F1
Nate Saunders, General Editor, F1 6y

F1 facing 'most important' six months of its history, says Martin Brundle

Formula 1

Driver-turned pundit Martin Brundle believes Formula One is currently at a pivotal moment in its history.

Lingering in the background of the new F1 season are the ongoing negotiations about the next set of regulations, set to start in 2021. Last year Ferrari, the longest-serving team on the grid, threatened to quit the sport when it saw the first proposal of the next engine formula.

F1 hopes the new rules entice new manufacturers to the sport by driving costs down and simplifying some of the specifications of engines. Also ongoing are discussions about a budget cap and redistributing the sport's revenues more evenly among teams.

While travelling to the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Sky Sports pundit Brundle tweeted about the upcoming year and said: "Season 35 of F1 coming up for me, looking forward to it, Red Bull and Ferrari better be filling Mercedes' mirrors and visors, with many more drivers keeping a close watch. The most important 6 months in F1 history coming up."

Speaking on Thursday ahead of the first race, he elaborated on his view.

"That's what I believe," he told Sky Sports F1. "Formula One has a reset for 2021 and if we're going to attract new manufacturers and new teams, we need to know what the rules are before the end of this current season. To get a group of people together with the skill sets required, to get the funding, to create a chassis, an engine, the facilities and the team base, takes a good 24 months. So we've got to get it absolutely right.

"There's a changing landscape in sport, in media and in the motor racing industry. We are directly connected to all three of those and feed off of them and we have to change as equally dramatically and quickly for 2021."

Several of the F1 paddock's key figures, including McLaren CEO Zak Brown and Red Bull boss Christian Horner, have said F1 must settle on the post-2020 rules by the mid-way point of this season at the latest.

ESPN has teamed up with Sky Sports to bring coverage of the 2018 F1 season to a U.S. audience. Television audiences in the U.S. will be able to enjoy the Sky Sports coverage as ESPN and ABC air all 21 races in the championship under a multi-year linear and digital partnership between ESPN and Formula 1.

Rolex Australian Grand Prix Schedule on ESPN Networks (all times Eastern)

Thur., March 22
Practice 1 9 p.m. ESPN3

Friday, March 23
Practice 2 1 a.m. ESPN3
Practice 3 10 p.m. ESPNEWS

Sat., March 24
Qualifying 2 a.m. ESPN2

Sun., March 25
On the Grid 12:30 a.m. ESPN2
Race 1 a.m. ESPN2
Race (encore) 11 a.m. ESPN2
Race (encore) 1 p.m. ESPNEWS
Race (encore) 9 p.m. ESPNEWS

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