If you’ve watched Formula One in the past decade, you’ve likely heard Tom Clarkson’s voice on your screen. The seasoned F1 broadcaster and host of the “F1: Beyond The Grid” podcast has been in and around the paddock for years, interviewing everyone from rookie drivers to championship legends. 

In a recent sit-down (fictional, but we wish!) with our PR in F1 blog, Tom pulled back the curtain on the sport’s evolving communications strategy.

“Formula One is a soap opera with horsepower.”

That’s how Clarkson describes the challenge of telling stories in F1. “The drama isn’t just on the track. It’s in the garages, the press rooms, the social feeds. PR teams are managing brand narratives in real time, often under intense global scrutiny.”

He explained that the media training drivers undergo today is far more sophisticated than it was a decade ago. “These days, drivers are content creators, brand ambassadors, and spokespeople. You’re not just racing; you’re representing a team, sponsors, a country and sometimes a movement. The PR pressure is relentless.”

We asked Tom how teams handle controversies, whether it’s a heated radio message, a controversial comment or post on social media or an on-track incident.

“The good teams know how to own the narrative,” he said. “Take a moment like Sebastian Vettel wearing rainbow gear in Hungary, or Lewis Hamilton’s activism—those were big media moments that could have backfired. But because the drivers and teams were unified, the PR messaging was controlled and purpose-driven.”

He points out that social media has made everything faster and harder to contain. “There’s no 24-hour news cycle anymore. It’s 24 seconds. You can’t hide from a bad quote or a viral meme. That’s why PR teams are constantly pre-briefing and debriefing drivers after every session.”

Clarkson’s ability to humanize the sport makes him a great storyteller. “People fall in love with F1 because of the personalities: Max’s intensity, Daniel’s charm, Charles’s face. Fans connect to the athletes. PR teams that embrace that humanity, rather than over-sanitize it, are winning.”

He singles out McLaren as a case study in building brand loyalty through personality-driven content. “They’ve turned their young driver lineup into social media gold, and that creates a level of engagement you can’t fake. That’s smart PR.”

As Formula One continues to grow globally, especially in the U.S., Clarkson sees PR becoming even more central to the sport’s identity.

“F1 is entertainment now, not just sport. Netflix changed the game. And if you want to win fans in this era, you have to win the story as much as the race.”