Predicting Channel 4’s Formula 1 team (part 2)

The fun and games of predicting Channel 4’s brand new team for their Formula 1 coverage continues in earnest with part two of this series of posts. The news last Monday that Channel 4 were picking up the television rights following the BBC’s departure had caught many by surprise, with the expectation that ITV were going to broadcast Formula 1 not materialising.

I think it is probably worth outlining what I think the structure of the team would be at this stage:

– 1 x Presenter (on-site)
– 2 x Analyst
– 1 x Lead Commentator
– 1 x Co-Commentator
– 1 x Technical Expert
– 1 x Pit Lane Reporter
– 1 x Magazine (studio)

I’m hopeful that some of my predictions will turn out to be true, we will find out the answer in around a month from now. This part mainly focusses on the analyst roles because there are many possibilities, plus there is significant overlap with the co-commentator position. In part one, I predicted the following posts:

– Presenter: Suzi Perry
– Magazine: Jake Humphrey
– Lead Commentator: Ben Edwards
– Pit Lane Reporter: Nicki Shields

The idea that the lead analyst must be co-commentator has only been around since the beginning of 2011. When the BBC axed Jonathan Legard from their coverage, they promoted Martin Brundle to the lead commentator role, with both him and David Coulthard also conducting analysis before and after the race. There will be overlap, of course there will. Channel 4 may choose to do something completely different, but there will certainly be an analyst role in any structure.

The potential candidates are listed below in alphabetical order, with outsiders at the bottom of this post.

Allan McNish – The current BBC Radio 5 Live co-commentator and former driver in the World Endurance Championship had a sole season in Formula 1 with Toyota in 2002. McNish’s style of analysis makes him one of the favourites to pick up a role with Channel 4, plus his availability should no longer be an issue. I hope Channel 4 pick him up as he is one of the best analysts out there currently in my opinion, with a ton of experience in various different categories.

Anthony Davidson – The reason I am labelling Davidson here is because he is the main person that I want Channel 4 to try and poach from Sky. I’m not fussed about the remainder of Sky’s team, but if there is one-person Channel 4 should aim to get, it is Davidson. Davidson first came into the broadcasting foray full-time in 2009, commentating alongside David Croft for BBC Radio 5 Live. It was no surprise when Sky poached him for their coverage in 2012. I would like to see more of Davidson on screen, but as he is still an active race driver, I imagine he is happy with his current Sky workload. Davidson moving to Channel 4 therefore is unlikely, but never rule it out.

David Coulthard – Having retired in 2008, Coulthard immediately joined the BBC team for the 2009 season as analyst. As noted above, he has combined the analyst role since 2011 with being co-commentator alongside Brundle and then Edwards. As a successful ex-British Formula 1 driver, Coulthard is a no-brainer for Channel 4. His connection with Whisper Films makes this nailed on. However, Coulthard may want to move into a production based role rather than being in front of the camera to help assist the coverage. The issue with Coulthard becoming co-commentator is that it would be the exact same commentary line-up as the BBC had (we predicted Ben Edwards would be the lead commentator in part one). In the various UK Formula 1 broadcasting changes over the years, we have never had one commentary team successfully jump ship from one channel to the other. ITV brought in Brundle. BBC brought in Legard. Sky mashed up some of BBC TV and Radio. Are Channel 4 going to break that trend?

Eddie Jordan – Like Coulthard above, Jordan joined the BBC team in 2009 and stayed until the end of their coverage, although his commitments have reduced in the past few years during the BBC’s shared arrangement with Sky. Speaking to the Mirror, Jordan said “I’m in the twilight of my career I wouldn’t rule out anything for the future if it gives me a buzz.” If the other candidates in this post are unrealistic then Channel 4 could end up throwing money at Jordan to get him to commit to 2016. Although this post talks about 15 candidates, several of them are eliminated immediately. If Jordan is not going to be part of Channel 4’s team, you have to ask, who is going to fill his role? The list is not massive…

Graeme Lowdon – The former Manor Marussia boss left the team at the end of 2015 having been part of the operation since its inception. If Jordan decides not to be part of Channel 4’s team, and they want someone with recent paddock expertise, Lowdon fills the category nicely although there is one person who would be a better fit (see below). I suspect there are outside factors which will prevent this one from happening, however it is always a possibility.

