Scheduling: The 2018 Belgian Grand Prix / British MotoGP

12 down, 9 to go. Formula 1 returns from its Summer break, with the classic Spa Francorchamps circuit playing host to round 13 of the season, as the championship speeds towards the finish line.

Given what has been a frantic month so far for the sport, one would expect a packed weekend for all the UK’s F1 broadcasters, with no room for filler.

Sky have a new kid on the block, with a new programme on Thursday afternoons. Welcome to the Weekend is a live 30-minute show wrapping up the Thursday interviews with Natalie Pinkham presenting. The show replaces Paddock Uncut, which used to fulfil the same purpose and aired for 15 minutes on Thursdays prior to each weekend.

Elsewhere, a special 90-minute edition of Speed with Guy Martin airs on Bank Holiday Monday on Channel 4. As noted last month, the show sees Williams Heritage rebuild their FW08C car for Martin to race at Silverstone in a challenge that occurred prior to the British Grand Prix weekend.

Martin challenges Jenson Button, who will be in the banned six-wheel Williams FW08B car, which the team were going to race in the 1983 Formula One season. As with his two previous Formula 1 orientated programming in March 2016 (bike versus racing car) and September 2017 (pit stop challenge), the turnaround time from filming the challenge to airing has been short, with a six-week gap in total.

On two wheels, MotoGP are the ones heading to Silverstone this weekend, with live coverage as always on BT Sport 2. In addition to their usual coverage, BT are also covering both British Talent Cup races live, whilst a one-hour live magazine show will air live from Woodlands campsite on Thursday evening, with Suzi Perry presenting.

Because the F1 races this year are starting 70 minutes later, it means that the British MotoGP round starts at 13:00 UK time instead of 15:30 as it has done for the past few years, avoiding a clash with the F1.

Channel 4 F1
Sessions
24/08 – 09:55 to 11:35 – Practice 1
24/08 – 13:55 to 15:35 – Practice 2
25/08 – 10:55 to 12:25 – Practice 3
25/08 – 12:55 to 15:45 – Qualifying
26/08 – 13:00 to 17:35 – Race
=> 13:00 – Build-Up
=> 13:40 – Race
=> 16:30 – Reaction

Supplementary Programming
27/08 – 21:00 to 22:30 – Speed with Guy Martin: Classic F1 Special

Sky Sports F1
Sessions
24/08 – 09:45 to 11:50 – Practice 1 (also Sky Sports Main Event from 10:00)
24/08 – 13:45 to 15:50 – Practice 2 (also Sky Sports Main Event)
25/08 – 10:45 to 12:15 – Practice 3
25/08 – 13:00 to 15:40 – Qualifying
=> 13:00 – Pre-Show
=> 13:55 – Qualifying
26/08 – 12:30 to 17:10 – Race
=> 12:30 – Pit Lane Live
=> 13:30 – On the Grid
=> 14:05 – Race (also Sky1 from 14:00)
=> 16:30 – Paddock Live (also Sky1)

Supplementary Programming
23/08 – 14:00 to 14:30 – Driver Press Conference
23/08 – 17:00 to 17:30 – Welcome to the Weekend
25/08 – 16:55 to 17:30 – The F1 Show

BBC Radio F1
23/08 – 20:00 to 21:00 – Preview (BBC Radio 5 Live)
24/08 – 09:55 to 11:35 – Practice 1 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
24/08 – 13:55 to 15:35 – Practice 2 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
25/08 – 10:55 to 12:05 – Practice 3 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
26/08 – 14:00 to 16:00 – Race (BBC Radio 5 Live)

MotoGP – Britain
24/08 – 08:45 to 16:15 – Practice 1 and 2 (BT Sport 2)
24/08 – 19:00 to 20:00 – ICYMI Live (BT Sport 1)
25/08 – 09:00 to 16:15 (BT Sport 2)
=> 09:00 – Practice 3
=> 12:00 – Qualifying
26/08 – 08:45 to 16:00 (BT Sport 2)
=> 08:45 – Warm Ups
=> 10:30 – Moto3 MotoGP
=> 12:30 – MotoGP
=> 12:45 – Moto3
=> 14:15 – Moto2
=> 15:30 – Chequered Flag

MotoGP – Britain (Channel 5)
28/08 – 19:00 to 20:00 – Highlights

British Talent Cup – Silverstone (BT Sport 2)
25/08 – 16:15 to 17:15 – Race 1
26/08 – 16:00 to 16:45 – Race 2

British Touring Car Championship – Knockhill (ITV4)
26/08 – 11:00 to 18:15 – Races

Formula Three European Championship – Misano
25/08 – 16:45 to 17:45 – Race 1 (BT Sport 3)
26/08 – 07:00 to 08:00 – Race 2 (BT Sport 2)
26/08 – 16:30 to 17:30 – Race 3 (BT Sport X2)

Formula Two – Belgium (Sky Sports F1)
24/08 – 11:50 to 12:45 – Practice (also Sky Sports Main Event)
24/08 – 15:50 to 16:30 – Qualifying
25/08 – 15:40 to 16:55 – Race 1
26/08 – 09:45 to 10:50 – Race 2

GP3 Series – Belgium (Sky Sports F1)
24/08 – 16:45 to 17:25 – Qualifying
25/08 – 08:30 to 09:25 – Race 1
26/08 – 08:30 to 09:15 – Race 2

IndyCar Series – Gateway 500 (BT Sport/ESPN)
25/08 (Sunday morning) – 01:00 to 04:00 – Race

Porsche Supercup – Belgium
26/08 – Race
=> 10:45 to 11:45 (Eurosport 2)
=> 11:15 to 12:00 (Sky Sports F1)

Virgin Australia Supercars – The Bend (Motorsport.tv)
25/08 – 07:30 to 09:00 – Race 1
26/08 – 04:45 to 07:00 – Race 2

The above schedules will be amended if anything changes.

Update on August 21st – It appears Sky have also dropped the F1 Report from their weekly schedule. I am chasing up an official line on this, and will post further in the forthcoming days with an update.

Update on August 25th at 20:30 – If you are recording MotoGP tomorrow, I strongly advise scheduling a massive amount of overrun. Inclement weather has prompted organisers to move the MotoGP race to 11:30 UK time. I suspect that on its own is not going to be enough, but we shall see. I’ve updated what the BT schedule is at the moment above.

Update on August 26th at 12:00 – Sky snuck in a Sky1 simulcast in their final exchanges last week, which I have added above.