Motorsport News: Between the Lines

It's not often you hear drunken Germans chanting 'Niki Lauda's only got one ear' - but it was a familiar sound in the Monza press room during the Italian GP weekend.

This was not the by-product of journalists being driven stir crazy after typing endless words about Michael Schumacher. Rather, it reflected the latest internet craze.

The YouTube website carries a massive range of video clips. It's a phenomenon that is taking the web by storm - and creating one at the same time.

Once you register you can upload any video you want (within reasonable taste). And more and more motor racing clips are appearing. If you search for "Nannini" and "Suzuka" you'll stumble across some qualifying footage from the 1987 Japanese Grand Prix. You get an on-board view from the roll hoop of Nannini's Minardi and will watch agog as Satoru Nakajima squeezes him onto the grass at the exit of Spoon curve.

If you replace "Nannini" with "Senna" you'll find footage of the great Brazilian's 1989 qualifying lap and even some Honda NSX-R road car footage. There is a camera mounted above the pedals, so you can watch Senna's legendary throttle blipping as he glides around the track.

The further you delve the more unusual the clips. How about the Nurburgring lap record viewed from Michael Vergers's Radical?

As it gets more users YouTube is becoming the most thorough motor racing archive - and it's free. But how much longer can this craze last? Since 1979 Bernie Ecclestone has wielded a tight rein over his precious Formula One broadcasting rights.

The revenue generated from selling TV rights has made him - and the sport's participants - rich beyond their wildest dreams. But with footage now appearing all over the internet, can he continue to keep that control? If you can't beat them, surely it's time to join them?

The official Formula One website offers very little video footage, but it could become an unrivalled resource.

At the moment YouTube is facing copyright infringement issues, but small, low-res snippets surely only fuel interest in the subject as a whole. In the age of high-definition television, such things don't detract from the main show. Bernie and his cohorts need to act quickly to make sure they aren't left behind.

To find the Germans, type "Niki Lauda" and "ear".