Kunal's F1 Blog

Inside Line F1 Podcast: Racing First, Engineering Later

Posted on | March 5, 2014 | No Comments

 With the pre-season tests of the 2014 Formula1 Season behind us, it is fairly evident that Formula1 will be in pursuit of engineering solutions to finish races rather than race towards the finish! There are umpteen websites that have summarised the numbers accumulated from the pre-season tests, but for a change, the one thing we want Formula1 to focus on is racing.

Racing First, Engineering Later (Courtesy: Google)

In the drive to achieve engineering excellence, prove a point to environmentalists and to chase track-to-road technologies that would lure future manufacturers to the sport, we’ve seen some really radical regulatory changes being forced upon the Formula1 fan. And I am ‘fed up’ of these changes! (Read: Formula1 Is Desperate To Have More Manufacturers In The Sport)

So in this week’s episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, we talk about and wonder if Formula1 will become an engineering challenge in 2014? And then of course, due to public demand and expectations, we try discuss form factor as we build up to the 2014 Australian Grand Prix.

Here’s what to expect in our Formula1 Podcast:

  • Red Bull Needs Wings, still!
  • How long would you think the 2014 Australian GP would last?
  • ‘Fernando, Felipe is faster than you’, is very much a possibility this year.
  • While other teams are investing in aero upgrades, Marussia has sanctioned a multi-million dollar budget to upgrade their firewalls and anti-virus systems.
  • Should the FIA have introduced the new regulatory changes in a phased manner?
  • Brace for it, there are qualifying changes to adjust to in the new season. But does this really solve our traditional qualifying problems?
  • The Michael Schumacher ‘S’ at the Bahrain International Circuit! Or the ‘Z’ as I call it! (Read: Come Back, Michael)

While we wait in excitement for the new season, I sincerely hope that the excitement will be worth the wait.

Hear our previous episodes:

  1. Will F1 Survive Without Bernie?
  2. F1 Cars, GP2 Lap Times
  3. YOUR Chance To Own An F1 Team

The Inside Line F1 Podcast is now available on various platforms and I would urge you to choose your platform to listen to the humour that we add to the otherwise serious and complex sport of Formula1. And while our podcast frequency is weekly, come ‘like‘ the Inside Line F1 Podcast page on Facebook for far frequent updates on the humour in the world of Formula1.

If you are an Apple user, you can subscribe to the Inside Line F1 Podcast on the iTunes Podcast Store or via our RSS feed (for Android/Windows/Blackberry users).

The Inside Line Formula1 Podcast is produced and hosted by Rishi Kapoor and Kunal Shah. Follow us on Twitter and on our Soundcloud, Spreaker, MixCloud and YouTube channels.

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Inside Line F1 Podcast: Red Bull Needs Wings

Posted on | February 26, 2014 | 3 Comments

The start to the 2014 Formula1 Season for Formula1 hasn’t been the best. First we had F1 cars lapping at GP2 speeds, followed by Bernie Ecclestone’s trial in the bribery scandal and then the not so successful pre-season tests for our defending champions Red Bull Racing. (Read: Can Formula1 Survive Without Bernie?)

Given their performances in Jerez and Bahrain, it seems more like Red Bull Racing need a new engine (probably a Mercedes one!) over wings before they get to Melbourne for the 2014 Australian Grand Prix. So in this week’s episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, we talk about the importance for Red Bull Racing to be competitive, pick our favourites and second favourite before we move our focus towards Pirelli, who wouldn’t be complaining about missing the F1 spotlight for a change!

Red Bull Racing (Courtesy: Red Bull Racing)

Here’s what is in store for our listeners:

  • Red Bull or Dead Bull? Will the lack of track time hamper their 2014 challenge? We need a competitive Red Bull Racing and we tell you why!
  • With Red Bull Racing struggling, is Lotus the lead team for Renault?
  • Complications in car build and assembly could lead to teams losing track time in 2014.
  • Mercedes seem clear favourites at the moment; we discuss the second favourites.
  • Have the Pirelli tyres for 2014 been tested enough?