Karun Chandhok – The former Formula 1 and Formula E driver has commentated on various motor sport events, filling in as co-commentator for both BBC and Sky at various points. Although not the most successful racing driver, Chandhok’s ‘dictionary’ has made him a favourite with viewers. Whilst Chandhok may offer better thoughts and opinions than the likes of Johnny Herbert and Damon Hill, I don’t see Chandhok forming part of Channel 4’s team purely because his Formula 1 résumé is not good enough.

John Watson – If Channel 4 do want to bring someone non-BBC/Sky to the Formula 1 line-up, Watson is an inevitable shout given his past commentary exploits with Edwards dating back the past 25 years. I am not convinced Channel 4 would approach Watson, and I do not think Watson would want a full-time 21 race commentary gig, he will be turning 70 next May. It is an option, but not a completely realistic choice.

Mark Blundell – The former ITV F1 pundit was part of their team throughout the majority of their coverage, but became main analyst from 2006 until the end of 2008. Blundell was not universally liked during the end of ITV’s coverage, mainly a victim of “wrong place, wrong time” with ITV focussing on Lewis Hamilton at that time. By the looks of his Twitter, Blundell is certainly interested in getting back involved with F1 TV coverage. I would not be surprised if Blundell turns up here and there, like he has on The F1 Show over on Sky, but I’m afraid I don’t have much interest in seeing Blundell as a permanent analyst.

Mark Webber – The former Formula 1 driver, notably Williams and Red Bull, brings with him bags of experience, both driving and broadcasting. Those of you who watched BBC’s coverage of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix would have seen Webber part of their line-up for the entire weekend, Webber doing an ad hoc walk around Red Bull’s garage at one point. I would love to see Webber part of Channel 4’s Formula 1 team. My issue, and this stands for quite a lot of people, is whether Webber would want to commit himself to around 17 or 18 races (taking into account his WEC exploits). I get the impression that Webber is happy to do the gig here and there, but not on a full-time basis.

Martin Whitmarsh – There are not many people up and down the pit lane who can say they have gone from a championship winning situation to being fired a few years later. Whitmarsh is well qualified (more so than Jordan, it could be argued) to comment on the modern day dealings of Formula 1 having been in the paddock with McLaren for over twenty years. Again if Jordan decides he does not want to be part of Channel 4’s setup, Whitmarsh should be one of the first people on Channel 4’s list to contact given his high profile position in recent years. Whitmarsh has given an interview to the January 2016 issue of Motor Sport Magazine, I haven’t read it so can’t comment on what was or was not said in the interview. What I do know is that Whitmarsh is the CEO of Ben Ainslie’s racing operation, and, as quoted in an interview with CNN in June 2015: “As for whether F1 will see Whitmarsh back in the paddock, that is highly unlikely. He has been offered repeated chances to come for the odd race weekend but has opted to stay away.” There is probably a higher chance of Stefano Domenicalli joining Channel 4’s team than seeing Whitmarsh join them, based on that…

Max Chilton – Following his Marussia exploits in Formula 1, Chilton joined Carlin for the 2015 Indy Lights season, with the intention of jumping up to the IndyCar Series for the 2016 season. As of writing, nothing has been announced regarding Chilton’s 2016 plans. With Nissan pulling out of the World Endurance Championship, no IndyCar or Indy Lights drive for Chilton would mean that his 2016 schedule is empty. So Channel 4 is a possibility if Chilton’s other options fall through, it also means Chilton would remain sniffing around the F1 paddock.

Paul di Resta – My opinion of di Resta has changed significantly in the past year. I’ve never found him the most exciting voice on television, whenever he was being interviewed after a race. Last season, di Resta was part of Sky Sports F1’s coverage for several races, conducting analysis on the Sky Pad and discussing key incidents. To my surprise, I found myself warming to di Resta more than I expected and he was welcoming to hear a different voice in Sky’s coverage. di Resta would not be suited to commentary, but there is scope for Channel 4 to bring him in as an analyst during 2016.

Susie Wolff – The former Williams development driver announced her retirement from active motor sport participation at the beginning of November. I can see Channel 4 wanting to involve Wolff in aspects of their coverage to help encourage women get involved in motor sport. I don’t see Wolff being an analyst commenting on the driving aspect as she has not raced in Formula 1. I do think Channel 4 may want to do special features with her to get the ‘Women in Motor Sport’ message across, so I would expect her to turn up at some point during their coverage, probably outside of race weekends.

