Love it or loathe it: there'll be less Formula One on the BBC

New track: wins like Jenson Button's triumph at the Canadian Grand Prix will no longer be shown on the BBC

For one half of the nation it is an unmissable Sunday ritual. For the other, it is a good reason to go and cook lunch.

But from next season, for the first time, Formula One will no longer be shown solely on terrestrial TV - outraging millions of die-hard petrolheads but bringing relief to "Grand Prix widows", who can hope to get at least some of their Sundays back.

In a deal signed today, the BBC bowed to pressure to cut costs and agreed to divide coverage of Grand Prix with Sky. Sky has scooped the live rights to all 19 races a year for the next seven seasons, from 2012 to 2018.

The BBC will now show only nine live races a season. It will still air highlights to all races and is guaranteed to show the British and Monaco grand prix, and the final contest of the season.

The agreement was made between the two broadcasters and Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who said: "It's super for F1 ... it will mean lot more coverage for the sport. We get the best of both worlds."

The new deal is estimated to be worth as much as £60 million a year to Formula One, with Sky paying for the lion's share, although BSkyB chief executive Jeremy Darroch declined to give any figures. The BBC was previously said to be paying £40 million a year. The sport polarises viewers like few others, with non-believers finding it hard to work up enthusiasm for a contest consisting of "driving in circles loudly". Mo Rogers, of the "I Hate Formula One" Facebook group, wrote: "Seriously, can't they just get it all over & done with in say, one or two laps?"

When Lewis Hamilton's girlfriend, singer Nicole Scherzinger, was asked about his job, she replied diplomatically: "I guess it's hard for me to comment. I couldn't possibly imagine what it's like for him ... I have my Mercedes, which I don't go very fast in."

Many will identify with ex-world champion Jenson Button's girlfriend Jessica Michibata, who confessed in an interview that when they met "I wasn't really into Formula 1". But BBC commentator and former driver Martin Brundle expressed the anger felt by many fans in a tweet about the deal: "Found out last night, no idea how it will work yet I'm out of contract, will calmly work through options. Not impressed."

Up to six million viewers tune into F1 races on the BBC. It previously had the rights to all races in a deal due to run until 2013. The new deal will save licence fee payers tens of millions of pounds. BBC director sport Barbara Slater said: "We've en-sured through our live and extended highlights that the action continues to be available to licence fee payers."

Mr Darroch said: "We'll give it the full Sky Sports treatment. We'll cover it in HD, hopefully a bit in 3D, on your and on your phone.

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