Inside Line F1 Podcast - Play Party (Mode) Pooper For 2019

Photo: Octane Photography

So much for Red Bull Racing chasing the infamous 'party mode' in Formula 1. The FIA have introduced rules in 2019 that could see the end of the (legal) tricks used to engage the power boost during qualifying. Level the playing field, we hope. This means that in 2019, Red Bull Racing will miss the 'party mode' and their party boy, Daniel Ricciardo.

In this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, we dissect Racing Point's alternate theory to Darwin's - the 'survival of the slowest'. It seems best to interview Helmut Marko in the winter period, we tell you why. Sebastian Vettel should become a coffee drinker to further his title campaign in 2019 - we share what our random research brings out. And finally, is the Liberty Media-Ecclestone combination that Formula 1 needs to propel itself into the future? Oh wait, last we heard, Liberty Media were seeking liberty from Formula 1. As expected, things as spicing up as the winter period comes to an official end in the next few days...tune in!

(Season 2019, Episode 03)

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Inside Line F1 Podcast - Why No F1 Fan Should Hate Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton is the perfect embodiment of Liberty Media's vision for Formula 1 - embracing the show without compromising on speed. In this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, we tell you that the 2018 Formula 1 Season is proof why NO Formula 1 fan should hate Lewis Hamilton.

Photo: Octane Photography

Also, we talk about Red Bull Racing's targets for Honda and Max Verstappen in 2019, Jos-Max's chemistry, how Sebastian Vettel can reclaim his lost glory, why the Vietnam Grand Prix was probably announced ahead of its time and which current Grand Prix will Formula 1 be forced to drop to accommodate the new venues in 2020? Tune in!

(Season 2018, Episode 37)
Subscribe to the Inside Line F1 Podcast on iTunes and on audioBoom (RSS feed) for your weekly dose of Formula 1 humour

Here's what's in store for you in this week's episode:

0:00-3:00: Latest talking points from the world of Formula 1 + celebrating Lewis Hamilton’s 5th world title

3:00-6:00: Christian Horner’s double talk on Daniel Ricciardo’s talent; decoding the Jos-Max chemistry, is Max ready to be World Champion in 2019?

6:00-9:00: Could Hamilton have won the 2018 Drivers’ Championship racing for Ferrari?

9:00-12:00: Sebastian Vettel is not past his peak. No.

12:00-15:00: Does Vettel know what a podcast is? And, 25 Grands Prix by 2020?

15:00-18:00: Why Marcus Ericsson will do well in Indy Car. Is Carlos Sainz as talented as Max Verstappen and Nico Hulkenberg?

18:00-end: Which celebrity will transmit a farewell message to Fernando Alonso in Abu Dhabi? And also, this week’s ‘What Wolff Said This Week’ section

Subscribe to the Inside Line F1 Podcast on iTunes and on audioBoom (RSS feed) for your weekly dose of Formula 1 humour

Inside Line F1 Podcast - Best Time To Own A Formula 1 Team?

The business of Formula 1 seems to be changing. With Liberty Media looking to restructure team payments, budget caps, standardisation, etc. - is this the best time to invest in a Formula 1 team? Will owning a team finally be about its business rather than passion? We discuss more in this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast.

Daniel 'Shoey' Ricciardo is the hottest property in the paddock these days; we actually celebrated his win in Monaco with a shoey! Lewis Hamilton - will he seriously get to designing race tracks? After Miami, he's shown interest in redesigning the Monaco street circuit. We also tell you why the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix wasn't as boring as some of the drivers called it out to be. Finally, who could replace Brendon Hartley at Toro Rosso? And thank you Pirelli for renaming your tyre compounds for next season; we appreciate simplifying Formula 1. Tune in!

Subscribe to the Inside Line F1 Podcast on iTunes and on audioBoom (RSS feed) for your weekly dose of Formula 1 humour

(Season 2018, Episode 17)

Inside Line F1 Podcast - Formula 1 Is Finally Formula Fun

After three back-to-back races of absolute chaos, excitement and unexpected results, is Formula 1 finally Formula Fun? Hats off to Liberty Media for not resting on the laurels and great races in Bahrain, China and Azerbaijan and for forcing through (literally!) the aero changes for 2019. Whether they deliver on-track or not, 10/10 for trying.

In this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Mithila and Kunal discuss the Formula 1 - Twitter deal and how it has created part-time employment for the 2016 World Champion, Nico Rosberg. They tell you why most teams were opposing the rule changes for next season and how Kimi Raikkonen cracked the best joke of this week. Finally, how soon before fans cry of an overdose in race strategy; well, one of our listeners actually likened the current Formula 1 season to Poker. Do you agree? Tune in!

