It was about to be a busy few weeks for James Hinchcliffe. After we met in Austin, he was simply beginning off a triple-header, having joined the F1 TV workforce for the collection’ North American swing. In between filming spots, he roamed the paddock selecting up data he may put to good use, then picked up a microphone the second any on-track motion — apply, qualifying, the race — wrapped up. When the automobiles have been off the observe, Hinch (as he’s usually known as) was on.
He’s gone from racing IndyCars to analyzing F1 drivers, however his profession path was extra of a road circuit than a straightaway. Eleven years in IndyCar (from 2011 to 2021) means Hinchcliffe is aware of what it’s prefer to battle for place on observe. However even earlier than he made it into America’s top-tier open-wheel collection, he had dipped a toe into broadcasting — solely to come back again when he hung up his helmet from being full-time driver. After spending a few years as an analyst for IndyCar and IMSA on NBC Sports activities, Hinchcliffe bought a name from F1 TV.
“Coming right here, I did really feel a bit of little bit of imposter syndrome,” he remembers. “I’ve by no means raced the automobiles, I have not been on many of the tracks.”
As Method 1 expands in North America, so has Hinchcliffe’s presence on F1 TV subscriber’s screens: from overlaying three races in 2022 to eight races this yr.
Regardless of the hectic schedule, the gracious 37-year-old Canadian talked to Motorsport.com about drilling Alex Palou for F1 data, hanging out along with his childhood hero, and why IndyCar deserves extra respect from the FIA.
How did you get into F1?
My love for F1 began as a child. My dad was an enormous fan. Rising up in Canada, most younger youngsters, their dads love hockey and so they develop up loving hockey. [But] my dad wasn’t Canadian, he was British. And he liked motorsports. So I simply grew up with this enormous ardour for racing.
My earliest reminiscences of life, truthfully, are sitting watching races with Dad — on Sunday mornings, Method 1, and Sunday afternoons, IndyCar. And going to the IndyCar race in Toronto. So, actually way back to I can keep in mind, I have been a fan of the game. And I actually began following and listening to F1 in ’96, when Jacques Villeneuve moved over from IndyCar and we had a Canadian to cheer for. In order that’s sort of once I bought diehard into F1.
How’s your relationship with Jacques Villeneuve? You in all probability see him repeatedly now right here within the F1 paddock.
It is nice. We have turn out to be good pals, truly. It is such a bizarre factor to assume. I used to ship my 20 bucks a month to Switzerland for his fan membership and get the publication once I was a child. And now we’re colleagues, and we do some occasions collectively and stuff like that. So it is sort of loopy that it is come full circle like that.
That should virtually really feel fairly surreal.
Yeah, it’s. My dad handed away just a few years in the past, and Jacques invited me out to this occasion at a racetrack that he is a associate in, out in Western Canada, earlier this yr. And I am going to always remember: my telephone rang and it was this Italian quantity that I did not recognise. I answered the telephone name and it is, “Hey James, it is Jacques.” And he invitations me to this factor. I simply needed so badly in that second to have the ability to name my dad and be like: “Dude, you are by no means going to imagine what simply occurred!” Simply such a cool second.
James Hinchcliffe speaking to Kevin Magnussen on the Singapore GP
Picture by: Alastair Staley / Motorsport Photos
Is it true that you simply had the concept of turning into a motorsport journalist, when your profession as an expert racing driver would not have labored out?
Yeah. Properly, once more, I used to be younger and an enormous fan of racing. And my dad and I have been subscribed to Autosport journal, which, as you already know, is a weekly, however printed within the UK. By the point it bought to Canada, it was already three weeks, typically 4 weeks, previous. It even typically got here in batches of two or three at a time. So that they have been weeks previous. However I did not care. I learn all the factor, cowl to cowl, each single week. I imply, I may inform you what was occurring in British Method Ford 1600 or in Ginetta Juniors. I knew all the pieces that was occurring, as a result of I learn the entire journal.
After I first bought into racing and first began karting, I truthfully did not begin pondering I had any likelihood of a profession in motorsports as a driver. As a result of even at 9 years previous, I am like, That is not an actual job. Like, nobody truly will get to try this. And in order that was how I figured that [becoming a motorsport journalist] was essentially the most enjoyable means for me to nonetheless be concerned in racing. As a result of I liked studying these magazines, I liked watching racing and speaking about racing. So I figured, alright, let’s go into journalism after which I can observe across the racing world and nonetheless be a part of it.
Fortunately, the motive force factor labored out. However this was form of a enjoyable fallback plan.
You already did some TV work fairly early in your racing profession, truly. How did that come about?
That took place accidentally, which is sort of humorous. I used to be racing in a collection known as the Atlantic Championship, which was one beneath Champ Automotive on the time, when IndyCar was nonetheless break up in North America. And so they had the home feed, which was the one that everyone noticed right here within the States or in Canada. However then there was a world feed that was picked up by just a few nations. It was very a lot a small separate a part of the printed. It did not have an enormous price range. It wasn’t actually the revered a part of the present.
