BBC could bank more than £21m from F1 as insider reveals 'absolute treasure trove'

Legendary ex-motorsport commentator Steve Rider has revealed that the BBC is 'sitting on an absolute treasure trove' of archival F1 footage that the public would love to see. The 75-year-old has called on the broadcaster to recognise the 'public access argument'.

The Dartford-born broadcaster stepped back from his iconic career on Sunday after working with ITV4 at the British Touring Car Championship round at Oulton Park. Rider was the anchor for ITV's F1 coverage between 2006 and 2008, and previously hosted the BBC's programming until the rights exchanged hands in 1996. Now retired, Rider has lifted the lid on the BBC's access to the history of F1. "The BBC has the biggest race archive, the biggest volume of F1 material of anyone," he told The Telegraph.

"But it shows a complete reluctance to access it, to activate it, or even to monetise it. Six months ago, an F1 stills archive changed hands for £21 million. The BBC is sitting on an absolute treasure trove - the public access argument is overwhelming."

Rider is right to assume that there is fan interest in accessing F1 history. While a handful of historic races are available to watch free of charge on the internet, most of the sport's archives are locked behind a paywall on the F1 TV platform.

That is a sharp contrast to the incredible access that F1 fans enjoy on a weekly basis in 2025. All sessions are broadcast worldwide, and drivers give interviews before the race weekend starts and in between track outings, to keep supporters informed about their progress and on-track happenings.

There has also been a change in the way that fans consume F1 content. New followers of the sport are increasingly using social media to stay updated. According to a survey from Octagon, 80 per cent of fresh supporters engage with the sport on Instagram, and 74 per cent are involved via TikTok.

While Rider believes that there should be more access to the history of the sport, there are others in the paddock fighting for access to the grassroots side of motorsport. Chief among them is seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who is seeking to increase diversity in the karting and feeder series systems.

"It's really, it's very diverse, with an audience from all over the world, but access to and opportunity to the actual sport is really quite... It's not easy for people from different backgrounds to get in," he said back in March.