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I have to say I agree with you about night races Murray, although I think keeping Singapore in the dark makes it unique and something to look forward to. Getting up in the early hours to watch the Oz GP gives it a sense of occasion, and obviously they needed to change the Malaysian start time, it was a bit of a farce this year.

I think the lack of refuelling next year will be interesting, maybe the races will be duller for it, but we wont know until we try.

I agree Murray, the night race at Singapore should be kept so, as a unique event.

Personally I dislike the scheduling to suit 'European audiences' - I'd much rather get up at 3AM to see the Australian or Japanese GP than have it at the normal, corporate friendly 1PM. As the first poster says, it gives it a sense of occasion, and the race can always be repeated for those who don't want to get up early!

FreddyOfGreggs has hit the nail on the head, the fans will watch a race when ever it is on especially if changing the time improves the racing, i.e not being rained off in malaysia. Then repeats on iplayer, or the red button would allow people to watch them at the usual 1 O'clock slot

Dear Murray,
You've brought back the familiar tune and answered my questions to boot...absolutely marvellous!
About refuelling - I agree with you, although tyre factors in 2010 could add a new dimension to the development of the cars.
Night racing should only be included if it actually adds to the spectacle of the sport. Singapore was a success as the racing, set within its skyline, certainly had an impact for the VIEWER. Can I suggest an evening/night race within the European calender - Monaco for example? The Jewel of Formula 1 could be lit up for all to see!.... the principality can certainly afford it with perhaps a spectacular fireworks display at the end?...Bernie would like that - and the Valencia circuit that is a Tesco car park (according to Webber) certainly needs a face lift, or a touch of drama, or just not being there at all.
The fact that you've hinted that China and Bahrain are little more than Scalextric tracks (albeit for night races), suggests that they shouldn't be in the race calender - the circuits are mediocre and add no sense of sparkle to F1. It's a shame the new circuit at Turkey isn't appreciated enough by the home crowd.
I, for one, would love to see a 20 round championship, but quantity should be bolstered by quality race circuits and countries that have huge interest in the sport.

This year's final race at Abu Dhabi will be the sport's first day/night race. Again, the organisers are doing this to placate a European audience, but it could be a nightmare for the drivers who will have to put up with a low sun in the sky at certain points on the circuit (as they did in Australia 2009), and then will need to adapt to the darkness as the lights come on. Will this mean specially-adapted helmets which can cope with all light levels?

I agree, Murray, ALL races should be held at 2pm local time. The fans will watch them, wherever they are in the world; and the broadcasters will find a convenient time in their schedules to repeat them.

As for abolishing refuelling, I agree again. All of the uncertainty of qualifying will be taken away, as all the cars will be running the same levels of fuel in their tanks to get round the track at optimum speeds, and then it will be a procession until everyone stops to change their tyres, with similar times recorded on the pit-stop stopwatch. Boring!

I don't think family members in the garage is a problem, but in Brazil last year Hamilton's brother wandered out into the pitlane. I don't think that was right.

Not sure about night races, Singapore works, and part of the reason it works is because it was the 1st night race in F1. It looked fantastic and I am sure it will soon become a much loved GP by fans. Yes 'real' fans will get/stay up for races, its a tradition amongst me and my friends that for the silly o'clock races we get together and make a weekend out of the race. The problem is that for many other people having the races on at silly o'clock is a problem for them, they can't/won't reschedule their weekends around races, also TV companies are scared of loosing viewers / advertising revenue for these races so would much rather have them shown at a Europe friendly time. Afterall this sport is also a business.

Oh and about Malaysia if they had run the race at the normal time AND a day earlier it would have been rained off... Now unless you are daft enough to think the weather respects days of the week then the time of the race didn't make any difference, when you consider it was agreed months in advance.

The thing I am most looking forward to about the refuelling ban is that once again we will get to see the fastest driver qualifying on pole in Q3, as the teams will be doing tyre stops there will still be strategy in play and it will remove the element of fuel stop roulette from affecting races.

Murray - insightful as ever.
The family issue is a difficult one...when Massa had his accident, either the Television companies were sympathetic enough not to track down the reaction of family members, or they just happened not to be in the Ferrari garage at the time.
F1 is a dangerous sport, and as much as I would praise family get-togethers I think there is a fine line between parading family members at such close quarters, for instance, do I want to see a Pussy Cat Doll distressed and in floods of tears, for all the world to see at the sight of a Hamilton accident(or any other driver G.Forbid).
I don't see Alonso's wife (a singer funnily enough) or any other F1WAG jostling for position in the pit lane...
Seeing Jensen's dad in his lucky pink shirt is all very well and good, but personally TV images should be shown when respective siblings are NOT actually driving on the circuit (unless there's a couple of laps to go and they're in control of the race).

A ban on re-fuelling is criminal, unless of course Bernie knows something we don't about how close the cars will be in race pace for next season. Tyres - or more importantly - how the cars look after its tyres - will be of paramount importance. Otherwise we'll be back to the days of half the field being back-marked - boring!

I like the idea of a night-time race in Monaco. There should be one in Las Vegas too - the casino lights could light up the track by themselves...

