Inside Line F1 Podcast

The 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix delivered on all of its pre-race hype and promise. For starters, the 'no repeat winner' stat remained intact after Sergio Perez scored his first race win for Red Bull Racing. Max Verstappen's retirement meant that Perez still has a better record of points and podiums in Baku! A Safety Car has made an appearance at every single race in Baku till date. (The episode description follows after the promotional messages) For our global audiences, get 20% OFF at Manscaped + free shipping with promo code TRIMINSIDE at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod Subscribe to our newsletter! It's free, informative, insightful and visually appealing. You can read more and sign up. in this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil and Kunal discuss the great advertisement the 2021 Azerbaijan GP was for Formula 1 and for the 'sprint qualifying races'. VER-STR's tyre failures, Pirelli taking the thunder away from flexi-wings, VET-GAS-LEC's brilliant scrap for the podium, ALO's spirited drive to 6th, BOT's slipping down the order, HAM's rare mistake & RAI scoring his first point of the season. Tune in! (Season 2021, Episode 34) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt Image courtesy: Mercedes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We REALLY hope that the 'no repeat winner' stat stands true for the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. If so, we will have a new race winner this Sunday! Could Max Verstappen make the most of Mercedes' misery? If he does win this Sunday, it will be Verstappen's first back-to-back in Formula 1. (The episode description follows after the promotional messages) For our global audiences, get 20% OFF at Manscaped + free shipping with promo code TRIMINSIDE at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod Subscribe to our newsletter! It's free, informative, insightful and visually appealing. You can read more and sign up. In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil and Kunal look forward to the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. For starters, they expect that the TV direction will return to normalcy - so no more 'Lance Stroll' slow-mo cutaways! Sergio Perez has more points and podiums in Baku than Max Verstappen. It will be something if he continues the same trend this year, too. As for Mercedes, their tyre warm-up woes continue. But given the overtaking possibilities and relatively short pit-lane loss time, one shouldn't rule out Mercedes even if they qualify out of place. Also, what makes Baku so special? Is it the model street circuit for Formula 1? The buzzword for this weekend will be 'a mix of Monaco and Monza'! And talking about Monaco, let's see if Ferrari are able to maximise performance in the 'Monaco-half' of Baku. Btw, Charles Leclerc was too eager to claim our 'Manscaped Lawn Mower' moment of the weekend already. Will any of the rookies challenge his claim? And of course, was Sebastian Vettel's Monaco resurgence a one-off? And of course, the other buzzword through the weekend will be flexi-wings. Something tells us that this 'war of the wings' is about to get messy. Tune in! (Season 2021, Episode 33) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She's back! Mithila returns to join Soumil and Kunal in this blockbuster episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast. It's her homecoming, as Soumil puts it. For this special episode, the trio discussed a very interesting topic - the future of drivers in Formula 1. (The episode description follows after the promotional messages) Use 'PUMAINSIDELINE' to avail an additional 5% discount on Puma's Motorsport merchandise collection (exclusive for our listeners in India + offer valid till 31st May, 2021) For our global audiences, get 20% OFF at Manscaped + free shipping with promo code TRIMINSIDE at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod Subscribe to our newsletter! It's free, informative, insightful and visually appealing. You can read more and sign up. The role of the driver in Formula 1 has diminished in time. '80-20' is the number that is most-often cited when asked about the split in role of the car-driver in modern day Formula 1. With new competitive racing formats (like the spring qualifying from 2021), the growing importance of social media imagery, the talks about driver salaries being capped and the influx of younger drivers every other season, what could be the future of drivers in Formula 1? Here's a wild prediction that Kunal made - an NBA-style draft in Formula 1. It may be a looong time away, but is the sport heading off in that direction? Do teams need to evolve to cope with 'driver brands' being as big or even bigger than theirs? How agile do the drivers need to be to adapt to newer competitive racing formats? And finally, will they continue to be PR-robots controlled by their teams? Tune in! (Season 2021, Episode 32) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Mithila Mehta, Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt Image courtesy: Formula 1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After most races at Monaco, the typical question is - should we continue to race on the streets of Monte Carlo? The 2021 Monaco Grand Prix has brought this question back into focus. However, it's time we don't blame the track. In fact, if there's one blame we can lay on the organisers, it would be their shoddy TV direction throughout the 78-lap race. Of course, even a world-class TV director wouldn't have managed to save us from the boredom the race inflicted, but there were several positive narratives from the weekend. (The episode description follows after the promotional messages) Use 'PUMAINSIDELINE' to avail an additional 5% discount on Puma's Motorsport merchandise collection (exclusive for our listeners in India + offer valid till 31st May, 2021) For our global audiences, get 20% OFF at Manscaped + free shipping with promo code TRIMINSIDE at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod Subscribe to our newsletter! It's free, informative, insightful and visually appealing. You can read more and sign up. In this Pits to Podium segment of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil and Kunal review the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix. The duo discuss why the cars are more to blame than the tight-twisty and narrow layout of the Circuit de Monaco. Should Ferrari have changed Charles Leclerc's gearbox out of precaution? Isn't starting the race from 6th place better than not starting at all? What would you have done if you were the decision-maker at Ferrari? Also in this episode: Mercedes' botched pit stop + race strategy, the power of the overcut, Pierre Gasly's 78-lap defence on Lewis Hamilton, the return of vintage Sebastian Vettel and Aston Martin Racing's smart race strategy, Carlos Sainz Jr.-Lando Norris' podium bromance, why Hamilton struggled and of course, Sundaram's kick-ass stats from the race. Tune in! (Season 2021, Episode 31) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt Image courtesy: Aston Martin Racing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No, we're not delusional. We believe that Ferrari could win this weekend's 2021 Monaco Grand Prix. If they get pole, and mind you, they look quick, they could dictate the overall race pace and go for the win. For those naysayers, Mercedes did exactly that with Nico Rosberg in 2013. The lack of overtaking opportunities makes track position even more vital in Monaco. But of course, the key point here is 'if they get pole'. (The episode description follows after the promotional messages) Use 'PUMAINSIDELINE' to avail an additional 5% discount on Puma's Motorsport merchandise collection (exclusive for our listeners in India). A special contest is coming up for the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix. Predict the pole position time and win vouchers worth INR 3,000 from Puma. For our global audiences, get 20% OFF at Manscaped + free shipping with promo code TRIMINSIDE at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod Subscribe to our newsletter! It's free, informative, insightful and visually appealing. You can read more and sign up. In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil and Kunal look forward to this weekend's 2021 Monaco Grand Prix. The flexi-wings controversy is another angle to the ongoing Red Bull Racing vs. Mercedes battle. When exactly will Verstappen-Red Bull Racing's championship challenge take off? Monaco hasn't been most-kind to VER. As for Lewis Hamilton, his lowest race-to-pole position ratio (0.15%) is at Monaco. Could someone else snatch the spoils from the two title protagonists? Sergio 'Checo' Perez has scored a podium before in Monaco - could this weekend be his first with RBR? PER will need to deliver on Saturday. Will BOT struggle from tyre warm-up issues here, too? What are the possible race strategies and the pit lane time loss? What makes Monaco so special? How will the four Monaco virgins (TSU, MAZ, MSC & LAT) fare? Will Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso be able to