5 Things You Might Not Have Known About The Singapore GP Circuit
After last weekend's motorsport spectacular, this weekend steps it up a notch with the only night race on the 2013 Formula 1 calendar. Here are five things you might not have known about the Singapore Grand Prix.
1. The Singapore 'crash-gate' scandal
If you haven't heard of 'crash-gate', then here's the story...In 2008, Fernando Alonso qualified poorly for Renault in the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix. He made an early pit stop before a timely safety car period thanks to a crash at turn seventeen. The car that crashed was his team-mate Nelson Piquet Junior. Alonso went on to eventually win the race but just under a year later, Piquet Junior was dropped by Renault. Piquet Junior then dropped his own bombshell...
He admitted that the team told him to crash on purpose, in order to promote Alonso into the lead. Renault didn't even contest the charges of conspiracy and race fixing and were handed a disqualification from Formula 1, which was on a two year suspension. The team's then managing director Flavio Briatore was banned from all F1 and FIA sanctioned events and executive director of engineering, Pay Symonds, received a five-year deal. Both were eventually overturned.
2. Electricity bills. Lots of them...
Image source: Vodafone McLaren MercedesThe 3.147 mile street circuit is able to host Formula 1's only night race thanks to 1600 custom-made floodlights. Their positioning has been strategically worked out to minimise glare, reflection from surfaces or spray and they also have to meet certain standards for HD television broadcasting.
3. 2008 wasn't the first Singapore GP
Image source: Singas.co.ukThe city-state previously hosted Grand Prix in the 1960s and early 1970s, under different names. It made its debut in 1961 under the 'Orient Year Grand Prix' name, before it became the Malaysian Grand Prix. It gained independence in 1965, with the first officially named 'Singapore Grand Prix' held in 1966 at the now non-existent Thomson Road circuit.
However it wasn't part of the official Formula 1 World Championship, hosting the Formula Libre series instead. The event was discontinued in 1973 for several reasons, including two fatal accidents, increased traffic and the inconvenience of closing roads.
4. It's the longest F1 race
Image source: Sahara Force India F1 TeamThe Singapore Grand Prix is the longest race on the F1 calendar. The F1 paddock moves from the shortest race of the season in Italy to the longest in the city-state.
61 laps of the street circuit can take almost two hours. With high temperatures and humidity, it's also one of the toughest races of the year. Two safety-car periods in last year's Singapore Grand Prix meant that the race couldn't complete the full distance, Sebastian Vettel crossing the line to take the win after 59 laps thanks to the two-hour race limit.
5. Best seats in the house!
Image source: Sahara Force India F1 TeamThe Marina Bay Street Circuit is the only track on the 2013 calendar that passes under a grandstand. Two other circuits, Monaco and Abu Dhabi, incorporate tunnels but this is unique.
The final twisting sector around the tricky track is very technical, requiring precision and good mechanical grip and traction. The turn 16 and 17 chicane leads onto the waterfront with the following left-right chicane taking cars through the tunnel and under the Bay Grandstand. The noise is incredible from the seats above as F1 cars head into the tunnel.
We'll be reporting on all the F1 action from under the bright lights of Singapore. Stay tuned.
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