I don't expect all the same options you get on Q or the ipad app, It just seems odd that there's extra feeds there which there not linking to on the red button app that they could linking to.

They used to give us access to 8 extra feeds, Thats now been reduced to 5 (Even though there is sometimes the 7th quad-screen option there) & today it was reduced to 4 even though in FP3 the usual 2 OnBoard feeds (IN qualifying there was only 1 extra OnBoard feed) were available.


Not really an issue, Just weird how there spending the time to send things to there red button feeds which are then only available to those using non-sky boxes.

I'm glad someone said it before me. I feel like a broken record, complaining every weekend about how FOM cover Q3. Shocking once again.

Very good second outing for Channel 5 with Formula E. Didn't see the qualifying on Spike, but my observations of the race coverage (having watched it alongside the live stream):

Pre-race started with the same mix of VTs and inserts from Niki Shields, only joining the live feed after the last ad break ~10 minutes before the race start. This meant less awkward wide shots while waiting to opt-in.

Race was uninterrupted, with the first post-race break happening after the classification screen. Post-race coverage consisted of tape-delayed interviews, highlights and podium celebrations (uninterrupted this time!), before rejoining the live feed for the last five minutes. They didn't crash out of the outro this time either!

Other minor improvement is moving the 5 logo to the right side of screen - no longer covering the timing tower.

Overall, the program was very watchable, and I didn't feel at any point I was missing out on anything from the live stream. The mistakes of last race were most likely first-broadcast teething troubles while they learnt what they were doing.

Wait? You're saying Sky broadcast their red button feeds unencrypted? How could a non-Sky box get them otherwise?

Unless the broadcasters keep saying no, I really think FOM should use PIP for those kind of shots. Small PIP window showing Wolff & Lauda live while the main window is showing the World feed.

To rub salt in the wound they then cut to the other Mercedes. You could practically hear Brundle biting his tongue when that happened. Maybe one day he'll go on a Vettel style rant about it and draw some wider attention to the problem.


Yep PIP would have completely sufficed, if they really think putting them on screen will add something.

I'm convinced they think most of the audience are morons who don't know what they're looking at, so need to be shown someone else reacting to know how to feel about what they've just seen.

It ruined the session for me I was so annoyed.

Sadly that is the case, most of the audience ARE morons, as with any large televisual event. That's the reason why someone raising their fist in the car gets more attention than a sweet overtaking move or blistering quali performance for example. I mean look at Rowan Atkinson's famous reaction clip in India a few years ago...

Also Brundle has ample oppertunity to go tell FOM or Bernie what he'd like to improve on their coverage. He's worked with them for the past 20+ years...

I had more trouble at the fact the were on board with Rosberg when Hamilton was 20-30 secs further up the road. Or maybe did HAM sector 1, then ROS sector 1 before flipping back to HAM on the tour up the hill.

Although split-screen or PIP of both cars would have worked there!

To round off my above observations on Channel 5's FE efforts, just skimmed through mu qualifying recording. Bit shoddier here.

As expected, was just world feed with adverts inserted in. First advert was pre-session and just interupted the commentary on both sides of the break. Further breaks took place between qualifying segments (though not between Q3 and Q4), but they had trouble squeezing them in between the provided pauses in commentary - to the point that they dropped intro/outro titles and were still missing the start of the next session.

Hopefully this improves next time out - shorter, more frequent breaks may work better. The world feed comms does provide the pauses for opt points, so it should be doable.

Q2 and Q3 were weird as they seemed to only use a few camera angles and onboards, Q1 spent a lot of the time looking at the middle sector, but it was barely seen later in the session.

Q2 spent far too much time on the absolute worst camera shot in F1: wating for cars to come around a bend then disappearing down a hole, waiting for a time to pop up and either wating ages for the next car to do the same or doing a ridiculous overly-zoomed in shot of the car as it goes around turn one. Then it featured Perez alone setting a lap while we sat watching the crowd and cars returning to the pits and when they finally did show Perez on the run from the last corner it was a super long shot from a camera on completely the opposite side of the circuit.

