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FIA urged to change Singapore timetable


The Sporting Working Group and the FIA have been asked to consider making changes to the timetable for this year's Singapore Grand Prix because of new fears about the lack of running Formula One drivers will get before the race.

F1 is to hold its first night race around the streets of Singapore in September and many teams and drivers have said they are relaxed about the preparations for the event.

However, on the back of a visit to the MotoGP night race in Qatar earlier this month, Scuderia Toro Rosso team manager Massimo Rivola has expressed concern about the situation.

In particular, with the idea for a European night test having fallen through because of the huge costs involved in lighting a track, he is especially worried about the lack of preparations drivers and teams will get on the weekend.

At the moment, the drivers are only scheduled to get 90 minutes of running at night on the Friday before the night qualifying session and then the night race.

This compares to the two full days of testing MotoGP teams had in Qatar prior to the entire first meeting of the year taking place at night.

Having witnessed the Qatar event first hand, Rivola feels it important that teams now get more running at night - because there are a number of issues that could catch them out when they begin testing at night.

He has already spoken to F1 race director Charlie Whiting to voice his fears about the situation.

"I have asked for the matter to be added to the agenda for the next meeting of the Sporting Working Group (SWG), so let's see," Rivola told autosport.com about his night race concerns.

"At the beginning I was not relaxed but not so worried, but after I saw Qatar and I spent time there, I am not confident 100 percent now. I am talking about the safety of the drivers - because I am not worried about having to work all night if it is for our job. The safety issue we have to consider more carefully."

Rivola said that potential problems for running at night, which only became apparent during his visit to Qatar, were associated with shadows on the track, mirror visibility and drivers getting distracted by camera flashes.

He added: "Personally I am not relaxed, let me put it like this. Honestly, I would like to test but it not possible and too expensive to realise. I am sure it will be fine in the end, but there are still some points to discuss.

"The most important is that our schedule should be all over the night, rather than split between day and the night. The sunset in Singapore is at 7pm and at the moment the plan is to have first practice finish at 6pm and second practice to start at 8pm."



autosport.com

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