ITV closes F1 website

F1 Fanatic round-up

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In the round-up: Former UK F1 broadcaster ITV has closed its Formula 1 website.

Links

Top F1 links from the past 24 hours:

End of the road for itv.com/f1 (ITV)

“We’ve had 12 great years, including three since ITV gave up the broadcast rights to the sport. With F1 embarking on a new era in 2012 in which the sport will be televised by both BBC and Sky, now seemed the right time to bow out.”

Get set for a more competitive year (Daily Telegraph)

“It remains to be seen whether Sky’s ambition is rewarded with a spike in paying customers – and what effect the new set-up will have on F1 sponsors, for whom viewing figures are king ?óÔé¼ÔÇØ but it clearly means business and the rivalry with the BBC could well push both broadcasters to new heights.”

Ferrari confident of 2012 fightback (Autosport)

Stefano Domenicali: “When we see the stopwatch at the first qualifying for the first race, then we will know the answer. But I see some things that give us optimism that we are doing a reasonable job.”

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Comment of the day

Rob Wilson knows what he wants from this year’s F1 season:

All I want in 2012 is a championship battle, we had everything in 2011 apart from that, there were great individual races but never the championship battle that makes it that much better. I don’t mind who fights for the championship, but please, someone give Sebastian Vettel a run for his money this year!

It would be fantastic if the top 4four teams turned up in Melbourne with evenly-matched cars and any one of eight drivers in the running for pole and win, only being separated by the type of circuit they were on and what suited their car. I would love to see it that close (maybe I should get into GP2).

But please, please no domination in F1 in 2012!
Rob Wilson

From the forum

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday to Regis and t3x!

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On this day in F1

Trevor Taylor narrowly beat Jim Clark in the Cape Grand Prix 50 years ago today. The two Lotuses crossed the line separated by six-tenths of a second after 60 laps of the Killarney circuit.

Jo Bonnier was third for Porsche.

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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48 comments on “ITV closes F1 website”

  1. It’s faintly ridiculous that the official reserve driver for RB in 2011 was a man who clearly had no intention of ever starting another race, especially given the number of drivers available.

    1. I think the Red Bull Christmas card suggests Webber’s 2013 seat might still be a 4 way battle, btw

      1. @Gridlock that was Webber´s card. And I think it means that he feel backed by RBR, with the gift from Horner, Marko, Newey and Vettel, while the RBR Jr program guys can wait in te cold until he retired…

        1. Yeah, if Red Bull are looking to replace Webber, they’re not going to let the world know with a Christmas Card. Not unless they’re a front for MAD Magazine.

          Although when I first saw it, I did interpret it as meaning the young drivers were trying to buy Webber’s favour for 2013.

    2. <blockquote.It’s faintly ridiculous that the official reserve driver for RB in 2011 was a man who clearly had no intention of ever starting another race, especially given the number of drivers available.
      Um, what? Danniel Ricciardo was Red Bull’s reserve in 2011 …

      1. @Gridlock yeap; what @prisoner-monkeys said. Maybe you were thinking of 2009; when the RBR reserve was a Mr. D. Coulthard?

        1. Thanks for puttting that in @raymondu999, I was wondering what was meant by that comment, I already forgot that DC was their reserve in 2009!

  2. My wish for 2012? Freak rain storms in Barcelona and Valencia :)

    1. Oops forgot I was going to comment on the ITV site.
      The articles there tended to be pretty good, although the webmaster seemed more interested in pit girls. It was the first place I visited for F1 news on the interweb, back in 2008. After reading an article by James Allen I noticed a little link at the bottom which sent me over to his blog.

      He had a good community there but as it became more popular it became a bit of a drag reading through the comments (especially the repeated ‘I never liked you on TV, but…’ ones). At some point in 2009 I found myself here and it’s been my main source of F1 news ever since.

      So cheers ITV for introducing me to F1 blogging, it’s certainly made the sport more interesting for me :).

      1. Yup, I used to count on the ITV F1 site too, back during my favourite F1 seasons – 2005 and 2006. But they didn’t have any means of providing high resolution images. Now my principal source of all this F1 and motor racing are Autosport, Racer and F1 Fanatic, and of course those colourful and invariably controversy-erupting blogs by Joe Saward.

    2. I’d say showers, storms would mean the event might be cancel… wait. I get it.

      1. @mike no thanks. (I’m being honest) I’d settle for a boring race rather than no race. More track action does it for me; it doesn’t matter what kind. Besides, a boring race lets you appreciate the more subtle facets – noticing the way certain drivers take certain corners; the differing driving lines; etc.

        Having said that; I wouldn’t mind if Bernie decided those two circuits as the first to use his sprinkler idea on.

  3. I’ve been following the itv-f1 site for -how long I don’t know-. Sad to hear it’s gone :(

  4. Call me unconventional but I don’t want 4-8 drivers battling for the championship. I want just two drivers – two drivers from two different teams to battle it out.
    From the time I have started watching, my favorite seasons have been 2006 and 2008. When only two drivers compete, the intensity increases unbelievable peaks. Fan rivalries reach their high point and the whole experience of watching F1 becomes much more passionate.

    I want 4-8 to have a chance till two third of the season is done. But the final flyaway races should be a one-on-one battle. Imagine a repeat of Alonso vs Schumi at Shanghai 2006 at any of Singapore, Brazil, India – it would be epic

    1. I won’t call that unconventional. I’ll call that crazy.

      I’m afraid I just don’t understand your logic. You’re effectively limiting the racing to two drivers. How is that better than having three drivers in contention? Or four? If two drivers generate a rivalry, then surely four drivers make for an all-in brawl.

