4OD still exists for older devices which cannot run All4.

Just watched Quali...
What a total and utter ****ing shambles that was!
Unfair, appalling to watch, made me less inclined to want to watch and all of this done to try and make it more entertaining!
HOW THE **** IS NO CARS ON TRACK ENTERTAINING?!?!?!?!?!!!!

How is it fair that the guy thats just done a lap, and then in a matter of seconds having punted himself up the table is then in the cutoff zone with seconds to go?!
It was a shambles and i hope they have the stones to admit they got it BADLY wrong and revet back to what we had, a system that worked and was understood and wasn't wholly unfair!

Well I Have finished watching both channels coverage, I echo most peoples thoughts, New Qualifying is rubbish.

As for the Coverage, really, really impressed with Channel 4, Slick, stylish a lot less dumbed down than I was expecting. Really enjoyed it.

As for Sky, I got a bit depressed watching it to be honest, It felt as if I was watching a Dying sport, C4 were a lot less melodramatic, I agreed with Brundle but he totally sucked any excitement that was there today.

It just felt stale to me, Paul di resta is really good though, Need to use him as much as possible as I don't think I'll be able to put up with the "old Boys brigade" for 21 races. There discussion does not engage me at all! The C4 program was much more interesting, really good Alonso Interview. Webber makes some good points.

C4 win for me so far.

C4 did a good job today - the fact their coverage was barely mentioned amongst all the qualifying complaints probably backs that up. Didn't see any rants about it or people longing for it to be back on the BBC on Twitter at all.

I suspect too their "highlights" of the main races will also be pretty much as live, except with the ads which will essentially pad out the minutage they're allowed to show into the length of the actual race.


As for qualifying - seems to be idiocy that FOM are effectively trialling this live on their flagship event - surely they'd test it on lower profile events first.

If you have an elimination format though surely the elimination has to be on the track not on the clock - cycling get it right with the Eliminator race in the Omnium where every couple of laps the person in last place is eliminated. That's how it should work in F1, though it would need a pre-qualifying period just to set the grid for the eliminator race, which could be done with a simple time trial I guess.

Qualifying reverted back to the 2015 version thankfully after the team bosses this morning in Australia got together with Charlie Whiting to discuss the shambles of yesterday!

See here

There's talk that there planning to reduce the radio restrictions to allow discussions about race strategy.

Sky using a virtual spectator type tool which there apparently getting from FOM to compare lines, braking/acceleration points & gear changes of the 2 Mercedes final qualifying laps.

Cool stuff

http://i.imgur.com/RO4Lx1K.jpg

I like Hamilton/Rosberg line comparison with a virtual tool that looks suspiciously like something the BBC had a few years ago.

First advert change from Sky F1 - taking a break straight after the gridwalk/anthem. Even on the old non-BBC days they'd make a song and dance about no ads from 30 mins to go.

No OnBoard-Mix on the red button sadly:
http://i.imgur.com/8fn6ZWd.jpg

I notice they've kept the interminable replays of the start from various angles this season.

That's good to see.

There seems to be a new graphic for pitstop timing, but it doesn't seem to be quite right.

Edit - fixed it on the third go!

I enjoyed that.

Some good racing through the field, Ferrari seem closer to Mercedes on pace, The field in general seems a bit closer & the addition of a 3rd tyre compound has opened up strategy a bit which was nice.

Glad I got up for that. Well worth it.

I noticed Sky doing an ad break just before the start and now another one just after the podium. I guess now the competition is C4 will be getting a lot more ads on Sky.

That was worth getting up for, very enjoyable and you have to look past the result which may suggest to some that it was a bit dull but it was most certainly wasn't. Any of the top 3 could have won until quite late on- hopefully that is how it will be all season.

Also Susie Wolff has confirmed on Twitter that she will be in Bahrain with Channel 4.

I'm liking Verstappen's one-man efforts to keep Team Radio interesting. He's not doing much for his image but it is good watching.

Edit - Sky giving Manor 172 WCC points, good race for them

Qualy back to previous format from next race.

Here is the skypad analysis of the Alonso crash which includes the new virtual analysis there getting from FOM:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3yxu49

I honestly can't fault anything regarding the coverage today. Sky were good. FOM were good.

Thank goodness Alonso is okay.

Yes agree, a very pleasant few hours of coverage from all this morning.

it was a decent race although dirty air was crazy especialy for ham.
The lack of onboards(and no speedometer graphics),hardly any radio(brodcasted at least) and no fuel/ers graphics was dissapointing. the new tyre graphics and new pitstop time graphics are better.
The alonso crash shows that gravel traps are dangerous and that the safety of the cars is amazing as that was the worst possible 'normal or not a freak' crash that could happen and he walked away from it.

Definitely feel sorry for C4 now we have this:

The main thing I'd change today is FOM cut away to the pit walls far too often when there was a really intense battle on track. It's just unnecessary, I don't need to see the team management looking nervous to know that I am (or rather was) watching a great battle.


Yes indeed. On the full speed replay, the sheer speed he carried when the car was in the air was frighteningly huge, so he's definitely a lucky man today. I strongly suspect that run-off will be paved over for next year now as it was clearly the gravel that tipped the car over.

Enjoyable if at times scary opener from Sky/FOM.

Onboards were very glitchy around this city street track and good use of the sky pad with the data feed direct from each cars onboard ECU.

Well if they're in line with BBC 2 in the past that's not too bad, also it's only qualifying - I suspect more people will be inclined to seek out the race coverage. I don't know much about ratings, but that seems like not too bad a start considering they need time to build awareness of where the coverage has gone to.

Maybe the controversy from yesterday will get it a bit more attention. Possibly even there might be an effect if the news channels are running with footage from the Alonso crash, people might decide to watch the race after lunch.