New deal for F1 rights announced

Ecclestone on new Formula 1 TV deal

The BBC and Sky Sports will broadcast Formula 1 in the UK between 2012 and 2018 under a new rights deal.

The BBC has been the exclusive broadcaster of F1 in the UK since 2009 but its contract with Formula One Management was due to expire after the 2013 season.

Sky Sports will show every race, qualifying session and practice live.

BBC Sport will broadcast half the races live, as well as the qualifying and practice sessions from those races.

Both companies will broadcast in high definition.

Deal keeps F1 with BBC for longer, says director of sport Barbara Slater

Races screened by the BBC will be live on the BBC Sport website for UK users.

The BBC will have highlights on TV, online and mobile for any race it is not showing live, and all races will be broadcast on BBC Radio 5 live.

Barbara Slater, director of BBC Sport, said: "We are absolutely delighted that F1 will remain on the BBC.

"The sport has never been more popular with TV audiences at a 10-year high and the BBC has always stated its commitment to the big national sporting moments.

"With this new deal not only have we delivered significant savings but we have also ensured that through our live and extended highlights coverage all the action continues to be available to licence-fee payers."

Races shown live on BBC TV will include the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the Monaco GP and the concluding race of the season.

Barney Francis, managing director of Sky Sports, said: "This is fantastic news for F1 fans and Sky Sports will be the only place to follow every race live and in HD.

"We will give F1 the full Sky Sports treatment with a commitment to each race never seen before on UK television."

Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone told BBC Sport: "It's super for F1. It will mean a lot more coverage for the sport.

"There'll be highlights as well as live coverage on two different networks now, so we get the best of both worlds."

Christian Horner, the team principal of world champions Red Bull, said it would have been a "disaster" if F1 was no longer on the BBC.

"The BBC sets the standard for F1 coverage across the world," Horner said.

"This is an agreement that safeguards the sport on the BBC, albeit reduced from what we are used to. And Sky opens up new avenues. So rather than losing the sport from the BBC, I think this was the most sensible way to move forward."

Reaction to new F1 rights deal

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Rights prize withdrawn from Putin after protests

16 July 2011 Last updated at 17:38 GMT Mr Putin is accused of overseeing oppressive government policies while Russia's president A prestigious German rights prize will not be awarded this year after organisers were heavily criticised for giving it to Russian PM Vladimir Putin.

The Quadriga Prize is given annually to "role models who are committed to enlightenment, commitment and welfare".

The decision to give it to Mr Putin was angrily received by his critics, who said it made a mockery of the award.

Former Czech President Vaclav Havel had threatened to return his own prize in protest at last week's announcement.

The Quadriga, named after the statue on top of Berlin's Brandenberg Gate, is awarded annually on the anniversary of German re-unification and is "dedicated to all those whose courage tears down walls and whose commitment builds bridges".

'Downright cynical' The award's organisers said they were retracting Mr Putin's award with "great regret," citing "massive criticism in the media and the political world" over their choice.

"The growing pressure was becoming increasingly unsustainable and risked escalating further," they said in a statement.

No awards will be given in 2011 and the panel said they would "see how it continues next year".

Mr Putin was to be recognised for his "service to the dependability and stability of German-Russian relations", but the move immediately came under fire both in Germany and abroad.

His critics say that while serving as president between 2000 and 2008, Mr Putin - a former KGB spy chief - oversaw oppressive government policies and curbs on civilian liberties.

Germany's human rights commissioner Markus Loening said it was "downright cynical" for Mr Putin to be put in the same group as previous winners Mikhail Gorbachev and Mr Havel.

"It devalues the prize," he said last week.

The prize is awarded on the anniversary of German re-unification

Last year's winner, Danish artist Olafur Eliasson, had already returned his award and Mr Havel threatened to do the same.

On Saturday, a spokeswoman for Mr Havel said he thought the panel were "very wise" to reconsider their choice.

The award should be given to people "who devoted their lives to protection of human rights and freedoms and promoting democracy," she said, naming Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, Russian rights campaigner Sergei Kovalov and Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who was shot dead in 2006.

A spokesman for Mr Putin said the row would have no effect on Russia-German ties and that Moscow would "treat with respect any decision by this organisation".

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