The man that did commentary for it was a gentleman by the title of Jeremy Shaw. And he did it by himself. So he would simply ask folks within the paddock to come back up and spend 10 minutes with him throughout the race, simply to sort of break it up and have somebody to speak to. I had identified Jeremy for just a few years. After my race one weekend he stated: “Hey, do you need to come up for the beginning of the Champ Automotive race?”’ I stated, certain. So I did my race, bought modified, went as much as the sales space and placed on a headset. The producer got here on and stated: “We’re dwell to 170 nations, do not swear.” And the printed began.
On the first industrial break, Jeremy checked out me and he goes, “Do you need to keep for one more section?” So I stated, “Yeah, I am going to keep for one more one.” On the finish of that section, he took off his headset and stated: “Do you need to simply keep for the race?” So I stayed for the remainder of the race.
And on the finish of the race, he took his headset off and stated, “What are you doing subsequent week?” And so for the remainder of the season, I might end my race on Sunday morning, get modified, run as much as the sales space, and do the worldwide broadcast for Champ Automotive. Utterly untrained, fully undeserving, and in some way I fell into this function. But it surely was what made me actually have a ardour for the tv facet of the game, and gave me that long-term purpose for as soon as I finished driving.
So then in direction of the top of your IndyCar profession, you picked that up once more, working for TV as an analyst. How did that occur?
Properly, in all honesty, I used to be approached by NBC just a few years earlier than that. They sort of stated: “Hey look, you’ve got bought nonetheless a few years left driving, however if you’re completed, tell us. We might have an interest to speak to you about that.” As a result of I might made it identified that was one thing I needed to pursue afterwards.
So in 2020, I had a partial season and reached out to NBC and stated: “Hey, I am solely racing among the races this yr. Would you like me for the remainder of them?” They stated: “Yeah, completely.” So they’d me be a pit reporter for these races.
Then I used to be full-time racing once more the next yr. However now I had my foot within the door and I had seen the way it all labored and met the folks. So once I determined to cease [full-time racing] on the finish of ’21, one of many first telephone calls I made was to the boss at NBC. I simply stated: “Hey, that is what I am pondering of doing. Do you need to speak about subsequent yr?” He threw down a three-year contract, and stated: “It is yours if you need it.”
That will need to have been a busy time, in 2020, if you have been racing and doing media work.
I imply, 2020 was a weird yr although, proper? With COVID and the best way the race weekends labored out. The whole lot began late and was form of unfold out. So it was bizarre doing the primary couple of races as a driver after which exhibiting as much as the following one with a mic pack and a headset — after which the following one, be again within the seat. That was a bit weird. However yeah, it is all a part of the game.
James Hinchcliffe in Austin
Picture by: Michael Potts / Motorsport Photos
So that you have been competing towards drivers, however you have been additionally interviewing them. What was that like?
It was powerful, I will not lie. It positively grew to become a lot simpler as soon as I had absolutely stepped again. However you already know, you have to be skilled. And on the similar time, I knew that in a means I used to be form of auditioning for my subsequent profession. So I had to verify I did a great job and did not bury myself earlier than I bought the prospect.
How did you find yourself at F1 TV?
I suppose F1 TV was in search of somebody from the North American continent. And Ben [Edwards, British commentator] stated: “Properly, hey, I used to work with this man Hinch, and I believe he is doing TV now. He isn’t racing anymore. Possibly we should always give him a name.” In order that’s sort of the way it began. We did a three-race deal that first yr, six races final yr, and eight races this yr. It is going effectively.
How do you look again on these first experiences of working in Method 1?
It has been superior. It is a actually, actually nice group of folks that they have on the F1 TV facet. They’ve made me really feel very welcome.
It is a very totally different problem than IndyCar as a result of that is a world that I’ve lived and breathed for the final fifteen years. I do know the folks, I do know the automobiles, I do know the tracks. It is rather more simple. Coming right here, I did really feel a bit of little bit of imposter syndrome. I’ve by no means raced the automobiles, I have not been on many of the tracks, I do not know anyplace close to as many individuals. However the group did an excellent job of constructing me really feel welcome, introducing me to a number of folks, so I in a short time felt at house.
I really like the format of what they do right here. Being a streaming service, in a way, versus a community tv broadcast on the IndyCar facet, it is a very totally different program in loads of methods. As somebody that is new to TV, it is sort of enjoyable to expertise all of the totally different components that you may have.
The European viewers in all probability expects to see former Method 1 drivers on this analyst function. Have been you assured that you might add one thing to the printed?
It is a passionate fan base, so I used to be a bit of apprehensive that they would not take to an outsider, so to talk, coming in.However truthfully, I realized loads from Jolyon Palmer. I started working alongside him at my first few rounds.
And I used to be very fortunate that the very first race I did was Austin, two years in the past. Alex Palou was doing FP1 for McLaren. I clearly know him very effectively from the IndyCar facet. I warned him forward of time, I stated: “As quickly as you get out of that automobile, I’m going to be at your step simply drilling you with questions. I have to know all the pieces.” As a result of he was the simplest man for me to get to. So I leaned closely on him, and on Jolyon.
