Time is the topic of the fourth episode of “Box Box Box,” the Pirelli vodcast all about Formula 1

In racing they say the stopwatch never lies. But even if time is the undoubted only true arbiter of success, it is also a tool to measure change and the three individuals interviewed here by Tom Clarkson in this episode of "Box, Box, Box" talk about their relationship with both concepts.

Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of F1©, believes that the sport is going through a golden age that is due to last for a long time. "I want to say something that is perhaps quite significant, that F1 will be part of people's lives, it will be around in 30 years' time because all the ingredients are there ... Today, I can finally say that F1 is the greatest entertainment in sport in the world and that is certainly what it will be in 30 years time." Domenicali also recalls his time as a competitor in Formula 1, eyes glued to the stopwatch to see if his driver was the quickest on track. He had the good fortune to work with many of the greats, including three world champions, but there was one in particular that stood out: "I don't want to disrespect anyone but definitely Michael (Schumacher) in my heart was really something unique … I remember every single moment of the time we spent together, the incredible times but also the most difficult moments … It was very interesting to see how he evolved while working with our group and the evolution of the team that worked with him."

Michael Schmidt of the respected German magazine "Auto Motor und Sport," is one of the doyens of the F1 press room, having followed the sport since the Eighties. He has witnessed many eras of this sport, seen the way it has changed, but he believes its DNA has remained the same. "It's all about winning, nothing else. You push to the limit and if there's a problem, you solve it. The best example was Covid, Formula 1 beat it … On paper it was the sport that would have found it the most difficult to survive it, because we are a global sport, travelling around the world and yet it did it, with 17 races in 2020." For Schmidt, it's impossible to compare drivers from different generations, but there are three whose careers he covered that impressed him the most: Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and fellow German Michael Schumacher. Schmidt underlines the impact the seven-time world champion had on Formula 1 in Germany. "It was a second division sport and suddenly it became a premium event. Everyone was watching on television, I think the best viewing figure was around the 18 million mark. It was like a World Cup football game in Germany and these figures were never repeated, even in the Vettel days. In Germany it was a bit like Boris Becker and tennis."

Alexander Albon has a special relationship with time, especially from inside the cockpit of his Williams. "I visualise time. Actually, I'm one of the few drivers who doesn't rely on the delta on the steering wheel. A lot of drivers like to have something to tell them if in a particular corner they were faster or slower. When you learn to race in karting, there's a stopwatch but you only see your lap time when you finish the lap. So you create an internal clock and you start to appreciate it. This line seems quicker or is this quicker? And gradually, as you move up through Formula 3 to Formula 2 and Formula 1, this aspect is lost because you have your lap time on the dash and you end up looking at it and if you overdrive in one corner you try and make up for it in the next one, so I had it removed and went back to doing it like in karting."

"Box Box Box" runs over six episodes, each one on a specific topic (Speed, Education, Commitment, Time, Adrenaline, Challenge) hosted by Tom Clarkson one of the best known journalists and presenters, who has worked in Formula 1 for almost 30 years, featuring key players in the sport. The three previous episodes - Speed, Education and Commitment - featured Max Verstappen, Nikolas Tombazis, Andrea Stella, Bruno Michel, Oliver Bearman, Ian Holmes, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Mario Isola and Charles Leclerc and can be found on YouTube and on Spotify. In the remaining episodes, on line every Tuesday up to 3 December, those taking part will be Nico Hulkenberg, Valtteri Bottas, Christian Horner, Gunther Steiner and other well known and lesser known faces from the Formula 1 paddock.