keep up with their Monaco records? And of course, an unpopular opinion is that at least one of us (Kunal, in this case) doesn't care about the special car-driver liveries in the sport (case in point: Mclaren's Gulf-special livery for Monaco). Hereon, we will have two special segments in our race preview episodes - first, Sundaram presenting his uber-cool stats. Second, Akaash hosting 'race track 101' to look back to circuit history and memories. Tune in! (Season 2021, Episode 30) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Sundaram Ramaswami, Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt Image courtesy: Mercedes AMG Petronas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2021 Formula 1 season has had a brilliant start. The Max Verstappen-Lewis Hamilton battle seems set to last the full course of the season (no, we're not jinxing it!). But we don't want the title to be decided or be influenced by a controversy - flexi wings, to be more specific. But there are more stories we don't wish to see/hear this season. (The episode description follows after the promotional messages) Use 'PUMAINSIDELINE' to avail an additional 5% discount on Puma's Motorsport merchandise collection (exclusive for our listeners in India). A special contest is coming up for the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix. Predict the pole position time and win vouchers worth INR 3,000 from Puma. For our global audiences, get 20% OFF at Manscaped + free shipping with promo code TRIMINSIDE at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod Subscribe to our newsletter! It's free, informative, insightful and visually appealing. You can read more and sign up. In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil and Kunal are joined by Lucien Byfieldt from Australia. The trio discuss 'stories they don't wish to see or hear' in the 2021 Formula 1 season. Sebastian Vettel still struggling to find his mojo. The Yuki Tsunoda hype train - let's give the young Jap a bit of time, c'mon. The trolling of Nikita Mazepin for being a bad human - let's focus on his spinning first? 'It's the car, not the driver', in Hamilton's case. Drive to Survive overusing it's creative license and more. Tune in! (Season 2021, Episode 29) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt Image courtesy: Aston Martin F1 Team Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 'low rake vs. high rake' chatter seems like a thing of the past. Mercedes seem to have found their way around the rule changes for 2021 and regained the 'title favourites' tag from Red Bull Racing. And of course, Lewis Hamilton delivering superlative performances race after race. After claiming his 100th pole position in Spain, Hamilton went on to claim his 98th win in Formula 1. His win was a lethal mix of race strategy + overtaking. Yes, it was Hungary 2019 all over again! (The episode description follows after the promotional messages) Use 'PUMAINSIDELINE' to avail a 5% discount on Puma's Motorsport merchandise collection (exclusive for our listeners in India). A special contest is coming up for the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix. Follow our social media profiles to play and win. #F1 #Merchandise For our global audiences, get 20% OFF at Manscaped + free Shipping with promo code TRIMINSIDE at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod Subscribe to our newsletter! It's free, informative, insightful and visually appealing. You can read more and sign up. In this Pits to Podium segment of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil and Kunal discuss if Red Bull Racing could have acted differently to Mercedes' strategic play in the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix. Pierre Gasly's P16 to P10 in the last stint, Charles Leclerc's fine fourth and battle with Valtteri Bottas, Perez-Ricciardo's race-long fight for P5. Did Mercedes and Red Bull Racing make an error each in race strategy? Will Red Bull missing a 'second driver' in the battle of strategy headline for one more season? And of course, more mid-field chatter as we look back at the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix. Tune in! Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt Image courtesy: Mercedes AMG Petronas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first double header race weekend of the 2021 Formula 1 season is here. After Portugal, it's time for Spain to host its annual Grand Prix. The Circuit de Catalunya doesn't always deliver exciting races, but in this episode, Soumil and Kunal tell you the '5 things to watch for' in the race this weekend. (The episode description follows after the promotional messages) Use 'PUMAINSIDELINE' to avail a 5% discount on Puma's Motorsport merchandise collection (exclusive for our listeners in India). A special contest is coming up for the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix. Follow our social media profiles to play and win. #F1 #Merchandise For our global audiences, get 20% OFF at Manscaped + free Shipping with promo code TRIMINSIDE at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod Subscribe to our newsletter! It's free, informative, insightful and visually appealing. You can read more and sign up. In this Pits to Podium segment of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, the duo tell you the ONE thing they both are looking forward to in the Mercedes-Hamilton vs. Red Bull Racing-Verstappen battle. Has Alpine successfully joined the mid-field battle or was their pace in Portugal a one-off? How tricky will the tyres be this race weekend? Why is track position and qualifying so critical? What's the pit lane time loss? All this and more in our race preview episode. Tune in! (Season 2021, Episode 27) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Use 'PUMAINSIDELINE' to avail a 5% discount on Puma's Motorsport merchandise collection (exclusive for our listeners in India). A special contest is coming up for the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix. Follow our social media profiles to play and win. #F1 #Merchandise For our global audiences, get 20% OFF at Manscaped + free Shipping with promo code TRIMINSIDE at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod Subscribe to our newsletter! It's free, informative, insightful and visually appealing. You can read more and sign up. Lewis Hamilton stole the show in the 2021 Portuguese Grand Prix. His overtaking moves were decisive and lethal. But is Max Verstappen making too many mistakes? The count is up to 4 from the opening 3 races. Yes, they're marginal errors, but have they cost him the lead in the Drivers' Championship? After Portugal, he trails Hamilton by 8 points. Also in this Pits to Podium segment of the Inside Line F1 Podcast - why couldn't Bottas convert his pole position to victory? Why did Carlos Sainz Jr. go from 5th at the start to 11th at the finish? We shower affection on our star of the season yet - Lando Norris. Of course, Alpine's double points finish and Mick Schumacher's P17 - ahead of Nicholas Latifi. Tune in! (Season 2021, Episode 26) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt Image courtesy: Mercedes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe to our newsletter! It's free, informative, insightful and visually appealing. You can read more and sign up. For our listeners in India, use 'PUMAINSIDELINE' to avail a 5% discount on Puma's Motorsport merchandise collection. A special contest is coming up for the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix. Follow our social media profiles to play and win. The buzzword for the weekend of the 2021 Portuguese Grand Prix has to be 'rollercoaster'. Seemingly, there's no better word to express the joys of racing a Formula 1 car around Algarve. But of course, we're just taking the word of the 20 drivers who get the chance to do so, aren't we? In the same vein, we hope you take the words of Soumil and Kunal from this episode for the '5 things to watch for' in this weekend's race. Could we see a new podium sitter? Will Lewis Hamilton complete a century of pole positions? Are Ferrari and Alpine genuinely in the fight with Mclaren? What could race strategy look like and will someone finally convert a pole position to victory this season? Tune in! This is a Pits to Podium exclusive for the Inside Line F1 Podcast. (Season 2021, Episode 25) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt Image courtesy: Algarve International Circuit / Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe to our newsletter! It's free, informative, insightful and visually appealing. You can read more and sign up. For our listeners in India, use 'PUMAINSIDELINE' to avail a 5% discount on Puma's Motorsport merchandise collection. A special contest is coming up for the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix. Follow our social media profiles to play and win. