Martin Brundle is best known today for his infamous pre-race gridwalks and his expert analysis on television.



But did you know he had a very impressive and dramatic racing career before moving into the commentary box?



On Day 27 of our countdown to the new season, Martin tells Tom Clarkson about beating the likes of Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Mika Häkkinen, before they all went on to become multiple Formula 1 World Champions. 



For Martin’s full interview with Tom in 2018, listen here.


30 Days of BTG: Day 27 – Martin Brundle’s iconic battles with Ayrton Senna

Formula 1's extraordinary stars slow down and open up, sharing untold stories and unrivalled insight. Tom Clarkson brings you revealing, feature-length interviews and amazing anecdotes from superstar drivers, team bosses, tech geniuses and racing legends.

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McLaren are back on top of the Formula 1 podium, but their mission is far from accomplished yet.


Since taking charge in 2018, CEO Zak Brown has overseen a huge transformation on and off the track and the team’s progress has accelerated astronomically over the last 12 months.


Lando Norris’s long-awaited maiden Grand Prix victory in Miami is the culmination of an enormous amount of hard work to turn their fortunes around, after an awful start last season left them right at the back of the grid.


So how do they take the next steps to become serial winners and World Championship contenders?


Speaking in Miami, Zak tells Tom Clarkson how he’s instilling a winning mentality at McLaren, what Norris’s victory means for his and the team’s future, why he thinks Oscar Piastri is a match for Lando, whether he’d like his close friend Adrian Newey to join the team, and much more.


Related Episodes



Lando Norris 

Oscar Piastri 

Andrea Stella 



For more in-depth reaction to Lando Norris’s first Grand Prix victory, listen to the latest episode of F1 Nation from the Miami Grand Prix paddock 



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Zak Brown: McLaren’s winning mastermind

30 years since his death at Imola on 1st May 1994, Ayrton Senna’s legacy is still felt around the world.


Brazil’s three-time Formula 1 World Champion continues to inspire today’s generation of racing drivers and fans.


To Bruno Senna, Ayrton is still both his uncle and his hero.


Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Bruno shares his childhood memories of Ayrton away from the track, the ‘racing relationship’ they built together, how his life changed after Imola 1994, and the pressure Ayrton’s success put on his own F1 career.


Hear more stories about Ayrton Senna on F1 Beyond The Grid from his former teammates and rivals:



Alain Prost 

Damon Hill

Gerhard Berger 

Martin Brundle 



Ayrton Senna remembered by Bruno Senna

A multiple title winner at junior level and a point-scorer on his unexpected F1 debut in 2016, Stoffel Vandoorne seemed on track for a long and prosperous career in Formula 1.


But his big break at McLaren in 2017 arrived during one of the team’s most challenging periods.


They finished second-last in the standings during Vandoorne’s first season, endured a difficult transition from Honda to Renault engines the following year, and there was huge organisational change at the top as Zak Brown came in as CEO.


After just seven points-finishes in two years, with a best result of P7, Stoffel was replaced by Lando Norris for 2019 and he hasn’t raced in F1 since.


Now a Test and Reserve driver for Aston Martin, the Belgian tells Tom Clarkson how he prepared for his first race in F1 at such short notice, the drama of signing his first McLaren contract, where it all went wrong during his two seasons on the grid, and what impact those struggles had on his mental wellbeing, motivation and enjoyment of racing.

 



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Stoffel Vandoorne: dramatic debut to 'tough' exit

20 years since his infatuation with Formula 1 began at China’s first race in 2004, Zhou Guanyu will race in front of his home fans for the first time as an F1 driver at the Chinese Grand Prix.


Zhou tells Tom Clarkson what racing in Shanghai will look like through his eyes; from his helmet design and sold-out grandstand, to the reaction he’s expecting on his first lap of the track and what it would mean to score his first points of the season in the city he was born in.


The Sauber driver also talks about what impact his success has had on motorsport culture in China, his crash at Silverstone in 2022, the documentary being made about his journey to F1, his passion for fashion, uncertainty over his future in the sport with no seat confirmed for 2025 yet, and much more.



Related Episodes



Zhou’s first BTG appearance 



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Zhou Guanyu: China’s hero making history at home

Fernando Alonso is 'here to stay' in Formula 1 with Aston Martin. What made the double World Champion decide to continue racing with his current team?



In a special episode of the F1 Nation podcast, Aston Martin Ambassador Pedro de la Rosa and 1996 World Champion Damon Hill join Tom Clarkson to analyse Alonso's announcement, what it means for him, the team and the rest of the drivers searching for a 2025 race seat.



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30 Days of BTG: Day 27 – Martin Brundle’s iconic battles with Ayrton Senna

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