F1 Madness

Tag: f1 broadcast times

  • Broadcast Times for the 2016 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix

    Broadcast Times for the 2016 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix

    The Formula One circus heads to Montreal Canada for the 2016 Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

    Heading into this weekend Ferrari find themselves on the back foot. Red Bull’s performance in the Spanish and Monaco Grands Prix have made them sit up and take notice and are now fighting to stay ahead of them and fighting to close the gap to Mercedes. One could argue that Red Bull were lucky in Spain and that in Monaco the track suited their car which was down on power. Canada should be the true test of the pace of the Red Bulls and their engine upgrades.

    Ferrari are bringing an updated turbo and compressor to their cars. This upgrade will improve the turbo reliability which allowed Ferrari to make the change without spending any tokens. Changes to the compressor were performance upgrades and Ferrari was required to spend two tokens on this upgrade. The Gilles Villeneuve Circuit is quite power hungry with the long straights where drivers are at full throttle for 59% of the time.

    Honda have brought updated turbo’s to Canada which both McLaren drivers will use this weekend. This update used up two tokens and is aimed more at power harvesting than performance. This should make McLaren more competitive on the straights as power sensitive circuits seemed to be their Achilles heel.

    F1 is set for a major shake up after the announcement that Heineken will become a global partner. They’ve secured branding rights for a few races and will have a significant presence at a few other races. Heineken are big on social media at digital media and can leverage the experience they’ve gained from the Uefa Champions League and the Rugby World cup into F1.

    We are in quite an exciting time it can just get better for the fans from here.

    CDT GMT GMT+2 Local
    Free Practice 1 Friday 09:00 Friday 14:00 Friday 16:00 Friday 10:00
    Free Practice 2 Friday 13:00 Friday 18:00 Friday 20:00 Friday 14:00
    Free Practice 3 Saturday 09:00 Saturday 14:00 Saturday 16:00 Saturday 10:00
    Qualifying Saturday 12:00 Saturday 17:00 Saturday 19:00 Saturday 13:00
    Race Sunday 13:00 Sunday 18:00 Sunday 20:00 Sunday 14:00
  • Broadcast Times for the 2015 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix

    Broadcast Times for the 2015 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix

    Round 16 of the Formula 1 World Championship takes place across the Atlantic in the great state of Texas, USA at the Circuit of Americas in Austin.

    This purpose built, 5.515km, counter clockwise circuit features some of the most thrilling corners on the F1 Calendar. The track is situated on the outskirts of the city of Austin, Texas. The circuit has a very good mix of fast, medium and slow speed corners that challenge the driver throughout the lap.

    Turn 1 is a left handed hair pin that features a 41m elevation change. The braking zone is uphill which tempts the drivers to go as late as possible on the brakes. If they get it right they’re perfectly setup for the series of esses that follow all the way to Turn 9. Time can be gained or lost very early on in the lap so its very important to get the braking into T1 right.

    Turns 17 and 18 are taken as one long, triple apex right handed turn. Drivers are at full throttle throughout the corner with the exit being slightly off camber which makes it a bit tricky.

    Car setup tends to focus on mechanical front end grip with medium down force for the high speed sections.

    Mercdes’s Lewis Hamilton is on the edge of clinching his 3rd world championship title at the Circuit of the Americas. Hamilton is currently sitting on 302 points in the championship with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel 66 points behind in 2nd place with 326 points with Hamilton’s team mate Nico Rosberg 3rs on 229 points, 73 points adrift of the Briton.

    To win the championship Hamilton will need to outscore Vettel by 9 points and Rosberg by two points. Simply put. If Hamilton wins, Vettel will have to finish in 2nd to take the championship challenge to the next race. Anything lower than 2nd for Vettel, Hamilton will be crowned World Champion.

    To stay in contention, Rosberg needs a DNF from Hamilton. A victory from Hamilton will take Rosberg, mathematically, out of the equation.

    With the race in America, TV viewers in Europe and Africa will enjoy a quiet evening of F1.

    Broadcast times are GMT+2

    Free Practice 1 Friday 17:00 (10:00 Local)
    Free Practice 2 Friday 21:00 (14:00 Local)
    Free Practice 3 Saturday 17:00 (10:00 Local)
    Qualifying Sunday* 16:00 (09:00 Local)
    Race Sunday 21:00 (14:00 Local)

    *Change made to reflect the postponement of Qualifying from Saturday to Sunday morning

  • Broadcast Times for the 2015 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix

    Broadcast Times for the 2015 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix

    The Bahrain Grand Prix is back-to-back with the Chinese Grand Prix. We here at Madness HQ really enjoy these back-to-back races. It keeps us busy and eases with withdrawal. Round 04 of the Formula 1 World Championship takes us to the Bahrain International Circuit where for the second time it will play host to the seasons first day-into-night race.

