Moving, mankinis and a magical European GP

Jake I am surely not the only one who tires of the constant joking and hilarity on the show. To me, it seems very unprofessional of you to be telling a guest you "don't take them seriously" for wearing their team's colours.

I don't care what you, Eddie Jordan or any of the guests are wearing while on the show. We don't hear this sort of thing on the BBC's other sports coverage, so why do you insist on inflicting it on viewers of F1?

Fishfingers, you're talking nonsense. It was taken by Mike Gascoyne in the spirit it was intended.

I do, however enjoy your constant joking and hilarity, it shows you all to be more human, and that is far better than presenters on other shows who are far to straight laced, you Eddie and David are always fun to watch, my only criticism would be to ensure David and Eddie don't get too caught up in their difference of opinion, as they began to go round in circles over the Kovalainen and Webber crash ( of which i'm inclined to say webber just didn't expect Kovalainen to brake so early and it wasn't really anyones fault), otherwise great show, shame about the forum, i was looking forward to you guys discussing williams result, so i hope you do a piece on them for Silverstone in two weeks time. As ever i'm looking forward to the next race.

Glad you're back blogging Jake- I missed you after the Canadian GP! They say moving house is one of the most stressful things anyone ever does- although being live on air with EJ must rank pretty high too I would think!

I fully expected the Valencia race to go the way of Bahrain and be a little on the dull side- far from it. Action all the way, and MW's crash was terrifying and spectacular at the same time. I'm so pleased and relieved he was uninjured- what a testament to the safety of modern F1 cars, although we should never be complacent. And thank goodness the Red Bull didn't fly over a safety barrier. I couldn't help but think of motor racing's darkest day when a Mercedes went into the crowd at Le Mans in 1955, killing upwards of 80 spectators.

Fishfingers- I really enjoy the banter and jokes, and I think many other viewers do as well. At the end of the day, F1 is about entertainment after all. And this seasons been a cracker, as has the BBC coverage.

Roll on Silverstone!!

Great race coverage as always, much better than ITV ever was!
Real shame about the forum though, It was on Freesat for about 10 mins but then their was a fault message :(

Is Pink the new in-colour? (I must get one of those shirts)

Anyway, would much rather watch you & the F1 crew than the dreadful English football team! Even Sheffield Wednesday play better then that! & I'm a Sheff Utd fan.

Jake,

Can not believe people had been rude about a technical error.

Actually wait I can I have to commute in London everyday and put up with the Great British public!

You guys are doing a great job and can see this race on race the coverage is getting even better!

I'm at Silverstone in a few weeks time so I'll have to watch your work on iplayer!

Cant wait for Silverstone. See you there!

Tickets have arrived just waiting for my kangaroo TV! :)

sorry to hear about redbutton show, i really enjoy the banter between yourselves and the indepth look into the race.
As to what fishfingers was saying, please ignore him. The format is GREAT and refreshing from all other sports. It goes to highlight the freindly warm atmosphere within the pitlane (ok, most of the time!). which other sport have you seen a freindly banter around the world cup?

Don't worry about the forum, the coverage since 2009 has been superb and the passion you guys have is tremendous and really shows

Great blog as usual Jake, I .really missed the last Carry on with the banter it makes the show much more enjoyable than just getting straight facts all the time...... and Fishfingers get a life !!!

So.....should we still be expecting to watch the F1 forum on iplayer later tonight (you tweeted during the technical problem and advised that the Forum will be pre-recorded & available on the iplayer later)

I know problems can happen but it was a massive dissapointment when the failure occured, and then the lack of messages advising those of us who sat there for ages refreshing our computers in the hope of the issue being resolved.

Also is there a time window of how long it should take the beeb to update iplayer with the full coverages after the sessions are completed.
-It would be helpful if there was some kind of estimated time of update to iplayer just so we know.

Also noticed that post GPs the beeb f1 website doesnt seem to have hardly any activity or updates, which can be frustrating to the diehard F1 fans who choose to regularly use the site.

I think that Kovalinen isan't at fault and it was Webber's Arrogance, in thinking Kovalinen would move, that was the real problem. Although i could see why DC was getting so angry as he is clearly very close to Mark.

I think everyone agrees with me that they feel sorry for Fishfingers, 1, who does not appreciate quite brilliant broadcasting from an exceptional presenter, former driver and team principle. Lets hope he sees sense and does not post anymore silly comments. Great blog!

I have to totally disagree with the comment from Fishfingers. I love they way all of you interact with each other. I stopped watching the F1 when it was on ITV because i found it boring. I love it again now and I love all the pre race and quali talk. It gives people a real insight into the world of F1. Keep up the brilliant presenting, its a far cry from when i used to watch you on CBBC :) xx

Good race Jake! Hope you enoyed it!

Feel very sorry for Schumi as I think he could have been in with a shout of a top 6 had Mercedes not made a mistake with the pit-stop. Also felt Lewis was a bit unlucky with the safety car. It was just one of those things wasn't it. Typical how Alonso has to moan, but as they say, you win some you lose some!

Anyway will be at Silverstone in 2 weeks for the whole weekend, 9th year in a row for the race and the 6th time for the whole weekend (5 in a row). Hopefully the cameras will show Woodcote A this year as have never been on camera even thoug I've been coming all these years.

Hopefully will get to meet you Jake and many other F1 big names too of course! Can't wait, it can't come soon enough!

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normally i love the forum/red button stuff, but today as soon as the podium was done i ran outside jumping in the pool to cool off (having piped the bbc1 sound through the pc speakers outside so i could hear the footie) so didn't know your technical issues until later on. we'll let you have one snafu per season!

i've just watched (several times) webber's smash... the fact one of my favourite drivers walked away from an incident like that pretty much without a bruise certainly makes the football result matter a whole lot less!

glad mark is ok, also happy to see there's not a big shift in results after the investigation into a whole load of cars after the race - in my mind, penalties after a race shouldn't affect the result, they should be either financial or grid drops in the next race.

As a ferrari fan i feel very sorry for both alonso and massa, but i think alonso is wrong to blame hamilton for their poor result, they were just very unlucky with the safety car, gutted to miss forum again as i was in montreal 2 weeks ago (What a circuit, fantastic!), As for fishfingers get a sense of humor mate its miles better than boring steve rider on ITV, Keep up the good work jake i think your doing a great job!

Hi Jake...hope you didnt think my twitter comment about you watching the football..I was only playing!

Fantastic race, my heart was in my mouth when Webber took off....possibly the most heart stopping crash since Kubica in Canada, thank goodness he is okay and how amazing are those cars that he could go through that and literally walk away!

Hope you have a safe trip home...cant wait for Silverstone....and in honour of it being the british grand prix, can I request a white shirt for Eddie, a red shirt for you and a blue shirt for David...cmon..show us the colours, even if its just for the quali session!

