Red marquis at 22:12, 24 October 2010

2010-10-24T22:12:32Z

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{{Motorsport venue
| Name = Marina Bay Street Circuit
| Location = Singapore
| Time = GMT +8
| Image = [[Image:Singapore street circuit v2.png]]
| Events = '''[[FIA]] [[Formula One]]'''<br>[[Singapore Grand Prix]]
| Length_km = 5.073
| Length_mi = 3.15
| Turns = 23
| Record_time = 1:45.599
| Record_driver = {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Kimi Räikkönen]]
| Record_team = [[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]]
| Record_year = 2008
}}
The '''Marina Bay Street Circuit''' (otherwise known as the '''Singapore GP Street Circuit''') is a [[street circuit]] around the city state's [[Marina Bay and is the venue for the [[Singapore Grand Prix]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Singapore confirms 2008 night race|work=formula1.com|publisher=[[Formula One Group|Formula One Administration]]|url=http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2007/5/6063.html|date=2007-05-11|accessdate=2007-05-18}}</ref> The track is 5.073 km (3.15 miles)<ref>{{cite news|title=Track changes ahead of Singapore Grand Prix|work=formula1.com|publisher=[[Formula One Group|Formula One Administration]]|url=http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/9/9960.html|date=2009-09-22|accessdate=2010-09-25}}</ref> long in a harbourside location similar in style to the [[Monaco Grand Prix]] and the [[Valencia Street Circuit|new circuit]] in Valencia.

The circuit is designed by [[KBR (company)|KBR, Inc.]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hiltonracing.com/grand-prix/circuit-guides/singapore/|title=Circuit Guides: Singapore|accessdate=2010-09-25|work=[[Hilton Hotels & Resorts]]|publisher=[[Hilton Worldwide]]}}</ref> a modification of the original one first proposed by [[Hermann Tilke]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Singapore to host F1 Grand Prix next year|work=[[MediaCorp Channel NewsAsia|Channel NewsAsia]]|publisher=[[MediaCorp]]|url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/275566/1/.html|date=2007-05-11|accessdate=2007-05-18}}</ref>

==Characteristics==
On the day of confirmation of the Singapore Grand Prix in the [[2008 Formula One season]], a routemap was published.<ref>{{cite news|title=It's on! Formula One race is coming to Singapore in 2008|first=Julian|last=Lim|work=[[AsiaOne]]|publisher=[[Singapore Press Holdings]]|url=http://motoring.asiaone.com/Motoring/News/Story/A1Story20070609-13632.html|date=2007-05-11|accessdate=2007-05-18}}</ref> The pit area of the circuit is located in an empty plot of land off Republic Boulevard and beside the Singapore Flyer. A temporary track leads from the pit area and under the Benjamin Sheares Bridge to Republic Boulevard and turns onto Raffles Boulevard. It then proceeds along Nicoll Highway, Stamford Road and Saint Andrew's Road around the Padang, past the City Hall.

The track then goes onto the Anderson Bridge, past the Fullerton Hotel and make a tight left turn to Esplanade Drive beside the Merlion Park. It joins Raffles Avenue and cut right after the Esplanade to the front of The Float at Marina Bay and return to the pit area via another temporary road around the Singapore Flyer. The track layout is unique in that in between turns 18 and 19, the cars race underneath a section of grandstand of the Floating Platform.

The track was widely criticised by F1 drivers to be excessively bumpy, resulting in a very unforgiving circuit, especially given the hot and humid conditions of the Singapore climate. World championship leader [[Lewis Hamilton]] commented that it was twice as hard to negotiate as the more famous Monaco street circuit, and unexpectedly physical - requiring double the amount of energy over a single lap as compared to the Monaco circuit.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Sports/Story/A1Story20080927-90384.html|title=Singapore F1 track too bumpy, drivers complain|work=[[AsiaOne]]|publisher=[[Singapore Press Holdings]]|date=2008-09-27|accessdate=2010-09-25}}</ref>

