Singapore is getting ready to host the first night race in Formula One history after the FIA approved the proposed calendar for next year's championship. Race promoters in Singapore got the clearance from the FIA to build the Monaco-style street circuit in May, and things are reportedly moving along well. The spectacle of the flood-lit road race in the Pacific city-state promises to inject some more excitement into what is already held as the pinnacle of international motorsport.
As we had reported earlier, there were a few proposed grands prix that were up in the air, but the motorsport governing body has approved them all. (Yay!) In addition to Singapore, the new event in Valencia, Spain, was awaiting approval. The French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours was under threat, as well. Even the perennial Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal wasn't for sure, as the economies of scale in schlepping the whole F1 circus to North America were eliminated with the cancellation of the race at Indianapolis. In the end all were confirmed, alongside the usual suspects in Australia, Malaysia, Bahrain, Spain, Turkey, Monaco, Britain, Germany, Hungary, Belgium, Italy, Japan, China and Brazil. Only a few dates were changed around by the FIA in the process. Altogether it makes for a full eighteen races, and we're looking forward already.
Follow the jump for the full 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar.
[Source: Autosport]
2008 FIA Formula One World Championship
16/3
23/3 MAL Malaysia
6/4 BRN Bahrain
27/4 E Spain
11/5 TR Turkey
25/5 MC Monaco
8/6 CDN Canada
22/6 F France
6/7 GB Great Britain
20/7 D Germany
3/8 H Hungary
24/8 E Europe
7/9 B Belgium
14/9 I Italy
28/9 SGP Singapore
12/10 J Japan
19/10 CN China
02/11 BR Brazil
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Vivek @ Oct 25th 2007 6:51PM
So if India were to get a race in 2009/10 do they just add another race onto the schedule, or does one of the current ones head to the chopping block?
Zain @ Oct 25th 2007 7:53PM
And if Qatar or the UAE were to host a race in 2010, would the Indian GP be on the chopping block? ;-)
Haha j/k .. but I hope they make a good flat track. The current state of Indian roads tells me something is seriously amiss.
Brad @ Oct 25th 2007 7:55PM
I personally think they should axe Hungary and replace it with Brno, Czech Republic. A lot nicer track in virtually the same part of the world.
Then they could add India if they choose and have 19 races a year.
Vivek @ Oct 25th 2007 8:10PM
Tell me about the roads. When they build the track it needs to have 100ft walls because that's about the only way to keep the track in raceable conditions until the next race.
why not the LS2/LS7? @ Oct 25th 2007 10:39PM
They're copying NASCAR.
Amazing.
SuperSkyline89 @ Oct 26th 2007 12:00PM
How exactly?
why not the LS2/LS7? @ Oct 26th 2007 1:16PM
NASCAR ran the first modern night race ("racing under the lights") two nears ago. Previous to that, no non-endurance race ran at night.
pete @ Oct 25th 2007 10:45PM
zzz... nothing new. motogp will host the first premier class motorsport event under the starts. they'll be doing this at theqatar gp
Mobius_1 @ Oct 26th 2007 6:56AM
Next season's spotlight (pardon the pun) will be on the Singapore race :)
bill @ Oct 26th 2007 9:48AM
This should work out well for the FIA. They are used to working in the dark of night to further Ferrari's chances to win. Illegal floor anyone?
Stanton @ Oct 26th 2007 11:55AM
$100 million espionage fine anyone?
bill @ Oct 26th 2007 12:16PM
Stanton, I do remember the espionage story involving a Ferrari employee purloining 780 pages of Ferrari technical papers and giving them to a McLaren employee. Had the McLaren employee broken into Ferrari and stole 780 pages of technical papers I would consider it to be espionage. The situation was laughable considering that nothing can be proved one way or the other, and that the cross polination of design and construction goes on all day every day within the F1 community. What we had here was the FIA taking advantage of an opportunity to stick it to a person they do not like - Ron Dennis - and benifit who they do like - Ferrari.
Galley @ Oct 26th 2007 11:58AM
Dunno if the paddock is good enough for F1, but Brno is a great track.
AndyMF @ Oct 26th 2007 12:07PM
Wonderful...now I've got two Formula 1 races within driving distance to go to.