Good luck with the move! Maybe for moving back van hire would be cheaper and less stressful than trips back and fourth with the mini!!

Fishfingers1 is Eddie Jordan, read fishfingers post again in a 'EJ' sort of way!
Also have a look at his previous posts Definately Eddie stirring trouble ;)

isn't it annoying when you have read a great blog after a great race and the first comment is a downer and you feel compelled to talk about that rather than the content of the blog! Fishfingers, lighten up a little bit. Its great that there is a nice informal atmosphere. I personally think it helps me feel part of a crowd of friends rather than a stuffy group of sportsmen and comentators.

See, now I have lost my original point! Doh.

Anyway, was surprised by the race as it is usually boring. Thank goodness Mark is alright (it is only push bikes that seem to be able to get to him -he is as hard as nails in all other respects!) Spectacular crash and a big high five to all safety people for developing technology that allows a man to walk away from something like that.

Shame about the forum going down as I ended up watching the footy when that clicked in. at least I knew why everyone was so miserable. I have not been able to find it on iplayer yet...is it ganna turn up??

Keep it up, I love it and BRING ON THE HOME RACE!!

Excellent, nice to see you're blogging again Jake, as I always find them relevant and witty to boot!! You and Martin Brundle (who also commentates the races) are the best thing that's happened, on a presentation level, recently for the sport. Keep up the good work!!

As an aside, I'm glad to see Mark Webber walked away from the crash he had today, and that he didn't lay all the blame at Kovalainen's door.

Looking forward to Silverstone in a fortnight's time - Come on Button!!!

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Finally Vettel gets a deserved victory, cant help but wonder that if he hadnt had reliability issues in Bahrain and Australian race, and in Turkish qualifying, he would have been clear by atleast 50 points. And regarding David Coulthard's math, a 100 sec lap for 5.4 km amounts to 54 m/s, and a difference of 0.075 s amounts to nearly 4 metres.

I'm with the others in sending my condolencec to fishfingers, tis a right shame for you :(
As for the race, i feel sorry for Ferrari, especialy Massa but by jiminy dont Alonso like to whine, OK he lost out but tellins crew all they had left to do today was get onto Charlie about Lewis was, well, whiney.
Mark, well what can i say? had my heart in my mouth when he took off, very lucky chap to get away so lightly from such a crash into the rear of another car,,,,,,,again.
Gutted about the forum but it cant be helped :)
Shame i really like your style, normal chap and all that ;)

Jake,

I really enjoyed Martin's pre-race piece on the flags and boards around the circuit that are hung up high so as to be out of the way. Then Webber launches himself off the back of Heikki's car straight through one of them. Had he seen Martin's film and just wanted to prove him wrong?

I hope the forum goes up on iPlayer soon.

What did everyone think of Alonso blaming Hamilton for his woes? I really think that Alonso has a serious problem with Hamilton. Maybe he still has nightmares from his time at McLaren?

And finally someone please put FishFingers out of his misery. Jake, DC and EJ are awesome along with the rest of the crew. I

Hi Jake,loved the show.Pleased Mark is OK.Loved the trousers on Saturday.Loved the remarks on Sunday about Shumacher.he really was rude to E.J. great stuff D,C.FOR SAYING HE WAS RUDE.Will be driving past RED BULL tomorrow M.K.will give them the BEEP BEEP as we pass,I am sure they have heard us before.We live not far away. take care.KATH.XXXX

Hmmm - technical issue sounds like a lame excuse - football was more interesting obviously.The forum goes by the board without a comment on the BBC red button pages.
Perhaps you might like to review teams like Williams or perhaps Kobyashi's drive or get hold of someone from Mercedes about the crass error on Schumacher's pit stop etc etc.

I did find the bickering between all three of you just a tad tedious and then to sort of make light of things with Mike Gascoyne seemed just a little too juvenile. The Webber crash needed some seriousness in its discussion and perhaps a spare microphone being available might makes things more professional when the equipment fails.

All the football associated rubbish between England and Germany was overdone.

Even Martin's gridwalk was screwed up by Eddie Jordan trying to play class clown once too often.

Suggest you put this race coverage down to experience and try and raise the bar a little at Silverstone - professionalism might be a better mantra to work too rather than cheap laughs and jolly japes!

HI JAKE MY EARLIER MESSAGE DIDNT COME THROUGH.ANYWAY GREAT SHOW TODAY.WE ARE AT A WEDDING ON SILVERSTONE WEEKEND SO WILL PRESS THE RED BUTTON WHEN WE GET HOME.TRAVELLING FROM NEWCASTLE ON TYNE BACK TO TODDINGTON BEDFORDSHIRE. LOVE KATH.XXXX

Peter Fox, you are fishfinger and I claim my £5.00!!

Great coverage Jake, well until some gremlin attacked the 'power generators'. I will believe you but only if you do something to make up for this at the British GP, the forum should have been brilliant with so much to discuss.

Personally I love the banter that you three have between you and with the teams, I do think you maybe where a little close to the wind in Canada but its always a judgement call and that the balance was better this week. I also think it makes it easier for Eddie and DC to speak their minds and whilst I am I firmly in agreement with Eddie that the small teams have every right to fight for their moment in the sunshine and battle with the big teams.

I do understand DCs points but would just question the amount of 'respect' that Mark showed Kovi and his slow Lotus... How do you think a car is 4 seconds a lap slower if you don't think it has to break early for every corner? Mark was the one behind he could have waited a corner or 2 to judge Kovi's 'ability' and then when he had figured out Kovi's weakness under break been past and off into the distance maybe having lost what half a second tops? Instead was in a mad dash to make up for his disastrous start and steamed into the back of yet another car. Mark has driven some brilliant races this season but he maybe needs to learn the lesson that Lewis seems to have learnt... a little bit of patience at the right moment might a second or 5 a bit but a moments rashness can cost a finish.

Oh and I still think this is a boring track. If it wasn't for a spectacular crash (that says a huge amount about the safety improvements that have been made to the cars) and the resultant chaos that, I think it highly likely that this would have been a deadly dull race yet again.

Roll on Silverstone, and lets see if Kobi can pull another stunner out of the bag. I think his drive today will have made a lot of teams re-evaluate Kobi again. If he can do this in Sauber, and he could do what he did in last years Toyota then what could he do in a competitive car?

Really miss the forum.

very glad that mark webber is ok, he`s very lucky to walk away from that crash. as for this hamilton / alonso incident, ok lewis hamilton looks like he did overtake the saftey car, but it was a very close thing. a spure of the moment incident in which he didn't go out of his way to get in front of the saftery car. alonso & ferrari really need to get off hamiltons / mclarens back. fernado does really need to seek some help with his problem with hamilton. right `nuff said, race was great.. cant wait fro silverstone!!!

