2010 Formula 1 on the BBC

Live Formula 1 racing action returns to the BBC on 12 March when the 2010 season kicks off in Bahrain. Once again the BBC will bring every piece of the action both on and off the track with comprehensive coverage across TV, radio, online, red button and mobile.

2010 looks set to be one of the most exciting seasons yet with World Champions from the last two years – Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton – driving as team mates in McLaren and F1 legend Michael Schumacher returning to the track for Mercedes.

Plus, there are new teams, new rules and new venues to add into the mix.

The BBC TV presentation team returns with anchor Jake Humphrey joined by Eddie Jordan and David Coulthard as expert pundits.

Commentary comes courtesy of Martin Brundle and Jonathan Legard with reporters Lee McKenzie and Ted Kravitz bringing all the interviews and action from the pits.

Plus the legendary F1 voice Murray Walker is once again part of the team with online blogs/reports at regular intervals during the season.

The BBC Radio 5 Live commentary team is led by David Croft alongside Formula 1 driver Anthony Davidson, providing a driver’s perspective to events, and pit lane reporter Holly Samos with all the news and reaction as it happens.

The BBC’s Head of Formula 1 Ben Gallop says: “We’re delighted with the way 2009 went and we can’t wait for the 2010 season to start.

“The BBC Sport team will once again be bringing great coverage across all our platforms, meaning F1 fans can follow the action and interact wherever they are, whenever they want.

“We’re proud to offer our audiences the opportunity to follow the great stories and share all the excitement of this fantastic sport.”

TV Coverage
Live coverage of every qualifying session and all 19 races live on BBC One [1]:

• All races and qualifying sessions that finish before 10.00am to have full repeat on terrestrial TV later in the day
• One-hour evening highlights programme on BBC Three

BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Live Sports Extra
Live commentary of every race plus:

• Coverage of all the stories as they break plus big name interviews from the drivers, owners and personalities
• 5 Live Formula 1 on 5 Live Sport every Friday night prior to a race, previewing all the action with expert analysis and the latest news from the track
• Coverage of practice and qualifying sessions
• Chequered Flag podcast available to download at bbc.co.uk/5live with expert analysis and reaction from the circuit

BBC Radio 5 Live’s Formula 1 coverage is produced by USP Content.

You can listen to 5 Live and 5 Live Sports Extra via DAB digital radio, Digital TV and online at bbc.co.uk/5live; 5 Live is also on 693 & 909 MW.

BBC Red Button
Live coverage of all on-track sessions including practice sessions plus the following options:

• Network feed with choice of commentary from 5 Live or TV for qualifying and Grands Prix
• In-car camera feed and leaderboard
• Rolling highlights
• Coverage of Friday and Saturday practice sessions
• Up to an hour of analysis on the red button immediately after all races with Jake Humphrey, David Coulthard, Eddie Jordan and Martin Brundle. Viewers are invited to e-mail/text in, ask questions and interact

BBC Sport Website
Live video streaming of all on-track sessions, including:

• Network TV feed with choice of commentary from 5 Live or TV
• Option to choose a high-quality video stream
• In-car camera feed
• Rolling highlights
• Jake Humphrey, David Coulthard, Eddie Jordan and Martin Brundle provide up to an hour of analysis available immediately after all races, with viewers invited to e-mail/text in, ask questions and interact

Editorial coverage to include:

• Latest leaderboard
• Full statistics from all on-track sessions
• Distinctive live text commentary
• News stories
• Martin Brundle, Mark Webber, Mark Hughes, Ted Kravitz and Lee McKenzie columns
• Blogs by Jonathan Legard, Jake Humphrey and journalists Andrew Benson and Sarah Holt
• Murray Walker regular post-race video summary and Q&A
• Interactive world venue map and circuit guides, including animated laps of tracks
• Driver and team profiles
• Chequered Flag podcast available to download at bbc.co.uk/5live
• The BBC has a five year deal to broadcast F1, which runs from 2009 to 2013 inclusive, and includes exclusive rights to TV, radio, full broadband and mobile.

Notes to Editors
[1] Please note: all broadcast details subject to change, including accommodation of the General Election.

15-Jun-09: Le Mans Recap and Silverstone Memories

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Welcome to F1 Minute for the 15th June 2009.

We took an unexpected hiatus over the weekend, because there was little in the way of Formula 1 news and a lot in the way of Le Mans racing to enjoy. It made a nice change to watch some simple action rather than questions and politics at every stage.

Former Williams driver Alex Wurz and his team won the overall event for Peugeot Sport with current Toro Rosso driver Sebastien Bourdais standing on the second step of the podium in the sister car. Driver turned commentator Anthony Davidson finished up 13th in the Aston Martin.

In F1 news, Red Bull are looking forward to the British Grand Prix, and sharing their favourite memories of Silverstone. Adrian Newey remember the first race he attended with his parents in 1973, Christian Horner looks back at a time when he drove to the track after passing his test, snuck under the fence and started up a conversation with Ayrton Senna. You can read more about these memories on F1Minute.com.

