[Official] Round 14 - Singapore Grand Prix

[frostie]

With Sebastian Vettel on the verge of becoming the youngest double world champion it would be easy to say that this season has been one of utter domination by the German. However once you scratch beneath the surface of the championship standings it is clear that this has been one of the best seasons in years in terms of pure racing and this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix looks set to continue that trend!

The Marina Bay Grand Prix Circuit

The tracks winds its way aroundMarinaBaywith the Singapore streets and skyline providing a dramatic backdrop for a circuit that has already gained acceptance from Formula 1 in just four years.

Drivers love the challenge of racing on the city-state’s streets while the teams enjoy the technical and logistical problems that racing at night provides. With a mixture of fast, flowing sections and slow chicanes and hairpins theMarinaBaycircuit offers a great challenge to drivers and engineers to find the perfect compromise as they set their cars up.

Speaking before the race 2009 race winner, Lewis Hamilton, was keen to talk about the challenges facing drivers:

"I love street circuits and I really enjoy this place,” said the Englishman. “It's almost two tracks in one: there are quite a few fast corners, which require good set-up and a bit of commitment, but there are also lots of tighter 90-degree bends, which are slower and more technical. You've got to keep it precise through these and just be patient, waiting for the tyres to bite before getting on the throttle. If you're impatient, then you end up losing time because you over-stress the tyres and you over-drive the car.”

The track surface is low grip as a result of being public roads and having to deal with the everyday dust and grime from everyday road users and as a result the grip level changes immensely as the weekend progresses. The track consistently improves and gets faster as more rubber is put down. The last driver across the line in qualifying will have a significant advantage and will be able to take advantage of the best conditions of the session.

Throughout the year Vettel has consistently been able to time his final qualifying lap to perfection and been the last driver to start his flying lap. This ability will be key for the Red Bull driver as he strives to give himself yet another pole position. Last year however, a mistake in qualifying cost Vettel dearly that saw him qualify second and unable to overtake pole sitter Fernando Alonso for the duration of the 61 lap race.

Timo Glock finished second toHamiltonin 2009 and while the Virgin driver will have to rely on poor reliability on Sunday to even challenge or a point it is clear that he is upbeat and looking forward to a race at a track that Virgin will bring aerodynamic upgrades to:

"It's great to be back in Singapore where I finished in second position in 2009,” commented the 29 year old. “The Singapore Grand Prix is clearly one of the highlights of the year and my favourite track on the calendar. It really is an amazing experience and I just can't wait to get in the car and drive through the streets of Singapore at night again. It's great fun! The Marina Bay Street Circuit is very challenging. Just the fact that it is a street circuit already makes it very demanding, but if we add the fact that it's a night race it just adds to the excitement. Car set-up is tricky, as with any other street circuit, so Friday will be a busy day. I am looking forward to the final leg of the season."

Challenges for this weekend

The nature of the circuit and hosting the race at night provides numerous challenges to the teams…not least having to sleep during the day and work at night! With numerous races now taking place in the later hours of the day the teams however have gained more than enough experience in this regard.

The main challenge for them is to find the best compromise setup that will allow drivers to ride the bumps and have a stable car through the faster corners. Red Bull’s Mark Webber spoke of the challenges facing drivers over the course of the race:

"The Singapore night race is a challenging one,” said the six times Grand Prix winner. “The track is bumpy and although the 1500-odd lights do a good job at illuminating the circuit, it's not like racing in daylight and that makes it tiring. It's also the longest race of the year, running close to the two-hour time- limit set by the FIA, and the intense heat and humidity makes it pretty warm in the cockpit. You have to watch your hydration during the build-up to the race.”

Sam Michael, outgoing technical director of Williams, has been in the news since the Italian Grand Prix following confirmation that the Australian will move to McLaren at the end of the year. This will be Michael’s last race for Williams and comes at the scene of their last realistic opportunity to win a Grand Prix.

In the 2009 race Nico Rosberg was in position to challenge for the win but crossed the white line as he came out of the pits and was given a drive through penalty that cost him dearly. Since then the team has been in a constant downward spiral and even the major upheaval of the team’s technical department makes it difficult to see much light at the end of the tunnel for one of the most successful team’s in the sport’s history.

Even though this is sure to be an emotional weekend for Michael after spending more than ten years with the squad it is clear that his focus is firmly on how to end his relationship with the squad on a high:

"Singapore has all the challenges, for both the drivers and engineers, of a classic street race, but with the addition of it also being held at night,” said the Williams technical director. “There is a large improvement in track grip as the race weekend progresses. There are also more bumps and kerbs to deal with compared to normal and downforce is set to a maximum. Good traction with minimal understeer are always the focus of the car set-up here. We have an upgraded diffuser and a new front wing assembly for the first of the flyaways. We'll test both of them on Friday."

