Will The FIA Ban The Shoey?

The Inside Line F1 Podcast is hosted by Mithila Mehta and Kunal Shah. This Formula One podcast offers a unique humourous view on the sport. Follow us on Facebook and on Google+. Follow on Twitter: Mithila Mehta and Kunal Shah

Nico Rosberg is lucky that Mercedes built him a tank that went through the 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix undamaged. Rosberg was lucky on multiple other counts too, including that he had a clean getaway (the Mercedes cars can’t take that for granted anymore) and the two VSC periods that helped him climb back up the order.

Daniel Ricciardo had a great result to win the race. Will drivers not want to be on the podium with Ricciardo though, given his love for the ‘shoey’ (gross!)? Mark Webber was smart, he threw away Ricciardo’s shoe – the other podium victims need to learn from him. Given how much the FIA loves clamping down on everything that’s fun in F1, maybe they will ban the shoey on the podium too? A BIG thank you to Red Bull Racing for allowing Ricciardo and Verstappen to race fair and square. Ricciardo managed to do what not a lot of drivers have done this season – he kept Verstappen behind on-track (he claims to have learnt this from Verstappen himself!)

Lewis Hamilton made the race interesting – not sure if it was thanks to his engine failure, post-race comments (or both!). Hamilton believes that ‘something or someone doesn’t want him to win this year’ – and he’s right. We tell you who this person in the Mercedes garage is, who has been mercilessly trying to keep Hamilton from winning.

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Nico Rosberg’s penalty was strange. It seems that the FIA does not want drivers to overtake on track at all! Rosberg has notched up so many penalties this season that he’s halfway to a race ban. Clearly, ‘someone or something’ is conspiring against him to get him so many penalties!

Hamilton’s bad luck was Mercedes’ bad luck – they lost their second attempt at equaling the record for the most consecutive wins in Formula 1. Speaking of records, Jenson Button notched up 300 Grand Prix starts – and McLaren celebrated this by turning their paddock into an English pub (luckily no shoeys on offer there).

Ferrari’s race was like how their whole season has been – all talk. Surprisingly, Raikkonen is outperforming Vettel. Perhaps Vettel go the Alonso way if Ferrari are unable to deliver a winning package in 2017! Is McLaren now part of the midfield teams with Williams and Force India? If so, they’re still at the bottom of that mid field.

BMW recently announced their motorsport program and it doesn’t feature F1, but does include Formula E and the WEC. We guess they’ve been listening to Fernando Alonso’s criticism of the sport and decided to stay out!

Here’s the big question: Can Hamilton still win the World Drivers’ Championship? Of course! 5 races, 125 points to go. Let’s hope a clutch, an engine or swapping of teams doesn’t decide this year’s champion.

Suzuka is up this weekend, and it promises to be a real cracker. Will it be a Mercedes 1-2 again, or can Red Bull Racing challenge them?

Tune in!

(Season 2016, Episode 32)