(Season 2018, Episode 15)

Subscribe to the Inside Line F1 Podcast on iTunes and on audioBoom (RSS feed) for your weekly dose of Formula 1 humour

Inside Line F1 Podcast - The Perfect Advertisement Of Formula 1

If you have family and friends who are on-the-fence fans of Formula 1, the 2018 Bahrain Grand Prix could go a long way into dropping them onto our side of the fence. The nail-biting and edge-of-the-seat action from Bahrain was definitely the perfect advertisement that Formula 1 could ask for.

In this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Mithila and Kunal rejoice the season's first of many back-to-back races. They applaud Liberty Media for ensuring that there were no adverse reactions from their meeting with the teams in Bahrain (where they discussed the future of Formula 1). Also, while a brutal way to find out a system issue, Ferrari's pit error robbed us of a Kimi Raikkonen vs. Lewis Hamilton fight for the podium. They tell you why Valtteri Bottas should have definitely tried harder to overtake Sebastian Vettel and how McLaren are actually the luckiest team on the grid right now.

Will the cooler conditions in Shanghai bring Mercedes back into focus, and if so, will their 'party mode' be hotly discussed yet again? Or will Ferrari have answers to Mercedes' pace in the 2018 Chinese Grand Prix too? Tune in!

(Season 2018, Episode 12)

Subscribe to the Inside Line F1 Podcast on iTunes and on audioBoom (RSS feed) for your weekly dose of Formula 1 humour

Inside Line F1 Podcast - Mercedes To Join Ferrari's F1 Quit Threats In Bahrain?

Liberty Media will present a draft of their future plans for the sport and business of Formula 1 to the teams on the Friday of the 2018 Bahrain Grand Prix. History has shown that such discussions usually end up with Ferrari threatening to quit Formula 1. But this time, we wonder if Mercedes will join Ferrari in Bahrain. After all in the recent past, Mercedes have been repeating Ferrari's quit threats as though they were their own.

In this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Mithila and Kunal hope that the racing will keep us as interested as the sport's politics do. Also, has Robert Kubica missed an BIG opportunity by letting go of his WEC drive for 2018? Will Fernando Alonso have a fall-out with McLaren owing to pay-cut issues? If so, the driver silly season for 2019 will heat up immensely. Finally, do remember to hear our 'What Wolff Said This Week' segment; we're excited by the comments it has already generated. Tune in!

(Season 2018, Episode 10)

New Motorsport Week article: Time to start...opening your minds (to later race starts)

Photo: Octane Photography

How quickly reputations shift in F1. It seems just like yesterday Liberty Media was the great white hope. These days it seems increasingly like a pariah.

It's flown another kite. This time to shift the starting time of races back by 70 minutes. And the reaction against was immediate and resolute.

In my latest for Motorsport Week I argue that perhaps we should have more of an open mind. I mean, at least let us hear the rationale. Who knows, the idea might have something going for it?

You can read my thinking here: https://www.motorsportweek.com/news/id/16736

Inside Line F1 Podcast - Bernie Ecclestone - Ferrari's Breakaway Series

Ferrari's breakaway series is no longer news. In fact, apart from grabbing headlines for the last decade, there's never been further movement. But will the out-of-work Bernie Ecclestone take up Ferrari's breakaway series as a project to bring him back into force in the world of Motorsport? Ecclestone's love for Ferrari is public knowledge, but how serious could Ferrari be?

Frankly, if there's any series who can benefit from Ecclestone's administrative experience, it would be Formula E. But that's for another episode.

In this episode, we talk about Robert Kubica's possible comeback and if he would be the fastest pay driver ever. Did Lewis Hamilton take piano lessons from Adrian Sutil? Will Lewis Hamilton skip the F1 Live events planned in 2018, or will Liberty Media make it mandatory for drivers to attend? Finally, instead of the grid girls vs. grid boys debate, let's have grid pets.

Finally, Formula 1 recorded an increase in circuit attendance in 2017. This is when we registered a 22% increase in our listenership. Thank you for your support, listens and comments. Here's wishing you a Happy New Year. We'll see you in 2018! Tune in!

(Season 2017, Episode 38)

Subscribe to the Inside Line F1 Podcast on iTunes and audioBoom for your weekly dose of Formula 1 humour. 

Inside Line F1 Podcast - What's The ONE Change Formula 1 Needs In 2018?

2017 was Liberty Media's first full season as the new owners of Formula 1. How well did they fare? Also, what is the ONE change you would like to see in the sport in 2018? Feel free to share your view(s) with us. Also, let's succumb to our fate that the 'halo' is here to stay, so let that not be your answer.

In this week's episode, we discuss various changes that the sport needs to make to secure its future. The changes we talk about go from circuits and cars to engines and tyres and everything in between. Luckily for us, 2018 will possibly see the best driving talent line up on the grid, will Formula 1 make the most of this and offer us a season-long spectacle? Tune in!

(Season 2017, Episode 38)

New Motorsport Week article: The honeymoon is over - but Liberty and F1 will be a happy marriage

Photo: Octane Photography

Never glad confident morning again, as Robert Browning might have had it.

