How F1 media coverage has evolved in line with its subject

When the first issue of F1 Racing, now GP Racing, appeared in 1996 it was very notable to me: I was in my second year as a Formula 1 commentator for Eurosport TV and the extra depth of information and analysis was invaluable. The arrival of a new monthly magazine was evidence of the way media coverage of F1 was evolving – and it’s been changing ever since, on screen and off.

At that time our TV production system was straightforward; each programme would begin with me and John Watson speaking from the commentary box with images of the build-up to qualifying or the race. The on-camera gathering of presenters and experts that’s standard nowadays was developing elsewhere, but not on Eurosport.

The media world was more compact in the mid-90s; teams would welcome us to their motorhomes for a chat, we had access to pit garages and opportunities to catch up on all sorts of info. Since John and I had no production team, we were often in the media room and discussing stories with other journalists was always a helpful step.

1996 was an emotional run on the microphone; announcing Damon Hill as world champion as he crossed the line in Suzuka to become the first title-winning son of a champion was hugely significant. His battle with Williams team-mate Jacques Villeneuve was entertaining but news that Damon was being dropped by the team for the following season – while he was still fighting for the title – was baffling. Still, it was typical of how rich an environment for intrigue F1 was becoming, and how it could support a media ecosystem.

There was more striking news on my side: Eurosport no longer had the rights to F1. There was change on the terrestrial side too as the BBC made way for ITV, with the late great Murray Walker swapping channels to be joined by Martin Brundle. And I would spend the next four years commentating on Champ Cars in the US for Eurosport.

By 2002 I was back covering F1 – from Biggin Hill. Formula One Management and BSkyB were early movers in what’s now a familiar concept: pay-per-view coverage offering viewers many different ways of watching a live event, with a choice of cameras and the option of different commentaries (or none at all). Back then, fans in the UK still had access to free live coverage on ITV, so despite the extras offered by the F1 Digital channel, not enough people signed up. At the end of the season, the project was shuttered.

GP Racing changed its name ahead of the 2020 season as F1 became more active in competing with media

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar

By the time I rejoined the F1 paddock in 2012, there had been another shift in the media world. BBC TV had me commentating on all of the races alongside David Coulthard, with 10 races live and 10 as edited highlights. For full live coverage, a Sky TV subscription was required – the audience had now grown more accustomed to the concept of paid TV.

With whole channels devoted to F1, the number of TV personnel had grown massively and this naturally had an effect on relationships with the teams, who had to limit their availability given the sheer volume of requests. Magazines such as F1 Racing were now having to fight for access with TV channels – or work with them. The paddock felt more closed and private, yet the information coming out on screen, in magazines and online was more than ever.

Another pivot away from Ecclestone’s thinking came with the embracing of social media, less gatekeeping of shared F1 content on the likes of YouTube, and a content-rich website

This momentum has continued under Liberty Media’s control of the commercial rights. Reversing Bernie Ecclestone’s closed-door policy, Liberty gave the Netflix Drive to Survive documentary series its blessing. Besides adding another camera crew to the paddock, this had the effect of rapidly growing F1’s audience (especially in the USA) when the show took off.

Another pivot away from Ecclestone’s thinking came with the embracing of social media, less gatekeeping of shared F1 content on the likes of YouTube, and a content-rich website. Here the commercial rights holder was beginning to compete with media, hence Motorsport Network’s decision to give up the licence and change the name from F1 Racing to GP Racing in 2020.

Going forward now with some new drivers and the fascinating partnership between Hamilton and Ferrari, plus the final year of an established set of technical rules, 2025 looks perfectly poised. While the media world continues to adjust, there will be new opportunities to soak up the drama.

Edwards reckons the media landscape will continue to shift

Photo by: JEP