Gutted the forum had to be prematurely ended as I wanted to watch it as refuge from that horror show on BBC 1!

Sorry to here about the power failure, I like many others turned over to watch the football. Normally I would not do this as I prefer to watch F1 over football. But I thought that the forum would be available on iplayer after the football finished. I can understand a delay and that you did not get the full program out on the air live, But are those of us that switched to BBC1 being punished? We want to see the forum and review the race action: every other race has been on iplayer why not now?

Jake,

Thanks for the blog! I gotta admit I missed the forum, I watched the GP to the flag & then ran to the pub to watch the dissapointing inevitability of the afternoon!

Thanks for the blog though, good to get your insight on things like with every week. I really do appreciate the effort the BBC must have gone to to get Brundle, DC & Eddie over...and I'm glad they hired you, I'm an NFL fan and your coverage of the superbowl has been great in the past, so you deserve your time doing the F1!

I think the whole package is far better than what ITV ever produced, however I'm not 100% convinced that Legard is the man to do the normal commentary, he sounds good when there's no picture, but when you can see all the on screen info anyway it does get a bit of a grind to listen. Just my input to the new honest, open, caring, sharing Beeb!

With the MW crash, unbelievable he walked away unhurt, he got so much air he took out an overhanging advertising board. It's reassuring to see the strength of the engine shrouds though, when Mercededs brought their new knife blade spine to the GP my first question was, what if it rolls? But I'm assuming the FIA test it thoroughly!

As for Alonso, I know it sounds pathetic, but for a 2 time world champion, he behaves like a 7 year old. 'It was Hamilton's fault we didn't do well' excuse me, but if Hamilton wasn't in front of him on track at that point, he would never have made it past the safety car himself anyway so would have been stuck there. That said, if Hamilton had sped up it would have been legal, if he slowed down...he would still be ahead of FA! just stuck in 8th place. Alonso dissapointed me today, I thought he had grown up from his antics in 2007, clearly he hasn't and his true colours are showing through, similar to when he was asked about Singapore 'Will you consider this to still be a win?'..."Of course, I won the race, it is not my fault this happened"...No but you could be gracious and accept that if they are guilty then he is an innocent victor from the scandal!

Hi James - first let me say that generally I enjoy the BBC coverage very much, though it takes a bit of sleight of hand to get to see the forum from Ireland! However, I partially agree with FishFingers (#1) above... the jocularity is fine as a bit of fun during the intro but it's starting to eat more and more into the substance of the show.

Also, what was Eddie on this weekend? It was like he rolled back the clock to the first few shows from last year... way way over the top. I think the producers need to sit on him a bit, because for every inch of leeway he's given, he'll take several light years.

Finally - can we have some discussion of the midfield drivers OTHER than Michael Schumacher in the programme - especially the forum? You've had a few nice little features with them, but I'd like to hear more analysis of the midfield drivers' performances in the post-race show. Especially the rookies: Petrov and Kobayashi are starting to look decent, but I'd be interested to hear what your pundits think of Di Grassi and Chandhok, given the limited equipment they've had to work with.

As I've said, there's an awful lot you're getting right on the show, but these are just a few suggestions on things that might be better.

Roll on Silverstone... If Valencia can give us an interesting race, Silverstone should be insane! I'd give my right leg to be able to afford the trip!!

Im afraid your quote above . . . . The races have been great since the opener in Bahrain . . . . is typical of the overhype and ignoring of the truth that separates the commentators from the fans. For example, yesterdays Grand Prix was mostly a parade with Buttons plight merely being the most obvious. To grasp at the straws of a nasty crash and a safety car means you SEEM to be interested more in bumper cars than racing. . . . . Please try to look at the race as a racing fan, not as a PR spin doctor.

My mind went back to some Indy Car accidents, where airborne cars have slammed into the fencing. Its a good job the Red Bull flew straight...

Webber was also lucky that the wheels and sidepod took the intial inverted impact and that the bounce left his head clear of the ground. The head-first shunt into the tyre wall looked heavy, but I guess that is routine for an F1 driver....!

Glad yer alright Mark. Hope you win Silverstone: that'll be a good story and it'll keep the championship battle tight...

Sorry fishfingers I have to add my 10p worth about your comment. I would like to say that I thought the show was excellent. Clearly the team principles such as Mike Gascoyne must respect Jake because the comment about his trousers was taken very much in the manner to which it was intended. Clearly the whole BBC team spend a lot of time behind camera building up their relationships with all the people involved in F1 and it is because of this good work that they are able to present such a relaxed but still informative show. ITV never managed that, their show always felt forced, there may have been no humour, but it always felt like those involved (presenters not commentators) were on the outside watching in.
p.s. could you going to put what there was of the forum on the iplayer anyway please?

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but if you reign in EJ you will stop him from being himself... and the a person who isn't afraid to put a team boss for example on the spot and ask the hard question we fans want asking. He also has the knowledge and experience of having been a team boss himself, which he uses to press home the questions when the team bosses want to squirm away. As well as giving us his own perspective on various situations.

DC on the other hand uses his experience as an ex driver, a multiple race winner, a DWC contender, a developer of a new team (Red Bull) to give us insights into what a driver is thinking and feeling. How a driver reacts to the weird and wonderful world of F1.

Of course they are going to 'fall out' and argue about different issues... thats because they come from different aspects of the sport, do you think that team bosses and drivers don't argue? Don't you think they have differences of opinion? Of course they do...

Jake,don't listen to 'fishfingers' - As I gathered from most comments already, we love the jokes and banter you guys provide. I love the relationship you seem to have with DC and EJ, and I personally loved you going around the paddock with a St George's flag to the German's - Vettel in particular took it all in good heart!

I thought Valencia was a dramatic race, thank goodness Mark Webber was ok after that crash!

Roll on Silverstone :)

Another excellent production from the BBC, it's just a pity Valencia is such a dreadful track. The race wasn't exciting, as it was obvious there could be no overtaking amongst the competitive cars, so even if Hamilton had caught Vettel at the end, that would have been all he could do. The design of the circuit makes all but the bridge largely anonymous, so, as is sometimes the case, it was qualifying that contained most of the excitement.

Kobayasha's cameo was funny, as it could only have darkened the mood of the big girl's blouse in the Ferrari still further, but it didn't really influence the result.

Not too enthusiastic about bottles being thrown onto the track. Was it aimed at Hamilton? I suppose we should be thankful it wasn't a pig's head, as was thrown at a former Barcelona player when he was representing Real Madrid at the Camp Nou.

Fernando Alonso isn't the only FA to be grumpy today, but his constant griping is tedious! Reminds me of what Alex Ferguson reportedly said about Dennis Wise, that he could "start an argument in an empty room".