There are also a few outsiders that may be considered. Rubens Barrichello currently presents a motor sport programme called Acelerados for Brazilian television, Nigel Mansell always gets mentioned whenever a new broadcaster comes into the fray, but the fact he was either not considered by BBC or Sky previously or rejected both roles indicates he is not interested. I’m noting Ross Brawn here, but will focus on him in the technical expert role in part three. The only omission in terms of recent F1 drivers here is Eddie Irvine, anyone who knows his views on current Formula 1 will know he is unsuitable for any broadcasting role. Lastly, anyone with an F1 journalistic background to fill a Simon Taylor or Tony Jardine role could be in the frame. Naming names is difficult, it could be literally anyone who covers Formula 1 in the print and online media who is coherent in front of a microphone.

The F1 Broadcasting Blog predicts: David Coulthard to become Channel 4’s Formula 1 co-commentator. Eddie Jordan and Allan McNish to become Channel 4’s Formula 1 analysts. Susie Wolff to join Channel 4 to help promote ‘Women in Motor Sport’.

Edwards and Coulthard is the obvious commentary pairing, which is why I think it will happen. But historical evidence tells us that Channel 4 may take a different route. Therefore, any combination featuring Edwards, Coulthard, McNish and Jack Nicholls should not be ruled out.

The problem Channel 4 have is time: time is not on their side. There is not much time to negotiate with talent. The easiest option is to take the majority of BBC’s existing line-up as it is, because they will already have dates set aside for Formula 1 in 2016. Anyone new who comes on-board will need some negotiation to get them out of existing contracts, especially if they work for different series. If this deal was announced six months ago, there would be more room for manoeuvre and more room for Channel 4 to broaden their horizons. But with so little time to Melbourne, I don’t see it happening. The biggest change for Channel 4 in my opinion will be how they actually present their coverage as opposed to the talent involved. As always, just my opinion.

The third and final part will be up within the next week…

Predicting the 2016 calendar pick order (version 2)

When I wrote the original BBC and Sky Sports calendar predictions post for the 2016 Formula One season back in the Summer, no one could have anticipated what was going to unfold in the months that followed. Readers are probably now well aware that Channel 4 are the new terrestrial television rights holders, succeeding the BBC who have exited their contract with immediate effect.

So yes, Channel 4 will be broadcasting the 2016 Australian Grand Prix on Sunday 20th March. My post from the Summer is completely redundant now and serves no purpose. I thought it would be easier to create a new post rather than to completely rework that post. It is apt that the biggest calendar shake-up happens alongside the broadcasting shake-up, with the 2016 season containing 21 races, starting in March. It is tradition for The F1 Broadcasting Blog each year to predict the pick order, for the next three years that will be the Channel 4 and Sky pick order (if you’re not used to reading that yet, you will be soon!).

The finalised calendar is as follows:

The confirmed 2016 Formula One calendar.

I have done the calendar above as a table, given the amount of year-on-year changes, notably Russia and Malaysia swapping on the calendar. Furthermore, I have received confirmation from Channel 4 that the ‘pick’ process is identical to the previous BBC and Sky deal. The races that Channel 4 pick will be shown live on Channel 4 and Sky Sports F1, while the races that Sky pick will be shown exclusively live on Sky Sports F1, with highlights on Channel 4. The picks go as follows:

– Channel 4 pick three races (pick 1, 2 and 3)
– Sky pick three races (pick 4, 5 and 6)
– Channel 4 pick one race (pick 7)
– Sky pick one race (pick 8)

This continues until every race has been picked. There are 21 races on the calendar, so Channel 4 will screen ten races live with Sky screening eleven races exclusively live. If a race is dropped from the calendar, the picks do not change retrospectively. Germany was dropped from the 2015 calendar, but the picks stayed the same, meaning BBC were able to broadcast three races in a row live. Channel 4’s live sporting contracts consist of the Paralympics and horse racing, the latter of which occurs on the majority of Saturdays round the year. Avoiding every race that Channel 4 show is going to be incredibly difficult, however Channel 4 will be looking to avoid the major race days where possible. Bumping either a live major horse race or Formula 1 qualifying to E4 or More4 will do no one any favours.

Another factor that we need to consider is whether Channel 4 want the majority of their live races to be European based. Whilst it may not change the end result, it will influence the picking order in my view. There have already been questions about whether Channel 4’s current deal is commercially viable. David Elstein, a former executive of both Channel 5 and Sky, believes the deal is viable based on sponsorship alone, but notes that highlights will have adverts included, as we expected. Again, this post is only for discussion and a bit of fun with the pick orders. I am doing this a bit smarter though than previously, and applying all the rules that come along with the picking process as we go through the post. My tally for 2015 of getting 11 out of 19 correct was slightly better than usual though, which is good!

