Martin Brundle, David Coulthard, 2011

Between them they started over 400 Grands Prix and caused an enormous crash at the start of the Australian Grand Prix 15 years ago.

Now Martin Brundle and David Coulthard will be talking to 50 million English-speaking F1 fans every race weekend as they take over commentary duties at the BBC.

Speaking to F1 Fanatic at the BBC Television Centre in London Brundle said: “I think we’ve just scratched the surface of David’s understanding and knowledge and eloquence around F1. I’m looking forward to hearing it as much as sharing it.

“I’m not going to suddenly pretend I suddenly don’t know anything about Formula 1 any more. I’ll do the shouty bit but we’ll debate things, we’ll disagree on things, we’ll tell the story, hopefully, in an informative and entertaining way, and I’m really motivated by it.”

Sure enough, the two have very different views on what’s going to be the big talking point of the year.

“The tyres are the same for everybody”

Brundle expects the switch to Pirelli tyres to play the biggest role in determining car performance but Coulthard sees it differently:

“The way I see it is the tyres are the same for everybody. They’ve got two choices of tyre, Pirelli will obviously have designed those tyres based around the cars they’ve had available to them for testing. They’ve had an old Toyota Formula 1 car and some GP2 cars for testing.

“But what they deliver to the race track will be the same for everyone. A good car will exploit the potential of that tyre, whether it’s a Pirelli or a Bridgestone. There’s no question that certain cars have a particularly characteristic movement and they interact with suspension or geometries of individual cars.”

Coulthard expects the rear wings to play a major role this year:

Button and Hamilton mark Coulthard's final F1 race in 2008

“What I think is going to be a bigger influence is how efficient people make their slot gap openers. How predictable that is for the driver, the variation in how the airflow re-attached. That will come down to research in the wind-tunnel, things like that.

“I don’t see the tyres as being the biggest deciding factor between the teams because they’re all the same. How those cars interact with the tyres will be different. But, presuming they’ve all got their models working well, it will be the other gizmos and gadgets that make a difference: downforce, drag and so on.”

Although there have been suggestions the Pirelli tyres will degrade extremely quickly, forcing drivers to make up to four pit stops, Coulthard doesn’t see that happening:

“Of course there will be degradation on the tyres and Pirelli are very hopeful about trying to create a drop-off. And I think that’s a good thing.

“We saw it at Canada with the Bridgestones, we all were supportive of having tyres with a bigger variation. Then the driver has to commit to how does he handle the degradation and everything.

“But it remains to be seen whether these are just tyres that are falling to pieces – which I would be surprised about – versus tyres that the actual properties change as the tyre wears and it loses grip.”

Coulthard doesn’t foresee any difficulty explaining the new Drag Reduction System – which can only be activated at certain times on certain parts of the circuit – to viewers:

“They’re not complicated. They might be to people who are not involved in Formula 1 for 20 years or whatever I’ve been.

“I’ve been involved in Formula 1 for 18 years now test driving and racing, and it makes it pretty logical to me what’s going to be interesting is using all of the tools the BBC use to explain it to the public in a way that they get it straight away.”

Rear wings worth ’70 or 80 horsepower’

Massa activates Ferrari's Drag Reduction System

Brundle adds that he expects the wings will provide a significant performance boost:

“The FIA haven’t finalised exactly when you’ll be able to open the slot gap in your rear wing and how long for. I think they’ll fine-tune that depending on how many straights there are on a race track and how long those straights are. There’s a fudge factor that’s going into this.

“But, fundamentally, you open the slot gap by 40mm and you’re going to go faster. I’m told by a couple of F1 people who should know that it’s the equivalent of 70 or 80 horsepower which is the power of a little mini shopping car or something.

“I just hope it doesn’t end up being artificial, and being a slam dun for the driver behind.”

But unlike Coulthard, Brundle doesn’t believe the wings will be the big talking point of the year: “I think it’s all going to be completely overridden by the Pirelli tyres.”

“I’ve done my apprenticeship”

And he’s not much moved by concerns that BBC’s commentary team will suffer for having two former racing drivers without a journalist: “Was Murray Walker a journalist? A classically-trained journalist? I don’t think so.”

He adds: “I’ve had 14 years now as a commentator. I’ve been talking into cameras for 35 years as a racing driver. So I think I know a lot about Formula 1 and I now know a lot about broadcasting.

