Alex Jacques
Alex Jacques | |
|---|---|
| Born | 28 March 1989 Suffolk, United Kingdom |
| Occupation | Sports Commentator |
| Years active | 2015-present |
| Known for | Sports commentator |
| Website | https://alexjacques.co.uk/ |
Alex Jacques is a sports commentator and broadcaster who most recently served as the lead commentator for Formula One and the FIA Formula 2 Championship in 2024, the latter of which he left after ten years working for the series and its predecessor GP2.[1] Jacques is the lead commentator on F1TV and Channel 4, and won Commentator of the Year award in the 2022 Broadcast Sports.[2] Jacques' voice has been used in the official Formula One video games since the 2022 edition and the Netflix documentary Drive to Survive.[3]
Career
Prior to commentating, Jacques studied Politics in University and worked on his university's newspaper and radio station, as well as his local hospital's radio. His first break was with BBC covering local football. Eventually, he started taking on bigger games with teams such as Manchester United or Liverpool in the Premier League in Norwich City, and covered other sports such as Cricket and eventually, GP3. Additionally, he also worked a day job as a news reporter for the Times.[4]
In 2015, Jacques got the opportunity to commentate in GP2 races after Will Buxton announced a surprise departure. In what Jacques describes as an 'extreme slice of luck', he was hired to join the commentary box alongside Jolyon Palmer and Davide Valsecchi. His commentary in the first few races he participated in was met with criticism, but eventually he was able to improve and fans warmed up to him. When GP2 rebranded to Formula 2, he continued commentating on it.[5]
During this time, he also offered commentary in Formula Three (F3; the rebranded GP3 championship) and Esports, and also worked on the BBC Radio 5 Live. In 2018, Jacques started commentating on F1 races for F1TV,[6] and covered the 2020 Indianapolis 500 for Sky Sports.[6] In 2021, he took over Channel 4's chief commentating duties, replacing the retiring Ben Edwards.[7] Jacques also provided commentary on the all-woman W Series championship from the 2021 and 2022 seasons and stopped commentating on F3 following the conclusion of the 2021 season.[8][9] He was part of Discovery+'s commentary team that provided coverage of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2023 and 2024.[3][10]
In 2024, Jacques announced that he would be retiring from F2 commentary after 10 years,[1] citing the need to spend more time with his family and to focus on Formula One.[10] In October 2025, Jacques published the book Grid To Glory: 75 Milestone Formula One Moments.[11][12]
Following Channel 4 gaining the rights to broadcast The Boat Races in 2026, it was announced Jacques would take over as the lead commentator from Steve Cram.[13]
References
- ^ a b Singh, Veerendra Vikram (6 December 2024). ""This Will Be My Final Year": Alex Jacques Announces Retirement From F2 Commentary After 10 Years". The SportsRush. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ "Winners". Broadcast Sports Awards. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ a b Nelson, David (30 May 2024). "Alex Jacques on the joy of F1 commentary and the 'unwinnable' battle it presents". Motorsport Broadcasting. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ "Alex Jacques: The voice behind Formula 2". FIA_F2® - The Official F2® Website. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ "Formula One Management". Motorsport Broadcasting. 30 May 2024. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ a b Admin (29 March 2021). "Former RWSfm presenter Alex Jacques takes over as lead commentator for Channel 4's F1 coverage". RWSfm 103.3. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ "Who are the 2024 F1 commentators? Sky Sports and Channel 4 teams". www.autosport.com. 21 February 2024. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ Camp, Steve (11 January 2020). "F2 commentator Alex Jacques joins W Series broadcast team". Motorsport Week. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
- ^ McClure, Michael (6 December 2024). "F2 drivers: Departing commentator Jacques 'represented us well'". Feeder Series. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
- ^ a b Picton, Oli (29 December 2024). "F1's Alex Jacques on 2024 season and Town promotion". Ipswich Star. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
- ^ Dempsey, Isabel (19 June 2025). "Michael O'Mara gears up to celebrate Formula One's 75th anniversary with Alex Jacques". The Bookseller. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
- ^ Collantine, Keith (2 November 2025). ""Grid to Glory: 75 Milestone F1 Moments" – Alex Jacques' new book reviewed". RaceFans. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
- ^ "Crew unveiled for The CHANEL J12 Boat Race 2026 as Channel 4 confirm debut broadcast will be presented". channel4.com. 12 March 2026. Retrieved 18 March 2026.