Formula One Preview - The Singapore Grand Prix
by Charles Jay
BetUS Sportsbook F1 Odds
To Win the Singapore Grand Prix
The Singapore Grand Prix, which will take place on Sunday, September 27, is a race like no other, and that is primarily due to the track itself. You see, the Marina Bay Circuit is the only one on the Formula One schedule that has lights, and last year it played host to the first night race ever in the history of F1. The race this year will actually be a day/night affair, because it will start with the sun out and end with the lights on.
This track is also one that, like the Monaco course, blends in with the surroundings. About 80% of the track has been built on existing roads, and so you can imagine that due to the office buildings and skyscrapers in the background, it's all about atmosphere. According to Bernie Ecclestone, head of F1, "We've never seen anything built so good, so quickly."
September 27
- Lewis Hamilton +200
- Kimi Raikkonen +550
- Rubens Barrichello +450
- Jenson Button +450
- Sebastian Vettel +850
- Heikki Kovalainen +1000
- Mark Webber +1200
- Fernando Alonso +1800
- Adrian Sutil +1800
- Giancarlo Fisichella +3000
- Nick Heidfeld +4500
- Robert Kubica +4500
- Nico Rosberg +4000
- Vitantonio Liuzzi +4500
- Jarno Trulli +6000
- Timo Glock +7500
- Romain Grosjean +15000
- Kazuki Nakajima +20000
- Sebastien Buemi +20000
- Jaime Alguersuari +50000
There is more space to maneuver than there is in Monaco, but because it is largely a road course, there are not a lot of areas with much run-off. That has been a subject of discussion lately, as the course became attached to F1's latest story of infamy, as Nelson Piquet Jr.'s revelation that he was ordered to crash there last year in order to facilitate a victory for Fernando Alonso (+1800 at BetUS to win this year’s race) has led to the lifetime ban of Renault chief Flavio Briatore and engineer Pay Symonds, as well as a two-year "suspended ban" for the Renault team.
This circuit extends 3.15 miles, so you can imagine what a massive project it is to light the course to an extent to where it is safe for cars traveling at over 150 miles an hour. The amount of luminosity, in fact, is four times the amount that you would normally find in a soccer or football stadium, and the whole job costs about $20 million a year to pull off. This is something that obviously puts a tremendous financial burden on race promoter Ong Beng Seng and the Singapore government, who shoulder that burden. Not every spot is lit up the same amount. When he ran the course last year, Sebastian Vettel, then with Toro Rosso but since graduated to the Red Bull "A" team (and posted at +850 at BetUS.com to win on Sunday), remarked that while it was not hard to see anywhere, "Some places are darker than others and it's good fun."
Something that strikes most of the drivers' fancy is the late starting time, which is better for the body clocks of those who are very accustomed to European time.
There are 23 turns, and last year Jarno Trulli of Toyota (+6000 at BetUS for Singapore) mentioned that the circuit was "not particularly challenging for a driver because it is mainly made up of 90° corners." Turns 1, 2 and 3 have been modified somewhat to minimize overtaking possibilities. "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," according to Brawn GP head Ross Brawn. Nevertheless, there should be plenty of passing opportunities. There are some interesting "geographical" characteristics to the circuit as well. For example, at the point that lies between turns 18 and 19, the drivers are going to race under part of the grandstand.
The one thing you're going to have to look out for, and certainly the drivers will, is that the course is considered to somewhat rough terrain. Williams driver Kazuki Nakajima (200/1 to win the race at BetUS) said, "It's a very tough track, hot and bumpy, probably the bumpiest track surface we encounter all season." Upon doing practice runs last year, Lewis Hamilton (the +200 favorite at BetUS), who would go on to win the world title, was heard to say, "You need to put a lot of work into the car to get a good lap. I'd say it requires double the energy of Monaco over a single lap. One lap around here is like two laps of Monaco."
It will be worse if conditions are hotter and more humid than usual.
Robert Kubica, who is with the BMW Sauber team and is priced at 45/1 to win on Sunday at BetUS, said, "It is very important to have a stable car here as you can easily lose a lot of time in several corners." From that quote, and others like it, I would imagine there is going to be a special challenge for the cars with KERS (McLaren and Ferrari teams), which are a little more top-heavy than the others.
