Formula 1 News

Malaysia 2009: fifth time in F1 history with half points awarded 

F1 races with half points awarded

Days before the 2009 Malaysian Grand Prix several drivers had warned that the twilight start of this year’s Grand Prix along with the extreme and unpredictable weather conditions of the Southeast Asian region, could force the race to be abandoned. And that’s exactly how things went on Sunday with the race being red-flagged after torrential rain hit the Sepang circuit.

For the fifth time in the history of Formula 1, the drivers failed to complete 75% of the Event – they completed 31 of the 56 scheduled laps – and the drivers that got into points were awarded with half points.

The first time, was during one of the most controversial and tragic race weekends in F1′s history: the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix held at the Montjuic circuit. On lap 25 of the race, the rear wing on Rolf Stommelen’s car broke sending him into the barriers and bouncing back into the road causing Brazilian Carlos Pace to crash. The outcome was tragic: 5 people were killed and German Stommelen was seriously injured. Four laps later the race was stopped early, thus half points were awarded. During the same year, on round 12, at the 1975 Austrian Grand Prix, for the second time half points were awarded as the race was abandoned, this time, due to heavy rain.

The third time was at the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix held on June 3rd, 1984. Again, the race was red flagged at the end of the 31st lap due to heavy rain falling on the track. Race winner Alain Prost, along with the other five drivers were awarded half points. That year, Prost lost the championship to Nicki Lauda in the final race by Monaco’s half point.

The fourth time, the most recent before Sunday’s race at Sepang, was during the 1991 Australian Grand Prix at the Adelaide street circuit. The shortest F1 race ever held: torrential rain hit the circuit forcing the stewards to show the red flag and stop the Grand Prix after 16 of the 81 scheduled laps (the Grand Prix lasted only 24 minutes and 34 seconds).