New BBC F1 commentary line up - your thoughts?

bbability

I for one am dissapointed with the change. It's like theres something missing... Like a commentator. It sounds like two co-commentators in the box all weekend. Will they keep it like that all season or make a change

amacachi

Howso exactly? That it's missing the guy who just reads what's on the screen? :pac:

I'm loving it tbh, not as good as it could be yet but still decent.

smooch71

bbability wrote: »

I for one am dissapointed with the change. It's like theres something missing... Like a commentator. It sounds like two co-commentators in the box all weekend. Will they keep it like that all season or make a change

Much as I hated Legard and like Brundle, I have to agree with you. I get the impression Brundle is outside his comfort zone and he's trying too hard.

They won't change the line up but I think they need as proper commentator (Ben Edwards in other words) with Brundle back in his familiar back up role.

But having said that, Brundle was a bit wooden when he did his first few commentaries with ITV in 97 but to be fair to him he soon settled into the role and made it his own. Maybe he'll do the same as the lead commentator. We won't write the new pairing off just yet.

Slutmonkey57b

They didn't have a commentator before this, they had a tedious statto droning out figures AND OCCASIONALLY SHOUTING FOR NO REASON then getting confused and wandering off.

Brundle and Coulthard is an improvement, but it's still a tad dull. On the other hand they'll improve, unlike Legard.

Croft and Ant are still the #1 team though.

smooch71

Slutmonkey57b wrote: »

Croft and Ant are still the #1 team though.

Yeah, you're right. Croft and Brundle would make a good pairing I reckon. Put DC back at what he's good at. Slagging EJ off.

amacachi

Slutmonkey57b wrote: »

They didn't have a commentator before this, they had a tedious statto droning out figures AND OCCASIONALLY SHOUTING FOR NO REASON then getting confused and wandering off.

mumble FROM mumble FROM mumble FROM...

Can we get a Legard ban on this forum? :P

TheChrisD

I really don't care, no more boring monotonous "always-stating-the-bleeding-obvious" Legard!

johnnysmack

No matter what the sport commentary teams need to be a layman and an expert not two experts. Its a formula that works so ditch coulthard and get in a proper commentator and let brundle go back to the expert role.

G-Money

I much prefer Brundle and Coulthard than Legard and Brundle. I didn't think I'd be keen on Coulthard but it actually seemed to work well.

mickdw

Brundle not perfect as the main commentator but its still quite good and all the stupid stuff is now gone anyway.
How many times did legard excitedly interupt brundle last year about someone making an overtaking move when a 3 year old child could tell the move was just an attempt to unsettle the front driver and there was no real possibility of overtaking.

Lordhumphreys

Although not the biggest fan of Coulthard, he is light year's ahead of Legard! I also like that both comentators have actually competed extensively in F1, rather than someone who just has read a lot about it over the years

EvilMonkey

G-Money wrote: »

I much prefer Brundle and Coulthard than Legard and Brundle. I didn't think I'd be keen on Coulthard but it actually seemed to work well.

That's because he stayed quiet until Brundle asked him something

Myrddin

Found myself constantly losing attention in what DC was saying, at least Legard kept us on our toes (correcting mistakes etc)! DC quite frankly bores the arse off me. Not to mention his smug, pompus attitude!

aphex™

Switched to 5Live as I could hear what they were saying better.

Vinny-Chase

I think Brundle will just need a few races to settle into the role, it was his first face as lead commentator.

thegoth

This combo deserves a chance but I was not impressed by the weekends performance.

Crofty and Brundle would be a much better combo IMHO or even better Crofty and Davidson

Vinny-Chase

No matter what, I would never get rid of Brundle. Is he still DC's manager? Wonder does he get a cut of what ever DC gets in the commentary box

ratedR

Slutmonkey57b wrote: »

They didn't have a commentator before this, they had a tedious statto droning out figures AND OCCASIONALLY SHOUTING FOR NO REASON then getting confused and wandering off.

Brundle and Coulthard is an improvement, but it's still a tad dull. On the other hand they'll improve, unlike Legard.

Croft and Ant are still the #1 team though.

You sir, know what you're talking about. I can't add anything to this as it's spot on.

StephenHendry

<P> </P>
<P> </P>
<P>i didnt really mind legard.  DC and brundle are quite good, they didn't make any major gaffes throughout the quite. </P>
<P> </P>
<P>i think it will take brundle a while to get used to being lead commentator. i noticed that setanta don't have their own commentary team , no anderson or declan quigley, or kennedy. i thought setanta commentators were good , </P>

kaizersoze

As much as I like Brundle I thought he was out of his depth as lead commentator and Coulthard was a f*uckin bore.:(

For the first time I switched to 5Live.