The only drawback with the big manufacturers leaving F1 is their demand for the quantity of races in the lucrative European car market. The loss of the big manufacturers could see the loss of races like the British Grand Prix and others so Bernie can seek the commercial profits of the newer circuits and not the satisfaction of the fans. If it comes down to the highest bidders to hold Grand Prixs then some much loved races will go.

I think you just have to leave the family decisions up to the drivers and their families. I don't really see what business of ours it is.... So Mrs Alonso doesn't turn up on race day (or is camera shy), so what thats hers and Fernado's choice, the same as it is for Lewis to bring his current GF along. I am sure the teams will have procedures in place to look after the families should an accident occur, its not like they aren't aware of the risks.

Cordas - It's a shame we don't see more of Mrs. Alonso - she's actually quite pretty and in a band called The Dream of Morpheus.
Maybe her and Pussy Cat could get together and sing a couple of tunes in the pit lanes - like Cliff at Wimbledon.They'll be no distraction whatsover - honest guv'na!

I guess with no refuelling Q3 will be much more competative in qualifying...

With re-fuelling, perhaps there should be a compromise for the first year to see if makes anything better, by saying a car can only receive one fuel stop every race; if it makes things better, ban fuelling altogether. Or, you could mandate Bridgestone to create tyres that won't last more than 40% of the race for the harder tyres and 35% for grippier softer tyres, so you force at least 2 stops and make a 3-stop strategy a plausible option. That way we won't have the predictable one-stop races we seem bound to have next year, where everyone just drives around managing their tyres and not using too much fuel.

Hi murray! Great Vid again

But here is my personal question.
Do you think that Bruno Senna will replace Rubens Barrichello next year?

Thanks for answering my question Murray. :)

I know what you mean about the final question Murrary.

Getting up early for Melbourne always makes me feel as a real F1 fan :-).
I don't mind, on the contrary. Even if people call me crazy.

hi Murray, do you think of the "race fixing" scandal?

So if no refueling next year, how will Q3 work? Will they just have enough fuel for 3 or 4 laps or what? The fact that fuel strategy was part and parcel of Saturday qualifying means that another dimension has been removed for next year. I think thats a shame because current qualifying is the best it has ever been.

Low fuel Q3 is going to be great next year! I hate the idea that we end qualifying and still have no idea who's fastest.

Interestingly qualifying seems to have gone full circle since Mr Mosley's failed attempts to introduce the one lap system and aggregate times! It'll be great to get rid of his last contribution of having race fuel on board and see the best drivers in the best cars doing the best times possible. We've tweaked the old one hour system slightly to remove the problems with no one going out early and the result is fantastic!

I whole heartedly agree with your comments on refuelling - it adds to the excitement of a grand prix, and it's also quite interesting to see all the teams different fuel strategies. I enjoy the part where they show a 'fuel adjusted' grid, and how heavily each car is fueled. I also agree with your comments on night racing. The fact that Singapore is in the dark is what makes it truly unique, and the cars looked fantastic under all those lights. And I really can't wait for the first ever day-night race in Abu Dhabi. Personally, I wouldn't mind getting up at a very early time to watch an 'Asian' race. Let's face it, it wouldn't be difficult to show a repeat of the race later on, would it?

Under Bernie's proposed Gold medal system, any other result than Vettel winning this weekend would see Button automatically crowned as the next F1 champion. Given the odds of an exciting and nail biting end to the championship this year with 4 drivers still in the running why does Bernie want to mess with something that isn't broken.

I want to find out who was the Irish Driver in fi back in the 1970s.I cant remember hia name can you please help

Video recorders mean I'm not too bothered at what time a race is either held or transmitted.

However, I'd suggest Murray bone up on where the Southern Hemisphere is!
Abu-Dhabi, Bahrain, Singapore, Malaysia and China are all in the Northern Hemisphere!

Nor are, Abu-Dhabi, Bahrain and Australia in Asia!

Wake up old chap! :)

Refuelling - I've always been powerfully against it and at last it's going to disappear, thank goodness for some common sense.

SAFETY: It's incredibly dangerous, with serious fire risk and several other serious safety threats to personnel, most of which have happened on TV. Pure luck no one has yet been killed

COST: Salaries for all the personnel involved in fuel handling plus the HORRENDOUS costs of the actual rigs themselves. Check it out - you'll be astounded!

CONFUSION: Speaks for itself - even commentators get mixed up! Can you imagine a horse race where they knock off for a trough of water and a bag of oats every now and then?

OTHER: A race can be lost simply thorough malfunction of a fuel rig - what has that got to do with what is supposed to be the pinnacle of MOTOR RACING? Might as well drop the racing racing altogether and run a competition for pit crews. Oh no, that might be a bit boring . . . Yep!

I'm DELIGHTED to see it disappear.

I'd like tyre changes to go the same way too.

Do you think the US grand prix should be at laguna seca, and if so could it turn into an iconic racecourse such as spa and monte carlo.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Eddie Irvine seems to hold the same views as me, and has been allowed to express them....

Which of former alive F1 drivers and former F1 circuits you think should come back to World Championship?
And what do you think about those V8 engines in F1 cars? Are those engines better than older V10 or maybe worse?