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 might put to good use, then picked up a microphone the second any on-track motion — observe, qualifying, the race — wrapped up. When the vehicles 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 received a name from F1 TV.
“Coming right here, I did really feel a bit little bit of imposter syndrome,” he remembers. “I’ve by no means raced the vehicles, I have never been on a lot of the tracks.”
As Formulation 1 expands in North America, so has Hinchcliffe’s presence on F1 TV subscriber’s screens: from protecting 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 children, their dads love hockey and so they develop up loving hockey. [But] my dad wasn’t Canadian, he was British. And he cherished motorsports. So I simply grew up with this enormous ardour for racing.
My earliest recollections of life, truthfully, are sitting watching races with Dad — on Sunday mornings, Formulation 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 taking note of F1 in ’96, when Jacques Villeneuve moved over from IndyCar and we had a Canadian to cheer for. In order that’s form of after I received diehard into F1.
How’s your relationship with Jacques Villeneuve? You in all probability see him frequently now right here within the F1 paddock.
It is nice. We have change into good buddies, truly. It is such a bizarre factor to suppose. I used to ship my 20 bucks a month to Switzerland for his fan membership and get the publication after I was a child. And now we’re colleagues, and we do some occasions collectively and stuff like that. So it is form 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 will 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 wished 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 Pictures
Is it true that you just had the thought 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 , is a weekly, however printed within the UK. By the point it received to Canada, it was already three weeks, generally 4 weeks, previous. It even generally 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 your entire factor, cowl to cowl, each single week. I imply, I might let you know what was occurring in British Formulation Ford 1600 or in Ginetta Juniors. I knew the whole lot that was occurring, as a result of I learn the entire journal.
After I first received into racing and first began karting, I truthfully did not begin considering 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 approach for me to nonetheless be concerned in racing. As a result of I cherished studying these magazines, I cherished watching racing and speaking about racing. So I figured, alright, let’s go into journalism after which I can comply with across the racing world and nonetheless be a part of it.
Fortunately, the motive force factor labored out. However this was kind of a enjoyable fallback plan.
You already did some TV work fairly early in your racing profession, truly. How did that come about?
That happened by chance, which is form 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 cut up in North America. They usually 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 international locations. It was very a lot a small separate a part of the published. It did not have a giant 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 individuals within the paddock to come back up and spend 10 minutes with him throughout the race, simply to form 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 mentioned: “Hey, do you wish to come up for the beginning of the Champ Automotive race?”’ I mentioned, positive. So I did my race, received modified, went as much as the sales space and placed on a headset. The producer got here on and mentioned: “We’re dwell to 170 international locations, do not swear.” And the published began.
On the first industrial break, Jeremy checked out me and he goes, “Do you wish to keep for one more phase?” So I mentioned, “Yeah, I will keep for one more one.” On the finish of that phase, he took off his headset and mentioned: “Do you wish 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 mentioned, “What are you doing subsequent week?” And so for the remainder of the season, I’d 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 by some means I fell into this function. However it was what made me actually have a ardour for the tv aspect of the game, and gave me that long-term aim for as soon as I ended driving.
So then in the 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 form of mentioned: “Hey look, you’ve got received nevertheless a few years left driving, however whenever 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 wished to pursue afterwards.
So in 2020, I had a partial season and reached out to NBC and mentioned: “Hey, I am solely racing a number of the races this yr. Would you like me for the remainder of them?” They mentioned: “Yeah, completely.” So that they had 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 individuals. So after 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 mentioned: “Hey, that is what I am considering of doing. Do you wish to discuss subsequent yr?” He threw down a three-year contract, and mentioned: “It is yours if you need it.”
That should have been a busy time, in 2020, whenever you have been racing and doing media work.
I imply, 2020 was a weird yr although, proper? With COVID and the way in which the race weekends labored out. The whole lot began late and was kind of unfold out. So it was bizarre doing the primary couple of races as a driver after which exhibiting as much as the subsequent one with a mic pack and a headset — after which the subsequent 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 Pictures
So that you have been competing towards drivers, however you have been additionally interviewing them. What was that like?
It was robust, I will not lie. It undoubtedly turned a lot simpler as soon as I had absolutely stepped again. However , you have to be skilled. And on the identical time, I knew that in a approach I used to be kind of auditioning for my subsequent profession. So I had to verify I did an excellent job and did not bury myself earlier than I received the prospect.
How did you find yourself at F1 TV?
I assume F1 TV was in search of somebody from the North American continent. And Ben [Edwards, British commentator] mentioned: “Properly, hey, I used to work with this man Hinch, and I feel he is doing TV now. He is not racing anymore. Possibly we should always give him a name.” In order that’s form 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 Formulation 1?
