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Teams rule out night test in Europe

Formula One teams have abandoned the idea of holding a night test in Europe later this season as a preparation for the Singapore Grand Prix

Discussions were held in F1 think-tank, the Technical Working Group, about holding a night test so teams and drivers could get a better understanding of the challenges of racing at night.

As well as the lighting differences, a night race will mean lower ambient temperatures - which will require different set-up work as a result of tyres not necessarily being in their optimum working window.

MotoGP riders, preparing for their first night race in Qatar this weekend, found the biggest challenge during testing last week was not the lighting aspect but the knock-on impact of cooler than usual temperatures.

But after F1 teams looked into the possibility of a night test, it was found that the cost was far too high to justify the test - especially amid a bid by teams to cut down on the expense of testing.

It means that teams and drivers will now only get their first experience of night driving during second practice for the Singapore GP in September.

However, Singapore officials may try and conduct some kind of lighting test prior to the event to give some feedback to the teams about what they can expect.

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