More Details Revealed for Formula 1's OTT Platform, F1 TV

Back in February, Formula 1 released theirs over the top service subscription, F1 TV, during Mobile World Congress at Barcelona. Since then, the launch has been delayed a couple of months and everything quiets down until now. 

F1 TV is now planned to launch before May's Spanish Grand Prix, which is May 13th. And there are two service levels, the premium version being the F1 TV Pro and the less expensive F1 TV Access.

F1 TV Pro

This will feature live races and all 20 driver cameras. Subscribers will be able to personalize any way they like, you can mix and match different drivers' onboard cameras side-by-side, or a traditional broadcast feed with a driver's onboard camera, or just the traditional broadcast feed.

Subscribers can choose how and when to view the content. Initially launching only on the desktop, Apple, Android, and Amazon Fire mobiles and tablets versions will be launched shortly after. All of the practice, qualifying, and races will be offered, along with press conferences and pre- and post-race interviews. You can either watch them live or in the replay. 

Later in the season, lower tier FIA Formula 2 Championship, GP3 Series, and Porsche Supercup will be added to the service. 

Pricing will be offered on an annual basis of $70-$150, with monthly rates ranging from $8-$12 depending on the market. 

F1 TV Access

Only contains live race timing data, radio broadcasts, and extended highlights of each session. 

FIA Consistency Controversy Continues After MexicoGP

Hello there, a new topic is coming! As a Formula 1 fan myself, I would love to share my passion with you lovely readers. As a technology-focused blog, it would be a shame if I miss out F1 since top-tier teams - Mercedes AMG,  Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren - each spends up to $400 million on Research and Development (R&D) every year. Yes, you read that correctly, many describe it as Arms Race.

As the 50th blog post is approaching, I am looking to diversify a little bit.

Now, on to the story:

During the United States Grand Prix, the Red Bull driver, Max Verstappen, made a controversial overtake on a Ferrari driver, Kimi Raikkonen, on the very last lap after starting at pole 16. When the excitement was high, the two-time youngest GP winner was excepted to end up on the podium in 3rd place after overtaking 13 drivers. The FIA (steward specifically) stripped away Max's podium position by offering him a five-second penalty for cutting the corner despite everyone cut/extended the track limit at least once. Not all, but some gained an advantage for doing so, and never penalized. 

Here are all the angles of the controversial overtake:

Now after the Mexican Grand Prix, Hass Team boss Gunther Steiner made a call for a permeate steward for a more consistent decision making. His driver, Roman Grosjean was forced to cut the corner (received a penalty as a result) after McLaren's Alonso pushed him off in a battle. The consistency problem still remains and the FIA stewards under the spotlight, Steiner think there should only be one steward for the entire season.