After the four fly away races, Formula 1 heads back to Europe, starting with the Spanish Grand Prix. Both BBC and Sky Sports are live this weekend for the second time this season. Also this weekend is coverage of the GP2 Series, and round one of the GP3 Series with commentary as always from Will Buxton. One personnel addition to note for Spain, and that is Allan McNish making his first of six appearances for the BBC 5 Live F1 team, as revealed back in March.

Sky’s schedule also has several Classic F1 race highlights as outlined below, along with some 1983 action, more details on that can be found here. BBC’s schedule has slightly different practice lengths, with more post practice discussion for FP2 and FP3, a good move by them. Here’s how the schedule shapes up:

Monday 6th May
21:00 to 21:45 – F1: 1986 Spanish Grand Prix Highlights (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from Murray Walker and James Hunt
– repeated on Friday 10th May at 08:00
21:45 to 22:30 – F1: 1991 Spanish Grand Prix Highlights (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from Murray Walker and James Hunt
– repeated on Friday 10th May at 12:05

Tuesday 7th May
21:00 to 21:45 – F1: 1994 Spanish Grand Prix Highlights (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from Murray Walker and Jonathan Palmer
– repeated on Saturday 11th May at 18:00
21:45 to 22:30 – F1: 1996 Spanish Grand Prix Highlights (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from Murray Walker and Jonathan Palmer
– repeated on Saturday 11th May at 18:45

Wednesday 8th May
20:00 to 22:30 – F1: 2011 Spanish Grand Prix (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from Martin Brundle and David Coulthard
– repeated on Sunday 12th May at 20:45

Thursday 9th May
14:00 to 14:45 – F1: Driver Press Conference (Sky Sports F1)
17:45 to 18:00 – F1: Gear Up for Spain (Sky Sports F1)
22:00 to 22:30 – F1: Preview (BBC Radio 5 Live)

Friday 10th May
08:45 to 11:00 – F1: Practice 1 (Sky Sports F1)
08:55 to 10:35 – F1: Practice 1 (BBC Two)
11:00 to 11:40 – GP2: Practice (Sky Sports F1)
12:45 to 14:50 – F1: Practice 2 (Sky Sports F1)
13:00 to 14:45 – 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 11th May
08:45 to 09:30 – 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 14:15 – 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)

Sunday 12th May
08:20 to 09:10 – GP3: Race 2 (Sky Sports F1)
09:30 to 10:35 – GP2: Race 2 (Sky Sports F1)
11:30 to 16:00 – F1: Race (Sky Sports F1)
12:10 to 15:15 – F1: Race (BBC One)
15:15 to 16:15 – F1: Forum (BBC Red Button)
16:00 to 17:00 – Architects of F1: Max Mosley (Sky Sports F1)

Wednesday 15th May
19:00 to 19:30 – Midweek Report (Sky Sports F1)

If anything changes, I shall update the schedule.

Update on May 4th – Sky’s new online show ‘Midweek Report’ presented by Anna Woolhouse has been added to the schedules, as thus I have added it above.

From China, the teams and drivers quickly move onto the Bahrain Grand Prix. As usual, Sky will be screening five previous races from the circuit – in this case 2006 through to 2010. GP2 is also back on the schedule after not appearing in China, this being round two of their season. Below are all the details you need:

Tuesday 16th April
20:00 to 22:15 – F1: 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from James Allen and Martin Brundle
– repeated on Friday 19th April at 23:10
22:15 to 00:30 – F1: 2007 Bahrain Grand Prix (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from James Allen and Martin Brundle
– repeated on Saturday 20th April at 15:05

Wednesday 17th April
20:00 to 22:15 – F1: 2008 Bahrain Grand Prix (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from James Allen and Martin Brundle
– repeated on Saturday 20th April at 20:15
22:15 to 00:30 – F1: 2009 Bahrain Grand Prix (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from Jonathan Legard and Martin Brundle
– repeated on Sunday 21st April at 06:30

Thursday 18th April
13:00 to 13:45 – F1: Driver Press Conference (Sky Sports F1)
18:15 to 18:30 – F1: Gear Up for Bahrain (Sky Sports F1)
20:00 to 22:15 – F1: 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from Jonathan Legard and Martin Brundle
– repeated on Sunday 14th April at 20:45
21:00 to 21:30 – F1: Preview (BBC Radio 5 Live)

Friday 19th April
07:45 to 09:55 – F1: Practice 1 (Sky Sports F1)
07:55 to 09:35 – F1: Practice 1 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
09:55 to 10:35 – GP2: Practice (Sky Sports F1)
11:45 to 13:55 – F1: Practice 2 (Sky Sports F1)
11:55 to 13:35 – F1: Practice 2 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
13:55 to 14:35 – GP2: Qualifying (Sky Sports F1)
15:00 to 15:45 – F1: Team Press Conference (Sky Sports F1)
16:00 to 17:00 – The F1 Show (Sky Sports F1)
18:45 to 19:00 – Inside F1 (BBC News Channel)

