The Formula 1 commentators have become a trending topic in recent days. The announcement of the duo Nelson Valkenbrug and Melroy Heemskerk caused quite a stir. Almost every F1 fan had an opinion about the change of course.
RacingNews365 spoke extensively with both commentators during a duo interview. What immediately stood out was the enthusiasm and passion for motorsport, where we already stopped extensively in part 1 of our interview.
The telephone was red hot at Valkenburg, who was also approached countless times on social media. “The announcement has stirred up a lot in the Netherlands. I was overwhelmed by the reactions of people. Fortunately, I have had a lot of positive reactions. Of course there are always people who have to get used to it, I completely understand that. The world has changed in a day for me.”
Heemskerk was also overloaded with reactions, but he thought the most special thing was the day after the announcement: “It was funny that I was announced as ‘the new Formula 1 on the TT circuit of Assen, where I gave a clinic as an instructor. presenter’. That takes some getting used to.”
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mega adventure
Streaming service Viaplay is taking a different approach in the Netherlands, with many new names – including the two commentators. The rest of the team, consisting of a presenter, pit reporter, Dutch analysts and foreign experts, will be announced on Wednesday 8 December.
“It is a mega adventure for us, the fact that we can do this with two people makes it even more special for us,” says Valkenburg. Heemskerk immediately adds: “A best friend is like a brother you choose yourself. I think that “This also describes the relationship between the two of us. We’ve known each other since 2004 or 2005, before my time in Formula Ford.”
Chemistry between commentators is very important and, according to the duo, there is no doubt that it is present with them. “We’ve done a lot of races and it’s also important that you enjoy the commentary, whether it’s an F1 race or a 24-hour race.”
“NENT wanted a duo that is attuned to each other, as duo commentators. So that completely coincided for us. The dynamics that we have means that we also feel each other blindly. It is also important that you also give each other something in the commentary , that you also see it as an interaction and want to put down the best product together. You also have to have fun with each other, if you have that then it also works.”
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Formula 1 the ultimate boy’s dream
Ask a motorsport driver what he wants to be when he grows up and he answers ‘Formula 1 driver’ irrevocably. For motorsport commentators, the premier class of motorsport is also the pinnacle.
“When you grow up on the track and become a motorsport commentator, there is nothing more beautiful and greater than becoming a Formula 1 commentator. This is the pinnacle. That applies to F1 as a sport, but also to my work,” said Valkenburg.
“I dreamed of this when I was six. I can now say that this will work and that is very special. You have the Indy 500, Le Mans and Monaco. In Formula 1, everything really comes together. It starts with the test days, that’s great. See who invented what, what finds there are.”
As a driver, Heemskerk dreamed of an F1 career for a while. As a driver, however, he failed to realize that, but as a commentator he did.
“As a young man I already looked at Formula 1. Then I was already playing with F1 drivers, I dreamed of a career as a racing driver. Then you look at Formula 1 from an early age as the absolute world top in the I quickly knew that it was not feasible for me as a driver given my background.”
The commentary duo also has an eye for the more technical side of the sport, where Heemskerk can use his own experience.
“I’m actually a car mechanic. I did that for the teams of Bleekemolen and Geva Racing and now for GP Elite. I am more specialized in mechanical matters such as gearboxes, suspensions and the like.”
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Your own Formula 1 sound
Both gentlemen have been in the studio in recent races to practice commentary at F1 races. That went completely to my satisfaction.
“I take the build-up and the start and then Melvin takes over during the first lap. The rest actually goes by itself,” explains Valkenburg.
Heemskerk: “In terms of structure, you can perhaps compare it with how Croft and Brundle do it. But of course we give it our own twist. It comes very naturally for us. The dynamics are the most important.”
“We are also opposites of each other and that’s why it works. That’s why we complement each other so well. We take this very seriously and realize that we are faced with a very nice, but challenging assignment,” explains Valkenburg.
“We want to do the commentary in our own way, as we are ourselves. In the coming races we will go back into the commentary together again. Even further tinkering and optimizing.”
“Together with Viaplay, we want to create the best product possible and have fun while doing it.”
On behalf of Viaplay, the duo will travel all over the world to provide commentary directly from the track. Viaplay’s Formula 1 team will be around 15 people at each Grand Prix. On December 8, the team will be presented to the Dutch F1 fan.
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