Stroll senior splashing the cash…
Adrian Newey will be the Managing Technical Partner of the Aramco Aston Martin Formula 1 Team.
Daddy Stroll bucks does it again
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So, that was a spicy end…
also dammit Charles, you had it…
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Hehehe yes they are …
Not sure about some of those team orders but for now I will take the wins
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It’s a back-to-back RAWE CEEK!
(Followed by another almost one month gap before the US GP on 20 October!)
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/dance
/cry
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Ralf Schumacher seems certain that Danni Ric won’t even make the end of the season…
True or not, I feel bad for D Ric. He was on fire at Red Bull, and the move to Renault was a bad one. If he stuck it out things might have been very different. I just think he wont be competitive in any car right now…
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2024 Singapore Grand Prix 
Marina Bay Street Circuit | Singapore | Sunday 22 September
2024 F1 Season: Round 18
Singapore. The original F1 Night Race. Because it’s just too hot and too humid to race in the day. Even with the cooler evening temperatures, the race is still one of the most physically demanding and draining for the drivers. Racing for close to the maximum two hours allowed, drivers can lose as much as 3kg in body weight over the course of the race.
Last year, the Marina Bay Circuit was the scene of the only race in the entire season that wasn’t won by a Red Bull. Carlos Sainz and Ferrari claimed the victory at a circuit where the Verstappen and Perez Red Bulls struggled the entire weekend.
Returning to Singapore in a very different Championship position to last year, Max is already predicting that they will be on the back foot again this weekend. The papaya team will be hoping that their recent surge of form can continue (with or without bendy rear wing elements!), while the Scuderia will be hoping that Sainz Jnr. can repeat his heroics from last year and paint the town red instead. A Sainz win would be a very fitting way for the Spaniard to celebrate his 200th Formula 1 Grand Prix start.
Just the Facts
- First Grand Prix: 2008
- Track Length: 4,940km
- Lap Record: 1m 35.867s, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 2023
- Most Poles: Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton (4)
- Most Wins: Sebastian Vettel (5)
- Pole to Turn 1: 178 metres
- Overtakes in 2023: 85
- Pit Stop Time Loss: 29.02 seconds
- Safety Car Probability: 100%*
- Virtual Safety Car Probability: 33%*
*From the last six races in Singapore
Last Five Pole-sitters
- 2023 – Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
- 2022 – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- 2019 – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- 2018 – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
- 2017 – Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
Last Five Winners
- 2023 – Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
- 2022 – Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
- 2019 – Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
- 2018 – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
- 2017 – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
The Schedule
F1 have changed something on the website - no more neat looking schedule graphic 
Nevertheless, Singapore is the OG night race venue, so despite being 6 hours ahead of us, the weekends’ schedule makes for reasonably decent viewing times for us.
The Circuit
After the improved racing last year with the removal of the fiddly bit around the waterfront arena, this year sees the addition of a fourth DRS zone (technically, an added element to the existing DRS Zone 2). DRS in the second zone will now be available between T13 and T14 and again from immediately after T14 through to T16. That change may make overtaking into T16 a possible option to add to the T7 spot that saw the majority of overtakes last year.
When was the track built?
The Marina Bay Circuit arrived on the scene in 2008. A street track with the city’s famous skyline as its spectacular backdrop, the initial circuit plan by Herman Tilke was refined by KBR Inc, while the event has quickly established itself as one of the standouts on the F1 calendar.
When was its first Grand Prix?
In 2008, Singapore had the honour of hosting the first night-time race in F1 history. The Grand Prix – the 15th round of that season – proved a huge hit with the teams and drivers, while Renault’s Fernando Alonso claimed a controversial victory.
What’s the circuit like?
The Marina Bay Circuit is one of the most physically demanding on the calendar, its bumpy street surface coupled with humid conditions giving the drivers plenty to think about. Even after a 2023 layout change reducing the number of corners from 23 to 19, they are working the wheel a lot, too, around the high-speed lap – the physical stress causing them to lose as much as 3kg in body weight over the course of a race.
Jolyon Palmer, former Renault F1 driver:
Marina Bay is a long, complex circuit, and draining as well – a little bit like Monaco – with plenty of bumps. It’s all about the low-speed and having decent turn-in without losing the rear or suffering snaps of oversteer.
There are still 19 corners after the removal of the Turns 16-19 section, which has become a long straight, and towards the end of the lap you’re starting to worry about your rear tyres overheating, particularly if you’ve not been kind to them earlier on.
Braking is particularly tricky at Turn 7, where it’s easy to run wide. The newer Singapore Sling through Turns 10 and 11 is also one of those ones that can lure you into going too deep, often catching drivers out.
