The Singapore Grand Prix is a motor race, currently in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. It is currently held in the Marina Bay area of Singapore. Upon resurrection of the event in 2008, the first race at the Marina Bay location, which was also Formula One's first night race,[1] was won by Spanish driver Fernando Alonso driving for the Renault F1 team.
Singapore's third Night Race was held in September 2010, in conjunction with a comprehensive 10-day entertainment schedule. Officially known as the Grand Prix Season Singapore 2010, which led up to the final race which included parties, race-themed events, music concerts, exhibitions and dining & shopping experiences.[2]
(Wikipedia)
Track Layout & Circuit Preview:The Singapore Grand Prix, the Monaco of the East, is one of the slowest of the season as an abundance of first and second-gear bends weave their way through the Marina Bay area of the city. The result is an average lap speed of just 175 km/h (108mph) although top speeds approach 297 km/h (185 mph) down Raffles Boulevard. However its claim to fame is as Formula One's first night race, illuminated by its state-of-the-art, temporary floodlight system that is installed in the week leading up to each race. The lighting system is an achievement in itself with 1600 lighting projectors spread 4 metres apart and suspended 10 metres above the track. (
aaformula1.com)
Virtual Lap:Weather:(BBC)
Track Specifications:Laps: 61
Direction: Anti-Clockwise
Corners: 23 (R-9; L-14)
Length: 5.073km / 3.152mi
Lap record: 1:45.599 / K. Räikkönen / Ferrari / 2008
Local start time: 8pm (BST +6)
Slick Pirelli tyre compounds:Super Soft (red markings) and Soft (yellow markings)
DRS zones:
Detection: 230 metres before Turn 5
Activation: 35 metres after apex of Turn 5
FIA driver steward:Heinz-Harald Frentzen
Last Time Around:2010 pole position winner:Fernando Alonso – Ferrari
2010 Grand Prix winner:Fernando Alonso – Ferrari
Memorable Singapore moments2008 - Alonso flies in practice but a qualifying fuel pump failure leaves him only 15th the grid. Yet he ends up winning after his Renault team-mate Nelson Piquet deliberately crashes to bring out a safety car at the perfect time for Alonso's strategy. Although Renault is heavily punished when the scandal emerges a year later, Alonso's win stands. Some good luck with safety car queues and traffic enables Nico Rosberg and Williams to take second despite a penalty, while title contender and pole-winner Massa leaves his pit with a fuel hose still attached - the first in a string of disasters that would dump him to 13th.
2009 - Hamilton takes victory, but the big news is underdog podiums for Timo Glock (Toyota) and Alonso (Renault), with the latter dedicating his win to ex-team boss Flavio Briatore, who had just been kicked out of the sport for the previous year's Singapore scandal... Rosberg and Williams again see a shot at victory lost to a pit penalty.
2010 - No question marks over Alonso's victory this time as he fends off Vettel's faster Red Bull all the way to the flag. A collision with third-place finisher Webber is a big blow for Hamilton's title bid. (
ITV)
Scenarios:Vettel can be crowned Champion on Sunday by finishing in either first, second or third positions, with a number of other scenarios prevailing.
CHAMPION if Vettel wins and:
- Fernando Alonso finishes fourth or lower
- Jenson Button and Mark Webber finish third or lower
CHAMPION if Vettel finishes second and:
- Fernando Alonso finishes eighth or lower
- Jenson Button and Mark Webber finish fifth or lower
- Lewis Hamilton does not win
CHAMPION if Vettel finishes third and:
- Fernando Alonso finishes ninth or lower
- Jenson Button and Mark Webber finish seventh or lower
- Lewis Hamilton finishes third or lower
(
http://www.gpupdate.net/)
DebateHow much has the Safety Car been used so far in 2011?After 13 races in the current season, just four have featured Safety Car deployments - Monaco, Canada, Belgium and Italy. In total, there have been nine deployments, of which five occurred during the Canadian Grand Prix, for a total of 5.5% of the racing laps. By way of comparison, after 13 races in 2010, there had been a total of 12 deployments in seven different races, accounting for 5.1% of the racing laps. The reduction in the number of Safety Car deployments, and the significant reduction in the number of races at which it has been deployed, are perhaps surprising given the increase in wheel-to-wheel racing that has occurred this year. Indeed, the Safety Car wasn’t used at all in the first five races of the 2011 season - the first time this had occurred since 2004, and only the second time in the past ten years. Furthermore, the 2011 season has seen two wet-dry races in which the Safety Car has not appeared at all - Britain and Hungary.
How many laps has the Safety Car led in total this year?So far, the Safety Car has led a total of 49 laps, equivalent to 218.3 km. Of these, 140 km were accounted for by the Canadian Grand Prix. Indeed, the five Safety Car deployments during this race lasted for 45.7% of the race distance - the longest Safety Car total laps recorded in the past ten years. The next longest deployments were at the 2010 Korean Grand Prix (26 laps, 146 km) and the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix (26 laps, 119 km). The race with the most individual Safety Car deployments was the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix.
Which season saw the most Safety Car use in the past decade?Since the start of the 2001 season, the Safety Car has led almost 2,500 km - equivalent to approximately eight Grand Prix distances. 75 races have seen the Safety Car deployed a total of 117 times for 510 laps. The season which saw the most Safety Car deployments was 2010, when it appeared 21 times at 12 races, for a total of 7.8% of the racing laps; in total, the Mercedes SLS AMG led a total of 87 laps for 452.3 km, equivalent to one-and-a-half race distances.
Which seasons saw the least Safety Car usage?The seasons with the fewest deployments were 2001 and 2002, both of which saw just five Safety Car periods. In 2001, Safety Car periods accounted for 2.6% of all racing laps, while in 2002 this figure decreased to 2.3%. Overall, between 2001 and 2010, Safety Car deployments accounted for an average of 4.2% of all racing laps. This means that the 2011 season has seen above-average Safety Car usage;
(
thef1times.com)
_________________________________________NEWS UPDATE:‘
No chance’ hazy Singapore GP will be cancelledThere is “no chance” the Singapore grand prix will be called off due to poor visibility, race organisers said on Thursday.
It is a cloudy and humid day in the city-state, with weather forecasts predicting possible rain throughout the race weekend.
Additionally, forest fires in nearby Indonesia have cast a haze over the skies, with the pollutant standards index recording a mere “moderate” air quality according to the Straits Times Indonesia.
Together with the risk of rain in the artificial light, there have been suggestions the race could be called off.
Read more at F1zone__________________________________________I don't have time to post this tomorrow so I thought to complete it today. Better now than Saturday! This topic will be modified, as always, after the weekend with race statistics, so be sure to check in later next week. Enjoy another classic F1 weekend and feel free to comment any of Lewis' incidents.
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