BBC F1 online coverage outlined

The BBC has announced that it will be offering high-quality video streams of all 17 Formula One races in the 2009 season through its website. The corporation, which won back the rights to show Formula One from ITV after 12 years, said that live video streams available on the site would be of a similar quality to its iPlayer service. Real-time leaderboards, in-car footage and the main network feed can be presented to online viewers on the same screen, the BBC said. The BBC's Formula One website will also feature regular race reviews from Murray Walker and interactive circuit guides. Coverage of the races will be presented by Jake Humphry, with race commentary from Jonathan Legard and Martin Brundle. David Coulthard and Eddie Jordan will offer analysis and Lee McKenzie and Ted Kravitz will report from the pitlane. All 17 races of the 2009 season will be streamed live online and shown live on BBC One, as will all qualifying sessions except the Brazilian round at the Interlagos circuit, which will be online and on BBC Two. Any races or qualifying sessions that finish before 1000GMT will be shown again on BBC One later in the day. The first race of the season takes place at Melbourne's Albert Park on 29 March. Honda, which pulled out of Formula One at the end of last season, look unlikely to make the starting grid in Australia with the team struggling to find a buyer, despite interest from Virgin.