Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

I have a bone to pick here with the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ:

I live outside the UK and i can't watch any of these highlights as they "are not available in my area". Why are they not available? I understand that the live stream of all the races should be unavailable due to TV rights but I'm sure there won't be any problems with the local TV channels if I was to watch a short 5 minute highlight of some motor racing from 25 years ago- I doubt they even showed F1 here (Hong Kong) then. Ridiculous.

No James Allen on the ITV years - again!



Andrew, can I ask why the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ does not show GP2 despite having the rights to show, at the very least, highlights on the web?

Thanks for the Classic GP - 1990 in particular. Bit disappointing that the 2009 race is in there but I'm not complaining :)

The only way things could be enhanced for this year, is if you showed the winners from last year as well as this year.

Don't you sow these on the red button for about five hours on Thursdays?? I record that because my PC isn't very good at playing videos. Is there any reason wy you can't show last year's as well??

My choice is 2001 or 2009. Rain is a great leveller, and both races sorted out the men from the boys.

2001 saw Verstappen right up near the front for a while, which was great to see as I still think the Orange sponsored Arrows was the coolest looking F1 car ever.

Hi Andrew,
Can I ask if Murray is resuming his role with his GP overview and Q&A? I hope he is not part of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ cutbacks....That would be a disgrace!

They're all rather recent, which can't be helped obviously.

But as the only McLaren victory on there, it has to be 2003.

Andrew, would the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ be allowed to make and market DVDs of classic Grand Prix, either full race coverage or at worst those clips that exist in the archives?

2001 from that selection, please.

1) 2001
2) 2002
3) 2003

Looking foward to watching these after work. For Malaysia, I pick 2001 (as we didn't get the choice last year)

Always had a soft spot for the Williams team so I think I'd opt for 2002

#3,

apologies... very frustrating though, always good viewing when I am in the UK!

make the full races available andrew!!! highlights are for news readers!

I'll vote for 2002. Second choice would be 2003.

The only other thing I'd like to mention is that you always say the highlights are available on Freeview, but you don't mention Freesat. Are they not made available on Freesat?

2001 for me, even though I doubt we'll get Murray and Martins commentary for that race (which I thought, especially with all the chaos in the first 10 laps or so, was pretty good). I'm guessing Andrew that if this feature continues next year, that for Malaysia 2011 we may get to choose something along the lines of '5 classic wet races', as obviously having this feature this year and last year, means all the races will have been shown either last year or this year, and so seems a bit pointless showing them again 1-2 years later.

im going for 2009 race

because but only becasue it was my favourate race for "felipe baby" and topless fans side down the grass bank in monsoon conditions and we would get full highlights becasue 2001 was on itv even though 2001 was a great race

RE. the first comment by rl and Mr. Benson's subsequent explanation.
I live in the Rep. of Ireland and cannot view this online material but I always watch the GPs on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ and not on Setanta Sports as Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's coverage is far superior. My point is if the rights are sold by country then when can the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ broadcast F1 to my home when the Irish rights are owned by Setanta? Is it some loop-hole than allows me to watch Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ NI?

Hi Andrew.
What are you going to do if you end up running out of races for your classic F1 blog?

Malaysia Vote is 2001 because it was dramatic
1989 Australia for next year.

2001 Malaysian GP was one of the better races

2001 or 2002

As much as it'll be shorter than a 2009 package, it was only last year, come on.

Just watched the 1990 race, fantastic and great in-car shots, suede circular steering wheels, manual gears, great sound. Made me realise how much of we've lost to technology over the years. Even the in-car footage was better then because of the shakes and cut-outs, really gave an impression of the speed and the pure physical demands of the cars back then.

Now that James Allen does the questions in the post-qualifying/race press conferences and we have to hear his voice on the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ anyway, what is the issue with cutting his voice out of the races ITV years? I was never a particular fan of his commentary, but it was certianly better than having a script read out over the race, as Mr Legard does for 2003 the race here. Did he not do the 5-Live commentary that day anyway?

On the subject of 2003 races, I'll make that year my choice for Malaysia. First 3 races that year were all very good (Who can forget the third round in Brazil!)

Again, as I always seem to say. Thank you for this.

Regarding Mal. I'll probably go last year (in continuation of the Brawn story).

