|
A week and a half ago,
Scuderia Ferrari said farewell to the European season on
a high note, with a win and a third place in its home
race at Monza. A good way to face the final part of the
championship and now it is time for an event which might
boast far less history than the Italian Grand Prix, but
with a character all of its own, the Singapore Grand
Prix, Formula 1’s only night race.
According to the history books, Singapore staged races
on a street circuit dating back to the early Sixties,
but these were not Formula 1 events and the blue riband
series made its debut at the new Marina Bay track in
2008. The drivers with the best records in that short
time are Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, who
finished first and third respectively in 2008, switching
places last year. This is yet another race that Felipe
Massa missed through injury last year, but in his one
Singaporean appearance in 2008, the Brazilian recorded
possibly his best ever qualifying performance where he
took pole position, lapping well over half a second
faster than the rest of the field, although a pit-stop
mishap ruined his race the following day.
When the idea of a night race was first put forward,
there was concern within all the teams about how the
personnel would adapt to this unusual schedule. In fact,
by keeping to European time from the moment of arrival
in Singapore, waking up in the early afternoon and going
to bed around four in the morning, it actually proved
quite easy to adapt. Unlike most venues, where arriving
a few days early to adapt to the time difference is the
norm, here it is better to touch down on the island as
late as possible. For the mechanics and set-up crew who
have been in Singapore since the start of the week,
conditions are a bit more difficult, because for the
first few days, they have to move to local time, with
night work not an option, given that their tasks involve
liaising with the local populace, who cannot be expected
to switch to a “night shift.” Logistically, the event is
not too demanding: the race cars and technical equipment
left Maranello last Friday, while the basic equipment
required to set up the offices, kitchens and hospitality
all went by sea-freight, having made a slower journey
from the race venues outside Europe at the start of the
season and the whole team can take a short walk to the
track from the hotels to start work in the afternoon.
Before enjoying that walk on Thursday, Fernando and
Felipe will head into the city for the official opening
ceremony of Singapore’s new “Ferrari Store.”
Another concern which was soon swept aside was that of
driving under artificial light, because the brightness
provided by the floodlights actually proved more
consistent than for example driving into direct
sunlight, which can be a factor in some daylight races.
The only aspect of visibility that has not been tested
in the two year history of the event is what would
happen if there was to be a tropical rainstorm, which is
not exactly unknown in this part of the world.
With both championships still very much open, Scuderia
Ferrari has not abandoned development of the F10 and for
the fifteenth round of the world championship, the cars
will line up with modifications mainly on the
aerodynamic side, with updates to the front wing and the
floor. The 5.067 kilometre track is very tricky, with
all the usual demands of a street circuit, even if the
corners themselves are not that challenging. The long
lap – Monaco is only 3.340 km by comparison – means it
is hard for a driver to get into a rhythm and
maintaining total concentration is vital to avoid
mistakes that carry a heavy cost, given the proximity of
the barriers. Heat and humidity add to the degree of
difficulty, although temperatures do drop slightly once
the sun goes down. No problems are envisaged on the tyre
front: by this stage of the championship, the teams
having a good understanding of all four Bridgestone
compounds, including the Super soft and Medium which
will be used this weekend.
The Scuderia firmly believes that the points haul for
first and third places in Monza has put it right back in
the fight for both titles: Fernando’s 21 point deficit
to the leader in the Drivers’ classification represents
less than one win, equivalent to a mere 8 points if
calculations were made based on last year’s system.
However, with just five Grands Prix remaining, there are
definitely no more second chances.
|
|
|
