Jerome D’Ambrosio To Drive Lotus E20 At Mugello Test
Jerome D’Ambrosio will get his first taste of a 2012 F1 car at the Mugello test next week, as the Belgian driver joins Raikkonen and Grosjean in driving the Lotus E20. After being replaced at Marussia (formerly Virgin Racing), the Belgian driver has become the reserve driver for the highly competitive Lotus team for 2012.
The last time D’Ambrosio drove an F1 car was February, when he took part in a filming day driving the 2010 Renault. However, this fact will change when the Lotus team get their three days of testing at Mugello underway, with Jerome at the wheel. The Belgian driver announced his participation in the Mugello test whilst commentating for the UK’s Sky Sports F1 coverage during the Bahrain Grand Prix, alongside David Croft for the practice sessions’.
After a highly competitive Bahrain Grand Prix, which saw Lotus finish 2nd and 3rd, the team are confident of continuing this competitiveness all season. They will be one of many teams eager to take a step forward during the Mugello test, and Jerome D’Ambrosio is committed to assisting the team in doing so.
“It’s an amazing opportunity for me, and I’d like to thank Lotus F1 Team for giving me the chance to experience the E20.” Said Jerome D’Ambrosio, “Kimi and Romain needed time in the car during the winter after two years away, so the fact that this test has been put on the calendar after the first four races of the season gives me an opportunity to drive. I’ve said all along that a third driver position with a top team would be much better for my career this year, and I’m starting to see the benefits of that strategy. I’ve learnt a lot so far with Lotus F1 Team, and this is just the beginning.”
The Mugello test is scheduled to take place between the 1st – 3rd May, and will be the first in-season test since 2008. Kimi Raikkonen will drive the Lotus on day two, before handing over to French rookie Romain Grosjean for the third and final day.
Picture Copyright © Lotus F1 Team
Ben Edwards Becomes BBC F1 Lead Commentator
Ben Edwards today announced on the social networking site Twitter that he will become the new BBC F1 Commentator, replacing Martin Brundle to commentate alongside David Coulthard in 2012. This comes after Martin Brundle switched to Sky for next season to front their commentary team alongside fellow ex-BBC commentators Anthony Davidson and David Croft.
Ben Edwards has recently been the British Touring Car Championship commentator for ITV and has also previously fronted EuroSport’s Formula 1 coverage alongside former F1 driver John Watson throughout the 1990s. Once EuroSport lost the rights to broadcast F1 at the end of 1996 he began commentating on ChampCar (CART) for EuroSport and ESPN International and had undeniably his finest moment during the final laps for the 2000 Michigan 500 where Juan Pablo Montoya and Michael Andretti crossed the line side-by-side with Ben Edwards literally screaming in both delight and shock at such an exciting and close finish.
In 2002 Ben became the Lead Commentator for Bernie Ecclestone’s F1 Digital+ channel which was pay-per-view through Sky TV and was partnered by former colleague from EuroSport John Watson. However due to an unsuccessful 2002 season, F1 Digital+ ceased to exist and three years later Ben Edwards became the Lead Commentator for the new A1 Grand Prix Series launched in 2005.
Although there has been no official statement from the BBC pertaining to Ben Edwards joining the team, he did say this on Twitter: “So, it looks as though it’s really happening. I will be the BBC F1 commentator in 2012 and I can’t wait! It took a while for things to be sorted, and thanks to ITV for being so understanding. Really looking forward to working with the crew.”
With both Sky and the BBC signing two superb commentators it’s going to be difficult to decide which channel to watch next seasons races on.
Sky Announce Full 2012 Line-Up
Sky have today announced their complete line-up of presenters, commentators and pit-lane reporters in preparation for their inaugural season covering Formula 1 in the UK. This comes after it was agreed earlier in the year that Sky and the BBC would share the rights to broadcast F1 in 2012 with Sky showing every track event throughout the season live with the BBC showing ten races live and the rest as a highlights show later in the day.
It was announced a few weeks back that Sky would be launching a standalone Formula 1 channel in the UK named Sky Sports F1 HD and that Martin Brundle would be joining the team from the BBC to commentate on next years proceedings.
Today, however, Sky confirmed that David Croft would be joining the new team from BBC Radio 5 Live along with fellow commentator and ex-F1 driver Anthony Davidson to partner the already confirmed Martin Brundle. Davidson will commentate on the weekends Practice Sessions along with ‘Crofty’ recreating the famous commentary team that the BBC have used for the last three years on their Red Button Service.
It has also been announced that Sky have also acquired two more ex-BBC F1 staff in Natalie Pinkham and Ted Kravitz, who will continue their roles as pit-lane reporters with Sky. Ted Kravitz has also been announced as the co-presenter of the weekly magazine show which will be fronted by current Sky Sports News presenter Georgie Thompson. The presenter of the weekends F1 show will be Simon Lazenby, who has had experience in presenting Sky Sports Rugby coverage in the past.
Also announced as part of the new Sky Sports F1 HD team is the ex-BBC and ITV F1 presenter, Steve Rider, who has had experience presenting Formula 1 as part of the BBC’s Grandstand show in the 1990s and with ITV in the 2000s. His role within Sky will be to stage a series of interviews with some of Formula 1’s legends both past and present.
It is undeniable that Sky now have the most experienced team covering Formula 1 that has existed in the past. With three of the best commentators in the sport, two of the best pit-lane reporters and a superb presentation team, the new Sky Sports F1 HD channel looks well set for an impressive inaugural season!
