Marina Bay Street Circuit, venue of the Singapore Grand Prix, will be substantially shorter than normal as a section of the city-based Formula 1 track has been lobbed off which means much faster lap times (10 seconds?) than ever before.
The race in Singapore tends to be a race of attrition, with incidents aplenty as the combination of high-speed sections, tight niggly bits and walls everywhere tend to claim victims. Throw in a hot and humid climate, plus nighttime time and you have drivers uniquely challenged this weekend.
As for the changes to the Marina Bay track, which held its first Grand Prix in 2008, F1 reported: "Redevelopment works in the vicinity of the track mean that the section between Turns 16 and 19 of the 2022 layout will now become one long 397.9m straight, reducing the total number of corners from 23 to 19.
"Using simulations based on a 2020 Formula 1 car, the race promoters estimate the new best qualifying lap time will be around 1:27.7s – that compares with Charles Leclerc’s pole of 1:36.217s in 2019, the last time the venue staged a dry qualifying session – with the minimum race time expected to be around an hour and a half."
The reason for this year's change of route is because "works around the Singapore circuit are for redevelopment of the Float at Marina Bay into ‘NS Square’, a new community and events venue. They are set to start in March and expected to be completed by the end of 2026."
Once the NS Square project is completed and open to the public, the Marina Bay track layout will revert to the original design.
Last year Red Bull's Sergio Perez held off Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc in and Carlos Sainz to win the 13th edition of the Singapore GP, on what was a bad day at the office for reigning F1 World Champion Max Verstappen.
This Sunday the World Champion ace is targeting his 11th win in a row this season, at a venue where he has yet to win at. He could wrap up the 2023 world title by the time F1 touches down in Austin for the United States Grand Prix.
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