logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2024
40m 57s

Oscar Piastri explains F2 + F3 - with Al...

FORMULA 1
About this episode
F1 stars of the future show their speed in Formula 2 and Formula 3. The categories immediately below Formula 1 in the motorsport ladder are the perfect place for a driver to sharpen their skills and prove they're ready to move up. 

How do F2 and F3 work? How are the cars different? How do they prepare drivers for Formula 1? To answer those questions and many more, Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne speak to:

  • Oscar Piastri - 2020 F3 champion, 2021 F2 champion, McLaren F1 driver
  • Alex Jacques - commentator covering F3, F2 and F1
For the latest on F2 and F3 visit
The official F2 website
The online home of F3

Curious about cars? Quizzical about qualifying? Wondering about wheelspin?
If you've got an F1 question, send it to us and we'll find an expert to answer it. Send your email or voice note to F1Explains@F1.com

Catch up with our other episodes
More Official F1 Podcasts
Up next
Jul 31
How F1 teams find future stars – with Mercedes
Where do Formula 1 teams spot the drivers of the future? What are they looking for in young racers? And how did Mercedes guide Kimi Antonelli from karting to F1? F1 Explains explores junior driver programmes, which exist to find talented young drivers and support them as they cli ... Show More
48m 2s
Jul 24
Ask Stefano Domenicali – F1 President and CEO answers your questions
Being the boss of Formula 1 is a big job. F1 teams, drivers, race promoters, sponsors and more than 825 million fans worldwide rely on Stefano Domenicali to lead the sport forwards. It’s a huge responsibility, so how does he keep everyone happy? Speaking to Christian Hewgill, Ste ... Show More
33m 25s
Jul 17
Esteban Ocon explains F1 training, post-race weigh-ins + racing focus
He's a race-winner, a Haas driver and he lays claim to being the tallest person on the F1 grid (hairstyle permitting). Esteban Ocon joins F1 Explains to answer the latest batch of listener questions. Among the topics in our inbox: how drivers prepare mentally and physically, why ... Show More
36 m
Recommended Episodes
May 2023
‘F1 is a mental game’ – this week on BTG
Who’s Tom’s F1 Beyond The Grid guest this week? Hit play to find out, then share using #F1BeyondTheGrid. Listen to the latest F1 Nation for reaction and analysis after the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix from former F1 stars Pedro de la Rosa and Alex Wurz. Plus, to hear why street circuit ... Show More
1m 48s
Jun 2023
Stefano Domenicali: driving F1 forward
What does the future hold for Formula 1? New races? New teams? New rules? F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali answers all these questions and many more in an intriguing chat with Tom Clarkson.  Domenicali knows what success tastes like. He won multiple World Championships as ... Show More
55m 29s
Mar 2022
BONUS: F1 Nation's Barcelona Breakdown
F1 is back and so is F1 Nation! Tom Clarkson, Damon Hill and Natalie Pinkham chat about the news, views and pre-season clues from three days of running in Barcelona. Which teams have made strong starts, and which still have work to do? Plus, rumours of ‘brand new cars’ being prep ... Show More
50m 14s
Mar 2022
REVISITED: Martin Brundle on the best F1 cars of each decade
Season 5 of F1: Beyond The Grid starts with a brand-new episode on Wednesday 16th March. With just days to go before we see the new 2022 cars go wheel to wheel, we revisit an episode from 2020 when Martin Brundle joined Tom to discuss the best F1 cars he’s ever driven. The Briton ... Show More
1h 6m
May 2022
Alexander Rossi: twists, turns and tragedy on the road to F1
Growing up in Northern California, a young Alexander Rossi dreamed of racing in Formula 1. His route was not an easy one. Along the way he experienced false starts, unfulfilled promises, behind the scenes power moves and the tragic loss of his friend and teammate Jules Bianchi. A ... Show More
53m 36s
Aug 2023
F1 BTG returns with a 90's fan favourite...
A three-time F1 winner gives F1 Beyond The Grid his first in-depth interview for 20 years, but who is it?  Find out here, then listen to the full episode on Wednesday 23rd August. Follow, rate and review F1 Beyond The Grid using #F1BeyondTheGrid. 
1m 34s
Jun 2021
NASCAR icon Jeff Gordon on his famous F1 test and love of Grand Prix racing
Our guest this week is a driver who never actually raced in F1 – but he did test an F1 car and very nearly raced one: Jeff Gordon. The Californian is a four-time NASCAR champion and global motorsport icon, who in 2003 enjoyed a life-changing F1 test with Williams. He tells us all ... Show More
1h 5m
Sep 2023
Inside the mind of an F1 genius - this week on BTG
An all-time F1 great is Tom Clarkson's next guest on F1 Beyond The Grid. Listen here for a preview. Hear the full conversation on Wednesday 27th September. Share using #F1BeyondTheGrid. Follow the podcast to get the episode as soon as it's released. Listen to F1's other official ... Show More
1m 46s
May 2023
Magic Max, awesome Alonso + outstanding Ocon - Monaco GP Review with Pedro de la Rosa + Alex Wurz
Rain or shine, Monaco put F1's best to the test. Verstappen and Alonso's spectacular last-sector shootout in qualifying and Esteban Ocon's sensational lap made it a Saturday to remember. Sunday was even more dramatic. Tom Clarkson welcomes two Monaco GP veterans - Pedro de la Ros ... Show More
1h 13m