for the privilege.But Davidson bided his time and was rew

When you're a Magnussen, the name alone can open doors, but you won't get through them, unless the talent's there.Kevin Magnussen is Chris Medland's latest guest on the My Big Break podcast, describing the key moments that shaped his career.The 29-year-old describes being invited to McLaren after winning the Danish Formula Ford championship because his dad, Jan, had been the team's test driver.He got on to its junior driver programme but it soon became apparent that he wasn't going to get an easy ride when he was given the ultimatum of winning the Formula Renault 3.5 Series or seeing his F1 dreams evaporate.Magnussen rose to the challenge and he talks about how his career progressed with a Force India drive that never was, a podium finish on his debut, and fighting for his McLaren seat with Jenson Button.After a year out of Grand Prix racing, Magnussen has returned to Haas in impressive form, and he explains why he's so much more relaxed for his second stint in F1. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-ou

Newly confirmed as an F1 driver with AlphaTauri driver for 2023, Pierre Gasly is the latest guest on our My big break podcast series, looking at the key moments that brought him to where he is now.Gasly explains how he tried ice hockey and football before being captivated by motor sport when he went karting for the first time aged 6. Part of a hotshot generation of French drivers, Gasly recalls watching grands prix with Charles Leclerc and Esteban Ocon, dreaming that maybe one of them might make it to F1. He also describes climbing the racing ladder on a budget to Formula Renault 2.0 where only a championship win would unlock the prize money needed to progress.His success brought him a Red Bull contract and, ultimately, a brief stint with the team which ended after just 12 races. He reflects upon that low moment and those that thought it would be the end of him, followed by his recollections of winning in Monza and silencing the critics. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If a young Valtteri Bottas and his dad hadn't spotted the sign for a go-kart race in Finland, then the Alfa Romeo driver may never have got on track, let alone partnered Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.In the latest podcast from our My big break series, Bottas joins Chris Medland to reveal the make-or-break moments that brought him to Formula 1. He explains the key role that porridge power played ahead of his go kart debut, the local sponsors that bankrolled his fresh tyres, and the tests that took him from the Finnish go-karting championship to an F1 seat with Williams — via a rocky GP3 season. When Nico Rosberg retired from F1, Bottas moved from to Mercedes — and he suggests that he used his own money to buy out the Williams contract — only to be handed the Herculean task of being team-mate to Hamilton. Bottas describes how it took its toll, and reveals that he was on the brink of quitting at the end of the 2018 season before a restorative walk in a Finnish forest saw him change his mind.Now at Alfa Romeo, Botta

Kamui Kobayashi showed so much potential as a go-karting teenager that Toyota locked him into a ten-year racing contract at the age of 14.In our new My big break podcast episode, the Le Mans winner looks at the key moments that shaped his career, including that initial deal which took him all the way to Formula 1 — only for the team to announce that it was pulling out of the series after his third race.Kobayashi tells Chris Medland about his grand prix debut and the “crazy” battle with Jenson Button who would be crowned world champion at the chequered flag.He explains how he secured his return to the grid with Sauber, and why he doesn’t regret his year spent at the back of the grid with Caterham.Now back with Toyota and set to compete in this weekend’s Le Mans 24 Hours, Kobayashi describes his new joint driver and team principal role, as well as how he sees himself helping to shape the future of motor racing. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Helio Castroneves says that destiny guided his glittering IndyCar career that's crowned by a record-equalling four Indy 500 wins, but the path to glory was far from straightforward.He speaks to Chris Medland in the opening episode from season two of our Big Break podcast series, charting the make-or-break moments that shaped top-level racers, engineers and managers.Ahead of this year's Indy 500, Castroneves recalls his early dreams of racing in Formula 1, graduating from karting in Brazil to living in Milton Keynes in British F3, and then the conversation with his sponsor that brought him to the unfamiliar ladder to IndyCar.That journey was studded with challenge, tragedy and a court case with Emerson Fittipaldi — plus a 14-week run to victory on Dancing with the Stars, that is credited with bringing an extra 1m viewers to IndyCar.Now in search of a record-equalling fifth Indy 500 win, Castroneves says that the sky's the limit, with no thoughts of retirement. When we’re in this business [of racing], it’s our

