September 15, 2023
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singaporegp.sg |
F1 is finally off to Asia! The upcoming double header will take us to Singapore this weekend, and Japan next weekend. This next part of the season should be quite intense because of how close the field has gotten and how small the points margins are in the constructors championship. It will be cool to see how things unravel as the last eight races of the 2023 season get underway. Here is everything you need to know for the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix:
Weekend Schedule (in EST):
Practice 1: Friday 09/15, Already Happened
Practice 2: Friday 09/15, Already Happened
Practice 3: Saturday 09/16, 05:30-06:30 AM
Qualifying: Saturday 09/16, 09:00-10:00 AM
Race: Sunday 09/17, 08:00 AM
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Marina Bay Street Circuit |
This weekend’s 62 lap Singapore Grand Prix will look a little different than previous years. Since every part of the Marina Bay Street Circuit is a public road, construction work has forced organizers to cut out Turns 16-19. This series of turns, which previously ran under a grandstand, has been replaced by a longer straight that provides a new overtaking opportunity and luckily for drivers, reduces the length of the race. To avoid Singapore’s extreme heat and humidity, this race is always held at night; but even still, it is the most taxing race of the season. The combination of the heat, a high downforce track, and a layout that requires hard braking mean that cooling the car will be very difficult. On top of this, drivers have to handle losing up to 3 Kg over the course of the race. The stress the Singapore Grand Prix puts on a driver’s body is unmatched. This challenge of managing the car and a driver’s endurance, along with this year’s new layout, make this weekend one of the most anticipated races of the season.
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With Ferrari on the podium, the fan celebrations at the Italian Grand Prix were a sight to see. |
At the Italian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen beat the record for most consecutive race wins with his 10th straight victory. It didn’t really come as a shock, but he had to work for it. Verstappen’s dominance this season has gone largely unmatched, but Carlos Sainz and Ferrari gave him a run for his money when the Spaniard took pole on Saturday and finished third on Sunday. It was an amazing day for Ferrari, getting a podium in front of their home crowd, and it showed that their car has improved. Verstappen and Red Bull will likely continue their incredible season in Singapore, but Ferrari might have some tricks up their sleeves as they try to keep the momentum they seem to have found.
The Italian team is third in the constructor’s championship, but the fight for second is getting closer every weekend. Only 56 points cover Mercedes, Ferrari, and Aston Martin, and each team is determined to finish in second. With the different strengths of each car, it will be interesting to see how the order swaps around as F1 begins its final part of the season.
McLaren has been one of the major comeback stories of the season. Despite failing to score points at the beginning of the season, the papaya team is now fifth in the championship, just 100 points behind Aston Martin. Monza was not amazing for the team, but that was to be expected since it was a track that didn’t suit their strengths. I still have faith though, and I think McLaren could be really great at a high-downforce track like Singapore. The weekend might just be difficult rookie Oscar Piastri because the physicality of the race can be extremely difficult for rookies.
Williams has hope for this weekend! Williams thinks they will be good, they will be good. This year’s new track layout actually makes it more suited to the FW45 because of the straight, and if there’s one thing Williams has this year, it’s straight line speed. I have said it before and I will say it again, that car’s raw speed down the straights is insane. This, along with Alex Albon’s consistent points finishes lately, make me very excited for Williams in Singapore. I think they could have an incredible weekend, and maybe (just maybe) Logan Sargeant can get his first points and secure his seat for next season. Williams boss James Vowels has outlined that if Logan doesn’t maintain an upward trajectory, his seat could be in jeopardy. They don’t expect him to be battling his teammate Alex Albon, who is a much more experienced driver, but they do expect him to be closer in performance. These next few races will be a make or break moment for Sargeant as he tries to prove himself.
Liam Lawson will be another one of the rookies on the grid trying to handle their first Singapore Grand Prix. With Daniel Ricciardo still out because of a hand injury he sustained at the Dutch Grand Prix, Lawson will continue to drive for AlphaTauri during the Asia double header. Lawson actually gave us one hell of a show in Monza, where he finished in an impressive P11. I think we can be cautiously optimistic for Lawson’s weekend, but maybe more cautious than optimistic. We need to recognize that his situation is much different from the other rookies. Lawson was thrown into F1 just about one month ago, putting him at a significant disadvantage because most drivers start training for Singapore months in advance. Hopefully he can handle the conditions and make the most of what will likely be his second to last drive of the season.
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Zhou contract extension = more amazing looks in the paddock |
@tarmactorque twitter
One last thing: the driver market. On thursday, Alfa Romeo announced that Zhou Guanyu would remain with the team for the 2024 season. His performance in his first two seasons of F1 have been quite impressive so this doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Though, an exciting thing about this is the fact that Zhou will finally get to race in his home country! Next year will see the return of the Chinese Grand Prix after it was put on hold for a few years due to COVID, and it will be amazing for China to finally have a home driver.
Ok that’s all for now! I am excited to see how Verstappen will celebrate his eleventh race win because he doesn’t have enough fingers for it. My money is on him putting up one finger on each hand to make an “11”.
I will be back after the race.
Happy Race Weekend!
- Divya
Where I got these
from: