Formula One Puts Fans First

After years of being ignored, Formula1 fans are now being treated as the real ‘asset’ of the sport. And it is after years of campaigning, writing and talking about this issue on my Formula1 blog and on the Inside Line F1 Podcast that the sport and its various stakeholders have finally taken heed. One could argue that these are early days with this change of heart towards the fans, but your guess is as good as mine if this sentiment is here to stay.

Formula1 Puts Fans First

Formula1 action resumes after a three week break with the 2014 Spanish Grand Prix and the time was well utilised by the sport to review the success of the new regulations and explore what should be done next to make the sport more ‘fan’ friendly; this includes a reduction of costs too. But of course, we are ‘against mid-season rule changes‘. And in this break, Rishi and I took the time to launch a new feature on the Inside Line F1 Podcast, ‘Know Thy Racer‘.

While claiming that ‘Mercedes is the new Red Bull‘, ‘What’s The Pecking Order?‘ was the question we asked in the first four races of the season and it is the pecking order that is expected to change in the coming few races with the sport now entering the ‘European’ leg.

Here’s what is in store for you in the latest episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast:

  • Are the FIA and teams serious about a cost cap? Well, it is inevitable for the sport and the biggest beneficiary would be the fans!
  • Finally, and possibly for the first time in the history of the sport, fans are being treated as the ‘focal’ point
  • Vettel wants a beast to tame and not some hybrid engine ahead of its time. We agree, well, sort of. But isn’t Renault one of the strongest proponents of the new engine regulations? (Read: Engine No-ise)
  • Are Mercedes delaying upgrades to their customers to maintain competitive advantage?
  • How important is sound to a particular sport? We try and explain. And yes, the engines could be sound different (read: louder) come the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix
  • Maldonado paid $25 million to leave Williams and we tell you how the team profited $30 million from the deal
  • Formula1 discard and Indy Car racer Juan Pablo Montoya has made some noises against the sport. We try and decode, but there is little (very little!) sense to his views
  • Should Haas F1 base their factory in America? It would be very un-Formula1 like, but would we would be interested to see if the sport can be decentralised and if a team can operate outside of Europe
  • Of course, Haas could well have the best of Ferrari, Mercedes and Mclaren
  • Finally, we pay our condolences to Nigel Stepney
  • Fancy eating a Subway when you watch Formula1 from the grandstands next? Well, this could be a possibility in the near future
  • And yes, none of our pre-GP podcasts end without race predictions!

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 SoundcloudSpreakerMixCloud and YouTube channels.

Kunal Shah is an FIA-accredited Formula 1 journalist who has been reporting on Formula 1 for nearly two decades. He worked with the Force India Formula 1 Team for 6 seasons in Marketing, Sponsorship and Commercial roles. As a former single-seater racer, he was responsible for Force India's grassroots talent program, One from a Billion Hunt. Presently, he co-writes a regular Formula 1 column for Firstpost, speaks on Inside Line F1 Podcast & Pits to Podium and produces broadcast/OTT content for NENT Group (Viasport & Viaplay).

4 comments On Formula One Puts Fans First

  • i enjoy creative write-up as much as you do and yours with such experience only gets better so you can expect me to join up all the fun chats more often 🙂
    Btw great podcast Rishi and Kunal, you filled up few of my blanks as well since i dont spend time in off race chats or news ..and nicely explained why pure sound is important, as for the race.. with RBR’s update for 25-30 extra bhps i see an amazing fight between alonso and vettel.. finally they will race in more equally matched cars so hopefully vettel can show this time what he is capable of.

  • will do in your latest post. I sure dont like RBR to be struggling specially after getting the title for 4 years…but i dont think there is a point since they wont be reading it..

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Let's Talk Formula 1
Hello,
Happy to share my passion for Formula 1 with you. If you have specific queries about the sport, feel free to ping me.

In the meanwhile, I welcome you to subscribe to the Inside Line F1 Podcast for insightful conversations around Formula 1. We release an episode every week.

Regards,
Kunal