It has been superior. It is a actually, actually nice group of those that they have on the F1 TV aspect. They’ve made me really feel very welcome.
It is a very completely 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 individuals, I do know the vehicles, I do know the tracks. It is way more easy. Coming right here, I did really feel a bit little bit of imposter syndrome. I’ve by no means raced the vehicles, I have never been on a lot of the tracks, I do not know wherever close to as many individuals. However the group did an important job of creating me really feel welcome, introducing me to numerous individuals, so I in a short time felt at house.
I like the format of what they do right here. Being a streaming service, in a way, versus a community tv broadcast on the IndyCar aspect, it is a very completely different program in quite a lot of methods. As somebody that is new to TV, it is form of enjoyable to expertise all of the completely different components you could have.
The European viewers in all probability expects to see former Formulation 1 drivers on this analyst function. Have been you assured that you could possibly add one thing to the published?
It is a passionate fan base, so I used to be a bit anxious that they would not take to an outsider, so to talk, coming in.However truthfully, I discovered 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 aspect. I warned him forward of time, I mentioned: “As quickly as you get out of that automobile, I’m going to be at the doorstep simply drilling you with questions. I have to know the whole lot.” As a result of he was the best man for me to get to. So I leaned closely on him, and on Jolyon.
What I got here to study 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 perhaps the observe, that is the 5 per cent that I can form of… I haven’t got to have an intimate data to nonetheless be capable to add one thing to the published. So I used to be undoubtedly nervous the primary couple of occasions, however I feel it is come off okay and I’ve settled into the function properly.
While you have been racing within the U.S. and have been requested about Formulation 1, you at all times mentioned your focus was in your U.S. racing profession. Have been you ever near a Formulation 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 degree… You understand how onerous it’s. So I would not say I used to be near an F1 alternative.
However again after I was 17 or 18, I had raced the Formulation BMW Championship in North America. And I had accomplished fairly effectively. I received the Rookie of the Yr championship and BMW provided me a experience within the UK Sequence, which on the time was form of their highest degree collection. Nico Rosberg got here via Formulation BMW, Sebastian Vettel got here via Formulation BMW, Nico Hulkenberg got here via Formulation 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 finally, training was nonetheless essential to my dad and mom. Formulation BMW was nonetheless very low on the racing hierarchy. It was nonetheless an extended shot to have a profession in it. They weren’t fairly snug with me abandoning my research and transferring 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 form of the one and solely time I ever contemplated it. Even as soon as I received 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 perhaps there’s nonetheless an opportunity so that you can get a chance to drive a Formulation 1 automobile?
It has been talked about. I am working very onerous at making an attempt to arrange a take a look at sooner or later, simply so I can say I’ve pushed it!
“I feel it is nice for each if extra younger IndyCar drivers have a real alternative to come back show themselves in F1.”
How would you examine the extent of driving in IndyCar to Formulation 1 these days?
I feel each collection are completely brimming with expertise in the intervening time. It looks like yearly you hear somebody say: “Oh, that is essentially the most aggressive driver lineup we have had in a very long time.”
I feel the vehicles problem you in very other ways. In Formulation 1, clearly the velocity, the downforce, the cornering skills of those vehicles, the braking skills of those vehicles, are a lot greater 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 way in which the tyres are constructed, you may form of do qualifying laps all race in some occasions.
With the extent of expertise in every collection, you need 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 rivalry for a win.
For the F1 tremendous license factors system, IndyCar at the moment will get much less factors than Formulation 2. What do you make of that?
I feel I am within the majority of individuals that do not suppose that is proper. As that got here to gentle just a few years in the past with the entire Colton Herta scenario, I feel lots of people realised that there was a flaw within the tremendous license factors system. Should you have a look at the extent of competitors in IndyCar and what it takes to be a race winner or a champion at that degree, it appears a bit misguided that it isn’t ranked a bit bit greater than it’s.
Look, the whole lot’s open for change. This technique’s comparatively new, and hopefully sooner or later it may be altered, as a result of I feel it might be nice for each championships to have extra drivers going every approach. We definitely have had some F1 drivers coming to the IndyCar aspect. However I feel 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 personal future appear to be?
We’ll see. I assumed getting out of driving and stepping into TV can be a bit 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 chance there for me on the IndyCar aspect. I am already having some nice conversations with all people at F1 TV about working extra on this aspect of issues, which is nice — so, enthusiastic about that.
I am nonetheless doing a bit little bit of driving in sports activities vehicles, within the IMSA championship. Hoping to perform a little bit extra of that subsequent yr. So if I can have a fairly related 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.
