Singapore GP Preview: Mercedes & Ferrari Can Halt Verstappen Title Victory

Singapore. A country often overlooked and compared to other modern financial behemoths for lacking character due to its lavish skyscrapers and being a destination only for the rich and famous, but is actually a country brimming with culture and heritage. Within the 279 square miles (less than half of Greater London), lies a track layout around the famous Marina Bay hosted the Singapore Grand Prix every year between 2008 and 2019 and returns this year after a Covid-enforced hiatus. It was the first ever night race to arrive in F1 and holds the record of having a safety car period during every single race, 21 deployments in the 12 races held there.

Where: Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore.

When: Race weekend begins at 11am BST on Friday with Free Practice 1. Race on Sunday to commence at 1pm BST.

Schedule:

Friday

11am: Free Practice 1

2pm: Free Practice 2

Saturday

11am: Free Practice 3

2pm: Qualifying Session

Sunday

1pm: Race (61 laps or two hours)

All times shown are BST.

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2021 Winner:

There was no winner in 2021, nor 2020. Since the Grand Prix was introduced in 2008, there’s only actually been three winners of the race in Fernando Alonso (twice), Lewis Hamilton (x4) and Sebastian Vettel (x5). Vettel was the last one to win back in 2019 in his Ferrari days and it remains his final win to date.

Looking back to previous races, Singapore always delivers great action and often controversy. The inaugural event in 2008 saw the birth of ‘Crashgate’ when Fernando Alonso cruised to victory thanks to a safety car caused by the crash of teammate Nelson Piquet Jr. which he later revealed to be on purpose so Alonso could win the race. 2010 saw Heikki Kovalainen jump out of his burning Lotus and put it out with a fire extinguisher himself on the track.

2015 had Lewis Hamilton fall short of Ayrton Senna’s record of eight poles in a row, and 41 race wins, although he quickly destroyed the record in the years to come. The beginning of Max Verstappen’s ‘attitude era’ also came in this GP, when he refused to let his Toro Rosso teammate Carlos Sainz through and screamed ‘No!’ at his race engineer upon a request to move over. It was at the same race that a rogue spectator ran on the track and was later called 'crazy' by Vettel.

Talking Points:

There’s only one story on everyone’s lips this weekend. Max Verstappen can win the World Drivers' Championship in Singapore, depending on results going his way and if he can get the win on a track he’s previously not been able to do it on. With the previously mentioned record that there has been a safety car at every Singapore GP, the result might not be easy to come by for the Dutchman, with almost anyone having a chance at glory if they’re lucky enough.

To win the championship, you can picture a little flowchart in your head, starting with the question “Did Max get the fastest lap?” If yes, then Charles Leclerc needs to have finished eighth or lower, and Sergio Perez finishes fourth or lower. If Max doesn’t get the fastest lap, then Leclerc needs to finish ninth or lower, and Perez needs to finish fourth or lower without the fastest lap. It’s confusing but you can depend on the commentary team keeping you up to date with the ongoing scenario as it unfolds.

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How can Max Verstappen win the World Championship in Singapore this weekend? 🤔👇

There is a sneaking suspicion that Verstappen’s celebrations will be put on hold, with the Singapore track perhaps not playing to the Red Bull’s strengths, as it remains the fastest car in a straight line but might struggle with the 23 corners and the track being the slowest, on average, on the entire calendar.

The Track:

The Marina Bay street circuit really is a unique one. Chicanes, faux straights, esses and more all combine to create one of the most complex tracks on the schedule. Temperatures are often high despite the late local start time, and humidity in this part of the world is often the highest you’ll ever experience. Lewis Hamilton has said that the track requires double the amount of energy a typical race around Monaco does due to the climate.

The kerbs around the circuit are high and harsh, with Felipe Massa comparing them to 'little tortoises that would wreck your car’. The asphalt is famously bumpy due to many parts of the track being used as public roads, although work started earlier this year to improve the road surface after the issues with porpoising.

There’s quite a few landmarks to look out for throughout the race, with a floating football pitch that can turn into a concert area and more between turns 17 and 18. The famous Marina Bay Sands resort provides an appropriate backdrop too, a building of three towers with a slab on top named SkyPark, designed to have a 150-metre infinity pool.

Fans of the video game series ‘Call of Duty’ might not think much of it now, but the ‘Grand Prix’ multiplayer map on the soon releasing ‘Modern Warfare 2’ (October 2022) is designed around Marina Bay, and the story-based campaign is expected to feature the resort too.