When it comes to showing Formula 1 live in the United Kingdom,
Sky F1 has become the undisputed king.
Sky F1: Schedule, TV Guide &
Live Stream
Sky serves as the exclusive owner of F1 rights in the UK – its
main TV outlet is the Sky Sports F1 channel which was launched in
2012 and brings every free practice session, qualifying and race
live to its viewers.
From 2019 to 2024, Sky Sports F1 has exclusive rights to
broadcast Formula 1 live in the UK and Ireland, while it also
sub-licences highlights of all races and qualifying sessions plus
the entire live coverage of British Grand Prix weekend to UK
free-to-air broadcaster Channel 4.
Initially, the BBC had exclusive rights to show Formula 1 in the
UK until 2013, but a new broadcast deal was announced on July 29
2011 stating Sky Sports would cover all races live (half of
which would be exclusive to them).
Both Sky and the BBC would broadcast the remaining
races live, including the British Grand Prix and final
race, while the BBC also showed highlights for all races.
Following the 2015 season, BBC would relinquish its broadcasting
rights to Channel 4, before Sky Sports began an exclusive
broadcasting deal from 2019.
As of 2020, Sky Sports also offered live coverage of pre-season
testing, allowing viewers to soak up all eight hours of running
across each and every one of the six days and also the three that
took place for the 2021 season.
As well as the Sky Sports F1 TV channel, subscribers can also
watch all the action on the move through the Sky Go app. It can be
downloaded for your phone (Android and Apple), laptop or tablet,
meaning viewers can keep up to date with all the action on the
go.
If that is not enough to keep on top of the action then viewers
can dive deeper by heading over to Sky Race Control – it’s
available via the red button on the Sky Sports F1 channel and Sky
Sports iPad app.
Features include race coverage, official Formula 1 timing
showing times of all 20 drivers in every session and three
selective on-board camera feeds alternating between certain
drivers.
Sky F1 Schedule & TV Guide The fact Sky gave Formula 1 its own
standalone channel shows just how important the series is to the
pay-TV broadcaster.
And such is the quality, several broadcasters from around the
world simply use Sky Sports F1’s coverage on their own network.
ESPN, the main broadcaster of Formula 1 in the United States and
Puerto Rico, uses Sky Sports F1’s live coverage for all qualifying
sessions and races. TSN in Canada and Fox Sports in Australia also
use Sky Sports F1’s coverage.
And it’s not just the live racing which Sky has covered. Here
are some of the other shows which fans can sink their teeth into
during a regular weekly schedule:
The F1 Show
The first programme to air on Sky Sports F1 was its weekly
magazine show ‘The F1 Show’. As the name suggests, this programme
covers all the major talking points of a race weekend, while giving
viewers an insight into life within the Formula 1 paddock.
It was initially presented by Georgie Thompson and Ted Kravitz
(apart from the launch show, which was presented by Simon Lazenby),
then by Kravitz and Natalie Pinkham.
From 2014 it was presented by Pinkham or Rachel Brookes with
appearances from the likes of David Croft, Paul di Resta, Anthony
Davidson, Johnny Herbert and Damon Hill.
Legends of F1
From 2012 to 2014, ‘F1 Legends’ was a series of interviews with
some of the greatest names in Formula 1 history, hosted by Steve
Rider.
It all started with two-time World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi
on March 9 2012, while the late, great Niki Lauda was the final
superstar to appear on September 21 2014. The interviews are still
replayed on the channel to this day.
Welcome to the Weekend
Initially known as ‘The F1 Report’, the show is presented by
Pinkham or Brookes and formerly featured analyst Marc
Priestley.
It is usually shown on a Thursday before the start of a race
weekend and looks in further depth at some of the stories and
incidents which occurred in the aftermath of the previous race and
a look ahead at what to expect from the next race on the
calendar.
Classic F1
Coverage of a Formula 1 race from the archives. It commonly
corresponds to the race set to take place that weekend – just to
get you in the mood.
Ted’s Notebook
Presented during pre-season testing, qualifying and on race
days, Ted Kravitz takes a trip down the pit lane to discuss how the
session turned out for all the teams, discussing any major stories
or controversies along the way and bringing the viewer some
excellent behind-the-scenes stories which do not always make the
main live coverage.
He also grabs some interviews with any individuals of interest
who are hanging around, whether they really want to or not…
2021 Sky F1 Live Race Coverage
Bahrain Grand Prix: March 26-28 2021 – exclusively live on Sky
Sports F1 Made in Italy and Emilia Romagna Grand Prix: April 16-18
2021 – exclusively live on Sky Sports F1 Portuguese Grand Prix:
April 30-May 2 2021 – exclusively live on Sky Sports F1 Spanish
Grand Prix: May 7-9 2021 – exclusively live on Sky Sports F1 Monaco
Grand Prix: May 20-23 2021 – exclusively live on Sky Sports F1
Azerbaijan Grand Prix: June 4-6 2021 – exclusively live on Sky
Sports F1 Canadian Grand Prix: June 11-13 2021 – exclusively live
on Sky Sports F1 French Grand Prix: June 25-27 2021 – exclusively
live on Sky Sports F1 Austrian Grand Prix: July 2-4 2021 –
exclusively live on Sky Sports F1 British Grand Prix: July 16-18
2021 – live on Sky Sports F1 and Channel 4 Hungarian Grand Prix:
July 30-August 1 2021 – exclusively live on Sky Sports F1 Belgian
Grand Prix: August 27-29 2021 – exclusively live on Sky Sports F1
Dutch Grand Prix: September 3-5 2021 – exclusively live on Sky
Sports F1 Italian Grand Prix: September 10-12 2021 – exclusively
live on Sky Sports F1 Russian Grand Prix: September 24-26 2021 –
exclusively live on Sky Sports F1 Singapore Grand Prix: October 1-3
2021 – exclusively live on Sky Sports F1 Japanese Grand Prix:
October 8-10 2021 – exclusively live on Sky Sports F1 United States
Grand Prix: October 22-24 2021 – exclusively live on Sky Sports F1
Mexican Grand Prix: October 29-31 2021 – exclusively live on Sky
Sports F1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix: November 5-7 2021 – exclusively
live on Sky Sports F1 Australian Grand Prix: November 19-21 2021 –
exclusively live on Sky Sports F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix:
December 3-5 2021 – exclusively live on Sky Sports F1 Abu Dhabi
Grand Prix: December 10-12 2021 – exclusively live on Sky Sports
F1
Check out the full Sky Sports F1 TV schedule here.
