73 replies to this topic

[potmotr]

As 2009 draws to a close, I thought it might be interesting to see who people think is the best F1 journalist this year.

Most here hoover up news from lots of different sources.

"Best" is pretty subjective, and I'd like to leave it that way.

Could be the one who broke the most stories, did the best reports, was a voice of reason, or purely someone who writes about F1 in a way you really like.

Personally, I've been really impressed by James Allen this year.

His blog is an excellent read, and is usually right on the money.

Equally, for me, Mark Hughes is an excellent bullshit filter.

I also like journalists who aren't afraid to put the boot in when required.

Like Edward Gorman asking Jenson Button if he was bottling it at Spa.

Your thoughts?

Edited by potmotr, 22 December 2009 - 16:43.

[highdownforce]

In Brazil:

Worst: Lito Cavalcanti
- Author of the rumors "Piquet Snr buys BMW" and "Raikkonen signs with Mercedes".

Best: Reginaldo Leme
- Crashgate.

[Atreiu]

In Brazil:

Best: Reginaldo Leme
- Crashgate.

[juicy sushi]

Personally, I've been really impressed by James Allen this year.

His blog is an excellent read, and is usually right on the money.

I've got to agree. I was never much of a fan of him behind the microphone, but his blog has been quite well written and very informative. His follow-up posting has also been terrific, even though he is quite careful as to what he says.

[OnyxF1]

Chris Balfe.

[Buttoneer]

2010?

[RodrigoL]

Lobato.

[MegaManson]

In order

1. Ed Gorman
2. Mike Lawrence
3. James Allen
4. Will Buxton
5. Nigel Roebuck

[potmotr]

2010?

Jesus, I'm losing my mind!

2009!!!

Have changed OP!

[Gordon McCabe]

Mark Hughes and Nigel Roebuck remain the Benny and Bjorn of English-language Grand Prix journalism. Just as Abba were better as a pop group than one had any right to expect a pop group to be, so Hughes and Roebuck are better writers than one has any right to expect a motorsport journalist to be.

Edward Gorman, however, is very much the best newcomer to the field. Despite the fact that he's essentially been 'parachuted' into the role by his newspaper, and will presumably move on to other things in the near future, he's made a massive effort to really understand the sport, and has become a reliable and informative source of F1 news and analysis.

[potmotr]

Agreed with you fully Gordon.

Roebuck has been great this year.

I also think Simon Taylor's "lunch with" pieces in Motorsport have been really great too.

Andrew Benson on the BBC's site is also well worth taking a peek at, he has good contacts.

[The July Plot]

Bradly Lord has been top class.

[barteks]

Mark Hughes, Jonathan Noble and Laia Ferrer In no particular order.

Edited by barteks, 22 December 2009 - 18:57.

[MegaManson]

Bradly Lord has been top class.

F1Racing seems to be aimed at the casual fan, real F1 fans in general get Motorsport magazine so Lord is ok at educating 13 year old fanboys in their 1st or 2nd season but he brings nothing new to the table

Edited by MegaManson, 22 December 2009 - 19:03.

[dank]

People think Ed 'I'm a drama queen' Gorman is good?!!

Anyway, in no particular order: Will Buxton, Nigel Roebuck, Bradley Lord and Stuart Codling.

Gone off James Allen, whose blog was a proper 'blog' (with opinions and all that jazz) before becoming just another F1 website. Joe Saward's ok in drips and drabs, can be a bit gloomy and never really seems to be too positive about the job he does, which thousands would kill to do.

Edited by dank, 22 December 2009 - 19:07.

[MegaManson]

People think Ed 'I'm a drama queen' Gorman is good?!!

Anyway, in no particular order: Will Buxton, Nigel Roebuck, Bradley Lord and Stuart Codling.

Gone off James Allen, whose blog was a proper 'blog' (with opinions and all that jazz) before becoming just another F1 website. Joe Saward's ok in drips and drabs, can be a bit gloomy and never really seems to be too positive about the job he does, which thousands would kill to do.