“I think I’ve done my apprenticeship. I also write 60,000 words a year as a journalist. I can write a mean column if I want to.

“Our job is to explain what’s going on in a highly complex, fast-moving sport to well north of 50 million English-speaking people around the world. I feel very well qualified to do that.”

Brundle believes this year’s races will be “harder to keep hold of” than they were last season:

“Which is a good thing because last year’s they’d get off the line, you knew they were going to stop once, and it was quite easy to predict the race thereafter.”

This year he expects “a little bit of unpredictability. I think it’s going to be very exciting.”

2011 F1 season

• How well do you remember the 2011 F1 season? Take the F1 Fanatic quiz
• The 2011 F1 season: The complete F1 Fanatic review
• Your 2011 F1 predictions revisited
• Barrichello tipped to stay at Williams
• 2011 F1 statistics part 3: Stats and facts highlights
• 2011 F1 statistics part two: Vettel's domination
• 2011 F1 statistics part one: car performance
• New 2011 rules produced best racing of last four years
• What F1 Fanatics really thought of the 2011 season
• F1 Fanatic's top guest articles of 2011

Images © F1 Fanatic, Red Bull/GEPA, Ferrari spa

Sebastian Vettel interviewed by the BBC's Martin Brundle with Jake Humphrey and David Coulthard

The BBC will pair two ex-Formula 1 drivers in the commentary booth in 2011 after replacing Jonathan Legard as lead commentator.

A BBC source confirmed to F1 Fanatic that Martin Brundle will take over Legard’s role and David Coulthard will join him there.

An official announcement from the BBC is expected soon.

Legard sent the following Tweet:

Life moves on. Ask Nick Heidfeld or Narain Karthikeyan. You never know what’s next. To the critical and the complimentary, thanks for the company.
Jonathan Legard

Brundle and Legard have commentated together since the BBC resumed its F1 broadcasts in 2009.

Update: BBC have officially announced the change. Their head of F1 Ben Gallop said they wanted to use the ‘combined expertise’ of two racing drivers:

We’re always looking for ways to take our Formula 1 coverage to another level – and for 2011 we have an exciting new combination in the commentary box.

We’re keen to make the most of Martin Brundle’s wealth of broadcasting experience and his popularity with the audience by giving him the role of lead commentator and putting him alongside David Coulthard – one of the biggest names in British motorsport and a skilled race analyst.

We want to tap into their combined on-track expertise – together, they will provide our viewers with more immediate discussion, analysis and debate as the action happens. The results of screen tests have been very impressive and we are convinced this combination will deliver a fantastic commentary for our audience for what promises to be a thrilling 2011 season.

The change of direction we are taking unfortunately means there is no place for Jonathan Legard in our commentary set-up. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Jonathan for his great work over the last two seasons. He is a first-rate journalist and broadcaster who has been a core member of our team – helping to re-establish BBC Sport as the nation’s F1 broadcaster. We wish him all the very best for the future.
Ben Gallop

Coulthard added:

I’m very excited to be joining forces with Martin in this new role of co-commentator.

F1 is all about challenging yourself and this will be a big challenge for me, but one that I am looking forward to. There is a great team on the BBC F1 show and we’re looking forward to the year ahead and to bringing something new to our loyal viewers.
David Coulthard

And Brundle welcomed his new commentary partner:

I’m absolutely delighted and very motivated that BBC Sport has asked me to become the lead Formula 1 commentator, alongside David Coulthard.

We have been friends, rivals and colleagues for 18 years and, combined, we have driven in more than 400 F1 Grands Prix and attended over 700. I’ve never felt more passionate about Formula 1 and I can’t wait to get started.
Martin Brundle

Image © Red Bull/Getty images

F1 drivers have a long history of winning at Le Mans

This weekend sees the 77th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours. The great race has been won by 117 different drivers and over half of them – 62 – also competed in the Formula 1 world championship at some point in their career.

Many of them were race winners in F1, some were even champions – and a few made only brief appearances, usually for rather obscure teams.

Here is a complete list of the 62 F1 drivers who won the Le Mans 24 Hours.

1923-1949

Raymond Sommer – 1932, 1933
Philippe Etancelin – 1934
Eugene Chaboud – 1938

Our first three drivers all won the Le Mans 24 Hours in the inter-war years before the created of the world championship which today we call Formula 1. Sommer’s 1932 win saw him cover 218 laps at an average speed of 123kph (76.4mph). Last year’s winners did 381 laps (of a substantially similar circuit, albeit with two slow chicanes inserted) at an average speed of 216.3kph (134.4mph).

