Inside Line F1 Podcast

Our most-awaited season-ending episode is here - the Inside Line F1 Parody Awards. Most drivers say that our F1 Parody Awards are the best; better than the FIA Gala Awards, of course. "The winner is never who you think it is" is the key phrase to remember as you tune in to this episode. We've got 10 categories and several nominees. There's a 100% chance that your favourite teams-drivers have at least one nomination, if not, a category win. Tune in! See you in 2025... 🛑 Subscribe for more F1 insights: https://podfollow.com/inside-line-f1-podcast 💬 Follow us on social media: @insidelinef1pod Tune in! (Season 2024, Episode 65) Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Negotiations are ongoing. I am positive that there will be a decision & announcement this week." "Yes, this is the first time share holders are involved (in a driver decision)." Inside Line F1 Podcast's Kunal Shah spoke to Red Bull's Dr. Helmut Marko about 2025 driver line-ups for both Red Bull-owned Formula 1 teams, celebrating Max Verstappen's fourth win, strengths and areas of improvement for all Red Bull contracted drivers for 2025 (including Verstappen) and Arvid Lindblad's future in Formula 2, and hopefully, Formula 1...with Red Bull Racing. 🛑 Subscribe for more F1 insights: https://podfollow.com/inside-line-f1-podcast 💬 Follow us on social media: @insidelinef1pod Tune in! (Season 2024, Episode 64) Follow our hosts: Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the season finale review episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast! Join us as we review the 2024 Abu Dhabi GP—a race that had it all! McLaren ends a 26-year drought with a historic Constructors' Championship win 🏆, Ferrari's strategy drama unfolds 🔄 and Lando Norris proves he's the man under pressure 💪 We also bid goodbye to some of the sport's finest drivers and gear up for an exciting 2025 season. Don’t miss this in-depth race analysis, driver highlights, and all the action from Yas Marina Circuit! 🚦 And of course, the Inside Line "Parody" Awards is next! 🛑 Subscribe for more F1 insights: https://podfollow.com/inside-line-f1-podcast 🎧 Listen to the podcast: 💬 Follow us on social media: @insidelinef1pod Tune in! (Season 2024, Episode 63) Follow our hosts: @f1statsguru & Kunal Shah Image courtesy: McLaren Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

