Luca wants later race starts for Euro races.

[duke_toaster]

Later race times may be sensible, but shortened races are a bad idea. The ideal TV length for a sports event is about two to two and a half hours (look at all other sports), a race that is too short makes it in to less of an event. 305km has been the classic length for a Grand Prix for a while, there is no need to change it, but the lower level series should consider longer races to prepare drivers for F1.

[TrapezeArtist]

Hold on, guys! This is not just about television times. I'm not normally disposed to agreeing with Luca de Gorgonzola but I think he has a point here. In many countries visited by F1, 2 to 4 in the afternoon is likely to be sizzling hot. Starting a bit later is going to be more comfortable and safer for drivers, officials and spectators alike. The idea of starting a motor race at 2pm in Spain or Italy is just ludicrous.

Of course there are also good reasons why starting at 2pm is a good idea in other countries. Therefore we need a bit more flexibility. Get away from the obsession with centralisation and standardisation dictated by Burnt Ecclescake and let the organisers in each country plan their Grand Prix to suit their own local conditions.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by TrapezeArtist

Hold on, guys! This is not just about television times. ......

Get away from the obsession with centralisation and standardisation dictated by Burnt Ecclescake and let the organisers in each country plan their Grand Prix to suit their own local conditions.

I'm not sure that all of the race start times is not geared to TV schedules, particularly in Europe.

Here in Australia we quite recently used to start at 3.00pm from memory. Now we start at 5.00pm. And why? One reason only was given..... to pander to the Euro TV schedules and in particular the numbers watching live. Bernie felt more in Europe would watch live if it was at a more social time. The same reason we have late afternoon race starts in monsoonal tropical areas known to likely be rain affected..... doesnt matter, its not about anything other than attracting the maximum number of Euro TV viewers.

We now have a GP that many interstate previous attendees no longer can attend because of airport curfews (times planes can land / take off) put the trip out of bounds for many who previously could watch the race, maybe even a bit of the concert and post race fun, and still get a return flight to be able to be up for work on the Monday morning, but now face having to pay an extra night accommodation and an early flight out of Melbourne not always eassy and rarely in the budget price range given the flights are aimed at the business user.

In addition to that is the local lighting up time for what is not a floodlit. Drivers have complained of the danger of finishing races in semi darkness, particularly as much of Albert Park is in the shade of trees at sunset. Not to mention the height of the sun, glaring in the eyes of drivers trying to find a braking point as they come out from the shaded areas. It seems that neither driver safety or race attendance figures are of any relevance to Mr E when he is trying to build his TV audience figures.

Clearly Bernie makes his money more from the bums on seats at home watching the race on TV, and is more concerned about the viewers than the effects on promoters struggling to minimise their losses from those unable to attend the late start for the reasons I covered, or even more critically, driver safety, despite their voiced concerns. We start the race at 5.00pm and it is dark at just passed 7.00pm.

Hell, to keep the TV audience tuned in drivers are no longer allowed to do a lap of honour / cool down lap at longer circuits like Spa, because that would take more than the 3 or 4 minutes allocated for TV broadcaster commercial breaks between chequered flag and podium. So at Spa the drivers cross the line, immediately round La Source and have to drive into the pit area via the pit exit at La Source.... all to fit in with TV schedules and maintaining their TV audience.

[bella]

Originally Posted by E.B

Hell, to keep the TV audience tuned in drivers are no longer allowed to do a lap of honour / cool down lap at longer circuits like Spa, because that would take more than the 3 or 4 minutes allocated for TV broadcaster commercial breaks between chequered flag and podium. So at Spa the drivers cross the line, immediately round La Source and have to drive into the pit area via the pit exit at La Source.... all to fit in with TV schedules and maintaining their TV audience.

suspect that's a red herring - it's been happening in non-televised non-f1 series at spa for a long time too. the idea of lap of honour is to wave at the fans (well and the marshals)... who are, on the whole, completely absent or ver spread out.