78 replies to this topic

[Anja]

As pointed out in the Saudi GP thread we've had a whole lot of night races lately and I have a question for you folks: does anyone actually like them? I would put the start time aspect aside as for a global sport the start times are never going to be convenient for everyone. My question is more about the aesthetic of them. 

 

Personally I started to really dislike the night races for this very reason. It was kind of a fun novelty when the Singapore GP first started but it really grew old to the point where I'd rather see F1 race around the Marina Bay circuit during the day. The night races just don't look good in my opinion, no matter what the circuit is. Even where there's not much in terms of scenery around, in case of tracks like Bahrain or Qatar, I feel like they have more character during the day. The artificial light just further kills the uniqueness of each race (which at this point is already not that great to begin with). For me it makes everything more boring and actually worse looking than racing during the day, regardless of the circuit. 

 

Is that just me or do more people feel in a similar way?

Edited by Anja, 22 March 2022 - 17:31.

[TheFish]

I like night races, but not when they're all so close together. 5 in a row is a bit daft.

[KavB]

I like them because some cars look spectacular under the lights. However the novelty is starting to wear off given we have 4 night races on the calendar and more cars are ditching glossy paint for a matte finish which doesn't look as nice under the lights.

 

Personally I always really enjoyed Bahrain being held during the day as I thought it was pretty unique to see a race in the desert under the sun.

Edited by KavB, 22 March 2022 - 17:36.

[IrvTheSwerve]

They were brilliant initially because of the novelty factor, but it's worn off now. They are so floodlit (obviously) that it looks like a day race anyway.

 

Selfishly, the main benefit for me is that they bring race times to a 'nicer' UK time.

[Sterzo]

Le Mans genuinely runs in the dark. Holding a race at night under daylight-bright floodlights is a bit of a farce.

[Muppetmad]

Singapore makes sense as a night race, given the time difference with the markets Liberty targets. Bahrain though? And Saudi Arabia? What an unnecessary waste of electricity.

[noikeee]

Ehhhhh it makes the cars look nice so I don't mind, but it also doesn't really matter and it's a colossal waste of energy. So idk?

[ConsiderAndGo]

I like them, but spread out over the year. 4 or 5 are more than enough.

It’s just a commodity now.

[Silverstone96]

I don’t even notice they are night races anymore, which says a lot

[Burtros]

I’ve always thought it’s a bit of a gimmick aimed at moving the race start times away from early morning in Europe.

They don’t add much too or take much away from proceedings for me, I can’t honestly say I give much thought to the fact it’s a night race beyond things like track temp etc

All the lights and extra energy consumption don’t fit well the environmental message F1 tries to claim it is sending out. That’s probably the most significant thing about night races for me.

[noriaki]

Always liked it at Singapore, because it created the event a distinct character and I suppose Abu Dhabi looks better in the night because you can't see the plastic in the dark quite as well. Wouldn't want any more of night races though.

[DinocoBlue]

I think it needs to be limited to one or two - Singapore and maybe Abu Dhabi as a dusk one. Once they add more, the novelty wares off.

[Mat13]

One was fine- the novelty is long gone now we have 5 or 6 of them though, to the point that it’s a waste of electricity. I guess FOM need to add all the baubles to this next one though, to try and draw us away from the 81 executed civilians just 3 weeks ago.

[Nathan]

I don't see it as a big deal, it adds something different, and some sparkle. 

[Primo]

The conspiracy theorist in me suspect that night races are a great way of hiding empty grandstands. 

[SophieB]

Not really a fan because of not being able to see the setting and scenery, adds to the ‘groundhog day’ feeling lot of the modern races. 

[anyeis]

Expect more. They might be moved even later if they want to get better TV times for USA market

[F1Gui]

Yeah it's boring now. The novelty wore off for me after the first few years. Think how much more exciting Bahrain could have been in the daytime heat. Probably an easy 5 stopper and more break downs.

[KevR]

The conspiracy theorist in me suspect that night races are a great way of hiding empty grandstands.

So true. Just think of Jeddah last year, you couldn't see the stands at all, and I'm sure there were barely any people there

[Fastcake]

One was fine, the day to night thing at Abu Dhabi worked well enough, but now we've got a few of them the novelty disappears.

 

As has been mentioned, having lots of races in the dark makes them blur into one and destroys any individuality as you can't see much more than the track and the crash barriers.

