F1 TV - A surprising value in streaming

daddyjt · October 26

I watched the new(ish) F1 movie w/ Brad Pitt on 4k with my daughter in our HT a couple weeks ago. I had absolutely no idea where it would lead, but she is now a huge F1 fan - in just a couple weeks, she knows all the drivers, is learning a lot of the tech, and is even learning the history. Unbelievable. Her newfound interest has pulled me back in to the sport too (I haven’t followed seriously for several years).

So last weekend, we went to watch the Austin GP…. Well, turns out that is a bit harder than I thought. We have no cable of satellite service - we just stream with Prime and HBO (we don’t watch a lot of TV, mostly movies and music). Needless to say, we missed last weeks race, but I prepared for this weekend ahead of time by doing some research. I found the F1 channel, and I honestly thought it would be crazy expensive - after all, most things associated with F1 are not cheap. Sure enough, I pull it up on the Roku, and I see that it’s $28.99 a month. Bummer. But then I notice - it’s actually $28.99 for an ENTIRE YEAR. Wow! So today we watched qualifying, and tomorrow the race. What a value, in a world where these streaming service fees seem to be out of control.

F1nut · October 26

Next year Apple TV has exclusive rights in the USA for $12.99 a month. It's been on the ESPN channels (commercial free) for years, which are included in most cable packages.

I forgot to say, screw you Apple.

billbillw · October 26

As a non-cable subscriber, I have considered getting F1 TV, but their cheapest package doesn't let you watch race replays until until Tuesday. I don't usually like to get up in the middle of the night to watch the races in the Eastern hemisphere live and even some of the eastern Europe races are quite early in the AM. The next tier to get same day replay is a big jump in price.
I found a few questionable (use your ad/popup blocker) websites that I can stream races or qually mostly glitch free, but honestly, the races are mostly boring this year. The first lap is exciting, then it almost always settles into a follow the leader for the next 2hrs. I still record the handful of races that are aired OTA and watch those time delayed.
I am already a yearly AppleTV+ subscriber ($99/year rather than $13/mo) so I see the Apple F1 news as positive, as long as they do a good job with the broadcast. BTW, Apple TV has some excellent series. Their movies are not alway great, but almost every one of their series has a positive rotten tomato rating. They do an especially great job with Sci-Fi. Foundation, For All Mankind, Severance, Silo, Invasion, Dark Matter, and Monarch:Legacy of Monsters are all great.

skipshot12 · October 27

And, with Cadillac coming into F1 next year there may be a whole new bunch of fans being added very soon.

HzTweaker · October 27

daddyjt wrote: »

I watched the new(ish) F1 movie w/ Brad Pitt on 4k with my daughter in our HT a couple weeks ago. I had absolutely no idea where it would lead, but she is now a huge F1 fan - in just a couple weeks, she knows all the drivers, is learning a lot of the tech, and is even learning the history. Unbelievable. Her newfound interest has pulled me back in to the sport too (I haven’t followed seriously for several years).

So last weekend, we went to watch the Austin GP…. Well, turns out that is a bit harder than I thought. We have no cable of satellite service - we just stream with Prime and HBO (we don’t watch a lot of TV, mostly movies and music). Needless to say, we missed last weeks race, but I prepared for this weekend ahead of time by doing some research. I found the F1 channel, and I honestly thought it would be crazy expensive - after all, most things associated with F1 are not cheap. Sure enough, I pull it up on the Roku, and I see that it’s $28.99 a month. Bummer. But then I notice - it’s actually $28.99 for an ENTIRE YEAR. Wow! So today we watched qualifying, and tomorrow the race. What a value, in a world where these streaming service fees seem to be out of control.

Very cool.

skipshot12 wrote: »

And, with Cadillac coming into F1 next year there may be a whole new bunch of fans being added very soon.

Cadi decals but who's engine and chassis?

billbillw · October 27

HzTweaker wrote: »

Very cool.

skipshot12 wrote: »

And, with Cadillac coming into F1 next year there may be a whole new bunch of fans being added very soon.

Cadi decals but who's engine and chassis?

F1 doesn't have pre-built or off-the-shelf chassis like the Dallara chassis with IndyCar. Each F1 car is custom made to the regulations by the manufacturer, so it will be a pure Cadillac chassis. Cadillac is developing their own power unit, but that won't be homologated until the 2029 season. For 2026, they are using a Ferrari supplied power unit. I'm not sure if the contract for Ferrari goes beyond 2026 or not.

Emlyn · October 27

Ford is jumping back into the game in a way next year too. They'll be power unit focused out of the UK. A long international history there.

Cadillac? Better not come with the velour...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nc42tliHDE

skipshot12 · October 28

HzTweaker wrote: »

daddyjt wrote: »

I watched the new(ish) F1 movie w/ Brad Pitt on 4k with my daughter in our HT a couple weeks ago. I had absolutely no idea where it would lead, but she is now a huge F1 fan - in just a couple weeks, she knows all the drivers, is learning a lot of the tech, and is even learning the history. Unbelievable. Her newfound interest has pulled me back in to the sport too (I haven’t followed seriously for several years).

So last weekend, we went to watch the Austin GP…. Well, turns out that is a bit harder than I thought. We have no cable of satellite service - we just stream with Prime and HBO (we don’t watch a lot of TV, mostly movies and music). Needless to say, we missed last weeks race, but I prepared for this weekend ahead of time by doing some research. I found the F1 channel, and I honestly thought it would be crazy expensive - after all, most things associated with F1 are not cheap. Sure enough, I pull it up on the Roku, and I see that it’s $28.99 a month. Bummer. But then I notice - it’s actually $28.99 for an ENTIRE YEAR. Wow! So today we watched qualifying, and tomorrow the race. What a value, in a world where these streaming service fees seem to be out of control.

Very cool.

skipshot12 wrote: »

And, with Cadillac coming into F1 next year there may be a whole new bunch of fans being added very soon.

Cadi decals but who's engine and chassis?

Cadillac is using their own chassis for next year (2026). Cadillac is bringing out their engine in 2027.
Can't wait to see this.

HzTweaker · October 28

Very cool. I was unaware.

I tried quoting bill and skip but the post looked funny.

daddyjt · November 4

I find myself on a surprise work trip to Vegas this week, so last night after work I drove down to the strip to see how the street conversion is coming for the race that’s just around the corner. I’ve driven the strip over 100 times through the years, but I gotta say theres something special about driving it knowing it will be a racetrack in a week or so. The amount of construction is truly staggering - from the grandstands and luxury boxes to the catch-fences and track lighting to the crowd control. I did learn quickly that the race is a touchy subject with the locals - they hate it. I suppose I get it to an extent - their city gets torn up for a month, and they are more or less priced out of attendance. On the positive side, I don’t think I’ve ever driven on a smoother stretch of pavement…:-)

Lighting and luxury seating setup

Turns 11 & 12

Grandstands right before start/finish

Track layout

billbillw · November 4

Hopefully they have figured out the manhole problems this year!

F1 TV - A surprising value in streaming

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