BEYOND THE GRID: Bernd Maylander on reaching 500 races as the Safety Car driver

At this year’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Bernd Maylander reached a remarkable milestone of 500 races as the FIA Safety Car driver.

On the latest episode of Beyond The Grid, Maylander tells host Tom Clarkson about how the Safety Car and his job have evolved since his first race back in 2000, as well as reflecting on some of the most iconic races he’s been involved in over the last 25 years.

He talks through what a Grand Prix weekend looks like for him, the role his co-driver Richard Darker plays and some of the challenges they face, such as picking up the leader when the Safety Car is deployed and judging wet conditions.

Maylander also reveals what it feels like to have the fastest drivers on the planet right behind him, and how he handles them complaining about his speed.

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.