Jonathan Legard

[ShiftingGears]

I wish he'd froth over Jenson less.

[VkmSpouge]

I'm quite happy with Jonathan Legard's commentary, I don't think he froths over Button.

[wedge]

They're all the same.

Last couple of years we had Hamilton love-fest and before that the Schumi love-fest

[ShiftingGears]

They're all the same.

Last couple of years we had Hamilton love-fest and before that the Schumi love-fest

And never does it cease to be extremely grating. I don't understand the amount of criticism Allen received when Legard is no better.

[wedge]

It's not just confined to F1.

NASCAR is far worst - Dale Jr this, Dale Jr that.

I think the only time its warranted is MotoGP/Rossi because more than most Rossi comes from nowhere with some blinding battles and overtaking manoeuvres.

[BDunnell]

I detect no frothing over anyone on Legard's part. What I do detect is that he is still not out of radio commentary mode, and I was never certain about him as a radio commentator, to be honest. He desperately needs to become snappier.

[Caroline]

I didn't feel he was over the top with comments regarding Button. On the whole the coverage seems extremely balanced.

[Sleeper]

I didn't feel he was over the top with comments regarding Button. On the whole the coverage seems extremely balanced.
My thoughts exactly.

[wedge]

Funny, all I hear is Jenson Button this, John Button that when last year it was Lewis Hamilton this, Anthony Hamilton that.

My problem is not the commentary but what happened to the haters on the forum with bile to spew?!!! McLaren & Ferrari bashing was so last year! :D

[christophulus]

Yep, he does talk about Button a lot. Good reason for that, he's won 5/6 races this year and is probably on his way to being the champion. Overall I think he's doing a solid job alongside Brundle, and is much easier on the ears than James Allen ever was.

[Oli_M]

He was absolutely appalling today. I'm sorry, I hate bitching and I gave him the benefit of the doubt at the start of the year, but he was just plain awful today.

I mean come on, for the first 3 laps ALL he did was read out names, name after name after name. No commentary on the actual race, just a list of names. Name, name. Then another name. It just got plain tedious.

The problem is - there are a number of people out there who would do a much better job than him. I LOVE listening to Brundle, so I don't want to switch over to the Five Live commentary as I'll miss out on Martin.

[wedge]

What I do miss are the discussions over race strategy. Legard seems far reluctant to leave it all to Brundle to do all the intricate whereas Allen did his homework with his unhealthy obsession with facts and figures.

[Giuseppe F1]

He was absolutely appalling today. I'm sorry, I hate bitching and I gave him the benefit of the doubt at the start of the year, but he was just plain awful today.

I mean come on, for the first 3 laps ALL he did was read out names, name after name after name. No commentary on the actual race, just a list of names. Name, name. Then another name. It just got plain tedious.

The problem is - there are a number of people out there who would do a much better job than him. I LOVE listening to Brundle, so I don't want to switch over to the Five Live commentary as I'll miss out on Martin.


I couldnt agree more!!

Have given Legard benefit of the doubt thus far, but he is simply DREADFUL....... his monotonous voice puts me to sleep!

When Jake hands over to the commentary team and we see Martin and Legard in their commentary box, he never gives any real insight - it almost sounds like hes either reading off an autocue or has quickly rehearsed word for word what he will say....just never sounds natural.

James Allen was great IMO - enthusatic, knew his stuff and you got the impression that he studied up over the weekend in the sense that he would be talking with team personnel and mechanics etc for all kind of insights etc...I never get that impression with Legard that he really ever insightful. He sounds like a horse racing commentator IMO.

Today, there were big parts where he WAS just reading names it seemed...

...does anyone remember the part where he was talking about the colour of Jensons helmet? ;

"Jenson is weaing a bright yellow helmet today, or some of you may actually call it a luminous green rather than a yellow helmet..." ..... ZZZZZzzzzzz....


COME ON!!!!!!!!


