It's all up in the air

Hi Jake, really enjoying the blog and the BBC coverage: well done to all concerned and keep up the good work.

You might want to get ready for the communication from Airbus telling you that Boeing are the competition.

See
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competition_between_Airbus_and_Boeing
for more info on the struggle.

Have a good journey...

Must resist the urge to point out that an airbus is not a boeing.... dammit.

I'm struggling to think what you could have been talking about on "what to improve on" in the production team meeting.
So far, as I said in the last blog, everything is brilliant!

This is a great blog, Jake!

Steve Rider was always going to be a difficult act to follow, but you're doing incredibly well so far. Your knowledge of the sport is superb, I loved how you ended the Malaysia highlights by quoting the late Ken Tyrrell.

Your only real blunder so far has been calling that Airbus the Boeing - but I'm sure we can all forgive you that!

Hi Jake, my other half and I are really enjoying your coverage of Formula 1, thanks for doing such a great job! Blog also great, only one question - what kind of sausages were they?

Cheers!

Hmm, nice bangers and mash! Yours looks healthier than mine, I like to have baked beans with it, and it's also one of the first things I go for when I get back in the UK.

Be interested to see what the new new-boy will be like, EJ was far more restrained last week compared to Melbourne which I will give him credit for.

Here's to a good race (better be worth getting up for, China last year was one of the more boring races!)

I'm officially jealous - I want to fly on the new 380 too... and also I'd love to be umpiring the DC/EJ matches live on BBC, though I wouldn't do it as well as you, Jake - you seem to have the measure of them... for the moment :-) I can't believe people are moaning about Eddie - he's opinionated, puts the salt in wounds and the spice in curry - I'm looking forward to the first diametrically opposed caustically phrased real disagreement between him and DC - it'll be rivetting stuff. Both are expert authority, and experts diverging is always edge of seat material... Why would anyone want to watch something as anodyne and vanilla as experts agreeing?? Not for me!!

So to the diffusers... Well, Red Bull have already admitted they are looking at the Brawn-style systems, and really, all the teams would be foolish if they weren't some way along with their development of the aero package to include the "illegal" versions.

I must admit I still can't get my head round it: Sky News today (am I allowed to mention them?) talked about a double decker diffuser - that sounds like nice alliteration but a gross simplification to me. On the other hand, all the talk of step planes, reference planes and holes in the floor that you can't see anything through also leaves me a bit cold... I guess I might understand it if someone walked me round the back of a Toyota or a Brawn and let me poke my fingers into the various orifices, but look what happened to MB when he tried to do that on the grid last week! Keep up the good work, Brundlefly!!

To me, it all smacks a little of either the usual F1 politics, or sour grapes from designers who were just a little bit less smart that their counterparts from other teams. I think once the protest is settled there will be another grid shakedown as teams get to grips with what will have become accepted technology.

I agree, diffuser or not, we will see Brawn feeling the pinch more this weekend, and I think Vettel (with an F) will be the one to do it in the Red Bull... Having said that, because of all the controversy surrounding Mr Hamilton in the last couple of weeks, his notably strong drives in a badly uncompetitive car (even ignoring all the McLaren negative hype) have gone to a large degree ignored. Let's suppose McLaren have a new aero package waiting in the wings should the decision tomorrow afternoon go in favour of Brawn et al... the whole thing could be turned on its head. Massa in the red car could also be a challenger if only his reshuffled pit crew dispels the fog Ferrari seems to have working in tactically in the last two races...

Hmmm ferry interestink...

All we need to see now is whether Norwich City can avoid relegation...

Looking forward to this weekend, should be a corker.

Now, I'm not usually the type to rattle out negative comments on the web about people I don't really know. But the appointment of Mike Gascoyne has me worried quite frankly. All I ever saw of him whilst he was at Force India was him having sour grapes and generally having the attitude of a child.
Now, having never met him I'm sure I'll be proven wrong. Seeing as he is now out of F1, I'll give him a fair chance.

Good luck to all you BBC folks this weekend. Have fun.

Oh, and just out of curiosity, what ideas did you pass on during your meeting? And what was talked about in terms of improvement and what has been seen as negative?

A Boeing Airbus 600? Hmmmm - at least you're not being paid to know about such things - so, excused. In aviation terms this equates to a Ferrari MP4-24! :)

Ha at ChrisGib and the Brundlefly comment. I once had the honour of asking one D.Cronenberg at a film festival about the character from his rather excellent movie the Fly and if it was connected in anyway with M.B. I was nicely suprised to hear yes it was, Cronenberg being a petrol head thought it would be amusing to call his main character who suffered from travel sickness after a F1 driver, Martin was changed to Seth and the rest was history. Well at least until the sequel some years later when Chris Walas (who isn't a petrolhead as far as I know but certainly knows how to blow up people's heads in an effects way, just see Scanners!) actually went the whole way and called son of Seth, Martin. Normal F1 service now resumes.. have a good one in China, it will be interesting to see how many new diffusers will turn up there.

great Blog Jake and hope we have another exciting weekend, What do you think is going to happen to Mclaren and lewis? if its bad do you see Lewis moving to a new team this season or next season? that would just make the season!!!, can you ask the powers to be why in Ireland you can not watch the short F1 video' as i only watch the BBC coverage and view the BBC Sport F1 Site.

anyway im really enjoying the F1 this season even me, a Ferrari fan

Thanks Jake and the team, have a good weekend

Robert,
Dublin Ireland

Great work Jake!

Really enjoying your coverage, you seem genuinely enthusiastic about Formula One. A breath of fresh air in television Grand Prix bradcasting.