I just want to add that Mal, is short for Malaysia and sorry for any problem etc. caused.

I don't want to contradict what stevvy1986 wrote, but I think there are people that wouldn't mind seeing last year's selections again. Especially those who (like me) missed them last year!!!

Is there any way of televising them all together, this year's choices AND last years? They run in a loop for six hours anyway, and after an hour they just return to the beginning again!! I don't see the harm in repeating last year's so we have a little more action to watch!!

I also quite like the 5 best wet races idea, or other things like that.

JoseArtigas, the electro magnetic waves don't stop at the border! If you pick them up it's by accident not design. I'm guessing you don't pay the licence fee either?

Atmospheric conditions permitting UK transmissions can be picked up in coastal mainland europe.

Awesome highlights, it was good to refresh my memory of the 03' 09' races and the 85' 95' clips were really good!
I am now about to watch the 1990 race.

For the Malaysian classic GP I am most looking forward to watching the 2001 & 2002 highlights.

Nice to know Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ are carrying on with their stupid policy of removing James Allen's voice from clips.

Why Andrew, why?

By the way, Jonathan Legard confirms on Twitter that he'll be commenting 'new' on some of the Malaysian races, obviously replacing JA's voice.

[url]/url]

00:46 in. How sad that they've quietened the sound so Allen's voice isn't heard. Sorry, but their editing is unnecessary and petty.

EDIT: And the uncut version: [url]/url] (00:46 in)

:(

Why though? You don't gain anything from getting Jonathan to doing his 'reporting' as it were. You've said in the past how this is a process which takes time, surely cutting out comments and in effect trying to rewrite history takes even more time and resources?

From where I'm sitting, its unnecessary. Just leave it as it is.

To D_M_N: "Nice to know Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ are carrying on with their stupid policy of removing James Allen's voice from clips. Why Andrew, why?" (Also to CNW0429)

It's probably due to nothing more than copyright. The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ have the rights to the images (via FOM), but not ITV's sound, which will be in ITV Sport's archive, not the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's. And personally, I can live without Allen's screechings and occasional rabid jingoism.

To Kobayashi: "Andrew, can I ask why the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ does not show GP2 despite having the rights to show, at the very least, highlights on the web?"

The GP2 rights went from Eurosport (who'd had them since the F3000 days) to Setanta in 2009. I'm not sure if the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ sold them on, as I've read in some reports - AB might confirm or deny this. However, when the ppv channel went bust around mid-2009 Eurosport regained the rights on a multi-year basis, and show both GP2 races live on Sky (and probably elsewhere). The ad breaks are pretty awfully placed sometimes (E/sport can be no less clumsy now as it was 10 years ago), but there again they sometimes have no ads at all! It's a bit of a muddle. That aside, Martin Haven's commentary is consistantly superb; he's second to Ben Edwards as Britain's best commentator now Murray's retired. (IMHO, of course!)

Kif, Formula One Management own all sound and video footage. They own all commentary sound, so Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ should have zero problem in using Allen's voice.

It's their choice really if they use James Allen's voice or not.

If I remember right, when ITV showed any clips of races from the first Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ era, you only ever heard Murray Walker or Tony Jardine's voice, as they moved to ITV, you never heard Jonathan Palmer

Thanks Andrew for showing past Australian grand prix. Personally i always thought that Adelaide provided better grand prix than the current Albert park. For Malaysia i would like to see 2001. Michael and Ferrari in the wet that day were at there best. I remember himself and Rubens went of the track. And Michael took full advantage of the conditions cutting his way rapidly through the field.

To be honest, that's slightly different though - as Palmer was not the main commentator - so its not like they needed his voice for anything anyway.

Now though, Allen is the main commentator so you do need his voice.

I suppose it's a bit pointless voting when the clips will all be the same length (apart from 2009, but that's not my favourite one anyway).

All the same, 2001 was definitely my favourite Malaysian GP, but I'll also look forward to '02 and '03, and '05 if only for the Fisichella-Webber incident.

So I guess that means 2004 is the only Malaysian race we won't have had. Fair enough really, apart from Webber's Jaguar on the front row (before he stalled!) it was a fairly boring affair. It was JB's first podium of course but Schumi ran away with it. I seem to remember we were promised a rainstorm which never came (is it just me, or did ITV often promise rain during the Schumi-Ferrari years to stop us switching off...?!)

