Watching the Grand Prix

In days of old, watching the Grand Prix was just a 'sit in front of the TV' affair.

There was no Internet, no red button alternative views.

Nowadays, the options are huge, and growing all the time.

Television broadcasts are courtesy of the BBC - and boy are they good! The coverage is terrific, the hosts (Jake Humphrey, David Coulthard and Eddie Jordan) are relaxed, friendly and knowledgable.

On TV, on practice days, you can watch via the red button. On race day you can either watch the vanilla broadcast, or select alternative commentary, or view on-board cameras.

Online, all practice sessions, qualifying and the race are viewable, plus there is now the driver tracker. This gives you real-time views of where the cars are, on the track. It's what the teams use on the pit-wall, and now it's available to us.

Also, on the Formula 1 website, you can view live timings of the cars.

It's a feast for any fan, and the picture below is of my laptop, with the two online systems, which I was watching, as I watched the race unfold on TV.

OK - So it might be a little geeky!! But, it does allow you to get involved more in the racing, instead of just watching the cars go round and round.

So, whether on the internet, the radio or just on the TV, there are plenty of ways to watch Formula 1 racing, and to understand more about the strategies of the teams.