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maltatoday WEDNESDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2018 Sport 20 SPORTTODAY FORMULA 1 Formula 1 puts viewers in control with streaming TV product FORMULA 1 is launching a new TV streaming product that it says will put fans in control of their race view- ing experience, letting them watch from their favourite driver's perspective or track- ing battles for position. F1 TV, launched on Tues- day at the Mobile World Congress, will give access to cameras mounted on the cars of 20 drivers as well as the traditional broadcast feed, with viewers able to split the screens of their mobile device or smart TV. "You can go head-to-head with Daniel Ricciardo and Se- bastian Vettel as they battle for second place - and actually go side-by-side and look at the view from each of their cars," Frank Arthofer, Formula 1's head of digital, told reporters. Formula 1, controlled by Lib- erty Media, will offer the ser- vice live in countries including Mexico, France, Germany, the United States, Turkey, Bel- gium, Hungary and Austria - starting with the opening grand prix next month in Mel- bourne. Of Formula 1's roughly 500 million followers, Arthofer reckons that up to one million hardcore fans could be per- suaded to sign up for F1 TV Pro, which is being offered as a subscription service. It also will offer, a less expensive, re- corded version called F1 TV Access. Monthly charges for the premium version will be in a range of $8-$12, with an an- nual deal around $100, with prices varying by market. That puts potential revenues for F1 TV in the order of $100 mil- lion (71.65 million pounds) on a five-year timeframe, Arthofer said. Williams losing title sponsor Martini at end of year MARTINI will be ending its title sponsorship of Williams at the end of the season and leaving Formula One, the team's deputy principal Claire Williams said yesterday. The partnership between the drinks brand and former world champions is entering its fifth year and had been up for re- newal. "Martini are leaving us at the end of this year," Williams told reporters during Formula One testing at the Circuit de Catalu- nya. "It's the end of their contract and we have been in discussions with them for many months now about an extension beyond 2018. "They are withdrawing not just from Williams but the whole of Formula One, so you won't see them on another team in 2019," she added. Williams, a family-owned team who won nine construc- tors championships between 1980 and 1997, last won a race in 2012 and major sponsors like Martini make an important con- tribution to the overall budget. Claire Williams said it was important to have the resources to go racing but that might not mean looking for another title partner. "We are financially stable at the moment...and we are not unduly concerned about them leaving," she added. There have been some draw- backs with the Martini deal, however, with alcohol regula- tions limiting the use of un- der-25 drivers in some jurisdic- tions. Williams have the youngest lineup in Formula One, with 19-year-old Canadian Lance Stroll and 22-year-old Russian Sergey Sirotkin. The former is the son of a bil- lionaire and the other is backed by an oligarch with close ties to Russian president Vladimir Pu- tin. The team also have Poland's Robert Kubica, 33, as reserve and 25-year-old Briton Oliver Rowland as 'official young driv- er'. Williams said Martini had been fully supportive of the driv- er choice and that had not been a factor in Martini's decision. "I suppose next year it gives us the freedom to do what we need to do without having to worry about any age limit," she added. Most Formula One teams have struggled to attract sponsors of late and Williams said brands had a far greater choice of mar- keting platforms available now. "I do think Formula One prob- ably needs to work harder as a collective," she added. "We went through a really wonderful period where this was the ultimate for putting your marketing campaigns. I think we probably do need to work a bit harder to make sure we're delivering for all partners that come into this sport."