Dream Team: Coulthard, Jordan join BBC F1 coverage
Remember how excited we got when rumors started flying about the short-list of candidates to host NBC's version of Top Gear? Well, the BBC's original version isn't about to change any time soon, but another motor-related program is coming to the Beeb, and racing fans over on the British Isles have been getting all hot and bothered as the BBC has won the contract to broadcast Formula One grands prix. And it's sure to be a star-studded cast.
For starters, David Coulthard won't be staying in retirement long. After having ended his long racing career at the end of this past season, Coulthard will be joining the BBC coverage team. He'll be joined by former team owner Eddie Jordan, alongside sports anchor Jake Humphrey. BBC's radio coverage of the races will be handled by former driver and longtime commentator Martin Brundle along with Jonathan Legard, while Ted Kravitz and Lee McKenzie report from the pitlanes. Veteran commentator Murray Walker will stay on through the BBC Sport website, leaving the actual coverage to the new crop of talent. Hopefully we'll be able to understand half of what they're all saying.
[Source: Autosport | Image: Mark Thompson/Getty]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
jrhmobile 7:40AM (11/28/2008)
It should be interesting, but I don't know if it's all good.
This kind of detailed, informed coverage could bring F1 back from the verge of irrelevance to a genuine NASCAR-class soap opera. I guess that may be good for the sport in the near-term in cultivating casual fans, and I know the Brits rule when it comes to breathless tabloid reporting, but I don't know what the ultimate result of this is going to be.
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Phil Perman 7:50AM (11/28/2008)
ITV set the bar pretty high with their coverage so it'll be good to see if the BBC can live up to that. They've certainly got the names, just have to wait and see what the format is like.
But of course theres always going to be one big thing that the BBC can do and no one else can, no commercials
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gordon 6:30PM (11/28/2008)
Bar pretty high?
Did you hear James Allen?
Stewart 9:29AM (11/28/2008)
No Murray walker though, F1 without Murray just isn't right...
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Kitko 9:43AM (11/28/2008)
Many people watched ITV with sound muted and had the BBC radio commentary on instead just to avoid ITV talk, even Britons were fed up with pro-British bias as, apparently, a British driver couldn't do anything wrong. Ever.
Anyway, the best thing? No more Louise Goodman. That's not about gender, that's about her doing incredibly lousy job.
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Shawn 10:52AM (11/28/2008)
I dread having to listen to whine DC at every grand prix. He was well spoken and seemed fair at McLaren (with their tight leash), but the last couple years at Red Bull have turned him into the whiniest scot ever born. How many times can someone run into another driver and still have the gall to blame them.
I'm hoping the BBC coverage is good. I had to watch the brazilian finale at a friend's house on SPEED. I spent the last 7 laps screaming at Steve Matchett to shut up, he just repeated the same sentiment a million different ways. And I can't get into how annoying David Hobbs really is, it'll just give me a heart attack.
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Peter 11:03AM (11/28/2008)
I can't see Coulthard without thinking of Sniff Petrol's classic Crazy Dave columns.
"Och aye tha noo muthafukas! Crazy Dave comin’ back atcha wit’ tha wicked flava of tha BBC."
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Patrik K 12:28PM (11/28/2008)
I think it's great that they are joining the rank of the commentators. German speaking F1 viewers have long been enjoying the comments of insiders, Peter Sauber, Niki Lauda, and Alexander Wurz to mention a few.
On the other hand, having ex-driver commentators can also go terribly wrong, just watch the abysmal F1 covarage on Speed TV. Those guys see less what's going on than my cat, their predictions are always wrong, they have no insight into the different driver's characters and team's intentions, and most of all, they trivialize F1 to the degree that wouldn't get a fifth grader interested, while scaring away the ones in the know.
So, let's wait and see...
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ken_aisin 2:01PM (11/28/2008)
After all those ridiculous inconsistent decisions made by the current stewards, I think the FIA should appoint David Coulthard as the permanent chief steward for all 18 races. Unlike the current stewards, Coulthard knows the sport, he knows the rules, and most importantly, he has the drivers' respect.
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