Comment 34 : Andrew Benson :

"our policy is only to use Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ commentators on our F1 coverage."

I'm sorry but that is absolutely pathetic.

Comment 36 : Kif :

"The GP2 rights went from Eurosport (who'd had them since the F3000 days) to Setanta in 2009. I'm not sure if the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ sold them on, as I've read in some reports - AB might confirm or deny this. However, when the ppv channel went bust around mid-2009 Eurosport regained the rights on a multi-year basis, and show both GP2 races live on Sky (and probably elsewhere). The ad breaks are pretty awfully placed sometimes (E/sport can be no less clumsy now as it was 10 years ago), but there again they sometimes have no ads at all! It's a bit of a muddle. That aside, Martin Haven's commentary is consistantly superb; he's second to Ben Edwards as Britain's best commentator now Murray's retired. (IMHO, of course!)"

Yes I understood a bit - but having asked Will Buxton on the issue he confirmed the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ do have the right to at least show the highlights, and he should know - he does the international feed commentary!

Great stuff - looking forward to re-living the heady days of 1990 when F1 cars were real racing machines not the modern cars which have too much downforce thanks to stupid amounts of time being wind-tunnel tested and run through complex fluid dynamics computer models. 2001 will do nicely thank you, it's one of those races which still amaze me with Schu showing why he's known as the rain Meister - I hope this years race has a decent downpour as we could do with the action being spiced up a bit now that refueling has been banned. Next year how about a selection of some of the best original Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ-era flyaway races no longer on the calendar as has been done before - I'm sure there's plenty of material left in the archives like that the recently shown Sportsnight one with good old 'arry Carpenter (RIP). Finally, to the people moaning "why no James Allen?" please realise that that Andrew and his team have a limited budget to work with and I would far rather they spend money on digging out gems from the archives than clearing rights issues with ITV. Keep up the great work!

Disappointed 1990 got more votes for 2003, it's understandable but as a DC fan it's slightly disappointing :p. Or '95 for that fact, Gainni Morbidelli picking up Footwork's only ever podium, stunning drive!

From the Malaysian races I'll go for 2001 which will undoubtedly imo be the winner

Good work on the freeview front Andrew, Cheers.

Out of the Herman Tilke designed Malaysia GP's, i'll go for 2001, where, like last year, the weather came to the rescue of this awful circuit designer who's slowly killing F1.

Re. #45 on Tilke tracks

This is what Martin Whitmarsh reportedly said on the new Korean Grand Prix (obviously a Tilke track-I make it the 10th one on the calendar this year, including Valencia and Singapore). Taken from


�We hear stories it’s four or five hours from anywhere, there’s no infrastructure, no hotels, no-one can get there. It’s going to make it difficult for fans and difficult for media, We’re meant to be doing it for the fans and other people. My personal opinion is that we’ve got other priorities.�

Sounds like a remarkably similar problem to that of Autopolis circuit in Japan. Opened in 1992, it was due to hold the Pacific Grand Prix in 1993. However, it struggled finacially due to it's remote location, the Pacific race was dropped, and replaced by...Donington Park! Of course we did get a Pacific Grand Prix in 1994 and 1995 at TI Aida, probably a worse track than any Tilke creation. Autopolis is up and running again now, just holding Super GT and Nippon races.

As there are doubts about the Korean infrastructure been ready (Hotels and the like), what chance of a 2nd Japanese race replacing it? At Motegi maybe?

I see the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ are underlining their contempt for James Allen's bellowing commentating by editing him out of the highlights and dubbing over him, love it. Legard is a good with reporting style but awful live.

I bet Andrew and the team wonder why they do this feature, as they seem to get more negative comments than positive

2001 please Andrew superb drive from Schumi and Rubens from so far back.

For Classic Grand Prix Malaysia, I vote for 2001 - a great race with both Ferraris climbing through the field after having gone off at the same corner as the rain began to set in.

Re #36 and #42: I don't understand why the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ don't show GP2, especially as they show 125cc and Moto2 races at MotoGP weekends. This year, there are many Brits in GP2 in competitive cars (Turvey, Bird, Chilton etc.), and with no Sky or Eurosport, I suppose I'll have to watch short highlights on 'Mobil 1 The Grid' on Channel 4.

