After listening to Hill at the Hungaroring I'm no longer sure of Brundle's competence. Martin is a much better talker but he lacks depth.

I watched a single qualifying session with Damon's commentary and learned more from it driving wise then from several years of watching Brundle.

I just think a FOM directing team is what's needed, worldwide.

We'd gain far more from having an FOM control team coverage wise than any new commentating or presenting combination imho

Brundle and Hill would be a cool combo

I thought that has been the case for couple of seasons now.

AFAIK they do it for a couple of races, and you can instantly see the difference. Usually the new races, where local directors for the TV network broadcasting the race don't have experience in motorsport. For instance they might not do Valencia as normal Spanish coverage already does the other track, but they'll probably do Singapore.

Put it this way. You show me or most F1 fans on here 2 races, 1 with an FOM director and one with a local, and we can tell the difference.

This season FOM are directing 16 of the 18 races.

the problem really with that is theyre both more suited to a co-commentators role i think

FOM did every race last year, except Monaco, Japan and Brazil.

And they're doing every race this year, except Monaco and Japan.

id say they ought to do japan,never really been impressed with the japanese directors coverage,seems to miss alot of things every year

It's not just a question of who's directing the coverage though, is it? It's down to which material they have access to.

For example at Fuji last year Alonso's accident was not properly seen by ITV viewers, but people who had access to Premiere could see it, and it was on the end-of-season DVD.

(And of course we wouldn't have had a good idea what had happened under the safety car if it hadn't been for a smart guy in the crowd with a video camera).

Suzi Perry or James Allen - No brainer I'd say!

No adverts you say - What's the betting that the BBC will be cutting to in-studio interviews during the racing.

As for Jonathan Woss, forget it, we wouldn't see any racing, just Woss being lewd to the grid girls!

Agree there, CJ was very good. If a "little" Sarcastic.....

"The first Billboard into turn 1 was......".......

I'll give him the benefit of the doubt but I just couldn't enjoy Hills commentary at all. Not sure why. One thing Brundle does have going in his favour is recent car experience. Granted it's only a bunch of laps around Silverstone in a Redbull each year but it's better than nothing. And his grid walks are good. The drivers seem to get on well with him.. he is a very well known face. It will be a shame if hes not taken up by the BBC. Coulthard will add some inside knowledge if he does test next year.

Hill is far too busy with his day job to do anything other than guest races.

My picks:

Comms Box: Brundle & Edwards
Paddock/Pits/Features: Suzy Perry (With a few appearances by Tamara Ecclestone)
Front: Steve Rider or John Invadale
Guest Pundit: David Coulthard or Mark Blundell

Oh and getting every F1 driver to do a lap of the top gear track in the reasonably priced car: Top Gear

Oh god, not that thing.

Details about programme editor added. It looks promising.

On Freeview (and probably Freesat) BBC channels 301 &302 are quite often showing stuff, for instance, qualifying for MotoGP, and currently the Olympics.

I don't think any kind of rehearsals or practice should ever be televised actually. We've been spoilt but in the end you get overkill and there's nothing to give us any apprehension. I want to see qualifying and the race.

Just because it's broadcast, it doesnt mean you have to watch it.

The question is just how many would watch it?
18 Fridays/Saturday mornings is a lot of time to be taking up on those two channels, especially when you consider they will at some point cross over with Wimbledon/Snooker/horse racing/Olympics etc.
Plus, they're not sport specific channels and are used for looped BBC music concerts and other entertainment fare.
I could be wrong, but I'd be very suprised if we get practice on them. GP2 races, perhaps (if the Beeb is covering them), but not practice.

MotoGP qualifying isn't always shown (even via the red button), so I wouldn't think F1 practice would be guaranteed either.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE...

If Jonathon Ross is even remotely in the picture for the BBC`s coverage, give me James Allen, Jim Rosenthal, that Michael Aspell lookalike and soundalike Steve Rider, Mark Blundell etc. in his place...
Jesus... Steve Davis the snooker player or even some bloke from down the pub would do a better job!

That's the problem with F1 and its glamorous image. The big names at the BBC now reckon they can get a look in at the ligging opportunity of a lifetime.

What's the betting that the programme commissioners are being bombarded with proposals for all sorts of dubious tie-ins?

I think they'd be more interested in Lewis than F1 itself. If F1 was so glam we wouldn't have such rubbish celebrities on the grid.

Original post updated.

I need a mod to change the original title.

That sounds far more likely.