Thanks for mentioning the lack of F1 Forum. I really enjoyed that slot after Melbourne and missed it after Indonesia. I don't suppose the BBC can provide any explanation for its absence?

And what happened to the preview show - I forget who hosted it pre-Melbourne but Andrew Benson was the expert guest. That disappeared in Indonesia too, without an explanation (or one that I caught...)

The BBC coverage is great, but when it makes changes, I wish it would explain them clearly, rather than just think we won't notice...

Great blog post Jake. Interesting and insightful as usual. Like the previous commenters, I really like the way that the EJ vs DC battle is panning out. EJ will get his opinion out there, cause a few sparks, and usually it will be the opposite of that DC thinks. Great TV will ensue.

I think Mike Gascoyne will be an excellent addition to the BBC F1 team for this round. To me though it feels a bit like when I heard of BBC taking over from ITV as the broadcaster of F1. Reluctant to change. We had it really good on ITV and I was worried that BBC wouldn't be as good. My worries turned out to be unfounded though as you guys have surpassed all expectations. Hopefully Mike will give me the same feeling. If Mike is good it would be excellent if we could have DC, EJ, Mike & yourself in on it all, but I guess that could get a bit chaotic!

Keep up the good work. I'm looking forward to this weekend (and news on the diffuser appeal) in earnest.

Dylan.
[Personal details removed by Moderator]

Jake

Fantastic coverage from the BBC, having suffered commercial breaks at the most critical parts off a GP for the last few years its a pleasure to recieve continuos coverage.
Must also comment you've been a breath of fresh air (thought S Rider might be hard to replace, but you've proved me wrong!), clean presenting and a depth of knowledge off the sport I honestly wasnt expecting. DC has also turned out to be an asset to the team, bringing an insight to F1 from the driver/technical perspective. Not 100% sure of EJ though?!
Bring back the Forum for this GP, as I have thoroughly enjoyed the post programme interviews, insight and debate..

Jake

This year has been a breath of fresh air - well done. The blog is great -gives us a unique insight; you are human as well, wow...

MB pit lane jaunts have been getting harder and harder but the Toyota incident was hilarious, tell him to keep up the good work.

I was a guest at the Sheffield match a couple of weeks ago - sorry you lost! Come on Yorkshire!

Anyway, look forward to more news of your exploits and opinion on todays verdict.

I suspect the unexpected; F1 never does as expected. And just as Brawn liven things up we shouldn't be surprised to see this curtailed by the bureaucratic fools that govern F1.

How on earth can Ferrari characterise Brawn as "arrogant" - wasn't this the man that led them to numerous titles and oversaw the rise and dominance of the arrogant cheat Schumacher? Funny old world...

Have fun and keep up the excellent work.

RB

I have enjoyed the coverage so far but am disappointed with the appointment of Mike Gascoyne. I don't know why Ted Kravitz isn't just utilized more with his knowledge of strategy and likeability.

I still think James Allen should be comentator as Leggie isn't doing a good job so far. It's one thing to be on radio calling the action as you see it and another on tv looking at the small things. He has missed so much of the action so far, particularly down the field at the starts and only points out the obvious. It is also making Brundle look bad when we know how good his insight can be.

Apart from the Boeing/Airbus slip, fantastic blog again. Great to hear what life is like on the circuit rather than just about the sport itself.

On the subject of improving the show I think it has been fantatstic so far and you have taken to it like a duck to water. My only concern is with EJ. I find he never rarely answers the question you ask but the one that he wanted and which makes him seem most relevent. DC has always had interesting and eloquent insight into the sport and is a great pundit. Really lookingf forward to hearing Mike Gascoigne's insight as he's race-weekend pitwall communications on 'the other channel'were always great!

Keep up the good work!

Great shot of the bangers and mash! I particularly like the Colman's in the corner - no Norwich boy should be without it! On that note I'd just like to add one thing - come on The Tractor Boys!

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Well done Jake and all at BBC Forula 1,i't great having it back at it's spiritual home, although the other side did a decent job [Ad breaks not included].
Really looking forward to the first race to cross the line in anger, i hope the diffuser row does not ruin what could be a fantastic season.
Keep up the great work, by the way nice sausage and mash-Yorkshire puddings though, not sure about that one

Jake - at least get yer facts right. tsch tsch.

Anyhow enjoy the ride, as it sure beats working for a living.

Oh come on politeboobie - so Jake's not a plane-spotter - oh well, in that case he can't present any sports on the BBC - logical!!
Great blog Jake - this is what a blog should be about!
On the coverage by the Beeb, I think it's excellent all round - but it would be nice to have a little bit more technical explanation for those of us who aren't experts!
Also, am I the only person who thinks Martin Brundle's still expecting ad breaks - his summary commentary half the time seems to be heading towards that!

Good blog Jake, looking forward to the race in China. What's the feeling with the BBC team and the Brawn diffuser issue? Have EJ and DC given you any insight that we may not have got yet? What's the common concensus?

As for the derby game, there's usually a few places you can watch it online, but I haven't found it on any listings yet. It's not on TV at home as far as I know, which isn't a good sign! If I find any links to live feeds I'll post them on your blog before kick off.

Enjoy the race .

At last common sense prevails. Go Jenson, go..

Jake,

Another great blog, and great action picture in the kitchen!
So diffuser row is over and for once the FIA have found in favour of a team that is not ferrari. Is this because it was Ross (ex feerari) or has something magical actually happened at the FIA?!!

Cant wait for the race this weekend and as you said hopefully we shall see a car go past the flag at speed. I am looking forward to what mike is going to bring to the race.

Enjoy the weekend and remember the next 10 races are at better times for europe so hopefully jet lag wont be much of a problem!!

