Test Match Special - Root's 99 not out helps England beat India to level ODI series

Episode Date: July 16, 2026

Simon Mann is joined by former England spinner Vic Marks and former India wicket-keeper Deep Dasgupta to look back on England's four wicket win over India at Sophia Gardens to level the ODI series at 1-1 with the deciding match to come on Sunday at Lord's. We hear from both captains as well as Joe Root who finished unbeaten on 99.We also hear from Formula 1 driver Arvid Lindblad who spoke with Elly Oldroyd and shared his passion for cricket, family and what it's like being in such a high octane environment.

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Or is he just the king of the attention economy? Find out on Good Bad Billionaire. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. You're listening to the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. So the series is level at 1-1 after England's four-wicket victory against India in Cardiff. They won with 5.4 overs to spare. Let's go out and join Henry Moran because he is speaking to India's captain. Shudmengale who is just standing over here next to me and we're going to grab a very quick word with the India captain at the end of a game ultimately disappointing where did it go wrong for your side today I think we were in a really good position you know I think at the end of 20 or 30 hours when we were batting lost too many wickets you know in the middle overs at the end of the middle overs just before the last power play and you know we thought at the at the mid end of the middle overs at the mid-over's just before the last power play and you know we thought at the mid-end

At 25 overs, we thought 300 310 would be a good total on this wicket and we just couldn't get the momentum in the batting in the back end of the innings. When you're up against a team that just has the ability to keep things ticking over and without that scoreboard pressure, what's going through your mind as a kept? Honestly, we tried to create as much pressure as we can if we can squeeze them under pressure and I think we were right in the game up until about 3035 hours with them five down. But we knew we had to keep taking on the wickets and unfortunately we were also a bowler shot with Washington So I just thought you know we had to get on main bowlers and keep trying to take wickets and see if there's a chance In terms of the series it takes us to be a decider at Lord's that's a tantalizing prospect Yeah, definitely really one of the best grounds to play at and series decided so everything to play for for us and if you were Joe Root on 99 at the end how would you feel? I would have not taken that single

the second last door. Thank you very much. Shubman Gill down here on the boundary edge. Well, a very honest Shumman Gill. Batters like hundreds. Roots got plenty of them in international cricket. He doesn't need to be too greedy. He's got stack full in test matches and he's got 20 in one-day international cricket as well. Vic Marks is with me and Deep Adas Gupta to discuss this latest one-day international victory. I was just so impressed by Shubman Gill there. everyone would have liked to have got their hundred, but he was open enough to say,

I wouldn't have taken that single one. I'd just like the candor of that and the honesty of that because most people said, oh no, I don't, I wasn't bothered at all. And the moment Gus Atkinson hit that shot to the boundary, I think the first thing he did was just go on, and I think must have apologized to Joe Rood, and then Jorud was quick to pat on his back

and say, you know what, it's all right. You know, game won. That's what it is, that's what matters. Well, I suppose the big question is, lords, will anyone get Joe Rue? out. Yeah, yeah. That is a big question.

And especially, I mean, with the number of injuries that India has got, I think India might be forced to play somewhere like Kuldi because they don't have too many options now. I guess a lot of it also depends on whether Kail Rahul is fit by then or not. We've got a few days before that the decider. But India is in a little bit of a trouble in terms of feeling, you know, 11 fit guys, so to say. Henry asked India's captain, Schum and Gill,

kind of where did it go wrong? Where did you feel it went wrong? Because I mean, the game was up and down, wasn't it? It wasn't like England dominated the match in the way that India did it at Edgeburston. It was fluctuating, and they were in a strong position at one stage. There were, and I think I completely agree, and I guess we all were talking about

how India could have at least got another 2030. If you think about India getting all out in the 44th over, I mean, six overs, 36, you take even another 20-odd runs, you never know. So I guess, yeah, I mean, from that position where India were 170 odd for three to kind of get all out for 233, it was, yeah, I mean, very, very disappointing to say the least. They lost their last seven wickets for 55 runs in 12 and a half over.

