Formula One is to be shown on the BBC for the first time in twelve years it was announced yesterday. This is great news for the following reasons:
1) no more adverts breaking up the action
2) Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” will (probably) return as the theme music.
Lots of people (well my Dad actually) have said that ITV have done a lot to improve the coverage for the lay person. However, as I only watch the race and not the build up I cannot comment on that. What I will say is that Martin Brundle is excellent and I will be very disapointed if he does not come across to the BBC.
The FIA have made some positive changes to the coverage this year by including a “ticker tape” showing current positions scrolling at the bottom of the page. They have also started including pictures and mini-stats of the drivers which helps people recognise who is in which car. Both these ideas have been nicked from NASCAR that has been doing it like this for years.
So what improvements can the BBC make to the coverage? Well for me it would be greater integration with digital services, such as the Internet. Including, real time statistics while the race is on would be fantastic. Some of this is already available on the F1 website but if the BBC could do a deal with the teams to provide an even greater level of detail which the viewer could personalise that would just be the icing on the cake. We await further news to see what the Beeb intend to do.
Read the official announcement here…