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Singapore Grand Prix - Preview |
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Bridgestone will bring its soft and super soft Potenza tyres for the only night race of the 2009 FIA Formula One season, the Singapore Grand Prix, which takes place on September 25-27. This allocation has previously been used in Monaco, Budapest and Valencia and will suit the requirements of the 5.07km street course which weaves its way through the Marina Bay area of the sovereign city state. Hiroshi Yasukawa - Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, said: "Last year's Singapore Grand Prix was Formula One's first ever night race and it was a tremendous success. Singapore is an important hub in Asia so having a race here is very beneficial for enhancing Bridgestone's brand awareness in the region. We are looking forward to visiting Singapore once more and seeing many more fans introduced to this fantastic sport." Q&A with Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development What are the challenges of Singapore? "Last year was the first time we ran at Singapore and we learnt a lot. It is a street course so we will see a lot of circuit surface evolution and improvement as the track is first cleaned by cars running, then racing rubber is laid, meaning better grip. This makes finding a good set-up difficult as the track condition is a moving target." What are the primary tyre performance considerations? "There are the usual considerations for a venue which is not solely designed for motor racing. This means we bring the softest tyres from our range, both of which are lower temperature working range tyres. Last year we saw that the track was quite bumpy. This adds an additional requirement for the suspension set-up as an uneven surface can bounce the tyre out of contact with the track, which means less grip."
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Q. A question to you all. What are your feelings about this circuit, about Singapore? Your feelings about racing at night? Mark WEBBER: I think it is great coming here. It is a brilliant change for us to race at night. I think it worked very well last year in terms of the atmosphere. I think it was pretty good whether you were a journalist, photographer, spectator, driver, mechanic. I think it was just a unique one and I think all sporting events at night have a little bit of a different feel to them, an atmosphere. I think they have learned a little bit with the track. They have changed a little bit this year with the bumps here and there, a little bit of kerbing, the pit lane entry and exit, there are a few little tweaks. It was a good event and I like coming to this part of the world. It is not far from home for me, so it is good. Nico ROSBERG: I think it is a fantastic event and it works really well. There is a bit of a question mark if it rains, what the visibility is going to be like then with the floodlights and everything but I guess it should be alright. Although maybe with the spray and everything I don't know. We will have to wait and see. But it looks a bit unlikely that it will rain this weekend for now but we will see. Lewis HAMILTON: Petty much the same. It is a great track and a great show we put on last year and I am sure we can do the same this year. Kimi RAIKKONEN: Last year was a nice race. We will see what we can do this year but hopefully for us it should be a little better than last year but we will see how it goes. Q. Mark, do you still feel the championship is possible? MW: The drivers' championship is very difficult. I think Jenson has to get four or five points on us and it's all over. I am coming here trying to get the best result for me and looking forward to Suzuka next week as well as we have got a few good tracks hopefully that we can get some good results at. But the championship is much more difficult now. Q. Last year you had a gearbox problem. How do you feel about reliability this year? Is it a problem at this circuit, particularly with jumping over the kerbs? MW: I hope that it will be better this year. We have shown this year that we have had a few engine problems but on the chassis side we have been pretty good, so touch wood we will be okay Sunday night and we can get a good chunk of points. Q. Is it a circuit you feel is more suited to the car? MW: No, I think we have seen already in Monaco and Valencia that they have not been probably our best circuits of the year compared to some others but it doesn't mean we are going to be out the back massively. We are still going to be in the hunt but we won't have an advantage. The stop-start nature of these tracks is something we will look to improve next year. Q. Nico, Monza was a bit of a nightmare for you. First time I think you have been out of the points for quite some time. What are your feelings about this place? NR: I mean both Spa and Monza were very difficult. At Spa we were lucky in the middle sector that we could be competitive, so that helped us in general, but we didn't really deserve points there either. Then Monza was a complete disaster to be honest. I am looking forward to this one as it is back to the car with the aerodynamics that we had used in Valencia where we were running fifth and were very competitive in the race. They have worked on that a lot over the last couple of weeks and we have a good upgrade for this race. I am pretty confident that we are going to be up there again and really battling for some good points which is where I prefer to be obviously. Q. You were second here last year. You were on the podium and hoping for the same again. Is that possible? NR: I think the podium is possible this year for sure. We need to be a bit lucky to get there. I think in pure pace we can be in the top six or top five, but if we are a bit lucky we can finish in the top three which would be a great result again for us, similar to last year. Q. Is it a bit of a frustration that you are knocking on the door of the podium all the time? NR: A little bit but that's not that important I guess. What counts is your championship position and we are in quite a good position at the moment being sixth. It is not going to be easy to hold on to that to the end of the year but I will do my best. A podium would be nice. It would be great to have one at least this year, maybe even two, we will see in the last few races. I am sure there will be one or two opportunities. Q. Lewis, you have been saying that you come here with quite a different attitude to how you came here last year when you were in championship contention. LH: I cannot really remember saying that. I arrive the same as always. Q. The attitude was that you were slightly more cautious last year because you were in a championship battle. LH: Obviously yes, we just wanted to get points last year but nonetheless we went out there to win the race. We started off second, very competitive, but I think with the safety car I got a bit of traffic during one of my stints and wasn't able to get much better than third. But nonetheless we are generally quite competitive on street circuits. This weekend we do have an upgrade package and it sounds like everyone else has as well, so perhaps we will just be in the same position, who knows. We will have to see if our upgrade package works as good as we hope. But in terms of the race we want to win but I want to finish the race this time, so that's the plan. Q. Tell us a bit more about the upgrade. Is it the last one of the year? LH: Yeah, I mean there is not really much point developing this car. There is not much more we can get from it. There is no real benefit really. We have got four races left which, of course, we want to be at the front competing for wins and challenging the top teams but I think it is wise that we focus and make sure we can compete for the full season next year and give ourselves a fair chance to compete with the faster teams. Q. So the focus is on next year already? LH: It will be after this and the next race for sure. Q. Kimi, you have spoken about not having any more modifications on the Ferrari. What are your expectations for this race? KR: I think we have a similar weekend than any other this year. It is very hard to say where we are before we even run. Circuits like Monaco and Valencia have been pretty okay for us, so maybe this is more like them. But I mean everybody seems to go forward and we have had no new parts since Hungary. All we have is small ones, but nothing major, but still we have been able to have good results, so hopefully it is the same here. Let's wait and see for tomorrow and then we will have a much better idea. Q. What did you take out of last year's race? It wasn't a good ending for you. KR: No, it wasn't. But that is what happens sometimes. It did not make much difference with my last year's position. I think overall the car suited this track very well. Usually it is a different car and different tyres we should be okay here and it is a nice circuit. They have changed it a little bit, but we will see how it is. QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR Q. (Ed Gorman - The Times) Nico, knowing what you now know about what happened here last year, do you consider yourself the rightful winner of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix? NR: No, not really. It is way too far back now, so I wouldn't really be in a position to say that, no. Q. (Pablo Ianieri - La Gazzetta dello Sport) Mark, considering the ban to Flavio Briatore and he is your manager. Do you think he will be missed in Formula One? MW: He will be missed or I will miss him? |
