Silly Season 2011/2012

[raymondu999]

Yes - but if reserve driving is needed on short notice - which it always is, almost by definition - then 5Live is in the ---

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Yes - but if reserve driving is needed on short notice - which it always is, almost by definition - then 5Live is in the ---

Im sure they have a contingency plan.

[raymondu999]

But how would they execute it? Have the contingency travel everywhere with them? John Watson was the frontrunner for the co-commentary position up until Jaime got it - I'm not sure he'd want to go to 19 races with no guarantee of even a single commentary gig

[MIKEY_!]

If they take him with them as well they will have to pay him too I expect. Not a bad deal unless he really loves the job.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

But how would they execute it? Have the contingency travel everywhere with them? John Watson was the frontrunner for the co-commentary position up until Jaime got it - I'm not sure he'd want to go to 19 races with no guarantee of even a single commentary gig

Think about it. James Allen travels to every GP, Legard attends a few and there are no shortgae of others than can partake in commentary.
Chandhok, Davidson you get the drift...

[raymondu999]

Chandhok's racing. Legard - does he still attend? IIRC he returned to football commentary. Davidson is under Sky's pay roll now.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Look at the people the beeb bring with them to each and every race.

They are more than capable of substituting ALG in the unlikely event of him being called up.

[raymondu999]

Look at the people the beeb bring with them to each and every race.

Who? Honest question. The only possible contingency I can think of is EJ.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Michael "Abs" Absalom, Perry McCarthy, Dan Clarkson, Lee McKenzie, Ben Edwards and even Gary Anderson could cover.

This is not a problem IMO.

[raymondu999]

By the time Jaime would be off doing reserve duties; Ben Edwards would also be on commentary duty. Gary Anderson is a possibility - it's a job he's done before, and knows. McCarty and Absalom - they're not commentating anymore are they? in that Red Button thingamebob. If they're not then why would they be even brought by the Beeb? Dan Clarkson too. Lee McKenzie is hardly qualified to provide driving or tech analysis as a color commentator. I only see Gary Anderson as a viable option from your list there. And maybe EJ

[MIKEY_!]

Please, not EJ.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

By the time Jaime would be off doing reserve duties; Ben Edwards would also be on commentary duty. Gary Anderson is a possibility - it's a job he's done before, and knows. McCarty and Absalom - they're not commentating anymore are they? in that Red Button thingamebob. If they're not then why would they be even brought by the Beeb? Dan Clarkson too. Lee McKenzie is hardly qualified to provide driving or tech analysis as a color commentator. I only see Gary Anderson as a viable option from your list there. And maybe EJ

EJ is least qualified there IMO. Surprise he managed to run a team for so long.
The point is, it would be very very easy to draft someone in at a race weekend who knows what they are talking about.

[raymondu999]

I wouldn't be so sure. You'd have to find someone who has a media pass, and is qualified. You don't generally have a media pass unless you have a purpose in the first place - so you need to add a third requirement - "has no role to play during qualifying and the race."

EJ would talk a lot of rubbish as the analyst commentator. But the requirements to be a pitlane pundit (as opposed to reporter such as Jake, or Kravitz) are the same as those of the expert commentator. The fact that the BBC hired EJ to be a pitlane pundit highlights the fact that they trust him to be a pundit - and so wouldn't be out of the running for the commentary pundit

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Ray it would be easy for the BBC to sort out.

[raymondu999]

I wouldn't count on it. Let's agree to disagree. We're moving in circles.