F1 links: Twilight fallout

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Ecclestone stands by late start time

Bernie Ecclestone: "I don't see anything wrong with the start time, we just didn't know about the rain. If we had started at 2pm then it would have rained as well."

Martin Brundle column

“In theory, the race could have run beyond the specific two-hour time limit. That is because clause 41 of the sporting regulations (which declares that the timing system does not stop when the Grand Prix is suspended) is supplemented by clause 5, which states that any suspended time is added on to the two-hour limit. In Malaysia on Sunday, though, because the race started at 5pm, nightfall would have intervened first.”

Massa advises F1 to scrap twilight races

Felipe Massa: “I think you do the race in the night or you do the race in the day. You can not try to go in the middle, that’s clear. I said [about it] before, and I think many people said before, but it didn’t help. But now it was a clear message.”

Paddock Life: Sepang edition

"Toro Rosso went one better in Malaysia last weekend when an April Fools it sent out was also believed to be true by far too many people who should have known better."

Lewis: Conditions were worst ever

Lewis Hamilton: “I was aquaplaning everywhere – these were the most dangerous conditions I’ve ever raced in. All I could do was try and keep the car on the track. It was the correct decision to stop the race because it was just too dangerous for everyone."I love it when it rains, but this was just too much.”

iWitness in Malaysia: Saturday

"Nico Rosberg has beaten off flu this weekend, but he’s not the only driver feeling ill at Sepang. Fernando Alonso has been recovering from an ear infection and Nick Heidfeld has been fighting off a mysterious virus. It’s only race two, guys; you can’t be that run-down!"

James Allen’s Malaysian GP verdict

"We also got to see just how fast this BGP001 car really is, when Jenson had to push hard in his two laps before his first stop in order to leapfrog Rosberg and Trulli. He did a 1m36.641s on lap 18, which is a second faster than the next non-Brawn car!"

Safety in blunders

"When Michael Schumacher decided that the area in front of the Rascasse in Monaco would make a perfect parking spot, did he admit that he fancied wrecking the following Fernando Alonso’s final quick lap? No, probably not. The fact that he was dumped to the back of the grid by the stewards in that instance suggests that they thought he was telling a small white lie in his assertion that there was a problem. And did we get public apologies, expulsions and sendings home? Not a bit of it. They just got on with the job in hand. In fact, Schumacher delivered one of the outstanding drives his career to climb from 20th to fourth that day."

How to watch F1 in the Gulf

"Formula 1 viewers in the Gulf were taken by surprise with a last-minute decision to award the Middle East and North Africa TV rights to the Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation (BRTC). Some fans have been having trouble finding the coverage. This can be found by tuning into Arabsat Bader-4, frequency 12226, polarity horizontal, FEC 3/4, symbol rate 27500."

Bernie Ecclestone tells McLaren boss "the buck stops with you"

Bernie Ecclestone on Lewis Hamilton "He is only 24 and maybe when he is a bit older and stronger he wouldn't do it. The important thing to clear up is: did he deliberately tell a lie in order to achieve something or not? If the answer is no, he was co-erced into not telling the truth it is somewhat different isn't it? I am sure the FIA will have a look at this now and see what they think of it. I don't know if McLaren should be punished. It is up to the FIA."

Lewis Hamilton wanted to quit over Melbourne lies

"It has emerged that the British driver, who made an unprecedented public apology on Friday for his part in giving the race stewards a false account of an on-track incident with Jarno Trulli in Melbourne, contacted the sport governing body’s president Max Mosley as the controversy blew up. He expressed his frustration that he had been led by McLaren into falsely telling the stewards he had not been instructed to allow Trulli past and that he was so disenchanted he was considering leaving the team and the sport. It is believed Mosley advised the driver not to do this."

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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10 comments on “F1 links: Twilight fallout”

  1. Again, Ecclestone defies all logic. It is as though he goes out of his way to contradict it. The locals thought the organisers were insane for running it so late. There was no scope for continuing the race after a suspension. This can only harm F1 in the long run, especailly if he plans more.

    Put it this way: 50% of the all twilight Grand Prix have been cut short of 75% distance.

  2. Bernie Ecclestone: “I don’t see anything”…..

    Thats cause its dark out there at that time Bernie :)

  3. It sounds like Ecclestone just doesn’t want to admit to being wrong even with all the evidence to suggest he was, has he ever owned up to making a bad decision.

    Do people think this will be a case of him making a big fuss about twilight races being okay while it is in the headlines, then quietly changing the start time to how it used to later on.

  4. I understand it could be worthwhile to start later in Australia, where rain is unlikely and you catch all Europe early morning audience.
    But in Malaysia…! European people could easily turn un TV even if the race started earlier (say 3 pm Sepang time), and no problem of dark in the late afternoon.
    Bernie should accept who criticize it was a wrong decision.

  5. If King Bernie wants to more friendly to the European audience then have more races in Europe. Being an F1 fan in the US I am quite used to the races starting around 7am and would never consider not watching because of the time they are on Television. Hey Bernie how about having some consideration for the North American fans and bringing back Indy or Montreal you f-ing a-hole.

    1. He can’t have more races here in Europe, then he’ll get less money from the circuits as we can’t afford his stupid prices.

      I liked the old start times. It added a further reminder that the new season had truly started. Real Euro F1 fans like myself don’t care about the start times, we’ll still watch it live. If anyone else didn’t want to watch the race live then they have the re-run to keep them happy.

      I really feel sorry for North American fans as you’ve all been treated like you don’t even exist, all in name of Bernie’s greed.

  6. Doesn’t twilight fall just after sunset? And these low light periods are in fact sunset and not twilight or dusk?
    Or am I being pedantic?

  7. Twilight time-when sky and land merges. Hard to define the separation, hence very poor vision. Twilight plus rain equals to suicide. Maybe Brundle should have taken Bernie for a ride at this period, but he might suffer a heart attack. Greed kills!!!

  8. Being there for 3 days from the morning till evening the weather was bad in the later part of afternoons till evening. When rain came it came hard. Had a really good view of the track, was able to see parts of sector 2 and most of sector 3 (turns 7 – 15). Videos and pictures can be brightened up, but seeing the dimness with your naked eye is totally different.
    Half an hour through the race the track was shrouded with thick black clouds. One could not see the cars clearly and just imagine what the drivers saw. They were already slowing down so much, like preserving the full wets and waiting for the downpour which happen a little later, by then those on full wets had too much graining. Oh, not forgetting the lightnings streaking behind turn 14 during the Formula BMW race. Rain came, rivers and lakes were formed, even if drivers had balls they will be idiots to continue. My conclusion is Bernie needs to collect his money by faking viewership for non hardcores as many true hardcores has left F1.
    Mark my words, there will be a revolution this year. Consolation, the race before rain came was great though. Half a memory to treasure, lol.

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