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Q. (Pablo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) If Formula One is going to miss a person like Briatore? MW: Yes, for sure. He was a very good character for our sport and I think a lot of people agree with that but it doesn't seem like he is going to be around again for a good while, so that is the way it is. Q. (MC) Can I ask where does that leave you then? MW: My life has changed massively. It has turned it upside down. You wouldn't believe. Honestly I have had Flavio looking after me for 11 years. I have never looked at the contract after I signed it on that first day and there are not many people in this paddock you can do that with. He has been sensational for me. I won't work with anyone else in the future if I can't work with him. Q. (Sarah Holt – BBC) Question for all drivers: after we had the Renault ruling this week, do you think that there are still some wider effects from the fall-out of the Renault scandal going into this race, or is it back to business for Formula One, anticipating the next one maybe? MW: Well, I don't think it's ideal for our sport. We all love the sport and so we all strive very hard to get here. It was a dream for all of us to compete at the highest level, so when it's not about... when I was growing up, the Sennas, the Prosts and those guys were people you aspired to and I'm sure whether it's photographers or journalists or anyone you want to try and aspire to work at the top end of the sport. It's a shame that you're not always reporting about activities that you should be reporting about. There's been a consistent trend over the last few years like that. I'm certainly running out of patience sticking up for the sport and I'm sure other people are as well. Q. (Livio Oricchio – O Estado de Sao Paulo) To all drivers: Nelson Piquet crashed on purpose; do you think there is space for a driver like this in Formula One? LH: I think it's a difficult one. Obviously, at least for myself, I can never see myself being in that position and I'm sure it's the same for the rest of us drivers here. I think yesterday someone said that I said he would be back in Formula One very soon. All I can say is that I wish him well, I was just trying to be positive for him because I know how tough it can be in tough situations and I'm sure he and his family don't feel so great right now, so all I can do is send some positive energy and hope the best for them. KR: He admitted it himself but I think it will be difficult for him to get back after that kind of thing. It's not something I want to be involved in. If he comes back, it's going to be good for him, if not maybe there is a reason for it. Q. (Mark Fogarty – Auto Action) Lewis and Kimi, as the reigning and previous World Champions, do you not have an opinion on this race fixing scandal? Does it not outrage you, could you not fill us in on what you think about such a serious thing that has happened in your sport, particularly as you're representatives as World Champions? LH: It's not our job, really, to comment on it. Our job is to focus on our race weekend and go out and try and put on a great show for everyone, that's what we're here to do. KR: It's not our team... Of course it's not a nice thing but I don't want to get involved in the whole situation. There's nothing that I can change there. You say some things and then people write it sometimes wrongly and you end up suddenly being part of it in the wrong way. We try to work in our team. It's not a nice thing for the sport but unfortunately some kind of scandal seems to happen every year. Hopefully it stops at some point and there's more about racing. Q. (Paulo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Since you're out there risking your lives, would you feel comfortable to be racing close to another guy who you knew has done something on purpose? He put himself in danger but he could also put you in danger. KR: Well, accidents can always happen, but I don't think there are many people who want to have accidents on purpose. It's a dangerous sport, anything can go wrong, even at slow speeds and you can get badly hurt but that's the risk we take. Q. (Alessia Cruciani – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Do you think it's right not to penalise Nelsinho after what's happened ? MW: The situation that happened is very complex. Again, I'm not really in a position to really understand. I only see what you guys see. Whether he should get a big penalty or not is not that easy to comment on. I think enough damage has been done to him. First of all, he got himself in a situation that of course he regrets. That's what he did and that's what he has to live with. I think it's very difficult for him to come back. NR: The thing is that on the one hand without him, the whole thing wouldn't have come out, so he helped to take these two people out of the sport who created such a illegal incident. But on the other hand he was just as much involved as they were, so it's a bit of a difficult one, I guess. Q. (Joris Fioriti – AFP) As drivers and fans, doesn't it make you want to scream when you hear this stuff? You seem to be pretty quiet and calm; it's quite shocking, isn't it? MW: Yeah, but you know mate, we get used to it, we get used to it as drivers because the stuff that goes on, goes on, and what can we do? As we've just said, we are fans of the sport as well, we want it to be projected in the right way, we want it to be taken very seriously, like you obviously hope most other sports can be, but at the moment, it's off the back of another poor example. We're not proud of that, of course, but all of us in this room, us four, haven't been involved in what happened last year, but we can't do anything about it. Yeah, you can look at the way it gets handled, you can look at that, how the cases get handled, you can look at that in isolation but again, that's not up to us. Q. (Jonathan Legard – BBC) Just picking up your point there about being fans, what about the fans of the sport, people who pay good money to come and watch? Is there a danger that a relationship of trust might be fractured with the audience – not just people who come to a race but also who watch it on television, listen to it on radio and follow it in magazines and so on, that they'll think 'can we really trust what's happening on the track, can we trust Formula One?'? NR: If I can answer that: we have this everywhere in life: if it's business, sport, it doesn't matter where, there are always going to be individuals who do something illegal. It's a matter of getting them out of the way, which has been done, and it's been a negative thing for the sport but now we will have a great race weekend, we will have a superb race result, great action on track and everything will be a thing of the past again. So I think we just get on with it. It happens everywhere in life. Q. (Will Buxton – Australasian Motor Sport News) Nico, there have been words attributed to you over the last week saying that you're now looking at Brawn or McLaren for next year. Just wondering on your thoughts if you were to partner Lewis next year – you're obviously good friends for a long time. And Lewis, your thoughts on potentially having Nico as a team-mate next year? NR: I was team-mates with Lewis in go-karts. We had a great time at the time, so I would enjoy being team-mates with Lewis again in the future. LH: I know that a lot's been said, I don't know what's going to happen, but obviously we've got a great relationship. At the moment I'm very happy with how things are in the team but we have to see what happens. NR: That didn't sound all too positive from Lewis. He isn't too excited... Q. (Joris Fioriti – AFP) Kimi, what about you? Luca di Montezemolo said yesterday that it was between you and a Spanish guy. Everybody knows what he meant. It's getting closer and closer. KR: It's the same story still. I have a contract and I guess they want to talk about it, but it hasn't really changed anything since the last race or the race before.