Not using James Allen: I suspect it's about not having to pay him any royalties!

@50, You talk about Brit's in GP2 what about IRL were we have a champion

Fantastic race 1990. Adelaide was always a better track than Melbourne.

Andrew, for Malaysia will the 2009 Highlights programme be show considering all the other races were from the ITV era?

2001 was the best race, but the highlights programme from 2009 (a very good race as well) would be a bonus.

'hey will be available on Freeview from 2100-2300 on Wednesday' it 21:05 still not on

kk it my box disregard 54 comment

Please can ITV allow the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ to show the full high lights of the 2001 race, it was good...

Re #51. I agree. It would be nice to see Indycars on the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ but I doubt we'll ever see that. I used to watch it on Channel Five, but with the Freeview retune last year, I lost Channel Five and could no longer watch it.

Andrew, with regards to your post numbered 34, you claim the reason for not featuring one J. Allen Esq. in archive footage is due to his not being on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ staff; may I ask why in one of the previous Classic F1 features (I believe one of the ones from Malaysia last year funnily enough - and after checking, indeed yes it was the Malaysian GP 1999 highlights), the aforementioned gentleman's pit-lane analysis was present? A little hypocritical, perhaps? Not complaining, just observing; just wondering...

As for Malaysia this year - 2001 please!

Did anyone notice on the 2010 Bahrain GP broadcast that JAMES ALLEN was chairing the questions for the top three finishers in the press conference!
He's crawled his way back into F1! I thought the 2008 season was the last time we would hear him! Grrrrr!!!! Check out sniffpetrol.com for comments on James Allen and the funny captions of the Schumacher brothers.

Let me take the floor with a question to you all.
Who's girlfriend is fitter - Button's or Hamilton's?
I'd go for Boy Buttons bit of crumpet. Hat's off to you Jenson!!

I enjoy writing these comments with my vodka and orange at hand...

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

So happy that the F1 highlights are being shown on FREEVIEW.
Doesn't matter what time during the run up to the current grand prix that these highlights will be shown on the limited available space on FREEVIEW, as long as they are shown on FREEVIEW.

OK, the choice of extended hightlights of 1990 will be shown, but you can check out the 1985 AUS GP extended highlights by following the link below;
(Thanks to PHYSICAL_GRAFFITI post from 19/3/2010) :)

Australia 1990 on freeview, Thanks Andrew and the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ team.
As for the Malaysia vote, I couldn't care less.

Beautiful, to me this has always been a wonderful era of motorsport and what an amazing start to the season! Starting from the brilliant Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ intro, the starting grid synth music to the amazing sound of this era of F1 cars, I felt really quite emotional watching this in particular watching Senna in the Marlboro McLaren (Which I have touched at McLaren Tech Centre TYVM) dart off with a good second lead at the start from Prost and Mansell. It just makes me want for more of the same.

Senna brought a lot to the sport, but unfortunately with his unfortunate demise he has also made the sport far too H&S conscious, which has taken 'The Razor's Edge' (Murary Walkerism) out of the sport. This era is now the pinnacle of the sport. With todays technology we should be enjoying 300Mph cars on amazing banked tracks, but thanks to the FIA we have to suffer with a sport which, in racing terms, has long since been overtaken by the MotoGP formula.

Anyway thanks for the re-run and keep up the amazing work with the website and live coverage (Red Button too!). Any chance of a complete season rerun on iPlayer?

I know you can only have so many classic races to show, but Im suprised there wasnt the 1994 grand prix, the year Hill and Schumacher collided and Mansell went on to win his last ever F1 race for Williams!

Post No.64
You missed the 1994 AUS GP highlights by a year - it was the "winner" of the extended highlights from March 2009...

:(

MAL GP choice;

2001 please.
I think this is the race that Verstappen in an Arrows looked pretty handy
(or was it an earlier MAL GP race?)

My old mind merges all the boring MAL GP's into one or two events... :(

Since the F1 GP highlights choices began - why no races from 1987?
Was '87 such a crap year for racing...

Andrew- over to you!

