28/09/2022
NEWS STORY
Sebastian Vettel: "I have many fantastic memories of racing at Singapore - I have always loved the challenge that the track provides. It is a proper street circuit - totally relentless, with corner after corner, and some incredibly fast sections. Getting on top of that challenge is incredibly satisfying - especially in qualifying. We should perform better here this weekend due to our car's strengths in slower-speed corners."
Lance Stroll: "Singapore has always been one of the toughest races on the calendar - but that is a challenge I enjoy, and I am looking forward to returning there after two years away. After a difficult weekend in Italy, we head into this double-header feeling more optimistic about our competitiveness. This new generation of cars will be a real thrill around the Marina Bay track and I hope we return to our points-scoring ways."
Insight and Speed with Cognizant
Race disruptions: Every race here has featured at least one Safety Car, including 10 in the last five races - they are certainly a key consideration when it comes to determining strategy. The high pit-loss time - in part due to a 60km/h pitlane speed limit - can make pitting under a Safety Car or VSC highly beneficial.
Overtaking: Despite there being three DRS zones, this remains one of the toughest circuits upon which to overtake - just 44 per cent of passes are made with the system. Moves tend to be made at the start or on Safety Car restarts, with Turn Seven being the optimal place to make a move. Turns One and Five are also key spots.
Strategy: The bumpy, dusty nature of the circuit, mixed with its many corners, means that tyre degradation is very high. Despite that, this is usually a one-stop race due to the difficulty in passing and the high pit-loss time. Sometimes, this race even hits the two-hour time-limit before the lap counter elapses.
Unlocking the Lap
Turn Five is the first critical part of the lap - it's the corner that precedes the lengthy run down to Turn Seven. Picking out a braking point can be tough, as the wall comes up on the left very quickly. Spotting the apex and the exit is tricky, but it's a vital spot for setting up an overtake along the next straight.
The run over the Anderson Bridge into Turn 13 may prove to be more challenging than ever with the 2022 generation of cars. The approach to it requires braking while turning - preventing a lock-up on this downhill section is a challenge at the best of times. Getting this corner right is important, as another lengthy straight follows.
Turn 18 is one of the most unique corners on the F1 calendar as the exit goes underneath part of a grandstand. It is also a deceptively tight corner with a wall on the inside. It starts a demanding sequence of corners where the tyres will likely be well past their best by this point in qualifying. Getting just one of these wrong can ruin what was set to be a great lap.