Drivers Worried About Heavy Rain in Singapore

The prospect of racing in rainy conditions under artificial light at the upcoming Singapore Grand Prix has worried some of the drivers in the paddock. As no one has experienced this type of conditions before, it's only natural to expect the worse, especially if you are to take into account the latest comments of triple crowned F1 racer Sir Jacky Stewart.

“In daylight, we can see beyond the track if we're heading into rain. But here, the light is contained on the circuit and everything else is dark. So it'll be very challenging on the drivers' peripheral vision,” said Stewart.

On both Wednesday and Thursday, there were some serious downpours in the Marina Bay Circuit area, “so heavy that rivers of water flooded the track to a point where the tires can't deal with it,” further argued the triple world champion.

Fears related to the artificial light reflecting off the wet surface of the track have gotten to some of the active drivers as well, Mercedes GP's Nico Rosberg being the first one to praise for good weather over the weekend.

“It's going to be rather interesting if it rains, but I hope it doesn't because it will be quite messy,” said the German driver, while his counterpart from Red Bull Racing, title challenger Sebastian Vettel, commented that “we've yet to experience any wet running on a floodlit track, so it will be interesting if that happens.”

Formula One veteran and starter of over 300 grands prix in the series Rubens Barrichello also avoided to give any verdicts, saying that “I've never driven in the rain at night. I really don't know what to say about that. We just have to wait and see.”