Grand Prix de Singapour : A revamped urban night circuit

Singapore, with its endless towering buildings and lights that never go out, even in the heart of the night, is where Formula 1 arrives for the 16th race of the year after partying in Europe. The Marina Bay circuit, nestled in the neighboring city-state of Malaysia, has become a contemporary staple of the calendar. Its baptism took place in 2008, marking the first entirely nocturnal race of its kind. Since its inaugural edition, it has firmly established itself in the competition landscape, except for the years 2020 and 2021, sadly overshadowed by the pandemic and forced to be canceled.

A revisited Marina Bay layout

Traditionally, the Singapore circuit offers thrilling races, but its very twisty layout made overtaking extremely challenging. The numerous appearances of the safety car sometimes caused races to stretch to the two-hour limit before the entirety of the track was covered. The only real opportunity for overtaking was found at the end of the long straight in the first sector.

Let us rejoice: this year, a drastic transformation has taken place in the section between turns 16 and 19, which are the last ones on the circuit (note that there were previously 23 turns). These four turns have been replaced by a new straight line that is conducive to overtaking. This modification has shortened the total length of the track to 4.940 kilometers, compared to 5.063 km before, which will result in a race of 62 laps instead of the previous 61. It should be noted that lap times are expected to improve by 12 to 15 seconds, reducing the likelihood of the race ending before reaching the total distance, which is 306.143 km. We are reassured. The three DRS zones are located between the 4th and 5th turns, between the 12th and 13th turns, and between the 17th and 18th turns.

Despite the now faster layout, Singapore remains a demanding circuit in terms of aerodynamic downforce, forcing the cars to face extreme conditions, particularly in regard to component cooling. This battle begins right at the heart of the machine, the internal combustion engine, which is pushed to the maximum for just over half of the lap. Add to that the fact that the braking system is put to the test for nearly 20 seconds on each lap. We are not immune to some technical issues on Sunday, despite the impressive reliability of the cars this year.

Pirelli tires for the Singapore Grand Prix

Just like for the other urban circuits this season, Pirelli will introduce in Singapore its trilogy of the softest compounds: the C3 labelled as P Zero White, classified as hard, the C4 in P Zero Yellow, considered as medium, and finally the C5 colored in P Zero Red, representing the soft compound.

The preferred strategic approach is undeniably a one-stop strategy, especially considering the significant time loss in the pit stop, which amounts to approximately 28 seconds. It is the most time-consuming pit stop of the entire season, sharing this distinction with the Imola circuit. Therefore, under normal circumstances, the hardest compound emerges as the main tire choice for the race, as long as the conditions remain dry.

Like other urban tracks, the starting position is crucial in order to hope for a favorable outcome, due to the rare opportunities for overtaking. [The qualifications] inevitably leave a strong imprint on the final result: we must not miss our chance on Saturday.

C’est la semaine du #SingaporeGP! 🇸🇬

🔼 La traction à la sortie du virage est critique
🛑 Le plus long temps d’arrêt aux stands de la saison#Fit4F1 pic.twitter.com/CAYIqNxnSK

— Pirelli Motorsport (@Pirellisport) 12 septembre 2023