Two races in and Formula One has lost none of its ability to confuse or surprise. While there’s no doubt that the number of wet races enlivened last season no end, which numpty thought running a Grand Prix in the middle of Malaysia’s rainy season, at the precise time of day when the rain was likely to be at its heaviest was a good idea?
Bernie Ecclestone is determined to shift F1’s geographical axis. That means more races in countries whose governments are prepared to stump up the colossal sums of money he requires before he’ll let them have the ‘show’.
Which in turn means races being run in either ridiculously humid conditions, or in the middle of deserts, or – because Bernie wants more TV audience-friendly start times – at an hour of the day when the sunlight is fiercest or the rain Biblically heavy.
Anyone who’s ever dealt with Bernie understands his modus operandi, but this is getting silly.
Yes, I enjoyed being able to watch yesterday’s Malaysian GP while I had my cornflakes. But I’d have sooner have been watching a race that actually finished, rather than one that dissolved into an embarrassing spectacle during which no-one appeared to have the faintest clue what was going.
Still, there were some unexpected upsides.
While Jake Humphrey, David Coulthard and Eddie Jordan gamely tried to fill 45 minutes of what broadcasters call ‘dead air’, we got to see Kimi Raikkonen in the garage, having changed into a pair of shorts, eating a chocolate ice lolly while the team’s PR reassured the viewing public that both drivers were ready to go if the race was restarted.
Ferrari’s President Luca di Montezemolo is in the habit of throwing heavy items at his TV when the Scuderia mess up or don’t win a race. I doubt his TV made it to yesterday lunchtime intact…
Yes it was an unwise choice of time for the race, I personally like getting up very early to watch a race, as I find it more exciting, or maybe that’s just me..?
Anyway I thought that the race was very eventful before it was called off, it would have been better for the drivers and fans if a desicion was reached rather than just waiting until it would have been impossible to continue. They should have finished the race on a high note, as soon as it was red flagged.
ya bernie would really want to get it together, having the austrillan gp later made hardly any difference to people getting up to see it but the sun surely affercted tha drivers
makes no sense
good season so far tho
The fans will watch the F1 whatever time of the day or night it may be. I’m one of the many who got up at 6am to watch the Australian GP live, and if the next race is at 3am, so be it. I’ll still be up, watching.
Besides, ITV/BBC always has the full race repeat around midday anyway, so Bernie shouldn’t be worrying about the number of people watching.
4 am for me, and for absolutelly nothing. Thks again old, very old, Bernie.
I normally enjoy rain messing up with the races, but this was just stupid.
Good for Brawn again, and it’s good to see Toyotas up there too. Honda execs must be extatic.
I agree with Becky – watching the Oz race at 4 in the morning last year added to it somehow. It made me feel more like a true fan.
Besides, don’t they repeat it in the middle of the day anyway? I think the BBC ought to let Bernie know this so he can let the race run at time convenient to the drivers/organisers. Although the night race was nice last year.
As for yesterday, none of the drivers wanted to get going again, and all the hubbub and time wasting was actually the FIA being struck by lightning, giving up and deciding how to decide the finishing order (they ended up deciding that the order at the end of lap 31 – the last whole completed lap – would be it). But surely that decision, or that quick read through the rulebook, would’ve taken what, 5? 10 mins tops?
I think starting the race an hour earlier would’ve been a much better idea. It would still have rained – right near the end of the race, a crucial time – and maybe then we wouldn’t have 3 drivers with x.5 points.
You’ve got to wonder what’s *really* going on in race control, and who’s really calling the shots. Decisions are sometimes made in no time at all, whereas sometimes a simple call can take hours/weeks/months, possibly whilst they figure out what’s best for the ’show’ / how best to engineer a closer championship / how to best please the sponsors etc.
I think what happened on Sunday was that everyone knew (especially Kimi!) that it was game over, but the TV networks / sponsors had been promised 2 hours of coverage, so it was made to look like a marginal will-we-won’t-we decision to stop everyone switching off and the TV networks having to fill a gap.
