Singapore GP 2010

SINGAPORE 2010

Venue.- Marina Bay Street Circuit

From Monza in Italy the F1 World Championship heads to the Marina Bay Street Circuit in the city-state of Singapore. The only night race as of now in the F1 Championship this race always has something special in it. The race will also be the first race of the season for Nick Heidfield who replaces Pedro de la Rosa at the Sauber team.

The weather forecast at Singapore says that we will be having a wet F1 weekend. Will the rain add to the toughness of driving at night under lights? Only time will tell.

Circuit Map.-

Last winners.-

Year	Driver	Constructor
2009	Lewis Hamilton	Mclaren-Mercedes
2008	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari

Driverwatch.-

1.    Mark Webber (187 points)

Last five races.-

GBR  GER  HUN  BEL  ITA

  1^st     6^th     1^st      2^nd   6^th

He didn’t get onto the podium at Monza but Hamilton retiring in the first lap meant that a sixth place finish for Mark Webber was enough for him to get to the top spot in the Drivers’ standings. The last two races at Singapore haven’t had much luck for the Aussie as he has failed to finish the race on both occasions (braking problems in ’09 and transmission problems in ’08). He must keep going his good form as he leads Hamilton by just 5 points.

2.    Lewis Hamilton (182 points)

GBR  GER  HUN  BEL  ITA

  2^nd    4^th    Ret    1^st  Ret

After winning at Spa and getting the 5^th place in the starting grid at Monza it was like a dream recovery for Lewis Hamilton after facing gearbox problems at the Hungaroring. However, a collision on the opening lap of the race turned the dream sour for the Brit. Singapore has always been a good race for Hamilton as he finished 3^rd in 2008 and won the race last year.

3.    Fernando Alonso (166 points)

GBR  GER  HUN  BEL  ITA

  14^th   1^st      2^nd  Ret   1^st

The Spanish driver gained a lot of ground on the leaders with a win at Monza. He also replaced Sebastian Vettel for the 3^rd spot in the Drivers’ rankings. He won the inaugural Singapore GP in 2008 controversially and came on the podium last year where he again created a mild stir when he dedicated the 3^rd place finish to Flavio Briatore who was involved in the 2008 Crashgate scandal. Alonso will also have to use his engine wisely as he has used up all the engines available to him. A decision to replace one would mean that he faces a 10-place grid penalty.

Teamwatch.-

1.    Red Bull Racing (350 points)

Red Bull had a fine race at Monza with their drivers finishing 4^th and 6^th, fine enough to extend their lead over Mclaren by 3 points. Singapore has had mixed luck for the Austrian outfit as Webber has never finished the race but the other driver has always made a points finish.

2.    Mclaren-Mercedes (347 points)

Hamilton’s early exit from the race put up the question ‘Will Mclaren fall way behind Red Bull?’ However a second place finish for Button ensured that Red Bull don’t go out of the reach of his side. Within touching distance of Red Bull, it may just be a case of who blinks first.

3.    Ferrari (290 points)

After getting two on the podium on front of their home fans Ferrari will be having high hopes for Singapore. A third place for Raikkonen was all that the Prancing Horse could manage last year. Massa will be hoping to get a good race this year as he missed out on the Singapore GP last year due to his injury.

What about Force India?

No points gained at Monza means Force India will have to do better at Singapore if they wish to remain ahead of the Williams team. Force India are also yet to win a single point at the Marina Bay Street circuit. Also on both of the last two occasions at Singapore only one Force India driver has finished the race.

    What’s special at Singapore?

·        It is suggested that this would be the least demanding circuit of this season with less than half track being run at full throttle.

·        The only night race in the F1 season, this race has a different feel to it as it is not usual to see F1 cars race under lights.

·        In the around the raceday, many entertainment shows are being organized on the stages around the track. The highlight event is a concert by Mariah Carey which will take place on raceday.


TV Listings.-
Qualifying.- 
Saturday 22:00 Race Local Time
Saturday 19:30 IST (Will not be telecast in India)
Raceday.-
Sunday 16:00 IST LIVE On Star Sports
Main Race.-
Sunday 20:00 Race Local Time
Sunday 17:15 IST LIVE On Star Sports
Chequered Flag.-
Sunday 19:15 IST LIVE On Star Sports