SINGAPORE – Formula One makes the long trip from Italy to Singapore for round 14 of the 2014 championship, where the challenges of the glamorous Marina Bay Street Circuit await. First used in 2008, the drivers will compete over a grueling 61 laps, covering a total distance of 308.8 kilometers (191 miles), all on surfaces more used to the city’s daily traffic than the compounds of Pirelli’s finest tires traveling at over three times the maximum speed limit.
The “Monaco of the East” will illuminate the night sky, but the evening start won’t make conditions any cooler for the drivers. High humidity, making temperatures feel more like 35 degrees celsius (95 degrees fahrenheit), will put enormous physical demands on each driver, with the intricacies of high curbs, tight turns and slippery surfaces adding to the mental pressures.
INFINITI Red Bull Racing’s drivers know just what to expect though. Sebastian Vettel has recorded victory here for the past three consecutive years and claims the fastest lap to date (1:48.574 set in 2013), making him a Marina Bay master. For Daniel Ricciardo, the opportunity to employ that born to race mentality shown in recent weeks on a tough street circuit should help make for an eventful grand prix, the technical circuit likely to produce a few surprises amongst his championship competitors.
In the six seasons that Marina Bay Street Circuit has been home to the Singapore Grand Prix, only Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton have claimed victories outside of Sebastian and IRBR, who account for half of all race wins. This year, IRBR will hope to extend that impressive run as they put both drivers into a circuit where they can’t help to believe that either could claim the ultimate honor.
Driver Quotes
Sebastian Vettel
“The toughest challenges in Singapore are the heat and the amount of turns. The chicanes are very difficult to drive and you barely get to catch your breath. Very important for a fast lap is the last turn before heading to the start finish line. There is an extremely high curb, which you should not hit otherwise the car lifts up. My greatest memories are the wins of 2011, 2012 and 2013, because I think it’s one of the toughest races of the year. It’s very long, there’s no space for mistakes and the race just seems to go on forever.”
Daniel Ricciardo
“When you walk around on Thursday, the surface always looks pretty dirty. Modern street races like this tend to wash and scrub the track but even that doesn’t really change the fact that what you’re driving on is a public road with all the grit and grime and dirt that those have. It means you’re in for a slithery, bumpy weekend – which I love! The important thing in Singapore is not to get caught up in chasing the set-up on Friday. The track is going to evolve, you’ve just got to be patient and let it happen without constantly tweaking your car, trying to hit a moving target.”
Issued by Infiniti
