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.

Quotes Roundup – Week Ending 30th Nov

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

Toro Rosso Buyout

In which Dietrich Mateschitz regains full control…

• “Dietrich’s interest will focus on Red Bull Racing, therefore the support for STR will become smaller and prevent the team from improving further from sixth. I don’t want to decline, that is not in my nature.”Gerhard Berger
• “I am very grateful to Gerhard for his huge input. Together we turned Toro Rosso into a team that qualified on a regular basis in the top 10 and collected world championship points.” Dietrich Mateschitz
• “I will be out of STR, but the split with STR and Dietrich is completely amicable and there was no rift between us.” Gerhard Berger

The Medal Proposal

Bernie says it will be introduced in 2009…

• “All the teams are happy. The whole reason for this was that I was fed up with people talking about no overtaking. The reason there’s no overtaking is nothing to do with the circuit or the people involved, it’s to do with the drivers not needing to overtake.” Bernie Ecclestone
• “The points are necessary. I was one of the team principals in the team principals’ meetings who advocated that the points should go down to eighth place, because one point to a team down there is as important as a win is to the likes of McLaren and Ferrari, and we must never forget that.” Eddie Jordan
• “There are a lot of people who have ridiculed this suggestion, and honestly I have to admit at first that I thought the stress of divorce had got to him. But I think he actually has a point. Like him, I think the winner of the most races in a season should automatically be the world champion.” Jos Verstappen

Circuits Planning Ahead

Although many are pulling out of the calendar, some are thinking to the future…

• “This will be the first public transport Grand Prix. We are not bringing cars here. We are looking to use public transport from all the major conurbations, the airport and the Parkway station.” Simon Gillett, chief executive of Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd
• “With Bahrain at the start of the year and Abu Dhabi at the season finale there are many projects on which we can work together to attract more spectators, corporate clients and sponsors to both the region’s races.” Zayed Alzayani, Bahrain circuit boss
• “We think Formula One is a very good product, a very good event for Shanghai city so at least from our company’s point of view we want to continue promoting and building the event. Research shows there are more and more race fans in China, so I don’t think we will say no to the Formula One Grand Prix.” General Manager of Event Management at Shanghai

24-Nov-08: Webber Recovering from Tasmania Accident

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This is F1 Minute and it’s the 24th November 2008.

You’ve probably heard by now, but Mark Webber suffered an unfortunate accident over the weekend during his charity challenge in Tasmania. Webber was on the cycling leg of the adventure challenge and was involved in a head on collision with a car. He escaped with a broken leg, although it did require surgery. He is well and according to Red Bull in good spirits. They say he will return to the UK as soon as possible, will miss out on a lot of winter testing, but they’re sure he’ll be back in time for the Australian Grand Prix.

Elsewhere, Dietrich Mateschitz has said he thinks Buemi is “very likely” to get a race seat at Toro Rosso for 2009 although we won’t know the official decision before the final December test.

And lastly, the BBC have confirmed their lineup for F1 coverage next year. Martin Brundle and Jonathan Legard take over commentating duties with David Coulthard and Eddie Jordan as pundits. Lee McKenzie and Ted Kravitz cover the pit lane. I’d love to hear what you think of this lineup at F1Minute.com.

25-Jul-08: Kovalainen Heads Up Final Day in Jerez

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Welcome to F1 Minute, it ’s the 25th July 2008.

Heikki Kovalainen put McLaren on top in Jerez for the final day, leading Bourdais in the Toro Rosso, and David Coulthard in the Red Bull. McLaren were running brand new nose wings, similar to Honda, although more elegant, but notably, Kovalainen’s fastest time was set without them. There were three red flags during the day, one from Heidfeld, and two from Kobayashi in the Toyota. He started the day by running into the gravel, and ended it by stopping out on track.

Elsewhere, Max Mosley has launched a new lawsuit against the News of the World. After successfully winning his case for invasion of privacy, he is now suing them for libel, after saying he was lying about the Nazi element of what went on. He is also suing German newspaper Bild. Quite a few top names have come out and said that whilst Mosley has successfully won his court case, he should now step down. They include Jackie Stewart, Eddie Jordan, Paul Stoddart and Stirling Moss.

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

03-Jun-08: Mosley Wins FIA Vote of Confidence

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Hi everyone, this is F1 Minute for the 3^rd June.

Max Mosley has won his vote of confidence at the EGM of the FIA today in Paris. The final vote was 103 for and 55 against. However, Germany’s ADAC has already said they will be withdrawing from the FIA working groups and that they want nothing to do with the association whilst Mosley is still in charge. More countries appear to be thinking the same.

Most of those involved in F1 are quiet so far, except for Mario Theissen who says he hopes we can all turn our attention back to the racing and Eddie Jordan, who says he thinks Mosley should take this victory as a moral one and step down.

Meanwhile, Bernie Ecclestone summed up the unease that the vote has caused. Talking about what will happen next, he said: “”We are now in a position where nobody quite knows. All those who said things in the past, I don’t imagine they are going to change their opinion now. It’s going to be difficult for him to act as a president of the FIA if the people who said before that they don’t want to meet with him maintain that position.”

That’s all for today, I’ll be back tomorrow, hopefully with some news other than Max. Join me then for another F1 Minute.

26-Mar-08: Jordan Blocks Force India Factory Access

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Today is the 26^th March and this is F1 Minute.

In a complex story involving land ownership and bad management communication, former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan has blocked off the access road to the Force India factory with some strategically placed concrete blocks. Jordan owns the land and is in dispute talks over the team buying it. He says: “I’ve got no problem with Mallya. It’s the people who are managing the business who don’t want to talk.”

Bosses of the Qatar MotoGP circuit have confirmed that they will be making some revisions to the track in the hopes of securing some F1 interest. Despite Bahrain and Abu Dhabi already secured on the calendar, the hopes are that the circuit can at least be used for F1 testing to bring attention and revenue to the country.

Jean Todt has said he will do everything he can to help replacement Ferrari chief Stefano Domenicali adapt and settle in to his new job. Todt says: “It would be presumptuous to say advice. To have somebody you trust and like, and share emotions and doubts and problems with is a help.”

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