Archie, good today, three for 47. Mahmoud at 2 for 50. Two had a difficult start came back. Well, Atkinson, wickets towards the end. Three for 50, his best figures in one day international. Crick actually quietly he's had a good game today at Gus Atkinson on his return to the team as he made 23 not at what did you feel about that India innings Victor well Like everyone else I think at one point you thought it's going to be 300 here

The wicket look it's a good wicket but there was bounce on it and it was critical when Archer came back I think the Indians would not some of those players not used to the extra bit of bounce archers at that getting that shoulder high quick ball a few pool shots going up in the air so England did well to get wickets in that late middle period and suddenly once there's six or seven down the batsman can't play with the same freedom Iyo was stranded there at the end with the tail so England did really well India understand me would be disappointed they gave one or two perhaps cheap wickets away and therefore that 300 or even even 280 was beyond them.

Right, let's join Henry again. He's got Harry Brooke with him. Harry, how satisfying is that as a performance and a win for your side? Extremely satisfying. I thought we had a very good day. There's a couple of standout periods in the whole game and yeah, that's ended up getting us a victory.

What were those standout periods from your perspective? The period where we had Jackson and Sam Curranball at the same time, I think there was five or six overs and we really put them under pressure with trying to hold as well. Not necessarily trying to take wickets, but just trying to get as many dot balls as we could. I thought that was a really impressive stage. And then that partnership between Rudy and Jaxi there as well,

very calm, very controlled and trying to take the game deep. As a captain, are you enjoying the role of responsibility in a 50-over game of thinking about when to use your bowl, as how to pace things? Because today was a perfect example of a role of responsibility. was a perfect example of getting that right. Yeah, I enjoy captaining. It can be frustrating at times. But today was a great bowling performance.

After the start that they had, I think there were 180 for 3, ended up bowling them out for 230, which is a hell of an effort, 7 for 60, on what ended up being quite a good surface in the middle period. Yeah, it's good fun. And trying to suss out what fields to set to certain balls is a challenge, but it's good. I can see a real spark in your eye when you speak about captaincy.

It's always good winning, isn't it? It's always a lot of fun. Having a player like Rudy in the side makes it a lot easier. 99 not out is a score not everyone would want. What would you have been like at the non-strikers end in that situation? I'd have definitely been the same as him and he wanted the game over and done with. To come away with a win there, having put ourselves in a few tricky situations is a phenomenal effort. And I've said so many times we're never out of games.

This side is a very good side. Sets up a wonderful prospect for Sunday as well. Definitely. Who knows what Lord is going to present, but we're looking forward to another day of assessing conditions and trying to calculate what's the best thing to do on that surface. Many thanks, Harry. Thanks a lot for your time. Well done today. Just one little thing, Simon. He was deep in conversation with Marcus North.

And there was a glint in his eye when I asked him about captain's. Let's leave it at that. Okay, well there's a lot to be decided, isn't there? Yes. What I might have that one is it was interesting here. Brooke really admire the calmness and controlled nature of the batsman Jackson written given his dismissal today, but there you go. Well, we can talk about that now, can't be Harry Brooke? And we came down the pitch early in his innings, had a huge mug, got inside edge past the stump.

And he came in with England eight for two after Duckett was out first ball. And Bethel got a good one that climbed from Brassie Christian. and he was out for four. So his response, as we've seen many times before, was to counterattack, but he was also playing those ramp shots as well. And his ultimate downfall came to an attempted ramp shot where he ended up on his backside well away from the stums.

I don't think I've ever seen anything like that. No, he is a law unto himself with the bat, but actually I don't want to be too critical because I see him, whatever the format, he is the wild card in that team. And you can have one wild card, who can take the game away from the opposition in half an hour, but you need a blend.

