Formula One heads into Malaysia this weekend for round 3 of the 2010 Championship. Fresh from a weekend in Australia packed with more thrills and spills than you could ever possibly wish for, owing largely to the unique Albert Park circuit – and a good healthy dollop of the wet stuff from the sky.

Rumours persist that we can expect another wet one this weekend too. “Yay!” some of you may shout, but I can’t get quite as excited as I usually would in these situations. It’s got all the right ingredients – wet races and qualifying tend to mix up the grid, and the ensuing action makes for great TV. Australia was testament to that fact. However, there I do have a problem with rain – specifically rain in Malaysia.

If you cast your minds back 12 months to the 2009 event in Kuala Lumpa you’ll remember just how wet the race was. I know I do. What sticks in my mind from that event is how all of the locals seemed to scream unheeded as to how, in March, in Kuala Lumar it will start to rain between 17:00-17:30. Every day. Also, it gets dark very quickly – think Abu Dhabi quick.

Needless to say Bernie was surprised to see it rain, at the specified time. Only, this isn’t your usual quintessentially British April Shower, it was of a quantity so Biblical It wouldn’t have been unexpected to see Noah in the paddock fashioning an Ark out of packaging crates and tyre blankets.

Carnage predictably ensued. Drivers were aquaplaning off of the track in all directions. The race was red flagged, and the TV audiences in Europe – who the start time was changed for in the first place were treated to the sight of the cars parked up on the grid for the next hour. Everyone knew that the race would be called off as, once the monsoon had stopped it was too dark for the cars to get going again safely. Kimi Raikonnen was so sure of the fact he changed into his civvies and enjoyed a Magnum and Coca Cola in the Ferrari motor home.

Half points were awarded, and everyone said what a disappointment it was.

Quite brilliantly (said with more than a passing hint of irony) nothing’s changed this year. We’re heading to Malaysia at the same part of the year, and the race time has not been changed. Don’t forget that if you’re living in Europe like me, it’s for our benefit.

What strikes me most of all is that, if the same happens again this year and the race doesn’t run for either the full distance, or far enough for full points to be awarded then the points situation could prove to be incredibly damaging to the winner of the event. 25 points are awarded for winning a race in 2010. So the winner on Sunday could lose 12.5 valuable points, instead of the 5 from last year. Two of the last three seasons have seen the Championship won by a single point, so come Abu Dhabi if a driver loses the World Title because of what happened in round 3, FOM caring more for TV ratings than the spectacle itself…the very reason why we’re watching in the first place then expect more than a few toys to be thrown out of various cots.

There is so much right with the sport we love, but if we can’t learn from our mistakes – especially at times like this some people need their heads testing.