Singapore Grand Prix: stage preview

The Singapore Grand Prix marks the final series of eight road races. After double rounds at Marina Bay and Suzuka, Formula 1 stops in Qatar, after which the teams can return to European bases, followed by a series of three races in a row in Austin, Mexico City and Sao Paulo, and then two more in a row in Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi.

The schedule is interesting, but very tight and difficult, both for teams and logistics specialists. Eight Grands Prix in eleven weeks, any postponement could get in the way, but Formula 1 can usually handle this schedule well.

All tickets for the Singapore Grand Prix are sold out, but there will be 17% fewer spectators than normal. Due to the reconstruction of part of the city, the Bay Tribune was demolished; the organizers expect to receive 250 thousand spectators this weekend compared to 302 thousand last year, but this is also a lot.

Attitudes towards the Singapore Grand Prix have changed over the years. At first the stage aroused genuine interest. The first night race in the history of Formula 1, an incredibly spectacular television image of the city sparkling with light, the most difficult circuit.

Past time. Almost immediately it became clear that overtaking in Singapore was effectively impossible, that two hours in the heat and high humidity became torture for the drivers, who had to go through 19 corners on each lap (previously 23) without any hope of improving their performance. position.

The success of the night race was noted: now five stages on the calendar are held under artificial lights and look no less impressive, and the battle in them turns out to be much more spectacular, just think of Jeddah. And this year we are also in Las Vegas.

Normally the Singapore stage is interesting until the end of qualifying, which turns out to be really intense and decides almost everything. But there were exceptions.

The first and most infamous exception is the 2008 race and the sad story of Nelsinho Piquet, who at the team’s request crashed the car immediately after an unusually early pit stop by Fernando Alonso, who went on to win the race.

Piquet Jr.’s intentional crash was orchestrated by Renault team boss Flavio Briatore and technical director Pat Symonds. The subsequent scandal led to the excommunication of Briatore and Symonds from the sport, but they now hold positions in Formula 1 management and Alonso continues to race.

I pulled this story from the Felipe Massa archive, citing an interview with Bernie Ecclestone, in which the former Formula 1 owner hinted that he and FIA president Max Mosley knew as early as 2008 that Pique’s accident was intentional. Massa believes that if this is indeed the case, the sport’s management has shown criminal passivity, the results of the race should have been annulled and the title given to him, since at the end of the lost only one point to Lewis this season. Hamilton finished that race in 13th place and the Briton was on the podium.

It is unclear what Felipe is counting on. It is impossible to imagine that the results of a given season can be assessed afterwards, this is in direct violation of the rules and the FIA ​​​​International Sporting Code. Max Mosley died, and Bernie Ecclestone retired long ago and now claims he never said anything like that. And the source of the quote was questionable. Yes and age.

If the goal was to make headlines and attract attention, Massa achieved his goal but lost access to the paddock. The Formula 1 management announced that they did not want to see him anymore, but who knows, the winner of eleven Grand Prix may still appear in Sao Paulo. And guided by lawyers. Who knows.

Another curious and rare exception is rain racing: rain and thunder occur almost every day in September in Singapore, but in the early morning, and the asphalt dries out during the day. But in 2017, the race started in the rain, which added intrigue and led to many retirements.

Last year it rained all day on Saturday, the training lasted only half an hour and the qualifying on the drying track turned out to be one of the most interesting of the season – the battle continued until the last seconds, eventually the top three passed within five hundredths!

It also rained before the race and the start had to be postponed. The safety car came onto the track, but there was so much water that in some parts the Mercedes AMG GT, driven by Bernd Maylander, sank over the door.

Then the rain subsided and race track employees began removing the water. Instead of 8:00 PM local time, the riders started their warm-up lap at 9:05 PM. The real safety car came out twice, the VSC mode was announced twice and six drivers retired. The race turned out to be fun and was stopped after the two-hour limit expired.

The weather forecast promises rain again this week!