Formula One should conduct night time testing

(Mercedes AMG F1 Team)

 

Formula One team's are currently conducting the final winter test before the start of the 2014 season. This year, the sport have added a new night race to the calendar as to celebrate ten years in F1 the Bahrain Grand Prix will be held at night.

 

The Singapore Grand Prix was the first Formula One race to be held at night and now a number of other venues have followed suit. The Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne has been switched to a late afternoon/evening race or 'twilight race' as has the race in Abu Dhabi.

 

The sport should do some more night time running during winter testing after all it has become a regular case now that the sport has had the races at night and it would e a great way for new drivers coming into the sport for the first time as simulator work only goes so far and actually performing tests at night would enable them to adjust ahead of a race weekend.

 

The Bahrain International Circuit has hosted two winter tests during the 2014 pre-season testing programme and there was absolutely nothing stopping the circuit owners and the teams coming together to come up with a way of running at night.

 

A night-time test would have been ideal during winter testing as the sport embarks on a new era of racing with 1.6 litre V6 turbo charged engines. It would also have been the perfect opportunity for the circuit to test their artificial lighting system during an official Formula One test.

 

©Ben Johnston 2014