I feel a bit gutted that it didn’t go full distance but I also like not having to get up quite so early. A balance between appropriate local conditions and Europe’s alarm clocks clearly needs to be struck.
I say that it was a totally STUPID time to do the F1. I’m a great fan but they would know that it would rain!
What a joke: Eddie Jordan trying to justify the start time (on behalf of his hero Eccleston, no doubt) preceded by him creepily ‘interviewing’ Bernie made me cringe.
What DID make me laugh is how Coulthard contradicts Jordon on every point: Jordan -”I think blah blah blah”…Couthard – “Well, I think the opposite..”.Every time hehe!
Seriousley though, I really wish Bernie wasn’t so obsessed trying to attract the casual F1 fan massive. No, i’m not naive – I know this is where the money is but being a true F1 fan myself, it really irks when we miss out just because temporary F1 fan #3213 doesn’t want to get up at 6am or whatever.
Yes it’s nice seeing a race later but as Webber said driver safety is top and that was ridiculous conditions
@ Steve
I agree wholeheartedly, but sponsers want F1 Fan #3213 (and actually F1 Fan #99999999999 as well) to see their products as much as possible. If only the proper fans like us who, by now, ignore the ads are watching, they make no money, remove their sponsorship and F1 ends up being budgeted in a similar way to a chav’s vauxhall nova ‘pimp plan’ – nick someone’s bumpers and stick them on with masking tape (clearly thats what Toyota were worried about on the grid).
To Steve @ 8
the Jordan Coulthard combo doesn’t work does it, and I think its all to do with EJ’s inflated opinion of himself. He brings nothing to the show. But i may have said that once or twice before.
Why not schedule it at a different time of the year? wouldnt that be more logical???
I was at work at the time, so my ‘quick’ break to watch it was ruined!! I’d laugh though, that in the final Silverstone GP it flooded!! That would be hilarous 
*if in the last Silverstone GP – sorry guys
i’m just a bit annoyed that Bernie uses the excuse or ‘catering for European fans’- if European fans are so important why is he constantly trying to get rid of European races in favour of more races in the Far East?!? MONEY – pure and simple. F1 is no longer a sport but simply a business.
It’s OK Lloydy, I’m sure we can forgive you.
I agree that they should put it back a bit.
Ridiculous making the races later because it just makes it dangerous. As No.3 said if you are a real f1 fan you would get up at 3am 6am whatever time and their are always replays and highlights it should either be a night race or a day race not half way between.Good so far though in racing shame their has not been a uninterupted race yet though.
P.S Come on Ferrari get your act together!!!
If F1 changed it’s start time everyone in the americas could watch the show. Oh yeah but South America is 2 poor and the US doesn’t watch, because they have not had a good driver since Mario. True fans will watch regardless
Why does bernie have to constantly say he might be changing something about f1? Bernie, keep the race times the same and don’t embarras yourself, you already have but just forget about it.
I totally agree with Ash(#3), if you are a true F1 fan then you wouldn’t mind setting your alarm for 3am and watching the F1 live.
Also if the F1 is held at different times then it might be in the scorching heat of midday in the middle of Bahrain or it might be nearing night-time in Shanghai, which would be thrilling for us but F1 cars aren’t really built to drive at night, or in a desert under the intense heat of the sun at midday.
Bernie if you keep going on about changes to an already complicated sport, you’ll make golf look appealing to petrolheads!
I think Kimi should have opted for the double diffuser shorts and the magnum ice cream. The Hawaiian shorts and the Corneto were almost half a second per lick slower.
F1 comes on 4 hours for the East Coast of the US than for you Brits. I have either taped the races or (now) DVR them with an extra 30 mins on the end. The SPEED commentators here (Bob Varsha, Steve Matchet, David Hobbs, and grid reporter Peter Windsor) are very entertaining. Just wish the ‘world feed’ was more reliable for the commentators.
