After a three-week break, Formula 1’s 17th race of the season approaches, hosted at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore. For a brief stint from 1966 to 1973, the Grand Prix was hosted on a different track, but Singapore reappeared on the Formula 1 calendar in 2008 with the sport’s first-ever night race as well as the first street circuit in Asia.
Following a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the Singapore Grand Prix returns as one of the most challenging races for Formula 1 drivers on the current calendar. In fact, the modern Singapore Grand Prix has featured at least one safety car in every race since it began at Marina Bay Street Circuit. A safety car is used to limit the speed of competing cars in case of a caution period, such as an obstruction on the track.
One of those safety cars was tied to a now infamous incident referred to as Crashgate by Formula 1 fans and insiders. In the 2008 inaugural race, then-Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr. — who is the son of three-time Formula 1 champion Nelson Piquet (and brother to current World Driver Champion Max Verstappen’s girlfriend) — crashed and sparked a series of events, including the deployment of a safety car, which led to his teammate Fernando Alonso winning the hotly contested race.
At the time, Piquet maintained that the crash was a “simple mistake,” but after being dropped by the team not long after, he would then publicly claim that the incident was orchestrated to assist Alonso with the victory.
Heading into the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix, it may take a safety car or two to slow down the seemingly inevitable march to a second drivers’ championship by Max Verstappen, who currently leads his closest rival, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, by 116 points.
With 164 first-place points still on the table, Leclerc is not technically out of the hunt, but the window is narrowing. If Verstappen wins the Singapore Grand Prix, Leclerc will have to finish no less than eighth to prevent the Dutchman from clinching the title. If Verstappen wins and secures the championship point for fastest lap time, Leclerc would have to finish no less than seventh.
Outside of Leclerc, mathematically only Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez and Mercedes’ George Russell are still in title contention, but their prospects are much dimmer. A Verstappen win would all but eliminate Russell from the discussion, regardless of where he finishes.
While time will tell where the field shakes out, Vegas oddsmakers like Verstappen to win in Singapore (-250) followed by both Ferrari drivers, Leclerc (+400) and Carlos Sainz (+1,000), and then Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton (+1,400).
It has been three years since Formula 1 has raced in Singapore, so there are major changes to the tire selection this time around.
“With 18-inch tyres that have a completely different compound and structure compared to the ones used three years ago – as well as new asphalt this year – it’s almost like a totally new race,” remarked Mario Isola, Pirelli motorsport director.
“Singapore is all about slow corners – all 23 of them – and maximising traction. We’ve got the three softest compounds for maximum speed and grip but looking after the rear tyres in order to ensure the drive needed will be key,” continued Isola.
Practice sessions begin Friday, September 30, at 5 a.m. CST. Meanwhile, qualifying kicks off Saturday at 8 a.m. CST, and the Singapore Grand Prix race itself will begin on Sunday at 7 a.m. CST.
PIT STOPS:
- Max Verstappen has scored enough points that if he was his own team he’d be ranked fourth in the Constructors Championship.
- Nicholas Latifi has officially been set aside by Williams Racing, who will be looking for a new driver for its second seat now in 2023.
- Zhou Guanyu and Yuki Tsunoda both received one-year extensions and will remain on the grid for 2023 with their current teams.
- The FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) announced that the 2023 Formula 1 season will feature 24 races, which is a record for the sport.
- Three of these races will be held in the United States, including the fourth-ever race on a Saturday, which will be held at the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix.
