Hamilton confident no problems under Singapore stars

World championship pace-setter Lewis Hamilton is confident he will overcome any problems thrown up by racing at night around a street circuit at the Singapore Grand Prix this week. The McLaren driver, who attends an FIA appeal tribunal later Monday to try to overturn a controversial 25 second penalty he picked up winning the Belgian Grand Prix, is excited at racing under the stars.

"I'm looking forward to visiting the country, trying the food, seeing what the track is like, seeing what it will be like to race on," said the Briton, who wants back the championship points he was deducted in Belgium.

He was adjudged to have cut a chicane during a duel with Finnish rival Kimi Raikkonen in the closing laps. The verdict of the appeal is expected to be published on Tuesday.

Hamilton has 76 points, just one more than rival Felipe Massa ahead of the remaining Grand Prix races in Singapore, Japan, China and Brazil.

"The race will be quite a fun challenge and I like a challenge," Hamilton said of Singapore.

"I've never raced at night before but I don't think it is going to be a problem. It doesn't seem to be a problem in other sports and there have been huge preparations for this so I think it will be great.

"We are racing on another street circuit which are a particular favorite of mine.

"From what I understand it is wide and fairly flowing in nature, which is not what you usually expect from a street circuit, but it sounds like it will be pretty spectacular."