

Inside Line F1 Podcast
Inside Line F1 Podcast
Hosted by FIA-accredited print-TV journalists and popular Motorsport commentators, the Inside Line F1 Podcast is a weekly show that offers an alternative view on the sport, business and politics of Formula 1. You probably know us from our famous Helmut Marko interview! And yes, we've made Indian Cricket legend Ravi Shastri narrate his Formula 1 stories - twice. On our channel, along with lots of Formula 1 banter, you will find race reviews, previews, interviews and features through the Formula 1 season...and in the summer/winter breaks. Join thousands of Formula 1 fans on our verified WhatsApp broadcast channel for frequent interactions and engagement with us. Our show hosts: Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru, Mithila Mehta & Kunal Shah. Formula 1 drivers on our show: Mika Hakkinen, Nico Rosberg, Charles Leclerc, David Coulthard, Karun Chandhok, Romain Grosjean, Valtteri Bottas, Lando Norris among others. Broadcasters on the Inside Line F1 Podcast: Peter Windsor, Steve Slater, Ben Edwards, Bob Varsha, Atle Gulbrandsen, Matthew Marsh among others. We are an independent Formula 1 podcast available everywhere on the Internet - search 'Inside Line F1 Podcast' on your favourite audio streaming app. Miss us as you wait for our next episode? Follow us on Instagram. Hosts: Soumil Arora, Mithila Mehta & Kunal Shah Stats: Sundaram Ramaswami (aka @f1statsguru) Data: Nithyanand Ram Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt Millions of listeners seek out Bingepods (Ideabrew Studios Network content) every day. Get in touch with us to advertise, join the network or click listen to enjoy content by some of India's top audio creators. studio@ideabrews.com
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 5, 2025 • 27min
Dreaming of a Ferrari win in Monza, Charles Leclerc or Lewis Hamilton? | F1 2025 #ItalianGP Preview
Can Ferrari do the unthinkable at win at home in Monza in front of the tifosi? Of the top-4 teams, there's only one team yet to score a win - Ferrari.
Oscar Piastri is more than a full race win ahead of Lando Norris in terms of championship points. Will this situation see a change of approach from either McLaren driver? Can Lando Norris just "send it" and see if it sticks?
If the Drivers' Championship battle seems settled to you, we tell you the other narratives to follow in Formula 1 starting from the 2025 Italian Grand Prix.
#F1 #F12025 #ItalianGP #Monza
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Sep 1, 2025 • 43min
Hadjar's dream podium, Ferrari & Lando Norris' nightmare double DNF | F1 2025 #DutchGP Review
The 2025 Dutch Grand Prix had it all - a maiden podium, surprise DNFs, a bold Max Verstappen, the Orange Army, an over ambitious teenager & lots of "lucky" strategy under the 3 x Safety Car periods.
Ferrari's double DNF, Lewis Hamilton's driver error leading to a crash & retirement, Andrea Kimi Antonelli's crash with Charles Leclerc, Leclerc's spirited overtake on George Russell, and the Sainz-Lawson incident. Lots of talking points from the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix.
Oscar Piastri won the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix from pole and led every lap of the race. However, Lando Norris' unexpected (and unfair) power unit failure swung the points gap to 34 points. A championship deciding power unit failure, is it?
Lewis Hamilton handed a 5 place grid drop for the 2025 Italian Grand Prix, Ferrari's home race, for failing to slow down for "double yellow" flags on the reconnaissance laps to the grid. Basically, Hamilton was penalised for his pre-race actions on grounds of safety.
Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah review the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix on the Inside Line F1 Podcast.
#F1 #F12025 #DutchGP
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Aug 28, 2025 • 28min
F1's back, baby! Rain will "unleash the Lion" | F1 2025 #DutchGP Preview
After a mandatory "holiday", Formula 1 is back this weekend with the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix. Yes, Max Verstappen's home race.
What are the key talking points this weekend? What will the media play up, and what will the teams play down?
Also, we're racing at a legendary circuit - Zandvoort. Enjoy it as long as it lasts!Will rain "Unleash the Lion" aka Max Verstappen at home in front of the Orange Army?
Could the cooler conditions bring Mercedes into contention, and similarly, will Ferrari have used the summer break wisely to add a spring to their step?
As for McLaren, the Drivers' Championship battle between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris resumes at Zandvoort. Will the summer break have halted Norris' momentum (he won 3 out of 4 races prior to the summer break)?
