Checo's "home" race | Leclerc's "wall or pole" | Batteries, Barriers & More | 2026 Azerbaijan GP

Soumil Aurora (0:00)

The Triple Header begins now, and here we are on the Inside Line F1 Podcast to talk about the first race of this entire Triple Header. It begins with Baku.

After Madrid, where we were left soul-searching for what a street circuit should actually look like, we come to a place that has delivered on multiple counts over multiple years. Formula 1 comes back to Azerbaijan, a very big race for Indian supporters because it's only a five-hour flight away from Delhi, so huge in that sense. Lots of people would want to travel a circuit where Lewis Hamilton has never won, where Leclerc is great in terms of pole positions, where we've seen major accidents, lots of big championship moments happen, and importantly, carnage. Is that what we need after the disappointment of Madrid? Well, to talk about all of that more, we've got myself, Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah, both of us, commentate on the Hindi Formula 1 broadcast for Fancode. Kunal even works on the Norwegian F1 broadcast for Wireplay Network as well. Here we are, Kunal. Back to Baku.

Kunal Shah (1:02)

Back to Baku and... or back to Baku.

Soumil Aurora (1:05)

Back to Baku. I think we need back to back Bakus after what Madrid gave us.

Kunal Shah (1:10)

Well done Baku. Well done Baku. That was the... I remember this. So for those who are tuning in to the podcast or even Formula 1, it's 10 years since Baku came on the calendar. The first time it came on the calendar, it came as a European Grand Prix, which is fine. It's a standard term that a lot of countries and cities have used. But the main thing is, the very first race, before it even ended, they started calling it and they started clapping themselves saying, well done Baku. And that's a meme in itself. But Soumil, what a turnaround for a Grand Prix. I mean, I would say, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix has literally, for me at least, put Azerbaijan on the map as a country that I'd love to go visit to. It looks gorgeous. Syria, the winds and so on. Baku is a great circuit as well.

I think one of those model street circuits that are not permanent with some permanent roads, but also using old town roads. And it's actually well transformed into not being the European Grand Prix and now boldly saying, Yes, we are the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Soumil Aurora (2:12)

And I like that. I think the first season it was 2016 when it was the European Grand Prix and it was boring at that point. Everyone played it safe. Everyone was conservative. The race saw barely anything happening and we were like, well, this layout promised a lot more than what actually happened. But since then Baku has been delivering. I remember Lewis Hamilton's break magic moment in 2021, which arguably cost him the championship of Vettel in Hamilton.

Going at it against each other in 2017, the Lance Troll got a podium and I think became the third youngest podium sitter of all time. Or even the qualifying last year where we had just so much drama.

It's a circuit that always has action. This year Kunal walking in, there's also multiple elements surrounding it, the whole championship picture. I was needing a race that stirs up the pot and gets both Mercedes drivers to fight against each other. On top of that, the Ferrari drivers and everything that they have going on as well at the moment.

Kunal Shah (3:07)

On top of that, there's a McLaren logo rebrand. And then on top of that, we have Isaac Hadjar being renewed. So lots of discussions we will have here on this live stream of the Inside Line F1 Podcast. And we're talking of this triple header. So there's nine races to go. So there are three triple headers that's going to end the season. So you're going to hear us a lot. So why don't you just like and subscribe and talk to us? We love conversations as you know, Soumil and I. That's why we also do commentary for the official feed.

But if Kimi Antonelli sat out of this triple header, which has got three Grand Prix's and a sprint, he would come back at the start of the next triple header by just being two points down on George Russell. That is how commanding his lead is in the Drivers' Championship.

Soumil Aurora (3:57)

It is huge. And you get a feeling, Kunal, it's either now or never, right? Like it's now or never for George Russell. Mark Marquez came back from 102 points down in MotorGP. Verstappen did some 110 odd and still ended up losing by only two. And it was around this point where the comeback was in full swing from Max Verstappen last year. It needs to start now.