David Brown

Beside him, the sport's top TV producers are already in their seats, waiting for the giant flat screen to flicker into life.

At the front, Formula One's lead producer stands beside a DVD player remote in hand.

Hill folds his arms.

So, this is your best one?

Yes, it's one of our favorites.

Good.

Let's see what Formula One looks like on TV.

Hill is a veteran of sports broadcasting with more than three decades of experience, producing NFL and NASCAR coverage for Fox.

He's just been hired by Liberty Media to improve Formula One's TV ratings.

And today, he's here to take a hard look at how the sport appears to viewers at home.

The race begins.

20 cars sit on the starting grid.

The lights go out and the pack launches forward in a blur of color.

Cars dive into the first corner, jostling for position.

The broadcast cuts rapidly between battles across the field.

An onboard camera shakes violently as a driver bounces over a curb.

Hill leans forward, trying to follow the action.

Wait, wait a minute.

Who's leading?

That's Mercedes.