Lately F1's commercial rights holders Liberty, who arrived amid a wave of optimism and goodwill 12 months ago, has all of a sudden faced a lot of criticism. The latest example being the logo and all that last weekend.

But in my latest article for Motorsport Week I argue that while the honeymoon is over, the signs remain that Liberty and F1 will be a happy marriage. And even the Abu Dhabi weekend contained some good examples of why.

You can have a read via this link: https://www.motorsportweek.com/news/id/16429

Inside Line F1 Podcast - McLaren Is The Fan Favourite For 2017

As we near the start of the 2017 Formula 1 Season, Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull Racing are busy trading the 'favourites' tag with each other. In this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Mithila and Kunal tell you that despite their lack of pace and reliability, McLaren-Honda are definitely the fan favourite for 2017.

The million dollar questions staring at Formula 1 right now are: Will Mercedes unleash more pace? Will McLaren-Honda be able to go the full race distance? Also, does Daniel Ricciardo have a new party trick for 2017? Because we know that Max Verstappen does.

Liberty Media have re-branded GP2 to F2, but with F3 already there, what will they brand GP3 to? And we were most glad when they admitted that traditional races in Europe are key to Formula 1's future. The new owners of the sport seem to be making the right noises (again). Is this why Bernie Ecclestone chose to not stay on?

Along with iTunes and audioBoom, we're also now available on Google Play Podcasts. Pick your platform and subscribe for your weekly dose of Formula 1 humour.

Tune in!

(Season 2017, Episode 10)

Inside Line F1 Podcast - Williams' Unexpected Reveal Shocks Sauber

Sauber is on pole position - to launch 2017's first Formula 1 car. The strange part is that two relatively unknown drivers (Ericsson and Wehrlein) will unveil the new looking Formula 1 car. Given the excitement around the new look, couldn't Formula 1 (read: Liberty Media) get some of their superstar drivers to do so?

But this pole position works well for Sauber. It is a PR masterstroke. This unveil might garner them more publicity than the previous two seasons put together. As for McLaren, they almost clinched pole! Their agency might have just leaked their livery images on social media.

PS: Williams' unexpected reveal on Autosport/Motorsport was after this podcast was recorded and published.

Nico Rosberg wants to go back to being friends with Lewis Hamilton. Is it easier for him to say so now that he's beaten him? Either way, we think Rosberg-Hamilton could be the Rocky Balboa-Apollo Creed of Formula 1.

And in this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, we dissect Juan Pablo Montoya's comment on 'weak' European drivers, the engine fire-up by teams, Kimi Raikkonen's karaoke skills and new bar and Fernando Alonso's really cool emojis.

'Light at the end of the tunnel' on British Grand Prix future - Warwick

BRDC president Derek Warwick has today insisted that there is 'light at the end of the tunnel' on ensuring the British Grand Prix's long-term future.

Derek Warwick talking today at Autosport International

There have been recent reports of Silverstone's owners BRDC activating the 'break clause' in its Grand Prix contract, which would need to be activated before this year's race, so that it would not hold the F1 event beyond 2019. But speaking at Autosport International today Warwick was bullish about the race's long-term future, and said that a compromise deal is likely.

"We made a note to our members, our Christmas note, giving them on update of Silverstone," said Warwick, "and a lot of that then came out as we were going to, the possibility, of causing the break clause before the Grand Prix this year, to break the clause for 2019.

"Don't worry, we've 100% got a Grand Prix for the next three years, up until 2019."

Final thoughts on 2016: State of flux

"It's been strange coming here this weekend, realising that these are going to be the last practice sessions, the last qualifying sessions with this car, which has been so incredible. You never know when you're going to have a car like this ever again. I hope we have another one in the near future, maybe next year. It's been such a privilege driving this car."

In F1 in 2016, at the front it was the same story as before
Photo: Octane Photography

It was easy to miss, what with everything else that was going on. But Lewis Hamilton after claiming yet another pole in the final qualifying session of the year, in Abu Dhabi, was correct. From a historical perspective this was the big story. Mercedes in 2016, the last year of this formula, swept the board just as it did when the formula started in 2014. The dominance therefore was complete. We know all about teams stealing a march as a new spec comes in, but the Brackley and Brixworth concerns not only did this but sustained the advantage over time, even though the rest have the theoretical advantage of being able to learn from what makes the Mercedes quick. Really it's hard to make a case that Merc's foes at any point got closer to toppling them.

The statistics pay testament - out of 59 races Mercedes won 51 of them. And 2016 was the most crushing of all - 19 from 21 race went the silver way. And of the two it missed in one the Mercs collided and in the other a Merc's engine went pop when leading easily.

Time was that the back-to-back F1 title was near enough impossible. Slackening - unconscious; by decimal points - would creep in after a success. Not so now. In roughly the mid-1980s the era of the F1 dynasty began. Perhaps showing the delicate alchemy required to prevail in the modern game.