Anthony Davidson: reaching the pinnacle through talent + testing

F1: Beyond The Grid

karenellenbevan

Leisure, Sports, Technology, Automotive

4.8 • 5.2K Ratings

🗓️ 8 July 2025

⏱️ 78 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Racing twice in 2002 with Minardi and once again three years later with BAR Honda in 2005, Anthony Davidson’s Formula 1 career had a few false starts. But in 2007, he finally got a full-time shot with Super Aguri.

Although his F1 career ended just over a year later, Anthony is rightly proud to have reached the top of motorsport.

Speaking to Tom Clarkson, he discusses the ups and down of his time in F1 – telling us why he was a better test driver than racing driver, how his incredibly short-notice cameo at the 2005 Malaysian Grand Prix came about, why a groundhog cost him his best ever finish in F1, and what it was like to be involved in the so-called ‘Tyre War era’ of Formula 1.

Anthony also opens up about winning the World Endurance Championship with Sebastian Buemi in 2014 and why that meant so much to him having felt like ‘everything was lost’ after F1.

Now a simulator driver for Mercedes, Ant explains how much the sim technology has improved over time, what impact his work has on Mercedes’ performance during race weekends and whether sim racing makes Max Verstappen a better driver.

This episode is sponsored by:

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Transcript

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0:00.0	I've always been ambitious and in teaching I've found plenty of opportunities to progress.
0:05.0	As head of English, I now get to support all other teachers in my department.
0:09.4	They often learn from my advice, though actually I often learn from theirs.
0:13.4	The support and development we all get from each other is amazing.
0:16.5	It benefits not just us, but every student we teach.
0:19.8	How many of the professions can say that?
0:22.4	Every lesson shapes a life. Start shaping yours with a minimum starting salary of £31,000.
0:28.4	Search get into teaching.
0:32.5	Only one driver can become world champion each year. Only one driver can win each race. And only 20 drivers
0:41.1	can compete on the biggest stage at any one time. So whether you win races and championships
0:46.6	or not, just to reach Formula One, you have to be one of the very best in the world.
0:53.5	If I look back to my family, we didn't have much money.
0:57.5	It's remarkable that I actually ended up on the grid.
1:01.3	I lived through a boyhood dream.
1:03.9	I was obsessed about it as a kid.
1:05.8	It was the only thing I was good at.
1:07.4	So to actually end up in the pinnacle with the sport on the grid, through talent,
1:11.9	not through money, that makes me proud. But being super self-critical, I was probably a better
1:17.6	test driver and I know what's racing driver. Here on F1B on the grid with me, Tom Clarkson.
1:24.4	Former Super Aguri, BAR Honda and Minardi driver, Anthony Davidson, reflects candidly
1:30.5	on the ups and downs of his career. He talks about only finding out he was racing in the 2005
1:36.3	Malaysian Grand Prix the day before. How a groundhog in Canada cost him his best ever finish.
	...

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