BBC confirms 2015 F1 plans
January 7, 2015
After an enthralling 2014 season which culminated in 6.5 million people tuning in to the BBC to watch Lewis Hamilton crowned as the new World Champion, the BBC has confirmed its coverage plans for the 2015 FIA Formula One World Championship.
With comprehensive coverage of the season right from the start across television, radio and online, the BBC will show 10 live races on television, with the remaining Grands Prix shown as extended highlights. All the races will be live on BBC Radio 5 live or 5 live sports extra and fans can also follow all the action and the latest news on the F1 section of the BBC Sport website and via the BBC Sport App.
The 10 live television races will be:
* Malaysia 29 March
* Bahrain 19 April
* Canada 7 June
* Great Britain 5 July
* Hungary 26 July
* Belgium 23 August
* Japan 27 September
* Russia 11 October
* Brazil 15 November
* Abu Dhabi 29 November
BBC Head of F1, Ben Gallop, says: “Like all F1 fans, we can’t wait for the 2015 season. With Lewis Hamilton as World Champion, F1 in Britain is in a great position and we’re delighted with our race package. These live races, combined with our ever-popular highlights programmes and our extensive coverage on radio and online means F1 fans can follow every step of Hamilton’s title defence on the BBC.”
The BBC negotiates with fellow broadcaster Sky on the division of live and non-live races, with a variety of factors being taken into account when deciding the picks. For the races not shown live on BBC TV, audiences are offered a wealth of ways to follow the action with extended TV highlights and live radio and online coverage.
The BBC has a deal to broadcast Formula 1 racing, through to and including 2018.