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The 2024 F1 Singapore GP will be the second of the flyaway races in this eight-race stretch after the European leg. The most interesting bit about the season continues to be its unpredictable nature heading into a weekend, as it will be hard to take a call on who is going to win the race.
Last week in Baku, we saw Oscar Piastri surprise everyone as it initially appeared that Charles Leclerc had things under control.
It was another race weekend where we ended up having a nail-biter as cars with different strengths battled it out. Heading to the F1 Singapore GP, stakes are high once again. McLaren has taken over the constructors' championship lead from Red Bull, while the drivers' championship is still up for grabs.
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All eyes would be on how Max Verstappen does on a track he's not traditionally had a good time at. With that being said, what can we expect from the F1 Singapore GP? Let's take a look.
2024 F1 Singapore GP: Preview
Key Storylines
#1 The pecking order
We've had McLaren and Ferrari battle it out for the win in the last couple of races. This weekend we head to Singapore, where Ferrari won last season.
This was also the race where Red Bull struggled the most last season and the only event that it didn't win. To add to this, Mercedes has found itself being a step behind the frontrunners since the summer break. With that being said, what could potentially be the pecking order in Singapore GP? We'll have to wait to find that out.
#2 The 4th DRS zone
Last season quite a few experts felt that the modified layout could have had an added luster with a 4th DRS zone. It could potentially help with the overtakes or at the very least, help close the gap between the cars.
Last season, most, if not all upgrades, were a product of different teams using variable strategies, with a few teams nailing everything while the others struggled to do the same. How does the 4th DRS zone add to the spectacle? We'll have to wait and see.
#3 The championship battle
Heading into the F1 Singapore GP, Lando Norris is 59 points behind Max Verstappen in the championship. Even on a bad weekend in Baku, he was able to salvage something from the car.
Heading to a race where Red Bull already struggled last season and Lando Norris was P2 in the race, there is an outside chance that Lando can make a major dent in Verstappen's championship lead.
Form Guide
On Form
Oscar Piastri could and should have won the race in Monza but lost out to Charles Leclerc. On the other hand, the Ferrari driver should have won the race in Baku but lost to the McLaren driver.
It's a case of two drivers making the most of the cars they have under them. At the moment, it's both Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri who are leading the form charts on the grid.
Out of Form
It's not often that we put Max Verstappen in this segment but such has been the all-round fall from Red Bull that the driver finds himself here. The last two races have seen Max being run close in Monza qualifying by Sergio Perez and then being out-qualified by his teammate in Baku.
The driver is struggling massively with the RB20 and this weekend he heads to the F1 Singapore GP, a race he's not had the greatest of luck for the last few years.
2024 F1 Singapore GP: Predictions
Who will win the race?
Singapore is a track where Lando Norris tends to do well most of the time. He's had a strong run around this track in 2023 where he secured P2 in the McLaren. He had a strong showing in 2022 as well on this track.
McLaren is expected to be strong and the more assured demeanor of Lando Norris appears to be shining through and we back the British driver to win the F1 Singapore GP and close the gap to Max Verstappen.
Surprise of the weekend (Team)
Alpine has disappeared from the top 10 for quite some time now and a part of it has been the power unit dependence of the last few races. The F1 Singapore GP track layout doesn't have that, and hence it will give the car the ability to put together a better showing. Alpine could potentially have a strong run this weekend and points could be on the table.
Surprise of the weekend (Driver)
Keep an eye out for Fernando Alonso at the F1 Singapore GP. The Spaniard appears to have found a second wind after Adrian Newey's move to Aston Martin was announced. He was brilliant at Baku as well and at Singapore, a track where he's traditionally done some magical things, and it won't be a surprise if he pulls off an interesting result.
Disappointment of the weekend (Team)
Red Bull struggled around Singapore last time around as the car couldn't generate the same kind of performance on such a bumpy track. To make things worse, the car didn't ride the aggressive kerbs either.
Coming back to a track where the team has struggled already when the car is underperforming is another warning sign that maybe, the F1 Singapore GP race weekend might be the most extreme type of damage limitation Red Bull has been forced into.
Disappointment of the weekend (Driver)
Sergio Perez surprised everyone at Baku because while a few thought that the Mexican would do well, nobody expected him to be fighting for the win and outclass Max Verstappen.
Keeping Perez's recent performance in context, many are expecting the form to continue where the Mexican gets closer to his teammate in terms of performance. At the F1 Singapore GP however, that's not going to happen, as we'd be back to the status quo with Sergio trailing Max Verstappen by a decent margin.