With only four days of testing left before the Formula1 circus sets shop in Melbourne, the pressure is on the team to maximize their testing program in Bahrain. And crucially, all eyes will be on Red Bull Racing!

The Inside Line F1 Podcast is now available on various platforms and I would urge you to choose your platform to listen to the humour that we add to the otherwise serious and complex sport of Formula1. And while our podcast frequency is weekly, come ‘like‘ the Inside Line F1 Podcast page on Facebook for far frequent updates on the humour in the world of Formula1.

If you are an Apple user, you can subscribe to the Inside Line F1 Podcast on the iTunes Podcast Store or via our RSS feed (for Android/Windows/Blackberry users).

The Inside Line Formula1 Podcast is produced and hosted by Rishi Kapoor and Kunal Shah. Follow us on Twitter and on our Soundcloud, Spreaker, MixCloud and YouTube channels.

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Inside Line F1 Podcast: Will F1 Survive Without Bernie?

Posted on | February 12, 2014 | No Comments

After a not so successful test in Jerez where Formula1 cars lapped the circuit at GP2 speeds, the sport now heads to Bahrain for the second pre-season test of the 2014 Formula1 Season. I would be surprised if fans disagreed with my view that the Bahrain test is probably more awaited than any of the previous Bahrain GPs!

In this week’s episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, we try and simplify the ‘brake by wire’ system, a term that you will hear and over-hear in the build up to and during the entire season. And of course, we talk about Formula1‘s succession plan or the lack of it in the wake of Mr. E’s trial in a court of law.

Bernie Ecclestone

And before I share what’s in store in this week’s episode, a BIG thank you to all for making our 2014 Inside Line F1 Podcast Awards a massive success!

  • Are the 2014 technical regulations the toughest yet for the engineers? And the rule changes might not be done just yet as we hear that qualifying format changes are around the corner! (Read: Fed Up Of Rule Changes In Formula1)
  • ‘Brake by Wire’, has F1 explored this technology a little too late in its lifecycle?
  • How safe is the ‘brake by wire’ system?
  • Apart from the technical talk, the uber cool Bat-mobile was launched a few days ago. Is everything okay with the Lotus F1 Team?
  • Bernie Ecclestone, he is in trouble, but does that mean that the sport is too?
  • Who should be his successor? And of course, what should his immediate focus be?
  • Here’s how you can own a Formula1 team!

I have rambled and scribbled in the past on how Mr. E needs to focus as much on Formula1 marketing as he does on the finances as Formula1 enters newer territories. And of course his reluctance (as I see it!) to embrace new age media to reach out to and offer different versions of Formula1 content to the younger audiences.

And while you tune in to the latest episode, our thoughts go out to Michael and his family yet again; Come Back, Michael!

The Inside Line F1 Podcast is now available on various platforms and I would urge you to choose your platform to listen to the humour that we add to the otherwise serious and complex sport of Formula1. And while our podcast frequency is weekly, come ‘like‘ the Inside Line F1 Podcast page on Facebook for far frequent updates on the humour in the world of Formula1.

If you are an Apple user, you can subscribe to the Inside Line F1 Podcast on the iTunes Podcast Store or via our RSS feed (for Android/Windows/Blackberry users).

The Inside Line Formula1 Podcast is produced and hosted by Rishi Kapoor and Kunal Shah. Follow us on Twitter and on our Soundcloud, Spreaker, MixCloud and YouTube channels.

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Inside Line F1 Podcast: F1 Cars, GP2 Lap Times

Posted on | February 4, 2014 | 1 Comment

All Formula1 teams declared ‘Reliability > Speed’ in unison when asked about the objective and focus of the first test of the 2014 Formula1 Season that was held in Jerez last week. While fans appreciated the logic, I am sure not many expected the cars to lap slower than GP2!