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Having bid farewell to the European season with yet another podium at its home race in Monza, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro now embarks on this year’s final quartet of races, starting with the second running of the Singapore Grand Prix. The 2008 event was not only the first time that the Formula 1 World Championship had staged a race here, but it was also the first ever night race for motor sport’s premier series. Although that race was packed with incident and spectacle, the two biggest concerns for all the teams proved to be less difficult to deal with than expected: firstly, the floodlighting was of such a high standard that there were no complaints on the visibility front from the drivers, indeed some felt it was better than racing in daytime as there was no sun to cause blinding or shadows on the track and secondly, spending the week on “European Time” to adapt to the night schedule actually seemed to give everyone more sleep than at a conventional race. One other concern was not addressed last year, namely the effect on night time visibility in the event of rain. Inevitably, in this part of the world, the weather forecast for the week mentions the chance of thunderstorms, but it remains to be seen if these will arrive during times of on-track action. Temperatures are due to be in a range of 25 to 31 degrees Celsius. The inaugural Singapore Grand Prix was generally well received by the teams, although there were some complaints about the track surface and some kerbing and these issues have been addressed with modifications, including some to run off areas at the first two corners and to the pit lane exit, which came in for some criticism last year. Even with these changes, it is clear that the Safety Car can play a significant role in determining the outcome of the race, given that this track has far more in common with Monaco than with Valencia for example, the latter having larger run-off areas at key points on the track. The other factor it shares with other street circuits is that a good grid position is more important here than at more flowing circuits. This is an important point for those running KERS, as the run down to the first corner after the start is relatively short and therefore, the power boost is unable to be used as effectively as at the last few races, although it can still be of help in overall performance terms. Right from the very first round of the championship in Melbourne, back in March, it has been difficult to predict the outcome of races and the picture has got even more complicated on this front as the season has progressed. Therefore, a rough guide to which cars are well suited to the track will only be available after Friday’s free practice. The F60s driven by Raikkonen and Fisichella will be essentially unchanged since the last race, apart from the downforce levels on a track that is usually hard on the brakes and the tyres. Bridgestone is bringing its Soft and Super-soft tyres, which are well suited to the characteristics of the F60. As far as the engine cycle is concerned, the team can now count on running each engine for just two races to the end of the year, which is a tribute to the good work of all those in the engine department in Maranello, given that some other teams are struggling on this front. Since the Italian Grand Prix, Kimi has spent his time at home, in Switzerland. Giancarlo Fisichella had a busier week, spending last Monday working on the simulator at the Fiat Research Centre in Turin and the Roman was in Maranello on Wednesday, in meetings with the engineers, before taking to the track at Vairano on Thursday, for the last of this season’s aero tests, which gave him a further opportunity to feel at home at the controls of the car, working through various procedures. Last year, starting from pole, Felipe Massa appeared to have the race win in his grasp, until the Safety Car intervened and the Brazilian’s pit stop went seriously wrong, as he left his position outside the garage, with the fuel hose still attached. Having started from third, Kimi Raikkonen was chasing Hamilton, who was struggling with his tyres and would have got ahead in the run of pit stops, except that the Scuderia had to bring both its drivers in together for a double pit stop, as a result of the Safety Car. Then, when lying fifth, while chasing Glock, he crashed within a few laps of the chequered flag. Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro and its drivers are looking forward to the Singapore Grand Prix, which provided an interesting and novel experience last year, although there are additional pressures after the event, as this year, it is the first of two back-to-back races, with Japan. This means that Sunday, already a late night, will become even longer for the crew, thanks to the need to pack up all the cars and equipment for immediate freighting to Suzuka. Unusually, having spent at least a week in a Far East time zone, most people in the paddock will still have to adapt to a major time difference, having exchanged day for night in Singapore. With four races to go, the target for Ferrari is the one it set itself quite a while ago, from the time when it became apparent that Championship titles were no longer a realistic goal. Maintaining third place in the Constructors’ classification is the revised objective and, as has been demonstrated in recent races, if all elements of the package come together, then a podium is within reach. If the more obvious candidate to achieve this from within our ranks is Kimi, after making good progress throughout his debut in Monza, Giancarlo himself and the team expect to see the Roman make a contribution to the points tally this weekend. With life taking place with a European clock here for the only night race on the calendar, at the time when one would usually be leaving the track, Giancarlo Fisichella sat down to meet the media on the eve of the Singapore Grand Prix. "I'm feeling much more confident and relaxed now," confided the Roman. "Monza was a tough weekend for me, especially because I was so nervous if also excited, when I got in the cockpit on that first Friday. But since completing a whole race distance and spending more time in the simulator and driving at the aerodynamic test in Vairano, I am now much more at ease. Now, I'm looking forward to this weekend, because I like this circuit. Also, with the higher level of downforce we need to run here, I think it will be better for me and give me more confidence in the car. I am keen to start driving tomorrow." Apart from getting used to a new car and a new team, Monza was also Giancarlo's first experience with KERS. "The KERS was hard to adapt to," he admitted., "But I was able to practice using it and experiencing it in the simulator last week. At Monza, I lost maybe a couple of tenths a lap because of concentrating on operating the KERS, but I expect it to be easier from now on. I am sure KERS will be useful on this track, but we will have to wait and see if we need to play with the weight distribution on the car to get it working at its best. The simulation seems to suggest we should be okay here, although of course, we have now stopped developing the F60, to concentrate on next year's car. But in Valencia, Kimi was very competitive and as we will have the same level of downforce here, I think we should be alright to have a good race on Sunday. My aim this weekend is to get into the final top ten part of qualifying and then to score points in the race, finishing as close as possible to Kimi." Fisichella also clarified his situation regarding 2010: "I have a contract to be the third driver for the team next year and if there is any other team interested in having me as a race driver, then we will discuss with Ferrari if this will be possible. I would like to race, but I'm not sure if I would want to start again with a new team -- but with a good team, then why not? But let's wait and see and Ferrari will decide." Finally, he was asked if had received one of the best privileges of working for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, a Ferrari road car. "No, not at the moment," he laughed. "But I used to own a 360 Modena, so maybe I will get another one now!" Kimi Raikkonen I'm glad we're going to Singapore. It's a fantastic city, I like the food and I don't mind that we race in the evening. Furthermore it's another city circuit and the slower the circuits are this year the better we were, just look at Valencia and Monaco: there's no reason, why it shouldn't be the same in Singapore. I still have a score to settle with this race. Last year, at the end of the race, I drove into a wall, when I was fighting for the fourth position against Glock. I really don't like that memory. The first night race was great for all of