Inside Line F1 Podcast Inside Line F1 Podcast

Everything about Monaco is different. Yes, it is. It's not just the race distance or the circuit length, but even the podium ceremony. Did you know that in Monaco the trophies are handed out before the national anthem? At the other circuits, it is the other way around. Yes, keep an eye out for this one.

For the teams and drivers, the challenge of Monaco is what excites them. Qualifying is key and "track position" is everything around the streets of Monaco. In the race, it is more about not ceding track position to your rival than finishing the race in the shortest possible race time.

For the teams, Monaco is logistical challenge given the smaller confines to work within. Upgrades are the name of the game, but the "confidence" in the cockpit is what the teams will help their drivers chase in Monaco. The talk about Monaco is usually about "leaving lap time" on the table, since the time comes when you go up close to the walls and barriers! It's more about margins to the walls than margins between teams when Formula 1 is racing in Monaco.

Join @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah in this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast as they preview the upcoming 2024 Monaco Grand Prix.

(Season 2024, Episode 24)


Follow our hosts on Twitter: @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah

Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool

Max Verstappen & Lando Norris have finished in the top-2 positions in the last 3 races of the 2024 Formula 1 season. The question on everyone's mind is - will the Verstappen-Norris battle continue through the season?

If the 2023 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix is anything to go by, it does seem so. If Miami was won by Norris-McLaren thanks to the Safety Car, Norris' late-race charge in Imola confirmed McLaren's turn of pace thanks to their steady upgrade plans...a plan that started in Austria last year.

Since their win in Miami, McLaren's communication has changed - from claiming that they could challenge Red Bull Racing, they're now saying than can. For Formula 1's sake, one can only hope so.

But how could Lando Norris launch such a late-race charge on Max Verstappen? How did Verstappen-Red Bull recover after a messy start to the weekend? Could Norris have attacked Verstappen earlier, and if the race was a lap longer, could Norris have actually one? 

In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Kunal Shah and @f1statsguru review the 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Soumil Arora, who is on holiday in the north-eastern part of India, was sorely missed!

Is Mercedes now the 'best of the rest'? Why have Yuki Tsunoda and Nico Hulkenberg impressed everyone in 2024? Did Hulkenberg's tow cost McLaren a 1-2 in Qualifying on Saturday? Sergio Perez is now third in the Drivers' Championship behind Charles Leclerc - could this hamper his contract extension talks? And of course, did Ferrari's upgrades work? 

Lots of narratives, explainers and facts-stats packed in this 50+ mins long episode. Tune in!

(Season 2024, Episode 23)


Follow our hosts on Twitter: @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah

Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool

Could a new pecking order emerge at the 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix? It's the first European race of the season and we expect teams to bring a plethora of upgrades to this race.

Can the upgrades really make things tighter between Red Bull Racing, McLaren and Ferrari? It's not the top-3, but all teams that could see their fortunes change this weekend onward.

McLaren and Ferrari were in the battle for 2nd place, but is it actually for 1st place with Red Bull Racing? OR will Max Verstappen return with vengeance at Imola, as he usually does so after losing a race? Lots of exciting stories to look forward to for this weekend's race.

Nico Hulkenberg, the Formula 1 veteran, has never raced at Imola! He's also the first driver to join another team...after racing for Haas. Btw, Kevin Magnussen is 2 points away from a race ban, will he clean up his racing act? Or will Oliver Bearman end up racing for two teams in 2024?

In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah preview the 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Imola, the historic venue that will host this weekend's race, is often remembered for the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger. It has been 30 years since their passing at the 1994 Imola Grand Prix, of course, at Imola. 

Lots in store in this near hour long chat, tune in!

(Season 2024, Episode 22)


Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah

Image courtesy: McLaren

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

The Adrian Newey bombshell has finally dropped...on Red Bull Racing and all of Formula 1. But what Newey does next is more of interest, of course.

F1 TV's lead voice and commentator Alex Jacques is our special guest on this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast.

"What a problem to have for someone who has won 200 Grands Prix," said Alex Jacques, the guest on this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast. Soumil Arora and Jacques discussed with a lot of confidence that Maranello is where Newey will be headed to next...to work for Ferrari. "A great addition to his already fabled CV!" concluded Jacques.

In this "voices of F1" episode series, which is also a bonus episode before the 2024 Miami Grand Prix, Soumil and Alex spoke about Carlos Sainz's options, including Audi, Kimi Antonelli to Mercedes, Wolff-Hamilton and lots more.

Tune in!

(Season 2024, Episode 19)


Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora and Alex Jacques

Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool