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[AKR]

Ok it is just over a week away now before the race so might kick start the thread early. I have no idea who will win it. No point predicting either because so far (bar a few races) this year things have worked out different. All I hope for is hot temperatures because Ferrari works better like this with its tyres (And Singapore I have been to before during this time of year and is very, very, very humid which is great) and 2, I hope it doesn't rain since that seems to help bad guy Lewis Hamilton. Although this may be a 50/50 chance. Hopefully it will be no rain during the race and a Ferrari domination and a Lewis Hamilton stuff up.

[farissen]

the trophy for the singapore gp.

and have a look at this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fOjmolEhvY

[Mikep99]

2008 Singapore Grand Prix Toyota F1 team preview
Clicky

[bud]

bring on the cooler nights

[Mikep99]

bring on the cooler nights

I hope it's dry & as hot as hell

[McLaren Fan]

2008 Singapore Grand Prix Toyota F1 team preview
Clicky

Yarno Trulli gurning about safety again. Does this man ever shut up? The night race aspect is a complete gimmick. There are so many lights that it will be as though drivers are racing in daylight.

The track doesn't look very exciting at all. Very few of the corners lead into one another or look in anyway challenging. It's just as well it rains so much in Singapore, for the track would make this year's race at Valencia look exciting. Having a night race in Singapore is just another cash-cow for Ecclestone. The setting is glamourous, but the track is boring.

If it rains and the night is pretty cool, you'd expect McLaren to be the favourites to win. Just as AKR says, a lot of the races have not gone as predicted this season, so there's no real point in predicting anything.

[Matkins]

Doesn't a track start to get grippy again once temperatures drop bellow a certain threshold? Does anyone know about it?

[AKR]

2008 Singapore Grand Prix Toyota F1 team preview
Clicky

Yarno Trulli gurning about safety again. Does this man ever shut up? The night race aspect is a complete gimmick. There are so many lights that it will be as though drivers are racing in daylight.

The track doesn't look very exciting at all. Very few of the corners lead into one another or look in anyway challenging. It's just as well it rains so much in Singapore, for the track would make this year's race at Valencia look exciting. Having a night race in Singapore is just another cash-cow for Ecclestone. The setting is glamourous, but the track is boring.

If it rains and the night is pretty cool, you'd expect McLaren to be the favourites to win. Just as AKR says, a lot of the races have not gone as predicted this season, so there's no real point in predicting anything.

I doubt it will be cold. I've been there at Singapore during this time of the year. Even when it rains, it is so humid! I suffered plenty when I was there. However the possibilty of rain at night is a 50/50 so I guess we may be in for a hot wet race? Who would that favour? Lewis Hamilton because he is better in the rain or Ferrari because their cars are better in the heat? I don't really want to find out to be honest so please do not rain.

[7UpJordan]

"This track should suit our car."

Well he's not said it yet, neither has Kazuki or even Sam Michael, but I won't be surprised if Nico says that. But this time he might be right seeing that Singapore is just primarily short 90 degree corners.

[Denthúl]

"This track should suit our car."

Well he's not said it yet, neither has Kazuki or even Sam Michael, but I won't be surprised if Nico says that. But this time he might be right seeing that Singapore is just primarily short 90 degree corners.

Nico Rosberg believes that the forthcoming street race in Singapore will be Williams’s last realistic chance of scoring points this season.

Williams has bagged just two points in the last eight races, having struggled to develop its FW30 chassis at the same rate as its competitors.

The car has tended to suit tracks which put an emphasis on mechanical rather than aerodynamic grip, such as Monaco, Montreal and Monza, and Rosberg believes that Singapore is the only circuit left this season where Williams can hope to be quick.

“I’m looking forward to it, I think it’s going to be fantastic,” Rosberg said on Williams’s official podcast.

“It’s going to be one of our better tracks, but in general we’ve fallen back a bit now.

"So we need to make the best of this weekend definitely.

“Singapore is going to be a relatively good chance for us to get points, but other than that it’s going to be difficult for us towards the end of the season now unfortunately.”

Rosberg is enthusiastic about Formula 1's first night race, although with reservations.

“I just hope they’ve done a good enough job with the track in terms of safety, that’s important.

“But otherwise it’s going to be a great show.

“Singapore in the middle of town should be fantastic for everybody, for the sponsors, for Formula 1, for the viewers on TV – with the night race that’s going to be stunning.”

Chief operations engineer Rod Nelson agrees that Williams can expect to do well in Singapore, adding that the circuit layout bares a resemblance to Monaco, where Rosberg qualified a strong sixth.

“It’s completely different to Valencia as a street circuit; the corner speeds are very low and the straights are very short,” said Nelson.

“It’s much more of a Monaco-type circuit than a Canada-type circuit.

“We know from this season at Monaco, and certainly Nico’s performances in the past at Monaco, that the team and the driver have been pretty competitive in scenarios such as that.

“So we are quite hopeful [of a good performance]."

So, they've kind of said it...