Coming over the bridge, where you brake to the right and then turn to the left, induces lock-ups, while a lot of traction events mean you’re spiking rear tyre temperatures – and there’s an emphasis on rear grip here.
A huge amount of concentration is required for this circuit and Grand Prix. You can lose a few kilos of liquid during the race, so hydration is the order of the day. Monaco might be the only venue with a slower average speed, but Singapore can be an absolute slog.
The Weather
Singapore weather. Hot and humid. Probably moist. A 20% - 30% probability of rain throughout the weekend, but showers tend to be short, if intense.
The Tyres
Here on the Equator, the dry weather compounds chosen for the 15th running of the Singapore Grand Prix are the same as last year’s and in fact the same as at the past two races at Monza and Baku, on tracks each with very different characteristics: C3 as Hard, C4 as Medium and C5 as Soft.
The circuit was modified last year with the aim of making it flow better, but it is still one of the twistiest of the season. Its length is now down to 4.940 kilometres so that the number of laps has been increased to 62. In the final sector, between what used to include turns 16 to 19, a 400 metre straight has replaced them so that the number of corners has been reduced from 23 to 19. Last year, the work of resurfacing the track began and this year the sections between turns 3 and 9, 10 and 12 and 14 and 17 have also been resurfaced. The bitumen should be similar to that used on public roads generally open to city traffic, but with new asphalt one can expect a smoother surface. One does not usually learn much from the first free practice session, but this time it will give everyone the opportunity to acquire important data relating to tyre behaviour.
As with all street circuits, the slightest mistake in Singapore comes at a high price, given there are very few run-off areas and running a fraction off-line can see you in the barriers. Therefore the Safety Car is a common sight here, especially as it takes quite a while to remove a stricken car from the track. There are a couple of factors that make the one-stop the only valid strategy: firstly, the time lost for a tyre change pit stop is around 28 seconds, partly because the pit lane speed limit is reduced to 60 km/h and secondly, overtaking on this track is definitely complicated. A two-stop need only be considered in the event of the race being neutralised.
Usually, the Soft is purely a qualifying tyre, with the race laps split between the Medium and the Hard. However, last year the C5 played its part on Sunday, especially in the first stint with drivers wanting to make the most of its extra grip at the start. Degradation at this track is mainly down to thermal stress, not so much on the surface of the tyre, but within it, something one does not see that often and that varies a lot depending on car set-up and the aerodynamic load the cars generate.
At the Marina Bay circuit we have often seen first stints where the drivers are trying to go as long as they can, managing their tyres with the aim of balancing the two stints as much as possible. This often leads to the formation of a train of cars, all running nose to tail, unable to overtake because there is not enough of a performance difference, this despite the track having three DRS zones. Therefore, in an effort to produce more on-track action, the FIA has decided to introduce a fourth DRS zone for this weekend, between turns 14 and 16 and we will have to wait until Sunday to see if it produces the desired result.
Adding to the unpredictable nature of this race is the weather. Sitting astride the Equator, Singapore’s climate does not vary, with high humidity, rarely below 70%, with the chance of rain showers, some very heavy, at any time of the day or night.
The Programme
The Digital Race Programme is back! Check out the DRP for the Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2024, including features on Williams’ ‘quiet giant’ Alex Albon, and what to watch for in F1 Academy this weekend – plus stats on all 10 F1 teams.
Experience the free race programme with animation, sound and video in the Official F1 Race Programme app, available in your App Store. Get every edition, every race weekend on your phone.
Download now at linktr.ee/F1raceprogramme
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on X: “THE F1 ACCOUNT PUT A TIMING ON THE LIZARD 
Right in the feels!
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Fantastic long read article from Formula One Forever detailing the history of Kyalami and the South African Grand Prix, and its significance and impact of the world and history of Formula 1.
Includes this amazing shot of Senna, Prost, and Schumacher racing in the very last SAGP in 1993.
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It’s official 
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Red Bull as an organisation really did DaniRic dirty. As much as it was inevitable that he was going to be replaced, they could have done a lot more to send him off with a little class. The dude loves the US (and vice versa) they should have announced that USA would be his last GP before being replaced by Lawson for the rest of the season. Could have given him a proper farewell. C’est la vie.
He’ll be missed. Hopefully he gets snapped up by a decent Indy Car team and gets to continue driving for a while.
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Even if they didn’t want to keep him that long they could have announced it before the previous race. Fokol send off, man is just done. Nice guys finish last after all.
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I would pay good money to see that.
Not much, cause, y’know, poor. But I would pay many South African cents!
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Au revoir Renault, guten tag Mercedes.
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/alpine-to-end-f1-engine-programme-after-2025/10659346/
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