Dennis worried about PPV coverage

Finland's MTV3 coverage will switch to the new MT3 MAXI channel next year - meaning live broadcasts of races will only be available to subscribers. Its free-for-air service will only show the races several hours later.

Portugal will also move to pay-per-view only next season. Long-time broadcaster RTP's free service will be replaced by subscription channel SportTV. There will be no free coverage of the races at all.

Dennis is against the idea of moving towards pay-per-view television, because it will inevitably lead to a massive drop in the audience figure for the sport.

"I think pay-per-view has a role in certain circumstances," explained Dennis. "I don't think it is as black and white as saying that one is better than the other, but I think free-to-air is the way to go.

"The revenue generation from pay-per-view I don't think ever would be big enough to balance the loss of viewership if we don't have free-to-air. And it is really the television audience that drives the commercial model of Grand Prix racing.

"So we need a big audience, and I think there is nothing more certain that if it was pay, then the audience would drop for F1."

Mercedes-Benz motorsport boss Norbert Haug believes that the best television coverage model is the one adopted in Germany - of free live coverage on RTL, with the option of more enhanced coverage on pay-per-view channel Premiere.

"The coverage must be free," he said. "I think we have the perfect example where, in addition, you can have pay-per-view like our system in Germany."