BBC Sport and Sky Sports have announced their coverage split for the 2014 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season.
Sky Sports F1 will be the only place to watch the Monaco, Brazil and Singapore Grands Prix when Formula 1 returns for the new season in March.
As in 2013, the BBC will show nine races live and free-to-air, including the British, Canadian and season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, plus the new Russian Grand Prix.
The pay-TV channel’s live races include three of the first four races and two of the final three, with both the United States and Brazilian Grands Prix (rounds 17 and 18) being run in viewer-friendly prime time slots.
Also included as one of Sky’s exclusively live race schedule is the returning Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring (formerly A1/Osterreichring Ring).
Following a very successful 2013 season which saw 27.8m people watch at least 15 minutes of its free-to-air Formula 1 coverage, an increase of 1.2m on 2012, the BBC will show nine races live in 2014.
The BBC has again chosen to secure terrestrial coverage of the British Grand Prix – which is scheduled to clash with the Wimbledon men’s singles final, also on the BBC – the prime-time Canadian Grand Prix and the season finale, which this year will be staged in Abu Dhabi.
The remaining 10 races will be covered with 75 or 90 minutes of extended highlights on BBC One and BBC One HD in a peak-time slot, including the season-opener in Australia, plus the Monaco and Singapore races.
All 19 race weekends will also be covered live on radio via BBC 5 live and 5 live sports extra.
As in the previous two years, the division of live and non-live races is reached through a negotiation process between Sky and the BBC.
The BBC is able from the outset to choose three races it wants to screen live, with Sky then picking the next three that it wants to show exclusively live.
Following this process, the remaining division of the BBC’s live and Sky’s exclusively live races are decided on alternating picks.
The BBC’s preferred picks are based on a wide variety of factors as the corporation aims to put together a strong cross-section of the season, with those not shown live on TV strongly complemented by extended TV highlights, live radio and online coverage.
Major rule changes for the 2014 marks a new era for Formula 1, with the cars expected to look and sound very different from their predecessors.
Cars will have turbo-charged engines for the first time since the late 1980’s, which will be fitted with extensive energy-recovery systems, plus there are a series of major aerodynamic changes.
Sebastian Vettel dominated the 2013 season in style having won the final race in Brazil to equal a record of nine consecutive Formula 1 victories set by Alberto Ascari between 1952-53.
He also matched Michael Schumacher’s record of 13 wins in a single season on his way to becoming the youngest ever four-time world champion.
The current shared TV deal between Sky Sports and BBC is set to continue through to and including 2018.
Sky Sports F1’s executive producer Martin Turner said: “The rule changes mean 2014 is the most eagerly awaited season in years and only on Sky Sports F1 HD can viewers enjoy the full story live.
From the first corner in Australia to the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi, we’ll be there offering our viewers unrivalled live coverage and analysis.
Our ten exclusively live races include several of the season’s key Grands Prix including three of the first four, two of the final three and of course, Monaco, the most glamorous weekend on the calendar. We can’t wait.”
BBC Head of F1, Ben Gallop, says: “It has been another great year for F1 on the BBC.
“We’re now very much looking forward to 2014 and feel we have a strong package for our TV coverage.
“This format of both live and highlights is attracting a wide range of viewers and we hope to see even more people tuning in next year to experience the magic of Formula 1.”
Sky Sports F1 viewers will again be enjoy every practice and qualifying session live, plus uninterrupted race coverage, from each and every Grand Prix weekend on its dedicated Formula 1 channel in 2014.
In addition to a full calendar of live Formula 1 coverage, fans will enjoy a unique insight into the future of their sport with live coverage of Formula 1 feeder series GP2 and GP3.
The live race weekends will be supported by weekly episodes of The F1 Show, beginning on 7 March 2014, interactive coverage via Sky Race Control, round the clock coverage on Sky Sports News, skysports.com/f1 and @SkySportsF1.
BBC Sport will again offer its full range of Formula 1 coverage across TV, radio and online in 2014.
Both channels are likely to retain their current on-air presentation line-ups for the 2014 season.
Suzi Perry leads the BBC’s coverage alongside David Coulthard and Eddie Jordan, while Sky’s output is presented by Simon Lazenby alongside Martin Brundle, Damon Hill and Johnny Herbert.
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