    The circuit is well known to the teams, the year round warm temperatures made it a favorite test venue for the teams. The track has 15 corners in total with 2 DRS zones.

    Mercedes have once again stamped their authority on the season after a completely dominant weekend by Lewis Hamilton. He took P1 in all three practice sessions, pole position in qualifying, fastest lap and race win in the race. A royal flush so to speak.

    Ferrari have now cemented their place as best of the rest with Sebastian Vettel finishing P3, behind the Mercedes pair. Ferrari tried their best to manage expectations for the Chinese Grand Prix after their win in Malaysia, but the fans were hungry for the victory. It became very clear during the race on Sunday that Mercedes were just too quick for the Maranello team. Nevertheless, they are continuing with developing the car and are getting closer to Mercedes. They have not ruled out a few more wins this season.

    Further down the field it looks as Renault have made an improvement with their power units which brings Red Bull back up the order. This is some good news but the team face the inevitable penalty of a power unit change as they have already used 6 of their 8 allocated power units for the season and we are just 4 races in.

    Sauber are quietly going about their business and are getting good points. They are currently 4th in the Constructors Championship ahead of Red Bull and Toro Rosso.

    Although they say they are making progress, McLaren are lagging at the bottom of the constructors table with no points to their name. Both McLaren drivers are towing the line and are hiding their frustrations very well at the moment. The team is making improvements throughout every race weekend. Things should get better for them once the European leg of the season begins.

    Below are the television broadcast times for this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix. All times are GMT+2

    Free Practice 1: Friday 13:00

    Free Practice 2: Friday 17:00

    Free Practice 3: Saturday 14:00

    Qualifying: Saturday 17:00

    Race: Sunday 17:00

  • Broadcast Times for the 2014 Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix

    Broadcast Times for the 2014 Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix

    There’s always an air of excitement when a new circuit gets included on the Formula 1 Calendar. The Russian Grand Prix in Sochi makes it debut this weekend.

    The Sochi Autodrom is a 5.853km, semi permanent facility much like the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Canada and the Sydney Olympic Park Circuit in Australia, it is run around a venue previously used for Olympic games. The circuit features 19 corners. Included in these 19 corners is a long swooping, triple apex left hander that emulates turn 7 at Istanbul Park. The circuit will navigate past the Olympic Village, and will go past the  Adler Arena Skating Center and the  Bolshoy Ice Dome.

    It will be hard to become excited for the Russian Grand Prix after the Jules Bianchi incident. No doubt the drivers and teams will be keeping him in their thoughts throughout the weekend and until he is fully recovered. We will be hoping and praying that he makes a full recovery.

    Below is are the broadcast times for the Russian Grand Prix. All times are GMT+2

    Free Practice 1: Friday 08:00

    Free Practice 2: Friday 12:00

    Free Practice 3: Saturday 10:00

    Qualifying: Saturday 13:00

    Race: Sunday 13:00

  • Broadcast Times for the 2014 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix

    Broadcast Times for the 2014 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix

    The iconic Suzuka Circuit in Japan plays host to the Japanese Grand Prix and round 15 of the Formula 1 World Championship.

    Suzuka is billed as a real drivers circuit, a favorite among many of the drivers in the F1 paddock. You wont find a driver out there who has bad things to say about this circuit.

    Designed as a test track for Honda back in 1962, it is one of the longest serving circuits in F1. The circuit has decided many drivers titles over the years. This year we will need to wait a bit longer. The gap between the two Mercedes drivers is now just three points with Lewis Hamilton narrowly ahead after winning the Singapore Grand Prix a fortnight ago. Mercedes will want to put their reliability issues behind them for the Japanese Grand Prix. Nico Rosberg on the other hand will look to win the race and put the pressure back on Hamilton.

    After a rather anonymous race in Singapore, Williams will also be looking to bounce back to the front. Suzuka will suit the Williams much better and we should see a strong performance from them. McLaren were hoping to be closer to Red Bull at the previous race. The new parts which they brought to Singapore didn’t quite work for them and they seemed neither here nor there. Red Bull also seemed to come alive in Singapore. But with the Renault engine down on power, they might struggle to keep the pace of the Mercedes.

    Ferrari on the other hand showed a turn of pace at Singapore. But their Technical Director, Pat Fry has said that Singapore is a low power rating track which is why they were quite strong. Suzuka on the other hand, is a high power rating circuit, so Ferrari will be threading water the entire weekend trying to get up there.

