Quote Hugh Robjohns:

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Races in the Far Eastern time zone will have highlights programmes (generally of 90 minutes' duration) broadcast in the UK in the early afternoon, with those in Europe in the early evening, and races in the Americas later that night.

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OK, that makes sense.

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The ten live ones are:
•15 April: China
•13 May: Spain
•27 May: Monaco
•24 June: Europe
•8 July: Britain
•2 September: Belgium
•23 September: Singapore
•14 October: Korea
•4 November: Abu Dhabi
•25 November: Brazil

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No Turkey but at least we get Spa! Quite a good list there. I'm much happier now.

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So for this weekend, the Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne, the Beeb is showing qualifying highlights on saturday 17th between 1300-1415 on BBC Two/BBC HD/online, and the race is on Sunday 18 March as a highlights package between 1400-1600 on BBC One/BBC HD/online.

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OK - so that's about 8 hours during which I shall not use the internet, answer the phone or watch TV.

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We still get Jake with EJ and DC before and after, and DC is co-commentating with Ben Edwards (who was doing hte BTCC TV commentary recently ans was pretty good, I thought). Thankfully James Allen has been kept away but will provide the Radio 5Live commentary

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Shame about Brundle - probably the only one who *does* good commentary since Walker. Glad DC is still on-board. And though I wasn't too keen on Humphries back in 2008 (?), he's grown on me. EJ I can do without. He's like F1's Louis Walsh.

Thanks for taking the time with that helpful breakdown Hugh. It doesn't look that bad after all. Mainly the races I'd get up at 4AM to watch so..

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I'm All Ears.

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By now you may have heard the news that the BBC is dropping half the races from next season.

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F0.5...?

ill just watch it on project free tv

Quote ken long:

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OK - so that's about 8 hours during which I shall not use the internet, answer the phone or watch TV.

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Yes, that's going to be the frustrating/annoying aspect. Nothing that didn't happen last year of course when other commitments meant I couldn't watch the race live... just going to be a little more often this year.

Overall though, it could have been a whole lot worse, and what we are being offered I thinki should be a reasonably tolerable compromise.

hugh

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Technical Editor, Sound On Sound

why don't you like James Allen, Hugh? i've never heard his commentary but his blog is very insightful. he clearly knows his onions.

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hourglass | random thoughts | doubledotdash!? collective

Quote Hugh Robjohns:

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Quote ken long:

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OK - so that's about 8 hours during which I shall not use the internet, answer the phone or watch TV.

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Yes, that's going to be the frustrating/annoying aspect. Nothing that didn't happen last year of course when other commitments meant I couldn't watch the race live... just going to be a little more often this year.

Overall though, it could have been a whole lot worse, and what we are being offered I thinki should be a reasonably tolerable compromise.

hugh

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After that breakdown, I've got to agree with you. The other thing I relish is the fact that it will still be free of adverts, ITV programming anyone?

Thanks again Hugh for putting things into perspective.

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I'm All Ears.

F1 fans might be interested in this article on my local TV station here in Jersey .
Nigel Mansell , a resident , is setting up a museum of his collection of memorabilia just up the road from me .

http://www.channelonline.tv/channelonline_jerseynews/DisplayArticle.asp?ID =498677

( Apologies if off-topic .)

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Music is it's own reward .

Quote ken long:

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OK - so that's about 8 hours during which I shall not use the internet, answer the phone or watch TV.

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oops. I just ruined the result of the first day for myself. must get used to news blackout again...

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I'm All Ears.

Quote ken long:

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Quote ken long:

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OK - so that's about 8 hours during which I shall not use the internet, answer the phone or watch TV.

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oops. I just ruined the result of the first day for myself. must get used to news blackout again...

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LOL I did the exact same thing this morning!

Have you seen the last race in Kuala Lumpur? Wow this was so exciting. I think it was one of the most exciting races since a longer time. The pole position changes really often and I couldn't stop watching TV!
Have you felt the same?

it was a good race for an F1 fan and a little disappointing for a Jenson fan

i did enjoy Vettel's rant afterwards about a certain HRT driver - seriously, those things are just rolling chicanes out there. the race in Oz wasn't exactly boring without HRT, was it now? unless they can pull another five seconds a lap out to keep up with the Marussias then i really think it would be safer without them on track.

absolutely top drive from Perez though (one of my faves all through last year) - even with his mistake at the end he could have beaten Alonso if that final pitstop had been a lap earlier, i reckon. Senna was great too - really want him to beat Maldonado, for whom i have an irrational and unexplainable dislike.

Lewis was a bit... flat though, wasn't he? never fastest all through the race. alonso and perez got him on pitstops but even without those i reckon they would have gotten past - they were just faster than him, full stop. shame, cos his pole lap was imperious, with about three tenths to spare as well thanks to that last corner lock up!

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Quote onesecondglance:

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it was a good race for an F1 fan and a little disappointing for a Jenson fan

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Indeed!

I always find the KL GP farcical though. Everyone knows it's going to be deluged in rain because that's what happens almost every day between 4 and 6pm in KL.