Last year James Key was the engineer at the centre of attention with the then ForceIndiatechnical director looking to move to Sauber. The Englishman has enjoyed a successful first season with the Swiss squad and this could be a very strong race for Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez.

Last year Kobayashi enjoyed one of his strongest weekend’s with a top ten qualifying position and a strong race before crashing out. The team is in high spirits and eager to score points and move into sixth in the constructors’ championship, they are just one point behind ForceIndia.

Speaking about the challenges of Singapore Key commented:

"Following Spa-Francorchamps and Monza, which are unique circuits, we go to another unique track in Singapore. It's a long and windy high downforce street circuit, which is typically quite bumpy. It needs good mechanical grip. Traction levels and braking stability are important as well. It's a hard circuit for the brakes.”

“We'll be running a high downforce configuration, and we will be working on the mechanical grip,” continued Key. “Pirelli will supply the soft and super soft tyres, the same as in Hungary, and we feel these are generally better tyres for us than what we have had at the last two events. We'll be looking closely at the balance of the car and its ability to absorb the kerbs and the bumps. We tested some new engine maps in Monza for the first time, and we will develop these further in Singapore. Even with DRS, overtaking will be difficult on this track, so qualifying positions and strategy are going to be important."

The DRS system could play a crucial role this weekend. While, as Key said, overtaking will still be difficult it is clear that the DRS has played a crucial role in assisting overtaking this year. If the Pirelli tyres struggle to deal with this street circuit, as they did at Monaco, there could be opportunities to find a way past the car in front. Martin Whitmarsh, team principal of McLaren, certainly believes that there is potential for an exciting race on Sunday:

"I think we're set to continue the trend we've witnessed so far this season, with DRS enlivening races that hitherto would have been somewhat processional,” said Whitmarsh. “The addition of DRS means that we should expect some truly electrifying racing this weekend. The track is wide enough to support close and exciting wheel-to-wheel racing and I sincerely hope that's what we see this weekend.”

Formula 1 revolves around Pirelli tyres in 2011

As has been the case throughout the season thus far the race will swing on the performance of the Pirelli tyres. The Italian manufacturer has done a superb job of enlivening races with a high performance tyre that degrades quickly. This weekend’s race should, once again, provide a thrilling shootout where drivers are forced to think on their feet and adapt to the performance of the tyres as the ever changing nature of the track surface provides a unique challenge for drivers.


Pirelli will once more be the focus of much attention at Jerez
Paul Hembery was keen to comment on how Pirelli will impact proceedings over the course of the weekend:

"Singapore is a race that adds a unique and truly spectacular new dimension to the Formula One calendar,” said the Pirelli motorsport director. “Because it is such a specific event, this makes it quite hard for teams to arrive at the best set-up and you often see some quite different solutions. Our tyres have to work equally effectively within a wide range of parameters, and this is one of the biggest challenges for us over the course of the year. A lot is made of the heat in Singapore, but what people tend to feel is actually the humidity, which means that our tyres should be comfortably within their working range when it comes to ambient and track temperature. The tyres will be working as hard as the drivers this weekend: many of the drivers say that this street circuit is even more demanding than Monaco.

"As we've seen in the past, particularly in Canada, the combination of soft and supersoft tyres provides plenty of opportunities for the teams to put in place some interesting strategies, with the supersoft in particular expected to provide an appreciable performance advantage. The free practice sessions in Singapore will be crucial, as the teams assess the effect of each of our tyres on their set-ups and overall speed."

Weather for this weekend

High temperatures, and high humidity, are expected throughout the weekend with scattered thunder storms also forecast. There has not been a wet Singapore Grand Prix since it came onto the calendar but with Pirelli having tested in the wet weather under the Abu Dhabi lights there is little to fear in relation to how the lights and track surface would make it difficult for drivers to see the track, as was the case for MotoGP rider in Qatar last year.

The challenge of heat and humidity will surely be the biggest test for drivers throughout the weekend but an untimely shower in qualifying or the race could provide a dramatic challenge for drivers!

[Bononi]

Thanks frostie,

[Marbot]

Nice one frostie!

Should be a cracker! Even if it doesn't rain (which it probably won't).

Here's the forecast, anyway (note that it doesn't usually rain in the evenings). http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/5015

[Bononi]

Singapore ! Teflonso's perfect place and fond memories.

[Marbot]

A reminder of what Vettel needs to happen in order to become champion (bar any cheating).

Vettel can be crowned Champion on Sunday by finishing in either first, second or third positions, with a number of other scenarios prevailing.