Jake,

Great blog, it is great to get a non corporate look at how the beeb present at F1 venues and to hear from the horses mouth persay about what planning and work goes on behind the scenes! I for one always thought that presenters rocked up on saturday and sunday said a few words then ran into the hospitality hut and drank free champers!!!

I do have to say, and mean it in the kindest way but you look knackered in the photos above!!! only another 15 races then you can have a break!!

keep up the good work!

Well just seen the news that the FIA has at last decided to show a modicum of common sense and declare the diffusers legal, once and for all. Couldn't be happier.

Whilst any form of cheating shouldn't be tolerated, you have to wonder whether the money of the teams who were protesting might not have been better spent on actually catching up instead of whining because they weren't as clever as the design teams at Brawn, Toyota & Williams in thinking outside of the box.

Since when did anyone in F1 play within the "spirit" of the rules? If the protesting teams want to blame anyone then it should be the people who came up with the rules and made them ambiguous and open to interpretation.

It seems ludicrous to me that people can whinge about innovation, I thought this was the pinnacle of motor sport and technological development?

Looking forward to another good weekend for Brawn and would be happy to see any of the protesting teams fail to score points and those that just got their heads down and tried to do their best they can get their just rewards.

Hi Jake,
Really liking this new, more open approach to broadcasting, its good to see that feedback is being listened to.
I think other people have said this but it would be really informative to have Martin doing an in depth technical piece on the diffusers on the main programme. The brief news items we've seen covering the diffusergate story in the past few weeks just refer to it as ' a piece of the the floor'.
With the court verdict being so potentially critical to the championship outcome it would be good to get a full understanding of how the diffusers work and why they are so significant to the cars performance. With a lack of information, new viewers may just wonder what all the fuss is about.

Anyway, excellent blog, keep it coming.

Hi Jake, thanks for your latest update.

I would like to hear your opinions on the venues for the races as I assume you are visiting many of them for the first time this year. How do they compare to each other in terms of facilities hospitality and spectacle etc.

Regarding diffusers: I have just heard the news the FIA court of appeal have ruled in the same way as Charlie Whiting and the stewards of Australia and Maylaysia. I very sensible decision and it is good that there will be no more tinkering with the results of the first two races. Some of the reports of the hearing show Nigel Tozi of Ferrari to have launched a rather personal attack on Ross Brawn. I do not fully undersatnd why he has made this technical debate personal, but at least Ross Brawn has kept his dignity and accepted the rights of the other teams to appeal and an acceptance of due process. Lets hope that the sport moves on and we can now focus properly on the racing.

I hope that Eddie Jordan will be coming back to the presentation team. As I have posted previously I enjoy the alternative opinion and lively debate that he can bring to the coverage. I think that Mike Gasgoyne will do well as replacement, and will give an interesting insight into the diffuser verdict, car designs and also race stratergy.

Looking forward to Sunday.

Ok, enough back patting for jake and the BBC. I think they've got the message by now. Let's get back to discussing the sport and encourage Jake to aim a bit more of his blog to the behind the scenes info and less of the home and travel experience. (I know I'm just jealous!)

I'm sure that most of us were expecting the legal judgement on the diffusers but were also harbouring the nagging doubt (based on the history of F1)that there would be an upset. As we all breathe a sigh of relief we can now look forward to the competition livening up as the "big boys" update their cars. I wouldn't be surprised if ferrari and possibly McClaren have already got a new diffuser lined up for China. I think I recall it being said that Red Bull couldn't incorporate a similar diffuser because of their chassis or suspension configuration so they may be well behind the rest in this aspect although they have shown a good race pace without it. Brawn have the advantage that they can concentrate on improving their already race winning design and I for one hope that this means they continue to win races and end the season on top. We can't rule out BMW and Williams from the mix as we haven't had a race day that hasn't been influenced by safety cars and rain yet. Nico Rosberg and Robert Kubica have the potential to be on the podium at least if their cars perform.

Friday practice will be the first clue as to how the teams are going to adapt as I'm sure the teams are very guarded about their updates at the moment. Some investigative insight from Ted and Martin wouldn't go a miss here.

I predict that Qualifying will be even closer this week but Jenson will still be in the top two. Rubens will be keen to get on par with his team mate even if it is just to play rear gunner in the race. I'm sure he will be on the top step at some point this season.

Jake,

Another great blog. Glad to finally be posting on one! You're doing a great job - Steve who? The sausage and mash looks yum; I wish I was more culinary!

The majority of what the Beeb has offered us for F1 has been much better than ITV's efforts over the years. Non-interrupted coverage of course gets top marks, and I love all of the red button features.

I was a big Jordan fan back when they were around, so no Eddie Jordan this weekend will be odd. I'm liking his unwaivering adoration for any of his past drivers! Mike Gascoyne is an interesting temp and I'm sure he'll do a good job.

People complaining about Legard's commentary after just two races (!) need to chill out and reflect a bit. As a former-radio guy he just needs more time to gel. I'm sure by the end of the season we'll be in a better position to judge but by then I think people would be more positive.

Here's to China - a dry race, maybe no safety cars. The diffusers are officially legal, so is Jense going to thrash the field and take the flag properly? I hope Red Bull, Toyota and Williams are up there too.

Enjoyed the blog again Jake keep up the good work. Just remember when you are lagged, fed up, tired etc that you have a fab job, not as good as Jenson's right now but very good all the same.

Carry on and you will be presenting the Masters in a few years!

Can't wait for China, c'mon Lewis & Jenson.

I've been enjoying your blog and loving the races so far this season. Your broadcastings of the highest quality, EJ is quite forceful in getting his opinion across, but clearly its his passion for the sport compelling him to do so.

