The BBC has finally got around to confirming what we all knew already – that David Coulthard and Martin Brundle will make up the crux of its next year’s F1 team.
Coulthard, as he stated in October, will be providing technical expertise. Brundle, as he mentioned at an awards ceremony earlier this month, will be commentating, with the widely-tipped Jonathan Legard joining him.
Coulthard said of the appointment: “After 15 seasons competing in F1, my passion for the sport is still very much alive, and therefore I was delighted to be given the opportunity to share my views and experiences through the BBC coverage of F1.
“Many of the BBC team are known to me already and, for those members new to F1, I look forward to building on the established audience of F1 fans in the UK.”
Brundle had said earlier: “I’m delighted to be able to tell you all that I’ll be joining the BBC next year. I’ve been commentating on F1 for the past 12 years and I briefly considered calling it a day.
“However in the end I decided to take up the BBC’s offer and now I’m very excited about working for them next year.”
The show’s anchor will be BBC Sport presenter Jake Humphrey. Potentially less popular with fans will be the presence of opinionated former team owner Eddie Jordan in the studio – a move that had been predicted but not greeted with very much enthusiasm.
National treasure Murray Walker, 84, will be “a regular presence on the Sport website” where he will be “be offering his expert insight and perspective on the action and interacting with F1 fans through an online Q&A forum.”
Ted Kravitz will hang on to his pitlane reporting job, where instead of Louise Goodman he will partner Lee McKenzie, an ITV and Sky Sports presenter and a racer in her own right – she competes as an international co-driver in the World Rally Championship.