It is the busiest motoring season ever, the one presented today by the “motor house” of Sky Sports, the cluster of channels of the media giant dedicated to two- and four-wheel competitions. There will be over 380 races (for a total of 1,400 hours of live programming) that will keep spectators glued to the small screen for 40 weekends, to be followed on the satellite platform or streaming on Now and Sky Go.
No more stops forced by the pandemic that slowed down the previous two seasons, only pit stops in the pits for the flagships of Formula 1, MotoGP, Superbike and Formula E and the other 16 motorsport championships, which this year are 20 in all, to to which the events of Eurosport broadcast on Sky channels (such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans).
In addition to competitions, there is no shortage of original Sky productions, such as the series Valentino’s tales dedicated to one of its protagonists, who this year will switch to the four wheels of the Fanatec GT World Challenge championship (driving an Audi R8 LMS), after nine world titles won on motorcycles. To fans of the top class we remind the documentary MotoGP Unlimited, out on March 14 on Amazon Prime Video (also visible on Sky Q through the Prime Video app).
THE MOTORSPORT CALENDAR
The first to start from the starting grid at the end of January were the Formula Ewhich over the course of the season will see its electric cars whiz for 9 rounds, and the World rally WRC, in its debut. MotoGP will also be back from 6 March with the Qatar Grand Prix, the first of 21 rounds of the first season without Valentino Rossi, while on 20 March it will be the turn of Formula 1 with the Bahrain Grand Prix that will lead the way to the other 22 races. of the year.
There is no shortage of Superbike diamonds, starting on 10 April from Spain, in addition to the news of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe, the NTT Indycar Series and W Series (an all-female championship). Without neglecting the minor, but no less fun, classes of F2, F3, Moto2, Moto3, MotoE, CIV, Rookies Cup, FIM Junior GP, as well as the Ferrari Challenge, Porsche Supercup and MotoE championships.
THE NEW ERA OF FORMULA 1
That of Formula 1, broadcast like past years by Sky Sport F1 (Sky channel 207) will be a particular season, marked by a single-seater revolution which forced manufacturers to start from scratch in the construction of vehicles, to undergo what has been defined by experts as the “biggest technical change of the last forty years”. This is thanks to the new FIA regulations, scheduled for last season but postponed to 2022 due to Covid-19, which aims to reduce costs and increase the show on the track. Ground-effect single-seaters are back, like an amarcord of the Eighties, in order to increase the show and facilitate overtaking.
A drastic change also for the pilotswhich will drive heavier and more complicated vehicles, less fast than previous generations at the beginning, which is why it is likely to take a few stages before they get into gear.
THE MOTOGP IS BACK ALSO (SO MUCH TRICOLOR)
The races of the premier class of two wheels are back, the MotoGP, on the Sky channel of the same name (208) for the longest season of the category which will see the addition of two new stops, Indonesia and Finland. And the brawl of its leaders is back, this year marked by a large percentage of the Italian flag: there are seven Italian pilots who will compete against each other and will go in pursuit of the other rivals, led by Pecco Bagnaia who finished second in last year’s final standings.
Among the other innovations, the upgrade of Aprilia Racing to official team and the top class debut of the VR46 Racing.