4 hours later… sorry
I watched the race at 4 am – I´m in Mexico City and I could not care less about the scheduling. But the ‘twilight’ idea is silly.
Bernie and Max believe they own F1 and can do whatever they please, but they’re just messing the whole show. I believe FOTA must stop ‘em. Or let’s just have an alternate, intelligent series.
I loved the 1.5 litre times. I really enjoyed that fantastic era with nimble chassis, fabulous sounding engines and the real drivers: Jimmy, Graham, John, Bruce, Pedro & Ricardo, Phil, Dan, Jack, Richie, Wolfgang, etc.
What puzzles me about Bernie is has he never heard of video recorders? I don’t give two hoots what time the race starts, I just tape it and watch it when I get up if it’s in the night. I always tape it anyway in case something happens live that they won’t show again in the re-runs…….
Oh, and no-one has taught the commentators to speak properly yet
It’s S-I-X-T-H guys, not sikth, sith or any of the other random combinations of letters they often use for the place between 5th and 7th…..grrrrrrrr, mad!
Isn’t why they put it on Sundays, so we all could still watch it even if its like 3 am in the morning?
*Bernie is shooting himself in the foot. Not once, but rapid firing his own foot with a machine gun… =P
“I think Kimi should have opted for the double diffuser shorts and the magnum ice cream. The Hawaiian shorts and the Corneto were almost half a second per lick slower.”
Genius!
And I agree, they should have heeded the warnings about the rain and changed the start time. Plus, Eddie was always a bad choice as pundit – he likes the sound of his own voice. Couthard is excellent though.
Actually everyone – we were lucky to get any racing at all! If you remember, the rain was meant to come at 5.00 pm local time – the very start of the race!
I agree with those who wonder at the brain power of those who thought holding the race on this date and time was a good idea.
Completely agree with ASH comment 3. For a true fan and someone intersted in the actual racing a 6am start or whatever should be fine.
I feel it sets the day up nicely and you havent got to start planning your days around the start times leaving the rest off day to get on with whatever needs to be done.
Bernie needs to accept the time zones in this world and appreciate that people do actually like F1 regardless on when they have to watch it.
I agree with most of you about this beeing a littbe bit of an overkill.
however, I have to give it to kimi, as he was the only driver who showed all viewers he felt the same way.
Go Kimi! nice shorts
It was stupid to start the race so late. Does His Bernieness not realise that true fans of F1 enjoy getting up early to watch races, it’s so much better, makes you feel like you’re the only one watching.
However, the race before it got stopped, was interesting, and when it rained, was even more so. The cars needed an outboard motor rather than a V8 and rear wheel drive, my mate said to me that Jeremy’s Toybota would have been more useful than Kimi’s Ferrari!
Let’s hope that Australia, Malaysia, China and Japan all return to their proper times for next year! Roll on more 2am starts!
I agree, do away with Eddie Jordan. Coulthard is great but Eddie Jordan just goes on and on about driver psychology and disagrees with Coulthard, and actual driver, at every question.
Also, I agree the start time should have been moved. I will either stay up for the Grand Prix or tape it. I am not going to miss it because of the start time. I just want a complete race.
All the real F1 fans would get up at whatever time the races start, that’s how many F1 fans have grown up, with the early starts that were always worth it (especially as the full distance was usually raced!)
The Jordan/Coulthard battle amoung fans is soo much more interesting than the Hamilton/Massa battle in Hibbard’s blogs.
Jordan is much better than Coulthard, he couldn’t comment on like anything. Jordan doesn’t get air time only cause the FIA like hate him.
give these retards a watch/common sense/humour.
Toyota F1 is kicking ass and taking names.
one should break Eddie Jordans legs and that one should be rewarded.
1:00 pm start time for every race.
It feels more exciting watching the races at 4 in the morning (far east) & 6 in the evening (americas).
Bring back the real F1, Kimi knows what we want.