2001 please! I seem to remember we were unable to vote for this last year, so it gets my vote this year, for sure.

oh I just love hearing James Hunt commentating...

How is this going to work exactly?

I mean last season when we had ITV races you could not show an extended highlights clip, so with all the Malaysia races barring last year being in the ITV era, do we get really get a choice here?

Either way I vote 2002, I miss the days when Williams could win races.

Andrew Benson : "To Kobayashi (post 2), you can watch the GP2 races on Eurosport."

Yeah, well, you haven't really answered my question there, have you?

I don't get Eurosport. I'm on Freeview (which the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ don't care about, having removed Channel 302 for the benefit of your minority HD viewers).

So - I'll ask again. Why don't the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ show GP2, at the very least, highlights, on the website? You have the right s to do it.

RE No: 48 'I bet Andrew and the team wonder why they do this feature, as they seem to get more negative comments than positive' How very right you are, these pages seem to be a breeding ground of anger. It's such a shame as this is a great feature run by people who seem to have genuine affection for their subject.
As for the sniping about the commentary: who really cares? No one commentator will please everyone or, it seems- anyone! Dare I say, without being lynched, that I don't like Murray Walker's (of head bobbing fame) screaming boob-filled commentaries. Nice bloke as he is.
As for Malaysia... Let's have the Red Baron's impressive and all together annoying romp home in '01. What a greedy so and so he is returning this year. Though in his defence I hear he's down to his last Β£500 million. I'd rather see a new (skinter) dude.

Thanks Andrew. Votes for Malaysia:
2001
2003
2002

Excellent video - thanks.

Many of the "Related Links" over on the right hand side of this article (e.g. Formula1.com) appear to be broken.

Stick with it Andrew

As with last year, sometimes instead of commenting on the selection and thanking you for your efforts, all we get is people moaning about dropping James Allens commentary (which i personally thank the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ for) and also moaning about why the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ aren't showing GP2!

Why should the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ show GP2? Its like any other Motorsport series, i assume it needs to be bought, there needs to be a business case (i.e. a clear need from a significant number of viewers) and the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ need the rights to show it. I might as well come on here and ask why the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ doesn't show the Champions League - they didn't buy it - end of story. Its totally irrelevant.

Keep on moaning with irrelevant topics and i reckon Andrew will drop what is, in all honesty, a niche feature. (and Yes i am a massive fan of it - hence i'm worried the poor bloke might think - forget it!)

@75

I'm sure he won't drop it- he'll just ignore the stupid comments.

Whenever people get something good (ie- this feature), they're never satisfied as they always want more.

@75, Swerve

I agree with what you're saying, but you're wrong about the GP2 rights. They are included for free with the F1 rights.

The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ choose not to broadcast it. ITV at minimum provided highlights, and for 2008 live coverage.

"Why should the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ show GP2? Its like any other Motorsport series"

Because they have the rights to show it.

@78

Two simple points:

1. The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ have to justify the use of air time as they are publically funded. There obviously isn't a demand, or air time, as otherwise they'd show it. I like GP2 as well, but i realise that its nothing to do with Andrew Benson.

2. What has the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's policy on Broadcasting GP2 got to do with Classic Hightlights of Grand Prix's from the past? Your on the wrong forum i'm afraid.

You should E-Mail the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ direct is all i can say.

The only thing i'll agree on is that your obviously a Kobayashi fan and so am i.

Regards

2009 please as we'll get the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ highlights programe. and was quite a good race.
Thanks for the 1990 race and seeing Coulthard hitting the pit wall.

Second Choice: 2001




Any chance of more Classic F1 on Freeview. I know it is a lot to ask.

@Swerve1, yes and 99% you'll be directed straight back to Andrew as he is the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ F1 web director.

Re: showing Classic highlights on Freeview 301
I have enjoyed watching all the Classic Highlights on Freeview until this week... because I have not seen any transmissions.
I believe the Australian Classic Highlights have already been shown on Freeview, but there has been no mention of it on my EPG (just Cycling etc) and it appears not to be in schedules on this website, so how are the licence-payers supposed to find out when to watch?
Maybe the idea is to reduce viewing figures so that it is easy to justify stopping them as part of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ cutbacks?

