The Business of Winning

ATC is joined by none other than double Formula 1 World Champion Mika Hakkinen and 9-times Grand Prix winner and WEC World Champion Mark Webber as they discuss F1 2020 including Lewis Hamilton's dominance and McLaren's resurgence. Mark Gallagher and Jonathan Legard discuss the news that Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS company has become a 1/3rd partner in Mercedes F1 and also the announcement of Sergio Perez's promotion to Red Bull Racing. Meanwhile Callum Ilott talks to Jonathan Legard about his season in Formula 2, and his recent promotion to become test driver for Scuderia Ferrari. Finally, with W Series about to hit the tracks again in 2021 as a support series to Formula 1, CEO Catherine Bond-Muir and contender Jessica Hawkins talk about the Covid-enforced pause in 2020, their hopes for 2021 and ambitions for the future of the series.

Chris Papaioanu is Commander of US Navy Strike, former head of the Top Gun academy - and thus pal of Tom Cruise - a naval flyer with 3500 hours of fast jet experience, who thinks nothing of landing a weaponised jet on an aircraft carrier at 150mph or being catapulted onto another mission with a 0-165mph time of 2 seconds. He loves Formula 1, being born to a racing driver father, and he was inspired by NASA's Shuttle programme to get involved in something fast. In this special episode he talks to Mark Gallagher about his career, journey into naval aviation and the love of speed which is clearly ingrained within him. He really enjoyed chatting with James Allison and Calum Douglas in Episode 9, but we wanted to talk to Chris a little further about his own spectacular career. Sit back and enjoy.

In this special addition we feature James Allison, Technical Director of the Mercedes Benz Formula 1 team, in conversation with Chris Papaioanu, Commanding Officer, STRIKE, at the US Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center. They compares notes on running high performing teams, James discusses what makes Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff so special and Chris talks about Top Gun, the pinnacle of US Naval aviation. They compare notes on leadership and the common approach they both have to getting the best out of teams. They are joined in the podcast by Calum Douglas, author of the outstanding new book 'The Secret Horsepower Race' detailing the engineering war that took place between the Allied and Axis aviation engine designers during WW2. Lessons learned were quickly forgotten, and Calum has unearthed some remarkable insights that are very relevant today. James Allison wrote the foreword to Calum's book, the details of which were presented to the Mercedes F1 team during a lunch time lecture. The team was riveted.

One of Formula 1's leading engineers, Paddy Lowe talks about Lewis Hamilton's qualities as the driver of this era, reflects on his early days at Williams and the development of active suspension and talks about his interest in helping bring an industrial approach to solving the planet's climate crisis - and hints at a return to Formula 1. Dr Julian Tan is Formula 1's head of eSports and, with the new series underway, he explains F1's eSports journey so far, the effect of Covid on helping accelerate this part of F1's business on-line, and how quickly they pivoted the business when the pandemic started to emerge in January. Finally, McLaren's stellar driver Lando Norris discusses his passion for eSports and computer gaming, its relevance to him as a driver and how much he enjoys that aspect of his life - while acknowledging that nothing quite matches driving a contemporary F1 car flat-out on the race tracks of the world.