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As always, your coverage was fantastic and it makes for a more relaxed and closer view into the world of F1. I love that it is lighthearted and cheery. I can't be bothered with the doom and gloom that we see on TV all too frequently. Life is too short for that. You make the F1 spectacle even more enjoyable and it always cheers up my weekend. The forum is always a great watch too. This week, I decided to switch over and catch up on the forum afterwards so I pressed the red button - nothing - online - nothing. It wasn't until I checked your Twitter that I found out what happened. Maybe the website should be updated in those instances to let people know what is going on. Thanks again for a great blog and great coverage.

Great show as usual Jake – real pity about the Forum, especially as it looks like you would have been broadcasting from McLaren this time.

Love the light hearted banter between all three of you – don’t change that. It gives a human relaxed touch to the show and beats the clinical presentation of some other shows. Also love the different perspectives Eddie and DC provide. Have to admit I wasn’t too sure on Eddie for the first few races last year (sorry Eddie!!) but he is great and would hate to see him change, calm down or not be on the team.

Couldn’t believe how unfazed Mark was when you chatted to him in the (mini) Forum after the race – just goes to show the level of safety build into the F1 cars these days. Good to see he wasn't hurt.

Excellent overtaking by Kobayashi towards the end – hope he carries on like that.

Really looking forward to Silverstone and another cracking show (at least you won’t have the hassle of delayed flights etc this time)

Surely the right approach to TV programme production is "If it's bloody perfect, don't try tweeking it!" ?

Since the 1st race of 2009, the BBC F1 coverage was "bloody perfect" - so why tweek it?

Ah - because you guys can make it better than what was thought to be perfect!

I'm old enough to remember when everything on the TV (yes - even the ITV in its early days!) was all suits, starched shirts and ties, serious and humourless. Those descriptors have (thankfully) been diluted to the correct extent on the BBC - but nowhere else as well as the F1 coverage we now enjoy.

Individuals in the "team" that have the respect (or charming lack of, for EJ :) ) from the team and drivers that need to be interviewed results in the incredible amount of access given the BBC crew and a resulting rapport with the key people in F1 that never fails to impress.

I'm sure the F1 teams and personnel would quite like to be left alone to handle the pressures and emergencies they deal with throughout a race weekend, but (with perhaps the understandable exception of Stefano Domenicali, yesterday) they all seem willing to make the time and enjoy the opportunity to express their thoughts and opinions in a non-hostile media environment.

That's quite an achievement. And you, Jake, and all of your team deserve a lot of applause for that!

The programme editing has changed, graphics are cutting edge for a live program, and funkier music used recently. Great improvements to that already perfect format!

I'm no football fan (sorry!) but I appreciate that a lot of people are, and the banter with teams and drivers on the England/Germany theme was brilliant . . . especially Seb V who seems to be almost too nice for F1.

Out of context, most of the team colours would look sartorially defficient, so why not have friendly jokes about Mike G's green trousers? The fact that you are able to shows how good the relationship between BBC and teams/drivers is.

The fact that Mike G can watch/listen to the Webber/Kovalainen discussion and feel that he could come and find you to have his say in the middle of a live programme - also speaks volumes about this splendid relationship.

So - whatever your and your team are doing, you are doing it just spot on!

Much better race than I anticipated and I am, like everyone, so pleased Mark Webber is ok. The in-car footage was terrifying! In terms of who was at fault; I think this was a racing incident where both drivers could have done something a little different. I agree that the small teams shouldn't roll over to the bigger teams when fighting for track position but, like DC said, Kovi was never, realistically going to keep a Red Bull behind a Lotus. I think that something people have not said too is this "one move" rule. You can see Kovi move twice in defence, something I thought was against the rules. Guaranteed if Hamilton had done that he'd have been penalised!

Speaking of Hamilton - Alonso should stop whining about others and get on with the job in hand. The Ferrari's simply did not show the performance they promised and who is Alonso to question the sanctions of the Stewards anyway. I bet if it was the other way round Alonso wouldn't be calling it unfair... Something to think on...

I think that the banter between you guys on air is great, especially when the team principles join in... I think it shows how close the F1 family is and that whilst, yes, this is a serious sport, it's also great fun and a community. Don't change a thing!

Shame about the Forum but hey ho, these things happen.

One word of advice - Brundle's grid walk is something I think every viewer looks forward to and he, and the camera/sound crew do a great job! If you do have someone accompany him, I vote you stuck with DC. I love EJ and the fact that he's so opinionated, well known and, let's face it, bonkers but the grid walk is the one time I like the seriousness. Even if we do catch sight of Bernie E and his hair! ;o)

BBC, I salute you and your continued superb F1 coverage.

And to those on here who complained about the banter, think on this... We could still be watching Rosenthall on ITV with those lovely ad breaks every 3 minutes!

Keep up the good work Jake and the gang!

Great show, what a spectacle. Glad that MW was unhurt, I really did have my heart in my mouth when it happened, so was glad to see him doing a Rubens with the steering wheel - good sign that he was fine.
A real shame about the Forum - not being a football fan, was wanting to see and hear the discussions about the race, and get more of the lively banter between you all.
As for Alonso - baby, toys and pram all spring to mind - you decide.
Just because the Ferrari isn't working properly, and he can't get it working, is the real source of his frustration, but doesn't want to be too critical about his paymasters, especially after them contracting him for silly money, but not the Monopoly kind.
I did wonder if there would be payback on the St' George's flags, but I did laugh when seeing you handing them around.
Keep up the good work, and will be hoping for lots more at Silverstone for the Best GP (British GP), especially an extended Forum (hint).

One final thought, if you really want to do the moving yourself (or Harriet does anyway) - hire a van - you can get a lot more in at one time, and it should be cheaper than a proper removal firm.

Hi Jake,

Another excellent blog and yeah shame about the forum going off! Was it to do with the footy?

The race was OK and Mark Webber was so lucky with his accident - it could have been so much worse.

As with EJ and David's onscreen debate about the accident its a tough one to call.

So we head to Silverstone (which I'm going to) and it should be an awesome atmosphere.

Lets hope for an all British 1-2 finish - lets face it F1 is better than following the England football team!

Good on u Jakey. At the end of the day, i rekon you guys give the best coverage because you make the fans feel a part of the sport. You don't just say what u have to then go off air. F1 is a very difficult sport to feel a part of, as its soo hidden sometimes, u can't get near the drivers, the cars, health and safety, all that stuff.

Its nice to know what goes on when its all packing up, since its been back on the BBC, this whole new interactive world has just lit up all F1 fans, i really like the fact we can twitter at the 5live team during friday practices!

At the end of the day, it help bucketloads to have the red button, the blogs, the tweets, so when u guys go offair, ur still on air, fantastico!

