2013 Singapore GP - Marina Bay

[SectorOne]

haha you might as well have asked if it was a rational thing.

[SamH123]

If Lotus do go well, I actually fancy Grosjean to be the one who brings home a good result

I think I've noticed a trend with Raikkonen struggling a bit at the slower tracks since his comeback - he was poor at Monaco 2012, got out qualified by Grosjean at Hungary 2012 & Singapore 2012 looked to have less pace at Monaco 2013 than Grosjean (although Grosjean didn't use his pace) and was out qualified at Hungary 2013.

I'm really hoping for a Vettel gearbox penalty to make things interesting although maybe their dominance at Spa/Monza means their cars strengths have moved away from tracks like Singapore and they will not be on pole anyway

[iotar__]

Vettel would need five gearbox problems to make this season interesting . Why was 2010 classic again? One stop and two drivers following each other, second one guaranteed that nothing would happen.

Beside tarmac part which I don't understand layout-wise it's something between Monaco and Hungary (?), high downforce, Lotus should be fine, at least better than Ferrari on paper. Without silly chicane totally forgettable track. I forgot about tyres - medium in every race - of course.

[Juzh]

Singapore is a max df circuit, same as monaco.

[Sevach]

With medium tyres i'm not fancying Lotus all that much...
Not a Ferrari track as well, those upgrades will have to do wonders...

Mercedes should be stronger than they were lately, however if some of the Red Bull updates translate well to max downforce settings they might find themselves as a clear cut second best.

[raymondu999]

Marina Bay is actually prayed for as such every year since its first year. Apparently it's what keeps the rain away

If Lotus do go well, I actually fancy Grosjean to be the one who brings home a good result

I think I've noticed a trend with Raikkonen struggling a bit at the slower tracks since his comeback - he was poor at Monaco 2012, got out qualified by Grosjean at Hungary 2012 & Singapore 2012 looked to have less pace at Monaco 2013 than Grosjean (although Grosjean didn't use his pace) and was out qualified at Hungary 2013.

It's the surface. Those circuits have denser tarmac, a smoother surface. With bigger grains in other circuits, Raikkonen's smoother style works alright. But when the tarmac is smooth then Raikkonen's style can't get the tyres working as well as Grosjean's more aggressive style.

I'm calling OPP as the preferred race strategy, for everyone.

[gray41]

I think to keep the rest of the season interesting we need Mercedes to be on the pace of RedBull, even with Seb likely taking the title, a few Mercedes wins on the way would delay it nicely.

[CHT]

I think to keep the rest of the season interesting we need Mercedes to be on the pace of RedBull, even with Seb likely taking the title, a few Mercedes wins on the way would delay it nicely.

a strong merc will mean goodbye to alonso chance of gaining on Vettel, and Vettel will still be champion.

[SectorOne]

Rosberg and Hamilton needs to be on point in Qualifying, trying to lock out the front rows.

[iotar__]

I think to keep the rest of the season interesting we need Mercedes to be on the pace of RedBull, even with Seb likely taking the title, a few Mercedes wins on the way would delay it nicely.

a strong merc will mean goodbye to alonso chance of gaining on Vettel, and Vettel will still be champion.

I agree it's not enough but if the alternative is straightforward wins for RB it's a good start. That'd put some pressure on Vettel starting with qualifying, missing element would still be Ferrari car that can be in front of RB in 3-4 races in a row. It's not going to happen so it's all theoretical, I think Alonso knows it but in light of recent hysteria he plays along with "we have still a chance". With strong Merc maybe some races will be slightly interesting.

[dren]

Mercedes was 2nd fastest in the race at Monza but botched the qualifying and the race. If Mercedes performs to their potential, Singapore should be a walk for them. Rosberg needs to step up his game a bit. This very well could be a "home" 1-2 for them.

[godlameroso]

This is by far the bumpiest track of the year, whereas Monaco and Canada have incredibly smooth surfaces that allow the diffuser to work very well. Singapore in contrast has jarring dips and bumps and no amount of resurfacing can cure it, this makes it harder to work the diffuser. The team with the best internal aero and suspension will shine on this track.

Oh topographically it's bumpy. But the tarmac itself is smooth (as opposed to abrasive tarmac). While from a topographical perspective those with more benign aero should shine here - we should be mindful of the fact that whenever the tarmac itself been smooth - the Lotus has been rubbish.

If you were to go to a Bahrain and Sepang for example, there isn't a bump in sight, but if you were to even draw a line on the tarmac with your bare finger, it would cut your finger (Yes, I learnt the hard way)

In Singapore, Canada, Monaco (where I've done the same) the surface is as smooth as a baby's bottom. Well I exaggerate as nothing in the world can be that smooth, but you get the point.

Albert Park also has very smooth tarmac. Nevertheless, that's interesting, do you think that's a suspension issue?

Also I don't understand why they went with super soft and medium compounds. The current construction of the mediums will let teams get away with one stop.

[raymondu999]

Albert Park also has very smooth tarmac. Nevertheless, that's interesting, do you think that's a suspension issue?

Also I don't understand why they went with super soft and medium compounds. The current construction of the mediums will let teams get away with one stop.

Never been to Albert Park, so I can't comment on the track surface. As you say - track topography will see who has the best diffusers - smooth bumpless surfaces will show who have great wins tunnels (as the surface will mimic the wind tunnel the most) and those with bumpy will expose those without benign floor aero.

Surely when talking of the track's micro-smoothness, it should be a mechanical issue? I'm no expert on suspension. I don't think they'll one stop though. I don't think the supersofts will last long enough to make it viable - and I expect OOP to require too much tyre management over OPP

[Mr Alcatraz]

I see OPO as an alternative strategy, which may be useful for a team that manages its tires well enough to finish the race with a late-ish second stop. I suspect that it may be an option made on the fly, depending on track position. Hard to say but it might actually make the racing throughout the field interesting, although that may be asking too much at Singapore.

[SectorOne]

PPO for guys outside top 10 might do wonders around here i think.
For the guys inside top 10 i think a standard OPP is the best option. Possibly someone can squeeze out the middle stint and slap on some Options near the end.
I guess safety car will determine the fate in that regard as well, if it comes.

Btw, have we had a safety car this year? I honestly can´t remember one.