The
BBC has finalised its team of presenters for its coverage of
Formula 1 from next year, it has been claimed, with Martin Brundle and
David Coulthard on the bill – but no James Allen, Steve Rider or
Mark Blundell.
With the Beeb set to reclaim the rights to broadcast the world's most expensive sport from
ITV in 2009 – on a five-year contract – it has been revealed by
Pitpass that the presenting team will be composed of
ITV-F1 favourite Brundle alongside
BBC Radio Five Live stalwart Jonathan Legard in the commentary booth, soon-to-retire
Red Bull Racing ace Coulthard and Jake Humphrey fronting the programme in the studio and Lee McKenzie reprising the roles of Louise Goodman and Ted Kravitz as pit-lane reporter.
The addition of Brundle – who won a Royal Television Society award for Best Sports Pundit in 1998, 1999, 2005 and 2006 – will undoubtedly be a popular one amongst F1's fans,
Michael Schumacher's former Benetton team-mate greatly embellishing the commentary with his dry sense of humour and witty insights.
Legard, for his part, has an excellent knowledge of the sport having commentated on it on
Five Live since 1997, whilst Coulthard's name has long been linked to a role at Auntie, and the Scot's fresh, non-PC, outspoken nature will surely go down well with viewers.
Former children's TV presenter Humphrey is more of an unknown quantity within the top flight, though he has commentated throughout his career with the
BBC on football – becoming the youngest-ever presenter of
Football Focus and
Match of the Day – American football, cricket, athletics and most recently the Beijing Olympics.