Between you DC and EJ i'm thoroughly entertained while waiting for the action to commence.

I'm glad to see the diffuser have been declared legal, as i'm a big Rubens fan (have been since i was 7, 15 years ago) and i'm looking forward to the teams finally getting down to some racing without this looming over their heads.

I look forward to saturday morning i'll be sure to be up early to watch it online.

Jake,
The BBC coverage so far has been good, but there hasn't been enough explanation of any of the technical issues. I agree with 'John_bon' above that now the ruling has been confirmed, we need a proper explanation of the difference between the double decker and standard diffuser design and why it can be interpreted in 2 different ways. DC said there were planty of photos available so couldn't understand why the Toyota boys were hiding it from MB, so you should be able to do a piece on it?
As far as EJ is concerned, it will be good to see what the show is like without him banging on about all his personal gripes and trying to be controversial for the sake of it.
This weekend? hopefully Brawn will have found some money to paint their car properly and Williams will convert flattering practice pace into real race pace before everyone else catches up!!

It's been said many times before but once again, excellent coverage so far.

I also think it will be interesting to see how many other teams race a "double decker diffuser" this weekend. Red Bull surely won't because Adrian Newey apparently thinks it's a safety issue (can't have the cars going too fast, can we?). Most of the other teams were so sure the ddd's would be ruled illegal that they can't possibly have started working on them!

What chance the Shanghai stewards buck the trend and declare the diffusers illegal?

Oh how we love F1!

Hey Jake

Firstly id like to reitterate John_bons comment - Im really enjoying this fresher and more open approach to your production - definately feels like our voices are being heard!

Also thumbs up for the way youve settled in..i can imagine how daunting it must have been

Ok - Ive got a couple of suggestions which id like to throw into the mix...feel free to comment

1) Seeing the Beeb has got an extensive Formula One archive dating as far back as when Eddie Jordan was in shorts...it would be great at each race for Martin to delve into the circuits history and personally select highlights from a key race...For example im thinking of when we get to Spain showing the 1991 race where Senna and Mansell went wheel to wheel down the main straight.

2) We run a fantasy GP league in our office - and was thinking it would be fun if all you pundits gave predictions each race on pole postion and first to third places - giving points out for correct predictions. Running a league it would be amusing to see who takes the BBC title...

Hope you like the ideas - and heres to a great race in China!

Hi jake, I know its been mentioned above, but yeah the boeing / Airbus comment has just earned you a guaranteed baggage loss! Boeing and Airbus are almost as friendly as Brawn GP and..... Ferrari? :-)

Looking forward to the China race so much it hurts! What a fantastic season, you really have landed the job of your career i feel. Congrats!

The brawn result is great. But the design is the best bit.

If you look back over the years, the best seasons have been from a good idea, '92 Williams active suspension, '94 benetton / schumacher, '98 Mclaren rear brake/steer, 2000 Ferrari aero design, 2009 Brawn diffuser.... I hope this goes on and on!

LOL Sorry about this - it's a bit off topic - but reading ToneXIR's comment about MB's relationship with the Fly, I couldn't help wondering if in China we will have to call him Blundlefry.... Ouch!!

I've a number of comments to make:

1) The best bangers and mash recipe is the one in Nigel Slater's Appetite book. Try it, you'll love it!

2) Pleased that you're giving EJ a break and looking forward to hearing Mike Gascoyne's view on the diffuser thing.

3) Speaking of which, whilst I'm happy with the outcome for Brawn, Williams and Toyota, I can't help thinking that if the teams with the advantage were McLaren, Ferrari and BMW or Renault then the decision would have gone the other way.

4) Sticking to this theme, does anyone else agree that Ruben's dive up the inside in Australia was very similar to Lewis's in Japan? He was never going to brake in time and on line for the corner. Politics at work again me thinks...

Really enjoying the blogs Jake - like many other comments on here, it's really good to get a non-corporate view of things. Keep it up!

Cheers,

Vim

Oh Oh i missed the Gascoyne bit! Well that could be a great move, Mike is the Don, and he has a great mind, I would love to hear his comments. As for EJ, I think his shelf life is out of date! I loved him as a controversial team boss, but this role isnt that. We need objective sensible comment, not arguments! DC and MG should work out just lovely!!

Well done BBC, at this rate I may consider paying my licence!! ( Joke! )

I'm glad the diffusers have been declared legal, if only because it would have been a total farce had they been ruled illegal and the top three teams been stripped of their points so far.
However, as a Red Bull Racing fan I'm hoping the team can do something about getting a diffuser of their own; I know they've implied that it's unlikely to happen but surely they'll work on it now? They seem to be significantly faster than the other non-diffuser teams at the moment so it would be great to see what they can achieve if the advantage that Brawn/Williams/Toyota currently have is negated.

Another great blog Jake — I totally disagree with a comment made earlier suggesting you write less about your home/travel experience, as I really love all that stuff. Of course, the more F1 behind-the-scenes info, the better, but I think you strike a great balance with the more personal side of your experience, too. Keep up the good work!

Hi Jake, I have to say I enjoy your blogg and the BBC race coverage, only one negative comment, have a word with the wardrobe dept, you look like you've grow out of your clothes, sorry mate.

Great timing! ! wonder if you can get Mike Gascoyne more frequently. A technical perspective will be interesting. I've been quite envious of our Irish brethren having Gary Anderson commentating for them.

"... it would be fun if all you pundits gave predictions each race on pole position and first to third places - giving points out for correct predictions. Running a league it would be amusing to see who takes the BBC title..."

What a great idea!! Bring it on guys!!!

