Lunch with...

Riccardo Patrese is an enigma. He was once seen as the Bad Boy of Formula 1, arrogant and wild, and so disliked by some of his fellow drivers that they…

In the UK at least, the frenzy surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s World Championship win last November spread far beyond Formula 1’s normal audience, and for a few days his name was…

There are many examples of a racer’s talent being passed on from father to son, and even to a third generation. Indeed there are whole clans, like the Andrettis and…

History takes a lot of notice of Formula 1, and not enough notice of the rest. Here's a great British driver remembered by F1 only because he turned down an…

Over the past seven years, on your behalf, I’ve had Lunch With... more than 80 motor racing characters. But this is the first in whose career I can claim to…

Twenty-five years ago Formula 1 drivers had already become, in their own eyes at least, pretty important people. Now they had motorhomes to hide in, and even a chat over…

Redoubtable females run like a thread through motor sport history, from Camille du Gast to Danica Patrick, from Kay Petre to Christabel Carlisle. But only two have raced in World…

Win the World Championship, and you become a hero for life. Damon Hill, Nigel Mansell, Keke Rosberg, Alan Jones, Jody Scheckter, James Hunt: unforgettable names who won the F1 title…

Nowadays “Professional” tends to mean doing something properly, and “Amateur” can mean the opposite. But, back in the days of Gentlemen and Players, you’d only be a Player, and get…

The multi-faceted motorsports tycoon discusses his rallying background, a laid-back management style, Aston Martin, helicopters and entry to F1 By Simon Taylor You see David Richards everywhere. Go to just…

Tim Parnell was born into motor racing. His father Reg Parnell made his way up from nothing into the 1930s racing scene at a time when Brooklands was proud of…

For today's Formula 1 drivers, the glare of the media spotlight is relentless. TV cameras haunt every corner of the paddock, there are daily press conferences throughout a Grand Prix…

It’s intriguing how often sons of racing drivers become racers themselves. In Formula 1 Nico carries on the work of Keke, as did Jacques for Gilles – although so far…

It’s progressively harder these days for racing car designers to demonstrate true versatility. Formula 1 has greedily made itself the centre of everything, yet the very strictures of its regulations…

A hot, dusty afternoon in southern Spain. It’s September 28 1990, Friday qualifying at Jerez. With eight minutes left, Jean Alesi’s Tyrrell has just produced a ripple of interest in…

Frank Gardner doesn’t believe in giving interviews, particularly if they involve looking back on his eventful and versatile motor racing career. “If you look over your shoulder,” he says dismissively,…