Now we know why they call him “The Iceman”
Bernie and the FIA are taking away the engineering and technical aspects of Formula One, as well as shifting race times. for what? it worked the way it was. why fix something that is not broken?
Kimi is a bit of a character though.. was quite funny seeing him in his shorts and Ferrari saying he is still ready for racing.
Ferrari F1 is a joke. Ferrari sales will now dry up as people go for Nissan GTRs and Corvette ZR1s.
@PeterMann: exactly, if the race started at 3pm race local time then we wouldn’t have this problem. Monsoon rains or something like that happens on 4-6pm.
was a good race until the heavens opened. lets hope thay bring the GP to ireland would be bleedin EPIC. Whos with me??
As usual Kimi was the only one to keep his cool. And to underline the fact that he is the “iceman” he stuffed himself with a Magnum.
To me the ‘09 season comes across as a big mess.
Timing sucks, rules sucks, penalties sucks, cars sucks. All a big mess, a result of FIA being not clear with the rulebook (diffuser)and with desisions.
The big investors are the victims, they must be mad!
FerrariF1Fannie: That’s an unfair comparison, given those cars are nearly half the price yet just as fast (if not faster).
Though I wouldn’t buy either of them, just because I can bet that there’s so much plastic in their interiors that you’d think they just enlarged a Corgi car.
I’m with ya Luke!
The Ballycumber GrandPrix. Grid girls in Irish dancing outfits and goose pimples. Hmmm
It is comical the make the times of the races in line with Europe. They want the F1 to be more international. But we at +10GMT are quite put out in any case. Most races are shown at 00:00 Monday morning in Australia. Except for Brazil and Canada which are at around 03:00 Monday morning. It is the price we pay and I pay it.
What I am getting at is that the traditional start time of 14:00 in the race country works better for everyone. The conditions are right for the drivers. If there are any problems, there is still daylight for delays.
If they are really want European fans to eat their breakfast during the race they could always delay the telecast. At least we would have a full race.
I just can’t stand the fact what used to be all about racing has now been reduced to who pits at the right time, who has the right little bit on their car that no one else has, and who puts the right tyres on… Boring!
When toyota wouldnt let Brundle look at the rear wing, it was a phsycological war with the other teams. Fair play to them and lets hope they never show it.
It happened at a yacht race a few years ago and there was a lot of commotion over it but nothing was illegal.
oh BTW go brawn GP:):)
I’m going to miss the Brazilian GP being the season finale, I think 5-6pm just feels like the right time for the last race to be.
Also loving the Coulthard/Jordan disagreements, and is it just me or is David Coulthard becoming an awful lot like David Hasselhoff?
Comment No 19 is the best of all, and i totally agree. Maybe some extreme wet aviator glasses too.
hopefully no offence to anyone, but you know when your uncle starts packing on the years and the older he gets the more nuts n bolts gets loosened in his head and he eventually becomes a little crazy? im starting to wonder if that’s what we have running the FIA. a bunch of crazy old fools who hold way to much power and their obsessed with nothing else but money.
the FOTA and manufactures have absolutely no power in this sport.. the most they can do is offer an idea and hope i gets accepted ><
but hey, i live in the US and i still had to wake up at 4:30 to watch the Malaysian GP live, it gives a whole new sense of excitement to look outside and see nothing else but darkness, grabbing and early breakfast and trying not to cheer to loud to not wake ur roomate lol.
Ice-Cream for the Iceman
Bernie was happy with Melbourne’s start time, the Malaysian GP was 3 hours later than that – why not make the Malaysian GP 2 hours earlier? It’s not like you’ll forget when the races are two weeks in a row!
And Malaysia was actually much closer to darkness. We still had daylight savings in Melbourne for the GP; I could be wrong, but I don’t think Malaysia has that, so it was one hour later by the sun. Plus twilight is much shorter in the tropics.
It’s great than F1 goes all around the world. But that means not every race suits everyone’s timezone.
