h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So here I am watching the Formula One USA race. On the BBC highlights show, ie not live.

Now the problem with not live is that you have to be very careful not to find out the results before hand.

Which is fine, except that the reason why you are not watching F1 live today is because the BBC underhandedly sold off the full live rights to Sky last year. Only a couple of years after the pinched them back off ITV.

So you would think that they would be a little sensitive to the fact that not all of us have chosen to fork out for a Sky connection we don't have, and the F1 package on top of that and not ANNOUNCE THE RESULTS A FEW MINUTES BEFORE THE PROGRAMME STARTS WHEN UNSUSPECTING VIEWERS COULD BE EXPECTED TO BE TURNING ON THEIR TVS.

Right, I'm glad I got that off my chest.

The good news is, from the results, it's probably still worth watching.

[Amy P]

Interesting and irritating. Is F1 that popular there?

In the UK? I guess so - it's hard to tell because I like it! Certainly Sky seems to be doing OK out of it - they have a whole channel dedicated to it. There are a few British drivers who have been getting wins for the last few years, which seems to have heightened media interest too, although a lot of the teams have a British connection and so I'd say it's always been pretty popular. F1 is certainly the only motor sport that gets prime time slots on the main TV channels, although not so many of those now they only show half the races live.

In the US? Dunno - they haven't had a Grand Prix for the last five years, but this one was very well attended I gather.

This year I haven't really kept up because of the scheduling, yesterday I was good to go and got caught out by that spoiler, there wasn't time to turn over, I should have resorted to the more tried and tested method of sticking fingers in ears, closing eyes and shouting LALALALALA till someone shouts at me it is over

Knowing the result killed it for me and I was in a right hump so that was another one I didn't watch

It's so popular in France they have named a hotel chain Formule1.

()

no spoilers today, tension is getting to me, I have a soft spot for Vettal, people say when the police start looking young it is a sign that you are getting older, for me it was F1 drivers, so a soft spot it is, but that smile, if I was younger it would be more of

oh mi god so sorry, will stop now, I didn't consider that I might now be spoilering

really sorry

No worries, the beeb showed it live today so that's how I watched it. Thanks for worrying!

Gotta say, wanted Alonso to win this time, but also gotta say, Vettel wasn't a fluke.

Schumacher retiring is likely to make me feel old. He was the last driver actually still older than me.

yes I wouldn't watch it the other way live, there is nothing that would make me sign up to Sky

can I apologise again for my obsessiveness with spoilers, literally posted a on the first corner and realised...

good race to finish the season I thought

quickly looks up Schuey's age *phew* is older than me

I thought F1 was relatively insignificant in the US. They don't seem to participate much, and there are more Hollywood films about basketball than car racing.

Not a follower myself, but here in Germany, everything practically stops for it. Fortunately, it's on Sunday afternoons, when everything stops anyway. But there are an awful lot of famous German drivers.

On my wedding photos, where we are cutting the cake, there is a picture of Graham Hill hanging behind us. The irony of it is, we held our reception at the Rowley Mile HORSE-racing track!

I guess F1 isn't that big in the US. The big thing here is NASCAR. Either way, I'm not a fan.