LoveF1, I think RBR have said they were already working on their "illegal" diffuser design - they were hazy about when it would be ready if required, but I do wonder if we might see it appear sooner rather than later - and RBR are already probably the closest challenger to Brawn... so could be interesting...

Jake, really chuffed with the way you guys are covering the F1 season! Nice one on a good read in the blog too. A real approachable feel to the whole team.

A breath of fresh air!

cheers, Zac

ps. any chance one of you can shout "Rocket Yeah" every now and then... a bit of rock without the adverts could be a real winner ;)

Brilliant coverage so far, I'm loving the classic f1 videos on BBCi.

Anyway, If I could just ask a question surrounding the race build up, that would be great. Although I am too young to remember, what has happened to the music as the cars line up on the grid? Radio 5 Live use their own music whilst running through the grid line up for the final time, would be great to see this replecated on BBC TV.

Loving the blog Jake, adds a brilliant extra dimension to everything. Nice to hear about your track walk in Shanghai.

Looking forward to hearing the opinions of Mike Gasgoyne this weekend, I hope he can shed some light on other pieces of brilliance (vaguely touched on by BrawnGP when referring to areas other than the diffusers that have made them so quick) on this years cars.

I have also learnt my lesson from the first couple of races this year in as far as no adverts mean no window of opportunity for a nice cup of mid-race tea, but alas, the kettle, tea bags, mug, sugar, milk, toaster, bread and butter will all be with me in the livingroom this weekend!
I hope others have managed to overcome this more than welcome 'obstacle'

Hi Jake,
I would like to add to d1sciples comment about Ted Kravitz. When Ted was with the competition last year his pit lane blogs were very informative. A similar commentary here would be a great addition to the BBC website.
Regards,
Terry

Hehe, the no adverts is great, i have noticed tho early races means more coffee to wake up which in turn has its disadvantages. sometimes those pesky breaks did come in handy if you catch my drift.

Finding all this blogging great, as i never really bothered before. but been told about the website and its goings ons has really encoreged me to join up and have my 2p worth on here and 606.

mmmmmmm bangers and mash

daz

Just thought,

For your next meeting, could we have some mblogs from D.C, E.J, M.B and the others?

It would be good to read there comments on our comments and questions.

cheers
daz

"... it would be fun if all you pundits gave predictions each race on pole position and first to third places - giving points out for correct predictions. Running a league it would be amusing to see who takes the BBC title..."

Speed Channel do that on Nascar Raceday, and there is much crowing and bragging between the presenters as a result. It is one of the best parts of Raceday.

I would like to get a better understanding of these diffusers, now they are legal. Perhaps Toyota would let the Beeb take a look (er perhaps not.)

Durin the live shows could the directors develope a way of keeping ej a little bit quieter, i like him and his views but i'd like to hear dc's too! glad it's back on the beeb tho and i am really impressed with the show. good stuff!

Hi Jake

Loving your blogs. Its nice to be able to hear what you guys are up to in the lead up and aftermath of the Grand Prix weekends.

Must say that I am really looking forward to Mike being there instead of EJ. Maybe DC will get more of a chance to speak as a pundit this weekend.

Prediciton for this weekend now that the diffuser row is over. Barrichello to win from Glock and Button. The other teams need to stop their whinging and realise that Brawn, Williams and Toyota discovered something they didn't and will just have to put up with it until they can develope a new diffuser.

Looking forward to the race. Go Brawn!!

By the way, the weather forecast for Sunday in Shanghai is heavy rain.

Hi Jake,

Fantastic coverage from yourself and the BBC team this year, On another note should Ferrari continue as they have started this season and further changes to look forward to for the start the 2010 season could we be seeing the end of a ferrari presence in F1.

If the other big changes which have been outlined by th FIA for next season regarding the chassis and monocock F1 looks like it will end up no different to A1 racing adn could seriously end up with out the big manufactures Like Ferrari & McLaren.

Jake - Obviously you managed to sleep on this plane - no mid-flight blogging this time?

I'd love you guys to cover one aspect of the diffuser situation - that 2 teams (Renault certainly, was Red Bull the other?) had their diffuser ideas rejected months ago.

Does this mean that FIA rejected valid designs? Or that those 2 teams don't quite realise what it is about Brawn, Toyota and Williams that makes theirs legal? Like Ross Brawn said - the other 7 teams were just fishing, because they don't know what the details are.

So finally, was the appeal just a ruse by the 7, so that the 3 double-decker teams would be forced to openly publish the design data?

Keep up the good work all you guys. The complete coverage is excellent!

hi jake
must be honest i had my doubts about you before australia,but you are doing ok.a bit more enthusiasm wont go amiss.thought dc was going to give ej a slap on more than one occasion during the last two broadcasts{rightly deserved in my opinion!!}please get someone else to do the interviews in future,ej with bernie was painfull!!!to say the least.could have done better myself.anyway keep up the good work,team doing well considering.all the best

p.s to last comment ,please ask mike what he is up to now and has he been approached by braungp?and if not why not?

Jake,

I am enjoying reading all about the Beeb's presentation of F1 season through your blogs and the website. Only wish I could see it too! Living in China I can assure you it is not the same watching on CCTV5! Have a look if you have time and tell me what you think!

Best of luck with Shanghai and here's hoping for the best race ever at Shanghai.

Jake.......

On The Ball City.

Hi,
This is slightly off topic I know but non the less I want to vent my spleen a little. Can you guys please have a word with FOM or whoever is in charge the main race feed to stop cutting to the engineers, girlfriends, fathers et al when a move occurs on the track. It something that has crept into almost all tv coverage of motorsport and is truly annoying. The biggest thing is the cut misses the reaction of the overtaken person to the overtake. The amount of times we then completely miss the attempt to take back the place, the run wide of the overtake due to late breaking etc. I don't give a monkies that such and suchs girlfriend has her head in her hands...I tune in to watch the race not the pit crew, engineers, families etc.. When it's pertinent it makes sense (pit stops for example). I realize the BBC does not control this feed but at least you have a voice with these people.