Thanks so much for the latest extended highlights show from 1990!! what a cracking race which I've never seen until now except for the short highlights on the season review. Well chuffed with that, it brought a smile to my face all the way through.
The rest were good too although I did think the 2003 highlights would have been better with the original sound from both commentators.


RE: the website videos

Andrew why since the start of the year have additional race weekend interviews on the website been with terrible audio quality? Are they supposed to be like this? I am slightly hard of hearing and the poor audio makes it more difficult for me to hear the conversation

ta

.....oh and I'm with Trevor Pryce-Jones, a complete season rerun on iplayer of a year from days gone by would be an absolute dream!!!!

"They're disappearing like ice cubes in the desert. There are mice in the machinery... " - Classic Murray

2003 please

I will refrain from complainingas it clutters the blog

Loved watching 1990 extended highlights, the Ferrari V12 still gives me goosebumps, wish today's Ferrari sounded as fabulous...


@67

You're right there does appear to be a lack of classics from 1987. The one (quite major) exception is the British GP which I believe was the 'winner' of the vote last year for Classic British GPs.

But to be honest from the top of my head I can't really think of many notable races from that year, save Belgium (where Senna and Mansell had a coming together and Prost equalled Stewart's [then] record number of wins [i think?])

On the other hand, practically every race from 1982 has already featured - although it was an exceptional season.

1990 highlights were great, especially the last 3m 20s of the programme (the montage of the year's highlights) - what a fab year it was!

For the next one, I'd like 2001 please. I know people used to revile Schumacher but he really was great in that race. Let's re-live it.

Absolutely loved the 1990 Australia highlights, thanks! It's uncanny but a lot of ones I've voted for have been the extended package picked!

Just a quick question - will there be absolutely no duplication in the shortlists from the ones which were selected last year? There were quite a few races which were shortlisted but not picked for the full extended highlights which I'd hoped would be chosen again this year (such as Monaco '81 and Italy '95 - and also Brazil '84 I hoped would crop up again when we get to the Brazilian GP, even though it wasn't chosen in the season-opener selection).

And regarding '87 races, the one I really hope will get chosen from that year is Spain, I know Mansell romped away in front, but the battle for second (Senna holding up a huge train) seems fanstastic from the year-end video and would love to see the full thing!

And my Malaysia vote goes to 2002. I thought any race during that era which wasn't a Ferrari domination was great!!

To Notes 37, 38 & 40.

Ok. I'm somewhat staggered to read that FOM own each of the national commentaries as well! I'm curious, though: what about the performer's right to the use of their own voice? Does every person who enters any F1 commentary box (including guests) have to sign a 'Bernie Waiver'?

Re: Jonathan Palmer, Williams-Renault's example is perfectly apposite; the same principle applies regardless if the commentator is the main presenter or not if that's what the broadcaster chooses to do, whether it's ITV, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ or whoever. I'd rather, though, that the Radio 5 commentary was dubbed over, as this new cobbled-together re-voicing is a bit of a dog's dinner. I grew to really dislike Allen's shouty, nationalistic, football approach to F1 commentary, but I have to say it's better than what I saw last night under the satellite Red Button.

Note 42: Koby - I never claimed I knew about the state of the GP2 rights pertaining specifically to the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ, and said as much; only that E/sport got the live rights after Setanta went belly-up. I was actually trying to be helpful, since it seemed you wanted to find GP2 coverage, and AB believed this to be the case in his reply, too. Still, it gave you an opportunity to do some name-dropping, so I hope I've been of some use.

Note 82: JD - I've been scouring my Freeview EPGs as well, and I haven't found the Classic F1 either. I started looking the moment I learned here from AB's blog the AusGP selection (though I've yet to check since getting in from work). However, I did find listed hour after hour of a looped run of a Dr. Who excerpt that lasts just one minute. Go figure!

I don't think they've updated the EPG details on 301. Last night for 21:00 it still said Sport News Loop, and it did show one run of the loop, but then the Classic Grands Prix came on.

In Andrew's original post he said the highlights "will be available on Freeview from 2100-2300 on Wednesday and from 2030-2130 on Thursday 25 March". They were on last night (at roughly those times) although the EPG didn't list it, try looking in half an hour and hope for the best.

As for Malaysia, I guess 2009 would be my choice.

