Do you feel that the Japanese Grand Prix should've been red-flagged?

Question

Alot of the drivers were complaining that the conditions were not suitable for them to race and they wanted to stop it. Well, unfortunately that didn't happen and everyone knows what happened next. Do you feel that they should've stopped the race due to safety concerns with the drivers?

Answer 1

No I do not, wet conditions are part of F1 and always will be.It requires great skill to race an F1 car be it in the wet or dry.

Answer 2

I guess I probably do. I stayed up and watched the race start time 12:30 AM or around there and really couldn't believe they were going to race but I guess I don't know the rules on if they do red flag does the time allowed for the race stop too or how does that work? I think a delay would have made more since and not be so worried about starting exactly on time.

Answer 3

This is a very hard question to answer. On the one hand, one of the reasons I like F1, Champ Car, ALMS, anything but NASCAR, is that the races take place in the rain. However, I believe that the purpose of racing is to display one's skill, not to risk one's life unreasonably. The weather conditions at Fuji International Speedway this week seemed worse than the conditions in 1976. For those who don't understand the reference, the very first Japanese Grand Prix was held at FIS that year, with conditions extremely similar to those in this race. The race featured a championship battle similar to this year between Ferrari and McLaren-Ford at the time. The combatants were Niki Lauda for Ferrari, coming back from a horrific accident at the old Nurburgring which left him permanently scarred from burns suffered in the accident, and James Hunt for McLaren. In similarly appalling conditions, Lauda withdrew, saying it was too dangerous to drive. Mario Andretti went on to win the race, and Hunt stayed out to finish third-a lap down-which was enough to give Hunt the World Championship.

Bottom line, if I were out there, I probably would have done what Lauda did. To me, the conditions were too dangerous to race.

Answer 4

No, the great drivers dont complain and are able to adapt to any conditions. If i was driving a spyker that is hard to control when its dry, then maybe i would have been pushing for it be red flagged. Hamilton drove a flawless race. Rain is truly the great equalizer in F1.

Answer 5

The more laps they ran behind the safety car, the more I was thinking that it should have been red flagged. But in the end I was glad that they didn't because there was some exciting racing when it went green.

Wet weather driving is part of F1.

Answer 6

I did not like the way the race started under the safety car for so many laps. I can see one or two laps, but then let them race. If its so bad you need to parade around for 18 laps, have a 30 minute rain delay. If its still bad, then have your parade or red-flag it.

Answer 7

Yes, the race shld stopped due to heavy rain & fog.
It's really not safe for the drivers to drive on such weathers!!
U can see many drivers 'skipped' and it's was lucky not much accident happen and Alonso is the unlucky one since his car crashes into the wall.

Answer 8

nah
the race must go on
there are very few races if any in the f1 calendar that throw sumthin differnt sumthin challenging for the drivers
now if ur gonna red flag a race cause its raining the we are talkin bout the end of formula one

Answer 9

No. Charlie Whiting assessed the situation while Tonio was unlapping himself. He stayed on the track and set a good lap time considering it was so wet. there were a few offs and unfortunately Fernando totalled his McLaren, but it was not carnage, which i thought it might have been. i think the right decision was made

Answer 10

I don't think so but it was boring to watch first 18 laps. I almost wanted to turn off my tv during those 18 laps.