10/03/2012
NEWS STORY
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Sky's much anticipated F1 coverage finally got underway on Friday evening, with a two hour programme previewing the forthcoming season and introducing its own presenting team.
At first glance, as Martin Brundle and Damon Hill chatted with anchorman Simon Lazenby, it brought back memories of ITV's foray into F1 back in 1997, Tony Jardine, Simon Taylor et al looking extremely uncomfortable in their matching polo shirts on that infamous first night.
There was that same stiffness last night, all looking uneasy in jackets and shirts - no ties, natch - whilst Brundle revealed just a hint of gold chain.
Perhaps it was our imagination, but one could almost see Lazenby's cue cards off set, or maybe he was being fed questions through an earpiece. Either way, he didn't come across as natural or knowing.
Hill and Brundle did their best, but neither, particularly Martin, looked comfortable in front of the camera.
Whilst great to see Ted Kravitz, the Skypad got on our nerves very, very quickly. Throughout, many of the graphics were good - especially those showing the changes between the 2011 and 2012 McLaren - but on the whole the Skypad was a timewasting gimmick.
Wee Anthony Davidson had presence and a lovely smile, indeed, he seemed one of the most natural in front of the cameras. However, the black suit and shirt made him look like a greeter in an upmarket Chinese restaurant, one could almost hear cries of 'can we have some more prawn crackers and a couple of Tsingatos'.
A two hour preview was a big call and for the most part it worked, however, whilst a poster on the Pitpass forum recently said that the adverts for F1 on Sky make the sport look cool, last night's effort was on the conservative side.
Biggest gripe of the evening has to be the unfunny bloke making much of the fact that he knows nothing about the sport. Wincing as he told Mike Gascoyne that he was shocked by the absence of oil on the floor of the Caterham garage, and Swarfega, our spirits sank further when we heard that we shall be seeing more of him over the course of the season.
Then there was Georgie Thompson, interviewing Jenson Button in Sir Terence Conran's Bluebird Restaurant in the Kings Road. Looking like she'd just swept in from The Only Way is Essex, Georgie's leather jumpsuit, appeared to embarrass even the McLaren driver, the cameraman insisting on pulling back so that we could get the full effect. It did nothing for (most) F1 fans, Sky's efforts at being taken seriously or indeed women being taken seriously.
All in all, we'd give it six and a half out of ten, with obvious room for improvement. If nothing else it will have had Jake Humphrey and Eddie Jordan squirming.