Are the support races the same at all venues?

Give that it's an F1 weekend I think the last things that should be racing are the Porsches. I'm even less interested in them on TV. It'd be far better to have the BBC focus on GP2 and GP3 so drivers and teams in that series can actually attempt to raise sponsorship and establish their profiles much in the same way 125s and 250s are on most networks.

I would put money on that referring to Eddie Jordan then. Which is a right shame, he is a première self-serving ass-clown.

He will (thank god) have no interaction with the BBC coverage. For those who like BTCC, you will be happy to know that it will remain on ITV, and James Allen will likely play no part in that.

The main BBCi stream, just to reconfirm will be the BBC1 World feed coverage, with the other three streams onboard, five live commentary and highlights.

I presume the Onboard stream will be the same as what Premiere get for their onboard stream, although no one has confirmed that yet.

For those who doubt Holly Samos, I direct you to: http://www.ing-renaultf1.com/en/footer/podcast.php

Re GP3: I forgot that was on the same weekends as F1. Silly me. I have no idea whether they will screen all support races live, its possible some of them may just turn into a highlights package.



No one has mentioned him. At the same time, I have no idea whether he still goes to the races.



I thought IFM (GP3 for next year) didn't race on F1 weekends at F1 circuits, but it appears next year they will. Also add GP2 and Porsche Supercup.

Surely with that description they must mean Spanky?

Agree about Goodman: falsely sympathetic, trite questions and little digs to see if she can provoke a reaction - and the voice grates. I get the impression that she sees her job as the modern equivalent to bear baiting, a bit of entertainment for the viewing public.

Only heard Holly Samos for the Silverstone race but I thought she was terrific.

That's not going to happen: FOM won't allow it.

Really? No interaction, no part what-so-ever, not even as a pitlane pundit, or a studio 'expert' or doing any 'qualifying round ups', 'free practice round ups' or any arse gravy of the highest order? Not making the tea and been available as a stand in for Martin at Hungary? Not even setting foot in Television house or whatever they call it these days? Not even been used on BBC news as the 'bloke we get when we need someone with an insider view'? Nothing, nada, nil, zilch involvement?

Really? Please please let this be true

Ive nothing against the guy personaly, and i wouldnt want to see anyone be put out of a job they love so much. But hes had it coming for some years

Wonder what James Allen has lined up work wise for next year then? Writing more books on Schumacher I guess?

He'll probably write some more books, maybe he can write one on his "successful" career.



The FOM want what's best for the public, if it means putting GP2 qualifying on the net, then, so be it. I'm sure us "motorsport enthusiasts" would watch part of it.

FOM never have wanted what was best for the public so I don't see why they'd start with GP2 fans.

That's a corker.

In terms of TV. Putting GP2 on ITV4 was always better than Eurosport with zero buildup.

Unless you happen to live outside of Britain and now can't watch the races.

All bad news --- lets be honest bloody awful actually
Suddenly I am very depressed about the future of F1 on British free to air TV

But we do get Charlie on Holiday©

You guys need to time the engine fireups better, I have to press the mute button and sometimes I forget to turn it off.

Sarcastic even?

I'm sure the decision was monetary rather than looking after the public.

You say that like it's a good thing: she must be the most useless presenter on TV.

They do generally fire up about the same time, except for BCN who are trying to save cash on fuel.

She is cute, in a sort of "How did she get out of Hooters" way which means I do watch, but I then have to manage the sound. If it was anyone else, I'd go eat a bagel while I was waiting.

And in no small part there is the "what's she gonna say this time" factor.

I heard on her trip to Bahrain to do pre-season recon, she sat down in the middle seat on the flight surrounded by F1 people and started reading the Hamilton bio.

And that one came all the way via the MotoGP paddock!

She's better looking on TV, but that's about all.

Still, one more sale for Tim Collings can't be bad. Although, WTF...

He could step foot into the radio house depending on who moves where in the commentary transfer market...

Just found out from a source that BBC have told the applicants for the jobs as commentators and reporters that they would not be able to work for anyone else whatsoever. Several people have declined because of this.

Sadly I fear that includes Ben Edwards.

Ben's entire being seems to thrive on commentating on as much stuff as possible. He certainly crams a hell of a lot in.

If you take that sentence literally then it would seem to preclude Martin Brundle as he has his fingers in many pies (unless it refers just to TV commentary). In fact it would probably preclude almost all ex-drivers or ex-F1 personnel.

Unfortunately, that would seem highly likely given that this year alone he's done/doing F1inCinema, A1 GP, BTCC and I believe he's done a few Formula BMW highlight packages. He's also done F1 in Cinema. Here's a few clips of Edwards commentating: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEjj8ld0kds , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2dqFN9lS6o , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc_skAc6Lmg



I think it's only TV personnel. I'm not sure on that one.

Aha so are you saying JA's off to fill someones shoes on radio 5 live?

As hes no longer going to be on the telly then, does that mean the days of watching F1 on TV,but turning the sound down and listening to the commentary on R5 days are numbered? Will we now turn the radio down and listen to the TV commentary?



Guess that might end him talking to Alan Brazil then on a monday morning sometimes on talksport! Does he stil do that, not heard him for a while, as i havent listend to talksport in a morning for a while ;)

It will mean if you broadcast for the BBC you can only broadcast for the BBC. That doesn't preclude you from doing work outside of that though. Ie Lineker and his stupid crisp ads.

