There are sports that seem designed to be enjoyed with all senses at once. Formula 1 and motorsport are such a sport. The sound of the engines is an essential part of the experience. Just like the smell of burning rubber. But what if you can’t or can barely see what’s happening because of a visual impairment? Then it’s great to have someone describing the action during such a race. Someone you can listen to via an earbud. It was an honor and a challenge to provide descriptive commentary at the Grand Prix of Zandvoort races. To paint a picture of Max Verstappen’s overtakes, to report on Lando Norris’s position in the dunes. And to describe all those colorful fans and cars.
That’s what I’ve additionally learned as an audio description commentator. Describing facial expressions, characterizing emotions, detailing sports actions. It added an extra dimension to my report, which often contains a lot of information. I experienced it as an enrichment. As a commentator, you become much more aware of all the actual developments in a sports match.
Especially when it turns out that spectators without visual impairments also found us via the Dutch GP app. Because on the train, I spoke with people who had heard us (Frank Stout was my co-commentator) report that Lance Stroll had crashed in qualifying. It’s wonderful to hear that you can add value for people. For F1 fans with and without visual impairments.