And Root, it was today, who provided that, you know, the alternative route, magnificently, actually. I mean, I don't think there's anyone in our team at the moment who could play that sort of innings at the moment. What, the root innings or the brook in? Well, both, actually, both, both, both extreme. But Root was sort of selfless. I mean, he likes to play a few impish shots now and again, but he saw the situation, not a big target,

but a desperate side in terms of needing that win. And he kind of restrained himself in a very mature way, nipping all those singles, barely playing a risky shot, because he was a bit worried that if he didn't do that, England wouldn't win. Yeah, well, he carries the team a bit, doesn't he at times? Yeah, he can't do that every match, I don't suppose. And Jorud is such an important part of, obviously, whether it's test or old, yeah,

because every time you give a little bit of a tricky pitch, and I look at this side, I'm like, if Jorut doesn't score, and you look back to the Sri Lanka series as well, you know, turning, slow tracks, it was Joroot again. These ones, last couple of games, it hasn't been easy pitches to bat on, and it's Jorut again.

Because he's got that in him, obviously this whole experience, then his class and his ability to pick those singles and every now and then get a boundary as well. So he keeps the scoreboard ticking without taking too much of risk, and because of Jorood I mean Harry Brooke the maverick that he is

he can bat like that knowing that there is a Jorud there it might have been a different story had Jorud India had caught Joros wicked early then it would be interesting to see how then Harry Brooke would have batted maybe then he would have batted differently but as long as Joroutes are there

kind of the other players are confident that he's and especially on surfaces like these that he's going to see the team through or get it over the line India did have some problems today didn't they with illness and injury we've kind of touched on it with no Washington Sundar to bowl some overs. We'll talk about that in a moment deep. Let's hear from Joe Root now. Well Joe well played. I think I know what you'll say but 99 you're happy with that and you just wanted that win.

Yeah it was so important to get across the line there. It was quite difficult. So just to get the job done and for us to go to Lords with everything to play for was what it was all about. And you know, it's such a good feeling being there at the end in those kind of situations, conditions. really pleased with getting across the line. Sometimes it doesn't matter what it looks like, it's just about getting the job done. I thought the bowls were exceptional. The way that we attacked the second half of that inning, kept taking wickets, finding ways to peg them back and build pressure or, you know, create chances.

So, yeah, it was brilliant. What were you saying to Gus at the end, then? Smack it before. If they're going to play silly buggers like that, then fair. You know, that gives us a chance to win the game and go to Lords with Wannall and hopefully go and win the series. This team is in a position now where it would be a very different context if they do, if you do go on and win at Lord. How good is this team at the moment do you think?

Well, like I say, it depends. I think you can manipulate stats however you want and whatever narrative you want to go with. That's, you know, you can find stats to back that up. I think this team should be judged on the here and now. The last two series that we've been involved in, you know, or the last summer, we won and, you know, play that great game against South Africa at the back end of things. To win, first thing to win in Sri Lanka in a four-year period is a hell of an effort. We adapted from the loss in the first game. We learned, we evolved and we ended up winning that series.

I think we learned lessons from the last game and understood what was required to take wickets on the surface like that. And it's why we've got everything to play for. We won all at Lords against the number one team in the world. So if you ask me, I think we're in a very different place to probably wear a lot of other. the people think we are. The question is can we stand up and deliver again at the home of cricket? It makes for a great final. Looking forward to that clearly and it would be a really good way to build towards the pressure situations you're going to see in the World Cup next year. Exactly and that's when we've got a peak right. That's when we've got to get things right and

perform is when we get to South Africa. So of course we want to keep winning games and of course we want to keep winning series and we'll do everything we can to do that. But the most, I think a really important thing on our journey is keep learning, keep developing, keep developing, keep understanding what different conditions require at different moments. Whether that's with bat in hand, with ball in hand, how can we take wickets in that middle phase, which I think, again, we did brilliantly today, how can we just get across the line sometimes and win ugly? And I think there's some crucial partnerships towards the back end there where guys did a brilliant job, probably played in a slightly different tempo to how they want to and how they'd normally play.