Gorman tells it how it is and isn't scared of losing his pass unlike the other journos, he asks questions no one else would dare, he spoke out against Max when everyone else ran for the hills for fear of losing their pass

He is F1's answer to Gary Newbon in his boxing reporter days, wish Gorman would do the press conferences

Edited by MegaManson, 22 December 2009 - 19:18.

[Pato]

James Allen. However he should be commentating, not writing.

[VoidNT]

Lobato.

He's still not bald enough for that.

Laia Ferrer In no particular order.

Seconded. To my taste, the best F1 journo must be hot, end of story.

Edited by VoidNT, 22 December 2009 - 19:28.

[Francesc]

Legard can be included? If so, then without a doubt Jonathan is the man

[schuey100]

James Allen

[Jodum5]

James Allen

No Joe Saward? I like his blog, though he's a little to cranky for my tastes.

[MegaManson]

No Joe Saward? I like his blog, though he's a little to cranky for my tastes.

Saward is a whiny git, earns millions via GP.com, GP+ which he charges £25 a year for, the Business Of F1 newsletter he charges £300 a year for and other journalism yet moans moans and moans again and even has the nerve to hand out the begging bowl to his blog readers

He earns a fortune yet has the nerve to ask for money in a credit crunch while at the same time enjoying all the best F1 parties and generally having a lifestyle everyone would dream of

[senna da silva]

Saward is a whiny git, earns millions via GP.com, GP+ which he charges £25 a year for, the Business Of F1 newsletter he charges £300 a year for and other journalism yet moans moans and moans again and even has the nerve to hand out the begging bowl to his blog readers

He earns a fortune yet has the nerve to ask for money in a credit crunch while at the same time enjoying all the best F1 parties and generally having a lifestyle everyone would dream of

Millions?


Very impressed with James Allen this year.

[Ellios]

James Allen and Jake Humphrey.

Jakes blogs were always good reading this year, and the fella done well.

[MegaManson]

Millions?


Very impressed with James Allen this year.

Maybe not a year but for sure Joe Saward unless he has a gambling addiction would be a millionaire given his 3 revenue streams so I find it hard to feel sympathy for millionaires asking the great unwashed for money

[potmotr]

He earns a fortune yet has the nerve to ask for money in a credit crunch while at the same time enjoying all the best F1 parties and generally having a lifestyle everyone would dream of

I highly highly hiiiighly doubt Saward earns million.

He might be comfortable, but one print freelancer would not be earning all that much.

[JarnoA]

Andrew Benson on the BBC's site is also well worth taking a peek at, he has good contacts.

God, don't let Schumacher fans hear you say that. Benson became the antichrist to MS fans for so long after he published the "tainted genius", (or something along those lines), article in 2006.

It was impossible to post a link by Benson for at least a year, (regardless of what the content was about), without MS fans banging on about how crap he was.

[senna da silva]

Maybe not a year but for sure Joe Saward unless he has a gambling addiction would be a millionaire given his 3 revenue streams so I find it hard to feel sympathy for millionaires asking the great unwashed for money

for sure?

[egg1980]

Mark Hughes number one for sure, if I had a pound for every time I have quoted him in an F1 conversation...

Much to my surprise James Allen comes next. Now that I don't have to look at his silly hair or listen to his voice I have warmed to him.

In fact, the following message goes to both of the above - KEEP OFF THE TELLY!
The one and only time I've seen Mark Hughes on TV was at Silverstone and boy did he send me to the land of nod

[MegaManson]

I highly highly hiiiighly doubt Saward earns million.

He might be comfortable, but one print freelancer would not be earning all that much.

