5 things you need to know about Singapore GP

Singapore GP has been an exciting event for Formula One fans since 2008. The only night race tag makes it a shining jewel and even more enthralling to watch.

Here’s a list of 5 things you need to know about the Singapore GP.

Bravo Senor Alonso!!

Fernando Alonso after winning the 2008 Singapore GP

Fernando Alonso seems to be the undisputed king (of sorts) at the Singapore GP. The Spaniard won the race in 2008 with Renault and 2010 with Ferrari. The 2008 race was surrounded by controversies thanks to his teammate Nelson Piquet Jr’s crash, yet Alonso had won it after staring from 15^th on the grid. Alonso has the grand chelem to his name that is he holds the record for starting at pole, winning the race, setting the fastest timed lap and leading the race for every lap in 2010. Alonso has managed to finish on the podium 4 times out of 5 race editions. The only time he finished off the podium was in 2011 when he narrowly missed third and ended up in fourth place.

Kimi’s Lap Record is unbeatable

Kimi Raikkonen holds the record for fastest lap at the Singapore GP

Kimi Raikkonen‘s fastest lap record at Marina Bay remains to be beaten even after 5 race editions. The Flying Finn had set the lap in 2008 on lap 14 driving for Ferrari. But the sad part was that Kimi was not able to finish the race due to a crash at the dreaded turn 10. The fastest lap at Singapore helped Kimi equal Michael Schumacher‘s record of 10 fastest race laps in a season for the second time. Kimi had achieved the feat in 2005 while the German had set the record in 2004. Unfortunately for Kimi he has never finished on the podium and Singapore and his best finish has been a sixth place in 2012 driving for Lotus-Renault . He missed the 2010 and 2011 races due to his sabbatical.

Temporary Circuit

Marina Bay street Circuit

Marina Bay is converted to a street circuit for the race weekend while the rest of the year it remains open to normal traffic like Monaco. An incredible amount of infrastructure equipment has been used for creating the circuit. This includes around 1500 artificial lights giving a luminosity of 3,000 lux to illuminate the circuit and make it as bright as daylight. However, there are a couple of corners where the visibility is still very low. There are over 1,600 TecPro barriers installed across the circuit to enable driver safety during a crash. In addition there are around 2600 concrete barriers and 10 km long debris fencing used to give the circuit the look of a regular racing track. The track has undergone regular changes to ensure driver safety including the pit lane entry and some specific areas on the track to make it a less bumpy circuit.

No Rain, Less Pain

Rain has stayed away on race night at the Singapore GP

While rain has been predicted at all the races in the past and is predicted this year as well thanks to the tropical climate of Singapore, surprisingly rain has been away during the race duration on all occasions. The teams and drivers have only witnessed showers during free practice and a wet track in qualifying. A bit of rain during the race and there is bound to be some action on the track.

The Safety Car jinx

Safety Car has been a feature of every Singapore GP

Singapore GP has been witness to at least one safety car during every race. The total number is 8 with 2 safety car deployments in 2008, 2010 and 2012 and 1 each in 2009 and 2011 .