[WEC] How on Earth do I watch a WEC race?

[seanyb505]

Just discovered the wec app here in United States now houses full race replaces from 2017-2023. At least Sebring and Le mans, didn't check other races. It looks like not all tracks are present. I have an unpaid profile.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by seanyb505

Well wec's announcement on North America viewing has come to pass. Motor on demand is dead. (Not just wec, but the entire platform as a whole). Most programming has been moved to discovery plus. It's unclear if discovery will stream future wec events live or if a subscription to HBO Max is required.

At the moment, some Motortrend programming is still available on discovery, but 2024 wec races no longer are.

It seems this was a move to reach a wider audience, potentially at the expense of people utilizing Motortrend On Demand primarily for wec viewing. Which I'd wager is <100 people.

Did we ever figure out if this race will be available in the US?

[Truckosaurus]

The Imola Free Practice is currently showing live on Youtube (no idea if any other sessions will be shown).

[deggis]

Originally Posted by Truckosaurus

The Imola Free Practice is currently showing live on Youtube (no idea if any other sessions will be shown).

They won't be. FP3 has been shown since the beginning of 2023 or was it even at the end of 2022.

[flatlandsman]

I just cant watch this qualifying footage, it is completely utterly and totally ruined by the cretinous director who insists on showing multiple pictures of zero pit reaction. I have never know such poor, amateur and utterly misguided tv direction, it totally ruins this aspect pf a WEC race.

You are NOT making a tv show, this is not F1, you are NOT going to get Toto banging a table once in 15 years, just follow the action, and stop trying to make a reality tv show.

I do not know who this moron is, but he needs sacing

[joeb]

Originally Posted by joeb

Did we ever figure out if this race will be available in the US?

Yes, it was live on MAX

[otisdog]

I haven't checked if this is mentioned in the Imola thread, because I don't want to spoiler myself, but Motortrend is showing two (it says live)1.5 hour periods, the first one starting early (12:30 am?) Sunday morning.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by otisdog

I haven't checked if this is mentioned in the Imola thread, because I don't want to spoiler myself, but Motortrend is showing two (it says live)1.5 hour periods, the first one starting early (12:30 am?) Sunday morning.

You mean on the actual TV channel? Yes I am seeing that as well, although different timezones

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by flatlandsman

I just cant watch this qualifying footage, it is completely utterly and totally ruined by the cretinous director who insists on showing multiple pictures of zero pit reaction. I have never know such poor, amateur and utterly misguided tv direction, it totally ruins this aspect pf a WEC race.

You are NOT making a tv show, this is not F1, you are NOT going to get Toto banging a table once in 15 years, just follow the action, and stop trying to make a reality tv show.

I do not know who this moron is, but he needs sacing

I don’t like the showing people when cars are on track thing either. I wish they wouldn’t, or at least tone it down when critical things are happening. Not that I’m against a few pit shots in the night showing tired mechanics at Le Mans in the quiet moments.

But I don’t call for people to be saced (sic). It’s not like it is actually down to them, it would still happen. The person doing it isn’t a cretinous moron.

Nor was it completely utterly and totally ruined. As this happens at every race if it was then presumably you wouldn't subject yourself to it again!

[flatlandsman]

I will certainly NOT be watching qualifying again no, it is a woeful piece of tv work I am afraid, they clearly know they have a time limit so try and show so much reaction they forget about what is really going on. it has no place on a very time limited piece of tv work, and sorry but the person directing does need sacking, they clearly have zero understanding of what good television for a short session is, you leave it to the commentators to do the reaction, you do not go searching for it in vains using numerous cameras to find it, ALL you need is on track. if you do not know this after many races and years you need SACKING as you clearly do not understand or appreciate the viewers or the sport you are watching.

It is just fluff sadly, the real stuff is all that matters.

And as for the pedantry, maybe stick to F1, it doesn't belong here. People make mistakes, deal with it and leave the puerile comments to yourself please.

[Gerard C]

Free viewing for french people here: https://www.lequipe.fr/Tv/Agenda-programme-tv/

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by flatlandsman

I will certainly NOT be watching qualifying again no, it is a woeful piece of tv work I am afraid, they clearly know they have a time limit so try and show so much reaction they forget about what is really going on. it has no place on a very time limited piece of tv work, and sorry but the person directing does need sacking, they clearly have zero understanding of what good television for a short session is, you leave it to the commentators to do the reaction, you do not go searching for it in vains using numerous cameras to find it, ALL you need is on track. if you do not know this after many races and years you need SACKING as you clearly do not understand or appreciate the viewers or the sport you are watching.

It is just fluff sadly, the real stuff is all that matters.

And as for the pedantry, maybe stick to F1, it doesn't belong here. People make mistakes, deal with it and leave the puerile comments to yourself please.

