 Logo used since 2020 | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Programming | |
| Picture format | 2160pUHDTV (downscaled to1080i and16:9576i for theHDTV andSDTV feeds, respectively.HDR-TV on certain Sky models.) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Sky Group (Comcast) |
| History | |
| Launched | 9 March 2012; 13 years ago (2012-03-09) |
| Replaced | Sky Living Loves |
| Links | |
| Website | skysports |
| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| Sky Go | Watch live (UK and Ireland only) |
| Now | Watch live (UK and Ireland only) |
Sky Sports F1 is a Britishpay television sports channel owned bySky Group. Part of theSky Sports networks, it primarily broadcasts coverage of theFormula One championship, including live coverage of all practices, qualifying sessions, and races, as well as studio programmes and archive content. The channel also carries coverage of otheropen-wheel motorsports competitions outside of F1, including theFormula 2 championship and the United States'IndyCar Series.
The channel was established in 2012 as part of Sky's acquisition of rights to Formula One in the UK and Ireland, a contract that has since been renewed through 2029.[1] Sky's F1 coverage has also beensyndicated to broadcasters in Canada and the United States. Since Sky's acquisition of the rights, a free-to-air package of highlights and selected live races have also been sub-licensed to a free-to-air network, currentlyChannel 4.
TheBBC had exclusive UK F1 rights from 2009 until the end of the 2013 season,[2] having regained the rights fromITV. However, a new broadcast rights deal was announced on 29 July 2011, stating thatSky Sports would cover all races live.[3] The BBC continued to broadcast half of the races live including theBritish Grand Prix and final race. It also allowed the BBC to show highlights of all races.[4][5] In November 2011, Sky announced the new dedicated F1 channel would launch in March 2012,[6] and will air all F1 races with coverage of practice sessions, qualifying and the race, live and commercial-free.[7]
On 21 December 2015, it was announced that the BBC would be ending its television broadcast rights three seasons early after the2015 season with its rights to 10 live races and highlights of all 21 races going toChannel 4. However,BBC Radio 5 Live andBBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra would continue to broadcast live commentary of the whole season until the 2021 season.[8]
Prior to the launch of the channel, there was some controversy about switching Formula One coverage at least in part topay television.[9]
The channel launched on 9 March 2012, seven days before the start of the 2012 Formula One season.[citation needed] During 2012, the channel was on air for sixty-three hours during race weeks and thirty-two hours during non-race weeks.[10] Sky Sports F1 announced viaTwitter that there would not be a dedicated Sky Sports F1 app, however the F1 section on theSky Sports News app was enhanced.[11]
Sky Sports F1 launched with a two-hour special ofThe F1 Show, presented bySimon Lazenby,Martin Brundle andDamon Hill, previewing the2012 Formula One season.
Sky Sports F1 HD on the Sky platform was available to new and existing customers before 1 April 2013 providing they subscribed to the HD pack.[12] Existing subscribers to all of the Sky Sports channels without the HD pack received a standard definition version.[13]Virgin Media andSmallworld Cable offer the standard definition version of the channel to Sky Sports subscribers, it is not available separately.[14][15] The HD version of the channel was made available to Virgin Media customers subscribing to the Sky Sports Collection with the additional Sky Sports HD pack on 15 July 2014. A standard definition version of the channel is also provided throughSky Go.
Since 18 July 2017, new Sky TV customers are able to purchase the channel as a standalone channel, or as part of a larger Sky Sports package.[16]
Since 2017, Sky Sports F1 has broadcast Formula 1 in4K UHD.
Beginning at the2016 Formula One season, Canadian F1 rights holderTSN began to simulcast Sky's coverage, including the pre- and post-race programmes and in-race commentary.[17]
From the2018 Formula One season to the2025 Formula One season ,Formula One's new US rights holderESPN similarly began using Sky Sports F1's commentary, along with a simulcast of the pre-race show and some of the post-race show if necessary. At least four races are also televised onABC under theESPN on ABC banner, includingMonaco.[18] However, after criticism over its handling and timing of adverts during the race coverage of the2018 Australian Grand Prix (at times cutting off commentators mid-sentence), ESPN announced that it would broadcast the remaining races of the season with a single presenting sponsor (and this arrangement continues until its loss of rights in 2025), which has consistently been the American car care brand Mothers, and pole-to-pole advertising break-free racing.[19] For the2019 Formula One season,Welcome to the Weekend andPit Lane Live also became available on the digital subscription serviceESPN+.[20]
The light-touch Sky simulcast on ESPN and ABC has been credited with an increase of ratings and acclaim for the series in the United States, improved domestic sponsorship sales for pre- and post-race programming, and an increase invirtual advertising (overlaid byFOM as part of the multilateral 'World Feed') on some trackside hoardings during the race weekend.[21]
The2012 season started on 16 March (live practice) from theMelbourne Grand Prix Circuit,Australia. Sky Sports broadcast every practice session, qualifying session and race live. The season passed 19 countries on the way. Formula One visited places as diverse as China,Bahrain, Belgium, Italy, and also United States for a Grand Prix taking place inAustin, Texas at the brand newCircuit of the Americas. The season came to an end at the2012 Brazilian Grand Prix on 25 November 2012.