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have scored a pole position each. Also, both drivers are yet to convert a pole to a win. As the 2021 Formula 1 season progresses, the story lines and narratives keep evolving. It is without a doubt that Mclaren and Ferrari's revival is a key talking point. "Ferrari and Mclaren are Formula 1," quipped Ajit Devadason, our guest in this episode. In this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil and Kunal are joined by a special guest, Ajit Devadason. Ajit is an FIA-accredited journalist and pens his Formula 1 column for The New Indian Express. The trio discussed teams-drivers who have impressed and those who need to improve form and results in 2021. Yes, only two races have been contested yet but early trends have already emerged. Tune in! Follow our hosts on Twitter: Ajit Devadason, Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt Image courtesy: Mercedes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe to our newsletter! It's free, informative, insightful and visually appealing. You can read more and sign up. For our listeners in India, use 'PUMAINSIDELINE' to avail a 5% discount on Puma's Motorsport merchandise collection. A special contest is coming up for the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix. Follow our social media profiles to play and win. George Russell-Valtteri Bottas' crash brought out the red flag - one that effectively split the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix into two halves. If Max Verstappen was the hero of the first half, Lewis Hamilton was the hero of the second half. However, there was one driver that shone in both halves of the race - Mclaren's Lando Norris. Soumil and Kunal review the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in this Pits to Podium segment of the Inside Line F1 Podcast. Also in this episode, our view of the Bottas-Russell crash, Sebastian Vettel's continued bad luck, Sergio Perez's hero-to-zero moments, Latifi-Mazepin's clash, rookies finding the barriers, Leclerc-Sainz's brilliant run to 4th and 5th, Mclaren's team orders and finally, Kimi Raikkonen's complicated time penalty. Tune in! (Season 2021, Episode 23) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt Image courtesy: Mclaren Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You've been hearing us for years. Now you can read us as well! We have started our own Formula 1 newsletter service. It's free, informative, insightful and visually appealing. You can read more and sign up! For our listeners in India, use 'PUMAINSIDELINE' to avail a 5% discount on Puma's Motorsport merchandise collection. A special contest is coming up for the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix. Follow our social media profiles to play and win. It's time for the 'Formula 1 Pirelli Gran Premio Del Made In Italy E Dell'emilia Romagna 2021' or in simpler words, the 'Imola Grand Prix'. In this pre-race episode, Soumil and Kunal tell you the '5 things to watch for' for this weekend's race. Will the Red Bull Racing vs. Mercedes battle continue? Let's hope it wasn't just a Bahrain thing! And of course, let's hope that Max Verstappen has used up his bad luck of racing in Italy with the retirement in FP2. Is the RB16B fast but fragile? Will the cooler air and track temperatures influence form factor in the uber-competitive mid-field? Since overtaking is difficult, we expect 'track position' to be key - in qualifying and for race strategy. Also, some key track information that will impact race strategy. Finally, how many times do you think will Nikita Mazespin this weekend? He's already had two on Friday. Write to us via our Facebook page and let's know how many more spins do you think he will add to his name. Tune in! (Season 2021, Episode 22) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt Image courtesy: Alfa Romeo Racing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You've been hearing us for years. Now you can read us as well! We have started our own Formula 1 newsletter service. It's free, informative, insightful and visually appealing. You can read more and sign up! In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, we have a special guest - Chetan Narula, a seasoned sports journalist and the author of the book 'History of F1: The Circus Comes To India'. For our listeners in India, use 'PUMAINSIDELINE' to avail a 5% discount on Puma's Motorsport merchandise collection. Chetan joins Soumil and Kunal to discuss 'driver perceptions and media portrayals' in Formula 1 and sport (also, life!?) overall. This is an opinionated episode but one that raises a pertinent question about the media's role in shaping personalities, celebrities and their fandom. The most-recent case of Nikita Mazepin - is he a bad driver, a bad human or both? In fact, does the Russian media portray him as a hero for being the sole Russian racing in Formula 1? Lando Norris' support of Mazepin did change the tone of chatter around the Haas driver's opening lap crash at the first race in Bahrain. We also discuss Romain Grosjean's long-lasting memory of being a crash kid and his infamous crash behind the Safety Car at Baku (2018). Unsurprisingly, reactions to Grosjean were a stark contrast to a similar gaffe by George Russell at Imola (2020). Does media have a more responsible role to play in building driver perception? Is it easier for the drivers to manage their perception and portrayal via social media or is that a double-edged sword? And of course, what role do the fans have to play? Tune in! (Season 2021, Episode 21) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Chetan Narula, Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt Image courtesy: Motorsport Week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! We are proud to announce that Puma joins the Inside Line F1 Podcast and Pits to Podium as a partner!! Enjoy a 5% discount on Puma's Motorsport merchandise collection. Use 'PUMAINSIDELINE' on Puma's online store. (Offer for Indian territory only) Also, we have launched our own newsletter subscription. It's free! Read more and sign up. 3 days x pre-season testing + 3 days x 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix = several quirky moments of the 2021 Formula 1 season already; Sergio Perez's restart on the formation lap being one of many. While recording this episode, we realised how important a role Windows & Bill Gates have played in our lives by teaching us the ever-crucial 'restart' action! To give you a hint of the other stories in this episode - Fernando Alonso's wrapper-gate, Daniel Ricciardo's pre-race printed notes, Mclaren's 'boys in orange' radio to make sure RIC doesn't drive into the Renault pit box, Sebastian Vettel's Capt. Planet mode, Kimi Raikkonen's random number selection, Valtteri Bottas' 'undriveable' message and of course, Lando Norris coming out in support of Nikita Mazepin and more. This Pits to Podium segment of the Inside Line F1 Podcast is hosted by Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah. (Season 2021, Episode 20) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt Image courtesy: Alpine F1 Team Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2021 Formula 1 season got off to a blockbuster start with the opening round in Bahrain. It delivered to the pre-season hype - a Red Bull-Verstappen vs. Mercedes-Hamilton battle. Yes, Hamilton won - but had to fight for it every inch of the way. From what we saw, we expect this to be the rivalry that will headline through the season. However, the post-race focus shifted from the battle of the two generations to the FIA's inconsistent policing of track limits at Turn 4 - the very spot where Verstappen overtook Hamilton only to be forced to relinquish it later. We explain this controversy, of course. The 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix also delivered at least one positive story for every Formula 1 team. Now that's rare for an opening race - but that's exactly what Soumil and Kunal discuss in this week's Pits to Podium segment of the Inside Line F1 Podcast. Fernando Alonso's Alonso-esque performance, Sebastian Vettel's continued embarrassment, Charles Leclerc's superlative drives, Nikita Mazespin, Lando Norris' lonely race to P4 and the crucial overtake of Daniel Ricciardo on the opening lap, Sergio Perez converting his bad luck and qualifying misery into sublime race form, Yuki Tsunoda's points on debut and more. Tune in! (Season 2021, Episode 19) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt Image courtesy: Mercedes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's time for the business end of the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix - the qualifying hour followed by the race on Sunday. In this week's Pits to Podium segment of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil and Kunal tell you the '5 things to watch for' this weekend. Here are a few hints - driver battles, overtakes, race strategy and sand. The sand could well be from the sandbags Mercedes are supposedly carrying or from Mother Nature herself. (Season 2021, Episode 18) Next episode: 29th March, 2021 (post-race, 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt Image courtesy: BIC / Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're a Formula 1 fan, you already know the numbers. Seven out of ten teams have new driver line-ups for the 2021 Formula 1 season. This means that new driver rivalries will headline this