Singapore F1 GP Names Lighting Contractor

SINGAPORE : Organisers for the inaugural Formula One race in Singapore have picked a company based in Italy as the lighting contractor.

The decision came after two lighting tests were conducted in July and September at the Paul Ricard High Tech Test Track in Le Castellet, France.

Organisers have also got the go-ahead after submitting a proposed system to the Federation Internationale de I'Automobile (FIA) in Paris.

Singapore plans to hold the world's first night race next year and has teamed up with Italy-based Valerio Maioli S.p.a, which specialises in the engineering of lighting and telecommunication system.

Lighting plays an important part in the race and the company said it will use lights to guide the drivers.

The entire track will be fitted with close to 1,500 projectors, placed 4 metres apart.

This makes it almost four times brighter than an average sports stadium.

But the brightness will not be too glaring for the drivers.

This is because the projectors will be erected 10 metres above the course.

The power surge will not result in any power outage or blackout, thanks to the 12 twin-powered generators.

The lights will be brought to Singapore in early January to be tested in a controlled environment.

Contractors will then take approximately two to three months to set up the system, so the lighting system will likely be up in the second quarter of 2008.

Meantime, all eyes will be on the announcement whether Singapore gets the go-ahead to hold the world's first night race.

"It's never happened before so it's very exciting for the world, and everybody's waiting for this night race. For instance, there are 400 reporters going for each grand prix. For Singapore, probably 600 are coming, almost double the number, because of the interest," said Colin Syn, President of Singapore Grand Prix.

The decision on holding the night race will be known early next year.

- AFP /ls

Source: Channel News Asia

Mario Theissen All for Night Race

Mario Theissen, team principal of BMW, has shown his support for a night race in Singapore provided that the drivers' safety is taken care of. Joining a number of drivers who have already expressed their interest in a possible night race, Dr Mario (as he is affectionately called) compared the attractiveness of a night race to that of a football match held in a stadium lit with floodlights.

According to him, he felt that "it's no rocket-science to create a fail-proof lighting system". Testings have already been conducted in the US Indianapolis track in June was deemed a success with the help of American company Musco Lighting, which provides lighting to a couple of US races like the Nascar, Champ Cars and Indy series.

Mclaren driver Fernando Alonso was the only one so far to have explicitly expressed his unwillingness to race in a night-setting.