Singapore GP - A rave new world
Singapore, 26th September
Going to a new race venue always causes some excitement in the Formula 1 paddock, but there was definitely an extra special feeling to today's first practice session for the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix, for the obvious reason that it took place at night under artificial lighting. None of the drivers reported any problems with this, but in terms of spectacle, against the neon lit skyscrapers of the city, it really was something special and on the television screens, the clarity of the car designs stood out far more clearly than usual, giving the impression of watching a high quality computer game. Adding to the special nature of this weekend, the Singapore race also represents another landmark in the history of the sport - it is the eight hundredth grand prix to be held since the World Championship began in 1950.
However, when the first session got underway at the very unusual time of 19h00 (local time) it was very much a case of business as usual for the ten teams and twenty drivers. The new track provided some pleasant surprises, like a good level of grip despite the dirty surface and some not so pleasant, such as the rather bumpy nature of some sections, which required some set-up changes to deal with this inconvenience.
The two Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro drivers were generally happy with the handling of the F2008, although Kimi Raikkonen, seventh fastest at the end of the day, found that a switch to settings tried last week in Mugello, did not bring any improvement. Felipe Massa did not try these changes and ended the day in third place. Fastest was Fernando Alonso in the Renault, followed by series leader Lewis Hamilton in the McLaren-Mercedes, with his team-mate, Heikki Kovalainen fourth. Nico Rosberg was fifth for Williams-Toyota and Robert Kubica rounded off the top six in his BMW-Sauber. In the early hours of Friday morning, there was a very heavy storm in the city, but so far all track activity has taken place in the dry. However, there are rumours of a possible rain shower around the time of tomorrow's Qualifying session.
Going to a new race venue always causes some excitement in the Formula 1 paddock, but there was definitely an extra special feeling to today's first practice session for the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix, for the obvious reason that it took place at night under artificial lighting. None of the drivers reported any problems with this, but in terms of spectacle, against the neon lit skyscrapers of the city, it really was something special and on the television screens, the clarity of the car designs stood out far more clearly than usual, giving the impression of watching a high quality computer game. Adding to the special nature of this weekend, the Singapore race also represents another landmark in the history of the sport - it is the eight hundredth grand prix to be held since the World Championship began in 1950.
However, when the first session got underway at the very unusual time of 19h00 (local time) it was very much a case of business as usual for the ten teams and twenty drivers. The new track provided some pleasant surprises, like a good level of grip despite the dirty surface and some not so pleasant, such as the rather bumpy nature of some sections, which required some set-up changes to deal with this inconvenience.
The two Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro drivers were generally happy with the handling of the F2008, although Kimi Raikkonen, seventh fastest at the end of the day, found that a switch to settings tried last week in Mugello, did not bring any improvement. Felipe Massa did not try these changes and ended the day in third place. Fastest was Fernando Alonso in the Renault, followed by series leader Lewis Hamilton in the McLaren-Mercedes, with his team-mate, Heikki Kovalainen fourth. Nico Rosberg was fifth for Williams-Toyota and Robert Kubica rounded off the top six in his BMW-Sauber. In the early hours of Friday morning, there was a very heavy storm in the city, but so far all track activity has taken place in the dry. However, there are rumours of a possible rain shower around the time of tomorrow's Qualifying session.
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