Dear F1, Please Make Our Races Longer

The Inside Line F1 podcast is hosted by mithila mehta and kunal shah. this formula one podcast offers a humorous view on the sport.

Were you one of those bored by the action from the 2017 Australian Grand Prix? Or were you one of us who thoroughly enjoyed the race? Irrespective of your experience from the first race of the season, we guarantee you more than a few laughs in this week’s episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast.

The 2017 Australian Grand Prix was the shortest ever in terms of race time. The faster cars have reduced the race duration and as fans, we feel cheated. It would be awesome to see races stretch closer to the two hour time limit. Yes, this could mean technical changes to the cars (larger fuel tanks, an extra pit-stop, etc.) and have no bearing impact on the crucial missing point – overtaking. The snorefest could only get longer! However, even if the FIA, FOM and teams agree, we don’t see McLaren-Honda agreeing. After all, they’re barely making it to end of the current race distance.

Which Finn Will Win First?

The other pertinent question is ‘Which Finn will win first?’. After a disappointing race for both in Australia, fans would be eager to see Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas challenge their title-battling team-mates this season. Could this be Raikkonen’s final season? And will Bottas go the Kovalainen way?

Red Bull Racing must be still reeling under the shock of finishing 30 seconds off the winning Ferrari’s pace. Is the team missing a chunk of power from their Renault power unit or is it plain bad luck that the number 13 is attracting? It would be every fan’s wish to have Ricciardo and Verstappen fight at the front. Similarly, the mid-field battle seems to have resumed between Force India and Williams with Toro Rosso in the mix too. If Haas are able to stick to their pre-season testing pace and if Renault start performing like a manufacturer team, the mid-field battle will heat up too.

Let’s Hope China Doesn’t Tell Us Who Is Quicker – Ferrari Or Mercedes

Lastly, a regulations change has often resulted in a mix-up in the pecking order and at this moment, but one doesn’t know if Ferrari won in Australia or did Mercedes lose the race with a questionable pit-stop strategy? We’re hoping that China doesn’t offer an answer too. In which case, unpredictability could be the key to raising Formula 1’s stock again.

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