5 things to watch out for at the 2013 Singapore GP

Three way battle between Vettel, Alonso and Hamilton?

The European leg of the F1 race calendar is over and the teams head to the final stages of the 2013 season in Asia. The Marina Bay circuit, home to the Singapore Grand Prix, is one of the three races to host a street-circuit with Spa and Monaco this year. But being the only night race in the calendar, it is one of the most awaited events of the year.

Here’s a look at the five things to watch out for at the 2013 Singapore GP.

Three way fight?

Sebastian Vettel, last year’s winner, will start as a favourite considering the Red Bulls’ dominating performances in the last two races at Spa and Monza. The only other two drivers expected to pose a challenge for the German are Fernando Alonso in the Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes. Alonso being a two time race winner in 2008 and 2010 has to win this race if he wants to make any attempt to catch up with Vettel for the Driver’s Championship.

It was Singapore that saw the start of a fight-back from Vettel to win the title from Alonso last year, after a series of wins in Asia. Lewis Hamilton, a one time winner at Singapore in 2009, will also be itching to perform after a forgettable performance at Monza.

Mid-field magic

Singapore could also witness a surprise or two from the mid-field drivers making it to the top ten, especially during the qualifying rounds. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber-Ferrari) did it in the last race at Monza, both in qualifying and in the race. Pastor Maldonado (Williams-Renault) did it last year in Singapore when he started second on the grid but had to retire due to a hydraulics failure.

There could be more than one surprise in the offing. Daniel Ricciardo (Scuderia Toro Rosso), Nico Hulkenberg, Pastor Maldonado and Force India teammates Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta are all capable of pulling a rabbit out of the hat.

The ‘crossing’ of the track from above at Marina Bay Street Circuit

Book your seat

With almost half the grid already confirmed for the 2014 season, the talks off the track will be on a high and the teams would be looking to finalize their drivers. Felipe Messa and Nico Hulkenberg have already been linked to Lotus after Kimi Raikkonen’s move to Ferrari. Mclaren-Mercedes, Force India-Mercedes,Williams-Renault , Marussia-Cosworth and Caterham-Renault are yet to confirm the driver line-up for the 2014 calendar.

Spectacular Singapore

The spectacular Marina Bay street circuit is a treat to watch at night. The temporary race-track built on the streets of Singapore covers a chunk of historical places as a backdrop. The streets are closed in advance to get the setup ready for the race weekend. This includes the artificial floodlights, the giant screens, the stands and the barriers. Off the track, there are other activities such as music concerts with artists from across the globe performing live and giving the fans another reason to enjoy their stay in Singapore.

(Another interesting thing to watch out for will be as to who has more fans in Singapore – Sebastian Vettel or Justin Bieber?)

Rain, rain, stay away?

While rain has been predicted for the race weekend this time as well, historically, the track has been dry on race night. In the past, it has been the practice sessions which have seen a wet Marina Bay Circuit. The rain gods were expected to oblige in Spa and Monza for the race duration. But to the delight of the ‘not-so-comfortable-in-the-rain’ teams, there wasn’t a drop to be seen.

If it rains in Singapore things could get really interesting with narrow circuit lanes and low visibility. It would be a real challenge for the drivers on a water-logged circuit under floodlights. The safety car too is expected to play its part as it has done in all the past editions, but if it pours on race night it will be the first at the Singapore Grand Prix. Both these factors could play a major role in deciding the outcome of the race.