Sky Sports F1 Presenters When it comes to star power, Sky F1 has
some of the best personnel in the industry assigned to its Sky
Sports F1 channel.
They are then supported by a pool of ex-Formula 1 drivers to add
extra insight, and some controversy too every now and then.
Presenter/lead commentator: David Croft
‘Crofty’, as he is affectionately known, is the lead commentator
for Sky Sports F1.
He was born and raised in Stevenage, England, the same town
which gave us Sir Lewis Hamilton – and Crofty will happily remind
us all of that fact.
He made his move to Formula 1 commentary in 2006 as BBC Radio
Five Live’s Formula 1 presenter and commentator.
Quickly, Sky F1 snapped him up to lead the commentary for their
new dedicated channel in 2012.
He was the voice of Codemaster’s F1 games from 2010-14, and
since 2015 has featured as the commentator for in-game
sessions.
Presenter/lead pundit/co-commentator: Martin Brundle
Martin Brundle was an F1 driver once upon a time, but has now
evolved to become one of the best-known voices of the sport. His
gridwalks have become an iconic part of pre-race coverage, now
exclusive on Sky F1.
And when it’s time for lights out, Brundle joins Croft in the
commentary box to discuss all the action from practice, qualifying
and race days.
You can also expect to see him doing some podium interviews for
the world broadcast feed, plus chats in the pit lane and opinion
pieces on the Sky Sports F1 website.
Main anchor/presenter: Simon Lazenby
Simon Lazenby acts as the lead presenter for Sky Sports F1.
He first began presenting for Sky Sports all the way back in
2002 as part of their live rugby union coverage.
These days he is the host and presenter of all live Sky F1
build-ups to practice, qualifying and race sessions, and anchors
the post-session analysis.
Presenter/reporter: Natalie Pinkham
Natalie Pinkham is predominantly a pit-lane reporter for Sky
Sports F1 – a role she held previously for BBC Radio Five Live in
2011. She also takes turns to co-host ‘The F1 Show’ and Welcome to
the Weekend.
Pinkham also sometimes presents the final practice session on
Saturdays and conducted driver parade interviews at selected races
before they were paused due to the health pandemic.
In addition to those roles, she also regularly presents features
that form part of Sky F1’s race weekend coverage.
Presenter/reporter: Rachel Brookes
One of Rachel Brookes’ main roles as part of the Sky F1 team is
to interview the drivers for ‘Paddock Uncut’ on Thursdays and
provide F1 news reports.
She takes turns with Pinkham to co-host ‘The F1 Show’, ‘Welcome
to the Weekend’ and the final practice session on Saturdays.
She also conducts driver parade interviews at selected
races.
Pit-lane reporter: Ted Kravitz
Another iconic voice of Formula 1, Ted Kravitz is the lead
pit-lane reporter for Sky F1, a role he now shares with former HRT
driver Karun Chandhok.
He also occasionally hosts the second free practice sessions and
has his own, much-loved show known as ‘Ted’s Notebook’.
Kravitz has been covering Formula 1 on-screen since 2002 when he
was part of ITV’s coverage.
Pundit: Anthony Davidson
Anthony Davidson raced for Minardi, Honda and Super Aguri in
Formula 1. He also tested for Mercedes.
Davidson has now transitioned into a Sky F1 pundit and can be
seen operating the Sky Pad as he analyses key moments between and
after sessions.
The Briton also has stints in the commentary box during free
practice and testing.
Sky Sports F1 live stream Sky Sports subscribers not only have
access to Sky F1 via satellite and cable – channel 406 on Sky and
channel 506 on Virgin Media for HD coverage – but they can also
access the Sky F1 live stream via a number of different
methods.
Sky customers can log into the Sky Go app to watch the Sky F1
stream and this is compatible on a wide range of devices. On
computers and laptops, Sky Go is compatible with Microsoft Windows
7, Microsoft Windows 8.1, Microsoft Windows Vista, Mac with OS X
10.7 Lion and above, including OS X Mavericks and OS X 10.10
Yosemite.
Sky Go is also compatible with PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and
Xbox 360 gaming consoles. It is also available on an extensive
range of mobile/tablet devices including Android.
Formula 1 fans who do not have a Sky F1 subscription can also
access the Sky Sports F1 stream via Now TV. The service offers a
range of flexible access passes, with a one-day pass unlocking all
11 Sky Sports channels including Sky Sports F1 for £9.98. Fans can
also buy a monthly pass for £33.99.
To sign up or subscribe to Sky Sports F1, click here.
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