End-of-day report. Post 14. Subject: race times.
In Singapore, a driver asked for a race early in the morning. He said: “Actually, the race should take place early in the morning, and we could have lunch at home. I would do it in the morning without hesitation, at six or seven. Perfect!” I note the exclamation mark. It is not mine. The radio does not have one.
Six o’clock. At post 14, at six, the briefing has started. The thermos is full. It’s bitter. Jean-Luc, my reserve, is not there, because he is never there. I note that a two-time world champion has just discovered our timetable. Post 14, received.
Further observation. The same driver says he has no preference between night and day for driving, because the circuit is well lit. At the post, the lighting is the sky. Nine times out of ten, it’s chucking it down.
Second observation. Another driver, from Haas, says he woke up at 1.40pm on Thursday. At 1.40pm, at the post, the sandwich has been eaten for two hours. The camping chair has already been moved once, because of the wind.
Third observation. An Alpine driver finds that night racing brings “a small difference to the show”. I don’t judge. I wave the flag.
According to the source, over there they go to bed at three or four in the morning and get up around 1pm. I looked in the binder for a flag to signal a driver getting up. There isn’t one. I looked for a flag for a driver who wants to go home for lunch. There isn’t one either. The chequered flag will do, in principle.
If the race moves to six o’clock, I ask for one thing only: that the heated room be open at six o’clock too. I am not sure it will be.
Nothing further to report.
It’s true, we checked: Nextgen-Auto · Formule 1.
