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Pretty much agree 100% with the original post, sadly.
Although I’m far from a fan of it, DRS has not been the tipping point for me as much as the Sky problem mentioned. I hate that they are here, I hate the mixed rights set up, I hate their coverage and style, I hate the amount of talent they took from the BBC which has greatly weakened the BBC offering, and most importantly I hate highlight weeks of the race itself the BC are left with which are barely watchable. If they were showing full races but delayed (as someone that can’t always watch live due to work anyway) then I could probably live with it, but I’ve given up trying to follow what is really going on as the midfield bounces around from 5th to 12th to 9th seemingly at random without any explanation. It is edited for the podium story only and as someone who has previously considered themselves a bit more than a casual fan that really is not good enough.
This year I wasn’t half as excited for the start of the season as I ever remember previously, I’ve watched at least some of every race I think, but have found myself flicking through or my mind wandering to other things many many times. This would have been totally inconceivable before now.
The bottom line is I will probably always enjoy a good F1 race (or any motor race for that matter) and so will continue to watch and follow it to some extent, but there are lots of things that need to change for me to get any passion for it again. A lot of things that have been done I can’t see being undone any time soon and I can only hope that the sport and the coverage find their way back on track at some point, in the mean time I’m really going to struggle to care.
I thought Suzi struggled a little bit. Didn’t seem very confident and stumbled on her words, considering it wasn’t even live that surprised me, although from what I’ve seen of her previously I’m sure shell get into it.
I thought a better job of editing down the race was done this year compared to last year, I had no trouble following it and didn’t feel like I’d missed chunks of it at the end.
Where was Eddie?
Sky’s qualifying and race coverage will remain ad-free in 2013 according to a member of their staff on their forum
We can confirm though that as per this season the actual races will be advert free.
Just pointing out they don’t confirm Qualifying will remain ad free. I’d be surprised if they did stick ads in there but using the term ‘actual races’ seems like a specific distinction to make if there is no meaning to it. Although I’m not sure how much these Sky forum staff really know.
Don’t give a monkeys if it is a male or female to be honest, as long as they are good at it. Unfortunately on the couple of times she’s done it I don’t think Lee has been very good really. Not that I’ve got any better ideas off the top of my head.
I could write an essay on my thoughts of the coverage changes this year, but I won’t. In summary:
-Sky were horrific for the first few races, laughably bad considering the money they had clearly thrown at it. To their credit they have improved a lot through the season to somewhere around acceptable but still a long long way from the talk of amazing in depth coverage they were promising from the off. It is no more in depth than anything we’ve seen before and consists largely of puff and self promotion, although they keep screaming about how good and in depth they are and sadly people believe them without realising they are being conned. They are still sticking with the entirely pointless drink driver Georgie Thompson for reasons I (and presumably Ant Davidson) can not fathom. More of a personal thing but I can not stand Lazenby either, smarmy clueless grinner that he is.
-BBC have clearly suffered from the loss of personnel, and it seems at times a loss in belief in themselves. I actually really enjoy DC, but Ben Edwards is heading towards Ledgard levels of annoying inanity and sadly getting worse rather than better. Rather than being confident in what they are doing they seem to have tried to emulate some of the (lack of) style of Sky, with little things like pointless 10 second clip montage over music inserts. Since he has got used to a microphone I think Gary Anderson is excellent and the presenting trio I really do enjoy but can understand why they would annoy some.
-The BBC highlights qualifying shows have been a revelation. I really enjoy them, actually a lot more than the full versions. I didn’t realise how much of nothing going on there was in quali, I don’t feel like I’ve missed out on anything after watching the cut version and they are a more exciting watch throughout.
-The BBC main race highlights shows though are unwatchable for any avid fan. Constant unanswered questions of what the hell is going on are teased with the midfield, and occasionally front runners, jumping up and down the field on the on screen graphic with no hint of how or why this may be happening. Full reruns are required for non Sky viewers to maintain interest in the sport long term.
I get the feeling that some of the paddock aren’t fans of the Sky lot either, other than McLaren who are clearly in their pockets. I don’t know but, it seems a lot of personnel are happy to come out and talk to the BBC and relax and laugh along with them, when they are talking to Sky it is like they are going through the motions and can’t really be bothered with them. Little things like Vettel mugging of Brundle last week to speak to Coultard, the lack of access to Vettel Sky appear to have had this week (as pointed out by Keith and noticed by myself too) and just the rapport Jake and Eddie have with a lot of the big players, they always seem to get a lot more insight out of them.
So as most people predicted when it was announced, no one wins. The talent pool is spread between two places rather than being concentrated at one, no dream team exists on either channel and you have to accept the crap with the quality on each. Sky have kept their usual ‘Now in HD, it’s live, in HD and surround sound, coming up. All live’ stupid self promotion that I can not tolerate. All promises and little delivery. Thee BBC overall as a show I enjoy a lot more, aside from the rather important point of the main commentator and that for the actual race is useless for half the year. I have found myself being slightly less interested, less bothered, by what has been going on this year, even in such an exciting and interesting year.
I know some people dismiss the coverage discussion here as not important compared to the racing discussion, but for me at home if I can’t watch it the sport may as well not exist at all. It is not yet that I can’t watch it (until Sky inevitably start charging), but that I am enjoying watching it less even when the action is so good. How far away they have to push me until I can’t be bothered with it at all I don’t know, but it is sad that they are trying.
(tl;dr – overall coverage pretty much sucks on both sides, but for me sucks on Sky a bit more)
The driver being trapped in a closed cockpit could itself be quite a dangerous problem to have though. How many incidents across open cockpit series have passed pretty much without notice that could have been a lot worse with a driver trapped? Fairly small fire based incidents could end horribly. There is also the problem of delay and difficulty removing injured drivers who become trapped, it is something I sadly often see in real life and can lead to a lot of complications and difficulties administering essential first aid quickly enough and removing those with spinal injuries.
