The Formula 1 World Championship now moves on to the second consecutive street circuit. After the very high speed Baku track, Scuderia Ferrari HP and the other teams are in Singapore, the city-state a short distance from Malaysia. The Marina Bay Circuit, a more conventional track than the one in Azerbaijan, first hosted a Grand Prix way back in 2008, at the time the first and only night race on the calendar. It is one of the most popular events of the year, with a great atmosphere and a spectacular show.
The circuit. Prior to last year’s race, the track was shortened, with the particularly slow section from turn 16 to 19 turned into a long straight which opens up the possibility for overtaking. It is 4.940 kilometres long, with 19 corners and four DRS zones, the last of these from turns 14 to 16 new for this weekend. The lap starts with a tight and demanding section before the cars tackle the first long straight where the DRS can be used down to turn 7, one of the best overtaking opportunities. The drivers then have to deal with what is probably the most demanding section in turns 11, 12 and 13 where it’s difficult for two cars to run side by side. The third sector features two long straights that can be the scene of more battles. Then it’s hard on the brakes for the last chicane and the long left-hander that leads back to the start-finish line.
Weather and tyres. This weekend’s Grand Prix is physically very demanding for the drivers, whatever the weather. Even though it’s run at night, the drivers can still lose up to 3 kilos in weight over the race distance because of the very high humidity and hot temperatures. Added to that, the occasional tropical downpour can put in an appearance, although usually in the early afternoon, prior to the track sessions.
Strategy. In terms of strategy, as always on a street circuit, track position is everything, which means it is usually a one-stop race. The standard race plan involves starting on the Medium tyre before pitting around lap 30 to switch to Hards and run to the chequered flag. Nevertheless, it’s always good to have a set of Soft tyres available, in the event that a late Safety Car allows for a pit stop to be made losing half the usual time. In fact, the Safety Car has put in an appearance in all the last seven races at the Marina Bay Circuit, which means the drivers and strategists must be on their toes, ready to grab any opportunity that might present itself. It happened in fact in last year’s race, Carlos Sainz, having started from pole, showed great clarity of thought and held his nerve, to keep the lead over pursuers on fresher tyres, to take an unforgettable win. This Sunday, Carlos will be celebrating his 200th Grand Prix appearance, his 82nd with Ferrari.
Still in Europe. A unique feature of the Singapore race is that once the team personnel land at Changi Airport, they stay on European time rather than move their clocks forward by the six hours that separate Singapore and most of Europe, meaning that personnel go to bed just as the sun is about to rise. The alarm clocks ring at around local lunchtime, after which their day runs to European time as this eliminates jet lag and limits fatigue. It is also convenient for those back in Maranello, because there is hardly any difference in the regular working hours for those at the track and their colleagues in the Remote Garage.
Programme. The unusual timetable actually means that the Singapore Grand Prix runs to the usual format with three free practice sessions – FP1 and FP2 on Friday at 17.30 and 21.00 local time (11.30 and 15.00 CEST); FP3 on Saturday a 17.30 (11.30 CEST) followed by qualifying later that evening at 21.00 (15 CEST). The 62 lap race gets underway on Sunday at 20.00.
Last weekend’s race did not produce the result we were hoping for, which in itself is proof that we are currently very much on the pace, at a time when Formula 1 is putting on a great show with very little to choose between the top four teams of the moment. We want to maintain this strong form in Singapore, another demanding street circuit. Both our drivers like it, indeed one of them won here last year. We would like to do that again, continuing to work well as a team, as we have done in recent races. We have seen in the last two Grands Prix how important is tyre management and Singapore will be the third consecutive weekend where we will have the same three softest compounds in the range, so we should have a better understanding of them, even if every track is different. Of course, qualifying takes on great importance at the Marina Bay track and we are well prepared for it, so I’m sure we can give all our opponents a hard time.
Fred Vasseur
Team Principal Scuderia Ferrari HP
FERRARI STATS
GP contested 1091
Seasons in F1 75
Debut Monaco 1950 (A. Ascari 2nd; R. Sommer 4th; L. Villoresi ret.)
