McLaren's championship leader Lewis Hamilton lapped quickest under the floodlights in first free practice for Formula One's inaugural night race in Singapore yesterday.

With drivers getting their first full-speed look at the city-state's street circuit, Hamilton outpaced the Ferraris of Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen with McLaren teammate Heikki Kovalainen fourth fastest.

Storms had lashed Singapore in the early hours, raising concerns about the perilous combination of rain, floodlights and an untested circuit.

However the skies were clear when Italian Giancarlo Fisichella steered his Force India car out of the pitlane to start practice for Asia's first street race.

Against the backdrop of Singapore's stunning skyline, the skyscrapers framed by 1,600 light projectors along a track that winds through the business district and marina area, Hamilton posted a time of one minute 45.518 seconds around the 5.067km track.

Brazilian Massa, a point behind Hamilton in the championship standings, was 0.080 slower.

Mishaps and misjudgments on an unfamiliar circuit were inevitable.

Australian Mark Webber became the circuit's first casualty, his Red Bull ploughing into the barriers at the sharp lefthanded turn 18. Webber walked away unharmed and stood impassively as his car was hauled off the track by a crane.

Meanwhile, the sport's supremo Bernie Ecclestone said that Formula One was pushing for more night races in Asia. Ecclestone believes other Asian nations will witness the advantage of night racing.

Asked if more night races in Asia - for afternoon viewing in Europe - was on the agenda, Ecclestone was enthusiastic.

"If we had more races in this part of the world, yes," Ecclestone said.

"We're going to try to get Japan to do it.

"It will be prime time in China and this part of the world and in Europe it will be at a sociable hour to watch rather than the middle of the night.

"I hope when people see this they realize it wasn't just a stupid idea."

Ecclestone, president and chief executive of Formula One Management, said there was no push to introduce a European night race onto the F1 calendar even if the television audience would be marginally boosted.

"It's not cheap and I don't think there's much advantage," Ecclestone said.

The Singapore race is the first grand prix since the worst ramifications of the global credit crisis have emerged.

In the world's most expensive sport, heavily reliant upon sponsor revenue, there was speculation that a global economic turndown could have a severe impact upon F1, but Ecclestone was not perturbed.

"I suppose like the rest of the world, it will have some side affects but what they'll be I don't know," Ecclestone said.

"We have long-term contracts with people, so I don't see any problem."

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily September 27, 2008)