As an American fan of F1 since 1983 I always viewed watching the races in the wee hour of the night (Adelaide, Suzuka) and in the wee hours of Sunday morning (Johannesburg and the continental races) as part of the mystique of F1. I understand Mr. E chasing a bigger audience but I must say that he was too ambitious with both the Malaysian and Aussie GPs. Both would have benefited if they started at least one hour earlier, possibly two hours earlier.
The low sun and shadows in Albert Park could have produced a dangerous crash and the regularly scheduled daily Malaysian rains could have been mostly averted. I think this needs to be revisited. How did the time change affect European viewership? Someone from Europe please comment.