Scheduling: The 2019 Azerbaijan Grand Prix / Paris E-Prix

This weekend is packed with motor sport, as Formula 1 heads to Azerbaijan for round four of the 2019 season. Will Ferrari claw the gap back to Mercedes, or will Baku signal Ferrari’s end game this year, only four races in?

On the broadcasting front, there are changes for all UK F1 broadcasters. Starting with Sky Sports, Natalie Pinkham to their line-up for the first time this season. Like last year, Martin Brundle is taking three races off this year, the first of which is this weekend, Brundle instead is racing at the Nurburgring. No word yet on who is stepping into the commentary box, but previous form would suggest Paul di Resta steps into the fold.

Azerbaijan marks the end of Sky’s simulcasts on Sky One, with qualifying and the race airing exclusively live on Sky Sports F1. A slight difference is that The F1 Show airs 45 minutes after qualifying instead of 30 minutes, as was the case for the first three races, a good move allowing for further post-qualifying analysis before The F1 Show airs.

Mark Webber replaces David Coulthard in the Channel 4 commentary box for the first time, Coulthard opting to take three races off this season. Eddie Jordan and Lee McKenzie join Steve Jones and Billy Monger in the paddock for Channel 4.

Over on 5 Live, Jack Nicholls’ Formula E commitments in Paris means that he is not on practice or qualifying duty. It is an unusual weekend for Formula E: not only is the series airing on tape-delay on BBC’s Red Button, it also finds itself airing behind BT Sport’s Red Button for the race itself.

Formula E plays second fiddle to football, rugby, hockey, tennis and WRC All Live on BT, whilst repeats of The £100k House and Your House Made Perfect air over on BBC Two (of course, the Formula E contract stipulated for one race to air live on BBC’s terrestrial channels, and that has already happened).

Nevertheless, fans can still watch full Formula E World Feed coverage via a variety of outlets, including YouTube after Formula E decommissioned their bespoke YouTube show.

Beyond the two leading single-seater racing championships, there is much more action with the British Touring Car Championship, World Rally Championship and World Touring Car Cup all in action across the weekend.

On a side note, following the recent Motorsport Broadcasting survey, moving forward the site will also list whether the series in question is streaming the action live via YouTube or via their own in-house platform.

Channel 4 F1
27/04 – 18:30 to 20:00 – Qualifying Highlights
28/04 – 19:00 to 21:00 – Race Highlights

Sky Sports F1
Sessions
26/04 – 09:45 to 11:55 – Practice 1 (also Sky Sports Main Event)
26/04 – 13:45 to 15:45 – Practice 2 (also Sky Sports Main Event)
27/04 – 10:45 to 12:30
=> 10:45 – Practice 3 (also Sky Sports Main Event)
=> 12:10 – Paddock Walkabout
27/04 – 13:00 to 15:45 – Qualifying
=> 13:00 – Pre-Show
=> 13:55 – Qualifying
28/04 – 11:30 to 16:30 – Race
=> 11:30 – Pit Lane Live
=> 12:30 – On the Grid
=> 13:05 – Race
=> 15:00 – Paddock Live
=> 16:00 – Notebook

Supplementary Programming
25/04 – 14:00 to 14:30 – Drivers’ Press Conference
25/04 – 16:00 to 16:30 – Welcome to the Weekend
26/04 – 16:00 to 16:30 – The Story so Far
27/04 – 15:45 to 16:15 – The F1 Show
30/04 – 18:00 to 18:30 – F1 Midweek Debrief

BBC Radio F1
25/04 – 21:00 to 21:30 – Preview (BBC Radio 5 Live)
26/04 – 09:55 to 11:35 – Practice 1 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
26/04 – 13:55 to 15:35 – Practice 2 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
27/04 – 10:55 to 12:05 – Practice 3 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
27/04 – 13:55 to 15:05 – Qualifying (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
28/04 – 13:00 to 15:25 – Race (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)

Formula E – Paris
Also airs live on YouTube
26/04 – 14:45 to 15:30 – Shakedown (BT Sport/ESPN)
27/04 – 06:15 to 07:30 – Practice 1 (BT Sport/ESPN)
27/04 – 08:45 to 09:45 – Practice 2 (BT Sport/ESPN)
27/04 – 10:30 to 12:00 – Qualifying (BT Sport/ESPN and Eurosport 2)
27/04 – 14:30 to 16:30 – Race: World Feed
=> live on BBC’s website and Connected TV
=> live on Quest
=> live on BT Sport Extra 5
=> live on Eurosport 2
27/04 – 17:30 to 19:30 – Race: World Feed Delayed (BBC Red Button)

British Touring Car Championship – Donington (ITV4)
28/04 – 10:40 to 18:00 – Races

Euroformula – Paul Ricard (BT Sport Extra 6)
Also airs live on YouTube
27/04 – 13:15 to 14:15 – Race 1
28/04 – 12:45 to 13:45 – Race 2

Formula Two – Azerbaijan (Sky Sports F1)
26/04 – 07:55 to 08:45 – Practice
26/04 – 11:55 to 12:40 – Qualifying
27/04 – 08:50 to 10:05 – Race 1
28/04 – 10:00 to 11:05 – Race 2 (also Sky Sports Main Event)

International GT Open – Paul Ricard (BT Sport Extra 6)
Also airs live on YouTube
27/04 – 14:15 to 15:45 – Race 1
28/04 – 13:45 to 15:00 – Race 2

Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy Series – Paris
27/04 – 07:30 to 08:15 – Qualifying (BT Sport/ESPN)
27/04 – 12:45 to 13:45 – Race (BT Sport Extra 5)

World Rally Championship – Argentina (All Live)
Also airs live on WRCPlus.com (£)
25/04 – 22:15 to 00:15 – Stage 1 (BT Sport Extra 1)
26/04 – 12:00 to 22:30 – Stages 2 to 8 (BT Sport Extra 1)
27/04 – 11:30 to 21:15 – Stages 9 to 15 (BT Sport Extra 2)
28/04 – 11:30 to 17:45 – Stages 16 to 18 (BT Sport Extra 4)

World Rally Championship – Argentina
25/04 – 23:00 to 00:00 – Stage 1 (BT Sport 1)
27/04 – 04:00 to 04:30 – Day 1 Highlights (BT Sport 1)
28/04 – 04:00 to 04:30 – Day 2 Highlights (BT Sport 2)
28/04 – 16:00 to 17:30 – Stage 18 [Power Stage] (BT Sport/ESPN)
29/04 – 02:30 to 03:00 – Day 3 Highlights (BT Sport 1)
29/04 – 19:00 to 20:00 – Highlights (5Spike)

World Touring Car Cup – Hungary (Eurosport 2)
28/04 – 09:00 to 10:15 – Qualifying
28/04 – 11:30 to 12:30 – Race 1
28/04 – 16:00 to 16:30 – Race 2
28/04 – 16:30 to 17:15 – Race 3

The schedule above will be updated if anything changes.

Update on April 24th – Added details about Brundle’s absense from Sky’s coverage this weekend.