No F1 thread?

[duncs500]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/52883244

Dates for first 8 European races confirmed

Bloody marvelous. Should be quite a lot of sport going on once it starts up again.

[Orange Cola]

Here’s hoping they don’t end up with teams dropping out and turning some events into non championship races.

[Mito Man]

Here’s hoping they don’t end up with teams dropping out and turning some events into non championship races.

Yeah, I reckon we’re in the twilight years of F1 regardless. Just going to enjoy it and make the most of it.

[Orange Cola]

Here’s hoping they don’t end up with teams dropping out and turning some events into non championship races.

Yeah, I reckon we’re in the twilight years of F1 regardless. Just going to enjoy it and make the most of it.

I meant from C19 but you’re also probably right. I can’t see F1 in its current form being around in 10-15 years time.

[integrale_evo]

Of course it's days are numbered. No manufacturer is going to want to be ascociated with nasty smelly fossil fuel engines when they're not allowed to sell road cars powered by a variation of the same stuff.

Look at the outcry from everyone when the engines switched to the current version and sounded absolutely shite in comparison. Now imagine that x1000 when they're a fully electric borefest.

At least even when the racing was dull in the v12/v10/v8 era at least the cars sounded ridiculous and there was always the hope of a spectacular blow up and fire.

[Rich B]

The biggest issue For me is the whole moving away from free tv imo. It’s an effort to watch it or avoid results until the highlights (not to mention the massively delay in putting those highlights onto the online version of the channel).

[Mito Man]

They need to pick between entertainment or the pinnacle of engineering as they’re pretty mutually exclusive things these days. The latter is pretty much ruled out due to all the budget restraints and would eventually end up turning into formula E on steroids.

Maybe have formula E pretty much replace Formula 1 as the battery tech catches up over the next decade and let F1 be a low budget (say sub £10 million annual budget) event of 10 races mainly contest by mainly privateer teams with Judd V10s - I know which I’d watch.

All that’s clear is that the sly old fox that is Bernie was forced out at the right time

[Orange Cola]

The biggest issue For me is the whole moving away from free tv imo. It’s an effort to watch it or avoid results until the highlights (not to mention the massively delay in putting those highlights onto the online version of the channel).

About the only good thing that’s come from this is I changed my habits and I walk round to the pub and watch it on the big screen there, only I pay them what I’d be paying Sky.

[Rich B]

No good when the races are on at 6 in the morning though. I used to quite like being able to watch the race in bed or something and then get on with the day.

[duncs500]

No good when the races are on at 6 in the morning though. I used to quite like being able to watch the race in bed or something and then get on with the day.

Totally, 6/7am is the sweet spot for an F1 race, the wife is still in bed.

[Orange Cola]

No good when the races are on at 6 in the morning though. I used to quite like being able to watch the race in bed or something and then get on with the day.

That’s not the whole calendar, plus Sky do repeat the races throughout the day

[Swervin_Mervin]

Any suggestions yet as to what's happening in terms of broadcasting this year? Assume it's still all on Sky with no live FTA?

[Orange Cola]

Any suggestions yet as to what's happening in terms of broadcasting this year? Assume it's still all on Sky with no live FTA?

Correct.

[Rich B]

Here we go again...

https://twitter.com/rich_energy/status ... 82721?s=21

[Delphi]

Any suggestions yet as to what's happening in terms of broadcasting this year? Assume it's still all on Sky with no live FTA?

Yeah, but some races (notably the British GP) are usually simulcast on Sky 1 so they're free. It doesn't bother me as I get the full Sky package for free anyway. </smug>

[Rich B]

Any suggestions yet as to what's happening in terms of broadcasting this year? Assume it's still all on Sky with no live FTA?

Yeah, but some races (notably the British GP) are usually simulcast on Sky 1 so they're free. It doesn't bother me as I get the full Sky package for free anyway. </smug>

”some” as in “the British GP”?

There’s two of them this year, does that mean Ch4 get both?

[Delphi]

Some as in the British and Monaco last year. I can't remember what others there were. I can't remember if they were on Channel 4 or not, only that Sky 1 and Sky Sports F1 were doing a simulcast. I've no idea what the current schedule is going to be regarding which races (if any) will be free.

[Swervin_Mervin]

From the F1 website:

15. Will F1 allow some races to be available on Free-To-Air TV?

F1 has existing contracts in place for broadcast and it is right we honour those commitments with our long-term partners.

Silverstone will host two events, with one of those events available live as Free-to-air (FTA) within the UK. Each market situation is different and has comprehensive highlight packages to complement the live broadcast of the races.

So one race FTA.

I think there was still some uncertainty over how the FTA boradcast would be made this year i.e. whether C4 would get to air their usual full show, or whether it would simply be Sky making it available FTA somehow, such as via Pick on Freeview. Personally I hope C4 get it, as I tried watching the Sky broadcast once (don't have SKy but was at a mate's house) and it was fucking atrociously bad. I switched off and watched the C4 highlights package later on instead. Nothing on C4F1's page about their broadcast proposals yet though.

[duncs500]

Really? I think the Sky coverage is much better than C4.

[Swervin_Mervin]

Really? I think the Sky coverage is much better than C4.

Absolutely. The commentating is terrible on Sky, as is the analysis. Whilst Steve Jones is an acquired taste, I generally think the C4 crew are far more professional and informed. DC and Webber in particular.