BEYOND THE GRID: James Hinchcliffe on surviving ovals and being inspired by Villeneuve

Today he's on F1 TV, giving us expert racing insight. But, 10 years ago, James Hinchcliffe suffered a near-fatal accident during practice for the 2015 Indy 500, which left many people doubting that his racing career could continue.

A year later, he scored a sensational pole position at the very same racetrack.

Speaking to Beyond The Grid host Tom Clarkson, James talks through the freak injury he suffered and how he made such a miraculous recovery.

A six-time IndyCar race winner, he also explains what it takes to be quick on high-speed ovals, whether the likes of Max Verstappen would be competitive on them and whether Indy stars like new four-time champion Alex Palou could succeed in Formula 1.

Tom asks James why, despite being such a huge fan of F1 growing up, he didn’t pursue a career in the pinnacle of motorsport, and whether he thinks the United States needs an American on the grid.

Now a regular pundit and commentator on F1 TV, James also shares his thoughts on the thrilling battle between McLaren team mates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris to become World Champion in 2025.

To listen to this week’s episode, simply hit go on the audio player above or click here to listen via your preferred podcasting platform.

You can also check out a huge selection of previous episodes – spanning every decade of F1 – in our dedicated Beyond The Grid library here.