Lewis promises to rain supreme

The 23-year-old heads into the first Formula One race to be held at night with only a single-point lead over Ferrari's Felipe Massa.

Hamilton finished seventh in his McLaren at a rain-drenched Monza earlier this month, after which he confessed to feeling nervous for the first time. And, with heavy downpours in Singapore last night and the chance of more over the weekend the weather could be a major factor again.

"The last race was probably the first time I have ever felt any kind of nerves," said Hamilton. "Going down the straight at the beginning I couldn't see a thing because of the rain.

"But, generally, I find it is just exciting. You are always calculating things, where the car needs to be and where I am going to be braking.

"I never approach a race saying I am aiming for fourth place. I always plan to win as scoring points is what is important."

Forecasters are predicting a 50 per cent chance of rain over the weekend and drivers have voiced some concern about the combination of rain, floodlights and an untested street circuit.

"I think the biggest thing really is if we have a downpour and knowing what it's going to be like in the spray with the light refracting through the water," said Red Bull driver David Coulthard.

"We don't know how much it's going to hang in the air, so that would be the most difficult thing I think."

Sauber's Nick Heidfeld echoed Coulthard's fears. "I would have welcomed the chance to test on the track, especially in the rain," he said.

"Rain combined with the artificial light is the great unknown for me with this race.

"The climate should be similar to that in nearby Kuala Lumpur, and - from experience - it rains frequently there, especially in the early evening."

With the race a new fixture on the calendar, Hamilton had been spending a lot of time in the simulator prior to arriving in Singapore.

But he admitted nothing can really prepare a driver for what can happen in the actual race.

"We have spent time in the simulator which is about as accurate as it can be as it gives us a good idea of the circuit," he said.

"Learning a new circuit is always tough. Simulations can give you an indication of where the first corner is but otherwise you have to learn it when you race.

"The team have done a lot of analysis and we are trying to find out as much as we can. But really when we get out on the track it will be a completely new experience."

Racing at night will be a new experience for the vast majority of drivers this weekend, a fact Hamilton believes makes it hard to predict the outcome of Sunday's race.

"I think the race will be very exciting," he said. "I think it could be even more exciting than some of the others we have had.

"As a night race everyone doesn't know what to expect."