us. Besides some parts of the run-off area the whole track is perfectly illuminated. There's no difference to daylight. As on all tracks like this overtaking is almost impossible. The KERS will be an advantage, but it won't make the difference like it did in Spa or in Monza. If it's true that the F60 is more competitive on slow tracks, than it's also true that the other teams will show up with improvements; that's why it will be more difficult for us. We have to try to use the package we have the best way possible and we need to find the best set up. If we attain perfection than we can fight for a place on the podium. This is our goal. We gained a place on the podium five times in a row and as of the race at the Nurburgring I gained the same number of points as the leaders in the standings. Let's hope we can proceed like this until the end of the season. It would be great keeping the third place in the Constructors' Championship, but it will be very difficult, too. Over the last four Grands Prix we had only one car in the points, but now we also need the second car's contribution. I'm sure that thanks to his experience Giancarlo can make it. I think that out of the four remaining races the one in Singapore suits Ferrari the best. If we want to win we need to be more than perfect and need a little bit of luck. But after the win in Spa it would be fantastic to have this feeling once again. Night driving -- "fit a dark visor!" Kimi Raikkonen took part in the FIA press conference this evening, as darkness fell on the Singapore track, and the first question related to driving at night. In his usual laid-back way, the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro driver didn't think it was a problem. "It's fine driving under floodlights at night, not much different to any other circuit and it's just like driving in daytime really," he said. "And if you feel it's too bright, you can always fit a dark visor!" Even though Kimi's race here last year ended in a crash, the Finn is enthusiastic about the venue. "I don't remember all the corners, because there are so many of them, which makes it interesting. It's a nice track, very challenging, quite bumpy but I heard they fixed that problem, which means it will be very nice to drive here again if the solution works." With a string of four consecutive podium finishes in the last four races, Kimi has been the most consistent driver in recent races, but as usual, he was not keen to make any predictions regarding his chances this Sunday. "I think it's the same story as every race, in that we have to wait until free practice to see what happens. >From then on we can make our plan and follow it for the rest of the weekend. If we do that well, we can have a good chance to be high up in the top five.Circuits like Monaco and Valencia have been pretty okay for us, so maybe this is more like them. But everybody seems to go forward and we have had no new parts since Hungary. All we have is small ones, but nothing major, but still we have been able to have good results, so hopefully it is the same here. Let's wait and see for tomorrow and then we will have a much better idea." Sadly, the main talking point which has made the F1 headlines recently concerns the Renault affair, which dates back to Nelson Piquet's accident at this Grand Prix last year. "Every sport has things like this and if anyone has lost faith in F1, I think it probably happened before this incident," said Kimi. "These things happen in all walks of life including sport. I hope we can forget all this and get back to racing." And Raikkonen was critical of the idea of a driver deliberately crashing. "Well, accidents can always happen, but I don't think there are many people who want to have accidents on purpose. It's a dangerous sport, anything can go wrong, even at slow speeds and you can get badly hurt but that's the risk we take."
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The ING Renault F1 Team looks forward to round fourteen of the season, the Singapore Grand Prix. Fernando Alonso: “I believe we can be competitive in Singapore” Fernando, you had a strong weekend in Monza. Talk us through your race? Considering that I started eighth on the grid, I was happy to finish fifth, which was better than we predicted before the race. We used KERS all weekend, but I couldn’t make the most of it at the start so we lost some of the advantage going into the first corner. For the rest of the race the car had a good balance and my one-stop strategy worked well so we could score some important points. The next race is in Singapore - what do you think of the track? I like it because it’s quite challenging and there are some interesting corners like the high-speed chicane at turn 10 where you have to carry a lot of speed and use the curbs. Overtaking isn’t easy in Singapore, but there are some opportunities. How will the R29 perform this weekend? The car is working well at most circuits so I believe we are competitive enough to get close to the podium, which has to be my target this weekend. And how are you preparing for the unusual timetable? Last year I decided it was better to remain on a European schedule rather than adjusting to local time so I will do the same this year as it’s the best way to manage my energy levels. Romain Grosjean: “I’m looking forward to racing at night” Romain, you had a mixed weekend in Monza. Tell us what happened in the race... I was disappointed with my race because I couldn’t show the true potential of my car. I lost a lot of places at the start and had some contact in the first chicane, which damaged the car and made it very difficult to drive. My radio also broke which made things even harder. It was good to finish the race and gain more experience, but I had hoped for a better result. Are you looking forward to racing in Singapore? Absolutely. I enjoy street circuits and the track layout looks interesting. I saw the race on television last year and thought the cars looked great under the lights. This will be my first ever night race and I’m really looking forward to it. How do you prepare for a new circuit? I’ve been doing a lot of work with my engineers and I’ve watched some videos to try and learn the track as much as I can before I arrive there. I already know the layout from studying the map, but it’s only when you drive a lap and feel the grip that you start to understand the circuit. What about your aims for the weekend? My aim is to put together a strong weekend to maximise practice, qualifying and the race. I will try and get close to Fernando in qualifying and hopefully race for some points. Bob Bell: “The result in Monza showed the potential of the car” The technical director looks ahead to this weekend. Bob, Fernando scored four points in Monza. How did you view his performance? I think the result showed the potential of the car and Fernando certainly got 100% out of it. We were fortunate to gain a few places in the race but overall I think that fifth place was a fair reflection of our competitiveness and brought us the sort of points that we should have scored in the last few races. Romain has done three races now. How is he progressing? He has settled in very well and all of the engineers that have worked with him have been very impressed. He’s clearly quick and over the Monza weekend he was just two or three tenths off Fernando, which is what we would hope to see. He has been unfortunate that he hasn’t really had a clean race so we’re yet to judge his true race pace, but he’s clearly got a lot of potential. We go from low downforce in Monza to high downforce in Singapore. Will the R29 adapt easily? As I’ve said previously, the R29 doesn’t have any specific weak points and delivers a similar level of performance with both high and low downforce. Its weakness is that it needs more overall performance in terms of grip through downforce and mechanical set-up. This weekend we will use a similar package to the one we used in Monaco, although we will incorporate the evolutions made since that race. What challenges does the unusual schedule present to the team? Based on our experience last year, I would say that night racing has not caused too many difficulties for the team and the facilities and lighting in Singapore are excellent. We’re effectively working nightshifts in Singapore, but as a team we remain on UK time so it works quite well. The team keeps to the same schedule as at any other race, except that everything is shifted a few hours later in the day. How is the team approaching the final four races of the season? We do have developments planned for some of the remaining races and they will come along in due course. There’s nothing major but they are sensible upgrades that are already in the production process. Our main development focus is now completely on the R30 and getting ready for 2010.