Lots in store this weekend, including overtaking moves at Turn 1, Turn 3 and maybe the Turn 11-12 sequence? Pirelli is bringing tyre compounds that are one step softer than last year + the pit lane speed limit is up from 60 kmph to 80 kmph.
We will see a variety of race strategy at play, and this could spice up the action on-track and in the pit lane.
Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah preview the upcoming 2025 Dutch Grand Prix.
#F1 #F12025 #DutchGP
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Aug 3, 2025 • 28min
Lando Norris, the slower McLaren driver won at the Hungaroring | F1 2025 #HungarianGP Post-Race Show
Oscar Piastri has lost two race wins to Lando Norris purely on luck! First, Silverstone, and second was today in Hungary.
We predicted this "race strategy situation" in our race preview. The second McLaren (Norris, in this case) on the road would get the favoured tyre strategy in the race while the first McLaren (Piastri, in this case) would go chase Charles Leclerc for the race win.
Was McLaren fair with their drivers who are the only two contenders for the Drivers' Championship in 2025? Did McLaren favour one driver or the other in the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix? Or did they maximise the team's result of a 1-2 finish irrespective of which driver finished first? And finally, was Norris a lucky winner of the Hungarian Grand Prix, a race where was the "slower" of the two McLarens and was in fact overtaken by two other cars (George Russell & Fernando Alonso) at the race start? Btw, Norris was very lucky that Alonso chose to not battle with him when the DRS was enabled.
Why?
Alonso, who was also on the one-stop, was the thorn in everyone else's race strategy. He executed a "Monaco-style" strategy at the Hungaroring (also known as "Monaco without the walls"). He bunched up the field and messed up tyre strategy for the other midfielders. Fair play to Aston Martin & Alonso who scored the team's best result of the season and maximised their points to jump two spots in the Constructors' Championship.
Finally, Charles Leclerc revealed that the mysterious issue that he faced in the race wasn't the "front wing" adjustment at his pit stop, but in fact, an issue with his chassis that compromised his pace. Leclerc continued to not add to his already embarrassing "pole to win" conversion rate in Formula 1. Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, had another race to forget. He was one of those who was done in by Alonso's "slow pace" to finish 5th strategy.
Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto impressed throughout the weekend and was the "Driver of the Day". As the summer break looms upon us, the question is whether Lando Norris will be comfortable knowing that he's brought the gap down to just 9 points, or whether he will know at the back of his head that Oscar Piastri would've actually been further ahead in the title battle if he was a tad bit luckier in two races - Silverstone and Hungary.
Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah discuss the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix and how it all played out in strategy.
#F1 #F12025 #HungarianGP
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Aug 2, 2025 • 47min
Charles Leclerc grabs pole, Lewis Hamilton grabs headlines | F1 2025 #HungarianGP Qualifying Show
Charles Leclerc grabbed a surprise pole position, his first of the 2025 Formula season, at the Hungaroring. But does he have the pace to win the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix against the mighty McLarens?
On the contrary, does McLaren have a pace advantage that allows them to overtake Leclerc around a circuit that's famously known as "Monaco without the walls".
How did McLaren lose their competitive advantage in the qualifying hour? What transpired in Q3 that brought Leclerc & Ferrari into play? And of course, why did Lewis Hamilton say he's "useless" and that Ferrari need a change in driver?
Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen's magic saw him in Q3, but qualify behind a Sauber! Gabriel Bortoleto continued to impress with yet another Q3 session, while his team-mate and "Mr. Saturday" Nico Hulkenberg is now tied with Lance Stroll with the maximum Q1 exits in 2025.
Is Aston Martin's pace for real, and if so, where did it come from? A double points finish in the race will propel them in tight the Constructors' Championship battle.
Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah discuss the Qualifying session from the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix and look forward to the race & tyre strategy options for Sunday's race.
#F1 #F12025 #HungarianGP
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Aug 1, 2025 • 47min
Max Verstappen puts Mercedes rumours to bed...for now, Alonso misses FP1 | F1 2025 #HungarianGP
Max Verstappen has confirmed he'll stay with Red Bull for 2026 — but is the story really over? As rumors of a secret Toto‑Max meeting swirl, we preview the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix and the big narratives around F1's summer chaos.
Inside this episode:
🏎️ Verstappen’s big decision: trust or bluff?
🏎️ What Cadillac’s signing of Sergio Perez means for 2026
🏎️ Are Ferrari’s new upgrades finally working?