Nothing meant by the errata really. Thanks for the capital letters I wouldn’t have been able to understand otherwise. Save that for F1. I haven’t watched an F1 race for over a couple of years. But I am sorry.

Look, I agree with you, I just don’t see the need to be so dramatic and call for peoples heads over it.

The constant over reacting to everything is getting wearisome. If nothing else you’ll give yourself a heart attack.

[flatlandsman]

It is a forum it is just words, if you want to see something fair enough for not commenting, for myself this awful directing ruins the quality of the race footage, the qualifying footage is unwatchable for me hence I will not bother in future.

Even now they cut to arty slow mos when there is action.

The reason for asking for a director to be sacked is clear the person doing it cannto read a race whatsoever, eitehr they have no interest in it and are folliwing a script supplied by someone who does not understand endirance racing, ior theya re just utterly inept..

Cutting to arty shots is fine in certain situation, not during pit stops or when there is close on track battling., This is a motor race, not a job interview, this bloke just seems to want to endlessly do something other than watching the race, they do not understand the nuances of endurance racing in my opinion.

IOf you get weary just skip on, I do it with certain posters, including you.

[Adam43]

As I said I agree with you!

Unfortunately I’m meant to read them all. Talking of reading what is going on. When someone moans in most of the words they write we miss so much of the nuances of endurance racing!

Still the directing is annoying. And I am sorry for the correction, no need for it. Early in the morning and the sort of thing I do to my own posting.

[joeb]

It is an adventure watching this race. Started on a TV channel, then moved to streaming, then streaming stops. thanks max.

[Adam43]

That is frustrating.

I'm in Italy so Eurosport is good for me.

[Truckosaurus]

I was on Youtube earlier and it suggested on my home screen a knockoff feed of the race which had 13k people viewing it. (I am watching it legit on Disco+)

[deggis]

Originally Posted by Truckosaurus

I was on Youtube earlier and it suggested on my home screen a knockoff feed of the race which had 13k people viewing it. (I am watching it legit on Disco+)

Maybe they've sacked the stream hunter employee.

[Adam43]

They sacked the wrong person

[Akrapovic]

It's all fine and well asking how to watch a race, but increasingly the question I have is when. Once again, an ACO website refused to do the time zone conversion. It said the race was 1pm Italian time and 1pm UK time, which is impossible. The ELMS site is still doing the same thing too.

The bar here is too low. You want people watch it, you need to provide this information in a more reliable way.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

It's all fine and well asking how to watch a race, but increasingly the question I have is when. Once again, an ACO website refused to do the time zone conversion. It said the race was 1pm Italian time and 1pm UK time, which is impossible. The ELMS site is still doing the same thing too.

The bar here is too low. You want people watch it, you need to provide this information in a more reliable way.

It sorta worked for me? I clicked on the top left and it told me how many hours to go until the next session.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by TF110

It sorta worked for me? I clicked on the top left and it told me how many hours to go until the next session.

Its currently working for Spa, but for Imola it was broken most of the run up. The terminology is also not the best. Local time is the terminology used for circuit local time normally - on the WEC site it means your local time. And the alternative is "Race Time". Just put "Your Time" and "Track Time" like everybody else.

https://www.europeanlemansseries.com/

Another example - Paul Ricard is at 11:30 UK time and 11:30 French Time. Le Mans Cup is the same.

This can be made much easier and much more accessible with just the bare minimum of effort.

[flatlandsman]

Fair play to the WEC guys the stuff they got for Full Access is pretty good for Imola

It is worth watching for the half lap with Bamber int he Caddy alone, utterly stressful and how the hell he did not crash is unreal.

Buemi again coming across as such a selfish guy, you can see him at the end almost saying "I would not have made that mistake" He cannot be that way obviously in a team, but you get the impression he has to constantly keep it all hidden!!

[Truckosaurus]

Originally Posted by flatlandsman

F...He cannot be that way obviously in a team, but you get the impression he has to constantly keep it all hidden!!

I would have thought that most of the pro drivers have such self confidence that they all curse their team mates' errors and think they could do better - but like you say, you have to keep such thoughts to yourself and act professional.

[J Jay]

Originally Posted by Truckosaurus

I would have thought that most of the pro drivers have such self confidence that they all curse their team mates' errors and think they could do better - but like you say, you have to keep such thoughts to yourself and act professional.

Isn't one of the points of Full Access to show these more candid and unguarded moments from drivers in the heat of competition? If you want to see professionalism from drivers out of the car, there are plenty of perfectly-scripted media briefings to watch.

Additionally, I assume this must have passed muster with Toyota in order to be published. If they had concerns, they would not have sanctioned Buemi's moments of petulance for broadcast.