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Round 14 of the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship takes Brawn GP to the Far East for this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, the first of two back-to-back races with the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka following just one week later. Formula One’s first night race in Singapore last year was a resounding success with the floodlights lighting up the track and the city skyline to provide a spectacular and atmospheric race weekend. The 20:00 race start time will see the track and pit lane once again lit with 1500 light projectors situated four metres apart and 10 metres above the ground. The 5.067km Marina Bay Street Circuit is made up entirely of public roads with an anti-clockwise layout and an abundance of first and second gear bends included in the 23 corners of the lap. The stop-start nature of the track results in a low average lap speed of just 175kph and sees the cars running with maximum levels of aerodynamic downforce. Brawn GP’s cars will be running with additional Canon branding this weekend as part of the team’s partnership with Canon Singapore. ROSS BRAWN, TEAM PRINCIPAL Q. What are your thoughts ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix? “Formula One’s first night race in Singapore last year was a fantastic occasion which was greatly enjoyed by the drivers, teams and fans. The spectacle of running on a barrier-lined street circuit under the floodlights really caught the imagination and provided a weekend that Formula One and the Singapore Grand Prix organisers should be very proud of. It’s a venue which everyone at Brawn GP is looking forward to returning to this week. The team and our drivers performed extremely well in Monza to achieve a one-two finish at the last race and we will be hoping to carry that momentum through to Singapore. We have a significant aerodynamic upgrade for the BGP 001 for this weekend which should bring another good step in performance for the final races of the season. The nature of the Marina Bay Street Circuit is tight, twisty and very narrow in places with many first and second gear corners resulting in low average speeds so we will be running the car in a high aerodynamic downforce configuration.” JENSON BUTTON Q. What did you think of your first experience of the Singapore Grand Prix last year? “Last year’s Singapore Grand Prix was an amazing experience and it really was one of the highlights of the year. Driving under the lights was great fun and the visibility was pretty good although some corners such as turns one and five were a bit dark which made it more difficult to judge your braking distances. The Marina Bay Street Circuit is pretty challenging and although it has a stop-start layout which isn’t usually my favourite type of circuit, I still enjoyed driving it. As last year, we will stay on European timing for the race weekend which means staying awake throughout the night and sleeping most of the day to ensure that we are alert and the body is ready to react in the right way for the evening timetable. I spent some time at the factory last week driving the circuit on our simulator which helps with the track layout, gears and downforce levels so we are well prepared and looking forward to arriving in Singapore and getting the weekend underway.” RUBENS BARRICHELLO Q. Are you looking forward to returning to Singapore?
“The
first Formula One night race in Singapore was very exciting last year
and I’m really looking forward to returning this week. It’s
always good to have new challenges and racing under the lights for
the first time certainly provided that. I really enjoyed the circuit
as it felt like a proper street circuit should with public roads,
bumps, barriers and passing some of the famous city landmarks.
It’s very narrow in places and you can feel quite enclosed
particularly with the bright floodlights shining down. It’s a
very slow track so you need a high downforce aerodynamic
configuration on the car and with so many corners, you have to
maintain your concentration at all times. I’ve had a great time
over the last month with two victories so we’ve got some good
momentum behind us going into the final four races of the season. I
can’t wait to get back in the car and get on with the challenge.”
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The sport’s only floodlit event suffers, like other street circuits, from a shortage of overtaking opportunities, although Nico Rosberg proved that it can be done with the right blend of confidence and bravado at last year’s event. The venue also has perhaps the most demanding combination of environmental and physical factors for the drivers to contend with; the threat of rain, high humidity levels and potentially blinding smog hovering over the city caused by the recent deforestation fires in neighbouring Indonesia. Combine the elements with a high downforce track consisting of 23 low speed corners and you have one of the most demanding races of the season. Car dynamics Average turn angle indicates the average angle of a circuit’s corners expressed in degrees. The higher the average turn angle, the more acute the corners in the circuit’s configuration and the greater propensity for understeer to compromise lap time. Average turn angle at Singapore is 940 - which is below the average for the Championship. The circuit layout threads its way through the Singapore streets and comprises 23 corners. Good car stability will allow the driver to run even closer to the walls. The end of straight (EOS) speed at Singapore was 291kp/h in 2008. The Singapore track ranks as having the 2nd slowest EOS speed on the 2009 calendar, and this is one indicator of the wing level typically selected to optimise the downforce/drag ratio. Meanwhile, Singapore also has the 2nd slowest average lap speed of any of the tracks on the calendar. Pitlane & refuelling strategy The pitlane length and profile contribute to the determination of the optimum fuel strategy. The pitlane loss at Singapore is approximately 19.5 seconds, which is the 13th most penalising pitlane in the Championship. To complete a normalised distance of 5km around Singapore requires 2.50kg of fuel against an average of 2.42kg per 5km across all circuits this season, ranking the circuit as the 3rd most demanding in terms of fuel consumption. Safety car Another key contributor to the determination of race strategy is the likelihood of safety car deployments, which are influenced by weather considerations, the availability of clear run-off areas that allow racing to continue while recovery takes place and the circuit profile, especially the character of the entry and exit into turn one at the start of the race. There were 2 safety car deployments in the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix. The street circuit layout and lack of circuit run-off areas make it highly possible that there will be a safety car period again this year. Temperature, pressure & humidity As an example, it is a long observed tradition that drivers arriving at Interlagos complain about a lack of grip and an absence of engine power. Having become acquainted with a baseline of engine and aerodynamic performance during the season, the climb to 750 metres above sea level for one of the final races can, courtesy of the reduction in air density, rob a Formula One car of engine power, aerodynamic performance and cooling. The losses can come close to double digit percentages and thus have a very real impact on car performance. Air density is a factor of the prevailing ambient temperature, which varies most significantly by season, air pressure which is closely linked to altitude and, to a much smaller degree, by humidity. Thus if races are run at the same time each year, the factor that tends to have the greatest bearing on air density is elevation. Singapore is at sea level and has an average pressure of 1,010mbar. As a consequence, the circuit’s ambient characteristics will have little effect on engine power. What the drivers say About the Singapore Grand Prix Nico “It was a great weekend last year, I really enjoyed it. The atmosphere was just fantastic and the fact that it was a night race worked really well. The actual track was good fun to drive and a real challenge.” Kazuki “The whole event is great and this is one of my favourite trips of the year. The circuit is very challenging, the location is really glamorous, as Formula One should be, and it’s an interesting place to visit. I don’t tend to go out much over a race weekend, but last year I went out for a few nice dinners and hope to do the same this year.“ What we’ve been up to between races Kazuki “In the week after Monza I spent lots of time in the factory on the simulator, preparing for Singapore and Japan because of the back-to-back. I continued my usual training and then caught up with everything I needed to at home. I arrived in Singapore on Sunday, so I am in the city for the whole week leading up to the Grand Prix. This will give me a chance to acclimatise to the temperatures and humidity and, although we stay on European time, it will help me get used to staying up late! I’ll also be carrying out some marketing work for our partner, Randstad, on the Wednesday, when I’ll be making sushi!” Nico “I spent a few days in Monaco after Monza and then went to Grove to complete some preparation runs on the simulator and to catch up with the guys in the factory. I came out to Singapore on Sunday as I have a driver day for AT&T on Wednesday during which I’ll be meeting some of their clients and doing some media work.” Singapore from a technical perspective Kazuki “Singapore is a very technical track because of all the different elements you have to contend with. It’s a night race so you have to make sure you are accustomed to the different light; it’s a street circuit so it’s quite slippery at the start of the weekend; it has few run-off areas and minimal overtaking opportunities. It is also really bumpy, particularly between turns 5 and 7. Combined with the high temperatures and humidity, it’s going to be a very challenging race for the drivers and the cars. Because of the number of low speed corners, it is a very high downforce circuit, but that is good for us as our car works well on this kind of track.” Nico “The toughest thing about Singapore is the heat and the number of corners. There are 23, so there’s never an opportunity to relax. The circuit is challenging, but it’s a high downforce track which suits our car, so I’m hoping that we will have a better result there than we had in Monza.” How difficult is driving at night? Kazuki “Once you get used to the light and you’ve sorted out your visor, it really feels like normal. There were some corners where it was a little bit too dark last year, but I’m sure they will have sorted that out for this year.” Nico “It is just a little more difficult because the visibility is generally comprised a little bit as it is darker, but you get used to it quite quickly and there are obviously masses of light. I think it would become really challenging if it rains though. The only thing that was a bit hard last year was seeing so little daylight as we stay on European time.”