F1 and all motor sport is inherently dangerous and always will be. I think solving the problem of an ‘exposed’ head creates an equally serious problem of driver accessibility. May as well leave it as is.
This weekend should be a good test of how bad the figures can be with the horrific broadcast time of the BBC highlights program. Can’t wait to see a direct comparison with last years Canadian weekend.
It’s like Bernie doesn’t actually want people to watch.
@sozavele
Get used to it! I joined them a couple of years back (because I moved out of a Virgin area), they are always hard work. Took them ages to get the internet working, which kept stopping for no reason for about 6 months, they put the dish right near a tree and then were surprised to have to come back and move the dish when the tree grew leaves and blocked the signal and now they won’t stop phoning me at all times to sell me tat even though I keep telling them I work nights and need to be asleep. Whatever you think of the stuff they actually pump into your house, as a company they are horrid.
There seems to be a common pattern emerging of people watching BBC pre and post analysis with Sky for the race for the one and only reason of Brundle.
This could leave Sky with a really big problem, if it becomes the norm for so many, in that there is no advertising revenue to be made in an uninterrupted race. The advertisers will obviously notice this and stop stumping up the cash to promote on the bits of the progam next to no one is watching. No cash = no SKY F1. I think they need to improve a lot and fast to make this work for them.
That clip is superb, Lao speaks the truth!
@keithcollantine Those figures look quite horrific to me. Do you know what sort of numbers they were expecting / hoping for when they launched?
I thought during quali today Edwards was much better, very good in fact. Still a couple of silly errors which I think only stand out because I’m looking for them, but it was all much more relaxed and suited what was on screen much better. Maybe the problem I had with him before is caused by the highlights program showing more of the ‘exciting’ bits so the commentary comes across a bit over excited. The more relaxed chat elements get edited out.
Hopeful for tomorrow and the BE DC partnership in future, I now think they’ve got the edge over Sky in all areas (well, for the half of races they’ve actually got!).I’ve watched all output from both sides of both races so far (ie far too much!), and my verdict is…
There is absolutely no question that I’ll be watching BBC pre and post race – what Sky have been doing is farcical really, if I’d paid to be fed that drivel I’d be livid (I already have Sky HD so no change in cost for me). It is full of self promotion, ads and has no substance, but with the team they’ve got I can’t see that changing any time soon. I would really like to know what those saying ‘Sky, because of the more technical in-depth coverage’ are watching? The content is more fluffy than a jar of marshmallow whip but delivered with a serious face – just because they keep telling you it is complete in depth and the best coverage does not make it true. Actually listen to what they are saying and ask yourself what you have learnt. Considering the amount of money they’ve thrown at it that they’ve made it so bad is actually quite an achievement.
As for the race it is obviously all the same output except for the commentary and pit lane reports, and I find this much harder to call. I know they everyone is just settling in but for me at the moment it is a question of who is less worse (if you’ll excuse my horrid use of English). Maybe I’ve just watched too much of it at once but I’m finding Croft and Edwards equally tiresome while surprisingly enjoying Coultard nearly as much as Brundle.
Both Croft and Edwards seem to be trying to do a Legard impersonation; too loud, constant and shouty with random excited voice thrown at nothing much happening on screen, which I was kind of expecting from Croft having come straight from radio (to which he was well suited and entertaining) but not Edwards, who I have always enjoyed for being entertaining but relaxed until it was completely necessary to be excited, setting a good pace and tone. Edwards is the most annoying so far though, he has already started to infuriate me with presumably involuntary expressions of ‘oooft’, ‘phaar’ and ‘lwooo!’ when excitement happens – I can make those noises myself thanks, you stick to telling me what is going on. Both leads also keep interrupting their sidekicks in an exciting voice which is all well and good to impart some essential useful info but it is invariably for nothing worth noting.
Brundle sounds disinterested during the race, still coming out with some nuggets occasionally but I get a feeling the old Legard partnership frustrations are returning to him, he’s also probably knackered as Sky are getting him to do too much of the co-presenting role to which he is not suited.
Coultard for me has been the stable voice of sense so far. I find him hugely entertaining, the one person who sounds more relaxed this year and he makes some great calls on the strategies and action.
In the pitlane Ted is king, clearly. A lot of what Anderson says is actually quite good, but it is just such hard work listening to him. The Sky girl (I forget which one) talking to Button snr was embarrassing, what are these people adding?
So, hmmm. Tough one. It is between two commentators of mediocrity (Sky) against one I’m enjoying and one I’m losing patience with (BBC). I going to try BBC all the way through this week, but Croft is not far from pushing me the other way mid race. We’ll see.and it’s an entire channel dedicated to F1. My 10 year old self would be amazed this has happened.
A channel that today replays qualifying 4 times, replays the practice sessions once each, replays the (awfully presented and produced) car unveilings, replays various ‘legends’. No matter how hardcore a fan anyone is surely it is clear there is no need for an F1 channel and Sky are demonstrating that with this poor highly repeated filler programming.
However I enjoyed the preview show and have no problems with the girls, the BBC also used girls!
Think you’ve rather grabbed at the wrong end of the stick there. No one is saying there should be no female presenters on F1, only that the presenters that are there should be there on motorsport merit. Georgie Thompson does not seem to have any reason to be in an F1 program, neither does (male) Fenners. It is also worth noting that GT is currently banned from driving after being convicted of drink driving last September, making her even less of an ideal candidate for this role.
I don’t know that anyone on the BBC F1 coverage, male or female, was there to be a pretty face?
