The 2020 Russian Grand Prix will permit 30,000 fans to attend the race at the Sochi Autodrom. Will Vladimir Putin, Russia's no. 1 Formula 1 fan, attend the race? If so, will his best friend Bernie Ecclestone be in attendance, too? (Yes, ECC has said that he would rather spend time with his baby boy than attend a race in 2020, but it's ECC - trust him at your own will) In this Pits To Podium (https://bit.ly/pitstopodium) segment, Soumil and Kunal list the '5 things to watch for' for the 2020 Russ...
Sep 24, 2020•24 min•Season 2020Ep. 47
For the first time in the sport's 70 year history, concrete steps have been taken to help independent Formula 1 teams transition from being passion projects to serious businesses. Recently, Liberty Media announced a '$200 mn prize money entry barrier' for a new team eager to join the sport. Will this hefty barrier dissuade new entrants? The one thing it does do is offer the existing teams a sense of stability and opportunity they've seldom experienced in Formula 1. In fact, Gene Haas might be th...
Sep 21, 2020•29 min•Season 2020Ep. 46
They said, the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix at Mugello would be a boring and processional race. They said, the race would be all about tyre management. They also said, there would be no overtaking! They were wrong. We were a part of the 'they', weren't you, too? There was mayhem at Mugello - undoubtedly the best race of the season yet! In this Pits To Podium (https://bit.ly/pitstopodium) segment, Soumil and Kunal present our race debrief. In this episode - a chaotic race gave us a Mercedes 1-2 + Red B...
Sep 14, 2020•24 min•Season 2020Ep. 45
You're a true foodie if you understood our word play for this episode's title! At the 'Formula 1 Pirelli Gran Premio Della Toscana Ferrari 1000 2020' (also known as the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix), Ferrari will celebrate their 1000th Grand Prix start. In this Pits To Podium (https://bit.ly/pitstopodium) segment, Soumil and Kunal discuss the '5 things to watch for' for this weekend's upcoming race. We expect the Pirelli tyres, the Arrabbiata corners and Mercedes to be the 'talk of the Paddock' this w...
Sep 10, 2020•34 min•Season 2020Ep. 44
Pierre Gasly's maiden Formula 1 Grand Prix win came at a time when no one expected it. Heck, he races an Alpha Tauri! At the 2020 Italian Grand Prix, GAS made the most of his luck and talent to claim top honours. Mclaren's Carlos Sainz Jr. drove a feisty race to take second while Racing Point's Lance Stroll would be disappointed to finish third. After all, STR started on pole at the restart. In this Pits To Podium (https://bit.ly/pitstopodium) segment, Soumil and Kunal decode the crazy race we w...
Sep 06, 2020•31 min•Season 2020Ep. 43
How much of an embarrassment would the high-speed circuit of Monza be for Ferrari? Will the Renault cars lead the mid-field brigade? What about the 'engine mode ban' for qualifying - will it change the pecking order whatsoever? We bid adieu to the Williams family as they bow out of Formula 1. Soumil and Kunal host our Pits to Podium (https://bit.ly/pitstopodium) segment that discusses the upcoming 2020 Italian Grand Prix. (Season 2020, Episode 42) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora (https...
Sep 05, 2020•23 min•Season 2020Ep. 42
In this Pits To Podium (https://bit.ly/pitstopodium) segment, Soumil and Kunal look forward to the 2020 Belgian Grand Prix hosted at the oh-so-awesome Spa Francorchamps. Will this be the last time we could see the Mercedes cars qualify ahead of their rivals by a mile? Yes, this is the last race where different engine modes will be permitted in qualifying. The 'pink Mercedes' (Racing Point, duh!) cars have historically done well at this circuit. Can they be genuine podium challengers to Red Bull ...
