Grapevine: Rider, Goodman to cover BTCC

Rider and Goodman had been two of the stars of ITV's Formula 1 coverage over the past years. Formula 1 in Britain will be broadcast by the BBC from this year.

"It's particularly satisfying to be involved in a sport which is always strong on storylines, personalities, humour and controversy," said Rider.

"The chemistry the BTCC delivers is unsophisticated, so makes it easily accessible for a casual motor sport audience which is of great importance. Indeed, the BTCC is perhaps the one series that has brought the general public flooding back into race circuits across the UK and very probably also breathed new life into some of those circuits.

"With that in mind, it is worth re-emphasising ITV's continuing and comprehensive commitment to the championship - if you add up the hours of motor sport coverage on mainstream television in the UK then the BTCC will receive more air time than any other form of motor sport."

Goodman, ITV's F1 pitlane reporter, had last presented coverage of the series in 2007.

"The BTCC never fails to deliver," she said. "I'm not just a TV presenter, I'm also a motor sport fan and this series consistently produces the kind of top class entertainment and high standards of competition that all motor sport fans love. As a TV reporter, it's a very accessible series to work in.

"The teams are open and friendly; I can take the viewers right to the heart of the action so they can hear the news first-hand... and it can get a little controversial, too, so there's always plenty to talk about."

Every round of the BTCC will be shown live on ITV4, with the highlights shows on ITV1 increased from 60 to 90 minutes in length, meaning that coverage will exceed 100 hours this year.