Comments on 'Twilight in Sepang' on F1 Insight

Comment by verasaki

31/03/2009 16:29:43

i am wondering if anyone has looked at the viewer numbers and polled to see how much the european viewership went up for australia just because the time was more convenient. i have no reason to own a tivo or dvr other than for f1 so i am seriously considering sleeping this one out and hope speed reruns it at a time when i'm home. i have to agree about the safety aspect. rain is one thing and pretty uncontrollable. actually creating a situation where the conditions are less than ideal is just stupidity(-and sour grapes on bernie's part if you ask me) i remember a cart race at surfer's paradise one year getting dicey (there had been a large number of caution periods, i believe) because night was falling. most of the drivers got smart and didn't take many risks, so really it just ruined their race and the spectators' i think they ended up calling the race for time.

Comment by Clive

31/03/2009 16:58:41

I haven't seen any viewing figures for the Melbourne race yet, Vera, but, according to the returns on the FOTA fan survey, a large proportion of the casual fans say they don't bother to get up for a race held in the early hours of the morning. I would have thought that is what makes them casual but all Bernie cares about is the numbers. Even cutting the race short is not a desirable outcome, especially if it is caused by such a silly thing as starting too late. I really think that this is a case of greed overcoming common sense and twilight races should be dropped as soon as possible. And I don't care if they give great light for photography...

Comment by Journeyer

31/03/2009 17:02:22

Adelaide 1991 was stopped after 14 laps, was that? It didn't harm the race any. Early race stoppages aren't harmful to the sport, so long as it doesn't happen often. An accident on the other hand, may be risky... But here's what: Malaysian sunset is at 7 PM. When we watched the Singapore GP last year, the sun never really faded out until 7:30. Since the race can only run from 5-7 at Sepang, I think we'll be all right. And the thing with van der Merwe? It HAS to be related to this link, right? ;) http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1754580

Comment by Clive

31/03/2009 17:11:10

I dunno, Journeyer, I always feel a bit cheated when they cut a race short. It's not the end of the world, as I said, but I'd rather have the thing completed if possible. And right on the money regarding van der Merwe! I'm impressed with how quickly you found that link (it's a good one too). Ah, the wonders of Google... ;)

Comment by Speeder_76

31/03/2009 17:35:51

Well, It's risky, indeed. Specially if I don't know if they have lights on the track, like in Losail or in Singapore. What if the race starts with Safety Car, for exemple? Evreryone knows that in the tropics, rain usualy is a very strong one... And yes... Adelaide 91 was stopped after 14 laps! And about van der Merwe... I will not comment. For now!

Comment by verasaki

31/03/2009 17:55:56

no, journeyer, i was thinking of a cart race in aus( 'though i could be wrong there), probablylate '90's( and maybe wrong there, too) i think, not f1. i can't recall the last time i slept through a race but, given a choice between staying up 3 hours later than usual for the start and getting up 3 hours earlier than usual for the start i just have a feeling i'm going to end up nodding off either way. the other thing about twilight races is that the light can't be ideal for the people who have just handed over a weeks wages for a ticket to be there. what we see on tv is not actually the light conditions that the fans see. the ambient light is significantly murkier.

Comment by Clive

31/03/2009 18:28:06

Speeder: As far as I'm aware, Sepang does not have lights on the track. Maybe Journeyer could give us more info on that. And yes, I know - van der Merwe is a bit of a shock to the system at first... ;)

Comment by Clive

31/03/2009 18:32:22

Vera: Good point about the TV cameras, Vera. In Australia the commentators made several comments about the light getting worse but it looked fine on TV. Those cameras have incredible lenses on them and compensate a great deal for low light conditions.

Comment by francois

31/03/2009 19:05:47

I'm quietly hoping something like Adelaide 91' will happen to expose Bernie's folly in organizing a race start at such a time.I thought I was watching a world championship here but that doesn't seem like the case with no North America race and the flyaway start times being adjusted to suit European viewers (and spite further American fans). Not sure with television schedules being fixed but I'm wondering whether would be allowed to bring forward the race start as a contingency if there's scheduled downpour. With there being no room to postpone the race start if there is a massive downpour (and with the visibility problems following - look how dark Suzuka was back in 1994 even when certain parts of the track were lit) I think there could quite potentially be massive problems.

