10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Singapore Grand Prix

Following the drama of the Italian Grand Prix at the historic Monza track, the F1 paddock now heads to Singapore for round 14 of the 2014 season, and the first of the final six ‘fly-away’ races. The sport returns to racing under floodlights for the second time this year.

1. A unique event

It was previously the only night race on the schedule, but the Bahrain Grand Prix joined the club for 2014. However, over the race weekend in Singapore, the F1 teams stay on European time – they start work as the sun sets and go to bed as the rest of Singapore wakes up.

2. A tough race

Due to the high temperatures, the humidity and busy nature of the twisty street track, it is one of the most physically demanding races on the calendar. To add to that, it is also the longest race of the season, taking up to to two hours to complete.

3. Vettel: the master of Marina Bay

Sebastian Vettel has won more times at Marina Bay Street Circuit than anyone else, having taken victory at the last three F1 races in Singapore. Fernando Alonso is a two-time winner, while Lewis Hamilton triumphed in 2009. Due to Vettel’s recent dominance, Red Bull Racing is the most successful constructor.

4. An annual visitor

The Mercedes SLS AMG safety car has been deployed at every Singapore Grand Prix. The race, which debuted in 2008, is the only track on the calendar to hold such a record.

5. Goodbye Singapore Sling

Last year’s Singapore Grand Prix was the first to use the re-profiled 10th corner, known as the ‘Singapore Sling’. The original corner was a clumsy left-right-left chicane, but it was replaced with a medium-speed left-hand turn, which slightly decreased the overall lap distance and average speed.

6. Light it up

1600 custom-made floodlights are installed and used for the race weekend. They are connected by 108,423 metres of cables and the total power requirement is 3,180,000 watts.

7. Crashgate

The inaugural Singapore Grand Prix was heaped in controversy, although no one knew it at the time. Fernando Alonso’s early pit stop moved him up the order when the safety car was deployed, after his Renault team-mate crashed in the final sector.

He went on to win the race, but in 2009 Nelson Piquet Jr revealed that the team had instructed him to crash on purpose. During a World Motor Sport Council meeting, Renault admitted to giving the Brazilian driver the command.

The team was disqualified from F1, which was suspended for two years pending any further rule infringements. Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds were banned from FIA-sanctioned events – the former for life and the latter for five years – but these were both later overturned.

8. Through the tunnel

The Marina Bay Street Circuit is the only track on the F1 calendar to pass underneath a grandstand. Drivers tackle the right-left chicane onto the waterfront in the final sector, before a tight left-right chicane takes them through a tunnel and under the grandstand. It is a tricky corner and we have already seen several crashes there during the Singapore GP’s short F1 history.

9. The importance of pole

Four out of the six previous F1 races in Singapore have been won from pole position. Vettel started third in 2012, while Alonso won from furthest back on the grid in 2008 – in controversial circumstances – when he lined up in 15th. The track is difficult to overtake on, meaning qualifying is very important.

10. Track stats

A lap of the Marina Bay Street Circuit is 3.147 miles long and features 14 left- and nine right-hand turns. It is situated in the south of the city-state and passes some iconic landmarks such as the Singapore Flyer (a giant Ferris wheel). The two DRS zones will be located on the pit straight and on the run from turn five to turn seven. Pirelli will take the super-soft and soft tyre compounds to the race.