I watch the practices on the red button and Davidson and Crofty work really well - Anthony gives GREAT commentary and insight but as others have said, Brundle is too good to miss and so as an unfortunate bi-product, we have to put up with Jonathon ZZZZZzzzzzzzz....


BRING BACK JAMES ALLEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Yeah, I said it! :) )

[wedge]

He was absolutely appalling today. I'm sorry, I hate bitching and I gave him the benefit of the doubt at the start of the year, but he was just plain awful today.

I mean come on, for the first 3 laps ALL he did was read out names, name after name after name. No commentary on the actual race, just a list of names. Name, name. Then another name. It just got plain tedious.

The problem is - there are a number of people out there who would do a much better job than him. I LOVE listening to Brundle, so I don't want to switch over to the Five Live commentary as I'll miss out on Martin.

Plus I find Legard's voice grating and abravise.

Unfortunately wiith Freeview you're stuck with Legard when there's no audio option on that particular Sunday like today.

5live is far better, Ant and Croftie have the perfect working relationship and Ant's contribution is just as good as Brundle's - though Ant's explains things better to the layman and Brundle the better orator.

[woody2goody]

I thought Legard was good at the start of the year but for some reason this weekend he hasn't been good at all. I have no problem with his speaking voice or style of commentary, however he made a lot of errors and did some daft things this GP.

I have two main complaints:

He is starting to use far too many grand quotes instead of just commentating; something our friend JA used to do far too often.

And also he is beginning to ask lots of stupid questions, such as 'explain what you mean about them being on the wrong tyres' when it was obvious that Vettel was 4-5 secs a lap slower on the super soft at the beginning of the race.

PS wouldn't it be a better fit to have Crofty and Brundle for the TV and Legard (who is better suited to radio) with Davidson. I know Croft and Ant are very good together but Croft at least has some TV experience with GP2 last year.

[BDunnell]

He was absolutely appalling today. I'm sorry, I hate bitching and I gave him the benefit of the doubt at the start of the year, but he was just plain awful today.

I mean come on, for the first 3 laps ALL he did was read out names, name after name after name. No commentary on the actual race, just a list of names. Name, name. Then another name. It just got plain tedious.

The problem is - there are a number of people out there who would do a much better job than him. I LOVE listening to Brundle, so I don't want to switch over to the Five Live commentary as I'll miss out on Martin.

Very reluctantly, because I think Legard is a very professional broadcaster and because, given that they have a very difficult job to do, I too hate bitching about commentators, I increasingly have to agree with you.

I had expected that, by now, he would have got rid of the radio commentator's style — and, as I said earlier, I never felt he was quite right as a radio F1 commentator — and started to establish an obvious rapport with Brundle. Neither shows any sign of happening. There is very little change of pace with Legard. His delivery remains almost the same no matter whether he's describing a thrilling battle for positions or reading out the order. I can't help but think how much better it would have been for the BBC to hire Ben Edwards, who is a proven TV motorsport commentator and whose style would have probably worked right away.

[woody2goody]

Very reluctantly, because I think Legard is a very professional broadcaster and because, given that they have a very difficult job to do, I too hate bitching about commentators, I increasingly have to agree with you.

I had expected that, by now, he would have got rid of the radio commentator's style — and, as I said earlier, I never felt he was quite right as a radio F1 commentator — and started to establish an obvious rapport with Brundle. Neither shows any sign of happening. There is very little change of pace with Legard. His delivery remains almost the same no matter whether he's describing a thrilling battle for positions or reading out the order. I can't help but think how much better it would have been for the BBC to hire Ben Edwards, who is a proven TV motorsport commentator and whose style would have probably worked right away.

Ben Edwards is very good, and he gets excited and ups the energy level when necessary.

[BDunnell]

Ben Edwards is very good, and he gets excited and ups the energy level when necessary.

Exactly, I thought he was as dull as ditchwater when he started doing British Touring Car commentaries — when ITV only showed recorded highlights of all the races, he was truly stilted and woeful — but since then, on the live coverage, he has grown on me enormously.