6, if not 7, drivers racing in the 2024 Formula 1 Season will be enjoying a farewell at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz, Franco Colapinto, Kevin Magnussen, Zhou Guanyu, Valtteri Bottas...and maybe, Sergio Perez? And of course, three drivers haven't had a farewell in 2024 - Daniel Ricciardo, Logan Sargeant and Esteban Ocon. Luckily, we will see OCO back in Formula 1 with Haas in a tyre test after Abu Dhabi. In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah preview the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. 9 out of the last 12 races have been won from pole, and 11 (of these 12) have been won from the front row. Half of the 10 Constructors' Championship standings could change after this Sunday's race - McLaren vs. Ferrari for P1, while Alpine, Haas and Racing Bulls are battling for P6. The lesser hyped battle is the one for P2 in the Drivers' Championship between Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc. Could Norris go from battling Max Verstappen for P1 to losing P2 to Leclerc? This is the 2024 Formula 1 season and stranger things have happened. But for everyone's sake (and sanity), let's hope that all battles are settled fairly and justly...and without the intervention of the FIA. Tune in! (Season 2024, Episode 62) Follow our hosts: @f1statsguru & Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Max Verstappen won yet another race in a car that wasn't the fastest. But which car was the fastest in the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix? On Friday, it was the McLaren. On Saturday, it was the Mercedes, but on Sunday, was it the McLaren again? Or the Red Bull Racing car have a slight edge? We believe it was McLaren's race to win...and they didn't. Yet another race where they didn't maximise their result. M4xsterclass in Qatar was the reason this time. Verstappen ensured he didn't lose the race lead to George Russell at the start and to Lando Norris at the restarts. Along with Verstappen's 9th win of 2024, it was also his 1-place grid penalty in Qualifying that made the headlines. On Sunday, Norris' "10 second stop-go" penalty was another fiasco that dogged the FIA - did they exaggerate the safety situation by throwing a double yellow flag? Why were they late in deploying the Safety Car to remove Alexander Albon's broken wing mirror? In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah present to you the review of the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix. The unfortunate punctures for Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton, Hamilton's unforced errors in the race, Russell's lack of spatial awareness, Pierre Gasly's 5th place for Alpine, Fernando Alonso scoring in his 400th race in Formula 1 and of course, Zhou Guanyu scoring his and Sauber's first points of the season. A lot happened in Qatar, on and off track. We dissect the chaos and the racing. Tune in! (Season 2024, Episode 61) Follow our hosts: @f1statsguru & Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Mercedes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why did Formula 1 make a "U" turn on their stance against having an 11th team in Andretti joining the grid? Did Formula 1 "use" Andretti to lure General Motors and Cadillac to the sport? OR did Andretti use GM-Cadillac to get their chance to race in Formula 1? Of course, Andretti will have a team on the grid in 2026, just not with their name on it! In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah discuss the politics of the "11th team in Formula 1" while wondering if Andretti's playbook to "force" their way into the sport is something other car manufacturers in the world could use!? McLaren vs. Ferrari, Hamilton vs. Russell, Alpine vs. Racing Bulls vs. Haas, but of course, Leclerc vs. Norris - lots of battles left in the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship. They will be fiercely fought over the next two races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. The circuit characteristics of the Lusail International Circuit indicate that it should favour McLaren, but could Mercedes continue their momentum into Qatar? They were quick in the fast and sweeping Silverstone, while of course, Ferrari considers Lusail as one of their "weaker" circuits. Let's see how it rolls in Qatar, which also, is a Sprint weekend. Tune in! (Season 2024, Episode 60) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Image courtesy: General Motors, Cadillac Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the second successive year, the Las Vegas Grand Prix delivered an entertaining race. The cold temperatures and the circuit layout brought Mercedes into play and it was George Russell who maximised his chances - in Qualifying, by clinching pole position, and then winning from pole in the Race. Lewis Hamilton, who made two rare errors in Qualifying, finished second in the race after delivering a solid recovery drive from 10th on the grid. The 2024 Formula 1 season will be remembered in the sport's history. For the first time in history, there are four teams with multiple wins and with 1-2 finishes in the races. And of course, it will be remembered as one of Verstappen's finest Drivers' Championship wins, after all, he's won the title in what is the third fastest car as per the classification. In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah review the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix. The entertainment, the stars, the overtakes, the degrading tyres, Ferrari's pace but lack of strategy, the Charles Leclerc-Carlos Sainz love-hate relationship, Nico Hulkenberg and Yuki Tsunoda's points scoring ways, Pierre Gasly's third in Qualifying going up in flames, Aston Martin's no score and more. Tune in! (Season 2024, Episode 59) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Formula 1 graduates-to-be Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman have *one* thing in common in their season as team-mates in Formula 2, and that's Prema - the team they race for in the premier feeder series to Formula 1. Fun fact - Prema has helped 20 drivers graduate from the junior series to Formula 2...and ultimately Formula 1. Their list of graduates is illustrious and it includes drivers such as Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Esteban Ocon, Mick Schumacher, Robert Kubica, Pierre Gasly and several more. Prema's Rene Rosin joins Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah on Inside Line F1 Podcast to discuss the team's 41 year old history, developing junior drivers for every team on the Formula 1 grid, the business of racing in Formula 2 and more. After announcing their much-awaited foray into IndyCar, could Formula 1 be next for Prema? Rene Rosin shares the team's ambitions, growth plans and above all else, the passion they go racing with every single weekend, in every single racing series they participate in. Tune in! (Season 2024, Episode 57) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does Formula 1 actually have a 4-team battle for wins hereon? OR will it be a case of different teams challenging Red Bull Racing's supremacy in 2024? Is Mercedes actually back? And can Ferrari bounce back after their debacle in Canada? Will McLaren deliver error-free weekends to continue to maximise their chances? The 2024 Spanish Grand Prix will answer a lot of questions. In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah start by answering why the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is the best benchmark for assessing the performance of a Formula 1 car. Yes, this is a phrase we will hear all weekend long! Will Esteban Ocon and Alpine's toxicity continue? Will Lewis Hamilton continue to deliver cryptic messages post-Qualifying? Will Carlos Sainz continue his 100% scoring record at his home race in Spain AND can he stop Charles Leclerc from out-qualifying him for the 6th race in succession. Will Alpine actually ditch the Renault power-unit, and could life come a full circle if Alpine are powered by Red Bull Power Trains come 2026? And of course, we've got our bold predictions for the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix. Tune in! (Season 2024, Episode 28) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool

Charles Leclerc wins at home in Monaco. Finally! Understandably, it was an emotional win - for the small country of Monaco, the Royal Family and even Ferrari. 45 years since Ferrari last converted a pole position to victory. The last Monegasque driver to win in Monaco was way back in 1950 (Louis Chiron)! Did you know? Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso are 4:4 each in head-to-head qualifying While Leclerc is a popular winner, the way in which he won wasn't. But he did so in typical Monaco style - winning the race at the slowest possible pace. But why did Leclerc & other race slowly? Why were Verstappen-Red Bull struggling? Should Kevin Magnussen have received a penalty for the opening lap crash with Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg? The top-10 qualifiers claimed the top-10 points scoring finishing positions in the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix! Congratulations to Alexander Albon and Williams for scoring their first points of the season with a fine 9th place finish. Also, Pierre Gasly opened his points account in Monaco despite an embarrassing opening lap clash with Esteban Ocon. (Season 2024, Episode 25) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Ferrari

Our "voices of F1" series is back. This time, we have former Formula 1 driver and RTL's F1 expert Christian Danner on the Inside Line F1 Podcast. Why has Formula 1 declined in Germany? In fact, how popular was it in Germany during Michael Schumacher's reign? Danner shares interesting insights on Schumacher's legacy, why he was loved by Germany and how different Sebastian Vettel is remembered as a Formula 1 legend today. Also, is Nico Rosberg celebrated as a German Formula 1 champion? We also touch upon Mick Schumacher's surprisingly short Formula 1 career, the possibility of a comeback and why Nico Hulkenberg is a perfect fit for Audi. Danner also tells us how the Sainz family knows enough about Audi for them to wait for a seat elsewhere - naming, Red Bull Racing and Mercedes. For those who love Motorsport history, Danner goes back in time to talk of his moments with Ayrton Senna, why Formula 1 is the "only true racing car", how driver contracts were in the 80s and much more. This is one super hour (and little more) with Christian Danner packed with fantastic stories and experiences. Tune in! (Season 2024, Episode 21) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, Kunal Shah and Christian Danner Image courtesy: Ferrari

Did Lando Norris get lucky with the Safety Car to win his first-ever Formula 1 Grand Prix? OR was McLaren genuinely quick in Miami? Mercedes' customer team, McLaren, has won a race in 2024 before the works team! Also, McLaren's second Grand Prix win in the last 12 years! Could Carlos Sainz have won the race, had the timing of the Safety Car been different? The 2024 Miami Grand Prix was a race of two halves - Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri shining in the first half, while Lando Norris and Esteban Ocon shone in the second. In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah review the 2024 Miami Grand Prix - including Donald Trump's choice of visiting the McLaren garage pre-race. For our Indian listeners - Yuvraj Singh and Ibrahim Ali Khan were the two celebrities who attended the race. Was Kevin Magnussen unsportsmanlike, and should Lewis Hamilton have received a penalty for his Turn 1 shenanigans in the Sprint? In fact, Hamilton's fiercest battles were with Magnussen (Sprint) and Nico Hulkenberg (Grand Prix). Tune in! (Season 2024, Episode 20) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Image courtesy: McLaren

Former Williams and Ferrari team member and renowned Formula 1 broadcaster, Peter Windsor joins as a guest on the Inside Line F1 Podcast to preview the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix. He is hosted by the show regulars, Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah. We are hosting an Inside Line F1 Pitstop at Khar SOCIAL in Mumbai for the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix. This is your chance to meet-interact with like-minded Formula 1 fans in the city and win merchandise via quizzes and conversations. Limited early-bird tickets available on Paytm Insider. The event will be hosted by Soumil Arora and @f1statsguru (aka Sundaram). In this episoide, the trio discuss a variety of topics - This episode is packed with banter, references from history (given Peter's illustrious experiences), insights and facts. Tune in! (Season 2024, Episode 14) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Mercedes