1950-1955

Louis Rosier – 1950
Peter Walker – 1951
Peter Whitehead – 1951
Hermann Lang – 1952
Tony Rolt – 1953
Duncan Hamilton – 1953
Jose Froilan Gonzalez – 1954
Maurice Trintignant – 1954
Mike Hawthorn – 1955
Ivor Bueb – 1955, 1957

Mike Hawthorn, F1 world champion in 1958, won the 1955 running of the race on a dark day for motorsport. Over 80 spectators were killed when Pierre Levegh’s Mercedes struck the car of Lance Macklin and was launched into the crowd.

Despite the horror, the race continued. Mercedes withdrew its cars, effectively handing victory to Hawthorn’s Jaguar team. In the aftermath the French, Spanish, German and Swiss Grands Prix were all cancelled. The ban on motor racing in Switzerland remains to this day.

1956-1961

1956: Ron Flockhart and Ninian Sanderson win in a Jaguar D-Type

Ron Flockhart – 1956, 1957
Olivier Gendebien – 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962
Phil Hill – 1958, 1961, 1962

American Phil Hill, who passed away last year, won the Le Mans 24 Hours on three occasions, including his F1 title-winning year of 1961. In all three of his victories he partnered Olivier Gendebien in a Ferrari – first a 250 TR58, then a 250 TR59/60, and finally a 250 TRI/61.

Gendebien only made 14 F1 starts and never won a race, though he did lead his home event at Spa-Francorchamps in 1961. But he was one of the most prolific Le Mans winners, with four victories to his name.

1959-1965

Carroll Shelby – 1959
Roy Salvadori – 1959
Ludovico Scarfiotti – 1963
Lorenzo Bandini – 1963
Nino Vaccarella – 1964
Jochen Rindt – 1965
Masten Gregory – 1965

Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori gave Aston Martin their only win in the race 50 years ago. The team is returning to the top class at Le Mans this year after much success in the lower categories.

From 1960 to 1965 Ferrari enjoyed uninterrupted success. But in 1966 it finally met its match in the form of Ford. The American company had been in negotiations with Enzo Ferrari to purchase its company, and after Ferrari nixed the deal, Henry Ford vowed revenge on the race track. The Ford GT40 duly won the next four runnings of the race.

1966-1969

Bruce McLaren – 1966
Chris Amon – 1966
Dan Gurney – 1967
A.J. Foyt – 1967
Pedro Rodriguez – 1968
Lucien Bianchi – 1968
Jacky Ickx – 1969, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1982
Jackie Oliver – 1969

On board for the last of the GT40′s four wins was Jacky Ickx. He went on to take six victories in the race, a record that stood until Tom Kristensen surpassed it in 2005.

Ickx won eight times in Formula 1, and was championship runner-up in 1969 and 1970. On the latter occasion he was beaten by another Le Mans winner, Jochen Rindt, though the Austrian had been tragically killed earlier that year at Monza.

1970-1972

Richard Attwood – 1970
Helmut Marko – 1971
Gijs van Lennep – 1971, 1976
Henri Pescarolo – 1972, 1973, 1974, 1984

Helmut Marko’s F1 career was cut short when he was partially blinded by a flying stone during the 1972 French Grand Prix He is now Red Bull’s motorsport consultant.

1972-1977

Graham Hill – 1972
Gerard Larrousse – 1973, 1974
Derek Bell – 1975, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1987

Graham Hill added his name to the roster of F1 champions to win at Le Mans, triumphing in 1972 alongside Henri Pescarolo in a Matra-Simca MS670. That was the first of four wins for Pescarolo, whose team competes in Le Lans today. He started 56 Grands Prix from 1968-1976, his best result a single podium finish.

1978-1987

1978: Didier Pironi and Jean-Pierre Jaussaud win in a Renault Alpine A442B

Didier Pironi – 1978
Vern Schuppan – 1983
Paolo Barilla – 1985
Hans-Joachim Stuck – 1986, 1987

It was at the start of the 1980s that active F1 drivers started to become a rarer sight at Le Mans. Colin Chapman explained why to Nigel Mansell when the British driver asked to compete in the race:

When I asked Colin, he immediately refused permission. I said: “In the contract you can’t unreasonably withold permission” and he replied: “I haven’t just invested £2.5 million in you this past year, just for you to get yourself wiped out at Le Mans.”

