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The BBC has signed a five year deal to broadcast Formula 1, which was good news, and largely unexpected. But a bit of thought has me wondering a few things:

Martin Brundle is the new Murray Walker. He must move to the BBC, just as Murray Walker moved to ITV. Brundle is a superb commentator, his grid walks are great, and he speaks his mind (much to Ecclestone’s frustration). He’s by far the best part of the ITV package, and if he’s lost due to contract issues, I think a huge number of long-term F1 fans will be disappointed.

It’s not all about Lewis. As Doctor Vee’s (with his spangly new F1 blog) has frequently pointed out, the ITV-Hamilton love fest has become rather trying. Last season I could just about cope, but watching the race on Sunday (as I lay on the couch, recovering from a stressful flight and, well, my stag do) it didn’t seem to have abated. Sure, he’s a good driver. Sure, he’s British. But please, there are a lot of other drivers and teams to focus on. I hope the BBC will stick to its impartiality.

No more adverts! Excellent news, and I’m sure the BBC will have some new ideas to try too. ITV was, despite the adverts, a big improvement over the BBC’s coverage. Other than a few key races, I remember the old BBC coverage was minimal at best (particularly for the far-flung races). A fresh approach, and the big support programme, were brilliant, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the BBC have learnt, and what new ideas they’ll introduce.

Highlights programme. Sometimes I’m just not in the mood to watch a full race. Generally around Hungary, for instance. ITV sticks the highlights programme in a slot that’s useless. I’ll probably have heard the result on the radio or on teh interwebs before I see that. Let’s have a decent slot for highlights.

But it’s the commentary where it’s at. I was delighted to discover that the ITV commentary of the race is syndicated in Australia and NZ, so when we were there a few years ago, Martin Brundle’s tones featured heavily. He has to stay. He is practically an F1 institution. I’m not as anti-James Allen as many other F1 fans are: I actually think a commentary team works well when you’ve very different styles, knowledge bases and have the occasional foot-in-mouth. James Hunt and Murray Walker were a classic pairing, and Hunt’s knowledge completed Walker’s enthusiasm perfectly. Brundle and Allen aren’t in that league, but I actually think they work quite well in communicating an atmosphere.

But the BBC getting the contract is exciting stuff, and should be a great shot up the arm for F1 as it experiences a Hamilton-fuelled boom. Even without the wunderkind, this season is looking like it could be a corker, after a great one last season, so here’s hoping next season will be good too. I do wonder how much they paid for it though, and how much is some sort of convoluted Bernie Ecclestone power-play. It wouldn’t be the first (or last) time the infuriating little man has meddled in a sub-Machiavellian way. We’re long overdue a change there, if you ask me.

Update

Oh, and perhaps a return to The Chain? One of the best and most appropriate theme tunes ever. In fact, it’s such a certainty in my view I’d put money on it.

So one of the worst-kept secrets in Formula-one is confirmed, and Michael Schumacher is to retire at the end of the season. OK, so it was quite well kept – nobody quite knew for sure, but all the runes were pointing in that direction with Mr Personality himself, Kimi Raikkonen, moving to take his seat at Ferrari, Schumacher in a mean mood most of the weakend, and an inevitability about it.

At first, when it seemed more likely than not, I thought ‘good’. The guy has won seven, perhaps soon even eight, world titles, and yesterday was his 90th career victory. By any statistical measure he is simply the best driver F1 has ever had, but since his complete dominance in Ferrari I’ve just found that he’s not a driver I can get too excited about. A machine behind the wheel, in a sense. But lack of excitement is not to say I don’t have a lot of respect for the guy, and what he’s achieved.

However, and here’s the rub. At his tearful walk around the winners enclosure (reluctantly hugging the Fiat president who seemed to be making a nuisance of himself), and then the announcement everybody was expecting at the winners press ‘conference’ (one guy asking questions doesn’t seem a conference, but it’s good anyway). I suddenly found myself thinking that it’s going to be a great shame not to have the “M Schumacher” on the race list (I suppose it’ll just be “Schumacher”, as Ralf will be the only one, and we won’t strictly need his initial any more), and setting a standard that others try to match. I then got to thinking something I’ve not thought since he drove in a Benetton, which was (deep breath) “I hope this guy wins the title this season”.

As much as Alonso is an excellent and interesting driver, his tantrum at a marginal call going against him about “F1 not being a sport anymore” paints an image of him I don’t much like, but I suppose it’s a romantic idea that Schumacher leaving with his record 8th title would be a great achievement. Perhaps even a snub, even, to Ferrari. Whilst it makes sense – he is 37 after all, and with a young family – I still can’t help but think if he’s winning and one of the tougher races of the year, he’s still got something in him, and he might perhaps be wishing he’d played his cards differently.

