A detailed analysis of the Marina Bay Street Circuit: 2011 Singapore Grand Prix – Formula 1
The Singapore Grand Prix event is going to take place at the Marina Bay Street Circuit on September 25, 2011 for the fourth time in Formula 1 history.
The Singapore Street Circuit is quite similar to the Monaco track. Both the tracks have similar circuit characteristics. Therefore, the 2011 Singapore race will not be tough for those drivers who had a great race weekend in Monaco earlier in the 2011 Formula
1 season.
Singapore had the honour of hosting the first night race in Formula 1 history in 2008 at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. The country viewers showed their interest towards the first night-time event and thousands of people attended the 2008 Singapore race
under powerful lighting and in high security.
The Marina Bay Street Circuit consists of 23 turns and all of them have their own characteristics. According to statistics, the circuit’s length is 5.073 kilometres and the total number of laps are 61, taking the race distance to 309.316 kilometres.
Former Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen set the fastest time of 1 minute and 45.599 seconds at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in 2008.
The start of the Marina Bay Street Circuit heads into the ‘Sheares corner’ which is the only speed trap of the circuit.
The drivers top approximately 290 Km/h just before braking for the first corner of the circuit. The first turn is followed by turns 2 and 3.
The following two turns are taken with instant direction change putting high G-force on the drivers. The third turn exits into a slight curved straight fourth turn into a right-hander fifth turn.
The drivers gallop their machines from turn five to rev up to use all seven gears while approaching the seventh turn called ‘Memorial corner,’ which is a right-angle left hander. The drivers drop their speeds to about 100 Km/h and enter the technical section
of the circuit.
Though the section is laid in a simple manner, but he short straights between seventh and eighth turns and the other from eighth to ninth turns allow the riders to close up to the riders ahead.
On exiting the ninth turn, drivers head into the set four turns to the 13th corner, a hairpin formation. The tenth turn is a speed lock known as ‘Singapore Sling’ and it forces the rider to drop to third gear.
The 13th turn is headed to a slight turned straight towards the14th turn which is an acute-angled right-hander.
After leaving the 14th turn until the 23rd and last turn of the circuit, drivers have to spontaneously change gears and directions. This section consists of nine turns. Most considerably, the tough section
of the circuit is from the 15th turn to the penultimate turn 22.
The last turn is exited in the fourth gear and in hunt to cross the finish line ahead of other drivers.
Most of Formula 1 drivers expressed their concern about the difficult corners of the circuit. After the first race in Singapore, Formula 1 drivers Sebastien Bourdais, Ferrari’s Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso shared their different views about the tough
and harsh kerbs at turn 13 of circuit.
Other than these three drivers, McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton insisted that turn 10 is the worst corner of the Singapore Street Circuit.
Let’s see how the 2011 Formula 1 teams enjoy their race this time at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
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