Aug 26, 2020•21 min•Season 2020Ep. 41
At the 2020 Spanish Grand Prix, the heat and tyres were expected to halt Mercedes' dominant run once again. However, Mercedes-Hamilton delivered their strongest performance of the season to further their championship advantage. The race was also proof that two-stop races won't always be a belter! Such has been Mercedes' form in the 2020 Formula 1 season, that Max Verstappen finishing second in a race is definitely an over-achievement. The 2020 Spanish Grand Prix was no different - as Hamilton le...
Aug 16, 2020•52 min•Season 2020Ep. 39
Could Mercedes be challenged by Max Verstappen-Red Bull Racing at the 2020 Spanish Grand Prix, too? From how we see it, there might be a small chance. And if are you Max Verstappen, that's probably enough. For starters, the track temperature will be warmer - teams are used to testing at the Circuit de Catalunya in February and racing in May. The mid-August summer could see higher than normal track temperatures - one of the few factors that can rattle the otherwise robust Mercedes cars. And of co...
Aug 13, 2020•22 min•Season 2020Ep. 38
The 70th Anniversary Grand Prix will be Formula 1's second-ever back-to-back race at the same venue. In this Pits To Podium (https://bit.ly/pitstopodium) segment, Soumil and Kunal discuss the 5 things to watch for in the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix. Will Mercedes embarrass their rivals one more time? Can Pirelli's soft tyres induce different tyre strategies that could bring Max Verstappen in the mix for P2 at least? Will Racing Point recover to be the kings of the mid-field or will it be Mclaren...
Aug 06, 2020•23 min•Season 2020Ep. 35
Ever wondered what's it like to work in Formula 1? We have kickstarted a special series - 'Working In F1', that will bring to you paddock personalities who tell you exactly how it is to work in Formula 1. In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast (https://link.chtbl.com/ilf1p) , we have William Ponissi (Senior Communications Manager, Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN) who explains the role of media and communications in a Formula 1 team. Will-P, as he's been fondly called since his days with the Force...
Jul 23, 2020•48 min•Season 2020Ep. 32
The 2020 Styrian Grand Prix confirmed our fears - Mercedes will dominate Formula 1 for yet another season while Max Verstappen will be the closest challenger. In this Pits To Podium (https://youtu.be/oaSqVRbG4G8) segment of our show, we discuss how the mid-field teams and drivers entertained throughout the second race at the Red Bull Ring. Also in this episode: we discuss the hashtag battle that was eventually settled in favour of the #StyrianGP, Hamilton's pole position followed by dominant win...
Jul 12, 2020•31 min•Season 2020Ep. 29
Unsurprisingly, Mercedes are the class of the field this season, too. But the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix did expose a few chinks in their armour. We discuss them in our Pits to Podium (https://bit.ly/2020austriangpdebrief) race debrief along with the other talking points - Hamilton-Albon's incident, Vettel's spin, Leclerc & Norris' charge to the podium. Finally, we wonder if Racing Point should be pleased with a non-podium finish. And there's more in this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 P...
Jul 06, 2020•56 min•Season 2020Ep. 27
Will Honda bring Red Bull-Verstappen into the title fight? Will the Black Arrows create history? And then what about the Pink Arrows? Will they lead the mid-field battle? Not just Ferrari, it'll be Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari that'll create headlines. Let's hope we see 'vintage Seb!' At least 6 drivers will fight for 7th place in the Drivers' Championship - each with a hope to race in a better car come 2021. Also in this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast (https://bit.ly/insidelinef1pod) : wi...
Jun 30, 2020•29 min•Season 2020Ep. 26
2020 is a year of landmarks - Formula 1's 70th year and also, '50 Years of Sauber' in Motorsport. In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, we discuss our interview with the architect of Sauber Motorsport, Mr. Peter Sauber. Also in this episode, we share the Pits To Podium segment where we celebrated Sauber's journey through Motorsport and Formula 1. Tune in! (Season 2020, Episode 25) Here's what's in store for you in this episode: 0:00-3:00 - F1's 70 years, Paul Ricard's 50 years and Saube...