What a fantastic race! Having said that it did wind me up something rotten.
First of all Alonso and ferrari complaining so much about Hamilton overtaking the safety car. Do they not realise that even if he hadn't they would still be in the same position on the track, the only difference is Hamilton wouldn't have been 2nd which i guess is a consolation. But i dont understand why they complained so much and blamed that incident for their positions on track. The Ferrari drivers could have easily dived into the pit lane before the incident with Hamilton even took place and they would have been well ahead of the pack like Jenson Button was, they chose to stay out for an extra lap. It feels like they're finding something else to blame for them being unlucky with the safety car and not thinking fast enough to bring their drivers in earlier. And as for Alonso, I think he is an awesome driver and I will never doubt his talent on a racetrack but as a double world champion supposedly with one the fastest cars out there he didnt make very many efforts to pass, i know it is hard to overtake on this track but still, when something unfortunate like this happens you get your head down and fight through the pack and regain your rightful position.
I thought it was divine justice when Kobayashi[who drove a stunning race] overtook him right at the end and credited Alonso with even less points.

Secondly I would like to comment on the Webber crash. I cannot understand how DC was getting so angry about the slower cars defending position so much. If it was the case as he so regularly pointed out that the lotus was 4 seconds slower than Webber then surely Webber should have been able to dance round him without making the move he did and sticking the car in a gap that wasn't there. Obviously I am relieved that he is ok as he is not only a great driver but also a very nice person. I can see how he could have been caught out by an earlier braking point but my point is if these cars are so much slower and everyone knows they are, why is it that the top teams and drivers do not know from previous races where they have lapped these cars that they will brake earlier for a corner? Surely this is not the first time Webber has ever come up behind a lotus and I assume that the lotus has always had to brake earlier, i doubt it was just this track. I don't understand why the drivers can know they're slower but not know after 9 races that they brake earlier for corners. All teams need to know about every car on the racetrack, not just the ones they're racing for podiums. For example, if a Mclaren driver has been right behind another driver for the entire lap then when they get to the straight the driver in front knows the Mclaren has a better straight line speed and so prepares himself for defending his position. Why do the drivers know that and yet cannot learn about these cars at the back of the grid which they constantly have to pass even if it is only to lap them.

Ok that's my little rant over, great blog as always Jake and excellent coverage, I loved it all.

What was Eddie doing confronting Mark Webber like he did. The man nearly lost his life an hour and a half earlier. That was in bad taste.

EJ putting his arm around Bernie's neck, what was that about?

Also the 'green pants' joke when discussing a serious topic is not necessary.

EJ needs to take his calming pills or whatever because his performance yesterday was as bad as some of the first shows. And to think this season I was starting to like the man.

@52 Mrprior - How can the smaller teams not roll over if without just letting 'better' cars through as soon as they close up behind. We could argue the defending line position from here to doomsday because Kovi moved to block way earlier, then moved to take a line so that he could get round the corner... but I don't think it matters, Mark closed right up on the gear box of a 'class b' car that was 4 seconds a lap slower and then got caught out when that slower car surprising braked earlier for the corner than Mark in his Red Bull needed to...

I fully agree it was a racing incident, but part of the art of overtaking is understanding the car and driver in front and being able to outfox them... Mark just outfoxed himself and piled into the rear, and not for the 1st time this season or in his career.

Jake, great blog as normal. What's happened to Murray Walker's blogs? Not seen any in ages.

After reading all of the above I feel I want to add a couple of comments.

I was definately on Eddies side with the Webber/ Kovalinen accident. Mark Webber was very, very lucky thankfully, but it was silly to try and get past Kovalinen the way he did. All races are about slower and faster whether it be cars, people etc and you have to gain the place, not be given it.

Secondly I love your shows. Please, please, please don't change them! I love the banter between yourself, ej and dc. I've been an avid follower of F1 for many, many years and look forward to the pre-race and after race shows as much as the races themselves at the moment. Keep up the good work.

hi jake,
Great show from what is not normally the best track for racing.Really missed the forum.Great to hear Mak's OK.Alonso needs to realise he and Ferrari are not the only team to loose out this weekend but you don't hear the other teams complaining.I am a great fan of Jenson but he did not really impress me this weekend or did he think kobi was going to pit sooner than he eventually did, so went into his fuel saving mode?still it ended well.As for fishfingers!!!you are either an itv director/shareholder or you did'nt see there productions(less joviality lads)i think was there moto.Could you not organise an F1 programme mid race weeks perhaps with bbc news 24,i am sure we would all love a 30min interactive.

What happened to the whole plan of recording the forum and putting it on the site/iplayer? I love watching the forum and was very upset when it was cut short for technical reasons. But it's very disappointing that BBC didn't make sufficient efforts to maintain the level of coverage I expect from them.

Jake, white trousers look so much better when it is obviously so hot.

Am I alone in thinking that Valencia is not only unpopular with the drivers for its lack of overtaking opportunity but also produces a very boring race?
Yesterdays event was only made more watchable by MWs horrific accident and the subsequent controversy regarding the safety car. If that's what it takes to make an entertaining F1 TV spectacle then its Moto GP for me.
Surely if a circuit does not permit overtaking then it does not warrant its place in the F1 calendar? Motor racing in all forms is surely about the excitement of overtaking, defending, attacking etc. Valencia offers non of this, and purely relies on accidents and safety cars to create 'entertainment'.
For me the best moment in the entire race was Kobayashi's charge on fresh rubber in the final 5 laps just when all the other cars were giving up grip. What a call by Sauber, and Kobayashi showed again what a racer he can be in the right equipment - Respect.

I too enjoy the current format, it does have a pleasant and relaxed feel whilst still being informative. Eddie Jordan can be a little annoying, but that's Eddie Jordan. I think he may have upset Bernie Ecclestone with that daft 'round the neck' effort.

I'm getting really fed up with Alonso moaning and constantly picking on Lewis. Ferrari always complain when things aren't going their way, but i expect more of a previous world champion.
Whilst i'm on the subject of Alonso, one comment i made to Jake on Twitter was that i think it's time for our BBC team to start being a little more partisan and less objective. The Spanish media were ripping Lewis to shreds and being all 'Alonso was robbed, complain to the FIA, the FIA are crooked' so maybe it's time we call spades spades and point out when the foreign drivers are b*tching and moaning?

Anyhow, roll on Silverstone and keep up the good work.

First of all glad Mark is all ok he is a great racer and I wish him well for the championship. The brutal truth though is he messed up his start and was on a charge to regain the lost ground, the charge he was on made him take his eye off the ball and he simply crashed into the back of the Lotus. He will not say he did as its a school boy error. He had no need to be so close to it and with his outline speed advantage of 4 seconds a lap he simply ran into the back of him by being too close in the first place.

