(from autosport) Malaysian Grand Prix officials want next year's event to become the second night race on the Formula One calendar. With Singapore set to host F1's first night Grand Prix later this year, other races in the Asian region have already been considering following the lead. And Sepang's chairman, Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir, has revealed that his track now wants to become a night event from 2009 on the back of a collaboration with Singapore officials. "Our target is to have the race at night next year and the same consultants (as Singapore) are doing the lighting system," said Mokhzani, who wants to install a permanent lighting system at the track. "It won't be the same (as Singapore). Our lighting system will probably have to shine from further out, not within the circuit. We are still studying all the factors involved." F1 drivers have universally welcomed the move towards night races in F1, and are convinced that the events will be safe enough "I am completely relaxed about it," Red Bull Racing's David Coulthard said recently. "I am sure the FIA will come up with a set of criteria for how much light there has to be, and we'll just get on with it. "It will be spoken about from now right through until we get to Singapore and it will be a good marketing tool for that Grand Prix. "But we drive through the tunnel at Monaco with lights, and I don't think you've ever heard a driver say that on their qualifying lap the most difficult part was the tunnel with the artificial lighting. "A lot will be spoken and in the end it will be just another Grand Prix, but the background will be dark."
Good point. It is 88F in the day vs. 74F at night. Live TV in Europe and some more horsepower due to cooler temp might make it a trend in F1.
Now, if only we can convert office hours to night hours too... wait-a-minute, I already work at night only. And don't get me started with the shirt-and-tie culture. For god's sakes man, we are not in Europe, we are on the bloody freakin' equator! Wear less clothing, turn down the freezing aircond and save the environment at the same time, why don't you. The expat housewives have got it right, they wear hardly anything at all. It gets interesting when they walk into one of the polar research station we call shopping malls. Hello! To both of you. Sepang has got to put in better large-screen TV tho. Talk about fuzzy logic. It's impossible to follow the race while you're at the race... except for the split second when the driver runs out of fuel or tires. I spent one entire race video-taping the Toyota tire-changing crew. Fascinating, but not what I paid good money for. Kinda like the price they charge for beer. Give me your left arm, and I'll give you a warm alcoholic beverage, you helpless captive! While the Singapore lighting consultants are down here, could Mokhzani get them to hook up a couple of super-large LG's..? Samsung will do just fine too. Just remind them to bring their own beer.
Racing in the dark, in the rain, would be extremely dangerous IMO. A night race would make sense in the Middle East, not sure about Asia.
There was an article on the Singapore lighting system in F1 Racing last month. The city power is backed up by pairs of generators, making supply triply redundant, and no two adjacent lights are on the same power supply. The light will be three times as bright as on a football field. Testing was done at Bernie's pet track in France; and they switched off half the lights with no problems.
no worries...the lighting system will make it look like day in fact, so nothing much to worry about. in fact to race in rain conditions under the light is safer than the day. over here, it gets very dark, should it rain heavily. so, racing under the lights, means there's no really dark conditions.
i'll be going for next year's event, Ron. i've been to the 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 editions. but this year, i need to buy a Macbook, and a home theater system for myself so next year
