Formula One: Who Needs Rain When You Have Singapore?

Formula One has a new star and it’s shining brightly above Singapore. It might just be out for one night a year but I bet that night will be the most anticipated “race day” next season.

I must admit I was skeptical when I heard F1 was to stage a night race but well was I wrong or what?

It was like a giant indoor go kart track with the dark sky acting as a roof over the action, holding all the entertainment tight inside with the cars bumping their way around the uneven street circuit much like the go karts would at your nearby carting track.

There was a feeling of pure racing and it was F1 at its best.

Singapore really did put Valencia to shame and it would have done so even during the day. Take away the darkness and you’d still be left with a great tight street circuit that F1 fans crave. Valencia was a podgy size 16, Singapore is a perfect 10.

The drivers loved it and it brought out the best in many of them.

Felipe Massa stole pole position with a lap that was over half a second quicker than Lewis Hamilton. In Marin Brundle’s words, “something quite special.” Who says ITV is biased? They may be pro-Hamilton but they are anti-no one.

The Brazilian is certainly turning it on this season and will take the challenge to Hamilton down to the last race of the season. It was Massa’s fifth pole of the season and the 14th of his career.

Pity the race wasn’t to turn out as well for the Ferrari man but watching the fat Ferrari pit crew sprinting 500 meters to the stranded Massa certainly added to the entertainment factor. I doubt they’d have made it in the mid day sun of Bahrain though. Those Ferrari fuel men must be on serious danger pay by now.

I must add my dissenting voice to the safety car pit lane rules. Even if they did get my man DC a couple of points. For teams to be punished for running out of fuel is simply ridiculous.

A big well done to Timo Glock. The German has had a stellar second half of the season and is finally looking like a quality driver.

Not such a big well done to Ferrari though. Zero points as they fall behind in the Driver’s Championship and will someone at Ferrari send Kimi on holiday for the rest of the season. He’s just not interested if we’re honest.

Anyway, F1 is on the crest of a wave and long may it continue.

And who needs rain, when you have Singapore?