The Singapore Grand Prix is physically one of the toughest races on the Formula One calendar, though I don’t believe it is quite as traumatic as many people claim.
Yes it is hot and humid, even at night, and ideally you would travel to Singapore a few weeks in advance to acclimatise because you can’t adapt in a couple of days. But this is obviously impossible for F1 drivers in the middle of the season so the best approach is to arrive as late as possible and avoid the heat – literally just going out for the sessions and nothing more. Some drivers go three or four days early and spend some time outside but it really doesn’t make it any easier for the race on Sunday.
In my experience, once you start racing – either in the practice sessions or the race – the adrenaline takes over so the heat is less of a problem. It is more uncomfortable sitting in the garage and waiting between runs in practice or qualifying – that’s when it hits you. When you are out, you are so focused on driving that the heat is a secondary concern. I did used to have a piece of ice that I’d rub on me sides or my chest just to try to cool down a little bit, but you just have to get on with it. People say how extreme it is and how different it is to other Grand Prix but I’m just not convinced.
Singapore by night… "It's a kind of magic" #SingaporeGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/zTsV8o8Njy
— Toro Rosso (@ToroRossoSpy) September 16, 2015
What is more difficult is the set-up of the circuit. There are not many places to rest because there aren’t many straight lines – it’s just corner after corner. You are working non-stop and because there are a lot of slow-speed corners and the race takes longer than many other Grand Prix. On other tracks you can push your limits and when you miss the braking you just go off the circuit a little bit and then come back. In a street circuit you don’t have that luxury.
Technically, you need a car that turns very well, that is sharp at the front. There is no room for any under-steer. Normally it means that in the first practice sessions, the car will be a little bit nervous and difficult to drive, particularly when the circuit is quite dirty and the tyres aren’t gripping too well. If the car is well balanced on Friday, it is not actually a good sign – there will be some changes needed because when the surface gets grippier, the car will under-steer. It’s about building up to the optimum braking point slowly. That’s the biggest challenge.
My own memories of Singapore are that it was a cool track; it looks amazing from the car, the scene at night. Obviously I remember 2010 particularly well, when my Lotus set on fire! I had a coming together with the Toro Rosso of Sebastien Buemi and think some oil from the gearbox or hydraulics got under the exhaust and started a fire at the back of the car. I could see the flames a few corners before the main straight and there were quite a lot of them.
I decided I wanted to stay on the track rather than go in the pit lane because I was thinking ‘if the car explodes I don’t want lots of people to be around’. So I just drove to the main straight and saw a Williams mechanic was hanging over the pit wall with a fire extinguisher. I parked the car there and jumped out. There wasn’t really anyone else around so I had to tackle the fire myself and try to save what was left of the car. It looked more dramatic than it was I think. I don’t remember feeling the extra heat or the flames when I got out of the car and I wasn’t scared, just disappointed as we were having a decent race. Actually that car was not a great car so perhaps I should have left it to burn!
Hopefully no-one will be in a similar position in Singapore this weekend, when I think it will be tough to beat Lewis Hamilton again. He is just very impressive at the moment – driving well and oozing confidence. Lewis’ best asset is getting the job done when the pressure is on in qualifying. Then when he gets that pole position, he so often gets a clean race start, which is really giving him the edge as he can let other people pitstop and wait until he’s not under pressure.
Ferrari could be reasonably close to Mercedes as their new engine worked well at Monza last time out but I just can’t see past another Lewis victory in Singapore, a race he’s won twice before – once with McLaren back in 2009 and then again last year. Nico Rosberg is the only one who has a chance to catch him in the championship but it’s going to be difficult and we’d need to see a major loss in form for Lewis if he is to relinquish the title. He’s got it all under control.
HEIKKI’S PODIUM PREDICTION
1) Lewis Hamilton
2) Nico Rosberg
3) Sebastian Vettel