Esteban Gutiérrez is an impressive man, accomplished racer and important part of the Mercedes-AMG F1 team. A Champion in Formula BMW and GP3, he finished 3rd in GP2 before embarking on a Formula 1 career which witnessed two seasons racing for Sauber before becoming a test driver for Ferrari and latterly Mercedes. He is also an ambitious businessman with a big future in our sport and took time out from his schedule to sit down with Jonathan Legard. Actually face to face and in person, no Zoom involved - remember that?Sam Bradley and Holly Chapman may not yet be famous, but they have already had one big moment in the sun when Mercedes' bosses invited them to represent the team during the Formula 1 podium ceremonies in Austria and Belgium. They share their career journeys and relate what's it's like to be asked by the boss to join Lewis or Valtteri on the top step. Sam's a mechanic on Lewis's car while Holly is responsible for all of Valtteri's power units, but both were equally blown away by the experience.David Tremayne, partner to Joe Saward on Grand Prix Plus, talks to us about his republished biography of Austrian World Champion Jochen Rindt, friend of Bernie Ecclestone, best pal to Helmut Marko and a major part of the 1960's Formula 1 jetset before losing his life at the Italian Grand Prix in 1970. Our sport's only posthumous World Champion.Jonathan and Mark discuss Sebastian Vettel's departure from Ferrari and arrival at Aston Martin together with the news that Fernando Alonso will not be racing for Renault next season - it's going to be renamed and rebranded as Alpine F1. Meanwhile two of Formula 1's biggest names have been going through some major changes, with Sir Frank Williams exiting his team along with daughter Claire, and McLaren announcing that its Woking HQ is being offering for sale to investors in order to raise cash during these difficult times.

Daniel Ricciardo on dealing with the pressures of being at the forefront of Formula 1, including a career moment when he had to get away from it all and press the reset button with some friends. Mandy Hickson on her new book An Officer Not a Gentleman, relating tales of her journey to becoming only the 2nd woman to flight Tornado GR4's for the RAF. Fernando Alonso fan Fred Bteich on how a 12 year old Lebanese boy fell in love with Formula 1, and found himself as a 29 year old final year neurosurgery resident at a Beirut hospital dealing with the personal and professional aftermath of the catastrophic explosion on August 4th. Carol Glenn on being a black woman who fell in love with motor racing, became a marshal and is now a qualified motorsport event administrator. An inspirational lady who dealt with racism dressed as casual banter, and is taking positive steps to help future generations enjoy the sport she is passionate about.

As the British Touring Car Championship gets set to return Nic Hamilton takes time out to discuss being back in the cockpit, shares insights on his personal battles to overcome the challenges of battling cerebral palsy, bullying and racism in his youth, and gives his thoughts on bother Lewis's achievements to date as well as the new initiatives in Formula 1 born out of the Black Lives Matter movement. Williams F1 driver George Russell adds his comments on the importance of diversity in the sport, and explains how he came from being a novice esports racer to winning Formula 1's virtual series during the Covid-19 lock down. An episode unashamedly focused on matters of the moment as Formula 1 comes to terms with the changes needed to make the sport more inclusive and accessible to anyone wishing to work at the pinnacle of global motor sport.

Mark Webber and fast jet pilot Ben Murphy of Red Arrows, The Blades and Red Bull Air Race fame discuss what it takes to stay at the top of your game and the impending return to action in F1. The two first met when Ben flew Mark in formation with David Coulthard and Steve Jones over Silverstone Circuit as part of Channel 4's build up to the 2019 British Grand Prix. F1 fan Ben, former commander of the world famous Red Arrows, discusses the importance of never giving up when aiming for your dream career. Mark debates the intensity of the new F1 season, why the Austrian GP is the perfect location for the opening race, former Red Bull Racing team mate Sebastian Vettel's exit from Ferrari and why Lewis Hamilton remains the most formidable force in F1. A usual Mark is straight talking and insightful, taking the time to explain his own fascination with flying and why managing risk is all part of living life to the full. Ben describes his own career journey, one which has taken him into a new world of competitive flying.

Maurice Hamilton and Lee McKenzie join Jonathan Legard and Mark Gallagher to reflect on the great Niki Lauda on the eve of publication of Maurice's much anticipated biography of the legendary Austrian. Talking of legends, Formula 1's iconic commentator Murray Walker gives his views on what made Niki such an extraordinary individual. Mika Hakkinen reveals his early ambitions to join the circus, prompting a life long love of unicycling, and reflects on being coached by none other than Niki Lauda's former adversary James Hunt. To cap it all we have David Coulthard join the show to discuss the news that Sebastian Vettel is to leave Ferrari at the end of this year and DC explains why he was not entirely surprised by this turn of events.