[tv show] Sky and Channel 4 strike deal to show 2021 Formula 1 season finale live...

[6Foot2]

Link: Sky and Channel 4 strike deal to show 2021 Formula 1 season finale live on terrestrial television | Channel 4

 

The deciding final race of the Formula 1 season will be shown live on free to air terrestrial television this Sunday (12.12.21) after Sky agreed to share its coverage with Channel 4.

 

Thanks to the deal struck between the two broadcasters, the British public will be able to savour every twist and turn as Lewis Hamilton sets his sights on taking a record-breaking eighth World Championship title in the winner-takes-all finale.

 

Channel 4's Chief Executive Alex Mahon said: "We are delighted that the whole nation will be able to watch what is set to be one of the most thrilling finales to an F1 season in living memory as Lewis strives to become the most crowned World Champion of all time.

 

“After bringing Test cricket to free to air television for the first time in more than a decade, and enabling millions to share the joy of Emma Raducanu’s US Open triumph, we are so pleased to be partnering with Sky to enable the widest possible audience to share this historic sporting moment.”

 

Stephen van Rooyen, EVP & CEO UK & Europe Sky said: “Sunday’s Grand Prix is one of the biggest sporting events in the last decade, and could be an historic moment for British sport. We’ve chosen to gift the race to the whole country at Christmas through our partnership with Channel 4, so everyone can be part of a huge national moment as Lewis Hamilton goes for a historic eighth World Championship title.

 

“The brilliant Sky Sports Formula 1 team will give viewers on Channel 4 and Sky Sports the best insight, commentary and analysis of every twist and turn of this most eagerly anticipated final race of the season. Additionally all Sky TV customers will have live coverage of the important qualifying session on Saturday, and the race on Sunday – which we will also show live on Sky Showcase.”

 

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are tied on 369.5 points each with Verstappen currently leading the Drivers' Championship having secured a total of nine wins, one more than Hamilton’s eight.

 

This year has witnessed crashes, controversies and collisions between the two drivers and set up a mouth-watering grandstand finish to the 2021 Formula 1 season.

 

Under the terms of the deal, Channel 4 will broadcast Sky’s production of the live race coverage with its presenting team of Nico Rosberg, Jenson Button, Martin Brundle, Nat Pinkham, David Croft, Karun Chandhok, Simon Lazenby and Ted Kravitz.

 

Channel 4’s team of Steve Jones, David Coulthard, Mark Webber and Lee McKenzie will provide build up to the race for 15 minutes from midday before handing over to Sky for their pre-race coverage and Sky’s live coverage of the race itself.

 

After the podium ceremony Channel 4’s presentation team will return to give its instant reaction to the race before a full Channel 4 highlights programme produced by Whisper airs at 5.30pm.

 

This latest deal follows on from a recent announcement that Channel 4 would broadcast ten live Super League matches each season for the next two years thanks to a partnership with Sky. It is the first time in the competition’s 26-year history that it will be shown on free to air terrestrial television.

 

This is the latest in a string of sports broadcasts secured by Channel 4 which have included: live coverage of Emma Raducanu’s stunning US Open victory; live British Lions rugby; live Test match cricket coverage of England’s tour in India; live coverage of the Ireland rugby union autumn internationals; and live in-depth coverage of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games which attracted 20 million viewers.

[jthompson]

Yahoo! I won't have to place myself in aeroplane mode on Sunday!

[jmak]

I've been paying for sky sport to watch it [emoji17]

 

My monthly subscription runs out at midnight tonight [emoji16]

 

Cancelled [emoji41]

[6Foot2]

*No spoilers: LOTS of controversy! This could be talked about for some time yet.

[jthompson]

Fabulous season, although I somehow doubt we'll see it's like again for quite some time. The relative performance of the cars was the secret sauce, really, and it would be strange if that dynamic equilibrium between the teams were to continue next year.

 

Hamilton's performance this year has somehow been even more godlike than normal.

[jnfarmer]

The FIA really outdid themselves yesterday...

[ITGuyNW]

I lost my voice shouting on that last lap.

[paulkerton]

Well - that was a boring procession wasn't it?

 

[jthompson]

The FIA really outdid themselves yesterday...

 

Yeah, Formula 1 really doesn't help itself sometimes. In-race decisions about sketchy overtakes are difficult to be consistent on, I'll accept that (especially with a different celebrity driving steward sitting in each week), since it's a subjective thing about driving styles. But how do you get safety cars wrong? The teams make split-second judgements, on the basis of the rules as written, and the race director fluffed his lines badly.

[paulkerton]

Yeah, Formula 1 really doesn't help itself sometimes. In-race decisions about sketchy overtakes are difficult to be consistent on, I'll accept that (especially with a different celebrity driving steward sitting in each week), since it's a subjective thing about driving styles. But how do you get safety cars wrong? The teams make split-second judgements, on the basis of the rules as written, and the race director fluffed his lines badly.

