Sky ready to launch channel devoted to Formula 1 next season

The satellite broadcaster, who this year struck a deal with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone through to 2018, will launch Sky Sports F1 HD in March which will show all races without adverts, as well as qualifying and practice sessions. Barney Francis, managing director of Sky Sports, said: “Formula 1 followers are hungry for more and we want to give them the ultimate experience. It’s not just every minute of every race, but a channel devoted to Formula 1.”

The BBC have also announced their coverage plans for 2012 which will see them broadcast the British, Monaco and season-ending Brazilian Grands Prix as part of their ten live races. The others include China, Spain, Europe, Belgium, Singapore, Korea and Abu Dhabi.

For the other ten races there will be extended highlights of 90 minutes for European events shown at 5.30pm, and two hours for the early morning grands prix from 2pm.

Meanwhile, McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton had the fastest time in practice for the Brazilian Grand Prix yesterday, outpacing the Red Bulls of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. Hamilton had a time of 1 minute, 13.392 seconds at the 4.3-kilometer (2.6-mile) Interlagos track. Vettel was second with a time of 1:13.559 ahead of Webber with 1:13.587. Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso was fourth fastest in 1:13.598.

With the title already decided, tomorrow’s Brazilian GP features the fight for second place, with Webber, Alonso and Jenson Button still with a chance to finish runner-up.

Webber had been the fastest in the first practice session, followed by Button and Hamilton. A mechanical failure forced Alonso to stop with about five minutes to go in the morning session and he was forced to change his engine. He was not penalised for the change, however, because he switched to a used engine instead of a new one, which would have incurred a grid penalty.

The two-time world champion, who had clocked the sixth-fastest time in the morning, appeared to struggle with the car in the afternoon and went off the track a couple of times.

Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, a four-time winner in Brazil, was fifth in his Mercedes with a time of 1:13.723. Crowd favourite Felipe Massa, in his 100th race with Ferrari, was sixth fastest with 1:13.750.

Button has a ten-point advantage over Alonso and a comfortable 18-point lead over Webber in the fight for second place. The British driver will secure the runner-up spot just by finishing ahead of Alonso and Webber.

Vettel won the title at the Japanese GP with four races to spare in the season. He has dominated the season with 11 victories and 14 pole positions. He will make a little more history if he can claim pole again today in Brazil, allowing him to surpass Nigel Mansell for the record in a single season. Vettel took pole for the 14th time in Abu Dhabi to equal Mansell.