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The Singapore Grand Prix from 25 – 27 September will be the next stop on the F1 calendar for the Force India Formula One Team and the first in a sequence of four flyaway races that culminates with the season finale in Abu Dhabi. The team heads to this event eager to add to its points total following on from its first podium finish in Spa and a fourth place finish at the Italian Grand Prix two weeks ago. Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal How satisfied were you with the results of the Italian Grand Prix? Overall we are very satisfied that we’ve proved we are a competitive team and we can race with the best. Spa wasn’t a one-off. We still have four races to go, and I’m pretty confident that we’ll put on a good show. Japan and Brazil will probably suit the pace of this car, and we have an upgrade coming for Singapore, so let’s see how it goes. We have every reason to be pleased about the progress, but there’s a still a long way to go. What did you think of Tonio’s performance, bearing in mind he stepped in with no proper testing? Outstanding. He was hungry, and he really wanted to prove himself. He had 500% commitment. I was impressed and I think we made the right decision because in qualifying and in the race he did very well for us. I have every confidence that he will score points. He’s quick and he’ll only get better from here. There’s a strong Indian influence in Singapore and you have connections there. Is that a race where you’d like to make an impact? It would be very nice to perform well in any race where there’s a large Indian population. That would go for Abu Dhabi as well for sure, and definitely Singapore. The feedback in India has been absolutely brilliant. There’s been a lot of excitement, not just with the number of messages, but in the Indian media. And of course the Force India website has been flooded with messages from all of our fans. It means a lot to them, and they’re really proud now. What will the aims be in Singapore? I’d hope we could be again in Q3 and racing for points. We have a new upgrade coming, which features some modifications to the bodywork, the diffuser and the front wing. Every upgrade we’ve introduced so far this year has really given us a step forward so I am hopeful that we will be able to maintain our recent run of form. We do know however that it’s going to be tough as Spa and Monza were low downforce tracks and Singapore demands higher levels but we’ve set the bar high now. We need to keep pushing until the end of the season. Adrian Sutil - car 20, VJM02/01 Italy was a great weekend all round for you. How would you review it now? I went to the race in Monza really determined to do well. I felt like I had missed a chance in Spa and, seeing how good the car was, I thought we could be on for a good finish. All weekend the car performed outstandingly and when it got to qualifying we knew we could do very well. We were a little surprised to be on the front row, but that’s what happens when you’ve got a good team working flat out as a tight unit – you just find that little extra. The race was amazing, it felt so good to be back in the front and finally getting those points. How did it feel to get points after so long? I was so happy for myself and for the team. We’ve been in points-scoring positions before but then never actually got them, so to finally get a points’ finish, and a good one, felt like we had got a good reward. It was getting a little frustrating for everyone but now we can really start putting that energy into moving forward. When I visited the factory last week it had made such a big difference to everyone. They were all smiling and even though they worked hard before, it was 110% effort now as they can see how everyone makes a difference. What will your aims for Singapore be this year? The track is quite challenging, with lots of corners and changes of direction but it’s also quite fast, like a cross between Valencia and Monaco. I enjoy street racing and Singapore has that same feeling so I’m looking forward to it. Last year I didn’t have such a great race but this year we are in a very different situation. My goal will be to be focussed from the start of the weekend, do some solid work in practice and qualify well as a good grid position is very important here. For sure it’s then to get some more points. I feel we can definitely add to the total. Tonio Liuzzi - car 21, VJM02/04 You had a great weekend in Monza, although sadly it ended in retirement. How would you sum up your feelings about your comeback race? Of course, it was not easy going into the weekend with very little testing, but the support I had from the team and belief from them helped me to feel comfortable. From Friday onwards I didn’t want to exaggerate, trying to learn everything about the car in two corners. I think we did the right step forward, lap after lap, run by run. Our target was to get a good Q2 position and then try to score points in the race, or get into the top 10. After that it went so well that we finished seventh in Q3, which was more than expected. And in the race it was awesome. When you come back after over a year and a half anything can happen, but I think we had a really strong race until the point when we stopped. Do you feel you can improve on your performance this weekend? I don’t think I’m yet at the pace where I was two years ago, when I was completely confident about the car. I think there is still a lot to come. It was a big shame for the team that we couldn’t score points in Monza, but I feel happy because fortunately I saw that once the car is fast and competitive I can give a good performance and I can fight with the big guys in the World Championship. You can probably drive around Monza with your eyes closed, but will things be harder in Singapore? I don’t know about with my eyes closed, as it was only the fourth time I raced at Monza. I started my racing career in Germany, so I didn’t do my scholarship in Italy! For sure Singapore will be much tougher. We’ve been working in the simulator to get to know it better, but it will be a much tougher event. We’ll have to see how the car is there because it’s a completely different circuit, with really high downforce, so everything can change. Force India Singapore Grand Prix points of note: Force India will be running another upgrade for the Singapore GP. This is the latest stage in development (following on from the Valencia upgrade) and features a new front wing package, bodywork modifications – including changes to the mirror mountings – bladed rear wheel spinners, front bargeboards and a diffuser and an engine cover update. The team will gradually acclimatise to the time zone, starting work during the day and gradually coming into the track later throughout the week to be on European time. There are no special preparations for the night race since the lights in Singapore are brighter than daylight in some countries so Force India won’t be using reflective paint or extra markers, the only difference will be on the pit wall where some extra lighting will be used due to the shadows thrown by the floodlights. Adrian’s weekend performance in Italy was his best F1 performance to date. He started from second position – his best qualifying performance and first front race row start since the final round of the Japanese F3 championship at Motegi in October 2006. It was also the first time Adrian had started alongside Lewis Hamilton since the Euroseries F3 race at Zandvoort in 2005. The fourth place finish was also his highest in F1 to date. Adrian has historically performed well on street circuits. In 2007 at Monaco he secured the quickest time in free practice and was running in 4th position in the 2008 race until Kimi Raikkonen ran into the back of the car. Adrian is also the F3 lap record holder at Monaco and finished third at the 2006 Macau Grand Prix. Tonio’s Italian Grand Prix qualifying was also his best F1 starting position. His performance in the race was also his most competitive yet until a driveshaft failure led to his retirement on lap 22. Tonio has never raced at the Marina Bay Circuit as he was the team’s test and reserve driver last year, but he has approximately 50 laps of the track on the simulator. Dominic Harlow, chief engineer : As the only F1 race to run almost all sessions at night Singapore is definitely one of the more demanding and spectacular circuits. The layout is anti-clockwise around the city’s waterfront and, because it uses public roads, includes bumps, kerbs, man-hole covers and extreme cambers. It’s subject to a lot of improvement and rubbering in, and is very tough for the drivers. The car’s cooling system and brakes are worked very hard, and of course the ability to deal with the road undulations is important. There have been some changes to the circuit since last year’s inaugural event, which could change the pitlane time loss and therefore race strategy. Getting a handle on this as well as setting up our car with some revised high downforce aerodynamic components will form part of our programme for the practice sessions.
