Title: Exciting Developments and Challenges on Race Day at Singapore GP 2023
Header: Red Bull’s Winning Streak Threatened as Haas Chases a Breakthrough Result
Introduction:
As the Singapore Grand Prix approaches, there are several key factors to consider that could shape the outcome of the race. From Red Bull’s dominant streak under threat to the potential for a new winner, here are some highlights to look out for on race day at Marina Bay.
1. A Great Opportunity for a New Winner in 2023:
Red Bull’s pole position was snatched away by Carlos Sainz, who has been in exceptional form. With Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and George Russell of Mercedes in strong contention for victory, a battle between multiple teams seems likely. While Lewis Hamilton cannot be discounted, Russell’s comfortable performances during the weekend give Mercedes a strategic advantage with two sets of the preferred medium tire. The pace of Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso might also come into play, adding further intrigue to the fight for victory.
2. What Can Red Bull Salvage?
In a surprising turn of events, both Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez failed to make it into Q3, indicating Red Bull’s struggle at Marina Bay. Not only were they out of the fight for pole position, but their race pace has also been underwhelming. Overtaking is challenging in Singapore, and Red Bull will face an uphill battle to reach the podium. However, their execution throughout the season has been exemplary, and the possibility of stoppages or Safety Car incidents could help them maintain their winning streak.
3. Haas Aims to Close the Gap on Williams:
Haas, currently trailing Williams by 10 points in the constructors’ championship, has a golden opportunity to turn things around in Singapore. With Kevin Magnussen starting sixth and Nico Hülkenberg ninth, Haas showcased impressive performance in qualifying. Although they have struggled to convert good qualifying positions into strong race finishes, the difficulty of overtaking at Marina Bay raises hopes of a strong result. With the Williams cars further down the grid, Haas has a chance to narrow the gap even before their planned performance improvement in Austin.
4. Inaugural Points for Rookie Liam Lawson?
Liam Lawson, deputizing for the injured Daniel Ricciardo, has been a standout performer since his debut in Formula 1 just three weeks ago. Demonstrating promising skills in navigating difficult circuits, Lawson’s progression to Q3 and a top-10 grid position with AlphaTauri is commendable. Despite his limited preparation time, fitness concerns, and the pressures of night racing, Lawson has shown resilience and potential. Scoring his first points in Singapore is not beyond the realm of possibility.
5. Overtaking Opportunities:
This year’s Marina Bay Street Circuit undergoes revisions, with four corners excluded from the track layout. The absence of these corners has led to faster lap times in qualifying. However, the real impact might be felt during the race. The addition of a DRS (Drag Reduction System) zone before Turn 14 and a new flat section leading to Turn 16 provides opportunities for overtaking. Furthermore, the presence of a DRS detection point after the final chicane promises another overtaking zone along the pit straight.
Conclusion:
The Singapore Grand Prix holds much excitement and potential for unexpected outcomes. From Red Bull’s formidable winning streak being threatened to Haas chasing a breakthrough result, the race promises thrilling battles throughout the field. With drivers like Lawson showcasing their talents and overtaking opportunities heralded by revised track sections, Formula 1 fans are in for an action-packed race day.
Summary:
The Singapore Grand Prix is set to witness an exciting battle for victory, with Red Bull facing their toughest challenge yet this season. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes’ George Russell are the favorites, but surprises could come from the pace of Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso. Red Bull’s struggles in qualifying could hinder their chances, but their strong race execution throughout the season cannot be overlooked. Haas looks poised to narrow the gap on Williams, while rookie Liam Lawson aims to score his maiden F1 points. Modifications to the Marina Bay circuit provide ample overtaking opportunities, making for an exhilarating race ahead.
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From Red Bull’s winning streak under serious threat of coming to an end to Haas chasing a big result, and from rookie Liam Lawson with the chance to score a first point to greater overtaking opportunities, Chris Medland highlights some key things to consider. For race day at Marina Bay…
1. A great opportunity for a new winner in 2023
It’s certainly not the first time Red Bull has lost pole position this season, with Carlos Sainz taking back-to-back pole positions following his qualifying performance at Monza with another impressive lap in Singapore. But unlike two weeks ago, this time the battle for victory appears to be between several teams, and Red Bull is not among them.
The direct fight appears to be between the Ferrari pair, with Charles Leclerc third on the grid, and George Russell second.