    After the Singapore Grand Prix, Force India Team Principal, Vijay Mallya was very happy with the performance of the team. He has said that they will continue to develop their cars so they can finish ahead of McLaren in the Constructors Championship. Can Force India finish ahead of McLaren this season you ask? Of course they can. It’s all to play for.

    With the race weekend happening in Japan, the times for our European and African viewers will be a touch on the early side.

    Below are the broadcast times for the 2014 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix at the legendary Suzuka. All times are GMT+2

    Free Practice 1: Friday 03:00

    Free Practice 2: Friday 07:00

    Free Practice 3: Saturday 04:00

    Qualifying: Saturday 07:00

    Race: Sunday 08:00

  • Broadcast Times for the 2014 Fomrmula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix

    Broadcast Times for the 2014 Fomrmula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix

    The Formula 1 circus heads out for the final few rounds of fly-away races and for the season and the first stop is the Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

    The 5.065km circuit is one of the most physically and mentally demanding circuits on the calendar. Not only is it long in distance, but it borders on the 2 hour race limit. If there is more than one safety car period, the race will have to conclude after the 2 hour time limit has passed. This has happened once and with a safety car almost always guaranteed at the race it’s likely that we may see it happen again.

    The heat and humidity, even at night, makes it very tough on the drivers and the length adds to that. Cooling for the cars is also very important for this track.

    McLaren have said that they would be ready to challenge Red Bull by the Singapore Grand Prix. The Woking based team are expected to bring a few new parts to the car and they will be hoping that they can close the gap to Red Bull. No doubt that the other teams will be continuing development of their 2014 cars, but it seems like some of the focus is being turned to 2015.

    Ferrari team principal Marco Mattiacci has said earlier in the week that the performance deficit to Mercedes is still very large and that weakness was on display at the Italian Grand Prix. He’s confident that the car is improving and they can finish in a strong position.

    It seems like all is quiet at Mercedes. After all the conspiracy theories that were flying around after the Italian Grand Prix it seems as though its business as usual now. With the team radio ban enforced form the Singapore Grand Prix it will be interesting to know how their drivers perform.

    Below are the broadcast times for the 2014 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix

    Free Practice 1: Friday 12:00

    Free Practice 2: Friday 15:30

    Free Practice 3: Saturday 12:00

    Qualifying: Saturday 15:00

    Race: Sunday 14:00

    We will bring you updates on our Twitter account (@F1_Madness) during FP1 and FP2 with live commentary throughout the sessions on Saturday and Sunday.

  • Broadcast Times for the 2014 Formula 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix

    Broadcast Times for the 2014 Formula 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix

    Formula 1 is back after a 4 week long summer break and there is no better track to get us going for the second half of the Formula 1 World Championship than the legendary Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

    Teams and drivers will be well rested and ready to go all out till the end of the season. No doubt that the Mercedes pair of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg will be itching to get back in their cars. Rosberg goes into the Belgian Grand Prix 11 points ahead of team mate and rival Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton on the other hand is hoping that his reliability problems are behind him in order for him to concentrate on winning the title.

    The dark horse, Daniel Ricciardo, will be waiting in the wings and will keep a close eye on the Mercedes pair to pounce on any opportunity he is given. With the double points rule at the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi, Ricciardo may have a slight chance of taking the championship.

    Williams are hoping to carry on with their good form they’ve shown before the summer break. With the long straights and very fast nature of the Spa circuit, the FW36 will be a worthy opponent for the very quick Mercedes.

    Ferrari and McLaren will hope for some improvement to the season after a rather lack lustre first half of the season.

    Here are your broadcast times for the 2014 Formula 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix

    Free Practice 1: Friday 10:00

    Free Practice 2: Friday 14:00

    Free Practice 3: Saturday 11:00

    Qualifying: Saturday 14:00

    Race: Sunday 14:00

    All times are GMT+2. As always we’ll have updates for you during FP1 and FP2 with live updates on our Twitter account (@F1_Madness) throughout FP3, Qualifying and the Race.

  • Broadcast Times for the Formula 1 Grosser Preis Von Osterreich 2014 (Austrian Grand Prix)

    Broadcast Times for the Formula 1 Grosser Preis Von Osterreich 2014 (Austrian Grand Prix)

    Formula 1 returns to Spielberg, Austria to host the Austrian Grand Prix and round 8 of the Formula 1 World Championship.

