Guest Author - Christine Blachford

If you’re attending a race where Kangaroo TV is available, I would recommend getting one. They can be quite pricey, but the difference they will make to your race experience makes it worth the expense. The Kangaroo TV is a small, handheld device that broadcasts the race, both audio and visual, so that you can keep abreast of the action. They are only available to rent, not buy, but can be used throughout all three days of a race weekend. This article will look at the positives and negatives of the device.

Firstly, if you have a grandstand seat that isn’t by a big screen or a tannoy, then your Kangaroo TV will give you the main feed and commentary through headphones. You can see it up close, you can hear it better, it makes life a little bit easier.

But it also does much more than that. With the commentary, in the UK at least, you get the choice between what is broadcast at the circuit, and the national radio coverage as well. For the visual side of things, you get to choose what you look at. You can stick with the main feed, showing the important action out on track. You can choose your favourite driver and track them around the circuit, or you can have a mix feed of in-car camera angles. Throughout the race, you can adjust this to make sure you’re not missing out on anything.

Then there are the statistics. They have all the information you need about the season, and the drivers championship, plus a handy little prediction button. Taking the results if the race finished at that moment in time, it lets you see how the championship would stand with the drivers in their current positions. Now, I have to be honest and say that at the British GP, the stats were incorrect. They had all three drivers on the correct points, joint championship leaders, but it hadn’t taken into account the fact that Hamilton would win the race and therefore be on top. However, I’m assuming this is just a single mistake, and not something that would occur normally.

If you’re new to F1, there is plenty of information about the drivers, the teams and the rules and regulations to help you enjoy the sport you’re watching. It is worth every penny.

There are some limitations, though. It only works as long as you are within range and that means not outside of the circuit. If you are sitting in front of a tannoy and a grandstand, you can most likely enjoy the race without the added expense of the TV. It can be quite cumbersome to carry, although they do provide a handy little bag to make transportation easier.

In the end, it depends on a lot of things whether you need to rent a Kangaroo TV, but I would certainly recommend trying it at least once, so you know the data that’s available to you.