The Modern Day Jewel In F1′s Crown?
Date: 20th September 2012 at 6:12 pm | Filed under: Formula 1 Blogs,Formula 1 Opinion | Author: James Sloan | Tags: F1, Fernando Alonso, Marina Bay circuit, Singapore, Singapore Grand Prix | image © Action Images
This weekend will be the Marina Bay Circuit’s fifth race, since the inaugural event in 2008, and its popularity has increased every year.
This pioneering circuit was the host of the first ever night Grand Prix. Races here are quite a sight, as the cars shimmer under the powerful floodlights against the backdrop of the sensational Singaporean skyline.
If Spa is a circuit for the die-hard fan, this is most definitely one for the sponsors. Anyone with anything to do with the sport wants to be at this prestigious event. But that isn’t to say that this race doesn’t do it for the fans as well.
In 2008, Fernando Alonso won here from 15th on the grid, although the safety car that was deployed aided him after his teammate, Nelson Piquet Jr. crashed into the barriers. Since that dubious race though, the pole-sitter has gone on to win every single Singaporean Grand Prix.
However, that hasn’t meant that these races have been boring or foregone conclusions. In the last two seasons, there have been less than two seconds between first and second places, even after 61 laps of intense racing.
Street circuits are seemingly in high demand in Formula One right now, with Monaco being the current benchmark. The track around the principality has hosted a Grand Prix in every season since the introduction of the World Championship in 1950.
Cars and drivers may have changed, but the circuit at Monte Carlo continues to excite audiences all over the world. Like most street circuits, overtaking is extremely difficult, so it’s the sheer challenge facing the drivers that enthralls the fans. The slightest lapse in concentration can end a team’s action for the afternoon.
Marina Bay offers little room for driver error – although it does have more run-off areas than Monaco – but it also allows for overtaking. The long stretch between corners five and seven allows cars to out-brake opponents and the wide turnings give the drivers enough room to go into them side-by-side.
The design of a Formula One street circuit is a tough nut to crack. Circuits at Pheonix and Valencia (to an extent) have struggled to illuminate the sport.
Nevertheless Marina Bay seems to have gotten the street formula spot on, a demanding track for drivers, also allowing for overtaking as well as being somewhat cinematic under the floodlights.
This unique event has led to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix also utilising artificial lighting to allow for night racing, which could be where the future of the sport is heading.
In hot and humid climates like South-East Asia and the Middle East, racing later in the day makes competing more bearable for the drivers. The postponed starts also appease large European television audiences and mean fewer early morning races for viewers back in the UK.
Away from the racetrack, this Grand Prix weekend has grown year on year, now hosting a ‘Superbowl-esque’ concert that attracts even non-racing fans to this motor sporting event.
The Singapore Grand Prix really does tick a lot of the boxes required to make it a popular weekend on the F1 calendar and as a result, it is arguable that it is fast becoming the jewel in the sport’s crown.
In terms of economic gain and crowd captivation, it continues to pay dividends.