New Channel 4 Deal In The Offing??

[adrianjordan]

According to Andrew Benson, Channel 4 are looking to extend their terrestrial contract to show F1 in the UK. I for one certainly hope so, I would rather not have to pay to watch the sport, especially as I have not liked any of the Sky coverage I have seen all that much, especially don't like Brundle, never did.

While I was initially sceptical about Steve Jones, I have actually come to really enjoy his presenting and even wonder whether BBC shouldn't be looking at him to replace Matt Le Blanc on Top Gear....lol

Personally it wouldn't be the end of the world if all C4F1 got was highlights shows for all races except the British GP.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/44753980

Thought it would be good to have a thread to keep track of any developments on this front.

[Just_a_fan]

A highlights package is better than nothing although you lose the feeling of the race and how it's developing. Since the move to the mix of live and highlight races, I've kind of lost a bit of interest in F1 - certainly the "sorry, watching the GP that Sunday" has gone and now it's "ok, I'll check the result at some point".

I still blame the BBC for stitching up Channel 4 originally by the deal they did with Sky. Not sure I'll ever forgive Auntie for that - the UK lost FTA full F1 coverage for ever thanks to that "deal".

Out of principle I won't pay Sky to watch F1. I won't knowingly give a penny of my money to that --- Murdoch.

[Phil]

I love the CH4 broadcast. It’s the one i watch when it’s live. If it isnt, i usually watch ORF (Austrian broadcast) and watch the pre & post race stuff from the CH4 highlights coverage.

I really hope CH4 extend the deal. It would be great for F1 and its fans that have access to it.

[hemichromis]

I hope that's true. Sky thus far have not said how their highlights programme will work or where it will be. Why not sell the highlights to channel 4?

[adrianjordan]

A highlights package is better than nothing although you lose the feeling of the race and how it's developing. Since the move to the mix of live and highlight races, I've kind of lost a bit of interest in F1 - certainly the "sorry, watching the GP that Sunday" has gone and now it's "ok, I'll check the result at some point".

I still blame the BBC for stitching up Channel 4 originally by the deal they did with Sky. Not sure I'll ever forgive Auntie for that - the UK lost FTA full F1 coverage for ever thanks to that "deal".

Out of principle I won't pay Sky to watch F1. I won't knowingly give a penny of my money to that --- Murdoch.

I work shifts and 7 weekends in every 10, so it's rare that I can watch the race live anyway. I try to listen to the 5Live coverage when I can, but people have an annoying habit or not knowing that they shouldn't get ill during the race....lol (I'm a paramedic)

[Big Tea]

YESSSS, is there a site we can go to 'express our support' for their coverage?

[jjn9128]

Is this to stop Coulthard and co marching on their St James' offices?

Steve Jones needs to be sacked!!

[Big Tea]

Is this to stop Coulthard and co marching on their St James' offices?

Steve Jones needs to be sacked!!

I love Steve Jones He is a buffoon

[jjn9128]

Is this to stop Coulthard and co marching on their St James' offices?

Steve Jones needs to be sacked!!

I love Steve Jones He is a buffoon

My problem is that he seems to have no real interest in the sport or properly learning about it. Compare him to Vernon Kay (similar background of celeb gossip teenybopper tv) in the Formula E - he went off to pre-season testing to learn about the sport and seems pretty well regarded by the whole paddock.

[Big Tea]

Is this to stop Coulthard and co marching on their St James' offices?

Steve Jones needs to be sacked!!

I love Steve Jones He is a buffoon

My problem is that he seems to have no real interest in the sport or properly learning about it. Compare him to Vernon Kay (similar background of celeb gossip teenybopper tv) in the Formula E - he went off to pre-season testing to learn about the sport and seems pretty well regarded by the whole paddock.

TBH, I did like Jake Humpries. Its better with a non technical guy fronting. I also have to admit personal preference here , I know the guy, and I did not like him.

[jjn9128]

I love Steve Jones He is a buffoon

My problem is that he seems to have no real interest in the sport or properly learning about it. Compare him to Vernon Kay (similar background of celeb gossip teenybopper tv) in the Formula E - he went off to pre-season testing to learn about the sport and seems pretty well regarded by the whole paddock.

TBH, I did like Jake Humpries. Its better with a non technical guy fronting. I also have to admit personal preference here , I know the guy, and I did not like him.

I'd have liked Lee McKenzie to front the show - she seems genuinely liked within the paddock, asks sensible questions, has a basic knowledge of technical stuff. Maybe she didn't want it.

[f1316]

I find Ben Edwards unbearable (although only marginally worse than Crofty) and David Coluthard somehow seems less well-informed than the older Brundle. So unless there’s no choice (I.e. I want on demand full sessions i’ve missed on applicable weekends), I always go with Sky.

That said, there needs to be a terrestrial presence for the sport - I don’t think they can hope to maintain the same level of interest as football behind a pay barrier, and even football has MotD.

In C4’s coverage’s favour, in my view Webber is really good and adds some proper insight - a bit like Rosberg does for Sky when he occasionally pops up.

[jjn9128]

I find Ben Edwards unbearable (although only marginally worse than Crofty) and David Coluthard somehow seems less well-informed than the older Brundle. So unless there’s no choice (I.e. I want on demand full sessions i’ve missed on applicable weekends), I always go with Sky.

That said, there needs to be a terrestrial presence for the sport - I don’t think they can hope to maintain the same level of interest as football behind a pay barrier, and even football has MotD.

In C4’s coverage’s favour, in my view Webber is really good and adds some proper insight - a bit like Rosberg does for Sky when he occasionally pops up.

As someone who is not a Hamilton fan (sacrilege) I find Edwards' salivating at the alter of the great Lewis to be insufferable - there are 19 other drivers out there. That said I can't imagine Croft would be any different.

Having seen some of Brundle's tweets and his snowflake (a means to dismiss anyone with a contrary opinion) comments in an interview for motorsport magazine he's become a bit too "sky" for me. Coulthard for the most part is good, likewise Webber and Chandhok. The only issue I have with Coulthard is he can sometimes be a bit blind to Verstappen's indiscretions.

If F1 leaves FTA it will loose millions of fans. That said the appalling CG floating Heineken bridges and whooshy sound effects on every graphic may drive me away before the end of the season anyway.

[f1316]

As someone who is not a Hamilton fan (sacrilege) I find Edwards' salivating at the alter of the great Lewis to be insufferable - there are 19 other drivers out there.

Right, that’s exactly the problem I have - just no objectivity.

The only issue I have with Coulthard is he can sometimes be a bit blind to Verstappen's indiscretions.

I would say Red Bull in general, given his relationship with the team. He sometimes makes a few comments referencing national stereotypes I could also do without.

[jjn9128]

The only issue I have with Coulthard is he can sometimes be a bit blind to Verstappen's indiscretions.

I would say Red Bull in general, given his relationship with the team. He sometimes makes a few comments referencing national stereotypes I could also do without.

Well he still does demo runs for Red Bull and flies to and from races with Max and Daniel (among others, I think it's still the private jet thing Rosberg chartered to get most of the drivers back to Monaco post race). And it's the team he helped to set up, bringing Newey onboard among other top engineering talent, so he's obviously a bit biased.

All this goes to show is that you can't please everyone - as I earlier mentioned Jones' intros invoke a level of cringe in our house never before seen - though some here seem to like him. But if there's this level of disagreement on the coverage - just within the UK - how can the on track action ever please everyone?!