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Panasonic Toyota Racing travels to south-east Asia and Formula 1's only night race, the Singapore Grand Prix on the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Sessions in Singapore take place at night, with qualifying beginning at 10pm and the race at 8pm local time so over a thousand lighting projectors are used to ensure full visibility. The team got its first experience of a Grand Prix under lights last year, when Timo Glock finished fourth after Jarno Trulli's podium challenge ended with hydraulics trouble. This weekend Jarno and Timo will have an upgraded TF109 at their disposal following the introduction of the team's final new package of the season, which features updates to the front wing and the rear end, including the rear wing. The drivers will put these improvements, as well as the soft and super soft Bridgestone Potenza tyres, to the test when practice begins on Friday. After missing out on the top eight in the Italian Grand Prix, the team is determined to start the final flyaway leg of the season with a return to the points under lights in Singapore this weekend. *Jarno Trulli - Car 9 "Singapore is a unique race for us as the only night race and it is quite an interesting experience. I hope we can be competitive there, especially as we have some improvements to the car. The team has pushed hard all season to introduce new parts and it's great to have upgrades even as the season is coming to a close. It's not possible to predict exactly how we will perform until we have driven the track again but I am optimistic we can be competitive again in Singapore. I was really unlucky last year when a technical problem prevented me finishing on the podium. It was a really tough race on a heavy fuel load, especially in hot conditions and over the bumps, so it was frustrating not to get a result. This year I am determined to make up for that. To be honest I would rather race in daylight because the light levels change around the track but a night race is good for the spectators and there was a nice atmosphere last year so I am looking forward to this weekend." Timo Glock - Car 10 "I really enjoy racing at night because it is a great show for the fans and last year was just an unbelievable event. You need to get used to driving under lights but for me the visibility was fine, it's just a very strange thing is to be arriving at the track early in the afternoon and leaving again at 4am. I like the Singapore track; it is good fun to be driving past some famous buildings at night and the chicane at turn 10 is a nice challenge because you cannot afford to make any mistake. It's a typical street circuit and last year it was pretty bumpy which made it tough for the drivers, but they have worked on that. I had a great race there a year ago so I hope we can repeat that kind of result. It's hard to know what to expect considering we have some improvements on the car this weekend but I hope we will make a step forward. We are still pushing as hard as ever so I can't wait to get back on track." Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis "Singapore last year was a complete success and I was very impressed. The place is fantastic and the new experience of a night race was a great one for everyone involved. It was an unforgettable event. The circuit itself is high downforce and the drivers play a key part because you have a lot of corners, 23, and it is extremely important for a driver to find the right rhythm without touching the barriers. Another factor to consider with Singapore is that it is extremely hard on brakes so we have to be careful in that sense. But the main characteristic we discovered last year was that the track was incredibly bumpy, which made it a priority to set-up the suspension to deal with the bumps. There has been some resurfacing so we will see if that reduces the problem. We will bring some upgrades to our car for this race and in fact Singapore will be the last package of improvements to the TF109. These will be validated on Friday and we expect them to help us make a step forward."
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Lewis Hamilton: "Last year's inaugural Singapore Grand Prix was a real example of how to host a new Formula 1 race - fantastic facilities, slick organisation and a unique and interesting track that was not only fun and demanding but also really forced you to push to the limit and take a few risks to get the best from the car. I remember my race in Singapore last year was all about damage limitation – I was driving with one eye on the world championship and wasn't going to take too many risks. I was happy to finish on the podium. This year, it's very different – I know I'm out of the title hunt and I want to attack these last four races, pushing for as many victories as I can." *Heikki Kovalainen: "We really seem to have discovered the sweet-spot of this year's car. I've had points finished in every race since the Nurburgring, and we've got some interesting new upgrades in the system that are planned for the Singapore race. Of course, racing at night is what really makes this event unique, but the lighting system is so fantastic that you tend to forget that you are even racing in the dark! Singapore is the sort of circuit that should suit our package – there are lots of slower corners and we'll be able to use KERS to our advantage. Overall, the city is also a fantastic backdrop to what has already become one of the best circuits on the Formula 1 calendar." Martin Whitmarsh - Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes: "Our pace in recent grands prix increasingly shows that we have developed MP4-24 into a pretty decent all-round competitor and we remain confident for the Singapore Grand Prix. For this race, we are introducing our last major upgrade package of the season before fully devoting our efforts and resources towards next year's car. Last year's event was a fantastic success and a testimony to what can be achieved in Formula 1 when you have vision, dedication and foresight. Everybody at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes is looking forward to these final four flyaway races, the climax to a thrilling, eventful and unexpected title battle and our own steadily improving fortunes. Singapore is a fantastic advertisement for Formula 1 – one that vividly reminds you what a fantastic sport we operate in. Let's hope for some good, close racing." Norbert Haug, Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: "Formula 1 will present some challenging weeks. After the end of the European season, four grands prix within six weeks will take place in Singapore, Suzuka, Sao Paulo and Abu Dhabi. As with last year's inaugural race, Singapore will again be held at night. This street circuit has a total of 23 corners and six of them are slower than 100km/h. Our target is to continue our trend shown over the last five races."