season. Who'd have thunk that Formula 1 might actually give us a Sergio Perez vs. Lewis Hamilton battle. But of course, Hamilton vs. Max Verstappen will be the blockbuster rivalry to follow. However, we're eager to see how the mid-field goes. There's Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo & the Ferrari duo. At the back of the grid, could a Mick Schumacher vs. George Russell be the one to follow? Or will it be a Schumacher vs. Kimi Raikkonen? And don't leave out Lando Norris in all of this. As you can see, there are several possibilities and we discuss them in this week's Pits to Podium segment of the Inside Line F1 Podcast. Our guest in this episode is Bharat Sharma, Chief Sports Correspondent of the Press Trust of India. Tune in! (Season 2021, Episode 17) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal ShahMusic courtesy: Lucien ByfieldtImage courtesy: Formula 1 / Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Red Bull Racing is the next team in focus for our 'If F1 Teams Were A Stock' series. For those tuning in to this series for the first time: In this series, we discuss if one should 'buy, sell or hold' the stock of a Formula 1 team for the upcoming season.Before dishing out 'investment advice', we take into account factors that strengthen the team's championship challenge in 2021 and the factors that are weak links.Of course, there are no real shares to trade - but could this finally be the season in which Red Bull Racing & Max Verstappen challenge the might of Mercedes & Lewis Hamilton? If pre-season testing is anything to by (and it usually isn't!), we might just have a championship challenge to entertain us through the 23 races. We're not into choosing sides, so may the best driver win! The Sergio Perez to Red Bull Racing story is stuff that dreams are made of and we are excited to see how it turns out in reality. A Verstappen-Perez partnership and rivalry will be fun to follow - as will be Horner-Marko's quotes around Perez's performances. In all, Red Bull Racing seem more solid this season than they've done so for all the other seasons in this hybrid-turbo era. But again, it's only pre-season testing form we've based our current opinion on. This is a Pits to Podium exclusive on the Inside Line F1 Podcast with Soumil and Kunal being your hosts for the entire series. Expect a new episode of this series to be released every alternate day (minus weekends!) in the build-up to the 2021 Formula 1 season.If you missed the earlier teams we spoke about, go ahead and look up the previous episodes on our channel. Tune in!(Season 2021, Episode, 16) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal ShahMusic courtesy: Lucien ByfieldtImage courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ferrari is the next team in focus for our 'If F1 Teams Were A Stock' series. For those tuning in to this series for the first time: In this series, we discuss if one should 'buy, sell or hold' the stock of a Formula 1 team for the upcoming season.Before dishing out 'investment advice', we take into account factors that strengthen the team's championship challenge in 2021 and the factors that are weak links.Of course, there are no real shares to trade - but could the Ferrari stock go any lower than it did in 2020? Will #Charlos (yes, we could call them that) help resurrect the Scuderia's fortunes or will it be their new technical structure that will come to their rescue? And of course, that's only one of the many things that will be 'new' for Ferrari in 2021. This is a Pits to Podium exclusive on the Inside Line F1 Podcast with Soumil and Kunal being your hosts for the entire series. Expect a new episode of this series to be released every alternate day (minus weekends!) in the build-up to the 2021 Formula 1 season.If you missed the earlier teams we spoke about, go ahead and look up the previous episodes on our channel. Tune in!(Season 2021, Episode, 15) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal ShahMusic courtesy: Lucien ByfieldtImage courtesy: Ferrari Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In continuation of our series 'If F1 Teams Were A Stock', the next team in focus is Alpine F1 Team. For those tuning in to this series for the first time: In this series, we discuss if one should 'buy, sell or hold' the stock of a Formula 1 team for the upcoming season.Before dishing out 'investment advice', we take into account factors that strengthen the team's championship challenge in 2021 and the factors that are weak links.Of course, there are no real shares to trade - but who wouldn't want to invest in a racing team that has Fernando Alonso as its star driver! The 'young' Spaniard is making a comeback to the sport with the rebranded Alpine F1 Team (formerly Renault). Apart from the rebranding, the team has also undergone a restructure (bye, Cyril!). Will losing a competitive benchmark in Mclaren hamper Alpine's progress on-track? Is their power unit the slowest among the four manufacturers in Formula 1? Will Esteban Ocon be able to tackle the might of Alonso - on and off track? There's positive momentum since their multiple podiums in 2020, but will that optimism mean that Alpine is a good investment for 2021? This is a Pits to Podium exclusive on the Inside Line F1 Podcast with Soumil and Kunal being your hosts for the entire series. Expect a new episode of this series to be released every alternate day (minus weekends!) in the build-up to the 2021 Formula 1 season.If you missed the earlier teams we spoke about, go ahead and look up the previous episodes on our channel. Tune in!(Season 2021, Episode, 14) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal ShahMusic courtesy: Lucien ByfieldtImage courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In continuation of our series 'If F1 Teams Were A Stock', the next team in focus is Scuderia Alpha Tauri. For those tuning in to this series for the first time: In this series, we discuss if one should 'buy, sell or hold' the stock of a Formula 1 team for the upcoming season.Before dishing out 'investment advice', we take into account factors that strengthen the team's championship challenge in 2021 and the factors that are weak links.Of course, there are no real shares to trade and we doubt Dietrich is selling any. But word on the street is that Japanese Formula 1 fans are eager to buy-in to celebrate Yuki's debut. In fact, we're certain that Alpha Tauri's stock price will rise through the season due to these two factors. Btw, Tsunoda's DRS-trickery in pre-season testing was cheeky but fun! This is a Pits to Podium exclusive on the Inside Line F1 Podcast with Soumil and Kunal being your hosts for the entire series. Expect a new episode of this series to be released every alternate day (minus weekends!) in the build-up to the 2021 Formula 1 season.If you missed the earlier teams we spoke about, go ahead and look up the previous episodes on our channel. Tune in!(Season 2021, Episode, 13) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal ShahMusic courtesy: Lucien ByfieldtImage courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In continuation of our series 'If F1 Teams Were A Stock', the next team in focus is Alfa Romeo Racing. For those tuning in to this series for the first time: In this series, we discuss if one should 'buy, sell or hold' the stock of a Formula 1 team for the upcoming season.Before dishing out 'investment advice', we take into account factors that strengthen the team's championship challenge in 2021 and the factors that are weak links.Of course, there are no real shares to trade but who wouldn't want to own a team that the Iceman Kimi Raikkonen races for!? In fact, could this be Mick Schumacher's next team in Formula 1? For 2021, Alfa Romeo's biggest improvement is expected to come from Ferrari's new power unit and if testing times are anything to go by, the Sauber-run team had a solid pre-season test. This is a Pits to Podium exclusive on the Inside Line F1 Podcast with Soumil and Kunal being your hosts for the entire series. Expect a new episode of this series to be released every alternate day (minus weekends!) in the build-up to the 2021 Formula 1 season.If you missed the earlier teams we spoke about, here are the links: Mercedes: Buy...At A Premium! Williams Racing: Let Nostalgia Play Its Part Mclaren Racing: BUY! Haas F1 Team: Maybe Even Gene Wants To Sell? Tune in!