I don’t know, it’s a real mix of emotions and opinion all over I suppose. He’s a great driver, but so focused I found it hard to empathise. Suddenly he’s off, and you realise what you’re losing, and kinda wish he’d hang on a bit more. But that said it should be good to see how the Tifosi take to their new lead driver (They weren’t so keen on Schumacher initially, if I recall correctly), and how McLaren and Renault cope with their ‘best’ drivers moving about even when they have great form. Maybe F1 isn’t quite the bore fest. But maybe if the races themselves were a as intriguing as the paddock talk, I for one would be a lot happier

The sport section of The Observer has an article today reviewing the rather boring non-event that is Formula One at the moment. It cuts to the heart of the issue for me: There’s very little actual racing going on, and so much of the jockeying for position takes place at the hands of the engineers when the cars come in for their pit stops.

I know a few folk who have been F1 fans in the past, who now just don’t bother watching or following it, and I’m very much getting that way myself. Even the starts and opening laps, often the most exciting part of the entire race, are getting a bit dull now.

I’d a lot of hope that the manufacturers, or at least the merchant bankers, might have given Ecclestone the boot after the hoo-ha over the F1 administrative rights company and the rival series that was threatened for a while. But they’ve all bowed to his manoeuvrings, and seemingly signed up to continue with things roughly as they are, with Ecclestone at the head. So much for a big shake up.

This is all bad news for the fans, and with a driver like Montoya leaving (although he never really shined in the way we all hoped), I’m just not very optimistic that there’s much chance of the sizeable change to the rules or system that’s needed to get more overtaking – the heart of motor racing. I’d go as far as to say scrap re-fueling, which would at least even-out the playing field some more and reduce the role that the pitlane plays in the end result.

As it is though, I’m now at the point that I may watch a race when it’s on, and I’m not doing anything else, but the excitement has largely gone for me that I’ll plan my Sunday around it.

I always feel quite chuffed when I recognise a piece of music in an advert, especially if it’s from somebody more obscure. Saab are, I think, using one of Aphex Twin’s tracks (”Shiny Metal Rods”, from Selected Ambient Works Vol 2), I think we all discovered a new talent in José González with the Sony Bravia adverts. Also, More4 are using “No more sweet music” from Hooverphonic’s album of the same name, for their trailer for “The Swenkas”.

“They” say that every one of Moby’s tracks from “Play”, was used in an advert in some capacity, primarily car adverts I think. Also, a real shame about ITV’s choice of music in their F1 coverage – out of context from Moby’s album, and utterly inappropriate for F1 I think: It’s too “airy” and “inspirational”, rather than down, dirty and a spot more aggressive: Bring back Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain”! Even the rather lacklustre Jamiroquai track they commissioned was better.

But most recently the BBC’s music selector seems to have fallen quite sizeably for Sigur Rós, in that they’ve made huge use of various tracks from their album Takk for Planet Earth, the Wimbledon build up, and – spotted this morning – a new nature program. Funny. Well worth checking the band out though. Excellent stuff.

Update

• http://www.commercialbreaksandbeats.co.uk is a great website for more information about music on adverts that folk might find of use/interest.

Tips on searching for your advert

• Comments are now most-recent first, as that’s people are frequently most interested in.
• There are a lot of comments, so use your browser’s search feature to find the track you’re after. If it’s not on the page you arrived on, open the complete post by clicking here, and then search in your browser by hitting CTRL-F (or Option-F if you’re on a Mac) and type in a keyword about the advert and click OK!
• There may be some other links available which could be helpful.
• Remember many of the tracks you read about here are available in the iTunes Music Store
• There’s another thread on this very website with more adverts and answers!

Comments

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Great news that Fernando Alonso has become the new F1 world champion. A great driver with a great attitude and personality. He’ll make a great ambassador for the sport, and hopefully reinvigorate interest in the sport world-wide, as well as in his native Spain.

Compared to Michael Schumacher, he’s certainly happier to break a smile, and – whilst he is a good driver – Raikonnen doesn’t do himself any favours with his disdain for the media (particularly, it seems, with Martin Brundle) and generally wooden appearance. I realise it’s perhaps a little trite, but a world champion needs to give something back to the fans, give them something to get excited about, and it’s been a long time since we’ve that in a champion, for all their on-track talent.

Let’s face it, Schumacher, Hakkinen, Damon Hill, none of them really had that particular Je ne se quous, so it’s great to see a driver who really looks like he’s enjoying every minute of it, both on the track and off it. Given that F1 has been reinvigorated by Ferrari’s lack of pace this season, the championship has been much more interesting: A shame that some great battles have been cut short by tyres, reliability or pure bad luck.

Next season, with Button staying at BAR (phew! There’s a chance we might have a British contender for the title next season if Honda live up to expectations and deliver some real power to otherwise excellent package), and a good line-up in the peak cars, we should see some great battles. F1 certainly needs it – the Ecclestone and Mosley’s of the sport are doing nothing to help it’s image. My dream ticket? A change in F1 management, and a re-envigorated middle-order of teams, and we’ll have a sport that really lives up to it’s potential.

Watching the ITV F1 coverage of the German grand-prix, and you’ve got to feel a bit sorry for poor old Jenson Button, currently Britain’s leading driver.

He’s again in a tug of war between BAR and Williams, but this time he’s keeping very quiet on the matter. Last year he was a bit more vocal: he wanted to move to Williams because they had the pedigree. BAR, he felt, just didn’t offer the future that he hoped for. Unfortunately, this year the situation has reversed itself rather horribly for him. Williams have lost BMW’s engines, and are struggling this year. Their prospects look bleak for the next few years, as at best they’ll have a works engine.

