1119th F1 GRAND PRIX | 23rd SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX | 15th GRAND PRIX AT MARINA BAY STREET CIRCUIT
2023 POLESITTER: CARLOS SAINZ | 2023 WINNER: CARLOS SAINZ
Formula 1’s original night race returns in 2024. The Singapore Grand Prix was first held back in 2008. The 2024 Singapore Grand Prix is set to take place on September 20-22.
2024 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX: WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday September 20
Free Practice 1 – 5:30pm Local Time / 10:30am UK Time
Free Practice 2 – 9:00pm Local Time / 2:00pm UK Time
Saturday September 21
Free Practice 3 – 5:30pm Local Time / 10:30am UK Time
Qualifying – 9:00pm Local Time / 2:00pm UK Time
Sunday September 22
The 2024 Singapore Grand Prix – 8:00pm Local Time / 1:00pm UK Time
2024 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX: WEEKEND MILESTONES
The 53rd lap of the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix will be the 900th racing lap at the track since the first race here in 2008.
Victory for Lewis Hamilton at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix would see him equal Sebastian Vettel’s record of five wins at F1’s original night race.
Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari are all tied for the most wins at Marina Bay Street Circuit, each with four victories. A win for any of those three teams at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix would see them set a new outright record.
READ MORE IN MILESTONES AND RECORDS TO BREAK
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE 2024 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX
WHAT HAS CHANGED AT THE CIRCUIT SINCE LAST YEAR?
Since last year, the track has been resurfaced in a number of places – from Turns 3 to 8, Turns 10 to 12, Turns 14 to 16 and between Turns 16 and 17. Artificial grass has been removed between Turns 2 and 3, while new gates have been installed at Turns 5 and 15.
HOW MANY DRS ZONES WILL THERE BE AT THE 2024 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX?
For the first time at Marina Bay Street Circuit, there will be four DRS zones at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix. Activation zones were on the main straight, between Turns 5 & 6, between Turns 13 & 14 and – new for 2024 – at the exit of Turn 14. There are three detection points – at Turn 4, before Turn 13 (for zones 2 and 3) and after the apex of Turn 17.
MARINA BAY STREET CIRCUIT TRACK GUIDE
The Marina Bay Circuit holds one of Formula 1’s most spectacular weekends as the cars glisten under the streetlights in Singapore, the home of the sport’s original night race.
Singapore was one of two new street tracks introduced as part of the 2008 Formula One season. Whereas Valencia was ditched from the calendar after the 2012 event, Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore remains on the calendar and the challenge of competing here is much loved by drivers, teams and fans alike. The 23-turn track was originally designed by Herman Tilke before being modified by KBR Inc., an American engineering company. The area of land which the circuit occupies is 799,000 square metres, which is the equivalent of 80 football pitches.
The Marina Bay Circuit passes by many of Singapore’s landmarks such as the Fullerton Hotel, the Anderson Bridge and, of course, the striking Singapore Flyer which opened in the same year as the first Grand Prix here. The track has numerous unique features, including the fact that it is the only track which goes under a section of grandstand – between Turns 18 and 19. The corners are referred to by number here, though some do have names. Turn 1 is named ‘Sheares’ and Turn 7 is named ‘Memorial’. The names were given to the corners as part of a local competition in March 2009, but they are rarely used.
READ MORE IN OUR ULTIMATE TRACK GUIDE
WHO WILL BE IN THE 2024 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX PRESS CONFERENCES?
The world’s media will have the opportunity to talk to the drivers ahead of the on-track action. The drivers appearing in the press conference for this race are:
Valtteri Bottas (Sauber)
Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
George Russell (Mercedes)
Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
Yuki Tsunoda (RB)
Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
The media will also be talking to prominent members of Formula 1’s teams in a separate press conference over the race weekend. The team members appearing in the press conference are:
Fred Vasseur (Ferrari)
Mario Isola (Pirelli)
James Vowles (Williams)
WHO WILL BE THE RACE DIRECTOR AT THE 2024 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX?
