Why is the BBC so obsessed with F1?

Just you wait until there's a women's F1 or a disability F1.

The Beeb will be all over it like flies round sh!t.

If the BBC has broadcast rights to a sport they are bound to promote it. When they lose the rights they'll drop it. Same with NFL. Now that BBC has rights to 3 live games plus Superbowl, they start talking about it having ignored it for years. Same again with all the women's sports - they promote stuff they can show.

Before SKY had the rights to live F1, they didn't even pay to show clips of races on the news.

Must spend many thousands of pounds sending reporters to the various circuits around the world..nice work if you can get it.Same with Sky who have a dedicated channel for the wretched "sport".

Whether the BBC should spend the money on F1 is a different question though. The point is that if they have spent it, they are bound to promote it. Same as Sky, ITV or anyone else.

BBC  sports tabs, F1 is the second one after football.  ****s.

woke up to hearing Hamilton playing piano on the today program. He cant even play

a joke sport where the highlights consist of rain, pit stops and the odd collision

as competitive as man utd against a team of under 12 girls (the girls will just play with 8 nest time to make it fairer)

Is it really a sport anymore?

Very little in the way of competition, with huge entry level costs maintaining this status quo. Gave up on it's essential 'soul'(for want of a better word) by changing the rules every season to shoehorn in some artificial competitiveness to keep the TV megabucks coming in.

It's really X-Factor on wheels, owned by one Svengali and shrouded in bombast and adertising

Pretty good, innit?      God likes a good seether!! 

Let's all discuss things calmly.   Now then, can somebody please define SPORT?  Could be a good place to start.

Define sport?

Okay, how about it being a generally accepted, cultural touchpoint that the majority of the population can agree upon?

So at the risk of sounding like Baldrick in the 'Dr Johnson' episode 'The definition of Sport: not bodybuilding!'

Whilst clearly F1 is still a sport, I'd argue it is moving more towards WWF Wrestling as 'Sports Entertainment / Spectacle' for the reasons outlined above.

Formula One fulfils all of the criteria in your first sentence.

With sports rights being spread among more and more broadcasters we will have to get used to sports news being presented in this way.

No point in trying to catch up on Champions League games on Sky as, since they lost the rights, the competition has gone from being the pinnacle of sport
to a filler at the end of their half hour programme.

a joke sport where the highlights consist of rain, pit stops and the odd collision

You've forgotten those fascinating tyres. The sheer excitement of which tyres are used and if and when they will be changed. Phew.

You forgot about the "how long will it take to change the tyres" sub plot of any F1 race.  Can't believe more people aren't interested in this fascinating sport actually.

naydam
     27 Oct 15 11:19


Formula One fulfils all of the criteria in your first sentence.

A point I concur with, but go on to amplify, in my fourth.

coming soon on the beeb................black lesbian disabled F1 with unbroken coverage 24/7 on bbc3

theres only one best tonic
Joined: 10 Dec 08
Replies: 2938
    27 Oct 15 13:14   

coming soon on the beeb................black lesbian disabled F1 with unbroken coverage 24/7 on bbc3

Sounds more interesting than the current offal.

Can't wait to see the mid-race refuelling!

I think BBC have F1 rights until 2018. I can easily see them losing or ditching it then.
We don't have to put up with the borefest of Open Golf on BBC anymore, and with some luck Wimbledon will follow soon.
Oh - and they should get rid of that mind-numbing snooker as well. And don't get me started on BDO darts.

Actually, the BBC should get rid of all sports coverage. They'd save a fortune and no-one would have anything to complain about.

virtual safety car is my favourite

It simply means that certain 'safety car' conditions with the need launch the car, pick up the race leader and then restart the race with the cars 'all backed-up'.
Much quicker to deploy. much quicker to cancel.

*with* should be *without*

Today, as if to make the point, BBC website home page has a big feature "Lewis hamilton Extra" and another article on Hamilton with Elton John explaing why Hamilton loves music more than cars.

can you give the list of things that are allowed over the team radio? its really fascinating

it would be much more of a sport if they drove the same car

not only does hamilton have the best car but his team mate isnt very good but still needs to be told to
let lewis win from time to time

formula one will realise one day that competition drives sport forward

lack of competition drives boredom

i feel a bit sorry for lewis as he seems like a decent chap, but i doubt he is truly worthy
of the hype he is currently receiving

Yes it's the hype which I think annoys a lot of people about F1. As you say Hamilton comes over as a decent chap and we are all entitled to enjoy whichever sport we prefer. Each to their own. But to be constantly sold a sport as exciting, glamorous and interesting which even the drivers admit is now boring is more than a bit irritating.

Can't believe they haven't down a full length special in depth
interview with the guy(or maybe they would if it was a girl) who
lifts up the front of the car so they can change the tyres.He must have the most
important job in F1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkVX7Ahr04o

BBC originally became the exclusive broadcaster in 2009, Lewis Hamilton won it in 2008.

Maybe it is because you guys are winning something for a change.

We're NOT! It's a German car...quite a bit of British influence, perhaps. But we can't claim this one!

When GBs Lizzie Armitsead won the womens road world cycling champs a few weeks ago on a Sunday there was no mention on BBC news that night but you'd have to be deaf dumb and blind not to know that Hamilton did something similar last Sunday.

Maybe Lizzie could learn to drive?

It is so bad they now show practice.  What other sport shows practice?
Why do they put the fastest cars at the front?  To make it less interesting?
It is a steaming pile.  I never watch it.

Aye, it can look a bit complicated. Its on again this weekend...from Mexico. Maybe you'll find some answers. Listening can be good...whilst watching!

Always thought there must be some cracking betting opportunities if you can somehow get news of an incident before the tv and commentators relay it to the common man.

OP wacist coont imo

Grown men riding round on lawnmowers ... what's not to like?

  What other sport shows practice?

Why not? It can't be less interesting than the actual race and at least they probably dont keep talking about those exciting tyre changes.

donny osmond   
27 Oct 15 14:46 
it would be much more of a sport if they drove the same car

Would love to see that. Like an updated homage to the Ant Hill Mob. They wouldn't all fit in an F1 car together though - I suggest they cram in to a Ford Galaxy.

I'm more concerned with Radio 5 Live's obsession with the cricket. It's live on 5 live Extra anyway, yet 5 live seem to pop back to 'Swanny' every five minutes for an update anyway.

"Let's go over to Swanny, something's happened at the test match"
"Yes that's right, since you've been away Rashid has bowled a maiden over"
"Wow, exciting developments there, we'll keep you up to date".

Thank you.