Then David's comments about the Lotus needing to give way are just impossible to understand, the Sauber was out of position and holding Jenson Button up, it was 2 second a lap slower than the McLaren. This he said was ok, but the Sauber team ran it at the front and risked the tyres and so the lives of the racing driver and that of Jensons who had to follow him to get the car on the TV screen for longer than it otherwise would, he did not run well as they commentated he was out of position due to pit stops and saftey cars and made it impossible for Jenson to get close to Hamilton. David may have won some grand prix but he was in the best car ever made, and when he did not win he ran out of place for his car getting in the way most of the time, he even fluffed up his last race by driving his F1 car backwards, did you ever see him once give way in his career?

The Lotus driver made a mistake I agree by moving about too much for one corner, but the Sauber drive sat out of position for two thirds of the race how can it possible be said the Lotus was at fault and then congratulate the Sauber.... total madness.

Hey,

Great post/show- made me realise that I hope that you are already aware of the following!! Firstly, re Kevin McClould- if you are involved with the Bridgestone Brighton to London Eco-rally you could ask him yourself as he is one of the drivers!!! Ross Brawn, Patrick head, Eddie Irvine and Nico Hulkenburg are a few of the F1 types involved as well as the odd MP, TV, film music types...

I am helping organise this not-for-profit no/low emission vehicle extravagnza if you want to join us 070710!! Smack bang between Goodwood and Silverstone- as it were! Let us know- you can email via the website [Unsuitable/Broken URL removed by Moderator] or call one of us!

Alex

I wish the BBC would stop dicking around with the channel they show F1 on...

Even yesterday morning the programme guides were showing the F1 as being on BBC1, so when I settled down to watch it yesterday afternoon I was surprised to have a recording of Eastenders.

It's the second time you've screwed over F1 fans this year.

Why do so many people think that was a "great" race ?

I will repeat what I wrote in post 40 above .

"..... yesterdays Grand Prix was mostly a parade with Buttons plight merely being the most obvious. To grasp at the straws of a nasty crash and a safety car means you SEEM to be interested more in bumper cars than racing. . . . . Please try to look at the race as a racing fan, not as a PR spin doctor."

What was "great" about that race other than the crash and safety car ? Is that the only bit of F1 "racing" is now considered to be worthwhile watching ? It would seem that only lawyers and white van drivers would have a genuine interest.

The only really good piece of overtaking was Kobiasji who was on brand new tyres having held up a much faster car for most of the race. Does one piece of technical advantage counteract most of a race being a parade ?

.

Great show.
Always nice to see the battle between EJ and DC.
The humor in the show is no problem for me!

Jake, I have been watching F1 on TV for many years and your presentation is first class. Just don't wear BOSS or any other products! Remain refreshingly yourself. The Mark Webber event - his mistake/misjudgement totally. The day slower cars are obliged to move over to make way is the day F1 dies. David Coultard was not entirely impartial on this occasion.

Hi Jake think I was one of the slightly rude comments on twitter so a huge sorry for that it was just so frustrating when we had seen such a brilliant race and GP weekends is the only time I get the TV remote, usually its constant repeats of Disney kids shows and the Simpson's. Anyway back to the race is it me or did Alonso seem more focused on Lewis Hamilton than driving his own race may be if he had he would not have been 8th and could have used the upgrade on the Ferrari to better use. As for the rest of the race wow amazing. I watched with horror as many of us did Mark Webber's crash and am so relived that he is OK. Couldn't see how Heikki was to blame though. when did he move more than once? Seems to me that he was simply positioning himself for the corner and had to break earlier than Mark. This took Mark by surprise and bag you have a Red Bull with Wings.

hi jake loved the mike gasgoine bit . and as for alonso moaning i remember a certain crash there when he was a renault that helped him. funny how when the shoes on the other foot so to speek they spit there dummy out .definatelly webers fault he misjudged it plane and simple. i gues thats why red bull gives you wings? and eddy & david more of the difference of opinion very funy 2 scool kids squabling.

Jake,
I don't know whether anyone else has complained but I detest the background 'music' when the feature items are played (grid positions, techie bits, especially the resume of the last race). I suspect they are added in the studio editing room and you have no say in it but it means I watch these under 'mute' conditions which also means I miss half the story (or all of it).

Is there anything that can be done? Why is F1 considered so dull that false exitement needs to be built in to these films? Why not play jazz or clasical - why is it assumed that motor racing enthusiasts are considered also enthuisiasts for this dreeadful cacaphony? What am I saying - silence is golden or just give us engine noise would be better!

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

Loving the coverage, but being in the tweeker mindset, even if its perfect we can improve.
Firstly, I must be the only person that thought the whole forum power cut was a wheeze. Even though I hate football and am openly allergic to any mention of it, under the circumstances Jake & co. should have been allowed to sign off quickly and watch the match. The fact they did, with the excuse being a power cut was quite humourous I thought, obviously they had the idea from the Canadian commentary box power cut the race before. Well done !
......and if it was really a power cut, I still think you all should have watched the game.

Other thing, watching the interview with Nicky Hayden on BBC Moto GP, it struck me somebody had handed the camera to a 4 year old, it was waving about, zooming in on his fingers, on his nose, pulling back to infinity and beyond, then close ups on his hat. Then repeat the cycle to finish.
During Valencia I observed the same 4 year old was operating the camera for Lewis being interviewed. Just as annoying.
Obviously these are hard times but has the BBC reduced child care allowances for staff so much that offspring are pressed into filming duties ?
Please can we have grown ups on camera duty from now on !!!

( minor whinge )

PLEASE Jake, less waffling about the footy in future. From the moment the qualifying programme started on saturday all you did was constantly mention FOOTBALL! Its a motorsport programme and most motorsport fans I know haven't got the time of day for 'the beautiful game'. It would have been nice to watch a weekend of F1 and take a bit of time away from a media flooded with the world cup. I lost count of the number of times you pulled England vs Germany into the programming.
Remember note to self next time: Enland are rubbish at football, they've only ever won one world cup and been in a couple of semi finals since the world cup began. we have no logical reason to believe we will ever win again because we dont play the game well enough.
conversley we have often dominated F1 and motorsport in general and are always there and there abouts when it come to world championships, either with a driver or two or the many successful British teams that race in all categories of world motorsport.
IF you're going to get into this jingoistic Eng vs Ger thing there's enough going on in F1 to keep you more than happy (Button vs Vettel, Hamilton vs Vettel, Mclaren vs Mercedes etc etc)

over and out.

Just seen the interview with Mark Webber where you and the BBC team discuss his crash with him. What a class act he is, a great sportsman.

The Valencia race was brilliant. This season is such a classic.

Can I once again emphasize, that OH MY GOD the BBC is doing such a better job than ITV ever did!

And having Jake Humphrey, Eddie Jordan and David Coulthard is brilliant, you make the pre and post-race shows so entertaining.

Thankyou so much, and long may it continue. The day that you 3 aren't presenting will be a sad day indeed.

