[bkman1990]

Lee McKenzie had mentioned on last night's Channel 4 F1 highlights show that she was meant to have an interview with Carlos Sainz.

However he was too sick to do the interview with Lee. He was admitted to hospital for appendicitis.

[Jon]

Every session of the female development series F1 Academy will be live on YouTube this season, following extermely limited coverage in its debut season last year.

Formula E reporter Nicki Shields will lead commentary. Hopefully this use of a female commentator on a female-only series works better than the first season of W Series.


twitter.com 

I think it had completely passed me by that W Series is no longer going. I think that shows certain sports need live free to air coverage for people to even notice.

[RhysJR]

It is reported below that Sky Sports' coverage will be based in London for the Australian, Chinese and Japanese Grand Prixs, with only a small team onsite. This will be the first time Sky won't be primarily onsite for races they are covering.

When Channel 4 do similar, it is likely to be from the F1 Arcade site in London.

Also below, F1TV Pro is raising its prices, and by quite a lot in some territories. A 46% increase in the Netherlands seems rather extortionate!

motorsportbroadcasting.com 

With coverage being presented from London rather than Melbourne, Sky's build-up to the Australian Grand Prix is scheduled to be 30 minutes shorter than their usual raceday coverage.

twitter.com 

[Brekkie]

Although surely no F1 fan is getting up before 3.55am anyway.

[dvboy]

DigiGuide currently has it from 2:30 on Sky Sports F1, 3:00 on Sky Sports Main Event

[Neil Jones]

The story used to be back in the day they did all the commentary from London anyway, and Murray Walker would pretend he was in wherever they were racing that week, which (apparently) James Hunt once shattered the illusion of live on air...

Going full circle it would appear, rather than shipping people halfway round the world, cheaper to do it at 4am in a London studio somewhere.

[SpacewardAsh]

If I remember rightly, Martin Brundle switched to Sky for 2012 because he was afraid of commentating F1 races from a studio in London when the BBC announced they were cutting back their F1 coverage as he felt he needed to be at the race location for the experience. I wonder if that'll mean he will either skip these races with less coverage on-site or if he'll be part of the on-site crew or not...

[Brekkie]

Practically even if on site the commentary will largely be done of screens other than for the part of the track in their sightline, but of course it's much more about being on site and being able to pick up the snippets of information and gossip between the races, something you can't do first hand in a commentary booth back in Britain.


This has probably been mentioned but as C4 (I think) now use the F1TV commentary is that on site?

[SpacewardAsh]

I think the F1TV commentary might be 50:50 as I know Alex Jaques and DC is usually on-site because of C4, while some of the commentary has come from Biggin Hill. They've done features on social media before showing how commentary has been linked up between site and Biggin Hill previously, whether that's still the case or not, I don't know.

As for Martin, yes while commentary is done from a screen, Like I said, I do think he prefers the atmosphere of places such as the paddock and on the side of the racetrack during practice, which of course you wouldn't get if you just commentated from a screen in London. Ted's Notebook is back so I'm assuming that means he'll be on-site roaming the paddock and pitlane as it wouldn't make sense to do that remotely from London would it...

[RhysJR]

A look at Sky F1 in the MNF studio

twitter.com