Inside Line F1 Podcast

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! Yad

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

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 S

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 Q

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 bat

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 upg

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:/

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

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 episode, we rate the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix - hot or not? The statistics seem to suggest a good race with a great result. After all, 9 out of the 10 teams scored points. Daniel Ricciardo scored his first podium with Renault, also Renault's first podium in Formula 1 after returning to the sport as a works team. This tattoo will be a memorable one for Cyril Abiteboul! Racing Point's super-sub Nico Hulkenberg is only 7 points behind Sebastian Vettel in the Drivers' Championship. In fact, Hulkenberg has out-scored Vettel in the last 7 races! Perez's podium miss, Leclerc's spirited drive & high number of DNfs in the r

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 will look to overcome this weekend. Who will come out on top? Send in your predications for our Grand Prix Predictions League (https://www.instagram.com/pitstopodium/) . And of course, we discuss the uber-competitive mid-field battle, Kimi Raikkonen's record, Mick Schumacher & Callum Illot's Formula 1 debut and Sergio Perez finally getting the upgraded RP20 for himself! Btw, look out for the drivers absolutely raving about Turns 8-9. Will they go flat out? Tune in. (Season 2020, Episode 50) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora (https://twitter.com/iamsoumilaroraa) and Kunal Shah (http://www.twitter.com/kun

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 Formula 1 compromise Red Bull Racing in 2022? As for Max Verstappen, his first Formula 1 World Championship may have been pushed by a few more years. Yes, there's hope that Honda's new power unit might bring him title glory in 2021...but that hope is very slim. In fact, might it be that Verstappen wins his title(s) with a team other than Red Bull Racing? In this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast (https://link.chtbl.com/ilf1p) , Mithila and Kunal discuss the all-round impact of Honda's decision to exit, the possible power unit options for Red Bull Racing and why a new supplier might not join the sport before

FIA's time penalties have always evoked extreme reactions from fans. At the 2020 Russian Grand Prix, reigning World Champion Lewis Hamilton joined the party. Are the FIA really trying to slow 'him' down? If anything, the FIA were fair in their assessment of Hamilton-Mercedes' infringements. In fact, they were fair in treating Leclerc-Stroll as a racing incident, too. And of course, Daniel Ricciardo's reaction to his time penalty was delightful! In this Pits To Podium (https://bit.ly/pitstopodium) segment, Soumil and Kunal wonder if victory in the 2020 Russian Grand Prix was Valtteri Bottas' easiest career win till date? In a straight fight between the two Mercedes drivers, Bottas (medium) could've taken the lead of the race from Hamilton (soft) had the race run its regular course. However, given that this win was 'gifted' to Bottas thanks to Hamilton's penalty, his post-race radio message did seem strange. Another strange statistic? Max Verstappen scoring his and Red Bull Racing's first-ever podium at Sochi.

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 Russian Grand Prix. Will Pirelli's C5 tyre challenge Mercedes' dominance at this circuit? Traditionally, Valtteri Bottas has been stronger at Sochi than Lewis Hamilton. Can the Finnish driver claim his second win of the season? And what about the third step of the podium - will Max Verstappen return or can Sergio Perez become the season's 10th podium finisher? And of course, there's the mid-field battle that's ever-entertaining. Tune in! (Season 2020, Episode 47) Join the fun on Pits To Podium's Grand Prix Prediction Le

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 the luckiest and Vijay Mallya might be the unluckiest Formula 1 team owners in recent times. In this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast (https://link.chtbl.com/ilf1p) , Mithila and Kunal tell you why the prize money entry barrier is good for the sport and why $200 mn is a fair price. If you're looking for light-hearted banter, the duo discuss Ferrari-Vettel-Perez-Aston-Martin and wonder if Ferrari refused to give Vettel a discount to purchase the F2004 or did they not want him to purchase a Ferrari whatsoever?

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 Bull driver on the podium; but it was 'how' we got there that made for a fun race. Daniel Ricciardo's almost-podium with Renault, Alexander Albon's first career podium, Lance Stroll's almost scoring a career-first back-to-back podium, George Russell's almost-point score, a double points finish for Ferrari and Kimi Raikkonen finally opening his points tally for the season. And of course, we discuss and dissect the carnage at the Safety Car restart that saw 12 drivers let off with a warning. Tune in! (Season 2020, Episo

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 weekend. And of course, Sebastian Vettel-Aston Martin F1 Team have already stolen Ferrari's limelight. Tune in! (Season 2020, Episode 44) 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/)

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 witnessed at Monza. But was it a crazy race after all? Or just a crazy result? Ferrari's failures, Mercedes' silly pit lane error + their inability to run in dirty air and Red Bull Racing's no-score - after years, the top-3 teams faltered at the same race, one of the key factors for the great result of the race. Tune in! (Season 2020, Episode 43) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora (https://twitter.com/iamsoumilaroraa) and Kunal Shah (http://www.twitter.com/kunalashah) Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt (https://

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://twitter.com/iamsoumilaroraa) and Kunal Shah (http://www.twitter.com/kunalashah) Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt (https://lucienbyfieldt.bandcamp.com/)

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 Racing's Max Verstappen? Will Ferrari use a low-downforce setup to aid Charles Leclerc's chances one more time? There's always the uber-competitive mid-field battle and George Russell's qualifying lap we keep high hopes for. Tune in! (Season 2020, Episode 41) 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/)

Since buying Formula 1 in 2017, Liberty Media finally have control over all major elements that define the series - a budget cap, new regulations and the recently signed Concorde Agreement. Helmets off to Liberty Media for delivering these radical changes despite the challenges thrown by the ongoing pandemic. And of course, it's great that all 10 teams will continue in the sport till at least 2025. In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast (https://link.chtbl.com/ilf1p) , Mithila and Kunal talk about Mercedes' debrief videos on social media - do rival teams use them for educational purposes? Also, what's the purpose of Ferrari's 'hourglass challenge' videos? Lando Norris needs to host a 'champagne popping masterclass' - others are failing miserably while trying to replicate his trick. We tell you why the machines were right in the AWS Fastest Formula 1 Driver Rankings and more. Tune in! (Season 2020, Episode 40) Here's what's in store for you in this episode: 0:00-5:00 - Liberty Media stage managed the