CHAMPION if Vettel wins and:
- Fernando Alonso finishes fourth or lower
- Jenson Button and Mark Webber finish third or lower

CHAMPION if Vettel finishes second and:
- Fernando Alonso finishes eighth or lower
- Jenson Button and Mark Webber finish fifth or lower
- Lewis Hamilton does not win

CHAMPION if Vettel finishes third and:
- Fernando Alonso finishes ninth or lower
- Jenson Button and Mark Webber finish seventh or lower
- Lewis Hamilton finishes third or lower


Vettel cannot seal the title in Singapore by finishing fourth or lower, but he can spoil the title races for others by notching up good points.

If Vettel finishes fourth:
- Jenson Button and Mark Webber must finish at least seventh
- Lewis Hamilton must finish at least third

If Vettel finishes fifth:
- Jenson Button and Mark Webber must finish at least eighth
- Lewis Hamilton must finish at least fourth

If Vettel finishes sixth:
- Jenson Button and Mark Webber must finish at least tenth
- Lewis Hamilton must finish at least fifth

If Vettel finishes seventh:
- Lewis Hamilton must finish at least sixth

If Vettel finishes eighth:
- Lewis Hamilton must finish at least seventh

If Vettel finishes ninth or tenth:
- Lewis Hamilton must finish at least eighth

If Vettel fails to score:
- Lewis Hamilton must finish at least ninth

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/2...-in-singapore/

So if Vettel wins, and is followed home by Hamilton and then Button, it's job done.

[stripedcat]

Great round-up Frostie. I don't know if Sebastian can take the title this weekend. I get the feeling it might be 1. Vettel 2. Button 3. Hamilton. But who knows. I hope it is a good race.

[Razzzor]

It'll be close, I think Vettel will win. But Alonso will be fast if it's warm, as will Hamilton. Those 2 will squabble over 2nd with Webber not far behind. If anyone beats Vettel at Singapore though, it'll be Alonso. Alonso will be the only one to keep his title hopes alive after this race, which won't last because Vettel will easily win at Suzuka.

Maybe Hamilton will want to prove himself again after taking it easy at Monza.

That's my prediction (guess) anyway

[NPP]

Originally Posted by Marbot

A reminder of what Vettel needs to happen in order to become champion (bar any cheating).

...

CHAMPION if Vettel finishes third and:
- Fernando Alonso finishes ninth or lower
- Jenson Button and Mark Webber finish seventh or lower
- Lewis Hamilton finishes third or lower

logically, that would be "Hamilton finishes fourth or lower", as the premise is that Vettel finishes third (or is it theoretically possible for two cars to finish third if they cross the line together?).

Thanks for these scenarios, I'll keep them within reach during the race as the RTL muppets will probably be completely confused about that.

[Grandpa_Rob]

Thanks frostie, F1 cars under lights look fantastic love this venue in itself it is a most spectacular presentation hope it provides a great race as well.

[steve_r]

I love the setting of this track, and have enjoyed watching previous years races. Hopefully KERS and DRS will spice up the racing, which has sometimes been a bit lacklustre on this track.

[Marbot]

DRS zone (for those that care ).

"The detection line has been placed exactly 230 metres before the apex of Turn 5, with the activation zone running from the exit of the corner, through the high speed Turn 6 and along Raffles Boulevard straight until the end of the first sector."

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/2...pore-drs-zone/

A Mr H.H.Frentzen is guest steward. He couldn't be biased in any way.

[frostie]

This weekend’s race in Singapore promises to be one of the most difficult of the season from a strategic perspective.

The Marina Bay Circuit offers a combination of challenges to teams with the track surface gradually cleaned throughout the weekend offering vastly different characteristics at the start of the weekend to the end of the race.

The nature of the track layout also offers challenges to teams and drivers with the rear tyres receiving the brunt of wear due to the constant accelerating and braking throughout the lap. As a result it is very easy to overheat the rear tyres while conversely with all corners seeing relatively low apex speeds it is quite difficult for drivers to “load” the front tyres and generate sufficient heat to get the front tyres into their optimum operating window.

With the Singapore Grand Prix set to last for just under two hours drivers set off from the grid with exceptionally heavy fuel loads, approximately 170kg the highest of the year. This will place a tremendous strain on the tyres and with the nature of the track already causing extreme wear on the rear tyres it is clear that the opening stint of this Grand Prix could be exceptionally short as drivers are forced to deal with a severe lack of rear grip.

Pirelli will bring the soft and supersoft tyres this weekend. These are the same compounds that could only last 14 laps in Hungary, the equivalent of eight laps in Singapore.

