ITV’s Formula 1 motor racing coverage slithered to an end yesterday in much the same way as the incredible final race that ultimately resulted in Britain’s Lewis Hamilton becoming the youngest-ever world champion.
Towards the end of the broadcast, shortly after Hamilton had overtaken Timo Glock on the second-last corner of the race to pip Brazilian Felipe Massa to the title, the commentators started uttering their valedictory that the "other lot" who are taking over the coverage next season – the BBC – would find it difficult to equal ITV’s coverage over the last dozen years and, especially, would struggle to compete with the drama that unfolded during yesterday’s race.
That may well be true but, actually, yesterday highlighted as many of the frailties of ITV’s coverage as it did strengths. For a few moments at 7.00pm, just as the race had finished and viewers were gagging for confirmation of what had happened on the final, pivotal lap and to hear from the new champion, I actually thought ITV was going to shell out to its new drama series Britannia High instead of staying with the action. Obviously the producers quickly saw sense and made a rapid about-turn, and viewers got an extra 15 priceless minutes.
ITV’s coverage has won several industry awards, but has also been beset with problems such as managing to fit in the ad breaks without missing crucial passages of the race. In 2005, at the San Marino Grand Prix, the network infuriated viewers by shelling out to an ad break three laps from the end while two drivers were battling it out for victory. An early ad break in the crucial initial stages of yesterday’s race also seemed particularly badly timed.
The antisocial starting hours of some of the races from far-flung corners of the world didn’t exactly suit viewers and advertisers. And there was also a feeling that the coverage was preaching to a converted, very loyal audience of upmarket men, but one that remained much the same throughout and didn’t put on extra viewers - apart from the thrilling Lewis Hamilton effect of yesterday.
The irony is that the next few years of Formula 1 look set to be some of the most exciting for a long time, with Hamilton opposed by a number of bright, new stars. But ITV will now concentrate its resources on football and hand the F1 reins back to the BBC.
