They should drop football instead...

That would probably save all of the £150M, and it's already substantially covered by the commercial channels.  It would even allow the ITC to give the commercials permission to show more football (which would suit them as they profit from the advertising).

For the BBC, football is a vanity project as it's very expensive and they don't get any commercial benefit.

Agreed (sort of),  but what commercial benefits do BBC get to justify the huge cost of entry that all big sport places on the table for the broadcasters to bid over.   Its almost a matter of national interest with BBC to provide high profile/popular sports & to that end it almost begs government intervention.

Bottom line is drop F1 will result in significantly less disconnected viewers than will football 

Hardly any live footie on BBC now, let's face it not much live sport at all with the exception of Wimbledon and big events like the World Cup, Olympics etc (and they have lost the franchise for that for 2020 I believe).

The F1 coverage always looked expensive (and over expansive). Despite 5Live's general competence F1 on the radio (unlike Cricket commentary) is a poor thing I think.

It will be interesting to see if advertisers are still attracted to F1 when C4 show it.

Renault have completed the takeover of Lotus and apparently confirmed Jolyon Palmer and Mr Crashy as their drivers.

I will not miss the BBC coverage at all. I tend to watch all the live races online and get all the latest updates also well ahead of any of their broadcast.  

Looking forward to new new boys and teams,  Lotus and  Haas,  and the continued infantile behaviour of  LH and NR. Let's hope they start throwing  helmets at each other instead of baseball caps to make it even more interesting. Bring it on...

Tony any pointers on good online pages to watch the races ?

Guy007 posted:

Tony any pointers on good online pages to watch the races ?

Guy,

I use a VPN program installed on my iPad and an app, Tunnel Bear,  and watch via AppleTV.  It can also be installed on an ordinary  PC or Mac. Lots of info and help on the net.  You will need to do a bit of search and patience  to find the right channels. It is hit and miss but it pays to be perseverant. BTW, it is ALL legal before someone decides to interject! Hope it helps.

Regards,

Tony

Thanks Tony, I'll do some research then.  I wish there was a native app on the Apple TV like the sorts for the baseball / baseball et al.  We cut our TV connection loose and are just internet only, just the F1 was proving problematic to find. Cheers, Guy.

I wish Kubica returned to F1. But that's going to be wishful thinking.

Another season dominates by Mercedes?

Not F1 per se. 

McLaren has won the 12 Hours at Bathurst. Here's hoping that some of the success flows to their F1 team for '16.

One of the NAIM Bentlys finished 3rd.

Would've won if they'd spent less time listening to the bloody stereo!

I see Adrian Newey is complaining again that a F1 car needs an engine...

Yes I totally agree F1 should go first.

The appeal to the masses is shrinking and looks to me like a wasteful sport for the small number of elites in the societies.

engjoo posted:

Yes I totally agree F1 should go first.

The appeal to the masses is shrinking and looks to me like a wasteful sport for the small number of elites in the societies.

TROLL ALERT - TROLL ALERT - TROLL ALERT

That's exactly what I thought Mike.

Maybe we should have a fantasy league http://www.fantasy-f1-league.com/

Mike, I'm not so sure:  I feel this may be a language problem and not trolling.

Engjoo is from Singapore, and he posted a 'like' to my earlier reply about dropping football instead of dropping F1.

Sorry guys but I was just speaking in the context of a Singaporean.

Sure we have been hosting the F1 for several years but F1 is not as much followed here compared to Europe so if you looking at demographics, it is really for "haves" here.

Although I cannot say I represent the official views of the masses, this is what I have observed myself - subjectively! :-)

Still, it generates around $150million in incremental  tourism each year and it is one the highlights of the calendar although spoilt by the idiotic behaviour of that one spectator last year. 

I think it's also one of the dullest GPs on the calendar after Monaco.  Not to mention one of the most irritating to watch on TV, as the director pans yet another city wide camera sweep rather than showing the cars on track. If you look back to its inception there was an awful lot of talk about expansion of reach, money, business, backers, profits night time spectacle, and not much about sport or racing. Such is F1. Although they were so obsessed with visual presentation over racing event that they forgot to check if trains/trams running adjacent to the circuit might generate EM pulses which were capable of shutting off an engine.

But the Singapore GP will always endear itself to me a little bit because it was the event which exposed the corruption which triggered the downfall of Flavio Briatore, at least from the F1 front line. Not that he was singularly responsible. Symonds seemed to get off comparatively lightly.

engjoo posted:

Sorry guys but I was just speaking in the context of a Singaporean.

Sure we have been hosting the F1 for several years but F1 is not as much followed here compared to Europe so if you looking at demographics, it is really for "haves" here.

Although I cannot say I represent the official views of the masses, this is what I have observed myself - subjectively! :-)

I think I understand were you're coming from enjoo.   Its the same in mid-east - all idle rich & ex-pat's - I understand its the same in the other new Asian & Russian circuits.  The local car enthusiast can't afford a bus ticket.  The playboys, princes & maffia are only there because they need to been seen / pose  & the car is like a Rolex & the rest of the diamond studded bling bling bling & they have no interest in car racing.  

The only real fans, the real car racing - not just F1 - aficionado's, seem to be found only at the European, some Asian (Japan) & S.American events.   

Tony2011 posted:

Still, it generates around $150million in incremental  tourism each year and it is one the highlights of the calendar although spoilt by the idiotic behaviour of that one spectator last year. 

Sure it adds $150million and puts the city state into a world stage. Seen externally, most will agree this is an impressive event.

The government and the tourism biz like it but there are questions if it is a net positive gain for the country and the masses overall.

There are road closures which affected lots of business and most man in the streets are only watching it off the tele if they are interested but many don't bother.