Channel 4 pick Britain, Abu Dhabi and Mexico (picks 1 to 3). Whether Britain and Abu Dhabi are compulsory picks I do not know, but given that one is the home race and the other is the final race, both of these are expected picks. Unfortunately, Britain will not rate well again in 2016 as it clashes with the first part of the Wimbledon final on BBC One. Channel 4’s third pick is between Canada, USA, Mexico and Brazil. Canada is not an option this early due to Euro 2016. USA starts at 20:00 and would mean interrupting Homeland mid-run (I know the F1 would rate higher, but let us not annoy Channel 4’s existing audience). Mexico therefore gets the nod over Brazil because it starts in primetime, but would still finish before 21:00. If anything, you could do something different and ‘wrap’ the F1 around Homeland, with studio based post-race analysis following Homeland at 22:00 (more on that line of thinking in a separate blog post in the next week or so).

The above means Sky automatically get Brazil (pick 21). Sky cannot have three exclusive races in a row, and Channel 4 cannot broadcast three live races in a row. Just to clarify, the above text says ‘pick 21’ as Sky would not waste a pick up front for Brazil when they know they are guaranteed the race regardless. Channel 4 will not be too fussed about losing Brazil given that it clashes with Sky’s second Ford Super Sunday game and the live viewing figures would be dented as a result. Therefore, Sky pick USA, Canada and Monaco (picks 4 to 6). USA and Canada are primetime races, whilst Monaco is the blue ribbon race on the calendar. I do think there is a choice between Monaco and Bahrain. Bahrain is the better timeslot, but it overlaps with the Premier League season, so I think Sky will opt for Monaco.

By Sky picking Monaco, it means Channel 4 automatically get Spain (pick 17) and Channel 4 automatically get Europe (pick 19). Europe does fall in the same weekend as the Royal Ascot, but the time difference means that the Grand Prix qualifying session in Baku should have wrapped up before the horse racing action gets underway. In fact, having the two back-to-back could lead to a bumper day for Channel 4 on June 18th. In turn, Sky automatically get Austria (pick 20), otherwise Channel 4 would be screening Europe, Austria and Britain live consecutively. Next up, Channel 4 pick Bahrain (pick 7). The logic here is that it is simply the best timeslot left to pick from. In response, Sky pick Hungary (pick 8). The other choice is Australia, but Hungary is the much better timeslot and tends to pick up good numbers with it being the last race before the Summer shutdown. Plus, Sky may want to try and force Channel 4 to pick Australia knowing that it will be their first race, but let’s see if that tactic works in our predictions.

We are left in this position:

March 20th – Australia (Melbourne)
April 3rd – Bahrain (Sakhir) – Channel 4 (pick 7)
April 17th – China (Shanghai)
May 1st – Russia (Sochi)
May 15th – Spain (Barcelona) – Channel 4 (pick 17 – automatic)
May 29th – Monaco (Monaco) – Sky (pick 6)
June 12th – Canada (Montreal) – Sky (pick 5)
June 19th – Europe (Baku) – Channel 4 (pick 19 – automatic)
July 3rd – Austria (Red Bull Ring) – Sky (pick 20 – automatic)
July 10th – Britain (Silverstone) – Channel 4 (pick 1)
July 24th – Hungary (Budapest) – Sky (pick 8)
July 31st – Germany (Hockenheim)
August 28th – Belgium (Spa)
September 4th – Italy (Monza)
September 18th – Singapore (Marina Bay)
October 2nd – Malaysia (Sepang)
October 9th – Japan (Suzuka)
October 23rd – USA (Circuit of the Americas) – Sky (pick 4)
October 30th – Mexico (Mexico City) – Channel 4 (pick 3)
November 13th – Brazil (Interlagos) – Sky (pick 21 – automatic)
November 27th – Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina) – Channel 4 (pick 2)

I think at this point; Channel 4 will be looking for live early morning races where they can screen highlights/replays at a later time with adverts to a higher audience. Personally, Channel 4 pick Malaysia (pick 9). Malaysia is the best choice because of its unique timeslot. At 08:00, it means Channel 4 can screen it live and then broadcast highlights with adverts at around 15:00, so it is a win-win race for them. In response, Sky pick Russia (pick 10). It is either Russia or Italy, Italy is more prestigious, but Russia has a longer runtime and is therefore likely to bring in higher ratings. It also means that Channel 4 can now kill three birds with one stone. Channel 4 pick Italy (pick 11). Italy is the shortest race on the calendar, so there will only be around 90 minutes of air time without adverts which makes it more attractive to the commercial station.