Time and again the sport has failed to impress me on certain decisions taken from a marketing point of view and this would probably be on the top of my list; joint first with the decision to award ‘double points’ for the final race this season. Yes, I am ‘Fed Up Of The Rule Changes In Formula1‘.

Mercedes AMG Petronas 'W05sup'!

But before I go on to the latest episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, a BIG thank you to all for making the ‘2014 Inside Line F1 Podcast Awards‘ a hit! I believe the applaud we heard was louder than the Renault V6 engines!

Here’s what’s in store in our latest Formula1 Podcast:

  • Come back, Michael! Rishi plays himself (i.e. a Doctor!)
  • Are the 2014 technical regulations the toughest yet for the engineers?
  • We rate the prettiest and the ugliest cars. What’s your pick?
  • A man’s sport, is that the most used joke in Formula1 already?
  • Marketing > Technical (I can almost start a petition!!) (Read: Formula1 Needs Better Marketing As It Enters Newer Territories)
  • Lotus F1 team, stupid or smart?
  • Would you dare write off the overheating Red Bull Racing RB10 already? We offer a solution!
  • Adi-oss Brawn, will he or won’t he come back? And is Formula1 facing a talent crunch?
  • GP2 faster than Formula1, will this be the headline of the season? We hope not!
  • Vettel may not race till 2031!

Given the uncertainty in rules, regulations and finances, here’s YOUR chance to own a Formula1 team.

Move over the nose designs and engine sounds, it is the lap times that I will have my eyes on in the second test, which should be upon us in the next few weeks!

The Inside Line F1 Podcast is now available on various platforms and I would urge you to choose your platform to listen to the humour that we add to the otherwise serious and complex sport of Formula1. And while our podcast frequency is weekly, come ‘like‘ the Inside Line F1 Podcast page on Facebook for far frequent updates on the humour in the world of Formula1.

If you are an Apple user, you can subscribe to the Inside Line F1 Podcast on the iTunes Podcast Store or via our RSS feed (for Android/Windows/Blackberry users).

The Inside Line Formula1 Podcast is produced and hosted by Rishi Kapoor and Kunal Shah. Follow us on Twitter and on our Soundcloud, Spreaker, MixCloud and YouTube channels.

Category: F1 Podcast
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More Lessons From Rush

Posted on | February 4, 2014 | No Comments

Given the nosey issues Formula1 is facing in the 2014 Formula1 Season, my mind goes back to the time when ‘Rush’ made an entry and stole Formula1′s limelight quite literally! I wrote about it in my earlier post ‘What Formula1 Can Learn From Rush‘ and I think my views still hold true. More people still talk about Rush than they do about the 2013 Formula1 Season!

The world is struggling to come to terms with the weird nose designs and at the cost of sounding repetitive, marketing needs to have a say in the ‘look’ of modern day Formula1 cars given that the sport has done a not-so-good job of marketing itself. (Read: Formula1 Needs Better Marketing As It Enters Newer Territories)

The Movie 'Rush'

And then again, given Rush’s debut on the Sky Store, there’s a chance you can watch the entire 1976 Formula1 World Championship movie online (on rent, of course!), but not a single other Formula1 race barring the ‘official race edit’ by Formula One Management! Sigh! (Read: Formula1 Fans Will Thank TATA Communications)

Funnily too, the movie is marketing itself better than the sport has done so yet. It is engaging with fans and sending a few lucky ones over to watch the 2014 British Grand Prix with VIP access and much more, yet another activation that Formula1 teams and their sponsors follow, but not the sport itself. I guess with a certain Mr. E being forced to move over, a fresh and younger approach might be beneficial for the sport and fans too!

Category: Media
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2014 Inside Line F1 Podcast Awards

Posted on | January 23, 2014 | No Comments

After tasting massive success with the inaugural edition of the Formula1 Podcast Awards in 2013, Rishi and I are back with the 2014 Inside Line F1 Podcast Awards! And for now, we rate our success on the basis of our online listenership, but someday, we will rate it basis attendance from our beloved Formula1 drivers and Team Principals.