Depends how the commentary transfer market shapes up. It's a possibility though....



I read it as if you work for the BBC, you cannot work for any other company.

In a broadcasting sense yes. But they don't seem to limit what the presenters do in a non-broadcast role. Hazel Irvine is available as a media coach and after dinner speaker, for instance.

Hell at the moment David Croft is working for the BBC and ITV.

I could imagine Allen turning up commentating for an american broadcaster or something.

That is possible, although it would mean one of the American commentators, possibly Steve Matchett would head somewhere else.

No deadly serious ---- ITV made a pretty good job of it the Beeb are obviously trying to do it on the same a shoe string they had in the Murray Walker years. Mark Blundell & Louise Goodman take a fair bit of flack around here but they are pretty good at the roles they fill while Martin Brundle is truly superb. With regard to James Allen it dosen't seem to occur to many that he is playing a part a bit like James May in Top Gear he knows a great deal more than he lets on he is actually there to ask stupid questions to let Brundle correct him and explain the technical details.

Here is a quote from Brundle writing in the Sunday Times 9th Dec 2007

Quote " As a former Formula One driver, I have earnt the right to have an opinion about the sport, and probably know as much about it as anybody else. I have attended approaching 400 grands prix, 158 as a driver. I have spilt blood, broken bones, shed tears, generated tanker loads of sweat, tasted the champagne glories and plumbed the depths of misery. I have never been more passionate about F1 and will always share my opinions in an honest and open way, knowing readers will make up their own minds.




To understand just how bad motor racing comentary can be on the TV try watching the NASCAR --- I have to mute the sound when I watch.

I think your the only fan that would prefer to have F1 kept on ITV TBH.

hmm, I wouldn't mind him writing more books, his schumacher book was quite good.

hey DMN, maybe not everyone has drunk the "unique way it's funded" koolaid bullshit

i have zero-confidence in the witless, lumbering and expensive BBC sport dept to produce anything of acceptable quality .... give it a year or two, it'll make itv look like the golden-age in comparison.

Indeed. Regardless of how the BBC is structured and funded, it will ultimately always be defined by the people running it, and they aren't any different than when they are working at other broadcasters.

The more I read, the more I think I'm going to end up missing ITV and James Allen. And I will laugh if it turns out that the BBC are more biased towards Hamilton than ITV are, it'll teach some people to stop whining and enjoy what they have.

How can any motor race which is interrupted by adverts even be considered as providing "golden age" coverage? ITV4's BTCC coverage is very good precisely because the races are not interrupted.

Exactly. Remember Luxembourg 1997? Imola 2005? Japan 2006?

Of course, there will be those times where you'll go "WTF ITV?", but ITV's coverage of F1 has been on average, pretty good. Most of us don't really know the meaning of bad F1 coverage, especially if you don't live in Spain.

I heard a rumour that DC will take over from Brundle & Toby Moody (Eurosport MotoGP commentator) will take over from Allen.

This came from Dieter Rencken & anything he says I take with a bucket load of salt.

DON'T YOU DARE ....
SPEED have the best announce team in F1
Our beloved Three Amigo's are unmatched by any other commentators.

Jp

Which Grapevine was that in?

Compare the BBC & ITV coverage of Euro 2008, ITV didn't leave London apart from the commentators, there was no match analysis at any point, just adverts adverts adverts. In this regard, the BBC will always provide better coverage than ITV for the F1 because you'll no longer have those three minute intervals wonder what the hell is going on. Even worse is when they cut for an advert just as you see something happening on screen then don't mention it when you return.

Regarding coverage, their (BBC) Moto GP is a bit hit and miss, it could be advertised on TV or the website better. I assume they'll cover F1 like they do football or the Olympics. Now they have lost the England matches this is one of BBC sports crown jewels so I expect some decent interactive and BBC online coverage. I don't think I'll ever think ITV's coverage was golden age, remember when ITV started to use F1 on the Playstation to give guides to the track layouts rather than in car footage?

If the BBC tackle F1 like they did the 2008 Olympics then I’m hopeful we’ll get great coverage, however I still expect it to be a Lewis bandwagon every show. Just look at Wimbledon each year on the BBC when Henman was playing.

They will focus in on Lewis to a "certain degree", and quite rightly, but it won't be "The Lewis Hamilton Show" like the past two years on ITV.

The fact that people working at BBC are looking on messageboards like this and another one I look on frequently is a very good sign as they will know what the fans want. For ITV, it went in one ear and zoomed straight back out the other.

I think we'll all be in for a bit of a dissapointment to be quite frank. I hope I'm wrong, but things aren't looking that good at all.

I dunno, DC and Moody, could live with that for sure. I'm a huge fan of the Eurosport commentary team for MotoGP.

The 5 advert breaks per race really break it up on ITV. I think BBC will be a bit less commercial in their approach too, more quality-oriented, so I'm hoping the Hamilton coverage will be a bit less embarrassing. And a bit less. The long interview before every race is a real pain.

If they haven't recognised the opportunity they have with Toby Moody becoming available (presumably he is) then I will be disappointed. No-one else comes near.

But if they have got him then I'm expecting to enjoy it a lot more.