These factors will give the cars that are gentle on their rear tyres, the likes of Sauber, Ferrari and McLaren, a significant advantage on two fronts. They will have fresher rubber for the majority of the race but much more importantly these teams will limit the potential of a safety car hampering their pace in the race.

The possibility of the safety car being deployed is quite high in Singapore with each of the three previous races having seen accidents cause the deployment. As a result teams will do their utmost to ensure that they are in a position to make a “free” pitstop under a neutral track. This plays into the hands of the likes of Sauber and Toro Rosso who will do their utmost to make just a single pitstop as they try to move through the order from rows five, six of seven on the gird.

One of the most surprising elements of races in Singapore has been that once a car gets falls into the midfield it is all but impossible for them to get back to the front of the field, regardless of the speed of their car. This was illustrated perfectly by Felipe Massa in 2008. The Ferrari driver came into the pits for a scheduled stop in the lead but after a disastrous stop that saw him leave the pits with the fuel hose still connected the Brazilian found himself in the midfield and unable to finish better than eighth.

Due to this difficultly, and the 24s pit time, teams will do their best to limit the amount of time spent in pitlane and will do their best to be as flexible in case the safety car is deployed.

[beau1]

Originally Posted by Marbot

DRS zone (for those that care ).


A Mr H.H.Frentzen is guest steward. He couldn't be biased in any way.

Nice to see HHF back around on the F1 seen. Great character.

[Bononi]

Originally Posted by Marbot

DRS zone (for those that care ).

"The detection line has been placed exactly 230 metres before the apex of Turn 5, with the activation zone running from the exit of the corner, through the high speed Turn 6 and along Raffles Boulevard straight until the end of the first sector."

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/2...pore-drs-zone/

A Mr H.H.Frentzen is guest steward. He couldn't be biased in any way.

I think it should be exactly 225,5 metres, what these guys are thinking ???

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by Bononi

I think it should be exactly 225,5 metres, what these guys are thinking ???

I thought that too. And if TGF oversteps the mark by another 0.3765 metres in his attempts to stay ahead of his rivals - they'll be hell to pay.

Although it's no good having a DRS if your car isn't set up properly to use it.

That's the thing about DRS that I like. You have to get the whole gear ratio/down force/DRS thing right.

[JamesH]

re: Will Vettel win the WDC at this round.

Who cares.

He's going to win it at some round this year. It would take being hit buy a crashing satellite to stop him now. And what's the chance of that? *

I've been ignoring his racing for the last few races and watching everyone else. It's a lot more exciting.


(* actually, about 20trillion to one, on Friday at least)

[v8man]

Originally Posted by JamesH

re: Will Vettel win the WDC at this round.

Who cares.

He's going to win it at some round this year. It would take being hit buy a crashing satellite to stop him now. And what's the chance of that? *

I've been ignoring his racing for the last few races and watching everyone else. It's a lot more exciting.


(* actually, about 20trillion to one, on Friday at least)

I think your odds may be a bit high considering this article today
http://au.news.yahoo.com/queensland/...-over-pacific/

[Marbot]

Headline: "Vettel hit in Friday FP1 by mysterious wayward satellite".

Suspicions of foul play were confirmed when parts of the debris were found to be partially coloured red with the letters 'F' 'R' and 'I' clearly visible on some internal surfaces.

[JeremySmith]

Great intro Frostie ! Thank you ....

Looking forward to this race, I enjoy Singapore..

[Bononi]

Originally Posted by Marbot

Headline: "Vettel hit in Friday FP1 by mysterious wayward satellite".

Suspicions of foul play were confirmed when parts of the debris were found to be partially coloured red with the letters 'F' 'R' and 'I' clearly visible on some internal surfaces.

So it was an italian satellite... very appropriate for the current Italian situation... going down.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Thanks for the intro. I'm looking forward to the race.

[Born Racer]

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

Great intro Frostie ! Thank you ....

Looking forward to this race, I enjoy Singapore..

Jeremy, you are a positive person and enjoy almost every race I think. Which do you not like?

[Born Racer]

Originally Posted by frostie

The possibility of the safety car being deployed is quite high in Singapore with each of the three previous races having seen accidents cause the deployment.

Not quite correct.

[JeremySmith]

Originally Posted by Born Racer

Jeremy, you are a positive person and enjoy almost every race I think. Which do you not like?

Thank you...

It's a good and fair question and the answer for me is simple, Turkey...

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

Thank you...

It's a good and fair question and the answer for me is simple, Turkey...

Ah! Well you're in luck then.

Shame really, because it's actually quite a good track.

Bahrain must come pretty low on most peoples lists, I would have thought.