Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix preview

Formula 1 returns to its original night race after a hectic weekend in Azerbaijan.

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri took his second victory of 2024 and the second of his career after starting from the outside of the front row. He switched places with pole sitter Charles Leclerc in the race who was unable to convert his third pole of 2024 into a victory.

Piastri took the win by 10 seconds over Leclerc. Mercedes’s George Russell rounded out the podium in third as Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz crashed out with two laps to go. Perez was fighting for his first podium finish since the Chinese Grand Prix in April.

Lando Norris got the fastest lap after storming from 16th to fourth by the end of the race. The decision to start on hard tires while most of the field started on the softer medium compound paid off.

Norris gained three points over championship rival Max Verstappen who finished 5th. Verstappen sits 59 points ahead of the British driver with seven rounds remaining.

Verstappen is still atop the driver’s standings, but McLaren took the lead in the constructor’s championship. They are now 20 points over Red Bull and 61 points ahead of Ferrari.

This week marks the first time that McLaren has led the constructor’s championship since the 2014 Australian Grand Prix. If they hold on, it would be their first title since 1998.

Additionally, two F2 rookies scored points at Azerbaijan last weekend. Oliver Bearman grabbed one point for Haas while he was subbing for Kevin Magnussen after the Dane served a race ban. Argentine driver Franco Colapinto finished 8th in place of Logan Sargeant at Williams.

The next round of the 2024 season takes place on the streets of Marina Bay in Singapore. This year will mark the 15th race held around the circuit.

Singapore is one of the most unpredictable events on the Formula 1 calendar. A safety car has occurred in every single grand prix since the first race in 2008.

The track’s location in a humid environment has also caused havoc on top teams throughout the race’s history. In 2015, Sebastian Vettel took one of only three races not won by Mercedes that year. In 2023, Singapore was the only race that Red Bull did not score the victory.

Max Verstappen himself has only led three laps across seven previous starts at Singapore. This serves as a great opportunity for McLaren and Ferrari to potentially gain valuable chunks of points before Formula 1 heads into the American leg of the season.

The tight corners and barriers await 20 drivers who will be tasked with stepping up to the challenge that the Marina Bay Street Circuit offers every year. The lights go out at 8 a.m. EST on Sunday, Sept. 22.

Jack Rachinsky is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jjr6682@psu.edu.