NEED TO KNOW: The most important facts, stats and trivia ahead of the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix

Just a few days on from a thrilling race in Azerbaijan, Formula 1 heads straight to the Marina Bay Street Circuit for the Singapore Grand Prix. Ahead of the event, Need to Know is your all-in-one guide with stats, trivia, insight and much more. You can also see how fans have voted using our F1 Play predictor game.

First and second practice will take place on Friday, September 20, followed by final practice and qualifying on Saturday, September 21, and the Grand Prix itself on Sunday, September 22.

POWER RANKINGS: Who earned a perfect score from our judges after another Baku thriller?

Vital statistics

• First Grand Prix – 2008
• Track Length – 4.940km
• Lap record – 1m 35.867s, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 2023
• Most pole positions – Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton (4)
• Most wins – Sebastian Vettel (5)
• Trivia – Due to the physical demands of the climate and circuit, drivers can lose as much as 3kg in body weight over the course of a race in Singapore
• Pole run to Turn 1 braking point – 178 metres
• Overtakes completed in 2023 – 85
• Safety Car probability – 100%*
• Virtual Safety Car probability – 33%*
• Pit stop time loss – 29.02 seconds

*From the last six races in Singapore

FAN VIEW: The swing from Max Verstappen’s early-season domination has caused quite a shock, with only 7% of F1 Play gamers tipping the Dutchman to win in Singapore on Sunday. Charles Leclerc (40%) heads the field for Ferrari, with McLaren’s Lando Norris (27%) and Oscar Piastri (25%) also getting plenty of support.

The driver’s verdict

Jolyon Palmer, former Renault F1 driver: Marina Bay is a long, complex circuit, and draining as well – a little bit like Monaco – with plenty of bumps. It’s all about the low-speed and having decent turn-in without losing the rear or suffering snaps of oversteer.

There are still 19 corners after the removal of the Turns 16-19 section, which has become a long straight, and towards the end of the lap you’re starting to worry about your rear tyres overheating, particularly if you’ve not been kind to them earlier on.

BEYOND THE GRID: Jolyon Palmer on his 'career-killer' teammates and sudden F1 exit

Braking is particularly tricky at Turn 7, where it’s easy to run wide. The newer Singapore Sling through Turns 10 and 11 is also one of those ones that can lure you into going too deep, often catching drivers out.

Coming over the bridge, where you brake to the right and then turn to the left, induces lock-ups, while a lot of traction events mean you’re spiking rear tyre temperatures – and there’s an emphasis on rear grip here.

A huge amount of concentration is required for this circuit and Grand Prix. You can lose a few kilos of liquid during the race, so hydration is the order of the day. Monaco might be the only venue with a slower average speed, but Singapore can be an absolute slog.

Last five Singapore GP pole-sitters

• 2023 – Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
• 2022 – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
• 2019 – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
• 2018 – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
• 2017 – Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)

HIGHLIGHTS: Relive the action from Baku as Piastri takes exhilarating victory in dramatic fight for the win

Last five Singapore GP winners

• 2023 – Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
• 2022 – Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
• 2019 – Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
• 2018 – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
• 2017 – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

FAN VIEW: Things did not go well for Norris during qualifying in Azerbaijan, but F1 Play gamers still like his chances of pole in Singapore. More than 50% have voted for the Briton, while Piastri (17%), Leclerc (14%) and Verstappen (13%) come next.

Tyre and strategy insight

“Last year, the work of resurfacing the track began and this year the sections between Turns 3 and 9, 10 and 12 and 14 and 17 have also been resurfaced,” reads Pirelli’s weekend preview. “The bitumen should be similar to that used on public roads generally open to city traffic, but with new asphalt one can expect a smoother surface.

“One does not usually learn much from the first free practice session, but this time it will give everyone the opportunity to acquire important data relating to tyre behaviour.

READ MORE: What tyres will the teams and drivers have for the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix?

“As with all street circuits, the slightest mistake in Singapore comes at a high price, given there are very few run-off areas and running a fraction off-line can see you in the barriers. Therefore the Safety Car is a common sight here, especially as it takes quite a while to remove a stricken car from the track.

“There are a couple of factors that make the one-stop the only valid strategy: firstly, the time lost for a tyre change pit stop is around 28 seconds, partly because the pit lane speed limit is reduced to 60 km/h and secondly, overtaking on this track is definitely complicated. A two-stop need only be considered in the event of the race being neutralised.

“Usually, the soft is purely a qualifying tyre, with the race laps split between the medium and the hard. However, last year the C5 played its part on Sunday, especially in the first stint with drivers wanting to make the most of its extra grip at the start.

“Degradation at this track is mainly down to thermal stress, not so much on the surface of the tyre, but within it, something one does not see that often and that varies a lot depending on car set-up and the aerodynamic load the cars generate.

“At the Marina Bay circuit we have often seen first stints where the drivers are trying to go as long as they can, managing their tyres with the aim of balancing the two stints as much as possible. This often leads to the formation of a train of cars, all running nose to tail, unable to overtake because there is not enough of a performance difference, this despite the track having three DRS zones.

READ MORE: What is the weather forecast for the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix?

“Therefore, in an effort to produce more on-track action, the FIA has decided to introduce a fourth DRS zone for this weekend, between turns 14 and 16 and we will have to wait until Sunday to see if it produces the desired result.

“Adding to the unpredictable nature of this race is the weather. Sitting astride the Equator, Singapore’s climate does not vary, with high humidity, rarely below 70%, with the chance of rain showers, some very heavy, at any time of the day or night.”