Saturday 20th April
08:45 to 10:10 – F1: Practice 3 (Sky Sports F1)
08:55 to 10:05 – F1: Practice 3 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
11:00 to 13:40 – F1: Qualifying (Sky Sports F1)
11:55 to 13:05 – F1: Qualifying (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
13:40 to 15:05 – GP2: Race 1 (Sky Sports F1)
17:10 to 18:25 – F1: Qualifying (BBC One)
19:45 to 20:00 – Inside F1 (BBC News Channel)

Sunday 21st April
08:45 to 09:50 – GP2: Race 2 (Sky Sports F1)
11:30 to 16:00 – F1: Race (Sky Sports F1)
13:00 to 14:45 – F1: Race (BBC Radio 5 Live)
16:00 to 16:45 – GP Uncovered: Stirling Moss (Sky Sports F1)
17:00 to 18:35 – F1: Race (BBC One)

As always, if anything changes, I will update the schedule.

After a much needed break, Formula 1 is back with the Chinese Grand Prix. With it, the weekend marks the first BBC live weekend of the season. This means two things – Eddie Jordan is back, and secondly, for the first time ever, practice will be live on terrestrial television as it will be airing on BBC Two. Over on BBC Radio (which TV viewers will also hear for practice), it will be Jonathan Legard as the main commentator for them in a similar deal to last year.

Over on Sky, their one change is that Anthony Davidson is racing in round one of the FIA World Endurance Championship at Silverstone so won’t be with the team. Here are all of the scheduling details you need:

Tuesday 9th April
20:00 to 22:15 – F1: 2007 Chinese Grand Prix (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from James Allen and Martin Brundle
– repeated on Friday 12th April at 12:00
22:15 to 00:30 – F1: 2008 Chinese Grand Prix (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from James Allen and Martin Brundle
– repeated on Friday 12th April at 21:00

Wednesday 10th April
20:00 to 22:30 – F1: 2009 Chinese Grand Prix (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from Jonathan Legard and Martin Brundle
– repeated on Saturday 13th April at 10:00
22:30 to 00:45 – F1: 2010 Chinese Grand Prix (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from Jonathan Legard and Martin Brundle
– repeated on Saturday 13th April at 16:15

Thursday 11th April
08:00 to 08:45 – F1: Driver Press Conference (Sky Sports F1)
17:45 to 18:00 – F1: Gear Up for China (Sky Sports F1)
19:00 to 19:30 – F1: 1993 European Grand Prix Highlights (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from Murray Walker and Jonathan Palmer
– see this post for more details
20:00 to 22:15 – F1: 2011 Chinese Grand Prix (Sky Sports F1)
– commentary from Martin Brundle and David Coulthard
– repeated on Sunday 14th April at 19:45

Friday 12th April
02:45 to 04:50 – F1: Practice 1 (Sky Sports F1)
02:55 to 04:35 – F1: Practice 1 (BBC Two)
06:45 to 09:00 – F1: Practice 2 (Sky Sports F1)
06:55 to 08:35 – F1: Practice 2 (BBC Two)
09:00 to 09:40 – F1: Team Press Conference (Sky Sports F1)
11:00 to 12:00 – The F1 Show (Sky Sports F1)
11:35 to 15:15 – F1: Practice Replay (BBC Two)
18:45 to 19:00 – Inside F1 (BBC News Channel)

Saturday 13th April
03:45 to 05:10 – F1: Practice 3 (Sky Sports F1)
03:55 to 05:05 – F1: Practice 3 (BBC Two)
06:00 to 08:30 – F1: Qualifying (BBC One)
06:00 to 08:45 – F1: Qualifying (Sky Sports F1)
13:00 to 14:15 – F1: Qualifying Replay (BBC One)
– note: For Scotland viewers, the replay is on BBC Two
18:45 to 19:00 – Inside F1 (BBC News Channel)

Sunday 14th April
06:30 to 11:00 – F1: Race (Sky Sports F1)
07:00 to 10:15 – F1: Race (BBC One)
10:15 to 11:15 – F1: Forum (BBC Red Button)
11:00 to 12:00 – F1 Legends: Tony Brooks (Sky Sports F1)
14:20 to 16:20 – F1: Race Replay (BBC One)

As always, if anything changes I shall update this blog if necessary. The Classic F1 timings have already changed once – as they were scheduled to begin on Friday 6th April, but have been changed to the times shown above.

Update on April 4th, 20:50 – I note that instead of it being GP Uncovered after the Chinese Grand Prix, it is the first edition of a new series of F1 Legends presented by Steve Rider. The first edition focusses on Tony Brooks, and as the description notes “A look at the career of British driver Tony Brooks. Nicknamed ‘the racing dentist’, Brooks was described by Stirling Moss as “the greatest unknown racing driver there has ever been”.”