Bertrand Gachot – The driver whose prison sentence handed Schumacher his F1 debut

The story of how Michael Schumacher made his debut, 30 years ago this week in Belgium, could have been lifted from a Hollywood movie. The German rookie got his chance when Jordan’s regular driver Bertrand Gachot was dramatically sent to prison on the eve of the race – the rest, as they say, is history. But what of Gachot himself? This week the Luxembourg-born racer joins Tom to tell his incredible story – including the full, incredible story of how he ended up in prison, what life was like for an F1 driver behind bars, how he feels about Schumacher now, and how he got his career back on track after his release. This episode is sponsored by: Calm - go to calm.com/GRID for 40% off unlimited access to Calm’s entire library

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Formula 1's extraordinary stars slow down and open up, sharing untold stories and unrivalled insight. Tom Clarkson brings you revealing, feature-length interviews and amazing anecdotes from superstar drivers, team bosses, tech geniuses and racing legends. Hit the follow button for the fastest way to get new episodes. For race reviews + previews, listen to F1 Nation. To learn more about how F1 works, listen to F1 Explains