F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Singapore Speed Trap: Who is the fastest of them all?

Singapore’s 4.94km Marina Bay circuit provides teams and drivers with an entire panoply of challenges, and that’s just considering things from a single lap perspective.

As a high downforce, partially twisty venue, straight-line speed is not among a car’s most important performance factors, something that is reflected in the less than 9 km/h speed delta between the fastest and slowest contenders in qualifying.

However, Lando Norris’ 306.7 km/h maximum velocity as measured by the speed trap at the end of Marina Bay’s main straight tells us that the MCL38’s controversial rear flexi wing that was on display in Baku, and which was ‘stiffened up’ this weekend, was perhaps not the ‘magic bullet’ that many claimed it was.

Balance and traction are a car’s main assets in Singapore, but there’s nothing wrong with having a handy top-speed edge over one’s rivals.

Looking at the qualifying data, Norris bested the first two sectors in Q3 but was only fourth quickest in Sector 3 that was headed by George Russell and Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes, while Max Verstappen was consistent throughout which allowed him to clock in second overall.

Traction is evidently a strong trait of McLaren’s charger, but where Norris pulled off his ripper in Q3 was his speed through Marina Bay’s Turn 16/17 complex, achieved in large part by his MCL38’s kerb-riding ability.

On a track that takes no prisoners and where every single race has seen a Safety Car intervention, it would seem a tad simplistic to declare that Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix is Lando’s to lose.

In all likelihood, there will be a neutralization, or perhaps several, which means that tactics will come into play. Which means that Pirelli’s projection for a one-stop race in ideal circumstances – with a medium-hard scenario the quickest route – will require a bit of fine-tuning along the way.

Among the imponderables, we’ll also throw in the weather, although forecasts are calling for a dry, albeit overcast day.

In summary, teams will once again need to be ready to make the most of any opportunity that presents itself.

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Michael Delaney

Recent Posts

Verstappen pondered quitting Red Bull, but loyalty stronger

Max Verstappen admits that he pondered a future away from Red Bull earlier this season,…

10 hours ago

Sainz critical of Ferrari's execution: ‘No one’s happy today’

Carlos Sainz delivered a podium finish to Ferrari in Las Vegas, but the Spaniard was…

12 hours ago

Las Vegas GP: Saturday night's action in pictures

There are two more races to go before the curtain falls on F1's 2024 campaign.…

13 hours ago

Horner: Verstappen has 'cemented' position among F1 greats

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner believes that Max Verstappen’s fourth F1 world championship has…

14 hours ago

Norris proud of McLaren, but title 'never really on'

Lando Norris came to Las Vegas with a mathematical chance of catching Max Verstappen in…

16 hours ago

Vasseur plays down Leclerc’s post-race radio rage

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has brushed off Charles Leclerc’s fiery post-race radio message following…

16 hours ago