Jun 27, 2020•16 min•Season 2020Ep. 25
Football has had fake fans and fake crowd noise in their TV-only formats. Should Formula 1 follow suit? Does Formula 1 actually need crowd noise in their broadcast? In fact, do you distinctly hear crowd noise while watching the sport on TV? We discuss the considerations that might go into making a decision on whether or not to add fake crowd noise to Formula 1's TV broadcast. Also in this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast (https://bit.ly/insidelinef1pod) , we discuss the impact of And...
Jun 22, 2020•31 min•Season 2020Ep. 24
Formula 1 and the FIA have made one of their most sublime moves in recent times on the teams - a budget cap and handicap for aerodynamic development. They've also introduced two new terms that we will hear for the rest of time - glide path (for the budget cap) and sliding scale (for the aero cap). But the ONE THING we don't ever wish to have added to the budget cap is driver salaries. Also in this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast (https://bit.ly/insidelinef1pod) , why the Dutch Grand Prix s...
May 28, 2020•26 min•Season 2020Ep. 20
The Vettel-Ferrari relationship nosedived fairly suddenly. From being 'The One' who would help Ferrari reclaim their days of glory, Vettel was quickly relegated to the illustrious list of World Champions who failed to win titles with Ferrari - Fernando Alonso and Alain Prost being the other two. Were Ferrari right in letting go of Vettel? Will the Carlos Sainz Jr.-Charles Leclerc partnership deliver to Ferrari what several former far more experienced drivers couldn't? And of course, WHAT IF Seba...
May 15, 2020•30 min•Season 2020Ep. 18
In this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast (https://bit.ly/insidelinef1pod) , we discuss a few WHAT IF scenarios. What if Mercedes leaves Formula 1? What if Nico Rosberg makes a comeback? What if the entire grid were to get Ferrari's power units? What if Stroll-Wolff buy Formula 1 from Liberty Media? OR what if Bernie Ecclestone buys Formula 1 back from Liberty Media? ECC's said that he's not interested...but again, do you really believe that he isn't? What if Sebastian Vettel doesn't ...
May 08, 2020•29 min•Season 2020Ep. 17
Okay, the question has to be asked. Are 'Virtual Grands Prix' the future of Formula 1? For our sake, let's really hope not. We'd rather that it was Formula E! The question also has to be asked - how much is too much when it comes to the virtual races? There's a race every second day! Anyone who is a someone is trying their hand at virtual racing - heck, we even had a cricketer and golfer try their luck. In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast (https://bit.ly/insidelinef1pod) , we ask if fa...
Apr 16, 2020•27 min•Season 2020Ep. 14
In these unprecedented times, could Formula 1 run unusual experiments in 2020? The obvious suggestions have been running races clockwise and anti-clockwise or running 'Grand Slam' races or a 2020-21 super season. But could Formula 1 also explore more unusual options? How about racing on a non-weekend day? Okay, if that's doesn't make the cut with you, would a quadruple header do? Also in this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast (https://bit.ly/insidelinef1pod) , we foresee Liberty Media turnin...
Apr 08, 2020•24 min•Season 2020Ep. 13
At the moment, Lando Norris is the only 'thing' about Formula 1 that's operating. The Mclaren racer has become a Twitch sensation - entertaining the much-deprived fans with lots of virtual racing action. If we were MotoGP, Formula E and the Indy Car series, we'd invite Norris to race virtually in our series, too. We like how Norris is building his positioning in Formula 1 - fast, friendly, social and funny; a positioning that actually clashes with the other jokester of Formula 1, Daniel Ricciard...
Apr 02, 2020•25 min•Season 2020Ep. 12
The future is NOW! Formula 1's Virtual Grand Prix series will replace the cancelled / postponed rounds of the 2020 Formula 1 season. Who'd have ever imagined such a start to the sport's 70th year. The upside is that we will see rivals race in equal cars, something otherwise unheard of in Formula 1. The downside could be that not all drivers will participate. 2020 will be a hybrid-season of races, many virtual and some real? In this episode, we discuss the steps Formula 1 has taken to try bring u...
