If you’re a big Formula 1 racing fan, you probably get a little bit twitchy after a lengthy break between seasons, and when the checkered flag is about to start flying once again, you’re hyper tuned to every detail of the coming season. A big part of this is getting a plan in place for the BBC F1 coverage, and 2014’s offering was pretty impressive as ever. Sadly, with the Sky deal for F1 broadcasting it means that the glory days of having it all live on BBC1 are just nostalgic memories now, but there’s still enough action to tune into. Obviously, the 2014 season is now long behind us, but you can get all the latest detail on the current calendar with out 2015 BBC F1 coverage details page.
With the swathing changes to the Formula 1 car specifications rule book in 2014, including the change of engine to a 1.6 litre turbo and the unfortunate look of some of the new, height restricted noses, anticipation was high for the potential of the nineteen race calendar. Add to that the fact that the reigning champion Sebastian Vettel, and the Red Bull team in general, had struggled in each of the pre-season practice sessions and we had the makings of a lot of possibilities.
While all of the races were broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 HD, fans were still be able to catch nine of the Grand Prixs from the schedule live on the BBC 1 on Sundays along with live coverage of qualifying on the Saturday. Live race weekends on the BBC also featured coverage of the practice sessions on BBC 2.
The remaining ten race weekends still got some motherly love though as the usual extended highlights show went out to accompany them. Check out our schedule and coverage listing below to get more details for any of the 2014 races. However, if you’re more of a radio coverage kind of person, all of the races were live on BBC Radio 5.
The opening weekend of the 2014 F1 calendar in Australia had already kick started the excitement on the 14th, 15th and 16th March 2014, with Rosberg taking the win and Daniel Riccardo’s second place finish under investigation. It was your first available fix of F1 magic for the year and it didn’t disappoint with the extended highlights treatment from the BBC F1 team. As both Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton both racked up DNFs, the season was wide open for a whole lot of surprises.
The BBC F1 team in 2014 included presenter Suzi Perry with co-commentator and expert pundit David Coulthard and expert analyst Allan McNish, lead commentator Ben Edwards and pit lane reporters Lee McKenzie and Tom Clarkson. Chief analyst, Eddie Jordan, flitted in and out of the broadcast team throughout the year, as he took a slight step back from the full race schedule.
The Beeb F1 team’s first live race weekend came in the second date in the schedule at the Sepang International Arena in Kuala Lumpur for the Malaysian Grand Prix on the weekend of the 28th, 29th and 30th March 2014. This included the practice sessions on BBC 2, on the Friday and Saturday, followed by Saturday qualifying and the full race, along with all the build up and post race analysis on Sunday morning.
The team were also joined by Mark Webber throughout 2014, who contributed a series of films for the BBC coverage having recently retired from F1 racing. The segments looked at Formula 1 stories using Webber’s unique and very recent insight into the ins and outs of modern day Grand Prix motor racing.
In 2014 the racing calendar closed out at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina, as it will do in 2015. It changed things up from the traditional Brazil finish, which will now be the penultimate race. The good news is that the final showdown race also went out live on the BBC, so while you had to settle for the highlights for the start in Australia, you got to see the grand finale live on the weekend of the 21st, 22nd and 23rd November 2014.
F1 2014 race schedule and BBC coverage:
Australia – Albert Park, Melbourne
16th March 2014
BBC coverage – Highlights on BBC 1 and live on BBC 5 Live radio
Malaysia – Sepang International Arena, Kuala Lumpur
30th March 2014
BBC coverage – Live coverage of the weekend on BBC 2 & BBC 1 live on BBC 5 Live radio
Bahrain – Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir
6th April 2014
BBC coverage – Highlights on BBC 1 and live on BBC 5 Live radio
China – Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai
20th April 2014
BBC coverage – Highlights on BBC 1 and live on BBC 5 Live radio
Spain – Circuit de Barcelona, Catalunya
11th May 2014
BBC coverage – Live coverage of the weekend on BBC 2 & BBC 1 live on BBC 5 Live radio
Monaco – Circuit de Monaca, Monte Carlo
25th May 2014
BBC coverage – Highlights on BBC 1 and live on BBC 5 Live radio
Canada – Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal
8th June 2014
BBC coverage – Live coverage of the weekend on BBC 2 & BBC 1 live on BBC 5 Live radio
Austria, Red Bull Ring, Spielberg
22nd June 2014
BBC coverage – Highlights on BBC 1 and live on BBC 5 Live radio
Great Britain – Silverstone
6th July 2014
BBC coverage – Live coverage of the weekend on BBC 2 & BBC 1 live on BBC 5 Live radio
Germany – Hockenheimring, Hockenheim
20th July 2014
BBC coverage – Highlights on BBC 1 and live on BBC 5 Live radio
Hungary – Hungaroring, Budapest
27th July 2014
BBC coverage – Highlights on BBC 1 and live on BBC 5 Live radio
Belgium, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Francorchamps
24th August 2014
BBC coverage – Live coverage of the weekend on BBC 2 & BBC 1 live on BBC 5 Live radio
Italy – Autodromo Nationale Monza, Monza
7th September 2014
BBC coverage – Live coverage of the weekend on BBC 2 & BBC 1 live on BBC 5 Live radio
Singapore, Marina Bay Street Circuit, Marina Bay
21st September 2014
BBC coverage – Highlights on BBC 1 and live on BBC 5 Live radio
Japan – Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka
5th October 2014
BBC coverage – Live coverage of the weekend on BBC 2 & BBC 1 live on BBC 5 Live radio
Russia – Sochi International Street Circuit, Adlersky City
12th October 2014
BBC coverage – Live coverage of the weekend on BBC 2 & BBC 1 live on BBC 5 Live radio
United States – Circuit of the Americas, Austin
2nd November 2014
BBC coverage – Highlights on BBC 1 and live on BBC 5 Live radio
Brazil – Autódromo José Carlos Pace, Interlagos, São Paulo
9th November 2014
BBC coverage – Highlights on BBC 1 and live on BBC 5 Live radio
Abu Dhabi – Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi
23rd November 2014
BBC coverage – Live coverage of the weekend on BBC 2 & BBC 1 live on BBC 5 Live radio
