Express diet, endless running: Singapore, “the most grueling test”

The technicality of the circuit
And it goes, and it goes! Things never stop happening in the city-state. Officially called the “Marina Bay Street Circuit” (due to its location in Marina Bay, the historic heart of the city), the circuit includes an impressive number of 23 turns, mostly slow turns and at right or acute angles. Note a touch of originality at turn 18, which passes under a huge grandstand!

Saturdays just aren't the same without scorching qualifying laps

Rewind the clock a year, as Hag blasts around the #SingaporeGP personalised tour

Pole number 4 as a @ScuderiaFerrari, and his 49th overall in #F1 pic.twitter.com/SEmQvZVQzn

— Formula 1 (@F1) September 8, 2018

As if that were not enough, the route is one of the longest on the calendar with 5,063 km. Designed by architect Hermann Tilke, it requires a high level of concentration from competitors. “ There are many turns and the road is bumpy; this makes the quest for the right set-up even more interesting,” Explain Max Verstappen (Red Bull). “We don’t have many straight lines to rest on.”, adds Nico Hulkenberg (Renault).

Kevin Magnussen (Haas) appreciates the rough character of the track. “You try to avoid the bumps as much as possible, but that’s not possible because you have to stay on the right line. This makes it easy to lock the wheels. And if you miss the braking point or hit the gas too early, there will always be a wall that you will definitely hit. »

It is no coincidence that the Safety Car has always been invited since 2008! In 2017, no less than 20 laps took place under the neutralization regime, notably after the crash involving the two Ferraris and the Red Bull of Max Verstappen…

Finally, the main modification undergone by this urban route is the scrapping of a chicane at turn 10 in 2013. Particularly criticized by the drivers (Lewis Hamilton told the BBC that it was “the worst corner in F1”), this place had trapped some hell of customers such as Kimi Räikkönen in 2008. Now it's a much simpler turn, a classic left curve.

The duration of the race
F1 enthusiasts will have a great deal on Sunday September 16! Instead of the hour and a half usually allocated to a Grand Prix, it will be necessary almost two hours for the peloton to see the checkered flag in Singapore. And if inadvertently, the race is neutralized for a long time, then the race management will put an end to the event at the two-hour mark of effort, without necessarily all of the planned laps being completed.

This particularity finds its source in the length of the race. The Singapore Grand Prix has an average speed very similar to that of the Monaco Grand Prix, but where the regulations only impose a 260 km distance on the Rock, F1 must swallow 305 terminals in Singapore, like any meeting on a regular circuit!

Asian climate
“It’s the most physically demanding event.”, assures Max Verstappen, and we want to believe it. Drivers can lose several kilos just by counting the Grand Prix! The difficulty of the track, the infernal pace of the single-seaters and the duration of the event are to blame, but more simply, the stifling heat is the main factor.

Even during the night, the temperature rarely drops below 25 degrees et humidity levels reach peakss (around 70%). In the open air, it's hardly pleasant, so imagine under fire protection knitwear, a suit, a helmet weighing several kilos and in a megacity environment!

Romain Grosjean (Haas) recognizes that he had lost “four kilos of body water in 2013” ! “The weather is humid and we never see daylight on weekends, so it takes a little more energy. »

The drivers (like here Romain Grosjean in 2016) refresh themselves as much as possible on the Singapore starting grid. © DPPI

The drivers try to prepare as best as possible during the two-week gap between the Italian and Singapore Grand Prix. “I got used to wearing lots of layers and sweating, to make sure I didn't get too hot. I will also spend time in a sauna », precise Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso).

Finally, Sergio Pérez (Racing Point Force India) intends to continue his series of points finishes (seven out of seven between 2011 and 2017) with a simple but important method. “The best preparation is to sleep well and stay hydrated."

The Singapore Grand Prix will be followed on our site with live texts of qualifying and the race.