(Season 2021, Episode, 12) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal ShahMusic courtesy: Lucien ByfieldtImage courtesy: Alfa Romeo Racing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yes, Formula 1 is back! In no time, it'll be time for pre-season testing and in this Pits to PodiumInside Line F1 Podcast exclusive, Soumil and Kunal tell you exactly why it's gonna be fun! / Of course, you know the obvious - ten teams, three days and one circuit (Bahrain and not Barcelona, mind you!). But there's more - it's the new team-driver pairings, the debutants and the new liveried cars modified to fit the 2021 regulations. And then there's Mclaren-Mercedes. Finally, what about the performance parameters? Here's what we suggest - through pre-season testing, track lap times between the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix and the F1 2021 pre-season test. We might get a few hints there (mainly, the lap time lost due to change in aero regulations). By the time we conclude the first Grand Prix of F1 2021 (also in Bahrain), we will have a lot of comparative data to make fairly accurate assumptions about the difference in car performances for all teams between this year and the last. Also, which team do you think will go for a 'PR lap'? Write to us via our Facebook page. (Season 2021, Episode, 10) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Aroraand Kunal Shah Lucien ByfieldtMusic courtesy: Image courtesy: Mercedes AMG Petronas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In continuation of our series the next team in focus is Haas.,'If F1 Teams Were A Stock' In this series, we discuss if one should 'buy, sell or hold' the stock of a Formula 1 team for the upcoming season.For those tuning in to this series for the first time: Before dishing out 'investment advice', we take into account factors that strengthen the team's championship challenge in 2021 and the factors that are weak links. But of course, there are no real shares to trade - and in the case of Haas, should one buy when maybe Gene himself wants to sell?. Join us on this fun journey as we discuss each of the 10 teams through this unique theme of 'If F1 Teams Were A Stock'. This is a Pits to Podium exclusive on the Inside Line F1 Podcast with Soumil and Kunal being your hosts for the entire series. Expect a new episode of this series to be released every alternate day (minus weekends!) starting 1st March, 2021. P.S.: This series will take a break during pre-season testing as we will have a special episode that will focus on the 3-day test (12-14 March). If you missed the earlier teams we spoke about, here are the links: Mercedes: Buy, Sell or Hold? Williams Racing: Buy, Sell or Hold? Mclaren Racing: Buy, Sell or Hold? Tune in! (Season 2021, Episode, 9) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Aroraand Kunal Shah Lucien ByfieldtMusic courtesy: Image courtesy: Haas F1 Team Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In continuation of our series , the next team in focus is Mclaren.'If F1 Teams Were A Stock' In this series, we discuss if one should 'buy, sell or hold' the stock of a Formula 1 team for the upcoming season.For those tuning in to this series for the first time: Before dishing out 'investment advice', we take into account factors that strengthen the team's championship challenge in 2021 and the factors that are weak links. But of course, there are no real shares to trade - MSP Sports Capital bought a fair amount last year. But join us on this fun journey as we discuss each of the 10 teams through this unique theme of 'If F1 Teams Were A Stock'. This is a Pits to Podium exclusive on the Inside Line F1 Podcast with Soumil and Kunal being your hosts for the entire series. Expect a new episode of this series to be released every alternate day (minus weekends!) starting 1st March, 2021. If you missed the earlier teams we spoke about, here is the link: Mercedes: Buy, Sell or Hold? Williams Racing: Buy, Sell or Hold? Tune in! (Season 2021, Episode, 8) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Aroraand Kunal Shah Lucien ByfieldtMusic courtesy: Image courtesy: Mclaren Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In continuation of our series , the next team in focus is Williams Racing.'If F1 Teams Were A Stock' In this series, we discuss if one should 'buy, sell or hold' the stock of a Formula 1 team for the upcoming season.For those tuning in to this series for the first time: Before dishing out 'investment advice', we take in account factors that strengthen the team's championship challenge in 2021 and the factors that are weak links. But of course, there are no real shares to trade - Dorilton Capital bought all they had to last year. But join us on this fun journey as we discuss each of the 10 teams through this unique theme of 'If F1 Teams Were A Stock'. This is a Pits to Podium exclusive on the Inside Line F1 Podcast with Soumil and Kunal being your hosts for the entire series. Expect a new episode of this series to be released every alternate day (minus weekends!) starting 1st March, 2021. If you missed the earlier teams we spoke about, here is the link: Mercedes: Buy, Sell or Hold? Tune in! (Season 2021, Episode, 7) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Aroraand Kunal Shah Lucien ByfieldtMusic courtesy: Image courtesy: Mercedes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

- is our new series as we wait for the 2021 Formula 1 season to kick-off on-track. In this series, we discuss if one should 'buy, sell or hold' the stock of a Formula 1 team for the upcoming season. 'If F1 Teams Were A Stock' The first team in this 10-part series is Mercedes, the reigning Formula 1 World Champions. We assess their strengths & weaknesses for the 2021 Formula 1 season and discuss other parameters before dishing out some 'investment advice'. But of course, there are no real shares to trade (unless Toto Wolff decides otherwise), but join us on this fun journey as we discuss each of the 10 teams through this unique theme of 'If F1 Teams Were A Stock'. This is a Pits to Podium exclusive on the Inside Line F1 Podcast with Soumil and Kunal being your hosts for the entire series. Expect a new episode of this series to be released every alternate day (minus weekends!) starting 1st March, 2021. Tune in! (Season 2021, Episode, 6) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Aroraand Kunal Shah Lucien ByfieldtMusic courtesy: Image courtesy: Mercedes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Mclaren gearing up to become a in the world of Motorsport in this decade (2021-30)? superbrand Currently, Mclaren races in Formula 1 and the IndyCar. From next year, Mclaren has expressed interest to race in Formula E. There is talk that the hyper car / LMDh rules will interest Mclaren to field a factory team in the World Endurance Championship and the IMSA (International Motor Sports Association) hosted WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. In all, Mclaren aims to race in the top-tier series across various Motorsport categories (single seater & sports cars). Could they become the first in the world of Motorsport?superbrand In this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Mithila and Kunal discuss Mclaren's horizontal expansion in Motorsport, the possibilities of technology, driver and sponsor exposure across series and how the budget cap is a blessing on all counts. And of course, could a junior driver program be in the offing, too? Tune in! (Season 2021, Episode 04) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Mithila Mehta and Kunal Shah Lucien ByfieldtMusic courtesy: Image courtesy: Mclaren Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have 10 more seasons of the Netflix-F1 show: Drive to Survive. Daniel Ricciardo retire from Formula 1 without a World Championship. In fact, four World Champions retire from Formula 1 in this decade (c'mon, you can guess who!).won'twillwill Ferrari win a Formula 1 World Championship but they win our hearts when Mick Schumacher races their scarlet red cars. Mclaren win a World Championship either and Lando Norris become a Mclaren veteran in this decade.won'twillwon'twill Will the Strolls remain in Formula 1 and with them Aston Martin, too? Will Ace Ecclestone (Bernie's son) be groomed into a racing car driver? Will Red Bull Racing find a replacement for Max Verstappen? Will Mercedes' future be a George Russell-Max Verstappen pairing? Renault-Alpine, Sauber-Alfa Romeo and Alpha Tauri keep changing names in this decade. And finally, Formula 1 get rid of the DRS in this decade. Tune in as we look into our crystal ball and predict the future (2021-2030) in our world of Formula 1.willwill (Season 2021, Episode 03) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Mithila Mehta and Kunal Shah Lucien ByfieldtMusic courtesy: Image courtesy: Formula 1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the 2021 Formula 1 season, describe your expectations for every team in one word. That's the challenge we took upon ourselves for our first live stream of the season. FIA-accredited Formula 1 journalist Abhishek Takle joined Soumil and Kunal for this episode of the . 'Champions', 'dominant', 'challenge' and even 'Netflix' were some of the words the trio used while looking forward to the upcoming season. Inside Line F1 Podcast Have a word or two of your own that you wish to share with us? Channelise your inner and write to us via our Facebook page. Shashi Tharoor Tune in! (Season 2021, Episode 02) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, Abhishek Takle and Kunal Shah Lucien ByfieldtMusic courtesy: Image courtesy: Mercedes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Year. New season. New partnerships. New logo & imagery. But the same commitment as before. To deliver alternative, fun and insightful conversations around the sport we love the most - Formula 1. 2021 marks the 10th season of the Inside Line F1 Podcast. Thank you for your listens, reviews and patronage. Subscribe to join the action. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our first episode of the 2021 Formula 1 season, Mithila and Kunal look back at Formula 1's last decade and discuss the most-unpopular additions to the sport. This includes the hasty introduction & dropping of the elimination-based qualifying system from 2016, the double points on offer for the 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Formula 1's continued struggles to find the correct racing tyre and more. Our hosts go as far as labeling the DRS (Drag Reduction System) and the hybrid-turbo power units - both introduced in the last decade, as most-unpopular introductions to Formula 1. Tune in! (Season 2021, Episode 01) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Mithila Mehta and Kunal Shah Lucien ByfieldtMusic courtesy: Image courtesy: Ferrari Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's awards and then there's the Inside Line F1 Parody Awards. We've been hosting our awards for eight years and the reason why it's become ever-so-popular is because 'the winner is never who you think it is'. For this year's Inside Line F1 Parody Awards, Mithila and Kunal discuss the following categories: 1. Drama of the year 2. Joke of the year 3. Radio message of the year 4. Strategy of the year 5. Innovation of the year 6. Driver of the year 7. Victory of the year 8. Oops moment of the year 9. Mystery of the year 10. Influencer of the year Grab a drink, sit back and tune in to the Inside Line F1 Podcast (https://link.chtbl.com/ilf1p) ! (Season 2020, Episode 68) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Mithila Mehta (https://www.twitter.com/mith_m) and Kunal Shah (http://www.twitter.com/kunalashah) Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt (https://lucienbyfieldt.bandcamp.com/) Image courtesy: Mercedes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our 67th episode of the year is our season review episode for 2020. We have two guests joining us - Sundaram and Nithyanand. You would remember them as the gentlemen who dig cool stats ever so often. This Pits to Podium (https://bit.ly/pitstopodium) segment is hosted by the ever-talented Soumil and has Kunal in attendance. For those missing Mithila, she will be back to host our final episode of the year - the Inside Line F1 Parody Awards (out 28th December). In this episode, we discuss the driver of the year, race, team, disappointment, strategy and so on. It's a fun discussion, tune in! 'Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year'! (Season 2020, Episode 67) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Sundaram Ramaswami (https://twitter.com/mpformula1) , Nithyanand Ram (https://twitter.com/The_F1fanatic) , Soumil Arora (https://twitter.com/iamsoumilaroraa) and Kunal Shah (http://www.twitter.com/kunalashah) Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt (https://lucienbyfieldt.bandcamp.com/) Image courtesy: Mercedes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After being let-go unexpectedly, Sergio Perez raced the season of his life to convince Red Bull Racing to hire him for 2021. Just getting a top team drive is a victory for Sergio 'Checo' Perez. But in this Pits to Podium (https://bit.ly/pitstopodium) segment, Soumil and Kunal discuss why Red Bull Racing needed Sergio Perez as their second driver for the 2021 Formula 1 season. The reasons are more than one! Also in this episode - we discuss the cyclical nature of junior driver programs, how soon before a Red Bull Junior Driver replaces Perez at the team. And of course, who could get the nod first - Pierre Gasly or Alexander Albon? (Season 2020, Episode 66) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora (https://twitter.com/iamsoumilaroraa) and Kunal Shah (http://www.twitter.com/kunalashah) Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt (https://lucienbyfieldt.bandcamp.com/) Stats courtesy: Sundaram Ramaswami (https://twitter.com/mpformula1) & Nithyanand Ram (https://twitter.com/The_F1fanatic) Image courtesy: Red Bull Racing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Usually, a Safety Car brings a Formula 1 race to life. It triggers a flurry of pit-stops and forces teams-drivers to adapt, evolve & deploy out-of-box tyre strategies. The 2020 Formula 1 season has seen the Safety Car appear in 12 out of 17 races. However, did the Safety Car cost us Formula 1 an exciting race in Abu Dhabi? Soumil and Kunal discuss further in our Pits to Podium (https://bit.ly/pitstopodium) segment. Mercedes couldn't use strategy to try and jump Max Verstappen for the lead of the race. It also eliminated the possibility of a two-stopping race & it made strategy almost null and void for the hard and medium starters. If you're a Ferrari fan, you must be wondering why they didn't pit either driver during the VSC/SC period. And of course, yet another mechanical issue robbed us of a 'pits to podium' charge by Sergio Perez! Also in this episode: Mclaren finishing 3rd in the Constructors' Championship while Sergio Perez maintaining 4th in the Drivers' Championship. Carlos Sainz Jr.'s slow driving in the pit lane proved yet again that slow is the way to go in Abu Dhabi (ref: to championship battles). And of course, CONGRATULATIONS to Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing and Honda for claiming their 2nd win of the season. For once, Mercedes aren't to be blamed for boredom caused by dominance. Tune in! (Season 2020, Episode 65) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora (https://twitter.com/iamsoumilaroraa) and Kunal Shah (http://www.twitter.com/kunalashah) Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt (https://lucienbyfieldt.bandcamp.com/) Stats courtesy: Sundaram Ramaswami (https://twitter.com/mpformula1) & Nithyanand Ram (https://twitter.com/The_F1fanatic) Image courtesy: Mercedes AMG Petronas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

17 races in 6 months - that's a stat Formula 1 will remember for the time to come. As for the 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, there are two stats to remember - 6 pole positions and 6 wins for Mercedes. They have led 88% of all laps here! Basically, they have conquered the Yas Marina Circuit in the hybrid-turbo era. Mercedes have been so competitive and dominant in the 2020 Formula 1 season that they even won a race with the W10 (last year's car) last weekend in Sakhir. Also in this Pits to Podium (https://bit.ly/pitstopodium) segment, Soumil and Kunal discuss the battle for P3 in the Constructors' Championship - who's your money on? What's peculiar about the Yas Mercedes Circuit? Why the FP1 session of the 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will go down in memory. After all, the 'Schumacher' name returned to Formula 1. This race is also the 'last' for many drivers and brands in Formula 1 - look forward to their farewell. And of course, it's far from our last episode of the year. Tune in! (Season 2020, Episode 64) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora (https://twitter.com/iamsoumilaroraa) and Kunal Shah (http://www.twitter.com/kunalashah) Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt (https://lucienbyfieldt.bandcamp.com/) Stats courtesy: Sundaram Ramaswami (https://twitter.com/mpformula1) & Nithyanand Ram (https://twitter.com/The_F1fanatic) Image courtesy: Mercedes AMG Petronas, Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After 10 years and 190 race starts, Sergio Perez is finally a Formula 1 Grand Prix winner. In our Pits to Podium (https://bit.ly/pitstopodium) segment, Soumil and Kunal discuss how the Mexican went from P5 to P18 to P1 in the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix. Like Perez, Lance Stroll drove a strong race - but could Racing Point have scored a 1-2 finish? Also in this episode: George Russell's stellar Mercedes debut, Valtteri Bottas' struggles, Mercedes' pit-stop embarrassments, maiden career podium for Renault's Esteban Ocon and all other talking points from one of Formula 1's most-memorable races of recent times. Should Formula 1 permanently host the Bahrain Grand Prix on the 'outer' layout? And has Alexander Albon blown all his chances to a Red Bull Racing seat in 2021? Write to us via our Facebook page (http://bit.ly/insidelineonfacebook) . For now, tune in and re-live the crazy 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix! (Season 2020, Episode 63) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora (https://twitter.com/iamsoumilaroraa) and Kunal Shah (http://www.twitter.com/kunalashah) Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt (https://lucienbyfieldt.bandcamp.com/) Stats courtesy: Sundaram Ramaswami (https://twitter.com/mpformula1) & Nithyanand Ram (https://twitter.com/The_F1fanatic) Image courtesy: Racing Point F1 Team Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First things first, get well soon wishes to Lewis Hamilton. We always wanted to see George Russell in a Mercedes Formula 1 car but not in the manner in which it has happened for the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix. In this Pits to Podium (https://bit.ly/pitstopodium) segment, Soumil and Kunal