[wedge]

Exactly, I thought he was as dull as ditchwater when he started doing British Touring Car commentaries — when ITV only showed recorded highlights of all the races, he was truly stilted and woeful — but since then, on the live coverage, he has grown on me enormously.

Never had that problem personally. I remember his Eurosport days well. He was as good as the likes of Martin Haven and Mark Cole doing the magazines/random race highlights before jumping to F1 and back down to the TOCA package on MotorsTV.

[CNR]

i have to say the Jenson is not as bad as what it use to be with lewis


but when you think how lucky Jenson is to even be in f1 this year
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/ecclestone-button-should-sit-2009-out-2939.html

Bernie Ecclestone advised Jenson Button (http://www.motorsportforums.com/sport/f1/drivers/jenson-button.html) to consider sitting the 2009 season out rather than spend the entire year struggling for a few points. Following Honda's quitting the sport earlier this month and no buyer yet interested in purchasing the Brackley-based team, Button's only chance of starting next season on the grid would be securing a deal for the only team who hasn't announced its lineup for 2009, Toro Rosso.

However, the F1 supreme insists that Button's career would take a serious blow should the British driver decide to drive an uncompetitive car. His advice? Take a sabbatical, consider the options and try to secure a racing seat with one of the 'big guns' in 2010. window.google_render_ad();


“He should be in any of the top teams. I'd rather see him wait to get a seat in one of those than race in an uncompetitive car,” the Daily Telegraph quoted Ecclestone as saying.

Should Button decide to take that advice for granted and sit the next season out, he would make his comeback in the series at the age of 30. That's probably the reason why the Somerset-born driver insisted earlier this month that he would sign for any team that could secure him a racing seat in 2009.

[Daniel]

They need Charlie Cox. I'd love to hear Cox and Brundle together!!!! Now that would be a mismatch

[acescribe]

PS wouldn't it be a better fit to have Crofty and Brundle for the TV and Legard (who is better suited to radio) with Davidson. I know Croft and Ant are very good together but Croft at least has some TV experience with GP2 last year.

Legard is not that bad. Come on.....and yes it is Jenson Button this that and the other because so far 2009 has been Jenson Button this that and the other!

I agree with the above and I was surprised the BBC didnt go down that route. They wont change anything for this year but might the next. Legard was/is good on radio, where as Croft does have a voice that comes over well on TV.

I'd like to think that Ant will be pick a drive for 2010 anyway...

[acescribe]

They need Charlie Cox.


No way!

[CNR]

Charlie was named as one of the hosts of the first season of Top Gear Australia

there must be better then him any uk topgear would be better

[AndyL]

When the BBC was putting their team together Toby Moody was out of a job, I think they should have given him a shot. He must follow F1 because he does mention it from time to time in his MotoGP commentaries.

[Brown, Jon Brow]

I think we need to see more dog fights between cars and see what his commentary is like on those before we judge him.

I used to like James Allens commentary when two cars were in an exciting battle. For example Alonso versus Massa at the end of Nurbergring 2007.

[V12]

He won't go down as an all time great commentator, but then who does? He does the job for me, nothing more, nothing less. And I don't think he's been particularly pro-Button at all, especially considering he's won 5 of the 6 races. Lewis Hamilton's wins-to-sickening-gushing-praise ratio for 2007-8 was far worse than Jenson's this year.

Murray > Legard > Allen.

[Andrewmcm]

My only slight criticism of Legard is that he interrupts Martin too much. For instance we never got to hear why Martin would have loved to drive a Ferrari around Monaco last weekend...

[555-04Q2]

They're all the same.

Last couple of years we had Hamilton love-fest and before that the Schumi love-fest

Yeah but German porno's are better than British ones ;)

[Garry Walker]

Bring back Murray!! Who cares that he talked like he was senile already in 1989, bring him back. Murray!

[gloomyDAY]

John is blossoming quite well. Monaco was well done in terms of commentary and you really can't blame the guy for pointing out Jenson, he's dominating the whole field!