A victory leap for Hamilton in Singapore, 2018, a day after his sublimne pole lap
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Fifteen years. Time flies, eh? The Singapore Grand Prix was an exotic novelty when it first ran back in 2008. Everything about it seemed fresh and exciting: Formula 1’s first night race, the whole paddock sticking to European time, the old-world Raffles charm, but modern glittering backdrop as a gateway to a lucrative Far East market – yes, it was a big deal. Much like how the new Las Vegas GP is perceived in 2023, in fact.
Deep into its second decade, naturally the Singapore novelty has long worn off, especially as other night races have become established at the Middle Eastern venues. Other Johnny-come-latelies have made their splash and now, on one level, it’s just another street race.
But I’d argue Singapore is still special, and that it was missed during those two Covid-affected season when inevitably it was dropped from the schedule. Yes, it lives up to the street circuit stereotype on overtaking – although the much-discussed change of layout this year, with the loss of that large bus-stop section around and under the big grandstand, might help. But it’s always been a proper and welcome test of endurance (in a modern context), especially in that stultifying heat. And the place still has that exotic sheen.
It’s also the sort of race track that can throw up the unexpected – and plenty of trouble. Max Verstappen has yet to win here, for example. Might this be where the consecutive run record Toto Wolff has dismissed as Wikipedia fodder will finally end? Just posing that question feels like clutching at straws… But history over the past 15 years does offer a warning of the particular jeopardy that exists in Singapore. To get us in the mood for what hopefully will be an eventful weekend – please, please, fingers crossed… – let’s remind ourselves of some of the grand prix’s defining moments.
Räikkönen skews into Vettel to dramatic effect
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The top three wiped out, which just happened to be both Ferraris, and Fernando Alonso almost tipped over in the melee too… yes, the first corner in 2017 created sparks and surely the most visually sensational moment in Singapore GP history. Sebastian Vettel made a sluggish getaway from pole, Max Verstappen beside him a better one, but Kimi Räikkönen from the second row by far the best of the lot. Then as he charged up the inside of the Red Bull, Räikkönen’s right-rear just tagged Verstappen’s left-front, pinging the Ferrari into Vettel’s which was already squeezing left. Räikkönen and Verstappen made further contact at Turn 1, with Alonso’s McLaren in the wrong place at the wrong time. And through it all, from fifth on the grid, came… Lewis Hamilton. He didn’t really need gifts back in Mercedes’ dominant heyday, but he accepted this one surely in amazement.
Hamilton scorches to pole in 2018
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Mesmerising. Of Lewis Hamilton’s 104 poles (and counting), his big lap in Singapore 2018 is among the pick of a verdant crop. Watch the onboard. Time and again, surely he’s braking too late. But not a wheel is locked, not an apex missed, the master absolutely in sync with his car delivering perfection. It’s only a surprise Hamilton was just three-tenths clear of Verstappen – but a more telling 0.6sec ahead of Vettel, and another tenth beyond his poor old team-mate Valtteri Bottas. The lap is among the best from anyone, ever, in anything.
Hamilton walks away…
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A clap of the hands, a shake of the head. It’s trite to suggest this low point is why Lewis Hamilton left McLaren, but his retirement from the lead in Singapore 2012 when his gearbox lost the plot into Turn 1 spoke volumes for why he did. And all on the weekend when Niki Lauda paid that infamous visit to his hotel room to leave the Mercedes bait. Had Hamilton won that race, as well he should have, it’s tempting to say modern F1 history and his own record-breaking career might have carried a different hue. He probably would have gone anyway. But still, how he walks away from his lame car, hands behind his back, you can’t help wondering: was this the moment he knew?
“There’s a fan on the track. There’s a fan on the track.” Sebastian Vettel sounded like he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing as he radioed back when a man decided to go for an evening stroll in 2015.
Silverstone is once again threatened by protestors, 20 years after one of the most high-profile F1 track invasions, when Neil Horan ran towards cars on the Hangar Straight at the 2003 British Grand Prix. It’s far from the only example disruption caused by people on the track…
Track invaders were nothing new, but they usually had a protesting purpose. This time, given his languid body language, it almost seems as if this chap in shorts – later reported to be a 27-year-old British national – had genuinely taken a wrong turn. He almost looked a bit embarrassed. Odd, to put it mildly.
Rosberg finally loses his cool with victory leap
Grand Prix Photo
His world championship was the turn-up of the decade, but never forget Nico Rosberg fully earned his title in 2016 – especially on nights like this. A nothing-to-lose Red Bull pitstop left Daniel Ricciardo on a fresh set of super-soft Pirellis chasing Rosberg on his well-worn softs. A 25-second lead dwindled in just 13 laps as Ricciardo moved in for the kill – but just came up short, by 0.488sec as the fireworks let rip at the flag. How Rosberg kept his cool and brought his Mercedes home… this was a drive of a champion.
Vettel shares the glory with his steering wheel
Antonin Vincent / DPPI
For the first time, we’re in for a Singapore GP this weekend without Vettel on the grid. As we’ve seen (in 2017), the German didn’t have an unblemished record around Marina Bay, but it always seemed to suit him – and he won here five times. The last in 2019 was also the last of his 53 F1 wins as he briefly wound back the clock and put one over Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc. Has Vettel been missed in 2023? If not, he might be this weekend.
Verstappen took it out on his team after qualifying mishap
Florent Gooden / DPPI
Red Bull called off his final qualifying lap because, thanks to a miscalculation, Max Verstappen was going to run out of fuel – so the time wouldn’t have counted anyway.
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Fernando Alonso may have been the first driver to win a grand prix in Marina Bay but was far from the first driver to win in Singapore. Paul Fearnley looks back at the history of the Asian GP and the crowning of its first champions
Cue the usual petulance and rant at his team. Verstappen’s competitive drive and fire in the belly are all part of what makes him the astonishing force he is – but he lacks class in certain moments when the cards fall against him. The team error left him eighth on the grid, and he only recovered to seventh in the race – which is a warning in itself for this weekend. Still, who would bet against him making up for this wrinkle in his second title season?
Piquet’s car is lifted off the track after deliberate crash
Grand Prix Photo
Well, we couldn’t leave it out. Nelson Piquet Jr’s to-order shunt that enabled Renault team-mate Fernando Alonso to rise from 15th to first and win the maiden Singapore GP is a black mark that won’t rub out. Felipe Massa has a right to be angry. But we wonder, will he also be suing the Ferrari pit crew who released him with his fuel hose still attached?