Niels Wittich will be the race director at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix.
WHO WILL BE THE DRIVER STEWARD AT THE 2024 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX?
Each weekend a former Formula 1 driver, or a driver from another prominent series of motorsport, joins the stewards to help judge any incidents from a drivers’ perspective. The Driver Steward this weekend is Johnny Herbert.
WHICH TYRE COMPOUNDS WILL BE USED AT THE 2024 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX?
Pirelli will supply the C3, C4 and C5 tyre compounds at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix. The C3, C4 and C5 compounds were also used in 2023.
WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME AT THE SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX?
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz secured the only non-Red Bull victory of the season at the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix in one of the most exciting races of the year.
The 2023 Singapore Grand Prix marked the first race run on a revised, shorter layout of the Marina Bay Street Circuit. In Free Practice 1, there were no fewer than three yellow flags due to appearances by lizards on the track.
Ferrari were fastest in all three practice sessions and continued their strong pace in qualifying, with Carlos Sainz taking a second successive pole position by 0.072 seconds from George Russell. Charles Leclerc was just 0.007 seconds slower than the Mercedes.
Lance Stroll suffered a heavy crash at the end of Q1, the resulting impact seeing him sit out the remainder of the race weekend. Red Bull struggled throughout practice and qualifying. Both Sergio Perez, who spun on his final lap and Max Verstappen, who was knocked out in the closing stages by AlphaTauri’s Liam Lawson, were eliminated in Q2.
Sainz stayed in the lead at the front, while Leclerc passed Russell into Turn 1 to make it a Ferrari 1-2. Lewis Hamilton gained positions by running off track, later handing back fourth and fifth positions to his team-mate and McLaren’s Lando Norris.
Yuki Tsunoda became the first driver to retire from the race following contact with Perez, while a brush with the wall for Logan Sargeant brought out the Safety Car. All of the top five drivers pitted, while Verstappen – who had made his way up to eighth – opted to stay out. Red Bull’s strategy relied on Verstappen taking the lead as a result of not pitting but he could not do so, with Sainz emerging from the pit lane just over a second ahead of the Red Bull.
A slow stop and pit lane traffic for Leclerc dropped him down the order to sixth. The race restarted with Sainz leading, yet-to-pit Verstappen second, Russell third, yet-to-pit Perez fourth and Norris fifth. On their fresh tyres, Russell soon made his way past Verstappen while Norris made light work of passing Perez. The McLaren then found his way into the final podium spot, overtaking Verstappen. Hamilton followed Norris through to fourth place as both Red Bulls continued to drop down the order.
After pitting, Red Bull found themselves 15th and 17th. The Virtual Safety Car came out on Lap 43 as Esteban Ocon retired at the pit lane exit. Both Russell and Hamilton pitted for fresh tyres under the VSC. With 15 laps to go, the Mercedes began to make inroads on the drivers ahead. Russell passed Leclerc for third on Lap 53, with Hamilton following his team-mate through one lap later.
With Russell closing in, Sainz purposefully allowed Norris to remain within DRS range to allow him the best chance of fighting off Russell’s attacks from behind. Knowing it would keep his lead secure, the clever move from Sainz ensured he could stay ahead in the closing stages.
Russell pulled alongside Norris on Lap 59 but could not get the move done. On the final lap, both Norris and Russell tapped the wall. Russell’s was a heavier hit than Norris’, putting him out of the race and promoting Hamilton onto the podium.
Sainz came home to take the second win of his career – and the only non-Red Bull victory of the 2023 season. The Red Bull drivers had recovered to fifth and eighth by the chequered flag, while Red Bull junior Liam Lawson secured the first points finish of his Formula 1 career.
WHAT’S THE FASTEST EVER LAP AT THE SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX?
Attending the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix? Learn more about visiting Marina Bay Circuit in the F1Destinations Travel Guide.