Furthermore, Channel 4 picking Italy means that Sky automatically get Singapore (pick 18). This is good news for Channel 4 because Singapore clashes with the Paralympic Games, it is not in Channel 4’s interests to have two of their biggest events clashing with each other. Having Singapore as a highlights race means that Channel 4 can have a live race elsewhere.

The schedule therefore looks like this:

March 20th – Australia (Melbourne)
April 3rd – Bahrain (Sakhir) – Channel 4 (pick 7)
April 17th – China (Shanghai)
May 1st – Russia (Sochi) – Sky (pick 10)
May 15th – Spain (Barcelona) – Channel 4 (pick 17 – automatic)
May 29th – Monaco (Monaco) – Sky (pick 6)
June 12th – Canada (Montreal) – Sky (pick 5)
June 19th – Europe (Baku) – Channel 4 (pick 19 – automatic)
July 3rd – Austria (Red Bull Ring) – Sky (pick 20 – automatic)
July 10th – Britain (Silverstone) – Channel 4 (pick 1)
July 24th – Hungary (Budapest) – Sky (pick 8)
July 31st – Germany (Hockenheim)
August 28th – Belgium (Spa)
September 4th – Italy (Monza) – Channel 4 (pick 11)
September 18th – Singapore (Marina Bay) – Sky (pick 18 – automatic)
October 2nd – Malaysia (Sepang) – Channel 4 (pick 9)
October 9th – Japan (Suzuka)
October 23rd – USA (Circuit of the Americas) – Sky (pick 4)
October 30th – Mexico (Mexico City) – Channel 4 (pick 3)
November 13th – Brazil (Interlagos) – Sky (pick 21 – automatic)
November 27th – Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina) – Channel 4 (pick 2)

With not many races left, Sky have no exclusivity in the first part of 2016, until Sky pick China (pick 12). It is 50/50 between China and Australia, but the latter has lost a lot of its potential with the race starting at 05:00 UK time.

Australia, Germany, Belgium and Japan are the four races left to choose from. Inevitably, Channel 4 pick Belgium (pick 13). The shorter the race, the more adverts Channel 4 can cram in around the race, so Belgium is a great race for them in that respect. It also means that Sky automatically get Germany (pick 16). The weekend of Germany clashes with Glorious Goodwood, so Channel 4 will be happy that Sky get Germany exclusively live. Which leaves Australia and Japan. As they have done every year since 2012, Sky pick Australia (pick 14), meaning Channel 4 pick Japan (pick 15).

Which leaves us with this final calendar:

March 20th – Australia (Melbourne) – Sky (pick 14)
April 3rd – Bahrain (Sakhir) – Channel 4 (pick 7)
April 17th – China (Shanghai) – Sky (pick 12)
May 1st – Russia (Sochi) – Sky (pick 10)
May 15th – Spain (Barcelona) – Channel 4 (pick 17 – automatic)
May 29th – Monaco (Monaco) – Sky (pick 6)
June 12th – Canada (Montreal) – Sky (pick 5)
June 19th – Europe (Baku) – Channel 4 (pick 19 – automatic)
July 3rd – Austria (Red Bull Ring) – Sky (pick 20 – automatic)
July 10th – Britain (Silverstone) – Channel 4 (pick 1)
July 24th – Hungary (Budapest) – Sky (pick 8)
July 31st – Germany (Hockenheim) – Sky (pick 16 – automatic)
August 28th – Belgium (Spa) – Channel 4 (pick 13)
September 4th – Italy (Monza) – Channel 4 (pick 11)
September 18th – Singapore (Marina Bay) – Sky (pick 18 – automatic)
October 2nd – Malaysia (Sepang) – Channel 4 (pick 9)
October 9th – Japan (Suzuka) – Channel 4 (pick 15)
October 23rd – USA (Circuit of the Americas) – Sky (pick 4)
October 30th – Mexico (Mexico City) – Channel 4 (pick 3)
November 13th – Brazil (Interlagos) – Sky (pick 21 – automatic)
November 27th – Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina) – Channel 4 (pick 2)

We should know the final picks early into the New Year, definitely within the next few weeks I imagine. But that is how I imagine the picks turning out.

