With Red Bull in imperious form, F1 head to Marina Bay, Singapore for the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix.
With a 145-point lead over Sergio Perez, Max Verstappen enters this round knowing that he can put himself onto the cusp of sealing the title in Japan with a strong result around Marina Bay.
Red Bull however can seal the constructor title here if they hold a 353-point over Mercedes once the checkered flag falls, which would require an one-two finish coupled with non top-ten finishes for both of Mercedes’ drivers.
Now, here is a full guide to everything that you need to know ahead of 2023 Singapore GP, including timings and title permutations.
Track Guide
Circuit: Marina Bay Street Circuit
Laps: 62
Race Distance: 308.706km
Tyre Compounds: C3, C4 & C5
Schedule
| Date | Session | Time (BST) |
| Friday 15 September | FP1 | 10:30am |
| Friday 15 September | FP2 | 2:00pm |
| Saturday 16 September | FP3 | 10:30am |
| Saturday 16 September | Qualifying | 2:00pm |
| Sunday 17 September | Race | 1:00pm |
Five Key Pointers
- Given the potential for traffic and small mistakes around this tight and twisty circuit, it is important to hook up a clean lap in Qualifying to secure the best grid slot possible.
- With a new straight replacing the twisty section of Turns 16, 17, 18 19, teams will potentially need to reduce their usual high level downforce slightly to achieve extra speed.
- Having struggled for one lap pace at Zandvoort and Monza, Mercedes will look to bounce back at a more favourable high-downforce circuit.
- After enduring a frustrating Italian GP weekend at Monza, McLaren should be more competitive because their car should suit this circuit in a similar style to their Zandvoort performance.
- Due to the tightness of the Marina Bay Street Circuit, there is a high risk of safety cars which could well play a role in determining the race outcome depending on time of deployment.
Last Time Out
A pre-race thunderstorm on F1’s last visit to Singapore in 2022 saw the race delayed 65 minutes before Perez snatched the lead and ultimately victory from pole-sitter, Charles Leclerc who eventually settled for second behind the Mexican as Carlos Sainz rounded out the podium.
Max Verstappen meanwhile endured a difficult race interrupted by two Safety Cars as he got bogged down on the start from eighth on the grid, yet was able to recover to seventh in an uncharacteristically difficult performance en-route to his second title.