OK...

Malaysia '09 please.

This article (link above) says: "That was in Brazil in 2004 - the last race of a season in which Schumacher had cruised to his seventh world title - where local hero Rubens Barrichello got the better of his Ferrari team leader."

The last race in 2004 was at suzuka where Rubens beat him.

matthewnotmatt #94

"The last race in 2004 was at suzuka where Rubens beat him."

The last race of 2004 was in Brazil, and Montoya actually beat the pair of Ferraris and Kimi Raikkonen to win his last race for Williams (and Williams' most recent victory, sadly). Barrichello did have the better of Michael at both Suzuka and Interlagos. In fact Schumacher just had a shabby end to that season, because he had a shocker in China before the Japanese race too. Funny how that form carried into the 05 season, though he wasn't really to blame for it.

Just watched the excellent highlights on Freeview. Superb timing too! It's always great to hear James Hunt. Especially in those last few years before he died and the partnership with Murray was at its peak! Brilliant stuff!

BUT, it would appear that we're back to the usual moaning and groaning from the ungrateful, spoilt posters that come here just because they can't be satisfied with one little generous innovation that Andrew and the boys at the Beeb have done for all of us fans. Unfortunately its a sign of the times that people cannot be grateful for what they are given and that they feel it's their obligation to pick holes in everything they see just because it doesn't fit their blinkered opinion of exactly how it should be. If you haven't got anything constructive to say, go away.

So, now that you've gone away, I'll try and steer the conversation back to what this blog is for. A discussion of the classic Grands Prix we have just watched. And it's interesting that the 1990 Grand Prix is just about the same rules as 20 years later, regarding no re-fuelling and without the silly rules of using two different tyre compounds. And look how exciting that race was! In my opinion, and you may have a different one, is the fact that the aerodynamics are much simpler, the tyres are less sticky and the brakes are not as advanced as todays. Basically, everything is 20 years behind the times and that is why the racing was so exciting. Clearly, when banning re-fuelling, the powers that be didn't think how technical F1 cars are now. Plus, Adelaide was a really good track. Lets hope Melbourne will reward our early morning eyes and tired limbs. And don't forget to out your clock back too!

Peter, having watched F1 'develop' over the last 36 years - since I started following the sport - what you say is quite true. Simply put there are three BIG factors: Power, Grip and Drag. 40 years ago there was just enough power, plenty of drag, and very little grip. 20 years ago there was plenty of power, enough drag and not too much grip. Now we have plenty of power, not enough drag and too much grip.

Power to grip ratio, and the adjustment thereof, is the key to 'putting on a show'.

My vote's for the 2009 Malaysian, a crazy shambolic race but a memorable one.
Thanks for showing these Aussie races again, it was wonderful to hear James Hunt's succinct comments again, and the contrasting engine sounds over the years (my favourite's the 1990 Ferrari) - proof that F1's rules have never stayed still.
Good to see you have a link to James Allen's Blog on this page, but shouldn't you put a few asterisks in his name?

@ CNW0429 #95

LOL, my bad!!! You (and Beeb) were right, I was thinking of 2003. A rookie mistake!

@ #96 Peter, very true, perhaps the cars of today are just too sophisticated to produce the racing everyone craves, plus they've messed about with the rules that much now since the Ferrari walkover of 2002 that it's just gone crazy.

There already dreaming up more ideas like reducing the rev limit to 17,000rpm, but allowing the drivers to rev upto 18,000rpm for a certain time period during the race, but surley that just makes artificial overtaking.

And they're looking at making the step between tyre compounds three.

F1 is too reliable now and the drivers hardly make mistakes to present chances of position changes.

Who knows, the rule makers may bring in some compulsory retirements to "spice up" the racing

Myself, I think they should bring back manual gearboxes, the possibilty of missing a gear and not having a light telling you when to change up might make some difference - but the possible damage to engines and gearboxes would stop that from happening.

On the choice for Malaysia, I'd say 2001. I was enjoying the sight of the Ferrari's sliding off on the grass at the start, but as it turned out, they could've parked up for half a minute and had a brew, and still they'd have finished 1-2.

Malaysia 2002 was a good result for Williams, their first 1-2 for six years.....Williams winning, sadly turning into a distant memory.