Twilight racing

[WhiteBlue]

Let me open this issue with a quotation:

Twilight racing is too dangerous, says Rosberg
Web posted at: 4/1/2009 0:41:54
Source ::: REUTERS
SINGAPORE: Twilight racing is too dangerous and there is a risk that Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix may have to be stopped for safety reasons, Williams driver Nico Rosberg said yesterday.

The first two races of the Formula One season in Australia and Malaysia are starting later than this year, at 1700 local time, to catch a bigger television audience in the European morning hours.

Drivers complained about the light conditions as the sun set in Melbourne last weekend and Malaysia could have the added complication of tropical downpours in the late afternoon.

“If the monsoon comes down, the race is going to have to be stopped because we can’t race and drive with that amount of water,” the German told Reuters in an interview during a Singapore stopover for sponsors RBS.

“I think twilight racing is not the way to go,” added Rosberg, who finished second in the first night race in Singapore last year.

“In Melbourne it was obvious that it just increases the danger so much.

“The visibility is so difficult, you can’t even see the edges of the track in some corners. I was driving into the sun and that’s not what racing is about. So I really hope they reconsider that.

“Even moving it forward by one hour or something will help us massively. It was just the last part of the race that was the really problematic time.”

The season-opening race saw a one-two finish by the new Brawn GP team with former Williams driver Jenson Button leading the field from pole to finish ahead of Rubens Barrichello.

Rosberg, who topped the timesheets in every practice and set the quickest lap of that race, said Williams could claim to be the best of the rest and saw no reason why Brawn could not go on to take the title. “Brawn have done a great job and have been massively quick in winter testing and also in Melbourne and I think they will sustain it,” said Rosberg, the son of Finland’s 1982 world champion Keke.

“It’s going to be very difficult for anybody to catch up that advantage. They are seven-tenths down the road more or less per lap.

“We will be doing the best of our capability to catch up but they will be developing also so I think they are going to have a great chance for the championship.”

Brawn, Williams and Toyota are using controversial rear diffusers that differ from those of other teams. Race stewards rejected a protest against them in Melbourne but the matter will go to appeal in Paris next month.

Rosberg said the new regulations had clearly altered the pecking order in Formula One, with champions Ferrari failing to score a point in Melbourne while McLaren’s world champion Lewis Hamilton is struggling with a poor-performing car.

“I’m a great fan of the regulations. It gives everyone an even chance and improves the racing and improves the excitement, overtaking is possible. Fantastic.” he said.

Williams, unlike some teams, are not using in the opening races the new KERS energy recovery system that gives cars an extra boost of power at the push of a button.

Rosberg said he wanted it as soon as possible.

“It was clear in Melbourne that, especially for racing, its a very beneficial thing to have. I was really struggling to hold behind me people with KERS and also to overtake people with KERS was difficult for me.

“It’s definitely something we need to push hard to get on the car. I’m not sure when it’s going to happen but hopefully soon.”

I see a lot of sense in Nico's remarks. We had a record participation from German viewers this year due to the European TV viewer friendly schedule of the race. So this has to be a good thing that Bernie will probably insist on keeping. Which brings us to the only solution of staging the race at night in oder to accommodate safety and economy. My view is that FOM should contract a company for night racing equipment and shuck it around for various races. So race organisers can rent the equippment instead of buying it. Then FOM should subsidize some of the cost out of its improved profits and things would be smoother than they are now.

[Chaparral]

Forget any thoughts of a night race in Australia - ever - that just isnt going to happen. I agree with Rosberg (and a few other drivers have said the same) - it is bloody dangerous driving at that time of the afternoon at that speed with the angle of the sun and shadows - remembering that the picture you were viewing wasnt what the light was like here on the ground as the camera's enhance the lighting accordingly. I hope they reverse the time back to the standard 2pm start instead of the 5pm start - for the sake of a few GP's a year for some Euro audience who may or may not be interested in watching a GP over breakfast its not worth it and whilst Im at it run the Singapore GP in daylight also - your missing such a beautiful city scape by running it at night - for all anybody knows that track could be anywhere in the world. Figures for track attendance this year where way down on last year by tens of thousands - I believe TV audience was also down.

[RacingManiac]

I think this is one thing that drivers can actually band together for. Unlike monetary issue and such, if drivers boycott a race, Bernie does not have his show...

[Ray]

I think they are a bunch of whiners. Shut up snd drive.

[BTM]

I think they are a bunch of whiners. Shut up snd drive.

