Formula 1 on the BBC enters a new era in 2012, with the corporation aiming to build on its multi-award-winning coverage over the last three years and provide fans another compelling year of racing.
It is the first time since the sport returned to the BBC in 2009 that they will not be showing every race live on TV, after the corporation decided to approach Sky Sports to form a controversial shared arrangement last year.
But terrestrial viewers can still follow the entire 20-race season on BBC Television, with full live coverage of 10 grands prix, along extended highlights of the other 10 events throughout the season.
In addition, BBC Radio 5 Live will continue to broadcast live audio commentary of every grand prix, and the BBC Sport website will provide live text commentary of each on-track session.
Despite the loss of the exclusive rights to screen the sport, and the significant reduction of live output, the BBC’s F1 editor Mark Wilkin is confident that the corporation can continue to set the highest standard for F1 broadcasting.
“Our coverage has always been about taking the viewers to the heart of the action at every grand prix, and that will not change this year,” he told the BBC Sport website.
“Whether they be ardent enthusiasts or more casual fans, the BBC will provide a show for every part of the audience, laced with insight, humour and extensive access to all the key players.
“Regardless of whether we are broadcasting live or not, we remain committed to providing the best coverage of F1.”
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Here is SOTB’s comprehensive guide to what’s on offer for free-to-air F1 viewers in 2012:
(Scroll down for full TV listings)
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Jake Humphrey returns to present the BBC’s TV coverage for a fourth consecutive season, and will be joined by the regular punditry team of David Coulthard and Eddie Jordan.
Lee McKenzie also stays with the BBC team, and will conduct pit-lane and paddock interviews with the drivers and other key personnel.
She will also present four races this season – Canada, Europe, Germany and Hungary – as Humphrey will be involved with the BBC’s coverage of Euro 2012 and the Olympics.
With the high-profile departures of Martin Brundle and Ted Kravitz to Sky Sports, the BBC have replaced them with two experienced motorsport broadcasters.
Ben Edwards will take up the lead commentary role, and will be alongside David Coulthard the for both qualifying and the race, while former F1 technical director Gary Anderson will provide additional analysis and updates from the latest developments in the pit-lane.
With all its former team departing to Sky Sports, BBC Radio 5 Live has a completely brand new commentary line-up for 2012.
Former ITV F1 commentator and pit-lane reporter James Allen will be the station’s lead race caller for the majority of the season, and will be joined by former Toro Rosso driver Jaime Alguersuari and new pit-lane reporter Jennie Gow.
Jonathan Legard, who was the BBC TV’s lead F1 commentator in 2009 and 2010, will also be part of the 5 Live team at selected events, and returns to the station’s F1 output having been its motor racing correspondent and F1 commentator between 1997 and 2004.
Mark Wilkin added: “We have a fantastic presenting team this year across TV and radio.
“We believe we now have the strongest team ever assembled to cover F1 multi-platform and will produce the best season of coverage we ever have.”
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The simplest way to follow where and when there will be live BBC coverage is as follows:
- LIVE race weekends – all coverage is live across TV, radio and online.
- HIGHLIGHTS race weekends – all TV coverage is highlights, but all radio and text coverage is live.
The BBC’s first live race of the 2012 season will be the third round of the seasno – the Chinese Grand Prix – on April 13-15.
Coverage of each live grand prix will be as comprehensive as before, with live TV coverage of all three practice sessions on the Red Button, extensive build-up and analysis of both qualifying and the race on BBC One, plus a one-hour evening highlights show on BBC Three.
All live races and qualifying sessions that start before 1000 will have full re-run on either BBC One or BBC Two later in the day.
The popular F1 Forum will also return for live race weekends on the Red Button, with extra analysis interviews from each event.
At the 10 non-live race weekends, coverage begins on Fridays with a short highlights package of the key action from practice sessions on the BBC Sport website and the Red Button.
On Saturdays, the BBC will screen a 75-minute highlights show covering the qualifying session.
Then on Sundays, there will be a extended highlights of the race itself.
Every highlights programme will be shown in a prominent slot in the BBC TV schedules.
The races that take place early in the morning in the UK, such as the two season-opening events in Australia and Malaysia, will be shown in a two-hour programme in the early afternoon.
For those that are in the traditional European time zone – including Bahrain and Italy – highlights will be shown in prime-time on Sunday evening at around 5.30pm, and will be 90-minutes in length.
For the two races in North America, extended highlights of both qualifying and the race will be shown at 10.30pm.
Each race highlights programme will include approximately an hour’s worth of on-track action, followed by extensive post-race reaction from pundits David Coulthard and Eddie Jordan, featuring ‘new analysis tools’ to enhance viewers’ understanding.
Additional post-race analysis will be available on the Red Button immediately after the race highlights programme, including more extensive reaction and analysis recorded immediately after the race.
As before, all other TV coverage, with the exception of final practice on Saturday mornings, will be available on the BBC iPlayer.
Coverage of every qualifying and race (both live and highlights) will be shown in high-definition on either BBC One HD or the BBC HD channel.
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BBC Radio will again be providing extensive coverage and live commentary of all on-track action on either 5 live and BBC 5 Live Sports Extra.
The station will continue with its half-hour 5 Live Formula 1 show on Friday evenings during race weekends.
It also has the Chequered Flag podcast which is available after every race and features interviews with all the main players and in-depth analysis.
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oops! I meant NOt showing it on the programmes we have…………
Well my husband says to hell with the lot of them. He has been an ardent follower of f1 just about forever but this messing about and now showing it on the programmes we have is another ripoff so he’s not going to bother any more and do something more exciting now, like watching paint dry, or the grass grow, but the tv people aren’t getting any mor of our pension money!