Whether it was sincere or not, the perception that Le Mans was more dangerous than F1 was not entirely accurate. At the time both disciplines occasionally witnessed terrible accidents that left drivers badly injured or worse. What is clear is that F1 teams were becoming more protective of their drivers, and today it is very rare for active Formula 1 drivers to compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours.

1988-1990

1990: Martin Brundle, John Nielsen and Price Cobb win in a Jaguar XJR-12

Jan Lammers – 1988
Johnny Dumfries – 1988
Jochen Mass – 1989
Martin Brundle – 1990

Often hailed as one of the best drivers never to win a Grand Prix, Martin Brundle often raced sports cars during his F1 career. He won the world championship for sports cars in 1988 for Jaguar, and two years later saw victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours. However, it came after he had been drafted into the leading car when his original car had developed a problem.

1991-1992

1991: Johnny Herbert, Bertrand Gachot and Volker Weidler win in the Mazda 787B

Volker Weidler – 1991
Johnny Herbert – 1991
Bertrand Gachot – 1991
Derek Warwick – 1992
Yannick Dalmas – 1992, 1994, 1995, 1999
Mark Blundell – 1992

The all-F1-driver trio of Volker Weidler, Johnny Herbet and Bertrand Gachot won Le Mans in Mazda’s radical, rotary engine-powered 787B.

The following year another all-F1 driver trio won, this time for Peugeot in their 905. The team was run by Jean Todt, who was in the process of moving their motor sport focus from rallying to F1 by degrees. Ultimately, however, Peugeot failed to keep up with Todt’s ambition. He moved to Ferrari in 1993 and, well, you know the rest…

After an unsuccessful foray into F1 as an engine supplier from 1994-2000, Peugeot returned to Le Mans in 2007. It has several past F1 drivers on its roster this year (and one active Formula 1 driver – Sebastien Bourdais).

1993-1997

Geoff Brabham – 1993
Mauro Baldi – 1994
J.J. Lehto – 1995, 2005
Alexander Wurz – 1996
Michele Alboreto – 1997
Stefan Johansson – 1997

Michele Alboreto was one of the most experienced F1 drivers of all time, making 194 starts from 1981 to 1994, placing him 12th on the all-time list. He won five Grands Prix and was championship runner-up to Alain Prost in 1985.

He won the Le Mans 24 Hours for Joest Racing in 1997, then finished second and third on later appearances for Audi. Tragically, Alboreto was killed testing Audi’s Le Mans car at the Lausitzring in Germany in 2001.

1999: Pierluigi Martini, Yannick Dalmas and Jo Winkelhock win in a BMW V12 LMR

1998-2008

Allan McNish – 1998, 2008
Pierluigi Martini – 1999
Joachim Winkelhock – 1999
Emanuele Pirro – 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007

The last time the Le Mans 24 Hours was won by a team of ex-F1 drivers was in 1999, when Pierluigi Martini, Yannick Dalmas and Joachim Winkelhock won in BMW’s V12 LMR. The car, a joint project with Williams, was a stepping stone into Formula 1 for the team. It was demonstrated by Robert Kubica at last year’s BMW World Final in Mexico.

This decade has seen fewer Le Mans winners with F1 credentials than any other – just three. Former Benetton driver Emanuele Pirro has benefitted from Audi’s steamrollering of the opposition to rack up five wins.

Last year’s race was won by Audi again, with Tom Kristensen increasing his record tally of victories to eight. He was partnered by Rinaldo Capello and former Toyota F1 driver Allan McNish.

McNish is one of several former F1 drivers in the field this year. We’ll take a look at the full line-up and their Formula 1 pedigree later this week.

More on the Le Mans 24 Hours

• How quick would F1 lap at Le Mans?
• Which Formula 1 drivers would you put in a Le Mans 24 Hours team?
• Robert Kubica drives LMR V12 Le Mans winner at BMW World Final (Pictures)
• F1’s missing engine – the Wankel
• F1 drivers in the 2008 Le Mans 24 Hours

Speaking at the Autocar Awards in London he said:

I’m delighted to be able to tell you all that I’ll be joining the BBC next year. I’ve been commentating on F1 for the past dozen years and I briefly considered calling it a day, but in the end I decided to take up the BBC’s offer and I am now very excited about working for them next year.

