Singapore’s 4.94km Marina Bay circuit provides teams and drivers with many challenges and perils, 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 5 km/h speed delta between the fastest and slowest contenders in qualifying.
However, George Russell’s 305,4 km/h top velocity in qualifying – as measured by the speed trap at the end of Marina Bay’s main straight – was an edge that was put to good use by the Briton, and also by his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli.
It was a surprising but absolutely deserving pole position for Russell and Mercedes. Was there a secret sauce? Not really.
However, the Brackley squad’s W16 silver arrow is sporting a revised front wing in Singapore that generates less downforce, which at first glance may sound counter intuitive when racing at a high-downforce venue.
Except that this has allowed Mercedes to trim ever-so-slightly its rear wing to boost its car’s straight-line speed while keeping its balance under control. Hence Russell’s maximum velocity.
That said, qualifying also confirmed conclusively that Red Bull is now once again a front-runner, while Marina Bay’s layout is not bringing out the best in McLaren’s MCL39, as team boss Andrea Stella candidly admitted.
“We gain time mid-corner, as usual, but here every mid-corner is too short [for us],” the Italian explained. "Here is dominated by brakes and traction and with bumps and kerbs on which we seem to suffer a bit.
"The drivers were making comments very similar to Baku and Canada, also tracks where we were not the quickest car, just as we are not here."
Looking ahead to Sunday’s race, history has taught us how crucial qualifying is in Singapore, as seen from the fact that in the fifteen races held here at Maina Bay, the winner has started from pole on all but three occasions.
Speaking after qualifying, Pirelli F1 boss Mario Isola offered his strategy preview for Sunday’s action.
“Tomorrow we will most likely see a one-stop race, although the increase in pit-lane speed, from 60 to 80 km/h, makes a two-stop slightly more appealing, especially if there was to be a safety car or the opening of a clean-air window during the race,” he said.
“I believe all three compounds could be used tomorrow evening. Everyone has one set of Mediums and one of Hards, but the Soft could also play a role, either at the start or at the end of the race.
“The greater grip offered by the C5 could be exploited at the start to gain vital positions on a track where overtaking is always difficult, although now less so than in the past.”
However, all projections will go out the window in the event of a neutralization – a near-certainty in Singapore over the years.
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