And I think we'll learn and take a huge amount of confidence from that if we find ourselves in similar kind of situations. So a lot to a lot to be really pleased about and a lot to take. into that last game. Really well played today Joe. Many thanks for your time. Joe Root, we finished 99. Quite bullish there and a little dig at India's tactics towards the end. I don't know whether he was specifically referring to the fact that they were just going short Atkinson so it kind of had it was kind of got or six or four or the fact that all the field was up at the end. In a sense they were giving Atkinson a four if he middled it but so there was no single on offer to get a route back on strike yeah I suppose but

I mean, I don't think he's too bothered by that. Yeah, but at the end of the day, that's how India lost their wickets and that's how they got a few wickets bowling the short ball. I guess that's all right, I guess. What will be interesting is Lords is what the surface is like. Because if the surface resembles the test match surface, the short ball is no longer the prime goal. It's the length ball and whether we don't know what the pitch of Lords will be like. but so they can't necessarily use the same tactics at Lords if the pitch is zipping around again

probably well they'll hope it won't be but we'll wait and see yeah and generally i mean from memory generally speaking you want to bat first at Lords as well i know it that's both matches have been won by the team bat and second but stats at Lords are very heavily in favour of the teams that the bat first maybe at times because of the slowness of the pitch I think it only and and looking at the summer and how dry it has been and the number of matches that has already happened this summer at Lodz it won't be a bad idea again we don't know it's an 11 am start and and there might be a case where you know it might just be a little more helpful for the spinners in the second half or get a little more difficult for the batters to time with the slowness of the pitch so maybe that that could be

the reason but again what we've seen so far in this series especially in the first half extra bit of moisture and the pitch is doing something. Well, could get the same at large as well. Yeah, we'll see on that one. We'll wait to see on that. Zoltz, you've got some Joe Root stats for us. Well, we've seen Joe Root do numerous incredible things during the course of his career. One thing he'd never done before in international cricket was score 99.

So he's added that to his resume. The first undefeated 99 for England in one-day internationals and just the six. sixth 99 not out for England in all formats men and women. One reason he might not have been too upset not to get the not to get the hundred obviously it's not a concern for him but he faced 133 balls if he'd scored his hundred off his next ball would have been comfortably his slowest hundred he scored 20 hundreds in ODI cricket and it would have been the joint slowest for England since 2012 and the slowest for England at home since 2003 and we've seen him score many different types of of hundred this was a kind of

classic rootian innings of complete control and accumulative mastery and you know showed him adapting to the situation we've seen a lot of very fast hundreds for england across formats and particularly that that one-day cycle up to the twenty nine team world cup when he scored loads of hundreds but yeah showed the uh the full restraint to to to keep that chase on there um functioning successfully he made 166 not out here last year in sort of similar situation against West Indies after a couple of early wickets fell to to win a much higher chase. So he's now 265 unbeaten on this ground in his last two ODIs. 286 unbeaten his last three one-day international innings. And since the start of the Champions Trophy in February 2025, he scored 1,118 runs at an average of 86 in 17 one-day innings with 400.

Seven other 50 plus scores, including the 99 not out today, comfortably the most. productive 17 innings sequence by an England player in ODI history and he said sometimes you got to win ugly I didn't think he was very ugly I thought he was rather grace well perhaps that's how it was what it felt like to him yeah just watching him I think what watching today he he never really looked like getting out he felt in total and he didn't really want to play any big shots at all he's such a good manipulator of the you know the one and it's got to be you know the bad ball he hits for but the good ball he hits for one and and that's the

that's the thing with Joe Root is because he just keeps that scorecard moving. And obviously, Will Jax also was brilliant in that partnership where kind of that partnership took the game away from India. And listen, he's one of the greatest to be fair. But the question is, on tricky pitches, if Joe Rood gets out earlier, then who is it that who's going to do that job for England? As of now, I think Will Jax batted really sensibly in that partnership.

