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WHEN it comes to motorsport podcasts, F1: Beyond the Grid aims to stand out amongst multitudes of others as the official podcast of Formula One.

But does the official tie-in result in a yawn-inducing, team-ordered procession to the podcast chequered flag? As I pleasantly found out, that would be a resounding ‘no’.

Hosted by throttle jockey Tom Clarkson (unrelated to that ‘other’ Clarkson you may know of), Beyond the Grid delves into the stories, personalities and controversies of Formula One.

The weekly published broadcast is a heart-warming breath of fresh air that will have you addicted within minutes. It sports minimal advertising and Tom’s ability to convey a genuine sense of connection with his guests is refreshingly welcome.

Speaking of connections, the podcast’s official F1 link enables access to some of the biggest names in motorsport history. Lewis Hamilton, Damon Hill, Nigel Mansell, Fernando Alonso, and Kimi Raikkonen … Tom has interviewed them all.

The interviews don’t just stop at Formula One either, as many of Tom’s guests have raced in other motorsport disciplines from the FIA World Endurance Championship, British Touring Cars and local Aussie Ford vs Holden favourite, the V8-powered Supercars Championship.

After many hours of listening, trying to pick out a favourite episode is akin to a kid in a candy store. Some of the highlights include Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 boss Toto Wolff recounting his close friendship with the late Niki Lauda and the importance of keeping negativity out of any team, to ex-F1 racer Martin Brundle’s picks for the best F1 cars over the past 70 years.

These back stories, the drivers and their sense of fellowship (something that doesn’t always translate well onto live television) help this podcast stand head and shoulders above others.

Overall, Beyond the Grid is a brilliant must-listen. So, subscribe and drive on Formula One’s official website, iTunes, Spotify, Audioboom and many other great podcast platforms.

Beyond The Grid Podcast Homepage: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/tags.beyond-the-grid