It gets more and more likely that the Singapore GP will be held at night, as planned. In previous posts, I have doubted the feasibility of night races because of the safety aspect. It also seems something of an insult to Asian countries that they are expected to race at night purely for the convenience of European television viewers.
But I must admit that night racing, especially in a city, has great potential for being a dramatic spectacle. The contrast between the dark sky and surrounding buildings against the bright streets and gleaming cars flashing past promises an experience that we might well ask for more of. The photograph up there, taken at McLaren's launch of the MP4-22 earlier this year in Valencia, gives us a taste of what it might be like.
Obviously, the barriers will be much further back and more substantial in Singapore but the gloom surrounding the tunnel of brightness, the pinpoints of light reflected in the polished bodywork of the cars, the scream of the engines ripping apart the quiet of the night, all these will be there. It may be a fierce test of the drivers' skill and adaptability, but for the assembled crowd it should be a memorable experience.
So I am not entirely against the idea of night races in F1 and I would not be surprised if we were to grow to like them and demand more. But the safety aspect must be attended to carefully by the FIA; if there is a serious accident in Singapore, you can bet that much of the blame will fall upon its being a night race.
The difficulties for the drivers are fairly obvious, vision being the main problem. Will they be able to see well enough to drive at their usual speeds? And the possibility of being dazzled by floodlighting is always there. Bad enough in the dry, you might think, but what if it rains? The reflections off the road surface could easily turn the circuit into a kaleidoscope of confusing light and shadow; add the spray creating a mist that hangs in the still air between the buildings and that surely is a recipe for disaster.
Maybe I am being pessimistic. It may be that this worst case scenario I have painted never happens. But the FIA better be very sure that they have thought of every eventuality before the give the green light to the idea. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
But I must admit that night racing, especially in a city, has great potential for being a dramatic spectacle. The contrast between the dark sky and surrounding buildings against the bright streets and gleaming cars flashing past promises an experience that we might well ask for more of. The photograph up there, taken at McLaren's launch of the MP4-22 earlier this year in Valencia, gives us a taste of what it might be like.
Obviously, the barriers will be much further back and more substantial in Singapore but the gloom surrounding the tunnel of brightness, the pinpoints of light reflected in the polished bodywork of the cars, the scream of the engines ripping apart the quiet of the night, all these will be there. It may be a fierce test of the drivers' skill and adaptability, but for the assembled crowd it should be a memorable experience.
So I am not entirely against the idea of night races in F1 and I would not be surprised if we were to grow to like them and demand more. But the safety aspect must be attended to carefully by the FIA; if there is a serious accident in Singapore, you can bet that much of the blame will fall upon its being a night race.
The difficulties for the drivers are fairly obvious, vision being the main problem. Will they be able to see well enough to drive at their usual speeds? And the possibility of being dazzled by floodlighting is always there. Bad enough in the dry, you might think, but what if it rains? The reflections off the road surface could easily turn the circuit into a kaleidoscope of confusing light and shadow; add the spray creating a mist that hangs in the still air between the buildings and that surely is a recipe for disaster.
Maybe I am being pessimistic. It may be that this worst case scenario I have painted never happens. But the FIA better be very sure that they have thought of every eventuality before the give the green light to the idea. It is always better to be safe than sorry.