If you are a fan of F1 and/or the Manningcast during Monday Night Football, buckle up because racing is about to get its own alternate form of broadcasting.
Peyton Manning’s production company Omaha Productions has teamed up with ESPN once again to bring an alternative type of commentary to sports. Yet instead of MNF, this broadcast will follow F1 racing. Using a similar format to the Manningcast with brothers Peyton and Eli, the F1 alternative broadcast will feature racing legend Daniel Ricciardo and comedy actor Will Arnett.
The show will be titled The Grandstand with Daniel Ricciardo and Will Arnett and air during three F1 races slated for this year. The show will debut on June 18 covering the Pirelli Canadian Grand Prix on ESPN 2 with standard coverage being aired on ABC. Then, on October 22, Ricciardo and Arnett will host coverage for the United States Grand Prix in Austin, TX and finally finish off the three-episode deal with the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 18.
For those unfamiliar, Ricciardo is an eight-time Grand Prix winner in F1 while Arnett is an actor famous for his roles in Arrested Development, BoJack Horseman, and the podcast Smartless. Despite not being a former driver, Arnett did previously host a podcast with F1 driver Mika Häkkine called Fast & Loose: F1 which focused on post-race interviews with F1 drivers as well as somewhat humorous commentary.
The Grandstand is supposed to follow a similar format to the Manning’s MNF coverage by bringing on celebrity guests and chatting while the race unfolds in real-time. ““This is going to be a hoot! As you’d expect, Will and I are going to have some fun with the show, but we’re hoping it just feels like you’re watching F1 with your mates. We will have some amazing guests, plenty of laughs and with some luck, bring fans another step closer to the sport I love so much,” said Ricciardo.
As someone who doesn’t really watch F1 or any racing outside of the Kentucky Derby, I am honestly excited to see how this plays out. Will Arnett is a funny dude and while I have no clue who this Ricciardo dude is, he seems pretty legit. If the pair can get some good guests and entertain me for the first 200 laps, I think this truly could work. Let’s just hope the two are as unhinged and share as much chemistry as Peyton and Eli.