Q3 was poorly covered as usual, switching between the Mercs wouldn't have been so bad if they showed the start of Hamilton's lap instead of the end of Rosberg's warm up, on the last run they didn't even put Hamilton's time on screen until after he was past the first sector time, it's unbelievably poor even without meaningless cutaways to the pits.

Formula E being on at the exact same time as qualifying was stupid, it's not like they're competing series, they're both FIA events and the Brazilian schedule was set before the Formula E calendar was even thought of.

Sky Q split screen? I'm new to Q, how?

I don't see why we need to, in effect, watch people watching themselves on a screen/looking at live timing. It's pointless. Just show the cars on track, I have no interest in watching live coverage of anyone looking at a screen which will likely lead to them watching themselves on a screen, and if anyone does want to watch live coverage of someone watching themselves on a screen then either send them to the loony bin or give them a separate secret feed just for them.

Yes I did enjoy the FE coverage today, first time I've seen qualifying properly, slightly scruffy as eladske says regarding the adbreaks (and I thought the sound was a bit muffled?) but still, good that it is shown. Haven and Franchitti were solid although it's definitely not quite as interesting as pairing as Jack Nicholls and Franchitti - I assume that's because it was the second clash in a row with F1.

Interesting track for them - still the walled street circuit type affair but a bit more fast and flowing as opposed to 90 right 90 left...bit more enjoyable to watch.

Nothing too major with the TV direction but a few minor niggles:

1 - that ADHD style chopping and changing of camera angle in the run-up to lights out does my head in (it does build tension but it's a tension of "PLEASE stop doing that" not "ohhh I am so tense for this race start").
2 - the "HUD" style onboard is a nice with all the data, but why would you intentionally wash out the picture like that? Odd
3 - TV director has a bit of a habit of saving up two or three replays for the same time and then chucking in a reaction shot as well, which means you do start to wave your hands in a "get back to the live action" motion.
4 - Having team radio open all the time just means the commentators have to talk over it all the time.

I seen the other night in the EPG the Ross Brawn 'F1 Report' thing - I'm guessing this is new from Sky? I'm surprised they didn't package it under the F1 Legends branding as it is a pretty similar setup as an interview.

Seen the Murray Walker - Legends F1 repeat earlier this week seemed well out of place now with a couple of questions previewing the 2012 season and him talking about how Schumacher had a chance of winning.

Yeah it's just a short interview in the normal studio for F1 report. Not a patch on the BBC interview though.

During FE find it amazing that Haven and Dario didn't seem to notice Piquet sliding to back of the after a really slow stop (someone else as well, Engel?)

It certainly was a bit of an aside, but they did comment on Piquet's slow stop and slide down the field, as well as Engel never re-emerging from the pits with his second car.

By using your Sky card in the unofficial box, however, the 7th (Quad) feed has been missing since the Soccer season started again and is currently carrying a caption for Switzerland v Faroe Islands to start at 7.35pm

What I seen of the start of it wasn't in the F1 Report studio was in a different bit with some black curtains as a backdrop and was 30 mins in length. It is repeated after the race today.

Genuinely, was there anything new in that SSF1 Bernie interview we didn't see yesterday or in the trailed previews?

That's odd, I thought your Sky card was partly paired to your Sky box. Seems silly that They'd allow you to view their own stuff non a non-Sky box... You'd think they'd block that.

Imagine if they actually just played today's bit with the 'preview to part 2 for next time' in one big 10 min piece - it might have been superb.

Drawn out garbage.

They don't allow it & do try to block it but there are always clever people who managed to find ways around it.

The forums very own FOM Fan is the next victim of closing his twitter account. Hopefully you keep your warm home here whatever your opinions are!

The giant CGI Lewis and Nico on the inside of the track were the biggest surprise on lap 1

As usual, Brazil is crazy...

And i'm closing my account down mainly cos I find it difficult to manage 2 accounts (personal & F1), plus now I have a job its much more difficult to FOM-watch anymore. Nothing to do with pressure from FOM or anything like that, before poeple get any ideas.

Man, there's been hardly any racing seeing as everyone starts spinning off!