If it hadn't been for a long lunch with Niki Lauda, a willingness to swap grand prix racing for NASCAR, and a vision for a US F1 team, it's unlikely Guenther Steiner would have found himself leading Haas in Formula 1.In this episode from Motor Sport's My big break series, Steiner tells Chris Medland about the make-or-break moments that brought him to his current role.He describes his move to Jaguar's F1 team from Ford's World Rally team — at the behest of Lauda — and his rapid disillusionment at the corporate structure. He returned to the paddock with newly-formed Red Bull, and then transferred to its US division to set up a NASCAR team.The American life suited Steiner so much that the Italian-born 56-year-old ended up co-founding a successful composites company and championing the idea of a US-based Formula 1 team, which brought him into contact with Gene Haas.... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown is on a mission to return the Formula 1 team to title-winning form, while also seeking success in IndyCar, Extreme E and at Le Mans. In Motor Sport's latest My big break podcast series, he tells Chris Medland about the moments that took him from growing up as a racing fan in California, to joining a select club of F1 team bosses.Brown recalls meeting Mario Andretti as a youngster and the F1 veteran's advice that set him off on a racing career. He discovered his talent for marketing while trying to recruit sponsors, and used that ability to grow and sell a multi-million-dollar business that became the world's largest motor sport marketing company.After turning down chances to work for Bernie Ecclestone and Liberty Media, McLaren came calling in 2016, and Brown reveals why he decided to join and how he has turned the team around, helped by his most radical decision - made soon after he joined. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

George Russell joins Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton's team-mate in 2022, after an acclaimed three years at Williams. In our latest My big break episode, the 23-year-old reveals how he went from racing as a karting hopeful to signing the contract for F1's top team.He tells Chris Medland how Alex Albon gave him a leg-up as he was just getting started — a favour repaid when Russell put in a good word for Albon with Williams, and the frustration of being out-paced by team-mate Antonio Giovinazzi during the 2015 Formula 3 season.Russell explains how he initially turned down a contract from Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff and came close to signing a contract that would have stopped him from ever driving for Mercedes, before joining as a young driver.Even before his three years at Williams, Russell had to learn how to impress in cars that weren't competing for victory: he talks about how he did it, and that moment in a Mercedes at Bahrain, when any doubts over his pace disappeared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and op

Alex Albon has a second shot at Formula 1 with Williams this year, continuing his rocky journey from karting champion to the grand prix paddock.In our latest My Big Break podcast, he tells Chris Medland how he rose through the ranks of F3 and F2, battling for race wins and championships with Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Lando Norris.Albon recounts losing Red Bull backing after a tricky first year in Formula Renault, before picking himself up, graduating to GP3 and challenging Leclerc for the 2015 title. He explains why his friendship with George Russell resulted in a broken collarbone that wrecked his debut F2 season; the goodwill that brought him a second year in the championship; and the bold move — combined with a timely win — that brought him back into the Red Bull fold and into an F1 seat just before a switch to Formula E.Ahead of the 2022 F1 season, the upbeat, grounded Albon shows since again why he's one of racing's most popular figures. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information

Formula 1 produced a season like no other in 2021: Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton battled for the championship from the start of the Bahrain Grand Prix to the very final lap in Abu Dhabi. To look over the excitement, the drama, the many controversies and the occasional mistake, Chris Medland is joined by Motor Sport F1 Editor Mark Hughes and Contributing Editor Damien Smith See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kimi Räikkönen was racing go karts with no prospect of moving to cars when a contract offer arrived that looked too good to be true: a monthly salary and a route into single-seaters. In the latest episode from our My Big Break series, Räikkönen recalls his wariness before signing the deal that turned out to be one of the make-or-break moments that have made him the most experienced F1 driver in history.Ahead of his retirement, he tells Chris Medland about his explosive first season in Formula Renault with his management team of David and Steve Robertson and the F1 test where he caught the eye of Michael Schumacher and earned a seat on the grand prix grid, as well as his moves to McLaren, Ferrari and Lotus. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A year after surviving a fiery crash at the Bahrain Grand Prix, Romain Grosjean explains why the moment that almost killed him was a "positive experience". As he prepares to join Andretti Autosport for the 2022 season, Grosjean reflects on the 'big break' moments that brought him to where he is today: his early F1 struggles, his championship-winning return to GP2, and what it took to become an IndyCar driver. As well as that crash. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.