BAR, on the other hand, are largely owned by Honda, so are getting engineering support from a company that has been involved in F1 for years, and has expertise that has won Grand Prix. You really feel that, for all their faults, BAR have the better prospects. So Jenson wanted to move to Williams, but BAR had the contractual upper hand. This year Williams have the contractual upper hand – having an option on Button – and are making all the noises that they’ll be exercising that option, regardless of Button’s preferences.

There was a rumour that Ferrari might step in, but they’re not looking as hot now as they have been in recent years. But Button seems to be a victim of previous contractual decisions made by previous management on his behalf. It’d be a real shame to see Britain’s best F1 hope in many years moving between tier-2 teams for all the wrong reasons.

A few days ago, a curious ruling was handed down to the teams that refused to race in Indianapolis. Doctorvee has a good analysis of the judgement, from a fans perspective. One that I share.

A sword of Damocles hanging over the teams is both unfair and unwarranted. If anybody should cop the blame, it really should be Michelin. In hindsight, I think the teams were stuck between a rock and a hard place, and only Ferrari and the FIA stood in the way of a resolution that would have resulted in something approaching a real Grand Prix happening.

Still, it’s all behind us, and I trust that some lessons have been learnt by all involved, culpable or not. The sport continues to have a number of threats, not least the manufacturers forming their own championship after 2007, that have been made all the more real following the farce that was the US Grand Prix.

I’m certainly looking forward to the race this weekend in France. I’ve been kept waiting for two weeks longer than I’d hoped for something approaching the sort of spectacle I relish in F1, and whilst there are reported threats to the event, I fervently hope they don’t consider acting so foolishly, because any good will I have towards the teams will quickly evaporate.

What a farce! A tyre manufacturing problem has led Michelin to advise teams running their tyres NOT to race. Huge political maneuvers and last minute brinkmanship has been occurring in the hour or so before the race, leading to cars taking the grid but are publicly stating they will come in the out lap: On the instructions of the tyre manufacturer.

It’s all hugely farcical, and almost certainly means that the US Grand Prix won’t happen this year in any meaningful way, and based on such a farce it probably means the race – one of the best circuits of the year – won’t happen next year either. Very much the self-made death of Formula 1 in North America.

Obviously safety must come first, but there’s a consensus that it could all be solved by placing a chicane on the circuit, which most teams agree with. But politics gets in the way, and the people that lose out are the 120,000 fans at the circuit (Who don’t even know of the machinations occurring, and are likely to go ballistic when most cars peel off), and the millions of people around the world tuning in to perhaps the biggest sporting none-event in memory (Think the Grand National cancellation but with a global audience).

Martin Brundle did a great job on giving Bernie Ecclestone a piece of his (and the 8 million UK viewers) mind, and the ITV-F1 have been apologising profusely about things. Pure and utter madness.

Surprising news just out on the BBC, that the BAR team have been banned from the next two races having been found to have breached regulations by running an underweight car. Serious stuff indeed, and despite Jenson Button’s excellent performance at the last race, I bet he’s seriously wishing he’d managed to get over to Williams more than ever now.

Yesterdays excellent San Marino Grand Prix left me decidedly optimistic that the Formula 1 championship could finally be out of the doldrums.

These doldrums had been brought about by the domination of Ferrari and Michael Schumacher in particular. There was a decidedly ominous quality about how stunning Schumacher’s race was after the first pit stop (I just can’t get my head around how well he did to come from 12th to third). I fear that, with a decent grid position, there is still a dominance there that threatens the openness that has been the hallmark of the season so far.

One wild card in it all is reliability. Normally Ferrari are unbeatable purely because of this, as they introduce new cars and new technologies, they don’t suffer point losses through cars packing up half way through a race. This isn’t the case this season, as the form to date demonstrates. Until yesterday, Schumacher had only accumulated two points… His previous failure to finish due to car problems is counted in seasons not races.

I doubt reliability will be a problem for much longer though. Which means that if the car can pull off the sort of form it showed signs of, certainly in Schumachers hands, the other teams might have difficulty. But progress isn’t confined to the Ferrari team by any means. BAR are showing promising signs, and Renault (I still want to type Benetton) too are looking very strong. They’re certainly in the running with Alonso the friendly face. I refuse to get excited about McLaren’s Raikonnen, at least until he starts getting excited about his sport (does the man ever smile?).

All in all, I’m hoping the next grand prix in Barcelona will show where things truly stand. If Ferrari are back to form, but Renault push hard, we should – at long, long last – have a proper season of racing at its very best on our hands.

And a footnote: If ITV ever, ever, ever decide to put such a long advert break out so close to the end of a race I will be writing irate e-mails and letters to them. What ever happened to producers actually caring about the quality of what they were broadcasting? The commentators should be able to hold adverts at such a crucial moment: One of the best finishes in years and they put 5 minutes of adverts on!!? That they reran the last few laps in the post-race analysis shows they were conscious of what a mistake it was, but they’d better learn quickly from that…