Last Update: November 23, 2023
The following is my introduction to the F1 Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
The Singapore Grand Prix of Formula One debuted in 2008 and was the first night race in the history of Formula One. The race, qualifying and free practice sessions all take place using artificial lighting.
In the years from 1966 to 1973, the Singapore Grand Prix was held as a formula-free race. It was held on a specially designed street circuit within the city for the race. At the time, the race was also known as the Malaysian Grand Prix, as Singapore was part of the Federation of Malaysia. However, the event was eventually discontinued for safety reasons due to increasing traffic.
To allow for the construction of a new venue, the routing of the 2023 Singapore Formula 1 will be temporarily adjusted to meet requirements. This year, the current section of track between turns 16 and 19 will not be used.
This particular section of the track is particularly remembered for being the site of the controversial Formula One incident in 2008. Nelson Piquet Jr. intentionally caused a crash in the incident, which ultimately allowed his teammate Fernando Alonso to take the win.
Overall, the track has many 90° turns, and thus track sections that can only be traversed at low speeds. Thus, there are also track sections that can be traversed at very high speeds, with vehicles traveling at nearly 300 km/h. This speed is remarkably high for a course that runs over public roads. This is what, in addition to the floodlit ambience, is particularly appealing to F1 drivers and spectators at the Singapore F1 race!
This year, the Singapore Grand Prix will be held from September 15 to 17. The F1 race (Singapore Grand Prix) follows the Monza Italian Grand Prix. Then it's on to the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. Then it's a handful of races until the world championship decider in Abu Dhabi!
The Marina Bay Street Circuit stretches 5.063 kilometers and consists mostly of public streets in downtown Singapore. The circuit runs in a counterclockwise direction.
One of the outstanding features of the Singapore Grand Prix is the spectacular lighting of the track. Over 1,500 floodlights are used to illuminate the entire track.
The race covers a distance of 61 laps, which equates to a total distance of about 308.706 kilometers.
With 26 corners, 15 of which lead to the left and 11 to the right, the Singapore Grand Prix circuit offers the largest number of turns on the current Formula One calendar. Due to the large number of gear changes, this presents a significant challenge for the transmission and the drivers.
The Marina Bay Street Circuit is considered one of the most challenging circuits on the Formula One calendar. The track is tight, twisty and has hardly any run-off zones, which is not very forgiving of mistakes.
Here's an overview of 1st place finishers in past F1 races at the Singapore Grand Prix:
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Sergio Perez (Red Bull) |
| 2021 | no race because of COVID |
| 2020 | no race because of COVID |
| 2019 | Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) |
| 2018 | Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) |
| 2017 | Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) |
| 2016 | Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) |
| 2015 | Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) |
| 2014 | Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) |
| 2013 | Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull-Renault) |
| 2012 | Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull-Renault) |
| 2011 | Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull-Renault) |
| 2010 | Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) |
| 2009 | Lewis Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes) |
| 2008 | Fernando Alonso (Renault) |
| 1973 | Vern Schuppan (March-Hart) |
| 1972 | Max Stewart (Mildren-Waggott) |
| 1971 | Graeme Lawrence (Brabham-Ford) |
| 1970 | Graeme Lawrence (Ferrari) |
| 1969 | Graeme Lawrence (McLaren-Ford) |
| 1968 | Garrie Cooper (Elfin-Ford) |
| 1967 | Rodney Seow (Merlyn-Ford) |
| 1966 | Lee Han Seng (Lotus-Ford) |
So far, Sebastian Vettel has scored the most victories at the Singapore Grand Prix, standing on the podium five times. A remarkable achievement!
Kevin Magnussen in the Haas-Ferrari set the record for the fastest lap in the race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in 2018, with an impressive time of 1:41.905 minutes. That best has not been beaten until now.
In qualifying, Lewis Hamilton on Mercedes has so far set the fastest lap in Singapore. His fastest time also comes from 2018 and is 1:36.015 minutes.
As far as pole positions are concerned, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel share the record. Both drivers have been able to start the race from that position four times each.
In addition to the Singapore Grand Prix itself, the city also offers a diverse range of entertainment, concerts and attractions. This adds to the unique atmosphere of the race. Here is a small list of Singapore's attractions:
There is an easy and reliable way to live stream any Formula 1 race for free, including the one in Singapore. We have provided a detailed guide about this option for you in our linked article. Enjoy saving money and watching Formula 1 for free! We hope you enjoy it!