I think that's a big question because, you're not going to find those blasted batting surfaces every time you play. So who then if Joe gets out early? Yeah, very good question. We can't answer that. Good question. Possibly nobody. Just one final point from you, Victor.

I mean, how significant a victory is that for England? Well, I mean, they've had, which wasn't he about England in one day cricket there. What to be? Not as bad as everyone says we are, basically. Yeah, I mean, the records, we had the stats at the start of the day. their record is poor in the 50 over game. But essentially, I suppose at the moment we can say

that just in the last, what is it, three weeks, two weeks, they've played well, they've lost just the one game at Edgwiston. So the mood is positive. It'll be a big game now at Lords. I'm glad, you know, it's all square. And if they win the series, suddenly they've got something to clutch on to, with the 50 over format,

which they have been much weaker on. However, the statistics, which obviously mean very little, Andy, you know, can easily be manipulated, whatever they say. You know, the mood will improve generally, I think. Okay. Just quickly, just quickly, I guess, obviously,

we mentioned about 50 overs and gained that tempo, right. I think no matter what happens, England should chase. And I stick. Even at Lord, Steve. Even at Lords, I think that just gives them a target. They can bat accordingly. would bat according to the scoreboard. I think that might help to find that tempo in this format,

which I guess batting first is a little bit of an issue. Yeah, well, sort of highlighting that since the 2020 World Cup took that this bad run, now 11 wins, 20 defeats, but bowling first and chasing with the bat, they're now seven wins, five losses, batting first, four wins, 15 losses. Well, they have won today. So the series is level and a significant landmark

for this England team trying to improve in one-day cricket and Joe Root guiding them home, along with Gus Atkins and a few others who had some good all-round games today. You're listening to the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. Well, Eleanor Aldroyd sat down with Formula One driver Arvid Lindblatt at Edgeburston the other day. The 18-year-old who races for racing balls and is the only rookie on the 2026 grid, shared his thoughts on cricket, sport and life so far. Let's talk Harvard by talking about your family because you've got such an interesting heritage, haven't you? So your dad's Swedish, your mum's British Indian.

So what was that like growing up in a house where you've got all of these different cultural influences? Yeah, it was cool. You know, they're all very different. They're all quite particularly, you could say. It's like you said, my dad's Swedish. My mum's born in the UK. but her parents are from India and they're very traditional

Indians, they're from their Punjabis so yeah, I mean I lived in the UK but I spent a lot of time with my Swedish grandparents that were very different. My Indian grandparents got to eat a lot of different cuisines but yeah, it was really cool like I said they're all very very different and I think all three cultures in the end

they believe a lot in hard work and humility and always giving your best, and I think it's really shaped me into the person I am today. Were they very ambitious for you to succeed? I think I come from quite an ambitious family in the sense that, you know, they're very hard working. My dad came from very humble beginnings. He really didn't have much, and he worked very hard to be able, you know, for me to have the opportunities that I have now.

My grandparents, they're involved in partition, so their family's lost. everything when they were very young. So they had to work very hard themselves to really create a life. They moved to the UK here as doctors. So I come from a very hardworking family that are ambitious. And I wouldn't say they really pushed it on me. But I guess because I was born into that and almost saw that as the norm, it naturally pushed me to be ambitious myself.

So, yeah. And how big a part of your life, great? up was cricket? It was a pretty big part. I mean, like I said, my grandparents, my mother's parents, they absolutely love cricket. They're very traditional Indians. So whenever I went there, they'd always have the cricket on.