Wins 246 (22.54%)
Pole positions 252 (23.09%)
Fastest laps 262 (24.01%)
Podiums 821 (25.08%)
FERRARI STATS SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX
GP contested 14
Debut 2008 (F. Massa 13th; K. Räikkönen 15th)
Wins 4 (28.57%)
Pole positions 7 (50%)
Fastest laps 2 (14.28%)
Podiums 11 (26.19%)
THREE QUESTIONS TO... RAVIN JAIN
SCUDERIA FERRARI HP HEAD OF RACE STRATEGY
1. Describe the characteristics of the Singapore track.
Singapore has many aspects that make it unique. First and foremost, it is a street circuit which means grip tends to increase throughout the weekend and the drivers really have to thread the needle when it comes to finding the limit between the walls. Coupled with the relentless humidity, it is an extremely demanding race for the drivers and a lack of concentration for a split second can cause an incident: every edition of the Singapore Grand Prix has featured at least one safety car appearance. The track features a combination of many low speed corners which means teams try to optimise low speed performance and traction. Furthermore, a lack of long straights also leads teams to adopt high downforce configurations. And finally, it is F1’s original night race which adds another challenge for the drivers and teams, adapting from free practice sessions at dusk to qualifying and the race at night.
2. How important is qualifying at Marina Bay?
Qualifying is especially important at Marina Bay as overtaking is harder than average. Consequently, being on pole position and leading the field away gives a driver the advantage of managing the pace from the front and controlling the pit stop gaps behind. The leader can then decide to increase their pace when they want to, ensuring that they always have the gap to make their pitstops after their competitors have made theirs. Having said this, there is an extra DRS zone this year, making a total of four, which should make overtaking a little easier. However, it will remain a track at which qualifying plays a crucial role.
3. How complex is the work of a strategist in a Formula 1 at the moment, when up to eight cars are very evenly matched at every race?
Strategy in modern day F1 is a complex multivariable system: what might, at first glance, appear seemingly unrelated factors can actually influence each other. Consequently, it requires an immense amount of preparation and planning ahead of time. Part of this is coming to the weekend with a good idea of how the race might unfold and learning as much as possible during free practice sessions, especially when there are track changes. Another vital part is understanding who our main competitors are during a race, especially this season where the relative competitiveness across the grid varies so much from track to track. All of what we learn is then distilled into how we want to approach the race. Executing these plans and competing at the highest level against some of the brightest minds in the pitlane is an immensely rewarding experience. And of course, it is particularly special to devise and implement a plan that helps us to win a race!
Profile
Ravin Jain
Nationality: British
Born on 06/07/1994
In London (United Kingdom)
SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX: FACTS & FIGURES
18. The number of metres on average that Singaporeans cover in ten seconds at a walk. Walking is the preferred way to get around, despite the heat and high humidity levels. A 2023 study concluded that Singaporeans are among the fastest walkers in the world.
27. The number of Singlish words officially recognised by the famous English Oxford dictionary. Singapore’s unique dialect was born when the British arrived in the region. Elements of English quickly filtered through from the schools where it was taught, to the streets, resulting in the development of a non-native language, which developed into a means of communication between the speakers of the many different languages spoken in Singapore. Singlish spread mainly among the working classes, who learned it intuitively rather than formally.
195. The number of countries that allow Singapore citizens free entry without the need for a visa, which is why the Singaporean passport is considered the most powerful in the world. It is ranked first in the Henley Passport Index, having overtaken Italy, Germany, France, Spain and Japan, whose citizens have free access to 192 countries. In third place are Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea and Switzerland with 191.
1000. The worth in Singapore dollars of the note that carries the words to “Majulah Singapura,” the city-state’s national anthem. The full lyrics feature in micro-text, a feature that is unique to this country.
1800. The number of rooms in the famous Marina Bay Sands, the Scuderia Ferrari HP partner hotel in Singapore. The resort also has a conference centre, a shopping mall, an arts and science museum, two theatres, seven restaurants, two floating glass pavilions and a skating rink. The complex is topped by a suspended platform in the shape of a ship, known as Sky Park. It is 340 metres long, with hanging gardens, hydromassage pools, a wellness centre, bars and restaurants with a capacity for 3,900 people and, at 200 metres above sea level, a 150 metre long infinity pool. The resort was officially opened with a two day celebration on 23 June 2010.