Category: Scheduling

All posts related to scheduling.

Scheduling: The 2013 Italian Grand Prix

It is the final race of the European season, which means a trip to Monza for the Italian Grand Prix! And, both BBC and Sky are live. Whilst it is indeed the end of the European season, there are of course two more races that are held in the daytime for European viewers, that being Singapore and Abu Dhabi.

The only notable mention this week is that I believe this is Allan McNish’s last race of the season with the Radio 5 Live team. It was noted back in March that McNish would only be with the team for six races with Italy being his last. Whether he will be back in the paddock with them for 2014 remains to be seen. After the race concludes, it is the fourth edition of F1 Legends this year, this time featuring Alain Prost as Steve Rider’s guest.

Saturday 31st August
20:00 to 20:40 – F1: 1988 Italian Grand Prix Highlights (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from Murray Walker and James Hunt
– repeated on Friday 23rd August at 18:00

Sunday 1st September
20:00 to 20:45 – F1: 1995 Italian Grand Prix Highlights (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from Murray Walker and Jonathan Palmer
– repeated on Sunday 25th August at 11:15

Monday 2nd September
20:00 to 22:00 – F1: 2001 Italian Grand Prix (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from Murray Walker and Martin Brundle
– repeated on Friday 23rd August at 17:15

Tuesday 3rd September
20:00 to 22:00 – F1: 2008 Italian Grand Prix (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from James Allen and Martin Brundle
– repeated on Saturday 24th August at 22:05

Wednesday 4th September
19:00 to 20:00 – Lotus: Chapman’s Winning Formula (Sky Sports F1)
– more details can be found here
20:00 to 22:00 – F1: 2010 Italian Grand Prix (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from Jonathan Legard and Martin Brundle

Thursday 5th September
14:00 to 14:45 – F1: Driver Press Conference (Sky Sports F1)
21:30 to 21:45 – Gear Up for Italy (Sky Sports F1)

Friday 6th September
08:45 to 11:00 – F1: Practice 1 (Sky Sports F1)
08:55 to 10:35 – F1: Practice 1 (BBC Two)
11:00 to 11:35 – GP2: Practice (Sky Sports F1)
12:45 to 14:50 – F1: Practice 2 (Sky Sports F1)
13:00 to 14:35 – F1: Practice 2 (BBC Two)
14:50 to 15:35 – GP2: Qualifying (Sky Sports F1)
16:15 to 17:00 – F1: Team Press Conference (Sky Sports F1)
17:00 to 18:00 – The F1 Show (Sky Sports F1)
18:45 to 19:00 – Inside F1 (BBC News Channel)

Saturday 7th September
08:45 to 09:20 – GP3: Qualifying (Sky Sports F1)
09:45 to 11:10 – F1: Practice 3 (Sky Sports F1)
09:55 to 11:10 – F1: Practice 3 (BBC Two)
12:00 to 14:35 – F1: Qualifying (Sky Sports F1)
12:10 to 14:30 – F1: Qualifying (BBC One)
14:35 to 16:00 – GP2: Race 1 (Sky Sports F1)
16:15 to 17:05 – GP3: Race 1 (Sky Sports F1)
18:45 to 19:00 – Inside F1 (BBC News Channel)

Sunday 8th September
08:20 to 09:05 – GP3: Race 2 (Sky Sports F1)
09:30 to 10:35 – GP2: Race 2 (Sky Sports F1)
11:30 to 16:15 – F1: Race (Sky Sports F1)
12:10 to 15:15 – F1: Race (BBC One)
15:15 to 16:15 – F1: Forum (BBC Red Button)
16:15 to 17:15 – F1 Legends: Alain Prost (Sky Sports F1)

Wednesday 11th September
19:00 to 19:30 – Midweek Report (Sky Sports F1)

As always, if anything changes I shall update this blog if necessary.