And from an early age, I'd be there, you know, eating my nannies, Rajmar and Dahl whilst, you know, watching the cricket with them. So it's been a family thing that we've always done from an early age. So I know my nannies here with me today. and it's been really fun to share watching my first cricket game with her. Yeah, so has she been talking to you about, you know, Jasprit Bumra and Viracoli and all of these players that, you know,

are legends of the game, aren't they? Yes, definitely. It's a really strong side that India have brought, you know, to this match, lots of the real top players for the country. So she's been talking to me, we've been talking a little bit about it. Yeah. Did you play at all? Did you get the chance to play?

because I mean you started you started in motorsport when you were ridiculously young yeah so I know I mean I started in racing you know when I was five but I still play cricket in school that wasn't good you know I didn't play really outside of school

I wasn't in a club or you know play for any accounts or anything I was not nowhere near that level but I enjoyed playing in school you know I was in the B team or the C team so you know nothing great but I enjoyed it I enjoyed batting more than bowling so I did I nothing like these guys but I can kind of relate a little bit

you know because I have played the sport a bit when I was younger I've seen video of you when you were in Mumbai quite recently I think going out onto the Maidan and and having a hit just describe how that came about yeah I mean we're in Mumbai it was my first time there and I don't know I wanted to just really take it all take it all in the you know the city and um do lots of different things so we went to you know food markets uh we're to some of the touristy places but i also wanted to you know go and do some cricket stuff um because we went there in

december so it wasn't there wasn't really any cricket on in the area like um big games so we went to to the ground um and there were loads of you know kids there you know in their own little clubs um and it was just really cool to to be a part of and and see it all and play a little bit of myself For people who've never been to Mumbai and not had that experience, I mean, what is that like to walk onto this extraordinary scene where everybody has a cricket bat or wants to be Virac Koli or Jasprit Bumra? Yeah, it was really cool to see. I mean, obviously, I think each country has, you know, their sport, maybe not as seriously, but, you know, I think there's, yeah, I'd say each country has their thing. And in India, that is, that is very much cricket. everyone wants to be, you know, a cricketer, whether that's, you know, like Bumra, like you said,

or Koli, or even, you know, they all look up to such a Tanduca and the old legend. So, you know, it's cricket's really like a religion in India. So, yeah, everyone's there with their bat and playing and enjoying themselves and trying to be, to improve. Can you imagine that level of fame being an Indian cricketer? I mean, as a young man, you know, who is half Indian now and you see that passionate support of that particular sport. Is there anything like that in F1? I mean, the British fans are amazing.

You know, and I got my first taste of that this year in Silverstone. You know, and especially, you know, I got a bit of it, but, you know, especially for Lewis and Lando, you know, they're so big now that for sure for them it's so amazing feeling the support. But in the end, I don't think it's quite like 1.5 billion people in India, you know, really, really cheering for you. So, yeah, I think the feeling of being, you know,

one of the best Indian cricketers, I think that it's hard to match that sort of support. So you could, maybe, I mean, maybe I was thinking, if you know, if your, if your mom or your grandparents had put a cricket bat in your hand when you were three years old, you know, you could have been maybe discovering a talent for cricket. But in fact, what they did was they put you on a motocross bike

when you were three years old. Yeah, and that wasn't my mum's plan. That was much more my dad. I think my mum, for a lot, a long part of it was reluctantly going along with the ride. Was she worried about you? I don't think from a safety point of view, I mean, for sure a little bit, she got a bit nervous. But I wouldn't say, you know, the safety was the biggest concern at home. Because motorsport is actually incredibly safe now.

you know it's very rare anything happens but I just think for her you know the idea of me you know at an early age missing some school and not the academics always coming first because like I said you know I come from an Indian background where academics is super important I think that for her was a little bit hard to get a head round so there was many times I was at the cart track you know doing my homework

between sessions and that sort of thing and you know we made it work a family. And carting is the way that you start as a four-wheel racing, isn't it really? And it's where Lewis Hamilton started. It's where all the drivers pretty much have started. When did you realize that you were quite good at this? Yes, so carting is how everyone starts. It's really the only way in.

