Canal + unveils its plan for the 2024 F1 season

The 2024 Formula 1 season promises to be exciting once again. With a triple world champion at the peak of his career, a Ferrari Scuderia eager to challenge the Red Bull powerhouse, and a seven-time world champion determined to give his all in his final year with Mercedes, there are high stakes and expectations.

In order to cover the longest season in F1 history, which will start on March 2nd in Bahrain, Canal+, the official broadcaster of F1 in France, intends once again to go all out to offer its subscribers an ever more exclusive and immersive experience.

Starting in February, the three days of winter testing in Bahrain will be available to watch live and in their entirety, with eight hours of coverage per day on February 21st, 22nd, and 23rd.

Two weeks later, Canal + will broadcast the first race of the season, which will be held on a Saturday as an exception. For this occasion, Romain Grosjean will be joining Julien Fébreau in the commentary box. It will also be the first time that the former Haas driver is returning to the Sakhir circuit since his terrible accident in 2020 while driving the American car. On the other Grand Prix races, Grosjean will always be replaced by either Jacques Villeneuve or Franck Montagny, depending on the circumstances.

On the grid and for the interviews, subscribers will find the journalists Pauline Sanzey, Margot Laffite, Naomi Schiff, and Charlotte Gabas, just like last season, in addition to the F1 editor-in-chief on Canal +, Laurent Dupin, always accompanied by Franck Montagny.

The second Grand Prix of the season, which will take place in Saudi Arabia on March 9th, a Saturday as always, will be the first one to be broadcasted on free-to-air television as part of a busy weekend of motorsports. Canal+ will also be broadcasting the first MotoGP Grand Prix of the season.

The big novelty of 2024 will be the possibility to hear team bosses live during the Grand Prix. A camera will be placed in the pit lane and commentators will be able to interview the people present on the pit walls and get live information on race strategies.

Another novelty, a show called “Grand Prix” will be broadcast every Thursday after a race at 9pm. Lasting 30 minutes, it will allow viewers to relive the race from the inside with onboard cameras, radio messages, and statistics.

Several exclusive documentaries on the schedule.

Throughout the year, several documentaries will enrich the F1 programming on Canal +. Following the model of the series “Bleu, blanc vite” which gave subscribers a behind-the-scenes look at the Alpine team, journalist Amandine Morhaïm is currently working on “Un hiver à Maranello” about Ferrari’s preparation between seasons. Lewis Hamilton’s transfer to the Reds is expected to play a significant role. The first episode will be broadcast on February 24th at 7:30pm.

Regarding Ferrari, Charles Leclerc will be at the heart of Canal’s coverage during the Monaco Grand Prix. The Monegasque driver will be followed by cameras as part of a documentary titled “Up close with Charles Leclerc”.

For part « History », two documentaries should delight motorsport enthusiasts. The first one, titled “Alain Prost, the last lesson from the Professor,” will trace the career of the four-time Formula 1 world champion in six episodes, starting in the spring. The other documentary will revisit the 1955 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the terrible accident of Pierre Levegh, which resulted in over 80 fatalities and dozens of injuries. It will be broadcasted on Wednesday, March 13 at 8:55 p.m. on Planète +.

Finally, a digital series in immersion with Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon will be broadcasted throughout the season on the MyCanal platform. It will allow viewers to follow the daily lives of the two French drivers before, after, and during a Grand Prix weekend.