“Lotus: Chapman’s Winning Formula” to air on Sky Sports F1 next week

Following on from last week’s great three part documentary focussing on The Lost Generation, Sky Sports F1 will be airing another new documentary in the run up to the Italian Grand Prix weekend.

“Lotus: Chapman’s Winning Formula” is a 1 x 60 minute documentary that will first air on the channel on Wednesday 4th September at 19:00. The description is as follows: “To mark the 50th anniversary of Lotus’ first Formula 1 triumph, Steve Rider examines the legacy of founder Colin Chapman. Drivers, staff and family share their thoughts.” The full list of air times during the weekend are as follows:

– Wednesday 4th September, 19:00 (first airing)
– Wednesday 4th September, 23:30
– Friday 6th September, 19:00
– Saturday 7th September, 07:45
– Sunday 8th September, 23:20

There’s several more slots after the weekend, but those are the first bunch of air times. I’ll publish the full Italian Grand Prix weekend schedule in a few days.

BT Sport to broadcast classic MotoGP races this week

In a positive sign of things to come for 2014, BT Sport are to broadcast five classic MotoGP races this week, it has been confirmed.

The BT Sport website will be uploading the 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997 and 2000 MotoGP races, with the first two already online, and free to view for anyone to watch. The 1992 and 1994 races will also be shown on BT Sport 2, 1992 on Monday at 21:30 and 1994 on Tuesday at 21:30.

Considering their rights don’t kick in until 2014, I’m pleasantly surprised to see these turn up this week, although I imagine the broadcasting rights are not as ‘tight’ as Formula One Management’s control over what current or future rights holders can or cannot do.

Monday 26th August
21:30 to 22:30 – 1992 British MotoGP (BT Sport 2)
– repeated on Tuesday 27th August at 09:00
22:30 to 23:30 – 1993 British MotoGP (BT Sport 2)
– repeated on Tuesday 27th August at 10:00

Tuesday 27th August
21:30 to 22:30 – 1994 British MotoGP (BT Sport 2)
– repeated on Wednesday 28th August at 10:00

Wednesday 29th August
21:30 to 22:30 – 1997 British MotoGP (BT Sport 2)
– repeated on Thursday 29th August at 10:00

Thursday 30th August
22:00 to 23:00 – 2000 British MotoGP (BT Sport 2)
– repeated on Friday 30th August at 10:00

Radio 5 Live unveils British MotoGP schedule

BBC Radio 5 Live have announced their scheduling plans for the British round of the MotoGP World Championship. The station, which normally does not cover the championship, will be covering the weekend’s events.

As revealed in May, Jennie Gow will be presenting the coverage alongside Tommy Hill, whilst Harry Stafford will be alongside Gow on the Friday. On the TV side of things, there will be an extra half an hour of build-up and an extra half an hour of reaction on race day. Disappointingly though, only qualifying will be live on BBC One (as it has been for the majority of the year), the race coverage is still on BBC Two. It would have been nice to have given it the BBC One Sunday slot, in my view.

Here are their coverage plans:

Thursday 29th August
20:30 to 21:30 – Preview (BBC Radio 5 Live)

Friday 30th August
09:00 to 12:15 – Practice (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)

Sunday 1st September
13:00 to 14:00 – MotoGP Race (BBC Radio 5 Live)

I don’t know if BBC Radio covering it is a precursor to potentially covering the series next year when TV coverage moves to BT Sport next year, but time will tell.

Scheduling: The 2013 Belgian Grand Prix

After a four week Summer break, F1 is back! The drivers and teams head to the Ardennes forest in Belgium for the Belgian Grand Prix from Spa. The race starts the second half of the Formula 1 season with nine races in 13 weeks. Before you know it, it will all be over. Both BBC and Sky are live this weekend, so expect the usual full line-ups from both sides.