🏎️ McLaren’s internal title fight heats up
🏎️ Will Williams and Haas sneak a podium in Budapest?
Soumil Arora, Kunal Shah, and Sundaram Ramaswami break it all down on the Inside Line F1 Podcast.
🟠 Listen. Learn. Debate.
📍Chapters:
00:00 - 01:11: Cadillac signs Sergio Perez – why it matters
01:11 - 04:25: The hunt for Cadillac’s second driver
04:25 - 07:58: Toto + Max meeting in Sardinia – real or planted?
07:58 - 10:24: Is Verstappen bluffing? Why the Mercedes link still lingers
10:24 - 13:30: The Red Bull power shift after Horner’s exit
13:30 - 16:02: Can McLaren keep dominating into Hungary?
16:02 - 18:44: Ferrari’s upgrades – a turning point or another false dawn?
18:44 - 21:09: Mercedes’ struggles – Antonelli’s rookie wall
21:09 - 23:12: Williams and Haas – dark horses in Hungary?
23:12 - 26:33: Hungarian GP – tyre strategy, track evolution, and weather
26:33 - 30:29: Top 3 team predictions for Hungary
30:29 - 33:45: Underrated driver picks for the weekend
33:45 - 36:20: Will Hungary spice up the silly season?
36:20 - 38:45: Final thoughts – what to watch out for
#F1 #F12025 #HungarianGP #MaxVerstappen #F1Podcast #McLaren #CadillacF1 #SillySeason
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Jul 27, 2025 • 35min
Oscar Piastri's gutsy moves humble Lando Norris at Spa | F1 2025 #BelgianGP Post Race Show
We are back with our post-race LIVE show and we have the full house today! Join Kunal Shah, Soumil Arora, AND Sundaram Ramaswami (finally, back!) on the Inside Line #F1 Podcast.
The weather didn't disappoint, but the race gave us some great insights.Key talking points from the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix:- Oscar Piastri's bold & decisive move on Lando Norris at the Safety Car restart. It gave him the lead, yes, but crucially, it gave him priority in the pit stops, and that won him the race- The medium or the hard, which was the correct tyre for the race? There's an insight into McLaren's tyre strategy approach from this race weekend. How was Norris allowed to take the hard while Piastri chose the medium? - We discuss some of the best and often-missed post-race radio reactions from the F1 drivers- Stats & other race incidents - Lewis Hamilton's big gamble on lap 11 that "won him big" in the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix. He finished 11 positions higher than from where he started- Sauber's points score with Gabriel Bortoleto, but it wouldn't have come without team orders & why did Nico Hulkenberg make a second stop whilst in the points?
#F1 #F12025 #BelgianGP #LewisHamilton #LandoNorris #OscarPiastri
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Jul 26, 2025 • 34min
Hamilton shocks, Norris rocks | F1 2025 #BelgianGP Qualifying Show
Lando Norris stormed to pole at Spa — but Hamilton’s shock Q1 exit stole the headlines.
In this episode, we unpack the chaos of F1 2025 Belgian GP Qualifying.
From McLaren’s front-row lockout to Red Bull’s high-downforce gamble, we dig into every storyline — including Ferrari’s upgrade clicks, Racing Bulls’ Q3 surprise, and why Hamilton’s deleted lap might’ve just reset Ferrari’s hype train.
🎧 This is your one-stop, sharp-take podcast recap for a wild weekend at Spa!
Join Kunal Shah and Soumil Arora as they break down all the key moments from 2025 Belgian GP Sprint and Qualifying, LIVE on the Inside Line #F1 Podcast.
📍Chapters:
00:00 - 03:20: Intro & Recap of Sprint Drama
03:20 - 07:05: Hamilton Q1 Exit – What Went Wrong?
07:05 - 11:42: Norris vs Piastri – McLaren’s Front Row Lockout
11:42 - 15:55: Verstappen’s Setup Shift – Did Red Bull Blink?
15:55 - 20:04: Ferrari's Upgrade Impact & Leclerc’s Lap
20:04 - 24:20: Midfield Madness – Bearman, Bortoleto, Racing Bulls
24:20 - 28:44: Parc Fermé & Strategic Lookahead
28:44 - 33:12: Rain Forecast + Predictions for Race Day
📢 F1 journalists & bloggers — if you quote this interview, please credit: Inside Line F1 Podcast. Sharing is caring. So is attribution.