Brundle was tipped to be the co-commentator alongside Jonathan Legard from an early stage. However rumours suggested the FIA was putting pressure on the BBC not to hire him due to his criticism of the Spygate affair last year.

Brundle is a first-class commentator and I’m very pleased he’ll still be covering the sport in 2009. Congratulations to him and the BBC.

More on the BBC’s F1 coverage in 2009

• BBC’s 2009 F1 team: Legard, Brundle , Coulthard, Humphrey and McKenzie
• FIA trying to ban Martin Brundle?
• ITV F1: goodbye or good riddance?
• How will BBC TV cover F1 in 2009?
• What cricket fans have to say about F1 as the BBC turns its back on them
• ITV loses F1 coverage to BBC from 2009

Today’s Daily Mail claims:

Alan Donnelly, the official representative at races of FIA chairman Max Mosley, has been trying to dissuade BBC executives from employing Brundle, who has been at odds with the governing body since he questioned their handling of last year’s McLaren Spygate affair.

Last year the FIA announced it was suing the Sunday Times over an article of Brundle’s that described the McLaren-Ferrari espionage scandal as “a witch-hunt”. In a response, Brundle said:

I expect my accreditation pass for next year will be hindered in some way to make my coverage of F1 more difficult and to punish me. Or they will write to ITV again to say that my commentary is not up to standard despite my unprecedented six Royal Television Society Awards for sports broadcasting. So be it.

Which raises the question: did the FIA lean on FOM to replace ITV as Britain’s host broadcaster in an attempt to avoid having Brundle as a commentator?

As Vee writes:

If there was not a witch-hunt against McLaren, there is certainly a witch-hunt against Martin Brundle. It is yet further evidence that the FIA is scared of open debate and is only interested in hiding the truth. Mosley’s father would have been proud.

If the Mail’s report is correct is quite disgusting that the FIA should got to such lengths to avoid legitimate debate and discussion.

Martin Brundle is an excellent commentator and the BBC must not be cowed by such shameful bullying.

More on the BBC’s 2009 F1 coverage

• BBC ’s 2009 F1 team: Legard, Brundle, Coulthard, Humphrey and McKenzie
• How will BBC TV cover F1 in 2009?

Jonathan Legard, Martin Brundle, David Coulthard, Jake Humphrey & Lee McKenzie

Pitpass claims the BBC has named its 2009 F1 coverage presenters as Jonathan Legard, Martin Brundle, David Coulthard, Jake Humphrey and Lee McKenzie.

Legard has previously commentated for the BBC on Formula 1 on Radio Five Live and has an expert knowledge of the sport. Pairing him with Martin Brundle, who’s won awards for his ‘expert commentator’ role in 12 years with ITV, is an excellent decision.

David Coulthard, fresh from his retirement this year, is expected to be based in a studio with Jake Humphrey, to front the show.

Pitpass scoffs, “the budget is expected to be even less than ITV is spending – come on, how do you expect them finances garbage like ‘Bonekickers’?” But I think the BBC are sensible to see there is no value in flying their principle presenters around the world, especially on the licence-payers’ coin. Does having Steve Ryder and Mark Blundell struggling to make themselves heard in the pit lane add anything to the ITV show? No.

Humphrey’s background covers a range of sports including football, American football, cricket and athletics, with a high-profile slot in the BBC’s coverage of the recent Beijing Olympic games. As none of these sports involve four wheels and an engine I have no idea if he’s any good or not so please do tell me. According to this interview done while he worked on Childrens’ BBC if he had a million pounds he’d spend it on crisps.

Lee McKenzie has been fronting Sky Sports’ A1 Grand Prix coverage and is the daughter of Bob McKenzie, the Daily Express journalist. (He who famously promised to run a lap of Silverstone naked if McLaren won a race in 2004.) She is expected to work as a pit lane reporter, a role currently filled by Louise Goodman and Ted Kravitz. McKenzie won Jim Clark Memorial Award for people involved in motor sport.

Of the current ITV team only Martin Brundle will joining the BBC’s coverage, and not James Allen, Steve Ryder, Mark Blundell, Ted Kravitz or Louise Goodman. When ITV took over F1 from the BBC in 1997 it kept only Murray Walker and brought in an otherwise all-new team.

