Inside Line F1 Podcast

Yes, P for testing it is. You have to tune in to know why! In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, the trio (Soumil, @f1statsguru & Kunal), get together to discuss the main talking points from the upcoming (& only) pre-season test in Bahrain. MEET US: 26th February in Mumbai. Venue: Palladium Social (from 5-7pm) We will discuss best moments from Drive to Survive (season 5) + stories from pre-season testing. And of course, an engaging F1 quiz hosted by @f1statsguru. India's most-experienced Formula 1 journalists (FIA-accredited) Abhishek Takle will be our guest for the upcoming F1 Pitstop with the Inside Line F1 Podcast. Get your access pass (INR 299 per person) on Paytm Insider. Will porpoising continue to trouble teams? How will the rookies fare, and what about the 'young' Fernando Alonso? Nico Hulkenberg hasn't been at work full-time since 3 years. Also, new design innovations, FIA-F1 friction and above all else, the lack of absolute clarity as to who is the quickest (or in fact, the slowest) from testing.  There's a lot of banter and information to look forward to in this episode. Tune in! (Season 2023, Episode 6) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, Sundaram Ramaswami and Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Aston Martin F1 Team

We've moved on from asking if Red Bull Racing will win all races in 2023. We're now wondering, if it will be Max Verstappen who will win all the remaining races in 2023! The current and double World Champion cruised on his way to victory in the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix. Verstappen has now scored a hat-trick of wins - Miami, Monaco and Spain. In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah review the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix. Is Mercedes' pace for real? Is Ferrari's tyre degradation for real? And what about Aston Martin, why did the hype around 'Mission 33' turn to dust? The time penalty for Yuki Tsunoda, was the justified? Valtteri Bottas' struggles and Fernando Alonso telling Lance Stroll to not be worried...let's relive some of the best moments of the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix. @f1statsguru present his stats preview segment (around 22:00 mins), tune in! (Season 2023, Episode 27) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool

The Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona has 14 corners. The circuit will also host it's 33rd race this weekend - the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix. Are all the signs hinting towards a home win for the ever-popular Fernando Alonso? Btw, he did miss out on a win in Monaco last week, as the data now confirms. In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru aka Sundaram and Kunal Shah preview the upcoming 2023 Spanish Grand Prix. The key buzz will be around Fernando Alonso, obviously, but has the buzz around Carlos Sainz faded a wee bit after he joined Ferrari? Also, full focus on upgrades at a circuit that's best-suited to test them. Will the change in layout aid better racing or will it be another factor for all to blame in case the race is a snoozefest? Also, look out for tyre management - the heat and the circuit are tyre busters! It's no surprise that Pirelli has brought their hardest compounds for this race. And of course, that's another blame factor, should we need it! 😉 Tune in! (Season 2023, Episode 26) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Aston Martin Formula One Team

The 2023 Monaco Grand Prix made us ask 'how did THAT happen?' several times over. Firstly, Max Verstappen's pole position lap. But before that, Esteban Ocon claiming provisional pole! Yes, how did THAT happen? (Also, what's your best guess for who calls Esteban Ocon 'Estie Bestie'!? Then, we had the Monaco Grand Prix itself. It was a strategic race in every way, but the rain neutered that. But how was there no Safety Car or longer race interruption? Helmets off to the talent of the 19 drivers who didn't crash. Sorry, Lance, you ain't on the list. Alonso's tyre gamble, Ocon's slow stop, Carlos Sainz's anger & mistake, Charles Leclerc impeding Lando Norris (we know how that happened!), George Russell blowing his podium chances, Haas' muscling their way through, Yuki Tsunoda's dry weather performance and Nyck De Vries jumping Logan Sargeant for 19th place in the Drivers' Championship. This is an action-packed episode in itself. Tune in to know how that happened!😉 (Season 2023, Episode 25) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Aston Martin Formula One Team