Vent over...

I have to say I have really been enjoying the BBC coverage. The little mistakes you guys are making actually add to it for me.You always get the major stuff spot on and to say you have only done two broadcasts it is very slick.

As to the diffusers, who knows, some may have an update some may not. Bear in mind that Brawn and toyota have elected not to even develop KERS and Williams haven't got theres working properly yet. So combine that with a field with similar downforce levels in or around the start of the european races and you can see some of the teams leap frogging up the order. I will be amazed if Red bull have anything intime due to the push rod rear end design.

Who will have updates, McLaren have already declared there bringing new aero stuff to Shanghai, me thinks MB will need to do his entire pit walk on his knees with one of those extensions with a mirror on the end. Only other minor point is that everyone keeps referring to the difuusers as double decker diffusers...toyotas is actually a triple decker :-)

One last point, can you shed any light on the heated conversation between Ross Brawn, Adrian Newey and Rory Bryne at the FIA hearing. It has kept being alluded to in various reports that they had a bit of a confrontation and I am interested in why, as these are probably the three most accomplished guys in F1 design.

Hi Jake
Hope you're having fun in China. I've been enjoying reading your blog and the comments. I got busy and didn't get round to posting 'coverage feedback' on your last blog but I just wanted to say one thing: Just remember to never underestimate your viewers. I'm a 40 year old woman who's never owned a car but I'm avidly interested in motorsport and fascinated by the abilities of the drivers and the teams. If you pander to the lowest common denominator you'll bore the audience members like me but if you expect people to be really interested in the sport (just like the football programmes do for example), you'll drag the new viewers up to the level of the rest of us by default! As a lot of the posters on this blog shows, just because the BBC is new (again) to F1 doesn't mean the viewers are as most of them even remember the BBC's last stint!

Since the chatter here is mainly about the double diffusers, I'll throw in my pennyworth. I liked the fact, in the last two races, that the cars were so distinctly different - KERS giving some cars an advantage down the straights and the diffusers reversing that advantage in the corners so I'm slightly concerned that, if one car has both (and handles as well as the Brawn) it will totally dominate the others. I think Brawn won't see as much of a challenge as you suggest - at least not Button, since he seems to be finally fulfilling his driving potential with a car that matches his style. My question is, the removal of all the downforce gubbins from last year's cars was to clean up the air behind the cars, improving the chance of overtaking. Obviously we've seen a lot of that in the last two races but I was curious to know if the double diffuser significantly 'dirties' the air again and what it feels like to drive behind a car sporting the now legal appendage.

Finally, I don't think enough has been made of the Red Bull (sans KERS or DD) so far. Must be a pretty impressive car. And Brundlefly LOL.

xJess

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Hi Jake

Thanks for the blog; keep it coming. I have to say that from own humble opinion that the BBC coverage has been spot on so far. There's a good bit of banter between EJ and DC, and I like your smooth style and ability to keep things calm when the debate between the pundits heats up!

I think the background coverage and analysis is also very good, and your blog offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at what did and didn't go to plan - and we get to realise that presenters are ordinary people too!

More of the same please.

Oh and a moot point but actually the A380 isn't made by Boeing...

John

Sorry to be an anorak..........but the A380 is not a Boeing, it's made by a European consortium named funny enough Airbus. Looking forward to the BBC's continued coverage of the GP's role on Europe and Sunday afternoon races in day light.

Jake.......

On The Ball City.

Never Mind the Danger

Hi Jake,

I too will echo what everyone else is saying, by saying myself how impressed I am with the BBC coverage of F1 this season, and your own presenting yourself. As a 19 year old I've been familiar with your previous work with CBBC, and it's very nice to still see you on TV, doing an excellent job with the Formula 1 show. I've been watching Formula 1 since 1998 and since then there have obviously been a lot of repeated features to explain the sport to new viewers, so I am especially finding this blog to be of real interest, it really is adding a new dimension to the understanding of the sport from my perspective, so thanks for keeping us posted on what is happening! Have a great weekend!

Cool Blog Jake,

The pictures still make me laugh!

Good to see that the diffusers are legal and no doubt the underachieving teams will soon follow by changing diffusers

I have my alarm clock set for another early start but live is always the best way so I will be tuned in to watch all the coverage

Keep Up Brilliant Work!

Good Lord. Having sung this on numerous occasions in the Barclay End in my youth, I never knew all this:

On The Ball, City, the Norwich City F.C. song, is regarded as the world's oldest football song still in use today; the song is in fact older than the club itself having probably been penned for Norwich Teachers or Caley's FC in the 1890s, and used by clubs such as Swifians and Norwich CEYMS before being adopted by Norwich City. Although the first use of the tune and song is disputed, it had been adopted by 1902 and it remains in use today in part if not the whole. The chorus, still sung today, is:

“ Kick it off, throw it in, have a little scrimmage,
Keep it low, a splendid rush, bravo, win or die;
On the ball, City, never mind the danger,
Steady on, now’s your chance,
Hurrah! We’ve scored a goal. ”

Thanks samac96 for reminding me, and Wikipedia for the surprising info!!! LOL

Leave Brother Jordan alone folks...! Last year Mark Blundell's drone made me nearly retire my TV set. This season EJ's insight, humour and history has been MORE than refreshing.

