Column
Independent journalism? Sky Sports and Ted Kravitz don't understand that
- Ludo van Denderen
He spoke in a soft voice as if someone had just died. Even though there was no picture, the disappointment and sadness were palpable. Nobody expected it: an elimination in Q1 for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and 16th place on the grid (after Pierre Gasly's subsequent disqualification). This was a massive blow for Lando Norris in his pursuit of Max Verstappen and the Formula 1 world title.
Perhaps it was not entirely clear. The person described above is not Lando Norris himself. Instead, it was Ted Kravitz, the pit reporter for the British channel Sky Sports. He was audibly upset that his beloved compatriot, Lando Norris, took a big hit in the battle for the championship. Later, Kravitz even confessed: "I feel so bad for Lando!"
Sky Sports go too far with their nationalism
It is no secret that Sky Sports do not fulfil "objective journalism". Anyone who spends an afternoon listening and watching the channel repeatedly notices that it is a British channel: Brits are cheered for, and foreign drivers - like Max Verstappen - are not! Well there is nothing at all wrong with some nationalism, especially in sport. The Dutch broadcaster Viaplay has a liking for Max Verstappen, just as the Dutch edition of this website has some liking for him.
But in the Netherlands, we are (dare to be) also critical of our compatriots when there is reason to be. For instance, Niels Koolen, the non-talent who is making Formula 2 unsafe at the moment. Any Dutch journalist you ask will agree that Koolen does not belong at the top of motorsport. In the end - despite our preferences - we do our work with the adage: Good is good, bad is bad.
Verstappen feels demonised
Sky Sports should do the same. Not just because Sky's F1 broadcast can be seen in, say, the United States and a lot more countries, and those people really aren't waiting for constant praise of Lando Norris or Lewis Hamilton. Above all, how Sky talks about non-Brits is particularly dangerous. Adrian Newey said something about it just last week. The designer felt that Sky are demonising Max Verstappen. In fact, Verstappen stated on Saturday that he felt that way about all British media.
After all, what if it had been Max Verstappen who had gone out in Q1 on Saturday? Would Ted Kravitz have brought a funeral mood to the living rooms then, too? Or would he have been beaming with joy at that moment? Had his breathing quickened, full of enthusiasm about the then-lucky Lando Norris? To ask the questions is actually to answer them.
Will Kravitz sleep well after such a terrible day at the track? For his state of mind, it will probably be good if Norris can still leave Azerbaijan on Sunday with a result.
This article has been created in collaboration with Matt Gretton
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