[Hellenic tifosi]

3-4 per year is ok, evenly spaced throughout the calendar. Anything more and it gets boring.

[Beri]

When it was first to be introduced at Singapore, I thought it would be fantastic. Then I saw the actual footage of cars under the floodlight and it was just like seeing cars in daylight.
So it's a gimmick. One that I can very much do without.

[jimjimjeroo]

Personally if F1 are looking at their carbon footprint print it think they should ditch the night races.

The electricity used must be horrendous, even if they're LED.

It has to be driving the ticket prices up.

[Risil]

I quite like the day-into-night ones. But especially for endurance races when there's not a lot going on so you can admire the sunset.

I do miss seeing the scenery, desert landscapes are wonderful and sublime so it's a shame they're hidden from us.

Singapore works as a night race. The city looks spectacular at night and people look like they're having a good time.

Carbon footprint is a bit of a concern, but I think we all know that F1 prefers to talk about the environment than do something about it.

[IrvTheSwerve]

How about we have a sunrise race.

 

One for Vegas.

[FirstnameLastname]

I’ve always thought it’s a bit of a gimmick aimed at moving the race start times away from early morning in Europe. .

The thing is, 1pm is a shite race start time anyway…. The best start times are always the unusual ones. I mean Canada usually gets some of the best viewing figures here in the uk as it’s on in the evening rather than slap-bang in the middle of what’s usually a ‘family day’ here. Can be a hard sell hanging around to sit and watch F1 in the middle of your Sunday.

I’m looking forward to the 6am race at Australia this year (and practice sessions at 4am too!). I love the actual ‘night races’ where I’m getting up in the night - get some snacks and a coffee and have total peace and quiet while the family sleeps. Bliss!

[HighwayStar]

I voted for preferring races in daylight, but I have mixed feelings about night races overall. I like Singapore and am glad it is held at night because the city looks spectacular and it somehow adds to the 'endurance' feel to the event (as the race pace is relatively slow, but unlike Monaco it is run over the normal race distance, so it doesn't take much of a safety car delay for the race to reach the two hour limit). As a British fan it is more convenient to watch the race at conventional European start time, although I've missed the early morning races in the last two seasons and Australia and Japan are among the races I'm most looking forward to this season for that reason. On the other hand, I liked Bahrain more as a daytime race as the desert setting was unique, although many of the best races there have been since it changed to running at night which makes it feel like a successful switch. I can't see Saudi Arabia being run as anything other than a night race, although my reservations about the suitability of the tightly confined but very fast circuit layout for F1 cars mean it will probably never be a race I particularly look forward to.

 

I like the idea of Abu Dhabi as a sunset race, but in recent years it has been held too late in the year and therefore it tends to feel like a night race where the initial laps are run in twilight. I enjoyed the event more when the season ended earlier or it wasn't run as the final race, as the later sunset time in early-mid November meant a decent amount of the race was run before sunset and it felt like a proper day-to-night race. I'm aware with this year's Abu Dhabi GP being several weeks earlier it may be closer to the 'sunset during mid-race' scenario I prefer, depending on the race start time.

[ANF]

Singapore makes sense as a night race, given the time difference with the markets Liberty targets. Bahrain though? And Saudi Arabia? What an unnecessary waste of electricity.

Yes, and a waste of scenery too in the case of Saudi Arabia!

[balmybaldwin]

Apart from the initial race, I've always been very underwhelmed by night racing in F1. 

 

For me the worst one is Singapore... it ruins the atmosphere, makes it hard to know you are even in a city if it weren't for the vanity shots of fancy hotels, it seems to really detach the action from those watching somehow. I much prefer the way it looks in FP1

[Deeq]

As pointed out in the Saudi GP thread we've had a whole lot of night races lately and I have a question for you folks: does anyone actually like them? I would put the start time aspect aside as for a global sport the start times are never going to be convenient for everyone. My question is more about the aesthetic of them.

Personally I started to really dislike the night races for this very reason. It was kind of a fun novelty when the Singapore GP first started but it really grew old to the point where I'd rather see F1 race around the Marina Bay circuit during the day. The night races just don't look good in my opinion, no matter what the circuit is. Even where there's not much in terms of scenery around, in case of tracks like Bahrain or Qatar, I feel like they have more character during the day. The artificial light just further kills the uniqueness of each race (which at this point is already not that great to begin with). For me it makes everything more boring and actually worse looking than racing during the day, regardless of the circuit.

