Inside Line F1 Podcast

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