Barring a few new additions, the categories are the same as last year, but of course the winners are new. And like always, we would like to thank our fans (Latesh and Pavithra even more so!) for all their inputs on the Inside Line F1 Podcast!

2014 Inside Line F1 Podcast Awards

Now sit back, put on your headphones and tune-in to the 2014 Inside Line F1 Podcast Awards:

  1. Fulcrum of the Year
  2. Rumour of the Year
  3. Technology of the Year
  4. Terminology of the Year
  5. Joke of the Year
  6. Demise of the Year
  7. Pitstop of the Year
  8. Promotion of the Year
  9. ‘How did that happen’ of the Year
  10. WOW of the Year
  11. Chaos of the Year
  12. Overtaking of the Year
  13. Race of the Year

Hear our the previous episodes of our Formula1 Podcast:

  1. Come Back Michael
  2. Gracias V8, Hola V6 Turbo
  3. Your Chance To Own An F1 Team

The Inside Line F1 Podcast is now available on various platforms and I would urge you to choose your platform to listen to the humour that we add to the otherwise serious and complex sport of Formula1. And while our podcast frequency is weekly, come ‘like‘ the Inside Line F1 Podcast page on Facebook for far frequent updates on the humour in the world of Formula1.

If you are an Apple user, you can subscribe to the Inside Line F1 Podcast on the iTunes Podcast Store or via our RSS feed (for Android/Windows/Blackberry users).

The Inside Line Formula1 Podcast is produced and hosted by Rishi Kapoor and Kunal Shah. Follow us on Twitter and on our Soundcloud, Spreaker, MixCloud and YouTube channels.

Category: F1 Podcast
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Inside Line F1 Podcast: Come Back Michael

Posted on | January 8, 2014 | 3 Comments

It has been a sombre start to the New Year for Formula1 and Michael Schumacher fans; but in a few ways, it has also been very overwhelming for me. Ever since Michael’s crash, I have had at least 20 people each day asking me about his health and well being and whether he will survive as though I am a part of the Schumacher family or one of the doctors at the Grenoble facility! A noble feeling!

What’s even more noble is when the current Formula1 drivers gave their ‘thumbs up’ to Rishi and I to postpone their favourite, most coveted and most awaited Inside Line Formula1 Podcast Awards by a week! For that, we will petition to the FIA to allow each driver start the 2014 Formula1 Season with ’1 point’ as a tribute to Formula1′s numero uno driver. (Read: Does Formula1 Need Michael Schumacher?)

Michael Schumacher (Courtesy: Mercedes AMG Petronas)

We’ve dedicated the first episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast for the 2014 Formula1 Season to Formula1′s greatest driver and ambassador ever (inarguably and undebatable on this Formula1 blog and Formula1 podcast!). Yes, Michael’s last team-mate Nico Rosberg debuted on this very podcast a few months back (Read: Nico Rosberg Debuts On The Inside Line F1 Podcast)

And here’s what’s in store for you:

  • Happy New Season to all our fans and listeners!
  • We lost the V8s and now this incident with Schumacher, Formula1 needs a havan, again. (Read: Adios V8, Hola Turbo)
  • No, this ain’t an orbituary, will never be, but here’s remembering Michael Schumacher as a World Champion driver.
  • Life is about passions, thank you for sharing mine’ – a BIG thank you from the Inside Line F1 Podcast.
  • Your first memory of Michael Schumacher? We share ours!
  • And we share our best memory too! (MSC overtaking BUT in Imola: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6zDiU0FR80)
  • What was the one thing we liked about the man; and the one thing we disliked!
  • We appeal to the FIA to block two numbers for the man, any guesses which ones they are? (Read: Permanent No. 1, Vettel vs. Schumi)
  • And once he is back, what would you like to see Michael do? (Read: Schumacher To Turn TV Commentator)

Formula1 fans now have a chance to buy their own team starting the 2015 Formula1 Season (or later); ‘YOUR chance to buy an F1 team‘. In that case, what role would you hire Michael in? Let us know!