Fernando Alonso will feature with Aston Martin-Honda from 2026, either as a driver or a team ambassador, we reckon. Yes, Honda has publicly said that they don't mind Alonso driving a race car powered by their engines, but would anyone come out publicly saying otherwise? In fact, remember Alonso's Indy 500 bid? He raced a Chevrolet-powered car. It was known, but not publicly declared, that Honda didn't want him to race their engines.  Mercedes had a similar stance till they relaxed it so that Alonso could race a Mercedes-powered Aston Martin this season. 2026 might seem far away, but Aston Martin will already planning their driver line-up - what's next after Alonso? They will need an A-lister...and Lance Stroll isn't one. Could this partnership interest Charles Leclerc or Lando Norris? Honda has declared that they would like to a Japanese driver at Aston Martin - could it be Yuki Tsunoda or Ayumu Iwasa? Interesting times ahead. Here's an upload of a Twitter Spaces conversation between Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah for our avid podcast audience. Tune in! (Season 2023, Episode 24)   Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Aston Martin Formula One Team

Could the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix be the first race of the season to see a non-Red Bull Racing driver win? Can Charles Leclerc stick it on pole...and lead the race to win? Yes, we're aware of Leclerc's Monaco jinx! Or could it be Fernando Alonso scoring a win after a decade-long gap? Either winner would be extremely popular, no doubt.  If you remember from last year, the Red Bull cars need two laps to warm-up tyres; could that be the chink in their armour this year? Also, the last two Q3 sessions in Monaco (2022 and 2021), have seen a Red Flag. In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah preview the upcoming 2023 Monaco Grand Prix. @f1statsguru presents his stats preview leading to the race - and in fact, will we have a race at all? Or will it be another procession around the streets of Monaco? Tune in! (Season 2023, Episode 23) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Aston Martin Formula One Team

It's time for the 'Long Name Grand Prix' this weekend. The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix has historically had really long names - courtesy multiple sponsors, and of course, the region/government of Emilia Romagna. But did you grow up calling this race Imola? Or, like Kunal, did you call it San Marino? In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah preview the upcoming 2023 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. For all the naming rights sponsors, the local promoters couldn't pay to have the Sprint + Grand Prix format this year... There will be two key points this weekend - upgrades and rumours. All eyes on Mercedes, yes? @f1statsguru presents his stats preview segment for this weekend's race. Tune in! (Season 2023, Episode 22) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool

The 'voice of the Miami Grand Prix' and legendary American Formula 1 commentator Bob Varsha joins Soumil Arora on this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast. The duo talk about the recently concluded Miami Grand Prix, the first of three races in the United States of America. Bob was the 'voice of the public address' at the Miami International Autodrome. In this episode, you will hear Bob's best stories from Miami, why American manufacturers are excited about Formula 1 (Red Bull - Ford, Andretti - Cadillac) and Logan Sargeant, of course. Tune in! (Season 2023, Episode 21) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, Bob Varsha Image courtesy: Ferrari

First things first, thank you, Charles Leclerc. But, why? The 2023 Miami Grand Prix saw on-track excitement due to two key reasons. First, drivers being out of place (thanks to Charles Leclerc's crash and subsequent Red Flag in Q3 of Qualifying). Second, the different tyre strategies that the out-of-place drivers had to use in the race. Could it have been a snooze fest had it not been for LEC's Q3 crash? In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah review the 2023 Miami Grand Prix - the overtakes, the tyre strategies, and of course, the driver presentations. @f1statsguru aka Sundaram shares his stats review from the race. (Season 2023, Episode 20) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Ferrari

Martin Brundle's 'Grid Walk' at the Miami Grand Prix - that's definitely going to entertain. What else? Could Taylor Swift be one among many celebrities who attend the race in Miami? The marina, has real water, apparently. Also, remember, Sebastian Vettel's message from last year? 'Miami 2060: 1st Grand Prix underwater' Also, the Miami Grand Prix is one of few races that start 30 mins into the hour (or at the start of the hour) depending on your timezone. Btw, there's expected to be a boxing-style announcer for every driver's entry this weekend.  Could the resurfaced track mean another 'tyre management' race? Will Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen be evenly matched given that the Miami International Autodrome is half-street, half-regular circuit? Sergio Perez has another rare chance to score his career-first back-to-back wins in Formula 1. Tune in to listen to Soumil and Kunal's banter in this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast. @f1statsguru aka Sundaram shares his stats preview for the upcoming race. (Season 2023, Episode 19) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool

Despite 2 x Qualifying and 2 x Races, there were less than a handful of moments to review from the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Max Verstappen's over-reaction on Saturday and then under-reaction on Sunday made it to our list, as did Fernando Alonso's radio messages and of course, the pit lane blocking incident on the last lap of the race. In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah review the Sprint and Grand Prix from Azerbaijan. @f1statsguru aka Sundaram shares his jaw-dropping stats in his segment, too. Tune in! (Season 2023, Episode 18) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Mercedes

Will the 2 x Qualifying and 2 x Race sessions mean more chaos around the streets of Baku? 'Land of Fire', 'City of Winds' and the 'Home of the Street Fighters', all tags for Azerbaijan, Baku and the Baku City Circuit respectively are geared towards one goal - entertainment! We're hosting a Motorsport carnival in Mumbai on 30th April - for Formula 1 and MotoGP fans. Join us for a live race screening, quiz and simulator session for the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix (Formula 1) and 2023 Spanish Grand Prix (MotoGP). Where: Dadar SOCIAL, 3.45 pm IST onward Get your tickets on Paytm Insider. After a near four week gap, the questions remain the same - will anyone catch Red Bull Racing? Can Sergio Perez really challenge Max Verstappen? Will all teams bring upgrades? Will Ferrari fire (not literally!)? And is Fernando Alonso REALLY dating Taylor Swift!? In this banter-filled episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil and Kunal preview the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. @f1statsguru aka Sundaram shares his stats preview. We're in for a mad weekend...tune in! (Season 2023, Episode 17) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool

Brrrake aka Blake Hinsey, a former Red Bull Racing and Force India F1 Team engineer, joins Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah on this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast.  Blake shares how one can become a Performance Engineer in Formula 1 by narrating his story, working with the current World Champion team as well as a team that was fondly known as 'best bang for buck' World Champions. He shares some of his fondest Formula 1 memories.  Blake tells us how he was hired to engineer Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull Racing, only for VET to join Ferrari. He shares more about working with Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez and other Red Bull Racing drivers. And of course, what makes VER so special? 'Engine Braking' is Blake's podcast along with another social media sensation and former Red Bull Racing engineer, 'Engine Mode 11'. Tune in! (Season 2023, Episode 16) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Formula 1

Just what all goes in to design and erect an FIA/FIM-homologated motor-racing circuit that is used for Formula 1, MotoGP, Formula E & other series? What are the design, legal, practical, civil and even human resource requirements needed? In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil Arora spoke to Ben Wilshire and Dan Selby from Driven International, the company that was responsible for the most-recent changes to the Yas Marina Circuit (for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix). Driven International also designed the Hyderabad Street Circuit in India (for Formula E's Hyderabad ePrix), the Mandalika International Street Circuit in Indonesia (for MotoGP & Superbike World Championship) among others. In Formula 1, the focus always is on car design, but in this April break, we decided to focus on circuit design. After all, Romain Grosjean famously said that it was cheaper to re-design circuits than the racing cars as the sport chased 'ease of overtaking'.  (Season 2023, Episode 15) Follow our host on Twitter: Soumil Arora Image courtesy: Formula 1

Inside Line F1 Podcast's Soumil Arora is in conversation with David Coulthard - about life and philosophy of Formula 1. He explains his relationship with Christian Horner & Mercedes, retiring from Formula 1 (and Red Bull Racing) a season before the team started winning, Adrian Newey and more. (Season 2023, Episode 14) Follow our host on Twitter: Soumil Arora Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool

13 time Grand Prix winner and former Red Bull Racing driver David Coulthard joined us as a guest on the Inside Line F1 Podcast a couple of weeks ago. DC as he's popularly known, spoke about what makes Red Bull Racing special, Christian Horner, Adrian Newey and Max Verstappen. He also spoke about his Formula 1 career among other topics.  Check out the full episode on Monday, 10th April (2023). Hosted by: Soumil Arora