Fernando Alonso brake-testing George Russell OR was he fair? Williams Racing issuing a brutal team order - Alexander Albon replacing Logan Sargeant for the 2024 Australian Grand Prix. Mercedes' double DNF, Red Bull Racing - could they have won with Max Verstappen or was Ferrari genuinely quick to get pole, which they failed, and win the race by scoring a 1-2. In fact, why was Charles Leclerc comprehensively beaten by Carlos Sainz? Haas' double score, Yuki Tsunoda's points, Daniel Ricciardo's struggles and Sauber's slow stops - a lot of stories from this weekend's 2024 Australian Grand Prix. Are you also convinced that Sainz's win wasn't the biggest story? For us, it wasn't because Max Verstappen retired and we'd have loved to see if the win was on merit. Sometimes, Formula 1 celebrates a non-Red Bull Racing win...just because. Tune in! (Season 2024, Episode 13) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Ferrari

Courtesy of the Doohans, Australia's Motorsport royalty, Formula 1 fans will be treated to Formula 1 + MotoGP demo runs through the weekend of the 2024 Australian Grand Prix. Jack Doohan will drive the Benetton Formula 1 car from 2000 to commemorate his father Mick's successes in MotoGP. Mick (Doohan) will be on a production Honda MotoGP bike (2016). Also, the 2024 Australian Grand Prix marks the start of Inside Line Club's race screening events in India. Soumil and @f1statsguru will host an event in Mumbai (Khar) while other cities of India will have race screenings. Yes, breakfast tastes best when served with Formula 1 action! (Tickets out soon on Paytm Insider; check out our social media handles) At this weekend's 2024 Australian Grand Prix, will the chaos from last year continue? We had three SCs and three Red Flag periods while eight drivers retired. As Soumil mentioned it, this is the only "park" Formula 1 goes racing at. Could Max Verstappen equal his race winning streak of 10 races? Is it really that easy for him and Red Bull Racing? Also, will this two week break have helped Red Bull Racing negotiate truce between all the warring factions? OR will Jos Verstappen's possible return to the Formula 1 paddock (he skipped Saudi Arabia, remember?) cause more news and controversy for the reigning World Champion team? In Bahrain, it was Christian Horner under attack. In Saudi Arabia, it was Helmut Marko. Who's turn might it be in Australia? On-track, Aston Martin, McLaren and Mercedes have to chase Ferrari first - before they set their sights on Red Bull Racing. Will Carlos Sainz return OR will Oliver Bearman get a second shot for Ferrari? The narrative has expanded to - who will finish P3 in the race AND who will be the non-top-5 team driver to break into Q3? Lots of facts and stats packed into this preview episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast with Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah. Tune in! (Season 2024, Episode 12) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Mercedes

Max Verstappen won the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix by a whooping 22 second margin to Sergio Perez. In 2023, a season he absolutely dominated, his victory margin in Bahrain was only 11 seconds. Could this be a sign for a long and boring season ahead? Let's add to the doomsday prediction with this stat - for the first time ever in Formula 1 history there was no retirement at the opening race of the season! In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah look at some of the off-beat stories from the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix. Why? Because a lot of the stories and narratives seem like just a continuation from 2023. Off-beat stories that you need to know of - Williams' steering dashboard issues, Mercedes' cooling configuration going all wrong + Lewis Hamilton's broken seat, Carlos Sainz wanting a car he could overtake with, Charles Leclerc's imbalanced brake temperatures, Aston Martin's unrealistically large gap to the top-4 and of course, the silly situation between Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda. Max Verstappen dominating, everyone else chasing yada yada. But did the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix reveal a pecking order? Yes, it did so. But do we expect the pecking order to remain unchanged in 2024? Oh, absolutely not. Tune in! (Season 2024, Episode 09) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool

The GOAT to meet the Prancing Horse - has there been a more shocking driver move in the last many decades? We think not! Lewis Hamilton has finally given in to Ferrari's relentless pursuit to hire him as their star driver. Hamilton will end his dream relationship with Mercedes at the end of the 2024 Formula 1 season and race for the Scuderia Ferrari from 2025. Almost no one saw this move coming. But why is Lewis Hamilton going? What could be the 'release clause' he's triggered in his Mercedes contract? In fact, he just extended his contract with the Silver Arrows less than six months ago. We discuss the sporting and other reasons as to why Hamilton has chosen to make this move. As for Ferrari, why do they so badly want Lewis Hamilton? What's next for Carlos Sainz Jr.? It would be a bummer if he didn't get either of the seats vacant at Red Bull Racing and Mercedes from 2025. He's held his own against the might of Charles Leclerc in Ferrari, what else does he need to do to get himself a fast car? Who will Mercedes replace Lewis Hamilton with? Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, the two hotshot drivers are locked in at McLaren for the long term. The other two, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, aren't available either. Does Mercedes want a star driver to replace their departing star? OR will they trust a young gun like Red Bull Racing did with Verstappen many years ago? Apart from Carlos Sainz Jr., the other names doing the rounds are Fernando Alonso and Alexander Albon. But could Mercedes bring Sebastian Vettel out of retirement and if not, give Mick Schumacher's Formula 1 career a second life? Toto Wolff has been very vocal of Vettel and Schumacher's talents. Now that he has a vacant cockpit, will he walk the talk? In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah discuss all of the above and more. Tune in! (Season 2024, Episode 05) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Mercedes

In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil Arora catches up with Daryl Goodrich, the Director of the "Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story" documentary on Disney+. It's the Formula 1 off-season and there's no better way to get your fix for the sport than by streaming feature stories from the sport itself. You've probably watched the Brawn GP documentary by now just as you probably saw Brawn GP stun Formula 1 by winning the titles in 2009. Tune in to hear Daryl narrate unheard stories from when the documentary was being produced. He shares some of his favourite behind-the-scenes moments from the Brawn GP documentary. He talks about his experiences of working with Keanu Reeves first hand and also about the Brawn GP stories he heard from the famous trio - Ross Brawn, Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. Our favourite story? When a plumber ended up becoming the team's refueller! Tune in! (Season 2024, Episode 02) Follow our hosts: Soumil Arora and Daryl Goodrich Image courtesy: Disney+

Of course, every team would be interested in hiring the legendary Formula 1 car designer Adrian Newey. In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, we reveal how a relatively small privateer team called Force India F1 Team had a serious boardroom discussion on hiring Newey. "The best pound for pound World Champion team" was what Force India was labelled after it consistently outperformed its resources season after season and before the faded away into oblivion. One of the team's co-owners, (late) Subrata Roy, did express seriousness in hiring Newey at one of the team's board meetings. The other story that is revealed in this episode is that of Gautam Singhania (of Raymond fame) being contacted by Collin Kolles to buy the ailing Spyker-Midland operation. It was Singhania who then introduced this opportunity to Dr. Mallya. In the off-season, the Inside Line F1 Podcast will focus on feature stories from the paddock. In the early part of January, we will re-run some of our Force India F1 Team specials followed by our exclusive interview with the former boss at Force India & Alpine, Otmar Szafnauer. Tune in! (Season 2024, Episode 01) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool

"The winner is never who you think it is!" This is the 11th version of our ever-popular and most-awaited Inside Line F1 Parody Awards. This is also our most-researched episode of the year. But given that it's the off-season, this is probably the least-listened to episode of the season. Sigh! EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/insideline Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah discuss some of the most-remembered but also the most-forgotten moments from the 2023 Formula 1 season. There are more than a few category - "FIA Moment of the Year", "Liberty Media Moment of the Year", "Most Forgotten Moment of the Year", "Celebrity of the Year", "Most Awkward Moment of the Year", "Recovery of the Year" and so on. Sit back and enjoy over an hour of absolute banter over the 2023 Formula 1 season. Did we miss out on your favourite memory (or nightmare!) from the season? Catch us on social media and let's know. Tune in! (Season 2023, Episode 66) Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool