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Hamilton v Verstappen F1 season climax will be on free-to-air TV

There was good news for Formula One fans on Wednesday night, with the news Sunday's season climax...
Richie McCormack
Richie McCormack

21.20 8 Dec 2021


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Hamilton v Verstappen F1 seaso...

Hamilton v Verstappen F1 season climax will be on free-to-air TV

Richie McCormack
Richie McCormack

21.20 8 Dec 2021


Share this article


There was good news for Formula One fans on Wednesday night, with the news Sunday's season climax will be shown on free-to-air television. 

Sky Sports have exclusive rights to screen Grand Prix in Ireland and the UK, with Channel 4 showing delayed highlights. The latter has also traditionally shown the British Grand Prix live, as part of their contract.

Interest in the sport has come to a boiling point ahead of the final race of the season.

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Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) is level on points with Max Verstappen (Red Bull) going into this weekend's action in Abu Dhabi after the former's win in Saudi Arabia.

The Times motor racing correspondent - and regular OTB Sports contributor - Bec Clancy reported on Wednesday that Channel 4 had struck a deal with Sky Sports to show Sunday's season climax live.

It's an arrangement similar to that brokered between the same broadcasters to show the 2019 Cricket World Cup final - won in thrilling fashion by England.

The move will exponentially increase the amount of eyeballs on Sunday's race.

Channel 4 garnered an audience of 2.35million for their coverage of this year's British Grand Prix at Silverstone. By contrast, reports from August show that Sky Sports' average viewing figures for a race stood at  1.56m.

Speaking on Monday's Off The Ball, former team boss Eddie Jordan claimed Hamilton had become rattled by Verstappen in his attempt to surpass Michael Schumacher as F1's most decorated driver.

"Lewis made phenomenal starts [on Sunday], said Jordan, "What he will be trying to do in his bed tonight is thinking 'How am I going to get pole position because I need to drive away from this guy? I need to be as far away as possible.'

"But is it going to be as easy as that? I don't think so."

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Abu Dhabi Grand Prix F1 Formula 1 Formula One Lewis Hamilton Max Verstappen Motorsport

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