A heat hazard has been declared for this weekend at the Marina Bay track. What does this mean exactly? Well two years ago at the Qatar Grand Prix there were extremely high levels of heat and humidity and since then the FIA has begun an analysis of how they can manage similar situations in the future. When a heat hazard warning is issued the teams need to add a ‘driver cooling system’ to the car, that will essentially keep the drivers cool and safe in the extreme heat.
The track is 4.940km long and the current lap record is held by Daniel Ricciardo during his last season in 2024. With Marina Bay being a street track there is an 83% chance of a safety car and 33% chance of a virtual safety car.
The track has 19 corners despite the removal of turns 16-19, those turns have been recreated into a long straight which is extremely beneficial if the drivers are worrying about their tyres overheating.
The main concern at Marina Bay during race weekend is the heat, from the way it affects the drivers to the impact on tyres. Pirelli’s preview for the weekend has noted that the medium and hard tyres will be particular favourites for Sunday’s race. However, with that being said the soft tyres should not be discounted as they could become useful for extra grip at the start of the race or if the safety car makes an appearance towards the end of the race.
The fight for the Driver’s Championship gets tougher with each passing week, with Verstappen’s back-to-back wins, McLaren boss Andrea Stella has said that Piastri and Norris cannot afford to make mistakes. The Constructors Championship winner could be claimed by McLaren this weekend despite Mercedes and Ferrari still having a small chance to close the gap. Williams have secured their fifth place in the Championship all thanks to Carlos Sainz’s podium in Azerbaijan.
Between the heat and the sprint race the anticipation for Sunday’s race will be at a dramatic high. So, here’s to nights in Singapore.
PHOTO CREDIT: autosport.com
WRITTEN BY: Hannah Mahmood
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