http://www.channel4.com/info/press/...1?hootPostID=dde274dfb372ab4d0ede906f68a35e34 Ok only 10 races will be shown but there's bound to be a program clash between qualifying and horse racing on some Saturday's. Are we to assume that one will be moved to more4 ?
I think they'll move the qualifying to more4, as after all it's only qualifying. I stopped watching F1, when they messed around with the qualifying, as it has become incredibly boring nowadays. The old format where each driver just got 1 flying lap each was a lot more exciting. Having 1 driver on the track at a time, and following him corner for corner as he try's to beat the best time was a much better format. Rather than having 10 drivers all on flying laps at once, so you have no clue what's going on. So I'd be suprised if they put that **** on ahead of the horse racing, though you never know especially if it's Monaco or Silverstone on
I've long been an F1 fan Shergy, but in all honesty, I believe Monaco to be a absolute pile of ****. A Mickey Mouse track if ever there was one. When I hear these on air guys "pumping" up the profile of the race, I want to puke. It's the most boring, one dimensional GP of the season.And they can piss off with their "highlight" of the year crap. Bunch of ****tards.
they SHOULD move the qualifying to more4 but I think you will probably find that they will move the horse racing instead. I dont really see why they have to continue with these stand alone programmes though. Why not have a big Channel 4 Racing programme covering horse and motor racing? (it seemed to work well enough in the days of Grandstand...- although of course back then I dont recall them ever feeling the need to show F1 practice sessions)
this decision to move F1 to channel 4 could ultimately have a huge impact on channel 4 racing though. It was apparently thought likely that F1 would go to ITV. It hasnt and therefore ITV may well be encouraged to go for the horse racing rights which are getting agreed in the coming months. If ITV do get horse racing though they will not show it week in week out, and so the weekly terrestrial coverage would come to an end. This would be a great shame and have huge implications for the sport.
I don't disagree about Monaco, as there isn't much overtaking, but it does seem to create more interest than most GPs for some reason. In general though overtaking is getting worse and worse as time goes on on all tracks. There really isn't much of it at all these days, especially amongst the front few cars on the grid. The races used to be much more entertaining in the 80s and 90s. That sounds like a good idea, though your likely to get clashes with races at important stages of the qualifying
I think it would be better for racing if ITV got it, as more people in general watch ITV than they do channel 4. I've always maintained that the drop in viewers on terrestrial TV lately has nothing to do with racing becoming less popular, it's purely down to the fact it was moved away from the BBC and put on channel 4. I think your average TV viewer who's flicking through the channels trying to find something to watch will be far more likely to watch racing if it was still on the BBC. ITV is probably the next most popular station, so it's an improvement on channel 4. I don't see why ITV wouldn't show the racing every Saturday either, as what else do they show on a Saturday afternoon?
if ITV were to show the racing every Saturday then yes I definitely think that would be better for racing. they can bring back John Francome and Mcririck too! what they should do is show the big events on ITV1 and then the average weekend events on ITV4
Are F1 drivers now a bit too timid. They have a lot to lose if they look reckless, so maybe they err on the side of safety. Why? Well it looks as though two of the drivers with the biggest balls when it come to overtaking, just happen to be two of the newer kids on the block, and both drive for the same team. No prizes for guessing that Max Verstappen took top honours, and not too far astern came his team mate Carlos Sainz. This stat is a bit unfair on the Merc and Ferrari as they usually raced at or near the race lead, which made it more difficult to get a lot of passing done. But big Kudos to the two young chargers.
Today's Racing Post suggests that significant clashes will include the British GP and the July Cup on the same weekend, the Russian GP and the Guineas meeting and the Austrian GP and the Eclipse. I don't know if it is certain that Channel 4 will be showing those particular races yet.
I think Channel 4 will get to choose the 10 they show, so the British GP is a certainty. Wether they'll choose the other 2 who knows, but it will likely depend on what sport is on other channels that weekend at the same time. So they can maximise the number of viewers on the weekends they do have the F1. Also the times of the F1 races could affect how they choose them, I doubt they will choose any of the Asian GPs that are on at 7 in the morning for example
Anything is better than the ****wits on SkyF1. That Crofty does my nut in, the big bellend. The balance with racing is very interesting. It's funny that the BBC have suddenly become a bit more pro-racing in their propaganda having gone through a stage of slating it, so I wonder if they take the hit on big £££ F1 and bring back some of the horse racing?
If ITV were to get the rights I would love them to bring in a team consisting of John Francombe, Alistair Down, Lydia Hislop (great set of cans!!) and Matt Chapman (I know the bloke is Marmite but at least he doesn't bottle asking the awkward questions). They should be doing away with the smug Nick Luck, insufferable Rishi Persad and that c**t Cunningham.
I don't understand why Nick Luck always gets the smug tag. Just because his is erudite and well spoken I don't think he is smug. You don't have to talk like the couch or Tizaaaaaaaaard to front a racing show. For me his very knowledgeable and likeable and has a great feel for the drama of the sport.
My opinion of NL has nothing to do with how eloquently well spoken he is - if you think my opinion is based on that, I wouldn't have called for Down or Hislop surely? No, I base my opinion on the grin and hints of sarcasm - just my opinion obviously
Oh god, not Lydia. She's awful! Constantly making mistakes and her behaviour at the Derby when Horation Nelson broke down was nothing short of disgraceful.
Nick Luck could front a show and Chapman could be the out and about anchor with interviews and entertainment (his real strengths). I think Lydia Hislop talks complete balls, and I find Francombe the most arrogant man on TV. Persad out of his depth, Cunningham often miles off the mark, and Couch is a fat cockney.
Those of us over a certain age can remember when racing was shown on ITV on a Saturday afternoon. My late grandfather did the ITV 7 when he was home from sea, but as a follower of the Daily Mirror’s Newsboy he was never going to win big. Of course back then there were only three channels for sport: BBC1, BBC2 and ITV. If it was not on Grandstand, it was on World Of Sport. Now the biggest sports have all gone to the big money channels charging punters silly money subscription fees – just how TV works in America. Whether the racing is on ITV or Channel 4 will make significantly little difference to the audience. I do not subscribe to the idea that more people on a Saturday afternoon will be watching ITV irrespective of what is being shown. Personally, I watch hardly anything on dumbed-down ITV (Simon Cowell vision) so if they went bust tomorrow I would not miss them. As it is the ITV share price has been rising recently on rumours of a possible takeover bid by America’s Comcast. As far as I can remember, the BBC contract to show F1 featured the same ten races every season. It is somewhat ironic that License Fee financed BBC Sport has had to drop F1 because it has to save £35 million and the contract has been picked up by part License Fee financed Channel 4. How long before somebody starts investigating Bernie Ecclestone’s finances now that the Sepp Blatter gravy train has been derailed?
