The new season in Formula 1 hasn’t really started yet, but the first fuel is already there. Away from the paddock, a public dispute has broken out – between faces that the fans know mainly from the TV screen.
In a report by SPORT BILD, Heiko Wasser comes up with a suggestive comparison. “Watching Formula 1 on Sky is like watching the love of your life have sex with her new baby. And then he’s really bad in bed,” says the RTL commentator, who has given his voice to the broadcaster’s Formula 1 broadcasts since 1993. A tip for the quality of the pay-TV channel’s presentations.
As in the previous two years, Sky is exclusively broadcasting all races in the most important motorsport series this season, starting with the Bahrain race this weekend (4 p.m., in the WELT sports ticker). RTL had decided against broadcasting four races as a free TV partner, as in the past two seasons.
This number of free-to-air Grand Prix is set in the contract between Sky and Formula 1. Water will therefore not be used on the racetracks this season. He obviously doesn’t have much interest in following the races of the competition.
The answer from the Sky warehouse was not long in coming. Expert Ralf Schumacher, who will also be deployed in Bahrain, posted the excerpt of the article including a water quote on Instagram on Wednesday morning. His rating: “Dear Heiko, with such comments one can only speak of regrettable. Didn’t know you could improve like that. Just embarrassing.” He received a lot of encouragement for his counterattack in the comments.
At Sky, Schumacher will continue to be seen and heard as a reporter for the interviews alongside commentator Sascha Roos, moderator Peter Hardenacke and Sandra Baumgartner. Other experts are Timo Glock and Nico Rosberg, who is returning after a year. The Belgian racing driver Naomi Schiff is also used as an expert.
RTL shows no Formula 1 races for the first time since 1991. There is no other free TV sub-licensee yet, theoretically Sky could also show four races freely on its own website as a solution.
