Cheers mate, was really nice with all me mates up to New Caledonia (although we're uni students so I still have no idea how on earth we got the budget for that ), we wanted to get in before all the idiots went on their schoolies shenanigans (that's spring break to americans, no idea what you guys call it lol). Long the short of it, I really tuned out F1 for a while although it seems I didn't miss too much. Another year, another title for Vettel (well-deserved even if I can't stand him) and some apparently dull-ish races. In any case good to be back, it seems my predictions for the league went pretty smoothly, not so for the sweeps and I think I'm a touch late for some Not606 Finishes
So BT have bought the rights to the champions league. That pretty much leaves no big sports on the ITV Network. with the BBC becoming smaller and smaller and probably non existant (as we know it) in a couple of years what does this mean to terrestrial sport? From an F1 point of view what does this mean? - Will BBC bail and give sky the full rights? - Will BT take on BBCs share? - will ITV now look at the option of bringing F1 back? - Or will things stay as it is? One to keep an eye on
Yes and add in the recent government threat to remove the so-called Crown Jewels from the BBC and it looks like turbulent times ahead for TV sport.
randomly came across this video [video=youtube;Pwu41ASpKwk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pwu41ASpKwk[/video]
Bloody hell, it's war! The problem will be, I expect, that sport will just become more expensive to watch because they're bound to pass the cost onto the punters. Edit: Just saw that nearly £1.4bn was wiped from the stock market value of BSkyB, with shares down nearly 10% following BT's coup. http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/nov/11/bt-champions-league-deal-hits-bskyb-shares
I really do hate BT, hopefully them and Sky will destroy each other bidding ridiculous amounts on TV rights.
Some people, somewhere, have made an absolute killing out of that I suspect. BT had a spokesman on 5live last night selling it as good for the consumer as both Sky and BT's channels will be available through either provider, in an ideal world reducing costs through a price war. I'm not entirely convinced that will be the case though!
I believe BT Sport comes free with BT Broadband, whereas you have to buy sky sports package even if you have sky. Might be a bit cheaper this way unless BT swap to Sky model
It's only free for the first 12 months (not sure if that's the first 12 months of BT Sport, or you get 12 months when you take out broadband), from then on it's subscription based.
IMHO Vettel has yet to be really tested. If I look at Lewis Hamilton he hasn't yet proved himself to be the racer/speed merchant he thought he was. He has been beaten by Button and Alonso in the same car. He won the WDC by 1 point, beating Massa. At Mercedes, of late he is being outclassed by Nico and while he may finish the season ahead of Nico lets not forget the team orders early in the season. I put this up as an example of misguided belief in the superior ability of a driver. Now, on Vettel who beat his team mate by 30 seconds, an average of half a second a lap. He beat a demob happy, unmotivated, out of training team mate (by his own admission) who none the less got on the second step of the podium. This later says more about the car than the driver. Imagine Nico in a Red Bull or Alonso, would Vettel really be so special. It is unproven either way but too much is being assumed about his ability. He is fast but is he the best at the moment? I don't think so. I think Kimi, Alonso, Nico, Lewis, and even Grojean/Hulkenburg would test him. I am a fan of Newey though and Vettel has Newey to thank for his historic achievements, IMHO, just as I was more interested in the career of Harry Rednap than his players. It is true, Vettel will rake in more achievements at Redbull but till he is properly tested he will never be a great. He needs a team mate who is given equal standing to be tested against but I suspect he will avoid that scenario for much of his career. I also think Michael vs Lewis in the same machinery would have thrown up a surprise or two. Opinion on this has no doubt been voiced on this site already but i have been working too hard to catch up of late and felt the need to add my two pennies worth. On Dean Stoneman (F3 in Abu Dhabi) a remarkable achievement. This guy is in remission from cancer having had more than 250 tumours throughout his body including his lungs, liver and brain. It is remarkable he was F2 champion when he was already suffering from cancer. No thanks to his doctor who several times missed all the symptoms and it was Dean's own persistence that saved his life. Well done Dean. He may never make F1 now (tho I don't rule it out) but he has already won the championship against cancer, the one that really counts.
Morocco in Ecclestone’s sights as he signs £375m F1 deal Bernie Ecclestone spent time at the recent Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with the King of Morocco. It doesn't take a genius to work out what was most probably on the agenda for discussion and we now seem to have evidence. The development comes courtesy of Pitpass' business editor Christian Sylt in an article for American motoring magazine Autoweek. The article reveals that Ecclestone has signed a £375m ($600m) deal which is likely to bring a new Grand Prix to F1's already jam-packed calendar. Ecclestone' revelation came in court testimony last week during the trial against him by German media rights firm Constantin Medien. "I've just signed a contract now for 600 million-odd with people over the weekend," said Ecclestone adding that when he quotes figures he is talking in dollars. The deal is too large to be an F1 sponsorship but closely reflects rates for new markets entering the sport. They are typically charged around £25m ($40m) annually and run for around a decade with an annual escalator of 10%. It brings the total over 10 years to just over £375m ($600m). It is not known which country will be next to get an F1 race but the most likely possibility seems to be that the deal is for a Grand Prix in Morocco. Not only was Ecclestone seen with the King of Morocco at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix but in December last year he confirmed to Pitpass that talks have taken place about holding a race in the North African country. "I met the King of Morocco a couple of years ago and talked about F1," said Ecclestone. However, he added "what reason would it be good for us? The manufacturers are not selling anything there. How many people would come?"
Dario Franchitti has retired after a high-speed crash last month. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/motorsport/24950798 Didn't realise he was 40! Great career though.
Macau GP is on this weekend. Today we had first practice and first qualifying. Tomorrow we will have second practice and second qualifying. On Saturday the qualification race and Sunday the race. The drivers best qualifying lap will determine the grid order for the qualification race, which is a 10 lap race and then the results of that will determine the final grid order for the race on Sunday. In first qualifying the results were: please log in to view this image However some drivers used old tyres for qualifying to give themselves new tyres for second qualifying tomorrow. The fastest of those on old tyres was Marciello in 8th. I have huge respect for these drivers: [video=youtube;DndDhMs3DIY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DndDhMs3DIY[/video]
Sad to see that, but as you say, an excellent career. Is it just me, or is the Macau GP seemingly a fairly good yardstick for a driver's future? It's only anecdotal, but it seems to me like a lot of drivers who've done well there have gone on to better things. 2012 race is available online: [video=youtube;aRiqG1gZVA8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRiqG1gZVA8[/video] Some of that is ludicrously tight! And those first few corners are probably better than anything I've watched in F1 this year...
