BEYOND THE GRID: Emanuele Pirro on his F1 battles, his 5 Le Mans wins and turning down Ferrari

Racing enthusiasts don't come much more enthusiastic than this week's guest on the latest episode of Beyond The Grid, Emanuele Pirro – a man who, in motorsport terms, has pretty much seen it all and done it all.
The Italian raced for Benetton in F1 while also helping to develop Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna’s mighty McLaren Honda MP4/4 in the 1980s. Later, he battled soaking conditions at the infamous 1991 Australian GP and went on to win the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours on five occasions.
Pirro has enjoyed an incredible career, and has great stories to tell. Why did he reject Ferrari? And just why did Riccardo Patrese hit him on the helmet after his final Grand Prix?
Listen to Emanuele Pirro reveal all in the latest episode of Beyond The Grid in the player above, or via this link. And click here to discover more episodes of Beyond The Grid, including episodes featuring the likes of Gerhard Berger, Mick Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve.
Next Up
Related Articles
Celebrating Alonso's birthday with his funniest moments
Haas drivers offer verdict on Hungarian GP
How Hungary showed Aston Martin are 'back racing' after upgrades
Three drivers in action at Pirelli tyre test in Hungary
Why Norris thinks he’s driving better than in his title season
F1 legends share their thoughts on the 2026 season so far