Alongside their usual Classic races, Sky are also broadcasting a three-part Lost Generation series, which I have outlined below. Also, in a moment of brilliance, MotoGP clashes with the F1 again, it is not a direct clash as the MotoGP race is in the F1 build-up, but still frustrating if you want to keep track of everything. The day is rounded off with the IndyCar Series from Sonoma, with coverage on ESPN UK.

Saturday 17th August
20:00 to 20:40 – F1: 1985 Belgian Grand Prix Highlights (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from Murray Walker and James Hunt
– repeated on Friday 23rd August at 12:05

Sunday 18th August
20:00 to 22:15 – F1: 1998 Belgian Grand Prix (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from Murray Walker and Martin Brundle
– repeated on Sunday 25th August at 06:05

Monday 19th August
19:30 to 20:00 – The Lost Generation (1/3) (Sky Sports F1)
– focussing on Roger Williamson
20:00 to 22:00 – F1: 2000 Belgian Grand Prix (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from Murray Walker and Martin Brundle
– repeated on Friday 23rd August at 18:00

Tuesday 20th August
19:30 to 20:00 – The Lost Generation (2/3) (Sky Sports F1)
– focussing on Tony Brise
20:00 to 22:00 – F1: 2008 Belgian Grand Prix (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from James Allen and Martin Brundle
– repeated on Saturday 24th August at 17:15

Wednesday 21st August
19:30 to 20:00 – The Lost Generation (3/3) (Sky Sports F1)
– focussing on Tom Pryce
20:00 to 22:00 – F1: 2010 Belgian Grand Prix (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from Jonathan Legard and Martin Brundle
– repeated on Sunday 25th August at 20:15

Thursday 22nd August
14:00 to 14:45 – F1: Driver Press Conference (Sky Sports F1)
19:45 to 20:00 – Gear Up for Belgium (Sky Sports F1)

Friday 23rd August
08:45 to 11:00 – F1: Practice 1 (Sky Sports F1)
08:55 to 10:35 – F1: Practice 1 (BBC Two)
11:00 to 11:35 – GP2: Practice (Sky Sports F1)
12:45 to 14:50 – F1: Practice 2 (Sky Sports F1)
12:50 to 14:35 – F1: Practice 2 (BBC Two)
14:50 to 15:35 – GP2: Qualifying (Sky Sports F1)
16:15 to 17:00 – F1: Team Press Conference (Sky Sports F1)
17:00 to 18:00 – The F1 Show (Sky Sports F1)
18:45 to 19:00 – Inside F1 (BBC News Channel)
21:00 to 21:45 – F1: 1955 Belgian Grand Prix (Sky Sports F1)
– repeated on Saturday 24th August at 11:15

Saturday 24th August
08:45 to 09:20 – GP3: Qualifying (Sky Sports F1)
09:45 to 11:10 – F1: Practice 3 (Sky Sports F1)
09:55 to 11:05 – F1: Practice 3 (BBC Two)
12:00 to 14:35 – F1: Qualifying (Sky Sports F1)
12:10 to 14:15 – F1: Qualifying (BBC One)
14:35 to 16:00 – GP2: Race 1 (Sky Sports F1)
16:15 to 17:05 – GP3: Race 1 (Sky Sports F1)
18:45 to 19:00 – Inside F1 (BBC News Channel)

Sunday 25th August
08:20 to 09:05 – GP3: Race 2 (Sky Sports F1)
09:30 to 10:35 – GP2: Race 2 (Sky Sports F1)
11:30 to 13:00 – MotoGP: Brno (BBC Two)
11:30 to 16:15 – F1: Race (Sky Sports F1)
12:10 to 15:15 – F1: Race (BBC One)
15:15 to 16:15 – F1: Forum (BBC Red Button)
16:15 to 17:00 – GP Uncovered: 1958 Belgian Grand Prix (Sky Sports F1)
21:00 to 00:00 – IndyCars: Sonoma (ESPN)

Wednesday 28th August
19:30 to 20:00 – Midweek Report (Sky Sports F1)

As always, if anything changes I shall update this blog if necessary.