Surrogacy reaches F1 | Is the Bahrain GP in Malaysia opening new frontiers? NOT 2026 Malaysian GP

**Soumil** (0:00)
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**Kunal** (0:12)
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**Soumil** (0:15)
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**Kunal** (0:18)
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**Soumil** (0:30)
Welcome along, folks, to the Inside Line F1 Podcast, where we have a big topic to discuss. This episode is happening in L104, although if you know this background, it's new, it's fresh. It's actually F702, but it's the L104 circuit hosting it or the house hosting it. Why?
Just because that house is not available. I'm being this house to run the race for that house. You know what we're getting at, right? I know it doesn't make sense right now, but so does a concept of having a Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. It doesn't add up to you, like the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. It's the Bahrain Grand Prix, but it's not in Bahrain.
What's happening here?

**Kunal** (1:09)
Saragasi has reached Formula One. That's what is happening here. That's my reading.
I was actually shocked, but I'm not shocked, given just how much money is at stake for Bahrain, for Malaysia, for Formula One, for the F1 teams, for the broadcasters. I'm not surprised. But in fact, I'm like, wow, let's embrace this. Let us mess things up. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, when Kota and Silverstone were saying great partnership coming up, I said, wow, so next year's British Grand Prix is at Kota and the American Grand Prix is going to be at Silverstone. I literally expected them to make that announcement.

**Soumil** (1:48)
It's the British American Grand Prix in that case. We've had a British American racing team. We need a Grand Prix as well to make it happen.

**Kunal** (1:54)
So when they race in Silverstone, it's the British American Grand Prix. When they race in Kota, it's the American British Grand Prix, right?

**Soumil** (2:01)
Or when we race in Turkey, is it going to be the German Grand Prix in Turkey? Because there are so many Germans, so many Turkish people in Germany. This could be like, I don't know, like the other side of the handshake, perhaps.

**Kunal** (2:12)
But you know, there is no precedence for this. A lot of people are saying, wait a minute, Valencia has hosted the European Grand Prix, wasn't it? And then Baku hosted, known as the European Grand Prix.

**Soumil** (2:24)
Now, the European Grand Prix is different.

**Kunal** (2:27)
Yeah, and at least Valencia is there in Europe. Okay, the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. Soumil, what about, what if one fan by mistake lands in Manama, hoping that the Bahrain Grand Prix is actually in Bahrain?

**Soumil** (2:43)
I swear.
I actually want the New Zealand Grand Prix in Chile. If we're going that far, right? If we're going Bahrain in Malaysia, sure. Like I want the Australian Grand Prix in Toronto or something. Let's stretch it out as far and wide as we can.

**Kunal** (2:57)
Wait a second.
Let, please let us get ahead of ourselves. You are being anti-national, if I may call you that, since that can really trigger on the Gen Z in India, right?

**Soumil** (3:09)
Are you calling me a certain insect? If you know, you know, just kidding.

**Kunal** (3:14)
You just said Australian Grand Prix, that's already happening.
We should have the Indian Grand Prix in Singapore one year. We should have the Indian Grand Prix in Fuji the next year in Japan. We should have the Indian Grand Prix in South Korea the year after that.

**Soumil** (3:30)
Listen, Silverstone or Donnie McBeth Park, because they had a South Asian performance as well this year at the British GP. So we're already there.

**Kunal** (3:37)
I know, but I'm actually saying, let's blow this whole surrogacy apart, right? What do F1 fans want? They want classic return to Grand Prix circuits. What do those Grand Prix circuits who build custom circuits to host Formula 1 want for Formula 1 to come back? What if India says, you know, we are friends to everyone in the world. Isn't that what, you know, our Prime Minister does when he does his world tours and goes and hugs all the heads of states? You want the Korean Grand Prix back? Indian Grand Prix in South Korea.
Let's make it happen.

**Soumil** (4:09)
I love that.

**Kunal** (4:10)
You want Fuji back? Indian Grand Prix in Fuji. You want Nürburgring back? You want Hockenheim back? You want Portimao back? Tell me the name of the circuit. We just make it happen.