F1 eyes night street races

The first ever night race in Formula 1 has moved a step closer after circuit designer Hermann Tilke said it was now possible to successfully stage and televise such an event.

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone recently said that one or two night-time races could be on the cards by the end of the decade – with Japan and China in the frame to host them.

And now in an interview with Autosport magazine, Tilke says that advances in both lighting and camera technology mean night racing is now a feasible option for F1 on its current circuits.

“The basic problem is lighting," he told the magazine. “The tracks don’t need to change – you just need to have the space to install the lighting system. You also need a certain amount of brightness to allow TV cameras to show the cars property – not as blurry streaks! But there have been tremendous developments in lighting and camera technology, so I don’t see it being a problem."

The onset of night racing at grands prix in the Far East would likely prove to be a hit with European TV viewers in particular, with races moved into a more traditional afternoon slot.

And F1 would not be the first major motorsport series to experiment with racing under floodlights, with American series’ NASCAR, Champ Car and IndyCar already having hosted night-time events. ITV/F1