Singapore Grand Prix: presentation of a testing circuit

No time to catch your breath. The Azerbaijani Grand Prix, won by young Oscar Piastri, is already passing the baton to Singapore. The ten teams will therefore meet this weekend under the lights of the city-state for a night race, the third of the six in the calendar.

A challenging track

In order to spare the drivers from driving during the hottest hours of the day and to allow Europeans to follow the sessions without having to wake up at dawn, Singapore is the first Grand Prix in the history of F1 to take place at night. On September 28, 2008, the Marina Bay circuit was illuminated for the first edition of this Grand Prix, which has never been removed from the calendar since.

Along the 4,940km track, zigzags between the main monuments of the city. With 62 laps in the race, the single-seaters will cover approximately 306km. Modified last year in order to make it smoother, it remains one of the twistiest of the season. In the final sector, a 400m straight line has replaced the old turns 16 to 19. The number of turns has thus been reduced from 23 to 19. Part of the track has also been resurfaced. The first free practice session will therefore allow teams to acquire important data regarding the behavior of the tires on this new asphalt.

In racing, several elements lead to favoring a one-stop strategy. First, because a pit stop results in a loss of about 28 seconds, partly due to the speed limit in the pit lane of 60 km/h. But also because overtaking on this track is particularly difficult. A second stop should only be considered in the case of an overtaking opportunity.

Urban circuit mandatory, any mistake is costly . Just one small exit from the line can send you into the barriers. The safety car has been deployed at least once in each of the last 14 editions . Skimming the walls at speeds exceeding 200 mph in a straight line, this technical track requires maximum concentration from the driver, who must also deal with wet and very hot weather.

Crushing heat

In Singapore, the climate is tropical. Temperatures do not drop below 24°C and can reach 34°C in the afternoon, all with a humidity level that rarely drops below 70%. In addition, there are frequent thunderstorms. Bright sunshine can quickly turn into a heavy downpour within minutes.

The weather thus adds to the already demanding nature of this race, making it a hell for the body. In addition to the battles on the track, drivers must manage an invisible battle, one with themselves to ensure their body holds up until the checkered flag. In the cockpit of their single-seater, where the temperature hovers around 60 degrees, they must, despite focusing on every move to avoid the walls, remember to drink. Enough to resist but not too much to avoid getting sick, especially with water, also at 60°C.

Obviously, their training is adapted several weeks before this appointment in order to prepare their body to handle sweating and lack of oxygen.

The choice of Pirelli

We take the same and start over. As in Monza and Baku, Pirelli has opted for the softest range of their tires. The available tires will be the C3 in hard rubber, the C4 in intermediate rubber, and the C5 in soft rubber. Note that these tires are particularly suited to urban circuits, where smooth asphalt reduces tire wear.

Here, on the equator, the compounds chosen for the 15th edition of the Singapore Grand Prix are the same as those of last year: C3 as hard, C4 as medium, and C5 as soft. […] On this track, degradation is mainly due to thermal stress, not so much on the surface of the tire but rather inside it, which is not so common and varies a lot depending on the car’s configuration and the aerodynamic load it generates, explains Pirelli in its statement.