 

Yes, but this isn't the first time Mercedes have made bad decisions regarding tyres and pit stops this season and as for Safety Car behaviour, the Race Director has ultimate say, as should be the case. The big problem this season was Wolff and Horner bullying Masi all season, and Masi not getting to grips with their behaviour sooner, especially Toto's rage tantrums which are really, really unbecoming. Neither of them behave particularly well, but I'm not sure his name isn't Toddler and we've mistaken it for Toto.

 

 

2021 Sporting Regulations for Formula One

 

Clause 15.3 The clerk of the course shall work in permanent consultation with the Race Director. The Race Director shall have overriding authority in the following matters and the clerk of the course may give orders in respect of them only with his express agreement:

Subsection e) The use of the safety car

[synaesthesia]

That wasn't a bad decision, it was Masi being Masi. The best overall outcome is for Mercedes to hammer FIA/Masi in court, get that fool out of office and get someone else more suitable in place. Masi has made mistake after mistake and applying the rules to suit his own whims (can NOT be applied to 15.3 as agreed by countless people including lawyers!) is unacceptable.

[paulkerton]

It really was a bad decision for Lewis not to come in for tyres sooner, and Lewis, Mercedes and his fans know it. Mercede's biggest frustration is clearly that the change of the rules for 2022 means they're not sure they'll be so clearly top of the pack anymore.

 

They won't win through courts, and it's quite ugly that they're going this route to be honest. Mercede's have had more than their fair share of Masi whim decisions particularly at Silverstone, and Hungaroring.

Masi might leave, but the result is the result.

[jthompson]

I agree that the race directory/team chatter that's been featured in broadcasts more and more this year is quite annoying. Reminds of football teams' habitual intimidation/questioning of referees, although geerally more passive aggressive than outright aggressive. It's a kind of meta-game I'm not interested in. The Saudi Arabia race was a good example of what not to do: ad-hoc arrangements about the restart order. A safety car deployment 5 laps from the end of a tied-championship, with the contenders running 1st and 2nd, with 1st place needing to avoid any opportunity of getting Schumachered out: kind of a perfect storm. I don't think Mercedes made the wrong decision when staying out. There was no guarantee that there was going to be an racing laps, and if there were, Hamilton would have to get past Verstappen without getting turned into or run off the road. If neither finishes, Verstappen wins, so I get why they wouldn't risk making that stop.

[jthompson]

They won't win through courts, and it's quite ugly that they're going this route to be honest.

 

I hope they don't win in court either, since Verstappen is a totally worthy winner and not deserving of having any cloud over his success. I guess Mercedes have obligations to pursue it, though. After all, you don't get to be in their lofty position without pursuing every angle.

 

A champion who wins through their ability to make passes and their ability to take their car to another level, without mucking it up 50% of the time, that's what we have ultimately. That there are two of them going head-to-head is a rare treat.

[tmoon-mint]

Since I have been a McLaren fan since I first started watching as a kid in 1997 the title fight between Verstappen and Hamilton doesnt really bother me. What does bother me is that its now clear and decision are being made both by the race director and the stewards to make things more exciting for TV and Netflix rather than following the rules of the sport. Verstappens driving standards at the Saudi Grand Prix were simply unacceptable and Hamilton should have been made to give the place back into turn 1 but neither of these decisions would lead to controversy and therefore excitement. Its sad to see the sport I love go down this route.

 

I truly hope that for the good of the sport Mercedes drop their appeal and spend their energy pushing for change in partnership with the other teams to ensure something like this never happens again. They were saying on TV that they wouldnt want to be in Masi's shoes but to me the decision was simple. Since they were so close to the end and Masi wanted things to end under green flags. Red flag the session, everyone changes tyres. Level playing field and a sprint to the finish for the last 2-3 laps.

[Boredguy]

As much as I might dislike Max's driving standards at times, the result is down to the luck of the drivers being in the right place on track at the right time to pit under the VSC and SC without having to give up track position.

 

Had Lewis not been held up significantly by Perez on that lap to cut the gap between the title contenders down to 1.5 seconds, then it is likely that when the VSC came out they would of had the time to pit for new tyres.. but thats part of the race. No idea what might happen so you play your cards and deal with it.

 

Biggest issue in it all was the confusion of not allowing cars to un-lap themselves, only to be changed just before calling the SC in to ensure it wasn't a finish under the SC

[jthompson]

Since I have been a McLaren fan since I first started watching as a kid in 1997 the title fight between Verstappen and Hamilton doesnt really bother me. What does bother me is that its now clear and decision are being made both by the race director and the stewards to make things more exciting for TV and Netflix rather than following the rules of the sport. Verstappens driving standards at the Saudi Grand Prix were simply unacceptable and Hamilton should have been made to give the place back into turn 1 but neither of these decisions would lead to controversy and therefore excitement. Its sad to see the sport I love go down this route.