discuss what to actually expect in a RUS vs. BOT battle this weekend. Could George Russell actually score a win on his Mercedes debut? Let's remember, Max Verstappen did so when he received a mid-season promotion from Toro Rosso to Red Bull Racing. Either way, could RUS go from being points-less in his career till date to scoring a podium? Will the simpler track layout help RUS settle down faster in the Mercedes setup? How will the super-fast low-drag nature of the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix impact the podium predictions and the fight for P3 in the Constructors' Championship? Renault and Racing Point have fared well in the low-drag configuration as have Alpha Tauri - let's see if Ferrari and Mclaren are in the mix, too. And of course, Pietro Fittipaldi gets lucky with his break with Haas - we discuss the story to his replacing Romain Grosjean AND a welcome to Formula 1 for Jack Aitken as well. Tune in! (Season 2020, Episode 62) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora (https://twitter.com/iamsoumilaroraa) and Kunal Shah (http://www.twitter.com/kunalashah) Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt (https://lucienbyfieldt.bandcamp.com/) Stats courtesy: Sundaram Ramaswami (https://twitter.com/mpformula1) & Nithyanand Ram (https://twitter.com/The_F1fanatic) Image courtesy: Mercedes AMG Petronas, Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Was Romain Grosjean's survival from his crash in the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix a miracle? In our Pits to Podium (https://bit.ly/pitstopodium) segment, Soumil and Kunal attribute Grosjean's survival to the FIA's relentless pursuit of safety over many seasons. Yes, Grosjean was lucky and his guardian angel was on duty on Sunday, but citing luck as the sole reason for his survival (or labeling it a miracle!) would do disservice to the progress FIA has made over the seasons. We discuss the crash, the recovery and how various elements came together to save Grosjean's life and of course, give us a Formula 1 Grand Prix despite the delay. Also in this episode, we talk about yet another dominant victory for Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas' incorrect setup, Sergio Perez's missed podium, Mclaren jumping Racing Point in the Constructors' Championship and Pierre Gasly's one-stopper to P6. Tune in! (Season 2020, Episode 61) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora (https://twitter.com/iamsoumilaroraa) and Kunal Shah (http://www.twitter.com/kunalashah) Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt (https://lucienbyfieldt.bandcamp.com/) Stats courtesy: Sundaram Ramaswami (https://twitter.com/mpformula1) & Nithyanand Ram (https://twitter.com/The_F1fanatic) Image courtesy: Haas F1 Team Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the hybrid-turbo era, Mercedes have scored 12 podiums in 6 races - that's a 100% podium record at the Bahrain Grand Prix. The Bahrain International Circuit has seen Mercedes dominate like no other. Strangely though, neither of the Mercedes drivers have scored a pole position here in the last two years. But we expect that to change this weekend, don't we? Also in this Pits to Podium (https://bit.ly/pitstopodium) segment, can Lewis Hamilton win 13 races in the 2020 Formula 1 season? He seems to be in a class of his own. Can Valtteri Bottas finally convert a pole position into a win? He's failed to do so the last 3 times he had pole. Red Bull Racing haven't finished in the top-3 in Bahrain for 7 years. Can Max Verstappen change that? Or will Racing Point-Sergio Perez be able to challenge for the podium? Join Soumil and Kunal as they look forward to the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix. The 2020 Formula 1 World Championships may have settled but the fight for P3 in the Constructors' and P4 in the Drivers' Championship will keep us entertained. How much further can Ferrari climb? Will Carlos Sainz Jr. finally break his Bahrain points-scoring duck? Will Turn 9 ruin a few qualifying attempts and impact race strategy? Tune in! (Season 2020, Episode 60) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora (https://twitter.com/iamsoumilaroraa) and Kunal Shah (http://www.twitter.com/kunalashah) Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt (https://lucienbyfieldt.bandcamp.com/) Stats courtesy: Sundaram Ramaswami (https://twitter.com/mpformula1) & Nithyanand Ram (https://twitter.com/The_F1fanatic) Image courtesy: Bahrain International Circuit, Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast (https://link.chtbl.com/ilf1p) is a Valtteri Bottas special. In his interview with Parc Fermé, the Finn talks how it is to race in Formula 1 for Mercedes, the intensity of his competition with Lewis Hamilton, how rallying helps him nurture his talent further, the possibility of him racing longer for Mercedes than Hamilton and of course, the threat of George Russell taking his seat in 2022. Could 90% of the drivers win with Mercedes? Bottas weighs in on this opinion. Also in this episode, Mithila joins Kunal for a fun banter that includes pronouncing 'Valtteri Bottas' as they would in Finland. Sit back and enjoy yet another driver interview episode on the Inside Line F1 Podcast. For our listeners from the Nordics, you can use 'pp2020' to avail a 25% off on a subscription to Parc Fermé's informative Paddock Pass section (https://parcferme.no/paddockpass/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=ilf1p) ! (Season 2020, Episode 59) 0:00-15:00: Yada! Yada! 15:00-end: Interview with Valtteri Bottas Follow our hosts on Twitter: Mithila Mehta (https://www.twitter.com/mith_m) and Kunal Shah (https://www.twitter.com/kunalashah) Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt (https://lucienbyfieldt.bandcamp.com/) Image courtesy: Mercedes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

History was made at the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton equaled Michael Schumacher's record of seven Formula 1 World Championships. In fact, was this race his best championship winning race yet? He dug deep into his talent, experience & race craft to conquer the race at the Intercity Istanbul Park. In our Pits to Podium (https://bit.ly/pitstopodium) segment, Soumil and Kunal wonder if wet conditions were actually easier to tackle than the dry. We were amazed that not a single Safety Car period was required - testimony to the driving talent on display despite apparent lack of grip. Congratulations to Sergio Perez and Sebastian Vettel for their first podium finish of the season. How did Lance Stroll go from hero to zero? Should Ferrari have gambled with the slick tyres? For those pointing out, NO, Max Verstappen wasn't hasty - that's just how his brand of racing is. Alexander Albon's unforced errors, Mclaren's solid recovery despite grid-penalties and above all a race that wasn't classic Formula 1 but entertained us throughout. Tune in! (Season 2020, Episode 58) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora (https://twitter.com/iamsoumilaroraa) and Kunal Shah (http://www.twitter.com/kunalashah) Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt (https://lucienbyfieldt.bandcamp.com/) Image courtesy: Mercedes AMG Petronas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Faux Rouge, Turkish Corkscrew & even the Turn 8 (Parabolica, in the other direction!) are some of the corners that will entertain us and the Formula 1 drivers during the weekend of the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix. Before you wonder, yes, these are unofficial corner names! In this Pits to Podium (https://bit.ly/pitstopodium) segment, Soumil and Kunal preview the upcoming race at the Intercity Istanbul Park. Did you know that the front row starters have enjoyed a 100% win rate at this circuit? Also, Lewis Hamilton has won here from P2 - in case Valtteri Bottas beats him to pole for the third time in four races. Irrespective of who wins, a Mercedes win is almost certain. And of course, Hamilton will also have the first of many chances to equal Michael Schumacher's record of seven Formula 1 World Championship titles. Like every Grand Prix, can Max Verstappen trouble the Mercedes cars or at least one of them? Who will come out on top in the battle for P3 in the Constructors' Championship? Daniel Ricciardo and Sergio Perez have the momentum but let's not write off the Mclaren duo as well as Esteban Ocon and Lance Stroll. And of course, can Charles Leclerc spring yet another surprise in his Ferrari? Alpha Tauri have been on a 10-race points scoring spree - can they extend this new personal record at Turkey? Tune in! (Season 2020, Episode 57) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora (https://twitter.com/iamsoumilaroraa) and Kunal Shah (http://www.twitter.com/kunalashah) Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt (https://lucienbyfieldt.bandcamp.com/) Image courtesy: Sky Sports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yes, THE Lando Norris makes an appearance on the Inside Line F1 Podcast, courtesy of our friends at Parc Fermé, one of the leading Motorsport publications in the Nordics. In this fun interview, Norris dishes out Motorsport