Will forecast rain cause more chaos at the 2022 Singapore GP? What to watch for

September 30th 2022

Marina Bay's tight confines are challenging enough in the dry, let alone the wet. With storms forecast, the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix could be one of the most dramatic in years, as Verstappen looks to close on the title

DPPI

Author

James Elson

After three Covid-enforced years away, Formula 1 is finally back on the streets of Singapore.

The now-instantly recognisable Marina Bay circuit is touted by many as a modern classic, and with safety cars called in every single one of the of 12 races held there, drama is never far away.

If he maximises his performance with other circumstances going his way, Max Verstappen could seal his second drivers’ title at F1’s original night race, in what has been a consummate season from an unstoppable driver and car combination.

There’s plenty more going on though right through the field. Here’s what to watch for at the 2022 Singapore GP.

Safety cars and rain chaos on the menu?

Safety car deployment and adverse weather have been hot topics ever since last year’s Abu Dhabi debacle, and both look set to feature again in a Singapore. The race has had a safety car at every single event since 2008 and is set for a stormy weekend this time around.

This year’s Monaco GP, which saw the race delayed by 40 minutes due to the belief that the weather was too bad to run in, led to many criticising the stewards, saying a total risk-free approach was against the spirit of F1.

At the Italian GP two weeks ago the stewards were again criticised, this time for letting the race end under a safety car instead of throwing a red flag and allowing for a grandstand finish between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc.

Singapore could hit both these issues head on. The tight and twisty confines of Singapore are the perfect environment for F1 chaos, which could be exacerbated by the rain and storms which are possible on Saturday and probable Sunday.

2017 was a prime example, with Sebastian Vettel, Verstappen, Kimi Räikkönen and Fernando Alonso all coming together at the first corner on a slick, wet track.

If it does rain on Sunday, will they delay the race or run the start behind a safety car to avoid a similar situation?

Sebastian-Vettel-and-Kimi-Raikkonen-crash-at-the-start-of-the-2017-Singapore-GP — Räikkönen and Vettel clash at the start of the 2017 race

Grand Prix Photo

Mercedes could snatch a victory

One question yet to be answered is whether this is a track which will suit the current Mercedes.

The W13 performs better at tracks which are less reliant on power, with it being a car which suffers from too much drag. But with porpoising also an issue for the Silver Arrows, it might not enjoy riding over the Singapore bumps.

Toto Wolff sounded cautiously optimistic in his predictions for the race. “I think that track layout should suit our car,” he said. “The bumps not. On the simulations again it says it should be one of our better tracks, but I’m trying to stay on the, let’s say careful side, with any predictions.”

Will Verstappen win the title in Singapore?

Max Verstappen can clinch his second drivers’ title this weekend if he wins and Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez finish down the field.

What looked in the early races this year to be an almighty title scrap between the Dutchman and the Monégasque turned into a stroll for the former, as a combination of reliability, strategic blunders and driver error have torpedoed Ferrari’s championship challenge on both fronts.

Max Verstappen celebrates at the F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan — Verstappen looks destined for the title. The only question is when

F1

Verstappen can win the championship this weekend if he claims victory with fastest lap, and Leclerc finishes eighth or lower and Perez fourth or lower.

If he wins without the fastest lap, Verstappen will be champion if Leclerc finishes ninth or lower and Perez is, again, fourth or lower.

Red Bull’s lead man says however that he’s focusing purely on the race at hand.

“I don’t really think about it,” he stated pre-race interviews. “It’s quite a long shot. I just want to enjoy the weekend and, of course, try to win it.”

McLaren vs Alpine battle hots up

With six races left, the battle for fourth in the constructors’ championship between McLaren and Alpine is in full flow.

After enjoying a performance edge but not executing on weekends as well as McLaren early on in the season, the Enstone team appears to now be firing on full cylinders.

It has a 22 point-lead on McLaren in the points table after spending stretches of the season behind, though the latter managed to claw back some ground in Monza with a seventh-place finish from Lando Norris, with neither Alpine making the top ten.

Enstone is bullish it can maintain its advantage though. The A522 features a heavily revised floor this weekend which the team’s sporting director Alain Permane says will bring a “massive” step in downforce, hopefully helping it to rebound from the non-score in Italy.

“We’ll be back where we should be, and we’re really looking forward to there and especially Suzuka with this car,” he told Autosport. “It’s going to be fun.”

Is Albon up to the comeback challenge?

Alexander Albon had to pull out of the Italian GP last minute with appendicitis. The F1 paddock was then shocked to hear that the Thai driver then suffered respiratory failure during his hospital stay, at one point having to be put on a ventilator.

Thankfully the Williams man made a full recovery, and although he’s positive about this weekend its still not 100% certain he’ll race at Marina Bay.

“The goal is to be ready by Singapore, which is going to be tough,” he said in the build-up to the race.

“It’s one of the toughest races that we go to, so not an easy one, but let’s aim high and see what happens.”

Albon revealed he’s been training in the gym with three layers of clothing on to simulate the Singapore heat and humidity, but if he’s not ready then Nyck de Vries will be prepped to step in once again, after putting in a star super-sub performance to finish ninth on his F1 debut for Williams three weeks ago.