I think this is a legitimate argument and would like to the return day races...the drivers have no incentive to change the time the race start, they make the same money either way, the only thing that changes is a safer event for everyone, where drivers feel more comfortable and hopefully more action

it's not as if some drivers have a "glare" advantage over others...the sun is the same for everyone

[lkocev]

I'm not a fan of twilight racing, nor am I keen on the idea of night racing. Its not good having races under a setting sun, its dificult enough for the drivers to see out of the cars, they really dont need anything else to complicate it and make it more difficult for them. Grands Prix should be started at 1300 or 1400 hours local time, and there is a good reason for that, because that will be the most useful light, drivers wont be driving 'into' the sun.

In my opinion, it seems silly to increase the risks involved in a sport to increase its television viewing. I mean, how much money does F1 managment need to make?? With all the talk of certain Grands Prix oganisers owing money to them, its not like there is a shortage of money.

Basicaly I think there needs to be an idea of tradition when it comes to the time Grands Prix are staged at, too much chopping and changing is not good for the sport and I think generally makes people less interested. Give twilight racing the axe, I think all GP's should start at 1300 local time.

[andartop]

So, do they have better visibility when it's raining?
They know better than me (the drivers), so I guess if they all agree on it the FIA ought to listen to them, otherwise they should just shut up and drive as Ray said!
However, I do absolutely agree that changing starting times for the convenience of some TV audiences is the stupidest thing ever conceived in F1, after the shortening of Hockenheim.

[Kester]

Another problem with twilight races is the teams have to cope with a rapidly cooling track. Track temperature varied by over 10C last Sunday during the race.

[Jersey Tom]

If Nascar engineers can deal with a cooling track I'm sure F1 engineers can as well.

I like it ONLY for the cooling track. Having your sun in your eyes driving around the track... I don't really see how that makes the racing any better. There's a difference between making for good racing, and just being a pain in the ass.

[Scotracer]

They need to find a better compromise - driving into the sun is no fun. I know several people who have had accidents due to this very problem.

[woohoo]

The races should simply stay at 14.00 local time.

This evening/morning racing is just bound to kick the F1 circus in the rear, once the global interest picks up.

[DaveKillens]

Racing at twilight makes the situation less safe than doing the same thing earlier in the day. Money in Bernie's pocket versus safety of drivers.. hmmm... we all know how Bernie feels.
I really, really hope I'm wrong on this statement, but I hope this is not a scenario where things do not get properly addressed until a serious injury, or worse, death. Only then, in hindsight will we realize that running at this time of day introduces a higher risk to everyone.

[Ciro Pabón]

Sigh.


Fatality Analysis Reporting System Encyclopedia

Why? Of course, the evening rush-hour and because people is tired at the end of their work journey. But also because at that time the sky has more light than the ground, notice there is not the same peak during the morning rush-hour

Please, be careful at that time and try NOT to look into the sky to preserve your eye light-adjustement to dark terrain. You don't need to watch into the sun for the problem to develop.

Moving your eyes under low illumination conditions helps because your eye's rod cells, which see in black & white, are better to detect movement (it's a relic of our amphibian ancestors: at Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton made an issue of the T-Rex not being able to find its prey if it was still). Rod cells work better under dimmer light than cone cells (the ones that allow you to see in colour).

Cross-section of the retina: rod cells are at far right


If you don't believe me, move your hand towards the side of your vision field until it "disappears". Then wiggle your fingers. See? There, you're watching your rod cells at work.

So, at dusk, when encountering incoming cars with lights on, move your eyes from side to side of the road (the advice is to move the eyes in a triangle, first one side of the road, then the other, then in front of your car). If things don't move, moving your eyes has a similar effect.

I thought everybody knew that. Rosberg knows, I think.

[natef1]

If you don't believe me, move your hand towards the side of your vision field until it "disappears". Then wiggle your fingers. See? There, you're watching your rod cells at work.

I tried that, it didn't seem to work. Have I gone blind? Am I blind, Ciro?

[Ciro Pabón]

If you don't believe me, move your hand towards the side of your vision field until it "disappears". Then wiggle your fingers. See? There, you're watching your rod cells at work.

I tried that, it didn't seem to work. Have I gone blind? Am I blind, Ciro?

Well, don't move your hand past your vision field, just to the edge of it, a little less than ninety degrees to the side of your nose. Otherwise, yes, you're blind and I shouldn't post this reply because you cannot read it. In that case, you could pursuit a career as steward of the race (or maybe as moderator at F1Tech ).