ITV won a BAFTA for its coverage of the Canadian Grand Prix last year, despite the fact so many fans had complained about them cutting the post-race discussion short ITV had to issue an apology.

Jake Humphrey biography (BBC press office)
Lee McKenzie official website
BBC Radio Five Live Presenters – Jonathan Legard

More on BBC’s 2009 F1 coverage

• How will BBC TV cover F1 in 2009?
• ITV loses F1 coverage to BBC from 2009

Comments have been split across multiple pages. If you are having trouble viewing the pages, click here to see all comments.

Top Gear has launched a new Formula 1 blog but will the BBC’s hit motoring show play any role in the corporation’s coverage of F1 which begins in 2009?

Speculation about a Top Gear-F1 link up has mounted after The Times ran a front page story suggesting Richard Hammond would front the BBC’s coverage which it takes away from ITV next year.

But although the Top Gear F1 blog’s slogan reads “Because we can’t wait for the BBC to get the racing back” it doesn’t seem likely F1 coverage on the BBC next year will have much of a Top Gear theme. So what should it have?

High definition

High def F1 coverage is long, longer overdue. In America NASCAR has been broadcasting in HD since 2005. And yesterday A1 Grand Prix announced its 2008-09 season, which starts in September, will be broadcast in high definition.

At present the old way to see F1 in HD is to visit one of the cinema broadcasts of Formula 1 races, at a costly £15 a throw.

The BBC already has a delivery system in place for high def broadcasts and the technology must be top of the list for F1 next year.

Lead commentator

When F1 Racing ran a feature last month on the ITV commentary team they said of James Allen: “some fans feel he lacks authenticity.” That’s quite the understatement. You just have to look at one of the most popular posts here, “Ross Brawn slates ITV F1 coverage” to truly gauge the depth of dislike for Allen among F1 fans. Satirical motoring website “Sniff Petrol” ran a campaign to get rid of the man they call “The Cock” and the nickname is widely used around internet forums.

In his defence, his last book on F1 was very good and I think some of the criticism he gets should instead be directed at ITV’s editorial style which probably dictates a lot of what he has to say.

The BBC are spoiled for choice when it comes to finding a new lead commentator. Ben Edwards is a favourite of mine, who did a marvellous job with Eurosport’s CART broadcasts. Others have suggested the excellent former F1 radio commentator Jonathan Legard.

Another tip is David Croft, who now fills Legard’s place on Radio Five as well as doing GP2 for ITV, although he’s yet to win me over.

Second commentator

Martin Brundle is easily the best thing about ITV’s coverage. He brings excellent technical and racing knowledge, smart analysis and credibility to the coverage.

Where his co-presenter James Allen often sounds like a fanboy, Brundle has the hallmarks of a true fan. If he’s not involved in BBC’s coverage next year it better be because he’s acquired the prefix ‘FIA President’.

Some have suggested that David Coulthard will hang up his helmet and take Brundle’s place in the commentary box. I’d rather that didn’t happen because, even if Coulthard can’t get a seat in F1 next year it would be a shame if he stopped racing altogether. I don’t see a need to replace Brundle either.

Brundle is Coulthard’s manager of course, which may play some role in who gets what job.

Presenters

Getting the Top Gear team in would just be silly. I’m a big Top Gear fan myself and the programme often disrupts the production of F1 Fanatic. But we all know Richard Hammond doesn’t care for F1, Jeremy Clarkson would just make jokes, and James May isn’t interested.

I’m actually not too fussed about who hosts the pre- and post-race show as long as they take the good bits from ITV’s presentation (Brundle’s technical and historical features are always excellent) and drop the worst bits (cutting away before the press conference to show a 45 year-old film, as they did on Sunday).

Premiere video feed

The Premiere video feed is currently available only in limited markets including Germany. It makes use of more cameras than the standard feed.

For example in last year’s Japanese Grand Prix viewers of the standard feed didn’t get to see Fernando Alonso’s crash – but Premiere viewers did. It should go without saying fans want the best viewing experience available.

Less nationalistic coverage

It would be unrealistic to imagine that F1 Fanatics are going to make up the bulk of BBC’s audience. Just as with ITV, there’s going to be a large proportion of casual fans watching it to see how the British drivers are doing.

