The 2024 Formula 1 (F1) Singapore Grand Prix is just around the corner, making this weekend a busy one for those in town.
Come Sunday (22 Sept), the Marina Bay Street Circuit will host 20 drivers from 10 F1 teams.
This will be the 18th race of the F1 season, out of the 24 total.
Although the Marina Bay Street Circuit has become an F1 staple since 2008, it can be tough to follow along as we wait for “lights out and away we go”.
Here are seven must-know facts that will turn any F1 ‘dummy’ into an overnight expert.
The Singapore GP takes place on the Marina Bay Street Circuit, with the race starting from the Pit Grandstand near the Singapore Flyer.
Drivers will complete 62 laps of the 4.94km Marina Bay Circuit, zooming past landmarks such as the Padang & Esplanade, to name a few.
The circuit is also one of eight street circuits on the calendar.
Source: F1
Like many other street races, it is difficult for drivers to overtake one another on track due to how narrow the circuit can get.
This means a great deal of emphasis will be placed on the Qualifying Session happening on Saturday (21 Sept).
This session basically determines the order in which the cars will start.
The fastest car will sit at the front of the grid, also called pole position.
Meanwhile, those who qualified at slower timings will start further back on the track.
The Singapore GP is such a difficult track that it reportedly holds the record of the only circuit to have at least one safety car at every race.
Source: Formula One
Safety cars are used to limit the speed of racing cars while there are dangerous conditions on the track, typically due to a crash or hazardous weather.
Adding to the difficulty is the fact that the Singapore GP is one of the six night races on the calendar. The others are Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Las Vegas, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia.
Source: The Judge 13
One of the big reasons it’s a night race is to avoid the scalding tropical heat.
Even if it takes place at night, the Marina Bay Circuit is often regarded as one of the most, if not the most, difficult tracks to drive physically due to humidity.
The 2016 World Driver’s Champion Nico Rosberg said he would lose nearly 4kg throughout the race just from sweating.
Coming into the Singapore GP on Sunday, there are a few top teams to look out for.
The season is in full swing with the McLaren team having overtaken Red Bull for the top spot in the Constructor’s Championship.
Two other teams to look out for are Ferrari and Mercedes.
As for the drivers, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is a well-known name given that he is the reigning world champion.
Source: @redbullracing on X
He remains the leading driver at 313 points coming into the Singapore GP.
However, the two drivers of the orange McLarens have also been putting up a fight in recent races.
Lando Norris is the closest to challenge Verstappen, with 254 points in the driver’s championship.
Source: Motorsport.com
His teammate Oscar Piastri is fourth in the rankings and sits at 222 points after his win at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last weekend.
The scarlet Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is the dark horse for the race.
He managed to scrap together a victory on another challenging street circuit at his home race in Monaco, and also won at Ferrari’s home race in Italy, seemingly out of nowhere.
Source: @ScuderiaFerrari on X
Leclerc also started in pole position at the recent Azerbaijan street circuit but came in second during the race.
Despite the Ferrari cars clearly lagging behind the McLarens, Leclerc has somehow managed to be third in the standings at 235 points.
Leclerc’s teammate Carlos Sainz won the Singapore GP last year.
It was also the only race where a Red Bull did not win.
Source: Carlos Sainz
He was joined on the podium by Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton, in second and third respectively.
The Singapore GP will follow the usual weekend format. That means teams will have two 1-hour practice sessions on Friday (20 Sept).
On Saturday, there is a final practice session before the qualifying session. The race itself will be on Sunday evening.
Source: @F1NightRace on X
Teams will typically use practice sessions to test adjust their cars to the track, gauge their top speeds, as well as work out strategies by checking how long they can make their tires last.
Qualifying on Saturday is used to determine the starting order of the cars.
Divided into three, slowly dwindling sessions, each driver will push their car to the limits for the fastest lap time so they can sit in pole position.
Officially, nearly all the tickets have been sold. However, there are still one-day tickets available on the Singapore GP website.
Walkabouts go for as high as S$298 on Saturday. Grandstand tickets, which are sold out, are over twice the price at S$688 on Saturday.
Source: @F1NightRace on X
If you’re out of luck and out of tickets, there are still spots where you can catch a glimpse of the action — though you may have to fight the crowds to do so.
You can try the Helix Bridge, some of the hotels like Pan Pacific Singapore, or even Marina Bay Sands itself.
The bridges linking Marina Square and Millenia Walk, and Marina Square and Suntec are also good bets.
For those who want to see the drivers in action off the track, there are some places where you might get lucky.
Because of their partnership, you might be able to spot the McLaren drivers at Hilton Singapore Orchard. Ferrari has a partnership with Marina Bay Sands.
JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach seems to be a top choice for the Mercedes team.
Please be aware that these drivers may be exhausted from preparing for the race and want to take a break, so do be respectful when asking for photographs or autographs.
Although there is a clear pecking order in F1, it is also true that “rain is the great equalizer”.
This is because rain changes the conditions of the track completely, forcing drivers into uncomfortable positions.
Source: @redbullracing on X
The rain has gifted F1 fans with plenty of exciting races. In 2021, George Russell managed to put the perennial back marker Williams in P2 due to the rain.
With the constant rain Singapore has received recently, a bit of luck may have the Singapore GP be one of the most exciting races of the year.
Also read: 16-year-old teen is 1st S’porean to join Alpine F1 Academy, will compete in F4
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Featured image adapted from F1 and AutoDeft.
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