Is that just me or do more people feel in a similar way?

I feel the same, they got old quickly. 1 or 2 races per seasons is ok, specially IF they are spaced that is at least nine day races between them.
Nah we are not noctural species, lets have day races and the odd or 2 nightraces. Thats it.

[JimmyClark]

Yep I'm bored of them now. Aesthetically they look terrible on TV, and they reduce some of the climate element to the races - dealing with heat has always been a racing driver and engineer skill.

[Jovanotti]

I'll gladly do without the Middle East night races, but I'm starting to miss Singapore.

[cpbell]

Not really a fan because of not being able to see the setting and scenery, adds to the ‘groundhog day’ feeling lot of the modern races. 

Same here; feels as though the race is taking place in a souless void.  Singapore was OK, as was Abu Dhabi, and I don't mind Bahrain, but I really don't want any more than those three.

[F1 Mike]

I don't see it as a big deal, it adds something different, and some sparkle.

Singapore definitely needs the sparkle of darkness as well. Lovely city but the river usually looks manky in daylight

[Secretariat]

I voted its about the same, but to expand my thought, I think it depends on the track. KavB mentioned Bahrain and I also liked when it was a daytime race. KevR mentions Jeddah and watching daylight practice the scenery is pretty cool, a day race there would seem likable. I think these days the night races might be marketed as being a spectacle but the reality is probably more a practicality given the most of them are being held in the desert.

 

I would be intrigued if they tried Paul Ricard or COTA under the lights, but upset if they did that to Spa or Suzuka. Come to think of it, COTA at night would probably not be a bad thing. In general I think night races work in the U.S. 

[krapmeister]

Starting times for Middle Eastern night races are awful for me - Bahrain was 2am which is an absolute killer - so from that point of view I am not a fan.

Having said that I seem to recall that the Bahrain races have been better since the move to a night race?

Not particularly fussed one way or the other, though think in most cases it doesn't really add anything over a normal day race.

[HeadFirst]

Not really a fan because of not being able to see the setting and scenery, adds to the ‘groundhog day’ feeling lot of the modern races. 

 

I think that getting to see the concentration in eyes of the drivers is a fair trade-off. I think 3-4 races under the lights is fine, that's enough for me

[HeadFirst]

.Lots of comments about costs and carbon footprints. Does anybody have facts and figures to back up their concerns?

[JimmyClark]

Someone told me recently that the matt finish on many cars is so the sponsors names are more visible under lights. With a gloss finish there's too much reflection.

I thought it was weight saving, but definitely this seems a secondary benefit.

[hamilton10000]

I fundamentally don't mind them, I think for me it's just very tiresome to have 5 in a row. Just feel desparately to get to Melbourne to see a race with some more life and character.

I think it suits the atmosphere of Singapore and I don't mind it in Abu Dhabi.

But Bahrain and Saudi I can very much take it or leave it. And please just space these races out better!

[danmills]

None of the night races have that 'ohhh this is different' spectacle. Not for a long time. Tracks are so illuminated its probably clearer than a day race.

It's basically just a convenience for the West and viewing times which was ultimately all it ever was.

[PayasYouRace]

I’d like to vote “yes, but I like afternoon races more.” But it isn’t an option.

[dissident]

I'm OK with a couple of night races, but it's all a bit too much now.

 

Same with street circuits.

[IrvTheSwerve]

.Lots of comments about costs and carbon footprints. Does anybody have facts and figures to back up their concerns?

Running hundreds of floodlights is more expensive than using the sun?   

[SenorSjon]

.Lots of comments about costs and carbon footprints. Does anybody have facts and figures to back up their concerns?

 

Having kilometers of track lit to daylight spec with artificial lighting doesn't come free, no matter the amount of greenwashing is done.

 

Singapore had a F2 race in the past that ran in daylight. I liked that a lot more. All distinct features are lost in the dark.

[NoForumForOldPole]

It does not make any difference to my watching on TV, it does probably when you live on track.

[azza200]

Far too many night races now and the novelty of them has worn off. 

[YorkF1Fan]

As other people have said it's not that night races are bad, there are just too many of them now

[P123]

I'd like to see Bahrain in the daylight again, although I know there wasn't much to see.  Jeddah could have been anywhere.  A night race for the sake of it.  It's only really worked in Singapore.

[Risil]

The original!

 

 

(Shouldn't someone consider an F1 race on an airport runway?)