- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The odyssey to the east for this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix marks the beginning of this final leg of fly-away races in the 2016 champion. Join The Roar for a live blog of the race from 10pm (AEST).
Aptly titled the ‘Monaco of the East’, Singapore’s 5km street circuit is a blend of low-speed corners and unforgiving walls – as is the fabled streets on the Cote D’Azur.
What the Marina Bay offers, apart from its glittering ambience due to the fact it’s a night race, is that it is the toughest test of endurance the drivers face all season.
Despite the 61 laps of the race itself being contested after 8pm local time, temperatures remain high due to the tropical nature of the climate.
Attrition is another attribute that Singapore shares with Monaco. Often there are unlikely results that emerge, which are aided in fairness by the 100 per cent safety car record, since the first event in 2008.
In 2015, this event was the one and only Achilles Heel of the current championship leaders in Mercedes AMG. In a historic first during the hybrid-turbo era, no Mercedes-Benz powered cars finished on the podium – in a weekend of domination by Sebastian Vettel for Ferrari.
Unfortunately for the defending race winner, there is very slim chance for a victory. An anti-rollbar problem curtailed his qualifying and saw him eliminated in dead last position.
It’ll be Nico Rosberg who starts on pole position, for his 200th grand prix. Having two races on the bounce, the momentum certainly is with the German.
His teammate and championship rival qualified third, following a weekend of dramas. Uncomfortable with his W07 Hybrid and tyres, it remains to be seen whether Lewis Hamilton will retain that third place.
Two points is all that separate the two chief protagonists in this title hunt.
Splitting the two Silver Arrows was Daniel Ricciardo, whose Q3 lap was a monumental effort. He along with Max Verstappen in the sister Red Bull ought to keep the leaders honest, if they play their strategy cards correctly.
Forget not, the lone wolf for Ferrari in Kimi Räikkönen. Though strategic advances have not been their forte in 2016.
Toro Rosso also celebrate their 200th grand prix and stand as the fourth fastest team following qualifying. Can they hold off the likes of Force India, McLaren and Williams?
Who will triumph then in this endurance contest? Join me on The Roar from 10pm AEST for full live blog coverage of the Singapore Grand Prix.
Looking for great odds on racing and sport? Get into the action with PlayUp today. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.