2019 Formulation One Singapore Grand Prix preview
The 2019 Formulation One World Championship has bid farewell to Europe for the yr and headed over to Asia the place the Singapore Grand Prix is scheduled to happen this weekend.
The race, well-known for being run at night time, is held on a avenue circuit often known as the Marina Bay Circuit, with visibility solely made doable by a sequence of 1,500 halogen lamps. They shine so vivid that drivers typically don tinted visors to scale back the glare.
Like Monaco, speeds do not get very excessive attributable to Singapore’s quick straights, tight corners and bumpy floor, a mix that nonetheless makes the race one of many trickiest to reach on the excellent automotive setup. The nice half is that it provides a number of the slower groups a greater probability.
Climate can be difficulty in Singapore, although the present forecast does not name for any rain all through the weekend. There’s nonetheless scorching and humid situations to take care of, even into the night time the place the temperatures can attain 104 levels F. That is bodily demanding for the drivers and difficult for the vehicles when it comes to managing brake and tire temperatures, and compounding this difficulty is the race’s lengthy two-hour size.
Ferrari on the 2019 Formulation One Singapore Grand Prix
Pirelli’s tire nominations of the softer C3, C4 and C5 compounds roughly corresponds with the nominations of 2018’s race. One other difficulty groups might want to concern themselves with is the excessive diploma of monitor evolution in addition to the standard avenue furnishings reminiscent of manholes and white traces that may alter grip ranges.
After some early apply on Friday, Aston Martin Crimson Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen put within the quickest instances, adopted by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel after which Mercedes-AMG’s Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. For Bottas, his session ended early when an occasion of oversteer noticed him crash into the limitations at flip 19. There was additionally bother for Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc who retired attributable to transmission issues.
Going into Saturday’s qualifying session and Sunday’s race, Mercedes-AMG’s Lewis Hamilton leads the 2019 Drivers’ Championship with 284 factors. Bottas is second with 221 factors and Verstappen is third with 185 factors. Within the Constructors’ Championship, Mercedes leads with 505 factors versus the 351 of Ferrari and 266 of Crimson Bull. Final yr’s winner in Singapore was Hamilton driving for Mercedes.
In different F1 information, injured driver Robert Kubica has introduced that he’ll go away Williams on the finish of the 2019 season. Haas additionally introduced that it’s going to hold present drivers Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen for the 2020 season.