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A year ago the first floodlit race in the history of Formula One turned the teams and spectators into creatures of the night. This extraordinary experience has generated a huge amount of anticipation ahead of the second Singapore Grand Prix, which will get underway at 20.00 hrs local time on 27th September 2009. With an agreement now reached with an investor for the sale of the team, the BMW Sauber F1 Team has gained new momentum as the 2009 season heads towards the finishing straight. The F1.09 racers will line up on the grid in Singapore with major aerodynamic modifications, and Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld are looking forward to the challenge presented by the city state's street circuit. Robert Kubica: "I am very much looking forward to the Singapore Grand Prix. Everybody knows I am a big fan of street circuits. The track is very challenging; especially the last sector is very twisty with a lot of corners. As the circuit is not a permanent track, the grip level is very poor at the beginning of the weekend but improves from day to day. Drivers and engineers have to anticipate how the track's grip level evolves set-up-wise and balance-wise. The team will bring quite a big update to Singapore. I hope our car will be more competitive and that we are able to surprise the competition with our pace. Last year the surface was very bumpy, maybe a little too bumpy at some places. Before the initial night session, there were lots of concerns among us drivers regarding visibility which did not prove right. Actually I was very surprised how well the light situation was managed." Nick Heidfeld: "I've been looking forward to the race in Singapore for many weeks because I know we have some modifications ready for the weekend. Our simulation work has been very promising and the car will look great. "As I found out last year, it's practically impossible to overtake in Singapore. After a penalty I had to start from ninth on the grid rather than sixth and, although I had the speed, sixth at the finish was the best I could hope for. Grid position is equally as critical in Singapore as it is in Monaco. "Last year the special nature of this GP and the atmosphere around it made the race weekend very much the highlight of the season for me. It was something new and genuinely exciting for everybody. And it was great to see the TV pictures and photos afterwards as well; the artificial light changed everything. It wasn't difficult for me to keep in tune with European time so that I would be in good shape for qualifying and the race - actually it was quite fun. It's a bit weird to find the whole team still out and about up to three in the morning to keep their body clocks ticking over, but also very entertaining." Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director: "The first night race in the history of Formula One last year was a fascinating event and generated spectacular images and an electric atmosphere. Indeed, from an atmosphere point of view, I would say the Singapore Grand Prix is the highlight of the season. The whole feeling around the GP is unparalleled. Last year the tactic of not adjusting to local time but instead keeping our body clocks running to German time paid off. So we'll do the same thing again this time around. We are looking forward to the whole show and are aiming to go on the attack with our significantly revised car. *"The cause of our engine problems in qualifying at Monza was a quality issue with the valve gear, and this means we can't use either of the engines again. Both drivers ran their engines from Spa in Sunday's race at Monza, which leaves them with one more new engine each and several used ones for the remainder of the season. The key question will now be whether these will be enough. If not, we will be forced to use a ninth engine and take a ten-place grid penalty as a result." Willy Rampf, Head of Engineering: "Singapore was a highlight in the truest sense of the word in 2008. It was the first ever Formula One night race and turned out to be an undeniably special event. The circuit has an unusually high corner count, so the drivers have no time to relax. Added to which, it was extremely bumpy in places. The organisers have taken this criticism seriously and partially resurfaced the track. The predominantly slow corners place severe demands, particularly on the cars' traction. "Following the last major update in Valencia, we will arrive in Singapore with another far- reaching development package. From an aerodynamics point of view, this comprises a new front wing, more deeply undercut sidepods, a further developed double diffuser and a modified rear wing. Added to which, the car also has a totally new gearbox. So, all in all, we are expecting to take another step forward here." History & Background: The lighting system at the Marina Bay Circuit passed its first test in 2008; but only in the rain do floodlights remain an unknown quantity. The organisers mounted 1,500 light projectors (with a total power requirement of three million watts) on trusses supported by 230 steel pylons. A dozen twin generators provided insurance against a sudden plunge into darkness. The cars run anti-clockwise around the circuit, which has 23 - in some cases extremely tight - corners. Several key areas, including Turn 1 and Turn 14, have been modified for the 2009 race to provide better opportunities for overtaking. Criticism last year centred on the large bumps in the track surface and the location of the pit lane entry and exit, which skirted the racing line and, as a result, created an obstacle for the drivers. For the drivers and teams Singapore is also an exercise in ignoring the natural Asian daytime and instead sticking to their European body clocks - all with the aim of being in peak condition for the late shifts and night driving the race weekend demands. Whole hotel floors are ring-fenced as "quiet zones" to allow the team members to sleep through to midday undisturbed. Breakfast is served at around one o'clock in the afternoon and drivers can be spotted carrying out track inspections at midnight. Once Sunday's race is over (by 22.00 hrs at the latest), there is no time to waste - all the team's equipment has to be loaded up and transported to the airport by five o'clock the next morning. The development of the modern city state of Singapore began in 1819, when Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles founded the first settlement in the name of the English East India Company. In 1824 the company laid claim to the whole island, having bought it from the Sultan of Johor. In 1867 Singapore became a British crown colony. Singapore fell under Japanese control in 1942 after a successful assault, but was then handed back to the British in 1945. Singapore separated from British control on 1st September 1963 and became a member of a federation with Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak. Singapore was later ejected from the federation following massive unrest and has been an independent nation since 1965. The country's name is derived from the Sanskrit language and is a combination of Singha (lion) and Pura (city). Legend has it that a Hindu prince was walking through the jungle when he came face to face with a lion. Looking into each other's eyes, man and beast averted a violent confrontation. The prince let his sword fall to the floor and the lion retreated. Today the lion remains a national symbol of Singapore. Critics of Singapore object to the authoritarian control mechanisms of the state and the extremely tough penalties for crimes, while supporters praise its cleanliness and low levels of corruption and crime. The country's territory stretches over some 700 square kilometres and is constantly expanding thanks to a process of land reclamation. The population of the island state currently stands at more than 4.5 million people. There are four official languages: Malay, Chinese, Tamil and English. The traditional centres of Singapore's economic power are its port - one of the world's largest and most modern transshipment points - and its financial sector. |