This is because, while Lewis Hamilton has the same strategic options as his team-mate and can never be ruled out, Russell has looked the more comfortable of the two Mercedes drivers this weekend.
That strategic advantage comes in the form of two sets of the preferred medium tire for the Mercedes pair, compared to one for the rest of the field, down to Alex Albon in 14th. And Russell believes it will allow his team to attack.
But with Ferrari’s race pace not always being its strong point and Sainz expecting to have to drive defensively, the pace of Lando Norris from fourth and even Fernando Alonso in seventh could become a factor in the fight for victory.
2. What can Red Bull rescue?
And that battle for victory becomes even more attractive for the teams involved, as it looks like Red Bull will finally be defeated for the first time this season.
Struggling since FP1, both drivers have been trying to find a set-up that works at the Marina Bay circuit, but have failed to do so despite making significant changes ahead of qualifying. Not only were they out of the picture in terms of the fight for pole, but both Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez were eliminated in Q2, and they face a big challenge to get into the fight for the podium on Sunday.
Although the margins in qualifying are typically small, Red Bull’s race pace hasn’t seemed all that strong so far this weekend either, and Singapore is a difficult circuit to overtake, so the drivers would need a big lead to progress. quickly. .
But stoppages and Safety Car incidents can really shake up the race in Singapore and Red Bull have had excellent execution all season (hence their unbeaten status so far), so if they somehow manage to maintain their winning streak record, they will be able to do it. We almost guarantee that it will mean it was a classic race.
Singapore GP 2023 classification: Singapore surprises as both Red Bulls eliminated in Q2
3. Haas looks to get closer to Williams
Before this weekend, Haas team principal Guenther Steiner was talking about a major improvement the team will make from Austin, admitting that they will need to take a significant step forward in performance to give them a chance to catch Williams in the constructors’ championship.
The gap between the two teams is currently 10 points and, apart from a sixth place finish in the Sprint in Austria, Haas has not scored since Miami 10 rounds ago, but is in a great position to end that streak in Singapore.
MUST SEE: Stroll walks away from big first quarter crash in Singapore
Kevin Magnussen will start sixth and Nico Hulkenberg ninth after a hugely impressive performance from the entire team to advance both cars to Q3. And while Haas has regularly qualified well and dropped back on Sundays, the fact that overtaking can be difficult at Marina Bay gives them reason to be optimistic heading into the race.
Add in the two Williams cars sitting 14th and 18th on the grid and there’s an opportunity to start reducing that deficit even before the updated Haas hits the track in Texas.
4. Inaugural points for Lawson?
And one of the drivers between the Haas and Williams drivers is someone who has been increasingly impressive since making his debut just three weeks ago.
Liam Lawson stayed out of trouble and gained experience during the Zandvoort chaos, then followed up with a strong run to 11th in his first full race weekend at Monza a week later.
Still filling in for the injured Daniel Ricciardo, Lawson has so far teased how challenging Singapore can be for rookies as he progressed to Q3 (with his final lap in Q2 the time that eliminated championship leader Verstappen from the session ) and it will. Tenth lineup for AlphaTauri.
Lawson admits that fitness could come into play given how little time he has had to prepare for the unique demands of night racing, but so far he has handled everything that has been thrown at him in such a short period and has shown little that suggest that you will not be able to withstand the pressure of being in the top 10 with points on offer.
2023 Singapore GP qualifying: Watch the moment rookie Liam Lawson knocks Max Verstappen out of Q2
5. Overtaking opportunities?
For those who have been following the rest of the race weekend so far, you will have noticed something different about the Marina Bay Street Circuit in recent days, with the final sector heavily revised.
Construction work means four corners will not be used this year, with a straight from Turn 15 left to what is now a final chicane of Turn 16/17 before the final two left corners.
HIGHLIGHTS: Relive Singapore qualifying action as Sainz takes pole and Red Bulls drop out in Q2
In qualifying, that meant lap times were more than five seconds faster than the fastest pole lap set by Lewis Hamilton in 2018, but it’s in the race where we could really see a bigger impact.
This is because there is a DRS zone on the way to Turn 14 that should allow the following driver to stay close even if they can’t make a braking move, and then the new flat section provides an additional opportunity to try to overtake. into Turn 16. But the race is unlikely to end there, with a DRS detection point just after that chicane, for another area on the pit straight.
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.a-battle-royale-for-victory-and-a-rookie-on-a-points-mission-what-to-watch.2EwTILxxrcEv8O0pMWQr5j.html
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