Probably better to post a whole new thread, I reckon most people will not go back to the original post!

What the poster has said on the other forum goes along the lines of what I have been told as well.

As I have said before I think you can all relax in terms of what will be on the BBC next year.

Following on from the whole Beeb commentary thing, I had the opportunity to listen to David Croft commentating on the first GP2 race at Valencia this weekend - first time I've heard him. I know a few people were saying that they should promote him from radio duties to telly duties for next year, but I thought he was pretty awful!

Thats good to hear.



What makes you say that?

Although I must admit, I would prefer Ben Edwards.

Croft's decent on the radio but on television I often think he describes things too much which, I suppose, is what you'd expect from someone who commentates on radio!

With regard to gp2, does anyone know if itv are hanging onto this for next year oer has anyone else got it

ITV are definitely losing it (I believe GP2 is attached to the F1 contract), although BBC could sell the rights to anyone. There is a strong rumour that GP2 Qualifying could be streamed live on the GP2 website.

Too bad, now that blond girl presenting GP2 will be out of a job, she's nice to see (with the sound off)

Don't speak too soon...

Check your private messages D.M.N.!

I am very happy that F1 returns to the BBC and delighted by the range of options on offer.

However all summer I have been holding my breath regarding the commentary. Will there be any real difference between the "new" BBC TV team and Radio5 live commentators? In the days of F1 Digital + the two commentaries were very different. One was serious and the other light hearted.

Since those halcyon times I have watched the races with natural sound (& live timing) and find it an experience closer to that of being at the track. I am still keeping my fingers crossed that we may be offered a natural sound option next year.

I will be seriously peeved if I can't watch GP2 on any freeview channel from next year. I wonder when an announcement on who will be showing it will be made?

Check you private messages JasonSw!



I'm sure it will be on some kind of channel. There is a possibilty (although I'm probably talking rubbish) that the Dave channel may pick it up.

I did have that channel in mind whilst I was writing my reply above. Their coverage of WRC has been very good in my opinion since they obtained the rights from ITV. Fingers-crossed.

I say this because it's owned by BBC Worldwide/Virgin Media television, and according to Wikipedia's article on Dave:



GP2 would slot in nicely as that is broadcast in widescreen. FOM would also want the rights firmly with a channel that broadcasts in 16:9 ratio, not 4:3 ratio.

see.... panic for nothing.

Jp

Who was panicking?

Another update added.

I can't edit my original post.

The headline announcements i.e. presenter, commentator, co-commentator will be made in the next two weeks with pit-lane reporters to follow. The production team will then be put in place.

I believe the OP, and others, have misunderstood the the comments with respect to the practice sessions. The comments I have seen appeared to refer only to the commentary, i.e. there would be no TV commentary available for practice sessions, so there would only be the commentary available from Sports Extra - to accompany the picture. So same as this year in effect.

Correct.

And I've just found out (seeing as I cannot edit my original post) that Holly Samos is expected to play the same role as Louise Goodman did for ITV.

I absolutely despise Samos, IMO she's worse than Charlie Webster, and is not a neutral reporter. OK, maybe I'm over-exagerating, but you get the point.

I've also been told one of the reporters has been signed up, another of the reporters that is set to be signed up is not a respected figure in the paddock, nor a respected magazine journalist. Unfortunately, I don't know who it is...

Just found out from a BBC source that the current level of coverage ITV gives to the F1, the BBC is planning for support races. (Not quite an hours buildup, but as good as).

having a quick highlights package at the least of the porsches before the race would be awesome.

You're not over-exaggerating about Samos, she is perhaps one of the most partisan f1 personalities going... but I still prefer her to smarmy Goodman. With Samos you know what you're getting, at least it's blatant. Goodman is more cynical with her BS - i.e. the Montreal 'betchya glad you pranged Kimi if it was to be anyone' comment to Hamilton...

As for 'not a respected figure', do you mean that in the sense they are not popular in the paddock, or an unknown to the paddock? Martin Brundle is not terribly 'well respected/regarded' in the paddock after all :-)

Will that be the relevant stuff like GP2 and GP3, or everthing including the rubbish like Porsches and Formula BMW?

I mean that they are not popular in the paddock.



I presume the series events that run parallel to F1 at F1 races i.e. GP2 and Porsche Supercup. And I wouldn't call that "rubbish".

James Allen?

I quite like the porsche stuff, even the national one they show at some silly hour in the morning on that ITV motorsports thingy, with ginettas, seats and all sorts of goings on!