After the emotional Italian Grand Prix, Formula One heads to a distant vacation spot, Singapore for Round 15 of the 2019 Championship with the Marina Bay Street Circuit returning after a two-year absence. F1Technical’s Balázs Szabó picks out some key information forward of the Singapore Grand Prix.
The Singapore Grand Prix, the seventeenth race of the 2022 season, opens the Asian back-to-back that can see the workforce additionally compete in Japan earlier than the last forays in the Americas and the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Formula One first visited Singapore in 2008, however the historical past of the Singapore Grand Prix goes additional again. It was first organised in 1961. Back then, it was often known as the Orient Year Grand Prix. The following yr, the race was renamed as the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Singapore attained its independence in 1965 and the occasion was renamed as soon as once more with the occasion being known as the Singapore Grand Prix. A complete of eight grands prix had been held between 1966 and 1973 for the Formula Libre sequence on the Thomson Road circuit.
The nation joined the fray after Bernie Ecclestone had signed an settlement for a five-year cope with the Singapore GP Ltd to host a grand prix at Marina Bay from 2008. The occasion, first sponsored by the telecommunication firm Singtel, grew to become the first evening race of Formula One. This timing meant that the occasion could possibly be broadcast at a handy time for European audiences. The race below synthetic lights often begins at 8 pm native time which barely moderates the excessive temperatures in the tropical local weather. The first road circuit in Asia created for Formula One was designed by Hermann Tilke.
The first race held at the new Marina Bay Street Circuit was the fifteenth spherical of the 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship, and was additionally the first night-time occasion in Formula One historical past. Felipe Massa secured the pole place in a dominant trend however Ferrari made a vital mistake throughout the his pit cease, releasing the Brazilian too early. In the finish, Fernando Alonso received the race driving for Renault.
For the 2009 race, the circuit was reprofiled barely, together with modifications to turns 1, 2 and three to help overtaking, and likewise at flip 10 the place excessive kerbs brought about many accidents in 2008. McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton secured the victory in entrance of Timo Glock and Fernando Alonso. In 2010, the Spaniard grew to become the first man to win twice in Singapore, however he was driving for Ferrari at the moment.
When the circus arrived at Marina Bay in 2011, Sebastian Vettel was in an unbelievable run of success and loved a lead of over 100 factors over the subject. He used his eleventh pole place of the season to perfection to attain his first win in Singapore. Next yr noticed Lewis Hamilton take the pole place, however he pulled out with gearbox points which enabled Sebastian Vettel to assert his second consecutive triumph at Marina Bay.
For the 2013 race, it was introduced that the tenth flip of the monitor, the “Singapore Sling” chicane, might be reconfigured so as to make the monitor safer. However, the modification couldn’t cease Sebastian Vettel to steal the present with one other victory. In 2014, the first yr of the hybrid period, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton secured the pole place which he that transformed right into a race victory on the following day.
In 2015, Sebastian Vettel secured his first Ferrari pole place and he was in a position to grasp on to that place on Sunday to clinch a commanding victory. Nico Rosberg managed the happenings in the following yr for Mercedes. In 2017, Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel proved the quickest in the qualifying session, however he was concerned in a primary nook collision together with his teammate Kimi Räikkönen and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, which led to the retirement of all three drivers. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton didn’t let this chance slip away from his fingers and took full benefit of the preliminary chaos on the initially damp monitor.
In 2019, the Singapore Grand Prix was a vital occasion for the title contenders, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel. However, Ferrari didn’t have the needed tempo round the road circuit and Hamilton received the race with Verstappen second and Vettel third.
Considering that they’ve dominated the previous decade of the sport with a number of world championship titles, it’s no shock that Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel are neck on neck in relation to wins earned in the Singapore Grand Prix historical past. Both males have received on 4 events, which makes them the most profitable drivers round the difficult road circuit. The Briton has taken his first triumph behind the wheel of McLaren whereas he has taken three different victories for Mercedes. The German recorded a hat trick of victories in 2011, 2012 and 2013 for Red Bull and received for Ferrari two years later.
Fernando Alonso is the solely different repeat winner in Singapore. He took the victory in the first ever Formula One Singapore Grand Prix in 2008 in controversial circumstances. Driving at Ferrari, the Spaniard claimed his second victory on the Marina Bay Circuit in 2010 following an epic battle with Sebastian Vettel.
Mercedes is the most profitable constructor in Singapore with 4 victories of which three had been clinched by Lewis Hamilton and the fourth one by Nico Rosberg. With three triumphs, Red Bull is second on this record adopted by Ferrari with two wins.
Over the previous years, Singapore has established itself as a Formula One basic. With its whole size of 5.063km, Singapore is considered one of the longest tracks on the present calendar. However, the road monitor moderately grew to become well-known due to its format. Drivers need to excel with their automobiles driving by way of a sequence of adverse corners and over very excessive kerbs. Singapore’s weather conditions characterised by warmth and excessive humidity additionally add one other problem to grasp.
The specifically made pit straight provides the first alternative for drivers to make use of the drag discount system. At the finish of the comparatively brief straight, drivers strategy the first flip at a pace of round 300kph. The sequence of the first three corners is formed like an ‘S’ that entices drivers to drive aggressively over the kerbs to realize monitor time. A brief full-throttle part, the Republic Boulevard follows which then ends in the right-hand Turn 5. Drivers focus with all their energies on the exit of that flip to have the greatest acceleration onto the longest full-throttle part of the circuit, the Raffles Boulevard.
The second sector begins with Turn 7 the place the exit kerbs often turn out to be scorching subjects over the weekend as drivers are eager to exceed the monitor limits there. After taking Turn 8 at a pace of roughly 70kph, drivers choose up the throttle for a brief time period earlier than braking to 115kph to take Turn 9. St. Andrews Road is one other longer full-throttle part. The right-hand Turn 10 requires a exact braking transfer.
The sequence of the subsequent two bends type a chicane the place rear stability is necessary to manoeuvre the automobile properly over the daunting kerbs. After driving over the Anderson Bridge, drivers strategy Turn 13, considered one of the slowest a part of the complete circuit. Having an excellent exit is vital as the second sector ends in an extended full-throttle part.
After increase speeds of 285kph, Turn 14 diverts to the proper at 78kph. Next, a sequence of principally blind corners from flip 15 to 19 the place drivers typically kiss the obstacles with the rear tyres. The part between Turn 18 and 19 goes below the floating platform grandstand. After 19 corners, drivers strategy one other difficult chicane shaped by Turn 20 and 21 the place tyres are often overheated and as a consequence don’t give the greatest grip. Running down in the direction of Turn 22, drivers move the 165m tall Singapore Flyer, the place Turn 22 and 23 are taken flat-out at about 180 km/h.
Source link
