From the first race of the season Legard appeared to know almost nothing about F1. His only style has been to use lots of really bad repeating phrases such as:

“And it’s Button in the front for Brawn, then team mate Barichello, from Webber, from Vettel, from…”
“Button from Barrichello from Vettel from Heidfeld. Brawn from Brawn from Red Bull from BMW”
“Knows the time to beat”
“Pushing On”
“He’s on a charge”
“Round the final corner”
“He’s battling on”
“Now what can this man do?”
“Down the hill”
“Can he make it?”
“Up the hill”
“Round turn 9/10/11 etc.”

I cannot think of one intelligent comment Legard has made so far in the 2009 season. I just get so frustrated trying to watch a GP with his constant nonsense background noise. Whenever anything does happen he is so busy ‘making noise’ that he misses it. Occasionally Legard stops to catch breath and Brundel is able to make an interesting observation before Legards excitedly butts in and starts making noise again.

I literally resorted to muting the sound on my TV for the last race (Valencia). This was an unbelievably boring race with one genuine overtaking moment, yet somehow all the way through Legard was stuck in a sort of frenzy of noise.

Surely the BBC will replace Legard… please… please

In today’s quali at one point he shouted “Button’s Out” just because Vettel had put in a faster lap! I had to wait to see Jensen was still on the track to know it was another stupid comment.

I also get the feeling that Brundle’s not too happy with him either.

BBC — Get rid of him, Get James Allen back or to make my life complete Good ol Murray Walker.

Is it me or does Legard just not shut up???

P.S: I would also like to say that as an avid formula one fan since the early nineties the BBC are doing a sterling job of delivering the current Formula one season. Well done guys it’s good to be home!

The Chinese GP was great (and a relief) without Jordan

@ Robert Stanton: “Articulate commentators,in-depth knowledge” – I’m assuming you are NOT referring to Legard? He has ZERO knowledge and is about as articulate as a rocking horse.

Martin Brundle – top man – great he’s part of the team.

Jonathan Legard – needs to SHUT UP more often – we are watching moving pictures on the YV not listening to the radio…is he paid by the number of words he can get in a minute and he’s boring.

David Coulthard – Boring – why TV producers constantly make the mistake of using ex sports people as presenters – is mad – some make it most do not.

Jake Humphrey – great on the TV durng the China Olympics – but you get bored by his presentation style very quickly

Lee McKenzie – waste of space

If anyone at the BBC is reading this – if you want to retain the viewers of F1 – use or bring back the ITV crew – they were 10 times better that the BBC team (ex Martin Brundle)

I hate listening to the verbal diarrhea from the presenters – Martin knows how to pace the commentry – the others sound amateurish, boring and seem to love the sound of their own voices – I don’t so shut up.

I am glad Martin is still there but who is the boring person who is working along side him, he definitely needs a commentary transplant.

At least with James Allan there was some life in him.

As a commentator Legard is involved in and gripped by the unfolding drama of the sport, and it is a sport. James Allen has come across as an overgrown schoolboy who is excited by the spectacle of sound, colours and noise and at the money and the girls but who distances us from the sport. As such Allen did not describe drivers as sportsmen but rather as heroes with unattainable superhuman greatness.

Formula one is a sport and I believe it suits a sporting style of commentary which i think is Jonathan Legard’s style. I also like that he is less likely to be condescending.