2008
Singaporean Grand Prix: World's First Night Race? Motoring
Channel Staff - 1/Aug/2007 | 
Singapore's 2008 urban race is all but sealed in
This is a render of the proposed Singapore circuit
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Paris,
France —
Formula One's governing body, the FIA (Fédération
Internationale de I'Automobile), has released the new 2008 calendar,
and there are a number of surprises that will interest fans. The
U.S. Grand Prix that is normally held in Indianapolis has been scrapped
for 2008, and seeing as American driver Scott Speed has been dumped
from his Scuderia Toro Rosso team, there isn't much for North American
F1 fans to cheers about. The big news is
the provisional inclusion of the Singapore Grand Prix on September the 28th, 2008.
The race is scheduled to take place in the city-state's centre and is expected to
be one of the highlights of the year. The Singaporean government is
expected to go all out with the preparations for the race (if given the go ahead, which is highly likely) to impress
current FIA president Max Mosley, not to mention teams
bosses, drivers, and of course the fans. But
the most interesting part is that the Singapore Grand Prix may be the
world's first F1 night race, and is expected to attract intense
interest as a result. The entire track would have to be lit up with a
huge array of flood and spot lights, and would attract more revenue
because the late time slot works out well for European TV screening. The
Malaysian Grand Prix is rumoured to be looking into staging a night GP
from 2010, again to increase revenue from international TV rights, and the excitement
of a twilight race would be a natural fit for the first race of the
season here in Melbourne, Australia. The proposed
Singapore circuit winds its way through the very heart of the bustling
Singaporean city, and even heads across a bridge at one stage. Because
of the mass of skyscrapers, and in addition to the grandstands lining the
circuit, the expected spectator turnout is likely to be higher than
standalone circuits. Like many of the newer tracks in
the current F1 calendar, the Singaporean urban circuit was formulated
by Hermann Tilke, and includes three-quarters of a roundabout as a
quasi-hairpin section that, if wide enough, could result in exciting
overtaking opportunities. It's length is expected to range between 4.8
and 5.2 kilometres. The circuit is
likely to have the start/finish line and pits along the waterfront, and
would take F1 into entirely new territory. Some drivers have complained
that a night-time race would be unsafe, and there is a lot of work to
be done to ensure a night race works effectively, but even the idea of
it is creating a huge buzz for F1. Australian-born F1
driver Mark Webber, who just recently scored a 3rd place at the
European Grand Prix in Germany in his Red Bull car, has already paced
through the circuit and is said to have given it "cautious"
approval, suggesting that some sections of the road are not smooth
enough for F1 cars and need to be fixed. Talking at a press conference, the Australia F1 driver also said a night GP would be "absolutely
spectacular" and would cause a surge in worldwide interest. Webber's
biggest concern for a night race is that if it rains; the result of a
tropical downpour - spray and reflections - could be dangerous and F1 cars currently don't have headlights. As well as
the buzz surrounding the Singaporean Grand Prix in September 2008, a
second Spanish race will be held in Valencia, to be called the European
Grand Prix (in place of this year's German race). The first race in
Fernando Alonso's home country will be held in Barcelona in April 2008,
and the second race in Valencia - previously a popular F1 test track -
will be held later in the year, in August. Come
2008, Indianapolis will be out, and Singapore will be in
hosting the world's first night-time Formula One race. It will be an
amazing event, no doubt about that, and could add a vital spark to the
world's most prestigious motor racing discipline that has been lacking
in recent years. The Proposed 2008 Formula One
calendar is as follows:  Australia - March 16
Malaysia
- March 23
Bahrain
- April 6
Barcelona - April 27
Turkey - May 11
Monaco - May 25
Canada - June 8
France - June 22
Britain - July 6
Germany - July 20
Hungary - August 3
Valencia - August 24
Italy - September 7
Belgium - September
14
Singapore -
September 28 (subject to circuit approval)
China - October 12
Japan - October 19
Brazil - November 2
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