Inside Line F1 Podcast

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