The Marina Bay track is just under five kilometres long with 19 corners and its main challenge comes from the suffocating heat and humidity that hits you the moment you step out of the airport. The difficult physical demands caused by these conditions mean that most of the drivers arrive a few days early to acclimatise. Maya Weug and Aurelia Nobels tackle the fifth round of the F1 Academy season having gone well in the previous event at Zandvoort.
The standings. In the Netherlands, Maya finished both races on the podium, third in Race 1 and second in Race 2, showing a return to her early-season form. Weug is now fifth, just four points behind the top three. Aurelia also had plenty to smile about in Zandvoort, with two points finishes for the 17 year old Brazilian, which has moved her into the top ten in the championship, demonstrating clear signs of progress. Both girls will have to learn the Singapore track, which is no easy task, but they have prepared well for it. “Some drivers know this circuit, but I’m not one of them,” said Maya. “We only get one 30 minute free practice session, so the work we’ve done on the simulator is very important. Physically, it’s a demanding track because of the heat and especially the humidity. We have trained hard in the gym and paid particular attention to our diet. I’ve intensified my padel sessions always playing in the middle of the day when the conditions are at their hottest and I’d say it’s been a useful addition to my training programme.”
Programme. The action stars with free practice on Friday at 15.20 (09.20 CEST). Qualifying starts at night with the green light at 19.30 (13.30 CEST). Race 1 is on Saturday at 15.05 (09.05 CEST) with Race 2 on Sunday at 15.35 (09.35 CEST).Both races last 30 minutes, with the usual points allocation from 25 to the winner to 1 for tenth place. There are also two points for each pole position and one for the fastest race lap.