He has a business F1 newsletter he charges £300 a year for so say for example he has 1000 subscribers that would be 300k a year

He charges £25 a year for Grandprix+ so say he has 5000 subscribers thats £125k a year

Then his freelance work

While he would not earn a million a year or even half that I would be shocked if he is not a millionaire

[Galka]

Leo Turrini
(an Italian guy who's working for Gazzetta dello Sport and has his own blog)

For some unimaginable reason this guy manages to get exclusive interviews for his blog from top Ferrari people, and not only that - he makes these people speak their mind.
It was that guy who made Domenicali say "I fired Baldisseri because I wanted to build my own Ferrari" and to whom di Monti confessed "it's Schumacher's twin brother who is going to Mercedes, and the real Schumi stays with us".
I'm not a Ferrari fan but that blog was hugely entertaining.

Unfortunately for those who do not speak Italian, his blog is in Italian only.

Edited by Galka, 22 December 2009 - 20:47.

[potmotr]

God, don't let Schumacher fans hear you say that. Benson became the antichrist to MS fans for so long after he published the "tainted genius", (or something along those lines), article in 2006.

I reckon calling Schumacher a tainted genius is a fair call actually, especially after scandals like Monaco 2006.

@MegaManson: I don't reckon Saward would have that many people paying £300 quid a year. But if he does, power to him. Being a journalist who makes money doesn't make you a bad journalist.

[BMW_F1]

Bob Varsha.

[Mungo Fangio of the Year]

Heikki Kulta

[JarnoA]

He has a business F1 newsletter he charges £300 a year for so say for example he has 1000 subscribers that would be 300k a year

Are you not confusing Saward with Rubython? Business F1 has been sued by pretty much everyone involved in F1, including most amusingly, Willi Weber, who they accused of being the head of an international drugs and prostitution ring.

[glorius&victorius]

I've got to agree. I was never much of a fan of him behind the microphone, but his blog has been quite well written and very informative. His follow-up posting has also been terrific, even though he is quite careful as to what he says.

James Allen (Blog) for me. Though I must say that in the winter season he seems a bit slow... even Joe Saward is catching up with him.... the latter I must say upped his game a bit.
Ed Gorman... this season for me is the worst...

[potmotr]

Are you not confusing Saward with Rubython? Business F1 has been sued by pretty much everyone involved in F1, including most amusingly, Willi Weber, who they accused of being the head of an international drugs and prostitution ring.

Rubython could be a case study for an manic obsessive bent on his own financial destruction.

[MegaManson]

Are you not confusing Saward with Rubython? Business F1 has been sued by pretty much everyone involved in F1, including most amusingly, Willi Weber, who they accused of being the head of an international drugs and prostitution ring.

http://store.grandpr...port-newsletter

[MegaManson]

I reckon calling Schumacher a tainted genius is a fair call actually, especially after scandals like Monaco 2006.

@MegaManson: I don't reckon Saward would have that many people paying £300 quid a year. But if he does, power to him. Being a journalist who makes money doesn't make you a bad journalist.

Agreed but what I find wrong is that he is continually handing out the begging bowl asking for donations, if he didn't do that I would admire him more

[D.M.N.]

God, don't let Schumacher fans hear you say that. Benson became the antichrist to MS fans for so long after he published the "tainted genius", (or something along those lines), article in 2006.

It was impossible to post a link by Benson for at least a year, (regardless of what the content was about), without MS fans banging on about how crap he was.

I reckon calling Schumacher a tainted genius is a fair call actually, especially after scandals like Monaco 2006.

Is this the article in question? http://news.bbc.co.u...one/5320026.stm

Edited by D.M.N., 22 December 2009 - 20:59.

[MegaManson]

This was the article where I lost respect for Saward, earning a fortune, going to all the best parties yet still wanting recession hit readers to cough up and threatening to go subscription if they don't



Donations

I travel to all the Formula 1 races each year. I have not missed a single race since 1988. F1 journalism is becoming more and more expensive as it switches its focus from Europe to Asia. The core of F1 freelance journalists – the people who have the experience – are beginning to find it hard to find the money to attend all the races. Increasingly, those doing the writing are not at the races. This means two things: the reporters who travel get less work, because the stay-at-homes can undercut their prices; and the overall quality of the reporting goes down because there are fewer reporters with personal contacts in the sport. Thus coverage becomes less authoritative and in consequence less respected. Teams have to do more media firefighting, stamping out incorrect stories which take on a life of their own when one copier after another spreads the word across the World Wide Web.

