F1 Singapore GP to undergo track layout changes ahead of 2023 season race

The F1 Singapore GP track layout will undergo changes in the third sector ahead of the 2023 season race. According to the official F1 website, the Turns 16 to 19(that featured a sequence going through the tunnel) will be replaced by one long straight. This will reduce the total number of corners from 23 to 19. The changes are, however, subject to FIA approval and will also require the removal of the Bay Grandstand.

The circuit length is expected to decrease from 5.063km to 4.928km. Consequently, the number of laps in the race will most likely increase from 61 to 63. The lap time is expected to see an approximate 9-second jump from the last time the F1 cars had a dry qualifying session here(2019); hence, the race would finish roughly in the conventional 90-minute timeframe.

The press release on the official F1 website stated,

"Redevelopment works in the vicinity of the track mean that the section between Turns 16 and 19 of the 2022 layout will now become one long 397.9m straight, reducing the total number of corners from 23 to 19. The changes, which are subject to FIA approval and will also require the removal of the Bay Grandstand while the redevelopment is carried out, are expected to see the circuit length reduced from 5.063km to 4.928km, with the number of laps in the Grand Prix likely to increase from 61 to 63."

It further added,

"Using simulations based on a 2020 Formula 1 car, the race promoters estimate the new best qualifying lap time will be around 1m 27.7s – that compares with Charles Leclerc’s pole of 1m 36.217s in 2019, the last time the venue staged a dry qualifying session – with the minimum race time expected to be around 1h 30m 34s."

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The verdict on the new F1 Singapore GP track layout

The new track layout might be the first step in addressing a few concerns the track experienced in the last few years. The most concerning among them has been the length of the race. The track is one of the slowest in average speeds, and any safety car intervention tended to push the race closer to the 2-hour mark more often than not.

The second concern that could be addressed is the lack of overtaking opportunities. The race this season featured Charles Leclerc tailing Sergio Perez relentlessly but could not find a way through. The only possible moves tend to come from the innovative methods employed by Max Verstappen, and even he overshot one of his moves against Lando Norris.

Next season, the track could see improvement at the straight and would undoubtedly be one of the hotspots for pulling off overtakes in the race.