Sky F1 will introduce a new cutting-edge studio for coverage of the upcoming Australian Grand Prix, marking the first occasion where their entire presenting team will not be physically present at the event.
Natalie Pinkham, a Sky Sports presenter, unveiled the innovative studio on Thursday, located at Sky Studios in Osterley. Equipped with augmented reality graphics and a 360-degree filming environment, this studio will be utilized for the next three races in Australia, Japan, and China.
Although commentators David Croft and Martin Brundle, along with pit lane reporter Ted Kravitz and presenter Rachel Brookes, will still be on-site at Albert Park in Melbourne, Pinkham and pundits Naomi Schiff and Karun Chandok will be stationed at Osterley for coverage of the third race of the 2024 season.
The studio, resembling an arena and featuring a sizable LED floor and high-resolution screens, has previously been utilized for Sky’s coverage of Monday Night Football, US Open tennis, and the NFL playoffs.
This departure from the standard setup, where the entire presenting team is on-site, will revert to normal during the Miami race in May. Chandok remarked, “The Sky pad is here, bigger and better than we have out in the field,” emphasizing the studio’s impressive features.
Sky’s race coverage on Sunday morning will commence half-an-hour later, with the pre-race buildup reduced from 90 minutes to 60 minutes. The race itself will start at 4 am (GMT) on Sunday, with qualifying scheduled for 5 am on Saturday.
New F1 season, new studio 🎥😍
Take a sneak peek with Natalie, Karun and Naomi around our brand-new studio, which will make its debut this weekend! 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/08iJo5pyQq
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 21, 2024
