2008 Singapore GP-First Look!!-The First Night Race in F1

The Singapore Grand Prix is a Formula One race set to stage its inaugural event on 28 September 2008. To be staged in the Marina Bay area of Singapore, the circuit has been given in-principle approval by the FIA, Fomula One's governing body. The first Formula One Grand Prix in Singapore will also be Formula One's first night race. Prior to the race becoming part of the Formula One calendar, the Singapore Grand Prix was held as a Formula Libre event in the 1960s and 1970s at the Thomson Road circuit.

History

Origins

First organised in 1961, the race was initially known as the Orient Year Grand Prix. The following year, the race was renamed the Malaysian Grand Prix. After Singapore attained its independence in 1965, the race at the Thomson Road circuit was renamed to the Singapore Grand Prix. The event was discontinued after 1973 and a variety of reasons have been suggested, including an increase in traffic, the inconvenience of having to close roads for the event and fatal accidents during the 1972 and 1973 races. It is also thought that a surge of oil prices stemming from the Suez Crisis might have been to blame.

Formula One

Singapore will host a round of the 2008 FIA
Formula One World Championship. The race will be the first night-time event in Formula One history. The timing of the night event means it can be broadcast at a convenient time for European TV audiences. The track will be illuminated by a series of projectors which adapt their output to match the shape of the course. An agreement for a five-year deal was signed by Singapore GP Pte Ltd, the Singapore Tourism Board and Bernie Ecclestone. In November 2007 it was announced that the telecommunications company Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) will sponsor the event. The official name of the event will be the FORMULA 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix. The race will be co-funded by the Government of Singapore, footing 60% of the total bill. Around 80,000 tickets will be available for the country's first Formula One race. Corporate hospitality suites and packages went on sale at the end November 2007, three-day passes to the public went on sale in December 2007. Single-day passes went on sale in the new year, subject to available inventory.

Telefonica European GP-Valencia,Spain-Race Review

Last Sunday we had the European GP again(which have been in the f-1 calendar since Schumacher was an rookie and kimi,alonso were school going boys),but it was not on the historic Nurburgring but on an newly opened circuit named 'Valencia Street circuit' situated somewhere in Spain.

Well talking about firstly the circuit which is created in the midst of the city using obviously the city road(or streets!!) and designed by Herman Tike(of istanbul,sakhir,shanghai fame),Though the circuit is quite wide but its an very difficult circuit and where overtaking is next to impossible,the only way being slipstreaming and slingshot,but thanks to the aerodynamics the 2008 f-1 cars use the car slipstreaming the one at front may more difficulty in overtaking than gettting any help.

Lap1-The race started off quite well and brilliant start by massa who promptly kept his well earned pole and converted it into lead as the five red lights went off,though his team mate Kimi Raikkonen had not so good start with the Mclaren of Heikki Kovalaienen over taking himin the start itself,after which kimi just couldnt find a way past Heikki,the first corner saw couple of spins as the train of cars entered it as the race begun with David Coulthard with Rubens Barichello spinning out of the track...but sustaining no damage to the car.Kazuki Nakajima spoiled not only his but alos fernando alonso's race when he shunted the renault 's back causing the rear wing of renault to give away and also causing rear right suspension damage in the renault and prematurly ending the spaniard's race,Nakajima's Williams though only sustained an front wing damage and he joined back after changing the nose of the car.

lap 2-37-
The rest of the race saw no major changes and everything was going in the same flow,except Sebastien Bourdais breaking a part of his front wing with the help of BMW's Nick Heidfeld

Massa came into the pits in lap 37 and so did adrian sutil,its not that sutil was fighting for the lead that am mentioning him but because he was the reason for Massa becoming $10000 poorer at the end of the weekend,the reason is in lap 37 after Sutil had his stop he was crawling down the pit lane but as he came near the ferrari pit garage suddenly an scarlet car emergedand it was none other than massa's f2008 which came wheel to wheel with him,adrian being at no fault didnt back off(as expected by massa and massa had to back off to prevent his Ferrari from banging wheels with Sutil's Force india or the Pit wall!!!,

lap 38-Chequered Flag

Lap 42 saw Adrian Sutil kissing the left side tyre wall at turn 2 in his force india and hence breaking the front wing of his VJM01 in the due process.Lap 45/46 saw kimi raikkonen's pit stop which caused an pit crew member(refueller) beimg hit by the rear wing of the Ferrari and the crew member being stretchered off to the hospital,In lap 48 later Kimi's Ferrari F2008's engine blew up while on the start finish straight,the Final Lap saw Massa Winning the Race Hamilton being 5sec(approx) behind and BMW sauber's Robert Kubica scoring his first podium after Canada by finishing 3rd.