There are always going to be big publishers who will pay whatever it takes to send people to each race but even the big European newspapers are now baulking at paying for the intercontinental races.Last year in Japan there was a tiny international press corps.

Given the current trend of restaurants asking customers to decide what they want to pay rather than setting prices, I thought it would be better to ask readers for donations rather than switching to a subscription model.

If you like what I do, please feel free to donate money.

[JarnoA]

http://store.grandpr...port-newsletter

I didn't know about that, but it strikes me as Saward getting his own back at Rubython. (There is a lot of bad blood between Rubython and Saward, and Weber, and Parnell, and Donnelly, and Woods, and Whiting, and err well everyone involved in F1 in the last decade)

One of the many libelous claims made by Business F1, was that Saward was a mouthpiece of Woods.

Business Motorsport is obviously Saward sticking 2 fingers up at the bankrupt Rubython.

[britishtrident]

Ed Gorman or Nigel Roebuck
Brundle's writing ain't too shabby either.

[CoolFiltered]

Heikki Kulta at the top for accurate no bullshit reporting, and at the bottom of the pile James Allen equal with Andrew Davies, although at least i'd credit James Allen with being a journo, not sure anyone could realistically apply that title to Davies.

[potmotr]

Brundle's writing ain't too shabby either.

I agree. I soak up anything Brundle writes, he really is excellent.

To my mind Autosport should ditch DC for next year and get Brundle.

It's not that DC'd bad, it's just the Brundle has stronger opinions.

[ivanalesi]

I like the ones who go beyond the surface and have the ability to cover all scenarios and viewpoints. If it was allowed to add TV pundits, then Ant, EJ, DC and Martin would be the top 4. It's just obvious how they always have something worthy to say, not just repeating something we all know. It seems very important to have motorsport experience and thus very close after them come Mark Hughes and Peter Windsor(though I don't share many of his views). Joe Saward is good on the political stuff and always picks those important news which have been missed by the mainstream.
There are of course a couple of great German language journalists which are at least equally as good.
From the English ones it's Mark, Peter and Joe with an honourable mention of Will Buxton - he's fun guy! They're all very knowledgeable.
I can't stand James Allen and Alan Henry for obvious reasons.

[Muz Bee]

Being on the lower part of the globe I don't easily get all the Euro writers but my feelings for best are;

Print writer - Nigel Roebuck
TV reporter - Jake Humphrey
TV commentator - Martin Brundle

I would have to say Brundle dropped off the pace this year. He seems distracted and apart from his grid walks which are excellent, he isn't paying attention and his prejudices are coming to the surface.

Nigel is excellent.

[potmotr]

Autosport are generally pretty good, especially Jonathan Noble.

He breaks a decent amount of news.

[dank]

He has a business F1 newsletter he charges £300 a year for so say for example he has 1000 subscribers that would be 300k a year

He charges £25 a year for Grandprix+ so say he has 5000 subscribers thats £125k a year

Then his freelance work

While he would not earn a million a year or even half that I would be shocked if he is not a millionaire

Not plucking random numbers out of thin-air to suit your agenda by any chance?

I doubt he gets as many subscribers as you suggest, probably half as much. Listening to some of his podcasts on Sidepodcast, he has regularly mentioned that he just about passes break even each year after factoring in travel costs, FIA passes etc. So I doubt Joe is at this precise moment in time jumping into a vault of golden coins, a lá Scrooge McDuck.

[roadie]

I enjoy reading the F1 Fanatic blog, which is written by Keith Collantine. James Allen's is also good.

Dieter Rencken (The Weekly Grapevine) is by far and away Autosport's best journalist in my opinion. In print, the guys in the Guardian do a good job.