Jess - I hear what you say about lowest common denominator, but I do find it useful sometimes to have a technical catch-up. Technology on the cars is changing all the time, and I for one have been pretty confused over the exact design and effect of the different diffusers, though with enough repetition I think it's beginning to sink in...

What I think is confusing for some viewers, even the experienced ones, is the effect of the rulebook - the International Sporting Code and the F1 Sporting Regulations and Technical Regulations. In a sport like football, most viewers are very familiar with the rules (well, maybe offside needs explaining a little sometimes), but the motor racing, and especially F1, regulations are extremely complicated. I have found myself doing a very lawyerly analysis of them to understand some decisions last season, and expect I will again this. Some explanation of them in relation to different incidents might often help rather than hinder...

As to KERS, just imagine if Sir Richard Virgin buys Brawn a new toy to go with their Merc engine. The McLaren KERS seems to be the best sorted of all the teams right now, so combine that with the Brawn aero package, the car's inherent strength and speed, and Jens being in a car which so amply complements him and enables him to show his true talent... unstoppable perhaps??

Hi Jake,

My Canary supporting boss told me you were a Norwich fan, but I had no idea Gascoyne was too. Well despite that i'm pretty excited at his inclusion in the team. I respect Mike as an expert, his technical observations will hopefully be fascinating.

BTW, everyone else here in Ipswich is expecting Alan Lee to score this weekend. There's nothing sweeter in sport than a bit of revenge and so i'm going to be keeping a very close eye on McLaren. Good luck to Mike, Ross B and Jim Magilton. Think the latter will definitely need it...

Some people have all the luck - I get to Shanghai 3 days after the GP and then fly back from Singapore on a bog standard 747.

However as I'll be spending the 3 weeks in between on a cruiseship and in 5* hotels I won't whinge too much.

PS As a Palace fan I find it hard to imagine Alan Lee scoring against anyone.

Hi Chris
I agree! I wonder how deep Branson's pockets are...

And certainly I was grateful for explanations on KERS and Diffusers, let alone new rules, at the start of this year. I wasn't advocating an embargo on all technical info!! I just think it's a good idea to talk up and not down to your audience.

The coverage I find particularly enjoyable is the commentary during the two practice sessions on Friday. Obviously these guys have the luxury of time to really get into a subject but more importantly, they talk in a knowledgeable, sophisticated and effective way that is really interesting and exciting to listen to. What I like is when you have one of those 'Aha!' moments when someone explains a technical fact or driver ability etc that you were wondering about before and now understand because of the commentary. What I don't like is when someone just explains what the latest acronym stands for over and over and then patronizes your ability to REALLY understand the implications of what the technology behind the acronym might be capable of doing.

I'm not saying this is what Jake and the BBC team have been doing (although I suggest that if anyone watching Formula One DOESN'T know what KERS is by now they probably don't care one way or the other). I'm just suggesting, as a way forward, to keep the smartness levels up and really ask a lot from the audience. The promised Forum, for example, could be a seriously interesting event if the producers realise that the people likely to press the red button or keep the internet feed on after the end of the race are the real petrol heads and not someone with a vague passing interest and little or no knowledge of the sport.

Oh god, am I a petrol head? Maybe a Combustion Engine Capo.
xJess

Jake – can I start by saying its lovely to have a nice bit of male totty to look at and listen to instead of the old guys we get to see (yes I know they have a lot of experience and knowledge) the old ITV site used a female for this purpose – but you are superior to her in every way

So my real point is that you have got to immediately if not sooner change the way the order from the commentary BOX – you have got to get this guy/person Legard or what ever it is his name is - to step aside so that MARTIN BRUNDEL IS THE MAIN VOICE WE HEAR and YES WE DO NEED TO HEAR HIS CONCISE AND INFORMATIVE INFORMATIOM HE GIVES US – this other person wobbles on and is not convincing with the what he says

But it’s smashing to have F1 back on the BBC

Woo hooo!!! Jake!! You're officially totty LOL To be fair, from a totally objectrive hetero male POV, you are easier on the eye than poor old Steve LOL

Jess, I'm setting my alarm already for the practice session in the early hours tomorrow, mainly to see what's happening on the diffuser front, and how fast my Lewis will go - he needs something good to happen for him!! I'll check out the commentary - I think it's David Croft and Anthony Davidson - Ant is certainly very close to having been a driver, but not sure how technical he was.

Jake will probably be swanning around the pits gathering inside info...

And... don't you think just participating in this blog is sufficient evidence of petrolhead status???

Hmmm not sure my comment about Anthony D came out right LOL I meant he has recently been a current F1 driver, so very close to how things work now... Still not sure that was very eloquent, but I hope you got the gist by now LOL

Hey Jake,

Loving the blog and the coverage of the sport on the BBC. I have been a life long formula one fan and hearing the old theme music brough tears to my eyes and goose bumps to my arms. I have found the blog so helpful and insightful. It is wonderful to hear David and Eddies comment. I have to admit i missed the interactive coverage of the F1 forum after the last race. For me the one after the first race was well worth watching and i hope you keep doing it.

Here is to another good race in China keep up the good work you and the team are doing brilliant and make getting up early enjoyable

kelly

nottinghamshire

Hi all bloggers,

lets run a poll and see who is the best driver of all time / peoples faviortes for what ever reason.

and i am so glad the FIA saw sense and left the cars alone for once. I am sadded to hear Ron Dennis has stepped down he did wonders for McClaren

heres hoping he stays in touch with the sport.