On 7 March 2012, Sky Sports F1 revealed its theme tune for the 2012 season, "Just Drive" byAlistair Griffin, which has been re-recorded with thePrague Philharmonic Orchestra andRodolfus Choir.[22][23] The 43-second opening credits feature archive footage of former world champions and memorable F1 moments from 32 Grands Prix between 1950 and 2011. The theme tune was also used onThe F1 Show and forClassic F1. 2014 saw a rearrangement of the theme to go with updated titles. Sky's original arrangement is still of Griffins' song utilised for its coverage of Classic F1 races. From the 2019 season onwards "Just Drive" was replaced byOutlands byDaft Punk, which had previously been featured in the filmTron: Legacy (2010).[24][25]
During the 2012 season,Santander UK was the official sponsor of Formula One coverage on Sky Sports F1 in a deal that was estimated to be worth £3 million.[26] The coverage was sponsored by Shell in 2014. From the2015 Malaysian Grand Prix, FairFX sponsored coverage on Sky Sports F1.[23] For the 2025 season Sky Sport's F1's coverage would be sponsored by German carmakerAudi.[27]
The season opening2012 Australian Grand Prix, the first to be broadcast exclusively by Sky, had an average audience of 526,000 viewers between 4:30 am and 9 am on 18 March, with a five-minute peak of 1.02 million asJenson Button won the race. The BBC's live coverage of thesame race last season averaged 2.13 million viewers, a 51.1% share of the audience.[28]
Sky Sports won "Best TV Broadcast Award for Outstanding Coverage" at both the 2012 FIA Prize Giving Ceremony (following Sky Sports F1's debut season presenting Formula One)[29] and again in 2013.
From 2019, Sky Sports held exclusive rights to all races excluding the British Grand Prix. In September 2018, it was announced that Channel 4 had agreed to a sub-licensing agreement with Sky, under which it would broadcast free-to-air highlights of all races, and live coverage of the British Grand Prix. As a condition of the deal, Channel 4 agreed to give Sky the right to carry full series of its drama programming (including its curated foreign dramas collectionWalter Presents) on its on-demand platforms.[30][31][32]
In December 2021, with theseason-long title contendersMax Verstappen andLewis Hamilton tied on points after theSaudi Arabian Grand Prix, Sky Sports announced a partnership with Channel 4 to show live race day coverage from thetitle-deciding round in Abu Dhabifree-to-air.[33]
The presentation team currently (as of March 2025) consists of:[34]
| Name | Appearances | Job |
|---|---|---|
| Simon Lazenby | Most races | Host and presenter of most live build-ups, post-race analysis and the opening practice session. |
| David Croft | All races (2012–23) Most races (2024-present) | Main commentator on most practice sessions, qualifying and races and the host of#AskCrofty. He previously covered F1 on BBC Radio 5 Live from 2006 to 2011. He also contributes toThe F1 Show.[35] |
| Karun Chandhok | Most races | FormerHRT,Lotus F1 driver throughout 2010–2011. Initially worked for Sky Sports F1 from 2012 to 2014 before leaving to join Channel 4 before returning to Sky Sports F1 from 2019. Analysis at selected races and sessions and pitlane reporter. One of the secondary co-commentators for qualifying and the race if Brundle is absent. |
| Natalie Pinkham | Most races | Initially only the driver interviewer (a role she previously held on BBC Radio 5 Live in 2011), sometimes host ofThe F1 Show and previously the final practice session on Saturdays. Conducts driver parade interviews at selected races. Also commentates on select F1 sessions and is the main presenter when Lazenby is absent. |
| Rachel Brookes | Most races | Sky Sports News reporter who previously interviewed the drivers forPaddock Uncut on Thursdays and provides F1 news reports. She takes turns to co-hostThe F1 Show,F1 Report[35] and the final practice session on Saturdays. Conducts driver parade interviews at selected races. |
| Craig Slater | Selected races | Sky Sports News reporter who previously interviewed the drivers forPaddock Uncut on Thursdays and currently provides F1 news reports. |
| Martin Brundle | Most races | Former F1 driver and tester who has also had a successful career in sportscar racing winning theWorld Sportscar Championship in 1988 and scoring an overall victory in the1990 24 Hours of Le Mans. Co-commentator for qualifying and race day for the majority of races, Brundle also provides analysis and reporting of practice, qualifying and races, in addition to the pre-race grid-walk. He previously covered F1 onITV between 1997 and 2008 and on the BBC from 2009 to 2011. |
