F1 drivers thrown by Singapore night race

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Formula One will be in the dark this weekend when the first night race in the sport's history takes place on the streets of Singapore.

Powerful temporary floodlights will illuminate the roads around Marina Bay in the second new venue on the 2008 calendar after Valencia.

And while the racing in the Spanish port city disappointed, the sheer novelty value of a race starting at 8pm local time should ensure Singapore's historic debut is one not to be missed.

It is already demanding unusual preparation from the teams.

"Essentially we must not acclimatize to the local time, which is totally different to how we normally operate," explained championship leader Lewis Hamilton, of McLaren.

"Our training programs ensure that over a race weekend we are at peak performance during the afternoons and as a result we are going to be staying in European time.

"This means we will get up early afternoon for breakfast, have supper at 1am and go to bed at around 3am."

For some, like Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, a later start will suit.

"I enjoy evenings and night time more anyhow. I like to sleep until noon every day so for me this seems the perfect venue. I am more awake in the evenings than in the mornings."

BMW's Nick Heidfeld agreed: "I think it's a great idea to hold a race at night. I'm more of a night person -- I like to go to bed late, but am not a great early-riser," he said.

"For that reason, the rhythm of this weekend should suit me. It's a question of adjustment. It's important to eat and sleep at the right times in order to ensure you're really on the button when you need to be."

Four races from retirement and Red Bull Racing's David Coulthard is demob happy.

"I am staying up late at night, I am going out to nightclubs and I'm eating a lot of carrots because they apparently help you to see better in the dark," he joked on the official F1 Web site.

Seeing better in the dark would certainly be an advantage if, as expected, the rain falls in an region known for its monsoon downpours.

The glare off a wet track under artificial lights will have to be countered -- and that is not even taking into account the huge demands of racing on a tight but pretty quick, wall-lined downtown circuit.

Tire supplier Bridgestone will use special reflective markings in the treads to allow easy differentiation between the two types of tire the teams have to use in a dry race.

But despite worries from the teams regarding a lack of grip at night, the Japanese manufacturers are not expecting the night-time start to provide any different challenges.

"Ultimately, the way the tire works at night will be the same as it works during the day," said the company's motorsport boss Hirohide Hamashima.