Comment by Clive

31/03/2009 19:25:58

The North American fans are ignored, Francois, because Bernie doesn't want to admit they exist. He might have to organize a race or two there if he did. But the Asian and Australian fans are treated with complete contempt - let them have the inconvenient race times, the important thing is to keep the European TV viewers happy. It is such a short-sighted policy on Bernie's part that I have to assume that his business sense has disappeared along with his interest in F1 as a sport. Everything he does these days seems calculated to appeal to those who do not care about F1 and never will; meanwhile he alienates the loyal fans more and more. I don't think there are any instances of a GP being brought forward because of forecast downpour at the scheduled time. F1 is like all of us when it comes to weather forecasters - if it doesn't suit you, hope they have it wrong as usual!

Comment by Steven Roy

31/03/2009 21:02:07

Starting a race with two hours of daylight is just asking for trouble. Any sort of delay and you end up either running cars in near darkness or stopping the race. I guess it is just as well that we know Max is so interested in safety that we can be sure no-one will be put at undue risk. Any driver suffering a serious accident late in the race is going to have to be rescued in the dark. It is absolutely disgusting that the pursuit of the almighty dollar is allowed to take priority over safety and common sense.

Comment by Peter Boyle

31/03/2009 22:39:22

F1 has lost it's sense of purpose and identity. All decisions should be made based fitness for purpose and performance. * Tyre choice. Instead of choosing the best tyre for their car teams are told to use bridgestone. Instead of choosing the best bridgestone for their car teams are told which bridgestone to use. Now, teams are being deliberately forced to jump through hoops using a farcically useless bridgestone to "spice up" the racing. It will end with single laps on a tyre made of cheese, just to pay lip service to the dumb rules. * Pit strategy. Rules now ban zero stop strategies as a tyre change is mandatory. Why is strategy legislated by the rule system? * Fuel choice. * Stupid non-optimal start times The management have got altogether too cosy since the last big safety effort and are carelessly treating their caged tigers as performing dogs. It is about time the rules were simplified to not prescribe "how" but only prescribe "goals" freeing the implementation to be decided by the engineers and not the muppets. It is also about time that the safe operation of a serious racing discipline was NEVER subordinate to the spectacle. (another) big accident will sadly happen eventually to force the safety issue. For the performance, F1 needs more effective competition, and I mean from other series, not push to pass!

Comment by Nick Goodspeed

01/04/2009 05:05:35

I don't understand why the drivers accept to race under these conditions. If there happens to be an accidenttowards the end of the race those who must do the rescuing have absolutely no experience of dealing with a charged KERS system. If the first rescuer is electrocuted how long will it take to get help to the driver taking into account the rapidly dimming light? I don't mean to sound morbid but this would seem to be a possibility. Let's hope it doesn't happen. Ecclestone knows his days are numbered so he's bleeding F1 for all he can get out of it. The perverse troll would probably be pleased as punch if he could take F1 with him when he goes.

Comment by Peter Boyle

01/04/2009 10:15:53

Nick, you just need to give the marshals light bulbs with which to touch the car and the problem is solved. ;) Peter

Comment by Lee

01/04/2009 12:19:23

I have to say that they could easily have started the race at 09:00 GMT and given themselves a bit more of a buffer zone. Most people in the UK would be perfectly willing to get up for a 09:00 race. For earlier times there is always the DVR.

Comment by Nick Goodspeed

01/04/2009 14:39:40

Peter: You go first :-)

Comment by Clive

01/04/2009 14:55:58

Steven: Agreed completely.

Comment by Clive

01/04/2009 14:58:04

Peter: Agreed - what more can I say?

Comment by Clive

01/04/2009 15:02:25

Nick: The drivers have "accepted" the situation because they have no power whatsoever. Driver strikes have never been effective and just end up costing the participants huge fines. The FIA know this and ignore the drivers' opinions - the drivers are left with nothing to do but whinge occasionally to the press.

Comment by Clive

01/04/2009 15:04:58

Lee: You know this and I know this and anyone who is a true fan of F1 knows it. But how can we get it through Bernie's thick head?

Comment by Alianora La Canta

02/04/2009 01:57:53

When Bernie put that question to the casual fans, did he ask whether they watched the re-run instead or simply skipped the race? If it's the former, then surely telling all channels with races at unearthly hours to rerun at a time more congenial to people appreciative of their beauty sleep (i.e. with a start time of between 8am and 8pm the day after races beginning the previous evening/night) would be a better option than moving race start times about.

Comment by Clive

02/04/2009 02:09:06

Excellent point, Alianora. I'm amazed that no one has suggested it before.

Comment by Alianora La Canta

02/04/2009 10:55:21

Probably because the TV stations (or the British ones, at any rate) do it automatically - and Bernie hasn't figured it out yet. Which he should have done, given the amount the stations pay for the priviledge of showing his stuff.

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