 

I truly hope that for the good of the sport Mercedes drop their appeal and spend their energy pushing for change in partnership with the other teams to ensure something like this never happens again. They were saying on TV that they wouldnt want to be in Masi's shoes but to me the decision was simple. Since they were so close to the end and Masi wanted things to end under green flags. Red flag the session, everyone changes tyres. Level playing field and a sprint to the finish for the last 2-3 laps.

 

But then they're open to accusations of making a red flag decision for showbiz effect, rather than for any safety reason. In that scenario, one might imagine Red Bull [legitimately] taking it to protest after the race if Max finishes second. Red flags are for when an extended period of time is needed to rebuild a crash barrier, or there's been a track invasion, or something. Basically, to avoid cars running round under safety car and wasting 30 laps. That's fine at Le Mans, because the race has to finish at the 24-hour mark regardless, but a GP can be put on hold if needed. It was right to deploy the safety car, Mercedes couldn't realistically afford to stop, Red Bull had a free stop, but then the rules rather went out of the window, because showbiz. Showbiz trumped the rules. Great.

 

As with Allegra Stratton wondering "What's the answer?!", the answer is... stick to the rules.

Edited December 13, 2021 by jthompson

[synaesthesia]

The lack of objectivity here shows.

Yes, Mercedes MUST go to court. Masi MUST be removed.

however, unequivocally, the result MUST stand.

The argument is not about who should have won, it's about consistency and transparency.

[hardtailstar]

Not an F1 fan but as I was finishing my run running down my road last night to get home there was cheers the whole way. So it appears lots of my neighbours are F1 and Max fans!

 

It did feel weird being cheered whilst running though! haha

[paulkerton]

If we're going to talk about driving standards, we really should be consistent about it.

I think the Brit tinted spectacles are on a lot of people...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzJF-SmQG5o

 

The argument is not about who should have won, it's about consistency and transparency.

Mercedes would be opening up a can of worms that they REALLY don't want to be opened. The lack of consistency that benefits Mercedes has been evident for several seasons.

Edited December 13, 2021 by paulkerton

[synaesthesia]

No brit-fanning here. F1 fanning. Standards-fanning. The very reason I get so vocal on here and at my place of work. If something isn't right, it needs calling out REGARDLESS of who benefits/loses out. If we don't, we might as well just bend over for everything and accept it blindly. That's wrong - and if you agree with that, you're wrong.

[paulkerton]

No brit-fanning here. F1 fanning. Standards-fanning. The very reason I get so vocal on here and at my place of work. If something isn't right, it needs calling out REGARDLESS of who benefits/loses out. If we don't, we might as well just bend over for everything and accept it blindly. That's wrong - and if you agree with that, you're wrong.

Well if that was the case, Max would've won this season with races to spare, considering:

• Silverstone and Hamilton being left space but lunging ending up with 5 second penalty for Hamilton still leaving him first vs 0 points and losing one of his engines.
  
• Monza being a clear example of Hamilton not giving space for Verstappen, yet Verstappen got a 3 grid place penalty for it, even though he was more along side than Hamilton at Silverstone AND made the Apex.
  
• Botta's ridiculous standards of driving at the Hungaroring wiping out Verstappen.
  
• The penalties Lewis didn't get in Saudi Arabia speeding under yellows "he didn't see" compared to the ones Verstappen got in Qatar where the yellow flag warnings flicked on and off continually.
  

 

Like I said, Mercedes do not want to open up the can of worms about "unfair treatment" because they've had all the luck this season until the last race.

Edited December 13, 2021 by paulkerton

[synaesthesia]

What does any of that matter? If it wasn't fair, it wasn't fair. Period.

[paulkerton]

Because all of those previous unfair things that happened to Red Bull and Verstappen over the course of the season would've rendered the last race irrelevant as if Mercedes would've been treated fairly through those, Verstappen would've won before Yas Marina.

 

If ten things go your way, and one thing doesn't, you can't complain you weren't given an 11-0 advantage. Perhaps Mercedes should learn better pit strategy.

[synaesthesia]

Take your blinkers off.

 

Re-read what I said please, with all due respect.

If it wasn't fair, it wasn't fair. It should have been dealt with transparently, consistently. You can't say Max would have won because after the first "change" everything after is a new possibility. Regardless, if it won him the championship earlier, it would have been so, would have been correct, and would have been fair. THATS the point I'm trying to get across. EVERYTHING needs to be fair.