Updated on December 26th, 2015.

Predicting Channel 4’s Formula 1 team (part 1)

The dust has settled (sort of) on the news that Channel 4 will be broadcasting Formula 1 from the 2016 season. With just three months until the Australian Grand Prix, it leaves very little time for the broadcaster and the chosen production team to negotiate with talent and put in place a strong team that can challenge Sky Sports F1’s team on screen.

When I did this with BT Sport’s MotoGP team in 2013, the post was chunks of paragraphs, which I don’t think is going to work this time, when the talent pool is big. You have BBC’s Formula 1 team (both TV and radio), anyone from ITV’s old Formula 1 team that realistically could jump. The chances of anyone jumping from Sky Sports to Channel 4 is unlikely, but still a possibility. And then there are those that are not currently tied to a broadcaster that could become part of Channel 4’s team. You have to assume that Channel 4 will want a mixture of existing BBC talent, along with some fresh faces. Channel 4 have their own 4Talent scheme, and it is plausible that they may want to groom someone from within that scheme to become part of their Formula 1 coverage, I don’t know.

I need to state from the outset that the points below are my opinion. Given that the deal has only been in the public domain for a day, I have no inside information on who Channel 4 are planning to sign up to cover Formula 1. Of course, some predictions will be wildly out, but it is definitely worth doing to compare with later.

Presenters
Suzi Perry – The BBC Formula 1 presenter from 2013 to 2015 and before that MotoGP presenter in the mid 2000s. Perry must be one of Channel 4’s number one targets for the presenter role, given the way that she had settled nicely into the role, improving compared to the start of 2013. Whether Channel 4 would want a new face up front, I don’t know, but they will certainly want a steady ship at the top of the programme to lead it with control, and I feel Perry is that person – potentially.

Jennie Gow – The current BBC Radio 5 Live pit lane reporter and Formula E presenter for ITV is bound to be in the frame for some sort of role at Channel 4 given that she is a hot commodity for the majority of broadcasters’ at the moment. She did have some experience presenting a season of MotoGP with the BBC in 2010, but was replaced by Matt Roberts. If she moved, she would obviously no longer be BBC’s pit lane reporter. This is a tough one. My gut instinct says no, certainly for the main presenter role.

Jake Humphrey – The former BBC Formula 1 presenter from 2009 to 2012, and currently BT Sport’s Premier League presenter. As Humphrey is part of Whisper Films, this is viable, but unlikely. The rationale behind Humphrey leaving BBC’s Formula 1 team was to spend more time at home, understandably. Unless Channel 4 take a studio based approach to proceedings or create a magazine show, I don’t see Humphrey being involved.

It is difficult to think of any other presenters currently involved at the top level. Matt Roberts (current Eurosport’s British Superbikes presenter) and Charlie Webster (ex ITV GP2 presenter) are other possibilities, but outside shots, if that for the role. Webster did present the Race of Champions for Whisper Films/Channel 4 in November. The name Clare Balding is bound to crop up somewhere given her links to Channel 4. And lastly, Chris Evans who first mooted the Channel 4 deal last month. Realistically though, I think it is difficult to look past Suzi Perry getting the presenter gig. Quite frankly, Channel 4 cannot afford to “do a BT” and mess up getting the glue correct. No one really noticed the whole Melanie Sykes saga with BT Sport in the non-motor sport media, but if you attempt that with Formula 1, it may not end well. Channel 4 need someone with experience to steer the show.

The F1 Broadcasting Blog predicts: Suzi Perry to become Channel 4’s Formula 1 presenter. Jake Humphrey to present a Formula 1 magazine show to air during the season.

Lead Commentator
Ben Edwards – The BBC’s Formula 1 lead commentator from 2012 to 2015. It was the first time Edwards has covered Formula 1 on terrestrial television in this country, having previously covered the likes of A1 Grand Prix. He should be Channel 4’s number one choice. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if he is actually their number two choice…

Jack Nicholls – Currently the lead commentator on the Formula E Championship, Nicholls has also sporadically been lead commentator for BBC Radio 5 Live in the past two years. Remember the point I made about Channel 4 being a station that reaches younger viewers? In my opinion, that means Channel 4 need someone on their team to help them achieve that. Is Nicholls the person to do that, probably. Nicholls is a fantastic commentator at the age of 25, and could be Channel 4’s number one choice. The problem is getting him out of his Formula E and BBC Radio commitments, which I don’t see happening fast.