Hi Jake, I just want to congratulate the team for the top quality coverage you are doing, it is simply a pleasure watching you!
However, I need to COMPLAIN for the subjective analysis you consistently do concerning McLaren and especially Hamilton. What a biased analysis. I think it is a shame for the BBC but also a lack of professionalism from you.
I explain: when you have two drivers fighting on the circuit with a 1sec difference, and one is doing faster times than the one in front, do you think it is acceptable in a F1 race to stop that and separate the drivers? I’m sure no.
How is it possible you did not comment on that when it occurred? How can there be here almost 100 posts all defending Hamilton (who did wrong) and criticising Alonso? Please be more professional.
Last thing, Alonso never complained because it was Hamilton. You always insist on building up that idea but Alonso simply doesn’t care, he just simply complains about the situation whoever is the guy in front. Come on guys... Just improve on that, and that’s all.
I hope this comment passes through to the web, let’s see!

hi jake,fantastic race pity about all the football talk though,shame about the forum as i think it would of had alot of very interesting topics eg-eddie & dc,have just been reading the updates & see that ferrari are still complaining what is there problem is it that lewis maintained his 2nd position or does alonso believe he should of won that one aswell lol,but seriously the fia made there decision & he served his penalty.
it is starting to look like alonso is more focused on lewis than his own errors imagine blaming lewis for ruining his whole race whats his excuse for kobayashi getting past.oh well enough said your commentry over the weekend is brilliant along with the rest of the team,keep up the good work.
while i remember we have nicknamed eddie -freddy jordan as he resembles robert englund (freddy kruger) no offence intended though.

EXPLANATION ABOUT ALONSO GUYS:
1. Alonso does not care about Hamilton. There are quite a few other more competitors (who respect the rules more than Hamilton, that is to say)
2. Alonso does his job and complains independently if it was Hamilton, Button, Vettel or even his father.
3. THERE IS A STRONG REASON FOR FERRARI TO COMPLAIN: Hamilton overpassed the safety car, getting away (what a shame!!) from Alonso and picking up Vettel. Therefore his 2nd place was not possible, he should have continued before Alonso on 9th position, and thefore WE WOULD NOT BE LEADING THE CHAMPIONSHIP TODAY. That's a good reason. I hope you all understand this!!
4. 10 second penalty after we got more well away of the 3rd driver?... hahaha that's like giving a red card to a football player on the minute 10, and putting him out of the match on minute 90!!! jajaja what a joke
5. Kobayashi did such a good job because he had new tyres on. Please learn a bit more about racing before commenting those things.

I'm really sorry to be sending this message... I've really enjoyed the BBC coverage and have found it head and shoulders ahead of ITV... however, over the last few weeks I have been very disappointed. No blog from Jake, despite the continual reminders in the ads at Valencia that we would have "an exclusive blog" after each race... not so Canada! Was it problems with flights... was it over work with a breaking story... no, it was because you were having your house renovated... I work in the public sector, in the criminal justice system. I can just imagine what would happen if I didn't do the job the public paid me to do "because I was renovating my house... So sorry, can't protect the public- need to oversee the plasterers..." The risks maybe different but both wages come from the public purse- I wonder who gets paid more? Also, techninal problems on the day England happen to be playing Germany???? Not good enough. Think I would have appreciated a bit of honesty and a delayed forum. Sorry BBC but very disappointed! Praise was rightly lavished on the BBC when they took the coverage over. Seems that those involved seem to now take this praise as a given and aren't trying so hard. It's to our, the viewers, loss.

Great blog as usual Jake,1st time Valencia has been interesting. All the wrong reasons though. Aussiegrit is,as he acknowledges,a very lucky man,as was Kovi. 50/50 racing incident, so end of blame please. The reasons WHY need looking at PDQ before new regs are brought in. Sick of Alonso and his hissy fits,and sick of Ferrari complaining about everything if it does not go their way. Who else is screaming unfair? Not even the Pensioner! Best bit, after a great drive, was Koby overtaking Alonso! Boy did I cheer! So Senor, was that Hamiltons fault as well? As MB would say "You have a problem my friend" Think Martin also called him a miserable little so-and-so. To end, great race for Williams! Bring on Silverstone! Great coverage, all as always. If people start picking holes in your attire, rather shows there is not much to complain about! By the way when you move back in hire a van, cheapskate! xxxx

I know this has been said a number of times above and I hate that comments sections sometime are only used to complain but, someone needs to calm Eddie down a little during the commentary or bench him for a few races. Having a difference of opinion is one thing but he has become cringe worthy emphasised by the number of snide remarks from team bosses, other guests onto the show and the occasional knowing glace between Jake and David. I'm watching the iPlayer after race programme right now as I, like most other English fans, flicked over to the football after the race. Needless to say, I've just got to Eddie vs. Coultard (aka silly donkey vs. reasonable racing driver) – I fear more is to come as I continue to watch...

Other than that, I think the BBC have done a great job in getting a great team together; Jake and David are clearly I hope that it remains with you for a good few years to come.

Great show as normal jake, there is always some people who will find something to moan about. Lets just remember only two seasons ago, we all had to stomach the awful show which was ITV. Adverts at moments which missed vital parts of the race. Todays coverage is superb and a great credit to the BBC and whole team who work on the F1 season.

Hi Jake

It's clear to me that you and the team strive every race to do the best you can and that passion always comes across. As an F1 fan I feel spoilt by the BBC's coverage and really appreciate the effort you put in - the forum, the blog and the tweets - all above and beyond the call of duty.

Onto the race and I would just echo the comments about Alonso - he really needs to get a grip and should be ashamed by his behaviour. I can't believe Ferrari are supporting him when he's clearly behaving like a petulant child. It can be no coincidence that it's Hamilton on the receiving end. I think some more support for Hamilton from the media wouldn't go amiss - even if you're not a fan he deserves some loyalty against Alonso and Ferrari.

Keep up the good work!

Hi Jake
Hope you and Harriet are not stuck in your 'little' flat for too long (and that you are not too hot as well).

I was waiting for a boring european race again but i was suprised and found it a great race. But when i saw Mark's car flip my heart was in my mouth, I really didn't think we would see him walk out of that. Then he threw his streeing wheel out and I was so relieved. Then when he swore live on air with you and no not about his crash, it was about the score you had just given him for the football. That was so funny made me laugh!
Have you watched the press conference yet - did you see Button and Vettle engrossed in watching (i guess) the football whilst Hamiton was talking, that was also very funny

Did miss your blog last GP but it's understandable if you were moving and no more than 10 very entertaining minutes of the Forum this week due to the television companies not paying there bills. lol

Well hopefully all back to normal for the British GP

See you then

Amanda x

Not really sure why the F1 guys had to edit out some bad language from Webber, when from what I can remember, he just said bl**dy hell (hardly bad language in all honesty, but then again we are a country which is full of people moaning about the smallest little things that are said).

