SINGAPORE - The Singapore Grand Prix is set to be straighter, shorter and faster as the Marina Bay Street Circuit undergoes significant changes for the 2023 Formula One season.
As The Float @ Marina Bay makes way for the construction of NS Square, Turns 16 to 19 will be removed, leading to an additional straight stretch.
The modifications were first reflected on the track layout found on the official Singapore GP website, and later confirmed by the race promoter on Wednesday.
A spokesman said the revised circuit layout would be reduced to 4.928km (from 5.063km) and the number of laps increased to 63 (from 61).
He added: “The track will no longer include the Bay Grandstand while the redevelopment works are underway.
“Turns 16 to 19 of the previous layout will now be re-aligned into a 397.9m long straight, bringing the total number of turns to 19 (down from 23).
“Simulations based on a 2020 Formula 1 car indicate the best qualifying lap time at approximately 1min 27.7sec, with the minimum race time expected to be 1:30:34.
“The changes are subject to the approval of world motorsport governing body Federation Internationale de l’Automobile.”
The layout has undergone changes before, with the infamous ‘Singapore Sling’ – a notorious triple-apex chicane at Turn 10 – removed and replaced with a more straightforward left-hander ahead of the 2013 event.
Singaporean racecar driver Yuey Tan is looking forward to seeing how the revisions will affect the race and drivers on a course that was previously challenging and hard to overtake on.
He said: “It will make a bit of a difference. Instead of slowing down and concentrating on keeping up speed from Turns 16 to 19, it looks to be straight on (after the changes). Perhaps this will create an overtaking opportunity.
“This also makes space for people to make mistakes in the brake zone, which will make things interesting for sure.”
The current race lap record of 1min 41.905sec set by Haas’ Kevin Magnussen in 2018 will definitely be broken, noted Tan.
Another new element for the annual race is the introduction of the Super Pit Grandstand, which features seats on the upper rows of the Pit Grandstand and offers panoramic views of the team garages and starting grid.
A three-day pass for the Bay Grandstand, which seats about 27,000 spectators, in 2022 was $298, meaning it would have generated about $8 million in ticket sales.
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez won the 2022 night race, which went beyond the two-hour limit after heavy rain delayed the start by more than an hour. The race, last held here in 2019, was back after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. A record 302,000 fans attended the three-day event, higher than the 300,000 at the first edition in 2008.
In January, the Singapore Tourism Board and promoters Singapore GP announced a new seven-year deal until 2028.
It was the longest renewal with the Formula One Group – the previous ones were between four and five years – and the longer runway was intended to help reposition Singapore as a business and lifestyle destination and ensure the country maintains its competitive edge in the long term.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry and STB fund 60 per cent of the $135 million night race costs each year, with Singapore GP footing the rest.
The night race has generated more than $1.5 billion in incremental tourism receipts since it began, and offers employment to some 30,000 people at the circuit each race weekend.
