The Outside Line Podcast

This week we cover the Madrid e-prix in Formula E. A rare visit to a road course in FE gives us a great race but leaves us with many unanswered questions: how does pitboost strategy work, why is Mitch Evans so angry, and why is Google Gemini so bad. We also cover Max’s brief win in NL2, the Penske's domination in IMSA, and how sad we are that Jonathan Wheatley took the cash. Music provided by Sascha Ende under the CC BY 4.0 license: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

This week we cover the F1 race in China and the Indycar race in Arlington. In F1, the mechanical carnage predicted last week comes true, as only 15 of the 22 cars finish the race. Still, we got to see plenty of leapfrogging, the new term we invent for the ‘artificial’ racing we get with these new regulations. We also cover the opening rounds of F1 Academy, where this year over 66% of the field are rookies. Luckily, we only have to wait 10 more weeks before we see them again! In Indycar, Marcus Ericsson gets his first pole since the Harlem Shake craze, but can he convert it to a win as last years Herta pit stop curse spreads to the whole Andretti team.  Music provided by Sascha Ende under the CC BY 4.0 license: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

This week we cover the return of Formula 1, with some new teams, new regulations, and some new (and old) drivers. We also cover Indycar at a short oval in Phoenix and the F2 support races. In F1, Crofty is preoccupied with sweet shops and doomsayer Martin Brundle is predicting carnage, but will we see some actual racing or will Mercedes disappear into the distance as everyone predicts? In Indycar, Veekay makes sure the championship stays alive and Rasmussen tests the guts-to-brains ratio. Finally, in F2, Peter is forced to experience a race as Emma does, and doesn’t like it. Music provided by Sascha Ende under the CC BY 4.0 license: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

This week sees the welcome return of Indycar and we cover all the action from St. Petersburg. To make up for 6 long months of off-season, we binge watch FP1, FP2, qualifying, warmup, and the race itself which proved to be an overdose of Will Buxton for Emma, who also binged Drive to Survive season 8. A new season offers new possibilities, but it was familiar themes that dominated the weekend: Palou brilliance, Penske being good, Mclaren almost competing, and terrible luck for the Andretti #26 car. We did get some surprises though: DCR cars in the fast 6 and a hench Marcus Armstrong. Music provided by Sascha Ende under the CC BY 4.0 license: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Formula 1 is almost back, so this week we preview the upcoming season. We discuss all the driver, team, and rule changes for 2026, that are supposed to deliver better racing. We also ask what success might look like for each team, from a constructors championship for Mercedes to not coming last for Aston Martin and Cadillac. Finally we attempt to make some predictions, so listen to the end to find out if either of us is crazy enough to predict a Gasly win or even an Antonelli drivers championship. Music provided by Sascha Ende under the CC BY 4.0 license: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

This week we cover the Formula E double header from Jeddah, while also discussing the (not good) news coming from F1 testing and the (good) news in Indycar, where a new engine deal might herald the return of the Honda Honda. In a week where Max Verstappen complained that Formula 1 was in danger of becoming “Formula E on steroids”, due to the energy saving demands of the new regulations, pitboost belies his argument by giving us a full 30 laps of racing. We also saw Dan Ticktum finally make use of his package (from Cupra-Kiro), Edo Mortata be good at qualifying, and Nyck de Vries get a 60 (sixty) grid place penalty, but who will lead the championship a third of the way into this season?Music provided by Sascha Ende under the CC BY 4.0 license: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

This week we present our preview/primer for the upcoming Indycar season. Although, we do admit it’s a little early, given one driver hasn’t been officially announced and it’s even unclear whether one team will actually participate this year. Still, we review some of the reasons why we love Indycar, before discussing the cars, the tracks, the teams, and the drivers for 2026. We try to give a bit of information and context for all the teams, including the ultimate simplification of just calling a certain team, team evil.  Music provided by Sascha Ende under the CC BY 4.0 license: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

This week we return to the so-called Sunshine State and discuss the Formula E Miami e-prix. The cold conditions caused many teams to gamble on their tyre pressures, leading to an interesting mix of drivers at the front. Can Drugovich show his potential? Can Evans return to winning ways? Can Wehrlein podium his way to a championship?and can Eriksson remind Emma that he exists?Music provided by Sascha Ende under the CC BY 4.0 license: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license