Scheduling: The 2019 Chinese Grand Prix / Rome E-Prix

Formula 1 heads to China for not only round three of the 2019 season, but also for the 1,000 F1 race in history (at least, according to the official statistics).

The race airs across Sky’s F1 channel, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky One, with highlights following on Channel 4 later in the day. The expectation is that this is the last race for the moment that Sky are simulcasting on Sky One.

As in Bahrain two weeks ago, Nico Rosberg will be with Sky’s F1 team for the Shanghai race weekend. Joining Rosberg, and the rest of the Sky Sports F1 team for the first time in 2019 is Ted Kravitz.

As exclusively revealed by this site prior to the start of the season, Kravitz fell out of favour within the Sky ranks during the latter half of 2018, but a decision to axe him from their F1 coverage was overturned. China will be the first of 13 rounds, not 14 as previously reported, for Kravitz with Sky this year alongside his F1 TV commitments.

Sky’s programming slate is like Australia and Bahrain, with no sign of Ted’s Notebook as expected. One late addition to the schedule is Race to the Equator, which follows United Autosports’ quest to win the Asian Le Mans Series.

Elsewhere, a congested sporting schedule on both the BBC and BT Sport has left the Rome E-Prix with the short straw. Gymnastics and Final Score, crossing both BBC One and the Red Button, means that the electric series will air live on Connected TV and online, with delayed coverage following on the Red Button.

BT’s schedule of football, MotoGP, rugby, and the Indian Premier League cricket series also means that both the Formula E and Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy races air behind BT’s Red Button.

The congested schedule may explain why Formula E’s deal with Quest had the provision for live action from the outset, as that is where the race, as well as Paris in two weeks’ time, turns up on.

The clash between Formula E and Formula 1 means that Jack Nicholls is not commentating on the BBC F1’s coverage of practice or qualifying, with Alex Jacques substituting in his absence.

Inside the motor sport arena, MotoGP, IndyCar, and World Superbikes are amongst the other championships competing for attention across the weekend.

Channel 4 F1
13/04 – 13:00 to 14:30 – Qualifying Highlights
14/04 – 15:00 to 17:00 – Race Highlights

Sky Sports F1
Sessions
12/04 – 02:45 to 04:45 – Practice 1 (also Sky Sports Main Event)
12/04 – 06:45 to 08:45 – Practice 2 (also Sky Sports Main Event)
13/04 – 03:45 to 05:30
=> 03:45 – Practice 3
=> 05:10 – Paddock Walkabout
13/04 – 06:00 to 08:30 – Qualifying (also Sky One and Sky Sports Main Event)
=> 06:00 – Pre-Show
=> 06:55 – Qualifying
14/04 – 05:30 to 10:30 – Race
=> 05:30 – Pit Lane Live (also Sky One and Sky Sports Main Event)
=> 06:30 – On the Grid (also Sky One and Sky Sports Main Event)
=> 07:05 – Race (also Sky One and Sky Sports Main Event)
=> 09:00 – Paddock Live (also Sky One and Sky Sports Main Event)
=> 10:00 – Notebook

Supplementary Programming
09/04 – 19:30 to 20:00 – The Championship Begins
09/04 – 20:00 to 21:00 – Race to the Equator
11/04 – 07:00 to 07:30 – Drivers’ Press Conference (also Sky Sports Main Event)
11/04 – 10:00 to 10:30 – Welcome to the Weekend (also Sky Sports Main Event)
12/04 – 09:00 to 09:30 – The Story so Far (also Sky Sports Main Event)
13/04 – 08:30 to 09:00 – The F1 Show (also Sky Sports Main Event)
17/04 – 18:00 to 18:30 – F1 Weekend Debrief

BBC Radio F1
11/04 – 21:00 to 21:30 – Preview (BBC Radio 5 Live)
12/04 – 02:55 to 04:35 – Practice 1 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
12/04 – 06:55 to 08:35 – Practice 2 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
13/04 – 03:55 to 05:05 – Practice 3 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
13/04 – 06:55 to 08:05 – Qualifying (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
14/04 – 07:00 to 09:00 – Race (BBC Radio 5 Live)

MotoGP – Austin (BT Sport 2)
12/04 – 14:45 to 22:15 – Practice 1 and 2
13/04 – 15:00 to 22:15
=> 15:00 – Practice 3
=> 18:00 – Qualifying
14/04 – 14:30 to 22:00
=> 14:30 – Warm Ups
=> 16:15 – Moto3
=> 18:00 – Moto2
=> 19:30 – MotoGP
=> 21:00 – Chequered Flag

MotoGP – Austin (Quest)
15/04 – 18:00 to 19:00 – Highlights

Formula E – Rome
Shakedown, Practice and Qualifying also air live on YouTube…
12/04 – 14:45 to 15:30 – Shakedown (BT Sport/ESPN)
13/04 – 06:15 to 07:30 – Practice 1 (BT Sport/ESPN)
13/04 – 08:45 to 09:45 – Practice 2 (BT Sport/ESPN)
13/04 – 10:30 to 12:00 – Qualifying (BT Sport Extra 2 and Eurosport 2)
13/04 – 14:30 to 16:30 – Race: World Feed
=> live on BBC’s website and Connected TV
=> live on Quest
=> live on BT Sport Extra 2
=> live on Eurosport 2
13/04 – 14:30 to 16:10 – Race: Voltage (YouTube)
13/04 – 17:30 to 19:30 – Race: World Feed Delayed (BBC Red Button)

IndyCar Series – Long Beach (Sky Sports F1)
13/04 – 19:45 to 21:30 – Qualifying
14/04 – 21:00 to 00:00 – Race

Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy Series – Rome
13/04 – 07:30 to 08:15 – Qualifying (BT Sport/ESPN)
13/04 – 12:45 to 13:45 – Race (BT Sport Extra 2)

Virgin Australia Supercars – Phillip Island (BT Sport 2)
13/04 – 06:15 to 08:00 – Race 1
14/04 – 04:30 to 06:30 – Race 2

World Superbikes – Assen
12/04 – 09:25 onwards (Eurosport 2)
=> 09:25 to 10:25 – SBK: Practice 1
=> 13:55 to 14:55 – SBK: Practice 2
=> 14:55 to 15:55 – SSP: Practice 2
13/04 – 09:30 to 14:15 – Qualifying and Race 1 (Eurosport 2)
14/04 – 09:30 to 15:15 – Support and Race 2 (Eurosport 2)
18/04 – 20:00 to 21:00 – Highlights (ITV4)

The schedule will be updated if listings change.

Update on April 7th – Sky’s EPG has updated to cover the Chinese Grand Prix, and with it contains a 30-minute post-race show following Paddock Live called ‘Notebook’. Sounds familiar. I do not know if Kravitz is presenting the new Notebook, but will work to confirm.

Elsewhere, Race to the Equator will now premiere on Tuesday 9th April, not yesterday as mentioned previously.

Update on April 8th – It is indeed Kravitz presenting the new Notebook. Article online here.

Update on April 9th – A third update, the inclusion of ‘The Championship Begins’, an edit of the 1950 British Grand Prix airing tonight at 19:30 on Sky Sports F1.