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Sorry - this page has been removed. Five F1 grands prix will start earlier because of Jules Bianchi crash
(4 months later)
This could be because it launched early, our rights have expired, there was a legal issue, or for another reason. Formula One’s Australian season-opener in Melbourne on 15 March is one of five grands prix that will start an hour earlier this year under recommendations made after Jules Bianchi’s crash in Japan last October.
Australia’s will start at 4pm local time, although Saturday qualifying remains at 5pm, while Malaysia is brought forward to 3pm. China, Japan and Russia will all start at 2pm local time. Mexico, which is returning to the calendar for the first time since 1992, was handed a 1pm local start time.
For further information, please contact: Bianchi suffered severe brain injuries at Suzuka when he skidded off track, in fading light and heavy rain and collided with a recovery tractor. He remains in hospital in France in critical condition.
The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) set up an accident panel to investigate the crash and one of its recommendations, in a report published last month, was for earlier starts. “It is proposed that a regulation or guideline be established such that the start time of an event shall not be less than four hours before either sunset or dusk, except in the case of night races,” it said.
Formula One has floodlit races in Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain and the trend has been for later starts in Asia to boost television viewing figures in Europe. The head of the Malaysian circuit, Razlan Razali, said last week that he would welcome an earlier start for a race that has been affected by late afternoon tropical downpours in the past. “We said if you want to go back to 3pm, we fully support it,” he said. Qualifying for the race at Sepang will start at 5pm local, however.
Melbourne organisers had sounded less keen on the time change, with the Australian Grand Prix chief executive, Andrew Westacott, expressing his reluctance in the Herald Sun newspaper last week.
“The race time will remain at 5pm as per agreement with the AGPC and Formula One Management, which means Melbourne, as the opening race of the season, airs in Asia at lunchtime and Europe at breakfast,” he said.
Russia’s earlier start comes after talk last year of the race in Sochi switching to a floodlit night format.