The station broadcasts four races: RTL cannot do without Formula 1

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Formula 1 will also be shown on RTL in the coming year, albeit in a slimmed-down form

Photo: GABOR MONOS / AFP

Last year, the private television broadcaster RTL announced its exit from Formula 1. The season in which the Schumacher name returns to the paddock, of all places.

Now RTL has backed out a little: The media group has, according to its own information, secured the television rights for four races of the coming season.

The agreement with the pay TV broadcaster Sky takes place in the course of an extensive partnership in the areas of streaming and content, as RTL announced.

Accordingly, the agreement initially concluded until the end of 2022 includes "extensive news access rights that enable the RTL media group to report on Formula 1 across channels".

RTL will start broadcasting races on April 18 with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola.

In addition, the races in Barcelona (May 9th), Monza (September 12th) and São Paulo (November 7th) were agreed.

However, the races are optioned, as RTL announced, "subject to current racing plan changes due to the corona pandemic".

Unclear staff in front of the camera

The broadcaster initially left it open with which staff RTL will work in front of the camera.

In the past, Heiko Waßer and ex-pilot Christian Danner commented, Florian König acted as the moderator for the show, and Kai Ebel reported from the pit lane and paddock as a reporter.

However, König is now switching to the “one-two-way” broadcast by Sport1.

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RTL reporter Kai Ebel in 2007 with the then Red Bull pilot Sebastian Vettel

Photo: David-Wolfgang Ebener / dpa

From mid-1991 until the end of 2020, RTL broadcast all of the Formula 1 races on free television and thus also the entire career of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher.

For the 2021 season, which starts in a good three weeks and in which Schumacher's son Mick is making his debut, pay-TV broadcaster Sky has secured the exclusive rights.

However, the deal with the media company and Formula 1 owner Liberty Media stipulates that four of the 23 races currently planned must also be shown on free TV.

Initially, Sky had flirted with a broadcast on the free-to-air channel Sky Sport News.

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