      1. I think he has a point. Prost vs Senna. Schumacher vs Hakkinen.

        Alonso vs Button vs Hamilton vs Vettel does dilute it slightly.

        I don’t necessarily agree with sumedh, but it’s good food for thought.

        1. I think he has a point. Prost vs Senna. Schumacher vs Hakkinen.

          They were exciting because of the personalities involved. Prost and Senna worked because of the growing tension in McLaren, and the effects that tension would have for years to come. It also worked because Senna and Prost were at the opposite ends of the spectrum when it came to driving style; both men were very fast, but both found their speed in different ways. Schumacher and Hakkinen also worked because of the personalities involved: Schumacher had a reputation for ruthlessness, but admitted that Hakkinen was the only driver he was every truly afraid of. Having two championship contenders doesn’t automatically guarantee an intense rivalry. What if 2012 came down to a fight between Vettel and Raikkonen, two men with virtually no personality? I’d much prefer a free-for-all championship between Alonso, Button, Hamilton, Webber and Vettel – a championship where there is no time for rivalries, because everyone around you is in the running – than one with two drivers who don’t do much to set the world ablaze.

          1. Vettel and Raikkonen, two men with virtually no personality?

            Are you being serious right now?

          2. I understand @sumedh’s point to be honest. I don’t necessarily agree with it though. 2 title rivals gives the image of 2 giants of the sport battling it out; while 4 or 5 makes it more like a free for all that in a way almost “cheapens” the title glory.

          3. I’d actually like to see Raikkonen and Vettel fighting it out head-to-head at the final race of next season or at least I wouldn’t mind if they were the only two left in Championship winning contention come the final race. They’re two very good drivers in their own ways. I can’t particularly explain fully why but to me head-to-head battles are far more intense than a four way battle for the Championship (not necessarily better but more intense). I don’t particularly mind how many drivers are left fighting for the Championship at the final race, just as long as the battle for Championship actually makes it to the last race. To me, four or more drivers is more exciting and two drivers is more intense but that’s just my personal opinion. Both are good to watch.

          4. Not sure I agree, but I fully appreciate what he means- I loved Raikkonen vs Alonso in 05 too, even though it was wrapped up 2 races before the end of the season.

          5. @PM Often I find your comments hard to comprehend, as per this one. Vettel is a lovely guy, a great interview full of exuberance.

            Kimi is also an interesting persona and I like him very much.

          6. How much personality they have I think doesn’t come into it.

            It’s a matter of 1v1 compared to 1v1v1v1v1….

  5. Marussia have a new logo

    1. The logo looks as if they copied the design from the movie Cars.
      Thanks for sharing that @Prisoner Monkeys.

    2. @prisoner-monkeys Not bad. Wonder if it will have much of an impact on the livery design, now Virgin are gone.

      1. I don’t think Virgin are compeltely gone. In 2011, Virgin was the constructor and Marussia the title sponsor. I seem to recall reading somewhere that in 2012, Marussia would be the constructor, and Virgin would be the title sponsor, but I can’t find the article in question.

        1. Virgin will still be a sponsor (not the title sponsor though) according to their Twitter page a few months ago.

        2. But it might result in the team putting a bit more blue into the livery for the coming season.

          1. @BasCB @ed24f1 @prisoner-monkeys I’d think so. A red, black and blue livery should suit all concerned.

  6. ITV F1 website was always 2 days behind all other sites…

  7. I’m quite impressed by Marussia. They seem intent on becoming a top line super car company. Can’t hurt to have another!

    1. I must confess, I quite like the styling of the B-series. Especially the B2, with its Darth Vader looks. They do take a while to get used to, though.

      1. Hopefully they will change the car slightly to match, I wouldn’t mind seeing the blue used to replace the black in the current design

        1. Red and blue would be a jarring choice. And it would look a lot like the iSport GP2 cars. I could see them swapping the red for blue, though. But I don’t think they’ll change too much about the livery.

          Only time will tell.

  8. Domenicali used the word ‘reasonable’?! Surely that word shouldn’t be in the Scuderia’s vocabulary.

    No doubt we will have LdM trying to jazz things up in the next few days.

    1. in the scuderia’s vocabulary “The reasonable job” means “Fighting for championships”

      1. @tifoso1989 Let’s hope for a reasonably competitive car then!

  9. the itv f1 website was always my first place for news during the 2007 season. then i discovered f1fanatic and autosport were better.

  10. And yet another F1 website falls victim to F1fanatics dominance. :D

  11. Mercedes were such a disappointment this year. I think it would be really great for the sport to have them challenging for wins everyone now and then.

    I never thought I’d ever say that Schumacher winning would be good for the sport but I want to see him get a win so badly, even just a podium!

    1. I think it would be really great for the sport to have them challenging for wins everyone now and then.

      I must say I agree with that one @tommyB89!

      1. @tommyb89 @BasCB Ditto. If they go another year without a decent few podiums then there is something seriously wrong. All the ingredients are there, they just need to be put together properly.

  12. ITV never had a passion for F1. It always felt like someone was just doing a job. I won’t even notice their gone.

    1. But their website was quite good for covering F1 non the less, even if it dwindled especially in 2011.

  13. Are Sky serious? Ant Davidson? cant stand the bloke.(Life Behind Lewis).. the 2 channels are both no good, BBC Have DC & Humphrey there no good aswel. but i am looking forward to some top racing. Hamilton & Alonso fight for the championship would be great.

  14. Are you serious i don’t believe that they going closes the F1 website.

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