That’s all for today, I’ll be back tomorrow with another F1 Minute.

25-Mar-09: Coulthard Stands In as RBR Reserve

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Welcome to F1 Minute for the 25th March 2009.

Although Red Bull confirmed that Brendon Hartley will be the third driver for both themselves and Toro Rosso this year, his superlicence has been delayed, meaning they’ve turned to Coulthard to step up if the unlikely occurs. Hartley should be available by the time F1 returns to Europe, meaning that DC’s retirement could be over before it’s begun! In other reserve driver news, Grandprix.com is reporting that Anthony Davidson will take up the role for Brawn GP. Both Anthony and DC will have to work their new positions around their BBC broadcasting commitments.

Elsewhere, Mark Webber has visited some of the regions that were affected by the recent fires in Australia. He toured some of the areas, and talked with the locals who have to deal with the aftermath of the devastation. Mark has also promised to give royalties from all his personal merchandise sales to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal.

That’s it for today, please join me again tomorrow for another F1 Minute.

Quotes Roundup – Week Ending 11th Jan

The very best from the mouths of those in the know.

Autosport International

Paddock faces and fans alike gather in Birmingham…

• “If there is a desire for people to still be involved with the fan club, then Alan will keep it going and I might have a bit more time now to spend time with it. But it’s inevitable that whilst you’re racing you have a certain level of support, and once you retire people naturally go onto the next driver.” David Coulthard
• “I don’t think you’re going to switch your TV on this year and know who is going to win each and every race, that’s for sure. It’s not back to the ‘Michael Schumacher dominates another grand prix’ season. Who is going to get the car right with the new aerodynamics, with the KERS system, who can make the new slick tyres work best…” Martin Brundle
• “First of all, most people go for the short sound bite – and ‘retirement’ is probably the word that would most cross peoples’ lips when they talk about it. For me, the concept of not being involved in McLaren is impossible. It is part of my life.” Ron Dennis

Donington Thoughts

With planning permission granted, it’s full steam ahead…

• “But I really do struggle to understand how the economics of Donington will work. They have had a 25% swing in the dollar and the contract will be a dollar-based contract. It has got a massive investment into infrastructure. I don’t understand how we are going to get in and out of the place, although I can tell you I will be in a helicopter!” Ron Dennis
• “They will see when buildings come out of the ground and cars come on the grid – if they want to sit at home and still not believe me then that is their prerogative, but the buildings will still come out of the ground and the cars will still be on the grid.” Simon Gillett
• “The proposed change here is at Donington racetrack, not East Midlands Airport, so Donington will need to find ways to satisfy airport safety requirements and to avoid any road congestion that their events may cause. We will remain open as an airport and intend to operate normally through any events in the local community.” Penny Coates, East Midlands Airport Managing Director

Ousted Drivers

Opportunities within Formula 1 are slim…

• “I am well aware that a second chance is often much harder to get than a first one, but I have something to offer that makes me confident that I can reach this goal. At 25, I have three years of F1 racing experience and I am now my third year of testing with a manufacturer F1 team. And the BMW Sauber F1 Team is really professional on all levels. They clearly see the benefit in a reserve driver actually going racing once in a while.” Christian Klien
• “There is a very slim chance that things can happen. The main thing is I am involved with the McLaren-Mercedes family and there are different options in there. We are just pushing on to see what we can get to drive, who knows what it will bring in 2009.” Paul di Resta
• “I think in terms of Formula One drives it is looking very, very slim at the moment. You should never give up, but I am a realist as well and I have learned that over the last year and the year before. Working with Super Aguri really put me in a good position for now, for these times , because it was always a kind of rocky road anyway.” Anthony Davidson

11-Jan-09: Autosport International Day 4 Special

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Welcome to the final F1 Minute special for Autosport International – Day 4.

Anthony Davidson was the guest of the Autosport stage today, and he spoke quite candidly about another failed deal for him with the now defunct Honda team. He says: “I was in serious talks of not only trying to get a race drive for this year with the team, but as the bare minimum as the reserve driver. Talks were progressing really well, and the deal was almost done just with a few weeks to spare before the announcement.”

Davidson is pragmatic about the future, suggesting that Formula 1 opportunities are few and far between at the moment, so he’s looking for other racing series – perhaps even attempting Le Mans again.

More from David Coulthard today, as well, he spoke about the fact the Red Bull team would be launching their car much later than most of the other teams. He assured us it was more of a benefit than a symptom of anything else, saying it will give them more time to fine tune the design.

That’s all from the Autosport stage this week. Stay tuned for your regular daily updates from F1 Minute.

12-Jun-08: Ferrari Head Up First Test Day in Spain

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You’re listening to F1 Minute for the 12^th June 2008.

Testing in Barcelona kicked off today with Luca Badoer topping the timesheets for Ferrari. Robert Kubica was second in his BMW, and David Coulthard third with Red Bull.

