When Marc Surer reached Formula 1 in 1979, he was a rising star: the reigning Formula 2 champion from the mountains of Switzerland, surely destined for the summit of F1 success. But two leg-breaking crashes made Marc’s climb steeper and harder. He relives those crashes with Tom Clarkson and remembers his remarkable recovery and return to racing. Amazingly, he scored points for Arrows, and almost made the switch to Ferrari after the death of Gilles Villeneuve. Marc also came close to racing for McLaren after a secret meeting with boss Ron Dennis. Later, he survived a fiery rally crash in which his co-driver was killed. Marc shares stories of racing up mountains as a child in a country where motorsport was banned, working with F1 design genius Gordon Murray, driving brutal turbocharged F1 cars armed with more than 1000 horsepower and wrestling Group B rally cars on snow and ice. This episode is sponsored by: Dave: download the Dave app from the App store right now. Sign up for an Extra Cash account and get up to 500 dollars instantly. For terms and conditions go to dave.com/legal. Instant transfer fees apply. Banking provided by Evolve. Member FDIC Babbel: right now, Babbel is offering our listeners six months free with a purchase of a 6-month subscription with promo code GRID at babbel.com/play BetterHelp: get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/grid
No persons identified in this episode.
This episode hasn't been transcribed yet
Help us prioritize this episode for transcription by upvoting it.
Popular episodes get transcribed faster
Other recent transcribed episodes
Transcribed and ready to explore now
Eric Larsen on the emergence and potential of AI in healthcare
10 Dec 2025
McKinsey on Healthcare
Reducing Burnout and Boosting Revenue in ASCs
10 Dec 2025
Becker’s Healthcare -- Spine and Orthopedic Podcast
Dr. Erich G. Anderer, Chief of the Division of Neurosurgery and Surgical Director of Perioperative Services at NYU Langone Hospital–Brooklyn
09 Dec 2025
Becker’s Healthcare -- Spine and Orthopedic Podcast
Dr. Nolan Wessell, Assistant Professor and Well-being Co-Director, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Division of Spine Surgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine
08 Dec 2025
Becker’s Healthcare -- Spine and Orthopedic Podcast
NPR News: 12-08-2025 2AM EST
08 Dec 2025
NPR News Now
NPR News: 12-08-2025 1AM EST
08 Dec 2025
NPR News Now