James Allen – If Formula 1 was going back to ITV, as was rumoured, this might be more certain. Unfortunately for Allen, that did not happen. Allen is currently BBC’s Formula 1 commentator for Radio 5 Live, however as noted above, Allen does not commentate (and therefore attend) on every race. The only way Allen would be lead commentator for Channel 4 is if he was willing to attend every race, assuming Channel 4 are going to have a presence on-site, the assumption would be that they are. I don’t think this is likely, unless Edwards rejects Channel 4 and Nicholls falls through completely. But never say never.

Other outside candidates are Toby Moody (ex Eurosport MotoGP lead commentator) and David Addison (current ITV BTCC lead commentator). Will Buxton is locked down with NBC covering F1, as is David Croft, so I don’t think those four options are realistic. If you are hoping for fresh faces, I do not see it happening where either the presenter or lead commentator roles are concerned.

The F1 Broadcasting Blog predicts: Ben Edwards to become Channel 4’s Formula 1 lead commentator.

Pit Lane Reporter
Lee McKenzie – With a background in motor sport, McKenzie was BBC’s pit lane reporter for the duration of their coverage. McKenzie is going to be part of BBC’s team at the Olympic Games, and presumably Wimbledon again. I don’t see McKenzie moving to Channel 4, I imagine there are more opportunities for her at the BBC as it currently stands, both on TV and radio. Alongside this tweet, I think McKenzie will stay with the BBC and will not be part of Channel 4’s coverage.

Nicki Shields – The current Formula E pit lane reporter for their World Feed, and before that presented Escape to the Country for the BBC If you don’t watch Formula E, you probably will not recognise the name. From what I have seen, Shields has fitted in well to the Formula E role, describing herself as a petrol-head and environmentalist. I’ve liked Shields contribution to Formula E’s TV team and the interviews that she has conducted with the drivers. Given one of Channel 4’s points in their ten point plan from 2011 was to create “high impact factual programming”, I think Shields could be the perfect fit for the channel: a pit lane reporter alongside other commitments surrounding their programming outside of a race weekend.

Rachel Brookes – A Sky Sports News presenter, Brookes has become integrated into the Sky Sports F1 set-up, presenting The F1 Show alongside duties in the pit lane during practice and interviewing drivers before and after each race. I think Rachel is one of the better interviewers on Sky Sports F1, and should be a target for Channel 4. If the opportunity arose, I would like to see Brookes part of the Channel 4 team. I don’t think it would happen though: her current role at Sky Sports role allows her to cover events outside of Formula 1, and future opportunities there are present, which is not the case at Channel 4 beyond horse racing and the Paralympics.

There are probably three or four other candidates, notably Natalie Pinkham (current Sky Sports F1 pit lane reporter), Jennie Gow (current BBC Radio 5 Live pit lane reporter) and Louise Goodman (former ITV F1 pit lane reporter and current ITV BTCC pit lane reporter).

The F1 Broadcasting Blog predicts: Nicki Shields to become Channel 4’s Formula 1 pit lane reporter.

Other Suggestions
Did I miss anyone out? Mention it in the comments or on social media and I’ll add them below…
– Abi Griffiths (current BT Sport MotoGP presenter/reporter) – Jonathan in the comments
– Andy Jaye (current Eurosport speedway host and has hosted shows for Channel 4) – @PurpleSectorGP via Twitter
– Azi Farni (former BBC MotoGP pit lane reporter) – myself after writing this post
– Craig Doyle (current BT Sport MotoGP and rugby host) – Joe in the comments
– Georgie Ainslie, née Thompson (former presenter of The F1 Show for Sky Sports) – @sjbosher via Twitter
– Rick Edwards (presented the majority of Channel 4’s Paralympics coverage) – Jonathan in the comments
– Steve Rider (former BBC and ITV F1 presenter) – Gaz in the comments

Given the closeness to the festive period that this has been announced (and as the word count is close to 1,500 words already), I’m splitting this article across multiple parts as there is a lot to cover. Part 2 coming up at some point before the New Year…

Channel 4 to take over BBC’s F1 TV coverage from 2016

It is official – Channel 4 are to broadcast Formula 1 from the 2016 season. The BBC have exited their portion of the contract three years early. Channel 4 will broadcast races advert free, with 10 races live and all 21 races broadcast again in highlights form. Their deal also covers practice and qualifying, so like-for-like with the current BBC F1 contract. Their deal will expire at the end of the 2018 season, whilst Sky Sports’ portion of the contract remains unaffected.

