Formula One will enjoy the magic served up by eastern money in an exotic setting this weekend as the sport breaks new ground with its first night race, on the streets of Singapore.

Although the concept of racing at night is not new – they have been doing it at Le Mans for 85 years, while the Nascar and Indycar series in the US feature night races – F1 has been slow to come to the party, sticking conservatively to its 2pm Sunday starts.