BBC to stick “with F1 until the end of the current deal and perhaps longer”

The BBC are set to remain covering Formula 1 until at least 2018. That is according to an interview conducted by Phil Duncan of the Daily Mail with BBC’s Formula 1 presenter Jake Humphrey.

In the interview with Duncan, Humphrey noted that he has “been told categorically that the BBC are sticking with F1 until the end of the current deal and perhaps longer”, while he cannot see “be astounded and massively shocked if the BBC say: “we’re stepping away from F1″”.

The comments from Humphrey follows an interview Bernie Ecclestone gave to The Guardian last month, suggesting that free-to-air Formula 1 could end on the BBC.

This line from Humphrey interests me though: “Internally, I can promise you there has not been a single discussion”. I’m not sure how factually accurate that statement is myself. Let us rewind back to last July and work ourselves up the chain. We have the Head of Formula 1 at the BBC, Ben Gallop. Ahead of Gallop in the chain, so to speak, is Barbara Slater, Head of BBC Sport. And ahead of her is the new Director General at the BBC, George Entwistle. Last July, the new rights deal between BBC and Sky Sports was announced on Friday 29th July at 07:00. The BBC Formula 1 team were not told about the new deal until the night before. We know that, Martin Brundle specifically tweeted that himself.

As they were told the night before, we can assume that Ben Gallop (and Mark Wilkin, the editor for BBC F1) was not told until the Thursday as well as the deal was thrashed out primarily between Barbara Slater, Jeremy Darroch (the managing director of Sky Sports) and Bernie Ecclestone.

The point is, with regards the line from Humphrey above, just because there has been no discussion within the Formula 1 team, it does not mean that discussion has not taken place higher up, if they really wanted to exit the contract earlier. I’m not sure that would be in their financial interests, of course, legally binding contracts have such things called get-out clauses.

Humphrey also said that he has been “have been really impressed” with Sky’s coverage, but noted that he “still think[s that] we hold the edge”.