| Jamie Chadwick | Selected races | Three timeW Series champion and 2024Indy NXT driver . Chadwick will also race in the European Le Mans series during 2025. |
| Anthony Davidson | Selected races | Former F1 driver forSuper Aguri,BAR andMinardi. Also ex-test driver for theHonda andMercedes F1 teams. Recently retired sports car driver and 2014 World Endurance Champion after a previous stint withPeugeot andToyota. Co-commentator during practice sessions and analyst for selected race events. |
| Nico Rosberg | Selected races | 2016 Drivers World Champion and multiple race winner. Drove for Williams and Mercedes between 2006 and 2016 before announcing an early retirement. Provides analysis on a selection of races throughout the year and was a co-commentator on one race in 2021. Also works forRTL in Germany andSky Italia's F1 coverage. |
| Jenson Button | Selected races | 2009 Drivers World Champion. He drove forWilliams,Benetton,Renault,BAR,Honda,Brawn GP andMcLaren between 2000 and 2016. Provides analysis on a selection of races and sessions throughout the year starting with the2018 British Grand Prix and is one of the secondary co-commentators for qualifying and the race if Brundle is absent. As of 2025 Button also races in theFIA World Endurance Championship and has formerly raced in Super GT. |
| Ted Kravitz | Most races | Pit-lane reporter, who previously hosted the second free practice session. Host of the regularTed's Notebook. Kravitz provides news, analysis and technical information from his position in the pit-lane. He previously covered F1 onITV from 2002 to 2008 and on theBBC from 2009 to 2011. |
| Naomi Schiff | Selected races (currently on maternity leave) | FormerW Series driver, drove forHitech GP in 2019. Provides analysis on a selection of races and sessions starting in 2022. Also, host of Any Driven Monday. |
| Danica Patrick | Selected races | Former NASCAR and Indycar driver who provides analysis of selected races and sessions. |
| Bernie Collins | Most races | FormerAston Martin F1 teamstrategy engineer who provides analysis of selected races and sessions starting in 2023. |
| Harry Benjamin | Selected races | Relief main commentator for qualifying sessions and races on occasions where David Croft is absent. Has also done Formula One commentary work on radio forBBC Radio 5 Live. |
| Jacques Villeneuve | Selected races | Former F1 driver.1997 Drivers World Champion. First appeared as an analyst at the2024 Canadian Grand Prix. |
During testing, commentary is normally shared between Sky Sports and Channel 4/F1TV, with main commentatorAlex Jacques and co-commentatorJolyon Palmer, with strategy analystRuth Buscombe, pit lane reporters Ariana Bravo and Lawrence Barretto.
In February 2012, it was announced that Sky Sports F1 would also broadcast theGP2 andGP3 series live. These series were eventually rebranded as theFIA Formula 2 Championship and theFIA Formula 3 Championship respectively[36]
Sky Sports takes the FOM-provided world feed commentary for Formula 2 and Formula 3. Commentators includeAlex Jacques,Alex Brundle andHarry Benjamin.[37] Previously, Jacques has been joined by 2012 GP2 championDavide Valsecchi for F2 events.Johnny Herbert,Rosanna Tennant andAlice Powell have also previously reported or commentated on Formula 2 and Formula 3.
Sky Sports F1 aired the opening round of the2012 IndyCar Series.[38] TheIndyCar Series moved toBT Sport in 2013, but returned to Sky Sports F1 in2019 under a new contract by Sky's new ownerComcast, which held the U.S. domestic rights to the series viaNBC Sports until 2024.[39][40][41] Sky Sports F1 has shown live every race in the IndyCar calendar since 2019, with a combination of original American broadcast commentary and additional UK-based commentary. IndyCar coverage continued on Sky Sports F1 for 2025, including the IndyNXT support series.[42]
Ferrari's various series under theChallenge brand have been aired by the UK Sky Sports F1 channel since 2020.[43]
Some rounds of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe series are aired on the channel, as part of a pan-European expanded agreement with Comcast/Sky Sports, in place since 2022.[44][45]
The first programme to air on Sky Sports F1 was its weekly magazine show;The F1 Show. Initially presented byGeorgie Thompson andTed Kravitz (apart from the launch show, which was presented bySimon Lazenby), then by Kravitz andNatalie Pinkham, as of the 2014 season, it is presented by Natalie Pinkham or Rachel Brookes with contributions from David Croft, Paul di Resta/Anthony Davidson, Johnny Herbert/Damon Hill. The programme has not featured in the 2020 schedule.
