Formula One Vault

PRIXVIEW – Singapore Grand Prix

Formula One heads to the city-state of Singapore for round fifteen of the season around the Marina Bay. Singapore held its first F1 race in 2008 becoming the sports first night race around the city, however, the city-state held its first Grand Prix during the 1960s.

Singapore was part of Malaysia until 1965 and first held the Malaysian Grand Prix in 1962 as a non-championship Formula Libere race on the streets a few miles away around Thompson Road. The race was the same length and won by Lee Han Seng in the Lotus.

Like the F1 race now, the idea of holding a Grand Prix in the city-state was to boost the countries tourism. The reason for it being a night race was for viewers in Europe and America, the teams remain on European time throughout the race based on GMT and that’s why the race is an hour earlier.

Singapore is largely a street circuit around Marina Bay, with wide streets ninety-degree corners and chicanes around the three miles circuit. Its more a Baku, Sochi style circuit with high speed and corners which creates overtaking opportunities. It takes in many of the city’s main streets and is bumpy creating challenges for drivers.

Until next season the circuit is the only race in South East Asia, this makes the circuit more physically demanding as the car use double the amount of energy over a single lap as compared to Monte Carlo. But like Monaco, it’s a challenge because of the heat, and barriers overtaking is not easy.

One of the challenges in Singapore is the set up of the car, FP1 takes place in the daytime meaning that gives the teams extra pressure to get most set up work done in the second practice session. Many drivers push hard to find the limits, however, the start of the 2017 race saw Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen and Kimi Raikkonen slide into each other at Turn One.

Fernando Alonso took the first win, that 2008 win has now gone down as one of the worst cases of cheating in the history of sport. Renault instructed his teammate Nelson Piquet Jr. to deliberately crash, to give a sporting advantage to Alonso.

2009 saw Lewis Hamilton take the first of four wins in Singapore something Sebastian Vettel has done too. The race the majority of the time features safety cars, drivers need to be able to react and that can make the difference between winning and losing races.

The possibility of overtaking is better than Monaco, as the figure of eight layout allows for drivers to be towed along the straights and being good on the brakes is important for overtaking. But that can create big opportunities for mistakes and drivers to crash out of the race.

Charles Leclerc heads to Singapore as the most in-form driver two wins in two races has moved him into third in the driver’s championship. But Mercedes know this is one of their historically tough race, but will 2019 be different? However, this year it is believed that Mercedes is more suited to Singapore.

Facts and figures

Fast facts

• Approximately 1600 custom-made floodlights are spread around the 5.075km Marina Bay circuit. The lights, four times brighter than at a regular sports stadium, are specially designed to minimize glare and surface reflection and to meet F1’s TV broadcasting standards
• First four drivers have shared victories at the eleven Singapore Grands Prix held since 2008. Sebastian Vettel (2011-2013, 2015) and Lewis Hamilton (2009, 2014, 2017-2018) have won four times, Fernando Alonso twice (2008, 2010), and Nico Rosberg once (2016).
• Red Bull have had more podium finishes here than any other team. They’ve scored top three results 12 times in total, double the tally of Ferrari and Mercedes.
• The Safety Car has made at least one appearance in every Singapore Grand Prix held to date. with frequent Safety Car periods, it’s not unusual for the Singapore Grand Prix to run to the two hour limit. Four races here have been won in a time of over two hours.
• No driver has retired more than three times from the race.

Event timetable

What happened in 2018?

Lewis Hamilton was on it again in qualifying in Singapore, despite making a mistake on his final run in Q3 he was the clear leader going three tenths faster than Max Verstappen.

The Dutchman believed that it had his best qualifying of the year, and could have been faster if he wasn’t affected by drivability problems with his engine. But he doubted he could challenge Hamilton for pole. Yet again errors affected Sebastian Vettel, struggling with setup and being caught in traffic meant he would start third.

Hamilton drove a very similar race to the one at Monza, the Mercedes driver once again had total control of the race. Verstappen got in between the two four times world champions, but Ferrari’s attempt to retake control was another strategic blunder.

Vettel stopped early on going to the faster but less durable tyre, Hamilton meanwhile switched to the soft tyre. The Germans race was further hindered when he was stuck in traffic behind Sergio Perez, while Hamilton controlled his gap to Verstappen.

Perez had dropped down the order and brought the safety car out after colliding with teammate Esteban Ocon. Later in the race, the Mexican had contact with Sergey  Sirotkin. They were fighting around the midway point after Perez got stuck behind the slow-moving Russian when they made contact as Perez tried to pass him.

Singapore was then maybe the race where Ferrari realised that their mistakes were costing the team points and that they were losing this championship. Mercedes had again I think proved they may have been weak early on at street circuits and in hot conditions, but they had got on top of it now.

Race Result – 1) L. Hamilton, Mercedes, 01:51:11.61, 2) M. Verstappen, Red Bull – Tag Heuer, +8.961, 3) S. Vettel, Ferrari, +39.945

What to watch for?

Singapore is one of the most difficult for teams and drivers because of the heat and length of the race. Accidents are common as drivers make mistakes and that leads most often to safety cars, thus effecting strategy. That means the pit stop can be powerful, especially the undercut. Overtaking can be harder than at some circuits, given the layout.

This weekend could be a three-horse race between Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull. Historically, as mentioned this is a weaker circuit for Mercedes but I believe that they have resolved those weaknesses given the wins in Monaco and Budapest. I think Ferrari will need to go for Charles Leclerc given he is their most in form driver.

Red Bull have taken tactical engine penalties ahead of this race, they know this is a race they can target because of its not about engine power this weekend. They have one of the best chassis and aero packages, along with Mexico it is one they must be believing they have a chance this weekend.

The midfield group are going to be close again, with this weekend street circuits as we always say creates opportunities for the smaller teams. But qualifying while more important than say race circuits is not as important as Monte Carlo. Its still makes close battles on track.

2017 vs 2018 Race Data

Note – 2017 ran to 58 laps as it exceeded two-hour time limit so was two hours plus a lap

A lap of Marina Bay

Lewis Hamilton comes around the final two corners heads for the outside putting the power down the straight to start the lap. He brakes a 120m into Sheares coming from the outside slows the car right down hits inside and outside kerb. Stays at low speed through three heading to the outside gets the power down, brakes intro five briefly. Gets the power down going through six, he is up three tenths in sector one.

He breaks 60m before Memorial corner, rounding it from the outside and hits the outside kerb on exit. Crosses back to the inside, he slows crossing to round the ninety degree Stamford goes to inside on exit. Speeds up on the short run to Padang,  takes it in a similar way. Builds speed going towards Sling breaking mid-corner and keeps power down. Breaks through the old chicane before power down across Anderson Bridge, breaking for thirteen. He then gets the power down on the last straight and is now a second up.

He breaks 50m before Connaught, which he comes from the inside and rounds the apex. He then gets the power down through the last flat part and breaks 50m before sixteen nice through the ninety-degree Esplanade. Runs along the harbour towards Bay, where he breaks and says at low speed under the stadium. Bit of power on the way to twenty, before breaking exiting twenty-one he gets the power down. He carries that to twenty-two, lifting slightly before power down and across the line with a 01:36.015.

Tyres