[Official] Singapore Grand Prix 2015: Weekend Thread

[Born Racer]

Singapore holds its eight Grand Prix this weekend. A symbol of the contemporary tendency towards iconic circuit surroundings and modern entertainment razzmatazz, the Marina Bay circuit played host to Formula 1’s first ever night race in 2008.

A 318,000 watt capacity is required to pump the circuit with artificial lighting, the cars shimmering as they move, with sparks from the underside as visible as the fireworks that erupt at the end of the Grand Prix. This is a 21st-Century style of Formula 1. Apart from its visual elements, what does it offer?

With 23 corners(14 left-handers and 9 right-handers), it has more turns than any other Grand Prix on the calendar and with 61 laps, it generally goes on to become the longest race in the season, running to the 2 hour limit before the laps have been completed. The shortest race here was 1 hour 56 minutes.

The safety car is almost a statistical certainty – it has appeared at least once in every Grand Prix held here, most memorably in the first ever race, when Renault’s Nelson Piquet agreed to crash in order to assist Fernando Alonso.

The shortest margin of victory here was 0.239 in 2010, with Alonso beating Vettel.

2015 experiences its first driver change with American Alexander Rossi replacing Roberto Merhi for the first of five races (Merhi will contest Sochi and Yas Marina). It won't be an easy debut being in the car it is, but it's sure to provide Rossi with some invaluable race time prior to a likely Haas seat next year.

Constructors’ championship standings: http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-...standings.html

Drivers’ championship standings: http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-...standings.html



Circuit length: 5.065km
Number of laps: 61
Race distance: 308.828
Dry weather tyre compounds: Super-Soft and Soft
DRS Detection Zone 1: Turn 4
DRS Activation Zone 1: between Turns 5 and 7
DRS Detection Zone 2: between Turns 21 and 22
DRS Activation Zone 2: after 23 on the start-finish straight
Lap Record: 1:48.574 (2013 – Sebastian Vettel – Red Bull Racing-Renault
First World Championship Grand Prix: 2008