3 x Red Flags, 1 x Safety Car & 1 x Virtual Safety Car - the FIA literally threw everything they could to make the 2023 Australian Grand Prix interesting. Truth be told, we were entertained - after all, we had 3 x starts + 3 x opening laps; that's 3x the normal Grand Prix weekend. If you weren't entertained, tell us. Leave a response in the poll (Spotify specific). In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil and Kunal discuss the FIA - and the various ways they were challenged Down Under. Apart from Carlos Sainz's penalty, the FIA did what was expected of them - not end a race under the Safety Car! But fate had other plans - including ensuring Fernando Alonso finished in P3, not higher or lower. The 'civil war' at Alpine, Mclaren's double points, Ferrari's race, Nico Hulkenberg's almost podium (incl. Haas' protest and why), Mercedes' strong page + brewing rivalry between George Russell-Lewis Hamilton, Sergio Perez's recovery drive to 5th + the best radio message of the race. And finally, @f1statsguru's stats review segment. We discuss it all...from an entertaining 2023 Australian Grand Prix. Tune in! (Season 2023, Episode 13) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Aston Martin Formula One Team

Could Fernando Alonso join the ranks of the other Formula 1 legends whose 101st podium finish was actually a race win? Yes, we're manifesting 'Mission 33' for this weekend's Australian Grand Prix. This stat is courtesy @f1statsguru. In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil and Kunal preview the race Down Under - will the FIA find yet another creative way to take centre stage this weekend? Remember, drivers will have to 'walk' the track and not bike it! Will another driver be outside of the start grid box and get a time penalty? Will another team not serve a time penalty correctly? How soon before AlphaTauri and Mclaren score points? In fact, could the start to Mclaren's season get any more worse? Will Oscar Piastri out-qualify Lando Norris at his home race? Will Red Bull Racing let Sergio Perez fight Max Verstappen? In fact, can Perez keep carry forward momentum from Jeddah to Melbourne? How much further up the road will the 'Bulls finish compared to the field? Red Bull's record in Australia hasn't been as strong. Will drivers continue to complain about the difficult in overtaking at Albert Park, too? Remember, the circuit has 4 DRS zones - the only circuit to have so many. Will Helmut Marko or Franz Tost throw another salvo at AlphaTauri - from having no confidence in the engineers to another impending name change. Will Ferrari and Mercedes continue their podium-less streak for a third consecutive race? Lots to look forward to for this weekend's 2023 Australian Grand Prix. Tune in! (Season 2023, Episode 12) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Aston Martin Formula One Team

The FIA always manages to find a way to grab the limelight every other Grand Prix. As for Fernando Alonso, he's managed to score a podium at every Grand Prix in 2023. But the one at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit wasn't without controversy. Should the FIA install a pit lane timer for all teams serving a time penalty? Will the start grid boxes be redesigned to aid driver visibility? Will the wording for 'working on the car' (or not!) be re-written? In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil and Kunal review the talking points from the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Max Verstappen's solid recovery from P15 to 2nd - and why he's right in being disappointed. Sergio 'Checo' Perez's solid drive from pole to flag! Mercedes' PR overdrive, Ferrari's setup problems...and Aston Martin's preparations (for the FIA penalty review). Tune in! (Season 2023, Epsiode 11) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Aston Martin Formula One Team  

Just how rowdy can it get if the Jeddah Corniche Circuit delivers a Max Verstappen vs. Charles Leclerc...with a Fernando Alonso thrown in? And of course, let's hope that there are no missile strikes! In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil, @f1statsguru and Kunal preview the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. While Ferrari and Mercedes will be fending off rumours and other media speculation, we expect Red Bull Racing-Verstappen to run away with some heavy points. After Bahrain, George Russell (and others) kept stressing that Bahrain was 'an outlier'. If that's the case, will Red Bull Racing be challenged whatosever? And if so, who will the challenge come from? Tune in! (Season 2023, Episode 10) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Aston Martin Formula One Team