> 2011: The direction never taken: Formula 1 and Channel 4

Bernie Ecclestone said: “I am sorry that the BBC could not comply with their contract but I am happy that we now have a broadcaster that can broadcast Formula 1 events without commercial intervals during the race. I am confident that Channel 4 will achieve not only how the BBC carried out the broadcast in the past but also with a new approach as the World and Formula 1® have moved on.”

David Abraham, Channel 4 Chief Executive said: “Formula One is one of the world’s biggest sporting events with huge appeal to British audiences. I’m delighted to have agreed this exciting new partnership with Bernie Ecclestone to keep the sport on free-to-air television.”

Channel 4's proposed "Ten Point Plan" — The ten point plan that Channel 4 proposed in Summer 2011 to try and capture exclusive UK F1 rights.

Jay Hunt, Channel 4 Chief Creative Officer said: “Channel 4 and Formula One are the perfect partnership. We’ve the same appetite for innovation and we’ll be demonstrating that to fans by becoming the first free-to-air commercial broadcaster to show the races ad free.”

Analysis
The major surprise is that it is Channel 4 replacing BBC’s TV coverage and not ITV, as was reported last week. On his BBC Radio breakfast show on November 24th, Chris Evans noted that Channel 4 were likely to take over, so Evans was spot on the money.

Before we get into what Channel 4 could and could not do, first we need to investigate why not ITV. I have reached out to them to find out if they were approached at all, and will update the site when I get a response. ITV were odds on favourite, so either the broadsheets last week were wrong, or the deal fell through at the eleventh hour. The Euro 2016 picks last Monday left the door open for ITV to broadcast Formula 1. Channel 4’s release states that races will be shown commercial free. Were ITV unwilling to comply with that, and therefore lost out? ITV announced a Top Gear rival last week called Driven, which looks odd now given that they failed to secure the F1.

There could be a bigger game for ITV with the horse racing rights. If ITV believe horse racing is a better prospect than Formula 1, that’s a thoroughly depressing thought, although the cost of horse racing rights would be lower than Formula 1. From a reach perspective, ITV wins out, but Channel 4 skews younger than ITV. Formula 1 has notoriously struggled to reach younger viewers in the past few years (some through its own doing, admittedly). On Channel 4, you can guarantee crossover with some of their younger skewing shows, notably Gogglebox and TFI Friday. A crossover involving the former is bound to happen and I’d be stunned if it did not materialise.

Is Channel 4 guaranteed to get less viewers than ITV for Formula 1? I would say it is likely, but I do not think the difference is as big as some may expect. I should probably whisper this, but the good news I feel about a Channel 4 deal is that they will bring something different to the table. I say whisper it, that is a reference to Whisper Films. For those of you unfamiliar, Whisper Films was set up in 2010 by Jake Humphrey, David Coulthard and Sunil Patel. And who owns an equity stake in Whisper Films? Channel 4. I think you can connect the dots. One thing that probably won’t jump ship is The Chain. Channel 4 will want to create their own identity and I simply do not see that happening.

From a scheduling stand-point, Channel 4’s ten point plan from 2011, located above, gives us a great idea about the potential that they could have going forward. I am sure we can all get behind more historical coverage from FOM’s archive and a greater range of programming on the station. Some of the points are no longer relevant, given that Channel 4 are now in a shared deal with Sky Sports, but it is food for thought. My final point would be: don’t judge Channel 4 on what they do or don’t deliver at the 2016 Australian Grand Prix, but judge them on what they do in the latter half of 2016 and 2017. It will already be a logistical squeeze getting everything in place for March 2016, but I am confident Channel 4 can do it.

I’ll write up a piece concerning who I think will slot in where over the Christmas break, as one era ends, and another begins…

‘Rush’ to première on Channel 4 later this month

The award winning film Rush, based around the 1976 Formula One season, will make its terrestrial television première on Channel 4 later this month, it has been confirmed.

The film, starring Chris Hemsworth as James Hunt and Daniel Brühl as Niki Lauda, will air on Channel 4 on Saturday 20th June at 21:00.