The F1 Show returned for the 2021 season, replacingF1 Report, broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 and YouTube. It is presented by members of the coverage team at the track, usually fronted byNatalie Pinkham or Rachel Brookes. It features interviews with drivers, analysis and challenges. In 2021, it was broadcast on Thursday evening but moved to Friday evening after Formula 1 rescheduled its weekend layout.[46]
The F1 Report was presented by Natalie Pinkham or Rachel Brookes and regular analyst Marc Priestley.In the week before or after a race, the programme looked in further depth at some of the stories and incidents that featured or may feature in race weekends. The show was replaced by Welcome to the Weekend, a Thursday race weekend show with a similar format, no longer featuring Marc Priestley.
Welcome to the Weekend, from the start of the 2020 season, was broadcast directly before the First Practice session on Fridays. The programme did not feature in the 2021 schedule, replaced by a relaunchedThe F1 Show.
Coverage of an F1 race from the archive, often corresponding to the current race that weekend.
A topical show presented byTed Kravitz. It was retitledThe Notebook for 2020 and followed the race programme on Sunday only. Since 2021, it has followed most qualifying, sprint and race programmes, and is sometimes referred to asTed's Notebook on theEPG and when uploaded ontoYouTube in the evening after being aired.[47]
Sky Sports have a system dubbed the 'Sky Pad', used primarily by Anthony Davidson, Karun Chandhok and Ted Kravitz during race weekend coverage. It is used to show highlights, multiple angles or comparison footage, allowing a presenter to control the playback speed and add overlaid graphics to explain key moments in greater detail.
In 2016 and 2025, Sky Sports F1 was temporarily rebranded as the pop-up channel "Sky Sports Darts", for Sky's coverage of thePDC World Darts Championship.[48][49]
During the Formula One season, Sky Sports News has two pit-lane reporters; Rachel Brookes and Craig Slater. They provide exclusive content to Sky Sports News viewers on the latest Formula One news. Brookes' role has increased to include presenting some editions ofThe F1 Show, an alternate driver interviewer (in addition to Natalie Pinkham), and lead presenter for the Russian Grand Prix 2020.
Sky Race Control is the brand name used across all of Sky Sports F1's interactive services.[83] Sky Race Control is available via thered button as well as the Sky Sports website andiPad app in conjunction with a Sky ID. Features include the race coverage, official Formula One timing showing times of all 20 drivers in every session and curated onboard feeds alternating between various drivers. The Sky Race Control application/web service for PC (requiring Microsoft Silverlight) was discontinued in 2015, but continues on the TV and the Sky Sports F1 iPad application.
It was reported that, on 18 March 2012, BSkyB chief executive Jeremy Darroch ordered a news story on a plan to sell a stake of F1's parent company and shake-up commercial deals published the previous day to be removed from theSky News website, subject to a review.[84] It was alleged that the move came after Sky Sports F1 executive producer Martin Turner complained that it had upset seven of the twelve Formula One teams ahead of theAustralian Grand Prix.[85] The story was republished the following day substantially unchanged except for the replacement of some sections quoting directly from confidential documents. Jeremy Darroch said that "the issue was about process" and that Sky's sports team at the grand prix were not "properly briefed" ahead of publication.[86] When questioned whether the request for a review represented a commercial interference in Sky News's editorial independence, Darroch said Sky needed to have "proper rigour in terms of our processes in our business".[86]
At the2022 Mexico City Grand Prix, it was reported thatMax Verstappen andRed Bull wouldboycott interviews from Sky Sports F1, following comments made by presenter Ted Kravitz, claimingLewis Hamilton was "robbed" of the2021 Formula One World Drivers' Championship after mistakenly proclaiming him an "eight-time World Champion".[87]Christian Horner described his comments as “the straw that broke the camel’s back”.[88] Red Bull ended their boycott of Sky Sports F1 ahead of the2022 São Paulo Grand Prix.[89]
On 20 September 2024, ahead of the first practice session for the2024 Singapore Grand Prix, a pre-recorded segment of Kravitz analysing theFerrari SF-24 was accidentally aired uncensored, despite Kravitz uttering an expletive during the segment in frustration at his own performance. Both Simon Lazenby and Kravitz apologised to viewers for any offence caused, saying the wrong recording of the segment had been aired.[90]
Following the2025 Chinese Grand Prix, Kravitz made a joke regarding George Russell's inability to pass Lando Norris (who was suffering from brake problems) for second place in the closing stages of that Grand Prix, in front of staff from Russell's Mercedes team. Kravitz immediately apologised for the joke.[91]
Towards the end of the second practice session for2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, David Croft was forced to apologise by Sky's editorial/production team, after co-commentator Karun Chandhok was deemed to have been blasphemous live on air whilst responding to comments made by Croft.[92]
