She's back! Mithila returns to join Soumil and Kunal in this blockbuster episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast. 

It's her homecoming, as Soumil puts it. 

For this special episode, the trio discussed a very interesting topic - the future of drivers in Formula 1. 

(The episode description follows after the promotional messages)

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The role of the driver in Formula 1 has diminished in time. '80-20' is the number that is most-often cited when asked about the split in role of the car-driver in modern day Formula 1. With new competitive racing formats (like the spring qualifying from 2021), the growing importance of social media imagery, the talks about driver salaries being capped and the influx of younger drivers every other season, what could be the future of drivers in Formula 1? 

Here's a wild prediction that Kunal made - an NBA-style draft in Formula 1. It may be a looong time away, but is the sport heading off in that direction? Do teams need to evolve to cope with 'driver brands' being as big or even bigger than theirs? How agile do the drivers need to be to adapt to newer competitive racing formats? And finally, will they continue to be PR-robots controlled by their teams? Tune in!

(Season 2021, Episode 32)

Follow our hosts on Twitter: Mithila Mehta, Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah

Music courtesy: Lucien Byfieldt

Image courtesy: Formula 1