I don't know. I mean, when I was five and I went carting for the first time, you know, I knew it was what I wanted to do. I wanted to be in Formula One. And honestly, I wouldn't really. really say there was ever a point where I thought, oh, I'm actually quite good at this. Because in my head, I always, it was always about Formula One and always getting there. So when I was doing well, it was almost like part of the plan, if that makes sense, because,

you know, that was what I was working towards. So for me, it was never really a hobby. It was always, you know, I had my vision, my goal in my head. And every time I went to the track, I was trying to learn and improve to keep getting better. And so you went through all of the different stages, haven't you? You've gone in all of the kind of the smaller formulas until you've got finally to get a drive with the Red Bull Junior program. I think at 14 you joined that, didn't you? And you first drove an F1 car in 2024 when you were 16?

Yes. Were you actually old enough to have a driving license on a road car at that stage? No, I wasn't able to have a roadcar, a license. I mean, even still now I don't have my license. Do you not? No, which is not something I should be brachy about because it's not very cool. It's quite difficult to book a driving test at the moment, we should say that. It is difficult to book a driving test, so I'm...

That's your excuse. Well, it's been long enough now. So I'm, there's only so many Ubers you can get. So I'm working towards them, I'm trying to get it done. But no, it was amazing my first time driving in F1. You know, in the end, it's, it's what we all dream of, racing, you know, at the pinnacle. So getting my first opportunity is, is something I never forget. That feeling of sitting for the first time in that big car and, you know, and knowing you've got this power, this power, you know,

at your fingertips. I mean, can you describe what that feels like? It's a bit daunting, you know, because every cat, I came up through the ranks very quickly, you know, so it was. was only three and a half years ago that I was doing my last racing carting. I did one year of F4, one F3, one F2 and now an F1. And every category, there's more power, more grip, they're bigger. So, you know, I remember getting in it. And when I actually had my first go, I'd just finish racing in F3, which is a much smaller car.

So I was looking at it and getting in, I was like, wow, this is massive. You know, it's really big. And then, you know, you go on the power and there's so much, the pedal, there's so much torque. it's a bit scary sometimes you know and you get used to it and now I'm in the race car I'm very comfortable

but even you know over the weekend I was driving Goodwood you know driving the V8 I drove the RB8 that Sebastian better won the World Championship in and even driving that you know when you go on power it is there's a lot of talk it's very yeah

I think there almost seems to be kind of like a fearlessness perhaps among guys of your generation because you know you're I think you're the fourth youngest driver ever in F1, is that right? Something like that. Something like that, yeah, third or fourth, yeah. Oliver Bierman was just, I think, slightly older, very slightly older than you when he started. I mean, is it something that is about fearlessness, is about being allowed, you know,

because you've still got very experienced drivers, you've got older drivers, you've got Fernando Alonzo, you've got Lewis Hamilton who won the World Championship for the first time when you were one year old, and now you're lining up on the grid with him. I mean, is it better to be that bit older and more experienced, do you think, or does it help being a bit younger? I mean, it's a bit of a difficult question to answer if it helps being older or not. But I would say is, yeah, we are all a bit fearless. You have to be a bit, you know, nuts, to be honest,

because it's not normal to go around corners that, you know, just under 200 miles an hour. And you have to be comfortable doing that. And obviously, that takes a lot of time. so you know and that's why we will start so early um but when i'm in the car and i'm driving i'm i'm not scared sometimes you get a little bit uncomfortable um but no i'm not scared at all and it's it's very often when you're in qualifying or something and you're not quite fast enough to to go through to two three let's say and you know you just tell yourself i'm just going to switch off the brain and send it and if it's if it's in the fence it's in the fence you know and

that's that's yes we're all a bit like that um and i think that's the way you have to be. Otherwise, you're not fast. And that's the interesting thing, isn't it? Because you say safety has improved a huge amount in F1 over the years. I was working in kind of the dark times of the 1990s, when quite a lot of drivers lost their lives. But do you always feel safe now? Do you always feel that you can just give it the full send onto the corners