What is wrong with having the coveragein the early hours of the morning 4 the more die hard F1 fans,like myself and then showing just the race in the afternoon,were have i seen that before o thats right in was in Oz.Bernie if it aint broke dont fix it!
Alonso was so unlucky after his great start and mobile chicane impresion he got caught out by the rain and to keep it going was save of the year never mind Plato
Love the BBC-coverage (from NL)!
Hate the FIA picking on Mercedes/Hamilton again.
Sure if this would have happened to Ferrari it would have got no attention at all!
McLaren/Hamilton (who is only just a young boy) are under pressure and under pressure people sometimes make stupid decisions! Cannot imagine this mr.Dave Ryan to be an intentional liar, he is in this game for ages, let him make his mistake and go on, as if nobody makes mistakes! The FIA is one big mistake over the last few years!
why doesn’t bernie just go the hole hog and call himself GOD he really doesn’t give a hoot about common sense or overwhelming contradiction.just cause he’s rich doesn’t make him right.or how about adolf hitler or ghengis khan,i think they tried to rule the world to their way of thinking .the man is a PEANUT
It turned out to be a bad decision to start the race at that hour but apparently it was raining hard earlier in the day at the usual start time. Hindsight is 20/20 vision.
I think the rain is a good thing occasionally, as it brings an extra challenge to the f1 teams. Although the rain was a bit over the top in malaysia.. but that’s just bad luck.
Who would have thought of placing a race in the middle of Malaysia’s rainy season!? I used to live in Indonesia for a couple of years and I understand how the rain can effect! There has been constant floods in Indonesia, simply due to the rain!
This is an old post now so this comment probably wont get seen anyway but oh well. Bernie has made these races later on in the day so that the times are better for european viewers but isnt that wot the re-run in the afternoon is for anyway. And in my opinion getting up at six or seven oclock in the morning is still too early anyway and i bet many people agree with me.
Also a bit off topic but wot have the BBC done with the re-runs. They’ve have for some reason cut off the beggining hour which i find stupid coz loads of people would like to see that if they cant see the earlier 1 or r able to record it miss out. And people that dont want to see it just tuned in an hour later so i really dont know y the BBC have done that. Luckerly i am able to easily record it with my V+ box but for some people its not as easy as that to record programs so the BBC really need to change that for next year of even later on this year.
Again, quite silly, however the Bahrain GP was lovely to watch!
It was funny though, watching them men slide down the mud slide during the HUGE THUNDERSTORM! Best race of the year!
Yes, Bernie is probably correct at saying it’s better for the newcommers to F1 racing to start a race further into the day, but where the money lies is the do-anything buy-everything F1 fans out there that stomp up the required funds to keep F1 sustainable in the long term!
I would literally do anything to watch a race live, as it happens. At least we don’t have stupid averts half way through a nail-biting event on track now with itv’s stupidious coverage.
It’s also good to hear a team manager’s/ owners view, even if it from an ex owner/manager. Eddie Jordan puts one slant on things and DC puts yet another, somewhat differing slant of conversation towards the pot. My view, just have the race at the best LOCAL time in the race locality and be done with it. If you don’t want to get up specially at 3am just to see the race ‘live’ you really are not a heart-in-heart F1 fan!!
this race did surprise me tbh.
i was in a dressing room at the royal albert hall, switched the race on the t.v and was shocked and appaled!
it was frankly unsafe to hold the race at that time when they KNEW it would rain and they KNEW it was going to be torrential,
and also, they will not be getting rid of the brittish gp, because we are if anything the home, maclaren, red bull, torro rosso, brawn…brittish teams…all of the drivers share a common factor, speaking brittish, our gp may not be the most spectacular but as hamilton proved last year when he own it, it can be surprising and an amazing race!
Ah!!! at last I found what I was looking for. Somtimes it takes so much effort to find even tiny useful piece of information.
Nice post. Thanks