Inside Line F1 Podcast

Liberty Media is reworking the formula of Formula 1. At the 2020 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola, the sport will trial a two-day race format - Free Practice x 1 + Qualifying on Saturday followed by the race on Sunday. While fans might not like a format that offers one less day of on-track action, the two-day format is actually an important experiment for the future of Formula 1. First, the comp...

In our Pits to Podium (https://bit.ly/pitstopodium) race preview, Soumil & Kunal wonder if Ferrari's upgrades will finally allow them to join the fight for P3 versus Renault, Mclaren & Racing Point in the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix. Will Red Bull Racing challenge Mercedes? Let's remember, Mercedes stopped developing their 2020 car a while ago + RBR seem closer thanks to the ban on engine modes for...

Mercedes & Lewis Hamilton are on course to clinch their respective titles for yet another season. But worry not, it's the battle for P3 that will keep us entertained in the remaining races of the 2020 Formula 1 season. And it's not just the battle for P3 in the Drivers' and Constructors' Championship, it's also in the races. Did you know that 6 different drivers have finished in P3 in the last 6 r...

91 wins - Lewis Hamilton equaled Michael Schumacher's 14-year old record for most wins in Formula 1. It's only obvious that the 6 times World Champion will score several more. In this Pits To Podium (https://bit.ly/pitstopodium) segment, Soumil and Kunal make a calculated guess - 120 F1 wins don't seem out of reach for the Briton. Let's know what you think the final number could be? Also in this e...

The 2020 Eifel Grand Prix couldn't have chosen a better venue than the infamous Nurburgring. In our Pits To Podium (https://bit.ly/pitstopodium) segment, Soumil and Kunal talk about the circuit, its history, how the cold and wind will make for interesting racing and how starting from P2 will be a statistical advantage. And of course, 'cold tyres' will be a unique challenge that teams and Pirelli w...

Honda's sudden decision to quit Formula 1 will have sporting and business consequences for the sport, Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen. Will Mercedes go unchallenged for a few more seasons? Basically, a few more 'boring' seasons for Formula 1. Red Bull Racing's two consistent searches to continue - a competitive power unit and a second driver! Will a new power unit supplier in the new era of For...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 th...

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...

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!) c...

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...

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...

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 m...

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...

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 w...

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 p...

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...

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...

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 e...

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...

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 deliv...

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'...