F1: `No night races unless 100% safe`

[Rory Phoulorie]

Monday 23rd April 2007

Max Mosley has announced that the FIA would sanction a F1 night race, but only if safety could be ensured.

There's been a lot of talk of late of Formula One holding a night grand prix, with Singapore being touted as the first possible venue.

But already some of the drivers have raised concerns, feeling that at F1's high speeds even boosted lights wouldn't be enough to ensure both their own and the spectators' safety.

However, FIA President Mosley has assured them that no night races would take place until all safety aspects have been resolved.

"We wouldn't sanction night racing for Formula One without a very careful investigation," he told Reuters.

"There are all sorts of factors there, some of which have been highlighted and some of which haven't yet, and we want to look at that very carefully before we sanction it."

Mosley, however, also revealed that as yet none of the F1 venues had applied to become the Championship's first night race.

"So far there hasn't been an application but if there is a serious attempt to run a night race then we will have a very careful look at it," he said.

"We have a safety commission which looks specifically at these problems and they will probably come up with a number of recommendations and research to undertake before saying okay, because it would be a big step and we wouldn't want to make a mistake.

"One mustn't underestimate the logistics, the degree of lighting that will be necessary for really good television coverage, the cost, the complications and all the things that go with it," continued Mosley.

"But that's not really our problem, all we would be concerned about would be the safety aspect."

http://www.planet-f1.com/story/0,18954,3213_2082922,00.html

[Plex]

Was reading about this...Should be interesting...Do we see a Le Mans/ALMS here..