Half points

[Mark]

The BBC website states that Malaysia was 'only the 5th time in F1 history that half-points have been awarded'.

So who knows what the other four were? And under what circumstances?

[V12]

Off the top of my head I can actually only think of two so far:

1984 Monaco GP
1991 Australian GP

both rained off early like this one.

EDIT: Spain and Austria 1975. Austria was called off due to rain as well, while Spain was halted after Rolf Stommelen's Hill crashed out of the lead, injuring himself badly and killing a number of spectators after a week long row about the safety of the track and its barriers.

[christophulus]

Spain & Austria 1975, apparently

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/050420...int-races.html

[UltimateDanGTR]

wasnt there some races in the 50s that ended up getting 1/3 points or something silly?

[V12]

wasnt there some races in the 50s that ended up getting 1/3 points or something silly?

Nope - but it used to be possible for drivers to share a car during the race, and if that car finished in the points, then the points were shared between those drivers, usually two. However one year in Argentina (1955)? It was incredibly hot and some cars had three drivers in them, so you had some drivers finish the year on x.33 points

That's not all, you used to get a point for fastest lap from the start of the WDC in 1950 to...1958 off the top of my head. Anyway this was also possible to be shared, and one year at Silverstone, back at this time they only did timing to the nearest second, the result: six drivers shared the point for fastest lap, so that was 0.16 of a point each (!)

[ChrisS]

wasnt there some races in the 50s that ended up getting 1/3 points or something silly?

Yes drivers that shared drives split the points so for example at the 1955 Argentine Grand Prix 3 drivers shared the 4 points for 3rd getting 1.33 each

Also in the 50s when 1 point was for fastest lap and timing wasn't accurate drivers would get the same fastest lap. At the 1954 British Grand Prix 7 drivers shared the fastest lap each receiving 1/7 of a point (0.14).

Edit:Oops, so the post and pressed quote before scrolling all the way down to see that V12 answered the very same thing

[UltimateDanGTR]

Yes thanks V12 and Cris for that. I had just researched this beforhand actually, Looks like motorsport in those days was terribly confusing points wise! at least nowadays we dont have to worry about best 5 scores or whatever for the championship. That just seems to confuese things thank god its like it is nowadays. I say that Bernie is about to change everything............for the worse........

[cynisca]

The 1954 British GP, seven drivers set the equal time of the fastest lap and then the driver who drove the fastest lap got a point. But in that case the seven set the equal time, the point was shared by seven drivers.

So 0.14 points each.

[emporer_k]

Spain 1975 of course being the only time a woman has ever scored points, and she only managed half a point.

[inimitablestoo]

I'd love to ask Bernie, out of interest, whether under his new system, Jenson would have taken half a win yesterday? :

Out of all the half-point races, it's worth noting four of them were stopped due to rain. Only the first one - fatal spectator accident at what, by all accounts was a shambolically organised Spanish Grand Prix in 1975 - was not.

For that matter, on an historic point, IIRC this was the first Grand Prix to be red-flagged to a halt, and not restarted, since Canada 1997.