Enrico Cardile: Aston Martin’s 2026 ambitions + working with Adrian Newey
Ahead of a new era of Formula 1 in 2026, Italian engineer Enrico Cardile moved from Ferrari to Aston Martin. Working alongside Adrian Newey as Chief Technical Officer, his aim is to turn Aston into winners.
Enrico tells Tom Clarkson how he studied Ferrari at university, before joining the company as a young engineer in the road car division. He moved on to the F1 team, developing single-seaters which took Kimi Raikkonen, Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc to Grand Prix wins.
Enrico left Ferrari and joined Aston Martin in summer 2025. He describes the differences between an established team and one which is still building. He describes working with Adrian Newey at Aston’s state-of-the-art factory, what Lance Stroll has in common with Raikkonen and how driver feedback from Stroll and Fernando Alonso is helping to drive the team forwards.
This episode is sponsored by:
Truewerk: get 15% off your first order at truewerk.com with the code 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.
Shopify: sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at shopify.com/beyondthegrid
Salesforce: visit salesforce.com/f1 to learn more about how Formula 1 drives fan excitement with Agentforce - the powerful AI from Salesforce
--------
49:49
--------
49:49
Allan McNish: winning ‘the Audi way’
Serial winner in sports cars, Formula 1 driver and all-out racer: Allan McNish is using his experience to give Audi a fast start in F1. A Le Mans and World Endurance Championship-winner with the manufacturer, Allan knows how ‘the Audi way’ of racing will translate to F1.
Allan’s own journey to F1 began with a McLaren test alongside Ayrton Senna. 13 years later, he finally made his Grand Prix debut. Allan tells Tom Clarkson how his sportscar career eventually led him to F1 with Toyota, and seeing a young Fernando Alonso’s unique driving style up-close while at Renault.
Plus, Allan explains his work with the new Audi F1 team ahead of their 2026 debut, and why he thinks Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto are the perfect drivers for the team.
This episode is sponsored by:
Babbel - right now, Babbel is offering our listeners up to 60% on their subscription. Go to babbel.com/GRID to claim your discount.
Liquid I.V - go to liquidiv.com and get 20% off your first order with code GRID at checkout
CarGurus - head to cargurus.co.uk for complete vehicle details without any surprises
Vanta - get started at Vanta.com/GRID
--------
1:17:24
--------
1:17:24
James Vowles: podium pride + Williams’ winning potential
With 16 Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships combined, Williams are the third most successful team in Formula 1 history – behind Ferrari and McLaren.
But they haven’t won a title since 1997 and it’s 13 years since they last won a race, so Team Principal James Vowles is on a mission to bring the glory days back to Williams.
In 2025, the team have taken big steps towards success. Carlos Sainz secured the team’s first podium in four years when he finished third in Baku, and they’ve amassed their highest points total since 2016.
Speaking to Tom Clarkson, James reveals what he and Carlos spoke about over dinner before that sensational podium, why that result means so much to the whole team, and the reasons Carlos had endured a frustrating season up to that point.
On the other side of the garage, James shares what he thinks is different about Alex Albon this year and how he’s risen to the challenge of having a much more experienced and competitive teammate.
And while Williams have performed better than expected in 2025 with such a strong driver line-up, their main focus is 2026. So what opportunities will the new era of Formula 1 bring them? Given James’s first-hand experience of the intense championship battles between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg at Mercedes, what would his approach be if Alex and Carlos are fighting for a title in the coming years?
This episode is sponsored by:
Indeed: listeners of this show will get a seventy-five dollar sponsored job credit to
get your jobs more visibility at indeed.com/GRID
Shopify: sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at shopify.com/beyondthegrid
Vanta: visit vanta.com/GRID to sign up for a free demo today
--------
56:19
--------
56:19
Derek Bell: from Ferrari F1 debut at Monza to five Le Mans wins
A whirlwind rise to Formula 1 with its most famous team in the 1960s, and one of the greatest sportscar racing drivers in the world during the ‘70s and ‘80s, Derek Bell has established an incredible legacy in motorsport.
Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Derek talks about being personally picked by Enzo Ferrari to make his Formula 1 debut for the team at their home race and what it was like going out for dinner with Ferrari’s founding father.
While he only registered one championship point during his F1 career, Derek went on to have incredible success elsewhere – winning five Le Mans, three Daytona 24 races and two World Sportscar Championships.
Derek explains why he achieved so much in sportscars, particularly alongside Belgium’s former F1 driver Jacky Ickx, and what it was like helping to make the Le Mans movie with Hollywood icon Steve McQueen.
This episode is sponsored by:
Babbel: right now, Babbel is offering our listeners up to 60% on their subscription. Go to babbel.com/GRID to claim your discount.
--------
1:01:03
--------
1:01:03
Franco Colapinto: Buenos Aires boy who made F1 breakthrough
Franco Colapinto didn’t take long to make a name for himself in Formula 1.
He became the first Argentine F1 driver in 23 years when he debuted with Williams in 2024. It only took him two races to then become the first Argentine points scorer in the sport since 1982.
More than a year since his incredible breakthrough, and now racing for Alpine, Franco tells Tom Clarkson the story of how a boy from the outskirts of Buenos Aires reached the pinnacle of motorsport.
Franco remembers the sacrifices he made by moving abroad as a young teenager to pursue his dream, the challenges of leaving his family and living on his own in a different continent, and how an unexpected visit from an F1 legend inspired him to keep going.
Franco also talks about how his experience at Alpine compares to his time at Williams, what his relationships with teammate Pierre Gasly and Alpine Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore are like, and his future in F1.
This episode is sponsored by:
CarGurus: go to cargurus.co.uk to make sure your big deal is the best deal
Vanta: visit vanta.com/GRID to sign up for a free demo today
Liquid I.V. : get 20% off your first order with code GRID at liquidiv.com
The risk-takers, late-brakers and history-makers of Formula 1 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
UK