and not worry if you hit the tirewall? No, I'm not really. I never get scared about that sort of thing. It doesn't even enter my mind to be. honest. So this is a big credit to F1 and the FAA the improvements they've done. There are still times when it's not the nicest when it is very wet. I think that's something maybe that's not so appreciated by the fans that when it's so wet we literally can't see. You might as well put a blindfold over us with the with the spray and that's not nice. Because when you're going 200

miles an hour and you can see where you're going, it's okay and you can't see where you're going. It's not very comfortable and that's when there's sometimes our accident. So when it's very wet and you can't see, especially in the beginning, it's not the nicest. But I'd say that's the only time you get a bit uncomfortable. But even then through that, you just, yeah, if you lift and you crash at 180 or 200 doesn't really, it's going to hurt either way. So, might as well stay flat. So your first season in F1 is going pretty well, you should say. Not on the podium quite yet, but it feels like it's getting closer, doesn't it? Because you've had, what, two seventh, seventh place finishes? including at Silverston?

I think so, yeah. I mean... What was the Silverstone experience like for you? Yeah, it was very special. I mean, you only get one first home race. I learned all my craft here in the UK. You know, I did all my early years here before when I was 11. I started racing in Europe.

But the training ground here in the UK is amazing in those early categories. And yeah, it's a big reason why I'm here now. and also, you know, why there's five British F1 drivers, you know, there's no, that's not just luck. And to arrive at the track for, you know, practice and then qualifying over that whole weekend at Silverston and seeing the fans and seeing the flags flying for you guys as well, as you say, I mean, that must have been quite a surreal moment. Yeah, it was. Do you have your family there to share it?

Yeah, my family were there with me. They've come with me the past few years to Silverstone. the one that they come to. And it was amazing. It was really enjoyable. I mean, for me, the most special moment of the weekend was on the Thursday when I went on the fan stage with the other British drivers. And there was, you know, 30, 40,000 British fans in front of us or just screaming.

It was a feeling I've never even, yeah, I've never experienced anything even like it, anything close to it before. So when are we going to see you on the first? podium for the first time do you think any chance at spa this weekend I mean I hope so but you know I also need to be to be realistic unfortunately in F1 the cars aren't always this aren't the same so that's not really what we're what we're fighting for there's quite a big split between the top four teams and the rest so the team have done an amazing job to you know give us a car that is a little bit clear of the rest of the midfield so I think you know for us it's very much Q3 and and

points and that's what we've done you know me and my teammate the last four weekends we've both you know uh done that so that's that's our main objective for sure if anything more comes you know i'll take i'll take it um you know i'm always aspiring for more and a podium is my next goal um but i'm also not going to get too fixated on the results i'm you know also focused on myself and learning and improving and if i do that then the results will come the tms podcast from bbc radio How did a boycott Jimmy become a billionaire from posting videos? On Good Bad Billionaire, we're going to find out how the world's most popular YouTuber, Mr. Beast, made his fortune. He's buried himself in a coffin for days.

Counted to 100,000 on camera. And even recreated Squid Games, all in an attempt to go viral on the internet. But it all started when he gave a homeless man $10,000. So is he a philanthropist reshaping capitalism? Or is he just the king of the attention economy? Find out on Good Bad Billionaire. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. How did a boycott Jimmy become a billionaire from posting videos?

On Good Bad Billionaire, we're going to find out how the world's most popular YouTuber, Mr. Beast, made his fortune. He's buried himself in a coffin for days. Counted to 100,000 on camera. And even recreated Squid Games, all in an attempt to go viral on the internet. But it all started when he gave a homeless man $10,000. So is he a philanthropist reshaping capitalism? Or is he just the king of the attention economy? Find out on Good Bad Billionaire.

Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.