2012 Formula 1 Broadcasting Schedule Announced
After the announcement earlier today regarding the new Sky Sports F1 HD channel being launched in March, next seasons BBC/Sky broadcasting schedule has been announced. This comes after Sky and the BBC agreed to a new broadcasting deal from 2012 – 2018 that sees Sky show all 20 races live on their new channel whereas the BBC will show the full live broadcasts of only 10 races and delayed highlights of the others.
Today the BBC, who this weekend will broadcast their final race as the sole UK broadcasters of F1, announced which races they will broadcast live and in full next year. It is yet unknown who will commentate for the BBC or Sky however there are rumors that Sky have signed current BBC commentators’ Martin Brundle and David Croft for their coverage next season.
The BBC will begin their live broadcasting of F1 next season with Round 3 of the Championship with the Chinese Grand Prix, followed by the Spanish, Monaco, European, British, Belgian, Singapore, Korean, Abu Dhabi and Brazilian Grands Prix. The BBC will also broadcast all the Qualifying and Practice sessions live from these particular events. When the BBC are not broadcasting live races, they will instead show delayed highlights of 90 minutes duration on BBC One and BBC One HD as well as 120 minutes worth of highlights for early morning races such as Japan and Australia. They will also broadcast a 75 minutes delayed highlights show of the Qualifying sessions with Practice sessions not receiving any form of highlights.
Sky Sports F1 HD, however, will broadcast all the Races, Qualifying sessions and Practice sessions live and will become the only channel in the UK where you will be able to watch every session of an F1 weekend live and in HD all year round.
The 2012 Broadcasting Calendar in detail
Malaysian GP – Sky
Chinese GP – BBC & Sky
Bahrain GP – Sky
Spanish GP – BBC & Sky
Monaco GP – BBC & Sky
Canadian GP – Sky
European GP – BBC & Sky
British GP – BBC & Sky
German GP – Sky
Hungarian GP – Sky
Belgian GP – BBC & Sky
Italian GP – Sky
Singapore GP – BBC & Sky
Japanese GP – Sky
Korean GP – BBC & Sky
Indian GP – Sky
Abu Dhabi GP – BBC & Sky
United States GP – Sky
Brazilian GP – BBC & Sky
Martin Brundle Off To Sky Sports For 2012?
Next year the broadcasting of Formula 1 in the United kingdom changes as the BBC will co-broadcast F1 alongside major sporting TV company Sky Sports. Sky have almost monopolized sport over the last decade as popular sports such as Football, Cricket and Golf have made Sky their new home and as of 2012, Formula 1 will be added to the growing list of sports covered by the company.
The BBC will still broadcast F1 next year as they plan to show 10 races live and the other 10 in a delayed highlights format that has yet to be announced whereas Sky Sports will show all 20 races live next year including all three Practice Sessions and Qualifying.
The highlight of this slightly controversial decision has now switched to who Sky Sports will sign up as their presenters, commentators and pit lane reporters. It has been highly speculated over the last few months that former ITV and current BBC commentator, Martin Brundle, is in talks with both companies over his future with the sport. He has tweeted saying that he has received offers from both companies and that he will be taking the weekend to decide on his future.
If Martin Brundle does join Sky Sports, how will that affect the BBC F1 Team, who have produced some of the best F1 coverage the sport has ever seen in their long and colorful years covering the sport, their first race coverage being the 1978 Canadian Grand Prix which was won by local hero Gilles Villeneuve and featured commentary from Murray Walker before being joined a year later by former World Champion James Hunt. Will the BBC take the offer of using Sky’s commentary, an opportunity that must be offered to them as part of the deal with Sky or will they continue with their own commentary minus probably the only true heir to Murray Walker’s throne in Martin Brundle? If this decision is taken it is understood that David Coulthard will be joined by Speed TV’s Australian commentator Leigh Diffey. If Martin Brundle does join Sky it is believed he will be joined by current colleague and BBC Radio 5 Live commentator David Croft who is renowned for his colorful and sometimes explosive commentating style.
It is also understood that Sky are keen to have ex ITV and current BBC pit lane reporter Ted Kravitz and current ITV Sports presenter (and ex BBC and ITV F1 presenter) Steve Rider on their team, meaning that if this does become a reality that the BBC F1 Team will also be a pit lane reporter down, leaving only Lee McKenzie and Natalie Pinkham remaining.
Of course there are two races remaining in 2011, and there is a whole winter off season in which these various contracts will be flying ever other way before Sky can reveal their 2012 F1 Team Line-Up.
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James Allen Becomes BBC Radio 5 Live Commentator
Ex-ITV commentator James Allen has been announced as the new BBC Radio 5 Live lead commentator, replacing David Croft who last year was announced as the commentator for the new dedicated F1 channel Sky Sports F1 HD alongside former BBC colleagues Martin Brundle and Anthony Davidson.
James Allen took over from Murray Walker as ITV commentator in 2002, alongside Martin Brundle and was immediately under the spotlight by critics, some believing he was trying to sound too much like Murray Walker and that his enthusiasm sometimes got the better of him, especially when Jenson Button won his first ever Grand Prix at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix.
However, regardless of what the critics have said about him, no-one can deny that James Allen’s enthusiasm for Formula 1 is unmatched by any of todays journalists and commentators. In 2009 he became the Formula One Management World Feed Interviewer when he was asked to do so for the 2009 British Grand Prix in place of Peter Windsor, and he asked questions for the post-qualifying and post-race TV interviews.
James Allen will continue writing for his website and will also continue his contributions to Australia’s Ten Sport F1 coverage. With the BBC loosing the majority of its major talent to Sky Sports for 2012, the BBC couldn’t have picked a more enthusiastic commentator to head their BBC Radio 5 Live coverage.