🔔 Subscribe for more post-session F1 breakdowns, mid-season drama, and team/driver analysis from the 2025 season!: https://rb.gy/cev1bw
Follow Us:
X: https://x.com/insidelinef1pod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insidelinef1pod/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3P2RsaP89xP1xvG7twj8pd?sub_confirmation=1
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/inside-line-f1-podcast/id632531804
Follow our hosts:
► Soumil Arora: https://www.instagram.com/iamsoumilarora/
► Sundaram Ramaswami: https://www.instagram.com/f1statsguru/
► Kunal Shah: https://x.com/kunalashah
#F1 #F12025 #BelgianGP #LewisHamilton #LandoNorris
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Jul 26, 2025 • 40min
Lando Norris SHOCKINGLY Responds to Oscar Piastri's Sprint Pole | Belgian GP Sprint Qualifying Show
Oscar Piastri stunned the Formula 1 paddock and Lando Norris by claiming Sprint pole with a staggering margin of 0.477 seconds over the rest of the field, but what happened next between him and Lando Norris is where things got really spicy.
In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Sundaram Ramaswami and Kunal Shah break down the chaos of Sprint Qualifying at Spa:
🏎️ Piastri’s shock recovery from SQ2 elimination
🏎️ Norris’ confused reaction to the pace gap
🏎️ Mercedes' and Ferrari’s disaster weekends
🏎️ Rookie mistakes, upgrade effectiveness, and championship implications
🏎️ Is McLaren on the verge of a civil war, or is this just elite competition pushing its limits?
📍Chapters:
00:00 - 2:45: Oscar Piastri's 0.4s flex: How he nailed Sprint Quali
02:45 - 6:50: Norris’ reaction: Surprised? Confused? Under pressure?
06:50 - 10:00: Piastri vs Norris: What’s brewing inside McLaren?
10:00 - 14:35: Sprint Quali format chaos + tyre window pressure
14:35 - 18:20: Ferrari vs Mercedes: Upgrades that didn’t work
18:20 - 22:00: Haas and Alpine: Who actually overdelivered?
22:00 - 26:10: Rookie Rundown: Antonelli, Bearman, Colapinto
26:10 - 29:35: Strategy lens: FP1 to Sprint Quali momentum shifts
29:35 - 33:00: Red Bull: Verstappen’s grip issues, Tsunoda out
33:00 - 36:15: Crowd reactions, Paddock buzz, Piastri’s poise
36:15 - 38:45: What to expect in Sprint Race & Sunday fallout
📢 F1 journalists & bloggers — if you quote this interview, please credit: Inside Line F1 Podcast. Sharing is caring. So is attribution.
🔔 Subscribe for more post-session F1 breakdowns, mid-season drama, and team/driver analysis from the 2025 season!: https://rb.gy/cev1bw
Follow Us:
X: https://x.com/insidelinef1pod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insidelinef1pod/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3P2RsaP89xP1xvG7twj8pd?sub_confirmation=1
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/inside-line-f1-podcast/id632531804
Follow our hosts:
► Soumil Arora: https://www.instagram.com/iamsoumilarora/
► Sundaram Ramaswami: https://www.instagram.com/f1statsguru/
► Kunal Shah: https://x.com/kunalashah
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Jul 19, 2025 • 1h 11min
F1 2026 Grid: Shocking Predictions You Need To Know!
What does your F1 2026 grid look like? Will Max Verstappen race for Mercedes, or will he stick to racing with Red Bull?
Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah predict the F1 2026 grid on the Inside Line F1 Podcast.
Should Max Verstappen leave Red Bull Racing, will another top driver be willing to take the risk to racing for the team while they're in their rebuilding phase? As one of our viewers put it, should Charles Leclerc go to Red Bull Racing?
McLaren & Ferrari might be the only two teams with the same line-up for F1 2026; could Nico Hulkenberg finally get a shot at a top team next season? Sergio Perez's return to Formula 1 with Cadillac seems almost certain, but could Mick Schumacher be his team-mate with an American racer as a third driver?
Valtteri Bottas may have two choices - Alpine and Cadillac, but if Carlos Sainz departs for Red Bull Racing in 2026, could Williams also be an option for Bottas?
The F1 2026 grid might get a complete shake-up because of Max Verstappen's possible move to Mercedes and the addition of 2 new seats to the grid via Cadillac.
(Season 2025, Episode 42)
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