2014 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIXVIEW
Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore – 17 September 2014
2014 Singapore Grand Prix
Venue: Marina Bay Street Circuit
Race Laps: 61
Circuit Length: 5.065 km
Race Distance: 308.828 km
Team Quotes
Kamui Kobayashi, car #10: “I always like the Singapore Grand Prix because it’s a night race and its festive atmosphere is definitely one of the highlights of the season. It’s a very technical track, with lots of changes of direction, and it’s a challenging race for everyone. After finishing ahead of our closest rivals in Italy, I look forward to another good fight out on track in Singapore – it will be good to see what we are capable of with the updated car at the Marina Bay Street Circuit – at street circuits anything can happen and we need to make sure we do our best.”
Marcus Ericsson, car #9: “Singapore is one of my favourite cities and I cannot wait for my first Formula One night race experience. It’s a circuit I know quite well – I’ve finished on the podium every time I’ve raced there with GP2, so it brings back very good memories. The track is bumpy and it reminds me a lot of Monaco, even though the Singapore layout is much more physical and requires double the amount of energy over a single lap compared to Monte Carlo. The heat and humidity also make it a tough race weekend, but I’ve been training hard to make sure I am ready for the challenge and I look forward to the weekend ahead.”
Singapore GP lowdown with Renault Sport F1 track support leader, Cedrik Staudohar
Main challenges of Singapore for the Power Units:
The high number of corners puts an emphasis on low speed driveability and torque so we will work on good turbo response and smooth, efficient energy recovery. Most corners are taken in second to fourth gear with few straights interlinking them so we will use an ICE at the end of its life as top speed is not so important.
Main energy recovery points:
Marina Bay has the highest number of corners of any circuit this year so there are plenty of chances! The series of right angled turns in front of the main grandstands will give the MGU-K several opportunities to recharge while the short bursts of power will give the MGU-H ample time. We’ll need the energy as Singapore has the highest fuel consumption per lap of the year.
Difficulty rating:
Medium. The ICE will have an easy time but the ERS will be working flat out the entire race.
What to watch out for:
With different parts of the PU coming under different levels of stress we’ll run a mix and match of elements on different life cycles.
Additional information
Quick description
Night race
Very hot and humid conditions
Track is very bumpy even after resurfacing in 2010, especially T13-14
In 2012, the track was resurfaced between T5 and T7
Needs high RH to avoid bottoming and excessive plank wear and maximum suspension level
Hard on brakes for temperatures but wear is not usually an issue
Braking stability and traction are typical balance issues
Circuit Particularity
Bumpiness: high
Kerbs: medium/high
Difficult to overtake
Gearbox severity: high
Lat / long grip: medium/low lateral
Aero efficiency ratio: medium/low
Track grip evolution during w/e: high
Aero settings: high
Brake wear severity: high
Brake cooling necessity: high
Fonte: “Caterham F1 Team”