and life philosophies on how he would cope if stuck with a bad racing car all season, his social media presence and how his mistaken reveal of Mclaren's launch date for the 2020 car was a planned gimmick after all. Lando Norris explains his love for sim racing and why iRacing is better than most others. And of course, he discusses what he's looking forward to the most in 2021 when he partners Daniel Ricciardo at Mclaren. Tune in to enjoy classic Lando banter! Also in this episode, Mithila makes a comeback to the Inside Line F1 Podcast (https://link.chtbl.com/ilf1p) . The duo (Mithila-Kunal) tell you why Romain Grosjean's human side shouldn't be trolled after his unexpected exit from Haas, rival teams disallowing a 'young' Fernando Alonso to test in Abu Dhabi, Formula 1's $104 mn loss in Q320 and if 'work from home' could be an option for team personnel as Formula 1 seeks to keep expanding it's annual calendar. For our listeners from the Nordics, you can use 'pp2020' to avail a 25% off on a subscription to Parc Fermé's informative Paddock Pass section (https://parcferme.no/paddockpass/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=ilf1p) ! (Season 2020, Episode 56) Here's what's in store for you in this episode: 0:00-6:00 - Turn 8 & Felipe Massa - expect Formula 1 to over-discuss the two at the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix 6:00-9:00 - Did you know: Lewis Hamilton has only 10 DNFs in his Formula 1 career that are attributed to car failure (yes, Malaysia 2016 being the most painful?) 9:00-12:00 - Formula 1's $104 mn in Q320 - but 'helmets off' for pulling off a 17-race calendar this season 12:00-15:00 - Should rival Formula 1 teams have allowed Fernando Alonso to test at the young-driver test in Abu Dhabi later this season? 15:00-18:00 - Will Formula 1 team personnel attempt 'work from home' solutions to tackle a 23-race calendar in 2021? 18:00-21:00 - Romain Grosjean has handled his exit from Haas so gracefully that it only makes him more likeable + GRO's way of handling career crisis makes him so relatable 21:00-24:00 - With which team will Lando Norris score wins and maybe even a World Championship with? 24:00-end - The Lando Norris Interview with Parc Ferme Follow our hosts on Twitter: Mithila Mehta (https://www.twitter.com/mith_m) and Kunal Shah (https://www.twitter.com/kunalashah) Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt (https://lucienbyfieldt.bandcamp.com/) Image courtesy: Mclaren Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mercedes created history at the 2020 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix by becoming the first team in history to win 7 Formula 1 Constructors' Championships. That they've won it in successive years is proof of their dominance in the hybrid-turbo era. In this week's Pits to Podium (https://bit.ly/pitstopodium) segment, Soumil and Kunal debrief the Formula 1 race at Imola. Will Mercedes' race strategy for Lewis Hamilton become a controversy in the days to follow? The team used all options to convert a 1-3 running order to a 1-2 at the finish. Also, what came first - the VSC or Mercedes' decision to pit Hamilton? Also in this episode, Imola exposed Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen's desperate need for a strong #2 driver. Despite starting from pole position, Valtteri Bottas lost the race to Hamilton for no fault of his own. In fact, Bottas would've benefited had Albon been racing with the front runners. Btw, ALB blamed a hit for his late-race spin! (Maybe he should've blamed it on Ericsson?) In the mid-field, the battle for P3 in the race and the Constructors' Championship was decided by teams taking risks with choosing either track position or fresh rubber. In the end, RIC & LEC benefited from track position, a wiser choice given the higher level of overtaking difficulty. And of course, PER's 3rd missed podium opportunity of the season. We wrap up the episode talking about GAS' ill-luck, KVY's racy self, the Alfa Romeo duo and Ferrari's missed chance for VET. Tune in! (Season 2020, Episode 55) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora (https://twitter.com/iamsoumilaroraa) and Kunal Shah (http://www.twitter.com/kunalashah) Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt (https://lucienbyfieldt.bandcamp.com/) Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 compressed format offers savings in terms of time and costs. Second, it offers far lesser track time for teams and drivers to collect data. If the experiment succeeds, one could expect Liberty Media to make the two-day format as a standard to squeeze 25 races in a season. In this week's Pits to Podium (https://bit.ly/pitstopodium) segment, Soumil and Kunal preview the 2020 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix by wondering why Formula 1 didn't call it the 2020 San Marino Grand Prix in the first place. There's no way we're betting against a Mercedes victory, but could Red Bull Racing-Verstappen spring a surprise? Will Ferrari's upgrades bring it into play for the coveted P3 position - joining the ranks of Racing Point, Renault and Mclaren? Join us as we talk about Italy hosting its 100th Formula 1 Grand Prix. Tune in! (Season 2020, Episode 54) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora (https://twitter.com/iamsoumilaroraa) and Kunal Shah (http://www.twitter.com/kunalashah) Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt (https://lucienbyfieldt.bandcamp.com/) Image courtesy: Racing Department Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 qualifying. Above all else, we can't get over the beautiful circuit, its locales & the challenging nature of corners. But will it deliver a fun race for us? Also in this episode, the duo discuss Pirelli's tyre choice, Haas' driver change announcement, Mercedes' first of many chances to seal the Constructors' Championship & Lewis Hamilton's chance to score his record-breaking 92nd win in Formula 1. Tune in for all other talking points from the upcoming race in Portugal. (Season 2020, Episode 53) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora (https://twitter.com/iamsoumilaroraa) and Kunal Shah (http://www.twitter.com/kunalashah) Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt (https://lucienbyfieldt.bandcamp.com/) Image courtesy: Formula 1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 races? Also, 8 different drivers have finished in P3 in the 11 races held yet. In this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast (https://link.chtbl.com/ilf1p) , Mithila and Kunal discuss the new 'best of rest' position in Formula 1 - P3. They also talk about the probable calendar for the 2021 Formula 1 season, the rumours in the driver market or the 'silly season' and the prize money earned by the teams in 2019. Should Sebastian Vettel be upset that Red Bull Racing have overlooked him as a possible replacement for Alexander Albon? Will Pierre Gasly be a beneficiary of a Red Bull Racing - Renault reunion? And finally, Esteban Ocon and George Russell to join Pascal Wehrlein in the list of Mercedes junior drivers who had a broken career in Formula 1? Tune in! (Season 2020, Episode 52) Here's what's in store for you in this episode: 0:00-6:00 - Why Lewis Hamilton's record of maximum wins could stand for a long long time 6:00 -9:00 - Why P3 is the new 'best of the rest' position in Formula 1 - in the race and both the World Championships. For the Constructors' Championship, it's Renault vs. Racing Point vs. Mclaren - who are you cheering for? 9:00-12:00 - A Bottas vs. Verstappen for P3 actually proves just how great a season Verstappen is having. VER has been on the podium in every race he's finished 12:00-15:00 - What Wolff Said This Week - Max Verstappen being in queue behind Esteban Ocon & George Russell to race for Mercedes. The curse of the Mercedes junior driver to strike OCO (again!) and RUS? 15:00-21:00 - 8 drivers from different teams have finished in P3 in the races this season. Also, 6 different drivers have finished in P3 in the last 6 races! Who's been your most-surprising podium finisher yet? 21:00-24:00 - Liberty Media have been ambitious with the probable calendar for the 2021 Formula 1 season. Will the regular calendar be as much fun as the COVID-19 impacted one? 24:00-27:00 - We pick our points from the rumoured prize money earning for all teams from 2019. Thank heavens that this divide-and-rule version of the Concorde Agreement ends at the end of 2020 27:00-30:00 - ECC on HAM: He doesn't dress as a racer. But then again, what do racers dress as? Should Sebastian Vettel be annoyed that Red Bull Racing overlooked his availability for 2021? 30:00-end - Red Bull Racing to FINALLY hire an external driver as Max Verstappen's partner? Pierre Gasly to Renault could be dovetailed with a power unit deal for Red Bull Racing. Why is Haas not appealing enough for Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg? Follow our hosts on Twitter: Mithila Mehta (https://www.twitter.com/mith_m) and Kunal Shah (https://www.twitter.com/kunalashah) Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt (https://lucienbyfieldt.bandcamp.com/) Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices