Hartnett takes over narrator duties from fellow actor Joseph Fiennes

F1 Back At Base series 2 BBC IMG

Actor Josh Hartnett has become the narrator of F1: Back At Base, as the podcast series returns for a second outing.

Hartnett takes over from fellow actor Joseph Fiennes, who narrated a first season that went behind-the-scenes of the Mercedes and Williams F1 teams and featured an exclusive interview with Sir Lewis Hamilton on his Ferrari move.

Back At Base’s second series, titled How To Go Racing, joins McLaren and Aston Martin during the final 10 races of the 2024 season. It is again produced by IMG, and will include exclusive interviews with the teams’ drivers and executive and technical leadership as well as audio commentary and analysis from the races. 

Alongside experts Sarah Holt and Holly Samos, these interviews will examine McLaren’s Constructors’ Championship win, and Aston Martin’s pursuit to sign the sport’s most highly-coveted name, Adrian Newey, the most successful car designer in F1 history.

Interviees include, from the McLaren F1 team, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, CEO Zak Brown, Team Principal Andrea Stella, chief designer Rob Marshall and performance engineer Amelia Lewis. From the Aston Martin F1 team, Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll, Group CEO and team principal Andy Cowell, racing driver and Aston Martin ambassador Jessica Hawkins, chief trackside engineer/former team principal Mike Krack, and incoming managing technical partner Adrian Newey will speak. Listeners will also hear from Formula 1 CEO and president Stefano Domenicali and CEO of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Renee Wilm.

Hartnett said: “As a longtime fan of Formula 1 and racing in general, I can honestly say that this season was unlike any other. With as much action as we see on track, there’s so much more work happening behind the scenes that we as fans rarely get to see. I’m delighted to raise the curtain on these two iconic F1 teams alongside the BBC, and take listeners inside the heart of the operations to learn the secrets of how these teams prepare for the fastest competition in the world.”

Stevie Middleton, commissioning executive for Podcasts at BBC, said: “F1: Back at Base is the off-season destination for F1 fans around the world. Thanks to the unparalleled expertise from Holly, Sarah and this hardworking team, we are bringing audiences an even more exciting lineup of exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes access for this latest season.”