Okay, so rain often makes a race more exciting and gives the underdogs unexpected chances, but the kind of torrential downpours that KL experiences every day are way beyond what an F1 car can handle. So, yet again we witness suicidal conditions and a red-flagged race, with countless laps behind pace cars. What's the point? This was one occasion where I was very glad the Beeb had edited highlights! If they scheduled it for an hour earlier, like the qualifying sessions, we'd enjoy a far more useful race.

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i did enjoy Vettel's rant afterwards about a certain HRT driver - seriously, those things are just rolling chicanes out there.

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There will always be slower cars, and that's a part of the challenge of any motor race in any league. While the HRTs are significantly slower at the moment, they'll catch up soon enough given a chance... But perhaps a fairer distribution of funds from Bernie would eradicate this farcical situation too!

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Lewis was a bit... flat though, wasn't he? never fastest all through the race.

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Tyres innit? Don't suit his driving style. But I'm a JB fan!

hugh

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Technical Editor, Sound On Sound

great race... happy for Ferrari and Alonso. I'd like to see the Scuderia really challenge this year.

I must add that Ben Edwards was a great addition to the commentator team. Reminded me of Murray Walker in his enthusiasm. Good to hear excitement after a few years of bland (but good) Brundle and Coulthard.

I didn't see EJ at all? (must admit I fell asleep a few times though!)

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I'm All Ears.

David Croft is definitely enthusiastic on the Sky coverage, although i do feel he might need to be reminded that this isn't radio... so he can leave room to breathe every now and again.

JB for champion!

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hourglass | random thoughts | doubledotdash!? collective

Quote ken long:

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I didn't see EJ at all?

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This can only be to the benefit of mankind, and it's a thoughtful gesture on his part...

hugh

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Technical Editor, Sound On Sound

Quote Hugh Robjohns:

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Tyres innit? Don't suit his driving style. But I'm a JB fan!

hugh

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You see, this is where Hamilton turns into a fail for the moment. In the lower formulae you get tyres that easily last a race and cars that are pretty much exactly the same. Because he has buckets of natural talent - feel, reactions, consistency, guts - he can do wonderful stuff like three-abreast into the complex at Silverstone. I was (spectator) marshalling that year and the circuit was alive with talk of his drive. I was watching a diamond screen on Hangar straight at the time: everyone was saying 'future world champion'

In grown up racing, however, resources - tyre life, fuel, engines - are limited. So when you can enter a corner, set the steering wheel once, hit the apex and exit in a single graceful move without sawing at the steering wheel you save all three.

Which is why JB is a proper, grown up racing driver and Hamilton is in the best place to learn the racecraft he so sorely lacks. JB communicates and enthuses, people like him and put themselves out for him and the car is coming his way. Hamilton may idolise Senna, but he doesn't show the same ability to think and drive: I was also at Donnington Park when Senna won in the wet and it was so plainly obvious that he was the only driver who could drive, glance at the sky and plan his race. And even after being lapped that day, Prost showed his strengths by having his eyes on the prize and he duly took the world championship. JB has his bubble of trusted and reliable people to insulate him from the circus so he can get on with driving.

Strangely we might have seen a trace of maturity in Lewis this last weekend - he sat out a race he couldn't challenge in, brought the bucket home safely and banked his points.

Great season so far though!!

Steve

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arK music

if the McLaren gets any slower they'll be racing that little truck the stewards ride around on.

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hourglass | random thoughts | doubledotdash!? collective

Quote onesecondglance:

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if the McLaren gets any slower they'll be racing that little truck the stewards ride around on.

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Hhahah innit, bit of a disappointing year for them so far imo and Jenson doesn't seem to be having a good run of late either.

I've been very impressed by Romain Grosjean though, I think he's got a lot of potential.
Although neither Jenson or Hamilton won this weekend I was glad to see Mark get it instead of his team mate.

yeah, Mark drove a great race and deserved the win.

Grosjean has been mightily impressive, but i wish he'd calm down a bit. his collision with Di Resta was far from his first this season, and if he'd just kept his head he might have been on for a podium finish. he's like an excitable puppy!

Maldonado, on the other hand, is a lunatic. he's just dangerous and has no respect for the other drivers. it's only a matter of time before he causes a serious accident.

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hourglass | random thoughts | doubledotdash!? collective

Particularly, Suzy Perry.

I think she's doing a great job so far. Very natural. What happened to Jake Humphries though?

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I'm All Ears.

From Wikipedia:

"Jacob John "Jake" Humphrey (born 7 October 1978 in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom) is an English television presenter and journalist, best known for presenting BBC Sport's coverage of Formula One from 2009 until 2012. From 2013 he will anchor Premier League football coverage on BT Vision's new sports channel."

Well-informed sources (my daughter) say that with the imminent arrival of his first child he didn't want to be out of the UK as much as the F1 slot required.

(Just realised that I was 28 when he was born! Where's m'zimmer?)

good reason!

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I'm All Ears.