Singapore Grand Prix overview

Things to look for

Some things to look out for are drivers heading into the pit lane for numerous tire changes. This is due to the extreme weather in Singapore, as it is a night race, which means the humidity will be high and affect the drivers' performance. We will also be getting exciting overtakes on the straights and tight corners.

From the drives in Baku, many drivers struggled with tight corners and overtaking; some also struggled with their cars' handling, which was predominantly characterized by understeer.

Those problems caused numerous crashes, necessitating the deployment of the safety car on multiple occasions. This race initially turned into an hour-long race, then became a two-hour race.

These struggles may overlap into Sunday's race due to the tight turns and overtaking on corners.

In the last few races, Lando Norris has had about 5-second pit stops, and Oscar Piastri has had an average of 2 seconds in the pits. McLaren will need to fix these issues if they really want a chance at the championship title.

Entering the points overview, if Piastri and Lando secure a podium finish, McLaren will win the Constructors' Championship, as they need 13 more points to clinch the title.

Highs and Lows

In the past week, Ferrari star driver Lewis Hamilton lost his beloved dog Roscoe to pneumonia.

Roscoe was the face of the 2022 Silverstone GP and other races around the world. Hamilton has spent a lot of time in the hospital with Roscoe and has not left his side.

Hamilton announced that he will race alongside Charles Leclerc in Singapore, as this is his first time racing in Singapore in a Ferrari. The Singapore GP is a street circuit, making driving around Marina Bay a complex task.

This is basically the Baku race at night in extreme conditions. The high heat on the track will affect everyone's tires and will have to be replaced multiple times.

Some of the highs are that McLaren is in a prime position to win the constructors' championship; they are only 13 points away from winning, meaning that only Lando or Oscar would have to get on the podium, or the best way is for both drivers to get on the podium, and they will secure the win.

Teams and Drivers to keep an eye on for Race Day

With the Singapore weekend starting on Friday, October 3rd, many eyes will be on McLaren, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Max has won the last two races, Baku and Italy. He has had the best month of this year. He also kept McLaren knocking on the door of winning the Constructor Championship.

Lewis Hamilton has had one of the worst weeks of his life because of Roscoe’s passing. He may have the best drive of his career and win it for Roscoe, or the passing of Roscoe may impact his drive; it depends on his mindset over this weekend.

The rookie class of this year has impressed many people. In Baku, Mercedes rookie driver Kimi Antonelli and Racing Bulls Driver Liam Lawson finished in the Top 5.

Many rookies finished in the Top 10, including Yuki Tsoundu and Isack Hadjar. A name that we haven't seen in a while on a podium is Carlos Sainz, who placed P3.

These drivers succeeded in one of the most challenging street races on the calendar. If they continue to do what they do and maintain their drive, they will grow and accumulate points.

Rehan Karnani is a third-year majoring in telecommunications and media industries. To contact him, email rrk5317@psu.edu.