The Lewis Hamilton mania of the past year and a half has been suffocating. And we thought it couldn’t get worse than the Jenson Button craze that came before that.

BBC only need to tone it down a little, spend a bit more time talking about the 19 drivers who aren’t Lewis Hamilton, to make it a lot better.

Studio

ITV used a proper studio for the first few years of their coverage. Then they did away with it, and now we have Steve Rider and Mark Blundell screaming to make themselves heard over engine noise in the pit lane.

This was probably an idea to add more of the track atmosphere into the race coverage. Well it failed. ITV’s presenters look like they’ve sneaked into the paddock by climbing over the fence and haven’t got anywhere to go. Even their British Touring Car Championship presenters get a plinth to stand in front of. Surely F1 deserves this modicum of professionalism?

Interactive coverage

BBC’s F1 commentary team on Radio Five Live already make extensive use of emails and text messages sent in by listeners.

If I were running BBC’s TV coverage next year I’d want to integrate a Live Blogging system similar to what we have here during races. With two commentators covering the race a third could host a live chat with fans and feed back input from the viewers.

According to the Financial Times:

Under its new contract with the BBC, for example, the broadcaster will package its TV and radio coverage with blogs, archive footage and pictures on a single dedicated website.

Sounds very promising!

Internet coverage

ITV finally brought F1 coverage online this year with free practice one and two, qualifying and the race now simulcast online. BBC will surely replicate this using their well-established iPlayer, and hopefully will cover free practice three as well.

And The Chain?

Surely it goes without saying…

No adverts

Happily, the most important part of BBC’s coverage in 2009 is a dead cert…

I was planning to write an article about who Max Mosley’s successor as FIA president could be as he was expected to stand down in 2009. However following the allegations about his sex life made today his immediate future is now in doubt.

So who is likely to take over from Mosley, one of the most powerful men in Formula 1? Here are a few names:

Marco Piccinini

Marco Piccinini has been deputy president of the FIA since 1998 and were Mosley to resign the Italian would probably take over, at least in the short term until new elections were held.

Piccinini is best known as a Ferrari man – he became sporting director of the Italian team in 1978 and took over briefly following Enzo Ferrari’s death in 1988 – he had also been Ferrari’s private banker. During this period he was closely involved in discussions over the creation of the first Concorde Agreement, the governing document by which F1 is run.

He is still on the board of directors for the Italian team, but has had several other roles in F1. In 2003 it was rumoured that Piccinini would take over from Bernie Ecclestone when the Briton relinquished commercial control of F1 (although five years later that still hasn’t happened).

(Incidentally, although Wikipedia is not my principal source for this kind of information I do like to check it, and was intrigued to discover Piccinini apparently created his own entry on there.)

Jean Todt

The Frenchman, former CEO of Ferrari and the man who led the team’s recovery from the ignominy of 1993 to the glories of the 2000s, has often been linked with the role of FIA President.

His closeness to Ferrari would make him a controversial choice, as would his questionable attitude to sporting integrity. He has rigidly enforced ‘one driver first’ policies at his teams, most famously at Ferrari with Michael Schumacher, but also while leading Peugeot’s assault on the Paris-Dakar rally. He once selected which of his drivers, Ari Vatanen or Jacky Ickx, should win an event based on the outcome of a coin toss…

Todt first got into rallying by being a co-driver, and later took on former FIA President Jean-Marie Balestre (who recently passed away) when his compatriot introduced radical changes to rallying regulations in the mid-1980s.

At present members of the World Motor Sports Council cannot vote on matters where they are perceived to have conflicts of interest. Many F1 teams, particularly McLaren, may feel Todt unsuitable to judge on any matter relating to F1 due to his long relationship with Ferrari.

David Richards

A no less controversial choice. Richards managed the Benetton team in 1998 and later returned with BAR-Honda, bringing the struggling team to second in the championship in 2004 before leaving. He was supposed to be leading Prodrive in the sport this year, but Mosley’s failure to implement rules allowing customer cars prevented it from happening.

Richards was critical of Mosley afterwards, and if he were to launch a successful bid for president introducing customer cars would surely be high on his list of priorities.

Like Todt, Richards has been involved in rallying – his Prodrive outfit have run former world champions Subaru for many years. Richards has also been involved in promoting the sport.

Other names

Several potential challengers could come from within the World Motor Sports Council. There are seven vice-presidents, none of whom ordinarily get much attention relating to Formula 1.