[7UpJordan]

"This track should suit our car."

Well he's not said it yet, neither has Kazuki or even Sam Michael, but I won't be surprised if Nico says that. But this time he might be right seeing that Singapore is just primarily short 90 degree corners.

Nico Rosberg believes that the forthcoming street race in Singapore will be Williams’s last realistic chance of scoring points this season.

Williams has bagged just two points in the last eight races, having struggled to develop its FW30 chassis at the same rate as its competitors.

The car has tended to suit tracks which put an emphasis on mechanical rather than aerodynamic grip, such as Monaco, Montreal and Monza, and Rosberg believes that Singapore is the only circuit left this season where Williams can hope to be quick.

“I’m looking forward to it, I think it’s going to be fantastic,” Rosberg said on Williams’s official podcast.

“It’s going to be one of our better tracks, but in general we’ve fallen back a bit now.

"So we need to make the best of this weekend definitely.

“Singapore is going to be a relatively good chance for us to get points, but other than that it’s going to be difficult for us towards the end of the season now unfortunately.”

Rosberg is enthusiastic about Formula 1's first night race, although with reservations.

“I just hope they’ve done a good enough job with the track in terms of safety, that’s important.

“But otherwise it’s going to be a great show.

“Singapore in the middle of town should be fantastic for everybody, for the sponsors, for Formula 1, for the viewers on TV – with the night race that’s going to be stunning.”

Chief operations engineer Rod Nelson agrees that Williams can expect to do well in Singapore, adding that the circuit layout bares a resemblance to Monaco, where Rosberg qualified a strong sixth.

“It’s completely different to Valencia as a street circuit; the corner speeds are very low and the straights are very short,” said Nelson.

“It’s much more of a Monaco-type circuit than a Canada-type circuit.

“We know from this season at Monaco, and certainly Nico’s performances in the past at Monaco, that the team and the driver have been pretty competitive in scenarios such as that.

“So we are quite hopeful [of a good performance]."

So, they've kind of said it...

Ah, I hadn't read that yet. And there's no Singapore preview up on Williams' website yet so I won't be surprised when it does get put up and Nico says his trademark catchphrase.

[bud]

Doesn't a track start to get grippy again once temperatures drop bellow a certain threshold? Does anyone know about it?

Cooler temps mean less grip!
if the air temp drops the track temp will also drop so then its up to how well the chassis is with its tyres in getting heat in but not over heating and wearing them out to create grip!

[farissen]

im from singapore, and it hasnt been raining for the past week. so heads up, maybe no rain during the 3-4 days of the gp

[McLaren Fan]

From F1 Live:

Next week-end's Singapore Grand Prix will be the first-ever race in the history of Formula One to be conducted under artificial light; the anticipation surrounding the event is very high indeed.

Although the organisers have reportedly done a very good job of putting everything into place around the new city circuit, the teams themselves must take a look at all the practical details involved when working and racing in such conditions.

Martin Whitmarsh, CEO Formula 1 of the McLaren Mercedes team, gives us an idea of what must be considered when preparing for a night race.

What will be the key logistical challenge faced at the Singapore Grand Prix?

"Inevitably, ensuring all the team personnel have the opportunity to get enough sleep will be the main challenge over the course of the weekend. For example, the mechanics won't be going to bed until 4-5am, because we finish running late in the evening and there is a programme of work to complete prior to the next day. There is a clear plan, because we know the timings of the sessions and how much work needs to take place after each of the sessions."

"The reality is, it will be hard work for the mechanics, engineers, support crew, marketing operation and we will take measures to support this, but I don't believe it will have a massive impact on the cars and the drivers, with the programme for Lewis (Hamilton) and Heikki (Kovalainen) being very carefully planned and monitored."

Is the team planning to take additional lighting?

"Ordinarily, the garage is lit for work at night anyway so that won't be a new phenomenon. There will be some functional lighting on the pitwall which we don't currently have, that will be the only addition. In the car the cockpit display is illuminated so that won't be a problem, and there is an assumption that there will be sufficient ambient luminosity that you can see knobs and buttons in a way you ordinarily could."

"We are going with a variety of visors with high-contrast, different colourations, as with artificial light you will not have natural shadow and depth perception can be reduced. However, we are expecting the quality of light is so good that we wouldn't have to do anything, the purpose of floodlighting is to be operating as though it was daylight."

Are there any other impacts the timing will have on the race?

"There is the potential for the temperature to drop, but I suspect it will still be warmer at 21:00 in Singapore than during Friday practice at Monza! We expect the ambient will be around 30 degrees centigrade, the track temperature will cool down for the evening but will still be close to 40 degrees centigrade, unless there is rain."

"If it rains, there is the unknown of whether there will be a problem with glare or the sparkle of light from droplets of rain that is greater than you would ordinarily get. To manage this potential, we are using coatings for the visors that won't allow droplets to collect."

D.B. © CAPSIS International

[EwanM]

lol is it just me or do I get the feeling that this race weekend is gonna be really boring?