F1 Singapore GP circuit breakdown: Marina Bay tests driver fitness and skill

Formula 1 is headed to the Lion City’s Marina Bay Street Circuit to compete under the glittering stars and lights for the Singapore Grand Prix. It’s a young track by F1 standards, but one already with some notoriety.

The Singapore GP debuted in 2008 as the sport’s first race under floodlights, but the race was quickly tainted by the “Crashgate” scandal (which returned to the news last year). Marina Bay’s track layout is tight and twisty, leaving little room for error as the 20 drivers make their way through the streets. It is quite hard on the brakes, and changes were made before the 2023 edition of the race, reducing the number of corners from 23 to 19.

More changes were made ahead of the 2024 Grand Prix. To help deal with the trickiness of overtaking, a fourth DRS zone has been added between Turns 14 and 16. Resurfacing continues in multiple areas of the circuit. Marina Bay Street circuit uses public roads, so the question is how bumpy it will be after the resurfacing.

Initially designed by the famous Hermann Tilke (whose CV includes circuits in Jeddah, Baku, Austin and Abu Dhabi) and refined by KBR Inc., the track presents a physical challenge for the drivers and teams due to Singapore’s hot and humid tropical climate. . And even though the race is held in Asia, the paddock operates on European time – meaning reversed sleep schedules.

“You have to put a lot of work into the car to get a good lap,” Lewis Hamilton said in 2008. “I’d say it takes twice the energy of Monaco in a single lap. One lap here is like two laps of Monaco. “

Before F1 leaps into the thick Singapore night, here’s what you need to know about the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

Specifications

Making the night race happen

“If you survive Singapore, you’re fit for anything else in Formula 1.”

Sainz is not wrong. The Singapore Grand Prix is ​​one of F1’s most physically and mentally challenging races – it all happens under the floodlights. Lighting systems are used all around the streets to mimic daytime conditions, and in turn, the paddock operates on European time. Trackside personnel (drivers, team, media, etc.) will go to bed around dawn and wake up in the early afternoon. It is strange that the paddock is not in sync with the local community, but the timing is ideal for the global audience.

This “in limbo” aspect isn’t the only weird part about making this grand prix happen; it also navigates the hot and humid conditions. Many fans have seen drivers using stationary bikes in saunas to prepare for the heat, although not every driver does so. Due to the sweltering weather, drivers lose up to three kilograms (6.6 pounds) in body weight during the race, and the physical demand makes it much more difficult, all components challenge their focus.

“You have to stay very alert because you have to drive at full speed between the walls, you have to be very precise where you put the car, and that’s usually where it becomes difficult, where you have to be still on the edge of the car. a car playing with centimeters after losing a few pounds or liters inside your body,” Pierre Gasly said in 2022. “So that’s definitely the biggest challenge of the year.”

And the obstacles don’t stop there. The Singapore Grand Prix is ​​one of the longest races on the calendar in terms of time, based on the low average speeds, and can become processional on Sunday due to the tight nature of the track. There are a few overtaking opportunities, like Turn 1 (although it’s still tough there), but the slightest mistake can send a driver into the wall.

“It just drains you a lot mentally and physically, and not making any mistakes, performing at the level you need to perform at, is where it becomes a bigger challenge,” said Lando Norris in 2023. “Also, from that point on. , one of the best tracks I’d say to race, to put everything together, the curves, the bumps, it’s a really fun track. I’ve always loved it, that’s why I’m looking forward to it so much.”

Tinkering with the layout

The layout of Marina Bay Street Circuit underwent a significant change last year.

Near the end of the lap, Turns 16-19 used to run under a grandstand. They were implemented before the 2023 race to form a longer straight, reducing the number of corners from 23 to 19. Where the circuit length decreases, the Singapore Grand Prix increased the number of laps by one.

“I feel it’s definitely a little less intense,” Nico Hülkenberg said in 2023. “It’s a few seconds in a straight line rather than grip-limited zones and walls, where you’re really peaking with the car and the walls. It could be a little change, but it still won’t be a walk in the park.”

Changing the almost 90 degree turns for a straight should make things a little easier on the braking systems and the tires. Pirelli sent the softest compounds of tires (C3 for the hard tire, C4 for medium, and C5 for the soft), which degrade faster than the harder range, and it has chosen to do so again in 2024.

While racing is not neutralized, the one-stop strategy is the best option because of the amount of time a driver loses with a tire change (about 28 seconds, assuming it is a well-executed stop) and overtaking was enough. difficult Drivers try to extend their first shift, and DRS trains appear. A fourth DRS zone between Turns 14 and 16 was added before the 2024 race to help facilitate overtaking.

Speaking of DRS, who can forget how Carlos Sainz used it to secure the only non-Red Bull win of the 2023 season?

A debut to remember

The championship battle between McLaren and Ferrari was tight going into the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix weekend.

Based on the hype surrounding the historic weekend and the ongoing battle, Singapore looked poised for success as the race weekend progressed. Racing under the floodlights didn’t seem as big of a factor as many fans may expect, and the track was a success for the paddock. But the major grand prix soon became known for Crashgate.

To simplify a complicated conflict: Fernando Alonso of Renault secured the first victory despite qualifying 15th after his teammate Nelson Piquet Jr. crashed and mixed up the grid order.

Piquet Jr. later revealed that he crashed deliberately, on team orders, and a subsequent investigation led to penalties for multiple Renault team personnel. The race hit the championship battle, which Massa eventually lost to Hamilton by one point.

Massa filed a lawsuit in March, naming Formula One Management (FOM), former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) as the defendants. It is an unprecedented legal move within the world of F1; however, there are legal precedents from other cases. Massa’s lawsuit seeks more than $80 million in damages and, among other things, “a declaration that the FIA ​​acted in violation of its own regulations by failing to investigate the circumstances of the Crash promptly in 2008.”

Halve its energy emissions by 2028

F1’s push to be net zero by 2030 presents unique challenges for each circuit as different markets vary in resources and what is actually possible for that community.

Take the Singapore Grand Prix, a race under the lights and stars, for example. Race organizers conducted their first carbon footprint report and discovered that energy accounted for 96.1% of the 2022 emissions, while 3.9% came from water, transport and waste. Based on the results, changes are made, starting with the 2023 race.

A feasibility trial took place during the 2023 grand prix where diesel was replaced by renewable fuel options, such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO). The use of R100 HVO was increased, specifically with power generators in Zone 1, and according to F1, there was an impact. Scope 1 emissions from burning fuels fell 40.97 percent.

Other sustainability-focused measures have been taken ahead of the 2023 Grand Prix. Solar panels were installed on top of the pit building by the Singapore Tourism Board earlier in 2023, and the track lights were replaced with “energy-efficient LED lights”. According to F1, the headlight change reduced energy use by at least 30 percent. More than 100 water-efficient solar-powered toilets were used, saving an estimated 129,600 liters of water over the 2023 race weekend.

Circuit Curiosities

• The older, iconic Singapore Sling chicane – which Hamilton described in 2010 as “the worst corner I’ve ever driven in Formula 1” – was removed in 2013 due to safety concerns. There was a fear that if a car was out of control and hit the curbs properly, the vehicle would become airborne. Although the curbs were lowered many times, race organizers eventually changed the angle completely.
• Sebastian Vettel has won the most Singapore Grands Prix (five). Hamilton has the most wins (four) among active drivers.
• Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull are tied for the most wins here by a constructor (four each).

This is an updated version of a story that first appeared in September 2023.

(Feature Image: Mario Renzi – Formula 1, Bryn Lennon – Formula 1, Clive Mason / Getty Images; Design: Drew Jordan, The Athletics)