Mar 20, 2020•34 min•Season 2020Ep. 10
To summarise, Liberty Media was undercut by the corona-virus. Yes, that's the unfortunate truth! Liberty Media's strategy for the 2020 Australian Grand Prix was a lot worse than Ferrari's race strategies. Either way, let's hope that the aftereffects of their delayed decision-making isn't too heavy on the human capital of Formula 1. The 12 hours between Mclaren's withdrawal and the eventual cancellation of the race were Liberty Media's worst ever since they took ownership of Formula 1. In this ep...
Mar 14, 2020•30 min•Season 2020Ep. 9
We may not have 22 races in the 2020 Formula 1 season, but in this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast (http://bit.ly/ilf1ponkf1b) , we actually have 22 predictions for the upcoming season. Will Lance Stroll win his battle against Q1? Will Kimi Raikkonen retire from Formula 1 at the end of 2020? Will drivers still blame Pirelli? Will Formula 1 undergo a Tik Tok revolution? Will all 10 teams sign up to race from 2021? All this + the regular predictions - who will be World Champion? Will Red Bul...
Mar 05, 2020•40 min•Season 2020Ep. 8
Jehan Daruvala is the latest recruit of the Red Bull Junior Team - the Formula 1's team driver development program helmed by the much-feared Dr. Helmut Marko. In this episode of Inside Line F1 Podcast (http://bit.ly/ilf1ponkf1b) , the Formula 2 racer shares how his partnership with Red Bull came about, if he received the infamous early morning call from Dr. Marko, Red Bull's targets and expectations of him in 2020, why he chose Carlin, who his key rivals are in the upcoming season and more. A no...
Feb 27, 2020•21 min•Season 2020Ep. 7
The Corona-virus has led to the postponement of the Heineken Chinese Grand Prix. Yes, there's some irony in the disappointment. But for Liberty Media, could this be an opportunity to turn race promoter? Can they host a 'private' Grand Prix in place of China just so that we have 22 races this year? Let's remember that there's money to lose if the calendar is reduced to 21 races in 2020. If not China, where would you like to see Formula 1 race twice at this season? We got interesting responses fro...
Feb 15, 2020•23 min•Season 2020Ep. 5
Our first episode of 2020! New Year resolutions are passé, so in this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast (http://bit.ly/ilf1ponkf1b) , we discuss un-resolutions for several Formula 1 teams and drivers. Basically, what should drivers not do, but will anyway do in 2020. For e.g.: Lando Norris said that he wants to be 'less funny' in 2020! In our list, we've got un-resolutions for several teams and drivers. Also in this episode, we discuss if Liberty Media should change their name to Libe...
Jan 08, 2020•29 min•Season 2020Ep. 1
Our 50th and final episode of 2019 - the Inside Line F1 Podcast 'Parody' Awards. Like every year, we live up to our tagline for the Inside Line F1 Podcast 'Parody' Awards - 'the winner is never who you think it is'. Sit back, tune-in and enjoy our festive special parody episode, one that's most-awaited by teams, drivers and our legion of listeners. (Season 2019, Episode 50) Categories & Nominations: 1. Best Radio Message of the Year (Carlos Sainz Jr. - smooth operator, Pierre Gasly - Brazil,...
Dec 27, 2019•35 min•Season 2019Ep. 50
Max Verstappen has made a fresh claim on how easy it would be to become a World Champion with Mercedes. 60% of the current grid could win the title if they raced Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes, claimed Verstappen. In this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast (http://bit.ly/ilf1ponkf1b) , we discuss the other 40%! Basically, we guess the list of 'Drivers Who Wouldn't Be World Champion Even In A Mercedes'. Is your favourite driver on the list? Also in this episode, Liberty Media are finally fol...
Dec 19, 2019•26 min•Season 2019Ep. 49
