BEYOND THE GRID: Tom Stallard on going from the Olympics to F1 and working with the likes of Ricciardo and Piastri at McLaren

Tom Stallard, Oscar Piastri’s race engineer and McLaren’s Director of Human Performance, is a man of many talents.
As a professional rower, he won an Olympic silver medal and became a world champion. As an engineer in Formula 1, he’s taken race victories with some of the sport’s most talented drivers and played a huge part in McLaren’s transformation into title contenders.
So why did Stallard make such a big career change, and how does working in F1 compare to rowing? On the latest episode of Beyond The Grid, he joins host Tom Clarkson at McLaren’s headquarters to discuss this and much more.
Stallard talks about his gruelling fitness regime as an Olympic rower and what a race engineer’s relationship with their driver is all about.
He also reflects on working with the likes of Jenson Button, Daniel Ricciardo and Carlos Sainz, as well as giving an insight into how Oscar Piastri is galvanising the team now.
F1 EXPLAINS: Downforce and why F1 cars have wings – with McLaren Aero Specialist Emel Cankaya
To listen to this week’s episode of Beyond The Grid, simply hit go on the audio player above or click here to listen via your preferred podcasting platform.
Next Up
Related Articles
When Formula 1 meets the NFL
Re-watch Aston Martin's launch event as they reveal 2026 livery
Take a look at every angle of McLaren's 2026 livery
F1 AcademyShi Wei returns as first 2026 Wild Card driver
Team Previews 2026All you need to know about McLaren
Check out every angle of Aston Martin’s 2026 livery