And now that we are in 2014, the new technical regulations and rule changes are upon us, here’s my view: Fed Up Of Rule Changes In Formula1.

The Inside Line F1 Podcast is now available on various platforms and I would urge you to choose your platform to listen to the humour that we add to the otherwise serious and complex sport of Formula1. And while our podcast frequency is weekly, come ‘like‘ the Inside Line F1 Podcast page on Facebook for far frequent updates on the humour in the world of Formula1.

If you are an Apple user, you can subscribe to the Inside Line F1 Podcast on the iTunes Podcast Store or via our RSS feed (for Android/Windows/Blackberry users).

The Inside Line Formula1 Podcast is produced and hosted by Rishi Kapoor and Kunal Shah. Follow us on Twitter and on our Soundcloud, Spreaker, MixCloud and YouTube channels.

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Inside Line F1 Podcast: Newey Is Red Bull & Vettel’s Santa

Posted on | December 24, 2013 | No Comments

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our listeners world over, especially the ones who I couldn’t send postcards to!

Just when we thought that we would ‘struggle’ off-season for content on the Inside Line F1 Podcast, we have our Christmas special episode filled with some exciting and interesting stories and opinions laced with humour. Here’s what is in store in our Formula1 Podcast:

And a quick plug of last week’s episode ‘Your Chance To Own A Formula1 Team‘ which has done fairly well, thank you!

Adrian Newey: Red Bull & Vettel's Santa, is he?

  • Button’s praise of Hamilton, is it strange?
  • Hamilton believes that the technical regulations of the 2014 Formula1 Season will allow the others (Mercedes GP specifically) to catch up with Red Bull Racing. Stranger comment?
  • If Adrian Newey is the Santa for Red Bull Racing, did Mercedes just their Santa go? (Read: Ross Brawn’s Last Season In Formula1?)
  • Russian influence increases in Formula1. Will we see Vladmir Putin drive a Formula1 car again?
  • Kobayashi’s comeback, is it a good or bad move by Caterham?
  • Pirelli are lucky with their tyre blow-outs in modern day Formula1; but are there indications that we will have a few of these next season too? (Read: Pirelli Shouldn’t Have Renewed Their Contract With Formula1)
  • Kimi Raikkonen’s radio bakra (read: scape-goat!) for 2014 revealed.
  • Montezemolo has called for an F1 summit in early January; good move or not? Do the teams need to unite in their off-track efforts for the benefit of the sport and themselves?
  • Christmas Special: We enlist the gifts a few Formula1 drivers would ask from Santa this year!

And on this note, we shall see you in the New Year with our Formula1 Podcast Awards as last year. If you’ve a category or driver nomination that you’d like to share with us, please do so in the comments section below. Till then, party hard, drive safe and yes, keep racing!

The Inside Line F1 Podcast is now available on various platforms and I would urge you to choose your platform to listen to the humour that we add to the otherwise serious and complex sport of Formula1. And while our podcast frequency is weekly, come ‘like‘ the Inside Line F1 Podcast page on Facebook for far frequent updates on the humour in the world of Formula1.

If you are an Apple user, you can subscribe to the Inside Line F1 Podcast on the iTunes Podcast Store or via our RSS feed (for Android/Windows /Blackberry users).

The Inside Line Formula1 Podcast is produced and hosted by Rishi Kapoor and Kunal Shah. Follow us on Twitter and on our Soundcloud,Spreaker, MixCloud and YouTube channels.

Category: F1 Podcast
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Inside Line F1 Podcast: Your Chance To Own An F1 Team

Posted on | December 18, 2013 | No Comments

For all arm-chair Christian Horners out there and for those who have time and again mouthed expletives to Stefano Domenicali, now is your chance to prove your worth as a Team Owner in Formula1. Yes, after losing HRT at the end of the 2012 Formula1 Season, the FIA has now floated a tender inviting potential buyers for a 12th Formula1 team from the 2015/16 seasons.

