- Russian Grand Prix
2015 Russian GP night race plans fall through
The Russian Grand Prix will not be a night race in 2015 despite its organisers pushing for the Sochi event to be run under floodlights.
Russia hosted its first grand prix in a century last year, a race won by eventual champion Lewis Hamilton. After a successful return to the calendar race chiefs had hoped this year's race could join Singapore as being run after sunset.
But circuit boss Sergey Vorobyev says a deal has not been reached to tweak the afternoon start time for this year's race on October 11 to the evening.
"This year the grand prix will start at 1400," Vorobyev said in a statement. "We will have an opportunity to watch the fascinating Formula 1 race one day and one hour earlier than we did last year."
During the grand prix last year, circuit consultant Richard Cregan said the Sochi circuit, built on the site which hosted the 2013 Winter Olympics, was fully equipped to deal with the demands of hosting a race under lights. "The infrastructure is there to supply the power for the lighting system, and that has already been checked," Cregan said. "It is only a matter of decisions being made."
The Singapore Grand Prix is currently the only regular night race on the F1 calendar, which it joined in 2008. Last year Bahrain was a night race to mark its tenth year on the calendar, while Abu Dhabi remains the only day-night event.
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