Formula 1 travels to the brightly-lit streets of Marina Bay in Singapore for its only true night race. This street circuit has the unique distinction of having more turns than any other circuit on the F1 calendar, 23, and a 100% probability [to-date] of a safety car deployment. It is also known for hot and humid weather conditions that challenge both man and machine.
McLaren Honda enter this weekend on the verge of momentous news: the reported end of their partnership. After three years of struggling with Honda, the Woking-based squad is said to have negotiated a deal that will see McLaren pick up Toro Rosso’s supply of Renault engines with Honda set to power the Faenza-based team next year (possibly opening the door to become a works supplier to Red Bull Racing in 2019). Given Renault’s own issues with reliability and gap to the front runners, several pundits are questioning the logic of this move just as Honda seems to be making some progress. As for the rest of the 2017 season, it remains to be seen whether Honda will continue its aggressive development push which reportedly has several other updates slated for introduction this year. Here in Singapore, we can expect the team to be on one of the top two tracks which should suit their package. Recent updates from Honda which have added some power but concentrated on low-end torque should work well with McLaren’s chassis. An appearance in Q3 and a double-points race finish is all but expected.
Elsewhere on the grid, this could be a circuit that tips things in Ferrari’s favor as they battle it out with Mercedes whose longer wheelbase may not suit the tight, sharp turns of Marina Bay. From there, look for Red Bull to be particularly strong as its Adrian Newey-inspired chassis goes to work on the turns here; they could even challenge for a win. After those teams, it’s really anyone’s guess how the others will stack up with each insisting this circuit will suit their package better. For now let’s assume it will be Force India, Toro Rosso, Haas, Renault, Williams, and Sauber.
US TV SCHEDULE:
Practice 1: Thursday September 15th, 6:00AM
EST
,
NBC
Sports Live Extra
Practice 2: Friday September 15th, 8:30AM
EST
,
NBCSN
Practice 3: Saturday September 16th, 6:00AM
EST
,
NBC
Sports Live Extra
Qualifying: Saturday September 16th, 9:00AM
EST
,
CNBC
Race: Sunday September 17th, 9:00AM
EST
,
NBCSN
CIRCUIT
INFORMATION
Lap data
Lap length: 5.065km (3.147 miles)
Race laps: 61
Race distance: 308.828km (191.897 miles)
Pole position: Right-hand side of the track
Lap record*: 1’48.574 (167.941 kph) by Sebastian Vettel, 2013
Fastest lap: 1’42.841 (177.303 kph) by Sebastian Vettel, 2013
Maximum speed: 296kph (183.926 mph)
DRS
zone/s (race): Pit straight and straight to turn seven
Distance from grid to turn one: 200m
Car performance
Full throttle: 46%
Longest flat-out section: 832m
Downforce level: Maximum
Gear changes per lap: 80
Fuel use per lap: 1.6kg
Time penalty per lap of fuel: 0.064s
Strategy
Quickest complete pit stop in 2013: 28.709s by McLaren (see full list)
Tyre choices: Soft, Supersoft, Ultrasoft
*Fastest lap set during a Grand Prix
Data sources:
FIA
, Williams, Mercedes
2016 (V6
TURBO
ERA
) RESULTS
Stats
Pole position: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1:42.584
Race laps: 61
Fast race lap: Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, 1:47.187
Podium
1. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
2. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull
3. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
CURRENT
STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
AMG
Petronas, 238
2. Sebastian Vettel, Scuderia Ferrari, 235
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
AMG
Petronas, 197
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing, 144
5. Kimi Räikkönen, Scuderia Ferrari, 138
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 68
7. Sergio Perez, Sahara Force India F1, 58
8. Esteban Ocon, Sahara Force India F1, 55
9. Carlos Sainz Jr., Scuderia Toro Rosso, 36
10. Nico Hülkenberg, Renault, 34
Constructors
1. Mercedes
AMG
Petronas, 435
2. Scuderia Ferrari, 373
3. Red Bull Racing, 212
4. Sahara Force India F1, 113
5. Williams Martini Racing, 55
6. Scuderia Toro Rosso, 40
7. Haas F1 Team, 35
8. Renault, 34
9. McLaren Honda, 11
10. Sauber F1 Team, 5
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