Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

Later today, Sky TV (nope, not poker spam this time....) will announce the Commentator & "Expert" line-up for their new F1 channel.

They really are going to town on F1, big time.

Every week, since the deal was announced, they have a big F1 Meeting every week here at Osterley, they rope off a whole section of the Car Park, which then fills with exotic AMG Mercs, Ferraris, Lambos, the lot. I've had the good fortune to meet some of the F1 Teams, too, in the Staff Restaurant, which I found oddly exciting.

A F1 car is being delivered today, & will be exhibited in the Reception area of the new Harlequin Building. Can't wait to go see it. I lost interest in F1 8 or 10 years ago, when Moto GP seemed, to my mind, to make a better viewing experience, but I'm keen to see if Sky TV can reverse this. They might just.

Details of the new Channel are here, minus names, of course, the names of the front men - they will be announced later today.

http://today/site/Article.aspx?articleId=6451

[AndrewT]

Oddly enough, we can't see a page that's on Sky's intranet.

[neeko]

Martin Brundle has already announced himself as signing a contract to be the commontator/expert - so going to be no suprises there.

Great shame the BBC is too penny pinching and gave up the whole years coverage.

[TightEnd]

Croft, davidson,kravitz, pinkham all announced themselves this morning. A great shame for the BBC really.

[tikay]

Oddly enough, we can't see a page that's on Sky's intranet.

Ahh, bugger.

[tikay]

Martin Brundle has already announced himself as signing a contract to be the commontator/expert - so going to be no suprises there.

Great shame the BBC is too penny pinching and gave up the whole years coverage.

Well yes, but PBS can never compete with privately funded TV. In some ways, it is grotesque that the BBC spend so much money on feeding the F1 money-making machine.

[smashedagain]

Wow Tikay, lost interest in F1 in favour of MotoGp. Are you still a fan? Simoncelli's death had a massive impact on the wife and I even though we never met the young man.

[AndrewT]

Martin Brundle has already announced himself as signing a contract to be the commontator/expert - so going to be no suprises there.

Great shame the BBC is too penny pinching and gave up the whole years coverage.

Lolz at 'penny pinching' - it's a good thing that less licence fee money will be funding Bernie Ecclestone's next yacht purchase.

[tikay]

Wow Tikay, lost interest in F1 in favour of MotoGp. Are you still a fan? Simoncelli's death had a massive impact on the wife and I even though we never met the young man.

I watch each & every Moto GP, it's absolutely the greastest. Sadly, but inevitably, just as Senna's death sent ratings sky high, so did young Simoncelli.

A perk of working here is that we can watch & listen to the live feed of all Sky Sports & Eurosport stuff, including the "private" chat between the gallery & commentators, which adds a whole extra dimension.

I honestly think Moto GP knocks the spots off F1, those guys are brave beyond words. How more are not killed, I'll never know.

From my teenage days, I have always loved motorsport, & I went to all the UK tracks, often as a pseudo "mechanic" with one of the riders.

Brands Hatch was far & away my favourite track, & I saw all the greats of the 60's & 70's there. Bottom of my list was, & still is, Silverstone, which I loathe with a passion, but there were some great times at Mallory, Cadwell, Oulton, Goodwood, Snetterton, & even - this is way before your time I suspect - Ally Pally & Crystal Palace, at the last-named I first saw Stirling Moss & co.  I was at Goodwood when Stirling had his monumental shunt, from which he was very fortunate to survive.

My early great heroes in bike racing were Phil Read, Mike Hailwood, Derek Minter ("King of Brands"), Paul Dunstall (killed at Brands), Geoff Duke, Agostini, etc etc. I went to the IOM TT several times, too, awesome, but oh so cruel.

I doubt many things gave me greater pleasure in my teens than going to a GP at Brands Hatch. Hard to imagine now, but someone like Read, or Hailwood, would ride in 3 or 4 races on the same day - the 125, 250, 500, & unlimited.

Here's "The Mint", & note the complete lack of sponsorship decals.

[tikay]

Martin Brundle has already announced himself as signing a contract to be the commontator/expert - so going to be no suprises there.

Great shame the BBC is too penny pinching and gave up the whole years coverage.

Lolz at 'penny pinching' - it's a good thing that less licence fee money will be funding Bernie Ecclestone's next yacht purchase.

Just a bit!

The BBC can concentrate on their epic Natural History Unit, let the commercial stations do the commercial stuff.

[TightEnd]

Martin Brundle has already announced himself as signing a contract to be the commontator/expert - so going to be no suprises there.

Great shame the BBC is too penny pinching and gave up the whole years coverage.

Lolz at 'penny pinching' - it's a good thing that less licence fee money will be funding Bernie Ecclestone's next yacht purchase.

Just a bit!

The BBC can concentrate on their epic Natural History Unit, let the commercial stations do the commercial stuff.

I don't think "marquee" sport is commercial stuff. Granted you may not include F1 in the definition, but a number of events are protected for terrestial television by Act of Parliament

I know Sky will do a great job, but also a lot of diehard F1 fans (and there are many) will miss every race on the BBC greatly

[tikay]

Martin Brundle has already announced himself as signing a contract to be the commontator/expert - so going to be no suprises there.

Great shame the BBC is too penny pinching and gave up the whole years coverage.

Lolz at 'penny pinching' - it's a good thing that less licence fee money will be funding Bernie Ecclestone's next yacht purchase.

Just a bit!

The BBC can concentrate on their epic Natural History Unit, let the commercial stations do the commercial stuff.

I don't think "marquee" sport is commercial stuff. Granted you may not include F1 in the definition, but a number of events are protected for terrestial television by Act of Parliament

I know Sky will do a great job, but also a lot of diehard F1 fans (and there are many) will miss every race on the BBC greatly

No, it's not "marquee" (that's FA Cup, The Derby, Wimbledon, Grand National, Royal Ascot etc), & belongs elsewhere, the licence fee should not feed the F1 money machine imo.

I'm sure the diehards WILL miss it on BBC, though the Beeb will still retain an interest. Supply & demand, & free market forces, rule.

[tikay]

Actually, I should declare a bit of bias here, apart from working for BSKYB indirectly, I have a totally free BSKYB VIP package of TV, Internet & 'phone, (chirp noted) so I guess I'm a little biased. And very lucky.

[smashedagain]

Wiiiii mentioned good times at Cawell. You may not know but that's my wife's name on here and is where our number one son Alister James was conceived

[tikay]

Wiiiii mentioned good times at Cawell. You may not know but that's my wife's name on here and is where our number one son Alister James was conceived

I shall never think of the Coppice again without imagining a dreadful vision.