Ferrari star Lewis Hamilton explains: This GP would make a good night race

The Singapore Grand Prix gave Formula 1 fans their first taste of a night-time race in the premier class. In 2008, drivers battled for points, podium places and victory under the floodlights for the first time, and the race went on to become one of the favourites on the World Championship calendar. The format caught on, and other night races soon followed on various circuits.

Ahead of this year’s street race in Singapore, Lewis Hamilton looks back on the inaugural event and explains: “I love night races. I can still remember the first time here very well; before we competed in the race, we tested the conditions in the simulator. And it was obviously brilliant to drive under the floodlights – they did a brilliant job there. Soon we had more night races, such as in Bahrain; I can remember testing in the heat of the day – the car and the tyres were melting away; it was the hottest day ever. And I said that this circuit would look brilliant at night. Years later, we had a night race there.”

Lewis Hamilton loves the challenges of Singapore

“On some circuits, driving at night works really well, especially in extremely hot places. Take Qatar, for example – it would probably be dreadful to race in the middle of the day there. That would be very difficult for the fans, but also for everyone in the paddock. That’s why some night races are really cool. We raced in Madrid for the first time recently and it was lovely to drive during the day. But I also thought that this race would be really cool at night. That applies to many circuits and who knows, perhaps it would be good to alternate over time,” added the record-holding Grand Prix winner.

Hamilton also revealed that he isn’t worried about having to stick to an unusual schedule because of the night race. “I’m afraid it will affect my Whoop score, though,” he joked, glancing at his wristband, which measures the quality of his sleep. “On Sunday, my score probably won’t be that good. I think about that every day – I try to get the best possible quality of sleep. But it’s difficult here. And nutrition isn’t easy either; what you eat and when you eat it has a big impact on you. But that’s part of the challenges of this weekend – and I like that,” he added.

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