SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX
MARINA BAY STREET CIRCUIT - SINGAPORE
Singapore GP: all you need to know
Monaco might be the epitome of F1 glamour but the night race known as the Singapore Grand Prix might just be the sport’s most visually stunning race. When the sun sets over the city’s futuristic skyline and the Marina Bay Street Circuit‘s 1600 lighting projectors fire up, it’s the closest F1 gets to Bladerunner – only here the streets are spotlessly clean.
The 25 corners that make up the Singapore GP track and its twisting nature, coupled with the tropical heat make it a tough test of stamina and concentration for the drivers. While Monza brings the curtain down on the European part of the season in classic style, the Singapore Grand Prix reignites the Asian part with what has become a signature event for Formula 1 in the new millennium. F1 Singapore is today a true tourism brand, which attracts thousands of visitors to the Asian city state.
MARINA BAY STREET CIRCUIT
Hot and sticky
Singapore is just 150 kilometres from the equator, so the weather is what you’d expect, hot and sticky with humidity never dropping below 80%. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Singapore was 19.4 Celsius back in 1934. The Formula 1 drivers can lose as much as 3 kilos through fluid loss during the race, which makes it extremely demanding physically.
Floodlit F1
The Singapore circuit lighting system uses over 1500 LED floodlights, mounted 10 metres high. The system is put in place just for the race weekend and it takes around four months to get it up and running. On the Monday after the race, a five week dismantling process begins.
No time difference
The Singapore GP is run at night, but the teams and drivers stay on European time, leading to a unique routine with, breakfast at around lunchtime and dinner at the track served at midnight or later.
