The Dark Night: How Long Will Formula One Night Racing Last?

First of all, pardon the title pun; I just had to do it. Also, please note that this is not a Singapore Grand Prix preview.

This time next week, the first ever night race would have occurred and us Formula One fanatics will know who has won the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix. Will it be Hamilton? Will it be Massa? Will it be Vettel?

This time next year, we will be in a totally new championship. Will BMW be genuine contenders? Where will Fernando Alonso be in 2009?

We can ponder and predict answers to all of these questions, but we know the answer to a very important question that certainly needs attention; Should Formula One do more to be "greener"?

The answer is of course: "Yes it should."

So what is Formula One already doing to try to reduce its massive carbon footprint?

Firstly, in 2009 the KERS(Kinetic Energy Recovery System) technology will be introduced. This new advancement will recover some of the vehicle’s kinetic energy that normally dissipates when the car brakes. This energy can be stored in a battery or in a flywheel which in turn could be used as additional acceleration when the driver sees fit.

I sometimes find it hard to get my head around all that so I just think of it as a booster mushroom in Mario Kart.

Ok, that’s one thing F1 is doing to help the environment, reduce previously wasted energy. But what else is helping our planet?

The FIA have banned all engine developments for 10 years. This means that F1 teams will have to think harder on what will gain them that extra performance and power on the circuit. Hybrid systems have been mentioned.

With all this in mind, I would like this question to be answered by the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone: Why are you having a night race with floodlights that contribute to carbon emissions?

The street circuit will be surrounded be floodlights which will be four times brighter than floodlights found in a football stadium. 108,423 metres of power cable will be used to supply over 3,000,000 watts of power to 1,600 light projectors.

Pretty insane stuff don’t you agree?

A circuit spokesman said that when the floodlights are on then it will be just like daylight to the drivers on the track. That’s all very good. Good for safety and all that.

But my argument is: Why waste all that money and contribute to global warming if the track is going to be just like daylight? Why don’t you save your money, do something good for our planet and host the Grand Prix during the day?

I know Bernie doesn’t like odd times for the European fans but I find getting up in the early hours to watch Formula One all the more exciting and I admit that I was a little bit upset when I heard about the Australian Grand Prix being moved to twilight hours (local time).

So how long will the night race last before it becomes a traditional Grand Prix? Five years? Ten years? Never? It’s our choice, not Bernie’s, if we shout loud enough.

Please don’t get me wrong, I’m looking forward to the new circuit and the idea of racing at night but I would rather a night race never happen than my offspring suffer from our mistakes. Do you feel the same way?