Towards a Shorter Singapore Grand Prix?
A physical Grand Prix if ever there was one, the Singapore race does not go unnoticed, particularly due to its length. While the race distance is the same as elsewhere, the on-track time deemed too long is criticized by the GPDA.
If Singapore has become a major Formula 1 destination due to its unique setting, this night race presents a significant challenge to the drivers: the track, a series of accelerations and braking, leaves little room for error and offers few opportunities for rest. The intrinsic difficulty of the Marina Bay street circuit must be coupled with the many constraints inherent to the Singaporean climate, such as humidity, which averages 75% even at night.
Another difficulty lies in the length of the race. Indeed, in the four editions held since 2008, it has taken an average of 1 hour and 57 minutes to complete the required 61 laps to reach the minimum distance of 305km. While every Grand Prix has been marked by the safety car entering the track at least once, the regulatory two-hour race limit is never far off and could be surpassed during the 2012 version of the race, as qualifying lap times are two seconds slower than last year.
A situation that certainly concerns the active members of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA), particularly Pedro de la Rosa: « I have been in many GPDA meetings, and this is the only circuit of the world championship where people ask Charlie Whiting to reduce the number of laps. » The length of the Singapore Grand Prix is an issue raised every time the F1 Circus visits the Asian city-state. For the Spaniard, Singapore is like Monaco in terms of « effort and concentration » but differs due to its humidity and distance. « Here, [the race] is 309 kilometers, in Monaco it’s 260, » explains De la Rosa.
Concerns about the duration of Formula 1 races are closely linked to safety issues, particularly since 1967 when Lorenzo Bandini, visibly exhausted after the first 80 laps of the Monaco Grand Prix, which then consisted of 100 laps, lost control of his Ferrari at the exit of the harbor chicane (which was then a fast sequence), before crashing into the hay bales protecting drivers from falling. This accident triggered a terrible fire from which Bandini could not escape on his own. The Italian driver, suffering from the less safe conditions of the time, was not rescued quickly enough and ultimately lost his life three days after the race.
Currently, the sporting regulations, in article 5.3, specify that the total distance of a Grand Prix must be at least 305 km, with the exception of Monaco where the limit is reduced to 260 km, and should not exceed two hours, in which case the winner is determined at the end of the lap during which the two-hour limit is breached. This scenario, very rare in the absence of difficult weather conditions and serious incidents, last occurred in Formula 1 at the 2008 Monaco Grand Prix, won by Lewis Hamilton. The race, held on a wet track, saw two safety cars deployed after accidents involving Sébastien Bourdais and David Coulthard, as well as Nico Rosberg. The race lasted 76 laps instead of the usual 78.