49ashbien
Shhhhh, trying to be taken seriously here and not give away eye candy credits. It always does make me laugh that programmers don't understand that male sports hold all sorts of viewing appeal for female viewers however ;)

And Chris, Anthony is indeed very knowledgeable. And even though he's still hoping for a drive (who wouldn't being Brawn's reserve driver) he's not afraid to talk frankly. Maybe he and David think no one is listening/watching LOL. My tactic is usually to stay up late rather than wake up early (vvvv late!) but, after a bit of hunting around on this website, you can usually find the full broadcast to peruse at a sociable hour instead.

Lewis needs some good news but I have to admit I'm kind of enjoying watching him have to really prove his mettle and, considering his actual racing results so far, he's proved it pretty well. Personally, I suffered watching Jenson at the back of the grid way too many times and still find his turn around in fortunes too incredible to really believe. If I feel like that, I can only imagine how he feels.

And back to the subject of this blog. I remember coming across Jake covering the morning sessions of the Olympics this year and thinking, blimey, this guy is soooo good for someone soooo young! (Sorry Jake, but your baby face belies even your tender 30 years). Live sport coverage, when anything can happen and usually does, has to be one of the hardest gigs. Since the Beeb gave Jake 3 or so hours every morning, often on his own, during the Olympics, I guess they had great faith in him taking on this prime job, faith he has fully justified so far. (See there, didn't mention anything about totty at all!)

50 minutes and counting....
xJess

Keep up the good work Jake you're doing a grand job the public can definitely see that you have worked very hard for this kind of oppurtunity, and relishing the challenge fair shout to you. Only blip so far being the fact that Airbus and Boeing are kinda rivals to eachother lol
Anyway enjoy the weekend and the wonderful things China brings, i'll keep an eye out for the norwich result(even though im a Bristol city fan) as i hope they stay up!! All the Best!!

My wife and I lived in a different time zone to everyone else during the Olympics (I work from home, she was between jobs, so it was feasible), and enjoyed Jake's presenting then - she didn't mention the word totty though... However we do both watch the rugby intently (she's Welsh, so...) and she does occasionally admit the odd bit of shorts being pulled down doesn't lessen the attraction LOL

However, to things F1 and WOT!! about Lewis and Heikki's position in the 1st practice session!!?? OK not so good in the second one, and Jens is obviously still on top, but at last a bit of good news for McLaren - they've obviously got something right! The car is looking a lot more balanced, even with the graining problems everyone seems to be having. Ferrari seem to be right in the doldrums though... whatever is Massa's car doing to its tyres?? - chewing them up and spitting them out!!

Yes enjoyed Crofty and Anthony's commentary this morning, and they had Mike Gascoigne in the pits with Lenny Kravitz... he comes across very well for an engineer, as Lenny does for a rock star!! A funny moment when Crofty led into a Kravitzki commentary from the Ferrari pit cuz he could see him standing there from the commentary box... Ted was stitched!! LOL

Jake how do these sessions work? It looks like on red button we get world feed pictures, so no BBC camera crew present, and no anchorman (i.e. you!), supported by the radio commentary - is that right? I guess Mike G was just press-ganged by Teditzski?? You and Blundlefry sorting out running order etc. for tomorrow or just having a well-deserved break/jetlag recovery?? We loves the behind-the-scenes stuff...

Great work so far by you and all the BBC team. The coverage is brilliant.....Love it that that the diffusers are now legal and a brilliant time by Lewis this morning....Just hope I can do that when karting on sunday.

All we need now is Ferrari to find some pace, Force India to get the mclaren KERS system and Toro Rosso to be a bit quicker in qualifying trim and we've got one hell of a season on your hands.....At least we, as fans only have to watch instead of you having to keep up with everything.....Even thought your doing a brilliant job, Jake.

Jake - I love your blogs, they're so down to earth and real. Thank you. I'm also loving the BBC coverage... being able to watch the practice sessions is fab. My only plea is about the BBC F1 website - could we have some more news hyperlinks on the front page so we can read all the latest headlines together? It may be me but I struggle to find these easily but please tell me if I'm doing something wrong!

Jake - you're certainly making the role your own. Congratulations, and fingers crossed that you don't have to fill in (or 'Do a Scolari') any time soon.

I've said it before, but this is one area that the BBC do so well. Live sport.

Keep up the good work. Just watched qualifying session 1 - and thought I'd add some comments. Looking forward to the race tomorrow.

Dear Jake et al,

Firstly, I don't suppose you will refuse a bit more praise now would you? 90% of the team is quite excellent, and the other new face obviously has supporters, so let's hope he can polish his style somewhat.

With all the attention focused on the diffuser row, which isn't a magic bullet either by the way, there is another aspect to the rule changes that may only make its presence felt later in the season.

Engine usage: For 2009, 8 units are allowed to be used before any penalty is handed out for a failure on the 9th engine. These 8 units can be used as and when the team thinks it is wise. So, as Martin pointed out in Malaysia, only McLaren used the same engine as for the Australian GP. I don't have any indication for China yet, but it could be that some teams are using fresh engines for each of the first few GPs in the hope of banking some points, then spreading engines out across less stressful events. This could lead to a season where the first half at least should see extremely good reliability while the teams all make inroads into each engines' cummulative mileage. The last two or three GPs could see some very interesting strategies (and maybe the odd puff of expensive smoke). This change to selected use rather than sequential use may help teams plan the engine mileage and avoid the fiascos of having to nurse an engine when a close competitor is on a new unit and thus being unable to respond quite as they would like.

Could the BBC results page show the engine usage at all? This could be quite pivotal. Maybe Murray or Martin could do a presentation on this?

Keep up the quality work.

Hi Jake,

I remember you when i was at school with you!! Give us an email when you get chance. My Dad taught you!!

Good Luck with the race ahead!!

it's about time talk about buget caps were turned towards how much berni and mossley take out of f1 and cap them