Vinny-Chase

He admitted himself on Twitter "could do better". I'd say just give him a chance to adjust.

kaizersoze

Vinny-Chase wrote: »

He admitted himself on Twitter "could do better". I'd say just give him a chance to adjust.

I'm sure Brundle will improve but Coulthard would need a personality transplant to improve. He's a arrogant bore and always will be I'm afraid.

54kroc

The only downside to the new line up is we get more Eddie Jordan.

Myrddin

cork45 wrote: »

The only downside to the new line up is we get more Eddie Jordan.

I like EJ, he says it like it is. If you want corporate bs, or pompus comments then by all means listen to DC

IM0

James Allen gets more appealing every year..

Two experts dont work as brundle and coulthard showed
wooden, they were ok, but you need someone with genuine excitement in there, not two guys who know when and when not to get excited from experience.

Myrddin

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Problem is that he really likes the sound of his own voice.

& DC doesn't??

The difference is Eddie for all intents & purposes comes across as a polite & likeable chap. I can't say the same re the above.

smooch71

LIGHTNING wrote: »

How on earth can you like James Alllen, granted he knows his stuff but he is an unsufferable git.

Ain't that the truth....

the culture of deference

As I huge fan I love the BBC coverage.

Brundle is great, calls it as he sees it, EJ could say anything, DC is a true expert. The access they have is extraordinary.

I watch all the practise sessions too and that coverage is fantastic for a true fan. The forum is great too, very relaxed and cosy.

Remeber back to ITV days when the race coverage ended for cornation street.

These guys are worth 50 to 60 million each, they really love the sport.

AugustusMinimus

the culture of deference wrote: »

As I huge fan I love the BBC coverage.

Brundle is great, calls it as he sees it, EJ could say anything, DC is a true expert. The access they have is extraordinary.

I watch all the practise sessions too and that coverage is fantastic for a true fan. The forum is great too, very relaxed and cosy.

Remeber back to ITV days when the race coverage ended for cornation street.

These guys are worth 50 to 60 million each, they really love the sport.

DC is a clown of the highest order who got taken to cleaners by Niki Lauda of all people on the issue of the boost button back in the 1980's.

It's bad enough when you have the likes of Jordan and Lauda (who does nothing but moan) making a fool of you.


I'd much prefer to have Ben Collins in the commentary box alongside Brundle and leave Mr Next Year downstairs to have pops off of Eddie Jordan to snide remarks.


What is never remembered at this stage is what ITV actually did for F1 in 1997. The BBC's coverage before this was quite poor. ITV actually brought it on leaps and bounds. An hour before the race, at least half an hour afterwards. A studio where people were interviewed before the race and a half decent pundit line up with Jardine and Simon Taylor. They were indeed heady days.

The loss of Murray and putting Allen in the commentary box is when it started to go wrong. Taylor was mysteriously dumped for the 98 season too. Then we had one of the oddest moves ever. The hiring of Mark Blundell alongside Jardine and then the sacking of Jardine to leave Blundell as the sole pundit. Stever Ryder I actually found worse than Rosenthal and things were just about as bad as things could get.

All in all though, the last 4 laps of the 2005 San Marino GP took the biscuit. To take a 4 minutes break within the last 4 laps was just about as bad as it got. It was actually worse than not showing the 2000 USGP live.

AugustusMinimus

EnterNow wrote: »

& DC doesn't??

The difference is Eddie for all intents & purposes comes across as a polite & likeable chap. I can't say the same re the above.

The more and more I hear from the two, EJ comes across as a very passionate man, sometimes displaying too much passion. He gets things wrong, sometimes a lot but he's honest.

The more and more I see of Coulthard, the more I dislike him. Constantly moaning and whining at McLaren. He was a bitter man after the 98 season considering Coulthard was outperforming Hakinen at McLaren previously. The excuses were insufferable though. Next year was going to be his year. On BBC, he comes across as an ignorant pr**k. Rubbishes EJ opinion half the time and likes to stick in snide remarks about EJ. Does DC realise that EJ wasn't a half bad driver himself back in the day ?

RayM

AugustusMinimus wrote:

Next year was going to be his year.

F1 Racing magazine specialised in this sort of nonsense...

Despite having (by far) the most competitive car, DC scored a solitary victory in 1998

Hot on the heels of being trounced 8-1 by Hakkinen, the Flying Scot insisted that 1999 would be his year. He finished a distant fourth.

In 2000, a bullish Coulthard (hilariously) claimed that he was ready to beat Schumacher. Alas, he still couldn't beat Hakkinen.

In 2001, a presumably terrified Schumacher hid his fear by scoring almost twice as many points as Coulthard, who finally finished ahead of (a very tired) Hakkinen.

By 2002, a slight element of doubt over Coulthard's greatness had begun to emerge.