    After being removed from formula 1 calendars in 2004. The A1 Ring as it was known, has since been bought by Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz , given a refurbishment and it is back on the Formula 1 calendar. The Red Bull ring played host to some fantastic racing in the past. The battle between Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen in 1998 comes immediately to mind. Not forgetting the moment in 2001 where Rubens Barrichello was asked by then Ferrari Team Principal, Jean Todt to “let Michael pass for the championship”.

    For teams this season at the Red Bull Ring its a complete unknown. The drivers will have to learn the track with no prior information to assist them. No doubt the drivers have been spending lots of time in the simulator in preparation for the race, but nothing beats track time. It will be interesting to see which team will get on top of things quick enough and take advantage of the conditions.

    The team to beat will undoubtedly be Mercedes. Red Bull will be hoping to put in a good performance as they will be performing in front of their home crowd.

    Below are the broadcast times for the Austrian Grand Prix(All times are GMT+2)

    Free Practice 1: Friday 10:00

    Free Practice 2: Friday 14:00

    Free Practice 3: Saturday 11:00

    Qualifying: Saturday 14:00

    Race: Sunday 14:00

     

    You can catch our updates during practice with our live updates on Saturday and Sunday with all the news in between on our Twitter account @F1_Madness

  • Broadcast Times for the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada 2014

    Broadcast Times for the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada 2014

    Formula 1 is in Canada this weekend for round 6 of the Formula 1 world championship at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

    With the Mercedes pair of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg settling their differences, you can be certain that both of the drivers will be going all out to one up each other this weekend. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has always been a favorite of Hamilton’s and he will be looking to stamp his dominance over his team mate.

    After a rather quiet drive at the Monaco Grand Prix, Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo will be hoping to split the Mercedes pair or even beat them. Ricciardo has had an amazing start to his career at Red Bull and has out-qualified his team mate Sebastian Vettel on a number of occasions. Vettel supporters will be hoping that the young German’s luck will change after suffering yet another mechanical problem at the Monaco Grand Prix which forced him to retire from the race.

    The rest of the teams will be looking for an overall improvement for their cars with some teams delaying their major update packages to be released at the Canadian Grand Prix.

    The track itself is fast with long straights and very tight chicanes. And lets not forget the famous wall of champions at the exit of the final corner. The stop-start nature of the track makes it rather heavy on fuel consumption. Pirelli have brought the soft and super soft compounds to the track. With the slow chicanes and exit speeds of some of the corners the cars will depend heavily on mechanical grip provided by the two compounds.

    With the race in North America, we can expect things to happen in the late afternoons and in the evenings for the folks in Europe and Africa. Below is the full broadcast schedule for the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada 2014

    Free Practice 1: Friday 16:00

    Free Practice 2: Friday 20:00

    Free Practice 3: Saturday 16:00

    Qualifying: Saturday 19:00

    Race: Sunday 20:00

    All times are GMT+2

    You can get all your free practice updates on our Twitter account @F1_Madness. We’ll bring you live updates for qualifying and the race.

  • Broadcast Times for the Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco 2014

    Broadcast Times for the Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco 2014

    Sun, sea, glitz, glamour and Formula 1. Mix them all together and you get the Monaco Grand Prix. Round 6 of the Formula 1 world championship.

    The most anticipated and one of the most famous grands prix on the F1 calendar. Although very exciting, the race usually turns out to be a procession. With very little room for overtaking. The winner is usually the one who gets out of turn 1 at the start of the race unscathed.

    There has been lots of chatter about Mercedes’ advantage being eroded with Red Bull staging a recovery after Sebastian Vettel’s strong performance at the Spanish Grand Prix. Lotus put in a rather strong performance at the Spanish Grand Prix and there’s word that they will finish ahead of Ferrari in Monaco. Talking about Ferrari, they seem to have gone backwards. There is talk that they will be much better in Monaco, but thats exactly what it is at this moment, talk.

    Be that as it may, Mercedes are still the team to beat and with the superior performance of the W05 it looks like we’re in for another weekend where Mercedes will dominate.

    The Monaco street circuit is tight, and twisty and narrow with little to no room for driver error. Its physically as well as mentally demanding on the drivers. The Red Super Soft compound tyre from Pirelli makes its debut this season along with the Yellow Soft compound.

    With this being the Monaco Grand Prix, things work a bit differently. Free practice 1 and 2 will be on Thursday with Friday being a rest day.

    Below are the broadcast times for the Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco 2014(GMT+2):

    Free Practice 1: Thursday 10:00

    Free Practice 2: Thursday 14:00

    Free Practice 3: Saturday 11:00

    Qualifying: Saturday 14:00

    Race: Sunday 14:00

     

    We will bring you updates of the standings during free practice on Thursday and live updates of practice 3, qualifying and the race on our Twitter account @F1_Madness