BBC launches new F1 team

[Wendell Armbruster]

F1 fans were delighted when ITV lost its coverage of F1 because of the incessant advertisement breaks. However, ITV's F1 team was excellent and the best of them have been hired by the BBC for their five-year stint which starts in Melbourne next year.

Relacing Steve Rider as anchorman is Jack Humphrey, someone not known to me, and he will be chatting to recently retired driver David Coulthard and former team boss Eddie Jordan who replace the knowledgeable but boring Mark Blundell. In the pits will be ITV's Ted Kravitz, though the luscious Louise Goodman will not be chatting up the drivers next year.

The best news is that the BBC have retained Martin Brundle whose commentaries and general expertise are irreplaceable. But the main casualty is ITV's lead commentator James Allen, who I always thought was a bit of a wally. The BBC's excellent Jonathan Legard will replace Allen and will stand next to Brundle.

F1 fans should be well pleased with this.

[Hoskas]

Excellent. I liked the f1 coverage on ITV.

Just the annoying breaks at crucial times did my nut in

[ShakeyJake]

Will it be shown in HD?

[mcallisterian]

Will it be shown in HD?


I so SO HOPE so!! :suspect:

[arma_uk]

james allen tried to be murray walker, imho, and he (along with ad breaks) went a way to putting me off watching f1 on itv.

now it's back on the beeb i might be tempted to start following it again. i like blundell so it'll be a shame not to see him but the rest of them seem ok.

[Hood]

In the pits will be ITV's Ted Kravitz, though the luscious Louise Goodman will not be chatting up the drivers next year.

She's been replaced by a much better looking woman IMO.

Lee McKenzie (http://www.leemckenzie.tv/gallery.asp)

[Spooky_uk]

brilliant. excellent. and murray is back on the website side of things :thumbs:

no ads, good team - just need HD coverage now which I am positive will be announced in the new year. sorted. :clap:

[Adam Thirnis]

Shame about Coulthard. Almost noone lese in history has made driving racing cars more boring.

[Littc]

The problem is most of the races are not shot in HD so there will be little benefit gained by broadcasting in HD apart from the upscaling.

[ac]

I thought the majority (all?) of the races were shot in HD. The HD feed already being used for the F1 in Cinema (http://www.f1incinema.com/) coverage.

Edit: Actually, seems like even that uses upscaled SD rather than being shot in HD. However, Bernie has said that HD may be available to the BBC from the start of the season.

[welshmatt]

Relacing Steve Rider as anchorman is Jack Humphrey, someone not known to me, and he will be chatting to recently retired driver David Coulthard and former team boss Eddie Jordan who replace the knowledgeable but boring Mark Blundell. In the pits will be ITV's Ted Kravitz, though the luscious Louise Goodman will not be chatting up the drivers next year.


Im assuming you mean Jake Humphrey. He is the young guy who has done Football Focus a few times, as well as the the NFL games at Wembley, African Cup of Nations and was one of the Olympic presenters.

[AndyHall]

I thought the majority (all?) of the races were shot in HD. The HD feed already being used for the F1 in Cinema (http://www.f1incinema.com/) coverage.

Edit: Actually, seems like even that uses upscaled SD rather than being shot in HD. However, Bernie has said that HD may be available to the BBC from the start of the season.

It wasn't that long ago that it wasn't even shot in widescreen...

[Spooky_uk]

The problem is most of the races are not shot in HD

yet :)

[H Dot]

Like most on here I am hoping this is in HD can't wait, got fed up with itv's coverage. No ad breaks, great team, and (hoping hd) this will be great. I hope someone from the beeb is reading this

[Jedibitch]

The only thing that can make this dull as dishwater sport interesting is give the cars special upgrades; oil slicks and tyre spikes would raise my interest slightly.

Otherwise the thought of Coulthard discussing the downforce on the Mclaren makes me what to put my foot through the TV.

Did love the Top Gear rumour for a while though.

[Ricinus]

Shame about Coulthard. Almost noone lese in history has made driving racing cars more boring.

I'll second that. Although he should provide valuable insight into causing accidents.

[scoobyood]

Glad James Allen is gone, he's a complete tool. They had to keep Martin Brundle, he knows too many people.