Lots at stake this weekend at the Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix.
This weekend, Formula One will travel to a venue that has been very exciting over the last few years and has also caused controversy. The Marina Bay Circuit in Singapore is on the next agenda. The world championship started with Red Bull’s Max Vertappen’s domination. Since then, the season has produced many winners and a different team (McLaren) leading the Constructor’s championship.
This venue shares another characteristic with other circuits—it is run at night, and it was the first to do so. It is also remembered for “Crashgate.” Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds were banned for years for fixing the race. The idea was to have Nelson Piquet Jr. accidentally crash his car so Fernando Alonso could win the race, which he did.
Singapore is also probably the warmest race on the calendar because it is near the equator. This can produce different weather patterns, including tropical rains, which can sometimes be very heavy. Considering these difficulties, it has not rained too much on race day.
With the championship wide open between new leader McLaren and defending champion Red Bull, this race, like the others that will follow, could make this once tedious sport more exciting, with only a few rounds left in the season.
But one of those teams has a problem. McLaren has a history of two teammates not assisting in getting the other to win the championship. That history includes Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, Lewis Hamilton and Alonso, and now Norris and Oscar Piastri. How this plays out for the rest of the season could continue at Marina Bay, with the tight and twisty street circuit, similar to the last round in Azerbaijan, where Piastri ignored commands from his race engineer and went on to win the second race of his career.
As for the other teams, Mercedes has improved in the last few races but has been less successful recently. It is no longer a challenger to the top teams. On the other hand, Ferrari has begun to improve after a tough start to the season, with Charles Leclerc taking the victory in front of his home Tifosi fans a few weeks ago in Italy.
It should be interesting, with Friday Practices at 5:30 and 9:30 AM on ESPN2, Saturday’s Qualifying at 9:40 AM, and Sunday’s race at 8 AM on ESPN. (All U.S. Eastern Times)
