Heat, humidity, 23 corners: the terrible Marina Bay street circuit appears
“WITH Toto AND Lewis as executive producers, I’m sure we’ll be portrayed as bad” Words from the Red Bull team leader Christian Horner regarding the film being worked on Formula 1mega Hollywood production from $140 million budget from Brad Pitt AND Damson Idris such as the main cast and crew Mercedes in the role of co-producer and technical consultant. There Red Bull today he represents the dark side, to use a metaphor beloved by fans of the saga. star Warsbut still less dark than when parts of the empire were taken over by Mercedes (example: today the average time of lag allowed in a race by a second classified Red Bull car is 18.47 secondswhich is higher than last season’s 13.88, but far from 33.78 produced by a German company in 2014). One of little hope left to the opponents so as not to see the energy drink team finishamong the successes represented by Sunday’s race in Singapore. The most difficult and intense route, determined by the type of route, climatic and environmental conditions. of the entire world championship.
Marina Bay I like it pilots for the challenge it represents. Respect for others scheme citizensalready in itself morally difficult and tiring, despite the low speeds, sharply increases the need for maximum concentration due to the large number curves (23, a championship at the World Championships, even if for this edition were cut for building reconstruction work Swim region in the lower city, where a new mixed-use space called NS Square will be built) and the lack true straight. Without taking into account the stress that pilots are subjected to, forced to make efforts to maintain stability car “twice the energy required for one lap in Monte Carlo– so former Caterham and Sauber driver Marcus Ericsson. Moreover, unlike other urban routes such as Baku AND Jeddahthat Singapore is one track slow, precisely because of its structure. In 2019 Charles Leclerc he made pole 8 seconds faster than the one he achieved Sergio Perez in Jeddah, although the latter district longer one kilometer. In Singapore they often approach two hours of racing.
All this happens while immersed in tropical climate with a temperature of about 30 degrees at 8 pm and humidity by 80%. Last year Carlos Sainz posted a video on Instagram of himself training with one bike trainer located in one sauna get used to the conditions he will find in his cabin Ferrari during the race. Other riders choose to wear extra layers during normal training or simply sit in a sauna in very high temperatures. acclimatize your body is the best. Second Daniel Ricciardo “This is the only race of the season where you have to open the visor to let in some air. Fresh air and you immediately wish you had done it, because It’s warmer here. During your warm-up, the chilled drinks in your bottle are at one degree Celsius. Cup of tea I just poured it.”
Another challenge for pilots is adapting to molten watchmore difficult than others off-continental racing (we are obviously talking about Europe, where all the runners live), since Singapore takes place in night. The best approach is to save European time zones, that is, go to bed around 6 am and get up early in the afternoon. Teams carry out specific preparations for Marina Bay, ensuring that Hotel take into account sleep patterns unconventional their clients. Luke BennettMercedes’ doctor claims that “they exist physiological stress and the truly unique sleep patterns associated with this event. Theoretically, this happens on European time. But it’s all there artificial lighting very strong; there are awakenings at noon, when breakfast turns into dinner; there are a couple of days when you go to bed after dawn. So it’s not that simple.” It is in connection with such a competition of strength as in Singapore, which will be followed by the Grand Prix next weekend JapanMercedes has activated a partnership with Eight sleepa company whose products are focused on impact temperature on sleep.
Given this overall picture, it is not surprising that the Singapore Grand Prix, since it was reintroduced into 2008never concluded without at least one entry in progress safety carspublished in 13 issues 23 times. There are many big players involved in the Marina Bay accidents, from Mikhail Schumacher To Sebastian Vettel before Lewis Hamilton AND Max Verstappenand the latter is not in Singapore never won. Schumi, in his less-than-stellar return to Formula 1 with Mercedes, was involved in three collisions between 2010 and 2012, the last of which was a rear-end collision. Jean-Eric Vergne from Toro Rosso, cost him a ten-place grid penalty at the next Grand Prix. Verstappen was defeated in 2017. Ferrari sandwich Vettel-Räikkönen immediately after the start due to a collision that also cost the German dearly, who started from pole position and was fighting hard for the world title (later lost) with Hamilton. English ended last year on the wall in an attempt to follow in the footsteps of Sainz, while Red Bull became the protagonist of the mess with fuelpresent in quantity inadequate in Verstappen’s car to allow him to fight for pole position in qualifying. The Dutchman will finish the race seventh place.
However, Singapore is also home to the infamous Crashgatestill relevant today in connection with the lawsuit brought Felipe Massa against Fia be awarded the title 2008lost to the then Ferrari driver at the last corner of the last race (which took place three Grands Prix later in Brazil) against McLaren from Hamilton. That same year in Singapore he won Fernando Alonso on Renaulthowever, the strategy favors him Pat Symonds AND Flavius Briatorerespectively the technical director and managing director of the French team, who deliberately asked another team rider, Nelson Pique Jr.to break, to let safety cars and thus give preference to his teammate who has just come out of the pit stop. Alonso won the race. The following year, a Federation investigation led to Suspense From Briatore indefinitely and Symonds suspended for five years. Sanctions that both subsequently agreed with the FIA. Defined by site Motorsport one of the biggest cheats in Formula 1 history, fifteen years later Crashgate continues to generate disputes AND poisons.