What I got here to be taught was actually, on the finish of the day, 95 per cent of the racing is similar. The ideas are the identical, the challenges are the identical. There’s the intricacies of the automobile or possibly the observe, that is the 5 per cent that I can sort of… I haven’t got to have an intimate information to nonetheless be capable of add one thing to the printed. So I used to be positively nervous the primary couple of occasions, however I believe it is come off okay and I’ve settled into the function properly.
Once you have been racing within the U.S. and have been requested about Method 1, you all the time stated your focus was in your U.S. racing profession. Have been you ever near a Method 1 alternative?
Sure and no. I used to be near a European alternative, which places you on the observe to F1. However even at that stage… You know the way exhausting it’s. So I would not say I used to be near an F1 alternative.
However again once I was 17 or 18, I had raced the Method BMW Championship in North America. And I had achieved fairly effectively. I received the Rookie of the 12 months championship and BMW supplied me a experience within the UK Sequence, which on the time was sort of their highest stage collection. Nico Rosberg got here by way of Method BMW, Sebastian Vettel got here by way of Method BMW, Nico Hulkenberg got here by way of Method BMW. So it was at that time the place my dad and mom and I needed to decide: was I going to go transfer to Europe at 18 and attempt to pursue one thing over there? Or keep within the States and proceed what we had began constructing right here?
And in the end, schooling was nonetheless essential to my dad and mom. Method BMW was nonetheless very low on the racing hierarchy. It was nonetheless a protracted shot to have a profession in it. They weren’t fairly comfy with me abandoning my research and shifting throughout the pond to pursue a pie-in-the-sky dream, let’s be actual. So we determined to remain right here, and I am very, very glad for that call.
That was sort of the one and solely time I ever contemplated it. Even as soon as I bought to IndyCar, it was by no means actually a consideration. I used to be very comfortable doing what I used to be doing there.
Properly, Viaplay F1 analyst Tom Kristensen just lately did an F1 take a look at with McLaren. So possibly there may be nonetheless an opportunity so that you can get a possibility to drive a Method 1 automobile?
It has been talked about. I am working very exhausting at making an attempt to arrange a take a look at in some unspecified time in the future, simply so I can say I’ve pushed it!
“I believe it is nice for each if extra younger IndyCar drivers have a real alternative to come back show themselves in F1.”
How would you evaluate the extent of driving in IndyCar to Method 1 these days?
I believe each collection are completely brimming with expertise in the mean time. It looks as if yearly you hear somebody say: “Oh, that is essentially the most aggressive driver lineup we have had in a very long time.”
I believe the automobiles problem you in very alternative ways. In Method 1, clearly the pace, the downforce, the cornering talents of those automobiles, the braking talents of those automobiles, are a lot increased than in IndyCar.
However with out energy steering, IndyCar is much more bodily in sure components. In F1, when you’re within the race, it is loads about tyre administration, and you are not essentially driving to your or the automobile’s max capabilities, as a result of it’s good to hold the tyres [alive]. Whereas in IndyCar, the best way the tyres are constructed, you’ll be able to sort of do qualifying laps all race in some occasions.
With the extent of expertise in every collection, it’s a must to be simply so tuned in to that automobile on that day, no matter which collection you are in, if you are going to be in competition for a win.
For the F1 tremendous license factors system, IndyCar at present will get much less factors than Method 2. What do you make of that?
I believe I am within the majority of individuals that do not assume that is proper. As that got here to mild just a few years in the past with the entire Colton Herta state of affairs, I believe lots of people realised that there was a flaw within the tremendous license factors system. When you take a look at the extent of competitors in IndyCar and what it takes to be a race winner or a champion at that stage, it appears a bit misguided that it is not ranked a bit of bit increased than it’s.
Look, all the pieces’s open for change. This method’s comparatively new, and hopefully sooner or later it may be altered, as a result of I believe it could be nice for each championships to have extra drivers going every means. We definitely have had some F1 drivers coming to the IndyCar facet. However I believe it is nice for each if extra younger IndyCar drivers have a real alternative to come back show themselves in F1.
Speaking concerning the future, what does your individual future appear to be?
We’ll see. I believed getting out of driving and stepping into TV can be a bit of bit extra steady. Evidently that is not the case! Media is simply as fickle as driving is!
IndyCar’s broadcast deal is switching companions for subsequent yr and I am nonetheless ready to listen to if there’s a possibility there for me on the IndyCar facet. I am already having some nice conversations with all people at F1 TV about working extra on this facet of issues, which is nice — so, enthusiastic about that.
I am nonetheless doing a bit of little bit of driving in sports activities automobiles, within the IMSA championship. Hoping to perform a little bit extra of that subsequent yr. So if I can have a reasonably comparable program subsequent yr to that I’ve had this yr — little bit of IndyCar, little bit of F1, little bit of IMSA — I might be a contented man.
