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A previous year’s F1 Singapore Grand Prix (Image: DZE Asia)
Since 2008, Singapore has been the host of the prestigious Formula 1 (F1) Singapore Grand Prix. For that same amount of time, DZ Engineering SRL has been the company behind the spotlight. This year, it’s sister company, DZE Asia will take over the show, with a priority placed on advanced and sustainable lighting.
Passing the torch
DZE Asia was founded in 2019 to expand into Southeast Asia, and specialises in lighting, motorsport, telecommunications, and audiovisual systems. The company is led by Roberto Grilli, the company’s global general manager, who brings more than 20 years of experience in the motorsport and lighting business to the business, and Marco Scaioli, the Director of DZE Asia, who has expertise in production for broadcast TV.
These leaders will lead DZE Asia through their recently awarded five-year contract with F1. This will involve design, deliver, and manage the lighting system, communications system, and overtrack signage for the Singapore Grand Prix, starting from this year.
The company has begun channelling their efforts on improving existing infrastructure in the F1 Pit Building. In 2022, total emissions’ in the Circuit Park amounted to 2,372 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents, meaning that the race has a considerable ways to go if it hopes to be net zero by 2030. Of these total emissions, 33.5% were caused by energy used for electricity and heating.
To help reduce this figure, DZE Asia has replaced the existing metal halide lights with energy efficient LED lights, which has decreased energy consumption by over 60%. This more efficient use of resources may also help lessen F1’s $135 to $140 million organising costs.
“DZE Asia is committed to driving impactful change and delivering exceptional value to our clients,” said Scaioli. “This shift marks a new chapter of growth as we expand our reach globally, while maintaining our commitment to our company vision. We look forward to working towards deepening our partnerships with current clients and exploring exciting opportunities on a global scale.”
Following in the footsteps
It is interesting to note that DZ Engineering had also been trying to transition F1 to be more sustainable. Last year, the company worked with lighting company Signify to change the floodlight bulbs to LED ones, cutting down energy consumption by 30% for the same quality of lighting, and also reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
Therefore, the switch to DZE Asia may cause curiosity. After all, DZ Engineering has similarly been improving the energy efficiency of F1, and has the added advantage of over a decade of experience in lighting the race.
The change of company seems to be part of a broader parent company strategy to help it to grow. Though the highly visible F1 race, DZE Asia can strengthen its brand and reputation and attract more clients in Asia Pacific. This way, the parent company, the Dino Zoli Group, ensures that DZE Asia fulfils the function it was created for: to expand into the Southeast Asian market.
