The 2024 F1 season sees a record-breaking 24 race calendar, with the first race on 2 March in Bahrain. British F1 viewers can watch every race live on Sky Sports F1 or catch the highlights on Channel 4.
This arrangement is the result of several years of evolution of F1 broadcasting rights in the UK. The BBC used to show 10 races live each season but ended its deal three years early in 2015 due to budget cuts.
Channel 4 took over from the BBC at the end of the 2018 season, but since then only the British Grand Prix has been broadcast live on free-to-air in the UK. It has been announced that TV production company Whisper will retain its F1 deal to produce the Channel 4 coverage until 2026.
Sky Sports has exclusive rights to broadcast all the F1 races live, although Channel 4 still shows the highlights from qualifying and each grand prix. Each of the 24 races will be available to watch live on Sky Sports, with the British Grand Prix also being shown live on Channel 4.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Sky Sports, Channel 4 and F1 TV commentary teams:
Naomi Schiff, Sky TV, Martin Brundle Sky TV, Natalie Pinkham, Sky TV and Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Photo by: James Sutton / Motorsport Images
Sky Sports F1 commentary team
Simon Lazenby – Sky F1 lead presenter
Sky Sports F1’s coverage has been fronted by Simon Lazenby since the channel’s creation in 2012. In that time Lazenby has only missed two grands prix, including the 2020 Spanish Grand Prix and the 2020 Russian Grand Prix, which were led by Natalie Pinkham and Rachel Brookes respectively.
Lazenby joined Sky on work experience before becoming a runner, where he was eventually given a screen test. He then began presenting for Sky Sports in 2002, where he was part of the commentary team for the Rugby Union.
David Croft – Sky F1 lead commentator
David Croft – often referred to as ‘Crofty’ – is the Sky Sports F1 lead commentator and has held the position since the station started broadcasting in 2012. Prior to that Croft had commentated on F1 races for BBC Radio 5 Live, and has spent the best part of two decades commentating on darts, firstly for the BBC and more recently for Sky.
Croft’s voice has featured prominently in Codemasters official F1 game since 2010, where he has been a commentator for in-game sessions alongside Anthony Davidson, and in recent years with Natalie Pinkham. He can be heard at the start of every F1 race saying his famous “and…
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