The Singapore Grand Prix is upon us, and it will be a little different to the previous 16 editions of that Formula 1 race.
For the first time, the Marina Bay Street Circuit will host a sprint weekend, but it also will differ from other sprint weekends, for scheduling reasons. The only free practice session and the sprint will take place in the afternoon, while both qualifying sessions and the main race will proceed at night.
Conditions in FP1 will therefore be unrepresentative from the remainder of the weekend – except the sprint. Looking at the past four Singapore events, track temperature was consistently 3C to 5C cooler on Friday evening compared to Friday afternoon, so drivers and teams will head into sprint qualifying with no relevant data.
“It's going to be a very challenging weekend for that reason,” Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc said.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
“To have a sprint race on a street track is going to be quite tough for everybody, not only for us drivers but also for the whole team, to set up the car right, to make sure that we are in the right functioning window for tyres, for the car, and also for the level of commitment you want to put when you do the lap in the sprint [qualifying].
“But it's an exercise I particularly like and a track I really like, actually one of my favourites of the season. So I'm looking forward to this challenge, but it's going to be very tricky.”
Cadillac Formula 1 Team’s Sergio Perez concurred: “It puts a little bit more uncertainty on the weekend, a little bit more tension. And on a street circuit, on a race that is so hard to get the confidence, speed up, it's good. The driver can make a bit of a difference in these sorts of weekends.”
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen commented: “The most important thing is just to find a good balance with the car straight away in FP1. That will probably just help a lot for the rest of your weekend,” with team-mate Isack Hadjar adding: “It's not going to be easy.”
Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
“I like on street circuits the fact that you get to build up to the limit through all the free practice sessions, so it's going to be a bit different, the risk approach is going to be a bit different as well, but I guess you just have to do it.”
Pierre Gasly from Alpine F1 Team noted: “Quite a bit. We know Singapore as a track is already very challenging – just from the nature of a street track, bumpiness. Sprint weekend is going to make it even more, let's say, tricky from that front. And it's going to be important to start and hit the ground running right away.
“Generally, with the car we have, I know we are in a decent place. But am I confident we'll get the car absolutely nailed for the entire weekend? Probably not, but we've done as much work as we could to get in a good place.”
Audi Revolut F1 Team’s Nico Hulkenberg shared that analysis: “It's definitely going to be more difficult, more challenging to find the sweet spot, and obviously the one-hour practice is not very much.”
Franco Colapinto praised Fernando Alonso during the press conference: “Fernando is the best at that. Probably you'd like a sprint quali straight away?”
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Oscar Piastri from McLaren added: “With this year's car it's never come that easily for either of us, but especially for myself, so definitely going to put things to the test.”
Source: Motorsport
