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In 2008, Singapore hosted the first night-time race in F1 history. Sebastian Vettel, riding off of his maiden F1 win at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, lined up seventh on the grid. He ended up finishing fifth, on a night riddled with the 'Crashgate' controversy that saw Fernando Alonso take the victory.
Over the next few years, however, Singapore became a big part of Vettel's career. He holds the record for most wins there, having won five times, apart from having four pole positions to his name. His glory won him a special place in the hearts of the local crowd, who adoringly named him the 'Lion of Singapore'.
What made Sebastian Vettel so good at Singapore?
The Singapore circuit has proven to be a brutal one for drivers, both physically and mentally. Its slow-speed corners take a lot of concentration to navigate, which becomes difficult especially with the hot and humid weather conditions that wear the drivers down.
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Sebastian Vettel has been exceptionally talented at navigating these slow multi-corner sections. He has been seen positioning his car intelligently through these sectors, while keeping an eye on the impending corners. In sections that rely on fine throttle control and traction, his driving precision comes into play, enabling him to blast through these corners.
A prime example of his sheer pace came at the 2013 F1 Singapore GP. During Q3, Vettel put in his lone lap, and a phenomenal one at that, which left his rivals scampering. Although many tried hunting down the time he put in, no one came close to him, despite staying out on track until the end of the session.
A Sebastian Vettel pole lap is filled with calm restlessness, flamboyant smoothness, and a certain sense of seamless speed that is unrivaled by any current driver. Over the rest of the weekend, Vettel led every lap, scored the fastest lap, and won by more than 32 seconds, earning him his third Grand Slam in the sport.
Singapore has been a place of both joy and heartbreak for him.
Sebastian Vettel consecutively won the Singapore GP from 2011 to 2013. His ability to attack the corners of Marina Bay unlike any other driver made him a formidable force in qualifying. He has had four pole positions here and all his pole laps are a delight to watch
After a painful 2014 season, however, Vettel signed with Ferrari for 2015. His third win for the Scuderia Ferrari came at the Singapore GP, where he led from start to finish. It was a race of redemption and glee for the German. After his qualifying performance in 2015, critics hailed him as the 'F1 King of Qualifying,' more than half a second quicker than second-placed Daniel Ricciardo.
2017, however, was a year of heartbreak for Sebastian Vettel. The Singapore track suited the Ferrari car and was predicted to be Mercedes' worst race of the season. He neatly placed the car on pole on Saturday for what looked to be an easy win for him on Sunday. To his nightmare, however, the rain came down on Sunday, which meant it wasn't as easy to grab the win as it seemed earlier.
He had a fairly decent start but got involved in a three-way crash with his teammate Kimi Raikkonen and Red Bull's Max Verstappen. This was Vettel's chance at grabbing the championship lead from his main rival Lewis Hamilton. His DNF, however, cost him the chance, which meant that Hamilton went on to increase his lead and finally win the championship.
So why does Sebastian Vettel deserve the title of 'The Lion of Singapore'?
Seeking redemption for his loss in 2017, Sebastian Vettel finally got his shot at the 2019 F1 Singapore GP. Running in third and chasing Lewis Hamilton in second, he pitted earlier than his teammate Charles Leclerc, who was running in the first place. When Leclerc later pitted and emerged out of the pits on Lap 21, Vettel slid around him into the first corner and snatched first place.
While many criticized this as Ferrari's game of preferring one driver over another, they seem to forget that Vettel could overtake Leclerc solely on raw pace. When Vettel came out of the pits, he put in a lightning-quick out-lap, gaining time on his teammate Leclerc. He seemed like a man on a mission to right the wrongs of his previous outing in Singapore. Former world champion Nico Rosberg, after evaluating Vettel's out-lap, said:
"But the out lap Vettel did on those hard tyres was surely one of the best laps he’s ever done. It was absolutely epic! The computer calculated you should be able to gain about 2 seconds and he gained 3, 3.4-seconds on Charles."
The sport then took a hiatus, courtesy of the COVID-19 pandemic, and stayed away from the island nation for two years. When it returned in 2022, it brought along a harsh year for both Sebastian Vettel and his Aston Martin team.
He qualified 14th on Saturday, behind his teammate Lance Stroll in 12th. Having announced his retirement, this was his last race in Singapore. As the audience watched on with awe during the pre-race press conference, the veteran continued to talk about his 'last time on the streets here.'
Rain fell on race day, and Vettel jumped off the starting line when the lights went out. With his lightning-fast pace, swerving his steering wheel frantically, and gliding in pure fashion over the unforgiving kerbs, he found himself in eighth position at the end of the first lap. He then drove a mesmerizing race to keep hold of his position until the end.
Vettel's race at the 2022 F1 Singapore GP offered a glimpse into just how good the four-time world champion is. In a car that is arguably the ninth fastest on the grid, he held off attacks from Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen in various parts of the race. Although he lost out to Verstappen in the dying stages of the race, his skills were reminiscent of the winner he was on the track not long ago.
The way he positioned his car reflected his knack for perfection and his elegant overtakes are a symbol of his undeniable talent. There hasn't been a single driver who has put in performances at Sebastian Vettel's level at Marina Bay, and therefore he is rightly hailed as the formidable, ever-roaring 'Lion of Singapore'.
