Comments on: ITV F1 Shambles - how it was reported.

By: Terry Seal

Terry Seal — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 23:10:56 +0000

This is typical of the anti motor sport lobby in TV.
This is not the only thing to happen like this the MotoGp race was ended on the BBC Yorks & Lincs 4 laps from the end they went to the bloody rugby where for 10 mins they talked about the run up to the match. Well tonight the ITN news as just given out the result before the Qualifying begins. USELESS no one should get a award for this type of TV reporting and coverage.
When will they get it right?

By: Rich

Rich — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 15:09:21 +0000

Every week ITV come up with an inventive new way of spoiling the race. This week, the producer/editor needs to be especially commended for helping thousands of F1 fans miss the start of the race.

The programme, scheduled as a rerun of the Chinese GP (and not “highlights”) began as normal with a little waffle about teams, cars, qualifting and such line.

The typical run of events is that as the race countdown begins, Martin Brundle does his grid walk and chats to the racers, he hands back to his co-presenter; ITV then go to an advert break, giving MB tiem to get back to the commentary box. As the Ad-Break finishes, the FIA F1 logo film is displayed, then the cars do their sighting/warm-up lap, and then the race starts.

Today, as Martin finished his grid walk, thousands of poor ITV viewers nipped off to the kitchen to make a pot of tea only to hear the familiar shouts of James Allen embarrasing himself with over excitement as the race commenced.

No adverts, no sighting lap, just the a race, already underway.

Gee, thanks ITV, perhaps you need to understand your viewers a little better.

By: Gavin

Gavin — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 10:33:08 +0000

Personaly i’m really fed up with ITV’s coverage of Formula One in general. Rarely do I get to watch any of the Races without already knowing the results as they seem to insist on spashing the results all over TV and Website throughout the day before the races is aired on the Sunday. Maybe im the weird one, but I really dont fancy waiting up till 4am sometimes to watch a race live. Unfortunatly another privilege football supporters have that we do not is the “if you do not want to know the result look away now” part of the news.

Laughably as I write this gripe the news just came up blerting out the winner of the Chinese GP. (Something I have the sense not to repeat in this post just in case anyone has the chance to read it in the next couple of hours).

Nevermind though because I already knew the result, not wanting to go on ITV to check my guide for the start time of the GP, I attempted my patented holding hand over screen on ITV website looking for tv guide link at the top technique. This usually works as I have a tablet pc with a small screen and big hands (lol). Unfortunatly today ITV were extra vigilant spashing the result over ever bit they could squeeze it into so I still managed to get a glipse of it.

So at this point I wonder why they bother re-airing the late night races. So well done ITV, well done for being compelely incompetent at servicing the customers needs you muppets!

By: Ann Armsby

Ann Armsby — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 23:53:18 +0000

I am a female pensioner in my mid-sixties who was introduced to the thrills of Formula one racing in the early 1970s by the current boyfriend who eventually aggravated me as much as the ITV coverage. After every race this season I’ve declared I will not watch another Grand Prix until Bernie Ecclestone & ITV realise the disservice they hace done to the many thousands of British F1 fans.

I go back to the old days of such wonderful racing legends like Alain Prost,Keke Rosberg and James Hunt, and my favourite of all Ricardo Patrese I find this current ITV obsession with Jensen Button intensely infuriating, OK so he’s a Brit, and purely for that reason alone I am delighted when he does well.

I wonder if I will find the strength to resist watching the rest of the season’s Grands Prix. Immediately after every race I always read the BBC1 Teletext motor racing pages to get their unbiassed view along with some honest reporting of the race as it really was.

By: Roy Bowden

Roy Bowden — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 03:34:29 +0000

There is NO REASON to show add’s through live coverage of the GP race
You dont show add’s through football matches
If there is a real reason for the add’s then do what they do on the continent and show it on a split screen

By: Arthur J. Wynne

Arthur J. Wynne — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 13:10:13 +0000

for my money the whole formula 1 coverage of ITV has been useless at all times with total bias toward Ferrari and Michael Schumaker, listen to the excitement in the commentaters voice.

By: Lesley

Lesley — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 09:08:14 +0000

I think the Hungarian director almost got his own back on Button this weekend, when instead of seeing Jenson Button’s successful final lap, we were treated to prolonged views of the goings-on in the ‘red’ corner.

By the way, please can anyone explain to me why M.S. was given a finishing position, when he had clearly retired?

By: Ste

Ste — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 22:28:03 +0000

Put it back on BBC, bring back ‘The Chain’ !!!