What I would like to know if possible, is for all the moaning from Ferrari and Alonso about Hamilton, if Hamilton hadn't had hesistated and made it passed the safty car before the car had reached the white line, could Alonso say that he also would have made it passed them as well. From the video replays it looks like they wouldn't have. Also, because it was so tight and Hamilton would have had to almost stop to enable the safty car to go through, would then Alonso be blaming Hamilton for dangerous driving and may be looking at another horrific crash! Hamilton was in a do I/don't I situation and I think he passed on the side of safty. From the cockpit of Hams car you hear the engine sound change as if he was going to slow. I think it was wrong he was given a penalty, the stewards should have looked more on the side of safty and told Ferrari to get on with it. I think also Vettel should have shown a bit more team concern for Mark Webber. Yes OK he won the race but for all the finger pointing and screaming, that showed a man who was really only interested in one thing.....himself. Hamilton and Button seemed more subdued that Vettel did.

Great coverage as always despite the power cut ( a power cut in Bloemfontein may have produced as better result). I've always been a big DC fan and his erudite comments are always welcome but he can (as illustrated on Sunday) be a bit too vitriolic in his support for Red Bull - I like everyone else was delighted to see Webber walk away unscathed from a horrific accident but to blame anyone else other than Webber's usual over exuberance and then launch an attack on the slower teams is becoming a bit hackneyed (it's useful to have the insight of someone still closely associated with a team but is should not restrict his ability to comment on any situation which arises). Alonso's constant whining illustrates why he is such a bad loser and not a team player, Ferrari should disassociate themselves from his personal vendetta against Hamilton and Mclaren rather than joining in this nonsense (he was way too far back to have benefitted even if Hamilton had shot past the safety car) and are they truthfully saying that McLaren's $50M fine for a discretion in which they were more at fault (and I could name many othere) was another example of the FIA favouring McLaren? They also appear to be keen to put down Schumi despite the fact he was the seminal force in turning the team around. Ferrari, its time to wake up and smell the Cappuccino ( hopefully they continue to brew it slowly!). The race showed Red Bull may still have the fastest car but also that neither Webber or Vettel can control their erratic driving styles and behaviour when not going from pole to chequered flag - although this should provide solace to the other teams and particularly the two Mclren drivers who consistently outclass them in their driving. Well done to both Hamilton and Button.

Hi Jake,

given that all of the teams and race authorities know exactly where each car is on the circuit, why, at Sundays Valencia GP, did the authorities choose to deploy the Safety Car right into "the middle" of the Hamilton, Alonso (and Massa I think) train?

Surely, they could have deployed it either in front or behind?

And what about the SC driver? He should have realised he was going to create a problem as he could surely see that train approaching and had every opportunity to back off a little and avoid causing the inevitable problem.

There is something slightly satisfying in seeing Alonso losing his rag - first he complained he was held up alongside the safety car, then when he realised he'd been left behind, he bleated like a lamb only because Hamilton had gained an advantage...and even more amusing to see Massa hopping up and down in the background supporting Ferrari's claims and desperate to get back in the limelight...that said maybe it is time to rewrite the safety car rules.

Still brilliant coverage, powercuts and all, can't wait for two weeks time!

Hi Jake, first time poster to your Blog :)

Firstly about the race, I don't think it was as good as last time out in Canada but certainly better compared to Valencia's in the past.

I am very relieved that Mark and Heikki are totally fine after the shunt which was a particularly horrifying thing to see happen. My verdict is that I think nobody is to blame, just a misunderstanding from both of the drivers. I think DC and EJ both have good points to make and I would say that my view is is probably in the middle of theirs.

Just read all the commotion surrounding the whole Also stuff and I am taken aback by Alonso's comments. I happen to like Alonso and love his driving and have given him the benefit of the doubt in the past about his criticisms when things don't go his way. However he is totally wrong in my view to call the race a fix, Lewis made an error and broke a rule and was punished for it - discussion over. I agree his view that it should have been decided quicker, but these things happen. In my view Alonso needs to get over this thing and let his driving do the talking.

Lastly about the coverage, I totally disagree with Fishfingers. I love the coverage of F1 by the BBC, the most obvious thing is the lack of in race commercial breaks, which was the reason I always recorded ITV's coverage and watched the race after it had finished so I could fast forward through the adverts (not to mention the useless stuff they did as well), F1 does not belong on commercial TV unless the race is uninterrupted. The banter between you guys is great, and is just as entertaining as the actual racing. You guys at the BBC are much more engaging with the viewers and very generous with the amount of coverage you provide.

You really give the coverage that F1 deserves, especially giving viewers the chance to watch the practice sessions as well. Crofty and Anthony are also brilliant as a commentary partnership, laid back and still informative and a pleasure to listen to.

Keep up the good work, and am looking forward to Silverstone.

My prediction for Silverstone is that Alonso is going to snap and do something foolish - possibly with some well judged winding up by Hamilton, who is very wisely avoiding putting his foot in it.

I am just amazed that Ferrari can't see the swings and roundabouts of F1, so that they are prepared to destroy Ferrari's image with their petulant display. It must have really hurt to have a massive upgrade and discover that they were only just mixing it with the big boys rather than demolishing them; so I'd guess that there is real pressure, especially with McLaren bringing their next step forward to Silverstone, which if it works will turn the championship into the two horse race that Ferrari fear. Perhaps heads are about to roll at Ferrari.

There was no nmessage saying the Forum was off on either the TV Red Button or the BBC website. It would have been far better had we known that it was not going to happen after the point of failure.

Hi Jake,
Congrats to you and your magnificent BBC F1 Team for the great show at every GP Event. Having been a spectator of F1 coverage on Belgian(BRT & RTBF), French (TF1) and German (RTL) TV, for me, the BBC coverage is at the same time very professional, exciting and entertaining to watch.
Nevertheless, last sunday, having set my Digibox, according to the TV schedule, to record the show on BBC1, it was very frustrating to find out late that you had switched to BBC2. So, that was not professional at all! Appreciate some clarification. Thanks.

Safety car deployment needs to be reconsidered. There will always be a place for it in extreme conditions or after massive incidents, (as there is still a place for the red flag) but I think a new way of nullifying the race without destroying it could be instigated.
I'd suggest something related to the current delta time arrangement, or pit lane speed limiter.
It must be possible to keep the cars in something like their race order by creating a new "Incident" condition in which all cars cease racing and either circulate at a delta time, or engage an engine setting that has the same effect as the pit lane limiter albeit at a higher speed.

So Jake, what were these 'technical problems' that meant the forum was cancelled? Could they have been by any chance that you all wanted to watch England get annihilated by Germany instead?