They include Michel Boeri, who has run the Automobile Club de Monaco for 30 years having taken over from his father. Nazir Hoosein infamously served as an F1 steward and was responsible both for allowing Michael Schumacher to win the 1998 British Grand Prix by taking a penalty after the race had finished, and giving a very controversial penalty to Juan Pablo Montoya at Sepang in 2002 (more on Hoosein here).

Outside the WMSC there are a few unlikely but surely popular potential choices. Damon Hill, former F1 champion and current president of the British Racing Drivers’ Club, would be my favourite. And for irony value, how about Martin Brundle?

Who would you like to see become FIA president?

Plus more reviews of 2007 and more debate over who was the best driver of the year – which invariably boils down to a discussion about two drivers: Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen.

All this and more in the weekly round-up of the F1 news.

Drivers move to quell wet weather fears – Concerns over racing in the wet following the ban on traction control.

Heidfeld: TC ban to make races ‘more thrilling’ – But Nick Heidfeld is positive about the traction control ban.

Schumacher turned down Ferrari role – Michael Schumacher spurned the chance to become sporting director at Ferrari late last year.

Chinese GP executive jailed – One of the men behind the Shanghai International Circuit is imprisoned for embezzlement.

Mercedes slammed for driver policy – Michael Bartels criticises Mercedes for failing to promote German talent.

Thoughts as the new year beckons – GrandPrix.com’s Joe Saward on the scandals of 2007: “We fervently believe that if one went through the pre-September computer records of many of the teams one would find evidence of all kinds of things.”

Martin’s top five – Martin Brundle has a hard time separating Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton as the best drivers of 2007: this is who I picked as the best driver. Brundle also has a piece on why he thinks Hamilton is the real deal.

Viso: I want to race – Ernesto Viso, the Venezuelan who survived a terrible crash in GP2 at Magny-Cours in last year’s Grand Prix weekend, wants an F1 seat.

Teixera thanks Ecclestone for help – A1 Grand Prix’s Tony Teixera thanks Bernie Ecclestone for his help in securing the deal for the championship to use Ferrari engines.

Hamilton hoping for less politics in 2008 – Lewis Hamilton wants fewer non-racing distractions this year.

The year in review: Sport – The Independent’s take on the 2007 F1 season.

Williams opt against official car launch – No formal launch for the FW30 – use the F1 Fanatic calendar to keep up to date with the 2008 car launches and tests.

Ralf confirms no F1 drive in 2008 – No seat for Ralf Schumacher in 2008.

Happy new year – GrandPrix.com offer wishes of the season – but can’t resist a dig at some of their rivals!

More on the 2008 F1 driver line-up

• 2008 F1 drivers & teams

In a new piece today entitled “How can Formula One justify blatant double standards?” Brundle defends his earlier claim that the FIA is engaged in a witch-hunt against McLaren and cites its failure to prosecute Renault over allegations of spying to be further proof.

In the article he also reveals that this is not the first time his journalism has been criticised by the FIA:

I expect my accreditation pass for next year will be hindered in some way to make my coverage of F1 more difficult and to punish me. Or they will write to ITV again to say that my commentary is not up to standard despite my unprecedented six Royal Television Society Awards for sports broadcasting. So be it.

He describes the McLaren judgement as being about “negativity and suspicion of possible use of Ferrari information” while the Renault investigation has an, “understanding and supportive nature and one only of occasional ‘strong disapproval’.”

I’ve not quite made my mind up about the Renault verdict just yet – it’s a gigantically complicated affair and I don’twish to jump to conclusions. In between writing this article and the inevitable festive shopping I’ve been poring over the available documents and am preparing what I hope will be a very thorough analysis of them.

Brundle however has set down his case quite clearly and is tackling the FIA head-on. Good for him, I say.

If the FIA are happy they’ve delivered a fair verdict, they have nothing to fear from the kind of logical, rational, transparent criticism that Brundle’s broadcasts and writings are renowned for.

More on F1′s spying investigations

• FIA suing Sunday Times over McLaren article
• The full verdict on the Renault-McLaren spying case
• Renault guilty but unpunished in spying case
• The consequences of Thursday’s Renault-McLaren spy hearing
• McLaren dossier outlines McLaren case about Renault spying
• Renault denies using McLaren data
• The Sunday Times – How can Formula One justify blatant double standards? (external)