FAN VIEW: Just a couple of races ago, Mercedes were fighting for wins – but now they appear to be outsiders for a podium, according to F1 Play gamers. Both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton are given less than a 10% chance of spraying champagne, with Russell having twice as many votes as his team mate so far.

Current form

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix acted as another reminder of just how competitive the battle at the front has become in 2024; with the last four rounds each being won by a different driver, it was Oscar Piastri’s turn in Baku, the McLaren man having managed to hold off the chasing Charles Leclerc to take victory.

As team mate Lando Norris recovered from a tough qualifying to take P4, McLaren have now stormed to the top of the constructors’ standings with 476 points, giving them a 20-point lead over reigning champions Red Bull.

READ MORE: 6 Winners and 6 Losers from Azerbaijan – Who lit up the streets of Baku in the Land of Fire?

While this was somewhat aided by Sergio Perez missing out on a potential podium following his late-race collision with Carlos Sainz – which put both drivers into the wall and out of the event – the Woking outfit continue to look stronger than their Milton Keynes rivals, who have increasingly faced issues with their once-dominant RB20.

But the battle has taken some other intriguing turns along the way to set up a fascinating picture going forwards. There has been the resurgence of Ferrari, with Leclerc still a solid third in the drivers’ standings while the Scuderia are only 31 points away from Red Bull in the constructors’.

Mercedes’ form has also proven to be an interesting factor, the Silver Arrows having seemingly fallen backwards a little in recent races after their run of victories across Austria, Great Britain and Belgium.

With such fine margins across the pack, it is all to play for in Singapore. Which team will have the upper hand this time around, and could we see further changes in the championship standings?

FAN VIEW: Williams had an excellent day in Baku, with Alex Albon P7 and new boy Franco Colapinto taking P8, and not surprisingly the pair are fancied to go well again in Singapore. As ever, the Aston Martins of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll also have good support from F1 Play gamers.

Iconic moment

Many a memorable moment has played out under the lights of the Marina Bay Street Circuit since it arrived on the F1 calendar back in 2008, but on this occasion we’re taking a short trip back to 2019 to relive the final victory of Sebastian Vettel’s record-breaking run at the circuit – which also proved to be his last win in Formula 1.

The four-time world champion had arrived into the weekend off the back of a disappointing performance at the Italian Grand Prix, where a spin saw him cross the line down in P13 while Ferrari team mate Charles Leclerc was victorious.

Singapore Grand Prix: 5 great battles from the F1 archive

Leclerc again looked like the favourite in Singapore after clinching pole position, but an early pit stop allowed Vettel to undercut the Monegasque – as well as the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton – and put himself into the lead, a position he held through three Safety Cars en route to the chequered flag.

It was an emotional and long-awaited visit to the top step of the podium for Vettel, marking his first win of the season and adding to his impressive tally of five victories at the track, more than any other driver.

Relive how Vettel’s race-winning strategy played out in the video below.

Elsewhere in Singapore

There’s more activity taking place this weekend as part of the wider Sustainability Strategy that Formula 1 introduced in 2019, which includes the goal of being Net Zero by 2030, leaving a legacy of positive change and creating a more diverse sport that reflects the world in which we race.

💚 Energy emissions pledge

The Singapore Grand Prix has pledged to halve its energy emissions by 2028 and has already cut 20.7% from 2022 levels – including through the increased use of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) to power generators in Zone 1.

💡 LED lighting

Energy-efficient LED lights replaced all the existing track lighting last year, reducing energy use by at least 30% while continuing to ensure the night race looks spectacular.

READ MORE: Singapore Grand Prix announces exciting entertainment line-up

🌞 Solar power

The F1 pit building has had 1,396 solar panels installed, generating more than 923,000kwh in the first year of operations to help power the event – that's the equivalent of all the F1 cars completing the Singapore Grand Prix almost 4.5 times!

🚽 Efficient toilets

120 water-efficient solar powered-container toilets are available for use at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. They saved an estimated 129,600 litres of water over the 2023 race weekend.

💧 Refillable water

Fans are encouraged to bring reusable bottles, as still water in single-use plastic has not been sold at the circuit since 2022 – eliminating 160,000 used plastic bottles annually.

🎫 E-Tickets

A switch to e-tickets has eliminated 250,000 plastic cards and lanyards, 135,000 items of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) packaging and 31,000 plastic bubble-lined mailers.

🍴 Supporting local business

More than 700 Singapore-based companies are sub-contracted to work on the race every year – including many of the food and drink stalls at the circuit – supporting the local economy and creating a positive impact on the community.

DESTINATION GUIDE: What fans can eat, see and do when they visit the Singapore Grand Prix

👪 Community integration

Through community events, over 700,000 local residents have been part of the F1 experience ahead of this year’s event. This includes a new karting challenge, behind-the-scenes tours and a Thursday Pit Lane Walk experience, plus race-themed festivals and live race screenings that attracted more than 18,000 visitors.

🙋 Inspiring the next generation

The Marina Bay Circuit will host 100 young children on Friday, where they’ll meet the F1 ACADEMY drivers, learn more about the series and take part in an educational STEM session.

🏁 F1 ACADEMY Wild Card

F1 ACADEMY returns to the track in Singapore this weekend, and Ella Lloyd has been selected as the Wild Card entry for this event. Lloyd will compete in an F1 ACADEMY Discover Your Drive-branded car and overalls.