The day was relatively uneventful, with some rain towards the end limiting the running. Anthony Davidson returned to Formula 1 action, for the first time since the demise of Super Aguri. He was testing for Honda and finished 6^th out of 9 drivers. Only eight of the teams were represented with Force India and Toro Rosso not on track.

Elsewhere today, Giedo van der Garde has launched claims against Force India, saying that when they were Spyker, they did not allow him the testing mileage they had promised. He is demanding the sponsor money returned to him as his contract was breached, he wants 1.3 million Euros, and the case will be heard on the 20^th June.

Finally, today, the boss of the Montreal circuit has said that they will definitely be looking into the problems that were experienced with the track during the last race, he admits it’s unacceptable.

That’s all for today, please join me again tomorrow for another F1 Minute.

06-May-08: Super Aguri Withdraw From F1

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Welcome to F1 Minute, it’s the 6th May 2008.

Apologies for the second Minute in a row about Super Aguri, but unfortunately it is most likely the last.

Today, they announced that the team are withdrawing from the championship, with immediate effect. Aguri Suzuki met with Honda to discuss the possible Weigl group deal but the outcome of the meeting today was bad news.

Suzuki announced the team’s departure from the sport, and blamed it on the non-payment of SS United from 2007, which put the financial position into immediate turmoil. He went on to thank the entire team including Davidson and Sato for always pushing hard and staying loyal.

Of the future, Suzuki said he was exhausted from the last few weeks of trying to save the team, and so he wasn’t planning a rush return to F1. And he left with a parting thought to the recent comments of Nick Fry.

“Honda were our backers and he’s not the CEO of Honda. I have no interest in Nick Fry whatsoever and have no idea what he was talking about.”

That’s all for today, please join me tomorrow for another F1 Minute.

28-Apr-08: An Update on Heikki’s Condition After Barcelona Crash

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Hi everyone, this is F1 Minute for the 28^th April.

An update on Heikki Kovalainen after his big crash in Barcelona this weekend. He stayed in hospital overnight, but should be released today. Heikki said he had no recollection of the crash or what happened immediately afterwards, so he has to trust McLaren’s version of events. They say it was possibly a stone that got into the wheel and caused the sudden tyre deflation. Nevertheless, Heikki said he had a headache and a stiff neck but was otherwise okay, and he’s going to concentrate on getting better so he can pass the FIA medical to be allowed to race in Turkey.

Elsewhere today, Williams have bought a stake in a company called Automotive Hybrid Power Limited, who research and develop energy recovery technologies. The team are obviously preparing for the introduction of KERS from next year, and are perhaps now one step ahead of some of the competition.

Two quick snippets to finish, Davidson has said he is preparing for Turkey as normal, despite not knowing whether his team will race, and Sydney are prepared to evaluate whether they could host F1 instead of Melbourne.

That’s all for today, please join me again tomorrow for another F1 Minute.

13-Mar-08: Super Aguri May Not Be Called So Forever

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This is F1 Minute for the 13^th March.

Last night, chief of the Magma group Martin Leach spoke to Super Aguri staff in Melbourne about the team’s future. Already, speculation is mounting about the future of Managing Director Daniel Audetto who hasn’t missed a Super Aguri race yet, but is not present in Australia. It’s also believed that before the Monaco Grand Prix, the team will be rebranded and given a new colour scheme, and they may even end up with a new name.

Anthony Davidson has admitted that although he is relieved to have a confirmed race drive and actually be in Melbourne, at the moment he feels the team are just there to make up the numbers. Of Free Practice, Davidson says: “ We will probably be able to get about 25-30 laps in in total tomorrow, so that makes it harder still on us.”

Finally, ITV have announced they’ve secured the rights to show the practice sessions online, and broadcast qualifying and the race via their website at the same time as on the TV. It looks like this is only available in the UK at the moment, but it’s a step in the right direction.

That’s all for today, join me tomorrow for another F1 Minute.

10-Mar-08: Super Aguri are Saved by British Magma Group

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This is F1 Minute for the 10^th March 2008.

Super Aguri have announced they have new owners, British company Magma Group. The financial backing means that drivers Anthony Davidson and Takuma Sato have been confirmed for this season, but there are very few details out about the actual financial arrangement.

Nigel Stepney escaped sanction from the FIA over last year’s espionage scandal, however teams have been warned not to work with Stepney for over a year. The FIA have advised against collaboration with him until 1^st July 2009.

Bernie Ecclestone was threatening the future of the Australian Grand Prix again this weekend, saying it would have to become a night race or else it would be off the calendar. Organisers have offered a compromise, saying that if the delayed start time this year raises viewing figures, they will delay it again next year to start at 5pm local time.

Finally, as the teams line up in the Melbourne pit lane, McLaren are not at the end as expected. Their motorhome is apparently too big to fit, so McLaren have secured the 5^th garage down the line.

That’s all for today, I’ll be back tomorrow with another F1 Minute.

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