If you could, should you actually bid? On this week’s episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Rishi and I try and answer exactly that; the trials and tribulations one will need to endure before you get to decide who will be your number 2 driver or before you decide which driver will pit when and for which tyre compound; yes, basically the hard work before the fun starts!

To buy or not to buy an F1 team

And like always, we ask a crucial question in this Formula1 Podcast: why would you buy a team in Formula1? Share your answers.

Here’s what else is in store for you:

  • Privateers vs. Manufacturers; we talk about teams and their DNAs
  • Baby Schumi to have a baby…! And we try to do predict how Vettel’s baby will behave.
  • The FIA announces a ‘pole position’ trophy. Namesake or Vettel-sake in this context?
  • Points for pole position and fastest lap of the race, why can’t we bring a system used widely in junior formulae? We tell you which.
  • To beat that all, double points for the 2014 Abu Dumb-y Grand Prix? Ugh! (Read: Fed Up Of Rule Changes In Formula1)
  • If the FIA did want to ‘spice’ things up, we discuss what they could’ve actually done or still can do.
  • Grosjean’s working with a sports psychologist has raised a few eyebrows. I share my views on why mental training is as important as physical training. (Read: The Mind Map Of A Formula1 Driver)
  • A round up of the driver movements from the last week; glad to hear about Adrian Sutil!
  • And could Jenson Button host the episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast from the first test of the 2014 Formula1 Season? We leave you guessing!

Hear our previous podcasts:

  1. Permanent No. 1 in Formula1: Vettel or Schumi?
  2. Revealed: Why WilliamsF1 Signed Felipe Massa
  3. Gracias V8, Hola V6 Turbo
  4. Nico Rosberg’s Debut On The Inside Line F1 Podcast
  5. When Cars Were Sabotaged At A Formula1 Grand Prix

The Inside Line F1 Podcast is now available on various platforms and I would urge you to choose your platform to listen to the humour that we add to the otherwise serious and complex sport of Formula1.

If you are an Apple user, you can subscribe to the Inside Line F1 Podcast on the iTunes Podcast Store or via our RSS feed (for Android/Windows /Blackberry users).

The Inside Line Formula1 Podcast is produced and hosted by Rishi Kapoor and Kunal Shah. Follow us on Twitter and on our Soundcloud, Spreaker, MixCloud and YouTube channels.

Category: F1 Podcast
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Fed Up Of The Rule Changes In Formula1

Posted on | December 11, 2013 | No Comments

‘Anger’, ‘Disbelief’, ‘Annoyance’, were a few emotions I experienced as the FIA announced yet another set of rule changes to my beloved sport of Formula1 (F1); or can I now say ‘Gimmick1′ or ‘G1′?

Rules and regulatory changes in the recent past have always been subjected to a bit of a mockery and ridicule. Whether it was ditching the V10s for V8s and now for the V6 turbos, to the radical changes in 2009 where the wing proportions were inverted or the platypus nose, to now the revolutionary changes expected in the 2014 Formula1 Season; my point is that consistency in thought and action has been found lacking, leading to expensive design changes for the teams and extreme visual adaptation for the fans, especially the new-age fan in the ‘emerging markets’ that F1 has started to visit.

While one could argue that a few of the changes (KERS only in my view!) have been ‘technical improvements’, I would dare anyone to a debate on how DRS and the degrading Pirellis are anything but that in a sport where daredevilry is the one of the first attributes one would associate and not such gimmickry!

Gimmick1 Strategy Group?

And just when one would hope that the FIA wouldn’t get lamer than the implementation of the DRS, they’ve now come up with the idea of awarding double race points for the final race of the season. Yes, I shall repeat, they will award double points to the points scorers in the 2014 Abu Dumb-y Grand Prix! And for a change, I won’t seek pardon for my FIA bashing, because I am fed up with my love for Formula1 being taken for granted!

