There are some sports that are easy enough to understand, even if the minutiae isn’t quite so easy to get your head around. Football, for example, involves two teams trying to kick the ball into the net more than the other, with the one that does so winning. Similarly, Formula One sees 20 cars on a race track, with the fastest winning. Of course, it’s the minutiae that makes the sport significantly more interesting than just a battle of the quickest car, which is where commentators and pundits really come into their own. They are able to explain it all to a viewing public that would otherwise be entirely in the dark about proceedings.
Pundits & Commentators on TV
When it comes to English audiences, the rights to show F1 races live belong to Sky Sports. Sky Sports F1 is a channel that goes live during the season, promising both races and highlights, as well as the chance to see numerous behind-the-scenes items that promise a higher level of interest to those that care. Interestingly, television broadcasters use what is known as the ‘world feed’ for Formula One races, which is supplied by the broadcaster for the home race. That means that the RAI, or Radiotelevisione Italiana, supplies the feed for the Italian Grand Prix, TF1 sends it out when it takes place in France and so on.
Nowadays, Sky Sports F1 shows the races live in the United Kingdom, with Channel 4 showing the highlights. At times, the likes of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone or the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from the Yas Marina Circuit have been shown live on Channel 4, depending on the deal that is in place with Sky Sports. In 2018, F1 TV was launched by Formula One, which live streams various sessions as well as exclusive shows and historic races. Depending on rights restrictions, this may not be viewable in certain countries. Some countries broadcast the racing for free, whilst others have pay models.
List of Pundits & Commentators
Given the huge number of broadcasters around the world that look to show their own version of the Formula One races, practice sessions and qualifying, there are obviously countless people who would qualify as being pundits. Not all of these will work on British television, but even just the presence of both Sky Sports and Channel 4 there allows for a good number of people to work regularly. This list is therefore not exhaustive and obviously might not remain up to date if the broadcasters decide to mix up who it is that they use from time to time.
| Pundit/Commentator | Channel | Experience |
|---|---|---|
| Simon Lazenby | Sky Sports F1 | Host/Presenter |
| David Croft | Sky Sports F1 | Main Commentator |
| Karun Chandhok | Sky Sports F1 | Former Driver |
| Natalie Pinkham | Sky Sports F1 | Journalist |
| Martin Brundle | Sky Sports F1 | Former Driver |
| Jamie Chadwick | Sky Sports F1 | Former Driver |
| Rachel Brookes | Sky Sports F1 | Journalist |
| Anthony Davidson | Sky Sports F1 | Former Driver |
| Ted Kravitz | Sky Sports F1 | Former Driver |
| Nico Rosberg | Sky Sports F1 | Former Driver |
| Naomi Schiff | Sky Sports F1 | Former W Series Driver |
| Jenson Button | Sky Sports F1 | Former Driver |
| Jacques Villeneuve | Sky Sports F1 | Former Driver |
| Danica Patrick | Sky Sports F1 | Former Driver |
| Bernie Collins | Sky Sports F1 | Former Engineer |
| Steve Jones | Channel 4 | Long-term Commentator |
| Alex Jacques | Channel 4/F1 TV | Long-term Commentator |
| David Coulthard | Channel 4 | Former Driver |
| Mark Webber | Channel 4 | Former Driver |
| Billy Monger | Channel 4 | Former Driver |
| Lee McKenzie | Channel 4 | Journalist |
| Eddie Jordan | Channel 4 | Former Owner |
| Will Buxton | F1 TV | Long-term Pundit/Presenter |
| Laura Winter | F1 TV | Commentator |
| Lawrence Barretto | F1 TV | Long-term Pundit/Presenter |
| Sam Collins | F1 TV | Former Engineer |
| Jolyon Palmer | F1 TV | Former Driver |
| James Hinchcliffe | F1 TV | Former IndyCar Driver |
| Julien-Simon Chautemps | F1 TV | Former Engineer |
| Davide Valsecchi | F1 TV | Former Driver |
| Alex Brundle | F1 TV | Former Le Mans Driver |