I wasn’t really sure what to expect from Channel 4’s Formula 1 coverage. Some said they were looking to do things differently, others thought they would pick up from where the BBC left off.
But we’ve seen a real mix of the two so far during the 2016 season, bringing in a fresh, new vibe while keeping many key components that worked so well for the previous free-to-air broadcaster of F1 in the UK.
David Coulthard has moved up to a more senior presenting role alongside his commentary duties, paired with the brilliant Ben Edwards, who has a great depth of knowledge and brings a brilliantly lively and enthusiastic perspective to commentary.
Steve Jones is a fresh face to F1, but not for Channel 4. I really liked his presenting on T4 back in the day (i.e. 2009/10) and he’s settled in well. It’s clear he’s done his homework, but he still has plenty to learn. That’s inevitable though. It’s similar to the way Jake Humphrey arrived in F1, but he developed into a very popular presenter.
Jones has a slightly different presenting style to the rest, it’s more chilled out, relaxed and there’s none of that awkward banter you get elsewhere. It suits a more youthful audience and that’s exactly what Channel 4’s typical demographic is. I’ve liked the presenting I’ve seen from Jones so far (apart from a few odd questions and comments) but obviously it’s very early days.
We’ve only seen two live races on Channel 4 so far in Bahrain and Spain, with the prestigious Monaco event oddly being one selected for highlights. Lee McKenzie followed several others over from the BBC and she’s a great addition to the team. Her sit down features with drivers like Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel took a different perspective and that was really nice to see. Karun Chandhok joins her in the pitlane as C4’s technical expert.
One thing I wasn’t too sure about prior to the season was the frequently changing pundit line-up but actually it has worked quite well so far. There’s plenty more to come in that area but the likes of Alain Prost, Webber and Susie Wolff have all added unique and fascinating perspectives to the coverage.
Wolff has recent experience driving the cars and has provided brilliant insight, as has Webber. Plus, Murray Walker’s Jenson Button interview was all kinds of awesome, it’s a real coup having him on the line-up doing special features. I think so far Channel 4 has found a good mix. Plus, the social media streams are brilliant, funny and informative too.
The TV coverage is chilled out, warm and friendly. It’s inviting. Not all banter and laughs. I definitely think this appeals more to younger viewers (which my grandad apparently agrees with) and many BBC staff seem to have moved over to C4 for the season, meaning the features and clips are top notch.
Of course, there are plenty of areas for improvement, but it's very early days. We've only seen two races live on the channel so far. I’m excited to see what C4 do for the remainder of the year and it’s good to still have half of the races (something that’s very important for F1) live on free-to-air. Well, until Sky takes over exclusive rights from 2019, that is.
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| © Channel 4 |
But we’ve seen a real mix of the two so far during the 2016 season, bringing in a fresh, new vibe while keeping many key components that worked so well for the previous free-to-air broadcaster of F1 in the UK.
David Coulthard has moved up to a more senior presenting role alongside his commentary duties, paired with the brilliant Ben Edwards, who has a great depth of knowledge and brings a brilliantly lively and enthusiastic perspective to commentary.
Steve Jones is a fresh face to F1, but not for Channel 4. I really liked his presenting on T4 back in the day (i.e. 2009/10) and he’s settled in well. It’s clear he’s done his homework, but he still has plenty to learn. That’s inevitable though. It’s similar to the way Jake Humphrey arrived in F1, but he developed into a very popular presenter.
Jones has a slightly different presenting style to the rest, it’s more chilled out, relaxed and there’s none of that awkward banter you get elsewhere. It suits a more youthful audience and that’s exactly what Channel 4’s typical demographic is. I’ve liked the presenting I’ve seen from Jones so far (apart from a few odd questions and comments) but obviously it’s very early days.
We’ve only seen two live races on Channel 4 so far in Bahrain and Spain, with the prestigious Monaco event oddly being one selected for highlights. Lee McKenzie followed several others over from the BBC and she’s a great addition to the team. Her sit down features with drivers like Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel took a different perspective and that was really nice to see. Karun Chandhok joins her in the pitlane as C4’s technical expert.
One thing I wasn’t too sure about prior to the season was the frequently changing pundit line-up but actually it has worked quite well so far. There’s plenty more to come in that area but the likes of Alain Prost, Webber and Susie Wolff have all added unique and fascinating perspectives to the coverage.
Wolff has recent experience driving the cars and has provided brilliant insight, as has Webber. Plus, Murray Walker’s Jenson Button interview was all kinds of awesome, it’s a real coup having him on the line-up doing special features. I think so far Channel 4 has found a good mix. Plus, the social media streams are brilliant, funny and informative too.
The TV coverage is chilled out, warm and friendly. It’s inviting. Not all banter and laughs. I definitely think this appeals more to younger viewers (which my grandad apparently agrees with) and many BBC staff seem to have moved over to C4 for the season, meaning the features and clips are top notch.
Of course, there are plenty of areas for improvement, but it's very early days. We've only seen two races live on the channel so far. I’m excited to see what C4 do for the remainder of the year and it’s good to still have half of the races (something that’s very important for F1) live on free-to-air. Well, until Sky takes over exclusive rights from 2019, that is.
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