Several drivers, including [[Sébastien Bourdais]] and [[Fernando Alonso]], expressed their concern about the high and harsh kerbs at the turn 13 hairpin and the chicane at turn 10 of the street circuit. Ferrari's Felipe Massa compared the kerbs akin to "little tortoises that would wreck the car if you get something wrong".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2008/09/25/f1-drivers-largely-happy-with-the-singapore-track-apart-from-the-tortoises/|title=F1 drivers largely happy with the Singapore track, apart from the tortoises|work=F1 Fanatic|publisher=Keith Collantine|first=Keith|last=Collantine|date=2008-09-25|accessdate=2010-09-25}}</ref> The drivers were worried that hitting the bumps could cause suspension damage or even damage a tub. They also raised concerns that the bumps would pitch them into the wall on the outside of the corner. Responding to the drivers' feedback, FIA race director and safety delegate [[Charlie Whiting]] ordered the high kerbs at Singapore's turn 10 hairpin be modified ahead of Friday's free practice.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://formula-1.updatesport.com/news/article/1222420802/formula_one/F1headlines/Whiting-orders-kerb-solution/view.html|title=Whiting orders kerb solution|date=2008-09-26|accessdate=2010-09-25|work=UpdateF1|publisher=GMM}}</ref> The kerbs were further reduced in height for Saturday and Sunday's night race. The chicane at Turn 10 was reprofiled for the 2010 race in an attempt to make it safer and the turns more gradual by moving the kerbs, however Lewis Hamilton said in an interview this modification made the chicane more dangerous by making the entry to the corner smaller, calling the complex "the worst corner in F1".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9032137.stm|work=[[BBC Sport]]|publisher=[[BBC]]|first=Sarah|last=Holt|location=Marina Bay Street Circuit, [[Singapore]]|date=2010-09-24|accessdate=2010-09-25|title=Lewis Hamilton criticises Singapore chicane revisions}}</ref>

The entry of the pit lane, which begins at the penultimate corner of the 23-turn layout, was deemed to be "difficult and incredibly dangerous" by several drivers due to the fast nature of the corners where they were situated.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.crash.net/motorsport/f1/news/169571-0/singapore_pit-lane_is_incredibly_dangerous.html|title=Singapore pit-lane is 'incredibly dangerous'|work=crash.net|publisher=Crash Media Group|date=2008-09-27|accessdate=2010-09-25}}</ref> The controversial pit entry at Singapore was then modified ahead of Saturday's official Qualifying round by extending the pit entry line away from the pits. This change compelled drivers to commit to the pit entry earlier, providing additional warning to those following behind.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://formula-1.updatesport.com/news/article/1222523323/formula_one/F1headlines/Singapore-pit-entry-altered/view.html|title=Singapore pit entry altered|date=2008-09-27|accessdate=2010-09-25|work=UpdateF1|publisher=GMM}}</ref>
In March 2009, three of the circuit's corners were given names after a competition amongst local F1 fans to submit ideas. Turn 1 was named ''Sheares'' after Benjamin Henry Sheares, the second president of Singapore; Turn 7 was named ''Memorial'' due to its proximity to a Second World War civilian memorial; and Turn 10 was named ''Singapore Sling''.<ref>{{cite news|title=New corner names for Singapore Grand Prix circuit|work=Formula1.com|publisher=[[Formula One Group|Formula One Administration]]|url=http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/3/9034.html|date=2009-03-20|accessdate=2009-03-20}}</ref>

In January 2010, it was reported that race organisers were considering changes to the circuit for the {{f1|2011}} season.<ref>{{cite news|title=Singapore considering layout changes|url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81107|first=Simon|last=Strang|work=Autosport.com|publisher=[[Haymarket Group|Haymarket Publications]]|date=2010-01-28|accessdate=2010-01-29}}</ref> These changes would see the extension of the long back straight so that the circuit goes around the outside of the War Memorial instead of inside it, and a complete re-design of the waterfront section to remove the sequence of chicanes near the site of Nelson Piquet's 2008 crash.

==See also==
* [[Formula One]]
* [[List of Formula One circuits]]
* [[Singapore Grand Prix]]

{{Formula One circuits}}

==External links==
* [http://www.singaporegp.sg/ Official F1 Singapore Grand Prix website]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/circuit_guide/7249397.stm BBC's circuit guide]
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=1%C2%B017%E2%80%B222%E2%80%B3N,+103%C2%B051%E2%80%B232%E2%80%B3E&ie=UTF8&t=h&om=1&ll=1.290634,103.858094&spn=0.010083,0.014462&z=16 Google Maps hybrid view of the circuit]
* [http://www.earthsg.com/model/F1Route-networked.kmz Google Earth placemark of the circuit]
* [http://tickets.singaporegp.sg/pdf/F1CircuitMap.pdf Official Circuit Map]
* [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Singapore_street_circuit_v2.svg/470px-Singapore_street_circuit_v2.svg.png Information at the Official Formula 1 site with sectors shown]
* [http://www.redbullracing.com/4th-Sector/Webber-Singapore/ Circuit simulation preview with commentary by Mark Webber]
* [http://www.afos.com/allresult_listing2.php Asian Festival of Speed results]

[[Category:Motorsport venues in Singapore]]
[[Category:Formula One circuits]]
[[Category:Singapore Grand Prix]]

Marina Bay Street Circuit - Revision history

Red marquis at 22:12, 24 October 2010