Smoke Haze to Worsen Visibility in Singapore

The concept of “twilight racing” is about to become once again an issue in Formula One. After the Australian and Malaysian grands prix earlier this year, when the drivers complained constantly about having visibility problems in the late stages of those races, Singapore has every chance of returning that concept in the Great Circle.

We know what you're wondering: how can a night race be having such problems? Well, the Singapore “twilight” concept is not related to the light per se, but to the visible smoke haze in the city-state. According to environment minister Yaacob Ibrahim, this will most certainly be a problem for all the drivers during the Singapore weekend.

As reported by the GMM news agency, “the problem is caused by scrub fires and forest clearing in Indonesia, and said the Singapore government has offered to help Indonesia tackle it.”

The Singapore officials have also prepared a few surprises in terms of layout in order to make the Marina Bay circuit more spectacular than last year. Turns 13 and 14 were the ones that underwent the most significant changes, as that entire section was modified to increase overtaking possibilities.

The entrance to Turn 14 was shortened, therefore leading to a higher braking zone, while Turn 13 will be approached with higher speeds.

Also, the pit lane will now emerge at Turn 2, while the entry has been changed completely. These two changes were made in response to the drivers' raising safety issues after the 2008 race.