So while I understand that the FIA doesn’t want a repeat of races being Vettel-ed next season too, releasing rule changes just to make it easier for others to beat the Vettel-RBR combo is a tad too much of an over-reaction, much like they did so during the Ferrari era to stop the ‘Prancing Horse’. And is it too difficult to view Formula1 as a ‘race’, where the operating logic is as simple as the ‘fastest participant wins’?

As obvious as my question may seem, it seems as though the FIA clearly think otherwise and is backed by some ‘F1 Strategy Group’. It is probably assumed and agreed that fans would love to see the title battles go down to the wire, till the last corner of the last lap of the last race, like we did in 2007 and 2008, but to take that belief and turn it into a gimmick laden rule is going over-the-top! Ridiculousness at its best, even more so at a time when the sport is struggling to keep its credibility intact.

Does this mean that the FIA would rather award an inconsistent performer over a consistent one? And just to make a mockery of this rule even more, the second placed driver should be 51 points off the leader at the last GP of the season next year!

And just in case the FIA did want to award double points for a race, why would they choose an Abu Dhabi over a Spa, Monza or Monaco? As Marko indicated, Red Bull Racing were against this rule, which then was revealed to have been proposed for the last four races of the season. Funnily again, the third place winner in Abu Dhabi will stand to score more than the winner in these three GPs!! Will we see teams bring their biggest updates of the season to Abu Dhabi next year in order to claim their ‘jackpot’?

Now this is where I wish Formula1 treated its fans better, indulged in some research to understand what the fans actually believe the sport lacked before dishing out ‘absurd’ rules (in Vettel’s words) for all to follow! This is where I believe marketing staff of teams (or the FOM) should’ve been involved and not only technical!

In an era where technical prowess is actually driving fans away (aero overload), it may just be useful to understand the problem from a marketing point of view! And on marketing talk, I really wonder if Formula1 knows its audiences at all, because if they did, they would’ve been able to pre-empt such a fan backlash even at the thought of such an unimaginable rule change. (Read: ‘Formula1 Needs To Market Itself Better As It Enters Newer Territories‘)

Going by the way the sport has progressed in the recent years, I am now not surprised by the Govt. of India labelling Formula1 as ‘entertainment’. Which then makes me wonder if an AAP equivalent is needed to clean up Formula! (AAP is Aam Aadmi Party or the ‘political party of the common man’ for all non-Indian readers)

And now the only way to clear this gloomy rule change is by adding some much needed humour in your Formula1 life and this is where Rishi and I are proud to present this week’s episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast.

Why did WilliamsF1 hire Felipe Massa?

Here’s what’s in store in our latest Formula1 Podcast:

  • Why did WilliamsF1 hire a Ferrari discarded Felipe Massa?
  • Are discarded drivers still worth their talent?
  • And it indeed is ‘return of the exes’ as Nico Hulkenberg rejoined Sahara Force India for the 2014 Formula1 Season.
  • Which then brings us to our theme of the week, which driver would you like to see back in Formula1? Hear our choices!
  • 19 races in the 2014 Formula1 Season is a disappointment, we tell you why.
  • Also, did you know that we will finally see NASCAR vs. Formula1 in 2014.
  • Finally, a motorsport team where the fans will cheer the team owner than its drivers?
  • And we run a form guide for the 2013 Formula1 Season, which reveals that the Inside Line F1 Podcast has actually performed better than a few Formula1 teams. No prizes for guessing which!

The Inside Line F1 Podcast is now available on various platforms and I would urge you to choose your platform to listen to the humour that we add to the otherwise serious and complex sport of Formula1.

If you are an Apple user, you can subscribe to the Inside Line F1 Podcast on the iTunes Podcast Store or via our RSS feed (for Android/Windows /Blackberry users).

The Inside Line Formula1 Podcast is produced and hosted by Rishi Kapoor and Kunal Shah. Follow us on Twitter and on our Soundcloud,Spreaker, MixCloud and YouTube channels.

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