Formula 1 chat

[Kev]

I know several on here like a bit of F1 so I'm planning on running the race topics again this year. But I thought I'd make a topic for any other F1 chat you fancy.

Today's big news is that Jonathan Legard has been dropped by the BBC.

Brundle will be joined by crazy David Coulthard. I'm not sure about that. I would personally have had Crofty from 5Live.

[trix]

DC may not be the best replacement but he has to be miles better than Legard!!! that man put so many people off F1.

[wigit]

i like DC but have to say they have missed a trick not having Anthony Davidson (there again i think a few people have not picking him up as a driver)

i'm confused with the whole Lotus Lotus-Renault farce but hoping to get a visit to Lotus-Renault in the near future

[Ryy]

The guy who did the Friday practice sessions was ok.

I prefer Brundle as a "colour" commentator. I dunno how it will work out him holding his own. When he speaks, he explains. When a commentator speaks, they need to narrate. I dunno, I'll be there with an open ear as I've never heard him and he deserves the benefit of the doubt.

Murray will always be "the voice". So everyone is compared to him. Legard or James Allen.

But seriously, will miss DC and Jordan's tirade's down in the paddock with Jake. I think I will end up preferring him down there and not with a mic.

[Chungster]

Not sure DC and MB will work. Should defo have got Crofty and AD in on it as they know the subject they're commentating on. JL didn't know jack and his line of "let the battle be joined" was most annoying!!

Jake has been a revelation fronting the whole thing tho!

[trix]

Jake has been a revelation fronting the whole thing tho!

I should say its due to the excellent schooling he received but that really isn't true

I think the BBC will react if it doesn't appear to work, I would hope this move today was from listening to the fans who had to put up with listening to JL's nonsense.
DC has surprised me with how well he fitted into the role in the paddock, he could have very easily been as dull as dishwater.

but hoping to get a visit to Lotus-Renault in the near future

[Kev]

About time

Formula 1's move to true high definition television coverage in 2011 has been officially confirmed by the sport's broadcast chiefs, AUTOSPORT can reveal.

Amid intense speculation over the last 24 hours about F1 television plans for this year, after Sky Germany announced that it was going to broadcast in HD, Formula One Management has now affirmed that all channels that have a deal to show the sport will be given an HD feed.

After detailed investigations over the winter into whether it can deliver a proper HD service, plus checks that new equipment that it has brought in will be ready on time, AUTOSPORT has learned that FOM informed broadcasters on Tuesday that it was going ahead with 'native' HD coverage.

FOM has invested in equipment that is good enough to ensure that it can download the data to broadcasters at a high quality rate of 42MB of data per second - and the broadcast will be in 1080i resolution.

All trackside cameras will be full HD, but due to the technical complexity of on-board cameras these will remain upscaled standard definition cameras for now.

Several broadcasters have already confirmed their plans to show true HD coverage in 2011 - including Sky Germany and Globo in Brazil - with other channels set to follow suit immediately.

AUTOSPORT understands the BBC is almost certain to show the high definition coverage on its HD channel, and then downscale the signal so it is suitable for its terrestrial channels.

The British broadcaster has so far not made public its broadcast plans for this year, however, but says announcements about what it intends to do will be made in the next few weeks.

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said last year that the move to HD coverage would only come when broadcasters felt the public were really ready to receive it, and that he could guarantee the quality would be good enough.

"We don't want to broadcast unless people want it," Ecclestone told AUTOSPORT at the Canadian Grand Prix. "I asked in England, the BBC, about it - how many people can receive it? They said about 20 per cent of the viewers who watch F1. Then I want to make sure that what we produce is top quality."

[Ryy]

Seriously, the best news bar Legard.

[trix]

fabulously funny tribute to legard from reverend frog (from scirocco register)

also a good one

[jammyd]

Glad they got rid of legard! most of last season was based on having the radio on and the sound on the TV turned down

Glad we are going hi def too! think it will look the dogs!

[Kev]

Nice comparison video between a quick car and an F1 car!

Clicky click

[Ryy]

Nice vid. I've driven a 1994 Forti Ford. OMFG.

[Kev]

[youtube][/youtube]

[youtube][/youtube]

[albertz33]

a little off topic i know,...but...im going to the turkish grand prix!
Sis bought me ticket for xmas

CANT WAIT!!!!

[Kev]

Pirelli is going to colour code all its tyres so viewers can tell what they're running

supersoft: red
soft: white
medium: blue
hard: yellow

and:
intermediate: red
wet: yellow

[Ryy]

Would of had RED as hard, as it's like "anger", but I guess if you can go faster on super soft, the anger fits in. lol.

No, seriously, good call. Really looking forward to it. Just going to go away and get something to post in here that is of use imo.

[Ryy]

Car launch dates:

Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro (ITA): 28 January - Maranello, Italy
Renault F1 Team (GBR): 31 January - Valencia, Spain
Sauber F1 Team (SUI): 31 January - Valencia, Spain
Red Bull Racing (GBR): 1 February - Valencia, Spain (proposed)
Mercedes GP Petronas F1 Team (GER): 1 February - Valencia, Spain
Team Lotus (MAL): 1 February - Valencia, Spain
Scuderia Toro Rosso (ITA): 1 February - Valencia, Spain
AT&T Williams (GBR): 1 February - Valencia, Spain
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes (GBR): 4 February - Berlin, Germany
Force India F1 Team (IND): 10 February - Jerez, Spain
Marussia Virgin Racing (GBR): TBC
HRT F1 Team (ESP): TBC

[Kev]

Ferrari are first out of the blocks then.

Nothing too radical. You'd be forgiven for thinking it was last years car without the sharkfin and with pirelli tyres

[Ryy]

I heard the 150 years of Italian unification was going to "decorate" this car. I expected something way more than a flag on the rear of the car. lol.

[albertz33]

The AMD badge on the rear would explain why its so slow.....