F1 broadcaster Tom Clarkson to break 28-year streak for Damon Hill tour

Tom Clarkson will end his remarkable 28-year streak of attending every Formula 1 grand prix, sacrificing a trip to the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang to take his Damon Hill speaking tour to Australia and New Zealand.

Why it matters:

Clarkson's uninterrupted run of covering F1 since 1998 is a broadcasting benchmark. This tour, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Hill's 1996 world championship, also underscores the reshuffled 2026 calendar that moved the Bahrain GP to Sepang — and created an unusual conflict for one of F1's most familiar voices.

The details:

• The tour, An Evening with Damon Hill – In Conversation with Tom Clarkson, runs from September 28 to October 5, with stops in Perth, Brisbane, Auckland, Sydney, and Melbourne.
• It follows nine UK shows in January that celebrated Hill's title. Clarkson said the success convinced him, Hill, and organiser Fane to take it abroad.
• The middle weekend clashes with the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang. "It's going to be really weird," Clarkson said. "I love Sepang. One of the modern day classics."
• Clarkson has been a fixture in F1 media since the mid-1990s, working with BBC, Sky, Channel 4, and hosting the official press conferences and Beyond The Grid podcast.
• The show blends Hill's career — from his father Graham's legacy to his battles with Michael Schumacher — with music, motorcycles, and audience Q&A.
• Hill remains the only driver to win consecutive Australian GPs across both venues, taking Adelaide 1995 and the first Melbourne race in 1996.

What's next:

Clarkson will cover the Azerbaijan GP, then fly to Perth for the opening night. He admitted missing Sepang will be strange, but the tour is locked in. For Australian and New Zealand fans, it's a rare chance to see a world champion and one of F1's best interviewers in an unfiltered, live setting.