F1 fan campaigns to make The Chain a chart number one

By Linda Serck
BBC Berkshire reporter

Formula 1 returned to the BBC in 2009

A student from Newbury has launched an online campaign to secure a number one for Formula 1 theme tune The Chain.

The Fleetwood Mac track was never officially released as a single, but George Caröe wants it to top the charts with his Facebook and Twitter appeals.

"There is no better way to introduce the new F1 season than to have the intro music at number one in the charts," says the 20-year-old.

BBC Formula 1 presenter Jake Humphrey has helped the campaign gain followers.

George said: "The idea was flicking around on the Internet for a few hours before I started the Facebook group, but no one seemed to be doing anything about it."

George Caröe is from Marsh Benham, outside Newbury

The F1 fan added: "First of all it was just my friends who were in the group, but then we got Jake Humphrey to retweet the link to the Facebook group on Twitter.

"Then there was an explosion of people joining the group. He does quite regularly retweet the group as well."

George has contacted BBC Radio One but so far has had no luck in garnering the station's support.

The Chain originally appears on Fleetwood Mac's acclaimed 1977 album, Rumours, but was never released as a single.

The now-iconic song reached number 94 in the 2009 UK singles chart, once it had been confirmed that the BBC had regained the broadcasting rights to F1 from ITV.

Jake Humphrey is a BBC Formula 1 presenter

But George, a marketing and management student at Southampton Solent university, thinks it is realistic for the song to reach number one through his campaign.

He said: "It's not like it's Christmas time where there's 40,000 other campaigns running all at the same time, trying to get to number one.

"It's entirely possible."

The F1 season kicks off on Friday 11 March with the Bahrain Grand Prix.

You can join the George's Facebook campaign by clicking here.