THE INSIDE LINE F1 PODCAST IS HOSTED BY MITHILA MEHTA AND KUNAL SHAH. THIS FORMULA ONE PODCAST OFFERS A HUMOUROUS VIEW ON THE SPORT.
All eyes at the 2017 Spanish Grand Prix would be on Red Bull Racing. Will their updates work? And more importantly, will their cars stop in time? Both Verstappen and Ricciardo have had a retirement each in the last two races thanks to faulty brakes. Red Bull gives you wings, but no brakes, literally speaking. Christian Horner publicly claimed that he carried parts of Verstappen’s engine to Russia in his suitcase. Will he be carrying brake parts to Spain?
The season resets in Spain, hailed Niki Lauda. In the right context, this does hold true for Formula 1. But in Red Bull Racing’s case, the reset they would hope for would be in their 80 points deficit in the Constructors’ Championship table.
By the way, there were rumours that Red Bull Racing were bringing the RB14 to Spain and not an upgraded RB13. I am glad Red Bull Racing haven’t succumbed to any superstitions yet. (What IF Hamilton Raced For Red Bull Racing)
You Can Take Formula 1 Away From Bernie, But Not Bernie Away From Formula 1
‘Bernie Ecclestone To Buy Force India’, was the media story that did the rounds for a few days. Ironically, the story died as fast as it came to life. I am sure most of you will agree that Formula 1 hasn’t seen the last of Bernie Ecclestone yet. (Ecclestone Check Mated The Indian Grand Prix)
Force India’s sale to Brabham – for once, a team sale wouldn’t be on distress! Given my association with Force India, it would be painful to see the brand name ‘Force India’ off the grid, if this does happen.
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52 Formula 1 Races In A Year
Ecclestone-Carey have been in a war of words in the last week, each one accusing the other for lack of credible work for the sport. Either way, Formula One Management (FOM) has claimed that at least 30 new venues have expressed interest in hosting a Grand Prix in the near future. If this be the case, we would love to have 52 racing weekends in a year!!
2017 Formula 1 Team Payouts
Like every year, Formula 1’s payout to teams was made public this year too. And like every year, people expressed shock at the amount of money Ferrari made despite not winning races (or championships) and how little Force India made despite punching well above their weight every passing season.
Should Formula 1 equalize all payments, each team would fetch around $90 million every season. This would be game changing for the business of owning a Formula 1 team, especially for private investors. However, an equal payment system is far from possible and far from an ideal solution for Formula 1. Will the new owners find a solution that works for the historic as well as new teams?
Formula 1, An Art-Craft Class?
From the 2017 Spanish Grand Prix, the FIA have mandated the teams to increase ‘driver identification’ via a new set of regulations. The last few updates on our Facebook page showcase how different teams have employed different solutions to meet these regulations. For the teams though, this would mean giving up prime real estate on their cars for new stickers. Formula 1 engineers must feel like they’re in an art-craft class!
Mclaren Are Nuts, So Are Audi And Porsche
Mclaren’s Zak Brown is keen to hire Hamilton or Vettel should Alonso decide to depart – which is now a matter of how soon. If Mclaren’s rivals Sauber made a similar statement, they’d have been laughed upon and how. (Mclaren Saved Formula 1 From A Honda Destruction)
Audi and Porsche have declined interest in hiring Alonso for their WEC / Le Mans campaign. I wonder why every single manufacturer in the world running a credible racing program is disinterested in hiring Alonso. In fact, Alonso and his management should wonder too.
Predictions
Pole Position: Lewis Hamilton
Race: Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen
Co-hosted by Mithila Mehta and Kunal Shah, the Inside Line F1 Podcast is a weekly show on Formula 1 that attempts to simplify the sport and business of Formula 1. This show also aims to add some much needed humour to the otherwise serious sport of Formula 1. In 2016, the show crossed 150,000 listens and was top-rated on iTunes and Audio Boom. The show is available on Kunal’s F1 Blog and partner websites such as Motorsport, Firstpost, NDTVAuto, Sport360, Sportskeeda, Scroll, Talking About F1, Motor Octane and others.
