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January 31, 2024 John Watson: Centenary Stories

John Watson: Centenary Stories

A five-time grand prix winner who partnered the likes of Niki Lauda and Alain Prost, John Watson came achingly close to winning the 1982 Formula 1 World Championship.

He’s our latest guest in a special podcast series marking 100 years of Motor Sport‘s publication, as he charts a changing era of F1 when Lauda and Mario Andretti introduced new levels of professionalism and ruthlessness to the sport.

In a series of fascinating and funny tales, Watson covers driving for Bernie Ecclestone’s Brabham team, witnessing Lauda’s influence, and seeing the emerging talent of Prost. The driver who still holds the record for winning a grand prix from furthest back on the grid (22nd place) also tackles the art of overtaking and gives his predictions for the future of racing.

January 31, 2024 Mario Andretti: Centenary Stories

Mario Andretti: Centenary Stories

F1 World Champion, four-time IndyCar title-holder and Daytona 500 winner, Mario Andretti is the first guest in a special podcast series marking 100 years of Motor Sport‘s publication

Andretti has been a regular in Motor Sport‘s pages for more than half that time, and is still making headlines, with plans to be the first to test the Andretti F1 car, if the team is granted a place on the grid.

He joins Rob Widdows to recall a career that made him one of the sport’s all-time greats, from watching Stirling Moss and Alberto Ascari as a spectator, to meeting Colin Chapman, succeeding in F1, and then racing against his son.

July 31, 2023 Dick Bennetts: Discovering Senna, Häkkinen’s hand signals and Mansell’s Mondeo

Dick Bennetts: Discovering Senna, Häkkinen’s hand signals and Mansell’s Mondeo

For over 50 years, Dick Bennetts has been central to some of racing’s greatest stories.

From giving Ayrton Senna his famous Formula 3 break, to communicating engineering feedback via hand signals with young prodigy Mika Häkkinen, and gaining respect for Nigel Mansell through his spectacular touring car cameos, Bennetts has lived and breathed motor sport through some of its most thrilling moments.

In the final installment of Engineering the Greats series 2, in association with Scalextric, Bennetts gives true insight into the link between driver and engineer.

Now a stalwart of the BTCC, the New Zealander also talks about what makes the series great, analyses the respective styles of his superstar drivers Colin Turkington and Jake Hill as well as explaining what he would do to make the championship even better.

Bennetts also expands on how his West Surrey Racing team could have dominated with Tom Kristensen, and explains why he turned down working for Ron Dennis at McLaren.

In another fascinating episode of Engineering the Greats, Bennetts’ memories of a brilliant life in racing are not to be missed.

July 24, 2023 Tony Southgate: Creating an Indy 500 winner, the Lotus 78 and conquering Le Mans with Jaguar

Tony Southgate: Creating an Indy 500 winner, the Lotus 78 and conquering Le Mans with Jaguar

For success matched only by sheer diversity, few can hold a light to engineering ace Tony Southgate.

Designer of Bobby Unser’s Indy 500-winning Eagle 68 car, a key contributor to the trailblazing ground-effect Lotus 78 and the creative mind behind Jaguar’s Le Mans-conquering XJR-9, the Coventry native has marked himself out as one of racing’s great lateral thinkers.

Along the way, Southgate worked with some of its greatest drivers, including Mario Andretti, Pedro Rodriguez and Dan Gurney.

In the newest episode of our podcast series, in association with Scalextric, Southgate pulls back the curtain on some of motor’s sport seminal moments.

July 17, 2023 Leena Gade | Engineering the Greats at Le Mans

Leena Gade | Engineering the Greats at Le Mans

As trailblazers go in motor sport, there aren’t many that can match up with the groundbreaking achievements of Leena Gade, who joins Rob Widdows for our Engineering the Greats podcast series, produced in association with Scalextric.

On her Le Mans debut with Audi in 2011 Gade became the first female race engineer to win at La Sarthe. She She would mastermind wins again in 2012 and 2014, sealing her place as one of Le Mans’ engineering greats, before working in GT racing, IndyCar and now Extreme E.

In the latest instalment of our podcast series, Gade opens up on what it was like to be in the centre of the Audi winning machine.

July 10, 2023 Gary Anderson: Jordan F1 designer on working with Hunt & Prost

Gary Anderson: Jordan F1 designer on working with Hunt & Prost

Gary Anderson joins Rob Widdows for the latest in our Engineering the Greats podcast series. The former Jordan designer tells how he started working life as a builder, then got his big break in F1 with Brabham as an engineer.

Moving on to McLaren, he worked with James Hunt and Alain Prost and was then in IndyCar before Eddie Jordan called him back to the UK — and F1 — where he would make his name designing the legendary Jordan 191.

July 3, 2023 Steve Hallam | Engineering the Greats

Steve Hallam | Engineering the Greats

Steve Hallam, who has worked with Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell and Mika Häkkinen joins Rob Widdows for another Engineering the Greats podcast in association with Scalextric.

From race engineering Senna to his first wins in F1, to witnessing Mansell’s inimitable racing style in its early years and being at the centre of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso’s fiery 2007 championship fight, the British engineer has had long a career at the very top.

Hear him describe what it takes to work and succeed day in, day out with legends of grand prix racing.

June 26, 2023 Patrick Head | Engineering the Greats s2

Patrick Head | Engineering the Greats s2

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.

December 22, 2022 F1 team of the year 2022 with Allan McNish, Chris Medland and Lawrence Barretto

F1 team of the year 2022 with Allan McNish, Chris Medland and Lawrence Barretto

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.

December 13, 2022 F1 overtake of the year 2022, with Jack Aitken, Chris Medland and Alex Jacques

F1 overtake of the year 2022, with Jack Aitken, Chris Medland and Alex Jacques

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 expert verdicts 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.