A weekend at the Temple of Speed in Imola tends to leave a mark on drivers and teams alike. As we head over to Singapore for the “toughest” race of the season, we wonder will they be able to cope with it? And will fatigue claim its toll?
Singapore street circuit is probably one of the most anticipated and iconic races on the F1 calendar. Loved by fans, less so by drivers due to its torturous conditions, Singapore is a challenge unlike any other. The humid air and high temperatures wear out the drivers and their machines alike. Will the reigning champion that is Max Verstappen be able to cope with the pressure? And can Sergio Perez repeat his 2022 success in Singapore? UK bookmaker William Hill has the latest odds!
※ Current Odds Date & Time: September 11th, 3:00 P.M. (EST)
The odds for this weekend’s race are as predictable as the result of the Singapore Grand Prix itself. In short, they are interesting to say the least. Aside from the fact that Max is the ultimate favourite, despite the odds on him being higher than what we’re accustomed to at 1.25, Sergio Perez moved up a bit in the world of oddsmakers with the odds on him now dropping to “only” 8.50. Perhaps due to his solid form at Imola two weeks ago.
The interesting bit comes as we look at the Ferrari duo. Both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz priced at 29.00 and 34.00 respectively, despite putting in a solid performance in Italy. That is more than the likes of Lewis Hamilton, George Russell or even Fernando Alonso who is struggling with his Aston Martin at the moment. The reason for this could be the conditions in which the race will be held, favouring the aforementioned teams and not Ferrari. Despite their solid form, Singapore is hard on drivers and teams alike, and Ferrari’s challenger might be more susceptible to these conditions than the rest.
The Circuit
The race track as always when it comes to Singapore is the Marina Bay Street Circuit. This beautiful street race takes place at night, highlighting and emphasising the beauty of Singapore and its fascinating skylines. The race track itself has been revised for 2023 cutting down the number of corners from 23 to only 19 to alleviate some pressure from drivers and their cars. Still, they will have to work for it if they want to score decent points here.
Onto the stats now, the circuit length as well as race distance are yet to be confirmed due to slight changes in the track layout for this year. As we have mentioned earlier, there are 19 corners this time around with 3 DRS zones and 62 laps. The last winner at this track was Sergio Perez, claiming victory in 2022 ahead of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
What to Expect?
Going into the race weekend in Singapore, it is hard to make any assumptions due to the unpredictable conditions and simply extreme pressures exerted on drivers and cars alike. That said, the team that has dominated the last two seasons in Formula 1 is, of course, Red Bull. Favourites for a good reason, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez certainly have everything going for them this weekend. With the most dominant car and Verstappen’s clear superiority over the rest of the grid, this makes them the prime candidates to take home a 1-2 victory in Singapore.
As for the rest of the grid, it’s hard to tell what could happen. As aforementioned, the treacherous conditions at the Marina Bay Circuit tend to level the playing field. Aside from the big 5 (Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren and Aston Martin), everyone has a chance at scoring decent points here. There is still everything to play for and who knows what might happen!
