How F1TV changed the way we watch F1

What’s the price for this front-row thrill? The standard F1TV pro cost is ₹2499/year, while the F1TV Premium package comes to ₹3650/year. This is a significant hike from the Fancode option that exists for budget viewers — you can subscribe through Amazon Prime Video to watch each race for ₹25 — but the most glamorous sport in the world has never been one for budgets. F1TV Premium is now delivering a better motorsports viewing experience than we’ve ever had. I’ve always been wary of ‘premium’ services offered up by broadcasters, but this time it really is something special.

It’s not just about the visuals—it’s about control. Enter Multiview, the feature that turns your screen into a command center: the main feed blasts the race, the onboard cams jam you into your favourite (and your most feared) driver’s cockpist, live timing ticks by like a metronome on steroids, the circuit map shows you where to look. You can have 2/3/4 screens, in a configuration of your choosing. Finally, instead of yelling at the race director, you can nearly become one. You’re not just watching; you’re directing the chaos, flipping between views like a race strategist who’s had one too many espressos. Forget being spoon-fed someone else’s angle—this is your show. It’s power, precision, and a little bit of “whoa, I’m basically a genius."

When I was watching the Australian Grand Prix, I had the main broadcast stream, one screen giving me Lando Norris’s driver cam, one on Max Verstappen’s driver cam, and one screen giving me the laptimes. I felt like I was on the pitwall, constantly glued to the action, hearing the commentary while, at times, noticing things the commentators didn’t. What made my F1 geek heart explode, however, was the fact that when I was watching the Race Replay later, I could choose to experience it entirely differently: this time I focussed on Kimi Antonelli, Charles LeClerc and Yuki Tsunoda. It became like watching an entirely different race, and since the Australian grand prix was breathless and exciting, this doubled the fun in a serious way.

If cricket borrowed this playbook, it could transform the game. Cricket has sporadically experimented with extra cameras, with Batsman Cam and Dhoni Cam etc, but it’s usually as thrilling as watching a bowler get his hamstring stretched. The additional cameras are a novelty, and switching to any one of them means losing out on the game itself. Imagine a split-screen with the bowler’s runup, the batsman’s twitchy stance, a tight shot on the slips like a hawk, and stats—ball paths, strike rates—popping up live. In our world of (delightfully) extreme data points, the more vantage points the better. When the players don’t deliver, the analysis will. A Multiview jolt might be just the tonic. Innovation isn’t a dirty word, ICC. (Then again, should this memo be addressed to the BCCI instead, or maybe directly to JioHotstar?)

In India, I would imagine a significant number of viewers to gladly pay for a thoughtfully created cricket watching experience that genuinely goes the extra mile. The camera feeds already exist, it’s a question of putting it together to make something streamlined and seamless. And of cutting out advertisements, which may, I confess scrap the entire plan.

F1’s influence has always extended beyond the track—it’s a tech incubator, birthing innovations that trickle into everyday life. Hybrid engines? Born here, now humming in your neighbor’s sedan. The halo safety device? It’s saved lives on track and inspired road car upgrades. Carbon fiber, paddle shifters, traction control—all F1 brainchildren that make your daily commute feel faintly badass, even if you’re just cursing at a traffic light. These breakthroughs don’t stay in the paddock; they spill into the streets, turning your grocery run into a mini qualifying lap—minus the G-forces and glory, alas.

F1TV’s multiview is a digital extension of this spirit. It’s not just about watching; it’s about living the race, grease-free, no pit crew overalls required. Customize your view, stalk your favorite driver, soak in the action your way, and feel like you’re part of the team—without the stress of a blown tyre at 200 mph. It’s not a flashy gimmick; it’s the sport’s DNA in pixel form, delivering the thrill of F1’s innovation straight to your screen.

What will the future hold? We have seen simulations of how VR headsets like Apple’s Vision Pro could change the spectator experience, allowing you to place an F1 circuit or a basketball court in front of your living room, letting you watch the action happen around you in realtime. Augmented reality overlays might even change the way we watch sport at a stadium, with stats and player numbers hovering over footballer’s heads when we look at them. It could be incredible, and it could certainly be overkill, but for now F1TV appears to have hit the sweet spot. Buckle up.

Streaming tip of the week:

The very mention of split-screen race viewing takes me back to the opening of John Frankenheimer’s 1966 multistarrer Grand Prix, available for rent on Amazon Prime. The film opens with one engine, then splits into four and then eight and more, the engines and their sounds multiplying each time. Glorious.

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